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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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of the United States. But, I guess you're right so far as wartime is concerned. The most important thing is the hazard that exists with regard to people coming into this country for less than creditable reasons. I'm sure also from reports that we've had that some people have come in that never came through any port of entry, that there are people here who have not been here very long. Our immigration inspectors hear about them without actually having any contact with them. They have come in in some kind of illegal way.”

He said, “Yes, Francis Biddle has discovered that. We think we know where some of the places are. So that's what I've got to do.”

I said, “That's all right with me. You do it with my blessing.”

He said, “All right, we'll give it out to the press tomorrow and I'll sign the papers now. The date will be as of tomorrow.” It was then almost midnight.

I think I telephoned very early in the morning to our publicity man, Mr. Fitzgerald, so that he would know the answers if the press began calling him early. It was given out among the first bits of information from the White House that morning. That was that.

It is true that a lot of refugees came into this country without any papers, not under any quota system, during the war, and that the business of their getting papers to be able to become citizens was patched up later. A new





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