235. Editorial Note
NSC 5706, dated February 13, and entitled “U.S. Policy on Defectors, Escapees and Refugees from Communist Areas,” was discussed at the 313th meeting of the NSC on February 21. In the course of the discussion, Cutler referred to a memorandum from Loy Henderson to Sherman Adams, dated February 8, on the subject of Hungarian refugees in Yugoslavia. Henderson had recommended that:
- “1. There be approved in principle a policy of admitting into the United States under parole 1,000 of the Hungarian refugees in Yugoslavia. We should give no public indication that we will take more than 1,000 but it should be recognized within the Government that we may have to admit additional numbers if the refugee influx into Yugoslavia continues.
- “2. If it is felt necessary to do so, the Administration undertake to inform appropriate Congressional leaders of the contemplated action and the reasons therefor. The Department would be glad to do this, in conjunction with the Attorney General. We could at the same time [Page 580] discuss the changes required in the Administration’s immigration bill which would permit future flexibility in admitting refugees from Yugoslavia.” (Department of State, Central Files, 764.00/2–857)
Although Secretary Dulles supported Henderson’s proposals at the NSC meeting,
“The Attorney General said that he and his colleagues in the Justice Department believed that the Henderson recommendations might well prove to be the straw that would break the camel’s back as far as the President’s whole immigration program, now before the Congress, was concerned. He predicted that the Congress would be violently opposed to the course of action recommended by Mr. Henderson. Secretary Dulles said that while he did not dispute the facts as the Attorney General had presented them, he did not think the Congress was very logical in proposing to punish Hungarian refugees because they had escaped from Hungary to Yugoslavia rather than to Austria. The President’s comment was that the Congress and a good many of the rest of us all seem capable of forgetting that we were descendants ourselves of refugees of the past.
“A suggestion was then made for consultation with leading members of Congress regarding Mr. Henderson’s proposal, and the opinions of General Persons were solicited. General Persons said that of course there would be no harm in sounding out Congressional leaders with regard to the Henderson recommendations; but that the prospects for the President’s immigration programs generally were dim as regards favorable Congressional action this year. The Vice President agreed emphatically with Secretary Dulles that there was no logic in the Congressional position of treating Hungarians who had fled to Yugoslavia differently from those who had fled to Austria. Nevertheless, since Congress felt as it appeared to feel, it might be better to try to deal with the Henderson recommendations only after favorable action by the Congress on the President’s proposal for changes in our present legislation.”
As a result of the debate on this subject, NSC 5706 was referred back to the NSC Planning Board with instructions to prepare a new statement to provide for, among other things, “flexibility to permit, following passage of new immigration legislation as a result of the President’s recommendations to the Congress, admission into the United States, under parole, of Hungarian refugees in Yugoslavia (in such number, more or less than 1000, as may then seem appropriate).” (NSC Action No. 1671; ibid., S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95)
The President had sent a Special Message to the Congress on Immigration Matters on January 31. For text of the message, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1957, pages 110–117. On February 28, Ambassador Mates met with Murphy and raised the question of Hungarian refugees in Yugoslavia. The Ambassador was told “that the US hoped to help the Yugoslav authorities with agricultural commodities and perhaps some release of US-held [Page 581] local currency funds. Moreover, although it would not be possible to bring Hungarian refugees from Yugoslavia into the US on parole pending enactment by Congress of the Administration-sponsored immigration legislation, the US was hoping to find several million dollars to help other countries in Europe and elsewhere resettle the refugees. However, this was not yet to be taken as a US commitment since the US project was in the exploratory stage. Ambassador Mates declared that he fully understood, but was still happy to hear that the US was actively trying to aid Yugoslavia.” (Memorandum of conversation by David Mark, February 28; Department of State, Central Files, 611.68/2–2857)