Mrs. Wang received part of her education in Pennsylvania and has spent periods in the United States on two occasions before returning in 1945. Since her return, she has been assimilated into the community at Berkeley, Calif., where she has become a substantial member of the community and an accepted member of the community.

Mrs. Wang's history and character are such that she is a desirable person to have in a community. The list of persons who recommend her indicates a sustained good character. If, as is the case, Chinese are to be permitted to enter the United States to become permanent residents, it seems wise to favor the admission of those who have already proven themselves to be desirable by residence here than to send such persons out of the country possibly to make way for the entry of others of whose adaptability nothing is known.

Mrs. Wang is the widow of a Chinese general who rendered assistance consistently to the United States and its allies. Letters from Nelson D. Johnson, formerly American Ambassador to Chungking; Quentin Roosevelt, formerly a major in the United States Army in China; Dr. R. H. van Gulik, formerly secretary of the Netherlands Legation in Tokyo and now connected with the Netherlands Embassy in Washington, and Timothy T. Mar, member of the Chinese delegation to the Far Eastern Commission in Washington, D. C., so indicate.

Mrs. Wang departed from India in 1945 en route to China via the United States. The war with Japan was still in progress when she arrived here. Her husband was in China. She expected to continue on to China to rejoin General Wang after staying in the United States for something less than a year. During that period two events occurred which obviousy could not have been foreseen. The war with Japan came to an end and civil war in China broke out almost immediately and has continued with increasing disruption of normal conditions, particularly in the area of Changsha, Hunan, which was the home of Mrs. Wang. Secondly, General Wang died on May 17, 1946. There is obviously no evidence to indicate that Mrs. Wang and her two children sought to circumvent the immigration laws by entering on a pretense of being visitors with the intention at the time of subsequently endeavoring to change their status to permanent residents.

The admission of Mrs. Wang and her two sons to permanent residence as provided in H. R. 3640 is recommended by the following persons among others: Nelson D. Johnson, formerly American Ambassador to Chungking. Quentin Roosevelt, formerly a major in United States Army in China. Dr. R. H. van Gulik, formerly secretary of Netherlands Legation in Tokyo and now with Netherlands Embassy in Washington.

Timothy T. Mar, member of the Chinese delegation to the Far Eastern Commission in Washington, D. C.

W. B. Pettus, president of California College in China.

Stanley A. Hunter, pastor of Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, Calif.

A. E. Demaray, National Park Service.

Robert A. Burns, pastor of Calvary Presbyterian Church, Berkeley Calif. Lawrence Cross, mayor of Berkeley.

Frank Toothacher, First Methodist Church, Oakland, Calif.

George H. Ball, Albany, Calif.

Mary L. Cady, secretary, Council of Social Agencies, Community Chest, Oakland, Calif.

80TH CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session

{

REPORT No. 1516

MRS. CLETUS E. TODD (FORMERLY LAURA ESTELLE

RITTER)

MARCH 5, 1948.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be printed

Mr. FELLOWS, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the

following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 3824)

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 3824) for the relief of Mrs. Cletus E. Todd (formerly Laura Estelle Ritter), having considered the same, report favorably thereon and recommend that the bill do pass.

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of the bill is to waive the excluding provisions of existing law, because of one conviction in Australia of a crime involving moral turpitude, in behalf of Mrs. Cletus E. Todd (formerly Laura Estelle Ritter), the wife of an honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The pertinent facts in this case are set forth in a letter from the assistant to the Attorney General, dated February 5, 1948, to the chairman of the committee, which letter reads as follows:

Hon. EARL C. MICHENER,

Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

FEBRUARY 5, 1948.

MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in response to your request for the views of this Department relative to the bill (H. R. 3824) for the relief of Mrs. Cletus E. Todd.

The bill would provide that notwithstanding the provisions of the eleventh category of section 3 of the Immigration Act of 1917, Mrs. Cletus E. Todd may be admitted to the United States for permanent residence under the act approved December 28, 1945 (Public Law 271, 79th Cong.), if she is found otherwise admissible under the provisions of the immigration laws.

The files of the Immigration and Naturalization Service of this Department disclose that Mrs. Cletus E. Todd (formerly Laura Estelle Ritter) is a native and citizen of Australia, 21 years of age, who presently resides in Brisbane, Australia. She is the wife of a native-born citizen of the United States whom she married in Australia on July 21, 1945. She was refused a visa by the American consul on the ground that she had been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, in that she was charged on December 12, 1945, with having fraudulently cashed a check in the amount of 45 pounds and upon her plea of guilty was required to make restitution in that amount.

The files further show that at the time of their marriage, Mr. Todd was a member of the armed forces of the United States, stationed in Australia, and that they have one child by this marriage. Mrs. Todd also has another child under 4 years of age by a former marriage. Since his return to the United States, Mr. Todd has conducted a small photographic developing business of his own in Bradner, Ohio. He bears a good reputation in the community in which he lives. Mr. Todd has stated that his wife's parents are well respected in Brisbane where they reside. The record does not show any wrongdoing on the part of Mrs. Todd other than than the above-mentioned offense.

Whether the bill should be enacted presents a question of legislative policy concerning which this Department has no suggestions to make.

Sincerely yours,

PEYTON FORD,

The Assistant to the Attorney General.

Mr. Weichel, the author of the bill, submitted to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization a sworn affidavit by Mr. Cletus E. Todd, of Bradner, Ohio, the husband of the beneficiary of the measure. The affidavit reads as follows:

STATE OF OHIO,

Lucas County, ss:

AFFIDAVIT OF CLETUS E. TODD

I, Cletus E. Todd, being duly sworn, say I live at Bradner, Wood County, Ohio. I served in the American armed forces from October 1, 1942 until May 8, 1945, attaining the rank, T-4 (sergeant). My service included approximately 2 years in the South Pacific theater. While stationed in Brisbane, Australia, I met and married one Laura Ritter. We were married July 21, 1945, at which time she was 18 years of age. We lived together in Brisbane for approximately a year during which period a daughter, Idella, was born. My wife then had a son by a previous marriage. The daughter is now about 11⁄2 years of age, and the stepson 3. Having attained the requisite number of points I returned to America shortly prior to May 8, 1945, and on that date I was discharged. I expected to have my wife and children join me as soon as necessary arrangements could be made.

I have subsequently learned that she is denied permission to enter the United States by reason of conviction of an offense with which she was charged on December 11, 1944, when she was 17 years old. This was prior to our marriage.

My wife's parents are of good character, reputation, and standing in Brisbane. Her father is a retired farm manager. One of her uncles is present mayor of one of the important Australian municipalities.

My wife is intelligent, well educated (high-school graduate), healthy, of good character and a good mother. She is eager to come to America to join me, and to become an American citizen.

I am engaged in commercial photography in Bradner, Ohio, and I am able to and desire to establish a home and maintain my family there, although my means do not permit proper maintenance of my family in a separate establishment.

I earnestly solicit favorable consideration of such measures as may be required to enable my wife and family to enter this country so that I may establish a home and properly support them.

CLETUS E. TODD. Sworn to before me and subscribed in my presence this 1st day of July 1947. [SEAL] NANCY ANN KISTLER, Notary Public.

My commission expires August 18, 1947.

80TH CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session

{

REPORT No. 1517

DENNIS (DIONESIO) FERNANDEZ

MARCH 5, 1948.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be printed

Mr. FELLOWS, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the

following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 4130]

The Committee on the Judiciary, so whom was referred the bill, H. R. 4130, for the relief of Dennis (Dionesio) Fernandez, having considered the same report the bill favorably with amendments and recommend that the bill, as amended, do pass.

The amendment is as follows:

On page 1, line 10 add the following:

Upon the enactment of this Act the Secretary of State shall instruct the proper quota-control officer to deduct one number from the quota for Spain for the first year such quota number is available.

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of the bill is to grant the status of an immigrant admitted for permanent residence to Dennis (Dionesio) Fernandez, a native and citizen of Spain, who honorably served in the United States armed forces. The amendment provides for the usual quota deduction.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The pertinent facts in this case are set forth in a letter from the Assistant to the Attorney General, dated January 20, 1948, to the chairman of the committee, which letter reads as follows: