Volkov's story of his experiences as a flyer in the Russian Army, his escape to the United States, and his knowledge of conditions behind the iron curtain. After checking with certain agencies of the United States Government, I became fully satisfied that he was exactly what he represented himself to be. I then agreed to help him write a series of articles for the Saturday Evening Post. These articles have now been published. In the process of their preparation Mr. Volkov lived in my home. Members of my family, my friends, and I myself came to know him very well. The intimacy required by literary collaboration is such that I feel as well acquainted with him as I do with some of my oldest friends.

I can testify without reservation that he is a man of the highest order of intelligence and integrity. Although his knowledge of English is still limited, it has improved tremendously since I have known him and I am confident that he will master the language shortly with the help of the night school he now attends. His personality is pleasant and well balanced. His admiration for the American system and his joy in its freedoms is so genuine and so intense that it can be an inspiration to those of us who are inclined, through familiarity, to take them for granted.

It is my conviction that his articles in the Saturday Evening Post have made an important contribution to American understanding of Russia and that he will make still more important contributions in the future. I further believe that he will, if given the opportunity, become an exemplary and highly useful citizen of our Nation.

KENNETH G. CRAWFORD. Subscribed and sworn to before me, a notary public in and for the District of Columbia, this 4th day of February 1948.

[SEAL]

My commission expires October 14, 1948.

JEAN MURDOCK, Notary Public.

80TH CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session

THOMAS CAMARDA

{

REPORT No. 1553

MARCH 11, 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. 2760]

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 2760) for the relief of Thomas Camarda, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendments and recommend that the bill do pass.

The amendments are as follows:

Page 1, line 7, strike out the word "said", substitute a comma for the period after the name "Camarda", and add the following: "a resident of Detroit, Michigan."

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of the bill is to cancel deportation proceedings outstanding against Mr. Thomas Camarda, a native of Italy who entered the United States in 1910, at the age of 4.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The pertinent facts in this case are set forth in the letter from the Acting Assistant to the Attorney General, dated December 1, 1947, 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.

DECEMBER 1, 1947.

MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: "This is in response to your request for the views of the Department of Justice relative to the bill (H. R. 2760) which would authorize the Attorney General to cancel deportation proceedings against Thomas Camarda. The files of this Department disclose that Thomas Camarda is a 40-year-old Lative and citizen of Italy who entered the United States in 1910 at the age of years, accompanied by his mother who came to this country to join her husband. He was convicted on January 25, 1935, in the then Supreme Court of the District

of Columbia on charges of possession and sale of narcotics and served approximately 10 months of a 3-year sentence. On July 10, 1943, Camarda was ordered deported to Italy because of the above-referred-to conviction. Deportation was stayed to afford the alien an opportunity to apply for a pardon. Presidential pardon was not granted and deportation proceedings were ordered resumed on October 11, 1945. His departure was again deferred pending action by the Congress on legislation for his relief.

Examination of the record pertaining to this alien reveals that Camarda is now married to an American citizen. He has had two previous marriages which were terminated by divorce. He has two daughters by his first wife, who were born in Detroit, Mich., and who are now 19 and 21 years of age respectively. The decree of divorce from his first wife directed him to pay $10 per week for the support of his children until they reached the age of 16 years. His second marriage terminated in a divorce on September 14, 1938. He married his present wife on October 20, 1940.

Investigation reveals that Camarda has no close relatives in Italy and cannot speak the Italian language. Besides his wife and two daughters, his father, two brothers, and a sister, reside in the United States. All except the father are citizens of the United States. At the hearing on January 8, 1943, following issuance of the warrant of arrest in deportation proceedings, it appeared that he had been unemployed for about 3 months but that he and his wife had both secured employment in a Detroit factory engaged in war work.

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

Sincerely yours,

PEYTON FORD,

Acting The Assistant to the Attorney General.

Mr. Coffin, the author of the bill, the beneficiary of the measure and his attorney, Mr. O. Guy Frick, appeared before the subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization pleading for the enactment of the bill and submitting the following additional information:

Mr. Camarda was legally admitted to the United States at New York, N. Y., in December 1910, at the age of 2 years, accompanied by his mother, two brothers and a sister, and has resided continuously in the United States at Detroit, Mich., since that date, at which time he was destined to his father who had been theretofore legally admitted to the United States and was a resident at Detroit, Mich. Mr. Camarda conducts his own business in wholesale produce, located at 12100 Burt Road, Detroit, Mich., under the name of Tommy's Produce.

Mr. Camarda has at all times during his adult life maintained himself by respectable employment and has at no time been dependent upon any person nor has he been the recipient of welfare or charity from any organization, nor ever accepted any unemployment benefits at any time.

Mr. Camarda has never at any time since his entry to the United States been engaged in any activities political or otherwise injurious to or antagonistic to the United States or the American public interest.

Mr. Camarda was indicated, convicted, and sentenced in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia on January 25, 1935, for violation of the Harrison Narcotic Act, and served 23 months, at which time he was paroled. He has never been arrested and convicted on any occasion either prior or subsequent to that date, and in no way connected with narcotic drug traffic, neither as an addict, a peddler, or an agent.

Further in addition to the above information, the Justice Department file, and the Immigration and Naturalization file the following facts are given.

1. Mr. Camarda was legally admitted to the United States as an infant, 2 years of age and has no knowledge of the Italian language, being unable as a matter of fact to converse with his father except by the assistance of his older brother who does understand and talk the Italian language.

2. Mr. Camarda Senior, is a legal resident of the city of Detroit, Mich., and his wife, the mother of Mr. Camarda is deceased and is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery at Detroit, Mich.

3. That Mr. Camarda is married to a native-born citizen of the United States who is personally appearing with him at this time, and with whom he resides in a single residence of which they are the owners and upon which payments have been punctually made and taxes paid to date.

4. That Mr. Camarda has no relatives other than those residing in the United States listed as follows:

Vincent Camarda, father, legal resident; Vincent Camarda, brother, citizen; Samuel Camarda, brother, citizen; Mary Riccobono, sister, citizen.

The record of the Justice Department will show that the Board of Immigration Appeals granted a hearing on April 19, 1944, after which an order was entered granting Mr. Camarda a stay of deportation during which he might apply for a pardon, their file will likewise show that such application was made with the result that under date of May 31, 1945, he recieved a letter to the effect that "The application has been filed without action." That Mr. Camarda has complied in every respect with the law, rules, and regulations, and instructions applicable to his case and, at this time is seeking relief through the bill introduced by Representative Howard A. Coffin, by reason of the fact that he has exhausted every other legal remedy.

It has been submitted at the hearing held by the Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization that Mr. Camarda became involved in the narcotic case referred to in the above-quoted information through the association of his former wife, a drug addict, with peddlers of narcotics. The committee is of the opinion that the case has merits and recommends that the bill do pass.