Property belonging to Alton Bramer which was lost in fire of Government building at Grand Portage, Minn.-Continued

Property belonging to Alton Bramer which was lost in fire of Government building at Grand Portage, Minn.-Continued

Currency and coins test:

Mrs. Bramer's budget fund.......

Mrs. Bramer's personal money.

Funds (various) for which Alton Bramer was responsible:

1. Dr. Knapp community fund..

2. Garden fund, community fund balance.

3. Flower funds, Jim Scott..

$40.00 4. 50

35.00

8.00

15. 00

2, 768. 90

3.00

6.50

20.00

15.00

25.00

15. 00

5.00

10. 00

4.00 35.00

25.00

4. 95 5.00

6. 00

8.00

5.00

4.00

10.00

15. 00 6. 00

227.45

83D CONGRESS 2d Session

SENATE

REPORT No. 1393

CHARLES PEROULAS

MAY 24 (legislative day, MAY 13), 1954.—Ordered to be printed

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

following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 1798]

The Committee on the Judiciary, to which was referred the bill (S. 1798) for the relief of Charles Peroulas, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of the bill is to grant the status of permanent residence in the United States to Charles Peroulas. The bill provides for an appropriate quota deduction and for the payment of the required visa fee.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

The beneficiary of the bill is a 55-year-old native and citizen of Greece who originally entered the United States for permanent residence on April 18, 1912. He returned to Greece in 1924 because of the illness of his mother, and while there he was drafted into the Greek Army. Upon his discharge, he was unable to obtain a quota immigration visa due to the oversubscribed condition of the Greek quota. He last entered the United States in 1939 with a United States passport issued in the name of another person. He received a 6 months' sentence upon his conviction for fraudulent use of a United States passport. His wife and two of his children have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence and reside with him. They have two other sons still residing in Greece. He is part owner of a successful restaurant in Knoxville, Tenn.

A letter, with attached memorandum, dated December 11, 1953, to the chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary from the

Acting Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service with reference to the case reads as follows:

Hon. WILLIAM LANGER,

Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,

United States Senate, Washington, D. C1

DECEMBER 11, 1953.

DEAR SENATOR: In response to your request of the Department of Justice for a report relative to the bill (S. 1798) for the relief of Charles Peroulas, there is annexed a memorandum of information from the Immigration and Naturalization Service files concerning the beneficiary. It should be noted that the beneficiary's full name is Charles Seraphim Peroulas.

The bill would grant the alien permanent residence in the United States upon payment of the required visa fee. It also would direct that one quota number be deducted from the appropriate immigration quota. The alien is chargeable to the quota of Greece. Sincerely,

Acting Commissioner:

MEMORANDUM OF INFORMATION FROM IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE FILES RE CHARLES PEROULAS, BENEFICIARY OF S. 1798

Charles Seraphim Peroulas, a native and citizen of Greece, was born on June 15, 1898. He originally entered the United States on April 18, 1912, at New York, N. Y., at which time he was admitted for permanent residence. He remained in the United States until January 8, 1924, when he returned to Greece due to the illness of his mother. While there, he was drafted into the Greek Army and required to serve a period of 5 months. Upon his discharge, he was unable to obtain a quota immigration visa due to the oversubscription of the Greek quota. He last entered the United States at New York, N. Y., on November 23, 1939, at which time he was admitted as a United States citizen upon presentation of a United States passport issued in the name of another person, which passport he had purchased while in Greece. Deportation proceedings were instituted against him on the grounds that, at the time of entry, he was an immigrant not in possession of a valid immigration visa and that he entered by false and misleading statements, thereby entering without inspection. An order granting the beneficiary suspension of deportation was entered on August 9, 1950, and the case was referred to Congress on August 15, 1950. Congress failed to take any action on his application for suspension of deportation and the alien was granted permission to depart voluntarily from the United States on May 1, 1952.

He is married to a native and citizen of Greece. They have four children. His wife and two children are legal residents of the United States and reside with the beneficiary at Knoxville, Tenn. Two of their sons still reside in Greece. He has been self-employed throughout his residence in the United States as owner and operator of restaurants in various cities in the United States. He is now a part owner of a successful restaurant in Knoxville, Tenn. His assets are valued at approximately $11,000 and he has a yearly income of approximately $6,000.

The beneficiary was prosecuted for fraudulent use of a United States passport and upon his plea of guilty he was sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment in the Federal Correctional Institution at Danbury, Conn. He was discharged from that institution on March 8, 1941.

Senator Estes Kefauver, the author of the bill, has submitted the following affidavit in connection with the case:

AFFIDAVIT

I, Charles A. Peroulas, age 55, residing at 2648 Linden Avenue, Knoxville, Tenn., having been duly sworn, depose and say as follows:

I was born in Fragista, Evrythnia, Greece, on or about June 15, 1898, I resided in Fragista until 1912. My father's name was Athanasios Peroulas and my mother's name was Fotine Peroulas. My mother was also a native of Fragista, Evrythnia, Greece. Both of my parents are deceased.

In 1912 I obtained a Greek passport and came to the United States, arriving in New York, N. Y., on the Steamship Mauritania of the White Star Line. On April 12, 1912, I entered the United States under the name of Seraphim A. Peroulas.

After arriving in New York, I went to Asheville, N. C., where I attended school. While in Asheville I resided with my borthers, John and George Peroulas, who at that time were operating the Central Cafe, Pack Square, Asheville, N. C. I stayed in Asheville approximately 5 or 6 years, and from Asheville, N. C., I moved to Greeneville, S. C., where I operated a restaurant known as the Plaza Restaurant on Main Street. I resided in Greeneville, S. C., approximately 3

years.

From Greeneville, S. C., I moved to Laurens, S. C., where I operated a restaurant known as the Central Cafe, which was located on the Court Square. I stayed in Laurens, S. C., for 4 years or until approximately 1924.

While in Greeneville, S. C., I applied for my first citizenship papers. While in Laurens, S. C, I also became a Master Mason with Palmetto Lodge No. 19.

While residing in Laurens, S. C., and during the year 1924, I received a letter from my mother in Greece, which informed me she wanted to see me; she was quite sick and did not expect to live. I left Laurens, S. C., approximately January 8, 1921, and returned to Greece. As I recall, I returned to Greece on the same passport which I entered the United States.

After arriving in Greece and staying there approximately 3 months I was inducted into the Greek Army. I served approximately 3 months and, as I recall, I had to make payment to the Greek Army to be released. At that time I had lost my right to return to the United States on my credentials.

Thereafter, I applied to the American consul several times to return to the United States and was advised that my name was on the quota list.

I married Victoria Kapoula in Fragista, Greece, on or about February 8, 1925. We have the following children, all of whom were born in Fragista, Greece: Constantine, who is now age 27, who now resides in Greece and has just recently been released from the Greek Army: Athenia, age 24, who at the present time resides with me at my home in Knoxville, Tenn., having entered the United States on or about 1951 under the Displaced Persons Act; Athanasios, age 23, who at the present time is serving in the Greek Army, and Achelleus, age 21, who at the present time resides with me in Knoxville, Tenn., and who shortly will be inducted into the United States Army.

Often after my marriage I continued to apply to the American consul to reenter the United States. However, I was not successful and I recall that during the year 1939 I again conferred with the American consul in Athens in regard to returning to the United States and he assured me that I was on the quota and would be eventually called.

As I recall, on leaving the American consul's office I was approached by a traveling agency who had an office nearby, and they assured me that they could obtain a visa for me to return to the United States. They explained to me that the only thing that I would have to do to obtain this visa would be to pay them a fee somewhat above the regular cost of the ticket. They further advised me that I would be called by them to go to the American consul to obtain this visa. Shortly thereafter they called me and advised me that the visa was ready. I went down and thought I was going to be taken to the American consul. However, they took me to the port of Athens at Peresus instead of to the American consul, and placed me on a boat.

Sometime after the boat started and I was on my way to the United States, I took out my passport and it was the first time that I was aware that the passport was not in my name. However, I entered the United States on the assumed passport, arriving in New York, N. Y., on the steamship Countess Savoy, on November 23, 1939.

From New York City, N. Y., I went to Roanoke, Va., where my brother resided and was operating a restaurant.

In 1940 the immigration authorities picked me up, while I was still in Roanoke, Va., for illegal entry. I was tried and received a sentence for illegal entry of 5 months. I was later released and placed under $1,000 bond, which bond was signed by Athas Peroulas, of Roanoke, Va.

On or about 1942 I left Roanoke, Va., and went to Augusta, Ga., where I operated a restaurant known as the None-Such Restaurant, located at 915 Broad Street, Augusta, Ga. While in Augusta, Ga., I endeavored to have Senator Russell introduce a private bill to have my entry into the United States made legal for permanent residence. As I recall, Senator Russell endeavored on one or two occasions to introduce this bill for my relief.

In 1945 I engaged Mr. Nathaniel H. Brower, attorney, in New York, N. Y., to endeavor to assist me in having a bill passed for my relief. Mr. Brower did obtain a suspension of my deportation. Also, a bill was filed in the House for my relief, being House bill 8568, July 7, 1952. However, this bill was not passed.