Jewish Floridian, "United States to Pass on All Visas as of July 1" article from 7/4/1941

1941

caption:
UNITED STATES TO PASS ON ALL VISAS AS Of JULY 1  

Washington (WNS)—The State Department must approve of all applications for visas to the United States before the consuls in the field can pass on the applications, according to new regulations made public here. The new procedure went into effect on July 1st.  

The State Department declared that the action was made necessary "in view of the declared emergency and the necessity from the standpoint of the national defense for careful supervision ov-er the entry of aliens into the United States."

In its announcement the State Department said: 'The cases will be considered in proper turn by inter - departmental committees acting in an advisory capacity with reference to the national defense program.

"After examination of each case in the department, an appropriate communication will be sent to the consul concerned for further consideration of the case. If an interested person would wish, consideration will be given; to a request to have the notification sent by telegraph at his expense to the consul.

"The consul will advise the alien appropriately regarding his case and the procedure to be followed in making formal application for a visa. In a case given preliminary approval by a consul, the visa will not be granted until satisfactory evidence Is submitted to show that the alien, will be able to proceed to the United States within the period of the validity of his visa, and in this connection that he has transportation reservations and reasonable expectations of obtaining an exit permit and tran-sit visas to the port of embarkation.

When the cases are referred to the consuls the interested persons will be notified immediately. As cases will be considered and action taken by the consuls under the law strictly according to the facts of the cases. special consideration may not be accord-ed and should not be requested."

Earlier, Undersecretary of State Breckenridge Long Informed a delegation of rabbis that present conditions were too chaotic to make any promises with regard to the possibility of rescuing thousands of Jews trapped in the Baltic states by the Nazi invas-ion.

The delegation, which included Rabbi Eliezer Silver. Rabbi Aaron Kisler. and Michael G. Tress, told Mr. Long that hundreds of rabbis. rabbinical students and others in the Baltic, were In imminent danger of pogroms.