150.071 Control/204
The Chief of the Visa Division ( Simmons ) to the Assistant Secretary of State ( Carr )
Dear Mr. Carr: As I informed you last week, I had a personal conversation with Senator Copeland on June 13th at the Senator’s office, at which time I took up with him informally the question of the Bang seamen bill, S. 379, which was recently reported out favorably by both the Senate and House Immigration Committees and to which Senator Copeland is opposed.
Senator Copeland received me very courteously and told me that he thought that there was very little chance that the bill would be allowed to reach the Senate floor since Senator King himself was not particularly interested in the bill as long as he could show that it had been reported out favorably by the Senate Immigration Committee, of which he is a member.
Senator Copeland said that, at the executive session that the bill was reported out last week, he left the room shortly before this favorable action was taken. He said that he did this purposely in order not to be there when the favorable decision was reached and in order to keep himself entirely free for any further action which he might wish to take in order to oppose the bill.
He said that, while he was not particularly concerned with any danger of the bills getting on to the Senate floor, that he would nevertheless appreciate a short letter from me stating the Department of [Page 466] State’s opposition to the bill, which had been given verbally on many occasions in committee hearings, in order that he might have this information readily available and in order to show it to his friend, Senator McNary,16 whom he felt would also be interested in opposing the passage of the bill on the Consent Calendar.
I have accordingly, after consultation with you, drafted the attached letter to Senator Copeland,17 which is similar in form to the letters which the Secretary has just sent to Senator Robinson and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
I shall be glad to sign the attached letter and send it to Senator Copeland in case you approve of this action.