10 MAY 27 (legislative day, APRIL 24), 1940.-Ordered to be printed Mr. STEWART, from the Committee on Immigration, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 7179] The Committee on Immigration, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 7179), authorizing the naturalization of Louis D. Friedman, having considered the same, report it back to the Senate without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. PURPOSE OF THE BILL The bill proposes to confer citizenship on Louis D. Friedman, a native-born citizen of the United States, who lost his citizenship by naturalization in Canada. GENERAL INFORMATION The bill passed the House of Representatives on April 2, 1940, and there is printed below report filed by the House Committee on Immigration and Naturalization which explains the bill in detail. The committee, after full consideration of the facts as presented, report the bill favorably to the Senate. [H. Rept. No. 1797, 76th Cong., 3d sess.] The Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 7179) to naturalize Louis D. Friedman, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. PURPOSE OF THE BILL This bill seeks to confer citizenship on Louis D. Friedman, a native-born citizen of the United States who lost his citizenship by naturalization in Canada. GENERAL INFORMATION There is no fraud in this case. This bill was introduced by Congressman Lesinski, of Michigan, who appeared before the committee in support of same and a subcommittee recommended that the bill be favorably considered. This is a case of repatriation only. It appears that Friedman was born in the United States, is a high-school graduate, married to a native American woman, and that he went to Canada to engage in business. He was advised that he could not conduct such business with any success unless be became a citizen. He claims to have been of the opinion that taking out citizenship for business purposes would not cause him to lose his American citizenship. That upon finding that he had already lost his citizenship he liquidated his business and returned to the United States. He came back legally on a proper visa for permanent residence. The committee is of the opinion that this man's citizenship should be restored to him. 76TH CONGRESS 3d Session } SENATE { REPORT No. 1686 ERICH HECHT, GRETE J. L. HECHT, AND ERICH F. HECHT, JR. MAY 27, (legislative day, April 24), 1940.—-Ordered to be printed Mr. STEWART, from the Committee on Immigration, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 8292] The Committee on Immigration, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 8292) for the relief of Erich Hecht, Grete J. L. Hecht, and Erich F. Hecht, Jr., having considered the same, report it back to the Senate without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. PURPOSE OF THE BILL The bill would authorize the recording of the aliens as having entered the United States for permanent residence, and upon its enactment would authorize the proper quota-control officer by direction of the Secretary of State to deduct three numbers from the German quota of the first year that the German quota is available. GENERAL INFORMATION An identical bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Bankhead and referred to the Immigration Committee. Inasmuch as the House bill had already passed the House the committee voted to report out this bill in lieu of the Senate bill. There is printed below report filed by the House Committee on Immigration which explains the bill in detail. The committee, after full consideration, report the bill favorably to the Senate. [H. Rept. No. 1659, 76th Cong., 3d sess.] The Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 8292) for the relief of Erich Hecht, Grete J. L. Hecht, and Erich F. Hecht, Jr., having considered the same, report it back to the House without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. PURPOSE OF THE BILL The bill would authorize the recording of the aliens as having entered the United States for permanent residence, and upon its enactment would authorize the proper quota-control officer by direction of the Secretary of State to deduct three numbers from the German quota of the first year that the German quota is available. GENERAL INFORMATION There appeared before the committee in support of the bill, the author of the bill, Congressman Kirwan; the alien, Erich Hecht; and an attorney representing the alien; Mr. Forrest S. Rutherford, a representative of the Republic Iron & Steel Co.; and a representative of the Department of Labor. There was also presented letters with regard to the benefits that would accrue to steel business and result in employment, by reason of the alien remaining here permanently, and as to the character and financial responsibility of the aliens. The facts presented to the committee are briefly as follows: There is no element of fraud in the case. The alien and his wife and child came to this country on visitors' visas. The father, Mr. Erich Hecht, arrived in February 1939, for a vacation in Florida. That the family were all born in Germany, and are now residents and citizens of the Netherlands. It appears from the evidence produced that Mr. Hecht has patented a process for the recovery of steel from the slack and refuse from steel manufacture which is now a waste product. That while visiting here several steel companies became interested in the patented process of recovering steel from material now thrown away as waste and the alien, Mr. Hecht, entered into a contract with Republic Iron & Steel Co. and erected at his own expense a plant at the South Chicago works of the Republic Steel Corporation, had built and installed the special machinery necessary to operate the plant, designed same, and had it made in the United States, and under his supervision started operation, employing American workmen, and has invested in the plant about $60,000 of his own money. That the alien has applied for patents in the United States, which application is now pending. That in order to operate such a plant it being a new process it is necessary for Mr. Hecht to supervise the building, installation of machinery, and to instruct employees in the operation of the machinery and the methods used to recover the steel from the waste material. The testimony also developed that if Mr. Hecht was to leave the United States and secure a visa for himself and family he could not return for several years and the production of steel by his process would have to await his return for and that reason and the reason that he desires to become an American citizen asks favorable consideration of this legislation. It further appeared that he has in operation in Europe several such plants as proposed for use in this country and that they are all successful. He has also formed the Holland Engineering Co., with headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, which would carry on the proposed business independent of the plants located in other countries. The facts appear to justify the presumption that this family would be a credit to this country as citizens; that his admission to permanent residence would benefit both labor and industry; and therefore this bill is favorably reported to the House of Representatives for favorable consideration. There is also made a part of this report letters from people of standing as to the desirability of establishing the business proposed. Subject: Holland Engineering Co. REPUBLIC STEEL CORPORATION, Congress of the United States, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: Following the suggestion of our Washington representative, Mr. F. S. Rutherford, this letter is to inform you to the effect that the process for the utilization of steel works' slags and refuse with the object of a systematical recovery and cleaning of the steel scrap contained therein as employed by subject company was entirely new to us when presented by their representative, Mr. Hecht, and to the best of our knowledge and belief there exists in this country no other procedure to achieve this end and the process used by the above company, therefore, is not in conflict in any way with processes or methods for recovering scrap used by other concerns in the United States. Very truly yours, Mr. ERICH HECHT, C. A. ILGENFRITZ, Manager of Purchases and Raw Materials. PHILIP W. FRIEDER CO., Cleveland, Ohio, February 10, 1940. Holland Engineering Co., Cleveland, Ohio. DEAR MR. HECHT: As an official of a major representative of the scrap iron and steel industry it is a pleasure to write you this letter testifying to the value of the industry you are creating in this country. From the knowledge I have gained since my association with you I am fully convinced that your industry has already become and will be of great value to the steel mills of this Nation. The recovery process which you have brought into operation is an entirely new venture in this country and will be of great benefit. Its value in conserving the raw material resources of this Nation cannot be overestimated. This recovery process makes available enormous tonnages of scrap steel that heretofore have been lost and wasted. Sincerely yours, STATE DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C. PHILIP W. FRIEDER CO., LUKENS STEEL Co., Coatesville, Pa., May 16, 1939. DEAR SIRS: I understand Mr. E. Hecht, of Amsterdam, Holland, is desirous of entering this country as a nonimmigrant in order to start operations here in connection with a project he has of reclaiming steel from slag dumps of various steel companies in the United States. Some time ago Mr. Hecht called on me and, while we have not concluded negotiations with him nor have we entered into any contract, we feel that his proposition does have considerable merit and will no doubt prove of value to certain steel companies. Until we know more about the details of Mr. Hecht's process we are not in a position to say whether or not we will enter into a contract with him for removal of steel from our slag dumps. However, I am confident that it would be to the interest of the steel industry of this country if Mr. Hecht were granted permission to enter and remain here for the development of his process in the United States. Yours very truly, ROBERT W. WOLCOTT. LEONARD J. BUCK, INC., Jersey City, N. J., February 9, 1940. CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. HONORABLE CHAIRMAN: Mr. Eric Hecht came to America as a visitor and as I knew Mr. Hecht abroad for many years and had seen some of the plants he installed in Europe, I suggested that he try to interest the American iron and steel industry here, as it would appear his process for extracting steel from steel slags, today a waste product in this country, would be of interest to them. With Mr. Hecht we made an investigation as to the adaptability of his process to the American industry. The result of these visits showed that they were definitely interested and that they felt it did lend itself to American plants and would result in substantial savings to them. In a desire to prove results before it was put on too broad a basis, a plant was erected at one of the steel companies and is now operating successfully, so that from today on real advancement can be made by broadening the application of this process to, of course, a greater number of plants. |