Sailor, Beware

IMMIGRATION Sailor, Beware The French liner Liberté steamed past its bronze namesake in New York harbor one day last week, passengers and crew abustle with expectation of Christmas in New York. The passengers tripped ashore, most of them worrying about nothing more serious than whether Customs would find that extra bottle of Arpege cached in the shaving kit. But 271 members of the crew were held on board. Reason: they had run afoul of the new McCarran Walter Immigration law which went into effect at midnight Dec. 23.

Under the old immigration law, foreign travelers arriving in the U.S. were duly asked whether they were, among other things, criminals, imbeciles, insane, illiterate, chronic alcoholics, beggars, polygamists, prostitutes, pimps, anarchists, opponents of "organized government." If the answer proved to be yes to any of these questions, they could be barred from the U.S. Crew members traveled on a collective visa issued for the entire ship's company and were asked only some of the embarrassing questions. Mostly U.S. immigration officials passed them with a nod and a wave.

The McCarran Act (incorporating part of the Internal Security Act of 1950) added only a few more types of travelers to be barred, notably aliens who were or had been Communists and aliens who intended to commit any "immoral sexual act" in the U.S. But the McCarran Act specified that henceforth alien crew members, t00,1) must have individual visas, and 2) must subject themselves to all the questions other travelers are asked. The Department of State said it would take one to two years to add another 100 consular officials to its foreign service to be able to handle the additional work under the McCarran Act. In the meantime, the U.S. Immigration Service made a "gentleman's agreement" with the major foreign shipping lines to put an inspector aboard the big liners to screen the crews during the voyage; this would avoid a hopeless jam on arrival. The first inspector to try it was Leonard Martin, who went aboard the Liberte when it left New York Dec. 9, and spent the voyage to France and back screening the crew.

Of the 974 members of the crew, 270 refused to answer Inspector Martin's questions. These, plus one known Communist, spent Christmas on board, within sight of Manhattan's glittering lights. The French Line arranged a Christmas dinner and a show (including a female contortionist).

The French, British, Dutch and Norwegian governments sent protests to the U.S. The Liberte withdrew from the "gentleman's agreement." Said Britain's Manchester Guardian: "... a scandalous piece of illiberalism ..." Calmer observers pointed out that there was nothing illiberal about trying to keep Communists out of the U.S., but that this particular part of the McCarran Act was hardly the most efficient way to do it.

A U.S. immigration inspector also went on board the Queen Mary. He reported the crew ready & willing to answer all questions. Said the captain about the inspector: "A splendid bloke . . . The men want to help him. It's to their advantage . . ."