National Affairs: Right to Travel?

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"Even if an espionage agent walked in and asked for a passport, we'd have to issue it," said a State Department passport official after the Supreme Court held (TIME, June 30) that the Secretary of State has no statutory authority to deny passports on the basis of "beliefs" or "associations." Warning of just that kind of urgency, President Eisenhower last week sent a message to Congress requesting "clear statutory authority" for the Secretary to deny passports in the interest of national security. "Each day and week that passes without [this legislation] exposes us to great danger." And Secretary of State Dulles followed up with a draft bill providing that applicants could be denied passports if engaged in Communist "activities"—as distinguished from "beliefs"—within the past ten years, the denial to be subject to due process of appeal through the courts.

"The issuance of U.S. passports to [Communist] supporters facilitates their travel," said Dulles. "It clothes them when abroad with all the dignity and protection that our Government affords. Surely our Government should be in a position to deny passports to such persons?" Outlook for a passport bill in Congress: good.