711.452/3–545
Memorandum by Mr. Richard W. Flournoy, Assistant to the Legal Adviser (Hackworth)61
Subject: Entry of East Indians into the United States for Commercial Purposes
In my recent testimony before the House Committee on Immigration and Naturalization concerning the pending bill which provided for the immigration and naturalization of East Indians62 I mentioned, as one argument in favor of its passage, the fact that we have no treaty of commerce between the United States and India, since the commercial treaty of 1815 with Great Britain63 relates only to trade between the United States and British territory in Europe. The fact that the Committee has tabled the bill in question, so that its passage will at least be delayed for some time, might make it desirable to have a commercial treaty with India, so that East Indians coming to the United States to carry on trade between the two countries will not be handicapped by the necessity of obtaining entry, under Sec. 3(2) of the Immigration Act of 1924, as temporary visitors for business, and of thereafter applying repeatedly for extensions of stay. However, this is a question of commercial policy.