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One reason why such things happen, says the Bulletin, is that the McCarran Act makes consular officers the judges of scientific visitors. The consuls realize their inability to estimate a scientist's politics, but they also realize that a no is safer than a yes. If they let the wrong man in, he may be publicly denounced for some fleeting contact with Communism 20 or 30 years ago. Then the consul's career might be in danger. Thus, it is prudent to delay or refuse the visa.
Growing Isolation. The worst effect, the Bulletin believes, is the growing isolation of U.S. science, which has never been self-sufficient. It is now almost impossible to hold international scientific conferences in the U.S., and nearly as difficult to hire foreign scientists to teach at U.S. universities. Even those who would probably get visas hate to take the risk of getting a consular runaround.
The Bulletin is not clear about just what should be done. Its authors (who are not lawyers) hope fervently that some way can be found to exclude Communist troublemakers without also excluding the European brains and knowledge on which the triumphs of U.S. technology have been built.
* The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 and its predecessor, the Internal Security Act of 1950, both sponsored by Nevada's Senator Pat McCarran.