On April 5, 1944, the popular syndicated columnist Samuel Grafton wrote in his “I’d Rather Be Right” column about free ports. He defined free ports as “a small bit of land in which foreign goods can be brought in without paying customs duties” and thought the principle could apply to refugees. The US could bring European refugees over and put them in designated locations for the duration of the war, outside of immigration law. He concludes the column with, “If we set up a system of refugee free ports, our fine new War Refugee Board can then properly appeal to other countries to do the same. If we do not go at least that far, the Board will be answered with a snicker should it make such requests of other lands.”