The record-union., 1897-08-14
Bomb ThrOWers Must Seek Other
Quarters for Residence.
Commissioner PowderIy viii Exclude Them
From America.
immigration Officials Warned TO
Look Out for Anarchists Who
Have Been Expelled From For
eign Lands.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13. - The
Treasury Department is keeping a
sharp lookout for the anarchists now
being driven from France. Spain and
Italy by concerted action of the great
continental powers. No pains will oe
spared to prevent the United States
from being made an asylum for these
men.
Terrence Y. Powderly, the new Com
missioner OF Immigration, said i'll an
interview that he would adopt every
remedy under the law to exclude
Planas. the leader Of the Spanish anar-
chists, who has been conducted TO
HaVre by French officials and shipped
to New York. The immigration au-
thorities will notify their officers at
New York and all large seaboard ports
to be on the lookout for anarchists
headed this way. 1t is expected that
the United States Consul at Havre will
give specific information as to the ship
on which Planas and his compatriots
sail.
Mr.. Powderly's attention was called
to the subject because of the anarchist
excitement following the assassination
of Premier Canovas. Cable reports
stated that the European powers were
combining to drive out the anarchists.
Mr.. Powderly felt satisfied that if this
process of exclusion was inaugurated in
Europe a good part of the anarchistic
element would be driven this way. Will.
a copy of the exclusion law in his hand,
Mr.. Powderly pointed out the steps to
be taken and also showed the need of
strengthening the laws in order to deal
with the anarchist class.
The law permits the exclusion of
persons who have been convicted of
felony or other infamous crimes or
misdemeanors involving moral turpi-
tude."
1t also excludes persons likely to be-
come a public charge" These are the
only provisions which even indirectly
can be applied to anarchists, and the
bureau will be compelled to resort to
them. After the Barcelona anarchistic
agitation the French /ent to the State
Department here a list of anarchists
expelled from the country and expected
to come to the United States. The list
was sent to the immigration officers in
New York, Philadelphia, Boston and
other ports, with instructions to apply
the law against anarchists named on
the list. None of them were appre-
hended, however, as they either did not
come or were smuggled in by way of
the steerage'
Mr.. Powderly was asked if he favored
strengthening the law so as to specifi-
cally exclude anarchists.
Il most assuredly would favor a law
excluding from the United States every
criminal, incendiary and anarchist"
ansNeered Mr.. Powderly. There is no
trouble in fixing the status of the man
who has been convicted of a crime, but
the term anarchist has not been clear
ly defined, so that it is difficult to as
certain who the anarchists are"
Mr.. Powderly went on to show the
difficulties in the way of defining "an-
archist." The latter claims to be a
philosopher seeking an ideal state of
society. To this end he advocates the
abolition of all and the substitution o
individual effort. Mr.. Powderly points
out that it is only when the anarchist
carries his philosophy to the point Of
becoming an assassin or advocate of
assassination, with incendiarism, that
the law can deal with him. 1t cannot
deal with him as an abstract philoso-
pher. The Commissioner says that
many anarchists will not accept the
title
In the case of Planas, the Spanish
anarchist, there appears to be no doubt
as to his character. Mr.. Powderly has
long known Planas. The fact that
he is expelled by France would prob
ably bring him within the section of the
law excluding those who had been con-
victed Of an offense involving moral
turpitude.