New-York tribune., 1919-12-15
Delay in Deporting ''Reds"
Is Largely Responsible
for Centralia Killings.
Congressman Declares
Dept. of Labor Accused
Certain Reports Withheld
From House Commit
tee, Says Investigator

Isaac Siegel, Representative in Con-
sress, in an address yesterday before
the Institutional Synagogue, II West
llsth Street. held that failure on the
ua,s Of the Department of Labor to use
aggressive methods in deporting alien
anarchists was largely responsible for
Industrial Workers of the World out
RACES in the West, and particularly for
the murder of four American Legion
members at Centrala. Wash.
Delay in getting rid of alien radicals
at Ellis Island after they have been
sent there by the courts for deporta-
ton was due to laXity on the part of
immigration officials in the department,
Mr.. Siegel declared.
Mr. Siegel. who is member of the
House committee appointed to investi-
gate conditions at EIliS Island, said the
committee had been advised by the At
torney General of the State of Wash
ington thai laxity Of the Labor Depart
ment was responsible in large meas
ure for the Centralia murders
Reports Alleged Withheld
Secretary OF Labor Wilson was at
tackled by Mr.. Siegel for an alleged re-
fusal 10 deliver to the committee GER
tain reports made by the Department. S
solicitor. These reports We're expected
to show who was responsible le for con-
ditons at Ellis Island and for the
spread of violent radicalism in America.
NO man in this country is big
enough to withhold anything from a
Congressional committee" Mr. SIegel
said in asserting that the committee
intends TO take measures to acquire the
reports.
After the House committees investi-
CATION started several weeks ago. the
speaker sad, 400 aliens, who had been
released on parole, were hurriediy
taken back into custody.
Mr.. Siegel gave figures relative to
the number OF aliens who renounced
their citizenship aspirations to avoid
the army draft. There were 1,745 of
from the state of Washington, where
the l. W W are most active, and
221 rom New York. One-half came
from Norway and Sweden.
Insufficient Force of Clerks
Mr.. Siegel said that while 10000
foreigners are awaiting citizenship in
New Ork. the Department OF La Dol
has only thirty clerks in the naturali-
cation bureau to do the work. Thou
sands OF these had not even received
replies from Fills Island to requests
Tor their landing papers.
Mr.. Siegel advocated a change in
naturalization procedure.
One hundred and fifty men were
railroaded recently through the
naturalization mill in the Supreme
Court of New York in forty-nine
minutes" he said. After such an.ex-
perience as that. how much do those
men think of American citizenship
These men had come in contact with
the American government just twice
once when they landed at Ellis Island
and again when they were naturaliZed.'
Pledge for Schoo! Pupils
Board OF Education officials are plan
ming 20 require that each high schoo
pupil before graduation sign a pledg
that he or she will support American
institutions and "actiyely oppose al
revolutionary movements" Aiming
Prall, president Of the board, saiC
yesterday that the draft which already
has been drawn up, probably Will b,
approved by the board of superintend
ents this week.
The pledge, as framed, reads:
Il Will reverence my country's fae
and defend it against enemies at home
and abroad
u Will respect and obey the Presi-