Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-11-25
RADICALS 90 0N STRIKE AGAINST
 THEIR HEARING
Defendants, Though Prisoners. Won't Appear Until Iron Net
 Is Removed.
FORCE OFFICIALS TO
 POSTPONE THEIR CASE
Unable to Tell One From the Other, Ellis Island Officials Are Unable to Force the Men to
 Appear.

New York, Nov. 24.-Fifty-nine radicals went on strike against at tending their deportation hearings at Ellis Island today and forced the hearings to be suspended despite the presence of the house immigration committee, which is Investigating the whole deportation problem. They struck to have an iron barrier re- moved when they have visitors. The committee advised Commits sioner Byron H. Uhl to use force if necessary to compel the next men scheduled for hearing to attend, l holding he had sufficient authority under the interpretation of the law by 1 the United States supreme court. The commissioner sent to the deten- tion cage for Nicolai kuropata, who was arrested in recent raid in New ark. There was no response from the cage and nobody at the island knew which one of the men in the pen was Kuropata. The radicals continued to play handball and man dolins and few sang the "Interna- tionale," while the inspector in charge of the law division of the i'm migration service, Augustus P. Shell, returned empty-handed to report to Mir. Uhl and to the committee.
 Let's see whose running this isl- and. the defendants or the officials" ," said Representative Raker of Cali fornia, a member of the committee and forthwith the sergeant at arms brought in the counsel for the radio als, lsaak Schorr, who emigrated from Russia in 1904 and was gradu- ated from the New York university to leave the island for the mainland At the committees request he told his clients the law required them to attend their hearings. All but sev- en of the 66 segregated radicals then reiterated their refusal to attend un- til the barrier was removed.
 Their Demands.
 MT. Uhl informed Schorr that the iron mesh would remain in place and announced that the deportation hear ings would be continued tomorrow Just how he would solve the puzzle of identifying the radicals he did not announce. Their counsel professed not to know all of his clients by sight.
 Word of the strike came to the committee when MT. Uhl, questioned as to delays in deportations and ap- peals by debarred immigrants, was testifying as to inadequate person. nel and accommodations He read the following letter he had received just after the law officers had con- cluded one deportation hearing.
 "Mr. Uhl:
 "Dear sir: In view of the fact that your promise and word which Isaak Schorr, our attorney, brought over to us as to the matter of visits, to- wit: that no iron mesh or net or any other barrier would be placed be- tween us and our friends at the time of their visit to the island, has been broken by someone, we believe, by your subordinates:
 "We, the inmates of room 203. de- clare that we demand that you give us a personal guarantee undersign- time neither during the hearinos nor afterwards. until we are deported. shall any barriers be placed between US and our friends at the time of their visit.
 "Expectine an immediate answer we shall refrain from going out to hearnes until said satisfactory and immediate answer shall reach us.
 Respectfully,
 Committee of room 203, =
 "M. I. Shoewesky, Peter Biankey, Arthur Ketzus."
 Blames Congressmen.
 Members of the committee said they thoupht Biankey was the brains of the strike. He was arrested in Akron. O.. in 1917. released on $1.- 900 bail and re-arrested last month in New York.
 MT. Uhl testified that seldom. if ever. was an immigrant asked whether he had anarchistic views.
 The congressional inuirv into the immigration service developed that many incoming passengers in whom congressman were interested were passed with only perfunctorv ex- animation, or if they were detained, were released later on appeals SUD- ported by congressman.
 These admissions were made by Byron H. Uhl, acting immigration commissioner after Representative Box of Texas interrupted his testi- mony to state that an inspector on the steamship Adriatic yesterday had informed him that re had pass ed woman passenger in whom 2 United States senator was interested when he ordinarily might have de- tained her.
 Commissioner, Uhl declared that he often received memoranda concern- ing incoming passengers from the