Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-11-14
REMEDY FOR RED
ACTIVITIES SEEN
IN SEDITION LAW
CONTINUED From Page u

government is powerless to act in
/ such circumstances.
Conspiracy to kill marching vet
Grams Is state offense punish
| able by the laws of the state of
Washington. Even If the federal gov.
eminent were aware in advance of
the intention Of the I. w. W. to wreak
Vengeance on the marchers, it could do
no more than notify the state
authorities who are responsible for
the exercise Of police power In such
circumstances.
But there are things that the fed
oral government can do to prevent
the growth of anarchistic move
mentS and to reduce the number of
radicals at large in the country. One
Is to enforce rigidly laws that con-
gress may pass with respect to the
advocacy of sedition.
When the attorney general ap-
peared before congress- he was told
that his request for a law on this
point was too mild. Mr. Palmer
pointed out that he did not favor
some OF the extreme proposals, such
as the penal1Zing Of everybody who
marched in q parade where a red
flag suddenly appeared and similar
statutes that afforded room for
abuse and a stirring of much more
discomfort and radicalism than the
radicals themselves could incite. He
wanted the gap between actual sedi-
ton and conspiracy covered and be-
l1eved that as a starter that would
help his department. If he needed
more law based upon experience, ne
would ask for 1t, but congress has
granted the department of justice 10
additional law whatsoever and there
the situation stands today.
Deportation Partial Remedy
Deportation, on the other hand, is
only q partial remedy. 1t can be
used only against aliens and just
now there are many radicals and
anarchists who are citizeus of the
United States. There is no law to
take citizenship away unless it can
be proved that the citizenship itself
was fraudulently obtained, which,
relatively speaking, is a rare occur
ance. Citizens can appeal to the
courts for protection under the con-
stitutiOnal rights of free speech. To
make it crime to advocA e sedition
would be a definition on Constitu-
ttonal rights Of free speech in peace
time, similar to the definition i'm
posed during wartime by the espion-
age act.
TIL federal government isn't so
much interested in any new deporta-
ton law to cover citizens of the
United States, they would be impris-
oned under the new federal laws
passed by congress. But it would
be a great advantage if the problem
Of deportation of aliens, who already
had been admitted to the United
States and who have been living here
for a long time, were placed in the
hands of the department of justice.
At present the department of labor
handles deportattn questions on the
theory that an alien residing in the
United States, who has not yet been
admitted to citizenship, is theoretical
ly still an immigrant and as such
subject to the jurisdiction of the i'm
migration division of the department
of labor. But inaSmuch as the de-
partment of justice has the funds
and the staff to make Investigations
as well as prosecutions, a centrali-
cation of all deportation cases in
the department of justice would pre-
vent many an offender from escap-
ing, due to the clumsy tnter-depart-
mental machinery.
The department of labor could re-
tain jurisdiction over the admission
of immigrants, but the behavior of
the latter after they have once taken
up residence in the United States,
1t is being suggested, should be
watched, investigated and prosecuted
by the law enforcement branch Of
the government the department of
justice.
Cooperation between the depart
ments Of labor and justice lately has
been brought about largely because
of the awakening as to the serious
ness OF activity Of aliens and the
general ins1stence OF public opinion
that disaffection stirred up by for
etgners resident in the United States
be summarily dealt with, but the
experience of the past has proved
that efficiency in deportation cases
will come only after the machinery
is oiled and they are not 80 many
long-drawn-out processes between
the arrest of anarchists, who are not
citizens and their subsequent depor-
tatton.