The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-04-17
IMPEACHMENT
OF LOUIS POST
is IMPROBABLE
Congress Seeks Mainly to
Unity Policy As to
Aliens.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial to The Argus.)

Washington, D. c., April IL
Conflict between the department OF
labor and the department of justice
as to the proper course to be pur-
sued in deporting radicals" and
communists" has raised some fun
damental questions which may re-
vive the whole matter of the JUS
tice or injustice of the wholesale
raids against reds" and the efforts
of the government to combat radi-
calism
The movement in congress to in
quire into the supposed friendliness
of Louis F. Post, assistant secre-
tary of labor, to aliens by cancel
ling warrants against them issued
by the department of justice, is by
no means political or partisan.
There, are Democrats as well as
Republicans who are up in arms
about it, but it is unlikely that i'm
peachment proceedings will be be-
gun. The action Of Representa-
i've MouuCils INSpuDiicoH hoVi lCou
er, in asking Representative Hoch,
Republican. to withdraw his reso-
luton for impeachment was due
to a desire to follow an orderly
procedure through the rules COM
mittee instead of being subjected
to the danger of elimination on a
point of order in the house itself.
Will be Heard.
Out of it impeachment proceed
ings are not probable, but thor
ough investigation by committee
of congress with an opportunity
for Assistant Secretary Post 70 ex-
press his viewpoint is contempla-
ted. The facts are not doubted,
but the viewpoint or attitude to-
ward aliens which the rather lib
eral minded department of labor
takes as opposed to the more or
! less conservative ideas of the de-
partment of justice has developed
an interesting controversy.
In the opinion of Democrats as
we'll as Republicans. something is
wrong. A mistake has been made
somewhere. Fer instance, out OF
LAS cases handled by the depart
ment of labor. 332 have been found
TO he within the meaning OF the de-
portation laws. Fully 1.05S cases
have been cancelled and 63 have
been deferred for further study or
| consideration. The conclusion
! which has been reached by mem-
hers of congress is that either the
department of justice has been
oyer-zealous in arresting innocent
people and subjecting them and
| their families 10 hardships or else
the department of labo- has been
over-friendly to the aliens ana con-
strued the law in such way as 10
f., nullify its enforcement.
The attitude of the department
| of labor as expressed by Assistant
Secretary Post is described in the
case OF Thomas Russ, which mas
! lust been decided in the latter 5
favor because he was not deemed
to have become a member OF the
communist party. although he had
!
permitted his name to be signed to
an application before he was aware
of its purpose. Says Mr., Post;
Holds Guilt Not Proved.
Under the law, aliens must be
deported if they are members OIL or
affiliated with the communist par
ty of America. If this clause be
construed as meaning that aliens
who have once technically become
members of the communist party
must be deported, even though they
have no guilty knowledge or that
the principle of Once a member al
ways member applies, it might
| be possible to spell out OF the cir
cumstances in this case a member
ship for which deportation would
, be mandatory. Having applied for
membership before the prescribed
organization was born and with
drawn before its constitution was
brought even perfunctorily to MS
| attention. this alien would seem to
fair American mind to lack the
requisites even of technical mem
bership. If. however, the requis-
| ties of technical membership were
|