New-York tribune., 1920-05-09
Post Denies i He
Is in Sympathy
Nv ith Radicals
Utterly Opposed to Physi.
'scal Force, He Asserts;
sfAimed Only To Be Fair
Ito the Accused Aliens
Palmer Policy AssaiIed
Exorbitant Bail Demanded
Sto Keep Prisoners Shut
Tin Cells. He Complains

WASHINGTON. May s.-Denying
that his sympathies were with radical
clements rounded up by the Depart
ment of Justice, Assistant Secretary Of
Labor Post Declared to-day that in
handling alien deportation cases he
had acted solely in accordance with
the evidence.
Mr.. Post, in continuing his testi-
mohy before the House Rules Com
mitee as to his conduct in deportation
proceedings. said he was. actuated al
ways by the single thought of trying
TO find out whether accused aliens were
guilty.
Answering Chairman campbeli's
Tons Of aliens he had freed had ap-
pealed to him, Mr., Post said:
Il am utterly out of sympathy with
the attitude OF the physical force or
tho philosophical anarchists. For thirty
years have been fighting that. In the
deportation cases all / have tried to
do was to find out whether the alien
was guilty or not guilty.
Fair Trial Insisted On
In deciding deportation cases, Mr.
Post said he had followed procedure
assuring a fair trial. with counsel for
the accused and a full opportunity to
be heard
Representative OU 1JSlliOCIdl, 4NOIlI
Carolina, remarked that MIR. Posts
rules operated to make deportations
more difficult, but the witness replied
that any rule to protect personal lib
erty involved exercise of safeguards
tending toward delay.
At this point Mr.. Pou, member of
the committee, said that while his
views on deportation were different
from those of Mr.. Post, he believed
tho lott IN
actuated by a sense of duty.
Asked why Emma Goldman had ad-
dressed him as 'our friend Mr.. Post
said she probably followed the custom
of a constituent writing member Of
Congress, with whose opinions the
member did not agree. Mr.. Post
charged that the House immigration
Committee had garbled the record OF
the release OF accused persons so as
to make it appear that he had acted
improperly.
Exorbitant Bail Charged
Post said that in many cases exorbi-
ment of Justice to keep aliens locked
up.s He asserted that in reducing the
amount of bail he only followed the
constitutional prohibition against eX-
cessive bond. BY placing the amount
at 81 900 instead Of $4,000, he testified,
the government was able to obtain the
appearance of the aliens when they
were wanted.
''Evidently the bail demanded was
not to insure the appearance of the
accused. But to keep him locked up"
declared Mr.. Post. .! am ready to
meet any Impeachment charge for re-
ducing bail"
Referring to the release in New York
last fall of several membe of the
l. w.. w. on their own recognizance
after they had been transferred from
Seattle, Mr.. Post said this action was
taken because trial judge had in
formed the Department of Labor that
he would be compelled to free the men
through habeas corpus proceedings
BY lreieasing the men, Mr.. Post said, it
was. possible to continue their cases
and hold hearings later.
Answering charge that without a
record of the hearings he had Cancelled
deportation warrants against thirty
eight aliens held as Communists. Mr.
Post said the cancellations actually
numbered forty-nine instead of thirty
eight and that his action was taken on
the recommendation of the examining
immigration Inspector and the Depart
ment of Justice Agents who caused the
arrests. These recommendations, he
said, had been wired to the Immgra-
tlon. Bureau before he acted and were
followed later by the evidence, which
showed the aliens were held now to be
Communists.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Posts testi-
mony, Chairman Campbell announced
the committee would meet next week
to determine its further course of
action.