New-York tribune., 1920-05-08
Post Defends
Cancellation of
Red Warrants
Declares Only Forty Out of
Hundreds of Prisoners
Admitted They Favored
Governments Overthrow
But 3 RevoIvers Found
Says the Senate Committee
Is Ignorant of Law and
Attacks Newspaper Men

WASHINGTON, May 7.--Assistant
Secretary of Labor Post, testifying to-
day before the House Rules Commit
tee. declared that only forty of the
hundreds of foreigners rounded up in
raids by the Department. of Justice in
the last six months admitted that they
favored overthrow of the government
by violence.
Mr.. Post appeared in his own behalf
in connection with charges as to
wholesale cancellation of warrants for
the deportation of aliens. While he
did not give the number of examina-
tions, he said that in making 5000 ar
rests Department of Justice agents
found only three revolvers.
Besides declaring that he sought to
follow the spirit of the law, Mr.. Post
said that he had not violated the let
ter of the law, that his every decision
was made on evidence and that legally
only Secretary Wilson, or himself, was
authorized to issue deportation war
rants. Recommendations of Anthony
Caminetti, Commissioner General of
immigration, favoring deportation
were unauthorized and unlawful, Mr..
Post declared. adding they were often
at variance with the evidence.
Charges Ignorance of Law
The House immigration Committee,
Mr.. Post continued, accepted Mr.. Cam
inetti's decisions and thereby showed
gross ignorance of the law He also
declared that of the mass of evidence
presented at the investigation by the
immigration Committee in only two
cases was the complete record filed.
Mr.. Post said that 263 deportations
had been made among the 1862 ordered
during the last six months and the
lack of transportation to Russia was
mainly responsible for delay. An early
shipment to Odessa, he added, is
planned.
changed the custom that had grown up
in the department of permitting Mr..
Caminetti to make recommendations
and went direct to the record to make
the final decision himself. This, he
argued. was the only legally authorized
proc edure
At the time of the change, Mr.. Post
said, scores and scores and scores" of
cases had piled up in the immigration
bureau. with the result that many
aliens were being held in jail for
months.
The change was not made until
political offenders were arrested" re-
marked Chairman Campbell.
Il understand your imputation," ;"
answered Mr.. Post
Wanted Fair Trials
Department of Justice agents have
no legal right to examine aliens helG!
for deportation. Mr.. Post said, as that
right is granted by law only to immi
grafton inspectors.
Mr.. Post said that he had found a
variance between the evidence and Mr..
Camnetti's memoranda and declared
that the immigration Committee had
accepted the memoranda and compiled
"mlsleading" report.
Cancellation of deportation warrants
was was dehned by the witness as "a YER
dict for the defendant"
The total number of warrants issued
against aliens from last November to
April "a was 1851, Mr.. Post said. add
ing that 80 members of the Union Of
RUSSIAN Workers and 455 members of
the Communist party had been ordered
deported. The number of warrants
cancelled was placed at 1898, including
oil Russian workers and 1892 Com
munists
IN considering proceedings against
alleged members Of the Communist
party the witness said he had not been
Keen TO order their deportations unless
PROOF OF membership was clear He
also declared that he had tried to give
the aliens a fair trial.
MT. Post entered into a lone review
OF the evidence in the case of Thomas
Truss, of Baltimore, an alien arrested
as a member of the Communist partv
whose deportation warrant was can.
celied by the Assistant Secretary. He
Geclared the evidence showed that
truss was Socialist and was among
those who quit that party because Of
a dispute among the members. Before
formal organization of the Communist
party Truss, Mr.. Post said, agreed to
JOIN 1t, but later withdrew the agree
ment after reading the party charter.
Attacks Reporters
The Assistant Secretary explained
that he reviewed the Truss case at
length because his action in it had
been freely criticized. He added that
his case was typical of those in which
ne had cancelled deportation warrants.
Newspapers, Mr.. Post charged, had
not correctly informed the country of
ms actions, declaring that outside"
salaries paid to reporters caused them
to make unfair statements
Questioned by Chairman Campbell
the Assistant Secretary said he could
mot prove single case" of reporters
beng influenced in their articles re-
garding him.
Chairman Campbell remarked that he
did not know reporters had sources ~ of Of
income other than from their papers,
but Mr. Post said he thought this was
common knowledge"
The committee adjourned for the day
before the witness had completed his
statement, and he will be heard again
tomorrow.