Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-08
IMMIGRATION LAW
MAY BE CHANGED
BY ''RED" RULING

WASHINGTON, May Gimme
date amendmeH of the immigration
law was, considered today at a spe-
cial meeting of the senate immigra-
ton committee, called as a result Of
the ruling yesterday by Secretary
Wilson that membership in the Com
munlst labor party is alone insult
fic1ent cause. for deportation of
As a result of the ruling. the
course of the department of JUS
tice as to future action against
radicals will not be determined until
an opportunity to study the opinion.
In making this statement Assist
ant Attorney General Garvan de-
clared that because of the ruling the
case of the department of justice
falls fiat and there is nothing more
such as constitute the Communist
Labor party and which the depart
ment, he said, believes are a menace
to the government. Secretary Will
son already had held that an alien
GOULD not be deported simply because
OF membership in the I. w. w.
In announcing his decision the
labor secret4ry said that while
extracts from the communist
labor party's platform indicated an
extremely radical objective, there was
no evidence of intention to use force
ment, VI -
In ordering cancellation Of war;
rant under which Carl Miller, a Ger
man, was held because of such mem
oersh1p, the secretary declared that
while extracts from the organizg-
TONS platform indicated an extreme
~ radical objective, there was no evil
dence of intention to use force or VIC
lence toward organized government
Decision Is Dep1ored
The department of justice frankly
deplored the labor secretarys deci-
sion, Assistant Attorney General Car
van, IN charge of raids on radical ele-
ments, asserting that because of it
all undesirable aliens could enter the
folds of the Communist labor party
and be free from government inter
ference.
Since Mr.. Wilson has already held
that an alien could not be deported
because of membership in the l. w.
w. only, membership in the Commun-
ISL party now brings an alien within
the purview of the law providing de-
portation for those affiliated with ex-
listing organizations that believe i'll
or advocate the overthrow by force
or violence Of the government.
Although Mr.. Wilson declared that
examination of their platform show
ed "some very substantial. differ
ences between the Communist and the
asserted that members of the Com
munist party, now outlawed, would
affiliate with the Communist labor
party to evade deportation proceed
ings.
In a general review of the case,
Secretary Wilson said that the tactics
of the Communist party in Russia
"are the methods intended to be pur-
sued by the Communist labor party
of America, and that certain state
Se,%e
ative to the objects of. the Communist
labor party, should be taken as show
ing the intent of the party itself"
1.-THE tactics of the Communist
party in Russia" he added, "can have
no bearing upon the Communist labor
so far as those tactics are accepted or
adopted by the Communist Labor part
ty nor can the statements made by
prominent members of the party be
| accepted as the expression of the Or
ganiZation unless the party by its
action adopts the statements.
No Plan of Force
"EXceptS from the Communist Ia
Dor party platform and program indi-
| cate an extremely radical objective,
but there is nothing to them that dis
closes an intention to use force Or
violence or that is incompatible with
the use of parliamentary machinery
to attain the radical end it has in
view. The belief in, teaching, and adj
vocacy of the class struggle, mass ac-
ton, the conquest of political power
the dictatorship of the proletariat, So
! cialism, Communism, the one big I'M
| ion. shop committees, shop stewards,
and other social, Industrial, econom-
ical and political changes mentioned
in the Communist labor party platform
and program, however reprehensible
these things may be to the minds of
any or all of our people, do not bring
the organization within the purview
of the act as long as it doc 49, pro-
pose to use force Or violence to &C.