Evening star., 1925-02-17
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

Shall the United States harbor alien
criminals and dependents?
The House Of Representatives has
passed bill extending the powers of
the Department of Labor in deporting
undesirable citizens; that measure is
now pending in the Senate. with no
great assurance that 1t will be con-
sidered before adjournment, two
weeks hence. The consideration of
brought to light some conditions
which confront the department in its
efforts to rid the country of immi-
grants who came into 1t surrepti-
tiously and illegally. men and women
who left their native country for that
countrys good, and who brought
criminal records with them here, or
who have persisted in violating our
laws.
The extent to which aliens are abus-
ing the hospitality or the inefficiency
of enforcement of our laws was Illus
trated when the writer hereof, coming
out Of the Department of Labor build
ing, chanced to stop at a bookstall
directly opposite the building and
picked up a circular letter signed In
ternational Workers Aid" appealing
for funds. Quoting from that cir
cular:
The inclosed pamphlet tells of the
renewal Of the red raids Of the at
tempted railroading to prison of 80
(CommunisC party Of America, under
the Michigan criminal syndicalist
law. on the sole charge Of holding a
political convention in that State
A hundred thousand dollars Is
| needed for defense. There are Il
stamps inclosed. Price. 81, or as much
more as you can give. Stick them on
10 letters to your friends and ask
them to help along. Or send us their
names and we will write them, men,
| tioning your name or not, as you
wish.
I'VE are not giving up our help to
the victims of reactions in other coun.
tries, but until this crisis Is over
come here we urge all our friends to
help fight the reactionary tide in
America. To save on administrative
| expense please send your contribution
to the Labor Defense Council"
The heading of this letter bears the
following motto:
NO World Reconstruction withou,
Soviet Russia"
Workers Aid without Condition.
Without Discrimination"
International GLASS
Solidarity"
The margin Of the letter contains
the names Of some 40 local "coun-
| ellis" and alleged labor unions, scat.
tered over the entire country; also
the names Of well known agitators
With such endless chain letters In
tho mail, what is Uncle Sam going tc
do about It?
Il X x
The efforts of this Government to
restrict the presence of undesirable
aliens began in 1883, when a law
was passed authorizing the deporta-
tion OF illegal immigrant or criminal
aliens within one year after theiI
entry. In 1903, and again in 1907
the law was amended. and the time
limit was extended to three years
within which deportation was per-
mitted. In 1917 the first real legis-
lation OF immigration control was
enacted, and the time limit for de-
portation of undesirables was extend
cd to five years, except a limit OF three
years ~ to seamen who desert their
ships and remained in this country
and aliens who entered without de-
lection Of the officers. Those exemp-
tions were demanded by certain ele-
ments In Congress. Influenced by i'm
migrant constituents.
Prior to the World War the
"hyphen" cut q much larger figure In
American politics than 1t does today,
according to Mr.. A. Warner Parker
the then head Of the law department
OF the Department Of Labor. Mr.
Parker drew the bill Of the 1917 Leg