The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-03-31
SOLONS RESENT
OPPOSITION TO
ANTI-ALIEN LAWS
Try d-Baiting Stunts
in Committee Hearing
Especial to Tho Daily worksrl

WASHINGTON, March 2s--seenes
reminiscent Of the hysterieal times Of
1918 were enacted by Chairman Al
bert johnson and Representative
Free of California in the house COM
mittee on immigration when spokes'
men against the antl-foreian-born bills
In a formal hearing on deportation
bills, tried to present their views.
Relatively courteous treatment was
given Prof. Ernst Freud of the law
school of Chicago University, who
made various criticisms and sugges'
lions. He urged chiefly the right OF
aliens to the presumption of lawful
entry, whereas the proposed changes
in the law would make it incumbent
on the alien to prove his right to be
here.
Free Becomes Hysterical.
When Francis Fisher Cane. former
federal district attorney at Philadel-
phia, suggested that the United States
having brot resident aliens under the
draft act during the war, owes them
certain duties, Johnson and Free be.
gan to make hostile comments. Free
said that he had to be guarded fror
these fiends"-alien gunmen-for six
months at one time, and ne disputed
Kane's view that deportation would
not solve the problem of gunman VIC
lence in Chicago.
When Free claimed that the
churches were the chief element de-
manding deportation of alien bootleg
gers, the Civil Liberties Union repre-
sentative, Allen S. Olmsted, second, OF
Philadelphia, introduced DR.. w. l.
Darby, secretary of the Federal Coun
Gil of Churches national bureau in
Washington. DR.. Darby read the
formal action of the councils admins.
trative committee, opposing the depor'
tation and alien registration measures
as being harsh and productive Of i'll
feeling and injustice. He was soon
interrupted by Free, who had discov
cred a copy of a statement on the
hearing which the Civil Liberties
Union had prepared for the press.
johnson Does Red-5aiting.
In a loud and bullying tone Free
called attention to the fact that not all
the speakers mentioned in this state
ment had actually appeared, and that
the committee had not permitted dis
cussion of the alien registration bill
johnson and Free then tried to force
an apology for the issuance Of this
statement. Explanation, but no apol
ogy, was given.
Johnson then began demanding Of
the Civil Liberties Union representa-,
tives the whereabouts Of Roger N
Baldwin, director of that organization
Johnson raised his voice higher in &C
cusatory questions. Miss Edith
Spruance of the Delaware League OF
Woman Voters suggested that John
son was reading from a red-and-blacl
reprint of Lusk committee findings
published by the American Security
League. Johnson denied knowledge
of where the document came from
Miss Spruance was firmly ordered by
Free to give her name and affiliations
She was asked whether the League Of
Woman Voters of Delaware stands fol
overthrow Of government by force and
violence. She replied that it stands
for the rights of citizens, but that its
activity in this instance was due To
the growth of Prussianism and fas
cism in public administration.
Johnson proceeded to recite, from
the black-and-red document, the al
legged radical attitude of other mem
bers of the A. c. L. o. board. but fin
ally agreed to let DR.. Darby finish his
statement.
Two congressman Oppose Laws.
Representative SABBATH of Chicago
and Dickstein of New York alone II
the committee defended the right o.
aliens to considerate treatment, ant
deprecated the rough treatment of the
witnesses.
Spokesman Of the American Fedora
tion of Labor, the railroad brother
hoods, the National Catholic Welfare
Conference, and the National Council
of Jewish Women waited to be heard
The Social Service Commission OF the
Episcopal diocese of New York sent q
letter of protest against the deporta
ton and registration bills. Geo. w
Wickersham, former attorney general
as one of this commission, wrote a
personal protest against the proposed
legislation as being contrary to the
spirit OF American institutions.
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