The Washington times., 1929-09-18
Alien RACKET
USES LEGION
AS DUPE

SAN FRANCISCO. Sept. IS IL.
S.)--U. s. District Attorney Hat.
field launched investigation yester.
day into worldwide criminal
"racket"--one object of which is to
pour excluded aliens into the United
States.
Hatched by remnants Of the
Arnold Rothsteln gang. the plot. II
was. learned, operates through a
legitimate business enterprise. in.
dorsed and actively fostered oy the
American Legion.
Passports Fixed
The gangsters. it is charged, have
been working the following schemes:
1. Getting barred aliens, by the
hundreds, into the United States
with fraudulent American passports.
2. Enabling hundreds of foreign
born American citizens to return
to their native country-Italy for
lnstance-and to escape military
duty required there by law.
3. Procuring fake passports for
law breakers who desire to leave
the United States and return under
an assumed identity.
4. Permitting slac k er seven
those who have served prison
terms for draft evasion-to acquire
apparently authenticated war rec
ords and to pose as heroes with
citations and daoara fiops
Action Asked by Legion
The amazing situation came to
head in San Francisco when James
K Fish, State adjutant Of the
Legion, appealed to Hatfield for
action. The plot is built on the
following circumstances:
The Legion sponsors sale of
set of books known as Source
Records of the Great War" This
Is a seven-volume. de luxe work.
selling for $9S.
With each set the purchaser re-
ceives a service certificate" EN-.
bossed and scrolled and signed
by the national commander and
national secretary of the organiza-
tton. 1t -attests as follows:
To the People of the United
States of America: The American
Legion certifies that there has been
deposited with national headquarters
certified copy of service record
showing that (blank-for name of
purchaser) has rendered patriotic
services to the national cause dur
ing the great war in the (blank-
for branch of service).
t.
such that 1t must be construed as
an official substitute for an hon.
orable discharge from the Army or
Navy.
The gangsters boast that Amer
lean consuls in foreign countries
have issued passports on no other
credentials than this Certificate"
Racketeers have purchased sets of
source records" by the hundreds,
it was learned. pawning the books
liable Certificates" at prices rang
ing from $500 upward.
Are Sold Abroad
Such a price, they declare, is cas-
fly obtained in a foreign country
from a would.be emigrant desirous
of beating the quota. Armed with
the certificate, he approaches the
American, consul in his particular
city. declares he has lost birth cer-
tificate or naturalization papers. and
offers the American Legion docu-
ment as an official substitute for
certified copy of service record"
Another profitable market. it was
learned, is found in foreign.born
citizens, who desire to return to their
native land but dread to serve in that
lands army or navy, as the law re-
| quires. Hundreds of New York Ital-
! ians. it is said, have purchased GER
| tificates from the ring and with such
proof" OF service in an allied army
have been excused from enforced
military service in Italy.
Most ,assHredly you can find the
apartment ideal. SEQ the great NUM-
ber advertised In tOdRy's Times and
Herald Classified ads.
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