The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-08-08
US. ACCUSED
OF TYRANNY
OVER ALIENS
Deportation Laws Unfairly
Applied, WiCkerSham
Report Says.
D0AK IN HEATED REPLY
Labor Secretary, Hoover
Deeply Concerned Over
Probers' Findings.
D0AK IN HEATED REPLY
BY PAUL r. MALLON
United Press staff Correspondent

sion charge that it is despotic and
frequently unfair in administration
of alien deportation laws. Some
phases of the law were condemned.
Secretary Of Labor Doak replied
today that every effort had been
made to correct administrative
abuses"
President Hoover and Doak were
known to be deeply concerned over
the commissions finding that the
deportation system has subjected
aliens to oppression, unfairness and
hardship"
The report has been in Mr.. Hoo
ver's possession since May q, but
was not made public until today.
Doak Slaps Back
Doak says in his formal reply
that the data upon which the
Wickersham commission based its
report was gathered by IAN OBJ
server without experience in the
practical field Of deportation.
(Reuben Oppenheimer, Baltimore,
attorney, investigated deportation
problems for the commission0 Doak
adds:
The major point is that the
American people have a right to de-
port criminal aliens, and aliens who
have come illegally into this coun-
try. l know of no more important
work before the country than to
rid itself of alien criminals
The secretary said his deportation
program required better cooperation
from state and municipal author
tiles and stronger laws. In several
respects his position varied from
that Endorsed by the commission.
He said the cases referred To- by
Oppenhimr in support OF his
charges rasoe prior to Doak's trim,
when James j. Davis was secretary
of labor.
Hoover May Act
President Hoover is understood to
be considering recommendations to
congress in December for correction
of some conditions cited by the
Wickersham commission. Henry w.
Anderson of Virginia, and Kenneth
Macintosh of Washington refused
to sign the report. In dissenting
reports, they said they would not
ioin in such a challenge of law adj
ministration without further per-
sonal inquiry. Nine commissioners
signed.
immigration inspectors are de-
scribed in the report as combining
in themselves the powers OF detec-
tive. inquisitors, judge and jury In
determining the fate Of aliens. OPP
penheimer limited at dishonesty in
the immigration service, but not on
a large scale.
Outstanding among the charges
against administration of the law
were:
That seizure and preliminary ex-
arninations of aliens often is by
methods unconstitutional. tyranic
and oppressive.
Violates Humanity Dictates
That infexibility of the law sepa-
rating a deportable alien from his
family violates the plainest die
tates of humanity"
That there is reason to believe
many who now are deported might
be permitted to remain if their cases
were considered properly.
That patrol and immigrant in
suectors ARE insufficient in num-
Der and generally have not the
necessary qualifications properly to
Use their tremendous authority"
That inspectors often act as de-
tectives to uncover a case, then as
court to try it, and even as stenog-
rapher and interpreter during trial
of the cases they zealously have
worked up.
That immigrants are subjected to
these and other hardshipS because
MANY of them do not understand
the language or the proceedings and
are unable financially to employ at
torneys to represent them.
recommendations and suggestions
were:
A board of alien appeals should
be established under the general
lines of the board of tax appeals to
sit in final Judgment on all alien
deportations, superseding the pres
ent immigration board.
Want Higher-ClaSS Inspectors
The labor department should be
deprived of alien deportation func-
tions except those of investigation
and prosecution of cases before the
alien board.
A higher class of immigration in
spectors should be obtained and
some training provided for them.
Discretion should be permitted
the new board to let deportable
aliens remain if deportation would
result in unnecessary hardship to
American families.
Attorneys should be furnished
aliens by philanthropic societies in
terested in that work, to assure a
fair trial before the board.
Aliens should not be deported to
countries where their political
opinions might cause their death
or extreme difficulty for them.
Agencies for prevention of snug
Cling aliens should be increased.
In a seven-page summary, the
commission absolved aliens from
the general suspicion that the for
eign born in this country have
: been responsible for a dispropor-
tionate share of current crime"