Evening star., 1935-05-25
American Citizens
As Voters i'm Europe
70 the Editor of The Star;

20 the Editor of The Star:
In The Star some time ago was an
article entitled "Plebiscite Voters May
Lose Standing" which conveyed an
erroneous impression. The account
states that the House Committee on I'm
migration has just reported the Dick
stein bill "canceling the citizenship
Of naturalized foreigners who vote in
homeland elections such assthe Saar
plebiscite, when the Dickstein bill,
H. r.. 579s, as amended by his COM
mittee and ordered reported would
attempt to revoke the citizenship Of
native-born as well as naturaliZed
citizens who vote in q foreign political
election or plebiscite.
Such q bill is pure. unadulterated
buncombe, Of course. Originally, the
bill proposed to cancel merely and
only the naturalization OF persons
participating in the Saar plebiscite, q
perfectly ridiculous legislative pro-
poSal in view of the fact that such
participation was the law of the
land" being provided for in the
treaty Of Versailles which we signed
and ratified in 1919. To have dena-
tionalized naturalized citizens for ex-
ercising a right they had by the law
of the land for IS years and which
Congress had by its silence for IS
years given them to understand they
could exercise with impunity, II not
that it was their duty to exercise,
would have been unjust, cruel, in
humane and un-American, even II
Congress had the constitutional power
SO to do, which it has not and should
not have.
The Dickstein bill. ordered favor
ably reported by his committee, would,
If enacted and II constitutional, de-
nationalize not only naturalized. but
also native-born citizens who vote in
foreign political election or plebis-
cite. ipso facto.
1 hold no brief for Hitlerites who
went back TO the fatherland TO vote
in the Saar plebiscite. I deplore the
fact they went. If 1 had my way I
would not permit any citizen OF the
United States to participate in for
eign entangling affairs, nor to par
ticipate here in any of the many for
eign factional fights staged here every
little while.
If the Dickstein bill to punish OF
rather to worry Saar plebiScite voters
were sincere and upheld a real prin-
ciple. instead OF prejudice, it would
deport aliens in our midst who vote
in our elections, as many Of them do,
surreptitiously
This bill is just like another ordered
reported the same day and by the
same author. 1t. H. r. 5S39, would
confer on the Secretary Of Labor the
discretion to deport or not deport
aliens temporarily in the United States
who spread foreign propaganda. This
bill takes the same foreign factional
anti-Hitler angle that the other Dick
stein bill. H. r. 5799, does. II it ap-
piled to all aliens, whether permanent
ly or temporarily admitted. and man
datorily directed their deportation if
they spread foreign propaganda or
participate in, or aid, abet or have
anything to do with transferring here
foreign political fights such as are
staged nearly every week in New York
City. it would make some pretense Il
AmericaniSm and 10 sincerity.
We have enough problems Of our
own without importing any more or
permitting their transfer here by or.
ganized or racial foreign blocs or per-
sons, just as we have enough Of our
own radicals, criminals. unemployed,
public charges. without importing an
other one and without tolerating a
single alien one Of them to remain
here. Instead of the House Com
mittee on immigration and Congres,
having its time taken up with such
factional and faction provoking bills
it would be more American and
wholesome if some bill or bills were
reported and passed that would result
in the ferreting out Of alien criminals
like Hauptmann and their prompt
mandatory deportation, as we'll as
furthering restricting immigration.
J. D MASON.