Evening star., 1935-07-03
Investigating Party Seized
on Ship Declared to Be
Undesirable.
GROUP, PAPERS TAKEN,
IS IN DETENTION CAMP
Americans, Led by Clifford 0dets,
Playwright, Declare Mendieta
Is Fearful of Inquiry.

government to be agitators rather
than investigators, probably will be
deported tonight after "a hours in
Cuba, constantly in detention.
The immigration Department an
nounced the Americans, led by Cliff
ford Odets, young playwright whose
Waiting for Lefty" is stage success,
would be sent out Of the country. most
likely tonight.
The department added that Ward
Line officials said they preferred not
to take Odets and his friends back to
New York and that If they were not
deported on the steamship Oriente Of
that line, on which they arrived last
night, they would be sent away on the
next available ship.
Ward Line Officer Cites Tickets.
Dudley Thomas. general agent for
the Ward Line, said, however, that
the government had informed him it
had not yet decided when 10 deport
the commission.
Asserting he had no knowledge of
his company's reported refusal to
convey the members, he said: If the
government orders US to take them
back. we must do it, whether we want
to or not"
Besides, they all have round-trip
tickets on our line" Thomas added.
Held Undesirable Aliens.
Reliable sources said the govern
ment considered the visitors mission
to be more of agitation than of in
vestigation. Therefore they were
deemed undesirable aliens.
Police bore down on the Oriente
when she docked last night and sur
rounded the commission. named by
the League of American writer's. They
were held in a salon Of the ship until
II pm. when they were removed to
the dock, searched and relieved Of all
their papers.
Oficers then started to move the
group. including five women, to La
Punta Prison. but their orders were
changed and the Americans were taken
to the detention camp, across the bay
from Havana. immigration ofhcials
and port police had been confused Is
to who had jurisdiction.
Not Allowed to Stay Aboard.
Odets asked that they be permitted
to stay aboard the Oriente, but he was
informed that immigration laws for
bade it. After crossing the bay to Casa
blanca. the commissioners marched up
q hill between lines of police to Tis-
cornia. l mile inland. There all were
placed under guard in large deten-
ton hall.
Among them was one passenger on
the Oriente, Israel Wallach of New
York. who protested that he was not
a member of the commission. Police
said they had evidence to the contrary.
For three and a half hours the
Americans were not permitted to COM
municate with the United States. but
finally an officer of the port police
allowed Odets to send q cable to his
father in Philadelphia.
Mendieta Declared Afraid.
At first it was believed that the
Americans would merely be refused
permission to land. Conrad Tomorrow
ski, correspondent for the Nation, pro-
tested:
"Our delegation feels that President
Mendieta is afraid of an impartial in
vestigation. Otherwise we would have
been permitted to land and continue
our study of conditions in Cuba"
Manning johnson, one of the two
Negro members. was pulled from his
chair by an officer when he disre-
garded an order to move into q cor
ner. Other members Of the commits
sion include Paul Crosbie. representa-
tive of the American League of Ex-
Service Men; Herman Reissig. pastor
of Kings Highway Congregational
Church; Celeste Strack. National Stu
dent League; Lucille Perry, represent
ing the Provisional Committee for
Cuba; Dora Fucker, Jose Santiago,
representing a number of Latin Amer
ican clubs; Nathan Shaffer, Interna-
tional Workers Order; Mary Gruber,
American League Against War and
Fiscism; Frank Griffin, International
Labor Defense, and Elma Waldman,
National Student League.
"a Others Picked Up.
Police picked up "a other persons,
including eight women, near the pier.
saying they were suspected of being
a Communist Reception Committee.
Crosbie charged the police acked
authority to board the ship because
it was American territory" The Of
ficers replied that when the party
entered the smile zone on Havana,
n mos e,,hiect m ClInsr, laws