Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-09

Dies Measure Hit as Giving
DictatoriaI Powers to
Labor Secretary.

The Associated Press on May re-
ported a release of the Department
OF Labor by Commissioner Of Immi-
grafton Shaughnessy, urging public
support for the thirteenth revised"
Kerr-Coolidge bill introduced April
IA by Representative Martin Dies OF
Texas, who led the successful fight
tn the House June IS, 1884. against
this proposed legislation to substi-
tute an alien administration or gov
eminent of persons for the existing
administration and government by
definite written laws in most alien
deportation and immigration restric-
ton matters.
This new DESK Coolidge bill,
now sponsored by Representative Dies,
was reported by the House Committee
day after it was introduced, and be-
fore printed copies were available
to the public. No hearings have
been held on it. Hearings were not
possible owing to the hot haste with
which it was reported.
To be sure, hearings have been
held on 3 of the II previous drafts
OF this un-American legislative pro-
posal to make the Secretary of Labor
and commissioner Of immigration au-
tocrats in allowing to remain in the
United States certain alien lawbreak-
ers that she or he find" Of good
character" etc.
Authority Long Sought.
This dictatorial administrative au-
thority and excessive royalistic power
has been sought by the present Sec
rotary of Labor ever since she took
the oath to faithfully execute the
laws" of the United States four year,
ago. 1t has not only been sought
intensely and extensively, even by
paid propagandists, but this really leg
islative autocratic power has beer
already usurped by her. Without any
express legislative authority, as shown
by her seeking it, she has stayed
the deportations of thousands of alien
lawbreakers, and even forgers, dope
peddlers, killer, prostitutes and the
like
members Of the House Subcommittee
on Appropriations asked pointed and
critical questions when Department
OF Labor officials were before the
subcommittee seeking increased items
in the departments part of the ap-
preparation bill, and finally the Sec
retary's designated spokesman, Acting
Commissioner of Immigra ton Shaugh-
messy, in whose name the above press
release is put out, finally admitted
that II the Congress does not take
some action this year, during the
present session. all these (stayed)
cases will be disposed OF in accord
ance with law
Here Is clean-cut, clear admis-
sion that over 5000 alien lawbreakers
have not been deported during the
last four years, as the laws OF the
United States direct.
Docs Fix Limit.
It is true that this new Dies Kerr
Coolidge alien importation bill. now in
troduced by Representative Dies =
does fix limit on the number OF
alien laWbreakers the Secretary OF
Labor Is empowered Ito allow to re-
main in the United States" but that
very limitation impeaches and refutes
the allegations Of the proponents of the
bill, such as the International Migra-
ton Service, Inc, with headquarters
In Europe, the Civil Liberties Union
and other Communist defenders and
frontal" Communist interpretations in
our country
Congress can be depended upon tn
the future, as in the past, to grant
relief in really meritoriouB cases, II
the department and the alien will only
present the facts to Congress. Con-
Rress should retain control OF our i'm
migration and deportation policies and
should not delegate any such auto
cratic discretions As the Dies Kerr
Coolidge bill contains, to not enforce
the law against certain lawbreakers
the Secretary thinks OF good char
acter,' and who have found" here
\ spouse or some other near rela-
tive. Repeatedly and convincingly
Representative Dies has pointed this
out, and his sudden change is amas-
Ing.
Covers Wide Scope.
The Dies-Kerr-Co bill would
also confer autocratic discretions to
legalize all illegal alien entries between
1921 and 1924.
The Dies Kerr Coolidge alien i'm
portation bill should be defeated. The
fact it proposes to deport only aliens
who smuegle in aliens "for gain" and
only State law narcotic convicts "who
are not addicts" and the like, shows
that these alleged deportation law