Evening star., 1938-08-30
DEPORT BRIDGES,
|SDEMAND Of DIES
Chairman of Group Probing
Un-AmeriCanism Urges
Miss Perkins to Act.
By The Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Chairman Dies. Democrat. Of Texas
Of the House Committee Investigat-
ing un-Americanism demanded today
that Secretary Perkins resume depor-
tatlon proceedings at once against
Harry Bridges c. l. o. maritime lead
er on the West Coast.
Your file diScloses a number of
dispositions Of witnesses who testified
that Harry Bridges was a member of
the Communist party" Mr. Dies wrote
Miss Perkins after studying Labor
Department records.
Your file also discloses ample evil
dence that the Communist party Of the
United States of America advocates
and teaches the overthrown Of the
| United States Government by force
and violence"
Declaring he could 1nd no justifics-
tion for postponing the case. Mr.. Dies
said delay might place witnesses out
OF reach if this had not already hap
pened.
Proceedings Suspended.
Proceedings against Mr.. Bridges
were suspended April 20 by the LABOR
Department pending a Supreme Court
ruling in case involving Joseph G..
Strecker of Hot Springs. Ark. Immi-
grafton Commissioner James l..
Houghteling had said that decision
might prevent Mr.. Bridges deporta-
ton.
/ The New Orleans Circuit Court had
stopped deportation Of Mr.. Strecker
on the ground that the law does not
forbid aliens to belong to the Com
I munist or any other party except one
which teaches overthrow by force
! and violence of the Government of the
United States"
! Mr.. Dies said r. P. Bonham. immi-
grafton director at Seattle. had pro-
tested against suspension of the case,
but was reprimanded by Mr.. Hough-
telling on the ground he had imperfect
knowledge of the situation.
A letter from Mr.. Bonham to Mr..
Houghteling last May IL was quoted
by Mr.. Dies as follows:
The witnesses we had assembled
for the Bridges hearing had among
them some former functionaries of
the tCommunist party who
would have testified to the Communist
party being the American section Of
the Comintern Communist Interna-
tionaD and to the definite commitment
to force and violence in bring about
the overthrow of our Government"
Mr.. Dies said Mr.. Bonham wrote
Edward J. Shaughnessy, deputy immi-
grafton commissioner, last September
%:
Il believe it proper that I acquaint
the central Office with the fact that
I interviewed Mr.. Bridges some time
ago =. He boasted he had seen
the central ONCE file relating\to HIM
self and also that they had an ex-
cellent intelligence organization of
their own that kept them well in
formed"
Seeks TO Avoid Leak
Mr. Bonham urged Mr.. Shaughnessy
to guard names Of witnesses to appear
! against Mr.. Bridges in order to prevent
any leak" He expressed the belief
in other correspondence that there
was an "airtight" case against Mr.
Bridges
Mr.. Dies quoted sworn testimony OF
witness.
The witness testified, and on occa-
sions he tBridges) stated that his
workout squads in San Francisco
take good care Of all opponents OF
the labor movement Of the Communist
party by having them beat up, des-
troying their homes and other method,
Of driving fear into the weak workers
of the water 'front.'"
Another witness testified that
Bridges has placed members OF
the Communist party in control OF
strategic points in various West Coast
| unions and in the c. I. o."