The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-03-25
Who Is This Man Bridges They Trying toDeport?
Many Questions
 Still Unanswered About Labor Leader
By NEA Service

0y NEA S6TVICG
 Portland, Ore, March 25-Around the slender but wiry figure of Harry Bridges there plays the lightning of 8 potential new Mooney case.
 Throughout the Pacific northwest the cry is heard: "Deport Bridges!" Every day it is picked up by new club, church, or American Legion post, as time draws near for his hearing April 25 in San Francisco on deportation charges.
 Bridges, who sprang to national prominence during the San Fran cisco general strike of 1884 is now Pacific coast c. I. O. director, and head of the c. I. O. longshoremen.
 But it is in Portland that much of the evidence looking to his de- portation was obtained It was here that. dictaphone was planted in his room during the convention of the Maritime Federation of ,'1e Pacific convention last summer Many convention delegates were in- terviewed to get facts on Bridges, though most of them refused to dis cuss him with immigration service inspectors.
 Just Who Is Bridges?
 Certain facts have been ob- tained, however, on the career and record of Bridges. Among those likely to be brought out at his depor- tation hearing are:
 Bridges true name is Alfred Benton Bryant Bridges. He was born July 6, 1901, at Kensington, Victoria, Australia, to MT. and Mrs. Alfred Ernest Bridges. His mothers name was Julia Dorgan. His father is an estate agent, and highly re- Spected.
 Bridges arrived in the United States in 1920 by jumping ship from the British vessel Ysobel. He pSid head tax on entering, and in 1921 in New Orleans filed inten- tion to become a citizen. These papers lapsed, and August g. 1928, he again filed in San Francisco. These papers again lapsed, and he filed first papers for a third time in 1886.
 Is He a Communist?
 Police here have photostatic cop ies of membership card showing that Harry Dorgan" was mem Der of. the communist party, 18th district, at San Francisco. They will attempt to show that this is Bridges, ard that thus his frequent denial that he is member of that party is false.
 Police have reams of testimony about Bridges attending and ad- dressing communist meetings. There he was known communist party members have told police, as Com rs.de Garfield or Comrade Dorgan.
 Much of the evidence against Bridges has come from various A. F. of L. officials, who now bitterly hate the man John L. Lewis named to head all c. I. O. west coast ac- tiyities.
 They remember Seattle speech of April 12, 1887, in which Bridges assailed the c. I. O. and urged his longShoremen to stay within the A. F. of L. Bridges defection to the c. I. O. came shortly after ward, and followed an airplane flight to Washington where he met Lewis and John Brophy, his lieu tenant.
 Supported by Radicals
 Questions the San Francisco lear ing will have to settle are: Is Bridges an. alien? Is he communist party member? Does that make him sub- ject to deportation?
 Radically-inclined labor elements throughout the country have rallied actively to Bridges, insisting that were it not for his peculiar success in labor and strike leadership, little of the present storm would have been raised against him. They con- tend that it is not Bridges the all legged alien communist, but Bridges the successful labor leader, whose deportation is being sought.
 Whatever doubt there may be as to Bridges communist party stand ing. there is none as to his radical ism, Last spring he was already telling a University of Washington audience at Seattle:
 We take the stand that we as workers have nothing in common with the employers. We are in a