The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-08-10
On Capitol Hill
BY GEORGE L. KNAPP

Washington, D. C. QLNS).-Proph-
ecies on bills before Congress are
worthless at the moment of writing !;
but a picture of what is happening in
Congress is ready and vivid. John A..
Martin, Congressman from Colorado,
still holding a card in a railroad union
and always a liberal, made 5-min-
ute speech on the unspeakable "alien"
bill, which it's sponsor expressly ad-
mitted would be applied in labor mat
ters. Even in the partial form which
| can quote it, that talk tells the tale.
"This (bilD is without precedent
in the history of American legisla-
tion. 1t is enough to make Thomas
Jefferson turn over in his grave. 1t
is an invention of intolerance contrary
to every principle of democracy and
abhorrent to the spirit of Christianity"
Then he quoted the part of the bill
which orders deportation if any for
eign born person "at any time, of no
matter how short duration, or how
far in the past :. or how it may
have ceased" had belonged to any
of the societies described on four
pages.
"Mr. Chairman" said Martin, 81
was brought up in the old doctrine
that "while tfie-la1npt tfh55fds -cuS TO burn
the vilest sinner may return and that
the only objectionable sin was bias
phemy against the Holy Ghost. We
are in this bill inventing another un-
pardonable sin, for which there shall
be no repentance, no redemeption, no
pardon.
"Even Torquemada, whose name
stands in history for persecution, Of
fered grace and pardon to all who
presented themselves before the trib-
unal of the Inquisition, and avowed
their fault"
Yet motion to recommit, that is,
send back to the committee, that bill
was lost by 272 to 4S.
X X X
Martin did not have time to say
what he has said in person, that if
this bill were passed, any strike with
any foreign born person in it would
be attacked in this manner.
"a head hunting jamboree," Louis
Post called the wave of restriction
which followed the World War. This
bill is an even worse one-thank
heaven there are three places where
it can be smashed yet. And, for a
last word:
Neither Fascism nor Nazism is men
toned in the bill.
X X X
Majority leaders Barkley has served
an utimatum that President Roose-
velt's lending program must be dis
posed of "in one way or another" be-
fore Congress adiourns. With 10000
coo able men without private jobs to-
the government must take some action
we cannot continue to look with
indifference on unemployment" he
said. "We have a condition in which
men and money are not being brought
together" He praised the WPA, but
declared that something more was
needed.
On the WPA matter, Senator Lee
of Oklahoma asked permission to reao
the first and last sentences of let
ter he received from a constituent
They were:
First sentence: Stop this blankety
blank spending.
Last sentence: Don't cut off any Of
our projects.
X X X
The denunciation of our trade
treaty with Japan seems to suit abou
nrne-tenths of the American people
The day that takes effect, we can stol
the export of war materials; and tht
belief is growing in many circles tina
Japan cannot fight serious wa
!, without importing such materials
Scrap iron, for instance, Japan ha:
been importing in ship loads; ant
: every pound has made her not only ;
5 greater menace to China but a great
| er menace to the world.
, The only trouble with the plan i
!. that 1t should have been issued whel
! Japan first made her vicious raid tw,
: years ago.