Evening star., 1939-05-15
NotabIes Denounce
Pending Alien Bills
As Threats 10 Liberty
Educators, Lawyers and
CIerics at PorIey Give
Program to Congress

Some of the Nations leading
educators, lawyers and clergymen
placed before Congress today a
statement saying that large num-
ber of pending bills dealing with
the alien problem threaten the
"civil rights and liberties of the
whole American people"
Adopted at the concluding session
here yesterday of national emer-
gency conference, called to consider
repreSsive legislation, the statement
asked Congress:
l. To make adequate appropria-
ton for the Bureau of immigration
and Naturalization to remove "un-
necessary delays" caused by lack Of
personnel.
2. To reduce the period required
for and cost of naturalization.
8. To remove present harsh tech
nical barriers against naturalization
which indirectly provide pretext
to those who sponsor repressive
alien legislation"
mo Substantial Alien"
The conference declares there Is
mo substantial alien problem" in
the United States and that repres-
sive bills, whatever their language,
have "the direct effect of interfering
with free political action by Ameri-
can organizations"
Among the many repressive bills
introduced in Congress, 1t was
pointed out, are ones to establish
concentration camps for deportable
aliens, provide flngerprinting and
registration, refuse naturalization
and provide for deportation Of those
believing in or members Of organiza-
tions advocating changes in the
American form of government, and
outright bans on immigration.
Such legislation, the conference
declared, would Introduce into our
country the hated system Of police
surveillance and control
1T is evident that great reliance
Is placed on the fact that little Is
known of these bills" the state
ment continued, 80 that they may
pass quietly and with little opposi-
ton"
Task Is to Publicize Bills.
The conferences major task, 1t
was said, Is ito throw the spotlight
Of publicity" on the legislation, thus
bringing to the people their true
facts and significance.
The conference statement as
serted there has been since 1920 a
reduction in the number Of aliens
of more than 100000. OF the $780,
600 remaining, it was declared. there
is a loss Of 225,000 annually.
Many hundreds Of thousands"
the statement said, could become
citizens were it not for the tech
nical obstacles in their path, the de-
lays in procedure in the naturaliza-
ton process, and other factors"
Among the numerous speakers de-
nouncing the pending bills were the
Right Rev. Msgr. John A. Ryan Of
Catholic University and the Ma
tional Catholic Welfare Conference,
Senator James E. Murray of Mon
tana, DR.. Harold c. Urey, winner Of
the Nobel Prize in chemistry, and
Carol King, secretary of the Inter
national Juridical Association.
Bills Called Childish.
DR.. Ryan compared the present
situation to the "red hunt" directed
by Attorney General Palmer in
1919-20, which, he added, was Gre
ated for political purposes.
These bills are futile" he de-
clared. They are childish - The
real remedy here is to make eco
nomic conditions here, and rearrange
our economic machinery so that
there will be jobs for everybody. Re
ducing the number of competitors
for jobs by one-half Of per cent
or something like that = shows
lack of proportion, and I think 1t
also shows lack OF a sense of hu-
NOR"
Senator Murray declared that the
bills threaten "the entire program Of
social reform which has been en-
acted in the past six and half
years."
DR.. Urey described the alien bills
as Fascist in intent and will be
Fascist in their result"