Evening star., 1940-08-07
Governors Return
To States With Plan
To Bolster Defenses
Conference With u. S.
OfficioIs Ends in
Cooperative Program

With the groundwork laid for
united action by Federal and State
Governments to deal with the prob
lem of Strengthening the internal
defenses of the country, Govern
ors and other officials of As States
were ready today to urge on their
citizens the broad program in
dorsed yesterday as two-day con-
ference ended at the Justice De-
partment.
Principal emphasis was laid on
the necessity of establishing ade-
quate supervision over foreign
groups and individuals, but the con-
ference approved a declaration that
there should be no persecution of
aliens" and that volunteer law
enforcement activities should be dis
couraged.
The conference took no action On
proposal from the Interstate
Commission on Crime that an in
vestigation be conducted into what
it termed the "Nazi- -Fascists' use of
attaches, legations and consula.es
for subversive propaganda and ether
fifth column activities in the United
States" The commission was or
ganized in 1882 to work for enact
ment Of uniform crime legislation.
Considered as of major impor-
tance was recommendation from
a group headed by Gov. Frank M.
Dixon of Alabama that the Fed
eral Government set up an agency
to make a careful and continuing
study of foreign propaganda in
the United States"
Biddle Approves.
This brought an immediate ex-
preston Of approval from Solic-
itor General Francis Biddle, CO.
ordinator of alien control for the
Justice Department. who said he
had been giving thought to such a
move in view of the urgency of
the matter.
Mr.. Biddle said that there are
approximately Loaf foreign Ian
guage publications in this country
and IS radio stations that broad
cast foreign material, and that he
felt the Government should have
"a good look" at this situation.
The Dixon report also recommend
ed that the respective Governors
set up a committee which would
confer politically with leading news
paper publishers and radio station
! operators in the interest of keep
ing the American press and radio
free from subversive propaganda"
and to insure that adequate space
and time be devoted to featuring
measures for national defense"
Would Broaden Registration.
1t was recommended also that the
law requiring agents of foreign
principals to register with the State
Department be broadened to require
these emissaries to report their
activities and expenditures.
Another group headed by Gov
Prentice Cooper of Tennessee said
that a poll of representatives from
a score of States showed conclu-
sively that there is at present no
systematic effort being made to
organize or crystalline public opinion
for defense purposes" and declared
that this shortcoming should be
remedied by intensive educational
campaigns.
Gov. O'Conor of Maryland headed
a group urging Federal and State
governments integrate their efforts
to safeguard establishments manu-
featuring defense materials. Much
effective work is being done along
this line now, it was added.
This report recommended that all
sabotage and espionage information
be turned over to the Federal Bureau
of Investigation in keeping with
President Roosevelt's request, in
order that it might be determined
without delay whether action was
called for by Federal or State
authorities.
Want Citizenship Information.
A report from a group headed by
Gov. E. D. Rivers of Georgia stressed
the desirability of the States CO.
operating fully with the Federal
Government to insure the success of
the alien registration which starts
August 27.
The conference was arranged
under the auspices of the Cover
nors Conference, Council of State
Governments, Naional Association of
Attorney Generals and Interstate
Commission on Crime, acting in
conjunction with the Justice Depart
ment.