Evening star., 1940-03-12
SenatorsCharqe
Political Ends
Civil Rights Violated, ,
Committee Asserts,
Urging Inquiry
BY the Associated Press.

The Senate Interstate Commerce
Committee. charging violations Of
"the most fundamental civil rights"
today accused law enforcement
agencies of having investigated
and catalogued" persons who have
committed no crime, but whose eco
nomic and political views and activ-
tiles may be obnoxious to the present
incumbents of law = enforcement
Offices"
The committee recommended that
the Senate order an inquiry into
wire tapping and sound-recording
devices, the use of which, it said,
may lead to variety of oppres-
sions that may never reach the ears
of the court.
Such investigative methods, the
committee declared, have become
especially dangerous at present
because of the recent resurgency
OF spy system conducted by Gov
ernment police" What Govern
ment police were meant by this ref
erence, whether Federal or State,
was not explained.
Aimed at All Agencies.
Subsequently, Committee Chair
man Wheeler said the report was
aimed at overlapping generally.
whether by Government agencies
or private individuals
Il am opposed to overlapping,
whether by the Treasury, the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation. private
detective agencies or the Interior
Department. he told reporters.
The F. B. l., he said, would be
subject to investigation IF they've
done any wire-tapping.'
Blast at G-Men Included.
The report included comment
on the F. B. L., headed by
j. Edgar Hoover, which was
made recently by Senator Nor
ris. independent, of Nebraska in
protesting to Attorney General
Jackson against arrests made by the
G-men in Detroit in connection
with alleged recruiting for the
Spanish loyalist army.
The proposed investigation, the
committee said. will provide a con-
gressional inquiry useful to ascer-
tain, in the words of Senator Norris
whether the legitimate rights
and liberties of any of our people
have been frustrated and denied,
and will be useful to prevent activi-
ties whether by public or private
spy systems which are going to
bring into disrepute the methods of
our entire system of Jurisprudence,
and will help to insure that the
activities of its officials and officers
(are) kept within the bounds Of
civilized government.
Discussing possible "oppressions"
that may result from use of ''un-
ethical devices" the committee de-
clared:
They may, for example. have the
effect of increasing the power of law
enforcement agencies to oppress
factory employees who are under in.
vestigation, not for any criminal
action, but only by reason of their
views and activities in regard to
labor unions and other economic
movements: this is no fanciful case
such Investigations are fact
today.
Flagrant Violations Alleged.
Wire tapping and dictographing
1irolu RI hn ocnt,auJoI h,r
law-enforcement agencies which
have, within the last six months,
not hesitated to violate the most
fundamental civil rights.
1T is no secret that some police
have searched private homes with
out warrants and seized private pa
pers without warrants" the COM
mittee's report continued. Some
police have held unconvicted per-
sons incommunicado. refusing the
request of an arrested person for
permission to see lawyer promptly,
privately and before he is questioned
by the authorities, refusing to tell
him promptly the nature of the
charge on which he is being arrested
and detained.
Some police have used the process
of Interrogation to entrap suspected
persons. Some have exercised un-
authorized power to grill such per-
sons. Some have abused the power
of arrest in order to question the
(See WIRE TAPPING, Page A-6)