The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-08-07
SENATE STUDIES
STORM TROOPS
FOR u. S. A.

-
g With a minimum of publicity, b,
! a maximum of speed and efficienc.
the Senate Committee on Militar
O Affairs has been seriously considerin
Q the establishment in the United State
q Iof Storm Troops armed by govern
. ment and placed under command {
! private employers.
y The bill is S. Abb, introduced b
f Senator Sheppard of Texas-the stat
of Dies and Garner. The publ
should know about this plot agains
} the domestic peace and security O
the United States. There are other
) similar, bills introduced by other Con
| gressmen, but S. Abb is the one I'm
der consideration. The statement pre-
, scented to the Senate committee b,
Lee FRESHMAN, representing the Con
gress Industrial Organizations, de
scribes and characterizes the bill a.
follows:
SIN outline the bill grants to EN-
ployers in defense industries the au
thority to set up groups of handpicked
employees who will be provided with
guns by the federal government. They
will be endowed with the authority
of federal law enforcement officers to
suppress unlawful activities, not only
unlawful acts committed during a la
Dor dispute, but in the entire com.
munity These groups are not to be
accountable for the damage or injury
which they may do to any one in the
exercise of their powers. The only
governmental supervision over their
force and violence is in the hands of
the commander of the United States
army corps in the area where the
plant is located.
1.-THE bill thus confers upon employ
ers the authority to establish groups
of armed men who are given COM
pletely irresponsible power to use
force and violence against any one
subversive, treacherous, or unlawful
activities.
at seems incredible that such a
plan could be conceived, yet a specific
analysis of the bills provisions shows
that it proposes an outrageous delega-
ton of irresponsible power to private
interests to commit acts of force and
violence against anyone in the COM
munity whom they do not like
Here are few details from Press
mans analysis of the provisions of
the bill:
1.-THE application to establish these
units must be approved in advance
by the chief executive officer of the
concern, who shall certify as to the
'sobriety, patriotism, discretion and
suitability of each member; that it
is approved by the board of directors;
and that the company will finance it.
(Section 50.
:" :. All members of the unit are
given the authority, powers and duties
of United States Marshals. The bill
expressly relieves these units of any
responsibility by providing that:
"'Any member of the units shall
not be accountable to any person in
or force used in and about the per-
Torrance of such duty
"To keep control in the handpicked
groups, limitation is placed that
only so of the employees in particular
concern shall be authorized to bear
arms, except in an emergency pro-
claimed by the President. (Section
14)."
Then the statement points out that
even u S. Marshalls are bonded for
500 900, and are responsible for their
actions.
1.-THE only governmental supervision
over these private armed forces is
placed in the hands of the army, thus
violating the fundamental principle |
that the army is not to police life
except in times of rebellion or inva
sion when the public safety is endan-
gered.
"This uncontrolled irresponsible |
power can be used against anyone in |
the community. In it's essential, pro-
the bill constitutes a VIOLA
ton of every conceivable safeguard
and standard of constitutional civil
rights and democratic ways of living.
It means to establish an irresponsible
armed group of men with power of
ife and death over every one else in
he community.
"This bill places the country under
martial law. 1t is thoroughly and
un-American. 1t cannot be
amended or revamped 1t deserves
liter and complete obloquy."
The way it can get that obloquy
s for everyone to let their Senators
md Congressman know, right now,
hat the American people simply will
lot stand for Storm Troops, whether
,iven the fancy name of National In
lustrial Defense Corps, or any other.
other Reactionary Legislation Up
The Sheppard "Storm Troop" Bill
s only a portion of the hysteria-cre-
tied reactionary legislation now be-
ore congress. Following is digest
If other bills extremely dangerous to
abor and the people generally.
CONSUMPTION. The Burke Wads-
worth CONSUMPTION Bill, now before {
he Senate, provides compulsory mill
airy training for all men between the
ges of IS and Ga. A system of Sc
ection and "deferment" is provided
Whereby government authorities could
freak any strike simply by cancelling
he deferments of the strike leaders
nd as many of their men as neces-
49,, ond dro ffipp tbor,, info tho army [