Evening star., 1941-04-02
First Deportation
Hearing on Bridges
Found Irregular
Londis Locked Authority
To Swear Witnesses,
House Group Told

BY the Associated Press.
Advised by j. Edgar Hoover that
the first deportation proceeding
against Harry r. Bridges had been
conducted without full authority
of law, the House Appropriations
Committee declared today that
whoever was responsible should be
brought to account"
Mr.. Hoover, F. B. I. chief. in
formed the group that Dean James
M. Lands Of the Harvard law school
who conducted the first Bridges
hearing, was not given legal author
ity by Secretary of Labor Perkins
to administer oaths to witnesses.
Representative Hare, Democrat, OF
South Carolina commented that II
"looks like a willful oversight on
the part of some one"
The Lands proceeding resulted
in cancellation by Miss Perkins OF
a deportation order previously issued
against Mr.. Bridges, Australian
born West Coast c. I. o. leader.
Unable to Prosecute.
As a result of Mr.. Lands lack
of authority, Mr.. Hoover asserted
that the Justice Department could
not follow the F. B. I. director
recommendation to prosecute some
of the witnesses for perjury.
hn
ing by Mr.. Lands in 1889 and can
collation. of the deportation order
early in 1910, the Bureau of Immi-
grafton and Naturalization, which
handles deportation matters, has
been transferred from Miss Perkins
Labor Department to the Justice
Department.
The committee. in its report to
the House. said it was not advised
as to who is responsible for such
a grossly inexcusable oversight" but
that whoever was should be made
to answer for it.
A new hearing to determine
whether Mr.. Bridges should be de-
ported was opened Monday at San
Francisco, on the basis of a re-
port by Mr.. Hoover setting forth
new and additional evidence" pur-
porting to link the labor leader with
an organization working for the
overthrow of the Government.
Mr.. Lands, after lengthy hear
ings in 1899, reported to Secretary
Perkins that he found no substanti-
alton of charges that Mr.. Bridges
was or ever had been a member of
the Communist party.
Testimony Made Public.
Mr.. Hoover's testimony, made
public by the House Appropriations
Committee, resulted from questions
by committeeman as to findings in
the F. B. I. investigation.
IT am advised" he said, that
Dean Lands was appointed con-
tract labor examiner and not an
immigrant inspector.
The United States code empow-
ers an immigrant inspector to ad-
minister oaths. There is no statu-
tory authority, however. conferrine
on a contract labor examiner such
authority"
- Who is responsible for that over
sight?" asked Representative Hare
Il do not know who is RESPONSE
ble," Mr.. Hoover replied. AT that
time the immigration service was In
the Department of Labor"
Elementary Proposition.
That seems to be an elementary
proposition and looks like a willfuI
oversight on the part of some one,
Representative Hare commented.
1T means that practically the
whole first proceeding was not con-
Quoted in accordance with law, be-
cause none of the witnesses were
really testifying under a legally ad-
ministered oath"
The Hoover passage was one OF
many relating to immigration and
naturalization, in 1903 pages Of tesu-
mony on the Justice Department. &
annual appropriation.