Evening star., 1941-10-02

attack the legal profession. The,
said reputable members of the ba
have co-operated with the depart
ment In efforts to drive tn,
racketeers out of business.
The revised version of the con.
troversial Form K" still makes clea]
that 1t Is not necessary for person.
desiring to sponsor the admission
OF an alien into the country to EN-.
ploy a lawyer or any other agent t.
represent them before the depart.
ment.
Form X Necessary.
II any agent Is employed. how.
ever, Form X" must be filed t.
designate him so the department
can keep record of persons actin,
as agents. Form K" itself stipulate.
that documents to be filed on behal
OF visa applicants, as well as instruc.
tions regarding the procedure to b,
followed, may be obtained without
charge from the departments Viss
Division.
while the Department of State. >
the revised form adds, lis fully pre-.
pared to deal directly with inter.
ested persons and will give every
consideration to cases directly pre-
sented, there is no objection to tn,
employment by ah interested person
II he prefers, of an intermediary
to assist him in obtaining and pre-.
pairing the forms and such sup.
Elementary documents as may bt
indicated. in connection with the
submission of the case to the de.
partment."
In some previous cases that hav.
come to light, officials said. friend.
or relatives of aliens seeking tt
come to the United States have beer
charged exorbitant fees by person.
pretending to have some specia
contact with the department or with
American consular officers abroad
through which they could accom-
plish special results. Some of thest
"racketeers," 1t was added. have in
timated that their high fees were
necessary to cover alleged bribes tc
Government officials.
To Track Down Racketeers.
The Department will continue ef-
forts to stamp out such racketeer.
ing and at the same time protect
innocent aliens. their friends and
relatives. from interruptions per-
sons who would thus mulct them oi
large sums of money, 1t was made
clear.
Some of the so-called visa rack
eteers have been sent to prison ir
recent years. Others have been dis
barred from practice as lawyers and
disbarment proceedings are pend
ing against still more.
That some very disreputable at
torneys" have engaged in the
racketeering practices, along with
other classes of agents, was recog-
nized In a report to a committee
of the American Bar Association
convention in Indianapolis this
week by F. Regis Noel, local attor-
ney, as chairman of the associa-
tion's Committee on Revision and
Codification of United States Ma
tionality and immigration Laws.
There Is quite a volume of such
activity which can be easily clasSed
as what is generally known as
racketeering, Mr.. Noels report said
The Visa Division is attempting tc
separate the sheep from the goats
but 1t has a large problem"
He urged enrolment by the State
Department Of attorneys eligible tc
practice in visa cases as solution
to the problem, but ofncials did MOI
consider the proposal favorably.
It was emphasized that the de-
partment considers its function ir
visa cases a purely executive one
and not a quasi-judicial function
such as is performed by some other
departments with which eligible at.
torneys are enrolled. Ofnctals con-
cerned oppose the compromising oi
their executive function that they
say would be involved in formal
enrolment of attorneys and are un-
willing to assume the responsibility
for policing" the list Of lawyers.
Holds New Form Better.
Mr.. Noel's report, filed before re.
vision of Form K" also listed com.
plants against the use of that form
in its previous wording. 1t indi.
Gated that attorneys: he said, art
not desired by the department, ant
that if attorneys are employed. Il
may adversely affect consideration
of the applicants cause"
He said the revised form now ir
effect was a big improvement, but
that he would not be satisfied until
the department approved enrolling
OF attorneys entitled to practice be-
fore 1t so as to facilitate the work
OF reputable members of the profes.
sion.
Mr. Noel also urged approval BY
the American Bar Association Of
two pending amendments to the
Nationality Act. which was enacted
last year to codify and strengthen
numerous previous laws relating tc
citizenship. One Of these amend.
ments would extend for a year, until
October Is. 1912, the period during
which a naturalized citizen living
abroad in his native land must re-
turn to the United States to retair
his citizenship. The other woulc
exempt a naturalized citizen remain.
ing abroad with "a spouse or parent
which is an American national BY
birth" from having to forfeit hi,
citizenship for living abroad fos
lengthy reyfods