Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-02-17
e-.1T[apping
Bill Slipped
In Again
Measure w ould Permit
Spying by Officials
BY PAUL MALLON

WASHINGTON. Feb. 1.-THE
w old Hobbs bill 10 establish
a govern ment overlapping
OGPU in the United States was
slipped into the House hopper
few weeks back. disguised with
long Judicial whfskers so no one
noticed II. 1t is now in the
House judiciary committee.
session Rep. Sam Hobbs
of Selma, Ala, pushed forward a
measure TO allow the FBI TO tap
the wire of any one about whom
II developed suspicion of felo-
NOUS intent, however vague or
ill-founded. That one was throt-
tied successfully by the Senate
interstate commerce committee.
The committee has been an in
surmountable bulwark against
the legal institution here of the
devious methods which charac-
terized murderous politics in
Germany. Russia and elsewhere.
1t even insisted on writing into
the federal communications act
the present law prohibiting wire
tapping or at least making it
illegal.
THE new Hobbs bill was
i dressed in Judicial dis
guiSe in order to keep it away
from the commerce committee.
The bill proposes to amend the
judicial code by permitting ANY
executive department of the
United States to record tele-
phone, telegraph, radio and any
other similar messages or COM
Implications on suspicion.
Under this Interior Secretary
Ickes might legally tap every
newspaper wire in the country
on the plea that he suspects they
might some day commit felony.
In fact Treasury Secretary Nor
genthau could presumably tap
Iekes5 wire If a similar suspicion
should occur TO him.
Whether the judiciary COM
mittees will be any more will
ing to turn the private COM
munication system of the United
States over to government spies
cannot yet be ascertained.
Truly vicious scope of the
proposal is evident in the fact
that it provides no penalties for
government officers who tap the
wires of innocent men for purely
political purposes.
THRUST buster Thurman Ar
mold indicated to Congress
he had caught some American
businesses in international world
trust making with Hitler and
others which hindered our de-
Tense effort and let out some of
our secrets.
Actually Arnold has his desk
piled with evidence naming spc-
cific dealS-one of which may
involve loss of bomb sight mot
the valued Norden) to the Ger
mans. Indictments will continue
TO flow in an expanding stream.
Typical pattern of W h a t
Arnold has uncovered .(thiS is
told to you as justice depart
ment allegation not yet proved
in COURT:
World aluminium producers
set up in 1881 a cartel. incorpo-
rated in Switzerland with head
quarters in Antwerp. World
production was assigned, Can
ada 2Sia per cent. Germany 20
per cent. England Is per cent.
etc. This cartel restricted pro-
duction, put floor under prices
with a standing offer TO buy
aluminium at Antwerp for 20
cents a pound. II cost about s
cents to produce.
WHEN Hitler came to power
w he withdrew under an ar
rangement promising TO buy a
pound from the cartel for every
pound he exported and leaving
domestic production free. Ger
man production went up 1000
per cent. At that time Hitler
produced half as much as our
production. now produces one
third 10 one-half more
Other American producers in
deals with Hitler gave him our
formulas, pooled patents. split
the world market with him,
agreed on prices.
None of the evidence appar-
emily relates to anything done
since the war started.
Distributed by King Features synd Inc