Evening star., 1941-02-13
u. 5. Ready TO Seek
Bridges Deportation
On New Evidence
Hearing Set for March 81
In Case of c. |. O. Leader
Accused as Communist

On the basis of new and addi-
tional evidence that Harry Bridges
Is a Communist, the Government is
ready to push deportation proceed
ings against the Australia born
head of the Pacific Coast forces of
the c. I. O., and will open a public
hearing in the case in San Francisco
March 81.
ClimaXing a lengthy investigation
by the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
ton, the prospective action was an
nounced late yesterday by Attorney
General Jackson
In San Francisco, Mr.. Bridges re-
piled that the proceedings were per
secution," and part of the drive
against labor" the Associated Press
reported. He repeatedly has denied
that he is Communist or affiliated
with any organization advocating
overthrow of the Government by
force or violence. Various members
OF Congress, however, have adVo-
Gated his deportation on such
grounds.
Earlier Proceedings Cited.
In ordering the deportation pro-
ceaQingS. Attorney General Jack
sen followed course similar to that
p,."-Ced by Secretary of Labor Per-
kirs nearly three years ago. At
that time Dean James M. Lands
OF Harvard Law School, who served
as trial examiner, found that the
labor leader was not a member of
the Communist party, although he
declared that the defendant was
"energetically radical" The i'm
migration and naturalization serv-
ice has been transferred from Labor
to the Justice Department since
then.
Before these first proceedings
we're closed the Supreme Court
held that past membership in the
Communist party would not serve
as grounds to deport an alien, block
ing an effort by the Government to
send out of the country Joseph
G. Strecker, an Austrian, who was
accused of having once been a Com
m"nist.
Accordingly, the Attorney Gen.
eral said. the conclusion reached
by the trial examiner in the case
dealt only with the question
OF whether or not Bridges was a
member at the time of the
deportation proceedings. Dean
Lands conclusion was that the
evidence failed to establish that
Harry Bridges was either a member
OF or affiliated with the Communist
party of the United States at the
time the deportation proceedings
were instituted"
New Act Passed in 1910.
Since that time, however, he add
ed, Congress has enacted the Alien
Registration Act of 1910 to alter
the rule" of the Supreme Court
and to make deportable an alien
who at any time in the past has
been a member of or affiliated
with a subversive organization as
described in the act" The F. B. I.
report was not made public.
Bridges long has been a storm
center in Pacific Coast labor circles,
where he occupies the presidency of
the International Longshoremen's
Union, and serves also as California
director for the c. I. o.
Announcement of the deportation
proceedings brought a varied re-
action at the Capitol. Representa-
tive Marcantonio, American-Labor
of New York, condemned it as in
line with the pro-war policy against
labor" Representative Allen. Dem
ocrat, of Louisiana, author of a bill
to deport Mr. Bridges. approved the
action. as did some other members
OF the House.
The c. I. o. leader is at present
az 2lting a Supreme Court ruling
Oh his appeal from a contempt
Sentence imposed by a California
court for criticizing a decision in a
labor case.