Evening star., 1943-04-01
Anti-Sabotage Bill
May Be Called Up in
House Again Today
Foes of Measure See
Danger Of Persecution
Of Innocent Citizens
Bv the Associated Press,

Danger OF Persecution
Of Innocent Citizens
By the Associated Press.
With an uncertain fate await
ing it, a death penalty" anti
sabotage bill confronted a gen.
orally suspicious House again
today for the third time in less
than two weeks.
A full day of debate last week and
another yesterday resulted in adop-
ton of solitary amendment and
developed running debate between
the veteran Representative Dies of
Texas and freshmen Will Rogers,
jr., of California, both Democrats.
Chairman Summers Of the House
Judiciary Committee, which recon-
mended passage of the bill at the
request of the Justice Department,
was not certain the measure would
be brought up again today, but
Majority Leader Mccormack said it
would be if War Department civil
functions appropriation bill is dis
posed of without too much argu-
ment.
In all my long years in the
House." commented Mr.. Summers,
Il have never seen bill to which
there was as little objection, but
around which there centered so
much suspicion"
Persecution" Feared.
His reference, he said, was to fears
expressed by many members that
the broad legislation would enable
the department. to "persecute" in
nocent citizens, newspapers or even
members of Congress. To suspect
the Justice Department of any such
intentions, Mr.. Summers said, lis
very bad
He insisted during yesterdays de-
bate that the bill was designed to
do only what it purports to do
provide stiff penalties, up to death,
for persons who commit hostile acts
in war time for the purpose of
aiding an enemy nation.
The only progress made on the bill
to date was inclusion of an amend
ment requiring proof that commits
sion of any of the prescribed acts
was "wilfull" Pending amendments
would specifically exempt news
papers from prosecution under the
measure
Representative Rankin. Democrat,
OF Mississippi proposed. the adopted
amendment, saying, m not willing
to turn over to a bunch of irrespon-
sible bureaucrats the power to perse-
cute people"
Representative Walter, Democrat,
of Pennsylvania told the House much
of the opposition to the bill came
from newspapers which were daily
deliberately distorting the facts" on
war news and feared the proposed
law could be used against them.
Saying he believed much of the
alleged distortion was unintentional,
Mr.. Walter declared it would be
utterly impossible" to use the legis-
latlon to persecute newspaper.
Existing Laws Declared Sufficient.
It's the Department of Justice
down here that some of us fear"
commented Representative Hoff-
man, Republican, of Michigan, who
argued the bill gives further op-
portunltleS to these prosecutors
down here to destroy the liberties
for which our men are fighting"
Mr.. Hoffman insisted existing laws
are sufficient. The Justice Depart
ment has reported them inadequate.
The encounter between Mr.. Dies
and Mr.. Rogers grew out of state
ment by the former that the son
OF the late humorist had been de-
clarlng on the radio that Mr.. Dies
was the most widely quoted Amer
ican in Axis countries"
Mr.. Rogers leaped up and said his
information had been obtained from
the Federal Communica tions Com
mission, which intercepts foreign
broadcasts. Later he sought unsuc-
cessfully to insert in the Record a
letter from FEC Chairman James l..
Fly to back up the statement, but
Mr.. Hoffman objected
When Mr. Dies challenged the
accuracy of Mr. Rogers information,
the Californian said. "it undoubt-
edly is not true now, but it was true
at one time"
Later Representative Cox, Demo-
crat, of Georgia advised Mr.. Rogers
that he should learn to use some
discretion in choosing the bull that
he takes by the tall
In a statement to reporters, Mr..
Rogers said he did not want to
read the FEC letter in full because
it was too beautiful a job of strip
ping man of his defense" and that
he did not want Ito create dis
harmony or disunity' in Congress.
Shafer Calls Bill Dangerous.
Representative Shafer, Republi-
can, of Michigan, who blocked final
action yesterday by raising the point
OF no quorum, thus forcing adjourn
ment, described the legislation as
dangerous" and suggested it be re-
committed and rewritten.
The bill had a parallel, Mr.. Shafer
asserted, in the proclamation is
sued by the tyrant king, George III,
"ii.ii was dlioWeIeu ny OuI ueCldId d.
ton Of Independence"
Mr.. Shafer said he believed At
torney General Biddle should be
called on for declaration of what
he will do with such dangerous
weapon, referring to Mr.. Biddle as
the man who for several months
has devoted much valuable time and
energy in the midst of this war to
prosecute the Associated Press"
Mr.. Walter then charged that
much Of the opposition comes from
newspapers that are distorting the
facts concerning the war effort for
political purposes.
That statement brought from Rep
resentative Thomas. Republican, of
New Jersey an expression of fear
that newspapers in disagreement
with some governmental policies
might be prosecuted.
Are we going to convict those
newspapers because they do not
agree?" he asked.