The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1948-06-12
Defeat Mundt 'Anti-Red Bill,
Nisei for Wallace Group Urges

race discrimination open To charges
of being communist fronts" the
Nisei for Wallace Committee last
weekend asked japanese Americans
10 get in on the movement to de-
feat the measure
Nisei voters. regardless of indi-
vidual political preference" who
have not yet done so were called
upon to urge their U. S Senators,
through immediate letters and tele-
egrams, to speak up against the bill
and vote for its total rejection"
The controversial act. passed by
the House of Representatives and
now in the Sen"te Judiciary Com
has been described as a
Communist control measure The
Nisei Wallaceites charged however
that this is only ostensibly the pur-
pose of the bill and that its real
effect vii be though control and
destruction of free speech.
Nisei activity against race dis
elimination might be considered
"communistic" under the dan
gerOusly loose" definitions and
provisions of the Mundt Bill.
merely because at so happens
that Communists have also de-
clared themselves opposed TO race
discrimination" tn e statement
said.
This Interpretation of the bill
was expressed by the Nisei Wallace
Committee following the action of
a dozen New York City Nisei, re-
it and the Japanese
Committee for Democra-
cy. who joined the anti-M,mdt Bill
demonstration of 1000 citizens con-
verging upon the. nations capital
from all parts of the country last
week
If the measure becomes law, the
of the nation will be-
come so oppressive with fear and
suspicion that the minor diff
culties now being met In seeking
settlement of such Japanese Anne
rican issues as evacuation claims
and equal naturalization rights will
in all proba ability. be magnified," II
was surmised.
Redress of minority grievances
no matter how mild" will con
stantly be subjected to an "inten
sified Red Scare" the statement
continued.
Reminding Nisei hat the
Mundt Bill Is the brain child Of
the House Committee on I'm
American Activities. the Wallace
ties declared that. II possible ap-
plication of the bill to Nisei groups
seems fantastic, "all we have to
do Is recall the hystericaI and
completely unwarranted attacks
visited upon us by this same
House Committee when we were
In the relocation centers."
President Truman's intimations
that he will veto the measure II II
passes the Senate we're described as
encouraging The statement also
took note of reports that the Sc
nate will be more wary of II than
was the House.
The Nisei Wallace followers eau
toned, however, that the bill was
still a threat.
"The hysteria of the cold war
and parliamentary maneuvers In
the closing rush Of the present
Congress can still foist II upon
u.s." they said.
Congress is scheduled to adjourn
June 10Th.
To buttress its condemnation of
the Mundt Bill, the statement noted
that sentiment against 1t has been
voiced by such individuals, organ
izations and newspapers as New
York City Mayor William ODwyer
Senator Elbert Thomas OF Utah.
former OPA director Leon Hender-
son, the American Civil Liberties
Union The New York Times and the
Washington Post.
Repeated was the opinion. ex-
pressed manv times elsewhere by
ether Mundt Bill critics. that ade-
quate and sufficient laws 10 deal
With overt subversive activity al
ready "yist. Also cited rs n reason
for opposing the bill was a shock
ing similarity" between II and an
ti-communist" laws which signaled
the rise of police states In fascist
Italy. Nazi Germany and militarist
Japan.