Evening star., 1950-04-11
Government Opening
Hearing on Revoking
Bridges Citizenship
" the Assoeicfed Press

Ill1IlcOAdIc IcNOCd IlOIl Ol marry
Bridges citizenship.
Such action, if successful, would
open the way for a Federal hear
ing to deport to Australia the CIO
longshore boss. convicted of per-
juring himself at his 1945 natural
ization hearing by denying he
ever was a Communist.
For that conviction Bridges was
sentenced yesterday to five years
imprisonment. Two labor union
aides we're given two years for
their testimony in his behalf at
the citizenship hearing.
The Government move to ask
revocation of citizenship. sched-
uled for court hearing today, was
based on the contention that the
revocation was mandatory under
the statute governing Bridges in
dictment.
Judge Unsympathetic.
The man to decide that is
Federal Judge George B. Harris
who said as he passed sentence:
BY lying, cheating and de-
frauding the United States Gov
ernment, Mr.. Harry Bridges was
granted a certificate of naturali-
cation. He was aided and abetted
by two co-defendants and
had bestowed upon him the price
less benefit of citizenship.
Mr.. Bridges conduct cannot
evoke either sympathy or con-
sideration on my part"
Bridges. 48. key figure in para
lying port strikes on the West
Coast and Hawaii and twice vic
tor against previous Government
efforts to deport him, listened in
glum silence to the proceedings.
He had no comment afterward,
in contrast with his charge of
immigration frameup" at the end
OF his stormy. 8l-day trial.
His attorneys. both of whom
were sentenced for contempt dur
ing the bitterly waged trial, said
they would vigorously oppose any
move to revoke Bridges citizen
ship. They also said they would
carry appeals to the Supreme
Court, If necessary, contending
that the trial was conducted on a
political and even a patriotic
basis.
Judge Harris, in rejecting a
motion for new trial, denied that
"the verdict was the result of hys-
terra" or that the trial was "an
oblique attack on militant trade
unions"
Bridges was convicted OF per-
jury and conspiracy with his two
aides to commit perjury. He was
given five years for perjury, two
for conspiracy. with both terms
to run concurrently.
The two guides, Henry Schmidt
and John R. Robertson, each was
given two 2-year terms, run
ming concurrently. One was for
perjury conspiracy, the other for
conspiring to defraud the Gov
ernment. ..e Z -.
All three were released on in
creased bail. Bridges was fixed at
$4,000 and the other two men
at $4,000 apiece. Previously each
of the three had been under $4,000
bail.
A technical dispute over bail
bond papers prevented the Gov
ernment from proceeding with it's
move toward citizenship revoca-
ton yesterday.
Defense Attorney Vincent Halli-
nan. under six months sentence
for contempt. and his colleague,
James MacInnis. under three
months sentence, made more
charges of bias against Judge
Harris yesterday while striving to
arrest judgment and gain a new
trial.
When Mr.. MacInnis referred to
"the indescribable bitterness and
hatred IN this case" Judge Harris
interrupted.
Judge Calls Verdict Just.
when you ascribe any hatred
to this court he said, "for the
record I would like to say that
have felt no bitterness, hatred or
Ill will in this case"
Before passing sentence. the
Judge observed:
Il say that the verdicts are fair
and just. The verdicts will stand
as q courageous decision or the
part of an intelligent jury.
They will serve as a lasting me-
mortal that the integrity of the
naturalization laws of these United
States must be upheld"
A number of ex-Communists
were key Government witnesses at
the trial They said they knew
Bridges as a Communist, collected
dues from him, saw him chosen to
a high Central Committee post OF
the party. Bridges denied The
charges and his attorneys attacked
the credibility of the witnesses
saying the Communist Party
trained its members to lie.
Bridges came to the United
States in 1920, became a longshore
leader in 1888 and, since then, has
twice been subject to Federal de-
portation hearings on charges he
was Communist. The first found
in his favor. The second found
against him but was reversed by
the Supreme Court.
LOST