Speech #650082213

STAFFORD. Mr. Chairman. there Is only one purpose sought by thel committee. in their insistence upon having tile word -native.s-" retained in- the bill.. and that is to authorize the President of thet United States to classify naturalized citizens of German- birth as. enemies and subject them all to the penalties applicable to enemies. as provided in. this bill- There are decisions of the Supreme. Court of this country that hold- under the- liberalized riles of international law that it is. not considere(f inimical to the welfare of the country to allow alienborn citizens of an enemy country domiciled In this country to trade with each other. provided they do.not lend) any assistance to the enemy. and yet the gentleman from Pennsylvania. backed by other members of the committee. is insistent on giving this drastic power to the President. this absolute power that would be- unbecoming- even- to the. Czar of Russia. to allow him to take out and classify those in. our country who are. naturalized citizens.. though. as loyaL as any native born. We. are going indeed afar- in this bill. and 1 am. surprised that anybody will rise on the floor and advocate. an. autocracy like this. no matter who the man: to exercise it may. be- I am not saying. anything against the wisdom or the high devotion of our President. but we should not.. with the. constitutional privileges guaranteed by the Constitution to. citizens. native and naturalized.. confer upon him power to single out natives of countries with which we are at var. and. who have b ecomne- naturalized. and classify them as enemies and refuse to permit them to do. business. or even- to. exist in: this .countrty. Under public law there. are: two. classes of. residents. citizens and- subjects.. Thosev.wo are domiciled here and are not citizens of the United States willi be included in the word. "subjects." Even those who have takenj out first papers under our law of naturalizatio are still subjects of the foreign government. This bill is a war- measure and sought to be enacted under. the .war powers. of the.Constitution. We have authority to exercise powers of sovereignty as a nation over citizenship whether .hat citizen is. native born or naturalized. If there nre in this countryand I question- whether there arenaturalized citizens who are disloyal. to tbe country. they can be. reached by nunicipal law. but we ought not to go to the extent. as. advocated by . the gentjenmn from Pennsylvania- and the committee. of puiting the sanction of Congress -because that is what we do--by .conferring power on: any individual to. say that naturalized. citizens of this country who happen to. be natives of foreign counties living in this country shall have the. ban put upon them of being refused the right to trade. and. be subject to all. the other drastic penalties that apply to enemies. The gentleman from Virginia in his prefatory statement yesterday is in conflict with the posl. tion. ie now takes. Yesterday the gentleman stated that it was based on residence in the belligerenti coufitry. and now he is seeking to. apply it to citizenship and domicile. apparently .in contradiction of the position. taken yesterday.