Speech #660144077

The object of the law is to punish the guilty as quickly as possible and thus deter others from committing similar offenses. If originally the Department of Labor had dealt promptly with such aliens who are opposed to our form of government. the radicalitma which has been permitted to grow would have ceased to exist. It is true that under the decision of the Supreme Court im time Nine Japanese cases Justice Harlan held that those who are opposed to our Government. commonly known as anarchists. and so forth. must receive a hearing before some authority designated by Congress before being deported. This does not mean that a regular court must be constituted for that purpose or that they are entitled to a jury trial. The present law provides for such a hearing before the Secretary of Labor. These hearings are held before inspectors of immigration. reviewed by an immigration commissioner. and then the documents are sent on to Washington. In that city Secretary Wilson has designated an Assistant Secretary to act on all immigration matters who has permitted the attorneys for the proposed deportees to appear and argue in their behalf or present other testimony. Many of these cases have been allowed to drag for years. The remedy is plain. -Congress will have to put a provision into the immigration act providing that all hearings must be finally heard and determined within 30 days after the.arrest ofthe undesirable alien. Another change which would be very effective would be the stationing of an Assistant Secretary of Labor at Ellis Island. as.here comes more than 80 per cent of- all of Americas immigration. The general and medical examination which is now performed by one doctor and one inspector when .the -law requires two. in order to make a proper inspection. will have to be made mandatory. so as to eliminate all discretionary power now vested .n the Secretary of Labor. The examination of the arriving membersoof the ships crew is very cursory. Many of the leading radicals and agitators have come in as sailors: Provisions will have to be made for a most thorough examinationof the crew in the future. Many of these sailors who have landed have never returned to their ships. but remained here to give us trouble The number of aliens in America who are engaged in preaching or are engaged in furthering antiAmerican doctrines are limited in number. The most dangerous persons here today can be classified in two sets: First. the native born. be they either professional men or labor leaders of a certain kind. second. what is commonly known as the inale or female species of "parlor Bolsheviks." native and foreign born. Both of these classes are a very small minority of the population. but wvhat they lack in numbers is made up by them throuigh speeches and publicity in the press. which is obtained by them at every opportunity. If the various States would enact legislation along the lines now on the statute books of the State of New York and would locally make a real and earnest effort to enforce such laws instead of constantly appealing to Washington for Federalhelp. radicalism would be very quickly exterminated in this country. There is entirely too much running to Washihgton for relief for every local ill. A little bit more backbone upon the partof county prosecuting officers and State attorneys generil. withi a little less thought about politics and future office holding. would do very. much to relieve present conditions. 1919..DzCEUBER 20. Once the immigrant enters America the question of his becoming a citizen. becomes not only his main thought but also that of every man who desires to see aliens assume the obligations of citizenship when. as we all know. he is receiving all the benefits which the country can bestow upon him. It is useless to be urging the alien to become naturalized when we do not provide suifficient judicial machinery for that purpose. The applicants for citizenship have turned into the Treasury $4.745.436.79 in naturalization fees since 1906. and the total cost to the Government for this activity has been $3.923.447.77. leaving a surplus of $821.989.02 profit. The work of the Naturalization Bureau and the Americanization work under its auspices have merited the highest approbation and approval. considering the niggardly amount which Congress has been allowing for this purpose. Mr. Raymond F. Crist. the director of citizenship of the United States Bureau of Naturalization. has worked day and night for a number of years endeavoring in every way to encourage aliens to become citizens and become Americanized. We can not. however. expect aliens to respond until we provide proper facilities. If anyone is interested. let him call at the office of the naturalization examiners at 5 Beekman Street. New York City. and there see a large number of applicants. accompanied by their witnesses. who are citizens. crowded and jammed in the small quarters. compelled to stand about for several hours before their cases can be reached and disposed of. with an insufficient number of seats for them to be seated. and no accommodations of any kind. There must be brought about a complete change of this condition.