Speech #720127582

Mr. Speaker. this bill comes from the Immigration Committee in the regular way. We had before our committee last year a bill introduced by the gentleman from West Virginia . who sought to do one thing. which was to add one word--" communists "-to the law. The law as it now reads. in subsection (a). provides that those aliens who are anarchists shall be deported. and the gentleman sought by his bill to add the word "communist." so that it would read. "anarchists and communists." At that time I advanced some of the same arguments that the gentleman from New York has made. claiming that the addition of this word would not add anything to the law. because the present law is sufficient if that is the only word we were going to add. I maintained there should be something else added to the law and that the word " communist" should be defined carefully and clearly so that whenever those who sought to enforce the law were called upon to enforce it they would have a definition in the law itself. I maintained that deportation was a quasi criminal proceeding and that in order to prove a case it was almost necessary to prove an overt act. Simply espousing or believing in a doctrine would hardly be sufficient. It would be difficult to fathom correctly ones thoughts. One might be a communist in thought and belief. but that would not be sufficient ground for deportation. I maintained that the word "communist" should have a definite legal meaning. This was difficult to work out. When the committee met this year we called together the experts from the various departments that must enforce this law. and they advised us that we should put into this law such language as would make it clear. Whether it is clear or not will be determined. no doubt. by some court decision. These most dangerous communists are militant international communists. many of them are native born and can not be reached by this deportation law. for we can not deport a nativeborn citizen. I hope the time will come. however. when we can deal effectively with those who openly advocate the overthrow of our Government. whether they be native born or alien. Any man who incites destruction of the Republic is a worse criminal than a man who incites one to rob or to kill.