Speech #740240699

The Special Committee on UnAmerican Activities. which was appointed pursuant to House Resolution 198 of the Seventythird Congress. filed its report to the House (H. Rept. 153. 74th Cong.. 1st sess.) under date of February 15. 1935. In that report the Special Committee on UnAmerican Activities recommended. in partThat Congress should enact a statute conferring upon the Secretary of Labor authority to shorten or terminate the stay in this country of any visitor admitted here under temporary visa. whenever. in the judgment of the Secretary. such visitor shall engage in the promotion or dissemination of propaganda or engage in political activity in the United States. The public hearings held before the Special Committee on UnAmerican Activities. the printed record of which were available to your committee. together with the full report of that special committee. indicate very clearly the need for a new statute as is proposed by this pending bill. Notwithstanding existing provisions of law. it developed during the progress of the comprehensive investigation by the Special Committee on UnAmerican Activities that the promotion of the dissemination in the United States by aliens of subversive propaganda instigated from foreign sources was not solely deemed sufficient grounds for the Immigration and Naturalization Service to initiate procedure under the immigration acts to remove aliens engaged in those questionable activities. whether those aliens were here on temporary status or on permanent residence status. Your committee is convinced that. especially at this time. Americanism is the only "ism" we should encourage among citizens and residents of the United States. There is not now any reason why our immigration laws should not be corrected so that deportation would follow activities by any alien desiring to spread in the United States any kind of alien doctrine or philosophy inconsistent with our constitutional plan of government or racial or religious intolerance proposals which endeavor to aline Americans against Americans for internal discord in the United States. While this measure is not retroactive with respect to aliens who have heretofore engaged in propaganda activities. the continuance of their propaganda activities after the enactment of this act will subject them to the penalties contained herein. Also the enactment of this measure now will serve notice to all persons abroad who may contemplate coming here to carry on propaganda that their activities here will subject them to removal proceedings.