Speech #800043560

While we respectfully request that no bond be asked because of the amount Involved and because of the fact that we are taking the responsibility for these people and are willing to guarantee their leaving on a certain date. I can say that if that was the only condition on which they would be admitted. then. of course. we would post the bond." Though the officials of the Labor Department were aware of the bad faith shown by officials of the Bata Shoe Co.. the Department granted the permit in a letter dated June 9. 1939. The conditions of this permit required the Bata Co. to furnish the Immigration and Naturalization Service with "the name of the alien. name of the vessel. the date and port of contemplated arrival. prior to each aliens applying at the American consulate at Prague for a visa and before departure from Czechoslovakia." These conditions were immediately violated when. on July 6. 1939. some 23 employees of the Bata Co. arrived at Ellis Island without having fulfilled the above requirements of the permit and attempted to cover their entry into the United States by claiming that they were "visitors to the Worlds Fair." Each of the 23 admitted upon questioning that they were employees of the Bata Co.. that they were awaiting orders from Mr. Bats. and that they had such small sums as $40 as their total cash assets. I am amazed at the effort of this company to legalize later the entry of these aliens by attempting to negotiate with the Immigration Service for the permanent entry of "25 chemists. inventors. engineers. executives. and experts in the manufacture of products by the company Bata." The Department sidestepped this request by pointing out that the immigration laws required "the procurement of a consular immigration visa from the Department of State." As late as November 13. 1939. 7 of these 23 were still in the United States. although they had been granted visitors visas for a 60day period only. beginning on July 6. 1939. Two of the 7 applied for extensions. leaving 5 in outright violation of their visas as visitors. and with no effort made to obtain legal extension or entry. Is it possible that the Bata Co. feels that it is above complying with American law? The Bata Co. further violated the conditions of the permit of entry of June 9. 1939. by claiming that the permit granted for 100 did not include as separate individuals the wives and adult children of the socalled instructors. who were permitted entry by the Department of Labor. After extensive. lengthy negotiations between the Department of Labor and counsel for the Bats Co.. the company was permitted to bring wives and children into the country on visitors visas. At this point I would like to make clear the fact that we no longer are involved with only 72 individuals. as the companys inspired publicity claims. but we have 7 Worlds Fair visitors. 44 visitors accompanying 72 socalled instructors. plus 26 executives and officials here as visitors on business. plus their families. servants. secretaries. chauffeurs. and so forth. a total of more than 200 here in connection with the Belcamp factory alone. The number of alien officials. executives. and workers here in connection with the retail stores in the Midwest. the new chain of retail stores In the East. and those in each of our possessions. including the Panama Canal Zone. the Virgin Islands. and so forththe total number of individuals involved.