Coast Guard has marred its magnificent history with one of the most disgraceful examples of cowardice and brutality that we have seen in the annals of our Nation. I have reference to the bizarre episode which occurred on the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Vigilant. when the commanding officer of this American vessel permitted Soviet fishermen to board his ship and forcefully remove. in a barbaric manner. a Lithuanian refugee who jumped from a Soviet fishing vessel to the American cutter seeking political asylum. We can look through the breadth and scope of American history and we shall not find an example to compare with this despicable behavior of an American Coast Guard commander or his crew. Every American should be outraged at the conduct of this Coast Guard cutter commander. and we have a right to ask by what authority did he permit Soviet seamen to board his ship to remove one of their crew members from seeking political asylum.