A promise that the Department of Justice will apprehend any persons, whether citizens or aliens, who are ready “to bite the hand that is feeding them and sheltering them,” was given by Francis Biddle, Solicitor General of the United States, in a nation-wide broadcast today over the Columbia Broadcasting System network.
In his address, which centered on the impending registration of aliens, the Solicitor General emphasized the Alien Registration Act was designed to give authorities “complete information about the aliens residing in the United States” and would not entail a “witch hunt” or persecution of law-abiding aliens. After appealing to Americans to adopt a friendly, helpful attitude toward loyal aliens, he warned:
“I need not be reminded of the fact that there are some aliens in our country who are dangerous, who are anxious to undermine our form of Government, who would bite the hand that is feeding and sheltering them….The Department of Justice will apprehend such troublemakers, whether aliens or citizens.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
