Congressman Samuel Dickstein, the only Jewish member of the House immigration committee, who has been conducting a fight in the House of Representatives against alien registration in any form, today severely criticized Senator Arthur Gould of Maine, chairman of the Senate immigration committee, for his high-handed method of steamrollering the alien registration hearing Wednesday. While reserving a final opinion, Congressman Dickstein told the correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he was disappointed in Senator Copeland’s apparent failure to oppose vigorously Senator Gould’s action and to arrange in advance for sufficient time for the hearing.
Congressman Dickstein said that the methods adopted by Senator Gould would never have been tolerated in the House, pointing to the fact that hearings on immigration and other matters of interest to the foreign born in the House immigration committee have always been conducted on a high and dignified plane with ample time for presentation of views by all sides in a commodious hearing room.
“I am amazed and indignant over the manner in which Senator Gould conducted Wednesday’s hearing,” Mr. Dickstein declared. “The registration of aliens is too vital a subject to permit of these methods, especially when such important national organizations as the Civil Liberties Union, the American Jewish Committee, the Independent Order of B’nai B’rith, the Independent Order of B’rith Abraham, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Foreign Language Newspaper Conference and others were represented by distinguished men and women who made long trips to present their views to the committee for its enlightenment and the enlightenment of Congress.
“Registration of aliens is too important an issue to be summarily dismissed without affording a full and complete discussion on the merits and if such a discussion had been allowed it would have resulted in favor of the opponents to the Blease bill as against a handful of frenzied so-called Americans who have been making a perfect nuisance of themselves prating year in and year out of their patriotic defense of America against the alien while in fact their mischievous agitation is altogether insincere and dishonest and based primarily on the fact that they are on the payrolls of these various organizations.
“I was much disappointed and surprised that Senator Copeland was evidently unable to cope with the situation, particularly as the opponents of the Blease bill were implicitly relying, in view of his numerous assurances, upon his vigorous support. It is possible that Senator Copeland has an explanation to offer and as I do not wish to misjudge him I prefer to withhold a more definite opinion of the conduct of a fellow Democrat and colleague from New York with whom I have always heartily cooperated, until after he has had an opportunity to clarify his position.
“However it seems to me that Senator Copeland should have reached some definite advance understanding with Senator Gould for more time and taken such other steps as vigilance and alertness might have suggested in behalf of a full, fair and adequate hearing to all groups and points of view. On the basis of his past record I have every reason to hope that Senator Copeland will remove all ground for misgivings.”
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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.
