Our Daily News Letter

(By Our Washington Correspondent)

That the Alien Deportation Bill now before Congress, if passed in its present form, would create ill-will toward the government rather than friendly confidence owing to a number of unjust provisions in it, was the gist of the resolutions passed recently by the Federal Council of Churches and read today at the Alien Deportation Bill hearing before the House Immigration Committee by Dr. W. L. Darby, Secretary of the Federal Council of Churches in its Washington office.

The resolutions declared:

1. “Resolved, That representatives of the Commission on International Justice and Goodwill be authorized to attend the hearing in Washington on bill dealing with aliens and to use their influence to safeguard the rights of aliens and to secure humane and considerate treatment of them.”

2. “Resolved, That it is the judgment of the Administrative Committee that laws dealing with the deportation of aliens should provide adequate check on mere routine procedures in order to prevent as far as possible the tragedy of having persons railroaded out of the country who have a legal right to residence.”

3. Resolved, That in view of the present discussion, concerning a rigid surveillance of aliens now in this country and the proposed deportation of aliens who fail to comply with all the provisions for annual registration, the Administrative Committee desires to express its apprehension in regards to the proposals now before Congress, and to record its convictions concerning certain principles which we believe should guide the United States in its treatment of aliens within its borders.

“While heartily agreeing that every proper effort should be made to curb the illegal entry of aliens, to promote respect for law by all in our midst, and to further the incorporation of aliens into our community life, the Administrative Committee feels strongly that all steps which are taken to secure these ends should be free from any spirit of antagonism toward aliens and from any features which will be humiliating to them. Our nation should guard with the utmost care against affronting those of alien birth. Any law which aims to safeguard the nation from anti-social influences, but which in practice makes aliens residing in America feel that they have been subjected to annoying espionage or unjust discriminations, would defeat the very ends which it is designed to serve. It would create an attitude of ill-will toward our government, rather than an attitude of friendly confidence.”

Speaking on behalf of the Administrative Committee of the Federal Council of Churches, Dr. Darby pointed out the defects in the Deportation Bill. The most dangerous point, being subject to greatest misuse by officials against aliens, is Section 19 (a) and (d), according to Dr. Darby.

“The item in the bill which seems to call for gravest anxiety,” Dr. Darby declared, “is the power which it is proposed shall be vested in individuals authorized by the Commissioner General of Immigration to issue warrants of arrest and conduct the deportation hearings. The safeguards provided appear wholly inadequate. The issuer of the warrant of arrest may, so far as appears in the bill, be the local immigration inspector himself, who is to take the evidence and submit it to the Secretary of Labor, whose decision on the evidence solely as submitted will decide the fate of the individual concerned.

“I submit that this provision of the law is seriously defective. It opens the door to blackmail and abuses of many kinds, and subjects the inspector himself to temptations. Such important responsibilities should not be vested in a single lower, and too often insufficiently paid, official. The person accused should be guaranteed by the law the right of competent counsel and advice. The fate of a man should not be entrusted to a single individual’s judgment, however, honest and sincere he may be. There should be no taint of a ‘star-chamber’ in connection with deportation proceedings, This provision of the proposed law is too reminiscent of the universally condemned practice of the Czarist Government of Russia of banishing to Siberia objectionable individuals by secret bureaucratic procedure.

“I trust that, if the bill is enacted, Section 19 (a) and (d) may be carefully revised, in order to safeguard more adequately the natural human rights of aliens either to a complete and exhaustive hearings of the evidence, or to a judicial procedure.”

Professor Peter Strouve was elected president of the Russian Emigres Congress which opened in Paris for the purpose of organizing the Monarchist group of political exiles from Russia into a body capable of treating with the League of Nations and individual States, with the overthrow of the Bolshevist rule, as their ultimate object.

Among the principal questions which the congress will consider before closing Friday are official representation of the emigres at the League of Nations, aid to Russian students and examination of the ###dition of refugees in various countries.The extreme right, the leaders of the Congress, are under former Premier Trepoff, General Degoulevitch, former Chief of the Imperial General Staff; Alexandre Kroupensky, former Marshal of the Czar’s court and former Ambassador to Japan, and Prince Gortchakoff.

Although Grand Duke Nicholas did not wish to have his name mentioned by the congress, it was clear that he was the recognized leader of those Russian exiles who met in the Congress.

Nicholas will not attend the meetings not accept leadership, because he hopes that his seli-denial may result in the rallying of the emigres under a single banner, it was stated.

During last year, which was the 110th year of its service, the American Bible Society issued 9,069,120 Bibles. These volumes were in more than 150 languages, says the annual report which was issued from the Bible House. The Soviet Government has given permission to print the Bible in Russia, the report asserts.

The number of Bibles distributed represents an increase of nearly 2,500,000 over 1924, and exceeds by 1,307,743 the largest number issued in any previous year. The increase in America and its possessions was 738,855 volumes and in foreign lands 1,677,966 volumes.