BIDDLE URGES INDUSTRY TO RETAIN ALIENS

Discrimination Would Give Axis Chance to Foster Disunity Over America, Says Attorney-General

By United Press.

WASHINGTON, Saturday, Dec. 27.--Fears of espionage and fifth-column activity on the West Coast led Attorney-General Francis Biddle tonight to order Japanese, German and Italian aliens living in seven states to surrender all shortwave radios and cameras to local police before 11 p.m. Monday.

Simultaneously, Biddle moved to prevent the Axis from using racial prejudice to foster disunity in the nation's polyglot population. He asked private industry to avoid discrimination against aliens who are employed or seeking employment.

Barring aliens from private employment, Biddle said, was "short-sighted, wasteful and un-American." He said he was "sorry" to report that there had been numerous incidents brought to his attention where employers discharged workers because of some "vague suspicion" that they might be disloyal.

Other employers, Biddle said, had discharged workers because of "foreign-sounding names."

"I should like to remind such employes," added Biddle, "that of our total noncitizen population of about 5,000,000, fewer than 3,000 -- six out of 10,000 -- have been regarded as dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States. Those have been taking into custody by federal authorities."

Many Sons in Services

Biddle said he also would like to remind such employers that "many of the 'foreigners' they have discharged now have sons serving in our Army and Navy. Among those who died fighting off the treacherous attacks upon Pearl Harbor and the Philippines were men named Wagner, Peterson, Monzo, Rossini, Mueller and Rasmussen."

The order for surrender of shortwave radios and cameras followed protests by the Army that unauthorized radio messages were being sent and received on the West Coast.

A similar order will be promulgated for the entire nation next week. The initial order affects the Ninth Corps Area states -- California, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Utah and Nevada.

Officials expected the order would result in considerable confusion but explained there was no time to plan an orderly surrender of this equipment. Authority for the order was vested in the attorney-general in proclamations issued December 7-8 by President Roosevelt for regulation of the conduct of alien enemies.

Internment Provided

Willful failure to surrender the prohibited articles will result in their forfeiture and the arrest of the alien owner for internment in an Army camp for the duration of the war.

Biddle defined a short-wave-radio-receiving set as one capable of receiving signals on frequencies of 1,750 or more kilocycles, or 540 or less kilocycles.

The regulations prohibit possession by alien enemies of long-wave, or standard band, receiving sets to which a short-wave band is attached, unless the set has been altered to prevent reception of shortwave communications.

Exempted from the camera order are studio cameras or other "fixed" cameras, not easily transportable. Aliens possessing such equipment must register it with local police and must not use it in any manner until authorized to do so by the United States attorney of the district concerned. This exemption eventually would permit portrait studios operated by aliens to obtain permission to continue normal business activities.

Police were ordered to issue receipts for surrendered equipment and to return it to the owner only when a letter of authorization was issued by a United States attorney.

Policy Clarified.

Seeking to clarify the policy of the government and the requirements of federal statutes concerning employment of aliens, Biddle said:

"It is the stated policy of the federal government that there shall be no discrimination that there shall be no discrimination in the employment of workers in defense industries because of race, creed, color or national origin. As to the law, there is only one restriction: In the case of secret, confidential or restricted government contracts, and in case of aircraft parts or accessories, the employer must secure permission from the federal department concerned for the employment of aliens.

"The War and Navy Departments have established regular procedures for handling such applications and have passed upon thousands of them. It should be noted that the percentage of cases in which permission has not been granted to employ aliens even on such confidential work is negligible."

A barrier against employment of aliens. Biddle said, was the "most effective method of creating disunity, or breaking faith with people who have come to America as a haven of liberty and fair play.

"It is a complete disavowal of our American institutions, our freedoms and the principles upon which our democracy was founded," the attorney-general concluded.