United States ex rel. Zdunic v. Uhl

46 F. Supp. 688, 1942 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2362
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJuly 7, 1942
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 46 F. Supp. 688 (United States ex rel. Zdunic v. Uhl) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States ex rel. Zdunic v. Uhl, 46 F. Supp. 688, 1942 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2362 (S.D.N.Y. 1942).

Opinion

BRIGHT, District Judge.

The relator, taken into custody on December 17, 1941, as a German enemy alien, pursuant to section 21 of Title 50 U.S.C.A. and the President’s proclamation issued thereunder, petitions for a writ of habeas corpus to determine the legality of his restraint.

Section 21 provides, so far as material, that “Whenever there is a declared war between the United States and any foreign nation or government, or any invasion or predatory incursion is perpetrated, attempted, or threatened against the territory of the United States by any foreign nation or government, and the President makes public proclamation of the event, all natives, citizens, denizens, or subjects of the hostile nation or government, being of the age of fourteen years and upward, who shall be within the United States and not actually naturalized, shall be liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as alien enemies. The President is authorized, in any such event, by his proclamation thereof, or other public act, to direct the conduct to be observed, on the part of the United States, toward the aliens who become so liable; * * * and to establish any other regulations which are found necessary in the premises and for the public safety.”

On December 7, 1941, Japan, an ally of Germany, attacked this nation at Pearl Harbor and the President made due proclamation under the section quoted against that country, in which certain regulations were promulgated. No. 2525. On December 8, 1941, a similar proclamation was made against Germany. No. 2526. That proclamation, after reciting the section and that an invasion or predatory incursion is threatened upon the territory of this country by Germany, prescribed the conduct to be observed by alien enemies, that they should be liable to restraint, and charged the Attorney General with the duty of executing all regulations prescribed regarding the conduct of alien enemies within the continental United States and elsewhere. He was specifically directed to cause the apprehension of such alien enemies as in his judgment were subject to apprehension. The regulations contained in the proclamation against Japan were incorporated in and made applicable to German alien enemies. Those regulations, so far as now pertinent, were that alien enemies deemed dangerous to the public peace or safety of the United States by the Attorney General, are subject to summary apprehension, and when arrested shall be confined in such place as he may direct “until he shall have received such permit as the Attorney General shall prescribe.”

[690]*690No question is made upon this application as to the validity of the statute, proclamation or the regulations promulgated by the same. It is not disputed that the reason for action under the statute existed, or that the proclamation was duly made. It is conceded that relator was upwards of fourteen years of age, was not naturalized and was within the United States.

The respondent’s return alleges that relator is being held in custody as an alien enemy pursuant to orders of the Attorney General, which orders were issued after a hearing before an Alien Enemy Hearing Board, and after consideration of the evidence by the Attorney General. That allegation is not traversed by the relator, except that he is a native, citizen, denizen or subject of Germany.

The power to direct the course to be observed under the circumstances was vested in the President and is not subject to review by this court. Similarly, the order of the Attorney General, after the hearing mentioned, and his determination that relator should be held in custody is likewise not subject to review. The statute was clearly enacted to safeguard the country. It must be conclusively presumed that the President and the Attorney General have acted lawfully and that relator, if a native, citizen, denizen or subject of Germany, is properly in custody. Relator, if in one or more of the four classes mentioned, cannot litigate here whether he has done or intends to do anything which might or could endanger the country’s safety, or has done anything which violates the President’s proclamation, or as to the manner or degree of his restraint. This court, in times like these, will resolve any doubts it may have (and I do not have any) in favor of the President’s and Attorney General’s actions. Ex parte Graber, D.C., 247 F. 882; Minotto v. Bradley, D.C., 252 F. 600; Ex parte Fronklin, D.C., 253 F. 984; Ex parte Risse, D.C., 257 F. 102; Ex parte Gilroy, D.C., 257 F. 110.

The sole question here is whether relator, at the time of the-President’s proclamation, was a native, citizen, denizen or subject of Germany. Upon this question relator is entitled to a hearing of testimony and arguments only if there is a substantial issue of fact arising upon the petition, return and traverse. Walker v. Johnston, 312 U.S. 275-284, 61 S.Ct. 574, 85 L.Ed. 830; Waley v. Johnston, 316 U.S. 101, 62 S.Ct. 964, 86 L.Ed.-.

The essential facts, it seems to me, are undisputed. Relator was born in Bosnia, then a part of Austria-Hungary, and he served in the Austro-Hungarian Army from February 20, 1918, to December 7, 1918. The peace treaties after the war of 1914-1918 gave Bosnia to Jugo-Slavia and it may be assumed relator became a citizen and subject of that nation. He was inducted into that country’s army on February 20, 1921, but because of ill treatment deserted on December 11, 1921. For this he was refused a passport by the Jugoslav Consulate in 1936. He worked and lived in Austria from March 31, 1922, to June, 1939. On March 13, 1938, Germany invaded Austria, the so-called “Anschluss” was consummated, and Austria became and since has been a state of the German Reich, under a German decree that the laws then prevailing in Austria remain in force until further notice. Relator continued to live and work in the new German state until he came to this country in June, 1939. He became a member of “Die Deutsche Arbeitsfront” (the German Labor Front) on June 1, 1938. It is shown that by German law the Labor Front is an integral part of the German National Socialist Party, and that the Labor Front is an organization of all physically and mentally productive Germans; and that only German citizens may join it.

I cannot conclude, however, that membership in the Labor Front is limited entirely to German citizens, for the reason that in every instance shown in documents issued by Germany to relator, and produced upon this hearing, in which there was need to mention of what country he was a citizen, the relator was described as “Staatenlos” (Stateless). This incident, except as it proves that the relator worked and lived in Germany after the Anschluss and until he came here, and enjoyed and was permitted to exercise certain rights in Germany, is not otherwise considered, as determinative of, or important to, the question involved.

It is also shown that there was issued to relator on May 13, 1939 a “Deutsches Reich Arbettsbuch” (German Work Book) in which his residence is shown as Innsbruck, Tyrol, where he had been employed for some time before, at least since February 17, 1932.

On June 9, 1939, he obtained a visa from the American Consulate at Vienna, Germany, permitting him to come to this country for the purpose of instructing Ameri[691]

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Bluebook (online)
46 F. Supp. 688, 1942 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2362, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-ex-rel-zdunic-v-uhl-nysd-1942.