Back in the Fold

Russian-born William Schneiderman came to the U.S. when he was three, sucked in Marxist pap with his borscht, became a Communist when he was 17, kept mum about it when he was naturalized in 1927 (at 21), eventually became Communist state secretary for California. In 1940, the U.S. District Court in San Francisco revoked his citizenship, holding that he had "obtained his certificate of citizenship illegally" because he failed to reveal that he belonged to a party which "advised, advocated and taught the overthrow of the Government by force and violence." Communist Schneiderman enlisted the aid of Wendell Willkie, who (without fee) argued his case before the Supreme Court.

This week came a 5-to-3 decision: mere membership in the Communist Party is not sufficient reason to cancel naturalization unless the person in question commits overt acts. Petitioner Schneiderman could not lose his citizenship for believing in "some form of world union of Soviet republics" unless the U.S. is willing to do the same "with regard to those who believe in Pan-Americanism, the League of Nations, Union Now. . . ."

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