Edgar W. Graham v. Alfred C. Richmond, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard

FAHY, Circuit Judge.

Appellant, a merchant seaman and marine engineer, applied to the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, the appellee, who was in charge of administering the applicable regulations, for a validated document required to enable him to secure employment on board vessels of the United States Merchant Marine, a private industry.1 The application consisted in part of fourteen questions, to be answered by the applicant in writing under oath. Appellant refused to answer three of the questions, stating they were violative of his constitutional rights, particularly under the…