Evening journal., 1915-09-18
CONGRESS TO NUZZLE
THE STRIKE BREEDER
Law Planned to Stop Prop
aganda by Hyphenated
Agitators
STATES RIGHTS
WILL NOT BAR

wASHI- iGTON, D. G., Sept ls.-High
administration ofncials are convinced
that no Federal statute can be invoked
for the prosecution OF German and Aus
trian propagandists who have been
guilty Of stirring up industrial discord
and fomenting strikes in ammunition
and war munitions plants.
In view OF this situation. it is certain
that Congress will be urged 30 enact al
law at the next session to cover such
matters as have been exposed recently
by the press and Federal investigations
While such law as is contemplated
probably could not be made retroactive,
it could be made hard and fast, provid
ing drastic penalties for persons convict
ed of such activities and oifenses in theI
/ future.
IN this connection nobody in Washing
ton expects the great war in Europe toI
end before Congress convenes, so that III
such legislation is pressed from the be-
! ginning of the session, it will be of prac-
! tical value in curtailing the activities OF
! propagandists during the continuance OF
! the war.
So far as known, the Department OF
Justice will not propose the enactment
of the law in contemplation. but ar
rangements will be made for the intro
duction Of a bill covering the subject,
early in the session, and it viii be Wig
orously pressed.
II is realized By officials that the
] frra all Of Hr ttrs
rounding the propaganda CAGES lies in
the lack Of a federal statute under
which pro secutions could be brought.
It is anticipated that the proposed law
will be opposed by members who arc
always ready to jump at anything that
! promises to infringe in any way upon
the provinces of the several States:
but it is not believed that the States
rights bogey will be effective in pre-
/ venting the enactment Of a statute
to prohibit such activities as have
been shown to have been brazenly
carried on by alien sympathizers dur
ing the past few months in their eff
forts to cripple munitions plants.
/ Whether the proposed statute will
take the form of an amendment to
existing neutrality laws, or o. an indie
/ determined. That many of the propa-
ganda activities have been gross viola
tio IS of American neutrality without
technically violating The federal stat
utes is conceded on all hands in Off
cial quarters.
That the propaganda revelations
will be widely discussed early in the
next Congress has Ions been a certain.
: ty. Officials expect this discussion to
end in he enactment of an effective
law covering all future cases.
The fact that no existing Federal
= statute appears to reach the strike TO-
mentors does not mean that they Will
escape prosecution. Most OF the States
in which these activities have been
pursued, have laws covering the sub
ject. The Department of Justice will
cooperate with the States in melting
out punishment to offenders who have
violated State laws.
In its exhaustive Investigations, the
Department of Justice has turned up
, many other matters affecting neu-
trality which probably are actionable
under the existing Federal statutes.
IL still remains a guesss as to whether
Grand Jury Investigators will be led
. into the cases. After all the facts are
in, a decision will be reached as to
whether the evidence is sufficient 10
secure convictions. II is held to be
sufficient the prosecutions will be be-
: gun and will be pressed vigorously ali
, along the line.
The only new development in the
case Of James +. j. Archibald today
, was a report which reached the De-
partment of Justice to the effect that
Archibald has retained j. Hogan. a
, Washington attorney, to look after his
legal interests. Hogan was associat-
ed with former Senator Joseph W.
Bailey as counsel for the Riggs Ma
) tional Bank in its suit to restrain cer-
, tain activities of the Comptroller OF
the Currency and other Treasury De-
partment officials.
, Hogan has the reputation among
, lawyers here of being a "scrapper.
This was shown by the conduct OF
! counsel for the Riggs Bank in the suit
/ mentioned Department Of Justice Of.
fcials probably will be glad to fight
the same attorneys in the Archibald
case, if IL ever gets into court that
they fought in the bank case. since all
poiulS 80 ldI uttlutN ny lut lVNd
Federal Court have been in favor oi
Government officials involved
An investigation at the War Depart
! ment and the Department OF Justice
has failed to disclose any record OF
, Archibald ever having been in trouble
r with the military authorities of the
q United States through having in his
: possession military secrets.
T Assistant Attorney General Warren
who is handling the Archibald case
p | reiterated today his belief that ambas,
sador Dumba's messenger can be helt
/ under Section 5 of the Federal pena
code. although he does not yet know
the details of the case II is probabl,
> that Archibald will be asked to come
I to Washington Immediately upon his
arrival in New York 10 clear up III,
. matter in the mind of officials Of tn,
Department of Justice. Mr.. Warner
will institute a rigid investigation o
q Archibald's relations with the Austrian
/ Ambassador.