Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-12-17
ASKS NEW LAWS To
PUNISH PL0TTERs
Attorney General Makes Plea to
Congress.
WANTS TO PROTECT NATION
Gregory Seeks Increased Facilities for
Keeping U. S. From Being
Drawn Into the MaeIstrom
of European War.

Washington. Dec. 11.-Increased
facilities for keeping the United
States from being drawn into the
maelstrom of the European war and
more specific authority for the pun
ishment of persons who ieopardize
American neutrality are the principal
needs of the arm of the government to
be met by the present congress. ac-
cording to the recommendation con-
tanned in the annual report of Attor-
ney General Thomas W. Gregory
which was laid before congress today.
The attorney general lays especial
stress on the many dangers to our
neutrality which lie in wait around
every corner and emphasizes the pres
ent helplessness of the government in
putting stop to the conspiracies.
counter-conspiracies, bomb plots. fill
clustering expeditions and the score Of
other crimes, the repeated commission
OF which by foreigners and agents of
foreign governments, he says. has
harassed the United States since the
Outbreak of the European conflict.
Also Have Internal Problems.
The added burden of neutrality wor-
ries has not lessened internal prob
lens. however. the attorney general
says. His report urges that the laws
against monopolies and the statutes
as to other business matters be tight
ened, and recommends reforms in con-
nection with the Judiciary. and with
the operation of federal prisons.
An unmistakable outgrowth of the {
Fay bomb plot which government
! agents unearthed at New York IS the
attorney generals recommendation
that st should be specifically made
crime against the United States to
place bombs or other explosives on
vessels sailing from the ports of the
United States"
Arising out of the breaking OF their
parole by interned German officers
and men of the interned German war
ships. Prinz Eitel and Kronprinz VIII
helm at Norfolk. Va. comes ~the rec
/ ommendation in the report that 1T
should be made crime against the
United States for any person to escape
or attempt to escape from an interned
warship of belligerent nation; and
/ in any event, authority should be
given to some department of the gov
ernment to arrest and return any such
person to the place of internment."
Reports of thefts of plans of for
tifcations and of data of military
value prompted the attorney general
to ask legislation to punish spies en-
gagged upon this work. The present
statutes are vague and of little force.
he says
The work of the federal bureau or
investigation in connection with neu-
trality cases, says the. report. has
steadily increased and it is still in
creasing.''
Asks for, 1.1o7 .546
The attorney general asks appropri-
ations for the next fiscal year TO the
amount of s11.107.546 an increase OF
s437,227 over last years supply.
In reporting on the work of the
supreme court. the attorney general
points out that the highest tribunal
gradually is falling behind in its work.
In 1904 there were 2S2 supreme court
cases not disposed of at the close of
the term; in 1914 the number had i'm
creased to 535.
Attorney General Gregory especial
ly urges the enactment of an amend
ment to the commodities clause of the
interstate commerce act which will
prohibit railroad from transporting
, in interstate commerce articles which
it manufactured or produced or which
were manufactured or produced by
i, any corporation controlled by it or
affiliated with it by having the same
controlling stockholders, irrespective
of whether such railroad or such con-
trolled or affiliated corporation has an
interstate in the articles at the time Of
transportation. The attorney general
says the railroads and big coal COM
. panies now have little difficulty in
evading the commodities clause