Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-31
TO BEGIN ROUNDUP.
. OF ALL ANT|DRAFT
Ac|TATORS IN us, S,
Department of Justice Indi.
Gates 1t Expects Hun
dreds of Arrests. .,5sSe
SPECIAL ORDERS GIVEN
GOVERNMENT OFFlCIALS
Complete Texts of All Speeches
Against Registration Will Be-
Gone Over Carefully. .5Sss.
DRASTIC ACTION EXPECTED
Influences Regarded as Sporadic
Rather Than Result Of ANY Seri.
Gus Organized Effort. -.
DRASTIC ACTION EXPECTED


agents to-morrow will begin goneiai
roundup OF all antireEistration agita.
tors In tho country.
Hundreds of arrests are experted
within the next two days. it, was IN.
dicatcd at the Department, of Justice
tonight Throughout the afternoon
and evening reports had been coming
into the department from all parts OF /
the country OF inflammatory speeches by
agitators against the draft law. These
cart-tail orators will have an oppors
tunity to reflect upon their words ON
the inside Of cells within the next few
days. government officials declared ito.
night.
Complete texts of every puhlfc
speech melting the public against rer.
istratton will be i'm the hands of the
Department of Justice by Tomorrow
Realizing that agitators would seize
on Decoration Day to shout down the
law. the department sent to every
agent in the country Instructions to
have stenoGraphic reports made OF ali
such speeches. These will be used for
court records In prosecuting the caseA
These reports will be gone = over
carefully and arrests will be made
later in all instances in which the
utterances of the speakers are cal.
culated to discourage registration or.
TO influence individuals into attempting
to evade the provisions of the law"
the department announced 49,
DETERMINED TO DEAL
WITH AGITAToRsttHAHsHI
The department Knows whore ss.to,
place its finger ON those public. agiia.
fnr ie
to deal with them harshly. More inn
portant. though. is the information Oh.
tained to-day that the Federal off,
cials also have traced down most OF
the aociet headquarters of tho 'afiSi.
registration and anticonscript o.. prop +
uganda. and sre prepared 10 n,ake
ruids and assests the moment it,. i
deemed advisai.ie.,
:, chart in .he Department OF. Jqstiss
shows the tcation OF evmy ones OF
these depots oe traitorous literature sc
far discovered. The local lE;ents' 81. tito
department., assisted by the lot-: lr,irs.
are Keeping a close watch ,n a!l.these
underground stations" it Is said. and
are prepared to move the moment
Washington gives the word. ,s4rH
4 great part OF this information'sis
inspectors. who traced down the plot
headquarters and propaganda factories
through the mail sent out S3t
In carrying out this work. and other
Investigations in regard to spy plots,
government agents have been forcedeto
take their lives in their hands, II be-
came known to-day. and several are
reported to have been seriously In <
hav ivl, ,oxf
up." it is declared. and the men rushed
to private hospitals.
GERMAN INFLUENCE
BEHIND EFFORTS
Although the Department of Justice
is satisfied that German influence and
money is behind efforts in various
sections to interfere with registration.
ii is officially stated that the Influences
are regarded as local and sporadic,
and not inspired by any serious orr
ganzcd effort. !,.Ess!;s Y
Through the committee on public
Attorney General Gregory
tonight made this announcements
The Department OF Justice to-day
communicated Instructions by tele-
graph or long distance. telephone ito
its officers and agents in communities
held 1T which agitation against regiss
tration as prescribed in the new army
bill might nc indulgcd In. The United &
states attorneys and marshals We're
directed to he present or represented 3
at the meetings. and to have stenog-
raphic reports made of the addresSes
delivered.
These reports will be gone over
carefully, and arrests will be made
later in all instances in which the
utteranccs of the speakers are calcu.
Ia ted to discourage registration or to &
influence individuals into attempting
to evade the provisions OF the law."
LACK OF WAt SPIRIT
WORRIES OFFiCIALb
No effort was made to conceal tho s.
seriousness OF the situation, however,
from the viewpoint of lack OF war
spirit in the country. This passiyenese, S
which, il II continues. officials fear will g
imperil the safety OF the nation In The b
war, also is manifestinG itself In i1s g
dustriul troubles. it~was pointed out.
despite tho pledge of organized labdg.
given by Samuel Gompers that noawar86
contracts would be imperiled !. by &
strikes or walkoutS by memberS 1f S
the American Federation OF Labor-sIsss
The government is preparing to deal 3
with stern hand with all such dis ~
turbances. Tho first case viii be that 81
OF the Newport News ShipbuildinK aitd q
Dry Dock Company, whero strife sbt q
threatens large park af sAsE
III.