The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-05-31
|GOVERNMENTTO
| MAKE|THOTFOR
FOES OF DRAFT
Wholesale Arrests Likely to
Be Made
WILL CURB STRIKERS
Agents Throughout Country to Seize
Suspects on Word From
Washington.
WILL CURB STRIKERS

Washington, May 30-Federa
agents tomorrow will begin genera
round up of all antiregistration agita
tors in the country
Hundreds of arrests are expected
within the next two days, it was indi
Gated at the department of justice to
night 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 oppor-
tunity to assemble their thoughts and
reflect on their words on the inside OF
cells within the next few days, govern
ment officials declared tonight.
Complete text of every public
speech melting the public against reg
istration will be in the hands of the
department OF justice by tomorrow.
The department sent to every agent
in the country instructions to have
stenographic reports made of all such
speeches. These will be used for
court records in prosecuting the
cases.
These reports will be gone over
carefully and arrests will be made lat
er in all instances in which the ut
terances of the speakers are calculat-
ed 70 discourage registration or to in
fuence individuals into attempting to
evade the provisions OF the law" the
department announced.
The department knows where to
place its finger on these public agita-
tors at any moment and is determined
to deal with them harshly More inn
portant though, is the information OBJ
tanned today that the federal officials
also have traced down most of the
secret headquarters of the anti.regis-
tration and ant-conscription propag-
anda and are prepared to make raids
and arrests the moment it is deemed
advisable.
A chart in the department of justice
shows the location of every one of
these depots of traitorous literature
SO far discovered. The local agents
of the department, assisted by the To-
cal police, are keeping a close watch
on all these underground stations
it is said, and are prepared to move
the moment Washington gives the
word
A great part of this information is
said to have been obtained by postal
inspectors, who traced down the plot
headquarters and propaganda factor
les through mail sent out.
In carrying out this work and other
Investigations in regard TO spy plots,
government agents have been forced
to takes their lives in their hands. it
became known today. and several are
reported to have been seriously in
jured These cases have been
'hushed up" it is declared. and the
men rushed to private hospitals.
The department of justice today eX
pressed the opinion that the anti
registration troubles are not due so
much to an organized propaganda as
to sporadic influences in different
parts of the country
From reports being made daily by
agents throughout the country" the
department announced, officials of
the department are convinced that
such threats to resist registration as
are being made are the result of local
and sporadic influences and are not
inspired by any organized effort of
serious consequence"
No effort was made to conceal the
seriousness of the situation, however,
from the viewpoint of a lack of war
spirit in the country. This passiveness
which, If ii continues, officials fear
will imperil the safety. of the nation
in the war, also is manifesting itself
in industrial troubles, it was pointed
out, despite the pledge of organized
labor, given by Samuel Gompers, that
no war contracts would be imperilled
by strikes or walkouts by members
of the American Federation of Labor.
The government is preparing to
deal with a stern hand with all such
The first case will be
that of the Newport News Shipbuild-
ing and Drydock company, where a
strike Of machinists threatens large
part of the battleship program.
1t was made known at the navy de-
partment today that if an agreement
is not reached, the government will
commander the yard and draft the
disgruntled men into service.
This being a holiday at the yards
the situation remained quiet, although
throughout the day officials of the
company, federal agents and naval
constructors were busy with the men
in an effort to reach a settlement.