New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-14
To Rout Germans
From Barred Zone
Permits Revoked for
Enemy Subjects Liv-
ing or in Business on
NY. Waterfront

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13.-Assistant
Attorney General Fits, in charge of
criminal prosecutions for the govern
ment. declared in an address tonight
before the Washington Chamber of
Commerce that enemy propagandists
now working in this country soon will
be rounded up and the spy menace
largely eliminated. Special signih-
cance was attached to his statement
in view Of the governments pending
plan to register all Germans within
the country and place further restric-
tons on their movements.
Proclamation Expected
President Wilson is expected to issue
a proclamation soon requiring every
alien enemy within the United States
10 register, as a step toward ridding
the country of spies and sabotage.
The government has virtually decid-
ed that this procedure is the only way
open for sitting from the million Ger
mans in the United States the few who
are believed TO be causing fires in mu-
nition plants, grain elevators and ware
houses and promoting propaganda in
furious 10 Americas prosecution OF the
war.
The few thousand criminal agitators
who are trying TO make il harder for
this country TO win the war and easier
for relentless enemy TO reach us"
said Judge Fits, will be brought
under the mighty arm of the law. Day
by day. as the patience of the many be-
come exhausted, the detested few who
seek 10 SetrAy or starve their country
viii be driven to cover"
Believes DisIoyal Are Few
Disloyal Americans who encourage
violence are actually few, Judge Fits
declared
Under the rule that it is always that
which is unusual and out Of the ordi-
nary which attracts attention" he
added, "the Instances Of violence and
arson which are accomplished by these
treacherous agents cf the enemy seem
10 be great in number because it is so
shocking that they should be at all"
Germany must be beaten, he said. TO
stop the organized dissemination by that
government Of sedition and social un-
rest among populations of other coun-
tries while carefully suppressing 1t at
nome.
Attorney General Gregory took to
the Cabinet meeting to-day for Presi-
dent Wilson's consideration a draft Of
regulations under which the registra-
tiOn might be carried out, following
the programme adopted By England
and France for keeping a close watch
over the activities of enemy subjects.
The recent increase in the number Of
disastrous fires and indications Of re-
newed operations of enemy propagan-
dists has prompted officials TO consider
more radical steps against German
residents than the restrictions hereto
fore imposed barring them from a
half-mile zone about munitions plants
and government property without spe-
cial government 9ermits.
Would Reveal Plotters
Under the proposed registration plan
Germans would be given specified
tine. probably several weeks, in which
70 report their names, occupations and
femilv or business connections 20 post
masters or some other government
sgercy. Those not registered then
would be rounded up and prosecuted,
and officials believe that the failure OF
some 20 enroll would give valuable
elews % the identity Of suspicious per
sons whose conduct and interests might
be carefully scrutinized. ,,
Only Germans could be compete 70
register By a Presidential proclams- a.
ton. since Austrians, Turks and Bull
gsrians arc not clsssed as enemies IN
der the espionage law. Congress migh'
eyterd the restriction 70 those nation
zItice however.