The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-23
HOlC0MB SAYS GERMAN AGENTS CAUSE TROUBLE.
FOmenting Discomfort Among Foreign-Born, State Ex-
 ecutiVe Declares.

Mems luncheon. He declared that he has much information concerning perils which he believes to be true.
 Now, as regards what I said yes terday about the secret drilling, ana about other perils concerning Whlch I merely hinted. I have a lot of ln- formation which may or may not be true. I don't say it is, mind. In other words, I couldn't go into court and swear to the facts; but l believe that a good deal of it it is true and that it is time for our people to sense danger.
 1T believe it to be fact that here in Hartford and in other cities there is drilling going on by organizations of men born under foreign flags. Many of these drill bodies are not German. That is not the point. The point is that German agents are working on their minds. l know It to be a fact that Polish organization in city not far from Hartford IS al- ready split because German agents have gone among the men and nave told them that they ought never re- sist Germany because Germany mas always been better friend to Poland than Russia. I have heard that slnal- lar arguments are being made to other rganizations of foreign born. This is an unhealthy if not an actually perilous state of affairs.
 Some of the drilling organizations are in possession of arms. That should not be. I have no proof that they are unfriendly to the United States, but suppose German intrigue should eventually wear down their acquired patriotism, or win part of them. No set of men should be in possession of arms in these times ex- cept men directly under the authority of the United States or of a state. These are bad times to take chances.
 What are these organizations drilling for, anyway? l know that they are drilling and the mere lack of evidence that they are not openly sympathetic to Germany or hostile to the United States is unimportant. If they want to drill or handle arms let them join the organized militia. the
 Home Guard or the United States army.
 Plight here :n Connecticut are manufa 55.4 per cent. Of the arms and munitions of the country. Therefore it is up to us in Connecticut to be more cautious than folks in some other states have to be. It is up to us to see that plotters in Ger
 many's interest do rot put these big 1 munitions plants out of business or attempt to delay their output.
 a 1T sink all politics at time like this. I don't care whether a man is Democrat or a Republican, if he is a good American. This crisis has been on my mind for a long time. That's 1 why we had census taken of the
 military age population. Now we have 50,000 men above the age of 16 1 catalogued so thoroughly that we 1 know exactly where and when they can be best used. That's why I got authority from the legislature that lets ne do pretty nearly anything in ! tho way of protecting the state-and i after the legislature passed the bill they sang America
 .Now, I don't believe shece is go- i ing to be any serious trouble in Con- necticut, any big riots or organized ] fighting or anything of that kind, but l the reason I don't believe 1t is that I am going to be ready to meet it.
 1T may add that I am Investigating 1 the many reports that have come to me about these secret drills and about plots to wreck munition factories. 1 But I am not going to talk about l these matters, What I do will be ex- pressed in acts. not worlds
 i Tn an open letter, given yesterday to the press, United States District Att torney Thomas J. Spellacy asked Gov ernor Holcomb for further information as to the drilling" not in the interest of the United States government, which the governor said, in an address at the Inter-church Mems luncheon night, right here in Hartford." The letter was as follows:
 1 DEPARTMElNT OF JUSTICE.
 Office of United States Attorney, Dis l trict of Connecticut, Hartford. l March 21, 1917. Hon. Marcus H. Holcomb Governor,
 State of Connecticut, State Capitol,
 Hartford, Conn:
 1 The United States has had for some time and still has special agents of the bureau of investigation of the de- partment of justice in this state Every scintilla of information that has been received from any source l has been fully investigated. There has been no laxity in the efforts of these agents; neither have their ac- tivities been pCfSlicly paraded. They have worked with and have received most valuable assistance from the state police The state police have i from time to time communicated to these agents information At no time have the state police reported any l ''drilhng.'' Neither has any drilling of an unlawful nature been reported by any person in the state. This of fee and the department of justice have lco-o'perated with the state police and the police officials of the various cities in the state. There has been and will continue to be an active coordination in the interests of the United States.
 Manufacturers engaged in the mu- milton business have from time to time consulteG with the agents of the 1 department of justice. You are quoted as saying that you know of "activi- ties of men in munition plants who are going to prove difficult in time of war; If the manufacturers them selves know of these men and have reported them, then their activities will be harmless because in the event iof European eventua1ities, such men have been provided for. If the man ufacturers know of such men, it Is un- likely that they would continue them in their employ.
 In matter of such great public importance I trust that VOL vi1l f,,r