The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-07-07
U.S.ISGRIPPED
BY GERMANY'S
SPY SYSTEM
Department of Justice Of
ficial Admits That 1t Is
FlOurishing.
HUNT is DECENTRALIZED
Detective Force Under Direc.
tion of Wilson Proposed
as Remedy.

| WASHINGTON, July e.--That the Ger
man spy system is now operating in this
country with practically the same free
dom OF action as during the pre-war days
when Won Papen was at work was prac-
tically admitted to THE SUN correspon-
dent to-day by an official of the Depart
ment OF Justice
The Department of Justice Is the only
one Of the detective agencies of the Gov
ernment which has made any attempt to
cope with the activities of German spIes
and agents largely because it is the
only one of these agencies equipped with
the power and means to do So Efforts
Of this bureau, the Division Of InvestI-
CATION, have thus far produced virtually
nothing in the way of tangible evidence
on which prosecutions could be based.
Acknowledged slackness of censorship
on news leaving the country is con-
sidered OF secondary importance to this
condition. Given such a censorship as
can be imposed easily on letters and
cablegrams leaving the country. 1t is de-
clared, the internal damage which Ger
man paid agents in this country could
still work might reach alarming pro-
portions.
President to Act.
While the Cabinet did not discuss the
spy problem exhaustively at to-day's
meeting, II Is understood that the Presi-
dent will soon call on his department
heads for reports as to activities of their
I hAthTtiVa q uyifh
, seeking some means OF coordinatine
their activities behind a concerted drive
upon the German spy machine Officials
announce privately they are morally
certain that this machine exists at the
present time. They admit also that they
cannot as yet prove its existence with
anything tangible enough TO justify the
Wholesale arrests the situation calls for.
The question of censoring the mails
was discussed at the Cabinet meeting,
It is understood. but without decisive
result.
Seven detective bureaus operating
under five different executive depart
ments have machinery available for the
ferreting out of German spy activities
in this country, but interdepartmental
jealousles and Cabinet courtesy have
combined to leave the entire problem
to the Bureau of Investigation in the
!
This division with Its force made up
In a large measure of volunteers, II
Is alleged is meeting with great difii-
! Guilty in coping with the situation which
admittedly confronts the Government.
The Bureau of immigration in the De-
partment of Labor, the Division of Sc
cret Service Internal Revenue inspec-
tors and customs special agents in the
Treasury Department. the special secret
Investigators of the State Department
and the highly trained post office in
spectors have been practically useless
in the premise because or the lack OF
means OF coordinating their various ac-
tivities.
Central Bureau Proposed.
A central bureau of intelligence, op-
Grating under the President as an in
I dependent bureau and empowered to en-
: ploy the services OF any or all of these
, agencies, is regarded by many experts
at crime detection as the natural solu'
, ton Of the present problem.
While there is every reason to be.
lieve, according to Department OF JUS
: tice and Department OF Labor officials
and officers OF the American Federation
OF Labor that German influence and
: German money are behind the activ-
tiles Of l. w. w. workers In tying uI
a production OF war material and melting
q anti-conscription disorders, agents oi
: the Department OF Justice have beer
. unable to follow the trail of treason &c
its source.
Work Of I. w. w. agltators In tn,
copper mines of Montana, Arizona ant
= Nevada alone has reduced the output
, of copper 100.O0o,oOO tons MONTH!
! despite almost frantic efforts of organ
. lied labor to bring about n peaceR bl,
! solution which will not entail stoppag,
: OF work.
Anti-conscription literature anC
pamphlets urging rioting and Jail de
llveries for men imprisoned for failur,
to register hls been freely circulated
. in Minnesota. Utah and elsewhere, anC
a yet Department of Justice agents hav,
!. been unable to obtain evidence sufficlen
! to Justify the arrest OF those responsible
: for the literature and liable to imprlson
n ment under section 3 of the new
espionage law,
4 Reports Are Amateurish.
9 One VINO II in a position to judg
I of the value of reports made by tn
s hundreds of special agents of tho De
s partment OF Justice now operating witt
secret service United States" badge
= throughout the country declare that tn
y reports are vague, amateurish and o
: no practical value either in plannln
g a campaign against German activtie
i or in apprehending those responsible.
u One instance of the lack of systemati
! study of the entire problem Is sus
II gested in the failure to read and censo
% foreign language newspapers II is de
% clared that German language news
n papers which might reasonably be sS
pected to serve as mouthpleces for an
pro-German propaganda are subjecte
to no organized surveillance from head
: quarters Of the Division OF Investigs
= tion, United States attorneys being do
j. pended on to take such action as oil
servation may seem to justify In thI
connRetion