The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-12-08
Department of Justice Coping
With German PlOtterS In u. 5.
(By Associated Press.)

the work of the Department of JUS
tice in coping with German plotters
in this country are given in Attorney
General Gregory's annual report sub
mitted today to Congress. None of
the details of the operations Of the
secret service of that department,
touching almost every condition from
the romantic to the sordid are dis
closed. Most of those must necessar-
lily remain untold until the end OF
the war. when a set of volumes riv
aling the most exciting tales Of f1c-
ticn might be written from them.
The Attorney Generals report mere
ly tells the story of results IN the
figures of prison sentences which
the agents of German intrigue now
are serving in federal penitent.aries.
In dealing WITH the enemies with
in. the Department has found that
the espionage law, the trading with
the enemy act, and the prosecution
'of seditious conspiracy have been
fruitful Of results.
"The governments hands have
seen materially strengthened SO that
/ i. now has power to deal with dis
! turbing malcontents," says the At.
tcrney Generals report.
The prosecution of William D.
Haywood and other leaders Of the
so-called Industrial Workers of the
World, to the number of more than
$50 in the northern district Of I'LL
nois is an instance of how these laws
may be employed for the public pro-
lection in this time of stress. The ef-
feet Of these prosecutions is already
having far-reaching and highly
beneficial influence towards the
maintenance of order and obedience
to law throughout the country"
After dealing with the war activi-
ties Of the Department the Attorney
General passes on to recommenda-
tiona concerning the civil laws OF
the nation.
| Attorney General Gregory rcnews
at the outset his recommendations
that the commodities clause Of the
interstate commerce law be amended
. to meet Supreme Court decisions, to
divorce transportation from produc
tion. While the legislation Mr.
Gregory recommends is intended par.
ticularly to cover the coal roads, II
would also prohibit to the last de.
gree railway from manufacturing
ior owning anything 1t transports in
interstate commerce.
Also, the Attorney General renews
his recommendations for provision
Of law intended to benefit the fedora
courts. 1t would provide that whe,
federal Judge reaches the age O.
70 years and refuses to avail himsel
Of the retirement already provide,
by law. the President shall be au
thorized to appoint another judg
for the same district to take prece
dence over the older one.
Under the existing la there is n
legal penalty for sending threaten
ing letters through the mails unles
to accomplish extortion or as part {
means to defraud. Mr.. Gregor
recommends legislation 70 make 1t
crime. The statute of Limitation
for criminal prosecution in ban
| ruptcy cases. now one year, the A
| torney General regards as having d
feated justice in some cases ard
| recommends that it be extended
i three years.
| in the enforcement of the AM
| trust laws the Attorney General sa,
i the Department has been confront,
| by peculiar conditions brought abo
| by the war There are two broad II,
II itations on the power of the dcpa,
Il ment.
i Increases of price, brought abo
II not by agreement, conspiracy
II monopoly. but by the common self
irpulse of traders to take advanta
II OF the extraordinary condition
81 the times, are not punishable und
ii the antitrust laws, the report sa,
j, nc matter how completely Iacki
III they may be of economic justifi,
81 tton or how extortionate.
II Sales Of commodities by retail,
bl to consumers generally fall outs,
1 of interstate commerce and theref,
II are not within the purview Of
k federal laws.
eI Within such limitations. Attorr
9I General Gregory says the peps