Evening star., 1917-09-06

Nral labor conditions In the mluuis
west and northwestern states. rather
than to the pro-German activities OF
any special group of men.
Justice Covington spent the night a,
hotel. ate an early breakfast ano
then left the hotel. His Washington
home is closed.
Evidence pointing to the employment
of German and Austrian money and tnt
delicate hand of agents of the central
powers is generally believed to be IN
dicated in much of the evidence OBJ
tanned by the simultaneous raids all
over the country. but Assistant Attor-
ney General Fits today declined to IN
dfcate any details of this connection
He said:
Reports are being received right along
now from every section of the United
States where the seizures We're MADE.
Many of these I have not yet had time
to examine But l have seen enoug h
TO indicate that our carefully prepared
plans have worked out perfectly. ana
we have been able. after careful prepa =
, ration and simultaneous action, 10 get
the material we desire.
Sedition to Be Charged.
Attorney General Gregory now at the
summer home of Col. T.. IL. House, at
Magnolia, Mass, has taken an active
interest in the inquiry since Its be
ginning at least two months ago In
q statement attributed to him i'll dis
patches he is quoted as saying that the
charge which Department of Jus
tice agents seek Indictments Is sedl-
ton"
At the department today it was
pointed out that the specific charges to
be filed against the large number or ar
rested persons would depend upon the
evidence discovered in Individual cases
and the grand jury findings in these
cases.
statement from the Department OF
Justice last evening said: This action
was taken under the direction Of the
Attorney General and in connection
with grand jury investigation which
Is in progress in the United States court
in the northern district of Illinois.
The investigation was begun by the
grand jury at Chicago as Il resul; of a
great accumulation of charges of all
sorts, mostly of violations or the es-
pionage law. directed against the In
duStrial Workers of the World and its
leaders.
The seizure of the organizations pa
pers was timed for p. m. central
time and was conducted simultaneously
in towns and cities throughout the
country where ]. w. W. headquarters
have been maintained.
The government today. at > p. m.
Chicago time. the departments state
ment says, took possession under ap-
propriate legal process of such docu
mentary evidence, check books, cor
respondence, etc. of the Industrial
workers of the World in an parts of
ed by the United States in connection
with the indictment and prosecution of
certain individual offenders who have
utilized the name of that organization
In connection with violation of the
federal laws"
Socialist Headquarters Raided.
In Chicago federal agents took pos
session of the national headquarters
OF .ne socialist party and warrant
authorizing the seizure of its docu-
ments was served upon its counsel
For many weeks past the activities of
Industrial Workers of the World lead
ers have been under close scrutiny of
the departments bureau of investiga-
ton Scores of field workers, chiefly
in the west and middle west have de-
Ieged attempts on the part of leaders
to embarrass the government in the
conduct of the war by strikes and
other disturbances called in the name
of labor.
These activities have never been re-
garded here as a labor movement. They
have been held to be political and, in
solely to hinder and hamper the gov
eminent in exercising its full strength
in carrying on the war.
Charges of many compilations have
been received by the department in
connection with the organizations ac-
tivttes- Recently it was charged that
included in the ranks of the Industrial
Workers of the World were many Aus
trians, who have been active in stir
ring up strife intended to hamper
American industries. doing work han
died by Germans before the United
States declared state of war existed
with Germany.