New Britain herald., 1918-04-16


how unfounded are some of the ex
traordinary stories now in circulation.
The very necessity for keeping secret
many of the activities of the depart
ment undou btedly contributes to the
impression of which you have COM
planned It would be absurd to say
that every hostile act has been sue
cessfully run down and the offender
brought to punishment, or that every
enemy agent or propaganda at work
in this country has been discovered.
l do, however, assert that every pos
sble effort is being made to ferret
out and punish activities of this
character, and that this work, in 9TH
err departments as we'll as my own,
is being done from day to day with
constantly increasing efficiency.
I'm addition to prosecution of the
work above described, this DEPART
meat has during the past year drawn
and enforced the various regulations
governing the conduct of alien enc
mics prescribed in the three procla.
nations made by the president: has
devised the machinery and carried
out successfully a registration of all
male German lien enemies; has put
into operation regulations for barring
alien enemies from waterfront snip
ping facilities and other prohibited
areas; has caused to be instituted
military patrol by the army on the
most important piers in all of the
large seapOrts Of the country, and
has instituted a pass system to pro
tect waterfront zones from acts OF
alien enemies
Tn connection with enemy alien &c
tivities YOU will recall that under the
most conservative estimate there are
in this country today more than 49,
900 Germans 100000 Austrians, and
100000 Hungarian enemy aliens,
j. e., unna turalized males upward OF
IA years of age. Estimating three to
a family, there would be within the
United States about 100000 persons
who are either male enemy aliens or
members of their families If YOU
will bear in mind that we have quite
as much, if not more, trouble with
native and naturalized Americans
as we have with enemy aliens, you
will get some idea Of the magnitude
Of the work which daily confronts
this department.
Il have already adVerted to the
lack Of adequate laws, and / take the
liberty of calling your attention to
this important subject. Although we
have now been at war for more than
a year, there is as net no federal
statute except the treason statute
(Which is unavoidable for this pur-
pose) under which the government
can prosecute men who attempt to
destroy factories, munitions, and 9TH
err stores necessary for our armies.
The sO-cal1ed Sabotage bill, prepared
by this department and introduced
more than a year ago, is now before
your body. and I hope that speedy
action may be taken thereon.
Laws Fail to Cover Situation.
Most of the disorder. throughout
the country is caused by lack of laws
relating to dislONal utterancos. Con
gress did not pass the original Els
piOnage act in the form in which my
departm ent prepared il, and Section
3 Of the law as passed by Congress
has been the only weapon with which
the Government could attack this
dangerous evil. Although the only
clause of Section 8 which has been
of value is the che aimed to prevent
obstruction of enlistment and recruit
ing, my department has succeeded UNI
DER that one clause in securing the
conviction Of more than go offend.
ers in differcHt parts Of the country,
and in obtaining the imposition of
sentences, in some cases OF | D and
20 years imprisonment. 1t is ear
ncstly hoped that Congress will act
favorablv upon legislation now before
it which will give the Government
adequate weapons with which to pre-
Il 81 ~ 81 love
"Another serious defect in the legal
situation is the fact that there is no
law providing for the control of de-
partures from or entries into the
United states by persons other than
those who are alien enemies. The
dangerous work Of our enemies is
not done solely through enemy ma
tionals, and the public safety requires
that a measure Of control he vested
in the President over the movements
of all persons into and from the
country in time Of war. bill to ac-
complish this purpose, commonly
known as the Passport bill drawn
bv this department was introduced
into CONGRESS some time ago, and has
the unanimous approval of the De-
partments of State. Labor and Justice
and Of the officers OF the Military and
Naval Intelligence Service It can
not be enacted into the law too speed
lily
It need not say that SO long as the
Federal Government is impOtent to
suppress industrial treason and dis
loyal utterances, just so long there
will be danger of disorder. and there
will be 4 steady increase in the feel
ing among the irresponsible of disre~,
srect for legally constituted author
itv. Taking advantage of your cour-
teous offer Of assistance, [ earnestly
ask that you call the attention of
your associates to the legislative sit