Imperial Valley press., 1918-12-21
SUPPRESSION Pro-
Gerr11ar,isr11 Told
IL, Govt. Report

suppressed and destroyed. 1t was fol-
lowed by manifestations of propa-
ganda of an economic and social char
acter, clearly supported in the main,
by sympathizers with the enemy pow
ers. This general type of propaganda
reached it's height in the autumn of
1917, but gained no great headway and
was declining by January /, 1918. Va
rious other types of propaganda have
appeared sporadically, but none Of
them have gained any substantial
footing, and it may be fairly said
that prior to July 1, 1918, the effort
of German sympathizers in the field Of
disloyal propaganda had almost COM
pletely failed"
The Department has been hampered
in suppressing propaganda, said the
Attorney General by "self-appointed
committees or associations of citizens
who, ignorant of or dissatisfied with
the scope of the federal laws, or juris
diction, have sought to supplement
them by extra-legal measures OF in
timidation and punishment" An.
other hampering influence was the
ed reports relating to use of poison
gas by enemy agents, ground glass
in food, and damage to Red Cross sup
I plies.
Referring to difficulties with men,
bers of the l. w. W., "pseudo-social-
lists" and similar bodies, the Attorney
| General said:
at has been the policy of this de-
partment that no person should be
prosecuted or interned solely by rea-
/ son of his membership in any such
organization, that guilt is always per.
sonal, and that under no circumstances
should any organization or body OF
men be prosecuted as SUCH"
Less than one per cent Of the enemy
aliens arrested on suspicion and later
paroled have fallen under suspicion
Of the $4,000 enemy aliens applying
| for permission to complete their nat
uralization, which was stopped on the
declaration of war, reports on more
than 10000 have been furnished the
naturalization authorities of the De-
partment of Labor.
Discussing the enforcement of anti
trust laws, Attorney General Gregory
said:
"When natural laws of trade break
down, as they have done during the
war in many branches of trade, direct
government action with respect to
prices and methods of distribution may
become essential in order to prevent
| private control Of markets, for when
| natural laws of trade can not longer
be depended upon to regulate markets
the only choice is between artificial
control imposed by private interests
and artificial control imposed by pub
| lie agencies. In these circumstances
therefore, such direct governmental
action, so far from running counter to
the purpose of the Sherman act, is dl.
rectly in line with it."
The Attorney General said the hear
ing of pending antitrust cases In the
Supreme Court had been postponed
on motto nof the government because
''the dissolution of these combina-
tions would require financial opera
tions on a large scale, which it would
j. not be in the public interest to under
| take in the present condition of the
money market, brought about by the
war
Mr.. Gregory's recommendations pro-
pose legislation to make federal war
rant run to any part of the Uniteo
States, so that indicted individuals
canot escape trial so easily; retire
ment of federal judges at the age Of
70 if they have served 10 years or
more; legislation to make it an Of
fense to send through the mail letters
threatening life or property; tighten
ing up of bankruptcy laws, and legis-
lation making it impossible to sue a
corporation in any district in which
it transacts business.