The sun., 1918-12-12
NO CAUSE FOUND TO
PROSECUTE HEARST
Biolaski. at Office Hefe, Tells
of Department OF. Justices
Work During War.
ne WOODY TO QUIT OFFICE
Assistant Will. Engage in
Business With His Former
Chief.

A. Bruce Bielaski, chief Of the bu-
-sau Of investigation OF the Depart
uent Of Justice, said last night in
the New York office of the bureau
,b,, the men named by him in his
testimony before a Senate sub-com-
r,lttee as German propagandists and
sympathizers would not be prosecuted.
Chief Biclaski said the Department
NJ Justice made an exhaustive inquiry
into the possibility OF using the
documents he presented to the Sem
ate subcommittee as the basis for
criminal complaint against William Il
Hearst and came to the conclusion
that no charge against the publisher
would hold.
Hearst was well advised said
Mr. Bielaski. HE did many things
before we entered the war that he
refrained from doing thereafter. and
he did many things before the enact
ment Of the espionage law that he
did not do after that"
Mr.. Bielaski said all of tho evidence
accumulated by his bureau against
Hearst had been submitted to the
Senator'S.
Mr.. Bielaski said he believed Hearst
was anxious to obtain the exclusive
right in this country to press mes
sages from Germany by wireless. The
wireless concession would have been
very valuable Mr.. Bielaski said. be-
cause the dispatches would have been
sought eagerly By many American
newspapers. He added that DR. Ed
ward A. Rumley, former publisher Of
the ErcninD Mcil, was contender for
this privilege.
Hale and Viereck Change Tone.
Chief Bielaski said the situation in
regard to William Bayard Hale and
George Sylvester Niereck is similar
Both were circumspect after the
United States became belligerent. he
said. and it would be difficult to prove
violation of the espionage law against
them.
Mr.. Bielaski said he had finished his
testimony before the Senate commit
tee unless that committee extends its
object and begins an inquiry into Ger
man activities in this country after
We entered the war. He said his testi-
mony in relation TO propagandists was
comprehensive and the record of the
hearing viii enable any one-to COM
pile an accurate directory. OF German
agents and their allies In the neutrality
period
In relation TO German activities
since the United States became a bel
licerent Mr.. B.aiaski said that these
We're not as widespread as is commonly
believed
The day the United States declared
war. April 6, 1917, the Department of
Justice spread a countrywide dragnet
for suspects" Mr.. Bielaski explained
The period of neutrality had given us
vast amount Of Information and We
knew whom TO look for. Several thou
sand people, men and women, were ar
rested. Many OF these were alien
enemies. They had no rights In our
courts and disappeared quickly into in
ternment camps.
THE German spy system in this
country was broken up by this move
and 1t was never reconstructed as a
system. Supervision of incoming
steamships was made very strict Ger
man spies in this country have accom-
plished little"
Mr.. Bielaski said that spy rings had
been uncovered, and that information
relating TO these will be made public
al the proper time.
Mr.. Bielasld said he presented his
evidence to the subcommittee simply
as the record of the Investigations
made under his direction WITHOUT any
intention Of passing judgment on the
loyalty OF those whose names were
mentioned He said that when he sub
nlttted list OF thirty-one names of
well known Americans, which had
heen found among the papers of DR..
Karl Fuehr, one OF Won Bernstorffs
paymasters, he told the subcommittee
the names were to be regarded as sim
ply German view of those who might
he regarded as friendly He pointed
out that it was not list prepared by
the Department OF Justice.
AbsOIves Prof. Hart.
Mr.. Bielaski was asked the names of
those on F'uehr's list to whom he would
be willing to give a bill of health. He
said there were two or three to whom
no suspicion could be attached, and
that PROF.. Albert Bushnell Hart of
Harvard was one OF the two or three.
Prof Hart appeared before the sub
committee to give testimony in his
Owu defence.
Mr.. Biclaski said that in his letter of
resignation 70 the Attorney General he
hFod no date at which IL is to take
eject but that he Is hopeful that he
may lie able 10 enter private business
on January :.
De Woody to Quit job.
Mr.. Bielaskl confirmed a report that
'harles Ne Woody, chief OF the New
York bureau OF Investigation, con-
templates reslgning. Like Mr. Bic
hski chief DE Woody finds a Govern
non; salary insufficient and wishes to
eh'or business. The salary of De
Woody is substantially higher than
'h'' Of his chief. which Is $500 a
year. This Is because Bielaskis salary
l' hXcd by Congress and that OF De
Woody IS fixed by Bielaski and paid
OF, OF the appropriation for the
bureau.
u las been known for some time that
'aer DE Woody had not been salts
''i with his job. He has had to meet
q" immense pressure of business
caused by the war with a totally in
1HNcient STAFF OF agents, who In gem