The Washington herald., 1918-09-06
STACKER RAID
STIRS WRATH
OF SENATORS
Resolution Authorizing In
-vestigation May Be
Passed Today.
WILSON WANTS REPORT
Requests Attorney General
to Submit Detailed
Information.

Inc SCHdlc VIII pass iSsOiH-
lion today authorizing an investi-
CATION by the Committee on Mill
tary Affairs to find out who was
responsible for the sensational
Stacker" raid in New York City,
in which upwards of 10000 men
were placed under arrest.
President Wilson yesterday
wrote to Attorney General Greg
ory asking for a detailed report
on the raid
Nobody in Washington appears
to know by whose authority the
raid in New York and similar
round-ups of citizens in search OF
slackers in other cities were made.
In the Senate yesterday a cate
gorical denial that . the Provost
Marshal Generals office had any
hand in the raid. was presented by
Senator Benet, of South Carolina,
and Senator Calder, of New York,
reported that he had been given
a general denial that the Depart
ment of Justice was behind the
New York raid.
smoot introduced Resolution
Senator Smoot, therefore. offered 6
resolution authorizing the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs to con-
duct an inquiry into the New Yorl
raid and like occurrences in othel
cities, to find out by whose authority
these raids were undertaken, and es'
pecially by whose authority soldiers
sailors, National Guards and civilian!
were employed in the wholesale ar
! rests Of citizens apparently vithou
due process OF iss.
Senator Hiram johnson, of Cali
'forria. said that It was nothing shor
of the practice OF terrorism
President Wilson Acts,
At the time the debate was in prog
ress in the Senate it was not know
at the Capitol that President Wilson
the affair which in itself is an inquiry
~ ha
and the employment Of soldiers, sail
ors and civilians, and to fix respon
sibility for the spectacular roundup
which yielded far under l per cent
Of guilty persons. The fact that tht
President has acted may soften tbs
temper of the Senate, and postpone
the inquiry until he makes public tht
report from Attorney General Greg
ory. but 1t was considered certain last
night that the Smoot resolution will
pass today. and the Senate will con
duct an investigation on its own be,
half.
Senator Chamberlain, chairman o.
the Military Affairs COMMITTEES
brought the subject I'D by reason o
newspaper reports Of the activities o
the men engaged in the raid and tn
enormous number OF prisoners takel
in haphazard fashion.
Calder Protested.
Senator Calder, of New York, VIII,
was in that city during the raids OIL
Tuesday. told the Senate that he haC
protested to officers in command o
some Of the raiding squads against tn
manner in which they were proceeding
When I arrived in Washington oI
"wednesday morning 1 protested to tn.
Department of Justice" said Senate
Calder. THE Assistant Attorney Gen.
rela with whom l talked said that tn.
matter was without his knowledge anC
would have his immediate attention.
Il know personally that thousand.
OF men in New York over the draf
age. who could have no card or classi
ication, were taken by tie authori,
ties. sent to police stations and herdet
together in school yards and arnories
where they were compelled to have re.
sponsfble people come and identify
them In at least a dozen cases ner
in my own employ had to be so identi.
fed.
Armed soldiers went into busines,
Offices and took men from behind thei,
desks. They went into theaters anc
took men away from ladies whom
they were escorting. They took -mer
who were over the draft age, the,
took men who were under the draf
age. to the police stations and KEEP
them under observation until the,
could send for someone who coulC
prove that they were not sIackers bu
good loyal citizens"
In response 10 an inquiry from
Senator Brandagee. Of Connecticut
Senator Calder said that the OFF
GERS in command of the raidins
squads whom he had interview eC
said that they were operating undeI
authority of the Department Of Jus
tice.
Senator Sherman inquired whether
the writ Of habeas corpus had beer
suspended and Senator johnson sait
that the writ OF habeas corpus anI
every other writ, when such a thInV
was possible. had, in fact, been sus.
pended
Senators Poindexter. Of Wash.
ington. and Kirby, Of Arkansas. de.
Tended the raids on the ground tina
no great personal injury had beer
done any person and the end, thf
rounding up of slackers, justihed
the means. When Senator Smoot
offered his resolution of inyestfRa
ton and asked for immediate con.
slderation, Senator Kirby objected
and II :