The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-05
Senate Aroused Over Draft
Roundup of Innocents in N. Y.
Law. Abiding Citizens Arrested
without Warrant.

Washington, Sept. 5.-SenatOria1 In
vestigation of the draft roundup in
failure of various government depart
ments in Washington to accept re-
5spensibility for the raids.
81 Demands for an investigation fol-
lowed hours OF stormy discussion OF
the raid in the senate. Senator Lodge,
Republican leader. finally urged the
senate to withhold its vote until the
facts could be learned.
1.-THE department of justice disavows
responsibility for the raid" said Lodge.
General Crowder disavows it, saying
he knew nothing of it. The Judge
advocate generals office disavows it.
What we should find out now is who
and by what authority ordered the
roundup
Government Seeks Terrorfze People, -
Washington, Sept. 5.-Charging that
the government is trying to terrorize
the American people, Senator Johnson.
California, today scathingly denounced
The Scent draft raid in New York
when many thousands OF men were
Johnson's bitter speech followed
criticism -of the raid by Senators
Chamberlain, Calder and Gore. All
declared it an outrage totally out OF
harmony with American ideas and
likely to do more harm than good.
Inc Id Ol SUSPECTS, ILC IA ", VI tAiS
French revolution has come into our
lives' said johnson, reading an &C
count of the raid from New York
newspaper.
f"Unless 1 told you where this thing
occurred, you would never believe it
was in the United States. You'd say
it never could happen in Free Ameri
ca-in terrorized Prussia it might
What's the reason for it?
Terrorism, the terrorism that pre-
vents any American newspaper from
saying what 1t thinks. that keep
honest views on rostrums or in public.
Ran Innoccnts Into Bull Pen.
These men were rounded up and
herded in a bull pen because some
extra-judicial authority suspected that
they were in the draft age. Many
them were taken because they looked
old enough or young enough to be
within the draft limits, when in fact
they were not. They had to stay il
captivity until they could prove their
ages. Grow 5Ye your gray whiskers
now, Ye well preserved men who
look as tho Ye might be within the
draft age or you'll go to the bull pen.'
Senator Calder, New York, told the
senate he had seen parts of the raid
and had protested to officers in charge
of the roundup squads. His protests
were unavailing. and he returned to
w Washington uuTTleuly TO protest TO the
department of justice where his COM
plant met practically the same sort OF
response.
johnson referred satirically to the
part of the American Protective league
played in the raid, as described in the
New York papers,
"Only Place Where Men Dare Speak. y
There is only one place in the land
where there can ever be a measure OF
free speech he declared. There is
only one place where a voice can be
raised in protest at such acts-and
that place is right here in this body
Our democracy depends in large
l'part on the moral courage of the
ninety-six men whoFsit in this body.
for one mean to raise my voice, when.
ever I believe our liberties are threat.
ened.'
Senator Sherman, Illinois. declared
there is no difference 1 can see be.
: tween the Democracy of America and
the militarism of Berlin when loya
Americans are bayoneted about the
streets of New York"