New-York tribune., 1918-04-20

would be thousand times larger than
the famous organization in the South.
take your choice between courts
martial and anarchy" he warned. "The
Department. of Justice has been
CHASTITY failure in Minnesota. The
local prosecuting attorney is patri-
otlc, but he lacks fighting stomach.
ou can't fool military court. The
Red Socialists do not have drop of
loyal blood in their veins.
wait until the casualty lists be-
gin to come in," he said. land unless
we have military tribunals there will
be trouble. The woods won't be dense
enough to hide the traitors.
Il have three sons at the front in
France. and l am not going to. have
their sacrifice nullifed by treason at
home if l can help it,"
The judge then told of German
owned stores and banks being set up
In some Minnesota communities in on
position to American enterprises with
view to driving, them out of business.
The Public Safety Commission had
ordered the state banking auth critics,
he said, not to issue additional chart
ers for enterprises which might be
Of. this stripe until they had been Of
ficially indorscd by the Safety Com
mission.
Mr.. White warned the committee that
there would be more lynchings unless
the government was empowered to deal
more effectively with disloyalty.
Twenty thousand Aliens" he de-
clared, "are at liberty in New York
City"
The Department of Justice. Mr..
White said, was doing its best under
the circumstances, but was overloaded
WITH work.
"lf' were permitted to DISCLOSE"
he said, "some of the things 1 know
about spies and propaganda there is
not man in this room who wouldn't
be aghast. If you don't pass this bill
row you will have to come to it later.
You're going to have more tarring and
propagandists are beginning to laugh
at the military authorities because
they know the military authorities
have no power. You can't pussy-foot
on this.
"The steps taken thus far for the
regulation of the enemy activities are
hardly worthy of notice.
An enemy alien can go anywhere in
New York City except within few
hundred feet Of the waterfront, or on
arsenals and military reservations,
and there are 10000 Of these aliens at
large to-day in New York City. This
isn't because of any lack of patriotism
on the part of the department having
charge of that work, but because there
isn't force enough in the departments
to do it,"
He declared that the practice of ad-
mitting spies and disloyalists to bail is
one of the most serious obstacles to
successful interference with their
activities.
Eight hundred I. w. WIS within
few miles of New York City, he said,
are threatening to strike to-day and
hold up production of materials vitality
needed by the soldiers in France.
They are in the pay of German
agents." he said emphatically.
The government is unable to get
quick and summary action in the
courts necessary in the present crisis"
Colonel Van Dcman told the commit
tee. He said another difficulty was in
obtaining juries which would convict
disloyahsts in the communities with
heavy percentage of German popula-
ton.
"The Nero existence Of such law
told the committee, "would make the
German agents at whom it is levelled
hesitate in their work, and it would
surely deter their accompliccs.
Question Validity of Bill
While the bill was being considered
by the committee opposition was devel-
oping in the Senate. Senator Borah
declared the bill, if passed. would be
unconstitutional. and several members
of tho committee also questioned its
validity.
"'rhc bill rs it is presented is. Il
seems to me, clearly in conflict With
some of the piainest and most funda-
mental principles Of the Constitution.
said Senator Borah. "and do not see
how it could be changed and accom-
plish what they seek to accomplish
without Its being clearly and unmistak-
ably unconstitutional.