New-York tribune., 1918-03-25
Military Authorities Able to
Handle the Situation,
Say Officials
Another Census Urged
Many Dangerous Germans
Believed at Large in
New York

That any systematic roundup of un-
New York will take place soon is con-
sidered unlikely in Federal official
circles. 1t had been intimated that
such action would occur about April
]. But it was learned yesterday that
officials believe that radical change
IN the governments policy will be
necessary before there can be any gem
eral internment OF enemy aliens.
The officials stated thai probably the
most effective way OF handling the stu
alton would be to take the task out Of
the hands of the Department of Justice
and place it directly under the military
authorities Only by such a method,
it was contended, VIC uld proper census
be taken and a thorough accounting
made of the scores Of unregistered
enemy aliens who live here.
What is needed, according to those
who have had to deal with enemy alien
cases, is something more than hap
hazard gathering in through police and
makeshift agencies of suspects con-
nected with the damaging of trans
port or the operation of a secret wire
less plant.
Many Enemies Reported Here
Thousands of Teutons who have
evaded registration as directed in
President Wilson's proclamation last
November are reported to be here.
tary authorities take hand, no quick
means of solving the problem will be
found.
Few Germans or Austrians with any
influence fear internment, because
scores of them, including men officially
characterized as dangerous, have been
paroled.
Then. nobody knows how many unreg-
istered enemy aliens the are in New
York or elsewhere in the country. The
best estimate is that there are 10000
in New York City alone. Even if the
number were accurately known, or
could be ascertained without an en-
tirely new and more inclusive registra-
ton, officials point out, the machinery
provided for identifying the host of
potential enemies is inadequate. 1t is
also asserted that to combat the enemy
within-a menace that was as lightly
regarded in Italy Just before the Tren-
tino tragedy last September as it
apparently is here to-day-the govern
nent, under the direction of Attorney
General Gregory. is spending less
money in year than the German prop
agandists are accustomed to spend in
q month.
The alien problem has been handled
heretofore by number of entirely in
dependent agencies which had mass
Of other work to do at the same time.
These agencies included the police, the
investigating bureau of the Department
of Justice. the army intelligence SER
vice and the navy intelligence service.
Being Independent. and overworked
with their own special tasks, these
agencies worked Independently. That
the results were ineffective was ac-
knowledged last month. when an an
Eouncement came from Washington
that bureau to coordinate the work of
combating the enemy alien danger had
been established and would be known
as the Enemy Alien Bureau for the
Pert of New York.
Bureau Has Small Force
The bureau was established here
March Z. William Wallace, jr, a for
mer special assistant attorney general,
was placed in charge. He was given
jurisdiction over the entire harbor dis
trict, which includes the great indus
trial and shipping centres of New Jer-
sey.
In this district there are more Ger
mans and Austrians than in some of
the larger cities of Germany and Aus
tia. Thousands of them are unregis-
tered-probably 100000, including those
in New York City. There is no record
of them. Yet for the work of directing
the roundup and of examining and
fixing penalties, Mr.. Wallace now has a
staff consisting of himself, Captain
Hull, formerly of the ordnance de-
par.ment in Washington; four men
clerks, woman assistant, a telephone
operator and little or no money, ac-
cording to the best information.