New-York tribune., 1918-12-06
Gregory Tells
How u. s. Foiled
Enemy Aliens
Secret Service Six Times as
Large as 1t Was When the
War Began, Attorney Cen
eraI Says i'm His Report

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.--The atory
OF how enemy agents have been caught,
disloyalty suppressed, draft slackers
apprehended, dangerous Germans in
termed, explosions and other sabotage
prevented, and enemy secrets fe-reted
out for use against their armies abroad,
was given to the public to-day in At
torney General It. W. Gregory's an
nual report.
Referring to enforcement of the
espionage act, Mr.. Gregory said:
"Tbis department throughout the
war has proceeded upon the general
principle that the constitutional right
of free speech, free assembly, and pc
tition exist in war time as IN peace
time, and that the right of discussion
Of governmental policy and The right
Of political agitation axe the most
fundamental rights in a democracy
Cone II the distinct achievements
Of the American pconlH," NJ said "has
bacn the riisir. .a.tance of order. TIE
com r,arativu failure of enemy activi-
ties and. speaking broadly, tic general
self -conir, anI seli-restrainl exhibl-
ted throuqlaut thc country il c-iti1a.
situations"
Only coca Enemy Aliens Arrested
The Attorney General disclosed tl, :
only 5000 enemy aliens have been a.
rested on Presidential warrants and g.
amined with q view 10 interninent and
that "a considerable nuinbc." of these
have been placed in inteTOr.cnt camps
administered by the army The bal
ance were parolled Mos5 enemies in
termed were German men, and there
were comparatively few German wofner
or Austro-H -Hun2arians. About 10000
Germans have been reaistered in th6
nation wide ce1sua-2 2eo.G0j ren a.'s
10000 wonen
Uo To last Ju.r l. Depa4tile. I. Jus
t.ca iHves .:,atoIs had r7u1do@ u -.
A?J 49,. g. Tn0 Cso@f.
fa@ D.,., c.u-z. ..le &c
ticn in.s .,e so1vicc More than 220
,DrJ cists ~ men who for some reason.
naircs c. 10 appear for physical cX
animation were investigated.
War activities claimed the principa
portions Of the report, and after re
ferring to the growth of the depart
ment's secret service to six times it
size in 1916, and the efficient organi
alton of the American PROTECTIVE
League of 25O,OO0 citizen volunteers
Mr.. Gregory said:
ut is safe to say that never in 1t
history nas this country been s.
thoroughly polced as at the prescN
time.
"Whcn It becomes possible. t'.reue'
the lapse of time, to disclose fully th
activities )f these various secret sar
vices, their wort; VII s...nd out as on
OF the suost intia ach- -eVeMcnts OF tn
Wal'
Hints at Espionage System
Hints of an American espionag
that the secret services have give,
protection not only to the civilian
population, But to the aYlned forces
. and some of their activities have ais
= resulted in direct damage to the enen,
forces abroad
"Systemat;c disloyal propaganda be
came a failure during the first year o
the war" he said. SHORTY after on
entry into the war this propaganda
supported chiefly by those Influence
and organizations which had oppose
the declaration of war, manifested ii
self in distinct opposition to the adop
ton, and operation OF the selectiv
service act, but this type of propagand
was almost Immediately suppresse e.
and destroyed. 1t was followed b
manifestations of propaganda of a
economic and social character, clea ri
supported in the main by sympathizer
with the enemy powsrs. This genera
type of propaganda reached It's heigh
in the autumn of 1917, but gained Ii
great Roadway and was declining b
January |, 1879
Less than ! per cent of the enem
aliens arrested on suspicion and late
paroled have again fallen under sus
picion. OF the $4,000 enemy alien
applying for permission to complet
their naturalization, which was stoppe
on the declaration OF war, reports O.
more than 10000 have been furnishe
the naturalization authorities of tn
Department of Labor
Discussing the enforcement of anti
trust laws, Attorney General Gregor
| said:
Laws OF Trade Broken Down
when natural laws Of trade brea
down, as they have done during tn
war IN many branches of trade, dire,
government action with respect {
prices and methods Of distribute
i may become essential in order to pr,
vent private control OF markets. +,
when natural laws OF trade can T
longer be depended upon to regulat
markets, the only choice is betwce
artificial control imposed by private il
4 tercsts and artificial control inpose
I by public agencies. In these cir,cun
stances, therefore, such direct COVER
mental action, so far from runnir
counter to the purpose OF the Sherms
act is directly in line with it."
Mr. Gregory's recommendations Or
pose legislation to make q FEEDER
\ '-arrant run to any part of the Unit.
States, SO that indicted individua
cannot escape trial so easily: retir
! ment OF Federal Judges at the age
\ seventy il they have served ter Yea
\ or more; legislation TO make it an g
] fence to send through the mail lette
\ threatening life or properly; tighte
4 ing up CT bankruptcy laws. and legi
lat or !. III