The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-04-20
new LAWS NEEDED. t,
GREGORY DISCUSSES PROBLEM
AND MEASURES AGAINST III. {
Now up to COngrcss--Dcpartmen OF
Justice Seriously IIampcrcd by Lack
OF Adequate Authority for Action.

Washington, April 15.-Reports Of
enemy activities in the United States
are grossly exaggerated, says Attor-
ney General Gregory i'm a letter tl
Representative Currie of Michigan
made public tonight by Mr.. Gregory
Replying to letter from Mr.. Currie
saying that strong feeling exists
throughout the country that the gov
ernment is dealing too lenently with
| spies and dangerous enemies, the at
torney general explained at length
of justice in policing the country un-
der the war conditions. He emphasized
the difficulties under which the de.
partment is laboring, including the
lack OF necessary laws under which
to punish offenders.
The public assumes" Mr.. Gregory
wrote, that there is a great deal OF
enemy activity going on in this coun-
Try and it lis but natural that vague
rumors are magnified into definite
and sensational stories The talk of
damage done by enemy aliens in caus-
ing fires is an illustration of this Re-
peatedly, both in reputable news
papers and in the publications gotten
out by citizen societies exaggerated
statements are made as to the amount
OF damage.
The report recently made by the
national board of fire underwriters
shows in substance that during the
past year not one fire had been clear
ly proved to be the work of enemy
aliens"
The attorney general suggested that
the very necessity for keeping secret
many of the activities of the depart
ment undoubtedly contributes to the
impression to which / have referred"
and added:
1t would be absurd to say that
every hostile act has been success.
fully found and the offender, brought
to punishment or that every enemy
agent or propagandist 1T work in this
country has been discovered. / do,
however, assert that every possible
effort is being made to ferret out
and punish activities of this char
acter :"
The letter also referred to the aid
given by more than 100000 citizens
OF proven loyalty. Systematically or
ganlzed throughout the country as an
auxiliary to the work of the depart
ment." aiI,
Under the most conservative esti-
mateS the letter said, there are in
this Country today about A, 600, 600 per-
sons who are either male enemy aliens
or members of their families. If you
will bear in mind that we have quite
as much, if not, more trouble with
native and naturalized Americans as
we have with enemy aliens you will4
seq some idea of the magnitude ahof
th& work which daily confronts the
department.
Most OF the disorder throughout
the country is caused by the lack Of
laws relating to disloyal utterances.
Congress did not pass the original
espionage act in the form in which my
prepared it, and Section 3
OF the law as passed by congress has
been the only weapon with which the
government could attack this danger
Gus evil. 1t is earnestly hoped
that congress Will act favorably upon
legislation now before II which will
give the government( adequate wea-
pons with which to prevent the spread
OF llagrant disloyalty.
Another serious defect in the legal
situation is the fact that there is no
law providing for the control Of de-
parturc from or entries into the Unit
ed States by persons other than those
who are enemy aliens.
Il need not say that so long as the
Federal government is impotent to
suppress industrial treason and disloy-
al uiterance just so long there will be
danger Of disorder and there will be
Il steady increase in the feeling among
the irresponsible of disrcspect for le-
Sally constituted authority"