The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-01
JUS. AGENTS DIGGING
IN PACIFISTS' LARS
Light Thrown on C Conscientious
Directors by Searches at
20 Fifth Avenue.
DRAFT DERELICTs AIDED
Lawyer Nelles, Who Is in New
Conscript Limit, Undecided
About His Course.

the affairs OF organized pacinsts through
the examination Of the papers OF the
National Civic Liberties Bureau yester-
day by agents of the New York Bureau
Of Investigation Of the Department OF
Justice. This organization. 1t developed,
was one Of several in the building at
10 Fifth avenue which has been giving
active aid to young men. who feel in
disposed to do military service.
Agents of the Department Of Justice
were in possession Of three OFFICES In
this building yesterday by virtue of
search warrants issued by Samuel M.
Hitchcock. United States Commissioner.
The offices were those Of the Civil Lib
critics Bureau, the New York Bureau OF
Legal Advice and Walter Nelles. coun-
sci for the Civil Liberties Bureau.
The Bureau of Legal Advice has spe-
cialized In aiding registrants to present
claims for deferred classification. The
Civil Liberties Bureau was interested
mainly in conscientious directors. 1t
has issued much literature in defence of
these directors, has compiled statistics
anu has dCtcu tHc AoA
men of this class who have gotten into
trouble with the military authorities and
the War Department. The examination
OF the files and records Of the two
organizations established connection
between them through individuals who
acted as officers Of both.
Personnel Of seised Bureaus.
The officers Of the National Civil Lib
critics Bureau. as named on its letter
heads, are L. Hollinssworth Wood. chair
man. Norman NJ. Thomas. vice-chair-
man; Miss Helen Phelps Stokes. treas
urer. and Roger N. Baldwin. director.
The members OF the directing commit
tee were named as follows: John s.
Goldman of Boston. Albert de Silver.
Crystal Eastman. John Lovejoy Elliott.
Edmund c. Evans. Alfred Hayes, John
Haynes Holmes. Agnes Brown Leach.
the Rev. Juda l.. Magnes. the Rev. John
Nevin Sayre and DR.. James P. War
base.
The officers OF the Bureau OF Legal Re-
lief are John L. Elicit. chairman: Ar
thur s. Leeds. treasurer, and Fannie NJ.
Witherspoon. secretary. Miss Wither-
spoon Is the Socialist candidate for Con-
gress In the Fifteenth district.
The executive committee of the Bureau
OF Legal Relief is composed of Jessie
Ashley. Roger N. Baldwin. the Rev. John
w. Darr. Martha Gruening. Jacob Hill
quit. Fola La Toilette, DR.. Henry New
mann and Tracey d. Mygatt.
Roger N. Baldwin. director Of the Ma
tional Civil Liberties Bureau and men,
Der of the executive committee of the
Bureau Of Legal Relief, formerly was In
structor of economics a; Washington
College. st. Louis. He told a reporter
that there are 1000 conscientious OBJ
jectors in the country. Eight hundred
OF these. he said. had been excused from
military service to work on the farms.
Two hundred. he added, have gotten into
difficulty OF one sort or another with the
Government. o., esPee'
Pleaded for, WARS Heretics."
Among the pamphlets issued by the
National Civil Liberties Bureau was one
entitled, Wars Heretics. a Plea for
Conscientious Directors" 1t was writ
ten by Norman NJ. Thomas. Another
pamphlet was in the form OF bulletin
dated August z. 1917. 1t described the
situation OF conscientious DIRECTORS as 1t
then existed and made a plea for a pol
icy of giving furloughs to drafted OBJ
jectors conditional upon their going 10
work upon farms.
Statistics relating TO this class were
given as follows. so far as we can
learn four-fifths are religious DIRECTORS
Most are from rural communities and
small towns. Few are foreign born
possibly per cent. are Jews. Only three
negroes appeared before the board and
only one man who said he was a men,
Der of the I. w. w. or course most OF
the non-religious DIRECTORS are members
of the Socialist party"
A bulletin listing the objects Of the
organization stated them as follows: To
seek in war time the rights of free
speech. free press. peaceful assemblage
liberty OF conscience and freedom from
unlawful search and seizure.
we are working In behalf OF the
genuine, conscientious objector." the bull
letin said, Tin furnishing information as
| to law and the regulations in helping "a
correct cases OF injustice and brutality
and in assisting in carrying out the Wal
Departments liberal policy. We are CO.
operating actively with various churches
and other organizations interested"
Nelles Now Liable to Draft.
Attorney Nelles was in his office wher
| the Government agents appeared with a
search warrant He offered no objec-
ton to their seizure and search. Nellie.
| said he is a conscientious objector. He
will be within the military service age
limits as extended. He did not know
what he would do II called.
THAT is a hypothetical question" h,
| said.
The lawyer said the bureau was orig
/ inally part of the American Unior
Against Militarism, but became a sepa
rate organization on October /. He SAID
that Goldman OF Boston never ATTENDED
any meetings. but the minutes of tn,
meetings were sent to him He sale
that John Haynes Holmes ATTENDED
meetings irregularly.
! In describing his own attitude as q
pacihst Nelles said Il do not believ,
| that the United States should have par
ticipated in the war. but having gon,
into II ! hope It will result in good"
Nelles said that the Rev John Nevir
Sayre is pastor Of a church at Sufrern
| n. Y.
Among the letters found In the file,
was one from Alexander Berkmai
thanking the organization for the mora
support II had given TO him.