The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-12
Attorney General Declares Roundup Will Continue
 Without Soldiers Aid
1901 INDUCTED INTO
 MILITARY SERVICE
Soldiers, Sailors and Civilians Were Used in Making Arrests, Contrary to Law. Attorney General ln-
 forms President Wilson

Washington, September II. Full responsibility for the re- cent stacker raids in New York and adjoining cities has been assumed by Attorney Genera! Gregory, who promises contin- nation of the round-ups, but without soldiers, sailors and members of the American Pro tcctiwe association to make ar- rests. In letter to President Wilson, made public today, the Attorney General said the lat ter practice, which was criti- clzed sso severely in the Senate last week, was illegal, H. judged and without his author |itv but was prompted by tex cess of zeal for the public good. ''
 The Attorney General declared "thou- sands upon thousands' of deserters and slackers are at large in the country. and explained that to attempt to apprehend so many offenders by running down in- dividual cases obviously would have been futile This was taken to mean that com munlfieS n1 i'm, t<.a of the drag-net proces. MT. Gregory expressed the belief that the great body Of our people will cheerfully submit to the minor inconveniences which the ex- ecution of any such plan of necessity en- tails to the end that this indictment ot the nations honor, this drain on the na- tion's strength may be removed"
 Illustrating the results of the raids in New York and New Jersey. the Attorney General reported that of the 50277 appre- hended in series of roundsups within the past 10 days. 1901 were inducted into military service as draft dodgers or held by court action and 15.015 were found to be delinquent in their relations with local draft boards. In New York 300 were sent to camp, in Brooklyn 252 were held by court order. and in Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, Paterson and Passaic. 74s were sent to camp.
 PRESIDENT ASKED REPORT
 The Attorney Generals letter was in re- sponse to a request of the President to report on circumstances surrounding the New York raids. which were denounced by number of senators on the ground that soldiers. sailors and private citizens, members of the American Protective league. were employed to make arrests of civilians-a function which they said should have been left to civil police.
 Mr. Gregory cited the draft laws re- quirement that registered men should carry registration or classification cards and authorizing police officials to take draft evaders into custody and bring them before local boards or to arrest deserters. Measures to apprehend slack CTS were undertaken, he said, about the time Secretary Baker called his atten- tion to the subject more than month ago.
 To permit the draft evasion to con tinue. the Attorney General said would weaken substantially the nations fight ing power and do grievous injustice to the great body of men who met their military obligations.
 Excellent results were obtained in raids in Chicago, Boston and other places, said the Attorney General
 Coming to the city of New York" he wrote, "I again accept full respon- sibility for putting into effect there the plan of rounding up deserters and slack CTS which I have described. Contrary to my expressed instructions, however, instructions which have repeated over and over again. and contrary to law. certain members of the investigation force of this department. without consult tation with me or with any law officer of the department. used soldiers and sail ors and certain members of the Ameri- can Protective league. Tam satisfied. in making arrests. l am convinced by the inquiries which l 1, have made that they were led into this breach of authority by excess of zeal for the public good. While this extennates. it'does not excuse. their action.