The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-12-05
HOW PLOTS WERE UNCOVERED.
Atty Gen. Gregory, in Annual Report
Relates Something Of the Activities
of His Department.

Washington, Dec. 5.--The story of how
enemy agents have been caught, disloy-
atty suppressed, draft slackers appre-
hended, dangerous Germans interned, ex-
ploslons and other sabotage prevented,
and enemy secrets ferreted out for use
against their armies abroad, was given
70 the public to-day in Atty. Gen. I. w.
Gregory's annual report Through a
great corps of department of justice civil
officers, secret agents and citizen volun-
teers, this big job Of policing has been
accomplished, said the attorney general,
with a minimum disturbance to the nor
NAL life of communities and with con.
slant effort to avoid encroaching on free
dom Of speech, action and political crit
icism.
Referring to enforcement Of the espion.
age act, Mr.. Gregory said:
This department throughout the war
has proceeded upon the general principle
that the constitutional rights of free
speech, free assembly, and petition exist
IN war time as in peace time, and that
the right of discussion of governmental
policy and the right of political agitation
are the most fundamental rights in de-
mocracy."
At the same time, the attorney general
explained, the department had tried to
deal severely with propaganda having
Tor q deliberate purpose the disintegra-
ton Of the country's war strength,
Zone of the distinct achievements of
the American people" he said, has been
the maintenance of order, the compare.
tive failure Of enemy activities and
speaking broadly, the general self.control
and self-restraint exhibited throughout
the country in critical situations"
The attorney general disclosed that
only 5000 enemy aliens have been ar
rested on presidential warrants and ex-
amined with a view to internment and
that "a considerable number" of these
have been placed in internment camps
administered by the army. The balance
were paroled. Most enemies interned
were German men, and there were com
paratively few German women or Austro-
Hungarians. About 100000 Germans
have been registered in the nation wide
census 100000 men and 100000 women
Up to last July ], department of jus
tice investigators had rounded up 23439
young men who sought to esca the
draft. and had caused their induction
into the service. More than 100000 cases
Of men who for some reason or other had
failed to file questionnaires or to appear
| for physical examinations were inyesti.
gated.
| Looking forward to peace conditions
the attorney general makes a number oil
| recommendations for reform Of judicial
processes, Although he referred to the
difficulty of pushing antitrust prosecu.
tons during the war since the govern.
ment itself has been in the business OF
suppressing competition, he made no sug.
gestions for new antitrust legislation
which Congress is expected to undertake
soon
War activities claimed the principal
portions of the report, and after referring
to the growth Of the departments secret
service to six times its size in 1916. and
the efficient organization Of the American
Protective league Of 100000 citizen vol
unteers, Mr.. Gregory said
"It is safe to say that never in its his
tory has this country been so thu. JughlS
polieed as at the present time.
when it becomes possible, through
! the lapse of time, to disclose fully The
activities of these various secret services
their work win stand out az one of thu
substantial achievements of the war"
Hints of an American espionage sys
TEN were given in the statement that
the secret services have given protection
not only TO the civilian population but tc
the armed forces, and some of their &c
tivities have also resulted in direct dam
age to the enemy forces abroad"
! Great stress was laid on the sufficiency
of normal civil processes "and the need
lessness of attempting to invoke the use
of military tribunals in this country"
t at has been the view of this depart
ment," the attorney general said, "that
every act of arbitrary and unnecessary
interference with the life, habits and oc
cupation of the citizens, would lesser
efficiency, disturb order and weaken pub
lie confidence in the American Standard
of justice"
He added that he had emphasized Thu
view on other government departments
resulting ION number of occasions il
preventing entertainments upon the jur
isdiction of the civil tribunals Of thu
country"
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