The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-12-06
TRAILING HUNS
DESCRIBED BY
GEN. GREGORY
Work of Department of Justice
During War Time Detailed
in Report
COUNTRY WELL POLICED
Never Has Safety of Citizens
Been Better Guarded
Than at Present
COUNTRY WELL POLICED

Washington, Dec. 6-The story Of
how enemy agents have been caught,
disloyalty suppressed, draft slackers
apprehended, dangerous Germans in.
termed, explosions and other sabotage
prevented, and enemy secrets ferret
ted out for the use against their arm
les abroad, was given to the public
today in Attorney General T. w.
Gregory's annual report. Through a
great corps of Department of Justice
civil officers, secret agents, and citi-
zen volunteers, this big job OF polio
ing has been accomplished, said the
Attorney General, with a minimum
disturbance to the normal life of COM
munities, and with constant effort to
avoid encrOaching on freedom Of
speech, action and political criticism.
Referring to the enforcement OF the
espionage act, Mr. Gregory said:
"This department throughout the
war has proceeded upon the general
principle that the constitutional
right Of speech. free assembly, and
petition exist in war time as in
peace time, and that theh right Of
discussion Of governmental policy and
the right Of political agitation are
the most fundamental rights in a de-
mocracy.'
At the same time the Attorney
General explained, the Department
had tried to real severly with propa-
ganda having for deliberate purpose
the disintegration of the cOuntry''s
war strength.
"One Of the distinct achievements
of the American people, he said, "has
been tho maintenance of order the
comparative failure of enemy activ-
ties and speaking broadly, the general
self-control and self-restraint exhib-
ted throughout the country in critical
situations"
The Attorney General disclosed that
only $1,000 enemy aliens have been an
rested on presidential warrants and
| examined with view to interment
and that "a considerable number OF
these have been placed in interment
camps administered by the army.
The balance were parolled. Most
enemies interned were German men,
and there were comparatively few
German women or Austria Hungar-
ldlS, AUOuJ ioO.bOo tSl A'eA'
been registeredin the nationwide
census-260 600 men and 22O,Goo
women.
Up to July I, Department OF lust
ice investigators had rounded up z"'
439 young men who sought to escape
the draft, and had caused tfeir in
duction into the service. More than
22O, 900 cases of men who for some
reason or other had failed to file
missionaries or to appear for phys'-
cal examination were investigated.
Looking forward to peace condl-
tions the Attorney General makes
number of recommendation for re-
form of judicial processes. Although
he referred to the difficulty OF push
ing antitrust prosecutions during the
war since the government itself mas
been in the business OF suppresslne
competition, he made no suggestions
for new antitrust legislation which
Congress is expected to undertake
soon.
War activities claimed the principle
portions of the report, and after re-
ferring to the growth Of the Depart
ment's secret service to six times us
size in 1916, and the efficient organl-
zation of the American Protective
League of 25O,NOO citizen volunteers,
Mr. Gregory said:
"It is safe to say that never In its
history has this country been so
thoroughly policed as at the present
time.
when it becomes possible, through
the lapse of time, to disclose fully the
activities of these various secret SER
vice. their work will stand out as one
of tt he substantial achievements OF the
war"
Hints of an American espionage
system were given in the statement
that the secret services have gwen
protection not only to the clvlllan
population but to the armed forces
and some of their activities have also
resulted in direct damage to the en-
emy forces abroad
Great stress was laid on the su1H-
cheney of normal civil processes ana
the needlessness of attempting to IN
woke the use of military tribunals IN
this country"
"It has been the view of this De
partment," the Attorney General saiu'
.that every act of arbitrary and un-
necessary interference with the llfe'
habits. and occupation of the citizen
would lessen efficiency, disturb order
and weaken public confidence in the
American standards Of Justice.
He added that he had emphasized
this view on other government depart
ments, resulting ''on a number or oc-
casions in preventing encroachments s
upon the jurisdiction Of the civil
tribunals of the country.
NOTED At WASHINGTON.
Washington, Dec. 6.-An earthquake
of great intensity approximately 2'5eo
miles south of Washington was re-
....a o,rl1 today IN The SeiSmOgraDh