The sun., 1918-09-12
GREGORY CRITICISES
NY. STACKER RAID
Acknowledgement Finds Local
Officers Exceeded Their
Authority.
REPORTS TO PRESIDENT
No Dismissals VIII Follow,
but Disciplinary Action
May Be Taken.
REPORTS TO PRESIDENT
Special Despaich TO TIE suS.

Special Despatch TO THE srs.
WASHINGTON. Sept. 11.--Local oficers
Of the Department OF Justice who con-
Quoted the Stacker raids In New York
city clearly exceeded their authority In
the conduct OF the roundup, and violated
often repeated instructions of the De-
partment, according TO an ofiicial report
on the raids made by Attorney General
Gregory to the President.
Responsibility for this excess Of au-
thority and violation of Instructions is
not personally placed in the report.
Charles +. De Woody. head of the
New York office of the Bureau of In
vestigations. is. however. responsible to
the Department. as he was In charge.
1t was learned on good authority that
no dismissals as a result Of the conduct
Of the New York raids will follow, but
some disciplinary action In addition to
the making public Of the Attorney Den
erals report may be- taken.
The report sets forth that the EN-
ployment of soldiers and sailors In max
ing arrests was not only unlawful. but
ill judged. as such mon are not htted
BY training or experience to exercise the
proper discretion.
distractions Not Obeyed.
On this point. the report of the Attor-
ney-general says;
Where arrests were necessary 1t was
never contemplated that they should be
made by any but .p0tice officials OF the
United States or Of the States and nut
inequalities where the canvass was be-
ing conducted. The making OF arrests
Iin such cases by the military or by the
members Of any private orga nisation
would have been contrary to law and
contrary to the express directions Of the
lAttorney-general, except in the case of
tdeserters. where, OF course. the military
authorities had the power TO make ar
rests.
1T was expected. however. that where
the number detained was large this de-
partment in making the necessary In
lvestigations would have the aid of the
lAmerican Protective League, a private
organization OF established standing,
which had long been participating In the
enforcement Of the selective service law
by express invitation OF the Provost Mar
shall General, and that in. guarding the
persons taken into custody, II would have
the aid Of units, Of the military and
naval forces.
Contrary to my express instructions
instructions which I have repeated over
and over again, and contrary to law,
certain members Of the investigating
force of this department without con-
aJlltation with me or with any law OIL
Ger of the department. used soldiers
and sailors and certain members of the
tAmerican Protective League. 1 am
satisfied. in making arrests. ! am con-
WINGED by the inquiries which ! have
made that they were led into this
Or each OF authority by excess of zeal
Tor the public good While this
extenuates, It does not excuse their
action. 49,.
Poor Judgment shown.
/ SBesidea being urlawfula the en-
Aloyment OF members of the ',rfiiitar,
fbSes and of private orsanlzsff 6nB' IN
naking arrests was III Judged. AS, stc,,
men are not generally fitted by train
ing or experience to exercise the dis
lcfetion required in the circumstances
Mr.. Gregory accepts full responsible
ity for the raids and declares that they
were Justified and necessary and they
would be continued unless otherwise d.
rected by the President He says that
rome persons who should not have beer
detained were detained. and that a NUM-
Der suffered inconvenience but on the
whole were prepared to suffer such in.
convenience TO aid In the round up OF
slackers and deserters
Figures in the report on the number
of detentions are apparently far below
those published at the time of the raids
Mr.. Gregory gives the total of those ap