The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-02
Government Investigates Cap
per-VOiIand Methods Here.
Inspired DislOyalty Papers To
See Result in Topeka.
KANSAS DEMANDS The FACTS!
1t Is Up To Capper and Voiland
To Give Them Up.
Governor Capper Gives His
Version Today.

It is a cheap sort of reply to say
a State Journal article is "a politi-
cally inspired assault, etc." IAN ugly
and venomous attack" This paper
is going to print the truth and the
facts, whether political or non-politi-
cal. Politics is not an avocation of
the editor and proprietor of the State
Journal. He is a candidate for no Of
flee His readers want facts, regard
less, whether they hit anybody or not
Decoys may have been used by the
government in the investigation of the
Capper-Voiland method of handling
disloyalty letters. There is a quite
deep rooted opinion in Topeka today
that several disloyalty letters sent to
Governor Capper and turned over by
him to Fred Voiland were inspired and
even dictated by government agents
and investigators.
There is continued mystery and un-
certainty concerning the policies
which may be adopted by federal Of
ficials in handling the case. For
rather obvious reasons the district at
torney's office has declined to take
the public into the secret. Neither
methods nor policies will be discussed.
Neither is the public offered any in
formation at this time concerning the
facts which have been gathered from
various sources.
1t is practically a settled fact, how
ever, that further actions of federal
officials in this district will be direct
ed officially from Washington. 1t is
known that evidence gathered in the
investigation conducted by Arthur T.
Bagley, chief of Investigators, has
h6an sinh fn
for publication of the facts in the
case in Mondays editions of the State
Journal, it is quite certain that the
method Governor Capper and Voiland
had adopted in handling the hundreds
of disloyalty letters, would have been
undisturbed until the government
took official action
No Credentials Yet.
Statements by Voiland to the effect
that he was working under authority
and approval of the department of
justice and it's coordinate branches.
are now being investigated. Voiland
has not, however, made public his
Washington credentials
Opinions of men familiar with
methods of federal Investigations, are
to the effect that the government has
probably gathered considerable evil
dence that is not for public consump..
tion-at least at this time. One of
these methods has probably been the
sending of decoy letters to Governor
Capper from various sections of the
state.
Under the plan of his investigation,
as outlined by Mr.. Voiland, informa-
ton in all cases is secured from local
sources. Later, if conditions seem to
warrant, a report may be made to
some branch of the government. Thus
a complaint from Colby might be re-
ferred back to some person whom
in he
town or county. Finally the case
might reach some government depart
ment.
Federal Officers in Dark.
1t was this action wherein Voiland
is asserted to have exercised his own
judgment that reports of many dis
loyalty cases we're withheld from the
district attorney or United States mar
shall. In fact, Fred Robertson, United
States district attorney. and o. T.
Wood, United States marshal, told the
State Journal that the federal officers
ate in the hundreds of cases which
directly belonged to their depart
ments.
Only a formal statement from the
federal departments will probably
clear the muddle which has caused a
sensation in Topeka and Kansas. There
is a belief, tho. that much informa-
ton not made public, has been Sc
cured by the government. 1t is the
belief of a number of people familiar
with federal procedure that decoy
letters were sent to the governor from
various sections of the state. These
letters, it - believed, were mailed by
persons of German parentage. But
the text of the decoy letters may have
| been suggested-even dictated-by
persons in the employ of the federal
government.
Kansas Wants the Facts.
Governor Capper and Fred Voiland
have undertaken the probe of hun
dreds of disloyalty complaints in Kan
sas. They voluntarily took up this
work with the authority or approval
of the department of justice and its
branches or without it If they acted
acquiescence of the state council of de-
fense, they assumed rights and powers
which might be assumed by any in
dividual.
Unless the work of handling these
cases was under approval and auth
ority of the federal government and
with the cooperation of its branches,
it was an interference of the admins
tration of justice. 1t was an offense
under the laws of this government.
If Governor Capper and Mr.. Voiland
have authority from the department
of justice to solicit. insDect and deter
mine the value. of disloyalty COM
plants. they will certainly make it
public. Certainly there >can be no
reason for keeping such authority
from thousands of people who are n
terested in thi matter. Certainly
| Kansans who have given $4,000 of
dollars to war funds. are entitled to
know fho facts CarfaipIv Corarpor