Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-08
PALMER ADMITS
RED" ACTIVITIES
ARE DANGEROUS
Department of Justice Has
Some 10000 Records Con-
corning Their Work

Washington. Dec. S.-The Depart
ment of Justice is confronted with
increasingly dangerous radical ac-
tivities," Attorney General Palmer
said in his annual report submitted
to-day to Congress.
Mr.. Palmer did not go into details
as TO red" activities i'll general, but
said that of the total of 365.295 index
cards, 1000 Bertillon records and
262,712 finger print records now in
the department, some 10000 repre-
sented data concerning reds" and
their work. He mentioned that the
department had increased steadily its
contributory sources of investigation,
adding that this meant better facili-
ties for running down persons whose
lives bore marks of crime.
Mr.. Palmer said that while other
government agencies during the past
year were rounding out their labors
incident TO the war, his Department
found itself only half way through
its scores of Investigations and liti-
gated questions. Countless hundreds
OF claims growing out of the war
have been made against the govern
ment, he said. and must be fought
through the courts. Cases in which
the government seeks to recover
funds paid out through error or fraud
provide another source of supply for
litigation. Alleged infringement of
patent rights by the government in
its manufacture of war maerials as
well as similar claims arising from
private manufacture of war supplies
on the cost plus arrangement. also
puts litigation on shoulders of the
departments STAFF.
Other Activities Restored
The department policy of resuming
prosecution of trusts has restored to
activity other Investigations and
crime proving machinery, the Attor-
ney General added.
In addition to these. Mr. Palmer
said the department will be burdened
for months to come with its prose-
cUtion of violators of the Sedition
and SelectiYe Service Acts. Under the
latter. the number of cases runs high,
he said. Department agents are en-
gagged now in gathering all necessary
data through records of local draft
Washington and prosecution of the
cases will proceed Immediately upon
completion of that work.
Investigations and trial arguments
during the year have shown loopholes
in many statutes, Mr. Palmer said. He
called attention to the fact that, un-
der existing law. it is not a crime to
send threatening letters through the
mails unless in furtherance of a
scheme to defraud or as a means of
eXtortion. Pointing out that letters
threatening personal injury or de-
struction of property may be sent
with impunity. he urged revision of
the law to cover such cases.
Hettcr IuNNs Needed
Mr.. Palmer said also there was
great need for a statute providing
punishment for an individual at
tempting to defraud the United
States. Present statutes, he said, pro-
vide punishment only in the event
that two or more persons conspire to
defraud the government.
Recommendation also was made
that criminal procedure be changed
to make more simple the removal OF
indicted persons to the districts
where the indictments were returned
He described the present system as
"Srievously defective" and as MAX
ing removal proceedings infinitely
more cumbersome" than eXtradition.
The Attorney General recommended
creation of a pardon and parole board
OF three fully empowered to handle
ali pardon and parole cases thus re.
I:eving the Attorney Generals office
of duties which are becoming in.
cICasingly heavy and onerous." Jur.
isdiction of penal institutions alsC
should be vested in this board. ht