Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-08
ATTORNEY GENERAL
AF TER PROF|TEERS
Palmer's Report Shows Methods
Adopted Toward Food
Hoarders
ASKS MORE RIGID LAWS

Washington. Dee. s. - The Depart
ment of Justice is confronted with in
creasingy dangerous radical activities, ~
Attorney General Palmer said i'll his
annual report submitted today to Con
gress.
Mr.. Palmer did not 60 into details as
to Red" activities in general. but said
that Of the total of 365.295 index rec
ord cards. II 900 Bertillon records and
262. .712 finger print records now in the
department. some GO. 900 represented
data concerning Reds and their work.
He said the department had increased
steadily its contributory sources of in
ycstigation. adding that this meant bet
ter facilities for running down persons
whose lives bore marks of crime.
The attorney general said that while
other government agencies during the
last year were rounding out their labors
incident to the war, his department
found itself only half way through its
scores of Investigations and litigated
questions. Countless hundreds of claims
growing out of the war have been made
against the government, Mr., Palmer
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 In
fringement of patent rights by the gov
crnment in its manufacture OF war ma r.
terials, as we'll as similar claims arising
from private manufacture of war sup
plies on the cost plus arrangement, also
nuts litigation on the shoulders of tht
denartmcnt staff.
! The department policy of resuminG
prosecution of trusts has restored tc
activity other investigations and crime
proving machinery, the attorney genera
/ added.
In addition to these. Mr.. Palmer
| said. the department will be burdeneC
| for months to come with its prosecutor
| Of violators of the sedition and selectlV'
| service acts. Under the latter the mum
Der of cases runs high. Department
agents are engaged now in gathering al
necessary data through records OF lorh
draft boards which have been assemble
eases will proceed immediately upoI
completion of that work.
Loopholes in the Statutes
Investigations and trial argument
during the year have shown loophoIcs Il
many statutes. said the attorney gen
eral. He called attention to the fac
that, under existing law. it is not
crime to send threatening letter
through the mails unless in furtheranc
of scheme to defraud or as ineaus
extortion Pointing out shat letter
threatening personal injury or destruc
ton of property may be sent with I'm
uunity, he urged revision of the law
cover such cases,
Mr.. Palmer declared there was gres
need for statute providing punish
ment for an individual attempting TO dc
, fraud the United States. Preser
statutes, he said, provide punishmer
. only in the event that two or MOI
b persons couspire to defraud the GOV
ernmenl.
= Recommendation was made this
, criminal procedure be changed to mai
, more simple the removal of indict'
persons to the districts where the il
, dictments were returned He describe
/, the present system as ''grievously dc
= fectiVe," and as making removal Pre-
ceedings infinitely more cumbersome
than extradition. -.
; The attorney general recommend
creation of a pardon and parole boar
Of three fully empowered to handle q
D., pardon and parole cases, thus relievil
4 the attorney generals Office of duti
G (which are becoming increasingly hea'
and onerous," Jurisdiction of penal il
. stitutions also should be vested in til
70 board he said