Omaha daily bee., 1919-03-29
PALMER. PLANS
DEPORTATION OF
ENEMY ALIENS
Attorney General Will Seek
Legislation to Deal With
Advocacy of Sedition
After War Is Ended.

Washington, March>28.-Congress
will be asked for a new law by At
torney General Palmer, if the De-
partment of Justice finds it impossi-
BILE to deal with lawless agitation af-
ter the proclamation of peace and
the attendant expiration of the es-
pionage act under which prosecu-
tons for sedition are now brought.
Anyone who is counting upon
being able to advocate sedition in
this country with IMMUNITY after the
expiration Of the espionage act will
find himself sadly mistaken" said
the attorney general today. IF i
find it necessary, | shall certainly
urge upon congress the enactment
of law which will allow us to pros
ecute persons stirring up sedition.
81 am not yet ready to say
whether | shall urge the re-enact-
-ment of part of the espionage act,
or some other form of legislation.
But the Department of Justice will
do its utmost to bring about the
passage of a law to deal with the
situation
1000 Aliens 1nterned.
It was through speech delivered
by Mr.. Palmer while he was custo-
dian of alien property that the SEN
ate was aroused to investigate enc
my propaganda in this country.
Attorney General Palmer, disclos-
ing today that about 1000 enemy
aliens were interned during the war,
said paroles would be granted to
some 600 of the harmless class, 9TH
crs would be repatriated, and 900
dangerous persons would be held in
definitely, including about 200 pro-
fessed members of the /. w. W..
or anarchistic rganization, whose
cases would be referred to the De-
partment of Labor with view to
their deportation. ~.
Nearly all of the 1000 informed
are men and half of them are mer-
chant seamen whose ships sought
refuge in American ports. About
1900 of the seamen and 500 other
Germans regarded as dangerous
have made application for repatria-
ton, and the Department of Justice
expects that arrangements will be
made soon through the State de-
partment for sending them back to
Germany.
"The Department OF Justice" said
Mr.. Palmer, "has recently directed
the release on parole of about 900
persons belonging to the more
harmless class of dangerous alien
enemies. When these men have been
paroled and the repatriation plan
above referred to is carried out,
there will remain in the internment
camps approximately 900 dangerous
alien enemies, and it is not expect
ed that any substantial number of
these will be released in the near
future.
Deportation Planned.
'"About 200 of this number are
professed members of the I. w. w.
or anarchistic organizations and
their cases will be referred to the
secretary of labor with a view to
securing their deportation if, in his
opinion, the evidence warrants such
action.
"The residue of these 900 danger
Gus alien enemies contains a large
number of convicted criminals, spies
and enemy agents who, in the view
OF the attorney general, ought not
to be permitted under any circum-
stances to remain in this country
after the declaration of peace.
1T is the intention of the attor-
ney general to renew at the next
session of congress the request for
legislative power to deport the most
dangerous of these alien enemies.
UNLESS legislation of this charac-
ter is provided by congress it will
become necessary Immediately on
of peace to set free all
alien enemies then in confinement,
the criminals, spies and
enemy agent above referred to-"