The Washington times., 1919-11-16
PREACH|NGOF
ANARCHY
CRIME |NU. s,
SAYSPALM|ER

resolutlon calling upon him to advise
and inform the Senate what steps
the Department of Justice has taken
to bring about the arrest and pun
ishment of persons in the United
States who have been preaching an
archy and sedition and advising the
forcible overthrow of the Govern
ment. -
Preaching Anarchy No Crime.
The Attorney General advised Con-
gress as follows:
"One-Those who have attempted
to bring about the forcible overthrow
of the Government of the United
states have committed no crime un-
less their acts amount to treason,
rebellion or seditious conspiracy This
is defined in Sections /, and 6, of the
criminal code.
"Two-The preaching of anarchy
and sedition is not a crime under the
general statutes of the United States.
"Three-Advising the defiance OF
law is not a crime under the general
criminal laws, whether the same be
done by printing and circulating
literature or by the spoken word.
"Four-Nor is advising and openly
advocating the unlawful obstruction
lent destruction of property:-a crime
under the United States general
| statutes.
| 81 might state that this opinion has
been formed by me only after con-
sultation with and advice from the
leading criminal lawyers of the
country"
Espionage Act Only for War.
The Attorney General says he has
felt the espionage act was limited to
acts and utterances which tended to
weaken the weight of actual hostili-
ties. This view seems to be generally
| accepted, he says. even by Senator
| Poindexter, who introduced the Es-
| pionage act.
Nevertheless, the Attorney General
says he has brought several prose-
cutions in order to obtain final rulings
of the courts as to the espionage law,
and it's application to Acts committed
since the cessation of the activities
] of our armed forces.
The Attorney General says the
| general statutes as to treason and
rebellion doHnot apply to the present
| radical activities. The only remain
| ing esisting statue which is possi-
bly, applicable, he says, is Section 6
| of the Federal Penal and Coal of
1910, which relates to the conspiring
of two or more persons in any State
or territory to put down, or destroy
/ by force the Government of the
! United States.
4 Fails To Sustain Action.
Under this section, the Attorney
General brought an action against
FL Ariete Society, an anarchistic or
ganization in operation in Buffalo.
y. Y. This society issued a manifesto
in which II threatens the officer Of
the United States Government as fol-
lows:
"Cannibals, your hour of reckoning
has arrived. You have fattened be-
fore having your throats cut like
hogs. You haven't lived, and conse-
quently cannot die, decently like
men"
On July "a. 1919, this case came be-
fore Judge Hazel of the Western Dis
trict of New York, and the indict-
ment was dismissed, the court hold
ing that the declarations of the
manifesto did not come within the
meaning of the statue.
The Attorney General continued:
"On June IA, 1919, i appeared before
the judiciary Committee of the Sem
ate and outlined the conditions that
confronted us. l then recommended
that legislation be passed which
would make sedition and seditious
utterances and publications n crime
whether committed by an individual
or by two or more in conspiracy.
Such legislation has never been
enacted by Congress.
Scores Radical Papers.
zone of the most potent and far
lreaching influences in stirring up
discomfort, race prejudice. and class
lhatred in this country is the large
number of radical newspapers and
other publications. which are given
wide circulation. Many of these pub
Ilications frankly urge the overthrow
lof the Government.
| There are 222 radical newspapers,
published in foreign languages. in this
| country at the present time. an! lOj
radical newspapers published in the
English language. in addition, 1ii
radical newspapers published in for
ieign countries, are received and dis
Itributed to subscribers here This
number does not include the hundreds
OF books, pamphlets and other pubIi-
cations which also receive wide cir
cuIation, many Of them published in
foreign languages.
These newspapers and pubIica-
tOnS, more IAN any other ono thiSE,
perhaps, are responsible for the
spread Of the Bolshcvik. revolutionary
and extreme radical doctrines in this
country. Every effort is made to
get them into the hands of persons
who IL Is believed will be swaved by
their teachings. The reader or sub
scriber of radical newspaper uses
his paper not only for his own in
formation, but as a means of propa-
ganda TO educate his fellow workmen
and inoculate him with the doctrine
OF anarchism, communism and radical
socialism, and thus enlist his services
in the revolution.
Radicals Look to Negroes.
From the date of the signing of
the armlstlce, a wave of radicalism
appears to haev swept over the coun-
try. which is best evidenced by the
fact that since that date. approx
mately fifty radical newspapers have
commenced publication. A large num-
Der OF these papers openly advocate