New-York tribune., 1919-11-13
BIan,es U. S. for
l. W. W. Murders
Cer,tralio Crime Due to
Failure to Enforce Lac,
Says Sen. POindexter
Neso York Tribune
WASHINGTON Bureau.

Washington Bureau.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12.-Failurc of
the Federal Administration to enforce
the laws against radicals and anar-
chists was largely responsible for the
/. W. W. murders yesterday at Cen
tralia, Wash, Senator Poindexter, of
that state, charged in statement to-
day. The statement follows:
"This detestable outrage is the fear
full penalty which Centralia has paid
for the overlenient policy of the ma
tional Administration toward anarch-
lists and murderous communists In
stead of prescribing, deporting and
otherwise punishiLg ss the laws pro-
vide this miserable human ysrmln
which seeks to destroy civilization the
government has shown them many IA
yors.
Urges Quick Punishment
~ pointed out in resolution which
was adopted by the Senate October ID
last ample laws under which these
criminals can be punished. They have
flooded the country with literature in
citing resistance to legal and germ
mental authority. Under the statutes
of the United States this is punishable
by six years imprisonment and $4,000
fine.
Most of their leaders are aliens
Under the Federal statutes aliens who
advocate Bolshevism, which means
forcible communism, or who teach the
doctrines of anarchy are subject to
deportation. These laws have been
practically dead letters. A few feeble
moves have been made by the Admins
h,,< J, 1 {;o
and complete program which would
sweep the country clean of these enc
mics of society has been either con-
ceived or carried out.
"Since the passage of the resolution
referred to above. calling upon the At
torney General for information as to
what action has been taken in this re-
spect, there has been considerable &C
tivity by his department. To what ex-
tent it will be followed up remains to
be seen. Force, unfortunate as a re-
sort to this method may be, is the only
means of dealing with Bolsheviki. 1t
is the only argument that sappeals to
them. They choose force voluntarily
as q means of political and economic
decision.
Many States Negligent
"That which they advocate should be
Federal government Of course, the
state also can do great deal. and
many states have been quite negligent
in this respect The fact of the case
is, the state has fundamental jurisdic-
tion in the matter, the Federal govern
ment having jurisdiction only in the
protection of its own authority, where
as the states jurisdiction extends to
the full police powers of government.
This miserable and cowardly crime
is very similar in its character to the
murders committed by Thomas Mooney
in San Francisco at the time of the
hoped that the active assistance which
has been given by the Federal govern
ment in behalf of Thomas Mooney,
convicted by overwhelming evidence of
this crime, will not be extended to
those guilty of the Centralia outrage"
The Centralia murders were de-
scribed in the House by Representa-
tive Johnson, Republican, Washington,
as can attempt at revolution with bull
let's and rifles, which the country has
long feared
Mayor Rogers of Centrala saying the
country must be purged of sedition-
lists and revolutionists to the last one,
and if this means war the quicker
it was declared the better"
eve of the Pacific Northwest have
long seen it coming" he said, eve
have been patient, have avoided blood
shed under every provocation, only to
see these young men murdered Their
death will arouse the loyal people Of
the United States as nothing else has
done.
"History will record these heroes as
among the first to fall in an attempt
at armed revolution against the United
States, and for which every man who
has been preaching syndicalism, com
munism and class hatred is respon-
sible"