New-York tribune., 1919-12-09
Radical Peril
Is Increasing.
Says Palmer
Attorney General, in Annual
Report, Asserts Depart
ment Has 10000 ''Reds'
Listed; Burden Growing
Stacker Cases Numerous
Need of Pardon and Parole
Board and Tightening Up
of Laws Is Pointed Out

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8.-The Depart
ment Of Justice Is confronted with
increasingly dangerous radical activi.
ties" Attorney General Palmer said
in his annual report submitted to-day
to Congress.
Mr.. Palmer did not go into details
as to cred" activities in general, but
said that of the total of 365,295 index
record cards, 71,000 Bertillon records
and 262,712 finger print records now
in the department, some 10000 repre-
sented data concerning "Reds" and
their work. lie 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 gov
ernment 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, he said, and must be
Suere '"Ao"eH Ine CouitS. Eases 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 materials. as
we'll as similar claims arising from
private manufacture Of war supplies
on the cost-plus arrangement, also puts
litigation on the shoulders Of the de-
partment's staff.
Department Is Burdened
The department policy of resuming
prosecution of trusts has restored to
activity other Investigations and crime
proving machinery, the Attorney Gen
eral added
In addition to these, Mr.. Palmer
said, the department will be burdened
for months to come with it's prosecu-
tion of violators of the sedition and
selective service acts. Under the lat
ter, the number of cases runs high,
he said. Department agents are en-
gagged now in gathering all necessary
data through records of local draft
boards which have been assembled in
Washington, and prosecution of the
cases will proceed Immediately upon
completion Of that work.
Investigate and trial arguments
during the year have shown loopholes
in many statutes, Mr.. Palmer said.
He called attention to the fact that
under existing Jaw it is not a crime
to send threatening letters through
the mails unless in furtherance of a
scheme to defraud or as means Of
cxtortion. Pointing out that letters
threatening personal injury or destruc-
ton of property may be sent with
lmpunity, he urged revision Of the law
to cover such cases.
Fraud Statute Defective
Mr.. Palmer said also there was great
need for statute providing punish
ment for an individual attempting to
defraud the United States. Present
statutes, he said, provide punishment
only in the event that two or more
persons conspire to dcfruud the gov
ernment.
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 de-
scribed the present system as "griev-