The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-12-19

REDS ACTIVE
AND DANGEROUS
SAYS PALMER

9 VI -
with increasingly dangerous radi.
cal activities" Attorney General
Palmer said In his annual report to
Congress.
Mr.. Palmer did not 80 into de-
tails as. to red" activities In gen
tral. but said that OF the total OF 800.
295 index record cards, 1000 Ber-
tilliou records and 262.7l2 finger
print records now In the depart
ment, some 10000 represented data
concerning reds" and their work,
He mentioned that the department
had increased steadily It's contribu-
tory sources Of investigation. add
ing that this meant better facilities
for running down persons whose
lives bore marks OF crime.
Mir. Palmer said that while other
government agencies during the
past year were rounding out their
labors incident to the var, h!s Do
pa rtment found itself only ha,f way
through its scores OF Investigations
end litigated questions. Countless
hundreds of claims growing out of
the war have been male against the
government. he said, aud must be
fcugh through the courts. Cases In
which the government, SEEKS 10 re-
cover funds pair out through error
or fraud provide another source OF
supply for litigation. Alleged In
fringement OF patent rights by the
in It's man uiacture -
war materials as well as similar
claims arising from private manu-
facture OF war supplies on the cost
plus arrangement. also puts litiga-
ton on shoulders OF the department
staff.
The department policy OF resum-
ing prosecution OF trusts has restor-
ed to activity other Investigations
and crime proving machinery the-Ht-'
torney General added.
In addition to these, Mr.. Palmer
said. the department will be burden
ed for months to come with It's pro.
secution Of violators of the Sedition
and Selective Service Acts. Under
the latter. the number OF cases runs
high, he said. Department agents
are engaged now in gathering all
necessary data through records Of
local draft boards which have been
in Washington and prose-
cution OF the cases will proceed i'm
upon completion OF that
work.
investigations and trial arguments
juTing the year have shown loop
holes in many statutes. Mr.. Palmer
said. He called attention TO the fact
hat, under existing law, II is not
crime to send threatening letters
through the mails unless in further
,nce OF scheme to defraud or as
means OF extortion. Pointing out
hat letters threatening personal in J
Jury or destruction OF property may
De sent with impunity, he urged re-
rision OF the law to cover such cases. |
Mr.. Palmer said also there was
,reat need for statute providing |
only in the event that
wo or more persons conspire to de-
raud the government.
Recommendation also was made |
hat criminal procedure be changed
o make more simple the removal
# indicted persons to the district
shere the indictments were return
d. He described the present system
s. "grievously defective" and as
,aking removal proceedings "infin-
tely more cumbersome" than ex-
The attorney general recommend /
d creation of a pardon and parole
oard of three fully empowered
andle all pardon and parole cases
lius relieving the attorney generals
ffice OF duties which are becom-
og increasingly heavy and 'onerous."
Jurisdiction of penal institutions al