The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-10
 STILL BESET BY
 RED ACTIVITIES
Attorney General Palmer in Annual Report Says Situa-
 tion is Serious.

Washington. Dec. 10.---The Depart ment of Justice is confronted with Increasingly dangerous radical ac- tivites," Attorney General Palmer said in his annual report submit led today to Congress
 MT. Palmer did not go into details as to red" activities in general, but said that of the total of 365, ,295 index record cards, T, 900 BeruIIon records and 262,712 finger print records now in the department, some 6O,000 rep resented data concerning reds and their work. He mentioned that the department had increased steadily it's contributOry sources of investigation, adding that this meant better facill- ties for running down persons whose lives bore marks of crime.
 MT. Palmer said that while other government agencies during the past year were rounding out their Iabors incident tC the war, his Department found itself only half way through it's scores of investigations and Itigated questions.
 Countess hundreds of claims grow ing out of the war have been made against the government. he said, and must be fought through the courts. Cases in which the government seeks to recover funds paid out through error or fraud provide another source of supply for litigation. Alleged in fringement of patent rights by the government in it's manufacture of war materials as well as similar claims arising from private manufacture of war supplies on the eost-plus arrange ment. also puts litigation on shoulders of the departments staff.
 The department policy of resuming prosecution of trusts has restored to activity other investigations and crime proving machinery, the Attorney Gen eraI added.
 In addition to these, NIT. Palmer said, the departmeu eut will be burdened for months to come with it's prosecu- ton of vioIators 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 eases will proceed imn ediateIy upon completion of that work.
 Investigate and trial argum ents during the year have shown Ioopholes in many statutes, MT. Palmer said. He called attention to the fact, that, under existing law, 1t is not a crime 10 send threatening letters through the mails unless in furtherance of q scheme to defraud or as a means of extortion.
 Pointing out that letters threaten ing personal injury or destruction of property may be sent with impunity, he urged revision of the law to cover such cases.
 MT. Palmer said also there was great need for a statute providing punishment for an individual at tempting to defraud the United States. Present statutes, he said, pro vide punishment only in the event that two or more persons conspire to defraud the government.
 Recommendation also was made thar criminal procedure be changed 10 make more simple the removal of indicted persons to the district ts where the indictments were returned. He described the present system as 'grievousIy defective." and as making removal proceedings" infinitely more cumbersome" than eXtradition
 The attorney general recommended creation of q pardon and parole board of three fully empowered to handle all pardon and parole cases thus relieving the attorney generals office of duties which are becoming increasingly heavy and onerous. '' Jurisdiction of penal institutions also should be vested in this board, he said