The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-12-12
Department OF Justice Has
Records of Radicals
STORY OF FINGER PRINT
BertiIlion Statistics and Much
Other Information Is Kept
At Washington
tAssociatod Press Dispatch. 7

l.AooOtidltu tftsS lIlSlDalCU.
Washington, December S.-The de
| partment of justice Is com ron; ed
with increasingly dangerous radical
! activities" Attorney General Palmer
said in his ami report submitted
today 10 conr.eac.
Mr.. Palpc Ga not go into details
as TO ret activities in genc~al. but
SAID hat { TIE total &c 2e5o 90 index
reed cards. 7l.0e0 Ee5t is eeco-is
ans 262.7lz t.nge@> ng':.t records naT
T! iE the depr<umcat, scnle G0.59p -ep-
resented G..ta coIc-rrhng reds" and
their work. lie mentioned that the
department had increased steadily its
contriburory courses OF investigation,
adding that tbs meant better facili
/ ties for running down persons whose
I lives bore mari7g Of crime.
/ Mr. Palmer sa;d that while other
/ government agencies during tire past
ycai were rounding out their iabors
i ia.iicpt 70 the war. the department
found tCalf only half way through It's
ceres on Investigations and iitigat-
-c9 Questions. Countless hundreds OF
claims growing out OF the war have
been made against the government.
he said. and mus be fought through
The courts Cases in which the gov
ornmelt seeks TO recover funds paid
cut through error OF fraud provide
another source of supply for litiga
tion. Alleged infringement Of patent
rights by the government in its man
ufacture of war materials as well as
similar claims arising from private
manufacture of war supplies on the
cost plus arrangement also puts liti-
CATION on shoulders of the depart
ment's staff.
Prosecution of Trusts.
Tho department policy Of resum
ing prosecution of trusts has restor-
ed to activity other investigations
and crime proving machinery, the
attorney general added.
In addition to these. Mr.. Palmer
said. the department will be burden
cd for months 10 cone with lis
prosecution Of violators of the Sedi-
ton and Sslective Service Acts. In
der the latter. the numbe" OF cases
enfs are engaged now in gathering
all necessary data throush records of
local draft boards which have been
runs high. he said. Department ag-
assembled in Washington and prose-
cution of the cases viii proceed i'm
.mediately upon completion of that
orl H
investigations and triri n-Euments
during the year have s'lr" N loopholes
in many statutes, Mr.. p1lT1er said.
He called attention to tho fact that.
under existing law, ii u not a crime
to send threatening letters through
the mails unless in furlherance OF
scheme to defraud or as means OF
extortion. Pointing out that letters
threatening personal injury or de-
struction CT property may be sent
with impunity, he urged revision on
the law to cover such cases.
Punishment For Frauds.
Mr.. Palmer said also there was
great need for q salute PROVIDING
Punishment for an individual at
tempting to defraud the United
states. Present statutes, he said,
provide punishment only in the ev-
ent that two or more persons con-
suire 10 iefraud the government
recommendation also was mace
that criminal procedure be changed
IN make n.ore simple the removal OF
indicted persons 10 the districts
where the indictments we're returned
He described the present system as
"grievously defective" and as max
ING removal proceedings infnlteS
more cumbersome" than extradition-
The attorney general recommended
creation of a pardon and parole
hoard of three fully empowered 10
handle all pardon and parole cases
tbus relieving the attorney general
orica duties (Which are becoming in
creasingly heavy and onerous. Jur-
isdiction of penal institutions also
should be vested IN TINS Doai"'