Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-04
Action Is Necessary.

lSE IL IS not full meeting OF the meN-
4 ace of anarchism accompanied by ter
-sroristic methods to declare that those
unbalanced. They are doubtless I'M
sound of mind, but that fact does not
make them the less dangerous Rather
sthe more so. Their views of society
sare perverted, their proposed RENE
dies for social ills are the vagarics
of the demented. They reason crooked
q ~, they see Enthusiastically, they. act
'serazily. But they are dangerous, even
as mad dog is dangerous.
= The United States has been more
than lenient with these criminals and
zstheir abettors in the past 1t has per-
mitted their open meetings, taking
notes of words uttered, words shrewd-
lily chosen to keep just within the lev,
ter of the law. 1t has arrested a few
of the more radical agitators during
1.-THE course of the war. Now they APP
pear to think that there is no courage
on the part of the government, or not
sufficient wit to ferret them out. They
issue defiant challenge, disclosed CO.
incidentally with an outbreak of bomb,
attacks in eight cities.
Now is the time of crisis. A deter
mined attack is being made upon the
sspubie security by representatives of
various seditious cults. Some are plain
anarchists working together only by
reason of the, natural affinity of the
u>lawless. Some are radical socialists,
verging upon anarchism in their views,
,rwho are banded into organizations.
Some are affiliated with that iniqui-
tous organization, the Industrial
Workers of the World Some are di-
= rect representatives of the Russian boil
..shevik soviet, the last word in iniquity.
~ In the name of labor, in the name of
the proletariat, in the name of social
reform, these various agencies of evil
are seeking to start social revolu-
1stion. In the ranks of accepted So
.seiety are many persons, who uphold
their views ACCIDENTALLY, who applaud
their flights Of frenzied eloquence, who
defend their declarations Of revolt
Now is the time to put all of these
supporters Of the radicals under more
:rfhan surveillance, to put them. under
actual restraint. They are as mis-
chievous as though they were making
bombs.
Action is needed, action that will
give the governments defensive safe
guards real potency. 1t is said that
knowledge is had of the existence Of
,seertain cred centersp in various cities.
They should be cleaned out, as moral
pestholes. II is unsafe to wait for
specific proof of individual criminality.
1t is dangerous to delay until jury
apsoof cases can be found The detee-
ton of the guilty makers and shippers
OF bombs is difficult, but the detec
ton Of those who are preaching vio-
ience is not difficult.
There will be anxiety until it is
$known that these red centefs are ex-
Terminated. The people will feel I'M
safe, not merely in their personal af-
fairs, but in a national sense. if there
ii continued conservatism of opera
ton by the government. in the matter
of protection against the radicals. The
people do not demand victim regard
:. less of guilt. They. do demand ac-
ton, which, with an army Of police and
secret service and military intelligence
Operatives available. should not be
difficult to secure, with small chance of
injustice to individuals. /,