Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-18
|ARTISTS' HAUNT
IN new YORK MAY
Be RED CE NTER
Investigation Of "ParIor Bol.
shevism" Leads Federal
Officials to Green
witch Village.


troubles are lowering over "Green-
wich Village" the habitation At the
loot of Fifth avenue of artists, liter
: lry folks and just plain "bohem-
lans." Inquiries Of Attorney Cen
erai Palmer into "parlor boleshe-
vism" are leading, among other
places. straight down into "the viii
iage," and the "intellectuals with
kadyanced thoughts" the declaimers
on the "uplift of the downtrodden"
ard the opponents of Americas in
dustrial despotism" are having cause
to hold their heads nearer together
over the candle-it tables, and whis-
per in more awesome whispers than
they have done in long day. >.
Authorship of some of the tons OF
fred" literature and un-American
propaganda which have been seized
by the agents of the attorney gen
Eerai is being traced into the haunts
cf the village. Not all of it has been
written there, to be sure, but there
lis evidence that some of it has.
Probe Palmer Bomb.
L For several weeks the agents of
Attorney General Palmer have been
lurking around the village, and not
before in all its existence has it
known such stirring times. Rumors
rife that the government agents are
here" have furnished larger thrills
than all Of the productions OF art
and literary effort that the village
has sponsored. 1t has been rumored,
and the Department of Justice has
not denied II, that there have been
almost as many government agents
In the district as there were regular
Inhabitants.
4 Along last May, when the home
IDf attorney General Palmer in
Washington was partially wrecked
by a bomb, William F. Flynn, for
mer head Of the secret service, was
5:allcd to spread a "dragnet" for
bombists, terrorists, agitators and
ghe distributors OF anti-American
propaganda. Mr.. Flynn made no
Statements or announcements. He
Hid not give out interviews or re-
h:eive visits of the newspaper men.
He set to work building up, an or
Syanization and looking for evidence
bn which the government could act
Aecisively, thoroughly and effec-
lively.
\ Some time later--the officials of
|the Department of Justice do not
Nay just how long--the eyes of Mr..
Flynn were focused on Greenwich
Village. He suspected it was a
Feeding place for anti-American
pctrines, and he sent men and
bomen down there to find out.
Paid Village Authors.
III Just what was learned is not
hated, but this fact is vouchsafed.
Ehe campaign of the Department of
Justice is not at an end. 1t is about
lo enter upon its second phase-that
bf rounding up the "parlor bolshe-
! lists" who have indulged in the
business of writing booklets and
Pamphlets proclaiming anarchistic
Haoctrines and preaching the over
Throw of the government, and those
|Tho have supplied the money for
carrying on the campaign in Amer
lea.
h Some of the booklets, according
|to intinations of the. department,
bad their origin in the Village, and
|}ome of the funds paid out to writ
|ers Of this material found its way
|aown into ito haunts.
n A large part of the work of in
|kestigation of the department has
|kentered in New York, extending to
lbs bohemian rendezvous.
h The "parlor bolshevists" have not
been regarded as particularly dan
kerous by the department. They
Rave merely served to inspire others
o do the dangerous things. They
lave talked and furnished money,
khiie others have considered the
lays and means of translating their
entiments and views into action.
Il is not the intention of the De-
Sartment Of Justice, it is stated. to
Interfere with free speech and law
MI assembly, but there is determi-
|bation to draw the line at seditious
|ktterances against the government. |
The department does not consider
hata the breaking of laws is free
5pcech or lawful assembly.