New-York tribune., 1920-05-01

disturbance is not in labor strikes, but
Ia rent strikes, according to a state
ment made last night by Chief Flynn.
Mr. Flynn said the Department of Jus
tee is IN possession of information
showing that "a great rent strike in
Volving the concerted action of many
thousands of tenants is planned to
start to-day in various sections of New
York. - ave"
Disorder arising from this outbreak
would be used by radical agitators as
the basis upon which to construct a
general uprising, the Department Of
Justice agents believe.
MI. FLYNN said hundreds of landlords
had received threatening communica-
tons indicating a concerted action
strike, which might be made the start
ing point for serious Red revolution.
Centers in Brownsville
The district. in which the movement
centers IS Brownsville. There. accord .
ing to the information of the Depart
ment of Justice officials, 25 900 tenants
nave recently been banded together to
proclaim a strike to-day.
Every tenant has paid an initiation
fee of 81 before being admitted to
membership into the strike organiza-
ton. and the total fund at the disposal
OF the organization is between $50 900
and sT5 ,eOe.
Police Department plans for counter
action OF possible trouble include spe-
clal instructions TO all police captains
urging a particular watchfulness over
all radical and Socialistic gatherings
men who arc known to have anarchistic
tendencies or 10 have expressed revo-
lutonary beliefs Will be visited from
time TO time during the day and will
make every move under police sur
Neillance.
Special police guards have been ar
ranged for all public buildings, railway
terminals, bridges and banks, and pub
lie men who have been prominent in
the opposition to radicaism in its vari-
Gus forms will be guarded by special
details of detectives, who will also
keep close watch upon their homes
and business Offices
Search of radical or socialstic meet
ings will be made and any arms found
will be cnnascated and the owners
arrested. The Police Department has
also sent out privately q special warn
ing 10 all public men cautioning them
to take more than ordinary care in
the handling of any package sent to
them through the mails
The Socialist organization has plan
ned series of mass meetings, indoor
and cut, to celebrate the birthday
of the Paris Commune. While it is
regarded as no part of the present
policy of the authorities to interfere
with indoor meetings so long as they
remain peaceful, it was announced last
night that outdoor gatherings would
not be permitted and that no permits
would be issued for parades or Demon
strations IN the city streets or squares.
This would materially interfere with
the plans of the Socialists, for there
are several big street meetings an
nounced by the leaders. These include
an open air demonstration at o'clock
at Rutgers Square, anothc, It the same
hour at Seventh Street and Avenue b:
an evening meeting at o'clock at
Tenth Street and Second Avenue, and
an ali-day series of outdoor meetings
IN the Brownsville section.
The largest indoor meeting is planned
for Gr the New Star Casino, at 1o7th
Street and Park Avenue. August Claes-
sens, one of the expelled Assemblymen,
IS scheduled TO speak at this gather-
ing with Judge Jacob Panken, Charles
". Erwin, Edward / Cassidy and Marie
Mac Donald, all prominent radicals.
Other meetings are planned for the
Labor i.yceum, Manhattan; the Labor
Lyceum. Brownsville; Palace Hall, |
William sburg, and Belmont Mansion.
Bath each. Concerts are planned in !
lne evening at Carnegie Hall and the
list Regiment Armory.
No Strikes Planned
New York leaders of organized labor
denied positively yesterday that any
GtTke, either general or local, was con- |
templated, Union officials were vehe- |
ment IL their denials, and assailed At i
torney General Palmer and the Depart.
ment OF Justice agents for their atti- |
tuGe.
Ernest Bohm, secreta4y of the Cen
tral Federated Union, said that while !,
in past years it had been a custom to
celebrate May Day by parades and the |
ike. this year that custom would not
be followed. lie said it was his opin-
ion that Attorney General Palmer was |
trying to divert the attention of the ,
Am erican people from soaring food |
pi1 ces, which he had promised to halt, |
by alarming them with Red scares.
! is the government of the United |
States being run by mentally sick |
men ?" asked Mr.. Bohm. Famous ply
sicians have wondered how far the |
Presidents unfortunate mental break
down has untitled him for performing |
the duties of his office. Now comes At |
torney General Palmer with a state |
nent which might have originated |
from some victim of delusional insan-
lty in an asylum.
; at is kinder to believe that the At |
torney General is suffering from men
tai illness than to suppose he really |
belleves his sensational predictions of |
assasslnation plots and Red uprisings |
Army of Spies, He Says
"The Department of Justice has an
army of spies acting in organizations |
of foreign workers everywhere. Why |
has he not unearthed the instigators |
Of the bomb plots of last year?
. "Unless he makes good on his accu- |
sations that these outrages were per
formed by Reds, the people will be
forced to believe the statement of |
Judge Anderson, Of Boston, that the |
government owns and operates a part |
OF the Communist party and that gov
agents among foreign wage |
groups have actually melted |
TO violence and law breaking.
1T is necessary for an army of gov
ernment spies to hold fast to their Jobs !
created by the war emergency, and this /
may furnish the incentive for Attorney |
General Palmer's seeing things at |
night.' Time will prove the assass
nation prediction ridiculous and q
cheap method of making political CAPT
tai and furnishing an excuse for the |
existence of an un-American spy sys~
tenn, similar to that of the late Rus
sian Gar"
The heads of the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers Union. and the