Evening star., 1920-01-04
Big Number Facing
Charges Makes
Task Hard.
RADICALS BEHIND
TWO BIG STRIKES
Steel and Coal Disor'
ders Were Planned
to Help Unseat
Government.


Hearings will be initiated as soon
as possible in the cases of 1855 aliens
taken Friday night in raids made by
Department of Justice agents on rad
ical headquarters, it was announced
last night by Anthony Caminetti
commissioner general of the bureau
of immigration Of the Department OF
Labor.
The Department Of Justice and the
Department of Labor will cooperate
in every possible way to dispose of
the persons taken in custody, but, 1t
is stated, the unprecedented number
of cases to be heard will make some
delay unavoidable. Arrangements
for transporting the deportees across
the Atlantic cannot be made until it
is known how many will eventually
be ordered out of the country.
Plan to Overthrow Government.
Announcement was made by the
Department of Justice last nlght
that radical leaders had planned to
make the recent steel and coal
strikes the starting point for over
throwing organized government in
this country, and that they were
greatly disappointed when the rank
and file of the strikers failed TO 1ol-
low the lead of the communist party
and communist labor party leaders.
Having met with some degree OF
success in spreading their propa-
ganda among the foreign element OF
Industrial centers in this country, the
leaders of these two parties were
continuing their activity. and gov
ernment officials say that the whole
sale raids nipped the most revolu-
tionary plot ever unearthed in this
country.
The names of Lenin and Trotzky and
their interest in revolutionary tactics
in this country may be brought into
rhe hearings. though evidence on this
roint has not yet been laid before the
bureau of immigration. which will
press the deportation proceedings.
Each Case stands on Merits.
Each case will be examined upon
the facts as presented" said Mr.. Cam
inetti's> statement last night, and
until the hearings have been reported
TO the bureau there is nothing upon
which to predicate any statement as
to what the nature of the evidence
will be. The same statement will
apply to questions concerning the
fund of 100000, 900 alleged to be In
existence for the purpose of 1nltlat-
ing a soviet system in this country.
Both groups of radicals. according
to information. gathered by the De-
partment of Justice, have taken ad-
vantage of every possible opportunity
to spread their doctrines among the
steel and coal strikers, and were only
awaiting an opportune moment TO
carry on among other classes of work
ers the same sort of agitation EN-.
pIoyed among the steel workers and
coal miners. Among the foreign ele-
ment of the communist and COM
munist labor parties information de-
scribed as conclusive revealed that
the pay rolls had been loaded with
agitators to be sent suddenly to every
fertile field in support of a general
strike campaign.
Penetrated Mining Centers.
During the last two weeks of. the
coal strike communist agitators were
discovered to have penetrated prac-
tically every mining center east of
the Mississippi river. Evidence showed
that in several instances, where
miners had voted to return to work
the communists had spread their
propaganda of destruction, of the gov
ernment to such an extent, it was
said, that few if any miners actually
got back to their jobs
Attempts to incite the mine workers
to violence were the most bold in
West Virginia, officials said. serious
trouble being narrowly averted there
But all soft coal regions were in
Tested and much of the data leading
up to Fridays nationwide raids were
gathered by secret agents circulating
among the mine workers and coming
IN contact with the agitators them
selves it was disclosed.
The raids also disclosed that a
"slush fund has been created by the
II,
ernment moves were directed. Much
of this money. said TO run into sew
eral millions had been set aside for
use in bailing out adherents of the
doctrine in case of arrest for Seditlor
and the teaching of violence.
Funds Available for Bail.
Proof also was said to have been
obtained that in the case of agitators
who went among the steel and mine
strikers. funds for bail were made
available in every section freQuenteG
by the red agitators. Their plans
for organization of the workers in
support of the communist cause were
pictured as more complete than ever
Il political campaign. II was evident
officials declared, that the movement
was ripe" and that the settlement
of the coal strike had been a keer
disappointment to the radical leaders
Assistant Attorney General Garvar
ndue PUBIC last night tNe uepdTt'
Inents memorandum. submitted to the
bureau of immigration. upon which
was based the government classified
tion of the communist and communis
labor parties as coming under tht
espionage act. This disclosed tina
both groups were pledged to fight an.
suggestion of military action b,
America against the soviet Russians
MemberShip applications revealed tina
both groups were indirectly under the
control of the Russian communis
council.
Federal officials deplore weaknesse
in the present laws governing th
procedure preliminary to deportation
1t was pointed out that in most case
persons arrested have been tn
radicals taken in these raids can OBJ
tain temporary freedom on bail o
$1,000 There was an apparent feel
ing that if bail was granted some o
the mos. dangerous of the reds
gladly would forfeit that amount t.
avoid deportation. The department
plans. however. to keep all unde
surveillance and rearrest any who at
tempt to lose themselves in tn
masses of foreign n-born in America
Arrests Estimated mt 4,5OO.
Late figures, received by Mr.. Gar
van showed that total of 2.635 alien
wero held with evidence which fed
erai agents believed was sufficient I
warrant deportation. The total mum
Continued on Second PaSe.)