Evening star., 1920-02-04
STATUTES NEEDED
IN FIGHT ON REDS,
COMMITTEE HEARS
Attorney General Says u. S.
Intends to Keep Order and
Enforce Laws.

Deportation Of radicals. country
wide arrests Of others and the "viSor-
Gus enfcrc,m' 3t Of eXIstius laws have
given notice th.t the United States in
tends t. Keep oToer aud have helped I'M,
prove couditIoES. Attorney General
Palmer today told the House judiciary
committee
The positive intention of the govern :
mrnt TO punish crimes of reds and
communists has created a state of
order which would have been inpos-
sfbie without arrests and deportations.
he added
Nj Palmer denied that he had "a
pialn ease of cold feet" when h failed
TO appear before the + touSe rules com
nlittee several weeks ago to explain
the need for additional anti-seditiOn
les 1slation,
Explains Non-Atteudance.
Some misunderstanding EXISTS in re
gaFf TO my attitude toward this leSiS-
latlOn,' he said. some said l had a
&Iain case of cod feet others that |
Mad turned tail That, Of course. is
not correct aid not attend because
! could not give support TO the pend
'ng rule tor th- riiug-tirahan hi IL -
''1r- harm than good would come
rtlEeSSIve legislation. MIR.
t'si u.- sad. adding that pending
az. .Su'es Mere so drastic aud far
ISacn1n.t tAat IGry ND,..u ov-rre.tcii
the purposes for which they We're in
tended.
The situation calls for legislation
OF simple character guarding the bill
OF rights, but filling Il hiatus in laws
which exist in present statutes" said
MIR. Palmer.
Statutes Inadequate Vow.
There are no federal statute= which
are adequate To meet the situation.
y condition of Revolutionary intent
exists In this country on the oaft cT
aliens apd citizens suliicie eat'y wlG .
spread IN character 70 metIt COR
sideration of Congress. Threats are
written ~ persons who would injure
and Overt hrow the e lvernment
And these threats. which are btin-;
circulated on the part of such persons
are the kind whieh do not entitIe
those who employ the n to the suaran-
tee y &C. 50 called right of free
speech
Mr. Pslmer said ne disagreed with
thos. Nho claimed revolutionary
otte' er"es sho1ld be- met by argu-
meiI'~ irs -ead Of statutory laws.
He again urged thai the bin drafted
by the Department o. Justice and in
tToduc.d last November py represent
atiVo paFey. democrat. Ohio. be re-
ported fayorably.
Answers Critics
Because of apparent dilatoriness in
squelching red uprisings last summer.
the Attorney General said he had been
shouted at by every newspaper in the
country. The department, by the sim
pie deYlce of giving advance notice OF
1nterded widespread violence against
the government, has blocked any
grert disturbances, he said.
In 'he reaction following enforce
men of laws many loyal Americans
1eei hat when additional legislation
IL ASKED for that the Department OF
Justice is excited and apprehensive
Ther apparent order exists he told
the committee.
through firm enforcement of laws.
Justice cannot come 10 any part OF
the population without absolute OBJ
servance OF law and order.'' Mr.
Palmer added.
10000 in Communist Party.
There are $4,000 members of the
communist party in this country and
the communist labor party is even
larger" he said.
All We need to get rid of these
undesirab ables is plenty,of shiDse" Rep
resentative Dyer. republican. Mis-
souri,. interjected
There Will be many objections
and some when tried will renounce
their party the Attorney General
replied,
Mr. Palmer read number of eS-
cerpts from "anarchistic literature
e'!Si ing statute makes such docu-
ments unlawful"
Much has been said about the
right OF free speech and the right of
assembly and of the freedom of the
press but il seems 10 me th-re must
he a dead line across which men must
not go II the government is to defend
itself, Mr.. Palmer said. .It ought to
be drawn at a line where there is a
lhreat OF force. and L mean physical
1orce- ne added when agitators
plot the overthrow of the aoyeruuent
and intend to commit acts OF vio.
Ience, Mr. Palmer said THE Ora
nam Dill makes me shudder Many
good people ought 20 be Frightened
Tor It's provisions are too drastic and
in times OF excitement the civil rights
or tlzens might be swept away" he
added.
Mr. Palmer said he was Extremely
opposed to making alleged seditious
matter non-mailaDle:
II Is not WISE 10 permit any Post
master General TO decide whether
matters are seditious or TO grant him
power to destroy another's propertv"
he added.
intention of Dnvey Bill
The Davey bill is intended TO meet
only a threat to commit am act of
force or violence TO overthrow The
government. the Attorney General
told the committee
Are the provisions Of this bill
wide enough 10 cover those. persors
who run aruck with no particular
crime IN mind2' asked Representa-
tive Yates. republican. Illinois
- think so" hr. Palmer reDIi,d
The Attorney General called the at
tention OF The committee to = threat
in plain words" found in Pittsburgh
following the placing of a bomb i'm
the home of United States federal
judge.
We are not many" the eXcrrp;
stated, hut VIII never rest until your
fall is complete. There must be blood
shed We viii not die: there must be
murder, there must be destruction
until your tyranny is smashed"
Such literature could not be SUD-
pressed under existing laws Mr..
Palmer commented.