Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-08

Washington. Jan. 1.-The greatest
round up of radicals in the nations his
Tory was conducted tonight by the
government acting through department
bf Justice agents in SO cities stretching
rom coast to coast
At midnight reports indicated that more
han 1,5o0 members of the communist and
communist labor parties, against whom
he raids We're directed, were in custody
hnd department of Justice officials cx-
pressed the opinion that daylight would
zee twice that number behind the bars.
Not alone was the round up the largest
Vet conducted by the government in its
effort to rid the country of radicalsm,
but in the view Of officials it was the
most thoroughly carried out. Department
Of justice agents had been instructed
several days ago and at nine O'Clock to-
hight the move was begun on the rad-
cal headquarters, whether in Portland,
Me. or in Portland. Ore.
Department of justice operatives were
directed to catch the radicals with the
goods on" and that these directions were
carried out was evidenced in reports, par
REGULARLY from New 4ork, where the Of
ices of communist newspapers were raid
ed. and from New England, where con-
siderable literature prepared for dis
termination by the two parties was seized.
The larger cities in which raids were
conducted followed: New York, Balti-
more. Boston, Buffalo, Chicago. C!eve-
hand. Denver, Des Moines. Detroit. Grand
Rapids. Hartford, Indianapolis. Jackson
Mile. Kansas City. Los Angeles, Louis
Hille, Milwaukee, Newark, Omaha, Phila-
iolrhia Pittsburg Portland (Mane).
,f,,tI
Francisco, Scranton. spokane. St. Louis
81. Paul, Springfield CMass.), Syracuse,
Toledo and Trenton.
The ohjcc; of the raids, Assistant At
kcrrcy General Garvin said was to OBJ
tain for submission to the department of
labor cases for deportation of "A very
large number of our most dangerous
anarchists and radical agitators.' Agents
pf the department. he added. went out
prepared 20 catch the radicals with the
goods on"
The general charge of attempting to
bvcri brow the government by force and
Violence was placed against the persons
arrested during the raids. officials de-
Jared they believed that several hundred
members of the communist and COM
munist labor parties would be behind the
bars before morning.
Minor raids were made in other cities
The biggest bag Of the radicals was
made in New York, where at midnigh,
more than 800 had been arrested and sent
10 Ellis Island. From a dozen New Eng
land cities 800 or more of the communists
were gathered and in Detroit the raiders
found plentiful supply. taking about 30(
INTO custody. Chicago and Philadelphia
Supplied more than 120 and Buffalo abou,
100. A larger number than in any pre-.
vious raid was reported from practically
pll of the cities.
Department of justice agents desired
most of all to capture discriminating
documents, not so much of the literature
and propaganda, but papers showing de.
tails of the communist organizations In
each city 1t was indicated that If such
evidence were obtained, deportation OF
the persons concerned would be an easy
matter. AS in the case of the members
Of the union of Russian workers sew
eral score of whom were aboard the
transport Buford, which sailed from
New York ten days ago, membership
cards in the organization were regarded
as constituting the best documentary
evidence on which to base deportation
cases.