New-York tribune., 1920-01-03
All Seized Are Aliens
Charged With Advocat-
ing Overthrow of u. S.
Government by Force
Prisoners Belong to
Communist Parties
Propaganda la to Organize
Negroes Is Revealed
and Trouble Is Feared
New York Tribune
Washington Bureau


Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Jan. "A. Mitchell
Palmer, Attorney General, personally
directed the raids made tonight in rad
ical centers throughout the country.
The roundup had been carefully
planned for three months. Promptly at
8 o'clock agents of the department
swooped down upon nests of the radi-
Gals simultaneously in nearly 80 cities
in all parts of the country. They were
armed with warrants issued in ad-
vance.
All of those arrested were aliens.
and all were members Of the Com
munist party or the Communist Labor
party of this country. They were
charged with advocating and teaching
the overthrow of the United States
government by force and violence.
Both the Communist party and the
Communist Labor party subscribed to
the manifesto of the Third Interna-
tional, which was organized by Lenine
af-l Trotzky in Moscow, March to s,
1919, for the purpose Of advocating a
world revolution. according to depart
ment officials.
All Slated for Deportation
Russians, Germans and Austrians,
predominated among the aliens caught
in the dragnet tonight, although
nearly every nationality was repre-
the immigration officials of the De-
partment Of Labor for deportation;
together with the proof of their activ-
tiles, obtained by William ]. Flynn
and his agents in the Division Of In
vestigation Of the Department Of Jus
tice. Decision relative to whether the
radicals will be deported rests with
the immigration officials.
Only the alien radicals could be
gathered in by the Department of JUS
tice, it was explained, under the pres
ent law. Several states have laws TAX
ing care Of radicals who are American
citizens, and the arrests made in Chi
cago this week were made under an
Illinois law, it was explained.
Governments Overthrow Advocated
The Department of Justice issued
the following statement soon after the
raids started.
agents Of the Department of Jus
tice took into custody tonight several
hundred members Of the Communist
party and the Communist Labor party
OF this country, located in thirty-five
cities, on the charge that these oreani-
cations advocate and teach the over
throw of the United States government
by force and violence. The only diff
ference between the Communist party
and the Communist Labor party is one
of leadership. Both of these parties.
since their organization early last Sep
tember. have been endeavorinp to
bring about the establishment of a
Soviet form of government in this
country similar to that which now
obtains in Russia"
Revolutionary Plot Charged
Francis t. Garvan, Assistant Attor-
ney General, in discussing the raids,
held that the two parties had been
working hand in hand to gain the same
end and planned eventually to unite in
revolution. To show the effort Of the
party leaders to strengthen their influ-
ence, Mr.. Garvan revealed attempts
made by the radicals to organize the
negro population Of the United States
to assist in establishing the Soviet gov
eminent. He held that as result of
this propaganda some disorders among
negroes might be expected Among the
documents seized by Federal agents
bearing on the effort to organize the
negroes was the following:
"In close connection with the un-
skilled workers is the problem of the
negro. The negro presents a political
and economic problem. The racial op-
preston Of the negro is simply the
expression of his economic bondage
and oppression, each intensifying the
other. This complexities the negro
problem, but does not alter it's prole-
tartan character. The Communist party
will carry on agitation among the
negro workers to unite them with all
class s-conscious workers"
Proposes to End Capitalism"
An example of the kind- of propa-
ganda used by the radicals among the
working classes is the following pam
and made public by the Department of
Justice:
"The Communist party of America
is the party Of the working class The
Communist party OF America proposes
to end capitalism and organize a work
era industrial republic.
"The workers must control industry
and dispose Of the products Of indus
try, The Communist party is q party
realizing the limitations of all existing
workers organizations and proposes to
develop the revolutionary movement
necessary to free the workers from the
oppression OF capitalism. The Com
munist party insists that the problems
Of American workers are identical with
tho problems of the workers Of the
world
"The Communist party is the con-
Continued on merit page