The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-01
The Attorney General Brings
Charges Against Sec'y Post.
Declares Labor Department
Head Aided Red Wave.
PALMER CHARGES FALSEHOOD
Cites Cases Wherein Post Did
Not Tell the Truth.
Even Employed Bolsheviki
Agent for Responsible Job.

Washington, June by his
wholesale jail deliveries and release
of self-confessed anarchists of the
worst type" Assistant Secretary of
Labor Post is seeking to block en-
forcement of deportation laws and to
bring Into public disrepute' law Of
ficers of the government, Attorney
General PalITer today charged before
the house rules committee.
Palmer's statement was in answer
to Posts recent testimony before the
rules committee during hearings on a
resolution of Representative Hoch.
Kansas, which would start impeach-
ment proceedings against the labor
Officially Post claimed Palmer had
mistreated aliens held for deportation
and violated the laws regarding them.
Similar charges We're made by the
National Popular Government league.
Departments at War.
The Palmer statement today re-
vealed bitter STRIFE between the two
departments over the question of de-
portations. Palmer declared Red"
agitators were seeking to minimize
their activities SO they could proceed
unmolested. The I. w. w. are seek
ing to merge the four railroad broth
erhoods into zone big union" he said.
Forty examples inS which Palmer
claimed Post had violated the deperta-
ton laws were cited by Palmer, who
said Posts charges were Outrageous
and uncenscionable falsehoods."
Says Post Autocratic.
Declaring Post believed the deporta-
ton law wrong. Palmer said:
by his self willed and autocratic
substitution of his mistaken personal
viewpoint by his habitually tender
solicitude for social revolutionists and
perverted sympathy for the criminal
anarchist of the country, he has con-
sistently deprived the people of their
day in court in the enforcement of a
law of vital Importance to their peace
and safety"
Palmer referred to writings of Post
in 1908 in which he is alleged to have
praised Emma Goldman and Ludovico
Caminita, noted anarchists, Palmer
Said.
Cases Are Cited.
Palmer mentioned the cases of Paul
Burton, Detroit; Ernest Knoepfel, st.
Paul; Pietro Baldersetto and Serafino
Grand, Paterson N. J.
I'm hundreds of similar cases war
rants have been cancelled. despite
clear evidence of membership in the
Communist party, which Secretary
Wilson decided was a deportable Of
fense," said Palmer.
Answering charges of Post that only
three small pistols were found in all
the big radical raids, the attorney gem
eral said eighteen rifles and bombs
were found at Newark, N, j.; three
guns in Providence. r. l.; three in
Philadelphia; five guns and bombs in
Hartford; five guns each in Chicago
and Cleveland; one in Toledo and 9TH
err such equipment in Buffalo and Los
Angeles.
Employed Red Agent. -.
Palmer denied he had demanded ex-
cessive bail in deportation cases.
The attorney general revealed that
Ferdinand Peterson, an agent of Mar
tens, had worked himself into the con-
fidenoe of the department of justice
and was employed as a government
agent for three months until his iden-
tity was discovered. Peterson's gov
eminent reports were reviewed by
Martens's secretary, Palmer said