The Washington herald., 1921-02-19
Attorney General Defends
Severe Action to Break
Up Communists.
CLAIMS RED PERIL
HAS NOT ABATED
Charges Lack of Cooper.
alton Ousting Enemies
OF Government.

county has not abated. Attorney
| General Palmer declared yesterday
Thousands of alien agitators di-
rected by the guiding hand of Leniu
and Trotsky, he asserted, are carry
ing on insidious efforts to capture
and destroy the government and esI
tablish a Soviet rule.
This warning of the Attorney
General was uttered when he ap-
peared before the Senate Judiciary
Committee to explain the measures
the Department of Justice has taken
in curbing alleged extremists and
revolutionists. which have been the
source of charges of maladministra-
tion against him.
Charges Activity.
The Communist party and the
! United Communist party were de-
scribed by Palmer as particularly
active right now in their efforts to
undermine the government. At this
moment, he asserted. they are cir
Culating pamphlets and other prop
aganda throughout the land urging
that strikes be turned into armed
instructions and civil war against
the capitalist government
Charles Recht, of New York City,
is now representing the Soviet gov
ernment of Russia in the United
States. the Attorney General in
formed the committee. ReCbt, he
said was appointed by Ludwig c.
K. Martens just before he was lie =
ported.
Heads Appointment.
To substantiate his statement. he
read from a letter to Recht from
Martens authorizing him to act as
his personal representative in all
matters" relating to the Russian
Socialists Federated Soviet Repub-
lie"
In defense of the severe action he
has taken In suppressing and driY-
ing out of the country alleged ex-
trcmists and revOlutionists, Palmer
read to the committee Lengthy
statement in which he emphasized
the danger Of a forcible revolution
airy movement by them as discl"scd
by the propaganda of the cGmmun-
ist party as justification OF his
position.
Intend Overthrow.
"It must be remembered" ne
testified, that the communist par
ty had affiliated with the third in
ternationale in Moscow and had
accepted Its platform and mani
festo. We find in that platform
and manifesto the sps'ific state
ment that they intend to overthrow
the government of the United
States by force and violence"
Palmer insisted that his action in
proceeding against the extremists
was neither premature or unwar-
ranted" as his critics have charged.
He said:
Certainly. it cannot be contended
with any seriousness that the gov
ernment must stand idly by and
wait for the actual throwing of
the bomb or the actual use of arms
in military operations before it can
act to protect itself against such
onslaughts. Yet that is what prac-
tically all of the witnesses who
have appeared before this commit
tee have maintained.
Defends Action.
Il do not assert that some mis-
takes were not made and that some
delays were not experienced which
under ordinary conditions and cir
Cumstances would not have been
eXCusable. but in a great movement
for the overthrow of the govern
ment believe it was the duty OF the
Department of Justice to whom Lhc
people look for protection to move
with despatch in such matters"
The Attorney General forcefuIly
denied that any brutality, forgery
or thievery had been committed by
agents of the department in arrest
ing alleged radicals. Il challenge
single substantiation of anyone
of these deliberate, malicious false
hoods" he declared.
Referring to the present activities
of the communists in this country,
Palmer produced a circular entitled
Rules for Underground Party
Work" which he said has just been
distributed by the Communist Party
of America.
Reads From Rules.
The circular which was inserted
in the Record describes a Commun-
ist as "a deadly enemy of the pres
ent order" and then proceeds to lay
down the rules for their guidance in
their work. One of the rules says:
ITO be caught with plainly writ
ten names and addresses of COM
rades and party workers and places
is very nearly the same as betray-
ing them to the government. Carry
in your memory as much as you can
and let your notes be mere memory
aids. Whatever you write down
write it in good code"
Another rule says:
Hide or throw away or destroy
as far as possible any material evil
dence when you see that you will
be caught"