The Washington herald., 1922-08-24
U. s. Officers Break Up
Radical Conclave in
Michigan Hills.
MRS. ROSE STOKES
OBJECT OF SEARCH
Delay of Orders From
Here Causes Loss of
so Others.

of william q. roster, heao Oh the
Trades Union Educational League,
in Chicago tonight. the seizure OF
seventeen members of the Commu-
mist party of America, an under
ground revolutionary organization.
and a nationwide search for more
than fifty other persons, including
Rose Pastor Stokes. of New York,
Federal and Michigan authorities
announced the breaking up OF one
of the greatest radical conspiracies
of recent years
The majority of those held were
captured in a midnight raid in the
hills of Berrien County. Mich,
twelve miles south Of Benton Har-
Dor. There the Reds" had assem-
bled for their annual convention: to
a lonely glade at the bottom of
heavily -timbered valley they hae
led their delegates amid greatest
secrecy.
Pine Knots Furnished Light.
Pine knots furnished the light by
which their business was trans
acted; there they heard the reports
of personal representatives of Lenin
and Trotzky; there Federal officials
aver plans whereby the existing
a
means of spreading their program
of violence, were discussed.
For three days Federal officials
watched them, powerfess to act
without authority from Washington.
Then came a tip to the radicals. all
but seventeen disappearing inside
an hour. The rest were surrounded
by sixty deputy sheriffs, members of
the Michigan State constab bulary and
agents of the Department of Justice
and seized
Foster. one of the escaping ones,
was trailed to Chicago. He turned
up at his office today.
Mrs Stokes. whose trail in radical
circles has been blazoned by con-
siderable publicity. was also one of
the escaping ones. Federal officials
say. She is particularly wanted.
Her homo in New York is being
watched. as well as the homes of
her numerous acquaintances.
Prominent Reds Held.
Chief among those rounded up
were c. e Ruthenberg. once a can
didate for mayor at Cleveland, and
one Of the most widely known rev.
olutionary radicals in the nation.
Arrested countless times, he is still
under Indictment in Chicago for his
activities with the party here in
1880. He is now the national
executive secretary of the Work.
ers' Party of America and is the
head of its activities in this coun-
try.
Also under arrest are Norman
PoIlecline. head of the British
branch of the party: William r.
Dunno. editor of The Worker" a
radical organ of Butte, Mont: Ca
leb Harrison. Chicagoan. who has
been lecturing for Communist
groups; Thomas r. Sullivan, of st.
Louis. chairman of the national
committee OF the Workers party:
william Reynolds and Cyril Lamb
kin. Detroit adherents: Max Ler-
ner. of Seattle: Francis Ashworth,
Of Camden, N. J.: Alexander Bail.
of Philadelphia; ]. Michele. of Kan
sas City. and Thomas O'Flaherty,
OF New York.
Warrants charging violation Of
the Michigan syndicalist laws were
Immediately prepared. Arraignment
will come at st. Joseph tomorrow.
Find Valuable Documents.
Following the raid. Federal
agents began combing the territory
surrounding the meeting place.
They discovered a mound of fresh
earth. Below IL they found two
barrels. One contained five type
writers and a mimeograph machine.
The other contained seventy-three
bulky parchment envelopes.
II was in the latter that the Fed
eral officials found their greatest
interest. Here were lists of MEM
bership of the Communist party,
and opposite the name OF each MEM
Der were cabalistic markings to de-
note their standing in revolution
ary work.
Here were plans written by the
pens of secretaries of Lenin and
Trotzky in Russia - plans whereby
the government of the United
States might be supplanted by
government by soviet. There were
scores of pamphlets. some English.
some in Russian. all advocating the
utmost in revolutionary tactics.
The story of how the army and
navy and police system was to ne
overcome in the final battle be-
tween "the proIetariat and the cap
italists'' was retold. 1t was the
most convincing and complete ex-
nose Of radical plans ever perused
by the experts examining the doc
uments.