Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-10
Raids Net Papers Telling of
Plan to Disrupt De-
partments.
ANARCHY CALLED IDEAL
IN SEIZED DOCUMENTS
Lenin and Trotsky Pictured as
Fools for Stopping at Communism.
Prisoner Defiant.

Plans for striking at the heart of
the system of American government
by propaganda to convert govern
mental department workers in Wash
ington to revolutionary ideals, are
believed to have been uncovered in
documents seized by police and De-
partment of Justice operatives in
raids last night. which Melted the
lieved to be radicals.
The men being held are: Edward
Irvine, 2113 14th street, a twenty
five-year-old solicitor, who is at the
second precinct, believed by the po-
lice to be one of the leaders of the
clique arrested; Louis Brown, forty
four years old, of 621 L street. a
Pole; Isadore Jackerson of $40 N
street, twenty-eight years old; Lud-
wig Engelhart of 124S Morse street
northeast, native of Germany;
Clarence Rosenberger. a carpenter,
old; Esa Handleman of 1914 LIST
street, nineteen years old and stu
dent at the Americanization School,
and William Carl Smelzer of 1918
35th street, thirty-one years old.
Letter Ii Seized.
Probably the most illuminating
document seized in connection with
the arrests was a letter found among
the belongings of Irvine. 1t was
dated March %. and dispatched from
the workers party of America, with
a Broadway, n. Y, headquarters, and
signed by William w. Wemstone,
assistant executive secretary"
1t discloses plans in a formulative
stage for bringing propaganda into
the government departments here
and speaks for itself, as to the ulti-
mate object of the efforts outlined
1t follows:
Edward ]. Irvine, 2I13 14th street
March %: l am in agreement with
you about the possibilities of build
ing up a strong organization in
Washington, d. c. ] have requested
of our research department to lie,
US have material on it's political pos
in several days on the Importance
of Washington in the revolutionary
struggle l. would say that any ter
ritory which contains 100000 people
which is the population of Wash
ington, u. c., and containing many
tens of thousands of government
workers whose lot becomes annually
il not monthly more difficult. is fruit
full soil for our propaganda"
Stage Two Raids.
The letter, according to experts on
radical movements. clearly indicates
a move toward boring from within
against the government
Detective Sergts. Lawrence A O'Dea
and Dennis Cullinane, with operatives
from the Department of Justice,
struck the first blow last night by
to Typographical Temple in the be-
lief that meeting for the defense
of William Il. Foster was to be con-
Quoted there. After that a book
store at 1903 eth street was raided
while an alleged radical meeting was
in progress. All taken during both
raids were brought to headquarters
for questioning. Police endeavored
10 sift things down to a point where
only the leaders were held for in
vestigation, resulting in the seven
above mentioned being detained.
Planned May Day Celebration.
Aiding the detectives and Depart
,nent of Justice operatives were Capt
Robert Z. Doyle Of the sixth pre-
cinct and the following policemen
I. 10
Lucas and Privates c. w. Reid, ]. F.
Murphy, c. c. Coontz and ]. r. Mil
sted.
Plans for bringing together vast
crowds Of workers in celebration of
May day also were outlined in pencil
on a number of sheets of paper found
among the documents seized.
The local police, through Inspector
of Detectives Grant, today turned
over all of the data to the Depart
ment of Justice and left the develop
ment of the case in the hands Of the
federal agency. John B. Flournoy,
expert in radical movements of the
Department of Justice bureau of in
to his office from police headquarters
today to go over it carefully and
analyZe various statements contained
therein.
Flournoy stated today that he had
obtained an admission in the pres
ence of witnesses from Irvine that
the latter was in favor of having the
communist government supersede the
government of the United States, and
that In event peaceful means could
not be employed force would be FEAST
BILE In obtaining that objective.
Anarchy Pictured as Ideal.
An address. written in pencil, con-
tanning some of the "warmest STUFF
yet uncovered, according to the DO.
lice. was among the documents seized
This even went so far as to say thai
the future may find that Lenin and
Continued on Page 2, Column g.