The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-14
ACTSST
! SENATE
ANGER:
Outrage in La Toilette and
Other Cases Expected to
Bring Drastic Probe.
By JOHN T. LAMBERT,
Cosmopolitan News Service.


Senator Borah's committee on
Russian propaganda may yet be
forced to investigate the private
detective situation in this country
as result Of the recent dis
closures in the Daugherty probe.
Borah and his friends have long
thought that detective agencies
composed and distributed much of
the inflammatory literature which
ostensibly came from Russia but
they have hesitated to confuse
the important issue of Russian
recognition with an investigation
OF detective agencies as such.
Plots Against Union.
The private detective is coming
into bad odor here. He is not so
frequently pictured as. the daunt.
less hero Of old. instinctively right,
morally invulnerable, and an I'm
placable foe of crime, especially
when he scented it in high places.
The war and its aftermath found
MIN in new pursuits. He was seen
20 Join the labor union for a chance
TO smash 1t up from the inside. He
was seen to intrude himself into
May Day parades and produce
NO God, No Country" banners in
order to incite the public to hate
OF radical movements. He has his
enemies here who are ready to be.
neve he would plant a dynamite
bomb for the same reason or cut
q child's throat for a price.
They insist he has become the
agent Of provocation for short.
sighted employers who believe they
can beat down the labor movement
through brute force. Instead of
lighting evil in high places, they
md him actually paid and working
TO stir up strife among the humble.
Outrage Against La Toilette.
There are plenty here now who
are at last ready to believe that
the detectives raided the homes Of
the poor and attempted to railroad
them out Of the country merely
to satiate the eagerness Of a
former Attorney General for the
historical publicity that he thought
would make him President.
Judge George W. Anderson, who
heard some Of the cases at Boston,
said he was amazed by their ruth
less brutality and declared the de-
tective had been lowered to an
estate Of contempt and degradation.
Detectives broke into the office Of
Senator La Toilette and rifled his
desk and private papers. There was
no accusation against him. He was
accused Of no crime.
Not even a search warrant had
been granted. The detectives were
paid out Of the public treasury and
they invaded the property of pub
lie official in a public building in
violation CT all guarantees of search
and seizure. Their raid upon La
Toilette was made shortly after he
initiated the demand for investiga-
ton Of Teapot Dome.
Out ITO Get Something"
The spirit of the detective service
now is Ito get something on" some
one.
Corps Of them have been out
West searching the records Of wes-
tern Senators who have been active
In the Investigations. No accuse
lions or crimes had been charged
against the Senators.
There has been the intimation
that detectives conspired to injure
the wife and children Of Senator.
Many Of the general offenses Of
agitation are charged to detectives
who wear the shield Of Uncle Sam
upon their coats.
Either Senator Wheeler and his
committee will go after the detec-
tive's section of the Department Of
Justice in connection with their
Daugherty investigation, or an ef.
fort will be made by the Senate
Committee which will seek to de.
termine how the groundwork was
laid for the indictment Of Wheeler
In Montana, where, Burns admits,
Department Of Justice agents were
on the job.
Meanwhile, Senator Borah will be
urged to expose the workings Of the
private agencies which are sus-
pected Of stirring strife between en-
ployers and employees and Of
planting" the red propaganda"
here.