Evening star., 1932-07-27
Sought to Stir Up Revolution
by Destroying Big Institu-
tionS, Letters Reveal.
LEADER IN DETROIT
AREA BEING SOUGHT
Planned to "Strip Petty Bourgeois
of Faith" to Bring About
Nationwide Unrest.
BY the Associated Press.

PONTIAC, Mich, July 27.-State
police sent out orders today for the
arrest Of George Rowland on a charge
that he acted as the Detroit agent of
radical group which planned a social
revolution by the circulation of rumors
attacking number of large banks in
the country. The officers said that
raid on Rowland's hotel room here yes
terday revealed the ramifications of the
plot.
Capt. Ira H. Marmon Of the State
police, who directed an investigation
Of Rowland's activities here for several
days and who led the raid on his room
in the Roosevelt Hotel yesterday, said
that letters and kilograms seized in the
raid established that Rowland had
directed the circulation of rumors
against banks In Illinois, Indiana, Ohio
and Michigan and that he had been
instrumental in attacks against the
First National Bank here.
Believed to Have Fled.
After Rowland's room was entered
and the documents seized Capt. Marmon
gave orders for the arrest of the man,
but he did not return to the hotel
Marmcn believes he was warned by
confederate and fed.
Marmon said that the letters showed
that Rowland was one of several
regional directors of attacks against
banks and that number of subordi-
mates were working under his direction
IN the Middle West, particularly in
Chicago and Cleveland.
Telephone conversations from Row.
lands Hotel room, which were tapped
by detectives. Marmon said, showed the
method of operation of the ring. Agents
Of the ring, going into new city, Sc
cured the names of prominent business
men from the city directory, called
them by telephone and warned them
that the banks in which their money
was deposited was in an unsound con-
dition. Some of the calls were made
from pay stations, the State police
captain said. so they could not be
traced. The receipt of a number of
such calls were reported to the officers
by men to whom they were made.
The names Of firms and individuals
having large accounts in the First Ma
tional Bank here were found in lists
seized in the raid on Rowland's room.
LIE lctLcIS SclICQ, olbI1cu WlLIl lIuIld4S
only, included some commencing Row
land for his campaign against banks in
Chicago, Marmon said, others reported
on the progress Of work In other cities,
and some told Of the difficulties in
carrying through a program elsewhere.
Unmailed Letters Seized.
Letters written by Rowland but not
yet mailed also were taken. These,
Marmon said, asked for reports on the
progress Of campaigns and suggested
means Of procedure.
Advertisements assuring depositors Of
the soundness Of the First National
Bank here recently we're placed in
Pontiac newspaper after officials of the
institution said they felt that pressure
had been brought to bear against de-
poSitors.
One letter, which had been written
to Rowland by "Comrade HG" at Cleve-
land, read:
Following your instructions to me, I
am writing to give you as clear a pic
ture as possible of our campaign against
the banks in this district.
"You know it is a slow proposition
to get people steamed up for a run.
However, your telephone program seems
to be working cut fine. There is con-
siderable unrest here and we are in
formed by clerks in both the Union
Trust and the Cleveland Trust that the
depositors are very nervous. We have
tried to keep up the good work.
Hope for Lot Of Trouble"
I'VE note here with great satisfac-
ton that you are making considerable
progress in Pontiac and that you are
t,L;o0 q Onod rrark of the one iiIC
(bank) which is there, the First Nation
al, and it seems to us If you can put
that over a good dent will be made in
the bank at Detroit and it won't be long
before our combined efforts will make a
lot of trouble there as well as here,
Chicago and elsewhere.
IT did not have much trouble In con-
vincing the Agitation Propaganda Bu-
reau that this was important work and
the sooner we strip the petty bourgeois
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