The Indianapolis times., 1932-05-25
The Cheka Confesses


The agente provocateur becomes the
cheka
The first is the name for the most in
famous secret police of France.
The second is the title of the most in
famous secret police Of czaristic Russia under
the regime of tyranny.
The special agents Of the prohibition de-
partment in this country become both.
Yesterday, the prohibition agents, with
all the insolence and arrogance of the cheka,
decided that no longer would any reporter
from The Times be permitted to visit their
Offices, supported and paid for by you.
Whenever any reporter goes to any public
Office, he goes not as a representative Of this
newspaper but as your representative, in
search Of information to which you are en-
titled
It generally has been useless adventure.
The prohibition agents never give news,
real news At times they give propaganda,
but never the real facts.
For example, no reporter ever has been
able to discover from them what became Of
the whisky and fine liquors that they con-
fiscated. 1t has disappeared from the fed
eral building. Thousands of dollars worth
of it. Enough to make drunk many men or
more women.
Now these agents, who convicted George
Dale on the evidence Of discredited and de-
graded human beings, arrogantly declare
that no longer may any reporter from The
Times enter their sacred domain.
The reason is an editorial, written by the
editor of this newspaper, in which it was
suggested that the word of an honest man,
who bore credentials Of confidence from the
people who knew him, should be of at least
equal value with that Of the prostitute the
professional gambler, the business man"
who admitted his advertised business was a
blind for the operation of gambling game.
The United States government, as repre-
sented by these agents who draw pay from
the government, has decided that the govern
ment no longer will permit The Times to send
its reporters to seek information from them.
That relieves The Times. 1t suggests that
these men are so fearful that some newspa-
per will report their real actions that they
no longer dare to face the test.
Dale mayor of Muncie. Here was a man
who fought the Ku-Klux Klan, at the risk of
his life. Most Of these prohibition agents owe
their jobs to some political heir Of the khan.
The Russian czars had their secret police.
For years this land of liberty shuddered at
the actions Of those who imposed tyranny
upon the helpless We have them now, here,
~, r. & rIo inofNl
who dare to overthrow every tradition of this
nation and impose their ignorant, fanatic
censorship over newspaper, in an endeavor
to terrorize the forces of decency in a battle
for Justice and for right.
The readers Of The Times may be assured
that their newspaper will give them the real
news when it is possible to get the facts.
1t may be able to give them for example,
even after the cheka tries to hide it, the Sc
cret of the disappearance of the liquor 1t con-
fiscated that they believed to be little too
good to be emptied into the sewer.
The cheka has started The Times will
try to finish.
Meanwhile, there is but one question.
Is it possible for an honest man, like
George Dale, who fought against graft, who
fought against civic corruption who fought
against every protected vice and the pander-
ing to the passions of men, to be sent to the
penitentiary on the evidence of men and
women whom nobody believes?
That is serious and immediate. The
Times does not believe that this cheka, with
its own confession of arrogant power, still
can control federal courts.
1t stin believes that there will be Judge
or Judges with sufficient courage to declare
that the forces of hate can not substitute
palpable perjuries for truth.
If the cheka has arrived, then any decent
man would rather go to jail with Dale than
endure the insecurity which such a system
involves.
A platforn, You Can Remember