Evening star., 1940-01-15
More Arrests
Promised in
Revolt Plot
Bombing Plan Forced
Action by F. B. l.,
Official Reveals
Ey the Associated Press.

ES the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Jan. 15.-Federa
officials today declared the arrest
of II men and the seizure of q
small arsenal had merely scratched
the surface" of terrorist plot te
overthrow the United States Gov.
ernment.
More arrests" were predicted by
United States Attorney Harold M
Kennedy, who said that F. B.
agents under j. Edgar Hoover were
virtually forced to act now be-
cause their Investigations indicated
a series of bombing outrages was
imminent.
Mr.. Kennedy disclosed that F.. B
l. agents closed in on the suspects
Saturday night because they had
received information of definite in
structions issued to one of the plot
ters to set off a bomb in a public
place.
The plot, he said, included plans
to blow up buildings, raid utility
plants and Government offices. eli
quidate" Jews, assassinate a dozen
unidentified members of Congress
and set up dictatorship.
Mr.. Kennedy said he regretted it
had been necessary to close in or the
men at this time, but added that
the type of mind which would con-
ceive so grotesque an outrage might
cause great damage and bloodshed.
Only Scratched Surface.
eve expect more arrests" said
Mr.. Kennedy. 1--WE have merely
scratched the surface in making
arrests thus far"
He said his investigators and F.
B. I. agents were checking to de-
termine whether the alleged plot
ters had been sending ammunition
and arms to the outlawed Irish Re-
publican Army.
Mr.. Hoover, in announcing dis
ruption of the alleged plot. said
those in custody we're members of
an inner circle of the Christian
Front, an anti-Semitic organization.
More than half the suspects. he said,
served in the active or reserve
branches of the armed forces of the
United States or were members of
the New York National Guard.
One official was asked if efforts
were being made to learn whether
the group had influential or
moneyed hackers. He replied:
That would be the logical con-
clusion."
Eighteen men were taken into
custody in the raids, but one of them
was released few hours later when
it was discovered that he was VIC
tim of mistaken identity"
Held in $4,000 Bond.
Arraigned before Federal Judge
Grover Moscowitz in Brooklyn, the
men pleaded innocent and were held
in $4,000 bail each for hearing
February S.
They were charged specifically
with "conspiring to overthrow, put
down and destroy by force the Gov
ernment of the United States, and
oppose by force the authority
thereof, also to seize, take, and
possess property of the United
States
One of the II. Macklin Boettger,
80, did not appear and was to be
arraigned later.
The courtroom was filled with
friends and relatives of the men
Several women wept as the prisoners
were led away.
In Albany Gov. Herbert H. Lehman
said he would order an immediate
investigation of any connection be-
tween the Christian Front and the
personnel of the National Guard.
Maj. Gen. William N. Haskell,
commander of the New York Ma
tional Guard. said that any Guards
man who stole rifles or ammunition
from a State armory was subject to
Federal court-martial The usual
procedure, he added, is for each regi-
ment to make its own investigation.
Celler Asks Sitter Penalty.
Representative Emanuel Celler,
Democrat. of New York said he was
one of the members of Congress
marked for assassination and de-
clared that as ranking member of
the House Judiciary Committee he
would recommend legislation to in
crease the penalty for sedition.
THE penalty now seems to me to
be inadequate in this case in view
(See F. B. l., Page A-5D