Evening star., 1940-06-03
Enemies Within

Call them by whatever name one
chooses-the fifth column, Trojan
horse troopers or just plain spies and
saboteurs-there are enemies within
our gates that the lessons of Norway
and Holland have shown must be
ferreted out and eradicated quickly
and relentlessly These enemies oper-
ate covertly and in varied guises, but
they are fully as dangerous to the
Nations integrity as frontal assault
by armies in the open Often they
are aided and abetted sometimes
unwittingly) by fellow travellers and
misguided sympathizers.
Obviously, the exposure and pun
ishment of trained and subtle espio-
mage agents and other violators of
our sedition and neutrality laws
constitute job for experts. Vigilante
and similar well-intentioned groups
have neither the support of law nor
the experience and training which
C are absolutely essential in investi-
eating subversive activities. They
can be OF service in combating alien
propaganda and in putting the pub
lie on guard against un-American
agitators, but they should leave the
investigation and punishment Of
violators to authorized law enforce
S. ment agencies. And there is no cause
for fear that our Government is not
aware of the situation, nor that it
will not take effective action. The
Dies Committee Is rendering a valu-
able service by throwing the search
light of inquiry into dark and
devious channels of fun-Americanism
and the Federal Bureau of Investi-
cation has thrown its full resources
into the battle against the under
cover forces of espionage, sabotage
and alien intrigue.
The latest evidence of aggressive
action in the counter-espionage
camp Is the creation by ]. Edgar
Hoover, F. B. I. director, of a new
National Defense Investigation Unit
within his organization. Mr.. Hoover
has placed in charge of this impor-
tant unit Hugh H. Clegg, quiet but
determined assistant who has distin-
guished himself in the F. B. I. war
on kidnapers, bank robbers and other
desperadoes. Mr.. Clegg has been
dean" of the bureaus National Po-
lice Academy, in which post he has
won the friendship, confidence and
cooperation of State and municipal
police officers throughout the Nation.
This association should be of great
value in the difficult and highly re-
sponsible assignment which he now
undertakes.
With such setup, there can be no
need for any superagency to super
wise !. F. B. I. in it's war on vio-
lators of Federal laws. The record
Of the Gmen shows that they can
be trusted to do fearless, fair and
thorough job, without need for out
side restraint. They are laboring
under a serious handicap in their
battle against spies, however. This
is the ridiculous prohibition against
tapping Of wires used by alien plot
tiers. Certainly no sensible person
would consider the tapping Of
spy's telephone for investigative pur-
poses an invasion of any constitu-
tional right. An exception by
Attorney General Jackson to his
too-broad order against wiretap-
ping would remove this handicap,
and The Star can see no justification
for his hesitancy. Meanwhile, Con-
gress should remove all doubt as to
legality of overlapping in such
major crimes as kidnapping or espio-
mage by enacting legislation approx
ing its use in cases involving human
life or national security.