Evening star., 1941-07-06
Uncle Sam Making 1t Harder
For Nozis to Operate in u. S.
ConsuIs Expelled, Sabotage Evidence
Being Checked to Avoid Terror of 1915
BY W. b. RAGSDALE.

BY w. b. RAGSDALE.
| The Stars Special News Service
In a direct, II unstated. effor
| to avoid such a reign of terror a!
gripped the Nation in 1915. tn,
Government is steadily making i
harder for the Nazi to function II
America.
Day by day. new safeguards are
being set up to prevent sabotage
fires and dynamitings such a.
wrapped the land in a roaring wave
of hatred, fame and explosion dur.
ing those pre-war years that led ur
to 1917.
The expulsion of consuls-who
must lock the doors of their estab.
lishments this week-and OF Ger
man propaganda and travel agen.
cies is only one of long series
of protective measures. Freezing
their funds is another.
The arrest OF 20 persons in New
York on charges of conspiracy tc
engage in espionage is a graphic
illustration of third.
The three were direct efforts tC
combat the same menace Locking
the consulates closes official bases in
widely scattered and strategic cor
ners Of the Nation. Freezing the
funds makes it harder to get money
for espionage or propaganda. Nc
more than $500 month may be
withdrawn by any alien. The ar
rests on. spy charges. were a direct
result Of almost two years Of in
vestigation.
Saboteur Technique Studied.
1t will be long time before the
full story of the work on the spy
cases is told. The Federal Bureau OF
Investigation seeks out men OF
widely varying talents to work as
agents. During the long chase
agents have worked beside and
watched the men involved as they
carried on their daily activities.
In the early days of the defense
drive. the F. B. I. created national
defense division to deal with espion-
age. counterespionage. sabotage and
internal security. It works closely
with the State Department. military
and naval intelligence units and
with local county and State law
enforcement authorities.
1t has made thorough golnu
study of bombs and bomb materials
has sought to teach its men to
recognize and handle bombs. IT.
scientists have studied the art oi
the saboteur to guard against him
In various other ways. too, the
path of the alien propagandist and
saboteur is being strewn with new
obstacles. Government employees are
being fingerprinted to weed out the
unwanted. Those considered guilty
of promoting strikes for subversive
instead of legitimate union purposes
are being plucked out of defense
industries.
Propaganda Pouring In.
The State Department says more
persons are engaged in espionage
and subversive activities now than
during the World War. The depart
ment already has asked for dis
cretionary power to bar individual
aliens, even though they meet the
usual requirements for entry, and
to prevent any alien from leaving
Beyond that, the department is
moving toward . ban upon various
kinds of propaganda. including Axis
films such as Victory in The
West and Baptism of Fire" Much
Of the propaganda has been coming
from Germany via Russia and
Japan.
Long ago evidence was assembled
by the Dies Committee. and more
recently by the Justice Department,
which established a definite tie
between the German consulates and
the bales of Nazi and Axis propa-
ganda that was being spread.
japanese Boat Brings Mail.
Closing of the consulates and
the regularly established propa-
ganda agencies, plus the war with
Russia, tears away the old propa-
ganda channels, forces the Axis to
seek new ones. Customs men say
one Japanese boat recently brought
400 sacks-almost five tons-of
propaganda into New York, that
even greater quantities were being
brought into San Francisco and
Seattle.
This was addressed to thousands
Of individuals, schools, colleges and
business houses. 1t was distributed
free by the United States Govern
ment because under the interna-
tional postal treaties the amount
paid for postage goes to the coun-
try in which the material is mailed
Folders and booklets describing
the scenic beauties of the father
land were distributed by the Ger.
man railway and tourist agencies
But it also indulged in less inno-
cent pursuits. 1t put out a weekly
news letter called News Flashes
Prom Germany" and; on at least
one occasion Ernst Schmitz, its man
ager, wrote Manfred Zapp inviting
him to . meeting in New York oi
members Of the intelligence service
Of the Rome-Berlin Axis.