Evening star., 1942-11-06
Justice Department
Is Center Of Fighting
On Home Front
Its Agencies Operate
In Many Fields to Aid
u. S. War Effort
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
While the Army and the Navy
fights the Axis in far places Uncle
Sam still waves his big stick in all
directions at home
The locale is often the Federal
courts. The home front is an i'm
portant sector in the world scene,
and much of the widespread crack
down" has been in the name of
keeping the machinery running.
Activity centers in the Justice De-
partment, which has been investi-
eating or prosecuting in such varied
fields as railroads and railbirds, meat
packing and munitions making,
brick and bread baking, patents
and plastics, milk ant; music, acids
and aluminium, spies, sedition and
sabotage. -,
Other units have not been far be-
hind. The Federal Communications
Commission is dialed In on every
thing that goes through the air and
has time to find out how much tram
scriptions are used in broadcasting
and the nature of labor relations in
the industry.
OPA Active In Wide Fields.
The Treasury and the Alien Prop
erty Custodian have been interest
ed in the $1,000, ,0O0, 900 holdings of
enemy aliens, with the result that
the Government controls some i'm
portant businesses.
The Office of Price Administra-
ton has been trying to maintain its
ceilings with injunctions.
The War Labor Board is working
to solve employer-employe prob
lens by mediation. In few cases
where strikes have affected war
production the Government has di-
rected the Army or Navy to take
over plants temporarily.
The Post Office Department has
been active against some newspa-
pers and magazines on two grounds
printing either seditious or sala-
cious matter.
The Federal Trade Commission
complained against the advertising
practices Of some Of the largest to-
bacco companies.
FBI Opposes Axis Spies.
Biggest single project is the work
Of 1000 agents of the Federal Bu-
reau of Investigation. who match
wits and daring with the secret
agents of the Axis countries. They
have broken up two major spy rings,
rounded up two bands Of spy sabo-
teurs who landed from submarines
and restrained other enmies within
the country so completely that At
torney General Biddle has been able
to report complete absence of Or
ganized sabotage thus far.
The Antitrust and Criminal
Divisions of the Justice Department
and their offspring, the War Frauds
Unit, have accounted for much Of
the other activity.
The Antitrust Division has un-
der way an investigation of the
entire transportation industry which
will involve the largest segment
of business eyer covered by a Sher-
man Act inquiry. The division also
has gone into court against the
nearly 1900 member newspapers Of
the Associated Press In an effort to
force the association to open its
membership to any one willing and
able to pay the cost of the service.
Action on Other Fronts.
On dozens of smaller fronts
from contracts for window cleaning
to violations of War Production
Board orders-the Antitrust Divi-
sion has been active. Such giants
of industry as E. I. du Pont de
Nemours e. Co.. General Electric
Co. and Standard Oil of New Jersey
have been indicted on charges Of
restraint of production, dividing
markets or fixing of prices in ma
terials needed for the war effort.
The Criminal Division brought
charges of seditious conspiracy
against % persons in one group and
of aiding the eight Nazi saboteurs
against a dozen others. In addi-
ton. it is constantly active in lesser
cases as the prosecuting arm of the
Justice Department. Evidence gath
cred by the FBI goes to the Grim
inal Division for use in court.
The War Frauds Unit has been
prosecuting alleged collusive bid
ding on contracts with the Govern
ment. Several indictments already
have been obtained.
Enemies Wealth Frozen.
The Alien Enemy Control Unit
oversees the 100000 residents who
are subjects of enemy countries.
About 10000 have been taken into
custody for hearings and more than
half the 1000 cases disposed of have
resulted in internment for the dura-
ton.
The alien property custodian has
seized many millions of dollars of
Axis owned property, to operate 1t
for the duration. In addition, he
has taken over all AXis-held pat
ents and made these available to
American producers. The great bulk
of the enemy's wealth in America
about $1,000, 900, ,0Q0-is virtually dor
mant under freezing orders Of the
Treasury.
In some instances the Treasury
has sought to sever relationships
between American and German
firms and to compel United States
companies to compete actively with
the foreign companies in the South
American market.