Evening star., 1942-07-22
Seizure Of Defendants
In Seditious Literature
Probe Expected Soon
Secret Presentment
Is Sealed to Assist
Arrest of Indicted

Arrest of defendants named In
sealed indictment returned yesterday
by the special District grand jury
investigating allegedly seditious
literature, is expected in widely
scattered places throughout the
country in the next few days.
Justice James w. Morris received
the secret presentment in District
Court yesterday and ordered it i'm
pounded at the request of William
Power Maloney, special assistant to
the Attorney General, in charge of
the inquiry.
Mr.. Maloney explained that "the
public interest" required that it be
kept sealed. In the past grand
jury usually returns secret indict-
ment so that those charged in it may
be arrested before they are aware
they have been indicted. The true
bill will be made public as soon as
this is accomplished and the de-
PENDANTS brought here for arraign-
ment and trial.
Many Editors Questioned.
Assistant Attorney General Wen
dell Berge. chief Of the Criminal
Division of the Justice Department,
has been in general charge of the
lengthy inquiry and was present for
the return yesterday. Aiding Mr..
Maloney is John T. Reddan, a spe-
cial assistant to the Attorney Cen
eral.
The investigation was ordered by
Attorney General Biddle in an effort
to stop the spread of illegal propa-
ganda that might affect the Nations
war effort. Some of the material has
been allegedly aimed directly at the
armed forces.
Scores of editors, publishers, au-
thors and publicity men have been
questioned concerning the nature of
the material they have handled.
They have come in answer to SUBJ
poenas from nearly every section OF
the country. The grand jury also
has considered mass of docu-
mentary evidence.
Some publications which have
come under the jury's scrutiny also
have been the object of citations
for sedition by Mr. Biddle and have
been barred from the mails. A
number have suspended publication.
Jury Indicted Viereck.
The jury, which originated as a
regular District grand jury last
summer and whose life was ex-
tended from time to time, already
has indicted George Sylvester Vier-
eek, convicted Nazi agent; George
Hill second secretary to Repre-
sentative Fish, Republican, of New
York;, who was convicted of per-
jury, and Frank B. Burch, who
pleaded guilty to violation of the
Foreign Agents Registration Act,
and was put, on probation.
Mr.. Fish testified before the jury,
as did also Representative Hoffman,
Republican, of Michigan.
Witnesses also have included
Gerald B. Winrod, Wichita (Kans.)
publisher; William Griffin, pub
Usher of the New York Enquirer;
Donald McDaniels and Otto Bren-
herman, both of Chicago; E. Perrin
Schwartz, editor of the Rev. Charles
Coughlin's weekly. Social Justice;
Eugene N. Sanctuary, New York.
City author; Court Asher, Muncie
Qnd) publisher of the x-Ray;
Ralph Townsend, who pleaded guilty
to violating the Foreign Agents
Registration Act, and is now serving
an 8 to "a months sentence.
Also William r. Lyman, jr., De-
troit, Mich; David j. Baxter, Of
fetal of the Social Republic Society
of America; Elmer J. Garner,
Wichita, Kans.; Charles B. Hudson,
Omaha (Nebr) publisher; Prescott