Evening star., 1942-05-21
Fahy Tells D. {. Bar
OF F. B. !. Battle on
Spies, Sabotage
Solicitor General Halls
Attorneys Cooperation
In Home-Front War

In Home-Front War
Solicitor General Charles Fahy,
addressing the District Bar Asso-
citation last night, declared that the
total war In which the country is
now engaged calls for unified in
ternal security in every walk OF
ci''ilian life" He spoke on the war
work of the Justice Department.
Several hundred members Of the
association attended the meeting.
which was held at the Mayflower
Hotel. E. Barrett Prettyman, pres
ident Of the association, presided.
Responsibility for maintaining in
ternal security rests in large part
on the Justice Department, Mr..
Fahy said. War work Of the depart
nent falls under six main heads
prevention Of espionage and sabo-
tage, control Of enemy aliens. prose-
cution Of sedition, administration Of
laws relating to foreign agents and
propaganda, prosecution of war
frauds and provision Of legal serv-
ices to the armed forces.
Agencies Working Together.
"The Axis design Of nth column
aid has relied heavily on inflltra-
ton, through any channels that
are open," he said. These chan
nels must be found and closed"
THE network of wartime func-
tions drawing Federal agencies
closely together for internal security
Is illustrated perhaps nowhere bet
ter than in the field Of espionage
and sabotage" he told association
members.
Here the Federal Bureau of In
vestigation is the agency Of first di-
rect contact. But it Is supported In
its work by many other Government
Offices. This interdependence is q
reflection of the widespread, diffuse
character Of the problem to be met"
Through the preventive work Of
the F. B. l.. he added. the prep
arations OF our enemies have failed
Of their purposes"
Praises Biddle Stand.
Though determined to keep the
right of free speech, and the right
of free press secure, Attorney Gen.
eral Biddle has emphasized also
his determination to prosecute Of
tenders against the laws of the
United States, Mr.. Fahy asserted.
Mr.. Biddle has pointed that the
right OF free speech could not be
used to cloak criminal action, COM
mitted against the Nation by word
Of mouth or in the public prints"
he said. Prosecutions for both
of these crimes have been initiated,
and others are under way"
In its war activities, the Depart
ment of Justice has had "the CO.
operation Of the bar, of individual
lawyers, and Of the citizen gener-
ally" Mr.. Fahy declared.
At its meeting last night, the asso-
citation approved q resolution pro-
viding for appointment Of q COM
mittee of five former presidents to
prepare a new plan for appoint
ments to the local bench. This plan
will be acted on at the associations
June meeting and thereafter will be
presented to the Attorney General.
Hilland Motion Tabled.
Before taking this action the as
ISOLATION tabled a motion offered
by Arthur Hilland for an amend
ment to the bylaws prohibiting the
Board of Directors from indorsing
candidates for judgeships.
Since 1888, Mr.. Prettyman pointed
out, recommendations for judge
ships have been made through ac-
ton by committees of the association
and its Board Of Directors. II am
not altogether satisfied that this
method is the correct one" he said.
suggesting that the committee Of
former presidents be named to study
the problem.
The association approved a report
Of the committee on international
and comparative law, presented by
its chairman, James Oliver Murdock.
THE United States must assume
. leading role in the maintenance.
improvement and enforcement Of
international law In the postwar
world as an alternative to interna-
tional chaos" the report stated in
part. "A grave responsibility rests
upon lawyers and the organized bar
to cooperate in the winning Of the
war and the peace in such a way as
to assure q postwar world that the
reign Of law is supreme"
Also approved was a report from
tho Committee on Patent Law, pre-
sented by A. M. Holland.
A feature of the evening was q
skit. How to Prepare . Negligence
Case" by Edmund L. Jones. Ross
ODonohue and Charles e. Smoot.