Evening star., 1952-01-06
NeGrath Opens
U. .S.-WideDrive
Against Crime
Gongsters to Be Hailed
Before Juries in D. c.,
81 Federal Districts

attorney General McGrath yes
terday ordered special grand juries
called into session in the District
and the 80 other Federal judicial
districts throughout the Nation
to investigate 'racketeers, gang.
sters and organized crime syndi-
Gates"
In a dramatic move perhaps
unprecedented in its scope. Mr..
McGrath directed that underworld
figures be hailed before the juries,
The Attorney General said the
FBI. Secret Service, Post Office
Inspectors and many other Fed
eral police agencies are slated to
cooperate in the breakdown.
The order went out to United
States Attorneys at time when
Mr.. McGrath is under, fire from
critics who assert he has not been
vigorous in combating corruption
in Government. Only Friday, the
Attorney General denied furry
OF reports that he was about to
leave the Cabinet.
Narcotics Raids Staged.
Taken in conjunction with last
weeks massive raids on narcotics
peddlers and the Presidents plans
for an overhaul of the scandal
rocked Internal Revenue Bureau.
the McGrath move was widely
interpreted as an effort to spike
the guns of the administration
critics.
In Washington, United States
Attorney Charles w. Irelan said
ne had not seen the Attorney Cen
erals letter, but was ready and
willing" to take any steps called
for locally.
The District already has seven
grand juries ION tap" Mr.. Irelan
said - three concurrently active
and four subject to call. Under
Federal statute. the juries can be
held for as long as 18 months.
One jury, inpaneled in July.
which investigated organized gam
bling here and in Maryland and
returned major indictments, is be-
ing held for any new develop.
ments in this field. These have
been expected to include evidence
turned up by the Senate District
Crime Committee which is to open
hearings January IA. That Jury
may be called on to undertake the
new assignment.
win Determine Action.
A Justice Department spokes.
man said it would be up to the
prosecutors to determine II new
juries must be impaneled or il
those already organized can ham
die the assignment. Mr.. Irelan
said be will hold conferences with
all agencies involved to determine
the action to be taken.
The McGrath action is a direct
follow-up to last years Senate
Crime Committee Investigation.
Mr.. McGrath. in testimony before
the committee. suggested annual
federal grand jury Investigations
into crime conditions. The sug-
gestion was adopted as one of
the committees recommendations.
Mr.. McGrath told the United
States Attorneys to put the grand
Jurles to work as soon as possible
and report their findings on or
ganlzed crime to the Justice De-
partment.
The Attorney General also an
nounced that the Justice DEPART
ment's Criminal Division, headed
by Assistant Attorney General
James M. McInerney, is establish
ing new racket unit to CO.
ordinate information on the under
world to be gathered by the grand
jurieS."
recommended by Committee.
This also is in line with a Crime
Committee recommendation.
MIR. McGrath said the Federal
prosecutors should move as soon
as possible by calling a conference
OF the local chiefs of the FBT
secret Service, Customs Bureau
Alcohol Tax Unit, Internal Reve-
nue. Bureau. Narcotics Bureau
Securities and Exchange Conn
mission and the Post Office In.
Spection Service.
The prosecutors were directed to
invite the heads of enforcement
agencies to appear before the
juries, along with others in posi-.
tion to know general crime con.
dltionS in the particular area"
This testimony. Mr.. McGrath
said, would furnish the jurors and
the Justice Department with the
identities, background and ac-
tivities of underwood figures. who
also will be brought in for oues-
tioning."