BOLSHEVISM.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 18285, 22 December 1919, Page 7

BOLSHEVISM.

OPEN WARFARE IN AMERICA. I.W.W. SHOOT RETURNED MEN. GOVERNMENT’S STERN ACTION. [From Otm Correspondent.] LOS ANGELES, November 16. Tlireo mombers of the American Legion (Returned Soldiers’ Association) were shot dead at Contralia, a town of 8000 people, in the State of Washington, on November 11, one died of wounds, and many were injured by men said to be members of the 1.W.W., who fired from the windows of a building during the parade on armistice day. A posse that night turned out the lights of tho city and spirited away one of the alleged offenders, who had been arrested. Thoy took him from the gaol and throw him into a waiting automobile, flanked by six other machines. Ho was taken to the woods beyond tlio town. The dead were: Arthur M’Elfresh, overseas service min; Ben Caasagranda, Greek bootblack, who fought with tho 91st Division; Commander Warren Grimm, of Grant Hodge Post, American Legion, Centralia. Over the heads of tho crowd watching tho parade tlio I.W.W. fired, and shots came from every direction. THE PURSUIT. Tho crowds did not rush for cover, but started to chase the Rods, and Dale Hubbard was shot while after one of the leaders. He cornered his quarry on tho banks of a river, and as they grappled the I.W.W. man fired into Hubbard’s body. Tho gun was kicked from his hands, and lie was taken to the city gaol. Ho was saved from the mob by the ex-soldiers after a noose had been thrown over his head. This man was seized by the crowd that evening after he was said to have confessed to firing ono of the fatal shots. Later in tho day, Attorney Elmer Smith, who had represented the I.W.W. in soveral cases in court,at Centralia. was taken from his office by a crowd. He drew a revolver and attempted resistance, but was overpowered, and he was gaoled. A quantity of weapons and ammunition were taken from the I.W.W. headquarters A company of infantry was dispatched to Centralia from Seattle, 100 miles north, on the same day. Mr It. C. Saunders, United States district attorney, said: “We are keeping close track of all radical activities and publications in this district. We are watching every suspected Red, and wo wil not temporise.” He disclosed for tho first time the recent discovery of an alleged I.W W. circular in Tacoma, which wap being secretly distributed among tho negroes there with a view to inciting race hatred and inducing the blacks to loin the organisation.” FURTHER DETAILS. A telegram from Centralia next day said: No names were mentioned in a verdict returned by a coroner’s jury ' over the body of tho lynched man, believed to be “ Brick” Smith. The verdict said: “ We find that deceased came to his death by gunshot wounds and by strangulation caused by persons unknown ” No witnesses were examin ed at the inquest, and tho jury returned its verdict immediately after it viewed tho body. The verdict was acceptel without comment. For a fe-r hours the body lay on the floor of the bridge under which tlio man was lynched Later it was removed to the county gaol. All through tlio night it swung from the rope. Tho undertakers refused to touch it, and some of the I.W.W. men were taken from tlie gaol to perforin the last service required. Of tho twenty-six prisoners in gaol, fourteen are American citizens, three Swedes, one Montenegrin, one Swiss, ono Bohemian and ono Finn. 'The nationality of the others could not be learned. WAR TO THE DEATH. Tho United States district attorney announced at Seattle that it was now a case of war to the death against the I.W.W. Tho immigration commissioner left for Centralia to investigate the records of all alien I.W.W. men held, and will endeavour to deport them if they are. not required to answer charges in connection with the shooting. Seattle police raided the headquarters of tho I.W.W. and seized what they described as a ton of literature. All radicals were warned to loava the city for the future.

Tlio office of tho “Seattle Union Record,” owned by the Labour Council, was raided, and the editor, E. B. .Ault, and several others arrested. Ault was charged with violating tho Espionage Act. Aumed citizens defended Tacoma gaol, it being reported that tho Reds intended attacking it in order to release their colleagues. MAN HUNTS. Man hunts were conducted in and around Centralia by the returned soldiers. State troops, soldiers and police brought hi thirty men overnight. Members of the American Legion at Spokano, Washington, were sworn in as special policemen to meet what was declared to bo an invasion of 1000 to 2000 members of the I.W.W. expected from Montana and other parts of the north-west. It has been decided to gaol all rod suspefts. Alter tho gaols aro filled prisoners will be held elsewhere and guarded. Officers of the Legion believe tho report to be authentic. A REMARKABLE LETTER. The following letter, signed “ Industrial Workers of tho World, Fred Busman, Managing Secretary,” by haht members of the Legion:—“Wo havo marked them all over the country. We got tlio Centralia bunch and the voilowing men (named) will get theirs unless you instruct them to lay off. . . . For tlio past two or three months the Spokane chapter of the I.W.W. has been watching the activities of several leaders of the American Legion. You have taken an open issue stand against tile I.W.W. on tho floor of your clubroom. Allow mo to state at this time that the American Legion In Spokane is doomed to fall and will bo curbed by tlio working _ classes. Unless the following men discontinue to create hatred against tho I.W.W. they will follow the footsteps of the marked ones at Centrafia. NUMEROUS ARRESTS. Reports from all parts of the State show that very largo numbers of members of the proscribed organisation me being arrested daily. Front all Sta'.es in tlio Union como details of arrests, and the Government has officially "declared war on tho reds. In commencing a general warfare on radical aliens advocating forciblo overthrow of tho Government, agents of the Department of Justice arrested nearly 500 men and women in raids in more than a score of cities, including tho national capital itself. More than 200 of those arrested will ho held for deportation. All aliens found to ho engaged in radical activities will ho deported/ Primarily the raids, which occurred in practically everv industrial centre of the East and Middle West, were aimed at the Union of RussiaTi Workers, which, it is declared, was formed twelve years ago by William Szatow, now Chief of Police at Petrograd. Materials for making bombs and a complete counterfeiting outfit were also seized. The AttorneyGeneral, Mr Palmer, described the Russian Union as over, more radical than the Bolsheviks, an| declared ita pur-

poso to bo to amalgamate all the Russian groups in the States into one organisation. Mass action, including armed action in time of “ great national strifo,” was the principle of the union. NEW YORK’S TROUBLES. Thirty-seven men suspected of leadership in ultra-radical activities were detained by the New York police on vatious charges after over 1000 people, who had been arrested, were examined. The three prisoners regarded as most important are:—James Larkin, former head of the Irish Transport Workers' Union, and Irish revolutionist, charged with criminal anarchy; the police said he had a forged passport; Benj inm Gitlow, charged with criminal anarchy; and Henry Pearl, described as the leader of the communist party in. his assembly district, charged with violation of .the law x>rohibiting the carrying of firearms.