A supporter of Women's rights and the League
of Nations, Palmer was a key figure in the Red Scare. Palmer quickly became
a leader in the hunt for communist "spies," and even created the General Intelligence
Division within the DoJ that was headed by J Edgar Hoover. As Secretary General,
Palmer had the support and resources necessary to launch a major routing of
"communists." Palmer's pride became his downfall, however, because in pursuit
of the Presidential nomination he authorized the arrests of 6000 individuals
who were then thrown into prison while the government searched their homes and
destroyed their lives. When Palmer announced that the radicals were planning
huge rallies for a certain day, and then no rallies took place, he looled like
a fool and the scare passed.
Interesting links: The FBI, Senator Joseph McCarthy
of Wisconsin, the Red Scare