Middletown transcript., 1901-10-05
THE CRIME OF ANARCHY

III Justice for the assassin CZ0lgOSz Sh0ult
be stern and sure, and for the rest a
little sensational as possible. But ar
there no means, it will be asked, TO
making prevention of the crime 0
Anarchy more certain? This was thu
question which was discussed by the
anti-Anarchist Conference convoked by
the Italian Government in 1898. The
deliberations of the conference were un
der two. heads, administrative and legis
lative In the administrative sphere, il
was understood that the conference came
to some positive conclusions. How fal
they have been carried out has never
been stated, for it is a matter in which
| the utmost secrecy is essential. Anarch
ism, however, is an international crime
and the first necessity for dealing with il
is an international police bureau as q
means OF direct and speedy communica.
ton between the police of all countries
on this subject.
Many people talk, and governments
sometimes act; as if the one thing needful
were that each country should expel as
many suspected Anarchists as possible.
But if one considers the matter, it is not
easy to see the advantage of such pro
ceeding. In the absence of Bismarck s
penal island to serve as dumping-gr
Anarchists expelled from one country go
to another; and no country is much the
better for the exchange. What is really
wanted is the most effective system OF
home control, on uniform and pre-ar-
ranged principles, and with full and i'm
mediate communication between the po-
| lice of all the countries.
Even so, the difficulties of the police
| in dealing with the Anarchists will
always be great. First, because a des-
perate man, who does not shrink from
sacrificing his own life, is hard to con-
troll, though the number of such men is
| fortunately small. Secondly, because the
Anarchists, instead of having a general
organization, are divided into small and
| fluctuating groups. The administrative
task of watching and preventing criminal
Anarchism will always be difficult owing
to the looseness of its organization and
the insignifcance, and probably the in
dividual initiative, of its units.
These difficulties in administration
naturally lead governments to turn to
possible assistance in fresh legislation
by international agreement. In this
sphere the results of the conference of
1868 were negative; the views of different
governments were divergent, and the
British delegates did not take any part
in the final deliberations. Such diver
gence is inherent, we fear, in the nature
of the case. Anarchism shades off
through various and gradual transitions
from the innocent philosophy of Tolstoian
individualism and non-resistance to the
criminal propaganda which seeks uni
versal happiness through wholesale mnr
der.
When this fact is remembered, it will
at once be seen that common agreement
between States with regard to extradition
or press laws, or laws of public meeting
or the arrest of suspects, becomes we'll
nigh impossible in relation to this subject.
1t is not likely that even the Anarchist
terror will induce this country, for in
stance, or the United States, to accept
the Russian code, let us say, with regard
to the definition or treatment of political
offenses. In saying this, however, we
may add that there is no disposition
whatever in this country to regard crimi-
nal Anarchism as political offense,"
unnecessary of prevention or undeserving |
of rigorous punishment. 1t is q crime
under our law to prepare, persuade, or |
conspire for, the murder of any person;
and, as was pointed out at the time of the |
conference In Rome, the criminal nature
Of such preparation, persuasion, or con-
spiracY, is in no way attenuated or modi
fed because the persons guilty of it pro-
fess theories which they seek to dignity
by some ''ism" or other.
1t has often been said by foreign
critics in way of reproach that England
allows Anarchists to devise plots and
weapons against exalted per-
sons in other countries with out taking
proper precautions. The same thing has
been said of the United States. The
charge is as unjustified, we may hope, in
the latter case as we know it to be in our
own. Not much is heard of the vigi-
ance of Scotland Yard, but it is perhaps
not the less effective on that account.
Now and then arrests are made, and
when conspiracies have gone
ar enough, they are nipped in the bud
by prosecution. Johann Most, who had
published an article gioriiffEif il the the
'assination of the Gar, was arrested and
sentenced on charge of melting to muir
Ter. In 1891 several men were arrested
n Walsall for making and possessing
bombs, and those who were found guilty
we're severely punished.
The whole Anarchist colony in this
country is closely and increasingly
This, and the strict interpre-
alton of the law as defined above, are
5he only ways in which any direct and
warfare against Anarchism can
De carried on. By dealing thus vigilantly
with all dangerous Anarchists within its
borders, each State makes a contribution
to the international pursuit of common
enemy. The ways and means by which
such contribution can be rendered most
effective may we'll form the subject from
lime to time of international inquiry
London Gtronical.