Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-18
Mrs. Gertrude Anterior Claims
She Was Means of Baking
Danish Treaty
LIABLE TO CHARGE OF TREASON
Brilliant Novelist Boasts of Her Part
in Securing Defeat of Treaty With
Denmark to cede the Danish West
Indies - Britain Tires of Alliance
With Germany.

Washington, Dec. 1S.-While it is
true that officials of the state depart
ment say they do not believe Mrs. Ger
trude Anterior had any great part IN
defeating the ratification of the Dam
ish treaty, and while they further say
that this country never would consent
to take the islands at all except to
keep them out of the hands of European
nations, they also call attention to the
fact that the distinguished and clever
novelist has unwittingly brought her
self within the scope of the criminal
laws defining and Furnishing treason.
Mrs. Atherton probably did not know
that the founders of the republic them
selves enacted statutes which expressly
define the crime of treason, and Walch,
Furthermore, makes it a criminal OF
tense, punishable by both fine and I'M
prisonment, for any American citizen
to carry on correspondence with any
foreign government to defeat the meas
ures of the government of the United
states. In Mrs. Athertons statement,
printed yesterday, she makes the posi-
treaty She winds up her statement by
the rather boastful sentence:
For a woman who knows nothing
about politics and never mixed In a po-
litical affair I did not do so badly, did
II"
Tt is a fact that the administration
never did desire the Danish Islands.
Denmark has been trying to sell them
for many years, because they did not
pay enough revenue and We're posi-
tive charge upon the home government.
There is no reason to believe they would
not cost the United States as much as
they have Denmark.
The only reason for acquiring them
was that the United States should not
be accused of being a dog in the man
ger. Under the Monroe doctrine this
country would not permit the Danish
islands to be bought by any other gov
eminent. AS Denmark could not at
ford to keep them, it naturally followed
that the United States must take them.
There was a general feeling of relief
when the treaty was defeated, but no
one suspected that Mrs Anterior was
responsible for the action of the Danish
treaty was actually negotiated between
the two countries. and as she claims to
have been instrumental in defeating it,
it seems probable that she has rendered
herself liable to what is defined In chap
ter 2 of the revised statutes as Grimes
against the existence of the govern
ment."
no show just how far the brilliant
novelist has run counter to the criminal
laws of the United States. altho there
is not the slightest possibility of her ac-
tual prosecution, 1t may be well to
quote section 1855 of the revised stat
utes of the United States, which is part
of chapter 2, with the ominous heading
quoted above, which reads as follows:
Every citizen OF the United States,
whether actually resident or abiding
within the same, or in any foreign
country, who without the permission or
authority of the government, directly
or indirectly, commences or carries on
any verbal or written spondence
or intercourse with any foreign govern
ment, or any officer or agent thereof.
with an intent to influence the meas
ures or conduct of any foreign govern
ment, or of any officer or agent there
of, In relation to any disputes or con-
troyersies with the United States or to
defeat the measures of the government
of the United States; and every person
being a citizen of, or resident within,
the United States, and not duly author
lied. who counsels. advises, or assists in
any such correspondence, with such in
tent, shall be punished by a fine of not
more than $4,000 and by imprisonment
during a term not less than six months
nor more than three years: but nothing
in this section shall be construed to-
abridge the right of a citizen to apply
himself or his agent, to any foreign
government or the agents thereof for
redress of any injury which he may
have sustained from such government,
or any Of its agents or subjects"