Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-10-31
WANTS EXPLANATION
OF DE LARA ARREST
PACIFIC OUTLOOK QUESTIONS
POLICE METHODS
Publication Reviews Case of Socialists
Detention In Jail, and Believes
American Government
Will Intervene

The case of L. Gutierrez de Lara, the
,olitiea1 refugee who Is awaiting hear
ing on a deportation charge of being
an alien anarchist, is given a most
conprehensive review in the last isuse
of the Pacific Outlook. The review is
at no time sensational and SIMPLY
states facts with conclusions drawn
therefrom. The outlook holds one OF
the highest places in western literature
for its conservative position ana IT'S
unalterable fight for good government.
Following is the review entire:
I'VE have not yet had from the chlef
of notice or from anyone in authority
10 sneak for the department an ade-
quate explanation of the arrest and
detention of De Lara; and the whole
perfor..anee is certainly one that calls
for public enlightenment of some kind.
There may be some old ladies OF both
sexes in this city that are in such ter
ror of anarchists and likewise of So
,ia1ists that they are willing that
man who is merely charged with being
either one or the other should be SEN
fenced to Jail instantly without lnYes-
tigation, but we do not believe such TO
be the spirit Of the community at large
First ii is not a crime to be social
list; nor can one be indicted and pun
ished off-hand for being an anarchist.
He must have counseled murder or the
violent overthrow of government. And
IN any event something more than
mere charge is required against a man
before he is subjected to Imprisonment
It seems absurd to say all this, but
there actually are people who seem to
feel that the mere charge of anarchy
against a man instantly suspends the
operation of all the defenses Of the
law which in other matters are recog-
rized as surrounding and protecting
every American citizen.
"This apparently was the police view
of it when they broke in on meeting
of Mexicans and Americans and ar
rested De Lara and others and put
them in Jail. When Judge Works
asked for the charges against De
Lara he was told by the chief that
they would not be revealed until the
government had its case ready. De
Lara was Kept in jail ineommunicado
for three days. A charge of disturb
ing the peace was then lodged against
him, but was promptly dismissed. 1t
was evidently trivial, trumpet up
merely to hold him in Jail on 'sus-
picion'. In the meantime the depart
ment of immigration asked that he
be held pending investigation on the
charge of being a dangerous Mexican
anarchist, subject to deportation. That
is the present status of the case. De-
ID 0diu " iAACcAl hNotAA ~
De Lara as soon as he crosses the
border.
Back of all this lies the fact that
the American, a monthly of the pro-
gressive type, edited and owned by
such people as Ray Stannard Baker,
Lincoln Steffens, Ida Tarbell and Peter
r. Dunno (Dooley), is publishing
series of articles on 'Barbarous Mex
aco,' the first of which appeared in
the October number. They are writ
ten by John Kenneth Turner, and
much of the data are said to have been
supplied by De Lara. In fact De Lara,
disguised and under an assumed
name, accompanied Turner In his
travels through Mexico. This first ar
ticle deals chiefly with the form of
slavery which exists for 10000 I'M
fortunate human beings in the south
eastern portion of Mexico. 1t is an
appalling story If it is untrue it
should easily be possible for, the Mex
lean government to show that to fair
minded American readers. Thus far
no denial of any of the charges has
appeared. One finds it difficult to re-
sist belief that the charges are alb
solutely true.
what happens to De Lara in the flu
ture is an issue that lies between our
government and that of Mexico. If
Turner's charges are true, that our
sister republic has been thoroughly
Russianized under the rule of Diaz,
then it is to be hoped our government
will have the good, old-fashioned
Yankee courage sufficient to say no
to Mexicos demand.
But there still remain to be an
swered certain questions regarding our
own police force. We maintain that
institution to keep the peace, not to
regulate the political opinions of our
selves and our neighbors. The aver
age policeman is a good man, weighing
about 100 pounds, who reads his news
paper regularly and believes every
thing in it. But he is not qualified
either by education or temperament to
enact the role of censor in free
country. There was in the beginning
no charge against De Tara, except
that he was believed to be a Socialist
and was engaged in making speech.
For this he and a number of others
are arrested and thrown into jail, re-
fused bail, and shut off from com1nu-
nication. This kind of procedure Is
well enough for Russia or Spain, but
it will not be tolerated in an Amer
lean city. A full explanation of all
this is due to our people from some
source. If 1t is not forthcoming, the
entire police administration will be
held responsible, and will be called
upon to answer some very serious
questions"