Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-31
TO REVISE VU[GATE JAI[ NOT TO liking
Proposed to Restore Version French Newspaper Men
to That of st. Jerome. Threaten Starvation.
OLD MANUSCRIPTS COPIED CONDITION is MITIGArED
Patient Search Mnastc Libra Press Uphod Them in Complaint
of Europe Against Legal Methods
PHOTOGRAPHIC THE BOOKS CALL THEIR OFTENSE POLITICAL
to
Sight eferred Long
andS
French Newspaper Men
Threaten Starvation.
CONDITION is MITIGATED
Press Upholds Them in Complaint
Against Legal Methods.
CALL THEIR OFTENSE POLITICAL
Incited Strikers to Violence-Charge
Not Preferred for Long
Time.
Foreign Correspondence Of The Star.

Foreign Correspondence Of The Star
PARIS. December IL. 1914
During the railway strike the news
paper La Guerre Sociale distinguished
itself by its violently revolutionary
articles. calling on the men to league
together against the tyranny OF the gov
ernment.' TO pursue system OF sabot-
age" etc.
In consequence NJ. Merle. the man
ager. and NJ Eigo. the subeditor. were ar
rested. NJ. IIerve. the responsible editor
and proprietor, is now under a two-yesr
sentence.
Since that date several weeks ago, these
two citizens have been in the conf
mon Jail with ordinary criminals OF AL
classes. particularly the lowest. Finally
they addressed letters to NJ. BRAND, the
premier, and inclosed copies OF them to
the whole Paris press. protesting against
being treated as common law prisoners
when. as they allege. their offense was
political
They declared further that unless they
were at once removed into the political
detention rooms they would refuse all
food and starve themselves to death.
Abuse Of Power.
The case is one which has many points
Of interest. According to NJ. Merle. he is
the first newspaper manager who has ever
been brought before an assize court 10
answer for articles which he did not
write.
In his letter to NJ. BRAND he accuses
him of abusing his power by throwing
him into prison and keeping him there.
Against this abuse he is helpless, but he
denies the right Of anybody to treat him
like felon. and, as this is the only way
left to him, he will starve himself until
justice is done to him.
NJ. Vigo's letter is much stronger. He
says he remained for a month in his cell
without knowing of what he was accused.
This. however. is a figure OF speech,
meaning that he had no official notice Of
his offense given to him.
November IL, NJ. Nigo says, he was
brought before the JUICE d'instruction.
the examining magistrate. and was told
that he was prosecuted as responsible for
the articles in La Guerre Sociale during
the strike. He declares that neither be-
fore nor after the strike did he write "A
line about it. and that he is not the
responsible manager of the paper.
Hitherto, he goes on, no secretaire de
reduction "a post resembling that OF SUBJ
editor) has been implicated in prosecu-
lions Of the writer's or managers, nor has
any journalist ever been kept under
arrest pending trial
Press Is Sympathetic.
Most of the newspapers-even the most
governmental, like L'Action-reproduced
these letters Their editors. putting aside
all question of personal opinions. upheld
the protest of the imprisoned Journalists
AS the result both prisoners were trans
ferred to- the political side OF the Jail OF
La Sante.
This seems to be an admission that
their complaint was just. II so. it 10 only
another instance of the extraordinary
lengths to which an examining magis-
trate is accustomed to go under French
legal traditions.
Since the case OF Nine. Steinheil the
right of submitting criminals to solitary
and repeated cross examination without
the presence of their counsel has been
abolished, as also has the system. during
the trial. Of the judge assuming the
prisoners guilt and taking upon himself
the character OF a prosecutor.
In the present instance the whole ques-
ton seems to lie in the point as to
whether the Offense imputed was political
or otherwise.
Among the measures contemplated BY
the government against strikes and
against the press law, in melting to
strikes, actionable before the assize
courts. This would seem to mean that
they will not henceforth be looked upon
as political, which is the view repeatedly
proclaimed lately in the chamber of depu-
ties.
Whether political or otherwise, how
ever, it seems extraordinary that any
prisoner should be kept a month i'm prison
without an accusation being formally
brought against him. In the cases of
NM. Merle and Vigo. however much their
they have been the victims OF an abuse
that calls for a speedy remedy.