Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05
SOCIALIST LEADERS SEE
BETTER CONSIDERATION
Civil Trial for Ono Of Their Mem.
bers Is Hailed ms Great
Victory.
LIGHT SENTENCE is IMPOSED
Prisoner Is Given Nine Months in
Prison, When the Authorities Had
Power to Send Him TO Penal Ser
vitude for Life.

ZURICH. SWITZERLAND. September
4.-German Socialists are pointing to
,:.,, ti1aY or Heinrich Huneke, one of
growing consideration which the au-
thorities have for the Socialist party
Huneke was arrested on n charge OF
attempting TO tncite soldiers of the
and to induce civilians to disobcy the
laws Of the land"
Although he was convicted and sem
fenced TO nine months imprisonment.
the Socialists poiM; out that the ac-
cused leader Jared far better than even
he himself had expected. Hunekc is
president OF the German Engineers
and Firemens Federation. and one of
the most powerful trade union men in
the country. The fact that the au-
thorities did not bring Hunekc before
court rtial is hailed as victory
for the Socialists. while his escape
with a sentence OF only nine months
from a court which had the power or
sending him to penal scrvitudc for life
is also regarded with satisfaction by
Huneke's followers.
NINE MONTHS IN JAIL;
LEAST PENALTY INFLICTED
The trial took place in Bremen. and
was heard in camera, but a general
idea OF the proceedings can be oh
ta!ned from the judgment. which was
pronounced In open court by the senior
Judge:
The charge OF attempting to induce
soldiers TO be disobcdicn, and muffin
~ hn nI,rt. ,trn. Il
urety, the accused can only he con-
victed of this oncnsc in so far as his
propa anda happened TO reach sol
diers and sailors Of the army and navy
His real oncnse lies In having dis
trthuted and causing to hc distributed
copies OF "a pamphlet. entitled Our
Principal Enemy Is at Home, among
the workin.n Of the Wescr Shipbuilding;
Company, who are engaged in manu-
featuring vcsEcls OF war for tho i'm
pcrial navy.
II, only has been proved that the
accused Was directly connected with
the distribution Of about 100 copies OF
this pamphlet. and although IL is prob
ab!c that he was responsible for the
circulation nf many more. we In the
court can only deal with the number
actually proven. This circumstance
operates in favor of the accused in
melting out punishment TO him. The
pamphlet contains passages which con-
stitut" an incitemeut to disohcdience
Of the laws of the land. as we'll as other
passages which arc calculated TO dis
turb the public peace by stirring UP
dineren, classes o; the population
against one another. The accused has
committed a crime against his Father
ifrd in erdeavorinc. by means Of the
circulation Of this pamphlet TO per
suaGe tho working men Of Germany to
A.Itate for peace, and in explaining
hoW a movement in favor Of EXERCISING
pressure on the imperial government
can II. carried on with the help OF tho
prtss and through meetings and public
demonstrations
Ali THESE METHODS
SIRE DECLARED ILLEGAL
All these methods Of public neita-
ton have been declared to he Illegal
h. the proclamation issued in connec-
ton with the Introduction OF martial
law al the outbreak OF hostilities So
that to advocate them constitutes the
Preparation ofa serious crime. More :
over. the efforts made by the accused
20 create strife between those whom nc
calls lmpcrialists on the one hand and
the working classes Of Germany on III"
other hand unquestionably amount 10
an illegal act in tho sense of the exist
ing provisions OF military law now in
force throughout the country. 1t is
quite clear that Hunckc circulated the
pamphlet with full knowledge OF It's
contents and OF It's probable effect on
its readers. so that he committed his
offense deliberately and with set pur-
pose. All these circumstances have
led the court to the conclusion that a
term of imprisonment for nine months
Is the least penalty which we can in