Middletown transcript., 1917-09-15
Government Finally Closes Down
on Industrial Workers of
the World.
MANY RAIDS AND ARRESTS
italians Continue Victorious Progress
Toward Trieste-Germans Take
Riga and Great Naval Battle
in the Gulf Of Finland
Is Expected.
BY EWARD w. PiCKARD.

Its war industries hampered, its dig
nifty outraged and it's patience ex-
hausted, the government of the United
States arose in its might last week and
began the process of squashing the dis
reputable and dislOyal Industrial
Workers of the World. In more than
a score of cities, mostly in the middle
and far West, their headquarters and
printing Offices were raided and great
quantities of material seized. The
department of justice prepared for this
action secretly and carried it out
swiftly and skillfully, and is now ready
10 have the leaders of the organization
indicted if the documents taken war
rant this. In some cities many arrests
were made. Prosecutions may be
started under the new espionage law,
CT any one of several other laws.
Two of the things that caused Uncle
Sam to get after the l. w. w. were the
preaching of sabotage-the wilfull de-
struction of prOperty-and the use of
'stickerettes" designed to obstruct en-
listing, which were plastered all over
the country. They are also accused
of misusing the mails to send out mat
ter advocating treason, insurrection
and fOrcible resistance to the laws con-
corning the carrying on of the war.
The documents seized show that the
l. W. W. was planning nationwide
strike which, it hoped, would tie up
Inunition plants, railroads and lumber
mills, and the sabotage advocated was
TO be practiced in connection with this
strike.
There is a well grounded belief that
the leaders of the l. w. w. are con-
stantly supplied with funds from Ger
man sources, but the great mass of its
members no doubt are merely ignorant
and misled creatures.
The national headquarters of the
Socialist party in Chicago also were
raided and books and papers seized.
"Big Bill" In Eclipse.
Another 'prominent' opponent of the
gOvernment-William Hale Thompson,
the mayor of Chicago-came q cropper
last week. In defiance of the orders Of
Governor Lowden, he compelled the
police of Chicago to give protection to
meeting of the paciists who had
been barred from Wisconsin, Minneso-
Ia and other states. Thereupon the
governor sent troops to the city to pre-
vent repetition of the offense, the city
council of Chicago formally rebuked
the mayor, the agents of the depart
ment of justice began inquiries into
his conduct with view to his indict-
ment, the press and people of the
country denounced him. and his in
fantile boom for the Illinois senator
ship collapsed utterly. He did not 90
TO the Kankakee fair, where that boom
was slated to be started. 1t is difficult
to write of Thompson, Mason and 9th
er still more prominent foes Of their
country In printable language. Those
who combat the governments war eff
forts "give aid and comfort to the
enemy and exasperated loyalty Won
ders why they are not subjected to the
penalties prescribed by the law against
treason.
Great Victory for Italians.
When the italian armies on Tuesday
stormed and captured Monte San Ga
briele they took the last mountain fort
ress barring their way toward Laibach
and an advance that would separate
the northern and southern Austrian
armies. Such a movement probably
will compel the Austrians to evacuate
Trieste, which has been under shell fire
from the water for days, and also is
likely to result in the taking Of Toll !