The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 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.

It's 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 ana
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 1t out
swiftly and skillfully, and is now ready
to 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,
or 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
|. w. w. was planning a nationwide
strike which, it hoped, would tie up
munition 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 I. 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.
"Bie Bill" In Eclipse.
Another prominent" opponent of the
government-William Hale Thompson,
the mayor Of Chicago-came cropper
last week. In defiance Of the orders of
Governor Lowden, he compelled the
police of Chicago to give protection to
a meeting Of the pacifists 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 go
to the Kankakee fair, where that boom
| was slated to be started. 1t is difficult
to write of Thompson, Mason and 9TH
I 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 Lafbach
and an advance that would separate
| the northern and southern Austrian
armies. Snch 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