Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1917-08-17
Official Paper Of the City and the County
Issued on Friday of Each Week
Entered at the Post Office at Cresco
Iowa. as second class mail matter.

!, Iowa. as second class mail matter.
DON'T IMPEDE OR 0BSTRUcT.
United States Attorney Explains the
Laws Relating to Acts Of Disloyalty.
s OF interest to every one in this Sec
ton Just now is a letter to United
States Marshal E. R. Moore from Uni
ted States District Attorney F. A.
O'Connor. The letter which is self ex.
plan atory was sent to the marshal
with the request that it be given full
est publicity, through the newspapers
and otherwise. 1t is as follows:
New Hampton, Aug. 3, 1917. ~
Hon. E. R. Moore,
United States Marshal,
Dubuque, Iowa.
Ny Dear Sir:
Complaints from many parts of the
district have come to me of the alleg-
ed purpose of various persons to inter-
fere with the administration of the
selective CONSUMPTION Act, and also
complaints reach me from, time to
time of alleged acts of disloyalty to-
ward our government. Loyal and pa
triotic local officials and citizens ap-
peal to me for advice as to what shall
be done in such cases.
In view Of such conditions l take
this means of calling your attention,
and the attention of your deputies and
other officers and persons, to certain
criminal provisions of existing laws and
to urge upon you and all your deputies,
and other officials and citizens, the
greatest vigilance in detecting and re.
porting violations of such statute.
Now that hundreds of exemption
boards of the state are mastering into
the service the great American army,
it is of the highest importance that de-
signing and disloyal persons in no way
impede or hamper the carrying out Of
their solemn and sacred duties.
/ therefore call your attention to thu
following provision contained in Sec
ton 8 of the Selective Conscriptio1
Act, to-wit:
''Any person charged rs herein
provided with the duty of carry
ing into effect any of the provi-
sions of this act or the regulations
made OF directions given thereun-
der who shall fail or neglect to
= perform such duty: and any person
charged with such duty or having
and exercising any authority under
said act, regulations, or directions,
who shall knowingly make or be
party to the making of any false
or incorrect registration, physical
examination, exemption, enlist
ment, enrolment, or muster; and
any person who shall make or be a
party to the making of any false
statement of certificate as to fit
ness or liability of himself, or any
other person for service under the
provisions of this act, or reguls:
lions made by the president there
under, or otherwise evades or aids
another to evade the requirements
Of this act or of said regulations,
or who, in any manner, shall fail
or neglect fully to perform any
duty required of him in the exc.
cution of this act, shall, if not sub
ject to military law, be guilty Of q
misdemeanor, and upon conviction
in the district court of the United
States having jurisdiction thereof,
be punished by imprisonment for
not more than one year, or, if sub.
ject to military law, shall be tried
by court.martial and suffer such
punishment as a court.martisl may
direct"
particularly call your attention t.
the following language taken from thu
above quoted statute:
"' or otherwise evades or
aids another to evade the require
ments of this act or Of said regu.
lation."
This provision makes it q misde
meanor on the part of the person evad
ing, but also on the part of anyone
who aids in any way a person subjec
to military duty, to evade any re
quirement of the law. Undoubtedly
there will be persons who for ont
reason or another will seek to have re
lieved members of their family Of
friends, from being called to the ser
vice. Such action on the part of any
person, or persons. must not be toler
ated. A vigorous ana unyielding pol
icy will be pursued by this Office in de-
tecting and Furnishing all persons wht
may offend the statute above quoted.
also call your attention to Section
3 of the Espionage Act, approved June