Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-03-30
DISLOYALTY
DANGEROUS
BUSINESS
IF WAR IS
DECLARED

WASHINGTON, II. e., March 30.-Dis-
loyalty 10 the United States and plotting
against il will be come dangerous bust
ness the instant war i declared upon
Germany, or by Germany against this
country. The government secret service
l. ready To make arrests in many parts
Of the United States, whenever public wei
fare demands such action. II has 4 vast
quantity Of evidence concerning German
ploticrs. Disloyal talk and acts may be
tolerated today. They will not bc tolcrat-
cd after a state of war becomes an Of
liciaIly acknowledged fact.
Ever since the work of the German
propaganda became known in this coun-
try, the government has been buiding up
It's secret service system and collecting
It's information concerning the ploiters..
Ii j. said today that at least thousand
men have been at work gathering evi-
dence. The department Of Justice has d.
rected most Of this work. II has obtain
Cd a great quantity Of evidence concern
ing the pro-German activities Of persons
in many parts Of the country.
These persons are card ndexcd at The
department Their names, their addresses,
their peculiar forms of disloyal activity
are all known in Washington. They are
now and will continue 10 be under obscr
yation. II they become q menace To the
country in the event Of war, they will be
put in jail.
One ~ the most important activities OF !
tire govcrnmcHt- assnv- srrr'--- 6f ffrv>
paredne-s for war has been collecting evil
dcnce against those who have mcnaccd
the country from within.
From the very start il has been recog
nizcd that IN initial danger Of the United
States, IN time of war, would be internal
troubles. Conspiracics against Industries,
transportation systems and other factors
entering into national preparedness have
been uncarthed. Many men have been ar
rested as a result OF these Investigations,
and some Of them have already been con
victcd But their number j. small com
pared to that number who are being
watched
The government IN determined to pro-
tect the country, not only from enemies
without, but from those within. When
ever war becomes an official fact, the
United States Will be- an unhealthy place
for active friends of Germany. There Is
no sensationali-m IN this policy of the
government II is merely q measure oi
common sense and self protection. The
government y well advised concerning
many forms Of German propaganda IN the
United States. There are startling re-
ports concerning The work of German
spies IN government departments, but
most of these may ~ discounted. out
side of the departments, however, II ~ well
known that the German propaganda has
attempted insidious work among civilians
IN al parts VT the country.
Although the government has long suf
fcred from the pro-Gcrtnan propaganda
IN this country. one of the results has
been the accumulation WI u mass of knnwl-
edge that IL now NJ the highest import
ancc to the safety of the United States.
The government was driven - a wholesale
inquiry into acts of di~loyaliy and sedi
ton and II has made the most Of ID. ItI
il armed with mass of Information that
may land great many persons ~ jail.
fifi--