Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-08-08
WARNING talk OF
JUDGE BURLINGTON
Avoid All Trouble By Being
Straight, Square And
Loyal To U. s.

Loyal To U. S.
Extracts from remarks made by
Judge Burlington at a Naturalization
court held at Philadelphia on April
9Th, 1917.
In the first place, l want to say
that I have made it my duty to find
out what our government would do
in case Of war, and would intern men
who had at one time been citizens of
countries at war with us.
II am glad to say to you that the
government has no purpose to intern
any men. and that any man who is In
termed will intern himself by proving
that the government ought to intern
him. The government is going to start
out with trusting and believing in all
who are living here and there will be
no interning or depriving any foreign
born man of any country Of his liberty
so long as that man is truly loyal to
America.
And want to tell you, further, that
our government feels very strongly
that any i'll will or bad treatment by
any American citizen toward any for
eign-bOrn man. simply because he was
born in country with which Ameri-
ca is at war. would be a serious blot
upon the good name of America. I am
glad to give this assurance to our for
eign-born people, and to let every man
who does no wrong to the govern
ment know that the government will
not imprison or disturb him. So much
<1,o Of
toward them.
And how about their good will to-
ward the government? This leads me
to give a further message Of caution
and friendly advice to those who may
have a bad will toward our govern
ment, or who are listening to bad ad-
vice, or who for any reason are be-
coming disloyal to America, or turn
ing their faces away from her. My
advice to such men and women Is to
stop, look and listen before they go
further, for in times like these such
a course cannot but lead to a sorry
end. War is the dividing line. Re-
member what was only foolish and
unwIse in word and deed last week, in
peace, may be treason when war
comes. Remember, when war comes.
no man can serve two masters. AS of
old the message comes, Choose ye
this day whom We may serve
There Is no such thing as half trea-
son. Any treason Is all treason. And
let no foreign-born man, who is today
in the United States, comfort himself,
that because he has not become a nat
uraliZed citizen, he owes no allegiance
to the United States, and that he can
not be punished for treason to the
United States.
"That is not the case, and it is we'll
for US all-whether native-bOrn
naturaliZed or unnaturaliZed-to un-
derstand just where we each stand
with relation to the government in the
crime Of treason. The highest duty
of any government is self-protectlon.
ment, because it strikes at the life
OF the government, is the highest form
of crime. Let me read you the law:
~. Whoever, owing allegiance to
the United States, levies war against
them or adheres to their enemies, CIV
ing them aid and comfort within the
United States or elsewhere, is guilty
of treason
"'2. Whoever is convicted Of trea-
son shall suffer death, or at the discre-
ton of the court be imprisoned not
:riess than five years and fined not less
than $4,000, to be levied on and col
lected out of any or all his property,
real and personal, Of which he was
the owner at the time Of committing
such treason, no sale or conveyance to
the contrary notwithstanding, and
every person 80 convicted of treason
shall moreover be incapable of holding
any office under the United States
And every one who owes allegi
ance to the government can be
guilty of treason; the native-born man
because he was born here; the natu
rallied man, because he took an oath
Of allegiance; the unnaturaliZed OF
alien man, because he lives here fol
the time being. Every one knows the
up to his girl generally loses her.
A $50 pound wife does not weigh
native-born and the naturalized mar
can be guilty of treason, but let mt
read you from the book itseh wha
the Supreme Court at Washington say!
about the alien who stays in the coun
try in time of war:
The alien, whilst domiciled in tn
country owes local and temporary al
legiance which continues during tn
period Of his residence says tina
NOuAkS oAO ~ AOAAO"o CAAS Ny NuOCAA
and adopting the broad stated pri1
ciple stated by Daniel Webster whe
Secretary of State:
Independently of residence wit
intention to continue such residence
independently of the taking of an
oath of allegiance or of renouncin
any former allegiance, it is we'll know
I that, by the public law, an alien or
stranger born, for so long time a
he continues within the dominions {
q foreign government, owes Obedienc
y to the laws Of that government, an
- may be punished for treason or othe
crimes as native born subject mig1
be, unless his case is varied by SON
treaty stipulation.
MY advice, therefore, to every 70
eign-born man and woman who
staying in the United States today
to keep clear of any disloyaIty; kee
clear Of any one who counsels or a
vlses it. Indeed, anyone native, ma
uralized, or alien, who knows of SUI
disloyal plans, purposes, or schem
is already on dangerous ground, altl
he may not himself have done thin,
for as your friend should tell you tn
there is not only treason which co
sists of overt acts, but there Is le
ser treason which consists in KNOWN
of treason by others against the I'm
ed States and not making it known.
Let me make that very plain,
It may save some people trouble