The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-10-04
BERGER'SPAPER
BARRED BY US.
Post Office Takes First Action
Against Daily Newspaper
Printed in English.
Sasciai Deaeofch to TIE suS


WASHINGTON, Oct 3.-IThe Post Of
Ace Department has begun promptly
and vigorously to exercise the authority
conferred upon 1t by the espionage act
and the trading with the enemy act in
dealing with newspapers in the Unitedj
states alleged to have been preaching
treason and sedition. The first impOr-
tant daily newspaper printed In the
English language to feel the heavy hand
Of the Government u Victor Berger's
paper, the Milwaukee Leoder. To-day
this paper was barred from the mails by
the Postma aster-General because OF the
alleged REASONABLE utterances 1t has
contained lately.
followed hea ring before Assistant
Postmaster General Dockery. at which
Nr. Berger appeared and sought to
avert the threatened move. The Leoder
Is the leading Socialist newspaper In
Wisconsin and one OF the largest In the
United States. 1t has opposed the con-
scription law and. like other Socialist Or
gans. has described the war as capi-
talistio one.
The action taken against the Leader
10 the most important step yet taken
W kuc SObcThlhSht la ilo S<hihphs6
against offending newspapers all over
the country. Many orders to show cause
have already been issued. One Of the
papers under investigation Is understood
to be the New York Cal, and there are
many German papers on tho list
The President having signed yester-
day the trading with the enemy act II
10 now necessary for all foreign Ian
guaxe publications to hle with the Post
master translations Of all articles with
reference TO the war.
Postmaster Burleson explained TO day
that the Postmaster had the authority.
II they deemed the article warranted. to
stop the issue containing them from
going through the mall. II in doubt
they are instructed TO forward the
translations TO Washington to be pa ssed
upon. In order to bar all issues from
the mails an order to show cause has
first to be issued. Mr.. Burleson to-day
indicated that he purposed TO take sum-
mary action and that IT would be posei-
ble for any publication which felt II had
been unfairly dealt with to appeal to the
courts.
LAS have said before said Mr.
Burleson, "the loyal newspapers have
nothing to fear. They can crtic!se the
Administration and skin me alive II they
want to. Criticism Of this kind does
not come within the law. But the
Government does not intend to allow
! disloya, newspapers to go on telling
| our soldiers that this war was brought
on by the capitalistic class or 10 war
, to make Mr.. Morgan's bonds good. as
| some Of them have been saying. and
: thus seeking TO poison the minds Of the
men who are fighting for us.
I'VE are not proceeding against So
cialist newspapers as a class, but only
I against newspapers which are indulgini
! In such utterances as these. The trad
Ing with the enemy act Is supple mentar.
to the espionage act, and virtual,
obliges the newspapers Of the country t.
| censor themselves In compelling then
| to file transiations Of their articles
Every foreign language newspaper edi
tor knows what he can print and wha
| he can't print. and the new law ha!
merely made the work Of the Post ono,
Department easier in this respect"
Under the new law the Government
not only can bar offending publications
from the malls. but can stop their cir
culation by any other meana