The Washington herald., 1917-10-07
START SEDITION war
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| CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
! I. W. w. troubles in the lumber and
mining districts of the Northwest than
/ to any other phase OF German ma
| chlnations. But the fact is that the
underground enemy propaganda at
work among the farmers of the North
west-the campaign which came to a
head at the recent convention held at
| ST. Paul. which Senator La Toilette
addressed-caused much more anxiety
to the White House.
The farmers can either make or
break Hooverism. and the whole food
conservation program. Some of them
have threatened to break 1t. They are
disaffected on two counts-the failure
to tax wealth In the current war reve-
nue. bill in accordance with radical
ideas. and the cutting of agrarian
profits in the 500 per bushel price TX
ed for wheat, which wipe out fully 80
per cent of the war profits" on which
they were counting. They say they
are willing to stand this cut. provided
the steel, copper. and other magnates
are forced to abandon profiteering
! also. Enemy agents are busily spread
ing the poison that this has not been
Ildl wan 0uttk NOhbAOAs hho
conduct of the war.
1t Is imperative that this propa Uganda
among the farmers be scotched and
killed at once. Otherwise there Will
be a most disastrous anti-war fare
back by the time that the new Con-
gress convenes next December. The
pivotal part of the Wilson strength
comes from the substantial agricul-
Voll
and the Northwest. and it is essential
that 1t be held to the Presidents sup
port.
Much of the administration bitter
ness against La Toilette and Gronna
is due to the fact that they have
famed the flame of discomfort and
disaffection. in these States. These
Senators. 1t Is said. have lent aid and
encoura cement to the scores Of enemy
agents in the Northwest. the effect OF
whose work is now becoming appar-
ent. For this reason the administra-
| ton Is going to adopt a genuine
"frightfulness" toward anything which
/ sayors of seditisn in Wisconsin. Min
| nesota. the Dakotas. Iowa, Oklahoma
and contiguous territory. 1t will be
drastic; there is no question about
that.
Scores of small weekly publications
have already been put out OF business.
Postmaster General Burleson Is pro-
ceeding with an Iron hand He is
not taking the public into his conti-
dence. He is as secretive as the Secret
Service, and it is impossible to get any
idea as to how many publications have
been denied the use of the mails and
| Iqttnnroaood hAr l,at to he
near future. In the same way the
roundup of aliens and enemy agents
is proceeding under the eye of the De-
partment of Justice. and only the most
| sensational part of the work Is re-
ceiving any publicity whatsoever.
Certain Dangers.
| There Is a certain danger involved
in these "doings in the dark" and
friends Of the President have not been
slow to point 1t out So far their ap-
peals have been vain.
| 1t Is clear that the new policy Is
! bound to create profound distrust
among many interests which are loyal
in support of the White House. =. 1t
| is expressed Enthusiastically in such
radical publications as the New Re
public. one of whose editors, Walter
| Llppmann, Is now a confidential as
sistant to Secretary of War Baker.
The New Republic takes strong ex-
ception to the suppression of Max
Eastman's paper, the Masses. and to
the throttling of all discussion of
! American war aims at the present
time. Its attitude expresses the
opinion OF many influential men In
the administration. These, however,
have not been needed, and the Pres
ident Is determined to resort to the
strongest measures to keep, the ma
tion in line with his war policy.