Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-09-11
Stamp Out Treason
OF E perry Stripe.

w. :
- divers parts of the United States is evidently
the beginning of well-planned movement TO deal
unsparingly with sedition and treason in whatever
guises they appear Until now the National au-
thorities been extremely lenient toward indi-
vduals and organizations that have sought to dis
credit the American and to obstruct prepare
tons for the country's adequate defense. 'It is
doubtful il any other Government in similar cir
cumstances would have been half so tolerant and
long suffering. The time has come however, when
forbearance is no longer a virtue, but perilous
dallying with the enemies of-the Republic. 1t is
less important to stamp out the KaiserS forces
within the United States than to defeat them the
battle front. Indeed, We cannot defeat them there
unless eradicate them here.
The 1. W. w, formally styled the Industrial
Workers of the World but commonly known as
the order of II Won't Work." is an organization
whose enforcement and un-American charac-
ter makes it an easy instrument for Prussian in
trigue. In the West, members of this organization
have gone the full length of anarchy and pro-Ger-
violence. They have set fire to crops in the
field and invaluable stretches of forest they have
spiked trees intended for shipbuilding and airpane
constructions; they have sought both by force and
by propaganda to disrupt industries devoted to the
production of essentials; they have done all
they could do to harm the United States and to help
Germany. Continued tolerance of such conspiracy
would be incaculable injustice to the loyal peo
pie OF America and needless hazarding of the
Nations vital interests.
Outrageous though they are, l. w. w. activities
only form. and rather a crude form, of pro-
. German agitation That ruffian work is not half
so pleasing to the Kaiser the propaganda of
false Peace societies. the hypocrisy of yellow
streaked publications that covertly support his
cause by continually impugning the motives of our
allies, the sophistries of demagogues who, on
A pretext of defending individual liberty, seek to
hamper the Governments plans for defending the
liberties of the entire nation. All of these sinis-
ter forces have been allowed to virtually
without restraint. They have assailed the Selec-
tive Service law and tried to misesd the ignorant
into resisting its enforcement They have tried to
defeat the policy of sending National troops to
inforce our brave Regulars and Volunteers who
already are in France. They have spread all
ner of false rumors with a view frightening and
demoraIizing those who subject TO military
duty. They have done their utmost to becloud the
issues poison the public mind, make the'war meas
ures unpopular and thus weaken the United States
in its life-and-death grapple with Prussianism.
Not all OF these rorces have been directly or
even Willingly in the service of Germany. But all
of them have been of aid to Germanys Some
of them have had their pockets stuffed with Prus-
sian gold; others have been playing what they con-
sidered shrewd politics, regardless of duty and
honor; others have been moved by sheer perversity
and still others by sheer pin-headedness. But all
of them whether !. W. WIS, or underhanded
pachsts, antialIy editors or crafty politicians
or egregious asses, have done their bit for the
Kaiser. All have abetted his scheme to democrat
Ize the United States he demoralized Russia, by
divided counses and disloyalty to responsible lead
srship. All are, in effect, allies Of Hohenzolern
autocracy in its brutal onslaught upon civilization
The Prussian militarists would a thousand
times rather have defeated the Selective Service
law than to have taken Verdun. They lay great
deal more store by their insidious American
propaganda than by poison gas all other/de-
vices in their black armory Of frightfulness. They
know that they are doomed If American
plans are carried promptly and vigorously into eff
feet Their only hope is to Illustrate delay
those plans, or to trick the Allies into an incon-
elusive peace. Their only hope of rendering
America impotent now, in order that they may
attack her with all their brutal power later on,
lies in Just the sort of individuals and organiza
lions we have described-forces of treason, sedi-
ton and disuniOn.
The Government does well, therefore, to wait
NO longer to deal decisvely with these evil ele-
ments We now have upwards of eight hundred
thousand men under arms; and it will not be
many months before the new National army, now
being modified, will carry the number we'll toward
one and half million. with the probability of
at least two million long before this time next
year. These gallant defenders of the Republic,
many of whom already are in France, are enti-
tied to protection against the back fire Of the
pro-German agitators in our midst. And the
great loyal rank and file Of the American people
are entitled to protection against anarchists and
r-alawags The Government has been patient;
he people have been patient. But we are enter
ing the thick of war; with the iron responsibilities
--hich this the greatest OF all wars. imposes. We
dare not as we cherish our and value our
security tolerate treason in any guise or sediton