The Penn's Grove record., 1917-12-28
MANY THOUSANDS OF AusTRo-
HUNGARIANs WORK IN OUR
MINES AND MILLS.
THEY'RE NOW ENEMY ALIENS
Probably Many of Them VIII Be En-
abled to Keep Their Positions So
That Great Industries Shall Not Be
Crippled.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.


tionably are being made to act at home
as well as abroad. There is one thing
perhaps more than any other, SO far as
war operations are concerned with do
mestic problems, that has entered into
the thought Of the officials of the gov
eminent. 1t is fraught with some anxi-
cites. What is to be lone with the
enormous number of alien Austrians
and Hungarians who are at work in
the labor fields of the United States?
1t is said that thus far the Austrian
Hungarians who labor in the great coal
fields of the country have shown no
disposition to hamper the government
OF the United States in any way, and
have been far from engaging in any
attempts to cripple industry Jr in any
way to injure the war trades of the
American people. There have been
some few exceptions, but in most cases
where Austrians and Hungarians have
plotted against the well being of the
United States the work has been lone
apart from what may be called the
fields of the day laborer.
1t probably can be said, without fear
that word to the contrary will come,
that the government already has laid
its plans to take care of an Austro-
Hungarian situation in this country.
There are thousands upon thousands of
these men, now enemy aliens, engaged
in work in places where it would be
extremely difficult for them to do any
real injury in an a%nti-industrial way
to this country. provided, Of course,
they can be kept where they now are.
Some Can Be Kept at Work.
1t is said that by a proper readjust-
ment of Austro-Hungarian labor and
its specific activities some of the alien
enemies can be kept at work, can re-
main self-supporting and yet be de-
prived of any opportunity to do ma
terial damage to the industries of TIE
country. y
Virtually every foreign nationality Is
represented in the coal fields and in
the steel industries of the United
States. 1t is said that the mining OPT
erations can more easily be safeguard
ed than the steel-making industries,
while enemy aliens remain at
work in the fields. BY the shifting of
gangs, enemy aliens at the mines, 1t
is said, can be given work where they
are under constant observation and
will have little opportunity to put the
mines out of commission or to inter-
fere seriously with transportation IA
cilities. In the steel mills the prob
lem might be different, but 1t is under
TODD that the government, through
Its confidential agents and through rep
resentatives of the steel industry, al
ready has made arrangements to meet
any possible menace.
1t Is urged in some quarters that
.ustro-Hungarians now in this country
shall be either interned or removed
from the fields of their present labors.
This will involve an enormous labor
at an enormous cost, and, moreover, In
places it perhaps would SO cripple
industry that the war operations would
set back for weeks. 1t might also
extremely difficult to get men to
AXE the places of those removed.
Declaration the Better Way.
There was a belief in some quarters
n Washington that the United States
go ahead internationally legal
y" with war against Austria without
he formality of a declaration of hos
iHties by the congress Of the United
states. President Wilson, however,
seemingly did not take this view of it,
II at any rate thought it better, per-
laps because of the domestic situation,
o ask that such a declaration be
made.
A judge of a United States court was
-sked by the writer if it would frac-
ure the Constitution If the United
states were to enter into hostilities
gainst the A~ustrians, the Bulgarians
the Turks without any declaration
y the congress. He said that common
ense was the basis Of law and that
congress declared that wal ex-
sted between the United States and
Germany it became the duty of the
oA~Co VI ehAS 6OfCt AtnCuL " iudke Var
n Germany in the way surest to de-
eat her, and that if this involved war
n the forces which, in connection with
hose OF the kaiser, were trying to de-
eat the United States, hostilities
gainst those forces would be proper
not injure the Constitution in
ord or in letter and could be engaged
! without a declaration by congress.
Now, however, it is certain that war
i'll be on with the Austro-Huna tan
npire and that the United States is
be confronted with the task of look
lg after hundreds of thousands OF ad-
Itional alien enemies within its Dor
ers. The task will be a big one, but
lie authorities say that II will be met.
~'Personsting Pep.
His Ma-Now, Tommy, as father
ont be home tonight, you sit In his