New Britain herald., 1917-04-17

Washington, April 17.-President Wilson has issued a proclamation calling the attention of aliens and citi- zens to the acts which this country holds to be reasonable, and warning them that the laws for the punishme ent of treason will be vigorously prose- cuted by the federal government. The proclamation quotes what the Ameri- can constitution says regarding treas- on. what the criminal code of the United States contains by way of fed- eral law against treason, and sum- marizes the acts which the federal courts have held to be reasonable.
 Far-reaching importance attaches to the direction of the warning to aliens, and the declara tion that resi- dent aliens, as well as all citizens, owe allegiance to the United States" and therefore are equally subject to the laws against treason and like crimes. At war the United States is in a very different position from neutral. Bomb plotters now may be gripped with an iron hand. Not only are con- spirators themselves subject to heavy penalties, but any one, even a German resident, who has knowledge of treas- onab1e acts and fails to make known the facts to the authorities may be sent to prison for seven years and fined $1,O0O for misprision of treason.
 The presidents proclamation fol- lows:
 Whereas, All persons in the United States, citizens as we'll as aliens, should be informed of the penalties which they will incur for any failure to bear true allegiance to the United States;
 Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Will son, President of the United States, hereby issue this proclamation to call especial attention to the following pro- visions of the constitution and the laws of the United States:
 Section of Article III, of the Con- stitution provides, in part:
 Treason against the United
 States shall consist only in levy > ing war against them, or in ad-
 herring to their enemies, giving
 them aid and comfort,
 The Criminal Code of the United States provides:
 Section 1-Whoever, owing al-
 leglance to the United States,
 levies war against them or ad-
 heres to their enemies, giving
 them aid and comfort within the
 United States or elsewhere, is
 guilty of treason.
 Sec. 2.-Whoever is convicted
 of treason shall suffer death; or,
 at the discretion of the court.
 shall be imprisoned not less than
 five years and fined not less than
 $10,OOO, to be levied on and scol-
 lected out of any or all his prop
 erty real and personal, of which
 he was the owner at the, time of
 committing such treason, any sale
 or conveyance to the contrary
 notwithstanding; and every per- son so convicted of treason shall,
 however be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
 Sec. 3-Whoever, owing allegi- ance to the United States and hav- ing knowledge of the commission of any treason against them. con-
 ceals and does not, as soon as may be. disclose and make known the same to the president or to some judge or justice of a particular state. is guilty of misprision of
 treason and shall be imprisoned not more than seven years and fined not more than $1,0OO.
 Sec. 6--If two or more per-
 sons in any state or territory or in any place subject to the jurisdic-
 tion of the United States. conspire