Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-08-20
Anarchists Are incarcerated In
County Jail as Military Pris-
oners; Agitations lntoIerabIe
to Uncle Sam.
DISTRICT SECRETARY
HAD CALLED STRIKE
Object of Labor Disturbances
Alleged to Be to Compel Re-
lease of Men in Prison for
Crimes.

tsr MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED w,auI
Spokane, Wash, Aug. 19.-James
Rowan. district secretary of the In
dustrial Workers of the World and
twenty-five other alleged members of
the organization, were arrested at
local Industrial Workers of the World
headquarters here this afternoon by
a company of Idaho national guards
men and placed in the county Jail as
military prisoners.
Strike Order Out.
The arrests We're made on the eve
of the day on which a strike of In
dustrial Workers of the World agri-
cultural and construction workers In
Washington, Oregon. Idaho and Mon
tana Is to become effective. Strike
orders advising farm workers to "let
the fruit rot on tho ground" and call
ing on construction workers to lay
down their tools have been signed by
Rowan. Lumber workers N ,the. four
states already are on strike.
The only effect of my arrest will
be to intensity the strike" Rowan
said while he was awaiting his turn
to be searched and booked.
Il think the strike will spread
further now, and probably will af-
been called.
Cannot Halt Strike.
Even though all the officers or
employees Of the organization are put
in Jail and all the halls closed, ar
rangements have been made to handle
the movement"
Only vote of the members of the
organization can halt the strike,
Rowan said. and there is no one with
authority to take such action. The
strike order becomes effective to.
morrow unless Industrial Workers of
the World members alleged by lead
ers of the organization to be illegally
held in Jail are released by that time.
Arrest by Guardsmen.
Rowan and William Moran, secre-
tary of the local Industrial Workers
of the World organization, were ar
rested at the local 7. w. w. hall by
Maj Clement Wilkins, in command
of battalion OF guardsmen on patrol
duty here. While Major Wilkins, ac-
companied by Rowan. went to ex-
ecutive headquarters three blocks dis
tant to unlock the door, forty mem
bers of the company under the COM
mand Of Capt r. A. Jeter. rounded
up twenty-five other men who were
to the county Jail.
Three Other Arrests.
A squad of guardsmen was left at
the executive headquarters and an
other was stationed at the Industrial
Workers of the World hall. The latter
arrested three other men who went
to the hall later. Orders then were
issued that no one should be per-
mitted to enter the hall, but that no
more arrests Of persons seeking to
enter should be made. None Of the
men arrested offered any resistance.
The twenty-three prisoners were lined
up in double column, between files
of the guardsmen, with fixed bayonets.
and marched half a mile to the jail.
Here they were searched and their
names taken and they were placed in
cells on an upper floor Of the build
ing.
Under Military Law.
You men are military prisoners
and are not detained under civil law"
Major wilkins told the men after they
had been lined UP in the Jail.
Investigation of your cases will
be begun tomorrow and IL it is found
thai any Of you are wrongfully held.
you will be released"
Later Major wilkins said the en-
tire proceedings were under military
orders and that no charges had been
placed against the men. A deputy
United States marshal who accom-
panied the soldiers did 30 only to
identify the men arrested. he said.
Rowan Issues statement.
At the jail, Rowan dictated state
ment Of the purposes OF the strike.
which he later read and signed. He
said
srhA Drincipal ohiect az tha strike