The Washington herald., 1917-10-08

uonal policy. guifty Of tressouf Or
10 every man who agitates for the "a
peal OF q law which he consfdery un-
Just. or who seeks TO disseuinats
information Of any matter that IL of
interest TO him. though the sosern-
ment does not approve ft-k every
such man TO be hanged az q trsitorf
For the sake of those who ask this
superncally but honestly We must
give the ansver which is already per-
fectiy well known TO those who s,k
intellieenty but disingenoously. The
answer ID, No: and yet again, No.
The striker may be entirely honest
and law abiding. or he may be .
brswier. an incendisry. q murderer;
but in either case he may be entirely
Innocent Of treason. The aeftstor NAV
be . prophet Of wisdom and rifht-
eousness or he may be a 5ackass
and a public nuisance; but in either
case he may be quite free from IN.
taint Of treason II all depends upon
the purposes and circumstances OF
the act; and perhaps more upon the
Circumstances than the purposes.
Treason must bs made odious-
connection with war. Indeed. in this
country II cannot be practiced other
wise than in connection with either
actual or potential war. "Ensuies
Of the United States" are an essen
tisl factor. Five yesrs ago men might
have gone on strike 20 parslyze ali
the functions OF government: they
might have blown up srsensls and
sunk the navy: they might have dis
suaded men from entering the mill
tary service. and have persuaded those
IN II TO desert IL; they might have
conducted widespread agitation
against any military system what
ever: they might have flooded the
country with perniciouH literature,
forbidden by the law. In doing these
things they might have been guilty
OF various serious crimes but the
crime Of treason would not have been
among them. for the simple res son
that none OF these acts, however afro
cious and detestable, would have
given aid and comfort 10 enemies OF
the United States. But precisely the
same acts committed now might prop
erly be sdjudged to be treason Of the
rankest kind, because they would give
such aid and comfort
Treason must be made odious. W.
must discriminate between acts done
In time Of peace and IN time Of war.
We may not fully concede that inter
arma silent leges. rightly holding that
in this country. save in the army it.
self and in special circumstances Of
the proclamation OF ma rtial law the
civil law must always be superior to
the military establishment, and that
even in time OF war the civil rights Of
cluzens are TO be scrupulously safe
qua rded and respected. True. But il
Is truism that civil rights differ
In peace and war II an American
citizen today should sell plans Of our
harbors and data concerning our army
and navy to the German government.
We suppose that even the pundits OF
the Peoples Council would admit
that he would be a traitor according
TO the prescription OF the Constitution.
IL he had done so 1--WE years ago he
would have incurred and would have
deserved severe punishment, but Il
would not have been the punishment
Of a traitor. because we were then
friendly with Germany and there
would have been no enemies Of the
United States" in the case.
Treason was made odiousL" There
fore thank God for what has already
been done, though late, and let US pray
that the good work will go unsparinc-
ly on Remember the definition OF
treason as given in our Constitution.
IL is anything which gives aid md
comfort to our enemies. II is any
thing which hampers our government
in its prosecution Of the war. II IS
anything which impairs the efficiency
Of our military establishment or de-
prtves II Of necessary supplies. Il is
also anything which Is designed 10
emosrrass our relations with our al
lies, or to inJure them All these are
acts Of treason. and upon the doers
OF them we invoke, swift and remorse-
less. the penalty OF traitors In peace.
our liberal laws permit the utmost
latitude Of speech and action. ana
the man who is ''agin' the govern
ment" may be as true a pa triot as the
head Of the government himself. But
when the nation. back TO the wall, is
hghting for life and for the life OF
democracy throughout the world. 'he
who is not with us is against US"
and he who is against US is our enemy,
whether he be Uhlan or an I. WV,
member Of the Reichstag or OF the
Peoples Council" The only difer-
ence between them h that the former
is an alien foe while the latter 10 a
domestic traitor.