New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-24
Warns Delegates That They
Are Facing Prison
Terms j;
Stockholm Meeting
Planned by Kaiser
Disapproval Meant to Show
Our Distrust to
Russia

Washington, May 23.-Emphatic dis
approval of the peace propaganda OF
European Socialists was expressed to.
day by the American government,
which denied passports TO American
delegates to the Stockholm conference
and issued a warning that any Ameri.
can taking part in the negotiations
would be legally liable to heavy pun.
ishment.
No formal announcement Of purpose
was issued, but officials explained that
the governments course would have
the twofold effect OF discredting gen.
orally any peace moves by unau-
thorized persons and of condemning in
particular the present Socialist agitA-
ton, regarded since its inception ~ in
spired b. Germany.
One object of the declared policy Of
the government, it was believed, was to
impress the Russian government with
the United States distrust Of the pur.
poses and personnel Of the conference.
II is known that before reaching its de-
cision the State Department had con-
Quoted an investigation Of the objects
and character of the pcrsonages VINO
have been known as prime movers in
the conference.
Law Provides Punishment
In making known the decision not to
give passports to the American Social.
lists designated to take part in the
Stockholm conference, Secretary Lsns-
ing cited the Logan act Of 1893 - de.
fning the punishments which might bs
expected by any American now Ia
Stockholm, or who might go there with
out passport and participate in the
peace discussions. Under this law un-
authorized persons who directly or in-
directly treat with foreign agents re-
garding controversies of the United
States may be imprisoned for three
years and fined $4,000.
The American delegates to the con-
ference, authorized to represent tho
American Socialist party over the pro-
test Of some of its foremost members.
are Victor L. Berger. Of Milwaukee, and
Morris Hillquit and Algernon Lee, OF
New York. They were selected BY the
partys executive committee after
notable group OF Socialists, headed by
Charles Edward Russell and william
English Walling. had condemned the
movement in a joint statement as "ths
most dangerous Of all the Kaiser's
plots"
Delegates Denounced as Pr0-GermaR
The same statement denounced Hill
quit and Lee, who are Socialist writers.
as radically pro-German. Berger, . ma
tive of Austris-Hungary, has been ed
itor Of several German language news
papers in Milwaukee. and in 1911 was
elected as the first Socialist to sit in
Congress.
American diplomatic agents abroad
have kept close watch on the Social
ist movement, and their reports are un-
derstood to show clearly that the plan
for a conference at Stockholm had its
origin in Germany. and has met With
the active encouragement o. the Gsr-
man government Passports already
have been granted to German delegates
who will keep at the front OF the neec-
tiations the slogan of "No Annexa-
tons" interpreted here IS cardinal
feature of Germsny's programme for
truce to further consolidate great
central European empire.
Russian Socialists also have selected
delegates to the meeting, as . result, u
is believed here, of German influence
Il was in Russia that the proposal OF
"No Annexations" first came into prom
inence, and it promptly was taken up
by the German Socialists, who have
urged upon the government an inme-
diate declaration renouncing conquered
territory in the east and west. Sueh
proposals are regarded here as only
blind to end the war while Germany's
expansion to the south is secure.
Ignored by British Socialists
The Socialist party of Great Britain
has refused to send representatives 10
Stockholm, its executive committee de-
claring that such a conference us OF
TO real importance and can only bring
ridicule on the Socialist cause
OfYicials made il clear tonight that
their decision should be regarded rather
as a disapproval Of the peace move
than as reflection upon cincerity Of
Socialists in this country. II was EN-
phasized that great danger might re-
suit il unauthorized persons attempted
at present to negotiate regarding peace
with foreign agents who appear In re-
ality the instruments Of Q elevsrly
directed German war move.
The so-called Logan act. under which
Secretary Lansing pointed out that
such attempts can be punished, was
passed By Congress in 1889. after Or.
George Logan, a member Of the Society
Of Friends and a leader in Pennsyi-
vania politics, had made . tour Of
France on a self-constituted mission
calculated to close the widening breach
between the American and French gov
ernments. At that time diplomatic re-
lations between the two countries had
been severed and there was every iRdi.
cation that war soon would follow.
Provisions Of Logan Act
The language OF the act follows:
Every riti,en of The yfnst>1 Ss>s>.