The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-05-24
LANSING DENIES
U. S. SOCIALISTS
USE OF PASSPORT
Invokes Ancient Logan Law
to Keep Delegate From
Conference.

| w dSIllISl Olt hcy -OSCISldTy Oh
States Lansing yesterday formally an
bounced that no American Socialists
wishing to attend the International
| conference called to meet in Stock
! holm, Sweden, in June, would re-
ceive passports from the govern
| ment.
Action was taken under the Logan
law of 1899, defining the punish
ment Of any American who interferes
as an Individual, without government
al authority, in international affairs.
It applies equally to Americans abroad
who may attend the Stockholm gath
ering.
Since no steamers for Scandina-
Wan or other European ports will take
passengers without passports the ac-
ton of the State Department makes
it virtually impossible for Ameri-
can Socialists to go to Stockholm.
Secretary Lansing said the decision
had been reached latter very careful
consideration" All American diplo-
| matte representatives in Europe, in
GLIDING the embassy at Petrograd,
| have been advised Of this action.
y Mr.. Lansing said the general policy
| of the United States for more than a
| century has been that private in
/ dividuals should not take part in any
| thing touching international questions
in which this Nation is involved.
The attitude of the Administration
| is that the objects of the conference
!! are ininical to the interests Of, the
United States.
Morris Hillquit of New York, Vic
tor L. Berger of Milwaukee and AL
gernon Lee of New York were desig-
| mated to represent American Social
lists at the conference.
Mr.. HiHquit has been quoted as
saying that the slogan of the Ameri-
can delegates would be mo forcible
| annexation Of territory and no punt
| tive indemnities.' This alone is suf-
ficient to convince officials. that the
1 primary purpose Of the conference is
| to interfere in International affairs.
| Certainly Mr.. Hillquit and those des-
| ignated with him have no shadow of
/ authority to speak for the United
States regarding war aims or peace
| terms
It is recalled in this connection that
/ Charles Edward Russell member of
the mission to Russia, and other
| prominent Socialists recently charged
| openly that the forthcoming confer
! ence was a German trick to accom-
| plish the downfall of Russia, and had
called 1t 'the most dangerous of all
the Kaiser's plots"
| The same statement denounced Hill
/ quit, and Lee, who are Socialist
| writers, as radically pro-German.
4 Berger "a native Of Austria-Hungary,
has been editor of several German
Language newspapers in Milwaukee.
and in 1911 was elected as the first
/ S0ci4 Of RI eif in Con
There has been more than a sus-
/ picion from the outset that the Stock
holm conference was instigated by
| German Off cials to spur Russia into
! a separate peace. 1t is not charged
4 that the American Socialists delegated
| to attend the conference are under
! German influence, but it is true that
for weeks the Stockholm conference
| has been under grave suspicion in all
| Allied capitals.
American diplomatic agents abroad
| have kept a close watch on the So
| cialist movement, and their reports
| are understood to show clearly that
| the plan for conference at Stock
holm had it's origin in. Germany and
has met with the active encourage
\ ment of the German government.
Passports already have been granted
to German delegates, who will keep
1 at the front of the negotiations the
slogan of mo annexations," interpret
ed here as a cardinal feature of Ger
nany's program for a truce to con-
solidate great central European en-
| pire.
i Russian Socialists also have select
ed delegates to the meeting as a re-
| suit, it is believed here, Of German
influence. It was in Russia that the
i proposal of mo annexations'' first
came into prominence, and it prompt
ly was taken up by the German So
ciaEsts, who have urged upon the
government an Immediate declaration
renouncing conquered territory in the
east and west. Such proposals are
regarded here as only blind to end
the war while Germany's expansion to
the south is secure.
The Socialist Party of Great Britain
4 has refused to send representatives to
Stockholm. Its executive committee
says such a conference sis no real
Importance and can. only bring ridi-
Guile on the Socialist cause
1 The actions and deliberations of the
conference itself will largely determ-
i inc the liability of any Americans
who may attend to prosecution under
the Logan Act, which reads as fol-
lows:
That If any person. being citizen
of the United States, whether he be
/ actually resident or abiding in the
United States, or In any foreign coun-
/ try. shall without the permission or
| authority of the government Of the
United States, directly or indirectly,
commence or carry on, any verbal
or written correspondence or inter-
course with any foreign government,
| or any officer or agent thereof, with
an intent to influence the measures or
conduct of any foreign government,
II or any officer or agent thereof in re-
| lation to any disputes or controversies
| with the United States, or defeat che
measures Of the government of the
United States; or if any person, being
a citizen of, or resident within the
United States, and not duly authoriz-
ed, shall counsel advise or assist in
any such correspondence, with intent,
| as aforesaid, he or they shall be
| deemed guilty of high misdemeanor,
| and of conviction before any court of
| the United States having jurisdiction
| thereof, shall be punished by fine
| xo+ evoaodTpu S5 000 and nv iY,onric