Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1917-08-17

cause or attempt to cause insub-
ordination, disloyalty, mutiny. or
refusal Of duty in the military or
naval forces of the United States,
or shall wilfully obstruct the re-
cruiting or enlistment service of
the United States to the injury of
the service of the United States,
shall be punished by fine of not
more than $4,000 or imprison-
ment for not more than twenty
years, or BOTH"
call your particular attention to
the following language from said
quoted section, to-wit:
." or shall wilfully OBJ
struct the recruiting or enlist
ment service of the United States
to the injury of the service of the
United States"
The last quoted portion of the
statute makes it a felony with a Sc
we're penalty to wilfully impede OF OBJ
struct the recruiting or enlistment
service of the United States, and all
persons should take due notice of this
provision.
l further call your attention to Sec
ton l of the Criminal Code of the
United States, to-wit:
''Whoever, owing allegiance to
the United States, levies war.
against them or adheres to their
enemies, giving them aid and COM
fort within the United States or
elsewhere is guilty Of treason"
The punishment for violation of
said section may be death, or at the
discretion of the court, imprisonment
not less than five years and fine Of not
less than $4,000.
I wish to say that up to this time
there has been very lenient and tol'
Grant policy pursued by the prosecut-
ing officers of the government with
reference to persons guilty of disloyal
acts and utterances. Men, or groups
of men, who do not appreciate the diff
ference between fair criticism of Of
ficials, or just discussion of govern
mental policies, and traitorous and Sc
ditious acts and utterances, must fee
the vigorous hand of the law. On &C
count of the severe penalty attaching
to the treason statute it should, Of
course, be cautiously and carefully
used and only upon established facts.
1t is gratifying to be able to say
that the great body of the people q
the district are loyal and patriotic ane
doing their full part as citizens OF
self-governing republic. It is only oc
casionally that some individual. or in
dividuals acting in concert, disregard
the obligations of citizenship and CIV
aid and comfort to the enemy. or seel
by word and act to impede and OBJ
struct the administration Of the mill
tary forces of their country.
All public officers, federal, state ant
local, as well as any country loving
citizens, are earnestly requested to co
operate with your Office and mine. in
rigorous but fair and impartial admins
tration of the criminal law at this time
It is my wish that this letter will bt
given the widest publicity, so that al
persons in the district may be fully in
formed of the powers and purposes OF
the law-enforcing branch of the gov
eminent at this critical time.
1t is earnestly hoped that any and al
violations of the statutes above re-
ferred to, coming to the attention OF
any person in the district shall be
promptly reported to you. or one Of
your deputies, or to Mr.. Seth Thomas,
assistant United States attorney al
Fort Dodge, or to me at my office al
New Hampton, Iowa.
Very truly yours,
F. A. O'Connor,
United States Attorney.