Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-05-24
Victor |, Berger, Morris Hill
quit and A|gernon Lee
Must Not NEEDLE With For
eign Affairs.
TWO DELEGATES KNOWN
STRONGLY PRO-GERMAN
Meeting Called for Stockholm
Considered as Inspired byI
Kaiser in Interest of Teu-
ton Peace.


Washington, May 23.-Emphatic
disapproval of the peace propaganda
of European socialists was expressed
today by the American government.
which denied passports to American
delegates to the stockholm confer
ence and issued a warning that any
American taking part in the negoti-
atons would be legally liable to
heavy punishment.
No formal announcement of pur-
pose was issued, but officials ex-
planned that the governments course
would have the two-fold effect of
discrediting generally any peace
moves by unauthorized persons and
of condemning in particular the pres
ent socialist agitation, regarded since
its inception as inspired by Germany.
Heavy Penalties Provided.
In making known the decision not
to give passports to the American So
cialists designated to take part in the
Stockholm conference, Secretary Lam
sing cited the Logan act Of 1899 as
defining the punishments which
might be expected by any American
now in Stockholm or who might go
there without passport and par
ticipate in the peace discussions.
Under this law unauthorized persons
who directly or indirectly treat with
foreign agents regarding controver-
sizes of the United States may be inn
prisoned for three years and fined
$4,000.
Delegates Named.
The american deiogsses 60 tnttcoh
ference, authorized to represent the
American socialist party over the
protest of some of its foremost MEM
bers, are Victor l.. Berger of Milwau-
kee and Morris Hillquit and Alger-
non Lee of New York. They were
selected by the party's executive COM
mittee after a notable group of so
cialists, headed by Charles Edward
Russell and william English Walli.ig,
had condemned the movement in a
joint statement as "the most danger
Gus of all the kaiser's plots"
The same statement denounced
Iiillquit and Lee, who are socialist
writer's, as radically pro-German.
Berger, native of Austria Hungary,
had been editor of several language
newspapers I'm Milwaukee and in 1911
was elected as the first socialist to
sit in congress.
Officials made it clear tonight that
their decision should be regarded
rather as a disapproval of the peace
move than as reflection upon sin
cerity of socialists in this country. II
was emphasized that great danger
might result if unauthorized persons
attempted at present to negotiate re-
Garding peace with foreign agents,
who appear In reality the instruments
of cleverly 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 1899 after
DR.. George Logan, a member of the
Society of Friends, and a leader in
Pennsylvania politics, had made a
tour of France on q self-constituted
mission calculated to close the widen
ing breach between the American and
French governments. At that time
relations between the two
had been severed and there
was every indication that war soon
would follow.
Language of the Act.
The language of the act follows:
Every citizen OF the United States,
whether actually resident or abiding
within the same or in any foreign
country, who without the permission
or authority of the government di-
rectly or indirectly commences or
carries on any verbal or written COR