Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-09
SUPPRESSION OF PAPERS
AROUSES SOCIALISTS
Meyer London Demands Con-
gress Get Information as
to Reasons
WASHINGTON Lnlv Q

WASHlNGTON, July 2,
A score Of radical periodicals have been
suppressed temporarily or permanently by
the Government since the beginning Of war
with Germany. The suppression has been
accomplished through powers conferred on
ne Postohice Department in the espionage
Dill signed by the President, June Is.
Among the publications suppressed. the
best known are the Masses, edited by Max
Eastman, formerly a member Of the faculty
or Columbia University; the American
Socialist, weekly newspaper edited and
owned by the Socialist party; the Appeal to
Reason, published at Glrard Kan. and the
Blast, organ Of the anarchists.
Most OF the publications suppressed have
waged a bitter fight for the repeal Of the
conscrption law Under the espionage act
the Postoffice Department may declare to
be unmailable matter any articles "intended
TO interfere With the success Of the military
Or naval forces of the United States or to
promote the success Of its enemies"
Socialist headquarters i'm Washington de-
clare that more than fifty Socialist news
paper men have been indicted or are being
held awaiting indictment for violation Of
the espionage act.
meyer London, representative of the So
clalst party In Congress, was preparing
today to ask unanimous consent for
twenty-minute address on the suppression
or newspapers and then to introduce a reso-
tuition calling upon Postmaster General
The names and places of publicat atoms Of
all periodicals temporarily withheld or per-
manently excluded from the mails since
June /.
The specific articles or parts OF articles
that have been the cause Of such exclusion
The sections of the espionage act upon
which such exclusion is based
All correspondence on the enforcement Of
the provisions Of the espionage act and
al general instructions issued on the en-
forcement Of those provisions issued to
United States District Attorneys and post
masters or received from the War Depart
ment or the Provost Marshal General
London was prepared to point out that
under the espionage act the 1000 post
masters of the United States and the sixty
four United States District Attorneys are
In effect made censors Of American news
papers.
. Among the periodicals that have been
permanently or temporarily excluded from
the mails are the following:
The Michigan Socialist Detroit the So
cialist News, Cleveland; st. Louis Labor.
St Louis; Social Revolution, St Louis the
Peoples Press, Philadelphia the Rebel a
farmers publication. Of HoIettsyiIe. Tex.
tho Jeffersonian, published by ex-Repre-
sentative Tom Watson.
The August number of the Masses which
has been excluded from the mails because
OF its general tenor" carried cover
striped with red, white and blue upon
which was printed "A cartoon cautioned
making the World Safe for Capitalism"
A committee Of American Socialist at
torneys VIII come to Washington Thursday
or Friday to confer with Solicitor william
ii. Lamar, Of the Postoffice Department;
Assistant Attorney General william c. Her
ron and Special Assistant Attorney General
Fits on the postal provisions Of the esplon-
age bill. The Socialist committee will in
clude Frank p. Walsh, Clarence Darrow.
Morris Hilquitt and Seymour Stedman