Morris tribune., 1918-06-28
GUARD FOODSTUFFS
AGAINST SABOTAGE
Enemy Agents May Become Active
in Destruction of Elevators,
Warehouses and Crops

The Commission of Public Safety
at this time desires to warn the
neople of the state that as the crops
continue to advance and the time of
harvest approaches, our fields, elev-
ators, grain warehouses, and other
places where grains and foodstuHs
are received or stored, should De
placed under extra guard, and IN all
events every effort should be made
to protect them from damage or de-
struction. This is the duty of every
citizen in this national Crisis. He
must constitute himself policeman
for Uncle Sam. Every person must
be on the alert to Illustrate any at
tempts to destroy war material,
which in Minnesota chiefly concerns
food, which is one of the most I'M
portant and essential of all war
products.
The United States has a Sabotage
Act, enacted recently, which was
passed expressly to discourage and
punish enemies of our country who
are operating within our borders.
Patriotic citizens as individuals and
communities are called to their re-
spons1bility in this matter because
of the offenses covered by this law,
which are the kind that can be COM
mitted by the individual alone and
unaided anywhere, whether it is in
warehouse, grain elevator, the village
store, or grocery, in the railroad
yards, or at the country railroad
crossing. The farm should also be
an object of special attention.
The seriousness OF violations of the
Sabotage act is indicated by the pen
atty that is fixed for it's violation by
the Government. On conviction a
fine up to $4,000 or Imprisonment
up to 80 years, or both, is the pun
ishment fixed. The Government de-
scribes the following offenses as be-
ing subject to these penalties:
"Willfully injuring or destroying
or attempting to injure or destroy
war material, war premises or utili-
ties of the United States or any as
sociate nation
d
Government includes arms, arma
ment, ammunition, live stock, cloth
ing, food, fodstuffs, fuel, also sup
plies, munitions and all other arti-
cles or any part of ingredient there
of intended for or adapted to-, or
suitable for use in the conduct of the
war.
The wasting of sugar, flour or
wheat, which are all war materials,
is considered an Act of Sabotage.
1t is Sabotage to willfully damage a
wheel-barrow at a coal mine or a
hand truck at a railway freight
house, for each is an appliance of
"war premises" 1t is Sabotage to
throw a monkey wrench into a
threshing machine or to willfully
damage a plow or to cripple a horse
which is in use on our farms for
the production of food. 1t is Sabot-
age to interfere with telephone or
telegraph lines which may be needed
at any time in the nations business
1t is Sabotage to flood or otherwise
damage public highways.
1t will thus be seen that there are
unlimited opportunities for every pa
triotic citizen to be on guard against
Sabotage by the 1. w. W., the Anar-
chists, enemy agents, the plain Ger
man sympathizer or the Stacker.
The Public Safety Commission
urges every patriotic citizen to keeI
his eyes and ears open and to report
suspicious acts to the nearest repre-
sentative of the Commission. There
is a. County Director in each county
generally at the county seat, who
can be consulted in matters of thi!
kind