Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-16
DEATH TO SPES'S
TRADE EBOARDW
Emergency Com mitto.
Urges Passage of Law f.
Stop Espionage
PLAN TO sTARvE BARrpO
Alleged Plot Printed in c.,
man Language Newspapers
Donora Man Asserts

y tidal wavc OF treason and ..s,.,
is being insistently created by Gu
propagPndists and spies in this corn,.-
according to n report by the emerr..'
committee Of the Board Of Tr,a. W
public today, in which it Is urged 49,.
the death penalty be meted or,
punishment for German spies on.r..''
in this country.
At the same time scheme 10 s,,...
American babies is believed to bayo ~
uncovered by Health officer Jossnh \,
McCunc, at Donora, Pa. pH
McCune wrote c. J. Hepburn. oor,..,
for the local food administration ~ NJ
action in restricting the sale Of a csr,.l-
brand Of condensed milk. Aliens v.s-
urged through a foreign-languaro 80
to purchase large quantities of the sln.,
brand of milk, and McCune Reported ,s..
there was a scarcity of 1t in Donors =
Il direct result Of the urgings of tbs -
per, copies OF which have been son, !.
Washington
Food administration officials sav th...
S little likelihood that any such at,sr,.
would he possible of success or sv,s
anything like suC6eSs but AT tho So
time point out the attitude Of Germ,r.
and their sympathizers in this COUNTS
IN making such scnlle effort to blna.,
Americans.
The report of the emergency commit,s.
ot the Board of Trade maintaining that
business is being disorganized by spes
and German propaganda, thus lessenlnr
the output of the country when the In
of the nation depends upon increased
production. is as follows.
industrial necessity demands that m,
/ death penalty be meted out to spies and
! alien symmpathizers he strenuousv
dealt with, in order to stem the tide 81
/ treason and sedition that is spreading
| throughout the country This wave Il
| anti-American propaganda, which /
| overflowing the country, Is seriousy
| handicapping the output Of American
/ factories and industrial plants.
while our sons are sacrificing their
| lives at the front, while loyal business
men are giving their time and means %
winning the war, and while loyal labor.
/ ing men are giving their health, as well
| as skill that munitions, ships and Inc
.
/ pro-German sympathizers are allowed
/ to proclaim broadcast their belief in Ire
/ righteousness Of the German cause;
foreign language newspapers are per.
mitted through their editorials and news
. columns to exploit what they term Ger.
man genius" and to declare that Ger.
many can never be beaten and the Allies
must fail last, but not less import ant
I 81 al a1f 20
at large. setting fire to warehouses, put.
/ ting bombs in large industrial es;ab.
| lishments, while other pro-German sym.
pathizers brazenly hold parades and
/ build fires in honor of the success Of the
German arms.
should these persons be apprehended
they are treated in the most lenient
manner by the Department OF justice
and other Government agencies. Light
all sentences are imposed as though
the offenders were civil prisoners IN
stead of spies and enemies of the coun.
try. So light are the sentences that
they do not even act as a deterrent 10
say nothing OF preventing such occur
rences. These offenders realize that tAs
worst that will befall them is jail sen.
tence. which in all probability will b
commuted after the war. They are even
assured that, If caught, they will b
allowed to remain in comfortable leisure
until the end of the war and Will suffer
no bodily discomforts.
In the meantime our industries an
being disorganized through propaganda
because Of unrest among workers, and
dissatisfaction-if not actual hostility
is being bred against the Government
especially among aliens of neutral coun.
tries, who are not employed in what
may be termed strictly war industries
ana are not receiving increased wal
wages, but are forced to pay war priees
for the neCessitlcS of alfc"