The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-06-18
OF
'OBJECTORS' ARE
ALL APPROVED
MEN WHO DID NOT WANT TO FIGHT
AGAINST EITHER AUSTRIA OR GER
MANY GIVEN TIME FOR REFLEC-
TION.

Washington, June i7.-Sentences
ranging from eighteen months to
twenty years Imprisonment imposed by
courts martial upon so-called conscien-
tious objectors who refused military
service at Camp Upton, N. Y, and
Camp Gordon, Ga, were approved to-
day by Secretary Baker.
Most of the men objected to fight
against Germany or Austria because
they have relatives there. In approving
the findings of the courts, the first OF
the kind to reach the department. MIR.
Baker went on record as fovoring the
return of such men Ito the countries
OF their preference after the war.
Twelve objectors were sentenced, as
fellows: Hyman Polkes, Is years: Will
liam ]. Seider, 20 years; Joseph White,
Is years; Anton Zsolday, 10 years !;
Julius Levinthal, fS months: Louis Sill
yerman, 10 years: Mayer Suffkind. 10
years; Louis II. Blumenthal, Is years !;
Samuel Spire, 5 years; Paul Bauer, 10
years; William Charles Schwab, 20
years; Michael Ciupa, 10 years
In my judgement" said Secretary
Bakers approval, 1.-THE sentences should
be executed. and il after this war is
over some process can be devised by
which these entirely undesirable citi-
zens can be returned to the countries
of their preference, it would be highly
desirable from the point of view of
the United States"
Il have not the deast doubt as to
the propriety of the procedure in
these cases. nor am I uncertain as to
the correctness OF the results reached"
The soldiers in all these cases were
either naturalized citizens of the Uni
ted States or natives Of the United
States born of parents of countries
with which the United States now is
at war. They were properly members
of the army of the United States pur-
suant to the selective draft law. They
were summoned before proper officers
of the army and asked whether they
would in fact fulfll their military OBJ
legations by fighting against Germany
and Austria in Europe They all an
swered they would not There was the
same shutting on the part of some of
the soldiers as to what they meant by
their answers, and some long-winded
reflnements were taken to the effect
that some of them were willing To
fight Germans and Austrians generally
but would not fight their own relatives.
although they offered no explanation
OF the process by which they were
going to discover whether particular
Germans and Austrians whom they
were required to shoot at from long
range happened to be related to them.
in one OF the records the soldier
claims to have an uncle, evidently too
old to be in the military service of
Austria, whom he once saw. and he
had heard OF ten or twelve other rela-
tives in Austria, OF some OF whom he
had seen photographs, which must
have been of a very persuasive char
aster since they aroused the emotions
OF blood kinship strong enough to
overcome the obligations N his own
allegiance as an American citizen.
These men We're full citizens of the
United States, most of them by the
voluntary act OF naturalization. They
We're full citizens in the sense that
they had equal responsibilities. Among
these duties and responsibilities is to
protect the United States against all
its enemies. domestic and foreign. No
right is extended to a naturalized citf-
zen to pick and choose