Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-10
VICTOR BERGER AND
OTHERS INDICTED
Former U. S. Representative
Accused of Interfering With
Progress of War.
PUTS BLAME ON POLITICS


CHICAGO, March 9-Victor L. Ber
ger, former congressman from Wiscon-
SIN; AGolph Germer. national secre-
tary of the socialist party; Irwin st.
John Tucker, Chicago socialist; j.
Louis Engdah and William F. Kruse
were indicted by the federal grand jury
mere today charged with obstructing re-
crulting. encouraging disioyalty and in
terfering with prosecution of the war.
The Indictments. returned February 9,
but withheld by District Attorney ClyAe,
charge twenty-six overt acts. 1t is
charged those indicted conspired to vi
olate the espionage act by speeches and
articles printed in certain publications.
Engdahl, VINO edited the American So
cialist before it was denied mail priv
ileges last September. now publishes
the Eye Opener, Chicago socialist
paper In a statement tonight he de-
clared every word in the American So
cialist was put there to promote the
best interests of the great mass of peo-
pie" and that if that is unlawful, then
freedom of thinking in the United
States is dead
kruse is editor of the Young Peoples
Socialist Magazine. also published here.
Candidate for Senator.
Mr.. Berger. who is candidate for nom
ination for United States senator from
Wisconsin on the socialistic ticket. in
announcing his platform this week
said if elected he would work for the
passage of a resolution by Congress
directing the President to summon the
warning countries to an immediate ar
mistice and peace conference. His
platform also calls for withdrawal of
American troops from Europe to pro-
cure absolute security for this coun
try"
The Wisconsin senatorial election will
be held April 2.
Seymour Stedman. counsel for the
National Socialist party, issued state
ment tonight in which he expressed the
view that war profiteers and monster
capitalists the most interested in
this prosecution.
THE books, papers and documents of
our national office have always been
open to party members and public Of
hcials. said the statement For six
months the federal authorities have
been watching to find something of a
criminal nature TO BE used against
officials of the party.
Call War Profiteerlng.
Apparently it is considered necessary
to place the American socialist party
on trial. If the truth comes forth as
result of this case, believe the pub
lie will realize that the war profiteers
and monster capitalists are the most
interested in this prosecution.
socialists are the one class of citi-
zens who believe in a lawful, orderly
change through education and political
action. They are presumptuous enough
TO believe that the policy of the gov
eminent in war and out. the attitude
of the President in war and out, are
subject to cricism.
Socialistics the world over have OBJ
posed war and the system that makes
war inevitable. We do not consider
opposition to condition or policy as
equivalent to breaking or violating
the laws of the country"
Relative TO suppression of the in
dictments Mr. Clyne said:
The government felt that the an
nouncement should be made at this
time to develop other angles of the
case"
Pamphlets alleged to have been dis
tributed by the men TO hamper the
government are made part of the in
dictment, which consists of forty-one
typewriter pages. Besides public ut
terarces, Berger. as editor of the Mil
waukee Leader, socialist newspaper,
articles appearing in the publica ton.
which it is alleged, violated the es-
pionage act.
Politics. Says Berger.
MILWAUKEE,. March 3-"It is a po-
Itical move. pure and simple said
Victor l.. Berger when informed to-
night of his indictment by a federal
grand jury in Chicago. They were
afraid of my candidacy for United
States senator in Washington and took
this step to see that / was not elected
But, instead of injuring my chances,
they have made my election certain"
Mr.. Berger had not been arrested early
today.
MOBILE. Ala, March 9-Rev. Irwin
st. John Tucker, indicted al Chicago to-
day on the charge of interfering with
recruiting is the son of Very Rev. Car
diner c. Tucker of Mobile, dean of the
Episcopal diocese of Alabama and
prominent throughout the south. Tuck
er is a former Chicago, New Orleans
and New York newspaper man and con-
Quoted an Episcopal mission in New
York on a houseboat on the East river.
He was in Mobile about two months
ago in charge of prominent church
His present address is at Houma, La.