Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-06-17
CONSCIENTIOUS DIRECTORS ARE
SENTENCED; BAKER FAV0RS ACT
Most of Men Objected to
Fight Teutons Because
They Claim to Have Rela-
tives in One of Enemy
I Countries.

Washington, June 17.-Sentences
ranging from 1s months to 20 years
imprisonment imposed by court mar
tial upon so-called conscientious OBJ
jectors who refused military service
ct Camp Upton, N. Y. and Camp
Goruon, Ga, were approved today by
Secretary Baker. -
Most Of the men objected to fight
ing against Germany or Austria be-
cause they have relatives there. In
approving the findings Of the courts,
the first of the kind to reach the de-
partment, Mr.. Baker went on record
as favoring the return Of such men
ito the countries Of their preference"
after the war.
Twelve objectors were sentenced as
follows:
Hyman Polkes. .15 years; William
J: seider, 20 years; Joseph White.
i6 years; Anton Zsoldak, 10 years;
Julius Levinthal. 1S months; Louis
silverman. 10 year, Mayer Sunkind.
10 years; Louis H., Blumenthal, 15
years; Samuel Spire, years; Paul
Bauer, 10 years: William Charles
schwab, 20 years, and Michael Ciupa,
10 years. 4
I'm my judgment" said Secretary
should be executed and. If after this
war ts over, some process can be de-
vised by which these entirely undesir-
able citizens can be returned to the
countries Of their preference It
would be highly desirable from the
point Of view Of the United States. 3
Il have not the least doubt as to
these cases. nor am I uncsftait,+a IA
the correctness Of the results rees;hHd
The soldiers In. all these ,ca1e were
either naturalixed citizens ~ sta1e Udk
ted States or native citixenssof the
United States. born Of kparents; Of
States istnow at war. They were
properly members Of the army Of the
United States pursuant to the selec.
tive draft law. They were summons
ed before proper officers Of the army
andrasked whether they would in fact
perform their military obligations by
fighting against Germany and Aus
same shuffling on the part Of some Of
the soldiers as to what they meant by
their answers, and some e"long-winded
refinements were undertaken to the
effect that some OF them were will
ling to fight Germans generally but
would not fight their own relatives.
although they offered no explanation
of the process by which they are go
ing to discover whether particular
Germans and Austrians whom they
were required to shoot at from long
range, happened to be related to
them.
an 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
relatives in Austria of some of whom
he had seen photographs which must
have been of a very persuasive char
acter since they aroused in him emo
tions of blood kinship strong enough
to overcome the obligations Of his
own allegiance as an American ciu-
zen.
"Thesc men were full citizens of
the United States, most Of them by
the voluntary act of naturalization
They were full citizens in the sense
they had equal rights and privileges
with all other citizens. They have
also equal responsibilities Among
these duties and resp onsibilities 10 to
protect the United States against all
Its enemies. domestic and foreign.
No right IL extended to naturalized
citizen to pick and choose"