New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1919-09-10

Judge Van Fleet, Of San Francisco,
has characterized their offense as 'ftoo
much love Of their Motherland. That
they violated the neutrality laws of this
country, passed as war measures, is
admitted. For that ofense they were
tried and convicted. They served their
sentences. There can be no just com
plant about that as matter OF law,
what ever we may think Of the wisdom
or the justice Of such laws in general.
1t is deliciously atrocious, however,
that we should punish these Hindus for
a ,political crime against another coun-
try, considering that during all our
history until now, we have refused to
include under extraditable offenses any
political crimes. 1t has never been
considered crime for anyone to agitate
for the change of forms of government.
Born in revolution ourselves, we could
not repudiate the principle Of action
in the exercise and application Of which
we had our origin.
This country's synpathies have ever
been with every people struggling to
cast off tyranny. Since when has the
spirit of this country changed in this
regard? Who changed it, if it has been
changed? Why is it that the great
daily newspapers of this country have
little or nothing to say about the facts
of the incarceration Of these men who,
few years go, would have been hailed
as the heroes they are? The only infor-
nation that is vouchsafed us on the
subject is obtainable solely from circu-
lars disseminated by organizations that
are forced thus to present their cause,
owing to the fact that publicity other
wise is denied them. The censorship
is in operation, voluntarily or under
We are not permitted in
this country to know as much about the
uprising in India or in Egypt as are the
people of Great Britain. It is very
doubtful that the vast majority of
Americans have any knowledge of the
efforts being made to send these .Hindus
back to military execution. I have
been amazed to learn how little the
people here know Of the extent Of the
revolt against Great Britain, both in
India and Egypt, but for the matter of
that, they have been kept in ignorance
Of the nature and scope Of the social
revolution in England itself.
They know nothing Of the discomfort
in Canada and Australia Our press
has deliberately CLOSED overall these
things in the briefestd ispatches except
in the case Of the big strike in Canada
Or has ignored them altogether, posi-
bly, under the impression that by doing
so the spread Of what is loosely called
'Bolshevism" is thereby prevented. Be
cause there is a so-called Irish vote"
here the papers and the politicians give
US something about the troubles in the
Evergreen Isle and they even give much
space to the honors showered upon
'Presi dent De Valera Of the Irish
Republic during his tour of our greater
cities, though must confess that there
are signs that the "silencer' has been
put upon that Of late. Our people
know and love the Irish and sympathize
with their aspirations and efforts for
nationhood, but we do not know the
Hindus or Egyptians. We do not
regard these people as being within the
pale. Nest folks here think of these
people as being bit off-color, anyhow
When labor unions and other organiza-
ions pass resolutions Of sympathy and
support for the revolotionists, no news
stories are made OF such actions. If the
American public knew what is being
lone here to punish the champions of
indian liberty, here in this land dedica-
ed to liberty, l believe there would go
p such a protest against the use of our
power to strangle the movement for
;elf-rule among the Hindvs as would
Dc irresistible.
These Hindus we are holding for
deportation have not sinned against
IS, OR if they have, they have atoned for
t. They admit that they want to see
British rule in India overthrown, but
5hey emphatically deny that they ever
attempted to interfere with or do any
aarm to the United States Government.
This whole country should arise in
wrath and demand their release
William Marion Reedy
AND CONSERVATIVES