New-York tribune., 1920-09-15
Palmer: Rel jects
Amnesty Plea
OF Federation
Government Will Continue
Its Policy of Considering
Gases individually, He
Tells Compers andLondon
Denies Injustice Is Done
Few Persons Sent to Prison
Who Were Not Guilty of
Overt Acts, He Says

WASHINGTON, Sept. "a - Labor
leaders, asking general amnesty for
political prisoners, were told to-day
by Attorney General Palmer that the
government would continue its policy
of "considering the cases individually"
Replying to the appeals of Pres ident
Gompers of the American Federation
of Labor and former Representative
London, New York Socialist, Mr.. Pal
mer recited the cases acted upon since
the cessation of hostilities and pre-
dicted that "at the end Of three months
more less than $50 of the persons con-
victed purely Of violation of espionage
would be left in jail"
Mr.. Palmer told the delegation which
presented the resolution adopted by
the American Federation of Labor con-
vention at Montreal in June, that he
would inform the President what they
had said, but further than that he
could do nothing.
"You propose a general amnesty"
Mr.. Palmer said. Now, ask what and
how do you interpret that? Is it by a
general proclamation, and il SO how
will you differentiate the so-called
political prisoners:
Each Case a Distinct Issue
''My judgment is that it would re-
quire a proclamation by the President
dealing with every individual case
That, suggest, is exactly what We are
now doing.
81 recognize some of the war lcgis-
In y.h oh oipr
necessary only under the exigency Of
war. | have advocated repeal of the
espionage act and l have seen to it
that no rosecutions under it's pro-
visions have been instituted since the
aimlstice."
The delegation was told that thus
far 1S0 cases, both large and small,
and of varied Importance, have been
acted on by the department and have
received favorable consideration since
the armistice.' Some of these, he said.
resulted in paroles, some in pardons
and some in commutation of sentences.
He added emphatically that he could
see no other course to be taken in
the face of problems with which the
government had to deal.
Replying to statements by Mr.. Comp
crs that other countries had released
all political prisoners, Mr.. Palmer said
the number who actually suffered pun
lshment under wartime laws in the
United States was infnitesimally small,
while in some parts of Europe "they
slap men in Jail for merely disagree
ing with the government and express
ing that disagreement
Majority Guilty of Overt Acts
"Our courts" he continued, "havc
sent few persons to prison under the
wartime laws who were not guilty Of
some overt act. That is what com
plicates the proposition of a general
amnesty
Mr.. London's discussion of the effects
of the espionage act brought in the
name of Eugene V. Debs. He called
Debs "a victim Of vicious legsla-
ton" and said he believed the Socialist
Presidential candidate was "a man Of
intensely noble qualities who would
never think of betraying his country"
Mr.. Gompers, in concluding labor's
argument, said nc had hoped that no
personalities would enter into the gov
ernments cons liberation Of the amnesty
proposal. He thought it was a qucs-
tion much larger. Individual cases, he
argued. should be submerged to the
more important phase of "treating the
question with love and reason and a
sense Of democracy"