The New York herald., 1921-12-28
DEBS GETS REBUKE
FOR MAKING SPEECH
WITHOUT A PERMIT
Socialist Leader Apologies
to Station Policeman at
Capital for Infraction.
PLANS TRIP TO RUSSIA
Says He Will Ask All Men
in World to Refuse to
Serve in Wars.
OFF FOR HOME TOWN
Demonstration Probably Will
Be Made by Friends in
Terrc Haute.
OFF FOR HOME TOWN

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27.-Freed by
President Harding from Atlanta Fed
eral penitentiary, where he was serv-
ing a ten year sentence for making
speeches in violation of the war laws,
Eugene V. Debs Socialist leader, was
reprimanded tonight by Union Station
police here for making speech with
out permit before leaving for his
home in Terre Haute. Ind.
Before boarding his train Debs adj
dressed a crowd of several hundred
persons in the station, including adj
mirers who had come to say good-by,
expressing his gratitude for his recep-
tion in Washington and closing with
a reiteration of his opposition to war
and belief in the force of love in the
redemption of the world.
NJ effort wars made by uniformed
pr .ce in the crowd to interfere with
the address, bat Immediately upon it's
close plain clothes man rushed up to
Debs and demanded IL he had permit
TO speak in the station, and upon being
informed in the negative declared:
''You have taken a great liberty"
Debs, who had grasped the plain
clothes man by the hand under the inn
preston that he was we'll wisher,
apologized ana said he had not known
he was doing wrong.
Dcbs Expresses Gratitude.
Debs went Immediately to his train,
but considerable excitement prevailed
in the crowd, due chiefly to the efforts
of newspaper men to learn the identity
of the plain clothes man. He refused
to give his name, but after rather ex-
cited pickering with reporters declared
he was the chief of police of the Union
Station and flashed badge pinned to
his belt. He said he had had no spe-
cal orders with respect to Debs. but
that the regulations of the station for
bid speechmaking without a permit.
Debs's speech was his first platform
utterance since leaving prison.
"I WISH" lie said, Ito do myself the
Justice to return my grateful thanks
for the kindness shown me here. / also
wish to express my gratitude to the
representatives of the press-the rep
resentatives of the fourth estate
whose courtesy, fairness and kindness
have been beyond expression.
MANY disagree with me in an eco
nomic and social way he added. "but
we are all human and one touch of
nature makes the whole world kim"
Debs declared he left Washington
without trace of bitterness or ha-
trcd," adding that ''many hate me-"
but that they were entitled to their feel
ings and the expression of them.
Glove the Greatest Force"
II believe in free speech" he said.
I'm the expression of these differing
find IN higher
civilization
He paid tribute to figures in history
who had, he declared had the courage
of their convictions although forced to
sacrifice much for them. and referred to
Washington. Jefferson and Thomas
Paine who first wrote the words
United States" as those who. 'at first
misunderstood, won an Immortality OF
glory
with every drop of blood in my
veins he said. ~ am opposed to war.
Human life is too sacred thing to be
spent in bloodshed Love is the greatest
force in this world love will redeem us
love will save us and write our names
In the depths of civilization"
Debs and his party are scheduled to
reach indianapolis at 80 p. NJ. to-
morrow, and proceed from there to Terre
Haute, planning to reach the Socialist
leaders, home at about o'clock to-
morrow night in time for demonstra-
tion of welcome which Is said to have
been arranged for him. With him on
the train were his brother Theodore.
David Karsner. his bographer. and Miss
Celia Trotter and Mrs. Bertha Hale
White. both of the Debs freedom league.
Dchs spent the day here seeing callers.
being interviewed and resting. Among
his visitors were Peter j. MacSwney,
brother OF tho late Lord Mayor of Cork
Frank Morrison. secretary OF the Amer
lean Federation of Labor; Philip La
Toilette. son of the senior Senator from
Wisconsin Santiago Iglesia OF the Porto
Rican Senate and Canutos Vargas. sec
retary of the Pan-Amercan Federation
of Labor.
Invited to Russia.
Definite plans for the future. Debs
declared must await his return home
and his readjustment to changed condi-
tions since his Imprisonment. which. he
said. might necessitate o change of
method, although ne was "unvarying'
in his principles and ideals" He would
work, he added, for the freedom OF
other prisoners and the abolition of
war.
Friends declared that an invitat ton
from the Soviet Government to visit
Russia awaited Debs and that he prob
ably would accept and he himself indi-
Gated an intention to go abroad by an
nouncing his intention to seek vow
from every man. woman and child in
this country, or any country which he
might visit, to refuse to take up arms
in warfare.
Dcbs got the lighted lantern here
to-day rs IAN honest man." Urban Lee
doux. who once sold labor on an auction
block on Boston Common and later
picketed the "consciences" of the arms