New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1921-12-24
DEBS is FREED,
AND g OTHERS
Sentences Simply Comnuted--
Citizenship Not Restored

Washington, Dec. 24.-Announce.
lent was made at the White House
late Yesterday afternoon that Presi-
dent Harding had commuted the sen
fences of "a so-called political pris-
oners, including Eugene V, Debs, who
were convicted under the espionage
act and other wartime laws and sen
fenced to from two to twenty years
Debs will he released from Atlanta
penitentiary on Christmas Day.
Five soldiers VINO were sentenced to
life imprisonment by a general court
martial at Coblena for the killing Of
former British officer were pardoned
by the president.
Is Not a Pardon.
Communication of sentences Of the
81 prisoners means that the prcsi-
dent is not disposed, even in the case
Of Dehs, to issue out-and out pardons
with consequent restoration of rights
OF citizenship.
Attorney General Daugherty, who
called Debs to Washington for per-
sonal interview last March, recon-
mended to the president that it would
be gracious act of mercy to re
lease the socialist leader.
No Question of Guilt.
According to the summary of the
Debs case as given out at the White
House, there is no question of his
guilt and that he actively and pur-
posely INSTRUCTED the draft. In fact,
he admitted it at the time of his trial,
but sought to justify his action. He
was by no means, however, as rabid
and outspoken in his expressions as
many others, and but for his promi-
hence and the resulting tar-reaching
effect of his words, very probably
might not have received the sentence
he did. He is an old man, not strong
physically. He is a man of much per
sonal charm and impressive person
atty, which qualifications make him a
dangerous man calculated to misIead
the unthinking and affordng excuse
for those with criminal intent"
No Sabotage Advocates Freed
"The list, in the main," said an
executive statement issued from the
White House, lis made up of those
who opposed the war in one way or
another, and it is made up of less than
a third Of I. w. w. prisoners, and
these have either expressed full peni-
tence or are booked for deportation.
The Department of Justice has given
no recommendation in behalf of the
advocates of sabotage of the destruc-
ton of government by force, and the
president let it be known he would
not consider such cases. In addition to
the five soldiers on the list, many other
cases are under consideration.
No Reflection on Court
The president expressed the wish
that it be stated that the grant of
clemency in the cases acted upon does
not question the justice of any action
of the courts in enforcing the law in
i time of national peril, but he feels
the ends of justice have been fairly
net in view of the changed conditions.
The vast majority of so-called poiti-
raj prisoners still imprisoned are the
|. w. W. group, are rarely American
citizens and have no good claim to
executive clemenCy. A number Of con-
vcted citizens have never been i'm
prsoned, owing to appeals under
lond. There are also many thousands
Of indictments under war legislation
still pending. These do not come under
7Hecutive consideration.
The list of prisoners whose SEN
noes were committed by the Presi
lent to expire Dec. 25, 1921, follows:
Orville Anderson, convicted at
Deadwood, s. D., under Espionage
aw, sentenced Oct. 5, 1918, to four
Jears.
Charles Ashleigh, convicted at Chi