South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-04
WILL THEY ESCAPE?

The war prohteers. with hundreds of mil
lions Of dollars in their pockets are breathing
easier.
They believe that time has saved them. The
law, which provides that certain crimes shall
not be punished If not prosecuted within three
years, is their hope.
This is the news that comes from Washing
ton-disurbing to those who believe IN even
handed justice.
The attorney general, it is said, has staff of
men at work trying TO find acts that happened
less than three years ago on which to base his
charges.
Most Of the thefts occurred before that time.
The government knows that the big footing
occurred wnked at or connived in by some of
the Dollar-a-Year men who boldly paraded
their patriotism when they made their sacri-
fee
Not all of the Dolar-Year men were guilty.
Some of them rendered the most valuable of
services without thought Of personal recon-
pense But in the lot were those who handed
out grating contracts to friends shared per
haps in the profits. and took the dollars which
the people paid to wage the
Bribed officers consented 10 the loot.
To the cold brain of Atty. Gen. Daugherty.
who has announced the policy OF the admins
tration that there are no political ofenses in
America. it ought not to be difficult to find
way to classify war Prohteers something diff
ferent than mere thieves and grafters.
For these profteers committed not theft,
not piIlage of public funds, but TREASON.
The law of Limitation does not run against
treason.
These men deliberately looted the war
arsenals of the nation when it was fighting for
Its sovereignty.
The theft of the money needed to purchase
ammunition for the men overseas was in effect
the theft of the ammunition itself.
These men stole the airplanes the great
guns the powder, the food of the fighting men.
There are in prison IN America today men
taken into the army under the selective service
law who will serve years iJr stealing food from
the supply stations and trading it to French
peasants for wine.
Debs, in his cell. will serve years because he
hamPered the nation IN a time of war by his
speech and his persuasveness.
These Prohteers did all that they could to
make it impossible for our men to fight by
stealing the source of their support.
his country still holds III prison several hun
dred men who were sentenced by courts-mar-
tial for purely military ofenses
he prisoners were taken to war under the
general call Many Of them knew nothing of
military discipline. Their rebellion against that
authority led to some unusual sentences.
Swearlng at captains, striking officers In fits of
rage, were often followed by severe sentences.
All this was deemed necessary in war.
These men paying the penalty-the agi-
tators who talked against war, the drafted sol
der who rebelled against army discipline
And these others-the men who stole mil
lions Haunting their stolen loot and laugh
ing at the republic because three years have
passed without their being caught
Open the doors, Mr.. Daugherty, for the mill
tary offender. for the man who simply talked
against this country unless you can find some
way to seize these Prohteers, turn their blood
stained dollars from their pockets and brand
them for what they are-TRATTORS.