Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-01
PRESIDENT REFUSES
TO FREE GENE DEBS
Act Blasts Hopes of "PoliticaF'
Prisoners for Amnesty; State
ment by Berger.

Washington. Feb. President Will
son refused yesterday TO commute the
tcR-vear sentence imposed upon Eugr
v Dcbs for violation of the espionage act
The President disapproved arecommenda-
ton of the Department OF Justice that
pchs' sentence be commuted to expire
on next February IL.
Attorney General Palmer's recommen-
dat'nu WAS placed before the president
Yesterday morning, and It was reported
M first that the Executive had acted upon
10 iavorahly.
DehS many times candidate Of the So
ciali>t party for President, entered the
J. .litantiarv ut Atlanta, Ga. on June
Is 1919 To serve a ten years sentence
ilposcd following convection by a fed
era lIirv at Cleveland, O.. September II,
IaiS for violation of the espionage act.
Specifically the charge included at
tcnpting To incite INSTRUMENTATION in
the military forces and obstructing re-
crnti5 q Dchs' conviction was sustained
hv the United states supreme court,
which on motion of the government ad-
vauccd the case of its docket
Milwaukee. Feb l.-Declaring that
tho conspiracy has failed, Victor
|. Berger SAID: Il have nothing to re-
tract from anything ! have written or
sad about war or about those who
pushed US into this war. when appnsed
by the Associated Press yesterday OF
the decision of the United States supreme
Court IN its reversal of the decision in
tlr case against Berger. who was tried
on charges of violating the Espionage
act
Il hail this decision as the first real
Of r,asttr ~ y7ti,rtrr
ckss As a matter Of fact the Chicago
trial was SIMPLY a conspiracy of the
'pavtriptecrs and the pro.itecIs against
the Social party. | was picked out as
thc one member OF the national executive
committee who was of German extrac-
tIon and because the Socialist party is
strong in Milwaukee, and furthermore
Lecaus, | dared 10 be a cand idate for
the rited States Senate against Wood
rew Wilson's favorite.
Il have proven my love for this, nv
country by life VI lab in and for II, by
STRIVING constantly with all my energy to
improve the condition of my fellow-man,
Atlanta Ga, Feb. 1.-Eugene v Debs.
in the federal prison here. expressed great
pleasure Yesterday on receiving the news
~ the decision of the United States su-
preme court In the case of Victor L. Berger
and four other Socialist leaders but de-
chucd to make any comment on P.esident
Wilson refusal to commute his sentence
Discussing the Berger decision. Debs
sad IN statement, that the reversal
viii have a wholesome effect throughout
the country.
Il didn't sec how anything else could
happen when the supreme court re-
viewed all the facts in the case. the state
mcnt continued. "Mr. Berger and his
friends should never have been found
guilty IN the first place.
Chicago, Feb The Socialist party,
through It's national organization in Chi
cage, issued a statement yesterday on the
refusal of President Wilson 70 pardon
Eugene V Debs and the supreme Court
dccision in the Berger case
The Supreme Court, IN ordering a
nc~ trial for Victor Berger. J. Louis
Tng.lshl, William F Kr1ise, Adolph
Gc-ner and Irwin St John Tucker.
confined what the Socialist party has
maintained since the trial. that the FIVE
Socialist officials were tried and con
viCfed in an atmosphere Of hysteria and
prejudice that made a fair trial impossible
The Socialists asserted three wears
ago when the men were indicted and
repeated two years ago at the time Of
the trial that the men were being pun
ished not for specific acts. but solely
and only FOR their work as members and
officials of the Socialist party
'In other words, the Socialists de-
clare that the prosecution Of the FIVE
men. together with the prosecution ii
Eugene Y. Debs and other espionage
cases. were political trials and that the
men are being punished for political OPP
position 10 the dominant political party
and for no other offcnse
Tie statement applauded the Sr-
preme Court decision 50 far as il re-
lated to Judge Lands. and attacked the
motives of that ilIrist Il then turned
a. the Del, case asserting that Presl-
don't Wilson had refused to recognize
that fact that the hysteria OF the war
period Is over and that savage punish
ment for political hcrcSv is out of date
'Polit ~ trials, political prisoners
and punishment for pollcial heresy al
WAYS have been out Of place III Amer.ca
and this country VIII be a better place
- 1--we IN when thaf chapter is closed
said the concluding sentence of the state
nlent
Federal Judge X VI Lands refused
~ discuss the action Of the Supreme
Court IN reversing ms decision in con
vctng Victor Berger and four other
members Of the Socialist party for vio-
lation Of the Espionage act
Il decline to discuss the matter al
al the jurist said, and walked away
nom his Que>t i0neTS