New Ulm review., 1921-11-30
PEACE IS BARRED FROM
DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE.
By Otto Branstetter.

I have just come from the Depart
ment Of Justice, where discussed the
question of amnesty with various
officials in that Department. was.
assured that the sentence Of Comrade
Emil Herman, now serving ten year
sentence at McNeil's Island, Wash
.ington, has been committed to expire
on December oath, and that definite
action would be taken at an early date
on the release of other politicals.
Senator France told me yesterday he
had absolute confidence President
Harding would release the political
prioners as soon as all the preliminaries
of the declaration Of peace had been.
concluded.
Tuesday was the occasion Of the
second session of the Conference on
Limitation of Armaments, held at the
D.. A. r. building next door to the
palace called the Pan American Union,
where the opening session was held on
Saturday.
Today's gathering is only another
chapter in the story Of pomp and glory
of this republic; the everyday affairs
Of the nations capital have been dis
regarded before continuous pageant
of display and ceremony which began
with the arrival Of delegations to the
conference. An incredible, unbe-
lievable expenditure Of the nations
treasury. You are stunned by the
irony of it. Millions out Of work,
facing starvationss millions that are
employed only part time and feel the
ever strengthening fetters OF debt;
millions that work day in and day out
and yet cannot provide for the common
necessaries of life. And still from the
treasury filled with the tax-Wrung
dimes and dollars of the working people
must come the funds to pay for. this
ostentatious ceremonial.
Guards and officers everywhere. A
double line of them up the marble
steps. alert to see that none without
proper credentials may enter. Glitter
ing automobiles; uniforms, gold braid
ed officers, blue-caped Frenchmen, an
ever increasing throng of the curious.
Down the street came a white robed
figure-a woman carrying the Amerl-
can flag and bearing upon her breast
a blue and white shield inscribed
Peace No one seemed to notice
she passed through the Gordon Of
guards and mounted the steps, only to
be turned back; it was evident that
Peace had no credentials for that
gathering and would not be permitted
to pass in She came slowly down and
paused at the lowest step, but was
urged backward to the sidewalk: There
she stood and forlornly watched the
delega ations as they entered.
-Four members Of the World War
Veterans came marching down the
street. They bore the flag of their
organization and the red, white and
blue they had carried into battle. And
they carried also a huge placard read
ing: Soldiers of the World War
Demand the Release of Political
Prisoners. There is mo Democracy
Without Free Speech Behind the
soldiers came women carrying other
placards that read: Britain Granted
Amnesty to Political Prisoners After
the Armistice;" 'sItaly Granted AM
nesty to Political Prisoners December,
1885," France Granted Amnesty in
March, 1920" Germany has Released
Her Political Prisoners They
marched down the street facing a
battery of cameras the reporters and
the movie men were there in force.
This delegation from the American
Civil Liberties Union took a position
to the left of the entrance, holding their
banners aloft. The crowd was IN
terested but the notables that came in
ever increasing numbers hurried by.
Secretary of State Hughes passed down
the street on the other side, apparently
oblivious.
When I first arrived at the scene, a
beautiful little old lady approached
me and asked me to tell her what was
going forward. She. was seventy years
old and had lived all her life in Wash
ington, her husband government
employe. She told me she had seen
every inaugural since Lincoln, that she
was at the theater the night Lincoln
was assassinated. She was very proud
Of her family and its traditions, but she
seemed rather uninformed about what
was happening outside the capital
city. When the picketers came down
the street she asked what it meant.
| I told her as we'll as / could but it was
difficult for when I said they were
asking for the release of political
prisoners, she said: Why, has the
United States any political prisonersY,
After explained as wellas / could, she
said, 81 wonder why they don't let
them go-we are not at war now.
I talked to her at intervals all morn
Ling and told her as simply as | could