The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-03-17
HOUSE RESOLUTION
lis PROPOSED THAT
WILL MAKE REQUEST
Representatives of Many Organ.
izatiOns Plead With Mem
bers of Committee.
INDICATIONS ARE
1T WILL NOT PASS
New York Attorney Declares
There Is Absolutely No
Harm in the Request.
tsy The Associated Prsss)

WASHINGTON, March 16.-In the
face of apparent and outspoken oppo-
sition, lawyers and representatives OF
various liberal organizations pleaded
with the house judiciary committee
today to report resolution asking
the president to give careful consid-
Grafton" to the propriety of granting
immediate amnesty to 113 political
prisoners, serving long terms for vio-
lation of the espionage act.
Committeeman indicated that the
resolution never would pass, insisting
that congress had no right TO direct
the president in such matters especial
Iy because Of the lack of opportunity
TO review the cases. Gilbert e. Roe,
an attorney OF New York, who advo-
Gated the general principle of amnesty,
said when questioned, that he saw no
impropriety in requesting the presi-
dent, the attorney general and the sec
retary Of war to look into the appeals
because "the resolution seems as
harmless as the four power treaty"
Speaking for the American Fedora
ton of labor, Edgar Wallace declared
that war laws were necessary. that
they should have been enforced but
now in peace times there was no good
reason for keeping war time offenders
in 5aIL
There were many clashes between
members of the committee and wit
nesses. Representative Yates, repub-
lican, Illinois, charged that Represen-
tative London, socialist, New York,
author of the resolution, who declared
he would free men convicted of vio-
lence If they did so because Of a deep
religious feeling. was advocating vio-
lene, which Mr.. London was quick to
deny.
Another verbal clash centered
around Harry Weinberg, a New York
lawyer, one time counsel for Grover
Cleveland Bergdoll. the draft dodger.
In a tilt with Representative Reavis,
republican, Nebraska. Weinberg said
he would express his 'iopinion on po-
ntical and economic questions at any
time and in any place despite the su-
preme court Of the United States"
Referring to the release Of some Of
tenders Weinberg charged that one OBJ
tanned his liberty through the inter
cession of the italian ambassador, and
some of his comment drew all mem
bers TO reminder that they would not
sit there and hear the president and
attorney general criticized. This was
after the lawyer had stated that one
of the men in whose behalf he had
appealed did not get out because he
didn't happen to be a trust magnate."
weinberg denied any desire to criti-
cize the president.
Miss Caroline Lowe. Of Kansas City,
counsel for number Of Independent
Workers of the World members, tried
at Wichita, charged that men arrested
in the famous Oklahoma case" were
oil workers and that the aninnus back
OF their arrest was the determination
on the part of oil operators to crush
any attempt on the part of the work
ers to organize"
Frequent references were made to
the pardon of Eugene v. Debs, and on
this point some Of the witnesses ex-
pressed conflicting views. Many agreed
however, that President Hardings list
of Christmas pardons contained the
names OF persons who should have
served their terms, which. they insist
ed, were for offenses more serious than
those charged against 4the political
prisoners" It was contended that no
overt acts were ommitted by the lat
ter.