Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-05-17

ton it WOuIQ uOI w W nave the law
violated. It can be said that if any
Legionnaires had attempted to take
things in their own hands The act
would not have met with the approval
of either the local or the general Off
Gals of the organization.
Within the last week a dozen meet.
ines have been held in Washington for
the purpose of offsetting the drives
which were being made by certain so
cieties suspected of being sympathetic
with communism, and which have
been extremely busy in their eff
forts to get the seditionists out Of
prison by means Of the presidential
pardon. washington seems finally to
have awakened to the menace of the
subtle communist propaganda which
is being carried on in this country,
and which here has one of its focal
points.
Protest of Legion Men.
There are about 5000 members in
the American Legion in the city Of
Washington. There are other organ
izations here also whose members in
clude many veterans Of the World war.
Today these ex-service men stand OBJ
posed to pardon and parole for the
prisoners who they charge attempted
to undo them and their country
The executive committee of the Dis
trict of Columbia department of the
American Legion adopted night or
two ago the following resolution,
which the next morning was presented
personally to the President of the
United States:
knowing the active and continuing
efforts Of organizations and individu-
ais in sympathy with sedition to Sc
cure the release of the criminals who
in the days of war gave aid and COM
fort to the enemy, tried to seduce
American, manhood from its duty. and
by means, covert and open, sought
to bring defeat to American arms in
a war for civilization, it is
Resolved, That the executive COM
mittee Of the District of Columbia de-
partment, American Legion, acting in
behalf of the Legion members of Wash
ington, and knowing that it represents
the spirit of the Legionnaires through
out the world, stands Interchangeable in
it's opposition to the release of these
seditionists, and in the memory of the
comrades who fought and died, pro-
tests most earnestly against the
granting Of pardons or paroles to
those convicted enemies Of the repub-
lie"
Not Political Prisoners.
The finally aroused public senti-
ment in Washington is making itself
felt Organizations Of various kinds
now are engaged in the work of refut-
ing some Of the stock statements
which have been made with the view
of securing the release of the Grim
inals The Legion men say, for in
stance, that these men are not In any
sense political prisoners, as they al
ways are called in the communistic
propaganda. Legion men say that
free speech has nothing to do with
the case, and that these men were
convicted for sedition and for nothing
else.
The washington organizations Of ex-
service men, of women, and of others
that have finally realized the necessity
of attempting to Offset the un-Ameri-
can efforts of communistic agents have
made public the nature Of some Of the
crimes for which the men now in
prison were convicted. Here is short
list of sGgne of the offenses:
Sulphur matches we're placed in
bundles of grain so that they would
set fire to buildings and to produce
when put through threshing machines.
Airplane parts were made so as to ap-
pear specifically perfect. but which
after a little use would break when
the plane was in service, thus making
the death of the American aviator al
most certain. Spikes were driven into
saw-logs so that the saw would be
shattered when it struck them. Wheat
fields were burned Emery dust was
thrown into machine bearings. At
tempts were continuous to seduce
American volunteers and drafted men
from their allegiance, and other things
were done with a view to paralyzing
the military arm Of the country and
to weaken the spirit of the civilian
population.