Evening star., 1923-12-15
PRES|DENTFR
81 STILL IN PRISON
FOR WAR OFFENSES
Action Follows Favorable
Report of Board Probing
Individual Cases.
STEP GIVEN APPROVAL
OF ATTORNEY GENERAL
CORNER War Secretary Baker, Maj
Gen. Harbord and Bishap Brent
Conducted Inqu;ay.

President Coolidge today com
mutcd the sentences of the thirty
one persons remaining in federal
pcuitentiaries convicted for violation
OF wartime laws.
His action was taken upon the
recommendation of a special commits
sion appointed by the. President re-
Gently composed of former Secretary
Of War Baker, Maj. Gen. Harberd,
TT :. A.. and Bishop Brent of the
[Nestigate each individual case of the
pwar- time prisoners.
The favorable report met with the
sRpproval OF the Attorney General.
The United States is the last of
the countries in the world war to dis
| charge its wartime prisoners, the
t"thcr nations of Europe, having done
so long ago.
! Besides the recommendations made
| by the special commission appoint
I'd by the President, Senators Pepper
of Pennsylvania and Borah of Idaho,
many other notable Americans and
| the American Civil Liberties League
prevailed upon the President to cora
mute these sentences.
y White House statement announc-
ing the release of the prisoners said:
1T is announced today that the
President and Attorney General
Daugherty. after comforting together
and considering the joint report pre-
pared by Newton d. Baker. Bishop
Charles II. Brent and Gen. j. q. Har-
bord upon wartime prisoners. have
decided to adopt and follow the ma
jority recommendation of the commit
tee. and accordingly the President to-
day. in conformity with the recommen-
dation of the Attorney General, has
commuted the sentences of all
the remaining wartime prisoners
convicted at Chicago. Kansas City
and Sacramento to the terms already
served.
4.Wrarrapts of communication are be-
ing prepared and as soon as signed
by the President will be sent to the
wardens with instructions to release
the prisoners.
Ends Long, Long Fight.
Immediately upon receipt of the
Justice began preparation of the nee
eSsary warrants. The prisoners Will
be released as soon as the warrants
reach the federal penitentiaries nj
W hich they are incarcerated.
The order issued by the President
ends a fight which has been in prog
ress almost continuously since con-
clusion of the world war TO bring
for violation of laws enacted for war
purposes. The cases were reviewed
upon two separate occasions by
President Harding. and each time
clemency was granted to a limited
number
The final action taken by Mr. Hard
ing or the day he started on his ILL
fated trip to the Pacific coast and
Alaska reduced the number remain
ing in prison to about thirty, and
soon after Mr.. Coolidge entered the
White House those active in the be-
half of the prisoners renewed their
appeal.
In order TO get the viewpoint of
those in unofficial life Mr., Coolidge
appointed the special committee to
inquire into the whole question. This
committee, after several weeks of
work, presented a report which was
referred to the Department of JUS
tice for review.
List of Prisoners.
Most of the prisoners whose SEN
tences were commuted today were
s3ncarcerated at Fort Leavenw worth.
,1<an. The prisoners and the places
where they were convicted are as
follows:
Sacramento-Elmer Anderson, Har-
Ty Brewer. Robert Comedian. Roy P.
Connor, p de Bernardo, Mortimer
Downing. Frank Elliott, John Graves,
Henry Hammer, William Hood Harry
Gray, Chris A. Luber, Phil McLaugh-
lin, George O'Connell, John Potthast,
Edward Quigley, James Quinlan, My
ron Spraguc, Caesar Tahib, Jacob
Tori, George F. Boetter and Vincent
Cantilli.
Kansas City-Wencil Francik. F. ].
gallagher.
Chicago-C. J. Bourg. Alexander
aournos, Harry Lloyd. Burt Lorton,
-1tharles H. McKinnon, James Rowan,
james P. Thompson.