Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-27
Get Tough!
Death Penalty
For Sabotage
Mild u. S. Punishment
Encourages Enemies
BY wEsTBROOK PEGLER

reason why the American
people do not insist on the death
penalty when we catch a spy and
convict him of transmitting in
formation calculated to help the
enemy kill Americans and defeat
this nation.
II such is the law, however. il
should be amended at once, a
step which would have almost
unanimous public approval.
Every person henceforth con-
victed OF treason or espionage,
including the cruder forms of
sabotage. such as dynamiting,
arson and vandalism in war fac
tories. should be put to death by
a firing squad according to the
old European formula which the
Germans have used so freely on
traitors in their own midst and
on foreign spies and saboteurs
both in Germany and in foreign
lands.
The United States Is bound to
get tough eventually and there
is no reason to get tough gradu-
ally.
On the contrary. the fact that
our severest punishment is a
mere prison sentence. which is
likely to be committed by VIC
torious United States of America
in mood of forgiving generosity
after the war, or committed by
the conquering enemy should the
war GO the other way. is sure To
encourage such enemies of the
American people to take chances.
THERE Is not much in the
l. German method and psychol-
ogy that we find attractive, but Y
are masters OF war and
their way OF dealing with the
sneak who imperils their soldiers
in the field. their civilians at
home or their nations cause In
war is the best OF all.
Ours is an invitation to treach-
cry.
suppose we must not kill
traitors and enemy spies who
had traffic with the Germans,
Italians and Japanese down 10
the formal state Of war. but GER
tainly any enemy agent who IL
convicted Of acts hostile 10 this
country committed since then
should be put to death soon after
conviction.
Social or political rank or po-
sition should not he permitted 10
influence our conduct and / IN
sist still that every man and
woman who participated as a
member in any OF the activities
of the anti-American Bund or
any of the Italian treason groups
which masqueraded as cultural
societies should be seized now
and filed away in a concentra.
ton camp.
YOU can't treat traitors and
L spies nice IN war and do
justice TO your own people and 1t
is a betrayal on the home front
OF men fighting the enemy TO
finch. from the plain duty OF
stamping out such vermin by
quick, direct, irrevocable meth
DDS.
Involved philosophical and his
torlcal arguments about the
rights and wrongs Of the war
/ should be avoided.
II happens that Germany.
Italy And Japan are the enemies
Of the American people just now
and therefore are in the wrong.
Any American who holds
otherwise must assume his own
risks.
Intent would he an important
consideration in Judging con-
duct. but il is familiar problem
! in courts and where wrong in
tent is shown the death penalty
should be inflicted
/ IT is outrage ous that the
L woman who on a recent eve
ming heiled Hitler in New York
restaurant and munched Miss
Dorothy Thompson's finger in a
personal scuffle when Miss
Thompson demonstrated, is not
in prison right now. if she isn't.
Apparently, the woman was
drunk, but that is no excuse.
We should make il dangerous
for any one TO he'll Hitler. drunk
or sober. and any one who can't
handle liquor any better than
that should take the conse-
quences.
To he'll Hitler is treason and
the guests in the restaurant who
failed to crown this treacherous
female with sugar bowl or
seidel revealed that fiabby. pa
thetic softness which has made
this country sucker for every
kind of treachery.
The spy and saboteur. whether
native. naturalized or alien, has
a soft berth in this country.
So many of us have opposed
certain domestic social and eco
nomic policies of the New Deal
and the foreign policy of the
President down to December z.
that traitors and enemy spies
undoubtedly think they can jus.
tify or mitigate their conduct
by dragging these issues into
discussion.