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Show URGED BY WILSON. Regarding the propriety of placing ; enemy aliens in the penitentiaries it has been called to our attention that 1 in his address to congress on December Decem-ber i last, President Wilson urged that legislation be enacted for that . very purpose. After declaring that ! "the financial and military measures ' which must be adopted will . suggest themselves as the war and its undertakings under-takings develop," the executive goes on to say that he "will take the lib-' lib-' erty of proposing to you certain other , acts of legislation which seem to me j to be needed for the support of the war ; and for the release of our whole force and energy. It will be necessary to extend in certain particulars the leg-J leg-J islation of the last session with regard ; to alien enemies; and also necessary, I believe, to create a very definite and particular control over the entrance and departure of all persons into and i from the United States." I After these preliminary remarks "President Wilson " put his suggestion into these words: "Legislation should be enacted defining as a criminal offense of-fense every wilful violation of the presidential proclamation relating re-lating to enemy aliens, promulgated under section 4067 of the Eevised Statutes Stat-utes and providing appropriate punishment; pun-ishment; and women as well as men should be included under the terms of the acts placing restraints upon alien enemies. It is likely that as time goes ; on many alien enemies will be willing ; to be fed and housed at the expense of the government in the' " detention camps, and it would be the purpose of the legislation I have suggested to confine con-fine offenders among them in penitentiaries peniten-tiaries and other similar institutions, 1 where they could be made to work as other criminals do." This was President Wilson's view three months ago when congress as-' as-' sembled for the long session and the senators and representatives began shouting "speed up" to all the other ; , branches of the government and then fell to criticizing the administration instead of putting their own shoulders 1 ' to the wheel and enacting legislation i necessary to furnish our army abroad . : and to protect the people at home. In the meantime there have been mutter-ings mutter-ings of discontent all over the. country coun-try on account of the fact that alien enemies have not been more severely dealt with by the authorities. The fault rets with congress. The president presi-dent marked out the path that should bo followed, but no progress has been , made. A bill to accomplish the purpose pur-pose suggested was introduced and there the matter rested. Governor -, Bamberger's offer of 400 cells in the : Utah state penitentiary has added to the interest already manifested in this , 1 vitally important question, and it is to 1 . be hoped that congress will no longer delay action. The president and a vast , majority of the people are in agree-; agree-; ' ment on the subject and the senators and representatives will be held re-i re-i : sponsible for failure to do their part before a crisis is precipitated here at : home. |