OCR Text |
Show PENITENTIM WILL IT BE USED FDR ALB LIMY SALT LAKE, March 6. Because, in the eyes of federal law, civilian enemy aliens ordered interned on presidential warrants for tho period of tho war are not criminals and therefore not subject sub-ject to incarceration in penal institutions, institu-tions, the offer of Governor Bamberger Bamber-ger and the warden of tho Utah penitentiary peni-tentiary to place a section of the state penitentiary at the disposal of the war prison commandant for safekeeping of tho bomb-making and tunnel-digging prisoners at Fort Douglas has been declined. de-clined. Offer of tho use of a portion of the state prison in which to hold some of the unruly and most dangerous prisoners prison-ers now in the civilian section of tho Third war prison camp at Fort Douglas Doug-las was mado to Colonel George L. Byram. prison commandant, by Governor Gov-ernor Bamberger recently when two bombs had been discovered in tne compound and several tunnels had been found. The governor and Warden George Storrs took Colonel Byram to the state prison and showed him the section which they offered free of charge, permitting per-mitting him to establish his own guards and to conduct the place in accordance ac-cordance with his own regulations. The civilian enemies held at Fort Douglas have not been tried or convicted con-victed of any penal offense; they are merely held on presidential warrants as dangerous enemy aliens. They constitute con-stitute a unique class of prisoners whoso status is difficult to define. They are not military prisoners of war nor are they penal prisoners. They are civil prisoners of war, gathered by the department of justice merely as dangerous dan-gerous aliens and detained to prevent them engaging in activities that would be dangerous and injurious to the government gov-ernment while it is at war. No Questions Asked. Necessity for holding such men in detention .or under surveillance has resulted in their being sent to the war prison camps for safekeeping. The department of justice causes tho arrest ar-rest and merely sends the prisoner to tho camp with instructions to hold him safely. The prison camp accepts him and asks no quostions. The war camp at Fort Douglas is apparently the chief camp for civilian enemy aliens in the country, as all prisoners of this class from west of the Mississippi river arc sent here and also a large number from tho east Under this arrangement, the civilian colony at the local camp is growing rapidly. There arc now nearly 250 civilian alien enemies confined within the civilian section of Uie compound and almost daily there are new arrivals. arri-vals. This class of prisoner has already al-ready demonstrated that he Is a dangerous dan-gerous and desperate enemy, whoso sole thought is escape by any means, fair or foul. The problem of handling this anarchistic, an-archistic, Gorman, I. W. W. class of enemies is growing more serious overy day. By the manufacture of bombs and in other ways they have indicated they will go to any lengths In the destruction destruc-tion of life and property to escape, and their countless tunnels prove their uncheckable determination to get out if possible. Practically all of tho troublesome civilians held in the local camp are known to be members of the I. W. W. organization, but they aro German I. W. W.'s. An impression Jias gained credence in Salt Lake and vicinity that thero are Americans and American I. W. W.'s imprisoned in tho war camp at Fort Douglas. This is not the case. Every man in the war prison camp is a subject of the kaiser and a citizen of Germany, otherwise he could not be held there. |