Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1918 — Defense Council Says 14 Spies Have Been Shot [ARTICLE]

Defense Council Says 14 Spies Have Been Shot

New York, Jan. 24.—C. S. Thompson, chairman of the press committee of the American Peace society in an informal resolution at a luncheon given by the organization here today declared the society had been informed that the United States had executed fourteen spies since the beginning of the war with Germany. He added that enemy aliens in this country “should be apprised of these facts, as evidence of America’s determination to protect herself.” Washington, Jan. 24.—Major General Crowder, judge advocate general and provost marshal general of the army, said tonight if any spy had been executed, the United States had never heard of it. Reports on such cases in the army would come to General Crowder’s office. At the navy department it was flatly denied that there had been any executions by the naval establishment for espionage. Army and navy officers were unable to account for the assertion of Mr. Thompson. Various reports of the hanging or shooting of spies have been circulated since the United States went to war but none ever has ever been borne out by investigation. ,