Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1916 — GERMANY AND AMERICAN LAWS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GERMANY AND AMERICAN LAWS.

; h rough its ambassador at ingle.:, the German government has issued through German consuls in- ; iru'''tionfi to German citizens in the United States that they are not to "Violate American laws. , The ad Titonition. will be welcomed, and certainly it was needed. Our government is reported to be much pleased, and we suppose that the action may be taken as an evidence of friendliness on the part of the Berlin government. Here is the official statement: In consequence of eases which have occurred of late the German ambassador has sent instructions to all German consuls residing in the baited States to strongly impress noon German citizens living in their districts that it is their duty scrupulously to obey the laws of the state in which they reside. The encouraging thing is that, there should at last, apparently, be a realization in German-official circles of the fact that public opinion in this country was being affected by the activities of German sympathizers concerned in passport frauds and bomb plots. How it was ever imagined that it could be otherwise is hard to understand. Taken in connection with the abandonment, at least for the present, of illegal submarine warfare, this action must be taken as in indication of the purpose of the German government to avoid giving offense to the American people and their government. Nothing has done more to injure Germany in this country than .the war that has been conducted on its soil—for it has amounted to that—against our. laws. The issuing of these instructions is an admission that Ahere at least may have been things done that ought not to have

been done. As a matter of sac t there have been many of them, as the record of convictions shows. We shall all hope that we have ■ •■■ it the last of the campaign pi • r:-litMiliicss in the Cnited States. It has indeed languished of la e, and that is a good sign. We are no: likely to have any more Boy-Eds an i Von Pa peris or. 1/u inha s reprekentir gy 1 the central powers in this country. ' Indeed, it is said that no more at- ; ■taches may be sent till after the. War, ' since there is a -fear that they might "he subject to suspicion,'' Perhaps it is fair to conclude either that the extreme 1 war party, is. hot now in eon-, t rol at Berlin or elese- that even, that.party has been brought to so. that there are some things that ah enlightened public opinion will not olerate, ami,- that public; opinion iiinsi .be reckoned with even in war time. Whatever the motive promnting the action of the Berlin governIfieut - (e-* no a n sympathizers in this .country now know that incendiarism and bomb plotting and the forged passport industry arep felt by that .government to lie hostile to its if. ■ ft rests, di is certainly to be hoped tha : the> inf rue: inns will, bo obeyed. • Indianapolis Mews.