Submarine Chasers of WWI: Episode #72

Highlights: Submarine Chasers of WWI

The 1918 Sedition Act | @01:35

Darkest before the dawn - Mike Shuster | @07:45

America Emerges - Dr. Edward Lengel | @11:445

Memorial Day Parade | @15:50

Hunters of the Steel Sharks - Todd Woofenden | @17:05

Remembering Major Raoul Lufbery - Raoul Lubery III | @24:40

Centenary News website - Peter Alhadeff & Patrick Gregory | @31:20

Speaking WWI - “I’m in a flap” | @38:15

Highlights of the Dispatch Newsletter | @39:30

The Buzz: The commemoration in social Media - Katherine Akey | @41:45----more----

Opening

Welcome to World War 1 centennial News - episode #72 - It’s about WW1 THEN - what was happening 100 years ago this week  - and it’s about WW1 NOW - news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration.

This week:

Mike Schuster, from the great war project blog tells us about the on-going German aggression, the allies desperation and Pershing’s plan to provide CERTAIN troops to be commanded Directly by the allied forces.

Dr. Edward Lengel with a story about American troops that land in the UK.

Todd Woofenden introduces us about the US Navy’s submarine chasers

Tanveer Kalo helps us commemorate Asian Pacific Heritage Month

Raoul Lufbery III tells us about a recent event in Connecticut commemorating his great-uncle, Raoul Lufbery

Peter Alhadeff (AL-adeff) and Patrick Gregory join us from the WWI website “Centenary News”

Katherine Akey with the commemoration of world war one in social media

All on WW1 Centennial News -- a weekly podcast brought to you by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library and the Starr foundation.

I’m Theo Mayer - the Chief Technologist for the Commission and your host. Welcome to the show.

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Preface

The United States constitutional Bill of rights was passed and adopted on December 15, 1791

This included the first amendment which reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances

126 years later, in 1917, under the pressures of entering WW1 - this constitutional right of the American people came under attack in profound ways.

It began in June of 1917 with the passage of the Espionage Act, prohibiting any American from saying or doing anything to undermine the war effort, with the threat of 20 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both  .

4 months later, in October 1917, congress followed up with the “Trading with the Enemy Act “, which empowered the government to confiscate the property of any person who engages in trade or any other form of financial transaction with an enemy nation during wartime.

Overall, about $500 million worth of property was seized by the federal government in World War I from german immigrants and companies with ties to enemy nations, an amount equal to the entire federal budget before the War.

But the most onerous attack on the first amendment was coming.

With that as background let's jump into our Centennial Time Machine and roll back 100 years ago this week to learn more about the new Sedition Act!

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World War One THEN

100 Year Ago This Week

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Dateline: May 21, 1918

A tiny obscure 4 line article appears in the New York times with the headline:

President Signs Sedition Bill

The entire article reads:

President Wilson today signed the Sedition bill, giving the government wide powers to punish disloyal acts and utterances.

Let me read that again…

“Giving the government wide powers to punish disloyal acts and utterances.”

That sounds downright unconstitutional… and if I had said that in May of 1918, I could have been prosecuted, fined $10,000 (the equivalent of $180,000 today) and imprisoned for up to 30 years!

Though President Wilson and Congress regarded the Sedition Act as crucial in order t