100 years ago in The Record
Thursday, April 12, 1917
Unnaturalized immigrants born in Germany, Bulgaria or the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires have 24 hours to turn firearms over to the Troy police department, and all Trojans have to dismantle their wireless kits under new wartime rules issued by the federal government.
Police chief Charles Goerold is under instructions from the U.S. justice department to confiscate firearms and radio sets if necessary for national security. The U.S. declared war on Germany on April 6. None of Germany’s allies have yet declared war on the U.S., but Austria and Bulgaria broke off diplomatic relations with Washington this week.
“Enemy aliens” from Germany and its allies must turn in “Any firearm, weapon or implement of war, or component part thereof, ammunition, maxim or other silencer, bomb or explosive, or material used in the manufacture of explosives,” according to a presidential proclamation. They must also surrender “any aircraft or wireless apparatus, or any form of signal device, or any form of cipher code, or any paper document or book written or printed in cipher or in which there may be invisible writing.”
From 24 hours after notice is given, enemy aliens will be subject to summary arrest if any of the contraband listed above is found in their possession. After the war is over, they’ll be able to reclaim everything they turn in by presenting the receipt the police will give them now. The wireless order applies to all citizens. The federal government has instructed local police to locate all wireless stations in their jurisdiction. “It is thought that there are still several wireless stations in this city, most of which are of course the contrivances of boys or students,” The Record reports. Since commercial radio has not yet developed into an entertainment medium, few people own radio sets as yet. “It is said there were several in the East Side section and there were more in Sycaway territory,” the report continues, “Also one is supposed to be located on the roof of a doctor’s home in the Central section.” Once wireless sites are located, the police will telephone owners “informing them to make way with them.” Failure to dismantle wireless stations “will be followed by personal investigation on the part of the police.”
Troy German committee
Governor Charles S. Whitman has appointed three local men to act as Troy’s “German Committee,” our paper reports.
Attorney Anthony P. Finder, coal and wood dealer Henry Kreiss, and publisher Robert A. Patchke make up the committee. The governor appoints them with an eye to “preventing any friction” between the city’s German-American community and the rest of the population.