The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-04
ENLARGE POWER OF
 WILSON ID PROTECT
 NEUTRALITY OF U. s.
House and Senate Agree on Measure to Stop Ships Carrying Supplies to
 Belligerent Warships

Washington, March 3.-By unanimous vote the Senate late tonight adopted with amendments a substitute for the joint resolution passed earlier in the House enInrging the power of the President to prevent infringements of American neutrality by vessels leav- ing ports of the United states with men or supplies for beIIigcrent wnrships.
 The substitute. framed after a con ference at the White House between the President and members of the for eign relations committed, reads:
 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, that, from and after the passage of this resolution, and during the exist ence of a war to which the United States is not a party, and in order to prevent the neutrality of the United States from being violated by the use of its territory. its ports. or it's terri torial waters as the base of operations for the armed forces of a belligerent, contrary to the obligations imposed by the law of nations, the treaties to which the United States is a party, or con trary to the statutes of the United States, the President be, and he is here by authorized and empowered to direct the collectors of customs under the Jurisdiction of the United States to withhold clearance from any vessel of American of foreign register, or license, which he has reasonable cause to be- lieve to be about to carry fuel, arms, ammunition, men or supplies to any warship, or tender, or supply ship of belligerent nation in violation of the obligations of the United States as neutral nation.
 Tn case any such vessel of Ameri- can register or license shall depart or attempt to depart from the jurisdic- tion of the United States without clear ance for any of the purposes above set forth, tho owner or master, or person or persons having charge or command of such vessel shall severally be liable to fine of. not less than 32OO, nor more than $10,O00. or to Imprisonment not to exceed two years, or both, and in addition such vessel shall be for feited to the United States.
 May Land Naval Forces
 That the President of the United otdteS De, dnu ue IS HereDy authorized and empowered to emply such part of the land or naval forces of the United States as shall be necessary to carry out the purposes of this resolution.
 That the provisions of this resolu- tion shall be deemed to extend to all lands and water. continental or insular. within the Jurisdiction of the United States''
 The substitute eliminates a provision of the House resolution that would have permitted suspected vessels to sail under bond with sureties equal to double the value of ship and cargo and containing the condition that the vessel should not be employed in any unneu- tral transaction. violation of the condi- : ton forfeiting the bond and rendering the owners and master liable to fine and Imprisonment.
 The substitute also eliminates a pro- vision of the House resolution empow- ering the President to direct federal authorities Ito accord the treatment of a vessel of a befiigerent. including in tcrnment, to any vessel of foreign reg ister in. or hereafter arriving in a port or any territorial waters of tho United States, when such vessel ia acting, or preparing to act, or attempting to act. or intending upon departure from the Jurisdiction of the United States to act as a tender to the armed forces Of a. belligerent, or otherwise to act in aid of the prosecution of hostilities."
 The resolution was passed without comment or . record votes