The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-03-06
ACTS ON
EUROPEAN WAR NEUTRALITY
Measure Rushed Through In
Closing Hours Provides Safe
guards for American Shipping
and to Compel Neutrality

Both Houses passed a bill after mid
night on this, the last days session
of Congress, giving the President
power to prevent the shipment OF
supplies, ~contraband or otherwise,
to any nation engaged in war.
The bill as passed will, if the Presi-
dent chooses to make it effective,
prevent the shipment of wheat. flour,
provisions, munitions of war, in fact
anything that England or France
may need to enable them to carry
on their war with Germany.
The bill was prepared late this at
ternoon by Counsellor Lansing OF
the State Department at the request
of Secretary Bryan. 1t passed both
Houses practically without debate.
The new law places a tremendous
power in the hands of the President.
Under it he can even prevent ships
naval or mercantile-from coaling
in American waters.
The law gives President Wilson
a powerful lever to use in compelling
Great Britain, France and Germany
to respect the rights of neutral ships,
to prevent the unwarranted use of
the American flag by English ships,
and to deter Germany from carrying
out her implied threat to sink neutral
ships if she believed they r carry
ing war supplies to her enemies.
Bill First Passed By The House
The bill was first passed by the
House, sent to the Senate, where it
was passed in amended form, re-
turned to the House. where the
amendments were accepted and sent
to the President for signature with
in 20 hours. 1t was passed virtually
without debate in the House. A
number of Senators thought the
power it conferred on the President
too great, however, and went to the
White House to talk the matter over
with him. The amendments were
the result of this conference which
lasted until nearly midnight.
The resolution was dropped down
into Congress late yesterday after
noon without warning and without
explanation save that it was intended
to enable the Government to enforce
more strictly its duties as a neutral
power.
Text of Resolution
The resolution as adopted was as
follows:
Resolved by the Senate and the
House of Representatives of the
United States of America, in Con-
gress assembled:
THAT from and after the passage
of this resolution and during the ex-
istence of a war in 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
its territorial waters as the base of
operations for the armed forces of a
belligerent contrary to the obliga-
tons imposed by the law of nations,
the treaties to which the United
States is a party, or contrary to the
statutes of the United States, the
President be, and he is hereby au-
thorized and empowered to direct
the collectors of customs under the
jurisdiction Of the United States to
withhold clearance of any vessel,
American or foreign, which he has
reasonable cause to believe to be
about to carry fuel, arms, ammuni.
ton, men or supplies to any warship
or tender, or supply ship of a bellig-
erent nation in violation of the OBJ
legations of the United States as g
neutral nation.
Punishment IL Provided
I'm case any such vessel shall
depart or attempt to depart from
the jurisdiction of the United States
without clearance for any of the
purposes above set forth. the owner
or master or person or persons hav.
ing charge or command of such ves'
sci shall severally be liable to a fine
of not less than $1,000 nor more than
5000 or to Imprisonment not to
exceed two years, or both, and in
addition such vessel shall be forfeit
ed to the United States.
THAT the President of the United
States be and ne is hereby author