The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-09-07
DRASTIC laws
TO CURB ALLIES
REPRIsALs VOTED BY SENATE
FOR BRITISH BLOCKADE.
HITS ALL SHIPS THAT BAR GOODS
Use of Navy Authorized to Enforce
Embargo on 5eIlieerent Vessels
Which Refuse to Take Ameri-
can Products.

e.. ashington, Sept. 6.-Legislation or
the most drastic character that will
permit of retaliation and reprisals
against the allies and effectually stop
the British blacklist policy was written
into the general revenue by the SCH
ate.
An amendment proposed by Senator
Thomas of Colorado and adopted with
out dissent, empowers the president to
refuse clearance papers to any bel
ligerent merchantmen that refuses
American goods unless, and only be-
cause of lack of space. An attempt to
sail without clearance is made punish
able by heavy fine and Imprisonment
of two years. The ship may be seized
by the government.
The amendment, it was admitted,
was pc pared with the approval OF
the state department. This admission
is especially significant in view of the
provision "that the president is here
by empowered to employ such part of
the land and naval forces of the United
out the purposes of this act"
Would Blockade own Ports.
The application of this power to
use naval vessels in enforcing the
act would mean the virtual blOckading
of our own coasts by Onr own warships
to prevent the escape of allied ships
that had been refused clearance pa
pers. tt5ttj.
The Thomas amendment is admit
tedly an emergency measure. Nobody
attempted to conceal the fact that II
was aimed at the acts of the British
government. The senate has been In
formed that every diplomatic effort Of
this government to bring about reliei
| for American citizens subjected to the
blacklist proved futile.
The use of the navy might be re
uHired in the event any American
| ships were seized in other ports by
| the British government. The amend
ment is in line with that put into
the shipping bill, but goes much far
Their and is far more efficaciOus as {
! remedy.
Use Of Mails Forbidden.
Another amendment which its Op
| pOncnts characterized as revolution
airy, offered by Senator Phelan
, would "prohibit the use of the mails
the cable, wireless, express and othe
means of communication of citizens o
countries that do not accord full ant
free facilities to American citizens II
commerce, including the unhamperet
traffic in the mails"
The amendment intends that az
American citizens shall have the sam
free use of these means of COmmuni
cation with any belligerent cOuntr
that Is accorded the citizens of bel
! ligerent countries in the Unite'
States. The prohibition is to be en-
forced when the president shall b
satisfied there is reasonable grOun
to believe such discrimination exist
and after a proclamation has been is
sued. This amendment also was adopt
ed without protest.
On August 80 an amendment OF
fered by Senator James was adOpte
that is Intended as a reprisal agains
the British order prohibiting the eX
port of tobacco and other goods an
products of the United States int
countries not only of the belligerentS
but of the neutral countries of north
ern Europe.
! In another section of the revenu
bill is an amendment, general i
character, and bearing no relation t
the war, that gives the president
weapon against discrimination.
provides that whenever any country
dependency, etc, shall prohibit tn
importation of any article the produC
of the United States the preside1
within his discretion shall have pow
: er to prohibit during the period sue
prohibition Is in force the imports
ton into the United States of simila
3 articles. This is a general law al
plicable to all cases of discrimint
ton.