Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-04-21
TEETH TAKEN FROM MEASURE
LIMITING. PRESS CENSORSHIP
DURING WAR.
NO PUBLICATION PERTAINING
TO MOVEMENT OF FORCES
Other Restrictions Considered Severe
Powers to Limit News and Com.
ment Conferred on President = Foes
Of Bill Declare Il Most Drastic Curb
on Freedom Of Speech Ever Proposed

Washington, April 81. - The senate
recorded itself yesterday in favor OF
press censorship during the war.
A censorship clause of the admins
tration's espionage bill. after decided
modification, was retained in the bill
by vote of 43 to 33, in which partisan
division was disregarded. The vote
came after three hours of sharp debate
and was regarded as definitely fore
casting final retention of the censor
ship provisions.
Later the bill far from completed,
was laid aside indefinitely to permit
consideration, beginning today, OF the
war army measures. The house judi
ciary committee has completed It's
draft of the espionage bill. also with a
censorship clause, and will report 1t
Monday.
Text Of Clause.
The provision as finally accepted by
the senate is as follows:
'Wroever. in time Of war, in violation
of reasonable regulations to be pre-
scribed by the president, which he is
hereby authorized to make and prom
ulgate. shall publish. any information
with respect TO the movement, num-
bers. description, condition or disposi-
ton of ANY of the armed forces. ships,
air craft. or war materials Of the
United States with respect 10 the
plans or conduct of any naval or mill
tarv operations or with respect to any
works or measures undertaken for or
connected with. or intended for the
fertilization OF defense of any place. or
any other information relating to the
public defense calculated to be useful
to the enemy. shall be punished by a
fine of not more than $4,000 or ny I'M
prisonmen: for not more than ten
years. or by both such fine and I'M
prisonment.
provided that nothing in this section
shall be construed to limit or restrict,
nor shall any regulation herein pro-
yided for limit or restrict, any discus
sion comment or criticism of the acts
or policies of the government, or its
representatives or the publication OF
the same"
Advocates of the provision admitted
that it would confer wide powers upon
the president to restrict publication OF
military matter, both in the press or
by individuals in speeches or otherwise.
It's foes declared that 1t was uncon-
stitutonal and the most drastic curb
upon freedom of speech and the press
guaranteed by the constitution, ever
proposed during the nations history.
Is Greatly Modified.
Before the final vote the original
committee draft, much more sweeping
and drastic was greatly modified. Inc
committee proposed to prohibit not only
publication of military information,
except under presidential regulations.
but also its collection. recording, or at
tempts to elicit il. Elimination OF
these additional restrictions was agreed
to by those in charge of the bill and
approved by the senate.
Another change. upon an amendment
NV Senator Hitchcock, of Nebraska,
provides that the presidential regula-
tons shall be reasonable. a substitute
for the whole clause. submitted by
Senator NCummins of Iowa, was re-
jected 40 to 81.
Senator Cummins. who insisted that
the clause retained was unconstitu-
,ional, proposed that the president be
authorized to prescribe regulations
which would not abridge freedom OF
speech or the press. but would pro-