Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-10
TRADING W|TH-ENEMY ACT
SOON TO co into EFFECT
President Wilson Virtually Completes
Executive Order After Con-
ference With Cabinet.
ITS PROVISIONS ARE DRASTIC
Licensing OF Foreign-L anguage
Newspapers Already In Operation.
Details OF Censorship are Being
Worked Out.
IBy Associated Prcss.l

by Associated Prcss.1
WASHINGTON. October 9.--Commercc
and communication restrictions author
lied By the trading with the -enemy act
VIII be put into effect within a few
Gays under an executive order which
President Wilson had virtually com
pleted tonight. after comforting with
Cabinet members. Vance Mccormick.
chairman OF the Exports Administra-
tive Board, and acting Secretary Crosby,
OF the Treasury.
Postmaster General Burleson an
Hounced after the Cabinet meeting that
Tho provision authorizing the Post
Office Department to license foreign
language newspapers already was in
operation. and that within ten days
tho department would begin to issue
licenses
Under the tentative draft of the
executive order the censorship of
mails. cables. radio and telegraph COM
munication would be entrusted to a
board including representatives of the
poss-Ofice. War and Navy Depart
ments and the exports administratio
Tho Navy, which now censors cables.
and the War Department. which exer-
cises control over telegraph commune
cation to Mexico. probably would re-
tain those functions. while tho new
problem OF censoring mall, directed
particularly to Spain and the northern
neutral countries would be given spe-
cial attention by the army and exports
administration representa- ives on the
board of censors.
WILL. MERELY COOPERATE
WITH ACTIVE CENSORS
Mir. Burleson is anxious that his de-
partment refrain as much as possible
from the work of actually opening and
censorlng mail. Consequently the
postal authorities probably will limit
themselves to merely cooperating with
the active censors.
Control over imports and exports
vested in the President by the trading
with the-enemy act will be delegated
TO the exports administration. which
will enlarge its work TO include the
many intricate problems presented.
Instead of merely licensing exports,
II would then have more positive
authority to forbid. under heavy pc
nalty, expectations suspected OF being
The license control over enemy in
surance companies vested in the Pres
ident probably will be turned over TO
the War Risk Insurance Bureau of the
Treasury. Regulation OF foreign en-
change and export OF coin and bull
lion would be given to the Federal
Reserve Board.
IT Is understood the Commerce De-
partment will be given custody OF
enemy property in the United States
The Postmastcr-Genern said to-day
that publications need not fear sup
preston under the tradinG-with- the
enemy acts censorship provision. un-
less they transgrcss the bounds of le-
Ultimate criticism Of the President and
administration, the army, the navy or
conduct OF the war.
I'VE shall take great care not to
let criticism which Is personally or
politically offensive to the administra-
tIon affect our action" he said. But
If newspapers go so far as to impugn
the motives OF the government. and
thus encourage INSTRUMENTATION. they
Will be dealt with severely.
For instance. papers may not say
that the government is controlled by
Wall Street. or muntion manufactur-
crs, or any other special interests.
Publication of any news calculated to
urge the people to violate law VIII be
considered grounds for drastic action
We will not tolerate campaigns against
CONSUMPTION, enlistments sale of Sc
curties or revenue collections. We
will not permit the publication or cir
culation of anything hamperinE the
wars prosecution, or attacking i'm
properly our allies"
Mr.. Burleson explained that the poll
cy of foreign language newspapers
would be judged by their past utter.
ances, ard not by newly announced
intentions.
Mr. Burleson said no Socialist paper
would be barred from the mails unless
il contained reasonable or seditious
matter.
THE trouble is" he added, that
most Socialist papers do contain this
matter"