The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-05-10
CENSORSHIP MODIFIED.
Lower Body Passes Bill With Altered
Censorship.

Washington. May 4.-The esplon-
age bill was passed by the house late
today with modified censorship pro-
vision. after administration leaders
had lost an insistent fight for reten-
ton of the original section aimed at
the publication OF news OF value 10
the enemy. The final vote was 26o
to 105
Consideration of similar meas
ure continued in the senate during
the day, and there. too, the admins
tration suffered a defeat. An export
embargo amendment. about which
the fight in the senate has centered,
was modified so as to substitute for
the general authority proposed IN
provision, to empower the president
to restrict exports in specific cases
when American goods are reaching
the enemy.
Rejected in House.
In the house the entire admins
tration censorship section was reject
ed by a vote of 220 to 167, despite
pleas of Representative Webb, chair
man of the judiciary committee, that
President Wilson had sent him word
that the authority sought was ao-
solutely necessary Later new
section, drawn by Representative
Gard. of Ohio, was adopted. 100 to
1S5. 1t would permit the president
to- prohibit publication of news re-
garding the national defense, but
would provide specifically for jury
trial for offenders and make convlc-
ton dependent upon proof that mat
ter published was of character USE
full to an enemy.
Allege Trickery.
Representative Graham, OF Penn
sylvania, and others, charged that
trickery had been practiced because
the Gard amendment was offered and
voted upon after some members op-
posed to any sort of censorship had
left the house with the understand
ing that there would be no further
voting on the section. They were
threatening tonight to carry their
fight to conference if possible. The
new section. drafted by Representa-
tive Gard, follows:
The New Section.
During any national emergency
resulting from war in which the
United States is party or from i'm
minence of such war, the publication,
wilfully and without proper authori-
ty, of any information relating to the
national defense that is, or may be
useful to the enemy, is hereby pro-
hibited, and the president is hereby
authorized to declare by .proclama-
ton the existence of such national
emergency and is hereby authorized
from time to time by proclamation
to declare the character of such in
formation which is or may be useful
to the enemy; and in any prosecu-
tion hereunder the jury trying the
case shall determine not only wheth-
er the defendant or defendants did
wilfully and without proper authority
publish that information relating to
the national defense as set out in the
Indictment, but also whether such
information was of such character as
to be useful to the enemy. Provid-
ed: That nothing in this section
shall be construed to limit or restrict
any discussion, comment, or criti-
.cism upon any fact or any of the acts
or policies of the government, or its
representatives, or the publishing of
the same. Whoever violates the fore
going provisions shall, upon convic-
tion thereof, be punished by a fine
of not more than $4,000 or by i'm
prisonment for not more than ten
years, or both"