The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-05-26
NEW.
CENSOR SECTION
UNDER ATTACK
Revised Draft Has Bitter
Reception in Spite of
Rosy Claims.
CALLED MORE VICIOUS
Denounced by SenatOrJOln-
son as Giving Wilson
Too Much Power.
CALLED MORE VICIOUS

WASHINGTON, May 25,-Agreement be
tween the Senate and House conferee'
on the censorship provisions OF the
espionage bill was reached to-day and al
a result OF their deliberations Senator
Overman, acting for the conferees, made
public the text of the amended section
He expressed, without a serious air o.
conviction. the opinion that all tn
wrinkles had been ironed out and tina
acceptance Of the modified provision
would Immediately attend their presenta
tion for consideration in both houses.
The amended section is as follows:
Section 4. When the United States
Is al war the publishing wilfully OF in
formation with respect to the move
ment, numbers, equipment. description
or disposition OF any Of the armed
forces OF the United States naval or
military operations or with respect to
any of the works intended for the
fortifications or defence of any place.
which informati Is or may be useful
to the enemy. is hereby prohibited Z;
and the President may from time to
time by proclamation declare the
character OF such above described In
formation, which is or may be useful
to the enemy. and in any prosecution
hereunder, the Jury trying the case
shall determine not only whether the
defendant did wilfully publish such in
formation as set out in the indict-
ment. but also whether such informa
- -t.2 Ae. xx-a n
might have been useful to the enemy
provided that nothing In this section
shall be construed to limit or restrict
any discussion. comment or criticism
OF the acts or policies Of the Govern
ment or Its representatives or the
publication of the same.
Whoever violates this section shall
upon conviction thereof be punished by
fine Of not more than $4,000 or BY
imprisonment for not more than hve
years or both.
BaIfOur's Speech RscOrdeS.
The reception accorded the efforts {
the conferees was hardly as cordial 8
Senator Overman and his colleagues ma
have anticipated. Early in the proceed
ings Of the Senate Senator Hitehcoc
Balfour's speech before the Nation
Press Club of Washington in which
paid high tribute to the unfailir
loyalty and patriotic good sense OF Il
American press. The Senate by uar
nous consent admitted the speech
toto IN the record.
After the redrafted censorship secti,
had been circulated through the Sena
and the members had had opportuni
| to review it's provisions Senator job
/ son of California. who is leading {
| fight for the complete elimination OF I
| provision, condemned the revised dra
as worse than any of its predecesso
save one. Senator Johnson said:
THE censorship section agreed up
by the conferees to-day is worse by Il
more drastic. more vicious, more wort
Of condemnation than any other su
gested provision with the single exec
ton of the original censorship secti
F.. introduced with the bill itself
ITS most vicious feature rests in I
use Of the words which information
or may be useful to the enemy II
vicious in permitting by its terms n
man TO make rules and regulations pl
scribing and defining the character
such information rs may or may not
used. The clause making jury trii
necessary Is absolutely meaningle
Under every circumstance in a crimii
trial the Jury would pass on every issu
BILE fact This proposed section adds 2
solutely nothing to existing statute
law. The question OF the appllcati
of martial law is not even mentioned
Under the terms OF this propos
section the power OF the subordina
II Ia ra1 .
point Is absolutely limtless and the
corporations which this subordin
: may place upon information of one g
or another is limited only by the ingeI
ity of the man who writes the rules a
! regulations and then interprets them.
situation In House.
In the House the situation with reg;
: to censorship became somewhat conn
Gated for the reason that Republi,
leaders have not shown the same solid
ity Of opposition to any form of Gems
ship as that displayed in the Senate.
: Republican leaders Of the House
clared that the party would stand so
" against accepting the censorship {
Y tion as prepared by the Senate I
n House conferees. While the party
. adopted a resolution which bound
: membership TO vote for the recommitt
d Of the conference report with instr
y tions to strike out any censorship !
!. vision, this action was taken In ant
= patton of the acceptance by the Ser
q conferees of the Gard or House anne
]. ment.
|, 1t is understood that had the c
4 ferees brought in a modified censor'
section reconcilable with the amendn
offered In the House by Representa-
7. Mccormick Republicans generally We
have accepted II. The section put
d ward now does not. however. conform
the spirit OF the Mccormick amendm
While retaining provision permit
l. the criticism of "acts or policies"
n lihe Government. this concession is
n tiated In their view by the earlier
d hibition against publishing informa
with respect to the equipment OF
s armed forces OF the United States,
s. Criticism In the press might rea
"a turn, 1t is said. to the equipment |
l. In the arming. clothing, feeding or b,
p ing OF troops. and acts Of maladminis
ton might very easily revolve arc
the purchase of supplies.