The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-05-05
ESPIONAGE BILL MODIFIED
Administration Lost in Fight Over
Censorship Provision.

Washington, May 1.-The espion
age bill was passed by the house latC
today with modified censorship pro
vision, after administration leaders
had lost an insistent fight for reten-
tion of the original section, aimed al
the publication of news of value to
the enemy The final vote was 260 to
105
Consideration of a similar measure
continued in the senate during the
day, and there, too, the administration
suffered defeat. An export embargo
amendment, about which the fight in
the senate has centered, was modified
so as to substitute for the general au-
thority proposed a provision to en-
power the President to restrict ex-
ports in specific cases when American
goods are reaching the enemy.
In the house the entire administra-
tion censorship section was rejected
by vote of 220 TO 167, despite pleas
of Representative Webb, chairman Of
the judiciary committee, that Presi-
dent Wilson had sent him word that
the authority sought was absolutely
necessary" Later new section,
drawn by Representative Gard of
Ohio, was adopted, 1870 to 1855. 1t
would permit the President to pro
hibit publication of news regarding
the national defense, but would pro
vide specifically for a jury trial for
offenders and made conviction de-
pendent upon proof that matter pub
lished was of character useful to an
enemy.
Representative Graham of Pennsyl-
vania. and others, charged that trick
cry had been practiced because the
Gard amendment was offered and
voted upon after some members
opposed to any sort of censorship had
left the house with the understanding
that there would be no further voting
on the section. They were threaten
ing tonight to carry their fight to a
conference, if possible.
The new section, drafted by Gard is
as follows:
During any national emergency
resulting from a war in which the
United States is party or from
imminence of such war, the publi-
cation wilfully and without proper
authority, of any information re-
lating to the national defense that
is or may be useful to the enemy,
is hereby prohibited; and the Presi-
dent is hereby authorized to de-
clare by proclamation the existence
of such national emergency, and Is
hereby authorized from time to
time by proclamation to declare the
character of such information which
may be useful to the enemy; and in
any prosecution, hereunder the jury
trying the case shall determine not
only whether the defendant or defen-
dants did wilfully and without proper
publish the information re-
lating to the national defense, as set
out in the indictment, but also wheth-
er such information was of such
character as to be useful to the
enemy. Provided: That nothing in
this section shall be construed to limit
or restrict any discussion, comment or
criticism upon any fact or any OF
the acts or policies of the govern
ment or its representatives,, or the
publishing of the same. Whoever
violates the foregoing provision shall,
upon conviction thereof. be punished
by a fine of not more than $4,000 or
by Imprisonment for not more than
ten years or both
That the bill will not be finally dis
posed of in the senate before next
week was announced just before ad-
journment tonight by Senator Over
man.
Tomorrow the senate will consider
the mail censorship section and an
other vote will be had, probably next
week, on the press censorship pro-
vision, tentatively approved