Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-05-12
UPPER HOUSE REFUSES
TO PUT APPROVAL
ON LAW
HIDE PARTY LINES
MEMBERS VOTE REGARDLESS OF
AFFILIATIONS TO KNOCK OUT
SECTION INTENDED TO MuZzLE
NEWSPAPERS DURING WAR.

Washington. May IS BY vote of
80 to 3S the Senate today agreed to
Senator Hiram Johnson's motion kill
ing the whole censorship section os
the espionage bill.
The defeat CT the censorship pro-
vision ended one of the most Stub
born fights the Senate has seen in
years. The disputed section was
sponsored by the administration and
the president himself endorsed it. II
struck so deeply into the vital rri'
ciple OF free speech and free pres
however, that many of the admin'st
tions staunchest followers refu Cd 20
support it even as war measure. on
the roll call today Senator Msrl.n
the Democratic leader, was arr Dg
those voting to kill the provie o.
Numerous attempts were m9de ~
those in charge of the espiona~e hill
to conciliate the opposition wl'l
amendments modifying the CO
siip section.
The provision was redraf'ed at
least half dozen times. NJ le
than yesterday the adr7irist nfie1
leaders accepted an amendmen M
stantially curtailing The power cYfe
the Press provided in the seetHn
Senator Hiram Johnson new W
elected from California however. took
the position that the Press should be
absolutely uncontrolled even in war
time. In vigorous speech yesterday
afternoon on the Senate floor he made
final plea for tie complete freedom
of press and speech thruout the war
and the tide of sentiment which prio~
TO then seemed to favor modified
censorship seemed 70 turn. The vote
today came few minutes after the
Senate convened. Party lines were
entirely invisible in the roll call.
U. S. To Buy For Allies.
Washington. May l2-The great
est purchasing commission in the his.
tory of the world soon will have its
headquarters here, 1t will purchase
all needed supplies for France, Italy
and Great Britain BY so doing it Is
expected that it will be possible to
eliminate competition and keep
prices below the prohibitive mark A
draft of the proposed agreement which
creates the commission now is in the
hands of Secretary of the Treasury
McAdoo 1t will be taken up with the
British and French missions probably
next week
The allies will expend in this coun.
try all of the mDney that is loaned
them by the United States, 1t will
cooperate with the various depart
ments of the United States so that
there wiz be no interference with
the buying OF supplies. The p'an,
however does not contemplate fix
ing prices. Instead the commission
simply will buy at he market but il
win distribute its orders so that there
viii be no centGng work in one OF
two establishments With all classes
Of manufacturers working at TOP
speed it will be possible to keep ~
uninterrupted supply of munitions
rood and clothing going across tht
ocean.
Another thing that The comm Ssior
win do will be TO turn over to the
United tSates shipping board all Of The
vessels for which the various govern
ments have contracted These YES
sells will be completed by the bQar1
and distributed in line with the gen
eral plan where they are most needed
. The shipping board Is ready as soor
as the money is supplied by Congress
to give orders for standardized stee
and wooden vessels TO every one whl
will agree to build them The boa
will make arrangements to have cor
tain steel plants work only on its or
: dcrs These plants VIII turn ou
| steel in standard shape and that stee
r will be transported 10 cities wher'
T. assembliur plants are to be erected
In The work of turning out this ie9
hundreds of structural iron and stee
WORKERS will lie employed. Ofiic'sh
who have Investigated the sitnati0'
say that thru this means the shor 3H
! in the labor market can be overcoH
because II viii lie an easy task f.
80 these skilled workers to learn hoe
m mt Tho Nn4aels tngether.