The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-05-08
Where Censorship Is Needed

Where Censorship Is Needed
The Senate yesterday in executive
session debated the question Of
granting the President power to de-
clare an embargo on any articles
produced in the United States and
exported to any other country, by
due proclamation. The need for an
executive session was manifest as
the question was one relating to
rather delicate matters Of interna-
tional import. The reason for the
adoption Of the embargo measure
was equally obvious, namely, that
certain neutral nations are supply
ing Germany, our enemy, with pro-
visions and materials for munitions
Of war, and supplying the place Of
these, so far as they are needed by
their own people, with articles ex-
ported from the United States. After
nearly five hours Of debate, the doors
were opened, whereupon Senator
Townshend Of Michigan proceeded to
open his mouth as follows:
Ny understanding now is that
this section may be
used for the purpose of coercing
neutral nations into q participa-
tion in this wEr. You do
not propose that any other ma
tion that we are strong enough
TO coerce shall remain neutral
we claim the right to
force all other nations into war
and compel them to abandon their
neutrality against their will I'M
der the possible pains OF starva-
ton inflicted upon them by our
boasted Christian government
It would be easy to point out the
fallacy Of the learned Senator's con-
tention. Any nation, without aban-
don:ng its neutrality, has the right
to put an embargo on its own prod
ucts. Certain nations which. have
heretofore profted by the neutrality
Of the United States and its right to
ship noneontraband articles, evidently
desire to continue the policy Of ship
ring their own products to Germany
while using our products for them
selves. They can stop this If they
viii. What we wished to point out
is the mischievous nature Of the
Senator's revelations in open ses-
sion. The whole matter is one TO be
handled by diplomatic negotiations,
and any American who wishes the
United States and not Germany to
win the war ought to know where
he stands on such an issue.
Senator Cummins evidently SYM
pathized with Senator Townshend, in
contributing this gem Of thought to
the open debate:
Suppose It were suggested now
that, in order to fight the war sue
cessfuIly, the United States
should use its submarines against
neutral shipping in the same way
that Germany used her CUB
marines, would the Senator from
Michigan think that the United
States ought to use that weapon
in that way to win7
As we do not recollect any word
of denunciation from either Senator
Of German submarine methods
doubtless for local and personal rea.
sons, the enormity of. this sugges,
ton probably did not appeal to theil
minds. The Senators think rathe,
poorly of the Administration, nc
doubt, but they should not think in
such humiliating terms Of their coun.
try.
The Times suggests that in the
coming debate on the censorship sec,
ton, the Senate gravely consider the
proposition that while the news.
papers have almost universally OBJ.
served without compulsion the prin.
ciple of refusing to publish any
thing that would be of aid and com.
fort to the enemy. members Of Con-
gress need to restrain themselves in
like manner. We can conceive OF
nothing more detrimental to the
United States or more helpful to
Germany than the suggestion that
this country is trying TO coerce neu-
trail nations to abandon their neu-
trality and that it might even IN
dertake to sink their ships in the
approved Prussian manner.