Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-26
DEATH WARRANT SIGNED |
FOR sED|T|OUs PAPERS
Postmaster-Gcneral Given Almost
Unlimited Powers for Suppression
OF Reasonable Publications.
WILL STRICTLY ENFORCE LAW
House Adopts Trading.With.E Enemy
Act as Passed by Senate, and II
Becomes Effective With Presi-
dents Signature.

WASHINGTON. September 25-Tbe
death warrant OF seditious newspapers
wasksigned to-day. The House nnally
passed the trading with -thc-enemy act.
giving Postmaster-G General Burleson
almost unlimited powers for the sup,
preston of reasonable publications.
81 shall enforce the law" Mr.. Bur.
Lesson said. II shall enforce It SO that
my action will always pass the SCRUTINY
Of court The law commands me IN
root out the reasonable and seditiou.
publications. and they will have to 70.
Under the law any mall clerk or car
rcr who handled such q publication
would be guilty Of crime You can be
sure that ! am going to protect my
employees. No publication that does
not conform with law will be admitted
TO the malls"
When the attention of the Postmas.
tcr-Gencral was called to the wide
measure OF discretion as censor re-
posed in him by the BILL he declared
these great powers would be used with
the greatest discretion.
only the paper that does not COM
ply with the law need have anything
over storm OF protest. the House
adopted the conference report on tho
bill previously passed by the Senate.
II becomes law with the Presidents
signature
Strenuous opposition was raised by
Cooper, OF Wyoming, and others over
making the measure affect all foreign
language papers. instead OF merely
German papers. and permitting II to
include the beaten censorship law of
the original espionage act.
TRANSLATION IN ENGLISH
on EACH ARTICLE REQUIRED
The measure first requires foreign
language papers ~ nle afiidavits with
postmasters in their cities containing
TRANSACTIONS of all articles in any way
mentioning the United States govern
ment, or any OF It's allies In connection
with the war. It then stipulates that
each article shall DO prefaced with
translation into English.
ANY print. newspaper or publica-
ton in any foreign language" the new
measure says. which does not con-
form to the provisions OF this section
is hereby declared nonma liza BILE. and II
shall be unlawful for any person. firm.
port. carry, or otherwise publish. or
distribute the saNe. or to transport.
carry or othcrwise publish or distribute
any matter which lis made nonmailab BILE
by the provisions of the act relating
to espionage. approved June Is. 1917"
Opponents OF these two sections.
adopted by the confcrees made their
fight n parliamentary one. Neither sec
ton was in the bill as II paused tho
House or the Senate originally.
Speaker Clark overruled the points
of order. declaring the subject matter
of tho sections germane to the bill.
and therefore within the Judgment OF
the conferees.
Cooper pointed out emphatlcally
that the Postmaster General. under the
new law. will be virtually Censor of
every spoken word. When II is not
permissible to mail. transport. carry or
otherwise distribute or publish words.
he declared. IT may not be safe TO pub
lish them by word of mouth