New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-14
100 Amendments SO Far
Accepted Only Slightly
Soften Measure
Its Text Is Withheld
Press To Be Muzzled it Act
as Now Drafted Is
Adopted


Washington, April l3.-Thc so-caiIco
espionage bill, passage Of which Is de-
nandcd by officials Of the Adminlstra-
ton. is declared by competent aulhol-
itv in the Senate to be the most drastic
LEGISLATION ever attempted in the United
States. It goes far beyond the terms
Of the alien and sedition laws which
broke the back Of the old Federal party.
This bill will be discussed IN the
Senate next week. There will be
eobt against it. There is hope OF
forcing modification Of some OF its
most drastic clauses if the attention
Of the public can be turned toward the
measure.
The Senate judiciary Committee
with scanty attendance, voted TO report
the bill to the Senate on Monday Az
the meeting to-day it was declared 'hS'
more than one hundred minor amend
ments had been agreed 70, but the gem
eral effect Of the measure IS only siigh'.
.ly softened Senator Cummins' o.
Iowa. led the fight in the committee
to-day. and secured many of the amend
ne,ts but he is so far from satlsied
with the result that he declared ne
would fight the measure on the moor
Bv order Of the chairman Of the COM
mittee. Senator Culberson, Of Texas IL
was not possible to obtain the revised
text Of the bill as agreed upon by tne
committee. Even members Of the com
mittee. VINO had rot been present dur
inc the discussion, were unable to Oh
tain copies. Such star-chamber pro-
ceedings are most unusual. AZ the
committee rooms it was stated that
by order Of the chairman the teXt OIL
the bill would not be made public until
Monday, when the bill is formally re-
ported 20 the Senate.
Mails To Be Censored
new section was added to the bll!
which would permit the Postmaster
General to bar from the mails almost
ANYTHING he mi ght deem to be oblec'
tionable. An amendment to this was
obtained by Mr.. Cummins giving any
one aggrieyed under the Postmaster
Generals decisions the right to an APP
peal 10 the courts.
The most sweeping section of the
hIl il entitled Subsection { Of Secs
ton Two" \ lawyer stated today ar
ter careful! study Of the language OF
.he measure. that this section would
mt muzzle On the American press the
like Of which never has been endured
IN this country, and further would
make a criminal Of citizen who WIN
ont evil intent asked the most innocent
NJ questions Of any government or
military officials. For example. II
would be forbidden TO criticise, under
tho terms OF this section, such scan
dial as the embalmed beef episode OF
the Spanish War. Or it would be I'M
possible 10 comment on the fact that
American ships of war or armed mer-
chartmen would be sent TO sea armed
with shells which would not explode.
Text of Subsection
The text Of subsection c Of Section
Two" against which big fight VIII
rage in the Senate, is as follows;
whoever in time of war. in viola
ton OF the regulations by the Presi-
dent. which he is hereby authorized to
make and promulgate. shall collect,
record, publish or communicate or at
tempt to elicit any information with
respect to the movement, numbers, de-
scription. condition or disposition OF
arv of the armed forces, ships, air
craft or war materials OF the United
States or with respect to the plans or
conduct or the supposed plans or CON
duct of any naval o. military opera
tions, or with respect TO any works or