Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-05-05
ESPIONAGE PASSES:
MODIFY Censorship
House Puts Through Altered
Administration Measure
by Vote of 200 TO los
JURY TRIAL IS
PROVIDED BY BILL

WASHINGTON, May 5.-The adj
ministration espionage bill was pass
cd by the House last night, 260 TO 105,
with a modified censorship section.
This was after a vote OF 220 to 1877
had been taken against press CEN
sorship OF any kind The vote on the
amendment for a less rigorous cen
sorship than was urged by the ad-
mlnistratiOn was 1856 to 1888.
The modification Of the censorship
section of the espionage bill consists
OF provision for jury trial; the jury
TO determine not only whether the
prohibited matter is published will
| fully, but also whether the informa-
| ton is useful to the enemy. The
administration provision presumed
wilful publication and delegated to
the President the power to decide
whether the matter might be useful
to the enemy. Under the new sec
ton very wide discretion to prohibit
publication OF information would be
/ lodged in the President, who would
/ prohibit publication by proclamation
I Wording Of New Section.
The new section, drafted by Rcprcsen-
tative Gard of Ohio, follows:
] During any national emergency result
1 ion from a war in which the United
States is party. or from imminence OF
such war. the publication, wilfully and
without proper authority, of any inior-
nation relating to the national defense
that is, or may be, useful to the enemy
is hereby prohibited; and the President
is hereby authorized to declare by proc
lamation the existence of such national
emergency and is hereby authorized
from time to time by proclamation to
declare the character of such informa'
ton which is or may be useful TO the
enemy; and in any prosecution here
under the jury trying the case shall de
termine not only whether the defendant
or defendants did wilfully and without
proper authority publish the informa
ton relating TO the national defense al
set out in the indictment. but als'
whether such information was of sucl
character as to be useful to the enemy.
/ Provided that nothing in this section
shall be construed to limit OF restric
any discussion. comment or criticism
upon any fact or any of the acts o.
policies Of the government, or its repre-
sentativcs. or the publishing of tn
same. Whoever violates the foregoing
/ provision shall upon conviction thereo
] he punished by a fine of not more thar
$4,000 or by imprisonment for no
? more than ten years or both.
r Substitute for Export Embargo Clause
BY vote of 40 to 80. in which parti
san lines We're eliminated the SenRt
, substituted the export embargo claus
Of espionage bill suggested by Presiden
, Wilson with one restricting the Presi
7 dents authority TO embargo export
only when American products are reach
I ing the enemy.
The substitute embargo clause reads:
When during the pending war. tn
: President shall find that exports to
particular country are being used, di
. rectly or indirectly, to supply an enem,
country, and shall make proclamation
, thereof it shall be unlawful TO eXpor
any article or articles from the Unite
, States to such country, except and unde
such regulations and orders and subiec
I, to such limitations and exceptions as tn
President shall prescribe, until othervis
. ordered by the President, or by Con
u gress.
An amendment to the new embarg
? section by Senator Fernal Of Main,
} which the Senate adopted 80 TO Il
would authorize the President to pre-
L hibit exports of tinplate or tin contain
; ers whenever the United States is witt
n out an adequate supply Senator Fer
z maid and others have urged tinpat
5 embargo because of alleged shortage an
suspension of canneries.