New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-26
Though Originally Aimed
Only at Foreign.Language
Papers, 1t Includes Every
thing That Is Printed
Unmailable Matter
Barred Everywhere
The Same Measure Provides
Also for Unlimited Censor
ship of Mails, Cables and
Telegraph Messages
tsa~ Corrspc 7deucel

t5laT 'ofNsp, 1nehcrJ
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25.--The
House passed the trading with the
eLemy bill, with its censorship pro-
visions, to-day, and the President is ex-
pected to sign it bright and early to-
morrow morning. Thus will be accom-
plished the last act necessary for the
formal installation of the Postmaster
General as controller In chief Of the
press OF the United States.
Postmaster Burleson will use to the
fullest extent all powers with which
the new act endows him. He an
nounced to-day that he would enforce
strictly those provisions which empower
him TO bar from the mails all seditious
foreign language newspapers and all
mail addressed to Mexico.
There was an attempt made in the
House to prevent the passage Of the
bill, as there was in the Senate yester-
day, but, as in the Senate, the tracks
had been we'll CREASED in the House and
the large and active lobby against the
measure met with disappointment. The
lobby was not in working order yes
terday when the bill was before the
Senate. 1t had been taken by surprise
by the excellent strategy o; the gov
ernment and awoke to what was going
on only when it was too late 70 achieve
any results.
u was very busy last night and this
morning, however, working with men,
bers Of the lower House, and new
plan of campaign was figured out. In
the Senate the objections TO the bill
were on account of the power it gave
the Postmaster General to suppress any
newspaper and put it out Of business
by simple routine departmental order
withdrawing the second class mail privi-
leges. When the House took the ques-
tion up to-day the fight was made on
technical grounds of parliamentary
procedure.
A Futile Resistance
Meyer London made a point Of order
that the conferrees had exceeded their
power in adding the censorship meas
urc as an amendment to the trading
with the enemy bill and the fight was
long drawn out. Representatives Stat
ford and Cooper, of Wisconsin, and
Mondell, of Wyoming, helped London
to keep the talk going for two hours.
At the end of that time Speaker Clark
argued forcefully his right to throw
out the conference report, il he felt
like it, and the lobby was very hopeful.
But the Speaker then announced that
he would overrule the point of order
and Immediately put the bill to a vote.
1t was passed without a ro!lcall. with
not more than half dozen dissenting
voices.
Over All Commu mic ations
Both the censorships provisions Of
the trading with the enemy bill were
added as amendments by the confer
rees. They are very drastic. The first
one relates 10 cable and mail commu-
nication with foreign countries. 1t fol-
lows:
"Whenever, during the war, the
President shall deem that the public
safety demands it, ne may cause TO
be censored, under such rules and
regulations as ne may from time to
time establish, communications by
mail, cable, radio Or other means OF
transmission passing between the
United States and any foreign coun-
try he may from time to time specify
or which may be carried By any ves-
sci or other means Of trsnsporta-
tion touching at any port, place or
territory Of the United States and
bound to or from any foreign coun-
try. Any persons who wilfully
evades or attempts 20 eyade the sub
mission Of any such communication
to such censorship, or wilfully uses
or attempts 20 use any code or other
device for the purpose OF concealing
from such censorship the intended
meaning of such communication shall!
be punished as provided in Section
16 of this act"
Cover all the Press
The second amendment was intended
TO give the government control OF the
disloyal and seditious publications in
this country and is very drastic In It's
provisions. 1t is, in part, as follows:
THAT ten days after the approval
of this act and until the end OF the
war il shall be unlawful for any per-
son, firm, corporation or association
to print. publish or circulate, or
cause % be printed. published or cir
culated, in any foreign language, any
news item, editorial or other printed
matter, respecting the government OF
the United States or OF any nation
engaged in the present war, its poli-
cies, international relations, the state
or conduct of the war, or any matter
relating thereto: Provided, that this
section shall not apply TO any print,