The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-20
Carries Death Penalty for Es-
piOnage During War.
Contains IA Measures Suggest
ed by Secret Service.
BLOW TO ENEMY PLOTTERS
Gives President Right to Con-
fiscate MunitiOn Ships.
Unlimited Power to Executive
National Defense.

Washington, Feb. 20.-The admin
istration espionage bill providing Sc
we're penalties for spying on matters
of national defense and Furnishing
conspiracies to violate American neu-
trality, was passed today by the sem
ate by a vote of SO to 10.
The bill as passed, takes in fourteen
separate measures suggested by the
department of justice. and was put
thru virtually unchanged despite the
opposition of several senators who de-
clared its terms SO stringent as to
imperil American liberty of speech
and of the press. 1t has not passed
the house.
The spy section is far-reaching in
character making it a crime, punish
able with two years imprisonment or
$4,000 fine to approach or enter any
place connected with the national de-
Tense, to unlawfullys obtain informa-
ton or to make photogra phs, blue
prints, plans, etc, of the things con-
nected with such defense or to dis
pose of a code or signal book or model
or anything else of national defense
values. Where these things are done
for foreign government in time of
peace, Whether recognized or unre-
cogniZed" by the United States the
penalty is increased to twenty years
Imprisonment and in time of war, to
life. Any person who in war time
municated to the enemy "shall col
lect, record, publish or communicate
or attempt to elicit any information
with respect to the movement, num-
bers, etc, of the armed forces of the
United states or its war materials or
its plans of military or naval opera
ton or any other information relat-
ing to the public defense or calculated
to be" shall be punished with death,
or by fine and not more than thirty
years imprisonment
Guards Against Phoney Passports.
rms penalty is reduced to three
years imprisonment where there is no
intent that the information be COM
mun1cated to an enemy, but where 1T
might be useful to such enemy The
president is given arbitrary power to
designate other things and places, in
addition to those specifically named,
which shall be included in the term
national defense.
The bill includes sections making IL
"a crime to make untrue statements
under oath to influence the conduct
OF a foreign government in any dis
pute or controversy with the United
states; to punish the impersonation
of foreign government officials; to
regulate the issuance of passports and
punish their forgery and the conduct
and movements of interned soldiers
or sailors.
Another important section author
ICES the president to seize, detain or
condemn munitions of war and ships
carrying or about to carry them, des-.
tined to an enemy, to a nation with
which the United States is at peace.
and in so doing he is empowered to
use the army and navy.
Regulation of the anchorage and
II ovements of foreign ships in tho
waters of the United States in case
of national emergency is provided IN
another section, with power given 20
place guards on such ships to prevent
damage.
Crime TO Dismantle Ships.
1t is made punishable with two
years Imprisonment for any person
commanding or in charge of any
private, foreign or domestic ship to
destroy or injure it, or to permit 1t
to be used as a place of resort by
conspirators against the United States
or its treaties Or obligations.