The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-04-19
SUPERVISION Of
TRAVEL PLANNED.
BY GOVERNMENT
Legislation Is Pending To
Thwart Operations Of
Spies And Safeguard The
Nation.
CONSIDERED IMPERATIVE

WASHlNGION, April li--SuperNI
sion of travel OF American citizens SO
as to guard tho country against op'
crations of spies and other enemy
agents is TO be provided under the
broad powers conferred by bill pend
ing in the House, with the admins
tration and the foreign affairs com
mittec as its sponsors. 1t IL intend
cd TO give necessary supplemental
authority to the government to watch
It's borders and act quickly where pres
ent laws are inadequate and to fol
low, in principle, at least the precau
tions taken by the warning govern
ments of Europe
Need of the legislation Is consider
ed pressing Recently there have been
numerous suspicious departures for
Cuba which II was impossible for this
government to prevent. Other indiyid.
ual cases Of entry and departure at
various points have excited the great
't'' hlhi''Ss pul NI'uhllIg " wv
according to tho government in re-
spect to the Mexican border, passage
across which cannot legally be re-
strictcd for many types of persons
reasonably suspected Of aiding Ger
many's purposes. The bill will be
urged in both houses as an cmergcn.
cy war measure II Is intended to
stop what Chairman Flood of the
House foreign affairs committee, calls
IAN important gap in the war legis.
lation of the United States.
AS soon as this country entered the
war the President provided by pro-
clamation, that German alien enemies
might not enter or leave the United
States without securing permission
When war was declared against Aus
tria-Hungary similar regulations were
promulgated concerning AustroHun-
garian alien enemies.
DANGER WITHIN
This measure of limitation Of for
cign travel was far from sufficient" "
the House foreign affairs committee
reports. "1hc Trading with the Enc
my Act leaves American citizens and
neutrals perfectly free TO come and
go. No argument is necessary to in.
dicatc the probability that Germany
will, wherever possible, employ rene
gadc Americans or ncutrals as her
agents instead of employing Germans
about whom suspicion would easily be
excited. The danger of the transfer.
encc Of important military informa-
tion causes the government great an
xiety, particularly as the Attorney
General has ruled that neither the
President nor the executive depart
mcnts have power TO curb the general
departure and entry of travellers.
New legislation is the only remedy.
In his address to Congress ON Deccm.
ber 4, 1917, The President emphasized
the necessity Of creating very dctin-
't' anu pdit'uIdi 'ontIOl OVER t0e GU
trance and departure OF all persons
into and from the United States. The
Department of Justice drafted the bin
now under discussion. II was intro.
duced In Congress on February 2G.
leiS."
Citizens need not secure such per.
mits as are required OF aliens. but
must bear valid passport Passports
/ will continue to be issued as AT pres
eut 10y the Department of State. and
there iB no reason TO believe. accord
ing Ia the trainers of the bill. that
any American citizen will be mduly
Inconvenience by these restrictions.
While the power vested In the Presi
dent is broad and comprehensive. the
bill defines all the infringemenis of IL,
terms which may be criminal. The
bin places maximum limit beyond
which Us penal provisions may not
be carried and requires that all rules
regulations, and orders shall he rea
SOuable
N" one" says Mr. Flood. Can fore
see the different means which may b,
adopted by hostile nations TO secure
military Information or spread propa
ganda and discomfort. It Is obviously
impracticahlc 10 appeal To Congress
for further legislation in each new
emergency. Swift executive action /,
the only effective counter stroke"
-Fa a--
The following proprietors Ui Ia,
barber shons have aPreed in rIns,