New-York tribune., 1918-01-16
They Refuse to Give Ad-
ministration Control of
Newsprint
Knox Calls Measure
Vicious in Intent
Proposal to Let u. S. Say
What Is "Proper" Is
Defeated
staff Correspo1ldeuceI

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.-Aftcr SEN
ators had denounced it as an effort to
impose censorship on the American
press the resolution providing for alb
solute control of print paper by the
Federal Trade Commission was defeat
ed by a vote of 36 to 3d.
The great reason for the BILL Senator
Knox, of Pennsylvania, pointed out,
was "vicious." This reason WIS chat
proper news shall be properly and gen.
orally distributed"
Senator Knox waved aside tha other
stated purpose. the necessity for the
supply to the government Of print pa
per. as "triling." Thus, Mr.. Knox
waves aside t,.c official bulletin and
half a dozen other publications the
Administration is putting out.
Whllc many Senators discussed the
"holc question most seriously, there
vas much lcvlty i'll the consideration
OF the measure. For instance, Senator
Jones, of Washington. proposed that
no newspaper, after thirty days. should
be allowed to print more than sixteen
pages of the size it ordinarily printed
ms amendment. which would have
ieglslated the Sunday newspaper out
or existence, so far as its present form
is concerned. and would have seriously
Ieouced many daily papers. was actual
~ adopted without discussion by the
Senate. Later a record vote was had
ana 1T was Defeated 50 to 4.
Smith Changes His Vote
Senator Smith of Georgia, who has
first voted for this amendment and
then, remarklng that he WIS not taking
'he matter very seriously, changed his
vote. Inc Senators who own uewsna-
pers or magazines practically all vol o..
against the bill
Senator Hitchcock, who owns two
large newspapers i'll Omaha, Neb.. and
mienl pe expected to favor any meas
uie "hlch would result. in producing a
pet'er dlstrlbution of white paper led
me night against the bill on Tho
Democratic side. Senator Hardinm of
ONO, another newspaper owner rntod
against it. ''Vi' Eo'eu
Many acrimonious little Gphts ON
,@mendments developed. Senator Rood
rad one amendment which included y
penalty Of mot less than S15O.O00 - hut
thls was voted down after a sharn al
.ercatlon between Senators Reed and
.i"l o!ultN, author Of the reso1ntior
itself, ny majority of only one vote.
senator n att@GhioT Noor s.;a the R RF9posa today,
1T IS never enough that the arpu.
ment shall be closed Whenever we are
told that the Administration desires
TINS blll unless we propose to play tho
,gnohle part that the poet spoke of
ZONE, "A Cesar with the Senate at his
Purpose May Be Vicious
"Ihls measure to me is incomnrc-
hensible: 1t is unscicntific in construc-
ton. and if its purpose is to be judged
by its possibilities it is vicious in pur
pose. The one great reason recited in
the preamble, the one reason that is
tangible, is that proper news shall be
properly and generally distributed.
"lf any institution has shown greater
loyalty or more self sacrifice than the
press | know not what it is. and it
is rather significant that as the news
papers themselves begin to understand
the vicious principle in this bill the
more they are disposed to ask US to
Withhold this grant Of power"