The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-14
WIRECONTROL
WINSINSENATE
Measure Goes at Once to the
President, After Final
Vote of 46 to 16.
AMENDMENTS DEFEATED
Seizure Is Expected Soon and
Burleson Has Tentative
Plans Already Made.
AMENDMENTS DEFEATED
Special Despatch TO TIE Sex.

Special Despdfch to THE Sex.
WASHINGTON, July Ls.--Government
control OF the telegraph and telephone
lines of the United States for the period
of the war won its way through the
Senate tonight by the convincing vote
Of 4s to 1s. Early efforts to amend the
joint resolution granting power to the
President to take over the lines were
defeated.
Finding themselves unable to amend
the resolution. those opposed to grant
ing the power unreservedly TO the
President narrowed down finally to 1S
Republicans. This group consistently
opposed to the last the grant to the
Administration In the absence of def
mite information as to the emergency
alleged to exist and to be Of such vital
character as to render Federal control
OF the lines OF electrical communication
mandatory and imperative.
The Senators who stood out to the
last against the resolution were: Sen
stors Borah Udahos.s, Brandegee
tConn.), Fsrnaid tMe.). France lMd.),
Freiinshuysen tN. JD. Hale tMe).
Harding (Ohio). Kellogg tMinn), Nc
Cumber (N. ID. New Und), PEN
rose tPa). Sherman Gll). Smith
(Mich.). Smoot (Utah), Wadsworth
tN. W and Watson Gnd.).
Reed Amendment Beaten.
An effort by Senator Reed (Mo.),
Democrat. to amend the resolution so as
to provide that the rights Of the citizen
to use the wires OF either telephone or
tai 90 a,;s
own as did not Interfere wittr.the trans
mission Of Government messages and also
to insure similar privileges to the news
papers furnished the nearest approach TO
a success which the opponents Of the
unrestricted surrender Of the lines to the
Government could achieve. The Reed
amendment was defeated by the follow
ing vote:
For the Reed amendment:
Democrats: Gore. Hitchcock. Pittman.
Reed. Thomas. Republicans: Borah,
Brandcgee. Curtis. Fernald. France, FIRE.
linghuysen, Hale. Harding. johnson
tCaL) Kellogg. Kenyon. Knox, Len
root. McCumber. New. Morris. Penrose.
Sherman. Smith (Mich.), smoot. ster-
ling. Wadsworth. Watson-2s. Total
IS.
Voting against the amendment
Democrats: Ashurst. Bankhead. Benet,
Fletcher. Henderson, Jones New Mex
ico), Kendrick. Lewis. McKellar. Martin.
Myers, Nugent. Overman. owen, Phelan,
Pomerene. Ransdell Salisbury. Shaf-
roth. Sheppard, Shields, Simmons. Smith
tAriz). Smith (Georg!a). Smith IS. c..
Swanson. Thompson. Trammel, Under
wood. Vardamsn--30. Republicans:
Colt. Jones (Wash), Poindexter-3.
Totals.
Goes mt Once to President.
To-day's action will send the joint res
olution Immediately to President Wilson
for his signature, as there are no diff
ferences between the measure as adopted
by the Senate and that passed by the
House nearly fortnight ago. No con-
ference therefore Is necessary. 1t has
been established that the President has
decided to take control of the lines. al
though possibly emitting some OF them,
and that he will turn their administra-
tion over to Postmaster General Burie-
son.
In fact Mr.. Burleson has already
drawn up a tentative plan for their ad-
ministration. Congress. OF course, will
have to frame legislation to carry out
some OF its provisions, as In the instance
of the railroads.
An amendment offered by Senator
Watson Und.) providing for the exenp7
tion OF the telephone lines of the coun-
try from the operation OF the resolution
was defeated by a vote OF II to 20 and
an amendment designed to insure nom
interference with the press wires from
the same Senator was defeated 80 to 81.
An amendment offered by Senator
Reed tSfissour) providing that nothing
In the resolution should be construed to
infringe In any way on the rights Of in
dividuais In sending telegrams or tele-
phonic messages or should interfere In
any way with the press also was de-
feated. The vote on this amendment
was close. 2S voting for 1t and 80 in
opposition. This vote was almost en-
tire,y along party lines but Ave Demo-
tContfnued on Tenth PdgeD