The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-10
AGREES ID
 VOTE ON MEASURE
 AIMED AT SED|T|0N

Washington, April 9.-An agree
 mont to limit debate on the sedrron
 bill beginning tomorrow was rewm M late today in the senate nfter sncfkT T=s4 dny of bitter discussibn and the ndos,- ton of amendments meeting objection. It was decided to invoke the rule restricting speeches to 10 minutes on the bill and five minutes on amend- ments after o'clock tomorrow. An agreement to fix a definite time for a final vote could not be obtained but administration leaders hoped for passage of the measure late tomorrow or Thursday.
 During the day republican senatorv vigorously assailed George Creel. chairman of the bureau of public in- formation, and Senator Williams of Mississippi, democrat, scored the Sem ate for delay on inc bill.
 Senators Penrose of Pennsylvanin, Johnson of California and sherman of Illinois, republicans. denounced a statement attributed to MT. Greet in q speech yesterday tEat he was glad America was not prepared .n entering the war and that military preparedness was violative of American traditions. Senator Penrose declared he did not see why man like MT. Creel should remain in office e'when he IS smeared ell over with treason" Senator Shcr- man said MT. Creel is pAcifist and that he would criticize anyone making such statements as the "arch enemy Of the republic.' He added that demo- cratic opposition to preparedness was responsible for military conditions when the nation entered the war. Senators advocating modification of l the bill to protect liberty of speeck fer legitimate discussion of public questions succeeded in securing adopt | tion today of an amendment by Senator Knox of Pennsylvania to the clause punishing statements calculated to in cite resistance to "any duly consti- | tuted federal or state authority 1'he amendment would penalize statement. ssintended," to "incite, provoke or en- l courage" resistance tc the United States or promote the cause of its en- eDiies.''
 It was contended that the original 1 language might prevent proper critl- cism of officials.
 A proposal by Senator France Oi Maryland sto limit the prohibition aEalnSt 'ulSlONdi, pIuldHc, SSuITliOuS 1 contemptousr language about the con | stitution. flag. etc, to disloyal utter ances was defeated without a record , vote.
 ! Another amendment by the Maryland l member proposing that the Legislation should not limit individual liberty tr 1 state what is true. with good motive; i and for justifiabIe ends" was tenta- l lively rejected. B to 31i
 Nearly a dozen amendments. includ. I ing several restricting German Ian, l guage publications. are ready for con l s;deration for tomorrow.
 When Senator Penrose made an oo. , lection, which later he withdrew, ts | ths agreement for limited debate to.
 morrow. Senator Williams said the 1 Senate had been talking, fooling 1 splitting hairs. camoufla ging an, l had wasted 4S hours deciding whether 1 the word "intended" should lie athats 1 tuted for the word calculated" in the l piohibitory clauses.
 1 "This august body. which has beer | CT iticizing the executira for ineffi. l ciency." he said, ''has been twee. 1, dle-dumming. tweedle-deeing cahan. l ufiaging and trying to fool one another 1 in the ultimate hope of fooling the l country"
 l Lauding former Senator Root foI runpartisan patriotism. Senator Will l Hams quoted Mir. Roots resent state. ment urging less talk and more prose Cution of the war