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Show fVES PRESIDENT POWER 10 SEIZE ILL Ui SHIPS Sweeping Provisions for Commandeering All Facilities Facil-ities Provided in Proposed Pro-posed Bill. WASHLVGTON, Feb. 7. Sweeping provisions for commandeering vessels and other shipping facilities in case of" war or threatened war are contained in a bill introduced iu both senate and house today and backed by a request f mm the administration that it be pressed to immediate passage, yfc'e president would be authorized- un-the un-the bill to take over "in time of war or any proclaimed national emer-pncv,'; emer-pncv,'; any vessel owned by a citizen of the United States or hv a corporation organized iu the United States; any vessel ves-sel building in the United states"; any vessel registered under the American flag; any vessel purchased, leased or chartered by the federal shipping board, or any other instrumentality of water commerce within the country, including docks, warehouses and other terminal facilities. A x-rovision is attached specifically prohibiting sale of American vessels to foreigners or their transfer to foreign flags in time of emergency. Under the present law the president may lay such a prohibition by proclamation, and a proclamation declaring it effective in the present emergency already has been issued is-sued by President Wilson. President Approves. The bill, designed to place the United States on a par with European nations in the control of its shipping facilities in time of stress, was drawn up after a conference last night between Secretary Secre-tary MnAdoo, Chairman Denman of the shipping board and members of congress. con-gress. Today it was given approval by President Wilson and the full membership member-ship of the board. It was presented in congress by Senator Fletcher, chairman of tlie senate commerce committee, and Representative Alexander, chairman of the house merchant marine committee. A feature to which officials attach particular par-ticular significance is a. provision that the property to be taken over mav be seized without notice if the president believes be-lieves the emergency warrants it, though the federal government "thereafter shall p-y the person interested the fair equal value of the property so taken, to be determined de-termined by appraisers, one appointed by thf board, one by the person interested ari the third by the two so appointed, finJing of such appraisers to be final yaud binding upon both parties." Ready for Emergency Knr the purposes of the act it is pro-Wl pro-Wl that any shipping concern, a nm-jo nm-jo of whuse stock is held or controlled by American citizens, shall be classed as an American concern. In the joint statement tonight outlining" the purposes of the bill Senator Fletcher ami Representative Alexander declared it essential that such powers "be possessed by the government prior to the opening of hostilities and even when, as now, there is great doubt as to the possibility of hostilities, in order tha t the na tion may be ready for any emergency arising out of any -serious international situation, even though the chances of a peaceful situation outweigh those of a more serious outcome." Government Absolute. Tho statement continues: The bill provides that the government govern-ment may instanter appropriate to itself any form of shipping property, whether the whole or a part of the vpsse!, whether for an absolute or a limited period, and for the taking of such chartered interests as the government gov-ernment may require, where It desires de-sires the owner of the vessel to remain re-main in possession and operate her. The fact tiiat the property is to be first taken to meet the nation's requirements re-quirements in an emergency and the arbitration is to come afterward under un-der a prompt deliberative process will free the government from the misfortunes misfor-tunes of the hasty purchases of the Spanish -American war. During the day a bill which might clear up some of the uncertainties regarding tiie status of war-bound vessels In Aineri-. tan ports was favorably reported by the bouse judiciary commission. It would regulate the conduct of vessels in United States ports and waters and empower the president to put guards on them or lake possession of them and remove their of lice rs and crew, in the event of v;ir or threatened war. It prohibits use of any xivat t, foreign or domestic, as a resort for conspirators against the United States, under penalty of forfeiture of the vessel and a maximum penalty of $10,000 line, two years' Imprisonment, or both, lor its officers if they knowingly permit such use. |