OCR Text |
Show WOULD CURTAIL THE POWER PRESIDENT Senator Cummins Introduces Intro-duces Amendment to Administration Ad-ministration Bill. . WASHINGTON, Feb. 16. The senate turned its attention to the international crisis again today, a debate on the administration ad-ministration bill to curtail activity of foreign agents developing many references refer-ences to the situation with Germany, and drawing from Chairman Stone of the foreigu relations committee a bitter denunciation of newspapers which circulate cir-culate false statements in order tb create a sentiment for war. ''There is no shadow of doubt in the mind of any fair-thinking man' said Senator Stone, "that there is a cabal of great newspapers in this country, seeking to create sentiment and coerce the government 'of the United States into an attitude of hostility with one of the belligerent powers. I believe anyone any-one who makes such false statements is a public enemy and that he should be punished." Senator Stone made this statement in discussing a section of the bill, which would make it a crime to willfully or j knowingly under oath make an untrue statement intended to influence the measures or conduct of a foreign government gov-ernment in relation to any dispute or controversy with the United States. He argued that the same punishment should apply to any person, including editors or publishers, who knowingly or willfully will-fully make Buch statements, not under oath. Senator Cummins objected vigorously to the section which would authorize the president to use the army and navy to seize or detain munitions of war or ships carrying them where they are designed de-signed to be used to violate American neutrality. He proposed to amend the provision so that the armed forces could not be used "at a time or in a manner that would make it an act of war." "I am not going to be rushed off my feet by the hysteria that is in the air said the Iowa senator. "I do not for myself want to give the president power to use the armed forces of the United States to capture a ship of a foreign nation under such circumstances as would make it an act of war. " Senator Sutherland and Senator Fall opposed the amendment, the former declaring de-claring it "would be tying the hands of the executive," and citing manv pro- visions of law which he said already gave authority to use the army and navy ; 10 preserve neutrality without such restrictions. re-strictions. Senator Fall said the pro vision without the Cummins amendment was merely designed to fill in a gap in the neutrality laws. Senator Cummins finally withdrew his amendment in order to perfect it. He probably will reintroduce it when the debate is resumed tomorrow. |