The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-12
KEEPING NEWS CLEAN
President Would Restrict Re-
ports Of Thaw Case.
WANTS CORTELYoU TO ACT
Addresses Letter 10 Postmaster Cen
eraI, Asking Him TO Find Out IL
Question Referred to Attorneys for
the Department-Text of the Lew.

President Roosevelt yesterday ad-
dressed d communication to Postmaster
General Cortelyou asking the latter If it
were possible 10 exclude from the mails
newspapers which are printing the more
disgusting details" of the testimony in
the Thaw trial. now in progress in New
York II the law will permit the exclu-
sion Of such publications from the mails
tho President wants such power invoked.
and without delay. Postmaster General
Cortelyou has taken the suggestion Of the
President under advisement His deci-
sion IN the matter is expected TO ne made
public In day or So The law ofieer of
the department. VIII he asked 10 pass up
on the question thus presented BY Mr
Roosevelt. and in ali probability Attorney
General Bonaparte will be consulted by
the Postmaster General
The thought 70 which President Roose-
welt has given public expression has been
in the minds Of many officials. although
il was known by no one, not even by the
Postmaster General. so far as can be
learned. that the President contemplated
the step taken
Would bar Such Papers.
The President is very much exercised
over the publication of the details or
Evelyn Nesbit Thaw's testimony. and he
feels that IL it is possible 10 do so
published accounts of her story and 9th
ers that may follow should be kept from
the public He would deny publications
that print the disgusting details" the
right 10 use the mails The statement
issued in this connection at the White
House was brief. II is as follows:
The President has communicated with
Postmaster General Cortelyou TO know
whether il is feasible 10 bar from the
mails the papers giving the full disgusting
particulars Of the Thaw case. He does not
know whether it is feasible but If it is he
wishes il done
Postmaster General Cortelyou refused to
discuss the case with visitors to the de-
paTtment. and late in the afternoon be
sent out word that IL would be Impossible
for him TO receive callers. Other depart
ment officials while refusing to be quoted
for publication, seemed TO be divided on
the question as TO the authority Of the
Postmaster General in the premises. For
the benefit Of those interested. copies of
the law aimed at matter going through
the mails were prepared, and handed out
10 all who called to talk about the case
Text of the Law.
The law reads as follows:
"AH matter. otherwise maiiable by law.
upon the envelope or outside cover or
wrapper Of which, or any postal card upon
which. any delineations, eplthets. terms,
or language of an Objectionable. libeIous.
scuriIlous, defamatory, or threatening
character. or calculated by the terms or
manner or style Of display. and obviously
intended 20 reflect injuTiOusly upon the
character OF conduct of another may be
written or printed, or otherwise impressed
or apparent. are hereby declared nonmail-
able matter. and shall net be conveyed in
the mails. or delivered from any post-of-
fee. nor by any letter carrier, and shall be
withdrawn from the mails under such reg
ulations as the Postmaster General may
prescribe; and any person who shall
knowingly deposit or cause TO be de-
posted for mailing or delivery. any
thing declared by this section 10 be nom
mailable matter. and any person who shall
take the same or cause the same 10 be
taken from the mails, for the purpose Of
circulating or dispOsing Of or of aiding in
the circulation Of the same. shall for each
and every offense. upon conviction thereof,
be fined not more than S5.o0o. or i'm
prisoned at hard labor not more than FIVE
years or both, at the discretion of the
court"
No other Statement.
No other statement than the brief sum
mary of President Roosevelts note to
Postmaster General Cortelyou could be
obtained at the White House or the Post
Office Department. but a confidant of the
President said that Mr.. Roosevelt had
been moved to act in the matter partly
through reading of the discussion in the
Canadian Parliament over the proposal
to debar from the Dominion mails news
papers which printed the full details of
Evelyn Thaw's testimony.
II was said also that an editorial from
a Massachusetts, newspaper protesting
against the publication of all the testi-
mony Of Mrs. Thaw had been sent to the
President and read by him, and that
many people and organizations had asked
him to take some action against certain
newspapers; but most of these communi-
cations had been received after he had
written TO the Postmaster GeQseaA