The sun., 1918-07-24
J., S. TO TAKE
OVER ALL WIRE
LINES JULY 81
Control Given BurlcsOn of
28.00O,0OO Miles of Tele-
graph and Telephone.
THREE MEN TO ASSIST
Local Arrangements Will Re-
main Unchangcd-Cables to
BE Taken Later.
.Speciai Despafch TO TpE Sun.

WASHINGTON, July 23--President Will
son issued proclamation to-day taking
over for operation during the period of
the war the $4,000, 900 miles Of telephone
and telegraph wires In the United States.
In the proclamation. issued under au-
thority granted by Congress. control and
operation IL vested In Postmaster-ien.
eral Burleson. The wire lines will be
taken over at midnight July 81.
Though full authority was given by
Congress for taking over the. cables.
radio system and all other means of
communication. including the foreign
lines touching our shores. only the do
nestle telephone and telegraph lines were
included in the proclamation. 1t Is un-
dcrstood the President will take control
Of the cable lines as soon as all legal
and other difficulties are cleared away.
Immediately after the issuance OF the
Presidents proclamation to-day Post
master-General Burleson issued a state
ment in which he declared that the pres
ent management and operation would
not be interfered with except to bring
Improvements that would result from
unified control.
The Postmaster-General personally
will direct the wire service of the coun-
try. His first official action as Director
General Of Wire Service was to issue
general order No. l appointing three
Maryianders as a committee to Join with
him in the exercise of wire control.
They are John c. Rooms, Assistant
Postmaster-Gereral, who was largely in
strumental in organization Of the parcel
post system; David ]. Lewis Of Mary
land. former Democratic Congressman,
who fathered parcel post legislation and
q % vi
a member of the Tariff Commission, and
Judge William Harmony Lamar, Solicit
tor for the Post ONCE Department. Mr..
Burleson will be chairman OF the COM
mttee.
Each member of the committee with
Mr.. Burleson will head a division. Mr..
Burleson stated that while the COM
mittee would have charge of the Gov
eTnmental management operation and
control of the telephone and telegraph
systems, yet it would be necessary to
divide Its work to a certain extent and
that Mr.. Rooms and the Postmaster-Gen-
eral would have charge OF the adm!a
istration and organization of the SER
wee, Mr.. Lewis and the Postmaster
General Of its operation and Mr.. Lamar
and the Postmaster-General Of its
finances"
The members of the committee who
are all in the Federal service, will no.
resign their present positions to give
'helr time to wire control. The wire adj
mln!stration organization will be similar
IN organization and Operation to that
OF the railways. Its offices will be in the
Post Office Department Building here.
The President's ProcIa mn tion.
The Presidents proclamation follows
closely the form of the proclamation
taking over tie railroads and the adj
mlnistrative organization will be super-
imposed upon the present wire COM
panies.
The proclamation follows:
w hereas 1t Is deemed necessary for
the national security and defence to
supervise and to take possession and
assume control of all telegraph and
telephone systems and to operate the
same in such manner as may be need
tul or desirable
Now. therefore, I. Woodrow Wilson
President of the United States. under
and by virtue of the powers vested IN
me by the foregoing resolution. and by
virtue of all other powers thereto me
enabling. do hereby take possession and
assume control and supervision of each
nd every telegraph and telephone sys-
lem, and every part thereof, within the
jurisdiction OF the United States, in
Guiding all equipment thereof and APP
'Lrtenanccs thereto. whatsoever, and all
materials and supplies.
1T is hereby directed that the super
vision, possession. control and operation
NJ such telegraph and telephone sys-
TENS hereby by me undertaken shall be
exercised by and through the Post
master General. Albert S. Burleson.
said Postmaster-General may perform
We duties hereby and hereunder i'm
losed upon him, SO long and to such
extent and in such manner as he shall
6etermlne, through the owners. man
ayers boards OF directors. receivers,
'fiicers and employees of such telegraph
and telephone systems.
Until and except so far as said
Fostmaster General shall from time to
inc by general or special orders other
wise provide. the owners, managers.
H1ards of directors, receivers. officers
and employees of the various telegraph
nd telephone systems shall continue
re operation thereof in the usual and
ordinary course OF the business of said
s"Stens, in the names of their re-
'psoiivc companies, associations, organ
2atonS, owners, or managers, as the
..se may be
Regular dividends hitherto declared.
md maturing interest upon bonds, de-
aHtures and other obligations, may be
aid in due course and such regular
dividends and interest may continue TO
~ until and unless the said Postmaster
General shall, from time to time, other.
wise by general or special orders de-
'rrnlne and. subject to the APPROVAL
o. said Postmaster-General, the various
telegraph and telephone systems may
neiermine upon and arrange for the re-
.swal and extension of maturing OBJ
.gat,ons,"
Mr.. Burleson made 1t plain, however.
'lai there will be no situation respect
Hg the small telephone companies, par
tcalarly the so called farmers lines. as
there was with regard to the short line
railroads, some of which were kept under
Government control and some Of which
we're placed outside. All wire lines are
definitely taken over. The Postmaster
General said that operation and control
o: tn. farmers lines will be interfered
With oAly for the purpose of facilitating
heir connections with the longer lines.
Under Government control all indie
n-ndent companies are to be part of one
great system and they will all be con-
'"c'ed, so that every telephone sub
''r.her Will have at least a possibility
~ CONNECTION with any other telephone
n the United States.
1T will be the purpose OF the depart
"ent' Mr. Burleson said. ito broaden
ne use Of the service at the least cost
- ne people, keeping in mind that a
'sl standard OF efficiency must be main
,a.ncd"
IN" Post Office Department Is pre-
RE! % proceed slowly In exercise OF
b. lie" powers. and 1t was made plain
MI ~ lLL1notlnna nf my Or rafno u hn