New-York tribune., 1918-12-21
MackayCharges
Rurleson Fears
Public Opinion
Government Cannot Keep
Wires i'm Peace Times.
Postal Head Asserts
Calls Merger ''Outrage''
Attacks Carlton and Vail
for Not Resigning as the
Hea d $ of Companies

Clarence II. Mackay, president of
the Postal Telegraph Comercial Cables,
commenting on the assertion of New
comb Carlton. Federal director of ca
hles. that Postmaster General Burlc-
son does not plan government owner
shin OF cables. but intends to re-
store them to their owners when the
neace treaty is ratified, issued state
nent yesterday in which he charged
that Ny Burleson has had change
Of heart due to public sentiment"
He declared that if Mr.. Burleson
thinks ne can keep the land lines after
peace has been declared, he is mis-
taken. Referring to Mr.. Cartons
statement that Mr.. Burleson will re-
turn the cables with benedlction,
Mr.. Mackay declared that the first
benediction should be to undo the un
speakable outrage OF turning our lines
over to our competitor, the Western
Union
Another benediction, Mr.. Mackay
said should be the revoking of Mr..
Burleson's orders removing Edward
REYNOLDS, general manager of the land
lines OF the Commercial Cable Com
pany; George G. Ward, the general
manager of the ocean lines: w. ".
Cook, the general counsel, and himself
from anv connection with the opera
ton Of the system.
Attacks Carlton and Vail
Nr. Mackay also declared that he be-
Neves Mr.. Carlton should have resigned
his position in the Western Union be-
lore he assumed a position with the
government under Mr. Burleson. He
added that ne also believes Theodore
\. Vail should have resigned his posi-
ton as president OF the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph Company before
becoming Mr.. Burleson's adviser.
Mr.. Carlton. when shown Mr.. Mac
kays statement, said:
"Another one of Mr.. Cooks amusing
statements.'
MIR. Mackay's statement read as fol-
lows
Al last Mr.. Burleson is seeing the
lie.t He says he never intended to
have the government purchase the
cable lines. Why then, may ! ask, did
he seize our ten-thousand mile cable
in the Pacific and our cable from New
York to Cuba, and the cable from New
York to Hayt, and the cables of the
Central and South American Cable
Company from New York through the
lsthmus of Panama down the west
coast of South America and across the
-. 1,,1
Why oh. why? 1t is very clear that
Mr. Burleson has a change of heart
dla to public sentiment.
Ordered to Return Cables
"He says that when the treaty Of
cables Indeed. Congress in its joint
resolution ordered him to return them
at that time. Is it a concession on his
part that he intends to obey Congress
He says nothing, however, about the
land lines Does he think that he can
keep the land lines after peace has
been declared? If so, he is mistaken
again.
"Then we are informed by Mr.. Bur
leson via Mr.. Carlton that he will re-
turn the cables with benediction
The first benediction should be tc
undo the unspeakable outrage of turn
lng our lines over to our competitor
The Western Union. Another benedlc-
ton would be to revoke his orders re-
moving Mr.. Reynolds the general man
sger of our land lines; and Mr.. Ward
the general manager of our ocear
lines; Mr.. Cook, our general counsel
and myself as president. Is he trying
70 break up our organization? If SO
ne will again find himself mistaken
For thirty years we have gone through
storm and tempest on land and ocear
IN giving competitive service. and oul
organization is too closely knit to bt
disturbed by him.
Opposes Unification
ALREADY we have a cable system eX
tending from Havre, France, to Shang
mai, China, two-thrds of the wa.
around the world. If we are left alon
we will do more for American trad
than Mr.. Burleson ever has done O
ever would or could do.
Nov that Mr.. Carlton has appeare'
as the spokesman of Mr.. Burleson, i
seems to us that before he assumed
position with the United States gov
ernment under Mr. Burleson he shoul
nave resigned his position in the West
ern Union Telegraph Company. Ever
minute that he continues in his dua
capacity as an employe of the Post
master General and as president o
the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany, with the right to control and pr
INTO the business policies of his com
petltor, makes his acts antagonlstlc t
the decent instincts of the America
people. This applies with equal fore
to Mr.. Vail, the president of the Amer
lean Telephone and Telegraph Con
pany
mir. Vail, speaking under the no'
de plume of Newcomb Carlton, BRING
cut his same old theory of uniticatio
OF service by the cable. We are OF
posed to unifcation. We always hav
peen and still are IN favor of comps
utlon, and competition we shall cor
ehue to give, notwithstanding the De-
perate efforts of Messrs. Burleson, va
and Carlton to the contrary"
At present, Mr.. Carlton said, abot
~ per cent of the traffic on the A
4anuc consists of the full rate con
iherclal messages. The rate is hight
oh 1he Pacific, he said.
II the government could see its wa
10 consent to the abolition of the eel
sofsnlp and introducing Of the code
as before the war" said Mr.. Garlic
we, we could almost at once relieve TT
saoies of sufficient traffic to do aws
WIN The delay in the cable service"
Iarl X. Gray Resigns From