The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-02-21

Being from Alabama, Senator Os-
car ". Underwood is a Democrat,
of course, and by the same rule an
Administration Democrat, a strong
supporter of the President. This
left no room for surprise when he
supported the Administrators poll
! cies of railroad possession and con-
troll in the Senate yesterday. But
the amount Of inside information on
the existing situation he managed
to divulge to outsiders without i'm
pairing his own party standing or
his devotion to the Administration
was surprising.
Before the Senate Committee on
Interstate Commerce, of which SEN
ator Underwood is a member, Judge
Thorn, on behalf Of the great trunk
lines, drew a graphic picture Of
their helplessness as they had laid
on them the omnipotent hand Of the
United States Government, taking
possession and contro" of the
enormously valuable property-say,
one-seventh of the total value of all
property in the United States-they
had built up by their private ener-
gies, exerted periodically in the
public service. Nothing can exceed
the convincing nature of graphic
eloquence Of this kind when Judge
Thorn engages in it. All outsiders
seem to have been convinced by it.
Yet, speaking from the inside of the
Senate committee and Of the Demo-
cratic party, Senator Underwood
said as nearly as he could say it in
decorous parliamentary language
that the trunk line system wanted
to be taken over, and. instead of
suffering all the humiliation and an
guish of the helplessly oppressed,
that they were inside participants
in the entire program. The Presi-
dent, he said, took the railroads over
WITH THE CONSENT OF THE
RAILROADS."
In support Of this surprising
proposition, he reviewed the hear
ings he had sat through in commit
tee, during which, with the highest
legal talent present, there had been
no demand for any action to check
possession and control, which as
matter Of Constitutional law. had
they opposed It, he argued the rail
roads might have stopped in the
courts. Reviewing the history OF
legislation from the act of August,
1915 (Which said no one could have
expected 10 be used as it has been),
his whole argument tended TO force
conviction that the great railroad
systems, if they did not actually in
stigate the Communicating proc
ess, were not only ready, but will
ing, and not only willing, but anxi-
Gus, TO be taken over" In short, |
they were pictured as volunteering
to be compelled to do what they
wanted.
Having divulged enough 70 en-
able any outsider who chooses to
become convinced on this point.
Senator Underwood proceeded to
Just compensation for
railroads, and the main principles
of the Senate bill, including all war
powers the President asks. He only !
insisted that these war powers"
must not be carried over into peace
TO satisfy the honest supporters of |
the way the railroads may have |
decided on being possessed and con-
trolled under a system of their own, !
or the equally honest supporters of
immediate Government ownership.
In or out of that connection. he
said a number Of things which
might be striking in any connec-
ton, for example: Abandon a |
government of law and you come !
70 the autocracy of Germany on the