The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1918-12-12
PINCHING THE CABLES

Washington, Dec 1O-That the Wilson administration s
using the preext rather reason for extending
government control over industry and public utilities
clearly shown by Senator James E. of Indiana the
oher day before Congress adjourned for the long owing
TO the rust OF work incident to the close session. the
was not printed in the record at the time but has been
published since The particular subject to which the Senator
directed his remarks was the order of the President taking
the cable lines which was dated November but
not made public until November Preliminary to discussion
OF that act the Senator upon taking of the
companies about the annstce was signed
Said Senator Watson:
ut is passing strange that during all the time of
storm and stress during the period of unparalleled
ges1on of the railroads of the United States, during
the time when transporting millions soldiers
from one portion of the Republic to another to the
camp, to the cantonment, to the training stations
and to points of embarkaon, while incalcuable
quantity of munitions and of food and of equipment
were being transported by the railroads. and while
this congestion unprecedented in the history of
this or any other country, it not thought
tal by the President to take the express com
panies in to relieve that congestion or to carry
on the transportation of the country Now, when the
Hun is at our mercy when Germany lies PROSTATE
at our feet, and the sun of peace fills Skies he
has taken the express companies of the country
for operation by the General Government
Senator Watson recalled the Democratic Sen
aors when the control bill under consideration that there
would probably be need to take the telephone
telegraph lines and certainly not the cable
'Now, after all this defamation, and after every
hour OF emergency has passed. and after peace has
come upon US, and after war has taken his wrnked
front from the presence Of the world, have the
President of the United States violating believe
the letter and the spirit of that law by taking the
cables for governmental operation.
at is exceedingly significant, that this action
just at the time when the President is about visit
foreign country. am not going to quarrel with the
decision of the President about going abroad But it
is singuarly significant that just at the time he is
about to go abroad he takes the cables, after
having declined to take them during all the years
of war and all the time of storm and peril, and when
every necessity for his having taken them has
ceased it, indeed, any necessity for such action has
existedH
Senator Watson challenged any Senator to give
for taking the cables but not Democrat would
rise to defend the Presidents action Senator Watson
tinued,
cit is quite significant that the President is taking
with him his trip George Creel, master of the Re-
pubhc's instruction With George Creel at that end
controlling all messages and Bureson at his end
trolling all the of information the country
may well be warned that they may take at least
with grain of salt whatever is published to what
happens at the peace conference