New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-31
Date Changed
InCable Order.
Saws W atson
Indiana Senator Accuses
Burleson of Deception
in Making Seizure
Declares He Saw President
Wilson Sign Paper and
Write in ''Novcmber 2"

WASHINGTON, Dec. So Although
the Pesident's proclamation Selling the
cables was dated November .. that doc
ument was incomplete and the actual
order WAS not promulgated until after
the armistice was signed, according to
Senator Frank B. Kellogg. Of Mime
sofa, who discussed the subject in the
Senate to-day, following the insertion
in the record BY Senator Hitchcock, of
Nebraska letter form Postmaster
General Bur!eson justifying the seizure.
THE order was not countersigned
ty the Secretary of State Senator
Kellogg said. at WAS never published
or exhibited to any one until after the
armistice was signed. Even the date
when il WIS exhibited 70 one Of the
telegraph companies was blank"
Referring to the resolution passed
by Congress last summer, Senator kel
]ogg declared: Not a Senator on this
floor or anywhere else dreamed Shat
we were giving the Postmaster Gen
eral power to force on this country
government ownership, whether the
people wanted it or not"
Watson Attacks Burleson
Senator Watson. of Indiana, accused
the Postmaster General of deception.
"When the order was made he
said "the date was first put down IS
November Il, the armistice having
been signed November II. Afterward
the date was erased and November
was inserted. | have every reason to
believe that that fact is susceptible Of
proof"
The order was suppressed, even i
it was signed" Senator Hitchcock de-
clared The country knew nothing of
it until the armstice had been signed
and had g,ne into effect"
According to the view taken by At
torney General Gregory and submit
ted to Senator Hitchcock by Mr.. Burle-
son, the suit brought in New York by
the Commercial Cable Company was
a silly thing, and the court has no
jurisdiction"
But admitting all that" Senator
Hitchcock continued, at does not vim
dictate the Postmaster General from
the charge l made that in taking over
The cable he practically violated good
faith with the Congress, which had
given him the power
In his letter to Senator Hitchcock,
Mr.. Burleson said:
"Of course Nv Dear Senator, no one
knows better than you that public
mouthings of Irresponsible blather-
sixties who may criticise or misrepre-
sent his official actions but when crit
zeal statement is made by Senator Of
the United States it not only justiiles
but calls for response.
Burleson Makes Defence
Postmaster General BurIeson tonight
made the following statement:
Senator Watson has evidently been
imposed upon. was present on the
End day of November when the Presi-
dent signed the proclamation taking
over the cables. | saw him attach his
signature thereto and in his own hand
writing insert with pen and ink the
line date November 2, 1915"
"Of course it is not true that
have of my own will ruthlcssly Sc zed
and taken possession of these cables !;
of course it is not true that I have
taken possession of them just to graf
ify my personal convictions, personal
opinion and personal wishes; of course
it is not true that | have reached out
to control business activities the Con-
gress did not intend to put into my
hanGss
Cites Postars Suit
II feel that a reply to all suc}
charges can be conclusively made b,
quotations from q motion to dlsmls
filed by the representative of the Lay
Department of our government, mad
by direction of the Attorney Genera
of the United States to a silly suit re
Gently instituted (for publicity pur
poses) in court known to be with
out jurisdiction against the Postmas
ter General, in which these unfoundc
charges are set forth"
M Burleson in his letter ais
branded as utterly without founda
ton" charges that much of the maj
addressed 10 soldiers overseas fails t
reach its destination. The department
he said, had delivered to the variou
military units in France nearly eeve
million pieces Of mail each month
which had been done or an average o
better than thirty days time from tn
average date OF postmarking TO the dr.
livery of the mail abroad.