The Washington times., 1918-05-11
7. R., ATTACKING
BURLESON, TURNS
ON ". R. HEARST

NEW YORK, Nay 11.-Theodore
Roosevelt, accepting Postmaster Cen
eral Bur1eson's challenge to prove
hfs charge that the Administration
has been anxious to punish Rews-
papers and magazines which told the
truth about 1.-The Administrations
failure to conduct the war efficiently
sand failed to punish powerful news
papers friendly to the AdministTa-
Ition which opposed the war or at
tackled our allies or directly or in
SdirectIy aided Germany, issued last
might what he calls a "brief pre-
ilimiaary statement"
= Mr.. Roosevelt's statement follows:
t"Postmaster General Burlcson S state
lment was issued formally from the
toffiee -of-fnfornartU of the Pcstoffice
Department 1 shall therefore answer
Fit completely and at length in a
letter to some Senator, so as to have
lit appear permanently in the records,
precisely as Mr.. Burleson's statement
appears.
Meanwhile I make the following
brief preliminary statement:
; The Metropolitan magazine and
Golfers Magazine and the New York
Tribune have consistently upheld the
! war, but have also told that small
; portion of the truth which IL was
absolutely necessary to tell about the
Administration's failure to conduct
the war efficiently. and have only
told it when it was imperative TO
do so in order TO speed up the war.
sCollier's has been attacked by Mr..
Creel, officially speaking as PTesi-
! dent Wilson's representative and as
giving a message from the United
States. Government to the American
people He has also attacked the
metropolitan and the New York Tri-
bune
Magazine Is stopped.
''The Postofhce Department, through
the New York postmaster, on March
last notified the publishers OF the
metropolitan that its March issue
was, BoRHlailalDia. ERdeF-the espionage
act. This action was widely pub
lished throughout the country. II was
calculated TO do great damage to TIL
Metropolitan. The Metropolitan i'm
. mediately asked the postmaster for
sIhe grounds OF his action. but got
= no answer. On March 9 il telegraph
= ed the Postmaster General asking
whether the action was taken by the
order Of the Postmaster General, and
o. General would take to repair the
damage done 20 the Metropolitan.
"On March il the Postmaster OF
New York wrote to the Metropolitan
, reversing his action OF March >, but
making no apology and giving no eX-
PLANTATION. The Postmaster General,
Mr.. Burleson. on March II. replied
o-to the Metropolitan stating that acCu-
station had been made that an article
/. III it was a traitOrOus effusion. but that
ne did not know whether the CON-
q plants were -5lTstified- and that no or
ders had been issued about it by the
o. department.
"He did not answer the Metropoli-
D. tan's question as to what steps would
be taken to repair the damage done
, by the conduct Of the New York post
master.
"strOBgIy PrO-AIIy.-
"On March l. the editor OF the
'; Metropolitan wrote TO Mr. Burleson
saying among other things. You must
remember that there are a great num-
Der OF pacifists and pro-Germans in
= this country who would willingly put
the Metropolitan Magazine out OF
- business because il is the most
4. strongly pro-ally and anti-German
. DuDllFaLlOn III INC NDNllll fdl4lllE
attention to the fact that a statement
attributed TO the Solicitor General for
the Department was obviously not in
. accord with the facts and that the
Metropolitan could not accept news
PAPER statements without conflma-
ton from the Postmaster General
, and asking for written statement
=. from the Postmaster General in the
. matter.
He has received no such statement
: nor has any attempt been made by The
Postoffice Department to remedy the
: wrong il did by the postmaster at New
, York
AT the same time one Of the adyer-
tisers in the Metropolitan, f. NJ Man
o. sur, Of Floral Park, Y. Y, received a
letter from a man in Chicago suggesting
that he withdraw his advertisement be
cause Of the editorial in the metropolitan
Magazine. Mr.. Munsur declined 10
withdraw it On April 3 he notified the
Metropolitan that a special agent Of the
United States Department Of Justice,
whose name, shield number and address
he EaEe-all OF which / will give in my
. formal letter to the Senator-caIleI on
- him with copies Of the letters OF this
- Chicago man to him and Of the replies
and asked il Mr. Mansur had stOppe,,
advertising and wanted 10 know II he
DANCING
GIovER's. SO ad-PHv. les. any time. Soc,