New-York tribune., 1918-07-12

Press, The United Press and the news
papers OF the country from the use of
telegraph wires.
Defended by Lewis
Senator Lewis, of Illinois, defended
the administration of the Postmaster
General and denied that he has in any
way created local censorship over the
mails.
Speaking in support of the resolu-
ton, Senator Underwood, of Alabama,
said, while President Carlton of the
Western Union did not see the neces-
sity for the government taking over
control of the telegraph wires, he had
stated that if it was necessary, the
resolution in its present shape was
satisfactory to him.
Senator Watson, of Indiana, asked if
the hearings the committee conducted
had been behind closed doors, to which
Senator Smith, of South Carolina, re-
piled there had been no intention to
exclude newspaper men and the public,
but this had been done owing to a mis-
understanding on the part of the COM
mittee clerk.
Senator Underwood argued that the
only question for decision was whe ther
the President should be granted the
discretionary right of wire control.
Congress, he asserted. has set several
precedents during the war for con-
ferring such power
"Were there not then immediate con-
fronting emergencies" ?" asked Senator
Watson "Not more than now," an
swered Senator Underwood, adding that
the necessity of telegraph control
might arise soon.
"Why does the Senator omit the tele-
phone?" asked Senator Harding, of
Ohio. 81 don't think there is any prob
ability of taking over the telephone
except in some seaports and then only
for the moment" replied the Alabama
Senator
Senator Harding suggested if there
was no present emergency thorough
| investigation should be made by the
! Senate or that the President should
advise Congress of the alleged "war
necessity.' After intrusting the Presi,
dent with drafting of men and control
of the railroads and food and fuel,
Senator Underwood said he did not
hesitate to trust the Executive with
control of wires. He suggested that
messages, even in cipher, might be
divulged by operators, although he said
their loyalty so far was without ques-
tion.
Lauds Company Employees
Declaring there is no more efficient
private organization than the Western
Union company with its loyal employees,
Senator Borah said that, "violently as
suming" the efficiency would be main
tained under government control, he
could not see how the government
could secure greater wire efficiency.
Senator Borah said he had been in
formed that there are 100000 agents
of the Department of Justice and that
he would venture to say there are lust
as many disloyal men among them as
would be found among the company's
employees.
Senator Kellogg, of Minnesota, a
member of the Interstate Commerce
Committe, declared no emergency ex-
sted and that complete investigation
and report was necessary for intelli
gent action by the Senate.
"The whole subject could have been
considered in TWO or three days." he
said "but the committee declined to
call government officials, including the
chief of the Signal Corps, telegraph
employees or independent telephone
companies whose representatives. were
outside the door waiting to be heard "
Interstate Commerce Commission re-