Arizona republican., 1918-05-20
bUR[ESON MAKES
 STATEMENT UPON
 ROOSEVELT REPLY
Republican A. p. Leased Wirel

WASHINGTON. May 19.-Postmas- ter General Burleson issued a state ment tonight asserting that Colonel Roosevelt ovaded the issue and was misleading in his preliminary reply to the demand that he prove his charge that the administration was punishinS publications which upheld the war. but told the truth about ad- ministration failures, while it failed 10 proceed agalnst those who opposed the war or attacked the allies but defended inefficiency.
 "Evades Mann Question"
 MT. RooseVelts reply of May Il which he then termed preliminary :" said MT. Burleson. in the main evades the Mann question and is mis- leading. He names the New York Tribune. Golfers and the Metropoli- tan Magazine in way which creates the impression that these publications have been the object of improper dis crimination by the postoffice depart ment.
 This department has taken no ac- tion against Golfers or against the Tribune or the Metropolitan Mag azine.
 With respect to his magazine the incident referred to by Mir. Roosevelt occurred after the magazine had passed through the mails and not a copy offered for mail failed of trans mission. It cannot be said that the magazine lost sales on that account at that time. On the contrary more copies of the March issue were sold on account of the publicity given the magazine
 "As Public DisapproVal"
 The injury, therefore, must have followed as q result of public disap- proval of the matter contained in that issue. l have yet to learn of a pat riotic reader. unless it be Mir. Roose- welt, who approved the publication in that issue of the article "Is America Honest?' by William Hard.
 T am reliably informed that Ger many highly appreciates the Hard ar ticle-so highly in fact, that the pro- pagandists have translated it into German, Spanish, Potuguese and the Scandinavian languages, and are nov flooding Mexico, South America anc 1 other countries with it.
 | "So much for MT. Roosevelts frs 1 charge. Now what of the second? Widest Latitude the Press The press of every compelXioT | should always have the widest lati. tude for criticism of the acts of al public officials. This principle i constantly l,ept in mind in the ad ministration of the espionage act anC disposing of complaints hereunder. "The postoifice department has re ceived possibly more complaints iron the public alleging that Mir. Roose | velt's articles were in violation of tn espionage act than it has against thu Hearst newspapers. All but two o the articles in the Hearst papers re ferred to by Mir. Roosevelt were pub lished before the passage of the es pionage act (June 1j, 191O and som of them before our entry into tn war. MT. Hearst through his vas ! newspaper circulation and writing along lines familiar to the public am Mir. Roosey eyelt, with the prestige O of an ex-president of the |. &, writ ing along entirely different, but equal ly well known lines. have each sai' things. whatever the motives. that casual reader might believe. were il conflict with the espionage act. Bu those whose responsibility it is to en force this law do not believe a cas could be made to stand against eithe of them in the courts.
 If MT. Roosevelt meant to intimat that l was instrumental, directly or in directly, in obtaining for Mir. Hears or any company or association wit which he is connected. a restoration o news or cable facilities which had bee withdrawn from him by the allied gov ernments. he is in error. l will sa further, 1 know of no one who per formed such a service for him..