Arizona republican., 1918-05-27
Colonel Roosevelt's Case

It weak rejoinder of Postmaster General Burleson that Colonel Roosevelt had failed to make his case: that he had failed prove his charge that the postoffce department had been made an instrument for the persecution and punishment of those journals which had criticized the governments conduct of the and shield of those newspapers, though of disoyal antecedents, which had defended tho government against such criticism
 The points maD by Colonel Roosevelt were these: that the Hearst newspapers before the war were so pronouncedy pro-German that they were denied circulation in Canada and denied by the British government the use the cables; that they opposed entrance into the war the side of the alles that after we entered the war they were op- posed to conscrpton; that after that they declared that had undertaken to fight Englands battles and that to that end the youth of America would take the field. No utterance could have been more devilishly calculated to make the unpopular.
 Another point that latterly the Hearst papers. though still unfriendly to most powerful ally, had become thick and thin defender of the admnistra ton snarer against every honest critic that under mysterious influence thereafter the British ban against the Hearst papers had been raised.
 These not mere allegations by Colonel Roose- velt They matters of record. The New York Tribune is almost daily reproducing from the Hearst papers editorials written before and after the decara- ton of a state of showing friendness for Germany, hatred of England and disposition to obstruct preparations.
 In point of time there seems to be a relation, which may be only coincidenta between disclosures of our ineptness in matters and the turn taken by the Hearst papers in their unqualified support of the administrators every policy in their attacks upon those who demanded improvement of policies a greater efficiency of work. more vigorous American campaign against Germany, lately as
 
 istraton supported by them
 Still other points adduced by Colonel Roosevelt were these the administration had suppressed the paper of Tom Watson of Georgia, whose offense was precisely that of the Hearst papers, as to char acter and time Governmental resentment was shown against the Metropolitan Magazine the New York Tribune and Golfers Weekly all of undoubted loyalty to the country, though not blind to the weaknesses of the administration. All of them were whole heartedly for the war. All of them had shown that part in the war unavoidable and all of them had urged that begin it long before did. All of them joined in criticism the bundering of the government though their criticism less volum- and bitter than criticism on the floor of the senate afterward became when the bundering was fully exposed.
 It was the theory of the postmaster general that there could be no such thing honest constructive criticism. He could differentate the government from the country. To him it a crime to dwell upon the faults of the government something that would aid and comfort to the enemy. That this dis closure may have given the enemy satisfaction we admit we may also admit synonymous relation between satisfaction" and comfort" but certainly the enemy could have derived aid. Quite the con- trary, the sequel has proved.
 But for this criticism Mir. Baker would probably have been unawakened from his dream of government tai efficiency. The Committee of Public Information would have continued to flood the country with un- truths regarding preparations. for these criticisms General Squier and the old aircraft board would still be squanderng millions of dollars, hoping time other to produce airplanes: the shipping board would still be getting ready time to turn out tonnage. General Sharpe would still be at the head of the ordnance bureau and would yet be borrowing cannon of allies in France And we would all be dwelling yet in a fools paradise.
 Tbs criticism has given S,hwab Ryan and Stettlnus and in consequence making progress In the now. at the end of our first year in the sar. The Germans Ia ply have not be,n given aid by t.s criticism and eually eertai l.. ;"y have not