The Washington herald., 1918-04-12
CREEL AGAIN
CENSURED BY
CONGRESSMEN
House Refuses to Receive
Burleson' S Report Con-
tanning "Flippant"
\ Letter.

For the first time since the Roose-
welt administration, a branch OF Con-
gress yesterday declined to receive a
report from an executive branch OF
the government. The action was a
slap at George CreeI, chairman of
the Committee on Public information,
and. indirectly, Postmaster General
Burleson.
After having read a communication
from the Postmaster General in ex-
PLANTATION of why mail to the soldiers
in France is held up, the House ap-
pointed a special committee to decide
IL the report was "hippant and dis
respectful"
Committee VIII Call Him.
Until this is decided the communi-
cation is held in allegiance.
1t is likely that both Burleson and
Creel will be called before the House
committee, the latter to tell why he
used the language he did, and the
former to explain why he transmitted
it to Congress. Renewed demands
were made by Republicans that CreeI
be removed. 1t seems likely that the
displeasure OF Congress toward both
officials will find an outlet before the
incident is ended.
The report over which the contro-
versy opened was a communication
by the Postmaster General. in re-
sponse to a resolution by Representa-
tive Treadway, OF Massachusetts,, Re-
publican. who charged that private
mail to sildiers was not delivered be-
cause all available space was used by
booklets from the Creel Bureau and
various government press agent
documents.
Part of Burleson's reply was a let
ter from Creel in which the latter de-
MED the Treadway charges. and de-
clared:
He (Treadway) made an assertion
the absolute baselessness of which
could have been ascertained by a tele-
phone inquiry"
Treadway Challenges VeracIty.
Taking the floor. Rep. Treadway
said:
MY statement was not absolutely
baseless. and l challenge the verac-
ity OF Mr.. CreeI in making thai
| statement. 1 can produce evidence
| in this House that there have beer
placed in the hands Of the soldiers
| abroad, tons of the Creel reports.
have a letter from a soldier in
which he says. If there is a short
age OF tonnage to transport the
boys here. Mr.. Hurley could get &
Eood deal OF tonnage space II fewer
tons of Secretary McAdoo's speeche,
were transferred to US. We do mo-
want them"
Rep. Miller. OF Minnesota, inter,
Jected with a motion that the Hous,
| refuse to receive the document, bu
instead should send it back to IT.
authors with the suggestions tina
they remove the Objectionable,
words.
| Parliamentary Fight.
hot parliamentary fight fol
| lowed. on a motion to lay Miller
motion on the table. there was al
apparent majority of one. Repub
licans demanded a recount, and 1
was found that Rep. Gallagher, o
| Illinois, Democrat. had voted aye
when in fact he is home in Chicago
| The House was in an uproar.
| Miller then moved as a substi
tute that the report be submitted I,
a committee of the House to decid,
If it were properly drafted for tn,
House to receive. This was carrie,
by a big majority.
The committee named by Speake
Clark includes: Reps. Caraway, o
Arkansas. Humphreys, OF Missis
sippi. and BoOher. of Missouri, Dem
ocrats, and Reps. Madden and Nc
kinley, of Illinois, Republicans.
Removal of Creel was demande,
again by Rep. Longworth of Ohio
who said that his language regard
ing the chairman of a few day
ago had been too mild"