The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-12-20
WHAT ,THFYITALK ABOUT
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
Whether the Government Can Take
Over the Gables is to Be Decided
In the COurts-Federal Highways.

Washington, d. c., Dec. 15-When
the "war emergency measure" was
passed authorizing the president to
take over the wire lines of the coun-
try, every mothers son in the senate
who advocated the passage of the bill
declared it as belief that the presi-
dent would not exercise the power
conferred upon him. 1t was argued
that the legislation was needed to deal
with labor problems relating to the
threatened strike of the telegraphers.
Postmaster General Burleson insisted
that the interests of the country de-
manded the passage of the wire con-
troll: and it did not take long for him
to bring the telegraph and telephone
lines under his control. The war went
on, and the armistice was signed, and
nc one thru it all had ever discovered
anything with reference to the opera
ton of the wire lines that constituted
a "war emergency" The president
finally went before congress and an
nounced that the "war is over" 1t
was a little late in the day, but Mr..
Burleson seized the cable lines just
the same. The Commercial Cable
Company protests, and resists having
its property snatched from it by the
unceremonious processes that have
been employed. The company has en-
gagged Charles Evans Hughes as asso-
ciate counsel to William w. Cook, and
the postmaster general is in for a
merry scrap in the courts.
Government ownership of the tel
egraphs and telephones should no lon
ger be delayed" Mr.. Burleson says in
his annual report, which is fresh from
the government printery. He adds:
"Action of congress in this matter is
urgently recommended"
There can be no objection to Mr..
Rurleson expressing these views in
his report, for as matter of fact he
has constantly reiterated this same
opinion in previous years. But that
the processes pursued towards wire
properties under the postoffice depart
ment were not contemplated when the
legislation was before the senate is
borne out by the fact that no less an
authority than Senator Lewis de-
clared it to be understood that the
president did not desire to exercise the
authority sought in the resolution. At
the same time one of the leading of
ficials of the wire company of the
United States in speaking of events
at Washington declared that "the
question of public ownership was not
discussed" Mr.. Burleson himself
urged "the passage of the resolution
in order that the president may act,
if necessary, to safeguard the inter
ests of the country during the prose-
tion of the war"
When this was all going on last July
the intimation was resented that rad
ical members of the democratic party,
with Mr.. Burleson as their leader,
were eager to have the lines brought
under government control and opera
ton during the war as fore-runner
to fixed peace policy.
The Commercial Cable Company
takes the position that the manner in
which they were annexed" is plainly
illegal, and they do not propose to
submit to the confiscatory methods
employed by Mr.. Burleson. 1t is
pointed out in their complaint that the
action of the postmaster general dis
turbs treaties with foreign nations,
inasmuch as the company's properties
stretch alike to European and Asiatic
nations. 1t looks as tho Mr. Burleson,
in his effort to use the transatlantic
cables as his buttons for the govern
ment ownership wire garment, is do
ing poor piece of tailoring. The
company evidently believes that the
postmaster general has bitten off a
bigger chunk than he is going to be
able to get away with.
Turn Energy Loose on Roads