The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-05
THE HOUSE REPORT

of his conviction that Sheppard would
 be extremely difficult to defeat.
 THE HOUSE REPORT
 There is still another report in eircu-
 lation That is to the effect that Colonel House hes refused to attempt to stem
 the tide whicA would sweep Burleson -nto oblivion. It is said that House has ad-
 mitted responsibility in securing the
 Burleson appointment, and has con fessed that his mistake was prodisious
 It is also said that he has cried hands
 off" with the understanding that Burie- son critics may "get him if that be possible.
 These rumors are rumors solely, Tn all probability. It is true. nevertheless, that the idea has got hold that Burleson has sacrificed service for profit One man in authority is known [ ohave confessed to intimate friends that "our surplus IS our most distressing possession" ana that he hopes that never again would the
 operation of the department produce rev. enue
 SOUTHERN PAPERS BITTER It has become popular to criticise the Postmaster General just as it was Top-
 ular before the war to criticise Seere- tary Daniels. In the larger cities ot New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia
 
 standing. Small cities, such as Atlanta, have recently taken up the trail. The Atlanta Constitution some days ago called on the President to dispose of Burleson. It is said that the editor ot 1 the Constitution failed in effort to ap- point a postmaster. But at any rate the l Constitution was bitter in it's attack.
 More recently the Manufacturers Record l of Baltimore fervently expressed nope | that ql1rr1 of T91r1acoy1fS restoration was true.
 l Representative Gallivan of Massaehu- 1 setts this week delivered i'll the House a l carefully prepared attack against the l postoffice department, the service of winch he characterized by the expressive i adjective, rotten
 THE POLITICAL END i It is possible that the service of the I department has appreciably deteriorated 1 Everybody" says so. War conditions, | the determination of the government to 1 move men and supplies at expense of all I freight, including mails, is unquestion- l ably to certain extent responsible. 1 But there are probably other reasons l for the keen anti -Surleson sentiment. | He has been regarded as the politcal ] wizard of the administration, the artful l Talleyrand. This fact has given repuD- l lieans very little satisfaction, for the ad- ministration has managed, whether or l not Burleson has been responsible to l pull through
 l And it is said that Burleson has grown pompous with feeding on meat of au : 1 thority, that he does not treat members l of Congress with the respect to which 1 they feel themselves entitled, and that
 he has frequently stepped on legislators corns of conceit.
 l THE "CREEL" BREAK l Friends of Burleson admit that in all l instances he has not been diplomatic in l his relations with members of Congress. l As point in instance, some days ago 1 he answered an inquiry of the House Of Representatives by conveying a message l of George Creel, director of publicity to i the effect that Representative Treader- 1 way of Massachusetts, responsible for l the inquiry, had made statement for 1 which there vas absolutely no basis in l fact. Trcaderway considered that in the 1 opinion of Creel he had lied. The House 1 took the same viewpoint, and a commit l tee, the majority of the members of 1 which were democrats, refused to re- 1 ceive the letter or the Postmaster Gen eral.
 1 It is a had state of affairs, but it is not l believed that Burleson will resign or be l dismissed And his friends say that in 1 the end, despite widespread criticism, he will make good just as Daniels has made l good.
 But his surplus in the treasury is not l popular no more so than his service.