Evening star., 1918-07-19
us. CONTROL SETS
NEW WORLD RECORD
War Permits Unheard-of Sit
uation Without "Turn-
ing Of a Hair"
By N. o. MESSENGER.

BY N. o. MESSENGER.
Barring the war news, the subject
which is attracting most attention and
causing most discussion just now is
the current and prospective essay in
federal control Of all means of COM
munication and transportation. It is
not q topic confined to one class nor
restricted to merely academic treat
ment. From that mystical and Some
what undefrable element described
for lack of better term as "high
finance" or "big business" to the run
of-the-mill of humanity and "the man
in the street" pretty nearly every
body seems interested.
{ Next thing it will be breaking out
in politics, 1t is prophesied. and par
ties will be taking sides for and
against it. Meantime. as 1t goes di-
rect to the core Of daily life and busi-
ness, there is much talk and specu-
l4tion.
Secretary McAdoo's announcement.
In the midst of his western tour of
INSPECTION as director general of rail-
roads, of notwithstanding Improvement of
the railway service and the intro
udcti6n 81 new and progressive 1ea-
lures is expected to give FLIP to
the, growing interest. already en-
HANGED by the limitations this week
in other quarters of radical reorgani-
ration Of the system of te1eph6nic
Communication.
Controls All Communication.
When one pauses to take stock it
is realized that at this moment the
federal government has absolute con-
troll OF every means Of intercommuni-
cation available to the people. The
authority Of the government is przac-
ticaIiy unlimited. being assumed as
control, embracing power to suppress,
II not. indeed. to abolish OF course.
It Is assumed that this autocracy will
be exercised as q benevolent despot-
ism" and used only for the public
veal IN the broadest sense. but the
power Is there, just the same.
Beginning with the taking oven of
the railroads and the regulation of
important lines of water transporta- :
tion, the government next took in the
express companies. The American
Railway Express" now includes the old
Southern and the romantic Wells
Fargo. redolent of memories Of Dead
wood Dick" and the ho1d-ups.
Public in Haze.
Then came absorption Of the tele-
phone and telegraph companies, The
public Is not quite clear in mind yet
what Is proposed with respect to this
latest acquisition to federal control.
It is suggested that possibly the au-
thors Of it have not laid down their
scheme by specification and rule of
thumb, but will permit 1t to develop
and unfold as time and circumstances
the quota of means Of intercommuni-
cation of the people, and there Is
nothing more to take over except the
what will he do with it?'' is the
question everybody is asking. refer
ring to Uncle Sans new power. Re-
sponsibility goes with 1t. as with all
dominion. The people will hold the
administration which exercises the
authority to account for results. 1t
is readily appreciated, therefore, that
politics will soon enter into the equa-
ton.
a political liability Is assumed by the
administration; there are some assets
along with 1t. The political possi-
bilities inherent In the vast machinery
of the transportation and commuIica-
tion systems. and the personnel of the
are classed by. politicians as stagger-
ing in their stupendousness.
It must be borne In MIND, 100, the
politicians say, that al TINS new
isting federal control of the finances
Of the nation through authority over
the national banks, the federal re-
serve system and the very latest addt-
ton. the War Finance Corporation.
limiting outputs of capital It Is de-
scribed by some as the most COM
plete and Ar-reaching system Of gov
ernmental control the world exhibits.
Congress, which Is responsible for
the creation OF this, new condition,
realizes that within the space Of one
revolution In domestic economy which
would have been deemed next to
impossible to effect in this country:
and, IL at, all, only after score of
years Of political agitation. The war
has brought it about without the
turning Of hair.
Now for the trial OF It. congressmen
say. The people. WHEN IT. is to be
.tried" upon. are apparently more
anxious and concerned than the con-
gressmen. They may be classed along
with Zones. he pays the freight" II
there 10 any usufruct the congress-
men may get it
ance the hnal try-out, everybody ID
talking about sthe new plans. The
people are promised cheaper telephone
rates, expanded telegraphic service by
utilization Of all wires. greater con-
yenience In fling messages and pay
ing for them, and 30 on. +.
Director General. McAdoo's suggess
ton Of s system Of insurance for rail-
way. men attracted widespread atten-
sfmpIified mileage tickets for all rail-
roads. The Insurance plan may have
to receive the sanction Of Congress,
IN which event It ID certain there Will
Sc revival OF e1orts for general I'M
f6rnns thut opening nm y wider 1eld
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