Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-28
Holds President Responsible
For Official Actions of
Postm aster General,
George Creel And Col
leagues.
FIERY LETTER GOES
: INTO SENATE RECORD

Washington. d. c., May PA reply
by Theodore Roosevelt to Postmaster
General Burleson in their controversy
over alleged discrimination by the
postoffice department in treatment of
publication, presented to the senate
Saturday by Senator Poindexter of
Washington, charged that the admin
istration has played for and against
different newspapers and magazines
and that President Wilson was direct
ly responsible.
Z The administration, Mr.. Roosevelt
declared, has condoned the anti-ally
attitude of certain publications.
among them the Hearst newspapers,
while embarrassing those that have
made honest criticism of the conduct
of the war.
~ CHARGES POWER MISUSE
"Since the war began" said Colonel
Roosevelt's letter, ''the administrator
he's used the very great powers Of the
government over the public press to
stifle honest criticism of governmental
inefnciency or misconduct while con-
doning (Which necessarily means en-
|couraging) pro-German, anti;ally and
their anti-American agitation in GER
tain powerful papers which defended
this inefficiency and misconduct; and
It has sought from congress great
addition to the already existing power
it has, thus misused. believe that
the first article Of the constitution
guarantees the right Of the people to
criticize truthfully the conduct Of the
public servants and that this right
cannot be taken away by any law.
TRACES POLITICAL EFFECT
During the past year the action Of
the administration, taken largely
through the postofice department has
been such as to render it a matter Of
some danger for any man and espec-
tally any newspaper to speak the
truth IL that truth be unpleasant to the
governmental authorities at Washing
ton. The effect Of this attitude has
been vary marked politically.
"Such coercive power tends to make
upright men, even although they are
strong men, cautious about telling
truths which ought to be told. 1t
forces weak men to praise the admir-
istration whether 1t does we'll or III. II
invites unscrupulous men who desire
to serve Germany to gain license to do
so and secure advantage by pralslng
the administration and by supporting
It politically.
HEARST AND WATSON
/. There are cases where all compe-
tent and honest observers are moral
ly certain that political support has
been given and 10 3lpw being given to
the administration by various news
papers, especially German-American
and semi-socialistic newspapers, be-
cause Of the club thus held over them
by the administration From the ver!
nature of the case there can rarely be
positive proof in such cases, but as re-
cards the most striking cases or favor
itism, those concerning the Hearst
papers az compared with the suppress
sion of Tom Watson's paper and the
attack (for nominally wholly differ
ent reasons) on the Metropolitan mag
azine herein give the facts which
prove exactly what I have alleged.
ANSWER TO CHALLENGE
"The postmaster general has raised
the issue; I meet 1t squarely; and he
shall not evade it. The administration
has successfully endeavored to pre-.
vent expression of opinion hostile to
lit and to put premium upon support.
ling the president personally and po
|litically without regard to whether his
actions are detrimental or beneficial!
Ito the country.
Colonel Roosevelt also assailed
Chairman Creel Of the public informa
|tion committee.
HOLDS WILSON RESPONSIBLE
In imputing responsibility for the
acts OF the, postmaster general and Mr..
Creel, he, said:
81 deal with Mr.. Burleson and his
actions purely because he is a repre-.
sentative OF President Wilson exactly
as is Secretary Baker; exactly as Is
Mr. Creel. President Wilson Is re.
sponsible for everything Postmaster