New Britain herald., 1918-07-02
BAKER. DANIELS AND BURLESON
 FAVOR TAKING WIRE SYSTEMS
Not Military Necessity at Present But May Be Next Minute" War Sec retary Says.

Washington, July 2.-"While three cabinet officers were before the com merce committee today advocating the Aswell resolution empowering the president to take over telegraph, telephone, cable and radio systems, the house took jurisdiction over the measure from that committee and vested it in the military committee.
 There was no discussion and only a viva VOce vote when Rep. Gordon of Ohio, moved that jurisdiction be transferred because the measure was urged as d military necessity. Mem bers of the military committee said later they were not opposed to the resolution and undoubtedly would re- port it favoraby.
 Tn the meantime the commerce committee proceeded with it's hear ing. Secretaries Baker and Daniels and Postmaster Gen. Burleson urging that it was essential as a war measure that the president have power to take over the systems.
 Both MT. Baker and Mir. Daniels denied that the call for a strike of Western Union operators on July s had any connection with their action in endorsing the legislation, which has been approved by the president.
 The legislation was discussed be- tween senate leaders of both parties today at informal conferences. Sev- eral predicted that if the resolution is passed by the house it also would be approved by the senate and with brief debate.
 Secretaries Baker and Daniels and Postmaster General Burleson ap- hpfOrp ipto 70 and foreign commerce committee.
 Secretary Baker, taking the stand first, said it did not happen at the minute to be a military necessity to take over telephone and telegraphs but it might be ''the next minute" :" He declared it essential as q war measure to give the president full power to take over control of the wires if necessary. Members of the committee asked many questions about the effect of government opera ton. MT. Baker said he could not say with certainty whether the govern ment could completely suppress i'm proper communications but it cer- tain1y could suppress such communi- cations better than under present laws. At the present time, he said, there is no supervision or control of domestic messages by telegraph so far as he knew.
 He declined to commit himself on whether the government should as sume permanent control, but he op- posed any time limit be fixed for the surrender to owners of the line.
 '"The president should have the power to take oyer the lines,' he said, Most of the traffic is government
 5r+o iure the government. The telephone and telegraph rinseparabIe in serv- ice and both systems should be taken over"
 Replying to a question whether the taking over of the trunk wires would reuuire similar action over independ- ent small systems, he said such ac- ton was mot necessarily" involved.
 Legislation in addition to the As well resolution would be necessary as in the case of the railroads, he said 10 deal with contracts and com pcnSatiOnS.
 Permanent government ownership and operation of telegraph and telc- phone lines was advocated by Sec. Daniels and Postmaster Gen. Burle- son said if the systems were as eff cientIv conducted by the government as the postal service now is they would never go back to private own ership.