The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-20

welt evaded the issue and was mis- leading in his preliminary" reply to the demand that he prove his charge that the administration was punshing publications which upheld the war, bat tcld the truth about administration failures. while it failed to proceed against those who opposed the war or attacked the allies but defended it's efficiency
 ROOSEVELT IS MISLEADING
 MT. Roosevelt's reply of May Il, which he then termed preliminary. said MT. Burleson, "in the main evades the issue presented and is thoroughly misleading He names the New York Tribune Golfers and the Metropoli- tan Magazine in a way which creates the impression that these publications have been the objects of improper dis elimination by the postoffice depart ment.
 This department has taken no ac- tion against Golfers
 This department has taken no ac- ton against the Tribune.
 The department has taken no ac- tion against the Metropolitan Maga- zine
 With respect to this magazine, the incident referred to by MT. Roosevelt occurred after the magazine had passed through the mails and not copy os- fered for mailing failed of transmits sion It cannot be said that the mag azine lost sales on that account at that time. On the contrary, more copies Of the March issue were sold on aC- count of the publicity given the mat ter. The injury therefore must have followed a result of public disap- Dfoval of the matter contained in that issue. have yet to learn of pa- triotie reader, unless it be MT. Rocse- welt, who approved the publication in that issue of the article, Is America Honest% by William Hard
 GERMANS USED ARTICLE
 T am reliably informed that Germany hishly appreciates the Hard article so highly, in fact, that her propagandists have translated it into German Spanish Portuguese and the Scandinavian lan- guages and are now flooding Mexico, South America and other countries with it.
 So much for Mr Roosevelt's first charge. Now, what of the second?
 "The press of every complexion should always have the widest latitude for citicism of the acts of all public officials This principle is constantly kept in mind in the administration of the espionage act and disposing complaints hereunder. COMPLAINTS AS TO COLONEL
 The postoffice department has re- ceivetl possibly more complaints from the public alleging that MT. Roosevelt's articles were in violation of the espion- age act than it has against the Hearst newspapers. All but two of the articles in the Hearst papers referred to by MT Roosevelt were published before the pass age of the espionage act (June Is, 1917) and some of them before our entry into the war.
 MT. Hearst, through his vast newspa- per circulation and writings along lines familiar to the public, and MT. Roose- {. Welt with the prestige of an ex-President of the United States, writing along en- tirely different but equally well-known lines, however, each said things, what ever the motive, that a casual reader might believe were in conflict with the espionage act. But those whose respon- sioiiity it is to enforce this law do not believe a case could be made to stand against either of them in the courts.
 If MT. Roosevelt means to intimate that I was instrumental, directly or indirectly, in obtaining for MT. Hearst or any company or association with which he is connected. a restoration of news or cable facilities which had been withdrawn from him by the allied gov ernments. he is in error I will say further I know of no one who per formed such service for him."