New-York tribune., 1918-05-26

! It's official power to further 1T, unless
the man in question had stolen the
special agents shield which hes pos
sessed and forged his name and adj
dress.
"The above facts Mr.. Burleson has
not denied and cannot truthfullv deny,
hnd they absolutely demonstrate the
exactness of my. statement, SO far as
the Administrations effort to punish
the publications which upheld the war
but have told the truth about the Ad-
ministration's failure to conduct the
war efficiently.
statement: The prime example of fail
ure by tho Administration to proceed
against newspapers wnlch oppose the
war or attack our allies and therefore
indirectly aid Germany is afforded by
the failure of the Administration to
deal with Mr.. Hearst's papers as it has
dealt with certain other papers. Mr..
Hearst is a very wealthy man. reputed
to be much more than millionaire,
owning a dozen newspapers, more or
less, and n half dozen magazines, in
different parts of the country.
cat the very beginning of the war
the government proceeded success
fully against Tom Watson's pub
lication' in Georgia. 7 entirelv disa-
greed with Tom Watson's general po-
litical philosophy; was utterly OPP
posed to his contention that drafted
men should not be sent overseas to
fight; I regarded him as a narrow, al
though an upright and sincere, man.
But he had done nothing that was
anything like as dangerous to this
country and our allies and as helpful
to Germany as Mr.. Hearst was at that
very time doing.
"The circulation of Mr. Watson's pa.
per was very small, compared to Mr..
Hearst's papers; his wealth and inhu-
ence were infinitesimal, compared to
Mr.. Hearst's wealth and influence, and
he had denounced Germany and even
as Mr.. Hearst had in numerous cdi-
torials opposed our going to war, at
tackled Germany's foes and defended
Germany
"Yet the Administration crushed
Tom Watson, while it first tolerated
and then encouraged wealthy, power
full, pro-German and anti-war Mr..
Hearst
tom Watson's paper was not the
only small paper tae Postmaster Gen
eral attacked and hampered for doing
far less than Mr. Hearsts papers had
done. THE New York News is edited
by George W. Harris, colored man,
for the colored race. Under date of May
2, last, MIR. Harris, the editor, received
notice from the postmaster OF New
York that the issue of that date had
been withheld from dispatch through
the mails, pending advice from the So
hcltor for the Postofice DEPARTING
MS to whether this issue is unmailable.'
One of the editors of the paper informs
me that Mr.. Harris called at the Post
n nry ,to,t "a
reason of this order, but was not given
any reason.
The only explanation the editors
could think of was that the paper had
contained protest against an alleged
order of colonel in the army direct
ing colored officers not to enforce upon
white interiors military salute Ger
tainly- nothing in this humble paper
warranted the Administration, through
the Postoffice Department., in attack
ing it while at the same time not vent
uring to interfere VITA the wealthy
Hearst papers.
"Mr. Burleson, however, while he
will pardon certain pro-Administration
papers, even although they are anti
war, will nevertheless occasionally
attack not only anti-war but pro-war,
and even administrator radical
papers, if he objects to their radical
ISM. Two entirely responsible persons
have called my attention to the sup
preston of one issue of radical mag
hzinc called The Public This has been
an entirely pro-war magazine. In its
issue Of March 30th it urged editorial
ly heavier taxation of unearned in
comes and of excess protits,' and the
raising of more money by direct taxa
tion in preference, to bond issues.
apparently, as far as the editors
can make out. it was because of this
former editor of the paper writes me
that it is possible that Mr.. Burleson
objected to the paper because of an ac-
count of an interview with him on
October 10Th last in which he was
quoted as stating his lack of sympathy
with the proposition that man ought
not to get his money, from the owner