The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-24

he causes which prompted Senator Un- derwood to address the Senate in de- 1ense of the government railroad control bill were two in number:
 First. His ardent desire that time limit be fixed beyond which the govern ment could not operate the railroads. Second. His insistence that the initia- l tion of new rates by the President be subject to review by the interstate com merce commission.
 His incidental references, however, were the basis on which the correspon- dents of Washington wrote their stories. Among his side remarks was one pro- testing against the inclination of Con- gress to give the President unlimited power over all phases of life-not only those incidental to war, but those, in addition, having to do solely with peace FINANCES OF RAILROADS
 The senator's effort was palliating in effect. In the first place, he defended members of Congress who had indulged n constructive criticism. In the second place, he praised the republicans for their warm support of the war policies Of the democratic administration
 He stated his belief that the action of the government in taking over the rail- roads was necessary. He declared, how ever, that freight congestion had not made that course necessary. He pointed out the fact that within the next four years the railroads would have been com pelled to renew s1,oOo,oOO,0Oo in securities, a task which they could not have accom- plished in view of the governments com petition in floating bonds But for the action of the government, he declared, one of two things would have been nec- essary. Either the railroads would have gone into bankruptcy or Congress would have been compelled to declare mora torium.
 DANGER TO PEOPLE His insistence that time limit for governmental control be fixed was based on his belief that the bill, crudely pre- pared, would, in aspect other than @ war bill, be the source of great danger to the American people, possible in- strument of oppression. In this connec- tion he made the point that the railroads
 
 relieved of the necessity of renewing se- curities, and were guaranteed in emolu- ment sum equivalent to their average earnings during the last three years, well comed the act of the President in taking them over.
 It was clearly to be deduced from the remarks of the senator that but for the fixing of tirna limit +ba roiIroodc a the expense of the people, would continue to grow fat-and the people continue to grow poorer. He made it plain that he was certain the President, in after years, would not establish a freight tariff ob- viously oppressive, but at the same time, he declared no one knew into whose hands the President would delegate au- thority-whether into hands of practical or theoretical, impulsive men.
 HAPPENING UNESSENTIAL
 Senator Underwood reiterated his for merly expressed belief that in view of the war, Congress should give the Pres- ident any war legislation that he de- sires to possess.
 He made the point, however. that rate fixing was not a necessary legislative ad- junct to the proper conduct of the war. He took the position that to give the President blanket-power over all matters. including those having nothing to do with the war. would be the setting up Of a one-man power rather than the per- petuation of government by law.
 With the President possessed of the oh fn init wood declared, that no honest objection could be raised to the provision giving the interstate commerce commission au- thority to review rates and If necessary to revise them.
 BILL MAKES LEADERS
 In the opinion of several Washington observers. the pending railroad legisla- tion is, pushing to the front men with whom the country must reckon in fu- ture president campaigns. ' Secretary McAdoo. as director general of the railroads, is regarded as candi- date for the presidency provided Presi- dent Wilson opposes a movement to elect him for third term.
 After Colonel Roosevelt, Senator John- son of California is most frequently dis
 
 cussed as the standard bearer of the re- publican forces. He stands unequivocally for governmental ownership. Senator Underwood, as a conservative in the sit- uation. as opposing all radical tenden- cies has prominent place in the lime light
 AN EDITORIAL VIEW
 w. V. Byar, editorially in the Wash inGton Times, reviews the recent railroad control speech of Senator Underwood as follows:
 Being from Alabama, Senator Oscar w. Underwood is democrat, of course and by the same rule an administration democrat. strong supporter of the President. This left no room for sur prise when he supported the adminis- tration's policies of railroad possession and control in the Senate yesterday. But the amount of inside information on the existing situation he managed to di- Vu1ge tn nufSi0ara wit bont l.. :.