Evening star., 1918-02-21
PREDICTS CONTROL
OF ALLUT|L|T|ES
Telegraph, Telephones and
Coal Next, Senator Lewis
Believes.
EARLY VOTE ON R. R. BILL

1t
When the Senate began consideration
of the administration railroad bill to-
day it was with the expectation that it
would be passed before recess was
taken tonight. At the latest, its pass
age is predicted for tomorrow.
Under unanimous consent agreement
at 2 o'clock debate was limited to ten
minute speeches. After s o'clock the
debate will be limited to dve-minute
speeches. II the Senate fails to
reach a fnal vote by q comparatively
early hour tonight it is likely recess
will be taken until tomorrow. when the
debate will continue under the five
minute rule.
Big Issue in 1920 Campaign.
Senator Lewis of Illinois declared the
administration railroad bill is fore
runner of government control over va
rious public utilities, and predicted that
the question would be the great 40,
mestic issue in the next presidential
campaign.
Let us not deceive ourselves as to
the meaning of this measure" Senator
Lewis declared. This is the beginning
of the government taking the railroads
as a government agency. The roads
will never be permitted to return to
the former state of personal control
for private benefit.
Telegraph, Telephone, Coal, Next.
"At the same time this country takes
over the railroads it will take the tele-
graph and telephone privileges, and
<,.A 4-ffr Ia In
! the lands of coal and oil, and put these
under government direction.
"All agencies of this nature In this
republic necessary to the public welfare
of man will be taken by the govern
ment as a necessary protection of the
republic"
The railroads, Senator Lewis declared,
confessed their inability to meet the
situation and by surrendering to the
government admitted that the one
under the existing conditions was the
government itself.
''The government now conducts the
| roads and directs them as the proof of
it's power and ability to do so," he as
serted.
Necessary to National Defense.
THE national defense of our country
compels us to take over the railroads
and forever to control them as high
ways of governmental protection.
There is not today one system of
this government can rush troops to the
protection of its coast possessions.
Neither from the north to the south
nor from the east to the west does this
necessary condition of real government
exist.
1.-The day is Just ahead Of US when this
nation will have to fight to stop Alaska
and Hawaii from being wrested from
fhA Int f$oI C%akA
we have to protect our possessions in
the Caribbean sea and our islands in
the Atlantic. We have now no ade-
quate means to do so. Private owner
ship OF railroads failed us for the pur-
pose of sending supplies to ships or for
transport of soldiers for foreign serv-
ice. What would be the calamity under
private ownership II enemies were at
our gates and in possession OF our
country?
Let us announce that the United
States Is government and shall as
sumo governmental responsibility in
protecting all public agencies Of human
welfare from being monopoly of pri-
to accomplish this purpose will, under
no circumstances. connscate property
or impose unjustly any loss to any
citizen Of money honestly invested
Avoid Bolshevik Arising in US.
BY this system, this new relation
OF our government to public agencies,
essential to the welfare of the citizen,
we will reassure our nation; we will
infuse full confidence in our citizens;
we will engage the cooperation and
affections of all our people toward
each other and to all classes Of their
government Thus we will avoid any
bolshevik arising in the United States
We will continue a government Of in
dividual liberty and personal compe-
tition in genius and industry. We will
establish ourselves a nation of proved
success in personal prosperity and ma
tional supremacy"
Although speaking IN support of the
railroad bill in the Senate yesterday
Senator Underwood Of Alabama, demo-
crat. declared 1t lacks Limitation" and
was "crudely drafted" He said he
would vote, for 1t unless it was
amended SO as to provide for an inden-
mite period Of government control. The
existing law under which the President
took over control Of the railroads, he
asserted. was unconstitutional, because
1t did not provide for "tust compen-
sation" for the carriers.
Senators PoiAdexter of Washington
and Sherman Of Illinois. republicans,
also discussed the bill, the former urg-
ing the SUBSTITUTION of the original
draft, placing final rate making power
in the hands of tho committee. Senator
Sherman supported the bill.