Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-12-27
CAN HE GET AWAY WITH IT?

Dy u. "a. Jones
When the "war emergency meas
sure" was passed authorizing the
President to take over the wire lines
of the country, every mothers son
in the Senate who advocated the
passage of the bill declared it as a
belief that the President would not
exercise the power conferred upon
him. It was argued that the legis-
lation was needed to deal with labor
problems re ating to the threatened
strike of the telegraphers. Post
master General Burlson insisted
that the interests of the country de-
manded the passage of the wire con-
troll, and it did not take long for him
to bring the telegraph and telephone
lines under his control. The war
went on and the armistice was sign
ed and no one through it all had
ever discovered anything with re-
ference to the operation Of wire lines
that constituted "war emergency"
The President finally went before
Congress and announced that the
"war was over" It was a little late
in the day but Mr.. Burleson seized
the cable lines just the same. The
Commercial Cable Company pro-
tests and resists having its proper
ties snatched from it by the uncer-
monious procession that have been
employed. The Company has engag-
ed Charles E Hughs as associate
counsel to William w. Cook, and the
Postmaster General is in for q
merry scrap in the courts.
Government ownership of the
telegraphs and telephones should nc
longer be delayed" Mr.. Burlesor
says in his annual report which is
fresh from the Government printery
He adds: @Action of Congress ir
this matter is urgently recommend
ed"
There can be no objection to Mr.
Burleson expressing these views ir
his report, for as matter of fact he
has constantly reiterated this same
opinion in previous years. But that
the processes pursued towards wire
properties under Postoffice Depart
ment, were not contemplated wher
the legislation was before the Senate
is born out by the fact that no less
an authority than Senator Lewis de
clared it to be understood that the
President did not desire to exercise
the authority; officials of the wire
company of the United States il
speaking of events at Washington
declared that "the question of Gov
ernment ownership was not dis
cussed". Mr.. Burleson himself urg
ed "the passage os the resolution
in order that the President may ac
if necessary to safeguard the inter
ests of the country during the pro
secution of the war"
When this was all going on Las
Juy. the intimation was resentet
that radical members of the Democ
ratio party with Mr.. Burleson a
their leader, were eager to have tn
lines brought under Government
control and operation during the wa
as a fore-runner to a fixed peac
policy.
The Commercial Cable Compan,
takes the position that the manne
in which they are annexed" is plain
ly egal, and they do not propos
to submit to the confscatory meth
ods employed by Mr.. Burleson. I
is pointed out in their complain
that the action of the Postmaste
General disturbs treaties with fo1
eign nations. inasmuch as the com
pany's properties stretch alike t
European and Asiatic nations4
looks as though Mr.. Burleson IN HI
effort to use the transatlantic ca
bles as his buttons for the Cover
ment ownership wire garment,
doing a poor piece of tailoring. Th
company evidently believes that tn
Postmaster General has bitten off
bigger hunk than he is going to b
able to get away with.