The Washington times., 1918-07-02

by the President AZ director general Of
telegraph and telephones should Con'
gress confer the authority that is sought
Ths policies Of the Administrator viii
Be dstAr mined after the law 10 enacted.
One question ~fil be how extensive shall
the control of thess means OF pubic
eompunication becone Undoubtedly
the main arteries Of communicated BY
both methods would Be quickly taken
under control 80 that the Government
would be assured against interruption Of
its war business through strike or other
wise. How far the control would 80
into the telephone bufiness remains to Be
determined, although Mr.. BnrleSon has
long been outSpokenly in tsror Of com.
piete control not only - q safeguard 70
the interests Of the Government. but -
q means OF cheapening telephone service
10 the end that all citizens. however
humble, may enjoy communicates with
their fellow men a. the lowest possible
rates.
washIAEtsa SySten MaIH Artery.
The Washington telephone system
Is too thoroughly = main artery OF
Government activity to leave much
doubt as TO what the decision would
be here. War messages go In and out
Of Washington by the thousands every
day over LEGAL telephone lines. and
yet the Government has not one icts
OF authority to place its own employees
in charge so that its highly important
work may be safesuArded to the full
lest extent
II will not escape the attention OF
Congress and the public that the three
men who Joined in urging the Presi-
dent 10 ask Congress for authority
are Secretary Baker, responsible for
the successful prosecution Of the war
from the standpoint OF the army; Sec
retary Daniels. in the same position as
to the navy. and Postmaster General
Burleson, who should have wide pow
ers over all methods Of commVnica-
tion employed by the Government.
The mails of the United States are
censored by postoffice officials, who
in this way have discovered many
nests of traitors, but there is not the
same authority over telegraph and
telephons communications. Enemy
spies and traitors, Il has been demon
strated to the President, have turned
from the use Of the mails to the tele-
phone and telegraph and are getting
away with their work to a consider.
able extent
President Holding Back Cards
The President is holding back the
real big cards to be played In the
event that there develops q serious
fight against his proposition In Con-
Eress. The House will take compara-
lively little time in passing a con-
troll law, but there was no telling to
day just what viii happen in the
Senate.
The American Telegraph and Tels-
phone Company has nearly q billion
dollars invested In its Business.
owning three-fourths oethe telephone
lines OF the country-still greater
capital IL invested in the telegraph
and cable companies. Not one Of
these organizations will want the
GoSernment to get q grip on their
business, even for the period Of the
war II may mean that the Govern
ment will prove some facts about
cheapening Of service that these huge
combines will not want the country
to know. The stocks and bonds of
these concerns are owned by the
most powerful men, politically and
financially. in the world
The curtain has not yet lifted, on
the plans they are arranging today
70 attempt to defeat the proposed
legislation.