New-York tribune., 1919-12-19
Belief Prevails That on SON
in-Law's Advice Mr.. Will
son Will Urge Retain
ing Roads for Two Years
May Be Campaign Issue
Congress Not Expected to
Do Executives Bidding:
May Fail to Override Veto
Ne,p York Tribune
WASHINGTON Bureau


WASHINGTON, Dec. 1s. - After
conference to-day with w. G. McAdoo,
former Director General of Railroads.
President Wilson began the shorthand
draft Of what is believed to be his long
expected message to Congress on the
railroads.
Mr. McAdoo has been q consistent
advocate of a long try-out on govern
ment control and operation, and al
though he left for New York this after
noon, his friends here are confident he
has not changed his opinion.
How far the President will follow
the McAdoo idea for continued govern
ment control was not disclosed to-
night, but there were some officials who
held to the view that Mr. Wilson will
not turn the carriers back on January
l, as he promised last spring.
Labor influence Great
The war legislation under which the
railroads were taken over by the Presi-
dent gave him authority to retain them
for twenty-one months after the procla-
nation Of peace unless he decided
sooner to'give them back. In the legis-
lation now before Congress this option
would be taken away and the President
would be required to turn them back
within short period, differing in the
Senate and House bills.
Friends of government control are
convinced that their hand has been
strengthened by developments of the
last few days. The fact that organized
labor once again has gone TO the front
TOR government operation for two years
more, that the farmers are supporting
ment operation is for the first time
showing up better than it ever has in
the past, have had their weight and will
be considered by Mr. Wilson in his
message.
If the President has been convinced
that the people Of the country are in
favor of continued government con-
troll he would follow his usual custom
and translate that feeling into his own
message and suggest continued control
to Congress.
Walker D. Hines. the present Direc-
tor General, shares the feeling Of Mr..
McAdoo that government control should
be extended for reasonable test
period, and abandoned this view only
when he became convinced that Con-
gress would not grant an extension for
at least two years. He is just as firmly
convinced now as he was when he rec
commended it two years ago that trial
of government operation under normal
conditions will prove its value. Mem
bers of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission share the views Of Mr. McAdoo
and Mr.. Hines.
May Be Campaign Issue
What Congress would do with g
recommendation that government con-
troll be extended for year or more
is not hard to predict. The Senate
sooner or later would pass the Cum
Minis bill and the Senate and House
conferees would agree upon q meas
ure that would provide for the rail
roads return within q short time after
it became law.
If the President decides upon the
desirabllity of keeping the roads for
a year or more, however, he probably
would be so completely convinced Of
the correctness of his position that
he would be willing to veto legisla-
tlon proposing an earlier return. 1t
is doubtful if his veto could be over
ridden in Congress, and in such case
government control and operation of
railroads would be made one of the
big issues, if not the principal one
in the Presidential campaign.