New-York tribune., 1919-05-02
Attorney General and Post
master General Decide
He Had Right TO Frank
Col. Wigmore's Letters
Chamberlain Is Aroused
Asserts Decision Opens Way
TO fragrant Abuse for
Purely Selfish Reasons
Washington Bureau

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, May I. - Attorney
General Palmer, ruling on the right of
Colonel John H Wigmore to circulate
under government frank propaganda
favorable to General Crowder in the
Crowder-Anseu court martial contro-
versy to-day stated in letter to Sen
ator Chamberlain, of Oregon, that
members of the Cabinet are given the
widest authority under existing law to
circulate under government frank Writ
ually any material which, in their judg-
ment, serves the interests Of tic gov
ernmcnt-
Maintaining that Colonel Wigmore's
action was taken "at the direction Of
the Secretary of War and can in no
sense be said to be the personal or self
asserted act of Colonel Wigmore." Mr.
Palmer said, there is nothing further
that this department can do in the
matter
Postmaster General Burlcson In
similar letter to Senate Chamberlain
on the same subject ruled that ,he
postal regulations were not violated by
the circulation of the anti-Ansell prop
uganda, although he admitted hat the
personal tone of the Wigmore letters
was somewhat unusual in official
letters"
Chamberlain Attacks Ruling
Senator Chamberlain, whose protest
to both departments against the circu-
lation of the Crowder side of the con-
troversy under government frank was
the occasion for the expression of opin-
ions by the Attorney General and the
Postmaster General, took vigorous ex-
ception to the official rulings in a state
ment to-day, adding that if they arc
to hold, the law covering the use of the
franking privilege should be amended
at once
The Attorney General and the Post
master General have in effect an
nounred that every executive depart
ment has full license to carry on, at
public expense, by the printing and
distribution through the official mails,
postage free, of any writings or docu-
ments, any propaganda that its then
chief may favor" said Senator Cham
ber1ain- "All he has to do is to certify
that It is in the interests of the de-
pertment- All the weight of in
trenched government influence, all its
power OF publicity, may be used to
serve the personal interests of the head
Of the department. or of any of its
bureaus
More "Gross Representations
"1n considering the result of these
opinions of the Attorney General and
Postmaster General, it must be borne
IN mind that the official communica-
tons from the Secretary Of War, both
written in fact " Colonial Wlgmore,
contain, as I have already pointed out,
gross misrepre senta tions fthe facts
In the cases cited, and were originally
promulgated for the express purpose
of answering attacks upon the existing
system Of military justice, made by me
upon ths floor OF the Senate~ They
were given freely to the press and
were read into the Congressional
Record.
Net satisfied with this Legitimate
publication OF the Secretarys defence
and the outrageously unjust suppress
sion OF the reply thereto, the Secre-
tary established his propaganda bu-
manned by other officers of the de-
funct Provost Generals Office. and had
printed at public expense and as Of
fetal dprrm ents 10000 copies of these
Baker-Crowdsr letters
Relying upon his supposed reputa-
ton IN the law school world, Colonel
Wigmore sent out under his own sig
nature upon letter-heads bearing the
imprint OF the Committee on Educa-
ton and Special Training of the War
Department, many copies of the vari-
Gus schools OF the country
ATn Interests OF Department"
aAnd now both the Attorney Gen
ersL and the Postmaster General say
that they were powerless in the mat
ter, because, forsooth, the Secretary
has determined the publication and
distribution at public expense OF
Colonel Wigrnore's personal lrttnr TO
be IN the interests Of the War De
partmcnt'
''The force Of their decisions Is that
whatever communication, official or
personal, public or private, which the
Secretary Of War decides TO be in
the interests OF the War Department
may be printed at public expense and
distributed through the mails postage
Tree That the statute allows free dig
tr1bution through the mails Of such
cemmDnicaaions only as rrelate ex~
clusiyeiy 70 the business o. the gov
ernment does not seem to Mr. Palmer
or Mr: Burleson TO be i'm nportant-
Colonel Wigmore's letter does not
relate exclusively or at all TO the busi-
Sess OF the United states. 1t is a per-
sonai appeal by Colonel Wigmore, not
member Of the bar, private citizen to
other members Of the bar as private
citizens, and not upon matter Of
government business, but upon a per
sonal defense Of the conduct Of the
Secretary and General Crowder."