El Nuevo mexicano., 1919-01-02
Up to the Republicans

Under this heading IN the latest II
sue OF his War Weekly, the one pull
location In the United States which i
most feaslessly using the scaIpel 81
the political cancers which the pref
emit administration Is treating witt
soft soap, Colonel Harvey thus revert
to the pernicioHs proposal to foist gov
eminent ownership OF railroads on thu
country five years longer in saying
We were not Of those who jeerel
when the President confessed to con
gress that he was stumped by tn,
railroad situation. indeed, we found
his frankness refreshing. II was hi
first admission in recent years OF IN
ability to form "a confident Judgment
OF his own and, as such, it constituted
a disayowal OF that ~omniscience. per
sistently claimed for him by his syco
plants and tacitly sanctioned by him,
sell, which has proved so mischievous
His recognition of the fact that IL
was a real problem which could not
be solved offhand but must be stu
died, studied Immediately and studied
without bias or prejudice BY those
directly responsible for its solution,
was particularly encouraging. So, too,
was his consignment of the whole
matter to the legislative body, where
clearly II belonged. No matter IL he
did wish to wash his hands Of the per-
plexities involved in order to free his
mind for consideration OF the larger.
affairs which he mad assumed as a
personally delegated delegation to the
international conferences the net re-
suit of his passing the buck to the d.
rect Representatives OF the people was
highly desirable. Hence our salts
faction.
But, alas, it was all an illusion and
quickly dispelled, The &. President
made his frank confession on Mon
day, December 2. The next day he
signed papers. conferred an unexpect-
ed commission upon patient Mr.. Mar
shall, gave final instructions to MIR.
Tumulty, had his hair cut, packed up
and started for his yacht. Thereafter
he was at sea, taking his meals IN
the former ~enlperor's suite, promenad-
ing the decks, comforting nominally
with the manikins. attending divine
services, listening to jazz band, CON
templating the seas as they swelled in
perfect freedom, preparing impromptu
addresses, etc, etc.
And yet during this busy week he
found time to analyze the complexi-
ties which he had just pronounced in
soluble and reached a definite con
clusion. How he did 1t and how he
conveyed the information to Washing
ton can only be imagined. 1t mayl
have been by carrier pigeon or byl
wireless of-and this Is by far thel
most likely supposition-by telepathic
suggestion. Perhaps it doesn't mat
ter, In any case we have Director
General McAdoojs word for 1t that
the President has given me permits
sion to say that this (his OWN con-
accords with his own view
Of the matter thus evidencing the
Intention OF the administration to adj
here to the director generals quite
determination. even after the
director general himself shall have
to private life, presumably a
Iorenight hence.
What, then, is the program SO pre-
,ipitately evolved from the hitherto
r~ecesses OF executive cogfta,
ion? But three courses. Mr.. McAdoo
assures us, are open. III Govern
operation of the railroads for
me year and nine months following
! proclamation of peace, which would
mean, in his Judgment, government
'peFation for a period In no event
onger than two years and three
months; 90 the prompt return Of
he railroads to private control; or
81 extension Of the period Of fed
raj control to five years.
Although the director general
trongly urges the adoption Of course /
3, continuing federal control to !
anuary 1924, the proposal need not I
ven be considered, since congress- !
as already made plain the certainty {
hat it win not be entertained for a .
moment. So pronounced. indeed, is !
he unanimity in opposition that no /
1easure to that effect is likely even {
} be introduced. I
Course No. 2, threatening immediate I
eturn of the railroads to their own c
RS without remedial legislation islt
qually unworthy Of serious consid. I
upon both practical and moral
The increases in wagesI =
by the director general total O
huge sum Of 100000, 900 and, ac- v
riding to Chairman Hines of the wage t.
oard, there are remaining over $780, 2
20 employees who will be included in c
to be issued in the near flu a
RE- thus making the average in b
In wages nearly, il not quite,
0 per cent. Despite the increase Il
| rates, now Incidentally in process L
reduction. therefore, present oper /
ton is producing an enormous dc. b
cit. Obviously the throwing back n
! the properties upon their owners p
nder such conditions would be dis. Il
'trous beyond calculation, Probably Ii
Dt one-fifth OF the railroads would Il
, able to meet their fixed charges,
say nothing of dividends, with the
leyitable result that four-fifths or
Iore would be plunged into bank !,
lptcy. =
What this would mean, in view OF =
70 billions OF railroad securities held y
insurance companies, trust compa- Y
les, savings banks, trust funds and .
illions Of investors, one hesitates to- Z
'~ntemplate. Depreciation in values, &
course, upon a scale so vast that, te
most to a certainty, in the very "a
me Of its greatest possessions. the IN
would be engulfed in a panic
lch as has never been dreamed of, m