Arizona republican., 1919-04-30
CABLES ORDERED
 BACK 7O OWNERS BY FRIDAY NIGHT
Burleson Does Not Retract
 Government Ownership Ideas-Fears New Con-
 gress' Action - Phones And Telegraph To Follow

WASHINGTON, April 29.-Con+ro1 ana operation Of all American cable systems, taken over by the government last november, will revert to their pri- Fale ownership at midnight Friday,
 Postmaster General Burleson today issued an order providing for the return or the properties in accordance with ms statement of yesterday announc- Ing that he had made such a recorn- mendation to the president
 The postmaster generals order is sued at the direction of President Will son follows:
 The marine cable systems Of tbe united States and every part thereof including all equipment and appurten- ances thereto, whatsoever, and all nlaoerlal ana supplies, the possession, control, supervision and operation of which was assumed by the president by ms proclamation of the second day of November, 1918, to be exercised by and through the postmaster general, Albert ;. Burleson, are hereby returned to their respective owners, managers. boards Of directors or receivers, to take eject on midnight May 2. 1919.
 Representatives of the postmaster general now operating said properties Will take immediate steps to carry this order into effect"
 The postmaster general, in making public the formal order, issued a state ment reiteratfng his announcement of yesterday, that the telephone and tele- graph lines, taken over last July, would be returned as soon as legislation could be obtained from congress. safeguard ing the interests of the owners. Mr. Burleson said his views as to the wis f{ffrfl of land communication had not changed but as it was apparent these views were not shared by the new congress, the | only step left was to return the sys- l tens.
 Control Has Been Difficult l Government control of the cable lines i has been exercised in the midst of con- 1 troversies, legal action to restrain the | postmaster general from seizing their l lines having been filed in a New York 1 federal court by the Commercial Cable and the Commercial Pacific Cable com | panies, who asserted that while the presidential proclamation taking over 1 the lines was signed November 2, the l actual seizure was made November 16 five days after the signing of the ar mistice. when the companies contended no need for such action existed. The l New Ork courts reTuSeQ to issue the restraining order and appeal was taken to the United States supreme court Arguments have been heard by the su- preme court on the appeal and a deci- ! sion is pending.
 Court officials intimated tonight thai attorneys for the plaintiff companies might seek an agreement to have the case dismissed.
 | Approval by the president of Post master General Burleson's recommen- dations that the telegraph and tele- phone lines be returned, was announced tonight at the White House. Argu- ments in the pending legal controversl before the supreme court to restrain the postmaster general from increasing intrastate telephone and telegraph rate' will be heard next Monday.
 MT Burleson, in his statement givinl the reasons which impelled him to rec ommend return of the telephone am
 telegraph systems, said:
 Still for Ownership
 "F'o Ia number of years the postmas
 ter general has advocated the govern
 ment ownership of the telegraph am
 telephone systems, and has urged tha
 they should be blended ith and becom t Continued on Page Two)