New-York tribune., 1919-04-24

'''>H"oSN N'NntitAtNu dii lutOltfdDlc
abuse of governmental authority
Rule Rarely Invoked
AT the Offices of tho Western Union
Telegraph Company rule Of the com
pany'a regulation books was cited al
the motive that prompted the rejection
of tho message, The rule is similar to
the one of the Postal company, 1t
reads as follows,
"po not accent message sontaln-
ING profane, ohhoene or libelous Ian,
guage,"
When Neweomb Carlton, preadent of
the West@n Union Telegraph Com
pany and Federal wire manager, was
asked whether the company over had
cocaHioh 10 invoke thie rule Ia the ro.
jeetion OF moHaagen, no admitted;
"The rule hNs been IN existence for
twenty year. but | do not remember IL
hnvin. been invoked beyond ono or two
instnncee' except of coureo. in cases
whcrc deliberately obaceno language
WAS used
Mr., Carlton claimed tho rejection of
"Thc World's' message was can error
IN judRmcnt' on the part Of subord
mates. He said "Thc World" manage
ment was asked to revise and modify
the message, but that instead "they
dropped It,
Sensitive About Burleson
"Hc said the Western Union night
manager who rejected the message
was particularly sensitive because the
postmaster General is the titulnr head
OF the system.' lie denied. on the
other hand, that the derogatory nature
OF the message had anything to do with
the rejection or that FEAR of Mr.
Burleson prompted the night managers
action, and said that any other cm-
ployee of the Western Union would
have acted similarly if his "boss" were
assailed.
Mr. Carlton said:
1T was an error in Judgment to have
made any comment about the message
and the matter should have been sent,
but to suggest that Mr.. Burlcson or any
other OFFICIAL of the Western Union
Knew anything about it is beyond facts
/ We have never had any orders or in
formation that we should censor any
thing being said about the Postmaster
General or the postal system
Our manager in the 'World' Office
got this dispatch, which think was
rather warm, and having in mind our
rule which he knew perfectly we'll, he
reached the conclusion that the mes
particularly sensitive because the Post
master General is the titular head Of
the system. He did what any intcllj-
gent employe would have done in his
circumstances when his boss was as
sailed.
Mr.. Carlton fastened to amend
that there are no bosses in our sys-
tenn nowhere arc only superiors" j."
Mr.. Carlton said he could not think
asked that their messages be
"m modified
Censorship Is Lifted
Mr.. Carlton then cited an order re
celved from the Postmaster General
yesterday afternoon following the
publication Of the story of the reiec-
ton Of the "World" message, provid-
! ing for the suspension Of the rule
sages where messages referring to the
Postmaster General are concerned" ="
The rule, which was sent out under
the signature of u. N. Bethel, of the
! Operating Board in Washington, said:
"By direction Of the Postmaster Gen
eral, you will suspend in so far as
messages referring to the Postmaster
General are concerned, the rules of
your company prohibiting the trans
mission of messages containing libel
Gus matter"
At the office of the Bell Telephone
Company it was stated yesterday that
"any delay which may have occurred
in the acceptance and transmission of
messages retlecting on the Postmaster
Generl was caused by the natural pre-
caution of subordinate officials in the
acceptance of matter which on its face
value appeared to he of liheous
nature until relieved from responsi-
bility by the proper authority."
AT all or the companies, the Postal
Western Union and Rell Telephone,
the element of "eaution" in the hand
ing OF messages concerning Aht
Hureson and his department was
strongly emphasized,