Daniel W. Hoan to Woodrow Wilson

TELEGRAM:1AU XA 438.4pm
MILWAUKEE, Wis.

Sir
I desire to enter my humble protest against the action of Postal officials in cancelling the mailing privileges of the Milwaukee LEADER. The City of Milwaukee has been one of the most orderly cities of the nation during this war. Its great mass of working people have in this great industrial center cooperated the aid in war time production. It has carried out every request made by either the United States Government, Red Cross or other organizations seeking assistance to aid the war without a hitch. Our citizens give their services unselfishly; in some of the districts half of the boys who have been drafted are staunch socialists. It is known that the spirit of the men from Milwaukee upon entering their cantonments was of the highest. We have organized the County Council of Defense whose efficiency has been exceeded by no other council in this country. In all this work we have had the cooperation of all the citizens of all parties and of the entire press. Some 12,000 socialist people of this city have subscribed the funds to make the Milwaukee LEADER possible. They are members of the socialist party who fought against the German military program long before this war started and will fight it if it exists after the war ceases. It is true that the paper stands for peace but this has been one of the fundamental precepts of the socialists of the world and of this country since its foundation. It would not be an unusual action for this Government to prevent articles of a certain nature in a newspaper but to take the stand that the newspaper should not be mailed is singling out only a socialist publication for the condemnation of the Government in this community savors very much of hasty and unwise action. There is no doubt in my mind but that the action of the Government will have the direct opposite effect than what it hopes to accomplish. The citizens of Milwaukee love their Government but by so drastic an action the Government can accomplish nothing but drive a wedge between the people and the Administration. I have faith that if this message comes to your personal attention that you will make a personal investigation in which case you will be convinced that the people of this city will enter into the spirit of assisting the Government during this war in a much lighter spirit if it receives on the part of the Government such fair treatment and protection of rights as are guaranteed to its citizens under the Constitution.