Book Reviews : The Roosevelt Panama Libel Cases. By CLYDE PEIRCE. (New York: Greenwich Book Publishers, 1959. Pp. 150. $3.50.)
| Date | 01 June 1960 |
| Author | Carroll P. Hurd |
| DOI | 10.1177/106591296001300240 |
| Published date | 01 June 1960 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
548
reducing
use
of
the
restraining
hand
of
regulation
to
a
minimum.
He
observes
marked
discrimination
existing
in
governmental
treatment
of
transport
agencies,
both
in
respect
to
aids
given
and
to
controls
exercised.
In
advocating
greater
neutrality
in
governmental
policies
and
hence
return
to
the
controls
exercised
by
the
market,
Professor
Nelson
urges
that
&dquo;after
initial
periods
to
hasten
tech-
nological
development,
public
aids
need
no
longer
be
allowed
to
interfere
with
markets
in
assigning
traffic
to
the
agency
best
fitted
to
transport
particular
traffic
at
the
lowest
total
resource
cost.&dquo;
This
book
is
a
solid
contribution
to
the
literature
of
policy-making.
Its
con-
tribution
lies
in
the
balanced
analysis
of
factors
that
must
be
considered
in
setting
transportation
policy.
To
some
other
analyst
is
left
the
task
of
determin-
ing
what
political
artistry
is
necessary
to
modify
the
policies
that
have
been
built
up
with
respect
to
utility
regulation
and
government
aids
to
transportation
agencies.
WINSTON
W.
CROUCH
University
of
California,
Los
Angeles
The
Roosevelt
Panama
Libel
Cases.
By
CLYDE
PEIRCE.
(New
York:
Greenwich
Book
Publishers,
1959.
Pp.
150.
$3.50.)
This
small
book
points
out
a
number
of
interesting
problems
in
government
and
history.
First,
it
gives
some
empirical
information
on
the
office
of
the
Presi-
dency
and
particularly
on
the
role
of
Theodore
Roosevelt
when
he
occupied
that
office.
Second,
it
raises
some
pertinent
questions
about
freedom
of
speech
and
press
as
stated
in
the
First
Amendment
and
the
right
in
criminal
prosecutions
to
be
tried
in
the
district
where
the
crime
was
committed,
as
provided
for
in
the
Sixth
Amendment.
Third,
the
book
points
out
the
much
larger
historical
prob-
lem
in
regard
to
the
United
States’
role
in
the
revolution
in
New
Granada
(Re-
public
of
Colombia),
and
the
purchase
and
building
of
the
Panama
Canal.
Fourth,
it
demonstrates
the
vigor
with
which
power,
corruption,
and
general
suppression
of
information
can
be
fought
by
the
medium
of
the
press
as
the
so-
called
spokesman
for
public
opinion.
All
of
the
problems
arose
after
President
Roosevelt
became
convinced
that
the
Isthmus
of
Panama
was
the
appropriate
place
for
an
inter-oceanic
canal
and
subsequently
the
maneuvers
to
buy out
the
bankrupt
French
company.
Soon
there
was
speculation,
with
considerable
evidence,
that
corruption
was
rampant.
The
New
York
World
and
the
Indianapolis
News
asked
the
question,
&dquo;Who
got
the
money?&dquo;
Editorials
were
written
on
behalf
of
the
newspapers
charging
the
United
States
Government
and
particularly
President
Roosevelt
with
mishan-
dling
the
whole
affair.
In
reaction
to
the
charges,
President
Roosevelt
attempted
to
bring
libel
charges
against
certain
newspapers.
President
Roosevelt’s
attempts
at
libel
suits
illustrate
rather
clearly
his
habit
of
seizing
upon
any
suggestion
that
caught
his
imagination
or
injured
his
pride
and
championing
it
with
all
the
fury
and
passion
of
a
crusader.
He
was
more
skillful
at
deluding
the
masses
with
specious
logic
than
at
convincing
the
in-
formed
with
sound
arguments.
This
book
also
reveals
that
he
could
be
as
small
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