Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (March 23, 1919)
life 84 Pages Five Sections Section One Pages 1 to 24 VOL. XXXVIII so. 12. PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MQRNING, MARCH 23, 1919. PRICE FIVE CENTS. POSTAL CHIEF PUT OUTBYBURLESON SATISFYING HUNGER OF 86,500,000 REAL JOB HOOVER TELLS OF TASK OF ECOSOM1C COUNCIL. T GIRL SLAYER SPIRITED TO NEW HIDING PLACE GOTHAM REDS DERIDE 'SNEAKRET' SERVICE. 10LG0TT TO SERVE 4 REMOVAL FROM JAIL BRINGS RADICALS PROTEST AGAINST DEBS IMPRISONMENT. CRITICISM TO SHERIFF. LOW LUMBER ITALIANS ADAMANT SOON IMPROBABLE ON FIUME QUESTION Postmaster-General Sum marily Ousts Mackay. A. F. ADAMS PUT IN CHARGE Government Alleges Company Head Wouldn't Obey Orders. COURT ACTION EXPECTED Rcinoied I'residcnl of J'osial and Other Officials May Fight Attempt lo Bar Tlieui From Company. WASHINGTON. March SI. Differ ences between tne management of the IostaI Telegraph i Cable company and PostmaAler-Uenera! Burleson, acute ever nincc the government assumed lunlrol of the telegraph and telephone i-yatems. culminated today in an order by the postmnster-seneral summarily removing the chief officers, directors and owners of the Postal company from all duties in connection with gov ernment operation of their systems. In the place of Clarence H. Mackay, president of the company, the order appointed A. F. Adams, president of the Kansas City Home Telephone com pany and member of the government genera! teiephone and telegraph op crating board, to take over manage ment of the entire Postal system. Mr. Adama Takes Chars. In announcing the action postoffice department officials tatd Mr. Adams presented the order at the company's headquarters in New Turk today and t'lok over control. V. W. Cook, general counsel, and Villiam Deegan, secretary. were named specifically with Mr. Mackay in the removal order; The department's announcement said the action was made necessary by failure or refusal of the Postal officials to follow instructions, efforts to em barrass and discredit government con trul and failure promptly to put a new wage schedule and the eight-hour day into operation. . Officials caid informally they as sumed the Postal company would seek to interfere with execution of the order' by some court action, though they did not know what form it might take C.aarrti.n In Retailed. The officers relieved of their duties under the government retain heir con nection with the company itself, the postmaster-general's authority extend ing only to the actual control and op c ration of the company's 'properties. Last January Mr. Burleson removed F.dward Reynolds, vice-president and general manager of the Postal, on the frround that he was obstructing opera tion under the government. j;i:.movai. hi;li despotic act Itiirloon';. statement Denounced by 1'oMal ortti-iafo. NBW YORK. March li Refusal by the Postal Telrprapli company to sanc tion an Increase of telegraph rates which it deemed unjust and an award of a ID ler cent wage Increase to em ployes instead of .tl'.e S -icr cent ad vanced by I'ciiiiaster-ieneral Burleson were said lonipht bywilliam S. lee can. secretary of the company, to be tlte "reasons"" Tor tlie renual today by Mr. Kurlcson of Chtrence Mackay. pres ident, and oihcr officials of the com pany. ' .Mr. lcrgan declared lhat "we shall not surrender or abandon our fight ligainst Burleson's usurpation." The order removing the officials was served at noon without previous notice, said the statement, v. hich continued: "Burleson Kites us as a reason for1 the order thwt we have failed to carry out his orders and instructions. vVe do not know what Burleson refers to in the way of orders and Instructions. This Is all a pretense. "The statement by Burlrsu'ii that we. failed promptly to put into effect the waca increase h a distortion. "We an nounced an increase in wages of all our employes oil March 5, effective from -January 1. which as more generous than that ordered by Burleson. The Burleson schedule was based entirely vn the Western Cnioii plan of organi sation, which is different from 4urs, and it was impossible to apply to' our . organization. Burleson's operating board admitted this, and told us to do the best we could. Burleson's state ment on the wage schedule is ar deliber ate attempt to distort facts. -we iia reiuse to assent to a propo sition made by Burleson's operating board of the Bell telephone and Western ' f Oiiou officials to increase telegraph "We did refuse to assent to a propo- rate?, but this never reached the form of an order. Burleson carefully re frains from mentioning this, and this may be why he has removed our offi cials." The statement, which declares the ac tion of the postmaster-general to be "one of the most despotic acts in the history of the government," and that his purpose "evidently is to destroy the pustal Telegraph system," says the men who were appointed to take over the property know nothing of the telegraph business. "The three men who came to the Postal Telegraph building at 253 Broad- iCuuciuvicd vu l'6 Culiuua -. American Treasury Funds Up to About $300,000,000 Expended for Food lo End of February. tCopyrisht by ihe New Tork World. Pub lished by Arrangement.) PAP.IS. March 22. (Special Cable.) j Herbert C Hoover In an interview said of the food tasK -confronting the su preme economic council: "We have to feed 7.500.000 people in Belgium. 20.000.000 in Poland. 13.000.000 In Cxecho-Plovakia. IJ.000.000 in Rou mania. 12.000.000 or 11.000.000 in Greater Serbia and 20.000.000 in Finland, Ar menia and other countries. Cp to the end of February we expended from the American treasury somewhere in the neighborhood of I2S0.000.000 to JJ0O 000.000 representing about a million tons of food, the largest part of which has arrived. Mr. Hoover then mentioned what he considered would be the food require ments of the peoples to be supplied; the Poles, about 60.000 to 70.000 tons per month: the roumanians, 60,000 to 60.000 tons; the Greater Serbians, 40,000: the Ciecho-Slovaks. 50,000 to 60.000; Belgium. 150.000 tons, and the other liberated peoples, 60.000. BERLIN, March 22. The first lot of flour imported lnU Germany since the armistice will be placed on sale in case lota this week. The price will be 926 pfennigs for a German pound, or ap proximately 140 a barrel at the normal rate of exchange. The flour will be distributed in pound lota for use in gravies or other culinary purposes, but not for making oread. PROUD FATHER CELEBRATES On Return of Soldier-Son, Hood River Man Buys More Land. HOOD RIVER. Or., March 22. (Spe cial.) A. F. Bickford. member of the directorate of the apple growers" asso ciation, who is just back from a tour of Atlantic coast marketing centers, where he conducted investigations for the co-operative sales agency, celebrat ed the homecoming of his soldier son. Hayes Bickford, yesterday by the pur chase of 30 acres of bearing orchard from R. H. Weber. The son, just back from France with the 69th regiment of artillery, has doffed his olive drab for overalls, and has begun the season's spraying. Mr. Bickford said the favorable out ook for Northwestern fruit in eastern cities actuated him in buying additional orchard property. He and his' son now have 50 acres of trees In their charge. BELGIAN EXILES THRIFTY Refugees In England Reminded of Income Tax Due. LONDON. March 22. Belgian refu gees who fled to KnrlanJ at the be ginning of the war have made their residence profitable, according to testi mony at court at Hempstead, where a number appeared today to answer to the charge of not paying their income tax. Women, it was testified, made as much as $1300 a year, while it was not uncommon for men to earn from J -000 to 13500. None of the 50 Belgians summoned before-the court had taken any notice of the order to pay their tax and the court ordered that they make amends "for their mistake." FRANCE TO REBUILD LINES Expenditure of Huge Sum Planned to Ueorganize Communication. PARIS. March 22. The expenditure of more than 2.000.000,000 francs in the reorganization of communication in northeastern France is planned by Al bert Clavcille. minister of public works. In a report to President Poincare tly minister says that more than 900.00. 000 francs should be expended for th construction of new mam railroad lines. more than S7.O,000 francs for the con struction of waterways, more than 20. 000.000 for building and rebuilding roads and more than 600,000,000 for the reconstruction and improvements of maritime ports. DENMARK TO GET CAPTIVES France' Conenls lo Repatriation of l.crmun Prisoners. PAP.IS. March 22. In conformity with the attitude of the British gov ernment, the, French war office con sented to the immediate repatriation of German prisoners of war born in Danish Schleswig. The first group will be sent to Den mark from Dunkirk on a Danish ship. CARUSO GETS BIG OVATION Twenty-fifth Year on Operatic Stage Is Celebrated. JEW YORK, March 22. Enrico Caruso received a great ovation tonight at the Metropolitan opera houss at a celebration of his 25th year on the op eratic stage. Arranged on the stage were costly gifts from the tenor's admirers. STORM TIES WIRE SERVICE Sleet and Wind In Wyoming Show No Signs of Abating. DENVER. March 22. With no sign of abating the sleet arid wind storm that has gripped Wyoming since Thurs day afternoon continued to hamper all ognlzed the independence of Lithuania Reports from Cheyenne late "today were that the storm was increasing in severity. i Indications Are That High Prices Will Continue. TENDENCY STILL IS UPWARD Conference at Washington En counters Difficulties. . REVISION FAR FROM EASY Efforts to Fix Quotations in Line Wllh Steel Products Unavailing. Builders Urzcd to Resume. WASHINGTON. March 22. Represen tatives of the lumber industry and the industrial board of the department of commerce encountered many difficulties peculiar to the trade in beginning con ference today with a view to effecting price revision similar to those in steel prodifcts. At the close of more than six hours of discussion it was announced that n the absence of any organization competent to speak for a majority of the lumber producers of this country, no agreement had been reached. Hope of any agreement was held out, how ever, in the decision to have a com mittee of the lumbermen remain in Washington for consultation with the board and to supply available figures on production costs In each section of the lumber industry. Further meetings will be subject to the call of the board. It was evident from comments after the meeting that the lumbermen did not hold out any prospect of material reductions in prices of their products. It was stated that the Increases had continued even after the signing of the armistice. Geaeral Authority Lacking. In response to the request of the board that the lumbermen take the initiative in submitting a schedule of revised prices, it was pointed out that nobody present had authority to take such action other than for his own plants, and that even if an "agreement were reached at the conference its ef fect would be local to these plants and have no general effect. Some of the lumbermen were dubious as to the legality of any price agree ments. Jolm H. Kirby of Houston,' Tex., bluntly said the associations of which he was a member would "throw out" any man guilty of conspiring to fix prices- . What the board members told the lumbermen on this subject was not disclosed, "out it generally had U'oncludeJ on Page 10. Column 2.) IT MAY BE GOOD DISCIPLINE t Ijjjji,... '. " 1, .tfffTsi.Ui i , xM . I t Identification of Handwriting in Suicide Note Held . Important Angle in Case. SEATTLE, Wash.. March 22. (Spe cial.) Ruth Garrison, confessed slayer of Mrs. Grace Glatz Storrs, was spirit ed away to a new hiding place Saturday afternoon by Sheriff John Stringer. After remaining over night at the House of the Good Shepherd, .North Fiftieth street and Sunnyside avenue, the sheriffs car. at 5 o'clock Saturday afternoon, carried her to a new place of detention, the location of which the sheriff refused to divulge. She will probably be kept there until the day of her trial, which will prob ably be three or four weeks hence, the sheriff asserts. 'I'm .not going to put her in the county jail," he declared. Hiding Place Withheld. The reason for .emoving her from the House of he Good Shepherd. It was said, was because a constant stream of visitors and curious persons had per sistently harassed the sisters in charge of the institution. The hiding of the prisoner, the burial of Mrs. Storrs and the declaration by D. M. Storrs. husband of the murdered woman, that he did not believe his feel- ngs toward Ruth Garrison had under gone any marked . change because of her confession to the murder of his wife, constituted the principal devel opments in the case Saturday- Slain Woman Baried. Mrs. Storrs was buried in Calvary cemetery Saturday morning following funeral services held at the Church of Our Lady of Good Help. The services were strictly private. Asked if he hud made any effort to attend his wife's funeral Storrs re plied: "What's the use? Tou know how much chance a fellow would have in this dump-" Inquiry among the Jailers developed the fact that Storrs had made no ef fort to attend the funeral and that if he had asked to do so the chances were very much in favor of his having been sent under escort. It has been done many times in the past, even with men charged with graver crimes than held against Storrs. Offense ot Realized. Asked concerning his plans as they effected Ruth Garrison. Storrs said he had not attempted to make any. He expressed satisfaction at the news that Ruth had been taken to the House of the Good Shepherd instead of to the county jail. . . ... . "People probably do not care a rap how I feel in the matter." he said, "but I know Ruth pretty welL She does not know what she's done. I'm certain of it without having seen her that she hasn't the slightest idea of he enor mity of her offense." The answer to the question which Ruth Garrison constantly asked when she was arrested, W ill he still love me?" was answered in part Saturday by Storrs himself when he was asked if (Concluded on Page Column 1.) FOR THE COOK, BUT IT'S TOUGH ON THE REST OF THE HOUSEHOLD. M. House's Solution of Problem Yet Secret. SITUATION IS EMBARRASSING French Press Sees "Growing Confusion" at Conference. BITTER CRITICISM VOICED Writer in Le Journal Says "Fits of Temper" by Council Are Not Fa vorable for Developments. PARIS, March 22. (By the Assoc! ated .Press.) There is no hint yet as to the character of the plan under con sideration by E. M. House, for a settle ment of the Flume problem, but It is expected the plan will be ready In a day or two. " The Italian delegation has answered all advances made aiming at the es tablishment of the eastern frontier without assigning Fiume to Italy by declaring that any such solution, even if accepted by the delegates here, would be useless, as neither the Italian par liament nor people would ratify such an agreement for the abandonment of what they consider "the indispensable completion of the mother country." Much Propaganda Spread. For many weeks past they have been simply flooding other delegations and the offices of foreign correspondents with literature to support Italian claims. This incited the Serbian dele gation in Paris to very sharp responses which were given to the pres3 and which denounced Italian contentions as being in absolute violation of President Wilson's 14 points because they deny access to the sea to the Jugo-Slav peo pic in the interior. The supreme council is called upon directly in deciding this issue to pass upon the validity of secret treaties ne gotiated in London in 1915, some of which at least are held to be at vari ance with the "14 points." The coun cil is also embarrassed by the probable effect of any decision it may make in the Fiume ca3e upon Greek and French claims to the Smyrna coast, Polish claims to Lemberg and Polish claims to Danzig. The whole question will go before President Wilson for consideration and solution. Its removal as the serious danger mark in . the conference pro- ( Concluded on Pago 10, Column 1.) E. Bolshevik Diatribes Clieercd by Croud of S000 Nation-Wide Strike July 4 Is Proposed. NEW YORK, March 22. A suggestion that members of the National Security league and United States "sneakret" service agents be ducked in the East river was cheered by nearly 5000 rad icals who attended an open-air mass meeting here today to protest against imprisonment of Eugene V. Debs, so cialist leader, and other radicals con victed of violating the espionage act. The suggestion was made by Joseph Coldwell of Providence, R; I., who ex plained that Russian revolutionists had ducked all military police. Coldwell exhibited a dictagraph with which he said government agents had obtained evidence with which to convict him of violating the 'espionage law. He ex plained his presence at the meeting by saj'ing he was out on $25,000 bail pend ing an appeal. Another salvo of cheers grrceted Cold well's announcement that Debs had de clared he wanted "first, last and all j the time to be known as a bolshevist." Scott Nearing, socialist and former college professor, who was acquitted recently of a charge of violating the espionage act. was given an ovation. He urged that American workers unite in' organization of an "industrial com monwealth." This," he declared, "is ,the only means of obtaining real freedom. You must be ready to sacrifice your lives to this cause if need be." Irwin St. John Tucker, another speak er, proposed a -nation-wide strike on July 4 in protest against imprisonment of Debs and other radicals. COURT ORDERS AUCTION Spokane Heat, Light & Power Com pany Up for Sale. SPOKANE, March 22. An order for the sale of the assets of the Spokane Heat, Light & Power Company here. operating in the hands of a receiver, at public auction, April 21, was issued by United States District Judge Frank H. Rudkin here today. A minimum bid of $250,000 was set by the court but first bonds outstanding against the company held by eastern electrical concerns, total $1,400,000. Th company is capitalized at $3,500,000. FOREST FLOCKS INCREASE About 100,000 Sheep Under Control of Deschutes Administration. BEND, Or., March 22. (Special.) One hundred thousand sheep will b under the control of Deschutes national forest officials, it was estimated today. In addition to 40,000 which will graze on the Deschutes forest about 60,000 the Cascade and Santiam forests hav been transferred to the administration of Supervisor N. G. Jacobson. MOB RAGES IN BUDAPEST nicntion to Proclaim Soviet Repub lic Is Reported. COPENHAGEN, March 22. A Buda pest dispatch says that a mob stormed he postoffice and military buildings nd destroyed a Honved monument. reported that the extreme socialists ntended to proclaim a soviet republic. -tied Russian troops are reported to ave arrived at Tarnopol. INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The Weather. . YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature, degrees; minimum, 40 degreee. TO DA Y'S Fair; moderate winds, metal ly tjouthcrli . I'orcisn. Supreme economic council has &6,000,0u0 people to feed. Section 1, page 1. Italians adamant on Kiumc question. Sec tiou 1. page 1. Big German merchant fleet ready to leave for h. tr. hection 1, page 4. German officer fears bolshevfsni. Section 1, page 0. Balkan question now is troubling Home. .Section 1, page S. f-iportf. Scholastic nines to begin play April 16. Sec tion page 3. RIttcr will replace Siglin. if latter fails to report. Section page 1. l'"ive Portland teams -'entered Up bowling title series at Vancouver. . Section page 2. -Winter jrolfing In London unpleasant. Sec tion , page 2. Multnomah clufe preparing for Olympic games, bee tion '1, page ii. IN'ationaJ. Postal president removed. Section I, page 1. Indications are that high lumber prices will continue. Section 1. page 1. First installment of income tax payments totals more than billion. Section 1, page II- Dommtic New. York radicals protest against imprison ment ot lets. Section J, page 1. Police charged with attempting to prevent prosecution of mayor. Section 1, page 1. Pacific Northwest. Olcott may serve 4 years as governor, rules attorney-general. Section 1, page 1. Girl slayer spirited to new hiding place. Section 1, page 1. Idaho picks Borah as next president. Sec . tion 1, page 9. Olympfa executive uses ax on bills. Sec tion 1. page 10. Washington resents Swedibh disloyalty. Sec tion 1, page 11. Consecration of Rev. Joseph McGrath as bishop of Oregon will be tomorrow. Sec- " "shtn 1, page 2'Z. , ' Portland and Vicinity. Rural recreation in store for children. Sec tion 1. page 12. Attractive school home Superintendent Grout a plan, section 1, page 16. Y. M. C A. extends pre-war activities, sec tion 3, page lo. . - Four Portland boys become experts in army hospital service. Section 1. page lb. Opinions differ as to league of nations. Sec tion l, page t. Victory loan drive to be far-reaching. Sec tion 1, page 1. Highway commission to fix state road routes this weeK. section j, page jo. j Chamber of Commerce opens membership drive Tuesday. Section 1, page -0. Extortion charged in recovery action. Sec- ; tion 1, page 1:1. VVeotber report, data and forecast. Sec tion , vagii -1. , YEARS, SAYS BROWN Attorney-General's Ruling to Have Legal Test. FRIENDLY SUIT ARRANGED Treasurer to Refuse to Pay Salary as Governor. SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE Opinion Handed Down Holds Cover nor May Resign as Secretary of State, Naming Successor. SALEM, Or.. March 22. (Special.) Governor Olcott is entitled to serve the full four years of the unexpired term of the late Governor "Withycombe. Ho likewise has authority to resign as sec retary of state and appoint his suc cessor to that office without jeopardiz ing his right to remain as governor of Oregon. These are the salient features of a sweeping opinion handed down today by Attorney-General Brown. The opin ion was given at the request of Gov ernor Olcott, who, shortly after he took office as governor, announced his de sire to relinquish the office of secre tary of state and name a successor if the laws of Oregon would permit of such a procedure. Friendly Milt to Be Started. That his opinion might be tested fit the Oregon supreme court at the earli est possible moment, the attorney-general advised Governor Olcott that a friendly suit should be instituted in the supreme court immediately in or der that all doubt might be set at rest. The attorney-general suggested that State Treasurer Hoff be asked to refuse payment on Governor Olcott's salary warrant as governor in order that the latter might bring mandamus proceed ings in the supreme court. "As the basis for a friendly suit, 1 will ask the. state treasurer to refuse payment of the warrant that will be issued for salary due me as governor for the month of March," said the gov ernor shortly after he had been apprised of the attorney-general's opinion. "In . asking Attorney-General Brown for an opinion on this subject, I requested in formation as to how to obtain the speediest possible determination of the question, and am pleased that he so quickly found the way for a solution." Treasurer to llefuae Payment. State Treasurer Hoff said he would consent to act on the suggestion of Governor Olcott, which means that the mandamus proceedings will be started immediately after April 1. If the supreme court sustains the opinion of the attorney-general and holds that the governor has authority to resign as secretary of state and name his successor. Governor Olcott is ex pected to take such action shortly thereafter, his reason for so doing, as out l-ined in a recent announcement of his policies. Is that he desires a third member on the state board of control Under present conditions, holding both offices jointly, ho has absolute control of the actions of this important state board. Former Opinion Cited. Attorney-General Brown's opinion re cites a portion of Oregon's political history back to the days of the con stitutional convention and he refers pointedly to the fact that eminent jur ists of those early days, who assisted in framing the constitution of Oregon were of the same opinion regarding the egal status of a governor who takes office by virtue of the death or resig nation of his predecessor. The principal question which Gov ernor Olcott sought to be determined was whether or not ho could surrender the office of secretary of state without automatically surrendering- the office of governor at the same time. Reply In Given In Part. The attorney - general's answer, as embraced in his lengthy opinion, in part follows: "My answer to the foregoing Inquiry is that in my opinion you have a law ful right to resign the office of secre tary of state, and the surrender of said office will in no way cloud your title to the office of governor of the state of Oregon. My opinion is formed from the language used in section 8, article of the Oregon constitution, in part reading as follows: 'Jn case of the re moval of the governor from office or his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the duties of the office, the . same shall devolve upon the secretary or state,' together with the exposition of said section of the constitution by the chief justice of the Oregon supreme, court In the case of Chadwick vs. Ear hart, 11 Oregon, 389, wl.j holds that upon a vacancy in the office of gover- , nor, the same aevotvea upon tae sec retary of state and that the secretary ecoming governor continued to dis charge the duties of governor after he had ceased t be secretary of state and ntil the governor next succeeding en tered into the office. KxhnuKtive Kenearch Made. I have also made an exhaustive re- bearch of the authorities of other juris dictions where like questions have been djudicated. l nave likewise consia red the acts of the chief justice of the upreme court in administering the oath, of office of governor to the sec retary of state when the office of the hief executive devolved upon the aee- tJuncluUed on Tuge , Culiuua 1.) :' -