"I'LL PAY MY BILLS SO YOU CAN PAY YOURS" IS A VERY GOOD SLOGAN AT ANY TIME
rand? 1Etf writm Wbstinxtt.
AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER PRINTS THE NEWS THE DAY IT HAPPENS
VOLUME XVI
LA GRANDE, OREGON. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1917.
NUMBER 202,
IDE
STORY OF HE
GE
H
W
1
SEVERANCE OF DIPLOMATIC RE
LATIONS ASTONISHED BERLIN.
THEY BELIEVED PRESIDENT
WOULD NOT DARE TO ACT.
ES
I
0
HIGHWA
E
I
DANGER
BENE! IN HINDENBUne BELIEVES THAT '
SUBMARINES WILL WIN IN PRESENT II
A GRANDE BUSINESS MEN
URGED TO GET BACK OF
HOUSE BILL 323.
JbPPORT OF OUTSIDE
LEGISLATORS NEEDED
Vt Meeting of Business Men at Lunch
eon It Is Pointed Out That Highway
Through Eastern Oregon May Be
Left Out of State Program Rev. C.
A. Edwards Speaks on Lincoln.
La Grande, and Baker, and Pendle
ton, m fact Union, Wallowa, Umatilla
and 'Baker counties must bet bu3y or
they will be lett out of the state high
He is Awaiting an Opportunity for a
Decisive Battle. French Munitions
. - m . . i- -- s4 uiey win De leu out 01 tne state nign-
Are Thought to Be Low. Cjerman y program, S8id cge t. cochran
i , . i at the meet'ni? f the La Grande busi-
internal Aiiairs iteacnea unsis m
November When the People Were
Destitute and Despondent. Power
ful Influences Demanded Unlimited 2rrBt
Submarining. Militants Are Anxious
For War With United States.
(By Carl W. Ackerman, United Press Correspondent.)
Berne, Switzerland, Feb: 13. The severance of diplo
matic relations astonished Berlin. .,. - : ,
German-Americans in the United States assured the
officials President Wilson would not dare act fearing in
ternational trouble.
Chancellor Hollweg was admittedly downcast when Am
bassador Gerard departed.
Foreign Secretary Zimmerman was nervous when he
bade farewell to the American correspondents. He in
sisted "President Wilson wants war". He denied Ger
many made any irrevocable Sussex promises.
General Von Hindenburg believes submarines will win
the war before the United States enters. He is awaiting
an opportunity for decisive battle. He cancelled all army
furloughs for February.
Germans think French munitions are low on account of
coal famine. Militarists are anxious to fight the United
States. Newspapers are urging caution. It is urged that
submarines spare vessels carrying American passengers
Censorship is severest for the last three months. Cor
respondents are unable truly to depict the German con
ditions. . Censors passed dispatches designed to influence
American public opinion, but halted all others.
Germany's internal affairs reached a crisis in Novem
ber. The people were destitute and despondent.
Socialists threatened a militant peace movement unless
the Kaiser asked for peace immediately.
Powerful anti-American land owners and Industrial
leaders demanded unlimited submarining.
National Liberals, seeking American war, enlisted
Foreign Secretary Zimmerman's aid in ruthless submar
ining. Hollweg's peace speech won the Socialists.
The Allies reply greatly frightened Turkey. The Sulatn
must continue fighting while the Germans defend Con
stantinople. General Von Hindenburg absolutely controls
Bulgaria.
ness men at luncheon at noon at the
Sommor hotel today. Thero was . a
large turnout today and the luncheon
was a great success.
Mr. Cochran urged evoryona pres
ent to write to their friends in the leg-
their business asso-
Portland und the Willamette
valley to support house bill 323, which
establishes a state highway through
The Dalles, Bigga, Pendleton, La
Grande and Baker to the Idaho line.
As indicated in another column there i
: f c. ..i r . .. l j. i , i i I
m au ciiun. uu iuul 10 teuve uits part
of Eastern Oregon out of the state
highway program, and it will require
determined work on the part of East
ern Oregon to head this off.
A committee to look after the cam-
SUBMARINING
CLOSES GRAIN
ELEVATORS
MARKET BREAKS, WHEAT DROPS
TWO TO THREE CENTS
IN CHICAGO.
SIX MORE ELEVATORS
ARE SOON TO CLOSE
They Cannot Ship Grain Since All
Western Railroads Have Placed
Embargo on Grain Shipments East
ward - Dealers Predict Complete
Demoralization of the Market.
(Continued on Page Eight.)
Chicago, Feb. 18. (United Press)
Submarining caused-five grain el
vators to close. The market broke
and May wheat dropped two cents,
July three cents and September two
and a half cents.
It was announced that six additiona
al grain elevators would soon close as
they cannot ship any grain.
All western railroads have embar
goed grain shipments eastward.
Deulers predicted a complete de
moralization of the market unless re
lief is forthcoming.
Embargo Effective From Here.
The La Grande freight agent of the
O-W. R. & N. company today said
that an embargo had been on some
eastern points for the past ten days
and that the number of places was
constantly growing. Inability of the
consignees to unload cars was the
cause given by him but this cause may
be the result of fewer carriers on the
Atlantic soalward since the inaugura
tion' of the Germ:m unlimited sub
marining policy, February 1.
BRITISH
WARSHIPS
FORM LANE
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
New York, Feb. 12. (United Press) Passengers from
England declared that British warships formed a lane
across the Atlantic.
Wireless communication between the patrols and the
admiralty are never interrupted.
Warships watch all trans -Atlantic essels, attempting to
prevent submarines from entering the safety lane.
?. ;
Dense Fog Limits Fighting On the Western Front.
1 1:,. c :n. i.: i -i o tj . ,
ji'j-iui, via navvinc, rcu. u. n is announced mat a
dense fog has limited the fighting activity on the Western
front. Artillerying has been resumed at the Sommo Sec
tor. The British raiders were repulsed between Ypres
ana rras.
THE WEATHER
I Portland, Ore., Fob. 13. (United
I Press) The weather forecast: Fair;
northeast winds.
STATE HIGHWAY BONDS
PROPOSED AT SALEM
JOINT ROADS AND HIGHWAYS
COMMITTEE OF SENATE AND
HOUSE PROPOSE TO SUBMIT
TWO BILLS.
PROPOSED TO RAISE FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND
DOLLARS ANNUALLY H AUTOMOBILE LICENSES
Bills Provided For Construction of Roads
Through Eastern Oregon Through What
ever Counties Agree to Establish Rock
Work Foundation. Road From La Grande
To Joseph Proposed. Bend, Klamath Falls,
Crater Lake, Medford, Eugene, Roseburg,
Myrtle Point. All Get Roads.
Salem, Feb. 13. (United Press) The state highway
londiug program was launched today. ,
-Join Senate and House Roads Highways committees
conferred at noon ana discussed tne proposed two bills.
One provides for the construction of highways, another
for increased Automobile licenses for the purpose of rais
ing half million dollars annually. . r 1 -
J. he hill provides tor the construction or a road from
Multnomah County to Eugene via Harrisburg, Forest
drove and McMinnvillo. It extends the Columbia High
way from Multnomah to Astoria.' It plans to build a road
through eastern Oregon through whatever counties agree
to establish rock-work foundations. ,
It is additionally phiimed to build a system of rock post
roads from Eugene to the California line, Roseburg to
Myrtle Point, 'McMinnvillo to Tillamook, Medford to Cra
ter Lake, Klamath Falls to Medford, The Dalles to Bend
and Klamath Falls, Bend to Lakeview, Eugene to Coos
Bay, La Grande to Joseph.
The House killed Crandall's bill fixing maximum pas
senger fares. The Railroad Commission recommended in
definite postponement.
Three Americans Among the Savonian Survivors.
; London, Feb. 13. (United Press) Three Americans
were among the fifteen Saxonian survivors. They landed
safely. Tw Savonian was submarined February 8th, and
one American injured. The English boatswain died of
his wounds. The life boats drifted for sixty-eight hours.
Motor Men Meet Tonight.
The members of the La Grande ,
jVutn Motorcycle Delacrs associa
tion will meet tonight at 7:30 in the
V. M. C. A. to discuss plans for the
comine automobile and motorcycle
show.
GERMANY IS GUARDED BY A MI03EA GIBRALTAR!
IF YOU WANT A HIGHWAY THROUGH EASERN
OREGON, WRITE THIS LETTER TO BUSINESS
HOUSES YOU PATRONIZE IN PORTLAND
AND ELSEWHERE IN OREGON:
House Bill 323 now pending before the Legislature,
places the extension of the Columbia Highway through
La Grande. We are each year increasing our business
with Portland and should remain tributary to that city.
Such a road would also affect the trade of Southeastern
Washington. The tourist trade through here now goes to
Portland and partly through Walla Walla and Spokane, to
Seattle. All of this would go to Portland. Such a road
as is proposed in House Bill 323 would insure this.
Our business relations have always been very pleas
ant, and you would do me a great favor if you would im
mediately write your delegation in the Legislature, and
ask them to support House Bill 323.
Yours truly,
Copies of this letter may be obtained at this office.
IS-S. TO SPEND
iiHMOOO
Washington, Feb. . (United
Press) The house passed ap
propriations amounting to $36,-M,00.
LINER AFRIC
11
THIS IS THE BIGGEST VICTIM SO
FAR OF UNRESTRICTED
WARFARE.
Hostile war vessels are prevented from approaching Germany's
coast by the fortified Island of Helgoland, in the North sea, which Oer
many acquired from Great Britain in 1890 and turned Into the world's
strongest island fortress.
This Island now guard both Germany's North sea port and the.
Kiel canal. The island covers only one-fifth of a square mile, and since
the war its civilian inhabitants have all been removed, so It to exclu
sively a military and naval post, holding defensive engine that ran only
be guessed at. The fortifications extend for a mile and a half along
the summit or the cliffs. The small map shows Helgoland's strategic
position for tltr defense of lire men and Hamburg-
HELGOLAND
TO BAMBtJRGll
Iondon, Feb. 12. (United
Press) It is announced that the
White Star liner Afric has been .
nbmarincd. She was a steel ves
sel of 12,000 tons.
She is the biggest victim so far
of the unrestricted submarinisg.
Seventeen sailors are missing-.
The admiralty stated that the
xplosion killed five sailors oat
right. It is admitted that the
Afric was engaged in government
sarvice, probably as transport.
airs. Ward Smith of Starker
visitor in the city today.