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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 1915)
mm PORTLAND, OREGON. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1915. PRICE FIVE CENTS. VOL. LIV. XO. 16,909. SECRET PLAN MADE TO SAVE SHIP BILL Revision Discussed to Win Supporters. SITUATION IS COMPLICATED Advocates Confer and Hold Out Hope of Success. P01NDEXTER MAKES DEAL 'Washington Senator Heeds Wlilte House Intimation and Promises to Support Amended Bill to Save W. II. Parry. WASHINGTON. Feb. 2. A plan which they guarded with the utmost secrecy was adopted by Administration Demo crats of the Senate in caucus today to break down opposition to the Govern ment ship purchase bill. The programme Includes parliamen tary maneuvers which will be started tomorrow in the Senate, and, accord ins to leaders of the party, is calculated to bring support for the measure to off set the Democratic revolt last Monday. Kffect of Publicity Feared. After reaching an agreement the cau cus adopted a resolution pledging every member to secrecy. Senator Kern, ihairman of the caucus, announced that secrecy was necessary for the obvious reason that to make the plan public might man Its frustration. Jt was reported later that included in the plan was an agreement to amend Hie bill to conform with some sugges tions that have been made from various iourci-s within the last few strenuous cays. 'We will get into the bill in the Sen ate again today," said Senator Kern. "That positively is all that can be said. The opposition did not confide to us what they intended to do last Monday. For the same reason we cannot divulge our plans. Senator Defines Hope. "Does the plan contemplate winning votes for the bill?" "We expect to hold all the votes that we had for the bill," said Senator Kern. - "Do yon mean that 42 votes which stood fast Monday afternoon?" "That wouldn't bo enough," Senator Kern replied. "Is there hope for the bill?" the Sen ator was asked. "Hope, defined," the Senator replied, "is a combination of expectancy and desire." Ajnend meats Are Suggested. One plan suggested following the conference was that an effort might be made to amend Senator Clarke's mo tion to recommit the bill by adding In structions to the commerce committee to return it to the Senate at once with amendments. These amendments are said to be on lines to safeguard neutrality with re gard to the purchase of belligerent ships and the length of time In which the Government would engage in ocean transportation business. ( Various Conferences Held. President Wilson cenferred in the course of the day with Progressive Re publican Senators, the Democratic ma jority considered methods of procedure to regain lost ground, and the seven recalcitrant Democrats conferred among themselves with the avowed purpose of standing firm. As a result of this complicated situ ation the Democratic conference ap pointed a special committee Senators Fletcher, Simmons and Martin to con duct negotiations with a view to as ' certalning what support could be gained for the bill and on what points of revision. This special committee was prepared to report progress at the second caucus tonight and the mem bers held out hopes to their colleagues that ultimate success would be theirs. Itevolters Maintain Position. Revolting Democrats, Senators Bank head. Clarke, Camtlen, Hardwick, Hitchcock. OGorman and Vardaman, were approached by the caucus com mittee several times in the cuurse of the day and asked for a stipulation of utdis on which they might reconsider tiicir attitude. With a reservation that it might first be wise to recommit the bill, the committee was told there would be no change in the revolters' attitude toward the measure unless it was stripped of Government owner ship features, with a provision that It be understood to be an emergency un dertaking with positive limitations. One suggestion . offered was that provision be made for the Government to retire from the proposed operation of ships after two years. Another stipulation was said to be that the Government should purchase or acquire none of the ships of belligerent na tions. Two Proposals Clash. Insofar as prohibition of purchase of foreign ships now laid up in this country is concerned, such a stipulation also was proposed by some of the pro gressive Republican Senators. They, however, do not favor the Government shipping corporation as a temporary measure and suggested amendments whereby it would be instituted as a permanent venture. Here the proposals of progressive Republicans and revolt ing Democrats clashed. After Senator Norris and Senator Kenyon had talked with President Wil son, it was understood the President had looked with favor on some amend (Concluded on race .) SERBIA IS SOON TO BE INVADED AGAIN GREAT AISTRO-GERJUS FORCE IS MASSED OX RAXUBE. High Water Delays Entrance and General Staff of Little Nation Is' Confident of Success. PARIS Feb. 2. A dispatch from Nish, Serbia, to the Balkan News Azency says: "Confirmation has been received of the report that It Is the Intention of a srreat Austro-German army, under com maud of Archduks Eugene, of Austria, to attempt a third Invasion of Serbian territory. These troops have been ac tually concentrated along a line ex i.ndinr fi-nm Tskla. to Schifka. on the Danube River. Schifka is the junction point of the Hungarian, Koumanmu uu Serbian frontiers. The attack has been delayed by the rising of the Danube and the Save. "Tb. Serbian general staff Is fully confident that the issue will be favor able to Serbian arms, as the troops, and materially, are de clared to be In excellent condition. TOO MUCH FLAG ISEXCUSE "Stars and Stripes" Keep Out Hiftf Films Barred" by British Columbia. VICTORIA. B. C, Feb. 2. (Special.) Of the 7500 reels of moving pictures which "have' been barred from Britisn Columbia in the last 12 months 50.5 per cent have been "scratched because tne use of the "Stars and Stripes" was con sidered excessive. "Not that we have any objection to the flag of the United States," explained1 C. L. Gordon, the of ficial censor. "The trouble is that the majority oi the 'movies' are made on the other side of the border and particularly for the Deoole of that country. 'Old Glory, o course, Is used to the exclusion of all other National emblems." Films "slan dering the allies in the war" were re jected to the number of 5.5, while Is reels were turned back on tne score that they were anti-British., MUCH FOOD, SAYS GERMAN Berlin Statistician Denies Country Can Be "Starved Out." BERLIN, Feb. 2. (By wireless to Sayville, N. T.) A statistician on the Berllnger Tageblatt has adduced figures to show Germany is in little danger of being starved out in the present war. As a r suit of the new German bread and flour regulation, the compiler points out, less than 4,000,000 tons of rye and wheat will be required for bread up to the middle of August. Last year's harvest, he says, amounted to 14,500,000 tons, of which 1,500.000 tons were deducted for seed. ThlB leaves 13,000,000 tons at the beginning of the war, not including the grain on hand from the 1913 harvest. JURY ACTS IN 20 MINUTES Two, Extradited From California, Convicted or Embezzlement. An example of swift administration of Justice was enacted in Circuit Judge Davis' courtroom yesterday when Mr. and Mrs. F. L. Green were convicted of embezzlement after the jury had been out 20 minutes. The jury recommended that the court show leniency. The Greens are alleged to have em bezzled J200 from W. P. Slnnott on Jan uary 11. They were indicted January 18, extradited from Oakland, Cal., and returned here January 24, arraigned and pleaded not guilty January 25, con victed February 2 and will be sentenced February 4. PLAN OF POPE PROGRESSES Britain, Germany and Austria Will Exchange Civil Prisoners. ROME, Feb. 2. According to reports in circulation at the Vatican. Great Britain, Germany and Austria have answered favorably Pope Benedict's proposal for an exchange of cfYil pris oners women and children and men above the age of 55. When all the answers to the Tope's proposal have been received from the heads of the belligerent nations they will be published in the Osservatore Romano, the official organ of the Vat ican. TRANSFER CHANGE OUSTED Traction Company Heeds Appeals to Restore Old System. Many East Side residents requesting that the former transfer system be re stored. General Manager Hild. of the Portland Railway. Light & Power Com pany, announced yesterday that the old arrangement, In effect before the De cember change, wiU be resumed. The old system will be put into effect at once, that East Side passengers may transfer to the West Side of the river to reach various city points. 33-YEAR-OLD DEBT PAID In ion Pacific Receives 813 Con science Fund Dne Since '82. A conscience-stricken person sent $15 to the Seattle office of the Union Pacific Railroad, and the fund has been for warded to the Portland headquarters. Bills amounting to 315 were pinned to the following note: "U. P. R. R. Co. I have been in your dept this amount since 1882." No explanation whatever is given as to how the company was defrauded, and the Identity of the remitter remain3 hidden. D. Belgian and Cfftluu Deeds C.npared. Foundation Is Assailed Business Man Said to Impose Silence on Philanthropist. "MOTHER" JONES IS THERE Woman Strike Leader Asserts Her Right to Arm Herself to Defend "Home and Relatives" "Call to Arms" Defended. NEW YORK, Feb. 2. Jerome E. Green, secretary of the Rockefeller Foundation and formerly member of the personal staff of John D.Rocke feller. Sr.; Edward P. Costigan, of counsel for the United Mine Workers of Americti, and Frederick H. Goff, president of the Cleveland Trust Com pany, and head of the Cleveland Foun dation, testified today at the hearing of the Federal Commission on Indus trial Relations' into the philanthropic foundations of tho United States and the cause for Industrial unrest. Mr. Green outlined some of jhe work done by the various Rockefeller or ganizations and presented a chart, which the Commissioners had re quested from John D. Rockefeller, Jr., showing how the- directors of the dif ferent boards and the foundations were Interlocked. . John D.'s High Purpose Proclaimed. He denied that the foundation con stituted a menace to the public and said Mr. Rockefeller. Sr., had the highest purposes in mind when he fur nished the money when made possible the philanthropic and scientific organi sations bearing his name. Mr. Costigan vigorously assailed the Rockefeller Foundation and John D. Rockefeller, Jr.. He. read a statement which closely followed the line read last week by John R. Lawson, mem ber of ths executive board of the United Mine Workers of America, from Colorado. "Mr. Rockefeller, who appears to the world in the relief afforded Belgium as a liberal benefactor," said Mr. Costi gan, "stands convicted before the w-orkers of Colorado as a narrowly biased and vislonless money-maker. "In a great human crisis precipitated within the very household, industrially speaking, of Mr. Rockefeller, his foun dation has been heedless or impotent. And the conclusion forced on an un prejudiced public has been and Is that Mr Rockefeller, the business man, has cold-heartedly and without hesitation brushed aside and imposed silence upon Mr. Rockefeller, the philanthropist." "Mother Jones." who was in the audience. Interrupted the hearing for a moment while Mr. Costigan was be ing questioned as to whether the so (Concluded on rase 2.) JOHN PICTURED DUAL CHARACTER INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The Weather. . YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature. 4ti-0 degrees; minimum, 39.6 degrees. TODAY'S Kain; southerly winds. Legislatures. H;& masses bill to amend workmen's cora- SlO "ion act. Page . . -ofimgton Mouse passes diu iskius couu" ' . or three boards from Governor. Page 7. Legislative committees -favor 24 quarts of beer Instead of IS as limit In dry act. Page 6. . . Ronald G. Callvert says groundhog sees shadow on amended workmen's compensa tion act. , Pase 1. War. Food cargoes for Gernisny and Austria to be considered contraband, fage . Slight gain in Poland costs Germans thous ands or men. rise Serbia is to be Invaded by great Austro- German force. Page 1. Artillery duels on western front redoubled in intensity. Page a. National. W. H. Hornibrook, Albany editor, nominated for Minister to Slam. Page 4. Hobson bill, fixing standard of shells, is op posed by Naval Board. Page 2. Democrats decide on secret plan in effort to revive snip purchase bill, rage i. . Domestic. Witness says John D. Rockefeller, business man. Imposes .silence as phuantbropisi. Page 1. -Ex-Governor Tates, of Illinois, named correspondent In divorce suit. Page 3. One of worst storms of Winter Is raging in Middle West and Northeast, ragis l. Just award in wage controversy is compli cated task. Page 4. . Sports. Portland Basketball League championship goes to Wecnas. Page 12. Beavers' famous infield may pass if Derrick Js promoted to St. Louis Browns. Page 1-. Multnomah hockey team wins city amateur championship. Page U. Weather report, data and forecast. Page 17. Commercial and Marine. Local wheat prices make greatest advance since war began, page 27. Flurry In Chicago wheat pit, with excited buying. Page 17. Strong; Wall-street market for stocks and bonds. Page 17. Bar pilotage rates . of Puget Sound Tugboat Company will not . be lowered. Page 14. Portland and Vicinity. Regulation of jitneys by city is certain. Page 11. Festival city beautiful - committee begins cleanup campaign tonight. Page 11. Miss May Hoffman, at election inquiry, re lates conduct of mysterious watcher. Page 13. Mr. Daly calls efficiency system failure in becking repeal. Page 17. C. C. CoTt, president, outlines progressive programme lor Commercial Club. Page 14, BERLIN BAKERIES GUARDED Council Names 12,000 Constables to - Prevent Irregularities. AMSTERDAM. Feb. 2, via 'London. The Berliner Tageblatt in an issue which has reached here declares that the Council of Great Berlin has ap pointed 12,300 special constables to guard the bukeshops of the city against any irregularities on the part of the public. -T ROME, Feb. 2. Demonstration over the high price of bread continued at various places, especially in Sardinia. At Sassarl capital of the Province of Sassari, Sardinia, rioters broke into a bake shop. Troops were called out and dispersed the demonstrators. BIG SHIPS PASS CANAL Great Northern and Kroonland Use Channel Through Slide. PANAMA, Feb. 2. The new Northern Pacific steamship Great Northern and the American line steamer Kroonland, the two largest passenger boats yet t use the Panama Canal, passed through the waterway today, both making fast time. The trip was without special inci dent. The ships used the new channel, which has been dredged through the ide at Cucaracha. A WRECK AND A MUTINY. STORM RAGES OVER STATES EAST Railway, and Wire Serv ices Are Tied Up. ONE CITY SUSPENDS BUSINESS Snow Blown by Gale Resem bles Blizzard in New York. TEMPERATURE IS FALLING Middle West. Northern and New Encland States Are Swept by One of Worst Disturbances of Win ter Early End Forecast. CHICAGO. Feb. 2. One of the worst storms of the Winter Is general from the Middle West to the Middle Atlanttc states. New England and throughou Canada. Rain, sleet, snow and wind have all contributed to the disruption of rail way traffic, the hampering of wire communication, and, In some sections. to the raisinz of rivers to the flood point, with considerable damage result ing. Railroads Are Sufferers. The weather man, however, holds out hope of speedy relief in the prediction that the storm probably will pass off the New England Coast Wednesday into the Atlanttc, leaving generally fai weather In its wake. Railway traffic in the Northern states either has been almost suspended or greatly retarded. In the Middle West, many telephone and telegraph wires have been carrief! down by the sleet and ice, and a fall in temperature is causing additional trouble. The Increasing cold has con traded the lines and large numbers of wires are breaking. One City Suspends Business. Northern and Western New York and New F.ngland have, been hit hard by- a snowstorm which almost reached the proportions of a blizzard. Traffic of all kinds has suffered severely, tne electric lines being the hardest hit. Ogdensburg, N. v., reports that busl ness there has been almost entirely suspended as a result of the northerly gate and drifting snows. Sleet and snow borne into the section about Rochester by a Ju-mlle north easter caused one of the worst tie-ups in the history of Interurban traffic with that city. Massachusetts and Connecticut points reported similar tying-up of traffic on electric lines by the snowstorm. Communication Is Restored. Wire communication was restored to all sections of the West, although in manv instances the telegraph com panics had to resort to expensive indi rect routing. Througli Western Missouri, Kansas and Southern Nebraska, it was snow ing heavily tonight and the mercury was falling rapidly. Tuesday's War Moves D TJRING the last few days the Ger mans have been making desperate efforts to break the deadlock which has existed for so long on both the eastern and western fronts. They have delivered a series of at tacks, always preceded by artillery ac tivity, on the allied lines In Flanders and France, and while In almost every case they have thus won a preliminary advantage, before the fighting was con cluded the French, British or Belgians have been able to regain the trenches temporarily lost, and In some cases to occupy the German positions. In these attacks, according to reports of the British and French general staffs. the Germans have suffered severe losses, The German artillery has been sub Jectlng the Belgian positions In Flan ders to a severe bombardment, which suggests that the moment has arrived for another effort to get across the Tser, and thence to the French coast ports. In return the French have bom barded the railway station at Noyon, one of the German military centers behind the advanced lines. More serious attacks, however, have been made against the Russian lines Central Poland. Faced by flanking movements, both north and south. Field Marshal von Hindenburg made a des perate effort, which apparently is to be renewed, to break through to Warsaw, and thus not only gain a great military and political advantage for Germany, but at the same time release the pres sure on Hungary and East Prussia, in each of which regions the Russian troops are slowly pushing forward. The fighting to the west and south west of the Polish capital has been of a most desperate character, and the Germans were at first successful, but the Russian official report declares that the Russians, by a counter-attack, re gained most of the lost ground.. The report adds that the German losses were "colossal." i he German official account simply says of tho lighting there:' "We are maKing progress. ' A ticrmnn submarine was still at large In the English Channel jester day and the French officially report an attempt to torpedo the British hos pitul ship Asturlas. The German sub marine U-21, which recently sank three steamers In the Irish Sea, has not been seen since Sunday and it Is presumed that she has withdrawn. Traffic In those water, however, continues to be somewhat restricted, shipowners pre ferring for the present to keep In port all but the fast steamers, which, it Is believed, can elude tho submarines. The Germans, flushed with their sue cess, have issued a warning that an attempt will bo made to sink British transports and advise neutral shipping to keep away from the north ami west coasts of France. Reports reaching Holl.-.ml uy that the new bread regulations in Germany have caused so much unrest that 12,- 000 special constables have been np pointed to guard the bakeries in Berlin. It is also said that following the action of the government In commandeering cereals, tho military authorities are confiscating all utensils containing metals useful for their purposes. It l recognized that these are precaution ary measures and are not due to any immediate shortage. Copenhagen newspapers, some of which still have correspondents at Con stantinople, have a report that tho Anglo-French fleet has destroyed four of the Dardanelles forts and that there Is a panic in the Turkish capital. where the defeats suffered by the Turkish armies In the Caucasus and in Azerbaijan are just becoming known. With the opening of the British Parliament yesterday the political truce was renewed. The government, while assuming all responsibility for the war, welcomed the opposition's support and the ministers announced that they would reply readily to all criticism and endeavor to avoid controversial mat ters. An indication of possible action by Italy is to be found ill a notification is. sued to Italian reservists in England to prepare to Join the colors. BAKER THAW SHUTS MAINS Water Pipes Continue to Freeie De spite Heavy Rains. BAKER, Or.. Feb. 2. (Special.) Despite a heavy thaw which has ruled for the last three days, with pouring rain for the last 24 hours, water pipes are freezing in the city faster than the city water department can thaw them with an electrical apparatus. Several water service mains which had not frozen in the below-iero tem peratures froze last night wtlh the minimum temperature 33 above aero. Freezing pools of water under hard surface streets last night caused the paving to burst. CUPID IN BAKER IS LOSING January Marriages Show No In crease over 1914; Divorces Fewer. BAKER, Or.. Feb. 2. (Special.) The January business of Cupid In Baker U showing a gradual decline. There were only 12 marriage licenses Issued last month, the same number as In January, 914, while in the year before that there were 19 and .in January, i?, liters were 1C. The average a month is about 3. Divorces granted also showed a do- cllne. There were only four granted last month and in January. 1914, there were five. Emplojmnet In Uerlin Increases. BERLIN, by Wireless to Sayville, N. Y Reports of the Municipal In surance offices of Greater Berlin show the number of persons employed In the German capital In the week of Janu ary 16-23 rose by 6785. an Increase of .64 per cent. ROUSE GROUNDHOG RAD FOR WORKMEN Shadow on Compensa tion Act Scares. CHANGES PATCH LAW BADLY More Classifications Replace Present Two-Rate Plan. . COST TO STATE INCREASED More Accidents Likely to He lU-sult. I'pper House May Differ Senate Committee Approves Antl Fcrris Bill Resolution. BY RONALD O. CALLVEKT. STATE CAPITOL. Salem, Or., Feb. t. (Staff Correspondence.) Tho partic ular groundhog that guides the desti nies of workmen's compensation came out of his hole today, haw his .hedow and went back in anticipation of con tinued wintry weather. Perhaps the groundhog will be reversed by subse quent procedure, but If tho action In the House today turns out to be con. elusive tho existing unsatisfactory lsw will have been simply patched, and patched at that In a way that does nut cover all Its holes. Payment Made Greater. The amendments adopted by tle House are designed, I take it. chiefly to save the. state Industrlnl linuram-e fund from bankruptcy. Instead of the two rales and two classifications of risks that are possible under the exist ing law the amendments provido for a number of classifications. Thus are some industries that desire to come under the law to be required to pay more than they do now. The employe s contribution Is r.-durcl (o a flat 1 cent a day. Tlie present law tae him one half of 1 per cent on hln wages. As It Is now the workman who receive $' per month payu about I cent dsy. while, tho one ho receives 1100 a month pays about 2 cents Tho amend, menu would put all on the same bailn. Tost lu Mate to Increase. Meanwhile the Mate's rnntrlbut'on, amounting to one-el(thlh of the total or one-seventh of the combined con tributions of employers and employe", remains the- same. Tlierrfore If the amended law should prove mote pop ular than tho old and bring In mors employers and emrloye the cost to thj state would Increase correspondingly. One Important amendment elimi nates the privilege granted an' Injured rmnloyo to sue for damages under the liability lsw If his emplocr has failed to maintain any safety device requlrs-i by statute. This provision In the old law worked In two ways. w nno u caused some of the more apprehensive employers to Insure both In the stale fund and with the liability companies snd thereby pay double Insurance, it Induced them alxo to lake particular pains to Install safely devices. More Ar.-ldr.la May rolls". The House's amended law merely Charges tho Industrial Accioent com mission to roport doinmui ncy in in stalling safety devices to the prosecut ing attorney. Tho Iabor Commissioner is supposed to do that now. The obvious effect of this ainenamr nl will be to let those employers who hv been paying double off lth a lighter Insurance cost and to Increase tho num ber of accidents. However, the rKinn seemed to please the labor Interests. The sad part of all tho discussion or compensation law at this session Is that no Interested element seems to give dun -.ihi n nreventive messures. The very thought of letting private enter prise compete Kith the stste In com pensation Insurance Is so repugnant that loss of life or limb does not weigh against it. Arrldeat Tre-ientlsn Weak. Admission of the private companies to the business would mean that tho state would have to compete on a merit -rating system. The employer who hsd closed every possible avenue for acci dents would get a lower Insurance rale, and mort employers would attempt dili gently to prevent accidents. That Is the history of sueh laws In other states. 11 Is not the history of the laws In st.tcs where no attention Is paid to the prin ciple of safety first. The Oregon law Is now weak as to accident prevention. The amendments make It worse. The Senate may take a different view of the situation. Senator Bingham's bill Is pending there. It would super sede the Oregon state monopoly In com pensation Insurance with the competi tive Michigan system. geetl.nsl Isrlsenee Is D.saee. Equally doubtful as to flnsl dlepoM tlon Is the bill adopted In the House todsy providing for the election of lull road. Commissioners by Congressional districts. The fear of sectional Influence In the rulings of the Commission may well be entertained If this bill becomes law. I will hazard the guess that before final disposition Is made of this mess uro the Senate will take up two prnpo sltlons, one to- elect all tho Commis sioners at large and the other to make the Railroad Commissioners appointive on a non-partisan basis after the terms of the incumbents expire. The short ballot Idea, In so much discussion else where, hss not permested Oregon very far as yet, and It will be Intertelini; to observe wneiner it sums a iu"inm In the disposal of this lasu. Senate members sr b ginning lo re. ICodcIuUcU on t'sgs 3 ;