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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1915)
PORTLAND. OREGON. SATURDAY, . FEBRUARY 13, 1915. .'KICK FIVE CENTS. VOL. LY.-ZSO. 1G.918. BRITONS NOW USE HEAVY HOWITZERS 'Eyewitness' Says Ger man Gun Surpassed. HOUSES ARE BLOWN UP BODILY Monster Shells Enable Capture of Strong Positions. CONSUMPTIVE AMONG DEAD Man in Kaiser s Ranks Certified Tu bercular, Others or Poor Phy sique English Officer Aided br Enemy Who Is Fired On. LO.VDON. Feb. 12. The British army In France la now using: heavy how itzers, which, according to a report from the official "eyewitness" with tha expeditionary forces, have Rained ascendancy over the heavy German tuns. These howitzers, he says, were used In successful attacks on the German positions in the brick fields south of La Basiee Canal a week so tonight. Detonations Heard 20 Mile. "Our heavy howitzers took part in this bombardment, their fire being di rected on the railway triangle." the eyewitness" says. "The. boom of these pieces and the detonation of their shells were audible 20 miles away, above the roar of the other ar tillery, while to those close at hand the shrieking of the great projectiles through the air was most impressive, as were the. volumes of smoke and debris thrown up. "The effect of the lyddite shells was truly terrific, one house being blown bodily into the air, and as they burst among the brick stacks they created great havoc among the emny. JNotae Cover Assaalt. "The assault was launched against a strong position, or 'keep.' among the Macks of bricks held by the. Germans, our storming columns rushed the wo.k from three sides at once and captured It with little loss, for. as prisoners aft erward said, the noiae of the bursting shells was so great and the clouds of dust with which the defender were surrounded were so thick that they did not observe our men advancing until too late. "At the same time the trenches to the north of this point, between it and the rnajil. were stormed by another party. "I!y seizing these points we were enabled to occupy a continuous line sotithwards from our forward posts on the canal, which formed an advan inRcous position in front of the brick fields. Stratagem Loses ovelt. "We captured 19 unwounded prison ers, in addition to many wounded, a trench mortar and machine guns. The Germans left "0 dead on the ground, while our casualties were Insignificant. "The Germans, however, showed no Inclination to accept this reverse, for In the early hours of February 7 a body of them advanced along the car.al bank, shouting out "don't shoot, we are engineers." This form of stratcgem, unfortunately for the enemy, has now lost Its novelty. Our men held their fire until the supposed sappers were only a few yards away and then opened with a machine gun. with the result that the 'engineers' fell back, leaving it dead bodies in front of our lines. "la the afternoon another attack was attempted, but it melted away under our heavy artillery fire and did not arrive at close quarters. Artillery Klre t.alos Accuracy. A gre.it feature of the recent fight ing has been the accuracy of our ar tillery fire. On one occasion our guns accomplished the feat of blowing the Go-mans cut of trenches they were oc cupying on an embankment, although it was only 40 yards from that which wo were holding. "On February most of the enemy's casualties were ilue to our shell fire. The whole of the area both behind and immediately in front of the trenches we now hold was found to be littered with the bodies of hundreds of Ger mans killed In the various fights since January 25. Our artillery lire here has obtained such ascendency that after tha assault on that day our troops actually were able to put up barbed wire entanglements In front of their trenches In broad daylight without being fired at by the enemy's infantry. Prisoners captured here were despond ent and much shaken. "The Germans rely strongly on the incendiary shell for damaging towns and In t:ielr recent bombardment of Ar mentleres they made use of projectiles f this type packed with candles com posed of celluloid, phosphorous and wax. which material is so inflammable that It will ignite If placed in the sun." rrlMnmi of Poor rhyalque. The "eye witness" says that some of the prisoners captured lately have been of comparatively poor physique and tells of finding In the pocket of a dead Ger man two medical certificates saying that he suffering from consump tion. The certificates were accompa nied by an application from the soldier's father asking that the son be relieved of the necessity of going Into active service. The official observer also quotes letters which he says were re ceived by soldiers from home and which wore found on bodies, complaining of j tCoaciuded oa fas 2-J. BRITONS ATTACK IN 34 AIRCRAFT BELGIAX TOWXS HEXD BY GER MANS AKE RAIDED. Aerial Warfare Waged oi Largest Scale in History Grahame-White Falls Into Sea, Is Rescued. LONDON". Feb. 12. Aerial warfare was waged today on the largest scale in its history and under adverse circum stances from the standpoint of the weather. Bombs were dropped on Oa ten d. Bruges and other places. Thirty-four aeroplanes and seaplanes of the British navy participated. The raid was made to prevent the de velopment of submarine bases and es tablishments which might further en danger British warships and merchant men. Considerable damage is said to have been done to German gun positions, railway lines and railway stations. The Ostend station Is reported to have been set on fire and that at Blankenberghe to have been badly damaged. German mine-sweeping vessels at Zeebrugge also came in for a hail of bombs. At various points the airmen were re ceived by the Germans with firing from anti-aerial guns and rifles. The machine driven by Flight Com mander Claude Grahame-White, among the most Intrepid of the British fliers, fell Into the sea while returning to its base after the raid was over and the aviator had a narrow escape from drowning. Fortunately for him a French cruiser was near by and picked him up and then towed his aeroplane into port. ' . WOMEN CAN'T BE JURORS House Indefinitely Postpones Huston I Bill on Fair Sex Service. STATE CAPITOL, Salem. Or.. Feb. 12. (Special.) Oregon women are not to bo permitted to serve on Juries. Neither will they be compelled to serve. The House today indefinitely post poned the Huston bill, which would have made it possible but not com pulsory for women to serve on trial Juries. The Senate a week ago defeated a bill to make it compulsory but not optional for women to serve. In the House the plea was made that if women were to serve on Juries at all they should be compelled to serve if summoned and not be given the option of claiming exemption on ac count of their sex, as the bill provided. In the Senate the plea was made that women should not be compelled to do Jury duty, but that it should be made Optional .with them. TACKS LAY JITNEYS LOW Trail Through University District iu Seattle Works Havoc to Cars. SEATTLE. Wash.. Feb. 12. (Spe cial.) Following the distribution of a thousand Or more tacks along the East Lake carline last night, the tires of Jitney buses -were punctured in suc cession in the University district. The danger zone, it was found after several hundred dollars' worth of dam age had been done, extended along East Lake avenue .and Kast Fortieth from Lakcvicw Drive North to Fourteenth avenue Northeast and East Forty-fifth street. The police were busy In the Univer sity region for several hours. The city street department was finally called and worked some time before the ave nue was cleared of tacks. BLOW FROM CABLE FATAL Man Meets Death at Sutton Creek When Engine Is MoTed. TILLAMOOK, Or.. Feb. 12. (Special.) J. A. Roberts died early this morning from injuries inflicted while working for the Coast Driving & Boom Com pany, at Sutton Creek. A large donkey engine was being moved and Roberts, who was standing nearby, was sVruck by the steel cable as it jerked back. He was hurled 30 feet against a log and his head was injured. He was unconscious when picked up and was brought to this city. Ho died severals hours later. Ho came here from Grays Harbor about six weeks ago. He was married and a widow and child survive him. TYPHUS FOUNDJN AUSTRIA Spread of Smallpox in Vienna H Also Reported. VENICE, via London, Feb. 12. An of ficial Austrian report received here shows that there were 243 cases of typhus fever in Austria during the first week of February. It is 'reported that smallpox is spreading in Vienna and that despite the efforts of the authorities less than one-fifth of the population Is vaccin ated. RUSSIANS POORLY ARMED Berlin Correspondent Finds Many Recruits in Training. BERLIN. Feb. 12. Writing to a Ber lin newspaper from Russia, a corre spondent says: "In most of the more important Rus sian cities recruit in considerable i KAlnv ftrtll.H The;, men II LI 1 11 t o i u i.. i . r. ...... are In part excellent material, but the weapons wttn wnicn iney are suppucu leave much to be desired." Russia to Borrow in London. LONDON. Feb. 12. The Russian Government will Issue flO.000,000 ($50,000,000) of treasury bills in Lon don, with the consent of the British government. The Dills win oe ollerea on February 13, at a fixed price of Si and. will be payable in. one year. NEUTRAL EHVOYS APPROVE PROTEST British arid German ' Ambassadors Silent. CAPITAL DEEPLY CONCERNED Differences in Two Notes Cause Discussion. SERIOUS TONE IS NOTED Xecessity for. Strong Warning to Germany Emphasized Tse of Central Flag Regarded Chiefly as Being "Cnnelghborly." WASHINGTON. Feb. 12. Reading of the official texts of the two notes from the United States to Germany and Great Britain developed today an In tense interest among officials and dip lomats In the question of what would be the nature of the replies from the two belligerent governments. That Great Britain would give as surances of no intention to sanction the general use of neutral fta?rs by Britisi merchant ships was the belief of many officials. The widest sort of speculation, based on a variety of con ceptions of Germany's plans In wag ing a submarine war on merchant ships was heard as to the probable response of the Berlin Foreign Office. Serious Tone Impels Attention. Count von Bernstorff. the German Ambassador, declined to discuss the note to Germany, as he had received no advices from Berlin concerning it, and the British embassy also was silent. What excited most attention in Con gress and among diplomats, however, was the serious tone of the notes, even though qualified by the polite terms of diplomatic usage. The determination of the United States Government to have the American flag used only by ships entitled to fly it and the warn ing that Germany would be held to a "strict accountability" It American lives or vessels were lost in the at tacks on merchant vessels in the new sea zones of war were practically the sole topic of discussion In executive and Congressional circles, as well as among the Ambassadors and represent atlves o:belligerent and neutral na tions. eutral Diplomats Approve. While there were no authorized ex pressions, it was evident that the neu tral diplomats in general gave both notes their approval because of the identity of interest of their " govern ments and of the United States in the circumstances. The opposition of a neutral govern ment to the practices suggested by the Lusltanla incident or the threatened attacks on merchant vessels was con sidered as likely to have a beneficial effect and there were suggestions that lOoncluded on Page 8.) Instead of the city. (Concluded on Pag .) ItTlT-T-----------' i A PEACEFUL OLD NEUTRAL IS BEGINNING TO LOSE HIS TEMPER. I ALTG - -'S V ?WwW to ; H r IT i .w 'fr v- : I 4 I I ' ' I INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The Weather. YESTERDAY'S j Maximum temperature. 4S.2 degrees: minimum. 37.0 degrees. TODAY'S Fair; winds mostly westerly. M ar. . New heavy howitzers used by Britons sur pass German suns, says "eyewitness. Page 1. . - - Allies airmen raid Belgian towns held by Germans. Pace 1. Sir Roeer Casement charges British Sovcrn" ment offered reward for his capture or murder, page French capture hill In Vosgca after sharp battle in violent snowstorm. Lecislatores. New game bill gives Governor Wln"T? power ana provmcs ii Pn.tr 4 New bill alms to reduce petition peddling to minimum. Page 4. House votes in opposition to -Senate on se lection of states' waterpower convention delegates. Page 5. Foreign. Japan damands upper hold In all Chinese concessions. Page 2. National. Notes of United States to Germany and Great Britain approved by neutral dip lomats, page 1. IJomestic. Drys win double victory in Iowa Senate. Page 3. Robbers torture and murder aged banker and his wife. Page 3. Sports. Jefferson High shuts out Portland Academy soccer team in exciting game. Page 10. Hap Hogan has eyes on Baltimore boy who he would place on first. Page 10. Pacific orthweft. Hood River growers elect delegates to Ta- coma meeting without any dissent. Fane 4. Jackson County Progressives pledge to unite with Republicans to accompusn emw cratic defeat. ' Page 5. - Albany loses JlOO.OOv in fire. Page 3. Commercial and Marine. Local wheat prices follow Chicago lead. Page 15. Batsford. first of h:gh-priced cargo steam ers, arrives for grain. Page 15. Portland and Vicinity. Gatherfng at German house honors memory of Abraham Lincoln. Ptge 12. City clean-up programme is thorough suc cess. Page 12. Flags arc raided on new Meier & Frank building. Page 16. After heated controversy city labor bill passes to third reading. Page 9. Armed highwaymen roh ' postal Substation "A and make getaway, t'age i. M. Seller, founder of Portland house, dies at Frankfort. Germany. Page t. LESS "UPLIFT IS WANTED Ei-Ambassador Wilson Says Mexico Xceds Practical Assistance. INDIANAPOLIS. Feb. 12. Henry Lane Wilson, ex-Ambassador to Mexico, speaking here tonight before the Co lumbia Club, said: "There will be no hope for Mexico until either the pres ent Administration reverses its policy In entirety or until a new Administra tion, committed to less uplift, but more genuine practical advice and assistance in the way of intelligent evolution, comes Into power. "- Mr. Wilson said it was not his pur pose "to question the intentions or patriotism of the President, but the performance of the Administration." ASHLAND CHANGES LINE City Election Places Part of Terri tory Under County Sway. ASHLAND, Or., Feb. 12. (Special.) At a special city election held today the proposition to amend the charter, pro viding for changing the northwesterly boundaries of the municipality to con form to Pacific Highway requirements, was carried by a vote of 521 to 28. This result piaces the territory in ques tion under Jurisdiction of the county. Instead of the city. HIGHWAYMEN ROB POSTAL SUBSTMION J r. . I J A ,t( rmed Duo Handcuttj, , o Superintendent Ofr. $700 IN LOOT IS TAKEN Police Think Robbers Made Getaway in Auto. OFFICIAL FEARED DEATH At Poiut of Guns Is Demand Made for Federal Cash and Stamps. Previous Kobbery Recalled When $2100 Was Stolen. Handcuffing A. G. Ott. superintendent of Postoffice substation "A," at Union avenue and East Alder street, to a heavy mailrack after he had unlocked the safe at the point of a revolver, two armed highwaymen' looted the office at 6:20 o'clock last night, and escaped with ?100 in money and 600 in stamps. Mr. Ott dragged the mailrack across to a telephone and notified, the police as soon as the men left. The other employe of the substation, J. B. Fairchild, had gone home, and Mr. Ott had Just locked up for the night when the men. closed in on him in the street. At first he believed that the affair was a joke and paid no at tention to their demands. It was only after they thrust their guns to his body and threatened to shoot that he unlocked the outside door and admitted them to the office. Much Currency Is Taken. The loot consisted of 100 and 5300 in currency, besides a number of blank money orded blanks, and the $600 worth of stamps, which were of all denomi nations, but mostly the 1 and 2-cent values. As no postoffice seal was taken. Federal authorities believe that the money order blanks will be of no use to the robbers. Mr. Ott says that one of the men has trausactej business in the substation frequently, although he has no recol lection of his name. The police be lieve that the .robbery was the work of experienced highwaymen, and that the robbers escaped in an automobile after the crime. The station closes at 6:15 P. M. Mr. Ott had locked the station when he saw one of the men coming across the street. Halduu lea ''.'lean Buslnc." "Stick up your liands, old fellow," one of the men told him, he says. "Put 'em up cfuick, we mean business," Ott says he considered it an attempt at humor and walked on without re plying. The 'other robber walked down East Alder street to meet him. The thfee came together at the rear door of the substation. "Throw up your hands, you old !" shouted one of 'the men. and each J ! Friday's War Moves ALL eyes now are turned on East Prussia, where the German army, I under the observation if not the com mand of Emperor William, has taken the offensive compelled the Rus sians to .late their positions east of "'.' -azurian Lakes and retire to vow ternary. l ne nussians reier iw una " -strategical retirement, but the German official communication Intimates that tha appearance In this district of a strong new German force was a sur prise to the Russians and that the Ger mans captured :.000 prisoners, :0 can non and SO machine guns. In addition to a lot of war material. If the Ger man statement is correct, the Russian reverse apparently Is almost as serious as that which the Muscovite fcrces suf fered in the same place early in the war. Before the German official communi cation was received In London military men were inclined to look on the Rus sian retirement as a wise move, declar ing that it would compel the Germans to fight the battle on Russian territory and away from their strategical rail ways. The army which the Germans flung so suddenly into East Prussia is believed to have numbered 200,000 men. and to have been made up of soldiers who have been fighting on the F-zura and western fronts and of units of the new army which has just completed training in Central Germany. The Germans have resumed the offen sive in Russian Poland on the right bank of the lower Vistula, and have occu pied the town of Slerpec, which lies a short distance to the northwest of Plock. Thus the chief battleground iti the east has been transferred from the lines west and southwest of Warsaw to the north. The battles in the Carpathian Moun tains continue, but the general staff of neither of the contending forces gives much information concerning the fight ing. -The lull continues to prevail on the western battlefront, where the lighting is confined to artillery duels and a couple of infantry attacks In the Ar gonnc and northwest of Verdun, in which the Germans say they have been successful. A British eyewitness, in a report of his observations on the western front, says the British artillery arm has been greatly strengthened, and adds that it has gained the ascendancy over the Germans. There have been many re ports that new and better guns were being constructed for the British, and these apparently now are in aervic. Airmen have been extremely active. Thirty-four British fliers have delivered an attack on the German position ir Belgium, while German aviators have dropped 100 bombs or Verdun. It has been urged that an attack by large numbers of aeroplanes Is the only way to make them effective, and both sides seem to have adopted thla suggestion, as is indicated by today's British raid and the attack by German aircraft over Dunkirk some days ago. POLAND MAY HAVE KING Pelroprad Hears Germany and Aus tria Concede Independence. VKTKOGRAD, via London. Feb. 12. News has reached here from apparently authentic sources that Germany and Austria have declared the independence of Poland, to become operative Feb ruary 14, when It is planned to hold convention at Cracow, Galicia. for the purpose of choostn? a king. It Is said that Archduke Karl Stephen, of Aus ti la. i;i a likely candidate for the throne. The convention members are to be elected by ballot by the population in such parts of Poland and Galicia as arc in the possession of Germans and Austrians, it Is said. Germany has yielded German Silesia to the proposed kingdom. Pending the progress of the conven tion the temporary government is headed by Ignatz Dauchinsky, Socialist member of -the Austrian Reichstag. SWEDISH EXPLOSIVES LOST Ammunition Factory Near Stockholm Is Blown Up. STOCKHOLM, via London, Feb. 12. An ammunition factory outside of Stockholm was the scene last night of an explosion which resulted in the death o five persons ajid the destruc tion of considerable supplies of ammu nition. The lops, however, will have comparatively little effect on the sup- I plies of the army and navy. Regular steamship service in and out I of Stockholm is to be opened shortly. Ice breakers will be used to keep the harbor entrance clear. ; BRITISH STEAMER STRUCK Vessel Towed Sinking to . Scarbor ough After K.vpcrience at Sea. SCARBOROUGH. England, via Lon don, Feb. 12. The new cargo steamer Torquay, of Dartmouth, waa towed Into Scarborough harbor tonight In a sink ing condition, either after striking a mine or being torpedoed, eight miles east of this port. The damage sustained by the steamer wa: amidships, one boiler having been penetrated. One man was killed and two were injured. OREGON MAN CONFIRMED W II. Hornlbrook Is Asked to Pre pare for Lrgation In Slam. ORKGONTAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash ington. Feb. 12. The Senate tonight confirmed the nomination of William II. Hornibrook. of Albany, Or., as Min ister to Siam. Mr. Hornibrook was asked to confer with the State Department for In struction In the conduct of diplomatic . ft.. : . .. t.,fn,. ri . n 1 In, fn, h t a nntit iu tho piieuu i KERN DROPS WORK AT BRIAN'S BECK Democrat Fight Waits on Lecture Junket. WORD COMES IN BARBERSHOP Senator Called to Telephone While He Is "Next." TRIP TO INDIANA MADE Young Man l'roin Oregon oil lH lo National Capitol, I lrr..riit When Secretary Kings I J' Visit to White Houc Told. av AKTiirn m. okahv. NKW YORK, Feb. 1 1. (Special. A particular Oregonisn of the neoi'iid 'generation followed several honeymoon couples from the sleeper Into the won derful Union Deoot of Wa.lilnsloii and through it to the street beyond, the National Capitol loomed large and Im pressive In the offline through the morning har.c. Just he expected. Once at (tic hold a ihiivc wss In uidct. ltarely hml lie b.-.-n scaled in one. of tho two chairs In Ihr dingy bnrbcr hi,. beneath the hotel when In walked it familiar-looking Individual, who .ke.l the barber when he would he thrnush. The barber responded, "In a nunuto or two." This elicited. "You nieon an hcur:'' Srniiitr Kern K.ntera. As the Ecnllrniim climbed into rickety chair the barber whispered tlm; that man was Senator Kern, leader "f the Democrats In the Unit! State Senate and former candidate for Vlce rresldent. ThM remark gave rli-e t i worry on the oreKotilan's part Ic-i In his haste to oblige the Senator thn barber might remove un cur. or part of the nose or possibly gouge, out an eye. Hut the wielder of the raior pro ceeded leisurely, fulfilling the Sena tor's rather than (he Orcgonlin'a pectatious. Soon a oun darky was heard ap proaching, paging for Senator Kern. On seeing tho Senator, he filled Ma lungs and. with head tilted back, an nounced thnt the Secretary of Staie would have words with the Senator from Indiana. Xlrwagr Anvnt l.rrlnre Dale. Then, throiiih the medium of an old faxliloned telephone that a screwed on the wall of tlie barber elmp. fol lowed a conversation which, eonodei inir ihe circumstances, should not repeated. It Is sufficient lo say thai the talk was not concerning important affairs of stnte. but in reference to a lecturing trip to be taken by h-cre-tary Kryan. Eserv bellboy in the ho tel knew that there wna a big fight on In tho Senato In w Men Senator Kern was pitted agnitisl fUcli leader . of the Republican filibuster as fcena tora Root. Smoot and liallmger; but the Secretary appeared i-nh.-itmia that the Senator accompany liini on tha forthcoming trip. A week later Oio following news Item a. printed Iu the New Tork Times from Indiana: "Secretary flryan. accompanied by Governor Ralnton nd a few frlendc. had luncheon at the home of Senator Kern. He addresaeo. a meeting at the Y. M. C. A. this afternoon and con cluded his two days' visit hero with an address before the Transportation Club tonight." fcrnator K.ala With ntrrrla. Afterxbreakftist, as the Oreiifllan walked across the Capitol grounds to ward the Senate offlco building, ho found a long-haired gentleman eatlns nuu with the squirrels. The long hnlr, which fell below the shoulder, waa grilled with gray, showing evldenca of years in the wilderness; but It was now carefully combed. In fact, (he individual looked fortunate and pros perous. He was In the custody of two smartly-dressed, beautiful young wom en, and he hlmcclf wore a becoming long black coat. This Strang.) person age provod to be not a port, but Sena tor Vurdaman. of .Mlesli-slppt, ono of the ven lnsurrectos In (he Democratic. Senatorial caucus over the ship bill. The reported Democratic extravagance might indicate that ho Is the mlealng link between modern Democracy and the Jeffersonisn economy. The main trouble experienced In the Senate building, as In the Capitol, was . distinguishing thn dignified old sol diers, who attended the elevators ami doors, from the Senators. At all tveiita the respect was not misplaced. Mr. I.ane Cardial. Senator Lane's offices adjoin the rooms of Senator Thomas' commit tee, that of woman suffrage. The web- footcd visitor found tho asslatant sec retary of Senator J-nne explaining with considerable embarrassment to a for mer soldier that his bill for a special pension would not be Indorted by tb committee In chnrgo because if lio waa an-sick as he said be waa, Ihe pension office should givo him relief, while If the doctors were correct In pro nouncing him a fit man, ho was not en titled to a pension. The Senator greeted the Orcguiitan hospitably and offered to send him up stairs to where 1'rcsldent Wilson, fol lowing his biweekly custom, waa meet ing friends of (ho Senators. I'ul the private secretary, Mr. Mef'.rlde, son-in-law of the Senator, revoked (he offer because 11 was rHininkt, or the el vator