TITE 3IOBNINO OREGONIAX. SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 1915. MEYER INCIDENT IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED German Ambassador's Denial That Hoax Was Perpetrat ed Accepted by Lansing. DEPARTMENT IS SATISFIED Von Bernslorff Knows Xo Such Per son and Declares Meyer-Gerhard Was Engaged Only in Busi ness for Ked Cross. "WASHINGTON, June 18. The inci dent involving the names of Anton Meyer-Gerhard and a Dr. Meyer, reputed official of the German war office. In which It was charged that the State Department had been hoaxed, was of ficially declared closed today. The German Ambassador, Count von Bernstorff. called today to see Acting Secretary Lansing. He said that reports tending- to confuse Meyer-Gerhard and Dr. Alfred Meyer had been related to him a week ago and that he had denied, them then. No Dr. Meyer, he said, was known to him or to other members of the embassy. He added that the whole xtory reflecting on his sincerity in ask ing safe conduct for Meyer-Gerhard, was an "absolute fabrication," and that he had taken official notice of it only because of his desire to assure the President of the United States and the Secretary of State that he had not sought to deceive them. Mr. Lansing assured the Ambassador that he was fully satisfied with the statement made by him. Later in the day the following was Issued by the De partment: "The German Ambassador called on me today and said the stories published in the newspapers as to Meyer-Gerhard and Dr. Meyer were not true and were embarrassing to him. The ambassador said he had no knowledge of any Dr. Meyer, nor did any member of the em bassy know any such person as the Dr. Meyer referred to. The Ambassador made this statement on his word of honor and said that the stories were a criticism of his own personal charac ter. He said that Meyer-Gerhard had never entered into any contract In this country, nor had anything to do here except with the Red Cross. So far as anything that had been brought to its attention Is concerned the incident is regarded by the State Department as closed. I assured the Ambassador that I would tell the newspapers." i BECKER PETITION DENIED New York cx-Police lieutenant Xot Hopeful of Supreme Court Action. . ALBANY, N. T.. June 18. The Court of Appeals today denied the application . of counsel for Charles Becker, the New i York ex-police lieutenant, for a reargu- menfon its decision affirming sentence of death. " Becker, convicted of inspiring the u murder of Herman Rosenthal, now is in - the Sing Sing death house, sentenced to - die in the electric chair during the week beginning July 12. - Unless Governor Whitman pardons t him or the TJ; ted States Supreme Court interferes he must die. Little hope is l expressed by either Becker or his friends that the Federal Court will act 1 favorably. Neither do they believe that the Governor, who prosecuted the ex- police officer, will be inclined to grant ,J him clemency. No written opinion was handed down Z- today. The court simply denied the ap 1 plication. . ENVOY VISITS OFFICIALS (Continued From First Trnxet eral has shown satisfaction that Presi dent Wilson's communication offers op portunity for an understanding and ex presses the belief that diplomacy on both sides of the Atlantic will work with zeal and good will to this end. Added Enemy to Be Avoided. "Tt is quite certain the German gov ernment, at least, will do this and will be generally supported therein by the people," this newspaper continues. "It would be pure imbecility to seek to drag in without necessity a ninth or tenth enemy for ourselves, even though its participation in the war should be limited to supplying the quadruple al liance with money and munitions." In a leading article entitled "Bad Ad vice." the Cologne Gazette takes the Lokal Anzeiger to task for attempting to palliate the British "starving-out policy," and "exportations from Amer ica of war supplies." Conceding that the cutting off of supplies is an ac cepted method of warfare, it says that international law provides expressly that this weapon may be used only in the forms of an effective blockade. No effective blockade of the German coasts has been declared, according to the Gazette. Monition Exports Discussed. Kegarding the exportation of .mu nitions from the United States, the Gazette adopts the argument of rhilllp Zorn, German member of The Hague tribunal, that although the convention adopted at The Hague justified sales by private firms, a neutral state is bound to prohibit sales of this nature when the commerce in arms assumes such an extent that continuation of war is di rectly dependent thereon. Captain von Kuehlwetter, the naval expert of the Tag, points out that the American note passes over in silence the German representations regarding" the British Admiralty's Instructions to merchantmen to seek cover under neu tral flags and attack submarines under this cover. He declares this is the kernel of the whole argument and the justification for the German policy. CHIEF RESENTS PRESSURE Cantinud From First Fag.) tate to the weak in the measure of my strength. My pride consists in keep in my strength free and not in op pressing another people with it." "If contrary to the itnerpretation which in the most friendly sense the conventionist government puts upon President Wilson's declaration, thus the Hosincr part should signify a denial of the instinctive sympathy generously demonstrated to the Mexican revolution and should further signify pressure or threat, the conventionist government, still harboring the conscience of its sacrifices, will maintain the dgnty of the Mexcan people. KoTrrnrarnt Receptve to Peace. "The Government is .ready to bring about by all means consistent with its dignity the fusion of all the contending groups, to initiate all the economic, political and social reforms aimed at by the revolution and to establish a strong stable government with which all tendencies and all legitimate inter ests will find the fullest favor and en joy the guarantees which our funda , mental law provides." This not from the convention govern- ment was drafted after conferences with the Zapata leaders. The State De partment previously had received a note of the same general character from General Villa, which while deny ing the right of the United States to intervene-in Mexico said that the sug gestion for a unification of the factions should be adopted. Proposals for peace are repeated in the Chazartf note. POOR IX IjIXE beg for corx Thousands Endure Heat and Rain in Mexico City to Obtain Food. MEXICO CITY, Hay 29. (Correspon dence of the Associated Press.) From 12,000 to 20.000 of the city's poor have been standing in line at the food dis tributing station from 3 o'clock in the morning until long after dark for the last seven days in an effort to get enough corn to keep alive. From 8 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon they bear the hot rays of a tropical sun and from the latter hour until dark they stand in downpours of rain, for the wet season has begun. On some days as many as 200 have been carried away on stretchers by Red Cross attendants. These have dropped from weakness due to lack of food, from being overcome by the sun's rays or from suffocation. So desperate have the rushes for corn become at times that the soldiers guarding the lines in the effort to maintain a semblance of order have had to fire over the heads of hungry throngs. While these scenes were being en acted on the streets in various sec tions of the city, delegates to the Na tional conventioon " were quarreling over whether General Gonzales Garza, or General Manuel Palafox had been named chief executive. At times the debate became so fierce as to cause weapons to be drawn. One of these passages was inter rupted by a mob of women, who stormed the Chamber with the cry of: "Give us corn." There is little corn to give, two quarts being the miximum allowed one applicant by the distribut ing stations. MAIL PROBLEM VEXES UMTED STATES CAN DO LITTLE AS TO SWEDISH PROTEST. Private Letters Held Subject to Risk When Passing Through Cona trles of Belligerents. WASHINGTON. June 18. United States officers are concerned with a perplexing problem in connection with the complaint of the Swedish Minister here that private mail from New York to Sweden was opened while passing through England. As the mails were alleged to have been opened in England and not on the high eeas. interesting legal questions have been raised, which made it seem doubtful to many officials today whether the United. States could, do more than transmit the complaint to Great Britain for consideration. Inasmuch as cable messages passing through belligerent countries are sub ject to censorship, the view taken in official quarters was that private let ters passing- through these nations were liable to the same risks if they contained military information. Official correspondence between the United States Government and its em bassies and legations abroad haa en Joyed immunity from interference, be ing mailed in sealed pouches. Such immunity, however, has not always been extended to consular mail, and American consuls abroad, to make sure of the delivery of important documents, have transmitted them to United States embassies to be forwarded to Washing ton in the diplomatic pouches. Although the Swedish Minister's pro test was the first to come from a diplomatic source. It was said officially at the State Department today that since the war began there had been many complaints that private mail to and from the United States had been tampered with while passing through belligerent countries. Nothing has been done by the belligerent countries to remedy the situation. PIUTE PLEADS INNOCENCE Tse-Xe-Gat, in Denver Hospital, Eagerly Asks for General Scott. DENVER, June 1 8. Tse-Ne-Gat, Piute Indian, pleaded not guilty in the Federal District Court to the charge of murdering ' Juan Chacon, Mexican sheepherder. a year aso in Southwest ern Colorado. 'trial was set lor July 6. It was the charge of murder against Tse-Ne-Gat that sent a marshal's posse to Bluff. Utah, to arrest Tse-Ne-Gat. who, surrounded by renegade Flutes. led by Old Polk, his father, refused to submit to arrest and engaged in a run ning fight for several weeks last Win ter. The tight ended Dy surrender to Hugh L. Scott, chief of staff of the United States Army. Tse-Ne-Gat, who has been a Federal prisoner In a Denver hospital, under treatment for advanced tuberculosis, inquired eagerly today for "John Scott," otherwise General Scott, who he be lieves will aid him in his trial. sin MrF3io S5!sss yf TstonvS V o V nf X AZolvriiaP .JaarOSlaUL Burczvcio ix'l $1 k ft BRITAIN FINDS IDOL HAS FEET OF CLAY Kitchener's Failure to Provide High Explosives Real Cause of Crisis. FRANCE SHOWS RIGHT WAY Editor Who Precipitated Storm Is " Widely Denounced, hut Under lying Belier in Truth of Story Brings Change. (Continued From First Page.) armies alone fought the war mlinl. nntlnns 'fltrnt the War. now The problem of equipment and munitions had become all-important. Before, the allies had "made good on the Alsne, the German army alone had probably shot off as many shells as all Christen dom ever fired before tnis war. w"" conducted a war must organize me whole country for the production of munitions, and principally of artillery munitions. It was no longer wholly a soldier's job. It was mainly a manufac turer's job. Prance Proceeds to Make Shell. There remained the most vital mat ter of all munitions of war, and espe cially artillery ammunition. The Ger mans gained their great Initial advan tage through the use of an unheard-of quantity of artillery ammunition. From the first the shrewd observers of the allies prophesied that this war. would be won by the side which could manu facture the most shells in the shortest time. France, with that quiet, business like efficiency which has characterized the heroine among nations in this war, proceeded to get those shells. But France was a military nation, with the material and social machinery for manufacturing shells right at hand. The British had to make that machin ery. Since September, when Sir John French began to send his appeals from the line for "shells." shells and still more shells," the government, through strikes, through charges of intemper ance among the workers and greed among the employers, has been work ing after its own fashion to stimulate the manufacture of big gun ammuni tion. Type of Ammunition Vital. By November, however, there arose another vital consideration concerning shells. Artillery ammunition for land operations' is of two kinds shrapnel and high explosive. The shrapnel is tremendously effective against men in the open. There is nothing like it to stop a charge. But against men well intrenched, it is of no more use than a volley of stones, hand-thrown. For that purpose one needs the high explosive shell, a thick casing, loaded with some form of dynamite which blows up and disturbs the earth when it lights. Still further, the barbed wire entanglement has grown greatly in importance. Ex perience has shown, that shrapnel will not eliminate barbed wire. That also needs high explosive shells. After months of urging those high explosive shells failed to appear in any number. What became of the appeals from the line, where they were side tracked, no one knows. But the war office was sticking to the policy of old wars and sending shrapnel. Dardanelles Venture Unfortunate. This brings the history up to late April or early May. In the meantime another factor disturbing to the gov ernment had appeared. The Darda nelles adventure had turned out badly. An expedition which the optimists ex pected to be a short, successful drive against a weak but rival point in the enemy's lines had turned into a sepa rate war, and a hard one. That, ex pedition, as all the world knows, was preceded by a bombardment on the part of the French and British fleets a bombardment which did comparative ly little' harm and which was not backed up for weeks by land forces. Quite suddenly the Morning Post opened upon the government, criticis ing Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, with extreme bitter ness. There had been a row in the Admiralty. Admiral Fisher, First Sea Lord, had certainly opposed the Darda nelles adventure. Yet there must have been more to that adventure than we shall know until the end of the war hidden diplo matic causes which the government cannot reveal even under fire. For, be it noted, the French also are en gaged in this Dardanelles affair, and the French have been making few mis takes, either military or diplomatic. However, the attack of the Morning Post shook the government somewhat. Flanders End Crucial for Britain. But, after all, the important end. of the war, the crucial end for England, MAP HEAVY DOTTED LINK SHOWS PRESENT is Flanders. Though the Dardanelles stand.- or fall, once let the Germans make that 50-mile drive to Calais and the whole British Empire finds itself in a bad way. The really serious mat ter was that shortage of high ex plosive shells in Flanders. On Sunday. May 9, Colonel Repping ton, military correspondent of the London Times, . was at general head quarters. That day brought a tragic example of Briton's lack. The great drive of the Germans, which began the second battle of Ypres, was over. They had broken the allied lines by means of their sudden introduction of gas into warfare; the British had been forced to readjust their line which meant giving ground. The proper time had - come for a. counter-attack. Into the allied line projects the strong Ger man position of La Bassee. The right of that position is held by the French troops, the left by the British. It was determined to attack simultaneously on both sides of this position, in the hope of cutting it off and rendering it untenable. The French had de termined to attack, and the British had practically no choice but to at tack also, since by such attack they prevented the Germans from sending reinforcements against the French. French Efficiency Shown In Contrast. The French screened 'their attack by a terrible fire of high explosive shells. They leveled the barbed-wire entangle ments, they smashed the concrete-lined trenches of the Germans and they made one of the most considerable gains since the Western allies settled down to trench warfare. The British attacked for an hour. In that hour they fired all the high ex plosive shells which they could with safety spare. Then they were stopped dead, without a yard gained, with a loss of thousands of English boys. If report be true, the British, before they were lorced to stop, fired only about one-twentieth of the number of-high explosive shells used by the French. tteppington witnessed this battle. That night he sent out an account of it. In the account were two Daraeranhn declaring that the British owed their defeat and their great loss of life to tne lack of high explosive shells. That "story" passed the censor at headquarters. Further, investiga tion proved, it passed the censor in the war Office. A da later and the ac count was in the Times. The Briton not accustomed to have the news pointed out to him by .big headlines and subheads. He is content to bur. row for it. But from this sober article ill the Times stood those two nara- graphs, proving that British life had oeen lost because the army had not the proper shells. London Turns on Northellffe. There was a thrill of horror in Lon don next day, and the next day after that Nortficllffe opened up not in the Times, but in the more widely circulat ed DaUy Mail. He threw aside the calmly academic tone thought proper to British editorials. In language which resembled the hammering of an old-time mining -camp editor he at tacked Lord Kitchener as the responsi ble person declared that this tragic fiasco was due to Kitchener's laxity in providing shells, hia disregard of ad vice from the front. He followed that up on two successive days with two more editorials of the same tone. All Britain gasped; and then it seemed as though all Britain turned, not on Kitchener, but on Northcliffe. Within a day the English were burning copies of the Daily Mail on the London Stock Exchange, were barring it from the clubs, were stopping their sub scriptions with letters which should have burned the paper on which they were written. By that night there was a cordon of police about the Mail. Most of the other newspapers emplaced their howitzers and turned them on Northcliffe even the Morning Post, which had been attacking Churchill. They demanded that the War Office proceed against him under the defense-of-the-realm act. They, all but called him a traitor. The mildest among them declared that he was a. self-seeking mischief-maker. Story Denounced,' hut Believed. There was one curious thing, how ever; while the British denounced him they mostly believed him. I was ill at the time of the ;reat excitement. and in the midst of it a Briton, not con nected with politics, but a man of force and wide information, nevertheless, came to see me. He was snorting his indignation. His neighbors had all stopped the Mail. It would never en ter his house again. "But the question is is it true?" I asked in my simple American way. ."Probably It is." he said; "but what a thing to say even so." That underlying belief in the truth of this charge, spite of the public indignation against the man who told the truth, brought the great Cabinet. Explosion Maims Lad. GRAYS RIVER, Wash.. June IS. (Special.) Anton, the 10-year-old son of Joseph Kukka. was seriously in jured here late Wednesday afternoon. The little fellow, unknown to hi3 par ents, had gotten hold of a shotgun cartridge, and, boring a hole in it, pouched a lighted match to the con tents. The cartridge exploded, tearing off the thumb and two fingers of one hand and making gashes in the ab dominal and chest regions. Your watch cleaned and repaired for $1; special offer. Friedlander's. Adv. SHOWING DEFENSE OF SAN LINE. LINE OP" BATTLE. LIGHTER. DOTTED ITALY WONDERS IF GERMANY IS ENEMY Declaration of War on Rome Government Is Not Yet Made by Berlin. PEACE IN AUSTRIA HINTED Member of Pope's Entourage Visits Vienna and Says That Nation Is Humbled and Would Quit, if Permitted by Kaiser. ROME. ITALY, June 18. (Special.) Germany's delay in declaring war on Italy is not understood, here. When Italy declared war on Austria, Ger many announced its intention to aid its ally, broke off diplomatic relations with Italy and suspended postal and telegraphic communications with this country. When the Italian army in vaded Austria everybody expected the appearance of the famous Bavarian sol diers, who; It had. been reported, were to help Austria in defending Its fron tiers. The Bavarians are still conspicuous by their absence. Austria is alone in defending its frontiers and is unable to check the Italian advance, wjjile Germany is passively looking on. Tur key, under German instructions, main tains its Ambassador in Rome, thus completing the anomaly. Italy, however, does not care par ticularly what attitude Germany as sumes. This country openly joined, the allies, and so - their enemies are its enemies. Italy feels free, whenever it chooses to do so. to aid Its allies in the . eastern or western theaters of war in operating against their common enemies, and therefore is not concerned whether 'Germany and Turkey declare war against it or not. Obviously the anomaly has some meaning, and it is thought In some quarters that it may lead to eurpris ing developments. A well-informed member of the Pope's entourage who recently returned from "Vienna hinted at the possibility of Austria's soon suing for peace. "Peace," he said, "is impossible until some of the belligerents are willing to admit defeat. Germany's pride is still so great that such a humiliation on its part is entirely out of the question. But Austria has already been humbled and would hasten to seek peace if al lowed by Germany to do so. "Probably Germany is now prepared to allow Austria to sue for peace, pro vided German pride remains Intact .Naturally, everything depends on whether the allies are satisfied, and Germany is not humbled; yet It must be remembered that those whose pride is the greatest often are the more deeply humbled." SERBS LOYAL TO ALLIES RUMORS OF SEPARATE PEACE DE. MED BY MINISTER. Blandishments of Austrian Always to Be Resented, la Declaration Al bania Still Occupied. HOM K, via Paris. June 18. Acting on the rumor from Vienna that Austria Hungary and Serbia might reach an understanding of their differences, the Messagero obtained an interview with the Serbian Minister in Rome, who, among other things, said: "We first entered Albania to put an end to the intrigues of the Turks and the Austrlans. We occupied Durazzo from which we later retired at the de sire of Europe. We maintained, how ever, a few strategical points. These we abandoned later. "The present is the fourth time we have been obliged to operate against Albania. It would appear that Austria and Turkey are now preparing in Al bania a movement against us in order to compel us to withdraw a large con tingent of troops now operating against Austria. Consequently it has been nec essary for us to occupy certain strat egical positions in Albania, In order to cover our front. We have communi cated our intentions in this regard to the powers of the quadruple entente. "Aa to the blandishments of the Aus trians, these we always shall resent, even with the danger of being de stroyed. It is a question of honor. The Queen of Italy belongs to Greater Serbia and strong ties unite Serbia to Italy and these Garibaldians." LINE IS INTERNATIONAL BO VNDARV, Special TODAY ONLY Special Helen Gardner Supported by an All-Star Cast in Miss Jekyll and Madame Hyde Vitagraph Broadway Star Feature A woman's better self, unconsciously dominated by her worse self, leads men to ruin. Awakening to a knowledge of her dual nature, she overcomes evil with good. Hearst-Selig Weekly . George Ade Comedy BEGINNING TOMORROW Charlie Chaplin In His Latest "XATg 0f" Comedy Success VV Vjlllk. BURS ASK LIGHT Specific Information as to De tails Wanted From Allies. PETROGRAD TAKES HEART Understanding With Entente Pow ers as Rumored and Loudon Thinks It Settled Nation Will Xot Aid Teutons. ' SOFIA, Bulgaria, via London, June 18. Bulgaria's reply to the proposals of the entente powers is a request for further enlightenment. Premier Rad oslavoff personally visited the entente ministers and thanked them for the offers of their governments. He asked for clearer information on specific points, so that Bulgaria may be able to Judge better what will be her posi tion and her relations with her neigh bors at the end of the war. LONDON. June 18. Reports are in circulation In London today that Bul garia has come to an agreement with entente power. These reports lack confirmation,, although the buoyancy of the Petrograd Bourse is taken in London as an indication that impor tant events are near at hand. The opinion is generally expressed here that there is now no chance that Bul garia will enter the war on the side of Germany and Austria. COLOGNE, via London, June 18. The Cologne Gazette has published a dispatch from Berlin concerning the outcome of the recent general elections in Greece, in which doubt is expressed as to whether M. Veniielos would be unconditionally in favor of armed In tervention on the side of the allies, even in case King Constantine should entrust him again with the conduct of affairs. It is to be assumed that M. Veniz los. the Berlin dispatch goes on to say, is following: the developments in the Dardanelles closely; that he has no ticed England's admission that prog ress there is possible only with great sacrifices, and that the latest attempts to induce Bulgaria and Roumanla to co-operate with the allies have failed. Conditions in this quarter of the world have changed since last Spring. BERLIN, via London, June 18. In formation reaching Berlin from Sofia is that Bulgaria, in her last communi cation to the powers in the matter of her participation in the war, refers to her expectation as part of her re ward of the restitution of the terri tory she ceded to Roumanla and of Last opportunity to see the ever adorable MARY PICKFORD in The Dawn of a Tomorrow COMING TOMORROW EDGAR SELWYN in THE ARAB in Princess Romanoff Tomorrow at the portions of Greek and Serbian Mace donia. Bulgaria is described as demanding precise details as to what she will re ceive, and the understanding here is that she is endeavoring to avoid a definite answer to the allies, thu.s leaving the way open to further ne gotiation. BRITISH REPORTED LOSING Berlin Hears Hold on Gallipoli Pen insula Is Precarious. BERLIN, June IS, via wireless to Say ville, N. Y. An undated dispatch from Constantinople, received here, says th" British have lost most of the groond they formerly held, and are in posses sion only of a small crescent on the west coast of the Gallipoli peninsuln. This position is described as being 2800 yards long and 1100 yards wide at it3 broadest point. Jt is reported that the British fleet has been compelled to take refuge from German submarines In Kefala bay, Im bros Island, three miles from the Gal lipoli coast. Advertising Law Is liffcclive. KANSAS CITY, June 18. Missouri's honest advertising law, enacted by the 'ast Legislature, became effective to day. The measure applies to every form of business. It prohibits mis statements of fact in any form of ad vertising, including posters, circulars and letters. DAYLIGHT SERVICE BETWEEN PORTLAND AND Grays Harbor in connection with the SHASTA LIMITED NO EXTRA FARE Leave Union Depot. . Leave Centralia Arrive Aberdeen . . . Arrive Hoquiam . . . Leave Hoquiam Leave Aberdeen Arrive Portland . . . ...2:10 P.M. ...5:20 P.M. ...7:40 P.M. ...8:00 P. M. ...9:00 A.M. ...9:15 A.M. .. .3:30 P.M. Tickets and information at 0-W. R. & N. CITY TICKET OFFICE, Washington at Third Street Broadway 4500 A 6121 NANCE O'NEIL -