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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 1915)
VOL. L.V. NO. 17,100. PORTLAND, OREGON, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. 1915. PRICE FIVE CENTS. GERMANY ANXIOUS 10 AVERT RUPTURE Crisis Is Now Believed to Be Passed. ASSURANCES ARE REPEATED Ambassador Says Pact Is Be Kept in Good Faith. to! EVIDENCE IS IN CONFLICT Von licrnstorff Assures Mr. Lan sing That Berlin's Iiiforinatiou Is Tliat Arabic Tried to R1111 Don Submarine. I BV JOHN CALL AX O'LAI'GHLIN. WASHINGTON, Sept. 13. (Special.) With an earnest desire manifested by Germany to adjust the submarine question in a manner satisfactory to the United States it looks tonlgTit as If the crisis in the relations of the two countries is passed. Count von Bernstorff, the German A rn bass-ado;, reiterated formally to Secretary La nsing: at a Stat Depart ment conference today, that his gov ernment intended to carry out in grood faith the assurances griven for the se curity of lives on belligerent liners, tier many to Keep Part. The Ambassador made it clear to the Secretary of State that there was no purpose on the part of his government to evade the spirit of the assurances. H e asserted that the instructions to submarine officers were specific in re quiring them not to attack without warning:. Of course if a vessel sought to escape or resisted a different situa tion would be created. Mr. Lansing insisted that the burden of proof that a ship was attempting to escape or resisted must rest upon the submarine commander. Jlritnln'M Order Made LsNtie. Count von Bernstorff argued that the room for doubt would be restricted if the British government could be in duced to cancel the orders given to commanders of merchant ships to ram a submarine -whenever and wherever they saw one. lie contended that the note with reference to the Arabic declared anew the principle underlying these assur ances. The German Ambassador made It clear that he is less concerned about the future than he is about the Arabic and Lusitania incidents. He believes that as a result of the care which Gorman submarine ofTi ce in will observe there will be little if any cause of complaint on the part of the I'nited States. Arbitration In freed. He urged Mr. Lansing to accept arbi tration in case of the Arabic, pointing out that there was a sharp divergence of views relative to the way in which that steamer was destroyed. All the information reported to his government confirmed the declaration of the submarine commander who sank the Arabic that the latter had attempt ed to ram the underwater craft. Secretary Lansing furnished Count von Bernstorff with the facts obtained by this Government, not only from ICngl Ish sources, but from Americans board the liner, showing that the sub marine was not sighted, that no at tempt had been made to ram the Ger man ship and that the torpedo struck near the stern of the English boat. Secretary Lansing indicated that this Government was convinced of the cor rectness of the evidence it had in its possession and he believed Germany would disavow the act of the subma rine commander. As Mr. Lansing had been in confer ence with the President during the morning, the German Ambassador real ized that the Secretary of Slate was expressing the views of the Chief Ex ecutive. Mr. Lansing further advised the Ger man Ambassador that arbitration of the question -of the value of the American lives lost by the action of German sub marines was repugnant to this Govern ment. Trenty Violation Made Clear. The treaty with Prussia provides specifically that Americans shall be permitted freely and safely to travel through the waters of Germany's enemy. This treaty lias been violated. Conse quently there is no need for arbitra tion. Count von Bernstorff lias reported Secretary Landing's views to Berlin. He will receive instructions tomorrow or Wednesday and will hold another conference with the Secretary of State. The Ambassador is desirous of see ing the President and before he leaves Uie city he will be received at the W'hite House. The Ambassador is confident that an adjustment of the difference that exist will be reached. 'So far as I am concerned.' he said, "there will never be a break between the two countries. I have always been optimistic. IMplomacy has so many resources that I have never seen rea mon to be pessimistic." nifflcultles Are Admitted. It is admitted on all sides that the question between the United States and Germany is a tough nut to crack. This Government will not approach Great Britain to secure a change in the In structions to merchant craft- The Ad ministration Is dealing with Germany iConeiuded oa Pate 3, Column Z.) LIQUOR GLASSES IN PUBLICUTILITYLIST STATE COMMISSION QUESTIONS XEED IX POYVKK (-E1HICE. California-Oregon Company's Attor ney Admits Them TTnnecessary to Operation of System. SALEM, Or., Sept- 13. (Special.) Champagne glasses, creme de men the glasses, highball glasses, punch glasses and claret tumblers are not necessary in conducting a public utility, admitted A. C. Hough, of Grants Pass, who ap peared today before the State Public Service Commission as attorney for the California-Oregon Power Company in a hearing to determine If rates and service of the utility are equitable. Commissioner Aitchison precipitated the subject in the course of the exam ination. The uses of the company's $52,000 building at Gold Bay, Or., was under discussion. It developed that the third floor was used as a clubhouse for employes. The drinking glasses appear in the inventory of the company's holdings. "I want to know if the champagne glasses, creme de men the glasses, high ball glasses, punch glasses and claret tumblers are reasonably necessary in the conduct of a public utility?" queried the commissioner. Attorney Hough explained that the company was willing for "that kind of stuff to be thrown out." "We want to be fair with the com mission," he concluded. The investigation is the result of complaints fled by the cities of Klam ath Falls, Medford and Grants Pass. K00D RIVER TAKES PRIZE Vinegar Entry Captures Medal at Fair Erom Score of Exhibits. HOfeiD RIVER. Or., Sept. 13. (Spe cial.) Hood River vinegar, according to a letter received by J. H. Heil bronner. from C. X. Ravi in Oregon's chief of horticulture at the Panama Pacific International Exposition, Sat urday captured the highest gold medal over a score of exhibits from fruit sections in all parts of the country. The exhibit displayed beside the big apple built by the Hood River Com mercial Club in the Palace of Horti culture was made by the Hood River Apple Vinegar Company, of this city. BELGIAN RELIEF SHIP SUNK Steamer Reports Witnessing1 De struction of Red Cross Vessel. LONDON. Sept. 13. A dispatch to Reuter's Telegram Company from Muiden. Holland, says: The steamer Pomona reports that at 10 o'clock yesterday morning it wit nessed the sinking of a British steam er which was flying the signals of the Belgian relief committee. Ten of the crew of the steamer were rescued by steam trawlers." t The staff of Herbert C. Hoover, chair man of the American Belgian relief commission, is investigating the report, but has not been, able as yet to confirm whether one or the commission s steamers has been sunk. RUSSIAN ATTACK 'SERIOUS' Teuton Elanks Hard Pressed in Ga- licia, Says German Writer. BERLIN, Sept. 13. Leonard Adelt, the war correspondent of the Tage- blatt. with the Austrian headquarters, in a dispatch reports that the Russian resistance on the Sereth River has as sumed a most serious aspect and indi cates that the new commander has been ordered to hold the remaining Russian positions in Galicia. The Russians, the correspondent says, are resorting to counter-attacks, which are giving General Count von Both mer's army much hard work on both flanks on the upper and lower Sereth River. BOMBS DROPPED IN KENT Hostile Aeroplane oil Coast Chased Off ty Britisli Airmen. LONDON. Sept. 13. An official state ment issued by the press bureau says: 'A host ile aeroplane visited the Ken lish coast this afternoon and dropped some bombs which resulted in a house beinj? seriously damaged and four persons bei ng injured. The aero plane was chased off by two naval aeroplanes." GERMANS GAIN ADVANTAGE Tide Turns in Buttle on Drina. on Which Kate of Iti&a Depends. ,BKRUN. via London battle along- the Prin has been virtually in a lock for several days, favor of the Germans. Sept. 13. The i River, which state of -dead-has swung in The War Office announced today that the Russians had been ejected from several positions on the left bank of i the river. This battle probably will decide the fate of Ri DR. DUMBA PACKING GOODS Amuasador Discharges Chauffeur and Otherwise Prepares to CJo. - LKXOX, Mass., Sept. 1". The Ambas sador of Austria-Hungary. Dr. Constan tin Theodor Dumba, -whose recall was requested by President Wilson, was preparing today to leave his Summer home here within a short time. He has engaged a furniture packer to prepare his personal effects for ship ment and has discharged his chauffeur. EUROPE'S PLAN. IS TO BORROW BILLION Money, if Obtained, to , Be Spent in America. NO COLLATERAL TO BE GIVEN Question Rises Whether Loan on Notes Is Permissible. NEUTRALITY CHIEF ISSUE Financiers of Great Britain and Erance Agree to Ua?e Every Cent for Cotton , Wheat, M ea t a nd Munitions in United States. NEW YORK. Sept. 13. The present plan of the joint Anglo-French finan cial commission. It was reported to- ght, is to borrow 1,000,300,000 in the United States on straight British and French government bonds without any collateral whatever. If this vast sum of money is ob tained, it was said, it is to be spent to the last cent in the United States in payment of cotton, wheat and meat and many commodity shipments. In cluding munitions of war. It will therefore, in the opinion of financial authorities be classified as a commercial loan.. Interference Aot Expected. Whether the neutrality of the United States would be questioned in case the bankers financing the mammoth loan should accept straight British and French government notes as their se curity has been given serious con sideration. It was said that the finan ciers familiar with the plan had every reason to believe that the Washing ton Administration would not interfere. The foregoing was the unanimous opinion tonight of many of the scores of prominent bankers from New York and the chief cities of the country, who have visited the commission at its headquarters here during the three days of Its stay in this city. As to its correctness, the members of the commission declined positively to com ment. All that the commission cared to publish as authoritative was voiced by Lord Reading, its chairman, who received newspapermen tonight for the first time. All Want Staple Condition. 'We are not in a position to make a statement at the present time," Lord Reading said, "because we are study ing the conditions In New York and elsewhere in relation to American ex change on London and Paris. We have received a considerable number of per sons, prominent bankers and other gentlemen who are interested in the stability of exchange. 'The one thing that is striking about it is that everybody Is agreed, as one would expect, in the great importance to be attributed to regulating the ex change so as to provide more stable (Concluded on Pace 14. Column 'MIILTMOMAH couhty fair ' I ( "lvO. v rr . : k i" ? izf Aft wH n-) GRESHAM ORE&Ot -SEPT. t .Jfae I flftfi INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperat" rt SX degrees; minimum, 52 degree - o TODAY'S Unsettled; probably " War. Belief expressed that peace will bring revolt In Russia. Page 1. Mexico. Two American soldiers killed in Mexican border raid. Faga 1. National. Secretary Lane says he opposes state con trol of water power. Page 5. Crisis in negotiations with. Germany believed to be parsed. Page 1. United States again requests German dis avowal of Arabic destruction. Page 'Si Domestic. Great Britain and France plan to borrow billion dollars on government bonds. Page 1. Foreign financial commission calls on J. J. Bill instead of waiting for him' to call. Page 2. Citizenship papers withheld from German spy suspect. Page 1. Investigator asks Government to make sweeping probe Into opium ring at Hono lulu. Page 3. Fire on Sant' Anna quenched in mid-ocean. Page 0. Pacific Northwest. Power company admits liquor glasses not necessary in conducting public utility. Page l. Land grant conference expected to bring oOO delegates to Salem. Page 11. Sport. Red Sox, league leaders, improve lead by taking double-header from White Sox. Page 11'. Beavers open today with Vernon for series of six games. I'age 1-. Commercial and Marine. Wheat buying difficult In Northwestern matkets. Page 17. Chicago wheat higher, owing to fear of de lay in contract deliveries. Page 17. Stock market closes strong and active on Washington reports. Page 17. Big- run of livestock and lively market at North Portland. Page 17. Deal is on to add steamer to Oregon and California Atlantic Coast fleet. Page 14. Portland and Vicinity. Funeral of Father John Flinn Is attended by thousands. Page 7. Postoffice plans are assured, but at no defi nite time. Page 11. Emergency clause on jitney ordinance knocked out. Page 1. City to seek reversal of decision In Jitney case. Page 11. Silence of father of Schlappi waifs is court mystery. Page 10. William Sproule, Southern Pacific president, pleased by gain in hog Industry. Page 17. Enrollment at Reed College opening day 170. Page 10, Linnton rioter dies from bullet wound and Austrians threaten officer. Page U. City water supply found abundant during extra-dry season. - Pace 9. Chicago girls, walking to San Francisco, reach Portland. Page 9. County Fair opens today. Page 3. Weather report, (lata and forecast. Page 14 F-4 DISASTER UNEXPLAINED With All Data Available Cause C Sinking of Craft Remains Mystery HONOLULU, T. H., Sept. 13. Rear- Admiral Clifford Joseph Bousch, com mandant of the Honolulu Naval Sta tion, announced today that although all available data secured by the ex amination of the hulk of the subma rine F-4 was in his possession, he was unable to tell the cauee of the disaster which sent the under-sea craft to the ocean floor off Honolulu harbor on March 25, costing the lives of Lieuten ant Alfred Ede her commander, and his crew of 21. The board of inquiry appointed to conduct the examination began Its final survey today of the battered shell of the submarine, which still is in dry dock here. Males Kept in Germany. AMSTERDAM, via London, Sept. 13. The llandelsblad learns that all males from 17 to 45 years of a?e have been prohibited from leaving Germany. Some who attempted to leave have been turned back at the Dutch fron tier stations. ' PLENTY OF GOOD ROADS TO THE GRESHAM FAIR THIS WEEK COIMS ASIDE otb'ONDJITNEYLAW Emergency Clause Is Held to Be Illegal ENFORCEMENT IS ENJOINED Permanency of Order Depends on Issue of Pending Suit. COUNCIL'S RIGHTS DEFINED Constitution Held to . Prohibit It l"rom Evading Referendum Sec tion Requiring Certificates of Drivers Is Questioned. HISTORY OK ATTEMPTS TO RGGULAG JITNEYS IX PORTLAND. First jitneys appear in Port land in December. 1914. Commissioner Daly prepares drastic ordinance and presents it to Council. Hearing.s held and measure ex tensively modified by Mr. Daly. Council, after several months of delay, adopts modified measure. Jitney interests invoke referen dum cn the measure passed, thus submitting it to vote of the peo ple. Council's measure adopted by voters at the city election June 2. Jitney inspector appointed and city starts enforcement. Jitney interests atart litigation. Bet temporary restraining order in Circuit Court and measure is knocked out on technicality by State Supreme Court. Mayor Albee insists on Coun cil passing measure over again in Identical form adopted by voters. Commissioner Daly presents modified measure, and Council, after killing' Mayor's measure, passes Daly's measure with emergency. City starts to enforce new measure. Jitney interests litigate and get 10-day restraining order from Circuit Judge Bagley. The City Council has no right to pass an ordinance containing an emergency clause to put it into effect immediately and avoid the referendum, Circuit Judge George R. Bagrley decided yes terday. Acting under this decision he grant ed a ten-day injunction, restraining the city from enforcing the new jitney ordinance until the suit brought by (Concluded on Page 11, Column 1.) Mondays War Moves BT one of those battering offenses which, although costly in men and munitions, have invariably been suc cessful. Field Marshal von Hinden burg's army has at last set foot on the Eovno-Petrograd railway between Vllna and Dvinsk. The whole Austro German forces have been striving to gain this railway since the fall of the Polish fortress. The offensive, which began toward the end of last week, was carried on from three directions upon Dvinsk and the railway on either side of the town, while further south the invaders ad vanced toward Vilna. The Russians, before superior forces supplied with the usual mass of artillery, were Sun day forced back to the Lake district which the railway penetrates, and are now making a stand there. Simultaneously, the Germans pushed their way eastward towards Slonim and Pinsk, both of which are on roads which join the main railway line, while the Austrians, with whom there are many German units, are fighting haTd to reach Rovno, the southern terminus of the line, i With this railway partly In the hands of the Germans it is probable that the Russians will be compelled to make a further retirement, although their of fensive in Galicia, which continues might save them by compelling the Germans to. send reinforcements to this region. There is now no doubt of Russian success in this district as, following the Austrian admission of their retire ment, the Germans last night an nounced that, after repulsing Russian attacks, they occupied "a favorable po sition situated some kilometers west of our former position." The conditions under which the troops are fighting in the marshy country in the center and in the southern end of the line, are described by German cor respondents as most terrible. The country is virtually all under water, through which the Austro-Germans have to advance against well-prepared Russian positions. The eastern bank of the Sereth, from which the Russians are delivering their counter-attacks, is a veritable fortress, from which the Russians emerge every time their op ponents approach, taking heavy toll of them in killed, wounded and prisoners. According to the Russian accounts, nearly 30,000 prisoners have been taken in the fighting along this river. The operations in the west are marked by the continuance of the great Dattie rrom Belgium to the Argonne. A duel between guns of all calibers along the entire front has now been going on for nearly three weeks, and during the week-end has been particu larly violent a'round Arras, in the Ar gonne and Champagne. At several points the German in fantry, after a heavy bombardment, at tempted to storm the advanced trenches of the allies, but the French reports say that these attacks all failed. Fighting of a somewhat similar char acter is proceeding along the Austro Italian front. The session of the British Parlia ment which opened today will be chief ly occupied for arranging to finance the war. It will include the levy of new taxes. However, under the British system, whereby ministers can be ques tioned and debates raised, many other matters will be discussed. September It, 1911. Czar administer. rrnsliini. i4,r,t Austrians, taking 1S0.000 prisoners in aajs ot ngnting. according to re ports. ; Germans' retreat is halted by River Aisne. Washington officials believe peace move is gaining. Belgians at Antwerp hold Germans from France. CANADA TO MAKE BIG GUMS Decision Reaehcd at Meeting of Of ficials nnd Bankers. OTTAWA, Ont., Sept. 3 3. Canada is to take up the manufacture of field guns and howitzers for the British government, it was announced tonlsht. This was decided on today at a meet ing of prominent statesmen and bank ers with General Sir Samuel Hughes, Minister of Militia, and General Mahan, of the British War Office. No artillery ever has been made, in Canada, but a committee was appointed to organize factories to handle the business. The manner in "which Canada has filled orders for shells led to the pro posal that artillery be fabricated here. ROUMANIA IS MOBILIZING Precaution Ajrainst Austrian Sur prise Is Jieportcd. ATHENS, via Paris, Sept. 14. It is reported in diplomatic circles here that there has been a. heavy mobilization of Roumanian troops, including: several regiments of cavalry, to face an unex pected concentration of Austrians. which is directed presumably against Roumania. Railroad traffic in Northwestern Roumania is declared to have been suspended in favor of troop movements. All horses have been requisitioned. The second series of reserves are now with the colors. SNOW FALLS IN MONTANA North Dakota, Too, Keels First Touch of Winter's ApproacH. TRENTON', X. D-. Sept. 13. Snow from two to six inches in depth has fallen in North Dakota and Ksstem Montana, much of it melting as it fell through the night. Most of the grain in this region still is unthreshed. a & ARMY CAMP-ON BOEDER ATTACKED TwoAmerican Soldiers Die in Conflict. MEXICAN RAIDERS REPELLED Little Force of 10 Battles for. Half Hour With 30. SLEEPING CAMP SURPRISED Demand Made on Carranza to Sur render Tut) Known Ringleaders. Attack May Be Keint for . General Raid Klsewhcre. BROWNSVILLE. Tex.. Sept. 13. The . United States Army in the lower Rio Grande Valley tonint went on a near approach to war time military footing. The cause was a carefully prepared at tack upon an army camp near the Rio Grande by Mexicans today, the first deliberate blow at the American -Army here since the bandit raids began and which cost the life of two American soldier?. Camps tonight along the border were .chosen in view of reports that Mexicans might renew the attacks at any time and that today's attack might have been a. feint to cover attempted plans of depredations in other sections. Demand Made oa Carranza. Colonel A. P. Blocksom, of Fort Brown, made a dash in an automobile to the scene of the fight today, calling out patrols and placing officers to search the vicinity. He also made vig orous demands on the Carranza au thorities for the arrest of two known" bandit ring leaders on the Mexican side of the river. Today's fight began at dawn. Ten soldiers started the fight. Seven were left in action at the end and one of them wa killed. Two Mexicans were seen to pitch forward on their faces during the fight, but their comrades removed all the Mexican wounded. The ten Americans who participated in the fight were all members of troop A. Third Cavalry. Private Anthony Kraft, Detroit, Mich., was killed. Trum peter Harold B. Forney, Watertown, X. Y., was shot through the abdomen and died later. Warning; Rouneit Americans. The camp where the fight occurred was in a grove about a shed in a ranch corral. The American detachment slept in this shed and under the ebony trees beside it. Before tile men had been awakened, near daybreak, one of the soldiers who wi.s starting the break fast fire, saw less than 100 yards away outside of the corral fence one man on top of a straw stack and five others on the ground near by. He shouted a warning. Sergeant Walsh awakened the com mand, and as the men reached for their rifles, the Mexicans opened fire. This fire, starting from the straw stack, quickly encircled the Americans until they were fighting with detachments ot Mexicans probably totalling 30, sta tioned at five separate shelters. Kraft had been with the Army four months. Sergeant Walsh, in command, was struck near the end of the fight by a bullet which came through, tha side of the shed. Buttle Lasts Half Hour. The Mexicans stopped firing after about 30 minutes. Search showed where most of them had crawled away through the cotton patches to the cover of the brush, some distance from the corral. From the brush these men were traced alons the river road until they dispersed, apparently at a big ranch above the scene of the fiKht. It is believed that some of the other Mexi cans fell back toward the river. All showed a perfect knowledge of the ranch territory. Major Edward F. Anderson, of the Twelfth Cavalry, said he was positive that many of these Mexicans were resi dents of the American side and today were seemingly peacefully working in the neighborhood of the fight a few hours after it was over. FlrearmN Are Seised. State peace officers searching Ameri can houses in the vicinity of tbe ranch seized two wagonloads of arms after the battle, but there was notUng to connect any American directly with the fight. In addition to the arms seized they found many old-fashioned -firearms in the possession of the Mexi cans. These were destroyed. General K. P. Nafarrate, at Mata moros, Mcx., in response to Colonel Blocksom's request for the arrest of Luis de la Rosa and Aniceto Pizano, sent word tonight that he was search ing for them. These two Mexican were alleged to be signers of the moat recent circulars distributed in this sec tion calling upon' Mexicans to kill Americans. Nafarrate today ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Velasquez, of his forces, to report on the actions of his troops at Cavazos crossing, where Americans and ' Mexicans had a fight across the river a week ago. Five Mexicans Arrested. Five Mexicans living at the ranch house where the fight occurred today were arrested on suspicion and taken to San Benito. One of them, several days ago, it is alleged, told one of the Twelfth Cavalry officers that he in tended to kill one of that officer's men. (.Cuucluaed oa Face 3. Column l.