VOL. LVI NO. 17,498. PORTLAND, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 191G. PRICE FIVE CENTS. POWERS ASKED Tl CHRISTMAS BONUS LONDON LIKELY TO REPLY THIS WEEK STORMS AND WRECK HOLD BACK MAILS TILTS ARISE OVER MILITARY SYSTEM MAYOR SEIZES CAR MASKED ASSASSIN SHOOTS MAIL CLERK PLAN STRIKES CITY OF COAL FOR POOR GIVE PEAGE TERMS SEVER All BIG CONCERNS WTLXj REMEMBER EMPOTES. ROTARY SXOWPLOWS BUST - IN KASTERN OREGON. DIRE NECESSITY IS GIVEN AS REASON FOR ACTION. V to DISCUSSION BASIS SOUGHT Action Taken Without Notice Amazes Entente and l. German Diplomats. MEDIATION NOT OFFERED Mr. Wilson Points Out He Is Merely Proposing That Soundings Be Taken. WASHINGTON, Dec. 20. Presi dent Wilson has appealed to all the belligerents to discuss terms of peace. Without actually proposing peace or offering mediation, the President has sent formal notes to the governments of all the warring nations suggesting that "an early occasion be sought to call outfrom the nations now at war Buch an avowal of their respective views as to the terms upon which the war might be concluded and the ar rangements which would be deemed satisfactory as a guarantee against its renewal or the kindling of any similar conflict in the future, as would make it possible frankly to compare them." Action Taken Without Notice. Wholly' without notice and entirely contrary to what 'Administration of ficials have described as his course, the President last night dispatched the notes to all the belligerents and to all the neutrals for their informa tion. Summarized in the President's own words as contained in the notes, his attitude is as follows: "The President is not proposing peace; he is not even offering media tion. He is merely proposing that soundings be taken in order that we may learn, the neutral nations with the belligerent, how near the haven of peace may be for which all mankind longs with an intense and increasing longing.' He believes that the spirit in which he speaks and the objects which he seeks will be understood by all concerned, and he confidently hopes for a response which will bring a new light into the affairs of the world." Notes Possibly at Destination. Thi3 latest development in the rap iary moving worm events toward a discussion of peace was not permitted to become known until tonight when the notes were well on their way to the American Ambassadors in the bel ligerent capitals and probably already in the hands of some of them. It was a most distinct surprise to all official Washington, which had been led to believe that with the for mal transmittal of the( proposals of the Uentral .Powers the offices of the United States would await further moves between the belligerents them- j selves and that certainly, in view of the speech of Premier Lloyd George and the announcements in Russia, France and Italy, further action by neutrals would depend upon the next careful and delicate moves of the bel ligerents. Peace Prospects Improved. The whole tenor of official opinions throughout Washington, when the President's action became known, was that it immeasurably improved the prospects for some sort of exchange looking toward an approach to peace discussions between the belligerents' without impairing the position of the United States should they finally be Unable to find a good ground on which to approach one another. At the White House no statement whatever could be obtained as to whether any of the powers even had intimated how they would receive the note, and there was every indication that the same careful secrecy which lad prevented anything whatever be coming known about the President's action until it had been taken, would surround any of the succeeding moves. British Embassy Surprised. Nowhere on the surface appears any indication of the history-making events which diplomatists generally are convinced must have transpired President Sends Note All Belligerents. (Continued on Page 3, Column 1.) Pacific Telephone Company, Standard Oil, Southern Pacific, General Electric, Among Several. Seven hundred Portland, telephone girls will have for Christmas a pres ent of added salary from the Pacific States Telephone & Telegraph Com pany. All employes of the company, 1300 in number, will receive a like bonus. Those in service from three months to one year will be given two weeks' salary and those employed more than one year will get' three weeks' salary. The Standard Oil Company announces that beginning January 1 the employes of the Standard will all go on an eight-hour basis. Employes who work by the day and whose wage is less than ?3 will be advanced to $3. Those paid by the month whose salaries are less than $75 will be raised to that figure. All other employes will receive an ad vance of 5 per ceitt in salaries. This will affect several hundred employes. The Southern Pacific Company will give a bonus of 10 per cent of salaries f,or the year to employes whose pay for the year. Including the bonus, will be $2500 or less. Several hundred rail road workers In Portland will benefit. The General Electric Company em ployes in this city will receive a bonus of '10 per cent on the month's earn ings, confined to those who earn $2500 or less . a year. Until further notice another 10 per cent bonus will be added to each monthly pay check. The Northwestern National Bank will hand each employe $25 with wishes for a merry Christmas. The Hlbernia Savings Bank will make the usual presents to all on its staff. The Portland Gas & Coke Company will give each of Its men a box ot cigars and each girl a box of candy. BRITAIN MAY BE BONE DRY Absolute Prohibition of Manufacture and Sale Said to Be Decided. LOXDOX, Dec. 21. The newspapers learn that the government is prepar ing measures for the future control of the production and sale of alcoholic beverages, which may go as far as ab solute prohibition. It is stated from one source that it has already been de cided that the manufacture and sale of whisky in Scotland will virtually be prohibited, and that this is likely to be fallowed by a similar step in Eng land and Wales. As regards" Ireland; It Is said that the government, from the first of Jan uary, will take over the Irish distiller ies for the manufacture of munitions. CONVICTS TO VISIT HOMES North Carolina Governor to Parole Trusties for Holidays. RALEIGH, N. C, Dec. 20. So they may spend Christmas at home, "trus ties" in North Carolina prisons and prison camps will be paroled for three days beginning next Sunday by Gov ernor Craig. The convicts will be re quired only to give their word of honor that they will return to the prisons by noon, December 27. Governor Craig last Christmas pa roled more" than 800 prisoners under similar conditions and all reported to the authorities at the time designated. MAYOR'S GAVEL IS MISSING .Relic of Dozen Years Mysteriously Disappears for First Time. An old mahogany gavel which has been wielded at Council meetings by every Mayor in the last 12 years has mysteriously disappeared from the Concil Chamber. The relic was missed yesterday at the regular Council ses sion. Apparently it has been stolen. The gavel was installed prior to the administration of Mayor Harry Lano and has been on the job ever since. This is the first time it has disap peared. NEW MACHINE GUN TESTED Weapon Thowlng 3000 Pojectiles Minute "Worked Electrically. VALLKJO. Cal.. Dec. 20. A centri fugal machine gun. said to throw 3000 projectiles a minute at an initial ve locity of 4000 feet a second, was tested by naval authorities here today. The initial velocity of the Army rifle is 2000 feet per second. The .centrifugal gun is operated wholly by electricity. CHINA TO REMAIN NEUTRAL Humor of Preparations to Join En tente Denied. PEKIN, Dec. 20. Hsia Ti Ting. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, appeared before the lower house of Parliamen today and answered a rumor that China was preparing to Join the entente. He declared that China absolutely was not considering entering the Euro pean struggle and that she would main tain the strictest neutrality. TREATY RATIFIED BY DANES Folkcthing Passes Bill for Sale ot West Indies. COPENHAGEN, via London, Dec. 20 After a single reading the Folkething today passed the bill ratifying th treaty for the sale of the Danish West Indies to the United States. The vote was 90 in favor of and 16 against ratification. Five members were absent. Answer to Berlin Pro posal to Be Rushed. WAY FOR PEACE LEFT OPEN Note Expected to Make Direct Offer of Terms Possible. UNITED ACTION EXPECTED Lloyd George's Speech to Be Fol lowed in Main Desire Is to Dispatch Note Before Christ mas All Allies to Act. LONDON, Dec. 20. There is a strong probability that Great Britain's reply to the German peace proposal might be made before Christmas. This was the opinion . in well-informed government circles today, where it Is also believed the reply will be brief and will likely follow the lines of Mr. Lloyd George's maiden speech as Prime Minister, inso far as it will leave the door open for Germany to make concrete peace, pro posals. Great Britain's official reply to Ger many, as prominent officials preferred to term it, will be. dispatched simul taneously with that of her allies. Note Cause of Many Connclli., Ever since the German note was handed to the Foreign Office by the American Ambassador It has been the subject of discussion between Premier Lloyd George and his cabinet council, whicji meets dally. The note and the nature of the reply also have been dis cussed with Great Britain's allies and it Is stated that these conversations have progressed so rapidly that prelim inary drafts have already been made. It would, therefore, not be surprising If the allies' reply were ready by the nd. of the week. Especially, it is said would this' be true in the case of Great Britain's note, which the Prime Minister declared to be anxious to dispatch without delay. Note May Be Sent Direct. When the terms of the note are defi nitely agreed upon and the document is signed by Lord Robert Cecil, who is acting Foreign Secretary In the ab sence of Mr. Balfour, it may be handed to Ambassador Page with the request that he forward it to the State De partment at Washington for transmis sion to Germany. This is said to be the most likely method. Inasmuch as the United States represents the allies' in terests in Germany. It is just possible, however, that Great Britain may desire to dispatch the eply direct to the British Ambas sador at Washington, with instructions to turn it over to the State Deparment A dispatch to Reuter's Telegram Company from Zurich says information (Concluded on Pace 17. Column 4.) Mcacham Is in Grip of Storm and Is Scene of Derailment, Tying Traffic Several Hours. LA GRANDE. Or. Dec. 20. (Spe cial.) Storms in the East and two boxcars off the track at Meacham tied up transcontinental traffic this morn ing several hours. Mail trains from the East are an average of 12 hours late each day. and are again tonight, but a stub train is being run into Portland as No. 19 tonight. The Meacham trouble was righted after about six hours and traf fic was running normally again by noon except for trains which come to the division late from the East. A seven-inch snowfall in Eastern Oregon necessitated the presence of two rotarles on the mountain tracks most of last night and this morning. PENDLETON, Or.. Dec. 20. (Spe cial.) With three feet of snow on the ground and snow still falling. Meacham in the grip of a heavy storm. The storm started yesterday and continued throughout last night. A small freight train wreck at Meacham caused a delay of many hours In east and westbound trains. Sev eral inches of snow fell at Pendleton last night and this morning, but was meltedby a rfln this afternoon. The wet snow here caused many telephone and electric light wires to break under the weight. GUARDS' PEOPLE TO GET AID Appropriation for Families of Sol diers Ready for President. WASHINGTON. Dec 20. An urgent deficiency appropriation bill, carrying approximately $4,500,000, was passed today by House and Senate and sent to the President for approval. It provides 14,250,000 for dependents of National Guardsmen engaged In Mexican border service; $210,000 for the Philadelphia, J37.O0O for the Den ver, and $25,500 for the San Francisco mints, and $45,000 for the New York Assay Office. ADAMS0N MEASURE WAITS Attempt to Continue Newlands Com mittee Delayed by Holidays. WASHINGTON. Dec. 20. Attempts to obtain action on the Adamson resolu tion to extend the life of the Newlands railroad committee, now Investigating all phases of the railway situation, until January 7. 1918, were abandoned today. They will be taken up after the holi day recess of Congress. JAPAN D0UBTS SINCERITY Foreign Minister Motono Says Reply Will Await Consultations. TOKIO. Dec. 20. Viscount Motono, Foreign Minister, today told members of Parliament that ,he believes the German peace proposal lacked sincer ity and. that Germany does not really desire peace. He added that Japan's reply to the proposal would be made after consul tation with her allies. THE DANCE IS ON. Charge of Inefficiency Rouses Congress. SHARP CONTROVERSY LOOMS General Scott Says Little Is Expected of New Order. RECRUITING. COST CITED Members of Rouse Committee De clare Men Refused to Enlist Be cause of Assurance They Would See No Active Service. WASHINGTON. Dec 20. Sharp con troversy In Congress over the future of the National Guard in the Federal military system was foreshadowed to day at hearings before committees ot both the House and Senate. Major-General Hugh L. Scott, chief of staff of the Army, encountered vigorous cross-examination by several members of the House military com mittee when he touched upon results of the mobilization of the state troops for border duty as shown in the Gen eral Staff report. Conclusions drawn from the figures to support the con tentlon that the-guard system is in efficient and unreliable were ques tioned. - 47,000 of 95,000 Report. When General Scott before the House committee quoted from the mobilisa tion report to show that out of an en rolled strength of 95,000 men In certain units of the Guard, called for border duty, only 47.000 actually were avail able for the Federal service. Re pre sentatlve Anthony, of Kansas, asked whether It was fair to judge the N tional Guard system on a mobilization of what was in, reality the old or ganlzed militia. Representatives Hull and Greene Joined in this view. "Is it not a fact," insisted Represen tatire Greene, "that neither the Na tional Guard nor the regular Army as contemplated by the National defense act of 1916 was In existence when the border call came?" Nevr Plan Regarded Dubiously. General Scott admitted this was true, as the act did not go Into effect until after the call was made. He reiterated his opinion, however. that completion of the new organiza tlon would produce little better re sults. Representative Tilson, of Connecti cut, who commanded a Guard regiment on the border, asked if the order that men with dependent families be dis charged was "not enough to disorga nize any military organization. "That order was issued by the Sec retary of War -and I cannot discuss its merits," General Scott said. He ex plained later that the Secretary Issued 'Concluded on Pego i!, Column il.) Prosecutor to Be Asked Whether Coal Is Being Shipped Out to Keep Cp Prices. DES MOINES, Dec 20. By order of Mayor Mac Vicar today the police here seized a carload of coal In the local yards of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. The Mayor announced that the coal was to be delivered to the poor. The Mayor Informed the railroad and the owners of the coal that it had been seized "by virtue of dire necessity and In accordance with the law." A cheek paying for the coal at the prevailing wholesale rate was mailed to the coal company. Mayor MacVicar, in a statement, said he would place in the hands of the County Attorney for presentation to the grand Jury evidence which, it is alleged, points to a combination on the part of the mine owners to ship coal out of Polk County with the purpose of maintaining high prices here. - NEW WORK TRAIN MODEL X Western TTnion Linemen Will Travel With Every Convenience. EUGENE. Or.. Dec 20. (Special.) Linemen in the employ of the Western Union Telegraph Company In Western Oregon will travel and live In Pullman cars in the future. The old work cars have been discarded. The new model work train put into commission on the Coos Bay branch of the Southern Pa cific system consists of a sleeper, i smoker, a car fitted with a bathroom, reading-rom and lavatories, a dining- car and a car fitted up for the use of the foreman of the crew. U-BOAT SINKS BATTLESHIP French Man-of-War Saffren Victim of Submarine Attack. BERLIN, via London. Dec 20. A German submarine torpedoed and sank the French battleship Suffren. accord Ing to an official statement given out tonight. The statement reads: "One of our submarines sank on No vember 26 by a torpedo an enemy ship of the line northwest of Lisbon. It was the French battleship Suffren. reported lost with the entire crew by the French Admiralty on December 8." TEMPERATURE IS VARIED Thirry-Four Below Zero Recorded in Xorth; 78 Above In South. WASHINGTON. Dec 20. A storm over the Mississippi Valley played havoc today with temperature normals. While It was 34 below zero at Devil's Lake. N. D., the temperature at Gal veston, Tex., mounted to 78 above, the highest December reading on record. INDEX" OF TODAY'S NEWS Th Weather. YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature, 49 degrees; minimum. 41 degreed. TODAY'S Occasional rain; southerly winds. War. Night artillery fighting- on 'Verdun front Is spirited, rigt! Germany must oiior oasis for peace, says British press. Pag 4. Powers asked by President TV limn to avow peace terms. Page 1. Great Britain may reply to German, peace proposal before Christmas. Page 1. Foreign. South American war forecast by Socialist writer. Page iti.. National. House Independents plan to wield power. Page 2. Denunciation of National Guard system causes tilts in Congressional committees. Page 1. Vot on District of Columbia prohibition bill is UQJayna. i'ape 17. Secretary Lan Indorse Malheur and Owy- lice reclamation projects, .fage bometttlc. L.uthr Rurbank to wed his private secretary today. Page 10. Agents hired to any, rot dynamite, says German Vice-Consul rage 1 1. Iowa Mayor st-lzes coal for poor. Page 1, H-.t. sandlocked. mny be "logged out like big tree. Pane 22. Ftocks tumble In .Wall Street. Psge 2. sports. Waflhlngtonprobably only school on Coast to change football couch. Page IS. Leslie Darcy, middleweight, secretly quits Australia. rage Jack Cook may manage Bees and Cal ETwlng Oak. Page i 5 Manager McCredle favors retention of draft 1 uie. Page 1. Pacific Nortbweat. Storms and wreck in Eastern Oregon Isold back malls. Page l. Board report assails Penitentiary system. Page 5. Governor scores Central Oregon Irrigation Company. Page o. John Mlll.-r Murphy, pioneer newspaperman. dies at Olympia, rage e. Hawley paper mill to build second addition. Pago 1 1. Oliver Iundgrn, O. A. C. student, drowns at 1 orvama. ago O. Commercial and Marine. Local whrtt bids lower, with Inactive mar ket. Pago 2-'. Forced llauldatlon break stock market. Psko SW. Chica.Ro wheat depressed by peace reports. Pago "Big Three" line lifts freight embargo, rase Portland and Vicinity. Christmas bonus plan strikes city. Page 1, Chamber to study bills that affect Indus try. Page 1. Multnomah legislative delegation will or ganixe tonight. Pago 9. Belated shoppers charge on stores. Page 8. Lumber prloca advance 91 a tnouaand. Pago 39. Christmas rush congests postofflce. Page 19. Welfare Bureau seeks $10,000 In three days. Page 11. George H. Alden praises sacrifice of Pilgrim fathers In address. Pago 19. Jitney men persist In franchise attempts. Pajce 13. City Council orders co-operation to stop financial leaks. Page 8. Masked assassin shoots at mall cleric Page 1. Oregon Hotel may be replaced by magnifi cent structure. Pag lo. Waathar report, data and forecast. Page 22. Nathan Hankin Called to Door'of Home. BULLET FRACTURES FOREARM "Your Time Has Come," Says Intruder as He Fires. POLICE INVESTIGATE CLEW Door Is Slammed Shut In Face of Assailant, AMio Tires Through Wood and Hits Mark Oft Made Threats Reported. Nathan Hankin, an employe In Post- office Station E, at Fifth and Gll san streets, was shot last night In his home at 1312 East Fifteenth streeu North by a masked assassin who called Mr. Hankin to the door and an nounced that he had come to kill him. Mr. Hankin tried to close the portal in the assassin's face, and the man fired through the woodwork. The shot took effect in Mr. Hankin's right fore arm. He was sent to the Good Samari tan Hospital by Motorcycle Patrolmen Gouldstone and Bales. Dr. L. O. Rob erts, 1395 Union avenue North, at tended him. Your Time Haa Come," lie Says. Mr. Hankin, whose wife is visiting In Australia, was playing; a phono graph when his assailant knocked on the back door of the house. Mr. Han kin says the man was masked with a white handkerchief. "Tour time has come." Mr. Hankin says the intruder threatened as the door opened. The police found the mark of a .32-callber bullet in the door. After the shooting- Mr. Hankin walked to the home of P. P. Morton. 1308 East Four teenth street Xorth. and the Mortons called the police and a physician. Clew to Assassin Followed. The bullet Is believed to have broken his arm. although the shot did not pass entirely through the limb. The police ty Mr. Hankin haa been threatened with violence before. Detectives Mal lett and Price early last night were on the trail of a roan they believed con nected with the shootlns. The only possible clew to the Identity of the assassin so far discovered by the police lies in Mr. Hankin's statement that he is at outs with some of his relatives. Mr. Hankin says he did not recognize his assailant, and has no rea son to believe that any acquaintance of his was concerned in the shooting. Mr. Hankin has been separated from his wife about a year. Mrs. Hankin has their two children with her. Half-Played Record on Machine. The police carefully scrutinized the premises where the shootlns took place and found that each of Mr. Hankin's assertions regarding the shooting was borne out by the evidence. On the phonograph, which he said he was playing when he heard the knock, on the door, was a half-played record. God Save the King." The bullet hole in the door ranged slantwise, indicat ing that the door was partly shut when the shot was fired. Bridegroom of Day Attacked. Two men were seen running from the neighborhood of the house about the time of the shooting, and the po lice are trying to obtain a description of the fugitives to see if either corre sponds with the meager description given by Mr. Hankin. James Rinehart, 1313 East Four teenth street north, reported that two men had thrown pepper in his eyes and robbed him of 120 at East Four teenth street and Ainsworth avenue, near the scene of the attempted killing. Mr. Rinehart was married only last night, and was returning to his bride, when the alleged hold-up- occurred. The police are dubious concerning his story. COAL MEN ASK PROBE . Famine Is Possibility ' In Chicago, Say Dealers. CHICAGO, Dec. 20. Following a series of conferences Chicago coal dealers, facing a possible coal famine, today announced that an appeal for an Inquiry into the local situation had been made to the Federal Trade Com mission. Railroad men and coal dealers as serted today that they saw some relief for the shortage, which seriously handicapped the heating of some of the larger buildings in the city, in the fact that coal had begun to move into Chi cago again from the West Virginia fields. GUARD IN MIDNIGHT MASS Celebration at Camp Wilson to Bts First or Kind Since Civil War. SAN ANTONIO. Tex.. Dec. 10. Mid night mass In a military camp will be celebrated at Camp Wilson here on Christmas eve for the first time in this country since trie Civil War, it is said. The seventh Illinois Infantry, from Chicago, is composed mostly of Roman Catholics, and the Rev. Father A. O'Hearn is chaplain. Bishop Shaw granted the dispensa tion for the service.