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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (June 29, 1917)
VOL. LVII NO. 17,660. PORTLAND, OREGON, FRIDAI, JUNE 29, 1917. PRICE FIVE CENTS. FOOD BILL DEBATE CENTERS DH LIQUOR Whisky Believed Elim inated as Issue. BEER AND WINE ARE FACTORS Prohibition Feature Attacked as Unconstitutional. LONG FIGHT IN PROSPECT Senator Johnson Admits Bill Gives Most Autocratic Powers in Na v tion's History, but Declares Sacrifices Are Necessary. WASHINGTON, June 25. The light Jn Congress over Government control of food and other necessities today vir tually narrowed to the question of pro hibition. The House control bill as amended fcy the Senate agriculture committee was substituted in the Senate for its original draft and debate proceeded. Senator Lodge opening the prohibition contest with a speech in favor of con tinuing manufacture of beer and wine. The bill as it now stands would pro hibit the manufacture of all intoxicat ing beverages but empower the Presi dent to exempt wines. Constitutionality la Questioned. Senators Johnson of California and Kellogg of Minnesota spoke on the general features of the bill, promising it their support as a war measure. . Lapse of several days in general dis cussion before the prohibition fight de velops in earnest is in prospect. There is pending a motion by Sena tor Hardwtck to send the bill back to the committee on the ground that pro hibition and other .'.nportant sections are unconstitutional. Fight Centers on Beer and Wine. Senate sentiment is said generally to favor stopping manufacture of distilled spirits, so the debate will center upon beer and wines Senator Chamberla.n, in charge of the bill, said tonight he hoped general speech making would end tomorrow and that the Senate by Saturday would begin considering committee amend ments, expected to take several days. The prohibition sections under such procedure would be reached last. Senator Johnson, opening the debate on the substitute bill, declared its en actment necessary to win the war. Sacrifice Declared Necessary. "America must make tl e sacrifice in dollars and creature comforts within the next year, or she must make there after the sacrifice in Men and then, ulti mately, the sacrifice in material things as well," he said. "The short-cut to victory is organiza tion, and this organization can come only with concentration of authority. It is, therefore, with an absolute con fidence that I give my vote to a bill according the most extraordinary and autocratic powers ever before con ferred in our Nation." Excess Profits ' Scored. There must be sacrifice cf profits Just as there is sacrifice of blood, the Senator said, and he added: "While, of course, legitimate enter prise during the conflict should be nur tured and encouraged, it must be understood from the very beginning that no profitable patriotism win be tolerated. If a concreto illustration were required to demonstrate the ne cessity for some sort of legislation in relation to prices, it is found in the recent discussion concerning the Steel Corporation. We find befoie the war this corporation selling its product from J21 to J25 a ton. At the beginning of 1D1S its contracts for the delivery of steel plates to commercial shipbuilding concerns was $42.56 per tor. and very recently It asked from the Unfed States Government $95 per ton. Hoover Is Praised. "When an ordinary man sees his loved boy snatched from his home to be shot to pieces upon u. foreign soil and , reads of profits asked by a corporation treated by his Government of $600,000, 000 per year during the war, he cannot be blamed for the demand In which our people unite and in which the Congress unites by the passage of just such bills as this." Senator Johnson praised Herbert C. Hoover and said he is particularly fitted for the task of food administration. Senator Lodge, saying he would vote for the bill after it had been carefully considered, opposed some of its pro visions as amr.zing and said public "ex citement" for food control -egislatlon is, pressing upon Congress with little pub lic conception of the powers the bill proposes to confer. "The people only know of its pro visions in a general way," he said. "Congress also must consider the peo ple who are seeking more huge power. More than one of the Caesars went mad by raero possession of unrestrained power. We have pressure constantly to give more power." Farmer Exemption Protested. The Massachusetts Senator opposed particularly the proposal that the American industries shall sell to for eign nation? as well as the American Government at low prices. He said the minimum price fixing provision holds "over the heads of all business and industry a deadly blow" and pro tested against the exemption of farm ers from the hoarding section. Opposing the dry legislation as an (Concluded on Fas 2. Column 1.) TWO LEAVE PLANE 20,000 FEET IN AIR GERMANS DEFEATED IX HIGH EST DtEIi OX RECORD. Canadian Chases Enemy Aeroplane Into Sky Occupants Leap or Fall Out When Attacked. CANADIAN ARMY HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE, June 28. In an air duel fought at probably the highest altitude at which aviators have met in combat nearly four miles a Canadian tri plane today pursued and defeated a German two-seated Aviatik. The German machine had sought safety by climbing upward and the triplane pursued. At a height of 20,000 feet the pilot of the German craft either fell or jumped from it and dis appeared at the moment of the first burst of fire from the gun on the Canadian. The German observer was then seen to climb out upon the tail of his ma chine where he lost his hold and plunged headlong. The aviatik turned its nose, down and fell. CHICAGO MAYOR CENSURED Council Committee Drops Plan Call ing for Resignation. CHICAGO, June 28. The judiciary committee of the City Council this afternoon decided by a vote of 13 to 3 to censure Mayor William H. Thomp son for his action in refusing a roll call at a stormy session of the City Council several days ago. The motion to censure the Mayor was adopted In place of a resolution calling on the executive head of the city to resign. The conflict between the Mayor and Council members centered on School Board appointments made by the Mayor. DUNKIRK PORT BOMBARDED Allies Retaliate by Making Attack on Ostend. BERLIN, via London, June 28. (Brit ish Admiralty per Wireless Press.) German heavy long-range batteries yesterday bombarded the Anglo-French fortified port of Dunkirk with visible effect, says the official statement is sued today by the German War De partment. In retaliation, entente artillery bom barded the German occupied town of Ostend, In Belgium, but, the state ment adds, the shells did no military damage. LABOR DISCREDITS SESSION Call of Stockholm Conference Re garded as Premature. WASHINGTON, June 28. The Ameri can Federation of Labor has declined to participate in the international con ference of trades unions called by the recent Stockholm conference to meet September 17 in Switzerland. President Gompers has telegraphed to President Lindquist, of the Stock holm conference, that the American Federation "regards all such confer ences as premature and untimely and can lead to no good purpose." GERMAN SPIES ARE ACTIVE More Careful Surveillance In Swit zerland Is Demanded. WASHINGTON. June 28. Dispatches from Rome say the Grimm-Hoffman affair in Switzerland has aroused a widesnread demand in Italy for all allied diplomatic representatives to secure a more careful surveillance of spies in Switzerland. Many important diplomatic papers nasslnir throueh the intermediary re public are known to have fallen into the hands of the German secret serv ice. "PIGS IS PIGS" JUST NOW rricc of Porker in Dollar Bills Is Larger Than Its Hide. VANCOUVER, Wash., June 28. (Spe cial.) Young pork now commands such a high price that it requires dollar bills to cover its hide to buy It. Bert Eaton, of Homan. Clarke County, took a small pig to Portland stockyards yesterday and obtained $57 for it and converted the money into $1 bills. Fifty-seven of these bills would make a covering, or blanket, 28 by 48 inches in size, which would be large enough to wrap up the porker comfortably. STATE PLEDGES LOYALTY Wisconsin Assembly Offers to Xation Best Citizens Have. MADISON, Wis., June 28. Resolu tions pledging the loyalty of Wiscon sin to the Nation were adopted by the assembly today. One resolution 'declares that this state pledges every measure of support in the war against the imperial gov ernment of Germany. and that "we stand ready to give the best that is in us our best thought, oar last dollar, and our life's blood, if need be." EWE LAMBS TO BE SPARED Packers Promise to Let Farmers Have Breeding Stock. CHICAGO. June 28. The leading packers of Chicago, it was announced today, have agreed to turn over to farmers for breeding purposes all ewe lambs sent to them for slaughter. 0. S. IS WARNED OF CENSORSHIPS Lord Ncittfe Cites Britain's Blunder. FALSE SECURITY IDEA DEADLY America Must Realize Every Effort Needed, Says Envoy. WAR BELIEVED JUST BEGUN Industries Now Remote. Will Be Called Into Service Before End of Hostilities, High Commis sioner Tells Writers. TCEW YORK, June 28. Lord North cliffe. British, high commissioner to the United States, in an address to magazine editors and writers at a luncheon today, expressed the hope that the United States would not mud dle the censorship as England did the first three years of the war. "America can and will do a tremen dous part in this war, first, because she is fresh, and, second, because she undoubtedly will profit by the mis takes of nations who have been fight ing since August, 1914," said Lord Northcliffe. "What the war needs more than anything else is brains and speed. Incompetency Long Hidden. "I trust that the United States will not make the censorship blunder that England made, and which Is just be coming an evil of the past. England was kept In the dark for nearly three years. The pebple were blinded by the fatuous optimism of soldiers and politicians, who, while efficient in peace, were incompetent in war. The people were not permitted to know the truth and when the truth finally emerged out of costly blunders and. sacrifices they were loath to accept It. "I hope that America may permit her newspaper and magazine writers to be absolutely frank about what is going on. It is as important for the nation to know the worst as it is for the nation to know the best. Truth I'll oo urn Km Army. "For one thing, and we have found it out from actual experience, it is a great stimulus for the men fighting in the field to know they are being written about at home and that the country they are fighting for knows precisely what they are doing. "Every man with a pen in hand and a printing press near by can do a patriotic service to his country by awakening his people to the fact that this war is just beginning, and that every ounce of energy, every revolution of America's vast Industrial machine will be needed to bring the war to a successful end. "It is only by an absolute mobiliza tion of man power and machine power (Concluded on Page 6, Column 4.) OUR BIGGEST BATTLE, OF SIX SHIPS AWARDED TO COOS BAY YARDS KECSE & BANKS ' WILL BUILD FOR GOVERNMENT. All Vessels Are of Hough Type, 281 Feet in Length, 46-Foot Beam and 26-Foot Hold. NORTH BEND, Or, June 28. (Spe cial.) Robert Banks, of the - firm of Kruse & Banks, shipbuilders, an nounces the firm has been awarded six vessels today by the Government Ship ping Board. The ships are to be of the Hough type, 281 feet in length. 46 foot beam and 26-foot depth of hold. These vessels are the first awarded to Coos Bay, but others are expected to be constructed here. The Kruse & Banks Company has three vessels under way at present, but two will be completed within a short time, and four ways, two new ones and two old ones, will be ready for laying the keels. Work can be started at once on two of the vessels. The Kruse & Banks yard has been busy since 1914, and have turned out several vessels in the past two years. The Virginia Olson will be launched in two weeks. BILLY SUNDAY IN OREGON Evangelist Appears Worn ly Hard Campaign In New 'X.ork. LA GRANDE, Or.. June 28. (Special.) Billy Sunday and wife, better known as "Ma" Sunday, passed through La Grande this morning en route to Hood River, where they will live through the Summer and then go to Los Angeles. By chance, they met Rev. J. Whit combe Brougher, former Portlander. but now at Los Angeles, where Mr. Sunday conducts his next revival. Mr. Brougher was doing Chautauqua here last night. Mr. Sunday appears much worn out and haggard from his strenuous cam paign in .New York. LUMBER MEN VISIT BEND Federal Lumber Commission In spects Central Oregon Plants. BEND, Or., June 28. (Special.) The Federal Lumber Trade Commission, consisting of John R. Walker, Nelson C. Brown, A. A. Oxholm and R. E. Sim mons, accompanied by George M. Corn wall, of Portland, and A. W. Cooper, secretary of the Western Pine Manu facturers Association, of Spokane, spent the day Inspecting local lumber plants. The members of the Commission were entertained at dinner tonight by the Bend Commercial Club, after which they left to return to Portland. GIRL'S MURDER MYSTERY Visitor at Sioux City Is Killed While on Way to Friend's Home. SIOUX CITT. Ia., June 28. The mur der of Miss Thecla Gerken, 22 years old, of Woonsocket, S. D., who was shot late last night by an unknown person while on her way to the home of a friend whom she was visiting, re mained a mystery today. One theory advanced is that the girl was shot by a man who was de ranged. Miss Gerken had only a few friends here and is not known to have had any enemies here. THIS WAR, WILL BE FOUGHT OUT PRETTY GIRL TURNS OH BURGLAR PALS Gifts of Jewels and Gowns Follow Raids. STORY BRINGS CONFESSIONS Dazzling Finery of Pair Wins Deserted Bride of 18. MEETING IS BY CHANCE Detectives Are Told That One of Men Carried Her Marriage Li cense and That She Asked" Xo Questions About Loot. A pretty 18-year-oia girl has proved the undoing of two of the cleverest burglars with whom the city detective department has had to do in years. Her story yesterday to Detectives Goltz and Howell, of how she tripped along the crimson path and into the very lair of John Stolzenberg and Ben Willlsford, and was initiated into the mysteries of "aristocratic burglary," armed the detectives with evidence which brought a confession from the men, who used the U. S. Mint to get rid of their plunder. Stolzenberg has several aliases, among them John Lutti. and Willlsford is known as Ben Ford. The latter, after examination, was bound over to the grand Jury and Stolzenberg waived examination. The girl, whose name is being with held, pending other investigations, told of how she was married in April this year only to find herself unhappy and alone in a few weeks. Chance Meeting Leads to "MsrrlHae." She had taken an. apartment at 491 Everett street and there met Stolzen berg in, the hallway one day in as dramatic a way as ever characterized a motion picture plot. She was lit erally dazzled by his winning ways and fine apparel. A greeting, a witty re mark and a catch question led them Into companionship. Later they took a suite in the Larrabee- apartments on the East Side. The marriage license issued to her husband was taken by Stolzenberg and carried in his pocket. They were com fortable in their apartment and occa sionally Ford dropped in in the evening, after which he and Stolzenberg de parted, not to return until the small hours. They came with packages, and she admitted she had noticed they al ways carried a satchel with them when they left the house. The satchel con tained burglar tools, acids for testing gold and silver and chloroform for subduing recalcitrant victims of their plots. No Questions Are Asked. "Under the circumstances," she told the detectives, "it was not my place to ask why or what they were doing." Only this she learned, each morning (Concluded on Puge 2. Column 3.) OX THE KITCHEN STEPS. B?'L "'Df ?. JUIM Ml I II ALLIUVJ DECREE OF NEUTRALITY IS DEFIXITELY REVOKED. Xo Announcement Made as to Whether South American Repub lic Will Enter Into Hostilities. RIO JANEIRO, June 28. Brazil has revoked her decree of neutrality in the war between the entente allies and uermany. The German empire has another ene my arrayed against it. Having previously revoked its policy of aloofness.- so far as it affected the hostilities between the United States and Germany. Brazil now has come definitely into the open and announced that It can no longer be considered neutral. Although no announcement has been made as to whether the South Ameri can republic will actually enter into hostilities, by its revocation of neu trality it definitely aligns itself mor ally on the sde of the United States and the entente. POLICE SERGEANT DROPPED Seattle Mayor Acts in Case of Man Who Set Trap for Superior. SEATTLE, Wash., June 28. Police Sergeant George Putnam, head of the Seattle police "dry squad," was or dered discharged today by Mayor Hiram C. Gill. The Mayor, in a letter to Charles Beckingham. Chief of Po lice, declared that Putnam had ex ceeded his powers in attempting to set a trap for his superior officer, Michael Powers, a police Inspector. Powers was acquitted last night, after a trial on charges of having ac cepted a bribe. During the trial Put nam admitted that he had been a party to an attempt to test Powers' suscept ibility to a bribe. BREAD WILL BE WEIGHED State Sealer Asks Official Data From Districts. SALEM, Or., June 28. (Special.) Spence Wortman, Deputy Sealer of Weights and Measures, today Instructed all his sealers to weigh at least 10 loaves of bread taken promiscuously in their respective districts, and to fur nish the office with a record of the average weight of such bread. The data thus obtained will be avail able for municipalities desiring to regulate weight of loaves. There is no state law on this subject. MAN OF NATURE ENLISTS Hermit of Santa Cruz Island Offers Services to Government. SAX FRANCISCO, June 28. (Spe cial.) Christian J. Bayer, native of Denmark, aged 39, who has been living for 10 years on Santa Cruz Island, off the Santa Barbara coast, on mussels, abalone and wild game he killed with stones, applied for enlistment today. Bayer was in fine physical condition and was sent to Fort McDowell. Monday Bayer donned his first suit of clothes since going to the island to recover lost health. INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The Weather. TEPTERDATS Maximum temperature, 68 degrees; minimum, 53 degrees. . TODAY'S Fair, with rising temperature; westerly winds. War. Canadian troops storm and capture front Una before Lens. Face 4. Brazil ends neutrality. Page 1. German airmen leave machine at height of 20,000 feet. Page 1. National. Food bill debate- centers on prohibition. Page 1. American unity In war praised by Secretary Daniels. Page 3. Coal price reduced SI to 5 per ton. Page 5. Railroad efficiency campaign result Is equirl to addition of .15.000 miles of track and JG.OOO cars. Page 6. Domestic Husband's love on higher plane Is shifty, says Mrs. Mat lack. Page 6. Strike situation more hopeful at Butte. Page 2. Epidemic of Summer complaint takes many in Missouri. Page 4. Lord Northcliffe tella America not to make censorship mistakes that England did. Page 1. Anarch tuts on trial not permitted to discuss revolution with prospective jurors. Page & All speculation In wheat will cease under absolute Federal con trot. Page 3. Sports. Pacific Coast league results: Portlsnd 5. Vernon a; Oakland 11. Salt Lake 6; San Francisco 7, Los Angeles 2. Page 14. Members of "Boomerang" company are clever polo players. Page 14. Elimination golf play for Northwest cham pionship Is brilliant. Page 14. Northwest. Baker Village wiped out by torrent when dam breaks. Page 1. Veterans societies elect and adjourn. Page 7. Six ships for Government will be built on Coos Bay. Page 1. New Record for Oregon livestock made at McArthur sale. Page 7. Commercial and Marine. Northwestern farmers delay purchases of grain bags. Page 10. Chicago wheat declines on announcement of ending of option trading. Page 19. Stock prices slump owing to weakened tech nical condition of market. Page 19. Deal for turblnera off and they may be used as transports. Page 16. Portland and Vicinity. School planning will be one of problems con sidered by education convention. Page 9. Winter fuel shortage faces Portland. Page 8. Oregon Medical Association hears prominent speakers. Page 8. O. N. Fan-in. fugitive from Portland, ar rested in Montana. Page 11. Weather report, data and forecast. Pag-e 19. Dr. Walton Hubbard, of Boston, explains doctrines of Christian Science. Page 13. President's call for men Is answered by 65 in Oregon. Page 15. Portland Heights rose show will help Na tional Guardsmen. Page 15. Pretty girl turns on burglar "pals." Page 1. HO R RE NT SWEEPS AWAY BAKER TOWN Dam Breaks High in Elkhorn Mountains. DAMAGE REACHES THOUSANDS Arrest Is Made on Charge of Dynamiting Dam. BUILDINGS IN PATH VANISH Giants of Forest, Torn Out by Roots, Become Battering Rams and Devastation Is Left in Wake of Flood Xo Lives Lost. BAKER. Or., Juno 28. (Special.). Carrying destruction in its path, mil lions of gallons of water from a reser voir high in the Elkhorn Mountains. 15 miles west of Haines, swept out the village of Rock Creek, with a popula tion of 100. stopped trains at Haines, destroyed crops on thousands of acres in the Rock Creek, Muddy Creek and, Haines district, killed livestock, left Baker and Haines without clcctrlo power, and Interrupted telegraph and telephone service this morning:. Owners of the Killanaque reservoir this afternoon charged a man named Gray, a farm hand, formerly employed by them, with having: dynamited the dam. Gray was taken from a train here today by the Sheriff and put under arrest. Gray denies being: implicated in a plot, if there was one. As far as known no lives were lost, but the damage to crops, buildings and loss of stock is many thousands of dollars. Torrent Is Irresistible. The source of the' flood is thought to have been Killamaque Lake, a 15 acre irrigation reservoir on the north fork of Rock Creek, above the Eastern Oregon Light Power Company's plant' at Rock Creek. The power plant, al though directly in the path of the flood, suffered little damage, but a section of the flume and half a mile of transmis sion lines were demolished. Baker was cut off from power from 8:33 o'clock this morning until nearly noon, when the auxiliary steam plant in tha city was put into operation. Haines is without light or power tonight. At the plant the torrent is described by eye-witnesses as a great mass 100 yards wide and 30 feet deep, roaring down the canyon and carrying away everything in its path. It struck the power company's barn and turned it over, grinding it to splinters within a few minutes. Korest Trees Ton Vp. Big forest trees were borne on the crest of the column and these became a weapon of the flood, striking build-, ings as battering rams. The flood reached Rock Creek at 8:45 o'clock. The poolroom and store building of the Farmers' Trading Com pany, the Toll House, the blacksmith shop and hall were destroyed, and only ; debris and a few tin cans are left to mark the site of the hamlet. A horse tied in front of the store was killed. Fences were all demolished and as far down as Haines all of the bridges are reported to have been taken out. Many cattle were also killed. Haines Is Inundated. Telephone lines, too, were torn out by the torrent and the effect of the flood was felt even at Haines, where some streets were submerged and the railroad track was nearly covered. Rock Creek residents say that when they first heard the torrent coming they thought it was only the wind and paid little attention to it until they heard the snapping of telephone poles and the grinding of the debris, as it thundered down the valley. The peo ple escaped to the hills nearby. Because of the debris, it has been impossible to reach the source of the flood, high in the mountains. If it' was Killiamaque Lake that was loosed, it is estimated that nearly 12.000,000 gallons of water rushed down the creek. Irrigation Water Stored. The capacity of Ellis reservoir is not known,' but is thought to be much less. Both are used to store Irrigation water. Some are of the opinion that in any case the dams or gates might ' have been blown out purposely, but because the amount of water in the lakes this year is unusually great, it is generally believed that the break came only from excessive pressure. Killamaque Lake . is tapped by a tunnel. 400 feet of which is said to be through solid rock. It is believed that the' gates that regulate the flow of' water through this must have given way. A party of men, headed by John' Fisher, left for Killamaque Lake to in vestigate the cause late this afternoon. Other Dams Threaten. It Is not only from the present dam- , age that the ranchers expect to suffer, but with the loss of this great amount of water it is feared it may take toll ' next Fall during the irrigation season. Several other dams in the mountains west of Baker are reported to be in danger of breaking, but so far this has . been prevented by timely action in re- , duclng the volume of the storage water. Great excitement prevailed at Haines for a time this morning because of fear that the flood might endanger the town. As It was, no damage was done (Concluded on Psze 2, Column 2.)