VOL. LVII. NO. 17,817.
PORTLAND, OREGON, SATURDAY, 'DECEMBER 29, 1917.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
BUILDING OF WOOD
SHIPS WILL GO OH
SUMNER WEDDING
SET FOR JANUARY 1
WIDOW GIVES EIGHT
BOYS TO COUNTRY
J. F. STEVENS CALLS
FOR FAITH IN SLAVS
BLIZZARD LASHES
ALL MIDDLE WEST
ROADS PASS INTO
FEDERAL CONTROL
BISHOP OF OltEGOX TO BE MAR
LAST SOX OF MRS.
HEXRY
TEMPERATURE 5 0 DEGREES BE
- . LOW AT SOME POIXTS.
RIED IX CHICAGO.
BELTS, PILOT ROCK, EXLISTS.
ALLIES 1ST Will
SAYS LLOYDCEORGE
Mankind's Freedom
and Peace at Stake.
Bowles Promises More
Coast Contracts.
SPEEDY WORK IS ESSENTIAL
Steel Construction Has Prece
dence With Government.
MONEY ADVANCED TO YARDS
Admiral's Testimony ' at ' Inquiry
Shows How. . . Southern . . Mills .
Fell Down,- Forcing Board to -
Co to Coast, for Materials.'
' OREGOXIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash
ington, Dec. 28.- "We shall continue to
contract for the construction of wood
ships on the Pacific Coast, provided
their construction does not interfere
with the building of steel ships. Pre
cedence, however, will be given to steel
chips."
This was the testimony of Admiral
Bowles before the Senate commerce
committee today, given to correct an
impression formed from his testimony
of yesterday which has been construed
as indicating- his unqualified hostility
to wood ships. He went further today
and voiced a desire to build, more wood
en ships suitable for ocean service
wherever they can be turned out rap
Idly. In response to questions by Senator
Jones, Admiral Bowles produced a
statement showing: that the Shipping:
Board had advanced money to three
new shipyards on the Pacific Coast to
assist them in establishing and equip
ping: their yards to handle Government
contracts. To the Grant Smlth-Porter-Guthrie
Company $344,952 had .been ad
vanced on their yard at St. Johns, and
$32,56? for their yard at Aberdeen, and
$345,427 had been advanced Sanderson
& Porter to aid them with their yard
on Willapa Harbor.
Reimbursement Provided F"r.
Other than these thrt instances, the
Foard had not remieced financial aid
ti new yards established on the Pacific
Coast. These advances, it was ex
plained, would be deducted) from the
contract price to be paid the yards for
vessels they are building: on Govern
ment account.
Admiral Bowles also said that con
tracts for four wooden nulls- had been
awarded the Grays Harbor Motor Com
pany since the first list of awards was
announced.
Incident to the Admiral's testimony
today, further interesting: facts were
developed showing how Southern lum
ber mills had fallen down on their
contracts, and made it necessary for
the board to go to the Pacific Coast
for big; keel and framing timbers to
be used in Atlantic and Gulf ship
yards. Admiral- Bowles said Southern yards,
notwithstanding their failure, had
twice advanced the price of ship lum
ber, once from $35 to $40 per thou
sand and again to a higher figure,
which he could not give. Independent
Southern mills had undertaken to make
contracts with the Shipping Board at
$50 per thousand, saying they could
Ket that much out of lumber sold to
the War Department for cantonments,
tc. Admiral Bowles refused to pay
Concluded on Page 3, Column 5.)
STRIDES ARE MADE BY
MINING INDUSTRY
IN OREGON.
Oregon's mineral resources
are playing an important part
in the world conflict. Iron, cop
per, gold, silver, lead, zinc, nick
el, tin, tungsten, chronium, an
timony, molybdenum, platinum,
manganese and quicksilver are
the war metals and never before
has the industry been called
upon to produce them in such
enormous quantities. Almost
without exception these metals
are found in Oregon and many
of them are being produced on
an extensive scale.
The mineral output of Oregon
has nearly tripled since the -war
began, the total production of
the past year amounting in
value to about $4,000,000. A
much greater expansion of the
industry will follow next year.
Mining in Oregon now is con
ducted along practical lines and
offers excellent opportunities
for capital and the highest type
of executive ability and scien
tific skill.
The story of Oregon's mining
progress will be among the spe
cial features presented in the
annual edition of The Orego
,nian,. which will appear next
Tuesday, January 1, 1918.
Miss Myrtle Mitchell, of Xegaunec,
Mich., Bride-to-Be Churchman -
p Is Honored at Banquet.
CHICAGO, Dec. 28. (Special.) The
Right Rev. Walter T. Sumner, Epis
copal Mshop of Oregon, and Miss Myr
tle Mitchell, of Negaunee, Mich., will
be married on New Tear's day. During
the week Bishop Sumner is visiting in
Newtown and renewing friendships
made during his tenure of the deanship
of the Cathedral of St. Peter and St.
Paul. Miss Mitchell will arrive in
town on Monday. She will stop at the
Blackstone.
The annual Christmas banquet pf the
Forty Club of Chicago was held in the
Auditorium Hotel last night.
Guests of the evening were Bishop
Walter Taylor 'Sumner, bishop of Ore
gon; Captain W. A. Moffett, command
ant of the Great Lakes naval training
station, and Captain Richmond Pear
son Hobson, of Merrimac fame.
Bishop Sumner was presented with a
solid silver breakfast service, the club's
wedding gift.
HOW DEEP IS A TRENCH?
Unless It's a-Plenty, Two-Thirds of
This Professor May Show. '
OREGON CITY, .Or., Dec. 28. (Spe
cial.) If Professor John Ashton's
sworn statement is to be believed by
the local exemption board, that worthy
registrant, who is a school teacher at
Cascade Locks, should qualify very
easily as the human flag-pole. .
Mr. Ashton makes the statement in
his questionnaire, that he is nine feet
and. six inches tall and weighs 123
pounds. The statement gave the mem
bers of the board the surprise of their
busy lives as they perused Ashton's
questionnaire last night ' It was there
in black and white, however, "114
inches", according to the physical sta
tistics section.
Ashton was formerly a Clackamas
County boy and originally registered
in this county.
ALIEN IS SELF-CONVICTED
Hood River Austrian Says He Would
Fight for Native' Land.
HOOD RIVER. Or.. Dec 28. (Spe
cial.) As a result of his reply to' a
questionnaire, John Wostl, native and
citizen of Austria, will likely be in
terned. -Wostl says In his -question
naire that he would, if he were able.
fight with the armies of his native
country.
The local exemption board reports
thatVues'tlonnatres are slow in being
returned. Having failed to return their
answers within the time limit of seven
days, the names of the following men
have been advanced to the first class
under the next draft: Llndley Charles
Wilton. Orlando Bendenilli. Elvis Ker
sten, Tony Beneditti, Milward Crosby,
Tane Kosaka, Samuel H. Douglass,
Richard Paul Strahl and Henry Schultz.
GERMAN NAME IS DISLIKED
American Citizen Wants to Shed
Germs With Country.
"John Otto Blankenfeld" is a name
of undoubted Germanic origin, and be
sides, it's a hard name to remember,
declares its possessor in a petition filed
yesterday in the County Court asking
that his nai.ie be changed to John Otto
Blanchfleld.
The petitioner asserts he was born
in Germany but took out his final citi
zenship papers five years ago and is
now anAmerican in every sense of the
word. As his final step in renouncing
his fatherland, he now desires to elimi
nate all the "germs" from his German
name and adopt the name more suited
to the tastes and needs of his adopted
country.
The petition will come up for hear
ing later before Judge TazwelL
HIGH COST HITS HONOLULU
Bananas Jump to Unheard of Price
of Cent Apiece.
HONOLULU, T. H., Dec. 16. (Spe
cial.) Like every other spot on the
globe; Honolulu is beginning to expert
ence the pinch and the cost c. living
is" rising rapidly.
Up to a few months ago bananas
could be purchased for 5 cents a bunch;
a bunch consisting of abo - two dozen
bananas. During the past week ba
nanas hive risen to ' the unheard-of
price of 26 cents a bunch and the ter
ritorial food commission is investigat
ing this fact because apparently therei
should be no reason for the rise, as
there are thousands of bananas rotting
in local warehouses for lack of cargo
space to ship them to the mainland.
$36,450,382 SUIT . FILED
Equitable Trust Company Wants to
Recover Money From Railway.
CHICAGO. Dec. 28. A suit against
the Denver & Rio Grande Railway Com
pany for the collection of 838,450.82
was filed in the Superior Court today
on- behalf of the Equitable Trust Com
pany of New York.
The action, according to attorneys
for the trust company, is th result of
a judgment obtained In the United
States District Court of New York
against the railway and Is for the sum
which still remains unpaid. Four Chi
cago banks have been served with
writs of attachments for any funds they
may have belonging to the railway.
GERMANY'S OFFER ANSWERED
Vital Nature of Allies' War
Purposes Outlined. ;.
MILITARISM TO DISAPPEAR
Significant Declaration of British
Attitude Made In Letter Written
by Premier to Special Na
tional Labor Conference.
V
LONDON, Dec. 28. Premier Lloyd
George, in a letter which he sent today
to the special national labor confer
ence, declared:
"Achievement tff the purposes for
which the allies are fighting is essen
tial to the fWure freedom and peace of
mankind."
The Premier also asserted that a
statement on war aims could be made
only in agreement with Great Britain's
allies. 'The question of issuing a fresh
joint declaration, he added, was being
constantly kept In. view by the entente
allied governments.
The Premier's statement is regarded
as the British reply to the German
peace offer.
The labor conference was convened
here today by the parliamentary com
mittee of the -Trades Union Congress
and the executive of the labor party
in the central hall at Westminster to
consider a "memorandum on war aims."
A pronunciamento was adopted, with a
virtually unanimous show of hands, de
claring that in continuing the war la
bor is actuated by a determination to
make the world safe for democracy
hereafter.
STpaih7' lor Conquest Larking;.
No sj-r.J( jy was expressed in the
text of the statement with attempts to
convert the war nto one of conquest,
but it insisted that restitution and rep
aration, also certain territorial read
justments are necessary if the renewal
of armaments and war is to be avoided.
Adoption of the memorandum is con
sidered especially slgni' cant in view
of the peace negotiations "between Ger
many and Russia. 'p
The statement placed at the forefront
a demand' for the restoration and re
habilitation of Belgium at the expense
of Germany. It also dealt with Alsace
Lorraine, Italy, the Balkans, Poland,
Turkey and German Africa colonies on
lines similar to those suggested in
earlier docuihents on these subjects. .
Main Features Intact.
The original memorandum was dis
cussed and adopted early in August at
a special conference of the labor party
and was a sequel to the abortive Stock
holm conference of last Summer. Its
terms have since been considerably
amended by various sub-committees,
but the main features had been re
tained in the memorandum discussed
today.
Following the formal -opening of the
conference, a. letter from David Lloyd
(Concluded on Page 3. Column 2.)
I
' ttJrA ' J1 (1 (ml WHAr BLOOM
Hj-r yTTy HrHE Wing c
' ' '
syss& to ujTA xss , nsvSn you uht to
9 ygywgy
Three Patriots Are ln Xavy, Two
In Infantry and Three Are on
Trial for Aviation.
Mrs. Henry Belts, a. widow "of pilot
Rock. Umatilla County, has given her
eighth and Jast son to the service of
her country. This record, which is not
believed to be duplicated in the United
States, was completed yesterday when
Clyde Belts enlisted for the Aviation
Corps and was sent to Vancouver Bar
racks. United States Marshal Alexander was
seated in a downtown barber shop yes
terday when a stalwart young man,
wearing a broad-brimmed sombrero,
unmistakably fixing Eastern Oregon as
his residence, entered.
"Hello, are you here to enlist?" cas
ually . inquired the Marshal, who saw
the young man within the draft age
and who always is on the alert for the
slacker. .
"No, I have already enlisted," replied
young Belts. "My other seven brothers
have joined one branch or the other
of the service and I thought it was
about time for me to be going, too."
The brothers who preceded him into
the service were John, Frank, William,
Clay, Wilfred, Francis and George.
Three went 'into the Navy, two enlisted
in the infantry service and the other
two, with Clyde, have applied for duty
in the aviation branch.
ZEPPS USEDIN , SPYING
Norwegians See German Airship Sig
naling Off Coast.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28. Use of Zep
pelins In connection with the German
spy system in neutral countries, as well
! as for surveying navigation for the
benefit of submarines is described in
an official dispatch received today
from France.
The message tells particularly of
how the inhabitants of Mandal, a
small port on the Norwegian cout, ob
served a Zeppelin sailing low and sig
naling, apparently to persons in the
interior.
"BABY JIM" SIMONS DEAD
Heaviest Man In World for Years
Circus Side Show Sight.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec - 28. "Baby
Jim" Simons, colored. Bald to be the
heaviest man in the world, died here
today. He weighed 800 pounds and for
years had been one of the sights of
circus . side-shows. He . was '37 ' years
old and is survived by a widow and
two small children. .
The body will be taken to the former
home of Simons in Texas. For its
transportation it was necessary, to
charter an entire freight car.
MORE BLANKETS WANTED
Pendleton Mills Asked by Govern
mcnt to Increase Output;. .
PENDLETON. Or.. Dec. 28.-(Special.)
The Pendleton Woolen Mills Comfeany
has received a request for an increase
of their output of Government . blan-,
kets. At present the Government con
tract is being handled at the Washougal
mills, owned by the same company, and
it is probable that the entire capacity
of that mill will be devoted, to the mak
ing of Government goods.
This will mean a curtailment of the
usual output of civilian goods for both
mills are now working to capacity.
SEASONABLE COMMENTS:
Allies Urged Not to
Abandon Russia,
COUNTRY IN CHAOTIC STATE
German Cunning Works Cease
lessly to Wreck Nation.
ENGINEER WILL RETURN
American Railway Commissioner to
Russia Now in Japan, Points Out
' Vital Xeed'of Entente Giving
Support . to Slavs. -
TOKIO. Dec. 27. John F. Stevens,
chief American railway commissioner
to Russia, arrived at Nagasaki on De
cember 19 from Vladivostok with 320
members of his staff.
In a statement to the Associated
Press, Mr. Stevens said he expected
soon to return to Russia to assist in
the reorganization of Russian rail
communication. He denied the report
that he was returning to America. Mr.
Stevens regards the Russian situation
as one of the most important in the
world.
"The Russian situation," he said, "is
trebiy important, as it involves the
return of a million and a half German
and Austrian effectives and gives un
limited possibilites to the German or
ganzation of Russia's resources and
man-power.
' Country Without Rule.
Russia at the present presents a
completely chaotic condition, permeated
by the most clever German propa
ganda. Nevertheless. I believe the bet
ter judgment of the mass of the peo
ple will be asserted and Germany will
not succeed in forcing a separate peace.
Such a peace cannot be concluded if the
allies promptly give their help and sug
gestions. . The Maximalists now in control are
much stronger than generally credited.
In any future reorganization the Max
imalists must, be considered and han
dled rightly.
"The chaos Is most evident in -the
manutactories and railway shops,
where the workmen's and soldier's del
egates are in absolute control. ' They
work or not, as they please, and everywhere-
workmen may be seen loafing.
Women are doing much of the work in
the shops, along the- railway tracks
and In the fields, and even acting as
.brakemen. Where one woman is work
ing 600 men are loafing..
Soldiers Add to Chaoji.
"A hundred thousand soldiers are
crowding the stations, attempting the
management of the trains and sup
porting themselves on a small daily
allowance to which they add by
thievery and smuggling.
--'The railways and all other in
dustries are operating at only 30 per
centof their effective power. Food is
plentiful, but is- not being distributed.
The peasants are holding a three years'
stock of wheat and other staples, but
refuse to sell because the ruble has
greatly depreciated in value or is re
garded by them with suspicion.
"The government evidently is unable
(Concluded on Page 3. Column 2.)
Snow Falls Over Wide Area ; Thirty
four Mile Gale Sweeping East
ward Will Chill Ohio Valley.
CHICAGO, Dec. 28. (Special.) Win
ter played a return engagement in and
around Chicago today, riding into this
territory on a fierce blizzard. The tem
perature moderated somewhat tonight
but intense cold is coming.
. Predictions are for 5 degrees below
zero by morning, perhaps lower.
Minnesota points reposted 50 degrees
below zero tonight arid the mercury
was dropping.
Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, the Da-
kotas and spates farther "west and
northwest all reported very cold weath
er. The zero wave was riding on a
tempest southeast and eastward at the
rate of 34 miles an hour.
This means that the Ohio "Valley dis
trict will be served with a fine brand
of frigidity by Sunday morning, and
the Eastern states will feel its force
by Sunday night or Sunday morning.
Heavy snow fell in and around Chi
cago during the early morning hours.
Advices from the Northwest and West
ern points, from the Indiana line to the
Rocky Mountains, show that much
snow has fallen over a wide area.
Dispatches tonight indicate that
Southern United States will not feel the
hard effects of the present storm.
Considerable apprehension is felt
over the scanty supply of fuel here and
in -adjacent states, but the authorities
believe there will be enough, if prop
erly distributed, to stand the siege.
ARMY BALLOON IS MISSING
San Antonio Gas Bag With 7 Flyers
Believed to Be In Mexico.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex., Dec. 28. Offi
:Ials of- the Army balloon school here
were making efforts by telegraph and
wireless tonight to locate an Army
balloon commanded by Captain McCul-
ough and carrying six student avia
tors, which left here at midnight last
night.
Another balloon, leaving at the same
ime, commanded by Captain Cole and
also carrying six students, landed 80
miles from Fort Mcintosh late this aft
ernoon. The missing balloon, officials
believe, - has been forced to land in
Mexico.
FRENCH LOAN IS EXCEEDED
Subscriptions so Far 2 75,000,000
Francs Above 10-BiIIion Mark.
PARIS, Dec. 28. The 10,000,000,000
francs asked for in the third war loan
has been exceeded, according to a state
ment made' in the Chamber of Deputies
today by M. Klotz, the Minister of Fi
nance. M. Klotz said that the returns for
the loan were still incomplete, but that
the subscriptions, not including those
from abroad, aggregated 10,276,000.000
francs.
INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS
The Weather.
YESTERDAY'S Maximum temnerature 62
decrees; minimum. 59 degrees.
TODAY'S Rain; fresh southeasterly winds.
War.
Hoqulam editor tells of seeing;' Verdun.
Page 4.
Republic proclaimed In White Russia.
Page 2. .
Hugh Gibson writes of auto dash from Brus
sels to Antwerp. Page 4.
John F. Stevens says allies should not desert
Russia and let German propaganda win,
Foreign.
Teutons' peace offer unsatisfactory, say Brit
ish newspapers. Page 2.
France wants no premature peace, says For
eign Minister. Page 2.
Llody George makes, strong declaration for
continuation of war to victory. Page 1.
National.
Coast shipbuilders demand too much, says
Admiral Bowles. Page I.
Nation's railroads pass Into Government's
hands. Page 1.
More wood ship contracts promised Pacific
Coast. Page 1.
Senate committee summons Hoover to sugar
inquiry. Page 3.
Domestic.
Bishop Sumner, of Oregon, to be married
January 1. Page 1..
Middle Western states in grip of severe bllz-
xard. Page 1.
Eight thousand men in American camps ill
because of inadequate supplies. Page 4.
Meat retailers In grasp of packers' trust.
Page 3.
Sports.
Mazamas prepare for hike. Page 8.
Fred Fulton signs to meet Jess Willard.
Page 8.
Tennis stars to play in Honolulu tournament
in February. Page 8. -
Commercial and Marine.
Grading and inspection will benefit Oregon
potato industry. Page 17.
Corn higher at Chicago, owing to low tem
peratures and storm. ' Page 17.
Low-priced rails are feature of strong stock
market. Page 17.
American steamer Westland passes into con
trol of United. States Shipping Board.
Page 14.
Pacific Northwest.
Western Washington threatened with serious
floods. Page 7.
Lieutenant Walter R. McClure writes from
France. Page 8.
Willamette Valley Chautauqua decided to
hold complete sessions in 1018. Page 6.
Burning of Roy Omart's bam, near Turner,
suprs officers to action. Page .
State Lime Board presents first annual re
po-t. Page 7.
Portland and Vicinity.
Elks plan swift Red Cross drive. Page 7.
Vocational education urged before teachers'
convention. Page 14.
Portland joins movement to promote social
welfare of soldiers. Page IS.
Traffic violators crowd court again. Page 12.
Wholesale dairy supply dealers meet to de
vise methods of cutting down surplus de
liveries. - Page 9.
Weather report, data and forecast. Page 14.
Oregon widow gives her eight sons to coun
try's service. Page 1.
Portland to be host to hundreds of fighting
men from tonight until Tuesday! Page 11.
Exemption Boards called upon to Induce
registrants - into military branches that
are open to them. Page 5.
Grading and inspection planned for Oregon
potato crop. Page 14.-
Dental students urged to enlist In Reaervt
Corps. Page 13.
Director-General As
sumes Control.
UNIFICATION WORK IS BEGUN
Country's Lines to Be Welded
Into Single System.
RAILROAD BOARD DRAFTED
McAdoo Issues First Order to glpeed
I7p irrelgrht Movement and Full
Co-operation Is Pledged by
Various Executives. y
-fry
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28. The rail- ,
roads of the United States passed into
Government possession at noon today
as Secretary McAdoo. designated by
President Wilson as director-general of
railroads, was delegating to the rail
roads war board the task of operating
them for the present.
The war board, comprising five of
the country's foremost railroad execu
tives who have been in supreme charge
of the roads for the last nine months,
was called into conference at 11 o'clock
to discuss plans for welding all trans
portation lines into a single Government-operated
system. They left the
Treasury Department two hours later
under instructions to continue . their
functions and to submit immediately a ;
plan of operation to the director
general. McAdoo iH.nea First Order.
Tonight Mr. McAdoo issued his first,
formal order designed to speed up
freight movement, telegraphing all
railroad , presidents and directors 'in
structions to move traffic by the most,
convenient and direct routes. At the
same time he ordered them to continue
operation of their lines in conformity
with the President's proclamation, put-'
ting them under Government control.
There was no indication tonight
whether Mr. McAdoo intended eventu
ally to displace the war board -with an
organisation of his own or to continue
its organization for the duration of the
war. It was made clear, however, that
it will continue to function until the
director-general decides that a better
system can be devised.
.The order that freight move by the.
most expeditious routes opens the way
for a pooling of traffic, illegal hereto
fore. It takes from the shipper the '
right to route his freight and leaves
the routing to the railroad traffic'
manager. ,
Board Organisation Drafted.
Thus far the director-general has
made no plans for a staff. He asked
the war board today for a complete
chart of its organization, which was
furnished.
In drafting into service the war
board organization the director-general
takes over the services of all the
board's committees. He obtains the
services, as well, of the board's car
service commission, which now is as
sisting the Interstate Commerce Com
mission in distributing the cars.
Pooling of railroad, equipment, al
ready started by the war board, will
be carried much further under Gov
ernment operation. Common use es
pecially will be made of terminal fa
cilities. An early measure to relieve conges-
tion, it was intimated tonight, will be
a denial of transportation to non-essential
commodities. Traffic that is
considered unnecessary will be cut off,
including both passenger and freight.".
Lovett Haa AntOiorlty.
This subject will be left largely to
Robert S.j Lovett, governor-director of
priority, who attended today's confer-
ence. The railroad heads today told
Mr. McAdoo that there should be named ,
Immediately a manager for Govern
ment traffic, who should recommend
to Mr. Lovett the order in which war.
supplies should move, co-ordinating the
hundreds of priority orders now issu-"
ing from various Government depart
ments. ,
There was a question tonight as to
whether the great mass of railway em
ployes in the country nearly 2,000,000
in number now become Government
employes. Some officials hold that
they do not, on the ground that the.
Concludd on P&ce 2, Column 2.)
OREGON CHAIR COMPANY VS
ABCK TO FILL. VACANCIES.
Since war was declared last
April, 15 young men, experi
enced in their trade, quit their
employment with the Oregon
Chair Company and enlisted in
some branch of the Army serv
ice. Inability to replace these
men with skilled labor has forced
the company to operate with a
reduced force of 90 employes.
The management reports that
the company's output is holding
up in values, but not in 'quan
tity, due to increased prices on
one hand and the substitution
of an eight-hour day for one of
ten hours on the other.
The plant is crowded to the
limit in its efforts to fill orders.
Every month the company dis
burses about $7000 among its
workmen. v
3 io8.a