80 Pages
SIX SECTIONS
Section One
Pages 1 to 24
VOL. XXXVI. XO. 10.
PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 11, 1917.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
j- J
U. S. SHIPS TO SINK
U-BOATS Of SIGHT
Declaration of War by
Berlin Possible.
AUTHORITY GIVEN GUNNERS
Effect on Germany May Be to
Cause Open Hostilities.
WORD IS SENT TO KAISER
Any One of Four Acts by America
May Lead to War Reopening
of Money Market Great
Aid to. the Allies.
T BY JOHN CALIBAN O'LAUGHLIN.
WASHINGTON". D. C, March 10.
(Special.) Armed American merchant
vessels will sink German submarines on
eight. This authority will be given to
the gunners aboard the American ships.
In reaching this decision the Presi
dent and his officials are guided by the
necessity of permitting the vessels to
tave themselves from destruction.
Ruthless Campaign Met.
In her submarine decree which com
pelled the President to break oft rela
tions and subsequently to permit the
arming of merchantmen, Germany an
nounced her purpose to destroy with
out warning any ship approaching the
British Isles, the Atlantic coasts of
Europe or the harbors of the eastern
Mediterranean.
In other words, her submarines were
to sneak upon a vessel, whether bellig
erent or neutral, and send it to the
bottom without determining the na
tionality of the craft or taking meas
ures for the safety of those on board.
Warning Given American Snips.
The provisions of this decree have
been carried out by German submarine
commanders. It is true that two Ameri
can vessels sunk were destroyed after
a warnlns:. but belligerent merchant
men upon which Americans were trav
eling or serving as members of the
crew were sent to the bottom without
notice and without mercy.
German submarines which appear to
he somewhat considerate of American
ships now are expected to attack the
armed ships without warning. There is
only one way therefore in which those
ehips can be saved. That Is by sinking
a German submarine before it gets a
chance to launch a torpedo.
Berlin May Declare War.
"What Germany will say in conse
quence of the action of the President
in authorizing the arming of merchant
chips remains to be seen. Officials and
diplomats are generally agreed that she
will regard such an action as an act of
war.
Whether she will formally declare
war, however, will be determined at the
conference which doubtless now is pro
ceeding between the Kaiser and his ad
visers.
Information of the decision of the
President has been communicated to
Berlin through the Swiss Minister to
the United States, who has charge of
German interests.
Technical War May Be Avoided.
That Germany will hold that this
Government has ranged itself definite
ly on the side of the allies is un
doubted in official and diplomatic cir
cles. That she will announce that she
will sink on sight armed merchant
men flying the American flag equally
is undoubted. She may prefer, how
ever, to have hostilities without tech
nical war.
The State Department made it clear
today that the mere appearance of a
submarine or a periscope In the vicinity
(Concluded on Page 2. Column 1.)
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S I s .
NOOSE SLIP SAVES;
CONFESSION CLEARS
MAN" WHO ESCAPED HAXGIXG
IS EXONERATED.
Dying Farmer Admits Murder of
2 5 Years Ago, Proving Innocence
of Suspect Once Convicted.
COLUMBIA, Miss., March 10. A death
bed confession by Joseph Beard, a
farmer, announced today by the Sher
iffs office, cleared of suspicion Will
iam Purvis, who 25 years ago escaped
death by hanging after conviction of
murder only because the noose about
his neck slipped when, the scaffold trap
was sprung.
Purvis was found guilty of killing
from ambush William Buckley. When
he fell from the scaffold unharmed
after the rope slipped spectators who
thought it was an intervention of Prov
idence induced the authorities to put
him back in Jail and appeal to the Gov
ernor brought a, commutation of sen
tence. Several years later Purvis was
pardoned. He now lives in Lamar
County.
Beard, dying of pneumonia, confessed
Sunday that he and two other men
killed Buckley. "The Sheriff said he
knew where to locate the others, but
declined to say whether any action
would be started against them.
AUSTRIA SEEMS CONFIDENT
Count Tarnowski Arranging xor
New Embassy Building.
WASHINGTON.. March 10. The fact
that Count Tarnowski, the newly-ap
pointed Ambassador from Austria-Hun
gary, is arranging to obtain a new Em
bassy building is taken to indicate that
his government does not expect diplo
matic relations to be severed in the
near future.
The Count has not yet presented his
credentials to the President.
PHYSICIAN 100 YEARS OLD
Century Mark Also Seen by Chica
goan's Ancestors. ,
CHICAGO, March 10. Dr. Herman
n.rrv uhratii his 100th birthday
yesterday. Until 14 years ago he prac
ticed medicine. He was corn in ixew
York, where his grandfather lived to
be 103 years old, his father 100 and his
mother 97 years old.
The doctor's wife died at the age
of 87.
71-2C LOAF IS TO APPEAR
San Francisco Bakery. Announces
New Size In Bread.
SAN FRANCISCO. March 10. Bread
at 7 cents a loaf will make its in
itial appearance here Monday, accord
ing to officials of a large baking com
tisitiv vhn said the new loaf would
be of a size of between the present
5 and 10-cent sizes.
No Increase In bread prices was con
templated, it was said.
TROOP SCHEDULES UPSET
National Guards to Be Sent Home
When Coaclies Are Available,,
EL PASO, Tex., March 10. All for
mer schedules for the sending of the
National Guard troops home from this
part of the border have been ordered
disregarded.
The guard troops will be sent home
In day coaches as rapidly as equipment
can be obtained fr.om the railroads.
WEEK TO BE PARTLY RAINY
Northwest Temperature to Be Near
Seasonal Normal.
WASHINGTON. March 10. Weather
predictions for the week beginning
Sunday. March 11, issued by the
Weather Bureau today, are:
Pacific states: Generally fal-- in Cal
ifornia and occasional rains in Wash
Ington and Oregon; temperature near
seasonal normal.
PICTORIAL
ROAD ENTHUSIASTS
RALLY AT EUGENE
300 'Attend" Western
Oregon Conference.
COMMISSIONER ADAMS LEADS
Only One County in District
Not Represented.
VIEWS EXPRESSED FREELY
While Meeting Is Specially for Dis
cussion, Many Delegates De
clare Their Counties Are Al
ready Solid for Measure.
EUGENE. Or.. March 10. (Special.)
Three hundred good road enthusiasts
met here today In a rally In behalf of
the proposed $6,000,000 bond issue for
the purpose of constructing a system
of hard-surfaced roads in Oregon, when
sessions of the Western Oregon Road
Conference were held both afternoon
and evening.
The Interest manifested probably was
the greatest in the history of road
planning in Southern Oregon.
Every county In the First Congres
sional District, with one exception, was
represented at the sessions, and spokes
men for County Cpurts and commercial
organizations declared that their object
in coming was to get more Information
about the proposed highway project.
Decision Not Advocated.
Highway Commissioner E. J. Adams
announced that the purpose of the
meeting was to create interest and dis
cussion of the proposed bonding plan;
that it was not desired that the confer
ence should take any action for or
against the bond Issue.
Attorney L. E. Bean, Representative
from Lane County and Joint author of
the Bean-Barrett bill providing for
matching, dollar-for-dollar, funds to
be supplied by the Federal Government
under the terms of the Shackleford bill
explained the application of the law.
Plea for Byways Made.
During a discussion of the Pacific
Highway, Commissioner Adams said:
The Pacific , Highway would be of
great benefit, but I want to say to you
gentlemen that mere are pioneers
locked up in the byways of this state
who have nothing more than a trail to
travel over for the greater part of the
year and who are entitled to some con
sideration before they pass on."
Those lnattendance Included some of
the most prominent road authorities in
the Northwest. Engineers. County Com
mlssloners, representatives of commer
cial organizations and road supervisors
were present at the afternoon session.
Mr. Adams was elected to preside at
the conference arid James Stewart, edl
tor of the Fossil Journal, acted as sec
r"etary.
Federal Funds Available.
B. J. Fitch, of the Federal High Bu
reau, addressed the meeting on the ap
plication of the Federal road laws. He
announced that of the 1 237,000 available
for use on roads in Oregon forest re
serves, only about J100.000 had been
matched by local contributions, leaving
a balance of $157,000 available for use
in this state.
O. M. P. Goss, technical engineer of
the West Coast Lumbermen's Associa-
tion, gave an illustrated talk in which
he explained the especial values of
lumber as a paving material and as
material for bridge construction.
Oregon pine and Douglas fir, treated
with creosote, make the most nearly
perfect of all paving, he asserted. He
urged the wood because it Is a home
product The meeting following Mr.
Goss' address took the form of round
table discussion, with the proposed
(Concluded on Par 5 Column 3.)
IMPRESSIONS OF SOME
INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS
The Weather.
TESTEBDArs Maximum temperature, 47
degrees; minimum, 8tt degree.
TODAY'S Sunday partly cloudy; northwest
erly wind.
Submarines.
Salvador's Minister denies German spies use
, his country as operation base. Section 1,
page a.
American Government begins to arm mer
chantmen. Section 1. page 6.
Western America offered to Jkpan by Ger-
many as reward tor aid. Section 1.
page 1. f
United States ships authorized to sink
U-boats on sight. Section 1. page 1.
War.
Armies on Western front fighting la blis-
zard. Section 1, page 4.
Belgian relief ahlp Storstad torpedoed and
sunk; one life loat. Section 1. page 4.
Austrlait army chief says dual monarchy
la absolutely united. Section 1, page 5.
Foreign.
London poison plotters convicted. Section
1. page 2.
Reichstag leader forecasts Russo-Japanese-
Oerman coalition against Anglo-American
alliance. Section 1, page 3.
National.
Many submarine chasers wanted by Navy.
Section 1, page 7.
Domestic
Government loses suit to unmerge Central
and Southern Pacific lines. Section 1,
page 6.
Governor Hiram Johnson denies Intent to
resign from United States Senate. Sec
tion 1, page 1.
Major-Genera I Sam Hughes, of Canada,
confers ,wlth General Wood. Section 1,
page 5.
Prominent German-Americans arrested in
alleged smuggling plot. Section 1. page 5.
Railway brotherhoods to offer compromise.
section l, page a.
Pacific Northwest.
"The Last Leaf" read by descendant of
patriot before Revolution Daughters.
Section 1, page 9.
Ex-Mayor Starcher's higher strategy Jails
alleged safeblower. Section 1. page 11.
Oregon V. A. R. pledges support to Presi
dent Wilson. Section 1, page 9.
Lister approved banking codes. Section J,
page za.
Bullet hole made by I. W. W. Is shown In
court. Section 1, page 8.
Commissioner Adams tabulates figures
showing how road bonds will be paid off.
Section 1, page 10.
D. A. R. place marker on old Immigrant
camping sp6t. Section 1, page 9.
Bllllngsley. long unruffled, quails at last.
Section 1, page 1.
Enthusiastic good roads rally held at Eu
gene. Section 1, page 1.
Sports. -
West far ahead of East in tennis tourney.
Section 2. page 1.
New rules out for Pacific Coast track meet.
Section 2. page 1. 1
Columbia "U" prepares for big entry list
at April track meet. Section 2, page 4.
Columbia-Willamette trap shooting league
to be formed. Section 2. page 5.
Intercity league may ask class X rating.
Section 2. page 2.
Oregon- track team outlook la dubious. See.
tlon 2. page G.
Fans in Northwestern League circuit await
sound of gong on April 24. Section 2,
page 2.
Portland Beavers defeat Chinese, 7 to 1.
Section 2, page 2.
Duffy happy over showing at Seattle with
orbea. Section 2, page 3.
Commercial and Marine.
Wool contracting stopped by failure of
Congress to pass Army bill. Section 2,
page 15.
Chicago wheat rnsrket affected by peace
rumors. Section 2, page 15.
Stock .market responds sharply to arming
of American ships. Section 2, page 15.
Government calls wooden shipbuilders for
conference. Section 2. page 16.
Ship master held liable for passenger limit
excesses. Section 2, page 16.
Shifting of funds for river projects con
sidered. Section 2. page 16.
Portland lowest bidder for $162,073 lumber
order. Section 2, page 16.
Portland and Vicinity.
Attempt to oust Adjutant-General Whits
fails. Section 1, page 7.
Sentiment all over state apparently in favor
of road bonds. Section 1. page 10.
Gypsies destroy property and annoy neigh
bors. Section 1. page 12.
C B. Moores pays tribute to Colonel E. D.
Baker. Section 1, page 14.
O. M. Clark says Portland must secure
foreign trade. Section 1, page 15.
Growers urge grain elevator In Portland.
Section 1. page 16.
Astoria lines up behind road bond Issue.
Section 1, page 17.
Commissioner Daly announces candidacy for
Mayor. Section 1. page 18.
Cost of councilmanlc and commission gov
ernment compared. Section 1, page 18.
Joint legislative committee to plan cam
paign to urge road bonds bill. Section X,
page 21.
Weather report, data and forecast. Sec
tion 1, page IS.
Flans laid for 1 Billy Sunday campaign.
Section 1, page 16.
HUMPTY DUMPTY" IS DEAD
Famous Clown Is victim of Fall
When 78 Years Old.
KINGSTON, N. T March. 10. Famous
for 40 years as the original "Humpty.
Dumpty" clown, Tony Denier died here
today from a fall on an icy sidewalk.
He was 78 years old, and had been an
inmate of the almshouse since June.
He retired as a clown eight years
ago.
EVENTS IN THE WEEK'S
WESTERN AMERICA
OFFERED TO JAPAN
Only Part of Zimmer
mann Note Published.
GERMAN PLOT EXTENT WIDE
All Territory West of Rockies
" Reward for Aid.
TERMS ARE KEPT SECRET
state Department Gives Out Only
Mexican Part of Situation, but
JLets It Be Known Definite
Offer Was Sent to Toklo.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash
ington, March 10. "The whole of the
United States lying west of the Rocky
Mountains" was the inducement which
Germany held out to Japan, through
the Instrumentality of the famous Zim-
mermann note. If Japan, In the event
of war between the United States and
Germany, would become an active ally
of the Kaiser.
This Information comes from -on of
the most prominent Democrats of the
Senate, who is in a position to enjoy
the confidence of the State Department,
and as related by him. this portion of
the Zimmerman n note was suppressed
last week, when the German offer to
Mexico was allowed to become public
through the agency of the Associated
Press.
Zlmmrrmnnn Note Censored.
The extract from the Zlmmermann
note, heretofore published, bore evi
dences of- having been censored, and
the first comments made by Zlmmer
mann himself were carefully guarded,
as stated by cable dispatches, because
he did not then know accurately how
much of his communication had been
made public In the United States.
While the extract heretofore pub
lished showed that Germany was mak
ing overtures t. both Mexico and Ja
pan, there was no allusion to a par
celling out of American territory to
Japan, though Arizona. New Mexico
and Texas were set forth as being
offered Mexico as the price of her
active co-operation.
Information la Measer.
The terms in which Germany offered
the Pacific Coast states to Japan can
not be learned, nor is it pcssible to
ascertain whether the offer included
also the Hawaiian Islands, the Philip
pines or Alaska. The information avail
able Is meager, but appears to be
authentic.
That the offer to Japan w'as sup
pressed by the State Department is
probably due to the same motives which
led the Department to kill off the anti
alien land bills in the Oregon and
Idaho legislatures.
The Japanese government, through
its Ambassador at Washington, has al
ready assured the State Department
that Japan is faithful In her allegiance
to the allied powers, and entertains
none but the friendliest feeling toward
the United States.
Intimation Made In Senate.
In a speech in the Senate only a few
days before adjournment. Senator Phe
lan. of California, intir.ted his belief
that if Germany was- offering the bor
der states to Mexico, it doubtless was
holding out the Pacific Coast states as
the reward to be tendered to Japan 1,
for co-operation in the event of war
against the United States, but he
stopped short of stating that such a
definite offer had been made.
The mere possibility of such an of
fer, however, he thought was ample
justification for tho United States tak
ing immediate rteps better to protect
the Pacific Coast, for he cited the tes-
(Concluded on Page 2, Column 2.)
NEWS BY CARTOONIST
HIRAM JOHNSON TO
KEEP SENATE POST
RUMOR OF INTENT TO REMAIN
GOVERNOR DENIED.
Washlngton Takes Report Seriously
and California Is Flooded With
Messages From All Sides.
SACRAMENTO. Cal., March 10. Con
jectural reports emanating from Sacra
mento today that Hiram Johnson was
planning to relinquish' his United
States Senatorsnlp-elect in favor of
Chester Rowell, of 'Fresno, and to re
tain his present post as Governor,
brought forth a shower of denials to
day. ,
At noon today the Governor per
sonally Issued the statement that the
report was "wholly and absolutely
false." -
By mid-afternoon his secretary's
desk was piled with telegrams from
all parts of the country, demanding
whether theVe was truth in the rumor.
One Washington dispatch indicated
that the report had been accepted as
fact and that history was being
searched for precedents of a Senator
elect preferring to remain Governor.
Discovering that Nation-wide cred
ence had been given the rumor, John
son gave out another statement
through his secretaries late this after
noon repeating that it was all a plot
fabricated by his political enemies and
claiming that proof of the plot had
been found. Itwas repeated that no
statement of Johnson's future plans
will be forthcoming before Monday.
BERNSTORFF IN NORWAY
Former Ambassador, After' Rough
Voyage, Reaches Port.
LONDON. March 10. Count von
Bernstorff, former German Ambassa
dor at Washington, arrived at Chrts
tiania this morning, according to an
Exchange Telegraph dispatch from
Copenhagen.
On reaching the quay several hundred
members of the German colony and
representatives of the legation gave the
returning passengers an enthusiastic
welcome.
Passengers on the liner said that bad
weather prevailed throughout the voy
age. MEMBER IN CONGRESS DIES
C. A. Sulloway, Veteran Xew Hamp
shire Representative, 78.
' WASHINGTON, March 10. Cyrus
Adams Sulloway, veteran Representa
tive in Congress from the First New
Hampshire District, died here late to
night of pneumonia, aged 78 years. -
Representative Sulloway was a Re
publican and had served his district
in the lower house at Washington
through the Fifty-fourth. Sixty-second
and Sixty-fourth Congresses. His
home was at Manchester. N. H.
MEXICO TO VOTE TODAY
Election of Carranza as President
Regarded as Certain.
MEXICO CITT, March 10. Prepara
tions were completed today for the
holding tomorrow throughout Mexico
of Presidential and Congressional elec
tions, the first to' be held since July,
1914.
There is little doubt .that General
Venustiano Carranza will be elected
President almost unanimously, as the
other candidates for the Presidential
office are not taken seriously.
PRESIDENT ABLE TO SIT UP
Executive Is Weakened by Cold;
Attorney-General Is Seen.
WASHINGTON. March 10. President
Wilson had recovered tonight from the
cold that kept him in bed for the last
four days. He was said to be weak
ened, however, and greatly in need of
rest.
He sat up today and attended to of
ficlal business, conferring briefly with
Attorney-General Gregory.
REYNOLDS.
BILUNGSLEY CALM
IS BROKEN AT LAST
Nonchalant Witness
, Quails at Question.
COURTROOM GASPS AT CLIMAX
Memory Fails Suddenly Over
Visit. to-City Hall.
$4000 BRIBE HELD CHEAP
$7500 Carried to Mayor's Office,
but Only Part of It Used to
Get Protection, lie Says.
Ex-Sheriff Exonerated.
SEATTLE, Wash., March 10. (Spe
cial.) A smashing climax, as nerve
stirring as a theater could visualize,
came in the Federal Court today at the
llquor-consplracy trial of Mayor Gill.
Chief of Police BeckSneham. ex-Sheriff
Hodge and City Detectives Peyser, Pool-
man, Doom ana McLennan, when Logan
Billingsley, self-disclosed director of
wholesale bootlegging operations, the
Government's chief witness, after two
days of suavity, calm and deliberation
on the witness stand, as suddenly as
the snapping of a cord, paled and stam
mered and was at a loss to reply to a
merciless cross-examination.
There fell upon the courtroom the
same shock that comes at the "big"
moment of a play of fiction. It was
led up to in the same subtle way that
dramatists manufacture crises in the
lives of their characters.
long Effort Is Futile.
Logan Billingsley had completed his
direct examination yesterday and Wil-
mon Tucker, one of Mayor GUI's attor
neys, had then and early this morning,
prodded, in all the ways a skilled legal
mind could devise, to shake the witness.
Mr. Tucker had, not succeeded. Retro
spection ad not worried Logan. His
pact replete with arrest, convictions.
briberies, so-termed, schemes to defeat
the laws he laid before the Jury as a
big book, stained, but legible.
When Walter S. Fulton, counsel for
Chief Beckingham. started his cross-examination
it seemed that he would not
worry the calm Mr. Billingsley. The
witness seemed impregnable, so far as
one viewed his demeanor on the stand.
Mr. Fulton examined Into the capacity
or antipathy of the witness for
truthfulness.
Perjury Not on Crime List.
Logan said: "I don't claim to be any
George Washington. Tea, I have told
lots of lies in a. business way, but I've
never yet gotten on the witness stand
and perjured myself. Don't find any
records of me having been arrested for
perjury, do you?"
Every question was answered
promptly and clearly, just as Logan
had replied to queries for two days.
Then the cross-examiner asked a cas
ual question about Logan's version of
a visit to the Mayor's office on the
same day, August 30. and preceding his
alleged visit to the Chiefs office, when,
he testified, he paid the Mayor $4000.
"By the way," remarked counsel for
the defense, "was Mr. James Crehan,
the Mayor's secretary, in the office of
the Mayor that day?"
Memory Falls Suddenly.
"I don't remember," said Billingsley
glibly.
"Did you see the Mayor?"
"No."
"Why didn't you see the Mayor?"
"J wasn't allowed to."
"Who wouldn't allow you to?"
"Why why" (there was a hint of a
breaking down of the witness' reserve
strength) "whoever was there "
"But who was there?" .
(Concluded on Pase 8. Column 2.)
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