for The Journal's Big' Sunday Classified Section
VOL. XIV. NO. 312.
PORTLAND, OREGON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 8, 1916. SIXTEEN PAGES.
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GERMANY 15 j
i
Ambassador von Bernstorff
Presents Secretary of State
Lansing With Memoran
dum Setting Forth Position
of Germany on Arming.
HOPE EXPRESSED THAT
PEACE MAY CONTINUE
German Submarine Warfare
Made Necessary by Viola
tions of International Law
on Part of Great Britain,
Claims German Statement.
ML
4fc Wot to Warn Americans.
Washington. March S. (V.
4fc p.) "The American govern-
merit will not warn citizens
Ht against traveling on armed
liriersc, regardless of what
J action is taken in the pending
i controversy." it was authorita
Ks tlvely asserted at the state de-
partment this afternoon.
4 It was explained at the state
HP uciai luicith iiunviti, .......
Investigation proved certain
. ships were offensively armed,
' the government would feel
justified in declaring them aux-
iliarv cruisers. This in itself
would absolve the government
t of responsibility for possible
4fr deaths of Americans aboard
them.
Washington. Marcti 8. (I. N. S.)
icatinn nmnllfvine and ex
plaining in detail tne German position
In regard to armed merchant ahlps waa
delivered to Secretary of '43tate Lan-
StH( pert WOa.V OJ uuna juuu..-
sador von Bernstorff. Lansing and
the ambassador conferred for five
minutes..
; The memorandum submitted by Ger
man Ambassador von Bernstorff to the
state department Is understood to ex
press Germany's willingness to con
duct submarine warfare in accordance
with international law as accepted be
fore the war if Great Britain will ob
serve the same laws.
That an agreement Bhortly will be
reached, which will preserve all the
rights of the United States under in
ternational law and at the same time
end the so-called submarine contro
versy, was broadly hinted in official
circles today.
It is understood that Great Britain
within (ha next frw riavs will deliver
tto the United States her promise that
i-none of her vessels traversing the
lAtlantic will be armed. Only vessels
"traveling the - Mediterranean .aea will
'carry guns and these will be specific
ally pledged as for defensive purposes
only.
It is understood that the British of
fer, would have been presented before
now. but was withheld until after the
president had won his fight in con
gress. Receipt is now expected speed
iiy. although pending actual delivery
, v (Concluded on Pace Four. Ooloma Three)
Bids for Postoffice
r At Vancouver Near
Boil ding to Be Two Stories, Brick With
; -gtoas Trimmings aad Fireproof Ex
cept for Boof; 943,000 Provided,
Washington. March 8. (WASHING
TON BUREAU OF THE JOURNAL. 1
Congressman Albert Johnson was
advised today that. the Vancouver post
office is to be two stories in height,
faced with brick with stone trimmings
and fire proof except the roof. Bids
will soon be called for. Forty-five
thousand dollars was provided for the
beginning work by the urgent defic
iency bill just enacted.
Kentucky Suffrage Bill.
Frankfort, Ky.. March 8. (I. N. S.)
J- Th.e Combs woman's suffrage bill
was passed by the state senate today.
Bug Companies
Making Good in
I Local Industry
"Gather up the fragments
t "that , remain, that nothing be
lost," is a scriptural charge of
supremest authority. In the
ages since they were first
spoken, who can tell to what
thrift these words have been
the incitement! They might be
expected to appeal especially to jt
womankind in respect of all
housewifely arts and devices.
4 Thence there Is great Interest
and great value, for all whe
3t 'practice frugality and - love
beauty, in the article that may
be read today 'on the editorial
4t page of The Journal, in which
4 'are shown the processes em-
X ployed and results produced by A
two companies of Portland
weavers, the Northwest Rug 4t
company, and the Fluff Rug
company. "Nothing- the Hat-
1 ter With Portland.- Neither
need there be anything the' mat- in
ter with any floor, in Portland-
- '
;?
GERMAN FLEET UNDER STEAM Twenty German dreadnayghts have disappeared
from their refuge at Kiel, where they have been bottled up since the war began,' and all
England is roused at the expectation of a clash at sea between this fleet and vessels of
the British navy.
HANDS OF PRESIDENT
ARE UNTIED BY VOTE
House Yesterday Tabled Mc
Lemore. Resolution by De
cisive Vote, 276 to 142,
Washington. March . TJ. P.)
With his hands unleashed by the ac
tion of congress in refusing to warn
Americans off armed liners. President
Wilson today prepared to resume his
submarine negotiations with Germany.
Prompt action in both the Germanand
the British controversies is expected.
All adherents of the administration
expressed keen satisfaction at the
house vote tabling McLemore's warn
ing resolution.
The final ballot of 276 to 142 demon
strated to the satisfaction of adminis
tration Bupportefs that congress
stands behind the president In his feel
ings toward Europe.
Another Debate Expected.
Congress still seethed today on the
armed liner issue. It was believed an
other debate might break out at any
time, and continue indefinitely. Sev
eral representatives are expected to
seire the first opportunity of explain
ing their votes on the warning resolu
tion. Senator Stone has indefinitely
postponed his explanation, but many
others contemplate explaining speeches.
Bickering, with regard to the effect
of the house vote also promises to
(Conctaded. oa Face Four. Column One.)
Portland May Secure
Trade Bureau Office
Government Official Arrives Here
Today and Takes Matter Up With
Chamber of Commerce.
W. B. Henderson, commercial agent
of the northwest bureau of the de
partment of commerce, is in Portland
conferring with chamber of commerce
officials relative to establishing in
this oity a cooperative branch of the
bureau of foreign and domestic com
merce. Under the organization of the gov
ernment bureau, commercial agents
rre placed , lu charge of districts
within the United States to study
the problems local . to those districts
or important as contributing to trade
relations either at home or abroad.
If the branch is opened in Portland
in connection with the chamber, the
departments confidential reports and
resources will be made available di
rectly to the chamber. .
Bakers Nomination
Approved by Senate
w War Becrstary Expected la Wash'
i&rtoa to Take Up Duties; Aati-
rrepaxedness Committee Indorse.
'Washington, March 8. (I. N. 8.)
Newton D. Baker, former mayor of
Cleveland, is now secretary of war.
his nomination, .which waa sent to the
senate shortly after noon by Pres
ident Wilson, being confirmed In the
afternoon. Mr. Baker is expected to
arrive , here tomorrow to take up his
a u ties.
The anti-preparedness committee to
day strongly Indorsed the selection of
Mr. Baker for secretary of war. .
Boys' Fun Fatal.
North Yakima, Wash March 8. (P,
N. 8.) Accidentally hot whUe playing
-wua west- with his chum, William
Dulln, 15 years old, is dead. He was
a son of. Dr. Charles T. Dulin. The
boys thought that the .22-caliber rifle
they, were playing with was not
loaded,- v" . ' .
SJ',;) 't: V;Y 'V J 'A
a&535te-:..': si Js
TO TABLE RESOLUTION
ENGLAND IS ALARMED
DISAPPEARANCE
OF GERMANY'S FLEET
Lord Fisher Attends War
Council and May Be Re
called to Cabinet, ,
London, March 8 (U. P.)
Twenty-nine German battleships
were encountered off Ymulden
Monday by a Dutch lugger, accord
ing to the , newspaper Vtiderland,
Baid Rotterdam dispatches today.
They inquired the whereabouts of
the English fleet, then steered
north by northeast. A flotilla of
destroyers accompanied them. The
main fleet was composed of dread
naughts.
Tmuiden Is on the western coa-t of
Holland. In order to reach it the 29
battleships reported at sea must have
cruised several hundred miles from
their base.
London. March 8. (I. N. S.) The
anticipated clash in the North eea be
tween the British and German fleets
was the subject of a spirited discus
sion by the war council today. All
England is alarmed over the disap
pearance of 20 German dreadnaughts
from Kiel, and the consensus of opin
ion is that the kaiser has completed
his naval program and is now ready
to strike.
Lord Fisher, former first sea lord
of the admiralty, attended today's
meeting. It Is understood that Fisher
in to be recalled, but it was impos
sible to confirm the report.
Churchill Bounds Warning.
The following warning was sounded
in the house of commons yesterday by
Colonel Winston Churchill, former
first lord of the admiralty:
"ve must not assume that Ger
many will be content to - allow her
fleet to lie impotent and derided . in
the Kiel canal. We must assume that
something has happened in German
naval yards, and that Germany has
completed all her program."
Biitish Admiralty Criticised. .
In a sensational speech Mr. Churchill
proceeded to criticise the admiralty for
its "pure strategic passivity" since he
(Concluded on Pge Nine. Column Three)
Detectives Arrest
Man on Suspicion
&eoasrd and X,a Salle Believe 9. C.
Bartholomew May Be George Bar
tholomew, Wanted for Uad Murder.
Detectives Leonard and La Salle ar
rested D. C. Bartholomew in a soft
drink emporium at' Second and Burn
side streets this afternoon and are hold
ing him on suspicion that he may be
the Barthlomew believed to have mur
dered John Llnd the first week In No
vember. The man said he had former
ly conducted a restaurant at Eugene
and otherwise answers the description
of Bartholomew, fairly well.
The man, he said, had been cooking
in a restaurant at Fossil, Or., and had
arrived here last night. He Is the
first man arrested here on suspicion
of connection with the unsolved "trunk
mystery."
Chief of Police Clark sent detectives
out with the man this afternoon to
show Bartholomew to those persons
who had seen the slayer. Some dis
crepancies in the description made this
advisable.
Maud Allan Is Better.
New York, March". (I. N. S.) The
condition of Maud Allan of San Fran
cisco, the famous dancer, who submit
ted to an operation for appendicitis
Monday, was - improved today. Miss
Allan was' born in Sacramento, CaL,
in 1871, . - - a-. ' -
CHEMICAL PLANT AT
NIAGARA IS BURNING
EXPLOSION IS CAUSE
Bigger Blast Feared; Com
pany Had Numerous War
Orders on Hand.
Niagara Falls, N. T.. March 8. (U.
P.) With one man known to be dead
and a score missing, the. entire fire
department of Niagara Falls fought
today to save the Niagara Electro
chemical company's plant, where fire
started with a terrific explosion short
ly before midnight
The chemical company manufac
tures nitrate as a by-product for sev
eral powder companies. It was also
understood to have on hand an im
mense number of direct war orders.
The fire started with an explosion in
the peroxide building, and 12 or 15
even more violent blasts followed In
quick succession. The city was rocked
as by an earthquake, while the Per
oxide plant was blown to p'.eccs.
Storage House Threatened.
Just before 9 .o'clock today a new
series of eight explosions shook the
plane They developed a new fire,
which rapidly approached the storage
house. Should the blaze reach this
storehouse more explosions demolish
ing the entire plant and possibly dam
aging adjoining portions of the city
are feared
Officials are unable to estimate the
number of men in the peroxide build
ing when the first blast occurred. Sev
eral guards asserted there were be
tween 76 and 160. Their escape through
Dolsonous gases was considered mlrac
ulous. The peroxide plant contained
apparatus for manufacture of a large
percentage of all chloroform ub'ed in
the country.
Seat Prevents Bescue,
Firemen and police were helpless to
aid any men' who may have been trap
ped inside, on account of the preat
danger of explosions and terrific heat,
which extended lor lour hours.
The peroxide building was xt brick
and steel 300 feet long and 7o wide
The first explosion shot the roof with
its massive girders 100 feet high, it
landed several hundred feet away.
Steel tanks 20 feet high and 15 feet
wide were shot through a three foot
brick wall like projectiles. . One sank
in the Niagara river 100 yards distant.
A string of freight cars two blocks
away were bowled over and a huge
electric hauling locomotive demolished.
Machinery or every description was
heaped around the yard in tangled,
twisted masses.
Water Brings Mors Explosions.
Firemen were unable to' turn streams
on the ruins because fresh explosions
occurred when the water struck the
burning debris. .
The plant has been closely guarded
since the recent dynamite explosion in
another part of It.
Dr. H. R. Carvath, general head of
the company, said the concern had
been making sodium peroxide for
years, lie concluded tnat the explo
sions and fire were not accidental.
Carvath Delievea all in sthe bulldng juumai t i .
had been accounted for, with one deaJT "f iV enVLw5 f".a
Carvath believed all in vthe buildn
and one fatally hurt,
The .room in which explosives are
stored is separated from the burning
building by a thick fire wall, but the
doors have burned through and an ex
plosion dwarfing the earlier blasts is
expected. Officials and ' firemen
crouched waiting behind other build
ings, powerless.
H. 0. Levens Elected
Mayor of Burns
Burns, Or., March 8. The city elec
tion held here Tuesday resulted, as
follows: H. C. Levens, mayor; George
Fry nd H. M.-HortoB, council men;
W. Y. King, recorder; R. L.. Haines,
marshal; Henry Daltoo.. treasurer.
" -' - '
Postal Clerk
Makes Record
in Distribution
Postmaster Willing to Put Tarrant
Up Against Any Man in the
Country.
Employed In the Portland postoffice
is the best letter distributor in the
United States.
At least Postmaster Myers nd
other officials in the local office be
lieve he is and challenge every other
postal clerk in the country to equal
his record.
His name is Frank A. Tarrant and
in a case examination held this morn
ing he is believed to have set a stand
ard for the entire national postal serv
ice. Tarrant handled 1500 cards, distrib
uting them In 45 different pigeon
holes in 20 minutes without a single
error.
He averaged 75 cards, distributed
correctly, per minute.
The rules of the department require
only 16 cards per minute, 95 per cent
correct.
In the Portland postoffice a higher
efficiency is asked, however, and the
requirement Is 30 cards p;r minute, 99
per cent correct.
And so it is believed that Tarrant's
mark of 73 cards per minute, 100 per
cent correct, will stand for some time
to come.
STEEL
IN OHIO AS RESULT OF
T
114 Persons and Corpora
tions Charged With Con
spiracy Against Laborers,
Toungstown, Ohio, March 8. (U. P.)
The Mahoning county grand Jury to
day Indicted Judge Elbert H. Gary
and officers of six large steel com
panles on a charge of violating the
Valentine anti-trust law, an Ohio stat
ute. Charges of conspiring to. keep
down the wages of . common laborers
were also made.
The indictments were an outgrowth
of the strike riots of East Toungs
town. There are 62 counts. The grand
Jury found no foreign government was
responsible for the trouble.
The indictments allege guards of the
Toungstown Sheet & Tube company.
precipitated the riots. They report
that evidence from 662 witnesses.
taken during hearings lasting a month.
showed a "lawless condition of affairs
in the steel Industry, indicating dis
regard by the Indicted individuals and
corporations of either the rights of
Justice to the laboring class or the
public generally.
One hundred and fourteen persons
and corporations were indicted.
"Xot Justified," Says Gary.
New York, March 8. (U. P.) Judge
Elbert H. Gary, steel magnate, today
termed an "outrage" the indictment
against him in ths grand Jury investi
gation of the East Toungstown strike
riots.
"There are no acts to Justify indict
ment against the United States Steel
corporation, the Carnegie Steel com
pany or any of their officers," declared
Gary. "As far as I know, there are
no grounds for indictments against any
other steel corporations. This is an
outrage and a travesty on Justice."
Stone Finds Wilson
Is Peace Advocate
Senator, After Talking- With President,
Bays He Must Bevlse His Opinion of
Him and Will Support His Policies.
Washington, March 8, (P. N. S.)
Speaking from the floor of the senate
here today Senator Stone of Missouri
said:
"President Wilson's supreme wish,
far from involving the United States
In war, is to avoid that calamity."
"I may not be in accord with some
of the president's views," said Senator
Stone, "but it is Impossible for any
senator to believe that the president
has so changed his attitude so long,
maintained as an advocate of peace as
to wish now to make this country a
party in the conflict.
"In view of this situation I have
determined I could better serve the
cause maintenance of peace by with
holding my opinions so long as the
questions at issue were the legitimate
subject of diplomatic negotiations. In
the meantime, I shall give the presi
dent whatever support I can."
Hats Trimmed, 25c
Kodak for Phonograph
E. W. White, at 144 Twelfth
street, had a motorcycle for sale.
w r . . . T .. TI'. a a a.
customer at St. Johns immedi
ately. See pages 13 and 14-
Horses, Vehicles. Btev 1
DELIVERY wagon and horse; will
sell cheap for cash.
Dressmaking M
EASTERN milliner and dress
maker, all the latest styles;
makes and remodels suits 83 up;
hats trimmed 25 cents.
Swap Column 35
EX-POLICE kodak and enlarging
apparatus for graphaphone and
records.
The daily circulation of The
Journal in Portland and its trade
radius exceeds that of the morn
ing paper by several thousands
-and is practically 60 per cent
greater than its nearest afternoon
contemporary. ,
MEN
MDK1
YOUNGS
1
RIOTING
GERmANS MAKE
BIGGEST GAIN
YET RECORDED
Capture French Positions at
Verdun Over Width of
Three and Half Miles; Now
Within 4 Miles of Verdun.
VERDUN IS PRACTICALLY
SURROUNDED BY ENEMY
Germans Claim Capture
of
3277 Men in Battle of
Cumieres.
Berlin, March, 8. fl. N. S.) French
positions in the Verdun district fdr a
width of more than three and a half
niflcs were stormed by the Germans,
according to today's official bulletin.
The statement said:
"in order to improve our new lines,
which have been pushed forward on
tne right bank of the Meuse, across
the southern slopes of Cote De Talou,
Cote De Poivre and Douaumont, enemy
rosiUons on the left bank of the Meuse
t.nd on both bonks of Forges brook,
btlov Bethincourt, were stormed over
a width of 3.6 miles.
"Last night the French delivered
counter attacks east .of Maisons De
C'1-an.pagne. Grenading continues. Oth
erwise the enemy was completely re
pulsed. "We have now captured the villages
of Forges and Regneville and the
heights of Rabon and Cumieres."
Cumieres is less than four miles
northwest of Verdun.
Capture of 58 French officers and
3277 men during the battle of Cumieres
is claimed.
"in the Woevre district," the state
ment adds, "the French have been
driven out entirely from Fresnes.
"Taubes bombarded the French
serves westward of Verdun."
re-
LIEUT. GEN. V0N GRAF
AND. 20,000 TROOPS
KILLED, SAY FRENCH
Paris, March 8. (I. N. S.) German
troops today have surrounded nearly
two thirds of Verdun, but the trench
say this fact is insignificant. A fur
ther encircling movement is impos-
ible, the military experts say.
FTencn battery reinforcements are
offsetting the work done by the in
cessant fire from German howl tiers.
Capture of Hill No. 265 cost the Ger
mans zo.ooo men and many officers.
according to announcement here today.
An entire division was decimated.
lieutenant uenerai von Graf was
killed while leading a charge of Bavar
ian troops. '
Yesterday's advance by the Germans
was believed to be the prelude to an
immense offensive.
A trench section In the Champagne
district, east of Maizons De Cham
pagne, captured by the Germans March
6. has been retaken by the French.
according . to today's communique.
Three German officers, 82. men and a
machine gun also were captured. A
counter attack launched by the Ger
mans shortly after the French took
possession was repulsed.
Other operations as reported by the
communique zouow:
"In the Argonne district our artil
lery shelled roads in the vicinity of
Montfaucon, which the enemy was re
ported utilizing for automobile trans
ports.
"Northward of Verdun, the situation
remains unchanged. The Germans con
tinued bombardment of our positions
west of the Meuse without attempting
miantry attacKS. uur batteries re
sponded energetically. Eastward of
the Meuse the bombardment on both
sides was intermittent.
"In the Woevre district, violent artil
lery bombardment raged. We bombard
ed Blanze, Grimaucoiirt and tne out
skirts or Fresnes. A German attack
on our railways and on the Manheulles
road was shattered by our curtains of
fir ana infantry fire."
Oregon Senators
Lose Power
Fight
"baas Amendment to Shields Bill J
fasted Chamber Iain's Objectionable
Amendments to Mayers Bill Ignored.
Washington, March 8. (U. P.! Sen
ator Lane of Oregon told the eer.ate
today that the Shields waterpower bill
proposes to give the nation's last great
resource practically free to a few'priv
lleged citizens.
"w nave given away our coal, our
timber has passed into the hands it
a few. our petroleum is alt but gon
the prices of all three commodities are
constantly rising," he said.
"Now we are asked for the sake
of development to give away our
waterpower resources for . almost
nothing. The people will pay ten
times over for any advantage they
get out or tms development.
Lanes amendment to tne bill was
defeated.
Over the objection of Senator Cham
be rial n, the public lands committee ap
proved amendments to the Myers bill,
which conservationists charge para
lyxed the sections designed to protect
tne public.
Determined effort to dispose of the
Shields dam question, whkrh has been
deadlocked for a month, . wilt be made
today in the senate. Although the
conservationists are welding the op
position passage of the measure appar
enuy is a certainty.
Canvass of the house indicates either
ueieat or raaicai amendment. .
Enver Pasha Is
Reported Dead
From Wounds
Turkish Minister of War Said to
Be a Victim of Mob Violence.
Indon, March 8.-Fxi-hanue
Telegraph
-(1. N. S.) An
dispatch from
Athens nays:
"Rumors are In circulation here that
Enver Pasha, who was wounded in an
attempted assassination at Constanti
nople, has died of hta wounds."
A News dispatch from Rome says
that revolution is. raging in Con
stantinople. Enver Pasha was wound
id and many Germans were killed
whcii a mob fired on them.
The mob has pillaged the army
stores, barricaded the streets and dam
aged the railroads. The Germans are
repressing the rioting with gun fire.
The Turkish army Is not opposing
the Russian advance from Erzeru.n,
tut is retreating westward, setting fire
to villages and cities, including 81vas
and Mosul.
Fleet Attacks Dardanelles.
Constantinople, March 8. (I. N. 8.)
Repulse of an attack by warshtpe in
the Dardanelles wag claimed In an of
ficial statement Issued here today. Two
cruisers of the attacking fleet weie hit.
"The enemy," the fctatement added,
"failed In efforts to approach Telassee.
The situation at Kut-el-Amara is un
changed." WILL FIGHT ALL LAWS
WHICH HANDICAP THE
Jason Rogers, Publisher
of
in
New York Globe, Here
Interest of Campaign,
Jason Rogers, publisher of the New
York Globe, is in Portland today in
the interest or tne manonai iraae as
sociation, an organization of business
men of the nation banded together pri
marily for the purpose of opposing the
enactment of legislation inimical 10
business Interests.
Plans and purposes of the associa
tion were outlined by Mr. Rogers to a
number of Portland business wen at a
luncheon today noon at the Portland
hotel. He nointed out a number
laws that have been enacted in recent
years by congress to the injury or
business. Among them he mentioned
the Cummins bill which requires com
pulsory insurance on all express pack
sees. Another was the present post
office law, which he said went through
without the business men of the coun
try knowing anything about It.
To Establish Bureau.
TI emphasized the point that legis
lation affecting business is being con
tinually enacted without the business
men of the country knowing what is
eolne on. He said Senator Cummins
admitted that his bill was passed with
amendments attached about which ,;he
knew nothing.
"Five hundred bills arrecting Pus!
ness are now pending uciuio con- i
gress, he saia, ana most oi intra
are not understood even by the mem
bers of congress- Many such laws are
enacted without ever being explained.'
The National Trade association is to
establish a bureau at Washington, he
said, to keep in touch with all such
proposed legislation.
"One Dill wmcr. -ve are opposing.
said Mr. Rogers, "is the so-called
Stephens bill, which has been intro
duced by perrons Interested in price
maintenance. This bill seriously af
fects the relations of the manufac
turer with the retailer, and if enacted
would prove a drawback to those
manufacturers who now seek protec
tion through its enactment.
Dictation of Prices.
"This bill would arbitrarily enable
manufacturers to dictate tne wnoie
sale and retail prices, and would ma
terially increase the cost or living.
"If. for Instance, a trade marked
article, such as pills, must be
sold at 25 cents a box instead of 10
or 11 ccntc as now, it Is obvious that
the other puis would go up propor
tionately. "Entirely aside rrom ine mailer or
price maintenance, tnis Dili would
place an increased premium on me
practice of suDSUiuuon iot an stan
dard goods and Increase the difficul
ties of the manufacturers in securing
ciistribution."
Officers of the association are:
President, George B. Caldwell, presi
dnt the Sperry & Hutchinson Co., New
York; vice president, Percy S. Straus
of It.' H. Macy & Co., New York ; treas
urer. Harry B. Haines or Mews Print-
ing CO., favcrson, r. J- up ox io
11 directors is A. Meier of Meier &
FianK Portland. Mr. Rogers is also
a director. '
Mr. Rogers will co- xrom Portland
to $an Francisco and Los Angeles and
return' east over the southern route.
Tfro Keply Notes to
TJ. S. Protests Sent
Anglo-French Bote em BtaQ SsUtbe
Torwarded to Brttisa Ambassador,
aad, Blockade Hots Mailed.
London, torch t (V. P.)The
Anglo-French Joint reply to the
American note protesting against
selsure of United States mail wa
sent' today to Ambassador Spring-Rice
in Washington. The British -reply to
the American note on blockade con
troversies has been completed and is
to go forward to Washington by the
next ma iL ' The latter contains 8000
words, but no hint as to its contents
is giveiu . . - ;
Fort Gibbon Barracks Born
Washington Marrh TT V
- j Captain -'Mclntyre reported today the
I Fourteenth infantry barracks at Fort
j Gibbon. Alaska,' bad been burned. The
cause of the fire was not gUttd.
BUSINESS
NMSTS
S. P. DEMANDS
$10,000,000 FOR
D.-CGRANTLAND
General Counsel Blair for
Railroad Offers Compro
mise That Amounts to
About $4.40 Per Acre.
PUTER'S TESTIMONY
EXCITES LAUGHTER
Declares Hawley's Bill Chi
nese Puzzle, With Joker
In It.
Washington. March 8. (WASHING. ':
TON BUREAU OK T11K JOURNAL.).
For a consideration of $10,000,000 the
Southern Pacific today offered to re
linquish all claim to the Oregon Si
California grant lands.
J. P. Blair, general counsel of the
railroad, made the offer to the- house
public lands committee. He pointed
out the railroad now claim the right
to remove all timber, which Is wortft
from $30,000,000 to $50,00U,000, but W
willing to compromise to avoid fur
their litigation.
The southern Pacific proposition
amounts to about $4.40 an acre.
Attorney General Gregory advised
the committee the railroad Is not en
titled to over 12.60 an acre, with ledue
tlons for past excess sales. This would
make the amount to be received hy the
road less than $6,000,000.
Pnter's Frankness Amuses.
S. A. IX Puter, noted In Oregon land .
fraud history, appeared In behalf of
1300 settlerK he has located'' on the ,
property, and for whom he desire
preference rights.
Facing a running fire of questions,
Puter admitted his contracts wiih set.
tiers Kave him a right to repun hns
a large share of their lands at a nomi
nal price If tbey once gain tit lu.
Puter's testimony container large
elements of comedy, and the committee
was kept in a roar of laughter. He
was entirely frank In telling of his
operationsexcept that he deutlncd to
rive the name of the Portland attor
neys Who advised him there wa noth
ing illegal In his contracts with the
applicants. He said one formerly was
"United States prosecuting attorney,"
Asked If lie had gny eonnertl'ir, with
Lafferty, he replied: -,I should ssy
not."
Joker in Kawley Bill.
"The Hawley bill Is a Chinese pux
sle," lie declared. "There's a Joker In
(Conrludrd on Page Two. Column rle)
S, P. IS. TRAIN HITS
SLIDE AND 10
MEN BADLY INJURED
Engineer Decker and Fireman
Ball Taken to Hospital Af
ter Accident.
Striking a slide in a cut near. Fall-
bridge, Wash., across the Columbia.
river from The Lallea. Or., about 4:30
yesterday afternoon, the enarlne of
North Bank train No. 1, due in Port
land from Hpokane at 7:45 last nishL
Jumped ihe track and turned over on
Its side, pinning J ii.:ner Fred Decker
nd Fireman William Ball beneath the
wreckage.
A special train hurriedly made n
at Kallbridge arrived in Portland
last night with . the injured - trainman
In care of Dr. E. B. McDuniel. chl'f
surgeon of the company, who left
Portland on No. 4 at 6 o'clock tn-l
transferred to the special when the
two trains met.;
Znriassr-g Skull rractured.
Ball was not badly injured but wd
taken to St. Vincent's hospital as a
precautionary measure. He has an
injured knee. - Engineer Deckr waa
In a semi-conscious condition. Dr.
McDaniel said 'that a cursory ex
amination indicated, that the en
gineer had a i fractured skull. He
held out hope for recovery, however.
Injuries are confined to the head.
The track was cleared of rock and
debris at 8 o'clock this morning and
I"o. l was brought into Portland. It
r.s found that : -ne of the cars ex
cept the mail snd baggage cars was
lAtnaged - at all and no passengers
were hurt.
It was t -.id at St. Vincent's hospi
tal this mornlns tha; Decker's condW
tion appeared to be critical.
In so much of a hurry were the
railway men to get started with
Decker that they did not wait to
transfer passengers around the slide.
- Oaly Two Trainmen Injured.
According to he dlspstcher's office
of the North Bank in Portland, no one
tutside the two trainmen was hurt in
the slightest degree. As far as . is
kr.cn, only the three front cars,
probably the baggage, mail and ex-
press cars, left the track with the en
gine.
"It was idt exactly a elide but a big
rock that 'the engine struck." was the
answer given from the dispatcher's of
flee In response to a request for infor
mation as to the extent of ths slid,!";
. The engine drawing the train was
No. 60S, one of the largest and newest
on the North Bank system. '
Engineer Decker is married and re
sides at' IMZ i East Twenty-fourth
street north. M. Decker left on No,
4, eastbound, ar7:l last night. This
train met the ;spclr carrying- her
husband, .
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