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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1917)
. I H Ml - 1 JKh.ltl IIM 1 J M I I . V II II I n 111 I OmtOFPRESBIF PEACE MOVE 111 IIAIIDS f,i BELIEF . - 7 Washington v Officials Take r This Vie wf Though i Discus- ..- $ori Is Refused, . . - i PEACE PROSPECT DIMMER : Ola-asUs Stse Br QsrmaaT- Ieem4 i yMlllUlKHM Of STOW t BXMk ' wttk V. S. u of Ow yeople. , - Br Robert J. Bender. 5 Washington, Jan- 1.-(XT. P.I-i-Tlie life or death of ths present peace . movement rests wholly la ins" bands - 'of Germany. vThis Is known positively to be the -belief today of Washington officialdom OF GER v. xrora Fresiaeni wuson oown. . , Furthermore, while administration . officials believe the entente allies hare -' left a loophole for -Germany to prove the sincerity of her original peace pro ' posals, they bellAte peace negotiations : today are farther off than they ap- cnt movement. . ' ' -AUhoush the administration contln ', tied today Its policy of absolutely re . fusing to discuss the international . iltuiilAn In inv wir it is nonitlvelv - known this government feels that Oer many most more frankly declare hr- - tlons" If she la to keep alive any peace negotiation sentiment among the men Vt the head of the allied cause. - m -. oermany Itay Sataatt Tanas, j That Germany may take this gigantic V- step .in her next move 'insisting, how ever, that her terms be held Jn eonfl . dance 4s deemed possible by many of ficials for the following reasons: Conviction that If peace does not " come, Germany and the United states will be drawn to the verge of an Inev itable break in relations, owing to TJ-boat activities. Fear that the German people, already ; festive, will demand greater represen tation In the government and either a. vigorous pursuit of the war or a more determine effort for peace. ' No secret Is made in this country of , the danger point reached in relations between the United States and Ger many as the result of Germany's re-, .sumption of submarine warfare on a large scale, . . ' ' It is now accepted everywhere that Germany must realise this admitted -danger, in view of the "back-handed I warning? to the central powers con ' tained in the presidenfa "peace notes" V and emphasised in the two Lansing interpretations. Hope Wot Tot (Uvea. Up. 'Whether it will influence Germany In her next step remains to be seen. There are some in Washington who ' do not hesitate to say that if present peace negotiations come to naugnt tne j resident will soon go to congress and 1 announce severance of diplomatic re- elatlons between the United States and : Otrmuiv. at the first conclusive sign of an overstepping of the submarine .'-pledges.- " -. $ Bo long, however, as thero appears . to bo the sUghtest .'chance of keeping - tha peace negotiations actually alive, 'the president will not withdraw .ills ; influence. Besides hoping for 'some . thing definite" In Germany's reply to the allies, he ana otner Qiriciais nave ..not given up hope that the allied reply to his own suggestions may furnish : Germany with more , of a chance to find a common ground for peace ne " gotiatlons than did the entente reply ' . to Germany. Bpaii's Stand Xataresta. . There was lively interest today re garding that portion of this "Spanish note saying that government declined ' to lend moral support to President -' Wilson's suggestion. The . obvious , theory drawn was that the' United States had accompanied copies of the note senleUneu trals with a supple mentary clause asking neutral gov ernments to give such support. ; Even on this point -officials refused to. comment.' However, it is. known -that' United States diplomatic repre sentatives at neutral capitals would have been .. acting within their jurls- - diction if they suggested informally, but Officially, that 'neutral nations might better further their interests if ' they unanimously lent support' to the president's declarations. Early today the entente reply had not been forwarded to Germany, Bec- j. retary Lansing i announced, he would see no one today, but that if the note was dispatched ha would immediately notify newspapers of the fact by tel- - ephone. . ' , ; Stat CoBTeyed to Kentrals. K hint to all neutral countries that "the time la opportune to act" toward bringing about peace was conveyed to neutral capitals by United States dlp . lomatio -representatives abroad at the , suggestion Of this government, it be- came krfown here today. V- Coincldentally with this authorita tive Information cam tha unexplained Information that this "hint" had been dropped. ' The "hinf-waa in the form of a second note, sent as a supplement to the presidents communication 1 o all belligerents, but was conveyed' in "Instructions" sent to American repre sentatives in .roreign capitals. m,- m . . . . i ... unnuiii i k m bibvb today that these instructions carried I WE EXTEND MWEAR: GREETINGS a- " 1 . s TO ; ALL' CITIZENS OF; OREGON ':f ND THANK THOSE WHO ASSISTED .US IN I EXCEEDING A RECORDS I '' MADE IN OREGON ; BY ANY LIFE INSURANCE I . COMPANY OPERATING IN THIS STATE SINCE THE ORGANIZATION OF ' ' - - . frsftflf ATllTi ft Oregon's Successful Life ': IL&UmUlt INSURANCE COMPANY BEST FOR OREGONIANS ; HOME OFTICE gpRBHfe PORTLAND, ORE! 1. JL. MllT.S. ' president-.- i -General th impression that if any other aeu only II per cent less , than in the trai desired to make a move for peace, record high year the best time' appeared to be. at hand, Bond sales aggregated $1.10.000. To Cooperation. Xanostod. . 4 ; 1 000. a total showing a gain of S3 per Tho United States, however, did not cent over 1119, and second only to ask cooperation In ths -movements iHio, compared with which year .trans? i It was officially stated that no OTi?,action fell off H per cent. Govern trnraent waa informed of tho presl- ment bond sales, reflecting large for denf intended action beforo he tookit. eig9 flotations, -wero eighteen- times ' No govern meni was sked to tpprove !' It beforaU-was done4;co: ...l: ::heUned States acted wholly; Son its own initiative,? th government al lowed it to bo known today : '.The' official explanation clear ap doubts resulting -from a "reply" sent by the Spanish government, which. gave tha Impression that : this govern ment had asked Spain to cooperate -in the peape movement. - . li: . - - r- 1 : ; 'Von Buelow la Switxerland. ; Geneva. Jan. l.--(U. P.) General von--Buelow,-last reported' as Ger man . commander of .forces below Bl srium ' was said to have arrived Jn Switzerland accompanied by a big retlnua of secretaries, according to re ports here today, - . 1916 BEST YEAR IN HISTORY OF ! UNITED STATES (Coothioed From Page One.) imports in a volume such as was never before seen.. To the spur of foreign war demand. represented by unheard-of quantities of food, munitions and general mer chandise sold abroad, was added a new and record-breaking volume ot imports largely of raw materials to feed bur industrial machinery, while at th same time purely domestic trade grew beyond the most sanguine dreams of our merchants and manufacturers. A quieting down In midyear, with at tendant free predictions of the termi nation of war demand, merely acted as a breathing spell before new and still larger demands were again met in the autumn and early winter. Ho Xiet up in Buying. "Not enough cars, labor or goods" was a common description of trade and industry throughout many months. Even to.ward the close of the year, when nearly alt lines were booked for nine months ahead, and some iron and cteel lines were sold well Into 1918, when prices of commodities, after rising to new heights, had broken bad ly, due largely to peace talk being in jected into the situation, there were but few signs of a let-up in active buying, or indications that the con servatism so long preached was really acting as a brake upon extraordinary purchasing. I low much of this late quieting down was due to the usual year-end seasonal dullness It would be bard to say. Some of it, as, for in stance, -the quiet and easing in some cotton .goods, was undoubtedly due to a 4 -cent break in raw cotton. All this activity had occurred, too, despite the fact that it was a presi dential year, one also ofdisturbed for eign relations and a period of disap pointing crop outturn, which was made mora manifest by large foreign buying of obtainable supplies, and evidences of speculation having taken advantage of natural conditions to push prices of food to record heights. This latter re sulted in a popular outburst against high living costs and the usual frensied efforts of public men. legislators and others to find evidences of monopolis- Itlo combinations affecting the prices of the "people s food. Some Mna&clai reasons. Exports of merchandise totaled tt, 460.000,000 In value, excelling those for the previous calendar year by 65 per cent, and those for tho year 1114 by 157 per cent. Imports aggregated $2,860,000,000, exceeding 1916 and 1914 by 82 per cent Gold imports totaled 1630,000.000, surpassing exports by $500,000,000. Our gross imports of gold during the war have aggregated $1,100,000,000, and the net imports $838,000,000, while our sales of mer chandise for the like period were con siderably over double our; purchases. Hence the estimates that we bought back $2,000,000,000 of American secur ities, and, in addition, became creditors for an additional $2,000,000,000 of for eign bonds or notes. Export Character Changes. As our export trade has grown since ths war began, its character has gradually changed, and the early large shipments of foodstuffs have become dwarfed, partly because of crop short ages, by later enormous exports of manufactured goods not all of these, by the way. munitions though it must be said that our. shipments to entente countries have far exceeded those to the rest of the world. Our gains in trade with the part of the world at peace have hardly ex panded as much as might have been hoped, though It Is hard .to see how our factory production, strained as It was to the breaking point, could have been further increased. Credits based on tho new and vast supplies of se curities and gold have expanded, aqd tha country's banking position has be come one of unparalleled deposits and resources. Bank clearings for 191 testified-to the enormous volume of tho banking movement in a total of $260,000,000,000, a sum never before equaled, and a gain of 40 per cent over the 1915 high, record and of 69 per cent over 1914. :" - Great Bank Cleaxtals. If ths normal excess of bank trans actions over clearings at leading ciues, j 10 1, do regarded as tSXfrn tZ,J!9A00'r thls Possible Efuropean combination of o?ivf thanorT5n ? mor tat. and prlvato competition, if, as 0r,e?dv tot1 Jes , eems probable, it -eventuates, is per at th.e..Il!lT.JirExoI,ne Mrerat-. , haps the most crucial question In the ing 232,000,000 shares, a gain of 30 - . , fc per cent on 1915. live times what It was in tho "closed year of 1914, and t E. K. STnOXG - Assistant Manager. Manager. Momr wu cur until toward th viuwj vt ; iu auu v. vw-- woro good, with ma,ny old accounts liquidated. especially. In the . soutnu Failures for tho year, reflecting tne final closing out of old, crippled con cerns' and of new ventures insuffi ciently provided with experience, cap ital or other requisites, were large in number, second only in fact ' to lfAl from- which they decreased IS pes cent; but ths rarity of Important sua-f pensions is shown in the Tolums of liabilities being the smallest with one exception since 1909. 3$ per cent be low 191$. and less than half those of 1914. ' Prices 3Kaon meoords. . As pointed out elsewhere, the crop outturn- was not in keeping with other developments, and to this cause aa much as to active foreign demands were due the new and dissy heights reached by many commodities in cluded in Bradstreet's Index Number, which later rose steadily early in the year, faltered in the late spring and summer, and then took a new flight to still higher ground as crop short ages became certainties, active indus try swelled pay rolls, and a snow storm of wage advances in the latter months by a process . of an endless chain character still further advanced all price, quotations. "f . This process, resulting in a reduc tion of the dollar's buying ability of 23 per cent as compared with the year's opening, was ultimately respon sible for ' a sort of popular revolt against 'high food prices, petitions for bsmbargoes . against food shipments, and widespread national, state and muniolpal John Doe bunts for the causes -of ' advancing prices. That some of the price advances were bred of - speculation, made possible . by cheap and abundant money, seems certain; that some were what may be called psychological or auto-suggestive may be conceded, but that short yields and unexampled demand were the main causes hardly requires proof. The fact that Bradstrects Index Number for the entire year 1916 was 20 per cent above 1915; 83 per cent above 1914, 32 per cent above 1910 the last year of food price revolts snd meat boycotts and Just double that of the low-water year 1896, is a visible statistical exemplification of what have been called the "penalties of prosperity." War Gives Prosperity. The war abroad still sets the meas ure of prosperity at home, and tho ir regularity or . our stock, wneart ana cotton markets In the last few weeks shows how sensitive we are to any prospect of a basic, change in the present struggle. Too many fine pre dictions of so-called authorities have gone by the board In the past two and a half years to encourage any hard and fast forecasts, but a few general remarks may. however, be hazarded. Present high prices of all products, the scarcity of ships, thej severity or tne submarine campaign, the decision of the western allied gov ernments not to place large quantities of abort-time notes here, and the abil ity of the allies to produce much war material at home, would seem to in dicate that! our exports have about reached their senrth. Then, too, the war, while profitable to many, has brought home to this country as a whole, through the medium of famine prices, the fact that wo are ourselves paying no Inconsiderable part of. the financial cost of ths struggle. Prtoes Depend om Demand. How much further domestic con sumption can go before past, present and prospective high prices will auto matically check consumptive buying. If it does indeed do this, is a debut able question. The crop failures of ths past year would in normal times have given trade a heavy setback. It was easy to preach but hard to practice conservatism in the past year! of high costs of foods, materials and 1 operation, as wen as or aericient stocks alike of manufactured goods and of raw materials. If peace should arrive within a reasonable time, it will find a good part ot the coming year's businesses secure as any business can be that was placed at present price levels, and with stocks of goods conceded ly small la all positions. It seems cer tain, however, that peace will come much more gradually than did hostil ities two and a half years ago, and in this case demands from Eurooe for materials for rebuilding and re pair will help to take up the slack of reduced orders in other lines. May Struggls for laarksta. Another and much more doubtful feature is the question of the. extent to which European countries which have practiced stats socialistic or coUectivistic methods in the control not only of Industry and trade, but even of public appetites and food sup plies as military measures, may sees: to apply tness methods to . the strug gle with us for old or new- markets. To paraphrase ths poet, it has seemed of late that abroad, at least, where national cqntrol and participation in trade and industry are accepted as an everyday matter, as though the in dividual haa . withered and the stt is more- and more. To what extent American . business men, shackled by evidently - outworn taws based on theories of unrestrict entire situation. Hew Economlo Porces. New and strange economlo forces ai e evidently to bo met with after the var; but it at least may bo said That American business men's eyes are open to the difficulties confronting them, and the country faces . tlis problems of 1917 with costs of op eration at a higir level, it Is true, but with a wecJth of capital never befoie possessed, , with, a population not decimated or crippled by death or founds, with a new and rapidly grow ing merchant marine, with a solid. r established shipbuilding industry, and with clearer ideas of what constitutes financial, , commercial and ' military preparedness than it ever had before. It is very evidently no time for play ing parish politics, so far as govern mental interference With -or . ham stringing of business. Industry -and transportation is concerned. Certain ly, if we fail in this future,' apparent ly irrepressible, .conflict, it will not bo for lack of adequate warning. ImperiaLHotel at . Dallas Will Open '-''Dallas. Or..: Jan. 1. Tl Imsertsl hotel, which has been closed for sev eral months, will reopen soon under tho management of J. W. : Singletary of Portland. Mr. - Singletary was tho first landlord of the old Hotel Gear hart, at Gearbart, - which ' burned last summer. - - - - . - Edlefsen ' wishes Happy Kew Tear. Umatilla vWas( Not : ' , , : Altogether "Dr " Pendleton. Of- Jan. 1 It is est! mated that not less than. $50,000 went out of Umatilla county during the year Just - closed- for liquor purchased for beverage purposea. wbUe the amount seems enormous, it la .said, that prior to the ' first pt last year thero were .-. . - - , . ,, . , "i -ZS?ti Z "fT any u r -j --. unw mwi-u to that amount. Actual figures', on ths amount ot liquor received during the year and its cash " value are not obtainable yet. However, tho number of shipments of liquor can be ' approximated. The county ' clerk daring the year lssiled 183 affidavit-books and there are, 100 ' ,n'efn -- thois affidavit hava yet been returned 175,000 individual shipments of liquor have been received-In the county our ing the year. r A big majority of the affidavits show the receipt of two quarts of whiskey, and tho average price paid for two quarts of wMskey is about $2.50. Beer Is second on the; list and each shipment of beer represents from $4.00 to $6.00. I4tU wine or brandy was shipped in. AMPLIFICATION IS EXPECTED OF v ALLIES' POSITION (Ooatiaeed From Fce One.) threat of punishment which would probably stimulate ths . Germans to fight to the last man rather than sub mit.", , ; The Manchester Guardian approved the substance 'of ths note in its edi torial today but severely criticised the langusge in which it was phrased as "undignified and alrnost abusive." The paper asserted: that1 such - expressions in the note as "insincere proposals' were humiliating blemishes, weaken' lng the general effect of the note. War to Last a Year. London. Jan. 1. (U. P.) Earl Curzon. a member of the war council, predicts there will be another year o the -great European war. In a New Tear's message to the Primrose duo. "This Is the third year of such a message in circumstances of war and we all pray It may be the last year." bo said. "It. is impossible, however, to say as yet the end Is in sight. "Signs of exhauation are visible in many- quarters, peace kites are flown, but meanwhile the struggle goes on and neither side has obtained a de cisive preponderance which points to conclusive results. "It seems likely that well Into an other year, perhaps longer, must we continue this dreadful tragedy thst is turning tne world into hell and wrecking the brightest promise of na tions. Our spirit cannot falter, atneo an Inconclusive war or- a patch ed-up peace means for us not only humila tlon but destruction." GERMANS CALL ALLIED ANSWER VERBOSE BUT FLAT PEACE REFUSAL Berlin, via Sayrlllo . Wireless, Jan. 1. (U. P.) "Ths reneral impression Is that the entente's answer to the German offer is verbose, but never theless a flat refusal to end the war," declared the official press bureau to day. . Tho full text of the press bureau's comment was as follows: "The text of the entente note reply lng to the central powers' peace of fer arrived here in tho version sup plied by tho Havas News Agency. The general - Impression is, if this version is correct, that tha entente answer to the sincere German offer is verbose, - but nevertheless a flat refusal , to end the war. "This answer is especially selected or the sake of neutrals suffering fro the war's consequences. It is ; Wui that the entente note mentions the right of nationalities, although one of. the avowed purposes of war f by the entente is the conquest of Con stantinople and the straits." Quite Correct. From the Boston Transcript. Friend I understand that your prac tice is getting larger. xoung Doctor That's true. My patient has gained nearly 10 pounds in the past few weeks. "Shooting His Art Out" A Clever FIIID BODY-OF SALET.I , v V'---. - ' - 1 GIRL IN VILLAMETTE; FOUL PLAY POSSIBLE Lillian Hrbacek Disappeared December 15; Mays Says He Heard Screams on Bank Salem. Or., Jan. 1. Ths body of Lillian Hrbacek, the li-year-old girl who mysteriously disappeared from the home of HaL J. Pattbn, December 16, was recovered yesterday from the Willamette river, near an; island, six miles below Salem. The body was found bv A. B. Kirby and Walter Suckau, duck hunters, who notified Coroner Clough. On tho morning the girl disappeared from the Patton home, her cries were heard by the bridge tender, who tried to throw a rope to her as she floated down the stream, ' v .- s They were also beard by E. IV Alns worth. night superintendent at tho Sa lem street railway car barns, .whose story has 'caused soma, susplcon that the girl might have met with foul play. He says be heard cries of dis tress on the river bank, before he heard them from the river. The girl was formerly in the indus trial school for girls, but since her release is said to .have lived an ex emplary life. Her father, John Hrba cek,! lives at Shanlko, and her mother at . ftosedale. She left ? three sisters. Rose and Anna of Salem and Angle of Portland. The funeral will be held here this afternoon. . Many. Persons Claim Jewels Just Found Jeweler of VarysvlUe, cat Xeraaaat of Oakland and Ml a lag Compaay Want Property. Maryaville. Cal., Jan. 1. (LnI. 8 ) The finding of the cached Jewels in a crevice of rock on the George Ander son ranch near Wheatland, by Georg Talbott, a trapper, is bringing for ward many claimants of the valuable. Peter Engle, loca jeweler, declares that 1500 or more of the Jewelry found by Talbott belongs to him as it was taken from his store bere in 187. F. W. Potter, local merchant, has received ,a letter from A. T. Toung, Oakland, in which Toung declares the Jewelry was taken from his store In Tehama when the .safe was blown open 17 years ago. Tho Excelsior Water A Mining com pany of Smartsville. owners of the land where the Jewelry was found, has put in a claim for the Jewelry bo cause it was found on its property. German Diver Takes Rich Russian Cargo gteamsr Sachan Captured - While Xn Bouts Prom United States, to Area, angel, Press Bursas Announces. Berlin, via - iBayville. Jan. 1 1. U. p.) A cargo said to be worth many millions of dollars was captured by a German submsrlne recently when . it took the steamer Suchan of -ths Rus sian volunteer fleet en route from Archangel. The press bureau an nounces that the submarine made Its notable capture in the northern Arctic ocean, east of tho North Cape. Ths vessel was formerly the Hamburg-American " liner Spezla, which was confiscated at the start of the war while tied up in Vladivostok. Dressed in Pajamas, Doctor Runs to Case New York, Jan. 1. (I. N. S.) In emulation of the volunteer ' firemen of a generation ago. Frank C. Skin ner, a Brooklyn physician. ran through the streets Sunday clad la his pajamas and with tne snaving lather smeared over his face. Ho was on his way to treat a woman and her 14-year-old daughter who were suf fering from poisoning. They will re cover. . The Columbia management takes pride in announcing that our 4917 programs will more than ever prove the superiority of Columbia service. Pickford Hart Fairbanks soon to show in big successes. J A story of a friendship that endured a wonderful s ' f love story beautifully staged. - SCENICThe Beautiful Comedy Acquitted Prisoner, ') Beaten at Checkers, ; -WU1 Not Quit CeU . Camden, N. J Jan. 1 (I- m K. 8.) Acquitted of the charge ;; 4r of murder Von Teeember II, m Thomas Green has refuses to . leave the county Jail i until he ' s' succeeds In beating' his- cell- 4 mate a game of checkers. ' - County Prosecutor Kraft let; s the checker contest run undls- m turbed untU today with th hope that Green might finally xwln a same, but ; the cellmate. . who la accused of stealing chickens, still was an.unqereat ed champion. ' ' ' Tonight Mr. Kraft held a conference with the chicken stealing -. checker player and persuaded him to ''lay down' and give Green a chaaca to win. The phony gams is to bs played next Thursday. 4 Eagles of Aberdeen Will Burn Mortgage Aberdeen, Wash., Jan. 1 The Ab erdeen aerie of Eagles is preparing to hold a big celebration hero next Fri day, when the last payment of ths building which costs $30,0fltp will have been met and- tha mortgage will be burned. In connection with the burn ing of the mortgage thero will be a public installation of Officers, followed by a banquet and ball. The Aberdeen aerie was organized in January. 1S99. with 60 members, and is at present the largest lodge organisation . on Grays harbor. . " H Dallas Twta Wen. Dallas, Or., Jan. I.jglaoo tho death of J. . A. Haines, at Monmouth, a short tim. mm it la believed, that tho old est pair of twins on th Paolfio coast now reside in Dauas. , uney are James M. and Thomas sCampbell. pioneers of Oregon. They are 83 years of age, and both are well. - ."'' Te Curs a Cold is One Ey Take tAXATIVS BHOMO QCININH Tablets. Drasriats rfaad mom'T If it falls te cqi. B. W. GROWS altraatore Is oa eaek box, ge. Wishes its many friends and patrons a Happy and Prosperous New Year. NOW PLAYING die I With Emily Stevens in Alaska Comedy And Big Musical Act r Island :of Kyuschu BROADWAY J r 1 J- - . . , - (- V- j Wiibing You a . mm -. 'r Announces the : f oDowhiir part or q pnoioqnunanc if WW The U v v COMING WILLIAM FARNUM Price of Silence" tt ltlf in "The Girl Philippa" M II COMING ; ; in "Who Shall Past the First Stone" u if COMING s r JL iL Productions 'Wthin-tlie LaW'f 'The, Bamcr' Earl Waiiarns iri ThVSoul MarterV Anita Stewart in (The Gloria L of .Yolande," ''-E.VH. Sotherri in 'The Man cf Myt toy?' Peggy Hylaiid in MHw: Right to UtyVfc ginia Peaiion;ln "Bitter. Truth,"? Gladys Coiwirn .in 'the Primitive Call," ".:- mil - r-f 1 Happy New iYcar ; h undtual aHraetiona ; as ' a' if ll e (To j TODAY ' . GEORGE WALSH in Island of Desire ft u JL COMING THEDA BARA in ' "The, Darling of Paris' tl . II- , . K I . . .' - i - s-. COMING sa. .si iJ JUNES-. CAPRICE ' in ..v wAModernCinderelIa,t JL (1 . . 1 1. COMING t.; .'4.- t v- ii ii 7 V' v. r i m VALESKA SURATT ' "TheSiren" I) to Follow: ., a- i th 9 6 s't 'H1 . -i ' -. --' . - . " ' ' t I r I