"IT'S
IT'S ALL TR UE"i
VOL. XVI NO. 187
Portland; oregon. monday evening, December-17, wit. fourteen pages.
price two cents
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' : '- . . . ' V 1" .... . .
TROTSKY
ILL DROP
Methods Used During French
Revolution Will Be Resorted
to by Bolshevik! to Repress
Antagonists, Petrograd Hears.
. Scheidemann, Socialist Leader
of Germany, Again in Stock
holm on Peace Mission; Will
Confer With Bolsheviki Agent
LONDON, Dec. 17. (U. P.)
The Russian Bolsheviki are
"preparing the sternest measures
of repression of their antagonists,
according to word from Petro
grad today.
' Foreign Minister Trotsky was
reported as having addressed a
meeting thus:
"You are disturbed by thej mild -sort
of terror which we are ap
plying as ft class to ouf enemies
Not later than a month hence
this will take the more terrible
model of the French revolution
not prison, but the guillotine."
Petrograd, Dec. 17. (U. P.)
All banks were closed today.
News from the south received
-here today indicated that the re
bellion was spreading.
The armistice is to continue
until December 30 (Russian style,
' which is January 2, by Gre
gorian reckoning) and both sides
agreed not to carry on military
transfers fromJ the Baltic to the
Black Sea, except such as were
already begun up to the sign
. ing of the protocol.
- Withdrawal of all Russian.
' troops from Finland was asked
by the " province, according to
the Petrograd News Agency, on
account of Finland's indepen
. dence. "
Stockholm, . Dec IT. (U.. P.) Philip
Scheidemann, leader of the .German
majority Socialists, is here todajr con
ferring with . Bolsheviki Minister Or
lovsky on peace"betreen Germany an J
: -Russia, - f .
"I anv very sorry, tut I cannot dls
' cuss the,jiature of my conference with
" M. Orlovsky," Scheidemann told the
United Press today. 'v.-v . .
. Orlovsky was equally reticent. SVom
other sources, however, it was reported
thai Scheidemann had been clothed
' with full ' powers by the German fov
ernment,; which had directed the peace
angling- at Stockholm rather than at
Brest Idtovsk. because proceedings at
- the latter place- were subject to full
publicity : by the Bolsheviki.
The. Brest liitovsk conference of com
missioners representing the armies of
Germany and JRussia , will presumably
continue- Irrespective of negotiations at
' Stockholm. - -j -"
. The, Bolsheviki, it was reported, first
" suggested the conference with Scheide
mann at the Swedish city In the belief
that; they would line up Scheidemann" s
; majority Socialists against German lm
- perialisra. " -
. After four months' effort, Scheide
mann has finally managed to meet with
(OonclcJed m Pave STen. Column Two)
TSoethals Mentioned
Por New Position
4 " 1 .
Washington, Dec 17. (I. N: S.
Major General George W. Goethals,
former head of the emergency fleet cor
1 por at ion., has been offered and it is m
. derstood will accept the post of quarter
master generol of . the army, it was
learned at the war depaxtment late this
afternoon..,
Ex-Ozar Is Still
: Held at Tobolsk
- Petrograd, Dec 17, (IT, P.) Railway
union headquarters today received a dis
patch from Tobolsk declaring that for
mer Cxar Nicholas had not escaped as
reported, " , - ;
1 -1 . .... -i i ii n 1 11 n ri h- b
FIRST
UPPER -WHERE THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED Pan oramic view showing ruins of Richmond, on the left, and on the right all that remains of Richmond freight yards, which at the time
of the explosion'were crowded with cars! Lower, the Imo, Belgian relief ship, that rammed the French munitions ship Mont Blanc, lying on the shore at Dartmouth, opposite Halifax. The
wreckage of buildings 'and freight cars is shown in the foreground. The explosion aboard the Mont Blanc occurred in the waterway at this point. A British war vessel is shown at the right.
For additional pictures of the Halifax disaster see page 5. k ' , ,
2 x
Situation .'Desperate, Government
Officials Report; Army May
Take Over Camps.
"That the government regards as des
perate the situation connected with the
production of spruce for war aircraft
was Indicated by Colonel Brtces P.
Dlsque of the United States signal corps
in an address before the Members' covin
cil of the Portland Chamber of Com
merce, this afternoon.
The Germans, said Colonel Dlsque, are
still able ; to throw into the fight more
war planes ' than America, Great Brit
ain and France together.
The government must have 11,000,000
feet a month from the Northwest; yet is
getting only 3,000,000 feet a month.
Soiaieri Golog Into Forests.
T'elegrams constantly are .beings re
ceived pleading for the expressing : of
straight grained spruce at an exnress
rate of 14000 a car. Soldiers, convinced
that the spruce campaign needs them
more than the front in France, are com
ing to work in the forests at the same
wages and on the same terms as regu
lar loggers, except, that they will not
stop when it rains or for holidays. "If
the camps , cannot use them, then we
will take over the camps," explained
Colonel Dlsque. significantly. .
j.nac me lumber industry so far has
been unable to expand to meet the sit
uation, was a further comment of the
army officer. He spoke In deep appre
ciation' of the booperatlve spirit he has
encountered. He urged that questions,
like that of the eight-hour day be 'de
ferred until after the war. He said that
gradually ways are being found to cut
the governmental red tape that slows
up organisation. . -
Matt Beat German System .
We don't - want German efficiency,
but we musttiave an efficiency that will
overcome it," he declared.
.One of the reasons the government
has not been able to do more', he sug
gested,. Is -because an effort Is being
made to crowd five years' program,
- Dr. Joshua Stansfield made a tre
mendously effective appeal in behalf , of
Red Cross membership. "America," he
declared. ; "wants nothing out of this
war from Kurope, not even German ef
ficiency. -
Seattle Police Get
Vigorous Shakingj
tb
effort to, lift the ban on soldiers visit
ing Seattle .placed by Major 'General
Greene, : commandant i of .Camp . Lewis,
American Lake, Wash., Seattle's new
chief - of police, Joseph Warren," today
shook the police department from the
ground , up. - - " ,
The . most important changes . include
the replacing of Inspector Michael Pow
ers by Captain Claude Bannlck. former
thief. Captain -D. F. Wlllard in charge
of aa outlying district - was brought to
the central station and placed in charge
in place of Captain W. H. Searing, De
teetive Sergeant W. B.- Kent, was re
lieved or - his oriice and Detective H.
Barton placed in charge of the detective
bureau.
VIEWS SHOWING DESTRUCTION WROUGHT AT HALIFAX
jlUWVWt IfMHW
f g
Z S ' -t r.
Supreme Court Affirms Oregon's
Right to Remove Obstructions
r on Fishing Grounds.
WashinrVm. Dec 17. CI. N. S.) A
highly technical question of Jurisdiction
between the states of .Washington tlutd
Oregon over the river bed ot the Co
lumbia was finally - decided by the su
preme court today. In sustaining the de
cision of the circuit court of appeals.
The suit was an effort to force the
removal of "obstructions," consisting of
large anchors to which booms were at
tached, from certain fishing grounds in
the Columbia river near Sand Island.
While the case was being fought In the
Washington courts, the supreme" court
decided another case which held Sand
island to belong to Oregon.. The effort
to force the removal of the obstruction
was at once r dropped, and an attempt
made to withdraw the -suit with a view
to prosecuting it again .in the state of
Oregon. 'The. lower court renewed this
f permission, but the higheV court upheld
this right, which waa today confirmed
by the supreme court. -.
Tacoma Attorney
Falls' to His Death
. . . ..
I Tacoma, Wash., Dec 17 j (TJ. P.)
Seized with a fainting spell while stand
ing by an open window In his office on
the sixth floor of the Bankers" Trust
building . here today, George ' A. . Ander
son,; an 'attorney,; pitched through the
window to an areaway. five stories be
low and -was instantly killed. .A tale
phone - book which he was consulting
waa clutched In his hand when his body
wag fouad. r Anderson-wag years old.
COURT UPHOLDS
RIVER CONTROL
' s'
1500 Campaigners Start Out
On Drive to Secure 240,000
New Members of Red Cross
We are going "over the top."
This was the cry of , over 600 Red
Cross workers in th .Christmas mem
bership campaign, who stormed the
headquarters at 250 Morgan building, at
7 o'clock - this morning, eager Jo get
right Into the fray of the battle.
From then on they came in a steady
stream, - until long - before " noon 1600
workers were scattered all over the city
on their mission of mercy enlisting SO
per cent of the. population of Portland
In the Red Cross. Headquarters were
open all night, the heads of bureaus
being unable to. finish their work Sun
day. .
In memberships 140,000 is the aim set
before the whole state,, of which Mult
nomah county must absorb s 100.000.
How much .'money this wfU mean none
can eettmate. It depends upon how
many take out $1 .memberships, the pop
alar appeal, or. resolve on higher pay
ments. ...'
' -The state - as a whole la ready and
eager. Consider for. example the state
ment of Dr. H. C FUott. Multnomah
county- chairman, who started on Ms
rounds at T o'clock,
"Multnomah county outside of Port
land challenges the entire state on a per
cantta basis."
-. Throughout ' the state at least 6000
workers are getting into harness today.
and. they are Just as enthuslasue tn
far away' Malheur and Harney counties
as they are in Portland. . . t '
.The campaign officially will be given
a good start tn Portland tonight at I
o'clock: when Dr. W, T. Foster will ad
dress a mass meeting at the munldnal
Auditorium. Rufus C Holman will be
chairman.. A score -of bankers, lawyers
and 'prominent bostneas men. -will be
honorary ushers, boy scouts being active
In .that lespect-, . ":. " . ."": ,
At --noon the . great "membermeter
made Its appearance at Sixth and Alder
with the - Portland , police band. The
HMTiiii 1 1 KWf 1 t It fcrf a,. , . , , i Ui i m4M " ' ! mm " imm iniii ' 1 "1 II
.....
"membermeter" Is In the form of a
gigantic speedometer which will record
the total of members In city, in state,
and 10, the number required per minute
in Oregon for the campaign to "be a suc
cess. Mayor Baker. Ous C. Moser and
Charles Withers. Orpheum headllaer,
made talks.
"Deschutes county is completely or
ganised. We have already begun work
and anticipate excellent results." was a
morning wire from Chairman H. A.
MUIer at Bend.
Upman, Wolfe Co. announced it
was the first big department store to
achieve 100 per cent Red Cross, 'every
employe having been enlisted. Woodard,
Clarke A Co. announced that both
Messrs. Woodard and Clarke would per-
(OoBeloded om Pa fa E3va. OUmmm rive)
Attorney for I. W. W.
Asks i or Jury Trial!
George 7. Taslerveer races Ceart ea
Cksrge of Carry lag Ceaeealed Wess
' estj Arretted as He Esteres Cemrt.
i ...
-Chicago, Dec 17. (L N. 8.) Oeorge
F, Vanderveer, chief counsel' for .the 106
members of the I. W. W. charged' with
consnlracT against the government.
asked for a jury trial when brought Into
police court this morning charged ' with
earrrtnsr concealed weapons. The case
was transferred for reconslgnmenL
Vanderveer was arrested " Saturday
when a bailiff found a revolver on his
person as h entered .the federal court
room where the X. W. W. were- to be
arraigned. He said this morning that
he put the weapon Into his pocket when
he left hi hotel room, fearing "someone
might toy with It and get hurt.- y . .
A.
. .... -w-i-
N " v'
f ' , t r
PASSED BY HOUSE
s
Vote 282 to 128; Two Thirds fef
States Must Ratify inSeven
Years or Measure Dies.
Washington. Dec. 17 The prohibition
forces of the nation won their most im
portant victory In years of agitation
early this evening when the house passed
the resolution that places before the
states an amendment to the constitution
that would make the entire country bone
dry. The vote was 212 to 121.
Under the terms of the resolution.
which redUlred a two thirds vote to pass
the house, three fourths of too states
must ratify the doom of all alcoholic
beverages within seven years or the
amenroeat dies. The similar resolution
that passed the senate last spring makes
this limit six years and the divergence
must be cleared up la conference.
Labor . Is Clas ef Wets .
Labor was the club the wets bran
dished over the measure. Worklngmeo's
dissatisfaction wrU utter .prohibition
was the main theme of the wets' discus
sion daring the ? day.. The wets con
tended that prohibition of whiskey dis
tillation has attended to the hard liquor
discussion, while redaction of sJeoholia
contents of beers make them temperate
and desirable.
The closing hours of the lobby pro
and eon brought paid advertisement
from President Ootnpers of the Amerl
can Federation" of - Labor against the
amendment on the ground that It would
cause internal . dissension .that ' would
detract from war work, and a sharp
answer from William J. Bryan that la
bor's patriotism Is not measured by the
aoart. .-.- r ; - .- -
Bitterness- over organised labor's op
position te the amendment developd ia
. CesetBded os ' Pege - rssr, Cehasa Bx)
DRY AMENDMENT
- v-
MR
President : Make j Announcement
Concerning Implication in
Recent Publication.
Washington, Dec. 17. (I. N. S.)
Prompted by Implications contained In
a book that has come to his attention.
President Wilson this afternoon spe
cifically denied that the resignation
of William J. Bryan as secretary of
state was at the request of the presi
dent. The president's letter was as fol
lows :
"My dear Mr. Bryan:
"My attention has been called to a
book In which the author stages oy
very clear Implication that X demandd
your resignation as secretary of stats
because of language used by you In
an interview with Ambassador Dumba
soon after the first Lusitania note. Toa
may quota dm as saying that X did not
ask for your resignation or desire ft.
as one -can learn from my. not accept
ing your resignation. - And this state
ment ought also to be a sufficient
answer to the criticism of you based
on the Dumba interview, for X could
not make It If X thought you responsi
ble for the misinterpretation of the
interview In Berlin. But knowing at
the time all the facts X did not give
the matter serious thought, and X may
add. In Justice to you. that as you
promptly corrected that misinterprets
tion. when, within a few .days, it was
brought to your attention, it could
not have affected the diplomatic situ
ation."
Peace Offer Through
Neutral Is Sumojed
Amsterdam. Dec 17. (17. P.) Ger
many will shortly transmit peace terms
to the allies through neutrals and under
pledge of secrecy, according to word
from Berlin today.
Reports declare the peace terms would
assert "Germany's political disinterested
ness as to Belgium but would not men
tion Alsaoe-lorrala. Whether " they
would cover the German colonies or fu
ture disarmament and Indemnities for
damages ia . Belgium and Northern
Prance was act known hers.
Japan Denies Buss
Port Was Occupied
Washington. Dec 17- I- K. S. TJn
der date of December 14 the. Japanese
government transmitted to the stats de
partment today aa official denial that
Japanese troops had occupteo: Vladi
vostok. ,
Supreme Court ;to"
-Recesson1
Washington.' Dec- ItL (L ft. 8.) After
concluding Its session the supremo- court
this afternoon announced that the
Christmas recess would begin next Prt-
day-and would conclude on Jaanarr X
DASH1ADE
01! SHIPS
nil
One British Destroyer, 8 Mer- .
chantmen and 5 Armed Traw-
lers Are Sunk Somewhere in
North Sea by German Ships.
f r -
Second Successful Raid; Mtde
by Teutons on Ships) Being.
Convoyed by British; Losses
Are Announced by Geddes.
t O.VDOX. Dec 17.(U.) P.J
- Four German dcslroyrrs car- -ried
out a successful raid In .
British waters early Wednesday
morning, sinking eight merchant- '
men, one British destroyer, fha
armed trawlers and damaging
one other trawler. .., I
The announcement of Owse
losses was made in the house of
commons late today byv First
Lord of the Admiralty Kfddet
and Dr. McNamara. financial seo-.
reUry to the admiralty. ? , ,r
Sir Brie Geddes, first lord of .the
Admiralty, said five neutral merchant
ships had been sunk, one British.
McNamara said two neutral merchant
men had been sunk off the River Tyne.
Ssrvlvers Pritesers '.
The British destroyer sunk was' the
Partridga The second British de
stroyer, which formed an armed escort
for the convoy described by Sir Erlo
Oeddes waa the Pellew. The Pel lew, ac
cording to Geddes. had a hole blown in
her hull but escaped. On board her
there were four British killed and two
wounded. . "
Oeddes reported that there, were SO
survivors of the Partridge and the traw
lers of whom ten were wounded. Some
others had been picked up by the. four
U or man aestroyers ana taken to Kml
Eighty-eight Scandinavian dUsens, of
(Coetiaaad ea I'M Two, Colams Tse.)
FOR WAR'S DELAYS
General Crozier Frankly. Admiti
There Is Too Much, Red
Tape to Get Results.
Washington. Doc " 17. U. -. P.
Frankly admitting thers Is too much
red taps in the war government, atajor
General Crosier, cnlef of ordinance to
day again placed the bulk of the blame
on congress.
A hot colloquy followed tn the senate
war probe committee, with members tak
ing Crosier to task for continually
blaming congress for America's unpre
pared n as. - - '
Croxier. resuming his testimony be
fore the military affairs committee, de
clared that congrees had a war depart
ment estimate of IZ.940,000,000 on April
I. the dsy before war was declared. -
-We didn't get the money until June '
1$.- said Croxier.
This waa a lump sum estimate which
ws asked authority to spend under di -
rection of the presidsnt. Congress d s-
manded detail estimates, That's where
a great deal of time was lose ! :
-Frankly now, general, there Is too,
much red tape, Isn't there 7 - Senator
Hitchcock asked. . . ' s
. !! Agatstt System
Tes. thers Is.- repUed Crozier. '-'
-Well, bow can It be elimiaatsdr.
"For one thing. congress- eoojd have
taken our word for this lump approprl
a tion and gotten detailed explanation
hUr," replied Crosier. , .
Senator Hitchcock forced him to ad
mit that whea estimates are mads they
must be approved by the war college,
then by the general staff and last by
the secretary of war "before pongress
sees them. ... .
This process. Croxier Insisted. kls 'un
avoidable. .-;' '' -
Tot have no Ides, evidently, how tn
tiieats the ordering of artillery is," he .
said. '7 'r
"What's Intricate about.' ordering
guns?" demanded Hltcbeeck. ,
"Tou. knew yeu would weed a large
number of guns. Why -dkJa't you go
ahead aad order titrai! .11 a business
Is . burned he doesn't sit
(UssclMded es !"if rm. Oolsma Om)
BLAMES CONGRESS