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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 1922)
I I j possible German aggressions' Charga i France deliberately Wrecked Genoa conference when real European peace might havebeen attained Startling revelations of recent European diplomatic negotiations ; ; . '?:.''.'. : --. : y-.-. yy v -o -V f-i - Ll o.Oyfory- 1 o--! . '""o'V V Mii,ii(niiiiiinii!li!lMni!imnwiiiiir!iHt CITY EDITION Ifm All Here and ie All Tm FP IT BE disastrous fire or a social gathering. The Journal's news re port thereon ' will be found to be im partial and correct.-ao far as human energy - can maVe It. . . ' CITY; EDITION ; IT All fer nf IV All Truet $ fTHE WEATHBffl Tonlfht and- Sun-- y day ram j .".southerly winds. ; -..,; : v Minimum temperatures Friday1: Portland ,....,. -38 INew Orleans.;. .73 - " , Pocatello i 121New York.".,-... 34 ! Angeles...:. 44 St., Paul. i.V.., 2 ' VOL. XX. NO. 235. Entered a Second-data Matter at Poatoffice, Portland. Oregon PORTLAND, OREGON, SATUR DAY EVENING, DECEMBER 9, 1922. FOURTEEN - PAGES.' PRICE TWO CENTS. OH TRAINS AHX NtWt CTAMOt ri VK CfcHTS MM TO GUIDE ASTORIA , . .u -y. i . i - i i Dictatorial Commission Named 4-r A rs.i i rr J ' Cull frtrvft"rt1 rf vr W ' J . 1 w a w ws Fire Stricken City During Parlor) of' Rornnetrnrtrnn. Astoria; Dec. 9. A dictatorial form f govermnent somewhat similar to the Napoleonic bureaus " which functioned daring the first , French .' empire, ' will rule Astoria until it-emerges from its period of stress. - - This governing body. will be a com mission composed of 10 "citizens with Malnr WiMlnm K filhrt- "Ibe flrht- ing parson.' as chairman. Other members are : :G. C. Fulton, - Frank Patton, "W. V. McGregor. C. R. Hig- gins, James Bremner, John Tait. G. W. Sanborn, Frank Parker and F. L Dunbar. - POWEB : IS SrPKEME . This commUaion. was born- as'a re sult of a, larger-cwmmlttee of. 50 ap pointed by the mayor Friday. This latter committee met this morning and .decided that it was too 'unwieldly to work properly. The commission will be subdiTided into bureaus, - such as police, sanitation, water, sewer, labor. supplies. business reconstruction clothing,, fuel, publicity and the like. Its power over these activities and Industries will be complete and beyond question,, ,-auiia viu wiancucmea that does not pass through these bu reaus and bear ' the approval of the commission. s ; ' . When -reference a made' to- a bu reau of police, someone in the audi ence protested that- the police fore should iioti. be tampered with,, as it bad been acting with utmost effi ciency. However. ' Major Gilbert and other members at once announced that the police would be no exception and would be. forced to operate through the commission, , ' ' (V : - Motion for the oommission tot 10 to replace the larger committee was made by G. C Fulton.' It . wa carried unanimously. . . . QeorgeTFUmore, representing the Pa cific coast bureau of' the R4 Cross, today tendered the city any aid, finan cial or otherwise, within the power of his organization. . - Something like 2000 or. 2500 persons. most or .tnem. Detng I nose who lived over shops or stores, .were rendered homeless, by the .disaster. Cots are be ing provided for these. So far as known, not ''a single ar rest has , been made for looting, law lessness or other violence. Everybody is revealing a calmness which speaks high for Astoria. ' n 1 -V , J t v , ro : 1 Astoria Homeless Walk City's Streets, Lined With' Gaunt Rem Finest Business Structures of the Lower Riw SMMMMMMMMnisnsnSsnssssssssssBSSBS . AtthcJehW. Bechtolt and family, including Mrs. Bcchtolt and three chSdrcn. The Bechtolts center of the .business district On the right fo the foregroimd v . m m m i m m.m m m m.m ; i Sufferers Astoria.' Dec. . Arrangements for temporary financial helief to fire suf ferers were perfected at a meeting of officials of the five Astoria banks Fri day afternoon and an emergency bank with quarters in the T. M. C. A. build ing began operations- at 9 -.30 a. m. to day. .Certificates to a maximum value of $5' will be issued in lieu of legal cur rency and distributed . to people m actual need. . The American Red Cross supplied 000 in funds' as working capital for $5 the bank and additional euros amount ing to many thousands of dollars have been- offered by civic and fraternal or ganizations in cities throughout the Northwest. Emergency bank certifi cates have been printed by a local printing establishment and will be re deemed by the bank at their face value. C. R. Siggins, president of the Astoria National bank, is chairman of the board of directors of the emersncy bank and J. E. Roman, cashier of the Bank of pCommerce, is. secretary. The names of the two officials are signed to the emergency, certificates Indications are that the bank will have a considerable surplus-on -hand when it discontinues operations, many merchants and other business . men being anxious to hold the emergency certificates as souvenirs. It will be two weeks before the vaults ' of the burned banks can be opened, Siggins stated today, and aft erward the contents of the vaults would be carefully checked. To minimize in convenience resulting frrm the destruc tion of the bank .-quarters, every facil ity is- being-supplied the emergency bank and it will continue in operation at th Y. M. - C A. building for sev eral weeks. , Deposits ..aggregating approximately $7,006,000 were held' by the five banks. according" to- recent financial' state ments. Capitalization ' of the banks is as follows: Astoria National, 20O, 000 ; Astoria Savings bank. (150.000 ; Bank of Commerce. $100,000; Columbia Trust & Savtrtgs bank. $100.000 ; First NaUonai banki $100,000. MOBATOBI-OI BECrAKED Portland merchant -have declared a moratorium en obligations incurred by Astoria business men whose affairs have been wiped oat by tke fire. The action was taken Friday at a meeting -of the Portland Association of Credit Men. which -passed resolutions urging that no "individual or firm pre cipitate action relative to collection or securing - any account until (Coagluded on Pier Three. Column r) Indianapolis Mayor Goes Out Himself And Nabs Speeders Indianapolis, Ind.. Dec. , 9. Mayor Lew Shank, who recently declared war on speeders after 64 persons had been killed by automobiles - -here since the first of the year, -personally took up the pursuit of speeders Friday. Shank made several arrests, sending most of his prisoners to police headquarters in a patrol wagon. r l I 4 a - J ,J r Vif J-i. if i vH ' ,71 t L ikv' "is' GAZE UPON Citizens Begin to Realize C Ex tent of Disaster Whicfi Wiped Out Once Thriving Area; 30 Blocks Devastated by Flames. By Phil Parrlsk Journal Staff Coxrespoadent. Astoria. Dec. 9. The disconsolate people of this seaport city still walked the bills last night as darkness de scended, just beginning to realize their tragedy as they gazed down upon the gray oblong space dotted , with dying fires that the day before was a busy business district. Thirty blocks, the very heart-of the city, were burned down and down means down. Here and there an old stone wall protrudes 10 or 15 feet into the air, but nothing beside remains, save the red hot embers from the great fire. Between 2000 and 2500 people, who lived in hotels and above shops, were rendered homeless. .Insurance, real estate and other business men esti mate the damage at between $10,000,000 and $15,000,000. "Seems like it must have been mors than that," remarked: a man in a slicker to the man in a slicker beside him. - - i . "That's a lot of money," tbe other man replied. The. first is a fisherman, the second, the other was the owner of one of Astoria's biggest stores Wednesday night. r . - - . - Necessity has broken social distinc tions. The rich and the poor, the good and .the bad. the men and Abe- women, tabor together to cars- forth needy and save the wreckage -And the, needy are being cared for. There is no- ac tual suffering. thus far. Though not a restaurant or eating horrse stands ia the city, tbe doors nave been thrown open, telephone girls eat with one hand on the receiver and the other a hold of a fork, and the show rooms of garages are turned into dining rooms... . .."! But it is a disconsolate scene. ' Two hundred, special policemen have been sworn in by Cnief of Police Foster and promptly at 6 o'clock they went on duty Concluded oo Face Three, Column Two) Famous Film Stars May Lose Positions New York. Dec. 9. (I. N. S.)--Offi-ciale of the Famous Players-Lasky cor poration today refused to' comment on a report current here that a number of well-known actors and actresses will not be given new contracts with the company at the expiration of the pres ent year. Among the stars mentioned in the report are Mary Miles Winter. Wanda, Hawley and William 8. Hart. t - K " ' ' ' , - i -2- - - s - SUPPLIES GO 1 ' "' -.-".' Sp ecial Train Laden With Re lief. Goods Enough to Last 2500 People Ten Days; Cfiamber of Commerce Acts, Loaded, with sufficient supplies to last the 2500 destitute victims of As toria's conflagration .for 10 days, the Portland relief special of 15 ears left the Hoyt street yards at 2 o'clock this afternoon. Aboard the train were food supplies. blankets, mattresses, coal and other articles calculated to relieve the suf fering. The contributions represented the work of the citizens of Portland, the city officials and the special relief committee of the Chamber of Com merce. The train left with J. C. Moore, city passenger agent of the S. P. & 8., in charge. Free" transportation was given the train by the railroad com pany. COAL IS INCLUDED The quick organisation of the relief special was made possible by the relief committee ; which authorized purchase of the supplies this morning, at a spe cial meeting. The method of financing tbe purchase was to be considered later. Of the 15 cars, 11 were of food stuffs and clothing and the remainder of comL The S. P. & S. planned to have the special arrive in Astoria about 8 o'clock this evening. - . y The finance- committee arranged for its first meeting this afternoon at 3 o'clock at wbicb, a budget will be made up. In . the meantime it desires that all those who have expressed a deslr to aid aend.-tnelrejcksJt-'th Cbam ber- of - Commerce relief - oommitteel which -will credit them. j- -v . r Indicative of the spirit of sympathy which Is sweeping the city, it was re ported by W. D. B. Dodson of the chamber, that already numerous offers of aid have been, made to the cham ber, in money and in supplies. Just prior to the -committee meeting this (Cone hided on Paaa Two. Onlumn, One) Page Sen. Stanf ield! Leaves Seat Again Washington, Dec 9. (WASHING TON BUREAU OF THE JOURNAL) No one here appears to . know the whereabouts of Senator Stan field, who has been absent from the senate since Thanksgiving. He was reported to have accompanied W. L. Thompson, Portland banker, to Chicago, Thomp son having been here to testify in the Southern-Central Pacific unmerger case, and' since then to have gone farther west- - There is no information when -he will return. v O. i v - t -tJ t; ' - were among those who lost their homes in the disaster. , The tiat is left of .the1 i - I HeavyWind Storm ' Weather officials are endeavoring to ascertain today the : conditions which brought about the severe wind storm which struck Portland early Friday night and .continued today. No severe wind is reported from points down the Willamette valley or along the coast, said Edward L. Wells, weather fore caster. At North Head, which usual ly experiences strong winds first, the wind was. blowing 16 -miles an . hour, while at Portland the speed was 24 miles an hour at 9 o'clock this morn ing. The highest velocity during the night .was. ZZ miles an hour at 11 o'clock. Wells predicts rain,, southerly winds and. unchanged' temperature for Sun day. Willamette valley cities had a heavy rainfall during the past 24 hours. 1.57 inches falling at Salem, 1.35 inches at Albany, and .99 inch at . Oregon city. Portland had .84 inch. East of the mountains the weather is very cold, especially in Umatilla county, where the thermometer is down to 1$ degrees above sero. No snow had fallen in the past 24 hours at any of the large Eastern cities from which reports were received. San Francisco, Dec 9. (I. N. S.) Another storm is following close on the heels of this week's disturbance, tbe United States weather' bureau an nounced today. ' The storm, of decided character, was central today over Vancouver island. and storm warnings have been hoisted at all North Pacific seaports. Rain fonWvirestern - Washington and Oregon anu Northern California, with snow in Northeastern Washington and Oregon and-Nevada and Idaho, was predicted as - a result of the storm. Snow has already fallen in parts of Oregon and Washington and Arizona and extreme Southeastern .California Temperatures are expected to mod erate - slowly in Northern Nevada . and the North Pacific states. ,. MELTING OF SNOW SPEEDS - f ; f UP -LOeGIIfO, OPERATIONS .-Aberdeen, Wash- Deo 9.- With rata and snow elttn..rays -Harbor, log ging 'camps a re expected ,toe resume work on a .normal scale by Monday. Many companies nave kept their men in the woods and have operated on a small scale despite the snow. The Poison Logging company. Hump- tulips Logging company. East. Branch Logging company and several , others have kept their men busy In all camps (Concluded on Pac Two Column Win Search for Missing Aviators Continues Washington, Dec 9. (I. N. . S.) Searchers . for Colonel Marshall and Lieutenant Webber, missing since Thursday, nave traced the missing aviators to Estella. Ariz., about 20 miles East of QUa Bend, according to a telegram today to the" army air serv ice from Major H. H. Arnold, com manding officer at- Rockaway field. San Diego, CaL Airplanes 'are search ing the land between Estella and Tuc son, the. telegram said. 4 S. X IT ASTORIA IS AMD BY OUTSIDERS Hundreds of Curiosity Seekers Flocking to ; Stricken City, Thereby Clogging Roads With Vehicles ; Warningls Issued. By George O'Neal f Journal Staff Cerraapondent. Astoria, Dec . -Hundreds of curi osity-seekers and thrill hunters arriv ing here by stages, trains and auto mobiles .are causing -much., annoyance to the committee of 60 by taxing the housing and subsistence facilities and clogging up1 the roads and streets which the committee is - making an effort to keep cpen for the movement of supplies. A movement was started in the fore noon to close the highways leading to the city, in an effort to keep away all persons, who have no legitimate busi ness to perform. ' - ' The conductor of the S. P. ' & S, train which arrived? here ' at lt:80 o'clock this morning reported heavier passenger travel on his train than at any -time since the beach 'season. Scores of persons are using the disas ter as an excuse to visit friends here, who are but poorly prepared for any kind of entertainment, yv . ' One woman with two suitcases, .the name of a friend but no address, .and virtually 'no knowledge Of the streets' of Astoria, - arrived " on the midnight train, and , for two hours- or more re quired . the assistance-, of -two' relief workers before a place for ber could be found. - An urgent 'appeal-is made to all : persons to' remain, away - from Astoria , except .in cases- of extreme emergency.?,. ... ' - . t . All during the day hundreds of per eons visited 'th--jploe"-rtatlon "trying to obtain, passes through the lines to the devastated area.. Except In cases where they were " able te show some reason for passing the lines' they, were refused and kept back in the eastern section bf;the' city, where they' would cause the least annoyance. - Temporary badges of red ribbon are being Issued' as passes, .through the guard. lines. Perfect order has been maintained since the beginning of the fire., ' - ' - . . . Ail of the 30 patients transferred from the 'Catholic hospital to the high school and tbe residence of P. R. Hoef- ler are . reported . Ln ; satisfactory con dition today. As soon as arrange ments could be made Friday afternoon the women patients were .all taken to the homes of friends and physicians. The men are being cared for now in the high' school, while the sisters- are living at the Hoefler residence. Of the women patients, the two con sidered .to be in the most serious con' dition are both reported apparently ln no danger today. - They were Miss Genevieve Malarky. who was taken to the home of Dr. Ar- (Contlnaed on Pace Two, Colsmn Six) i -A' r. - j i i 1 background of tlie picturegives fine, home of'tKetbHalbdse - Boy Scouts Earn Braise By Service Astoria,- Or, DecT w-Boy k Scouts here. Friday night earned anotherydee oration in recognition of. special merit and faithful service for their untiring and patient work all during the trying night.. With 60 per cent of the tele phones in the city out of commission, the Boy Scouts took charge of - deliv ering messages .and. staking deliveries of necessities, . finding opportunity for countless ways of service. ,; . One - squad or youngsters remained on duty all night in the T. M.. C A.. tucking.- in blankets over; troubled sleepers and making- the refugees as comfortable as possible. vi Every -boy who was t ever a Scout don ned i bis uniform Friday night and reported tor duty under the r direction of Scout Masters Bjorlie and Stevens. - To get The Journal staff 'writers and a photographer to - the scene of f the Astoria conflagration to supplement the splendid efforts; of the . Astoria corre spondent was the prime requisite Fri day morning. y ', . ' Train service was slow ana on sched ules s that - conflicted " with newspaper time, bo the services of .Claud, McGee of the Howard Auto company were en listed. . McGee . piloted a . Buick Six down the .lower Columbia River high way., to Astoria and return in, elapsed time of ' seven . hours , and 50 , minutes. ' . One staff 'member of -The Journal was left at Astoria, wbile the second correspondent and -the - photographer returned: witn'McOee.i The -road was found slippery, from snow, f Despite the fact the ar was not equipped.: with chains, the Buick came through witA- out loss of time and safely. , ' ' Bail TeleerapKers 'Pay:GutSly500,0D0 Chicago, ' Dec ' 9.-U.fP.Pay" of 1L0OO railroad telegraphers on 11 west ern railroads was cut $1,500,000 a year by - a decision handed down , by the United States railroad labor boardto day : The decision . was made at . the request of the railroads to correct ex isting Inequalities In the pay of statio.n and telegrapn employes. j.. r "Relief IFiirid: Urged For Greek Eefugees Athens, Dec '9.' U.' P.) The- rais ing of a large loan, backed by - guar antee of the . League of Nations,.1 to aid Greek refugees impoverished by the Turkish war, has been . proposed at Lausanne by .Captain Nansen, , the famous, explorer, telegraphed .to the minister- for relief here. : ' hi.:'! i s. iliiOli "O , ASTORIA .:fmmmmm mmmm mm '?' -,- an excellent idea of the 'complete of - ElW'r A- -V-"' - i - ; ' . . i nil :f .i ;i i'.? ' i.fy- Xv. ; ,y ; New and Greater Astoria to Rise at ; Once Citizens - Determine ' at:MassMeetingjtTemporary Structures to Care for; Needs. - Astoria. ' Dec - 9. Astoria1 Is - to ' ri se phoenlx-like- f rom its mass of black ened, smouldering ruins not rext months or next year, but immediately. , This was the t determination which crystallised at a ; mass ' meet tog of 2 &0 or .800 business men held in the circuit courtroom? here this morning, y The entire populace is tense , with a fighting spirit, a do-or-die atmosphere, a sort of tenacious and well-defined intent' to mould from - the - future a going through the body politic like an electric - current. Reference to it ; thi s morning brought a bursty of -applause that shook the courthouse. , ', v . ENTHUSIASM UNBOUNDED. oi. me new am greater Astoria, said Lee Drake, acting presi dent of the Chamber of Commerce, in opening the mass meeting. . That phrase brought forth enthusiasm whkh virtually-wrecked-v the 'welkin.) v - "Is don't have to say, rSmile, , d-u you. smile ; you are - doing , it any how." was ; Drake's next' volley. " Froro then orr, the gathering became a' concrete and concentrated 'pledge to ward reshaping .and reconstruction. This spirit came to .a head ln aplan to erect temporary structures -at once ln " the vicinity of the'. T.' VU C A. on the edge of the devastated area. rise structures will be used for the handling of provisions and articles that are be ing' shipped Into: Astoria and for what merchandise ; and stocks were salvaged from the flames." 0.B.. Setters, mayor elect wag appointed ' chairman of a committee to allot this space. No rent will he charged and' a constant -patrol ,-' (ConclnM a Fas Th. Column Ftre) New Zealancl .Yotes ' 'To Remain Wet' " Wellington," New Zealand,. Dec- 9. (L.N. a) WlUlam (Pussyfoot) John son, who has been leading a vigorous, campaign to make New Zealand "l.one dry,; lost his battle today, when, offi cial tabulation of votes In the national referendum showed a majority of 16, 138 in. favor of continuing the present system of licensing drink sales. , A similar referendum - three- years ago. gave a majority of only 8262 in favor of continuation of the licensing scheme. - . ....- sweep of. the. fire, throiih; the i:: ,. ,.. -y'i.j.