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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 1918)
) . 0 V WKATHKK Thursday probably fair; mod erate winds shifting to south erly. - INTERCEPTED HUN NOTES ARE BARED German Diplomatic Corres pondence Show$ Lavish Fi nancing of Hindus in Stir y ring Up Revolution MESSAGE IS SENT BY COUNT BERNSTORFF Tagore, Famous Philosopher, Was Accused of Sympathy for England SAX FRANCISCO, Feb. 27. The United States government made pub lic here today Intercepted German i diplomatic correspondence intended to show ; how German machinations carried band of Hindu plotters Into the private audiences of ministers and statesmen, and financed lavishly their aims toward revolution in Brit ish India. Like the climax of a master drama ' hitherto ' secret papers naming Counts Okiima and Terauehl, for mer premier and premier, respective ly, Wu Ting.Fang of China: Sir Ra bindra. Nath Tagore, Britl&h knight . and winner of the Nobel prize for poetry, and others of world fame, vith whom the plotters claimed -fa-.......i-torable connection,-were offered in the prosecution of thirty-one men charged with fomenting the revolu tion against a friendly power. It was the final evidence of ttfe gov ernment which formally closed its case yesterday and reopened it today for its crowning strode Interviews Are Recounted. The correspondence, which was sent from Washington for presenta tion here,- was dated for the most - -part at Rye, X. Y at one time the . summer headquarters of the German V embassy.. ;,lt , recounted alleged fa vorable irlerviews that Tagore had with Terauchi and Okuma,,the diffi culties Wu Ting-Fang found in mov ing favorably because of the influ ence of Dr. Sun Yat-Send, former president of China, ( and revealed the hitherto hidden source of Hindu ' : foods. . i Most of the messages were in I cryptic phrases. Mystery surfound3 Ni the Identity of the authors, as only one of them was signed, that one by Count Von Bernstorff, former V German ambassador to the United States, and was addressed to Alfred Immermann, former . GermanNr elgn secretary. It is known that this message, as well as others which were alleged to have passed between Von Bernstorff ; and Zimmermann. went through the hands of Count Von Luxburg, former German am bassador to Argentine. : . Identity I Unknown. The Identity of the. addresses are unknown likewise. Most of the mes sages were ' addressed to H. Elsen huth. Copenhagen; R. Sachse, Rot terdam; and Z. Nv G. pilfers at Am sterdam. The names cf these per sons have never appeared in previ ous published reports of diplomatic messages. ' ' The documents were decoded by means of a special diplomatic code prepared by the German foreign of fice,, the key to' which was given the state department by the German em bassy before America's declaration of war. Th defense stipulated, that the translation of the -documents was correct. In addition to bringing Into the conspiracy the names of the world renowned men, the: document showed, the prosecution contended, that the conspiracy had ramified to x abortions of the world, into India, VaPan, China, Mexico, British Gul- ... Sea. the West Indies, Africa, Su- matra, Canada, South America, Bur sas and other places. T Propaganda I Spread. Among the actiivities which grew it of the conspiracy, as recorded la the documents, was the organiza tion of the Pan-Asiatic league and other associations; the secret publl- . cation and distribution of thousands id thousands of pamphlets and books to further the ends of tho Proposed conspiracy; the proposed purchase of two Japanese daily news papers to. spread propaganda in the delivery f arms to India; the re cruiting of hands of men throughout the world to engage In the proposed revolution and enlistment of; the ympathles of the Gongodes party, represented to be a strong body or colored fighting men In South America, j . ; '.Throughout the documents runs a thread of mystery. "Very secret" M the heading on one ' message. Others referred to persons as "K." K.r. and "Sister." One message elated details of an attack made on ne writer in Washington. He was , struck on the head under "the blow torned parts of my body completely vhite." her wrote. . Publication or the letters, which orew the name of Sir Kabindra Nath to the conspiracy for ttho first y me, ' recalled t he reported attack (Continued on page 6) -ii - - 7 t bum - y a m.rmm .'-'- & v . m a . ama m. k i. ' v . . - . m v mm v r , w m rmmA m BROWNING RIFLE 1 INTRODUCED TO CONGRESSMEN Senators and Representatives S Try Out Guns in Valley Near City GUNS WORK PERFECTLY Scores ni Allied Officers Watch Demonstration With Keen Interest WASHINGTON, Feb. 27. the latest American contribution to war fare, the Browning automatic rifle, was officially introduced to congress today at a demonstration stagfed in a remote valley in the hills that sur round this city. For more than'two hours the air was filled with the vound of the firing. Senators and representatives operating the new weapons under the direction of sold iers from the machine gun school at Springfield, Mass. High army officials Including As sistant Secretary Crowell, Major Gen eral BIddle, acting chief of staff, and a score of officers from the British, Fiench, Italian and Belgian missions watched the demonstration with keen interest. There was no target practice, al though a line of figures shaped like men was battered to pieces by the squad of ten gunners. Members of ongress also scored repeated hits. As to the performances of the ten guns used, there was not a malfunc tion, despite the fact that hundreds of rounds were fired and the squad from the school had never seen the guns before last Saturday. When firing with the automatic rifles was completed, two Browning heavy machine guns were put In ac tion.. Thousands of bullets were sent streaming across the valley to set the dust leaping on the far hillside. Again there was no malfunction and the demonstration was completed with an exhibition of the simplicity of construction, one of the guns be ing dismounted, taken apart and re assembled repeatedly In a few min utes. i These two guns have been selected by the ordnance bureau of the war department as the weapons with which the army Is soon to be equip ped. The automatic rifles used came from factories where the actual production on a quantity scale has al ready started. Within a matter of weeks, hundreds will be delivered every day and thousands every week. They are to be the ''over the top" guns of tomorrow as the French chauchat is used by French and American troops today. A'nOn-cora-missioned offlceof the demonstra ting detaehment.vwho. , with his as sociates, has been ja rilled with every type of weapon used by the' allied troops. Including the French chau chat, spoke for the whole squad when he said: "That's the finest gun in the world', ! When the invited guests arrived at the range they found twenty men from the school, commanded by Major J. S. Hatcher, busy filling magazines and belts. The ten rifles were unpacked and the visitors were astonished at their lightness. They weighed 15 pounds, loaded with 20 rounds all of which can be fired In breath. "Fall In," came the order, and ten f the men stepped Into the front rank, each parrying his rifle an! about his waist a heavy web belt, the pockets of which bulged with magazines carrying twenty rounds each. Itch'nd htm stood hi ammu nition carrier, also belted, and with two- cross belts swinging from his shoulders. A ! Aslthe little column swung away toward the range, the riflemen swung their guns up to shoulder as easily as they would an ordinary sin gle shot weapon. At first glance there was nothing to show the extra ordinarily deadly character of their equipment. . ; The first firinsr was semi-automatic, a feature first developed by the Vrench In the Chauchat and which has gone far, it Is said, to wards revolutionizing trench war fare. Set for this action, the gunner pulls the trigger for each shot; but he has twenty charges ready to send at an individual enemy without dropping the fun from his shoulder. The targets flew into splinters as the squad got to wrk. ' A second maeazlne was fired also from the shoulder, with the auto matic action set. The ten guns de livered twenty shots earb in a flare or a sound, almost a single report, the firing was so fast. The targets and the earth around them were torn by 200 bullets, no one of which was, far off its mark. ! Advancing fire followed, both au tomatic and semi-automatic. The line moved across the field, firing from the hip this time, with gun butt relin? in metal nips on their belts. The first twenty rounds were delivered r.s the men were taking three paces. A new magazine, handed forward by the nmrauniton carrier, was slipped In and firing re sumed as they took the next two steps. The change took little more jjian a second of time. MBM MMI ' ........ ' ' I'lUUHl flfU -JAi. ' ALLIES MAY' TAKE ACTION IN SIBERIA Japan Queries Entente on Step to Prevent Military Supplies From Falling Into Hands of Germany MOVE IS RESULT OF CRITICISM AT HOME Proper Procedure to Be De bated Russian Represen tative Not Afraid WASHINGTON Feb. 2", -Japan has directed inquiries to the entente rowers and the United States gov ernment to test their feeling to wards a proposal to institute Joint military operations in Siberia to save the vast quantities of war supplle-t stored at Vladivostok and along th-j Siberian railroad. Criticism at home of the failure of Japanese to play a larger part In the war Is said to have been influential in bringing about the negotiations. Officials here refuse to discuss this subject for publication but It is understood that so far as America Ih concerned the proposition when first broached was not wholly ac ceptable, though the exchanges on the subject, . which are still In prog ress, may result in modifying the governments' attitude. Military Supplier Kept. Accumulated at Vladivostok ar military supplies of all kinds, much of American manufacture, and even greater quantities of Japanese or igin. The. Stevens commission of American -engineers made extraor dinary efforts to improve the facil ities of the Siberian railroad so that these stores could be transported westward for the use of the Russian army on the Gtrman and Austrian fronts, but great 'quantities remain cn the docks and In warehouses; and even In the. open, both at Vladivos tok and at points "westerly on the railroad. The material suffers greatly from exposure, but the principal concern of the allies Is the danger that the stores may fall into the bands of the Germans, who may make their df liverv a condition of any peace trea ty which they may compel the Ilol- fcheviki to sign. This situation is regarded by the Japanese as Warranting military ac tion on their part. They are quite willing to have the cooperation of the ententand American forces an 1 the problem now before the co-bel-lirerents i whetbtr Japan Khali be nllowed to proceed single-handed !f such a campaign Is begun, or wheth er there shall be joint operations. It has been argued that there should be a combination movement to avoid an question of the ultimate dispo sition of occup.'ed territory In Si beria. While the American force would be insignificant compared with Ja pan's, the participation of the Am- ( Continued on Page 3) 29 MEN LOST ON CHEROKEE Ten Survivors and Bodies of Eight Brought to Phil i adelphia PHILADELPHIA, 'Feb. 27. Twenty-nine men are believed to have lost their lives yesterday' morn ing when the sea-going tug Chero kee foundered in a severe gale lo miles ort the Maryland coast. Ten survivors and the bodies of eight other members of the crew of thirty nine were brough here today on two Hritish rescue ships and land ed at the Philadelphia navy yard. No trace of the remaining members of the crew was found. Among those missing is Junior Lieutenant Kdward D. Newell, the commander of the tug. Ordinarily the Cherokee carried srew of forty but one maw was not aboard According to the captain of one the rescue j whips, the primary cause of the disaster was the breaking of the steering gear. A fifty-mile gale was blowing at the time and the little vessel was at the mercy of mountainous seas. Freieht Twin Wrecked By An Unknown Person The Oregon nubile jwrvice eommisi gion was inforrtnd yesterday that freight train No. 6 on the Sumptcr Valley railroad in Daker county wts wrecked Tuesday l.lght by the pla- ing Oi lIIIHlrr "bviviu ii": .. clew has been oltalned to the pof- -1 lt. rrwlr Tht. Wrpllt son chubiiia . took place eleven miles west ,l Baker.. Three cans were totally de stroyed and ten others damaged. till I'll Mlf L'tJIIV TIII'IICIll V XItlVIV .- .... ...... BRITISH SHIP IS TORPEDOED; 164 STILL MISSING Vessel Carrying Hospital Cew Is Victim of German Frightfulness SURVIVOR TELLS STORY Many Jumped Into Sea With Lifebelts but Few Are Able to Survive SWANSKA, Feb27. The British hospital ship GleflaiT Castle, which went down yesterday in the Hristol channel, was torpedoed, according to survivors, thirty-four of whom were landed here. Nothing . has been learned of the fate of the others, including Ited Cross doctors, nurse3 and orderlies. There were approxi mately 200 persons aboard the ship. 150 of whom were inembers of tho crew. One hundred sixty-four still are missing. Quartermaster Shitler. who was the l?jt man to leave the ship, de scribing the disaster, satd: "I was on deck at the time. A few minutes befort the torpedoing, the helmsman called attention to the dim light flickering on the surface of the. water some distance off. It appeared an instant 'ater, but the officet of the deck was instantly sus picious and ordered the course changed. He then ordered the alarm sounded Tor lifeboat drill as a pre cautionary measure. "The order wan scarcely given when came the muffled sound of an exploding torpedo fr below the wa ter line, followed by a shock, which told Us that the boat was done for. "Our action in changing the course of the vessel availed little, because sll of our Red Cross lights were burning brightly and we were as pliin a tsrket In the Hack rght as tht Germans could wish for. "Almost everbody aboard was asleep at the tim and most of the men tumbled to the .look In the scantiets attire. Few saved more than trouseis and s.'iirt, ,tnd prob ably nine ovt of erery fen were barefooted. Th- men assi;r-d to the starboard lifeboats found them use less, either the Toats or the davits being smashed by the shock of the explosion. "In seven, ruinates we launched Beven boats soioe with. only a few persons aboard, others overcrowded. "A large number of men were compelled to jump Into the sea with lifebelts, and few of these survived. for the sea was so rough that it was Impossible to rescue them from the lifeboat. Nor was it possible even to keep the lifeboats together. "Waves twenty feet high 'churned up by the nasty cross current, dashed over the boat continuously, and we bailed for our lives. We made the best course we could for a large Island which we knew was aboiit fifteen miles off. but had made only. slight progress when the French schooner, seven hours afterwards, picked us up. We would all have perished from exposure had not our rescuer appeared." The survivors said that no subma rine was sighted at any time except for the light seen by the helmsman. The Glenart Castle' was on her way to France 'for wounded. Oregon Lumber Mills Pat on Eight-Hour Basis PORTLAND, Feb. 27. Beginning March 1, the logging camps and lumber-mills of Washington and Ore gon will go on a basic eight-hour day by an order of the government, which is taken to indicate a move for ultimate control of the industry in these states by the government, because of the announcement from Washington today that the govern ment would assume control of the spruce production. Alaska Eight Hour Law :1s Unconstitutional FAIRBANKS. Alaska. Feb. 27. On the ground that the Alaska eight hour law violated the fourteenth amendment to the constitution as well as the Alaska organic act, the measure was held unconstitutional today in the United States district court for this division. The find ings were Immediately reported to the' attorney general of the United Staes, and will be appealed nnlcjfe auhorization otherwise is received. Building Owners Seeking to Increase -Membership CHICAGO, Feb. 2".. The Nation al association of building owners and managers today starts a conntry wide campaign to increase its ment bership. The chief aim of the move metn is to bring about a closer co- koperation of all building owners in an effort to solve some of the im portant new problems with wbi?h they are now confronted as a result of conditions arising from the war. .11 : "... f WAR UNTIL TERMS ARE SIGNED-HUNS General Hoffman Command ing Invading Armies Or ders Fighting to Continue . Until Signatures Are Fixed GERMAN HORDES WILL STRIKE AT PETROGRAD -1 - Teutons Within 50 Miles of Kiev; Russians Still Hold irg Pskov PF.TItOGRAU. Feb. 21 Jeneral Hoffman, commander of the German army invading Russia, has replied to a communication from Knsign Kry lenko, inquiring if an armistice would be declared, by saying that the Teuton advance would be con tinued ; until a treaty of peace is signed ; and carried out along lines laid down in the German peaco terms. PETROGRAD, Feb. 27. (British Admiralty, per Wireless Press.) -Novo Tcherkask, capital of the terri tory of the Ion Cossacks, has been captured by the revolutionary troops. This announcement was made offi cially today. V IX)NDON, Feb. 27. A dispatch to the Exchange Telegraph from Pet rograd says: "The reports that Pskox has been reoccupied by the Russians came Lupga (eighty-five miles southwes of Petrograd) which apparently Is still in Russian hands. "Events seem to show that the Germans have decided to attack Pet rograd. r "An attempt by the Germans to take Vitebsk met with strong resl3t ance and the enemy was forced to retire. Teh supplies at Orsa and other stations near that place were successfully removed. The railway bridge across the River Beresina has been destroyed. (By The Ab'H.iated Prcga) While the German imperial gov ernment is trying to convince the world of its disinterestedness in the future of Russia, the advance of the Teuton armies towards Petrograd continues. It appear a that there will be no armlsf.iee on the Russian front until jeace is finally consum mated. In Bpite o the claim by the Bolshevikl government that the Russians were vigorously fighting for Pskov, the flernans have pushed rar to the eastwaro of that town. The Teutons are sild to have reached Luga. midway between Pskov and Petrograd. Berlsoff, sixty miles northwest of Minsk, has been cap tured by the Germans. Teuton troops In Ukraine by reached Corostisbeff, east of Zhitomir, within fifty miles of iKev. The Russian troous have refused to fight and those who have not surrendered are fleelong In a dis orderly mob. - Aerial Activity Reported. ' Aerial activity . on the western front of great intensity Is reported by the Germans, who claim to have brought down fifteen entente air planes. At the same time the Infan try is not Idle and raids have been attempted at widely separated points in the past twenty-fouri hours. One of thewe attacks was in ' considerable force by the Germans against French positions near the Butte dn Mesnil, which the American artillery assisted in capturing recently. The other was north of the Chemln-des-Dames, where American troops are under stood to be In the trenches. Both ar.sfnlts were rboken up by the prompt action of the allied aritllery. British forces have repulsed a hos tile attack near St. Quentin. Plane Kills 19-Year-Old Lieutenant on Texas Field HOUSTON. Texas. Feb. 27.-- Second Lieutenant Sammitt K. Elliott 19 years old, was killed and Cadet J. H. Geisse was slightly Injured to day at Ellington field when the air. plane In which they were flying fell into a tail spin and crashed about 350 feet to' the ground. Lieutenant Elliott who tnlistcd at Haddou Heights. N. J., October 5, 1317. was commissioned yesterday. Cadet Geisse's home wan not announced. Officers termer Geisse s escape from death miraculous. Heavy gusts of wind had cause! the airmen to lose control of the machine. Banquet CivenVeteran Pittsburg Infielder PITTSBURG, Feb. 27. J. II. (Honus) Wagner, veteran infilder of the Pittsburg Nationals, was the central figure here tonight at a ban quet tendere by Pittsburg baseball enthusiasts, in honor of the former Pirate's 44th birthday. Prominent baseball men of the country were present for the celebration. 60 AMERICANS ' ARE VICTIMS OF ATTACKS BY GAS Five Soldiers Die in Hospitals From Effects pi Surprise Assault HUNS SHELL TRENCHES Twenty-seven Airplanes Cross U. S. Sector; Yanks Shoct Down One WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, Feb. 27. Two more American soldiers died in hospitals tpday from the ei'feets of the Ger man gas shells, making five dead In ail. Throughout the day groups of men were discovered who jmffered from the effects of t.ie poisonous gases and by tonight tht. victims numbered about 60, most of whom are not badly affected. , Some of the men belong to trench mortar battery. The gas effects resulted from the fact that the men were not able to adjust their gna 'masks quickly enough, or in some cases to- make themr secure. The enemy today heavily shelled the American battery positions with gas and high explosive shells, -vhile tho American artillerists secured direct hit on a large enemy dugout, where many Germans probably were sheltered. The American shells also reached numerous working parties. In one two-hour period last even ing 27 enemy airplanes crossed the American lines. One of a group ot seven was shot down by anti-aircraft guns." The infantry activity was confined to patrols but there was no engage ment. . ;': Chairman Hays Begin Series of Conferences . WASHINGTON, Feb. 27. Chair. man Hays of the Republican nation al committee, began a series of con ferences here today with party lead ers at national : headquarters. " During the day Chairman Haye Called on Senators Borah of Idaho, and Poindexter of Washington, and others. Tonight he wu the guest of Washington newspaper men at a din ner. In a speech he reiterated his poller of conducting party affairs on a ''Ariii " K(f - Gam m Poindexter was also one of the speakers. British Shipping Loss Shows Slight Increase LONDON. Feb. 27. Eighteen Brit ish merchantmen were sunk by mine or submarine in the past week; according; to the British admiralty report tonight. Of these fourteen were vessels of 1600 tons or over, and four were jinder that tonnage. Seven fishing vessels also were sunk. ). '. The losses to British shipping In the past week ahoy a considerable Increase ovef the' previous week, when the vessels destroyed number ed fifteen, twelve oif them over 1600 tons. In thje preceding week, nine teen British merchantmen were sent to the bottom. , " Six-Cent Car fart Hearing Is Begun at Portland - . - i -. PORTLAND FebT27. Before the six Judges vf tho state circuit court for Multnomah nunty. sitting en banc, attorneys .n the city of Port land and the Port. and Railway, Light Sc. Power company, respectively, to day presented arguments In the ap peal of the city from an order of the state public service 'commission whereby- the company was granted permission to charge six cents car fare on its lines in Portland. The city contends that the order conflicts with the company's franchise agree ment, which provides that the car fare shall be; "five cents - and no more." . Chinese Stand Qoliipses; 100 Women Are Killed LONDON, Feb. 27. Li the col lapse o the Chinese public stands at the Hong "Kong Jockey Hub races Tuesday. 100 women and children were trampled o death, according ta a Renter dlspatch'front Hong Kong. Fire broke out and several hundred others were burned to death. Peace Negotictions Are Foolish, Says Cecil LONDON. Feb. 27 Lord Robert Cecil, minister of blockade, referring to the von Hertling rpeech, said: "It would be foolish to enter Into negotiations unless there was a rea sonable prospect of suc-css. We do not desire to repeate tho experiment of Brest-Litvoslc ne&otiai'ous.' Premier Announces Country Will Take No Further Llili tary Action Against Runii or Rumania; Interview Held With Kaiser VIENNA AND BERLIN IN SERIOUS CONFLICT Germany Risking .Loss cf Chief Ally and Later Bul garia and Turkey, Dispatch . From Trance Asserts. WASHINGTON, Feb. 27. Further evidence of the strained relations be tween Germany and Austria over the refusal or the latter to participate In the new, attack on Russia, was con tained 'in an official dispatch receiv ed today from France. It quotes the Austrian premier as reiterating bn February 22 that Austria will take no further part in military actlor against Rumania or Russia. The dispatch says: "Charles I paTd a visit to William, II, the 22nd of February. Luden dorf was pronent at the Interview. If we are to iudge fro the tone of the interview it must have been lack ing In cordiality. There seems1 to be little doubt but what a, serious Con flict has broken out during the week between the courts of Vienna and Berlin and which Germany is de. termlned to settle if need be, by vio lent measures. "An official note of the lEth had announced that Austria for her part would continue to consider the war as terminated with Russia and would abstain from taking part In the op erations planned by the German com mand. A scond note of ,the4 lth repeated the canto statement, whea asked to give further particulars it the sitting of the 'chamber on the 22 nd the Austiian premier formally stated: - "'The words uttered by different deputies have p.'oved that the ex planation which has been furnished up to the present by me, has not been sufficiently explicit. I repeat, therefore, that Austro-Hungary will participate In no way in the military action which is now. being carried on by Germany against Russia. I (Continued on page 3) STARCH FACTORY SURE FOR SAEL1 . - . . . . . . . ' , .. .. Promoters Declare More TKn Required Acrea ge Will . Be Signed Up Members of the Salem Commercial club who are back of the move to induce the Pacific Potato Starch company to establish a factory In Salem declate that' the - thousand acres required by the company as an Inducement will bo more than subscribed and that the factory Is assured. , The local promoters have made ar rangements whereby the factory will handle the culls of the 1917 crop on condition that the growers iurnlkh ing them sign contracts to furnibh their culls to the factory for a prelod of five years. The company will guarantee a price of SO cents a hund red pounds or as much more as th finished product. will warrant when sold. Acreage Is being signed np' daily and the first farmers to take fid vant age of the opportunity will be tho first to receive the benefits, Commissioner Charges Profiteering in Grain , SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 25 Wholesale profiteering In coarso tyns was charged by Ralph P. ritt; federal food commissioner f California, in a conference with m6rp than thirty of the state's larg cst. wholesalers, warehousemen, crttmission men and grain dealers in his offices today. Mr. Merritt, addressing himself to the audienca at large, declared the entire conser vation and production . program nf the food administration- in Califor nia had been i placed In jeopardy iy the present-Jexorbitant and unwar ranted prices of mllo maise, corn, Egyptian, and kaflir corn, f eterita, barley and oats." (Continued on page 2 )