X
WlreloBj torpedo boat Natalia, Invented by John Hays Hammond, Jr., of
less and can carry 4,000 poundB of explosives, which respond automatically
.uuiruuBu 0y me use 01 an arc iigni
pertg a 8uccennfiil demonstration of
BELGIANS HELP
HUNGRY FRENCH
Starving People Share Scanty
Food With Peasants.
Relief Commission Has Provisions
to Last Only to february
Great Tragedy Possible.
London Herbert C. Hoover, chair
man of the American commission for
the relief of Belgium, returned to
London Thursday from a tour of in
spection of the work being done for
the commission in Belgium. In a
statement issued here Mr. Hoover
said:
"An appalling situation has been
presented to the commission with re
gard to the French peasantry In the
valley of the Meuse just south of Vie
Belgian frontier, where there are 10,
000 persons absolutely without food.
Our investigation showed that a large
number of deaths already had occurred
there from starvation.
"Despite the shortness of the ra
tions in Belgium, our Belgian col
leagues agreed that we must share the
last crust with these people. We,
therefore, sent them food out of our
limited Belgian stores."
Mr. Hoover also issued a report on
the commission's work in Belgium, in
which he sayB the organization for the
distribution of food supplies is well on
the road to completion. It is aided
by 60,000 volunteer workmen and
there are only a few localities to which
relief has not yet been extended.
"It must be borne in mind," Mr,
Hoover says in his report, "that our
problem falls into two phases. The
first is to provide bread for those who
are unable to pay for it, and the sec
or.d is to supply all food for those who
are destitute Broadly, the former
comprise some 5,600,000 persons. On
the basis of the minimum ration we
are providing they require about $3,-
600,000 worth of bread a month. The
recovery of this money and the ex
change problem have not as yet been
solved and are causing us the greatest
concern.
"The destitute comprise about 1,
400,000, who are being wholly fed by
the public canteens. ' The cost of sup
porting them is about $2,500,000 a
month, for which we are depending on
the chairty of the world.
"All Belgium is now on a ration of
10 onuces of bread a day, rich and poor
alike, when there is not much of a
ration available. The rich pay the
cost price; the destitute nothing.
"This requires a total import of
more than 100,000,000 pounds of flour
or wheat a month, to say nothing of
peas, salt, beans, bacon, condensed
milk and other things which must be
provided for the canteens."
In hia report Mr. Hoover pays trib
ute to the assistance in the work of
distribution rendered by the Germans,
declaring:
"The occupying army has been ex
traordinarily icrupulous in its observ
ance of the agreement that none of the
foodstuffs Imported by us were to be
consumed by them.
"The German government has issued
general order that no provisions
which would in the ordinary course
have to be replaced by the relief com
mission shall be requisitioned."
The report closes as follows: "De
spite the volume of food which has been
placed at our disposal, we can provis
ion only until February 16. Great has
been the generosity of the American
people, it is well to bear in mind that
Zeppelin Visits France,
London A correspondent of the
Daily Mail in France reports that
Zeppelin airship skirted the French
seacoast near Grave Linea Wednesday,
and then turned westward toward Eng
land, and that it is rumored that two
other Zeppelins preceded it. "There
after through the whole day," the cor
respondent adds, "Dunkirk was sub
jected to German air raids and at
tempts to drop bombs, but owing to
the vigorous fire of the town's guns
few bombs fell. At one time sis aero
planet were hovering over the town."
WIRELESS TORPEDO BOAT NATALIA
"" 'IWWjw.'immii i i I i . , , , r. , J
4-
or one million cancllepower. Young Hammond haB given to American navy ex
hlB Invention.
if we fail after that date the world
will be faced by the greatest tragedy
it has yet witnessed in the possible ex
tinction of an entire nation. Strenuous
as the efforts that we, our countrymen
and countrywomen have made, they
cannot for one moment be relaxed if
this gigantic catastrophe has to be pre
vented." trench and Russians
Claim Victory Over Turk
Paris The official communication
issued by the French war office includ
ed the following :
"Grand Duke Nicholas has addressed
to General Joffre the following tele
gram: " 'I hasten to inform you of the joy
ful news that the army of Caucasus,
notwithstanding that its forces have
been reduced to a minimum, with a
view not to weaken the army in the
principal theater of war, has won two
decisive victories on December 21
and 22 (January 3 and 4, modern cal
endar) against Turkish forces superior
in number, at Ardahan, against the
First corps and at Sari Kamysh
against the Ninth and Tenth Turkish
corps.
" 'The entire Ninth corps has capti-
ulated; the Tenth corps is making
every effort to withdraw, but is being
pursued by our troops.
Petrograd It is officially announced
that the Russian troops have gained a
decisive victory at San Kamysh. The
entire Ninth Army corps of the Turks
was captured.
Accounts received here say the
Turks displayed great bravery when
their position was seriously threatened
and made frequent desperate bayonet
sorties. When they were compelled to
vacate they made valiant but futile
efforts to cover their retreat by a rear
guard action, even the wounded con
tinuing firing from the ground when
they were struck down.
According to a telegram from Tiflis,
the persistence with which the Turks
pressed their attacks in the Sari
Kamysh district was to enable their
troops in the Ardahan region to retive
without heavy losses. Their opera
tions were conducted under tremend
ous difficulties. They lacked proper
equipment and had no transport trains.
Everything had to be carried on the
backs of soldiers or of civilians com
mandeered for the purpose. Most of
the trophies of war captured by the
Russians were of German make.
Land Slides May Halt
Panama Canal Naval Fete
Washington, D. C The possibility
of a postponement of the cruise of the
international fleet from Hampton
Roads to San Francisco through the
Panama canal, in connection with the
opening of the canal and the exposi
tion, was suggested Tuesday in the
course of a conference between Secre
tary Garrison and Colonel Goethals,
governor of the canal.
Though the great earth Blides at
Cucaraha have apparently been con
quered, according to Colonel Goethals'
report, the earth movementB continue
in the neighborhood of Gold Hill. At
that point the superincumbent masses
of earth on the aide of the canal, by
their great pressure, are continuously
forcing rock and soil in great quanti
ties into the canal prism. The move
ment Is sufficiently extensively to re
quire the continuous employment of
dredges to maintain the channel.
Kaiser Eats War Bread.
Berlin Emperor William has given
orders that the so-called war bread be
served to himself and the members of
his entourage. This bread, styled also
"K" bread, consists of 85 per cent of
rye flour and 15 per cent potato flakes.
It la being consumed in accordance
with it war-time proclamation, with
the idoa of making the supply of food
stuff in the empire last longer. Up to
the present time it has not been
bought readily by the general public
It is hoped, however, that the decision
of the emperor will influence others.
Bids on Big Order Asked.
Philadelphia The Pennsylvania
Railroad company has asked for bids
on 170,000 tons of steel rails, the
company's requirements for the cur
rent year. Orders for 150,000 tons
will be placed for early delivery and
the remainder will re-ordered later. j
'.iHtidwa h 3fK
if
Gloucester, Mass. It Is steered by wire
to radio waves. At night the boat le
BRITAIN'S REPLY
FRIENDLY,' BELIEF
Outline of Answer to American
Note Sent to France.
Italy and Allied Nations Thought
to Have AgreedGermany
Alone Protests.
London The British government'i
reply to the American note concerning
contraband probably will be sent be
fore the end of this week. It is
thought the answer will be friendly.
An outline of the reply has been sub
mitted to France, which is greatly in
terested because of the activity of the
French ships in searching Mediterra
nean cargoes.
A statement probably will be issued
shortly, showing that Italy has arrived
at an understanding with England and
the other allies concerning contraband
satisfactory to all the countries affect
ed. It can be stated authoritatively that
only five, cargoes destined for Italy
have been stopped at Gibraltar since
November 16. Two of these were re
leased within three days and the others
as soon as the alleged contraband could
be removed.
Since December 4 no cargoes for
Italy have been intercepted by the
allies.
Rubber cargoes destined for Ameri
can firms and held in English ports
probably will be released soon or pur
chased by Great Britain, which needs
rubber for manuafcture of tires, bed
blankets and boots.
Constant negotiations are in prog
ress between the allies and the neutral
countries situated near Germany look
ing to a tightening of the export regu
lations which will prevent American
shipments from reaching Germany and
Austria through neighboring countries
other than Italy.
A loosening of the regulations apply
ing to American cargoes, it is said by
British officials, will depend largely on
the assurances received from neutral
countries that they will not assist in
supplying Germany, Turkey and Aus
tria with munitions of war.
Generals Scott and Villa
to Meet on Boundary Line
Washington, D. C Brigadier Gen
eral Scott, chief of staff of the United
States, and General Villa, commander-in-chief
of the forces of the Gutierrez
government in Mexico, have arranged
to confer on the international bridge
at El Paso, with a view to arriving at
an understanding that will perma
nently prevent further firing into
American territory by Mexican fac
tions fighting along the international
lines.
General Villa is on his way north,
and the conference will be held imme
diately upon the arrival of the Mexi
can chief.
General Scott has been at Naco for
two weeks trying to bring about an
agreement between General May
torena, commanding the Gutierrez
force attacking the Mexican town of
that name, and General Hill, of the
Carranza garrison. Hill agreed to
withdraw to Augua Prieta, but May
teorena has postponed entering into
any final agreement, awaiting, it is
said, the arrival of General Cabral,
who is on his way north with 8000
men to take charge of the situation.
New York Is Wealthiest
New York The wealthiest land
owner In the limits of the municipal
jurisdiction, according to a report to
Controller Prendergast, is the City of
New York. The assessed valuation of
the city's holdings is $1,447,547,869,
of which $1,429,491,360 is within the
city limits. Compared with the fig
ures of 1913, the value of the proper
ties shows an increase of $71,104,589.
The increase in land values reaches
the large figure of $41,689,078. while
in the value of buildings and other im
provements, it totals $29,253,632.
SENATE PASSES
LITERACY TEST
Amendment Permits Entry of
Belgian Farmers.
Departments Required to Notify
Congress When Immigration
Depresses Wages.
Washington, D. C The immigra
tion bill, containing the restrictive lit
eracy test for admission of alieni
which has been the obstacle in immi
gration reform legislation for the
greater part of two national adminis
trations, passed the senate Saturday
by a vote of 60 to 7. The overwhelm-
ing majority was recorded despite the
fact that President Wilson had indica
ted he would veto the measure, as did
President Taft, if it should come to
him with the educational test includ
ed. The vote in the senate indicated that
the bill could be repassed by more
than the required two-thirds majority
should the President reject the meas
ure. The bill passed the house on Febru
ary 4 laot by a vote of 241 to 126.
Although the senate amended the
house bill in several particulars, the
literacy test was unaltered, save for
an - additional exemption to Belgian
subjects which was adopted after pro
longed debate. '
House leaders probably will ask for
a conference on senate amendments
but administration leaders were confi
dent senate amendments would be ac
cepted and the bill sent to the Presi
dent by the middle of the week.
Among senate amendents which
house leaders have said probably would
be accepted is one to exclude- from the
United States all persons of the Afri
can race or of negro blood. Another
strengthens the phraseology of the
prohibition of polygamists.
Closing hours of the debate were de
voted to an amendment by Senator
Lodge to exempt Belgian farmers from
the literacy test and from the provis
ions which prohibit Americans from
soliciting or inducing immigration.
Already several American organiza
tions are endeavoring to induce Bel
gian refugees to settle in this country.
the amendment, as finally adopted
by a vote of 84 to 22, follows :
That the provisions of this act
relating to the illiteracy test or in
duced or assisted immigration shall
not apply to agricultural immigrants
from Belgium who come to the United
States during the course of the present
European war, or within one year
after its termination, owing to cir
cumstances or conditions arising
through the war, if it is shown to the
satisfaction of the commissioner gen
eral of immigration that the said Bel
gian immigrants come with the inten
tion of engaging in agriculture in the
United States and to become American
citizens."
Following is a synopsis of the im
migration bill passed by the senate :
In general persons over 16 shall be
required to be able to read English or
some language or dialect, including
Yiddish.
Exception to literacy test is made of
Belgian farmers who come to the Uni
ted States within one year after the
end of the present European war.
Persons fleeing from religious per
secution also excepted.
Admissible aliens may send for
father or grandfather over 65, or for
wife, mother, gradnmother or unmar
ried or widowed daughter, though such
relative may be illiterate.
Polygamists excluded.
Persons of African race or negro
blood excluded. Excluded list intend
ed to take in vagrants, the tuberculous
and persons who teach or advocate un
lawful destruction of property.
Departments of Labor and Com
merce to report to congress whenever
expected immigration threatens to in
crease number of unemployed or re
duce wage standard.
English Pray for Victory.
Rome Special prayers were said
Sunday in all the English churches in
Italy for the ultimate victory of the
Triple Entente nations. In the chapel
of the English college, Cardinal Gas
quet and the new British minister to
the Vatican, Sir Henry Howard, were
among those who particip ted in the
communion service. Their action was
in striking contrast to that of the
members of the British embassy to the
Quirinal, none of whom was present at
any service. The rector of the Irish
college did not participate.
Duel Moratorium Is On.
Paris A moratorium on dueling has
been declared in France because of an
incident which arose recently during a
discussion in a cafe. A prominent
swordsman became angry in discussing
the grand strategy and issued a chal
lenge to his adversary. Witnesses
present declared that Frenchman
must not kill one of his countrymen
during the war, so the duel has been
postponed until peace .has been de
clared. " '
Austria Executes Editor.
London Reuter'a Amsterdam cor
respondent transmitted a dispatch re
ceived there from Vienna, which says
that newspaper editor, Joseph Yotel
of Proesnits, Moravia, was condemned
to death by court-martial for a sedi
tious speech. He was executed two
hours after sentence was passed.
Big Steam Schooner
Eureka Lands on Rocks
San Francisco The North Pacific
Steamship company's steamer Eureka,
bound with a light cargo of general
freight from San Francisco to Ven
tura, Cal., was wrecked on the rocks
at Point Bonita, at the entrance to San
Francisco harbor, shortly after dusk
Saturday night.
All but one of the crew of 18 were
resceud and lifesavers from all sta
tions in the vicinity braved heavy seas
In an effort to save the life of Second
Officer James Bolger, who was unable
to board either of the boats by which
his mates escaped when it became evi
dent that the vessel would crash Into
the rocks.
From the beach 200 soldiers from
the adjoining military reservation
watched for some sign of the missing
man, but at a late hour he had not
been rescued.
An hour after the Eureka struck she
turned turtle, and captains of the life
saving crews were of the belief that
Bolger had perished.
According to the survivors, a heavy
sea caught the vessel broadsides just
as she was passing through the Golden
Gate. So great was the force of the
wave that most of the deckhouse was
carried away and the engine-room
flooded. Some of the debris caught
in the propeller and the engines were
completely put out of commission.
With the vessel's steerage way lost
the heavy seas raked the vessel fore
and and aft and the crew was ordered
to the boats by Captain Paulsen.
Ironworkers of Dynamite
Conspiracy Ask Parole
Leavenworth, Kan. The rapidity
with which they constructed a new
cellhouse at the Federal prison here
was one of the arguments put forward
by 17 structural ironworkers convicted
in the "dynamite conspiracy" cases at
Indianapolis, who appeared before the
Federal parole board. Having served
one-third of their sentences, the men
are eligible for parole.
Frank M. Ryan, of Chicago, ex-head
of the ironworkers, was not eligible
for parole, not having served a suffi
cient portion of his sentence.
For seven years the prison manage
ment had been trying to get the cell-
house built. When the ironworkers
arrived in the prison, Warden Morgan
explained the situation to them and
put them to work. Ryan was made
foreman. Within six months the iron
work on the cellhouse was compelted,
Only one of the men who applied for
parole failed to do his share in the
construction work. That man was
Hockin, and he was willing to help,
but the others objected because of the
part he played in the prosecution of
the ironworkers- by the government.
Hockin has been tending a gate in the
prison yard.
MONEY SO PLENTIFUL IN
U. S. THAT RATE LOWERS
Washington, D. C The San Fran
cisco reserve bank Saturday secured
the approval of the Federal Reserve
board to the lowest rediscount rate yet
named by any of the 12 banks 4 per
cent on maturities up to 30 days.
Money apparently is plenty all over
the country and the board is inclined
to approve low rateB in order that the
banks may be able to do some redis-
counting to make expenses.
Other rates approved were: San
Francisco, 5 per cent on maturities up
to 60 days; 6 per cent on 60-90 days
and b per cent on longer maturities,
Minneapolis, 4J per cent on up to 30
days 6 per cent on 30-90 days and 6
per cent for longer.
Many Priests Tortured
and Murdered, Is Report
London Dozens of Catholic priests
were murdered, some being tortured,
and the churches in numerous commu
nities were wrecked and profaned by
lierman troops invading Belgium, ac
cording to detailed charges given out
here by the official press bureau of the
war office at the request of the Belgian
legation in London.
The statement makes the declara
tion that members of the clergy have
been exposed to special indignities at
the, hands of German soldiers. In the
diocese of Liege, Namur, Malines arid
Ghent many priests and others con
nected with the churches were either
shot or hanged. Many other priests
were carried off to Germany, where
they appear to have been "subjected
to abominable usage."
Officials Watch Bread.
Washington, D. C Department of
Justice officials have expressed interest
in reports that the price of a loaf of
bread was about to jump from 6 to 6
cents in New York, Chicago and pos
sibly other large cities. No complaints
had reached the department, however,
and no action is in immediate prospect.
Attorney General Gregory has kept a
close watch on any efforts to increase
the cost of living through combina
tions of producers in any line, and it is
considered certain that a rise in bread
would be looked into at once.
X-Rayed Cargo Is Passed.
Galveston, Tex. After X-ray tests
had shown no contraband concealed in
her cargo, the American steamer Ne
braska sailed for Bremen, carrying a
cargo of 10,317 bales of cotton. The
tests were made under the supervision
of the British consul in order to avoid
possible delay by British warships
searching for contraband. The Ne
braskan is the second vessel to sail
from Galveston for Bremen direct
since the outbreak of the war.
NEWS NOTES OF
CURRENT WEEK
Resume of World's Important
Events Told in Brief.
Brazilian diamond dealers are lower
inglprices. Three Aberdeen, Wash., lumber
mills have resumed operations.
Villa with an army of 8000 is march
ing north to attack many towns on the
border.
. A suit haa been filed to test the
validity of the Arizona mothers' pen
sion law.
The bill proposing that the govern
ment purchase ships for commerce, is
being pushed in congress.
Hordes of Turks are reported swoop
ing into Russia, with the intention of
crossing the Armenian mountains and
attacking Tiflis.
Germans'admit that the allies had
an opportunity three months ago to
split the retreating German army in
two, but the chance was lost and the
gap closed by the timely arrival of
German reinforcements.
Great Britain decides to relax ban
on commerce between that country,
Italy and The Netherlands, whereby
commerce to the latter two countries
from the U. S. is expected to undergo
a minimum of molestation.
The Chilean government has decided
to send the battleship Captain Prat,
the finest vessel in the Chilean navy,
to take part in the international naval
parade in connection with the formal
opening ofjthe Panama canal.
Work on 8000 portable kitchen
wagons for the French army was be
gun at Louisville, Ky., this week. The
value of the order is placed a $260,
000. The French governmentt speci
fied that the wagons be ready in three
months.
President Wilson has practically de
cided that he cannot attend the open
ing of the Panama-Pacific exposition
unless the European war ends before
that date, as he feels it incumbent
upon all high officials to be at tneir
posts of duty during the conflict.
A German submarine boat reported
by wireless to the admiralty in Berlin
that it has torpedoed and sunk in the
English Channel off Plymouth the Brit
ish battleship Formidable. The Sub
marine was pursued by British de
stroyers but escaped undamaged.
Two negroes, Edward and Will
Smith, of Montgomery, Ala., were
taken from the Wetumpka jail early
one day this week and lynched by a
mob. They had been accused of im
plication in the murder of R. A. Still
well, an Elmore county farmer.
Searching parties later found the
negroes' bodies hanging in the woods.
New Orleans celebrates 100th anni
versary of peace between English
speaking nations. The ceremonies
were opened with the firing of a 21
gun salute, so timed that the last gun
boomed at 8:20 a. m. Friday, 100
years to the minute, according to his
torians, after General Jackson finally
triumphed over the British on the field
of Chalmette.
The recent lull in the activity of the
German forces seemed to indicate
preparation for a renewed attempt to
pierce the Kussian lines before War
saw, and the fighting of the last few
days shows that this attempt is being
made on the lines from the Vistula
south along the Bzura and Rawka
rivers to a point east of the town of
Rawka, which is in German hands.
The Austrian government has noti
fied the Italian foreign office that she
is striving to ascertain whether four
Italian subjects were taken as host
ages after the capture of Belgrade, as
has been widely reported in Italy. The
Austrian foreign office has given
notice to the Italian foreign office that
she is prepared to remedy the mistake,
il one was made, and will offer repara
tion.
The German armv authorities have
issued a eeneral order nrohihitinir in
future troops in the field from frater
nizing with forces of the enemy, as
they did at several points in the west
ern theater of the war at Christmas.
To such an extent was this fraterniz
ing carried out that at one place where
tne uermans and British played foot
ball Christmas day they agreed to sus
pend hostilities for two days more.
The fourth trial of Dr. B. Clarke
Hyde, of Kansas City, charged with
the murder of Colonel Thonfas H.
Swoke, was reset for April 5 in the
criminal court. The prosecutor asked
lor toe continuance becauee. he said.
the funds to pay necessary expert wit
nesses are not available at this'time.
Frank P. Walsh, attorney for Dr.
Hyde, opposed the postponement on
the ground that it was depriving the
defendant of his right to a speedy
trial. "
Because of the advancing nrice of
wheat Chicagoans are advocating the
consumption of "day-old" bread to
keep the price per loaf at 6 cents.
A representative-elect to the Oreimn
legislature will submit a bill to put
the state under a commission form of
government. proDosino- to eatuhlUh
twelve departments.
The British admiralty RnvR Hia pin.
tain of the Formidable, when his bat
tleship was struck bv German tnrnc
does, signalled nearby vessels to es
cape at once irom the vicinity, instead
of helping him.