The Maupin times., March 10, 1916, Image 4

WORLD'S DOINGS
Of CURRENT WEEK
Brief Resume of General News
From All Around the Earth.
UNIVERSAL HAPPENINGS IN A NUTSHELL
Live News Items of All Nations and
Pacific Northwest Condensed
for Our Busy Readers.
Cool, wet weather in Louisiana
causes short sugar crop.
Pope Benedict haa again solicited
the belligerents to make peace.
William F. Kelley, American consul
at Rome, dies suddenly of heart fail
ure. French authorities seize and sup
press publication of two Paris news
papers. A conference in Chicago of mayors
of large cities decided to insist on pre
paredness. Chicago bankers advise that "war
profits" be invested in the future of
the country.
Petty officers of some interned Ger
man ships at Honolulu are accused of
bootlegging.
The Seaview hotel at MoclipB Beach,
Wash., burned with a loss of $10,000.
Incendiarism is suspected.
Germany's food supply is said to be
in better condition the third winter of
the war than the second.
Turks are said to be removing mines
from the Dardanelles, preparatory to
opening the straits to traffic.
The house of representatives voteB
to stand behind President Wilson in
his submarine policy toward Germany.
General William Looysmith, distin
guished Union cavalry leader, in the
Civil war, dies at his ranch home near
Medford, Ore.
Information has been received from
Innsbruck, Switzerland, that cholera
has broken out anew in 37 towns and
villages in Austria.
Five thousand employes of the Ar
mour's, Swift's and Morris' packing
plants at East St. Louis receive un
solicited increases in wages.
The Booth-Kelly Lumber company,
of Eugene, Ore., receives an order for
9,000,000 feet of lumber to be used in
building freight cars for the Southern
Pacific.
U. S. naval war games in which the
aeroplanes will do the Bcouting for the
Atlantic battle fleet has been ordered
on the Southern drill grounds off Guan
tanamo. A woman passenger on the steamer
Sea Foam, enroute to San Francisco,
dies of fright during a Btorm. One
seaman was swept overboard and
drowned.
Three men armed with revolvers,
dynamite and percussion caps, were
arrested by Boston police. One of the
men greatly resembles Crones, who
poisoned the soup in Chicago recently.
Aberdeen, Wash., is about to begin
work on a $400,000 water system.
The government of India has im
posed an export duty on grain bags.
The United States National bank
will build a $250,000 bank building in
Portland.
Six homeless boys less than 6 years
of age and of varying nationalities are
to be adopted by Mrs. Bessie Fuller,
of South Porcupine, Ontario, Canada,
as a sociological experiment.
Fred G. Buskuhl, of Friend, Oregon,
has just received the bronze medal
awarded to him by the Carnegie hero
fund commission for attempting to
save the life of Joseph I. . Tarke at
Friend, August 3, 1912. The commis
sion also awarded $1000 to Mr. Bus
kuhl. Five million bushels of May wheat
have been bought by milling interests
in the last week as prices tumbled,
according to estimates of Minneapolis
chamber of commerce traders. This,
they say, would represent sales of one
million barrels of flour. Most of this
product is said to be for Eastern
bakers.
Two men with largo "roll" of
counterfeit Federal Reserve bank bills
re operating in Portland, and third
member of the gang is supposed to be
working in conjunction with the others
disguised as a plainclothes otflcer. The
duty of the third man appears to be to
disarm the suspicion of the victims by
vouching for his accomplices.
Portland' new city directory, which
will be imued next week, will report a
population for the city of approxi
mately 281,000.
The secretary of the California state
board of health declares spring fever
is not disease, but perfectly nor
mal and natural feeling.
A Stockholm dispatch to the London
Morning Poat aays that, according to a
messag from Karlskrona, Sweden,
whole mine field of several hundred
mines Is drifting from the North, htv
ing presumably been set adrift by the
Ice and wind.
18 PRISONERS BURNED TO DEATH
IN DISINFECTING BATHHOUSE
El Paso, Tex. Eighteen prisoners
were burned to death and probably 10
others seriously injured, many fatally,
in a fire late Tuesday at the city jail
bathhouse. The blaze started from a
flash of flame from a large tub of gas
oline and kerosene solution used to de
stroy germ-carrying lice. In their
first reports officials attributed the or
igin to the deliberate action of one of
the prisoners in throwing a lighted
match into the container.
More than a score of prisoners, who
were thoroughly saturated with the
solution, were enveloped in flames.
Jail attendants immediately opened
two exits, allowing a number of the
prisoners in the bath room to escape,
although seriously burned.
Surgeons said that the death list
would probably reach 25 and that
many of the injured would not live
more than a few hours.
Surrounding the bath quarters are
rows of cells, mostly filled with pris
oners. Those adjacent to the bath
were caught in the flames. Release
of these were slow and dangerous and
it was in these that most of the fatal
ities occurred. Volunteer rescuers
aided in dragging out the victims,
many unconscious and badly burned.
H. M. Cross, an American, who died
of injuries, was named as the man
who struck the match that caused the
fire, in a statement made by H. G.
Baby, one of the trusties on guard.
Cross was under arrest as a vagrant.
His home is said to have been in Dav
enport, la.
The disinfection tubs were placed
near the doorway leading to the police
hospital. The burst of flames blew
out doors and windows and the blaze
swept the hospital, rendering it un
tenable and useless for the press of
emergency work which followed.
On fire from head to foot, the nude
victims dashed into the streets and al
leys surrounding the prison. Several,
maddened by the pain, outdistanced all
pursuers and disappeared. Only one
of these had been found several hours
after the disaster.
One of the victims, a veritable
torch, plunged through the jagged re
mains of a window pane and clambered
to the roof of the jail, where he was
rescued by flrmen, only to die a few
minutes later.
Edward McGowan, of Warder, Ida
ho, and John Campbell, of Camern, of
Eugene, Oregon, were among the.
Americans seriously burned in the jail
fire.
President Names N. D. Baker
Secretary of War; He Accepts
Washington, D. C Newton D. Bak
er, former mayor of Cleveland, has
been selected by President Wilson for
secretary of war. His nomination
will go to the senate immediately and
administration leaders expect quick
confirmation so the new secretary may
take active charge of the War depart
ment's plans for army increases and
reorganization.
Mr. Baker is 44 years old, a lawyer,
and as a leader among Ohio Democrats
has been a warm supporter of the Wil
son policies since the pre-convention
campaign in 1912. He has been a
close personal friend of Mr. Wilson
since the latter was instructor years
ago at Johns Hopkins University, and
was offered the post of secretary of
the Interior in the original Wilson
cabinet, but declined because he then
was mayor. He is understood to be in
thorough accord with the President on
tho preparedness program and foreign
questions.
An offer of the War secretaryship
was made to Mr. Baker by telegraph
several days ago, after the President
had spent more than three weeks care
fully going over a long list of those
suggested to succeed Secretary Gar
rison. Mr. Baker accepted, and upon
being notified, that he would be nom
inated Bt once, telegraphed that he
would come to Washington.
Spanish Steamship Hits Rock.
Santos, Brazil The Spanish steam
ship Principe de Asturias has been
sunk by striking a rock. She went to
the bottom in five minutes. Eighty
six members of the crew and 67 pas
sengers have been brought to Satos by
the French steamer Viga.
Rio Janeiro It is feared here that
400 lives have been lost by the Binking
of the Spanish steamship Principe de
Astruias. The steamer remained
afloat onty a short time after striking
a shoal off San Sabastiao, and there
was little time for the escape of pas
sengers and the crew in the boats.
Naval Secrets Given Out
Washington, D. C The house naval
committee became interested Tuesday
in finding out where Representative
Gardner got the confidential figures on
target practice of the Atlantic fleet,
which he made public some time ago.
Admiral Fletcher, testifying before
the committee, said that the figures
were approximately correct. "Who
ever told them," said Chairman
Pagett, "was false to his trust and
a traitor to his country. If I find
out who did it, I am going to, publish
his name."
Taylor' Comet Splits.
Cambridge, Mass. A split in Tay
lor's comet, with one of the parts
from two to two and half magnitudes
fainter than the main comet, was an
nounced Tuesday in message to the
Harvard Observatory from the Yerkes
Observatory. The measurements were
made by Professor Barnard.
The Yerkes Observatory also re
ported an observation of Nujimen't
comet, discovered at Pulkowa, Russia,
last month.
DRASTIC MILITARY
BILL INTRODUCED
Senate Measure Stronger Than
Administration Had Asked.
GARRISON PLAN PRACTICALLY RETAINED
Army and National Guard Virtually
Doubled in Strength New In
ducements for Recruits.
Washington, D. C The first of the
national preparedness measures to
reach either house of congress for con
sideration was introduced in the senate
Saturday by Senator Chamberlain,
chairman of the military committee,
which perfected it after weeks of
hearings and conferences. It proposes
an even more sweeping change in mili
tary policy than that outlined by Pres
ident Wilson in his annual message,
and was described by Mr. Chamberlain
as the most comprehensive piece of
military legislation ever offered in
congress.
All of the elementary administration
army plans prepared by ex-Secretary
Garrison are retained, although in al
tered form, and additional proposals
for organization of industrial reserves
in peace times go even further than
the administration had suggested.
The house committee's bill was
introduced Monday. There is no vital
difference between the two measures
and members of both committees be
lieve that when the final bill, which
will be agreed on in joint conference
committee, has passed both houses,
the President will be able to afix his
signature to a measure that will do
more than he has asked toward build
ing up an adequate National defense. .
Aside from its plan virtually to
double the Army and National guard,
the senate bill has four striking fea
tures. One of these authorizes Feder
al volunteer forces in peace times, the
object sought by Secretary Garrison
with his continental army plan. An
other mobilizes all whose callings fit
them for special duty. The third
Federalizes the National guard and,
the fourth contemplates training offi
cers from among graduates of military
schools and colleges.
For the regular Army the bill pro
vides a peace strength within five
years of 178,000 men of all arms, or
approximately 165,000 fighting troops.
The percentage of men in each com
pany, battery or troop at peace
strength would be increased in the in
terests of efficiency, and the full war
strength would be 225,000 men. The
Amy would consist of 65 infantry, 25
cavalry and 21 field artillery regiments
in addition to the staff and other spe
cial corps and coast artillery.
Colonel House Is Back From
European War Zone
New York Colonel E. M. House,
who sailed for Europe December 28
on a confidential mission for President
Wilson, arrived here Sunday on the
steamship Rotterdam from Falmouth.
Colonel House declined to comment
on his mission or what he had seen or
done while abroad, reiterating the
statement he had made prior to leav
ing here in December, that his mis
sion was to convey to some of the
American ambassadors information
having to do with international ques
tions that could not be supplied them
by cable or letter.
Asked if he had noticed any marked
change in the attitude of Europe to
ward the United States since his prev
ious trip, Colonel House said:
"Reports of an unfavorable attitude
toward the United States by the peo
ple of Europe are exaggerated. At
least, I heard no criticism in any of
the countries I visited. I will say al
so that we should remember that the
people of the belligerent nations are
iiving with their nerves on edge and
we should make allowances according-
iy."
Germans Renew Attack on
Verdun With No Gains
Paris Fighting of great violence
continues at Douaumont, in the Ver
dun region, the war office announced
Sunday. The Germans made a heavy
attack againBt the French front along
the line from the Haudremont wood to
Douaumont fort. This assault, the
statement says, waa repulsed.
It is announced semi-officially that
the battle at Verdun continued Sunday
throughout the day with the same in
tensity and without causing any
change in the respective positions of
the opposing armies.
Zeppelins Raid England.
London A Zeppelin raid took place
Sunday night, when two hostile air
ship crossed over the northeast coast
of England. The official statement
announcing the raid gives no informa
tion as to the damage done. "At the
time of this report," the statement
continues, "their movements have not
been clearly defined. Some bombs were
dropped, which fell into the tea near
the shore, but information is not yet
available as to whether any damage
was done on land. A further com
munication will be iasued later,"
3130 LIVES LOST
ON FRENCH CRUISER
Mediterranean Disaster Takes
Lead in Fatalities at Sea.
4000 ON BOARD; ONLY 870 SAVED
Ordinary Capacity of Vessel Largely
Exceeded on Account of Short
Voyage Mostly Soldiers. -
Paris It was announced at the
French ministry of marine Saturday
that there were nearly 4000 men on
board the French auxiliary cruiser
Provence when Bhe was sunk in the
Mediterranean on February 26.
It was said that on board the Pro
vence were the staff of the Third Colo
nial Infantry regiment, the Third bat
talion, the Second company of the
First battalion, the Second Machine
Gun company, and one extra company.
As the ministry of marine, on Feb
ruary 29, announced that the number
of survivors of the Provence disaster
was estimated at 870, it is indicated
that upwards of 3130 lives were lost.
This great number of casualties
makes the disaster the greatest on the
sea in modern times. Up to the pres
ent time the largest number of lives
ever lost in one wreck was when the
White Star liner Titanic struck an ice
berg off the Newfoundland banks on
April 14, 1912, and sank with a death
loss of 1595. The rescued numbered
743.
The vessel, however, when in the
trans-Atlantic service, could carry
1960 persons, including the crew, and
it has been presumed that as she was
transporting troops between ports not
far apart, she was carrying a number
of men larger than her normal capa
city. SENATE SUPPORTS
PRESIDENT'S STAND
Washington, D. C By a vote of 68
to 14 the senate Friday carried out
President Wilson's wish and killed
Senator Gore's resolution to warn
Americans off armed belligenrent
ships.
In a turbulent scene, such as is sel
dom witnessed in the senate, voting
proceeded, with senators shouting ob
jections, futilely demanding recogni
tion to explain their positions and
making hot retorts to each other, all
of which were out of order.
At one time so many senators were
shouting for the vice president's recog
nition that the sergeant-at-arms was
called to restore quiet.
After having maneuvered for two
days to get the resolution in such par
liamentary position that it waa dis
posed of without debate, the senate
then proceeded to a general discussion
of the subject, which continued all af
ternoon, to the dismay of administra
tion supporters. There were free ex
pressions of opinion that the senate's
action, because the vote . actually was
taken on a motion to table the Gore
resolution, with a correction by the
author and a substittue by Senator Mc
Cumber, was in effect a "Scotch ver
dict," and had not actually accomplish
ed the purpose of the President.
Such statements aroused the Presi
dent's friends, who feared they would
produce an effect exactly opposite to
that intended. It was intended to
give notice to the world that the sen
ate stands behind the President in his
demands on Germany for the rights of
Americans traveling the seas.
In the house, however, the foreign
affairs committee, by a vote of 17 to
2, took a longer step toward meeting
fully the President's wishes. It voted
to report the McLemore warning reso
lution, with the recomemndation that
it be tabled. In the report the com
mittee asserts that the constitution im
posed the conduct of diplomatic nego
tiations on the President, and ."with
this practice the committee does not
feel it proper for the house of repre
senattivea to interfere."
German Score Air Raids.
Geneva, via Paris The bombard
ment of open towns in France and Eng
land by aircraft waa sharply criticised
in the parliament of the Duchy of
Baden by the progressive deputy, Herr
Hummel. A violent scene followed the
deputy's remarks. Herr Hummel de
clared that attacks on such towns on
the pretext of reprisals was only the
useless butchery of peaceful citizens.
Deputy Kolb, Socialist, called atten
tion to what he termed the "brutal
treatment of the new recruits, who are
shortly to be sent to the trenches."
$5000 Worth of Liquor Taken.
Seattle Deputy sheriffs raided the
home of P. E. Sullivan, who conducted
a large cafe at Fourth avenue and Pike
street before the prohibition law went
into effect January 1, and seized 160
cases of intoxicating liquors other than
beer. And laid to be worth $5000. The
liquor, it was said, had been removed
to Mr. Sullivan's home from the cafe
when the prohibition law went into
effect Under the law it is illegal to
posses over two quart of liquor.
GERMAN RAIDER MAKES HOME
PORT WITH BOOTY AND PRISONERS
Berlin The German cruiser Moewe
arrived Monday in a German port
(said to be Wilhelmshaven), according
to an official announcement made here.
She had on board 199 prisoners and
1,000,000 marks in gold bars. The
statement follows:
"The naval general staff says that
H. M. S. Moewe, Commander Captain
Burgrave Count von Dohna-Scholdien,
after a successful cruise lasting sev
eral months, arrived at some home port
with four British officers, 29 British
marines and sailors, 166 men of crews
of enemy steamers, among them 103
Indians, as prisoners, and 1,000,000
marks in gold bars.
"The vessel captured the following
enemy vessels, the greater part of
which were sunk, and a small part of
which were sent as prizes to neutral
ports.
"The British steamers Corbridge,
3647 tons; Author, 3496 tons; Trader,
3608 tons; Ariadne, 3035 tons; Dro
monby, 3627 tons; Farringford, 3146
tons; Clan Mactavish, 5816 tons; Ap
pam, 7781 tons; Westburn, 3300 tons;
Horace, 3335 tons; Flamenco, 4629
tons; Saxon Prince, 3471 tons.
British sailing vessel Edinburgh,
1473 tons.
"French steamer Maroni; 3109 tons.
"Belgian steamer Luxembourg,
4322 tons.
"At several points on enemy coast
the Moewe also laid mines, to which,
among others, the battleship King Ed
ward VII fell victim."
Count von Dohna-Scholdien, com
mander of the Moewe, has received
the iron cross of the first class, and
the members of the crew have receiv
ed the iron cross of the second class.
Count von Dohna has been ordered to
report to headquarters for a personal
interview with the emperor.
East Wants Slice of Oregon
& California Land Grant Profits
Washington, D. C. If the Cham
berlain bill is made the the basis of
congressional legislation, looking to
the disposal of the unsold portion of
the Oregon & California land grant,
one important provision, that prescrib
ing the manner of disposing of the
net revenues from the Bale of timber
lands, will be radically amended, if not
altogether eliminated.
As the bill now stands, the receipts
from the sale of timber lands, after
paying the railroad company what
further amounts may be found due,
will go into a special fund, of which
40 per cent will go to the state of Ore
gon for school purposes, 40 per cent
will go to the land grant counties, and
the remaining 20 per cent to the Fed
eral government.
While the public land committees of
the senate and house have not yet
formulated their reports, it has be
come quite evident that there will be
strong opposition to turning over 80
per cent of the net receipts to Oregon
and the counties, and this provision
will be less favorably received by the
senate and house than by the commit
tees which have the subject in hand.
And especially will this provision be
assailed when it is generally known
that the government estimates the
timber to be worth upwards of $50,
000,000. Regardless of the reasons back of
it, the idea is strong among Eastern
and Southern men in congress that the
lands of the West belong to the entire
country, and there is a decided oppo
sition to any legislation which con
cedes that the Western states have a
greater interest in lands within their
borders than do states 3000 miles
away.
U. S. Will Make Demands
. On Austria in Petrolite Case
Washington, D. C. The United
States is preparing to make formal
demands upon Austria-Hungary as a
result of the attack by an Austrian
submarine upon the American tank
steamer Petrolite. A note on the sub
ject will be dispatched within the next
few days.
It is said authoritatively that the
United States would stand by its orig
inal contentions and ask an apology
for the attack, punishment of the sub
marine commander and reparation for
damage done to the vessel and injuries
inflicted on a member of the crew.
In reply to the first American com
munication Austria informed the State
department that its version of the
affair was that the submarine com
mander thought the Petrolite an
enemy ship, disguised with the Amer
ican flag; that he fired on the vessel
because he believed it was about to
ram his ship, and that the commander
of the Petrolite voluntarily furnished
provisions when asked to do so.
The State department since has se
cured information from the captain
and crew of the Petrolite directly con
tradictory to the Austrian version.
Irish Ask Freedom,
New York Resolution termed "an
Irish declaration of independence,"
appealing for the recognition of Ire
land as a nation by the powers of the
world and demanding that Americans
be warnid not to travel on ships carry
ing contraband, were adopted Sunday
by the Friends of Irish Freedom, a na
tional organization formed here Satur
day as the outgrowth of a conference
called to define the attitude which it is
contended Irishmen in this country
should assume toward Great Britain.
2000 GERMANS
TRAPPED IN RUINS
Remnant of, Famous Corps Is
Surrounded by French.
BREAK fOR LIBERTY IS CERTAIN DEATH
Starvation or Forced Fight Is Plight
of Brandenburg Troops, Pride
of Entire Germany Army.
Paris The remanant of the famous
Brandenburgh corps, flower of the
kaiser's armies, which bore the brunt
of the assault on Verdun, is trapped in
what remains of the fort at Douau
mont. French forces surround it on
all sides.
Guards have been placed about the
fort. The French are not wasting lives
in attacking it, but are waiting until
hunger compels the kaiser's crack
troopers to run up the white flag or
come out and fight. More than 200O
of the Brandenburghers are virtually
prisoners.
In the attacks on Douaumont, the
fort at the place changed hands four
times. Repelled by the Germans, the
French rallied and regained the strong
hold, only to be routed again. As
saults and counter-assaults might have
continued indefinitely had not the Bre
ton corps been called on. The Bretons
charged with irresistible elan through
a storm of German shells and put the
famous Brandenburghers to flight.
The pursuit carried the main divis
ion of the German corps to the north
ward, beyond the fort. The ferocity
and suddenness of the French assault
cut off the escape of 2000 of the Bran
denburghers, who were unable to get
out of the fort. The French assert
that the latter will either be starved
into surrender or will make a break
for the German lines. The French say
annihilation will follow a break to es
cape. Secretary of War Kitchener
Makes Plan for Home Economy
London Rigid economy in the use
of home, as well as imported products,
was urged on all Britons by Earl
Kitchener, secretary of war, in a
speech before a great mass meeting at
Guild Hall. This was declared neces
Bary so every available man might en
list in the army and so every possible
energy of munitions and army equip
ment. Lord Kitchener urged his hearers to
consider the fact that the war was a
struggle for economic exhaustion, as.
well as a conflict of armies.
"Whether the army in the field,"'
he continued, "who are entirely de
pendent on the civilian army for food,
equipment and munitions, can get.
those things in sufficient quantities
depends absolutely and entirely on
whether every man and woman at
home shows the utmost energy in pro
duction and utmost economy in con
sumption." House Committee Promises
Astoria Navy Base Hearing
Washington, D. C The chairman
of the house naval committee notified
Representative Hawley that he will
hold hearings on the Hawely bill, pro
viding for the establishment of a naval
base on the Columbia river, soon after
the regular naval appropriation bill is
reported, and will give opportunity to
all who are interested to be heard.
A telegram from the Astoria com
mittee was received by Representa
tive Hawely and is as follows:
"The movement is for a complete
Pacific Coast defense, naval and mili
tary. Astoria will co-operate with
San Francisco, Puget Sound and all
Pacific Coast ports, but insists that the
Colubmia river is the vital strategic
point and must have first class recogni
tion. Our campaign is not local, but
patriotic. Free sites for the naval
base are offered on both Bides of the
Columbia river if available for the
naval board. We don't ask for pork,
but for preparedness."
Star Line Cancels Sailings.
New York Although there have
been sailings of White Star steamers
on an average of once a week Bince the
war began, officials of the company
here have said no more of the com
pany's liner would Bail with passen
gers to any English ports until April
12, when the Lapland is scheduled to
leave here. It is asserted that this
decision had no bearing on the German
submarine campaign, but was due to
the fact that the British government
has taken over many vessels of the line
for the transportation of munitions.
Editor to Spell Simply.
New York Eight publicstions
owned by Governor Arthur Capper, of
Kansas, have adopted a simplified
form of spelling a list of 12 words,
according to statement made here
by officials of the simplified spelling
board.
The word and form of spelling
which the publication began using
are: Tho, altho, thru, thruout, thoro,
thoroly, thorofare,, program, catalog,
prolong, decalog and pedagog.