WORLD HAPPENINGS
OF CURRENT WEEK
Brief Resume Most Important
Daily News Items.
COMPILED FOR YOU
Events of Noted People, Governments
and Pacific Northwest, and Other
Things Worth Knowing.
The Cairo correspondent says that
Mohammed VI, the ex-Turkish sultan,
Is reported to have accepted the Invi
tation of King Russeln, sovereign of
the Hedjas, to live in Mecca.
The soviet government of Russia ex
pects to recruit 5000 steel workers
from the Youngstown, Ohio, district
this month, according to P. S. Calvert,
president of the Kuzbas industrial
colony.
General Papoulas, ex-commander-in-chief
of the Creek army and one of
those arrested by the revolutionary
committee ia connection with the
Greek military disaster in Asia Minor,
has been liberated. ,
The Bank of Starbuck, at Starbuck,
Wash., 170 miles south of Spokane on
the Oregon-Washington railroad, was
held up Monday afternoon by a rob
ber, who escaped with approximately
$500, which he took from the counter.
Regional Interstate commerce com
missions operating under jurisdiction
of the interstate commerce commis
sion in Washington would be provid
ed under a bill introduced by Repre
sentative Hawes, democratic, of Mis
souri. A campaign to enlist 50,000 min
isters and through them 40,000,000
church members to take an active part
in the 1924 presidential election was
announced in Chicago Tuesday by Rev.
J. Clover Monsma, editor of the Min
isters' Monthly.
Three outlaws in West New York,
N. J., Tuesday attacked the cashier
of the Public Service Gas company
and a policeman who guarded him as
they left the company's offices, felled
them with pistol butts and fled with a
bag. -containing $8770.
Criminals will be clubbed and sent
to hospitals Instead of being imprison
ed, in the administration of justice un
der the fasclBtl regime In the province
of AllesBandria, Italy, Dr. Sala, the
secretary, said in an address to male
factors summoned before him.
The centuries-old struggle between
England and Ireland ended Monday
night when the legislation giving the
sanction of law to the new settlement
with Ireland passed its final stages
in the house of lords, which for gen
erations has bitterly opposed any ac
commodation with Ireland.
Seven men, including two former
prohibition enforcement agents, con
victed last week of substituting 160
barrels of ginger ale for Canadian
whisky while the shipment was being
moved from a New York railroad sta
tion last April, were sentenced by
Federal Judge Mack to two years each
In Atlanta penitentiary.
Declining birth rate and an Increas
ing death rate for 1922 as compared
with 1921 were forecast Wednesday
by the census bureau, which basd its
calculation on records for the last
sis months of the year for the regis
tration area of the country, compris
ing about 82 per cent of the total popu
lation of the United States.
The Interstate commerce commis
sion at Its hearing on the Southern
Pacific railroad's application to re
tain control of the Central Pacific
Tuesday practically concluded the tak
ing of testimony from witnesses call
ed to demonstrate the attitude of west
ern puhllo opinion toward the contin
uation of unified operation of the two
systems, which have been ordered by
the supreme court to operate separate
ly. Return by President Harding Tues
day to the senate of the nomination
of Pierce Butler, St. Paul attorney and
a democrat, to be an associate justice
of the supreme court of the United
States was followed by Immediate pre
parations of senate forces to fight for
and against his confirmation. The
intention of the administration to
press the appointment of Mr. Butler
was seen in the renomlnatlon, despite
failure of confirmation at the end of
the special session through opposition
of Senator La Follette, republican,
Wisconsin, and Norrls, republican,
Nebraska.
VIOLATORS FACE DUEL TRIAL
Both State and Federal Punishment
for BootleggersLegal.
Washington, D. C. Two cases con
sidered by the government of major
Importance in the enforcement of na
tional prohibition were decided by the
supreme court Monday. In one of
them, coming from the state of Wash
ington, the government scored .a
sweeping victory, the supreme court
holding that both the federal and a
state government can prosecute and
punish the same unlawful act In the
manufacture, possession, transporta
tion or sale of Intoxicating liquors. .
The other caBe, coming from Cali
fornia, the government lost in its con
tention that In the enforcement of na
tional prohibition an executive officer
can Impose and collect as taxes the
assessments and penalties imposed by
those sections of the revised statutes
which remain unrepealed by the Vol
stead act and which became law while
the manufacture and sale of intoxi
cating liquor was not prohibited.
The United States district court for
western Washington dismissed a fed
eral Indictment charging Vlto Ianza,
Dick Bartb and others with manu
facturing, transporting and possessing
intoxicating liquors' on the ground that
they had been tried and convicted In
the state courts for the same offense.
a reversing this decision the supreme
court held that "In the absence of
special provision by congress, convic
tion and punishment in a state court
under a state law for making, trans,
porting and selling intoxicating
liquors Is not a bar to a prosecution
in a court ot the United States under
the federal law for the same acts."
The effect of the prohibition amend
ment, the court stated in an opinion
by Chief Justice Taft, was to establish
prohibition In every part of the United
States and affect transactions which
are essentially local or intrastate, as
well as those pertaining to interstate
or foreign commerce.
The power to take legislative meas
ures to make the policy effective exist
ed In congress, the court continued, "in
respect of the territorial limits of the
United States and at the same time
the like power of the several states
within thoir territorial limits shall not
cease to exist."
"Each state, as also congress," it
added, "may exercise an independent
judgment In selecting and shaping
measures to enforce prohibition. Such
as are adopted by congress become
laws of the United States and such
as are adopted by a state become laws
of that state. They may vary In many
particulars, Including the penalties
prescribed, but this is an Inseparable
Incident of Independent legislative ac
tion in distinct jurisdictions."
Blue Sky Law Wanted.
Vancouver, Wash. j Washington's
lack ot a blue sky law is taking more
than $30,000,000 a year out ot the
state, J. Grant Hinkle, secretary of
state, who was here on a visit Tues
day, declared. Mr. Illnkle recently at
tended the national convention of sec
retaries of state and learned that the
popular cry against the burden of
direct taxation is heard in practically
every state.
Legislation providing for a blue sky
law In this Btate will be passed on in
the near future, Mr. Hinkle Indicated.
The "wildcat" corporations, which In
corporate under the lenient Washing
ton laws and except for selling stock
do business elsewhere, will have to
seek some other state to get a charter,
if the proposed law is passed, the of
ficial declared.
Bandits Few In England.
Chicago. England has not exper
ienced a highway robbery for bo long
that Sir Basil Thomson, former chief
of Scotland Yard, here for a lecture,
has forgotten the last Instance, he
said Monday. Sir Basil gave as the
reason the strict enforcement of the
English law against possession of fire
arms, saying that even law enforce
ment officers do not carry weapons
unless detailed to capturo a desperate
bandit.
New Apples Developed.
Geneva, N. Y. Two new apples, the
Crotland and Tioga, the former a cross
between the Ben Davis and Mcintosh,
and the latter from the Northern Spy
and Sutton, have been developed by
horticulturallsts at the state agricul
tural experiment station here. The
new fruit now is being distributed to
members of the New York fruit test
ing co-operative association, Inc., for
seeding.
5,000,000 to Need Aid.
New York. More than 5,000,000 Rus
slons must get relief this winter, Col
onel William L. Haskell, chief repre
sentative in Russia of the American
relief administration, declared Satur
day on his arrival on the steamship
Berengarla. Ot this number, he said,
the American relief workers will care
for 4,000,000; the others will receive
GUI SURTAX RATES,
SAYS I. MELLON
Secretary Asks Lawmakers to
Face Facts.
INCOME TAX WANES
Treasury Chief Would Make Escape
From Payments More Dif
ficult for Wealthy.
Washington, D. C Reduction of the
maximum income surtax rate from the
present 50 per cent to not more than
25 per cent, and the closing up so far
as possible of existing avenues of es
cape from federal taxes are urged
by Secretary Mellon In his annual re
port, transmitted recently to congress.
No general revision of the revenue
laws is proposed nor are additional
taxes suggested, Mr. Mellon express
ing the hope of meeting any indicated
government deficit through collection
of back taxes and income from other
sources.
The treasury secretary informed
congress that to attempt alone to
stop the gaps through which there
Is an avoidance of tax payments to
the government would not be enough
because the existing rates of surtax
"put such heavy pressure on the larger
taxpayers to reduce their taxable in
comes" that new ones would surely
be found. He added that the high
rates "sound productive," but that the
fact remains that they are becoming
Increasingly Ineffective and are yield
ing less and less revenue each year.
Then bluntly he told congress the
time had come to "face the facts
squarely" and correct the artificial
conditions which now prevail and
which, he asserted, are not whole
some from the point fo view of busi
ness or industrial development and,
at the same time, are impairing the
revenues of the government. '
The more important of the meth
ods used by taxpayers to reduce the
amount of Income subject to taxa
tion were listed by Mr. Mellon as fol
lows: Deduction of losses on sales of capi
tal assets, with the failure to realize
on capital gains.
Exchanges of property and securi
ties so as to avoid taxable gains.
Investment In tax-exempt securities.
Division of property, creation of
trusts and the like.
"Not all of these things can be
controlled by law or by regulation,"
he continued, "and most of them lead
to unnatural and frequently harmful
economic results. To reach the evil
the thing most necessary is the re
duction of the surtax rates themselves,
in order to reduce the pressure for
avoidance and maintain the revenues
derived from the surtax.
"Until some such readjustment is
made the yield of the higher sur
taxes will tend, in the ordinary course
of events, to drop toward the vanish
ing point. The wise course is to re
form the surtaxes now while the
system still functions and at the same
time to close, so far as passible, the
gap which now exists. On this basis
the revision can be made without loss
of revenue and, in the long run, with
material benefit to the revenues."
Rates to Be Repeated.
Chicago. The Transcontinental Pas
senger association has announced that
summer excursion round-trip ' fares
from California, Nevada, Oregon,
Washington and British Columbia to
eastern destinations will be the same
for 1923 as were in effect this year.
Similarly, excursion fares from Chi
cago, St. Louis, Memphis, New Or
leans and territory west to California
and the north Pacific coast in effect
in 1922 will be maintained.
Marshall Is Outsider.
Washington, D. C. Former Vice
President Marshall visited the capltol
Saturday but was barred from the sen
ate chamber by a diminutive page boy.
"That's all right; I used to work
here," Mr. Marshall said, but the page,
the youngest and newest of the flock,
refused to admit the former vice-president
until he was well introduced.
Klansmen to Lose Jobs.
New York. New York city employes
holding membership In the Ku Klux
Klan will be discharged when their
Identities are learned, Commissioner
ot Accounts Htrschfteld declared Sat
urday. An Investigation of reports
that the klan was making a member
ship campaign among the municipal
workers will be made.
Copyright by
"MIDNIGHT MASQUERI"
SYNOPSIS-Durlng the height of
the New Orleans carnival treason
Jachin Fell, wealthy though some
what mysterious citizen, and Dr.
Ansley, are discussing a aeries of
robberies by an Individual known
as the Midnight Masquer, who, In
variably attired us an aviator, has
long defied the police. Joseph Mali
lard, wealthy banker, Is giving a
ball that night, at which the Mas
quer has threatened to appear and
rob the guests. Fell and Ansley,
on their way to the affair, meet a
girl dressed as Columbine, seeming
ly known to Fell, but masked, who
accompanies them to the ball.
Lucie Ledanols, recently the ward
of her uncle, Joseph Malllard, Is
the Columbine. At the ball, Bob
Malllard, son of the banker, again
proposes to her and Is refused. He
offers to buy some of her property.
A Franciscan monk interests her.
CHAPTER II Continued.
3
"So," the girl smiled a little, "you
would betray your business friends In
order to make a bit of money for
me?"
Malllard stared at her. "Well, If
you put It that wny, yes I I'd do more
than that for "
"Thank you," she Interrupted, her
voice cold. "I don't think I'd trust
your sagacity very fur, Robert. Good
night." She turned from him and was gone,
dancing through the great rooms like
t true Columbine.
Midnight neared, and brought a con
cern to many; the Midnight Masquer
had gained his name by Invariably
appearing a moment or two before the
stroke of twelve. Jachin Fell, who
divided his time between enjoying the
smoking room and wandering about
among the masquers, perceived that
Joseph Malllard was watching the
time with anxiety.
A lnrge man, stern and a bit scorn
ful of look, Malllard was imposing
rather than handsome. He appeared
the typical banker, efficient, devoid of
all sentiment. Amused by the man's
evident uneasiness, Jnchln Fell kept
him In view while the moments
dragged. One might have thought
that the little gray man was studying
the financier as an entomologist
studies a butterfly on a pin.
Shortly before twelve Columbine
pirouetted up to Fell and accepted the
arm he offered her. They were for
the moment alone, in a corner of the
ballroom.
"I must see you tomorrow, please,"
she breathed.
"Gladly," he assented. "May I call?
It's Sunday, you know "i .
"If you will; at three. Something
has huppened, but I cannot speak of it
"So," the Girl Smiled a Little, "You
Would Betray Your Business Friends
In Order to Make a Bit of Money
for Me?"
here. Does any 'one else know that
you that you are Interested in my
affairs?"
The pale gray eyes of the little gray
man looked very Innocent and wonder
ing. "Certainly not, my dear! Why?"
"I'll tell you tomorrow." Then she
broke Into a laugh. "Well, It Is mid
night and the Masquer has not ap
peared. I'm almost sorry."
The lights flickered off for a mo
ment, theD "is 'again. The signal for
unmasking I
The dancing ceased. From the whole
room arose a babel of voices cries
of surprise, exclamations, merry
laughter. Columbine removed her
mask. An Instant later Joseph Mall
'
MARDI GRAS
MYSTERY
EBedford-Jones
Illujirations btj
Irwin Myers
Doubleday,Iag and Company
lard approached them, chuckling to
himself and looking hugely relieved.
"Ha, Lucie I I guessed you beneath
the Columbine daintiness! Have you
examined your favor yet?"
Remembering, the girl caught at her
corsage. Cries of delight were arising
on all sides as the favors were re
vealed most handsome favors, even
for Mardi Grasl From the heart of
the rosebuds in her hand Lucie re
moved a brooch of old filigree work
set with a group of pearls. She
glanced about for Jachin Fell, but he
had vanished with Malllard. A voice
rose at her elbow :
"Mademoiselle, you are not less
lucky than beautiful! Pearls to the
pearl !"
She turned to see the Franciscan
no longer masked, but now gazing at
her from a frank, luughing counte
nance, still partially veiled by the
brown cowl that was drawn up close
about his head.
"Henry Gramontl" she exclaimed.
"Oh, I half suspected that It was you
"But you were not sure?" he
chuckled. "You're not offended with
me, Lucie?"
"I should be." She tossed her bead.
"You were Impertinent, M. le prince !"
He made a distasteful gesture.
"None of that, Lucie I You know I
don't like it "
"Oh, la, la !" she mocked him. "M.
le prince Is seeing America, n'est ce
pas? He has come to America to find
a rich wife, is it not?"
Gramont's face lost Its smile, and
suddenly became almost harsh.
"I shall call upon you at four , to
morrow, Lucie," he said, abruptly, and
turned. Nor did he pause to get her
reply. An Instant afterward Lucie was
surrounded by a merry group of
friends, and she saw no more of Hen
ry Gramont
About five minutes later those In the
ballroom distinctly heard, through the
open windows, the heavy pulsations of
an airplane motor.
CHAPTER III.
The Bandit.
Joseph Malllard's library was on the
ground flogr of the house; It was a
sedate and stately room, and was in
variably shut off to itself. Not even
tonight, of all nights, was It thrown
open with the remainder of the house.
Here Malllard summoned half a
dozen of his particular cronies and
friends, after the stroke of midnight
bad assured him that there was no
danger to be expected from the ban
dit. His son was not among the num
ber. The half dozen were nearly all
elderly men, and, with the exception
of Jachin Fell, all were men of promi
nent affairs.
About the table grouped Malllard
and his guests. Malllard, standing be
fore a small wall safe that flanked the
open hearth, lifted his sliver goblet,
asteam with beads. The moment for
which he had been waiting was here;
he launched his little thunderbolt with
an air of satisfied importance.
"My friends, I have a confession to
make I" he announced. "Today I re
ceived a note from the Midnight Mas
quer stating that he would be with us
this evening, presumably at the hour
of midnight, his usual time."
These words brought an Instant si
lence. The half-dozen men were
tense, watchful, astonished. But Mall
lard swung up his silver cup and
laughed gaily.
"I took full precautions, gentlemen.
The hour of danger Is past, and the
notorious bandit has not arrived or,
If he has arrived, he is now in the
hands of the law. So up with your
cups,- my friends a lifelong health to
Mardi Gras, and damnation to prohibi
tion and the Midnight Masquer!"
From everyone broke a swift assent
to the toast, a murmur of relieved ten
sion. The silver goblets were lifted,
touched In a musical clinking of edges,
and the aromatic breath of juleps
filled the library as the drinkers. In
true southern fashion, burled noses
In the fragrant mint. Then, as the
cups were lowered, from the recess of
the curtained windows at one end of
the room came a quiet voice:
"I thank you, gentlemen! But I
must remind you, Malllard, that there
was not a time limit set in the note."
With a simultaneous gasp everyone
turned. Malllard stnggered ; his face
went livid. Every eye was fastened
upon that amazing figure now advanc
ing from the shadows of the recess.
It was the figure of an aviator, clad
In leather from top to toe, the goggles
and helmet shield completely masking
his head and features from recogni
tion. In his hand he held an auto
matic pistol, which covered the group
of men before him with Its threaten
ing mouth.
"Not a sound, If you plenso," he
warned, his voice thin and nasal oh
vlously disguised. "I trust that none
of you gentlemen is armed, because I
am very quick on the trigger, A very
pleasant surprise, Mulllurd? You'd
given me up, eh?"
For an instant no one spoke. Then
Malllard moved slightly, moved his
hand toward a button set in the wall
near the safe. The voice of the ban
dit leaped out at blm like thin steel;
"Quiet, you fool I If you touch that
button "
Malllard stiffened, and gripped the
table edge with his shaking hand.
The bandit bowed slightly, and ad
dressed the gathering In a tone of dry
raillery :
"The rights of property are to me
far more sacred than human life;
there I agree with the law. So, gen
tlemen kindly empty your pockets on
the table." His voice became crisp.
"The jeweled scarfplns which you re
ceived as favors this evening may be
added to the collection; otherwise, I
shall not touch your private posses
sions. No watches, thank you. Mall
lard, kindly begin I I believe that you
carry a wallet? If you please."
The banker could not but obey. His
hands trembling with feur and rage,
he took from his pocket a wallet, and
emptied a sheaf of bills upon the
table. One after another, the other
men followed his example. When It
came his turn, Jachin Fell drew a
single bill from his pocket, and laid
It down.
"You put some faith In that warn
ing, Mr. Fell?" The bandit laughed.
"If You Don't," Was the Cool Threat,
"I'll Shoot You Through the Ab
domen." "Do you think that you will know me
again?"
"I hardly believe so, sir," answered
Fell In his apologetic fashion, "Your
disguise Is really excellent."
"Thank you." The bandit's voice
held a thin mockery. "Coming from
you, sir, that compliment Is most wel
come." "What the devil does the fellow
mean?" exploded Judge Forester.
"Then you are not aware that Mr.
Fell Is a man of large affairs?" The
bandit's white teeth flashed In a
smile. "He Is a modest man, this at
torney I And a dangerous man also, I
assure you. But come, Mr. Fell, I'll
not betray you."
Jachin Fell obviously did not appre
ciate the pleasantry. His shy and won
dering features assumed a set and
hardened look.
"Whoever you are," he responded,
a subtle click of anger In his tone,
"you shall be punished for this !"
"For what, Mr. Fell? For knowing
too much of your private affairs?"
The bandit laughed. "Fear not I am
only an amateur at this game, for
tunately! So do your worst, and my
blessing upon you! Now, gentlemen,
kindly withdraw a few paces. All but
you, Malllard; I'm not through with
you yet."
The automatic pistol gestured; un
der its menace everyone Obeyed the
command, for the calm assurance of
the bandit made It seem extremely
likely that he would use the weapon
without compunction. The men with
drew toward the far end of the room,
where a word from the aviator halted
them. Malllard remained standing
where he was.
The Masquer advanced to the table
and gathered the heap of money and
scarfplns Into the leathern pocket of
his coat During the process his gaze
did not waver from the group of men,
nor did the .threat ot his weapon lift
from the banker before him.
"Now, Malllard," he quietly ordered,
"you will have the kindness to turn
around and open the wall safe behind
you. And don't touch the button."
Malllard started.
"That safe I Why why d n yon,
I'll do nothing of the sort I"
"If you don't," was the cool threat,
"I'll shoot you through the abdomen.
A man fears a bullet there worse than
death. It may kill you, and It may
not; really, I care very little. You
you financier!" 1
Scorn leaped into the quiet voice,
scorn that lashed and bit deep.
"It was natural then that Lu
cie should take Jachin Fell Into
her eonfldencs."
I TO BS CONTIA'UED.)