E
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.
Word was received In Montreal
Tuesday that the tenth fire to sweep
a Catholic edifice in Canada this year
had destroyed the parish church of
Saint Thomas D'Alfred at Fassett
Monday night.
The Italian government has extend
ed to June 30, 1923, the temporary
exemption from duty of imports of
wheat, oats, yellow corn and rye, ac
cording to advices to the department
of commerce from Commercial At
tache MacLaren at Rome.
Miss Vera Jeffers, 23, of Horace,
Neb., and her cousin, Arthur Clark, 25,
of Randolph, Iowa, were drowned
Tuesday night when the automobile
Clark was driving to a Christmas
dance at Glenwood, Iowa, plunged in
to a river near Randolph.
An order for GO fast freight loco
motives of the latest type has been
placed for early Bprlng delivery by
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
railroad, Vice-President Bracken an
nounced Tuesday in Chicago, saying
the order approximates 3,180,000.
A small gray kitten playfully sprang
at a rubber hose that connected up the
gas stove in the Brooklyn home of
Mrs. Catherine Carey Tuesday. A few
hours later Mrs. Carey and the kitten
wore found asphyxiated. Three neigh
bors were saved by the use of pul-
inotors,
More than 50 persons were in hos
pltals In Boston Tuesday, suffering
from alcohol poisoning as a result of
drinking liquors obtained during the
holidays. Two deaths due to this
cause occurred. Eighteen of the pa'
tlents were listed as in a critical con
dition.
Eight Now York deaths are attri
buted to drinking poisonous Christmas
liquor. A score or more of victims
were confined to hospitals. Of those
who died two were women. A woman
was arrested as the seller of whisky
which caused the death of one of the
women.
A conference of representatives of
steamship lines in the gulf, south At
lantic and north Atlantic districts will
be held January 15 to discuss traffic
matters with a view to revising any
discrepances and continuing tholr
harmonious rotations, the shipping
board announced Tuesday.
The municipal voters' league of Chi
cago In a statement made public Tues
day, charged Mayor Thompson and his
supporters in the city council with
responsibility for alleged waste of city
funds in whut It declured excessive
payments to five reul estate and build
ing experts employed by the city.
France gained an Important victory
In the allied reparations commission
'luesuay wnon tne commission by a
vote of 3 to 1 declared Germany In
vuluutary default in her wood deliv
eries for 1922. France, Belgium and
Italy voted In favor of the declaration
while Great Britain cast its ballot
agnlnat It.
Wolfe Llndonfold, brought to this
country recently by a department of
justice agent In connection with the
Wall street bomb explosion, will be
barred from entering under a ruling
affirmed Tuesday by the bureau of
Immigration. The bureau upheld the
action of the Immigration authorities
at Kills Island, where Llndentold now
Is held.
With tho successful opening last
week of a modern co-operative cane
syrup blending and standardtitng
plant at Lutkln, Tex., officials of the
department of agriculture feel that
the Industry has made an Important
step toward extending tho market for
rune syrup, which wilt permit grow
ers to greatly Increase their acreage
of sugar cane.
John B. Hammond, chief of police
of Des Moines, hits announced that
every drunken tnnn who la brought
Into police headquarters wilt hare his
picture taken. When the offender has
become sober again he will be present
ed with a picture of himself so that
he may know how be looked when
taken to Jail. Hammond hopes this
"picture cure" will be a potent weapon
against drunkenness.
WORLD HAPP
WORLD IN ECONOMIC GAIN
Prospect for 1923 Good,' Says Hoover
Great Progress Expected.
Washington, D. C. The story of
1922 is one of world economic progress
and the prospects are favorable for
1923, Secretary of Commerce Hoover
declared in a statement Sunday night,
in which he reviewed the past and
hazarded a forecast of the future year.
His statement, compiled from reports
of special Investigators in all parts
of the earth, expressed complete con
fidence concerning the remolding of
the delicate economic machine, so
badly wrecked by the world war.
"An economic forecast cannot
amount to more than a hazard In the
future," Mr. Hoover said. "The world
begins the year with greater economic
strength than a year ago; production
and trade are upon a larger and more
substantial basis, with the single ex
ception of the sore spot in central
Europe. , The healing force of busi
ness and commerce has gained sub
stantial ascendency over destructive
political and social forces.
"There is ample reason why there
should be continued progress during
the next 12 months."
The secretary declared that outside
of "three or four states In central Eu
rope," the whole world had shaken
itself free from the great after-the-war
slump. Social stability has gain
ed, he said, urging that the exceptions
In Europe not be allowed to obscure
the profound forces of progress else
where over the whole world. In the
main, he added, even in the areas re
ferred to as "sore spots," the difficul
ties are to a large extent fiscal and
political rather than commercial and
Industrial,
In addition to the social betterment,
Mr, Hoover mentioned as other net
gains for the year 1922 and guide lines
to 1923 the following:
"Bolshevism has greatly diminished
and even In Russia has been replaced
by a mixture of socialism and individ
ualism. "Active war, at least, has ceased
for the first time since 1914.
"Famine and distress have dimin
ished to much less numbers this win
ter than at any time since the great
war began.
"Production has Increased greatly.
"Unemployment is less In world
totals than at any time since the
armistice.
"International commerce is increas
ing. "The world Is now pretty generally
purchasing Its commodities by the
normal exchange of goods and serv
ices, a fact which in itself marks an
enormouB step In recovery from the
strained movoments of credit and gold
which followed the war."
Economic wounds of Asia, Africa,
Latin-America and Australia, coming
from the war, Mr. Hoover Bald, were
more the sympathetic reaction from
slump in the combatant states than
from direct Injury and they thus are
recovering quickly. Their commerce,
his reports showed, bus reached levels
above pre-war days and their produc
tion has grown apace. The enforced
Isolation, he believed, strengthened
the economic growth of Latln-Amorlca
and Asia by Increasing the variety of
their production. This, he said, has
contributed vitally to their effective
recovery.
60 Lynched During 1922.
New York. Sixty persons were
lynched In Btates below the Mason and
Dixon Hue in the year Just ending,
tho nntlonnl association tor the ad
vancement of colored people an
nounced in a report made public Sun
day night. Texus headed the list In
numbers. Of thoBe lynched, tho re
port stated, 62 were negroes, seven
white Americans and one a Mexican.
Seven of the victims were alleged to
have been publicly burned to death.
New Flying Mark Sat.
Marseilles. Sadl Lecolnte, the avia
tor, Monday made four circuits of a
kilometer course at an average speed
of about 218 miles an hour. Brigadier
General Mitchell, assistant chief of
the American air service, flew over
a one-kilometer course at Seltrldge
field, Mich., on October IS at an aver
age speed of 224.05 miles an hour In
four heats. The test was timed by
representatives of the Federation
Aeronautlque Internationale.
Plane Dive Kills Pilot
Mexla. Tex. Harry Stovall, a form
er captain of the aviation corps at
Miami, Fli., was killed Sunday after
noon about seven miles southeast of
here when a plane he was piloting
nose dived to earth. Pr. C. P. Mo
Kencle, a passenger In the plane was
Injured.
OUTLINES
E
Independent Commission Pro
posed by Secretary.
AGAINST ARBITRATION
That German Reparations Lies at Root
of Economic Trouble of Today
Is Realized.
New Haven. Conn. A suggestion
that an independent commission of
men competent in financial affairs
could accomplish more than a general
international conference toward solu
tion of the European reparations tan
gle was put forward -by Secretary
Hughes here in the first public pro
nouncement on the economic crisis to
come from responsible officials of the
administration at Washington.
The secretary, who spoke before the
American Historical association, added
that he had "no doubt" that distin
guished Americans would be willing
to serve on such a commission, which,
he said, might well be kept free from
any responsibility to foreign offices or
any duty to obey political instructions.
Once advantage had been taken of the
opportunities thus afforded, he said,
the avenues of American helpfulness
cannot fall to open hopefully."
Referring to suggestions that the
United States assume the role of arbi
ter in the reparations dispute, Mr.
Hughes said a sufficient answer to
that was the fact "that we have not
been asked." He went on to say he
did not believe this government should
take such a burden of responsibility.
Throughout his discussion the sec
retary recognized that the question ot
German reparations lay at the root of
any economic settlement. The prob
lems abroad, he said, are world prob
lems, and could not be disposed of "by
calling them European." He declared
the United States would "view with
disfavor measures which instead ot
producing reparations would threaten
disaster," and said no one could fore
see the "serious consequences" which
might ensue if forcible means were
adopted to obtain reparations from
Germany.
"The crux of the European situation
lies in the settlement of reparations,
said Mr. Hughes. "There will be no
adjustment of other needs, however
pressing, until a definite and accepted
basis for the discharge ot reparations
claims has been fixed. It is futile to
attempt to erect any economic struc
ture in Europe until the foundation Is
laid.
"How can the United States help In
this matter? We are not seeking rep
arations. We are Indeed asking for
the reimbursement of the costs of our
army of occupation; and, with good
reason, for we have maintained our
army in Europe at the request ot the
allies and of Germany and under an
agreement that its costs with like army
cemts should be a first charge upon the
amounts paid by Germany. Others
have been paid and we have not been
paid. But we are not seeking general
reparations. We are bearing our own
burden and through our loans a large
part ot Europe's burden in addition,
No demands of ours stand In the way
ot a proper settlement ot the repara
tions question.
"Ot course, we hold the obligations
of European governments and there
has been much discussion abroad and
here with respect to them. There has
been a persistent attempt ever since
the armistice to link up the debts ow
ing to our government with repara
tions or with projects ot cancellation.
This attempt was resisted in a deter
mined manner under the former ad
ministration and under the present
administration."
800 Film Extras Fight.
Los Angolcs. A motion picture di
rector at Vnlversat City, near here,
hired 800 extras to be used as the
"audience" In the filming ot a prize
fight scene. In the excitement of the
make believe pugilistic fiesta, two of
the hired spectators forgot them
selves and came to blows. The fight
quickly spread to the other 798 mem
bers ot tho "audience," and after the
dust settled It was found that the
arena was wrecked.
Typist Sets New Mark.
New York. Writing TOO words In
two minutes with only three errors.
Nathan Behrin, a state supreme court
stenographer, has broken his own
world's record for stenographic nota
tion, It was announced Saturday at
the New York state shorthand report
ers' convention. Behren's previous
record was JT7 words a minute tot
five minutes with three errors.
UROPE
t
I (V 1 ff 'PI
Willi li
UUr
Copyright
GRAMONT AND LUCIE
SYNOPSIS.-Durlng the height ot
the New Orleans carnival season
Jachln Fell, wealthy though some
what mysterious citizen, and Dr.
Ansley, are discussing a Beries of
robberies by an Individual known
as the Midnight Masquer, who, In
variably attired as an aviator, has
long defied the police. Joseph Mall
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.
He turns out to be Prince Gramont.
In his library Joseph Malllard and
a group of his friends are held up
and robbed by the Midnight Mas
quer. Lucie Ledanols, the last of
an old family, is in straitened cir
cumstances. Joseph Malllard's han
dling of her funds has been unfor
tunate. Fell Is an old friend of her
parents and deeply Interested In
the girl. Henry Gramont, really
the Prince de Gramont, is enamored
of Lucie. Lucie talks with Fell
about her affairs and the Masked
Masquer.
CHAPTER IV Continued.
6
"Some of them, yes and all that
prince stuff with them." Smiling as
he dropped into English, Gramont
glanced about the room, and his eyes
softened.
"This Is a lovely and lovable home
of yours, Lucie I" he exclaimed, grave
ly. "So few homos are worthy the
name; so few have In them the Inti
mate air of use and friendliness why
are so many furnished from bargain
sales? This place Is touched with re
pose and sweetness; to come and sit
here is a privilege. It Is like being
In another world, after all the money
striving and the dollar madness of the
city."
"Oh!" The girl's gnze searched
him curiously. "I hope you're not go
ing to take the fine artistic pose that
It Is a crime to make money?"
Gramont laughed.
"Not much I I want to mnke money
myself ; that's one reason I'm In New
Orleans. Still, you cannot deny that
there Is a craze about the eternal
clutching after dollars. I can't mnke
the dollar sign the big thing In life,
Lucie. You couldn't, either."
She frowned a little.
"You seem to have the European
notion that all Americans are dollar
chasers I"
He shrugged his shoulders slightly.
"In a sense, yes; why not?" he an
swered, "f am an American. I am
a dollar chaser, and not ashamed of It.
I am going Into business here. Once
It Is a success, I shall go on; I Khali
see America, I Bhall come to know
this whole country of mine, all of It 1
I have been a month In New Orleans
do you know, a strange thing hap
pened to me only s few days after I
arrived here!"
With her eyes she urged hlra on,
and he continued gravely :
"In France I met a man! an Ameri
can sergeant named Hammond. It
was just at the close of things. We
had adjoining cots nt Nice "
"Ah 1" she exclaimed, quickly. "1
remember, you wrote about him the
man who had been wounded In both
legs! Did he get well? You never
said."
"I never knew until I came here."
answered Gramont. "One night, not
long after I had got established In my
pension on Burgundy street, a man
tried to rob me. It was this same
man, Hammond; we recognized each
other almost nt once.
"I took him home with me and
learned his story. He had come back
to America only to find Ills wife dead
from Influenza, his home broken up.
his future destroyed. He drifted to
New Orleans, careless of what hap
pened to him. He flung himself des
perately Into a career ot burglary and
pillage. Well, I gave Hammond a
job ; he Is my chauffeur. You woul 1
never recognize him as the same man
now! I am very proud of bis friend
ship." "That was well said." Lucie nodded
her head quickly. "I shan't call yon
SI. Le prince sny more-uuless you
offend again."
lie smiled, reading her thought "I
try not to be a snob, eh? Well, want
I'm driving at Is this: I want to know
this country of mine, to see It with
clear, unprejudiced eyes. We hide our
real shames and exalt our false ones.
Why should we be ashamed of chas
ing the dollar? So long as that Is a
mean to the end of happiness. It's alt
right But there are some men who
see It as an end atone, who can set do
Ike
MARDI GRAS
MYSTERY
jfftBedford-Jones
Illustrations by
Irwin Myers
bu DouMeday.Page and Company
finis to their work except the dollar
dropping Into their pouch. Such
man Is your relative, Joseph Malllard,
I do not wish to offend you, and I shall
therefore refrain from saying all that
Is In my mind. But you have not hesi
tated to Intimate very frankly that you
are not wealthy. Some time ago, If
you recall, you wrote me how you had
just missed wealth through having
sold some lund. I have token the lib
erty of looking up that deal to some
extent, and I have suspected that your
uncle had some Interest In putting the
sale through "
The gray eyes of the girl flushed
suddenly.
"Henry Gramont! Are my family
affairs to be an open book to the
world? Do you realize that you are
Intruding most unwarrantably Into my
private matters?"
"Unwarrantably?" Grnmont's eyes
held her gaze stendily. "Do you real
ty mean to use that word?"
"I do, most certainly 1" answered
Lucie with spirit. "I don't think you
realize Just what the whole thing
tends toward "
"Oh, yes I do I Quite clearly." Gra
mont's cool, level tone conquered her
Indignation. "I see that you are or
phaned, and that your uncle was your
guardian, and executed questionable
deals which lost money for you. Come,
that's brutally frank but It's true!
I came here to New Orleans and be
came Involved In some dealings with
your cousin, Bob Malllard. I believed,
and I believe now, that in your heart
you have some suspicion of your uncle
In regard to those transactions In
land. Therefore, I took the trouble to
look into the thing to a slight extent,
Shall I tell you what I have discov
ered?"
Lucie Ledanols gazed at him, her
lips compressed. She liked this new
"Hml Memphis Izzy Gumberts, Eh?
wnai Kind of a Crook Is Hs, Ser
geant?" manner of his, this firm and resolute
gravity, this harshness. It brought out
his underlying character very well.
"If you please, Henry." she mur
mured very meekly.
"Well, then, I have dlscovxred thnt
your uncle appears to be honestly at
fault In the matter "
"Thanks for this approval of my
family," she murmured.
"And," continued Gramont, Imper
turbably, "thnt your suspicions of him
were groundless. But. on the other
hand, something new has turned up
shout which I wish to sneak but
about which I must speak delicately
uu uuu jiouiaru orrerctf to buy your
remaining land on the Bnyou Terre
bonne?" She started slightly. So it was to
this that he had been leading up alt
the while I
"He broached the subject Inst
night." she answered. "I dismissed It
for the time."
"Good!" he exclaimed with boyish
vigor. "Good ! I wsrned you In time
then I If you will permit me, I must
advise you not to part with that land
not even for a good offer. Tide
week. Immediately Mardl Oras Is over
I am going to Inspect that land for
the company; It Is Hob Malllard's com
pany, yon know. Is my unwarrantable
Intrusion forgiven H
She nodded brightly. "You are put
on probation, sir. You're In Bobs
company?"
"Yes." Gramont frowned. "I lu
vested perhaps too hastily bat no
matter now. I bare the car outside
Lode; may I hare the pleasure of
taking you driving?"
"Did you bring that chauffeur?"
"Yes," and he luughed at her eag
erness. "Good I I accept because I must
see that famous soldler-bandlt-chauf-feur.
If you'll wait, I'll be ready In a
minute."
She hurried from the room, a snatch
of song on her Hps. Gramont smiled
as he waited.
CHAPTER V
The Masquer Unmasks.
In New Orleans one may find pen
sions in the old quarter the quarter
which Is still instinct with the pulse
of old-world life. These pensions do
not advertise. The average tourist
knows nothing of them. Even If he
knew, Indeed, he might have some
difficulty In obtaining accommodations,
for It Is not nearly enough to have
the money ; one must also have the In
troductions, come well recommended,
and be under the tongue of good re
pute.
Grnmont had obtained a small apart
ment en pension a quiet and severely
retired house In Burgundy street,
maintained by a very proud old lady
whose ancestors had come out of
Canada with the Sleur d'Ibervllle.
Uere Gramont lived with Hammond
quite on a basis of equality, and they
were very comfortable.
The two men sat smoking their pipes
before the fireplace, In which blazed n
small fire more for good cheer than
through necessity. It was Sunday
evening.
Gramont stared Into the flickering
fire and sucked at his pipe. Suddenly
he roused himself and shot a glance
at Hammond.
"Sergeant I You seem to have a
pretty good recollection of that night
at the Lavergne house, when I found
you entering and jumped on you."
"You bet I have!" Hammond
chuckled. "When you'd knocked the
goggles off me and we recognized each
other h 1 1 I felt liko a booh."
Gramont smiled. "How many places
had you robbed up to then? Three,
wasn't It?"
"Three is right enp'n," was the un
ashamed response.
"We haven't referred to It very of
ten, but now things have happened."
Grnmont's face took on harsh lines of
determination. "Do you know, it was
a lucky thing that you had no chance'
to dispose of the Jewels and money
you obtained?"
"No chance?" snorted the other. "No
chance Is right, enp'n! And I win
sore, too. Say, they got a ring of
crooks around this town you couldn't
bust Into with grenades I I.lstnn hu, a
and I'll tell you something big."
uanimond leaned forward, lowered
his voice, and tnmped at his pipe.
"When I was a young fellow I lived
In a little town up north I nln't say
In' where. My old mnn hnri a tivarv
stable there, see? Well, one night a
guy come along and eot tho nlrt mnn
out of bed, and slips him fifteen hun-
area ror a rig and a team. me? t
drove the guy ten miles through the
hills, and set him on a road he wanted
to find.
"Now, thnt guy was the hia-irest
crook In the country In them days
still Is, I guess. He was on the dead
run that night, to keep out o' Leaven
worth. He kep' out, all right, and he's
settln' In the eame to this ml note n.
body never pinched him yet, and never
Will."
"Why?"
"Because his gana runs back to
politicians and rich guys all over the
country. You ask anybody en the In
side If they ever heard of Memphis
Izzy Gumberts 1 Well, cap'n, I seen
that very Identical guy on the strei t
the other day I never could forget h!s
ugly mug I And where he Is. no out
side crooks can get In, you believe
me!"
'Urn! Memphis Izzv Gunihcrta. eh?
What kind of a crook Is he, sergeant?"
The big kind. You remember them
Chicago lotteries? But you don't, o'
course. Well, that's his game lot
teries and such like."
Grnmont's Hps clenched for a min
ute, then he spoke with slow distinct
ness :
'Sergeant. I'd have riven Ave hun
dred dollars for that Information a
week ago I"
'Why?" Gramont shook his head.
'Never mind. Foreet It I Now. this
stunt of yours was clever. Yon allowed
brains when you got yourself up as an
vintor and pulled thnt stuff, ser
geant. But you handled It brutally
terribly brutally."
"It wns a tittle raw. I sues." con
ceded Hammond. "I wns tin mm I tut
It, that's alt. When von took over the
costume and began to get across with
the Humes stuff win-. It was a ulna
for you, enp'n I Look what we've done
In a month. Six jobs, every one run
ning off smooth as glass! Your no
tion of going to parties ready dressed
with some kind of loose robe over the
flyln' duds was a scream I And then
me running that motor with the cut
out on all them birds that never
heard an airplane think yon come and
go by air. for certain 1 Nobody will
ever find us out."
Gramont nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes? But. Sergeant, tint shout the
quiet little mnn who came along lst
night nt the Mnlllnrd house and asked
about the car? Perhaps he had dis
covered you had been running the
engine."
"Hlmr Hammond sniffed In scorn.
"He wasn't no dick."
"I dare not risk It Thst
man Fell is toe smart"
(TO BB CUNTl.Nl'tD)