WILL FIGHT IT OUT
When Peace Is Wanted, Roosevelt
Will Be Mediator.
ALL HAVE CONFIDENCE IN HIM
Europe Agrees O ur President Will Be
Chosen to Bring About Peace
When Time Comes.
Washington, Jan. U — Japan has not
made overtures (or peace to Kussia, di­
rectly or indirectly, through the Unit­
ed States or any other power, and con­
templated no such action, and now
that Port Arthur has fallen, purposes
to press the war in the North all the
more vigorously by reinforcing the Jap­
anese armies at Liao Yang with the
greater part of the troops which have
been besieging Port Arthur. This, in
brief, represents the views of Mr. Ta-
kahira, the Japaese minister.
“ The fall of Port Arthur," said the
minister, “ is but a step in the war
which Japan is waging for a principle.
Certainly it is an important step, but
nothing could be further from the
truth than the assumption that, be­
cause Japan has captured a stronghold,
the fall of which has long been expect­
ed, the Japanese government will now
make overtures for peace. Japan iB too
busy fighting. We are as much in ear­
nest today as we were at the outset of
the war.
We have made no overtures
for peace, either directly or indirectly,
nor have the powers approached us
with an idea of intervention.”
The Kussian embassy reiterated that
Russia would fight all the harder in
view of the temporary loss of Port Ar­
thur.
,
► Europe, it is learned, is firmly of the
conviction that, however dark the out­
look for peace at this moment, when
the prospect brightens, it is to Presi­
dent Roosevelt that the neutrals as
well as the belligerents, will look as
the intermediary through whom ]>eaoe
negotiations will be initiated. As a
European ambassador said today, the
American government is practically
the only government to which both
belligerents will be willing to look for
assistance in reaching a settlement
when that time comes, and, aside from
this fact, the high personal regard in
which the president is held, both at 8t.
Petersburg and at Tokio, makes it all
the more probable that through him,
when Kussia and Japan have fought
their fight, the powers hope for peace.
Must Act on Freight Rates.
Washington, Jan. 11. — President
Roosevelt had another conference today
regarding pending legislation. He con­
sulted Representatives Esch, of Wis-
onsin, and Townsend, of Michigan,
lioth members of the house committee
on interstate ami foreign commerce, rej
garding proposed legislation respecting
railroad freight rates. They told the
president that the jieople they repre­
sented wanted something definite done,
and wanted it done soon.
P O R TL A N D M A R K E T S .
Wheat — Walla Walla, 85c; blue-
stem, 88@90c; valley, 87c.
Oats— No. 1 white, $1.32)4(82.35;
gray, $1.35® 1.40 per cental.
Hay—Timothy, $14@16 per ton;
clover, $11<§12; grain, $11(812; cheat,
|12<818.
Potatoes — Oregon fancy. 75 (8 85c;
common, 60<®65c.
Apples— Baldwins, $1.25; Spitzen-
bergs, $1.75(82 per box.
Eggs-—Oregon ranch, 27)4 <828 )4c.
Butter— Fancy creamery, 25®27 4 c .
Hope— Choice, 29<830c; prime, 27®
28c per pound.
Wool — Valley, 19(8 20c; Eastern
Oregon, 10@17c; mohair, 25®26c per
pound.
W IL L BE S M A L L,
River and Harbor Appropriation Bill
Will Be Cut.
Washington, Jan. 10.—The river and
harbor committee has adopted the pol­
icy of appropriating only for waterways
which are being partially improved at
state or municipal expense.
Representative Williamson today laid
before Chairman Burton a long state­
ment showing that the city of Portland
has expended up to December a total of
$1 ,698,000 in channel improvements
from Portland to the Bea, and that the
state of Oregon has appropriated $165,-
000 for building a portage road from
The Dalles to Celilo and $100,000 ad­
ditional for the purchase of right of
way for a government canal between
these points.
In view of these large expenditures
Mr. Williamson urged the committee
to deal liberally with all Columbia
river projects.
The conference of Republican leaders
at the White House today, taken in
conjunction with the announcement of
Mr. Burton, is taken to mean that there
will be little or no appropriation for
rivers and harbors at this session.
Before his conference with the Re­
publican leaders the president talked
over the situation with Mr. Burton and
expressed in very forceful terms his
conviction that it would be wise, in
view of the depleted condition of the
treasury, to postpone the river and
harbor bill, and to expend any availa­
ble surplus in carrying out a liberal
naval program. Mr. Burton has not
yet abandoned the idea of passing a
river and harbor bill this session, and
his committee will go ahead with its
work, hoping to complete a bill by the
end of next week. The bill, however,
will be small, and will provide only for
the more important projects, cutting
out all small waterways which have no
real commerce, and which are not sup­
ported in any way by state appropria­
tions.
If such a bill is brought in, it will
provide for the mouth of the Columbia
river— the river from Portland to the
sea— and for the Dalles-Celilo canal,
and may possibly make some provision
for the acquisition of the canal and
lockB at Oregon City, provided the state
is willing to bear part of the expense.
Aside from these items, however, there
seems at this tmie to be little prospect
that congress will do anything this ses­
sion for the waterways of the North
Pacific.
DRAWN IN T O N E T .
Land Officials at Roseburg, Oregon,
Have Been Suspended.
Washington, Jan. 11.— By direction
of the president, Secretary Hitchcock
has suspended Register J. T. Bridges
and Receiver J. H. Booth, of the Rose­
burg land office, at the telegraphic re­
quest of Mr. Heney.
Heney reported
that Booth and Bridges by continuing
in office, were able to “ thwart the ends
of justice.”
He said an investigation of that office
showed its affairs were in bad shape,
and said that further investigation
should be had.
The suspension of
Bridges and Booth virtually closes the
Roseburg land office, except for the fil­
ing of papers.
This morning Secretary Hitchcock
took up the Roseburg case with the
president, and it is by the president’ s
order that radical action was taken, as
recommended hy Heney. It is Heney
who will direct further investigation at
Roseburg.
Another New Russian Loan.
St. Petersburg, Jan. 7.— Official an­
nouncement of the issue of a new loan
is published here for the first time.
The amount of the loan will be $115,-
750,00 bearing interest at 4)4 per
cent from January 1. The first call of
oonoa will not be made earlier than
1917. The whole loan will be extin­
guished in 1986.
BLIZZARD IN EAST
New York In Grasp of Storm of
Ice and Snow.
CLAIMS TOLL OF SEVEN LIVES
Many Persons, Benumbed With Cold,
Fall and Break Bones— Street
Cars Blockaded.
S H A H PAYS PRICE.
Bountiful Indemnity for Murder of an
American Missionary.
Washington, Jan. 1 1 .— Information
has reached the State department that,
complying with the insistent demands
of the United States, the Persian gov­
ernment has made to the widow partial
reparation for the murder of the Rev.
Benjamin W. Labarree, an American
missionary, by a gang of fanatics, and
has promised that all the guilty (per­
sons involved in the crime will be pun­
ished. The following statement re­
garding the case waH made by an offi­
cial of the 8tate department:
“ March 15th last the Department of
State received the telegraph intelli­
gence of the murder of Rev. B. W. La­
barree, an American missionary, near
Ouroma, in Persia, by a gang of fanatic
Kurds.
“ A demand was immediately mad*
for the arrest and trial of the murder­
ers, whose leader, Seyd Mir Ghafar,
was looked upon as a lineal descendent
of the prophet. This circumstance
and the fear of arousing religious dis­
turbances evidently interfered with the
prompt and efficient action on the part
of the local authorities.
The most
pressing and earneBt representations of
the American legation at Teheran re­
mained fruitless until October 12, when
Mr. Ray instructed its minister by
cable to make known to the govern­
ment of the shah the president’s con­
cern in the adequate punishment of all
the criminals and his intention to lay
the matter before congress with appro­
priate recommendations, with his de­
mands for full justice, were further de­
lay«! .
“ The murders were thereupon ar­
rest«!, but the Persian government,
holding the life of a descendant of the
prophet sacrai, offered a pwuniary in­
demnity in lieu of the death penalty
for Seyd Mir Ghafar, and promised ex­
ecution of the accomplices. After con­
sultation with the widow of Rev. Mr.
Labarree, the offer was accepted and an
indemnity of $30,000— greatly in excess
of the sum named by the widow — was
paid to the American legation June 3.
Solemn assurance was given that the
guilty would receive effective and swift
punishment and that no-special tax
would be leived on Christians in the
province to recover the amount of the
indemnity.”
New York, Jan. 6.— Not in several
years has New York been visited by a
storm of such proportions as that which
commenced yesterday and continued
until early today.
Nine inches of
Bnow fell, paralysing traffic, and
brought untold suffering to the city s
poor. Seven deaths in New York and
vicinity were reported, while many
persons, overcome by cold, dropped to
the street, some of them fracturing
bones.
Five of the seven men who met death
from the results of the storm died from
exposure and another slipped on the
icy platform of an elevated station, fell
in front of an approaching train and
was ground to pieces. The seventh, a
conductor on the Pennsylvania rail­
road, blinded by the driving snow,
Btepped in front of the "Congressional
Limited” train at South Amboy and
was instantly killed.
It is estimated that the storm will
cost the New York city railway com­
pany over $100,000.
Incoming ocean liners report a bliz­
zard at sea.
Today 5,000 men were put to work
clearing the streets of New York and
tomorrow the number will be doubled.
The effects of the blizzard were felt
at most points along the New England
and Middle Atlantic coasts. So far no
marine fatalities have been reported.
In New York city traffic of all kinds
was impeded, trolley lines were tied up
and the streets, swept by a gale driv­
ing before it fine snow that cut like
sand and piled in great drifts, were
practically impassable. Railroad trains
B EG IN T H IS YEAR.
from all points were delayed from a
few minutes to three hours, and the
elevated lines were operated with the Oregon Irrigation Project* to Receive
greatest difficulty, without regard to
New Impetus.
schedule.
At sea the conditions must
Washington,
Jan. 10.—If plans form­
have been severe, but so far no disaster
ulated at a conference today between
has been reported.
Senator Fulton and F. H. Newell, chief
Krupp Gun'_Work* Visited.
of the reclamation service, and his
Berlin, Jan. 11. — Extensive experi­ assistants, J. B. Lippencott and Henry
ments are being made with new • guns
N. Savage, shall be consummated ac­
and projectiles at Messrs. Krupp’ s
range at Meppen, on behalf of a com­ cording to expectation, the government
mission of Japanese officers. Should will be able during the coming summer
the trials prove satisfactory, large or­ to begin construction of two enormous
ders will be given by the Japanese gov­ irrigation projects in Oregon, one in
ernment.
A deputation of Kussian
officers has arrived at Essen for a sim­ the Klamath Basin, costing $5,000,000
ilar pur]>ose. It is reported from Zu­ or more, the other on Malheur river,
rich that the Japanese government has costing $2,000,000.
8enator Fulton,
ordered large amounts of chocolate from met the engineers to talk over the situ­
various Swiss manufacturers. Several ation and ascertain just what is stand­
firms have had to decline the orders.
ing in the way of construction of these
Naval Station at Arthur.
great works.
Tokio, Jan. 11. — The Japanese in­
It was agreed that three material ob­
tend to establish a naval station at Port stacles must] be removed before the
Arthur. Vice Admiral Shibayaina will Klamath project can be formally adopt­
probably be placed in charge of it. ed, notwithstanding it has already
The military administration at Port been adjudged entirely feasible and de­
Arthur will retain only a small garri­ clared to [>osses* many attractive feat­
son as soon as the prisoners are with­ ures. This project proposes not only
drawn and order is restored. The fleet to drain Lower Klamath and Tule
is busily engaged in clearing mines, but lakes, but to lower the level of Upper
owing to their great number naviga­ Klamath lake and to diminish the flow
tion will be unsafe for a long time. of Link and Lost rivers by diverting
Only government craft enter the harhor. their waters intoirrigatingcanals. All
these waters are navigable and there
Decrease in Anthracite Output.
fore cannot be us«l for irrigation save
Philadelphia, Jan. 10.— The total by special act of «ingress. To remove
anthracite production in Pennsylvania this obstacle, Senator Fulton will co­
for the year 1904 was almost two mil­ operate with Senator Bard, of Cali­
lion tons below the output of 1903. fornia, and endeavor to get the latter’s
The total production for 1904 was 67,- bill passed through both houses this
492,522, as compared with 59,362,831 session. He anticipates that no objec-
tionfwill bejraised.
during the previous year.