Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918 | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1917)
DAILY EDITION "No Other Town in the, World the Size of Grants Pans lias a Newspaper With Full Leased Wire Telegraph Service VOU VII., No. ISO. CHANTS PAHS, JOSEPHINE COUNTY, OREGON. MOMAY, APRIL 2, J9I7 WHOLE NUMBER 2M7. r 1 PATRIOTS H ADDRESSESAND SONGS SUNDAY UltKAT CitOWl) ATTKMHi MKKT. INO HELD AT THE UM l. . OPKHA HOUSE MIME PLEDGED TO U. S. Iter. Melville T. Wire Deliver Prin elpal Addrvwa and I'rgr Hup port of the Nation The opera house wss crowded to th door, and many who would rslse thnlr voice In patriotic long at th great maat meeting Sunday afternoon wire unable to gain admittance when the hour arrived. It was a great out pouring of the patriotic people or the community and left no doubt of the loyalty of our cltlten In their up port of the administration at a time -when It li menaced by a foreign foe. 8ated uion the Jag were the member of the varlnu church choir of the city, and they led In the lng Ing of the national anthema and pa triotic tongs, the audience Joining In many of them. Mayor Trux pro aided, and a the flrit apeaker Intro duced Lieut. It. C. Frator, of the ,. United Statea navy.. Mr , Fraser , apoke of the mlmlon which brought Til m and hi associates to Oranra Pa, and aald that the people did not yet really comprehend the gravity of the altuntlon which confronted the na tion. He explained the organltatlon of the coaat defeoso reserve and the call which came to a claaa of the ltlxenhlp through it to aid their country ' If their aid wan roqulred. Lieut. Prater, who I with the anb marlne service, and who I now await ing completion of a diver at Fort land to enter again upon aervlre aboard hlp. told of life upon one of the craft. The principal eddrea of the day -waa made by Rev. Melville T. Wire, pastor of the Newman Methodist "Episcopal church. The speaker' ad dree wa filled with patriotic fervor, and brought home to his every au ditor the duty and patriotic privilege of now supporting' the nation. He 'aid that the United State aa a peare- ' loving people did not wlah war, but war with the military arlitorracy which wa directing the campaign of "Germany would rebound to a lusting peace If It served to release the earth from the militaristic spirit. It war should come, aald' the speaker, It ' would not be a war against the people of the Ocnn a empire, but against "the military aristocracy that stood In 'the way of lasting peace, He said that even peace had lis tragedies as 'horrible as war, and he noted the ; Armenian massacre, and the oppres sion and murder of Russian Jew, a trgdl' that come even In peace under soma forms of government. ; Mr. A. O. Knapp sng the "Star . -Spangled Banner," following Dr. R. .0. Davis, of th.U.8. N who spoke briefly, detailing how the cltlsenshlp can best serve If war oomes. The Red Cross work he said was of greatest value, and ha paid tribute ! to the men and women who serve humanity through It. A noteworthy feature of the dem onstration was the march of , th members of th local 0. A, R, and W. R. 0. organisation to the place of the meeting, The march was led by the1 Boy Bcouts and their hand. ' At the opera house visitors were m j corted to their place hy Campflre Iris. The entire meeting was ' lin ger the management of th Chamber ; of Commerce, f Mia. ntchard Robinson, who ha been visiting; In the city for ft short 'time, returned to Rogue ttlvw this morning, " RESOLUTION TO -: BRING WAR TO U.S. Text of FIimhI UiMlutlim That WIU Het Forth Fact That HUte of. . War' Exists I Washington, April S. Here I the momentous resolution which, If past ed, aa expected,' will' put the United States Into a atat of open warfare with Oermany. Chairman Flood of the house foreign committee, gave It out, saying ha would Introduce It aa soon aa organltatlon of th house Is completed. ; "Whereas: Th recent court of the Imperial German government 1 In fact nothing lea than war against the government and people of tho 1'nlted State; "Resolved: By th senate and nous of representative of the United States' of America, In congress assembled, that the state of bellig erency which has thus been thrust upon th United Bute I hereby for mally declared, and, "That the president be, and he I hereby authorised to take Immediate steps not only to put the country In a thorough state of defenae, but also to exert all of it power and employ all Its resource to carry on war against the Imperial German govern ment, and to bring th conflict to a successful conclusion," Chairman Flood of th foreign af fair committee prepared much of tho bill. It I a complete code for use In time of war and cover It printed pge. It apparently covers everything that could be done against this country tiy spies or unneutral cltltena or aliens. Penallea rang from a fine of $10,000 or Imprison ment for two yean, or both, to life Imprisonment. The (t11 1 contain two sections which were lubjected to bitter crit icism last session. They are th on prohibiting the performance of an un neutral act against any country with which this nation Is at peace and th one which prohibit the publication or dissemination otherwise of State ment which a government censor might consider tending to create dis satisfaction or lessen the morale of soldiers or sailors. . ' I'XITKU STATES TO TAKK OVKB . IXTKHXEO GERMAN SHIPS Washington, April 2. Plans were completed Itiy the government today to take over approximately BO of the German merchant ships Interned In American port Immediately after a state of war 1 declared to exist by congress, E OF Potrograd, April I. "We cannot shake hands with th German people until thoy rid" themselves of the curs ed Hohenaollerns," declared Vice President' 8hdbeleff of th duma, In a speech delivered today to a pa triotic mass meeting outside th du ma building. In the crowd were member of th workmen' and th oldlera' council, with hundreds of plain oltlsens. "Kaiser Wllhelm and - Chancellor Hollweg ar moat redoubtable ene mies to Russian liberty," Shobelft de clared. "To their hypocritical greet ings to th Russian revolutions, we can only reply with the bayonet," : Orand Duke Nicholas, formerly commander-in-chief of Russia's armies, arrived at his estate at Al Ipka, Crimea, today, acoompanled by two government commissioners, He will go Into retirement ther. . i President Rodilanko of the duma, In, addressing a group of supporter of woman suffrage, told them quaj franchise -would submitted to th tonatltuent assembly. He person ally said he favored such a move, PRESIDENT TO DELIVER WAR ADDRESS TONIGHT Congress Convenes la ExtacnTisay Sessisa, and Chief Execcthre Will Appear IsdictEestcf tb Washington, .April 2. Germany and th United State ar at war. Formal notification of this fact to th world will b mad at 'eight o'clock tonight by President Wilson, addressing congress In Joint session. The president's announcement will take the form of an assertion that a stat of war exist between the two countrle. Th chief executive would not wait until tomorrow, but Insisted uton ap pearing Immediately after comple tion of the house organization, re gardless of the fact that this would not come until lata In the day.' He reached thla decision suddenly about 3:20 this afternoon, after democratic leaders had told blm the house or ganisation could not be perfected be fore seven o'clock. ' Thl will be the first time th pres ident ha addressed congress .. at night. It Is expected he will appear In evening clothes. Thegallerles are expected to tot filled with gorgeously gowned women and men In evening dress, adding an unusual picture to tho deep solemnity of the occasion. , And, -too, there Is belief that some menlbers who hsve consistently op posed war, will fight to the last against any warlike action. Such peace opposition was forecast today In the appearance at the capltol of between 1 ,500 and S.000 pacifists, who swarmed all corridors and In many Instances Invaded offices of sen ator and representative In th house and senate office building. Indications late today wore, how ever, that by tomorrow th Sixty-fifth congress will have taken the steps that will mean thla nation stall "em ploy all of It resources to carry on war against the Imperial German gov Washington, April 2. -Champ Clark of Missouri will preside over the "war house" during this session of congress. x : The house elected him this after noon fter( listening to a war prayer and a war speech by Representative Schall, Independent, who swung his vot to Clark, holding that patriot ism demanded thl be done In the preaent crisis. . Th vot stood: Clark, 217; Mann, 205; Gillette, 2: 'Lenroot, 2. Two memlbers voted absent. Thla mad a total of 433 vote cast. Neither Clark nor Mann voted. Blind Representative Schall, Min nesota, Independent, who, It had been thought, might vote for Mann as speaker, stirred the house when he nominated Clark. In normal times, he said, lie -would vote for Mann. "Today," Schall ealdv "ther should be Just one party, and that party the American party. . There I no better way of standing by th president than by returning hi party's organisa tion of th house." . Schall declared: "I would be of little us on the bnttlefleld with my slghtles eyes," but added h would do his duty In th organisation "with the light that Ood gav me." . i "Thla 1 no tlm for any man to criticise thO president, but I beg leave to' say that It would b better for th country If the president were compelled to criticise th republicans at well aa th democrats," Unroot CHAMP CLARK AGAIN PRESIDES OVER LOWER HOUSE OF CONGRESS at 8 o'Cbck to Read tie Gcraaa Goverczcd ernment and to bring the Conflict to a successful termination." . 'The Flood war resolution will be formally Introduced In the house, and presumably also in the senate, the moment the president conclude his address. ti , Throughout th afternoon, aa the 'house dragged along with Its organ isation routln and th senate marked time, President Wilson sat In his study, keeping In telephonic touch with th situation "on the hill." ' Th president was desirous of go ing to th capltol during th day, but when Informed that thl appeared Im possible, expressed his wish to give congress hi momentous message to night. Meantime the tension spread throughout the city. For the first tlm there waa real excitement in Washington. - While President Wilson is deliver ing his address his words will b streaming along th cable to th capitals of all foreign governments, excepting ' to those government against whom th president will urge thl nation to direct Ita armed forces. ..Jo the Teutonic empire the mes sage probably will b conveyed either (by wlrelesspr cablegram through th Swl minister her. It I not believed action on th president' request will be taken be fore tomorrow, as even many of hi supporters favor allowing a time for discussion. "No action on the war resolution will be taken tonight," House Leader Kltchln aald tat today. v Chairman rood, of the house mili tary affair committee, said It wgs Improbable the hill would be acted on before Wednesday. No definite action haa yet been taken about war appropriations. said In seconding Mann's nomination. "You gentlemen probably will or ganise this house today, tout I want to say that In th days to com, there will be do partisanship." ' Clark gained .practically all the doubtful votes. Schall and Martin, progressives, voted for him. So did London, socialist, and Randall, pro hibitionist. Representative Fuller of Massachusetts, Independent, bolted the republican candidate with 'Gard ner and Baltlnger of Massachusetts and Gray of New Jersey, all of whom left the republican caucus Saturday, and voted for Representative Gillett of Massachusetts. Haskell and James, republicans, answered "present." LehfWh, republican, New Jersey, voted for Clark. The dramatic moment cam when Clark waa nominated for speaker by Thomas D. Schall. the Mlnnet fl progressive-republican, a blind man. Schall'a action' was unexpected. He was believed to be a supporter of Mann. 8chall wa led to the center of the house by a page.' "I realise that the action I am tlbout to take will be used to attempt my political death In Minnesota," Schall said In nominating Clark. "With my sightless eyes I will be of little service to my country on the field' of battle, but I can .use the right that God gives m to vot right today." While th voting was under way, (Continued on Pag 4) ' CENTRAL POWERS HINTING AT PEACE Austrian Foreign Minister' Seati. snenta Are Approved toy News- . . paper Throa ghost Germany Amsterdam, April 2. "Almost a peace offer," la the way th Berlin socialist newspaper Vorwaerts today viewed th pacifist interview recent ly granted by Foreign Minister Cxarnln of Auatrlav-Hungary. Ac cording; to German dispatches today, nearly all German newspapers ap prove Czerain's sentiments that th Lentente can conclude honorable peac at any time and that th . central power' peace offer is stlU open. The Voerwarts expressed the belief that departure of American Ambassador Pen field is connected in orae way with the Csernln interview and op ports th theory of a peace offer. The Muenchener Neste Nacbrishten editorially emphasised today that the. central powers are ready to nter In to any practical course leading to an honorable and lasting peace at any time. PLENTY OF TRAINED v OFFICERS FOR O London, April 2. Unci Sam can have plenty of experienced officer from Um Canadian-American legion if England will let them transfer j their lighting activities to their horn flag. And the best Information her today was that England would be willing to make such a transfer. Captain John Manning of Flor ida, a former captain in th Phlllp- i pin constabulary and now command ing a company In th Canadian-American legion, training in England, today wrote Secretary of War Baker formally offering hi service in the event of war. "It there ar hostilltie," Man ning told the United Press today "Captain Burr, of Columbus, Ohio, iMaJor Guthrie of Massachusetts, Cap tain Goodwin of Galveston, (he's' an ex-quartermaster of th American army transport Buford,)' Lieut. Robb of Vermont, Major Pittman, mem ber of a prominent Kansas City fam ily and a former Missouri militia of ficer; Major Hart of Brooklyn, N. Y., formerly disciplinarian at Elmlra reformatory; Major Rassmusaen and others In th Canadian-American le gion will offer their services. Manning and Burr ar due shortly to depart for France with fresh draft of Americans tor the legion. Major Hart and Pittman are now in the trenches in France. , ' Dea Moines, April 2. The Iowa house of representatives today passed the sennt resolution, endorsing uni versal compulsory military training and urging congress to pass such a bill Immediately. LEE Oil STRETCHER VOTES FOR CLARK Washington, April 2. Determined not to slip a single cog In th speaker ship fight, the democrats' this after noon bore Repreaetnatlv Gordon Lee. Georgia, to the house chamber on a stretcher . from a Washington hos pital, where he has been 111 of pneu monia. , , The roll call showed only six ab sentees. Th aenate presented a decidedly battered appearance. ' Senator Lodge wa sporting a swollen face and re ceiving congratulations on It from hla friends. .. " Senator Tillman walked with his arm In a sling. Senator Knox bad his right hand bandagod and shook hands with Senator Johnson of Cal ifornia with hi left hand. LIE ICS III KCE TAKEN BYTHEALUES BRITISH FORCES VOW WITHIX TWO A!tD OXB-HALF MILES . OF ST. Ql"EXTIX f tut iii'i H"irprQ N'T IhL IlHHll IllKWLl.wWllJ LLC Gorman Israt Every Man la Empire Under SO Years of Age Able to Carry Rifle With th Brituh Annie In France, April 1. British forces today ad vanced, to wtthlj two n.l a halt miles of St. vuuPtln. Ttutlr line were thrust forward fr the west to this near approach to the city, be lieved to be one of the main points on th Hindenburg line. ' ; In the meantime British force northwest of the cHy today took the towns of Attiily and VUlechoIle on the railroad line running from Roisel to St. Quentln. , , The advance from the north west is more gradual, ;but, nevertheless. continues. ' " 1 - " ,. London, April 3. Field : Marshal H tig's troop today were in sight of the. Hindenburg line, the sharpness f the wedge which they have drive to- " ward St. Quentln, nnbtqnted by a tremendous drive of ' the past two days. "'v1 ,' ' .-1 From the ridge dominating 8t Quentln, the British forces can aee the buildings of the city about four miles distant. To the south French forces in equally strong thrusts hare advanced to within three mile of what la sup posed to be one of the key CHIee in the Hindenburg line. London waa expecting tremendous fighting in thla salient today. , Battle front dispatches asserted that th Germans were striving desperately to complete concrete fortifications to op pose further advances with their heaviest guns. Military experts here today saw fresh signs of Germany's apprehen sion that she will be unable to hold the Hindenburg line, Information ar riving via Denmark that fresh calls for men have been issued by the kaiser's leaders. The latest draft wlfl take every man able to carry a rifle up to 50 years of age. v Theoretically, Germany haa . not called out men of greater age than 45, but In actual working, th re ports declared, she now haa thou sands In active service, beyond th age limit. ' ' Dutch dispatches today carried th persistent report of further Internal troufbtea in Germany," although de tails were lacking and th character of th alleged disorders waa not spec ified. Dlspatchea recently passed by the German censor, however, have Indicated the greatest unreat, due to failure of Chancellor von Bethmann Hollweg to promise Immediate In stitution of reforms, designed to give th German people a larger share in the government. FRENCH OFFICIAL STATEMENT Parts,' April 2. South of the All ette, French forces today drove back German troops beyond Vauxhalllon, the official atatcment declared. "Our patrol found th line in th region of St. Quentln strongly oc cupied by the enemy," the war offlo reported. RAKER 1NTRODVCES ' , SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT Washington, April 2. A woman suffrage amendment .to th constitu tion wa Introduced today by Rep resentative Raker of California.