THE HERMISTON HERALD, HERMISTON, OREGON. LEAK PROBE HITS HOT TRAIL WILSON URGES HIS PROGRAM Doings of State Legislators WORLD HAPPENINGS Informant U-BOAT WARFARE President Will Expect Action on All Had Excellent Resume of Leading Bills This Session Bone-Dry” Prohibition Law Early Water Power Legislation IS UNRESTRICTED Of CURRENT WEEK President’s Peace Note. Passes House by 53 to 7 Asked in Memorial to Congress New York—From the files of a Wall street brokerage house congressional Salem Callan, Kubli, Lewis, Mac- inquisitors Wednesday brought to light | kay. Schimpft, Stott and Willett — private and confidential telegrams re these are the names of the only mem- garded in some quarters as definitely bers who voted against the bone-dry indicating that there was a “leak” on prohibition bill Monday. The bill went through the house late President Wilson's recent peace note. The most sensational telegram, con in the afternoon after a four-hour taining a brief but remarkably accur siege of oratory, by a vote of 53 to 7. As soon as the vote had been taken ate forecast of the contents of the members of the house were served note, was sent by E. F. Hutton & Co., Events of Noted People, Governments one of the largest brokerage houses in | with individual half-pint bottles of the street, over its private wires to loganberry juice, and the entire assem- and Pacific Northwest and Other scores of other brokers with whom it 3l%. rested while the bottles were Things Worth Knowing. did business throughout the country on "Anein, as passed, merely carries Brief Resume Most Important Daily News Items. COMPILED FOR BUSY READERS The Oregon house of representatives has passed the “bone-dry” law by 53 to 7. It now goes to the senate. The British government has tight ened the German blockade which in volves portions of the Danish and Dutch coasts. Robbers at Los Gatos, Cal., carry away a safe from the office of the newspaper Mail-News, containing books and records and $5 in money. Instead of building a fine club house with money appropriated for that pur- pose, the Rocky Mountain club of New York voted to send the money to relief of the Belgians. Special examinations will be held in the universities of France before East er for students belonging to contin gents of the recruits of 1918, which probably will be called to the army in the spring. An ordinance against cats running at large in Portland will come up at tho next council meeting. Both advo- cates and opponents of the felines are expected to appear before the meeting in full force. A petition in bankruptcy and for a receiver against Van Frantzius & Co., a big stock brokerage house of Chi cago, was filed by creditors, who al lege that liabilities of $2,750,000 ex ceed the assets by about $1,000,000. Russia is experiencing famine in the midst of plenty, according to an un dated article in the London Times from a correspondent in that country. The article refers chiefly, but not ex clusively, to Petrograd and Moscow. the afternoon of December 20, more than three hours before the first copies of the note were handed to newspaper men by Secretary Lansing. At the time the Hutton message was sent, according to the testimony of Secretary Lansing before the commit- tee in Washington, no one in this country save persons connected with the preparation and dispatch of the note had as much information regard ing its contents as the message re vealed. The note previously had been sent abroad in code. Publication of the note followed transmission of the Hut ton message to various brokers by more than 10 hours. Information on which the message to brokers was based, Edward F. Hut ton, head of the firm, testified, came in another message, now missing, from F. A. Connelly, of F. A. Connelly & Co., a Washintgon brokerage house, in which R. W. Bolling, a brother-in- law of President Wilson, is a partner. Hutton testified that his understand ing was that Connelly’s information regarding the note was based on gen eral rumor. Indicative that other brokerage concerns were in possession of similar information, Hutton said, was another message he produced 1 which Clement, Curtis & Co., of Chi- cago, sent his house prior to Connel- ly’s first message referring to a state- ment to be issued by the State i depart- ment “intended to promote peace pros pects.” This message contained no details. Certain members of the committee, however, privately expressed convic tion that the person who originally supplied the information on which Connelly’s missing message was based either had read the President’s note or obtained an excellent resume of it. into effect the constitutional amend ment adopted by the people at the No vember election prohibiting the impor tation of alcoholic liquors for beverage purposes. It also remedies the exist- ing prohibition laws so that it will be impossible to buy pure grain alcohol excepting on prescription of a physi- cian or permit of a district attorney Inasmuch as the measure carries an emergency clause it will become a law as soon as it is signed by the governor —probably before the end of the week. Five days are allowed, however, after the governor signs the bill, for the express companies to deliver goods already ordered or in transit. Grange and Labor Merge Support for Modified Consolidation Bills Salem—Representatives of the State federation of labor, the State grange and the Farmers’ union, following a long conference the first of the week, issued a statement indicating their combined attitudes on questions of leg islation pending or proposed. They suggest a form of consolida tion for the offices relating to labor, modified from that suggested by the consolidation committee; declare in favor of state aid in marketing prob lems and outline their position on var ious other phases of the legislative sit uation. “We, the organized farmers and la borers of Oregon, are unanimously ask ing your support of the following,” they say in a statement addressed to the various members of the legislature. Free Textbooks Rejected. Salem—Early development of the water-power resources of the nation is something that this legislature wants congress to provide. The house, by unanimous vote, adopted Senator Gill’s joint memorial urging upon congress “the absolute and urgent necessity of the develop ment of water power in order that the natural resources may be utilized to create new wealth by the settlement of lands, the development of agricul ture, the establishment of manufac tures of varied nature, the economy and comfort of rail facilities of trans portation, the means of transportation enlarged and made cheaper, and traffic congestion relieved by opening to navi gation waterways incapable of use be cause of natural obstructions remov able by water-power development in navigable streams, and adequate Na tional defense may be aided, all of which will contribute to the increase and diversification of agriculture, com merce and industry, and as a conse quence promote economic security.” The memorial already had passed the senate and now will go forward to Washington with the view of impress ing upon congress the vital interest of the people of Oregon in the pending water-power legislation. The measure did not even evoke de bate in the house, so well acquinated and so satisfied were the members with its provisions. Five Days of Grace Likely. Portland—Within 30 days after the “bone-dry” prohibition law is enacted by the legislature and goes into effect the express companies must banish from the state of Oregon the last bot tle of booze. Such is one provision of the proposed act, but it must not be construed as affording 30 additional days to a thirsty public for stocking-up purposes. Five days’ grace may be given, how ever, if rumor is substantiated. Al though the proposed law at present contains no such clause, its insertion is anticipated. “We have learned unofficially,” said A. P. Peterson, general agent of Wells, Fargo & Co., “that a clause may be added to house bill 100 permit ting five days in which to dispose of shipments en route to Portland or to other points within the state at the time of hte passage of the law.” If this provision is made, it will amount to the extending of five days of grace, in which packages of liquor already at the express offices or in transit may be claimed. The 30-day provision of the law merely defines the time in which the companies must re move all undelivered consignments from the state. Salem—Free text books in public schools were voted down by the house General discussion of President Wil at noon Tuesday, 38 opposing the son’s world peace address is expected measure, 22 favoring it and 4 absent. in the senate soon. Senator Cummins The measure had been looked upon having given notice of his intention to Relentless War on Sea is with suspicion since its introduction, call up this resolution to set aside and when it went to the committee it Forecast; Warning to Come special time for debate on the subject. was badly revamped before it saw the Washington, D. C.—Information has light again. The section providing The ceremony of saluting the en tente allies' flag by Greece was car reached here that Germany and her al that text books could be secured free ried out Monday in the Zappeion, in lies are considering communicating to by other than publie schools was but accordance with the arrangement re the State department a virtual warn one feature eliminated before the bat cently entered into between the Greek ing that Americans should keep off of tle on the floor was staged. Represen House Does Big Lot of Work. government and the entente powers, armed merchant ships of belligerent tative Tichenor made a warm defense Salem — Thursday was one of the nations. This became known Wednes of his bill, claiming that it was a bill busiest days that the house has had says a dispatch from Athens. day following the intimation in official for the benefit of ‘‘the poor kids.” since the session opened. A big grist The new revenue bill, embracing ex circles quite recently that the United of bills was passed, an aggregate of 40 cess profits and increased inheritance States might issue soon a new memo- Limit Put on Commission. new bills was received, half a dozen taxes, designed to produce $248,000,- random setting forth its attitude to Salem—Representative Burdick has important memorials and resolutions 000, and a bond issue not exceeding ward armed merchantmen. introduced a bill in the house provid were disposed of and a big volume of It is not known just when or in ing a complete code of procedure for routine business was transacted. $100,000,000 to meet the threatened deficit next year, is reported by the what mannner the warning may be the operation of a county government. The house ran twice through its reg conveyed, but Germany apparently has It defines the duties of county commis- ular order of business and most of the house ways and means committee. been paving the way for such a step Revelation of strong-arm methods, several weeks past by submitting to sioners, who are empowered to esti new bills were sent to committees. A big batch of committee reports of the employment of sluggers and the State department a series of state mate the amount of money to be raised gunmen, of bitter warfare between ments alleging specific instances in for county purposes and to make levies came in the morning and half a dozen union factions, of intrigue and arson, which merchant craft of the entente in specified sums. The county court is measures were sent to oblivion over that all made up the conspiracy to powers have used offensively against restricted under this bill from under the indefinite postponement route. The first lot of appropriaiton bills block building construction work in submarines guns carried ostensibly for taking the erection of any courthouse or other public buildings coating more came in from the ways and means Chicago, is made from the witness de fense. ! than $5000 without the approval of a committee. They provide revenue for stand in a Chicago court room. 1 majority of the voters. the conduct of the executive, secretary Bryan Has New Bugaboo. Ex-President Taft, in an address at of state and treasury department, for Nashville, Tenn. — William Bryan, Bangor, Me., declared President Wil- Hearing Likely This Week. the special apprehenison of criminals, son’s recent address to the senate was addressing the legislature at a joint | Salem—A public hearing probably the State Training school, the school “an epoch in the history of our foreign session Wednesday, said army and will be held this week to consider the for the Deaf, the attorney General’s policy,” and his advocacy of our par- navy officials were lionized at Wash office and the Capitol and Supreme ticipation in a world league was a ington above civilian officials of such provisions of the Eaton bill to increase court buildings. departments as agriculture, commerce | the rate of the state inheritance tax. most powerful aid to. its formation. and labor, and declared that “if this The Eaton bill, which follows the Five hundred women invaded the is to be a democratic nation there must | outlines of Governor Withycombe’s Ashland Site Favored. Salem — The special committee of church of Rev. Paul Smith in San be a lifting up of the latter to the message, increases the present rate, Francisco Thursday to find out what he plane of the soldier or a leveling of the but many members of the house be- the joint ways and means committee proposed to do about women of the un soldier.” He said that munition mak- lieve that it does not go far enough, named to investigate the feasibility of derworld in carrying out a vice cru ers and professional soldiers are trynig | It would levy a tax of 1 per cent on all transferring the Industrial school for sade he has been leading. They took j to convert the United States into a bequests over $5000 and up to $20,000, girls form Salem either to Weston, the position that they were directly i military nation. and 2 per cent on all above $20,000. Drain or Ashland probably will be able interested. The first $5000, as under the present to report next week. The scheme had its inception in the | law, is to be exempt, 260 Lost When Ship is Sunk. Groundwork for the expected attack mind of Representative Ashley, and he London About 260 were lost in the I in the senate on President Wilson's was closely seconded by Representa sinking of the auxiliary cruiser I.aur- Apprentice Limit Attacked. proposal that the United States join in | Salem — Representative Callan has tive Childs, who is chairman of the a league for peace was laid Thursday ntic, many of them having been committee. in a resolution introduced by Senator killed by the explosion of the mine introduced a bill in the house intended The Industrial school for girls has which sent the former White Star to make it unlawful to restrict the Borah reaffirming as a national policy asked for new buildings in the budget liner to the bottom last Thursday, says number of persons learning a trade in the doctrine of no entangling alliances The admi-any given profession. Labor unionists and the School for feeble-minded also laid down by Washington and Jeffer- a dispatch from Belfast. ralty announces officially that a mine j on the ground are opposing the meas- has requested money for permanent son. and not a torpedo sunk the Laurentic. i ure already. They say that it will improvement in the way of new build Flat denials were authorized by the The dispatch says the Laurentic | prevent them from enforcing their con ings. White House and Secretary Lansing of struck the mine off the North coast of | tracts with employers which fix the published reports that Mr. Lansing is Ireland and sank in about 10 minutes. 1 ratio of apprentices to skilled mechan- Premium Cut Advised. Salem — Pure-bred livestock men of preparing to resign. A big hole was blown in the side of ics employed in various industries oper ating under closed-shop agreements. the ship. Oregon, at their convention here, Rec Representations by the United States ommended that the Oregon State Fair’s for a fair trial for two Mexican priests Four Appropriations Submitted. Russia Curbs Luxuries. request for 150,000 for livestock pre- sentenced to death at Zacatecas on Four appropriation bills | miums be cut to $40,000. They urged, Washington, D. C.-- Russia has add- I Salem _ a charge of aiding Villa have been successful. The American embassy in ed many articles to her list of com came into the house the first of the however, that a livestock coliseum be Mexico City has been informed that as modifies excluded by her on the ground week from the ways and means com- ! built at the fair grounds. They also a result they will not be tried under a of not being necessities. The new list mittee. but did not get onto the calen- went on record as favoring the Jones law which gives them no opportunity of articles has reached the department dar. as the house already had passed bill for a tax on dogs, the money from of Commerce and among them are that order of business. They provide which would be used to reimburse own- for defense. most kinds of vehicles except those for appropriations as follows: Oregon ers of sheep that are killed by dogs, Sale of the Hill steamer Minnesota railed tracks, precious metals, jewelry. National guard. $155.000; Naval mil- The stockmen are opposed to the Agri was cot firmed Thursday by L. W. Hill, wall paper and decorations ami table itia, $15.000; Insane hospital, $656,- cultural commission, as proposed in president of the Great Northern rail Already there is a general 936; Tuberculosis hospital, $75,562.- House bill 172. road. The ship is said to have sold for restriction on imports except by spe 60; total. $902,498.60. $2,750,000. cial permit to Russia ports. Board Would Get Rise. Labor Against Prison Plan. Salem— Representative Mann intro Lewiston, Idaho — A silver-tip fox Salem—Organised labor will oppose duced a bill in the house fixing the sal- pelt estimated to be worth its size in Washington, D. C.—A phenomenon the recommendation made in the re aries of Multnomah county commis $100 bills is being exhibited in the unusual in weather bureau records re- port of the Prison survey commission sioners at $3000 a year and requiring Central Idaho country by John Hanson, sulted Wednesday in a disparity of that the law prohibiting the sale of them to give all their time to th. a Leesburg mining man, who made the more than 100 degrees between read convict-made goods on the open market work. Their present salary is $1800 lucky capture. It is two feet long ings in the southwest ami the north- be repealed. Labor is strong against a year, but they do not have to be on from tip to tip and almost black ex west of the United States. In some such a proposal, but have counter pro the job all the time. Efforts wer cept for a snowball at the end of the parts of Texas the mercury stood at 86 posal of their own, which, they be made to get the whole Multromab brush and a few white spines along above, while near the Canadian Inie of lieve, will solve the problem of idleness county delegation back of the bill, but the back. the Rockies it was 20 below. at the penitentiary. they refused to take action. Washington, D. C.—After a series of conferences at the Capitol on prac tically all feautres of his legislation programme, President Wilson told his advisers Tuesday he believed action could be secured at this session on every important measure in which he is interested. With different members of the senate and house he had dis cussed means of preventing railroad strikes, vocational education, revenue, flood control, the general land-leasing bill, the Porto Rico bill, a measure to allow American importers to form common selling agencies abroad, in creased pay for Federal employes and the placing postmasters under civil service. The President told Senator Poindex ter, author of an amendment to the legislative, judicial and executive ap propriation bill, adopted by the senate, which would extend the civil service requirements to all postmasters, that he favored the change. At present only postmasters in small towns in the fourth class are selected by examina tion, and the remainder are appointed by the President and confirmed by the senate. Mr. Wilson said he would be grati fied to have the amendment agreed to in the conference. He has previously urged a proposal of this kind, and Postmaster General Burleson has in dorsed it in his annual report. It is expected to meet with some opposition. Representative Sims, of Tennessee, a member of the house interstate com merce committee, considering the rail road program, told the President he did not believe the house would ap prove the part of the administration recommendations prohibiting strikes or lockout pending investigation. The President said he would not in sist on any particular form of legisla tion, but it was absolutely necessary to decide on some means of preventing strikes on the railroads of the country. Administration leaders now are work ing on a compromise measure which, they say, the President probably will indorse. It provides for an investiga ting board made up of representatives of both sides, as suggested by the rail road brotherhoods, but adds a repre sentative of the public. New York Financier Says Lawson Was “Romancing” New York—Some of the most sensa tional charges of Thomas W. Lawson made in testifying recently in the house rules committee “leak” investi gation were vehemently denied Mon day by Pliny Fisk and Archibald S. White, two widely known New York financiers, when they appeared here before the congressional inquisitors. Mr. Fisk, named by Lawson as the banker member of an alleged trio com posed of a cabinet member, Secretary McAdoo; a member of congress, known as “Senator O,” and a banker, who had a joint account in Wall street, declared emphatically that no such combination ever existed. White, who was declared by Lawson to have told him Fisk had boasted to him that he controlled Secretary Mc Adoo and had offered to call the Secre tary from his bed by telephone at 1:30 o’clock in the morning to prove his as- sertion, insisted that Lawson was “romancing.” President Vetoes Immigration Bill; Literacy Test Objectional Washington, D. C.—President Wil son Monday vetoed the immigration bill, passed recently by congress, be cause of its literacy test provision. When the message was read in the house it was ordered to lie on the table until Thursday morning, and cham pions of the bill began laying their plans for an effort to override the veto. Chairman Burnett announced that he would move for a vote Thurs day. The house two years ago lacked only four votes of the necessary two- thirds majority to pass the bill over the veto, the ayes being 261 and the noes 136. The attempt having failed in the house no action was taken by the senate. France Suffers in Cold. All Hopes of Peace Are Blasted When Kaiser Sends Note. STARVATION Of ENGLAND PLAN Washington is Staggered by Decision to Use Every Weapon Against Allies—Super-Crisis Comes. Washington, D. C.—Germany has declared unrestricted submarine war fare. A starvation blockade of England, the like of which the world has never seen, was announced to the world Wednesday in notes delivered to Amer ican Ambassador Gerard in Berlin and to the State department here by Count von Bernstorff. Thus begins the long-feared cam paign of ruthlessness, conceived by Von Hindenburg, it is said here, on a magnitude never even contemplated by Von Tirpitz. Again the United States faces sever ance of diplomatic relations with Ger many with all its eventual possibili ties. President Wilson’s repeated warnings of “a-world-afire” and Sec retary Lansing's “verge-of-war” statement are being recalled in the capital with feelings of apprehension and misgiving. Germany’s action is super-crisis of all those that have stirred the Ameri- can government in two and a half years of world war. Talk of peace in Europe and of means of preserving the peace of the world has gone glimmering. President Wilson, incredulous at first when the unofficial text of Germany’s warning was brought to him, at once called for the official document, which had just been presented to Secretary Lansing by the German ambassador. Mr. Lan sing absolutely refused to comment. President Wilson began immediately a careful study of the document. The President has the task of decid ing what shall be the course of the United States. Three immediate steps appear among the possibilities. The United States might solemnly warn Germany against a violation of her pledges; it might be decided that the German warning is sufficient no tice of an intention to disregard those pledges and a sufficient warrant for breaking off diplomatic relations; it might be decided to await the results of the blockade and determine the course of the United States as the ac tual operations develop. On almost every side Germany’s drastic action is interpreted as an open confession of the effectiveness of the British food blockade. It is re garded as a determination to strike back in kind. German officials in the United States estimate the food supply on the British Isles will last a month. Admittedly, the plan is to carry stravation to the door of England with swift, staggering strokes, as a fulfill ment of Germany’s announced deter mination to use every weapon and agency at her command to end the war quickly. She counts on the operations of an unheard-of number of submarines to deliver blows to bring England to her knees within 60 days. One Ger man official here predicted the war would be over in a month. Plot to Kill Lloyd George and Others Laid to English Women Derby, Eng.—Four persons were ar raigned in the Police court at the Derby Guildhall Thursday, charged with plotting the murder of Premier Lloyd-George and Arthur Henderson, the premier’s right-hand-man in the war council. The accused persons indignatly de- nied the charges, declaring they had been trumpted up as punishment for their conscientious objections to com pulsory service. Proceedings at the Guildhall, over which the mayor presided, were merely of a formal nature. No details of the charges or evidence were divulged, al though gossip has been busy with ru mors of various details since the news of the arrest was received. Paris — France continues to suffer from exceptionally cold weather, the temperature ranging from 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit above zero. The coal supply of Paris is running low, owing to the freezing of the canals of the interior water transportation sys tem. Traffic has been suspended entirely Bank Robbery is Failure. in the central canal, by which coal is Ceres, Cal.—Bank robbers isolated transported from Monceau-les-Mines, and the barges are imprisoned in the Ceres early Thursday by cutting tele ice. Several deaths from cold have phone wires, manacled a watchman been reported in Paris. with his own handcuffs, and then ex ploded seven charges of nitro-glycerine Labor to Be Enforced. in an unsuccessful attempt to crack the Copenhagen — The Schleswigsche safe of the Bank of Ceres. The rob Grenzpost, a copy of which has been bers reached Ceres in an automobile received here, declares the general stolen from another banker. The Cal commanding the district of the Ninth ifornia Bankers' association warned German army corps has proclaimed country bankers to be vigilant as it is that all interned and other civilians believed a gang operating previously belonging to Nations hostile to Ger in the Middle West has transferred the many shall be forced to do public scene of its operations. labor. Britain to Keep Colonies. This will be similar to that required of Germans called upon for civilian London—The colonies captured from services. Germany during the war will never be returned, said Walter Hume Long, sec Manila Would Sell Coin. retary of state for the colonies, speak-' Manila A bill has been introduced ing as a representative of the Overseas in the legislature authorizing the sale Dominions, in an address Thursday. “We acquired possession of different of 18.000,000 silver pesos now held in the government vaults at Corriegidor, German colonies in various parts of at a profit of $1.250,000. The bill, the world as a consequence of this which seems certain of passage, means war,” he said. “Let no man think that hereafter the island's silver certi these territories will ever return to ficates will be guaranteed by gold. German rule.”