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.”