THE
WILL NOI DECLARE
WAR ON GERMANY
Wilson Desires Only Measures
to “Protect Americans.”
ONLY OVERT ACT IS AWAITED
Consider Arming and Convoying Mer
chant Vessels—Determination is
to Uphold Freedom of Sea.
Washington, D. C.—The course to
be taken by the United States if Ger
many compels the use of force to safe
guard American lives and rights has
been determined.
It was learned au-
thoritaitvely after Friday’s cabinet
meeting that in the event President
Wilson goes before congress again it
will not be to ask for a declaration of
war, but to follow literally the words
of the address in which he announced
the break of diplomatic relations and
request aúthority to use means deemed
necessary to protect American seamen
and people.
The President, it is said, is as
strongly desirous as ever to avoid war
with Germany, but also is as deter
mined as ever that American citizens
and ships shall be free to travel the
high seas unmolested.
His next step, if taken, will be to
enforce that right and even then the
issue of war or peace will be with Ger
many. Any hostile action will have to
come in the form of an interference
with an American right.
Details of the government’s plans
are not discussed. It is known, how
ever, that convoying and arming of
merchant ships are being considered.
No new development came Saturday
to indicate that the overt act by Ger
many regarded as inevitable was near
er at hand. Fewer reports of ships
sunk came in and none told officially of
the loss of an American life.
Light Guns Best to War
Against German Submarines
New York — Although figures to
show the number of submarines de
stroyed by the entente allies and the
means used in their destruction are un
available, owing to the rigid censor
ship on war activities, it was learned
here Saturday from an authoritative
source that direct gunfire from the
decks of warships and auxiliary ves
sels had been the most effective meth
od employed thus far.
To combat the submarine menace
the British government and her allies
have adopted various plans to catch
the undersea boats, although some of
them have been abandoned as ineffec
tive.
A marine authority of unquestioned
standing, who is close to British ship
ping interests, said when asked as to
the effectiveness of arming ships:
“We have found that light guns,
discharging projectiles of four to six
pounds, in the hands of trained gun
ners, have been by far the most effec
tive weapon. 1 know personally that
as many as two and three submarines
have been bagged in one day in this
way.”
13 ARE DEAD IN HOTEL FIRE
Minneapolis Wooden Structure Burns
With Temperature 10 Below.
HERMISTON
HERALD,
GERMANY SEEKS
RECONCILIATION
HERMISTON, OREGON.
Marine News
Big Shipyard Started.
Tacoma.—Actual construction on
Minneapolis—At least 13 persons
what will be Tacoma’s biggest ship
are missing and are believed to have
building industry began Tuesday,
I when about 50 men were put to work
lost their lives in the fire which de
by the Tacoma Dredging company at
stroyed the Kenwood hotel, Twelfth
the diking for the proposed 1,600 foot
street and Hennepin avenue, shortly
fill along the Hylebos creek waterway,
after midnight Monday, according to
upon which the Todd Shipbuilding
police estimates.
company will ultimately build the
In addition to the known missing,
most modern and complete yard in
there are 11 others unaccounted for
the northwest. A construction office
who may be in the ruins, according to
has been erected at the site.
Many carloads of brush are being
E. D. Stalker, proprietor of the hotel.
brought to the site of the dike, and
One person is known to be dead. Mrs.
two great piledrivers are at work plac
Lucille Squire suffered a fractured
ing the piles which will form the re
skull when she leaped from a third- Officials Disinclined to Negotiate While taining
walls. Brush and rock will be
story window. She died shortly after
dumped
behind the piling, and behind
U-Boats Operate — Believed Ber
wards at the city hospital.
this foundation the silt from the bot
Officials believe that many persons
tom of Hylebos creek will be placed
lin is Sparring for Time.
precipitated into the basement by
by a big suction dredge, which will be
crumbling floors and were buried in
placed at work as soon as sufficient
diking has been constructed, probably
the debris.
Seventy-six persons are thought to
Washington, D. C.—Germany has in about 10 days.
have been in the hotel when the fire taken steps to open a discussion with
broke out.
the United States of means of prevent
Jap Warships Visit,
ing war between them.
Tacoma.—Mystery surrounding the
In seeking an exchange, of views on
Ministers of Germany’s
arrival of two Japanese cruis
the subject, however, it is not under reported
in the Straits of Juan de Fuca Feb
Allies May Be Sent Home stood that the Berlin government has ers
ruary 5 was cleared up Thursday with
proposed any modification of its ruth the arrival in Tacoma of a party of
less submarine campaign and officials nine officers of the Japanese cruiser
here say they cannot enter upon such Iwate, which, with the cruisers Idzuma
discussion while vessels continue to be and Nishin of Admiral Y. Takashita’s
destroyed in violation of international squadron are at Esquimalt, and said
to be coaling at that port. News of
law.
the arrival of the members of the im
The new move is understood to be perial
navy was closely
predicated upon a willingness on Ger guarded Japanese
by the Canadian censor.
many’s part to discuss especally the
It is reported that the cruisers
safeguarding of American ships and brought $10,000,000 in gold to the Ca
American lives on the seas and backed nadian government as a loan, but no
by a renewed expression of the desire confirmation of this statement could
of the German government to prevent be gotten from the Japanese officers.
the diplomatic breach from leading to
Shipyard Project Aided.
y
actual hostilities.
Florence, Or.—A special meeting of
Just how American interests are to
be safe guarded if the German war the chamber of commerce was held
I
zone proclamation is to stand, how Wednesday night to discuss methods
ever, and whether any specific means of co-operating with the Eugene or
of preserving peace between the two ganization for securing the proposed
nations is included in the communica shipyard. A committee was appointed,
tion has not been revealed.
consisting of J. W. Bergman, W. H.
What may be the ulterior motive O’Kelly, R. T. F. Smith, D. M. Kyle
back of the step is a matter of specu and William Brynd, who will confer
lation. In some quaiters there is evi with the Eugene committee and take
dently a feeling it is merely a play for up the matter of obtaining stock sub
time, designed to postpone any further scriptions locally.
Those interested are meeting with
action by the United States until the
starvation blockade against England much encouragement.
either has succeeded or failed. Else
American Vessel Sunk.
where there are suggestions that there
Rome.—The American schooner Ly
may be behind it a sincere desire to man M. Law was sunk February 12 off
make sacrifices to preserve peace be the coast of Sardania by a hostile sub-
tween the United States and Germany marine, says a Stefani dispatch from
and may come as a response to the ap Cagliari, Sardinia. The vessel was
peals understood to have been sent loaded with agricultural machinery,
the dispatch adds. The crew of 10, of
abroad by pacifists in this country.
which eight were Americans, says the
message, have been landed at Cagliari.
Evolution of Artificial Light From
Days of Birch Bark Torch
Steps Taken to Open Discussion
on Break With U. S.
WASHINGTON NOT INTERESTED
Ambassador Gerard Arrives
in Switzerland on Way Home
7
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Zurich, Switzerland, via Paris—The
American ambassador, James W. Ge
rard, arrived at the Swiss boundary at
Schaffhausen, Sunday afteroonon. He
was met by the American minister to
Switzerland, Pleasant A. Stovall, and
representatives of the Swiss army.
Swiss military guard of honor was
also in waiting, and a big delegation
of citizens greeted the ex-American
ambassador.
The trip from Berlin was made with
out incident, although some curiosity
was displayed by those who gathered
along the route through Germany.
Mr. Gerard disembarked at Zurich
with about 120 other Americans, who
expected at first to remain there, but
when, assured of accommodations at
Berne, he left immediately for that
city.
_____
Motorship Leaves St. Helens.
St. Helens, Or.—The motorship S. I.
Allard, launched at the St. Helens
Shipbuilding company’s yards last
month, left Thursday for Astoria, be
ing towed by a tug. At Astoria there
will be about 10 days’ work before the
vessel will be ready to be towed to
San Francisco, where engines will be
installed.
Steamship Goes Aground.
Bellingham, Wash.—The steamship
Windber of the Pacific American Fish
eries, went on Starr Rock here Wed
nesday at 11 o’clock, while backing
into position at a lumber mill dock.
The steamship Norwood and tugs at
tempted to pull the vessel off but
failed.
NORTHWEST MARKET REPORT
AS.
a.
The Smithsonian institution has recently arranged an exhibit showing
the evolution of light from the days of the birch-bark torch to the present.
Specimens in the collection show many weird forms of lamps and torches
in vogue at different periods. The torch at the left of the picture is of
birch bark while next to it are a gourd and the skull of an animal. Later
stones were fashioned into peculiar shapes to hold grease and oil. Oil was
later burned in the vessels and still later came glass receptacles into which
wicks were inserted. The latest development is that of the modern incan
descent bulb and the modern gas fixture.
NEW RADIO STATIONS
Uncle Sam Installing Powerful
System Throughout Country.
Work of Installing New Equipment
and Improving the Old Is Being
Pushed by Navy Department.
Uncle Sam is pushing the work up
on a chain of high-power wireless sta
tions that are to be established
throughout the country by the navy
department.
Contracts have recently been enter
ed Into by the department for the
radio equipment at Sun Diego and
Pearl Harbor, and for the radio and
power equipment at Cavite, and while
it is said that the general trade con
ditions have caused some delay, it is
believed that the San Diego station
will be in operation soon and the oth
ers will follow.
Officers of the bureau say that the
equipment of the stations at Boston,
the Great Lakes, Charleston, Key
West, New Orleans, Guantanamo, San
Juan and Cordova, Alaska, has been
so improved as to render these sta
tions capable of communicating with
vessels beyond the range of low-pow
ered stations and also to relay mes
sages across the continent. It is in
tended to similarly equip the station
at Mare Island.
Distant control of stations, to per
mit simultaneous sending and receiv
ing of messages, has been established
during the past year at Arlington,
Mare Island, Boston and Washington,
and similar improvement will be made
in the near future, the officials say,
at Charleston, Key West, Puget Sound
and New Orleans. In stations thus
equipped for transmitting with a large
and small set, with facilities for re
ceiving simultaneously the signals
coming In from similar sets, the capa
city for handling messages is in
creased fourfold. Marked improve-
ment has recently been made, it Is
said, in the transmitting and receiv
ing capacity of the more important
vessels of the navy.
FOREST ROAD FUND ALLOTTED
| California Gets Largest Share of Mil.
lion Dollars to Be Spent by Uncle
Sam in Next Fiscal Year.
Secretary of Agriculture Houston
has announced the amount allotted to
each state from the $1,000,000 to
be spent by Unele Sam during the fis
cal year 1918 in constructing roads
and trails within or partly within the
national forests. Tills money is part
of the $10,000,000 appropriated by the
federal aid road act to assist develop-
ment of the national forests, which be-
comes available at the rate of a mil
lion dollars a year for ten years.
The allotments as approved are as
follows: Alaska, $46,351; Arizona, $58,-
604; Arkansas, $0,803; California,
$140,988; Colorado, $62,575; Idaho,
$108,730; Montana, $70,042; Nevada,
$19,290; New Mexico, $42,405; Oregon,
$128,111; South Dakota, $8,092; Utah,
$41,107; Washington, $01,914; Wy
oming, $40,684. A total of $9,995 has
been allotted to Florida, Michigan,
Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota
and Oklahoma. The group of eastern
states—Georgia, Maine, New Hamp
shire, North and South Carolina, Ten-
nessee, Virginia ami West Virginia—
in which the government is purchasing
lands for national forests, receives
$21,120,
In making allotments, it is explained,
10 per cent of the amount available
for 1918 is withheld as a contingent
fund. One-half of the remainder has
been appropriated among the states in
amounts based on the urea of the na
tional forest lands in each state,
while the other half has been allotted
on a basis of the estimated value of
the timber and forage resources which
the forests contain.
Portland—Wheat—Bluestem, $1.55
per bushel; forty fold, $1.52; club,
Noted Bandit Dies.
$1.51; red Russian, $1.48.
hit
Portland—Chris Evans, famed Cali
Millfeed—Spot prices: Bran, $26.50
These ministers of Germany’s allies
fornia highwayman, died Saturday at
per ton; shorts, $30.50; rolled barley,
a local hospital, and ending a checker may be given their passports: Count
$42043.
ed career which carried him from the Tarnowski represents Austria-Hun
Hay — Producers’ prices: Timothy,
leadership of a bandit gang to the gary, Stephen Panaretoff represents
Eastern Oregon, $19@20 per ton; val
doors of the county poor farm. He Bulgaria, and Hussein Bey is the
ley, $150016; alfalfa, $14016; valley
Turkish charge.
COTTON CROP IS VALUABLE
was 70 years old.
grain hay, $12.50@14.
Evans began his career as a bandit
Butter — Cubes, extras, 37c per
Yield for Season of 1915 Was Worth
by declaring war against the Southern
While several of the injured were
pound; prime firsts, 37c; firsts, 36c;
More Than Three-Quarters of
Pacific railroad when the company no in a serious condition, it was is re
dairy, 30c. Jobbing prices: Prints,
Billion Dollars to Growers.
tified him that his grant of land in the ported at the city hospital that most of
extras, 39c;
cartons,
1c extra;
San Joaquin valley had reverted to the them would recover. One woman who
butterfat, No. 1, 43c; No. 2, 41c,
Final figures compiled by Uncle
corporation. His home was on the became hysterical after being rescued
Portland.
Sam's census experts for the season
place, and he had been raising wheat raced down the street screaming and
Eggs — Oregon ranch, current re
of 1915 show that the crop of cotton
and stock.
froze her feet before overtaken.
ceipts, 32c per dozen; candled, 33
and cottonseed was worth more than
Others, garbed in night attire, suf
@32c; selects, 34c.
$750,000,000. The production, of 11,-
Kaiser Talks on U-Boats.
American Vessels Ready.
fered terrible exposure in the 10 below
Poultry— Hens, heavy, 18@20c per
191,820 bales of cotton was worth $627,-
London — An important conference pound; light, 18@20c; springs, 171@
New York—Two freight steamers zero temperature.
Pennies Keep Mint Busy.
940,000 to the growers while the 4,-
at headquarters has been called by Em- j 19c; turkeys, live, 20@2lc; dressed,
flying the American flag were ready
According to the report of the direc 992,000 tons of cottonseed produced
25028c; ducks, 20@22c; geese, 12
Thousands
Against
War.
peror
William,
presumably
to
discuss
Saturday to start for Bordeaux with
tors of the mint, there were coined by was worth $167,000,000.
Washington, D. C. — Thousands of the submarine question, says the Ex @13c.
non-contraband cargoes. They are the
the United States during the last
Texas alone produced
3,227,480
Veal—Fancy, 142@15c per pound.
change
Telegraph
company
’
s
Amster
telegrams
from
different
parts
of
the
|
Orlean, of the Oriental Navigation
year 347,900,469 coins with a total equivalent 500-pound bales, or nearly
Pork
—
Fancy,
15@152c
per
pound.
Co., and the Rochester, of the Kerr country urging steps to maintain peace dam correspondent Monday.
29 per cent of the total American crop
Vegetables—Artichokes, $1.0001.20 value of $33,743,376.07.
Dr. von Bethmann-Holwegg, the
Steamship company. Each vessel reg between the United States and Ger
The greatest number of coins mint of 1915; while four states—Alabama,
per dozen; tomatoes, $6.00@7.50 per
imperial
chancellor,
and
high
army
isters about 6000 tons and each is man many reached the White House Mon
crate; cabbage, $5 per hundred; ed were 1-cent pieces, of which there i Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas,
ned exclusively by Americans. Both day. Many of them were in the same and navy officials will attend and it is eggplant, 25c per pound; lettuce, $2.35 were 190,299,677. There were 796,000, each with an output of more than 1,-
vessels have the American flag painted language and evidently were the result reported, adds the correspondent, that (3.50 per box; cucumbers, $1.50@ in round numbers, of $20 gold pieces 000,000 bales—together produced near
on both sides. Until her purchase re of an organized movement. Repre the possibility of negotiations with 1.75 per dozen; celery, $5.50 per crate; | coined. There were, approximately, ly two-thirds of the crop.
cently by the Oriental company, sentatives of the Emergency Peace neutrals for modifying the terms of cauliflower,
$2.50@2.60; peppers, 37,000,000 pieees coined for other gov
According to the revised estimates of
and the Orlean was known as the Federation, recently organized at New the recent German memorandum will 30c per pound;
sack vegetables, ernments.
the department of agriculture, the acre
be
discussed.
Avellanada.
I York, called at the White House in an |
$1.25 per sack; sprouts, 123c per
age from which the crop of 1915 was
| effort to make an engagement to see 1
pound; rhubarb, 10@1lc.
National Forests Restricted.
harvested amounted to 31,412,000—the
Sinking
of
U-Boats
Hinted.
Baltic Arrives in Port.
President Wilson next week. A mass |
Potatoes — Oregon buying prices, | Since the passage In 1912 of the act smallest since 1907. This reduction In
London—In a letter read at the war $3.00 per hundred; sweets, $4.
New York—The steamship Baltic of meeting will be held here soon.
providing funds for land classification, acreage was due to the demoralized
the White Star line has arrived safely
loan meeting Saturday Vice Admiral Onions—Oregon buying prices, $7.50 and as a direct result of the classifica state of the cotton market following
I3OO Acres to Be Opened.
at Liverpool, according to a cable mes
Sir Reginald Bacon, commander of the per sack, country points.
tion work, a total of 13,477,781 acres the outbreak of the European war. The
sage received here Saturday by officers
Washington, D. C. — Thirteen hun Dover Patrol, is quoted as saying:
Green Fruits — Apples, 75c@$2.25 tins been eliminated from the national average production of lint per acre In
of the company. The message besides dred acres in the second unit of the
per box; pears, $1.75(2.50; cranber forests. This Includes an elimination 1915, as estimated by the department
“If you will try as hard to do your ries, $10@11 per barrel.
announcing that the Baltic had reached West Umatilla irrigation project will
of approximately 5,800,000 acres of I of agriculture, was 170 pounds, as
her pier said “all well.” The arrival be opened to homestead entry March 6. duty ashore by raising a loan as we j Hops—1916 crop, 5@9c per pound; | land from the Chugach national forest I against 209 pounds in 1914, 182 pounds
are
doing
at
sea
by
sinking
submarines
of the Baltic removes from the danger
Under regulations promulgated Mon
1917 contracts, 10@11c.
In Alaska, which embraced lands of In 1913, 191 pounds In 1912, and 208
zone another British vessel carrying1 day, those desiring to enter should file and frustrating other evil devices you
Wool —Eastern Oregon, fine, 28@33c low value for any purpose other than pounds in 1911.
United States citizens.
The steam- teir applications at The Dalles or La will make the loan such a success that per pound; coarse, 33@36c; valley, 33 mining.
ship took to England full cargo of Grande offices between March 1 and 6. it will be a knockout blow to the @41e; mohair, nominal.
Japanese Get 12-Hour Day.
munitions.
The building charge assessed against enemy.”
Cattle—Steers, prime, $8.5009.25;
Japanese wage-earners have not
German Exports to U. 8. Drop.
this land is $96 an acre, 5 per cent of 1
fair to good, $7.0008.00; medium,
The total value of the exports In heard of the eight-hour day, but they
Big Munitions Plaut Burns.
Swedish People Approve.
which must be deposited before the ap
$6.50 @ 6.75; cows, choice, $7.35@ voiced at the American consulates in have won a 12-hour day, according to
plication
for
entry
will
be
received.
Stockholm — The Swedish govern- !
Pittsburg, Pa.—The machine shop 7.7 5; medium to good, $6.5007.00; or Germany for the United States during Uncle Sam's commercial representa
ment's rejection of President Wilson’s
building of the United Switch & Signal dinary to fair, $5.7506.25; heifers, 1916 was $8,349,902, as against $39,- tives In the Orient. In a new factory
$3.75 @ 6.00;
China Threatens Break.
suggestion to make common cause
company, the largest plant for the $5.00 ( 8.00; bulls,
967,183 for 1915. Exports to the Phil I law which has gone into effect, 12
with the United States in severing
Pekin—The Chinese cabinet has in manufacture of switch signals in the calves, $3.0009.00.
ippines were valued at $21,428 against hours a day is fixed as the maximum
Hogs — Light and heavy packing,
diplomatic relations with Germany has dorsed the American action against United States, and until recently en
$140,871. No exports were declared number of working hours for laborers.
not been followed by dissent in high Germany on the submarine campaign. gaged in filling munition orders for the $11.500 12.35; rough heavy, $9.85@) during the year for Hawaii or Porto Two million girls employed In Japa
political quarters. Even the strongest The cabinet has assured the American European governments, situated at 10.00; pigs and skips, $9.35010.00; | Rico, while in 1915 the shipments nese factories hall the new law as a
pro-entente partisans seemed agreed minister, Dr. Paul S. Reinsch, that Swissvale, a suburb, was destroyed by stock hogs, $8.5009.00.
Sheep—Yearling wethers, $10.25@ were valued at $89,159 and $16,841, great improvement in working condi
the invitation could not possibly have China associates itself firmly with the fire early Saturday night with a loss
respectively.
tion*
10.76; lambs, $10.00@12.70.
been accepted.
estimated at $4,000,000.
United States.
Washington, D. C.—Germany’s de
lay in permitting Ambassador Gerard
and other American officials to leave
the country has aroused deepest re
sentment here, especially in view of
the steps made to arrange all possible
conveniences for the homeward trip of
German officials in the United States.
It was disclosed at the department
that an inquiry regarding the delay
had been addressed to Mr. Gerard
through the Spanish ambassador at
Berlin. Officials have indicated, how
ever, that once Mr. Gerard and his
party are safely out of Germany, the
United States probably will consider
the icnident closed.