THE
HERMISTON
HERALD,
HERMISTON,
OREGON.
U. S. IS VIRTUALLY AT WAR RAILROAD STRIKE
WORLD HAPPENINGS Preparation for Aggressive Action by ADAMSON LAW IS EXIRA SESSION IS President
Considers Extra Session;
"Overt Act" Committed.
Navy Ordered by President.
IS DECLARED Off
CONSTITUTIONAL __ RIL 2ND
OF CURRENT WEEK
TO CLEAR SEA OF Ú BOATS
00
Brief Resume Most Important
Daily News Items.
COMPILED FOR BUSY READERS
Eventa of Noted People, Governments
and Pacific Northwest and Other
Things Worth Knowing.
Premier Lloyd George has announced
in the house of commons that on
Thursday he would move a motion of
congratulation to the Russian Duma.
The Farm Loan board has announced
that the interest rate on all loans made
to farmers throughout the country by
Federal land banks would be 5 per
cent.
An emergency appropriation of $1,-
000,000 for the defense of the com
monwealth in the event of war was
passed by the Massachusetts legisla
ture.
Elden, the 4-year-old son of Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Mahood, of Fairdale, Ore
gon, fell from his high chair at the
Mahood home Saturday night and was
killed. His neck was broken.
Washington, D. C.- Preparation for
aggressive action by the navy against
the German submarine menace began
Tuesday at the direction of President
Wilson. The President authorized the
expenditure of the $115,000,000 emer
gency fund, provided by congress to
speed up naval construction and pay
for special additional war craft, and
the suspension of the eight-hour labor
law in plants engaged in navy work.
Immediately afterward, Secretary
Daniels ordered the New York navy
yard to begin building 60 submarine
chasers of the 110-foot type, to be
completed in from 60 to 80 days. It
was said 40 of these could be laid down
at once.
With the President’s approval, the
secretary also ordered the graduation
of the first and second classes at the
naval academy. The first class will go
out March 29, releasing 212 junior offi
cers to fill existing vacancies, and the
second in September, furnishing 202
more, a full year before they other
wise would be available.
While the energies of the navy will
be concentrated for the present on
efforts to get into commission craft de
signed particulary to destroy submar
ines and guard the coast, warship
building generally will be speeded up
under the recent agreement with pri
vate builders and with the funds now
made available.
Ambassador Francis, at Petrograd,
has cabled the State department that Allies Pressing Enemy Hard;
no Americans had been reported in
Large Territory Being Regained
jured during the revolution, and that
the embassy and staff were undis
Paris—The French troops have oc
turbed.
cupied about 20 additional villages and
The tinplate shortage threatening to small towns in their advance on the re
cripple the country’s food canning in treating Germans.
They have gone
dustry is taken up by government beyond Ham on the Somme river and
agencies with the aim to insuring a
supply sufficient to keep all canning Chauney on the ' Oise, which brings
them appreciably nearer to the St.
plants going.
Quentin-Laon line. At one point the
Yale’s senior class has voted to dis advance Tuesday penetrated German
pense with the use of intoxicating
lines to a depth of 22 miles.
liquors at its class dinner in June. The
same vote will govern future reunion
London—The British advance still is
gatherings of this class unless the vote
being
pushed rapidly, further large
should be rescinded.
gains being recorded in the official re
Captain Jack Bonavita, nationally-
known animal trainer, died in Los An port from British headquarters in
geles Wednesday night as the result of France Tuesday night.
a fractured jaw and severe lacerations
“The pursuit of the enemy,” says
received in a struggle with a polar the report, “continued Tuesday, our
bear at a moving picture studio.
cavalry and advance guards driving
Patriotic students in Central High back the enemy’s rear guards. The
school in Washington, D. C., tore from ground gained extends for a depth of
the walls of a classroom a picture of from two to eight miles and 40 more
Emperor William of Germany, and villages have fallen into our hands.”
hung in its place a photograph of Pres
London—The following official com
ident Wilson, decorated with two
munication is issued regarding the op
American flags.
The council of workingmen’s dele eration of the British troops against
gates in Petrograd has prescribed the the Turks in Mesopotamia:
immediate resumption of work in all
“During Saturday night General
factories, according to a dispatch from Maude’s troops effected a crossing of
the Russian capital.
Factories will
pay full wages for the days in which the Diala river and occupied the vil
work was prevented by the revolution. lage of Bahriz and a part of the town
of Bakubah on the left bank of the
In an epochal decision holding con river. The enemy retired hastily to
gress to be clothed with any and all ward Khanikan.”
powers necessary to keep open the
Bakubah lies about 25 miles north
channels of interstate commerce, the east of Bagdad on the Diala.
Supreme court, dividing five to four,
sustained the Adamson law as consti Fifteen of Crew of Torpedoed
tutional and enforceable in every feat
Vigilancia Are Drowned
ure.
Representative Sherwood, of Ohio,
one of the most openly-expressed pac
ificists in the house, declared in a pub
lic statement recently that the latest
sinking of American ships by German
submarines had converted him in favor
of an immediate declaration of war.
At the same time he offered his serv
ices to the army at the age of 82.
Immediate nationalization of rail
road control was urged by Robert S.
Lovett, chairman of the board of the
Union Pacific, in testifying before the
congressional committee investigating
all phases of the railway problem.
Final disposition of the control ques
tion, he declared, would prove a great
factor in the grave problem of obtain
ing new capital with which to continue
railroad development.
A sentence of imprisonment for
three months is reported by Reuter’s
correspondent at The Hague to have
been imposed on Herr Schroeder,
editor of the Amsterdam Telegraaf, on
the charge of having endangered the
neutrality of the state through the
publication of an editorial.
Plymouth, via London — Fifteen
members of the crew of the American
steamer Vigilancia lost their lives
when the steamer was torpedoed by a
German submarine.
The survivors
were in lifeboats from Friday morning
until Sunday afternoon.
Among those drowned were several
American citizens, including Third
Officer Neils P. North and Third En
gineer Carl Adeholde. This informa
tion was given out by Captain Frank
A. Middleton, of New York, who, with
the survivors of the Vigilancia, has
reached the mainland, and probably
will make affidavits before the Ameri
can consul.
Captain Middleton said that his ves
sel was sunk without warning.
Two
lifeboats were lowered from the Vigil
ancia and the crew of 43 men got into
them.
Owing to the swell of the
ocean, however, 25 men were thrown
into the water. The boats of the Cap
tain and the mates picked up ten of
the men, but the other 15 were
drowned.
The capture by the Russians of the
Shells Lifeboat; Kills Eight Men.
Persian town of Kermanshah is report
London
—A boat containing the first,
ed in an unofficial dispatch received in
second and third mates and five sea
London.
men of the Dutch steamer Selien char
“Enemy aviators again bombarded tered by the Belgian Relief commis
our hospital at Vertekop,’’ says a sion, has been shelled by a submarine
Serbian official statement, “causing and all the occupants killed, according
heavy loss of life among both patients to a dispatch from Stavanger. “The
and personnel.
Two English nurses Dutch steamer Selien." says the dis
were among those killed. The hos patch, “has reached here bound for
pitals are completely separated from New York in ballast. She left Rotter
any other buildings and are distinc dam Friday, bearing the usual desig
tively marked with a red cross.’’
nations of the Belgian Relief com-
General
Louis Hubert Gonzalve mission, and was attacked at 5 o’clock
Lyautey, minister of war in the French Saturday afternoon.
cabinet, has resigned, as the result of
Seaplanes Save Ship.
incidents in the chamber of deputies.
New York — The British freight
Rumors of a plot to dynamite the steamer Eastgate, which arrived here
7,000,000,000-gallon reservoir at Boon Tuesday from La Pallise, was recently
ton, N. J., thereby flooding the Passaic attacked by a German submarine and
valley, where many large munition escaped destruction only through
plants ars situated, caused Jersey City prompt aid rendered by two French
to provide a military guard for the seaplanes. The incident was related
works. Meanwhile, 30 policemen, all by members of the crow, who pointed
of whom have served in the regular to holos in the ship’s ventilators made
army, were hastened to the reservoir by shells in support of their story.
and supplied with rifles and ammuni The place of the attack and the date
tion.
were not divulged.
Washintgon, D. C.—The eight-hour
standard for railroad wages, provided
in the Adamson law, was held consti
tutional Monday by the Supreme court.
The Supreme court’s decision, hold
ing the entire Adamson act constitu
tional, was announced by Chief Justice
White.
In announcing the opinion, the Chief
justice reviewed the negotiations lead
ing to enactment of the law.
He did
not read from a prepared opinion, giv
ing it apparently from memory. He
told of the President’s efforts to avert
the strike last September.
“He suggested arbitration.
The
employes accepted and the employes
refused, ” said the Chief justice. “He
then suggested a basic eight-hour-day
standard.
The employers rejected
that and the employes accepted.”
How the President went to congress
was then recited.
“Congress passed the law that is be
fore us and the carriers refused to re
cognize it, ” he recited. He said the
agreement to expedite the case was
“very laudable.”
In the early course of the opinion
the Chief justice said that the law was
both an eight-hour day act and also a
wage-fixing statute.
He said it
“strips the parties of power of con
tract” as to wages.
He said the
eight-hour provision was the para
mount feature.
As to whether the law fixes the
hours of labor or fixes wages, the Chief
justice said it did both. He said the
right to fix hours of labor by congress
was out of the cases unqestioned.
Wilson Sees Way Clear in Strike
Decision to Urge Arbitration Law
Declaration That State of War
Exists Is Expected.
TO PROTECT U. S. INTERESTS
President’s Call Concerns “Grave Mat
ters of National Policy” Which
Need Immediate Attention.
Washintgon, D. C.—President Wil
son, recognizing that Germany practi
cally is making war on the United
States on the seas, Wednesday called
congress to assemble in extraordinary
session on April 2 to deal with the sit
uation.
The purpose of the session, now
called two weeks earlier than the Pres
ident’s proclamation, is to receive a
communication from the chief execu
tive concerning “grave matters of na
tional policy which should be taken im
mediately under consideration.”
The President in his address to con
gress will detail how Germany practi
cally has been making war on the
United States by the ruthless destruc
tion of American lives and ships on
the high seas in contravention of all
the laws of nations and humanity.
Congress then is expected to pass a
resolution declaring that a state of
war has existed between the United
States and Germany for some time.
Such a resolution in itself will not
be a declaration of war in a technical
sense, although practically it will
amount to the same thing.
As a consequence the United States
will take further steps to protect its
interests on the high seas and else
where against the warlike acts of Ger
many and whether an actual state of
war will come to exist in its full sense
will depend on the future acts of the
imperial German government.
Since last Sunday, when three
American ships were sunk off the Bri
tish isles in quick succession with loss
of American lives—bringing the total
number of Americans lost through
German submarine operations to more
than 200—the President and all his
advisers have recognized that a state
of war existed. From all parts of the
country have come calls for the imme
diate summoning of congress in extra
session.
Washington, D. C.—President Wil
son, it is learned on good authority
Wednesday, will strongly urge upon
congress, in special session, the en
actment of a complusory arbitration
act, basing his demand on the decision
of the Supreme court in the Adamson
case, which foretells that such a law
will be held constitutional.
The President, according to those
who have seen him since the decision,
will be more vigorous in his demand
than in the past two sessions, and will
use the full power of the administra
tion in favor of a law similar to that
of Canada.
One feature which the
President probably will insist upon
will make it. unlawful for employes of
interstate railroads to strike pending
the arbitration of differences.
It is also learned from authentic
sources that the leaders of the Amer-
ican Federaton of Labor are deeply
alarmed over the ruling of the Su
Safe Conduct Not Given.
preme court as to compulsory arbitra
tion, and fear that if this principle is
Washington, D. C.—Turkey again
rigidly applied by congress labor un notified the State department that
ions will be deprived of an important neither Germany nor Austria-Hungary
and hitherto effective weapon.
had indicated a willingness to give as
surances for the safe passage of the
Ex-Czar of Russia May Quit
American cruiser Des Moines and the
Native Land for Switzerland American naval collier Caesar from
Petrograd, via London—The former Alexandria, Egypt, to Beirut to de
Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna liver relief supplies to the destitute
who was at Kiev, went to meet her Syrians and to bring out 1000 or more
son, former Emperor Nicholas, as he American refugees. The plight of the
was returning after his abdication. Americans is causing increasing con
She had long resented the influence cern here, for officials have exhausted
over Nicholas wielded by the Empress every resource to reach them.
Alexandra,
Gregory Rasputin, the
Clocks to Be Set Ahead.
mystic monk, and Mademoiselle Gru-
Paris—In accordance with the re
bava, lady-in-waiting to the Empress
and Alexandra’s best friend, who had cent decision to return this year to the
daylight saving system, which was put
introduced Rasputin to the Empress.
Marie Feodorovna saw Alexandra into operation last year for the first
only when court functions required. time, the Journal Official has published
Since early in January she had been at a decree advancing the legal time by
Kiev and had refused to come to the one hour at 11 o’clock on the night of
capital. Her meeting with Nicholas March 24. The decree provides that
normal time shall be re-established at
was said to have been affecting.
The object of her visit to him was 11 p m. October 7.
to advise with him as to her future
U-Boats Lurk Off Maine.
residence. It is reported that she in
tends to go to Denmark, her native
Rockland, Me.—A statement that
country.
German submarines are known to be
It is expected that Nicholas Roman not far from these shores and that an
off, as the former Emperor is now attack on Maine ports is by no means
known, will eventually go to Switzer unlikely was made by Lieutenant
land or France, his stay in the Crimea James O. Porter, United States navy,
being temporary.
Most of the mem at the naval recruiting meeting here
bers of his suite have acknowledge the Thursday.
The port, according to
new government.
Lieutenant Porter, is to be the base
for 70 patrol boats operating in and
New Peace Move Hinted.
about the mouth of the Penobscot river
London—A dispatch from The Hague and bay.
asserts that a new German peace move
Maryland Troops Called.
is on foot. Prominent Germans have
Baltimore, Md.—Governor Harring
recently visited Holland and Switzer
land under instructions to ascertain ton Thursday ordered out two com
what the present attitude of Great panies of the First Regiment Mary
Britain is toward a possible cessation land National guard to guard the Penn
of hostilities. The emissary to Hol sylvania and Baltimore & Ohio rail
land, disclaiming authority to speak road bridges over the Susquehanna
for the German government, is quoted river at Havre de Grace. All the north
as saying the Russian revolution has and south traffic of these two roads
changed the situation, since Germany passes over these bridges.
could no longer claim that she wished
Vassar Girls "Mobilized."
to free the Russian Baltic provinces.
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. — Announce
ment was made here that Vassar Col
Four Die From Greens.
Boise, Idaho—Claude Richards, aged lege is in a state of “practical mobil
22, member of the Richards family, of ization” with nearly all of its 1120
Carey, poisoned last week by eating girl students signed up for war service
canned greens, died Wednesday. He in the National league for women’s
is the fourth victim to succumb, his services as nurses, wireless operators
mother and two sisters having died and clerks.
Sunday and Monday.
The father,
CallMade on RedCross.
Samuel P. Richards, is very low, but
New York—The first naval base hos-
his physician now entertains hope for
his recovery. A hired man, who also pital of the American Red Croes, sta
ate some of the poisoned herbs, is con tioned in Brooklyn, has received word
to hold itself in readiness for active
siderably improved and will recover.
service, it was announced late Thurs
Slayer of Judge is Killed.
day. Its equipment is stored at the
New York navy yard.
Birmingham, Ala_David D. Over-
ton, the ex-county court clerk under
Girl’Enlists inENavy.
death sentence for the murder of
Philadelphia — Miss Loretta Walsh,
Judge W. T. Lawler, was shot to death
in a Birmingham suburb Wednesday of this city, said to be the first woman
night by a sheriff’s posse sent out to to enlist in the United States navy
capture him and six other prisoners under the new order of Secretary Dan
who had escaped from the county jail iels admitting women to the navy, en
rolled here Thursday.
early in the day.
Washintgon, D. C.—With the an
nouncement of the ruthless destruction
of three unarmed American merchant
ships by submarines, it was unofficially
admitted here Monday night that vir
tually a state of war exists between
the United States and Germany.
Technically the United States re
mains in a position of armed neutral
ity. Whether this shall be changed
before April 16, the date fixed for a
special session of congress, the war-
makng branch of the government,
President Wilson has not decided.
Concession Made Regardless of Forth
One step the President is contem
coming Action by Supreme Court
plating is a call for an immediate ses
sion of congress to hear an address
Chairman Issues Statement.
asking for authority to adopt aggres
sive measures against the submarine
menace. Already American ships are
being armed to defend themselves, the
New York—The conference commit
next move must be to send warships tee of railroad managers early Monday
with orders to seek out submarines
morning authorized President Wilson’s
mediators to make whatever arrange
ments were necessary with the rail
road brotherhoods to call off the strike.
The formal letter in which this au
thorization was made was signed by
Elisha Lee, chairman of the managers’
committee, and was as follows:
“In the national crisis precipitated
by events of which we heard this
(Sunday) afteroon,
the
national
conference committee of railroads join
with you in the conviction that neither
at home nor abroad should there be
fear or hope that the efficient opera
tion of the railroads of the country
will be hampered or impaired.
“Therefore, you are authorized to
assure the nation there will be no
strike, and as a basis for such assur
ance we hereby authorize the commit
tee of the Council of National Defense
to grant to the employes who are about
to strike’whatever adjustment your
committee deems necessary to guaran
tee the uninterrupted and efficient
operation of the railroads as an indis
pensable arm of national defense.”
The announcement of the managers
that they had yielded apparently came
as a surpise to the brotherhood chiefs,
for they were in bed when summoned
Czar Nicholas, of Russia.
again to the conference room. Earlier
The house of Romanoff is descended in the evening there had been a dis
from Andrei Romanoff, who is said to tinctly pessimistic feeling as to the
have gone to Moscow from Prussia in prospect for averting a strike.
the 14th eentury. Mikhail Feodorovitch
Up to that hour the railroads had re
Romanoff was the first of the family to fused to make the concessions granted,
ascend the throne. This was in 1613, and the brotherhoods had stood fast to
when he was 17 years old.
their determination to strike unless
The direct line of the Romanoffs they won their demands either by the
terminated in 1730 and the female line Supreme court declaring the Adamson
in 1762, when the Holstein-Gottorp law valid or by their employers grant
branch came into power and has since ing them the eight-hour day.
ruled.
The men will get their present pay
The members of the family in the for 10 hours for eight hours’ work un
past two centuries have married so der the agreement. These concessions
generously into the German royal on the part of the managers are vir
houses that the Romanoffs are often tually what the employes contended
said to be as much German, by blood, they would gain under the Adamson
as their kinsman, the German emperor. law if it were declared constitutional.
Immediately after Secretary Lane
had made his announcement the broth
and clear the trans-Atlantic lanes.
Some of the highest officials of the erhood leaders sent telegrams to all
government hold that the executive the general chairmen informing them
has the power to declare that a state that the strike had been called off.
of war exists and to proceed with ag-
gressive protective steps pending the
assembling of congress. There is no Submarines Sink Three Amer
indication, however, that the President
ican Ships Without Warning
will follow that course.
London—The sinking of the Ameri
can steamships City of Memphis, Illin
United States of Russia Being
ois and Vigilancia was announced Mon
Fourteen men from the Vigilan
Formed by Victorious Duma day.
cia are missing, as are some of the
New York—The Empress and Crown men from the City of Memphis.
The
Prince are now safe in Finland and crew of the Illinois landed safely.
the Emperor is at the Snetogorsky
The City of Memphis, in ballast
monastery in Pskoff, according to a from Cardiff for New York was sunk
cablegram made public here Sunday by by gunfire. The second officer and 15
the Russian-American-Asiatic corpor men of the crew have been landed. A
ation.
patrol boat has gone in search of the
According to Ivan Norodny, head of other members of the crew.
the corporation, the cablegram was
The Illinois, from London for Port
from their representatives in Petro Arthur, Tex., was in ballast.
grad and was transmitted through the
The Vigilancia was torpedoed with
Belgian minister.
out warning.
Mr. Norodny announced the receipt
■ ----- - --
II..
•
of dispatches also saying that the Du
ma is promulgating orders for the Allies Gain on 82-Mile Front;
formation of a government to be
Sixty Villages Are Occupied
known as the United States of Russia,
London
—
British troops, continuing
with Prince Lvoff as President.
their rapid advance on the heels of the
Petrograd — After his abdication, retiring Germans, have occupied the
Emperor Nicholas returned to general important towns of Nesle, Chaulnes
and Peronne.
staff headquarters.
Along a front of about 45 miles they
The attitude of the armies at the
front in the face of the new develop have entered the German positions to
ment is not yet known in Petrorgad. a depth of 10 miles in places. In ad
It is generally believed that the ap dition the British have taken more
pointment of Grand Duke Nicholas as thna 60 villages.
The announcement of these gains
commnder in chief will be received en
thusiastically by the troops, with was contained in the official report
Monday from British headquarters.
whom he is extremely popular.
Basic Eight-Hour Day to Be Put
Into Effect by Managers.
NATIONAL CRISIS MAIN FACTOR
Abdicates Throne.
* A e
. ‘,‘
Flag-Raising is imposed.
New York—Bouck White, pastor of
the Church of the Social Revolution,
who is serving a 30-day sentence in
the Tombs for burning an American
flag at a "melting pot” ceremony in
the courtyard of the church last June,
will raise the flag on the new flagpole
in the Tombs yard each morning and
haul it down at night.
To Edward R. Ames, and August
Henkel, serving sentences for the same
offense, will fall the duty of carrying
the flag to and from the warden’s office
daily.
_________________
Ranchers to Build Ships.
Seattle, Wash. — Through R. W.
Michael, of Seattle and Portland, a
number of ranchers of the Pendleton
district in Oregon are seeking to in
vest a large amount of money in the
motorship industry at Seattle, Michael
said Monday.
“The construction of wooden ships
is logical the means of putting to use
the money received for the wheat
crops,” he said. “It is apparent that
the industry is only in ita infancy. "
Yarrowdale Men on Way.
Berne — The 59 American seamen
who were taken to Germany on the
prize ship Yarrowdale stopped for
lunch in Berne Monday and left at 3
o’clock for Lyons, en route to the
United States by way of Spain. The
men were met at the railroad station
by Pleasant A. Stovall, the American
minister, the entire legation staff and
virtually all the members of the Amer
ican colony. Mrs. Harold McCormick
had given each one of the party $50.
Some bought little souvenirs, while oth
ers invested in suitcases and clothing.
Funeral Warship Named.
Washintgon, D. C.—Japan has as
signed the armored cruiser Azuma to
bring home the body of Ambassador
Guthrie. Mrs. Guthrie will return on
the same ship.
Day is Quiet in Dublin.
Dublin— St. Patrick’s day passed
quietly in Dublin. Many country peo
ple came into town but there were no
processions. The church services were
leargely attended.