Medford Mail Tribune
SECOND
EDITION
WEATHER
I'n'r Tonight and Saturday,
Mavlmuin 2, minimum M.
K'Tfv fif(h Tear ,
t)nlli T. nth Var
BEDFORD OKKUOy. FRIDAY. KUUtrAKV is, UUt;
NO. 2H'2
UNITED STATES
AN A 0
NEUTRALRGHTS
Administration Holds Merchant
Ships Have Right to Carry Arms
for Defense Lodge Declares to
Accept German View Would Be
Unneutral and Step Towards War.
WASHINGTON", Fob. IS.
All American diplomatic nnd
consular officers abroad have
boon notified In a circular com
munication from tho stnto do
partment that the position of
the Cnlled States Is that mor
cluint ships liavo a right to
carry dcfonslve armament. This
move, which becamo known to
dnv, Is the fit Ht formal an
nouncement that tlio I'M I ted
Stutos dons not nccopt as loRnl
thu announced Intention of
(iermnny nnd Austria lo sink
armed merchant ships without
waruIiiK after February 2!i. as
cnmluK within International
law.
WASHINGTON, Fob. lS.Sonnlor
Lodge, ranking minority member ol
the foreign relations committee, made
a speech in I lie ennte today, declar
ing tliat nlmndonment liv the United
States nt this time of the prineipU'
that its ports were open to iiml-iU
citizens flee to travel upon merchant
men of belligerent tuitions tinned
solely for defensive purposes woulil
be mi unneutral net nnd n htep to
wn ul war. lie (Mrtd'it would make the
I mted States the ally of the bellig.
ei cut whose mercliHiit murine hod
been swept from tho sons.
An late as the nmridont's note ot
May Y.. 191.'), signed by Mr. Hryan,
Senator Lodge aaid, this government
recognised thnt "American oitizpin
u-re within their Undisputed right h in
taking their idiips nnd in traveling
wherever their legitimate busines
culls them ipvou thu high w","
I'ntihiuil llirtlif.
"Sueh" he milled, "hni4 been the
practice of all nutioim in regard to
the armed merchantman. It seems
utterly incredible thnt tin jioitition
should bo in any wny altered now of
that our government should be ready
tn surrender the unquestioned right
of Americana to trnvol or ship gum
on a helltiteivnt Merchantmen Mihjcet
to all thu rule which have been e.
Inblishcil by tho courU niul by all
international authorities for nt least
two centuries. The abandonment nj
those rights by any neutral govern
inetit on thu ground that the invest
lion of submarines with the neeessnr.t
limitations upon thu power of cup.
lure Hhesicil by those hoot if in
conceivable. Such abandonment
could rest oh the mound that the
lights of neutral-, the rule which fit
cent uric lmvo been agreed upon bt
all nations for the protection of inno
cent lives upon vessels captured in
war, must ha thrown aside and du
c.irded u order thnt a new instrument
of tun nl one destruction must not bfl
implied in its work of death and
murder. Sueh a doctrine is revolting
to every instinct of kuinauitv. to ev
civ pnneiple of law and justice.
"There , however, another side to
this matter which is of oven graver
importance. There can be no ques
tion thut any net by h neutral which
nlteis conditions created by the war
is an unueutrnl net and places the
i. cntral upon the bide of onu belliger
ent or the other.
An Unneutral Act.
''This if, eminently true of anv form
of embuivo, aud there is no need
that I -hould repeat the unaqswer-
(Continued on page five.)
TEN BILLION DOLLARS
LONDON, Feb 1 -Nt-w votes of
redlt amounting 10 approximately
4oo.ooo.oou pounds steeling will bo
akO. by Premier Asquitb of the
liou-c of coiriiioiii
'lit l -Vk vot will 1 1 1 rK 'M' the
UPON THE SCAFFOLD
aHtrweisssm
linns Schmidt and Anna Aumuiier,
whom he rmrdcrul, cuttlnp up body
nnd tl rJWiUt' tor. o in nvcr
FINAL PENALTY
FOR HIS CRIME
OSSININO, X. Y. Keb. IS Hans
Schmidt was electrocuted nt Sine
Sins; urlson this morning for tho mur
der of Anna Aiunullor, Septombor 2,
tins.
Schmidt wont nulotly to tho death
chamber, accompanied by tho princi
pal kucpor and tho Hev. Father
Cashln, the prison chaplain. Leav
ing tho death houso he said xoodbyo
to thoso who romalned.
"When he entered the ehambor tho
guards attempted to direct him to
ward tho chair but Schmidt gently
shook them off and Inelstod upon ad
dressing tbo seventeen wltnoseoe.
Tho guards desisted from their ef
forts nnd with Father Cashln stand
ing at ono side and the keopor on
the other Selunldt said:
"Gentlemen, I ask forgiveness of
all thoso I have Injured or scandal
lied. I forgive all who have injured
mo. My last wish is to say goodbye
to m) dear old mother. "
Schmidt then seated himself in tho
electric chair and tho curront was
applied three times. Within a inln
uto he was dead. He had spent the
night up to midnight in prer and
talking with Father Cashln ijnd slept
from midnight to five o'clock when
ho was awakened for breakfast. He
would take onl.v a i up of coffee.
t
' CADVA, via Pari. Feb. 18. A con
eeutnttion camp has been prewired
Tor tho German who oeonped into
Spain, and tbo fintt imporUnt con
tingent is expeetod soon.
February M an official -ejort is--in
d nt Htmd lated thnt the total
i. umber of flerman soldiers interned
in Suniish Guinea was 2600; that
there hud alko been interned H
member of families of the German
-oUIuts und that all would bo tsfttw
ferrcl to Spnui. A reviou state
ment bad announced that aluttfr with
the Gernii!'QoldN-!N, 14.IHHI flennan
riiliii.il trp h.ul iiiH.ittd friii
K II I I III I'l " "li.ll -i I I I 111 .1 t . . 4
I
Vi" f (y . 1 i ti .
SCHMIDT PAY
B
AYONETS TOOK
i m
NG
Turkish Fortress Yielded to Bayonet
Attack After 36 Hours' Bombard
mentThermometer 30 Degrees
Below Zero When Capture Made
Turk Defenders In Retreat.
I'KTHOISHAI), Fob. IS. Tbo fall
of Krzeruni, tho most Important
Turkish stronghold In Asia Minor,
nnd for a long tlmo considered im
pregnable, offers tho unprecedented
spectacle of n flrat-clam fortresii
built on n Hteep mountain ridge near
ly n mile above sea level yleldlnii
to baonot attack after only thirty
six hours' bombardment.
In SeveiirM Wcatlu'r.
Tho operations were conducted
under the moat sovoro weather con
ditions, the snow being deep and tho
thermometer registering nt times
more than thirty degrees below zero
Fahrenheit. Tbo Turkish army de
fending Krzerum, taken by Burprlso
under the methods adopted by the
Husslans, Is now said to bn In dis
orderly flight on tho roads landing
to Slvns.
As tho garrlfon apparently scat
tered In all directions, it Is assumed
hero that large numbers of men were
taken prisoners although official fig
ures nro still lacking.
After tho taking of Nlksala, It ap
peared that the Itusslan attack
would bo directed upon tho. Turkish
right flank and by rapidly transfer
ring troops the Turks madnnll plana
lo resist the main assault from thts
quarter. Apparently they had lit
tle fear-of the success of this attack
becnuso of tho strong character of
tho fortification)) in thnt direction
and ovon loss apprehension of dan
ger from a. fioutnl attack.
T Alien by Storm,
Nevertheless nftor tbo Ituians
took by storm tho first line forts on
February 2 thore began a porslstent
iombardmont of the Turkish center,
followed by n bayonet charge, the
Impetuosity of which swept tho de
fenders off their feet. Tho highest
tribute Is paid to tho bravery of tho
Caucasian troops, whoso charge is
considered likely to go down in his
tory ns ono of tho most brilliant
fonts of tho war.
It Is recognized here that tho suc
cess of tho assault was due almost
entirely to the bayonet work of theso
troops, si n co the artillery prepara
tion was Insufficient In Intensity, ac
cording to military experts, to re
duce oven a strong field position.
Tbo wiping out of this Turkish
baso tends to disrupt tho whole Cau
casus campaign of tho Turks, as It
not only bcrvod as a baso of the
operations In tho Caucasus, but also
of thoso In Mesopotamia.
Ojwn Wny to the Porte.
Its fall leaves no strongly forti
fied point between Krzerum and SI
van, about 2:(0 miles to tho wodt,
and brings more to tho front consid
eration of an eventual attack upon
Constantinople from tho oust.
An attempt to re-take Krzerum Is
anticipated, but thore nre enormous
difficulties attending the bringing up
of Turkish reinforcements as It Is
assumed that Turkish forces In
MesoptamlA cannot be spared. Tho
alternative for the Turks seims to bo
to draw up on thoso at Constantinople
trotn which all possible routes to
b'grerum aro long and arduous. Tho
most practicable Is by railway to
t'rfa, whence it would bo necossary
to march overland more than 300
miles.
Tho Illuek Sea routo to Treblzond
has become impracticable because of
the Itusslan domination of the Dlack
Sea littoral.
Slvas Is regarded as the next prob.
able objective of the Russian armies.
KAISER A FAKE
niMlLIV, Feb is - it Is stated
officially that the correspondent of
the Itndon Dail) Mall who wrote de
scriptions of the meeting at Nlsh of
Kmperor William and King Ferdi
nand of HuIk.iim new r existed,''
ai H t flvf r i i- Nr ws riir ai.d
flat '. w olf rvort naj a tuJU
NT VW
m
Git ffillM ID V0UTH
.jijw ?vai iiBkAt oBnaai.
Miss .Ma H.i n fjnmhei' t and Win. II. Orpct.
Finding of tho girl's body, In a wood near Luke Forest, 111., was fol
lowed by the airest of Orpct, a Junior nt Wisconsin University, said to
hnvo confessed Intimacy with tho girl and to have asset ted alio took
poison after they quarreled In tho woods. Orpet Intended to marry
another, he had told tho girl, according to tho police.
SAY
HARVESTER
TRUST FINANCED
I
WASHINGTON, Feb. Is Charges
thut tho International Harvester
company had furnished money for
anna and ammunition for tho Ortez
Arglmedo revolution ugalnu the Car
rauza government in Yucatan, Mex
ico, were niado toda by Levy Maer,
of Chicago, In the sqnnte agricul
tural commltteo's Investigation Into
an alleged monopolj for control of
the nlsal market.
Walter L. Fisher, formor secre
tary of the Interior, counsel for the
harvester company, displayed to the
committee a bundle of bills, part of
3,500,000 pesos Issued by tho Yuca
tan commission, formed for control
ling the sisal crop. Ho was under
taking to explain that tho bills had
roino Into tho possession of tho har
vester company from a draft of 1 180,
000 gold Issued to Angolino Monies,
u sisal purohaser, who the Yucatan
planters assert letirexmted solely tho
harvester company whon he was In
terrupted by Major, who deularod
they gave tho draft to rnlso money
for stirring up a revolution.
"That's Just tjlk." rotorted Mr.
Fisher. ,
"Wo will be nblo to show and In
troduce Into the record tho Invoices
und bills showing that at least part
of the money went to an arms pur
chasing company of New York to buy
rifles and ammunition," replied
Muvor,
Mr. Fisher asserted that tho monov
from tho draft was given tho Yuca
tan government In exchange for the
commission's monev in-order to have
currency to pay the sisal pUnters.
WASHINGTON, Feb IS. -The Im
pression grew In official circles to
day that Secretary Houston would ho
transferred to the war department
to succeed former Secretary Garri
son. On the way to the cabinet meeting
today M. Houston smilingly refused
to answer questions on the subject,
but volunteered the Information that
ho had completed presenting the
needs of his department to the house
agricultural committee. The 1m-pre-Mon
was glwu ilut he Inn) the
drj ,in pnt afi.ur- in hiu h uti.Ii '
tc u lint br '01' J o.age tuf i.un.i '
YUC
S
ARRESTED III
8&
NATION
FACING
! GRAVEST CRISIS
STATES STERLING
WSHINGTON, Feb IS ena.
tor Sterling of .South Dakota spoke
In the senate todav on his resolu
tion to declare the senate's concern
nt the recent German nnval order to
sink all armed allies merchantmen.
He said the issue brought tlio United
States to Its "gravest International
crisis."
"Instead of yielding to the claims
of the Gorman odmlialty," ho sold
"their very mention should moot
with vigorous protest. Instead of
denying this old right of the seas wo
should now, of alt times, vlo with
this or any other nation In seeking
to uphold It. It Is possible Nome
danger will be Inmrrod, but I do
not in uilt fear tlnngors will he In
creased beyond what tint)- are at
present, but I do know that, let hor
ror occur In which Amorloan lives
are lost and this administration and
the world will know that there Is a
real America not supine, apathetic
and hesitating, but strong, militant,
If need he, and ready to lospond to
those noble Impulses of liberty and
humanity which have been our heri
tage from the noglnnlug.
"For peace commissioners, for
international Jurists, there will bo
a new problom, and that will be to
limit the destructive operations of
the submatlne to war craft, and to
prohibit for ever the destruction of
commcrrc and passenger carrying
vessels b means and at links that
shock liumnnilv und Minnie our civi
lization '
E
XATl-HIX Mis-, Feb. IS. Tbiee
gjiv eminent steatuets m lived ol t'
Jewfllton to take nwav u many n
thev could curry of the "J.XlO person,
mostly ucgroes, marooned there IS
hours or more by flood. Many ref
ugee), were brought bore. Food was
provided for many who hud eaten
nothing for two days. The steam
ers found huiuirfdtf of negroes hud
dled a long tho levees for twenty
miles.
Ilcudwutci's of the Hood frotli fiuck
Hiil-r plantiiluin emlv toiluv nciucd
III" tlU'M- III W.lt. llliili .Dill K Mi
ll ' ..liP I. nl .. il .. (tic ! nidus
STEAMERS RESC
REFUGEES
SENATOR AIRS
ARMY SCANDAL
mm corps
Defective Equipment, Favoritism and
General Inefficiency Alleged hy
Rohlnson of Arkansas Photo
fjraplied Copies of Letters Prove
Officers Recognize Poor Service.
WASHINGTON, Feb. I8. Charges
of u scniidnl In the army nvintion
service, involving defective equip
ment, favoritism to eeituin officers
nnd genenii ineffleienev ol the nero
corps were laid before the stnte mili
tary committee today by Senator
Hobiiisiin of ArluniHiis in uiport of
l.ih losolution for u eongreHmunnl in
vestigation. With photographic copies of letters
which he.Niiid had ptiHScil between
Colonel Snmuel Keber, hand of the
corps, und Cnptuin Aithur S. Cownn
tu ohm-go of the Snn Diego nvintion
station, Senator ItoliiiiNou told the
committee in executive session that
the documentary evidence proved that
the officers recognized the ineffic
ient condition of the nero service thnt
Iteher had instructed Cowan to keep
it hccrel.
Good Ice Couit Mm Hal.
I.ieutennnt Colonel I,. Ii. Goodier,
judge nihncate general of the west
ern division of the nrmy, wnw recent
ly tried by court iniirtinl charged with
having altered or iidiled lo chnrgcx
preferred by oilier ol'lieerH ngainst
Cnptuiu Cownn. The cluugen uKiiiiiKt
t'yvvnn were that for two yearn h6
ilrew the Ilfi per cent wln jiuy of
nn nvintion officer when lie won unl
ml uvialor. The ease is now vvniting
I'lesidenl Wilson's action. The
court iniii-tinl at Snn Francisco at
tracted wide attention and threatened
mi investigation of the aviation ser
vice. One letter trom Cownn rend:
"I wish you would have your en
gineering department get me out some
drawings for the sixc of sheets to be
placed under the seats of aviator
for alleged minor protection. I will
have several of these pliilcs mnile so
we can say we have armored aero
planes, not that I think it vitally cm
seiilinl, but in order that we cnu meet
any change that oar inuchine arc not
nrnioil'd."
Hit Tight Hnivv Fay.
Cuplnia Cowan in n letter lo Colo
nel Weber declined if the "service
ever came under Invest ignliou by any
one from outside our own corw, it
would be imiMissilile to explain the
rotten way in which the woik has
been handled.
Colonel Ilcber wrote duly 21, Hill,
to Captuiu Cownn, Senator Itobiiisou
said, as follews:
"We have until the 18th of Sep
tembcr to qualify these men and get
them in without having them detailed
as students. All 'u have to do is to
sit tight ami draw your pay.
" 'It woulil he understood thnt you
will nut he requited lo fly in time of
Maee, although nothing need he said
about this in the official communien
lion.' tlii'miiiy LNt I'rcpiuvd.
"As cam-lush evidence that Col
onel Iteber prompted Caiitain Cowan
to make fa 1st- reorU concerning the
line condition of the service, I quote
fiom his letter of February 'Jo, lDl.l,
as follews:
"'He (the chief general striven)
will probuhlv ask .vrni for the person
nel of the first nero squadron, nnd
I suggest that you have pi epo red a
Is -t showing the officers who, shall I
-uy theoretically, belong to the saute.
If vou liml it ncccssury to fill up by
putting in the names of '-me of the
ii..atinn student- put I'leui in and
give him the Is t ' "
TO
MEET EMERGENCY
WASHINGTON, Feh In War
plans for the uavv In meet any
oiuergenrv are kept well up to date
at all times. Captain McKeau of the
bureau of operations today told tbo
house naval committee. His state
ment was affirmed by a letter from
4mirul Hewcy to ( lialriiuiii I'aduett.
i'.i,itani M Kran iaw no benefit
r"m cr iiiM ot a k n rA -.i iff
NV
LANS
TEMPEST BOILS
INLITHIATEAPOT
AT SPRINGS CITY
Mar.aflcr Dtiryca of Publicity Depart
ment Resigns Commissioner Stev
enson of Springs Commission Re
signs In Protest Over Acceptance
of Project From Contractors.
ASHLAND, Feb. 18. Tho tempest
in the lithin teot has broken out,
though not tmoH'otcd,, nh the. dis
till bunco bun been browing for weeks.
Uneasiness wiih manifest.' ;ime tituo
ng6. In the intercut olVjceonomy,
now thnt the funds nrd njtnost gone,
the discharge of the sten'ngrapher in
Manager UurycnV publiultv ilcuit(
menl wrh ordered, this; work to bo
taken over by an employo of tho
springa eommlsMion nnd the contract
ing firm. Duryen entered n demurrer,
fpibnilc the hitiins, and thero him
there hns been no InmliRtrinp; out to
welcome what tho mn linger terms nn
intruder. At the time the resijmniion
of Duryen wna looked for nbout Ap
ril 1. Jt seems ho linn anticipated
this action fully n month nnd form
nlly hist Tuemlny asked that bin con
nection with the bureau ahould conso
March 1, a request to which tho com
mission nceeeded nt once.
Among expenses of hia department
Daryea personally got $200 per
month; stenographer, .fi0; office
rent, $10, and heal, .(5. This wna
nominally paid by the springs coin
mission, but in the finnl annlyKis tho
dear people settle the bill. The cause
of his- resignation Duryen will not
discus until' he con sen lo be con
nected with the work in hand.
SteveiiMin ltesluiis.
Tuesday evening another Hpoolnc
ulnr rpignation wuk pulled otC nl tlio
city council meeting. Chester Stev
enson arrived nt the parting- of the
ways with his fellow nmmboris of tho
spring coininiswiou. Tho council nr.
ccptcd his icNiguntiou on the spot, tho
mayor applying the cloture as to
rights of discussion over tho matter.
The underlying tmiihlo in Steven
son's contention that tho Smith-Rut-cry
$100,(100 conlraot should not bo
accepted until nfter u iiiuoty-duy try
out, a period which ho Inter reduced
to thirty days. The eommwsiou
voted lo accept on a ten days trial,
hence tho disagreement and .resigna
tion. There have also been other dis
turbing factors which thu eommlohiun
lias Ignored.
Stovonsou was appointed over n
year ago to succeed If, A. Minkkir,
resigned. At that time he was a spe
cial protege of Ilert Greer, ohnimiun
of tho board, and the Tidings of that
period in full of teuas of cndoomiont
ami affection as expressed by Pyth
ias for Damon. The aalary in cash
is nil, but there is a heap of pains
taking work counecled with grief on
the job.
Stevenson's IteasoiLs,
The method of awarding thu con
tract to Smith, Umory Si Co. last
spring without a oomfHttitiro bid
u roused considerable opposition nt
the I hue, and the method of settle
ment has brought forth protest from
many of those who, in the inteioat of
community harmony, had kept quiet
on the contract awafd.
Mr. Klcvenson, of the eommuuiou,
on l-Vbruarv 7 filed tint following
pmtest with the other niombors of
the spungs commissien:
"it upja-nrs that Uib wutk of
Smith, F.iuury & Co. in gojineotion
with our springs development U
linietically completed and that pro
posals for turning tho plant over to
the cit are to bo eoiuddurud nt thin
time.
"I have given thin mutter most
careful coiuidemtion nnd lnjvo como
ti the conclusion that wo should dc-
(Concluded on page tlvo)
FIRST TRMJTaiii
FLOOD FOR SAN DIEGO
I.OH WCfcXb'a, Feh. IS Tho
first iniln for Sau Ulego since Jan
usi) 17 left here early todaj. Ilrldgod
and loug stretohea or roadbed woro
washed out by the heavy rains dur
lua January. Freight to all poluta
between here and San Plogo was
armpit d lod.a liv tbo Ateblsoa, To
i'f-Ku and 3.i nt a Fa railroad,
W
1 1