:1
Forty-seventh Tear.
Dally Twelfth Year.
TO DRAFT LAW
Grand Jury Probe in Texas Reveals
Connection of German Agents lith
Plots to Resist Conscription Law
Eleven Indictments Returned Spo
radic Efforts Made Elsewhere
tHeavy Penalties Provided.
' WASHINGTON, May 29. German
influence to discourage army enlist
ments and the selective draft In Tex-
1 as, uncovered by a federal grand Jury
investigation, has resulted in eleven
indictments. Other arrests on the
same charge made in various cities
by agents of the department of justice
apparently are not so closely linked
with German influence but are being
Investigated.
In the Texas case, according to an
official announcement by the depart
ment of justice, an organization was
formed some time ago ostensibly for
the purpose of co-operative buying.
Its members were required to take a
secret oath and soon after the en
actment of the army draft law, the
official anouncement says, "a strong
German influence succeeded in induc
ing the organization to turn its efforts
to combatting conscription and high
powered rifles were obtained to In
tlnjdate persons subject to registra
tion and the officials who will be
apoplnted to perform the registra
tion." Efforts Mndo Klscwliere.
In some western cities there are
evidences of an effort afoot to defeat
the registration but the department
of justice, it was officially announced,
Is fully prepared to deal with the of
fenders under the existing law and
the new espionage 'bill now nearing
completion In congress which Imposes
hoavy penalties for such offenses.
Scattered over the country are spo
radic efforts to interfere with regis
tration but officials here do not be
lieve they are connected. The Texas
case, in which the German influence
is clearly established, and the arrest
of two mountaineers in southwestern
Virginia, are the most conspicuous
instances.
The two Virginians, William Mc
Coy and J. W. Phlpps, both well
known characters in the fued region,
are In jail at Roanoke and govern
ment agents say they have complete
evidence to show they plotted organ
oid resistance to the draft as well as
a wholesale attack upon the landed
people of the vicinity whose prop
erty they intended to divide between
themselves.
Prepared for Action.
As the day of reglsthrntion draws
near, the department of justice and
other agencies of the government are
carefully watching for evidences of
resistance to the law and are prC'
pared to deal with them promptly.
"These arrests," said Attorney
General Gregory, in an official state
ment referring to the proceedings at
ready under way, "should be accepted
by the country generally as a warning
against Interfering with the enforce
ment of the provisions of the new
army law."
1A section of the espionage bill
dealing with interference with army
rcgitsration provides penalties of 20
years' imprisonment and $10,000 fine.
This section of the bll says:
"Whoever, when the Cnltcd States
I5it war, shall wilfully make or con
vey false reports or false statements
with intent to interfere with the op
eratlon or success of the military or
naval forces of the United Stales or
to promoto the success of Its ono-
mles and whoever, when tho United
States is at war, shall wilfully cause
or atcmpt to cause insubordination
I disloyalty, mutiny or refusal of duty
(Continued on Page Five.)
ATTACKS DRAFT LAW
SAN FRANCISCO. May 'JO. Fer
dinand Claudius of Oakland, who re
cently attempted to prevent by tcgul
proceedings tho registration of citi
zens under the selective dnift law nn
June "th, again applied to the f-tnte
Mipreme court today for a writ of
prohibition. He wants Mayor John
Davie and other city officials re
strained from fprcin,- him to register,
GERMANS BACK
F RESISTENCE
WEATIIER
EDPOKD
U-BOAT SINKS
HOSPITAL
DOVER CASTLE
British Hospital Ship Torpedoed
Twice Without Warning in Mediter
ranean Patients Transferred
Six of Crew Killed Armed Mer
chantman Hilary Submarined.
LONDON, May 29. The British
hospital ship Dover Castle, has been
torpedoed and sunk, it is announced
officially. The British armed mer
chant cruiser Hilary also has been
torpedoed and sunk and a British de
stroyer has been sunk after a col
lision.
The text of the Brltsh announce
ment reads:
'His majesty's hospital ship Dover
Castle was torpedoed without warn
ing at 0:30 o'clock on Saturday in
the Mediterranean. At 8:30 she was
again torpedoed and subsequently
sank. The whole number of hospital
patients and tho- hospital staff were
safely transferred to other ships and
the crew were also saved with the ex
ception of six men who are missing
and are feared to have been killed by
tho explosions.
'His majesty's armed mercantile
cruiser Hilary, acting Captain F. W.
Dean, has been torpedoed and sunk In
the North Sea. Four men were killed
by the explosion.
"One of his majesty's torpedo boat
destroyers has been in collision and
sunk. There were no casualties."
The Dover Castle, 8271 tons gross,
and 4 76 feet long, was built In 1904,
and was owned by the Union Castle
Mall Steamer company. The Hilary,
a Booth liner of 6329 tons gross, 418
feet long, built in 1903.
KAISER DECLARES
AMSTERDAM, May 29. Emperor
William, during his recent visit to
tho Arras front, says the correspond
ent of the Cologne Gazette, delivered
an address to his troops In which he
said:
"Tho enemy, relying on his experi
ence In the So in me buttle and on his
unprecedented supplies of munitions.
has been trying to break the German,
resistance.
"Tho French flatter themselves
with the hopo of liberating their
country a good enough motive but
tho British have no such justification.
They fight only to increase their
power and don't Inquire whero the
right may be.
"Our peoplo an.1 our army Bland
firmly together. How long this may
last must depend upon God's will, but
meanwhile we must keep firm and the
people In the fatherland will give us
their gratitude
"In the meantime our comrades in
submarines are doing everything pos
sible to cut oft the enemy's source of
living."
MISSOURI PACIFIC
NF.W YORK, May 2!). The rc-nr-
gnnizntinn committee of the Missouri
Pacific railroad company today nn
nouueed the following new board of
directors :
It. F. Hush, Nicholas F. Ilraily,
Harry Hronner, Carl It. Gray, Alex
ander J. Hemphill, Charles I. Ingcr-
soll, William H. I.ce, .John H. M
Clement, Edgar I. Marston, John Mil-
likcn, I'inloy J. Shcppard. K. C. Sim
mens, Cornelius Vnndcrbilt, C. Minot
Weld. EH.crt, If. Wiguins, H. Lancas
tcr Williams ami William II. Wil
liams.
Mr. Hush has been elected pres dent
and (ho officers of the new companj
will probably he the f-ame as those
who served under the rcceiverMilp,
It is cxiM-i tcd flint the Missouri Pa
ulio s-y. tcro will aoon be formal!', re
stored hv the courts to the stock
holders.
SHIP
Maximum Yesterday 79; Minimum Today' 40. FORECAST Partly Cloudy Tonight
MEDFORD
FIRST PICTURES OF DESOLATION WROUGHT BY$3,000,000 ATLANTA FIRE GERMAN DRIVE
I 1
- -This picture shows destruction wrought by flits whit'h swept AlUtiita, doing iniH-ity LuiuiKe tvstimatod at $;l ,000,01)0. Fmmo houses in tho sec
tion of tlie city shown hero were burned completely, leaving only a forest of bleitk chtiimryN. Ten thousand persons are homeless.
MILITIA QUELLS
RACE RIOTING IN
EAST ST. LOUIS
EAST ST. LUIOS, 1IL, May 20
With two companies o national
guardsmen patrolling the streets ouiet
was restored in this city today nfter
Inst night's rioting caused by atlncks
of a mob upon negroes. Many ne
groes wero beaten. The trouble was
caused, it is said, by the importation
of negro laborers.
Mayor Molhnnn today said six
thousand negroes had come inlo East
St. Louis in the last six weeks mid
he said ho would ask railroads to
discontinue hauling negroes hero from
the south.
A review of tho results of the riot
showed that two negroes were shot
and nine were beaten so severely
that they wero taken to hospitals.
The property damage is heavy.
In answer to nn appeal of the city
authorities who fear the rioting will
break out ngnin today, six more
troops of national guardsmen were
ordered hero today.
MITCHELL CHALLENGES
MILWAUKEE, May 2!). Ritchie
Mitchell, .Milwaukee lightweight boxer,
thru his munager last night issued
a challcngo to Kenny Leonard, new
lightweight champion of the world,
for n 20-round bout. Leonard re
cently scored a knockout over Mitch
ell in this city, the end coming in the
seventh round.
FOR LIBERTY BONDS
CHICAGO, May 29. Liberty bond
salesmen, 640 strong, accompanied by
a military escore paraded thru the
city today.
Later tho salesmen under squad
commanders broke up Into detach
ments of ten men each and mado a
systematic canvass of office buildings',
hotels and factories.
50 PLOWS ALL GOING AT
This pliture thou how tho tractor P coming Into iim as a food producer. The pl I urn nns taken tin North
Dakota farm. There are 60 plows In a row, all ill ciwratlon at tho tunc tuuo. Three traitor pull Ulo pious
and four men are uaod to operate the outfit.
MAIL T
OREflON", TUESDAY, MAY 29, 1917
r
GENERAL. TARIFF
T
OF REVENUE BILL
WASHINGTON, May 2!1. Anoth
er fundamental change in the war tax
bill was agreed upon unanimously to
day by the senate finance committee,
which decided to strike out the whole
section levying $200,000,000 by n
general tariff increase of.ten per cent
on nn ndvalorcm basis. As n sub
stitute the committee proposes direct
excise, or consumption taxes on
sugar, lea, coffee and cocoa.
Tlie sugar, coffee, tea and cocoa
probably will bo the only articles
upon which excise taxes, in lieu of the
general ten per cent tariff increases
will he laid was stated by several
committee members.
The committee's action on the tar
iff section is to leave tho tariff low
as it now stands.
Reductions in the house tnxes on
soft drinks also were decided upon.
For the ten percent house tax on
syrim used in soft drinks, tho com
mittee tentatively decided to substi
tute a smaller specific tax based upon
gallons of syrup. Reduction of the
house tax of 2 cents to 1 cent n gallon
on grape .juice mid other soft drinks
was tentatively decided upon. Reduc
tion of the tax on carbonic acid gas
also was temporarily agreed to, other
soft drinks taxes being referred to n
sub-comnvittec.
SAFE IN GREENLAND
NEW YORK, May 29. Donald
MncMillnn, the explorer and other
members of the Crocker Land expedi
tion which went into the Arctic in
lill.'l, are safe at Elab on the north
west coast of Greenland, according to
a cablegram received today by the
American Museum of Natural His
tory. WASHINGTON, May 29. Tho na
vnl armed guard and Its commander
of tho American liner Mongolia are
absolved from all responsibility for
tho uniquo gun practice accident that
resulted in the dentil of two Itcd
Cross nurses aboard tho vessel re
cently in a report mado public today
by tho navy department.
ONCE PREPARING THE NORTHWEST TO FEED THE WORLD.
LAST
TO
E
rORTLANP, .May 29. Military
and coivil honors wero to bo paid
hero today at tho funeral of the lato
United States Senator Harry Lano of
Oregon who died In San Francisco
May 23. Thlrteon senators nnd representatives-
arrived from Washing
ton early today to roprosent congress
and plans have been made to have the
Oregon National Guard provldo an es
cort of 700 men, similar to that ac
corded a brlgadler-genoral.
Funeral services were to bo held at
3:30 p. in. In tho Masonic temple nnd
city and stato officials aro expected
to attend. Music will bo furnished
by tho Third Oregon regiment band.
Tho menibers of tho congressional
party named as pall-bearers aro Sen
ators H. P. Aahursb, Arizona; W. II
King, Utah; George Norrls obras-
ka; A. J. Gronna, North Dakltn, and
Representatives Albert Johnson,
Washington; .1. V. McCUntock, Okla
hoina; Charles Kearns, Ohio, and
James II. Mays, Utah. Tho congress
men wero taken over tho Columbia
highway on their arrival today.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 29. Kstl
mates by commission bouses hero to
day placed size of California's prob-
alilo barley crop this season at more
than 900,000 tons, as compared with
500,000 tons last year. Record-breaking
wheat crop of 400,000 tons Is also
expected owing to favoralilo weather
tho last threo months.
AI NEWPORT STRIKE
'NKWI'OHT NKWH Va., May 29.
About four hundred union machinists
at tho Newport News Shipbuilding
and Drydock company's yard struck
today for an lncrcaso In wages. Two
battle cruisers, two dreadnaiights and
six destroyers havo been allotted to
tho yard as part of tho new naval
building program.
and Tomorrow.
MBUNE
T
NEW YORK, May 29. The Amer
ican schooner Margaret B. Rouse
which loft St. Andrews bay, Florida,
February 4, with lumber for Genoa,
was sunk by a submarine April 27
noar tho French-Italian coast and the
crew robbed by tho Germans, accord
ing to Captain Fred L. Root, mastor
of tho Bchooner, who arrived today
from Franco.
Captain Foot said tho Germnns
stripped his vosscl of foodstuffs, navi
gating Instruments and even tho ex
tra clothing of himself and his six
nion. ' They wero Bet adrift in an open
boat and wero picked up by a patrol
boat. Tho schooner was sunk by
bombs.
LONDON, May 29. A Router's dis
patch from nn unnamed port says
that nil hope has beon abandoned of
tho ruscuo of tho missing from tho
siinlicii Spanish liner C. Do Elsa-
gulrro. The victims Include twelve
women and five small children.
CIIKISTIANSANI), Norway, May
29. Tho Norwegian steamer Norwny
1477 tons, was sunk by gunfire Sat
urday. Tho crew was rescued.
NEW YORK, May 29. Tho Fronch
lino steamship Mease, 4075 tons, was
torneyocd and sunk last Thursday ac-
cording to word received today.
Tho Meuso left New York May 2
for Ilavro with a war cargo.
WASHINGTON, May 2!!.- Secro
tary Lansing, toti lying today before
the house committee, in support of the
trading with the enemy bill, said til
government bad evidence that (lor
many, while the I'nitcd Stall's still
was neutral, hail sent an agent here
who organized a steamship company
and loaned Americans the money lo
buy the grain aboard a. ship in or
dcr lo raise nn issue with Great P.ri
ain and France over her seizure.
"There are many cases," he Hiirf
"doubtless inspired by Gcrmaiiv
while we were neutral, of orgamza
tions effected in Ibis country fo. Ill
sole purpose of creating fi-ielion with
Great llrilain and l-'rauee.''
Transactions in this country
several large Herman insurance com
panics, Secretary Lansing said, ar
protected in most states by bonds.
"How about tlie American lite in
suranec companies that do a large
business with the central powers?
asked Representative l-'.seh.
"That would depend on the action
of those governments," replied Mr
Lansing,
The committee asked about III
f!IO, 00(1 a year pen-ion money paid
fo people livin-r in Get-tunny. It wit
.-tilted Unit the eomtni -sioti ol pen
tions hud .su.pindcd the payment
nnd tho money can be paid after the
war if congress so directs.
NO. 58
Intense Aerial Activity Indicates Ger
man Offensive Sharp Attacks
Against French Repelled Verdun
Post Seized by French Italians
Continue Drive Naval Raid.
An impending German of tensive
along the French-lirilisli front Is in
dicated today by tho intense nerial
activity. Tho Hritish report of Inst
night emphasized this in its account
of twelve German machines destroyed
and ten others driven out of con
trol, while today Paris announces the
bringing down of seven Gennnn nir-
plnncs nnd the serious damage of
twelve others.
Tho German infantry facing tho
Hritish armies is apparently being;
held ill check but sharp attacks con
tinuo on tho French lines, notably in
tho Champagne region. Two of these
wero launched last night in tho Hur
tebisc district, but wero repulsed,
Italians Advancing;.
The French mado n minor thrust
on their own account in. tho Verdun
region, where tho uc.tivity is becom
ing more marked of lato on both sides.
A small German post north of Vuch
erauvillu was captured in this oper
ation .
Meanwhile on tho Austro-Italinn
front, General Cudorim is steadily
pushing hack the Austrian linos upon
Trieste.
IiOMK,, May 20. Tho Italians in
tho l'lava sector yesterday drovo tho
Aiistro-llungarian forces lo the end
of the valley east of Globniv, says tho
official statement issued today. &inco
May 1-1, the statement ndds, Austro
Hitiigarian prisoners taken on Din Ju
lian front number 2:i,(iffl. ' The Ital
ians also captured 110 guns, includ
ing of tho henviest calibre.
French Capture Post.
PARIS, May 20. Tho French
havo captured a Gennnn post north
of Vashcrauville ill tho Verdun re
gion, according to an official an
nouncement issued by tho war offico
this morning. Two German attacks
in the region of Hiirtebisc, on tho
Champagne front, wero repulsed. The
Germans attacked after a violent
bombardment.
LONDON, May 2!). "Hostile luid
ing parties were driven off during tho
night southwest of tons and west of
Messinos," says today's official state-.
incut. "Wo made successful raids
north of Hocgslcert wood. Tho en
emy's artillery was active last, night
in the neighborhood of Itullccourt
and on both banks of the Scarpc.M
IIKULIN, May 20. An ntlnck by
ifussian and Iliiimininii troops is ex
pected, today's official report &uys.
The repulse of French attacks in the
Aisne and Champagne regions nnd of
advance of hostile reeonnoitering
parlies along the front occupied by
the Hritish is announced by army
headquarters today.
Itiisslun Naval Hold,
I'KTI.'OGIiAl), May 211. Russian
sailors of the Itnssian (Hack Rea fleet
yesterday made a landing nt Chivi,
lo the cast of Samson, on tho Anii
loliau coast, de-1 roved the Turkish
post there and burned a store of grain
and two large sail boats, the wn of
fice announced today.
GETS PHILIPPINE JOB
WASHINGTON, May 20.-Clin lies
Kmmelt Yealcr of Missouri was today
nominated to be vice-governor of tho
Philippine islands.
Thomas A. Street, of Aliibiitnn,
anil Gearge A. Malcolm of Michi
gan, were today nominated til he as
sociate justices of the supremo court
of the Philippine islands.
CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
SUBSCRIBES FOR MILLION
SAN FRANCISCO, May 20. One
million dollars of liberty loan bonds
were to be subscribed for by the city
nnd county of San Francu-co today,
following n resolution to that effect
passed by the board of supervisors.
EXPECTEDALONG
FRENCH FRONT