COLUMBIA REGISTER
KOULTON- OREGON
NEWS OF THE TO
la a
Fern for
to
A Ruumt of the Lets Important but
Not Less Interesting Events
of tho Past Week.
SAKHALIN A POWERFUL LEVER
Extreme beat ia killing many In Italy
and Germany.
Terrific beat baa killed many people
In New York and Pittoburg.
Norway baa offered to make Trine
Charles, of Denmark, her king.
Lord Roberta declares that the Brit
ish army ia in bad condition and could
not withstand invasion by another
power.
Dr. Sven Hedin, the Swedish explor
er, sounds a warning against Norway,
who, be says, is preparing to attack
Sweden.
Reform leaden at Moscow are de
termined, if Nicholas continues in his
' present unyielding attitude, to elect a
new cxar.
Forest fires are threatening the Lick
observatory, in which is located the
famooua Lick telescope. The fires are
within eight miles of Mount Hamilton,
on which the observatory is located.
The appointment of Charles G. Ma
goon as American minister to Panama,
while at the same time permitting him
to hold the office of governor of the
canal tone, baa created an excellent im
pression in all circles at Panama.
Assistant Secretary of State Pierce
has announced that the peace envoys of
Russia and Japan have agreed upon
Portsmouth, N. II., as the meeting
place of the sessions of the peace con
ference to be held outside of Washing
ton
The crew of the Russian battleship
Potemkin has surrendered.
France and Germany have reached
an agreement about Morocco.
Fire in the business section of Spo
kane destroyed $120,000 worth of prop
erty.
The foreign presfl generally praises
Eliho Root and say be is a fit successor
to the late Secretary Hay.
John F. 8tevens, new chief engineer
of the Panama canal, is on bis way to
the isthmus to take charge of the work.
Two blocks of the business and resi
dence section of " Goldfield, Nevada,
have been destroyed by fire. Loss,
$200,000.
Three more of the convict who re
cently escaped from the government
prison on McNeil's island have been
taken. The other four are likely to be
captured soon.
Pittsburg has been stirred by the
revelation of the fact that the million
aires of the city are paying scarcely any
taxes. H. C. Frick, worth possibly
$70,000,000, pays taxes on $10,000.
Advice from various parts of Russia
show that the effects of the war are
telling terribly upon that unhappy
country. Foreign merchants are clos
ing their stores for lack of business and
native merchants are barely kept alive.
Baron Komura, Japanese peace en
voy, has sailed for the United States
A crisis is approaching in the Nor
way-Sweden matter. Swedish troops
are being mobilized alone the frontier.
Elihu Root will assume the office of
secretary of state soon, but will not be
able to give it his entire tie until Sep
tember.
President Roocrvelt is determiend to
eliminate entirely the use of any
"pull" in securing promotions in the
army and navy.
The Sioux river is on a rampage at
Sioux City, low's, and has overflowed
thousands of acres of crops and has
washed away many houses.
Dunnite, a new explosive, is claimed
to be the most effective in the world
A small charge will crumple in the side
of the heaviest armored vessel.
It is said that the Russian Reaction
ary party desires to dethrone the czar
and put in a stronger ruler who will be
able to restrain the reform party.
A report from Odesa says that a part
of the Black sea squadron met and en
eazdd the rebel ship Potemkin. The
vessel escaped. The entire fleet has
been ordered to capture or destroy the
Potemkine.
One . lesson gained by the American
navy as the result of the Far Eastern
' war is the nselessnees of the conning
tower on war vessels. The Japanese
minners invariably disabled the ma
chinery in these towers early in battle
Germany has forbidden French So
cialists to speak in Berlin.
Japan Now Given Opportunity to In
crease Her Demands on Russia.
St. Petersburg, July 11. With the
Japanese Sag hoisted tor the first time
on Russian soil after IS months of war,
the importance of the landing on the
Island of Sakhalin is generally admit
ted both in newspaper comment and in
government circles. Complete occupa
tion of the island ia regarded as a fore
gone conclusion.
The Novoe Vremya voices the general
sentiment in holding that contiol of
Sakhalin puta a powerful lever In the
poaceesion of Japanese diplomacy,
which finally has something tangible
in its hands to throw upon the scales
with the sword in the coming confer
ence.
There is a divergence of opinion with
regard to the effect it will have upon
the negotiations at Washington, some
of the irreconcilables declaring that
it makes peace at the present Juncture
more impossible than before, as Japan
will be able to demand the cession of
the islands and a heavy indemnity as
well, at which terms peace will be too
costly, but the more prevalent view is
that Japan has now in her hands
enough trumps to take the game.
The attack on the island , certainly
dissipates one of the hopes of the peace
advocates, who have been suggesting
that its voluntary cession might be an
offset with Port Arthur and the Chi
neee railway against the payment ol a
large part or all of a monetary indem
nity. No further report of the landing
operations has been received.
CHINA ASKS REPRESENTATION
Japan
at
Will Oppose Appearance
Peace Conference.
Washington, July II. China s re-
qudeet to be represented in the Wash
ington conference, on the ground that
she is vitally interested in its proceed
ings, has' been received by the presi
dent and informally transmitted to the
belligerents. Whether the president
has received the formal replies cannot
be learned, but it can be stated that,
while Russia is inclined to favor the
suggestion, Japan will not consent to it.
Japan has already mode public her
assurance that Manchuria is to be re
stored to China. That is one of the
principles for which she says she has
been fighting. Japan regards herself
as fully capable of executing this prom
ise without the assistance of China, and
in view of China's inability before the
war to cope with Russia in Manchuria,
the Japanese government is unable to
tee wbat possible service Chinese rep
resentative would be in the Washing
ton conference.
Moreover, the Japanese have all
long taken the position that when
peace negotiations were begun uey
on Id be conducted directly with Rus
sia. It is altogether unlikely that the
Washington government will prees the
claim of China, and the official view
here fails to sympathize with the idea.
Bra
REPORTS
WITNESSES FORGET.
Commissioner to Examine Trade
Conditions Affecting Canal.
END PACIFIC MAIL CONTRACTS
Advises Government to Open Panama
Route, Cancel Monopolist Con
tracts and Open New Llnsa.
Washington, July 11. The report of
Joseph L. ttristow, who was appointed
a special commissioner to investigate
trade conditlous and other matters af
tecting the Panama railroad and steam
ship companies, was made public to
day. The teport discusses from seveial
points of view the question of what
policy should be pursued by the gov
ernment in the management of the rail
road, and makes a number of import'
ant recommendations. Among these
are the continuance of the railroad as a
commercial line, with improved facili
ties for handling commerce, including
double tracking and re-equlplng the
line with modern rolling stock; the
enlargement of its port facilities, the
retention of the steamship line between
New York and Colon, the cancellation
of the contracts with the Pacific Mail
Steamship company and the South
American lines, and the opening of the
porta of Colon and Panama to all steam'
ship lines on equal terms; and in cer
tain contingencies the establishment by
the railroad of steamship lines between
Colon and Gulf ports and Panama and
important United States Pacific coast
ports. It is recommended that in traf
fic connections American steamship
lines be favored as far as consistent
with the treaty obligations of the
United States.
Mr. Bristow spent several months in
his investigation, visiting the Isthmus
of Panama, important ports on the
western coast of Central America, the
Isthmus of Tehuanlepec, Mexico and
the Pacific coast of the United States.
His report reviews the entire history of
the railroad and discusses allegations
that its local freight and passenger
charges were excessive and its traffic
contracts with steamship lines monopo
listic.
Important Testimony in Land Fraud
Case Hard To Get.
Portland, July 9. Three witnesses
now hate Wen heard in the trial of
Representative Williamson, Dr. Van
Uenner and Marlon K. lUggs, whore
cases are being heard before Judge D
Haven. They have given damaging
testimony, but it has been literally
dragged from ' them, and yesterday
morning wheu Usury Hoard was testi
fying, Judge Ie Haven turned to Dis
trict Attorney Ilvney and said: "Mr.
lleney, you may lead the witness, for
it teems as if this it the only way you
can get anything out of him."
This statement came from the court
after his honor had listened to the ex
amination of Campbell Duncan, Green
lWard and his sou Henry. Haidly had
the direct examination of Duncan got
ten under way than Inferences that
witness fo.- the government had been
tampered with were being brought out.
Duncan had a splendid ability to forget.
His memory in connection with the
talks nd deals that he bad with the
defendants was conveniently a blank.
So was that ni uieen IVaw, who was
another of the men who had taken up
a timber claim, hieh, it is alleged,
was taken for Dr. Oeeenr and Repre
sentative Williamson. His ton Henry
was also suffering from a tiad memory,
but after a severe shaking np both by
Mr. 1 luney and Judge Bennett, he
blandly admitted, when he was closely
pressed by Judge Bennett, that he had
committed perjury in swearing to his
timber entry affidavit.
Shortly alter the morning aeesion
convened, ex-Senator Thurston rose to
make inquiry concerning the motion for
a new trial (or Senator Mitchell. Coun
tel explained that he was a long way
from home and that nothing save the
pending motion was keeping him in
Portland. Judge De Haen then an
nounred that ht would take up the
Mitchell case at 10 o'leock Monday
Philippine Covcrrment OnlyJKept
I'p by Sale cl Bonds.
TAFT'S ACTION CRITICISED.
Was
NEW TRIAL ASKEO.
REVOLT IN ARMY.
Officers Sentenced to Death and Cot'
tacks Routed by Rebels.
Vienna, July 11. Dispatches re
ceived here from St. Petersburg state
that 24 officers of the Russian army
have been courtmartialed and sentenced
to be shot within the last few days for
refusing to obey orders to proceed to
Manchuria. They set up in their de
fense that other officers who possessed
of private fortunes had succeeded in
evading the orders to go to the front by
bribing the officers of the general staff,
whose duty it was to make the assign
ment of officers to proceed to the front.
A Lithunian regiment refused to
carry out an oraer given by a brigade
commander, and a detachment of Cos
sacks was detailed to place the revolt-
ers under arrest. When the mounted
troops tried it they were fired on by
the Li thur lands and a sanguinary en
counter followed, which resulted, in
200 Cossacks being killed or wounded
The re volt ers were finally placed under
arrest in barracks.
Alaska Exhibit for Fair.
Seattle, Wash., July 11. J. J. Un
derwood, arrived from Nome this morn
ing on the steamer Zealand ia with the
Alaska exhibit for the Lewis and Clark
exposition at Portland. The value of
the exhibit, of which Mr. Underwood
will have charge, is over $50,000, and
the two principal features are a $25,000
gold brick and $10,000 worth of nug
gets from the Peterson clean-up in the
Portland bench claim. It is the inten
tion of the exhibitors to display the
resources of Alaska in a thoroughly
creditable manner.
End Gambl'ng In Mexico.
Mexico City, July 11. It is stated
that no more gambling licenses nil) be
issued after August 1, when all exist
ing licences expire. Governor Tands
of the Federal district, announcs that
his determined to extirpate gambling
in this city.
udge
De Haven Listens to Mitchell's
Attorneys In Land Case.
Portland, July 11. Whether or not
Senator Mitchell will have a new trial
without appeal to the higher courts of
the United States; now rests with Judge
Da Haven. Yesterday morning, and
for a part of the afternoon, the court
listened to the arguments of ex-Senator
Thurston, Judge Bennett and of Mr.
Ieney, contending for and against the
motion entered in behalf ot the defend
ant.
At the conclusion of Judge Bennett's
argument the court announced that be
would take the matter under advise
ment and would decide upon it at his
eisure, as soon as it might be.
J. N. Williamson fell the first direct
breath of the government's case against
him yesterday afternoon, when John
8. Watkins testified in the Federal
court that he had met the congress
man in the woods near Prineville, am
that Williamson had taken his day
book from him and entered in it the
descriptions of the land he desired him
and his wife and brother-in-law to
file upon under an implied contract to
deliver the claims to the firm as soon
as patented. The witness further tec
tified to bis tacit contract with the
firm of Williamson & Gesner, and to
his intention to pay for the filing fees
and other expenses incident to secur
ing the claim out of bis own money, in
order that be migh thus avoid illegal
ity and keep himself clear of the law.
It was the first tightening of the web
which the prosecution promises to
weave around the three defendants.
The rest of the session of the after
noon, delayed as it was by the argu
ment upon the Mitchell motion for a
new trial, followed the lines shown by
the witnesses of the preceding days.
President and Cabinet Say He
Harsh With Wallace.
Chicago, July 10. A special tele
gram to the evening I'osl I ruin its
Wasbignton correspondent says
"It is learned on high authority that
President Rooeevelt is not entirely
pleased with the way in which Hecre
tary Taft treated Engineer John
AVallace, and this is one of the reasons
why the construction of the isthuiian
canal is to be entrusted to Secretary
Root.
'In plain language, several members
of the cabinet have expressed to Presi
dent Rooeevelt their disapproval of the
treatment accorded to allace by Tait
Tb,ey say Taft did wrong in flying Into
a rage and telling Wallace be did not
wish to receive any report from the
latter on the canal problem. The
view of these cabinet members is that
if Mr. Walalce, whose reputation at an
engineer is beyond question, found
natural obstacles to the construction of
the csnal that baflle engineering gener
ally, Mr. Taft might have found it out
and that be should have accorded Wal
lace the private audience that he sought
and not have required the presence of
Mr. Cromwell, an ouUider."
JAPANESE LAND ON SAKHALEN
ALMOST
BANKRUPT
1UFIN0S REFUSE TO PAT TAXES
Purpose of Tsfi's Visit to Islands It
to Placs Government on Ssfe
Financial Basis.
Washlnstsa, July 8. Secretary Taft
a hastening to Maul la to prevent an
utter collapse of the civil government
there as administered by Governor
Wright. The mystery of his mlmlon
and the urgency with which it It, tin
Icrtaken are gradually being revealed.
Karly action of a remedial character is
nevewiary to prevent the government
from tiocomlng bankrupt through short-
age of revenue receipts.
Governor w right has not made pro
gress In desllng with the rlllpino.
He has asked them to obey the laws
and let it go at that. He has not.
sought to harmonise differences and se
cure their co-operation. As a result,
the Filipinos are now refusing to pay
taxes. They knew nothing shout land
and revenue tairs until American rule
was made effective. Taft succeeded In
Inducing the natives to pay these taies.
Under Wright they refused payment.
It Is Impossible to tell the land for de
linquent taxes.
The decrease In Philippine revenue
has leen to great that nothing but bond
rales has prevented a collate ol the
government. The nioney derived from
telling IkmuIs and certificates of indebt
edness !ai furnished sufficient funds to
maintain affairs up to this time, hut
the sums hoi rowed must eventually be
repaid, and the situation has grown
serious.
Mr. Taft has gone to determine what
ran be done to develop revenues and t
place the government on a safe financial
basis. Mr. Taft also desires to confer
with Governor Wright on the friar land
question. The entire matter was ad
Justed after tedious delilxratloiis, and
an arrangement reached satisfactory to
the president and Mr. Taft. The titles
were defective, and it wan agreed to have
new transfers madf. Governor Wright
was asked for his approval and refused
to give it. It is ronsidertd Imperative
that this troublesome question should
be settled.
TO MAKE ISTHMUS HEALTHY
More Teamsters Will Strike.
Chicago, July 11. Five hundred ad
ditional teamsters will go on strike
Wednesday morning if the Chicago
Cartage company, organized by the city
express companies, attempts today to
deliver goods to the boycotted houses
with nonunion men. This was decided
last night at a meeting of the Team
sters' Joint council, after the Depart
ment Store Drivers union had threat
ened to abandon the strike unless the
united drivers employed by the city ex
press companies quit work if their em'
plovers attempt to work nonunion men
Important Card Is Played to Influence
Terms of Peace.
St. Petersburg, July 10. A landin
of Japanese troops on tho island of Fak
halin was officially reported tonight
and startles military circles in St. Pet
ersburg, though it has been rcalizoi!
since the defeat of Admiral RoioHtven
sky that the Japanese were able to take
possession of the islund as soon as they
thought fit. The strength of the land
ing force cannot be aicertaired, but the
garrison of the island is too weak to
offer an effective resistance.
Though the Japanese seem unwilling
to risk a grand battle with General
Linievitch, pending the peace meeting
at Washington, the landing of troops
on Suhkalin is considered to express
Japan's decision regarding the formal
conclusion of ' a general armistice,
namely, that in the intejim before the
meeting it is necessary to occupy the
island whose possession is an important
card in Japan's diplomatic contest at
Washington.
Missouri River Rises.
Omaha, Neb., July 10. The rapid
rise of the Missouri river at this point
has caused the breaking of dikes into
two lakes north of the city, with the
result that the river' may cut a new
channel, endangering the utility of the
double-span drawbridge of tho Hanoi
Central. Many residents along the
Nebraska side of tl e river have been
compelled to flee from their homes.
South of the city, on the Iowa side, the
bottoms are flooded for miles, doing
thousands of dollars worth of
to crops and other property.
Shon's Tslls How Commission Will
Cars for Employes.
Washington. July 8. Life on the
Isthmus of Panama ia to be made
healthful, comfortable and enjoyable
before he real work of digging the
canal is begun, according to an an
nouncement of policy made today by
Chairman Shonts, of the Panama Canal
commission. Mr. Hhonts said:
"Our first duty is to create sound
underlying conditions. This is now
vastly more important than the moving
ot dirt. The men must have suitable
houses in healthy surroundings; they
must have vholneome and nourishing
food at reasonable cost; (hey must have
suitable transportation facilities to get
to and from their work, and they mubt
have opportunity for recreation,
"It will be the policy of tho commis
sion to provdie these essential" as
quickly as possible, and to only in
crease the working force, aside from
the mechanics necessary to provide
these necessities as fast as the futilities
indicated can be furnished.
"So much has been said by the press
of an exaggerated character about
health conditions there that it may be
wise to recapitulate the facts regarding
yellow fever. There have been le
tween 0,000 and 10,000 employes on the
isthmus since the disease first appeared
in May. During that month there were
20 canal 'employes stricken and two
deaths. In June SO canal employes
were strictken and there were four
deaths, two of those dying being Amer
icans appointed in the United States
and two persons appointed locally on
the isthmus."
Japanese 8pread the News.
Sipinghai, Manchuria, July 11. The nonnced that quiet prevails in
news of the mutiny in the lilacs: sea
reached the Russian army through the
Japanese, who fired night shells charg
ed with proclamations conveyin'g the
information into the Russian advanced
posts, scattering the proclamations.
May Break Out When Lid Is Off.
uuessa, jury xo. it is oniclally an
Odessa,
but it is feared in many quarters that
an outbreak will follow the lifting of
the state of. siege The governor gen
oral today issued a proclamation threat
ening those circulating false reports
with punishment under military law.
Russia Will Make Protest.
St. Petersburg, July 8 General Lin
ievitch's telegraphic report to the em
peror charging the Japanese with using
dumdum bullets will probably be made
the subject of a communication to the
powern. protesting against the violation
of the Geneva convention. Among the
Liberals a story is being industriously
circulated and believed that Japan will
demand that the treaty of peace, if con
cluded, shall be submitted for the rati
fication of the Russian people, in order
to insure its observance in case of a
change of government.
Refunding; Hawaiian Debt.
Washington, July 8. President
Roosevelt has approved the issue of
$000,000 of bonds by the Territory of .
Hawaii to refund (he gold bonds of the
Republio of Ulawail, issued nnder act
I of the legislature of Jane 18, 1896. "
(