sje jp $ ijc i:
FULL LEASED
WIRE DISPATCHES
CIRCULATION IS
OVER 4000 DAILY
.
J.)
TWELVE
PAGES
THIRTY-EIGHTH YEAR
SALEM, OREGON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1916
ppfp-p rimrA r'WMTQ ON TRAINS AND NEW
xXV1UCj i Yl J KjCjIX lo RTANDS VTWI CENTS
NO UNWARNED A
10 BE MADE ON LINERS
Ambassador Bernstorff Today Gave These Assurances
Cabinet SessionAdministralion Awaits Receipt.
i Evidence to Support German Claims That F ' .nd
Ordered Merchantships to Ram Submarines Course
Now Depends On What Develops
Washington, Feb. 29. American citizens are in little
immediate danger from the Teuton submarine campaign
against armed merchantmen, starting tomorrow, officials
agreed today. Formulation of the American policy to
ward the new situation, however, awaits receipt of Ger
man evidence to support the Berlin claim that England
had issued secret orders to attack submarines.
Assurances of Ambassador Von Bernstorff that Ger
many will not make unwarned attacks against liners was
presented to today's cabinet session.
But, it was indicated that the administration will
neither respond to the latest German word nor frame a
new policy until the German orders come here. Mean
time, it is assured that the administration will find a way
to keep Americans out of the danger, zone. Without sur
rendering or abridging the American right to travel with
out harm, this government is not prepared to insist that
citizens may travel on ships that have been ordered to act
on the offensive.
The administration desires to recognize public and
congressional sentiment which opposes a break with the
central powers, but at the same time is anxious to main
tain every right accorded to a neutral, under internation
al law. In these circumstances, the government is pre
pared to announce the danger of traveling on offensively
armed ships, should the state department decide that the
promised evidence proves Germany's contentions as to
the character of armament.
But until this alleged proof arrives the administration
is not planning any further move with either the entente
or central allies unless Americans are endangered or
injured.
Secretary of State Lansing conferred
with 1'resident Wilson at 10 o'clock
over the latest Berlin communication.
Hofore entering the conference at the
White House l.nnsing was asked if the
facts warranted the optimism of morn
ing Miner reports of the situation. He
repneii mat tnese stones were unjusu-
tied, and that he probably would issue
a statement about it during the duy.
Lansing was impatient with certain
statements, accredited to the state
mrtment, indicating that the German
negotiations had reached a sntisfiic-
tory point.
"I have not commented nor given an
opinion about the matter, he said in a
formal statement. " Any statement of
the department's views is absolutely
unauthorized."
His statement was provoked by morn
ing paper publication of what purported
to be a paraphrase of the latest Ger
man memorandum.
The cabinet debated whether Ameri-
rnim could be wnrned from armed ships j
wnumu uiirmgiiig .vniencan rignis, uut
reached no conclusion. I
The state department had no know-
ledge of the reported seizure at Falk-;
mouth of the additional German infor-i
mation to prove Kngland's alleged or-
tiers. Even if this has been confiscat
ed, the state department would accept
n declaration from Ambassador Gerard
that he has seen the evidence, as basis
kli Earth
M.i .... 1 , , ,
iss Fawn l.ippinriit has been asked
t; recite fernothm' at th' Peace Social
t niLMit. Null is fanio. It h a niitfutvi
llllll duv
die buuicn hcres.
r
ACS
for assuming that Americans traveling
on ships armed under these orders
could not expect the protection of this
government.
Disregarding the administration's de
sire that there be no congressional dis
cussion of the international situation,
Kepresentative JUondell, Wyoming re-
pulilicnn. today criticised the presi
dent's refusal to Americans off armed
ship.
"President Wilson strikes a pose of
dc-'nioek heroism," he declared. "When
did it become so sacred an American
: right to ride on an armed ship?"
I Text of German Memorandum,
j Wnsliinsrtoii. Feb. 29 The text of the
.memorandum, given the state depart-
ment by Ambassador Von Bernstorff,
and obtained by the United Press to
day, follows:
"The imperial German government
reiterates the pledges givea September
1 and October 15, 1EH5, ami it does
not consider that these assurances have
,een modified by subsequent events.
Negotiations conducted between the
German and American governments
over the I.usitnnia incident have never
referred to armed merchantmen,
"(n the contrary, the American note
0f May 1.1 snoke exnresslv of unarmed
vessels. furthermore, the formula
agreed upon by both governments on
&...tn,i,., i nn,ti.i n, ...!.... n..
they should not offer resistance. The
presence of armament aboard merchant
men creates the presumption that they
intend to 'offer resistance.' A sub
marine commander cannot possibly warn
an enemy liner if the latter has the
right to fire on the submarine. It is
obvious that such resistance ennnot be
the meaning of 'armed for defensive
purposes' even if universally recognized
that defensive armament is permitted
by international law.
'"The United States adopted this
point of view when it requested the
Italian ambassador to five assurances
that the armed Italian liner Vcdid '
ona. which entered New York, would
not fire on submarines when warned.
"The imperial Genisn government
issued its new orders after having seen
bv secret orders of the British admir
alty, that the armament of British ships
is to be used for attack and that these
ships are not merely peaceful traders
armed only for defense. British liners
have furthermore on Severn occasions
attacked German or Austrn-IIungnrian
submarines. Thev do not conform with
assurances given by the British govern
ment in the Washineton ambassador's
note of August 25, lftll. and they can
not be regarded as peaceful trailers.
"In issuing its new order), the im
perial German government believed it
self entirely in accord with the Amer
ican government which had expressed
similar opinions in proposals it submit-
fill in l,n MAn.P. Tl 1
'" " rinritir M"ni- lilt- liriltTP
- ..... - i r;,M,i,n n....t mm...i...
tnrnulnM ,nr PnPmr lin,,r, msv
... u .i i .
(Continued on I'e8 Five.)
Ptomaine Rather Than
Poison Caused Sickness
San Francisco, Feb. 2ft. Ptomaine,
rather than other poison, is believed
today to have been responsible for the
illness of several Methodist ministers
anil their wives at a recent banquet
iier, news of which leaked out today.
Pyral of the guests attributed their
i' to infected ice cream. None of
' ases were serious,
Q .ie "ossibility that a plot similar to
, poisoning of Archbishop Mumlclein
T .pVnl others at Chicago recently was at-.-.empted,
was not overlooked, however.
Wliiln tl. n tin, I ., I
once to the attention of the police, it
whs believed the authorities would
m.ike a secret investigation to ascer
tain it' poison was administered in the
tood.
Russians Sweeping All Before
Them Now Nearing
' Armenian City
Pelrogiad, Feb. 2ft. The Turks are
hastily evacuating Trehizond and neigh
boring cities before the Russian ad
vance, according to Tif lis dispatches to
day. The movement of one Russian force
westward alone the Black sea shore,
through Kizh, and another northwest
ward from Krzerum, forced the evacua
tion. Saturday's official statement said the
Russians were within 50 miles of the
city.
Thebizouil is a seaport of Asiatic Tur
key on the eastern part of the Ulnck
sea coast, 120 miles northwest of Kr.e
ruin. It is perched on a plateau-like
heiht, with rocky slopes on two sides.
Walls and a castle of the middle ages
flank it.
Several days ago, it was reported tiiat
the Christian population which lived
outside the walls, hail fled hurriedly.
The drive for Trebizond followed the
Russian capture of Erzerum.
Stock Market Firm '
Prices Remain Steady
Copyrighted 10I1! by the New York
Evening Post.)
Xew York, Feb. 2ft. The stock mark
et opened today with a number of par
ticularly sharp recoveries, and in the
early trading many issues went even
higher than at the outset. Meantime,
the influence of the news from, the
western front is unclear, though the
probability is that with conflicting ves
sions of the fighting there, the market
has suspended judgment.
Various temporary successful attacks
on the market were based on a feeling
of perplexity and nervous uncertainty
that is bound to accompany such a pro
longed and critical military engage
ment. On the whole, prices showed a
tendency to firmness despite a great ir
regularity in the later hours.
MANY LINERS IN WAR ZONE
New York, Feb. 2!!. AVhile
Germany's new submarine cam
paign against armed merchant
men is only a few hours distant,
eight liners, enrrying several
hundred passangers for Ameri
can ports, are believed to be in
the region of the war .one. Two
armed Italian ships in port here
will be subject to attack, while
other armed Italian vessels eith
er are in the Mediterranean or
are preparing to leave Italy.
Several Scandinavian ships
are scheduled to enter the war
zone within a few days. The
liner Baltic, due to leave Liver
pool tomorrow, may be detained.
Josephine Swallowed
Bottle Full of Germs
Ran Francisco, Feb. 2ft. Miss Jose
phine Miller, a senior at the University
of California, is full of typhoid germs.
She swallowed them while making a
test in the bacteriology department.
What is going to happen to her is
arousing all sorts of interest in the
college. Physicians say there is no
preventative except to keep the body
well nourished. Not until Saturday will
she know whether the germs will prove
harmful and all her friends are wait
ing patiently until that time. Hhe was
conducting a test when she inhaled too
deeply in a "pipette" and swallowed
the germs.
Commission Form
Lost In Aberdeen
Aberdeen, Wash., Feb. 2ft. For tie
second time, commission form of gov
ernment failed to carry in Aberdeen
yesterday. Figures today showed that
it was defeated by a two to one vote.
Socialists voted solidly agaiuHt it.
Prohibitionists are sniil to have vot
ed against it because of the circulated
reports that the commission government
would permit the operation of "blind
pigs."
FRENCH CRUISER
PROVENCE SIS
000 IN PERISH
Cause of Disaster Not Stated
But Thought To Be Sub
marine's Work
WAS 18,000 TON VESSEL
ONCE ON NEW YORK RUN
Was Probaby Carrying
Troops Between Salonika,
Malta and Melos
Paris. Feb. 2ft. More than 1,000 men
are believed to have perished when the
French auxiliary cruiser Provence, car
rying 1,801), sank Saturday in the Medi
terranean. Official announcement by
the ministry of marines today told of
2Mi landed at Malta, and 400 others
at the Greek island of Melos.
A later official statement said that
S70 were saved, making the missing
around 1,000.
Ten boats now at the scene arc con
tinuing the search for other survivors.
The Provence dispatches did not state
whether the dbaster was due to a sub
marine, a mine or an accident, though it
is known that submarines are operating
in the Mediterranean as the British
steamer Fastnet anil a Swedish ship
were recently torpedoed there.
The Provence is believed to be the
palatial liner, formerly in the trans-Atlantic
service, but more recently on
admiralty dutv. That vessel was of
IS.000 tons and 000 feet long.
There is also a battleship Provence
and a 4.000 ton steamer Provence, hut
obvio j lv from the Jdoscript'ihn, thh
sunken liner was neither of these.
The rrovcuce was probably earrv-ing
troops either to or from Snlonikn. Mal
ta and Melos, the landing points, are six
hundred miles apart. It is likely that
the vessel sank between Afiiltn n'n.t it,
Greek west coast.
Is Accused of Being "A Gay
Dog", Swearing, Drinking
and Other Things
Tacoma, Wash., Reb. 2ft. Did George
Washington indulge
highballs and good red wine of the
vintage of about 1770? Paul It. Ilaffer
socialist, savs :ie di,l nil ti. n,i
and appeared in Justice Graham's court
prepared ro present the testimony
of early United Stntea hit,,r;..... t..
prove his assertions. Colonel Albert
c.. .Joni), prominent attorney, indignant
ly denies the nllnril no......;,..,
- v. inr,muii upon
Mie noble character of the "father of
his country" and as cnmplaiiiant was
onliand to prosecute Hnffer for crimin
al libel.
The hparinir of th t.
n ..v 1 11 iUSUCC
Graham s court will be only preliminary
in character, as tho justice has em
phatically declared he does not propose
to hove hin ears offended by listening
to an attack on tl.o .
- ---- - iii mime or Hie
first president. There. ore he will "pass
the buck" to the mturln.
The arrest of Haffcr followed the
publication of an articlo lie contributed
to the "vox pop" column of a local
evening newspaper in which the young
socialist announced himself as "a lifter
of halos" and advwed readers of the
paper not to be carried away by eulog
ies of long dopjrted notables. He cited
George Washington as a shining ex
ample, charging that the great soldier
statesman had in his day been a gay
dog; had used progane and blasphem
ous langunire. was in invrtini. i
and an exploiter of slaves.
i lie managing editor and city editor
of the paper publishing the Hnffer
letter have been subpoenaed to testify
in the case and the trial is expected to
be nrndiictive of nnlmi. nnA t.:i.i.. !-
...... ,uv ,, mjjjuiv in
teresting arguments by counsel.
EXPLOSION HEARD 50 MILES
Wobarn, Mass., Feb. 29.
With an explosion audible for
50 miles, the New Kngland
Manufacturing company's trini-
trotoluol building blew up early
today. The warning rumble al-
lowed 100 workers to escape,
and only one, bhowered with
flying bricks, was injured.
The property loss was placed
at WO,O00.
The company, engaged in
work for the allies, had been
threatened recently, and had
had the plant under close guard.
I California Factions of
G. 0. P. May Compromise
San Francisco, Feb. 2!. Peace, ac
cording to certain politicians, is ap
proaching in the conferences of the
state republican central committee and
the "independent" faction.
A get together meeting last night
was reported to have netted the pence
makers a slight gain, and announce
ment was made today that further ses
sions will be held tomorrow night.
The two factious are reported plan
ning a compromise slate of delegates to
the republican nntinnnl fi.nv.int;,!.
though the independents Saturday in
sisted on a list pledged to uniting the
republicans and bull moose of Onlifor
nia and backing a progressive repub
Mean for the presidential nomination.
Struck by Heavy Sea As She
Crossed Bar was Thrown
Against Jetty
Mars'rificld, Or., Feb. 2ft The (.team-
er Fifield was struck by a heavy sea
just as she started to cross the liamlon
bar at 0:4.1 this morning, and now is
lyi ig on the bench 200 feet south of
the south jetty. She has a big hole in
her bow below the water line ami lies
broadside to the sea. . She will prob-
iy lie u toiai loss.
Tho crew of 21 and four nnssenuers
escaped without injury. The Fifield is
reported to have had a hijr cargo on
board. The cause of the mishap is un
known. The vessel was thrown amiinst
the jetty.
A crowd gathered on the beach this
morning to look at the wreck. A heavy
sea suddenly flung a water soaked log
into the crowd, breaking the leg of V.
.i. iain.
Had Cargo of Merchandise.
San rrnncisco, Feb. 2ft. Passengers
on tile Fifield included F. K. Jones, N.
vulval iiicr iiiki j. w. .lanyzo, ot Nin
rrancisco. I lie vessel is owned by A
r. I'.stuorooKs and company of Sau
I'rancisco. She left here Saturday with
a cargo of merchandise, ('upturn llak-
niuii eomiuanus tier.
Villistas Kill American.
Labor I roubles Threaten
Washington, Feb. 2ft Grover C.
Vnrn, an American, was murdered last
night in his home 2o miles north of
Durango, Mexico, by Villistas. accord
ing to state department advices today.
iNo other details were given.
Department reports said labor condi
tions in Mexico City are "somewhat
threatening," that soldiers arc ready to
prevent strikes, and that conditions' are
believed to be due to monetary troubles.
The general political situation was re
ported comparatively quiet, although
some progress is Doing inaile against tae
Zapatistas.
BRYAN WANTS WILSON
Washington, Feb. 2ft. Former
Secretary of State Bryan is in
favor of President Wilson's re
nominntion, and will probably
be a member of the solid Wii
son delegation from Nebraska,
said Judge W. H. Thompson,
Nebraska state democratic com
mittee chairman, after returning
from an extended visit with
Bryan at Miami, Fla.
Gilford Pinchot Is
Against Myers Bill
Washington, Feb. 2ft. Anti-conscer-
vation senators today made the Myers
bill an amendment to the pending
Shields water power bill. The Myers
proposal is to fix terms on which every
power site the .government controls
would be leused to private interests for
development. Both the bills have been
denounced by U if ford Pinchot as gross
ly careless of the public interest.
The Ferris bill, passed by the house,
will never appear in the senate unless
a majority vote forces the senate pub
lic lauds committee, headed by Myers,
to report it.
Conservationists may ngnin try to en
list the aid of President Wilson in op
posing the Myers-Hliiclds plans.
Dr. Grant Wants to
Be Sent to Prison
Los Angeles, Cal., Feb. 2ft. Dr. John
Grant Lyman, under arrest at Tampa,
Florida, on mail frnud charges, is still
fightin" to be sent to a California pris
on insteid of going back to New York
to face trial on the new accusations.
He is already under penitentiary sen
tence, here for using mnils in a fraudu
lent stock selling scheme. Although the
United States attorney general's office
has ordered him taken to New York,
Federal Judgo Trippct here is in receipt
of I telegram front his, demanding that
he be allowed to begin serving his Cali
foruiu term nt once.
Beer, women anil i moving picture
conspired last night to do up Pasqualo
C'entodocnti of Sun Joso.
TITANIC STRUGGLE A
VERDUN IS
Germans Moving Up Heavy
-Kaiser For Six Hours Watches Through Glass the
Terrific Combat-Amsterdam Dispatches Says 45,000
Germans Killed Wounded Smothered Under Heaps of
Dead-French Confident of Holding Fort
London, Feb. 29. A decisive battle for the Verdun
fortress is about to begin.
Checked at Pepper Heights, the Germans are moving
up heavy artillery to blast away the armored trenches on
iha. heights, that bar further advance from the north.
While an indescribable slaughter continues in the
ruins of the Douaumont fortress the Teutons are feeling
out the lines along a hundred mile front. Indications are
that the whole western front may suddenly burst into
flame.
As for the Verdun front itself, Paris reported a
slackening of the German artillery fire along the eight
mile line of ruin to the northeast of the fortress. This is
due to the shifting of artillery and the bringing up of re
serves to replace regiments blotted out during the past
Week's saturnalia of destruction.
Meanwhile Paris is coolly confident that Verdun will
never fall through a frontal attack over the Pepper
Heights. The feeling is that the kaiser already despairs
of victory there, and is either searching out a new road to
Paris through the Champagne or preparing to renew the
Fresnes attack. The tide is about to turn to the French
arms, Paris believes.
According to Swiss advices, the Verdun attack, despite
its appalling destruction of life, is merely a diversion.
These dispatches declare the Germans are about to ham
mer at a point between Noyon and St. Quentin, barely GO
miles ncrtheast of Paris, in an effort to reach the French
capital.
Estimates of the German dead in the early Verdun
attacks run to :0,000 or more while experts venture no
estimate of wounded, other than that the total runs into
the tens of thousands.
, Paris, Feb. 2ft. Standing on a hill
four miles north of Fort Doiiaiiniont,
Kaiser Wilhelm watched for six hours
the struggle there, according to German
prisoners today.
Sheets of rain and snow whipped the
crest, driven by n raw wind. Staff olfi
cers, fearful for the kaiser because of
his recent illness, urged him not to ex
pose himself. But he held to his post.
Protected by a heavy coat, he refused
lo heed their advice.
latently he gazed through his field
glasses until tiie men of Br indenburg
had stormed the (ort. Before his view
lav a lanoiania of frightful execution.
Whole battalions melted under the fire
of the French guns before Teuton how
itzers silenced the Douainont batteries.
In the village and on the plain out
side the fort hand to hand combats now
r ige. They are over piles of dead.
Shell crnters are graves of brave men
and tiie weigiit of cadavers has crushed
many wounded soldiers.
Foeinen and defenders are mingled in
death under a mantle of snow.
The slaughter to the north of tho Pep
per Heights equals that of Douaiimunt.
The French coiiimanil every foot of the
approach, while an inferuu of shrapnel
and shells burnt over the plain.
Not even behind the parapets of dead
could the Germans hope to advance
with their infantry. They are, howev
er, bringing up guns, planning to silence
the French artillery.
The number of prisoners taken by the
French is comparatively small, for tho
shcllinir is so terrible that surrounded
German groups are cut to pieces before
they can reach the French lines to sur
render. More Than 45,000 Dead.
London, Feb. 2ft. More than 4.-),000
Germans have been killed in the Verdun
offensive, according to an Amsterdam
dispatch today.
How terribie the butchery is, was evi
denced from the report that the rem
nants of eight German regiments re
formed only a single regiment.
Kight thousand German corpses were
reported found on a two mile frout
alone.
Kndless trains of wounded are stream
ing into Met., while the hospitals at
Coblentz, Treves, Cologne and other
cities are filled to overflowing.
The Amsterdnm report said that the
Douaumont fort had been bombarded
for hours before it was wrecked. The
French occupants held to their posts
resolutely while the fort was disinte
grating. Kepeatedly they repulsed the
Brandenburg men's assaults, and with
drew only when German dead lay in
heaps in front of the position.
The Fench destroyed more than 45
German cannon grouped for a heavy as
sault opposite Urns.
Amsterdam reports today placed the
German dead at 45,000. Fstimatc of
tho total dead, wounded and missing in
the Verdun drive run to at least 100,-
000.
Such frightful losses, critics believe,
caused the kaiser to order a cessation
ONLY BEGUN
Guns to Batter Great Fortress
of mascd assuults upon the Verdun
forts for tho new effort to take them
by heavy attacks from the cast,
German Attacks Repulsed.
Paris, Feb. 2ft. All German attacks
in the big offensive before Verdun for
tho past 24 hours have been repulsed,
tiie official commuiiiipie claimed today,
adding that the French entirely sur
round Fort Douaumont, tho Bcene of
several days struggle.
It was officially admitted, however,
that tiie Germans hud captured the vil
lage of Mauheulles, 11 miles southeast
o( Verdun, in an eastward drive to forco
evacuation of Verdun through a
squeeze from both north and south.
A heavy bombardment marked t'ae
night nlong the entire front north and
northeast of Verdun. The French paid
particular attention to the positions tae
Germans had captured on the right
bank of the Mouse I'.V miles north of
Verdun, while around Iouaumont, th
Teuton charges were continually re
pelled. The French recaptured several Lor
raine trenches.
Make Attack From East.
London, Feb. 2!). Suddenly shifting
their attack, the Germans are swinging
their men ngainst Verdun from the east,
aiming thereby to squeeze out the Ver
dun defenders by a threat of envelop
ment. The Berlin war office' today an
nounced the capture of villages to th
southeast in the new drive, and an ad
vance along the whole front northeast
and east of Verdun.
Seventeen thousand prisoners wero
taken.
Paris admitted the loss of Mnnheul
les southeast of Verdun, but claimed
Teuton attacks elsewhere had been re
pelled, and that the French now have
a ring about Douaumont. , Charge
around Douaumont continue. Dead men
still litter the pnthway.
Ilerlin claimed capture of small arm
ored works northwest of Douaumont, in
(Continued na page Tore.) .
THE WEATHER
1 uu vi i H TH(c
Oregon: To
night and Wed
nesday rain west,
rain or snow east
portion; moder
ate sunt herly
gale along th
const; strong
southerly winds
interior.