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About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1917)
p FULL LEASED WIRE DISPATCHES l ffiTTt o d tIMMIIf f S 3 CIRCULATION 18 OVER 4300 DAILY ; g B ,1111 U A, r--i . - FORTIETH YEAR-NO. 58 SALEM, OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1917 PRICE TWO CENTS ON TBAIN3 A KB NTTWS ft w ' fl ffff I fffiTfWMTffif GERMAN AGENTS ENCOURAGE VILLA 10 While Professing Friendship for Carranza Back Up i the Bandit MEXICAN OFFICIALS INFLUENCED BY THEM Payment of $250,000 Gold Made Villa Bef ore He Sealed Compact By Webb Miller. (luitod Press stuff correspondent.) Laredo, Texas, Mar. 8. Germany is playing Villa against Carranza. Great !uius of German money are pouring into 1lie bandit leaders' hands, inciting lain j to activity against the United States' ami against Carranza, while at the samel lime German agents work through of-j i'iuial of Carranza government, seeking to align that side agaiust the United States. Just back from a trip into the inter ior of Mexico, I can state these facts on the highest authority: Agents of the German government in .Mexico approached Francisco Villa at his headquarters at Bustillo's ranch, about February 12, with a propoMi-sn to renew his raids on the border in ease of a declaration of war between the United States and Germany. Two German agents reached the bandit lead er. The conference extended over two days. At first Villa demurred against any attack on the border, in force, under any circamstnnc.es. At length an agree ment was leached that iu case of war Villa would send small bands, as unat tached bandits, to operate at -widely sep arated points along the international line and to. make sporadic forroys to harass American troops. Villa Gets $250,000. ' Under the terins of the agreement, the German agents promised to pay Vil la 500,000 pesos ($250,000) in gold at once to seal the compact. Ho refused to enter in,to the plot until the first payment was handed over.. They agreed to pay a large amount each month there after in case of war, to enable Villa to pay hig men, secure ammunition and to Imild up his shattered 'iorces for a cam paign. After orders from Foreign-Secretary Zi ni merman reached Mexico City fr an attempt to arrange a settlement with Japan and Mexico, the Villa scheme was me of the first of the moves. One se cret agent was sent north from the capital to San Luis Fotosi, where he met another. From Parrnl, both traveled by horseback to Bustillo's ranch about 40 miles west of Chihauhua City. At this point Villa was making his headA qua rters at that place. The Villa plan was to be used chief ly in the event of failure to induce Carranza to enter an intrigue against the United Statos and as a possible means of bringing pressure to bear on Carranza. It was hoped to involve the do facto government and the United States in new, serious complications, making the retention of a large part of the nrmv along the border necessary. Double-crossed Carranza. That friction between Carranza and the United States would tend to weaken the de facto power was pointed out to A'illa by the German agents. Already the German cabal in the Mexican capital had set active under ground influences to work upon tha first -chief and his advisers to induce (Continued on rtage Biz.) :;:;; I ABE MARTIN 55 "J "J ' Who remembers when th' family used t' huddle t'gethef in th' kitchen while we took a bath in th' sertin' room. IT it .wuzn fer wurry th' wrinkle business would go t' pieces. y-J 'iA'.nt Fttrtl 'Ts ji!lH Americans Going to Europe 'Must Keep Off Belligerent Ship Is Bryan 's Contention BRYAN'S VOl 2 " !x I am against filibus tf. Is there anything tr able iu a desire to have coi. J l iu session t Objections were not t ;. :iv- ing authority to President Wil- son, but related to the language employed. Public has such complete eon- fideuco in the president, con- gress would not hesitate to con- fer upon him any power he could him.-elf use. But the president can't ride on ships or handle guns. A gunner would be under im- mediate direction of a ship own- er who may have a large pecu- iary interest in landing a eCm; trabnnd cargo. A law should be enacted withholding clearance from any belligerent ships carrying Auier- ienn passangers to Europe. Why should our government permit the United States to be drawn into war by the folly 'or. any American citizen who so disregards his country's wel- fare as to travel upon a belliger- ent ship? The United Press asked William Jen nings Bryan, former secretary of stare,, and foremost peace advocate, for a statement of his views on the situation in the United States senate, which he wrote as follows: By William Jennings Bryan. (Copyright 1917, by United Press.) Miami, Fla., Mar. 8. Answering your inquiry, I beg to call attention to the fact that there are two qaestions in stead of one. The first involves the filibuster and the second the merits of the proposed legislation. 1 am against filibustering and have several years, been advocating a clot ure rule in the seriate. I believe in the right of the majority to rule and am sor ry to learn from press dispatches that the senate is inclined to require a two thirds vote for the closing of debate. A majority vote ought to be suf ficient, after each senator has been giv en reasonable opportunity to express his views. To require a two-thirds vote is to give to the predatory interests the samo power that they now have to pre vent legislation hostile to their privil eges. Against Filibustering. As long as the rules permit, a minor ity to obstruct legislation, we may ex pect to be employed to prevent pro gressive legislation just as they were employed two years ago to enable the shipping trust to defeat the president's shipping bill. Whether the senators should use the rules to defeat a proposed measure is a Grand Jury Looks Into Plot To' Invade India From China New York, Mar. 8. As a federal grand jury began today to probe the ac tivities here o Dr. Chandra Chakiaber ty and Dr. Ernest Scknnner, secret serv ice agents throughout the country were believed to be rapidly closing in on the "master mind," who carried out German plot orders from 70 Wilhelm strasse, Berlin secret service headquar ters. Hcvelations to secret service agents here and in Washington indicate that there is fast coming to light a plot which stretched its mysterious tentacles into Mexico, Cuba, the Philippines, and j wrapped themselves around the Fanama i canal. Sensational disclosures are cx ' peetcd soon when a new arre9t is made. ' Identity of the man now under surveil- j lance has not been disclosed, but his arrest is expected to be a profoundly surprising disclosure. 1'apers taken from among the effects of the Hindu and German now held in New York rtvealed to secret service officials code messages from 7 Wil helmstrasse and mentioned addresses in Petrograd and Paris, indicating, it is believed that these addresses, presumab ly of agents for the Hindu's "nerve pills," were really notations of Ger man agents' headquarters. A communication signed by Chin, the mysterious Chinaman who was to have directed a plot in China to smuggle arms and munitions to India was found. Copies of speeches by William Jen nings Bryan, delivered more than two years ago, and extracts from utterances by Senator Eobert M. LaFollette, bear ing on British rule in India, are be lieved to be harmless, but they point, it is said, to the almost unbelievable lengths to which native Indians, are willing to go to stir up revolt against Great Britain. Plot in San Francisco. San Francisco, Mar. 8. Evidence of a natiou-wido conspiracy originating among Han Francisco Hindus, to invade I India by way of China, will be rjrc 'sented by United States Attorney-John W . Preston, to the federal grand jury-, it was learned today. The evidence was matter entirely in the discretion of the senators, who are resnousible to their constituents alone, just as the presi-J dent is responsible to the general pub- lie only, when he uses his veto to de feat a measure favored by a majority: of the senate and house. ' So far as I have seen expressions! from the senators nearly all of those w ho voted against authorizing the arm-1 ing of -ships, did so for the purpose of! compelling an extra -session of congress, !. or because they objected to the phrase- j ology of the bill, .since the president i has power to call a special session of; congress at any time, and ask for leg-j islatiou he desires, the jingo press will, find it difficult to convince the public ( that there is anything treasonable int the desire to have congress in session, j Eveu the most wnrlike of the newspa-j pers will hardly insist upon the aboli tion of congress now, whatever they J might have the boldness to advoearf; iu time of war. : Tho Merits of the Bill. I The second question relatets to the merits of the bill. So 'far as I am able ; to judge, the objections urged vere not i to giving authority to the president,! but related to the language to be em- ! ployed and surely if congressional auth-l ority is needed, the members of con-j gress cannot be fairly denied discretion ; as to the language to be employed. Ev- j eryone recognizes that the giving of nuthority involves serious risks. The public has such complete confi dence iu tho president that congress would not hesitate to confer upon him any power that he could himself use, but tue president cannot ride on the ships himself, or handle the guns. He cannot even direct the man who pulls the trig ger. Tho expert gunner will be some 3,000 miles from Washington when he carries out the authority conferred. He will not only have tho expert's desire to test his skill, but he will be under the im mediate direction of a ship owner who may have a large pecuniary interest in landing a contraband cargo. Tho president has not asked cosgress to surrender to him authority to declare war; is it strange that congress should hesitate to put an expert gunner in a position where, by his mistake, or by a mistake of an interested ship owner, he may commit an ast of wart Against Arming Ships. Tho senate and house did not agree as to the phraseology of the proposed bill. The senate wanted to Include "other instrumentalities," which the house thought too vague a description of the power conferred. The house also excepted from insurance merchantmen carrying arms and ammunition, and a minority of the house committee faveT ed inserting this exception in the para graph authorizing the arming of ships. "I am heartily in sympathy with the house in withholding insurance from ships parrying arms and ammunition and am also in sympathy with the mi- (Continued on page two.) gathered during a two months investiga tion. ' Kara Chandra, editor of the Hindu stan Gadar, was named by Preston as having knowledge of the conspiracy Preston said he did not know of any connection between this plot and the one unearthed in New York. Earn Chandra denied that any such plot had been hatched here. He declar ed he had confidential advices from Washington that notice had been served upon the United States by the allies that this country would be expected to pay damages resulting from Indian rev olutions plotted in America. Ho said tho Hindus here are anxious to see India released from British. rule, but are not the originators of the plot. Wheat Market Strong and Prices Advance Chii-ago, March 8. Wheat had a strong undertone at tho opening to day. Futures opened lower, but later regained tho loss and advanced notice ably. May opened unchanged, later rained 1 1-8 to 1 .88 5-8; July opened down ', later advancing 1 to $1.58. September opened down half and ad vanced 1 to $1.46 Vi in later trading. torn was firm at the start and lat er a demand developed with light of ferings. May opened up V4, later ad vancing 1 to $1.08 5-8. July opened un changed, but later gained 1 1-8 to $1.0i u-. September opened up 1-8, lat er advancing 3-4 to $1.00 7-8. Oata ruled lower at the opening in sympathy with wheat, but recovered with the major grains. May opened down but later gained 5-8 to 89 o-S: July opened unchanged, later ad vaucinp half, going to 57'i- ' Provisions reflected no important price changes at the opening. Pork was up a few cents while lard and nbs re mained stationary. Later quotations saowed no material changes. - f If wisheg were horses, beggars might ride; and if food probes were edible we'd order seme fried. PAPERS A MIT III STONE COMMITTEE Washington Times Attacks Him Bitterly; Says "Slack er Bill Must Go" "IN ANY CRISIS HE WILL SHOW YELLOW STREAK" World and San Say His Place On Committee Makes Him Dangerous Washington, Mar- S. In a stinging editorial headed "Slacker Bill Must Go" the Washington Times today charged Senator Sttine, chairman of the senate foreign relations committee with hs-ving displayed . pro-German tactics and "a yellow trak." "It is amazing," the editorial says, "that the democratic majority of the senate should be hesitating over the question whether 'Slacker Bill' should continue to represent his party as chair, man of the most important committee in the senate. It is not whether or not he is in favor of the termination of filibus tering methods by the projected change in me senate ruies. ine iz apostles ot Kaiserism seem to be tanibline over themselves to vote right on that ques tion. "The slaeker never lias 'been any thing but a politician. He is pro-German, first, because he believes his re election to the senate depends upon his maintaining ford on tno Uerman-Amer ican vote in Missouri. Tho American people want a plain American in the position that tho slacker has held to the discredit of tho administration of his own party and if wt-it possible of him- seir. And the tmie is now or never. If he is re-elected chairman of the com mittee on foreign relations he will go along with bis crowd until the next crisis conies when he will again display tho yellow streak." Demand Resignation. New York. Mar. 8. Calling for Wil liam Joel Stone's resignation as chair man of the senate foreign relations committee, the New York Morning vtona rouay saiu: "Under disguiset as transparent as any assumed by the innumerable agents of the kaiser's propaganda in this coun try, he has been . revealed time and again as one who, in the presence of Germany, would equivocate,-abate and even sacrifice American rights. "He has made this plain from the day of the Lusitania horror, wkich is dis missed as lightly as any junker and for which he found as many excuses as any instructed 'German-American.' In all essentials involving Germany he has been persistent tn opposition to the United States and yet has retained a senate chairmanship which gi"cs him immense influence upon the foreign policy of the United States." The New York Morning Sun bitterly attacks Senator Stone, declaring he should be deprived of his chairmuri- ship. "No fact in the record of William J. Stone entitles him to the important and confidential office he holds today," said tho Sun. "His continuance there in constitutes a menace to the safety of the United States. His disappearance therefrom would take a load of fear off the mind of every patriotic American at home and abroad." : CANNOT RECALL LANE Portland, Ore., Mar. 8. At- torneys agreed today that recall could not be used against Sen- ator Harry Lane as he is a fed- eral official and not subject to state provisions in this regard. Hoiycver, petitions for a recall election were still being circu- lated, as were petitions asking that he lesign. These documents charged him with refusing to stand by the president on tho armed ship bill. American Radiator Company Cuts Big Melon In Dividends West Orange, N. J., Mar. 8 Stock holders of the American Radiator com pany, in special meeting here today, out a melon of $4,092,800 when they provided that stock to this amount be issued on March 15 as a special 50 per cent dividend. The stockholders voted an increase in tho capitalization from $9,000,000 to $22,000,000. The special dividend will be part of this increase. A regular quarterly dividend of three per cent will be declared on March 21 and will apply on the new issue. At the annual meeting of the stock- I uviwib " u i v. w icvi:ucu 1 11 - jejunal meeting the old board of directors iero reelected. L 1 1.. ;..U 1.. PIT HAVANA REJOICES OVER DEFEAT OF Rebel General Gomez and His Staff of 300 Taken Prisoners GREATEST BATTLE EYER FOUGHT ON CUBAN SOIL More Than 100 Rebels Killed -AH But Leaders Will Be Pardon? d Bv Fred S. Ferguson (Uni'ed Press staff correspondent) Havana. March S. General Gome:'. chief ol' the I'uoan revolt forces, a prisoner after a spectacular defeat of his troops by government, forces, ar rived at Havana early today on a spe cial train. He was hurried at once to the penitentiary under heavy guard. Others of the three hundred liberal insurrectionists taken with Gomez late yesterday in what the government statement termed "Cuba's biggest bat tle in history," were expected late this afternooa. There appears little doubt but that Gomez is fated to die for his treason. Details of the battle received today were a fresh cause for rejoicing in Havana. The government forces lost onlv four killed and twelvo wounded. while inflictinp drastic defeat on the rebels. The way the rebellious forces wero entrapped and their frantic ef forts to escape would make splendid opera material. General Gomez and his party were flanked on two sides. Then a third force of the government attacked tho penned up insurrectos from the rear, driving them ou$ through a gauntlet of fire. Those, who. sought to bscape were for the most part too busy in the bus iness of escaping to do any shooting bach at "tho government troops' fussil lades. An official statement today declared the government troops are now within two hours train ride of Santiago, where the last formidable remnant of the rebel forces are supposed to be" en trenched. By Fred S. Ferguson. (United Press staff correspondent.) Havana, Mar. 8. The revolution in Cuba is apparently ended- Capture of ex-President Jose Miguel Gomez and his entire staff, leaders of the insurrectos was expected today to be followed by sentence of death on these conspirators. At the same time, there were reports current here that the remnants of the (Continued on pave three.) TO TRY I JI ITERS Six Women On Jury To Try Thomas Tracy Over Kill ing at Everett Seattle, Wash-, March 8 After three days of exhausting work, six men and six women were ready today to begin rying Thomas Tracy tho first of 74 I. W. W.s to face prosecution on a charge of killing Deputy Sheriff Jef ferson Beard, during a riot at Everett, Nov. 5, 191(i, before Judge Konald, in the superior court. The selection of two alternate ju rors provided for by a new state law, to serve in case any of the regular ju rors die or become ill, have been drawn There are three peremptory challenges to be exercised on these extra talesmen They will sit with the rest of the jurors throughout the long trial, which slate's attorneys believe 'will last at least two months. Crowds in attendance have grown ho large that a barricade has been built across the hall outside the courtroom in the federal building and three husky deputy marshals guard the entrance, al lowing only 200 persons in the court room. Prosecutor Llovd Black of Snoho mish county, declared that he would probably make his opening statement this forenoon and that U would last about an hour. Mrs. Jefferson Beard, widow of one of the men killed at Everett, will be the first witness call ed by the state. She will be followed by physicians who attended the wounded on the city dock at Everett following the shooting- RTSOLUTION EXPUNGED Des Moines, Iowa, March 8. The resolution condemning the two Iowa United States senators for helping to gag the majority on the armed ncutral- I ity bill was expunged from the rec ords of the Iowa legislature yesterday by unanimous vivo voce vote in the house. There was no debate. nUTIOIllSTS Four Burn to Death In Iowa Poor House Boone, Iowa, Mar. 8. One aged wom an and three men, all inmates of the Hoone rounty poor house, eight miles north of here, were burned to death in a fire which destroyed the structur at 10 o'clock last night. Fifty-six othr in mates narrowly escaped in their niirht clothing. There was no fire protection at the usiuuiion and me Boona fire depart ment was not railed. Superintendent Heedwell of the poor farm, aided bv employes succeeded in getting all to saiety except the lour aged persons on the third floor, who lost their lives. 1 he dead are: Mrs. Oberg, Peter Feterson. Allen. Unidentified man. The fire is believed to have started either in the boiler room or front defec tive electric wiring between floors. The three story brick structure wan a total loss. PRESIDENT'S ILLNESS DELM1INI Orders for Arming Merchant men May Be Issued at Any Moment Washington, March 8. President Wilson's illness has delayed announce ment of his decision oir the armed mer chantmen questioa. . Evidence increased today, however, that orders to Secretary Daniels pro viding for immediate arming- of Am erican merchant vessels will not be postponed much longer. It waa stated by high government officials that tho president has received assurances- from legal advisers that he has th right and power to proceed with "armed neutrality" despite the senato's fail ure to act on this measure officially. On the other hand, there were still many who believed the president would ratnen decide to call an extra session of congress immediately and in viow of the favorable outlook for limited debate in the senate, re-introdue the armed neutrality measure and attempt to get quick action on it. This, they ar gued, would remove any possible ques tion or. iout)t as to tue president's course ot action m a very critical sit uation. At noon Dr. Grayson authorized a statement that the president spent a restful nignt, but had some fever to day. ' The president is tired as a result of trying weeks since the diplomatic break with Germany and has been or dered to remain in bed until ho is ma terially rested and improved. This may bo several days. ARMY TEANSPOBT SAFE . Seattle, Wash., March 8. The Mer chants Exchange hero reported at 10 o clock yesterday morning that tho ar my transport Dix was returning to Se attle under ner own steam and was in no danger. IS VVJ1NESS TODAY Billingsley Who Claims To Have Bribed Hi Gill WillTestify Seattle, Wash., March 8. Logan Billingsley, chief witness for tho gov ernment in its conspiracy case against Mayor Gill, Chief of Police liecking hani, ex-Sheriff Robert Hodge and four city detectives, was scheduled to take tho stand as first witness in the trial in the most sensational .enso in Seattle's history today. Billingsley, as director of a syndi cate of liquor smugglers, will testify that he paid $4,000 to tho mnyor, $1, 200 to. tho chief of police, $1500 to the sheriff's gubernatorial campaign fund and regular percentage payments to the detectives, in order to protect li quor shipments from seizure, accord ing to prosecufa'.uf officers today. The defense will try to prove that Billingsley ingeniously manufactured evidence with which ho baited the government authorities and directed them against the oficials, because of a grudge he held againHt them. Billingsley, 30 years, of age, came to Seattlo when, the state went dry and smuggled and wholesaled whiskey on an enormous scale. Two of his whis key selling drug stores fell under the police axe. Two policemen and Billings were killed shrdlu cinfwyp up up upp ley's Japanese warehouse watchman were killed in a gun fight during one encounter. He is tho most picturesque figure in tho trial anil is expeeted to spend at least three days on tho wit ness stand. It Is estimated that Bill ingsley 's booze operations netted him more than a quarter of a million dol lars in less than a year. Tho Pendleton East Oregonian pro claims that never in its history has its business at this time of tho year surpassed that of the present. "And a newspaper," it truly observes further, "is a good index to tho community's pulse." 1F0L TWELVE BADLY WHIPPED CRAWL FOR DOVER Norris Defends Obstruction ists But Is In Favor of Cloture SHERMAN MAKES BITTER ATTACK ON PRESIDENT Stone Pledges SuDoort Ta Amendment and Others Get Good Washington, Mar. 8. The secred sen ate prerogative of limitless debate, (he rule for 10!) years may pass into history withiu 48 hours, possibly sooner. This was indicated today when tha wilful 12" senators who in the closing hours of .thi congress bloeked Presi dent Wilson's plans of armed neutral ity, admitted no means remained at their command of further hindering passage of the rule. VV ith unlimited weeks before tho sen ate, the "wilful brethren" abandoned all hope of gaming their ends by con tinued miouster. while several will take the floor to make their position clear before tho country their now fa mous last stand is a think of tho past. Bitter denunciation by Senator Sher man of President Wilson's statement that it would be useless to call an extra session of congress until tho senate rules wore amended marked the opening of tho battle for a cloture amend ment. Sherman, however, reiterated his ap proval of armed neutrality, declaring it justified by the German mandate of unrestricted, submarine warfare and t the "kaiser-mikado-t'arraiiza plot." This, he said, was sufficient evidence of "hostile intent, whether it would nave come to any practical end or not." Took Fling at Republicans. He also took a fling at republicans 'who are now heaping abuse upon fho heads of 'the wilful' after they them- '. selves had vonnived in the filibuster." Since a filibuster could not in an ex tra session prevent passage of the arm ed neutrality bill, Sherman held tho president merely taking advantage ; of the present crisis o p'ermanen'ly alter the. senate nites. " ' "He is seeking to absolve himself from his long delay in protecting Ameri can lives by discrediting the few men who objected to a hasty' decision in the closing hours of congress after his pro crastination had prevented sufficient time for consideration," shermaa-said. Sherman defended the "little group of wilful men" as doing what' they did because they thought they 'fiuld save "the unnumbered souls arising from the battle field of a 'possible fu ture; 'for th-j widows in black and for the men behind the plow- whose red American blood might be spilled on a foreign strand." Senator Stone pledged his support to tho amendment, although he explained he realized it is to be used for the particular purpose of passing the arm ed neutrality bill, to which I am un alterably oppesed." stone favored a majority vote feature (Continued on Tagc Three ) San Francisco Has Fire Costing $200,000 San Francisco, March 8 The nlanfc of tho Stoiger Terracotta Pottery com pany, South San Francisco was almost totally destroyed early today by a Tire believed to be of incendiary origin.Tha damage iB estimated at $200,000, par tially covered by insurance. A dozen bujldings, . four of -'them' largo structures, were burned, only the stable, packing Bhed and offico escap ing. The plant has been closed for three, weeks as the result of labor trouble. W. K. Dennison, president of the com pany, -declared today that ho bad no doubt incendiaries had started tho blazo. The San Francisco and South Snn Francisco firo departments were- sum moned but could do little, ns the in tenso heat caused tho water mains to burst. ' ' v - ;t ! THE WEATHER it;::!. Oregon : To night and Friday ruin west, rain er snow cast por tion: southerly winds.