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About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (March 20, 1917)
WL . M it. : yflfra oft . a i a ? CIRCULATION IS OVER 4300 DAILY p t n FULL LEASED WIRE DISPATCHES r rfSY I ,J 0PX Mil J ' VI V 1 1 FORTIETH YEAR NO. C8 SALEM, OREGON, TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1917 PRICE TWO CENTS ON TRAINS AND NEWS STANKS nVB f'KNTS r ACTUAL WAR VILL DEPEND OH FATE OF AHMED LI If Armed American Ship Is Attacked Action May Be Forced PRESIDENT WILL NOT FORCE THE SITUATION Declaration of War Will Not Be Made If Possible To Avoid It By Robert J. Bender. (United Press staff correspondent.) Washington, Mar. 20. Actual decln ration of war by the United States against Germany appears to depend up on the fate whieh befalls the first arm vd American liner. It also appeared today that avowal oX hostilities by l'resident Wilson against the Imperial (ierman government will not result from the sinking of three American, freighters last Saturday. While taking every preparedness step which he believes can be taken, Presi dent Wilson is loathe to take furth er action. He has more aggressive steps under consideration, however, and this after noon discussed all phases of the prob lem with his cnliuet, which convened at 2::so.. - It has been definitely ascertained ' that the president strongly questions the advisability of "forcing" the pres ent situation. He is understood to feel that everything that possibly could be done to meet actual hostilities now believed inevitable -ig being done. He further questions whether calling con gress into extra session before April 10 would accomplish, any particular good. - - The president is understood to fel that the program he has outlined thus far does not call for actual declaration of war at this time, despite calls from Hie country for such an act. If an arm ed American ship is attacked, the situa tion will then, call for the next forward step. The president is declared today, how ever, to be still considering all phases of the present situation and it may be a day or two possibly more betorc any further decision is announced. Meantime tho very fact that ho has delayed this long, lias given fiso to the general belief in official circles that a session of congress before April 10 is unlikely. The United States will gain an im mense advantage in coping with sub marines if it can "drift" into a state t active warfare without formal dec laration of war, military men here held today. They have so told White House officials. Under such a condition this country, they pointed out, could engage in an industrial co-operation with the allies which, it is believed, would soon break the back of the central powers. Munitions and gold could then bo poured across the Atlantic between lanes of allied nnd United States war .ship. Should the United States, however, declare formal war. public opinion here would demand an immediate cessation of shipments of war materials abroad until the country accumulated suffie icnt'supplies to care for itself. It would then be "America first" with the pub lic insistent that American resources be conserved, at least until the country is on an adequate war footing. . (jnoj o3nd no pannpno) ABE MARTIN He .Hogers for $90. lie said it was iinpos , It wu as dull here yisterday as th'.'gibl; to get a first-class engineer for penin.'. of a horse flesh. meat maxket.-leaa . than $15Q a. mouth. He stated Tli' best reformer in any. commnnity.is: Hogers-was jut -as-good as the engin.- th', feller, whc. pavs his debts an' at tends t' hig own business first. - - Wide Spread Rumors of German Revolution London, Mar. 20. An 'uncon firmed rumor was spread in fin ancial circle here this after noon of a revolution in Ger many. The same rumor of a revolu tion in Germany has been per sistently ia circulation in the lini d States for the past two d. Today it went so far as to ' o "v the suggestion that som " bad happened to the kaise : r Noli- ithe rumors could be' traced' 'w definite source, but all were rently founded on recent rej. indicating unrest in German, the possibility that the sub of the demo cratic moven . in Russia re cently might . in German democrats ov. . xowing the autocratic German military aris tocracy. Tho United Press received in quiries concerning various rum ors about a German revolution from such widely separated cities ns Philadelphia. Cleve land. Montreal and Chicago. The rumors were spread, like those, reported in London, in financial circles. Denmark Reports It. New York, March 20. The Evening Kun this afternoou published the following dis patch from London: 'Reports from a Danish news paper state that a revolution has "broken out in Hamburg, Germany. No confirmation of the rumor can bo obtained here. Official advices are lacking." jc sji s(c sc sjc sc Jc c s )c i INVENTS AUTOMA- TIC TORPEDO "Williston, N. D., Mar. 20. Charles J. Field, grandson of Cyrus K. -Field, the man who laid the first trans-Atlantic cable and turned it over to the American government, has in vented a torpedo, designed to guide itself on ft magnetic con trol,, into the bowels of enemy vessels. Tho torpedo attaches it self to tho" ship by magnetism and remains there until its ex plosion, which is controlled by a timing device. Government tests credit the torpedo with seven out of eight perfect ex plosions. A NEW TRENCH LOAN JSTew York, March 20. A new French loan of $100,000,000 in two year notes to be floated in this country was an nounced by J. P. Morgan and company this afternoon. WARM FIGHT STARTS OVER CITY ENGINEER After An Acrimonious Debate No Important Change Made fift'it involving the city engineer and the assistant city engineer was precipitated in the council last night nhen a resolution was rend reducing the salary of the assistant engineer from $110 to $90 a month was read. Councilman Jones moved to amend so as to make it $100 a month. This brought up the question of the hiring of a supervising engineer lor laying the street paving this, summer. councilman unrun declared he was in favor of increasing the salary of the engineer from $20 to$S0 a month and making him supervise the paving and thus do away with a third engineer. He opposed the amendment. He believ ed the assistant engineer was the back bone ot the engineering department. Miiyor Kcves, who had called Coun cilman Klliott to tho chair, said that if Councilman Unruh was correct ns to the backbone of the engineer's de partment, then the assistant should be made chief and vice versa, he said at first it was thought the city en gineer would do the work of supervis ing but he said the city engineer said he could not supervise it. If that is the ease he thought the salary should be cut down to $75 a month. Cheap Man Not Wanted Councilman McClelland declared that it was possible to get too cheap a man. he said Roger Knows tho city by heart and this reduction in salary is an at tempt to get rid of him and get a eh 'aDcr man. Who this cheaper man is, he declared they all knew as he has been loafing about the engineer's otfice and learning all he can there. He declared this man was not able to run a line correctly. With the present man in charge, he said it would be easy to save his salary in the work he did. He said. Rogers was not liked by the contractors because he made them conic exactly to the specifications. He did not think it was possible to get (Continued on page three.) TO ASK CONGRESS 10 INCREASE ALL FREIGHT RATES Commission Can Only Decide As To Extra Cost To Railroads SUPREME COURT SAYS IT ALONE CAN DO THIS Railroads Say Increase In Passenger Rates Will Be , Necessary Washington, Mar. 20. Congress, at the coming extra session, will bo ask led to pass a law eranting increased freight and passenger rates to tho railroads to reimburse them for in creased wages they will be compelled to pay Under the Adamson eight hour law, prominent railroad heads and of- mials or the interstate commerce com mission told the United Press today. "Since the supreme court has de cided that congress has the plenary power to fix wages for the trainmen, then applying the same rule, it has the i.g... i. : added to his popularity today when it prominent government oiliest said. be(.ame kn0W11l th tH ' h , h , The fact that congress can dispose j d d C2ar Nicholas T0 bdl. of the increased rate problem in &e!te . , more speedv and satisfactory manner i T. , . . ., , , , than the interstate commerce commis- . TevleA the d,,ke . , . ,. ,i, n, held a lengthy audience with the em- mntior win oe put up tuo congress. The eight hour commission created by the Adamson net to investigate the effect of the eight hour law on the railroada is powerless to grant increas ed rates. The only power this commis sion has is to determine how much the railroads will have to pay out in in creased wages and the general effect that it will have on the roads. This commission, consisting of Gen eral Goethals, George 1!. Rublee and Edgar E. Clark, the latter a member of the interstate commerce commission, has been actively at work since the first of Jnnuarv. when the Adamson law became effective, but as operation of tho law was interfered with as a result of the iniunction the commis-, sion was not able to gather such infor- mation regarding the eltect of the law. Now, they have laid their plans so that they will be nolo to begin work at once. The preliminary plans have been map (Continued on Page Three,) Buildings Blown Up, Roads Mined and Whole Country Vast Area of Devastation By Henry Wood (United Press.staff correspondent) With the French Armies Advancing from Roye, Mar. 20. One hundred and sixteen square miles of territory, burned black and rent with wanton ex plosions, has been the prize' wrenched from the Germans by the French in one little district from around Chaulnes to the Oise. ft is morel v a part of a vast territory repatriated by the French troops after hot pursuit of a German retirement that for precipitate haste resembles the retreat from the Marne. This 110 miles, however, is typical of German ruthlessness iu retreat. It has been a retirement by the Ger - mans matked bv wanton destruction ! had been renamed after such army he and devastation exceeding even that ! r0es and generals as Hindenburg, Mack of tho original German invasion. ensen and others. Traveling over the highways in ev- But the townspeople themselves were cry direction on tho thirteen mile front far from Germanized. Twenty four around Roye, (.'haulnes and the Oise to-1 hours after the Germans evacuated day, one finds roads everywhere blown upj trees and fences cut down, houses and all other buildings Tazed anci the verv land itseir damaged to as great nn extent as possible. Roye, the largest city yet retaken from the Germans in the French ad vance, was not burned as was Bapaumc prize of the British forces, but it was thoroughly mined and blown up. Like Work of Earthquake The city looks as though it had been stricken "by an earthquake. The Ger-; mans before they left mined the street; corners in such a manner as not only to cause a great crater when the ex-; plosives were touched off, thus block ing the streets, but also caused the collapse of all buildings on the four corners. The whole city of Roye- was thus mined, to impede the 'French advance. But tho ddte whieh the German com mander had fixed for their evacua tion had not arrived before FTench forces rushed in.Their sudden and un expected appearance caused the Ger mans to touch off their mines a-t 4 o'clock Saturday morning and with out any warning to the civil popula tion. Inhabitant of the village were hurtei- from their beds;; great -craters forty-fet - wide and some thirty- feet -in-depth" were Blown in the principal streets. " Baby Week Work This Year To Save Mothers . From Death at Childbirth (By United Press.) -Washington, Mar. 20. Hans to make Baby Week celebrations throughout the country this year from May 1 to May 6, a huge 'educational movement for the reduction of mortality among women at child-birth are under way at the Chil dren's Bureau of the Department of Labor today. Baby week celebrations in the past have been directed more towards re ducing infant mortality.- The fact, how ever, that 15,000 mothers are dying vn nually from conditions incident to childbirth has opened up an even greater problem, the bureau announced. Ignorance and neglect are the prime causes for this high mortality. "Many women," one official at the bureau said, "do not seem to realize how much their own health and the health of their children depends on tho intelligent care of the mother before her baby is born. Baby week can help mothers in various ways and it will be made the -starting point,-this rear, for certain coucreto activities. Plans now being completed, will in clude centers for mothers living in the country to gather and take pre-natal educational work.- The needs of rural mothers are less generally understood jtr0 on the w(,s"' flowed up than those of city mothers and a rural perceptibly today. nursing service is urged as one means j Dispatches from the press headquar of reducing the mortality rate in sec- f..H at the British front, said thU n.Mit tions far removed from the c.itv. Grand Duke Nicholas- Caused Abdication Petrograd, Mar. 20 The Grand Duke Nicholas cemented his alliance with the people in the Russian revolution aiK' peror and urged this step upon him prior to the visit of the revolutionary committee bearing the abdication dec laration. One other bit of history made public today, was that the action of the Rus sian duma is resolving to overthrow the autocratic government was unanimous with the exception of 15 members who stood out for imij'cdtatB establishment ot a republic, withoup waiting for a popular vote and without the temporary duma committee form now governing. ORDERED 60 SUBMARINES - Washington, Mar. 20. Secretary Daniels yesterday afternoon directed the New York navy yard to proceed at once with. tho construction of (iO sum marine chasers. They will cost $110,000 each complete except machinery. .The yard can lay down 40 at once. Delivery will begin in from fit) to SO days at tho rate of one boat every three days. Broke Everything Breakable In these great holes tumbled the principle buildings of the city. The magnificent town hall with a score of others is a. mass of ruins. The quick arrival of the French enabled cutting of wires connecting mines- which had been laid under whole streets of the cit' so that some buildings were sav ed. At the moment of their departure the Germans wreaked final vengeance on the city by entering houses and smashing the furniture, dishes every thing breakable. The invaders had Germanized the citv during their occupancy or, at :eat had attempted it. All the streets Roye the eight hundred-remaining of the city 's civil population had unearth ed long hidden French flags. The tri color was waving everywhere when the French troops entered. Destruction Everywhere From Roye to Nestle there is destruc tion everywhere. Aviators report whole towns and villages burning. ' i The rapid French advance has now changed the entire aspect of the war. Tor two years the troops have been all but immovable in trenches. Now this inaction has magically disappear ed. The troops are pressing forward hurriedly. French cavalry, infantry, ar-! tillery and aviation squals in harass ing and pursuing the enemy. The en tire territorv behind the fleeing Ger mans is filled with an endless steady advance of columns of infantry; ar tillery, cavalry. Hugo military camps bloom on the devastated fields; bloom for a few hours and then disappear as the troops move forward. All in movement and yet s meth odically it is execute that beyond Roye the Parisian ' trewspapers are be in? distributed to the soldiers today with the same regularity as in Paris itself. Throughout the- German;' evacuation and the -trench occupation of Koye, (Continued on pag three.) GERMAH RETREAT SLOWS UP HEARING HEW DEFENSE LRIE Recent Fighting May Be But Prelude To General Engagement GERMANS CLAIM ALLIES HAVE IMT HEAVILY French Make Slight Progress Russians Take Gty of Hilingfors London, Mai. 20. The German re- possibly be attributed to stormy weath er. It was also possible it might mean the Germans were now reaching the lino of thoir long prepared positions. j Despite tho weather and slowing wp of the German fight, the British never theless, progressed considerably, the dispatches said. . Tho Paris official statement of to day indicated a similar slowing up be tween Avre and the Oise of the Ger man retreat and likewise remarked on the bad weather. The Berlin statement revealed a number of engagements along the whole of 'this front and like wise gave indication of the new charac ter of the fighting developed there, Bft or two and a half years of trench war fare. . Tho forces engaged in .this theatre of the war are now fighting in open ranks. The maneuvering is swiftly aoiie. Cavalry has been called into use hero for the first time in concentrated attack sinco the early days of the war. Military experts have been predict ing for some days a slowing up in "the Gemian flight, due to the approach of the retreatnifi troops to tho new "Hin- denburg line, " where positions have been prepared for months. It may be that the present fighting is merely the preludo to a general engagement along this front. Such an engagement, due to the length of the front, the prepara tions made by all belligerents and the approach of warmer weather will bring the greatest battle in the world s his torv. AlUeg Loss Severe. Berlin, via Kayville wireless, Mar. 20, "Heavy losses to oiir adversaries" were detailed in today's official report as the result of several engagements of infantry and cavalry detachments "in the district abandoned to occupation by tho enemy on both sides of the 8oinme and the Oise." "Preparation of tho field of tho en gagement selected in this district made it militarily useless," the statement continued, "which means everything has been made unserviceable which lat er could be ol advantage to tho enemy for his operations. "In the Ypres bend our reconnoiter ing troops brought in 12 Englishmen from the position. "On the left bank of tho Meuse the French in the afternoon and night di rected violent attacks against positions gnined by us March 18. They wore ev erywhere repulsed. "On height 304 one of our companies spontaneously followed the retreating enemy and ci.nqucred an additional trench sector two hundred meters in width. Its garrison of 25 men was cap tured. "Eastern war theatre: In some sec tors there was livelier fighting activity than (luring the last 'few days. From raids on Bercscina and the Stochod our reconnoitering detachments brought in 25 Russian prisoners." French Gains Slight. Paris, Mar. 20. "Slight progress," despite bad weather and destruction oi all means of communication, was re ported by the French official statement today in the Avrc7Aisne district. French troops were in contact with the enemy throughout this district. The difficulties of the advance are grow ing, the statement said. Around Verdun the war office re ported repulse with heavy losses to the enemy of German attacks launched sev eral times between Avaucourt wood nnd Hill 304. . . Hebsingfors Taken. Stockholm, Mar. 20. Helsingfors city, Finland, is in the hands of Russian troops, following a week end of riots. Admiral Njoeton was shot and 14 of ficers aboard warships in the harbor were killed, according to information reaching here today. FLAG STILL FLIES Fort Wayne, lud., Mar. 20. The Am erican flag still flies in the window of the Allen county court house nere to day, even though it may "offend some one" by so doing. Recorder E. H. Book waiter continued today to defy tke order of William Schweir, county- com missioner, that the flag come down. Depot in Texas Made Salemite Homesick O. W. Baynard, an adopted Oregon ian, ia making a visit to Mississippi and Texas after an absence of 44 years. Ue writes that when it cornea to real coun try; there is no comparison anywhere with Oregon- In southern Texas he found the boll weevil had art the farm ers back for several years. In Missis sippi the cattle could not be compared to the Oregon breed. Then another thing Mr. Baynard did not like about the south was the cold weather and rain. He writes they had more of each in southern Texas than he was accus tomed to in Oiegon. At Richmond, Texas, he saw a depot constructed on exartly the same style as the Southern Pacific at Haiera' and it made him homesick. Taking everytning' into consiueranon, Air. Baynard thinks Oregon is good enough for him and he hopes to once more breath the pure Ore gon ozone about the first of May. MAIL SACKS SEARCHED New York, Mar. 20. "Twenty-six mail-filled sacks aboard the Sunard lin er Saxonio, whieh reached here today from Liverpool, were slit open and their contents searched some time last Thurs day. The pouches contained mail for the British embassy and for the Amer ican government. Captain Benson re ported by wireless and postal inspect ors boarded the ship at quarantine. TEN ESCAPED FROM Result of Attempt by German sympathizers To Liberate Interned Men Philadelphia. Mar. 20. Tcn German sailors from the interned German boats in the League Island navy yard are today at large, according to tho belief of police here- By patching up con flicting stories of four recaptured men thN police wevc led to the belief that 14 tried to swim their way to liberty in icy waters last night. Police here believe the attempt to get away was not confined to the men themselves, nor even to the captains of the crews, but that it was part of a general movement on the part of the scores of Philadelphia Germans or Ger man sympathizers to liberate the men. This belief is supported by the fact that a number of names were found on the four men who were recaptured and who are detained in the barracks of the navy yard today, sufefring from ex posure. - . The name of Richard Stein was found on one of the captured sailorB. The names of five other Philadelphi anst five German-Americans in Jersey City and nine in Hobokcn were also found on the captured men. It is be lieved by local officers that these ad dresses were given the would-be fugi tives to indicate places of refuge. These names and addresses, kept secret by the navy yard officials, will bo turned over to government agents, who will investi gate the suspects. An investigation is also being made today of the cutting of a trolley feed wire near the navy yard. This was done shortly after the men made their escape. The broken wire prevented trol leys from League Island moving. .A feed wire which furnished tho light to a restaurant just outside the navy yard was also mysteriously cut. CITY WILL PAY $5 DAY TOWARD FREE FERRY $1,000 Taken From Fire Fund and $250 From Band for This Use A free ferry, n city band, and the question of reducing the pay of the assistant city engineer were the prob lems that "occumed the attention of the council at its regular meeting last night and resulted in some pepper he ing scattered about somewhat promis cuously. The free ferry was tho first brought up when the courtesy of the floor was granted to I. .1. Fry, who spoke on the progress of the matter.Ho said that at the meeting of the Commercial club a short time ago about 200 business men attended and discussed the mat ter. At that time, a committee com posed of V. G. Deckebach, Fred Steus loff and D. J. Fry was appointed to interview the Polk county court con cerning the installation of a free fer ry. Mr. Fry.eaid they visited the Polk county court, which promised $150 a month or $5 a day. The committee in terviewed the manager ot the Salem ferry regarding purchase or lease of the equipment but had nothing defi nite to report as yet. He said Marion county was willing to do its share and he asked the city to appropriate funds to help. Expense $20 a Day Councilman Jones asked Mr. Fry to' state the probable coat of operating and Mr. Fry replied that the county engineer had figured it out at about (Continued on page thre.) DECISIOII PERIIITS G0VERIIL1EIIT TO PREVEIIUTIES Claim Made hy Railroad Managers Decision Makes This Plain PRESIDENT STATED THIS VIEW IN SPEECH One Effect of Law Will Be Speeding Up of All Freight Trains New York, Mar. 20 Tic Adamson law decision clearly establishes th right of the government to prevent strikes, railroad managers contend, in a statement issued today. A sharp cleav age of opinion has developed over this question, brotherhood chiefs contending that the ruling of the supreme court does not give the government such power. The Switchmen's Union of North America, which was awarded 10 hour pay for a nin hour day by an arbitra tion board recently, "will. bo taken care of" when their present contract, signed for ono year, expires, according to another statement from the manag ers' office. The managers' office authorized tho following statement in regard to the strike issue: "The chief thing that the company has gatned out of this decision ia that it establishes beyond doubt that the government, through congress, has full power to prevent railroad strikes. The opinion as read by Chief Justice White niBkes it iilain that cmnloves of inter- ! state carrier:, because of the public. character of the railroads, are affected with a public 'Interest that they haw no more right to strike and tie up the commerce of the country, than have sol diers and sailors. "This same opinion was recently ex pressed by Judge Clements, member of the Interstate commerce commission, when he said that railroad employes are affected with a public interest that they can no more ignore. than can the carriers. 0 Wilson Suggested It. "The same idea was expressed by President Wilson in n speech made at Shadow Lawn during the campaign, in 'which he said: " 'America i never g"inK to say to its individuals you must work whether you want to or not, but it is privileged! to say to an organization of persons, you must not interrupt the national life without consulting us. "' One part of the law specifically states the right possessed by employes of "a business charged wilh a nubfifl interest, and as to which the power tn regulate commerce by congress, ap plied," is "necessarily subject to limi tations." William ft. Lee, trainmen chief, de clared he does not believe this section prohibits strikes. "We are public servants," he said. "But we are government employes Therefore, I see nothing in the supreme court's decision that would, prevent, striking.'.' Eight hundred separnto agreements are to be effected today. Tho brother hood chiefs arc to meet the railway managers' conference " committeg .in Grand Central Terminal today to take, up this work. - - ' W. S. Carter, head of the firemen, is en route back to St.1 Louis, wbero he left his dying daughter to attend the conferences here. A telegram lata last night summoned him back. It Increases Wages, -Ran Francisco, Mar. 20. That tho Adamson law will not effect to any marked degree trainmen on passenger runs or valley freight runs of the trans continental lines but that its main in- . flucnce will be on the freight runs over mountain divisions is the statement of railroad officials here. They say that the passenger trainmen now are on a five hour basis and the valley trainmen on eight hour time. One effect of the law, it was pointed out. may be t speeding up of freight trains to 12 1-2 miles an hour in order . (Continued on page twO .ft Oregon; To-. .night an Wed- . nesday occasion-' al rain west, . partly ' eloudy . east per t i in; " southerly, winds. vyh&T tID iolh loo with I .