Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919, April 21, 1917, Image 1

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Daily capital journal., April 21, 1917, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Text, m FULL LEASED WIRE DISPATCHES a ; &. CIRCULATION IS f A 4 OVER 4400 DAILY H jj j FORTIETH YEAR-NO. 9G SALEM, OREGON, SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 1917 PRICE TWO CENTS OH TBAIVa AND NEWS BTAVIW FT vv rpNTi IllFIC FIGHTIHG IS RAGING ALONG FORTY MILE FIT Great Bailie Now In Its Sixth Day Reaches Acme of Fury MAY BE WEEKS BEFORE CONTEST IS DECIDED French . Artillery Destroys Everything It Is Turned Loose On Ey Henry Wood ( I'uited Press staff correspondent) With the French Annies iu the Field, April 21. The French out-Hin (Iciititirged Hindenbui g in their treat offensive. It is possible today for the first time to reveal some of the strate gy which to date has kept the French fnrc.es on their greatest victory in gen i-a 1 offensive since the war began. It was the same strategic superior ity that enabled the French to force the Germans' acceptance of the ground incviously chosen by the French, as the site of the battle of the Marne. In the same fashion, the French forced the Germans to accept the site of the present battle of the Aisne on ground carefully selected by the French strat egists from Hoissons to Auberive. Ilindenburg's "strategic .( retneat" wns for the purpose of forcing the French to accept battte on ground which the German staff had chosen be fore the Hindenburg line. That strate gy has now failed. The French did not eiiose Ilindenburg's line as the main fmint of their offensive. Destruction was useless ' Likewise, all the wanton destruction in the pathway of the German retreat all the razing of trees, farms and .villages done to interfere with the al lies' advnnee, has now proved utterly useless as a military step and complete ly unjustifiable. The battle of the Aisne is now iu its sixth day. It will likely continue for weeks before a decisive moment is reached, according to the general im pression among strategists at the front Along the forty odd miles of fighting line, there are liree general sections, where tho topography of the country makes three natural divisions. To the Jet't is the section from Hoissons to liaonuc, the center lies between Cra onne and liheims jmd the right is be tween Rheims and Auberive. Information obtainable here at the 'rout today was that these divisions are likely to undergo mnuiiicauuiiB. with the' possibility always of a great extension of the front. Today the battle is raging every where along the three divisions with incredible fury. The great struggle sub divides itself into Humorous smaller engagements. They may seem meaning less little or big clashes but every one of them tends to a .common object ive long before hand. Attacks Continuous Scarcely an hour of the day or night dues not. "witness at some point either an attack or the repulse of a counter attack. These are always indicated by sudden rise to terrific intensity of tliH ceaseless artillery roll along fronts of one, two, three oj; more miles. Although these battles are furious in their intensity, only the artillery is usually visible as the sign ot tno con flictbecause the infantry fights its wiy forward under the cover of for- (Continued on page five.) ABE MARTIN 1 Mrs. Tipton Bud V nephew, who got married t' git th' $4,000 income tax exemption, has accepted a travelia' position. Th' trouble with a type written letter is that you nearly, alius have t' take it t' th' mistmaster t' find ' . Ml out who it'i trom. Wheat Market Closed ! Prices Two Cents Lower Chicago, April 21. Lightning changes were recorded iu an erratic wheat pit today. Fluctuations were fast and unexpected, owing to the siualluess of trade. May wheat oened down 3'i and later told an high as 2.37 ll or one v higher than yes terday's close. O it declined and the market eloped ' two from the opening at 2.31. -cned down 1 l-'S and subsequently & 1-8, clos ing at $1.98 7-.S. iSepi . opened down 1 and later lost 3 . -sing at 1-70V. V Corn lisd a weak underton y v iu particular being weak. May" ed down a 3-4 and later lost 1 3-4. i g to $1.40V4. July opened down , later declining 3 to $1.36 1-2. Septem ber opened down 1-2, subsequently los ing two to $1.30. Trade, in oats was moderate. Values averaged lower in sympathy with the major grains. May opened up i, re maining unchanged at the close. July opened down half, later declining 7-8 to 02 1-8. September opened up 3-8 and remained unchanged. Provisions opened lower but later ad vanced slightly on moderate buying. 1 IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE District Attorney Reames Says No Shadow of Founda tion For It We are pleased to publish the follow ing letter from United States Prosecut ing Attorney Reames which completely sets at rest the malicious rumors which nave been circulated the past few days about .Mr. Hofer. Whore such stories start is hard to say but this furnishes on excellent illustration of the wrong which may be done one of our most respected citizens by the cir culation of false reports We are indeed clod to publish these facts and say that it is high time to Btop the Circulation of such" proundless rumors about any of our citizens. Mr. Reames' letter follows: "Portland, Or., April 20, 1917. "Mr. K. M. Hofer, Salem, Or. "Sir: You have today called my at tention to an article appearing iu a local newspaper, reading as follows: " 'Xo Foundation Known for Per sistent Rumor. Persistent rumors have teen current in the city for the past several days that Col- E. Hofer, well known publicity man of Salem and Marion county, has been arrested in San Francisco by government secret service agents for alleged pro-German utterances, but so far there has been no confirmation of the report. Yester day an inquiry was sent to San Frnneis so'to ascertain if the report was true but San Francisco reported that noth ing was Known 01 rue ant-si This may be one o fthe many wild rumors that arise no one Knows wuere, and it is suggested that those who cir culate such rumors without knowing them to be true may De doing niucu harm.' . . "There is nothing pending in this office against, either yourself, your brother or your father, and there has been no investigation into the conduct of yourself or of either of the other parties mentioned. At your request, however, and for the purpose of being absolutely certain of this, I have today wired the San Francisco and Seattle offices requesting them to advise me whether or not there has been anv in vestigation pending against any of you in either of those two cities. I am iust in receipt of a telegram from the ': United States attorney o""'7 , .1. .. ., at San Francisco anu anuw.r. ... -the United States attorney at Seattle. t l.nth telegrams it is stated that neither yourself, your father or your brother nave ever been arrested by either of said offices or any agent thereof; that there is not now and never has been any investigation rela tive to the conduct of either of you in stituted by either of eaid offices. "I regret that such unfounded rumor us is mentioned in t'.ie news paper report could ever have been started. It certainly a done you a most gross injustice. in no wise responsive .or i - and I sincerely tram - mav do something to orauu as 'absolutely false and untrue. "Uespecnuiiv, "Clarence L- Reames, "United States Attowie--" REVOLUTION IMMINENT Rome, April 21. A revolu tion is imminent in Hungary, according to Vatican advices to- dAs a result of various dis turbances, tho information here asserted, Budapest and 25 oth er cities and towns had been proclaimed in a stage of siege. Adverse weather conditions have con .:i,t.i materially to delay in building a flume at the upper end of the locks and caual at Oregon City, a task that was to have been finished today, but may not be in condition for the pssage of s'.eamers until Wednesday. ROOSEVELT SMS RAISING DIVISIOtI . IS PROPER SYSTEM Says Compulsory Service Is Best and Absolutely Necessary BUI VOLUNTEER FORCE SHOULD BE SENT AT ONCE Conditions Demand America Get to the Front Speedily New York, April 1. Colonel Boose velt struck back today at those who have been using his plan for raising a division of troops as an aiguineiit against obligatory service. Iu (he 'first interview he has granted on his army plan, accorded tho United Press, he re iterated strongly his demand for uni versal obligatory service couple with a plea that while this compulsory system was being made operative a volunteer force be sent abroad. "I do not want to be put iu the posi tion of saying to my fellow country men, 'go to the war,' " he declared. "I want to be in the position of saying, 'come to the war; I am going with you.' "I wish we already had universal military training in this country. But we are as Great Britain was when the war broke out. (She had disregarded Lord Roberts' advice to have universal military service. She was very wrong in doing-that- England Aided Promptly. "But it would have been a capital mistake if when the war broke out, she had declined to seud a small military 'expedition at once to Belgium and had refused to accept colunteers from Can ada and Australia on the plea that she then intended to do nothing except in accordance with the theory of obliga tcrv military service. "What she ought to have done, was to send her expeditionary army exactly as she did; to iise the volunteers exact ly as she did and instantly to intro duce the system of obligatory servise also. This is precisely what we should do. "With all my heart I approve of the president '-s plan for universal obliga tory service both for the-present war and as our permanent policy. This plan will give us the army we must have 18 months hence. But we ought to treat as' a necessary supplement to this plan the utilizing of volunteers who would not be reached under the obligatory plan who will not and ought not to be ask ed to volunteer in the regular army or the national guard; but. who have spe cial fitness for the war and who will come forward eagerly to serve if they are to bo sent abroad at the earliest possible minute. "The obligatory service idea is capi ttnl to make those serve who ought to do something and we ought not to let it be twisted into preventing those who ardently desire to serve from serving even although they would be exempt from serving under the obligatory law." No ' Hymn of Hate." The colonel was asked how he felt to ward Germany. "I am utterly against any 'hymn of hate' in this country as agaiust any na tionality," he exclaimed. "Let us have our 'hymn of hate' against, that system of organized tyranny which has made Germany a menace to the world as a sequence of itself becoming the evil genuius of what was best and noblest in the German character. We are fight ing in the spirit of Andreas Hofer and of those Germans who led the fight against the tyranny of Napoleonic Frauee when we now rally the free peoples of the world against tyrannous militarism which would destroy all free dom. "Once we have destroyed the tyranny we shall hail the Germans as our broth ers and we shall eagerly hope to admit them to the fellwship of free peoples." Colonel Roosevelt was here reminded of the fact that in the past he had dif fered shardply in matters political with the president under whom he now sought to serve- "Once this country" is at war," he answered quickly, emphasizing his stac- atto utterances with clenched rists, "L recoenize no partisanship and no dis tinction of parties. Let us U stand shoulder to shoulder without the slight est reeard to ordinary partisan consid erations without the slightest regard to our differences on internal subjects pledged all of us alike to war for the honor Or tne nag ana in rne interests oi mankind. SOUTHERN PACITIC PROFITS New York, April 21 The 1910 net income of the Southern Pacific, com oanv and subsidaries was $35,422,514 an increase of $7,2(H,OK:i, or $25.82 per cent, according to the annual report is sued today. Total operating revenues were $163, 427.423, an increase of $20,959,518, or 14.71 ner cent. The total operating in come was $52,008,200, an increase of $1479,733, or 19.48 per cent. - WIN THE WaE MOVEMENT Columbus, Ohio, April 21. Dirk Grabc, "tonsorial artist," wants to organize a corps of barbers to follow Ohio boys into the trenches of Europe, keep them shaved and trimmed, and wield the rar.or on the enemy if the opportunity offers. 8n Francisco, April .21 "Let the old men go to the trenches first; the men above 45. Then I'll enlist," is the pies of Eugene Shelly, seeretary to Mayor Kolph- "Why destroy the flower of youth and pre serve the relics?" ' AMERICA'S WAR DOG THE AIREDALE San Francisco, April 21. The German police dog, which turn ed scout and did Red Cross duty, and the St. Bernard which has been used by French and Ital ian soldiers, is to be followed by an American war dog, the nire dale, in the opinion of dog breeders and army men here. There are thousands of aircdales where there are few police dogs. $ FROM THE END OF THE RAINBOW Portland, Ore., April 21 Mrs. L. C. Parrish wants to know where her turkey got the gravel iu its craw, he may start an other Klondike rush. Winning a turkey in a movie show drawing, she found several dollars worth of small gold nug gets when she prepared the din ner to celebrate her luck. Today she is trying to trace it back' to its first owner. COUNCIL IS WILLING 10 HAVEilDGE BOILT Fears of Government Engi neers Qiiieted But Little Other Business There will soon be a comfort station ou the court house lawn at tho ecorner of High and State streets. At the special meeting of the city council last night the special committee having this matter in charge was authorized to go ahead v.ith the work in conjunction with the Marion coitity court, which will bear half of the expense. It is estimated that the cost of con struction will be about $3500. After it is constructed it devolves on the city to maintain it. This sum does not in clude adjusting the State street sewer nor the heating of the station. At the meeting last night the coun cil, by resolution, approved of the plans of Marion and Polk counties to build a bridge across the Willamette river at the foot of Center street. This was the prime object of the called meeting, and was done by Mayor Keyes at the request of the highway commission and the Marion county court. On ac count of the fact that the Willamette rivler is a navigable stream, the ap proval of the council was necessary be fore the matter wa? presented to the government engineers at.vr- Portland. This matter is being attended to today by the members of the highway commission- Just as soon as tho govern ment gives its approval to the plans, the work of construction can proceed. The ordinance bill abolishing card games in the pool nails or tne city, which came up tor third reading anil passage, was indefinitely postponed. The contract tor furnishing the new steel cell to be placed in the city jail for the restraint of obstreperous pris oners was awarded to the K. T. Barnuni Iron Works. The cell is to cost $1(4. IT WAS BLASTING Boston, April 21. The "fir ing" heard "off the coast" a few days ago has turned out to be blasting in Kcituate, Mass. - A mas named Emerson report ed to Captain Robertsen, chief of staff here, today, that he had done much blasting in the past few days. Washington, April 21. The British government has granted a safe conduct to Count Adam Tarnowski nnd his party who are expected to depart next week for Vienna, the state de partment announced today. The British government has taken similar action in reference to the German minister and con suls who are to return-from China through the United States. SENATE RUSHIHG CQIISCRIPTION BILL II Filibuster Starts Eut Is Squelched at End of First Hour ONLY FIVE SENATORS ON RECORD AGAINST IT Will Raise 600,000 Through Volunteers and Million by Draft B? J. P. 'xoder. I United l'rcss staff coriespondent.) Washington, April 21. Adiuinistra-; tion forces and selective' conscription advocates won their first real legisla tive skirmish at the capitol this after noon when a filibuster that was bit terly waged for more than an hour was finally squelched. Plans o'i leaders to rush the army bill through to a vote ahead of everything else proceeded after Chairman Chamber lain of the military committee forcod a vote to take up the army measure. Only five senators Thomas, LnFolI ette, Gronna, Hiram Johnson and Fern aid voted against Chamberlain. Tho army bill provides for getting the 000,000 men needed to raise regular army and national guard to their war strength through volunteers and for get ting an army of 1,000,000 men by selec tive draft. Is Chamberlain's BUI. Senator Chamberlain, chairman of the military affairs committee, piloted the bill. He explained the first provision would authorizo both the regular army and national guard raised to war strength -a total of about '20,000 of ficers and 014,730 enlisted men. "This is the largest volunteer force ever called for in the United States," said Chamberlain. "At the same time, 500,000 men ber tween the ages of 18 and 25 would be immediately selected and put into train ing. Another 500,000 would be selected later. "Between those ages comparatively1 few men have contracted family ties," he continued. "It would entail small expense to the government to care for dependents." The selective draft will make avail able about 6,000,000 men. Of this vast army about 3,500,000 would be fit physically- "Only about, one-half of that number would bo taken and for that reason wc are resorting to 'selective draft,' " Chamberlain said. In the meantime, tho house military committee finally and formally report ed out the army general staff bill, so modified as to shift responsibility for use of the selective draft system upon President Wilson, unless he should con sent to try out the volunteer system first. Chairman Dent, volunteer proponent, and Representative Kahn, Californit, conscription advocate, ranking republi can member of the military committee, completed their respective majority and minority reports. Dent's report carries an appropriation of $3,000,000, Kahn's report, signed by eight mem bers of the committee, four of whom have seen military service, insists on the original general staff bill. A letter from Secretary Baker to the military committee a few days ago, in which Baker pleaded with the commit tee to report out a strict selective draft bill, was published with the report. Minority Report. The minority report declares that "the majority of the committee have seen fit to set -their own views on the raising of the proper military forces for the successful conduct of the war above the views of the trained military ex perts of the government. In this 'great crisis, we deem it to be our patriotic, duty in this manner of increasing tern- porarily establishment of the United Slates to follow the counsel of the com- mander-in-chicf of our army and his ex- pert advisers. "Wc desire to follow the plan which they have laid down for us in this man- ner, rather than follow any plan which wc ourselves might devise. " The report emphasizes the diffeculties of obtaining volunteers in the Civil war and in the present war. It would take about two ytars, the report states, to raise the men needed if the present rate under the volunteer system should con- tinue. Volunteer System. "The volunteer system would always carry in its train nn element of nncer- tainty," the report said. "It is our judgment that the volunteer system is not a fair one. It ts neither equitable nor democratic. In this republic every American should esteem it an honor to bear his share of the country' burden. That can only be done under the prin- ciple of universal obligation to serve. In our opinion, it is for the nation, not jthe individual, to determine what scrv ice the citizeu should bear." I The short senate filibuster developed (suddenly. Senator Chamberlain was reading an (Continued on Tafo 5.) OVER QPPQSI 25,000,000 Bushels df Grain Now at St Paul St. Paul. A glut ot 25,000,000 bushels of grain now paralyiing the big Minneaolis terminals will not be more than one-third moved at the present rate before the new 1917 crop begins to arrive. Minneapolis flour mills, running from 40 to 60 per cent of capacity since last fall, present another aerious phase of , car shortage situation almost without precedent. The foregoing complaints of Minne apolis elevator and milling interests have been Jaid before tho Minnesota railroad and warehouse commission and are to be taken up with Oeorge T. Slade, vice-president of the Northern Pacific railroad, who will represent western lines on the railway war board, immediately on his return' from the east. This is the only method of seeking relief suggerted, following expressions of doubt of the commission's authority because the problem involves interstate traffic largely. IS FORCE SEN! 10 Thinks Presence f Amer icans Would Have Stimu- r fating Effect By Ed L. Keen. (United Press staff correspondent.) London, April 21. Winston Churchill, former first lord of the admiralty, now himself in khaki, wants an American expeditionary force aent to France as soon as possible simply for the effect tho presence of Americans would have ou the allied forces. "Of course, I can express only my personal opiuii n," ho said to the Unit ed Press today, ' ' but it seems to me cer tain that the presenoe of even a sinirie American division on the battle fields of Franco or Flanders this year would exercise influence and afford encour agement out of all proportion to tho ac tual number of men employed. "It was always represented to us that the timely arrival of even a small force of British troops in France would stim ulate and cheer tho heart of every French soldier. "As it turned out, our small armyi achieved very great material results in addition to its moral effect. Perhaps it played a decisive part in the supreme event of the opening phase of the war. But now, when the terrible weight and burden of this struggle has pressed for nearly three years upon the French, Bri tish and Belgian troops, the arrival of the American flag and the American uniform on the actual line of battle would be tho veritable signal of ap proaching deliverance and of vietory and would kindle joy and enthusiasm in every heart." Horrible Story Is Indignantly Denied London, April 21. Indignant denial that Germans are using human carcass es from which to render fats, lubricat ing oils and fertilizers, was mado in a Berlin wireless dispatch intercepted here today. The story of a German fac tory where the dead were thus reduced had been in circulation here for sev eral weeks. "The newspaper Lolial Anzeiger, which was quoted in stories describing the mill used to transform the car casses of animals into oil, used the ex pression 'cadaver, " the wireless de clared. "This word is never used to describe human bodies it means only the carcasses of animals. "Tho Lokal Anzeiger today, com menting on the anti-Oerman propagan da, revealed in distorted stories of this plant, calls it 'the acme of stupidi ty.' " WATCHAMA. COLUMN By "GM" Inventive Genius Inventive genius is running amuck in this country. Some thing ought to be dono to stop it. If you don 't believe it, look what it's done to our lcadpcn cils. 'Time was when a lead pencil was just at plain, unas suming utensil that started at one end anil ended at tho oth er. When it wore its nose out doing its duty, you gave it a few slices with a knifo and it was ready for work again. It was so simple a child could ma nipulate it. Inventive genius has put an end, and a lot of other unnec essary things, to the flimplo leadpencil, Tho leadpencil of today is as difficult to under stand as a timetable. Not only must wc buy it, but we must learn to use' it. We must fig ure out whether it unfolds, works with a spring, is run by a lever or has a secret combi nation. That's what untrammelled in ventive genius has done for us. The First National bank of Union has purchased several carloads of ' hogs, which it is selling at cost in small lots to stock owners. MOT! THOUSAND Il!li!l IU STRIKE Riots Reported in Several Cities, and Attempts to Bum Buildings PROMISE OF MORE FOOD FAILS TO MOVE STRIKERS Serious Rioting Reported at Some of Great Krupp Faetorbs Amsterdam, April 21. Twenty thou sand munitions workers in Berlin and Spandau are out on a general strike to day in protest against reduction of the bread ration, according to latest infor mation from Germany. Scores of conflicting rumors as to tho strike including a number of reports of great violence accomiianyine riots in 'various cities reached here today. A great force or strikers is mud t have revolted at Magdeburg and tried to burn public buildings. According to this report, troops were called out to restore order and in clashes with the rioters had killed and ; wounded several, the city now being in a state of siege. Reports from Dnssoldorf declared a meeting of strike delegates in Berlin, had rejected a proposition advanced by some ot their leaders, demaiding that the German government immediately re nounce any intention of annexation in the war, abolish compulsory service and instituto at once a general equal fran chise system. Promises Ineffectual. -Not even the promises of an increase in the allowance of moat and potatoes . has been sufficient to offset tho curtail ment of breed supplies, according to the' German reports. Workers apar cntly have seized upon this as not only a logical time in which to exproas thris demand for more food and mora equit able distribution by the government, but to press demands for more pay nud reduction in hours. That Germany's leaders recognize the seriousness of the general strike, and a ' hint that it may be more grave than re ports here have indicated, was evi- ' denccd today in art appeal which Field -Marshal Von Hindcnburg was said to have dispatched to General Groener, chief of the munitions branch, urging' that "every strike, however small, may ; be tho means of an unjustifiable weak- , cninl of our defensive forces, and in an inexcusable crime against tho fighting forces, especially the men in the trench- ' es, who bleed in consequence." Extraordinary efforts are apparently : being made by the German government to restore order and to suppress news of the internal r'ttuatinn. Two days ago the -government let it be known through of ficial news channels that tho entire strike "was settled." Strike Widespread. Apparently recognizing the funda mental causa 'for the strike lies in in equitable distribution of tho food, the German government is conducting the most searching investigation to unearth hidden stores of food. Berlin advices today related a house to house canvass ordered by the food dictator, which, it. was said, had already revealed "an amazing quantity" of food hidden away. Summarizing rumors, reports and known facts, reaching here from all sources, it appeared today that the gen eral strike had spread somewhat as fol lows: Berlin Several thousand men still out ; efforts being made to arbitrate, but Chancellor Hollweg declined to. act as umpire. Magdeburg (rave noting reported; 10,001) strikers demanding violence. (Magdeburg contains one of the great Krupp factories the machine shop principally). Essen Workers at Krupps plant said to have joined tho strike. Leipsig Several thousand strikers out; number of street demonstrations occurred, but no violence. Munitions plants not believed to be affected. Mrs. Alice Vundirk, who was born in. Clackamas county 2 years ago, died at. tho home ot her daughter, Mrs. Fred Ruple, at Amity, Thursday night. . !(: THE WEATHER Oregon: Tonight and Sunday fair except probably showers n o T t h west portion; eeol er tonight east portion, light frost tonight south and cast portions; sonth tot west winds.