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About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1917)
i r x m 1 1 1 1 CIRCULATION IS OVER 4400 DAILY A SI ft 1 M Ml MIlMIf M ' FULL LEASED WIRE DZuPATCXIES ii ft ft a a a Jn fr' r : - f r Hf . IMto 01 i 1 1 i 7i v -'HiiiiiMTg FORTIETH YEAR NO. 97 GOVERNMENT US This Re-Vests Title In United States, Gives Railroad $2.50 An Acre SOME OF LANDS WILL BE v OPENED TO SETTLEMENT Counties Will Get 25 Per Cent of Proceeds of Timber Land Sales Washington, April 23. The supreme court today decided in favor of the government in the noted Oregon aud California land case, involving million. of acres of land granted to railroads and claimed by the I'nited States by forfeiture. The "Oregon lnnd grant" case, caus ing 10 years of litigation between the government and railroads, grew out of valuable grants of lnnd in Oregon and California to transcontinental railroads. The railroads were to sell the -Jand to actual settlers for not more than $2.50 an acre- Much of it wbb sold, admitted ly, contrary to the grant and the gov ernment tried to have the land for feited. In 1802 congress granted to the Un ion Pacific and Central Pacific railroads millions of acres of land to enable them to build a transcontinental railroad from the Missouri river to iSan Fran eiseo bay. An extension north along the Pacific coast was planned, ana in IMliii congress granted the lnnd involved in this suit in northern California and Oregon to the railroads. Under the provisions of the grant the land was to be sold to actual settlers, not more than a. quarter section to a purchaser and at a price not more than $2.50 an aero. Much of tho land was mountainous and valuable, particularly in later years, for its timber. The rail road claimed it could not sell such land inaccessible and hard to cultivate to settlors. It sold much of it to lum bermen. Thig fact was known for years. It. continued, the railroad claimed, for nearly 40 years with no objection from t nongovernment. In Court Ten Years. Several years ago congress ordered the attorney general to proceed against the railroads and tho Oregon and Cali fornia Land company, which held title, lor violation ot the terms ot the orig in nl grant. Proceedings were started in Oregon courts, These held the land for i cited back to the government, but the decree was reversed. Then the su preme court handed down a complicated mandate which nobody understood and the fight was on again. An Ojegon court, interpreting the mandate, held that railroads could not dispose ot the land until congress pass ed legislation regarding it In June 101l, congress passed the Ferris act. " re-vesting" the land in the United States, allowing the railroads the $2.50 an acre for it, that they were author ized to charge in the grant, and opening the land to settlement. The proceeds from sale of timber lands were to be divided, 25 per cent to the country in which the land was situated for schools, roads, highways, bridges and port' dis ' triets; 40 per cent to the general recla ination fund, nnd 10 per cent to the general fund of the treasury. The court upheld the Ferris net, pass ed by congress and giving the land to Hie government with the provision that railroads should be paid $2.50 an acre for it from the proceeds of the sale. Effects of Decision. Portland, Or., April 23. The import (Continued on page four.) )( 3C S)t if sjc ?v jjc !j 5( jc 5f jjC 3)C c ABE MARTIN S " 'V " Remember th' ole five-cent soup bono that'd make a -dinner for a finer 1 If. yoti must raise chickens in town hand cuff Vm. UI GRANT CASE r:;3 jam if it Women Wronged by I . Germans, Says Wife ' of Famous Surgeon Chicago, April 23. New stories oi' the suffering and abuse of French wo men ami children in the city of Noyon after the recent retreat of the Ger mans came to Chicago in a letter from Mine. Alexis Cnrrel, wife of the cele brated surgeon of the Rockefeller foun-'ou- In her letter the. gays: 4 ery woman between the ages ot 1. v.nd 30 had been carried off nine days before the retreat by the Ger mans. The voune women who were left in Novon were all about to be come mothers bv German fathers. In several instances mothers had been tak en away and their children left behind "In the orphan asylum the children were so crowded that their beds touch ed and they were forced to sleep with out mattresses or covering. "Tho wounded French who were still in the hospitals had not been cared for and the stench was so horrible that our nurses could hardly stand to wait on them. "The people had nothing but brown bread for 17 months and were reduced to a state of starvation." CAPTURED IN ONE DAY Bases Destroyed Left Them Helpless and They Were Forced to Surrender Washington, April 23. A member of tho British war commission today said twenty German submarines and their oTews were captured by the British April 10, the day before the party sail ed. 'Thev weren't exaetlv captured oither. " said the Englishman. "Jhev had been searching for a destroyed base for days, and had been suffering for food and water and when our boats picked them up manv of the men were on tnc verge ot starvation. The crews wero quite subdued and gladly surren dered. "England is getting a lot more sub marines Than yon people in America have anv iiloa of. n 'I he submarine'" commanders are having a rough time of it. Their bases are sought out and destroyed almost before they are established. The Brit ish know of certain bases, but they let them alone until the submarines are gone, then destroy them and leave the l;-boats in a hole. 'It is stated' says Wednesday's Baker Democrat, ' 'that by actual count 65 empty cars passed Buker Monday going west, and yet no coal cars ar rived to appease the fuel famine. The patience of a long suffering commu nity is thus sorely tried." Week Disastrous to Germans; Killed Wounded and Missing Are Estimated at 100,000 By Henry Wood (United Press staff correspondent) With the French Armies in the Field April 23. Germany has just gone through the most disastrous week of her history of the war. Today, on the week's anniversary of the great French drive, tho French army staff permits ine to say that the coming seven days are likely to untold more clearly tho nature of the Franco British offensive. The fighting which is now in progress is of tremendously vital importance. Since Monday, a week ago, when the great French offensive began, General Xivelle 's forces have accomplished this: Capture of more than one hundred guns from the Germans. Taking of twenty thousand German prisoners. Occupation of twenty large villages not including hamlets. KC-taKing ot about titty square miles of French territory. Inflicted losses in killed, wounded and missing on the Germans conserva tively estimated at 100,000. Two great battle were raging today, One is alone the Chemin Des Dailies the ladies' road" dominating Laon and the plateau; the other around Mo- ronviliors Heights, dominating the northern Champagne plains. Although the .French attacks aie against the two strongest positions held by the Germans on the entire western lrdnt, General Mvelle s men have ul readv won strong footholds. Moreover, they arc enlarging these footholds. , " Only in First Stage The fighting which was in progress today supersedes in importance any ac tions on the entire western front. At any moment newer and more import ant situations may be created. While the German disaster of the past week has been tremendous, never theless the week's fighting is only the first stage of an entire action planned hy the French. The Aisne-Champagne front comprises only one portion of the great Franco British, offensive. That offensive now extends over at least 125 miles. Every operation undertaken on tho vast front is inter-related. . , The estimate of German . losses . is basod on the number of prisoners tak en and special infirmation obtained by II.' II III OF UNITED STATES IS TO SUPPLY FOOD That Is the One Vital Great Thing Necessary to Win the War IS MESSAGE BROUGHT BY BALFOUR AND OTHERS Courtesies and Greetings Soon GiveWay to Business in Hand - By George Martin (T'nited Press staff correspondent) Washington; April 23. What the al lies want from the United States more than anything else is food. This vital fact emerged above all others from the trappings of diplomatic courtesy attending tho initial reception here today of Foreign Secretary Ar thur J. Ualtour and the British com mission by President AVilson and other mprienn otticials. While' the day was given over prin cipally to surface courtesies and diplo matic, greetings, the various experts of both hngland and America plunged at once into the consideration of the vi tal problems of shipping, munitions, fi nance, military and naval affairs con fronting the allies since tho united States has declared itself in. There is no "immediate concern re garding sending of troops to Kurope," it was officially stated. Balfour conferred with President Wilson. President Cunliffe of the Bank of Kngland conferred with Secre tary of tho Treasury McAdoo. Naval experts of both nations con tended with Secretary Daniels. Jkiilitary experts talked with Score tary Baker. Shipping and trade advisers with their, corps of statistical and market ex ports got down to details immediately with commerce department officials, All Depends on Food Tt was pooling of British brains and bitter war experiences with American wealth and resourcefulness. But it was made clear bv a high of ficial of the commission that the thought uppermost in the minds of the British representatives Is: "The allies must have food." (Continued on Page Three.) the French staff. One hundred thous and men is the equivalent of seven Gorman divisions., as they are now con stituted three regiments to the divis ion. It should bo emphasized that the fisures listed above are for the French drive alone. Thev do not include tho achievements of the British offensive. But aside from the cold figures of German losses, the French have achiev ed something more it an intangible result of far more importance. That is demoralization of the German mor ale nnd proof of the superior strategy of the French staff. Reserves Forced In First, General Nivelle definitely wrested from German Field Marshal Von Hindenbuig the initiative of the war operations. Nivelle forced Hinder. luirg to fight from trenches which the French commander hi chief had himself previously chosen. Second, Xivelle has forced Hinden burg to throw into the Aisne his much vaunted "strategy reserve army." He cannot now employ this force in strat egical positions on the western front. Since last Monday llindenburg has been torced to throw twenty ot these divisions into the Aisne-Champagne battle line. Seven have already been completely wiped out. Coupled with the tremendous losses which the British offensive has in flicted, Hindenbuig is now facing complete exhaustion of reserves, lie cannot fill up his army and strengthen decimated divisions. The week of the French offensive ends with General Ni velle everywhere in the ascendency, with Hiiidcnburg 's boasted strategic plans awry. During the seven days, be sides steady advances by the French, every German counter attack has been broken down. The second week of the French of fensive begins with the French occu pying strong positions all of which thev have won in the fiercest sort of fighting and which will now permit favorable development in future oper ations. Robert K. Strahorn has offered - to build the 20-milo Klamath railroad for $'.(00,000. ALL u 1 SALEM, OREGON, MONDAY, APRIL B WHAT CHAM A COLUMN Br "GM." Shirt Studs. The shirt stud is the collar button's rich uncle. And lige the collar button, it is irresponsible and not to be depended on. It is as the. tribes of Israel for ever lost. It is said that birds of a feather flock together. It i true of shirt studs. We have, perhaps, 14 don shirt studs scattered around in one drawer and another at our house, but for some strange reason no two of them seem to be alike. It has been our experience that you can't keep a set of them togeth er from one white shirt to the next. If you have a set Jrou particu larly desire to keep, put 'em on a ball and chain and lock 'em in a cell. JUDGE SAYS MOONEY 1ST L Says a Man's Liberty Is At Make and He Must Be j Given Square Deal 5an Franeislo, April 23. Superior Judge Franklin Griffin exploded a ver itable bomb in court todav when he de clared his belief that Thomas J. Moon ey should have a new trial on charge of complicity ill the preparedness pa rade dynamiting. He stated from the bench that District Attorney Fickert Bhould confess error and that if Frick- ert did not do so, tho court himself would personally ask Attorney General Webb to do so. Judge Griffin who presided at Moon- ey s trial declared turtlicr tnat, alter reading letters F. C. Oxman, star state witness against Mooney, wrote to F. E. ; Kigali, of Grayvillo, 111., he was of the uiong me ou mne iront irom i.en8 opinion that the jury which convicted to St. Quentin, tho Germans are pan Mooney should be re-impaneled and ! icky. The slightest movement o'f the called into court and that Oxman should be forced to make some explanation-to the twelve -miht of these let ters. Denutv District Attorney Cunha be gan an argument against granting tho motion of Mooney 's attorneys for a confession or error, but Judge Griffin interrupted him. I don't want any technicalities, he said. "This is no time for techni calities. A man s liberty is at stake. 1 have stated my position and it is tno one way to serve justice. 'As nearly as l can learn mere nas been no denial of Oxman s authorship of these letters. I think the jurors who tried Mooney are entitled to an ex planation. 1 believe you gentlemen should go at onco to the attorney gen eral and ask that the trial bo referred back to tho superior court. If the dis trict attorney docs not see fit to take this action, it will be my duty to take it myself." Cunha sought to explain further and, the court again interrupted him to say: "The difference between your po sition and mine," he said, "is that you are interested in tnc case or uxnian, while 1 am interested in Justice being done to Mooney." Deuutv District Attorney cotton asked for a continuance until he could get in touch with the district attorney. Cunha continued to argue tho point and during his remarks, Judge Griffin rose from the bench nnu waiKeu oui ui court remarking: "1 know my duty, Mr. Uuniia, ami it is clear. If you don't care to go be fore the attorney general, -1 feel it my duty to go myself." Prior to the hearing before Judge Griffin the case of Mrs. Rena Mooney was called before Superior Judge Dunne. Attorney Maxwell McNutt, chief defense counsel said the prosecut or had not notified the defense defi nitely whethlT the defendant was act ually to go to trial today and he asked a week's continuance, which was grant ed- TO ATTACK RUSSIA l'etrograd, April 23. A Ger man battleship and cruiser squadron lias left Libau presum ably to attempt an attack be hind the Russian lines from the Baltic, according to official word from Higa today. It was reported also that another Ger man warship -squadron was en route to the itussian Baltic posi tion from Kiel. The Riga dispatches asserted that a number of transports, loaded with troops, were accom panying the German squadron from Libau. TO CENSUS FOOD SUPPLY Washington, April 23. Secre tary of Agriculture Houston to day asked the senate agricul tural committee for "power and money to make an immediate survey of the food supply of the country to determine what the resources of the country are." The total supply now, he told the committee, eannot be esti 23, 1917 E VAST AREA AND INIjllERS Plan of Alternative Smashes Proving Highly Successful NOT A MINUTES REST IS GIVEN THE GERMANS Two Important Towns Taken, and Stream of Prisoners Flowing Back By William Philip Simms. (I'nited Press -staff correspondent.) With the British Armies Afield, April 2,'!. Slow, Bteady smashing by British forces all the wav from around I.ens to around St. (ucntin brought, in prisoners running into four figures today. Unofficial headquarters reports do clared the towns of Guemappe and Gav relle had fallen into British hands. A vast quantity of booty is being captured ail along tno front. Guemappe is located on tho main road from Arras to Canibrai, about five miles distant from Arras. It lies directly to tno south or Monchy. Gavrelle is on the muin highway from Arras to Douai, about equi-distant be tween "the two cities. It is tho point at which th5 British hnvo approached the closest to Douai so far. Tho newly captured town is only eight miles from Douai. British troops results in a feverish flare up of "S. O. S." rockots from the Jiru-ssians Buminoning afd- ihe British nave now turned the Hindenburg line for a distance of sev eral miles to the southwest of ArraS, the enemy undoubtedly is preparing for further setbacks. Today the battle opened with a dawn that was bright and cold. Tho night had been ahlazo with gun flares, the roar reaching drum fire tensity. Just as the edge of the sun reached the horizon and peeped over, the infantry moved forward as a single unit over a number of places nearby. It was sup ported by artillery and machine guns tire. So the Prussians wouldn't know what was happening, the British artil lery and machine gun fire was loosed along practically the entire 50 miles of front for a brief period. Not knowing where the infantry- wa"s to strike, the Germans frantically signaled all along tno line. Smash is Resumed. London, April 23. Over a wide front on both sides of the river Scarpe, Field Marshal Haig early today1 resumed the British drive with a tremendously force-j fnl attack. j "We attacked at dawn this morning on both banks of the Scarpe and made satisfactory progress," he reported. "South of the Bapaume-Cainbrai road we captured the remainder of the vil lage of Trescault and at night gained the greater part of the Davrincourt wood. "The Scarpe attack was over a wide front." London hailed Haig's report as in dicative of resumption of the general British offensive. While there has been no abatement in the pressure around I.ens and on tho Cambrai-St- (quentin lino during the past, week, nevertheless it was felt here that the Franco- Bri tish strategical plans contemplated al ternative smashes in lorce between the Haig and Nivelle armies. While the French army was making its terrific assault on the Soissotis-Auberivc front, the British seized tin) time to consoli- date the positions they won in the first smashing drive and' during the week have more or less confined their of- tensive to smashing drives suddenly executed at scattered points. Now, however, according to military experts' belief, the British army has started its concerted, nll-along-the-line I offensive forcing Hindenburg to con- centrate his reserves in opposition and permitting the trench in turn to con solidate their positions, bring up more guns and get a breathing spell. Gains Are important. The thrust along the Scarpe was re garded as a new development m the al lied offensive. Haig is now reaching out with powerful force toward Douai. Today's utatement did not definitely locate exactly whero Haig's blow on both banks of the Kcarpe was delivered, but 't was probably near iurnpoux. , i'ainpoux is aoout eignt nines soutnwest ot Douai. A drive in this direction is not only a menace at Douai, but it is part of the general enveloping scheme around Lens. l Sunday's ofticial statements indicated a tightening of the noose around this coal city by attacks delivered by the 'British near Loos to the north of Lens. The Scarpo offensive is to the south, nine miles from the city. Further indication that Haig's forces on all the British front are starting in motion in a concerted effort mentioned .' (Continntd on page two.) PRICE TWO CENTS "WhatteheU Matter Europe? No United States Marshal? Seattle, Wash., April 23. According to 1".. O. Sawyer, Jr., editor and pub lisher of the Reward Gateway, who reached Seattle Suntny en route to his home in the north after a triD down jthe coast as representative of the Sew lard chamber of commerce, old Chief Goodlatah, an Indian tribesman living near Cordova, greatly worried by the war in Europe. Chief Uoodhttah, on his periodical trips into Cordova, invariably hears much about the war, so many soldiers killed at such and such a place, or a great massacre at some other point. To the Alaska Indian, the law of peace and order is personified bv the I'nited States marshal. It is the mar shal who always arrests the Alaska In dian for getting drunk and fighting. n hue lawyer was in Cordova, on his way outside, Chief Goodlatah dropped into town. As usual, he heard of an other big niattle across the ocean. "Say," he demanded of Postmaster Steele, "whattehell the matter in Eu rope f No United States marshal over there f" There Are Being Rushed to Western Front to Stem Allies Attacks By Arthur E. Mann, (United Press Staff Correspondent.) Copenhagen, April 21. Berlin is thronged with Turkish troops en route to the western front and stirred by socialist peace talk, according to in formation from the German capital rcacning nere today. iH'spite the bolstering of the western front, revealed as necessary by the drawing in of Turkish forces, the Ber lin publie is being fed on "victory" stories by the Berlin newspapers and me uerman start.. AH information from Berlin indi cates tacit encouragement, if not ac tive aid, expended the socialists' peace efforts by the German governmenf. The aim is encouragement of the peace party among the Russian socialists. The German socialists- are' also aiding the government in denouncing tho gen eral strike. Reports of tho meeting of the cen tral committee of the German social democratic partv, received today, quoted Philip Scheidemann as declar ing: 'Wre attempted connecting with neutrals and with the Rusitian socialists bnt the newspapers made onr work dif ficult. Our effort is toward general peace. But if a general peace is impos sible, we shall naturally accept a seper ate peace, but we must not be too optimistic." All dispatches empiized tho wide split between the two socialist factions, the Bcheidcmann branches nof devoting its energies to peace work; and the minority faction now concentrating on demand for democratizing of Ger many s government and on lurtnenng the general strike. There has been a . great influx of Germans to Copenhagen recently and the American legation has been ex tremely busy in anti-spy work. A num ber of German spies have been discov ered here, trying to go to America. All are being closely watched and none permitted to sail. Prices Unchanged But Practically No Sales New York, April 23,-The New York Evening Sun financial review today said: Today's stock market was about as dull and uninteresting an affair as it well could be with nothing more than vague expectations to feed upon. Even as compared with the quiet sessions of lust, week trnriine was almost necliirible and prices changes were for tho most part narrow with a generally firm un- dertonc. It was natural that such should be the situation t the beginning of a week during which the government finance bill) involving an issue of $", 000,000,000 in bonds and $2,000,000,000 in indebtedness certificates, would be como law. The fact of tho bill's passage was sufficient to remove any doubt s to its possible defeat or radical amend ment. The effect on tnc market was immediate, with it general stiffening of prices all along the line somewhat nar row liniits, aitnougn mere was no groii imiietus imrmrted to the trading. It will probably be several weens oeirc the bond sale can be lanuched. In the afternoon nervousness of the shorts caused some covering but trad ing was too sluggish to indicate defi nite trend. United States Kteel touched 112, but ruled fractionally above 1U. Bethlehem (Steel issues gained from one to three points. The copper group was weak on the decline in mo de mand for the metnl and wauing prices. Motors rallied from early depression. Elsewhere industrials were under fractional pressure, save a few of the specialties. ' For once, a general amnesty create no disgust. The clearing of Russia's prisons will probably restore to liberty the very, men who ought to have bew. ruling Russia for the past 25 yvars. TRAINS AND NEWS STANDS FIVB CENTS CONGRESS BEGINS WORK ON PROBLEM OF RAISING All MY Conscription la Some Form It Is Believed Will Be Main Feature ACTION IS EXPECTED NOT LATER THAN FRIDAY Amendment Is Offered Per mitting Raising Army To Led by Roosevelt By J. P. Yoder. (United Press staff correspondent.) Washington, April 23. After finally disposing of the great war loan, house and senate shortly after noon today went into the final stages of the prob lem of raising an army of two millioa men for defense of the nation. It was the first day of debate in the house and tho second day for tho sen ate. It was still believed today that both houses will take final action Thursday or Friday at the latest. The conscription feature, in some, form at least, will pass both houses. While house and sennte debated, th Roosevelt angle the colonel's plan t head a volunteer division to the French trenches, was vigorously injuected int the situation. Republicans Harding and Lodge, are behind a well laid campaign that ha for its object granting permission for ex-President Roosevelt to plant the Am erican flag on the European battle line. Senator Harding of Ohio, started tho Roosevelt . fight by introducing an amendment to the administration bill, authpriy.ing the president to ruise by voluntary enlistment four infantry di visions :about 100,000 men. Tho amend- ment does not name Roosevelt, fcut means kirn. Opposition Will Tail. s Washington, April 23. Congress to- day started debate on the administra tion's conscription army bill which, SI passed, will subject millions of Amer ican citizens to the draft and enable tho government to immediately start training tho biggest army in Ainericaa history for a smash at Germany. The house had before it the army bill -as reported by the military committer with conflicting recommendations', on proposing the volunteer plan and tho other President Wilson's selective draft. The house fight was bitter. Rep resentative Kahn. of California, a re publican and a native of Germany, led the administration forces. Chairman Dent of the military com mittee, headed tho opposition, favor ing a volunteer army. Administration supporters wero confi dent Dent could not muster sufficient votes to beat conscription. Strong pressure is being brought to bear on wavering members. It will con tinue until the end of the debate, prob- ably Wednesday, when the administra tion hopes to have all uncertain oppon ents whipped into line. Tho senate fight is not so bitter. It appeared certain the draft program would ultimately pass in the upper. house. President Wilson i-s in closest touch with every move. His intimate adviser wero said to bo positive conseriptioa would win. " A group f progressives gave addeii strength to the president's forces whea they endorsed a number of administra tion measures, including the draft. The big lwnd issue, which will pro vide the sinews of war for America' first armies in the field nnd for tho. j work of training recruits, is about ready for sale. Secretary of the Treasury Mc- f Adoo plans to utilize otters ot auver- j tising to awaken the people to the fart that this huge sum miMt be raised to in sure the defeat of the kaiser and raisa AniericA's forces for the buttle lines. NO SAXES WERE MADE IN DALLAS MOHAIR POOI. Dallas, Or., April 3. Bidding wa lively in tho Polk county Mohair pool Saturday. Eight hundred fleeces werv offered, and 70 W cents, the highest bi4 was made by William Brown & Com pany of Salem. This bid was. rejected and' the sale will bo scld again April 28. THE WEATHER Oregon: To niuht and Tues day fair; cooler ten i g h t w i t k linht with light frost; westerly, winds. fWW 00 YOU UKh UY SPOCT SUlT.j ' 3 Ok