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iitfe '*$ P' ?.i v -R' V. & i f! TODAY'S SPORTING NEWS WILL BE FOUND Best Results That's why Advertisers use The Journal most. PRICE TWO CENTS. SUBMITS PLAN TO REGULATE BATES Idea of Minneapolis Man Being Considered by Presi dent Roosevelt. Is Several of the Provisions Have Been Heartily Indorsed by Federal Officials. Plans for the punishment and pre vention of railroad rate abuses, in cluding discriminations and exorbitant rates, will be the most closely followed feature of the present congress, and while the thousand and one plans to be offered are being considered it will be necessary to consider one Minneapolis plan. The plan is already in Washing ton, where it has received considerable attention from President Eoosevelt, At torney General Moody and the inter State commerce commission. The plan is the work of Charles J. Traxler, a Minneapolis attorney with offices in the Lumber Exchange. As counsel for a number of freight receiv ers associations he has become inter ested in the freight problem and for years has made a close study of it. In November the plan wa*s brought to the attention of President Eoosevelt by a certain congressman who had be come interested. Thru Secretary Loeb the president asked the details of the plan and was furnished them. Later more information was ashed by the at torney general and since that time there has been a continued correspondence between Mr. Traxler, Attorney General Moody and Edward A. Mosley, secre tary of the interstate commerce com mission. Provisions of the Plan. Most of the provisions of the Traxler fhem rtan are entirely original, but some of are in line with the more recent plans proposed by the interstate com mission itself. In one particular this is especially true. Both plans abandon the idea of a special court and substitute the United States circuit and district courts. Mr. Traxler's plan, which is prepared from the standpoint of the receiver and therefore the payer of freight, pro vides first for the appointment or a non-political body, as is the interstate commerce commission at present. It gives that commission full power to investigate all complaints relating to irregular rates, discriminating rates midnight schedules, special charges, private car lines, etc., covering this ground completely, and the right to in stitute proceedings wherever deemed necessary or advisable. Railroads Pis Rates. It does not give the commission power to fix rates, but leaves that power with the railroads. All investi gations are to be instituted in the united States circuit or district court in the district where the cause of action arose. It provides for a referee, simi lar to the referee in bankruptcy, before whom all hearings shall be held and who will report all findings to the court, the findings of the^ referee in all cases to be final. The court is then given power to pass judgment either by the fixing of damages or by the issuance of restraining orders to prevent the re currence of the act. Cause being shown why action should be begun before the referee, the rail roads themselves shallW be summone^d to made, is shifted to the railroad com pany, which shall then appear to ius tify or defend the existing rate. The expense of the prosecution and the court shall be born.e by the commission. To Prevent Delay. There is a further provision that the referee shal report his findings to the tio to the court inside of twenty days either term or in chambers. This is to prevent delay and the contin uance of the rate if it be un-just. When the rate or practice complained of has been found improper or un-)ust, the carrier involved may be ordered to make a new rate. If it is not satis factory the same charges may be brought again until such time as a proper rate has been secured. If the charges fail and the rate is sustained it will stand until conditions may arise that will necessitate a change. The plan therefore has three original points. FirstIt leaves the rate-making power with the lailroads. SecondIt shifts the burden of proof to the railroads. ThirdIt eliminates all questions of constitutional law raised against all other plans. Mr. Trailer's Views. In support of his plan Mr. Traxler says: "This plan gives the commisison itself no power to fix rates or enforce laws. In other words, to answer the questions of constitutional law, there is no combination of the legislative and ludicial functions. "The earners themselves are pecu- sion of the facts and can present -just those facts needed in the consideration of any special rate The shifting of the burden of proof to them relieves the complainant, who would otherwise be compelled to secure his facts from the carriers themselves. This is often impossible, as methods of bookkeeping differ and vital points may be easily concealed. "It avoids the constitution of a spe cial tribunal for a special industry, an obiection that has been made to other plans. 4 "It also makes use of the estab lished federal courts. The same courts that hear othei federal cases can con sider these rate cases. Referees can be appointed as at present in bank ruptcy, to act in the same manner. Kates Not Indorsed. "By leaving the rate power with the roads themselves the government avoids the responsibihtv of indorsing, thiu its courts or thru its interstate commerce commission, any rates. This would be the case should the rate mak ing power be turned over to any gov ernment body. Once having been fixed NATIONS PLAN FOR PEACE ON EARTH' President Roosevelt Leads in an Effort to Get Results at Next Peace Conference. America Will Insist on Stricter Interpretation of the Neu trality Laws, roaa "^"^B prevented the evil effects from the com show cause why the application of the individual complainant oyf^the com-, pl-anc iplaman ffiS^STS. bden o^'oTwheS Journal Special Service. Washington, Dec. 25.It is one of the pleasant features of the present yuletide that the thoughts of thirty nine governments of the world are turned towards peace and the ameliora tion of the horrors of war. Russia's internal condition is monop olizing the attention of the De Witte cabinet to such an extent that the pre mier finds himself handicapped in ad vancing to a conclusion the preliminary measures for The Hague conference, which the czar called last September. President Roosevelt, who was the real originator of the second movement in the interests of civilization is display ing, therefore, a larger role in the nego tiations which the powers are conduct ing with relation to the time of meeting and the program. Ohoate as Chairman. Already, in the hope of inducing other powers to act, the president has announced the selection of Joseph H. Choate, former ambassador to Great Britain, as chairman of the new com mission. David J. Jayne Hill, minister to the Netherlands, will be a member of the commission. A third civilian, a -jurist of international repute, will be named and the commission will be com pleted by the appointment of a naval and military member, probably Admiral Dewey, if he will accept, or, failing Admiral Dewey, Captain Alfred T. Mahan and General William Crozier chief of ordnance of the army It is a commission that is sure to inspire as sincere respect as the cor ^sion headed by former Ambassador idrew White, which represented the United States at the first Hague conference in 1889. America's Plans. The president ana Secretary Root have talked over the matters this gov ernment especially would like the con ference to pass upon. The efforts of the conference are expected to lie in the direction of further codification ^^SS^^^^^S operations, is of less conseauence along- f,7,r, thA ftnni* inmrfe of twentv davs I side the question of the distinction' to- liarly in a position to have full posses-1 Continued oa 2d Page, 2d Column. ficerg nav ee sgm mmm THWMfNNE A TOXttA^3^&a^4miA^^ #of the universal ideas of right and -justice, known to the world as international law, and its mission will be to give them future effect. The president wishes the, conference particularly to determine the, right and duties of neutrals, declare all private property at sea, not contraband of w.ar, exempt from capture or destruction by belligerents, and lor bid the bombardment of ports, towns and villages by naval iwoes. The first of these points, the rights and duties of neutrals, is of importance to the entue world. The experience of the war between Russia and Japan, as of that between the United States attd Spain, established that the acts of commission as well as of omission of a neutral had a direct influence upon the progress of the war. France's Violation of Law. Trance, for instance, failed to order the fleet of Rojestvensky from her waters at Madagascar and Tonquin, Chinfa. In this case Japan's victory n* T?,10oia a niwS But it^ i 9 1 ^et ha* ta charge of Woper or unjust ratbw i ^foT ^^^\^lL today 1 effort will likely, therefore, that every effort will be made to, secure uniform rules of neutrality. The French code does not place a limit upon the time a belliger ent ship may stay in French ports. The code of the United States and other nations fixes this limit at twenty-four hOUTS. But this feature of the conference, while important in respect to hostile be made between absolute and Condi tional contraband of war and the invio lability of the- official and private cor respondence of neutrals. The president also will want to ex pand his principle of arbitration prac tically to all disputes save those involv ing the honor of a nation, and these, he holds, should be# limited in some practical way. He will urge a general arbitration treaty. WOMAN ELOPES WITH 13-YEAR-OLD SCHOOLBOY Journal Special Service. Mishawaka, Ind., Dec. 25.A sensa tional case, rivaling that in1 mSin which Frank Ely of Evanston figured some time ago. has stirred up this township. Miss Adelia Evans of Akron, Ohio, became infatuated with Clyde Major, a schoolboy 13 years of age, who lives at Woodland, a country village four miles south of Mishawaka. She drove to the schoolhouse and induced the lad to enter the carriage with her. Since then! neither the boy nor the young wo ^ave been seen or heard from of- ag e( i rent t^e aasis i c* 6 flndlng th MILLIONAIRE KILLED IN ADTO ACCIDENT New York, Dec. 25.James E. Mar tin, prominent in New York society, i member of the New York Yacht club the Metropolitan society and the Coun tiy club, was instantly killed yester day near Flushing, L. I., when his au tomobile plowed into a strip of loose dirt on the side of the road and turned completely over. Stacey Clark, who was in the car, was seriously injured. Mr. Martin's skull was fractured. The accident was witnessed by Mr. Martin 's wife and his son and daughter m-law, who were following in another automobile. The chauffeur was arrested and charged with criminal negligence. Mag istrate Connortou later accepted bail in the sum of $1,000. Mr. Martin lived I at 803 Fifth avenue. :^^4A^3r^^V^4^A&sl FIRE INTERRUPTS- CHRISTMAS JOY Tenement Section of New York Is Threatened by Early Morn ing Blaze. New York, Dec. 26.Hundreds of tenement-house babies and their toy laden Christmas trees were carried into the street before daylight today, during a fire which threatened to obliterate several blocks of the city in the vicin ity of Fifty-eighth street and Eleventh avenue. A six story factory building at 534 and 538 West Fifty-eighth street was completely destroyed, with a loss of $100,000. With tenement houses on three sides and with the gas tanks of the Consoli dated Gas company within reach of the showers of sparks, the water pressure partially failed when the fire was hot test. Fire engines were hastily coupled together, pumping in pairs, and this de vice, together with the bold work of the firemen, who advanced almost to the zone of the flames in order to play on the fire with their weak streams, finally saved the hundreds of surrounding homes. Ladders Refuse to Work. The fire was first discovered when flames burst from the third-story win dows and belched across Fifty-eighth street with a roar like a discharging cannon. When the fire department ar rived and tried to put up its com pressed air extension ladders to the sixth floor, the ladders refused to ex tend. This delayed the firemen several minutes. Half an hour after the fire started, altho it was still long before daylight, the rooms of the Eoosevelt hospital, some distance away, were lighted as if by daylight. There was great alarm among both patients and their attendants. Such crowds rushed out of the tene ment houses Wear the ftre, that the po lice from several stations were called out to handle them. Battle on Window SiU, At 'the height of the fire thousands of spectators momentarily forgot the burning building in watching a strug gle in the upper window of tenement house in1 Fift eighth streea A man started to climb over the window sill preparing to drop to the street in his nightclotnes. Another man reached out to save him. The two fought* in the window above the sidewalk, while the crowd below cleared a semicircle. A blanket picked up at a hazard from bedding which other tenants were try ing to save, was stretched directly un der the window. It was not Weeded, however, for the half-crazed man was drawn back thru hiB window by mam strength. One fireman was injured by falling glass. TWO KILLED IN BUGGY STRUCK BY A TRAIN Fort Wayne, Ind., Dec. 25.A horse attached to a buggy ran into Pennsyl vania special No. 29 at Delphos, Ohio, at 5 o'clock this morning and Henry Honhorst and daughter, Rose Honhorst, were instantly killed, and Mrs. Barney Whomhoff, also a daughter of Mr. Hon horst, was severely injured. EX-SENATOK BABD JNJTTRED. San Francisco, Dec 25 Former United States Senator Bard was seriously Injured Saturday in a runaway near Oxnard He was thrown from his !ugg into a ditch, sustaining a dislocation And a fracture of his left hip. MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 25, 1905. FA TE OF USSIA IS TREMBLING IN THE BALANCE AUTOCRATS HAVE HQJES OF A SUDDEN REACTION AFTER EFFECTS. Santa ClausThese up-to-date fiat chimneys do pull a fellow out pretty thm. The PdcketbookI find the modern Christmas leaves, me pretty thin, myself. itawaaww/refttta^^^ PRESIDEiWEARS* CHINESE MO LT Increases Philippines Forces in Expectation of Great Out break in China. Journal Speoial Serrloa. Washington, Deo. 25.The president and secretary of state are seriously concerned over the situation in China, where all the signs indicate that an internal revolution is about to occur. Unless the situation is quickly con trolled by strong hands, trouble far more serious than the Boxer war is ex pected. The Boxer disturbance was confined to one province, but the pres ent threatened uprising spreads thru Canton, Shanghai and other sections, where the foreigners are numerous. The administration is preparing for an early outbreak and an increase of troops in the Philippines has been or dered. When the Boxer outbreak oc curred this government was badly handicapped by not having an armed force ready to send to the relief of endangered Americans. This folly will not be repeated. Advices from American consuls in China indicate that the people are getting away from the viceroys. SHANGHAI COURT GUARDED Rumors of Another Riot Tonight Axe Circulating. Shanghai, Dec. 25.The mixed court was reopened Saturday. The German ambassador and armed foreign guards were present, but everything was nor mal. All is quiet today, but blue jack ets and guards are still posted around the foreign concessions. There are rumors of another riot to occur tonight, but all precautions have been taken. Reports of Japanese complicity in the recent trouble are generally con sidered to be without foundation. YOUNG MURDERER WILLING TO HANG Lewiston Youth, Thoroly De spondent, Says He Is Ready for Penalty. -Special to The Journal. Helena, Mont., Dec. 25.James Sher man, the young newspaper man who confessed to the murder of Samuel Studzinski, an aged neweler, as well as to numerous robberies near Lewistown, including the postoffice, has resigned himself to fate. He has declined the proffer of rela tives to secure for him the best legal talent in the hope of averting the hang man's noose. Thoroly despondent, he says he is guilty, should be hanged, and is ready to step on' the scaffold at any time. Sherman is only 20 years of age. His victim was nearly 65 years. He at tributes his resort to robbery to a mania for gambling. He has complete ly exonerated all others from complic ity in the numerous crimes. THREE BOT SKATEES BSOWN. St Louis, Dec 25 While skating on a small' pond in a park in the southern part of the city yesterday Bert Puller, 11 years old, Mellow Fuller, 14 years,, and Chailes Holfleld, aged 15, bro^e thru the Ice and drowned. The bodies were recovered. iwy ELL HAS BOLT FOR ROOSEYELT New York Man Preparing Series of Bitter Attacks on President. Journal Sfteoial Service. New York. Deo. 25. 'In Russia the people are fighting for a constitution. Here in Now York we are fighting to maintain a constitution." This shot at President Roosevelt and Governor Higgins by State Senator George R. Maltby, as he was leaving for his home at Ogdensburg last night, indicates the bitterness which has been stirred up the republican party by the entrance of President Roosevelt and Governor Higgins into the speakership fight. Senator Maltby, who was in consul tation all day with Edward A. Merritt and Assemblyman Louis Beddel from Chairman Odell 's home county, asserted that whether or not young Mir. Wads worth is to be elected depends upon how many assemblymen can be "sand bagged by the president and the gov ernor into voting for him. Severe crit icism of the Interference'' of both these, officials was made. It was said last night that Odell was preparing to launch another attach on President Roosevelt. This is to be fol lowed by still other attacks, revealing "inside facts," and those who appear to be in Odell's confidence assert that before he is thru with the president the republican organization will be turnod upside down. SEES BROTHER IN MOVING ICTURE Lincoln Man Communicates with Lo3&-Lost Relative Thru 0- Strange Medium. Special to The Journal. Lincoln, Neb., Dec. 25.Separated from his family for more than five years, Geprge Gebharat was restored to communication with his relatives thru the agency of a moving picture entertainment piven at a theater in Lincoln. George Gebhardt, who is the son of a Lincoln shoemaker of the same name, disappeared about five years ago. Adolph, a brother of the missing man, happened to visit the theater re cently. He paid little heed to the en tertainment and was about to leave, when his attention was Buddenly at tracted by a certain familiarity about the actions of one of the figures on a moving picture screen. He watched it closely, but could not connect it with any person he knew. He returned the following night and for five suc cessive nights he watched the moving picture. Suddenly he remembered. It was the figure of his brother, George. Inquiries were at once made. Let ters were written to New York, where the pictures were made, and word was received that George Gebhardt had worked for the Edison moving picture company, and that he was now a well known actor, playing with the Ninety and Nine" company. Communication was established and now the Gebhardt family is anxiously awaiting a visit from the long-lost man. Grand Forks. N. D., Dec. xacuu: at Drayton. N. D- 26.A bis fire is POLICE HOLD TWO MDRDER SUSPECTS Hanley and Bums Must Explain What T^iey Did Saturday Evening. The Mayor Offers Reward for the Capture of Bader's Slayers. Every detective and policeman in the city is searching diligently today to find thevtwo murderers who killed Charles O. Bader while in his hotel and saloon, 416 Second street S, Saturday evening. Their work has resulted the ar rest of two suspects whom Police Su perintendent Doyle has ordered locked up pending a more thoro examination. They are Thomas Burns, said to be a former convict, and John Hanley, his friend. Both men are strongly sus pected by the police, and so far have been unable to give a good account of themselves. Hanley answers the de scription of the shorter bau'dit, and the detectives say there are several incrim inating circumstances that make things look bad for him. Had Plenty of Money. Burns is said to have served a term in the state penitentiary of North Da kota for holding up a bank. He is thought to be well versed the hold-up art. Both men were rooming together in a lodging house at First avenue N and Second street, and when arrested they appeared to have plenty of money. This is considered significant, as they have been under surveillance for some time and are known to have done no work. The police also have a man who savs he saw Burns, or a man looking much like him, hanging about the Falls ho tel last week. Burns does not answer the description of either of the mep who actually committed the murder, but his stubborn silence is taken by the police as an indication that he may know who did the job. Both men will be subjected to a fierce sweating process and the police expect at least io get a valuable clue. Another man who, until three weeks ago, was seen daily in the barroom of the Falls hotel is also the object of a general hunt. He was known to have a bad reputation and was always eyed with suspicion when he came to the hotel. He left word with friends three weeks ago that he was goi#g to Duluth, but he nas been seen in the city re cently. Some of the failroad men who boarded with Bader suspect this man, and promise to pick him up if he Li seen about the city. A score of other suspects were picked up and brought to police headquarters yesterday and thorcjy sweated, but all could give a good account of themselves and were released. a Mayor Offers Reward. Police Superintendent Doyle is di recting the search for the murderers and has himself worked almost continu ally on the case since Saturday night. Every outgoing train has been watched and the outside towns notified. No sus pects have been reported and the de tectives think that the murderers are still hiding in the city. The St. Paul police are also on the lookout and every thing has been done to make the cap ture possible. Because of the brutal nature of the crime. Mayor D. P. Jones has offered a reward of $500 for the capture and conviction of the murderers. The may or is much wrought up over the affair and keeps in constant communication with Superintendent Doyle && the case progresses. Mayor Jones has also prom lsed to confer with Governor John A. Johnson and endeavor to persuade him to offer a like reward, in order to stir up interest in the case. A N ISOLATED SPOT Falls Hotel Is Ideally Located for Op eration of Highwaymen. Nowhere in the city could desperate men find a more favorable place for operating than at the Falls hotel. Altho located fii the center of the city's com mercial and industrial activity, it is really as lonely as a roadside tavern. On one side are railroad yards and on the other a large iron works. In front are the tracks of the St. Louis and the Milwaukee roads over which trains are switching all the time. Teams never pass there and rarely a pedestrian, ex cept when the men pass to and fro to their work in the flour mills and other plants in the district. There is so much noise that one can hardly hear himself think and the trains constantly passing shut the place from view most of the time. Bandits Knew Place. The bandits knew that a policeman did ntot pass there once a month, that transients rarely entered the place, that about the place, and pursuit would be of little avail. Mr. Bader realized fully what splen did opportunity his place offered for desperadoes, and he took every precau tion. The front doors were invariably closed at 8 p.m. and much earlier on nights when he had considerable money about. He had no transient trade whatever, and when his regular pat rons found the door locked they went to the side entrance, passed along a cor ridor into another corridor and entered the barroom, which was also the hotel office, from the rear. He had several fine revolvers about the place and thought that he was prepared for any emergency. Bader Did Not Hear. It is plain that Mr. Bader did not Continued on 2d Pace, 3d Column. I^The Sunday Journal Is the Northwest's Greatest Sunday Newspaper. 12 PAGESFIVE O'CLOCK. FATE OF RUSSIA HANGS BY THREAD Czar's Capital Looks for a Strong Reaction Toward the t*| Autocracy. "J Progress of Revolutionists in the Next Two Days Will Settle 3 Question. COST IN BLOOD AND FLAMES TO RUSSIA Deaths and property damage in Russia since the first great strike began are estimated as follows: Killed by Troops and Mobs. Moscow, 2,000. St. Petersburg, 7,500. Finland, 5.000. Poland, 5,000. Kishineff (Jews), 750. Kharkoff, 2,500. Kronstadt, 2,000. Odessa (Jews), 15,000. Caucasus states, 7,500. Vladivostok, 690. Sevastopol, 5,000. Kieff, 15,000. TotaL 67,940. Fire and Pillage. Baku, $90,000,000. St. Petersburg, $10,000,000. Odessa, $30,000,00. Vladivostok, $25,000,000. Sevastopol, $25,000,000. Riga, $15,000,000. Caucasus states, $40,000,000. Moscow, $10,000,000. Total, $245,000,000. Troops Killed by Rioters. Moscow, 250. St. Petersburg, 1,000. Finland, 500. Poland, 300. Kharkoff, 1,000. Kronstadt, 2,000. Odessa, 1,500. Caucasus states, 10,000. Vladivostok, 500. Sevastopol, 4,000/ Kieff, 3,000. Total, 24,050. Charley Bader had a large sum of p0ff, the iron-fisted,'' the czar is car- money about and that the opportunities 1 rying out a policy of sedulously court- for a quick and successful get away mg the support of his soldiers. He is were unsurpassed. A jump thru the living his palace of the Tsarskoe- door, a dive under some of the cars all, Selo, where he is at least surrounded, hear the robbers' command. There was soon to appeal confidently to the petted so much noise about the premises that a regiments to carry out Trepoff's scheme Mr. Butterfield, who was in the place, 1 for a military dictatorship. did not even hear the shot. He is somewhat deaf, it is true,4 but he can engage in conversation without much difficulty. Mr. Bader was drawing a glass of beer for him when the two masked men entered and peremptorily ordered faces to the wall. All obeyed except Butterfield and Bader, neither of whom heard the com mand. Bader realized that something unusual was going on and turned to inquire what "had taken place, when I Journal Special Service. "J, St. Petersburg, Dec. 25.In spite of the threats of the revolutionaries, the general sentiment here is that their power is gone and there will be a grand reaction. The whole of the revolution are hopes were based upon the idea that the militarv were disaffected, but these have ouiy~been in small degree ie? ized. Everything now seems to depend upon the next forty-eight hours. If the revolutionaries cannot in that time make any striking progress, the consti tutional party will sweep them away and gain control-of the country. Moscow Causes Fear. Yet Moscow's precarious condition has caused the utmost consternation in the imperial court. So far no riotingt has developed from the strike here, but there is no knowing how soon the reign of terror in that other capital, the holy city of Russia, may spread to this one. In the ancient capital, where the com mon people, armed with bombs and re volvers, are fighting, pitched battles with trained regulars, only a part of the garrison has remained loyal to the czar, a most portentous circumstance. Baltic Provinces Aflame. In the Baltic provinces matters are going from bad to worse. Maddened peasants are perpetrating atrocities on a huge scale every day. But the czar does not dare to send more than a sin gle regiment from here to combat the disorders there. Finland has virtually thrown off all semblance of obedience to the central authority of the empire. In Poland, the apparent quiet has been produced by simply ceasing to en force imperial rule. In St. Petersburg the order for a general strike has not been so success ful up to this time as had been sup posed. Nevertheless, business is amaz ingly interfered with, particularly be cause of the irregular, intermittent mail and telegraph service. The people seem to be settling down, however, to work as best they can under the un favorable conditions. 3 Arrests Help Little. Arresting the leaders of the working men failed to cow their followers, who already have chosen new leaders and are arranging to hold mass metmgs to protest against such arrests. Several newspapers defy the censor' mandates a continue to publish in their daily editions the workingmen's manifestos and their speakers' denun ciations of the authorities. This is an entirely novel condition of things for St. Petersburg. Acting on the advice of General Tre- A if not guarded, by 100,000 picked troops of all arms. A series of the most bnl hant dinner parties to the officers of the various regiments now stationed there is being given. The officers are received in their turn by his imperial maiesty, who treats them with a gra cious friendliness that flatters them highly. Czar Sits With Officers. The dinners are served at little tables. The czar sits at one, the czarina at an other, and a grand duke at each of the rest, so that every table is graced by some imperial personage, who exerts himself to be extremely cordial. The czar himself makes it a point to say agreeable things. This ingratiating policy is having its effect on the gar-, rison. Noting this, the czar hopes to be able i Trepoff Against Witte.-** Trepoff is persistently striving to break down Witte's influence with the. czar and to offset or upset the premier'1 plans. That he.is succeeding in a meas ure anyway is betrayed by an incident which occurred at the palace last Thurs day. A council of the cabinet was being held, the czar presiding. The proposed reforms were under consideration and Continued on 2d Page, 2d Column.