Newspaper Page Text
ARMED AMERICAN MERCHANT SHIP, BY MISTAKE
! ■ _____________ a \- m m _____m ■ ■ - -. i _______________* ______________ a*_______________ — ________ _______m ________________
The senate has again sent word to
Hoover to explain price fixing. Those
senators will talk him to death yet.
lc A COPY 25c A MONTH IN CITY. VOL. XV. NO. 68.
STREETCAR
POLITICS
Argue over the proposed acquiring by tlie city of the street
railway system and it will usually come to a point where the "aatl"
will agree the plan Is perfectly feasible and sensible, that street rail
ways are natural public utilities and ought to tie controlled by the
public, but he will wind up with wliat seems to Mm to be a clincher:
•It will throw the street car system into politics; that's what I
don't like about It."
INTO POLITICS. How terrible! Just as If tin- street railways
were not now into politics up to their necks and always had been!
Promoters went into politics in tlte earlier, cruder days when
they obtained their franchises. They intimidated or cajoled city
councils ln some cases, they polluted and debauched them in others.
And once In the political game, they were forced or tliey chose
to remain there. Kecall the last session of the legislature, and the
one liefore and tin- one before that. Ninety-five per cent of tho
log-rolling, wire -pulling politics centered about what? About the
"public service" commission, about franchise legislation, about the
taxing of public service companies and about the conflict between
those companion and various municipalities. POLITICS, POLITICS
OF NO VERY SV EET AND FRAGRANT VARIETY! It ie the same
continuously at the city hall.
To oppose the municipalization of the ear system on the ground
of "throwing It into politics" is the weakest, most specious argument
of all.
If the city takes over the car system it still may be the sterna
center of more or less politic*. , Bat, at nay rate, it will be pJUbs
in the open, politics where the people themselves have a voice,
politics here in Tacoma where we can lay our hands on it instead of
being in large measure at Olympla and In-join I our control.
And it will be politics designed to GKT US BKTTKIt CAR SER
VICE, not politics designed simply to aid in piling up private profits.
ASK THAT CAMP
BE MADE BIGGER
Other Pacific Northwest
cities are joining with Ta
coma today In a united effort
to induce the government to
enlarge the Camp Lewis
cantonment and to increase
the number of men to bo sta-
tioned here.
Telegrams citing statist ice to
show Camp Lewis is the best
camp In the country were sent by
the Tacoma Commercial club
this week to Secretary of War
Baker and to all senators and
representative., from this state.
This move was made in re
sponse to dispatches saying that
the government was planning to
enlarge two or three of the can
tonments.
Seattle Aids Oauee.
Co-operating with Tacoma, the
Seattle Chamber of Commerce
and Commercial club, thru Presi- >
. dent A. J. Rhodes, Friday senti
the following telegram to Wash-j
lngton congressmen:
"We join with the Tacoma
Commercial Club and Chamber
of Commerce In respectfully urg
ing your full co-operation in as-1
sisting to secure Increase of size ]
. of Camp Lewis cantonment.
"Health statistics, climatic con-'
dltions, comparative cost and
other factors which may be read
ily verified by official reports
show U to be the best training
camp In the country.
WILSON HAS
WAR MESSAGE
(I ulinl Prem I.rii«.-il Wire.)
WASHINGTON, D. C, March
16. —A forceful war message to
the world Is expected from Presi
dent Wilson soon.
It was officially Indicated to-
day that the president has decid
ed to end bis silence in regard
to America's position toward the
** proposed Japanese expedition into
Siberia.
At the same time It was plainly
stated that all talk of peace now
Is Idle, In view of Germany's
activities in the Near East and
p her ruthless Invasion of Russia
"SEATTLE CHAMBER OP COM
MERCE AND COMMERCIAL
CLUB."
This message was in response
to a telegram from President A.
B. Howe of the Tacoma Commer
cial club.
Cost Less; Health I teller.
Spokane and probably Portland
will take similar action, It is
learned.
Reasons cited to show why
Camp Lewis should be one of the
cantonments to be enlarged are
that construction cost is compar
atively low, that it costs less to
train a soldier here than in any
other of the camps, good health
conditions and favorable climatic
conditions.
Statistics from official reports
are cited to support these claims.
A LETTER WE PRIZE
EDITOR THE TIMES:
As one of the members of the strike committee as well a»
editor of the Strike Bulletin for the Grays Harbor district last
summer when the great lumber strike was most effective, and
fully appreciating the effect of your editorials in your valu
able paper, I feel that we would be very ungrateful Indeed
If someone who took a leading part ln that fight did not thank
you for the valuable service you rendered.
Very little credit Is due any of the other dallies, excepting
the Seattle Star, for they only half-heartedly endorsed It when
they thought It a sure thing, but changed their policy, prob
ably at the demand of the lumbermen's association, and abso
lutely no credit is due any of the Grays Harbor papers outside
the labor paper, for they mado the hardest fight in the whole
Northwest for the lumberman against the Inevitable eight
hour day.
We got It not because of them but ln spite of them. While
no fsirminded person can deny the organized labor movement
the credit, we know you stood by us.
Whether the lumbermen granted it or were influenced
by Col. Dlsque, we do not know. The one outstanding fact Is
here, and eo-oeration comes natnral.
May your good work continue, and If some of the editors
of the other daily nepers would give at least a small measure
of Justice to the workers, we would have less of the extreme of
radicalism in America.
I know that I am expressing the sentiment of the greet
majority of the employes ln the lumber Industry when I say
we thank you.
It Is now up to the timberworkers to "hit the ball" and
stow that they appreciate It, to the end that the Ideal* of our
great president may soon be accomplished and the world made
safe for democracy.
M. P. OORBBTT,
Aloha, Waah.
The Tacoma Times
THE ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER IN TACOMA.
LET THE WOMAN GO
FRENCH HURLS FRITZ INTO THE SEA
Thin remarkable picture with the English Channel as background shows a French flier (right)
just as he has bested Ills German enemy. The Hun plane is see n tumbling In flames. This Is a
copy of a painting by Lieut. Henri Far-re, of the French army, which is to be exhibited this month
in New York.
Spinal Meningitis Case Gives City Police
Headquarters Scare; Officers Exposed
Tacoma police headquarters was
thrown into a panic Saturday
morning over fear of a spinal men
lngttis epidemic after a number of
officers had sipent half the night
asadsUng ln trying to save the life
of a victim of the dread disease.
Officers were Instructed to
fumigate their uniforms at once
and take every precaution against
spread of the disease.
Telephones and other public
paraphernalia at the central sta
tion were sterilized with disin
fectants.
Sergeants, Jailers and other of
ficers went about their duties
smelling strongly of antlceptlcs
and their hands stained a deep,
brown from immersion in disin
fectant fluids.
Girl Is Stricken.
City Healtlh Officer Dr. H. J.
Hards, fearing that some of the
officers might have become In
fected, gave strict orders to the
police department and Instructed
all men who were in danger of
having tihe disease to remain at
home ln temj>orary quarantine.
Miss Muriel Hutchinson, age
22. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ern
est Hutchinson, 4720 North 3SHh
streeit, fell unconscious Thursday
with an attack of the strange
malady, and ceased breathing Fri
day afternoon.
Artificial roe pi ration kept her
alive thru the early evening.
Shortly before midnight Friday
Dr. J. S. Griggs, attending the
young woman, appealed to the po
lice for assistance w-iMi the police
pulm-oior to keep life ln the girl.
Police Help.
The Instrument was promptly
taken to the Hutchinson home and
put ln operation pumping oxygen
into the dying girl's lungs. Jailer
Sowers, Chauffeur Greenbank and
Detectives Peterson, Osborne and
Raymond assisted.
The pulmotor was kept In op
eration turnout the night, the of
ficers manipulating it In relays.
All of the police supply of oxygen
gas was exhausted, together with
emergency tanks of gas at the Pt.
Defiance pavilion and the Tacoma
General hospital.
Up to an early hour in the
morning Dr. Griggs and other
physicians who had made a clini
cal examination were not certain
that the girl was a victim of men-
Inglt's. A culture test was de
veloped near morning, and proved
beyond a doubt the nature of the
disease.
In the meantime the police of
ficers had openly exposed ' them
selves to It. At daybreak the of
ficers were called away from tho
home and ordered Into quarantine,
Vhlle Dr. Gr'ggs continued faith
fully to operate the pulmotor
alone.
Spinal meningitis Is one of the
few diseases that the medical pro
fession has been unable to thoro
ly gain a knowledge of. Tts meth
od of communication la unknown.
It le almost always fatal, however,
and produces death wttihin a few
days after lte Inception.
Officers who had spent the nigbt
at the Hutchinson home rls'ted
HCIW SEIZE RKLIKK HHIP
<VmHt-a run Imm-I Wlr#.>
COPENHAGEN, March 16. —
Despite their promise of safe con- -
duct. Germans seised and con
veyed to Kiel the Swedish steamer
Princess IngeHiorg, laden with
grain for Belgian relief, It was
learned today.
police headquarters afterwards,
and if they were carrying the dis
ease on their clothing it is feared
that they may have communicated
It to others of the dejKirtment.
No hope was expressed for Miss
Hutchinson's recovery at a late
hour Saturday.
ttvumch
o'-&>,(t_ ***\y
Cp*ft\
A billion dollars? No man,
not even John !>. Rockefeller,
has ever accumulated that
amount.
Twenty-six billions covered
all of our expenses in tlie 126
years of our national existence,
up to the time of our entering
the war with Germany.
Twenty-six billions paid for
tlie Revolutionary war, the
War of 1812, the Civil war, the
Hpunlsh war, the Panama canal,
the Ala.ska railway.
Thai amount paid tlie salaries
of |11 the presidents, and all
the cungrc-ssmen, and It paid
all the millions of dollars in
pensions, and pomtoffire build
ings, and tlie hundreds and
thousands of other things since
we become a nation.
Twenty-six billions to run
our government for ISO years
—-a-nd yet-
In one year since we entered
this war with Germany, we
have spent nearly 81 billions.
Before the year of 1918 Is over
we shall hare spent in the pres
ent war, more Muui oar govern
ment has heretofore spent in
13H yean.
Do yon grasp the else of the
Job against the Hon? And, re
alizing It, can yon hesitate to
loan Uncle Sam your savings,
especially since he offers good
interest on it?
To invest /oar savings with
the U. 8. Is the least you ran
do for your country. Do It,
then, promptly, TODAY.
BIT* WAR SAVINGS
STAMPS.
TACOMA, WASHINGTON.
Kidnaped Baby,
It Is True, But
Look at Motive
LET the woman go! Mrs. Hilda Custer, four
times cheated of motherhood, should not be
prosecuted because in her hunger for a baby
of her own she was driven to the mad exploit, of
stealing the little twin son of a south end family.
Technically, of course, she is guilty—confessedly
guilty—of this crime. And there are few offenses
in the category that are more hateful, more unfor
giveable than baby stealing.
But think of the stress under which she labored!
Four times, in maddening iteration, was she robbed
of the joy that glorified Mary. The latest of these
occasions came about simultaneously with the
death of the twins' mother. The power of sugges
tion naturally affected deeply this half-erased
woman's mind. Two helpless infants without a
mother; she, craving motherhood, with no babe!
SO, cleverly, cunningly, she stole. But, not ma
liciously. Bhe stole not for money reward.
She stole only to Batisfy a deep, God-given
yearning.
It would be infamous for the State of Washing
ton to punish her further for such a deed.
Bather, would we see the authorities find for this
woman some orphaned baby and bestow on her the
crown of glory she has been denied.
MRS.LANGHORNE
SEEKS DIVORCE
(Sperial to The Times.)
SEATTLE, March 10.—
Maurice Langhorne, promi
nent Tacoma attorney, was
made defendant in a divorce
suit filed in the snperior
court Friday by Helen ijing
home, former cabaret per
former, whom he married
Nov. 11, 1915.
"Incompatibility of tempera
ment" is given as the grounds for
the divorce.
Mr. and Mrs. Langhorne have
lived aart since Jan. 8, of this
year, when Mrs. Langhorne came
to live in Seattle.
She charges that Langhorne
has been continually dissatisfied
and fault-finding. She says she
never has been happy and that
she could do nothing to please
him.
She accusee him of having
been "morose and sullen," declar
ing he scolded her and found
fault.
She asserts he has gone for
days without speaking to her.
On Jan. 8, she charges, he or
dered her to leave, saying he
[ Talk o' the Times
Greetings, Is your spade go
ing to do war service to
morrow?
Some anonymous letter writer
who says he la a Southern Cali
fornian at ('amp Lewis explains
in a letter to the cd. that the rea
son the S. C.'s out there grumble
about our weather Is that they
are anxious to be in France.
Personally, we'd believed all
the tine there must be some per
fectly reasonable explanation like
that for it.
Wlwl became of the old
fashioned state law against
glaring headlights on auw-***'.-*
Young Grimes Is dead, that good
young man.
We ne'er shall see him more.
We had to kill him off because
He got to he a -bore.
Every great orator, from
his pet adjectives. Billy Bm
day's p. a. appears to be
-dirty."
Night Edition
SATURDAY, MARCH 16,1918.
never wanted to see her again."
No reply has yet been filed by
Langhorne.
WEDDING si iti-itisi:
Langhorne was out of the city
Saturday and could not be
reached.
The wedding of Langhorne in
1915 came as a surprise to his
Tacoma friends. The first that
was known of it was when he ap
peared in Tacoma one day with
his bride.
Langhorne is widely known
thruout Southwest Washington,
where he has an extensive prac
tice.
He came to Tacoma from ('lie
halls several years ago. He has
built up a large practice here, as
well as taking a lead in demo
cratic politics. He was at one
time candidate for congret**-s.
He is a member of the law
firm of Ilayden, Langhorne and
Metzger, with offices in the Ta
coma building, which represents
one of the largest banks in the
city.
Says tlie lady next door:
"I.vi .uv men have free bodies
but keep their mind: ln Jail."
Mr. Baker now knows bow
it feels to be .1.0(H) miles
away.
BIG BEN
Dear Talko: Ever since this
war liegan I've been worrying over
one thing, and I've never'yet found
anyone who could give me the
correct answer. Who wakes up
the buglers? W. B. H.
WEATHER FORECAST
"Tonight and
Sunday rain."
Sure, Mr. Cov
er, maybe It
you keep It up
long enough It
really ar".H rain.
Right now the
sun looks pret
ty good.
ONE IS
KILLED;
3 HURT
il nil- .1 Pr*M li-Hnl Wire.)
WASHINGTON, I>. C., Mar.
lA.—One man was killed and
three wounded aboard aa
American dcMtroyer recently
when the armed guard of an
American line steamer fired
on the destroyer, mistaking
it for a --iiiiiii.ilinc.
A court of inquiry has been
iiiil.ii-il by Admiral films to
ascertain if Hie liner's artion
was unavoidable under the
i in 11111-1.111 l IS.
The liner was under convoy.
Weather conditions were bad
and the visibility low.
Thru the hitze the armed guard
mistook one of the destroyers for
a i- ii fun ari no and opened fire.
The aim was such that one man
on tho destroyer was killed and
three others wounded.
Information concerning the af
fair has lieen in possession of the
government for some time, but It
came to Ugbt only today.
It was regarded generally here
as an acidental case, and there
was a tendency to believe that
the armed guard was unable to
get a correct view because ot tbe
weather conditions.
The court of inquiry will con
sider, however, whether there waa
undue nervousness on the part of
the crew or whether they could
with safety have investigated tbe
object before them previous to
firing.
No material damage was done
to the destroyer.
REMANN TO
PROSECUTE
KIDNAPER
Mrs. Hulda Custer, who kid
naped a twin baby Wednesday
nlgftt because she had been de
prived of having children ot liar
own, will be prosecuted to the
limit.
So Prosecutor Reman n an
noutved Saturday, even tho the
family from whom the child was
stolen d'd not wish to swear out
charge**. He would prefer the
cOiarge himself, Remann declared.
Mrs. Custer Is still ln tho city
jail, where she will be held until
her picture is taken for the
rogues' gallery and her Bertilloa
measurements are taken. She will
bo removed to the county Jail
later.
Whetiher or not Fred W. Custer,
husband of the woman, will be
prosecuted as an accessory to tha
kidnaping has not been determ
ined, ('uster continues to main
tain his innocence.
DOWN 118
IN 15 DAYS
Ilnili-il |-ri-«« l.rn.nl Hlri-.l
WITH THE BRITISH AKM IBS
IN FRANCE, March 16.—British
aviators have downed 118 German
war planes ln day fighting, sinoo
March 1, it was announced today.
Of these 64 were demolished
and G4 were sent earthward ua
controlled.
Night fighting ln the air coa
tlnues. An Immense number of
tons of explosives have been drop
ped behind the enemy Hues.
In one instance what Is hellerr- v
ed to have been Intended for a
b'g German attack was broken ap
by British bombing planes. Tbe
enemy troops were completely
scattered.
German forces were disco vq-^
ed massing in the night near-a
certain village. British battle
planes, In relays, bombed the vil
lage from 8 p. m. to t a. m. Tha
Germans were so badly disorga
nized the attack never developed.
Daylight bombing also has bee*
carried out. The airmen haf*
broken many records during tha
recent 10 days of spring sunsslMt
which was broken by last nightl)
rain.
