Springfield weekly Republican. [volume], February 22, 1917, Page 6, Image 6

About Springfield weekly Republican. [volume] (Springfield, Mass.) 1851-1946

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SPRINGFIELD. THURS., FEB. 22. 1917
' FOURTEEN PAGES
Mr Wilson’s Cuban Policy
; Mr Wilson's intervention in Cuba
। tas now gone beyond the warning is
sued by Secretary Lansing last week
, to the Insurgent faction. The presi
| lent, in a direct communication to the
' Menocal government, takes positively
this position:—
(1) The government of the United
; tates gives its support to and stands
w the constitutional government of
he republic of Cuba.
(2) The present insurrection against
he constitutional government of Cuba
s regarded by the American govern
ment in the light of an anticonstitu
tional and illegal act which it will not
tolerate.
(3) The leaders of the revolt will
be held responsible for the damages
rhich foreigners may suffer in their
persons or their property.
(4) Thy government of the United
States will examine attentively what
itlitude it will adopt respecting those
concerned in the present disturbance
sf the peace in Cuba, nr those who are
ic—ally participating in it.
The Cuban policy adopted at Wash
ington is in line with Mr Wilson's
pronouncement early in 1913. soon
after his inauguration, that his moral
support would be given to constitu
tional and not to revolutionary gov
ernments in Latin America. In the
present case, he finds that this policy
accommodates itself the more readily
to the actual situation because the
leader of the Insurrection. Gen Gomez.
Is not the liberal candidate for the
presidency against the incumbent.
President Menocal. Dr Zayas, the lib
eral candidate, may be in sympathy
with the Gomez uprising, but he 'aas
not publicly sanctioned it. It is to be
noted, too, that the parliamentary
committee of the liberal party at
Havana has now adopted a resolution
expressing its desire to aid in all ac
tion “necessary to national peace and
harmony between all Cubans, and the
‘re-establishment of political normal
ity."
That the Cuban liberals are disap
pointed in Mr Wilson's course may
be true. It is possible that they ex
pected him to act just as President
Roosevelt did in 1906. But the con
ditions in the one case are not exact
ly like those In the other case. In
1906. a clean sweep of the Cuban gov
ernment was made. President Palma
was forced to resign because the
Washington government would not in
tervene In his favor, and an Ameri
■ ran government of occupation was a
second time established. At the pres
ent time the Cuban liberals perhaps
have counted on the overturn of the
Menocal government in much the same
way. But. a third intervention by the
United States, to the extent of estab
lishing a government of occupation,
could not be effected without gravely
endangering Cuban independence. The
aftener the United States flag is raised
at Havana, the less becomes the prob
ability that it will be hauled down.
’ President Wilson, therefore, prefers
tn stay out of Cuba and to support
meanwhile the existing constitutional
government against armed rebellion.
This decision in no way commits him
on the question of the presidential
election dispute, whose solution in ac
cordance with the court decree has
been interfered with by the appeal to
arms. Yet the practical effect of the
attempted insurrection, together with
Washington’s moral support of the
Menocal government In the crisis of
rebellion, must probably be to leave
President Menocal In control of the
machinery’ of government for another
term —unless the revolutionists, bent
on destruction, should succeed in cre
ating an anarchy that only a military
intervention by the United States could
cure.
Bestriding Our Liberties
The press itself has made almost no
outcry against the drastic espionage
bill which the Senate has passed by
a vote of 60 to 10. yet no measure in
many years has contained such an ex
treme threat to the freedom the
press ordinarily enjoys in print
ing public information as Is contained
in this bill. Taken as a whole it em
braces several bills originally drafted
by the attorney-general to strengthen
Cite neutrality laws or to safeguard
the government against spies in time
bf war; but the war department's de
sire to control newspaper publicity is
to be seen tn various provisions se
verely restraining the circulation of
facte bearing on the national defense.
Spies must expect to receive harsh
treatment; in time of war they are
mercilessly put to death in all coun
tries. But here Is an offense carried
to such an extreme of criminality that
persons having no Intention of giving
aid and comfort to the enemy might
easily be placed in peril of imprisuii-
ment First, it is provided that any
one, say an editor or publisher, who
in war time, with the intent that it
shall be communicated to the enemy,
‘‘shall collect, record, publish or com
‘municate. or attempt to elicit any
‘information’’ with respect to the
movement, numbers, etc., of the armed
forces of the United States, or its war
materials or its plans of military or
naval operations, “or any other in
‘formation relating to the public de
fense," shall be punished with death,
or by a fine, and not more than 30-
years’ imprisonment. No objection
can be offered to that, inasmuch as
it applies to one who seeks to aid the
enemies of the country.
But, second, where the offense
is committed with no intent that
the information so elicited, col
lected or published should reach
the enemy, but where it might
prove useful to the enemy, there is a
crime just the same and the penalty
is reduced merely to three-years' im
prisonment. Thus it might easily hap
pen that in innocently publishing what
might seem at first glance very harm
less news about the number of em
ployes in the United States arsenal in
this city, the Springfield newspaper
publishers would run the risk of be
ing sentenced to three years in the
federal penitentiary.
Sixty senators believe that the
espionage bill should be enacted into
law. for they have voted for it. Sena
tor Fall of New Mexico was so earnest
in his advocacy of the measure that
he called public attention to the fact
that he had resolved to support the
president, whose severe critic he had
been for years, even if the president
were obliged to exercise dictatorial
authority. "I believe.” said the sena
tor from New Mexico, “that Congress
‘should vest in the executive depart
‘ment at this time absolute arbitrary
■ ‘powers.” Presumably the House will
• follow’ the Senate in this matter.
So far as the press is concerned, it
will accept the situation. War inter
feres necessarily with individual liber
ty. It is to be observed that the
drastic provisions of the bill would
go into effect only under an emergency
proclamation by the president, in any
event. Despotic things were done
in the civil war by the government
under Lincoln. Seward—or was
it Stanton? —at one time boast
ed that by ringing a bell he could
arbitrarily deprive an American cit
izen of his liberty and confine him in
a cell at Fort Warren. There is no
constitutional liberty left in England
to-day, and before this war began
England was one of she freest coun- :
tries in the world for the individual to I
live in.
But the English press is still very I
plain spoken and it appears to enjoy !
a genuine freedom of opinion. The I
“Northcliffe press” is credited with
having turned Mr Asquith out of the ]
premiership and brought in Lloyd
George. It abuses certain distin
guished- statesmen as members of the
“old gang." It even attacked the late
Lord Kitchener when he was at the
hight of his power. The real freedom
of the press in democratic countries
rests upon public opinion and not
upon statutes, even in war time, and
so does the liberty of the individual
in a sense which no government could
Ignore. No one need fear that Mr
Wilson would become a tyrant; for
his government must depend upon the
public support of a people reared and
educated in an atmosphere of liberty
and democracy.
New Haven Financing Assured
The statement from the directors
of the New York. New Haven and |
Hartford railroad that she company i
“has every reason to believe" that its '
825,000,000 of obligations maturing
May 1, together with $18,000,000 notes
of the New England navigation com- :
pany. due on the same date, “will be ;
‘paid or refunded at or before ma-'
’turiSy” is a reassurance that might i
profitably have been given before. It ,
has been evident for some time that ■
unusual efforts were being made to
undermine confidence in the property,
while those who have understood the
real situation knew that the manuring
obligations of the company were in
the way of being amply cared for. The
immediate refunding is a step m con
nection with the permanent financing
of the short-term debt, and there has
been no question that the directors
saw their way to reducing the com
pany’s immediate debt and bringing
about such increase of its railroad fa
cilities as is recognized as necessary.
The directors are also well within the
facts when they declare their belief
that "the present position of she New
‘Haven from a standpoint of holders
‘of its short-term Indebtedness is the
‘most satisfactory existing at any time
‘since the indebtedness was created.’
It is to ue hoped that this action
of the directors in taking the public
into their confidence will avail In
leading people to place less confidence
in unauthorized gossip. Rome was
not built in a day, and neither can
bhe demoralization produced by a poli
cy' of mistaken Inflation be straight
ened out without the care and pa
tience which such a situation de
mands. So much has been accom
plished. however. In the line of bring
ing the property back to its old sub
stantial railroad basis thas the exhibit
made is entitled to greater respect
than certain critics have been willing
to accord to It. The New York. New
Haven and Hartford property will be
financed as the need arises and an
earlier understanding of this mighs
have saved some worrying.
Mines Against Snbmarines
Recent events tend to support the
belief that the principal reason for the
“shake-up" in the British admiralty
which transferred Admiral Jellicoe to
shore duty was the desire to have the
benefit of his experience for the de
fense of commerce against the sub
marine raiders. He is known to view
the Situation aeriously, and indeed hls
statement a few weeks ago left no
doubt Ather as to the gravity of the
THE SPRINGFIELD WEEKLY REPUBLICAN: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22. 1917
menace or as to the energy’ with which
it was to be met.
Naturally’ not very much is known
definitely in regard either to the ex
periments made or to their success.
From the beginning the admiralty
has shown a reticence for which there
was some military excuse, but which
has also been suspected of serving
sometimes as a cloak for failure. In
the summer of 1915 the situation was
declared well in hand, and while of
ficial figures have not even yet been
i given, it is certain that the losses of
U-boats were considerable. It should
have been taken for granted, however,
that whatever ingenuity was used th
setting traps would be matched by
equal ingenuity in evading them, and
that when the problem had been
thoroughly studied cut and an
adequate flotilla of improved sub
marines provided, the menace would
recur in a form less easy to cope
with. The admiralty has been
much blamed in England for its
failure to deal with the new situa
tion as promptly’ and efficiently as
with that of two years ago, but the
conditions are quite different. If the
naval authorities are at fault it is
mainly for not having worked out in
advance their plans for such a con
tingency’ as they now have to face.
What the admiralty is now driving
at may be inferred from the contours
of the mine fields announced late in
January’ and somewhat modified to
leave a safety lane for Dutch ship
ping. The part still retained takes in
the eastern North sea opposite the
German coast from Holland to the
Jutland peninsula. If this area could
be mined with sufficient thoroughness
it would be difficult for the U-boats to
get out except by following the coast
line through neutral waters. A com
plete blockade is probably out of the
question, but if there are mines
enough the movements of the sub
marines may be considerably circum
scribed and the chance of catching
them going or coming would be
proportionately' increased. The south
ern exit by’ way of the straits of
Dover has long been blocked and
the necessity of circumnavigating the
British isles to reach the Atlantic I
greatly reduces the efficiency of the |
submarines by compelling them to I
make a longer voyage to reach their I
cruising ground. To get to the further ;
end of the “prohibited zone" in th» [
bay of Biscay a voyage of some 2500
miles is involved. This. practical suc
cess must long ago have set the ad
miralty to studying the problem of
closing the northern route as well,
but the practical difficulties are very
great, both because of the width of
the gap between Scotland and the
Scandinavian coast and because of
the necessity of providing . routes
for neutral shipping. What supple
mentary measures are being taken,
specially with regard to patroling
routes which cannot be mined, is not
stated, but the foundation of Jelli
coe's plan appears to be a thick and
constantly renewed mine belt along i
the whole German coast. That its suc
cess is not guaranteed is shown by
the anxious measures taken to in
crease the rate of shipbuilding, but it
is the first aggressive step yet taken,
and its success will be watched with
interest. For its execution there
must have been made a huge accumu
lation of mines, and British command
of the sea allows them of course to be
planted far more rapidly and renewed
more frequently than is possible for
the German mine laying submarines,
which are limited both in number and
in capacity.
POSTMASTER AT NEW YORK
Thomas D Patten to Succeed Re
publican for Good of Service. Ac
cording to Burleson
Thomas D. Patten was. nominated]
by President Wilson at Washington, I
Friday as postmaster of New York j
city. Mr Patten will succeed Post-'
master Morgan, a republican. Mr]
Patten’s term in Congress expires i
March 4. Several months ago Presi
dent Wilson nominated Robert F.
Wagner for the position, but he de
clined it.
After Friday’s cabinet meeting
Postmaster General Burleson gave out
the following statement on the ap
pointment: “It had been my inten
tion to take no action in the matter
of the New York city appointment
until after the committee of postal |
experts now engaged in the examina-!
tion of the New York office had com-I
pleted its labor; but the first assistant
postmaster general after a conference
with the chairman of the committee
engaged in the examination, has sub
mitted a memorandum advising me
that the interests of the postal serv
ice required a change in the postmas
tership. and that the proper examina
tion of the office would be facilitated
If the change could be made at an
early date.”
PATTEN A TAMMANY MAN
I Appointment Satisfactory to Or- ]
ganization
Representative Thomas Gedney
Patten, who was nominated as post
master of New York city Friday
by President Wilson, has been affili
ated politically with Tammany hall
at New York, having been elected by
Tammajty to the 62d and 63d Con
gresses from the 17th district. He
was defeated for re-election to Con
gress last fall from the 18th district.
His appointment, it is understood,
will he agreeable to Tammany, al
though leaders of that organization
have asserted that no efforts had been
made to obtain the position for him.
Mr Patten was born in New York
city. September 12, 1801, and is’now
head of the Patten steamboat lines,
operating between New York city and
New Jersey points. His father found
ed the Un”. He was educated a<
Mount Pleasant academy, Ossining.
N. Y., ar.d at Columbia university.
Permission for the departure of tne
American refugees from Turkey has
been given by the Ottoman govern
ment. Embassador Elkus at Constan
tinople advised the state department
u Washington Saturday that a
Turkish authority had expressed the
hope that the Americans would be
. given passage soon and their de
parture would in no way be Interfered
I with.
MAY BREAK PRECEDENT
NO SPECIAL SENATE SESSION
INTENTION OF PRESIDENT
Unless Special Session of Congress
Should Be Necessary at Be
ginning of New Term
President Wilson is considering
j breaking another precedent of more
than 100-years’ standing at Washing
ton by’ not calling the customary spe
cial session of the Senate immedi
ately at the beginning of his new
term. Inauguration arrangements,
already much upset by the fact that
March 4 falls on a Sunday, may’ be
further disarranged by the abandon
ment of the special session, which in
a measure would change entirely the
methods and ceremonies of inaugurat
ing the vice-president.
The president’s purpose, as under
stood at the Capitol, is to avoid a spe
cial session of the Senate unless an
extraordinary session of the whole
Congress is necessary at the same
time. The Senate called in special
session, as is the custom, to confirm
appointments of cabinet members and
others would be powerless to legislate
to any purpose alone, but there would
be nothing to prevent the body from
remaining in session as long as it
pleased, and discussing any subject it
chose. The understanding at the can
itol yesterday was that such a situa
tion was to be avoided if possible
Abandonment of the special session
would do away’ with the usual cere
mony of inaugurating the vice-presi
dent in the senate chamber in the
presence of both houses of Congress,
the diplomatic corps, the supremo
court and other dignitaries. It would
eliminate exactly one-half of the offi
cial ceremony’ of Inauguration day
Vice-President Marshall pointed out
yesterday that under the constitution
ha could take the oath of office and
file notice with the secretary of the
Senate any time before March 4 and
then if he chose take another oath
at the formal ceremonies March 5.
President "Wilson has not decided,
so far as is known, what he will do
about taking an oath of office some
time before the public ceremonies on
Monday, March 5. Secretary’ Lansing
has advised him that it would be
proper to take the oath Sunday. March.
4. and then take it again at the pub
lic ceremony. There were some indi
cations that the president might de
ride not to take any oath at all until
Monday, March' 5. That would leave
an interval, strictly speaking, dur
ing which the country would be with
out a president, but there is precedent
for such action. j,.
March 4 fell on Sunday in 1821
when President Monroe entered his
second term. On the advice of Chief
Justice Marshall. President Monroe
took no oath until the following Mon
day. President Taylor followed the
precedent set by Monroe, when, in
1849. he delayed taking the oath bf
office until March's. ■ n '’
There is a precedent for taking tA§ J '
oath prior to March 5, if Prqsjdant
Wilson wishes to follow It. Presraerrh 1
Hayes took it on March 3. a Satur
day, immediately after the announce-,
ment of the conclusion of the memora-; ’
ble contest with Tilden.
There was no announcement of i
President Wilson’s plans at the White ;
House Tuesday, but among admin
istration leaders at the capitol it .
seemed to be understood that unless
Mr Wilson changed his mind there
would be no special session of the Sen
ate. Just what the president would
do about taking the oath was unknown
to White House officials.
Quite contrary to what has become
a general opinion, no special session'
of the Senate is required by the con-,
stitutlon for confirmation of cabinet
appointments, and. in fact, no con
firmation of the cabinet is necessary^
if all the members remain, as appears
now to be the plan. If any’ new mem
bers should be chosen they could be
given recess appointments and be pre-,
sented for confirmtaion later.
The special session of the Senate is
in accordance only with custom of
many’ years’ standing. While the pres
ident is required to take a new oath
at the beginning of a new term, his
cabinet officers, if they remain, require
no new oath and no new confirmation.'
for such a thing as a term is un
known to their offices. The cabinet,
as such, quite contrary - to widespread
opinion, is not recognized by the con
stitution. Its members are appointed
under the broad terms providing for
public officers who serve during the
pleasure of the president and the stat
utes creating the executive depart
' ments. Therefore they require no re
i appointment and no new confirmation.
PASSES PORTO RICO BILL
Senate Measure Admits Porto Ri
cans to American Citizenship
and Establishes Legislature
The Porto Rican citizenship and
civil government hill was passed by
the Senate at Washington Tuesday
without roll-call. It already had
] passed the House. The bill provides
' for all residents to become citizens of
-the United States if they desire. It
i would provide a governor appointed by
the president and an executive coun
cil composed of commissioners of jus
tice. finance, interior, education, agri
culture and labor and health. The
attorney general and treasurer would
be appointed by the president and the
other members of the governor.
Legislative powers would be lodged
In a Legislature elected by the peo
ple. the Senate to consist of 19 meth
bers elected for four years, two each
from seven districts and five senators
at large. The House of Representa
tives wIU conslat of 39 members, elect
ed quadrennially. The Legislature
would elect a commissioner to the
United States and all its laws would
be subject to approval by Congress,
the president also having the veto
power.
The bill also provides for prohibi
tion In the island subject to a refer
endum of the voters, ’
DANISH WEST INDIES BILLS
Senate and House Committees Ap
prove Measures
Urged by the administration at
Washington to hasten legislation pro
viding for the payment of $25,00(1.000
for the Danish Went Indies and the
creation of a provisional American
government on the Islands, commit-
tees of both the Senate and the House
last week Wednesday voted ap
proval <>f measures for that pur
pose. The House committee fa
vorably reported a bill draft
ed at the state department, which
would appropriate the $25,000,000 and
authorize continuance of the present
government until otherwise provided
by Congress.
On the Senate side, the foreign re
lations committee approved a new bill
prepared by Chairman Stone and Sen
ators Lodge of Massachusetts and
Hitchcock of Nebraska to empower
the president to set up a goventment,"
make regulations and name officials,
including a governor, to be confirmed,
by the Senate. Appointment of a
committee to investigate and report
on the needs of the people in ,the
newly acquired territory would be
authorized.
FOR PROHIBITION
n
House Will Vote Soon—Senate Ap
proves Amendment to Bar Liquor
Advertising From Dry States
Prohibition took a step forward at
I Washington Thursday in both branches
of Congress. In the Senate drastic
amendments to the postal appropria
tion bill were agreed to which would
make criminal the importation of liq
uor into states which prohibit its
manufacture and sale for beverage
purposes, and which would exclude
liquor advertisements from the mails
in states .which legislate a'gainst such
advertising.
On the House side the national pro
hibition constitutional amendment
was favorably reported from the
judiciary committee, with a prediction,
by Chairman Webb that.it would be
passed within a week. Champions of
prohibition greeted this announce
ment with enthusiasm, in spite of
their realization that passage in the
House will end action on the amend
ment in so far as this session of Con
gress is concerned. Tnere is no
thought of action by the Senate be
fore March 4, when the 64t-h Congress
dies.
The amendment to the post-office
appropriation bill to make it' a crime
to ship liquor into prohibition states
was added by Senator Reed of Mis
souri to the Jones amendment bar
ring newspapers or other publications
or letters and postal: cards contain
ing liquor advertisements from the
mails in states which have laws
against such advertising. It was
adopted, after brief debate, by a. vote
of 45 to 11 by the Senate sitting as
committee of the whole. The Reed
amendment, which awaits a final vote
in the Senate proper, is as follows:—
Whoever shall order, narcbase., or cause
Intoxicating liquors to be transported 1n
intersente commerce except for scientinc.
sacramental. medicinal or mechanical I ’ ;
poses Into any state or territory, the laws
of which state or territory prohibit. the
manufacture or sale therein of
Ing liquors for beverage purposes, spad be
punished bv a fine of not more than 810 W.
imprisoned not more thnn Mx .months or
both and for any subsequent offense snail
be Imprisoned not more than one year.
The effect of this' provision, if
finally accepted by the Senate and
agreed to by the House, will bo to
make all prohibition states “bone dry."
It will operate against provisions, in
various states permitting Imporfaton
of limited amounts of liquor for In
dividual consumption.
PROHIBITION CHECK
. Senate. Refuses to Eliminate
Overdrastic Amendment
Senators favoring prohibition' failed
at Washington .Friday .in an effort
to reverse the action of the Senate
Thursday. by eliminating from the
postal bill the Reed amendment to
make it a crime to import liquor Into
states which prohibit its manufacture
and sale. By a vote of 28 to 38 a
motion of Senator Kenyon of lowa
to throw out the Reed amendment
was defeated.
APPROVE NAVAL BILL
Members of Senate Committee Add
$128,000,000 to House Measure -
Final approval of the naval appro
priation bill was voted at Washington
Tuesday by the Senate naval commit
tee, with the total raised to about
$500,000,000. by adding $128,000,000 to
the measure, as it passed the House.
Appropriations are carried for the
coming year’s share of the great
three-year building program, and
there are various special provisions,
including authorization for the com
mandeering of private shipbuilding
and munitions plants in time of na
tional peril.
The emergency construction appro
priation of $150,000,000 recommended
by the Senate subcommittee was re
duced to $115,000,000, with a specific
direction that $35,000,000 of this be
expended for submarines. An amend- |
ment by Senator Poindexter of Wash- '
ington was adopted directing that 40
of the additional submersibles should
be coast vessels and 10 fleet subma
rines. half of each type to Ue buiit
on the Pacific coast. The committee
also added to the House program
three coast-guard cutters to cost sl,-
350,000; $772,000 for extension of the
Washington navy-yard, and $750,000
for a dry dock at Charleston," S. C.
Provision is made for Increasing the
class at the naval academy by’ 614
members, providing for appointment
of four instead of three midshipmen
by each senator and representative,
for 100 from enlisted men instead Of
25. and for four from" the Philippines.
The term at the naval academy - would
be reduced from four to three years
for a period of five years.
SPY BILL PASSES
Senate Votes 60 to 10—Provisions
of Measure
The administration espionage bill,
providing severe penalties for spying
on, matters of national defense and
punishing conspiracies to violate
American neutrality was passed at
Washington Tuesday by the Senate
by a vote of 60 to 10. The spy section
is far-reaching in character, making it
a crime, punishable with two-years'
imprisonment or SIO,OOO fine, to ap
proach or enter any place connected
with the national defense, to unlaw
fully obtain information, or to make
photographs, blueprints, plans and
the like of things contained within
such defenses or to dispose of a code
or signal book or model or anything
else of national defense value. Where
these things are done for a foreign
government in time of peace, “wheth
er recognized or unrecognized'' by the
United States, the penalty is increased
to 20-years' imprisonment and in time
or war to .Tile. Any person who in
wartime, with ,the Intent that It snail
be communicated to tll e enemy, "ahafl
gol'ect, record, publish or communi
cate or attempt to elicit any Informa
tion" With respect th the movement - ,
cumbers and tf>e like of the armed
forces of the United States or Its war
materials or Its plhjis of military of
naval operations, “or any other mtor-
mation relating to the public defense
of calculated to be,” shall be punished
bv death or; by a fine and not more,
than 30-years’ imprisonment. This
penalty is reduced to three-years’ im
prisonment where there is no intent^
that the information be communicated
to an enemy, but where it might be
'useful to such enemy. Th P president
is given arbitrary power to designate
other things and places in. addition,
to those specifically named which
shall be included in the term national
defense.
APPEAL FOR ARMY
War Department Needs More Re
cruits
The war department at Washington
Thursday called upon individual citi
zens, patriotic -societies and organi
zations. many of which have offered
their services since the break of re
lations with Germany, to hejp get
recruits for the army. It is the first
.step of the kind ever taken by the
government in -time of peace, army
officers say, and it is regarded as a
forcible illustration of. the need the
army feels for more men.
The navy department also has asked
assistance from civilians and organi
zations in recruiting work. Rear-
Admiral Palmer, in charge of re
cruiting work, said Thursday that the
navy league was conducting an active
recruiting campaign and other sim
ilar bodies were being interested ip.
the work. More than 1.100 recruits
were enlisted by the navy last month
and indications are that a new record
will be made in February.
PASSES POST-OFFICE BILL
Senate Defeats Higher Magazine
and Newspaper Kates on Point of
Order
With its added drastic prohibition
legislative provisions the annual post
office appropriation bill carrying 8332,-
000.000 was passed .by the Senate at
Washington Friday after a week
cf vigorous debate. It was sent back
to the House which, will .ask for a con
ference on the amendments. Deter
mined efforts made by the post-office,
committee to Increase second-class
mail rates and to establish one cent
postage on drop letters were made
and bitterly contested, and the .pro
posals finally, were thrown out on a
point of order.
POST-OFFICE ORDER
Inspectors Must Be Promoted for
Merit Only
An executive order directing, that
post-office inspectors' be apportioned
equitably among'the states and politi
cal parties and that promotions be
made only on a merit basis, was is
sued at Washington Friday by
President Wilson on the recommenda
tion of Postmaster-General Burleson,,
“Hereafter, in. filling vacancies in the
force of post-office inspectors.” the or-,
der says, . .“the postmaster-general
shall apportion them by, states based
as nearly as possible - upon. population .
as determined .by -the last decennial
census. The. force shall also be ap
portioned fairly between the political
parties and advancement In the serv-.
ice shall be based upon merit.” . Mr
Burleson said the. order made per
manent a nnlrcv which i already; had
been put’lnto effect to a^large degree
by the department.
LANSING URGES BILL
Asks Senate Judiciary Committee
to Pass Measure Authorizing
Use of Force to Preserve Neu
trality
'Secretary Lansing and Assistant
Attorney-General Warroti urged the
Senate judibiary committee at Wash
ingtdh Tuesday to" press a bill
authorizing the president to Use the
armed forces of the United States to
enforce its neutrality obligations, par
ticularly with reference to armed ves
sels of a belligerent interned in ports
of the United States which might, sdek
to escape.
PRESIDENT NAMES FORT
Former Governor of New Jersey to
Be Trade Commissioner — Other
Nominations
The. president at Washington yes
terday nominated Capt Harry .S.
Knapp and William L. Rogers to be
rear-admirals and a number of naval
commanders to be captains. William
B. Colver, a St Paul newspaper pub
lisher,. and John Franklin Fort, former
governor of New Jersey, were nomi
nated by President Wilson yesterday
as members of the federal trade com--
mission.
COLOMBIAN TREATY
President Wilson Urges Ratifica
tion at Present Session
President Wilson has sent a letter
to Chairman Stone of the Senate for
eign relations committee at Washing
ton urging aebion during this sessiqh
of Congress on the treaty to indemnify
Colombia for the separation of Pana
ma. It has been indicated recently
that there would be no. action on the
Colombian treaty, during, this session,
hut the president is very anxious that
it be ratified so as to clear away one
of the potent sources of friction in
Fanaman relations.
PROTEST FROM COSTA RICA
Lansing Tells Deposed President
United States Will Not Recog
nize New Government
Costa Rica’s deposed president, Al
fred Gonzales, was assured by .Secre
tary Lansing at Washington Mopr
day that the United States would not
recognize the government set up by
Gen Tinoco, the former war minister,
who executed a bloodless coup .several
weeks ago. that sent the. president to
the American legation for refuge. Mr
Gonzales had JuSt arrived in Wash
ington. accompanied by. Castro Que
sada. minister of the United States,
who happened to be at home when the
government was overthrown. He
called at the state department to tell
of his difficulties, and expects to «ee
President Wilson later. Secretary
Lansing told him 1 the United States
did not accord recognition to govern
njents deriving their power . through
revolt against constituted authorities,
and that Gen, Tlnco could not expect
to obtain de, jure recognition ey.en by
having himself el«cted.
The civic league of Columbia, 8;
C.. is conducting a Vigorous camptilgh
tr/-rid‘the city of rtnMghtlj billheads
attr) tritdegmen’s signs.
NOTICE TO CUBA
LANSING SENDS NOTE
DEAL FOR SALE OF RIFLES
LIBERAL APPARENTLY WINS'
State Department Warns Central
American Republics That it
Will Recognize No Gov
erments Set Up by
Violence
Reports telling of the spread of the
liberal revolt in Cuba aroused such
apprehension at Washington last
week Wednesday that Secre
tary Lansing cabled a second
warning .to the people of the
republip that the United States would
not regard as legal any government
set up by violence. The message
went to Minister Gonzales at Havana
and to every American consul, to be
circulated all over the island, ,
Minister Gonzales’s reports of the
growth of the revolt were submitted
by the state department to the secre
taries of war and navy as promptly
as they were received. Tn neither - of
the military departments was there
indication that any warlike move was
being prepared in connection with the
situation, but because of the experi
ence gained in the previous interven
tions military operations could be in
augurated-in brief time without much
renewed study of plans.
Secretary Baker announced that,
with the approval of the president,
a deal had .been closed Tuesday for
the sale, of 10,000 army rifles and
2,000.000 rounds of ammunition to the
Cuban government. Negotiations for
the'purchase had been in progress for
several months. The president is au
thorized by. statute to approve. the
sale of arms and ammunition, to Cuba,
whose /soldiers are the only ones in
the world, other than American, who
carry the United States army Spring
field rifle. Shipment of the rifles and
ammunition will be hastened, as they
will .be needed by President Menocal
to arm bis volunteers.
No Report on Wednesday's Election
Reports of the special election that
was announced for Wednesday in
Santa Clara and which was expected
to determine beyond doubt the winner
in the presidential election had not
been received at the state department
late Wednesday.
Information already received from
Cuba has made it appear that there
was no doubt that Dr Alfredo. Zayas,
the liberal candidate, was elected. One
suggested cause for the present tip-,
rising was that it had been precipi
tated by the president whet) he
ordered the arrest of several civilians
and army officers on the charge of
complicity in a plot to depose him.
The plan of the liberals is said .to
have been to resort to force-on May
20 if Menocal on that day refused to
relinquish the presidency.
Late Wednesday an appeal - was re
ceived from Mrs Rita .Castellanos, in
New York, urging the president to
intervene in behalf of her son, a
young lieutenant, who is reported to
have been sentenced to death on the
charge of complicity in the plot
Minister Gonzales in Havana was in-,
striiOted to make an investigation of
the circufnstances.
It became known after the trans
mission of tlie Warning to the. Cuban
people that a similar warning was
sent to every. Central American coun
try after, the overthrow of the Gon
zales administration in Costa Rica. .
Text of Message
This is the text of the message sent
to Minister Gonzales and to the Amer
ican consuls in Cuba for publication
to tho people:—‘
"The-government of the United
States has received with the greatest
apprehension the reports which have
come to it to, tho effect that there ex
ists organized revolt against the gov
ernment of Cuba in several provinces
end that several towns have been
seized by the insurrectionists. Re
ports, such as these, of insurrection
against the constituted government,
cannot be considered except as of the
most serious nature, since the govern
ment of the United States has given
its confidence and support only to gov
ernments established through legal
and constitutional methods.
“During the past four years the gov
ernment of the United States has
clearly and definitely set forth its po
sition in regard to the recognition of
governments which have come imo
power through revolution and other
illegal methods, and at this time de
sires to emphasize its position in re
gard to the present situation in Cuba.
“Its friendship for the Cuban people,
which has been shown on repeated oc
casions. and the duties which are in
cumbent upon it on account of the
ngreerqent between the two countries,
force the government of the United
States to make clear its future policy
at this tim.”
Both factions have expressed to the
department their approval of tha
notes of warning sent by Secretary
Lansing. The liberal leaders have
protested that they are not contem
platlng any reign of terroi' and Presi
dent Menocal, in a formal communica
tion sent by liis secretary of foreign
affairs, thanked the American gov
ernment for the confidence it has
shown in the Cuban people. He as
sured the government that with ths
moral support of the United States he
feit certain he would be able to domi
nate the situation.
Official Havana Statement
An official statement issued at 10
Saturday at the palace at Havana
says;—■
“Tile situation in Pinar del Rio,.Ha
vana, Matapzas and Santa Clara is
normal. In the last-named province
there are still at large several groups
of insurgents, who continue to be
closely pursued.
"Camaguey will be in the same con
dition within two or three days, and
then that portion of Oriente. at. pres
ent isolated from the rest of the isl
and because of the lack of communi
cations, will be cleared. Reports from
this province indicate that the dis
turbance is confined to a very -limited
section in the southwestern and ex
treme eastern parts..
“No mills have yet been reported
as having stopped grinding. 1 ’
LIBERALS APPROVE
Have No Desire to Set Up Govern
“ ; ment by Force
, , pr. Orates Ferrara, speaker of tlje
Cuban House of Reprepehtatives, and
Dr Raimundo Cabrera, now in New
York city as special representative
of the directorate of the liberal party
of Cuba, issued a statement last
week Wednesday in which they
approved the attitude of the
United States government as out
lined in the note of Secretary of
State Lansing to the Cuban people
warning that any government that
might be established by revolt in Cuba
could not be recognized by this coun
try. The liberal party, they declared,
“does not want to get into power by
force or illegal means.” The state
ment, which they asserted represented
the attitude of their party leaders, was
In part, as follows:—
"They (the liberal leaders) accept
the judgment of the American gov
ernment in questions now up in Cuba
and they are disposed to accept any
solution the American government be
lieves is just. The liberal party in
Cuba is on the defensive and the
American government will have no op
position from the liberal party but
only help in anything .looking to the
establishment of justice and order and
particularly the maintenance of the iri
dependence of Cuba.”
NO INTERVENTION IN CUBA
Hope for Re-establishment of Peace
Grows
Reports of progress by .President .
Menocal’s forces against Insurgent
bands in Cuba increased the hopes of
administration officials at Washington
Monday that peace may be re-estab
lished in the island without American
intervention. It has been- made plain
that the full moral support of the
United States government will ire giv
en the Menocal administration, and It
was said late yesterday that no addi
tional steps were in contemplation for
the present,
Orestes Ferrara and Raimundo Ca
brera, spokesmen for the liberal party,
are in Washington to. represent the
rebels before the- state department,
but it was said at Secretary Lansing's
office that they had made no effort to
see any one. connected with the gov
ernment. It was intimated that, they
would not. be received as representa
tives of the rebels and that in the
present situation little consideration
would be given any representations
they might-make.
The rebels appeared to nave made
no marked progress, -according to yes-.-.
terday's official reports, which added
that some of-the regular army which
had gone over to, the revolutionary'
party in the earlier days of the re
volt had rejoined the government
force.
The suggestion that a state depart
ment commission be sent to -Cuba, to-,
review the election returns still fa.
urjder consideration, but it appears
probable that a decision on the propo- .
sition will not be hastened. President
Menocal’s decree postponing the spe
cial election to have been held in
Oriente province to-day is regarded as
a step toward clearing the situation
since aii election held under present
conditions probably would be contest
ed on the ground that the voters were
influenced *by the military situation.
It is in this province that the deciding
votes are to be cast in the presidential
contest over which the revolutionary
outbreak developed.
WARSHIPS IN CUBA
Gunboat Found . No Mines at
Santiago
An American gunboat has arrived at
Santiago de Cuba, explored the harbor
and foung. it free-from mines.- A. di&r
patch to the navy department at
Washington Friday from the com
mander of the vessel said Santiago
was quiet. •
Two American warships -were at an
chor yesterday in Cuban ports. The
POtrel, a gunboat, was at Santiago,
which is held by rebels, and the Dixie
was at Havana. Developments in the
revolutionary situation were not of an
alarming character, but the ships will
remain in Cuban waters as long as
there appears possibility of danger to
Americans or their interests.
Officials at Washington have no
knowledge of any landing by any na
val forces at Santiago, as reported in
a newspaper story published In Ha
vana. Late'yesterday it was said’at
the navy department that the story
seemed unlikely, although the PetreUs
commander has discretionary authori
ty to take any steps necessary to pro
tect American Interests.
REVOLT CLASH
Report Tells of Death of Mayor of
Marianao
It is reported at Havana that Col
Baldomero Acosta, mayor of Maria
nao, who is ssid to have led the rebels
which engaged in a fight with rural
guards, 40 miles.from Havana,. Wed
nesday, has been killed, and that Maj-
Gen Enrique Loynaz del Castillo has
been wounded. This report has not
been confirmed. Maj-Gen del Castillo
represented Cuba at the San Francisco
exposition. The small group of rebels,
in Oriente province clashed with loyal
troopers Tuesday afternoon. The
rebels lost seven killed and severaj
wounded. Five er six minor encoun
ters between rurales and rebels have
also,been reported from various pointe.
EI Mundo quotes President Menocal.
as saying that the yacht Julito. owned
by former President Gomez, has been
captured' near Casilda, in Santa Clara
province, by the captain of the port.
A re-election held in one precinct of
Cumanayagua, Santa Clara province,
to decide the mayoralty of Cienfuegos.
was won by the conservatives. There
was .no disorder at this election. >
GEN MACHADoT)EAD
' ' c ?
Report Says He Was Killed in In
surrection Fight
Gen Geraldo Machado, a prominent
Cuban military official and member of
the liberal committee, is reported at
Havana, to have been killed at Las
Villas. Another member of the liberal
committee. Gen Ernesto Asbert. has
been captured by government troops.
The arrest of Gen Asbert was con
firmed Thursday at the secret police
headquarters In Havana. The general
formerly was governor of Havana
province. In July. 1013, he was im
plicated in the killing of Gen Jesus
Riva, the bead of the Havana .police
department. The. following vear he
was convicted and sentenced to 12
vears imprisonment, but was released
from prison after the Cuban Senate
and House of Representatives had
passed the amnesty hill over the veto
of President Menocal,
Latest reports from Las Villas show
that the conservatives have a large
majority in the re-election. Three reb
els and two troopers were killed m a
fight, between the Insurrectos under
Bnldomern Acosta and forces under
Col Carillo. At Manguaraya rebels
under Joaquin ClW’i: were dispersed
bv troops who. captured arms and
horses There is no Intarjuntfon,ln the
oneratlons of the Hli;ar mills. The
government han cabled the United