Richmond times-dispatch. [volume], August 09, 1915, Image 1

About Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current

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During the Summer
Remember to Haoc The T-D Sent
to Your Resort Address.
D tiring Vaca t ion
Lei The T-D Keep You Posted
on Richmond's Home News.
65th YEAR
volume: 65.
number 221.
RICHMOND, VA., MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1915.?TEN PAGES.
wpa?31? UNSETTLED
PRICE, 2 CENTS
HOPEWELL HAS LID 1
ON FOR FIRST TIME:
Illegal Resorts Closed by Order
of Judge West at Mid
night Saturday.
GRAND JURY MEETS TO-DAY
Investigation of Graft and Law
lessness to Be Vigor
ously Pushed.
With the "lid on" at Hopewell yes
terday for the first time since the town
came Into existence. Interest In condi
tions there turns to the Brand jury In
vestigation into Kraft, bribery and
other lawless operation at the powder
plant city, which begins at Prince
George Courthouse this morning. The
questionable resorts are no longer to
be allowed to run with the sanction of
the law on Sunday or any other d;iy in
the week
More than 200 witnesses have hern
Hummoned to testify before the grand
jury, which will be impanneled by
Judge Jesse P. West, of the Circuit
Court of Prince George County. Com
monwealth's Attorney Timothy Hives
will be assisted in the probe by At
torney-General John Garland Pollard
and Special Prosecutor George K. Wise,
of Richmond How lonn the investi
gation will continue depends largely
on the rapidity with which the grand
jury is able to sccure information on
which to base indictments against the
grafters, bribers, liquor dealers and
other evil-doers, who have operated at
Hopewell In open defiance of the law
for several months.
? TRIALS OK ACCL'SKU
Wll.f. FOLLOW PHOMI'TLY
The court will j*o Into the trial of ac
cuser! men as F.oon as possible after
the Indictments have been returned by
the grand Jury. The defendants will
have an array of legal talent to repre
sent them, and every technical ob
stacle will be thrown in the way of
the prosecution in securing convictions.
Hopewell yesterday spent the quietest
Sunday of Its mushroom period. No
liquor or beer was sold, and It Is. said
that it was even impossible to ?et soft
drinks of any kind.
The gambling joints, which have
thinned out considerably since the
town police force was removed from
ofTice last Tuesday, were idle and the
resorts, frequented by the 200 women of
questionable character in the town,
were closed to the public
I.m WAS ITT ON
.SATURDAY .NIGHT
The lid went on at midnight Satur
day. Judge West's order for everything:
of a questionable nature to close down
was received by O. .M. Re-eves, super
visor of the Du Pont police, about S
o'clock, and Deputy Chief William A.
McDonald, who is in actual charge of
the powder plant policemen on duty in
the town, lmmcdlatelj hega.i to notify
the proprietors of these places of the
instructions given by the court. It was
nearly 12 o'clock before McDonald com
pleted his rounds and. after midnight,
a new atmosphere appeared to pervade
the town
No trouble was experienced in en
forcing Judge West's order. Chief Mc
Donald made two more rounds before
daylight yesterday morning and found
only one case of disorderly conduct.
Following the arrest last Tuesday of
Police Chief Henderson and Lieutenant,
porter, the Du Pont oflicers have had
little trouble in maintaining order In
the town. Chief Reeves held himself
and his men subject to Judge West's
orders and, when the word came to put
the lid on. they were ready to enforce
the Instructions to the letter. Many of
the proprietors, who were gouged by
the grafting Bvstem before the up
heaval came, have been aiding the au
thorities by voluntarily furnishing in
formation and details of the operations
under which huge sums of "hush
money" went Into the pockets of half
n dozen or more men, who appear to
have been In complete control of affairs
in Hopewell.
F.niToii nu r.it ooxsri/rs
ATTORXEYS FOR STATE
One of the most significant develop
ments of the past week has been the
change In the attitude of the Hopewell
Dally News toward the efforts of the
authorities to "clean up" the town.
Richard F. Bauer, the editor and man
ager of the paper, was a member of the
committee, headed by the then Chief
Henderson, who called on Governor
Stuart two weeks ago and told hlrn that
conditions were "improving" In Hope
well and that there was no occasion for
the State to take a hand. Bauer has
been one of Henderson's staunchest sup
porters, but now the paper makes o
excuses for conditions. Hauer has been
in Richmond for several days and yes
terday called on .Special Prosecutor
Wise at the latter'a residence. He also
hoped to see Attorney-General Pollard.
The nature of Bauer's disclosures, if
any, were not made public.
According to police officials and spe
cial investigators, lawless conditions at
Hopewell have not been exaggerated. It
is true that there has been compara
tively little open violence, considering
its cosmopolitan population of 20,000
people, gathered there in four months
from every quarter of the globe. But,
on the other hand, no one now attempts
to deny that ther? has been wholesale
graft and bribery connected with tho
operation of the law-defying places in
the town.
STATIC'S IiAWYERS
BUY BRF-n FOR EVIDENCE
So wide open were things loat Tues
day that threo bottles of beer wer#
bought "as evidence" by th? prosecut
ing officials. An automobile stopped In
' " (Continued on Last Page.)
Delightful Overnight Ball to Baltimore.
Via. York Rl?*r and Chesapeake Bay. Onlv
$2.60 one waj*, H and H.W round trip, la
oul-e SO* Ea?t Main, or phone Madlvon I7S,
relative Atlnntle City and Niagara Fallo
Cheap excursion fares.
F our Persons DroWn
in Cape Fear River
Motor boat in Which They Were
Going to German Vessel
Capsizes.
WILMINGTON, N. C., August 8.?Four
persons. Including Dr. J. H. Borncmann,
Jr., assistant to the chief surgeon of
i the Atlantic Coast Line, and Dr. Morris
I M. Caldwell, resident surgeon of the
! Seaboard Air Line, were drowned In
the Capo Fear River hero early to-day,
when a' motorboat in which they were
crossing the river to one of the Ger
man steamers Interned in this port,
capsized nearly in midstream.
The two other victims were Clell
Caldwell of Concord, N. C., brother of
j Dr. Caldwell, whom he was visiting.
am! Chief Engineer Warwell of the
' German steamer Nlcarla. A fifth rnein
? ber of the boat party, Chief Engineer
i Reimorp, of the German steamer Kiel,
swam some distance to a piling in the
river and was subsequently rescued.
In an effort to rescue a companion
who was in bathlns; with hlni, Adam F.
' tVlegand, a young man, was drowned in
Masonboro Hound, near here, late this
' afternoon. His companion, Carl Strunck,
managed to get ashore. The body of
j Wiegand will be taken to-morrow to
j his former home at Wllkepbarre, Pa.,
: for Interment.
CATHOLICS TO MEET
i
A iimm I Convention of Kederntlon In
Toledo, AuKTUMt 1.1 to IS.
TOLEDO. August %.?Plans were an
1nounced to-day for the annual conven
tion of the American Federation of
i Catholic Societies, the largest Catholic
| organization in the United States, to
* be held here August IB to 18.
The papal delegate, Most Rev. John
Bonzano, will open the convention with
pontifical mass.
The business sessions will he held In
j Memorial Hall beginning Monday, Au
gust 10. and will be presided over by
John Whalen. of New York. Immedi
ately after the federation convention
th're will be a meeting of the Catholic
Press Association of the United States,
presided over by John Paul Chew, of St.
, Louis.
| WILSON ON LONG MOTOR TRIP
i Tnkr* Hide Over firern Motmtnlnn,
OlNtunce of lltS Miles.
CORNISH. N*. H., August 8.? Impor
tant communications from Secretaries
Lansing and Garrison and Attorney
I General Gregory, occupied President
Wilson's attention for several hours
to-day. In the afternoon, accompanied
j by members of his family, he motored
to Rutland, Vt., over the Green Moun
tains. a distance of 12D miles.
Although no statement was forth
coming as to the contents of the reports
i from Secretary Garrison. It was under
| stood they dealt with the subject of
' national defense. Secretary Lansing's
i report, it is 6flJd, related to the Pan
American conference on the Mexican
plttiation.
NO STRIKE OF MACHINISTS
KfT?rt In Srt'urr Better W'nrkinf; Condi
ITnwcvrr, Will Fie Mmlr.
HARTFORD, CONN., August S.?After
n conference here to-day between Wil
liam H. Johnston, international presi
dent of the Machinists' Association, and
sixteen union officials from the Xew
Kngland States, it was announced that
nu general strike of the machinists
would he called to enforce the unions' i
demands for the eight-hour day. It
was decided, however, President John
ston said, to start a general campaign
to secure the working conditions asked
for throucrh negotiations with employ- j
ers. If that falls. Mr. Johnston added,
strikes probably will follow.
MURDER ATTEMPT FAILS
Aa?!*tant Mlntater of ForHfm Affair* :
Narrowly Rarapex Afma.iatB.
LONDON. August 8.?An attempt to
assassinate M. Neratoff, assistant Rus-1
slan Minister of Foreign Affairs, is
reported by Reuters Petrograd cor-j
respondent. ?
M. Neratoff's assailant, a former offi
cial of the department, rushed into the
assistant minister's room, brandishing
an a*. When this weapon was wrestorl
from him, he drew a revolver, but was
overpowered- before he could Are.
The man was dismissed two years
ago, and is believed to be demented.
OFFICERS' CASUALTY LISTS
Total British I.onh Since War Heprnn
Reaches IS,(15(1.
! [Correspondence of Associated Press.]
LONDON, July 30.-?Officers' casualty
lists from July 1ft to July 30 show that
the British army lost 116 killed, 236
wounded and fourteen missing, a total
of 3G5. This brings the total loss of
i officers since the war began to 13.6fi6,
.of whom 4,176 are recorded dead, 8,305
! wounded, and 1.17B missing.
j During the ten days covered by the
: lists, regiments in the Dardanelles suf
j fered most hoavily.
SUNK BY^UBNIARINES
i
Hrltlah Steamer, Swedish Ship and
Trawler Destroyed.
LONDON, August 8.?Lloyd's an
nounce that the British steamer Glen
ravel, the Swedish steamer Malmland
and the trawler Ocean Queen have
be<*n sunk. The crews all were, saved.
The Olenravel, 1,002 tons, was owned
in Belfast, and the Mnlmlnnd, 3,779
tons, in Oothenberg.
TO HELP RIGHT EASTLAND
Hurc Steel Orane, Towed From Cleve
land, Arrives In Chicago.
CHICAGO, August 8.?A huge steel
cranc, towed from Cleveland, arrived
alongside tl\o steamer Eastland to-day,
prepared to aid In righting the vessel,
which capsized In the Chicago River
two weeks ago, with the loss of nearly
1,000 lives.
Expulsion of Guatemalan Minis
ter by Carranza Gives Blow
to High Hopes.
LANSING AND M'ADOO CONFER
Fail to Consider Plans for Finan
cing Government in South
ern Republic.
Five Americans Wounded
nAHLISGEN*. TEX., Au*u*? ???
Five Amerlcnn ranchmen were
wounded. ?tto ?erlou?l>-, nnil ?ev
ernl Mexican outlaw* were rct>*>rted
killed or nonndril In n battle to
night between Tcia* ItniiKcrs and
American rancher* and a bnnd of
Mexican bundtt* at \orla* Knnch,
In Cameron County, a telephone
nicRMUKc from .Norlan wald.
WASHINGTON. August The Pan
American confercnce, initiated here
last week to devise a plan for* restor
ing government in Mexico, probably
will be resumed in New York on Wed
nesday.
Secretary Lanslni? made this an
nouncement to-night on his return
from New York, where he conferred
with Secretary'McAdoo on Mexican af
fairs and the co-operative effort of the
United States and Latin-American re
publics to end the factional strife.
?We talked of the Mexican situa
tion." said Secretary Lansing, "but we
did not consider any financial plan
for supporting a Mexican government.
The principal purpose of rnv visit was
to talk with Mr. McAdoo concerning
financial arragements for the Pan
American Financial Congress to be
held at Buenos Aires in September.
There is considerable preliminary work
to be done in connection with that."
Asked when the conference on Mex
ico. which recessed here on Friday
night, would be resumed. Mr. Lansing
said:
"It will be resumed early this week,
probably on Wednesday, in New York."
\VASHINCTON OFFICIALS
ARK XOT SO SAXfil INE
Administration ofTlcials who have
predicted an early peace parley be
tween Mexican factions were not so
sanguine to-day. Reports from Mexico
City that General Carranza had or
dered Or. Juan J. Ortega, the Guate
malan minister, to leave the country
within twenty-four hours were respon
sible for this change in mind. Guate
mala is represented in the Latan
American conference, and Carranza s
drastic action is regarded here as indi
cating a disposition of unfriendliness
toward the conference.
Ortega's forced depart11 from Mex
ico. together with the departure of M.
Cordoza. the Brazilian minister, will
leave in the Mexican capital no diplo
matic representatives of the seven na
tions participating in the Mexican con
ference. Dr. Orteca, it is stated here,
has not been on good terms with Car
ranza for sonic time Carranza agents
here have been appealing to the CJuute
malnn minister to the United States.
Mr. Mendvz. urging him to tight the
cause of Carranza in the joint delibera
tions now brine held. Their appeals,
it is declared, have not been suc
cessful.
Minister Cordoza. who has heen in
charge of American affairs at Mexico
City since the withdrawal of Charge
O'Shaughnessy, will leave, for \ era
Cruz for the United .States on Tuesday
morning. He has been in communica
tion with Senor da Gania, Brazilian
ambassador here, and one of the Mexi
can conferees. He will go to Long
Branch to see Mr. da Gama as soon as
he reaches this country. It has been
suggested that Cordoza's Information
regarding conditions In Mexico will be
of value to the diplomats in their con
sideration of plans for settling affairs
i in Mexico.
State Department officials cabled
Consul Canada at Vera Cruz to-day, in
I structing him to extend to Minister
Cordoza the courtesies of tin* govern
ment.
sewspapeh conresi?oxdkxt
IS REPORTED I .M1KH AltHKST
Inouiries wore sent to \*<ra Cruz by
the State Department regarding a re
port to the Carranza agency that W.
H. F'rancis, a newspaper correspondent
nnd British subject, had been arrested
there, charged with sending "malicious
and libelous information to the foreign
press." The Vera Cruz report said that
"another correspondent, guilty of tho
same offense and fearing prosecution,
has taken refuge in the United States
consulate." Consuls Cnnada and Si 11 i
man have been asked to investigate
this case also.
With regard to General Carranza's
suggestion in the brief filed for him
yesterday with tho State Department
that his representatives would confer
"with any element" in Mexico for. the
welfare of the country, no develop
ments have been reported. It is known
that the suggestion was dispatched to
General Villa, now at Juarez, but no
response from him has been- received.
Jesus Acuna, Carranza's Foreign
Minister, cabled to-day from Vera Cruz
regarding conditions in Moxico City.
A report from the capital, he said, an
nounced tho opening of the railway
southwest to Toluca for bringing pro
visions purchased by Carranza In the
State of Mlchoacan.
BELIKYKD TO CO.WKY
WILSON'S EXACT IDEAS
NEW YORK, August 8.?A confer
ence, which was believed to have had
an Important bearing on efforts to re
store peace in Mexico, was held here
to-day by Secretary of State l^anslng
and Secretary of tho Treasury McAdoo.
Before leaving for Washington. Mr.
Lansing declined to make any state
ment. Mr. McAdoo was summoned here
(Continued on Fourth Pago.)
German Attempt to Destroy Re-1
treating Russian Army
Makes Progress.
RESISTANCE IS STUBBORN
Renewed Hope That Grand Duke
Will Be Able to Save
Troops.
' LONDON*. AiirusI S.?The Gcrmnnsj
continue to make prosress in all direc- i
tlons in their efforts to cut off the I
; Russian r<tr<*at from Warsaw They j
! have commenced an attack on the'
I fortresses of Kovno and Ossowetz, j
which are among tlie obstacles barring!
them from the railway from Warsaw j
through Vllna and Dvinsk to retro- |
grad. They have taken the minor |
I fortress of Seroek, at the junction of j
I tlie Narew and the Rue. and have
j crossed the Vistula in the vicinity of I
Warsaw: and further south. General 1
Wovrsch is advancing eastward. Field
Marshal Mackensen Is being stubborn
ly resisted and apparently making but
slow progress.
On the whole, the daring Herman
scheme to destroy the Russian army
before It can retreat is unfolding slow-j
ly, as must be the rase from its very
magnitude. With the three main rail-I
ways, besides those built since the]
j war, it is believed in military circles]
! here that Grand Duke Nicholas will !
he able to extricate his Warsaw army. |
The events in the east, however, will
continue to hold the world's attention
for some time to come.
cain mix on SVCCKSSES
IN ARROWK FOnrcST'
The Germans have pained minor suc
cesses in the Argonne forest, where the j
army of the crown prince has been j
1 trvinsr for weeks to find a weak spot
I
? In the French defenses, but a German
effort to recover lost trenches on the
Lingekopf. in the Vosces, is declared
to have cost them dearly.
There has heen some heavy fighting
in the Caucasus between the Russians
j and the Turks, but official reports are
! so contradictory that it is impossible
j to say in whose favor the encounter
j iF going.
j Interest continues keen in the diplo
j matlc negotiations in the Ralkans. Re
' ports Indicate that Serbia at last is
i willing to c?>de Macedonia to Bulgaria,
| but that Greece is opposing any sug
| gestion that she should give Bulgaria
i Kavala. the seaport in the Vilayet of
I Salonlki. It Is thought, however, that
j this opposition may be changed with M.
! Venizelos's return to power, expected
j when the Greek Parliament reassembles
i early in September.
VISX17.12LOS OFFERED
IT FOR NFl'TRA I.ITV
: M. Venizelos offered Kavala to Bul
garia when be was Premier simply in
1 return for continued neutrality while
i Greece went to the assistance of their
allies, but King f'onstantine put his
foot down on the whole policy, and the
political crisis which resulted In tho
! resignation of the Venizelos Cabinet
followed.
The Petrograd Bourse Gazette says
I Germany has made pence proposals to
Russia, but that they were rejected.
There is no confirmation of ibis state
ment.
POI.KS \V.\n.Ml-Y WIOI.COMK
RKI.1ICK FKOM RI'SSIA
[Special Cable to The Times-Dispatch.]
BERLIN (wireless via Sayvillc), Au
gust S.?The semiofficial Trans-Ocean
News Bureau transmits tHe following:!
"The special correspondent of the j
Berliner Tageblatt reports that a citi
zen of Lcmberg, who succeeded in es- ]
caping from the besieged city of War
saw, says:
" 'Despite the most strict surveil
lance exercised by the Russian au
thorities, proclamations wore circu
lated in the city, appealing to the popu
lation to oppose the military authori
ties and pay oft" old scores against the
Russians.
"'The only representatives of neutral j
countries remaining at their posts were1
the American and Norwegian diplomats. I
"'Agents of the Ochrana (an anti-j
Jewish organization) organized thoi
rabb'le into hands of guerrillas.
" 'I'rince Leopold of Bavaria received !
a tremendous ovation on his entrance
into Warsaw. Most all the citizens
and subjects of neutral countries par
ticipated. especially the American war
correspondents.
" 'Russian prisoners from Ivangorod
(Continued on Second Page.)
Richmond's
Glad Hand
Weefe Begins
7 o-Day
Retail merchants and
wholesalers luive
united In presenting
u n u s u a 1 attractions
this week to out-of
town visitors and
home shoppers, who
will sec our handsome
shops looking their
best. Something dif
ferent every day. For
..latest information,
rend The X^ines"I^8"
patch every morning.
KAISER PROPOSES
PEACE TO RUSSIA
Germans Continue Relentlessly
Their Drive Against Russians
THIS Germans are roiitlnnliiK; re
lentlessly their drive iiKuinjit
tin- Hussions In Poland nnil the llnl
tl?* provinces. Tin* Hussions near
ly everywhere lire still rIvIiik them
buttle In MtronK rcnr-guiird actions
nnil coiinternttncks.
I'ctrngriid noNertfi tlint the 'I'cu
tonN linvc liccn lieltl or driven buck
on several sectors, mid that at one
place?on the left lintik of the
Vleprv., In Southeast I'olnnd?In the
course of a counterattack, "Koine
hundreds of prisoners" were I'Mj'
tured. In addition, near lllprn. on
the Iinltlc, I'etrograil says the ticr
mnn.H have lieen dislodged from po
sitions between the Dvlna, ICItiiu
and An Klvertt.
Hcrlln's latest olTlclnl rnminunlcn
tIon ninkew no reference to the light*
In FC around Hlgn, and concerning
that on the Vlepr/., merely declares
tlint the Teutonic rlulit wing still
Is finhtlupr.
The Cerrnsn War Ofllre. however,
report* tlint at Scgr/.e. near N'ovo
gcorglcvsk, the Hussion fort* linve
been captured; flint Seroek, niTtli
east of the fortress. ban been occu
pied, and that udvnnccs linve been
ninde oa the liiMir/n-<?!?lmv.\Vj'?i7
kow road between the Snrew and
the Hug.
Farther south, the Germans are
snld to have crooned the Vistula
near Warsaw, putting them lata
doner touch with the garrison of
the I'ollsli capital, while between
the VlNtula and the llug the Hus
sions continue their rctrcnt nortli
wnrd nnd eastward under prr.naure
of Von .Mnrkeaaen's forces.
Whether the Hussions can bring
tlieir armies Intact to their newly
cIiohcii lines of defence still lit
doubtful. Military observers In
London, however, believe thnt. with
the railway la tlielr control, a ma
jority of the Hiisslaii fiirees will
rench their objective.
Considerable Hjthtlnp is In prog
ress In France and llclgiuin and on
the Austro-Itallan frontier and the
Galllpoli I'eninsnla. Paris concedes
to the (icrmaiiK minor gains in the
Argonne, but asserts that a Ger
man nttnek In the Vosges failed
with heavy losses.
TO REMAIN IN CABINET
Flo Accedes to Reqnest of Emperor,
nntl Has Prepared List of
Colleagues.
HIS IDEAL IS STRONG JAPAN i
: He Had Resigned Recause of Allega
tions of Election Bribery, but Was
Unwilling to Be Means of Con
! cern to Ruler.
TOKYO, August 8?Premier Count
I Okuraa virtually has decided, at the re
j iiuest of the Emperor, to remain in
j office, and has arranged the following
i Cabinet:
Premier and Mlnistor of Foreign
I Affairs, Count Shigenobu Okuma.
Finance, TokitOBhi Taketomi.
Marine, Vice-Admiral Tomosaburo
1 Kato.
War. Lieutenant -General lehinosuka
Oka.
! Justice. Tukio Ozaki.
Communications, Katsundo Minoura,
or Viscount Masakata Scngoku.
Commerce and Agriculture, Hironaka
Kono.
Education, S. Takata.
Interior, Kitokuro Ichlki.
ThA assumption hy Count Okuma of
tho foreign ministry, after Takaai Tato
i had declined to retain that portfolio. Is
; tr> hp temporary pending selection of a
j permanent minister.
CAHIXET Ml .ST 1110
ACCEl*T A111,E TO HIM
Premier Okuma's decision to remain
in office was contingent upon the eon
strtictlon of a Cabinet acceptable to
him. The association of Okuma sup
porters has sent out circulars urginpr
support for the Premier on the ground
that his ideal is to make Japan a na
tion of foremost rank, capable of com
peting with the most powerful coun
tries. The count, the circulars say. re
signed because allegations of election
bribery created a situation repugnant
to one of his lofty principles, but,
nevertheless, ho was 'unwilling to be a
cause of concern to the Emperor, who
asked him to remain in office.
Notwithstanding the pressure brought
to bear on Count Okuma to retain his j
place, differences of opinion havo !
sprung up among his supporters. The i
leaders of the Osaka branch of the j
Okuma organization telegraphed the <
Premier urging him to insist on retir- I
ing.
The appointments for the War, Jus
tice and nomm'Ti'p portfolios are tho
same in the Cabinet which resigned
July 30 In consequence of charges of
election Irregularities affecting mem
bers of the government. Vice-Admiral
Kato, named for Minister of Marine,
was Admiral Togo's chief of staff in the
battle of the Sea of Japan, and last !
year was appointed commander-in
chief of the First Japanese Squadron.
M. Taketomi. selected for Minister of
Finance, was Minister of Communica
tions In the retired Cabinet, and M.
Ichlki, named as Minister of the In
terior. was Minister of Education. M. ,
Minoura, whose name is mentioned for |
Minister of Communications, has held j
several public offices and is editor of j
the Hochl Shimbun. Viscount Scngoku, j
alternative choice for fhis place, is a
member of the House of Peers and a
manufacturer, and formerly was secre
tary of the Home Office. M. Takata,
designated Minister of Education, Is
dean of Wascda University, and a mem
ber of the higher educational council.
LANDSLIDE KILLS SEVEN
Vltlnar I* Wrecked and I.oetMChoerfC
Tunnel EndanKcred.
[Special Cable t<> The Tlmes-Dlspatch.]
GENEVA, August 8.-?Seven persons
were killed and many injured by an
enormous landslide which swept tho
village of Ragogna, on the Simplon
line. Tho village was almost com
pletely wrecked by the falling bank of
earth and stone which measured half
a mllo In length.
The Loetschoerg tunnel, near this
point, was oiwlangerod.
No Announced Candidacies nnd No
Pronounced Issues Devel
oped So Far.
CONDITION WITHOUT PARALLEL
Forces Apparently Working In Favor
of Republican Party Months Ago
Made Futile by European War and
New Issues It Created.
[Special to The Tlmes-Dlspatch.1
WASHINGTON, August S.?Tho coun
try in being treated to a rnro political
phenomenon, marked by tho fact that
while a whole national campaign for tho
election of a President and a new Con
gross is considerably loss than a year
off, no announced candidates have de
veloped in either party, an.l no pro
nounced issues have assumed definite
form upon whh tho tight is to he pio
Jocted.
Political history will have to na
! searched for many fenerations back to
! produce a parallel to the present situ
ation. As a matter of fact, no exact
parallel can be pointed to. There may
I have been campaigns In which as littlo
I Interest has been manifest, but nonej
in which so many of the essential ele
ments were absent.
It is true that the Republican or
ganization is prolific in presidential
possibilities, thai willing leaders may
be found in all pjirts of the country
who might easily bo persuaded to as
sume tho responsibilities of a nomi
nation. but it Is equally true that not
one of them has passed beyond the
-favorite son" stasje. regardless of the
fact that the nominating conventions
are less than eight months off.
For instance. New York stands forth
with Root. Whitman and Hughes;
Massachusetts with Weeks; Idaho with
Borah; Indiana with Fairbanks; Illi
nois with Mann and Sherman; Ohio with
Burton. Ilerrlck and Willis; Iowa with
Cummins; Wisconsin with La Follette,
nnd so on down the list. In all this
host, however, there Is no towering
llgiire, no pre-eminent leader, no un
questioned Moses.
NOT O.VK AVOWED
CA NOW ATE IX MST
Moreover, In this list thorn is not
one avowed candidate for the Presl
rlont?not one whose friends claim tho
privilege of offering to the nation.
Hughes and Hoot, probably the two
ablest men on the roster, have each
declared and redeelared that they are
not candidates for the Republican
nomination. None of the others has
declined support for this honor, neither
have any of them come out into the
open with intentions of seeking sup-,
port. , ,
The truth is. Republican politics and
policies are very much in confusion,
nnd this confusion naturally involves
possible candidates. There have, been
many miscalculations on the part ufj
the opposition party since the Wilson
administration began. Many read
justments have become necessary, much
realigning In order to keep up with
the big events.
When the. Underwood tariff bill was
passed, Republican leaders were rea
sonably sure a winning issue had been
created. They believed hard times
would be inevitable, and a prosperity
platform had never failed to net them
thousands of votes. Then when the
repeal of tho canal tolls was enacted,
a piece of legislation that seemed to
split the majority party wide oPon,
another hopeful condition arose. Anti
trust legislation was forced through
Congress, and this was looked to to
increase the dissatisfaction of tho
business interests with the now re
All these forces appeared for a time
to he working for the success of tho
Republican party, and. Just as pre
dicted. a period of depression followed
,ho revision of tho tariff; business men,
pinched by restricted markets, began
to murmur, and the majority party or
(Continued on Fourth Pagfc.)
OFFER RECEIVES
FLAT REJECTION
FROMPETROBRAD
Told That Question of Peace
Negotiations Cannot
Be Raised Now.
KING OF DENMARK ACTS
AS INTERMEDIARY
Russia More Than Ever Deter
mined to Fight It Out
to Finish.
POLICY OF 1812 IR ADOPTED
Enemy Is Being Drawn Further and
Further Into Devastated
Country.
[Special Cahle to The Times-Dispatch.]
PETROGRAD, August 8.?From ab
solutely trustworthy sources the Bourse
Gazette learns that last week Emperor
William, through the King of Den
mark, offerer! the Russians terms of
peace. The reply of the Czar to the
j Danish monarch's letter was the cato
| gorical declaration that at the present
j time there could be no question of
peace negotiations.
j These statements are by no moans
improbable.
Having failed to carry out her orig
; inal program of crushing France In the
first few months of the war, Germany
has now altered her general plan, and
is straining every nerve to eliminate
Russia from the number of her an
tagonists, in order to he able to con
j centratc all her energies against the
I allies in the west, when they at last
are In a position to cause her serious
inconvenience.
GERMANY HAr> nOPED
TO ANNIHILATE ARMIES
Germany had hoped, by the mo
montum of her assault on both flanks
of the Polish salient, to cut oft and
ultimately destroy the Russian armies
occupying it, and thus reduce Russia
to impotence.
No doubt, her calculations were
largely based on the idea that the Rus
sians would cling desperately to the
Warsaw and Vistula fortresses, and
thus allow themselves to be caught in
a trap.
Last week it must have become clear
to the Germans that their plot was
frustrated. Thanks to the timely deci
sion of the Russian chief of command,
Warsaw was evacuated promptly and
with thoroughness. The Germans will
I And that the Polish capital Is an em
| barrasslng luxury.
1 It is quite natural that, under such
j circumstances, the Kaiser should
dangle temptations before the eyes of
j Russia. No doubt, the terms he offered
j seemed to himself generous and mag
nanimous. However, the emphatic re
. Jectlon of his offer Is a clinching proof
| of the steadfastness and constancy of
gallant Russia.
EJII'IHB IS DETERMINED
TO FIGHT TO FINISn
Further confirmation of the iron de
termination of this empire to fight to
a finish is found in a remarkable article
contributed to the Bourse Gazette by
General Mikhnevitch, head of the gen
eral staff, who places It beyond all
doubt that Russia deliberately adopted
the policy of 1812 of retreating every
where, at ease and in good order, leav
ing behind a desert stripped of every
thing that could be of advantage to the
foe. Ho says:
"If they want to, the Germans can
come on further and further, until such
times as Russia shall have supplied
her needs. They will have to light for
every step of gain, but the Czar's
armies wilt not allow themselves to be
pinned down to a decisive battle until
their equipment Is complete.
"Meanwhile, the Germans will leave
| the railways further and further be
hind them, ami will be compelled to
carry every ounce of food they need
across a devastated tract, where the
roads, at the best times, are few and
worse than .anywhere else in Europe.
"The only question about which there
could be any doubt is whether the Rus
sians have the hardness of temper to
make the necessary sacrifices.
"All doubts on this scorp aro now
set at rest. Tlmo is on Russia's aide.
In all the fundamental economic fac
tors. such as the area of agricultural
productiveness and the size of popula
tion. her advantago over her enemies
is enormous.
"While German industry has boen
paralyzed by the suspension of foreign
trade, Russia's peasantry, 87 per cent
of her people, are actually In a hotter
position than they were before the
war. This Is partly the result of en
forced sohrloty and partly because of
the great demands of the army com
nilssariat.
KCONO.MIC 1IKAHT OF
COli.XTII V r.XTOUCIIED
"The economic heart of Russia la
situated 800 miles from the frontier,
and is inaccessible to the enemy's
I sword.
"Tho enemy Is making frantic efforts
I to secure, at any rate, part of tho
booty he expected to fall Into hU
clutches with Warsaw and the Vts?
tula line.
"Vigorous attacks have been made on
the fortresses of Kovno and Ossowetz
and towards Ostorov, to the south of
the Narew, and In tho neighborhood o?
Sorock, where he la trying to cut