Evening star. [volume], August 18, 1917, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
/ ?
WEATHER.
Fair tonight and Sunday, moderate
temperature.
Temperature for twenty-four hours end
ing noon today: Highest, 87. at 2:20 p.m.
yesterday ; lowest. 61, at 6 a.m. today.
Full report on page 7.
of the
Pre*
TV Associated Ptn> Is cxrloslvelr SB titled
to the u?" for republicstlon of all newa credited
to It or not otherwise credited In this paper and
also the local new* published herein.
All rights of publication of apeclal <
herein arc also reserved.
IVet Circulation. Month sf Jalf,
1917, Dsllf Artrste, 87?M5| Snndny,
No. 26,779.
WASHINGTON, ?> C., SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 1917?SIXTEEN PAGES.
ONE CENT.
250 MAYBE DEAD
RESULT OF BLAST
IN POWDER MILL
Great Plant at Rigaud, Que
bec, Employing 5,000 Per
sons, Reported in Flames.
FORTY HOUSES WRECKED
IN A NEARBY VILLAGE
Communication Cat Off and Only
Meager Details of Disaster
Have Been Received.
OTTAWA. Ont., August
18.?First reports received
here from the scene of the
powder explosion today at
Rigaud. Quebec, state that
in the Neighborhood of 250
persons have been killed.
MONTREAL. August IS.?A terrific
explosion ?t the powder plant of Cur
tis & Harvey, Limited, at Rigaud. Que
bec. today is believed to have caused
heavy loss of life. Five thousand men
and women are employed at the plant,
which covers an area of five square
miles.
Reports received here soon after the
explosion said the plant was nearly all
1n flames. Passengers on a Canadian
Pacific railroad train, which passed the
scene of the disaster, placed the num
ber of dead from the first explosion at
twenty.
Three Explosions Reported.
From points near Rigaud it was
learned that three explosions took
place. vThe first, at 9 o'clock, was
heard In Vaudreuil. twenty miles away.
It was followed by two others in quick
succession.
The explosion disrupted the telephone
and telegraph communication with
Rigaud. making it difficult to obtain in
formation. Traffic on the Canadian
Pacific tailroat^s Ottawa-Montreal line,
which passes -close to the plant, has
been suspended.
Rigaud is a post village in Vaudreuil
county, Quebec, on the Riviere a la
Graisse, forty-five miles southwest of
Montreal. It had a population prior to
the war of about 1,000 persona
Forty Houses Wrecked.
Trainman ?b? Kk *>ra>' from the
scene of the explafTfcn reported that at
Dragon, a little Tillage near the pow
der plant, forty houses occupied by
workmen were raied by the force of
the explosion.
The passengers said it was impossi
ble to obtain definite figures, as hun
dreds rushed into the open country
when the first explosion occurred, and I
few had returned when their train left I
for Montreal.
The extent of the explosion may be
judged by the fact that two farm
houses more than a mile from the plant
were blown down. At noon the village
of Dragon was blazing and it looked as
if it would be destroyed.
The whole countryside was covered
at 10 o'clock with a dense coppejr-col
ored smoke. A special train of doctors
and nurses left here at 10:30 o'clock for
the scene of the disaster.
The officials here of Curtiss & Har
vey. Limited, lacked information as to
th^r cause, of the explosion. It was said
that probably three hundred persons
were working in the section of the
plant where the first explosion took
place. It is believed by the officials the
two other explosions were caused by
fire which spread from the first.
STRIKERS WILL CONTINUE
TO FIGHT FOREST FIRES
Lumberjacks Will Remain on Job
No Matter What Action the
I. W. W. Leaders Take.
MISSOULA. Mont., August 18.?More
than 500 striking lumberjacks, mem
bers of the Industrial Workers of the
World, who have been sent from Mis
soula to fight fires for the United States
forest service, will stick to their jobs,
even though the threatened general
?tike of the Industrial Workers is
called next Monday, according to a
statement today by Arthur W. Smith,
secretary of the organization here.
The announcement is Important, forest
service officials say, because the fire
situation is now more serious than at
any time this year Dangerous fires
are spreading rapidly through dry for
ests and men enough to combat them
successfully cannot be obtained.
Fires near Fa 1 son, Idaho, along the
Chicago. Milwaukee, and St. Paul rail
road. are the most serious in the dis
trict. and are said to be thretening the
. power lines which supply the electrified
' division of the road.
NATURALIZED AMERICAN
GLEEFULLY JOINS ARMY
Alexander Schaffner Embraces Ex
amining Surgeons When Told He
Is Eligible for Service.
CONNKR.SVil,I.E. lnd.. August 18-a.1
Alexander Schaffner. formerly Alexander
Koffovitch. wh<? came to America from
Ituw-ia i-averal >ears ago. today was one
of the happiest men of draft age in Fay
ette ?sounty. Granted his first citizenship
papers yesterday morning. Schaffner was
ushered from the county clerk's office to
the room where physical examinations
for draff*6"eligibles were being conducted
Schaffner made a special display of his
physical prowess, and when told he was
physically fit he emitted a s^rien of ye'ls
and braced the examining doctors. Then
he shook hands with every man in the
room and those waiting outside. He em
ployed a motor cy?-le owner to carry him
in a s.de car to ihe homes of the various
conecrip'ion offic??!?. where he serenaded
them, playing "The Star Spangled Banner"
*? J :.ut .>r:al anthems of oth*r entente
nation-- on an accoidion Later he dis
tributed cigars ar?>or?g hiii friends.
Conscription officials contrasted his
rr'rit w??h th=* attitude shown by other
men of draft age.
OFFERS DRASTIC MEASURE
TOPRESERVEORDERHERE
Senator Myers Introduces Bill Aim
ed at Suffrage Picketing. With Ob
jectionable Banners.
Senator Myers of Montana introduced
a bill in the Senate today proposing
some drastic amendments to the law to
preserve order and peace in the Dis
trict of Columbia. The bill was re
ferred to the committee on judiciary.
Senator Myers, in a brief statement
to the Senate, said he was moved to in
troduce this bill on account of the out
rageous. scandalous and almost treason
able actions which have been going on j
around the White House for months, i
He said these actions constituted an
insult to the President and to the peo
ple of the United States.
He' declared that the branding of the
President of the United States on the
banners displayed before the White
Housf as comparable with the emperor
of Germany was outrageous. He said
that the emperor of Germany was the
greatest despot and tyrant in history,
a murderer, who has brought upon the
world the greatest scourge it had ever
known.
Denounced as Infamous.
He denounced as infamous the prac
tice of picketing and displaying of ban
ners and said that it ought to be stop
ped. It hws been going on for months
and if there is no adequate law to stop
it then the law ought to be amended.
"I believe the people of the country
are tired and disgusted with the per
formance.'* said Senator Myers. "The
President, out of the kindness of his
heart, had pardoned some of the of
fenders. ar.d he feared that the Presi
dent had erred when he pardoned them.
They had deserved their sentences of
sixty days in the workhouse and should
have served them.
Time for Congress to Act.
"Although the President had erred
through kindness, it is time for Con
gress to step in and effectually put an
end to the disgraceful occurrences."
Senator Brandege of Conencticut sug
gested that as the law has been suffi
cient to convict them, there would seem
to be no necessity for amendments, un
less the senator wanted to deprive the
President of his constitutional right of
pardon.
Senator Myers insisted that there was
no such intention, but he thought Con
gress should make the law so plain and
drastic that it would put a stop to all
such disorder in the future.
Penalties Imposed.
The bill introduced by Senator Myers ;
to prohibit display of inflammatory
banners in the District applies to war
time only, and imposes penalties of a
fine of not less than $100 or more than
$1,000, or imprisonment for not less
than thirty days nor more than one
year, or both fine and imprisonment.
The proposed law applies to banners
whose wording is calculated to bring
the President or the government of the
United States into contempt, or which
may tend to cause confusion, excite
ment or obstruction of tjie streets. It
prohibits banners bearing objectionable
language, with reference to the Presi
dent, the Vice President, the Constitu
tion. to the duties of executive officers
or proposed amendment to the Consti
tution or. the laws relating to suffrage
or rights of citiaens.
AMERICA IS TO MAKE
REPLY INDEPENDENTLY
The reply of the United States to j
the Pope's peace note will be sent in- |
dependently and not in connection with |
any answer from the other belligerents.
At least this is the plan at this time as
indicated by Secretary I^ansing. A re
ply may not be expected until the note
has been carefully considered.
It is generally taken to be the fact
that President Wilson and Secretary !
Lansing will be aided by the tenor of the
opinions of the other belligerents and
that the diplomatic representatives in
Washington are exchanging the views
of their governments with the State
Department.
SEE NO DANGER OF STRIKE
AT BROOKLYN NAVY YARD
Shipyard Wap Contention Is to Be
Beviewed at Xieting of Union
Delegates Tuesday.
NEW YORK. August 18.?While tilt
general situation of the striking ship
yard workers is to be reviewed at a
meeting of delegates of the various
unions to be held in Tammany Hall
next Tuesday, it was said today that
there was no danger of the strike;
spreading to the employes of the j
Brooklyn navy yard. Labor leaders es- j
iimated there were about 12,000 men i
'engaged in the various shipbuilding
trades out on a strike in New York j
and vicinity. The m*n ask for an in- '?
crease in wages of about GO cents a I
day, making the wage for skilled labor}
$4.50 a day It was learned today that ,
the men working at the navy yard are j
being pai<> the $4.50 rate, and that thej
union men were satisfied with con-s
ditions at all government plants. j
The strike spread yesterday to the j
yards of the Standard Shipbuilding j
Company, the New Jersey Drydock !
Company, at Elizabeth, N. J.. and its!
allied yards on Staten I.- land, and to j
the repair yard of the Morgan Steam-)
ship Company. It was estimated that ,
about 3.500 workers Joined the strik- j
ers yesterday.
The strike at the Standard Shipbuild- j
ing Company's yard is one of the few j
instances where it may interfere with ?
government work.
AMBULANCE AS GIFT.
Presentation to Virginia Battalion
of Infantry by Jefferson Club.
! S|M>fij| to The Star.
RICHMOND, Va., August 18.?A mod
ern and complete ambulance of the type
used by the government has been pre- j
: sented to Gov. Henry C. Stuirt by Wil-1
I liam H. rtchawrxschild, president of ihe
Jefferson Club of this city. This is the I
'.most exclusive and fashionable Jewish
i club in ltichmond.
The ambulance is the gift of the club
j to the 1st Battalion. 1st Virginia In
; fantry. Gov. Stu?.i*t received the gift on
I behalf of the troops, and then in turn
J presented it to Maj. J. Fulmer Bright,
| commanding the battalion. The ambu
lance ?as furnished with a case of the
latest surgical instruments and is ready
for field service. There are a number
of Jews in the military commands from
this city, while there are few of the
companies from any part of Virginia
which have not Jewish soldiers in their
make up... .^
:Jv\
Income and Profits Provisions
Principal Item in Dispute
in Senate.
|
FEW UNCONTESTED ITEMS
Only a few of the uncontested provi
sions of the war tax bill remained to
he disposed of when the Senate resumed
consideration of the measure today.
Much headway is being made in dispos
ing of important features, among them
being the wine and motor vehicle sched
ules.
With the disposal of all the uncon
tested provisions, the Senate's decks
then will be cleared for action on the
income and war profits taxes, the prin
cipal point in dispute.
Senator Gore of Oklahoma offered an
i amendment today to the war tax bill pro
[ viding that none of the money raised by
t the bill shall be expended for sending:
troops abroad unless soldiers have vol
j unteered for the sfrvice.
Further progress was made in the
Senate yesterday on the bill.
The Senate adopted an amendment f
by Senator I'nderwood of Alabama pro
viding: that war increases in postage !
rates shall npt be the basis of increas
ing: any postmaster's compensation.
"Senator Hardwick of Georgia intro
du6ed his substitute amendment, re- i
Jected by the finance committee and in- '
dorsed by the Post Office Department,
for the committee's provision to in
crease second-class postage rates.
The substitute would leave the present i
rate of 1 cent a pound on news sections of
publications, but tax advertising: portions J
3 cents a pound until July 1 next, 6 cents!
a pound until July 1, 1919, and 8 cents a
pound thereafter.
To meet objections against repeal of the
"drawback" allowance of sugnir refiners.
Senator Broussard of Ixmisiana introduced
an amendment providing that the allied
governments may import raw sugar into
this country for refining free of duty.
Senator Thompson of Kansas offered
an amendment to exempt bank checks
from the proposed 1-cent stamp tax.
House Provisions Approved.
The revisions of the finance commit
tee levying between $40,000,000 and
$j?0.000,000 on owners of motor ve
hicles instead of $6S,000.000 on manu
facturers, as proposed by the House
bill, were adopted, as were the in - i
crease* *ates on wines, estimated to!
raise $21.0ov.000 against 56.000,000 I
under the House rates.
House provisions levying a 5 per cent
tax upon gross sales of many manu
facturers and designed to raise $118.
750,000 also were formally eliminated,
the new automobile and other reduced
taxes being substituted.
The Senate also accepted the finance
committee's action in striking out the
House provision far Afditioud federal
taxation of innarttiancoii, designed to
raise $0.000,000. New Kngland senators
protested that inheritances are a prime
source of local, state taxation and
should not be interfered with by the
federal government.
Surtax on Automobiles.
An amendment to the automobile
section suggested by Senator Knox and
adopted imposes a surtax of $!?> -for
each $.~?0o value on cars costing more
than $3,000.
As accepted the section now provides
the following motor vehicle taxes, pay
able by owners of those not used ex
clusively for business purposes: Motor
cycles. $2.50; automobiles costing un- j
der $.>0O. $r? annually; costing between
and *7."?o, $7.."?o; costing between
$75o and $1,000. ?1?\ with $."> additional
for each $r?oo up to S." 0oo. and $lu for
ea< h $5oo above *.*!.?m?o.
The tax. based upon original list
price, would be reduced by 10 per cent
for each year's use of the machine up
to a gross allowance of ."70 per cent.
PRESIDENT KEEPS TAB
ON MOVES BY I. W. W.
Chief Justice Covington Is Report
ing Direct on Western
Labor Troubles.
President Wilson, in making a per
sonal study of the labor situation in
the northwest, especially in Washing
ton. Oregon, Montana and Idaho, where
a general strike of the I. W. W.
threatened next Monday, is keeping in '
touch with the situation through ?'hief
Justice Covington of the Supreme Court
of the District of Columbia, his per
sonal investigator now in the west.
Situation Still Is Grave.
Department of Labor conciliators on
the ? ground reporter! over night that
the situation seemed to have changed
sliiefctly for the better, although it was
still grave, offers of mediation have
been made in some instances and will !
probably be made in others today.
Department of Justice officials, scan- :
ning over-night reports, saw little :
change in the situation. A recommenda- |
tion said to have been reached at a con- !
ference yesterday among Gov. I.ister of I
Washington, the state attorney general
ami representatives of the Department
of Justice had not be?n received here
today. The recommendation, it was re
ported. was to the effect t!;;ir all strike
leaders should be summarily arrested
! when the strike became effective.
In the absence of official confirmation
of the report, department officials de
clined to comment on the situation.
May Avert Coal Strike.
I Officials in clos? touch with the threat
ened miners' f-trike situation in Alabama
I were optimistic early today that the
?strike would be averted by developments;
| within a few hours.
?
I Paris Club for Allied Officers.
| PARIS. August 18.?The presence of so
j many allied officers in Paris has resulted
in the formation ?<f ? military club f,?rl
j their use. Karon Henri de Rothschild has i
offered his mansion in the Kue Sauit j
I Honore. with gardens reaching to the'
Champs Klysee. as a clubhouse. Marshal
Joffre has accepted the honorary presi
dency.
U. S. Sailor's Body Washes Ashore.
BASK OF THK AMERICAN KLOTILI.A
IN BRITISH WATERS, August IK.?The
body of James H. Bush, twenty-eight years
old. of Brockton. Mass.. fireman on an
American destroyer, has been mashed
ashore, clearing up the mystery of his dis
appearance ten days ago while on watch.
Aocidental drowning was the verdict at
an inquest. It is the first death since tho
arrival of the.flotilla. .
Danger of Immediate Strike at Lon
don Involves Many Bailway En
gineers and Firemen.
LONDON. August 18?There is con
!! f, ,lanKer an immediate
strike involving about half the en
gineers and flre-men employed on Brit
' railroads, the main point at issue
being the recognition of the principle
Of an eight-hour day. although the de
mand does not necessarily include mak
ing the principle effective during the I
r?a?iin Th? ,m1ni00ncerr"?d nui?ber about I
Sy a?"f l ocomStil0. Etigi neers '^tnd I
the^much ,?'r union o'f raT 1
SrJnen. wh,ch '? no' involved Th. i
trouble ha* t*.?n hr?? . "* 1
tim?L., * hre*ln" fo<" some j
fP-y dh?< i
ers in thhope 'of'arrangIng'the1 d
pute although without 5uc.?,? Adt' -:
were not granted. "CaUSe ,he j
Ute in the evening: Secretarv r?nr>?? i
ther ^Uu^eit7ons? Jhirh^1^^8 fUr" '
Often Work 15 Hours at a Stretch, i
^irr I
recognizing* the
(ess-it; ofoworking somewhat longer")^
I
~ j
would 'ause dXv"T,r?hewh""
tion of wounded, as wen as reTnfor'e" l'
menls of men and supplies to ports V 1
^Th?n%? ^
regards ?raXe7chSo?7abSr "uceh ? |
'eerns however, that there is some'an
tagonism between the two tin on" It
w predicted that if the strike develops I
measures!""men' ?"'? '?ke ver^t?'# j
GREAT LAKES FREIGHTERS
FOR WAR TRADE SERVICE
Federal Apent at Cleveland to Com- i
mnndeer.Craft for Coastwise and 1
Transoceanic Traffic.
< I.l.\ ICLANT). Ohio, August 18 Al
representative of the Inite.j states'
shipping board was in Cleveland today,'
definitely initiating government plans '
to commandeer lake freighters for
coastwise and transoceanic war trade
Figures tabulated by the government
agent in conference with local shinning :
ex pel ts owners, builders and tug men I
show that upward of eighty lake
Can be taken to salt water The ???., !
ping boards dec.sion will rest upon the '
report to he made by its .epresema,ive i
The plan IS to take every boat possible
of prssmg through the Welland ??!? '
and thence through the St. I.awrenc? '
river to the Atlantic before lake tr-ir ?
fit* is i<*ebo'.infl. The ?him>in<r i.A, , f" ?
now making a list 0f bon.a under 2?'? '
feet length and 4:: feet beam wjilch I
can pass through the Welland can-.
without alteration. canal (
Boats up to 520 foot length and not
more than 4:: feet beam will l>* t?ut in
two and towed hy tugs through th2
canal and river. e .
PITTSBURGH TB00PS PABADE. '
City Bids Farewell to Men Depart-j
in? for Training Camp.
I-ITTSKI KCH. August IS.?With a '
military review and n:ir-<ri?
than 4.000 former Pennsylvania nl' ?
th.nal guardsmen row in federS se??'
Ice, the city of Pittsburgh today ba"e '
farewell to the troops that have been
concentrated here for more than a week
awaiting orders to proceed to ,h?
?southern training camp at Auirnsta J
Only the former guardsmen nni
recently commissioned as officers a Z'm"
various officers' reserve traini?
were permitted parade*
was reviewed by Brig. Oen A t t
and Mayor Joseph Armstrong. Kan
Count Andnusy May Be Premier
COPENHAGEN, August 18-b?h'
pest papers say that Cot,nt Juilu? a?"
drassy is slated to succeed Ooi.nJ u A,n"
Esterhaiy as premier of Run?r^?ThI1
prime minister fa expected
leave his post on account of hi health*
SMALL COMMITTEE IS
TO FLOAT NEXT LOAN
Work in Second Federal Reserve
Bank District Is Already
Being Planned.
' NEW YORK. August 18.?The actual
? work in connection with the flotation
of the next offering of liberty bonds
; in the second federal reserve bank dis
J trlct will be done by a small commit
I tee. composed of not more than five
| or six members. The decision to place
; the responsibility for the success of
| the forthcoming loan in the hands of
l a few men was dictated, it was said,
today by the fact that the large num
ber of subcommittees in the first loan
campaign resulted in confusion and
duplication of effort. Among the names
meutiojaed as probable members of the
eemroittee are CUarles E. Mitchell,
president of the National City Com
! pany; Allen B. Forbes. Guy Emerson
i and Arthur M. Anderson.
I Owing to the large number of young
1 er men employed in the financial dis
I trict who have been drafted into the
! National Army or are eligible to serve,
j members of the liberty loan general
I committee said today that it may be
i difficult to raise a large enough force
I of competent clerks to handle the de
! tail work of the sale and distribution
! of the loan.
NeT Issue Before Committee.
I The House ways and means committee
| had before it today Secretary McAdoo'a
{ proposal for a bond issue of $7,53S,945,
j 000, to bear 4 per cent interest and
subject only to income supertaxes, war
i profits and excess profits taxes. The
! proposed legislation is intended to pro
j vide $4,000,000,000 for additional loans
j to the allies and for retirement of the
$3,000,000,000 non-taxable 3 ^ per cent
' bond issue now authorized to meet al
: lied loans.
The committee will meet a week from
i today and prospects are that it will ac
cept the 4 per cent proposal. Full sup
j port of the committee for authorization
of the bonds is expected, although sen
| tiinent apparently is strong for a flat
j levy of 6per cent on the interest rate
'for the applicat'on of the income tax. It
! is hopec' to put the necessary legisla
tion through the House inside of a week
after the committee acts.
FEATURES
WORTH READING
Among the many feature* to be found
tomorrow in The Surday Star the fol
lowing arc of particular appeal:
XATIOXAL SERVICE FOR AMERICA
Anoth> r in the really remarkable;
nrrie* of article*, by ISAAC /?'. MAR
rossoX.
"MISSIXG? PAGE II" An unusually
inter/ft I tiff detect ire story, by Anna
Kathcrine Gre?n. in her series of storie*
i each complete in itself > entitled 'THE
PROBLEMS OF VIOLET STRAXGE."
\ WASHIXOTOX MYSTIC GIVES
STARTLIXG EX III BITKtXS OF "OC
CULT TRUTHS."
CAMP CITIES TO 11E HOMUS OF
OCR IlKi X ATI OX A I. ARMY.
'ROMAXCE AX l> ADVEXTURE IX
THE RISE Of EDWARD V. HUB
LEY." by JAMES H. MORROW.
.IE A LIXO I'A IH.) MI'TILA Tl'.D ITAL
IA V SOLDIERS RY THE MERE
pnWER OF SUGGESTIOX.
HOW EVERY XM ERIC AX WOMAX (AX
T1KE PART IX THE COXSFRIA
TIOX OF FOOD AX It HEALTH.
'WHEX TASTE A \1> E SOW LEDGE OF
liRESS IS X EC ESS A RY," by A X XI.'
Rl TTEXII Ol'SE.
REAL PIOXEER1XG WITIIIX .1 FEW
MILES OF WASHIXGTOX A iron
derfully interesting story of a man tcho
in,at back to the toil a feu: years ago
and made a succes* of it.
'THE CAPE TO CAIRO LI X E AS A
RESl'LT OF THE El ROPE AX WAR."
by CHARLES M. PEPPER.
THE RAM RLE R WRITES OE THE
SEW ALL AX I> BARBOUR FAMILIES.
HISTORY OE THIS GREAT WAR IS
ALREADY REIXG WRITTEX.
' IFiCHIXG SAMMIES IX FRAXCE
Tit PROTECT THEMSELVES." by
STERLIXG II El LI G.
"ORGA XI'UXG THE LI MBER IXDl S
TRY FOR THE ARMY AXD XAVY."
by FRAXK G. CARPESTF.R.
I V THE PLA XOG HA IF RE SECTIOX :
A XFMRFR OF REMARKABLE WAR
PHOTOGRAPHv. Including: A Xcw
Snti*n/irlnr. Controlled by Wireless.
Which May Rout Germans; A Camou- \
frge Tank to Fool the Enemy; An
Actual Rat tie Sc-ne on the Austro
Itati'in Front: Feeding a Monster Brit
ish Gun : The Spoils of War Picked Up
on the Battlefield.
SCFXES AT AXXISTOX, ALA.. WHERE
KATIOXAL GUARD OF THE DIS
TRICT IS TO TRAIX.
LADIES' DAY AT THE MUNICIPAL
POOLS.
Tomorrow in The
SUNDAY STAR
COAL HEARING 10 BE
| RESUMED MONDAY
i
I Justice Carter Announces All Sides
i
Will Be Given Opportunity
in Illinois.
1 By the Associated PrfM.
j CHICAGO, August IS.?The coal sit
j nation in Illinois remained unsettled
j today, the public hearing on prrce fix
| in* by Justice O. N. Carter, director of
<oal. having- been adjourned until next
f Monday. Justice Carter, acting under
instructions from Gov. Frank O. Dow
den, has announced he will proceed
with the hearing until all sides have
presented their cases, after which he
will set a price for fuel at the mine
mouth unless such power has in the
meantime been assumed by the federal
governments
i The coal operator* have publicly re
pudiated an agreement reached with
Gov. T ipyttW' itifc Wfinlr which resulted
in the apbomtraient or Justice Carter as
state coal director, with authority to
fix prices.
Their action caused Gov. Lowden to
consider seizure of mine properties in
the state, to which end he has called
upon State Attorney General Brundage
for information as to the proper proce
j dure to follow. Gov. J?wden sent a
! telegram to Francis S. Peabody. chair
| man of the coal committee of the Na
tional Council of Defense, declaring he
might be obliged to take possession
of the coal mines in the state in order
to enforce the contract he made with
the operators. Mr. Peabody, in his re
ply, asked the governor to delay, as
serting federal action would no doubt
be forthcoming shortly.
In a telegram to Samuel Insull. chair
man of the state council of defense.
President Wilson also gave assurance
that the Illinois coal problem "is re
ceiving the most careful attention, and
everything that can be done will be
done."
Many of the 20.000 c?al miners who
have been on strike in certain districts
of Illinois have already returned to
work and labor leaders predicted today
that others would resume work next
Monday.
DR. MICHAELIS OPPOSED
TO RULE BY PARLIAMENT
Article by German Chancellor Res
urrected to Show Political
Beliefs.
j COPENHAGEN,, August IS.?Interest -
j ing light on the political creed of Dr.
jGeorg Michaelis. the German chan
cellor, is given in an article which he
wrote in December. 1914. for an obscure
religious weekly, which has now been
! resurrected. It condemns parliament
arism on the one hand and on the other
the selfish policy of the conservative
party.
"What democrat, in view of the mis
erable fiasco of parliamentarism in
; England, of the republican constitution
? in France, can demand parliamentary
rule in Germany?" Dr. Michaelis asked
i "Who will dare to touch the emperor's
military authority?" He challenged
those who "wish to place the noose of
ministerial responsibility to the law
about the neck of the chancellor."
After paying a tribute to the social
ists, Dr. Michaelis rebuked the conser
vatives, saying they opposed franchise
reform and an inheritance tax to pro
tect their own power and pocketbooks,
and determined their policy in regard
I to other legislation by personal instead
j of national interests.
| NEW YORK EXPECTS CLASH
j OVER SOAP BOX ORATORY
i
I
j Effort of Vigilantes to Suppress In
1 cendiary Speech to Be Opposed
by "Constitutionalists."
i
NEW YORK, August IS.?Madison j
Square, Union Square and street cor- i
ners along Broadway in the theatrical'
district where soap-box orators nightly
? air their views, under the guise of free
speech, have been cho'sen as the centers
of attack tonight by squads of vigi
lants in the campaign against so-call
ed pro-German orators.
Opposed to the vigilants will be con
stitutionalists, who plan to see-that the
rights of free speech are not impaired.
At the same time the friends of Irish
freedom have announced their inten
tion to test their right to continue
criticising Great Britain, to which
Cleveland Moffett, the author, objected
recently and was arrested.
Membership In the vigilants was in
creased to ninety today.
GERMANIC ALLIES
MASK) PEACE
Austria Wishes Favorable An
swer to Pope?Bulgars
Covet Occupied Areas.
BERLIN REPLY TO WAIT
By the A?sociat*d Pr?*M.
COPENHAGEN, August 18?The Ger |
man foreign office is not yet ready to
announce the government's standpoint
on the Pope's peace proposals and an
answer probaldy will be delayed consid
erably while the four central powers
are endeavoring to reconcile somewhat
divergent views and interests regarding |
peace.
A cordial article in the Cologne Ga
zette perhaps presages the German point
of view by declaring it is the duty of all
governments to support any effort at
! honorable mediation and pointing out
that the Pope's action is in line with
previous efforts of Germany.
Austria for Favorable Reply.
It is evident that Austria-Hungary
will throw its full weight in favor of
J an affirmatitve answer to the Pope's
welcome proposal just as Bulgaria,
which recently has been manifesting
i extreme sensitiveness upon Austto
Germat} discussion of the future of
Macedonia, will flatly and vehemently
oppose any acceptance of return of oc
cupied areas. The note which was sent
i direct to the ??mperor by the i'ope was
published in the morning papers.
I While the newspaper Germania, as
i befits its representative Catholic char
acter. is decidedly optimistic regard
ing the prospects for taneible results,
most papers are rather skeptical as to
the chances that it will lead to any
thing in the immediate future.
Stand of Pan-Germans.
At least the pan-German papers insist
that peace on the proposed basis is
utterly impossible. Th* Herlin Tages
Zeitung in its comment says the evacu
ation of Belgium and all occupied re
gions of France is impossible, just be
cause independent Belgium henceforth
would be an irreconcilable enemy of
Germany and it must be subordinated to
the security of Germany's frontiers.
Even the plan gf the former German
chancellor. Dr. von Bethmann Hollweg.
for a Polish protectorate is rejected,
because the Poles have shown them
selves ungrateful for favors granted
them.
Oppose Pope's Program.
The L.okal Anzeiger says it is now
clear that the Vatican was behind the
? recent action of Mathias Krzberger
and the center party which led to the
adoption of the reichstag peace reso
lution. It quotes a '?well informed
politician." evidently a member of the
center j>arty. as sayln* that the Pope
knows i?ermany's peace conditions and
undoubtedly informed the entente gov
ernments in regard to them before
[venturing to make this proposal. Be
I ing an annexationist organ, the I.okal
J Anzeiger disapproves the Pope's pro
gram.
The Fremdenblatt of Hamburg says
the Pope obviously chose a poor time
for his proposals, which can count on
no particularly favorable reception, at
a moment when the necessity of prose
cuting the war is being announced on
jail sides.
Sees Balance With Entente.
The note contains one point agiee
able to Germany and other* favorable
to the entente, the newspaper says, the
balance undoubtedly being on the side
of the entente. It continues:
"It is questionable enough for the
Pope t<? include so delicate a question
as that of Belcium. but far more so to
touch the questions of Alsace-Lorraine.
Trent and Trieste, affecting the disposal
of German and Austria^ soil. These
points are treated carefully, but not in
'delicate enough form to make it pos
sible for Germans to take up even
academic discussion with foreigners of
matters bound up so indissolubly with
the fate of Germany as the disposition
of Alsace-Lorraine.**
The newspaper regrets that the papal
note makes it needlessly difficult in
regard to this and other points for
the Germans to recognize the praise
worthy intent of the pontiff's efforts.
Pope's Plan Considered
Shortsighted by Paris;
Terms Unacceptable
By tke AMsoriat*-?l Pr?-s*.
PARIS. August 1*.?The impression
gathered in well informed circles here
is that the peace proposal of Pope
Benedict has not modified the situation
from the viewpoint of the entente al
lies. who have no reason to depart
from the attitude they outlined in re
ply to President Wilson's peace note.
The pontiffs document will be con
sidered with the deference due to th<*
personamv of the author, but not with
the idea that it necessarily calls for
a reply, because it raises no new issu- s
and simply seeks to put the belliger
ents In the position t'nev occupied at
the beginning of hostilities, which, it
is pointed out. is an absolute impos
? sioility. , . ,
! Particular stress is laid ??n the mo
I merit chosen for the sending of the
l note?when the military situation on
; the Russian and Rumanian fronts tem- ,
porarilv is favorable to the central
powers?and on the nropositlon of th*
i'ope to leave Belgium and France to
restore their own devastated r^eions j
while Germany, with the agricultural I
and industrial machinery of which she ;
has stripped those regions, would en- :
jov a crushing economic superiority for j
years to come.
Deemed Fatal Defect.
This is considered the fatal defect in i
the pont ff's plan?that the allies would
be precluded from economic measures ,
for th^ir protection against the central
empires, while Germany would be al
lowed to profit from her invasion of
j Belgium and northern France.
' The plan for the settlement of the
rase of Alsace-1-orraine. Trent and
Trieste is contrasted with the proposi
tion regarding Poland, the latter seem
ing to accord perfectly with the ulans
of the central powers, while the for-j
mer is regarded hjj likely only to de
velop an interminable diplomatic em- j
broglio The humanitarian reasons for;
the pope's action are admitted and ap-J
predated, but they are considered :
short-sighted, as it is stated that the j
peace proposed is so unstable as not j
to guarantee its duration beyond the}
time necessary for the belligerents to!
recover from the wastage of this war j
and prepare for another. It is stated 1
that the real interests of humanity re
quire a decisive result In this war.
which, it is held, alone can prevent
another.
The Catholic Gaulois makes a distinc
tion between the solemn ? office of the
pontiff in decreeing articles of faith
and the expression of purely human
" (Continued on Seventh Pa|^.)
Teuton Attacks Fail Complete
ly After Fierce Fighting in
Flanders.
FRENCH MAKE PROGRESS
Br the A?iM>c-tatc<I Pnnt.
LONDON. August 18. The German
troops in Flanders wcro again com
pletely repulsed by the British after
sharp fighting. according to the British
official statement issued early thia
morning. The statement says
"The enemy early today delivered an
other counter attack against our re
cently raptured positions immediately
northwest of Lena. Ilis troops were
attain completely repulsed after sharp
fighting. in which we secured a few
prisoners. There was considerable hos
tile artillery activity during the night
in this neighborhood and also north
east of Ypres."
Twenty-Four German Guns Seized.
The statement of last night reads:
"On the Ypres l.att'e front otir allien
have improved their position slightly in
the neighborhood of the Steerl?eke and
have taken further prisoners. Otherwise,
the situation lias not changed No further
counter attacks have liecn attempted by
the enemy Twenty-four German guns, in
cluding numb -r of heavy guns, have
been captured by the allies.
"On the I a >os I-attic front we have se
cured the positions captured by us yester
day afternoon and have gained further
ground west of Lens. Th- number of pris
oners taken in this area sine*; the com
mencement of our attack now totals 1,120,
including twenty-three officers.
Raid East of Vermelles.
"We carried out last n'ght a successful
raid east of Vermelles. The enemy's sup
port line was reached and many casualties
were inflicted.
"There was great activity in the air yes
terday, although*a strong west wind mada
fighting difficult. Our airplanes had greatly
the better of the fighting and were able to
carry out their task successfully in spite
of the determined efforts on the part of
I hostile aircraft to interfere with their
work.
Our activity commenced l?efore dawn
and continued uninterruptedly throughout
the day. Hostile airdromes were cleared
with machine gun fire from a height of a
few score feet A total of nine and one
half tons of botr.bs was dropped on the
enemy's airdromes, railway stations and
billets.
"Other machines directly assisted our
infantry in their attack, harassing the /
German infantry and gunners with may
chine gun fire. Our artillery fired directly
upon concentrations of German troops.
Fifteen hostile machines were brought
j down, eleven others were driven down out
? of control. One German observation bal
loon was also brought down aflame. Kiev*
en of our airplanes are missing "
Denies Loss of Langenxarck.
The official press bureau denies that
! the Germans have recaptured I-ange
imarck. Belgium. Concerning the report in
j the German official communication that
| the forces of Crown Prince Rupprecht
i had retaken the town, which was captured
? by the Kritish Thursday, the official press
| bureau issued the following comrnunica
i tion:
"The German wireless official com
munication contains a series of mis
statements. The right flank of the
allied attack on Thursday was on the
Ypres-Menfcn road.* There was no at
tack between this road and the River
Lys The enemy, therefore, nearly
doubled the length of the front of
attack.
"The enemy has not recovered I?ange
marck, nor did lie make any attempt
to do so. A British staff officer re
ported at *? p.m. "today that he had
Just returned from Langemarck, where
he had been for five hour>
"The British troops hold not only
Langemarck. but a considerable lengtii
of the German offensive position
yards north of Langemarck.
Reference to Pcelkappelle.
j "The reference to 1 'oelkappelle ob
J viously is intended t?? give the im
i pres&'ion that the British failed to
j reach some imaginary and distant ob
jective just as in the German official
statement Thursday it was implied that
the British objecti\e on th?- l^ens front
was Vendin-le-Vieil. It is sufficient to
state that the British troops gained
all their objectives not only north of
Lens on Wednesday. I?ut also from St.
Julien northward on Thursday."
The statement also points out that
the G^rrtan claim that the attack on
Wednesday was made with four Cana
dian divisions was an exaggeration.
| PARIS. August 1*.?The French last
j night made further progress in Bel
| gium north <?f the road between Bix
schoote and I*ang< nrck, it is an
I nounced officially. They captured a
! strong point of support east of the
; Steenbeke river. German attacks on
j the Aisne front were repulsed.
??n the Verdun front tlie French In a
; brilliant attack recaptured positions
recently taken by th.? Germans, com
pletely re-establishing their lines. The
announcement follows:
"In Belgium our troops continued to
make progress north of the road from
Bixschoote to Langemarck and carried
a strong enemy point of support east
j of Steenbeke.
j "North of the Aisne-we repulsed sev
eral attacks, especially east of the
j Froidmont farm. In Champagne our
i artillery fire prevented an attack
which the enemy was preparing: in the
, sector of Massiges.
"On the right bank of the Meuse
(Verdun front) our troops made a
brilliant counter-attack at Caurierea
wood and recaptured elements of
trenches taken by the enemy on Aug
ust 16 and IT. Our line w;y> re-estab
lished completely. Heavy artillery
fight.ng continues in this sector.
"In Alsace a German attack near
Steinbach v. as repulsed I y our Are.
Elsewhere the night passed in quiet.**
Twenty-Four German Guns Seized.
Last night's communicatIon follows:
"In Belgium the Germans made no
further attempt in the course of the
day. Our troops are organizing the
ground we captuied north and east of
Bixschoote. from I ?!????*? echt en. whiclt
is in our possession, lo the Broenbeck
river.
"We have finished reducing a few
nests of resistance and have added to
the number of out prisoners, which
now exceeds 4???. Beside*, we have cap
tured fifteen cannon and a large num
ber of mitrailleuses.
??The cannonading was lather spir
ited at various points on the Aisne
front, especially in the region of the
plateaus in front of Craonne. Two
hundred and fifty shells fell on lvheims.
Two casualties are reported among the
civilian population.
"On the right bank of the Meuae the
artillery struggle continued violent in