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Mere Independent Polities. Permissible Shooting. The Obsolete Dreadn aught. Air Rules Water. I By ARTHUR BRISBANE. I (Copmaht. 1,M> Two or three mlllloo labor unlen men, or mora, will enter politic* "m a body," It La aald. "And aevan million farmer* are to enter politic* a* a body " Now organise five or ten million elerka, let them form a political body; then organise aa many little bualneaa men and their depend ants In another political body, and ?you will please professional poli ticians perfectly. Labor unions as a body, or farm ers as a body,, do not worry them. They have learned that such dem onstrations produce feeble reeults. But when farmers, labor union men, unorganized labor and clerks get together, it will be a different Story. They won't get together for sometime, however. It takes a good deal of education and much disagreeable experience to make the masses of the people combine regardless of politics. Mr. Pedroni killed Mr. Potrich. ?hot him dead, in Hammond, In diana. It seems that in an argu ment Mr. Potrich said: "To hell with the United States." That was the psychological moment chosen by Mr. Pedroni fc. the shooting. The Jury acquitted Pedroni after two minutes' deliberation. , This has the ring of patriotism and although law does not provide for instant shooting of gentlemen who say "to hell with the United States," such men undoubtedly de serve to be shot for ingratitude to ? fine country. But isn't it unwise for Juror* or Judges to allow instant death to be handed out in the midst of a political argument, as happened in this case? Might not the shooter imagine that he had heard the six words that Justify killing? The English company and the Wall Street gentlemen, it seems, are not to get the German ships at a bargain after all, at least not right away. They wUl have to con tent themselves with profiteering via the ships they now control. After the revelation by the Con frression&l committee that Wall Street patriots profiteered and squandered to the tune of a thousand millions in the aircraft program, and after all the other Hundreds or thousands of millions profiteering during the few months of war, you would think that financiers would tow I to quiet down for a while ?nd ra | the public catch its breath. Intelligent burglars rarely at tack the same premises twice In the same week. They give the householder time to forget. Mr. Root has written a platform for the Republicans, and one plank reads: "Decentralise the execu tive powers which have made the President more autocratic than any sovereign in the civilized world." ? Decentralize democracy by all means. But matter and force are indestructible, as scientists will prove to you. And autocracy is the part of force. If you take au tocratic power from the President, as undoubtedly you should, since the American people do not want an autocrat, where are you going to locate the power? You cannot dissolve it in thin air. It will be somewhere. Would it go bock where it used to reside, tq the offices of corporation lawyers, rep resenting organized finance, once more, nominate its puppets and give them their orders, reserving the profitable use of autocracy to itself? The Southern Pacific railroad has 160.000 acres of oil lands in California, lands that should be long to the people of the United States. The President of the United States is not well, and it is said that nothing will be done to get for the people these lands and the oil lying under them, believed to be wrongfully held by the railroad. The lands are worth hundreds, perhaps thousands, of millions. The oil, gasoline and kerosene those lands would produce would supply a great public necessity; they could be used to curb one of the most powerful trusts. It isn't hard to guess why noth ing is done on the part of the United States. When property is worth hundreds of millions, good, strong American arguments can be offered not to take effective le gal action. The new naval ordnance plant at South Charlestown, In West Virginia, has perfected a projectile that can be shot through thirteen Inches of the toughest armor belt steel. The*e new projectile*, weigh ing twenty-one hundred pounds each, will be turned out In quan tities for the guns of our new dreadnaught steel ships. Thl* Is interesting but oat of date. "The air control* the water," ?ays Admiral Fisher, the creator of the fighting dreadnaught High explosive* direct from the ?ky, with foroe of gravitation for motive power, will *oon make the dreadnaaght a part of the past like the hansom cab or the hoop aklrt And the English know it While this country I* Ignoring the Importance of air fighting, re cuperating perhaps from the steal ing and wasting of a thousand mil lions In the air craft scandal, the Kngllsh are realising that the air ? is the real WEATHERi m* ? m. m-, I . i saa??? ETINAi. ? EDITION NUMBER 11.448. ' ?ir.i-fr.H" WASHINGTON. SATURDAY EVENING. FEBRUARY 21. 1920. (Ohm WJ JliMt Pric?sl PRICE TWO CENTS purtwfflot wmhugf, P. o. ""TMBBC??fc? ~ ssjfc&w??? ??>??. ???? ?????????*???????? COURT SETS NOMINAL BOND FOR W. R. HEARST AFTER PAYNE HAD ASKED $5,000,000 DEPOSIT LABOR ISSUES LIST OF FOES \ Six Senators Head Group of Politicians to Be Fought At Polls. SMOOT LEADS CONDEMNED Palmer, Harding, Wood, and | Poindexter Among Presiden tial Booms Opposed. I By International Newa Serrice. The following six Senators lead the list of those to be opposed for re election by the American Federation of Labor: Smoot, Republican, of Utah. Sherman, Republican, of Illinois. Cummins, Republican, of Iowa. Myers, Democrat, of Montana. Thomas, Democrat, of Colorado. Underwood, Democrat, of Ala bama. Blackest Records. Senators Smoot, Myers and Sher man along with Pomercne, Democrat, of Ohio; King:. Democrat, of Utah; Phipps, Republican. of Colorado; bodge. Republican, of Massachusetts and Penrose, of Pennsylvania, who ire not up for re-election this year have the "blackest" labor records in the upper house of Congress, accord ing to Federation officials today. Cummins was regarded as a friend of labor until he introduced the anti- , strike clause of the railroad bill. The. measure has "blackened" his record sufficiently in the opinion of the cam paign committee to class htm with such opponents of labor as Pomereno and Smoot. Uaderw*o.Vs FaOsr*. Senator Under w. od of Alabama had a "pretty fair" r -ord when he was a member of the ouse, labor leaders state, but his st?. ment that he was really responsible .or the anti-strike legislation makes him one of the group of candidates the Federation is planning to attack with all Its might at the polls. Senator Harding of Ohla, and Sen ator Poindexter of Washington, Presi dential candidates, are on the black list, as Is Senator Gilbert Hltckcock of Nebraska. Other Bad Onen. Other "bad" ones on the Senatorial side of the list are McCormick of Il linois, Knox of Pennsylvania, Moses of New Hampshire, Nelson of Minne sota, New of Indiana, Watson of In diana, Dansdell of Louisiana, Robin son of Arkansas. Klkins of West Vir ginia, Edge and Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, Spencer of Missouri Wadsworth of New York, Kellogg of Minnesota, Hale of Maine, Jones of Washington, McLean of Connecticut, McCumber of North Dakota, Bran degee of Connecticut, Curtis of Kan sas, Colt of Rhode Island, Wadsworth of New York. Walsh ,of Montana, and Warren of Wyoming. All voted for the anti-strike bill. On the House side ? the blackest marks are against the names of Blan ton of Texas. Uncle Joe Cannon of Illinois, and Representatives Esch of Wisconsin and Nicholas Longworth of Ohio. Palmer Included. Speaker Gillette Is on the list be cause of his recent remarks against the federation. Representatives Graham and Davey are there because of their anti-sedition bills. Repre sentatives Guy Hardy and Will Vallc of Colorado are others In the list. Attorney General Palmer has the "blackest" record on the Presidential list as it now stands. Other candi dates for the White House Job on the list sre Senator Harding of Ohio, who has declared himself for antl-strik legislation; Gen. Leonard Wood, and Senator Poindexter of Washington. If the charge that Herbert Hoover Is for anti-strike courts Is found to be true, he will go down on the list The railroads anions will "blacklist" him regardless of whether he Is (Continued on Page 2, Column &) FIRST 1920 CENSUS FIGURES GIVEN OUT The first population total of the 1920 census was made pnblio today. It is the report on the province of Gaayama, Porto Rico. The popula tion is 186,488, an in crease of 21:5 per cent over 1910. FAIR PRICE WORK IN CAPITAL TO BE TAKEN OVER BY 0. S. OFFICIALS Washington is to be made I model city for the United States in the way of price regulation, according to the intention of Howard E. Figg, apodal assist ant to the Attorney General in charge of the national campaign of the Department of Justice to reduce the coat of living. Mr. Figg has decidcd to take over active direction of the fair price work for the District of Columbis, relinquished by Clar ence R. Wilson on his resigna tion as chairman of the Fair Price Committee. Mr. Figg will appoint a new executive or advisory committee and will call a meeting for Tues day afternoon to fix definite pol icies for thia work in the Dis trict. The policies tested out here will be used in a nation-wide campaign to reduce living costs. It is also Mr. Figg's intention to hold a series of meetings of men in all lines of business in i co-operation with his committee. The merchants will be asked to assist in the work, even to the extent of a voluntary reduction in prices. Prices, according to Mr. Figg, are higher in the Distict of Co lumbia than at practically any other point in the country, and it his intention that Federal em ployes and other residents shall no longer live under this hard ship. MISS MARGARET WILSON LOSES SONG-BIRD VOICE Impaired by Long Service Overseas. Now at Asheville Trying Hard to Recover. ASHEVILLE. N. C? Feb. 21.?Miss Margaret Wilson, daughter of President, who has been at Grove Park Inn for several days, announced at a banquet there yesterday for Gen. J. J. Pershing and staff, that she had lost her singing voice and had come to this climate to recover IL Her statement was made after those present at the banquet had In sisted that she sing, following the suggestion made by General Persh ing, who told of her remarkable work .imong the soldiers overseas. Miss Wilson stated that following lier return to this country she found -hat her voice was Impaired from constant using, and It did not show ?mprovement even after careful atten tion for several months at the White louse. Her physician advised her to ome to Asheville and take a long rest. She said the improvement had j not been so fast as she expected and hat it probably would be several months or longer before she again /ill be able to sing. Hhe takes long walks along the mountain trails near the hotel and ? as taken a few horseback rides, but ho spends the greater part of her time resting on the porches of the nn. HISTORIC STIRLING HOUSE IS DESTROYED BY FIRE Mansion Was Used as Headquarters by General Greene in Revo lutionary War. BASKINO RIDGE. N. J.. Feb. 21.? That widespread colony of old man dons In which George Washington lad slept or revolutionary generals lad made their headquarters was dl nlnlshed by one today when fire de stroyed the old Lord Stirling man Ian, built In 17<1. William Alexander, the Lord Stirling whose title never was recognised by he British House of I.ords. built It. 3elnit. sympathetic with the Revolu tion. he cast his fortunes with George Washington and was given high rank in the Continental army. The mansion was General Greene's headquarters. FIND BODY OF GIRL, 12, VICTIM OF ATTACK Massachusetts Child Assaulted and Killed While on Errand for Mother. SPRINGFIELD. Mass., Feb. 81.? The victim of a brutal attack while on an errand for her mother, twelve year-old Virginia Walker was found ? lain near her home early today. The body, which was frosen stiff from the cold, was found on a pile of blankets among some unusurd sleighs In the rear of a creamery, where the tittle girl had gone for a bottle of milk. CALL R R. BILL 'UNWORKABLE' Committee That Conferred With Nines Gives Memorial to President. MEASURE IN HOUSE TODAY Fight on Esch-Cummins Legis lation Carried on Strictly Party Lines. A committee of railway anion of ficials today submitted to President Wilson a memorial characterizing the labor provisions in the Esch Cummins bill as "absolutely unwork able." The committee was composed of the same three men who last week conferred with the President in re gard to the wage controversy with Rail Director Hines. They are act ing" President Shea, of the Brother hood of Railway Firemen and En ginemen; President Manion, of the Telegraphers, and acting President Jewell, of the Railway Employes Department of the American Feder ation of Labor. Bill in Hons* Today. The Esrh-Cummbis bill js before the Htfase .CbSay fSt action. " j The conference report on the Escn-Cummlns bill to govern the re turn of the railroads to private own ership on March 1, was expected to be passed today by a majority of from ten to fifty. Labor * leaders and Government ownership advocates opposed to the compromise measure admitted there was scant prospect of preventing the House from adopting the conference report embodying the bill. The House met at ' 1 o'clock ihis morning, an hour e; ier than usual, to take up the report L>ebate . is to be confined to five huurs, the opponents and proponents of the bill | to share equally in the exchange of , arguments. A stormy session is an- ' licipated. At the conclusion of the debate. It is agreed a vote be taken to decide whether the report be adopted, or i recommitted to conference, with rec- ? ommendations that it be further t a.nended. A final vote is expected j about 6 o'clock this afternoon. National wage agreements entered Into between the Railroad Adminis tration and the railroad workers will be kept in force after the railroads are returned to their private uwn- ; ers. Director General lllnes an- i nounced today. The machinery established to en force the wage agreements and to ad just wage questions will be kept in tact, Director Hines stated. Both sides mamhalc d their forces early. Republican leaders on whom strong pressure wm brought to beai (Continued on rage IH, Column 1.) MEXICANS TO RESCUE U. S. MAN FROM VILLA I Bandit Chief Holds an American for $20,000, Sum of "Ancient Debt." A column of Mexican federal troops have been sent to the rescue of Jo seph K Askew, ?n 'o-n h"'i1 c?n tlve by Francisco Villa, Mexican ban >11 chief, tue iviex >.aii re.gu ,u.,c has advised the American embassy In Mexico City, it was announced today. Askew was kidnaped on February 1, after a raid on a ranch at Licrdo, Durango. by Villlstaa. Villa has been reported aa declar ing that he would hold Askew until he received $20,000 from the TTrtlted States State Department, which he claims owes him "an ancient debt" to this extent WEDDED FIANCE MUST PAY $20,000 TO GIRL Saw Alleged Widower In Hotel With His Wife, She Tells Jury, NEW YORK. Feb. 21.?A verdict of | $20,000 has been awarded Miss Vir ginia Eckhart, a pretty, twenty-one year old girl. ot Detroit, in her breach of-promlse suit against Hugh J. If. Hlakeley, a wealthy renldent of this city. ltlakely, according to Miss Eck- | hart, represented himself as a wid ower with a motherlesa hoy. How ever, she declared, she saw him In a hotel with a woman, who, he ad- j mltted, was his wife. J JUSTICE BAILEY FINDS THAT SHIP BOARD SPENT ONLY $36.28 TO ADVERTISE SALE . i Told Lloyd George He Could Not Bind Congress to Any Agreement. President Wilson and Pre mier Lloyd-George, of England .had a secret agreement rela tive to the disposition of the former German ships," Senator Brandegee, Republican of | Conn., declared in the Senate ' today, commenting on the reply of the President to the Senate resolution. "The reply of the President ?trifles the report I hd relative to the secret agreement," Bran, degree said. Brandegee sal dhe conld net ?ot understand why the Presi dent should hold the agreement with England until the Peace Treaty has keen disposed of. 'The agreement provides for the turning orer of *11 money I for the sale of these ships to the reparation commission or pay. ment for them by the United States if they are not sold," Brandegee declared. "I compliment the President for his frankness in laying the facts before the Senate," Bran* degee continued. President Wilson, In reply to the Brandegee resolution, passed by the Senate .asserts- that no agreement or understanding has ever existed betweem him and officials, of the British government, "concerning the sale of the ex-German vessels In pos session of the United States, nor Is there any agreement or understand ing with respect to what disposition shall be made of those ships by the United States." Agreement By President Attached to the President's letter, however, Is the text of an agreement between him and Lloyd George per taining: to "merchant shipping." This agreement was made In I'aris in May, 1010, and bears the signature of the President and the British Premier. The fourth clause of this agree ment reveals something which Con gress may find distinctly objection able. It begins with the statement that the ships seized by the United States will exceed the total amount of ship ping it lost at the hands of the enemy, and therefore provision Is made that the ships be appraised and that whatever value Is arrived at over and above the value of our war torses In ships ?hall be turned over to the reparation commission. Britain To Get Cask. The latter body will place !t to the credit of Germany toward the sums "due from her for reparation. In respect to war losses of merchant ships." In this fashion. Great Britain will receive, through Germany cash for the ships seized, operated and con dltioned by the United States. Chairman Payne, of the Shipping Board, said today that Great Britain at the peace conference, stated that she had lost 77 per cent of her mer chant tonnage during the war, arj for this reason she thought the Unlt?.l States should turn over to her 77 pe cent of the former German passengor and freight liners seized In our perts at tha beginning of the war. Chairman Payne said that thf President would not agrea to this proceeding, but the agreement which he made public today showed what was nnally accomplished. Did Not Rind r?n(itn. That the President, In signing the agreement with Lloyd George, fell that Congress In the last analyslr would have the power of acceptlnr or rejecting It 1s Indicated by a post script to It, which reads: "X deem It my duty to state, Ir signing this document, that, whit* i I feel confident that the Congres.' | of the United States will make th? disposal of the fund* mentioned It clause four, which they agreed upon I have no authority to bind It to that action, but must depend upon lt> taking the same view of the matte that 1s taken by the joint signatories i of this agreement.'* \ Some Advertising! 11 EM: 7 o Circulars, $36.28 Officials of the Shipping Board today asserted that the total cost of advertising the sale of the former German liners amounted to ?36.28. This was expended for drcularization of property worth probably $ 100,000,000. It is interesting to note in this connection the allegation in the bill of complaint presented by William Randolph Hearst in asking an injunction against the sale of these ships: Paragraph 6?The plaintiff m informed ami believes and so aver* thai the tone, terms, conditions of sale, and specifications of the character and capacity of the Tiwtli to ha sold have not bean properly advertised or brought to general notice nor to the general notice of steamship companies, nor has reasonable time, op portunity, or other facilities been given generally for the surrey and inspection of the ships to be sold, but on the other hand the sale was precipitously scheduled, the time fixed therefor has been frequently postponed for brief periods without due notice and the terms and conditions so changed and modified and with such fre quency and without due notice that prospective bidders are not advised as to the terms, and conditions that are actually to govern the sale. Senate Committee On Commerce Records Its Ship Sale Opposition The Senate Commerce Committee went on record today as opposing the sale of the thirty former German passenger ships the Shipping Board attempted to auction off for $28,000,000, and as advocating their retention as an important part of the American merchant marine. Needed For F In a report submitted to the Senate by Senator 7ones, Republican, of Washington, chairman of the commit tee, li was emphasized that "these ships are urgently needed In our for eign business." "Regular routes between this coun try, South America, Europe, and the Orient should be established as promptly as possible," the committee urged. "These ships when repaired and reconditioned are highly suitable for this purpose. "They were considered the best of their kind In the world before the war. They were taken from an enemy. We have spent millions of dollars on them and they havo carried hundreds of thousands of our boys to and from the battle fields of Europe and were a great factor In saving modern civili zation from military autocracy. This fact probably has much to do with creating an almost universal senti ment among our people against their sale." Average Ml Tears Old. The report continues: ,"The financial phase of the situa tion is about this: The aggregate tonnage of these ships Is about 374, fllS gross tons, while that of the twenty bid on January 20 is about 280.796 gross tons. "Some of the thirty ships are over twenty years old; some are about six years old. Their average Is about sixteen years. Sealed bids for twenty one boats. Including the Leviathan, aggregated 128,231,940. "A naval board valued nineteen of the.?e boats. Including the Leviathan, mn|dlately after they were taken over under the resolution of Congress at $20,180,360. Twenty of these boats, including the Leviathan, were ap- i praised by experts selected by the Shipping board at $27,585,000. Cigar* ( Ml of Repair. "The shipping board estimates that repairing and reconditioning the twenty ships for which about $28,000, <00 was bid will cost: under the best ?ossible estimate. $67,000,000, and at this rate the refitting of the thirty hips would cost about $85,000,000, so that on this basis the twenty ships vould cost a purchaser about $85 000, >00 and the thirty ships $103,000,000. "If the Government does not sell he ships It should proceed at once o put them In condition for use. Ev erybody concedes this. The longer he ships are tied up the more rapitl y they will deterloate and the groit ?r will be the cost of refitting. In any ?vent It will take from six to twolvj nonths to repair them. Different Opinion. No one can tell whether the Gov ernment will be able to sell the ships, vhen repaired, for the amount of the Ids submitted, plus the cost of re slrs. 'Home think this ean he done, others believe they can be gold at a reater price. The bids submitted >ay be lower than they would be If he Government had adopted a per isnent shipping policy. "This we hope will be done within * couple of months, and If a wise policy Is adopted It will very greatly oreign Trade. aid in the disposition of these ships. Bids were probably lower than they would have been if their service had not been confined to specific routes, but these ships should be used upon the routes deemed most advisable. Higher bids would doubtless have been received If the sale of the ships had been open to foreigners, but neither the congress nor the people will permit these ships to go to a foreign flag. "If sold to private parties we can not be sure that they will continue under the American flag nor that they will be kept upon the routes desired. Private parties will not continue the service at a loss. If the government continues to own these ships the ser vice desired can and will be main* talned. "This assurance will develop busi ness and business agencies and doubtless soon put the service upon a paying basis, and the ships can then very likely be disposed of for all they cost, If not mare, under such restrictions and upon such terms as will not only Insure tne maintenance of the service but their continuance under our flag. flhontd Net Ml *klp?. "Considering all these things, as well as many others, the committee on commerce came to the conclusion that It Is wiser and better that these ships be not sold now and that the Government proceed without delay to repair them" and put them in shape for service. Such action Is not the determination of a permanent policy. That will be determined In a general bill which the committee hopes to re port before long. "If Congress should determine In favor of Government ownership and operation these ships will be em braced within such a policy. If Con gress shall provide for private own ership and operation these ships will be disposed of, as may be provided under such a policy. "The bill recommended bjr the com mittee simply determines for the time being the status of these ships until legislation can be passed. We believe this action to be wise from a business standpoint, sound from the standpoint of the nattonal Interests, and In harmony with the sentiment ?( the people of the country." JACK JOHNSON, ITWAY TO U.S., FACES ARREST CHICAGO, Feb. SI.?Jack Johnson, former champion heavyweight prise fighter of the world, left Mexico City today for I^aredo, Tex., United Rtates Dlitrlct Attorney Charles F. Clyne announced In Chicago today. Clyne said Johnson will be arrested when he reaches this country. Mvstery of President shnnt?* vanish**! millions and startling disclosures of his double life?In nest Hun ilsy's New Tortt Amerlrsn. Largest circu lation la Amortca.?Advt. RELIEVED OE FLEET UPKEEP Court Fails to Figure $20,000 a Day for Maintenance in Fixing Bond. ISIGN INJUNCTION TUESDAY Plea to Exempt Steamer Swan nee From List Taken Under Consideration. Ruling against the demand of Assistant Attorney Gen eral Charles B. Ames, ofcoun sel for the United States Shipping Board, in the suit filed by William Randolph Hearst as a taxpayer and m the interest of the public, to restrain the board from ex ceeding its authority ing the thirty seized German steamships, Justice Bailey, in the District Supreme Court today, fixed bonds at $10,000 for Mr. Hearst for any indemnity that might arise. General Ames had de manded before Justice Bailey on Friday that Mr. Hearst oe placed under a $5,000,000 bond. Considers Bid Cost. In fixing the $10,000 bonds for Mr. Hearst's in demnification of the Govern ment, Justice Bailey sub stantially took into consider ation the costs to the Ship ping Board in obtaining bids on the thirty seized German ships. ! It developed that the en tire cost to the Shipping Board for the bids it re ceived was $36.28. It was also brought out that the Shipping Board had not ^pent any money advertising for bids?that the costs of $36.28 was incurred by the circularising of the types of ships for sale to shipping in terests. Request Is Granted. Judge Ames on Friday had de clared to Justice Bailey that the Shipping Board's lots daily on four teen of the German ships alone was $9,140 for wages of crew, fuel and other maintenance and that on all the ships the daily cost would ap proximately be $20,000 until the in junction should be lifted. Request of counsel for the Ship ping Board to defer the signing the order of injunction until Tuesday to give the defendant's counsel an op portunity to confer over the order was agreed to by Justice Bailey. Hearing was set far 10 o'eloek Tues day morning. Counsel for the Shipping Board, including District Attorney John K. lAskey, asked the court that ?he Steamship Swaunnee, one of the thirty seized German ships, be ex cluded from the list in the injunc tion writ on the ground that its sale had practically been consummated for $2,000,000. Justice Bailey ahio took this request under consideration until Tuesday. In Axing the nominal hond* for Mr. Hearst, Justice Halley spparent (Cootlnur0 on l'??c 2, Column 1 )