The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume], January 22, 1917, Image 1

About The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961

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Your Dollars Have More Cents In Wheeling Than Anywhere Else In the World? Patronize Home Merchants Always
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THE INTELLIGENCER
Largest Morning Paper
Circulation in West Virginia.
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The Weather 5 11
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Rain, turning to anow, and much cold- * - ^
er. with cold wave Monday; Tuesday *
fair and colder. ? - -v-;
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V O Ti TT "XT "Fl T, IV.. NO. 129
WHEELING, W. VA., MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1917
PRICE ? TWO CEtfTS
WITH "LEAK" PROBE TRflNSFEflRED
TO N. Y., CONGRESS CAN CET BUSY;
STEERING COMMITTEE
TO MAP OUT PROGRAM
Important Matters Will Be
Rushed to Avoid an Extra
Session if Possible.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21? With the
peace note leak investigation trans
ferred to New York, administration
leaders in Congress arte breathing]
sighs of relief because the attention [
of members generally now can be con
centrated upon the clogged legislative
program.
House and Senate leaders are just;
as anxious as President Wilson overj
the press of important business re-j
mainlng on the calendar with the ses- 1
sion half over and there is no secret
made of the fact that all of them ear
nestly desire to avoid an extra session
of the Sixty-Fifth Congress, if it pos
sibly can be done.
Tomorrow responding to the Pres
ident's personal appeal for action, at
this session on important legislative
proposals, the Steering Committee of
th? Senate will meet and endeavor to
arrange a program for the remainder
of the session and for longer day and .
possibly night sessions.
A caucus of Democratic senators j
will be called later in the week to rat- ;
ify steering committee suggestions. ;
Democratic leaders agree that some i
sort of railroad labor legislation '
should be enacted and this subject,
may be given the right of way over
pending water power legislation be-:
fore many days. The Senate Inter- ,
state Commefce Committee, is expect- r
ed to meet early in the week and Sen-!
ator Newlands, disappointed at the re- :
fusal of the committee to recommend
a strike prevention measure will en-j
deavor to maneuvre the President's
bill Into position for re-consideration. ;
Ev<<n if another vote is had on the
subject, opponents of the bill think
the committee will not change its at-(
titude. " . ^
HecHngs To Continue
Before the House Interstate Com- 1
merce Committee, the . hearing of la- !
bor organization heads on'tne rail
road legislative proposals of Repre- 1
sentative Adamson will continue. W. '
S- Stone, of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers, will appear before
the committee in opposition to auy
measures that might restrict the right
o? labor to strike. Notwithstanding
the President's Insistance on such !
legislation, the prospect for its en- '?
actment grows less probable as the
time . for adjournment approaches. ;
With this stumbling block out of the '?
way- nearlya.ll Democratic leaders anil
some of the Republicans of both
houses believe that an extra session
could be avoided, and if the railroad
program does fail, there are' few who
believe that the President would de-.
mand an extra session to consider'
such legislation alone. I
In -addition to the press of legisia- .
'live business there is a. spiritedepn-,
test- jtret- -now<* aa/on g-DemocnrtlcTteo -7
ttora over tbe majority leadership to
b? relinquished by Senator Kern ?a '
March 4. When the new Senate meets
in extraordinary session immediately
after adjournment to pass upon the
President's cabinet the selection of a ,
cew leader probably will be pressed. .
(Continntd On hft Hr?)
IS
IN STATEMENT OF I
SECRETARY DANIELS;
Criticism of Bethlehem Steel j
Co. is Answered in a
Caustic Manner.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 21? Secretary '
DanielB issued a statement today ex-;
plaining and defending his action in I
twardinx to Hadfields. Limited, a;
British munitions company, con-tracts
Cor 'a large number of navy armor-'
piercing projectiles at a price about1
$200 each below the lowest American I
bid. The" state . is in reply to pub- j
lished comment upon the contract !
which, Mr. Daniels says: " Convinced
me thkt a concise statement of the ex- j
periences of 'the department in obtain- 1
ing shells equal in quality to ? those ;
used by foreign navies at a reasonable \
fjrice is necessary to enable the pub-j
ic to understand what has been (
going on."
Referring to a report in certain |
American trade journals that the Brit-j
ish government had urged Hadfields '?
to seek this contract for the purpose
of creating a panic in the 'American ;
steel market and a resultant reduc- :
tion in the export price of American I
steel, the secretary says': "That is
patent absurdity" as such an order j
would have no appreciable effect upon,
the market.
Mr. Daniels says the Bethlehem1
Steel company, which "has been fill-'
ing the papers with . advertisements
criticising the department?' admitted
in one. of these publications -that it had
failed to make satisfactory shells on a
contract awarded two years ago.
, 'Has No Complaint.
"Until it is able to fill its contracts,"
he adds, "it does not ? Become the ,
Bethlehem compa-a*' to criticise the
navy department for awarding con- j
tracts to manufacturers who can make '
shells that meet the tests. I regard j
the attitude of these companies in this!
and in other matters as most unfor-j
tunate and were there no relief
through competition either by the gov j
ernment or by other more patriotic
firms I would feel that they were put-j
ting our entire program of prepared
ness in peril. The department wishes I
to give all of its orders to American
manufacturers whenever they quote
reasonable prices and furnish shells
that meet navy requirements. Noth
ing but the utter failure of the most|
patient negotiations and appeals to
the little group of steel manufacturers
which have a practical monopoly of|
this business have made it imperative
for the .government to build "a projec
tile factory and give a contract to a
foreign bidder."
The statement, reviews the depart
ment's dealings with American shell
makers during the last few- years to
show that bids from the British con
cern previously had been instrumental
In compelling a reduction in price for
projectiles furnished to thi ^govern
ment. i V j
GERMAN VESSELS TO i
AID THE SEA RAIDER
TOO PREPARING TO
. LEAVE RIO JANEIRO
Are Loaded With Supplies and
100 Sailors From an
Interned Gunboat.
RIO JANEIRO. Jan. 21 ? The Minis
ter of Marine has received a telegram
from the captain of the port of Per
nambuco confirming the previously
reported declaration of the command
er of the Brazilian Steamer Maran
hao that he had encountered two car
go vessels, accompanied by two auxil
iary ships, believed to be Germans, all
flying the American flag.
The Brazilian government, in addi
tion to sending out the coast defense
ship Deodoro to guard the northern
coast of Brazil, has decided to de
spatch the scout cruiser Rio Grande
Do Sul, which will cruise between
Port Natal and Fernando Da Noronha
island and keep close watch on the
qoast in the waters. The two vessels
will leave for the north Tuesday.
The Rio Janeiro newspaper A Noti
cia says that about one hundred -sail
ors from the German gunboat Eber.
interned at Bahia, are reported to
have embarked on the Swedish Steam
er St. Croix, which left Rio Janeiro
four days ago and is said to have met
the German raider on the high seas
tpr the purpose of putting these men
aboard. These sailers had been in
terned on Cobras island, in the Bay
of Rio Janeiro, for more than a year. |
A representative of this newspaper
inspected the German steamer Hohen
staufen in Rio Janeiro harbor and
declares that the vessel was taking
on provisions and water and bad
steam up. The Hohenstaufec and an-!
other German steamer the Caproca. j
according to A Ncfticia, have made
preparations to put to sea.
Reports have been received here
that manifestations in favor of the
Germans took place on board the
Spanish Steamer Leo XIII when the
work of the raider became known. A
number of the passengers abroad pro
tested.
Watching For Raider#
The Minister of Marine declared to
day that the Brazilian warships which
are watching the coasts have been
given the strictest instructions to cap
ture any raiders operating in any
manner that might injure Brazili
neutrality. Without attaching any
credence to the reports that German
steamers were planning to escape
from the ports where they , are in
terned, the minister said emphatical- j
ly that orders had been issued to the I
captains of the ports to prevent any1
secret departures.
''"The Minister of Marine has thus far!
received no exact information a* to |
the nationality of steamers reported ,
on the north coast. This referred to i
a despatch from Macao to the newspa-j
per A Noticla. reporting the presence!
of vessels near Touros, north-north- 1
west of Port Natal.
The British auxiliary cruiser Edin
burgh CasUe entered Rio Janeiro har
bor today. The German Steamer Ah-j
rich, which has been interned here, is'
filled with war material. I
ADAMSON TELLS WHY
HIS LAW IS VALID
>
BOSTON. Jan. 21. ? Belief that the
Supreme Court, ? if it should declare
the Adamson eight-hour law unconsti
tutional. would find it necessary also
to declare unconstitutional similar
legislation such as the 16-hour law for
railroad men, and the 13-hour law for
towboat employes, was expressed in
an address before the Boston Central
Labor Union to-day by Representative
William C. Adamson, of Georgia, fath
er of the Adamson bill.
"If the bill regulating the shipment
of goods interstate in violation, of the
child labor law is constitutional, then
there will be nothing to prevent Con
gress from enacting a law to prevent
interstate shipment of goods by men
who have been forced to work more
than eight hours," he continued.' "We
in Congress did not take sides in the
fight that existed between the rail
roads and their employes, but we did
step in to prevent the disrupting of in
terstate commerce by the impending
strike, something we had a perfect;
right to do." ' 1
GREEK MERCHANT
. MARINE TOBE LEASED
ATHENS (Saturday), Jan. 20 (via |
London, Jan. 21, 12:55 p. m.) ? The
cabinet today discussed at length - a
British proposal to lease the Greek
merchant marine. It was decided to
take measures -to assure the retention
of the numbers- of ships necessary to
provide the foodstuffs which Greece
requires.
According to a high official, two
considerations already have put Greek
j ship owners in the hands of. the
[entente, namely coal and insurance.
The latter, it was pointed out, might
be secured in the United States, but
[the former, according to this author
ity. was sufficient to induce owners
(to accecle to the proposals of Great
j Britain.
| Removal of Troops Continues.
| ATHENS, Jan. 21 (via. London,
i 12 : 40 p. m.) ? The removal' of Greek
! troops and war material to the Pelo
[ ponessus continues. It is believed
i the transportation of artillery will be
[completed next week, when the block
jade can be lifted. The entire transfer
i will be finished in a fortnight, accord
ling to present indications.
ALLEGED^ BLACKMAILER
j IS NOW UNDER ARREST
PHILADELPHIA. Jan. 21.? John H.
Cunningham, alias Adams, of this city,
alleged member of an organized band
of blackmailers who were said to have
preyed on wealthy men and women
throughout the country by threatening
them with prosecution under the
'Mann white slave act. and posing as
secret service men. was arrested here
early to-day on a charge of attempt
ing to extort $1,500 from William T.
Hopper,' of this city.
Frank Garberino, a Federal agent,
to-day identified Cunningham as the
man wanted in connection with . the
blackmailing of a prominent Baltimore
I woman out of 136,000 two years ago.
LITTLE PROSPECT AT THIS j
| TIME FOR FLOOD STAGE,
I_
| WOMAN TO GIVE EVIDENCE OF
"WHITE HOUSE LEAK."
Mrs. Ruth Thomason Vlscontl, the
'mysterious Washington woman detec
tive, who has been summoned to ap
|pear before the rules committee of
I the house to tell what she knows
I about alleged leaks in governmental
'matters. Mrs. Visconti is the woman
jwho Thomas W. Lawson declares vol
unteered information to him regarding
ithe stock deals In which Joseph Tum
ulty, secretary to President Wilson,
; is alleged to have been involved.
25,000 TO LEAVE
BORDER IN FEW DAYS
And Mustered Out on Arrival
Home ? rNo Comment on
Pershing Reports.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21.? More than
25,000 National Guardsmen now on
the Mexican border have been desig
nated by Major-General Funston for
return home and muster out of the
federal service, under the order issued
yesterday at the war department.
All these organizations will be
started homeward as soon as trans
portation facilities can be provided.
Their departure will leave between
45,000 and 50,000 men of the guard
still in the federal service doing
border patrol.
War department officials continue
to withhold comment on reports that
the movement of General Pershing's
regulars out of Mexico soon will be
under way and the statement an
nouncing the guardsmen designated
for relief does not connect these
orders with the withdrawal plans in
any way. 'The understanding has
been, however, that the return of the
expedition in Mexico and re-adjust
ment of the border patrol, all of the
state troops gradually would be sent
home.
The department's statement said:
"General Funston has selected these
organization chiefly in accordance
\rith the rule of returning first those
troops longest in service on the
border. To some extent, however,
this rule could not be followed with
out unequal weakening of the border
?guard and the departures from it are
so explained. The total strength of
jthe organizations selected is 25,243."
I Roster of Returning Guard.
The guardsmen designated for re
turn and muster out follow:
Arkansas ? First infantry,
f Delaware ? Two battalions infantry.
District of Columbia ? Battery B,
[field artillery.
I Illinois ? Brigade headquarters and
Third infantry.
Indiana ? Second infantry; ambul
ance company No. 2; brigade head
quarters.
Iowa ? First squadron cavalry; field
hospital No. 1; ambulance company
No. 1; brigade headquarters; Third
Infantry.
Kentucky ? Second Infantry. '
Louisiana ? First battalion field ar
tillery; field hospital No. 1.
Maryland ? Fifth Infantry.
Massachusetts ? Ambulance Com
pany No. 2; field hospital No. 2.
Minnesota ? First Infantry; first
field artillery.
Missouri ? Fourth Infantry,
Montana? Troop A, cavalry.
Nebraska ? Field Hospital No. 1.
Company A, signal corps, Fifth In
fantry.
New Hampshire ? First Infantry.
New York ? Seventy Fourth Infan
try; field bakery company; supply
train; ambulance company No. 4.
North Carolina ? First Infantry.
Ohio ? Fourth' Infantry ? Fifth Infan
try; Third brigade headquarters:
First squadron cavalry.
Oklahoma ? First Infantry; troops
A. and B. cavalry; field hospital com
pany: Company A engineers.
Pennsylvania ? Second Field Artil
lery; 'Company C engineers; Sixth -In
fantry; Eighth Infantry, Third brig
ade headquarters.
South Carolina ? Troop A cavalry;
Company A, engineers; field hospital
company.
South Dakota ? Fourth Infantry.
Utah ? Second squadron cavalry.
Tennesee? Ambulance company No.
1; Field hospital No. 1.
Virginia ? Second Infantry.
Wisconsin ? Second Infantry.
AUTO TAXES TO GO
TO VARIOUS COUNTIES
6recl?l rinpatch In tfc? Ini'lUcrncer. ?
CHARLESTON, W. Vs., Jan. 21.? A
bill whereby all the auto tax paid by
auto owners would go to road improve
ment In the counties, the counties to
handle all the money, lias been pro
posed by Delegate Smith, of Pleasants
county. Under his plan the money
would be apportioned among the vari
ous districts in the counties accord
ing to the autos they owned, which
ma y be construed as meaning that,
the auto tax collected in Wheeling
districts would have to be spent on
streets in the city.
EXPECT COLD WAVE
TO CHECK WATER
Central West Virginia is Hard
Hit and Property Loss
Will Be Enormous.
? | PITTSBURGH, Jan. 21? Pres- |
| ent calculations Indicate there
will be no flood stage here accord
! Ing to the Pittsburgh weather bu
I reau tonight. Despite a heavy
downpour of rain combined witn
melting snow, up to nine o'clock j
tonight the rise at this point was |
but one foot. Rivermen expressed I
the belief that the rivers would I
only come up a few feet here.
<? ??>
At 2 o'clock th is morning the
river stage at the McMechen dam
was 6.8 feet, a rise of 2.3 feet
since the 8 o'clock reading. The
river was rising at a good rate at
| 2 o'clock.
While there is but little doubt that'
Wheeling will see a big river stage
I within the next 24 to 36 hours, at an
j early hour this morning, according to
i the best information obtainable, the
; chances of a flood seemed remote. I
After falling slowly throughout the:
(day of rain upon snow, the river at'
i the McYachen dam became stationary;
i about '.ne hour of the 8 o'clock read
ing last evening, when the gauge reg
istered a stage of 4.5 feet, soon after
I which a rise from the outpouring
I streams in this section of the Ohio,
j Valley was apparent.
An Associated Press dispatch from;
Pittsburgh, received shortly after mid-!
night, varied in the substance of its.
Information from that of the predic-;
tion made at the United States weatb
er bureau at Pittsburgh. The news
dispatch stated that Pittsburghi river
men do not expect a flood, notwith
standing The heavy rainfall on the
snow. In a long distance communca
tion with the weather bureau, where
l Forecaster Henry Pennywitt is In
I charge, The Intelligencer was told
that the Monongahela river would
(reach flood stage this morning, and
! that the Allegheny and Upper Ohio
rivers would rise rapidly, but that no
| prediction could be made for the river
stage for Wheeling.
A Measure of Relief.
I Predictions, for snow flurries and
jmuch colder weather Monday and
Tuesday brought a great measure of
relief from the fear that tfcere might
be a flood stage. According to dis
patches from Chicago, a drop of asj
I much as 40 degrees in the tempera
ture in some parts of Illinois is ex
ipected by nightfall and Wheeling no
j doubt will get a part of this chilling,
which will tend to check the rise in
the river.
?The rainfall during the day and
early part of Sunday night was one
inch. This falling on a heavy snow, i
[together with a warm wind, sent tre-J
jmendous volumes of water pouring j
(into every stream, bnt if the cold;
wave arrives today, the local streams j
will have run out before the water)
from the upper rivers reaches this;
section of the Ohio.
Even should the weather bureau's !
forecast for a flood in the Monon- j
gahela at Pittsburgh hold good, local
rivermen regard 36 feet as the highest
limit of the stage here.
(Continued on Pag"# ElgrM.)
COMMISSIONER BLUE !
IN IMPORTANT RULINGS!
CHARLESTON, W. Va., Jan. 21. ? i
No official has the right to change anv
statutory requirement, is the ruling of!
Fred 0. Blue, State tax commissioner,!
on a matter reported to him from i
Doddridge county, in connection ?with'
an offer from one of the banks in that,
county to pay greater than 3 per cent,
interest, as fixed by the statutes, on!
the proceeds from a road bond issue!
of $175,000. The States expects and
will acecpi no greater than 3 per cent.,|
and no less. ? .
Another ruling of this official is that
interest on deposits made by coun
ties shall be placed in the county fund
and not added to the principal.
Commissioner Blue also rules that
no more than $100,000 may be depos
ited by any county in any one bank, |
under the State county depository law.)
The question calling for this ruling!
arose when, before the depository law J
went into effect, a sherifT deposited j
$200,000 in one bank, with the approv
al of the county court.
I The recent decision of the Supreme!
! Court of Appeals in the case o'f County
(Court against Short, from Wyomingl
1 county, was pointed out by the com-j
1 missioner to decide for all taxes, un-|
less the laws be changed, that con-i
tracts made with any banking insti- 1
tutions prior to the time the deposi-j
torv law went into effect, are invalid,
if they interfere with the letter of the!
new law.
NOTED 1V0MAN ARTIST j
VICTIM OF SUICIDE !
SAX FRANCISCO. Cal., Jan. 21.-r-Miss
! Hetty P- J"nn. n painter or wide repu- |
I t.niqji. ili^d early today from a self-in- i
' flirted bullet wound in the head. The
I mi < cp said today they had virtually-!
completed their investigation of the I
case ?nd examination of Dr. William A. ;
Porter, a well known physician of Oak
land. who was in Miss Dc Jonp's studio
when she shot herself. After several
hours of questioning he was permitted
to bo to his home. An inquest will be
held.
Pr. Porter said he was to sit for hid
portrait yesterday hut was unable to
j keep the engagement and called at the
I studio to so inform the artist.
WEISS TO PRESENT
ORPHANS' HOME BILLJ
I Sjwial Oispati h I" Un Inttlllsenrer.
I CHARLESTON. W. Va.. Jan. 21?
(Delegate Harry Weiss will tomorrow |
'morning introduce in the house the I
bill prepared by the Ohio county com
{missioners allowing them to appropri-j
ate funds for erecting a county or
'phams' home and to levy an annual1
tax for maintenance. J
DR. CARY T. GRAYSON.
,
DR. T CAKY GRAYS OH.
? C>rfAt?Q/S & E?/rr/ei W*$M.
It has been a long time since the
personnel of the navy has been so dis
turbed as it is today over the advance
ment of Dr. T. Carv Grayson, personal
physician to President Wilson, over
the heads of 114 medical officers.
President. Wilson nominated him for;
the position of medical director with ,
the rank of rear admiral, one of the
two highest positions in the medical
service of the United States navy. It l
is probable that the nomination will!
meet with strenuous opposition in the |
senate. Army and navy circles have!
not been so upset since President |
Roosevelt elevated Leonard Wood in;
somewhat similar fashion over thei
heads of higher ranking officers of
greater experience.
BRITISH!
TURKS CLASH
BOTH WAR OFFICES
CLAIM SUCCESSES
Minor Operations on Other
. Battle Fronts With Violent
Artillery Duels.
The British and Turks in Mesopo
tamia have been engaged in vigorous
fighting along the Tigris river in the
vicinity of Kut-El-Amara. Both the
London and Constantinople war offi
ces made claims to successes for their
troops in .this region. Thv British of
ficial communication announces that
northeast of Km the British troops j
have driven the Turks from a small
strip of land they were holding on the
right bank of the Tigris, and that '
King Georg's men are now in control I
of an entire trench section on a front j
of 2500 yards to a depth of 1,100'
yards, it adds that the right bank of
the river also has been cleared of
Turks downstream from Kut-El-Ama
ra and that southwest of the town fur
ther progress has been made.
Constantinople, on the other hand,
says east of Kut-El-Amara, the Brit
ish launched three attacks against the ,
Ottoman positions, but that none of |
them was successful and that the at- 1
tackers suffered heavy casualties. i
In the capture of Nanesti, on the!
Seretli river in Rumania hard fighting j
of a hand-to-hand character took place j
in the streets. In withdrawing from
the village, German batteries raked !
the Russians as they made their way |
across the bridges over the Sereth in
flicting heavy losses on them. With
the fall of Nanesti, 555 men and one
officer were captured by the Germans.
On the other battle fronts only min
or operations have carried out. The
big guns are everywhere active. On
the line, in Prance near Loos the Brit- 1
ish in a daylight raid blew up Ger
man dugouts, causing many casual
ties among the occupants. The artil
(Continned on Page Elijht.)
TURKEY REPLIESTO
ALLIES' PEACE REFUSAL
BERLIN, Jan. 21, (By wireless to \
Sayville) ? A summary of tbe note
handed by the Turkish government to;
neutrals in relation to the Entente :;n- ?'
swer to the peace proposals of the!
Central Powers, was given out today |
by the Overseas News Agency as fol
lows: '
"This note points out that the Cen- j
tral Powers, especially Turkey, not ?
desiring Entente territory, had no rea-!
son whatever 10 begin the war. The
Entente, however, as a matter of com -[
mon knowledge, the note continues, |
covets teriitorv of the Central Pow
ers. Thus, it continues, France wishes j
Syria and Alsace-Lorraine; Italy de-|
sires Southwestern Austrian pro- 1
vinces; Russia wants Constantinople,!
and the Straits and a large part of j
Anatolia, and F^ngland wants Mesopo- i
tamia and Arabia.
"Turkey," says tbe note "thus was;
obliRed to take up arms for the de- ;
fense of territorial integrity, liberty
and independence and she is now per
suaded tnat this object has been at- 1
tained. the hostile powers .being at I
this time as far from the realization
of their plans as ever. For this very
reason, it is concluded, tbey nervous
ly decline the sincere proposition of
the Central Powers and deliberately
take upon themselves the responsi
bility for the continuation of blood- i
shed.'' 1
LOST AVlATOR"TAKEN
TO ARIZONA HOSPITAL!
WELLTON*. Ariz.. Jan. 21. ? Lieuten
ant-Coloncl Harry O. Bishop, second of
th<> army aviators to be rcscucd from
tho Sonora desert who wus brought hero
today by an army ambulance from the
foot of the Gila mountains, sixty miles
f-outh of "Wellton, will recover, unless
complications set in, according to Sur
geon-^tajor Orvlllo G. Brown, com
mander of the government's relief ex
pedition. Colonel Bishop was taken to
Tuma, Ariz., and placod in a hospital.
PRISONERS OF WAR
WILL BE DISCUSSED
GERMANY SENDS VIEWS
TO U. S. GOVERNMENT
Outlining Position on Neutrals!
Captured on Belligerent
Vessels.
BERLIN, Jan. 21 (via London)? A
summary of the German admiralty's
official statement on the detention as
prisoners of war of neutral sailors
aboard armed merchantmen captured
by the' German naval forces, was
cabled to the stale department at
Washington by Ambassador Gerard
last evennig. This is the only in
formation yet available regarding this
development in naval procedure.
German official circles profess to
regard the case as affording an oppor
tunity for negotiations looking to the
settlement between America and Ger
many of the status of armed mer
chantmen. Since the men in ques
tion are safe and the case is not com
plicated by the loss of human life,
as might have been involved had it
arisen from the destruction of armed
merchantment by submarines, optim
ism over an amicable adjustment Is
expressed here.
Since the issuing of the German
memorandum on armed merchantmen
earlier in the war, German authorities
have held that a ship which mounts
guns, whether they be intended "for
defense, loses its status as a private
commercial craft and becomes a war
ship. Sailors taking service on such
a hip, these authorities contend, lose
their neutral status, just as if they
had enlisted in the naval forces of a
belligerent. Therefore, these sailors
are liable to treatment as prisoners
of war, it is held.
These grounds are set forth in the
second annex to the German prize
code, which states explicitly that the
crews of armed merchantmen which
offer resistance to German naval
forces shall be treated as war prison
ers. Though the memorandum and
the prize code take this stand, the
problem has been held in abeyance.
Of late, however, the armed mer
chantman issue has again become
pressing, and the belief is growing
that the government will take advan
tage of the situation created by the
bringing into a German port of the
prize ship Yarrowdale, with the crew
held as prisoners of war, to bring the
question to a head.
COL. M'GRAW'T CASE
SET FOR TRIAL MARCH 15
ELK1NS. W. Va., Jan. 21.? At a
meeting of the Randolph County Bar
Association. Friday, abont 75 cases
were set for trial at the February
term of the Randolph county Circuit
Court, which commences February 13.
The trial of Col. John T. McGraw, of
Grafton, upon a felony indictment
charging misappropriation of funds of
the Grafton Bank, which .was trans
ferred from the Taylor county Circuit
Court, was set for trial at the end of
the docket, which will probably be
about March 15. This case has at
tracted wide attention, and was trans
ferred from Judge Neil J. "Fortney's
court, in Taylor county, to Judge War
ren B. Kittle's court, in Randolph
county, following three days spent last
October in an effort to select a Jury
to try the case.'
The change of venue was made on
motion of the defendant's attorneys,
supported by affidavits of many citi
zens that in their opinion a fair and
impartial trial of the case could not
be had in Col. McGraw's own county.
The bond of Col. McGraw. who was
for many years Democratic National
Committeeman from West Virginia,
was fixed at $15,000.
Officers elected for the Randolph
County Bar Association for the year
were as follows: B. M. Hoover,
president: E. A. Bowers, vice presi
dent.: William A. Arnold, secretary;!
LeRov See, treasurer; F. E. Tallman,
Samuel T. Spears and R. H. Allen,
members executive committee.
STEAMERVAUBAN
ESCAPES THE RAIDER
RIO JANEIRO. Brazil, Jan. 21? The ^
British Steamer Vattban has arrived j
safely at Bahia.
The Vauban,.a Lamport and Holti
liner of 10,660 tons gross, sailed from]
New York on JaDuary 7 for Rio Janei-|
ro with passengers and freight. Al- j
though no passenger steamers had
been Interfered with by the German
raider which has been operating in I
the Atlantic, some uneasiness was j
felt in shipping circles regarding the I
Vauban, as her course was taking her i
into the zone of the raider's acthi- 1
ties., 1
NO INFANT PARALYSIS IN
CLARKSBURG DISTRICT
Special Dl?p*tcti tn the Intelligencer.
' CLARKSBURG, W. Va., Jan. 21?
Announcement is made by Dr. C. 0.
Post, city health officer, that no cases
of infantile paralysis exist in the com
munity, a suspected case at Tin Plate,
a suburb, having been diagnosed us J
another ailment. Another suspected '
rase at Alta Vista, also a suburb has i
likewise been diagnosed as anotuer
affliction.
THE WEATHER?
WASHINGTON, D. C? Jan. 21.? j
Forecast:
West Virginia ? Rain, turning to j
snow, and much colder, with cold wave*
Monday; Tuesday fair and colder.
Ohio? Snow flurries and much cold,
er Monday; Tuesday fair and colder.
Western Pennsylvania ? Rain, turn
ing to snow, and much colder Monday;
Tuesday snow flurries and colder.
7or?out for the W?*k.
Ohio Valley and Tennessee: Snow or
rain Sunday and Monday will be fol
lowed by fair weather until Thursday
or Friday, when snow Is again prob
able. Much colder weather will over
spread this region Monday and Tues
day and the temperature will remain
low thereafter until the close of the
week.
Region of the Great Lakes: Frequents
snows are probable during the com-i
ing week with the temperature aver
aging considerably below the seasonal
normal. j
DESPITE LEGISLATIVE I
SESSIONS WERE FEW I
?/
Public Hearing to Be Held on |
Soft Drink Bill4 ? Good Road |
Legislation is Assured. ?
I CHARLESTON, W. Va., Jan. 2t? i -J
(Although the house of delegates haa ; ;
[not been in session for two and a half $
> days, and the senate for three dayi,
jonly comparatively few members of
the legislature have been Idle. A
great deal has been accomplished by
the more important' comihittees which .
have considered many bills since the ...
last recess was taken. The result ot
I this consideration is that many of the %l<
I bills which have been placed in the
legislative hopper have died, while %
others are made the subject of r^
vision which in many ; particulars will
{change their purport and intenUon.
I A number of the members left ;
{Charleston for home at the earliest
, possible time after recess, but most of^ J
?these returned tonight and are ready-:
jto start In on the third week ofv.v
; activity. SeBator S. O. Billings,
j Republican, of the Fourteenth district.',
; arrived from Parsons where he had %
'been detained for some time by itinera
!in his family. He expects to be pres- ,?>
' ent at all the succeeding sessions. $
I Senator Billings is a hold-over sen- v
iator, and by reason of his experience '
? in legislative deliberations, is one of J
! the active members.
Soft Drink Bill.
A public hearing has been called $, ;
'for tomorrow night before the senate
j committee on finance, at which time
' Senator W. P. Hawley's bill providing
for a license tax on any and all soft i
j drink beverages made in imitation of ^
; beer or malt, will be the subject .of '
! discussion. This bill flies a license
jtax of 1100 annually on wholesalers
dealing in such beverages, and fifteen ,
{dollars a year on retailers. Consider
lable opposition developed as soon as ;'?>
ithe subject of soft drink taxes was.
{brought into the legislature, but mnch
! of it subsided when it was learned by /?'
ithe manufacturers of many kinds of
! soft drinks that the measure does not 3
contemplate their business, but' affects, ?
so far as known now, only drink manu- i
factured in St. Louis and Milwaukee, if
A concerted opposition from build* '
, ing and loan associations throughout ?;
the state is beinfe met by senate bill ;>i
No. 42, introduced by Senator Godbey; i j
which, if it be enacted into law, will ?
< make radical changes in the manner
! ofoperating the business of these in
stitutions. *
Labor organizations generally which
have representatives at the capital ^
through their central bodies, are Terr's--:
well pleased with the situation nr to
the present time as' it affects tnetrV
interests. Ail the measurer
mended by them are being, '"fWKS
favororable consideration so far, aad>; "
nearly .all that they wish to hare ^
passed have been introduced.
As an evidence that good roads leg*, ?
(Coatsmn#d oa yiffi Srrtm.* w
BIG CHANCE FOR I
j II. S. IN FRANCE
I AMERICAN COMMISSION
MAKES INITIAL REPORT "
Tells of Conditions in Country '
and Says Great Field
for Investment *
i ; , ._
| i\?.w l una, jan. zi. ? me Ameri
can Industrial Commission to Franca
? made public to-day the first install' f
| mem of an extensive report It U to .
i make to the American Manufacturer*' -
| Export Association, dealing with the .
> condition which probably will confront '
i the industries of France at tha close
! of the war. - .-j
I The American industrial ootemls
| sion was invited to Franca by thi '<?
French trade commission which halted *,
I the United States in 1915, backed by .
: the premier and the ministers of com
I merce and finance. The American
party consisted of 15 business 'man,
under the presidency of W. W? Nlch
I ols, of New York.
! The commission sailed from New .*
! York on August 26, 1919, and after
i landing at Bordeaux, made a compre- '
hensive tour of the industrial regions
of France. ' 3
The portion of the report made pob
lie to-day said, in part:
"Even at this time, with the war i
raging, it was found that there to V
i much reconstruction and new bonding
I ready to be undertaken. When peace
comes. the amount of construction of f
I industrial plants generally will be
large. This applies to bodi France
and Belgium.
"In France alone, along the battle- /
; front, more than 400 factories bars
been destroyed ,and within the invad- Y
ed region it is said that the plant! ?
have been denuded of machinery,
tools, raw materials, building e<ltolp
ment and everything of value.
New Plants Started.
"Since the war a number of compa
nies in the north, unable to operate
their mills, have started new plants in
other sections of France, frequently -
so located that they will ultimately ?
benefit from the exceptionally favor
able water power in the Vosges and
the Alpine regions. %
"It Is likely that an Industrial survey . ,
will be made to locate the plants where
they can operate to the best advantage.
"The Importance of keeping Industries
upon which the country may depend for
her safety In time of war away from the
frontier regions will be borne In mind, f
New plants, up to c'ate in every par
ticular, are arising Ir. section.* In which ?
industry has been heretofore hardly
found. i "
"We often heard the hope expressed
that ? nftcr the war ? American manu
facturers and American capital would
co-operate with French interests sad
erect new plants In France. Thers", Is
disclosed here a large field for Ameri
can enterprise which we think Is well 4'
worthy of study.
"France and America are not likely to
be serious competitors in the ' world
market bccause their strength lies in
different directions. ' . ,'fi
"Our manufacturing practice Is the^ ;
result of a great uniform steady home \ .
demand from one ond of the country
the other. Our manufacturers expect ?*
only their surplus products, aid they v
can only export them as they are, as
they cannot profitably make a smaller .j,
amount of merchandise differing from
their usual output" . ?
??
? ? ? : ;. V -I