an PRESIDENT TAKES OVER PAILROADS Operation to Be Controlled Through Present Management, INCOMEISGUARANTEED| Net Operating Revenue To Equal Average Of Three Years Preceding June 30, 1917—New Security Issues To Be Given Government Backing And Condition Of Properties To Be Maintained. Washington.— President Wilson by | proclamation has taken possession and operation of the nation’s railroads for the war, William G. McAdoo, retain. ing his place in the Cabinet as Sec retary of the Treasury, is placed In charge as Director-General! of Rall | roads, Every railroad engaged transportation with its including steamship over, and ated one eral. In a statement proclamation, the nounced that as soon dssembles he will lation guaranteeing and maintenance of ties in good repair Government to new issues railroad that a ready market may be found, The President's move, although forecast for weeks, came at this time as a great surpri body in Washington, road It believed he would sembling in ppurtenances, lines taken | is all systems will be as under the accompanying hi Presiden as legis- earnings recommend pre-war railroad backing will be of nearl inclu been await befor officials nad Congress any step. He acted tary of War Bake: conferred in the of act Direct ‘son, who, lared the roads gone as far as they could and already some systems earnings in Although to all electric were endangering their attempting unification the proclamation in general urban applies lines engaged transportation, loc tems exempted, To Cost $100,000,000 In Year. Congress will be asked to earnings equ valent net operating income al inter YS are specifically to the average of each in the three-year period 30, 1917 that this next vear in the 000 0600. whict Railroad expert estimate ronment neighbor of $104, can be part by increased fre terstate Commerce Com the roads’ application cent ( erwis rnment Commerce lovernment x hich will tions will be heretofore ublect rector of Railroads Fhe President make his decision was any fail roads to perform their whole duty ure on th art of the rail in | hampered . by legal restrictions Express Companies Too Boome was felt #0 far as they while conld as they were doubt as to whelher | President's proclamation. They were not mentioned but the President ref system of specifically, erred to every - thereof.” This was preted including whose business Is so closely locked with that of the It is presumed that apply direct the merce Commission commissions, generally aa these companies, Jtere railroads rafiroads Interstate or to the will | to Com. atate a8 in the without | referring question of rate increases to the Director-General, although the procedure will depend largely on the scheme of contro! to worked out by Mr. McAdoo past be RUSS RELEASE AMERICAN, Charles 8. Smith, Of St. Louis, tained Only A Few Hours. Petrograd. Charles 8. Smith, of 8t fouls, a member of the American Rallway Commission in Rusela, who was arrested recently at Tehita, Si erin, was released after a few houry’ detention, aceording to advices reac’: De- sng the American Embassy here, c— Committee of Program. ‘Wil Add Total Of 8,252,03) Tonc— Refusal Of Goethals’ Contracts Two Monthe' Capps To Approve Caused Delay. Dowles, Washington Rear-Admiral Fleet told Commerce the shipbuilding are 1,388 ships of all Emergency the Senate vestigating that gonder the Fleet those ships have a Corporation, Cormmittee In ther constriction or al by Corporati deadweight Admiral Bo first time relative nr after them onene Bees explosion asline tank » Two an wide and then a chaser fire into the the gasolin ie submis tank releasing 101 LOST WITH SHIP. British Armed Steamer Stephen Fur ness Torpedoed In Irish Channel, London “he Britich armed steam eas hb been tory $ sunk by Irish ¢ a Germon subma ) iannel. Six officer 50 men Ww lost The chantman of 1.712 tons pros, bul) 1810 at West Hartlepool and by the Tyne Shipping Company fad. ore Stephen Furne owned Tees AMERICAN PROPERTY SEIZED. Under Trustecchip OF Berlin Govern. ment-—Not To Be Confiscated. Berlin (via London) ~The property of Americans in Germany has been placed under the trusteeship of the German government. There is no in tention, however, to confiscate prop: sity of to infringe on the personal rights of the propertybolders, sna —en | — {1 wont) if) 1AM vi tl (Hanet fags hs FO TE suPpne DANSE Bask |] i HE VER | WEAR EF ( SECRET TREATY But It May Not Be Against England and America. RUSSIAN RUMOR SAYS IT IS Celieve it To Be A Convention The Rights Of Russia In The East. Safeguard pan And Far esis lance by the =«¢ the possible confiiet™ nee tated Not Against The U8. Wa ud thes called pecvet officials had no knowledge of the =o American trezty bet= Russia Petmograd that iting “joint i demonstration against America Great Britain in the Far Bast” & oul by the the of There a pos- treats to i vention conc.uded be at] and Japan, d but ti seribhe it escribed in the dispatohes, ey ronsidered to de contemp! arme bor: text of fs retorrpt about the et and Japan the at ocalled sed LAST GERMAN PAPER SEIZED. Costa Rica Acts When Wilson And Lloyd Goorge Are Libeled. San Joge, Conia Rien.—~Nueva Era, the last German paper in Costa Rica, was seized by the Government on nce count of libelous articles against Pres. ident Wilson and the British Mintster, David Lloyd George. It pub ished also a violent protest ngainst the recent blucklUat fat UN L. & N. [HIRTY-EIGHT DIE Fast Train Piles Into Rear End of Accommodation. THREE CARS IN SPLINTERS Mos: Casualties Train, Which On is Hit Just After Pulling Out From Way Occur Slow Station. motive and ir from Lou baggage Car wen! on a was cleared sundered by POWDER MILL BLOWN UP, Sixteen Workers Escape At Shame kin Factory. Pa unhurt Shamokin, Sixteen employes when the chaser mill of Shamokin Powder Company, two miles north of here, blew up, fol lowing a fire The plant is manufac turing black powder for ammunition end mining purposes. After the ex plosion ewept building but heroic work on the part of workmen and firmnen prevented the flames from 1 hing other buildings of the origin of the blaze is un ercaped the fire the plant. The deterniined SPY LETTERS SEIZED, Customs Oficir!s Find German Com. munication System. Washington Operation of a tem of regular communication be tween the United States and Ger many, Austria and European neutrals wae disclosed by announcement castoms officials that within the last two weeks they have found scores of letlers containing inseriptions in EVR — — in Connt Lux- burg's Telegrams. State And Argentina Simultaneously Publish Forty Ad- ditional Department Meesages EBetween Buencs Aires and Berlin, { wi, > the richest and South Washington Argentina ME most democratic of the 4 republies, is momentarily expected to break with Berlin. A dex a re i f wa . : 1 yration of war ill follow. . top % 44 nie decls he Argentine if with Pan-J iea and the forces of démocracy ag Germany was marked by the gimuitane publicatic Les Zimmerman Minister Germans from Foreign of DeEricns ceremonial owing our t Germany negotiations to sntly referred he Argentina = il & MesEARY - 181% July fy APA On that day Luxburg wired Lin Taro 17 Laux- almost every 4Aay erber 1 that he Presi 5 after tis that the fro: up 10 Sep was seldom allowed 10 see Lhe dent It was shortly was 0 and ipriog versaenkt” message ache in the United jax siie in } ni Siutles 2's recall asked for Jixberz Cermany’s foreign that warfare 1 admitied the exigencies ade is impossible for her to observe pro- vigions of international law requiring the mere identification of a veszel be- sinking. He admitted that Ger not dare to take this atts formally or openly on account submarine x t} » fore many tude did Argentina be lulled with fair words, while the fou! work went on The revelation of this policy, it i= expected hers, will have a distinct effect on Germany's relations with the other Northern neutrals. Norway has suffered disastrous sinkings twice within two months and has received game sort of explanations from Berlin as were handed to Argentine it romarked that the Swedish Government has changed since the last Luxburg revelations and it is predicted that the new ones showing the further nefarious use of Bweden's the is SUNK BY THE FRENCH, i The Bottom. Athens French destroyers have sunk two enemy submarines in the Gulf of Tarsnto. 4 MILLING ON SUGAR Cent's wis a Pound, Says Hoover. PRICE-FIXING 1S JUSTIFIED Ctatement Which Turned Down Baved Public $200, 000,000, Washington period Cuba 132 tons of dec] Ared, is GREETINGS FROM PERSHING. Sacred Cause From AH Ranks. GENERAL BLISS REPLY. Bt chief of stall sent he and Secretar War send to the Army in greeting and Christmas the Your in Camp ment send you greet you and the withes the Atte fioan France most ordial from people United comrad ang cs « Tom arms in ever: NRK, home today goes fare and success France and persona ery mag of them Th in you and them its full that in God's greod time and with God's blessing ite trevoms in France, aide side with gallant Allie bring victory and abiding peace to all the world" a prayer for the wel Our troops n for that of ¢ nation reg of " y oy gon confidence hv +3 £ i Tater wii TEA LEAVES IN WAR, After They Mave Steeped They Are Used For Munitions. London. — Instructions have , been sent to all Armay and Navy canteens to save all used ten leaves, which are to be carefully kept in muslin bags snd forwarded to central depots