Democralic Senators Weakening Under HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH LXXXIV— Xo. 25 WILSON SEES DEFEA PURCHASE BILL CONCESSIONS T President, During Confer ence, Asks Progressive Republicans to Take the Places of Nine Democrats Who Revolted Against the Administration Yesterday MEASURE WILL BE AMENDED, IS BELIEF Declaration of Principle Might Be Incorporated, Saying Government Would Buy No Ships Which Would Involve Controver sies With Belligerents By Associated Press Washing-ton. Feb. 2.—While the ad ministration Senate Democrats cau cused to-day to reorganize their shat tered lines and renew the fight for the ship bill. President Wilson conferred with Progressive Republican Senators at the White House seeking: a basis to make the bill agreeable to enough of that wing and fill the gap caused by the sudden deflection of nine Democratic votes in yesterday's sen sation coup, when the antiadministra tion Senators threw the measure into the shadow of defeat. One of the strong: possibilities of a basis of compromise was that a decla ration of principle might be incor porated in the bill, saying the govern ment intended to buy n<> ships which would involve controver sies with the European belligerents, but that it would be so framed as not t any of the rights of the States. Hr Scarcely had the caucus begun when J LaFollette, Progressive Re publican. upon whom the Democrats are counting for support, appeared outside the conference room and dis cussed the situation with administra tion leaders. That the bill would be amended most of the Democrats seemed ready to concede, but to what extent did not become apparent in the early hours of the conference. Remain Out of Caucus Seven of the Democrats who voted with Republicans yesterday did not attend the Caucus. They were Bank liead. Camden. Clark, Hardwick, Hitchcock. O'Gorman and Vardaman. Senators Hoke, Smith and Brvan. how ever, who rotes to table Vice-Presi dent Marshall's ruling declaring out of order Senator Clark's motion to re commit the bill did not ignore the caucus. Amendments which the caucus con sidered included those urged by Sen ators Norris and Kenyon. One. by- Senator Norris, would provide that no vessel should be purchased by the gov ernment which sails under the flag of any nation at war with any other nation which is at peace with the United States, unless prior to such purchase an understanding or agree ment shall have been reached that will avoid any international difficulty or dispute regarding such ship pur chase. Senator Kenyon proposes that cab inet officials should not serve on the shipping board. ith a view to seeking terms upon ■which progressive Republicans would support the ship bill and to confer with Democrats who bolted yesterday, the Democratic caucus appointed a committee of three to conduct nego tiations and report at another caucus to-night. Wilson Still Confident The President told the correspond ents at the White House he was confi dent the bill would pass. When ask ed if there would be amendments he replied the changes contemplated would not alter the spirit of the meas ure. He hoped, and was Inclined to think, that such changes as were made would satisfy the Progressive Republi cans. who were not asking anything inconsistent with the principle "of the bill, but wanted chiefly, he said, to de [Continued on Page !>.] THE WEATHER For lliirri»l>uric and vicinity's llnln or Nlwt to-night nml \\edne«dayi not much clinnxr in temperature; loweat temperature to-night, about freer Ing. For l-lantern I'ennaylvanla: linln or "leet to-nlghj anecn killed in a week. The Russians charg<>d the captured trenches and Petrograd reports that they succeeded in winning back a large part of tltciii. Tile battle for possession of Carpa thian passes continue** without defi nite success for either tlie Russians or the Austrians. Winston Spencer Churchill, first lord of the Admiralty. Is quoted a* having said that on account of Eng land's control of the seas. Germany was like a man throttled with a heavy gag, and that "the effort wears out the heart and Germany knows It." GERMANS RESENT EXECUTIONS fly Associated Press Rerlin, via London, Feb. 2, 10:38 a. m.—lndignation is expressed by the newspapers generally over the execu tion of Karl Ficke and Herr Grundler in Morocco on charges of treason pre ferred by the French. VON KLUCK'S SON DEAD fly Associated, Press Berlin, via Amsterdam and London. Feb. 2, 10:10 a. in. —The eldest son of General Von Kluck, naval lieutenant, is reported to have fallen near Middel kerke on January 26. All former non ! commissioned officers under fifty years are called to drill recruits. WIRES DAMAGED IN WEST Chicago, 111., Feb. 2.—Weather con ; ditions to-day continued to hamper I telegraph and telephone companies and communication with many point* waa difficult and In ■"T'a iUr«nlf"\i I cut oil WAITS FOR KNIGHT FROM OUT O'SOUTH Lady Mawson Wirelesses Explorer That She Just Can't Give Him Up If you had become engaged to "the only man" just before he sailed away ! for a weary year's stay in the wastes of the South Polar Seas, and after a weary heartaching wait you had re ceived a wireless from out the black ness of the Antarctic Circle to the effect that the one man in the world was a physical wreck because of the awful hardships he had undergone and that therefore he released you from your promise—what would YOU have done? Ten to one you'd have flashed back by return wave the very same message that so thoroughly convinced Sir Doug las Mawson that the South Pole, after all, isn't so cold. Here's the message: If you ever needed me you need me now Refuse release Love you. [Continued on Page 9.] FLOOD DANGER HALTED By COLDER WEATHER Storm Is Decreasing; Spring's i Coming; Groundhog Didn't See His Shadow i Tiie rain of the past thirty-six hours ! will not cause a flood, according to [forecasts issued at noon. A stage of | about eight and one-half feet is indi i cated for Harrisburg to-morrow morn ing. A cold wave in the northeastern part of the United States has lowered temperatures, preventing the rain which fell from draining into the streams and removing immediate dan ger of floods. The forecast for Har risburg and Eastern Pennsylvania to night and Wednesday is rain and sleet with the lowest temperature about freezing. The storm is now over the Ohio Val ley and is decreasing in strength. Al most two inches of rain fell in Har risburg during the past twenty-four hours. Other Rivers Rising Flood stages were expected at Pitts burgh at noon. In the eastern part of | the State rain has caused high stages on the l/ehigh, Schuylkill and Dela ware rivers. The mills at Manayunk closed this mornins owing to the rise [Continued on Page 9.] CANADIAN'S IX READINESS flv Associated Press Victoria. B. C., Feb. 2.—The Cana- I dian Department of Militia and de fense has ordered the Thirtieth over i seas battalion, which has been in ; training outside Victoria, to lie held! in readiness for departure for Eng-1 land. SENATOR BEIDLEMAN PRESIDENT PRO TEM. More Than Majority of Senators Pledge Themselves to His Sap port For That Honor SI-NAT' >i; i: I 111 H.I M \.\ Senator Edward E. Beidleman, of this city, will be the next President pro tem. of the State Senate. The senator has been endorsed for election by thirty of the Republican senators, who have signed a paper for him which is to be presented to the Republican senatorial caucus at the close of the session and more are ex pected to sign to-day. As the membership of the Senate is fifty, the selection of the Dauphin sen ator is assured. Hi was heartily con gratulated to-day by his colleagues and by friends on this recognition of his work as a senator. The last Dauphin countian to hold ithe office of President pro tem. was Judge S. J. M. McCarrell. who was ! President pro tem. in 1895 and 1897. [ Judge McCarrell was Senator Beidle j man's preceptor in the law. Grandson of Paul Kruger Held on Treason Charge flv Associated Press Pretoria, via Feb. 2, 10.19 A. M.—Pletre Orobler, a. member of the parliament of the Union of South 'Africa and a grandson of Paul Kruger, jiir- f"-" j* (H for trial on a charge of treason. SUBWAY SAFER FOR TRAVELING AFOOT Lynch Ordinance Insures Conveni ence For Pedestrians on Second Street Approach Pedestrian travel through the Sec ond street subway and approaches will be made safer and more convenient if an ordinance offered this afternoon in City Council by Commissioner Williarp H. Lynch becomes a law. Its final passage is expected next week. The ordinance amends the present subway measure to provide for the construction of a six-foot sidewalk at the low grade along the base of the wall that divides the freight station entrance and the approach to the street level south of Mulberry street. Six-Foot Walk Along Base or Wall The sidewalk as planned by Mr. Lynch will begin at the northern limit of the subway approach wall east of the street about 160 feet south of the Cumberland Valley tracks. It will ex [ Continued on Page 9.] ISIiHPM SWEEPING MEASURE I Would Require Everybody Spend ing Money For Political Pur poses to Report to Courts A bill to compel reports from every person who may expend money for political candidates was nresented in the Senate to-day by Senator Sensenich, of Westmoreland county The measure provides an amendment to the corrupt practices act interpreting the term "political committee" to include "every person, copartnership, association, fed eration, league, society or corporation who or which raises or collects or uses or disburses or permits or controls or assists in the raisins; or collecting, using or disbursing of money to elect or defeat any candidate or candidates." Under the present law only political committees are required to report the expenditure of money in campaigns. Under the Sensenich bill all money ex pended, no matter by whom, would have to be certified to the clerk of the courts. Senator Sensenich says the bill is aimed to reach individuals or associations who expend monev for candidates outside of the regular po litical committees. Senator Sensenich also introduced j in the Senate to-day a bill mukinn it mandatory for all courts of record to render decisions within nine months of the trial of a case unless all parties pgree to an extension of time. A similar bill was defeated in the last Legisla ture. Other bills introduced Included these: Mr. Sproul. Delaware Kxempting [Continued on Page !> J I,Ht;iSI.ATI\ K It \>l The Honor will meet nt s o'clock | f trading shifted to the July delivery. < " BISHOP DUBS GROWS WEAKER ' iarrisburg. —Reports from the bedside of Bishop Dubs, j ' K who is ill at his home from >art trouble, this after- M K noon were simply—"He is gradually growing weaker." C Late this afternoon City Council directed City Solicitor h S Seitz to ask the court to appoint viewers who will assist in M # the solution of the "Hardscrabble" problem. F Washington, Feb. 2.— Senator Clapp told his colleagues ft ' before going to the White House to-day he intended telling M President Wilson the ship bill situation was not a subject for I executive interference," and that he resented being called » for a conference on it. After his visit to th'e White House K he mused to talk. .M Berlin, Feb. 2, via London, 2.58 P. M. —Emperor Wil- M liam will leave Berlin to-morrow for Wilhclmshaven on the C , North Sea, to inspect the German naval base there. I Paris, Feb. 2, 2P. M. —"A German submarine yester- C I day made an unsuccessful attempt to torpedo the British hospital ship Asturia3," according to a communication given Ci I out to lay by the ministry of marine. % I MARRIAGE LICENSES 5 J«Hpph <»|illn»k? and ■•■ aline brrnnrr, <-lt.T. M * POSTSCRIPT sive he returned to the hotel. As evi dence of his experience he displayed a frostbitten thumb. His clothing had been encrusted with ice and waa soaked throughout. The bridge is the connecting link between the Maine Central and the, Canadian Pacific track, the Canadian Pacific having traffic, rights over the former rond from Mattawamkeage trw the boundary. This is the through: route from Upper and Western Canada to the maritime provinces, directly,. t Continued on Page ».] Washington Bureau Says Groundhog Has No Chance to See Shadow in East fl.v Associated Press Washington. D. C„ Feb. 2.--The ground hog has no chance to see his shadow anywhere in the East when he comes out to-day and according to I tradition that means six weeks of bright days to follow. The Weather Bureau's official prediction to-day was: "The indications are that there will be snow and sleet in the North Atlantic. States and the south portion of th"> region of the Great Lakes, rain and snow in t«e Ohio Valley and rain in the Middle Atlnntic States during the next thirty-six hours. "Storm warnings are displayed on the Atlantic coast from Portland, Maine, to the Virginia Capes." Zeppelin Raid on Cities of England Proves Myth By Associated Press London, Feb. 2. 3.0 A. M. —Nothing further has been heard up to this hour of a Zeppelin raid nor is thero any confirmatrow or reports that German submarines were seen yesterday in the Irish Sea between Holy Head and Dub lin. Cross-channel service is still run ning and It Is considered there is no great danger for swift vessels. There seemingly was no occasion for alarm in London over a Zeppelin mid.