Agitation For Action Warning Americans Off Belligerent Ships Stirs Congress
HARRISBURG SfiSllli TELEGRAPH
T V-VVir X" 11 BY CA RRIE3R « TEXTS .4 WEEK.
LA AAV— -NO. 41 MINGI.E COPIES a CHWTS.
CONGRESS MAY
BAR TRAVEL ON
ARMED VESSELS
DESPITE WILSON
Threaten to Defy President
on His U-Boat Policy
Which Leaders Say Will
Force U. S. Into War;
Smouldering Sentiment
Might Blaze Up to Em
barrass Diplomatic Nego
tiations With Germany
IS DETERMINED TO
OPPOSE WARNING
Report That Bolt Was Con
templated and That Demo
crats Had Given President
Forty-Eight Hours to
Change Policy, Flatly De
nied; May Appeal to
Patriotic Americans Not to
Board Armed Ships
By Associated riess
Washington. P"eb. 24. Congress]
assembled to-day with the agitation;
for action warning Americans off bel- j
ligerent ships overshadowing all other
questions. President Wilson's sup
porters, apprehensive that the smoul
dering sentiment might suddenly
blaze up to embarrass the diplomatic
negotiations with Germany were
working to hold the administration
forces in line and keep the question
from the floor of both House and Sen-'
ate. The legislative situation In bothl
houses favored the administration
forces. The Senate was in the legisla
tive day of yesterday which prevented
the subject from coming up without
unanimous consent. The situation in
the House was similar but not so se
rious. If an outburst came tlie load
ers expected it would be there. Word
went to the Capitol again early to-day
that President Wilson's opposition to
any action by Congress was unshaken )
and that Chairman Stone and Flood, i
of the committees dealing with for- 1
eign affairs, could explain his position I
fully. Administration officials outside 1
of Congress professed to be undlsturb- 1
ed by the agitation at the capitol and
expressed confidence that the Presi
dent's position would be supported.
Calms Down
As members of both houses assem
bled for to-day's sessions the situation
appeared to have calmed considerably,
although there still were evidences of
opposition to the President's deter
mination to insist that Americans have
a right to travel on merchant ships of
a belligerent. The exact status of the
situation was explained as follows:
Many members of the House and
some in the Senate, being much in the
■ lark as to exact facts in the nego
tiations with Germany, fear that it
would lead to war if Americans are
not kept off armed merchantmen and
if Germany should actuate the deter
mination io sink armed merchant ves
sels whether armed for offense or only
for defense.
They feel that they should be in
[Coutinued on Page I I.]
Attempt to Introduce
Warning Resolution Is
Blocked by Republican
By • tociatti Press
Washington. D. C., Feb. 2 4.—The
first attempt to introduce legislation
warning Americans off armed bel
ligerent ships, made in Congress to
day by Senator Gore, a Democrat, was
summarily blocked by Senator liran
degee. a Republican, and under the
rules of the Senate cannot be resumed
i ntil to-morrow.
Senator Gore sought to introduce
his bill to prohibit passage of Ameri
< ans on such ships and also to intro
duce a concurrent resolution requiring
passage by the House, but. unlike his
bill, had not the approval of the
President.
Senator Gore issued a statement de- |
< laring "it seems to me the ship of
[Continued on Page I I.]
I THE WEATHER
For IfarHahtirK and vleinHjt In
nettlrd weather, probably rain or
aleet thin afternoon anil
not mufb eabnfcc In temperature,
lowest to-niuht about deft roe*,
for Ka«tern I'ennN.vUanin: Prob
ably rnln or alert to-nlftbt, fol
lowed by elearluK Frlripv; east
erly sales nhlftlnft to went Fri
day.
River
The Suftqaehanna river and all ita
branchea will remain nearly nta
tlonary with probably little
<*bunfte in iee condition**. A atafte • 1
of about 4.4 feet li indleated for
Ilarrlftbiirft Friday morning.
(•enera! t onditlona
The disturbance that wan central
over the Ohio % alley UedneNiluy
mo rnln ti had moved anutlieaat
ward an din now central over
*outh < arollna. It haa caused rain
In the laat twenty-four houra
generally aouth and cant of the
Ohio river and nnow in \ew Kng.
land.
It In colder In the Ohio and lower
MisnUnippi valleya. the f;ulf
Mat#**, >llddle anil North Atlan
tic Mate* and aloasr the aouth.
eaatern border of the threat
I ake»: al*n In Manitoba and *aa
katehewan. In the South \tlan
tlc and Plalna *tate« there baa
been a seneral rlae of 4 to 20 de
cree* In tem|»eratiire.
Temperature: a. m.,
Sun: VtUea, 6:46 m. m.; aeta, 5t5l
p. m.
Moon: Rlaea, 12tlt a. m.: laat quar*
ter. February 26. 4:21 a. m.
KUer stage: 4.1 feet ahove low
water mark.
Yewterday> Weather
lllfthent temperature. 16.
I.oweat temperature. 514.
Mean temperature. 10.
.\ornnl temperature, 31. U. *:
QUICK APPROVAL '
OF FLETCHER IS
URGED IN SENATE
Leaders Believe Favorable .
Action at Secret Session Is
Now Assured
WIDELY KNOWN HEIIE
Native of Cumberland Valley !
Has Attained lligb Honors
in Consular Service
Wi- - *
m
n. J9
Bfc
11. P. FLETCHER
Washington. D. C.. Feb. *4.—With!
administration leaders urging speedy'
confirmation, the name of Henry Pra- 1
ther Fletcher was considered as am
bassador to Mexico in secret session
this afternoon. The nomination was
favorably reported yesterday by the
foreign relations committee. Admins- ;
tration senators believe favorable ac- ;
tion by the Senate is assured.
Widely Known Here
If. P. Fletcher was born in Green
castle. Pa., April 10, 1573. He at-,
tended private school in Chambers
burg and later studied law in the'
office of D. Watson Kowe, in that;
town. He was admitted to the bar in
1894 as a member of the firm of Rowe
& Fletcher. From IS9I to IS9B he
was the official reporter of the thirty
ninth judicial district of Pennsylvania.
After service in the Spanish-AmerU
can War with Roosevelt's Rough Rid
ers he enlisted in the regular army
at the close of that conflict and was
commissioned a second lieutenant. He
served in the Philippines from 1899 to
1901 and when his military career
came to an end he was battalion ad
jutant of the Fortieth Infantry.
Iligli Consular Office
During 1902 and 1903 he was second 1
secretary in the American legation to !
Cuba. He was transferred to Pekin,
China, where he served from the end of I
1903 to 1905. He then went to Lisbon,
Portugal, as secretary of the American
legation, where he remained until
April. 1907, when he went back to
China as first secretary of the lega- t
tion. He became charge d'affaires
there in October of the same year. His
work during a delicate period of Chi
nese, Japanese and American diplo
macy brought him to the attention of
.Secretary of State Knox. As a reward
for his services in Pekin he was made
envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary to Chile. December 21,
1909, and later was made first am- '
bassador to that country.
J. Rowe Fletcher, former sherifT of
Dauphin county, is a brother, and he
has a host of friends in this city and
Central Pennsylvania.
Lykens Strike Situation
Remains Unchanged Today
Special to tlie Telrgraph
Lykens, Pa., Feb. 24.—There is no
change in the strike situation at the
Short Mountain colliery at Wiconiseo.
were about 1,000 members of the 1
I'nited Mine Workers of America quit
work yesterday on the refusal of the
mine officials to reinstate William
Stuppy. a loader boss. Everything
is quiet about the mines and in the
town. There is no strike at the Wil
liamstown colliery.
$lO Bank of Maryland Note
Found Among Old Papers
Sfecial to the Telegraph
Dillsburg. Pa., Feb. 2 4.—On Tues
day William H. Lerew and J. A. Le
rew. while going through some old
papers thaft belonged to their father,
Isaac Lerew, who died some time ago,
found an old $lO bill dated 1826. The
hill was on "The Bank of Maryland,"
and was in a good state of preserva
tion. '
Alfred Douden, President
Millersburg Bank, Dies
Special to the Telegraph j
Millersburg, Pa., Feb. 24.—Alfred I
Douden, a prominent citizen of Mil- !
lersbtirg and for many years president ;
of the First National Bank and 1
founder of the A. Douden Planing
Mills, died at his home in Union street
at B.4ij o'clock this morning in his
eighty-third year. He was a member
of the Methodist Church and of Sus
quehanna Lodge, F. and A. M., of Mil- I
lerwburg. He is survived by his wife i
and a sister. Mrs. Thomas, also sev
eral brothers. Funeral arrangements;
have not yet been made. I (
1>II) HE HAVE 'EM? * J
Special to the Telegraph
I.ewistown. I*a„ Feb. 24.—While :
/•'rank Shreftller, employed on the I
Pennsylvania railroad, was* out near i
Keedsville yesterday ho saw a live l :
snake along the road.
HARRISBURG, PA.,. THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 24, 1916
TO SPEND MANY
MILLIONS ON PA.
STEEL COMPANY
At Least $5,000,(XX) at Stcclton;
20 Millions at Sparrows
Point
r> NEW FURNACES HERE
Schwab to Centralize Offices
of Two Concerns at
Bethlehem
Baltimore. Fob. 21.—Fifteen to
twenty million dollars will be
expended by the Bethlehem Steel
Company in developing tlie Mary
land Steel Company's plant at
Sparrow's Point, >!«!.. according
to an announcement made to-day
l>y K. ti. tiraee. president of tlie
Bethlehem Corporation after an
inspection of the Sparrow's l'olnt
plant.
Announcement by Charles M.
Schwab that he will erect an addition
to the general office building: at South
Bethlehem, presumably to be used for
centralizing a number of offices of the
Pennsylvania Steel Company; inspec
tion of the Sparrows Point plant of
the Maryland Steel Company by Presi
dent E. C. Grace and party of Beth
lehem officials and the resignation of
William H.'Donner, chairman of the
Pennsylvania Steel Company's board
of directors, as president of the Cam
bria Steel Company—these are to
day's biggest developments in the re
cent deals involving many of the
State's largest steel companies.
The addition to the Bethlehem
Steel offices, according to dispatches
this morning, will contain 45 rooms
and will he three stories high, it will
be so built that three more stories and
4 5 more rooms may be added at any
time. Work will be started at once.
This move of Mr. Schwab's, it is said,
indicates his desire to centralize in
South Bethlehem many of the Penn
sylvania Steel Company officials.
Following the inspection of ' the
local plant yesterday, President Grace,
as reported exclusively in the Tele
graph last evening, announced that
Mr. . chwab's company would imme
diately enlarge the blast furnace de
partment and moderinlze the entire
plant.
Five Xew Furnaces
Shortly before leaving for Baltimore
[Continued on Page 9.]
Professor Shenk to
Run Against Urich on
Local Option Platform
Annville. Pa., Feb. 24. —With the
announcement of Dr. 1. K. I"rich's
candidacy to succeed nimself as As
semblyman from Lebanon county,,
plans are being- perfected for the
launching of ■ active campaign in
behalf of A*rof. 11. H. Shonk. dean of
the faculty of Lebanon Valley College,
as an aspirant for the Republican nom
ination from this district. The fight
to be made on a local option plat
form ;is opposed to the Personal Lib
erty ticket 01 Dr. .Uricli.
Will You Give Piece
of Your Skin to Help
Save Woman's Life ?
Are you willing to give a piece of
your skin to save a woman's life?
Next Tuesday the physicians of the
Harrisburg Hospital will graft more
skin to the scalp of Mrs. Barbara
Rowe. of Liverpool, who was seriously
injured January 29 when she was
caught in a corn fodder shredding ma- i
chine. Mrs. Rowe's rcalp was torn
from the foreheail to the back of her \
neck. Several days ago the doctors at
the hospital grafted a large quantity
of skin from the bodies of Mrs. Rowe's ;
lather, husband and brother, but need
more. One man has already offered
skin for a second operation, but the
physicians said to-day that they need
more volunteers.
Three Drown in Well
of Sour Whisky Mash
By A.tsocuited Press
Dahlonega. Ga., Feb. 24.—"Jack"
and Homer Wehunl and Charles Gad
dis were drowned yesterday in an old!
well into which Federal revenue offl- •
cers, after destroying an illicit still'
had dumped a quantity of sour mash
from which whiskey is made.
The three men fell into the well, it
was said while they were trying to dip
up some of the liquid. Children pass
ing the well, which is in the moun
tains ten miles from here, heard cries i
for help. The men were dead when)
a rescue party arrived.
Jailed Brewer Official
Is Released on Bail
Pittsburgh, Pa.. Feb. 24. H. F. |
Fox, of New York, secretary of the
United States Brewers' Association,
who was sent to jail last night because j
he refused to answer questions put to j
him by the Federal grand jury inves-'
tigating the alleged political activities
of brewery interests, was released 1
this morning on SI,OOO bail.
Karlier in the day Fox's attorneys
went before the court and applied for
a writ of habeas corpus. Pending the!
arguments Fox was given his freedom.
I PPKU ESD BARN BI'RNKD \
Special la the Telegraph
Kllzabethville, Pa., Feb. 24. A
large bank barn on the farm of \Vil-|!
liam P. Lenker, one mile north of
town, was burned to the ground about
7 o'clock last evening. Mrs. Lenker
and her son Forrest were the only
people home and they saved all the
liv estock, except a few small pigs and i
all the chi<-kens. Tho loss is partly!
covered by insurance.
UNIT ED EVANGELICAL
22ND CONFEREN
SESSION HE
Kf H K
n I , ji
H' i #«
BISHOP U. F. SWENGEL DR. HOWARD A. KELLY
Noted Baltimore Physician Who Will
Presiding Officer of Conference. Lecture To-morrow.
Delegates From Harrisburg, Allentown, and Reading Dis
tricts Hear of Growth of Church During Year; Bishop
Urges All Interests to Plan Bigger Things For Com
ing Year
With Bishop U. F. Swengel, of this
city, presiding, the twenty-second ses
sion of the East Pennsylvania Confer
ence of the United Evangelical Church
was opened this morning shortly be
fore » o'clock in the Harris Street
United Evangelical Church, Harris and
Susquehanna streets.
Close to 300 ministers and laymen
from the Harrisburg, Allentown and
Heading districts of the conference
are attending the session, which will
continue throughout the week and the
coming Sunday.
WHO WILL BE
NEXT BISHOP OF
HARRISBURG?
Choice of Successor to Late
Head of Diocese Interests
Catholics of State
The choice of a successor to the |
late Bishop Shanalian is at present an I
absorbing topic of interest among
Catholics and many other citizens of
this city and the whole diocese of
Harrisburg and in the course of a few
days, or at least within a month, the
preliminary steps will be taken to
nominate the clergyman who will rule i
over the Catholic See of Harrisburg. I
In the l.'nited States, the law of j
the Catholic Church provides that at]
the death of a bishop, the diocesan!
consultors and the irremovable rec-!
tors of the diocese assemble under j
the presidency of the archbishop or
senior bishop of the province, and'
choose three candidates whose names
are sent to the consistorial congrega-
I tion at Home and to the archbishops j
i of the province; the archbishop anil I
[Continued on Page 6.]
GOVERNOR WON'T
TALK CANDIDACY
FOR PRESIDENT
Savs That Presidency Matter Is
"Up in the Air" at This
Juncture
Governor Brumbaugh declined to
I talk about his reported candidacy for
the Republican nomination for Presi
dent at Pittsburgh last night, saying I
that it was "up in the air."
The Governor and Mrs. Brumbaugh
were met at Pittsburgh by a number ;
1 of newspapermen and the Executive !
| was subjected to a rapid-fire of ques- j
tions which resulted in his denying!
that he had brought out Speaker Am
bler as a candidate for Auditor Gen- 5
[Continued on Page 14.]
TWO DIE IN EXPLOSION
AT MUNITIONS PLANT
Kaue, Pa., Feb. 24.-—Two men were
killed and several had a narrow escape
from death in a mysterious explosion !
which destroyed the nitroglycerin plant
of the Aetna Explosive Company at
Emporium yesterday afternoon.
SEABO.\RI> WRECK VICTIM
By Associated Press
Richmond. Va„ Feb. 24. W. A.
Martin, of Houlton, Me., president of!
the Houlton Tru company, died in a
hospital last night of injuries reeeiv
ed in the wreck of a Seaboard Air Line:
train at Kingsland Creek, near here
last Thursday.'
DIES ON BOTH BIRTHDAY
J./i oj ;m.W.v
Carlisle, Pa.. Feb. 24.—Death came
to Jacob T. Urehm. a prominent far
mer of North Middletou township, on
A profound impression was created
at the session's opening exercises by
the presence of all the living bishops
of the Evangelical Church—Bishops
U. F. Swengel and W. 11. Fouke, of
Napierville, 111., the nresent incum
bents. and the former bishops. Dr. 11.
B. Hartzler. Dr. W. M. Stanford and
the Rev. W. F. Hell. The flrst-nanied
administers the sacrament of holy
communion to the first table of com
municants.
(Continued on Page 7.)
BABE NO HEIRESS
OR BORN PRINCESS
BUT A FOUNDLING
Russian Prince Learns of
Wife's Attempt to Deceive;
Suit Dropped
Special to the Telegraph
I New York, Feb. 24.—Prince Alex
: ander Miskinoff is not a father after
I all. The baby he thought was his was
a foundling girl whom the princess
tool; under her protection. The prince
admits he was mistaken. He is going
back to Russia to fight. The separation
suit is ended except for a formal order
of discontinuance, which is expected
! from Supreme Court Justice Clark to
j morrow morning. As to reconciliation,
j that is another matter.
| The curious trial ended abruptly yes
> terday after the prince finished his
[Continued on Page 2]
ADMIRAL VOX POHL DIES
Berlin, Feb. 24. Admiral Von
Pohl whose retirement on account of
I ill health from the position of com
mander of the German battle fleet was
announced two days ago, has died in
Berlin.
ROAD
ARE UP BEFORE
SUPERVISORS
Hear How State Is Helping
Counties to Provide Good
Highways
How the great Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania is helping county and
township authorities in many ways to
1 solve the good road problems, how the !
law provides and requires the town
ship supervisors to lend their assist
ance in settling the same questions,
1 and how importantly the rural schools
are related to the good road move- !
nients, were interestingly discussed
i this afternoon by State Highway Com
j missioner R. J. Cunningham, falstrict
I Attorney Michael K. Stroup and
! County School Superintendent F. E.
•Shambaugh, respectively, at the mid
winter convention of Dauphin county
i supervisors.
i At a session this morning problems i
pertaining to the supervisors' work j
were threshed out by Adam Palmer 1
j and J. K. XoU and a resume of the I
work that has been done and the plans i
for the future were explained in the
address of Edward D. Messner, the '
retiring president.
The New Officer#
Election of officers for the ensuing
six months resulted as follows:
President, Adam Palmer. Wlconlsco
: vice-president, William Still, Bressler- !
secretary, 1. F. Bogner, Middle Pax
ton, re-elected; and treasurer, George
H. Aungst, Hummelstown.
M. S. Brinser. Londonderry; Eph
raim Sweigard, Susquehanna, and Ed
ward D. Messner, Upper Paxton, were
chosen a« an executive committee and
C. P. Longenecker, Londonderry; M
J. Aunßst, Swat am. and J. s Farver!
iContinued oa I'ugc 11.J j
WITNESS TELLS
HOW GIRL TRIED
TO "LOVE" HIM
Courtroom Edified at Guyer's
Story of Escape From
Her Clutches
JUDGE CRITICISES DODGE
Failure of Investigator to Tell
"Whole Story" Is Com
mented Upon
Sharp criticism by the court ofi
E. H. Dodge's failure to tejl "the whole
story" of his findings in the wine
rooms of the city; extraordinary tales
of the efforts of young women of the
underworld to "make dates" with
John P. Guyer, Held secretary of the
Dauphin Law and OrdeV League, for
nightly "parties" in their rooms; the
attempts of other girls to embrace
Guyer in a more or less unorthodox
fashion In one of the winerooms: the
description by the Rev. Harvey Klaer,
president of the No-License League,
of the actions of a drunken man, and
the appearance for the first time on
the witness stand of two pretty youth
ful girls of the "tenderloin."
These were the high lights of to
day's testimony of Dauphin county li
cense court when President Judge
Kunkel and Additional Law Judge Mc-
Carrell heard the remonstrance filed
against the Hotel Lynch, Capital and
[Continued on Page 11.]
Quarreling Men Start
Fire Which Makes 240
Homeless; Loss $200,000
Passaic, N. J., Feb. 24. Two hun
: dred and forty persons are homeless
and almost destitute here to-day as a
resu't of a fire which swept through
the tenement district last night and
i early to-day.
According to the police the fire
started through a quarrel between two
i men chopping woo<. in a cellar under
: a paint store by candle light. In the
(quarrel the candle was upset, a mass
|of rubbish caught fire and in a few
minutes the flames had seized upon
the highly inflammable material in the
store and were beyond control.
Most of those who lost their homes
were cared or by neighbors and a pub-
I lie subscription was started Co provide
| them with clothes. The los caused by
the fire is estimated at $200,000.
Piji »
j | MINERS WILL BE GRANTED SOME DEMANDS ¥
■CI S of w
ill fields of iiia, Ohio, Indi- £
ana and Illinois, who are here negotiating a new wage i i
agreement with tlie coal mine owners to become effective g t
April 1, have been given informal assurances by influential 1 j
opernto is ;t was learned to-day that some of the important ! L
demands made by the union will be granted with certain re- j
Strictiorvi. I
MEASLES CLOSE ALLENTOWN SCHOOLS *
Al'cntown, Pa., Feb. 24.—Because of an epidemic of I
< . easle: r schools were to-day ordered *
i ; closed by the health authorities. f
i • >
Ckieage, Feb. 24.—Disturbing rumors that drastic con- •
I ( sequences w«uld result from tension between Washington £
1 and Berli* ragarding Germany's submarine policy caused s
| a break of more than ssven cents a bushel to-day in the L
! vheat, as compared with values current earlier in 2
j l the session. f
, RAID BREWERS' SECRETARY OFFICES >
Philadelphia, Feb. 24.—Three agents of the Department g
iof to " ►
political campaigns in Pennsylvania, to-day visited the of- j pi
city IJ
in an endeavor tv serve a subpoena on Charles F. Ettla, the I 11
secretary. They could not find Ettla and he was said to be i|j
"somewhere in the country." Miss Katherine Gallagher, g »
stenographer in the office was subpoenaed. >
WOMEN'S FLAG LIST AT LYNCH L
Harrisburg —On the witness stand this afternoon ' :
! Thomas J. Lynch applicant for a relicense for the Lynch > i
j I f lotel < tclared that he had a "flag list" of fifteen women of ' *
] qestionable character. He denied that his hotel was ;
| L familiarly known as "The Blazing Rag." Two young girls 1 >
declared that they had been furnished liquor. '
, i h the plant * J
i of the Union Storage Company here to-day, completely j
[ destroying one warehouse and wrecking another with a loss a ►
< 1 -rf "ann onn T
~ MARRIAGE LICENSES «|
Martin Kennedy Tate, Creaaona, and llflda M.rrfnr danger, likens. *
Harry (ifurirr l\ arvotinln, Hn/.lcton, mid Mary Kerrla, city. Jjl
4 1 Hobrrl l.indmay KlHlaii and Ida Florrncc I-'hi Urn binder, Carllal*.
16 PAGES CITY EDITION
BIG ASSAULT 0N
VERDUN PROCEEDS
WITH GREAT FURY
BY HEAVY GUNS
*; 1
Drive Is Developing Into One
of the Most Desperate
Battles of Entire War;
Both Sides Throwing
Masses of Infantry Into
Fray; Teutonic Lines Are
Steadily Drawing Nearer
Fortress
300,000 TROOPS UNDER
KAISER NOW AT FRONT
Encouraging Men With
Speeches Behind Lines;
Germans Plan to Bring Up
42 Centimeter Guns; Por
tugal Creates New De
velopment by Seizure of
36 Ships Belonging to Cen
tral Powers
The great German drive for Verdun,
| tile biggest military operation on the
western front since the allied offensive
of last September, and productive of
one of the most desperate battles of
i the war, is being pushed with tremen
dous force by the army of the German
crown prince.
The Teutonic lines are being steadily
| drawn nearer and nearer the fortress,
! according to the Berlin war office,
which to-day announced the driving:
of another wedge into the French line.
It claims a German advance through
the village of Haumont and the cam
ture of Samogneux. about, six miles
distant from Verdun proper.
Elsewhere also the Germans have
scored advances, occupying the wooded
district north of Beaumont ami the
: woods of Ilerbe, to the northeast,
\ while to the northwest the village of
! Brabant has been occupied. •
French I>cny Defeat
, The French war office, on the other
I hand, announces that the French linea
[Continued on Page 7]