Germany and Her Allies Prop 6 ''Enter HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH LXXXV— No. 288 20 PAGES GERMANY AND PROPOSE DEAL TO BRING FORWARD PROPOSITION FOR LASTING HARMONY Chancellor Von Bethmann-Hollweg Receives American, Spanish and Swiss Representatives and Gives Them Peace Proposal to Transmit to Hostile Governments MESSAGE WILL BE READ BEFORE REICHSTAG BY GERMAN STATESMAN Jimilar Proposals Are Being Made by Austrian, Turkish and Bulgarian Governments; Propositions Are Be lieved in Germany to Be Appropriate For Establish ment of Lasting Tranquility; Transmitted to Vatican, Too Berlin, Dec. 12—By Wireless to Sayville. —Germany and her allies to-day proposed to enter forthwith into peace negotiations. The propositions which they will bring forward are, according to Chancellor Von Bethmann-Hollweg appro priate for the establishment of a lasting peace. The Austrian, Turkish and Bulgarian governments are making similar proposals. These proposals have been transmitted also to the Vatican. The Chancellor said the propositions which Ger many was bringing forward had for their object the guar antee of existence, of honor and of liberty of evolution for the four allied (central) powers. Chancellor Receives Neutral Ambassadors The following announcement was given out to-day by the semi-official Overseas News Agency: "The Chancellor this nlorning received one after an other the representatives of the United States of America. Spain and Switzerland, that is, of the States protecting German interests in hostile foreign countries. The Chan cellor transmitted to them a note and asked them to bring it to the knowledge of the hostile governments. The note will be read to-day in the Reichstag by the Chancellor. Allies Have Identical Notes "In the note the four allied (central) powers propose to enter forthwith on peace negotiations. The propositions which they bring for such negotiations are, according to the firm belief appropriate for the establishment of a last ing peace. "The governments at Vienna, Constantinople and Sofia transmitted identical notes and also communicated with the Holy See and all other neutral powers." Rumored McCormick Will Be Appointed Head of War Department Washington, Dec. 12.—Vance C. Mc- Cormick, chairman of the Democratic national committee, it is rumored, is likely to become Secretary of War In the new Wilson Cabinet. It is under stood that Attorney General Gregory desires to retire. Should he adhere to his decision, it is believed that Secre tary Baker will be shifted to the De partment of Justice and Mr. McCormick given the war portfolio. Washington believes there will be no other changes In the President's official family. Secretary McAdoo personally denied that he had any intention of resigning, and it was given out that Secretary Houston had been given a further leave of absence by Washing ton University at St. Louis. THE WEATHER For llarrlNhurn: and vicinity s Fair and colder to-night and \Vwlneii da.vi lowfNt temperature to-ulght about '27* degree*. For Etstfrn I*enn*ylvanla t Snow nnd eolder to-night; Wednenday colder and probably fnlrt freak, MII Ift I nsr HIIMI.S becoming uewt. Hirer The Su*quehnnnn river nnd all It* hranche* will fall Nlowly or re main nearly Htatlonary. A Mtiige of about 4.1 feet Im Indicated for Hanisburg Wednesday morning. General Condition* The eenter of the We*tern aform lin* moved to the North Carolina const. It ha* ciiu*cd light to moderately heavy rain* nnd anowM over mont of the en*tern half of the country In the la*t twenty-four hour*. The weather continue* un*ettled over mont of the weatern half of the country, with light precipitation, mo*tly *now, in central and northern dlntrlct*. It In 4 to 22 degree* colder In the South Atlantic State* and over a hroad belt of country extending from the Gulf of Mexico north ward through the MIMMINNIPPI Val ley and the I<nke Region Into Canada. Temperatures fi a. m., 32. Sunt Rlnea, 7slo a. m.t aeta, 4.30 p. in. Mooni Rides, St2o p. m. River Stages 4.1 feet above low water mark. Yesterday** Weather Highest temperature, 37. I.owest temperature, 2tl. Mean temperature, 32. Normal temperature, 34. Pittsburgh Plants Are Considering Closing Plants Because of Car Shortage Pittsburgh, Pa.. Dec. 12. lmpor tant manufacturing Interests in the Pittsburgh district were to-day con sidering the advisability of shutting down their plants December 23 and allowing them to remain idle until January 2 for the two-fold purpose of giving their employes a rest and to enable the railroads to clear tracks east and west of the vast quantities of freight daily being offered. It was said that machinery also needs over hauling, it having been in almost con tinuous operation for almost a year, a much longer time than usual. Tn spite of heroic measures adopted by the railroads freight continues to pile up at terminals. All freight, de pots in Pittsburgh are now being operated at night to allow consignees to remove freight, and yesterday the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis railroad placed an embargo upon all freight except such as shall originate on and is destined to points along its own tracks. O'NEIL SAYS WOOD IS COVERING UP Replies Sharply to Letter; 200 Insurance Claims Hidden From State Lyndon D. Wood, of Philadelphia, whose connection with the Pension Mu tual Insurance Company unit the Union Casualty Company are said by Insur ance Commissioner J. Denny O'Neil to be largely responsible for the financial difficulties In which those companies find themselves has written the Insur ance Department demanding that the State revoke the Insurance license of S. H. Whltely, one of his former as sociates. "Wood wrote me to-day," said Com missioner O'Neil declaring that Whltely perpetrated fraud in connection with Ills contract with tho Pension Mutual and demanding that 1 revoke his li cense to do business In connection with other companies. Wood has developed Into quite a voluminous letter writer, but he fails to recite the fact that he signed the contract with Whltely which he now declares to have been fraud ulent. The fact is that Wood Is simp ly using this method to cover up his own delinquencies and to conceal his own lack of good business Judgment." HARRISBURG, PA.,TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 12, 1916. PRIME LEADERS IN GERMANY'S PROPOSITION KAISER WILHELM PEACE TERMS ASK ESTABLISHMENT OF TWO NEW KINGDOMS \\ ashington, Dec. 12. Advices from Berlin to the German Embassy indicate that Germany's peace terms, in general measure propose the restoration of the status quo before the war with the ex ception of the establishment of independent kingdoms of Poland and Lithuania. They are understood to propose the complete restoration of the occupied portions of Belgium and France in return for Germany's captured colonies and to dispose of the Balkan situation because of its extremely complicated nature, in the peace conference. No Tiidlcntions of Stipulation I tins the belligerents together in some Dispatches to the Gentian embassy manner to discuss the situation, and telling of the Chancellor's action in ] this it was expected, would lead to a calling In the neutral diplomats and basis for peace. transmitting the. peace proposals of j n German quarters the crisis in tht central powers, arrived soon after the British Cabinet, the coming of the news dispatches, The terms for j winter and the lull in the fighting are the restoration of Belgium and por- given as reasons for making the peace tions of I"ranee gave no indication, so proposals at this time. It is declared far as is known, of stipulations such that the successes of the Teutonic as generally have been expected by arms in Rumania should convince the ihe allies, although they did not abso- allied powers that the offer is not lutely disposo of their possibility. made because of any military weak- Hope For Conference ness. By making the offer now, it is it. was indicated that while the said, the German powers feel that all German allies might not entirely ex- sides may be saved the preparations peet that the proposals would ac- for the Spring campaign. Should the tually cause a peace conference, they offer be declined, it is said here, it were not without hope that they will be made again next Fall and if would, and they were hopeful at least that they would be the means of get- [Continued on Page 18] HOLLWEG IN SPEECH AT REICHSTAG TELLS OF PEACE OVERTURES Berlin, I)cc. 12 (by wireless to Say ville). Chancellor von Betlimann- Hollweg's speech Is reported by the Overseas News Agency as follows: "Chancelor von Bethmann-Hollweg to-day announced to the reichstag that Oermany, togcthor with her allies, 'conscious of their responsibility be fore God, before their own nations, before humanity", had proposed this morning to the hostile powers to enter on peace negotiations." Practically all the members of par liament answered the unexpected sum mons. The crowded house and thronged galleries listened in atten- ; tive silence when tho chancelor rose for his speech. Outlines Achievements Tho chancellor first outlined the extraordinary polittcal situation and then, insisting upon the achievements KAISER TELLS GENERALS OF HIS PEACE OFFER BUT ORDERS THEM TO FIGHT ON London, Dee. 12—(4:05 p. m.) —A Central News dispatch from Amster dam says It Is announced officially In Berlin that Emperor William has notified his commanding generals of Germany's peace offer and has In formed them It Is still uncertain whether the offer will he accepted. Until that uncertainty Is ended, the of the centra! powers, made an nn nouncement which possibly may be the turning point in the war, which for more than two years has held the world under its spell. The chancelor said: "The relchstag had not been ad journed for a Ion*? period, but fortu nately it was left to the discretion of the president as to the day of the next meeting. This decision was caused by the hope that soon happy events in (he field would be recorded, a hope fulfilled quicker, almost, than expected. J shall be brief, for elections speak for j themselves." The chancelor said Rumania had entered the war In order to roll up I the CJerman positions in the east and those of Germany's allies. At the [Continued on Page 18] message says, they are to fight on. The message Is quoted as follows: "Soldiers: In agreement with the sovereigns of my allies and with the | consciousness of victory I have made an offer of peace to the enemy. Whether It will be accepted Is still un certain. "Until that moment arrives you will light on.' CHANCELLOR VON BETHMANN-HOLLWEG MAY LIGHT CITY WITH WATER FUND | Council So Advised by Assist ant Solicitor; Snavcly and Gross Clash After providing for all expenses of the Water Department, including op eration, reserve funds, extensions, bond ed indebtedness, etc., Harrisburg may very properly spend the balance of its water departmental earnings "in the same manner as other revenues of the city"—that is, the electric lighting of the city's streets. In brief, that is the opinion Council was furnished to-day by Assistant City Solicitor E. Bruce Taylor. The question of whether or not the City Commissioners could use $65,000 to SKB,OOO of the water earnings to pay for the lighting bill and thus lop that sum from the general revenue ordi nance with its consequent reduction of the city tax rate by a mill and a quar ter was referred to the legal depart ment following the suggestion of Mayor E. S. Meals. Other Solicitors' Views In addition to his own views on the subject Mr. Taylor incorporates an opinion by ex-City Solicitor Thomas S. I largest and ex-Judge M. W. Jacobs, j All the solicitors discuss the applica tion of the old city and borough acts and their relation to the Clark act. Commissioner Bowman, in asking [Continued on Page 16] No Foundation For Report of Revolt in Bth Wires Finney El Paso, Tex., Dec. H, 1918. Absolutely no foundation for re ports indicating a revolt or any thing approaching that in this regiment. l.cttcr following ex plains in full. COI.ONEIj FINNEY, Commander Stli Reg. In response to (lie Telegraph's wired request yesterday morning for the facts as to the reported "revolt" of the Eighth Pennsylvana Regiment of the United States National Guard on the border, Colonel Maurice K. Kinney, the regimental commander, last eve ning telegraphed this cryptic ex planation. Sensational stories from "special correspondents" had been to the ef fect that scores of men of the Eighth, including so mo fifty odd of I) Com pany, one of the Harrisburg organiza tions, had been arrested and confined to quarters because they insisted upon banging tin pans, etc.. In a "I-want-to go-home" demonstration. Colonel : Finney says most of the disorder was I confined to D Company streets and In! order to discover who was responsible j the command was confined to the! street limits. Only three men of the! regiment were confined to quarters, the Colonel explains, and one of these was a member of D Company. At that, the trio was released within a few hours as their offense was not considered serious enough to warrant the preference of any charges. AGED SISTERS DIE IN FIRE Philadelphia, Dec. 12. Two aged sisters, who lived alone, lost their lives In their home here to-day In a fire supposed to have originated from a! lighted candle. The dead are Miss Elsie Koeler, 82 years, and Mrs. Josephine Kosenau. 79. Miss Koelcr's charred body was found at the foot of 1 a stairway loading to the second floor, j Her slater was suffocated by amoka. i Single Copy, 2 Cents POSTSCRIPT I LOCAL NEWS FLASHES George F. Watts, Quincy Bent, C. W. Lynch, Edward Bailey, Joseph H. Wallazz'and Robert H. Irons, and John F. Dapp, chairman, make up the committee to ;; eet Edward N. Hurley, who will address the Commerce Chamber. Dauphin county's Poor Board expects to ask for an additio a' $5,000 appropriation for 1917 to provide for im provements at the almshouse, including a new cold storage plant, new cattle and pig pens. Council to-day again postponed the Riverside annex ation ordinance. . 2,500,600 SHARES SOLD New York, Dec. 12.—With the market demoralized in 1 the last hour the activity was so great that it brought the otal transacions of he day up o more han 2,500,000 shares < which is a record for many years. GREGORY WILL NOT RESIGN , I Washington, Dec. 12.—Attorney General Gregory has i no intention of resignii . now or I tively to-day. 1 f DISCUSS PURCHASING BUREAU I I . Harrisburg.—Members of the State Board of Public f Charities and executive office iet with. I the State Economy and Efficiency' Commission to-day for £ discussion of the plan for a central purchasing bureau for (the institutions. Governor Brumbaugh outlined what it was proposed to do and the idea ot secure a money-saving system at the hospitals. Other State officials spoke and, committees will be named to work out ideas for legislation. GENERAL OFFICER TO COMMAND PRUSSIA < ■ 1 Amsterdam, Dec. 12,' via London.—The Cologne Ga i zette says that General Von Stein, the Prussian war minis -4 ; ter, has appointed a general officer commanding the home I forces, With powers including control of the censorship laws j ■ as v. cll as other laws relating to a state of siege. ' I CONSTANTINE ORDERS MOBILIZATION j l London, Dec. 12.—An Exchange Telegraph dispatch* ( from Copenhagen says advices have been received there [from Switerland that King Constantine of Greece has or-, dcrcd a general mobilization. MARRIAGE Ilnrrv Payne Glllrttple and Gertrude Sofa Mnthlrn, Ilrldgeport, Conn. C* Ilirnm White Itodenhafer, Jr., nnd Ruth lOllxnhetb Kllenhergrr, tltr, 1 TWO SOUTHERN NEGROES FACING MURDER JURIES Trial of William Jackson, Charged With Shooting Charles Brown, Begins 5 CASES STILL ON LIST \ ova no vie, Christley, Shepherd, Misko and Kotur Are Accused Men Two negroes, charged with murder, are now facing Dauphin county juries in different courts in legal battles to save themselves from the paying the law's penalty on the electric chair. Within a few minutes after the trial of Elwood Wilson, one of the Yiiginia negroes charged with shoot ing Patrolmun Lewis C. Hippie, was resumed this morning before Presi dent Judge Ivunkel in No. 1 room, another Jury was selected and the trial of William Jackson, charged with shooting Charles Brown, a fel low Steelton negro, was begun before Additional Law Judge McCarrell, in. No. 2 room. Five other murder cases are still on the list. These include Vlada Yovanovic, John O. Christley, Cor nelius Shepherd, John Alisko and Nick Kotur. The latter has already been convicted but has been granted a retrial. The selection of the Jackson Jury began at 10.33 and at 12.10 the twelve had been selected after forty-six jur ors had been examined just six | more than were required to pick the Wilson jury yesterday. Incidentally half a dozen or more talesmen who had been challenged for duty on the Wilson Jury were accepted for the Jackson case. Furthermore while the defense exhausted its entire [Continued on Page 15] PROTKST DEPORTATIONS London, Dec. 12. A strong pro test against the deportation of Bel- I gians was made at a great meeting of the Social Democratic Labor Party held at Amsterdam yesterday, accord ing to a Renter's dispatch from that city. Magistrate Kliegen. of Amster dam, the principal speaker, strongly condemned German methods in Bel gium. A resolution was passed ap pealing to all lovers of freedom, es pecially German socialists to protest against the deportations.
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