1
Schwab Will Turn Over Bethlehem' Plant to Government Moment It Is Needed
, HARRISBURG SfiSSSll. TELEGRAPH
LXXXV— No. 297
U. S. HOPES TO
BECOME CLEARING
HOUSE FOR VIEWS
AND PEACE TERMS
Attention Turns to Reception
of Note in Foreign Capi
tals ; Wilson Counts on
Frank Reply
DANGER BELIEVED TO BE
REMOVED BY ACTION
Explained President Seeks
Actual Details of General
Program Marked Out by
Official Spokesmen
Washington. D. C., Dec. 22. With
the purposes of President Wilson's
note to belligerents clarified by official
statements on the subject, the atten-!
tion of the United States has turned
to the reception of the note in the
foreign capitals.
Diplomats here are eagerly watch
ing for indications of whether the
Kuropean neutrals will follow the
lead of the United States and make
a similar appeal to the warring pow
ers.
There is growing feeling that the
United States hopes to become the
clearing house for views and possibly
lor terms of the belligerents. Several
of the diplomats have advised their
governments to that effect in order to
guide them in their replies.
Surprise at the fast growing signifi
cance of the President's move was ex
pressed on all sides, where it was
[Continued on Page
Five Are Believed Dead
in Fire Which Destroys
Kansas Masonic Home
Wichita, Kans., Dec. 22. At least
five persons are believed to have lost
their lives and several are suffering
from injuries as the result of a lire
that destroyed the main building of
the Kansas Masonic Home here early
to-day. In addition scores of old men
and women and children suffered from
the effects of smoke or from exposure
in a temperature of eight above zero, i
Several, made unconscious by smoke'
or overcome by cold as they fled from
the burning structure in their night!
clothes, were taken to hospitals.
Two bodies so burned that identifi
cation seemed impossible were taken
from the ruins before noon.
The home was the property of the
Masonic lodge of Kansas. The chapel,
valued at SIO,OOO and the hospital,
valued at $9,000 were the only build
ings sa.ved. The loss was estimated
at $250,000. The fire started in the
boiler room and had gained great
headway before being discovered by
a passerby.
t \
Who Wants Two
Little Guests ?
"We have two boys, 3 and 4 years
old, who are looking for a home, at
least over the Christmas holiday,"
said John Yates, of the Associated
Aid Societies to-day. "Their mother
lias just been sent to the hospital.
They have nobody to care for them.
We have them at the Associated
Aid office s right now. Who will
volunteer to play Santa Clans to
them, I wonder. If anybody wants
• two bright little guests, let lilm ap
ply to me."
I
THE WEATHER
For llarrlMburg and vicinity! Fair
and much voider to-night, with
lowext temperature about 10 de
gree*; Saturday fair, continued
eold.
For Haiitern I'ennMylvanla: Fair,
much colder to-night, with a cold
wave* Saturday fair aud eold;
ftronit northwent wind* dlmiiii*h
ing by Saturday morning.
River
The SiiM|uehnnua river and all Itn
hranchcN will fall Nlowly or re
main Mtatlonary, except local
rIMCM may occur due to Ice. The
quantity of Ice will increase In
all MtreaniM during the next forty
eight hour*. A *tage of about 3.8
feet IN Indicated for llarrlMburg
Saturday morning.
Temperature 8 a. in., 34.
Sun: ItlftCM, 71-4 a. m.; setn, 4:44
p. m.
Moon: New moon, Sunday, 3:30
a. m.
River Stnge: 3.8 feet above low
water mark. •
YeMterday'* Weather
HighcMt temperature, 38.
I,owe*t temperature, 20.
Mean temperature, 34.
Normal temperature, 32.
Bum a
Christmas
Candle
A single taper burning
from the window on Christ
mas Eve with charming sim
plicity radiates Good Will
and Welcome and honor to
the Christ Child.
18 PAGES
COLD WAVE WITH
HIGH WINDS TO
BE HERE TONIGHT
Mercury Will Fall to 10 De
grees With 30-Mile Hour
Gale Blowing
LAST OVER CHRISTMAS j
Nearly an Inch of Rain This
Morning; Skating at Wild
wood Likely
Another cold wave with a drop in
temperature of at least twenty degrees
and high winds exceeding thirty miles
an hour in velocity will reach Harris
burg to-night, according to Forecaster
E. R. Demain. The cold weather will
continue probably until late Christmas
Day and may be followed by snow. |
More than three-quarters of an inch
of rain fell during the night, begin
ning after 2 o'clock. Much of the
snow on the downtown streets melted,
but in the outskirts in exposed places
the ground is still covered. With the
exception of delays in trolley service
early to-day, little trouble was re
ported as a result of the storm. Tele
graph and telephone companies ex
perienced no difficulty with line
trouble, as the warm weather kept the
rain from freezing.
The mercury will drop to 10 degrees'
to-night and from present indications I
will not go above 20 to-morrow, j
Northwest winds, decreasing in velocity I
by to-morrow morning, will add to the
cold, according to forecasts.
No more snow Is expected before \
Christmas. Forecaster Demain said !
that although a positive weather pre- '
[Continued on Page 1]
Powerful Liquor Interests
of France Are Fighting
Ban Tooth and Nail
Paris, Dec. 21. Premier Briand's
proposal to suppress the manufacture
and sale of spirits which is generally
approved by the public is being fought
tooth and nail by the powerful liquor
trade interests. The National Wine
and Spirit Trade Association at a spe
cial meeting has passed a resolution
strongly condemning the premier's
proposal. Among the arguments ad
vanced at the meeting was that the
measure dissolves the sacred union of
the country before the foe by at
tacking one class of citizens, that it is
a violation of the right of every citi
zen to trade and that it amounts to ex
propriation. It was also urged that
those affected would be entitled by
law to indemnities which would swal
low up hundreds of millions of francs
and that the measure would suppress
| one of the most lucrative branches of
France's export trade.
Punitive Force in Mexico
Will Have Monster Tree
For Xmas Celebration
Field Headquarters. Mexico, Dee. 22.
—Except for decorating the great
I Christmas tree, preparations were
I completed here to-day and the pro
gram arranged for one of the most
elaborate Christmas celebrations the
] American army has ever held outside
jof the United States. Organizations
! will be relieved from all except neces
sary work beginning to-morrow so that
the expedition will have three days of
freedom from duties. Thousands of
] presents from lied Cross and anony
! mous senders have arrived and it is
j expected no soldier in the expedition
would be overlooked on Christmas
evening.
i Details have been chouen from vari
ous regiments to decorate the Christ
mas tree and twenty-four members of
the Twenty-fourth Infantry have been
assigned to the task of barbecuing two
beeves. A chorus of 400 which will
sing carols and patriotic songs Is re
hearsing daily.
The pine tree, which will be illumi
nated for the celebration, is alreadv in
place, and, with the flagpole at Its top.
will extend eighty-live feet into the air.
Tl.e tree was brought thirty-five miles
from a virgin forest west of the camp
by motor trucks, eighteen of which
were used to carry Christmas greens
to camp.
M:\Yi.Y\vrcns, LET WHISKY
AIJOXE, SAYS DELAWARE MAX
Georgetown, Del., Dec. 22. Mr.
and Mrs. George Hatfield, of this
place, celebrated their golden wedding
anniversary at their home last eve
ning. During their married life Mr.
Hatfield has never been ill one day,
; due, he says, to the fact that in that
time he has never tasted a drop of
liquor, notwithstanding the fact that
: before his marriage !.e occasionally
! drank some. His advice to young
j couples Is to start married life with
whisky banished from their homes.
| MRS. CHARLES D. CADWALLADER
I Mrs. Charles D. Cadwallader, of
Philadelphia, known to many of the
older residents as Jennie Wallace,
died at her home in that city last
evening, of pneumonia. Mrs. Samuel
I J. M. McCarrell of this city, is a sis
ter, and Thomas L,. Wallace of Pine
street, is a brother. Judge and Mrs.
McCarrell and Mrs. Anne Wallace Mc-
Claln will attend the funeral services,
held to-morrow from the Cadwallader
home.
FIND PROMOTERS GUILTY
Wilmington, Del., Dec. 22. ln the
United States District Court to-day a
jury found a verdict of guilty in the
case of Charles S. Miller and Raymond
McCune.'who were tried on the charge
of using the mails to promote a
scheme to defraud In connection with
a Peruvian gold mining proposition.
A recommendation of mercy was made
in the case of Miller. The case has
been on trial for more than three
weeks and the Jury was out all of last
night.
arc TURKEY on WE
HAT BEEF, IN SMOA\
Altoona, Pa., Dec. 22. "Turkeys for
twenty-five cents a pound, or we eat
beef for Christmas." This Is the slogan
adopted here by thousands of Pennsyl
vania Itallroad shopmen to bring down
the price of turkeys.
HARRISBURG, PA., FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 22, 1916.
r WHO SAYS THERMS CLAUS ? '|
J
j ' ' i
CHRISTMAS TREES
LITTLE BOYS AN
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH SANTA
Who says "there ain't no Santa i
ClausV"
If you are among the foolish skep-i
tics who insist that Old Saint Nick is |
naught but a myth; that there is no i
such thing as his reindeer and his
pack; that he comes from out of a
rich man's purse and not from the
mysterious land where pine trees
moan in the cold moonlight—if you
i are one of these poor misguided in
dividuals, you ought to drop into thej
| Telegraph editorial offices these days,
j For right In the middle of the big
| room, with the reporters and editors
j and jingling telephones, is a great,
! big, fat Santa Claus—who has stop-
I ped writing tales of football and base
j ball field for a season —handing out
Christmas trees to poor little cliil-
I dren sent in by John Yates, secretary
; of the Associated Aid Societies.
Each tiny codger, as he opens the
| office door with a wondering look on
| his pinched little face, hands Santa
| a postcard which says Mr. Yates has
Completing Arrangements to Jewelry Buried in Reading
Crown King Charles Dec. 30 Finds Owner in Tennessee
Budapest, via London, Dec. 22.
The Hungarian parliament has com-1
pleted arrangements for the corona-1
tion of King Charles by electing Count i
Tisza as paladin. The paladin is the. |
functionary who places the crown on i
the king's head.
The work of decorating the streets'
has already started and despite the'
war it is intended to make the corona
tion an elaborate affair. King Chariest
will arrive at Budapest on December!
27 and the coronation will take placel
on December 30.
TFUPKIt JURY STILL OUT
Buffalo, Dec. 22. More than j
twenty hours' deliberation had failed
to bring agreement among the 12 men
considering the evidence against John
Edward Teiper alleged matricide when
Justice Charles Ji. Wheeler appeared!
in court to-day and he was informed I
that there was no immediate prospect
of a report.
QUEEN OF THE MUMMERS
■.*' i /
MISS MART P. BACKENSTOSS
Miss Mary P. Baekenstoss has been
•named as Queen of the Mummers. She
will appear In the New Year's Day
parade attended by guards and fairies.
Harry O. Beck, master of properties
at the Majestic theater, is arranging
a handsome float in which the Queen
will ride
i arranged with the Harrisburg Tele-1
| graph to give a Christmas tree andj
;an envelope of trimmings to the i
bearer.
And more than a hundred of them
i have come—Tiny Tims with mighty
little between them and the winter
wind hobble In on legs that never will
i be straight; shiny-faced and shiny
i I eyed rascals who know that Santa
! likes "eullud" boys and girls "same
i as white"; now and then a rosy-cheek
, ed. healthy looking youngster, who
; makes Old Saint Nick biink his eyes
i and wonder at the stuff that must be
, In them to live and grow so strong,
■ despite the dirt and squalor of their
• lot.
t And as each receives one of the
• little Canadian spruce trees brought
• from a spot somewhere in a corner of
the British empire by lieet-footed rein
( deer, a look conise into each little
i | face that more than repays the ef
il forts of the Telegraph and Mr. Yates
5 to see that Santa does not forget.
Reading, Pa.. Dec. 22.—Last October
I jewelry and silver worth SSOO were
I found buried in a field ut Wyomissing,
I a suburb, while excavations were being
j made for a house. The loot included
bracelets, watches, stickpins and other
articles.
Irvln F. Impink, of Wyomissing,
j started investigation. The word "Cast
-1 ner" was on some of the jewelry, and
when Impink read in a Philadelphia
| paper an account of an accident in
i which Catharine Castner had beenj
killed by an automobile truck he eor
| responded with the father of the
i child, Samuel J. Castner, who said
j the Jewelry did not belong to him.
j A close examination disclosed the
j word "Tennessee" on the jewelry, and
new interest was created, as Mr. Cast
| ner had relatives residing in that
I State. Impink then wrote to Mrs.
Catharine Castner, and received a
letter from her In which she de
scribed the articles. They were sent.
I to her.
?|
I jfiflßETak
Photo by Roshon
MISS VIRGINIA P. EISENBERGER
Members of the Girls' Club will act
ns fairies and guards and the latter
will have as their captain Miss Vir
ginia P. Elsenberger. The guards are
now being drilled, and the fairies
trained for their duties. The Queen
and her .escort will lead the big pro
cession.
SPROUL ENTERS
GUBERNATORIAL
CAMPAIGN TODAY
Announcement Made in Dela
ware County; Democrats
Boosting MeCormick
The Telegraph vo-day received a
special dispatch from Philadelphia to
the effect that Senator William C.
Sproul, of Chester, had announced his
candidacy for Governor in 118 at a
meeting of Republican workers of his
county and that Democratic State
leaders and national officials had
launched a boom for Vance C. Me-
Cormick for the Democratic nomi
nation.
The dispatch is as follows:
"Senator William C. Sproul, of Dela
ware county has formally announced
his candidacy for Governor to succeed
Martin U. Brumbaugh. This an
nouncement was received in political
circle almost simultanously with the
action of President Wilson's Pennsyl
vania leaders, who launched a definite
gubernatorial boom for Vanco C. Mc
j l%rmick, chairman of the Democratic
I National committee.
Mr. Sprout's announcement was
made at a meeting of the Republicans
of Kldley township, who were the
guests of James F. Dougherty, of Lip
erviile, and was the most unique an
nouncement of a gubernatorial candi
dacy In the history of the State
Senator Sproul was surrounded by
a complete vaudeville show when he
made his announcement. Conjurers,
strong men, singers and clog dancers
appeared on the platform before he
"accepted" the nomination to lead the
tight against the Vare-Brumbaugh
| Magee forces in 1918, and after he had
delivered his speech in which he de
clared war within the Republican par
ty on behalf of the "stalwarts" the
Republicans of Kldley township feast
ed on possum, coon and rabbit.
UIIU. MAHRIKD, DIVOItCBD,
ItEWEDS AT THE AGE OK 18
l>ancftster. Pa., Dec. 22. Married at
15, divorced at 16, and now married for
the second time at 16, Is the experience
of Ada H. Burkliart, of this city, She
applied for her second licence yester
day, Riving 16 as her age, and when the
marriage license clerk expressed sur-
Frlso that one so young should apply
or a license the pretty young applicant
Informed him that this was her second
matrimonial venture.
She became the bride of Prank B.
Rill, age 24.
S-C'KNT PAPER MAY GO UP
London, Dec. 22.—The Times,
which recently raised Its price from 2
to 8 cents, has notified Its readers
that there will probably be a further
increase owing to the restrictions on
the Importation of paper and paper
making materials and the shortage of
labor. It announces that It Intends
to maintain the present slsse and ud
vies the revival of the old custom by
which news agents arranged that each
day's copy of the paper should be
shared by several London households
and finally mailed to the provinces or
abroad.
AI.TOONA PAPERS GO tip
Altoona, Pa., Dec. 22. The morn
ing Tribune and the morning Times
as well as the evening Mlrrow, all the
dally newspapers In Altoona, to-day
announced that beginning January 1
the price will be two cents per copy
or 40 cents a month.
$400,000 FIRE AT ST. LOUIS
St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 22.—Fire here
to-day in a seven-story building occu
pied by the Atlantic Tea Company,
caused damage estimated at $400,000.
CAN WIN *lO FOR ONE HUG
Pottsvllle, Pa., Dec. 22. Mayor
Mortimer has ofTered $lO to any wo
man who will catch the young man
who 1b hugging women all over the
city
BRITISH START
DELAYED MARCH
TOWARD BAGDAD
Push Close to Kut-cl-Amara on
the Tigris; Capture El Arish
in Egypt
PROTECT SUEZ CANAL
j Military Operations Trans
ferred to South Where
Weather Is Favorable
! While winter weather Is causing
j military operations on most of the
lighting fronts to lack features of in
terest, considerable activity is devel
oping in sectors far enough south to
admit of energetic campaigning.
On the Tigris, the British after a
i long period of quiet, having recently
I pushed forward close to Kut-el-Amara
i on -the south and are continuing to at-
I tack the Turkish forces in that region,
I evidently in the hope of resuming
l their long delayed march toward
Bagdad.
! . Take Town in Egypt
Now another field of activity Is de
manding attention, with to-dav's an
nouncement from London that British
forces have captured El Arish, in
Egypt, on the Mediterranean, 90 miles
east of the Suez canal.
Little has been heard from the
[Continued on I'asc 7.]
HONORS SO.MM 10 LEADER
Berlin, Dec. 22 (via London).—Em
peror William has conferred the oak
leaves of the Order Pour le Marlte
upon Crown Prince Kuppreeht of Ba
varia, commander of the German
forces on the Somme front, it was
officially announced to-day. With the
! decoration the emperor sent an auto-
I graph letter in which he said: "Under
| the splendid leadership of your royal
: highness the Franco-British attacks
have been arrested and the battle on
the Somme won for us. Only this
made our destructive blows in Ru
mania possible." The emperor has
conferred the same distinction upon
Lieutenant-General von Kuhl, attached
to the staff of the Bavarian crown
prince.
KILL ESCAPED PRISONERS
Peking, China, Dec. 22. Three Ger
man army officers, a captain and iwo
lieutenants, who escaped from a Si
berian prison camp, have been killed
In Mongolia by Uussian soldiers, ac
cording to the Chinese Foreign Office.
; DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE NAMED ?
Harrisburg. The Democratic state h to- I
J • id the fc t ite i >
Chairman Guffey to draft legislation on the j Dem- is
. , *" party: E. Lowry Humes, Meadville; Roland &. ■ ►
Morris, Philadelphia; E. C. Higbee, UniontoWn; W. T. '
3 r Greasy,' Catawissa; Senators S. S. Leibv, Pepry; W. W. i |
Hindman, Clarion; Representatives W. T. Sari:, Berks; jj
, J. W. Cannon, Mercer, and Ira T. Erdman, Lehigh. I J
1 1 AMERICAN EXPRESS ANNOUNCES BONUSES ; !
New York. Dec. 22. —The American Express Company t t
' to-day announced a bonus of one month's salary, payable ; |
ill quarterly installments, to all employes who have been '
| * one year or longer in its service and who receeive $2,000 or ' ;
less annually. It is estimated that the award will total about !
j I $1,250,000 and that 12,000 employes will benefit. ' k
ARMY DEFICIENCY OF $28,400,000 ;
< Washington, Dec. 22. A deficiency appropriation of ® ►
$28,400,000 for the army on account of Mexican border scrv- *
I icc was submitted to the House to-day by Secretary Baker. j,
I WILCON NOMINATES SHIPPING BOARD
Washington, Dec. 22. —President Wilsc nomi- *
( , nated the following to be members of the government ship- ; .
( ping board: William Denman, of San Francisco; Bernard 1 |
N. Baker, of Baltimore; John A. Donald, of New York; \-
< * John Barber White, of Kansas City, Mo., and Theodore < )
J I Brent ,of New Orleans. ■ "
MARKET CLOSES STRONG ; I
; | New York, Dec. 22. —Wa1l Street.—The market crept
slowly upward in the last hour. The closing was strong. '
. Rallies of Jto 10 points with 20 for Bethlehem Steel, which t
I many stocks to prices of the midweek and placed ! I"
, ( over that level, featured to-day's rebound f om the I J
• depression of the preceding session Total sale.- were csti- S
mated at 1,700,000 shares. J |'
< ' VILLA OPENS ATTACK ON TORREON >
| EL 1 aso, REX.. Dec. 22.— Francisco Villa's forces began
R AN attack on Torreon this morning, according to uncon- '
1 firmed- reports received here to-day. The battle was said
A to be in progress at noon. ' '
MARRIAGE LICENSES 1 '
Otla Pittfmon nnd Novrllt IlnrrUnn, Nteelton. i
Albert Cohen and Hone l.lpmun. city.
Irwin Monroe Kernnlrr, Mcelton, nnd Florida Virginia Seboppert,
. .!
VI" w j
Single Copy, 2 Cents
SCHWAB TO GIVE
PLANTS TO U. S.
IN CASE OF WAR
No Strings Attached to Offer
of Bethlehem Steel, Greater
Than Krupp Works
MILLION ROUNDS A MONTH
Great Steel King Pledges Con
cern to Government at Own
Price; Welcomes Peace
New York, Dec. 22. The Bethle
hem Steel plant, now fifty per cent,
greater than the great Krupp works
at Essen, will be turned over to the
United States government the moment
that it is needed, and without any
strings attached.
Charles M. Schwab, head of the
great plant at Bethlehem, made this
pledge to a dinner table full of dis
tinguished publicists at the Lotos Club
and declared that the concern now
has a capacity of 1,000,000 rounds of
heavy ammunition a month.
"This," he declared, "I feel to be a
great national asset for the govern
ment. In the event the time comes
that it is needed, it will be placed at
| the disposal of the government to be
used as the government sees tit, and
the government Itself shall name the
price to be paid for the material pro
duced."
Mr. Schwab said he did not "fear"
the effect of peace on America's busi
ness.
"1 am an optimist," he said. "Some
see disaster in peace coming but I look
on peace as a blessing. What we want
is a conclusive peace and not one that
merely presages another war."
NICE JOB FOR CARPENTER
Named as Stenographer For Assem
bly in Jersey
Trenton, Dec. 2 2.—ln the allotment
of legislative jobs the Republican
Steering committee of the Assembly
gave, among some others, a stenog
rapher to Mercer county. The three
Assemblymen agreed upon the ap
pointment of George Poinsett for the
place. Poinsett, it developed, is a car
penter by trade and occupation, and
while he can run a typewriter, it 18
said he cannot possibly "stenog."
When this fact was called to the at<-
tention of the delegation they intl*
mated that Poinsett might lose the
Job, but there are precedents by which
he could hold on to it. It pays S6OO
for the session, with not very much tq
do even for a stenographer.
POSTSCRIPT