.) Berlin Defends Plot to Have United States Invaded by Japan and Mexico
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
LXXXVI— No. 54 18 PAGES
SUDDEN PLUNGE
INTO WAR NOT
WILSON'S PLAN
President Will Take No Step That Might Bring War With
Germany While Congress Is Not in Session He Informs
Legislative Leaders.
FAILURE TO PASS APPROPRIATION
BILLS MEANS EXTRA SUMMER SESSION
Fairly Long Recess Believed Possible if Needed Bills Are
Gotten Through Before To-morrow Noon; Wilson
Seeks Republican Support For His Measures.
By Associated Press
Washington, March 3. President Wilson has no intention of
taking action that would bring war with German yunless Congress
is summoned in extra session. This was communicated to Senate
leaders to-day by representatives of the President, who takes the
position that if no extraordinary crisis arises it will not be necessary
to call an extra session before late in the spring and then only to pass
any appropriation bills which may fail at the present session.
The President to-day continued efforts to persuade Republican
Senators to assist in the passage of needed appropriation bills dur
ing the present session. These Senators were told by representatives
of the President that their argument that Congress should remain in
session because of the German situation was not logical because he
naturally would take no action leading to a declaration of war with
out the co-operation of Congress.
The President was represented on
feeling deeply the implication back of
the effort to force an extra session.
He desires the important appropri
ation bills passed at this session so
that if an extra session is forced by
the German situation Congress could
begin work Immediately on emergency
measures.
It became known that tho President
will seek an opportunity in tho near
future to make his position clear. His
representatives at the Capitol were
told early to-day that some Repub
GERMAN INTRIGUE IS
FLAYED IN SENATE
By Associated Press
Washington, March S, < —r Congress
expected to-day to take final steps to
ward giving President Wilson autho
ity to arm American merchant ships
foF defense against submarines, and
the Navy Department wae ready with
guns and gunners to carry out the
President's orders.
The bill conveying the authority was
before the Senate when it convened
this morning after a session which
continued long past midnight occupied
l>y eight hours of debate on interna
tional relations. Despite the extended
discussion little real opposition to the
measure was expected. A number of
senators declared th?y believed the
arming of merchant ships would lead
to war but said they were willing to
accept, such a result.
Senator Brandege'e, Republican, of
Connecticut, called the German pro
hibited zone "an ambush where Ger
many laid in wait to deal death" to
anyone who entered against her edict
creating It.
Not in Furl Flajs
''Shall we sit supinely and allow the
pkase of a foreign potentate to clear
the ocean of American Rhipping find
blockade our ports" he asked. "Are
we obliged to wait for the slaughter
to be accomplished before we defend
ourselves? I trust that neither Con
gress nor the American people have
fallen to such depths of degradation
that they are willing to furl the Am
erican flag and withdraw from the
CONGRESS SETTLES DOWN
TO PASS AGREED BILLS
By Associated Presf
Washington, March 3. The legis
lative situation in Congress to-day ac
cording to the most optimistic esti
mistic estimates, indicated that Senate
Republicans had determined to limit
THE WEATHER
For llarrlftburg and vicinity: Vn
"tllfil, with rnln or Know thin
afternonu, 10-nlulit anil probably
Sunday; not much chnnge In
temperature, lowent to-night
about freexlng.
River •
The Mixqiiebannn river and all It*
trlhutarlrN will probably con
tinue to fall Klowly or remain
nearly Mtatlonary above Harrlx
burg. I'laeCH on the main river
below Mlddletonn are likely to
have flood Magea, dne to thi
choking of the channel by Icei
which IK reported Mill gorged
near Ilalnbrldge and probably at
Vther plat-ex In the lower river,
l'lie river at llarrlnhurg will
probably remain neurly ntatloii
firy or rlne Nomewhat until the
channel open* below.
Temperature■ S n. m., 38 degrees
above aero.
,Sum Rinm, tt:3s a. ni.
Moon: Full moon, March 8, Bto3
p. m.
River Stage i JO.B feet above low
water mark.
Yemterday*a Weather
Temperature. !lt.
l.owmt temperature, as.
Mean temperature, 32.
Normal temperature, 33.
lican senators were insisting In block
ing the appropriation measures In or
der to force an extra session.
Sonic Kills Fall
For a while, it was Bald, it looked as
though the administration's efforts
to get action on tho army appropria
tion bill, tho Military Academy bill,
and a few other important moasures
would be successful, but. Anally two
or three of the Republican leaders
would not give their consent to such
an arrangement.
[Continued oil l'ugc 11]
high seas as the misguided band of
pacliists seem to wish.
"There is no use to issue a moral
homily or a Salvation Army tract or
to repeat the sermon on the Mount
to a nation that has gone had and acta
through its mlltiary authority like a
homicidal maniac, Must we get off
the face of the earth—lie C wn and
curl up? I'm for peace but I am go
ing to preserve the liberties of my
country. If the pacifists had lived in
the time of George Washington we
never would have ueen a country, and
if they have their way now we will
cease to be a country, The peace
propaganda, in some aspects, closely
approaches treason."
Senator Sherman presented te-day's
news dispatches from Berlin, bringing
Foreign Minister Zimmermann's ad
mission of the attempted intrigue with
Japan and Mexico,
Stato of War Now
Senator Brandegee declared with
emphasis that a state of war already
existed and had existed between the
United States and Germany February
"Germany declared war on the
whole world in issuing this proclama
tion," he asserted. "No self-respect
ing nation regards it any other way.
When she proclaimed slaughter in
the barred zone she declared war
against this nation."
That he and some other foreign re
lations committee members wanted to
amend the bill to ''direct*' and not
merely "authorize'' the President to
arm American merchantmen was
stated by the Connecticut senator.
activities for the remainder of the
session to the following:
Final passage of the naval appro
priation bill.
Approval of the House resolution for
a $150,000,000 naval bond issue.
Enactment of armfed neutrality bill.
Republican leaders, however, were
without any assurances from Senator
LeFollette who may oppose it.
Republicans were determined, ac
cording to Democratic senators who
have been struggling with them for 24
hours for a reconsideration to pre
vent final passage of the following
bills:
The army bill.
Sundry civil appropriation bill and
the general deficiency bill.
Military Academy bill.
Bill to extend authority of the ship
ping board and permit the government
to take merchant ships owned or
building in the United States in time
of threatened war.
Amendments to the federal reserve
law and all other pending general
legislation.
Any bills left over will be taken up
at an extra session, if there be one,
or at the last moment of the present
session. Current appropriations could
be extended by resolution.
DKMOCKATIC CI/UB OFF
More than 100 members of the Cen
tral Democratic Club, headed by the
Commonwealth Band of 40 pieces
boarded a train at 2 o'clock this after
noon Tor Washington. The club, with
(he band, will march In the inaugu
ral parade on Monday. The local
club will head the First brigade,
which Governor Manning, of South
Carolina, will command.
HARRISBURG, PA., SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 3, 1917.
RIVER TOWNS HERE TO
CHESA PEA KE MEN A CED
BY TOWERING GORGES
"' " ' -<
HOW THE "WEST FAIRVIEW COAL FLET IS TIED UP BY THE ICE JAM
Courtesy State Water Supply Commission.
Conditions More Fraught With Danger Than Preceding
Destructive Break-up in 1904; Susquehanna South of
Harrisburg Jammed Nearly Solid With Monstrous
Ice Cakes; Heavy Rain That Would Sweep It Away
at a Stroke Only Hope State Water Supply Commis
sion Has That Trouble Will Be Averted
River conditions fraught with dan
ger for towns and hamlets from Har
risburg to the Chesapeake Bay are
keeping the experts or the State Wa
ter Supply Commission on the alert
day and night,
Not since tho Ice gorge of 1904
which resulted so disastrously for
Mlddletown, have conditions pointed
so menacingly toward a repetition of
great property damage and human
suffering.
Klvcr Jammed Solid
In fact, say the experts oC the State
Water Supply Commission, the pres
ent status of the lower Susquehanna
BERLIN DEFENDS
PLOT TO INVOLVE
AMERICA IN WAR
Treachery on German Soil Said
to Have Given U, S. Notice
of Intrigue
By Associated Press
London, March 3. Foreign Secre
tary Kimmermann's instructions to
the German minister to Mexico, as
published in the United (States, are ad
mitted in Berlin to have been cor
rectly quoted, according to a dispatch
to Heuter's from the German capital
byway of Amsterdam.
The dispatch quotes the following
telegram received In Amsterdam from
Berlin on Friday and which was ap
parently sent by the Wolff Bureau, tho
semi-official German news agency.
"The American press contains re
ports about instructions from the Min
ister of Foreign Affairs to the German
minister in Mexico City, in the event
that Germany, after the proclamation
of unrestricted submarine warfare
[Continued on Page 4]
Zimmermann Virtually
Admits He Plotted
to Have U. S. Invaded
By Associated Press
Berlin, March 3.—By wireless to
Sayville.—The following was given
out to-day by the Overseas News
Agency:
Foreign Sec'y. Zimmermann was
asked by a staff member of the Over
seas News Agency about the English
report that "a German plot had been
revealed to get Mexico to declare war
against the United States and to se
cure Japan's aid against the United
States." Secretary Zimmermann an
swered;
"You understand that it is impossi
ble for me to discuss the facts of
this 'revealed- plot' just at this mo
ment, and under these circumstances.
I therefore may be allowed to limit
my answer to what is said in the Eng
lish reports, which certainly are not.
inspired by sympathy with Germany.
The English report expressly states
that Germany expected and wished
to remain on terms of friendship with
the United States but that we had
prepared measures of defense in case
the TJnited States declared war
against Germany. I fail to see how
such a 'plot' is inspired by unfriend
liness on our part. It would mean
nothing but that we would use means
universally admitted in war, in case
the United States declares war.
"The most important part of the
alleged plot is lis conditions and
form. The whole 'plot' falls fiat to the
ground in case the United States doen
not declare war against us. And if
we really, as the report alleges, con
sidered the possibility of hostile acta
of the United States against us, then
we realty Jiad reasons to do so." ]
C£he Star- Micprnbent
Is even more dangerous than in 190 4.
In that year the lower stream was
open to the bay from York Haven.
The river was running with solid
cakes of Ice which, in gorging, leave
open spaces for tho passage of flood
waters. And as a result much of the
ice from the upper stream passed on
without creating havoc. At present,
however, the experts point out, the
lower Susquehanna Is Jammed and
packed with ice from Bainbrldge to
tidewater, From a few miles below
Middletown to the bay the original
Bheet of lee remains intact. The ice
[Continued on Pago 12]
BETTER SCHOOLS,
CROPS AND ROADS
HOPE OF FARMERS
New Dauphin County Bureau
to Work Aggressively For
Improved Conditions
Crop production, road improvement,
rural Bchool development and the bet
terment of conditions generally in the
agricultural sections of Dauphin coun
ty will be pushed forward with vim
and vigor as the result of the organi
zation of a Dauphin County Farm Bu
reau here yesterday.
Announcement was m:\de to-day
that Pennsylvania State College will
make all haste to procure the best
man obtainable for the post of Farm
Agent. He will be a man who was
[Continued on Page 0]
Allan Carter Wins Two
Prizes in Lamberton
Oratorical Contest
Allan Carter, colored, won the prize
for. oratory yesterday afternoon in
the Lamberton contest, this being ad
ditional to the prize for one of the
four best essays submitted by the
boys of the senior class on "John
Marshall." Carter is an athlete of ex
ceptional ability, also.
The other prize essays were written
by James Dougherty, Marlin Geiger
and Bernard Wert. They were all ex
ceptionally interesting, as was the
presentation speech made by Senator
E. E. Beldlcman. The judges on com
position were W. C. Heiges, Dr. Thom
as S. Blair, and Mark T. Milnor; the
Judges on delivery being 1,. E. Mc-
Olnnes, Dr. Clayton A. Smufckef and
E. E. Beidl'eman.
REACH PRISONER'S BUMP OF
HONESTY "THROUG
Police department officials this
morning: discovered that not only can
you reach a man's heart "through his
stomach" but that the bump of hon
esty is approachable through the same
medium.
When Raymond Osborne, colored,
was arrested last night on a charge
of stealing a bicycle, he vehemently
denied the allegations. All night long
In a loud and mournful voice he main
tained his innocence. This morning
detective Hyde Speece who made
DEFINITE STEPS
TAKEN TO FOUND
CHURCH ON HILL
Methodists Hold Meeting and
Name Committees to Select
Site For New Structure
TO CANVASS MEMBERS
Backers Feel Need of Conveni
ently Located Structure in
Northern Section
i
Plans for organizing a new Meth
odist Episcopal Church, to be located
In the section north of Walnut street
and east of the railroad, were dis
cussed last night at a meeting held at
the home of Warren K. Van Dyke,
820 North Sixteenth street,
Fifteen members of various Meth
odist churches, who live In that sec
tion of (ho city, attended the meeting.
A committee was named to select a
site, prepare plans for a church
building and to acquaint Methodists
living in the northern Hill section with
the movement.
The committee consists of the fol
lowing: J. Frank Saussaman, chair
man; the Rev. R, H. Colburn, a re
tired Methodist minister; John T.
Olmsted, Al. K. Thomas and William
Hascltine. Another meeting will be
held before the end of the month
when the committee will make a re
port.
Kay Need Is Ixmg Felt
In discussing the matter this
morning, Mr. Van Dyke said: "There
is no doubt in the minds of Meth
odists residing in that section of tho
city us to the need of a new church.
There are over 250 adult church
members in the northern section of
the Hill and the need of a conven
iently located church has been felt
for a long time."
The B. F, Stevens Memorial Meth
odist Episcopal Church. Thirteenth
and Vernon streets, of which the Kev.
Dr. Clayton A. fimucker is pastor, is
the only Methodist Church on Ihe
Hill, and it is practically as incon
venient of access and as far from the
section in which the proposed new
church is to be established as the
. downtown churches, in the opinion of
I many Methodists living in the north
ern part of the Hill.
C. I. & S. Representative
Dies In Philadelphia
By Associated Press
Philadelphia, March 3.—Charles K.
Barnes, widely known in the steel in
dustry, died of a fractured skull in
a hospital here to-day. He was in
jured in a fall down a flight of stairs
at his residence. Mr. Barnes was
president of Charles K. Barnes v d
Company, formerly representative
here of the Central Iron and Steel
Company of Harrlsburg. He was 64
years old.
Charles K. Barnes, tor years the
Philadelphia representative of the
Central Iron and Steel Company, was
well known In Harrisburg as he visited
here frequently. Among his many
business associates and friends is
Bobert H. Irons, superintendent of,the
Central company. Mr. Barnes was
also an expert shot and is known to
many sportsmen here.
arrest bethought him of the darky
fondness for chicken. The restaurunt
had no chicken, so turkey was substi
tuted.
When Raymond's gleaming teeth hit
the toothsome morsels of turkey he
Just couldn't stand being false in the
face of such generosity.
"Why man, dat am tolkey!" gasp
ed the prisoner. "Deed sah, I done
gotta confess. Ah did steal dat dere
bicycle, Mr. Policeman, I jes' thought
dat man didn't need dat ole wheel no
mo'.
Single Copy, 2 Cents
RUTHLESS SEA
WARFARE FAILS
TEUTON PURPOSE
! U-Roats Sink Less Than Half
of Tonnage Rerlin Relieved
Possible at Start
LITTLE FIGHTING DONE
Military Operations of Minor
Importance; Skirmishes
on All Fronts
By Associated Press
Figures obtained in London and
vouched for there as authentic, show
that Germany succeeded during Febru
ary in destroying 490,000 tons of mer
chant shipping, or less than half of
the 1,000,000 tons she threatened to
destroy during the first month of un
restricted submarine warfare.
The tonnage destroyed exceeded the
total for January, before the period of
unrestricted action, by less than 170,-
000 tons, the January figures being
322,167 tons, while 346,G56 tons were
destroyed in December.
Military operations yesterday were
of comparatively minor importance.
Berlin reports violent infantry engage
ments on both sides of the Ancre,
where the great German retirement
has been taking place. No mention
is made of ground gained or lost, how
ever, the statement of results being
confined to announcement that the
Germans took 60 prisoners and eight
machine guns, besides inflicting casu
alties of a sanguinary nature.
Only raiding operations have oc
curred in the other Franco-Belgian
front sectors, and the same is true
of the Russian front, according to
the Berlin report. West of Lutsk, In
Volhynla, however, a German raid
was on an extensive scale. Russian
positions were penetrated to a depth
of nearly a mile on a front of more
than IVa miles. The results were the
destruction of the Russian dugouts
and the capture of 122 prisoners and
four machine guns.
| TO FORM RETAIL MERCHANTS' BUREAU
| HARRISBURG. PROPRIETORS AND MAN
! AGERS OF RETAIL STORES, MEMBERS OF THE
| CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WILL MEET AT DIN
i NER AT THE ENGINEERS' CLUB MONDAY EVE
! NTNG TO ORGANIZE A RETAIL MERCHANTS'
| BUREAU OF THE CHAMBER. FOLLOWING THE
; ORGANIZATION. WORK, DETAILS OF THE
| SPRING OPENING AND OTHER TRADE MATTERS
| WILL BE DISCUSSED. *
| MAY BLOCK ARMED SHIP BILL
| WASHINGTON, MARCH 3. THE ARMED
j NEUTRALITY BILL WAS RUNNING A NECK AND
| NECK RACE WITH TIME IN CONGRESS THIS
jj AFTERNOON. DEMOCRATI CLEADERS WERE
|j AIMING TO GET IT THROUGH SOME HOW BE
; FORE THE SESSION DIES TO-MORROW, BUT
| WERE tyOT ENTIRELY SURE OF THE POSITIONS
i OF ITS OPPOSITION.
DIES WHILE GETTING DINNER
Mechanicsburg, Pa., March 3. While preparing din j
ner for her family today Mrs George Coover, aged 68) I
! was seized with an attack of heart failure, which resulted j
j in her death. She was found .i short time later by her hu- j
j band. She is survived by her husband, two sons and !
! daughfer. j
AUTO RAMMED BY CAP. i
A seven-passenger Packard automobile belonging tj j
Mrs. Charles A. Kunkel was rammed by a Second street !
trolley car in fron tof the Court House this afternoon i
while the Democratic Club with the Commonwealth Baud <
was marching to the Pennsylvania Station. The left rear !
mudguard and hub were knocked off. ;
WOULD RENAME ISLANDS j
St. Thomas, D. W. 1., March 3. —At a mass meeting i
held here it was decided to suggest to the Washington gov- |
ernment that the Danish West Indies, now American terri- !
tory through purchase, should be named the "American ;
Virgin Islands."
A• " 1
Samuel C. Delmler, 1V,,!,r00k, nnd Mnrarl* Shoop, Wllllam.tovrn. i
Irancln John Kock nnd Ada Marie Fuller. York.
. R "y mo,,d Hobert If remitter, Tower City, nnd Mnud Elisabeth .lurj. !
\Vleonlneo. ,
C'linrleM 11. lirubaker nnd Pearl Kllxnheth Weeke*, Mlddletown.
AIIIOM Levi Grlfley nnd Amm MiiKdnlene ShenLer, IlnrrinburK.
William 11. Vfiser nnd Mary J. \druiiM, \V'llllnniMtow n. i[
Irviln DliiKer nnd Kll/.iihelli YlnirM. tliinimelMtown.
Robert Kdtvnrd llrondiiN, Steelton, nnd Aliee May HobliiMon, Frederlek. ]>
nenjnmln Wlutbert Wnltx, llnrrlnburji, nnd .Mary Wallace Trltt, New- <
vllle. (
HOME EDITION
CITY PUPILS TO
BURY AX AND
GET TOGETHER
For First Time in Memory of
Man, There Will Be No
Rivalry
ALL WORKING HARD
Complimentary Musicale of
State College Glee Club at
Chestnut Street Monday
Students of the Central, Steelton and
Technical high schools, as well as
those of the Harrisburg Academy, are
all agog over the complimentary con
cert that will be rendered in their
honor by the State College Qlee Club.
The college boys will sing in the
Chestnut Street Auditorium Monday
evening, with the opening number
at 8.30.
It will be a "get together night" for
the students of this city, who will be
[Continued on Page :i ]
Chief of Austrian
Staff Is Dismissed
by Emperor Charles
By Associated Press
London, March 3.—Emperor Charles
of Austria has dismissed Field Mar
shall Conrad Von lloetzendorf, Aus
trian chief of staff, according to a
Vienna dispatch to Reuter's byway
of Amsterdam. Baron Strauzenberg
succeeds Von Hoetzendorf.
"Bone Dry" Amendment Is
Now in President's Hands
Washington, D. C., March 3. Ap
proval of the conference report on the
$350,000,000 post office appropriation
bill, with its •'hone dry" amendment
forbidding the shipment of liquor into
prohibition States, was voted late yes
terday by the Senate without a roll
call.
It was agreed to by the House la."
night and now poos to the President to
his signature. President Wilson is e*
pected by practically all his closest ad
visers to sign the measure.