'Austria Informs V. S. It Will Support
HARRISBURG iSSgffii TELEGRAPH
(Hie Star- Unftepmbrnt
LXXXVI — No. 56 16 PAGES
AUSTRIA SUPPORTS
RUTHLESS WARFARE;
BREAK SEEMS SURE
AMERICA TOLD
NEUTRALS MUST
BEAR LOSSES IN
BLOCKADE ZONE
Freedom of Seas For Non-
Belligerants Applies Only
to Persons Not on Board
Enemy Vessels, Dual Mon
oarchy Informs Washington
in Answer to Pointed Note.
RESERVES RIGHT TO
FIGHT OWN WARFARE
Vienna Says It Has Done Its
Duty by Warning Passen
gers to Stay off the Seas;
Would Have Americans
Keep off British Ships to
Avoid Death.
By Associated Press
London, March 6.—The American j
inibassador at Vienna has been hand
ed the reply of the Austrian govern
ment to the American note inquiring
as to the position of the Austrian gov
ernment in regard to unrestricted sub
marine warfare, according to a Vi
enna dispatch to Reuter's byway of
Amsterdam.
The reply declares that neutrals
are responsible for losses they suffer'
by entering territory where warlike j
operations are taking place.
The American note, which was dis- ;
patched to Vienna on February 18, I
asked specifically whether the Austrian \
assurances given following the sinking
of the Ancona and the Persia had been
nullified. The reply was "that what
ever attitude the Washington cabinet
may take as to individual questions
raised here," the Austro-llungarian
Hungarian government is "essentially
in accord with the American govern
ment in regard to the protection of
neutrals against endangering their
lives." The memorandum then main
tains that "neutral subjects have to
bear themselves all losses they suffer
by entering territory where warlike
operations are taking place."
Declare Blockade Illegal
After a lengthy discussion of the
British blockade, which it declares is
illeKal. the memorandum continues:
"The principle that neutrals should
enjoy in war times the advantages of
Ihe freedom of the seas refers only
to neutral vessels and not to neutral
persons aboard enemy vessels."
The reply further contends that bel
ligerents are entitled to decide for
themselves what measures should be
taken against an enemy in sea traf- j
lie and concludes:
"In such cases neutrals have no
other legitimate interests and there
fore no other claim than that
a belligerent inform them in time of a ;
prohibition directed to an enemy so
that they can avoid entrusting their
lives and their goods to enemy ves
sels."
Doesn't Want IJrcak
The Austrian memorandum refer
ring to the note on the Ancona case,
says that it "strictly adheres to the
assurance already given."
At the same time Austria calls atten
tion to the fact that at the time of
the Ancona incident it stated that it
"reserved the right to brin" up later
for discussion difficult international
questions which arose in connection
with submarine warfare." The mem
orandum then adds:
"If the Austro-Hungarlan govern
ment now refers to this reservation
and briefly discusses the question of
the sinking of enemy vessels to which
that note refers it is guided by a
desire to show the American govern
ment that now, as heretofore, it
strictly adheres to the assurance al
ready given and endeavors, by clear
ing up that important question be
cause it touches the laws of humanity,
to avoid misunderstanding between
the monarchy and the American
union."
[THE WEATHER I
For llnrrlxliurtf und vicinity! Fair
nnil MllKhtly warmer to-nlKht,
with lament temperature about
■MI ilearee| Wednesday (air and
m nrmer.
For Knxtern Pennaylvnnlm Fair to
night. MllKhtly warmer In next
portion) Wednesday fair, nnrmfri
moderate variable winds becom
ing aoutheiiat.
River
The main river and all IJn branched
nbove IlnrrlMburK will fall xlowly
or remain nearly Ktntlonary. No
material chmiKen have occurred
In the lee nltuntlon In the lower
SuMquehHnnn ho far iin known.
The river at HurrlxhurK eloaed
again Innt night and In expected
to remain Icebound and nearly
stationary at a xtnge of 10.5 to
11.0 feet.
Genernl Conditions
The Houthern dlxturbance that linx
eauxed unxettled weather and
precipitation generally over the
eantern half of the country dur
ing the pant week, hax moved off
the North Atlantic comit. It hux
eauxed preclultntlon In the !nxt
twenty-four liourx, mostly xnow,
from the I.nke Heglon and Upper
Ohio Valley eastward to the At
lantic coast, the heaviest snow
tailing In the New Knglnnd
Slates.
Temperature) 8 a. ni„ 19 degrees
above *ero.
Sum Rises, 0)31 a. IU.
.Moon i Full moon. March 8, SiOlt
p. m.
Illver Stage) JO.O feet above low
water mark.
1 MAY BE HOME SOON
.w ... r .... . ..V. .A . ••+ • • -V.-. ......
• : . • • / • " ;•:/* ,y
1
AM&ASS/iDOR PENFIEXD
Ambassador Penfield who received
the Austrian reply to the American
note in which the dual monarchy de
clares it will support the German
campaign of ruthlessness on the seas.
U.S. BREAK WITH
AUSTRIA ALMOST
DEEMED CERTAIN
Little Hope Left as Note Ad
heres to General Principle
of Ruthlessness
By Associated Press
Washington, March 6. —Austria's
note declaring adhesion to the general
principles of unrestricted submarine
warfare holds out little, if any, hope
that a break between the United
States and the Vienna governments
may be avoided. The complete official
view of the Austrian communication
will not be made known until after
President Wilson and Secretary Lan
sing have carefully studied the of
ficial text which was before them to
day. Also the subject was scheduled
to come up for discussion at to-day's
meeting of the cabinet. It was con
sidered probable that the course of
the United States toward Austria
might, tentatively at least, be deter
mined upon then.
Austria's effort to substitute for the
individual warning every merchant
[Continued on Page I]
Harrisburg Woman Alleges
Brother Is Short $200,000
in Estate Administration
In Orphan court at Pottsville yes
terday, Mrs. Charles Ivirby, 1100
Green street, this city, was one of
two petitioners who requested that
Charles Kaier, of Philadelphia, son of
the C. D. Kaier. millionaire brewer of
Mahanoy City, be removed as executor
of the estate. Judge Wilhelm heard
the argument for the petitioners.
Mrs. Kirby and another sister, al
lege that Charles, their brother, re
sides in Philadelphia, and has neglect
ed his duties in attending to the es
tate. The brother is also charged with
wasteful management and it is alleged
that his actions have not been accord
ing to the provisions of the will, and
•hat he is in error in his accounts to
thos extent of $200,000.
It was proposed to sell the property,
but Court blocked this proposition to
day, when the request was presented
for the ousting of Charles as executor.
Attorneys say that if young Kaier does
not retire as executor they will show
the court good reasons why he should
be dismissed.
As an acquaintance of Grace Rob
erts, the murdered corset model, of
Philadelphia, Kaier acquired consider
able notoriety several months ago.
particularly after it was shown that
the young woman had been a visitor
to this county, but Kaier has persis
tently denied any knowledge of the
manner in which she met her death,
and no evidence has been found to
contradict him.
Beidleman Urges River
Bridge at Millersburg
Senator E. E. Beidleman at a big
meeting in the First National Bank
building, Millersburg, last night, as
sured his audience that he will sup
port the movement under way to
have a bridge erected there, connect
ing Perry and Dauphin counties. Re
cently at the annual banquet of the
Millersburg Motor Club speakers spoke
of the possibility of providing for the
bridge at this session of Legislature.
As Senator Beidleman could not bo
present, the meeting last night was
arranged so that he could be present.
Senator Beidleman declared that he
will make every effort to have action
taken on the question before Legis
lature adjourns. The meeting wus
one of the most enthusiastic ever
held in connection with the bridge
project. Numerous advantages to
not only Dauphin, but adjoining
counties, have been pointed out, to
gether with the need of a connecting
link in tlie upper end of this county.
HARRISBURG, PA.,TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 6, 1917.
PRESIDENT MAY
ORDER VESSELS
ARMED WITHOUT
FURTHER PARLEY
Question Now Before Attorney
General Gregory For Im
mediate Consideration;
His Decision on Old Laws
to Be Placed Before Cabi
net at Meeting Today.
PLAN TO SWEEP ASIDE
OLD TECHNICALITIES
Secretary Lansing Believes
Administration Can Pro
ceed to Protect American
Rights Without Waiting For
Senate to Specially Grant
Permission.
IBy Associated Press
Washington, March 0. President
I Wilson, it was stated authoritatively
to-day, will do everything possible to
find a way to arm American ships and
protect them in other wavs from sub
marine danger, despite the failure of
the Senate to pass the bill giving him
specific power. A final decision on
whether the President can legally arm
the ships without specific authoriza
tion, is expected shortly.
An extra session of Congress before
July 1 to pass appropriation measures,
if for no other purpose, seemed to
day to be certain. If the Senate
amends its rules so prompt action can
be taken on an armed neutrality bill,
an extra session of Congress may be
expected within the next two or three
weeks.
Messages, apparently spontaneous,
which came to government officials to
day from all parts of the country,
criticised in bitter terms the senators
who prevented action on the armed
neutrality bill.
Senators Hedge
Senators Vardaman, Democrat, of
Mississippi, and Kenyon, Republican,
of lowa, two of the twelve senators
who did not sign the Senate manifesto
in favor of the armed neutrality bill
and who were included in the group
referred to by President Wilson as "a
little group of wilful men," who had
rendered the country "helpless and
contemptible" before the world, ex
plained to the Senate to-day that they
had not been in complicity to prevent
a vote on the bill.
Senator Williams, replying particu
larly to his colleague, declared em
phatically that President Wilson was
right in his criticism of a few senators
who made legislation by an over
whelming majority impossible in the
nation's crisis and that whatever might
have been their motive they and not
Congress were responsive for the
United .States being "helpless and con
temptible" before the world.
The question was referred to Attor
ney General Gregory and Secretary
Lansing and probably will be decided
in time for consideration at to-day's
Cabinet meeting—the first to be held
in the new administration.
A determination to arm the merchant
men if a legal way to do so can be
found was generally apparent.
Technicalities raised by members of
his own Cabinet, as well as the shame
ful action of the twelve Senate paci
fists, have shackled the Nation in its
attempt to defend itself against the
slaughtering submarines. Even among
certain members of the administration
there is more concern lest the United
States violate technicalities than there
is over German's violation of the Na
tion's rights.
Secretary Lansing, of the State De
partment, believes that the United
States can proceed at once toward the
arming of merchantmen. The pacifist
element, however, believe that the
moss-covered statutes of 1818 and
1819, which were the outcome of the
War of 1812, would make such gov
ernment action now a virtual declar
ation of war against Germany.
Three Men Killed and Six
Hurt in Pennsy Crash
Between Freight Trains
By Associated Press
Norristown, Pa., March 6. —Three
railroad men were killed, one was so
badly hurt he is expected to die and
five others were seriously injured to
day in a wreck of freight trains in the
yards here of the Schuylkill Valley Di
vision of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
The dead:
Fireman Gnoza, of Norristown.
Brakeinan Holbig, of Philadelphia.
Brakeman McGrltisli, -118 ICu.st Nor
wegian street, Pottsvillc.
Seriously Injured:
Conductor Schultz, Norristown.
Conductor lloult, Philadelphia.
Engineer Charles, 408 Barber street,
Pottsvllle.
Engineer Keller, Philadelphia.
Brakeman Charles Miller, Pliiladel
phia.
Fireman Welghtnian, 213 Morgan
street, Plioenlxvllle.
According to officials of the Penn
sylvania Railroad the wreck was due
to one of the train crews disregarding
signals. Both trains were westbound.
One of them had orders to cross over
to another track in the yards and
while doing so was run into by the
other freight. Both locomotives were
badly damaged.
Four freight cars and a cabin car
were wercked. The wreck blocked
the yard tracks. The main tracks of
the Schuylkill Valley Division were
not affected.
MT. UNION WRECK
CAUSED BY CHAIN
OF CIRCUMSTANCES
Operation of Freight on Pas
senger Track Was First
Contributory Factor
CENSURE FOR BRAKEMAN
Investigator Dohoney Explains
How Signal System Operates
on Middle Division
A combination of circumstances, the
absence of any one of which would
have prevented a calamity, is given
to-day by John P. Dohoney, chief of
the bureau of accident investigation of
the Public Service Commission, as the
reason for the wreck last week on the
Pennsylvania Hallroad at Mt. Union,
when 20 persons were instantly killed.
Censure for the flagman on the pass
enger train is contained in the report.
The signal system in use on the Mid
dle division of the railroad also Is
said not to be as satisfactory as the
one in use on the Philadelphia division.
Dohoney's report shows that the ex
press train reached the Mt. Union sta
tion fourteen minutes behind schedule.
The freight train was approximately
five miles distant and had been di
verted to the passenger track by a
broken rail on the regular freight
track.
Due to Minor Accidents
"This was the first contributory fact
or in bringing about the collision."
says Mr. Dohoney. "Another was cre
ated when the discovery was made that
a brake on the passenger train was
defective.. This failure prevented the
Continued on Page IS
ENTENTE DIRECTS
HARD DRIVES ON
WESTERN FRONTS
Important Military Operations
Reported in Two Sections of
Franco-Belgian Front
Military operations of importance
are taking place in two sectors of the
Franco-Belgian front.
The British have extended their
activities further south on the Somme
region and Berlin to-day reports an
attack near Bouchavesnes, north of
Peronne. This is declared to have
been repulsed and an effort to repeat
it frustrated.
North of Verdun severe engage
ments are still in progress along the
line near Caurieres wood where in
roads upon the French positions were
recently made by the Germans. Paris
reported last night the recapture of
some advanced positions which the
Germans had occupied in their attack
the day previous. An effort was made
by the Crown Prince's troops last
night to retake these lost trenches
but Paris to-day declares the attempt
was futile.
On the Russian front in Galicia,
Berlin announces a repulse of a Rus
sian night attack near Brzezany and
the breakdown of an assault made by
Russian contingents in the Kelemen
mountains near the northern end of
the Rumaian front.
ASK ENGINEER
FOR ESTIMATE
ON ASH SURVEY
| Commissioner Cross Will Ask
Cost of Investigation and
Recommendations
City Commissioner E. Z. Gross noti
fied Council this morning of his inten
tion to ask Farley Gannett, consulting
i engineer, to submit an estimate of the
! cost of an ash and garbage survey in
j Harrisburg, together with recommen
! dations as tothe disposal of all re
j fuse after the expiration of the pres
ent contract with the Pennsylvania
Reduction Company.
Although this will not authorize Mr.
Gannett's employment, it was explain
ed, it will be the first step in making
the proposed survey. Commissioner
Gross' plan was sanctioned by Com-
I missloner William H. Lynch, who fav
ors employing a sanitary engineer to
study the situation and make recom
mendations.
Although weather conditions have
[Continued on Page 1]
MOTHERS-IN-LA W, NOODLES,
ANDSHOWLEADHIMASTRA Y
Mothers-in-law, noodles and bur
lesque shows all came in for a share
o fthe blame when Mrs. Sarah E. Wil
son appeared against her husband,
Kaust Leon Wilson, in Dauphin coun
ty court, to-day, charging him with
non-support.
Mrs. Wilson alleged that even while
her husband was working for $8.40 a
week at Grantham In a noodle fac
tory, he didn't support her and their
children properly. The court sug
gested that probably purchasing noo
illcs at wholesale rates might have
IH'B'G RAILWAYS
I EARNINGS JUMP
DESPITE STRIKE
j Gross Receipts $100,008.30
More; Net $21,-
261.63
REFL EC T S PROSPERITY
Report at Annual Meeting Com
plains of Income and
Excise Taxes
Despite the strike on the lines of
the Harrisburg Railways Company
last summer the net earnings of the
corporation for 1916 were $21,264.65
greater than in 1915, the report of the
officials at the annual meeting of the
stockholders to-day shows.
The gross earnings for the year
I were $1,015,004.37, as compared with
$914,936,07 in 1915, an Increase of
$100,068,30.
This big jump in the gross earnings
of the company in the face of a strike
of Its platform men and the opera
tions of unlicensed jitneys reflects the
; general prosperity of the past year
i as have few financial statements made
public in this city,
j While the gross earnings of the
| company were more than SIOO,OOO,
I the net earnings increased only $21,-
264.65 because of the Increased main
tenance expenses caused by the strike
and means employed to end the labor
trouble, the report to the stockhold
ers points out.
liast Year's Strike
"During the year $77,115.08 was
expended for maintenance," says the
report. "The operations of your com-
Continued on Page IS
NO DANGER OF
IMMEDIATE FLOOD
COMMISSION SAYS
Will Take Heavy Rain or
Much Warmer Weather
to Start Ice
"There is no immediate danger of
a Susquehanna llood," Ralph Hos
mer, of the State Water Supply!
Commission declared this morning, j
"Conditions along the watershed re-'
main practically the same, with the I
exception of local ice movements. I
"Unless much warmer weather ar
rives or there is a heavy rainfall, the 1
river will not cause any damage j
soon."
The river at this point closed early
this morning. Slush filled the river |
from bank to bank before it jammed 1
up. The river is not closed above
RockviUe nor below the dam. A river j
stage of 10.9 feet is reported at Har
risburg with slight possibilities of a
change.
Slightly warmer is promised by E. i
R. Demain, forecaster for to-night!
but the "slightly" is only a matter of
two degrees. The lowest tempera-j
ture reached last night was 18 degrees
above zero and the prospect for to
night is 20 above.
Moderate variable winds are cx- !
pected to waft clear weather lor!
Wednesday.
The freeze last night halted the I
thaw and prevented much more wa-:
ter draining into the stream. At
Highspire and Middletown where
conditions were growing dangerous
because of backwater, the water is
receding to-day.
CHANGE OF DATE
FOR INAUGURAL
AGAIN SUGGESTED
Bad Weather Given as Reason
For Abandoning March Exer
cises at Capital
By Associated Press
Washington, March 6. —President
Wilson to-day took up the work of his
second four-year term, while thou
sands of visitors who thronged the
capital yesterday to witness the pub
lic inaugural ceremonies or march in i
parade, filled every outgoing train j
homeward bound. Many soldiers, sail
ors and cadets remained, however, to
give the city at least part of the gala
spirit that pervaded it yesterday, and
many excursionists still crowded the
hotels or visited public buildings.
Up and down historic Pennsylvania
avenue, through which the Inaugural
procession tramped In review past the
[Continued on Page 4]
helped, but Mrs. Wilson answered that
she "couldn't live on noodles all the
time."
Finally the court ordered Wilson
to pay $3.00 toward the support of
his children, after Mrs. Wilson refused
to go back to Orantham and live with
her husband. "If the court had the
power, we would make an order to
have the mothers-in-law live togeth
er," Additional Judge 8. J. M.
McOarrell remarked as he heard the
testimony of the marital troubles, each
blaming the other's parent for part of
the trouble.
GERMAN PLOT FOR
INVASION OF INDIA
FOILED BY POUCE
No Knowledge of What Success Chinese Agent Had Can Be
Gained From Prisoners Who Say That They Have
Received No Report
Ten Thousand Boxes of Secret Preparation and Official
Papers Are Seized by U. S. Agents
By Associated Press
New York, March 6. Dr. C. Hana
j- do Chakiaberty, a Hindoo physician,
! and' Dr. Ernest Sckunner, 34, describ
ed as a German, were arrested to-day
| on charges of conspiring to set up a
I military expedition against a foreign
country on friendly relations with the
United States. The police say the men
confessed that they had plotted under
direction of Wolf von Igel to invade
India byway of China. Von Igel. in
dicted but never tried for complicity
i in an alleged plot to destroy the Wei
land canal, is with Count Von Uerns
torff, former German ambassador to
the United States, who is approaching
Copenhagen on the steamer Frederick
VIII.
From Von Igel, according to the po
; lice, Dr. Chakiaberty and Sckunner,
j who have been suspected for some
j time, received $60,000, and the Hin
| doo, posing as a Persian merchant, ob
| tained a passport which enabled him
to get to Berlin. In this connection an
! additional charge of fradulently ob
| taining a passport has been made
against the physician.
Have Confessions
1 Dr. Chakiaberty, according to alleg
ed confession, revealed his plans of an
invasion of India to certain officials
in Berlin and then returned to New
York where he and Von Igel prepared
literature printed in various native
India languages. In the house In West
! One Hundred and Twentieth street
: where the two men were arrested to
day, the police seized large quantities
[ of literature and found also a complete
i chemical laboratory.
After the literature was prepared,
j according to the police. Dr. Chakla
i berty and Sckunner employed as their
agent influential Chinamen whom they
; sent to his native country with the
I LODGE INTRODUCES NEUTRALITY BILL ]
; Washington, March 6. —Senator Lodge, nf Massa- j
! i~ oduced in the Senate to-day the armed neu- J
; . i hich failed of passage Sunday. When he asked l|
; dc ence to the foreign relations committee, Senator !;
! a ol Colo.udo, made the point of order that Congress j
! v-s not in session, which Vice-President Marshall aua~ J
| t-'ned 1
j FIGHT ON CLOTURE RULE ON ;
; Washingum, March o.—When the new Senate met at |
noun today, Senator Owen, of Oklahoma, laying the foun- j
ft • J
j d<iti (i fcr the cloture fight, served notice that no new Sena- <
| t_rs were bound by the rules of the old Senate in kgisla
! tive procedure. j
j POSTPONE JITNEY HEARINGS i
|! Attorney George R. lieiscy, Attorney for the Harris
jj burg Jitney men, today made application to the Pul he Set j
! vice Commission for postponement the hearings in the j
| k rh O • nission j
I nc nt u ■ March 14. !
i HELD FOR BOMB PLOT ;
| Hoboken, N. J., March 6.—Fritz Kolb, a German, in '<
! whose possession two bombs and other explosive materia! j
; were found yesterday, and Hans Schwartz, arrested early j
! to-day," were held for further examination in court to-day i
! in connection with an alleged plot to blow up munitions J
! of the entente allies ;
181 INDICTED IN FOOD PROBE |j
; New York, arch 6. —The Federal Grand Jury which has
! been investigating the high cost of food and fuel returned j[
| two indictments to-day naming as defendants in the first 108
j corporations and 55 individuals, in the second ten corpor !
I ations and sixteen individuals in the business of producing
! or selling coal. j
BLAMS DRUNKENNESS ON COD LIVER OIL j
j William Taylor, charged with being drunk and dii- 1
| orderly, in a plea for leniency, this afternoon in.police court, <
! declared if he was drunk there was nothing to blame but !
repeated dcbes of cod liver oil. He said his physician had ;
! reccommended it. He was discharyed.
MARRIAGE LICENSES ~~ jj
Hlrhnrd llallett Stablor, Wet (hraler, and I'boebe I.ouinn Strode,
| Camp Hill.
Benjamin Samuel Melman, Steelton, Hull Anna Rose Klawannky, Mid- j |
| dletovrn.
Single Copy, 2 Cents
idea of interesting his government In
a plan to ship arms and ammunition
from the United States to China where
with the Chinese government's per
mission, they were to be stored until
the time set for the invasion.
Seize Many Papers
The police said the two men de
clared they had heard nothing from
their Chinese representative and did
not know what success, if any, he had.
In the laboratory Sckunner was en
deavoring, according to the police, to
compound a preparation to be used
"to disguise contraband of war." The
character of thtfc preparation he re
fused to disclose. Ten thousand small
aluminum boxes about the size of a
pill box were seized, together with
what appeared to be official papers.
Tlio latter have been turned over to
government agents.
Have Evidence Teuton
Plotted Against Plants
Hoboken, N. J.. March 6. Fritz
"Ivolb, a German, was arrested yester
day on evidence that he had a part in
a plot to cause munition plant explo
sions. The police found in his room
two well-made bombs, complete, except
lor the fuse; small amounts of trini
trotoluol and picric acid. It had been
reported that Kolb and his associates
had plotted to kill the President, but
after a preliminary investigation the
police announced themselves convinced
that the plans of the alleged plotters
had to do entirely with destroying war
supplies.
The police say they had come into
possession of information which might
help them in solving the Black Tom
explosion in Bayonne, N. J., and the de
struction of the Kingsland, N. J., plant
of the Canadian Car and Foundry Com
pany, in which large munition supplies
for the Entente Allies were blown up.
HOME EDITION