■ r '" ■ •' ; '■ - •• • • * "• * T; * ■ . ' ' " Big American" hter Sent to Bottom Without Warning by German V-Boat HAHR3SBTJRG llfSffllll TELEGRAPH CZTbc Star- Unftcpmbrnt LXXXV1— No. 63 24 PAGES U. S. LINER SUNK BY SUBMARINE NO WARNING GIVEN SHIP BY 11-nOAT Big American Vessel Sent to Bottom by Shell Fire; Ten Citizens of United States on Board Reported Rescued; Loss Estimated at $1,700,000; Teuton Commander Refuses Assistance to Boat He Doomed; China Severs Teuton Relations Washington, March 14. China has severed diplo matic relations with Germany, taken possession of all Ger man merchantships in Shanghai, about six in number, placed their crews on shore under guard, and placed armed guards on the vessels. Advices to the Navy Department to-day from the senior officer in Chinese waters gave no further details. London, March 14.—American steamship Algonquin has been torpedoed by a German submarine. The crew was saved. According to a later report from J. G. Stephens, American ronsul at Plymouth, the captain of the Algonquin stated that his ship was sunk by shell fire withgout warning. The Algonquin was torpedoed at 6 o'clock on the morning of March 12. The submarine refused assistance, according to the re port of the consul at Plymouth. Twenty-seven men have been landed. _ The Algonquin, owned by the American Star Line, sailed from ew York for London, on February 20. According to later advices from Plymouth the German subma rine opened fire upon the Algonquin from a distance of 4,000 yards, firing about 20 shells. These were not sufficient to sink the steamer so she was boarded by men from the submarine who placed four bombs and the Algonquin was then blown up. The crew was given plenty of time to leave the vessel. BOAT CARRIED , A GREAT CARGO OF FOODSTUFFS Was One of First to Sail For Restricted Zone After Ger many Made Threat By Associated Press New York, March 14. The Al gonquin, owned by the American Star Line of this city,was recently transfer red from British registry. She was repor* * to have about eight Ameri cans in her crew. The Algonquin was torpedoed and sunk on March 12, according to a ca blegram received li*re to-day by the owners. Where the torpedoing oc surred was not mentioned in the mes sage which came from Pensance, France. Worth a Fortune The Algonquin, a freighter, was one of the first American vessels to sail from the United States after Germany announced her submarine campaign of unrestricted warfare. Officers of the American Star Line 6aid the vessel was worth approxi mately $450,000 and that the cargo consisting mostly of foodstuffs was worth more than $1,25 <,OOO. Ten Americans Aboard There were ten Americans including the captain on the Algonquin, the own ers announced to-day. She carried about 2,000 tons of car go and was commanded by Ciiptain A. Nordberg, a naturalized American of Norwegian birth. When she left here on February 20 her owners expected her to reach the submarine zone about March 8. It was assumed here to-day that she went considerably out of her course. Captain Xot Afraiil Prior to sailing the Algonquin's cap tain said he had no wear that his ves sel would be torpedoed. "I feel safer in sail through the war zone on a vessel flying the Ameri can flag than I do trying to make my way about New York streets and dodg ing taxicabs," he said. f \ Blooming Hepaticas, Full-blown Liverwort, Butterfly—SPßlNG! THE hepaticas are blooming for sure, and I found a feather from the bluebird's hack ly ing on a full-blown white liver wort, two very strong signs of spring. The mourning cloak or Cambe well Beauty, one of the first butter flies, has made its appearance. These" combined with swelling buds, green ;rrasa, numerous flies an(t the familiar song of returning birds — proclaim spring. DR. J. H. FAGER. ATTACK ON LINER WILL NOT FORCE NATION INTO WAR Real Issue to Come When Armed American Ship Clashes With U-Boat By Associated Press Washington, March 14. ln the absence of official dispatches on the destruction of the steamer Algonquin, officials withheld comment, but the unofficial view was that nothing in the incident changes the situation between the United States and Germany. President Wilson already has taken steps to place the nation in a state of armed neutrality which with the breaking off of diplomatic relations with Germany is practically the last measure possible short of war. Amer ican ships now are being armed to de fend themselves against unlawful sub marine attack. The general view to day is that arming of ships is the only answer to submarine operations short of a declaration of war which may be made only by Congress. All Possible Steps Taken The circumstance that the Algon quin carried foodstuffs which are con traband and that she recently was transferred from British to American registry, a transaction Germany might plead she would not recognize, are not taken to outweigh the fact that the ship was reported destroyed without warning. Neither does the fact that apparently no lives were lost mitigate the situation. But the real fact, as unofficially ex pressed, is that while the destruction of an American ship in such a man ner is very serious, the American government already has taken all the steps it can to meet such a case, un less it wishes to take the last step and declare war. War Last Resort The real issue of peace or war is ex pected to come when an American armed ship has a clash with a German submarine. A series of destructions of American ships probably would arouse Congress to a declaration of war, ff indeed Ger many should not declare war on the United States as many expect, as a re sult of the first encounter with one of her submarines. Up to the present, in the absence of action by Congress, all that could be done to meet such a case as the de struction of the Algonquin already has been done. It is generally accepted on first reports as not being the 'overt act." \ Pope Expected to Score German U-Boat Compaign Paris, March 14. The Pope has decided to pronounce an Important allocution at the consistory to be held at the end of the month, according to a news dispatch from Rome. Thii dispatch snys that it is understood that the Pope's, pronouncement will deal entirely with the war and that it is reported in Vatican circles that tfie pontiff will protest against Germany's unrestricted submarine campaign. HARRISBURG, PA., WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 14,1917. ' RAIN TO BE OVER SHOW CURTAIN RISES I'orecaster Demain declares that the rain will all have pass ed away by the time the curtain is ready to be raised on the great Spring Fashion show at 7.30 o'clock this evening. Cloudy skies is the worst that he threatens and they will have no effect on the exhibit. If the weatherman's forecast should fail the opening will be staged to-morrow. A five-minute -period of darkness will precede the flashing on of lights. With the first twinkle, four bands will strike up the "Star Spangled Banner"' and the style show will be under way. l ull details of the arrangements for this evening will be found on page 15. GERMANS FALL BACK; BRITISH NEAR BAPAUME By Associated Press Another great retreat by the Ger mans on the Somme front is in prog ress. The consequent British advance has brought General Sir Douglas Haig's forces almost to the outskirts of Bapaume, the speedy fall of which is now counted among the probabili ties. The great ridge west of the town is in BriUsh hands, the Germans hav ing abandoned their main defensive system here on a front of miles. Various reasons for the movement are advanced. The theory that ,Field Marshal Von Hindenburg's Intention was to draw the British into the open os held out by one of the principal German military writers quoted in a Berlin newspaper. This critic calls at tention to the field marshal's tactics at Tennan berg, early in the war when his army retired before the Russians SHADOW SOCIETY GIRL IN SEARCH FOR CAPT. BOY-ED Arch-German Plotter in Charge of Kaiser's Schemes in Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pa., March 14. —Fed- eral investigators at work on the Ger man plot which is said to have been re vealed in the arrest of five persons in connection with smuggling nineteen chronometers ashore from the Interned raiders at League Island, discovered sensational evidence yesterday. First, they learned that Captain Boy- Ed, the former naval attache at the German embassy, is now in or near this city, and is suspected of having visited League Island disguised as a woman. Second, officials of the New York Shipbuilding Company, frankly ad mitted that Adelbert K. Fischer, presi dent of the Schutte-Koerting Com pany, one of the principals named in the alleged smuggling plot, had not only aided in the construction end fitting of every warship built there for [Continued on Page 4] 30,000 English Saloons to Close This Spring London, March 14. Thirty thou sand saloons in Great Britain will probably be closed during the next few months, according to the Mall. The measure is proposed as a solution of the difficulty arising from the compul sory restriction of the beer output and the brewers are stated to be in prac tical agreement with the government in regard to the remedy. The closing of the saloons is said to have been suggested by some of the brewers themselves. They con tended that there were too many dis tributing agencies and that a third of them could be suppressed without inconveniencing the public while such a step would enable the liquor trade to be conducted more economically. River Falling Despite Rain; Ice Is Moving Despite the rainfall the Susque hanna and all its branches are falling slowly. The rainfall that started early this morning: until noon to-day amount ed to three-tenths of an inch. E. R. Demain, local forecaster, pre dicts clear weather to-morrow, with a temperature of thlrty-flve degrees. No trouble has been reported to tha Water Supply Commission from the moving ice. The small detachments that move from day to day have passed off witbqut causing any damage. in order that room for strategical op erations might be gained. Paris, March 14. Great import ance is attached by French military writers to the continued British suc cesses on the Somme. The Matin says that it looks very much as if the Germans do not think they could hold Bapaurae and Peronne any longer and are preparing to evacuate the two cities. Reports from aviators show that all along their inner lines the Germans are blowing up bridges and culverts, burning munitions and pro visions while trying to mack the with drawal of heavy guns by heavy firing with field guns. German staff headquarters on the Somme front is said to have been moved back ten miles. ' The Matin [Continued on Page 15] JITNEY HEARINGS POSTPONED AFTER HEATED ARGUMENT Agree That All Jitneymen Make Application For Certificates By agreement of counsels for both sides, the Public Service Commission this morning continued the hearing of the Harrisburg jitney case for three weeks. The hearing was featured by heated arguments. The case was opened at 9:30, but was adjourned at 10 o'clock for a spe cial conference between the attorneys representing the jitney men and the Harrisburg Railways Company. The attorneys returned at 11 o'clock after one hour * deliberation with the an nouncement that an agreement had been reached, on the ground that all jitney men make application for a cer tificate of public convenience, with out admitting that they are common carriers, or come under the jurisdic tion of the Public Service Commission. The Jltneurs will b required to post advertisements immediately, and the organization was granted the privilege of advertising jointly. At the next hearing testimony will be heard on complaint made by the Harrisburg Railways Company as to whether the Jitney Is a common car rier or not. The Harrisburg Traction Company was represented at the hearing by Bailey and Wolfe, while the jitney or ganization was represented by Oscar B. Wickersham. Individual Jitney men were represented by Robert Ro senberger, William A. Zerby and John Armstrong Herman. Heated debates marked the hearing this morning. No sooner did an at torney for the railway company pro cure the floor than a representative of the jitney men interrupted and vice versa. Neither would accede to the other. Consequently, the hearing was conducted with difficulty. College Professor Held For Shooting Student Found in His Home Bv Associated Press Blacksburg, Va., March 14. Chas E. Vawter. professor of mathematics at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, has been arrested on a warrant charg ing him with the felonious shooting of Stockton Heth, Jr., in the former's home here early yesterday. He waiv ed preliminary examination before a justice of the peace at Christiansburg and gave bond for his appearance be for the grand Jury. Details of the shooting still were lacking to-day, both Dr. Vawter and his wife refusing to discuss it. Heth Is In a critical condition In a Roanoke hospital, but his condition to-day was said to be more favorable than it was last night. D. S. MUST SIDE WITH ALLIES OR FIGHT GERMANY ALONE-STEWART In Event of War Country Has to Be Prepared to Take Her Place Shoulder to Shoulder With Entente, or Be Ready to Face Seasoned Veterans of Kaiser BLUNTLY DESCRIBES UNPREPAREDNESS Asserts Nation Must Send Men Abroad to Fight in Trenches As Well As Get Ready to Defend Shores ! From Invasion jkt ADJ.-GEN. THOMAS J. STEWART "The United States in the event of war with Germany must be prepared to take her place side by side with the Allies or be prepared to face Germany alone in case the Allies should make peace with Germany." In ringing tones, Adjutant General Thomas J. Stewart, of the National Guard of Pennsylvania, seasoned vet eran of the Civil and Spanish-Amer ican War, made this positive declara tion before the House Appropriations Committee at a hearing granted him and other leading officers of the guard [Continued on Page 17] WILSON' AI ILK TO WORK By Associated Press Washington, March 14.—President Wilson was so near complete recov ery from the cold with which he has been suffering for more than a week that he attended to public business to-day in his study. He is not ex pected to leave the White House for several days. THE WEATHER For Harrlaburg and vicinity! C'load.v, probably ruin to-iilKht| Thursday fair and rolilri lowest temperature to-night about an degnea. For EMtfrn Pennsylvania t Rnin to-iilKhtt Thursday polder and probably falrj freali south "hid* shifting to northwest by Tliura day morning und becoming atrong. River The Suaquehnnna river and all ln brunches Mill probably full to night and ThurMday, except the loner main river, nhlcli will re main nearly Htatlonary or rise slightly to-night. A stage of nboiit #.B feet In indicated for Hnrrlaburg Thursday niornliiK. Practically all the lee has cone from the vicinity of Ilarrlsburg, except some that has lodKed on islaads and along the NhoreN, tienernl Conditions The Ntorm that was central over Oklahoma, Tuenday mornliiK, has moved rapidly northeastward to the l.ake Region. It caused rain generally In central, rain, aleet I and anowr In north dlatricta from the Plains States eastward to the Atlantic ocena I n the laat twenty-four hourn. Tempera tarn have fallen 2 to 2(1 degrees over nearly nil the eouatry be tween the Ilocky Mountaiaa and the Mlaalaalppl river. Temperaturei 8 a. m„ 32 degrees above aero. Sun i Rises. 6t17 n. m. Moont Rises, 12i02 a. m. River Stagei 10.4 feet above low water mark. Yeaterdny'a Weather Highest temperature, 37. l owest temperature. 2H. Mean temperature, 32. ISoraaal temperature, 3ft 4 Single Copy, 2 Cents HOME EDITION NEITHER SIDE ANXIOUS TO AVOID STRIKE Wilson May Make Appeal For Settlement; Railway Mana gers Declare They Will Not Compromise With Trans portation Brotherhoods While Supreme Court Decis ion Is Hanging Fire; Union Leaders Expect Men to Ratify Their Plans For Walkout. ■<. - a mmm > Washington, March 14.—President Wilson is amazed at the proposal of a nation-wide railway strike at this juncture of international affairs. It was stated authoritatively to day that he expects railroads and the men at their conference in New York to-morrow to consider the state of the coun try s foreign relations and make every possible effort to agree. It is possible that he may appeal to both sides on that ground. 1 o-day the President was being kept in touch with the situation through Secretary Wilson of the De partment of Labor. New York, March 14.—The chiefs of the four great brotherhoods of railroad employes came here to-day from Washington for a final j conference with the local chairmen of unions in eastern territory I before meeting the members of the national conference committee |of the railroads to-morrow to present their demands for an eight j hour day. It was expected that the eastern representatives would follow example of the employes' conferences held yesterday at 1 Washington and St. Louis and ratify plans for a general strike if the railroads refuse to grant their demands. Strike orders to take effect first in the East on Saturday night already have been issued and the organized employes await directions to be issued here after Thursday's conference. The j managers' committee, which is hand | ling the situation for the railroads, ' will met here to-night. The manag i ers maintain that there cannot be • | any compromise at this time pending : ; a decision by the Supreme Court on | j the Adamson law. Await Conference [ There is no expectation on the part |of railroad leaders here that Presi | dent Wilson will take any action prior j to an announcement of the results of Thursday's meeting. W. G. Lee, head ' ; 3CIALIST ONI Y Mi j; Hart irg.—rWith ofily Maurcr, Sociali ting !• I jl < J • - !; ; sylvania in v he National Congress* to support |! < J |; I icrican fr >m submarine attack <* jj APPROVES REVISION ij ]! Hamsburg,—Members of City Planning Commit jj ?ioner at a special meeting to-day approved a revision of ! lj plots in Cloverly. Slight changes in lines I o j [ it m >pproval of the commission |! j| PROMISED NOT TO STRIKK * j I New York, March 14—While the nati nal hiefs . jj the four railroads employees' brotherhoods were discuss* ]! j in f< - a threatened national-wide striki :! ; tatives of the railway managers made public what they de i! i ! clared was a promise not to strike, made by the brother* * jj hod in > ' ■ ■ meeting held in Chicago Janu iv 13. I | RUSS CAPTURE PERSIAN TOWN j | don, Man - 'i i the Persian tpwn of Keranshah is Reported in aa ynofficia. j! I dispatch received here to-day. !j j GERARD NOT TO TALK j !( Washington, March 14. ~ r Former A foril |, !| Ml ar:wd here to-day He will make no statement until h <E Jf* j [ j| sees President Wilson. The conference probably j; ij fake place until the President has fully recovered. |L WANT FEDERAL OWNERSHIP j j! York, March board of railroad manager* [ J to-day ed that in a bulletin sent out to the fire- ji jj ■ • t< 'ist week that tht; FederaJ Qoi ij Jj Jjoulß tak< ove the railroads if'there is a sincere desire ll II 1 *o r - . _ s* • • |! j? jj OPEN BIDS ON SIX CRUISERS ij J Washington, March 14. JMds on slx 35-knot scout if I! 1 I | % cruisers received at the Navy Department to-day, probably j | jj insure immediate placing of contracts for, all sh . The ] f !jj bids were within the $6,000,000 limit fixed for each ship. jj jj __ jj i MARRIAGE Thomas Samuel Wagnrr and lllonrhe Autcunta l.onit, Union Deposit. I 'I Raymond Carl A*e, Pittsburgh. and Ituth Kllsabeth Roblna, Harris- '! , i burs. James Donald Carpenter and Isabel Adrlance Ryder, Harrlabnrg. / 0 !, .i £ of the trainmen's organization, de clared that he aivd his associates would go before the railroads' repre sentatives with their entire member ship united behind their demands. A statement issued by the chiefs of the railroads' brotherhoods before leaving Washington last night de nounced as absurd "all Insinuations : to the effect that transportation em ployes are not loyal citizens because | of their attempt at this time to se ; cure from their employers the bene lits contemplated by the law," and said that the railroad men had given to President Wilson assurances of thetr willingness and intention to sup [Continued on Page 15]
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers