Warships May Cleirr Sea of Submtrm?* As Nation Faces War With Germany HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH LXXXVI No. 67 18 PAGES WAR WITH GERMANY VIRTUALLY CERTAIN BY SINKING OF U. S. SHIPS Dispatch of American Warships to Clear Ocean Lanes of Ger man Submarines Is Next Step; Ruthless Destruction of Merchantmen Unofficially Admitted as the Overt Act Upon Which Declaration of Hosttilities Will Be Based; Sen ators and Congressmen in Washington of Opinion That Latest Acts of U-Boats Constitute a Clear Cause For War By Associated Press Washington, D. C., March 19. —New and aggressive action to protect American ship ping against German submarines appears certain as a result of yesterday's sinking of three unarmed American merchantmen with possible loss of American lives. Calling of Congress in extra session, before April 16, loomed as the strongest proba bility, although President Wilson was understood to have other courses under considera tion. With American ships already being armed, the most probable step would be an ac tive campaign to clear submarines out of the shipping lanes. There appeared to be no plan to have the United States enter the war in the sense that the European nations have entered it. The fact that some American ships are on the other side of the ocean unarmed is a factor in the situation and large warships are ineffective against submarines the problem for th egovernment is to get sub marine chasers. Most of the 'American fleet is needed at home to guard against operations of German sub marines in American waters. There seemed to be no doubt that steps to supplement arming of Ameri can ships would be taken and the only question was whether the President would take such steps on his own re sponsibility or wait for Congress to grant specific authority. No comment was made at the White House to-day beyond the Sfatement that the President was getting reports and considering the question thor oughly. Secretary Lansing was called to the White House by President Wilson early to-day and they discussed the policy of the government. Award Coal Miners 7 Per Cent. Increase By Associated Press Hazleton, Pa., March 19. —Every man working more than nine hours a day, whether by _the day or month, in or about the anthracite coal mines is entitled to a wage advance of 7 per cent, dating from April 1 last under a decision rendered heer to-day by Charles P. Neill, of Washington, D. C., umpire of the conciliation board. Many of the campanies had given these men only 3 per cent., an ad vance which applies to employes who had been working nine hours and who were put on an eight-hour shift as provided'for in the contract of May a, 1916. The decision means thousands of dollars in back pay to workers in the hard coal region and establishes an important precedent in the interpre tation of a much disputed point in the agreement. THE WEATHER. rrffl( till 8 p. ill. Tuesday! llnrrishurg anil vicinity: Knlr, continued I'ulil to-night with low est temperature about -O degrees. Tuesday fair anil warmer. Kastcrn Pennsylvania! I'mir, continued cold to-night. Tuesdny tnlr, wurnier.. Moderate northwest winds becoming variable. River The main river will rise slightly or remain nearly stationary t<>- ■ilKht and begin to (nil slowly Tuesday. .VII tributaries will fall alowly. A stage of about 7.1 feet IN indicated for llnrrishurg Tuesday moriiiuK- Ice from Jam near l.ock Haven was. reported passing Wll llamsport at l.:tO a. in. on a sta tionary stage of 7.3 feet. This Ice should pass llarrlsburg Tuesday M afternoon. tienernl Conditions The storm that was central over the northern part of the Great lakes Saturday morning In pass ing oIT the North Atlantic roast. It caused light snows In the last '24 hours In the upper Uhlo valley, over the eastern part of the lake region anil thence eastward to the Atlantic coast! also In Virginia and the mountalas of North Caro lina. Klsewhere throughout the I'nlted State*, the weather was fair except on the Oregon coast where light rain fell. Temperature at 8 n. in., 30 de crees above tero. Sun: Rises, II.OM n. in. Mooni New moon March 30. Hlver Stages 7 feet above low -water mark. Yesterday's VVeathr Highest temperatnre, W. I.owest temperature. 3(1. Mean temperature, 34. Aormal temperature, 3S. AMERICANS ARE STILL MISSING AFTER ATTACK Hope That Rescue Was Effect ed by Boat or Patrol With out Wireless By Associated Press London, March 19.—Captain Borum and the eight men who formed the complement of his boat are among those missing from the sunken Ameri can steamer City of Memphis. Four of the eight sailors are Americans. The boat was picked up at 10 o'clock Sunday morning empty and it is hoped that its occupants were rescued either by a patrol boat or by a vessel carry ing no wireless and landed at some out-of-the-way port.. The survivors say that the captain's boat became separated from the others about 1 o'clock on Sunday morning. The City of Memphis left Cardiff with fifty-eight persons, of whom twenty-nine were The sur vivors who have thus far reported to the American consulate number thirty three. The steamer carried no guns. She was equipped with wireless, but did not use it after the submarine appeared. The survivors say the weather was squally and there was a heavy southwest wind. Fifteen men from the American steamer Vigilancia, sunk by a Ger man submarine, are now listed as missing. ' The American embassy learns that the submarine fired two torpedoes at the Vigilancia. The first missed by a considerable distance. It was followed immediately by the second, which found its mark. Federal Farm Loan Board Fixes Rate at Five Per Cent Washington. D. C., March 19.—The Farm Loan Board announced to-day that the interest rate on all loans made to farmers throughout the country by federal land banks would be 5 per cent. A rate of 4>4 per cent, on bonds to be issued by the land banks was of ficially announced. INTER DUCHESS* ASHES London, March 19. —The ashes of the Duchess of Connaught, whose body was cremated, were interred to-day in the crypt of the Albert Memorial Chapel at Windsor In the presence of members of the royal family. Simul taneously a memorial service was held in Westminster Abbey. It was at tended by officials and diplomats, in cluding the American ambassador, Walter H. Page. SPENDS $30,000.00H DAILY London, March 19.—Replying to v question in the house of commons to day, Andrew Bonar Law, chancellor of the exchequer, said the daily nverage expenditure of the British government from April 1, 1916, to March 31, 1917, would work out at 6,000,000 pounds sterling. HARRISBURG, PA.,MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 19, 1917, RUSS REORGANIZE GOVERNMENT TO MEET CONDITIONS Police Sent to Front When New Men Take Their # Places London, March 19.—The council of workingmen's delegates in Petrograd has prescribed the immediate resump tion of work in all factories, according to a dispatch to Reuters from the Russian capital. Factories will pay full wages for the days on which work was prevented by the revolution. The detective and police services are being reorganized, the former mem bers being sent to the front. The metropolitans of Petrograd and Mos cow. Pitrin and Makary have been sent into compulsory retirement. The provincial governors are being replaced by presidents of zemstvos or mayors in the management of food supplies. The public funeral of all victims of the revolution will be held in Petrograd on Friday. Horn erule for Finland is the policy of the new Russian government, ac cording to a Reuter correspondent writing from Tammerfors, Finland's greatest manufacturing city. General Kein, governor of Finland under the old regime, has been sent to Petrograd as a prisoner. People throughput the country are jubilant and the situation everywhere is peace ful. \ The Russian cabinet will .shortly is sue a manifesto dealing with Finnish liberty, according to a Petrograd dis patch to Reuter's. Negotiations arc proceeding with P.aron Rosen, former ambassador to AVashington, with a view to his appointhient as governor general of Finland. Minister of Justice Karensky has ordered the district court at Tobolsk, Siberia, to release immediately M. Ovinhuyer. former president of the Finnish diet, and arranged for his journey to Petrograd. Railways to Give Trainmen Back Pay New York, March 19.—Conferences will be held here to-morrow between the railway managefs and the brother hood chiefs to decide a basis of compu tation pf back pay, inasmuch as the now agreement is to be retroactive be ginning January 1. It is estimated un officially that the men have coming to them between $12,000,000 and $13,000,000 in back wages. The record of every man's work by mileage and hours has been kept since January 1 for use in case the United States Supreme Court upheld the Adam son act, effective on that date, if con stitutional. It was explained on behalf of the managers" committee this morning that if tiie Supreme Court declared the Ad amson act valid it would then fall to President Wilson's commission, headed by George \V. Goetlials, to compute the award of back pay for the men. It was declared that if the Adamson act was declared unconstitutional, the roads then could assume the task of compu tation. Pennsy Lifts Embargo on Its Own Lines By Assocwted Press Philadelphia, March 19. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company to day raised the freight embargo on its own and affiliated lines but will con tinue to refuse to receive certain freight, embargoed last Friday night, from other roads until they agree to take freight from the Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania officials expect that many of the other railroads will lift their embargoes during the day. 2ht Star- 3nftcprnbrnt GERMAN LINE CONTINUES IN FULL RETREAT BEFORE ALLIES French Army Pushes For ward With Machine-Like Precision Along Forty- Mile Front, Taking Im portant Towns 620 SQUARE MILES REGAINED IN DASHES Successes Will Liberate Two Entire Departments of France From Grip of the Invader; Cavalry Harries Retreating Germans By Associated Press Paris, Murch 19. The German lino i at las t accounts was in full retreat | ovor a section which represents almost one-fifth of the vast front from Switzerland to the sea, closely pressed |by the French and British. French | troops, advancing with the precision | of a machine along a forty-mile front, j have recaptured important towns and many miles of territory, accomplishing I this at little cost to themselves, so carefully has every detail of the ad vance been thought out. In the Lassigny, region west of Roye 1 the Germans appear to have made only . a weak defense since the French were) able to push forward 13 mites at one j bound. General N'ivelle, tlie French | commander who is credited with possessing almost uncanny ability to: gauge the powers of his opponents, is following up the retreating Germans. | with great rapidity. Can't Oiler Resistance It is regarded here as doubtful whether the Germans will find it feas ible to offer serious resistance before reaching the basic line of defense be tween Lille and Soissons, two days' march from where they are now. To-morrow or the day after two en tire French departments, those of the Oisne and Aisne, will be liberated from the German invader, according to re ports from the fighting front. The total territory now regained is roughl> calculated at 620 square miles. The nature of the ground over which the Germans retreated was ' almost a'.l against theni and they were harried by calvary, which is now being used iii force for the first time since the battle of the Marne. t Several Sharp Struggles At a few points where nature offered an opportunity for resistance the Ger mans tried to make a stand and fell , back only after considerable fighting. I The principal of these points were the forest of Curscamp and the village and part of the wood of Carlepont, south of < i Noyon. There was also a sharp! i struggle for Ihe important Crouy plateau, across the river from Soissons, the capturfe of which is believed likely by military critics to be followed by highly favorable devolpnients. In this section the French have approxi- i mately restored the line which existed before the battle of Crouy, fought in the Spring of 1915 by General Bert he lot, who is now in Rumania. The bat tle was lost by the French owing to a sudden rise in the river Aisne. The situation in the whole section was at one moment compromised but [ was saved by General Nivelle who was (given credit for the French being able to retain the bridge head at Soissons. Between Soissons and Laon, Le Chan teau and Bucy-le-Long, also lost in 1915, have not, however, been recap tured. The newspapers are overjoyed at the liberation of such an extent of territory. Burglars Break Way Into Two Churches on Hill; Get Little Loot Burglars broke into the Stevens! Memorial Methodist Church £*jd the 1 Derry Street United Brethren Church I during the past week. At Stevens Me morial, 30 cents in cash was all the loot they obtained. At the Deny Street Church the doors were opened but nothing was disturbed. The janijor of the Stevens Memorial noticed that a window of the church I had been pried open. Investigation showed the thieves had broken open the secretary's desk and looted its con tents. Thirty cents was all they found. A contribution box at the rear of the church was also broken open buj as it did not contain anything of value, the contents were undisturbed. The thieves evidently tampered with the locks at the Derry Street United Brethren Church until they gained entrance. It is believed in both in stances to have been the work of small boys. Berlin Press Eager For Free Government By Associated l'rcss Amsterdam, March 19. (Via Lon don) The Berlin Vorwaerts, com paring the situation in Russia witl# that in Germany, asks: "Shall the world say that all the na tions on earth are free except Ger many?" The newspaper compares the de claration of the Russian provincial government with the declaration of Chancellor Von Bethmann-Hollweg in the Prussian Diet to the discredit of the latter. It comments: "How much longer? The king should straightaway give back to the Prussian people their franchise, which was taken away in 184 8." ADAMSON EIGHT HOUR LAW HELD I BINDING BY THE | SUPREME COURT Right of Congress to Fix Hours of Labor Unques tioned Chief Justice White Declares; Statute Fixes Time and Wages STRIPS POWER OF PARTIES TO CONTRACT iDecision Reached by a Six to! Three Vote; Approxi mately 400,000 Trainmen Will Receive Nearly $50,- 000,000 By Associated Press Washington, March 19.—The Adam son eight-hour law was held consti-! • tutional and valid in all respects to day by the Supreme Court. The decision makes eight hour* the standard of a day's work and wa-jes I I for men in operation of trains and I legalizes the wage increases which : ivent into tentative effect on its pass--; 11 age. I The immediate temporary wags in-j ; crease won by the railroad employe; affect -100,000 trainmen, as of January j I 1, and are estimated to total between! J40,C00,C00 and $50,000,000. The court's decision was 5 to 4, with Justices Day, I'ltney and Vn3o-j vanter and Mcßeywolds dissenting. ,1 "ffieiai Judge Hook's ruling in the' Missoun, Oklahoma and Gulf Ran-j j road test case, enjoining enforcement: jof tlie Adamson a't and hold'.ig it j ! | "uncont-titutlonal, null and void," was reversed. Justice Reverses Act In announcing tlio opinion the cli!ef '! justice reviewed the negotiations lead- II ing to the enactment of the law. He jii'-d rot read from - prepared opin ion, giving it apparently from mem ;or\. He told of the President's ef forts to avert the strike last Septem ber. The President suggested arbitration. The employer accepted and the em-] ployes refused, said the chief justice, i He then suggested a basic eight-hour j day standard. The employers reject ed that and the employes accepted. 1 How the President went to Congress was then recited. "Congress passed the law that Is I before us and the carriers refused to i recognize it," he continued. He said j ! the agreement to expedite the case | was very laudable. H:is Two Objects In the early course of the opinion i the chief justice said - the law was both an eight-hour act and also a wage fixing statute. He said it "strips the parties of power to contract" as to wages. He said the eight-hour; provision was the paramount feature. Regarding whether the law is an ! j hours o; labor or wage-fixing law, the I chief justice said It was both. He said II the question of fixing hours of labor! i by Congress was out of the case as j j unquestioned. Justice McKenna concurred in the • majority opinion, but on slightly dif ferent grounds. Justice T>ay read his j own dissenting opinion and Justice Pitney delivered the other dissenting : opinion in which Justice Van Devan ter joined. Three Dissent Justices Pitney and Van Devanter, in their joint dissenting opinion, held j ! thnt the law should be held uncon stitutional and void "because, Con gress, although confessedly not In ■lossession of information necessary for intelligent and just treatment of the controversy, arbitrarily imposed upon the railroads tne entire and j enormous cost of an experimental in- j crease in wages." Justice Day in his dissenting opinion i said the legislation amounted to "de-j privation of the railroads' property 1 without due process of law." In concurring In the majority opin-1 ion. Justice McKenna differed in that! he believed the law "an hour of serv- | ice" statute and only secondarily a I | wage-fixing law, and thus within the! i power of Congress." j The chief justice cited the "hours: of service act" as an instance of "hours I of labor" legislation by Congress and said transportation was of both pri vate and public Interest. "The dividing line is so marked that government will not destroy the prl- I vate right," said the chief justice. "The power to regulate rests upon both the private and public interests involved." Public Above Private Rights He then said the right of private parties to fix private wages was an Inherent right and to take it away would be unconstitutional, but added that, considering what Congress in tended to do and the failure of the railroads and employes to reach an agreement, to say that the govern ment authority did not have the power "to fill the void will be to declare that the private right had destroyed the public right." He said the power of Congress was not an "emergency power" and recited the congressional power to fix rates, prohibit rebates and a "myriad of regulations to protest the public In terest." He said,that power had been extended to employes, citing the I "hours of service act" and others, and held there was authority of Congress to act because of failure of the rail roads and employes to reach an agree ment. The railroads could not object to fixing a standard of wages, he said, j because in the deadlock none was j fixed. Jn dissenting Justice Mcßeynolds ; held that Congress did not have power to enact the law but that the majority decision now gives It authority to fix (Continued on Page 11] Single Copy, 2 Cents HOME EDITION PROXIMITY Of WAR LEADS RAILWAYS TO GRAM 8-H Strike Averted When Managers Agree to Meet All Demands of Labor Unions at President Wilson's Appeal That Nation Is Facing the Probability of Quick Entrance Into World War; Means S6O 000,000 More Pay a Year to Nearly 400,000 Employes Terms of Railroad Till'' agreement signed by the representatives of (be brotherhoods, the roads and by the committee, rends UN follows: "In nil road service except passenger, where schedules now rend JOO miles or less, nine or teu hours or less, overtime nt ten or eleven miles per hour. Insert 'eight hours or less for ■■ basic day and 12% miles per hour for n speed basis,' for the purpose of computing overtime. ••Overtime to be pnld for nt not less tlinn one-eighth of the daily rate per hour. ' "In nil yard service switching and hostelry service where schedules now rend 'ten, eleven or twelve h4iiirs or less shall constitute n day's work,' Insert 'eight hours or less shall constitute u day's work at present teu hours' pay. "Overtime to he paid for nt not less than one-eighth of the dully rate per hour. "In yards now working on an eight-hour basis, the dally rate shall be tile present ten-liour standard rale, with overtime nt oue-elghth of the present standard daily rate. "In case the law Is declared unconstitutional eight hours or less nt present ten-liour pay will constitute it day's work. "In passenger service the present mileage IUIMIN will lie maintained. Ou roads nun having u llat ten-hour day In passenger service the rule will be amended to read 'eight within ten hours.' "For nil classes of employes In short turn-around passenger service where the rule now reads -eight within twelve hours' It will lie amended to rend 'eight wltlilu ten hours.' "For such territory us bus no number of hours for n day's work in short tiirii-iirouuil passenger service the elubt within ten-hour rule ap plies. Overtime to be paid for at not less than one-eighth of the dnily rate per hour. "The general committee on individual railroads may elect to retain their present overtime rules In short tiirii-arounil pnssenger service, or the foregoing provision, but may not make a both to pro duce greater compensation than is provided in either basis. "In the event the law Is held to be constitutional, If the foregoing settlement is Inconsistent with the decision of the court, that application will lie ndjiistcil to the decision. If declared unconstitutional the above .stands with all the provisions as written. "The foregoing to govern for such roads, clnsses of employes anil classes of service represented by the nationnl conference committee of railroads. "Schedules except as modified liy the above changes rcinuln as ut pres ent." v : , By Associated Press New York, March 19.—The railroad strike has been averted. Yielding to the appeal of President Wilson and facing the prol ability of this country's entrance intd the world war, the railroads early to-day granted the demands of the four employes' brother hoods for a bask: eight-hour day. The telegraph wires this morning [Continued on Page Jl] ( * I j! Harrisburg. Hiring for Meyer Lane, arrested laa* s ' ' \ tf ]| Thursd.iv HI Readim:. has been deferred until to-morrow f l > I It is charged that he-is one of the syndicate that was sup- £ I j [ plying dope to the people arrested in this city who were fined t j| last ween. I II CHINESE TAKE TEUTON CONCESSION f !! Chinese troops have occupied with- 1} I ► • ' ]| out opposition, the German concessions at and jj Hanko'v. T1 have taken over the German consu- It ]! latea. v i> j STEAMER INSURED BY GOVERNMENT J !j Washington, March 19.—The American Steamer, Illi J! j! aois, -\st:rdrfy by a Gennan submarine, vtias insured | L by the Government's War Risk Bureau for. $250,000. ! || New York March 19. - The Dutch steadier, Sagua. , ]j j! freighter on het way here from Cuba, sent a wireless rat !| <j sage ashore from a point off the New Jersey coast, sayUi , j !| 1; j! ly with an unidentified bark. J 2! * '9 , £ ji EXPECT PRESIDENT TO MOVE , • jj j; IN U-BOAT OU 1I ' jj || ' WASHINGTON, MARCH 19.—PRESIDENT WIL.- || jj SON MADE ANOTHER PERSONAL VISIT TO : j! j| STATE, WAR AND NAVY' BUILDING THIS AFTER | NOON AND THERE WERE INDICATIONS THA i ji SOME NEW DEFINITE ACTION WAS IMPENDING j jj AS T?HE, RESULT OF THE LATEST DESTRUCTION j : OF AMERIC'AN *SHI?S BY GERMAN SUBMARIN' f. METHODISTS IN LIVELY TILT Philadelphia, March 19. Demand by the Rev. S M ! Vernon, Roxborough} that the course oi study for ministers, bfc changed to elimiinate what he termed unorthdox preach - < ing raist- '!ivt-)> n the Philadelphia conference of ti>* Metho tst Churi h WANTS GOVERNMENT CONTROL Washington, March I'< -Immediate nationalization o: railrc a' . i trol to day was urged by Robert S Lo" .: . .chair ih> Bu, of Directors of th< Union -Pat u ... testify;•• *.■ r. v • he• Congressional Committer i \ i , MARRIAGE LICENSES Harry Weaver and Helen I.ottle Miller, Carlisle.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers