HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
LXXXVI— Xo. 78 16 PAGES
PRESIDENT TO
KEEP HIS POLICY
SECRET UNTIL
CONGRESS MEETS
Chief Executive and Cabinet
Members Agree Without
Division on Counts Nation
Will Pursue in War
BEGINS WORK ON HIS
CONGRESSIONAL ADDRESS
Provisions Worked Out For
Raising an Army of 1,000,
000 Men If Need For Them
Comes
By Associated Press
Washington, March 31. President
Wilson, having decided fully with his
cabinet upon a course of action to meet
the national emergency, to-day set
about the task of reducing the con
clusions to writing.
Exactly what these conclusions are
will be disclosed officially when the
President appears before Congress
next week to deliver his momentous
message.
Indications to-day, however, were
that a formal recognition of the exist
ence of a state of war between the
United States and Germanv would re
sult.
The disclosure that a definite de
cision had been reached, was made
following a tinal conference between
(Continued on Page 2)
Those 18 Submarines
Were Only Harmless
Naval Targets in Tow
By Associated Press
New York, March 31.—The mys
tery of the eighteen submarines
reported captured by an American
warship, in an anonymous cable
message from Panama said to have
been seen by passengers on the
steamship Advance off Watling
Island was cleared to-day by the
Rev. and Mrs. Thomas 11. Candor,
of the Presbyterian Board of For
eign Missions, passengers tro the
steamship Carrillo, from Panama.
The clergyman said the report
ed U-B6ats were merely a proces
sion of harmless naval tagets in
tow of seven warships, each war
ship having lines attached to two
or three targets.
The Carrillo. bound for New
York, passed the "captured subma
rines" oft San Salvadore about the
time the Advance, steaming south
ward, did likewise.
Directors Approve Final
Plans For Penn Harris;
Will Award Contract Soon
Final plans for the new Penn-Har
ris Hotel were approved this afternoon
by the directors of the Harrisburg Ho
tel Company, which will erect the mil
lion dollar structure at Third and
\V alnut streets. Contracts for construc
tion of the big building will be award
ed soon. ,
Incidental to the meeting this after
noon of the directors it is interesting
to note that the United Hotels Com
pany. which will manage the Harris
burg hotel, is already operating an im
portant chain, including the follow
ing: The Ten Eyck. Albany, X. y, :
Hotel Utica. Utica. X. Y.; The Onon
daga. Syracuse. N. Y.; The Xonotuck.
Hol.voke, Mass.: The Bancroft. Wor
cester. Mass.: The Jefferson. Peoria,
111.: The I-awrence. Erie, Pa.: The
Portage, Akron, Ohio; The Tutwiler.
Birmingham. Ala.; Royal Connaught,
Hamilton. Ont.. and The Robert Treat.
Newark, N. J.
The company is also committed un
der contract to the operation of the
Penn-Harris, in this city, and the Dev
onshire. at Toronto. It is also inter
ested in the company awning the Sen
eca. at Rochester, N. Y.. and has other
projects under consideration.
TAFT URGES ARMY IX EIROPE
Kansas City, March 31. Actual par
ticipation with the entente allies in
righting Germany was advocated yes
terday by William Howard Taft, for
mer President, in addressing the Cham
ber of Commerce at its noon luncheon.
I THE WEATHER]
For llarrlnhurg nnd vicinity: Part
ly t-loutly, proliably howern to
■ilKiit and Sunduy; narniFr to- •
nlKht a>i<l Sunday) . urmrr to
il I K ht, with lonfitt temperature
about 4S degree*: alightl; culdrr
Sunday.
For Kaatern Pennxy Ivanla: Partly
cloudy to-night and Sunday, prob
ably ahoner* In north and neat
portion*: warmer to-night, aorae-
Mhat colder Sunday) moderate to
fresh south and kouthneat winds.
River
The Suxquehanna river nnd prob
ably all Ita bra nchea Kill con
tinue to fall. A atnite of about
7.7 feet la Indicated for llarrla
linrg Sunday morning.
General Condition*
J.iKlit rnlna and anona have occur
red over mo*t of the country neat
of the Mlaaonrl river, nnd there
were IlKht. scattered ralna In
Pennsylvania. .>ew York and
Michigan. and In the Ipper Mla
alaaippl Valley: elaewhere fair
weather prevailed, except In ex
treme Southern Florida, where
moderately heavy rain fell. Tem
perature* have rlaen - to 20 de
m-rea eaat of the Mlaalaalppl
river. Including the Weal tJulf
States.
Temperature! 8 a. M.i 44 decrees
above aero.
Sum Rlaeat 5:40 a. m.
Moon t Full moon, April 8.
River Staffei 8.1 feet above low
water mark.
Yeaterday'a Weather
Hlffheat tempera tore. 34.
lowest temperature, it*.
Mean teatperature, 4.
.\ormal temperature, 44
-• * - ■"> "f'FS '• *?■*- ■ •- - t ,-r vra*n*>-. .n.i~.v* '" >' • • • "
German Raider Sends Nine Vessels to the Bottom in South Atlantic
AMERICANS LOSE
LIVES WHEN TWO
SHIPS ARE SUNK I
BY SUBMARINES
Both Freighters Badly Dam
aged by Torpedoes and
Shell Fire Before Sighting
Ger.nan U-Boats inAtlantic
NO TIME GIVEN TO
USE GUNS ON DECK
Scores of United States Citi
zens on Board Vessels As
Members of Crews; Many
Reported Saved
By Associated Press
Washington, D. C.. March SI. —Two 1
British steamers, the Snowden Range
and the Bocth liner Crispin, both with
Americans aboard, of whom a number
arc unaccounted for, were reported to
ihe State Department to-day to have
been sunk without, warning by a sub
-1 marine.
On the Crispin the torpedo, which
struck the engine room, killed five
men. two of whom are believed to have i
been Americans.
A dispatch from Swansea said the \
collector of customs there reported
that forty-nine Americans from the
British cattle <teamer Crispin had been
landed at Milford Haven. No addi
tional details of the sinking of the
Crispin were given.
Word From United States Consul
Consul Frost, at" Queenstown, re- ,
porting the loss of the freight liner
Crispin, said:
"Crispin, 2.45S tons, Newport News
to Liverpool, 686 horses", torpedoed ]
without warning fourteen miles off
Hook Head, 7.15 p. m.. 29th. Sixty- ,
eight out of ship's complement of 112
were Americans. Two boats missing, 1
j not improbably lost.
"Torpedo struck engine room, star
(Continned on Page 2)
Lad Drowns When Swift
Current Overturns Canoe;
Companion Escapes
Ilower I-and is, aged 15, 525
Kmerald street, was tlrovvnetl at
I.SO o'clock this afternoon when
his canoe upset oft Mat-la y street.
His companion, Albert Micltacls,
! 550 Camp street, escaped.
The two lioys started about
12.30 to take a short trip up the
river. AII went well until they
attempted to effect a landing at
Mat lay street. Caught in an eddy
and then swirled by the current,
the earioe was out of their control
in imi instant. When it over
turned Lantlis fell from the right 1
side. He attempted to grab hold
of the overturned boat, but his
weight turned the canoe in a
circle.
Michaels attempted to reach
hint before he was forced to let go
his hold. Lantlis called once for
help and sank before Michaels
could aid him. He did not come
to the surface again. With the
exception of an old man and a
couple of children, no one wit
nessed the accident.
It Is said by his companion that
I.andis could not swim. Michaels
was swept several hundred yards
before lie reached shore.
10,000 Postmasters Put
on Civil Service List
by President Wilson
By Associated Press
Washington, March 31.—More than!
ten thousand first, second and third
class postmasters were placed under
civil service to-day by executive order :
of President Wilson.
Present incumbents of office are not >
affected but in the future when vacan- 1
cies occur as the result of death, resig- '
nation or removal the civil service!
commission will hold open competitive
examinations. The name of the high- j
est eligible candidate will then be sub
mitted to the President. Although
the order is framed to remove post- I
masters from politics the Senate, how
ever, has the right to reject the Pres
ident's appointees.
Railroads Ask Public
Service Commission to
Approve Rate Increase
By Associated Press
Philadelphia, March 31.—The Penn
| sylvania Public Service Commission
was to-day asked by the railroads op
erating in Pennsylvania to consent to
a flat increase of 15 per cent/in freight
rates within the state. Officials repre- j
renting the Pennsylvania. Reading and !
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
panies appeared before members of i
1 the commission and urged Immediate
•and favorable action. Rates on coal, |
coke and ore are excepted in the j
petition.
Commissioners Say City
Will Carry Own Insurance
i Council will notify the State within
' the next few days that after April 1 — j
to-morrow —it will carry its own in- i
surance for city employes as required I
I by the wormen's compensation act.
Because of the tangle which resulted 1
when ordinances were introduced to !
change from insuring In the State fund
to a private stock company, this decis
ion has been reached, commissioners
said to-day.
The United States Fidelity and Guar
anty Company, of Baltimore, will be
paid 11,000 for insuring the city for
the first quarter of the year. Begin
ning to-morrow the same plan will be
followed as
HARRISBURG, PA., SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 31, 1917
N PUZZLE PICTURE—CAN YOU TELL WHAT AILS THIS MAN
so'z
-v?A - \ x
jf
FRENCH LAUNCH
NEW THRUST FOR
FURTHER GAINS
Gen. Nivelle Pushes German
Line Back Three-and-a-
Half Miles
French troops in northern 'Franr'*
; continue to push back the Germans
along the southern end of the Ger
man field of retreat.
A new thrust was delivered by Gen
eral Nivelle's forces last night north
east of Soissons, forcing the hostile
j line back on a three and one-half
mile front between Xeuvilie and Vreg
ny. The French forged ahead east
iof this line, making important prog
ress and capturing several points of
{Continued on Pago 3]
BIG BUILDING
IN MARKET ST.
CHANGES HANDS
Structure at Market and Court
Streets Purchased by
J. C. Soutter
John C. Soutter. owner of Soutter's!
l-cent-to-25-cent department store,has
taken over the property at 215 Market'
street, occupied by the store. The!
transfer was made through Miller
Bros. & Co. from the Johi; Graham
estate, XewviUe, Pa. No consideration
was given.
The building at 215 Market street
[Continued on Page 3]
GERMAN CONSCI. TO COME HERE
By Associated Press
Amoy, China, March 31.—The Ger
man consul ans his family sailed yes
terday from Shanghai on board the
Chinese steamer Taishun. They will
return to Germany byway of Amer
ica.
GREAT AMOUNT
OF IMPROVEMENT
WORK IS NEEDED
Three Commissioners Shoul
dering Work of Four; Parks
Demand Attention
Through the death of Commission
er Harry F. Bowman and the serious
ilness of Mayor Meals, the manage
ment of the several municipal depart
ments of Harrisburg now devolve
upon three men—Commissioners Gor
gas, Lynch and Gross. These are the
days when plans for the year are go
ing actively forward. Much is to be
done especially in the out door de
partments.
Fortunately for Commissioner Gross
the recent secondary flood in the Sus
[ Continued on Pago 2J
&hf 3tor- BnittpmbrnL
HEARS ONE CAN G
UNDER SUN AT R
SO TRIES TO BU
Wildly Waves Yellowbacks as He Works Way Through
Crowd in Search For Mate; Meets With Failure but
Gets Extensive Lin e of Winter Clothes
Instead
"Who would ever think of going fo'
a rummage sale to get a wife? And
one marked down to $100! Isn't it
perfectly ridiculous? The crazy thing
was in earnest about It. too."
So ran the conversation of two in
dignant young salesladies as a reporter
caught a few quips of it in the vicinity
of the notion department of the big
sale this morning. •
"Somebody told me yesterday, and
1 read it in the papers, too, that a fel
low could get anything under the sun
at this place t-nd at big reductions,"
observed a husky, middle-aged gent
PROVISIONS OF
ESCHEAT LAW ARE
UPHELD BY COURT
Judge Kunkcl Renders Opinion
That May Net Millions
For the State
! Billing that the Commonwealth has
the'right under the "escheat" law of
I 1915 to require a report of property
! presumptively escheatable, President
Judge George Kunkel to-day handed
down three important opinions in which
he dissolved preliminary injunctions
and dismissed bills of complaints which
three banks in Pennsylvania had filed
against Auditor General A. W. Powell.
The ruling effects every banking In
stitution in the State.
The "escheat" law gives the State
the right to require from persons and
corporations organized or doing busi
ness under the laws of the State a
report of deposits of money received
and held, which have not been increas
ed or decreased, and on which interest
[Continued on Page 3]
76-YEAR OLD PATRIOT KEENLY
DISAPPOINTED WHEN HE IS
RE FUSE 0 AFTER PASSING TEST
Philip Laney, Eager For Service Goes Through Army
Examinations With Perfect Marks But Age Is Against
Him; Expresses Desire to Fight
Not only are young men responding
to the call to Old Glory, but those of
advanced years are anxious to enter
the service.
This morning Philip Laney, aged 76,
of 192 9 North Sixth street, applied at
the Army recruiting office for enlist
ment. He told the officer In charge
that he wanted to bee real service
and wanted to flght. He put a great
deal of emphasis on the flght.
The aged recruit was given the
physical and academic examination
and passed without a flaw. When told
that he ceuld not be taken into the
service because of hid age he was very
much disappointed and asked the
officer what branch of the service he
could enter. He was referred to the
local National Guard companies and
left the office, saying "1 am going to
do my beat to enlist; I am anxious to
serve my country and have lots of
light left." He later applied to aev
eral of the local companies,
Apr Only Dr -.vbuck
Captain Harrell and Lieutenant
Lpaher, In charge of the recruiting,
who halls from somewhere In the'
mountains to the north, as he strode
up nnd down the atsles displaying a |
fat roll of greens and yellows. "A
wife's what 1 want and I'll plank down
a cool hundred on the spot."
"Get His Money. Anyhow"'
The would-be husband was Informed
that the management could not help
him out, but that some wonderful bar- j
gains In men's clothes—"Back this
way. —were still obtainable, j
[Continued on Page 2]
PHILADELPHIANS
PLEDGED LOYALTY
TO UNITED STATES
Patriotic Citizens Reconsecrate
Themselves Reforc Historic
Independence Hall
By Associated Press
Philadelphia, March 31.—Patriotic
citizens of Philadelphia turned their
faces toward Independence Hall to
day to reconsecrate themselves to
their country and to pledge loyal sup
port to the national government in
[Continued on Page 31
TOO MICH HEJART BALM
Pittsburgh, Pa.. March 31. A new
trial was granted yesterday in the fam
ous heart balm suit of Miss Nettie M.
Bichardson, of Mount Washington,
against Henry Denlston. the Swissvale
recluse, whose wealth is estimated at
$2,000,000. The verdict for $170,000
damages for breach of promise to
marry—the larKest ever granted to a
woman in this country--awarded by the
jury which heard the evidence, was set
aside by Judge Evans, who presided at
the trial of the case. The Court held
that the verdict was excessive.
| office, commended the old gentleman
I for hit spirit and stated that they
would have taken him in a minute
had he been of military age. Lieu
tenant Lesher stated that Mr. Laney
passed the examination splendidly for
a man of his years. "He was almost
perfect and better physically than a
great many of the young men who ap
ply for enlistment," he said.
Mr. Laney lives with his son, who
conducts a grocery store at 1924 North
Sixth street, and he left his home early
this morning, stating that he was go
ing to enlist In the Army. He was
told by the family that he was too old,
but stated that he could do no more
than try.
The aged patriot Is well known in
this city and for many years was out
side foreman for the Lykens Valley
Coal Company. he engaged In
the tinsmith business. He is a master
mechanic and thirty years ago built an
automobile. His attempt waa success
ful so far as power was concerned,
but the steering apparatus would not
work. He Is an expert marksman and
a treat hunter,
Single Copy, 2 Cents
NEW GERMAN RAIDER
PREYS ON
IN SOUTH ATLANTIC
Nine or More Allied Vessels Sent to Bottom by Daring
Teuton Commander; Provisions and Munitions For an
4 ... Eighteen Months' Cruise; 285 Men Saved From Lost
Ships Are Landed in Brazil ~ . .'
Rio Janeiro, March 31.—A new German raider, slipping past the
1 iritish warships on guard in the North Sea, has reached the South
Atlantic and sent nine or more merchantmen to the bottom . Ac
cording to survivors from the sunken vessels the raider is the Sec
adler (Sea Eagle) a formidable armed craft operating with the same
success and daring as its predecessor, the Moevvo, which recently
returned to a German port after playing havoc with shipping in the
same waters.
News of the activities of the raider was brought to Rio Janeiro
by the French bark Cambronne which arrived here yesterday. She
had on board 285 men from the crews of vessels sunk by the Seeadler.
I he Cambronne encountered the raider on March 7 at latitude 21
south, longtitude 7 west, a point in the Atlantic almost on a line with
Rio Janeiro and about two-thirds of the way to the African coast
-\fter the survivors had been put on the Cambronne she was ordered
to proceed to the coast of Brazil, a voyage of 22 days. *
Loaded With Mines
According to the Jornal do Brazil,
the raider was loaded with mines,
which explains the destruction of ves
sels off the coast of Brazil. The com
merce destroyer is .eported to be
armed with two guns of 105 milli
meters and sixteen machine guns. The
vessel has three masts Mid is equipped
with wireless. Its crew consists of
sixty-four men under the command of
Count Ukner.
According to the refugees, the raider
left Germany on December 22 escorted
by a submarine. They say that the
commander declared that the. German
emperor and the crown prince alone
knew of the expedition. No complaints
have been made as to the treatment
of the sailors while they were prison
ers on board the raider.
They gave the name of the boat as
the Seeadler and say that she was
provisioned for eighteen months and
£ - OPEN BIDS FOR I -B( AT CHASERS- 1
#
1 I
1 &
) I. W. W. CALLS STRIKE |
J Wilkes-Barre, March 31.—The I. W. W. have called m
S a general strke ior Monday in this district as a pcou I
1 against a declaration of war by Congress State C
I the Sheriff have made arrangements to prevent distur- \
% bances- K
i rl SCORE AN ADVANCE I
Paris, March 31. French troops last night success- C
% fully attack* C
1 river and made i A number
V of points were brilliantly, captured by the I C
1 RAILROADS ASK FOR AN INCREASE J
%
sylvania to-day a?ked the Public Service C mmis I
' consent to a flat increase of 15 per cent. in. freight rate*.' F
within the State. Immediate favorable action was urged C
REPUBLICANS LOSE BY SICKNESS J
i Washington, March 31.—Democratic organization of C
■ the House seemed assured to-aay when it became known a
1 that illness wi|l prevlnt the att T
V sion of H. T. Helgesen, Republican, from N< #
■ Representative Capstick, of New Jersey, also is on the sick a
Ilist. With-the loss of these two votes the Democrats will g
have control. 9
ONE AMERICAN KNOWN TO BE DEAD £
Washington, March 31.—A late dispatch J
Frost, establishes that it least ne American was killed in #
the sinking of the Crispin by a U-Boat. Others probably M
have been killed, hp said. #
Harri;;burg.— An effort to have Gen. Wood address C
, <he pai- here next Thursday nigh when M
Former Ambassador Gerard will speak, were gotten under &
i •way to-day C
London, March 31. —British forces advancing against* ■
I the German lines in Northern France have captured five f
! important villages. K
~ MARRIAGE LICENSES f
John Krrldn Cnrrj-, Swilara, nnd Kdllli l.ongenecker Skfiiki Derrjr %
. tonn>hl|>. Mnrtln l.arrrlt. Ilummelatovrn, anil Snrnh Kllubvth Shell- ([
9 hanier, Kt Hanover. William Dimeter, llnrrlxhuric, nail Sarah Jane %
' llltgrl. Slff Itnn. John Mtover Miller nnd Annie \ Iriclnln Mill*. Ilorkvllle. J
('rank Alyouxla Hleker nnd Klorenee Eva Hltner. Ijnraaler. Frank Karl M
I !>u(ery aad Margaret Olla Kulaon, llarrUhurti. Hubert Vallnea and %
Helen Mearle Cookley, Steelton. ff
HOME EDITION
had a great supply of munitions and
explosives. On sighting < merchant
man the raider hoisted a Norwegian
Hag. which was. replaced by the Ger
man ensign when her prey was within
reach of her guns. Among the refugees
[Continued on Pace 3]
Central Empires Still
Hope For Peace Meeting
By Associated Press
Amsterdam, March 31, via London.
—A Vienna— dispatch quotes Count
Czernin, the Austro-Hungarian foreign
minister, as saying in an interview
with the Fremdenblatt that the en
tente could conclude an honorable
peace with the central powers at any
time and that the proposal of the cen
tral empires for a peace conference
still held good.