fefe HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH Jfk \ . slje * *' LXXXVII— No. 272 16 PAGES Ua,, & v , alter'at "the'Vost Office at Hurrtsburg HARRISBURG. PA.. WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER U, 1918. " , -,* lt ssKHgi W® HOME EDITION CITY AND COUNTY JOIN IN PLANNING OFFICE BUILDING First Step Taken to Clear Way For a Municipal Hall LEGAL STEPS TO BE TAKEN Comfort Station Is Not Favored in Market Square •'ity and county commissioners, at a joint meeting this morning, passed n resolution directing City Solicitor John E. Fox and County Solicitor Philip S. Moyer to report whether any legal questions must be sett ed through legislation before the city and county can join in the erection of a modern building on the site of the present courthouse. The solicit-j ors will report at another joint ses-j sions, to be held next Wednesday j morning at 11 o'clock. This is the j first step taken towards a new Court-| house and City Hall, although Hum need of one has been apparent for I years. The conference of the oommis- \ sioners this morning in the City j Council chamber was held to discussi the advisability of constructing a • public comfort station just west of j the present Courthouse. When it. was brought out in the. discussion I that a new Courthouse and City Ha'lj should lie built as soon as possible! it was decided to abandon any fur-j ther plans for the comfort station; until it is determined how the city l and county can proceed together in j planning for the new building to re-; place the present structure. Move Is Approved All of the city and county officials, at the conference heartily approved the move and said that if the county's j title to the site on which the Court-1 house stands must be changed by J state legislation so that the city can 1 join in paying for a new structure, j the solicitors should Investigate at j once and make a report, after which j necessary legislation will be prepared! to be introduced at the coming ses- i sion. Mayor to Nome Committee A resolution was unanimouslyl passed authorizing Mayor Keister to appoint a committee to receive the; report and decide what action should t lie taken to start the plans for the ! new courthouse and municipal build-; Ing., Mayor Keister said he would; appoint all the members of City Council and the Hoard of County! Commissioners as they would be the; ones directly concerned in providing : for the big improvement. Everyone present urged immediate! action so that within a year at the' most the necessary funds would i>e available and definite plans complete. • The two solicitors will confer in a j day or two and prepare their report. \ Should it be necessary to have legis lation prepared for passage at the i oming session it will be drawn up in j the near future the officials declared, i To Settle Legal I'olnt When the conference opened j County Commisioner H. C. Weils said j he would not favor the construction of a comfort station in the vacant! space west of the courthouse, if the j structure would in any way inter-! fere with the erection of a new j courthouse. City officials who just ] prior to the session liad been discuss- ; ing the need of a city hall, immedi- ! utely asked the County Commission-[ ers for their opinion on making plans ; for a joint city and county officej building and courthouse. The county; officials approved the suggestion at \ once but called attention to prob- j able legal obstacles as the county at 1 present holds the title to the site on ' wh'ch the courthouse stands. City ofHcials said these questions! would lie settled through legislation \ and then County Commissioner Henry M. Stine made a motion that the two solicitors meet and prepare 1 their report reviewing the legai status of the property title and what rights the city had to appropriate ! money for improvements on property [Continued on Page ll.] German Cabinet Warns Russians ot Hun Dangers Berlin, Dec. 11.—The German cab- j inet has sent a wireless message to : the Russian government asking it r.ot to send a delegation to Berlin for a conference planned for December ! IS. The reason given was the "pres- i rnt situation in Germany." The Russian Bolshevist delegates were invited by the executive com mittee of the Soldiers' and Work men's Council against the wishes of the cabinet. The opposition of the j cabinet has been strengthened, be- 1 yond doubt, by accusations made by j Adoiph Joffe, the Bolshevist ambas- j sador to Germany, who has made a | statement saying Ministers Haase, i Barth and others were friendly to- ! ward him and actively seconded his i plan to introduce Russian methods ! into Germany. In spite of their denials, Joffe's ac- ! cusations have created a painful im- j pression In many quarters. THE WEATHER] For Harrlsbura; and vlelnltyi Rain this afternoon) pnrtly cloudy nnd warmer to-night; Thursday fair nnd colder. River 'The Snsquehnnnii river nnd nil Its brunches will rise slightly. A stnge of about t.'J feet Is In dicated for llnrrlsburg Thurs day morning. A YANKEE RAID ON BERLIN HELD UP BY PEACE By Associated Press I lost on, Dec. it. Lieutenant Robert K. Bridges. of Euston, Pa., adjutant of the First Handley- Page acceptance park, who ar rived here to-day front France, Bave some detai's of a projected bombinß raid on Berlin by Ameri cans equipped with English Hand ley-Page ginnt machines. Three of these craft had been delivered and a start was planned on the night of November 8. Then it was learned that three more were to be delivered within a few days, and it was decided to wait so that a squadron of six could be sent. In the meantime the armistice was signed and the raid called off. These ships. said Lieutenant Bridges, weigh six tons and can carry live tons of bombs each. They are equipped with two one pound guns and ten automatic guns. It is possible to carry forty-three men in them. The iirst three ships, he said, had been tested and were all ready for the Berlin flight. He had made trips in each. Despite their great weight, they were easier to handle than many smaller machines. EARLY SHOPPERS ; CO-OPERATE WITH i STORE MANAGERS Throng Down-Town Stores Two Weeks Before Christmas TOYS ARE PLENTIFUL "Made in Germany" Not Con spicuous on This Year's (iifts With Christmas hearts and Christ ' mas pocketbooks wide open Mr. and Mrs. liarrisburger are doing their j Christmas shopping early, and with j such commendable zeal for the elim < ination of a last minute rush in the ! department stores, that merchants and businessmen generally are highly elated over the prospects of ja "sane day before Christmas" this year. It certainly looks like a big Christmas in Harrisburg and vlcin ' ity. Every day, energetic shoppers ! from every part of the county, and in fact from every part of Central ! Pennsylvania, crowd the down town ! stores. Every afternoon finds the streets practically filled with hur i rying buyers, while the clerks in the large stores are working with fev ; erish heat getting ready for the big j day. .Many l\ S. Toys Christmas toys are there in ! abundance. "Made in Germany," is 1 one formerly conspicuous label that lis not appearing on toys this year. ;In spite of the fact that many toys formerly came from Germany, there ! is no evidence in the stores at this ! time that they are even missed. "Camouflage" has become a big j word in the stores, and every large j store has developed a camouflage I expert in the packing department. "Be sure to pack that rocking ! horse so it will look like anything 1 else but a rocking horse," says Mrs. Harrisburger, as she thinks of the peeping eyes that will be prying into ] dark corners and closets from now until Christmas, "and pack that tea set so that Mary can't tell what's in it if she runs across it." Many, of the shoppers are going into the stores with shopping lists prepared from advertisements, and ! store managers ara! clerks wax eulogistic over the merits of the . model buyers. As much as possible, I they say, the majority of shoppers i are filled with a spirit of co-opera- I tlon. It certainly looks like a big Christ. I mas for Harrisburg. Knights of Malta Here to Let Contracts For New Fraternal Home John G. Miles, supreme comman der of the Knights of Malta, and ; member of the board of governors lof the proposed fraternal home to be erected at Granville, Mifflin county met with the other mem -1 tiers of the board in conference at I the Bolton House to-day und fur ther plans for the erection of the ■ structure were made. Among the ! important business being transacted i is the letting of various contracts. The new home will be the nucleus • for a larger institution. It is plan ned to build the first structure at lan estimated cost of $75,000, to ac ! commodate 75 guests. This first I structure will be used for aged meiu | hers. Members of the board of governors which is meeting this afternoon in clude: A. W. Samuel, Mt. Carmcl. presi dent: John P. Longenecker, vice-pres ident. Lebanon: Charles S. Messenger, treasurer. Tatamy, John G. Miller, Wllk'nsburg: Charles H. Bingaman, Reading: Harry M. Askin. Carlisle; Thomas H. Greer, Butler; J. H. Hoff man, accretary, Philadelphia. Meeting Him at the Dock With the Fatted Calf ■. ,-/ > HARDSCRABBLE MAY COME DOWN IN EARLY FALL Papers Now Being Prepared For Supreme Court Hear ing Next May EXPECT QUICK ACTION j City Solicitor Fox Preparing j Papers For Trial of t Appeals Preparation of the legal docu ments to be presented when the Hardscrabble eases are heard by the Supreme Court at its session in this city next May, has been started by I City Solicitor John E. Fox. City officials said that an opinion i may be given in these cases by the I higher court within several weeks I after they are heard, and that the i legal proceedings to open Front! street to the river line, from Herr ! to Calder streets, will probably end j If the Supreme Court holds them \|\lid. Some of the buildings in that section could be razed late next year it was said. The Supreme Court will be asked to pass on the Dauphin county court ruling. The local court held that the city had the right to open Front street on the west side, from Herr to Calder streets, and was. liable for damages for all improve ments which had been erected there. The second point is contested by the city, Solicitor Fox holding that un- j der an act of 1871, the property! [Continued on Page ll.] C iXCEI.B SHIP CONTRACTS Washington, Dec. 11.—Cancellation of all outstanding contracts for con struction of wooden ships where builders have not spent more than $200,000 on a ship has been deter mined upon by the Shipping Board. WHOLE CARLOAD OF TREES ARE HERE FOR CHRISTMAS Evergreens Arrive in Carload Lot to Please Hearts of the Youngsters; Prices Will Be High This Year They're here! Christmas trees! To Harrisburg youngsters this comes as the most welcome bit of news since the signing of the armistice, for the word had gone out that the ever greens which annually delight the heart of Young America were not to be a part of this year's Christmas celebration. The influenza epidemic, labor shortage and increased freight charges have contributed to their scarcity, and the first supposition that there would be none at all. This mcrning a carload of Ver mont spruce trees arrived, consigned to Harry 1,. Holmes, of the Holmes Seed Company. There are 2,000 trees in the lot, and they may be all that The Sign in the Window join -all you need is a heart and a dollar WET WEATHER NO CHECK ON THE RED CROSS Everything Ready For Volun teer Drive to Open Tomorrow On 403 city blocks to-morrow and Friday there will be a home or place of business in a window of which will be displayed this poster. It is the sign which tells dwellers on these blocks that-at this particular place they can volunteer their mem [ Con tinned on Page will come to Hurrisburg this year. Seventy-live cents to live dollars will bo the cost of the trees. The same causes that contributed to their scarcity, account for the increase in prices. Another factor making for the In crease and the scarcity is that there will be no trees from Maine, a hereto fore unfailing source of ready supply. The Maine trees, however, will not be forthcoming, due to a communicable disease said to be carried in their branches. "Do your Christmas tree shopping early" Is the ad Wee of Mr. Holmes, who predicts that his carload will be i the last as well as the lirst to arrive I here. , j SCHOOL TEACHERS TO FIGHT FOR A WAGE INCREASE Plans Made to Ask Legisla ture For Twenty-five Per Cent. More LIVING COSTS HIGHER Only Professional People Not to Get More Money, Is Claim State-wide plans are being- laid by school teachers of Pennsylvania to bring before the State Legislature in its coming session, a bill provid ing for a 25 per cent, increase in their salaries. The movement which was urged by prominent educational leaders of the city and state, has received endorsement of hundreds of school teachers and it is prob able that before the Legislature con venes a solid organization jot school teachers will be organized with full power to wage a fight in the state legislative body. Teachers in the schools of the city have given thetr heurty endorsement of the plan. It is contended that, despite the fact that rthe cost of living has been constantly rising and the salaries of other professional workers have been boosted in ac cord with this living Increase, there has been no increase in school toarh ers' salaries. To remedy this con dition of affairs, the organization is being effected. Men and women high in the educationcl circus of the state are confident that the Increase will be carried through by the Legis lature without much discussion. A local organization of members of the school board and school teachers of Harrisburg was recently effected to discuss the local situation in line with the state-wide move ment. No definite action has been taken by this committee, but the matter has been under advisement and it is probable there will be a link in the chain forged here to co-operate with the teachers in Pennsylvania in putting the proposi tion before the lawmakers. Members of the local committee include Harry A. Boyer, Dr. C. E. 1.. Keen. Miss Elizabeth Baker, Miss Maude Gamble and Miss Marguret Sullivan. Prominent among the i workers is Miss Margaret Sullivan, high in the state educational circles | and one of the most popular school 1 teachers In Pennsylvania. Seek Right of Relatives to Cable to Soldiers! Unnhinuiiin, Dec. It.—The Senatei yesterday adopted a resolution by i Senator Spencer, of Missouri, request-; Ing the Postmaster General to Inform; the Senate whether Information can; te asked by relatives and received' iiy cable as to the welfare of officers ind enlisted men overseas from whom' no word has been received in six I months. | CHURCHMEN HAVE A WIDENED VISION BECAUSE OF WAR i Presbyterian Synod Down to Business; Reports Occupy Commissioners' Time NOTED PASTORS HERE (The Rev. Dr. Smith to Speak Tonight; Dr. Marquis*Un>- able to Be Present The thirty-seventh annual session of the Synod of Pennsylvania of the Presbyterian Church, which opened I'ast night with more thun 200 coni ; mlssioners present, continued its | meetings to-day in the Pine Street j Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Dr. George Montgomery, of Pittsburgh. | elected moderator at last night's ses : sion, presided at the meetings to i day.. He succeeds the Rev. Dr. W. | Prank Ueber, of Kindly, 'Ohio. The | ftev. Craig N. Riggclt, of Philadel ! phia, was appointed vice-moderator. | The Rev. Dr. Robert Hunter is stated I clerk at the sessions. Mission Reader Not Coming ' It was announced this morning j that the Rev. Dr. John A. Mnrquls. 'of New York City general secretary | of the Hoard of Missions, who was to | make an address this evening, will j not be ab'e to be present. The ! speaker at the popular meeting to | night is the Rev. Dr. J. Frank | Smith, of Dallas, Texas, moderator I of the general assembly of 'lhe Pres- I byterian Church, U. S. A. ! To-morrow night the speakers will j be the Rev. R. R. Guild, of New York 'City, executive secretary on church 'federation. Federal Counci', and the | Rev. Dr. G. S. MeCune, of Korea, i representing the Hoard of Foreign j Missions. Friday morning an address I will be made by the Rev. DtvH. R. I Bolby, representing the Committee I of tle General Assembly on Sabbath ! Observance. Reports Occupy Attention To-day's morn'ng and afternoon i sessions were taken up principally ! with reports of committees. lie ports at this morning's meeting in j eluded those of the stated clerk,. Pe r manent Committee on Synodienl | Home Missions and Executive Com mission. The Synod this afternoon ! gave tlte best part of its session to i the consideration of its work for | men and by men. The work of men this year was I featured this afternoon by two i strong addresses by the new ehair ' man. the Rev. Dr. Matthew F. Smith, j ef Renvoi* FnHs. and by the Rev. Dr. iWt'linm F. Weir, the general secre [Contimicd on Pngc I I.] Young Harrisburg Officer Describes Final Scene in Great War Drama i Rieutenant Albert H. Stackpole, of the 113 th Field Artillery, writing from the fighting front to the home | folks in Harrisburg, the day after ! hostilities ceased, tells of the armistice in a paragraph or two. "Weil, it's all over—at least the I guns have stopped," he says, "and \ the last twenty-four hours have been I the quietest I have ever known. ! Thank God for the end of it! I "It was really a most dramatic j ending, too. Ail Monday morning i after we got the news we waited, j the guns still pounding away. As i 11 o'clock approached they seemed I to increase their rate of tire—a few ; minutes before eleven it almost ■ sounded like a barrage—then the : hands came to the hour —there was ! a moment of suspense—was it rcnlly true about the armistice? —and then silence —as loud as the noise had I been a few seconds before—no one i said a word for fully five minutes — i then far off back of the lines we : heard the bell of a church in a lit | tie French town going like mad — Joyously shouting out the news that ; it had waited over four long years Ito hear—and then the shouting— ' everyone talking and yelling. I nevor ; saw such excited people—the French | especially, of course. "Rast night the plain in front of us looked like a Christmas tree— victors and vanquished both seemed to be setting off all the rockets they had left —reds and greens and strings of white, flashing up one after another, and in bunches. They say the 'doughboys' have already ! made a few calls over the lines." Firemen's Union Claims Losses in City Are Less Than Underwriters State At the Hope enginehouse last • evening Fire Chief Kindlcr an nounced to the Firemen's Union that j our tire department is one hundred per cent, motorized, and that every company now has a smoke protecting helmet. Fire .Commissioner Gross was, urged to prepare and have posted , rules for drivers of apparatus. A resolution was pussed unani : mously urging the Mayor to have the ordinances of the city more Htrlctly enforced, particularly with reference to obstructing firemen on their way ' | to fires by trolley cars and drivers, (Of motor apparatus, also the standing of automobiles close to fireplugs. President Demming and Fire Chief , Klndler were appointed a committee lo make arrangements for the pur- 1 ticipation of firemen in the lnuugural parade next month. Statistics carefully compiled by the union showed that the fire losses in Harrisburg are less than one dollar ' per capita of the population, and not < ftVe dollars, us stated by some of the ' fire Insurance agents; that there Is less fire loss in Harrisburg thun any northern city In the United States. Further, that fhe responses IQ fire alarms now average less than one half a minute each, day or night. 4 WILHELM TO KEEP MUM UNTIL PUT ON TRIAL BY ALLIES KRUPP WORKS TO MOULD FOR PEACE By Associated Press Amsterdam, Dec. 11.—The di rectors of the Krupp Munitions Works have announced their In tention to transform the plant into a factory devoted to the arts of peace and have requested the workers there to make proposals for the manufacture of pence ma terials. according to the Cologne Gazette. # PRESIDENTGETS BETTER SCHEDULE TO PEACE BOARD Brest in Bedraggled Condition When "Southwcster" Beats Off Its Gay Dress By Associated Press Brest, Dee. 11. —The U. 8. S. George Washington, with President Wilson and party aboard, changed its course after leaving the Azores and will ar rive in Brest In advance of the time announced, according to a naval wire less dispatch received to-da.v. The President now is expected to reach Brest at 10 oclock Friday morn ing, instead of at three o'clock in the afternoon. He will leave for Paris at four o'clock in the afternoon. A heavy "south wester" blew up during the night, stirring big seas off the coast and tearing into ribbons the decorutions which had been placed in the city. NATION YIELDS STEEL, CONTROL By Associated Press \\ nshliigCon, Dec. 11.—Government supervision over the steel industry and steel price fixing will end Decem ber 31. The War Industries Board sui announced to-day after a conference with spokesmen of the industry. t it ' C i -f • Mrpartment r Agriculture place the corn crop at 2,582 2 ; v |A € >• %•>'• M ' 4j Tp:' "• -er v er 1. 9 !•$ T !4 SMILES AT CABINET SUGGESTION ' jh ||* Harrrisburg. Lewis S. Sadler of Carlisle, Executiv 2 !?S' 'State Committee of National Defense, 3 • - 5! ! *?" *y | t r of Pennsylvania; It is generally be- X T ' A* |4 j j3 T Z PRIVATE BROWN WOUNDED IN WAR S A, <w T Hariisburg.—Private Charles W. Brown, 1315 Currant X {•avenue, was this afternoon reported severely wounded in X rS* *r ! A tion t n Noy ember 10, the day before the signing f® •armistice. He is a son of W. H, Brown, an employe of 9 §• T t' * * ■ 9 (X Harrisburg —Roy Thomas, 305 Pine street, Steelton, fl additional list of casualties made public X liby the Wa T |TaCt'.' in 9 action. jfl jm INVITES BASEBALL RIVALS TO TABLE T • Z New York. The*-National Baseball League went on 9 • ere ro-day favoring a jc ▼ iAmcri cUss problems which confront X jjjthe game with the return to peace conditions. <* • COTTON YIELD 5,595,520,000 POUNDS J -J Washington. The tots' 1 , 'fj United S * ■ .for the "5" son of 1918-19 will lount to * * I MARMAGL UCENSES Snmurl M. Mlllrr, Mount Joy. und Mnricurpt T. tl't'onnrr Cn. ' -i lumblni (iroritr K. Smith nntl Hnspl H. ShrntTrr. HnrrUhuriri R.f- * 1 Ji rn "° ''"ombrlllo, lliirrlxhurit. nntl Hour K. Mann, Hummrlatonn. f i -■ it . >-Sj| . i- Ex-Kaiser Will Say Nothing on How War Started EXPECTS TO DEFEND SELF Won't Talk For Fear of Incriminating Accomplices I.OXDOJf. DM. IV. WILLIAM HOHENZOLEKN will not make any statement as to his efforts to prevent the out break of war in I'JH. according to the Amerongen correspondent of the Express. The correspondent finally has suc ceeded in having submitted to Herr Hohenzollern questions as to his pu rine attitude before the war and his steps to prevent hostilities. Count Von Bcntlnck, the host of the former emperor received the cor respondent after the questions had been laid before Herr Hohenzollern and is reported to have said: "The kaiser much appreciates your message nml thanks you. He Hiiyxi .'Tell him. If there In any possibility of ray becoming a defendant. I prefer postponing anything I have to nay until that ' time. In addition, do not desire In any nay to compromise any member of the government an It existed at the time of the out break of the nnr.' " I'arla, Dec. 11.—Legal action against the former German emperor has been lommenced by an organization of "Lille Mothers." The demand for prosecution states that the commanders of the German army in April, 1916, directed that minor girls be carried away from their families, that they were sub mitted to odious treatment and forced [Continued on Page 7.]
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers