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
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!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.]