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Wilson Speeds Up Plan For Forming League of Nations Before Departing From France For America
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HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH dk
- independent. '
• LXXXVIII— Xo. 28 16 PAGES Da, f KrHSr' HARRISBURG, PA., TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 4, 1919. Tw^cS 3 HOME EDITION
PATROLMEN TO BE
GIVEN HEARINGS
ON FEBRUARY 13
Council to Take Up Mayor's
Charges Against Three
Suspended Men
MAGNELLI GETS COUNSEL
Citv Solicitor Probably Will
Cross-Examine Coppers
Who Fight Dismissal
Mayor Daniel L. Keister, at the
regular council meeting today pre
ferred charges against Patrolmen
Theodore A. Magnelli and Edward A.
Sehmehl, accusing them of receiving
thirty eenty from X. S. Moyer, Twen
tieth and Brookwood streets, for the
return of a strayed horse, and against
Patrolman Victor B. Bilil, alleging
misconduct at*police headquarters.
The commissioners immediately fixed
February 13 to hear the charges
against the men. Mayor Keister sa'd
he will ask for the dismissal of all
of them.
His statement In which he brings
the charges against the men for
"thirty cent graft" follows:
The Mayor's Charge
"I hereby prefer the following
charges against Police Constables
Edward E. Sehmehl and Theodore A.
Magnelli
"That about June. 1918, they and
each of them, while on duty as police
constables did ask and demand from
one Xoah S. Moyer, of Twentieth and
Brookwood streets, this city, the
sum of $5 for the performance of of
ficial services in returning a strayed
iiorse belonging to Mr. Moyer, found
by them; and did then and there re
ceive in response to their demand,
from said Moyer, the sum of thirty
<ents each, for the performance of
such official services contrary t"> tlie
provisions of Section 6, of Article
VII, of the Act of June 27th, 1313.
Hihl Included
"I also hcreßy prefer charges of
misconduct at police headquarters on
or about Jnauary 22, 1919, against
Police Constable Victor H. Bihl.
"Pending action by city council up
on the above charges I have susn?nd
ed Officers Sehmehl and Magnelli and
therefore suggest that an :arly date
be fixed for the hearing of testi
mony."
Upon motion of Commissioner C. W.
Burtnett, seconded by Commissioner
S. K. Massler, the following motion i
was passed unanimously
"I move that February 13, 1919, at
19 o'clock a. m.. be fixed as the time,
and the Council Chamber as the place
for hearing the charges preferred
against Police Constables Sehmehl,
Magnelli and Bihl. by the superinten
dent of public affairs, of which hear
ing prompt notice shall be given by
the city clerk to each of the accused
officers by letters mailed to their last
address; such notice shall specify t.i e
charge made against each officer and
advise them that they, their witnesses
and their counsel will be fully beard
at such hearing."
It is understood City Solicitor John
K. Fox, who lias been given all the
facts in the case, will conduct the ex
amination of witnesses for the city
at thfe council session a week from
Thursday. Robert Stucker has been
retained as counsel for Officer Mag
nelli, the latter said.
Xo I'rnbe l.ikel.v
Members of council said that un
less specific charges are made by
Magnelli or Sehmehl agains other
members or officers of the force no in
vestigation will be made of the
charge by them of "rotten" condi
tions. Mayor Keister said he would
welcome'such charges before council,
so that the commissioners and lie
could investigate them. Magnelli,
who came into the council chamber
today a few minutes • after the
charges by Mayor Keister were read,
said he will not have anything to say
about conditions on the force until
his own case is decided. *
City Treasurer C. E. Weber re
ported a balance February i, of SIBB.-
333,85; receipts last month, $13,25L
-47; expenditures $51,890.62. Upon the
recommendation of the city solicitor
the commissioners agreed to seaie
an appeal from viewers' awards to
George Hain. made after Greenwood
street was graded. The action will
be settled for $l5O without court
trial.
Invmtigation Pending
Pending an investigation of legal
requirements about loan ordinances
the measure introduced by Commis
sioner W. H. Lynch asking for a vite
on a $50,000 bond issue for street pav
ing work, was not passed finally.
Ordinances which were passed fin
ally provided for the purchase of a
new auto truck for the city mechan
ician; purchase of 2500 feet of cable
for underground extensions au<i plac
ing of additional lights.
Commissioner E. 7.. Gross was di
rected to advertise for bids for fur
nishing gasoline to the city. He said
a large refining company submitted
the same price for a supply ]a St
year, but the councilmen decided it
was necessary to advertise far bids
and award a contract.
I THE WEATHER]
For H orris burg and vicinity: Unlit
thin afternoon and probably to
night; lowest temperature to
night about 85 degrees: Wed
nesday fair and eolder.
For Eastern Pennsylvania: Rain
to-night) Wednesday colder and
probnbly fair; moderate nouth to
went winds.
General Conditions
< loudy weather prrvnlln over the I
eastern part of the Called
States this morning, nnd rain
has fallen generally In central
nnd southern districts, and rain
and snow In northern districts
In the last twenty-four hours.
Coir weather has prevailed over
the western half of the country,
except Oregon, whctc snme rain
fell, nnd In Itah, where there
was a little.
Not Closing Down the Plant-Just Catching Up on Back Orders
SHOPMEN NOT TO ]
BEASSESSSEDFOR
MISTAKE IN PAY
i
Government Officials Cannot!
Find Solution to the
Problem
ERROR IX CALCULATION!
Union Men Declare Mistake;
Was Made at Expense
of Labor
Pennsylvania and Philadelphia!
and Heading railroad shopmen will
not he obliged to repay any of the!
$2,500,000 overpayments alleged toj
have been made to piece-work em
ployes of the Allegheny region |
through a misinterpretation of a!
Federal Railroad Administration j
ruling, is the concensus of opinion!
among railroad officials in Phila
delphia.
Slightly less than 5,000 shopmen j
on the two railroads in Harrisburgj
and vicinity will be affected. Most!
of them will be big winners as ai
result of the error in the alleged
over payment.
The government will now have to!
stand the loss sustained, as no prac
tical way has yet been devised for
collecting it from the men to whom
it was £aid. Consequently it will
have to be charged to profit and loss
in the wage accounts of the rail
roads.
When the mistake became appar
ent efforts were made to have the!
overpayment deducted from the cur-j
rent wages. This was found to be|
impossible, as most of the men, it is
sold, had spent the amounts paid:,
them or had invested their savings
in Liberty bonds.
When this alleged error was made!
public recently, officials of the shop
workers' union put up the claim!
that instead of being overpaid $2,-1
500,000, the men had actually been!
underpaid that amount, since cer-j
tain classes of shopworkSrs had not!
been paid the full schedules pro-!
vided in the wage awards.
H. S. Jeffery. chairman of the!
Philadelphia and Camden Advisory)
Boards of the Pennsylvania system,
a branch of the American Federa-1
tion of Iibor, who originally made
the claim that the shopmen on the
Pennsylvania system had been un-l
derpald to the extent of $2,500,000)
still maintained this contention yes- i
terday, and said aU efforts are being'
made by the labor organization to j
collect that sum for the men from!
the railroad company.
SPANISH AMBASSADOR QUITS 1
IIKHI.IN FOR HO.MF COUNTRY;
By . Is Sana Press
Berlin, Feb. 4.—P010 de Bprnabe, ;
the retiring Spanish ambassador in!
Berlin and dean of the diplomatic
coqps here, left yesterday for Spain. I
was recalled early last Decern- j
ber by his government.
CONDUCTOR IS
KILLED UNDER
FREIGHT TRAIN
William G. Gramtn Dies Be
fore Medical Attention Can
Be Given Him
Thrown under his train in the
West Morrisville, Pa., freight yards
late yesterday afternoon, William G.
Grantm, 2110 Moore street, well
known conductor on the Philadel
phia division of the Pennsylvania
Railroad, was so badly injured that
he died before medical attention
could be given him. He was 6 7 years
old.
Gramm"s crew was making up a
train in the western end of the yards
when lie endeavored to board the
moving cars. He slipped and was
thrown beneath the cars. His left
foot was cut off. but internal injuries
suffered when he was rolled about
by the train caused his death. His
head and body were badly lacerated
and bruised.
He Was taken immediately from
beneath the cars, placed on an en
gine and taken to the Trenton, N.
J., hospital, but died before he ar
rived there. The body was brought
to Harrisburg this morning and
turned over to Undertaker Charles
H. Mauk.
WOMAN TO RUN FOR MAYOR
Chicago, Feb. 4.—Mrs. Leonora
Z. Meder, lawyer, clubwoman and
former city commissioner of public
welfare, to-day announced her can
didacy for mayor. She said she
would run as a nonpartisan.
PASS HARRISBURG
BILL TO TRANSFER
FUND FOR BRIDGE
Senate Will Take Up Local
Enabling Measure Early
Coming Week
The Harrisburg bill which will
permit of the use of the $325,000
appropriated for the building of the
Walnut street bridge, to be divert
ed for the purpose of memorial ap
proaches. was finally passed by the
Senate this morning.
The measure now goes to the
House, which will probably take ac
tion on the matter early next week.
The bill was sponsored in the Sen-
Hte by Senator Eyre, Chester, in the
absence of local representation due
to the resignation of Lieutenant-
Governor K. E. Beidleman.
A bill by Senator Shantz, Lehigh,
authorizing county commissioners
to appropriate moneys to cities and
boroughs to assist In the erection of
comfort and waiting stations was
also unanimously approved on its
third uppearance.
Y. CAMPAIGN FOR
MEMBERSHIPS IS
WELL UNDER WAY
Prominent Businessmen Aid
in Canvass For 1.500
New Members
SHOW TO CLOSE DRIVE
Reports of Team Captains
Will Bo Received at Sup
per Tomorrow Night
Men prominent in the business
world of the city ate to-day taking
part in the campaign to. secure I.uOO
members for the Central Y. M. C. A.
The campaign was officially launch
ed last night with a supper held in
the "Y" assembly rooms. Reports
received at nooSt to-day from cap
tains of various teams indicate that
the drive is well under way and it is
believed there will be littlje difficulty
in reaching the goal. "It will mean a
little hard work," said General Sec
retary Robert B. Reeves, comment
ing on the outlook, "but we'll reach
the top."
The campaign was opened last
night with a supper held in the as
sembly room of the "Y" building.
C. W. Burtnett, chairman of the
membership committee and captain
of team No. 1, presided. Addresses
were made by J. William farruthers,
state secretary of the "Y;" J. Wll
[Continucd 011 Page 15.]
CANALIZATION
OF SUSQUEHANNA
GETS BIG BOOST
Columbia Scene of Enthusi
astic Meeting; Senators
Urged to Pass Bill
(Special to the Telegraph.)
Columbia, Pa., Feb. 4. —The
deepening and canalizing of the Sus
quehanna river as suggested by
Major William B. Gray and fath
ered by the Harrisburg Rotary Club,
was heartily endorsed last evening
at a meeting of the Columbia Mer
chants and Manufacturers' Associa
tion which was attended by rep
resentative citizens of Harrisburg,
Lancaster, York, Marietta, Wrights
ville, Columbia and many others
along tho lower reaches of the
river.
The representatives agreed to
write personally to United States
Senators and Knox urging them to
push through the Groist bill appro
priating a million and a half dol
lars for a completo survey 'of the
(Continued on Page o.]
HOUSE A PPRO VES DRY A MENDMEN T
AFTER A SHORT, SHARP DEBATE:
SENATE IS BELIEVED FAVORABLE
Hun Hand in World Conference
Paris, Feb. 4.—The Berne Socialist conference, to which many
Socialist bodies in Europe have failed to send representatives, is the
outcome of a German plan to help Germany retrieve her military de
feat and escape the payment of just indemnities in the belief of
Charles Edward Russell and William English Walling, speaking in
behalf of the Social-Democratic League of the United States.
In the statement issued on the subject it is set forth that the prin
cipal movers are those in all countries who tried to cause peace when
it would have meant the triumph of imperialism and the ruin of the
working-class democracy; that the American Federation of Labor
has no "representation; that forty Socialists in the French Chamber
of Deputies allowed their delegates to go only under protest; that
one-third of the Berne delegates are recognized by the Bolshevik!;
that the Berne conference is designed by Germany to redeem her
from military defeat and avoid the payment of a just indemnity by
intrigue and secret diplomacy.
WILSON HASTENS TO
HAVE LEAGUE PLANS
APPROVED IN PEACE
Supreme Council Agrees That Questions Raised
by Premier Venizelos Concerning Greek
Interests Shall Be Referred to
Commission of Experts
Paris: Feb. 4. —The Supreme Council at its meeting
to-day agreed that questions in the statement of Premier
Venizelos concerning Greek territorial interests in the
peace settlement should be referred to a commission of
experts whose duty it would be to make recommendations
for a just settlement.
Paris, Feb. 4.—While 'less than two weeks remain before the
date set for his return to the United States, President Wilson
is hopeful that his plan for a League of Nations will be ratified in
plenary session of the Peace Conference, thus putting it in the
way to be registered in treaty form within the time limit. He is
therefore concentrating his
upon that work and is determined
that nothing shall be permitted to
obstruct the progress of the com
mission of which he is chairman.
The President had several appoint
ments for to-day, including call from
representatives of the Bible Society
and visits from some Bepubllean
congressmen who have arrived in
Paris.
Desire Spool in Peace
There is a growing feeling here that
the treaty of peace should be speed
ily perfected, now that the principle
of the Society of Nations and many
of the details of its construction have
been agreed upon. Arthur J. Bal
four, the British Foreign Secretary,
is engaged upon a proposition to fix
the territorial boundaries of the de
feated nations at once and promptly
conclude peace with the enemy as so
constituted. The program would then
be to go on with the settlement of
the other questions remaining to be
solved under the rules of the So
ciety of Nations.
With such an agreement on gen
eral principles as has been reached,
it is held in some quarters that there
may be no need to treat specilically
such subjects as the freedom of the
seas, the use of submarines in war
fare, the creation of buffer states,
or even the delimitation of national
boundaries with refernce to their de
fensive possibilities. The idea is that
there would be no necessity to con
sider the question of defense against
a neighbor whose good behavior was
assu red.
Subjects For Immediate Aetion
Some subjects, however, do re-:
quire immediate consideration, it
seems generally agreed. These in
clude assessment of the damages
caused by the war, responsibility for
the war, regulation of the use of I
international waterways and rail-1
ways, difficulties" presented by the I
present state of chaos in the treaty
relations between the nations as one
result of the war and treatment of
the labor questions by international
accord.
Some of these problems would re
quire a long time to settle, notably
the determining of the actual dam
age inicted by the enemy, although
it has been suggested that adjust
ment of this question must be facili
tated by the adoption of an esti-
WALTER SHAFFER
TO TELL OF WAR
FROM PLATFORM!
•
Dauphin Aviator to Speak at
Big Patriotic Meeting
in Orpheum
Walter Sheaffer, the courageous'
young resident of Dauphin, who
spent his last cent to learn to fly
and to get to France to help fight
the Hun from midair, and who has!
kept in touch with Telegraph read-i
era ever since by bis celebrated let-;
ters, will be featured in a patriotic
meeting at the Orpheum theater;
next Monday evening, when Shaffer,;
who will be the principal speaker,:
will give a highly interesting talk;
on his experiences In the French
blue uniform.
Taking as his subject, "Over the|
Heads of the Huns," Shaffer, who;
returned from France last week
will graphically describe the nu
merous exciting events that dotted
his life on the other side of the
I Continued on rage 9.}
mate which already have been made
by army officers.
One way of solving these problems,
which may be adopted, would be
through the creation of various com
missions to work after the final ad
journment of the peace conference,
with full powers to enforce the ex
ecution of their decrees.
Truce While Probe Works
The allied commission which
leaves for Poland next Saturday to
adjust controversies between the
Poles and Czecho-Slovaks over the
Teschen coal fields has arranged a
truce between the two nationalities
pending the arrival of the commis
[Continucd oil Page B.]
'Automobile Bandits Hold
Two Brooklyn Surface Cars;
Three Rob the Conductors
By Associated Press
New York, Feb. 4.—The operations
of automobile bandits in New York
took a sensational turn to-day when
five armed men in a green touring
car held up two surface tars on the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit system in
Flushing and Elmhurst, suburban
districts of Brooklyn.
During the first holdup two of the
bandits pointed their revolvers at
the motorman and the other three
robbed the conductor.
Later, in the business section of
Flushing, several of the bandits
boarded a trolleycar and compelled
the motorman to put on full speed.
While the car was in progress and
the bandits were robbing the con
ductor, the automobile kept pace
behind the car. The bandits then
forced the motorman to halt and
the five men drove off in their ma
chine.
a __
Wilson Naval Program
Approved by Committee;
Another 3-Year Program
By Associated Press
Washington, Feb. 4. lnsistence
by President Wilson upon the ad
ministration's policy of a naval ex
pansion led to the uaninimous ap
proval given by the House naval
committee to another three year
construction program.
This was disclosed to-day by
Chairman Padgett, of the commit
tee, when the House began con
sideration of the $750,000,000 an
nual naval appropriation bill.
Registration Day
To-morrow registrars will sit
at all the regular polling places
in Harrlsburg to enroll all voters
who have not been listed, so that
they can vote at the special Sen
atorial election February 25.
The following can be regis
tered:
Voters who failed to register
for the fall elections.
Voters who registered, but have
moved to another district and
have resided there for at least
sixty days,
Voters who registered last fall,
but desire to change their party
preference.
A proper tax receipt must be
shown in all instances in order to
be registered.
To-morrow is the only day the
registrars will sit before the spe
cial election. The hours the
polling places will be open will
be from 8 A. M. to 1 P. M.,
2 P. M. to 6 P. M. and 7 P. M.
to 10 P. M.
Prohibition Gains Support
of Pennsylvania A ssembly
After Short Campaign
NO TIME WILL BE LOST IN
GETTING MEASURE TO SENATE
The joint resolution ratifying
the prohibition amendment was
passed by the Pennsylvania
House of Representatives to-day
by a vote 110 to 93, four mem
bers being absent or not voting.
The resolution was at once mes
saged to the Senate, whose law
and order committee will give a
hearing on it on February 18.
Senator Crow later announced
that the Senate probably would
dispose of the amendment Feb
ruary 24 or 25.
The consideration of the resolu
tion by the House was marked by
seven speeches, four favoring the
measure and three against it. The
hall of the House was crowded with
people from all over the state. Most
of the members of the Senate and
many state officials and attaches of
he State Government and former
legislators were present and fre
quent outbursts of upplause occurred
during the addresses. The speakers
for the resolution urged that Penn
sylvania join the procession of "dry"
states, while those who spoke in op
position asserted that the amend
ment would be prejudicial to inter
ests of labor and that Pennsylvania
should not follow the lead of the
South. The references to the atti
tude of labor were answered by two
members from Lawrence county,
who said that labor was favorable
to the amendment. Governor
WAGE I^fsE^EINJS MEN ' ■£
X New York—The Federal War Labor Board, sitting X
*l* here, to-day refused to increase the wages of the r, nor- .▼
X men and conductors of the Reading Transit and Light 4
Company. Norristown divsiion, of Reading, Pa,, on the 3^
j j ground that the company ah-eady had made voluntary y
e}* *s*
increases which were equitable and just.
j CONNECTICUT SENATE VOTES "WET"
| Hartford, Conn. By a vote of 20 to 14, the Con- w
JL necticut Senate this afternoon refused to. ratify the Fed X
4* eral Prohibition amendment. ®
J REDS WANT EAR OF ENTENTE T
Paris—The Russian Soviet government wi'"
y measures" to bring about an agreement with the ententt 'X
4 according to a wireless message sent out from Moscow
Xon Sunday. It complaiqs that the Bolshevik authoritie *l
4 had received no "formal invitation" to the Princi s! .▼
y y
X conference, the only word regarding it being a wireless.
T message "containing press news." ,y
T T;*
* |j
RATE JURISDICTION CHALLENGED f
♦ ' X
<s Harrisburg—The authority of the Dauphin c X
es *
X Court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania act! j
Y prevent the federal authorities from increasing the *i!e- X
phone rates in Pennsylvania, was challenged bef r ,T
X Judges Kunkel and McCarrell to-day by Roger L Km
nett, United States district attorney for the Middle T )i ♦ |
T trict Counsel for the state held it did not appear !.. ■ X
y the U. S. had an/ interest in the case and that <t all < n' X'
JL the Bell Company had proceeded in violation of the law
Xof the state intrying to enforce the rates laid d nby ,X f
3 the postmaster general. y
x jj
X MONROE DOCTRINE TO BE SAFE IN PEACE jtj
Paris—The American'delegates to the Peace Confer- X
ence, it is said, are satisfied that the project for a Snci *y X
y of Naticns, as it will emerge from the committee now t Jp
handling the subject will not conflict with or impair the X
y vitality of the Monrbe Doctrine. X
$ MARRIAGE LICENSES f
y l"'r J. Krndle, ll(k Field, ra„ and Mjrtlr K. Tama, t.aata, X
H "' i <••" Headea aad Katella Pearl, Steeltoni Wtkalcr O. Spayder. *
f llummrlMown, aad Flla M. Wheeler, Stdt*a| Melehel Fedlle aad lib
<9* Leaa Pfarr, llarrlaburg, R. 1)., 3.
tiiiu m ii n.uum**ui 1111 ni
A. '■
Sproul was also praised for his at
titude on the amendnynt by "dry"
speukers.
Itcsult Applauded
The speakers for the resolution
were: John W. Vickerman, Alle
gheny; H. M. Showalter, Union; R.
L. Wallace and Charles' G. Jordan,
Lawrence, the latter the only doc
tor of divinity in the House,
Against the resolution were Williapt
T. Ramsey, Delaware; David Fowler,
Lackawanna, and William Davis,
Cambria.
The result was announced amid
much applause as soon as the roll
had bepn verified. When the reso
lution reached the Senate it went
to the Law and Order Committee.
The hearing was asked by the
Union Trades Liberty League which
presented a remonstrance declared
to be signed by 6-11,569 persons
against the ratification of the amend
ment.
Liquor People Glum
Messrs. Vickerman and Jordan
declared the ratification of the
amendment was a matter that Re
publicans had to undertake and eu
logized Governor Sproul as "splen
did."
Liquor people were glum over the
result and said harsh things about
Republican leaders who had insist
ed upon ratification, while the "drys"
were jubilant and predicted the
passage of the resolution by the
Senate.
The votes of Representatives Ulsh,
Millersburg, and Bechtold, Steel
ton, were cast in line with the Gov
[Coutinucd on Page B.]