The star-independent. (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, March 09, 1915, Image 1
THE WEATHER FATS TO-NIGHT AND TO-MORROW Ovtallrd Report. Pan • saws?" VOL. 77—NO. SI. TWO U. S. WARSHIPS ARE ORDEREDTOGOTOMEXICO AS CRISIS BECOMES ACUTE Wilson Administration Begins Taking Steps To Carry Out What the Diplomatic Corps Interpreted as an En tire Change of Atti tu d e Toward the Whole Mexican Sit uation FEARS OUTRAGES AT THE CAPITAL Serious Condition of Affairs In Mexico City Prompts Latest Move of Washington Officials to Carry Out Plans For the Protection of For eigners By Assortati d Press, Washington, March I).—American Consul Silliman telegraphed from Vera Croz to-day that he had been reliably informed that the evacuation of Mex ico City by the forces of General Obre gon began at I) o'clock last night. Washington, March ».—After a con feiwttce early to-day with President Wilson. Secretary Daniels ordered one cruiser and one battleship of the Atlan tic fleet from Guantanamo to Vera Cruz. Bear Admiral Fletcher, commanding the fleet, will choose the war vessels that are to go to Vera Cruz to reinforce the small craft already there. The only specification Secretary Daniels made in his order was that one of the ships should be a flagship, in order to put an officer of high rank in command of the forces. General Carranza in an oral reply to Counsel Silliman when the latter pre sented the note from the United States on conditions in Mexico City, entered a general denial that General Obregon had prevented food from entering Mex ico City or sent any supplies out of the city. Admiral Fletcher selected the armor ed cruiser Washington, now in Haitien waters, with Bear Admiral Caperton, and the battleship Georgia, command ed by Captain Bobert B. Goontz, now at Guantanamo, to proceed to Vera Cruz. Both ships, starting to-day, should be at Vera Cruz by Thursday night. Awaiting Carranza's Reply. U. S. Acts Washington, March 9. While await ing a reply to the representations to General Carranza to take steps to mi prove conditions in Mexico City, the administration to-day began taking steps to carry out what most of the foreign diplomatic corps here inter preted as an entire change of attitude toward the whole Mexican situation. Rear Admiral Fletcher, commanding the Atlantic fleet at Guantanamo, was Contlmird on Mnth I'ukf. SHE DIES FOR LACK OF DRUG New Germantown Woman Victim of New Federal Ban on Laudanum (Special to the Star-Independent.) Waynesboro, Pa., March 9.—A wom an, 45 years old. is dead at her home in New Germantown, near Fayette ville, who, according to her brother, died because she could not obtain lau danum any longer as a result of the federal ban on such drugs. According to her brother she had been accustomed to drink a good deal of lau danum, which she could buy without any trouble. On March 1 she'found out she eonld no longer obtain the drug and at once she began to fail. She con tinued to decline until death took her. STEELTON GETS BRIDGE JOB Will Build Structure on the Trenton Cut-off of the Pennsylvania Bailroad The Pennsylvania Steel Company, it ■was announced to-day, obtained the contract yesterday* for the erection of a steel bridge for the Pennsylvania l railroad on Mhe Trenton cut-off. The material will all be made and the bridge assembled at the Steelton plant of the steel eompany. This order is a comparatively small one, but, in connection with the Memphis bridge contract, assures a con tinuance of work in the bridge and con struction department in Steelton for s«veral months. Ok Star- JfeNw Ittkuettkiti Mill IS urannrn Says That Under 11 Pennsylvania Can not Be Ruled by the People IS WILLING TO HELP REVISE IT Attorney General Declares We Are Woefuliy in the Bear" of Other States in March Toward Fulfilling of Hopes of Our Forefathers Attorney General Brown, in a type written statement that he handed out to the newspapers this afternoon, de dared not only that under the preseut Constitution of Pennsylvania "we do not have a government of the people," but that "we certainly do not and cannot in this State, under the present. Constitution have a government by and for them." He added that Pennsylvania is "woe fully in the rear" of other stales, and offered to lend his assistance iu the preparation of a new Constitution. The Attorney General's statement was given out in explanation of his attitude in favor of holding a consti tutional convention, a« expressed in an interview printed in the Star-lndepeu dent jesterdWy, and is printed in full as follows: "When I sugg<>!*tod yesterday that I thought the time was ripe for a con vention I expressed my individual view as a citizen and a lawyer, ana did not assume to ejtprees the views of the Governor. What little talk I have had with him thereabout has be.en casual, and to declare the great and in some cases insurmountable difficulty, because Continued on Mnth V*ai?e MAYOR ISMJED. 3-TO-2 Republican Commissioners Beject His Man for Police Patrol Driver and Select Joseph Demrna By a 3-to-2 vote the City Commis sioners this afternoon defeated Mayor Royal's selection for chauffeur for the police auto patrol, to succeed Wilhelm .1. Mehring, resigned, appointing Joseph Bemma. 310 South Second street. Demmn is a member of tlhe Friendship Fire Company. Mehring resigned to take-over his late father's wholesale liquor business. Mayor Royal p.it in a resolution naming C. W. Hiffe-rt for the vacancy. Commissioner Lynch moved t-o amend by substituting' the name of Joseph Bemma. The amendment was carried, 3-to-2, aud the resolution as amended was carried by the .-tune vote. Repub lican Commissioners Lynch, Taylor and Bowman favored Bemma, and Mayor Royal and Commissioner Gorgas, Demo crats, voted against him. SI,OOO FOR STREET CLEANERS Lynch Ordinance Calls for Purchase of SpTinkler and Two Sweepers Under an ordinance introduced at the meeting of the City Commissioners this afternoon by Commissioner L.ynoh, SI,OOO is appropriated for the purchase of a street sprinkler and two street sweepers. The contract for furnishing the city with 5,000 tons of coal was awarded to J. Weiuer, as previously announced would be done. The Bauphin County Medical Soeietv sent in a letter utgiug the building of a municipal hospital. It was ordered filed. As forecasted, the ordinances providing for a watei main in Carlisle street and making an aj>propriation to pay the cost of street grading assess ments were introduced. BANK CASHIER A SUICIDE Walter L McJunkin, 00, Ends Own Life at Clearfield By Associated Press, Clearfield, Pa., March 9. —Walter L. McJunkin, assistant cashier of the Clearfield National bank, committed suicide in his room at a hotel last night. The body was found in bed this morn ing. McJunkin was a bachelor, 60 years old, and had been connected with the bank for 20 years There is no known reason for the suicide. The dead man was widely known throughout Western Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG, PA., TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 9, 1915—12 PAGES IM TRACTORS TO HAVE CIAHCE Taylor Changes Plan to Award Contracts To day and Gives Mor ton Co. Show IT MADE THE LOWER BIDS Postponement of Purchase of New Fire Apparatus Will Give Harrisburg Concern Opportunity to Prove Merits of Its Product The Morton Truck & Tractor Com pany, of this city, which submitted a lower hid than the out-of-town concern to which, it was reported, Park Com missioner M. Harvey Taylor ha-1 planned to award the contract for three motor tractors, for the H;irrisbarg Fire Department, will be given an oppor tunity to iiis|>4ay a sample of its trac tors, one thai now is beiug assembled and, consequently, is yet considered in the running for the contracts. This developed to-day when Commis sioner Taylor agreed not to ask the City Commissioners, at their meeting this afternoon, to awurd the contracts for the apparatus at this time. Pres sure had been brought to give the Morton people a fair chance to dem onstrate the merits of their tractor, ami Mr. Tavlor said this afternoon: •'We want to inspect the tractor which the Morton Company now is building. I expect to make my recom mendations for awarding the contracts for the apparatus at the meeting next Tuesday.'' It has practically been agreed among the City Commissioners, or at least a majority of that body, that the Morton firm shall get the contracts for two combination chemical wagons, of the type now being used bv the Friend ship Company. In addition the three trnctors are to be bought, two for steam tire engines and one for a ladder truck. Although the Morton bid waa » ontlnaril oa Ninth I*nicr. TAYLOR THINKS PRICE HIGH Asks i>ynoh If It Is True McCormick Estate Raised Figure on Plot When City Started Negotiations When the City Commissioners this afternoon decided to postpone for twen tv-four hours action on the ordinance providing for the purchase of a South !Xinth street plot from the Henry Mc- Cormick estate, as a site for the mu nicipal asphalt repair plant, Commis sioner Lynch told his colleagues that the $6,630 purchase price is more than .SIOO higher than that for which it orig inally was otfered. Park Commissioner Taylor, who queried Lynch on the subject, saying that rumors are afloat that the price was boosted after it became known that the City wanted the ground, declared that the price is too high. "I am not prepared to-day to vote on this ordinance," said Taylor. "I have nothing oilicial to show that the ground originally offered for sale for a lesser sum than $6,630," said •Lynch, " but I can say that Ratoi Sam uel Friedman, acting as agent for the owners, first advised me that the ground could be bought for $6 500. Later he came to me saying that the owners would not pay him his commission and he said it would be up to the City to pay it. Later I received that letter which fixes the price at $6.630. Fully a hundred voters in the First precinct of the First ward, in a petition to the City Commissioners, protested against placing the repair plant on the South Ninth street plot. The Commis sioners decided to postpone action on the ordinance until to-morrow afternoon at 1 o'clock. After their meeting to day they inspected the site. LIKES CHAIRMAN'S DRESS SUIT Salus Asks Senate to Bequire Kline to Wear It Every Time He Presides Senator Kline, President Pro Tem. of the Senate, was one of the guests who last night attended the dinuer given by Governor Brumbaugh at the Executive Mansion to the members" of the Superior Court, and because of this he appeared in the Senate to pre side attired in evening dress of the latest cut. Such a vision of sartorial effulgence has seldom been seen in the Senate, and it so impressed Senator Salus that he offered the following resolution: "Be It Resolved, That in the inter est or dignity due the Senate of Penn sylvania, that the President Pro Tem. of the Senate be requested hereafter to appear at all evening sessions in full evening dress." The handsome presiding officer heard the resolution read and explain ed that his reason for appearing in evening dress was because of the Gov ernor's dinner. He said he could not find it convenient in the future to comply with the resolutiou. / In the meantime, he said, he would refer it to the committee on Law and Order. The laugh was on Senator Silus. Military Bill Is Reported The new bill for the reorganization of the National Guard along the lines oif the regular army as proposed by the United States War Department, " was reported favorably from the Military Committee in the Senate this morning. Senate then took a recess until 8 o'clock this evening. LEADING CHARACTERS IN Thut Greece Is at the parting of the ways, with her King exerting his Influence to maintain the neutrality of bis country in opposition to Mr. Elentherios Venlrelos, the retiring Premier, and the man to whom Greece owes her revival, is the opinion of Europe. Mr. Venlxelos announced the resignation of himself and his Cabinet, as King Con stantlue did not approv; the policy of the government Mr. Venlrelos clearly Indicated that the difference between him and the monarch was over the question of peace and war. He said he had advised the King to select as a new Premier, Mr. Zaim.j, governor of the National Bank, who, he said, would follow a policy of neutrality which hi hoped would not endanger Greece's newly acquired territory. Mr. Alexander Zalmls was Governor of Crete from the autumn of 1906 until 1011, succeeding Trlnce George of Greece at the mandate of the European Powers. lis career has been brilliant. He bears, moreover, a name which is honored In Greece and which he has enhanced \ j the possession of a large fortune and the exercise of administrative talents of a high order. fif ID ACCOUNT OF LA HIE Fi Life Belts Distributed and Boats Prepared For Instant Use As Flames Rage SENT S. O. S. CALLS AS A PRECAUTION No Disorder and No Panic Among the Passengers, Who Accepted the Sit uation Calmly in Belief That Blaze Would Be Ccnquered By Asmciatai Press, Havre, March 9.—A rigid inquiry already has been begun into all phases of the tire at sea ot boar.', thu Freneh Line steamer La Touraine, wtlieh Uoeked here at 4 o'clock yesterday aft ernoon and landed safely all her pass engers. Admiral Charlier, of the Min istry of Marine, and Director Duorol, of the Compagnie Generale Transatlant ique, boarded the vessel upon her ar rival and started the investigation at once. Tiie report of Admiral Charlier will be submitted to the government. The passengers apparently were none the worse for their thrilling ex perience. The lire, which was confined to one of the holds, was extinguished at midnight Sunday and the last stage of the voyage was completed without inci dent. Life Belts Were Distributed Life belts were distributed among the passengers and the boats were pre pared for instant use as soon ns tho Hames were discovered, but at no time was there any real danger, according to a statement made by Captain Caussin, who declared the 8. O. S. calls for as sistance were sent out merely as a measure of precaution. There was no disorder and no panic, he said, the passengers accepting the situation calm ly in the belief that the fire would be conquered and that other steamers would reply promptly to the wireless summons. The steamer Rotterdam, one of the vessels which answered La Touraine's Continued on Sixth I'see. FILL PROPOSITION POSTPONED Taylor Withholds Plan to Buy Dirt From Company Giving It Away Park Commissioner Taylor this after noon decided to postpone for one week bis pro[K>sed request on the City Com missioners for an appropriation to pur chase additional! dirt for the river bank fill along Front street, between Calder and Maclay. Taylor's reported plan was to get the dirt from the Bivwn-King Construc tion Company, contractors who are grading the railroad freight station site. These contractors are albout to be [-aid $4,000 for 15,000 cubic yards of dirt thrown over the river bank, dirt which originally, as by the Star-Independent, wo.s to have been dumped and graded, without cost to the owner, on a piece of South Harris burg ground owned by the Henry Mc- Cormick estate. The City Commissioners this after noon decided to print departmental re ports covering the last yenr's work. These are to substitute the voluminous: "annual reports" which had been got ten up yearly by the City Clerk. SIO,OOO STATE COLLEGE FIRE Residence and Valuable Library of Reg istrar Destroyed State College, Pa., March 9.—The residence and valuable library of A. 11. Espenshnde, registrar of the Pennsyl vania State CoTifge, was destroyed "by fire to-day. Sparks from a chimney ignited the shingle roof. The loss is said to be SIO,OOO. Need Beds for Poor Family Social workers for the Dauphin coun ty board of poor directors are in neea of two full sired bed* for a poor fam ily. The directors will be glad to send for the beds if they learn of any that will be given for this work. HOUSE APPROVES ISEASURER BILL Passes Measure Per mitting Third Class Cit3 r Voters to Elect Financial Officer LIVELY DEBATE FOR HALF HOUR Amendment to Clark Commission Gov ernment Act Goes Through Lower Branch by Vote of 121 to 01— ■ Harrisburg Members for It The Riningsr bill amending the Clark Commission Form of Government act for third class cities by requiring that the City Treasurer bo elected by the people instead of by the City Commis sioners was responsible for a debate of half an hour in the House of .Repre sentatives this morning before it was passed on third reading. It now goes to the Senate where, politicians say, its chances are not considered good. The vote in the House was 121 for and 61 against. Tno Harrisburg. members voted for the measure and worked for its passage. City Solicitor tieitz, of Harrisburg, was in the hall when the measure was be ing discussed. I Air. Ramsey, of Delaware, opened lire on the bill, pleading that the Clark act has not had a sufficient tryout. He said the City Treasurer is merely a tax re ceiver. -Mr. Rininger, of Blair, the sponsor of the bill, laid stress on the fact that the City Treasurer administers the school funds over which the City Com mission has no control. When his mo tive was assailed by Mr. Spangler, of \ork, as being selfish, and when the statement was made that a local con dition 'brought out this bill, Mr. Rining er said he had the unanimous backing of the electorate of Altoona before he consented to introduce the measure. Half a Dozen Join Debate Mr. Spangler said that the Third Class League, composed of mayors and city solicitors trom all parts of the State, met in Harrisburg and decided on amendments to the Clark Act which were thought necessary and those amendments did not include this one. Half a dozen other members got iuto a debate on whether the electors are able to choose their public officials to better advantage than the City Com- Continued oc Seventh Pagt FLEMING MANSION HEARING SET Court Will Pass on the Civic Club's Claim, Without Jury, on April 3 Hearing in the suit brought by tho Harrislburg Civic Olub against Frank Payne and the Central Trust Company of N'env York City, in an effort to es tablish the Club's title to the Fleming mansion on North Front street, will ibe conducted by Judges Kunkel and iMoCarrell, without a jury, on April 5, next. This was decided this morning when attorneys in the case announced the questions of fact virtually have been agreed upon so that a jury trial will not be necessary and the court will have only the legal issue to deal with. The sole question is whether the property grant contained in the will of the late Virginia Fleming, which pro vides that the Fleming home shall go to the Civic Cluib, shall continue in force since the club was not a corpor ation at the time the will became ef fective. Mr. Payne is now living in the house and his only connection with the case i* that he doesn t know who is entitled to receive tihe rent from him. Wants Vaccination naade a Crime Representative Horace W. Cromer, of Allegheny, introduced a bill in the House this morning prohibiting vaccina tion and fixing a fine of SSOO or im prisonment for six months as the pen-' alty. CALLS HIS WIFE "Li" 111 HI outh Is Reprimanded By Judge Who ThreatenstoJail Him For Contempt LIVELY FAMILY ROW IS AIRED Mrs. Howard Croft Testifies That Her Mother-in-Law Ordered Her and the Baby Out of the House ' 'Never to Return" "You're h liar, ' snapped Howatd Croft this morniiig when his pretty bride of a year, who was before Judges Kunkel and MeCarreH pleading that she has been neglected by her husband, related her side of a "too much mother in-law story > and charged Croft with being overbearing and bossy. The youthful husband's face became flushed and he seemed about to say something more, bat he was silenced by Judge Kunkel, who said: "We don't allow people to talk that way here. We will commit you for contempt if you don't be careful. Don't you know better than that?" "Yes, sir,'' the youth replied, meekly. "Is that the kind of language you used at hornet" was another question of the court. "No, sir," the youth replied. "Yes, he does," rejoined Mrs. Croft, "and his mother uses that kind of language, too. " "So that is the kind of a man you are," commented Judge iMcCarrell. Wife Blames Mother-in-Law The voun,; couple in their testimony agreed that there has been much inter ference from the young man's mother. The wife declared that she was ordered from the house "never to return again" by the mother-in-law. March Continued «in Mnth Pnic. MORE THAN 18,000 TURKS CAPTURED BY RUSSIANS I#ondon, March 9, 5.15 A. M.—Since the beginning of the war with Turkey, says a Petrograd dispatch to Reuter's Telegram Company, the Kussdans have captured four Turkish pashas, 337 of fers and 17,675 soldiers. A Russian .official retport from head quarters in the Cauvasus issued dn January 5, in describing what purport ed to be a complete victory over the Turks at Sari-Kamysh, said : "We have beaten two Turkish army corps ami made the entire Ninth Turk ish army corps, including its comman der and three division commanders, prisoners.'' An army corps is composed of ap proximately 40,000 men. LATE WARIEWS SUMMARY Both the right and left flanks of the German forces in Northern Poland have been dislodged, Petrograd dispatches state, from the positions they took up on the advance from East Prussia. The German right wing it. said to have beaten a hasty letreat to within eight miles of the border. To-day's official report from Berlin, however, states that the Russian offensive is being met successfully. Several Russian assaults in this region are said to have been re pulsed. The battle in Champagne has become less violent. Snow has interrupted fighting in the Vosges and elsewhere along the western front there is no great activity. The day's official re ports from Berlin and Paris mention only local engagements of comparative ly small importance. A further advance by the Russian Continued w Ninth Pace. POSTSCRIPT PRICE, ONE CENT. GREECEAND SiiLjARIAIN WAR CRISES Both Countries Now In Tumult Over Differ* ences Concerning the European Struggle RADOSLAVOFF IS OVERTHROWN Bulgarian Premier Reported to Have Been Ousted Because He Desired to Take Immediate Action Against Turkey by Reoccupying Adrianople Paris, Mnrrh 9, 5 A. M.—A min isterial crisis similar to that in Greece lias occurred i" Bulgaria, according to information reaching Paris. Premier Radoslavort' is reported to have been overthrown by tho influence of King Ferdinand and the followers of Dr. Ghe»ailieff, former foreign minister, ba cause he desired to take immediate ac tion against Turkey by reoccupyinjf Adrianople. KadoslavoiT's opponents are said to have declared this policy, which would have placed Bulgaria in opposition to Germany and Austria, was too ad venturous. Although this information has not been definitely confirmed it is generally believed 'in French oilicial circles that lifldoslavoff had resolved to march on Adrianople if Greece pronounced for I tho triple entente and that Venizolos ! made such an announcement at Athens ; when the question of intervention came ; "P- To Form New Cabinet in Greece Athens, Via Paris, March !), 4.45 A. M.—M. Gounaris, deputy for patras, i has consented at the request of the i King Constantino to undertake the task of forming a now Cabinet. It reported that M. BeJtuiljii, who yv;i:s ' foreign minister in the Tlieotok'is Ca.'ji» net, has consented to take that pni'fc folic under the leadership of M. (roun aris. M. Gounaris has submit his ministers to the king and it is under stood obtained an agreement that the chamber shall be dissolved if the sup porters of the ministry are in the , minority, which is considered highly , probable. The now premier is expected i to favor the continued neutrality of Greece. Greece has been facing a Cabinet crisis since the end of iiist week, when M. Venizelos, the premier, who favors i Greek participation in the war on the side of the allies, resigned because his : policy did not meet with the approval : oif King Coustantine, who desired that ! the country remain neutral. 1 To Vote on Urgent Measures Paris. Mirch 8, 9.30 A. M. —A Hav | us dispatch from Athens contains the I following quotation from the "Patris," which is published in the Grecian cap -1 itnl: "King Constantino wrote M. Veni zelos emphasizing the necessity of the convocation of the Chamber of Deputies Ito vote on urgent measures. M. Vcn | izelos repliod that lie had consented, in view of the abnormal conditions re sulting from his resolution, that the new Cabinet might appear before the new Chamber without conforming to j the constitution and gave his assurance that he would not insist upon the dis ' solution of the Chamber if the new | Cabinet obtained a vote of confidence. "Further than that, M. Venizelos ! said he would make no concessions. He j declared thut he could not, as the chief of tiho majority, consent that his party should support b/ its votes a policy I that the outgoing Cabinet had declared. | was disastrous for the country." ' German Press on Greek Situation , Berlin, Via Amsterdam and London, i March 9, 3.45 A. M. —The GeTman ' newspapers discuss the Greek situation ! on the assumpt'on that M. Venizelos, j the retiring Premier, wanted Greece to participate in the war, while the King j and General Dus.nania favored con tinued neturalitv. Theodor Wolff, ed i itor-in-eJiief of the, "Berliner Tage ' blatt," says in his paper: "The King's bold step has not freed him permanently from the war enthusi asts, as M. Venizelos has a majority of | the Parliament The majority of the newspapers and the coffee house orators j favor England and if another Darda j nelles fort falls, a great popular dem- , onstratiou will be seen in Athens. How- I over, as soon as the budget passes, tho ' King can send Parliament home. Since lie has the army's support, the denrn- I gogues are not so formidable as they ■ appear.'' Third Judgeship Bill Advanced The Nissley bill providing for a third | judge for Dauphin county passed sec- I ond reading in the Senate this morning. It already ha« passed the House. WALL STREET CLOSING By dissociated Pi cas. New York, March o.—Diversion of : speculative interest to the special class caused renewed selling of leading stocks, particularly Reading, Ste«l and Amalgamated. The closing was heavy. Stocks moved irregularly to-day, with the Mexican situation acting as a re straining influence.