THE < IMAHA IV (iRNING BEE
VOL. .V2-NO. 18.1. _s:r V T'lttr zr:, _o.maha, THURSDAY, January-is, 1923. » 80:„r & «r :,r VV..*r &l,u'Jtr&*£^,?2i£ Zn»: two cents
-—-.---,.rt -tl
Pal Tells
Of Shotgun
T r a g e cl y
‘’White River Whilie” De
clares Karl Williams. Taken
Dying to Hospital. \ ietim
of Accidental Shooting.
Carried ] of Rum
llarolrl Wt stbrook. know n among
bootleggers and rum runners as
"Whitt River Whitie," because In*
(•.Ills White Hiver, H I >.. lbs home and
has extremely light hair, yesterday!
related in a musical voice the llttl.
incident of a rum i unniug party last 1
Monday night which resulted in tlie
death of one of the runners.
"Whilie' was a witness at the in-i
quiry yesterday afternoon at fir*
Johnson & Swanson undertaking
establishment* into the death of air
.other young man known as Karl Wil
liams, whose body lay in a room ad
joining that where tke inquest was
held. Williams was only 25. His
blond hair, six or eight inches long
on top, was worn "pompadour,” after
the manner much affected nowadays
by snappy youths.
’'Whitie’ and another young occu
pant of the booze car. testified yestei
day. The other young man's name ii
Claude Dixon, 6822 North Thirty!
third street.
Both Appear Harmless.
Both wore natty blue serge suits!
and looked like quiet, law-abiding !
young men. But police say they both '
have long criminal records.
"What’s your business?" County
Coroner Paul Stelnwender asked
Westbrook. It actually made the
young man laugh. Such a foolish
question! But he recovered lbm&elf
quickly.
"Why—fartffer,” he said, amiably.
i\ hich made the detectives smile .i
little.
He told how he and Dixon, by pre
arrangement, met Williams and a
man named Bud Martin in a Stud •
baker oar at Fifteenth street and
t'npitol avenue, Monday night. AVil
Hams and Martin had run in a cargo of
^whisky and they were going to help,
them get rid of it, he said. He men !
tloned the bag? of whisky several!
times.
Drove Out of Tovrti.
They drove out of town, he testi
fied, and as they passed a culvert,
they decided to hide the shotgun,
which was in the car. Williams ran
hack to hide It. they heard two shots
and hastened buck, finding him groan
ing "I'm done for." They rushed him
to the University hospital.
Dixon gave the s*me testimony.
Jle described his business as rooting
contractor and said he had told Wll
Kants that he would help hint dispose
of the next load of li'tuor he brought
in to Omaha. It was In accordance
with this promise that they met the
two rum runners Monday night, he
said.
• City Detective Trapp, one of the
officers who arrested the youths Tues
day and who later went to the scene
of the shooting, gave It as his opinion
that the death of Williams was acci
dental.
Accidental Shooting.
The jury returned a verdict of acci
dental shooting.
But police are trying to solve sev
eral problems that don't coincide with
this verdict.
If the gun was discharged acci
dentally. why were both barrels dis
charged? Why did the bocie runners
"want to get rid of the gun" at all?
And what is the real name of the dead
youth and where does he live? The
laundry mark on his shirt is “C.
which, the police point out, does not
stand for Earl Williams.
Sioux City police say that West
brook' is wanted there for auto thefts.
Find Blood-Stained J'ar.
A Ttuick touring car on which oil j
r had apparently been poured and then ;
ignited, was discovered by Detective j
William Cieh at Fifty-second -street 1
and Redmond avenue. It was taken 1
to the Military garage in Benson,
where close scrutiny revealed many 1
blood spots on the machine.
Detectives Paltntag. Murphy, Trapp
and Munch were assigned to determine
if this is the automobile in which
Earl William, rum runner, was bornb
fatally wounded to University hospi
tal. w here he died from bullet wounds
without regaining consciousness.
The machine, police record show,
was stolen from C. J. Junge of Kin
< oln at Eighteenth and Douglas
streets, the night of January It.
In addition to Westbrook and
Dixon, John K. Hogan and John T.
(Iratton and Mrs. K. Davis, 6322
North Twenty-second street, have
l>een taken into custody following
Williams' mysterious death.
Canadian Export Show
Decrease for December
Ottawa, Jan. 17.—Canada, during
December, exported 40.669.119 bushels
of wheat, valued at $46,110,896. In
December 1921, wheat exports were
34.492,223 bushels, valued at $37,371,
793.
News pryit paper exported in De
cember totaled 1,710,110 hundred
weight. valued at $6,127,9$1. Exports
in December, 1921, were 1,453,193
hundredweight valued at $5,708,178.
1 Earthquake itr Wyoming.
Sheridan, Wyo., Jan. 17. — An
earthquake shock was reported In
Sheridan at 1 this afternoon. Resi
dents of the Dome lake territory near
here reported dishes were rattled and
pictures shaken from walls. The tre
mor lasted for 40 seconds.
•
Cracksmen Suspects Held
Following Mystery Death
This quartet Is being held hy police for investigation into suspicions
that they may Is' members of a gang of cracksmen. They were arrested
following the mysterious death of Earl Williams, runt runner. They are,
tipper right, John II. Ilogan; upper left, John T. (irutton; lower right, Claude
Oixon, anil, lower left. Harold Westbrook, alia-s White River Wliltey.
British Will Ask
Instructions on
. Debt Refunding
Representatives to Sail for
Home Saturday—Negotia
tions to Be Resumed
at Later Date.
Washington, Jnn. 17,—<By A. P.)— i
Negotiations between the American
anti British debt commissions concern
ing the refunding of Great Britain’s
\sar debt to the United States have
reached a stage regarded as making 1
desirable a personal report by the ;
British to the cabinet at home before
the continuation of efforts to reach
even a tentative agreement on tcrmsN
The conversations which have con- ,
tinned for 10 days will be suspended
after Thursday's joint session and the :
British will sail Saturday. The time |
and manner of the resumption of the j
negotiations then will rest with the
London government.
In both British and American cir- ,
cles today it was cm pa si zed that there ;
would be only a suspension of negotia- ,
tions; that a settlement of the debt
must and would be reqehed. Both
sides to the negotiations also were
agreed that a speedy adjustment was i
desirable because of the effect upon :
world conditions generally. •
Americans Hopeful.
Whether an agreement in principle !
—and so far as tho authority of the
American commission is concerned,
it can be no more than that—will
come in time for formal action on it
by congress, at the present session
which has only six weeks to run. can- j
not be foretold. The Americans are i
extremely hopeful that it will, for i
otherwise the agreement could not
become i ffertive under a year, as
President Harding has often stated
his determination not to call an extra !
session of the new congress. From .
the first the British have expressed a !
desire for an early settlement and .
they are fully cognizant of the situa
tion here which might make for a long
delay.
Just, how far apart the commissions
are at this time neilher side will say,
but in American quarters it is de
clared that the difference in views is
1 not great. The interest rate eonsti
jtutes the chief point of debate.
Ip to Governments.
Both commissions find themselves
| in much the same position as regards
the requirement of governmental
'sanction to any terms reached.
The Americans must go directly to
congress for approval of the refund
ing arrangement and naturally they
have frankly stated to the British that
they coufd not accede to conditions of
i settlement which could not be ex
pected to receive ready ratification by
that body.
Likewise the British mission must
J act in full accord with the desires of
the London cabinet which, in forming
I its ultimate judgment, could be ex
| pected to have regard for the question
! of whether tfie terms could be expect
ed to meet with the approval of a ma
jority In parliament. It was explain
ed that one principal reason for the
return of the British mission at this
stage was to put Premier Bonar I.aw’s
parliamentary lieutenants in posses
sion of the facts necessary to guide
i them in their action in parliament. _
Committee Delves
Into Affairs of
Sinclair Company
Teapot Dome Controversy Is
Carefully Avoided in Ques
tioning Head of Oil
Interests.
Washington. Jan. 17.—With Harry
F. Sinclair again as its chief witness,
the senate oil investigation committee
delved deeply today into the affairs of
the Sinclair Oil companies. Hut again
skirted the edges of the Teapot Dome
controversy, in which Mr. Sinclair
is one of the principals.
The committee, which is headed by
Senator i.a Follette of Wisconsin, one
of ! he leading critics of the action of
i he Harding administration in leasing
the Teapot Dome naval oil reserve in
Wyoming to the Sinclair interests,
had Mr. Sinclair beforp it for more
than four hours. During that time
Gilbert K. Roe, the committee attor
ney, asked detail after detail as to
the operations of the Sinclair com
pany. but those who crowded th4 com
mittee room expecting to see Chair
man I-a Follette and the witness lock
horns over the Teapot Dome matter
had to leave without having heard the
words “Teapot Dome” spoken either
by the witness or his Investigators.
Quizzed About Stock.
Mr. Sinclair was asked in some de- i
tail as to the disposition of the ap- j
proximately 2,005,000 shares of stock
he received from the Mammoth com
pany in return for the lease to Tea
pet Dome. One million shares ap
proximately, he said, were exchanged
for shares of the Hyva Oil company,
another Sinclair corporation; 210,000
shares were given back to the Mam
moth company and sold by it for
$3,250,000 for development purposes, j
and the remainder were held by him. !
He saiii the stock now had a value of I
$52 of $62 a share, according to New !
York curb quotations
Leaving the Mammoth company,
the inquiry turned toward two of the J
other Sinclair companies, the Sinclair
Crude Oil Purchasing company and ;
the Sinclair Pipe Line company, both '
of which are owned jointly by the
Sinclair Consolidated Oil corporation
and the Standard Oil company of In
diana.
Explains -lump in Price.
The testimony regarding the crude!
oil purchasing company had much to
do with prices paid for crude oil In
• he mid-continent field in 1020, when
the price of oil rose, within three
months, from $2.75 a barrel to $3.50
a barrel, to continue at the higher
price throughout a portion of 1921
and to be reflected in high gasoline*
prices. Mr. Sinclair, in a long de
tailed discussion of the matter, told
the committee the price increase, as
made by ids company, was due to
indications of a crude oil shortage and
although all the larger companies in
the .field ^lade increases almost
simultaneously, it was without con
ference. Incidentally, he declared that
higher prices for crude oil in the near
future might be expected.
The examination of Mr. Sinelair
as to the pipe line company had to
do largely with its relations to the
Standard of Indiana, and when the
inquiry turned to the various Sinclair
refining /companies the witness was
. temporarily excused
S
Plan to Take
West Indies
Gains Favor
\ ice President Loolidge and
Leaders Support Proposal
to Accept Islands in Part
Payment of War Debt.
Check to Rum Traffic
Washington. Jan. 17.—Strong sen
timent has developed in both houses
of congress In f.nnr of the proposal
of acquisition of the British and
French AA'est Indies in part payment
of the war fh bt, owed the i'nited
tfta ^ hy Clreat Britain and France.
A ice President Cooiidge and many
leaders who favor acquisition of the
islands in the interest of strengthen
ing the natural defenses of conti
nental I'nited States and tile Panama
ounal have been joined by tbe "drys"
who hold that with the AA'est Indies
under American control the rum run
ning could he suppressed.
"The reason for our interest in tlieso
possessions." said A4oe President
Foolidge, "is increased by our interest
in the Panama canai. They tire natu
hal tfrtns to its approach, as well as
natural harriers for its defense.
Should Consult People.
"It will lie necessary to consult ex
perts in order in make a determina
tion of the financial value which
would accrue from these possible an
nexations. That is only one element
to consider, but a most important ele
ment. It would lie highly desirable,
if not absolutely necessary, to secure
some expression of opinion from the
people most Interested, who are the
people resident in these locations."
Senator Moses, republican, New
Hampshire, .a member of the foreign
relations committee, declared in favor
of llie proposition, tHat it would
round out American control of Ihe
western hemisphere.
Seatnr Mclviley, republican Illinois,
who has traveled extensively in the
West Indies, is opposed to the pur
chase.
"The people down there are incap
able of self government, arid I do not
believe we should add to our burdens
in that dlrecitop," said Senator Mc
Kinley. “I am not impressed with
the argument that the islands are
necessary to our national security be
cause we already hold the key posi
tions to the West Indies."
Source of Liquor.
Much of the liquor that is being
smuggled into the United States
comes from the Bahama islands. Be
cause of their proximity to the Flor
ida coast, these islands are used as
a base of operations by rum runners
doing business with thirsty citizens of
continental United States.
fSenator Willis, republican, Ohio,
one of the authors of the Uampbell
Willis anti-beer bill, and Senator Ster
ling, republican. South Dakota, com
monly regarded as the leader of the
more radical “drys" in the senate, de
clared themselves strongly in favor j
of acquiring the West Indian islands. |
"I am most heartily in favor of ac- j
tion looking to the acquisition of the
islands,” said Mr. Willis. "It would
he a great aid to the enforcement of
prohibition in tho United States and
would shut off one of the biggest
sources of bootleg liquor. I favor the
acquisition of the islands for other
reasons also but it would be a boon
to prohibition enforcement.”
Sheppard Favors Plait.
Senator Sheppard, democrat, Tex
ts, author of the 18th amendment,
expressed himself in favor of the
proposal, although he though pro
hibition enforcement would ■ succeed
without it. Representative Volstead,
republican, Minnesota, author of the
Volstead enforcement act, said he did
not think the proposal would ever go
through and therefore saw no reason
for discussing it. .
Prohibtion leaders, it is under
stood, have already been making some
quiet informal inquiries to ascertain
the attitude of the British govern
ment on the question. They were told
by one high British official compe
tent to speak for his government, that
"Britain was not in the real estate
business," but that in ease any deal
was entered into it would be necessary
to provide “a charter of freedom” for
the British subjects involved in the
transfer.
T ---
1.000 Hunt Foxes.
Ashland, Jan. 16.—More than 1,000 j
participated in the fox hunt which j
included closing in on the whole of 1
Orange township, one fox being ,
bagged and two getting away.
Not Only How Many—
But How Good
That’s the principle most Omaha Bee “Want”
Ad advertisers go on when they want to fill any
particular need.
FURNISHED room with private family.
References required. KE 2539.
This rocyn was rented in two hours after the above
advertisement appeared in The Omaha Bee for
the first time.
r When YOU have a vacant room—or a house—or
an apartment—to rent, telephone AT lantic 1000
and ask for Miss Smith, our "For Rent” specialist.
Read and Use Omaha Bee "Want” Ads—
. the Bee-Line to Results
The Boy in the Jam.
More
Power
Legislative
) ^NTRY
[APPpiio •>(
| Powers
UwoirtTW*
1\ ?oXEf^S
Harding, 111 from
Grip, Stops Work
Washington, Jan. 17.—President
Harding cancelled all of his engage
ments today in order to remain in
lied on account of an attack of grip.
It Was said at the White House that
the day of rest was decided on merely
as a precautionary measure and that
the president's condition showed no
serious developments.
Secretary Christian, after a visit to
the president's room, said his chief
felt “a very little worse” than he did
yesterday when lie attended the cabi
net meeting, but spent I lie remainder
of the day lying down. He lias been
suffering from a heavy cold for sev
eral days.
Ilrig. Urn. Sawyer, the White House
physician, described the president's
indisposition as "a slight attack of
grip, such as about everyone else is
having here now.”
The president lias a little fever in
termittently, such as one would “nat
urally have with tile grip,” Dr. Saw
yer said. He added that if Mr. Hard
ing had followed Ids own inclinations
lie would have spent today at his
desk.
$500,000, Fire Destroys
Buildings in Baltimore
Baltimore, Md., Jan. 17.—A repeti
tion of the conflagration of 11104 when
practically the entire business section
was destroyed was threatened here
today when two five story brick build
ings in the clothing and warehouse
district were destroyed. The loss was
estimated at approximately $500,000.
When these buildings were on fire,
the ltock Hill College at Kllicott City,
near here, also burned, bringing the
total of fires in the vicinity of Bal
timore to Hourly three-quarters of a
million dollars.
The wholesale district fire started
within a short distance of the origin
of tlie loot disaster.
Fire Drives 150 Persons
from Chicago Apartments
Chicago, Jan. 17 -r-N'early 150 per
sons were driven from their apart
ments today when fire attacked three
buildings on Michigan avenue at the
northern end of automobile row. Two
floors of furniture in storage were de- i
stroved in a three-story building where
the fire started. Considerable property
damage resulted.
I
Day’s Activities
in Washington
President Harding, a victim of
grippe, cancelled all engagements and
remained in bed.
The house voted down a proposal to
< ut the enlisted strength of the regu
lar army from 125,000 to loO.uOO men.
Hearings on plans for consolidation
of trunk lines in the northwest were
resumed before the Interstate Com
merce commission.
Possibility of the British debt com
mission, before it sails for home Sat
urday, reaching a tentative agree- \
ment with the American commission
ers was considered remote.
•
Prohibition authorities, in an effort
to prevent illegal conversion of indus
trial alcohol to a beverage base, de- I
cided to deny manufacturing permits j
to a number of concerns.
Approval was given by the house
flood control committee to a bill which
would authorize an annual $10,000,000
appropriation for flood control work
on the Mississippi river and tribu
taries.
Ohio members of the house unani
mously agreed to support Representa
tive Longworth of Cincinnati, son-in
law of tlie latrv President Roosevelt,
for republican floor leader In the next
congress.
Present Indications Point
to Continuation of Boom
Washington, Jan. 17.—Indications
point to a continuation of the build- 1
ing boom throughout the country this 1
spring. Halos of fabricated structural
steel took an upward swing in De- j
cember, the census bureau announces. ;
carrying the year’s estimated sales to )
1,929.400 tons, or 84.3 per cent of
the shop production capacity. The'
sales exceeded those of 1921 by al
most a million tons and were the j
highest in the last 10 years.
December's estimated total book- !
ings aggregated 145,800 tons. That j
was 20 per cent more than Novem- j
her bookings and marked the turning .
point from a series of seasonal de- '
clines in fabricated steel orders.
Nebraska Photographer
Roasted Alive in Room
Mobile, Jan. 17.—C. T. Hodstrom, 29,
a traveling photographer of Uoldrege,
Nt?b., was literally roasted alive lure
v< sterday by an explosion of flash
light powder in his room. His death Is
surrounded in mystery and an inquest ,
has been ordered for today.
Burglar Shoots Lincoln Man.
Lincoln, Jan. 17.— Norman Walt, I
son of a Lincoln .business man was
shot in the leg by a burglar, whom
young Walt surprised as the man
was attempting to gain entrance to
the Walt home. The wound, phy
sicians said, is not serious. The rob
ber escaped.
_________ 1
107 } ears Old.
Victory, Vt„ Jan. 18.—John Mor
ton, a well-known citizen of this j
town, recently celebrated his 197th !
birthday. Morrott is in good health,
ran see un/l hear excellently. He was
married 80 years ago, and three of
his four children are living.
V
Plans Made to Double
Stock of Anaconda
_
New York, .Tan. 17:—-The Anacoqda
Mining company will ask authority to
increase its capital stock from 3,000,
000 shares of $30 par value to 6.000,
000 shares at a special meeting of
stockholders soon, it was reported to
day. No official confirmation or de
nial could he gained from officers of
the company or bankers handling the
$160,000,000 financing of the recent
purchase of the Chile Copper com
pany by the Anaconda. It was
pointed out, however, that approxi
mately 1,000,000 shares of the Ana
conda stock will be required to cover
conversion of the $50,000,000 15-year,
7 per cent debentures which will be
offered Thursday. .
Also there will remain in the treas
ury of the Anaconda company $100,
000,000 unissued bonds of an author
ized issue of $200,000,000, half of
which was sold today to help finance
the Chile Copper company acquisi
tion.
Air Mail Pilot Flics from
Frisco to Reno in 78 Minutes
Reno, Nev.. Jan. 17.—Pilot Harry
V. Hucking, air mail flyer, clipped a
minute off the fastest previous time
ever made between San Francisco
and Reno Monday when he negotiated
the distance in one hour and 18 min
utes. The time was taken whe*
Hucking left the ground at the Sab
Francisco field and when he landed
here.
Hucking passed over the Reno
field in one hour and spven minutes
after leaving San Francisco, but his
speed was so great that he lost some
time circling in order to land!
The official air line mileage be
tween San Francisco and Reno is
195, but fliers assert about 225 miles
must be covered in the flight.
Beatrice Murder Trial
Starts in District Court
Beatrice, Neb.. Jan. 17.—(Special.)—
Francis South. 20, went on trial 1n
district court, charged with the mur
der of Charles Wolf, who was slug
ged and robbed the night before !
i hanksgiving, dying of his injuries
two days later. Implicated with South
are Francis Stewart and George War
ren, who will he given separate trials.
Many were unable to gain admission
to the courtroom because of the
crowd.
Cold Wave Sweeps Italv.
Rome, Jan. 17.—A cold wave is 1
sweeping Italy, being especially felt in
the Alps and the Appeuineq. where
shepherds are endangered by blizzards.
In the Ligurian Appenlnes above San
Romico a patrol of soldiers was caught
in a blizzard and one died of cold.
Two are nitssln~ and are thought to
have suffered a similar fate. The re
mainder were almost frozen when
rescued.
The Weather
Forecast.
Thursday partly cloudy and warmer.
Hourly Temperatures.
.* a. 111. ;t|
A h. m. . ;{•»
: «. m. M
H a. m. . . |5
'■» a. m. *(«;
HI h, m. 4.S
11 a. n». 45
I* noon 4H
I p. «. so
- I>. 111. .Vi
:t p. pi. .->»;
i p. in. !
3 p. m. M '
1 P- m. S5 |
< p. m. .VI
* p. m. S:i 1
/
Plan Made
to Mobilize
Conscripts
Coal and Coke From Kulir
\ alley Seized l>y French—
\\ ill Start Working
State Forests.
Industrial Plant Closed
Ignition. .Ian. 17.—The Riga corre
spondent of the Times says lie lenms
from reliable sources llial (lie Kus.
siun soviet government lias derided
• ° mobilize file five-year conscripts
with a view of-assisting f.ermany.
should (iemtuny decide to resist
French action.
Paris, Jan. 17.—(By PI — Tht»
French government has begun its
policy of requisitioning in tire ltuhr.
it was announced this evening. Five
thousan eight hundred tons of enko
nnd tiOO tons of coal, which the Her
mans had loaded In cars, was taken
and rerouted for distribution among
the allies.
The French, llelgian and Italian!
governments today gave the order im
mediately to commence working the
state forests on the left bank of the
I thine as penalty for Hermany s de
fault in the delivery of timber, as es
tablished by the decision of the repu
tation commission on December L’fi.
Plant Shut Down.
Katerinberg, Jan. 1.—(By A. T’V—•
The first shutdown of a large Indus
irial plant in tiie Ruhr since the
Franco Belgian occupation occurred
today in 'this town. lying between Ks
sen and Gelsenkirchen, when the Kel
lerman locumotivo works, employing
.•,00u men, ceased operations.
The plant had been working on a
nine-hour day schedule, hut the work
men informed the management that in
view of tiie French ruling set forth in
General Jtegoutte's proclamation thaj;
the eight-hour day must be respected,
i they had decided to work only that
j number of hours, hut insisted upon
nine hours’ pay. Thereupon the Kel
> lerman management closod down the
plant.
To Operate Mines.
Essen, Jan. 17—(By A. p>—Ths
French occupational authorities an
nounced this afternoon that they will
begin operating the mines of the Ruhr
district tomorrow, requistioning Ger
man labor if necessary.
The Ruhr eoal and industrial mag
nates who /refused to co-operate with
the French will be prosecuted tr^ore
a court martial.
At Bochum tiie population has been
notified by the occupying officials that
the troops will act without warning
against any action directted at the
French troops or officials, even if it
lie only whistling or shouting.
Operations Complete.
Duesseldorf, Jan. 17.—(By A. P)_
It was officially announced by Gen
Bcgoutto (his afternoon that the mili
tary operations of the Ruhr occupa
tion now are completely finished.
Tiie French will take possession of
tiie mines throughout the district to
morrow morning, placing military
guards at the head of every pit.
The Ruhr magnates were informed
late this afternoon that their property *
will l,e confiscated and will bo worked
under French management for the
benefit of the reparation account.
Representatives of the German
inagantes failed to appear tills morn
ing before the control commission
sending word they had decided tT
obey tiie instructions of the Berlin
government instead of the French
orders as to eoa! deliveries, thus
placing tiie next move squarely tip to
tiie French occupying authorities.
A( the conference here yesterday
between the French authorities and
tiie operators. General Simon said to
the Germans:
"We have not summoned you here
for a discussion but to transmit to
you the orders of our government.
If you do not see fit to obey them
you will he prosecuted before n court
martial, condemned and imprisoned."
The industrial leaders filed out of
tiie room without uttering a word, but
qnce outside of the conference hall
they made no secret of their deter
mination to go to jail rather than
submit.
I,abut* I .carters Appear.
Thirty-two labor leaders, represent
ins all the districts and all the trades
in the Ruhr, Including the Catholic
socialists and communists syndicates
"f miners, railroad men and steel anil
iron workers, were introduced. Hr.
Groetzner, Prussian governor of Dues
seldorf province, acted as their spokes
man.
Gen. Simon told the labor lenders
France was the friend of the working
man. The German government, he
declared, was responsible fur the re
cent events and was willing to sacri
fice the working men to its imperial
istic policy. It had permitted the food
stocks to liecome depleted and cared
little whether Its own nationals starv
ed or not.
Gen. Simon, continuing, requested
the labor men to get into touch with
their comrades in the Duesseldorf and
Duiesburg zones, which had been un
der French occupation for two years,
and learn how well the working men
■ad been treated. The lenders agreed
to continue work so long as there was
work for them to do. but expressed
the opinion that circumstances might
cause tlu- industries to shut down.