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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 18, 1917)
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: MARCH 18, 1917. TWO THOUSAND MONITION PLANTS Italy Surprises World in Dis covering Capacities .and Working Industries. CEZDIT CONTINUES GOOD (CorrMpondDM of Th AMoelmt4 Pre.) Rome, March 5. Italy will be able to redeem its war bondt to the last lire through the earnings of the new industrial enterprises developed by the war, according to Minister of State Luigi Luzzati, Italy's best iiicrwn financier. To a correspondent of the Associated Press he said: "Italy is far richer than strangers give it credit for. It is a striking tact that we have surprised ourselves during the struggles of this war. In time of danger we have discovered capacities which have astonished us, particu'arly'iivour industries. We have now operating more than 2,000 fac tories for war materials employing about 500,000 workers. Americans know .how saving are the Italians who go to them. Therefore, it may not astonish them to know that in war time our savings banks are actually increasing their deposits, despite the heavy popular subscriptions to our war loans. Italy Fays Its Debts. "Among all the new nations this I wish to declare: Italy in the past has always beta the best payer of its debts, punctually; no one more than we have a stricter idea of the day of payment, the keeping of which con stitutes the financial honor of a peo ple, an honor which should be as un stained as that of Its military or po litical nonor. "AH the foreign governments that extended ns faith and credit when we were Piedmont and later when we were United Italy have been sat isfied. We sold them our loans for below par, thereby giving high rates of interest and other profits;' after ward we were happily able to take up our Joans at face value and when our bank bills were the equal of gold money values in every country, even that of the American dollar. We had no difficulty in converting the nation al bonds to the value of $1,600,000,000, or 8,000,000,000 lire. Money Quoted at Par. "In July, 1914, Italian money was quoted at par in New York. The sorrows and hazards of the war came and today our money has depreci ated thereby more than 30 per cent. "Already there are nations seeking to occupy the place in Italy held be fore the war by Germany. Among these are said to be the United States. We welcome commercial relations with the United States. We are al ready a large buyer of its goods. But if the United Staes wishes to trade with us, would it not be better to show, its interest substantially? "Undoubtedly we are suffering from the old time-woru system of inter national exchange, which permits of fortunes being made through spec ulation." What we need and what the world needs is an international cham ber of compensation, which n I have proposed many times, the latest time being at Paris last year, the operation of which would be a great peaceful bond sustained by honest, reciprocal interests. "Europe just now has too much paper money, while the United States has too much gold. The United States not only should, but will have to, re store the gold to the countries which suffer from the lack of it, and the sooner it restores it the sooner it will ameliorate the crisis which always comes to a country too rich in gold." Bomb Explodes in Court House at Boston; Two Men Killed Boston, March 16. Two persons were killed by an explosion in the Suffolk county court house late to day. The explosion occurred in a wash room on the second floor of the building. A big hole was torn in the floor. A police official said it was the explosion of a bomb. The two dead men were believed from pieces of their clothing picked up to have been soldiers. Their bodies were torn to bits. Court Officer Rich ard Murphy, who was nearby, was struck by flying metal but was not dangerously injured. 1 Judge Loring was' holding a session of the superior court in a room ad joining that in which the explosion occurred. The polica- admitted that their present theory was that there had been a premature explosion of a bomb or bombs while in the hands of two men who were carrying them to the court with murderous intent. This theory would place the responsibility on the men who were killed. Garrison of Sveaborg - Refuses to Join Revolt London, March 17. The Russian garrison at the fortress of Sveaborg, which defends Helsingfor, has re fused to join the revolution, accord ing to a dispatch received by the Swedish newspaper Nyheter and for warded here by the Stockholm corre spondent of the Exchange Telegraph company. The Russian soldiers, the dispatch adds, mutinied and the fortress has been declared in a state of siege. Women Get Drunk Chewing Cordite Most Deadly Drug (CoiTMPondene of Th Awoclated irwO London, Feb. 26. Officials of the ministry of munitions have discov ered that a good deal of the "drunk enness" attributed to women and com paratively young girls is due to an other and hitherto unsuspected cause the chewing of cordite, the smoke less explosive used in the shell ot can non and the ammunition of small arms. The explosive is being used as a sort of "pick-me-up" by the tired munition workers, but its effect on their health is very injurious and remedial measures are being taken by the authorities. Cordite, when chewed, has all the exhilarating effects of a highly stim ulating drug and cannot be tampered with except at great risk. Its effect on the nervous system are immediate and ultimately deadly. Resides, like all such drugs, it has to be taken in increasing quantities if the cxhilira tion is to be maintained. The effect of cordite as an "intoxi cant" was first discovered during the South African war. Some British sol diers ound to their surprise that by eating cordite they could get all the excitement of the most powerful nar cotic and all the terrible effects, too. Cordite consists roughly of about fifty-eight parts of nitro-glycerine, thirty-seven parts guncotton and five parts of mineral jelly. Each cartridge contains sixty cylindrical strands of cordite. An official of the ministry of muni ions experimented himself by sticking a strand. He found that it tasted sweet, pleasant and pungent, but it resulted in giving mm the most rack ing, splitting headache, and it lasted tor iniriy-six nours. Bombs Dropped on London Friday Night Do Little Damage London, March 17. The air raid If st night was the first visit of Zep pelins in many months snd it seemed to have been expected, as it tailed to cause any excitement, even among the home-going theater patrons. The raiders were favored by a dark and moonless night. No further official information on the raid in addition to last night's brief report has been yet issued. The raid was the first that has taken place since November, Twenty' seven bombs are reported to have been dropped in rural districts. The foregoing dispatch indicates that London was attacked by Zeppe lins. At 12:30 last night an official communication was issued in London slating that an air riad had taken place over the southeastern counties of England and was still in progress. Boston Court House ' Bomb Mystery Unsolved Boston, March 17. The mystery of the bomb explosion at the court house yesterday was as deep as ever today. One of the two killed is Known to have been the janitor of the building, but the other body has not been identified, the police be lieve that the unidentified victim was the one'who brought the bomb to the court house. This Company has been notified through the National Confer ence committee, representing the Railroads that employes in yard and freight train service have been ordered to strike at 6 p. m. Sat urday, March 17th, 1917. The facts In the present controversy are as follows: The Brotherhoods asked that the railroads accept their interpretation of the Adamson law co a final settlement and put it into effect without waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States as to the constitutionality of that law. This was declined and the following offer made by the railroads: 1st. That if the Adamson law is declared constitutional by the United States Supreme Court and the railroads were unable , to agree with the Brotherhoods as to the application of the law that the points of difference be referred to the eight hour commission consisting of IVlaj. Gen. Geo. Goethcls, U. 8. A., chairman; Hon. E. E. Clark, Member of the Interstate Commerce Commission; Hon. George Rublee, Member of the Federal Trade Commission. 2d. If the Adamson law is declared unconstitutional that the railroads and the Brotherhoods join in csldnij the eight hour com-' A - JL - i mission io ucicrmme ine wnoie controversy. 3d. Any settlement to be effective Jen. 1st, 1917.' This was declined by the Brotherhoods and they advised that progressive strikes in freight yard and hostler service have been called beginning at six p.m. Saturday. March 17th, 1917 Th is company will endeavor to operate its trains in accordance with its charter requirements, with due consideration for the safety of the public and those loyal employes remaining in the ser vice, and the assistance of state and municipal officers and loyal em ployes is requested in the protection of our efforts towards re sumption of service. Attention is directed to the fact that this company's dealings with its employes through the long years of its existence have always been along liberal lines, and that it has never been necessary to call strikes to bring about an adjustment of wages or working rules. Furthermore, this company does not believe there is any justification for carrying out the present contemplated action. This is doubly true for the reason that this company, in accord with its agreement with the Attorneys representing the government, will, if the Adamson law is declared constitutional, pay immediately to the employes affected the amounts that would be due them from and after Jan. 1st, 1917, under that law; and if the Adamson law is declared unconstitutional, it has offered to submit the entire controversy to the eight hour commission, of which Gen. Goethals is chairman, for adjustment and to put into effect and to immediately pay the interested employes on the basis of that commission's decision, beginning such payment with Jan. 1, 1917. v Signed, Chicago &, Northwestern Railway Company. By R. H. Aishton, President. Letter From the President To the Employes of the Illinois Central R. R. Direct telegraph advices from New York and Washington inform us train- and engine service employes on some of the eastern railroad systems will be called on to strike at 6 p. m. Saturday, March 17, unless otherwise ordered and that later strike will spread to other line3 until all the rail roads are involved. Determination of the constitutionality of the Adamson eight-hour law is now in the hands of the United States supreme court This law was passed at the solicitation of the representatives of the engine and train service employes. This strike order indicates that these same representatives are now unwilling to wait upon the decision of the supreme court. Illinois Central timekeepers are keeping a record each day of pay accruing to each employe affected by the Adamson law, and have been doing so since the 1st of January, 1917. A sum of money corresponding thereto is set aside each month and the amount so due will be paid in a lump sum to all employes affected if the court decides that the Adamson law entitles them to receive it. ' Therefore, to what extent are your earnings under the Adamson law jeopardized by any fur ther postponement of the decision from the United States supreme court? Not at all. f If the law is declared unconstitutional, the Illinois Central stands back of the fair proposi tion presented by the national conference coin mittee of managers that we will join with Mir employes in asking a commission appointed un der the terms of the Adamson law to determine the whole controversy, settlement to be effective January 1, 1917. $$j0t.?z, -v ' Therefore, in the event of the law being de clared either constitutional or unconstitutional, you are guaranteed the benefit from January 1, 1917,0 any soMiement reached. f 'P Could anything be more fair? V . ,t. ' Is this disposition of the controversy more satisfactory and safe than" a resort to suffering, , uncertainties and violence of a strike? , :' Never in the history of the Illinois Central railroad has the management seen a clearer cut demonstration of the intelligence and loyalty of its employes than during the winter just closing, a winter fraught with unusual operating difficulties, which were met and overcome to an extent that it may be said that the property was never Wort efficiently operated. . . The public has been generous in attesting to the fine quality of our personnel and service. In expressing the appreciation of the man a'gement for this result, I must needs testify to the intelligence and loyalty of the employes which have made it possible. Contemplating these 'characteristics of Our employes, I cannot believe that they can be lack ing the foresight to see that the public will be In tolerant of radical action at this particular juncture of our national affairs. Too long has the. nation adhered to the principle of dignified diplomacy in dealing with foreign difficulties to be in sym pathy with an abandonment of that method of settling domestic, dispute. , To the will of the public we must all eventually bow. ' Certainly the loyalty of Illinois Central em ployes is a testimonial to the amicable relations which have existed between them and the manage ment through all these years of dignified and dip lomatic dealings. ' The spirit of the times is not such as will jus tify the abandonment of a course that Calm judg ment indicates will foster the comfort and cert tainties of present relations and employment . All we ask is that your decision be such at will not cause you future regrets and that it be not unbecoming the intelligence and patriotism of Illi nois Central men, and of a citizen of our common count-:'. (Signed) ' , C. H. MARKHAM, President -