The Omaha Daily Bee
VOL. 51 NO. 157.
I.tmt m It nut Mir M, (tea. at
OMAHA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1921.
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TWO CENTS
Parliament
Ratifies
Irish Pact
r
JIoubc of Commons and House
PI Lords Both Re ject Union
. st Amendment, Thus
$ ypling for Treaty.
Oafl to Vole on Monday
i 0r Th iMoetaUa Praaa.
Dublin, Deo. 16. A vote on the
VMtioa of ratification of the peace
peaty between Ireland and Great
fSritain will be taken at a public
fetation of the dail eireann Mon
day morning at 11, according to an
announcement made public tonight
by Eamon de Valera and Arthur
Griffith.
London, Dec. 16. Both houses of
the British parliament ratified the
treaty creating the Irish free state
by overwhelming majorities this
afternoon.
1 The House of Commons adopt
ed the reply to the speech from
the throne on the Anglo-Irish treaty,
rejecting the Unionist amendment to
the address by a vote of 401 to 58.
The adoption of the address meant
the acceptance of the treaty by the
House of Commons.
The House of Lords took similar
fiction only a few minutes later. The
lords rejected the Unionist amend
ment bya vote of 166 to 47.
Favored By Labor.
At the resumption of debate on
the treaty in the House of Commons
Arthur Henderson, labor leader
stated that the labor party welcomed
the treaty and hoped it would be
ratified.
Maj. Robert O'Neill, speaker o
the Northern Parliament at Belfast,
attacked the treat particularly on
the grounds that it proposed a re
vision 'of boundrics between north
and south Ireland without the con
sent of Ulster.
Sir James Craig, the Ulster premier
and Colonel Spender, secretary to
the Ulster cabinet, arrived in Lon
don today for consultations regard
ing Ulster's position under the pend
ing Irish settlement. Sir James told
newspaper men he had come in con
nection with the Important question
of Ulster's boundries, which .. the
treaty stipulates arc to be fixed by a
commission.
Boundaries Serious Question.
"The present position apprirs f
throw tig back to where we were in
1914" he said.
f l ie added that the boundaries issue
seemed, to him to be very serious
ana Iter indeed.
"Without that I think I might
have been able to secure approval of
the treaty," he declared, "but the
boundary proposals entirely alter the
outlook," ry V
De Valera Halts Dail. ' '
Dublin, Dec. 16. (By A. P.) The
crowd greeting the members of the
Dail Eireann at the entrance of Uni
versity college was much thinner to
day than on the two Previous davs
f of its consideration of the Irish peace
treaty, ; .
The private sessions of the Dail, it
is deelared m some quarters, have
been devoted largely to an attempt
to discover some method whereby it
can accept the treaty and at the same
time not register a defeat for Eamon
Dc Valera and his folio wers. The
principal difficulty in the way is said
to be De Valera himself. .
The attitude of the republican army
is causing much ' speculaf'on. Its
heads in the Dail are admittedly di
vided on the question of accepting
the treaty, but all the 'leaders agree
in deprecating any interference by
the army in the political decision.
Englishmen Awaiting
Deportation Freed
Philadelphia, Dec 16. By a de
cision of Federal Judge Thompson
today, 71 Englishmen awaiting de
portation on grounds of having en
tered the country under the contract
labor clause of the immigration laws,
will be released from custody of the
immigration inspectors.
The men came to this country dur
ing the war to take employment with
U. T? 1. 1 n V. o ... Chink,. Hrltr, er inmn,nv
as marine engineers, but the govern
ment charged their work was that of
draftsmen,' which comes within the
class of skilled labor, barred from
entering the country if a contract
previously has been made for their.
Sebastian Salerno Found
Guilty of Robbing Store
Blair, Neb.. Dec. 16. (Special
Telegram.) The trial of Sebastian
Salerno, charged with burglarizing
the Sipp general merchandise store
in Kennard September 8 and getting
over $1,100 worth of goods and $130
in cash and checks, was held here to
day and Salerno found guilty. He
faces a sentence of from one - to
seven years in the state prison.
About one-half of the goods were
recovered.
Milk Ordinance Passed
By Atlantic City Council
Atlantic.-Ia., Dec. 16. (Special.)
llaycr Coomes has given his ap
proval to an ordinance requiring that
all herds furnishing milk to Atlantic
shall be officially tested- The ordi
nance requires that the milk shall
be pasteurized and that all dairies
shall pass inspection before milk is
sold. The ordinance was passed by
the council by a vote of A to 2.
Lumber Man Dies
'Sioux City, Dec 16. William
Newton Ford, 55, head of the Ford
Lumber company and a resident here
for 25 years, died of heart disease.
Mr. Ford wai confined to his bed
about four weeks ago by a sudden
attack and continued to decline
gradually
Her Divorce Suit
May Be Reopened
v.
4
Lucile Bacon Pertfitld.
Penfield Plans
To Attack Decree
Granted His Wife
Conference With Millionaire
Fruit Man Follows Raid
Staged on Room in Ex- '
elusive Hotel.
New York, Dec. .16. Leaning
over the tJlc in an apartment in a
fashionable New York hotel and em
phasizing his points with clenched
fists, one stem-faced man said to
another:
"You must marry my wife. My
suspicions have been confirmed. Now
do the decent thing. You have
robbed her of a name. Now give
her another."
The speaker was Walter Scott
Penfield, noted international lawyer
of Washington, and the time was
late in October, 1920.
Eugene W. Ong, vice president
and general manager of the $100,
000,000 United Fruit company, was
the other man iu the room.
Also present were Mrs. Alice
Lucille Bacon Penfield, beautiful
young wife of Walter Penfield, and
Mrs. Bessie Preston Ong, wife of
Eugene Ong.
Meeting Follows Raid.
This dramatic conference followed
a raid by Penfield and several friends
on an apartment in the Hotel La
fayette in Washington. Here Ong
and Mrs. Penfield were found. Ong
was., registered not. Under his -own
name but as "K. Walker Owen. .
Then Mrs. Penfield slipped away
to Reno. A decree of 'divorce was
awarded her on July 26,. last. Brief
accounts in Washington newspapers
asserted that Mrs. Penfield had
charged desertion, alleging that
when the Penfields were at Swamp
scott, a fashionable watering place in
Massachusetts, Penfield had packed
his clothes and left.
Later he had written, said Reno
dispatches, that he had made up his
mind not to return. A property
settlement was effected and an
agreement was reached regarding
their 19-months-old daughter, Vir
ginia. Penfield Dissatisfied.
Now, however, friends of Penfield
say ; he may move to re-open the
Reno divorce case, based upon his
alleged discoveries. Although Pen
field, still shouldering the burden of
an extensive law practice, remains
silent, his . friends say he is not at
all satisfied with the outcome of his
domestic difficulties. . ,
A close friend of Ong said today:
"It is true that Ong registered
under an assumed name.. It is also
true that Mrs. Penfield visited him
in the Lafayette. But she called 'to
consult him as an attorney about a
professional matter. There was abso
lutely no impropriety in the visit."
However, Penfield and a detective
and at least one friend suddenly ap
peared at the hotel and something
like a raid occurred.
Lucile Bacon Penfield formerly
was Lucile Bacon of Omaha. She
was the daughter of the late Frank
Bacon,' who was for many years a
resident of this city. She was proru
ment in society and ' a popular
debutante before her marriage to Mr.
Penfield.
Mrs. Penfield is reported in New
York with her mother. '
Advocate of Birth Control
Plans to Lecture in" Japan
' Boston, Dec. 16. Mrs. Margaret
Sanger, one of the organizers of the
American birth controt league, an
nounced last night that she planned
to spend next March in Japarv, in re
sponse to an invitation from ' a Jap
anese publication asking her to give
lectures. . -;
Stores Open Until9.
Department and other stores will
remain open every evening until 9
o'clock," beginning today and con
tinuing till Christmas.
Tm 30 Years Behind .
Times," Says Convict;
Protests Own Pardon
Greenville, S. C, Dec 16. Be
cause he says he is 30 years behind
the. times and if free would not know
what to do, Dan Murphy, oldest
white prisoner in the state peniten
tiary, yesterday protested against his
own oardon.
"I have been in this prison morej
1. . r m - I
imii yudncr oi a century, ne saia.
"The world is 30 years ahead cf me.
It is better for me that I live and die
here. I'm happy. 1 have some
friends here. What would I do if
I left " .
Murphy was sentenced for life in!
1894 for the murder of Robert Cope.!
treasurer of Orangeburg ccuntf. It 1
was alleged he held Cope up, robbed
and killed him. .
Auto Band
Robs Bank
At Ithaca
State Sheriff, Deputies and
Detectives Join Hunt for
Holdups Bank Employes
Locked in Vault.
No Estimate of Loss Made
Two automobiles loaded with
State Sheriff Hyers, deputies and
City Detectives Tszanowski, Dan-
baum and Talmtag rushed out of
Omaha at 3 yesterday afternoon to
aid in the pursuit of two automobile
bandits who held uo and robbed the
Farmers State bank at Ithaca, Neb.,
at 1. Ithaca is in Saunders county,
not far from Wahoo.
The officers were heavily armed
with revolvers, riot guns and rifles.
No estimate has been made of the
loot which consisted of currency and
silver.
The bandits dtovc up in a big au
tomobile and entered the bank where
one of them asked Cashier J. M.
Hall for change for $5. When the
cashier returned with the change he
looked into the muzzle of a revolver.
The other robber "covered" Veluia
Hagcman, the bookkeeper. Both
were ordered into the vault and the
door was locked.
Escape From Vault.
The robbers then scooped un all
the money in sight and made their
escape, driving north. Ten minutes
later the prisoners released them
selves and gave the alarm.
Sheriffs and deputies of surround
ing counties were, notified and set
cut, armed with shotguns, in auto
mobiles after the robbers. The ban
dits escaped in a maroon-cclored
touring car with a Missouri license,
according to information from
Ithaca. They headed toward
Omaha. No trace of the car was
obtained after it left Ithaca, thousrh
a farmer informed State Sheriff
Hyers that two men in a maroon
car had inquired of him the road
toward a long bridge near Valley.
Investigate Omaha Suspects.
Omaha detectives are investigat
ing two men who were released
from jail yesterday and who had in
their possession, when arrested, a
maroon-colored car and autoriiatic
guns- Police believe they were im
plicated in the Ithaca "job."
A. Hollister, living on a farm a
mile cast of Waterloo, told deputies
yesterday of the suspicious actions
of two men whom he" saw enter a
cemetery - near Waterloo early
Thursday night with syitcases and
later leave the grou.nio-without
their baggage. It is believed the
same two men changed their clothes
in the cemetery befote and after
holding up the' Ithaca bank.
Suspect in Bomb Plot
Arrested in Warsaw
Warsaw, Dec. 16. (By A. P.)
A man by the name of Wolfe Lind
enfeldt, alias William Linde, has
been arrested in connection with the
Wall street explosion in New York,
September 16, 1920. The Warsaw
police said they made the arrest at
the requset of the American depart
ment of justice." They claimed to
have the man's full confession of be-;,
ing connected with the disaster.
New York, Dec. 16. Local offi
cials of the department of justice de
clared late today they never heard
of Wolfe Lindenfeldt, arrested in
Warsaw in connection with the
Wall street bomb explosion. It was
added that no request had gone
from the New York office for the
arrest of any person in Poland
Bandits Express Hope
For Recovery of Victim
Panama, 11., Dec. 16. John Wil
liams, shot by bandits who robbed
the State Bank of Panama Decem
ber 12 and escaped with $31,000, has
received a letted from the bandits,
postmarked St. Louis. It read:
"We are sorry we shot you. Jack,
but we thought you were following
us. We hope you make a quick recovery."
ARE general conditions in Nebraska today any more im
pelling to criminal acts than the general conditions of'
five, 10 or 15 years ago? Have there developed recently
new causes which may be held responsible for law breaking?
With crime showing a discouraging increase throughout the
nation, despite efforts of social workers and law enforcement
officials, there has resulted an intensive study of possible
causes. Philosophers, sociologists and criminologists have
analyzed and theorized on the subject. What does the criminal
himself have to say? For first-hand information why mot let
the convict tell his own story? That is what The Bee is doing
next Sunday in a feature story by P. C. Powell on
Why Men Go Wrong 5
Convicts at the Nebraska state penitentiary in a series of inter
views delve into their own pasta and explain what led them
from the "straight and narrow." It is a story that will interest
every thinking man and woman.
Next Sunday's Bee offers also two fiction features of extraor
dinary merit. Did you read the opening installment of
"1100,000 Reward" last Sunday? 'Nuff said. The second
installment of this Henry C. Rowland serial is even more thrill
ing than the first. . . . -
"Survivals," by Grace Torrey. is a Blue Ribbon short story of
a flapper who liked to shock the old folks. It combines humor
with an interesting plot.
"The Married Life of Helen and Warren" and another of the
series of lessons on piano playing are included in the
features of .
NEXT SUNDAY'S BEE
Auto Dealer Killed
In Hotel Room of Girl
Clobe, Ariz., Dec. 16, Henry L.
Chriktenten, prominent automobile
dealer of this ty, was shot and
killed this morning in Mi .
Smith', room in a I"-". n'i :'
Smith, who i B.fl ',MU'
Christensen, , r tVN"1,
and now is ' '
recently causeor .j arrest
on a charge o .-.ating the Mann
act,
No charge has been filed against
Miss Smith.
When Christensen was taken be
fore the United States commissioner
here on the Mann act charge the com
missioner dismissed the charge.
Christensen was married iu Phoe
nix early this month.
AyresMan Dies,
Iowan Injured,
In Rail Accident
Two Seeking Work in West
Run Over by Train at Ra
venna Two Others
Have Narrow Escape.
Grand Island, Neb., Dec. 16.
(Special.) A. L. Robinson of Ayrcs,
Neb., is dead and Andrew Sneihowis
of Ottosin, la., lies seriously injured
in a Grand Island hospital as the
result of an accident in the Raven
na railroad yards at 1 this morning.
Roy C. Frailey of Mt. Polaski, 111.,
and Frank Schmidt of Chicago, ac
companied the two men to this city
after narrowly escaping death. The
four men were standing at the rear
end of a box car in the Ravenna
yards of the Burlington, when an
engine hit the string of cars violent
ly and the men were knocked down.
Before Robinson and Sncihowis
could be grabbed out of the way by
their fellows, the car gave a second
lurch and Robinson was so serious
ly cut up that he died shortly after
reaching the hospital here. With the
exception of Robinson all were ex
service men.
Frailey and Robinson met- at
York.' They were 'headed for the
beet sugar works at Scottsbluffs.
Robinson said that his wife was a
school teacher and that he had a
family at Ayres. Schmidt and
Sneihowis were making their way
to Sheridan, Wyo., where Schmidt
as acquainted and where he thought
he could get work. Robinson and
Frailey hooked up with Schmidt and
Sneihowis at Grand Island Thurs
day and the quartet was beating its
way together three of them because
they had no money and Schmidt
because he said he was not sure of
a .job and that he wanted to be as
easy on the $110 he had saved as
possible. .
The men left the train in RaVcn
na to limber and warm up. Walk
ing over to a side track, they got
behind a freight . car. An engine
backed into the car and Robinson
and Sneihowis were hurled to the
track, Robinson, beneath Sneihowis.
Frailey and Schmidt were hurled off
the track.. They tried to remove
their companions and had succeed
ed in getting Sneihowis partly out
of the way when the car took a
second lurch and ran over Robin
son. Cold Wave With Snow
Hits Western States
Denver, Dec. 16 The Rocky
mountain region today was in the
grip of a cold wave that sent tem
peratures down to 2 above zero at
several points while a general heavy
snow fall was reported by the dis
trict weather .bureau in northern
Wyoming and Montana. The snow
reached a depth of from eight to 10
inches at Miles City, Mont.
Sheridan, Wyo., was covered by a
blanket of snow three inches ,deep.
At Yellowstone and Kalispell,
Mont., the temperatures were 2 de
grees above zero.
Snow in Nebraska..
Norfolk, Neb., Dec. 16. (Special
Telegram.) A cold wave has arrived
in North Nc'jraska. Snow driven
by a cold norlhwest wind, is general
here.
They Are All on the Same Rope
i i I
Strikers Enjoined
From Molesting
Nonunion Men
Federal. Judge -Takes Action
In Labor Difficulties at
Nebraska City Pack
ing Plant
Lincoln, Dec. 16.,-r(Special.) Fed
eral Judge T. C. Mungcr, issued a
temporary injunction today ordering
striking employes at the Nebraska
City packing plant from, unduly mo
lesting men who want to work in
the plant. '
The judge, following the - recent
ruling of the United States supreme
court, held that one picket will be
permitted at the entrances, and one
at the exits of the plants These
pickets, under the Munger ruling,
will not be allowed r to follow or
abuse workers, but may talk to them
and present their side of the case.
The packing plant is given until
December 21 to prepare for present
ing its affidavits to support a peti
tion for a permanent injunction
against the strikers and the strikers
have until December 24 to file an
answer. '
. Attorneys in arguments cited sev
eral instances of personal violence at
Nebraska City and pointed to the
written request of the mayor, county
attorney and sheriff . for state aid,
which later was cancelled.
Attorneys for strikers declared the
local authorities had the situation un-"
der control and evervthinsr had been
fquiet for the last 24 hours.
Compromise on Picketing.
Ft. Worth. Tex., Dec. 16. The
question of picketing packing houses
whose union butchers are on strike
here was settled by a compromise
agreement before Judge James C.
Wilson in federal court today when
the strike leaders agreed to with
draw all picketing except 'two from
each street leading to the packing
plants. ' .
Return to Work.
St. Louis, Dec.' 16. Fifty Uniori
packing house employes who have
been .on strike returned to work
today at the- Carondelet Packing
company, one of the 11 independent
companies here ' affected by the
strike. This is the, first instance here
in which strikers returned in a body
since the strike was called.
Midwinter Ploughing
Muscatine, la.', Dec. 16. Midwin
ter plowing is now in vogue on
Muscatine' county farms.' The ex
ceptional mildness of the weather "has
prompted many farmers to start
preparations for spring planting.
"Tis a Hard World,"
Says Guy, Who Didn't
. Recognize Dry Sleuth
Guy Abrell, owner of a soft drink
parlor at Genoa, Xcb., didn't recog
nize his old friend, Columbus Moore,
when the latter entered his. place of
business, late Thursday and called
for "a drink." ' .
That accounts for Guy's appear
ance in federal court yesterday t
answer to a charge of illegal sale of
liquor.
"He knew me and knew I was a
prohibition'agent, but he didn't rec
ognize me because I was all bun
dled up for an auto ride to Lincoln."
Moore related. "I told him I was
cold from the ride."
"I didn't think you'd do that to a
friend," was Abrell's reproach.
Britain to Urge
Abolition "of Subs
Arthur Balfour May Take
Question Before Open Ses
6ion" of Conference.
By The Associated Pms, '
Washington, Dec. 16. Arthur ' J.
Balfour, head of the British delega
tion, gave notice today that Great
Britain would propose to the arms
conference the total abolition of
submarines. . . '
Tlie announcement' also .said Mr.
Balfour would take the submarine
question before an open session of
the conference. .
British spokesmen have said, how
ever, that British acceptance of the
5-5-3 ratio plan was in no way con
tingent upon favorable action by the
conference on Great Britain's pro
posal -that submarines be abolished
as lawful naval weapons. '
The British contend that the ques
tion of. the use at all of submarines
involves world policy..
Naval opinion in American, Japan
ese, French and presumably Italian
groups is understood to be in oppo
sition to the British contention that
submarines are of necessity "wea
pons of assassination." .
Eccentric Millionaire
Held to Be Incompetent
Buffalo, N Y., Dec. 16. William
F. Wendt millionaire manufacturer
of Buffalo and Los Angeles, was
declared incompetent to handle his
own affairs' by a jury here today.
The case was given to the jurors yes
terday afternoon. Their verdict was
reported at the convening of court
today. - 'v.-. . ;
Wendt's eccentricities according to
the evidence, included the giving up
of his home here' to live in a cheap
hotel; carrying about in his pockets
bonds worth several- hundred thou
sand dollars: ,: claims of close
acquaintanceship with royal famliies
of Europe and the writing of strange
ly worded letters. He was a heavy
whisky drinker, one of the witnesses
testified his average indulgence being
three pints during a day and a quart
at night. He did not come here for
the trial. - . ',
Lawyers representing Mrs. Wendt
and her daughter. Margaret Wendt,
petitioners' in the action said they
would ask a county court tomorrow
to appoint a committee of three to
handle Mr. Wendt's affairs. -
Reduced Rates on Grain
Ordered in Effect Dec. 27
Washington, Dec. 16. Reduced
rates, on grain, grain products and
hay in trans-Mississippi territory
which' the carriers recently sought
to have suspended for six months,
were sustained by the Interstate
Commerce Commission today and
will go into effect December 27.
The reductions average about 164
per cent of thei 1920 grain rates and
are further decreased by the com
mission's order today which requires
that corn and other coarse' grains
be carried for 10 per cent less than
wheat and other breadstuff grains.
Cleared of Murder Charge
Kalmazoo. Mich.. Dec. 16. Dr. F.
S.-Collcr, president of the village of
Vicksburg, charged with the njurder
cf Robert Thompson, was acquitted
by a jury yesterday. Dr. loller
pleaded self-defense, declaring he
tired at Thompson onl after the lat
ter had attacked him.
Ears of Haitians
Cut Off by Yanks, .
U. S. Probers Told
Witnesses Before Senate Com
mittee Allege Atrocities Com
. mitted During U. S. Mili
tary Occupation.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Repub
lic, Dec. 16. lestimony of alleged
atrocities , during the American mili
tary occupation of Santo Domingo
and Haiti, such as cutting off ears of
prisoners and pouring salt into their
wounds, was given today by wit
nesses before the United States sen
ate committee, which is holding hear
ings on conditions during the occu
pation. The committee, headed by
Senator McCormick of Illinois, ex
pects to conclude its hearings here in
time to sail for the United States
today.
Other instances of alleged cruelty
included the allegation by a witness
that a prisoner had been slashed with
a knife from his throat to his ab
domen.
The military authoriteis here claim
that such a case had never been
called to their attention and said a
full investigation of this charge would
be conducted by them.
Popular Sentiment
. Favors Limit on Arms
Washington, Dec. 16. (By A. P.)
Analyzing petitions and resolutions
received from all parts of. the coun
try, the American advisory commit
tee to the arms conference announced
today showed a trowing sentiment in
favor of total disarmament, in favor
of limitation of armament and of
open sessions.
The committee estimated that com
munications voiced the sentiments of
more than 12,000,000 people.
- A total of 1,660,000 individuals ex-
pressed themselves as favoring some
torm ot an association of nations, the
statement said, and 5,910 favored
abolition of the submarine.
Volcano in Andes Breaks
. Into Violent Eruption
: Buenos Aires. Dec. 16. Eruotion
of a volcano in the Andes mountains,
believed to be Mount Rinehua, in
Chile, is reported in dispatches re-
ceived here. The townships of
Osorno, Union and San Pablo, Chile,
were considerably damaged bv fall
ing rocks. Great clouds of ashes ob
scured the sun the entire day.
Incalculable damage is said to have
been oone to the grazing lands north
of Lake Nahuel-Huapi, hot ashes
covering the ground to a depth of
nearly six inches. The live stock
there are in danger of starvation un
less they can be transported from
the affected zone.
The Weather
Forecast. .
Saturday fair; much colder.
Hourly Temperatures.
S a. n...
a. in...
7 a. m...
8 m. m...
...4
...47
...4
1 p. 1R . . . .
t p. m . . . .
p. m....
4 p. m . . . .
.46
..4 Is p. m....
41 p. m....
41 I 7 b. m....
IS
3 I p. m....
Highest Friday.
l'Pubt
! Ro!d City..
S Salt Lake...
iCania Ft....
IaY-nport ..
T'.nm ......
rwilt Citjr..
1n1r
fortl PUtt.
...Zft:Shfi4an ...
...J. Sioux City..
1
5-5-3 Navy
Plan Upset
By France
Intention to Build 10 Capital
Ships Between 1923 amV
1933 DomMiell lit
Conference Circles.
Death-Knell of Holiday.
Kr Th AMnrlalrd rrfn.
Washington, Dec. 16. British
spokesmen hurled a bomb into con
ference .circles today with the an
nouncement that France had assert,
ed before the naval committee of IS,
its intention of building between .
1925 and 19.35, 10 capital ships of
35,000 tons each. The statement
stood ' unchallenged from French
quarters through the day. 1
It appeared that a French pro
posal was submitted at the first
meeting of the committee after
Secretary Hughes had announced1
the agreement between Great Brit
ain. Japan and the United States to
abandon projected building pro
grams, scran 68 capital ships, aggre
gating nearly 2,000,000 tons and set
their navies in 1U years on a -3;i
ratio basis as between themselves.
The one action disclosed at today's
meeting of the committee of 15 was
the agreement not to talk of what
was going on until a conclusion had
been reached.
The British statement as to French
proposals preceded the committee's
"no talk" decision. An 'official com
munique as to today's session said
merely that the committee met, ad
journed and would meet again to
morrow. Will Continue Session.
There were indications that flic
French group had not concluded
presentation of its case in the three
hour session of the committee of
15, during the day. They are ex
pected to continue tomorrow and
pending' that, it is believed,' the
French delegates are in communi
ration with their government, pos
sibly to seek broader powers. ,
French spokesmen have repeated
ly pointed out that they were with
out any official knowledge of what
was in progress in the "big three"
naval negotiations culminating in the
triangular agreement. They receiv
ed the official announcement of the
agreement late vestcrdav and it an.
peared possible that when the French
government had taken time to
study closely the three-power un
derstanding, modifications in French
proposals might be forthcoming.
Vague hints of such possible de
velopments were in circulation to
night, but whether founded on
1... ! J 1 , , . , ,
miuwicusc .ui nope couia not ot de
termined. The relentless rule o? silence ap
plied to committee of 15 delibera-
tions presented no official nor even
acuii-uiiitiai explanations as to
France's position. It did not pre
vent, however, a tumult of discus
sion outside the committee member
ship. Details of the French proposals
(Turn to Page Two, Column Five.)
Black Handers Demand
$ 10,000 of Mennonites
Sioux Falls, S. D., Dec. 16. (Spe
cial Telegram.) Black Handers have
issued an ultimatum to members of
the Rockport Mennonire colony in
Hanson county, and also to mem
bers of the old Elm Springs and new
Elm Springs colonies, demanding
$6,000 from the first and $2,000 from
each of the other two. If the three
colonies refuse to pay the Black
Hand letter threatens destruction of
the buildings of the three colonies
by fire and the general killing of
the colony members.
The Black Hand letter was signea
with the usual skull and cross bones
and was addressed to John Wipf,
known as the boss of the Rockporf
colony. He was instructed to com
municate with the other two colonics
The $10,000, according to instruct
tions, was to be placed in a sack
and deposited in the mouth of a cer
tain ravine. No checks or drafts
would he accepted. ,
Farmers in Cass County
Will Reduce Corn Area
Atlantic, la., Dec. 16. (Spccial.1
Cass county , members of the
county members of the county farm
bureau will. cut their corn acreage
the coming season below what it has
been heretofore. This will conform
with a resolution adopted by the bu
reau's board of directors calling on
the members to reduce the corn
acreage as a means of increasing the
price of corn.
Worthless Checks Passed
On Atlantic Business Men
Atlantic, la., Dec. 16. (Special.) .
For the second time within a few davs
a check writer has victimized At
lantic business firms with worthless
paper. Four checks bearing the sig
nature of L, C. Jensen and C. L.
Jensen were drawn on the Farmers
Savings bank. No one of the name
has an account there.
Convict Escapes Prison
By Hiding in Packing Case
Boston, Dec. 16. Harry Bcrwin;
a state prison convict, escaped to
day by secreting himself in- a pack
ing case.
The truck on which the box was
loaded passed all guards without
challenge. When the csc was ex
amined at a freight terminal the fu
gitive's prison clothes were found.
Lovett Retains Post
Washington, Dec. 16. Robert S.
Lovett was permitted by an interstate
eommrrcc commission order today
to retain his places as officer and di
rector of 18 railroad corporations, in
cluding the Union Tacitic and Kew
York Central systems.