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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 1918)
THE SEMI-WEEKLV TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA LEGISLATORS 10 KNOW ALL FACTS OF ANYTREATIES President in Address to Congress Says Trip to Europe Is Duty to Heroes. ASKS AID OF NATION Declares Many Important Prob lems Must Be Solved by . Lawmakers. PLANS FOR RECONSTRUCTION Sebture of Cables, Ho 8ays, Aids In Keeping Members of Congress Posted on Parleys Favors Federal Control of Rail .roads Will Insist on World Justice at Peace Confer ence. Washington In his address beforo tongress In Joint session President Wilson formally announced his Inten tlon to go to Purls for the pence con ference, saying the allied governments have accepted principles enunciated by blm for peuco und It Is his para mount duty to bo present. The president suld ho will be In closo touch by cable and wireless and that jongress will know all that ho does on Jie other side. Iteferring to his announcement that -he French and British governments md removed all cable restrictions up- in tno transmission of news of tho onforenco to America, tho president laid, ho had taken over tho American ablo system, on expert advice, so us o mauo a unllled system uvallablo. Tho president said ho hoped to see rormnl declaration of peuco by rcaty "by tho time sprlug has come." no expressed tho hope that ho would .uvo tho co-opcratlon of tho public and f congress, saying through tho cables nu wireless constnnt couubcI and nd Ico would bo possible. Takes Up Railroad Problems. ,f Much of tho address was devoted to Sao rallrond problem, for which tho TeslUcnt snld ho now hnd no solution ,1 offer. Ho recommended enreful study ,y congress, suylng It would bo n dls srvico to tho country and to tho mil- mas to permit n return to old condi ;ous undor prlvnto management with 4t modlilcutlons. mo president declared ho stood may to release tho railroads from vernment control whenever a sntls ictory plan of readjustment could bo oriteU out. No Reconstruction Plans Yot, No dellnlto program of reconstruct 3n can bo outlined now, Mr. Wilson id, but as soon as tho nrmlstico was jnod government control of business ia industry was released ns far us "6slblo. Ho expressed tho hopu that ugrcss wouiu not object to confer Jg upon tho war tnulo board or somo tier agency tho right of flxim.' ox rt priorities to assure shipment of hi to Btnrving people abroad. A to taxation, tho president In rsed tho plnn for levying $0,000,000,- j in inu nnu for notify nc the nub In advance thnt thu 1020 levy will Hie now tlireo-ycnr navnl building )grnm was Indorsed becnuse, the isldent said, it would bo unwlso to ,cmpt to adJUBt the American tiro ini to a futuro world policy as vet juicnmneu. , Again Urges Votes for Women. 'aylnc trlbuto to the people's con !t In wnr, ho spoko particularly of worn or women ana again appealed woman sum-ago by federal amend at )eclarlng ho hnd no "private thought purpose In going to France, but that regarded it as his highest duty," tho biucuj; uuueu: "it Is now my duty play my full pnrt In making good it they (American soldiers) offered r life's blood to obtnln." Text of President's Address, ho president said: cuuemen or tno congress: Tho r that lias elnpscd since I Inst i ncrore you to fulfill my constl onnl duty to give to tho congress a tlmo to time lufonnutlon on tho 0 of tho Union has been so crowd tflth great events, great processes great results that I cannot hope lvo you an adequate picture of Its sactlons or of tho far-reaching iges which have been wrought In life of our nation and tho world. have yourselves witnessed theso is, as I have. It Is too Boon to as- them; und wo who stand In tho it of them and nro part of them ess qualified than men of another ration will bo to say what thoy 1 or even what Uiey huvo been. Bomo great outstanding facts uro iBtaknblo and constituto In a seuso of tho public business with which our duty to deal. state i hem Is to set tho stage for li'"M .five nnd oxecutlvo action i m ist crow out : of them and which wo hnvc yet to sliopo and do termlne. Tells of Troop Shipments. A year ago wo had sent 110,018 men overseas. Since then wo have sent 1,050,6111, nn average of 102,512 each month, tho number In fact rising In Mny last to 215,051, In June to 278,700, In July to 307,182, and continuing to reach similar figures In August and September In August 280,570 and In September 257,438. No such movement of troops ever took place before, ncross 3,000 miles of sen, followed by ndequnto equip meiit nnd supplies, nnd curried safely through extraordinary dangers of at tack dangers which were allko strange and Infinitely more dlfllcult to guard ugulnst. In nil this movement only 738 men wore lost by enemy ut hicks thiij or wnom were upon u slnglo English transport which was bunk near tho Orkney Islands. I need not tell you whn.t Iny back of this great movement of men' and material. It Is not Invidious to suy thnt back of It Iny a supporting or gntilzutlon of tho Industries of tho country nnd nil Its productive netlvl ties moro complete, more thorough In method nnd effect lvo In results, moro spirited nnd unanimous in purpose und effort than uny other great bcl ngerent had ever been ablo to effect. We prolltcd greatly by the oxperlenco of tho nations which had already been engaged for nearly three years In tho exigent und exacting business, their proficiency taxed to tho utmost. Wo were tho pupils. U. S. Learns Quickly, Hut wo learned quickly und uctcd with n promptness und a readiness of co-operation that Justify our great prldo that wo were able to servo tho world with unparalleled energy and puck accomplishment Hut It Is not tho physical scale and executive efficiency of nreimrutlon. supply, equipment and dispatch that I would dwell upon, but tho mettlo und quality of tho olllcers and men wo sent over and of the sailors who kept tho seas, and tho spirit of tho nutlon that stood behind them. No soldiers or sailors over proved themselves moro quickly ready for tho test of battle or acquitted themselves with moro splendid courage and nchlovoment when put to the test Thoso of us who played somo part In directing tho grent processes by which tho war was pushed Irresistibly for ward to tho final triumph may now forget ull thnt nnd delight our thoughts with tho story of whut our men did. Why to De Thankful. these forces must rnmnln In Europe (luting the period of occupation, und those which ure brought home will be transported nnd demobilized nt henvy expense for months to come, The Interest on our wnr debt must, of course, be paid nnd provision made for tho retirement of the obligations of tno government which represent It ihh inoso demands, will, of course, fnll much below what a continuation of military operations would have en tnlled, nnd $0;000,000.000 should suf fice to supply n sound coundntlon for the llnnnelnl operations of the year, I entirely concur with the secretary or me trensuryin recommending that the $2,000,000,000 neded In addition to the $-1,000,000,000 provided by ex. Isllng law bo obtained from the profits which have accrued and shall areruc from wnr contracts und distinctively wnr business, but that these taxes bo confined to the wnr profits nccrulng In iwi, or in 1010, from business oriel ntuing in war contracts. Asks Aid for Belalum. May I not say n speclnl word about the needs of Helglum nnd northern France? No sums of money mild bv tho way of Indemnity will serve of themselves to save them from boneless disudvnntnge for yours to come. Some thing moro must be done than merely find the money. If they hud money nnu raw mntcrlnls In abundance to morrow they could not resume their place In the Industry of the world to morrow tho very Important place they held beforo the flame of war swept across them. Many of their factories uro razed to the ground. Much of their ninchlnery is destroyed or lias been taken nwnv. Their people nro scnttored nnd many of their markets will be tuken by others. If they uro not In somo special way assisted to rebuild their factories and replace their lost Instruments of Hum ufucture. They should not be left to tho vicissitudes of the shnrp compe tition for muterluls nnd for Industrial facilities which Is now to set In. I hope, therefore, that the congress will not be unwilling, If It should become necessnry, to grant to some such agency us the war trade board tho right to establish priority of export and supply for the benefit of these people whom wo hnvo been so happy to assist In saving from the German terror und whom wo must not now thoughtlessly lenvo to shift for them selves In n pitiless competitive mnrket, I take It for granted that the con gress will carry out tho navnl pro gram which was undertaken before wo entered the wnr. The secretary of tno navy bus submitted to your com- Whut wo ull tbnnk God for with L,ttcCH for mit,lorIz,,l,on " part of deepest gratltudo Is that our men went In forco Into tho lino of battle Just at tho critical moment when tho wholo fato of tho world seemed to hang In tho balnnce nnd throw their fresh strength Into tljo rnnks of freedom In tlmu to turn tho wholo tldo nnd sweep of tho fnteful struggle turn It onco for nil, so that thenceforth It was back, back, back for their enemies, always buck, never nguln forward 1 After that It was only a scant four months beforo tho commanders of tho central empires knew themselves beaten; nnd now their very empires nro In liquidation I And throughout It all how lino tho spirit of the nutlon wns. What unity of purpose, whut untiring zeal I Whnt elevation of purpose run through nil Its splendid display of strength, Its untir ing accomplishment. I huvo said that those of us who stayed ut homo to do tho work of organization and supply will always wish that wo had been with the men whom wo sustained by our labor; but wo can never bo nshumod. It has been an inspiring thing to bo hero In tho midst of flno men who had turned asldo from every prlvuto Inter est of their own and devoted tho whole of their trained capacity to tho tasks that supplied tho sinews of tho wholo great undertaking! Tho patriotism, tho unselfishness, the thoroughgoing devotion and distinguished capacity inni mnrKCd tneir tollsomo labors, dnv after day, month after month, huvo mndo them tit mutes und comrades of mo men in tno trendies and on tho sea. And not tho men hero In Wash Ington only. They huvo but directed tno vast ucuiovemcnt. Plan to Steady Business. For the steadying and facilitation of our own domestic business readjust ments nothing Is moro Important Hum mo immediate determination of tho luxes that nro to be levied for mis 1010 and 1020. As much as the bunion of taxation must bo lifted from busi ness ns sound methods of flnnnclng the government will permit, nnd those who conduct tho great essential Industries of the country must bo told as exactly as possible whnt obligations to tho gov- i-wum-ni utey will bo expected to meet In the years lmmedlntelv nh,.n.i ,,f them. It will be of serious tho country to delay removlnir nil un certainties In this matter a slnglo dnv longer than the right processes of dt bate Justfy. It Is Idle to talk of suc cessful and confident business roeon- siniction before thoso uncertainties nre resolved. Troops Must Stay In Europe, If tho wnr hud continued it huvo bee nnoccssnry to ralso at least ?8,000,000,000 by taxation, payablo In tho year 1010, but tho war hus mi ii ixi und I ugrce with tho secrotnry of tho trcsasury that It will bo safe to reduce tho nmount to ?0,000.000.000. An l.n. medinte rapid dccllno In tho cxnensnu of tho government Is not to bo looked for. Contracts made for war supplies will, Indeed, be rapidly cnncclctl nmi liquidated, but their Immedlato llqul datlon will muko henvy drains on tho treasury fo rtho months Just nhend of us. The mulntennnco of our forces nn tho other side o ftho sen Is still neces sary. A considerable proportion of tho program which covers tho build lug plans of the next three years, Thoso plans hnvo been prepared alone tho lines nnd In accordance with the policy which tho congress established, not under tho exceptional conditions of tho wnr, but with tho Intention of adhering to n depntto method of de velopment for tho navy. I earnestly recommend tho uninter rupted pursuit of thnt policy. It would elenrly bo unwlso for us to nt- tempt to ndjust our programs to a futuro world policy as yet undetermined. Worried About Railroads. Tho question which causes me tho greatest concern Is tho question of tho policy to bo adopted toward the railroads. I frankly turn to you for counsel upon It. I hnvo no confl- dent Judgment of my own. I do not see how any thoughtful man can huvo who knows nnythlng of the com plexity of tho problem. It Is a prob lem which must bo studied, studied Im mediately and studied without bins or prejudice. It was necessnry thnt tho adminis tration of tho railways should bo taken over by tho government so long as the war lasted. It would have been Impossible otherwise to estab lish and carry through under n slnglo direction the necessary priorities of shipments. It would have been Impos sible otherwise to combine maximum production at the factories and mines and ffirms with the maximum possible cur supply to tuko tho products to tho ports und markets; Impossible to route troops shipments nnd freight shipments without regard to the ad vantage of the roads employed; Im possible to subordinate, when neees- snry, all questions of convenience to the public necessity; Impossible to glvo tho necessary financial support to the roads from tho public treasury. Hut all these necessities have now been served, nnd tho question Is, what Is best for the railroads and for the pub lic In tho future. Roads Could Not Co-operate. Exceptional circumstances and ex ceptional methods of administration were not needed to convince us that tho railroads were not equal to tho Immense tasks of transportation im posed upon them by tho rapid and continuous development of the Indus tries of tho country. We knew that alrendy. and wo knew that they were unequal to It partly because their full co-operation was rendered Impossible by law and their competition made ob ligatory, so that It has been Impossi ble to assign to them soverullv the traffic which could best be carried by their respective lines In the Interest of expedition and national economy. The full equipment of tho railways which tho federal administration hud planned could not bo completed with in any such period. The present law does not permit tho use of tho reve nues of tho several roads for tho exe cution of such plans except by formal contract with their directors, some of whom will consent, while somo will not, and thercforo does not afford suf ficient authority to undertake Improve ments upon tho scnle upon which It would be necessary to undertake them. Every approach to this dlfllcult sub ject matter of decision brings us face iu rnce, merorore, with this unan swered question. What Is right that we should do with the railroads In the Interest of tho public and In fairness to their owners? Several Plans Possible. I believe that It will be serviceable for me to set forth us cxpiiclty ns pos sible the alternative courses that lie open to our choice. Wo can slmnlv re lease the roads and go back to the old conditions of private management, un restricted competition and multiform regulation by both state and federal authorities; or we can go to the oppo site extreme and establish complete government control, nccompnnlcd, If necessary, by actual government own ership; or we can adopt an Interme diate course of modified nrivnto con trol, under a more unified and affirma tive public regulation and under such alterations of tho law as will permit waster in competition to bo nvolded und a considerable degree of unifica tion of administration to be effected, as, ror example, by regional corpora tlons undor which tho railways of do- unable urea would be In effect com Dined In single systems. The one conclusion that I am-ready iu suae wun commence is that It would be a disservice alike to the coun try nnd to the owners of the rnllrouds to return to the old conditions unmod ified. Those uro conditions of res traint without development. There is nothing affirmative or helpful about them. What tho country chiefly needs Is that ull Its means of transportation should be developed, Its railways, Its waterways, its highways and Its coun trysldo roads. New Policy Necessary. Some new element of policy, there fore, Is absolutely necessary neces sary ror the scrvlco of the public, nec essnry ror the release of credit to those who aro administering the ruii wuys, necessnry for tho protection of tneir security holders. The old policy may bo changed much or little, but surely It cannot wisely bo left ns It wus. I welcome this occnslon to announce to the congress my purpose to Join In runs the representatives of the gov ernments with which we have been associated In tho war against the ecu irni empires ror tno purpose of dis cussing with them the mnm features or tho treaty of peace. I realize the great Inconveniences that will attend my leaving tho country, particularly at this time, but tho conclusion thnt It wns my paramount duty to go has been forced upon me by considera tions which I hope will Seem as con clusive to you as they have seemed to me. Accept U. S. Bases of Peace. mi.n ..III... . . xuu tuiiuu KuvLTiimcnts nave ac cepted tho bases of peace which I out lined to the congress on the 8th of January last, ns tho central empires nlso have, nnd very reasonably desire my personal counsel in their interpre tation and application, nnd It is highly deslrnblo thnt I should give It In order thnt the sincere deslro of our govern ment to contribute without selfish pur- poso of any kind to settlements that will bo of common benefit to all tho nations concerned mfiy be made fully mnnircst. j. ,. in-ucu auiiiumonis wnicn nre now to bo agreed upon are of tran scendent Importnnco both to us nnd to the rest of the world, nnd I know of no business or Interest which should tuko precedence of them. The gallant men of our armed forces on land aiul sen huvo consciously fought for the ideals which they knew to bo tho Ideals of their country ; I hnvo sought to express those Ideals; they have ac cepted my statements of them ns tho substance of their own thought nnd purpose, ns tho associated govern ments have accepted them; I owcs.lt to them to see It, so far as In mo lies, mat no false or mistaken Interpreta tion Is put upon them and no possible enort omitted to realize them. It Is now my duty to play m.v full pnrt In making good what they offered in their life's blood to obtain. 1 can think of no cull to service which could transcend this. Praises War Agencies. Never before have there been agen cies In existence In this country which knew so much of tho field of supplv. of labor and of Industry as the war industries board, the war trade board, tne labor department, the food admin istration and the fuel administration have known since their labors becaniu thoroughly systematized; and they nave not been Isolated agencies; they have been directed by men who rep resented the permanent departments oi tno government and so have been tho centers of unified and co-operative action, it has been the policy of the executive, therefore, since the armis tice was assured (which Is in effect a complete submission of tho enemy) to put ine Knowledge of theso bodies at the disposal of the business men of tho country nnd to offer their Intelli gent mediation ut every point and In every matter where It wus desired. It Is surprising how fust the process of rrturn to n pence footing has moved In the three weeks since tho fighting stopped. It promises to outrun uny In quiry thnt may he Instituted and nny uld that may be offered. It will not bo ensy to direct It any better than it will direct Itself. Tho AmeUcan busi ness man Is of quick Initiative. Tho ordlnnry und normal processes of private Initiative will not, however, provide Immediate employment for all of tho men of our returning armies, Thoso who are of trained capacity, those who are skilled workmen, thoso who have acquired familiarity with es tablished businesses, thoso who aro ready und wllltng to go to the farms. nil thoso whoso aptitudes aro known er will be sought out by employees will find no difficulty, It Is safe to say, In lludlng pince and employment. Hut there will bo others who will be at n loss where to gain a livelihood un less pains are tnken to guide them and put them In the way of work There will be u large flonting re sldutim of labor which should be left wholly to shift for itself. It seems to mo Importnnt, therefore, thnt the do velopment of public works of every sort should be crented, for unskilled labor In purticulnr, nnd thnt plans should bo mnde for such developments of our unused lunds nnd our nnturnl re sources ns we have hitherto lacked stimulation to undertake. Cites Practical Plans. I particularly direct your 'attention to the practical plnns which tho sec rotnry of the Interior has developed In his nnnunl report nnd before your com mlttees for tho reclamation of nrld swnmp nnd cut-over binds which might If the stntes were willing nnd able to co-operato, redeem some 300.000.000 ncres of land for cultivation. There are snld to be 15,000,000 or 20.000,000 ncres of lnnd In the West nt present nrld, for whoso reclnmntlon wn tor Is nvallnble, If properly conserved There nro nbout 230,000,000 ncres from which tho forests hnvo been cut but which have never yet been clenred for the plow, nnd which lie wnsto and des olnte. These lie scattered nil over the Union. And there nre nearly 80.000.- 000 ncres of land that lie under swnlnps or subject to periodical overflow or too wet for anything but grazing which it is perfectly feasible to drain nnd protect nnd redeem. Problem Economic One. So far ns our domestic affairs arc concerned the problem of our. return to pence Is a problem of economic nnd Industrial readjustment. That problem Is less serious for us than it may turn out to be for the nn tions which have suffered the dlsar ruiigemcius ami tne losses or war longer than we. Our people, more over, do not wait to be coached and led. They know their own business, nre quick and resourceful at every readjustment, definite In purpose, and scir-reiiant In action. mum uie wnr insteu we set up many agencies by which to direct the Industries of tho country in the serv ices It wns necessnry for them to ren der, by which to make sure of nn nbundnnt supply of the matcrlnls needed, by which to check undertak ings Unit could for tho time be dis pensed with und stlmulnto thoso thnt were most serviceable In wnr. by which to gnln for the purchasing de partments of the government n certnln control over the prices of essentlnl articles and materials, by which to restrain trade with alien enemies. make the most of tho avnllnblo ship ping, and systematize finunciul trans actions, both public and prlvnto, so that there would bo no unnecessary conuict or confusion by which. In short, to put every materlnl energy of ino country In harness to draw the common lond nnd make of us one team In the accomplishment of a grent task. Rut the moment Ave knew the armistice to have been signed we took tho harness off. Itnw materials upon which the government hnd kept Its hand for fear there should not be enough for the Industries thnt sun- plied the armies have been released and put Into the general mnrket nguln. Grent Industrial plants whose whole output nnd ninchlnery hnd been taken over for tho uses of the government have been set freo to return to the uses to which they were put beforo the war. It has not been possible to remove so readily or so quickly tho control of foodstuffs and of shipping, becnuse the world hns still to be fed from our granaries and tho ships nre still needed to send supplies to our men oversea nnd to bring the men back as fast as tho disturbed condi tions on the other side of the water permit; but even there restraints i;re being relaxed us much as possible and more nnd moro as tho weeks go by. I entirely concur with the secretary oi tne treasury In recommend! in that the two billions needed In r.ddltloa to tho four billions provided by exlsiln law bo obtained from the profit which have accrued und shnll accrue from war contracts and distinctively wf.r business, but thnt these tuxes be con lined to the wnr profits accruing In 1018, or In 1010 from business orlgt tinting In war contracts. I urge your acceptance of his recoin memlatlon that provision bo mnde now, not subsequently, thut the taxes to bo paid In 1020 should be reduced from six to four billions. Asks Support of Congress. May I not hope, gentlemen of the congress, that In the delicate tasks shall have to perform on tho other side of the sea, In my efforts truly nnd faithfully to Interpret the principles and purposes of the country we love. I muy hnvo tho encouragement nnd tho added strength of your united support? I realize tho magnitude nnd difficulty of the duty I nm undertak ing. I nm poignantly nwuro of its grave responsibilities. I am tho ser vant of tho nation. I can have no pri vate thought or purpose of my own In performing such an errand, I go to give the best thnt Is in me to tho common settlements which I must now assist In arriving nt in conference with the other working heads of the assoclnted governments. I shnll count upon your friendly countenance nnd encouragement. I shnll not bo Inaccessible. Tho cables and the wireless will render me avnll nblo for any counsel or service you may desire of me, nnd I shall be hap py In the thought that I am constant ly In touch with the weighty matters of domestic policy with which we shall have to denl. I shall make my absonce ns brief ns possible nnd shnll hope to return with tha happy assur ance that it lias been noslbli to translate Into action the great lilt.it for which America bus MrlM-n. HAND OVER PLANES TEUTONS SURRENDERING AIR. FLEET TO ENTENTE ALLIE8. Transfer of Such a Huge Air Squad ron Requires Considerable Time Rulers of Europe to Visit U. S. London, Dec. 30. The surrender of the 2,000 German airplanes required under the terms of the armistice con vontlon has been proceeding during the past week and It Is expected that full complement of enemy machines will shortly be In the nlllos' hands, v The taking over, examining and parking of so vast u lleif of ma chines hns necessarily taken time, as the German armies in their retire ment nre leaving the planes behliKl in their evnenated ureas. Some light Is thrown upon whnt this gigantic surrender of nlrernft nieaiis to tho Germans by the ofllclal British figures of air fighting upon the Hritlsh western front from Janu ary 1. 1018. to the date of the armi stice. Those figures show the num ber of enemy machines destroyed In ni-rlal combats by the Hritlsh to have been 3.000, while enemy machines . driven down out of control numbered 1.171. Genunny Is known to hnvo lost well over 0.000 airplanes, destroyed nnd surrendered, during the. present .velir. On the other hand, the re sources of the allies are being rein forced by 2,000 German mnelilncw of modern typo and In good serviceable' condition. European Rulers Coming to U. S. New York, Dee. 10. The United" States government will have as Its Bii est n In th, near future Prostiinnt- Polnenre of France. King Georiro of England. King Albert of Helglum, King Victor Emmanuel of Italy nnd the heads of nny other nations Presi dent Wilson may visit during his trip, to Europe. Stephnne l.auzanne. edi tor of tha l-nrin Mntin. deeJnred hero- Just before ho sniled for France. M. T.nuzanne hus been In Iho Unlted Stntes several months on nn ofllclal mission. "It has been n diplomatic custom. from time Immemorial," M. Lauz nnne snld. "Hint the bend of one gov- ' eminent who enlerliilns the head of another lnvnrlnblv rennvs ' tho viit -'- Predlct Another "Flu" Epidemic. Chicago, Dec. 10. One out of overr five soldiers In the United State's suffered from Influenza; of these, one In six developed pneumonia, and of tho pneumonia patients, two out of five' died. This statement was made here by Dr. George A. Sopor of the United States surgeon general's stuff. Dr. Sopor predietted cnother- epidemle of the disease. Annnrontlv there huvo been three visitations, each succeeding one being more f-evorn. nore widespread und more fatal tlmn- its predecessors." Soper said. Eight-Hour Day for Railroaders. London, Dee. 10. Tho Hritlsh gov' eminent has agreed to the principle of an eight hour day for all members of no wages staff nn tho rallwnvs of he united kingdom in fulfillment- of ' the pledge given the railway men ro- entiy by the president of tho board of trade. The eight-hour ilnv 11111 ouie Into operation next February. enders of railway men In the untied' kingdom evpress satisfaction over tho imvornnient's notion. Urges All to Join Red Cross. Washington. D. P., Dee. 10. Presl .lent Wilson, in a proclamation made public last Sunday, culls on every Vmerlcun to Join the American Ileil Cross during Christmas roll call week, December It! to 23. "and thus send Torth to the wholo human family tho Hiristmns greeting for which It waits uid for which it stands In greatest need." The proclamation wus pro pan 1 before the president departed for Europe. Won't Let War Board Rule. Omalm. Neb.. D(,.. o. Striking -.t root car men In Omaha and Council Hluffs by an almost unanimous volo refused to submit the. differences be tween their union and tho traction company to the war labor board for settlement. Stroot car scrvlco In tho two cities luw been nt a .standstill since lust Wednesday. Blood Flows in Berlin Streets. Herlln. Dee. 10. The flush between government troops nrl followers of the Spartarus. or radical group, re sulted iu more than ISO perwms being killed or wounded. New Features for County Fairs, Chicago. III., Dec, 10. Art will m. place the snake charmer and "Fnt Lady" as an attraction at county fairs next summer, it was announced, by speakers at the annual convention at American Association of Vahn nnd Expositions here. II. A. Hrown nf Hlrinliiglram. Ala., was elected m-osl. dent: C. V. Walborn. Columbus. o vice president ; K. H. Danlelson, Lin coln. .eb secretary: and Prank D. Fuller. Memphis. Teiin.. ' was elected treasurer.