\ NOTE ID ALLIES
ENTERS PROTEST
i OF IAIL AFFAIR
, -
I United States Sends Word That
J. Abuses to Neutral Rights
' Must Be Permanently
Stopped.
AMERICANS ARE SUFFERERS
“Lawless Practice” Has Had
Disastrous Effect Upon Com
mercial Interests of
America.
Washington. D. C., May 29.—The
United States, denouncing interference
with neutral mails, has notified Great
Britain and France that it can no
longer tolerate the wrongs which
American citizens have suffered and
continue to suffer through the “law
less practice” those governments have
indulged in, and that only a radical
change in policy, restoring the United
States to its full rights as a neutral
power, will be satisfactory.
This notification is given in the lat
est American communication to the
two governments, the text of w'hich
j Was made public by the state depart
i Tent last night. The time in which
I the change must be effected is not
/ 'specified, but the United States ex
pects prompt action.
Text of the Note.
The text of the communication ad
dressed to the British and French am
bassadors, to whom it was delivered
Wednesday, follows:
“Department of State, Washington,
May 24, 1916.—Excellency. I have the
lienor to acknowledge receipt of your
excellency’s note of April 3, last, frans
mitting a memorandum dated Febru
ary 15, 1916, and communicated in sub
stance to the American ambassador in
T.ondon, February 28, in which are
stated the contentions of the British
and French governments in regard to
the right to detain and examine parcel
and letter mails en route by sea be
tween the United States and Europe.
“After discussion of the use of the
mails for transmission of parcels and
of the limitations to be placed on ‘in
violable mail,' the joint memorandum
of February 15 closes with the follow
ing assertions:
“1. That from the standpoint of the
right of visitation and eventual arrest
and seizure of merchandise transported
in post parcels needs not and shall not
be treated otherwise than merchandise
shipr 1 in any other manner.
“2. »hat the inviolability of postal
correspondence stipulated by the 11th
convention of The Ilae-ue of 1907 does
not in any way affect the right of the
allied governments to visit and if oc
casion arise arrest and seize merchan
dise hidden in the wrappers, envelopes
or letters contained in the mail bags.
“3. That true to their engagements
and respectful of genuine 'correspond
ence,' the allied governments wall con
tinue for the present to refrain on the
high seas from seizing and confiscat
ing such correspondence, letters or dis -
patches. and will insure their speediest
possible transmission as soon as the
sincerity of their character shall have
been ascertained.
“In reply the government of the Uni
, ted States desires to state that it does
not consider that the postal union con
vention of 190fi necessarily applies to
the interference by the British and
French governments with the oversea
transportation of mails, of which the
government of the United States is
complaining. Furthermore, the allied
powers appear to have overlooked the
admission of the government of the
United States that post parcels may be
treated as merchandise subject to the
A exercise of belligerent rights as recog
nized by international law. But the
government of the United States does
not admit that such parcels are subject
to the 'exercise of rights of police su
pervision. visitation and eventual seiz
ure which belongs to belligerents as to
all cargoes on the high seas.’ as as
serted in the joint note under acknowl
edgement.
Mail Is Inviolable.
“It is noted with satisfaction that the
British and French governments do not
claim—and. In the opinion of this gov
ernment, properly do not claim—that
their so called ‘blockade’ measures are
sufficient grounds upon which to base
a right to interfere with all classes of
mail matter in transit to or from the
central powers. On the contrary, their
contention appears to be that, ‘as gen
uine correspondence’ is under conven
tional stipulation ‘inviolable’ mail mat
ter, only other classes are subject to
detention and examination. While the
government of the United States agrees
that genuine correspondence mail is in
vTbable, it does not admit that bellig
erents may search other private sea
borne mails for any other purpose than
to discover whether they contain ar
ticles of enemy ownership carried on
belligerent vessels or articles of con
traband transmitted under sealed cover
as letter mail, though they may inter
cept at sea all mails coming out of and
going into ports of the enemy coasts
which are effectively blockaded. The
governments of the United States, Great
Britain and France, however, appear
to he in substantial agreement as to
principle. The method of applying the
principle is the chief cause of differ
ence.
Deprived of Benefits.
“Though giving assurances that they
A consider ‘genuine correspondence’ to be
~ inviolable,’ and that they will, ‘true to
their engagements,’ refrain ‘on the high
seas’ from seizing and confiscating
such correspondence, the allied govern
ments proceed to deprive neutral gov
ernments of the benefits of these as
surances by seizing and confiscating
mail from vessels in port, Instead of at
£ sea. They compel neutral ships, with
# 'Hit just cause, to enter their own ports,
; or they induce shipping lines, through
J : one form of durns. to send their
S mails in ships via British ports, or they
detain ail vessels merely calling at
British ports, thus acquiring by force. 01
unjustifiable means, an illegal jurisdic
tion. Acting upon this enforced juris
diction, the authorities remove ail mail,
gehuino correspondence as well as post
parcels, take them to London, where
every piece, even though of neutral or
igin and destination is opened and crit
ictJly examined to determine the sin
i ferity of their capture, in accordance
f with the interpretation given ttiat un
I defined phrase by the British and
1 French censors. Finally, the expur
gated remainder is forwarded, fro
fluently after Irreparable dely.y. to its
destination. Shirs ore detained en
route to or from the United States ot
RENEWS VOWS
TO DEAD WIFE
Sworn Document Left
in Coffin at Funeral
in East.
Atlantic City, May 29.—Mourners at
the funeral of Mrs. Annie Willis, 28
years old today saw a strange ceremony
performed by W. Henry Willis, her hus
band.
When the coffin was about to be
closed he placed in his wife's hands
a sealed letter containing his oatli to
continue his contract of marriage. He
was carrying out a custom followed by
his family for six generations.
Willis lias been married three times
and says the first two unions were un
successful. but the last brought hlia
great happiness.
to or from other neutral countries, and
mails are held and delayed for several
days, and, in some cases, for weeks
and even months, even though not
routed to ports of northern Europe via
British ports. This has been the pro
cedure practiced since the announce
ment of February 15, 1916. To some
extent the same practice was followed
before that date, calling forth the pro
test of ttiis government of January 4,
1916. But to that protest the memoran
dum under acknowledgment makes no
reference and is entirely unresponsive
No Jurisdiction.
"The government of the United
States must again insist with emphasis
that the British and French govern
ments do not obtain rightful jurisdic
tion of ships by forcing or inducing
them to visit their ports for the pur
pose of seizing their mails, or therebj
obtain belligerent rights as to such
ships than thej' could exercise on the
high seas; for there is, in the opinion
of the government of the United States
no legal distinction between the seizure
of mails at sea, which is announced as
abandoned, and their seizure from ves
sels voluntarily or involuntarily in port.
The British and French practice
amounts to an unwarranted limitation
of the use by neutrals of the world's
highway for the transmission of corre
spondence. The practice actually fol
lowed by the allied powers must be said
to justify the conclusion, therefore, that
the announcement of February 15 was
merely notice that one illegal practice
should be abandoned to make place for
the development of another more oner
ous and vexatious in character.
Based on Rule.
“The present practice is in violation
not only of the spirit of the announce
ment of February 15. but of the rule
of The Hague convention upon which
it is concededly based. Aside from this
it is a violation of the prior practice
of nations which Great Britain and her
allies have in the past assisted to es
tablish and maintain notwithstanding
the statement in the memorandum that
a« late as 1907, the letters and dis
patches themselves could be seized
and confiscated. During the war De
tween the United States and Mexico,
the United States forces allowed Brit
ish steamers to enter and depart from
the port of Vera Cruz without molest
ing the mails intended for inland
points. During the American civil war
Lord Russell endeavored to induce the
United States to concede that 'Her
Majestj^’s mails on board a private ves
sel should be exempted from visitation
or detention.’ This exemption of mails
was urged in October, 1862, in the case
RritioVi moiln on Ron f Rn A fl 9
On October 21, Secretary Seward an
nounced that ‘public mails of any
friendly or neutral power duly certi
fied or authenticated as such shall not
be searched or opened, but be put as
speedily as may be convenient on the
way to their destination.' In accord
ance with this announcement the gov
ernment of the United States in the
case of the British steamship Peter
hoff, which had been seized with her
mails against the protest of her majes
ty's government, had her mails for
warded to destination unopened.
"The same rule was followed by
France, as l am advised, in the Fran
co-Prussian war of 1870: by the United
States in the Spanish-American war of
1898; by Great Britain in the South
Africa war, in the case of the German
mail steamer, Bundesrath and Gen
eral; by Japan and substantially by
Russia, in the Russo-Japanese war of
1904. And even in the present war,
as the memorandum of Great Britain
and France states, their enemy, Ger
many, has desisted from the practice
of interfering with neutral mails, even
on hoard belligerent steamers. This is
illustrated by the case of the French
steamer Floride, captured by the auxil
iary cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich cited
by the British and French governments
in support of their argument regarding
parcel mails. In this case, the letter
mails of the Floride, amounting to 144
sacks, were forwarded to their destina
tion by the commander at the first op
portunity on arriving in the United
States. It would seem therefor to be
conclusively established that the in
terference with mails of which this
government justly complains are
wrong in principle and practice.
Must Cease.
"The government of the United
States, confident in the regard for in
ternational law and the rights of neu
trals which the British and French
governments have so often proclaimed
and the disregard of which they have
urged so vigorously against their
enemies in the present war, expects
the present practice of the British and
French authorities in the treatment of
mails from or to the United Suites to
cease, and belligerents’ rights as exer
cised to conform to the principle gov
erning the passage of mail matter and
to the recognized practice of nations.
Only a radical change in the present
British and French policy, restoring
to the United States its full lights as a
neutral power, will satisfy this govern
ment.
' I have, etc., Robert Lansing."
HEALERS ARRESTED.
Los Angeles, Cal., May 27.—Prince
August Schrader, associate of "King"
Francis Schlatter of New York, both
allege “divine healers," was arrested
today on a federal indictment charging
use of the mails to defraud.
To increase the volume of sound
from a phonograph a Parisian lias in
vented an instrument that will play
three records simultaneously.
•* + *
♦ 4
4 HEAT KILLS ONE. 4
4 ♦
4 Chicago, I ay 27.—The first 4
4 fatality resulting from heat 4
4 prostration was reported here 4
4 today in the death of Charles 4
4 ™ pobald, of Cathagena. Ohio, 4
4 who was overcome yesterday. 4
4 Several other prostrations were 4
4 caused by yesterday’s sudden 4
4 rise in temperature. The mer- 4
4 cury climbed 32 degrees in 10 4
4 hours and the maximum tern- 4
4 perat re of the day was 90.t Ue- 4
4 ~rees. 4
i ♦ ^4
SEEKING PRESIDENCY OF THE FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS; f
ONE LS FOR PREPAREDNESS; OTHER FOR PEACE AT ANY PRICEJ
Mrs. Samuel B. Sneath (left) and Mrs. Josiah Evans Cowles.
The question of national preparedness is playing an important part in the fight for the presidency of the
General Federation of Women’s Clubs, now in session in New York city. Mrs. Samuel B. Sneath, candidate
from Ohio, is an ardent believer in preparedness. Her opponent, Mrs. Josiah Evans Cowles of California* is
an ardent pacifist and believes in peace at any price. Both are well known suffragists.
ITALIANS ADMIT
ANOTHER DEFEAT
Give Up Advance Position Be
cause of Austrian Attack—
Claim Repulses In Other
Regions.
Home, May 27, (via Paris. May 29.)—
The abandonment of another Italian
advance position on the Astico river,
under the pressure of an overwhelming
attack by the Austrians, is announced
tonight by the war department. The
Austrians are stated to be m- king their
main effort toward the Arsiero basin,
in the hope of reaching the valleys
which run between the Astico and Or
elo rivers down to Vicenzo. The bul
letin said that the Austrians have been
repulsed everywhere except at the one
advance point, which was surrendered
for strategic reasons.
WOMEN BARRED
FROM PARADE
Fear G. A. R. Proces
sion Will Resemble
“Suff " March.
Denver. May 29.—Denver's G. A. R
veterans have put up the bars against
women participating in their Memoria
day parade, although this is one of the
great equal suffrage states. The rea
son Is that there are too many women's
organizations in connection with the G
A. R„ and with the few veterans left
it is felt the parade would look mors
like a suffrage pageant. The Denvei
women’s drill team offered its services
in the parade, but it was refused.
"We just can't have the women ir
the parade," apologized Department
Adjutant W. H. Comstock, "because ii
we had one team all the other women’s
organizations which have grown from
the men’s organizations would insist on
taking part.”
TWO DIE IK FIRE
AT PEKN COLLEGE
Business Manager of College
One of Victims—Property
Loss Is Estimated at
$100,000.
Oskaloosa, la.. May 29.—Two wen
were killed two probably fatally in
jured, and property damage wrought of
about $100,000 early today by fire in
the main building or Penn college here.
Robert S. Williams, business man
ager of the college and state secretary
of the prohibition party, and Harry
Oakley, a freshman, were killed.
George M inear and Howard Kelley,
students, are in the hospital and muy
die.
The fire broke out in the biological
laboratory on the second floor of the
building and reached a 40-gallon tank
of alcohol, which exploded, scattering
liquid tire in all directions. Insufficient
water pressure hampered the efforts of
the fire department.
Williams and Oakley were killed
while attempting to save the college
records. The fire reached the cupola
and the four-ton college bell crashed
down through the building, wrecking
the front wall and burying the victims
under tons of debris.
Minear and Kelley were cut and
bruised and are believed to have suf
fered internal injuries. They were hurt
while rescuing the S. S. M. Byers art
collection, which hung in the chapel
hall. The collection is said to be worth
$50,000.
Defective electric wiring is believe^
to have started the fire.
WAITE GUILTY
SAY JURYMEN
New York, May 29—Dr. Arthur War
ren Watte was today found guilty of
the murder of his fatherinlaw, John E.
Peck, the grand Rapids, millionaire.
“Guilty of murder In the first degree,”
was the verdict of the Jury returned
after it had beer out of the court room
one hour and 25 minutes. Waite was
remanded to the Tombs to await im
position of sentence on June 1.
New York, May 29.—Alienists sworn
by the defense in behalf of Dr. Arthur
Warren Waite testified yesterday at
his trial for the murder of John E.
Peck, his fatherinlaw, that the young
dentist was a "moral imbecile” and an
"immoral monster” who had only an
insane knowledge of right and wrong.
The defense rested its case upon the
testimony of the mental experts.
Waite’s wife was in the court room
and heard the medical witnesses for
her husband testify that he had told
them he married her only for her
money. The prisoner himself appeared
to doze while a long hypothetical ques
tion designed to show that he was in
sane at the time he killed his wife’s
parents was read to the alienists. The
jurymen seemed bored by the testi
mony of the experts.
Dr. Morris J. Karpas and Dr. Allen
Rose Diefendorf testified that Waite
was a moral imbecile and declared
they had arrived at their conclusion
without consultation together. Roth
admitted Waite knew what he was do
ing when he was plotting the death
of Mr. Peck, but they declared he had
no moral sense. Both asserted they did
not want the prisoner set free, and Dr.
Diefendorf said he should be kept' in
an insane asylum as long as he lived.
Dr. Karpas declared that while moral
imbeciles had no moral sense, they ap
peared like rational men. Hs said lie
believed criminals should confess their
crimes because they owed it to society
to do so.
JEWS PROTEST OVER
JACOB SCHIFF VIEWS
New York May 27. — The recent
statement b/Jacob H. Schiff, that the
persecution of the Jews in Poland and
Russia was largely due to the fact
that Jews failed to adopt the civil cus
toms of those countries and kept them
selves as a separate people, has caused
an outburst of indignation among the
various Jewish leaders and news
papers. In an interview for the Jewish
Daily News, Rabbi Jaffe brands Schiff
as a man absolutely irresponsible for
his words, and ignorant of the history
of the Jews in Russia and Poland. \.
B. Rorochou, socialist writer, calls
Schiff's statement mere slander, made
by a man whose leadership the Ameri
can Jews have refused to accept.
Several German chemists are en
deavoring to find economical pro
cesses for the recovery of combustible
material from coal ashes.
ROME MESSAGE CLAIMS
REVERSE FOR AUSTRIANS
Rome, May 29.—(via London, 7:27 a.
m.).—A reverse for the Austrians in
the Lagarlna valley is announced in
an official statement issued by the war
department today. The statement fol
lows:
“In the Lagarina valley the enemy
continued yesterday its impetuous at
tacks on our line along the Adige river
and the Arsa valley and met with an
other sanguinary defeat. After the
usual violent artillery preparations
masses of infantry in close formation
began at attack upon us at Coni Sugna
end Col De Buoele. They were ex
terminated.
“Between the Arsa valley and Posa
the situation is unchanged. Between
Posa and the Asisco river after an in
tense concentrated bombardment by
the enemy, our troops have repulsed
one attack.
"In the Asiago sector fighting con
tinued during the day and was still
proceeding at night, the enemy at
tacking our position east of the Arsa
valley.
“In the Sugana valley the enemy
made several attacks on Monte Cl
varon, but were repulsed each time
with heavy losses. One of our col
umns of infantry and Alpines by a
brilliant surprise attack, drove the en
emy from the approaches to our posi
tions on the left bank of the Maso.”
AUSTRIAN STATEMENT SAYS
SUCCESSES ARE SCORED
Vienna, (via London) May 27.—
Twenty-five hundred Italians, four
guns, four machine guns and a quanti
ty of war material have been captured
by the Austrians who stormed an ex
tensive mountain ridge on the Trento
front, according to an official state
ment issued by the war department
here.
The statement follows:
“We have gained a new great suc
cess on the Italian front, capturing the
entire mountain ridge from Corno
cicampe Verde to Maata. The enemy
suffered sanguinary losses. We cap
tured over 2,500 prisoners, four guns,
four machine guns, 300 bicycles and
much other material."
NUMBER MEAL TICKETS
TO AVOID RIOTING
London, May 27.—The Commune of
Griedenau, near Berlin, has decided to
number all meat tickets as a measure
to check rioting outside butcher shops,
according t() an Amsterdam dispatch
to the Exchange Telegraph company
which quotes the Berlin Tagblatt.
Holders of tickets must take their turn
at the batcher shops according to num
ber and those unable to go on the spe
cified date will get no meat f.,r that
week.
•HILLES IN CHICAGO.
Chicago, May 27.—Charles D. Ililles,
chairman of the republican national
committee, arrived in Chicago yester
day and will remain until after the
national convention of the party.
June 7.
RIGGS VERDICT
IS ‘NOT GUILTY'
Washington Bank Officials Are
Freed of Perjury Charge—
Jury Deliberates Only
Nine Minutes.
Washington, May 29.—The three
Riggs bank officials on trial here for
I perjury, were today found not guilty
I after the jury had deliberated nine
minutes.
EIGHT JURORS CHOSEN
TO HEAR ORPET CASE
Twelfth Day Gives Promise of
Completing the Prelimin
ary Work.
.
Waukegan. 111., May 27.—With eight
men already sworn as jurors, two oth
ers tentatively accepted by both sides,
hope was entertained that the jury in
the case of Will Orpet, university of
Wisconsin student charged with the
murder of Marian Lambert, might be
completed today. This was the 12th
day devoted to jury selection and 671
veniremen had been examined up to
the close of court yesterday.
PRICE ON RAILROAD.
San Francisco, May 27. — United
States District Judge Maurice T. Dool
ing lixed $18,000,000 as the "upset"
price for the sale of the Western Pa
cific railway today in the foreclosure
suit brought by the Equitable Trust
company of New York.
i
GERMANY WILLING
FOR SECOND TRIP
OE PENCE WORKER
Berlin Papers Print Report
That If Colonel House Ap
pears Again, Change
Will Be Seen.
WASHINGTON INTERESTED
Belief Is Expressed That Pres
ident’s Representative Will
Leave After Con
ventions,
The tide of battle at Verdun ha*
again turned in favor of the French,
according to this afternoon's official
bulletin from Paris, which says French
troops have recaptured part of the vil
lage of Cumieres. Trenches northwest
of the village were also reclaimed in
the French attack, while on the oppo
site side of the Meuse Paris claims the
repulse of a German effort to gain fur
ther ground in the neighborhood of
Fort Douaumont.
Vienna announces another success
for the Austrians in the Trentino.
They have captured an entire moun
tain ridge and have taken more than
2,500 prisoners.
Rome officially reports the Italians
making a determined stand which held
the Austrians in check in all but one
sector of the front. An Italian retire
ment from an advanced position on the
Astico river is admitted.
Washington, May 29—The definite
statement in the Berlin press dis
patches that Germany would welcome
peace was read with deep interest by
officials here.
The only comment made was that
President Wilson's speech tonight be
fore the League to Enforce Peace
would make plain his position.
Officials said they knew of no inten
tion on the president's part of asking
Colonel House to go back to Berlin.
Berlin. Tuesday. May 23, (via Lon
don, May 29.)—Another visit by Col.
E. M. House to Europe would come
as no surprise to the initiated in offi
cial quarters here. The rumors to this
effect are regarded as having a cer
tain basis in fact, although the opinion
prevails that the trip would naturally
be postponed until after the national
conventions.
It is hoped here that should Colonel
Houbo pay such a visit he will come
this time as a harbinger of peace, or
at any rate to prepare, If possible, the
foundations for a peace proposal, diffi
cult as this task is recognized to be.
During his last previous visit to Eu
rope Colonel House made no effort
and conducted no Investigation in the
direction of a peace—in Berlin at any
event—having perhaps found absolute
ly adverse conditions in capitals of na
tions hostile to Germany. Presuma
bly, also, he had previous Information
that American mediation was not de
sired and it would not be accepted as
long as the United States continued to
supply Germany’s foes with cannon,
shot, shell, cartridges, powder and
1,000 other requisites for waging war
against the central powers. Moreover,
no Intimation tad been given at the
time of this visit that Irascibility in
high quarters here on the munitions
question was in any way abated.
Would Welcome Peace.
The situation, it may be said, now
has changed. Apparently there Is no
harm from either a political or a stra
tegical standpoint In saying that Ger
many would welcome peace. As Ar
thur von Gwinner, the managing di
rector of the Deutsche bank In Berlin,
stated to the Associated Press corre
spondent recently. Germany is in the
position of a poker player who has
gathered In all the money on the table
and naturally Is willing to break off
an all night session and retire with his
winnings, while the others persist in
continuing in the hope of recouping
some of their losses. The cards, how
ever, to continue the simile, are run
ning strongly in the Germans' favor. It
Is pointed out, as shown In the renewed
postponement of the long heralded
Anglo-French offensive In the west,
the steady, though slow progress of the
crown prince at Verdun, the victories
of the Turks and finally the crushing
results of the Austrian offensive In the
Trentino.
Whether these events are enough to
induce the entente allies to retire from
what is looked upon here as a losing
game, and whether the changed tone of
the utterances of Premier Asquith and
Sir Edward Grey, and what is consid
ered a disavowal of their intention to
crush Germany as a nation and a com
mercial rival, or dismember the empire,
are Indicative of receptivity toward
reasonable peace proposals, is an un
certain factor In the reckoning.
Can’t Take Berlin.
The best posted neutral observers
here, particularly diplomats in touch
with the sentiment in both camps, are
inclined to give a negative answer to
these questions and to hold that some
thing further must occur to convince
the entente allies that the expulsion of
the German armies from occupied ter
ritories and the completion of the "on
to Berlin" campaign are Impossibilities
even with the aid of the blockade and
economic pressure. As one possible
means of bringing about this recep
tive attitude in entente capitals, one of
these neutral diplomats who is not sus
pected of partiality for either side, re
cently suggested the presentation of
evidence gathered by neutral impartial
agencies of Germany’s ability to con
tinue the struggle indefinitely, despite
the food situation and other effects of
the blockade.
Colonel House Silent.
New York, May 27.—Col. E. M.
House said tonight that he had no
plans for returning to Europe. When
told of press dispatches indicating that
lie would be welcomed there as a har
binger of peace, his only comment was
that he was very much battered. He
and President Wilson had a conference
here Wednesday, when it was indicated
that the chief subject of the conversa
tion was peace prospects in Europe.
When Colonel House went to Berlin
several months ago on a mission for
the president the submarine issue was
understood to have been the principal
subject discussed by him. He returned
with the impression that at that time
there was little prospect of peace.
Colonel House is the president’s per
sonal confidential adviser on the Eur
ropean peace situation, and it has been
understood that if«Ir. Wilson thought
it advisable to send a representative to
the European capitals on a peace
mission he uridoubtedl> would select
Colonel House.
