f
> PRESIDENT UA!
St ASKED 10
KNEW OF PLANS
Foreig^piplomats May Be Con
nectef'With Early Release of
Inforpatlon on Harrison’s
Intimation at Hearing.
REPORTERS ARE CALLED
Ticker and Other Records Will
Be Examined—Gardner Says
He Will Fnrnish Posi
tive Proof.
’ v Abmgton, Jan. 8.—Subpoenaes for
seven, men were ordered issued today
by th^ Bouse rules committee at the
outset of today's session of the “leak”
investigation. The men to he called
ire Jffln Boyle and Henry E. Eland,
if the; Wall Street Journal, and W. A.
Crawford. Ernst A. Knorr, jr., A. 1,.
Geiger, Nelson M. Shepard and A. M.
J;un1i5hn, employes of the Central
Nev.'s of America, a news service which
supplies information to Financial Amer
W lea, a Wall street newspaper.
jm Tho heads of the bureau also were
requested to bring the ticker tapes of
their services for from 10 a. m. through
out tho day of December 20, 1916.
Tha ctnnmittee wants to learn what
time, rtto Central News and Wall Street
Journal bureaus made public the fact
that a note was forthcoming from the
president.
A motion by Representative Camp
bell. rvipublican, to have the New York
and Chicago exchanges .notify all their
I members to preserve their sales slips
D* of from December 10 to December 23
was adopted.
■*' Announcement was made by Chair
man Henry thaj Be rnard E. Baruch,
who.is declared by the mysterious "A.
Curtis*’ to have profited by the so colled
leak, am! Otto H. Kahn, of Kuhn, Doeb
& Co whom Representative Wood sug
gestei.’ should be culled, would be here
Monday to testify.
Lawson Chief Beneficiary.
On motion of Representative Henry,
Mr. Baruch was ordered to bring be
fore the committee all of his brokers*
commission slips from December 10 to
December 23.
Representative Chiperfield, of Illinois,
republican, deolared at the hearing that
he understood Thomas W. Lawson, of
Boston, had been the chief beneficial y
of the falling market, which followed
>tho president’s peace note.
Representative Wood, author of the
inquiry resolution, had been called to
the stand, and a wrangle between re
publican and democratic members had
been precipitated, when Representative
Harrison, democrat, asked Mr. Wood
why he had not satisfied himself as to
t the identity of the mysterious "A. Cur
tis.”
“Representative Wood is not the au
thor of the charges under inquiry here,”
protested Mr. Chiperfield, “and his mo
tives cannot be impugned. I think that
we are losing sight of the fact that
these scandalous charges were made
by Thomas W. Lawson, of Boston, and
it is my understanding that Mr. Law
eon was the chief beneficiary of this
fulling market.
Representative Harrison, democrat,
called attention to tho fact that Wood’s
first resolution was produced before
Lawson had made any statement or
before the letter from “A. Curtis.” al
leged New York broker, had been re
ceived.
"The question.” Mr. Chiperfield in
sisted, “is whether there was a leak
and whether government officials im
properly profited by it.”
l "Do you think there was not a leak?”
asked Representative Campbell of Mr.
Harrison.
Foreign Centers Leaked.
“Yes,” replied Mr. Harrison, “but I
think the leak came from the repre
sentatives of those Wall street papers
or else the leak came back from for
eign centers. ’
Representative Gardner, of Massa
chusetts, who on the floor of the House
on January 3 said he knew there was
a leak and that the whole stock ex
F change transactions showed it, was
then called to the witness stand.
Representative Gardner testified he
was convinced there had been a leak
because at 2:05 p. m., December 20, 10
hours before the peace note was re
leased for publication and four hours
before it had been placed in the hands
of the news agencies, the following dis
patch was sent out over the Dow Jones
X- tifkpr:
Cites Proof of Leak.
“The renewed selling of the market
is due to reports received by brokers’
private wires from Washington to the
effect that the administration will, in
the near future, address to the belliger
ents some suggestions or proposals in
regard to peace. Nothing definite is
obtainable in administration circles.”
“There is your proof of a leak,” said
Mr. Gardner. "Miracles don’t go on
Uie stock exchange, and Dow, Jones &
Co. don't deal in prophecies.”
Mr. Gardner added that his attor
ney would be here next week and by
submitting figures showing the fluc
tuations on the stock exchange on De
cember 20, convince the committee
there had been a leak.
Sun Had Information.
In his statement to the committee.
Representative Gardner also said that,
while the Wall Street Journal on De
cember 20, stated “there will be no
► 1 eace manifesto issued by President
Wilson,” the New York Evening Sun,
on that date reported rumor and hints
of the -..ending of such a note in the
following terms:
“The Washington advices were bear
ish, these saying that President Wilson
may address foreign powers on the
peace proposals."
f “Where did the Sun get this advance
information?” asked Mr. Gardner. “I
think that I see Indications of a leak.
But the absolutely definite visible
watermark of a leak is contained in the
ticker record of Dow, Jones & Co.
The Record of Steel.
"The beginning of the downward
tendency in the stock market Is first
apparent between 12:45 and 1:45 of De
cember 19. United States Steel which
opened at 10 o’clock at 112*4 and rose
as high as 116*4, got as low u3 1094
and closed at 112. _
"On December 20, opening at 112, it
continued its downard course, closing
at 108. Then came the publication of
the note.
"On December 21, it opened at 104V4,
showed an upward tendency until al
most noon, then fell, touching its lowest
-point at 100 4 and closing at 101.
My counsel, Judge William JA. K.
LEAGUE TO ENFORCE
PEACE TO BE OPPOSED
Adoption of Modified Indorse
ment Indicates Fight on At
tempt to Enter U. S. In Plan.
Washington. Jan. 8.—One tiling that
stood out clear today as the result of
the adoption by the Senate last evening
of a modification of the Hitchcock res
olution. simply indorsing the request of
the president for peace terms, was that
the I-eague to Enforce Peace has in
tense opposition in congress. It was
widely predicted by those who followed
the Senate debate that any serious at
tempt alter the war to get the United
States into such a league will meet
tremendous resistance in congress and
the country.
Oicott, of New York, will present to
you a complete comparison of the
course of prices on the New York stock
exchange side hy side with a statement
of the news and rumors from Washing
ton.
“This comparison presents a chain of
events, which, beyond peradventure of
doubt, proves tho existence of a leak.
Would Ask Wilson’s Aid.
“If you find a prlma facie case that
there was a leak, you cannot take t!u»
position that you will do nothing at all
about it until some one informs you
as to the names of those who profited
by the leak or the names of those re
sponsible for the leak.
“It seems to me that the right way to
go about tlie mutter is to find out from
tlie president with whom ho talked this
peace note over and then summon them
and find out whether there was any
way in which they might inadvertently
have let ‘tlie cat out of the bag.’ Next,
I should get a list of those employes
of the White Houso and state depart
ment and of our embassies abroad who
handled this particular peace note. I
think you will find that list quite for
midable in length."
Representative tiardner said lie ab
solved Secretary Lansing and Secre
tary Tumulty of ail suspicion.
Representative Campbell, republican,
said there was no disposition on the
part of tlie republican minority to
make political capital in this matter,
but that he considered it deplorable
that there was any apparent attempt
to “shield” any one in the executive de
partments of the government.
FIGHT WITNESSED
Police Seek Man When Woman
Says Maizie Colbert Refused
to Meet Lewis Night Be
fore the Murder.
Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. S.—That there
was a second man in Maizio Colbert's
ilat when she was slain, is part of the
theory advanced in several quarters
here today, and being considered by
the police. This theory accounts for
the open window tlie police first be
lieved due to the woman's having tried
to call help. Apparently, digging into
the mystery has not stopped with the
suicide of Bernard Wesley Lewis.
Some 10 days prior, to her murder,
according to the police, the girl
wrote a letter to her wealthiest ad
mirer. He lives upstate. He had
known her for several years. He had
been generous in gifts of money, jew
elry and clothing on the many occa
sions in which he had visited hei
here. Tho letter was a carefully word
ed one, showing pains in preparation,
and it ended by telling him the griev
ances therein related were beyond her
power to endure, and that he must sea
her lawyer.
Rival Dictated Letter.
The inspiration for this letter earns
from the prominent Philadelphian in
volved. It is said that this man sug
gested it, even insisted that she send
it; that he showed her how to word It
—a man, incidentally, of high position
and enjoying the respect and confi
dence which follow success and a good
reputation.
The out of town man received the
letter. He knew that other men shared
with him ills admiration for the little
model. Some of these friends of hers
were his own personal friends and,
while he is said not to have been
greatly alarmed by its contents, he de
termined to go to Philadelphia to see
Maizie Colbert's counsel and state his
nosltion.
Arrived here, he determined to pay
the woman a visit before he saw her
lawyer and see if he could not straight
en out the tangle. She had the reputa
tion of being a “good fellow.”
Hides In Bath Room.
Some time Friday he went to the
Wilton apartments, where she lived,
to carry out this plan, it is said. Maizie
Colbert saw him walk up the steps.
With her at that moment was the
Philadelphia who had advised tho let
ter. Both of them were amazed. A
visit from this man was the last thing
they expected. The Philadelphian lied
into the bathroom, where he hid him
self, while ' the woman went forward
to meet the visitor. As he fled, tha
Philadelphian told her in substance tc
make the letter good.
The conversation began. The lettei
was the subject. The model insisted
her “wrongs” must be atoned; the man
that she had none. A bitter quarrel
quickly developed. In the middle of il
Grace Roberts Hew into a rage and
picking up the first thing that came tc
hand, she struck the man repeatedly
The blows gave him several slight scalp
wounds.
Soon he stopped warding off the
blows and struck back. He struck oul
savagely and the woman fell senseless
to the floor. Then she was furthei
abused and finally killed.
He Saw the Fight.
The man in the bathroom was a
witness to all that happened, at least
until the woman fell, according to po
lice information, it is believed he eithei
escaped by jumping from the bathroom
window Immediately after this blow
was struck or else he remained a silent
witness to what followed. Tho general
theory is that ho jumped as soon as he
realized the perl! of his situation.
The^tory as related here is the story
the police have been told and have
substantiated by investigation. But
they also I~-'c information that goe;
much further back and involves thb
same Philadelphian In a discreditabh
undertaking, which involved two girls
and two clergymen were slated for It;
victims. This plot failed, however, be
cause of the determination of tlx
preachers to pot up a finish fight.
Her Red Hair in Box; Girl Sues
Druggist Who Sold Her Peroxide
New York. Jan. 8—Back in June. 1915,
Katie Gootdank had a splendid mass of
red hair. In the matter of color and
quantity tho famous tresses of Queen
Elizabeth, or of Mrs. Leslie Carter, had
nothing whatever on Katie’s crowning
glory. But the youngsters near the
Gootdank home had no artistic appre
ciation of the latericcous locks and they
drove Katie (then only 15) to bitter
tears with their shouts of “Bricktop!”
“Carrot Dome!" and “Reddy!”
Now Katie still possesses the tresses,
but they re. in a shoe box.
A damage suit of hers came up be
fore Judge Erlanger, in the supreme
court, against Julius Kalish, a drug
pis!. S'ie charges that an employe of
Kalish advised her to use peroxide of
AMERICAN CITY
OLD AS EGYPT
People Scalded to Death
With Volcano Heated
1
Water.
__
Guatemala City. Guatemala. Jan. 8.—
I’he ruins of Antigua, the old capital
of Guatemala, which are said to ante
date the Egyptian era. are being stud
ied by separate expeditions of archae
ologists from Harvard university and
Yale. Antigua is the most ancient city
of Central America, and was destroyed
by a volcanic disturbance which, ac
cording to evidences, killed all the In- |
habitants by pouring scalding water
upon them.
NATION'S SAFETY
Daniels hieaas i-cr uetear or
Compromise With Claimants,
Saying Navy’s Efficiency
Is Imperiled By Bill.
Washington, Jan. 6—Secretary Dan
iels today appealed to Chairman Till
man, of the Snate naval committee, to
defeat the compromise legislation to
give claimants leases on the navy pe
troleum fuel reserve in California and
Wyoming. He also sent a statement
of the navy’s objections to Senator
Pittman, chairman of a subcommittee
which framed the compromise. The de
partment of justice holds many of the
claims are fraudulent, and the navy
maintains the safety of the nation,
which will be imperiled by the loss of
fuel.
’’Every capital ship and every de
stroyer is now designed to burn oil,
and oil only,” Secretary Daniels wrote
Senator Tillman, "and the features of
the design are such that it is impos
sible to return to the use of coal. Un
der the circumstances, the problem of
securing a supply of oil for our fleet
is one of the greatest national impor
tance. The speed of our destroyers and
battle cruisers would be impossible of
attainment with anything but oil, and if
this supply were seriously threatened,
as it is in the pending bill, we should
be brought face to face with the con
sideration of the abandonment alto
gether of oil as a fuel.”
IEUPEACE TERMS
Japan, Too, Will Have Part In
Entente Reply to Wilson’s
Proposal to Submit Peace
Requirements.
Tokio, Jan. 8.—It Is officially stated
jlere that the allies’ reply to President
Wilson’s note to be shortly delivered
through France will represent the views
of Japan as well as those of the other
entente powers. According to the state
pient of officials, the reply will not con
tain specific peace terms which are re
garded as premature at this time.
—e—
PREPARING PEACE TERMS.
Paris, Jan. G.—The central powers
are reported by the Bausanno Gazette
to be preparing a second note to the
entente enumerating the precise condi
tions of peace, says a Geneva dispatch
to the Temps.
BUFFALO bE DYING,
RETURNED TO DENVER
Following' Serious Turn Physi
cian Says Veteran Scout
Cannot Recover.
Glenwood Springs, Colo., Jan. fi.—The
condition of Col. William F. Cody
(Buffalo Bill) took a turn for the worse
early today, and his physician an
nounced he was hurrying the colonel
hack to Denver.
“Colonel Cody is slowly nearing the
end and cannot recover from ills pres
ent illness," Dr. W. W. Cook, in at
tendance, announced.
FORD WINS HIS SUIT
TO BUILD BIG SMELTER
Detroit, Mich., Jan. 6.—Henry Ford,
president, of the Ford Motor company,
was today allowed to proceed with the
construction of a $12,000,000 smelter on
tlie Detroit river near this city. Three
circuit Judges presiding ut the injunc
tion suit, brought against Ford bv the
Dodge brothers, accepted a bond of
110,000,000 to secure the Dodges from
any possible losses.
- I
hydrogen, which would make golden
hued the displeasing red hair, and that,
because she did use that drug, her
tresses stiffened and came out by the
handfuls, until now she hasn't any
more than the average boy—except
what's in the shoe box.
Her semibald head and the box con- !
taining the detached curls were shown
to a jury, which was asked to award
Katie $5,000 for her loss.
The suit was started in October,
1015, just after the shoe box was tilled
with Katie's locks, but has just reached
a leading place on the trial calendar.
To be almost without any hair at 17
is worse than to bo afflicted with tho
crimson variety, Katie vows, and shs
feels she ought to huve some recom
pense.
ALLEN, RECAPTURED,
CHARGED WITH MURDER
_ |
Doctor Arrested For Relations
With Iowa Girl, Will Be Tried
For Causing Her Death.
Seattle, Wash., Jan. K.—Dr. Perclval
V. Allen, who escaped from jail hero
while serving a year's sentence o-i a
statutory charge, based i on relations
with Miss Anna Marie Danielson, and
who after his escapo was formally j
charged with the murder of Miss Dan- ,
ielson, has been captured at Ilemit,
Cal., according to advices received to
day by the chief of police.
Miss Danielson, of Port Dodge. la.,
and who was the owner of considerable
real estate there and In Minneapolis,
died under suspitHous circumstances
last July. She became acquainted with
Allen a few weeks before her death on
a steamship voyage from San Fran
cisco. She and Allen were married in
Tacoma, but tho police say Allen al
ready had a wife from whom he had i
not been legally separate^.
i
Representative Says He Will
Push Legislation to Prevent
Dealing In Margins and
Force Regulation.
From The Tribune Washington Bureau.
Washington. D. C., Jan. 6.—Chairman [
Henry of the House rules committee,
declared the New York stock exchange
had become "a veritable gambling hell,"
and he would do bis utmost for prompt '
legislation to prevent dealing in mar- i
gins, and to force regulation.
“1 have come to the deliberate con- j
ulusion,” said Chairman Heiyry, “that
the New York stock exchange has be- i
come a veritable gambling hell; that It '■
is no longer a legitimate exchange for
the marketing of legittirnate securities
as it should be.
It Is nothing but a gambling den.
There used to be some bad gambling
hells in the west where they killed a
itreat many men with knife and gun, >
but these never did the injury that tills
pne has done by such things as oc- ,
curred about December 21.”
HARVARD PROF. CHOSEN;
TARIFF BOARD HEAD.
Prof. Frank W. Tussig Accepts
Place and Other Members
Will Be Named Shortly.
Washington, Jan. 6.—Prof. Prank W.
Fussig, of Harvard, today accepted a
place on the tariff commission and
probably will be made chairman. The
pther four members will bo announced
later.
Attempt to Establish Jurisdic
tion of I. C. C. Over All Pas
senger Rate Cases In
Illinois Fails.
Chicago, Jan. 8.—Judges Evans, Car
penter and Landis, of the United States
district court today denied the peti
tion of 28 railroads operating in Illinois
to restrain the state public utilities
commission from enforcing the Illinois
2-cent fare law.
The railroads contended that a ruling
of the Interstate Commerce commission
permitting a passenger rate of 2.4 cents
a mile in Illinois should set aside the
state law.
The case arose from the action of
patrons of Illinois railroads entering
East St. Louis, 111. The fare to St.
Louis, Mo., under a ruling of the Inter
state Commerce commission, was fixed
at 2.4 cents a mile. By buying a tick
et to East St. Louis, 111., and crossing
the bridge on street cars, pasesngers
saved the .4 of a cent difference be
tween the 2-cent rate on intrastate
fares and interstate fares. The rail
roads brought suit to restrain the state
from enforcing the 2-cent rate fixed by
It. This injunction was denied.
OFFICERS TRAIN STUDENTS.
Washington, D. C., Jan. 6.—Four
more army officers were assigned to
day for military trainmg at high
schools and other educational institu
tions. The four officers and the cities
where they will begin work follow:
Capt. Merrill E. Spaulding. Denver,
Colo.; Lieut. Raymond C. Baird, Kan
sas City Mo.; Lieut. James L. Frink,
Chicago, and Lieut. .I«ni»s M. Ord, Cul
"»r. lnd.
TALK FORECASTS
FIGHT 01 RULES
IN NEXT HOUSE
_
Regular and Progressive Repub
licans Discuss Attempt to
Make Reformation Prac
tical and End Abuses.
FO ENLARGE COMMITTEES?
Legislation Now Controlled By
Few, It Is Charged, and
Plans For Bitter Straggle
Are Being Made.
Wfis’iinglou, Jan. 6.— If the republic
ans organize the next House, there will !
he a strong effort to liberalize the rules.
It may or may not succefed, but It has
behind it some of the regular repub
licans, as well an all the progressive
republicans. The agitation has but re
cently been started in serious form. It
nmyMevelcip into a hot controversy he- ;
fore it is over.
Rules Bad as Ever.
The struggle over the rules'would, 1
beyond question, become strenuous if
tlie republicans were sure of a good ,
working majority in the House. But j
they will not huve such a majority and, |
*r, fact, are so closely on a par with the
democrats that It isn’t sure which side
will control and elocl the speaker and
other officers.
Nevertheless, even If the republicans
dominate by a single vote, they will
have differences over the rules, which
may result in Important House changes.
The rules today, in theory, are much .
better than those of the days of "Czar” I
Cannon; but. in fact, they are about
as bad. The speaker does not run the
House now. hut a small coterie of lead
ers run It. Many of these leaders owe
their places to the good old rule of
seniority, which Is calculated to keep
the new member down and keep the
member of long service, no matter what
his views, at the front.
Committee on Committees.
One thing sure to l>e done by the re
publicans is to have a committee on
committees name the committees. The i
republicans have been permitting
Minority Leader Mann to name them.
But as speaker ha won’t be given this
privilege unless there is a great re
versal from present opinion. The
democrats have a committee on com
mutes consisting of the democratic
members of the ways and means com
mittee. A distinct committee on com
mittees Is favored by many republicans
as well as by many democrats.
Most of the House work is done in
committees. A committee shapes a
bill and in this work the chairman is ;
potent. Now, the suggestion is made j
that the committees be enlarged so .
more members can participate in the
making of bills, or shaping of them,
and that the new members be given a
chance on the important committees
instead of reserving such places for the
"elder statesmen.” The plan Is being
urged by Representative Dowell, of
Iowa and Is getting support. Whethei
it can be adopted cannot yet be pre
dicted, but the “elder statesmen” will
oppose it.
Radical Change Impossible.
A number of other reforms are pro
posed, but It won’t be possible to ro- ]
form the rules on any very radical !
scale because insurgency doesn’t j
flourish as well with the House about j
evenly divided as when the majority ;
side has plenty-of margin of control.
A great many of the republicans feel,
however, that they are on trial before
the country and if the party Is to get
anywhere they must show they are not
Bourbon but progressive.
STORM KILLS II;
Heavy Property Loss In Six
Towns Reported Due to Seo
ond Tornado Within
Two Weeks.
Tacoma. Wash.. Jan. 6.—Mrs. Frances
tornado to visit this section of tne coun
try within two weeks swept an inter
mittent path across Oklahoma and Ar
kansas yesterday claiming a total of
11 lives, all school children and so In
juring many more that It was believed
today the death list would mount much
higher. All the loss of life and the bulk
of the property loss was effected In the
ralley town of Vireton. Okla., 13 miles
northeast of McAlester.
Preparations were being made for the
noon dismissal at the country school
there, when the tornado entered the
valley and swooped down on the vill
age. The school house was dashed off
its foundation and screaming children
and timbers were hurled through the
air by the fury of the blast. Bodies
were picked up a hundred yards from
where the school house stood, being
blown across a ravine and well upon
the opposite hill side.
Of the 23 persons within the building
only two escaped injury. The dead
scholars ranged from 6 to 18 years old.
Four are believed to bo so badly in
jured that their death is momentarily
expected. The teacher. Miss Vera Car
ter. at first believed to have been killed,
sustained a double fracture of the Jaw
besides other painful Injuries. She is
expected to recover.
Tile Choctaw Indian mission at Vire
ton was destroyed and virtually all the
residences suffered from the storm.
Before reach lng Vireton the tornado
struck at Richville, Okla.. seven miles
southwest, wrecking a boilei room and
a tipple at a coal mine there. It then
lifted and did no further damage until
Voreton was reached.
Quinton, Okla., 20 miles northeast of
Vireton, also suffered from tlie tornado.
Seven persons were injured and five
houses were destroyed by the storm
there.
What is believed to he the same tor
nado caused damage estimated nt $f>0,- »
000 at Success, ■•0 miles north of Little
Bock, Ark., and caused severe loss of
property at both Dardanelles and Dan
ville. Ark.
Mexico has two official name*—
tttdos Unldos Mexicanos" and "Repub
lfca M ex lea no.”
PRECEDES EARLY
BIG WAR SMASH?
Danger to Russian Southern
Wing Increases—May Be
Forced Back From Mold
avia to Own Frontier.
BRITISH TAKE A TRENCH
French Artillery Unusaaly Ac
tive on Several Sectors—Ger
mans Admit Loss, Claim
Recapture Near Riga.
Berlin, (by wireless to SayvilTeK Jan.
#.—In an attack north of the Ancre*
last night, British troops penetrated a
German trench, the war office an
nounces. There was vigorous artillery
fighting in the Ypres bend, aloag the
Horn mo, in the Champagne and on the
Verdun front.
Bavarian and Austro-Hungarian
troops yesterday stormed Russian de
fenses on an extended front south of
the Trolus valley, near the Moldavian
frontier, the war office announces.
Northern Attacks Rapulsed.
In addition to Braila, the capture of
which was announced last night, five
more towns in Rumania have been
taken by the Teutonic troops, which
have reached the Sereth river at two
points. No operations have been inau
gurated in Dobrudja following the ex
pulsion of the last of the Russians and
Rumanians.
The Russians brought up reinforce
ments and renewed their atteks yester
day on the northern end of the Russo
Gallcinn front near the gulf of Riga, It
Is announced officially. They entered
German positions east of the river Aa,
hut elsewhere were repulsed. In a
counter attack the Germans took 900
prisoners and several machine guns.
The capture of Balia by Field Mar
shal von Mackensen, his advance to
Galatz, 12 miles north, the clearing of
Dobrudja of Russians and further Teu
tonic successes in Moldavia have
brought the Rumanian campaign to a
hew phase.
The Braila bridgehead, while not lt
pelf un integral part of the Sereth line,
now held by the Russians, running
northwestward from the Danube to
ward the Moldavian frontier moun
lains, formed an outlying defense of
that line on the Danube end, and Its
capture weakens the eastern flank of
the Sereth position.
Galatz, likewise on the Danube, lies
|ust behind the Sereth line and that
:own is now menaced by a Germano
Bulgarian movement across the Dan
ube from it in Dobrudja, made possible
by the Russian evacuation of the
province.
Entire Line in Danger.
It Is not only here, however, that the
Rereth line is threatened, for despite a
tenacious defense by the Russians and
Rumanians, the line northwestward be
yond the Buzeu river is not holding
well against the Teutonic pressure,
wfhile the efforts to keep the Teutons in
pheck in the Moldavian frontier valleys
Is apparently proving still less success
ful.
A break In this line on the southerly
front would Imperil the Moldavian
frontier position, while the piercing of
the frontier line ttself, not an appar
ent improbability, would endanger the
entire line running southwestwurd to
the Danube.
In these circumstances commenta
tors In entente capitals are considering
the possibility of the Russians being
compelled to abandon the line of the
Sereth and withdraw to the Russian
frontier or beyond it, to Bessarabia.
Emperor William Is quoted as de
claring in an order Issued to the army
and navy that as "Germany's offer of
peace negotiations had been refused,
the war would be continued with a view
to an understanding forced by arms.”
EXPRESS COMPANIES
TO HIGHEST COURT
Take Appeal From Decision of
Interstate Commerce Com
sion In Dakota Rate Case.
Growing out of the long standing
South Dakota express rate controversy
in which Sioux City has had an im
portant interest, the Wells Fargo and
American express companies today ap
pealed to the supreme court of the
United States against the attorney gen
eral and railroad commission of South
Dakota to restrain the latter from suit
In the supreme court of South Dakota
to hinder the express companies from
putting Into effect the rates fixed by tha
Interstate Commerce commission in the
order of May 23. 1916. These are rates
between Sioux Falls, Aberdeen and nu
merous other South Dakota points. The
appeal asks the supreme court of the
United States to prevent anv interfer
ence of any kind with the order of tha
Interstate Commerce commission.
villa, not mmm
WINS JIMINIZ BATTLE
Villa Partisans and U. S. Of
ficials at El Paso Receive
Same Report of Fighting.
El Paso, Tex., .Tan. 6.—Villa parti
sans here claim the battle at Jtmene*
resulted in a Villa and not a Carranza
victory. Government agents also claim
to have the same information.
HUGHES TO SUCCEED ROOT.
New York, .Tan. 6.—The nominating
committee of the Union League club, il
has become known here, has posted tin
name of Charles E. Hughes an its
choice for the presidency of tho organ
ization to succeed Ellhu Hoot.
ROBBERS GET 510,000.
Tarenton, Pa., Jan. C.—Four rnaske4
men held up an expresn wagon hero
today containing- the payrojlr of tha
Flaecus Glass company, of this city,
and escaped with J 10.000.