• The Omaha Morning Bee ' - - ■ ... .... -.- - « - - ' --- •VOL. 52—NO. 165. £•«•"« a* a*ma«.ciaa* *iim In a. iin. m OMAHA WEDNESDAY DECEMRER 27 1 Q‘>2 * ■* Mail u **•*>: Dan, u< nun.n: mm», tt.». *mki* iim at* m TWO CENTS 1 W Oauhi K 0. Dakar AH H Marck S. in. UtflAnA, VY tLIWMUA 1, UE.UE/iU DE. il, 1J-*. Outalda Iha 41 h toaa (I *aar>: Dali* aa« Sura*,. Ill: Saada, «al>. II. V/Eai^AO -- ■__* Fall to Quit Cabinet in Short Time Secretary of Interior Peeved Over Alaskan Policy and Failure to Get Hold of Forestry Service. New Probable Successor \ By GEORGE F. AITH1ER. hanhin(toii ( or re. i*. ini r nt Tlie Onmlm (lee. Washington, Dec. 211. — Albert B. Fall, secretary of the interior, it be came definitely know today, will leave President Harding's cabinet before spring and Senator Harry New of Indiana, recently defeated, is likely to 1m> named In his place. The determination of Secretary Fall to resign, making the second break in the Harding cabinet, followed a spirited session in the president's com mittee on reorganization of tHe gov ernment, held at the White House last week. 0^- It signalizes a complete victory for Secretary of Agriculture Wallace in the fight which has been waging about, the future policy toward Alaska and is interpreted by leading senators ns spelling the utter defeat of the ambitious reorganization scheme. An effort will bo made to get the plan before congress. There is some doubt whether this will be aecomplished and even if it Is, It is not expected congress will approve of what has been done. Prodded Along Plank. The fact that Secretaary Fall has laen compelled to walk the plank In the contest for supremacy in the pres ident's cabinet, wins for Secretary Wallace the principal place among the president’s advisers, ills victory in defeating the purposes of the organi zation scheme, by keeping control of the forestry service in Ills depart ment. Instead of placing it in the De partment of Interior, where the presi dent orginally wanted it placed,, estab lishes a precedent for the rest of the bureaucrats, who are now insisting up on retaining their perquisites. The army will not surrender to the navy, nor will the sea forces give place to those of the land. Heads of ^lreaus in either department whose “lines" have beecome crossed in the slow and complex development of the machinery of government, are equally obstinate. Balks on Alaska Policy. Tlie decision reached by Mr. Fall to retire from the cabinet hinges about the administration's policy relative to Alaska, although it develops the sec retary of the Interior has not been In complete harmony with his chief and other members of the cabinet on im portant issues. Into the cabinet temptest lias enttieu i the spirit of the Roosevelt conserva (Turn tn r»v« Two. Column Two. Chicago "‘Graft Gang” Attacked y 7 .' C.ity Looted of Millions, Muni cipal Voters" Lcagtie Charge. Chicago, Dec. 26.—The Municipal Voters' league in u statement made public today charged Mayor William Hale Thompson and his supporters in this city council with responsibility of alleged waste of city funds in what Is declared excessive payments to five real estate and building ex perts employed by the city. In 1920. the Municipal Voters' league charged, five "Thompson real estate experts . . . got away with 32,742,666 from the city treasury and drew a total of $3,267,634 in three years, according to the city control ler.” "Chicago's city hail gang is be lieved to hove cost Chicago more titan tlie Tweed ring cost New York,” the statement continued. Commenting on the city cotlncil’s responsibility, tlie statement said: "Nothing so dastardly and servile, Vnothing so degrading in its tenden cies, and so deadly to the ideals of aldermen, has occurred in the council since tho league was organized 27 years ago. It was the act of a gutted, pliable, incompetent Thonip noo council. "The Pennsylvania and the New 1 ork state capitol grafts, the robbing of San Francisco by Ruef's machine, and other gems of official brigandage show no such clear, quick and neat profits to subordinate individuals is our experts got." Suits have been Tiled in court against Mayor Thompson, the city controller a Ifd the five experts for re covery of purt of the alleged wasted money paid the latter. In concluding, the statement asked "why not clean out such a council, root and branch, saving only the handful at honest men In it?” b ailor in .Senate Cafe Is Discharged for Bootlegging Washington. Dec. 26.—'The drive to keep liootleggers out of the capitol building severed from the government payroll today a waiter said by senate officials to have dropped a flask of Christmas whisky on-tile floor of tlie senate restaurant. Senator Curtis of Kansas, chair man of the senate rules committee, who recently ordered the capitol police to arrest all bootleggers found in the building regardless of what in fluence they might Invoke, deprived the waiter of his job after an in ^Investigation of the flask episode. Tenth Church Burns. Montreal. Deo. 26.—Word was re ceived today that the 10th fire to sweep a Catholic edifice in Canada this year had destroyed the parish church of Saint Thomas d’Alfred -*t Bassett ♦ “Divine Sarah” Near Death « -*b .m.wBwwm «*••» ^ Sarati/ £>e bark on the stage in a month — and such an ovation as sho will re ceive!” Scores of prominent people continu ed to call at the Bernhardt home to day to express their happiness over her improved condition and there was unrestrained rejoicing among Jhe ac tors and actresses of Paris, many of whom went to her residence with flowers and filled her room with ros«s. Many cable messages arrived from American friends and admirers, including actors and actresses on the I American stage. Madame Bernhardt I was especially pleased with the Amer ican cablegrams. Stolen Car Recovered. David City, Neb.. Dee. 26.—(Spe cial.(Ford coupe belonging to Dr. J. I H. Meyers of David City, which was 1 stolen Friday morning while he was lunching at a local restaurant, has been recovered near York, Neb., out \ of gas. Like the com bination to a safe The' Omaha Bee “Want” Ad colunins open a channel through which your wants can be sat isfied. Remember. Omaha Bee “Want” Ads Bring Better Results at Lesser Cost. Read and use Omaha Bee “IVant” Ads—the bee-line to results. Freighters Win Fight With Furious Storm on Atlantic 14 Weather-Scarred Vessels Doek in New York—Tell of Battle With Lashing Hut* ricane in Atlantic. New York. l)ec. 2(1.—Battered and scarre,,d by h*uvy weather, 14 ships plowed slowly into quarantine from early morning until late afternoon to day, the skippers of them all report; ing a vicious, never-ending battle with it s-->iies of lashing hurricanes which seemed to shake the Atlantic to the bottom. One siil|)—the gigantic new liner < 'aronia—put in at Halifax because it was tdesulUv U.sInL- its light with the storm. Another liner reported to its owners that It would be two days lute. A third flashed in with a re port that it couldn’t reach New York unii! tomorrow, although it has ap parently gone safely through most of the storm. tcnfer of Storms. Tlio center of tho storms, which have been ruling the waves for the last three weeks, appeared to be about 1.000 miles off the European coast. Skippers of the liners said they crashed into them at tills point and fought steadily through terrific gales until within BOO miles of the United States. All of the ships which came into quarantine today were freighters. Some of them had parts of the bridges gone. Small boats on their decks were crushed and torn. In one or two Instances hatches were pounded in, and all of them reported their crews hud been in oilskins almost steadily, for from five to 14 days. Even with 14 ships reporting in, quarantine did not have as many as were expected. Five ships, including I a Savoie, were overdue. I,a Savoio reported it would be In Thursday, but the owners heard nothing from tho Lord Byron, the Eastern City and the \ork Castle, all of which were ex pected at their docks today. Tho President Monroe will arrive tomor row. Reports From Kurnfte. Cable and wirpiess messages told of the ravages on tile European side. Falmouth, England, reported three ships had put in there with broken machinery and another went to St. Vincent, Cape Verde Islands, its en gines also damaged. The Belgian steamship Londler, go ing to Norfolk, \ a., had to stop in Queenstown for repairs. Halifax re ported that the Norwegian freighter Lorentz W. Hansen, which sailed from Swansea. Wales, December 14 with a load of coal had been forced to put hack to Liverpool, leaking and with its bridge swept away. Mother of Colorado Covernor-Eleet Diet? Denver, Colo., Dec. 26.—Mrs. Chan ning Sweet, mother of Governor-elect William E. Sweet, died at her linme early today from an illness of more than a year’s duration. Mrs. Sweet was 77 years of age. She had been prominent in education and philan thropic work in Denver for many >ears. At (he time of her death she was a director of the Denver Old Ladies' home. She was also promi nent in the activities of the Colorado chapter of the Daughters of the Amer ican Revolution. Mrs. Sweet is survived by her hus band, Channing Sweet; her son, the governor-elect; two brothers, II. II. Stevens of Colorado Springs, E. P. Stevens of Philadelphia, and- a sister, Mrs. E. P. Nelson of Montreal, Can ada. Venizelos Thanks U. S. Lausanne, Dec. 26.—(By A. P.l— Former Premier Venizelos of Greece In a Christmas message to tile Amer ican Red Cross expressed the grati tilde of the Greek people for Amer ica's generosity in succoring the mil I lions of refugees who have swuuned I into Greece. t Arbuckle * Barred in N e braskr, _ *! Slate Head of Theater Men Says House Owners Will n Refuse to Show Pictures. Takes Issue With Hays A. R. Pramer, president of the Mo tion Picture Theuter 'Owners' asso ciation of Nebraska and Iowa, ad dressing a meeting of women and ministers in the Young Women's Christian association auditorium yes terday afternoon, said: “Our theaters will not open their doors again to Arbuckle films.” Mr. Px-amer stated that he is a member of a board of 12 directors of the national association of motion picture theater owners. Rev. Arthur Atack, pastor of Hanscom Park Methodist church, gx-asped Mr. Pramer's hand. Mr. Pramer was applauded. Surprise at llays Derision. “Hays does not represent the ex hibitors," Piamer went on. He i-ead aloud the letter sent from the na tional headquarters of the M. P. T. O. A. in New York, which expressed surprise at Hays’ decision *hnd stat ing that as theater owners, they knew of no new developments to change the mind of the public in regard to Arbuckle. “No act of an official cannot make up the public mind,” the letter said. The Rev. Paul Calhoun summed up the spirit of the meeting when lie said “Arbuckle has forfeited his right to entertain . the youth of America.” Approve Stand. A dozen civic and Christian or ganizations voiced, through 'represen tatives, their approval of Mr. Pra mer's stand. He was unanimously made a member of the resolutions committee, which sent to Will Hays a strong protest against Arbuckle’s reinstatement, after he remarked that the original resolution as read was not strong enough. The message was redrafted directly after the meeting and carried the signatures of the W. C. T. U.. the Y. M. C. A., the Oma ha Woman's club, the South Omaha Woman's club, the school forum, the chautauque circles, the Howe avenue Presbyterian chtirch, the Central United Presbyterian church, the Hans com Park Methodist church and Lef fier Madison Methodist church. The Kev. Arthur Alack voiced his indignation “that Hays should try to give the public Fatty Arbuckle as a Christmas present. “The motion pic-, ture industry must clean up or shut up about censorship,” he declared. "Frozen Credits.” Bishop K. V. Shaylor referred to Arbuckle's pictures which were sup pressed as "frozen credits of the mo tion picture industry." “The concerns which own them, want their capital to pay dividends and they are bringing influence to bear on Hays. They are the men who are paying him his salary,” the the bishop said. “Film actors are teachers of the public and Arbuckle stands for something wrong.” Mrs. Mary Phillips of the Teachers’ Forum, one of the, speakers, said that Arbuckle ltad been a children's hero, and if they thought he could do wrong and still succeed, they would reason that they could do the same thing. Mrs. AV. F. Knight, Mrs. M. D. V'jeno, Dr. Jennie C’allfas and the Rev. A. J. Ernst were also among the speakers.' Day’s Activities in Washington Neither the senate nor the house was in session. The semi weekly cabinet meeting was devoted mainly to discussion ot the effects of the new tariff luw. Advisability of supporting in modi fied form the Borah proposal for an economic conference of world powers was considered by senate republicans. Chief Justice Taft announced that senior circuit judges would meet hero to discuss means of relieving docket congestion in the federal courts. Administration leaders in the senate were reported opposed to McKellar shipping bill amendments which call for the abrogation of commercial treaties discriminating against "the United States. Saturday Sets Trade Record at David City David City, Neb., Dec. 26.—(Special.) —Saturday was a record-breaker fol the business men of David City, more business being done on thnt day than on the Saturday before Christmas for many years. During the evening, a community Christmas program, with distribution ot presents of popcorn and peanuts to the children. Immediately follow ing, 2j turkeys were given away by the business men gf the city. Des Moines Police to , Photograph All ‘Drunks' Tttken to Jail j Des Moines, la., Dec. 16.—John ' B. Hammond, rliief of police, an nounced today that every drunken man who Is brought into police headquarters will have his picture taken. When file offender has become sober again lie will be presented with a picture of himself, so that he may know how he looked when taken to the jail. Hammond hopes Ibis “picture cure” will he a potent weapon against drunkenness. Highly inti xierted men spent Christmas eve in the city jaiL I m .Undermining the foundation —-*_ _ . _ — —■———— ■ ' I Auto Drops Into River, 2 Drown Girl and Escort Die When Pinned Beneath Big Over turned Machine. Shenandoah, la., Dec. 26.—(Special.) —Pinned beneath their overturned Marmon automobile in the newly straightened ditch of the West Nisli nabotna river near Randolph, la., Miss Vera Jeffers, 23, of Horace, Neb., and her cousin, Arthur Clark. 25, Randolph, la., were drowned shortly before S Christmas night. Evert Ames, auctioneer and farmer of Randolph, was attracted by the tail light of the overturned car and raced into Randolph for aid. The machine was chopped away from the bodies, the rescue party fearing that if the wreckage were righted, the ^bodies might float away from them in tHW strong current of the stream. Ames found the overturned car about 3. Clark -and his cousin had left the Clark homo shortly before 3 to go to a dance in the armory at Glenwood. The river recentl* had been straightened at the point of the trag edy. The big Marmon automobile missed the brige and dived down the ditch at the approach to the structure. Physicians who were with the res cue party examined the bodies and announced the two young folks had been drowned and not killed by the accident, since their lungs were filled with water. Miss Jeffers was a former student nt Highland Park college in Des Moines and was spending the Christ mas holidays at the Clark home. Young Clark was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Eon Clark. Yeggmen Steal Sale From Filling Station Yeggmen pried open a window in the Standard Oil filling station at Blair Christmas night and stole the safe containing between $300 and $400 in cash and checks. Manager A. 8. Roberts said plans had been made to fasten the .new safe into the concrete floor today. The battered safe was found yes terday in the hills between the high and low roads lending from Blair to Omaha, about three miles south of Blair. Authorities believe.the yegg men escaped Into Omaha with an automobile from which they clumped the safe after rifling It. Fast Freight Locomotives Purchased by Burlington* Chicago, Dec. 26.—An order for 60 fast freight locomotives of the latest type has been placed for early spring delivery by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad, Vice President E. j 1*. Bracken announced here, stating the order approximates. $3,180,000. ; This Is in addition to 2,000 recondition I steel coal cars, 500 new uutomol41e i cars, 500 reconditional box cars and j 200 reconditioned refrigerator cars recently received. Massacre Survivor Dies. New York. Dee. 26.—John Martin, who claimed to he tho last survivor of the Custer massacre on the J.ittle His Horn, will be burled tomorrow in Cypress Hills cemetery. He died iu a Brookljn hospital Kunduy at Turks Protest Armenian Plea at Conference Assyro-Oialdeans Plead for Home «f Adam and Eve —Bulgarians Present Petitions. Lausanne, Dee. 2fi.—(By A. P.)— Armenia was the storm of the near east conference today. The Turks refused to attend a meeting of the subcom mission, which had ar ranged to hear the pica of the Ar menians for the establishment' of ,-l national home in Turkey, nnd botlj Ismet Pasha and Itfza Nur Bey sent strongly-worded communications to the conference, protesting against the decision to allow the Armenians to state their case. They declared that if the Armen ians, who had no official standing and represented no independent govern ment, were heard by the conference, there was no reason why the Egyp tians or the Irish should not be al lowed to present their demands. The so-called irregular Egyptian delegation has been waiting in Lau sanne for more than a month for per mission to be heard by the confer ence nnd voice a demand for the in dependence of Egypt and complete withdrawal of the British army. Meeting Unofficial. *In consequence of the Turkish pro test, the official meeting of the sub commission was postponed, and the representatives of the inviting pow ers, Great Britain, France and Italy, sitting alone, listened to the Armen ian spokesman, who suggested that’a home be established in the northeast vilayets of Turkey, which should 'n ciude historic Mount Ararat or a sec tion in Cilicia. It was impossible, he declared, for the proposed Armenian home to atnnl gate with the Armenian republic of Krivan, which has been taken over by tile Moscow soviets. The Armen ians would willingly accept the same relationship with Turkey as the dominions with England. In conclu sion. he asked for exemption from military service for the Armenians jiqd urged maintenance of the ortho dox patriarch in Constantinople. No Holing Made. Tlic entente delegates took the Armenian petition under advisement as they did also j etitions from the Bulgarians and the ancient people known as the Assy(o-Ch.ildeans. Biblical history came before the meeting when the representatives of the Assyro-Chuldeans arose. Their people live in Mesopotamia between Mosul and the Turkish frontier; they wish to maintain their own customs and to be allowed to dwell in peaca. Gen. Agli Pitros, their chief spokes man, said with dignity that history had proved that Adam and Eve were born in their country and the early chapters of early life moved about the Assyro-Chaldeans. Bandits Rob Banker. Chicago, Dec. 26.—Two bandits last night attacked Alexander Flower, president of the Roosevelt State bank and Mrs. Evelyn Dreis. his com panion. Flower said one of the two took a $4,200 diamond ring and $180 from him. Mrs. Dreis tried to flee but was overthken by one of the men mid beaten, police said, when she resisted his attempts to steal her diamond rings. 0 Suggests Decalog j as State Statute State Representative, in Brief Address, Pledges Support to Lower Taxes. Seottsbluff, Neb.. Dec. 26.—(Spe cial.)—What they hope to help accom plish in the legislature at Lincoln was told to the Lions club today by State Senator Thomas C. Osborne find State Representatives William Bar bour and A. N. Mathers. Briefly summed up, the hope of the three men is to aid this section of the state, to reduce taxes, to prevent needless and useless legislation. “What we need in a legislative way is pretty largely a season of quiet," declared Senator Osborne. Mr. Mathers said: “I want to do the best I can for Seottsbluff county. The mis takes I make will be on the side of economy. I don’t know how wo are going to lower taxation without actually lowering it. I sometimes think we could wipe all the statutes off the books and substitute the 10 comma ndments.'* Mr. Barbour spoke of the code bill. “In theory, 1 believe it is right.” he said. ’ I think it is good business. "TJ»*ro are some matters in connec tion with it that ought to be remedied and no doubt will be.” Bank Squad Seeks Mint Bandits Here Members of the Omaha bank squad, made up of detectives, were search ing the city yesterday for a train porter believed to have a clue to the whereabouts of the Denver mint high waymen. The porter is alleged to liavo re ceived $25 in $5 bills from two men who boarded the train at Denver, bound for Omaha. Detectives believe thut if they can locate the porter, they may secure valuable Information in the nation wide hunt for the bandits. Couple Holds Fifty-Fourlli Anniversary of Weddinp Nelson, Neb., Dec. 26.—Clark R. Stoner and Miss Jennie French were married at Smithfield. Pa., December 24, 1868, and they celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary here last nighb They came to Nuckolls county in 1876, an dhomesleaded a farm on Elk creek, three mile? east of Nel son. After a few years they foved to Nelson, and have lived here ever since. Three children were born to the couple. Mr. Stoner is a veteran of the civil war and one of less than a dosen members left of the George H. Thom as Post, G. A. R. The Weather Forecast. Nebraska: Fair Wednesday and probably Thursday; somewhat warmer Thursday in extreme east portion. Iowa: Fair in north, unsettled in south portion Wednesday; Thursday farl; not much change In temperature. Hourly Tempera! tires. 8 14. Ml.3*J I 1 p, IP.|4J « «• »•».81 ! 'I p. in.4U ? *• mi.30 j 3 |». ..4| 1 8 •>. in.80 | 4 p. ni.4* j • *• 30 , ft p. ni.40 *• Mi.31 I 0 p. m.37 .W Ip. m. ..34 ; l It nnnn ..89 I 8 d. m. .8* l Night Blaze Damages OfficeBlock % Flames and Smoke Inflict Loss Estimated at $75,000 on Courtney Building at Sev enteenth and Douglas. Thousands Crowd Streets Fire of unknown origin which broke out on the second floor of the Court ney building nt Seventeenth and Doug las streets shortly after 7:30 Tuesday night threatened neighboring build ings and resulted In an estimated loss of $75,000 before it was brought under control by the fire department. Three alarms were turned in. Thousands of persons Jammed th# streets on both sides of the burning structure, while a dense volume of smoke poureik from the roof and from windows on the north side. Explosion Shatters Windows. Shortly before 8 o’clock a muffled explosion, apparently of gas, broke several windows in the north wall ol the building, driving more than 1,000 persons back to a vantage point at Seventeenth and Dodge streets. Smoke pouring from the windows hampered the firemen In their work. A helmet oil, rubber-coated figure a I the top of a ladder experienced diffi culty in raising window, and shouted to his companions below for a-stick with which to prop it up. He re mained on the ladder until the stick was forthcoming, when he climbed in to the building. . Charities Records Destroyed. The offices of the Associated Chari ties on the second floor of the build ing, near where the fire originated, were gutted. Records covering a per iod of 3u years were dsetroyed, offi cials of the organization reported lest night, following the blaze, together with all the office equipment. On the first floor of the building !» the store of the Table Supply com pany, owned by Louis Sommer and Jacob Berkowltz. Here the damage ran into thousands of dollars, occio stoned chiefly by smoke and water. The stock is larger just now than if has been for some time, the owners stated. Severely Hit. . Offices of the Associated Charities and the Nebraska Christian Endeavor on the second floor were hit more severely than any other in the build ing. The third floor contains offices ol Weaver, Giller & Berger, attorneys; Brungardt, Elsasser & Robinson, at torneys; the Jones Construction com pany, and the Shinn Comptometer school. The blaze was reported under con* troi shortly after 8. Fire insurance policy for 810,000 was recently relinquished by the Table Supply company on its stock. Amount of the insurance on the building proper und equipment in the various offices was not available last night. Top of Head Blown Off by Shotgun Sioux Falls Farm Hand Loses Life While Ridihg in Hayrack. Sioux Falls, S. D„ Dec. 26.—Luther White, 22. a corn picker on the farm of Henry Conkel. near Sioux Falls, died in a local hospital as the result of injuries received when'he was ac cidentally shot while carrying a shot gun on a hayrack on which he was riding. The top of his head was part ly blown, off. lie never regained con sciousness. A few moments before the accident lie had been joking with Conkel, who was driving the horses attached to the hayrack. The driver had'gone to tie up the lines when lie heard a shot and saw the young man sink down iu the rack. White, fond of hunting, had taken the gun along with him fend was watching for rabbits when tlie weapon was accidentally dis charged. The body has been sent to the home of his mother, Mrs. AudA<* White, Toledo, 111. Two Slightly Hurt When Autos Crash A small .automobile In which Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Welker of Lyons were riding was struck yesterday* noon in front of the Hoffmann funeral homo at Twenty-fourth and Dodga streets, by a' large machine. The smaller automobile was wrecked and the large machine sped away. Mr. and Mrs. Welker, 69 and 70, respectively, were slightly injured. Unconscious for Days, Denison Woman Dies Denison, la., Dec. 26.—(Special.)—« Mrs. Charles Cassady, one of tha oldest residents of this counfy, died at her homo here Christmas day. She had been unconscious for several days. Mrs. Cassady was regarded as an authority on local historical data. Funeral services will be held Wed nesday from tho Baptist church, ot which she was an acti\*e member. Chicago Mart Walks Into River in Fog; Drowned Chicago, Dec. 26.—Unable to seo his path ahead ot him because of % dense fog, Andrew Hazzard yester day walked off tho hank into the Calumet river and drowned while on his way to work. Another workman, hearing his cries, rushed to his aid, hut could find nothing lut a floating dinner pah l’olice later reooygro