he Omaha Daily
Bee.
Call Tylor 1000
If Von Want to Talk to Tha Bee
or to Anyone Omjierted
With Th Itee.
THE WEATHER.
Fair
VOL. XLV NO.
OMAHA. SATrilhAY iMOTiXIXU, FKHRTAHV J. IHUS-SIXTKKN' PAGES.
Oa Trains, at aTotal
lfsws atands. ate. Bo
SIXW.K COW TWO CENTS.
"W
BIG AUTO SHOW
YILL COME TO A
CLOSE TONIGHT
Exhibitor! at Eleventh Annual
Motor Exposition Preparing for
Big Rush of Business on
"Getaway" Day.
MUSICAL NIGHT DRAWS BIG
tfeble'i Symphony Orchestra and La
Salle Opera Quartet Vie with
'Each Other for Honors.
BUSINESS CONTINUES BRiSK
, Today is "getaway" day at the
Auto show. Late tonight the doors
wilt close and the eleventh annual
Omaha motor exposition, the great
st ever held In the middle west, will
be over.
The exhibitors are planning for
the biggest day of the week. They ex
pect to see all records for attendance
tbattered and confidently anticipate
the number of sales to surpass all
oiher days. Prospects on the verge,
of buying generally become con
vinced on the last day of the show
that they need a machine and they
put in their order. Due to the mani
fest Interest during the fore part of
the week the exhibitors expect the
number of buyers today will be ex
ceptionally large.'
l.ast nicht was musical night at the
how. Verdi and Rossini view with
Irving Berlin for the honors and it was
merry battle. The La Salle quartet
joined forces with the former while
Neble's Symphony orchestra, led by Its
yreprtsslble trap drummer, defended
Aha latter.
First the quartet would sins; the beau
tiful and melodious score of an imper
ishable opera. Then the orchestra and
tha trap drummer would tear loose with
a bit of raggedy syncopation far from
imperishable, but very much In keeping
with the tendency of the times.
Aadlenre la Central.
Tha audience remained strictly neutral
and applauded both. The quartet found
sympathy In that part of the nervous
system which is alive to the sense of
the beautiful. The orchestra found an
equal sympathy In that part which com
mands a swaying of the shoulders and a
shuffling of the feet.
The orchestra was augmented for the
occasion, The quartet wasn't augmented
. because t ieain impossibility to augment
. . quartet -without violating the rules of
Mr, Webster's dictionary,
. That thejoiustp'wWUJ magnetic at
traction Vai proved by the number of
persona iwhdi. af tec visits at all tha e-
. 1.1, .. n in iUa hslennv in
' order to hear the remainder of tha pro
gram. Musical night tia always been a
Mg night at tha Omaha Auto show and
Its bid for honors wu la no way Injured
last night. .
; Vocal Chords Ohjeat.
Friday found a few of the automobile
men beginning to show the wear and
tear of the strenuous week. Vocal
hord,of the lecturers were perceived
to object to the constant work a little
and It was noticeable that some of the
salesmen were beginning to weaken.
i f But for all that there was no lack of
v'enthualasm. The boys put forth a little
Effort and went to it. with a will. All of
which Is a positive proof , that the elev
enth Omaha motor exposition is a huge
aucceas. . .
Ordinarily the auto men would begin
to lose considerable of their ardor after
five days of constant strain. Briskness
of business alone will keep their spirits
up. And-the fart that every single man
at the show was as enthusiastic aa ever
. proves that business is good, and that
is; what makes an auto show a big
lucce.vs. .
Two' Men Killed in
Mine at Auburn, 111.
SPRINGFIELD. III.. Feb. 26. Two men
were killed in the Black Diamond mine
at Auburn, fifteen miles southwest of
here, today when a string of coal cars
jumped the track, knocking down many
tons Of coal.
The Weather
' Forecast till 7 p. m. Saturday:
For Omaha, Council Bluffs and Iclnlty
-Fair.
Hours. I'c"
5 a. m 24
a. m 24
7 a. m i"
S a. m 27
9 a. m 28
10 a. m 31
ll a. in HG
1? m 3
1 p. m 41
2 p. m U
3 p. in 4i
4 p. m 43
ft p. m 44
s p. m 4i
7 p. m 40
i p. in oj
Comparative Loral Hecord.
Official record of temperature and pre
cipitation compared with the correspond
n ,.rlod of th. last three years:
Highest yesterday " 37 M 27
I.ovtest yesterday it 2J )2
Mean 'temperature ' 2
Precipitation w w uu T
TenUerature and precipitation depar
tiues from the normal:
Normal temperature 27
Kxctss for the day 7
Total deficiency since March 1 1"4
Vermel precipitation "I Inch
Deficiency for the day ti2 Inch
I'otal rainfall since March 1...29.M inches
Ieflctency since Man 1,1 0.H3 Inch
Jeftdency for cor. period, 1S14. 1.11 Inches
iJeficlency for cor. period, 1U13. 5.46 inches
CWparts from statloaa at T P. M.
fetation and State Temp. High- Raln-
of Weather. 7 p. in. eM. fall.
h.cyenjic, partly cloudy. .3 42 .u
Iwvenport. cloudy SJ ft On
A u n a p i iir aa am im.
Ixs Moines, clear sh i .
North Platte, clear 44 . 4 M
Omaha, clear 40 46 t
Rapid City, clear is 42 .nu
Santa Ke. partly cloudy.. . i,t .m.
Sheridan, clear 36 44 .m
"moux city, ram 42 44 T
Valentine, partly loi.dy. . .34 44 1
' T ' indicat'-e 'i i f Premutation.
...-It. A. WKI.-ill, Local Kore aatcr.
WANTS MONEY BACK
FOR OIL BURNERS
THAT DIDN'T WORK
Agent Who Sold Them and Had to
Take Them Out Sues for
Reimbursement of His
Loss.
FAIL TO COME UP TO THE TEST
Smith is Plaintiff and Johnson &
Lee Defendant's in the
Case.
PANCOAST GETS A JUDGMENT
The troubles of the oil burners
thrown out of household heating
plants because they did not come up
to prospectus, have now reached the
courts with disappointed purchasers
suing to get their money back.
One especially interesting case
has Just been filed in the district
court by Clyde G. Smith, formerly
agent for Johnson & Lee, distribu
ters, asking for J 1.3 15 reimburse
ment of amounts he had to pay back
to dissatisfied customers, as well as
for his own time, annoyance and
wasted laboc
Smith was engaged to sell the oil
burner on representations by John
son & Lee, so his petition says, that
It would furnish heat at small cost,
with no trouble and complete sat-
Ipfaetion. and upon these assurances
he sold and Installed the burners in
the houses of a number of people
whose names and addresses are set
forth, who, in turn, found after the
tilal that the burners were not only
useless, but also damaged rugs, fur
niture and their neighbors' patience.
After fain efforts to fix them up
so they would work, his customers
n ode Smith take the burners out at
hlfi cost.
His Bill or Particulars.
After reciting his agreement to sell
the oil burners and his success In so
doing the petition 'of Smith, as plaintiff,
makes these allegations to sustain his
prayer for recovery In the sum of
$1,315.50:
"Third That shortly after the' cold
weather had necessitated the .use of heat
In the homes and residences of the cus
tomers who had been Induced to pur
chase said oil burners upon the repre
sentations of fact made by said defend
ants, complains began to coma In from
nearly all of said purchasers and this
plaintiff, with the assistance . of defend
ants and agents of nfendantstr1ed in
very marmens "malfe "Isftld oil burners
work aa represented, but were unable to
make said burners work satisfactorily as
represented by said defendants.
"Fourth That said representations of
fact and warranties made .by said de
fendants' were false; that said burners
so sold aa aforeaald did not heat said
resldeneeg satisfactorily and sufficiently,
but gave off an Immense amount of soot
which settled in and over said houses
and penetrated the same and gave off
a peculiar and disagreeable odor, mak-
(Continued on Page Six, Column One.)
Mexicans Seek to
Lasso Young Woman
Teacher Upon Border
BROWNSVILLE, Tex., Feb. K.-An
attempt by three Mexicans to lasso
Miss Gertrude McClelland, a young
school teacher, on the border road In
Hidalgo county, fifty miles west of here,
yesterday, nearly led to a lynching last
night.
American soldiers arrested one of the
party before a posse of cltlsens could
reach him. The Americans demanded
possession of the Mexican, but were re
fused. The posse Is searching for the
two Mexicans who escaped.
Miss McClelland was going home from
school when overtaken by the Mexicans.
tSeveral attempts were made to lasso
her and the Mexicans followed her a
considerable jlstance continuing to
harass her. Finally she darted In'o the
brush at the roadside and escaped.
ZAPATISTAS DEFEATED
NEAR MIHUATLAN
QALVKSTOX. Tex., Feb. 26. The de
feat of the Zapata forces which at
tempted a surprise attack upon tha de
facto government troops at the village
of Mlhuatlan, near Oaxaca City, is re
ported In a dispatch received here today
by the Mexican consulate. The attack
Int force lost near afO killed, the report
sa, and a considerable quantity of
aims and ammunition was taken by the
("arranta forces, whose losses aro given
at twelve killed and twenty wounded.
Germans Believe Verdun Will
Soon Be Menaced on All Sides
BEUL1V, Feb. 24 (Via I)iidon). Feb. 23,
(Delayed ) The report of German gains
northward of Verdun has strengthened
the feeling of confidence here In the out
come of future events. The news haa
provoked no notlcahle flurry in Berlin
where no flags have been exhibited.
Naturally It is Impoaslble to hazard a
guess whether the latest drive marUs the
beginning of a great offensive or is only
a continuation of tha evident feeling-out
piocess of recent days.
Except as to the number of prisoners
taken, the victory of the Germans Is ono
fourth as great as that achieved by the
entente allies in September where three
days gunfire preceded the attack.
To the gains northward 'if Verdun
must be added aft) yards taken by the
Germans southward of Vires, February
14; Tht yards northward of Ypi's. Feb
ruary I!', tvO CRM naid of Sonli t,x, Feu
VERDUN BATTLE
RAGES IN SNOW;
150,000 PERISH'1;
Paris Reports Otr-- '
tinue with UrV ,0 , i"ury,
but that 1, v ''fail to
Break Front.
LOSSES OF TEUTONS HEAVY
French Asserts Assaults Cost Kaier
Nearly Forty Thousand
Men a Day.
OFFENSIVE IS LONG PLANNED
PARIS, Feb. 25. The fighting in
the region of Verdun continues un
ehated, according to the Krench of
ficial communication Issued this
evening. Several Infantry attacks
launched by the Germans with huge
liunihers of effectives have been re
pulsed. The artillery 'duels are go
ing on with great Intensity east of
the- Meuse, despite a heavy enow
fall. "In Champagne, this morning, we
attacked and captured an enemy
salient to the south of Ste. Marle-A-Py.
During this action we cap
tured 3 00 prisoners, including six
teen noncommissioned officers and
five officers.
"In the Argonne our destructive
fire has been efficacious- on Ger
man organizations to the north of
Laperazee.
In the region to the north of Verd
snow has fallen In abundance during the
day. Activity of the artillery on both
sides has continued very Intense in the
whole front, and principally to the east
of the Mouse, where jtha fighting goes
on with the same tenacity.
"Several attacks with large effectives
have been conducted with unprecedented
violence on l.a Cote du Polvre (about
four and a half miles north of Verdun),
but were without success.
Another attack on our position In the
Hols do la Vottche has been stopped.
1..
There has been no Infantry action to
the west of the Mouse.
In the valley of tho Fecht, there has
been no artillery eneageemnts to speak
of."
The German losses during the first
four days of the battle around Verdun
are authoritatively estimated at 150,000.
neailnnliiar of Offensive.
The German offensive is recognised now
as probably only the beginning of a de
termined effort ' te take the . fortress,
formerly the key to th (FrnchK front,
and compares invlolenee and losses to
the batle of the Tser. The French as
sume that tha batle may continue a fort
night. It is believed the calm last night
was only a lul required by the attacking
forces to bury their dead, carry off tht
wounded and bring up reserves to take
the place of divisions half destroyed by
French artillery and machine guna
The German forces are known to he at
least 300,000 supported by numerous flf-teen-lnch
and seventeen-lnch Austrian
mortars with all the heavy artillery used
In the Serbian campaign and part of that
formerly employed on the Russian front
Preparations for the battle were ob
served early In December when the first
troops assigned to the operations were
brought up. Eight divisions that re
turned from Sorbla were sent to Belgium
for a rest and then transported to the re
gion of Verdun in January. Five army
corps in all are known to have been
brought up to reinforce two corps which
previously held that part of the line be
tween Etaln and Van-quers.
Beat Troops of Arm j.
These were the best troops of the Ger
man army, Including, aa it learned from
prisoners, the famous Third corps of
Bradenburg, supposedly equal In valor
to the Prussian guard, and the Fifteenth
army corps commanded by General von
Delmllng, known in France as one of the
most brilliant of the German general
oficers.
The determination of the Germans to
capture the fortress Is explained by tha
faclnatlon that the name Verdun has had
on the minds of the German people since
1K72, and the consequent moral value of
It to all the Germans. This pyscholosjlcal
reason, in the judgment of high official
critics, explains the presence of Emperor
William behind the troops and the order
of the day Issued to tha army by the
crown prince and the generals. The
Krench compare the ground gained by
the' Germans in the four days with twice
that amount taken by the French In the
first two days of their offensive In Cham
pagne, together with eight times the
number of prisoners. The confidence of
the Krench Is unshaken by the fierce at
tacks and the slight bending In tha
Krench line.
Reinforcements Broach t t p.
The military critic of the Temps reports
that heavy French reinforcements have
been brought up. Lieutenant Colonel
fCoTitTniied on Page Two, Column Three.)
ruary 31, and 700 yards went ward of Held
weiler on the day of the commencement
of tha Vardun advance. Thees gains were
preceded by large advances at Vlmy in
January.
Cerman officials say that the (ermani
gains have ben scored at virtually every
point where an earnest effort at advance
was made and that In no cane has It
been necessary to precede the attack
with a seventy-two-hour cannonade autit
as preceded the September of ft nslve of
the entente allies.
The Importance of the gains northward
of Verdun is evident. It Is not alone the
strongest French fortress, but It offers
direct communication with Paris and has
been a thorn In the flesh of the German
for eighteenth months. Military observers
o s !er that It is now likdy thst Verdui
soon lll be menaced on all aides. The
Herman lin" of communication north n
Vrdiiii lias been grr-atly Improved.
RUSSIA'S THRUST TO SPLIT TURKEY "A" Point near Trebiaond which the Rus
sians have reached in their advance against that town from Erxerum, the fortress recently
captured. "B" Lake Van district, now wholly occupied by the forces of Grand Duke Nich
olas. "C" Diarbekr, about 100 miles from Bitlis, and now the objective of the Russians.
i.'D" ij.jle Bagdad railway, which the Russians want to cut. .
rv
BULGARIA
&if'i
i
i.! ;.i ' i-
"VlSin''
POLLARD PULLS
OUT FOR SUTTON
Dry Candidate Said to Have Been
Outmaneuvered by Backers
of Omaha Man.
WANTS PROHIBITION TO WIN
A kaleidoscopic view in the re
publican governorship race has
been created by the sudden an
nouncement from Lincoln of the
withdrawal of Ernest M. Pollard,
who had been figured as one of the
strong competitors in the field. The
Follard announcement is coupled
with a lengthy statement of the
reasons and the declaration that
the withdrawal is in fajvor of former
Judge A. L. Sutton and' la the in
terest of the dry campaign in Ne
braska., .
By subterranean, however,' comes a
rumor that tha elmlnatlon of Pollard is
tha result of. a deal and one In which
charges of bad faith are already enter
ing. Efforts have been in the making
for soma little time among the so-called
drys to rduce the number of dry candi
dates for governor In the republican prt
marya with a view to centering the dry
J votes, and Mr. Pollard waa left under
the Impression that he waa tho preferred
choice of the engineers of the dry ma
chine. In this way he waa prevailed
upon to join with Judge Sutton In an
agreement to submit to a committee of
mutual friends the quyavfun of which
should withdraw in favor of the other
and this committee is said to have been
lined up against Pollard by the pressure
of outside Influence on one or mora of
the men on whom he relied.
Pollard's Statement.
Outside of the statement issued Mr.
Pollard will say nothing, but there Is a
feeling among hla friends that the inalde
story may come out later which may
clarify the proposition and that it will
not reflect credit on tha manner In which
the deal was put over, although they be
lieve that Mr, Pollard had no hand in the
matter.
Following la the statement made by Mr.
Pollard aa it came up from Unooln:
"For the last two months all republl-
(Continued on Page Four, Column One.)
Justice Hughes
Once More Says He
Is Not a Candidate
NEW YORK, Feb. 25. In a letter to
Henry A. Wise Wood, former member
of Secretary Ianlels naval advisory
board, made public here today, United
Htates Supreme Court Justice Charles
E. Hughes reiterates his declaration
that h Is not a candidate for the
presidential nomination. -Mr. Wood had
requested a statement as to Justice
Hughes' position on preparedness. Jus
tice Hughes replied In part:
"In view of my Judicial office I do
not feel thst I have any rUht to take
part In any political discussion or to
make statements of the sort that would
be expected from candidates for office.
"I sin not a candidate, actively or
tacitly."
Santa Fe Earnings
Show Big Increase
CHICAGO. III.. Feb. 25.-An Increase
in the grows operating revenue of thtt
Atchison, Tupeka Mania Fe Railway
system of $ti,7'iu.tiu0 during the last seven
months of the fiscal ear of lnli over a
similar period In the preceding year Is
shown In a report Usued here today.
Operating expenses during the' same
period Increased S3. 210,000.
Hundreds Attend
Funeral of Wallace
1)K8 MOINKH, Is . Feb. if undreds
of friends today paid their respects to
Henry Wallace, editor and agriculturist,
who died Tucadsy evening. The body
lay In stats from noon until o'clock,
the time of the funeral, In the First
M-thodut church.'
& A Ml A MINOR
I XiT.-lIM
i
9m
. fc!:i:!-:li!!-ill';!i'lii.!:!lv!v:.;:--: f.: I.. !:.ill:-:-';ix!4!A-'T;
NEW AUTOMOBILE
ROAD PROPOSED
Meeting Called for Omaha to Con
sider Highway Cross Country
from Savannah to Seattle.
MANY DELEGATES EXPECTED
The convention which will effect
h working organization for the new
highway which it is proposed to run
from Savannah to Seattle passing
through Omaha, will be held In this
city April 24-25. This was decided at
a meeting of a joint committee of
the Commercial club and the Auto
mobile club Friday noon. Principal
cities along the way will all be asked
to send delegates to this convention
and two deegates from each place
will have the power to vote. It la
believed that practically every city
invited will send a delegation. .
iSome twenty cities have already con
sidered this highway and are In. ravor
of pushing the road, as it covers a, new
territory, extending from tha southeast
to 'the northwest. It was left to , the
Omaha committee to settle on he dale
of tha convention.
As there are roads connecting all of
the . towns which have been developed
aa atata or sectional highways it Is as
serted that It will only take an effective
organisation, with road marking, and
some Improvements, to make the pro
posed road one of the best cross-country
highways In the United States. .
The towna on the road aa originally
laid out tentatively, and which will re
ceive invitations, are:
Heat tie and Hpokane, Wash.; IJvlngs
ton and Butte, Mont.; Cody, Wyo.; Head
wood, Mitchell and Sioux Falls, fl. P.;
Hloux City, la.; .Atchison, Kan.; Kansas
City, fit. Iiouls and Cape Girardeau, Mo.;
Memphis, Tenn.; Decatur, Ala.; Atlanta
and Pavannah, Go.
The following Nebraska towns will be
Invited to send delegates It was decided
at tha meeting yesterday; Fremont,
Columbus, Norfolk, Nellgh, Long Pine,
Chadron, lllair. Tekamah, Oakland,
Lyons and Craig.
Sutton Minister Tells
About Axe Murders
(From a Ptaff Correspondent
DK3 MOINES Feb. 25. (Special Tele
gram.) Chlf Detective MacDonald haa
letters from a physician at Button, Nob.,
saying that Rev. Ocore J. Kelley haa
confided to him ha was present at VII
llaca, la., when the Moore family and
two guests wcje murdered in their homo
in June, lf12. The letter slat's Kelley
related many Incidents of axe-murderers.
MacDonald thinks the evantiullst It
under a dclutdon.
BUTTON, Neb., Feb. 26. (Special Tale
gram.) Hev. O. J. Kelley Is psstor of
the FlrHt Congregational church of this
city. He has been In Hutton for four
months.
PORTUGAL SEIZES GERMAN
SHIPS AT ST. VINCENT
BT. VI.VCKNT, "s Verde UIHncls.
Feb. St. Kight German steamers, lying In
the harlior here, were taken In charge
yesterday by officials of the Portugese
government. 4
i.V ?
N-'.'.N'.VlYws A aV B4,n4n
Germans Have Dress Rehearsal of
Battle Under Direction of Kaiser
PA 1118, Feb. 2... The petit 1'arlslen
correnioiident at the front ssys tbut the
great Uerman offensive aualnst Verdun
la under the personal direction of Km
peror William, who arrived at general
headquarters on Huturday last and who.
In order that nothing might go wrong,
Immediately ordered that a sort of dress
rehearsal of tha coming attack be held.
At a given signal, the correspondent
ssys, every Infantry man and gunner
took the post assigned to him In advance
and the motion of a gsneral attack
were gone through behind tha lines. Th
emperor seemingly waa satisfied and gave
the word to Inn In the offensive on Sat
urday night.
The Krench louses are declared to be
ins'aniflcant in comparison with those
RU55IA
PERSfA
AMERICAN NAVY 50
YEARS BEHIND BEST
Winslow Says it Would Take Half
Century to Put U. S. Alongside
Britain on Sea.
DECLARES SYSTEM IS WRONG
WASHINGTON, Feh. 25. The
United States navy's whole system
of government and operations, from
education of officers to questions of
ship and gun construction, was
fcharply crltlcleed before the house
naval committee today by Admiral
Cameron Mcll. Winslow, comman-rter-ln-chtof
of the Pacific fleet.
Without radical chances, the ad
miral declared, a fully efficient fight
ing force, comparable to the British
navy, could not be produced in fifty
year. , . ' ,
Yesterday Admiral Wlnslaw told
the committee the establishment, of
a general staff composed of active
line officers was a vital necessity.
Today. he amplified this view,, de
claring the system of education at
the Annapolis Navy academy waa
wrong. He urged restoration of the
old grade of nildbhlpmen In tho fleet.
Mfcoald Kales' at Fourteen.
Roys should enter tha service at from
14 to 16 years of age, he said, spend two
yeara In preliminary schooling ashore,
then go to sea to acquire the "sea habit"
from actual contact with thing of the
sea before compleatlng their educations
ashore. The polytechnlo education now
given midshipmen at the academy Is ut
terly ununited, the admiral declared, to
the training of men to handle ships and
combinations of ships at sea. Its could
ee no value to be gained from making
all navy offlocra experts In higher mathe
matics, and thought constructors, engi
neers and ordnance experts should be
trained as specislists and never be called
upon to command ships. '
From the day boys enter the academy,
he said, a system of selection should be
applied to govern promotions, eliminat
ing men unfitted for the daring nerve-
racking tasks that would be theirs in
war. He added that fellow officers
should determine these qualifications and
that a plan of this sort waa being
worked by tha Navy department.
Mo Time for Hesitation.
With opposing fleets sweeping toward
each other over the sea for an action
to be carried out a speed of twenty
knots or iinore. the admiral Insisted,
there would be no time for hesltarion
by any ship commander. He told of how
he trained a squadron of four dread-
nsiiKhts he commanded two years sgo
until his orders were carried out within
six seconds of the lime he gave them,
sixty maneuvers being carried out In a
single forenoon. Kven this, he declared,
represented only '"encouraging progress"
on the road toward complete efficiency
ami application of such Intensive nielh
. oils to the fleet as a whole could never
be accomplished unless men were sc.
lected to command the ships because of
fitness, not because of seniority.
Asked how many flag officers In the
nsvy he thought were capable of devel
opment and complete fitness for high
command, the witness said:
"I do not think any of us In the upper
gradea have had sufficient experience
(( ontliTueron Parfe Two, t'oiamli One.)
of tho (lei inum. The (ierman artdler)
preparation, which reached Us height of
Tuesday, wss of unparalleled violence
l.'very Inch of ground was searched out;
every point win-re It was thought gum
nilj;lit exist wss littered with shells, but
the French Infantry was so well shel
tered under the ground and the French
guns were so well hidden that when the
(ierman batteries grew silent and the
Herman Infantry advanced to the attack
Frenchmen sprang up from the holes In
the ground and opened a deadly fire
with machine guns, while shells from
the Tu-mllimeter guns blew overhead
and mowed down wave a.tr wave of
the Hermans as they plodded doggedly
over the snow-covered ground, urged on
from behind, the correspondent adds, b
their efflcers, revolver III hand.
i
HOUSE IS STRONG
FOR ARMED SHIP
VARNII1G MOVE
Clark. Ktchin and Flood Tell Wil
son Resolution Will Pass Two
to One if It is Brought
to a Vote.
PRESIDENT IS STANDING PAT
Lenders Told Congress Should Not
Embarrass Executive by
Action Now.
GERMANY MAY DELAY ACTION
WASHINGTON, Feb. Jo. Presi
dent Wilson reiterated his opposition
to any action in congress warning
Americans off armed ships In a con
ference early today with Speaker
Clark, Majority Leader Kltchln and
Chairman Flood of the house foreign
affairs committee, and they in turn
(old the president that if such a reso
lution were brought to a vote in the
house now It would pass by a major
ity of two to one.
The punident was unshaken In his
poKltlon (hat congress should take
no action embarrassing his conten
tion that tho rlphts of Americans on
the sens must be upheld at any cost
rnd repeated what he had written
Inst night to Senator Stone.
Tho house leaders went away telling
the president nothing would be done to
day, but they ventured no predictions for
the future. They admitted that the sit
uation was serious and could not yet
tell how fsr the sentiment In congress
would bo swayea by the publication of
the president's views In his letter to
Senator Stone.
apenker Makes Statement.
When the conference was over Speaker
Clark said there was a rumor that Ger
many would postpone the beginning of
the new submarine campaign until April
1 or the middle of March. He would not
say whether he got hi Information
from the president.
"Tho sum and substance of th Con
ference," Speaker Flark, said, "outslda of
an explanation made as to tha temper
of the house regarding the dlplomatlo
situation with Germany and some argil
mrnt on both aides, 1 fully set out In
Senator Pton' letter to the president
and the president's letter to - Senator
Ston.
"We explained to th preldent how
the house felt, In eur Judgment. . I told
the president that this warning resolu
tion Wiild carry t-.o tt one if they ever
got a chance for a vot. flom enthti
alastlo gentlemen I said thought it
would carry three to one.
'Of course, there waa a great deal ef
talk about international law regarding
the rights of Americana on the aeaa and
precedents. At the conclusion of the
conference It. wa very clear to all that
the president stand on hla letter to
Senator Stone.
Uriimir May Postpowa Aetlosw
"But there are rumor which were dl
cussed that Germany may postpone en
forcement of the new admiralty order to
Ink all armed ships from March 1 either
to April 1 or the middle of March.
I think tha chances are that
Germany will postpone this threatened
performance. Thla will give mor tlma
for consideration of this matter.
"We told the president that In the event,
of such a postponement all action ln
congress certainly would be postponed.
Meantime, these resolution would re
main in statu quo."
Regarding th policy ef action tn con
gress In case Germany adhere to It an
nouncement that the admiralty order will
be made effective March 1, Speaker Clark:
sa4 It would be difficult to get the warn
ing resolution out of' a committee for
action, and that there wa no way for th
Issue to get before the house today,
"Of course," he conttnued, "someone
might try unanimous consent, but that
would be ridiculous, because there would
be many objection to such a course.
"It Is obvlou that It would be impossi
ble to get unanimous consent for con
sideration of a warning resolution. If
the resolution should be reported from the
foreign affairs committee it would take
Its place on the calendar unless the rule
committee should Interfere. The reso
lution Is In no way ' privileged and it
would go to the fct of" the calendar.
That would mean we could not get to It
(Continued on Page Five, Column One.)
The Day 9 8 War Netss
TIIF. rHI! OFFICIAL statejnent,
on th other haail, says the Ger
mans have halted la vaelr offew.
slve, fur the niomeat at least. Ng
frexb attack was mad isrisg tha
ulaM oa the French liars, Mrs
thla announcement, and the artil
lery fire has diminished la via.
Ir.nrr,
OI'FlltTIONS I UTIIKR war fields
are overshadowed by the arrest
tiermau offensive, la the west, hat
there I Interest a the Tarklsh an
nounce ni n t of anothr attempt kr
the British advaace br.l o w Knt-lll-Aniara,
on the Tigris. The at-lurking-
forees were repnlsed ,wlh
heavy losses, Constantinople de
elares. KHKM H IIAVK BKU foreed bark
stll further oa the defeases of
Verdaa In tho faee of tha grreat
Uerniaa drive for the fortress.
nouarea the eaptare of all Freaeh
positions north of Verdaa aa far
as the ridae of I.oademoat, aoath
of Hnaaaioat. The aaoaaeemeat
says the aamher of prlaoaera
lakes has hern lacreaaed by aisrs
than T.vou to mora tha a le.OO.
The fortified villages aad farms
of t'nampaeavlllet t'otellate. Mar
moat. Heawmoat, Chamhrettea aad
Ornrs have fallea lata German,
hands, It says.
