RIEF
ERIG HT
REEZY
BITS OF NEWS
STARTS ON TRAIL OF
PREHISTORIC MONSTER.
Lotidon. Dec. 17. Accompanied
by "Laddie," a German war dog
whom he captured on the western
front, Capt. Lester Stevens will
leave London on Christmas eve for
central Africa in search of the
ISrontosaurus, a prehistoric monster,
lor possession of which, according
to the Daily Mail, the Smithsonian
institute offers $5,000,000.
"Laddie" will be enipJoyed to find
and follow the trail of the monster.
The Brontosaurits was seen in the
Congo recently by the Belgian ex
plorers Gapelle, Le Page and others-
Captain Stevens believes the rep
tile is hiding in the subterranean sea
in central Africa. He is taking with
him a Maennlicher-Schocnhauer
rifle, a Winchester "repeater," a
double barreled shotgun and a 45
caliber revolver.
Walter Sinuns, famous hunter of
gig game, who has had years of
exploring experiences in Africa, is
an enthusiastic believer in Stevens'
mission, which lie is backing.
WHOLLY ILLITERATE
MAN WINS FORTUNE.
New York, Dec. 17. In a hSbcas
corpus proceedings in the Brooklyn
supreme court it was testified that
Samuel Weltman, who accumulated
a large fortune in the manufacture
of clothes, had never been able to
either read or write in any language.
The proceedings were brought by
his brother, Oscar, who claimed that
Samuel is now mentally affected as
a result of a stroke of paralysis and
is being detained against his will in
his wife's home.
BIG ORDER FOR WHISKY
COMES FROM GERMANY.
Lexinton, Ky., Dec. 17. Orders
from Germany for 500 barrels of
whisky have been received by the
James E. Pepper ' distillery. The
Pepper distillery, the oldest in the
;south, has 3,500 barrels and 30,600
cases of whisky on hand. Had the
ban been lifted by the supreme court
thij. liquor, it is estimated, would
have brought in a return of $2,857,320.
ANTICIPATE ARRIVAL
OF MORE "WAR BRIDES."
New York, Dec. 17. Anticipat
ing the arrival of more "war brides"
from Europe, a meeting to realize
more funds for the New York
branch of the Travelers' Aid society
to provide work for extension of
its work, was held here.
Speakers showed that unpaid
workers of the society on duty at
piers, ferryboats and railroad sta-
tions here in the last 10 months had
cared for 3,500 "war brides" who
arrived alone in New York. In this
period, at .one house vto which the
young women were taken, it was
said that more than 500 babies were
born.
FASCINATING! GRIPPING! ADELE GARRISON'S LOVE SERIAL, REVELATIONS OF A WIFE.
The Omaha Daily Bee
VUL. 49 IN (J. 10 1. 0hl P. O. Mdr act sf Mtreh 3. IS7S.
OMAHA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1919.
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ATTEMPT TO
TRAP SMITH
WITH PHOTO
Attorney for Alleged Assail
ant Has Mayor Identify
Picture as That of Claude
Bossie, Who Denies It.
WITNESSESSWEAR DAVIS
HOME DURING THE RIOT
SAYS WIFE'S ADVICE
WAS TO GET KILLED. "
London, Dec. 17. "The best thing
you can do is to get killed as soon is
; possible."
Maj. John Alexander Stirling, in a
petition for divorce, charged that
this -was the advice his wife -gare
him three months after they were
married. Financial affairs led to
estrangement of the couple soon
after their honeymoon, Mrs. Stirling
accusing the major of having de
ceived her and having married her
for her money. They, were married in
December, 1914. the officer joining
his regiment after the honeymon.
When he came to London on leave
the following February his wife told
him she didn't wish to see him.
' .The, court granted the decree on
the ground of desertion.
Major Stirling was involved in the
famous Stirling divorce case in 1909
in which both he and his first, wife,
formerly Miss Clara Elizabeth Tay-t
lor of Washington, D. C, named co
respondents. In that case the major
also won. His divorced wife married
Lord George Cholmondelay two
years afterwards, while the major
married Olive Louisa Blanche,
widow of Walter Murray Guthrie.
TAFT'S NEPHEW
SUED FOR DIVORCE.
Reno, Nev., Dec. 17. Suit for di
vorce was filed by Mrs. Helen
Draper Taft, wife of Walbridge
Smith Taft, son of Henry W. Taft
of New York, and nephew of former
President William H. Taft.
V Mrs. Taft, who is a daughter of ex
"Governor Draper of Massachusetts,
bases her suit on the technical
ground of desertion, alleging that
her husband has not lived with her
for more than a year past. The sepa-
- ration is said by friends to have been
brought about by incompatibility of
temperament Mrs. Taft came here
several months ago to establish a
legal residence. Her mother and
brother Have been here with her.
The Tafts were married in Boston
February 10, 1917.
: AIRMAN .SAFE AFTER
BATTLE WITH VULTURE.
, Moulmain, Burma, Dec, 17. Lieut.
Etienne Poulet, the Frenchman who
tlv virlried the Paris-Australia
air race to Capt. Ross Smith, is safe
after a battle in the air with a huge
, vulture which broke a propeller of
"- his machine and forced him to land
' on a small plateau in the mountains.
Lieutenant Poulet left Bangkok,
Siam, December 6, two hours after
';' Captain Smith, and direct word of
( his fate had been lacking until
5 Tuesday morning, when he landed
here in his machine.
-V DOMESTIC BOLSHEVIK
IS SUING FOR DIVORCE.
' Los Angeles, Dec 17. Beatrice
Sylvia Goulard, who is suing Thom
. as Gibson Goulard for divorce, says
1 she is a "domestic bolshevik and
wants to live in Bohemia."
In a letter to her sister she con
fided: "It is fatal for an artist to marry
!" under any condition. I must have
my own life."
Goulard will contest demand for
i alimony.
City Planning Expert
To Speak Here Today
' E. M. Bassett. New York lawyer,
an expert on city planning and
, height of buildings, will arrive in
Omaha at 4 this afternoon and half
an hour later will address a meeting
of business men in the city hall. At 5
he will speak on city planning at a
dinner at the Chamber of Commerce.
John Overbay, Witness for
State,' Admits Attempt to
Become Davis Bondsman
Case May Reach Jury Today.
A unique effort to prove that
Mayor Smith could not Identify
George Davis by a photograph was
"sprung" yesterday afternoon by At
torney Eugene O'Sullivan at the trial
of Davis in District Judge Redick's
court on charges of assault with in
tent to murder and assault with in
tent to do great bodily injury to
Mayor Sjmith the night of the court
house not. '
Mayor Smith was recalled to the
stand and asked to look at a photo
graph. "Who is that a picture of?" asked
Mr. O'Sullivan.
"Well, it looks very much like
Claude Bossie," said the mayor, re
ferring to a former city milk in
spector. Mr. Bossie was in the court
room, sitting beside Mr. O'Sullivan
Mr. O'Sullivan immediately put
Mr. BoSsie on the witness stand.
"Is that a picture of you?" he
asked. .
"No, sir," answered Mr. Bossie.
"Were you ever in Hot Springs,
Ark.?" asked Mr. O'Sullivan, the
photograph bearing the name of a
studio in. Hot Springs.
"Never," said Mr. Bossie.
Bump on Forehead. -
Coifftty Attorney Shotwell in
cross-examination called attention to.
what appeared to him. to be a bump
on the toreneaa oi xne ngure m mc
photograph. . L. ....
"Have you a bump in the middle
of your forehead, Mr. Bossie?" he
asked.
"Yes, sir," was the answer. .
"What is it?"
"A birthmark."
The photograph was then passed
to the jury. '
All introduced nv tne fle-
au " J - . 7. .
fense because Mayor Smith had tes
tified that he first recognizeu usvw
as his assailant when a picture of
T-l : eirra1 var. affO Was
shown to him by the police after
the mayor's return trom r lonua.
ii that Davis win uc
placed on the witness stand this
morning.
Th fimnnt testified vesterday
afternoon that George Davis was i M
his home, lilt wortn iweniy-cigiiwi
. V. m'lrVit nf the riot and that
he was there all the time from about
8:30 on. -
Difference in Testimony.
There was some difference in the ;
testimony of the three, however.
Meda Miller, a clerk for M. E. Smith
& Co., who lives at 2102 Chicago
street, testified that she saw Davis
there but she denied that the not
was mentioned in any way during
the evening.
Lloyd Aikins and Robert Howard,
soldiers stationed at Fort Omaha,
testified that they saw Davis there
during those hours but both testi
fied that the riot was discussed in a
general Way. They said some one
told Mary Ellen Davis, sister of
George Davis, about the riot over
the telephone.
The defense closed the day with
an attempt to impeach the testi
mony of John Overbay, the only
other man besides the mayor who
is positive that he saw George Davis
strike Mayor Smith.
A n'C..li;.ron himself took
the witness stand and testified that
Overbay called him up ana saia ne
(Continued on PK Two, Column On.)
Dempsey Will Fight
Meehan Before Bout
With French Champ
San ' Francisco, Dec. 17. Jack
Dempsey, world's heavyweight
champion, will box Willie Meehan
before meeting Georges Carpentier,
the French, champion, provided
Meehan rrfeanwhile defeats "Gun
boat" Smith, according toan an
nouncement made tonight by Demp
sey's manager, Jack Kearns.
Paris, Dec 17. Sparrow" Rob
ertson of New York, representing
"Tex" .Rickard, is conferring with
M. Decoin with the object of hav
ing Decoin Join interests with
Rickard in prdmoting a Dempsey
Carpentier fight. . Owing to the dif
ficulties which it is believed would
be encountered in staging the bat
tle in the United States, Rickard is
reported to be prepared to aid De
coin in holding the championship
fight in- Paris.
Rickard, according to Robertson,
will be willing to advance half the
capital required and share equally
with the French promoter in the
profit or loss. The negotiations are
said to be progressing rapidly.
WOMEN KfjIIT AS
Lawyers in new
trial squabble
Selection of Jury Not Com
pleted When Adjournment
, Made Wednesday.
Los Angeles, Dec. 17. Selection
of a jury still was far from com
pleted when adjournment was taken
here late Wednesday in trial of
Harry New, on a charge of having
murdered his sweetheart. Freda
Lesser.
There were 12 veniremen .in the
box, including two women, and the
state had used four of its ,10 pre
emptory challenges and the defense
eight of its 20.
'. Whether those in the box itill
were subject to challenge by the
prosecution was the subject of argu
ment and Superior Judge Gavin W.
Craig, presiding over the trial,- said
he would rule on this point Thurs
day. Attorneys were agreed the
process of selection of jurors would
be considerably lengthened or short
ened according to his ruling. (
10 Women Eliminated.
So far, out of 12 women called
for examination as to their eligibil
ity, 10 have been eliminated.
The regular jury panel of Judge
Craig's court was exhausted and
when the trial is resumed those
examined as veniremen will be taken
from another department of the
superior court. Thirty-eight tales
men have been examined so far.
- The district attorney and counsel
for New, engaged in numerous bitt
exchanges and the court interposi
several times. The last heated coi.
troversy arose when the defense al
leged the prosecutor, in his ques
tions to prospective jurors, was im
pugning the motives of New's
lawyers by insinuating his1 defense
of insanity was "feigned and fraud
ulent." Judge Craig instructed the prose
cutor to modify his language in
questioning along this line.
Court Room Crowded.
The court room was crowded
again and a large number were un
able to gain, admission.
New's demeanor was unchanged.
He showed little interest in the pro
ceedings, looking straight ahead of
him most of the time, and engag
ing in conversation- with neitherhfs
mother, Mrs. Lillie M. Berger, nor
his half-sister, Miss Edna Clancy,
both of whom, were seated behind
him, nor any of his counsel.
A number of women attending
the trial busied themselves with
knitting, and when officers called
this to Judge Craig's attention and
asked for instructions,, the court
said - they might continue to knit
as it did net offend his dignity and
seemed to afford the women con
siderable pleasure.
BUYS RESERVED
SEAT TICKET TO
SEE WORLD END
Ohio Farmer Visits Cleveland
To Witness Cataclysmic
Phenomenon.
Cleveland, O., Dec. 17. Charles
Johnson, 65, farmer living at West
Salem, was in Cleveland Wednes
day with a reserved seat ticket so as
to be in., the frofit row when the
world came to an end.
After coing to a house where the
"beginning of the end" was to be
staged and finding that no one there
had even heard the end was at hand,
Johnson complained to the police.
"Two men came to me last Satur
day and sold me a reserved seat for
$lS,"hesaid.
Refuse to Go Underground.
Miami, Okl., Dec. 17. Several
mines in the Miami zinc and lead
field are short handed because the
miners refuged to go down into the,
ground with the prospect of the
world crumbling to pieces "while
they were at work.
Prognostications Exaggerated.'
San Francisco, Dec. 17. Prof. Al
bert F. Porta, San Francisco meteor
ologist, trom whose deductions on a
planet configuration the prophecy of
the world coming to an end today
was said to have sprung, reported
today the prognostications of the
world's demise were greatly exag
gerated. .
No Signs of Trouble.
Washington, Dec. 17. Experts
who keep the weather under official
surveillance for the government
scanned the heavens and weather re
ports in vain today for any sign that
an alleged solar conspiracy between
the planets Neptune, Jupiter, et al.,
was about to produce storms which
would bring1 the world to a sudden
end.
ROBBER TOO
"POLITE" TO
SCARE HER
With Admirable Courtesy
Locks Mrs. Sample in Closet
To Save Her Pain of Seeing
Him Ransack Jewel Tray.
GETS $1,600 RING AND
$35 CASH IN DAY RAID
Picks Up $600 String of
Pearls, But Fails to Recog
nize Their, Value Woman
A Prisoner Three Hours.
Claims Evidence to
Convict Policemen
Of Theft in Gotham
New York, Dec. 17. Evidence
sufficient to convict at least six po
licemen, who have aided burglars
in five recent thefts in Erooklyn and
Manhattan of property valued 1 at
more than'-$200,000 is in possesion
r-r District Attornev T.pwU etf RrnnV:
Ivn. he announced. Two policemen
1 are already under arrest.
A gentleman burglar of the same
tvpe as the one who "worked
Omaha so successfully early last
fall paid an informal call on Mrs.
W. C. Sample, 5108 Izard street,
yesterday afternoon, ordered her at
the point of a revolver to put $35 of
her money into his coat pocket, took
a $1,600 diamond ring from her jew
elry tray, locked her in a clothes
closet and left her in solitude. ,
She was released three hours later
when her husband removed the door
from its hinges.
"He was certainly gentlemanly,"
ommented Mrs. Sample. "He was
.iressed like a eentleman. he talked
like a gentleman and he acted like
a gentleman. I wasn't afraid of
him, even though he had a gun
pointed at me. He seemed too
much of a gentleman for me to be
afraid."
Mrs. Sample told the police, the
gentleman burglar knocked at her
back door just after 3 o'clock yes
terday afternoon.
Asked for Widow-- Spence.
"I looked out an upstairs window
and asked him what he wanted,"
Mrs. Sample told Detectives Fritz
Franks and Jack Graham. ' He
asked me if the Widow Spence lived
here. When I said no and assured
him that I had never heard of
Wdow'Spence hthiiked. rrf and
walked around to the front of the
house. I watched him start down
the street.
"Only a few minutes later I heard
someone coming up the staircase
from the first floor. I called, 'Nor
man,' thinking it to be my son.
" 'Yes,' he answered to my call.
'"What do you want?' I de
manded as he reached the head of
the stairs. He had put on a mask
in the meantime, but I recognized
him at once as the man I had just
talked tn at the back door.
" 'Just want to talk to you, please,
he said softly. -
'"You want to get out of my
house 1' I ordered.
Shows a Revolver.
"'No,' he said, exhibiting a re
volver. 'I want your money.' "
"I took $35 from a pocketbook and
held it out toward him. He opened
his coat pocket and told me to put
the money in. I did.
"He walked over to my dresser
and took a diamond ring from, my
jevelry tray. A string of pearls
lay near the ring, but he ignored the
pearls."
Mrs. Sample said she valued the
pearls at $600.
"As he took up the ring he looked
at me," said Mrs. Sample.
"'It must be hard on you to
watch this,' he commented feeling
ly. 'Come over here.'
"He opend a clothes closet and,
ordering me in, closed and locked
the door. I don't know what he
took after that. I didn't even hear
him go downstairs. The telephone
ranf and rang. It was after dark
when I heard Norman, my son,
come home with his sled. I called
to him to open the door of the
closet, but he couldn't find the key.
He telephoned Mr. Sample, who
came and removed the door from
the hinges and released me after I
had been held a prisoner for three
hours. It was then after 6 o'clock."
Mrs. Samjple gave the detectives
a good description of the "gentle
man" burgular. "I am sure I would
be able to identify him if I -were
to see him again." she said.
The police believe from the de
scription furnished by Mrs. Sample
that the man who robbed the Sam
ple home is the gentleman burglar
who operated here several months
Sgo. ' -
Daring Plan to Rob
Bank of Huge Sum
Almost Successful
Aix La Chapelle, Dec. 17. A
French soldier wearing a Belgian
army captain's uniform called on
the German chief of police and de
manded that he loan him three po
licemen to search a local bank. His
request was complied with and the
soldier posted one policeman at the
outside door of the bank. He then
assembled the staff of the bank in a
room and locked the door. He then
ordered the other policemen, to
stand watch over the prisoners;
The soldier entered the bank
vault, took 1,000,000 marks and
walked away. One of the policemen
became suspicious and shadowed the
supposed Belgian and watched him
enter a cafe, from which he emerged
later in civilian clothes. He was
arrested ?nd turned over to the Bel
gian police..
He Knows Whose Doggie He Is
FIGHT ON TREATY
MAY BE REOPENED
IN A FEW WEEKS
Senators of Both Parties
Seem in More Conciliatory
Mood Now Than
Heretofore.
Washington, Dec. 17. Expressions
that seemed to point toward a re
opening of the peace treaty fight
within a few weeks were voiced on
the senate floor today when the sub
ject bobbed up in the midst of con
sideration of the railroad bill.
The symposium of views that went
into the Record during the brief de
bate included opinions from virtu
ally all factions of the divided senate
membership, but they all struck a
note of conciliation. Differing widely
in their suggestions for a solution,
they stood together on the general
proposition that politics ought to be
forgotten and that the senate, acting
independent of executive opinion,
ought to do something promptly to
end suspense and establish a state of
peace.
The discussion reflected the trend
of negotiations which have been in
progress privately among senators
for an agreement that would get the
question finally out of the way.
There was increased activity in that
direction during the day and some
of the leaders predicted formal ac
tion early in the new year.
Block Effort of Knox.
Senator Knox of Pennsylvania, a
leader in the "irreconcilable" repub
lican group of treaty opponents and
a member of the foreign relations
committee, brought the subject to
the floor by another attempt to get
before the senate his two resolutions
to establish a state of peace. The
effect was blocked, but he obtained
unanimous consent to send the
measures to the committee, where
he expects to renew his request tor
action.
A plea made by Senator Knox, for
some sort of a settlement, was sec
onded by Senator Srhith, -of Georgia,
a reservation democrat, ' who de
(Contlnntd on Fata Tw. Column One.)
Steel "De Luxe" Invented -By
-Englishman Is Claim
London, Dec. 17. The inven
tion of a new steel, far in advance
of any high speed steel hitherto
made, is ascribed by the Daily Mail
to John Oliver Arnold, professor
of metalurgy at, Sheffield university.
The newspaper says that the Ameri
can government is investigating the
invention and that American metal
lurgists are working along similar
lines,
- K. .... ... ...
"PEACE ON EARTH,
GOOD WILL TO
BANDITS," AMEN!
U. S. Ultimatum to Mexico
Ends With Abandonment of
Position, Senator Says.
Washington, Dec. 17. The reply
of the Mexican government to the
second American note renewing the
request for the release of Consular
Agent Jenkins, had not reached the
State department tonight and of
ficials said theyliad not been advised
that it had been handed to George
Summerlin. the American charge at
Mexico City.
Secretary Lansing refused to read
the text as given out in Mexico City
last night and transmitted in an As
sociated Press dispatch at Chihuahua
and said he would make no comment
before the official text had been re
ceived. Before leaving for the border
where he is to resume the investiga
tion into Mexican affairs now being
conducted by the senate committee
of which he is chairman, Senator
Fall, republican. New Mexico, issued
a statement declaring the American
government had started negotiations
in the Jenkins case with an ulti
matum and had ended up with a final
abandonment of its position.
He added, that in. view of recent
events he had no reason to think
that "anything further would be done
by the government in the Jenkins
case or any other case other than to
back, wash our hands in invisible
water, roll our .eyes upward and pro
claim, 'peace on earth, good will to
bandits.' "
After spending the Christmas holi
days at his home. Senator Fall, with
Senator Smith, 1 democrat, Arizona,
will resume the taking of testimony
for the senate committee at San An-?
tonio, Tex. He plans to hear there
and in Washington John Lind, Will
iam Bayard Hale, Duvall West and
other special agents who were sent
into Mexxico by the president. Sec
retary Lansing and former Secretary
of State William J. Bryan, together
with a number of other witnesses,
also are to be summoned before the
committee finally concludes its in
Low Wages of "Hello" Girls
' Blamed for Poor Service
New York, Dec. 17. Low wages
paid telephone operators were de
clared to be the "whole trouble"
with the New York telephone serv
ice in a report to the board of health
by Health Commissioner Copeland.
The report said that among other
things, insanitary cenditions existed
In a number of exchanges and that
many were "charged with kitchen
p.nd parafine odors and storage bat
jtery fume.," t
S
UNDECIDED
ON COURSE
Secretary Tumulty Tells Labor
And Farmer Delegation That
Executive Has Open Mind
On Return of Carriers. . :
WANTS VIEWS GIVEN
BEFORE TAKING ACTION
EX-SERVICE MEN
DEMAND SPEEDY
AID OF CONGRESS
National and State Officers
Of American Legion Formu
late and Extend Views
On Present Needs
Washington, Dec. 17. Speedy ac
tion was demanded of congress on
all matters affecting the govern
ment's dealings with former service
men, in resolutions adopted by na
tional and state officers of the
American Legion at the conclusion
of a three-day conference with of
ficials of the war risk insurance bu
reau. The resolutions also warned
congress of the imperative neces
sity Of providing relief for men who
have met with injustice through the
inadequacy of laws under which the
present insurance and compensa
tion regulations are administered.
Throughout the afternoon session
an evident spirit of concern was
evinced that the legion's power must
be exerted if the nation is not to
undergo ?.gain the burden of pen
sion payments. The pension sys
tem was characterized by delegate
after delegate as unnecessary and
unjust, and as adding a burden on
the coming generation which the
taxpayers of these years should
shoulder.
Questioned Closely.
Brigadiar General Lord, director
df finance of the War department;
V. W. Lambkin, chief of the re
habilitation division of the federal
board for vocational education, and
Surgeon Lavinder, representing the
public health service, appeared and
were questioned closely in regard
to the activities of their depart
ments. Specific cases were employed
in rapid succession by the legion
(ContlnuH on Pe Two, Column Thrre.)
Hoover Says Millions
Facing Starvation in
Central Europe Now
Washington, Dec. 17. Starvation
faces from 15,000.000 to 20,000,000
pers6ns in central Europe outside
Germany unless "some means can be
discovered . for their assistance."
Herbert Hoover, former food admin
istrator. .said in a formal statement.
Unless relief is quickly furnished he
predicted, a breakdown of stable
government in the countries affected
and "creation of another cesspool
like Russia."
- To meet the situation Mr. Hoover
proposed that the "great surplus of
wheat and flour" held by the grain
corporation be sold on credit to Fin
land, Poland, Austria and other na
tious pi central Europe,
Same Delegation That Visited
White House Asks Senator
.Cummins That He Withdraw
His Railway Measure.
Washington, Dec. 17. President
Wilson's mind is still open on th
question of returning the railroad ,
to private control, Secretary Tumu
ty today told a delegation reprei
senting union labor and some tarrrn
ers' organizations which called at
the White House to present a lette
asking the executive to delay rei
turn of the roads for two years.
7 his was the' first authoritative
expression, on the subject which had
come from administration quarters,
since the president informed con
gress last May he planned to re- ,
turn them to private control by
January 1. The president, . Mr. I
Tumulty said, would be glad to
get the views of the labor and
farmer representatives who insisted
that a fair test of government operV
ation in peacetime should be given.
Speed up Cummins Bill.
While the delegation was at the
White House the senate was speed-t
ing up consideration of the Cum
mins railroad bill and apparently
was nearing a final vote. Under
the measure the roads would be re
turned to their owners within 30
days after the bill became a law.
bit there was no prospect that final
enactment of any railroad legisla
tion would be completed until well
after the Christmas holidays, owing
to differences between the senate
and house. , j
Before going to the White House
the union labor and farmers' dele-
gation, which included Samuet
Gompers of the American Federal
tion of Labor, and representatives .
of the railroad brotherhoods, called
on Senator Cummins, chairman of
the Senate Interstate Commerc
committee, and asked that his bill
be withdrawn. He indicated that ht
would lay the request before th
full committee. . "
The letter from the labor and
farmers' delegations to the " presk"
dent said proponents of the Cum
mins bill claimed that the president
planned to return the roads by Jam
nary 1, and that some legislation;
providing for such return, must bt
enacteTl immediately. '
Termed Injustice.
"We believe that this assertion
is a great injustice to you," contin
ued the letter. "As you doubtless
know, an overwhelming majority of
the farmers and. members of the"
American Federation of Labor and
the railroad brotherhoods, as well
as the general public, favor an exi
tension of the period, of govern
ment operation of the railroads fotj
a: least two years, in order that
a fair test may have been made of
government operation and a plan
(Continued on Page Two, Column Threc.
ARSENAL BLAST
SHAKES STATE;
SHELLS EXPLODE
Calls for Help Sent From New
Jersey Powder Plant; No
Lives Thought Lost.
Dover, N. J.. Dec. 18. An' ex
plosion of loaded ammunition " at
Picatinny arsenal shook northern.
New Jersey a few minutes befor
bst midnight. v .
Government officers at the arsen
al telephoned to send all availabl'
fire apparatus and a few minutes
later wire communication with the
arsenal was cut off.. It cou'd not be
ascertained if there was any loss of
life. Flames at the arsenU can be
seen for several miles.
At 1:15 this morniiifr shells were
exploding at frequent intervals in
the burning arsenal. Officers at the
L nited States naval , depot, Lake
Denmark, two miles distant from.'
the arsenal, said they had no re
ports of any killed or injured.
New York Dec. . 17. Telephonic,
communication was established from
hcre with the Picatinny arsenal ;
shortly before 2:30 a: m. The man
who. answered the telephone said ht
liad been ordered to give out no in
formation, but that reports that the
arsenal had been destroyed "were
exaggerated." He said the fire "was
still in progress, but that he had not
heard of any casualties. . ,
Clemenceau Improves,
Paris. Dec. 17. The bulletin on
M. Clemenceau's , condition . issued
Wednesday evening reads: 'Th
premier's condition is very satisfac
tory." There will he no fnrllur l.nl..
Jetius, . .