ly Bee
VOL. 50 NO. 213.
tuitnt al Kon-CtM Milttr May Ji, ISM. I
Oman P. 0. Ua4ar Act e Mirth 9. I7.
A, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1921.
By Malt it nrl. Iatldt4th Zom. Oally aad Suaj. I': Oilly Only. JJ: Sunday, 14
' Ovtalda 4th Zone (I lur). Dally aa Suaaaj. tit: 011) Only. 112; Sunday Only, J
THREE CENTS
f
C.E. Hughes
Selected
Rat on Wife's Photo Has No Beaf X Victor
On Divorce Case, Opinion oi i y, . . '
1 ! 1 11 B a 1 1 1 e
Failure of Rodent to Bite Husband as He Plucks it; .
From Picture Sign of Innocence, iVXltlll Pit IPC
Says Daughter. k j J 111 ViL llllS
The Omaha
Da
Government
May Take
West Indies
Question of Acquiring Posses
sions in Payment for British
War Debt to Come Up
In Senate.
Reed Back of Movement
Give Him a Little Shrapnel, Boys!
Omriftt: H21: By The Chlcae Thbarw.l
For Cabinet
!!
i
I
Former Sunreme Court Ins..
tice Named for Secretary
Of State Portfolio
Under Harding.
Was Choice From First
15t The Asmclutcd 1'im
.St. Augustine, Feb. JO. Charles 12.
Hughes, former supreme court jus
tice and republican nominee for the
presidency, was designated by Presi
I dent-elect llardinir as the new
.--f erclary of state. The annoutnje'ment
embodying the first official' word
from the president-elect regarding
selections lor his cabinet was made
in an oral statement after a long con-j
ference between the two men on!
foreign problems. j
There was no clement of surprise j
ill the sloction for it had been known
'eeral weeks Mr. Hughes virtually
was certain to be given (he place. He
ii understood to have been Mr. llard
i:j' choice from the first.
Obligation to Accept.
f Mr. Harding declined to go into
details about the subjects discussed
. with Mr. llughes. saying that one
i.f the policies of his administration
would be 40 let each department head
,-ueak for himself. Mr. "Hughes de
clared no public statement on the
problems ahead would be expedient
at present.
"Of course," he added, "I ap-
praise it as a great privilege to be
invited by Senator Harding to serve i
in liis administration. And I rgard !
it as an imperative obligation to ac
cent" ,
it was generally understood, how-,.
ever, tiiat a-.pio'uauc appointment
to be' made early in the administra
tion furnished .one topic and that
there was consideration also, of the
preliminary steps to be taken toward
an association of nations. The dis
cussion regarding appointments wa
more or less indefinite, it being Mc. j
Harding's policy ?o delay most of the
diplomatic selections until after in-j
attguratiou.
Informal Negotiations Planned
The general impression among
ihose close to the president-elect is
that the first diplomatic approaches
to other nations ia regard to a peace
association will be of an informal
character.
Mr. Hughes will bring to the scc
letaryship of stale a legal training
of unusual scope as well as a mind
. sympathetic to international agree
ment and for maintenance of peace.
. Durinjr, the .treaty fight he advocat
od reserved lafificatiau of th'o "Ver
sailles league ar.d proposed -sevcrai
reservations which were considered
by the senate majority.
Offer Daugherty Place. .
Chicago Tribune-Omaha Bei Leaked Wire.
Washington, Feb. 19. The first
written or spoken word direct from
President-elect Harding, ..indicating
one of his cabinet choices has been
received by Representative Frank
Murphy of Ohio who had asked the
president-elect to consider the name
of Percy Tctlow- of Ohio. The
president-elect said definitely that hi
had asked Harry M. Daugherty to
go into his cabinet.
Parents', Anxieties ,
Stilled as Runaway
Boys
A 1 1 T '
fs ADanaon inp
Eleven ravenous Mason school
boys, ranging in age from 8 to 11.
skipped out from school Friday
afternoon and became wearied of a
jaunt at Valley, Neb., at 2 Satur
day morning.
the lads appealed to R. T. Smith,
train dispatcher in the railroad sta
tion, for warmth and food. Smith al
lowed the boys to sleep on the sta
tion benches and called Omaha
police.
Meantime, mothers of the missing
boys had appealed to the police.
James Ryan, 1343 South Twenty-,
fourth street, father of one of the
boys, raced to Valley and brought
back eight of the youngsters.
I1ie following boys made up the
runaway group: Earl Ryan, Tom
I.atta, Donald Lindquist. Joe Eiono.
Charles Marco, Tony Bresca, Joe
Barone, . Pete .Leonardo, Durrell
Ifonnet, Nick Estelle and Sam
Amato.
Condition of Caruso
Steadily Improving
New York, Feb. 20. Enrico
Caruso watched the falling snow
from a window near his sick bed and
with the yearning of a school boy
w ith the measles, declared "it looks
fine."
The tenor's physicians, ill a bulle
tin, indicated his condition was im
proving. Ti.. l. .11..:.. : .. ,i : ... 4
anxiety for the patient, who a few;
weeks ago was stricken with pleurisy
and hovered between life and death
for a few days after 'suffering a re
lapse Tuesday night.
It said: "Mr. Caruso has had a
good night and he is quite refreshed
this morning. His condition is fever
ih, but qnite satisfactory."
Bill to Abolish Curtis
School to Be Postponed
A dispatch in The Bee stating that
a bill to abolish the state agricultural
school at Curtis was recommended
iof passage should have read that it
was recommended for indefinite post
ponement. Mayor Out for Re-election.
Sutton. Neb., Feb. 20. (Special.)
Mayor Scott has announced his
candidacy for re-election, claiming
economy in having reduced the tax
levy to 28'J per cent while sonic
other cities in the county rnn as high
as 50 J?er cen.t
O'Neill, Neb., lib. JO. (Special.)
i Vrtj-if -i iiti ii r r and wirrt man I f cta -
j ;tions which might influence a super-
! stitious litigant to compromise a case
! pending in court before it is adjudi-
! cated have no standing in the court
j of Judge Robert R. Dickson of tlie
I'iftecntii judicial district.
Saturday morning Judge Dickson
threatened to send to jail Frc! Rarcl
nian, prominent O'Neill merchant,
because he picked a rat off the frame
of a photograph of his wife and
threw the rat into a stove fdled with
burning coals. Razelman's wife is
suing him for divorce and, incjt
dentally, for a goodly chunk of ali
mony. After Bazelman had burned the rat
one of his little daughters, influenced
by the fact that he came unharmed
through the ordeal, wrote a letter to
her mother, telling about the affair
and assuring her that "because papaJ
came through Hie ordeal without a
scratch he must be the innocent party
in the divorce action."
Mrs. Bazelman turned the letter
over to hrr attorney, who introduced
! it in court Saturday morning as the
judge was about to decide the case.
Judge " Dickson promptly called as
witnesses the little children who saw
the rat plucked off the picture, others
who saw the bones of the rat in the
stove afterward and then, after ad
ministering a scathing lecture to
State Section
Of Medical Bod v
Will Meet Here
Clinics and General Meetings
Make Up Program; Director
Of Research Laboratory
To Speak.
The Nebraska section of the
American College of Surgeons will
meet in Omaha on March 3 and 4,
according to anouncements made
bv Dr. J. P. Lord of this city. This
will be the first meeting of the mem
bers of this association in Nebraska.
Owing to the large number of
members of the national association,
it has been agreed not to hold any
more national conventions, because
no city in the union is large enough
to accommodate the activities of the
delegates to these meetings..
In the forenoons ot the days men
ztasfi:i0kteif&l- -hukMr3i-bA
various hosoitals of the city. The
afternoon meetings will be at the
Hotel Fontenelle.
The American College of Surgeons
includes eminent surgeons of Can
ada, the United States and South
America. It has a membership of
Approximately 4,000. It -was organ
ized in 1913. "' i
To 6e a member it is necessary to
be a graduate of at least eight years
standing from a standard medical
college. Special - preparations in
surgery also, are required. Further
more, "the applicant must be recom
mended as to qualifications by some
one already a member of the college.
Forty surgeons of Nebraska are
members of this congress.
The Ameircan Society for the Pre
vention of Cancer is collaborating
with the American College of Sur
geons by sending to its meetings
eminent lecturers on subjects per
taining to cancer. "
The principal speaker of the meet
ing will be Prof. Francis Carter
Wood, director of the Carter Re
search laboratory, Columbia uni
versity. The officers of the Nebraska sec
tion are: Dr. John E. Summers,
Omaha, chairman; Dr. D. T. Quick
ley, Omaha, secretary; and Dr. J.
Stanley, Lincoln, counselor.
Confession of Robber
To Release Prisoner
Now Serving Sentence
Cbicato Tribune-Omaha lite Leaaed Wire.
New York, Feb. 20. A thTcf. who
was moved by a religious service to
confess his guilt for which another
is serving a term in Sing Sing prison,
is expected to arrive here tomor
row. ,
David E. Deckter, 42. of Boston,
is reported to have confessed at a
mission service in micron, w., mat in
December last, he stede $2,700 from
the Mercantile Restaurant company
of New York. ,
He told the Akron police that Rob
ert Harley of Brooklyn, who is mar
ried, and has three children, was sent
to Sing Sing for the robbery.
Deckster says he served nine years
in Leavenworth prison for the mur
der of Captain Cotton of the 16th
infantry in 1911. while Deckster was
a private in that command. 1
Knee Length Skirts
And Brilliant Colors
Doomed, Modiste Says
Chicago Tribune Cable. Copyrlfbt.1 1SJ1.
Oiicago, III.. Feb. 20. The knee
length (or highet) skirt is doomed
and the brilliant colors that have
dazzled far some time, are a thing
of the past, according to Mme. Rip
ley, president of the National Fash
ion Art league. The league will hold
its annual convention here early next
month and Mme Ripley has just
returned from a tour of the country
and an European- trip, to secure a
complete roundup oi ideas for the
coming yer.
Silver i,ray will be the ultra smart
tone for the last word in spring
frock? and all pastel shades will be
preferable to the brilliant colors of
fast year. Superfluous trimmings are
to go and there will be no normal
waist lines. The long, straight effect,
or very low-belted frocks will super
cede all other models. .
Bazelman, announced that he would
reserve decision until further investi
gation. None but Bazelman and the
children saw the rat ou the picture.
Bazelman, who Is a member of the
firm of Bazelman Lumber company,
operating a lumber yard and a gen
eral store, is a Belgian. He has en
deavored to make up with his wife
since the divorce action was started.
The photograph on which the rat
was draped when Bazelman picked
off, hangs six feet down from the
floor, and two arid one-half feet
from a window, on a smooth wall.
Rat Calm and Collected.
the children testifted that they
were in another room when their
father first entered the room and
that he threw open the folding doors
between, and called them to see the
rat before he walked over and picked
it up. Tliey testified that the rat was
calm and collected and made no ef
fort to bit him, and that it raced
around on the burning coals for
about half an ho'ur after being put in
the stove.
Following is the letter to Mrs.
Bazclmaii. from her little daughter,
Agnes, that gave the court knowl
edge of Bazelman's peculiar effort
to adjust their differences:
"Dear Mamma: Well as this is
the first day of Lent, I will tell you
something queer that happened in
(Turn to Page Tiro, Column One).
Legion Asked to
Guard Against
New Propaganda
Plans for Pro-German Mass
Meetings in Many Cities, In
x eluding Omaha, Bulletin
Sent to All Parts, Says.
Indianapolis, Feb".' 20. American
Legion posts were asked tonight by
the Legion's national headquarters to
watch for a revival of German pro
paganda. , i
A. bulletin sent all state headquar
ters said that mass meetings in sev
eral cities,-, including Omaha, have
been plannew. as "one of the first
national manifestations" of the pro
paganda campaign, the object of
which is the bulletin outlined as fol
lows: , '
"Risruption of the accord which
exists between the , United States
oiw n'twKipai:tjcuJar ret
erence to France and Great Britain.
by the turning of American popular
sentiment against the governments
of those countries, and:
"Methodical creation of a power
ful national political machine,' by
the amalgamation of the disloyal elf:
ments of our nation, and the eleva
tion to a place of power in American
politics by the invisible influence of
this organized minority,"
"One of the first national manifes
tations of this activity will orobablv
take the form of mass meetings," the
bulletin continued, ostcnsively m
protest against the occupation of the
Rhine by French negro troops. The
alleged presence oi French colonials
is to be used as a motive to turn
American sentiment against France.
Negro troops were withdrawn from
Hie French army, of occupation
months ago.
"Identified with this movement
are individuals who disloyalty and
whose efforts in the interest of
Germany have been notorious in
the past and who are now again in
direct communications with Berlin.
"National headquarters has . re
ceived reports of pro-German acti
vities from many sections which ap
pear to connect directly with the na
tional propaganda campaign out
lined. I , ,
"Department oificials are request
ed to make not ofaiiy dramatic acti
vities in their community and to
forward reports-' to national head
quarters." Fight Against Winslow
Bill Started in Senate
Washington. D. C, Feb. 20. A
fight against the Winslow bill for
partial payment of government debts
to the railroads, opened in the sen
ate, but action went oyer until Mon
day. ' r
Leaders had planned to give prior
ity to the bill in its consideration,
but Senator Gronna, republican,
North Dakota, intervened with a mo
tion to take up the agricultural ap
propriation bill and discussed agri
cultural conditions until the senate
recessed.
Women Take Examination
For Posimaster at Armour
Table Rock. Neb.. Feb. 20. Spe
cial.) An examination has been
held at the court house in. Pawnee
City for the postmastership at
Armour, this county. At the date
originally set there were no appli
cants and it was stated unless there
should be candidates at this time
the ntt'irp " wnnM fl,'i-Antin,,4
! xr. r f i". i ...j ,.'
iaid i. ui;tini.T aim airs;
Sadie Byrne took the examination.
Boy Held for Bond Theft
May Answer Charge in East
Spokane, Feb. 20 Elliot Micbi
ner, 15, arrested at North
port, Wash., in connection with the
alleged theft of $14,600 worth of
securities from his father at Coeur
d'Alene, Idaho, will be turned over
to officers from eastern states if
they desire to cancel his parole, it
was stated today by authorities at
Coeur d'Alene. .
American Church Pastor
' , At Buenos Aires, Dies
Buenos Aires. Feb. 20. Dr. Wil
liam Patterson McLaughlin. 71, for
30 years pastor of the American
church here, is dead. He was born
in Cincinnati and came to Buenos
Aires from New Orleans.
Rear Admiral Fullam Deliv
ers Indictment of Present
Building Program Scores
Heads of Department.
Short of Submarines
thlreeo Tribune-Omnha ltee Leaned Hire.
Washington, Feb.- 20. The Navy
department fought a hard battle with
the critics of its building policy,
led bv Rear Admiral Fullam. retired.
before the senate naval affairs com-
mittee. The navy came of:
victorious, if the attitude of the com
mittee is to be the deciding factqr,
after Rear Admiral Fullam had de
livered a sweeping indictment of the i
navy building program.
Admiral Fullam agued that the
navy heads apparently had learned
no lessons from the war; that they
had shut their minds against sugges
tions based upon the experiences of
world conflict; and contended that
this attitude "imperils the nation."
'The American navy today, he de
clared, is "fatally' short of submar
ines," and its air force is "pitifully
inadequate to meet modern condi
tions:" He charged that the navy ia
uttcdy disorganized and bitterly as
sailed the theory of dividing the
fleet, contending that the battle fleet
should be concentrated in the Paci
fic. Would Curtail Building.
Admiral Fullam' urged completion
of six superdreadnaughts now fur
riest advanced in construction, but
held that construction should be sus
pended on 5 dreadnaughts less than
25 per cent completed and 6 battle
cruisers less than 10 per cent com
pleted, -while the navy makes a
thorough study of what constitutes
a modern navy in the light of the
experiences of the war.
All the important bureau heads of
the Navy department were on hand
to answer Admiral rullams testi
mony. Rear Admiral Taylor, ciiief
of construction, maintained that the
battleship was the backbone of the
tiavy. It should be improved to the
highest degree, he said, but it should
remain the navy's chief reliance.
Admiral Coontz, chief of opera
tions; agreed with Admiral Fullam
as to the necessity for developing
the air service, but disapproved the
proposal to suspend the construction
of battle . cruisers. Captain Craven,
director of naval aviation, thought it
would be" advisable to create a sepa-,
rate air service and urged that the
development of air craft should be
pjushed .to t'aC-fulIe? txttrf, hut not1..
at the expense of the capital ship,
Rear Admiral McVey, chief of ord
nance, told the committee that no
projectile has yet been invented that
can be dropped from a plane to do
anything more than local damage.
Would Complete Ships.
Admiral Fullam pointed out that
the American navy now has 16
dreadnaughts in commission and 11
superdreadnaughts under construc
tion, six of which are between 25
and 90 per cent completed.
"It would appear good policy to
complete . these six ships which
would give a very powerful battle
fleet of 22 dreadnaughts," he said.
Admiral Fullam- urged the com
pletion of the 10 scout cruisers un
der construction as soon as possible,
and the utmost haste in completion
of the AJ submarines now under
construction. .
"In our surface fleet we find that
with 22 dreadnaughts, 300 destroyers
and 10 scout cruisers, our navy will
stand next to that of England," he
said. "It will be at least 30 per cent
stronger than that of Japan and omit
ting Great Britain, it will be more
powerful than the combined navies
of all Europe.
Action of Obregon
' Against Oil Permits
burpnse to Officials
Chicago Tribune-Omaha. Bee Leaied Wire.
Washington, Feb. 20. Action of
President Obregon in secretly order
ing the Mexican department of com
merce, industry and labor, to for
bid the issuance of drilling permits
except in lands which have been
manifested, an action striking par
ticularly at American oil companies
operating in Mexico, caused sur
prise at the State department. The
embassy at Mexico was instructed
to make inquires and to report.
All the information lately received
ed by. the State department had
seemed favorable to the Obregon
policy of conciliating the United
States and officials believed Obre
gon was desirous of avoiding any
act which would reflect a govern
mental sentiment -hostile to the
United States or prejudicial to
Mexico's chances of receiving recog
nition from the American govern
ment. Mexican Government May
Enter Petroleum Field
Me.xico City. Feb. 20. The Mexi
can government may be in a position
to sell petroleum direct to foreign
buyers, under an agreement reached
by the seretary. of the treasury, de
la Hucrta, and representatives of ex
porters, by which the 10 per ciu
lax imposed ou petroleum exports
is to be paid in kind. This new pay
ment, which was decided upon after
conferences held at the government's
suggestion, will be effective probably
May 1. .
Reward of $10,000 Offered
For Slayer of Two Teachers
Cleveland, O., Feb. 20. Fresh
stimulus was given to the hunt for
the slayers of Louise Wolf and
Mabel Foote, school teachers beat
en to death in Parma. Wednesdaj',
by a reward of $10,000 offered by
the board of county commissioners
for information that would lead to
the arrest of the murderer.
Harding Given
Clean Slate on
Peace Program
Withdrawal of American Rep -
. n t
reseiltatlVCS rom Kcpara-
tions Commission Leaves
Clear Way .for New Ad
ministration. Clik'Ugo Tribune-Omaha Bee Leased Wire.
Washington. Feb. ' 20. With
drawal of American representation
from the intcr-allied reparations
commission, announced yesterday en
ables the incoming administration
to take up -the entire problem of
peace as it sees fit, according to
State department officials.
The American action was charac
terized not as disassociation, but as
a discontinuance of unofficial dis
cussions. While this government has
liot ratified the treaty of Versailles,
it was explained, it assisted in the
drawing of that pact, and until some
definite action is taken with regard
to the treaty, there will be nothing
to guide the government in its rela
tions. with the questions arising from
that convention. . ;
The State department, it was as
serted, docs not have the authority
to agree or approve of possible
changes in the treaty until the treaty
shall have been acted on definitely,
and therefore it was necessary to
end an anomalous situation by retir
ing from even unofficial connection
with the inter-allied reparations and
military commissions.' It was ex
plained that this country still is at
war. or in a state of armistice with
Germany, and therefore the occupa
tion of a. portion of the Rhincland
by American troops has no associa
tion with the question of reparations.
It was declared emphatically at
the State department that its action
in recalling Roland W. Boydcn and
other Americans from the repara
tions commission and its sub-bodies,
was not to be taken ?n any, sense
as an action hostile to the allied
powers. On tthe contrary, the
reparations question must be handled
by unified action, as the United
States is "morally bound" to co
operate with the allies in an effort
to solve the reparations problem
Secretary of Colorado
A..F. and A. M. Lodge Dies
Denver, Feb. 20. Charles Henry
Jacobson. 33rd degree Mason, secre
tary of the grand lodge, Colorado A.
F. and A. M., and a delegate with
Clarence -M. Kellogg to the 200th an
niversary grand lodge held at Albert
1111 London, in 1919. died here this
afternoon. Mr. Jacobson was born :
in Niagara county, New lork.
1S52.
Army Must Capture
Ex-Prisoner to Free
Him of Slacker Charge
t'blcaco Tribune-Omaha Bee Leaied Wire.
Chicago, Feb. 20. Andrew Gry
stoviak, who was supposed to be
a prisoner at Fort Sheridan, was be
ing tried before a court-martial on
a charge of evading the draft. Evi
dence produced showed that Gry
stoviak was not guilty and .was or
dered discharged.
When the field clerk went to the
I prison to get tlie prisoner so that
I the judge advocate could announce
j the glad new s, it w as found that he
liaa escapee trom ine guarunouse un
January 25.
Now" it will be necessary for the
army to apprehend Grystoviak again
in order to free him. It was shown
at the court-martial that the alleged
draft dodger was serving time in the
Ohio penitentiary when the evasion
was alleged to have taken place.
'a
'Toddle" Wedding
Planned to Put Pep in
Marriage Ceremony
t'-hiraito Tribune-Omaha- Bee leaned M ire.
Chicago, Feb. 20. Now it's the
"toddle wedding."
Miss Marv Holleharen and Georee.
; Offerman asked permission of Maj.
! G. Hamilton, director of the
Beauty Mart, to have a "toddle wed-
diyg on March 2, in the Coliseum.
! Major Hamilton offered to supply a
Uazz band to aid in the toddling.
) .Even the officiating clervtnan w'M
i .l.il . i: ... rcs
iuuuic, avjcuruing to viiemian, who
has engaged a boyhood friend, Rev.
George Klingman of Houston, Tex.,
for the ceremony.
"Most weddings are too solemn
affairs," explained Offerman. "Peo
ple, including the principals, attend
with long faces and everyone is al
most afraid to breathe. We decided
Ave wanted some pep in our cere
mony; also a crowd .to witness it.
that's why we made our present
plans."
Tenants Score in
Chicago Rent War
Landlords Agree Not to Raise
Rates Retaliation in Form
Of Taxes Threatened.
Chicago Tribune-Omaha Uen Leased Wire.
Cnicago, Feb. 20. First blood in
the high rent war was drawn by
the tenants yesterday whena num
ber of landlords, summoned into
the office of Joseph F. Peacock,
city real eitate agent, agreed not
to raise their prices.
. Landlords and real estate agents
pburcd into the city hall during the
day with explanations intended to
justify their rent increases. In
greater numbers came communica
tions giving reasons.
Most of those who called person
ally were unable to give explana
tions that were deemed satisfactory.
They were told that unless they re
ceded at once from their positions
the board of review and the asses
sors would act accordingly in deter
mining their taxes.
Mr. Peacock emphasized this
point and the result was that a
large number of landlords and
agents remain where they are.
Among those who agreed not to
I raise rents was tors. M. Rattncr,
owner of a large apartment build
ing. She had been sent a notice by
mistake.
- "I am not raising rents I am
reducing them." she said. "I am
cutting the rent of my four-room'
fiats from $60 to 555. My five-room
flats, which have been $70, will be
$60 after Mav -I. and my six-room
flats will be reduced from $80 to ,
$70."
Nebraska Minister Seeks
Patent on Airplaue Device
Washington, D. C Feb. 20.
(Special Telegram.) Rev. R. S.
Smith of Ainsley., Neb., whether he
is a flying' parson or not, is in
Washington eking a patent on a
new airplane device which (he divine
has invented. It is not stated
whether the device will make more
certain the flight of his parishoncrs
to the pearly gates, but the Rev. Mr.
Smith believes his patent will reduce
the liability of ak accidents to a
very appreciable extent.
Steamship is Wrecked at
Entrance to V era Cruz Bay
Mexico City. Feb. 20. The steam
er Lucrio Del Albin. with 17 pas
sengers and a crew of eight, was
wrecked yesterday at the entrance to
the bay of Vera Cruz. One person
was drowned and the others were
rescued with difficulty, according to
reports. The vessel was caught in a
storm.
Railroads Earn
1 Per Cent Return
During December
Net Operating Income fori
Last Month of 1920 Given
As $15,896,313 by Bu
urea o, Economies.
Chicago Tribune-Omaha Bee Leaaed Wire.
Washington, Feb. 20. The rail
roads of the United States, for the
month of December, 1920, received
but $15,896,313 as their net operat
ing income. On the 6 per cent basis
ou the valuation of their property,
they should have received for this
month $86,858,000. In other -words,
the transportation agencies of the
country received but 1.1 per cent on
the total valuation of capital tied up
in properties.
These figures are based upon re
turns made to the bureau of railway
economics and Represent statistics re
ceived from all the railroads of the
country with the exception of the
Central of Georgia, the Denver tt
Rio Grande and the Green Bay el
Western. They tell a tale which is
most discouraging to railroad man
agers and thousands of stockholders
in such properties throughout the
country.
The figures made public by the
bureau of railway economies show
that total operating revenues of the
railroads for the month of Decem
ber, 1920, were $544,650,847, as com
pared with $448,033,209 for the same
month in 1919. The operating ex
penses were $493,580,921 for the
month of December, 1920, as against
4iu.jji.yo tor ti:e same period m y
1919. i
Railroad experts are at a loss to
account for the falling off in busi
ness for the month of December and
for the loss in revenue from both
passenger and freight traffic, i
Two Youths Are Killed
By Carbide Explosion
.. -. i . .
Port Angeles, Wash., Feb. 20.
Impromptu chemical . experiments
with cans of calcium carbide cost the
lives of two youths at an abandoned
logging camp near here.
Lyle Davis. 16, and V. Rice, 21,
who were killed, and a younger
brother of Dan's, found some cans
of the substance at the camp. They
punched holes in the cans and lighted
the escaping fumes. Then they threw
the cans into a wejl to see how much
gas would be formed when the sub
stance struck the water. An explo
sion followed.
Omaha Youth Nominated
Priuciple to Annapolis
Washington, D. C. Feb. 20.
(Special Telegram.') Congressman
lefferis has nominated Charles
Louis Dundcy, sou of Mrs. Mac L.
Dundcy, widow of Charles Mao
Dundcv. Omaha attorney, to be
principle to the United States naval
academy. Young Dundcy is a grad
uate of Kempb Military academy,
Kemper, Mo., and formerly was a
student at the University of Ne
braska and Central High school,
Omaha.
The Weather
Forecast.
Generally fair Monday and slight
ly wanner.
Hourly Tempera! urea.
m.
1 p. in.
2 p. in.
i. m.
4 p. m.
r p. m.
f p. in.
" p. m.
5 p. ni.
7 a.
m ...0
m lit
8 a.
D a. m ,
10 a. in
11 a. tn, ..
i: noon ,-. 3
( hlruk'n Tribune-Omuhw lice Leaaml Wire.
By ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Washington. D. C.,.lVb. 20.-The
proposal that the United States pur
chase from Great Britain the ltrilish
West Indies for $4,277,000,000, the.
amount of the American war loan to
England, is to be discussed in the
senate this week.
.Senator Reed of Missouri has in
troduced a resolution providing that
the executive be requested to ascer
tain from the London government
whether Great Britain is willing to
consider the cession of the islands
to the United States and he stated
tonight that he would address the
senate on the measure within a few
days.
The resolution says nothing abuut
forgiving the British debt' to t lit
American government, but this is ex
actly what Senator Reed haT in mind
in proposing that England be sound
ed on the question of parting with
the islands. If the suggestion should
bear fruit, England would cede to
the United States six archipelagoes
off the south Atlantic coast of this
country-and the United States would
cancel tnjp British indebtedness.
Salvage from Loss.
The question as it now present
itself, is one of arranging for some
salvage from what may become a
total loss to the United State-.
W hether America will 'be repaid in
full or even in large part for the
loans to the allies totaling nearlv
$1(1,000,000,000, is a matter which i's
being debated at home and abroad.
No interest has been paid on the
leans, even by Great Britain, for
nearly two years; negotiations for
the refunding of the borrowings
over a long period are in progress
and the principal allies are actively
urging the cancellation of all the in
ternational war loans as a means of
quickly restoring the credit of
European nations.
Great Britain itself has taken the)
leadership in the movement for can
cellation of the loafis, having sound
ed the United States definitely on the
proposition, though unsuccessfully
up to date. It is conceived that
England will renew the petitions un
der the Harding administration and
it is also conceived that develop
ments in international affairs event
ually will force the cancellation of
the debt to tiii country.
Quotes Monroe Doctrine.
. In such a contingency the cession
to the United States of the British
and French islands on this sido of
the Atlantic would constitute salvage
and a consideration for the cancella
tion of the allied debt.
Senator Reed will tell the senate
that the application of the principle
of the Monroe doctrine and strate
gic considerations make it desirable
that all the islands lying off the
American coast should be under
American contro!. The West Indian
possessions of several European na
tions not only flank the American
coast, but , command the. approaches
to the Panama canal.
The British island of Bimini is so
close that long range guns thereon
could shell Miami, it is asserted.
While war with Great Britain
is regarded as unthinkable, a sound
policy of defence would take no
chances, it is contended, with any
control of these strategic points by
another power. It was such consider
ation that prompted the United
States to purchase the Virgin islands
from Denmark for $25,000,000 and
thus forestall any sale of the islands
to another European power, Ger
many having already attempted t"
purchase them.
T . f n ii
rennon ror iecan
Of Sioux Falls Mayor
Filed With Auditor
Sioux Falls. S. D., Feb. 20, A pe
tition looking to the recall of Mayor
George W. Burnsidef Sioux Falls,
was filed with the city auditor late.
Saturday. Thc octition charges t he
mayor with failure to enforce the
laws of the city, constant "playing
with politics." inefficiency and ex
travagance; The document is said to
contain the" signatures of 1,132 reg
istered voters of the city.
Mayor Burnside declared that Fie
wished he could call an election im
mediately, but found that it would
he impossible before the regular
city election in April. Asserting viR
orouslyjiis intention to fight the re
call, the mayor f aid : "To do other
wise would be equivalent to oper.lv'
admitting that 1 feared to have niv
i record made public. My friends also
; have advised me to fight it. and 1
j w ill ask them to stand by me.
! "The small taxpayer is paying Ic.-
j taxes this year thru' the year before."
I he declared, "ar.d the taxes will be
2a per cent less next year than this
year." ,
Mammoth Freight Vessels
Arc Launched at Frisco
Oakland. Cal.. Feb. 20,-The two
largest freight vessels ever launched
in San Francisco bay the 14.500-ton
Manulant and Manukai, sister ships,
destined for the Hawaiian trade,
slid from the ways within an hour
at the Moore Shipbuilding company
yards here.
The vessels w ere built for the Mat
son Navigating company.
Hogs Average $7. a Jlead.
Beaver City, Neb.. Feb, 20. (Spe-
cial.) Forty head of pure-bred Po
land China sows were sold by B.
M. Davis & Sous here, bringing an
average of $75 a head, The top price
of the sale was $H5, paid by Paul
Hansen of Stamford.
