v..
The Omaha Daily Bee
Y
VOL. 50 NO. 249.
M-Toll Brid
g6
Bandit Is
Captured
Robber Shot by Catemau and
Again by Council Bluffs
Officers Arrested at
Missouri Valley.
Wounds Mav Prove Fatal
Harry Bolden, 28, one of the pair
of bandits who Saturday night held
up Charles Vanderloo, 2443 Avenue
D, Council Bluffs, tollman on the
Douglas street bridge and escaped
from a tight corner into which they
were forced by Bluffs police, was
captured by the marshal at Missouri
Valley and is now in the Jennie Ed
mundson Memorial hospital at Coun
cil Bluffs.
The gunman is suffering from
wounds which rliay prove fatal. One
of them was mtlictcd by a outlet
from Vanderloo's gun as the two
bandits made their escape from the
scene of, their crime, and the others
are results of shots fired at them by
Kay Brown, Bluffs policemen, as
they ran the gauntlet of a squad of
officers at Pearl street and 13roau
way. Bolden was arrested at the home
of a doctor in Missouri Valley,
where his companion took him for
medical attention. The town mar
shal saw them, enter the house and
called Sheriff Walter Millimah from
v Logan, who placed the wounded
v man in custody. The second robber
' .TV tl 1 J V VI 111 1 1 1 DUtVIIUU'V " 1 l "
) sheriff arrived.
Little Loot Obtained.
The two gunmen parked their
roadster at the east end of the Doug
las street bridge Saturday night.
Then they walked to the toll-house
at that end of the structure and
held up Vanderloo. They obtained
between $6 and $7 from the cash
register and struck the tollman over
the head in an attempt to make him
produce more cash. 1
The moment they left the toll
house, Vanderloo seized the door and
ver, stepped outside the door and
began shooting at them. A bullet
struck Bolden in the shoulder and
he fell to the ground. His comrade
carried him to the automobile, then
drew his own gun and returned
Vanderloo's fire. Several bullets
penetrated the tollhouse walls, but
none struck the tollman.
Vanderloo telephoned the lwcn-ty-eighth
street barn and reported
the episode. Bluffs police headquar
ters were in turn notified to look
y out iur lue auiumuin-.
jf-"j Bandits Intercepted.
f A" squad of rp6ticemen"Jeft"v the
station in a police car and drove
- west on -Broadway, iney met me
gunmen's car at Pearl street and
Broadway, at the head of a long
string of automobiles approaching
for the, west. The bandits were
forced to stop their car in observ
ance of traffic rules, by a Fifth
avenue street car which stopped at
the corner to take on passengers.
The police chauffeur drove in
ahead of the street car and stopped
just in front of the roadster, nearly
blocking- the roadway. -Two or
three officers jumped out of the po
lice car' and called to the bandits
to throw up their hands. The gun
man at the wheel of the other car,
threw his machine into reverse,
backed , a few feet, then changed
gears, stepped on the accelerator
and shot past the. police machine.
" Wounded Second Time.
Kay Brown, sitting in the front
seat of the police car, fired three
shots at the robbers, two of his bul
. lets striking the already wounded
bandit in the abdomen. The en
gine in the police car had stalled
and by the time it was started, the
escaping men were out of sight.
Less than an hour later tha mar
shal at Missouri Valley noticed a
roadster stop in front of a doctors'
Y driver help an injured man into the
house. The marshal had not been
notified of the Bluffs shooting, but
he investigated the incident. When
the two men did not give him a
satisfactory explanation of the bullet
wounds which one had sustained,
the marshal notified Sheriff Walter
Milliman at Logan.
One Man Escapes.
The one bandit left his injured
companion at the doctor's house and
escaped in the car before the sheriff
arrived. Police are seeking him.
The machine bore a Nebraska num
ber, and it is believed both robbers
were from Omaha.
Chief of Police James Nicoll. upon
being notified yesterday morning of
the apprehension of the one gunman
at Missouri Valley, took Charles
Vanderloo and Ray Brown to that
town. . Both men identified the
wounded prisoner as one of the pair
who held up the toll station and es
caped. He was brought back to the
Bluffs and lodged in the Jennie Ed
, mundson Memorial hospital.-
U. . Steel Corporation
Announces Wage Reduction
Gary, Ind., April 3. A 20 per cent
reduction in wages and the eight
hcur day will be put into effect by
the United States Steel corporation,
of which Elbert H. Gary is president,
about April 15, according to unof
ficial reports from local offices.
About 30,000 men are employed,
in the company's plants when they
are running full time. Installation
of the eight-hour day would mean
'that 10,000 additional men would be
required to run the plants at full
speed. r
French Town Honored.
St. Mihiel, France, April 3. The
v Croix de Guerre was conferred on
St. Mihiel, scene of a successful
three-days action b the American
troops during the war. The ceremony
was attended by prominent French
and American citizens. Col. R. John
West represented the American em
fcasjy, v
Eaton
Onahi P
William Leeds to Wed
Niece of Constantine
Athens, April 3. William B.
Leeds, son of Princess Anastasia of
Greece, who arrived a few days ago
by airplane to visit his sick moth
er, has become engaged to Princess
Xenia, 17, second daughter of the
Grand Duchess Marie and niece of
King Constantine, it was learned to
day. The marriage will take place
in June, and the couple plan to re
side in America.
Leeds proposed the day after his
arrival, it is understood. Frincess
Anastasia opposed the union at first,
on account of her sou's youth, but
finally consented.
Leeds is 19.
Fight Over Tax
Bill of Governor
Looms in House
Determined Attack to Be
Made on Measure Changing
"Antiquated" System
Censorship ill Up.
incoln, April 3. (Special.) Sen
ate File 65, Governor McKelvie's tax
bill, which went through the senate
after undergoing a week's bombard
ment, is easily the headline feature of
t he present session. The governor is
attempting to make sweeping chang
es in the alleged antiquated taxation
system of Nebraska, which, he says,
ii years behind the times iu taxa
tion reform, compared to certain sis
ter states. The bill has made the
governor the center of attack in the
bitterest fight of his political career.
So far, the administration has
stood like a stone wall. Whether it
can withstand an attack in the turbu
lent lower house is a problem. The
bill must be considered there soon.
The interests fighting it are on the
ground. A determined attack will be
launched on the bill when it comes
up for consideration.
Representative George Williams of
Fillmore will lead administration
forces in pushing the measure
through the house. Wiliams has
worked night and day at joint meet
ings of the taxation committee. He
is well informed and conversant with
taxation problems from all angles.
Whether he can separate the wheat
from the chaff, so to speak, clearly
enough so the lower house members
can understand what the administra
tion is driving at is a question.
Saved Insurance Bill.
It Williams puts the taxation bill
through, the administration will have
two big jobs carried out, thanks to
the Fillmore county man. The ad
ministration hail insurance bill was
near death when the $100,000 re
volving fund was cut out of it. Wil
liams, by a series of committee
niciidments- whichdid- away with
objectionable" features in the state
hail insurance business t put in by
democrats two years ago, fixed the
bill so it received approval of the
house and senate.
Motion picture censorship, legal
cigarct selling, libel, teaching Ger
man iu school, horse racing, boxing,
soldier bonus, annexing Sarpy coun
tv to Douglas country, recreating
the supreme court commission, un
ion picketing and a new occupation
lax for foreign and domestic cor
porations are a few other of the big
problems left for solution on the
closing days. The solons hope two
weeks will finish the job.
Censorship will be considered in
the senate, possibly this week. Sen
ator Beebe will lead the anti-censorship
fight and will introduce the
"high license" substitute.
The boxing bill has been in a
committee since March 7. Ameri
can Legion men are expected at the
state house this week to spur com
mittee members to haste in getting
the bill on general file before it too
late.
The old Norval language bill,
passed when feeling was at its
height during the war, has been
strengthened. It comes up in the
lower house at 10, Tuesday morn
ing. The American Legion is be
hind the bill. Other powerful polit
ical interests are opposed to it.
The aiiti-cigar"et bill, which if pas
sed, will make hundreds of law
breakers and law deficrs in Nebras
ka, who as past experience has
proved, will continue to sell cigarets,
is ccrain to come up in the lower
house soon.
Its passage means taking thou
sands of dollars away from Nebras
ka interests and giving the money to
Iowa firms who will handle the Ne
braska business from across the Mis
souri river. Nor is the passage of
the bill expected to sit well on for
mer soldiers. The bill will be hotly
contested.
Annexation Bill Popular.
The Randall-Hascall anti-pickct-ing
bill is due to go on third read
ing in the house this week. If it pas
ses the house, the measure will un
dergo fire in the senate. .
The Sarpy-Dougqlas county an
nexation bill is increasing in popular
ity by leaps and bounds since mem
bers discovered that they could save
the state $300,000 by putting the bill
through and thus, if an annexation
election is carried, throw the cost of
paving a road to Fort Crook on the
willing shoulders of Douglas county.
This bill, revive dfrom death in com
mittee a few days ago, probably will
be considered in the lower house this
week. '
The bill by Senator Cooper of
Omaha, giving races opportunity to
sue for libel, growing out of the at
tack on the Jews by Henry Ford,
will be considered in the senate next
week.
The Reed-Mears corporation oc
cupation tax bill, delayed from con
sideration Saturday, to give members
an opportuuity to study it, will be
considered in the lower house this
week. Then there are others, in
cluding: "Clinical pychologist" bill.
Farm warehouse bill.
State serum plant bill.
Randall-Hascall Omaha municipal
court bill.
Non-partisan judiciary and pri
mary "reform" bills.
.It's .certain to be a reat show I ,
Soa - Clau attar Ka SW. 190. l
0. Undar Act of Marc i. 179.
Jbarmem.g
jjeciaewn
Selling Plan
Fate of Co-Operative Grain
And Livestock Schemes to
Be Decided at Chicago
This Month.
Gustafsonto Preside
By FRANK JSIDGEWAY.
thlciieo Trlbuoe-Omuha Heo Leased Wire.
Chicago, April 3. Three impor
tant agricultural conferences wilt be
held in Chicago this week. Farmers
from all sections of the United
States 'will meet here on Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday to work
out nation-wide plans of marketing
their grain, live stock and fruit.
Representatives of diflerent inter
ests Will, meet separately. The fruit
marketing conference will be held
m lucsday at the Congress Hotel
The discussions will deal chiefly with
the transportation of fruit, organ
ization for co-operative marketing
and problems of distributing, tariff
and methods of increasing consump
tion of fruit. California alone is
sending 25 delegates to the meeting.
Gustafson to Preside.
C. H. Gustafson of Lincoln, di
rector of the co-operative depart
ment of the American Farm Bu
reau, who will preside at the fruit
growers' meeting, is also chairman
of both . the grain and live stock
marketing committees.
Secretary of Agriculture Henry C.
Wallace will address the farmers'
grain uiarketmg committee ot 1 at
its ratification meeting on Wednes
day. The committee's plan, which
has been in process of making for
several months, will be ratified or
rejected at this meeting. There will
be 17 delegates from 15 central and
western states, sent here with au
thority to act upon the proposed sys
tem of marketing grain.
Since the committee's last meet
ing here, state meetings have- been
held throughout the nation, at. which
members of the committee'met with
the growers to explain the new plan
of marketing grain on a co-operative
basis.
Committee of 15 Thursday.
NOn Thursday, following the fruit
and grain conferences, the farmers'
live stock marketing committee of
15 will hold its second meeting at
the LaSalle hotel. Since the first
meeting, various data and exhibits
gathered from all parts of the coun
try and reports will be made by
various subcommittees on investiga
tions made since February.
It is understood that a national
live stock . marketing system will
be work4-t-4yvithis- -cowum'tee,
similar , to the plan of marketing
proposed by the grain interests. It
will be owned and controlled by
the farmers and ce-operative com
panies will perhaps be eventually
established at the live stock mar
keting centers all over the United
States.
Girl-Wife and Husband
Charged With Murder
Of Her Stepmother
New York, April 3. Following
the finding of the body of Mrs.
Catherine Trotta. 48, widow of
Brooklvn, buried in the mire at the
Edge of Cooper's pond, with a torni
quet made from sash cord bound
about her neck, Mrs. Carolina Vcr
derosa, 17, stepdaughter of the slain
woman and her hasband, Luciano
Verderosa, 28, were today held with
out bail, on a charge of murder in the
first degree.
The body of the women, richly
clad and wrapped in a Persian shawl,
was discovered by two boys playing
at the edge of the pond. That rob
bery was not the motive for the
crime was indicated iu that the dead
woman still wore jewels valued at
$2,000 and carried $45 in, a purse.
According to Detective Daniel
Connollv, who signed a short af
fidavit charging the young couple
with killing the widow, bits of the
same kind of sash cord with which
the women had been strangled were
found hidden in a store room of the
Verderosa home.
Oklahomail Undaunted
By Windy City Crooks;
Plans for Come-Back
Chicago Tribune-Omaha Bee leased Wire.
Chicago, April 3. "I'm coming
back to this man-sized town when
I get some more money," said Gus
tave Hammar 'of Stuttgart, Ark.,
after Judge Upward Hayes had dis
missed him on a drunk and disqr
derly charge. .
"I'm coming back," reiterated
Hammar, "but the next time, I'll
bring two razors."
A policeman had picked Mr. Ham
mar out of a gutter on the West
Side and Escorted him to the station.
"Druiik and disorderly," said the
bailiff when Gustavc's case was
called.
"Thash ri,' " agreed Guslave.
"Broke?" queried the judge.
"Guesh 'gain," chortled Gustave.
"01' Gush too smart f'r these city
slickers. . Carry my money inside
mr shirt."
. Smiling he worked his fumbling
way through various thicknesses of
vest and shirts, but his hand
emerged emptv.
"It's gone," he admitted, 'had $150
and a razor to fight 'cm with. Thash
gone, too."
"Too bad," sympathized the judge.
"These Chicago boys are pretty
rough. I'm going to let you go, as
you have been punished enough."
Breaks Legs in Fall.
Pawnee City. Neb.. April 3. (Spe
cial.) T. E. Jones of Liberty bad
both of his legs broken at Beatrice
when a stand at the driving park
there gave way. About 50 men were
in the stand.
OMAHA, MONDAY, APRIL 1,
0vfcll Harness 'l wnT
r' n
cean to uive rowe
Ibirago Tribune table, oprl(bl, 192 1.
Paris, April 3. The French gov
ernment is about to undertake Mie
long-dreamed of task of harnessing
the ocean to supply power. M. Le
Trquer, minister of public works,
announced that an item of 2,
500,000 francs in his budget is for
construction of machinery at the
mouth of the Ranee river for utiliza
tion of Atlantic waters, or what is
called in France, "blue coal."
The plan is simple. The Ranee
has a 30-foot tide. Enormous res
ervoirs will be constructed in and
out of which the tide water will flow
through penings hiding turbines.
When the tide rises the turbines will
turn and when the tide runs out,
the turbines will turn.
"France must use all her natural
forces," says Le Troquer.
France Would Fix
German War Debt
At $15,000,000,000
Plans for Liquidation ofOhli
galions of All Nations Pre
sented hy Maryland
Senator.
Philadelphia, April 3. Plans for
the liquidation of the external obliga
tions of every nation was presented
here last night by Senator France of
Maryland before the American Aca
demy of Political and Social Science.
He termed unconditional cancellation
"unconceivable," but maintaing some
plan must be adopted, as interna
tionl debts block world trade circu
lation, upon which civilization is de
pendent, said:
"The United States should call a
conference of the interested powers
for the puropse of proposing this
method of settlement or one embody
ing these principles:
"The German indemnity would be
fixed at the sum tentatively agreed
upon at the Anglo-French eighth
conference, $15,000,000,000, Germany
to receive credit for at least $5,000,
000,000 for the cables and for the
teritories in Africa and Oceania
transferred to the allied and asso
ciated powers.
"This method of liquidation would
enable Germany at once to begin to
purchase from England, France, Rus
sia and the United States what she
so desperately needs. The United
States would then purchase from the
allied and associated powers for at
least $7,000,000,0000 or possibly for
the full amount of the debts owed to
us, these cables and these territories
in Africa and Oceania. This opera
tion would give us liquidation, not by
cancellation, but by substitution of
valuable assests for securities of
doubtful value.
Would Acquire Territory.
"Under this plan the United States
would secure the cables and addi
tional territory to the extent of more
than 1,000,000 square miles, cr ap
proximately one-third of her pres
ent territory. We would cancel the
allied debt with the understanding
that we would go into Africa to co
operate with France and England in
carrying out a great constructive poli
cy such as we have announced with
reference to the Philippines."
United States Senator McCormick
of Illinois said:
"We shall not obtain one iota of
our debt until disarmament among
the nations in Europe has been ac
complished and until we have assur
ance that the states of Europe will
not fall back again into that condition
which' led them to world war. Be
fore there should be any talk of can
cellation, they should destroy the
restrictions and rivalries and jeal
ousies 'which now exist between the
states and prevent international com
merce and travel."
He said the treaties of peace which
followed the recent war are not last
ing, adding: . "This was the most
painful discovery I made on my trip
to Europe. The way has been left
open for wars of the future.
"The Silesian frontier settlement
will disappoint both the Poles and
the Germans and we must regret
that this boundary was not fixed
at the outset of peace negotiations.
Many Me Under Arms.
There is an economic blockade
about the central states of Europe,
there are innumerable restrictions
upon travel and commerce, there is
universal distrust and ill will and
any sort of exchange between the
nations is almost impossible. Today
there are more .men under arms in
Europe, west of Russia, than there
were before the outbreak - of the
war.
"It is essential there be a settle
ment and that Europe return to
economic reconstruction. They must
abandon their rivalries and desist
from adventures in Asia. There is
bitterness between the nations re
cently associated in the prpsecutioji
of the war'and even neutral nations
have been drawn into the imbroglio
of hatred and jealousy.
"Since the armistice, Europe has
spent money lavishly.
"Part of the debt they owe us
could be paid by territories and
cables, not only those now held by
Germany, but by the other countries
ako. There is no doubt that at
present there is a strong discrim
ination against this country by those
who control means of international
communications. Four-fifths of-the
cable lines of the world are owned
outside of the United States.
"The only policy in Europe is ma
terialistic; the only solution for its
ills is an economic one. In guarding
our own interests we will save Eu
rope from herself. .
"Let Europe pay her debt to us
by a transfer of cables, territories,
securities and funds which she could
save through disarmament and aban
donment of international restric-'
tions and rivalries."
Man Kills Self
Dcs Moines. April 3. (Special
Telegram.) Thomas Slatter. 24, des
pondent mecause of ill health, shot
and killed himself in the home of his
father, J. J. Slatter, at Give,
1921.
Will He Break
AAA?? 1 1
dMvv ivrravea
Against Negroes,
Pastor Asserts
Dean Ringer Inefficient in
Handling Crime Says More
Dives and Bootlegging Here
Than Ever Before."
"There arc more dives, more cab
arets, more bootlegging joints in
Omaha today than ever before in
the city's history," declared Rev. W.
C. Williams, pastor of the St.
Johns A. M. E. church, in his ser
mon yesterday morning to a con
gregation of 800 that crowded the
edifice at Twenty-fifth and Grant
streets.
"Right within a radius of three,
blocks of this church I can name
at least half a dozen such places.
Within the last week police, have
closed one or two of thcin, but
this, I believe, was done for cam
paign purposes. Police Commis
sioner Ringer's intentions may be
good, but some of the police are
protectiug these places of sin. Rin
ger is weak, feeble, inefficient, as
wholesale: burglaries and highway
robberies also prove."
Scores 5,000 Committee.-
Rev. Mr. Williams declared his be
lief that the Committee of 5,000, "is
;ui organization merely of whites,
Protestant ministers and church
members and that the white Protes
tant church members are arrayed
against the Jews, negroes and Cath
olics." He quoted a statement of
George Wells Parker in . "The
Whip" to the effect that similar
white Protestant forces are behind
the Klu Klux Klan movement.
He referred to H. J. Pinkett and
Mrs. J. Alice Stewart as "tools of
the Committee of 5,000.".
"Whatever , Tinkett and ".Mrs.
Stewart advise the negroes- to -do
will be left undone," he said, "be
cause ., the intelligent- negroes, of
Omaha don't need and won't fol
low the advice of rinkctK
"Commissioner Ure was not en
dorsed by the Committee of 5,000, he
said, "because he retained a negro,
John W. Long, as city inspector of
weights and measures.
Ask No Favors.
"The negroes ask no favors from
the city administration. We are in
terested like other good citizens in
seeing efficient officials elected. I
won't even advise you to vote for
anyone particular. ' You sec the rec
ord of the men in office and I think
that will be enough ' to show 'you
whom you should support and whom
you should not support at the com
ing primaries and election."
John T. McDonald, negro candi
date for commissioner, made a brief
talk.
"This congregation, the largestof
negroes in Omaha, is raising money
to build a new $100,000 church to be
the finest owned by negroes west of
Chicago. The collection yesterday
morning was $78.76 besides $43.65 in
a special collection to bury a poor
negro who died Friday.
Cereal Crops in Northern
tt 1 r II
Hemisphere favorable
Washington, April 3. The condi
tion of cereal crops in the northern
hemisphere were described as "gen
erally favorable" by the Department
of Agriculture's bureau ,of crops, ' in
a summary of foreign crop pros
pects. The mild winter m almost
all the reporting countries was held
The mild winter in almost I
.' 1 I .1
to have been an important factor
in the crop situation. The bureau
said that although several reports
had been received as to Russian
crops, nothing reliable had come
through.
ri . ,
Ry Mall (I y.it). I ml Hi 4ttl I.M. Daily 4 tuaa-ajr. Iff: Dally Only. Mr Suatfay, 14
unlaid 41k Zona (I ar. Oally aa4 Saa4aj, IK: Oally Oaljr, 112; Sunday Only, I)
the Habit or Will
Irish Situation
More Optimistic
Many Leaders Predict Full i
Settlement Will Be Readied j
Before August. j
Dublin, April 3. The opinion, was
expressed today by newspapers that
the Irish, situation Tiad undergone a
change for the better since March
1. A month ago Dublin desired the
peace prophets. but today predictions
that there will be a settlement are
universal. Lloyd's declined to ac
cept bets offered .that peace will be
brought about before August.
Outwardly conditions have not im
proved. There has been no cessa
tion of warfare and the trouble is
spreading to Ulster. 1
Factors serving to stimulate the
optimistic view are the admission of
Premier Lloyd George of the gov
ernment's failure to solve the Irish
problem; the appointment of a Cath
olic viceroy; De Valera's latest pro
n6uucements, which are interpreted
as showing the willingness : of the
Sinn Fein for what is deemed a rea
sonable compromise; England's in
ternal troubles; repudiation of the
partition act by Southern Ireland;
the .admitted difficulty of establish
ing the Ulster parliament;, the signi
ficance attached in Ireland to thc
report of the American committee
of 100; President Harding's reported
endorsement- of ' the American .Re
lief committee's campaign, and a ru
mor that "Senator Kenyon is com
ing as President Harding's repre
sentative to investigate.
Government circles do not conceal
their anxiety over the prospect thai
the Sinn Fein will win most of the
seats in the southern parliament.
With the nationalists .and Sinn
Feiners co-operating m the north,
the task of establishing the Ulster
parliament is recognized as fraught
with. political hazards.1
It is confidently asserted that the
Sinn Fein would be willing to nego
tiate peace 'on the tasis of a status
of full' dominion. .
Premier of American
Minstrels Dies in Ohio
Columbus, O., April 3. Alfred
Griffin (Al G.) Fields, premier of
American minstrels', died' today
from "Bright's disease. Born 73
years ago in Leesburg, Va., Mr.
Fields entered the theatrical ' busi
ness in 1886,. organizing. a minstrel
show which has operated since.
" The . funeral will be held . here'
Tuesday.
Demand for Field Seeds
I Copyright: 1921: By Tha Coito Tribune!
In March Is Below jWliS
Washington April 3. Demand for
I field seeds from r farmers : during
March was on the whole below nor
mal according to reports tabulated
today by the federal bureau of mar
kets.. More farmers than usual were
said to have- seed of their own, but
others w ere .declared to be curtailing
their purchases this year because of
inability to
finance their farming
operations or because of a disinclina-
iwn iu uiiiHi as cxicusivt-iy as usual
ion acC0Unt of the low price of farm
products.
Ex-Candidate for Governor
In Havana Assassinated
Havana. Aoril 3. Fernandez
Quinones, National league candidate
r f 11 ii. X "
tor governor or Havana, in me i.p
vembcr elections, was shot and al
most instantly killed by Ernesto
Colledo. liberal representative from
Santa Clara province.
Political differences are iaid to
have led to the tragedy.
It Break Him?
Mililon fiollar
Fire Destroys
Potash Plant
Antioch Concern, Largest in
; State, Burns to Ground
..started uy switch ,; ,
Engine.
Alliance, Neb., April 3. (Special
Telegram.) Fire, 'supposed to have
originated from sparks from a pass
ing switch engine, tolaly destroyed
the 1,000,000 plant of the American
Potash company at Antioch, about
25 miles east of here, Saturday night.
.The huge building, which is ore
mthan ' a ock in length and two
thirds of a block wide, was like tin
der and the flames spread rapidly.
All available fire hpparatus was put
into use to combat the blaze, but
without-effect. A high wind and
quantities of oil in the building con
tributed to the spreading of the
flames and handicaped the fire
fighters. ,
The fire was discovered by the en
gine crew when . the. locomotive re
passed the : building a few minutes
after it had been ignited.
Sparks evidently had been carried
to the coolin gtower, as that part of
the structure was the first to catch
fire. ' The ' building, was a total
loss, the asbestos-covered pipes be
ing, the only equipment to withstand
the flames.
The plant had not been in opera
tion since November 6 ;of last year,
due to bankruptcy proceedings now
pending in court. It was built in
1916 at a cost of $1,000,000 and for
merly was owned by Mr. Sharp of
Lincoln. . Joe Warren, superinten
dent of the plant, said that there was
no chance to save the building.
Hundreds of farmers drove in
from -the .country to withess the
fire, which lasted for several hours
and 'for a time threatened the en
tire town.
New Compartment Car
Is Declared Success
l hJrt;o Tribune-Omaha lire Lrased Wire.
New York, April 3. Transporta
tion experts studying railroad econ
oniirs . for the New York Central
lines have invented a "container car"
for 'store door deliveries of freight
and express, and it was announced
that preliminary . experiments had
shown these new cars to b'e a suc
cess. The freight car, with four porta
ble containers which can be filled
car- truck, has just completed suc
cessive trips between Chicago and
Cleveland, and a second car of this
type, will be tried this week on the
Boston' and Albany, for the ship
ment of shoes.
A steel express car with nine, port
able containers, has finished suc
cessful trips between this city and
Chicago with Twentieth Century and
other fast trains ,and is declared to
be successful. -
The Weather
Forecast
Nebraska Generally fair and
cooler Monday.
Hourly Temperatures.
5 a. ni Ml t a m ft!)
m. m S?i i p. m M
1 a. m. Ml S p. ni. HI
a a. m Mi 4 p. ni. HI
ft a. in ml S p. m X",
ID a. ni 7j p. m lit
It a. m. 1 p. m x
It noon . 79 8 p. m, 19
THREE CENTS
HopeofllS.
SigningPact
Abandoned
Former French Premier Givef
Up Idea That America Will
Ratify Treaty of
Versailles.
Expects Separate Peace
By ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Trlbitiie-Omnha He I.Miard Wlra.
Washington, April 3. The first
authoritative evidence that former
Premier Viviani has abandoned hope
of the United States ratifying the
Versailles peace treaty or entering
the league of nations, was forthcom
ing tonight from an important mem-
ber of the French delegation.
It now appears that M. Viviani,
after his consultations with Presi
dent. Harding, Secretary of State
Hughes, Senator Lodge and other,
leaders, is convinced the Harding ad
ministration intends to re-establish
peace with Germany' by means of the
Knox resolution.
The authority for this disclosure
is none other than Stephane Lau
zanne, editor of Le Matin, who ac
companied M. Viviani to this coun
try. M. Lauzanne himself had a
conference yesterday with President
Harding.
There appeared in Le Matin to
day, a cable dispatch from M. Lau
zanne, the following excerpt from
which was cabled to this country to
night: "The American senate will vote the
Knox resolution for a separate pence
with Germany.
No Chance for Treaty.
"Neither President Harding, Sec
retary of State Hughes nor the
American senate will ever ratify the
Versailles treaty or the league of na
tions, "The soone the French people
place themselves before this reality,
however hard it may be, the better
for France."
When M. Lauzanne was asked to
night whether he confirms the ac
curacy of this excerpt from his dis
patchj he said:
"I don't recall whether I made
the statement referring to the
Knox resolution. I should have to
consult my cablegram to make cer
tain." "Did you make the statement "that
the treaty and the league would not
be ratified?" he was asked. '
"Yes, I think that is correct," he
replied.
And tne statement auout me
French people reaKzing this reaiity?"
"Oh, yes, yes," said M. Lauzanne.
"That is quite correct."
Declines Discussion.
Beyond this the French editor de
clined to discuss the situation which
the French delegation is studying.
He said he was too busy tonight to
go into details.
That M. Lauzanne Yefiects the
view of M. Viviani at the close of
his first week of conferences with
American officials, is taken for
granted, if being assumed that the
distinguished French editor would
be careful to make no statement to
the French public concerning the
American situation which was not
deemed justified by the chief of the
French delegation. Comment by M.
Viviani on the Lauzanne dispatch
was not available tonight.
This is the first inkling vouch
safed the American public of the
information communicated to M,
Viviani and his associates by the
administration concerning its atti
tude toward the Versailles treaty
and the league. The president and
Secretary Hughes have declined to
reveal what they have had to say,
concerning American policies, to tha
French emissaries. Senator Lodge
also has declined. to discuss his coni
ference with M. Viviani. -WU1
Not Aid Germany.
T.-v ,-..-. t. i.i . - r
x luin ut avauauit; in lUIUlUUUn 1C
would appeal; that the only encourag
ment given M. Viviani by the admin
istration was thp assurance lliir fli
United States will do nothing to aid'
Germany in . escaping responsibility
for the war and payment of the
just reparation therfor. Apparently
the administration hcJd out no hope
of American ratification of the Ver
sailles treaty or entrance into the
present league of nations.,
Whether such alternatives as the
elimination of the covenant from
the treaty and American ratification
of the peace terms proper,-either re
vised or with reservations, were dis
cussed by M. Viviani and Secretary
Hughes, has not been disclosed. '
It has been stated, however, thai
if such alternative, action by the
United States were deemed a possi
bility, M. Lauzanne would have qual
ified his statement that America,
would not accept the Versailles
treaty.
Unmistakably, the impression giv
en the French public is that the Vi
viani delegation finds the Harding
administration contemplating the re-
estabhshment of peace with Germany
by means of the Knox resolutions.
There is not doubt that if the presi
dent disapproves the Knox resolu
tion it will not be adopted by the
senate. If he favors the measure, it
will be put through congress.
General Meet of American
Legion to Be Held April 8
A general meeting of th? Ameri
can Legion, Douglas county post,
will be held in the council chamber of
the city hall, the evening of April 8.
Members of the Omaha post of the
Grand Army of the Republic w ill at
tend the meeting as guests of the
Legion men.
A "hoodoo dance" will be given by
the Legion at the Empress Garden,
April 13.
Adjutant Hough is sending out a
call for war trophies and souvenirs
to be displayed at the booth the
American Legion will have at the
building show at the Auditorium, be
ginning April 17,
o
