The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, March 10, 1917, Page 1

The Weather COLD WAVE THIRTY-SEVENTH YEAR, NO. 59 UNITED PRESS THE BIS BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA, NATION PREPARES FOR T GONE DRYNESS MADE CERTA BY HOUSE BL Advocates of Actual Prohibition “Slipped. One Over’’ During Last Hours of Session BOOZE FOR REGISTERED PHARMACISTS’ USE ONLY Druggists May Import for Lawful Uses but Must Make Strict Affidavit on Receipt Governor Frazier today signed North Dakota’s first bone-dry law. No smile goes with that statement, nor ig it necessary to qualify or mod- ify the term “bone dry” as in Senator Heckle’s senate bill 85. During the closing hours of the Fifteenth legislative assembly a great victory was one for actual prohibi- tion in North Dakota. Just how it came about even the journal of. the 59th day does not very clearly show, but House Bill 39, amended in the senate, was re-amended when it came back to the house, and the senate, without giving the matter a great deal of thought, apparently, concurred. The result, it was found when House Bill 39 was engrossed, is an act which ig so actually and completely bone dry that even did not the federal stat- ute take effect July 1, North Dakota’s drinking days, to all intents and pur- poses, would end on that date. And today House Bill 89 was messaged to the secretary of state with the gover- nor’s signature nestling on the proper line, all ready to go into the session laws of 1917, as probably the most important act of the Fifteenth as- sembly. What the Law Says, On and after July 1, 1917, under House Bill 39, “It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to deliver or receive or have in posses- sion for delivery within this state any intoxicating liquor for any pur- pose whatsoever, except that such liquors may be delivered or received for delivery by, common carriers to registered pharmacists, to be disposed of by them as provided by law. Section 2 defines the form of affi- davit to be used, as follows: “r veseveeey being first duly sworn, say: that I am over 21 years old; that my full name is . .+++e+3 that I am the person who or- dered and am the rightful consignee of the intoxicating liquor recorded on this page; that I am a registered pharmacist and conduct a drug store at lot...., block.... and plat.... of the town, vilage or city of . aeaes N. D., and that this liquor is intended for sale by me as prescribed by law and will not be received, used. given away or sold in violation of this act or any law of this state. “Signed, and registered pharmacist. The identification and Section, 3. providing that the attorney general shall supply uniform affidavit blanks, remain as in the original bill. ‘Section 4 reads: “It is further pro- vided that any person, firm or cor- poration who shall deliver, or receive or have in possession for delivery any intoxicating liquor to other than a registered pharmacist. The amendments, which were slip- ped in at: at the 11th hour, when ex- ponents of lukewarm..prohibition evi- dently were napping, wre made in the senate by the committee on temper- ance on the 47th day. On the 658th , consignee day of the session, just before final passage, the bill was further amend- ed in the senate to provide for the shipment of limited quantities for per- sonal use, This last amandment was lost somewhere between the 58th day, when the bill left the senate, and the 59th day, when the house concurred in the first senate amendment. There were no other additions. to the bill as originally printed. The only im- portant omission in the original bill was the clause in the affidavit read- ing: “that this liquor is intended for my personal or immediate family use and will not be received, used, give away or sold in violation of this act.” In its original form Representative Bowman’s bill did not prohibit the im- portation of intoxicating liquors for personal or family use, nor did it re- strict the quantity whick might be legally intraduced. When the bill first came before the senate it had been amended to limit personal con- sumption to four quarts of whiskey, five gallons of wine and 72 quarts of beer every 30 days. After the house had finished with it, the bill appeared in the form noted above, and in this form it goes on North Dakota’s stat- ute books to become effective July 1, the emergency clause having been dropped in the final shuffle. Governor Approves. “T consider this bill a long forward step toward actual prohibition,” said Governor Frazier in discussing the measure. “Without this bill thete would have been some question as to the effectiveness of the federal bone dry law, so far as North Dakota is concerned. With: this; law on our statute ‘books, the federal act becomes . certainly effective, and even should the federal law be held unconstitu- {Continued on Page Three) Germany’s Manpower Weakens — | As America Draws Near Combat, Says War Expert Shortening of Line in France to Stop Bagdad Advance Seen as Distress Proof BY J. W. T. MASON. (Famous American War Expert.) New York, March 10.—As America moves nearer and nearer to,war with Germany, Germany’s resources in man-power are growing seriously less and her resources in munitions gre decreasing pro- portionately below those of the Allies, Furthermore, the war is tending, at important places, to leave the trenches and emerge in the open. If it does this on an extensive scale, Germany’s most effective tac- tics, big gun bombardments and machine gun fire from behind scientifically constructed shelters, will be made of little use. The past month, wherein Germany tri cedented damage with her submarines, cannot have di- verted attention in Germany from the fact that the Cen- tra] powers have suffered at both ends of the European- Asiatic battle line, two of the most serious defeats of the war, The retirement by the Germans for over two miles hn asa " along a 12-mile front in the vicinity of Bapaume, on the |JWT.MASON western front, is an important victory for the British, but it is by no means as significant a the defeat of the Turks at Kut-el- Amara and the British advance toward Bagdad. HALF MILIN STATE BUDGET SLASH NEEDED Total of Appropriations Exceeds All Possible Revenues by More Than $500,000 A cut of at least a half-million in the aggregate appropriations called for by bills which passed the Fif- teenth assembly is necessary, stated Governor Frazier today. The budget total for the Fifteenth assembly was $4,865,000. After deducting the $300,- 000 which was appropriated for the terminal elevator, which the gover- nor has vetoed, there remains $566,- 000 in excess of all possible revenues from taxes and other sources, The governor states flatly that he will ap- prove no appropriations in excess of the amount which can be raised on the present assessed valuation, This means that more than half a million must be pared from the appropriation bills, as' the maximum revenue pos- sible for the ensuing two years on the present assessed valuation fs $4,006,- 000. As a result, there is some fear for the Dickinson normal approprition of $181,000; the appropriation of $25,000 for the second hospital for the insane, to be located at Rugby, and a large number of other new items which were passed by the last legislature. The Dickinson normal delegation, headed by Attorney Tobias Casey, called on the governor yesterday, but obtained little satisfaction. The gov- ernor was asked point-blank today whether the fate of the Dickinson normal had been determined, and he declined to answer. The omnibus bill, carrying the gen- eral budget, as it finally passed, called for $3,391,954. A number of minor appropriation bills, covering emergen- cies in the office of the attorney gen- eral and the state auditor, appropriat- ‘ing for special expenses of Dr. Ladd and similar small items, already have been signed by the governor, and little margin is left if $4,000,000 is to be the limit. BENSTORF 1 ON NORWEGIAN SOL (Associated Press) London, March 10,—Count von Bernstorff, former German ambassa- dor at Washington, arrived at Chris- tiania this morning, according to an Exchange Telegraph dispatch from Copenhagen. war summary —__————_ ——_— The Champagne region in France continues the scene of desperate fight- ing which Paris reports has resulted in new French successes. Last night the Germans made des- perate attacks to regain the ground they had lost, in recent French at- tacks in the salient of Maisons de Champagne. The French arms prevailed accord- ing to Paris and not only was the |ground held by General Neville’s forces retained but fresh progress was made northeast of Verdun. The Ger- mans are reported by Paris to have unsuccessfully attacked the trenches lately recaptured by French forces north of Gaurieres wood. A statement from Berlin indicates that the Russians are still clinging to some ground near the northern bound- ary of the Roumanian province of Dobrudja. It reports a German air raid on Rus-| sian establishments near the Sulina, an estuary of the Danube. Several new names of ships sunk ap- pear in a German report of sul the + ‘The 6] total. tonnage sunk on various dates between February 19 and March 3 is given ag 22,0000, Suffer at Both Ends. d to do unpre- If the ‘British capture Bagdad, Ger- many’s main offensive purpose in con- tinuing the war will be rendered use- less. With Bagdad wrested from the Turks, the Germans cannot hope to create a great militaristic colony in Mesopotamia and thus become the dominant power in the middle east. It is probable that the German re- tirement in the west is for the prin- cipal purpose of releasing men and munitions, badly neded to reinforce. the Turks. Every mile of trenches whereby the western front facing the British, is shortened means the Ger- mans can save 6,000 men. The positions to which the Ger- mans have retreated in the vicinity of Bapaume do not require so intricate a network of winding trenches to de- fend as did the line givenup, As a result of this retreat, the Germans can send perhaps 50,000 men from the west to ‘Mesopotamia. Shortening Line. The shortening of the German line in the west, coming simultaneously: with the British victory at Kut-el-Am- ara, is the most complete evidence the war, has produced of the serious decieusé of man-power within Ger- many. There are, of course, enough actual men at home in the German empire to provide an extra 50,000 troops for'Mesopotamia, ‘but there are not enough «civilians left in Germany to withstand ‘the:extra killing, and leave a safe margin for German indus- tries when the wariis* over. The general: staffi cannot. risk Kill- ing off too great: d proportion of Ger- man males. For’this reason::it- can no longer conduct’ offensives in’ sev- eral places at once. When a part of the German line be- gins to weaken dangerously, the cen- tral reservoir of man-power inside Germany cannot be tapped. The men must be taken from some other sec- tion of the battle front. Germany did not begin to deport the Belgians until she had reached the limit of her own available man- power. Germany’s casualties are now over twice the | s of Great Britain. To increase this disproportion will be so greatly to England’s advantage, after the war, that the German government has shown it prefers to shorten. its trench lines, as the less dangerous al- ternative. This does not mean the German ar- my is on its last legs and in imminent danger of being compelled to accept unconditional surrender. Favors British. But, it does mean that Germany's wounds are bleeding internally, and that every strong offensive she hence- forth is compelled to oppose with one hand means a_ lessening of the strength in the other hand. With the fighting now taking place in the open, as is the case in (Meso- potamia, the physical stamina reyuir- ed for stand-up warfare must inevi- tably favor the British. The economic distress prevailing among German civilians has not reached the armies in the intensified form that exists within Germany it- self. Nevertheless, there is no doubt ar- my rations have been cut down or changed disadvantageously. This is not as weakening in trench defensive fighting as in the case of soldiers en- gaged in field maneuvers, where the well fed soldier starts with a big ad- vantage. Elsewhere than along the British fronts there are no signs of serious activity. Russia, Rumania, Italy and France are resting, and are not show- ing sufficient recuperative powers to ‘warrant expectations that they will engage in large spring offensives. The Eritish' army is now beginning to dominate the situation, and what- ever hopes exist of the war’s ending being forced by a military decision this summer must rest upon Tommy Atkins. HOG PRICES STILL SOAR (Aseociated Press) . Chicago, March 10.—Hogs touched a new high point today at the stock yards, when choice heavies sold at $15.10 per cwt. ‘WILSON RECOVERS FROM COLD Washington, Match 10.—President Wilson haz practically recovered to- day from the cold which has kept him in bed for the last four days. While he remained in his room this morning, it was expected he would-be able to attead to public business. He ! had no engagements for today. CK TRIBUN SATURDAY, MARCH 10; 1917. ASSOCIATED PRESS TIVE ORNTS Geer ere I eT Me PEM 1 oA ese HE WORST EXTRA WILL NEUTRALITY BILL Organization of New House in Doubt; Both Parties Claim Victory SPEAKER CLARK SEES LONG GRIND AHEAD Appropriation Legislation Prob- ably Will Have Right of Way —Many Other Measures (Associated) Press.) Washington, Mareh 10.- Uncertainty felt about the capital for the last week over an early session of congress was replaced today by préparation for the special session called by President Wilson for April 16, five weeks from Monday, to consider appropriation bills and other important measures on which final action was not taken be- fore adjournment of the 64th Congress last Sunday. Armed Neuttality. ‘The new body probably will be asked to consider the armed neutrality bill, specifically authorizing President Wil- son to arm American ships and appro- priating funds for the purpose, despite the president's: decision that he al- ready has executive power to put navy guns, gunners, and ammunition on board merchant ships. Cannot Be Foretold. The organization of the new house cannot be foretold, at this time, for a majority is -two hundred eighteen and the standing is: Republicans, 215 Democrats, 214; Prohibitionists, Pro- gressives, Progressive-Protectionists, Socialists, and dindependents, 1 each; vacancy in Democratic «istrict one. Both Republican and Democratic lead- ers declare they will have support from enough of the so-caller indepen- dent group to contro) the organiza- tion, but there Is cdusiverabie tik of a coalition organization. Th Speaker Clark believes congress will find so much before it that it will continue in session until August, 1918. Appropriation legislation, which must be passed before July 1, includes the army, sundry: civil, general defi- ciency, and military academy ‘bills, carrying in the aggregate more than $500,000,000. Among the measures which failed in the last congress, strongly urged by the administration, are the railroad labor bill, Webb for- eign selling agency Dill, conservation and land leasing measures, and acts to enlarge the interstate commerce commission and give wider powers to the shipping board. GERMANS. ATTEMPT TO SMUGGLE GOODS ON INTERNED GRAFT JOBBER ARRESTED. Philadelphia, March 10.—Henry Rohner, president of a wholesale grocery company here, was ar- rested in connection with a smug- gling scheme involving the crews of interned German warships here, (Associated Press.) Philadelphia, Pa., ‘March 10.—Alleg- ed attempts to smuggle goods on and off the two German commerce raid- ers interned at the Philadelphia navy yards are under investigation here to- day by agents of the federal govern- ment, including the colector of the port. A sergeant of marines at the yards, who is alleged to have failed to search wagons conveying food- stuffs to the Kronprinz Wilhelm and the Prinz Kitel Friedrich is said to be involved. All federal agents investi- gating the alleged smuggling scheme refused to talk. It was reported sev- eral arrests will be made. Ther is no confirmation ‘of the re port that some of the boxes alleged to have ben smuggled aboard. the ship contained ammunition. GERMANS WHO SUNK VESSEL SENT TO FEDERAL PRISON . (Associated Press) Florence, S. C., March 10.—Kight officers of the German steamship Lie- benfels, sunk, in Charleston harbor the night of January 31, last, today were sentenced to a year in the Atlanta federal penitentiary and to pay a fine of $500 each. They were convicted yesterday of sinking a vessel in. a navigable stream in violation of the navigation laws. SESSION VESSELS BEING CONSIDER | ARMED TO FlGHT SUBMERSIBLES ; Chief Concern Now Is How Germ- any Will Treat American : Craft BRITISH RELY UPON UNITED STATES HELP Navy Department Has Not Issued Orders to Gunners on Mer- chantmen AMERICAN ABOARD. (Associated Press) London, March 10.—Official in- formation here is that the Nor- wegian steamer Storstad, a Bel- gian relief ship, which had one American citizen on board, was sunk by a submarine. (United Press.) Washington, March 10.—The United States is preparing for the worst. Warned by Germany that she has spoken with a finality in the submar- ine warfare and that she will sink all vessels in sight without warning, the United States government is today arming her vessels and taking more precautions than has heretofore been done, Pan-American Help, Some held that Germany would be just as ruthless toward the American armed ships as she has been with the British, Others think not. The Brit- ish in the meantime are relying on the Pan-American co-operation to aid in stamping out the Germans on the seas, and their scattered war schemes that would involve the United’ States in the great war. lt was learned on good authority to- day that the government investigation of German plotting from the Cana- dian border to the southern mos. point of the American continent is being made and the government. is twenty American republics an avowal trying to obtain trom each of the,other at all times of Teutonic operations on | the American continent, White Book, Although the government is prepar- ing’ a white book which will reveal all the German plots, the stir has al+ ready awakened the people as to the gers ahead. Looming far above the Ww uds, is the tremendous: possi- bility that peace might be: just around the corner. Germany is hard pressed for food, This government has no in- tention of making a war declaration. Germany must force war if it comes, as the President has said time and again. In the meantime work is con- tinuing in ship building. The navy department has yet to issue orders as to the policy gunners on American ships must follow in meeting German submarines; that is, whether to shoot at sight or to wait for an obvious of- fensive move on the part of the sub- marine. Fire in real defense proba- bly will be the order. In view of the oft repeated plan to seek everything in sight to win, they must act as the al- lied gunners now do—shoot first and inquire later. To Bare Plots. As an aid to allaying Pan-Amerjcan- ism in a move to crush the German activity on this continent, the govern- ment is preparing a record of all its moves. It is still undecided in what manner it will be utilized. Tracing plots to blow up munition works to stirring the country against countries in war on this conitninet will be shown. The white book will show the German hand of discord that would make it impossible to deal with Ger- many abroad. South America may know the in- fluence which is at work to disrupt this nation. German Ambassador von Bernstorff and his clever spy aides will be recorded. The book will show the details of how Germany planned to cripple ship- ping, align Mexico and Japan against the United States, how she played with the Latin-American tribe in an effort to persuade General Carranza into conquest in the northern and southern parts of his domain, how the Peruvian navy men were bribed, and an attempt to blast the Panama canal. It will reveal the full plot of the planned India uprising, using this country as it headquarters, the von Igle-Boyed and von Papen plots and many others, ment does not reveal the full plans, the document, it is said, will be used to spur American patriotism and as a warning to the country, which some authorities. designate as _ privately “drunk and proud of it.” Fire at Sight. American armed merchantmen will be empowered to fire upon Teuton submarines at sight. (High officials made this claim today, declaring that neutral ships can presume there will be encounters, inasmuch as Germany has served word that she will disre- gard that mandate of international law. Sight of a submarine will be just- ification for the American gunners turning loose the powder of their guns. This makes the possibility of ‘war extremely near. Germany, it is declared, has spoken her last word and will go ahead with her ruthless submarine warfare. If it is true, and no officials doubt it, a clash between German submarines. and American merchantmen is inevitable. The na- vy department has requested that newspapers, press associations and cable companies withhold news of American sailings or arrivals. While the navy depart-| Cost Living Higher 14th Than 20th Statement Made by Professor R. M. Garrett of University of Washington CITIES LIST OF FOOD COSTS TAKEN FROM FILES Tells of Price Prevailing at Time of Campaign Against the Lithuanians (By United Press.) Seattle, Wash., March 10.—A car- penter in the fourteenth century re- ceived a wage of only 12 cents a day, against $4.50 today. Yet the cost of living was, relatively, higher than it is today. The statement is that of Professor R. M. Garrett of the University of Washington, who also recites a list of food costs taken from the accounts of the expenditures of the Earl of Derby, later King Henry IV of Eng- land, as he was about to embark in 1390 on a campaign against the Lithu- anians, Relative Prives, A carpenter, in those days, for his dairy wage of 12 cents could buy one! pound of butter, two pounds of cheese, a pound-of salt, two pounds of flour, | one dozen and a half eggs, a chicken and a pound of rice. A carpenter of today would have to pay $2.60 for this; bill of goods, but it wouldn't eat up his entire daily wage, as it would that | of the carpenter of 1390. The later | carpenter would still have $1.90 left. So, argues Prof, Garrett, while the worker of today pays more for neces- sities, he gets much more, compara- tively, for his labor, So the times are better. In 1890 eggs were nine cents a gross. The Earl of Derby paid 30 cents for 300 eggs that today would cost him from $12.00 to $14.00. For 14 pounds of butter, that would now cost him $7, he paid a shilling, or 25 cents. Rice brought_by way of Venice from ( Continued on Page Three) LAWYER SAYS POISON PLOT HATCHED UP Mohammedan Attorney Startles Court in Lloyd George Con- spiracy Case (Associated Press) London, March 10.—In an eloquent and vigorous speech today, in Sum- ; ming up the case of the four prison-j} ers on trial charged with conspiring to murder Lloyd George and Arthur Henderson, member of the war coun- cil, S. H. Riza, the Mohammedan law- yer, who is acting as attorney for the defendants, startled the courtroom by suggesting trial by ordeal. He re- ferred to the medieval form of judi- cial trial in which, in place of evi- dence, supernatural aid is invoked, as in a test of fire, water, poison or other agents. Attorney Riza had been endeavor- ing to impr the jury with the al- leged sinister significance of the fail- ure of the crown to produce a cer- tain witness against the four defend- ants, Mrs. Alice Wheldon, her two daughters. This person, he said, was a man, who should have been its prin- cipal witne: namely the mysterious secret government agent known asj Gordon. The attorney declared Gordon was a police spy, who had started the whole plot, who had lured the defend- ants on, and then when. he had got them well within his net, had hand-! ed them over to another agent named ' Booth, so that his own connection with the case would not be so flag- rantly apparent. “Why wasn’t it possible for Gordon to come. into court and face the jury?” asked the lawyer. | “Because from him,” he continued, “the jury would have drawn a very different version of the case. The - lease rests wholly on the evidence of ! Booth, whe, moreover, was allowed 0 ; read the whoic of his evidence. In| the absence of this myster‘ous Gor: don, this trial is not a trial. | “Before the jury conrmits the de- fendants, it should insist upon the production of Gordon in the interests of the public and the safety of the} country. Then, after a long and impressive! pause, Attorney Riza suddenly said: | “In the absence of Gordon, I would; suggest that the defendants should have a trial by ordeal.” Judge Puzzled. The judge was puzzled and said: “] fear that would be impossible. It has been abolished. Do you seri- ously suggest that the ladies should; walk over hot plowshares in order to prove their innocence?” Riza: “I do.” “It is no use suomit- ting such serious. Riza: “1 do seriously suggest it.” | SHOOT AT SICHT TO BE ULE OF MAY GUNNERS Presence of German Submarine Near American Armed Mer- chantmen Enough RELATIONS BETWEEN NATIONS NOW ACUTE All Details of Sailings and Arme- ment Carefullly Guarded by Government STATION IN MEXICO. (Associated Press.) Galveston, Texas, March 10.— American passengers on the Wolvin line steamship, Harald, which arrived here today from Vera Cruz, declared that a pow- erful radio station is being erect. ed on a hill near Mexico City, un- der the direction of German engi- neers. (Associated Press) Washington; March 10.—The mere appearance of a German submarine or its periscope in the presence of an American armed merchant ship would entitle that ship, according to the state department’s opinion today, to take all measures of protection on the presumption that the U-boat’s pur- pose was hostile. Under this ruling, an American armed marchantman could fire on a German submarine the moment it is sighted, without being considered ag taking aggressive ac- tion, This view is based on Ger- many's declared intention to sink on sight within certain zones neutral a8 well as belligerent vessels, and wheth- er passenger or freighters, or contra band carriers. Takes Orders Literally. The United States was said to stand flatly on its armed merchantman warning of March 37 last, in WhIGE 4t definitely recognized the~“right to prevent capture” as part of the “right to self-protection,” which could be ex- ercised either by flight or resistance. The mere presence of a German sub- marine is declared grounds sufficient for presuming hostile intent, because of the deliberate statement by Ger- many that all vessels are to be sunk on sight, Denial by Germany of the old rule of visit and search, makes all its U-boats actually hostile. Judgment Must Rule, Whether the government will issue any general rules for the guidance of American armed ship commander is uncertain at present. Opposition to such action has been expressed on the ground that the situation is now en- tirely clear, that in all events, the action of the commander must depend upon his judgment and the actual condition prevailing and that the gov- ernment does not wish to take any steps which might be construed as a deliberately hostile act. by Ger- many. The concensus of opinion in diplo- matic quarters here today was that the action of the United States in arming its merchant shipping would in no way serve to change the policies of the several European neutral na- tions. At the same time, however, diplomatic representatives of some of these nations, seemed anxious to sé- cure all information posible regard- ing the details so far as the plan of the United States government regard- ing what will happen should a sub- marine approach an armed American merchantman, Armed At Once. Guns and gunners and ammunition will be placed aboard American ships immediately, and they will be sent to sea under orders to fire on German submarines which attack them illeg- ally. Navy yards were ordered today to equip the vessels as fast as possible, and the action will put the United States in the position of armed neu- trality, the next step beyond he sev- erance of diplomatic relations with Germany and possibly the prelimin- ary of war. What ships are to be armed first, and when they will sail, will be kept secret in order to avoid endangering the lives of Americans aboard them. Issues Orders, President Wilson issued the neces- sary orders yesterday in the belief that he has ample executive power without special authorization from congress. Simultaneously, however, he called congress to meet in 6 session April 16, to be in position to support him, if necessary. Preparations for defending Ameri- can merchant vessels had already been taken by the government and ‘actual work of equipping the vessels only awaited the navy department ap- proval of applications from ship own- ers. In the various navy yards along the Atlantic coast are stored guns, ammunition and other necessary equipment ready for installation, Near to War. It was explained by at least one diplomat that details of the American \plan were desired more for the tafor- mation of European nations than for, ir guidance. eer to