The Daily Transcript (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 194, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 23, 1918 Page: 1 of 4
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aio 1'UiJCAL SOCiETf
The Daily Transcript
Carrying the Full United Press Telegraphic Report.
VOLUME V.
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23. 1918.
NUMBER 194
Fiddling and Piddling While Rome is Burning
the weather
Norman and Vicinity: Fair
tonight and Thursday. Warm-
er tonight. Probably some-
what cooler Thursday. Mini-
mum temperature tonight, 24
to 32 degrees.
MORE DRASTIC
STEPS PROBABLE
By ROBERT J. BENDER.
(United Press Mali Correspondent)
Washington, Jan. 23.—Prodded by
a threatened crisis in America's ship-
building program and increasingly
serious conditions at ports and inland
terminals, Director General McAdoo
today was urged to take more dras-
tic steps that the National Railroad
j may break congestion.
. nlTTI T mftLIT Complete shutdown of steel ship-
Af uA ! 1 I r rnUlt I building plants appears inevitable
! soon unless the railroad relieves the
<ny UNITED PRESS) shortage in ship plates, officials ad-
Washington, D. C., Jan. 23.—Amer- J mjt_
One thousand cars of plates, prac-
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
AMERICAN TROOPS
ica is sending troops to Europe far
more rapidly than originally planned.
It is now estimated, barring disas-
ter, that fully twice as many Sam-
mies will be training under Persh-
tically all of which have been in tran-
sit since December 20, and before,
are stormbound. Trace of hundreds
of the cars has been lost by traffic
ing by June than early estimated pro-j men 0f the shipping board. Mean-
vided. I while steel supplies in the construc-
This fact has been assured mem- I tjon yart]s are diminishing rapidly,
bers of the senate by President Wil- ( In nearly all of the seventeen ship-
son as an example of the war de- j ),uilding yards where steel ships are
partment's tremendous work. Under
the circumstances, the president
holds, some mistakes were inevitable,
"but the same mistakes have not been
made twice."
under construction many men are
idle as a result of cold and lack of
material.
The shipping program is far be-
hind schedule and new delays in ob-
A fair proportion of actual fighting j taining tonnage mean more difficul-
men are included in the contingents j ties in ueepjng Up the stream of
already gone and this government j troops and supplies to the war zone,
has furnished in addition, a goodly i Was explained.
number of badly needed stevedores,. should plants be forced to sus-
engineers, foresters, flyers and other |)en(] operation, thousands of employ-
KDITORIAL
II really appears as if our lawmakers and statesmen
should not be fiddling and piddling while Rome is burn-
ing; should he working in harmony on war aims instead^
of endeavoring to make political capital out ot the situa-
tion. Mistakes have been made, of course, but infinitely
less than were made by England, France and Russia in
speeding up war activities. Those mistakes are being
rapidly rectified. President Wilson is doing everything
possible to carry out America's part of the great war,
and we feel satisfied the people will be back of him in all
his endeavors. This is no time to cavil and criticise.
President Wilson is fighting factions within his own
party as well as those without. To our mind. Senator
Bill Stone's speech in the senate was delivered as much
to embarrass the President as it was to vent his spleen
on Roosevelt. By springing his partisan political speech
at this time, he knew it would bring reprisals from the
Republicans, and if he could block war legislation by in-
jecting politics into the arena, just so much would Presi-
dent Wilson be embarrassed and "aid and comfort be
given the enemy.
What the people must do in this emergency is to
stand squarely behind the President. A house divided
against itself cannot stand and we must know no democ-
racy, republicanism, popism or anything else in that line
while this great war is upon us.
EMBARGO ON FREIGHT
Washington, Jan. 23.—A tempor
ary embargo on all freight, except
\ fcod, fuel, and war supplies was or-
dered today by Director General Mc-
Adoo on the Pennsylvania lines ea t
■ f Pittsburg, the Baltimore and Ohio
| east of the Ohio river and the Phila-
j delphia and Reading railroad.
McAdoo's action followed insistent
demands for it by the fuel adminis-
tration. It was declared to be vital
if material and lasting results in
breaking the eastern freight jam
vcre to be accomplished. McAdoo
took the step because he agreed that
it was "absolutely necessary."
1 Threatened tieup of the shipbuild-
j ing program and intense suffering at
I many points influence his decision.
1 The embargo, McAdoo declared,
would last only until the weather
BULLETIN
(KY rXITKD PRl'SS)
Washington, Jan. 23.—Cotton'
ginned from the growth of 191"
up to January 16. 1918, amounted
to 10.5H9.475 hales against 11,-
137,712 for the corresponding
period of last year, the censu-
bureau reported today.
Hound bales (counted as half
bales) included, totalled 185^972
against 189,^04 last year. Sea
Island cotton included, ainounter
to 88,717 bales against 115,592
last year.
AUSTRIAN STRIKE
TROUBLES GENUINE
By ED. L. KEEN,
(United Prrss Staff Correspondent)
London, Jan. 23.—The Austrian
moderated. The war supplies which j strike troubles are genuine according
are exempted from the embargo will | to conviction expressed in authori
be only those specifically designated j tive circles today. First suspicion
by the war department. These lines! here that they were stage-managed
will concentrate on movement of coal I by the government it-elf was dissi
into New England, New York harbor pating rapidly.
and other points and on returning! According to the most authentic-
empty cars to mines.
4
non-fighting forces.
At first war department officers
felt that the United States ought not
to send troops abroad short of a year.
Then the allies began pressure for
some psychological effect. , This
'resulted in dispatch of the Pershing
expedition and the Rainbow division.
Conflicting requests as to men and
supplies came from time to tirtfe, but
with culmination of the interallied
conference Colonel House recom-
mended that transport of men was
perhaps the most crying need.
Lack of bunker coal has been a
deterrent factor but this is now being
overcome and the transport service is
expected to improve considerably.
The war department is considering
ways and means of increasing the
transport of men.
es will be idle with the government
paying the bill, officials said.
In these circumstances the fuel ad-
ministration has appealed to McAdoo
RESULTS OF
GARFIELD ORDER
By L. C. MARTIN, ate and centralize authority and pro
i i nitfl I' / Staff I'orrrspomlem) vide legal authority to get things
Washington, Jan. 23.-—Under the jn the place of volunteer advice
lash that ''without harmony the war J suggestion. f ————
will be lost" democratic leaders are, 'phe administration forces will lay Number of ships waiting for conl
whipping into line party legislators , emphasis on harmony and on the fact rt'lllK'ed from 121 to 80, at northern
wavering on the Chamberlain "war. that the war cabinet as proposed,
cabinet bill." Today it appeared likely j would have direction of naval policies.
tween the White House and congress ,]-ias proved itself critic proof and hence
011 the measure may be tempered with j should not be meddled with. In this
to call for a general embargo on all j compromise.
PASSENGER RATES
MAY RE RAISED
(BY rXITFl! PRESS)
Washington, Jan. 23.—To curtail
travel on the National Railway dur-
ing the war, Director General Mc-
Adoo may raise passenger rates. Pas-
senger trains may also be reduced
later.
Called today before the house inter-
state commerce committee to explain
what steps have been taken and'are
contemplated to relieve freight con-
gestion in the east, McAdoo indica-
ted that among other steps, drastic
reduction of passenger traffic is es-
sential.
"For the present," he said, "a halt
has been called on the curtailment of
passenger trains because many state
commissions, with the best of inten-
tions, started wholesale slashing of
this service.
Before the passenger service can
be reduced much more, in order to
prevent many disturbances, the great
amount of travel must be decreased.
Whqn that time comes 1 think the
rates ought to be raised.
freight shipments aside from that of
vital "war supplies and fuel.
Although the priority section of
the Garfield order, covering prefer-
ential coal yard shipments is -slid ef-
fective and will remain so until other-
wise ordered, no great headway can
be made unless the rails are relieved
cf thousands of cars of unessential
freight, Administrator Garfield be-
lieves. Continued cold weather to-
day brought with it reports of criti-
cal suffering in many communities j1
and a situation of some points worse j
The presence of Theodore j they will be supported by some repub-
Roosevelt on the battle ground has ! ]jcan senators.
done much to consolidate the demo-1 This point is likely to cause the de-
crats back of President Wilson's ; feat 0f the war cabinet measure in
wishes on the pending legislation, j the senate where it will take practic-
e.'en talk of a "get to- },||y au the republicans, plus Ave or
gether"" meeting shortly between the 1 sjx democrats to pass it.
president and Chamberlain. j Democrats who are for the measure
The telling argument advanced by I include Chamberlain, Hitchcock, Mc-
the six democrats is that a bill as, Kellar, Hardwiek, Gore and Reed,
repugnant as this one is to the ad-1 Senator King, Utah, looked on as like-
mil) istvation, would, if passed, hamper | jy to support it, is noncommittal.'
war efforts even though an efficient i Senator Hiram Johnson, California,
isure itself. i is one of the few senators who think
leantime, however, Chamberlain is 1 the war cabinet bill stands a chance
than that which existed before the I prepared for a real fight. ! of passage. He will vote for it. Sena-
Garfield order went into effect five ' Backed by letters of soldiers' moth- tor Borah, also a strong advocate of
days ago. ! ers aru* fathers enent camp condi- j it, believes it would be rendered non
only marked relief was that|^ons arrne^ with data on what was effective by administration opposition further workless days in prospe*
—Service and prices that gets good
will—Jitney Lunches.
Rockefeller Gives
Half Million
New York, Jan. 23.—A gift of
$500,000 to the Y. M. C. A.'s $3,000,-
000 war work fund was announced to-
day by the Rockefeller foundations.
Three fifths of the amounts will be
paid at once and the remaining two-
fifths when the $3,000,000 mark is
reached. The entire sum will be
added to the New York quota in the
campaign.
"The Y. M. C. A. work as a whole,
is one of the important factors for
safeguarding and providing normal
conditions for soldiers and sailors,"
said Dr. George Vincent, of the Foun-
dation.
The
accorded ships at a number of ports.; regarded as misleading senate testi-
Bunkering was materially increased ™ony of Secretary of War Baker,
during the industrial suspension. ; Chamberlain proposes to go ahead
Lincoln's birthdav calls on Tuesday, >vith his war cabinet bill and his corn-
February 12 and a four day suspen- P"i«wy training law. Popular support
sion might be brought about then J' these measures grew, despite the
with less annoyance than the recent administration's very strenuous ef-
one. it is suggested. i forts to kl" them' Particularly the war
Both of these dates are being con- cabinet bill.
idered as timely for launching
another general coal restriction order.
The railroad administration is
waiting for an expression from the j Swanson, for the administration, will
country. If the demand is insistent,I try to have it sent back to both the
Director General McAdoo mak take miHtary and naval committees. Were
drastic steps immediately to pull the j11 se,n back to the military committee
alone, action on it would be favorable.
With the double reference, it would
be caught in the jam, hence if Swan-
son wins, the bill may die.
The fight will develop in earnest to-
morrow over reference of the war
cabinet bill to committee. Senator
even were it passed over the Presi-
dent's veto.
The president would veto it if it
passed congress, is considered certain
and even its most optimistic friends
agree that it could not be passed over
the veto.
The vote tomorrow on committee
reference
pr
railroad system out from under the.
mass of freight piled at every point, i
Addition of 200 locomotives from I
Laldwin shons within thirty days will j
help the situation, the railroad ad - j
ministration declared.
These locomotives were built for j
European service but cannot be ship-1
ped now because lack of tonnage pre-'
vents.
If a complete freight embargo is
not ordered, partial embargoes and, „ , . „ ,
... . , . , . . ,, eltort to prove that Secretary Baker
general diversion of freight to enable | . .u
coal to be rushed through the neces
Swanson's move to refer it will be
the signal for Chamberlain to go over
the top. He has his bayonets ready
and he proposes to submit data tend-
ing to prove that the president has
| been misled into thinking war condi-
tions are better than they really are.
He also will submit evidence in an
sary points will be put into effect.
Passenger service may be taken from
some lines entirely and the trackage
and rolling stock devoted to freight
needs.
Such action, would accomplish much
on roads situated as the Pennsylvania
incorrectly testified before the
tary committee as to camp clothing
shortages. The committee probe tes-
timony will be on every senator's
disapproval of the military investiga-
tion Chamberlain has called Surgeon
General Gorgas and from his testi-
mony he expects to gather fresh evi-
dence of the need for better organiza-
tion.
Commenting today on the presi-
dent's charge that the military inquiry
had called from their duties officials
engaged in vital tasks, Chamberlain
pointed out that General Cozier and
General Sharpe both had been re-
lieved of their bureau jobs before tes-
tifying and had become members of
the departmental war council. Secre-
tary Baker was the only one called
away from his duties, Chamberlain
said and Baker lost comparatively lit-
tle time.
Chamberlain is preparing to bring
in his universal military training bill.
news reaching here the general move-
ment of Emperor Karl's monarchy is
due to the publics weariness with the
war. to widespread dissatisfaction
with Teutonic manipulations at
Brest-Litovsk and to increasing scar-
city of food.
'The public's longing for peace has
been recently accentuated by the
boldly democratic war aims pro-
claimed by Premier Lloyd George and
bj President Wilson. The plain citi-
zenry of the dual monarchy, reading
these terms, can find little in them
to support the frantic pleas of the
German junkers and miliarists that
the allies seek to divide the central
empires and that the main aim of
Germany's enemies is conquest.
The widespread growth of this sort
of public feeling, in the opinion of
well informed officials, is bound to
make resumption of the Brest-Lito-
v-k negotiations a ticklish matter for
the central powers,
Of actual news of developments u.
connection \vith the strikes the Aus-
trian censorship today permitted on
the most fragmentary reporvt
Enough leaked through however, to
indicate spread of the industrial tie-
up to Prague. Brunn and other citie-
Copies of the Vienna Arbeiter Zie-
tung, received in Switzerland, contain
appeals to workers to allow resump-
tion of railway traffic, but the edi-
torial frankly exults in the success
achieved by the Strieker-.
"We hope the. government under-
stands," the editorial asserted, "that
the will of the workers is a power
they cannot contest without endan-
gering itself."
M. Litvinoff, Bolsheviki ambas'a-
charged with disturbing the peace dor to Great Britain, in his speech
and being the ringleader of a gang of before the labor conference at Not-
bad boys who have made that district I tingham, declared, "we can already
a byword on the countryside. Bennie [ htar the rumblings of a storm in Aus-
was arrested and brbught to Norman tria from the results at Brest-Lito
yesterday by Sheriff Wheelis. With vsk."
Atlantic ports
Dumped 34,000 tons of bunker coal
yesterday for ships and sixty thou-
sand tons already' on hand.
Southern ports have 150,000 tons
bunker coal on hand with 100,000 tons
tons moving toward ports.
Empty cars being rushed back to
mines and full results not expected
for several days.
Coal going to domestic consumers
in large quantities.
Freight congestion practically as
great as before.
Ship plants in danger of closing
unless rail congestion clears.
General freight embargo urged by
Garfield.
Curtailment of passenger traffic
demanded in many quarters to relieve ]v
congestion.
•Prospect of warmer weather
pec'ted to help situation.
unless railroads
quickly.
tear congestion
Powers' Case Saturday
"What Makes the Wild Cat Wild?"
will probably be decided by Judge
Burke on Saturday after he hea'«
-feience is expected to be a test thc testimony of the witnesses in the
radically determining the bill's fate. case of Bennie Powers thc obstretfcl..
Ignoring the president's expressed ous boy of thp WjMca( (|j .
; l ..4' 4k.. 1; ..,w«;
him came his father and mother. Mr.
and Mrs. George Powers, who, in-
stead of being ashamed of the repu-
tation their son had acquired, seemed
' to glory in it, and proposed to back
him up in all his devilment. Mr.
1 Powers (who, by the way, claims, it
is said, to be a cousin of Caleb Pow-
ers, of Kentucky Goebel notoriety)
was extremely peeved at the audacity
of County Superintendent Clark hav-
; ing his son arrested, and, of course,
Mrs. Powers, mother-like, blamed it
all on the school teacher, saying -he
which he discussed yesterday with
berlnin's charges and as reasons for
support of his bill.
Chamberlain plans to submit proof
that the war department as at pres-
which f?eds large industrial center,.. lt organize(li has failed to mm th(?
Weather continued to hamper the | situat)on He and hig supporters
national railroad today, but Director! ^ jg ^ ao|e they are
General McAdoo declared he was- a(lvocating a chanj?e that wi„ t.o.0r<Hn_
confident of success in the face of _
heavy odds.
wasn't fit to teach for she could not
desk as supporting evidence of Cham-j Colonel Roosevelt. control her scholars. The whole
Republicans and democrats in both neighborhood will be hers Saturday,
houses will caucus today to consider l,ut Mrs' Pow'rs remark" I that they
their action on the Chamberlain bill, i "probably wouldn't get justice for the
Colonel Roosevelt has thrown the
full weight of his influence into the
itil late
leaders
whole community was against them."
This is the school taught by Miss
STILL SERIOUS
IN ILLINOIS
(11V l \l I KJ> PRKSS)
Chicago, Jan. 23.—Illinois indus-
tries resumed operation today after
the five day shut down decreed by
Fuel Administrator Garfield, still
facing a serious coal shortage.
The recent blizzards, with the at-
tendant tic up of transportation,
created a shortage of a million tons
in the state, according to State Fuel
Administrator Williams.
"We are rapidly approaching
normal conditions, but at the same
time we are facing a coal shortage of
a million tons, whereas a short time
stimated our deficit would be
I ago we ei
fight, conferring until late last night Iniogene Turbyfill, and in which, a | oniy )iaif a million," said Williams.
with republican
branches.
both
MOORE VS. MOORE
A $15 quality 9 inch top grey kid
bootee with full leather Louis heels.
On sale now at $10.95.—Rucker's.
Zoning of coal shipments in accor-
dance with the Peabody plan whera-j (BV imtkd prkss)
by coal would be held for consvfmp- Hock Island, Ills., Jan. 23.—Pal
tion in the vicinity where it is mined, .Moore of Memphis has been matched
is a probable step. Elimination of t0 meet Roy Moore in a ten raund
cross haulings is being planned un- ),out here January 31 before the Rock
Berlin Reports Advance
<HY t'.\rn:i) pkkssi
Berlin via London, Jan. 23.—
French attacks north of Souuin and
northeast of Avocourt were beaten ! states that .viiss Imogene
few days ago, Co. Superintendent i cars that were held up in Chicago
C lark had to assist her in giving one, s^ornl have returned from the
of the Powers boys a deserved whip- mjnes The circuit is complete and
ping. Ihe boys had threatened to j j.j)e raj|roa(| situation is getting bet-
"cut her heart out," that being, it is ! er every day. I am confident that
said, one of their mildest threats,; the five day shutdown was the sal-
many of their utterances being too vation of Chicago."
vulgar for repetition. Mr. Clark J The schools will remain closed
has the ; another week, it is believed. If they
der McAdoo's direction.
It ws! admitted by the director
general today that eastern railroads
were badly overtaxed.
Island Athletic club.
back in hand to hand fighting, today's goodwill of almost the entire body of reopen next week, it will he with only
official statement asserted. German i Patrons and that she is doing excel-1 half day sessions.
—Mr. and Mrs. L. P. Barker got
away on Tuesday on their visit to
A dandy good ladies' or misses', their son at Corpus Christi, Texas,
gun metal shoe, low heels, solid leath- where they expect to spend the bal-
er, at only $3.50.—Rucker's. ance of the winter.
i
infantry penetrated French position
east of Melancour and
prisoners.
; !"nt work. They deplore the bad re- !
Vincent r Muldrow report the
took many ' Putation the district has acquired by i —
• eason of these bad boys, and want sale of one of the J. D. Pierson bun-
- i them sent to the reform school, if Kalows—lot 3 in Lincoln addition—to
—By our service we shall know us milder methods do not bring them to I Chas. Carson for .fL'.-iilO. Mr. Carson
—"Jitney thc Original. a realization of their depravity. buys it for a home.
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Burke, J. J. The Daily Transcript (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 194, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 23, 1918, newspaper, January 23, 1918; Norman, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc113653/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.