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THE ROCK ISLAND ARGUS.

Associated Press

Leased Wire Report

Member of Audi!

Bureau of GrculatSns

SIXTY-FIFTH YEAR. X), 38.

WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 1, 1915. FOURTEEX PAGES

PRICE TWO CENTS.

IBM? eaasPKiv is tomI

PRESIDENT THREATENED IN

PLOT BARED TO UNDERMINE

AND

WRECK UNITED STATES

Conspiracy of German-Aus-tro

Agents Said to Have

Been Revealed.

COULD CREATE CHAOS

Plans to Honeycomb Coun

try's Defense and Fortifi

cations in Confession.

Cleveland. Ohio, Dec. 1. Federal and

county officer today were investigat

ing a

mtession" which they say was

made to tlfiii it the office of Prosecut

ing Attorney Cyrus Lo-her late yes

terday l.y Dr. E. W. Ritter, in which

Hitter i claimed to have told of hav

ing knowledge of plots against muni

tion plants iti ttu United States.

Hitter was arrested on a charge of.

passing d worthless check for $50 on j

Miss flare Darby. He is being held i 8ible, divergent views of Germany and

in $5.W bail until the. story federal I Austria and obtain a pledge of terri

off.cials mv he told, can be probed, j u,rial sacrifices from Hungary in the

Among the items in Kil ter's alleged j hope of assuring the neutrality of

confession was the claim that his real Rumania.

name is Kmorich W. Ritter von Ret-J Alexander Marghiloman and P. P.

taghe. For. of a former Austrian count jCarp, leader of the Rumanian con

and a former officer in both the Aus-; servatives, are reported to have as

trian and German navies. Today, how-igure)1 tne Dllk(, of Mecklenhurg

ever, Uiter denied to newspaper men j schwerin when he was in Bucharest

that he is the sn of a count. jthat lile nenevolent neutrality of Ru-

Invcnlor of Liquid l'ire. j mania could be counted upon by the

Hitter ( lainift he is the inventor of (Teutonic allies if Germany could in

"liquid :ire," officers say, and that, he ; duce Austria to cede Transylvania

has been experimenting extensively j and part of Bukowina to Rumania. M.

with it in the local gas fields. Carp is said to have promised also

Revelations of conspiracies against j to bring about changes in the Ru

ammiinitton plants and of plots men- manlan cabinet.

clng the U tilted States government

are ?ald (o have been made in a state

ment by Dr. K. W. Kilter in the county

prnsenitor's office. Ritter in his celljtion of Hungary, and it 1b asesrted the

in the comity Jail is reported to have

declared that Miss Maybell Clare Dar

by, who caused his arrest on a charge

of passing a worthless check, had her

lf been approached by mysterious

agents eager to obtain papsrs holding

war department secrets.

""The story alleged to have been told

by Hitter, who claims to be the in

ventor of "liquid fire," contained the

following statements:

His real name is Emerich W. Rit

ter von Rettaghe, son of an Austrian

count and a former officer in both the

German and Austrian navies.

That he had been in the pay of the

Austrian consul agents throughout the

country and had received $2,000 for

his services during the past year.

On Inside of Plots.

That he knew the inside details of

plots so extensive as to threaten em

barrassment of the-United States gov

ernment and involving representatives

of foreign governments at Washington.

That conspiracies had to do with

plans to destroy or cripple war muni

tion plants: gaining secret information

concerning United States fortifications,!

undermining the government so as to

create chaos if this country became in

volved in international complications;

and, finally, the attempt at bribery of

United States government agents to

obtain information.

President Threatened.

That he was present in a "foreign

consulate" in New York when plans

were discussed which threatened the

life of the president, the secretary of

etate and other government officials

and that while the plan was not defi

nitely worked out, he heard an attache

there remark:

"If government officials in Washing

ton do not treat us justly in settling

these various international disputes,

such as the Lusitania, we will sprinkle

them with liquid fire and that will be

the end."

Far-reaching investigations are ex

pected to follow Ritter's arrest, since

he is being held as a federal prisoner,

although on a state warrant with the

high hall of $5,000, believed to have

been arranged so the federal authori

ties may hold him while they follow

the amazing clews he has furnished

them.

ft and Mouth Disease Again Starts.

Springfield. 111.. Dec. 1 An out

break of foot and mouth disease was

reported today from Castleton. Stark

countr. Fifteen sheep, five cattle and

"3 hogs belonging to Lloyd Hewitt

re slaughtered. I

Additional outbreaks are exDected

from McDonough county where a

eteer, one of an infected heard doom

ed to die, escaped from the federal

ttd State inmprtnT'a nn tha Krtnlr nf

the grave which had been dug to hold other automobile and Mr. Cannon by

the carcasses. The animal has not I a few' inches. For Just a moment the

seen since, although the entire former speaker of the house looked at

rounty has been aroused to the dan- the big machine, then, with a char

Spr that exists to healthy herds so jacteristic shrug of his shoulders, con-lor-g

as the animal Is at large. tiuued across Uie boulevard.

Kaiser Pays

Visit to Halt

Austro Step

Home, Dec. 1, (via Paris, 4:45 a.

m.) - "The real object of Emperor

William's visit to Vienna, was to put

a stop to efforts Austria is making, by

means of negotiations through Madrid

with the Vatican, to obtain a separate

peace with the quadruple entente,"

says the Tribuna. "Vienna and Ber

lin disagree on the question of peace.

Berlin desires to treat separately

with each of the allies, so as to break

up the quadruple entente and then to

crush England, but Vienna desires a

real and lasting peace to end the ten

sion, -which rapidly is becoming too

great for Austria to bear."

Paris, Dec. 1, (5:10 a. m.) Diplo

matic circles at Rome believe, says

the correspondent, of the Journal, that

the visit of Emperor William to

Vienna has made to reconcile, if pos

Negotiations ' between "Berlin arid

Vienna, the Journal says, were fruit

less owing to the determined opposi-

German ruler Is endeavoring to in-

duce Emperor Francis Joseph to con

Bent to the sacrifice of Transylvania

on the understanding that Germany

will return to Austria two provinces

of Silesia annexed to Prussia in 1806.

Amsterdam, Dec. 1 (via London,

10:45 a. m.) Reports that several

members of the Austrian cabinet have

resigned aTe confirmed by an auto

graph letter from Emperor Francis

Joseph, published in the Wiener Zel

tung of Vienna. The emperor has ac

cepted the resignations of Dr. Karl

Heinold D' Udynski, minister of the

interior; Dr. Rudolf Schuster von

Bonnott, minister of commerce, and

Baron Engel von Matfeldon, minister

of finance.

Acceptance of these resignations is

qualified with the proviso that the ser

vices of the retiring ministers are to

be available, if required.

Dr. Heinold and Baron Engel have

been appointed members of the upper

house, while the rank of Freiherr has

been conferred on Dr. Schuster.

Prince Hohenlohe Schilling Fuerst,

president of the supreme court of ac

counts, has been appointed minister

of the interior; Ritter von Leth, gov

ernor of the postal savings bank, min

ister of finance, and Herr von Spitz

miller, minister of commerce.

The first reports of the resignation

of the Austrian cabinet ministers came

almost simultaneously with the visit

to Vienna of Emperor William, Mon

day. No authentic Information has beer

received concerning the political sit

uation which brought about the retire

ment of the ministers, but their with

drawal and Emperor William's inter

view with Emperor Francis Joseph

have caused speculation concerning

Austria's reported willingness to enter

peace negotiations.

uncleToe cannon

has narrow escape

Chicago, IH., Dec. 1. Joseph G.

Cannon, enroute to Washington to re

sumo his seat in the national house of

representatives, narrowly missed

death or serious injury here today,

according to employes of the Union

League club.

"Uncle Joe" had left the club and

started diagonally across Jackson

Boulevard, disregarding

Chicago's

traffic regulations, when a shout of

warning from Dennis J. O'Neil, door

man at the club, halted him. A big

limousine bore down on the congress-

man while he stood irresolute. The

chauffeur threw on his brakes, real

ized he could not stop his heavy car

then swerved if across the path of op

posite bound traffic. He missed an

POSITIO

ILLA F

AUSESFEAR

Douglas, Ariz., Dec. 1. Considerable )

uncertainty prevailed today in official:

quarters over the probable movement I

of the advance guard of General Jose';

Rodriguez, the Villa commander, who j

yesterday thrust his armi' .hetw.een thej.

Carranza forces at rKacozari and the j

border, laying Agua Prieta, the Mexi-1

can fortified town opposite here, open !

to a second attack.

Carranza officials were reported to j

have received advices that Fronteras, i

22 miles south of Agua Prieta, had been J

made the concentration point for the j

forces of General Rodriguez, which are

said to number from 2,000 to 5,000 men.

In the meantime their leader is ex

pected to determine whether to retire

to Chihuahua or make an attack on

the weakened Carranza garrison at

Agua Prieta, where there are less than

500 soldiers.

Another report was to the effect that

Rodriguez had severed connections

with Villa. According to this report

Rodriguez was making his way to

ward Chihuahua with money and loot

he is alleged to have taken at Cananea

previous to his evacuation of that town

more than a week ago.

There is some apprehension here

concerning the probable fate of 22

Americans at El Tigre, as well as nine

Americans remaining at Nacozari. The

Americans at El Tigre and Nacozari

are said to have expressed their in

tention of taking their places on the

firing line with the Carranza troops,

as neutrality during a possible attack

would avail them nothing.

Topolobampo, Mexico, (via wireless

to San Diego, Cal., Dec. l.l Admiral

Winslow is on board the cruiser San

Diego, with the expeditionary force of

United States marines, has arrived off

this port. Admiral Winslow- an

nounced today his intention of making

a personal investigation of conditions

at the American colony at Los Mochis,

On account of the unsettled condi

tions which have prevailed in the his

tory of Los Mochis before the raid

and the American refugees said the

promised adequate protection had not

been afforded by the Carranza forces,

American here have decided not to re

turn to Los Mochis at present. An en

gagement took place Monday between

Carranza and Villa forces at Don, a

station between San Bias, Sinaloa and

Xavajoa, Sonora, and the Carranza of

ficials here have received unverified re

ports that 500 Villa troops were cap

tured. Reports just received from the inter

ior state that 500 Yaqui Indians raided

the town of Saque Grande, Sonora,

Nov. 13, and killed among others, John

Lehr, an American citizen.

11

THE WEATHER

I!

Forecast Till 1 P. X Tomorrow, for

Bock Island, Davenport, Mollne

and Vicinity.

Fair tonight and Thursday; colder

tonight with the lowest temperature

about 10 degrees. Rising temperature

Thursday.

Temperature at 7 a, tn., 2S. Highest

yesterday, 35; lowest last night, 2S.

Velocity of wind at 7 a. m., five miles

per hour.

Relative humidity at 1 p. m., 97; at

7 a. m., 79; at 1 p. in. today, 53,

Stage of .water, Vi, a fall of .1 in

last 24 hours.

J. SHERIER, Local Forecaster.

N OF

ORCE

-11 IL.

JNNU0L MOWVP-

Attack King

of Rumania

During Talk

Paris, Dee. 1, (3:15 a. m.) "Parti

sans and adversaries of the govern

ment came to blows- at the opening

session of the Rumanian parliament,"

telegraphs the Berne correspondent of 1

the Matin. "King Ferdinand had hard-;

ly begun to read his speech when he j

was interrupted with cries of 'Dojty

with the government' from M. Mille,

leader of the interventionists, and his

adherents. j

"No sooner had the king departed j

than a general fight began between

the two factions."

THIRTY ARE DEAD

FROM EXPLOSION

Is Total List Given Out by Oiiicials

Populaee Is Frightened by

"Flare-lp"' Today.

Wilmington, Del., Dec. 1. There

was a small explosion of smokeless

powder early today at theDuPont pow

der plant at Carney's Point, N. J.,

across the Delaware river from this

city. No one was hurt and the prop

erty damage was slight, company offi

cials said.

There have been no more deaths

among the five injured in the Hagley

explosion of yesterday. It is feared,

however, that several of them will die.

One of the injured, Edwin Davis, left

the hospital today. Louis Booker, who

died in a hospital last night, making

the death list 30. left a widow and

eight small children.

EXPECT TO CLOSE

SESSION TODAY

Springfield, 111., Dec. 1. Members

of the extraordinary session of the leg

islature, begun a week ago last Mon

day, expected to complete their work

today and recess the session until some

time after the first of the year. By

taking a recess, it was pointed out,

the lawmakers would be in a position

to enact further corrective legislation,

should the courts sustain further

points in the Fergus suit.

More than half of the state appro

priations, invalidated by the supreme

court's decision on the Fergus suit

had been reenacted by the special ses

sion when the lawmakers convened

this morning. The other half of these

measures, reenactment of which neces

sitated the calling of this special ses

sion, were slated for passage without

opposition today.

BRITISH STEAMSHIP

KTNGSWAY IS SUNK

London, Dec. 1, (12:10 p. to.) The

British steamship Kingsway has been

sunk. Her captain and 21 members of

the crew have been landed. Five oth

ers are missing. .

London. Dec. 1, (3:42 p. m.) Sink

ins of the coal-laden Swedish steam

ship Sabrine in the North sea by al

German submarine - is reported in a!

dispatch to the Exchange Telegraph j

company.' The crew was taken to Em- i

den. ' i

-"71l a

JAPANBARO

HASPLANFOR

LLIANCE

New York, Dec. i. Baron Eiichi

Sbibusawa, the Japanese financier who

is here today for a short stay, elaborat

ed on his plan to maintain peace after

the war by a six-power alliance- com

prising the United States, Great Brit

ain, France, Russia, Italy and Japan.

On his way from San Francisco to New

York, the baron said he had talked

with many leading Americans on meth

ods of securing lasting peace. One ol

the men with whom he discussed the

proposed six-power plan was Charles

W. Elliott, president, emeritus of Har

vard university.

"I will lay this plan before our lead

ing business and thinking men," said

the baron, "and I will do all in my

power to make this idea take hold of

public opinion, so that when peace

comes Japan may be in a position to

ask the United States to enter the six

power alliance and induce other na

tions to become associated. I am of

the opinion that when the time comes

for peace America's influence and

weight will obtain a peace that will

not be disturbed for many years and

a peace that will be for justice and

honor.

"In order to bring about this most

desirable result we must look princi

pally to the people of this great, re

public, and I am gratified to know that

this matter is engaging serious1 consid

eration among the leaders of thought

and affairs in this country. Japan, I

am convinced, will be ready to do its

part.

"United, these two nations will be

able to do much in preventing the re

currence of such disastrous calamities

to humanity in the future. From this

point of view also we thus see how im

portant it is that there should be

friendship and god understanding be

tween Japan and the United States."

FOURTEEN DEAD

IN MINETRAGEOY

Continue Rescue Work in Search for

liemainder of 3IMI Entombed by

Blast.

Boomer, W. Va., Dec. 1. The bodies

of 14 miners who lost their lives in

mine number 2 of the Boomer Coal

and Coke company by an explosion of

a blow-out shot which yesterday im

periled 300 men, were brought to the

surface this morning and taken to the

temporary morgue nearby. Soon aft

erwards a rescue party appeared with

five other men -who had been buried

far under ground and who, though

still alive, were in a critical condition.

They were taken to a hospital.

Other parties who had been search

ing the workings during the night

came out with the report that they had

been unable to locate any of the five

or the six miners still missing, and

their places were at once taken by

fresh volunteers, all of whom are

worKing unaer tne aireotion of the

state mine inspectors and engineers

from the bureau of mines.

AN A

15,000 SERBIANS ARE MADE

PRISONERS IN CAPTURE OF

PRISREND BY BULGARIANS

Boy Scouts Berlin Official Report An-

A id in Fiaht nounces qreat Number

rkiu, Ul l lyiti. of Defenders Taken. ;

for Defense

New York, Dec. 1. One hundred

women aided by five good boy scouts

are canvassing the city today for the

collection of signatures to a petition

addressed to New York representa

tives and senators urging them to

support President Wilson's plan for

national preparedness. They hope to

obtain 200,000 signatures. The cam

paign is conducted by a committee of

special relief society, who have desig

nated it as "Defense day." Already

4.000 voters have applied to the so-,

ciety for blanks and signed them

without solicitation. Ten of the larg

est corporations in the city are can

vassing their own employes.

The petitions will be sent to Wash

ington in time to reach members of

congress before its opening next

Wednesday.

Mrs. William Alexander, president

of the society, says the movement is

intended to show the representatives

and senators that they have the back

ing of their constituents in support of

a better army and navy.

"It is a test of strength to show

them that the people who are crying

out against preparedness are a feeble

minority," she declared.

DEMOCRATS SPLIT

ON CLOTURE RULE

Farty Members in fattens are Divided

On IJoTfrnlng Debate

Principles.

Washington, Dec. 1. Democrats of

the senate in caucus today failed to

agree on a rule to provide for cloture

of debate, postponing action until to

morrow. The special rules committee

was not ready to make any definite

recommendation but will endeavor to

submit a proposal tomorrow'.

The caucus deferred till Friday elec

tion of a president pro-tem. Senator

Kern, chairman of the conference, said

the election was deferred by common

consent with a view to assuring har

mony. Senator Chilton of West Virginia

was elected chairman of the confer

ence and Senator Lewis of Illinois was

reelected party "whip" on the steering

committee, Senator Kern named. Sena

tors Martin, Owen, Chamberlain,

Thomas, O'Gorman, Williams, James

and Reed.

AMERICAN RED CROSS

PRAISED IN GERMANY

Washington, Dec. 1. Gratitude and

praise for the work of the American

Red Cross in Germany are expressed

in a letter received today at the Red

Cross headquarters here from Count

Tallyrand-Perigard, who was assigned

by the German Red Cross to cooper

ate with the American surgeons and

nurses while in Germany. The letter

was in response to one sent by the

American Red Cross, thanking the

count for his courtesy and attention

to the American units during their

stay in Germany.

THE WAR TODAY

Capture of lj.OO!) Serbian! by

Ihe Bulgarians when they took

Prisrend, (he fall of which was re

ported yesterday, is announced by

llerlin today. A Bulgarian state

incut places the number of prison

ers at between 16JMM and 17,fMMi,

together with 50 cannon ami how

itzers, 20,(KN ritles and much war

material.

According to the Sofia ar office,

Unitarian troops are opcrutinir

successfully against the allied

troops in ttouth Serbia. The left

bank of the Cerua is reported

cleared of the Anglo-French

forces, who are declared to have

been thrown back several miles.

.Mining: and aeroplane operations

on the Franco-Belgian front, both

lierlin and Paris reporting sue

cesses at various points.

Home claims further progress

for the Italian armies in their des

perate struggle for (.orizia. The

carrent official statement from

Vienna admits a slight withdrawal

by the Austrian from a small por

tion of the Gorizia front.

Sinking of the British steamer

Kiiit'ttnay with the probable loss

of live members of her crew is re

ported by London, .

EYES ARE ON RUMANIA

Belief Is Voiced That Ferdi

nand Only Waiting Pres

ence of Allied Forces.

Berlin, Dec. 1, (via London, 3:05 p.

m.) Army headquarters announced

today that with capture of Prisrend,

western Serbia, 15,000 Serbians were

made prisoners.

Berlin, Dec. 1, Regarding . opera

tions in the Balkans, today's official

statement says:

"Successful engagements occurred

at certain points with enemy rear

guards.

"At Prisrend, Bulgarian troops took

15,000 Serbian prisoners, many moun

tain guns and other war materials."

Attention On Romania.

London, Dec, 1. (11:45 a, m.) Th

Balkan states continue to dominate

both the military and diplomatic sit

uation in Europe. Rumania's attitude

apparently is causing the central pow

ers great uneasiness, while Greece's

refusal to limit her military effective

ness as requested by the entente is of

equal concern to those powers.

Rumania is said to be only awaiting

the presence in the Balkans of prepon

derance of entente militarv forces be

fore dispatching an ultimatum to Aus

tria and German military critics, ac

cording to dispatches reaching Lon

don, express considerable dissatisfac

tion with conditions in the Balkans,

predicting both military and diplomat

ic difficulties ahead despite the bril

liant Serbian campaign of Field Mar

shal von Mackensen. Moreover, it is

reported that Austria is opposed to the

idea and possibility of Bulgarian dom

ination of the Balkan states, and it is

suggested that a desire to forestall any

friction in this connection was respon

sible for the German emperor's recent

visit to Vienna.

Greece steadfastly refuses to con

cede entente demands for the unre

stricted use of the port of Salonikfas

a base, and furthermore declines to re

move her army from Macedonia.

Monustir Still Obscure.

Except for the capture of Prisrend

by the Bulgarians there has been no

marked change in the Serbian military

situation. The fate of Monastir re

ported to have fallen before the Bub

gars, remains obscure, notwithstand

ing definite reports that neutral con

suls in the city had arranged to turn it

over to the attackers after withdrawal

of the Serbians. But later dispatches

stated that telegraphic communication

with the city was still maintained in

dicating that it had not been entirely

evacuated.

The eastern front has been compara

tively quiet. The Russians are re

ported as being greatly strengthened

along the Riga line imbued with a con

fidence that they can shatter the Ger

man defenses whenever a forward

move is deemed expedient.

Vienna reports that the Italians

seem determined to capture Gorlzia

with the least possible loss of time, but

progress against the defenses of the

town is exceedingly slow.

Cold Hinders Operations.

Paris, Dec. 1. The announcement

regarding military activities in the

cast given out by the French war of

fice this afternoon follows:

"Quiet has prevailed along our front

(Serbian) with the exception of soma

artillery exchanges. The intense cold

is making operations difficult.

"Dardanelles: The days of Nov. 27

and 2S were characterized by the ac

tivity with which mining operations

were conducted by ourselves and our

enemies. An explosion brought about

by French troops caused the demoli

tion of a Turkish listening post. The

men in one of our galleries having cut

their way to a Turkish gallery, French

sappers went forward and with re

volvers and hand grenades compelled

the Turkish' diggers to flee."

ENGINEER 45 YEARS;

KILLED UNDER TRAIN

Waynesburg, Pa., Dec. 1. After

working 45 years as a railroad engi

neer, being retired last year and naver

having experienced an accident in that

time. John Clouser, aged 68, met death

under the wheels of a locomotive on

the Pennsylvania near here last night.

i Mr. Clouser, attempting to alight from

I the engine, which was in motion, fell

'and was crushed.

i