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THE ROCK ISLAND ARGUS.

I Associated Press

I Leased Wire Report

Member of Audit

SIXTY-FIFTH YEAR. NO. 119.

SATURDAY. MARCH 4, 1916 TWENTY-EIGHT PAGES

PRICE TWO CENTS.

sf aim

JYM

DELAY PLANS

OF HOUSE ON

WILSON VOTE

Action on Warning Resolu

tions Is Postponed Un

til Next Monday.

LEADERS FEEL SURE

Officials Confident of the De

feat of the McLemore

Measure.

Washington, March 4. The next step

in President Wilson's fight to dispose

of the armed ship agitation in congress

has been postponed until Tuesday be

cause of the absence of a number of

members on week-end trips.

Early today administration leaders In

the house decided not to insist on a

rote today. This afternoon the rules

committee will meet to frame a rule to

table the McLemore resolution to warn

Americans off the armed ships of the

European belligerents.

The rule will be brought In with the

first business Tuesday when admin

istration forces plan to dispose of it by

a substantial majority. The foreign af

fairs committee already has agreed on

the resolution.

Administration forces plan that the

action in the house shall give no room

for doubts of the decisive character

of the sentiment in congress. They

plan that the action to table the Mc

Lemore resolution, which will include

t declaration that the president shall

handle diplomatic affairs, without con

gressional interference.

The leaders are confident they have

the votes to make their victory com

plete and undisputed.

Majority Leader Kitchin, soon after

noon began notifying members that they

would not be needed to vote until next

Tuesday at the earliest.

Bryan in Washington.

William J. Bryan came to town to

day to fulfill a lecture engagement

here tonight. Administration leaders

speculated over whether Mr. Bryan's

coming had anything to do with the

delay on voting on the armed ship is

sue in the house and the decision of

the leaders there to postpone action

until Tuesday at least.

Administration officials said today

that practically all senators who voted

yesterday to table the Gore resolution

were voting for the president's policy

and that should the house fail to vote

to uphold the president in decisive

form the fight might be carried back

to the senate for a direct vote to de

feat the Gore resolution warning

Americans off ships of belligerent na

tions. They expressed confidence that

complete victory would follow such a

course.

Rumor Is Attacked,

Aroused by publication of reports

yesterday that President Wilson be

cause of the strain of the foreign sit

uation was considering resigning from

office, tiie White house today issued

this forms 1 statement :

"When Secretary Tumulty's atten

tion was called to the story appearing

in certain papers that the president

had resigned or was considering re

igning, he said:

"'An American newspaper that

ould publish a story of that kind in a

situation like the one which now con

fronts America, dishonors itself.'"

Delaj Sot Wanted.

Decision of house leaders today to

Postpone a vote until Monday was

reached without consultation with the

President and confused the situation.

It was fcaid the White house was op

Posed to postponing action.

There also was some objection from

omi of the administration adherents.

Chairman Flood of the foreign affairs

committee, all the members of the

rules committee and many of the

leaders gathered in Speaker Clark's

office to discnss the situation.

Acting Chairman Pou of the rules

committee at the beginning of the con

"erence, said the situation

doubt

was in

FIVE PEOPLE SHOT

BY CRAZED GUNMAN

Philadelphia, March 4. Antony

Pronogo, believed to bo insane, stood

today in the doorway of a bouse in

the southern section of the city with

repeating rifle In his hands and

before overpowered he shot and killed

one man and wounded two men and

two women. One of his victims was a

Wind peddler who was shot through

the body and dropped dead after run

n'ng a short distance.

Pronogo gave battle to policemen

14 AA arrested, y

i i 1

THE WAR

TODAY

The driving German assault on

Terdnn has baited for the second

liflie in the Itouaumont sector

northeast of Verdnn, this time In

the face of formidable counter at

tacks by the French in an effort

to take Douaumont village.

Berlin announces that the

French attack on the village and

the German lines adjoining it was

"repulsed partly In close range

lighting."

The clash of the opposing arm

ies at this point has been of a

desperate character. The French

lost more than a thousand prison,

ers.

After the desperate battling on

the Douaomont plateau in the re.

newal of the German drive for

Verdnn, there has come a second

halt. Paris today announced that

there had been a cessation of in

fantry attacks by the crown

prince's troops, although his artil

lery is still keeping np a heavy

bombardment.

The continuation of artillery ac

tivity may indicate a speedy re

newal of the important front

northeast of the fortress where the

French lines form a salient. The

Donaumont sector Is pointed ont by

French military critics as a key

position essential to the German

purpose of taking the fortress.

Hence the desperate nature of the

struggle which has been going on

for its possession.

The Importance of the German

activities in other sectors is not

overlooked, however. There have

been advances on both the French

Hanks and indications are furnish

ed of contemplated thrusts at vital

points in the lines about the curv

ing front, such as on the north

west line, where the dominating

heights of LeMort Homme has

been under fire of German heavy

guns for some days.

The German admiralty an

nounced the sinking by German

submarines of two French auxil

iary cruisers and a British patrol

boat. "

It Is unofficially declared in

Paris that the German claim to the

sinking of two auxiliary cruisers,

"off Havre," Is unfounded.

Marries and Quits Itacing.

Chicago, March 4. Louis Disbrow,

the automobile racer, announced his

retirement from active participation

in the sport with his marriage today to

Miss Harriet May Henry of Chicago.

Latest Bulletins

Washington, March 4. Secretary

Lansing announced today that the

appendices to the German memo

randum regarding armed merchant

ships were on board the steamship

Rotterdam, due tomorrow in Xcw

lork.

Peking, China, March J. Official

announcement was made here to

day that the city of Suifu, in the

southern part of Sze Chuen pro

vince, has been recaptured by gov

ernment troops. Suifu was taken

by rebel forces which advanced

from lun San province and held by

them until Thursday.

Stockholm, March 4-The for

elgn office informs the Associated

Press that a warning against cm

harking on armed merchant men

has been issued to Swedish citi

zens. Manila, March 4-An official

statement was issued today from

the Japanese consulate at Manila

denies that Japan had any connec

tlon with recent investments of

Japanese in the Philippines.

Minneapolis, Minn., March 4.

Two stockmen were killed, a third

fatally Injured and several other

porsons hurt In a collision of

freight trains near Mountain Lake,

Minn according to a report to the

Chicago, St PauL Minneapolis and

Omaha offices here today. So de

tails were given.

Tulsa. Okhu, March 4-Three

men robbed the First ntional

bank of Mounds, Okla today of

$7,000 In currency and escaped on

a handcar.

Home, March 4-William F.

Kelley, the American consul here,

was found dead in a chair shortly

before breakfast today. Death was

probably due to heart disease.

Washington, March 4. The sen

ate army bill was Introduced to

day by Chairman Chamberlain of

the military committee. It pro

poses the most thorough meas

ures f military preparedness

ever presented to congress in

peace times, and is the flrst of the

national defense bills urged by

President Wilson to be completed

and, Inirodueed, -

FRENCH

NEW EFFORT

0NL0STF0RT

Teutons Claim Attempt of

Enemy to Retake Douan

mont Is Repulsed.

GERMANS' BOOTY BIG

Berlin Tells of Great Number

of Guns Taken in Bat

tles Near Verdun.

Berlin, March 4 (via London, 3:39

p. m.) "The enemy was repulsed in

an effort to retake Douaumont," the

war office announced today. It was

also announced that the booty taken

by the Germans since Feb. 22 had in

creased to 115 guns and 161 machine

guns.

The text follows:

"Western theatre: The fighting to

the southeast of Ypres has for the

time being come to a standstill. The

position held by us prior to Feb. 14 is

firmly in our hands and the bastion

is in the hands of the enemy.

"Lively artillery engagements in

the Champagne continued yesterday.

In the Argonne an enemy attack fail

ed. "On both sides of the Meuse the

French increased the activity of their

artillery and after a great increase in

the volume of their fire, attacked the

village of Douaumont and our lines

adjoining. They were repulsed with

heavy loss. We took more than 1,000

unwounded prisoners.

ooty taken since Feb. 22 has been

Increased to 115 guns and 161 machine

guns.

"Near Oberzpt the enemy attempted

to recapture the position taken by us

on Feb. 13.

"The enemy, after suffering losses

consisting of a great number of killed

or wounded and 80 prisoners, was

compelled to retreat to his former po

sition. "Eastern theatre: In a small en

gagement near Baranovichi the Rus

sians were driven out of their posi

tions. "Balkan theatre: The situation Is

unchanged."

Paris, March 4 (2:30 p. m.) The

bombardment continued with consid

erable activity last night in various

sectors of the region of Verdun. It

was not followed by any actions of

infantry, according to announcement

by the French war office.

At Eparges the French prevented

German troops from occupying a cra

ter made by the explosion of one of

their mines.

The customary artillery fire has con

tinued along the remainder of the

front.

BARGE WRECKED;

GREW IS KILLED

Five Men Perish On Craft Set Adrift

While Being Towed to Phila

delphia Five Saved.

Bettuate. Mass., March 4. Two light

coal barges, the Ashland and Kohi

noor. which broke adrift from the

tug Swatara in tow for Philadelphia,

were wrecked last night on Minot's

light ledge. Five men, the crew of the

Kohinoor, were lost. Five men on the

Ashland were washed ashore on the

deck house early today and hauled

through the breakers to safety.

The North Scituate coast guard

picked up an exhausted man from

the Kohinoor, who died before the

surf boat landed. The bodies of Cap

tain Montgomery of Philadelphia and

other members of the Kohinoor's

crew had not been recovered this

morning.

THE WEATHER

II

Forecast Till 7 P.M. Tomorrow, for

Rock Island, Davenport, Moline

and Tlclnlty.

Partly cloudy and probably unset

tled tonight and Sunday; warmer to

night with the lowest temperature

about 25 degrees.

Temperature at 7 a. m., IS. Highest

yesterday, 21. Lowest last night, 12.

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

per hour.

Precipitation, none.

Relative humidity at 7 p. m., 56; at

7 a. m., 70; at 1 p. m. today, 63.

Stage of water, 9.3; a fall of .5 in

last 24 hours.

it M, SHEIUER, Local Forecaster.

EXPLOSION KILLS

THIRTY PERSONS

Discharge of Explosives Results

in Big loss of Life Hundred

and Fifty Injured.

Paris, March 4. At least twenty

persons were killed and a large num

ber.injured in an" explosion near St

Denis, Iir the suburbs, of Paris, this

morning.- r- '

The explosion occurred near, the

fort called "double couronne" at COUP

neuve, near St Denis. PaiWf .the

ramparts east of the fort werwlowh

up. The cause of the disaster bis not

been ascertained.

A quantity of explosives, including

hand grenades, was stored in this po

sition. Fire followed, and there were fur

ther explosions, although of less se

verity on account of the flames.

Later details of the explosion have

been received by the Temps, which

says 30 persons were killed and 150

wounded. Search is being made for

the victims.

Fire broke out at several points as

a result of the explosion. It was caus

ed by the accidental dropping of a case

of grenades by soldiers of the reserve.

RUSSIANS AGAIN

BREAK TURK LINE

Second Time in Fortnight Czar's

Forces Penetrate Front of Foe

In March to Bagdad.

Petrograd, March 4 (via London,

4:10 p. m.) For the second time in a

trifle over a fortnight the Russians

have broken through the Turkish

front. The taking of Bitlis, officially

announced last night, is, in the opin

ion of Russian military authorities,

two-fold, as it increases the surety of

the Russian left flank in the Caucasus

operations and also further opens the

way to Bagdad, the goal of this south

ern movement, and to a junction with

the British forces near that point.

Bitlis also served the Turks as a

point of communication between the

troops operating in the Mush district

and those about Lake Urumlah, over

the border in Persia. With the com

mand of the whole Lake Van territory

in their hands, the Russians now ef

fectually separate these forces.

STORM IS SWEEPING

OVER NEW ENGLAND

Washington, March 4. The storm

sweeping the Atlantic coast from

Jacksonville to Kastport, Maine, was

moving northeast today with increas

ing violence off the New England

coast. Snow attended the storm along

the middle Atlantic and New England

seaboard, and freezing weather pre

vailed as far south as northern Flor

ida. British Warning Denied.

London, March 4. The foreign of

fice today denied the story published

several weeks ago in the United States

that during the Russo-Japanese war

Great Britain had warned her sub

jects at Shanghai not to embark on

liners of either belligerent.

' "

Appeal Sent

Gov. Dunne

forStateAid

Springfield, 111., March 4. After a

conference today with Adjutant Gen

eral Frank Dickson and a member ot

the staff of the attorney general, Gov

ernor Dunne decided he had no au

thority to send troops to Nokomis, 111.,

in Montgomery county, as requested

in a petition of citizens who said the

town lacked a much needed police

force.

In the petition it was stated that life

and property in Nokomis were con

stantly in jeopardy. Crime has been

on the increase for some time, accord

ing to the petition, and shootings are

common.

Major Joe Weinsteln and the major

ity of the board of aldermen of No

komis have not been on harmonious

terms, it is alleged. The aldermen

have refused repeatedly to confirm

the appointment of chief of police,

night police and special police for the

last 18 months. There have been a

number of shooting scraps, one mur

der, and many violations of the local

option law. The constable and lone

deputy sheriff at Nokomis are said to

be powerless to enforce the law.

The petition presented to Governor

Dunne today was said to have been

circulated by G. W. Collins and C. F.

Dude.

HEAR ARGUMENT IN

ROCK ISLAND CASE

Chicago, March 4. Federal Judge

Carpenter today listened to further

arguments on the petition of receiver

J. M. Dickinson of the Chicago, Rock

Island & Pacific roalroad, asking in

structions relative to the payment of

$500,000 interest on $20,000,000 worth

of five per cent debenture bonds which

was due Jan. 15, last and what dis

position shall be made of the $500,000

series B receivers' certificates which

will mature March 15.

Attorney Redmond Stephens, repre

senting the Bankers' Trust company,

trustee for the holders of the de

benuture bonds, renewed his demand

that the interest be paid.

FREEPORT IS READY

DECLARES TEARNEY

Chiqago, March 4 President Tear

ney of the Three-Eye said today the

report that he would go to Freeport

Mondty to make arrangements to in

clude that city again in the league

was not true, as he understood ar

rangements already had been made

to include Freeport. He will attend

the meeting of the league at Moline

Thursday.

Arrested for Embezzlement.

Manila, March 4. Percy Farrant,

auditor of the Manila Street Railway

company, has been arrested. It is said

that he is charged with embezzlement

of funds amounting to $50,000 extend

ing over a period of seven years.

Banks Show Increase.

New York, March 4. The statement

of the actual condition of clearing

house banks and trust companies for

the week shows that they hold $137,

520,444 reserve In excess of legal re

quirements. This is an increase of $2,

02,1,050 over last week,

SKflfZ-

SEA COLLISION IS

TOLD IN WIRELESS

Coast Stations Pick Up Messages of

Brazilian Ship After It Bammed

Another VesseL

New York, March 4. The Sergipe, a

Brazilian steamship which left this

port yesterday afternon for South

American ports collided with another

vessel early today about sixty miles

south of New York. An hour after she

sent out an S. O. S. call, the wireless

operator on the Sergipe sent word that

neither vessel was badly damaged and

that his ship was safe and continuing

her voyage.

Conditions for wireless transmis

sion were bad this morning and the

shore station could not decipher the

name of the ship with which the Ser

gipe collided. The shock temporarily

disabled the Brazilian steamship's

wireless apparatus. The first vessel

to answer the Sergipe's call for help

was a British auxiliary cruiser be

lieved to be the Caronia. The Sergipe

asked the cruiser to "stand by" but

later signalled "all well." It was re

ported that the Caronia was the ship

which struck the Sergipe but wireless

messages picked up by nearby stations

did not confirm this.

The Sergipe is a steel vessel 2S0 feet

long gross tonnage 1S59.

BRITISH JUBILANT

ATSENATEACTION

Support of President Wilson Creates

Great Amount of Comment in

English Papers.

London, March 4 Few things short

of an actual military victory could

have given the British press greater

satisfaction than President Wilson's

victory in the senate. The Manchester

Guardian remarks editorially that

Germany, having failed to convince

the United States, apparently will ig

nore sentiment in that country. It

continues:

"Germany has now defiantly as

sumed the line that she is within her

rights and means to abide by the con

sequences. If American citizens lose

their lives she will make no apology

or promise of amendment"

The Guardian says it cannot imag

ine that Americans will accept "such

a reversion to absolute barbarism"

and therefore regards the decision of

the senate as having the greatest sig

nificance. All the London afternoon papers

comment on the size of the vote to

table the Gore resolution. The Pall

Mall Gazette says President Wilson's

difficulties have not been appreciated

fully here and that It will be possible

to Judge the magnitude of his victory

in the light of these difficulties.

From the moment the president

based his appeal on the question of na

tional honor, the Westminster Gazette

remarks, it was certain the nation

would rally to him.

Two Revolver Suicides.

Bloomington, 111.. March 4. Glen

Buck, age 21, merchant of Wayneville,

killed himself with a revolver at his

home. Walter Bigger ot Normal kill

ed himself with a revolver. His wife

had left him, alleging ill treatment,

nCDIMMMeilDO

ULiimniiUuuu

m M m i

CLAIM GREAT

TOLL OF LIFE

French, British and Italian;

Vessels Sent Down by ,

Submarines. '

NEWS IS INCOMPLETE!

Identity of Boats Not Fixed;

Reports Say Provence ,

Was Torpedoed. , '

Berlin, March 4, (by wireless to:

Sayville, N. Y.) Tho sinking of two

French auxiliary cruisers and one

British patrol boat by German aubma-.

rines is announced by the admiralty.

The announcement also says that'

from Taris is reported the sinking of

the transport Provence "which carried

1,800 men, of whom only 696 were

rescued."

La Provence was listed as an auxil

iary cruiser but the wording of the

Berlin dispatch does not make it

clear whether she was one of the two

said to have been destroyed. Official

reports from Paris indicated that

about 3,130 men went down with her.

The French admiralty said no sign,

of a submarine was observed before

or after the sinking.

So Americans Aboard.

Leghorn, Italy, March 4, (via Paris,

3:30 p. m.) The steamship Giava,

which left here Feb. 29 has been sunk

by an Austrian submarine. There were

La Rochelle, France, March 2. The

French Steamship Lakme of Dunkirk,

3,117 tons gross, which sailed from

La Rochelle on Tuesday, was sunk on

the same day In the Bay of Biscay at

a point six miles northwest of He

D'Yeu. She is believed to have struck

a mine.

Six of the 22 men of the crew lost

their lives.

Paris, March 4. It was announced

at the French ministry of marine that

there were nearly 4,000 men on board

the French auxiliary cruiser Provence

when it was sunk in the Mediterranean

on Feb. 26.

As the ministry of marine on Feb. 29

announced that the number of surviv

ors of the Provence disaster was esti

mated at 870, it is indicated that up

wards of 3,130 HveB were lost

It was stated that on board the Pro

vence were the staff of the third colon

ial infantry regiment the Third bat

talion, the Second company of the First

battalion, the Second machine gun com.

pany, and one extra company.

Is Greatest Disaster.

The loss of life on the Provence is

the greatest ocean disaster of modern

times. Up to the present the largest

number ot lives ever lost in one wreck

was when the White Star liner Titanic

struck an iceberg off the New Found

land banks on April 14, 1912, and sank

with a death loss of 1,595. The rescued

numbered 743.

The French ministry of marine had

previously issued no statement as to

the number of persons on the Provence

when it went down. The vessel, how.

ever, when in the transatlantic service

could carry 1,960 persons, including tite

crew, and it has been presumed that,

as it was transporting troops between

ports not far apart, it was carrying a

number of men larger than her normal

capacity.

French Official Report

The official statement announcing

the sinking ot the Provence said:

The French auxiliary Provence II.

so designated to distinguish it from

the French battleship Provence en

gaged in transporting troops to Sa

lonika wa3 sunk in the Mediterranean

on Feb. 26.

Two hundred and nlnety-slx surviv

ors have been brought to Malta and

about 400 to Melos by French and Brit

ish patrol vessels summoned by wire

less. No signs of a submarine were no

ticed either before or after the sink

ing. Provence was armed with five

cannon of 14 centimeters, two of 57

millimeters, and four of '47 millime

ters. 3

1

DAT IN CONGRESS

SEXATE.

Brandois hearing con tinned.

Resumer debate on Shields wa

ter power bill.

HOUSE.

Considered war claim bills and

legislative appropriation bilL

House leaders and rules com

mittee members conferred over

plans to table resolutions to warn

Americans off armed snips.