Newspaper Page Text

THIS PAPBi: 1

Today

1920 Campaign Opens.

With a Big Gun.

Only One Issue.

Hands and Feet Govern.

Hiram Johnson of California

may not know it, but his speech

on Government ownership of rail

roads in the Senate on Tuesday

opens officially the Presidential

campaign of 1920.

Whoever has any interest in the

1920 Presidential band wagon will

do well to climb aboard NOW and

sit en the Government ownership

plank.

Government ownership of rail

roads and Government owner

ship of many other things is

THO issue in the United States.

There isn't any other, and who

ever fails to see it is gone politi

cally. California is a long way from

the East where Presidential nomi

nations and elections are supposed

to be controlled. But such a

speech as Johnson made on Tues

day in the 'Senate brings Califor

nia close to every man In the

United States!

Ambitious statesmen of all

stripes take notice.

There is a real issue before the

American people, ownership by the

people of natural monopolies that

derive all their value from the

people.

That Issue will not be lost amid

all the patriotism and profiteering

of the war. Johnson of California

is in a position where he can take

care of that, and he will do it.

A bulldog hanging to a root

gives a good imitation of John

son, when he is interested.

Concerning overpaying of the

railroads, Johnson compared the

treatment that the country gives

the man drafted In the army,

where he may be shot, with the

treatment that the country pro

poses to give the railroads, that

are to be rebuilt at the public ex

pense. This is the kind of ques

tion Johnson asks not easy for

rrilroad gentlemen to answer.

"Where Is the man who would

have suggested that we pay the

men we are to send to the trenches

a sum equal to the average of

their last three years' earnings;

He would have been laughed to

scorn on this floor?"

Johnson went on to say that 8

per cent would be guaranteed on

railroad stocks and bonds, 50 per

cent of which represented noth-

Congratulations also, to' Repre.

sentative Stephena-df Nebraska.

He calls thief a thief even when

the thief happens to be a whole

saler, dealing only in millions.

"The men who are responsible

for the wrecking of railroads,"

says he, "should have been put in

the penitentiary long ago." That

idea has been spreading lately. It

is held by at least ninety out of

every hundred Americans at this

moment

The angels must weep, as they

look on poor befuddled Russia an

nouncing that "the workmen's and

peasants' government" is compelled

to accept any demands made by

Germany, because, to the intense

surprise of the workmen and

peasants, Germany's army marches

against Russia now that the Rus

sian army is demoralized and dis

banded. '

To read that the "workmen's

Arvl npnQBTlfQ trntrprnmont" Vina

w: rc'zrr.: """, ;:r-

uiui cn&rge ui a country, is line

reading- that the feet and hands

are taldnsr charge of a human

I horlv. Thft horlvr npArla h ff

and hands. It also needs A BRAIN

and two eyes.

And Russia, which needs Its

workmen and peasants, its feet

and hands, also needs a governing,

seeing brain.

It hasnt got it, and that makes

things amusing for the Germans.

When the masses of the people

use their power to get what is due

them, under intelligent direction

as when they chose Cromwell In

England, or Washington In the

United States, or Garibaldi in t

Italy the thing works well. Kor

then "workmen and peasants."

bands and feet, do not attempt to

secede from the brain and go along

without It.

Without brains or eyes or direc

tion, pity the poor Russia that

walked with its nose in the air

looking for liberty, and fell into

the German swamp.

Germany, highly delighted to

find SOMETHING that she can

beat, after three years of check

mating, marches her troops

against the disorganized peas

antry on a four-hundred-mile line.

She says to the trembling, help

less hands and feet that she will

take four thousand million dollars

of indemnity and Riga, and vast

rich territories

And the government by hands

and feet can only say "Take

whatever ypu like, but don't

shoot us. we are doing the best we

fan trying to get along without a

brain."

By the way. prosperous gentle

men of America, suffering acute

pain because of war taxes, work

out this little problem in arith

metic: If Germany having poverty

stricken Russia at her mercy asks

for FOUR THOUSAND MILLIONS

u uuuurn, now wucu uo you minK :

she would ask If she had her way '

with the United States? What

peace over here What would

YOU have left, after paying the

bill! i

WEATHER:

COLD

WAVE

TONIGHT.

TOMORROW

NUMBER 10,445.

ALL READY

LORD READING

CONCENTRATES

ON FOOD ED

OF ENGLAND

New British Envoy Has Ex

traordinary Responsibilities.

Agreeable Personality a

Great Asset.

By DAVID LAWRENCE.

(Copyright. Ill, by New Tort Evening Post

Company.)

Lord Reading. British ambassador

and high commissioner, got down to

business today. His calls of courtesy

over, his preliminary meetings with

officials and diplomats ended, the

man who is to represent every act

ivity in the United States of Great

Britain, diplomatic, financial, and

commercial, began at once to con

centrate his attention on the food

problem admittedly the most ser

ious thing in the entire situation.

For without food, workers in muni

tion plants cannot labor and soldiers

cannot fight.

America has the food not all of

It yet, but enough to tide over the

crisis and England has the ships

ready at seaboard. The difficulty is

one of' Internal transportation.

' One of Many Problems. "

Pat thie U. only one of the many

problems which the new en Toy must

work out. He la an extraordinary

man, extraordinary in hie capacity

and skill and extraordinary In the

position he occupies. For Lord Read

ing; or Sir Rufus Isaacs, is still Lord

Chief Justice of England. He did not

resign when he left Great Britain,

but both bar and bench approved the

unprecedented decision of the Gov

ernment to send him to the United

States.

It is aa much a departure from

English custom aa It would be to

send Chief Justice White to Paris

as special ambassador though we sent

Justice Day to attend the peace con

ference which settled the Spanish

American War and employed Justice

Lamar in the Mexican-American Med

iation, in 1914.

Speaks For Empire.

Lord Reading came, however, not

as a special envoy, but as the British

ambassador with extraordinary pow

ers. He is the head of the several

British war missions, military and

financial and commercial, and the dip

lomatic representative at the same

time of the British empire. He speaks

for the British empire and Is respons

ible to his Rovernment for all the

numerous instrumentalities for co

operation with the allies which have

been located in the United States

since our entrance Into the war.

But the new ambassador is distinc

tive In another sense. lie has a

unique personally. He fortunately

has none of the transparent formalltv

that so many foreign envoys employ

as a means of enforcing their dignity.

Lord Reading Is a democratic Individ- I

ual of a character most Impressive. '

.Not ".Shiny" Diplomat. j

As one talks to him, there is a sln-l

gular directness and clarity which ,

stamps him as more of a business I

man than a shifty diplomatist. He i

has a twinkle of humor In his eye and I

m. kui.b mai augurs an even equlli

(Continued on Page 2, Column 6.)

Where to

Tad'sDaily Cartoons Page 15

Tad never fails to amuse you.

The Full Page of Comics Page 14

This is the only page of comics in Washington.

Goldberg's Daily Cartoon Page 17

His pictures are in a class by themselves.

The Wolves of New York Page 12

The best newspaper serial ever published.

To My Sweetheart Soldier Page 12

Every woman should read these letters.

What Congress Did, by W. V. Byars Page 11

A comprehensive daily article by an expert.

Heard and Seen, by Earl.Godwin Page 18

A column of local comment.

Winifred Black's Article Page 18

She writes about things in your life.

'

V

fte1$ahf!tafo

TO RAISE PASSENGER

RATES TO CUT .

TRAFFIC

Cnrtallment of passenger traffic

by sharp Increases In passenger

rates and by elimination of com

petlng overnight trains between

Middle West commercial centers

Is expected to be ordered soon by

the Railroad Administration.

Interchangeable tickets will be

Introduced st the same time to

rednco inconvenience to a mini

mum. These steps are being worked

out in detail now and as soon as

completed wil be ordered into

effect by Director General 31c"

Adoo. There Is no possibility of a

street car strike in Washington

or a tie-up of the lines of the

Capitol Traction Company as a

result of wage demands by the

men.

Reports to this effect are with

ont foundation, and there Is no ,

occasion for alarm.

Men of the company, wlro araro

pletely organized In Division SSS of

the Amalgamated Association of

Street and Electric 'Railway Em

ployes of America today presented

demands for a wage Increase, to the

company.

Demands In Letlrr.

The wage demands were outlined in

the following letter sent by the men

to George E. Hamilton, president of

the company:

"Dear Sir In compliance with sec

tion 28 of agreement between your

company and Division 6S9 of Amalga

mated Association of Street and Elec

tric Employes of America, we take

thla means of notifying you that. In

compliance with the provisions of this

section which states that either party

to the contract may, by giving writ

ten notice thirty days prior to the

30th of March, open up the agree

ment so far as the subject of wage

is concerned. And, therefore, we re

quest that sections IS and -6, which

cover the wage, De openea up ana

changed to read as follows:

'Section IS That all motormen

and conductors, on and after March

30, 1918, shall receive a flat rate of

wap of 40 cents per hour; that the

otl.rr provision of this section which

pro ides that where motormen and

conductors act as Instructors they

shall receive 3 eenta per hour above

the scale shall be continued.

"Section 26 That all barnmen and

switchmen on and after March 30,

1918, shall receive 5 cents per hour

Increase.

Plead Living Cost larreaae.

"We feel that it l.i scarcely neces

sary for us to argue with you the

necessity of this increase, since the

last wage adopted, which at that

time was not sufficiently high to meet

the cost of living then prevailing,

since that time the cost of living

haj so Increased that it is not pos

sible for us to maintain the standard

of American living that prevails in

the District of Columbia, and continue

(Continued on Page 16, Column 1.)

Find Them

CAR IN ASK

FOR MORE

MONEY

WASHINGTON. WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 20. 1918.

FOR RIG RATTLE. SAYS

m i

OPEN SAFE N

HYATTSVILLE

Discovered By Sheriff, Robbers

Flee in Automobile Amid Hail

of Bullets One Belie. :d

Wounded.

The safe in the postoffice at Hy

attsville was dynamited before day

light this morning by three masked

men, who made their escape in a

high-powered automobile.

One man is believed to have been

shot

Entrance to the postoffice was

gained when the rear door was

pried open.

The door of the safe was demol

ished, bnt about ?500 worth of post

age and War Savings stamps were

untouched. This was due to the

quick discovery of the yeggmen at

work by Thomas Garrison, chief dep

uty sheriff of Hyattsville, who lives

next door to the postoffice.

Thrilling Encounter.

The circumstances under which

Garrison drove the masked men from

the postoffice were thrilling.

It was 4 o'clock thl mnrnhir ul4k

i a drizzling rain falling whknJtJarri-

vm v. mm 4vuct uuiu UlS iccp By a

dull booming. He aat up In bed. nib.

blng his eyes. Almost immediately he

thought about the postoffice and

knew that the noise that had awak

ened him was a dynamite explosion.

He went to his bedroom window and

opened the window. It was pitch

dark, not an electric light was burn

ing. Out of the darkness, Garrison

made out a tiny shaft or light

through the postoffice window.

Sheriff Opens Fire.

He saw the light for only a second j

and It flashed out. There was no

need for further investigation and the

sheriff In his night clothes opened

Are.

Garrison fired at the rear door of

the postoffice. The three veggmen,

with their heads low, ran through the

doorway as the sheriff emptied an

other chamber of his revoler. The

sheriff believes he hit one man. who

momentarily stopped and then stag

gered on. Garrison tired his third

shot.

Then the yeggs, or one of them,

opened fire upon the sheriff. They

fired three bullets In the direction of

the dark window, splintering the win

dow sill, but not hitting Garrison.

Aa Garrison was getting Into his

trousers he heard the three men run

ning down the alley behind the post

office. Then he heard an automobile

chugging and looked for the light on

the roadway from Its headlights

But there were no lights The au

tomobile sped away at high i,p-ed in

the darkness without headlights.

The explosion followed by Hie pis

tol duel had brought a few citizens to

the scene. An Investigation was

made and It was discovered that noth

ing had been stolen, although the

door of the safe had been blown to

pieces by dynamite.

Tools Left Behind.

On the floor were tools a saw, sev

eral wrenches and flies. When Garri

son opened fire the yeggmen were o

anxious to get out that they forgot

their tools.

The tools offer no clue, howrver, as

it was later learned that tliey had

been stolen from a workshop near by.

The postoffice at Hyattsville, on

the boulevard to Baltimore. Is abusy

place. About ?20O worth of War Sav

ings Stamps are sold there dally. It

Is said. Miss M 12 Tlsf. of Hyatt

vllle. is the postmistress.

MOVE TO INVALIDATE

PROHIBITION AMENDMENT

Congressman McLemore or Texas

this afternoon moved to invalidate

the prohibition amendment. He in

troduced In the Hrvise a resolution

pointing out that Article V of he

Constitution -states "that the Con

gress, whenever two-third? of the

members of both Houses shall deem

It necessary, shall propose an amend

ment to the Constitution."

The resolution contends that the

prohibition amendment was passed by

th llri.se In contravention of thli

provision, ai the vote was only two

thirds of the members present. In

stead of two-thirds of the entire mem

bership. He cells for a reconsidera

tion of the constitutionality of the

measure by the House Judiciary Commute.

POSTQFHCE PROPERTYTHAT

FIRST NATIONAL INS. CO. CHARGED WITH

CROOKED PRACTICES BY COURT AUDITOR

TRANSFERRED

TO

"Southern Realty Company a

Cover for Abuse of Powers

and Mask for Indefensible

Acts," He Says.

In his report filed in court today,

regarding the dissolution of the

First National Fire Insurance Com

pany, Herbert L. Davis, auditor of

the District Supreme Court, dis

closes that the Southern Building,

at the corner of Fifteenth and H

streets northwest, is the property of

the stockholders of the insurance

company and not of the Southern

Realty' Corporation.

Mr. Davis comment in severe

terms on the methods used in the

organization of the realty corpora

tion and says evidence discloses

"the glaringly apparent object of

the realty corporation to act as a

cover for the abuse of power and of

acts clearly subversive of the rights

of the stockholders in the insurance

company."

"Mask for Insurance Co."

Speaking of the transfer at the

title of the Southern building. Mr.

Davis says the realty corporation was

used "merely as a mask for the in

surance company throughout the

various transactions."

The realty corporation was organ

ized in Delaware with a capital stock

of $7,000, and took title to the South

ern building, issuing bonds for SDOO.

000 to the insurance company for Its

equity. He recommends that the dis

solution of the insurance company be

completed He estimates the assets

of the First National Fire Insurance

Company at S1.293,2980. and the li

abilities at J1.O07.11U 4'.:.

Depends on Sale of Building.

These figures depend upon the con

tingency of the sale of the Southern

Building for not less than JI.S00.0OO.

The action of the Insurance company

In using Its funds for the creation

of the realty corporation, according

to Mr. Davis, is In violation of sec

tion G20 of the Code, which forbids

the uie of the funds of a corporation

for the purchase of stock in any other

company.

He recommends that legal steps be

taken for the recovery of the funds

which he says exceed $7,600. The

temporary receivers are

John Lewis Smith and E. J. Walsh,

of this city, and William S. Homer, of

New York city.

TAKES INEZ,

EL PASO REPORTS

Kti PASO. Tex Feb. 20. Francisco

Villa, with 3.C00 troops has captured

Jimlnez and La I-az. Chihauhau, ac

cording to word received hero today,

from Chihuahua City.

Federal forces, the report said, lied

northuanl in disorder and took

refuge within Chihuahua City.

It is expected Villa will attack Chi

huahua City and continue his drive

northward to Juarez.

A New One

If you ever play the great

American game you will enjoy

"Penny Ante," the new comic.

It is on Page Sixteen Today.

BELONGED

ST HERS

NEW VILLA ARMY

"t-

nmm

Wants to "Pound Brass"

on U. S. Dreadnaught

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MISS-ELIZABETH L. DuVAL.

WOMAN WIRELESS

OPERATOR SEEKS

JOB ON WARSHIP

Miss Elizabeth Langsdale DuVal,

of Baltimore, the only American wo

man who has served as a licensed

wireless telegraph operator on ship

board, is In Washington today seek

ing the distinction of being the first

American girl to obtain the post of

wireless operator on board a United

States naval vessel.

Seeking a post on board a warship

Is in keeping with the traditions of

her family, for a long Una of Ameri

can patriots are registered on her

family tree.

Grandfather Noted Jurist.

Her great-grandfather. Judge Ga

briel DuVal, was one of the first Jus

tices of the Supreme Court of the

United States. Her father is Edmund

Drice DuVal, of 200 North Charles

street, Baltimore.

She Is both young and pretty and

more than one young naval officer

who saw her at the Navy Department

when she presented her petition to

E

T

Senator Oicar W. Underwood of

Alabama, who contended against

Woodrow Wilson for the Democratic

Presidential nomination In 1012, this

afternoon warned Congress against

the danger of setting up an autoc

racy at home while lighting abroad

to "make the world safe for democ

racy." He urged Congress to cease

granting the President broad blanket

powers.

Congress, he declared, had made

many grave mistakes since the war

began in it's grants of almost unlimit

ed power to the President. These mis

takes, he said, were largely due to

"generosity and patriotism in it's en

deavor to respond to the needs of the

nation. The time has come for Con

gress to pause and consider, he .said.

"Democracy cannot be safe, lie de

clared, "In tho hand of an autocratic

government, when the power of gov

ernment la placed In the hands of

men and not in the hands of a govern

ment by law "

Senator Unde-wood praised Repub

lican Senators fur breaking down'

party lines to support the President's

war measures He declared there

was no parallel In history for the na i

tional unity of America at the present!

time.

i

RWOOD WARNS

AGANS

RANTING

PRESIDENT

POWER

EDITION

Closing Wall Street Prices.

Secretary Daniels hoping for her

appointment to bis ship.

Miss DuVal passed the examination

required by the Department of Com

merce and obtained her license as an

operator some time ago. She ia at

present employed as Junior operator

on the steamship Howard of the Mer

chants' and Miners' line, plying be

tween Baltimore and Jacksonville.

Work Deelared Efficient.

On shipboard she Is In sole charge

of the radio instruments from 1

o'clock until 6 o'clock each afternoon

and from 1:30 until S o'clock each

morning. Her superiors state that

her work was as efficient as that of

the men who preceded her.

Her application for a naval post

was made directly to Secretary of

the Navy Daniels. The Secretary told

her that her application is at present

under advisement.

"I feel that my patriotism can best

be demonstrated," she told Secretary

Daniels, "aboard a United States naval

vessel, although I am not averse to

'doing iny tri-.' on land."

BERLIN. Via London. Feb. 20

"We have advanced twenty kilome

ters (about twelve and one-half

miles) beyond our previous positions

on the Hlgn-Petrograd railway." the

German war office announced today.

"From Dvlnsk we pressed on to the

northeast and eait beyond Luck,

marching on Kovno We took 2,300

prisoners, several hundred machine

guns, and much rolling stock," the

statement said.

"Feeble resistance near Inseem was

soon broken."

FINNISH GOVERNMENT

APPOINTS ENVOY HERE

FITCHItUItG. Mass., Feb. 20 San-!

perl Nuorteva. editor of Klavaaja j

here, was requested by cable today to '

become the American representative '

of the new Finnish revolutionary

provisional government He immedi

ately cftbled his acceptance and will

proceed to Washington The appoint

ment wan received from Foreign Mln- I

rater Slfola. t

BERLINANNOUNCES

12-1LE ADVANCE

ON ROSSIAN FRONT

JUL.

2c

IVKRYWHEIU

PRICE TWO SENTS.

RAKER

OF 'SHOCK'

T

IS

2r

The great drhro on the wet

front Is near.

Extensive aeroplane activity,

which always precedes a heavy

military operation, Is reported

from Switzerland to the sea.

Germany has mobilized all

available men for the supreme

attack.

The allies are prepared and an

optimistic'. From all comes the

same statement!

"WE ABB BEXDT. LET Elt

C0XEI"

SWh'tbetalliaav.ana Beraaivr-aTe

now ready iorvbattla on the west

front, Secretary of War Baker aa-

noonced today in his weekly war re

view; The Germans recently hare with

drawn a number of their west front

units from the first line trenches

and are busily training them ta

mobile warfare.

"According to advices received the

German general staff hopes that by

massing a large number of these

picked shock battalions, which have

been intensively trained, they may

deliver a crushing blow."

Unused An West Warfare.

Howtver. Secretary Baker add, a

large number of units the bulk

of the German forces now assembled

in the west" are -wholly untrained

in the method of western front war

fare." Furthermore. Mr. Baker says, the

German command "realizes fully that

their force j will .be met with far

more difficult tactical obstacles than

any hitherto encountered by an at

tacking army." A break through In

Russia and Italy was possible, he

added, "only -after the morale had

been undermined."

Secretary Baker expressed a belief

that the Germans "may And it e

pedlent to advance on Petrograd." He

made the statement In view of the

concentration of "an Important body"

of German cavalry in the vicinity uf

Riga.

Ilusalan Status "niflenK."

"It Is difficult to determine the ex

act status of affn.-s in south, estern

Russia." he addtu

The retreat of Russian "Idle-s be

fcr .the Turkish array wai brought

out. and that Russian contingents ar

evacuating the Armenian centers

south of the Black sea. The Turn

are occupying these positions and

Treblzond "probably will fall into

Turkish hands soon."

The Secretary also told of Ameri

can trench activities during the week

Rainy weather kept the men at the

pumpt much of the time, to keep the

trenches livable. Late in the week,

hostile aircraft appeared frequently

over the American positions and a

"marked Improvement in our antl

aircraft barrage was reported." The

sector was "showered with gas bombs,

which, however, caused no casualties

owing to efficient gas-mask protac

tlon.

The most important engagement of

the week on the entire west front,

was preceded by a Joint American

French artillery preparation In the

Champagne.

"After very careful artillery prep

aration during which our batteries

co-operated usefully, French Infantry

advanced to the assault southwest of

the Butte du Masnll. along a front of

about 1.-100 yards. They penetrated

the German first and second line po

sitions and reached the third. Inflict

lng heavy damage to the enemy pe.

sltlons and returning with 150 prison

ers." Text of Resort.

The Secretary's report in full fol

lows: While there have been outwardly

no new developments in the military

situation In the west, during the

period under review, yet it Is appar

ent that both the enemy and the al

lies, after the extensive preparations

which have been silently and syste

matically carried on. are ready for

battle.

The Germans have recently with

drawn a number of their veteran west

front units from the first line trench

and are busily training them in

mobile uarfare

According to advices received, ihe

rinan general staff hopea that by

massing a large number of thet

picked shock battalions which half

VAST ARMY

Ronps

MOBILIZED

1