Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / Dec. 10, 1918, edition 1 / Page 1
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V 1 J " T V" v" v" - - i ' J" M H H W H J H A CAROLINA H0J..E NEWSPAPER, CONSTRUCTIVE, CLEAN. R ELI ABLE 'WHEN YOU SEE IT IN THE OSSERVEfl ITS SO." FOUNDED 1869 CHARLOTTE. N, C. TUESDAY CORNING, DECEMBER 10, 1918. price five co:;ts (MEM 10 PHES1DE AT THE! I President Wilson Favors Entire . . .... . L . j. - Public Proceedings. . SOME SECRECY ."NECESSARY Wilson Not to Sit at Peace Ta- tju v.rf. Ra in Tmihh With v Heads of Allied "Nations. . i, (Copy riM, 1118, by Publlo loafer Co.) M London, Dec . A Paris dispatch to The DaDy Tcfcraph predicts that the final peace conference win meet from the last fortnight in February until May. " .' On Board U. S. S. George Washing ton, Dec, I. (By Wireless to the As sociated Press.); President Wilson probably will not sit at the peace ta- We but will be represented there by delegates while remaining in close contact with the heads of the other , nations and prepared to decide ques- . thns referred to him. Premier .Clemenceau, it is believed, will be president of theeace confer ence. This is considered fitting be cause the conference will be held in France. President Wilson's disposition is in favor of entirely public proceedings, such as Are carried on in the senate chamber at Washington, with the press representatives given every fa cility to report certain business. Nat urally there will be need of secrecy, as -there Is in the foreign relations committee, but the President's ideals that the procedure could bemuch the same as at Washington, a committee considering the confidential and deli cate features of various questions, and then reporting back to the peace con gress for action. Late yesterday. President Wilson unexpectedly attended a song-feat In the enlisted men's hall, where, after wards, he shook hands with the offl . ccrs and sailors. The President was given three cheers and a "tiger." The weather is warm and the sea is calnv ,- SIMS TO COMMAND FLEET . TO MEET WILSON" AT SEA m 55 Washington, - Dec. ' 9. Admiral Sims, command in chief of all s American naval forces In Europe, will personally command the fleet of nine battleships and 30 destroyers which is to meet President Wilson's ship at sea and escort it to Brest. Sec retary Daniels announced today that Admiral Sims' flagship will be tho Wvdmlng. V Tjpon the joining of these ships ' with the Pennsylvania' and tho ac : companying destroyers, th entire naval escort to Brest, and all ships accompanying the President will bo under the command of Admiral Mayo, commander In chief of tho Atlantic fleet, whose flag flies from the Pjmn sylvanla. Vice Admiral Henry B. Wilson will be in charge of the harbor and port arrangements for -tho reception of the President ! The George Washing ton, flying the .President's flag as su- preme commander of the Unite! States navyr will enter port through .- a channel marked by vessels of Vice Admiral Wilson's command. WILSON TO VISIT THE POPE WHILE IN ROME Paris, Dec. 9. Thomas Nelson Page,' the American ambassador to Italy, visited the .Vatican yesterday and announced that President Wilson would pay? an official visit to Pope u Benedict and Cardinal Gasparrl, the papal secretary of state, on Decem r her 23, according to a dispatch to the Temps from Rome today. RAYMOND RAMSDELL IN . MAGISTRATE'S COURT Officer of United Cigar Stores Co. Alleged to Have Said, . "Wilson, T Hop He Drowns." New Tork, Dec. 9. Raymond L. . Ramsdell, vice president of the United Cigar Stores company, was arraigned in a magistrate's court here today, accused of having exclaimed regard- ; ing President Wilson: "Wilson, I hopo he drowns!" " A .complaint charging disorderly conduct was made against Mr. Rams' " dell and the case was adjourned until Friday., X:..,; :-: , . . ., Wm.'H. Stockdale, a guest at the Hotel Marie Antoinette, obtained the summons, which was served, by a dep uty of William H. Edwards, internal revenue collector. Mr. Ramsdell is alleged to have made the remark when, on December 2, the room clerk at the hotel offered to introduce him to the hotel's head waiter, who is su perintending the table at which Presi dent Wilson eats on his voyage to France. , ', BANK RESOURCES OVER - ; ; 40 BILLIONS IN JUNE f. , Washington, Dec. 9. Aggregate re sources of the "28,880 banks in the United States, state and national, last June SO amounted to $40,210,000,000, of which $22,371,000,000 was credited to the 21,175 state; savings and pri vate banks and trust companies, and $17,839,000,000 to the 7,705 national banks.. This was shown today by a report of Comptroller of the Currency ' Williams. '., Deposits of the state banks amount ed to $18,57.000,000,' and loans -V $12,426,000,000 showing an Increase of fi.5 per. cent . In loans. National bss-showed $14.02 1', -000,000 deposits, an increase -of 9.8 -pc.Jcent snd $9.620,000.000.4oausatf Increase of $.1 per cental MARSHAL FOCH PROBABLY TO VISIT UMTliD STATES New York, Dec. -That Mar shal Toch may tWt the United Slate when ill duties penult indicated by ft cablegram received hero today by Mayor llytan front tho marshal In response to a re cent message in which the mayor inTited him to visit New York and offered him "the freedom of the city." - GABLE mm flSKSun Would Restrain Burleson From Taking Over Its Lines. Violation of International Law Is Charged; Formal Treaty Essential to Validity. New York, Dec , 9. The Commer cial Pacific company, allied with the Commercial Cable company, asked for an injunction in the federal court today restraining Postmaster General Burleson from further control of its 10,000 miles of cable, between San Francisco and China, Japan "and the Philippine Islands. . Violation of international law by Burleson is charged in the complaint, which asserts that the United States had not obtained consent to .the seiz ure from the nations upon whose ter ritory the cables land. It is further alleged usch consent would be uncon stitutional without a formal treaty approved by the senate. This contention is upheld, the com pany declares, by information from its London office that a department of the British government has instructed the Commercial Cable company represen tatives there to make no changes at the direction of the American post master general without first submit ting them to that department for ap proval. Bill of Complaint. The bill of complaint filed for the Commercial Pacific by Charles E. Hughes and William W. Cook, as counsel, declares:. "That the United , States govern ment, in seizing the cables, has not secured the consent of the foreign nations on whose territories the cables land, according to the company's in- fnrmfttlAn and KAltjkf "That thin nnnatitutM n. vlnlatlnn n the principles of International law providing that one nation shall not encroach on or seize any part of, the territory of another nation. "That all nations are very properly jealous of landings on their soil by nations, and forbid it because it is liable to lead to international compll cations. "That, If even consent of the ether nations to the seizure of the cables and landings upon conditions satisfac tory to them was secured, such terms and conditions, pertaining as they would to the occupation by the gov ernment of foreign territory, would constitute the subject of a' treaty whtch. under the constitution of the United States, can be made only by and with the cnosent of the secretary of war, which advice and consent has not been obtained, and that this is a violation of the constitution of the United States. "Cables are private property and have been taken by the defendant not for public use and that no provision has been made for any judicial in quiry as to tho necessity for such seizure. " 'That the seizure is arbitrary, in violation of the United States consti tution guaranteeing due process of law." Commercial Pacific I officials stated tonight, that they expected Mr. Bur leson to make voluntary answer to the icase. Tf he does not, they declared, they will serve him by publication, as in the case or tne uommercmi cpmpapy. ' . , . . No orders had been received from the postmaster general, they stated, and the company was continuing and planning to continue Its business as though its lines had not been seized. George Creel, chairman of the com mittee on public information, who is w i ,k. . naosx. .nnfarnrA in IO aucnu urn Paris, will receive the same treatment accorded anynewspaper or press hbbo ciation correspondent, officers of the Commercial company stated. EIGHT-INCH TRACTOR GUN TEST SUCCESSFUL Washington, Dec. 9. An eight-inch gun, self-propelling on its caterpillar track, and prototype of a fleet of simi lar monsters that was being construct ed for the American army when hos tilities ceased, was demonstrated here today before Assistant Secretary of War Crowell, Major General Snow, chU?fcof artillery, and a large group of American officers and engineers. Gun and macjilne, alike had successfully passed tho firing test at the ordnance prbving ground before today's "v. test, which was under direction of Pliney Holt, , and Colonel J. B. Slllard,- the designers. ' ' The tractor-gun drove its 56,000 pounds of bulk up a 4 5 -degree ravine wall, developed a speed of four miles an hour on a level surface and de molished large trees with .the same rutHlessness that its war-brother, the tank,- showed in action In France. AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN GERMAN PRISON CAMPS - Washington, Dec 9. A list of American soldiers in German prison camps was announced tonight by the war department. It Includes Lieu tenant Wm, S. Cousins, Lake Charles, La., who Is located at Camp Karls ruhe, and the' following enlisted men: At camp unknown: Wm.' J. Hutch ison, Gladys, , Ark;; Alien Aultman, Sumrall, Miss.! Oscar Cooper; Bush, La.; Lee F. Rash, R.: F. D Olln, N. C-r Phillip Krouse, Memphis, Tenn.; Charles N. CobWe, Midway; Tenn. - - At Limburg: Vernon M Harbison, Khoxville, Tenn.; Claud C ; Wilson, Rocky Point, N. C. ; , 5 Renorted wounded ' at unknown ramp; Eugen B. .MoserfcK.jFJjrJ J, iOuaccoviiiB, v. . PRIVATE CONTROL WITH JUDIGlQirS HEGULftTlQN ADVOCATED FOR RAILV, Railroad Securities Commission Roads Should Be Released From Pre-War Plan qf Regu lation. Atlantic City. N. J.. Dec fc Private control of railroads with judicious regulation was advocated jn tha rs- rport of the railroad securities com mission of the National Investment Bankers' association in session here today. The -pVe-war plan of railroad regulation, the report declared, was a failure, and the roads should not be returned to their pre-war status with out providing release rjm the "bur densome conditions" under which they have heretofore operated. Continuing, the report said: "Any plan of future government control should eliminate the conflict of control between state and federal' bodies. 'The Sherman anti-trust law .and state anti-trust laws in their applica; tion to transportation should be re pealed -in the interests of efficiency and economy, because such laws are unnecessary under proper governmen tal regulation. "Any plan of government control which increases operating 1 expense and regulated Income should assume responsibility for adequate earnings and sustained credit. "We may further' add that the al ternative of government ownership, which is being proposed by some as the best solution for the difficulties presented, in the opinion of the com mittee, does not otter the measure of relief demanded. ."According to reliable authorities, the records of government ownership the world over show decreased effi ciency, increased expense, lessened initiative, political Interference and economic waste. "Furthermore, we And nothing in the experience of our country in the field of public ownership, which en courages the hope that we can profit ably extend this sphere." NORWEGIANS WANT PAY FOR USE OF THEIR SHIPS Failure of America to Make Compensation - Sharply Criti cised. London Times Service. (Copyright, 1918, by Public Ledger ; Company.) ' Chrlstlanla. .Dec O.--In shipping circles there is growing uneasiness in regard to America's position on the part of Norwegian owners whose ships were requisitioned August 3 of last year, but who still are unable to obtain a settlement Their properties are withheld and used by the Ameri cans without any remuneration to the owners. Today the question was discussed in a leader in The SJoefartstidende, which stated the percentage of ton nage lost by Norway was greater than that of any other mercantile fleet in the world, while the total loss of lives was about 6 per cent of all Norwegian seamen. After the services of Nor wegian ships to the cause of the al lies, It Is not in order to boast. The fact is put at Its face value. Because American-confiscation deprives Nor way of the restoration ot ships lost in the service of the allies, the journal reminds, Norwegian owners thereby are compenea to order new ships in England. out our American mends, kav mis journal, nave as yet refused to pay us the money we wanted in pay ment for these new ships. The Amer icans are straining the patience of tneir Norwegian friends seriously, mum m me same ume putting a heavy load on the confidence of these friends in America as restorers of the righteousness of the world. It seems nign time ior American statesmen to commence to take an interest in this case." ISSUE IN GERMANY IS NOW CLEARLY DEFINED "" -It Is the Bolshevik Policy of Die tatorship vs. Democratic Pol icy of National Assembly. Special Cable to Tho Observer from ino jiondon Times. ;; (CoRyrtKht. 191 , by Public Ijigr Co.) fetocnnoim, Dec. 9. The Issue in ucrmany now is clearly defined. It Is me Domnevm policy of dictatorship of the class conscious socialist nrole- tarlat versus the democratic policy of the national assembly. Forces on each side are obviously by no means equal. The first policy is supported by strong groups in large cities, whose lmnoi-tan dependent on the fact, that they know cieariy wnat tney want and are in a position to exercise close Influence on the governing authorities. The sec ond is supported overwhelmingly by the majority of the soldiers, the mas of the-working class throughout the country, by the whole of the other classes and also by the government itself. Regarding the ultimate issue tnere would appear to be no doubt As regards the immediate future much dAnenH nn the m Aral atvn4t Internal ftAhealn. ttA mmamim . I ernment. i : If Ebert proves to be an-' other Kerensky, the outlook may be dark,, but If, on the other hand, he stands firm and can' carry his col leagues with shim In a. policy which utilizes to the full all the forces which are ready to place themselves at his disposal,, the. present period of un certainty and : indecision should be very short. - TO CONFER REGARPING EXTENSION OF ARMISTICE , ' . Borlin, Dec. 9. Via Amsterdam. Mathlas Erzbcrger, head of the Ger man armistice, delegation, announced today thftt-the-French government has requested the German army command' to designate plenipotentiaries to con fer regarding the prolonging of the armistice. The delegates will meet in Treves. m..Jminish l'ruitln, Dopem ber 73 and 13 m LARGE NUMBERS ISER-lin' VET IN GERMANY Blame Him for His Mistakes; ' Not. For His Misdeeds. WOULD NOT RESTORE HIM Prefer Monarchical to Republi can System, but Are Furious Over War's Outcome. ' Special Cable to The Observer From The London Times. (Copyright. 1(13, by Publlo Vttgtr Co.) The Hague. Dec. 9. A report from Darmstadt, capital of the grand duchy of Hesse, and another from Oberhausen, in Bavaria, agree that the number of people in Germany who still favor kaiserdom Is very large. In Darmstadt, two-thirds of the population are what is called "kaiser-minded." the meaning of which is hot that they desire to be ruled by William II. haviner ! affection the Germans ever felt for him Dy nis abandonment of his country in the hour of the greatest need, but that they prefer a monarchical to a repub lican system. Their position is that If the kaiser returned to Germany today he would De arraigned, not for his misdeeds, but for his mistakes. The Germans would have forgiven him for much if he had not run away. His urcatest Blunder. That was his rreatest blunder. Thev feel furious that after fpur years of suffering and privation, with unpar alelled losses. In blood and treasure, all they got Is bankruptcy political, fi nancial, commercial and moral bank ruptcy. They would like to avensre memseives tnererore. They mean to fix the blame and proceed against those who are resDon sible for the debacle, but they . are not necessarily against the Institution of a kaiser, though after what has happened, neither William II nor the ex-crown prince would be allowed to occupy the throne. Friday's Disturbance. Hveryone is accusing everyone else of being the originator tt the dis turbance la Berlin last Friday, and it is airncuit to ascertain who rea)ly was responsible, the reactionaries, the government or the Spartacus group. The immediate cause was the discov ery that members of -the 1 soldiers' council, who claimed to represent the soldiers at the front, were not dele gates, so the soldiers', council re solved to eject them. Three meet lngs of the soldiers at the front were summoned as protest They intended to make a Joint demonstration. When the demonstrators had combined with supporters of the Spartacus group and were marching along they found them selves opposed by troops apparently faithful to the government, armed with machine guns. Another account says that while the deputation of soldier! was gone to the chancellors palace to ask Herr Ebert about a vast executive council. Herr Liebknecht appeared in front of the house of deputies and wanted to talk to the members of the executive council, but was refused permission. Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg were arrested, but were detained only a brief time. LEMBERG ATTACKED BY. THE RUTHENIANS BY J. M. JEFFRIES. Special Wireless to Tlie Observer From xne ixnaon Times. (Copyright, 1118, by Publlo Ledger Co.) p Vienna, Dec. 9. The Ruthenlans again have attacked Lemberg, after occunvlne Grodek. between Lembersr and PrzemVsl. Polish forces aided by armored trains, repulsed them, pur suing them back to Grodek. The Ruthenlans are firing villages and commitlng other outrages. The Poles have hoisted the French trl -colors, The British Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes fly beside the Polish flag on the town hail in Lemberg. . SITUATION IN VIENNA GROWS RAPIDLY GRAVER Special Cable-to Tho Observer From Tlio ijondon Times. (Copyright, ll, by Publlo Ledger Co.) . Vienna, Dec. 4. (Delayed) The situation in Vlenha is growing rap idly er&ver. The cause is the coal famine. The last stores of coal for public use In this city are drawing to an end and if, owing. to lack of coal, .Vienna ' goes to darkness, and by Inability; to keep up train ser vice,, is cut oft from the rest of Eu rope, the maintenance of order be comes problematic. jo-jo SAys -Local rains today; fair and colder Wednesday.; ., ? : The fnllow who isn't satisfied with himself ran'castirgive htprself awsyr 1 ,500 CI1MTES FOR 600 SEATS 111 ELECTION SATURDAY IN BRITAIN General Feeling Is Lloyd George Will Come Back With Immense Majority Much Doubt and Complication. Spccla lWlrclcM to The Observer "From Tho London Tunse. . (Copyright, nil, by Publlo Ledger Co.) London, Dec. 9. The closing days ot the election campaign In England shows 1,500 candidates competing; for S00 seats. The 107 candidates re turned unopposed afford no indication of the result - Labor has 376 candi dates, the unionists 154 and the liber als IS4. For the first time In the modern history of England, three cornered contests are the rule than than the exception, some divisions having four and five candidates for one seat The absent voters' list contains four million names of men, overseas in France, Asia and, Africa and else where. The old pre-war issues and catch words such as "home rule" and free trade" fall flat, says The Times' political writer. The candidates who get the voters applause talk rather about hanging the kaiser on making Germany pay the costs of the war, but the pacifist members of the labor party are talking about everything but the war. The recent reform act not only has morethan doubled the electorate by adding women to the register, hat has changed the boundaries of all trie con stituencies, so the whole result is a melting not. The general feeling is that Lloyd-George will come back with an immense majority, combined ot Unionists and liberals with a principal minority composed of labor men who, it mav be.exDectea. win oumumoer those liberals who are supporting AsqUith. While voting comes next Saturday, tne votes win noi do counted until two weeks later, owing to the overseas soldiers' votes. , A curious feature of the election, of which there has been a good deal of newspaper criticism, has been the statements of Individual ministers re-rcrriins- the great issues. For Instance, Churchill announced the government's intention to nationalise tne railways. Someone else announced the govern ment's Intention to abolish conscription- . , , , The emanation Drobably Is these are the things which may happen If normal conditions continue to slowly return, but the future Is so doubtful. The government would naturally hrinV from making too formal nieir.a However, the election cam palgn goes on and the parliament will a f laaat Vie more renresentatlve than the last, although; many peopie ao noi expect the next parliament .will be b -- . - , - lonsifTew-:-jp----- - CZERNIN SAYS AUSTRIA TRIED TO QUIT IN 1917 Desperate Efforts to Withdraw From War Thwarted , by Ger man High Officials. Vienna, Dec. . (By the Associated Press.) Count Czernin, former Aus-tro-Hungarian foreign minister, today told l ho correspondent that Austria In 117 made desperate efforts to withdraw from the war, even to the extent 'of offering Germany the em pire's richest coal and oil province, Galiclo, if Germany would surrender Alsace-Lorraine. ".'. Count Czernin added that Austria's efforts always were defeated by either General von Ludendorff, tho German chief quartermaster general, or other high German officials, who even went to the extent of asserting that they were willing to declare war on Aus tria If Austria made a separate peace. K0LCHAK DESCRIBES THE SITUATION IN RUSSIA Supreme Power Must Be Wield ed by One Hand, if a State Is to Be Founded on Firm Basis. Sieclftl Wireless to The Observer From Tne iionuon -limit. (Copvrlght, 1918. by I'ublle ledger Co.) Omsk, Nov. 30, (delayer.) rln an Interview on the situation In Kussla, Admiral Kolchak said today: "If militarist success is to be at tained withla Russia and satisfactory relations established with other coun tries, the snnremei power must be wielded bv one hand. "They call me dictator, but history indicates that republics have produced fiiPtfttors in moments of difficulty. I shall never assdclate myself with any effort to restore the old regime in Rummia as I am convinced that only those states can exist wnicn are founded on a sound democratic basis. ,When normal conditions nave, Deen re tnrii a national assembly ought to be convenednot the eomUtueht nsscmoiy r V" - b.cau" L ?luL E X ?"e" e;r'Mr."7 .n rtown hill. The country seeos an assembly more truly representative of the people." , CONGRESSMAN-ELECT BERGER PLACED ON TRIA4- Chicago, Dec 9. Victor L. Berger, congressman-elect from Milwaukee, with four co-defendants, was today placed on trial In the faderal d,"ttf,ct court before Judge Landls on a charge of violating the espionage act A plea of not guilty was entered by Attorney Seymor Steadman for all the defendants, Bergen Adolph Ger mer, national secretary of the so cialist party; Irwin St, John Tucker, an Episcopalian clergyman; Wm. 8. Kruse and J. Louis Engdahl, socialist propagandist. , - Before the noon recess, District At torney Charles F. Cllne had com pleted examination of twelve venire men and tendered the' panel to the defense. - ' . TONNAGE NEGOTIATIONS . PROGRESSING, REPORTED '' 'Washington.' Dec. .-"Negottatlons for tonnage to bring home the Ameri can troops from France are progress ing satisfactorily, Chairman Turley, ef the shipping board, said in a cable- grsm -received today- by the-board- Pill! fflflll 10 BilB ARM OFFICERS DESIRING MAY. BE DISCHARGED SOON Washington. Dec. I. Discharge from the army as soon as practicable of officers who have signified their de sire to leave the service, has been au thorised by th war department Va cancies caused by such separations win be flue dtemporarlly by officers who want to hold their positions per manently or by those who have asked for commissions in the reserves. Explains Steps Taken to Revise House Bill." Effects of Nation's Transition From War to Peace Basis Outlined. Washington, Dec. 9. Effects of the nation's transition from a war to peace basis and ot prohibition legis lation on the present and future problems ot taxation are, outlined In the senate finance committee's re port on the revised war revenue bill, filed today by, Chairman Simmons. The report explains the steps taken to revise the house bill so as to raise by taxation next year $5,978,486,000 Instead of $7,500,000,000, as planned before the signing of the armistice and the enactment ot prohibition legislation. Proposed .taxes in 1920 of $4,000,000,000, the reason for fix ing them at this time and the man ner in whtch they will be raised, also are explained. ' The most distinct changes made by the senate in the house draft of the bill are noted by the committee's re port as follows: "Elimination of the six per cent corporation tax on undistributed cor porate earnings; fixing a 10 per cent maximum on bona-flde sales of mines, and oil and gas wells: elim lnatlon ot the tax on new state and municipal bonds; substitution of a single war-excess profits , tax for the alternative." Senate debate on the measure will begin tomorrow, with a statement by Senator Simmons. A dissenting re port on the plan to fix 1920 taxes in the pending b411 will be filed by Sen ator Penrose, or Pennsylvania, ror the republicans of the finance com-. mlttee. Separate views also will be presented by Senators Smoot of Utah and LaFollette, of Wisconsin, repub licans. . A considerable part .of Senator Simmons' report Is devoted to the plan for reducing taxes in 19 JO to $4,000,000,000. "The country has a right to know how soon and In what degree the burden of war taxes can prudently be reduced." the report says. "During this period of reconstruction, busi ness, particularly new business, is en titled to go forward without the bur den of an 80 per cent tax on war profits. In time of peace the exist ence of an 80 per cent profits - tax would be an absolute evU," for the perpetuation or continuance of which no sufficient' reason has or could be given." For 1920, the report estimates a reduction of $1,400,000,000 by elim inating the 80 per cent war profits tax, reduction fo the excess profits rates and reduction from 12 to 8 per cent In the normar rate on Individual Incomes and of the corporation tax. A further reduction of about $500, 000,000, It was estimated, will occur from , miscellaneous sources ana shrinkage in beverage revenues. "The main outline of the program proposed by the committee thus be comes clear -the report states. "For the fiscal year 1919 it is planned to raise nearly $4,000,000,000 from in come and profits taxes, and something ovpr $1,400,000,000 from other sources; for the fiscal year 1920 It Is planned to raise somewhat less than $3,000,000,000 from Income and prof its taxes, and about $1,000,000,000 from other sources. About the gen eral wisdom of such a program wo entertain no serious doubt It is Im perative that profits and income for the year 1918 be heavily taxed. This ,8 nt on, nec488ary bul lt l8 e(,u, table and in accordance with sound Policy. The profits realised during the year 1118 ar in large part war profits; they are now In the pocket ot the taxpayer; they should contribute heavily before they have been dissi pated or reinvested .toward the pay ment of the expenses of the war to which in Urge measure, they are at tributable, r 'O'.w "But it is equitable that these spe etal taxes should be reduced as the occasion which inspired and justifies them recedes Into the past To fail adequately to tax the war profits of 1918 would constitute a manifest mis carriage of gscal Justice. Not to pro vide now for the reduction of the war profit tax would be equally inexcusa ! Die." . -vi-K,,-;. v In addition ' to the tax reductions due to the fact that the government now copes with peace Instead of war conditions, prohibition is expected to reduce revenue returns greatly. Beverage taxes under the house bill were estimated 'to raise $1,187,000,000 during, their first 11 months of opera tion .and $850,000,000 Jor the 1919 fiscal yeaivr'-;-:'-;-' "At the present time under changed conditions,' the report states, Vit la possible to cotint only upon $600,000, 000 for 1918-1919 and $93,000,000 for 1919-1920 from this, source1 Analyrtngln detail the committee's radical changes, Senato Simmons' re port explained ths t t ho, revised Indi vid ual surtaxes rates graduated upon- .(Continued on. Pag Two. J. SIMONS FILES FINANCE REPORT it mm ma Came From Fund of $27,000, 000 Held by German, Embassy. BIELASKI FINISHES HIS V; STORY IN THREE DAYS Committee's Inquiry Into - GeN man Activities Not Ended. ' HEARST'S NAME PROMINENT Evidence Shows Thar His' Pa pert Were Considered Very: ' Valuable to German. Caue. : ,; Washington, Dec. 9. A..BYoce Bie laskl, chief of the bureau of Inves tigation of the department of Justice, completed his testimony today before the senate committee investigating brewers' and German propaganda. ' For three days Mr. Bielaskl had bared the confidential files o& the de partment to show the vain efforts of former Ambassadpr von Bernstorff, and other agents of the kaiser to In fluence public sentiment In America in favor of Germany. . ' Seven and one-half million dollar was the cost to Germany ot the v propaganda campaign In the United: States, Mr. Bielaskl said, the sum coming from the total fund of $27, 850,000 held by the embassy in Wash ington. Part of the money went tof the purchase of newspapers and the printing and distributing ot literature and part of it was sent to German consuls over the country. - Mr. Blelaskl'a testimony does net conclude the committee's inquiry into the activity of the German represent tatives. It was announced tonight thai Alfred - F.' Becker; assistant dis trict attorney of New Tork, who con ducted an investigation of German propaganda, and Francis Garvin, chief of the bureau ot investigation. , of the alien property custodian' -office, will be examined later. To morrow the committee will heat Pro fessor Albert Bushnell Hart, ot Har vard university, whose name was in : the "important list of names" con-, tamed tn Dr. Feuhr's diary and who T has asked for permission to' testify After that the commute will ad journ for several days. . Report to Berlin. " i: : In the course of bis testimony to day, Mr. Bielaskl read from a report made to Berlin .by Dr. Karl Fi Feuhr. , councilor of the German embassy on - propaganda. This praised the atti tude of William Randolph Hearst to- . wards Germany and Included on a,,' list of "neutral" papers The New York Evening Mall, Th Milwaukee Free Press, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post and the. Hearst organs. Feuhr said that . ot these, the Hearst papers were the most val uable because of their large circula tion and the fact that they were' printed in so many different cities. "The Hearst papers are not to bo classified as' blind champions of Ger many," Feuhr's report said. "Many of -the articles are not favorable to u. But for that - reason ' they are much, more effective than they possibly could , be if pronounced pro-German. ' Mr. Bielaskl told the committee that of an the newspapers published In the United States, the t, Hearst organ were the "most pronounced in favor of Germany." . 1 , : ... ' Most Friendly to Germany.- , -, "There Is no other newspaperman," said Bielaskl, "whose attitude waa so friendly to Germany. ' - - "If this inquiry were limited, to an Investigation of paid propagandists,? .; we could not mention . Mr. Hearst. , There is no evidence that Mr. Hearst received profits from the German government, or from any on acting for it. : "How do you account Hearst's attitude?" asked for Mr. Senator Nelson, of Minnesota. --,,. "It probably was because Mr. Hearst always was anti-British, and suspicious, of everything that country . did, or it may have been caused by his friendship with Von Bernstorff, replied the witness. ' , 'What was his attitude after "the United States entered the war?' ask ed Chairman Overman. "His attitude continued virtually questionable," replied Mr. Bielaskl. "Many articles published in bis pa pers, if, published after the passage of. the espionage act, as amended, would have subjected him to prose cution." 1 r Mr. Bielaskl said that all the de partment has to indicate that Hearst endeavored to get any favor in re turn for his support of Germany wan his application for his paper to get a special .news service German agent planned to send to newspaper in the United States, , William Bayard, Ble laskl oald,: recommended that the re quest be granted because of th op portunity afforded for wide circula tion of the news. ' . King- Object. ? ' Senator King, of Utah, objec . J to placing in the record telegram, sent by Hearst from Palm Beach, Fla., instrucUng his editors at New York and elsewhere as to editorial policy, saying the message were lne'.evaat. After an exeoutive , session, however, the committee voted to place some ef the telegrams, in the record tomor row, v In the discussion by tho commit tee of the ''neutral papers' named in "Feuhr's list"'- .Senator Nelson re marked. - , v. "The Washington Post wts fcai vn to the time of the death of John li. McLean. I used , to read it ev--rv rooming and swear. For a con, 3 of year w had only ono fair nvt puper in Washington and that . w m Th Star.Vi,:vAv-';,:';.-, ; Activities in this country of r. l Pasha, executed recently it Trm - for. high tresso. were toiu'1 t? . briefly by Mr, Bielaskl, Pasha cam here ester..-." t ... . (ConMn'ii r-- T - 'I
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 10, 1918, edition 1
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