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VOL. CX. NO. 171.
.SIXTEEN PAGES TODAY. RAI-EIGri, N. G, THURSDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 18, 1919. SIXTEEN PAGES TODAY.
PRICE I flVE CENTS.
heN
s attd Olbs
WILSON STILL HAS
OPEN MIND ABOUT
RETURNING ROADS
t
President Not Committed To
Any Particular Policy, Sec
retary Tumulty Explains ,
SENATE SPEEDING UP ON
RAILROAD LEGISLATION
Union Labor and Farmers' Del
egation Goes To White
Houie To Ascertain Wilsod's
Views; Qompers and Broth -
-erlxpoilfeads i Ask Senator
Cummins To Withdraw Bill
Whinitoil)e01Fre8iaeat"Wil
on's mind iastill open on the question
of returning the railroads to private
t control, Secretary Tumulty today to' a
delegation representing union labor and
some - farmers' organizations, which
called at the -White House to present
a letter asking the Executive to delay
, return of the roads for two years.
. This was the first authoritative x-
pression on the subject which had come
from Administration quarters since the
-. President informed Congress last May
that he planned to relinquish Federal
control by January 1. The President,
Mr. Tumu'ty said, would be glad to get
the views of the labor and farmer repre
sentatives who insisted that a fair test
of government operation in peace time
should be given.
Senate Speeds Up Bill,
" While the delegation was at the White
House the Senate was speeding up con
sideration of the Cummins railroad Pill
and apparently was Bearing a final vote
after more than a week of debate.
Under the measure tuo roads would be
returned to their owners within thirty
days after the bill became a law, but
there was ao proeect that Dual enact
ment of any railroad legixlution would
be completed until well after the
Christ mas holidays, swing to differences
between the Senate and House.
Before going to the White House the
unioa labor and farmers deli-gut ios
which included President Uompers of the
American) Federation of Labor and rep
resentative of the railroad brother
hoods, called oa Senator Cummins, chair
man of the nenata Interstate Commerce
Committee, and ashed that his bill be
withdrawn. He indicated that be wonld
lay the request before the full com
mittee. '
Letter t President. .
The letter from' the labor and farm
en delegation to the President said
proponents of the Cummins bill eluimed
tlmt the President planned to return the
Muds by January 1, and that some legis
lation providing for such return must be
enacted immediately. ' i
"We believe that this assertion is a
great injustice to you," continued the
letter. As you doubtless know, an over
whelming majority of the farmers, and
the members of the American Federation
of Labor and the railroad brotherhoods
as well as the general public, favor an
extension of the period of government
l.pi'rjtu.n of the railroads for at leant
t-ro rears, in order that a fair test may
have" been made of government opera
tion and a plan may be worked out fnt
the ultimate disposal of the railroads
which would bo fair tp all interest in
volved. '
During the day J. B. Howard, repre
senting the American Farm Bureau Fed
era'lofl, made public a letter whlelt be
had sent to Senator cummins iranainrt
tiLg resolutions adopted by the Federa
tion at Chicago last month demanding
t3 early return of the railroads to
private eontrol under such conditions
and regulations as will render adequate
service at just and equitable rates.
Consider Anti-Strike I lease.
The anti-strike provisions were eon
sidered. briefly tonight but went over
nntil tomorrow. Senator Cummins tried
to secure unanimous consent agreement
to vote on the anti-strike elauses at
noon tomorrow, but objection wss made
by Senator Harrison, Democrat, of
Mississippi, because consideration of
the sugar relief Dill wouia d snui on.
A substitute for the anti-strike
clauses was introduced by Jfienator Me
Cormier, Bepubliean, of Illinois, and
will be considered tomorrow, on pian
is similar .to the Canadian law and
would prohibit strikes or lockouts of
employes until ixry aays arier u
rlilnna bv an arbitration board The
MfcCormick plan also would require the
arbitration board to dispose ox an con
tnnnia within 90 days. -.
Senator MeCormiek declared that the
Cummins' anti-strike provisions were a
daaewrous precedent and doomed to ae
feat, but . Senator Cummins aaid -that
American labor leaders were mere op
posed to the Canadiaa system than to
the provisions , of the pending bilL
Aanthev substitute similar - to .. the
Canadian plan also was introduced by
Senator Johaea, Democrat, of New
Mexico, and went over until tomorrow,.
The Senate tentatively accepted aa
amendment by Senator Jones, Bepubll
nf Washington, deturned 'to -pre
vent foreign-owned railroads and. ship
lines from discriminating against Amer
icas carriers by cutting tbeir rates on
shipments to points within the failed
States. Senator Jones 'explained that
the amendment was aimed especially
at cert aia Canadiaa railroads over
which, because ef reduced rates, much
American goods . il shipped in bond
through Canada to Pacific Coast cities
of the United States, and also at railroad-owned
chip lines touching Alaskan
ports, i , ' - ;
By a vote of 28 to 20, the Senate
adopted aa amendment by Senator
Frelinghuysen, Bepubliean, of New
Jersey, providing for a revolving fund
of $500,000,000 from which the govern
ment eould make loans for the rehabi
litation ef railroads upon their return
to r rivets ownership. ' " j
CONGRESS TO REJECT PLAN
OF LARGE STANDING ARMY
Military Committees of Both
Houses Plan To Cut Request
Exactly In Half
Washington, Dec. 17. Eejection by
the House, and Senate Military commit
tees of War Department proposals for
regular army of 676,000 officers and
mea appeared, practically certain to
night when Chairman Wadsworth pre
dicted that the Senate committee would
fix the strength of the force at about
280,000. The House committee has al
ready agreed tentatively on approxi
mately a similar program.
''There ia no question," said Senator
Wadsworth, "but that the Senate com
mittee in its present frame of mind
will not' its the number at more than
280,000 and may possibly cut the num
ber more than that."
Senate subcommittee bearings on the
bill were concluded today, while the
House committee took np questions as
to , the future.. ojf.. the National Guard.
The Senate committee' hoped have
proposals in shape for the full commit
tee after the holidays.
E
PL
No Surprise In Washington
Over Successful Outcome of
Campaign In Ninth
REPUBLICANS NOT HAVING
MUCH TO SAY ABOUT IT
Doctor Fees and Other Stand
patters of Old Guard Not
Talking Since Campaign
Xnded; Their Prophecies
Failed To Materialize Much
To Their Chagrin
The News and Observer Bureau,
JS03 District National Bank Bldg.
By R. E. POWELL.
(By Special Leased Wire.)
Washingon, D. C, Dec. 17. Demo
erule circles in Washington today were
rejoicing over Clyde Hoey's election to
Congress and waiting Willi a savage
anxiety, for Doctor Fees to tegin msk
tag excuse for Morehesd's defeat.
- from the Whit House dowatM lln
the news was received here with the
greatest interest and aatisfaetioa. Chair
man Homer Cummings and A. W. Mc
Lean, of the national committee, were
highly elated. Both the Senators and
several of the Representatives ' found
time to analyze the vote today and to
poke their Bepubliean colleagues in the
ribs and aay "I told you so."
No one was better pleased than Sec
retary Daniels. To lins them up ac
cording to the measure of joy eaeh
found in the returns this morning would
be most difficult but Senator Gilbert il.
Hitchcock, who closed .the campaign ia
-Mecklenburg, would be running nip
and tuck with tire best pleased Demo
crat in all Washington.
No Surprise to Democrat.
Democratic headquarters was pre
pared for the new inasmuch as the re
turns varied but little from the con
fidential reports which came to Wash
ington from that district Saturday a4
Monday. Estimates furnished by
trained observers placed the Hoey ma
jority at two thousand with indications
that it would go beyond three thousand
if the vote was at all heavy.
The vote was not, comparatively,
heavy. It was light when compared
with tho vote of 1014, the only other
election in late years by which It can
fairly be measured. Ia that election,
Judge Yates Webb' majority ovor the
one and the same and the only Jake
Newell was 2,359 against the estimated
majority of 1,964 in the election yes
terday. ' .-v
The biggest surprise ef the district,
a the returns are appraised here, was
ia Gaston county. Judge Webb car
ried this county in 18 by 998 while
this time Mr, Hoey carried it only by
206.
Ths anawer is,- of course, the milt
vote. It went against Mr. Hoey very
decidedly, it had the same quarrel
with Mr. Morehead that the textile vote
ef Charlotte bad with - the exception.
perhaps, that Mr. Morehead waa never
accused of carrying a gun with him on
his visit to Gaston. ,
Blnme for the reduction of the Demo
cratic majority there won't be placed
until all the oracles have had their say
in the matter. A part of Washington
feels confident that it knows where the
blame belongs but is reserving 'judg
ment until all the evidence is in. .
RcRnblicana Not JnbllanU -Taking
into account ths fact that it
was a special election called so early,
that it gave the Democrats barely two
weeks .in which to wage their cam
paign a , circumstance that armed
against the Democrats even more than
aa off-year election there is much to
give joy to the Democrats.
Of course, the moot satisfying thing
Ibout the whole business 1 the chagrin
which it must bring to Doctor Fess.
The fight has been waged so speedily
until tii voters remember very dis
tinctly how Doctor Fees assured the
world that the Bepublieaas were going
to nominate "sorae.jrood man" and elect
him. The "solid, South" was going te
be broken, saiu the Doctor and lots of
things were going to hapgea
They did. . They didnt happen though
like the Doctor hoped. They didn't hap
pen like Morehead hoped, but defeat for
the "fiy by night" millionaire is almost
a alluring right now as victory would
have been. The difference Is that de
feat is painful to the Bepubliean organ
isation here and holds ae tright prom
ise that the South is by tny meant
,
(Continued Pag Twa.)
LECTION OF HOEY
EASESDEMOCRATS
COMMmEE CALLS
PALMERTOAPPEAR
DURING THE WEEK
Attorney General Will Tell
What He Knows About Coal
Strike Settlement
SENATE COMMITTEE TO
CONTINUE INVESTIGATION
Hears Expert On Coal Produc
tion, Who Says Operators
Are Not Making Big Profits
This Year; Thinks Lever Act
and Court Action Proper
Way to Stop Strike "
Wsshington, Dec. 17Attomey Gen
eral Palmer will appear Lefore the Sen.:
ate committee investigating the coal sit
uation Friday or Saturday, Chairman
Frelinghuysen announced tonight after
a brief session of the committee.
J. W. Dawson, an expert on coal
production and coats, who was the only
witness heard tiSday by the Senr.te Com
mittee expressed the belief that the
present wagea paid miners are sufficient
and that "any increases granted them
must eventually come from the public's
pocket."
"Coal operators are not making big
profit this year," Mr. Dawson said,
"and in my opinion they cannot entirely
absorb the 14 per cent increase which
the government kaa already allowed."
Senator Frelinghuysen asked the wit
ness to suggest a method of avoiding
nation-wide strike such aa that just
ended.
. "President Wilson and Attorney Gen
eral Palmer took the best method when
they started out to make the miners'
union observe the Lever law and eall
off the strike,". Dawson replied.
"But later tney reversed that posi
tion," Senator Frelinghuysen inter
jected. "Unfortunately, yes,'' responded Daw
son. The United Mine Workers Union col
lect annually 11,000,000 in dues, Daw
son told the committee and ought to
be Mid responsible for contracts.
You cannot- have collective bargain
ing unless both men and employers can
be made to live np to their contracts,"
a added, j
PRESIDENT LEWIS HAS NOT"
ISSUED CONVENTION CALL.
. Iadianapolis, Ind, Dec. 17. Jha I
Lewis, acting president of the United
Mine Workers of America, tonight Stated
that it had not yet been determined
just when or where the general conven
tion of the United Mine Workers of
America to be called soon would be
held. It waa decided at the meeting of
the general committee of the mine work
ers here last week to eall such a con
vention to explain to the 2,100 delegates
from the local of the Anion the reasons
for the action taken by the committee
in accepting the President's proposal for
ending the strike.
FEDERAL GRAND JURY
BEGINS ITS INVESTIGATION.
Indianapolis, Ind., Dee. 17 A Federal
grand jury, summoned by United States
District Judge A. B. Anderson, today
began an investigation of charges of
conspiracy on the part of coal miners
and operators to limit the production !
of coal. The charge brought by the '
government alleges violation ef the '
Lever fuel eontrol act, a war-time
measure and of the aati-trust laws,
which have been in force for years. j
The grand jury waa empanelled by
.Judge Anderson this morning and re
ceived instructions from the court to
let its conclusion be an answer to the
question "whether the government -of
the United States, or group of men
shall rule this country, and whether we
shall be governed by law or force."
Judge Anderson referred to charge
that tin miners and operator ia joint
conference had reached agreements in
tended to wipe out competition between
union and non-union mine and recited i
that due of the miner are held out f '
their pay by the operators and turned ,
over to the union. He declared thai
the court' - order . for rescinding the
strike had been complied with "in form
only," and instructed the grand jury
to investigate fully the "defiant atti
tude" of the miners ia refusing to heed
the withdrawal order. The grand jury
was in session most of ths day. Wit
nesses called included mine operator;
HOW AMERICAN DEAD
WILL BE RETURNED
Washington, Dec 17. The War De
partment make this announcement:
"It is the view of the War Depart
ment that it is essential, la order that
the project of returning tie American
dead from France may, as n vhole. be
carried on with expedition and efficiency.
that all negotiation witb-th French
authorities relating to this project aad
all arrangements relative to the ship
ment and transportation of the bodies
should be handled by the proper gov
ernmental agencies, and that aay de
parture from tins policy wha-eby nu
merous privat Individuals would under
take to make such arrangement sep
arately would undoubtedly result ia de
laying materially, if ant seriously ore-
judicing the orderly and successful com
pletion of the project as a whole. -"For
this reason and ia order that ia
the return of the bodies of the American
dead, at the request of their relatives,
ao unfair discrimination may result
against those relatives jrho are of
limited financial means, individual re
quests Of the character mentioned above
will Uniformly be refused, except where
relatives esir to permanently inter
the bodies of their dead ia cemeteries of
their own ehoio within the bon'.darie
of Europe."
REPLY BY MEXICO
NOT YET RECEIVED
LANSING EXPLAINS
Secretary of State Refuses To
Make Any Comment On
Unofficial Copy
SENATOR FALL DENOUNCES
CONCILIATORY METHODS
Senate Committee Will Benew
" Its Probe Into Mexican Af
fairs After Christmas; No
Advices Received By Ameri
can State Pepartment Be-
tarding Anj Hote , . .
Washington, Dee. 17 The reply of
th Mexican government to the second
Anerican note renewing the request for
the release of Consular Agent Jenkins
Lad rot reached the State Department
tonight and officials said they had not
been advised that it had been handed to
George Bummerlia, the American Charge
at the Mexican eapitaL
Secretary Lansing refused te read the
text a given out in Mexico City last
night and transmitted in Associated
Press dispatehe and said he wonld hav
no comment to make, before the official
tet had been received.
Before leaving for the border wher
he ts to resume the investigation into
Mexican affairs, now being conducted
hy the Senate committee of which he is
chairman, Senator Fall, Sepablieaa, New
Mexieo, issued a statement declaring the
American government had atarted nego
tiations in ths Jenkins ease with aa
ultimatum and had eaded up "with n
ii.il a!ndonm,ent of it position." He
added that ia view of the recent events,
he had no reason to think that anythiug
further would be doe by this government
"in the Jenkins case or any other ease
c'hr than to bark, wash our hattdf in
nv.'sibie water, roll our eyes upward and
proclaim "'I'eace on earth; good will to
batdits.'"
After spending the - Christmas holi
days at his home. Senator Fall with Sen
ator fmith. Democrat, Arixona, will rc
runie b king of testimony for the Senate
remmittee at Saa Antonio, Texas. He
plan to hear there, and in Waahjngtou,
John Und, William Bayard Hale, Duval
West nt other special agent whs were
en tnio Jirjcteo try President Wltioe.
decretory Lansing and former Secretary
of State William Jennings Bryan, to
gether with a number of other witnesses
als- are to be summoned before the
ommmlttee anally conclude its Inves
tigation.' URUGUAY KNOWS NOTHING
ABOUT ANT MEDIATION.
Montevideo, Dee. 17. ports em
anating from Mexieo City yesterday
-hat the Uruguayan government would
offer it services as a mediator in the
difficulties between the United States
aad Mexico ever the ease of Coasul
Jenkina were denied at the foreign min
istry here today.
Advices from Mexieo City last night
aid Gabriel Terra, the Uruguayan min
later of foreign relations, had sought
on behalf of his government to aid L
composing the difference between tlie
United State and the Southern Repub
lic over the Jenkins affair. Such a step
on the part of the Foreign Minister
Terra wae said to have been announced
by the Mexican foreign relations de
partment on receipt of information from
,ne "e.iean -narge av mouwve.,
i m a u
AMMUNITION' EXPLOSION
SHAKES UPD0VER, N. J.
No Loss Of Life Beported At
Burning Of Government
. Arsenal This Morning
Dover, X. J, Dee. 18. Aa explosion
of loaded ammunition at Pieatiany
arsenal shook Dover, New Jersey, to-
nighr at few minute before midnight
Government official at the arsensl tele-
phoned to Dover to send all availabl
fir apparatus aad a few minute later
wire communication with the arsenal
was cut off. It. eould not be ascertain
ed if there waa any Inn of life. Flame
at the arsenal .can be seen for several
miles, .' ' - ' '' " '
At 1 :1S this morning shells were ex
ploding at . frequent intervals ia the
burning arsenal. Several hundred men
have been employed -at the arsenal,
which ha maintained operations nine
the signing of the armistice, manufac
turing powder. Nothing i yt known
(a mnw MlniHiM.
, Officer st the United State! Navsl
depot, Lake Denmark, two mile dis
tant from ths arsenal, aaid they had
no reports of any killed or injured.
. New York. Dec 18. A report wa re
ceived here tonight that th government
arseaal near Dover; N. J was destroy
ed by ' aa explosion which ,. occurred
shortly after midnight Th noise of
th explosion waa keard ia neighboring
Jersey towns but all wire eommoaiea
tion with th arsenal, which is located
in an iraMed spot in th Jersey Hills,
WM ut off. . . ,.,.?..
, Clyde Bay Another Fleet.
New York. Dee. 17. Th Clyde Steam
ship Company, one ef th subsidiari-s
of the Atlantl, Gulf d WesU Indie
Steamship Company,1' yesterday Pfrr
ehased the steamship Interest of id
ward M. Raporel 4k Co., operating a fleet
of seventeen steamers between here,
Philadelphia and ports ia the Went In
die and on the north coast ef South
America. The eompaay also had a trans
atlantic acrvjc from Philadelphia, Ko
price wae tted. ...
COTTON
PARI
FORM
PERMANENT
CAMPAIGN
North Carolina Division Ameri
can Cotton Association Is
Organized Here
PURPOSE IS TO MARKET
, COTTON ECONOMICALLY
Warehousing of Cotton Crop
With Facilities In Every Cot
ton Growing- County Empha
. tiled by President J. 8. Wan
namaker, ex Congressman
: Lever, and Harvie Jordan
The North Carolina Division of the
American Cottoa Association wss organ
ised here- yesterday - at a - meeting of
farmers and business n:en representing
the cotton growing ncotions of the State
when addresses were delivered by Mr.
J. 8. Wsnnamaker, president of the
American Cotton Association ; Col.
Harvie Jordan, national campaign di
rector; Former Congressman A. F.
Lever, member Federal Farm, Loan
Board.
The permanent officers of the associa
tion, elected at the afternoon session,
are: Mr. L. S. Tomlinson, Wilson,
president; Mr. Frank Gough, 1. umber
ton, first vice-president; Mr. 1'rink
Shields, Scotland Neck, second vice
president. Th executive committee composed
of en representative from each of the
ten congressional distrirts and tliree
selected at large is composed of the
following:
Mr. Carl Turnage, Furmville- Mr. W.
A. Tierce, Weldon; Mr. John R. Fater
son, Clinton; Mr. W. M. Saunders,
Smithfield; Mr. J. W. Whitfield, Creed
moor; Mr. Walton Methume, Lumber
ton; Mr. V. B. Bin lock, Wadeshoro;
Mr. I. M. Payne, Statesville; Mr. V. K.
Moetellrr, Lincoln county; Mr. W. E.
Walker, Polk county ; Mr. W. O. Newby,
Hertford; Dr. Clarene I'oe, Raleigh;
Mr. O. B. liadley, Oreenville.
Opening Exerciae.
With Gov. T. W. Bickett presUing.
the convention opened in the Academy
of Music, yesterday morning shortly
after 10 o'clock and the delegates were
welcomed to Raleigh by Mayor T. B.
Krdridge. The 'response, 4 on the pan
f the North Carolina Division of the
American Cotton Association, was made
by Mr. Frank Gough, of Lumberton.
The address of Colonel Jordan followed
closely after, with President Wanna-
maker concluding the morning session.
In the afternoon former Congressman
A. F. Lever, now member of the Fed
eral Farm Loan Board, delivered an ad
dress, and ths convention went into the
work of organisation. The constitution
was adopted with a slight change pre
scribing that the delegate from the
county branches to th State convention
should be upon a base at one delegate
for each fifty members. The election
ef officer followed and the convention
recessed until the night session.
Convention In "High."
. Gevernor Bickett was presiding at the
airernoon session when Mr. Frank
ertiirlds, of Scotland Neck, loaded down
with resolutions submitted to the resolu
tions committee was recognized for the
report. The Governor slipped the con
vention into high, and he did most of
the voting while the resolutions were
either passed, or referred to the execut
ive committee, in short order.
By resolution, the convention de
termined upon an indefinite campaign
for membership, went on record for the
planting of food and feed crops first
aad cotton on surplus acreage; ex
pressed itself in favor of such a co
operation with the warehouse commis
sioner's oAic aa to result in the erec
tion of warehouses in each county of the
State; thanked the men of North Caro
lina who have aided in the movement
including the press of the State, the Far
mers' Union, Dr. B. W. Kil.-ire, Major
W. A. Graham, Mr. L. S. Tomlinson and
Mr. U. G. Bubinow, campaign directors.
'Jne convention passed oil almost with
out exceptional incident. Only toward
the ead, with the election of officers,
eame a few moments when th atmos
phere wa tens with possibilities,
, Butler Back Off.
The major officers of the convention
had been chosen and the time eame for
the selection of the executive commit
teemen, when Senator Marion Butler, of
Sampson, arose, recounted his activities
ia the interest of the association, told
of his selection as president ef the
Sampson county branch ,and of the
urgent request on th part of some of
hi friend that he allow hit name to
be brought before the convention aa ex
ecutive committeeman. " T"
Since that proposal, lie stated, he had
been informed. that objection had arisen
oa the part of some of the forces of
the convention, and because f it, he
did not want his name to be' brought
(C tinned en Pag Two.)
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN
EUROPE FACE STARVATION
Waahtngtoa, Dec 17. CUrTation face
from fifteen to twenty million persons
in central Curope outside Germany un
less "some quick mean can be discov
ered for their assistance,'' Herbert Hoo
ver, former Food ' Administrator aaid
today in a formal atatemeat. Unless re-
Nief is ouickly furnished, he predicted, a
breakdown of stable government in the
countries affected and "creation of an
other cesspool like Russia." '
To meet the situation, Mr. Hoover pro
posed tbfittli "great surplus of wheat
and flour" held by th' grain corporation
D sold on credit to r inland, Poland,
Austria and other nations -of Central
Europe. Th grain corporation, he aaid.
could extend the credit out of th capi
tal it already possesses without a call for
special appropriation by Congress.
PROMISE TO RE-OPEN
PEACE TREATY FIGHT
IN SENATE SHORTLY
SUGAR
MEASURE OP
IN SENATE TODAY
Relief Legislation Meets With
I Temporary Set-Back In
, Upper Chamber
ADVOCATES LOOK FOR
IT TO GO TO CONFERENCE
Charges Hade That Congress
Is Besponsible for Soaring
Prices; Little Prospects For
Pinal Vote On Bill In Senate
Today; Prolonged Debate
Expected
Washington, Dec. 17. Sugar relief
legislation passed yesterday by the
House met with a temporary setback in
the Senate today when an effort to sup
plant the pending railroad bill in it
favor wns defeated 41 to 2.1. Advocates
of the measure now expect it to go to
conference with prospects of enactment
before the holiday recess very, dubious.
They bad hoped to obtain concurrence
of the Senate in the House bills.
Senator Harrison, Democrat, Missis
sippi, proposed that the eSnate concur
in the House amendments, without send
ing the bill to Conference. Senator
Bansdell, Democrat, Louisiana, objected,
opposing retention of the licensing plan
particularly. Urging his motion, Sen
ator Harrison reiterated charges that
Congress waa responsible for failure to
relieve consumer from soaring sugar
prices. The sugar bill had been before
the Senate sine October 8, he said, and
the House, although the bill originated
in the Senate, passed it within 4s hours.
Chairman Oronna of th agriculture
committee, urging tuat t&o sugar meas
ure tie sent to conference, denied that
Cengress waa responsible and asserted
that "the resident wa fiddling."
Immediate consideration of the sugar
bill, Senator Bansdell warned, would
result in prolonged debate a be would
oppose the House licensing amendments
to the end. Th vote followed.
The Senate reached an agreement to
night to eonaider the sugar- bill from 11
until 12:30 o'clock tomorrow, temporur
ily replacing the railroad bill. Leaders,
however, expressed the belief that there
was little prospect of a final vote on the
sugar bill tomorrow in view of an
nounced plana of opponent to prolong
discusssion. ,
LATER ELECTION RETURNS
IN 9TH REDUQE MAJORIT
Pinal Figures Indicate That
Burke Was Carried By Re
lican Candidate
. Charlotte, Dec. 17. Revised reports
received from several mountain counties
of the Ninth Congressional election dia
triet tonight reduced to less than 1,500
the majority of Clyde R. Hoey, elected
yesterday over John M. Morehead, to
succeed Yates Webb in .Congress. Burke
County, which waa reported last night as
having given Hoey a majority of 78
votes, gave Morehead a majority rang
ing from 100 to 125, according to a long
distance telephone message tonight from
the chairman of ths board of elections,
who said, however, that complete re
turns could not be received before to
morrow.
In the face of complete official re
turns from a majority of the counties
an dincomplete returns from the others,
Hoey' majority ranged from 1,071 to
1.477.
Mr. Hoey said over long distance tele'
phone from Shelby tonight that reports
received by him today gave Morehead
487 majority in Avery, 1,000 in Madison,
830 in Mitchell, and gave XLaty 100 rna
jority in Yancey. Republican headquar
ters here eoneede Hoey a majority of
1,100.
Morgnnton. Pee. 17. With scmi-orH
eial reports from all but two small pre
cincts Morehead s majority in Burke
over Hoey appears to be 100, thU est!
mate giving these two precincts the
earn vote aa cast last year. IX is
thought that official returna Will show
this to be correct within at least a
dozen .votes. . ,
SPEEDY1ACTI0N URGED TO
HELP FORMER SERVICE MEN
, Washington, Dee. 17. Speedy action
ra demanded of Congress oa all mat'
ten affecting .the governments deal'
ing with former service mea', in reso
lution adopted toaigat by national aad
state officers of the American Legion at
the conclusion f a three day conference
with officials of the war risk insurance
bureau. Th resolution, also warned
Congress of the Imperative necessity ef
providing relief for men w ho have met
with injustice through the inadequacy
of laws under which the present insur
ance and compensation regulations are
administered. . "
. Throughout the afternoon session of
the conference, concern wa expressed
that th nation may have to undergo
again the burden of penaion payment.
Jhe pension system waa euaracterixed
by delegate after delegate as unneces
sary and unjust and as adding a burden
ea,the coming generation which the
tax-payers of the year should shoul- j
der. . ....
Symposium of. Views Durino
Brief Debate BTSenators
Strike Note of Con- .
ciliation
THINK POLITICS OUGHT '
TO BE FORGOTTEN AND
PEACE BE ESTABLISHED
Discussion Reflects Trend of
negotiations Which Hare
Been In Progress Privately
Among Senators For Agree-
Ul V m UIV1VSHU AltUTlV All
That Direction Daring Day;
Senators Knox and Smith
- Make Pleas for Settlement
of Much Mooted Question;
Action Also Urged By Others
Washington, Dec 17. Expressions
that seemed to point toward a re-opening
of the peace treaty fight within a
few weeks were voiced on th Senate
floor today when the subject bobbed np
in the midst of consideration of the
railroad bill.
The symposium of view that went
into the record during the brief de
bate included opinions from virtually
all factions of the divided Senate mem
bership, but they all struck a note of
conciliation. Differing widely in their
- i : M . . i. ... l
suggestions for a solution, they stood
together on tho general proposition that
politic ought to be forgotten and that
'the Senate, acting independent, of ex
ecutive opinion ought to do something
promptly to end suspense and establish
a state of peace. .
Negotiation In Progress.
The discussion reflected the trend of
negotistions which have been in pro
gress privately among Senator for an
agreement that would get th question
finslly out of the way. There wa in
creased activity in that direction dur
ing the day and soma of the leader
predicted some forms I early action ia
the new year.
Senator Knox, of Pennsylvania, a
leader 'in the irreconcilable Bepubliean
group of treaty opponent aad a mem
bst of !) Foreign Relation committee,
brought the subject to th floor by an
other nttempt to get before th Senate
hi twe resolutions to establish a atate
of peace. The effort wa blocked, but
he obtained unauimou eonaent to (end
the measures to the committee, where
he expects to renew his request for ac
tion. Plead For Compromise.
A. plea made by Senator Knot fur
some sort of a settlement waa seconded
hy Senator Smitk, of Georgia, s reserva
tion Democrat, who declared the .time
had come to stop academle discussion
of who. held up the treaty and get to
gether in a give and take effort for
compromise. Action also wo urged by
Senator Nelson, of Minnesota, on ef
the mild reservation Republicans, aad
by Senator Myers, of Montana, a Dem
ocrat who voted last session for some
reservations and also for ' unreserved
ratification. '
In the compromise negotiations pro
ceedings at private conference among
Senators, the principal activity seemed
to be among the Democrats, the Repub
lican reservationists indicating that they
the other side. The Democratic man
agers were hopeful thst such aa agree
ment soon would be reached, but they
predicted it would not take tangible
form until after the holidays. Among
he Democrats there was mueh discussion
of the possible effect of the compromise
negotiations on the contest between Sen
ator Hitchcock, of Nebraska, and Sen
ator Underwood, of Alabama, for elec
tion aa Democratic leader ef the Senate.
The negotiation started yesterday with'
the mild reservation Republicans were
conducted by Senator Underwood' sup
porters, but he declared tonight that
while he stood for some sort of compro
mise he w not in revolt against Pres
ident . Wilson, nor leading any sort of
opposition to th treaty.
Consideration of the first 'of Senator
Knox' resolutions, which xrould ratify
the tresty ia so far as establishment of
atate of peace is concerned, wa
blocked by Senator McKellar. Democrat.
Tennessee, while 8enator Nrjsoa stopped
tne second one, proposing merely to
declare that a state of peace exist.
Lro Beast to Act. .
In view of the attitude of President
Wilson Senator Knox declared the Sen
ate ahould proceed in it own way to
secure a formal peace status, working
out th best solutioa it eould st one.
Besponsilnlity for the delar waa de
clared by Senator Smith to be about
"fifty-fifty" between th two partie. It
wa only a waste of time to try to fix
the blame, he asserted, adding that ia
his opinion -more than two-third ef
the Senate .favored ratification with
reservations of a certain kind, th
phraaegy of which eould easily be
worked out if the real friend, of th
treaty Wer to com together in eon.
ferenee. 1 .
We will make no progress br'erlmi- '
nstioa aad reeriminatioB," said Senator
Smith, "Let us eeas trying to find
out who is to blams for th delar and
bring th delay to an end. Tarty poli
ties should not be played with a matter
of such importance. Batificatioa must
be by non-partisan action and averv
effort to gain partisan advantagi handi
cap ratification.'' "
Senator Myers (aid bth nertfes had
been "making a political football of the
treaty." , ' - -
Bara French Cewsalat.
Constantinople, Dec 17. The French
consulate here was destroyed by Ire to
day. - : .