THE ASHEVILLE CITIZEN
THE WEATHER:
C ITIZEN WANT ADS -
BRING RESULTS
Rale ! portion Friday Haterdaj I
rain, war war cratrel and eaat portion
I
VOL. XXXV, NO. 55.
AS11EV1ILE,N.C, FRIDAY MORNING, PECEMHER 1!0, 1918.
PRICE FIVE CENTS
PERCE CONFERENCE PLANS
NOT SHAPING THEMSELVES
AS RAPIDLY AS EXPECTED
The Burning Question
nil
TO OWNERSHIP OF
GIN
OPPOSED
P i SINK
UN
WARSHIPS CAUSES
RAILROADS
WIDE DISCUSSION
.A,
5
1
THE
BY
GOVERNMENT
tflaya It Would Mean Build
" J tog Up of Powerful Poli -
! ileal Machine
A
BRYAN ASKED HIM TO
CHAMPION MEASURE
President Wilson Taking Advantage
Delay to Assess Public Opinion
France Satisfied That People Are
Accord With His Ideas on Peace.
ot
in
in
i
Eitchin Fears Increased
Freight and Passenger
Rates Under Bill
1
's-1
(By 8. R. Winters.)
WABHINGTON, P. (. Dec. u. -An
organisation of railway employes
into the moat powerful poMUr.nl ma
chine the country has ever hart, a
pork-barrel btll incomparable to the
rlvar arid harbors and pulic build
In "pork harrel" bills, and unrea
sonable freight and passenger rales
are the results of governmen cwner
shlp of railroads aa foreshadowed by
r1aude Kltchln, chairman of the com
mittee on waye and means.
Bryan Asked Aid.
William Jennings Bryan, the orU-ln-
SHOULD AVOID DELAY.
LONDON, Dec. 19. Commenting upon the report
ed feeling in Paris that the preliminaries to the peace
conference are being unnecessarily delayed and that
there is a disposition to blame the British authorities
for this, The Times today says there is real need that
the inter-allied discussions begin without a day's
needless delay.
This is especially true, the newspaper thinks, as
regards the preliminary conversations among the re
spective leaders, it mentioning in particular Presi
dent Wilson, who comes fresh to the discussions.
Now that the British election is over, The Times
adds, there can be no excuse for postponing the meeting.
0
t
PARIS, Dec. 19. Definite plans .for the peace confer
ence are not shaping as rapidlv as some of the American
nt expected. Meanwhile, President Wilson
the powerful influence of the Noi-ih js takiner advantage of the opportunity to assess public
Carolina .congressman In favor of -n i i i 11 i a t -a tt
a-evemment ownership. opinion in France and incidentally in (ireat Britain. His
Conaequently. his'pronounced views ,,,1'., ..o. c ,,- V,o 1-.,, ia Anivnltr ooticfinsl fliol iliacu nnnnlao
on the subject were conveyed to the nu VJ "l loum,lV ouh.-aaim ..... mv. riUJn
great commoner at hla home In Ashe
ville. Mr. Bryan favor a dual plan
of ownership, state and federal gov
ernments Jointly exercising; authority
over the railways
"Aa to government ownership of
railroads" writes the majority leader
of the house of representatives to Mr.
Bryan" I am not convinced that it Is
a wise thing- and the results of the
government operation and control so
far have not tended to increase my
faith In its wisdom.
"It seenn to me that government
ownership Would mean, first, unrea
sonable increase In freight and pas
senger rates, second, organisation of
railway employes Into the mot
powerful political machine the country
has ever, had; third, a continuous de
mand upon the part of the organisa
tion for higher wages and shorter
hours, and tbnttnumjs bidding by
each party for the Influence of the
organisation and the vote of Its em
ployes by promises of shorter hour
and higher wages, which of course
would mMn higher passenger and
freight rates or a large annual deficit
to be paid by the tax payers generally;
fourth, the institution of a railroad
"pork barrel" bill In congress at each
session. Each member would have
several projects for building railroads
in his county and state and many
would have big projects for building
interstate railroads.
.Members would also demand pub
lic buildings as railroad depots at
numerous stations in his county and
utate. The so-called rivers and har
bors and public building "pork bar
er hill would not be a circumstance
o these.
EL,
RULER OF ITALY, GIVEN
are largely in accord with the principles he' has announced
as necessary to a durable poace.
Holding Conferences.
The members of the American mission are employing
their time, before the peace delegates from the various
countries actually assembled in a series of informal con
ferences, which eventually will include a representative
of each of the entente belligerents. Neutral states will
not come into these discussions.
The feeling among all the entente conferees is that the
making of peace outlines of a league of nations which,
later, representatives of neutral countries will assist in
completing.
Studying Problems.
While the American commissioners are holding these
informal exchanges, which are designed to clear up diver
gencies of opinion, the president is constantly giving the
closest attention to immediate problems. He is receiving
reports from the United States, from American diplomatic
(CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO)
s -v -
6 Ni!li ft,,
Congress Takes Step to
Secure Official Statement
On Matter.
; OPPOSITION TO THE
! SCHEME PROMISED
Difference in Construction
Makes Them of Little '
4
Use to Allies I
METHODS OF FINANCING THE GERMAN
PROPAGANDA MACHINE IN UNITED
STATES DISCLOSED AT SENATE PROBE
Machine, Op voting Out of BerRn, Planned to Spread Merman Ideas Throughout
World; Becker Declares Reads Documents Gathered By British Secret
Service Men and OthersBought News Agencies and Pspers
DR. MOTT DEFENDS "Y"
AGAINST CRITICISMS
DIRECTED BY SOLDIERS
With Heir to Throne, Ar
rives At French Capital
for Visit
WILL MEET WILSON
PARIS. Dec. 19.-King Victor
'Rmmanual, accompanied by the heir of
i'th Italian throne, the Prince of Pled
jlmont, arrived in Paris today. A warm
.s welcome was given me Italian mon
:tsrch by President Poincare, Premjer
Clemenceftu and the other mi maters
land tne tnrongs in tne streets ac
claimed him vociferously as the pro
cession left the station and wjnt to
the Italian embassy.
This evening the king paid a visit
to President Wilson at the Mural
mansion. It had been expected that
Victor Emmanuel and President Wil
son would meet for the first time at
the luncheon to be given in hitnor of
the king by Stephen Pichon, the
French foreign minister, tomorrow.
The visit of the king took place at d
o'clock. The conversation between
the monarch and the president, which
Is said to have been most cordial,
lasted half an hour. Premier Orlando
and Foreign Minister Bonnino will
meet President Wilson at 11 o'clock
tomorrow morning.
Speaking to a group which sur
rounded him this afternoon. King Vic
tor Emmanuel said that besides com
ing to Paris to visit the French peo
ple and government he was very glad
to be able personally and officially to
invite President Wileon to be his guest
at the Quirlnal, and that he had been
requested by Queen Helena to extend
the same- Invitation to Mrs. Wilson.
Menrbers of the American expedi
tionary forces lso participated in the
welcome to King Emmanuel. In heavy
motor trucks they lined the trans
verse streets overlooking the route of
the procesaion.
Admits That in Isolated
Cases There Was Cause
for Complaint
EBERT GOVERNMENT HAS
"MISTAKES MADE"
DR.; EGGliEJsTON EXECTKD.
i RICHMOND. V Dec. 18 At a
' meeting of the trustees of Hampden
Wlney college 'at . the Jefferson hotel
this afternoon. Dr. J. 8. Eggleston.
former superintendent of Instruction
of Virginia, wu elected president of
Hampden-SHdney. For the past five
years Dr. Eggleston has been presi
dent of V. P.,t
NEW YORK, Dec. 19. Dr. John R.
Mott, chairman of the war work coun
cil of the T. M. C.'A.. discussed In de
tail here tonight adverse criticisms di
rected against the organization by sol
diers here and In France. He vigor
ously defended the work of the or
ganization as a whole but did not
deny that In Isolated cases there was
Just ground for complaint.
Dr. Mott said that 200 men and
women workers had been recalled
from France because of unfitness and
announced that there would be a gen
eral "tig-htening up" to correct condi
tions which have resulted In criticisms.
He stated that George W. Perkins.
Mortimer H. Schiff and F. 8. Brock
man have gone abroad for the express
purpose of eliminating, no far as pos
sible, any further cause for compteint.
"It is the history of every great ef
fort that mietakes are made and no
one, no matter how exalted Ifls person
or how unimpeachable his Integrity,
can escape. Other important organ!
zations have passed through a similar
experience. So with the Y. M. C. A.
There is no phase of its work that
has been, left untouched by critics.
Much of the adverse comment is due
to -misconception or to partial knowl
edge."
Dr. Mott then took up In Question
and answer from the criticisms most
frequently heard. He explained that
the T. M. C. A. had not concerned it
self specifically with the wounded and
111 because' it had been agreed that
this work would be done by the Red
Cross.
He denied the-1 most frequently
heard complaint which has been that
the association has been profiteering
by the operation of its canteens over
seas. He explained that It had been
agreed with General Pershing that If
any profit were derived from the can
teens it should be used exclusively
for the benefit of the men of the army.
Canteens have toeen conducted. Dr.
Mott said, on a cost basis, but in fix
ing prices it has been necessary tp
reckon auch overhead charges as
transportation and marine insurance
with the result that prices, were much
higher than in this country. 'Not only
has the organisation made no profit,
he declared, but It has lost thousands
of dollars. Arrangements now have
been made, however, which will en
able It to obtain supplies from sources
that will reduce overhead charges and
fceeo price down.
TO STUTTCART DISPATCH
Disorderly Scenes and Per
sonal Encounters in Con
gress Cause
ARRESTS ARE MADE
PARTS, Dec. 19. The German gov
ernment headed by Frlederich Ebert.
haa resigned as a result of events on
Tuesday, according to a dispatch from
Zurich from Stuttgart,, says The
Journal's correspondent there.
Frlederich Ebert, who was named
as minister of the interior in the
cabinet of Prince Maximilian of Baden
on November 3 and became Imperial
chancellor on November S, took com
mand of the situation In Berlin fol
lowing the revolutionary uplifting
there. On November 15 it was an
nounced he had become premier and
had chosen his cabinet, naming Hugo
Haase. Phlllipp Sheidnnnn. Wilhelm
Dittman, Hen- Landtiborg and lilch
ard Barth as the seo-'t.-iri.'M In rharge
of the departments cremtl hv th;.
revolutionary government.
The centtal congfess of the dele
gates from the Soldiers' nnd Work
men's councils met at Berlin on Mon
day. The first session resulted In
disorderly scenes in which there were
many personal encounter). On Tues
day turbulent scenes continued,
George LeBour, a leader of the inde
pendent socialists, making a bitter
attack on Premier Ebert.
WASHINGTON. Dee. 1 Propa
ganda machinery set up by the Ger
man government in Berlin and
throughout the world to spread Ger
manic ideas, and the methods of
financing this in the United Slates,
were disclosed today to the senate
Investigating committee by Alfred L.
Becker, deputy attorney general of
New York.
The witness al.io told of his in
vestigation for the Frenrh govern
ment of the success of Bolo Pasha,
executed as a French traitor, but
added that since apparently the Paris
Journal did. not change Its attitude
of loyalty toward France, the trans
action was a "pure swindle" of the
German- government.
Reads Doomnenla.
them being citizens of the country In
which they worked were employed,
Mr. Becker said. Usually the propa
ganda was Insidious.
As early as 1909, said Mr. Becker,
George Von Skal, i former German
reserve officer and later auditor of
accounts of New York city, was told
on a visit to Berlin by a representa
tive of the foreign office's press
bureau that he would be valuable In
case of a future war to keep In touch
with the press in the United States.
There was no evidence, however, that
he acted in this capacity ' after the
United States entered the war. 'he
witness ' said. The German govern
ment In May, 1914. -tried in vain to
buy the Ottoman Telegraphic News
agency, with headquarters in Iragdad
Mr.
Becker
read documents ! to "!"'ea.d German propaganda The
gathered partly by the British secret
service showing that the German
foreign , office and other government
departments at Berlin maintained
elaborate systems both before and
after the European war began to in
fluence thought all over the world.
Branches of the German bunks and
commercial houses co-operated In a
vast cohesive organisation to pro
mote friendly relations toward Ger
many. Journalists, college professors,
bankers, business men and com
mercial consular attaches many of
publication of a German edition of
Current Literature, a magazine, ot
which George Sylvester Vlereck in
the United States and his father,
Louis V'lei-ick, in Berlin were pro
moters, was mentioned by thtf witness,
together with the Germanic nniHiHiin
at Harvard and the movements to
exchange professors with American
universities, hb German propaganda
moves.
One example of enemy propaga .idu,
bhiiI Mr. Becker, consisted of the
systemutic effort late in 1917 lo
'
WASHINGTON. Dec. 11 Press dial
patches from Paris saying that the
A merles n peace delegates, with, RrK
lh support, will urge the sinking ot
the surrendered German wmrshpe aa
the solution of the problem of their
disposition, led to Initiation of step
today In the senate to obtain aa of
flclal statement of the facts and to
wide 'dlsrueslon In naval olrele. v At
the state and navy department no in
formatlon was available, Secretary
Daniel repeating hie previous state
ment that he had never heard thai
suggestion officially, while at the UU
department It was sajd that far at
known there no auch project was In.
eluded in the American peso pro4
Cajne front London. . 'r ' ,
The first publtahed suggestion tnat
the ship be sunk cam from London
several days ago but even before that '
it waa learned, this had occurred -to
some navaj authorities here as m
possible way of settling a vexing prob-'n-
- ,'.. . . - -
Admiral . Benson, naval advisar te
tne American peace delegation, hag
been in Europe some time. . His views
worked nut with" Vioe-Admlral SUna
and officials of the British admiralty
and the French ministry of marine,
will have great weight with the
American delegates on naval questions -arising
at the conference, but there
Is nothing here to Indicate what con.
elusion, he may have reached on the
! dWposlflon of the surrendered, craft.) ,
, . UppoalUon Indicated. - '
There were many Indication todav
that a porposal to sink the eh In 4
would meet atrsnr nnnoalrlnn In enl
(rress. The rarle dispatch- nromprwl
Senatop- lxCg-4 . liitroduceaduy
resolution calling on the etate depart i
ment for' Information aa to whether
the American delegates are advocate
lng destruction of the enemy ehlpe
and if so by what authority. - The re
solution waa left on the table with
out discussion. i (
Whale the Impression has ' been
spread throughout the world the i "lven that the navy department would
idea that Germany was on the verge probably not look with favor upon
of Internal revolt and that the "ending the German ehlps te the bet
kaiser would soon be overthrown, i to, ome officers pointed-today -to
The fact that the dissemination of iuactlcal obstacles to absorption of
these reports was encouraged by the!!" But-rendered vessels by the allied
chief German government censor American envies. Tfisy said
was convincing evidence that the ef- hat owing to the differences In de-
forts were1 propaganda, intended to
paralyze the prosecution of the war,
in Mr. Becker's opinion. He taid
theRe reports had been sent out by
Germany by George T. Odell, cor
respondent of the New York Evening
mall, after the United States entered
the war. i
Senator Keed Interrupted to ask
whether similar articles had been
published by other newspapers then,
and even down to the present, and
that developments had borne them
out. Mr. Becker said this was true,
but insisted that the reports were In
spired by the German foreign office
iib ill 1917.
Mr. Hocker said the Trans-Ocean
News agency maintained a wireless
service, intended to Influence mainly
South American peoples, while . the
German South American institute and I
the German News service for portugal
and Spain, subsidized by the German
government, had similar functions.
air. Becker told the committee that
sign and equipment ' between the
cspltal craft of the German fleet and
(CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) . .,
CLASS CONFIDENT THAT
. AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL :
(CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO)
FEDERAL AGENTS ARREST
ALLEGED JSHEVILLE MAN
Gives Name of W. P. Brown
Is Not Known in This
City.
DIRECTORS ARRKSTF.P.
AMSTERDAM Dec. 19. (Havas
Three of the principal dlreccor of
the Krupp munition works at Essen,
including Dr. Bransetrberger, inventor
of the big Berthas, have been arrest
ed by the revolutionary party In that
city.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Dec. f9
Kentucky and Tennessee agent of
the department of Justice, co
operating to prevent violation of the
Reed bone dry art. today made a
haul on Louisville and Nashville
train No. 33. between Lexington and
Knoxville. Five men ' were
en route here and tonight
custody at the federal building await
ing a hearing tomorrow. The
prisoners are J. R Beavers, of Cop
perhlll, Tenn; Cecjl Eugene Webb,
Atlanta; M. Judge. Macon. Oa.; W. P.
Brown, of Ashcville. and "Rock"
Williams, of Knoxville.
Between 160 and ZOO quarts were
seized, also a number of traveling
bags containing ardent spirits, but
for which no owners could be found.
SURCEONS WILL MEET AT
NEW ORLEANS NEXT YEAR
Dr. Hubert A. Royster, of
Raleigh, Is Again Secreta
ry of Association.
BALTIMORE. Dec. 19. --New Or
leans was selected as the place for its
next meeting by the Southern Sur
gical association, which concluded lt
thirty-first session this afternoon.
Officers were elected as follows:
President. Dr. J. E. Thompson, Gal-
arrested I veston, Texas; vice-presidents. Dr. C.
are In lv riuuiiiji, niciuumiu, H.t mm ui.
li. A. Honaon, Louisville, kj-,; secre
tary, Dr. Hubert A. Royster, Raleigh.
N. C; and treasurer. Dr. Ouy L. Hun
ner. of Baltimore. Doctors Royster
and Hunrier were re-elected.
WA.UFS GI IOST.
TO
RAISE BANKS' SURPLUS
Gov. Harding Says Profits
Would Soon Make Up
Surplus.
Says They Know Additional
Funds Are Needed by
Government ' I
WILL RESPOND
FLU CLAIMS 6ft00ftM?
LONDON, Dec. 19. (Via
Montreal) The Times med
ical correspondent says that
it seems reasonable to believe
that throughout the world,
about 6,000,000 persons per
ished from influenza and
pneumonia during the past
three month. . . ; . . .
The only W. P. Brown listed in
AsheviUe Is Judge W. P. Brown, at
torney, whose name the arrested man
I is believed to have assumed. Judge
ilBrownwas In Asheville yesterday and I
last night.
RECEPTION TO PRESIOKXT-
PARIS, Dec. 19.-Havs.) The
committee of France-America gave
j a reception this evening In honor of
I President Wilson. The president was
received by Gabriel Hanotaux, of the
French academy. During, the bourse
of the reception President Wilson had
conversation with Senator Leon Bour
geois, Professor, Henri Bergson and
Ban-on Matsui, Japanese ambassador
tov France. " All the Latin-American
dl&omata were present.
RALEIGH. N. . Dec 19 Judge
Owen P. Guion of New Bern tonight
was appointed Judge of the fifth dis
trict to succeed Harry W. Whedbee.
resigned. Governor Bickett. returning
from the conference of governor, net
tled the Judicial race before It got
(started. Kx-'ongrestm.-.n Charles H.
Thomas, of Judge Guion a town, pro
tested this appointment and asked 'a
be heard. Governor Bickett had ben
in town but a few minutes wben be
named Guion who has previously r.tl
den the circuit. 8. J. Everett of
Greenville. Was the leading canJ:d:ite
in point of endorsement- by the oar-
' HTORM WARNINGS.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19. Appear
ing before the house hanking commit
tee today In support of Chalrmsn
Phelan's bill to .(iirtend the federal
reserve act. Governor Harding, of the
federal reserve board, urged Immedi
ate legislation authorizing increase of
federate banks, surplus to 100 per
cent of the-lr paid in capital stock.
AlthougT) profit is not and should
not lie the primary object of the fed
eral hanks operation. Governor Hard.
lng s-uil the banks' activities have j
lieen.H.i remunerative that .several'
haj-iks, If the proposed legislation Is
authorized, would have 100 per cent
surplus .Hi.ua rv 1 and that all would
have thai surplus by next July 1.
"The board views with some con
cern the large amount of outstanding
federal reserve notes," the witness
said, "but the banks have been
obliged to support the government in
Its financing and we now hope we can
reduce the outstanding notes."
Federal reserve banks earnings.
Governor Harding said, cannot be
di-eVied as any considerable asset to
ward paying off the national debt, now
I about $110,(100,000,090. Such 'earnings.
he declared, would be a mere vaga
telle."
WASHINGTON. Dec. - !. Storm
warnings have been ordered displayed
on the South Atlantic coast from
Georgetown. 8. C. to Jacksonville
and on the Gulf coast from Bay St.
Louis to Cedar Keys, the weather bu
reau -announced tonight,
; DISMISSED FROM ARMY.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 19.-Co-nvlct-ed
of having struck an enNsted man
under his command. Lieutenant I'lus
C Jr, Sixteenth Pioneer, infantry,
h-s n diemlfsed from the army,
the r department, announced to
Mf. inner wea tried by courtmarttaj
at UAM Wadswortn. 8. O.
1
WASHINGTON, pec. 11 Cowrt
dence that the American people will
In no wise relax their efforts toward
meeting the government's Immediate
financial requirements waa expressed
by Secretary Olasa in a statement
tonight, partially outlining the policy
of the treasury under his art min-irn ra
tion. Plans for meeting government
expenditures as have been outlined by
former Secretary McAdoo including
tnft offering of another Liberty loan,
the continuing of the sale of war sav
ing certificates and the retaining, ot
organizations for the sale of auch se
curities, will be carried out, he said.
"I am sure that the iiea'iiry de
partment can with confidence offer
another Liberty loan" said the state
ment, which was addressed to tha
American people, "and ronllnue the.
sale of war savings certificates know
ing that the organizations will re
spond once mors to the call for ser
vice." Government expenditures. Including
transactions In the principal of the
public debt, during the current fiscal
year up to ajid. Including December
1C. when. Mr. Glass assumed office:
have exceeded 9.600.000,000. the sec
retary said In reviewing the financial
status of the government. Expendi
tures for November were nearly two
billion dollars.
The proceeds of the Fourth Libert
loan so far received have all been,
spent, Mr. Glass said, and the re
maining installments will be needed
to meet maturing treasury certificates .
of indebtedness. More- then half of
the estimated expenditures of the'
government for the curr-Mt (iscal
year, recently placed at eighteen. bUs
lion dollars by Mr. McAdoo. havf
been spent in the first Ave and one- '
half montha Bills for prducthn ot
war materials, which had reached the.
peak at the time the armistice Waa
Mined, must be paii ni the great
expense of demobilizing the army .
met. ' ; . '.
In view of these ' facts. Secretary
Glass said another Liberty loan must
be issued before tne end of the Hsqul
year next June; and the sale of War'
savings etampa and certificate must
e Duahed most energetically.
if