davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-07-04

you to pay a cent more next year,
every time that they raise the
price OF sisal fiber it costs the
farmer a cent, and it costs the
farmers of the State Of North Da-
kota a quarter Of a million dol
lars. There is no question about
that
There is plenty of evidence to be
had in support of that clear statement
Of the sisal situation.
From its small beginning, about
thirty-live years ago, the sisal indus
try of Yucatan operated through
an open market until last year. Its
price was fixed by the law of supply
and demand, Merida, the capital of
lucatan, was the worlds sisal market.
Some of the big producers built ware
houses and docks ard spur tracks and.
in addition to handling other exports
and imports, became naturally mer.
Chandisers of their own and their
neighbors' sisal. The industry flour
ished. The plantations widened. From
499,G34 bales in 1900 the exports grew
to 9G4S62 bales in 19t4. The plant
ers grew rich In Paris anu other
pleasure places Of Europe some of
them came to be known as the "hene-
quen kings"
Quite logically, there we're attempts
to control the market artidcially. As.
sociations of various sorts were formed
to regulate the industry But these at
tompts were never more than ndif-
ferently successful In 1872 one Of the
last legislatures that sat in Yucatan
created the Comision Reguladoya del
Mercado de Henequen, which is, in
English, commission for the regulation
of the sisal market-or Regulating
Committee" as it is generally called
in the United States
But not until the summer of 1915 did
the Regulating Committee come to con.
sequence and power The government
tai turmoil of Mexico had at last
spread to far-off, prosperous Yucatan.
Rapid scene shifting of politics and
reshufIling of the cards had put in alb
solute power Gen. Salvador Alvarado.
East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-07-04

,of the Philippines--is the only other
fiber that will adequately serve in
stead Of sisal; and Manila, as they
call It in the trade, is too costly 1t
lis better fiber than sisal for rope and
cordage, but typhoon damage, the scar
city Of ocean tonnage, Japan's grow
ing demand, and the wartime shortage
Of wire rope, have combined to send
Manila up and keep 1t up. Also, rich
little Yucatan is our next-door neigh
bor-with Progreso only six hundred
miles from rail.end at San Francisco.
So sisal stays master Of the twine
market and Yucatan queens 1t over
sisal.
Smoothly balled, neatly baled and
corded, each ball licked with the max
| er's guarantee Of 500 feet to the pound,
(. the sisal Of Yucatan comes to the
4, srainnelds OF America. You-assum.
East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-07-04
It's Americas YeLlow Gold That GiIds
history of Sisalis Story of Binder
ITwine-Inquiry at Washington Means
Many Millions to u S. Farmers.
By Charles M. Carol,


ing that you are farmer-order what
twine you think you'll need and get 1t;
the neatly corded bales are tossed out
to you. There is nothing in the me-
chanical evenness of its winding, in
its freedom from knot and imperfec.
tion or in its warm brown tone to sug-
gest green gold or to hint at the
colorful tale that unwinds between the
Yucatan sisal field aud the American
farmer. A ball of American binder
twine is as staple as a pound Of sugar
and as prosaic.
Now and then you may have read
in your newspaper that there is some
kind OF an inquiry afoot at Washing
ton as TO Yucatan sisal-some talk of
a monopoly; of rising prices of the
fiber; of tho oppressed and poverty
smitten planters Of Yucatan; of wit
nesses with Spanish-seeming names
telling Of their struggles to make a
living You may have tried to match
up these brief, vague and apparently
pointless reports with intimations in
your farm journals that binder twine
is going up" but it all seems far off
and unimportant
But II you could have dropped in on
some Of the sessions of a Senate Sub
committee at Washington during the
last few weeks you would have heard
things to open your eyes and awaken
your mterest-your self-interest,
The room is that of the Senate Com
mittee on Agriculture and Forestry.
There sits a Subcommittee of Sena-
tors-Ransdell of Louisiana, as chair
man, Gronna from the great wheat
state Of North Dakota and Wadsworth
Of imperial New York. They are in
Quiring into the matter OF the importa.
tion Of sisal and its sale in the United
States. BY tie slow, patient process
OF examination and cross-examination
the three Senators are getting down
to the answer of the sharp and peril
nent query from Americas agricul.
ture WHY is BINDER TWINE
HIGHER? HOW MUCH HIGHER is
1T GOING?
The senate subcommittee's inquiry
began February II, 1916, and went
on intermittently for about ten days
of actual testimony taking. March q
was the date set for the resumption OF
the hearing. Up to this writing almost
East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-07-04

TVEN NV, after 2 tragic time OF
= political turmoil lhaC has
b'ouVtl ~ tie rest of Mexico
20 ecor li9 rL.n one State Of the un-
HAPPY republic remains prosperous
(ar-off Yucata2 down under the sweat
ing tropics, on its low-lying, sun5
drenched peninsula upthrust from 18TH
mian America between the Gulf and
he Caribbeans turquoise blue. For
one thing, Yucatan is remote from
lie seats Of government that are the
Genes OF revolt and rapine; for the
other thing, it has heneQucn-and
benequen is gold, the green gold Of
Yucatan."
HeneQuen's other name is sisal,
which is easier to say You can't
yary well mispronounce that name; 1t
sounds as II looks. In Nucatan sisal
proEs in an abundance and of an OK
csllence not yet approached in any
other land. 1t is the worlds chief
source of sisal supply Seven-elghths
uC Yucatans export trade is in sisal;
tareefourths OF its population of 3OO,'
y00-and-odd people take their living
';om 1t.
Nor is II a pinched and narrow liv-
ing, as far as figures 90 not, at least,
for the sisal planters. our own reia-
lively populous California, for exam
pie, takes pride and rerute and some
OF its prosperity out OF the $50, 600
a year that its mines produce in pale
yellow gold The Hisal Of little Yuca.
AN. with only enough people to make
a fair-sized American city, returned
better than that four years ago and
has done much better since. Accord
ing to the Mexican year book, the sisal
exports of Yucatan in 1912 amounted
to $2l,43O,06l. The United States Gag.
'erly absorbs virtually all the sisal that
Yucatan can send up from sloepily
busy Progreso-the worlds greatest
sisal port, and Yucatans only real port
OF commerce-in the chunky freight
crs that carry this rich and unique
trade,
1t is the yellow gold of the Ameri-
san farmer, the cash from his golden
wheat and other grains, that gilds the
green gold of Yucatan" For sisal
fiber is essential to the American spin
srs. who must turn cut something
ike 10000 tons Of binder twine
tcar to be fed into the harvesting
machines that gather the grain crop
of America the machines that have
made wheaton bread the food Of the
world and the cheapest thing we buy;
that have made America a.. land
of plenty. the grnnary OF the world;
East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-07-04

land that Reep all peoples
everywhere from going
hungry. W'ricGt binder
Irvine, harvesting na.
chimes could not be used;
and S5 per cent Of Amer
fcas binder twine is
made from the sisal of
tropical Yucatan.
Millions OF dollars have
been spent in search for a
substitute fiber for sisal.
Wire-grass, fax, paper
and many different fbers
have been extensively
tried and found wanting.
Manila hemp-the abaca
East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-07-04

And l want to impress upon
you, in this testimony, that al
though | am representing our lit
tie institution and the twine
plant, that the big question is the
amount of twine consumed by the
farmers of that state and what
it will mean to them. You can
figure what it will mean. II it
is two cents more this year, it
means a half million dollars out
of the pockets of the farmers of
North Dakota aione. II any or
ganization, without attempting to
say who, or what, or under what
control, has a monopoly upon siSal
fiber, should say, We will want
East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-07-04

all the witnesses have been those
called by the Yucatan government
sisal monopoly, 1t is fair enough to
term it that, for the fact of an abso-
Lutte monopoly is freely admitted by
those who control it and profit by 1t,
They lean back on the plea that they
are safe from prosecution or inter
ference under the Sherman antitrust
law because the sisal combination,
though financed with American money,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-22
Greek Premier Denies
King Is PrO-German

Athens via London, Sept. 21.-
Premier Kalogeropoulos, speaking WIN
reference to the recent statement IN
which King Constantine outlined the
reasons for his attitude in me war
said:
Nothing could be more unjust 70
King Constantine than the persistent
assertions that he is pro-German. ne
il pro-Greek. and only pro-Greek. lie
is the last man in Greece TO be m
fueuced in his motive by any preJudlce
or ready made opinion whatsoever.
NJ the delicate situation created by
tho Entente Powers failure TO recog-
nize the present Cabinet, the Premier
said:
IL am no politician. | gave up poll
tics ten wears ago, but when the King
called upon me to assist in taking stock
If the new responsibilities arising from
the recent alterations in the situation
in the Balkans, patriotism forbade re-
fusal.
"The Cabinet is political only in the
sense that we do not seek to escape
responsibility for our acts. In every
other sense We take Office precisely IN
der the conditions under which the
previous ministry operated the most
benevolent possible neutrality toward
the Entente a. a foundation for what
ever action an unprecedented examina-
ton of conditions as they are to-day
may dictate"
Are you on the side of the Entente
or not >" the correspondent asked.
The Premier smiled and pushed across
his desk leather case containing
fresh tobacco and French cigarette
paper, with which he constantly rolls
his own cigarettes.
81 have smoked French tobacco for
fortv-fye years" he replied.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-22

Berlin, Sept. 20 via London, Sept.
2l.-Renewed and full discussion in
the Reichstag Of the submarine issue
and of the controversy which led to the
retirement Of Admiral Won Tirpitz as
Minister of the Navy appears to be in
evitable in consequence Of the publ
cation yesterday Of the letters ex-
changed between Chancellor Won Beth
mann-Hollweg and the admiral
From these letters the public learned
that in private conversation Pro-
lessor Valentin asserted Admiral Won
Tirpitz had misled the Reichstag in re-
gard to the number of available sub
marines and the possibility Of a sub
marine campaign.
The admiral demanded that the
Chancellor discipline Professor Valen-
tin, but the Chancellor. while freeing
the admiral from the charges, took the
position that the professor was not
subject to his disciplinary powers.
These letters, however, touched only
the fringes Of accusations and allegs-
tions which for months have been cir
culating from mouth to mouth in con-
nection with this controversy.
There ls attributed TO Professor
Valentin not only the statement that
Admiral Won Tirpitz furnished incor-
rect figures regarding the number Of
available submarines, which charge the
Chancellor declares unfounded. but also
the declaration that the admiral DELHI
erately misled the Reichstag and the
Chancellor regarding the previous sue
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-22
Officials Fear Revival of
Strained Relations with
Germany.
LLOYDS REPORTS TWO
MORE VESSELS SUNK
Kaiser Skaters Hope That
U. S. Reprisals on British
Might Check Him.
LFfom N. Trlbun. Dureau ]

Washington. Sept. 2l.--The regular
ity with which reports OF submarine
attacks on merchant shipping reach the
State Department again has aroused
fears for the relations of the United
States and Germany.
The department has the af1idavits OF
survivors of the Kelvinia, which make
it seem certain that the pledges which
answered Mr.. Wilson's last ultimatum
have been violated. These afidavits
were to have been made public to-day,
but for some unannounced reason they
were withheld.
Besides the Kelvinia incident, which
has been before the State Department
for two weeks, there are score
Of other cases under greater or less
suspicion, and to-day Lloyds reported
two more British ships the Dewa and
Tredegar went down yesterday.
The present U-boat campaign began
more than month ago. officials here
hoped, however, that threats Of Amer
lean trade reprisals against Great Brit
ain would stay IT for time, at least.
Reports published to-day that the re-
Italia ton acts were defective almost de-
stroyed this hope, though everything
possible was done by State Department
Nliii 4die W wi i'AA NANk iNi AN7a'N-i+
is stated the reprissl laws are being
studied with the purpose of putting
them into effect as soon as practicable
and that the report they were defective
was false.
Although The State Department has
been unusually active in its anti-Brit-
ish correspondence, having attacked
the mails seizures and the blacklist
and drafted reprisal laws since the
Sussex case was settled. the actual re-
suits for Germany have been negli gible
Thus il is held to be only natural tina,
Germany should revert to her previous
tactics, particularly as, with national
election in progress here. the chances
are good that transgressions will be
overlooked.
Germany warned President Wilson
that if his efforts with Great Britain
we're ineffective the German govern
ment would be faced by new con.
dition," in which It must reserve itsel
complete liberty of decision This
threat. it is believed, is now being car
ried out.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-22

Paris, Sept. q. Ninety thousand
men, directed personally by Field Mar
shall Won Hindenburg, took part in yes
terday's attacks on the new French po-
stions in the region of Bouchavesne.,
in the Somme, says LA Liberties" spe-
eial correspondent in the field. Many
additional artillery trains also had been
brought up for the event
The results of the battle were disas-
trous for tho attacking forces, says the
correspondent, division after division
being decimated by the French infsn-
try and machine gun fire. The fighting
was extraordinarily fierce in the CEN
ire of the region attacked, around
Bouchavesnes and Bots lAbee, and az
Combles, about the Priez farm, as well
as at Rsncourt.
At Priez farm two Prussian battal-
ions were almost destroyed, adds the
CORES pondent. and a similar fate was
suffered at Rancourt by three German
regiments, which, advancing in four
waves, made the last desperate effort
Of the day.
The extent of the German losses, says
the dispatch, may be estimated by the
fact that a company OF the 18th Ba.
varian Division lost 100 men out OF
30, while regiments elsewhere lost
60 per cent Of their electives.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-22
German Counter Attacks
Strive to Break
Offensive.
HALICZ BATTLE
FAVORS CAR
Turks at Riga, Reported
for Campaign Against
PetrOgrad.
tBy Cao'e % Tie rnbur, ]

London, Sept 21-The battle for
Kovel has taken on new fury. Along a
twelve-mile front the Russians are sd-
vancng in heavy formation, while the
Germans, in turn, are counter attacking
repeatedly. striving to break down the
Cars offensive. With the battle still
raging, little progress has been made
by either army.
The Russian Guard. the flower of the
Cars troops, is taking part in this
attack. which aims 10 flank the Aus
trian positions at Kovel and so force
its surrender. Apparently the Russian
generals have msssed large numbers of
troops for this new assault. They are
suffering huge losses without success,
Vienna claims.
Meanwhile, IN Gslicia, the Hslicz
battle continues on the same scale. with
the tide turning slowly in favor Of the
Russians. although the advantage huct-
yates. The Cars commanders. IN
able 10 force their way through to Ha-
licz, evidently have shifted the attack
10 Nolhynia IN an attempt 10 weaken
the German line in Gslicia by forcing a
transfer OF troops.
In the Carpathisns snow is hamper
ing the operations, but the Russians
have attacked again at the Pantyr
Pass, near the Rumanian border, and
won some success, carrying a series of
heights. Vienna admits retirement
from a salient in this sector, where the
Russian purpose is TO establish a juno
tion with the Rumanisns.
The Reuter- spondent at Petro-
grad sends an interesting report that
Turkish troops have appeared on the
Riga front. This has given new breath
70 the speculation that Won Hindenburg
may purpose drive for Petrograd and
is rassing troops for the effort.
While Falkenhayn was urging p
move against Nerdun Won Hindenburg
counseled a heavy offensive on the
east front. Won Hindenburg, in chief
command, can carry out that plan now.
Recently Great German Headquarters
were reported to have been shifted
from the west 10 the east front.
But military observers here are
skeptical Of any such intent on Won
Hndenburg's part. With winter clos
ing in, operations along the Dvina will
soon become impossible. Moreover. the
Russian thrusts for Kovel and Lemberg
require every available reserve.
For these reasons the Petrograd
drive is secuted as improbable. The
Turk reinforcements on the north may
serve merely 10 hold the line, so that
German troops can be released for duty
in the sectors where the Russian
threat is greater.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-22
ITALIANS TAKE NEW
POSITION ON ISONz0
Repulse Austrian Attack on the
CarSO.

Rome, Sept. 2l.-Italian troops have
occupied new position east of Gorilla
on the Isonzo front, and repulsed an
Austrian attack in the Carso sector,
says the official statement issued here
to-day by the War Office. The Italian
offensive in the mountain region north
east of Trent continues. The statement
follows:
"Our gunboats on Lake Garda were
shelled inefectively by the enemy. In
the rough mountain region between the
Vanci Cismon and the Astico Valleys
our offensive has been continued OBJ
stinately, notwith heavy snow
falls. On Tuesday afternoon an at
tempt by the enemy to attack on the
northern slopes Of Monte Col Bricon
failed completely.
Along the Julian Alps, east Of the
Isonzo front, artillery activity was lin
tied by the heavy rain which fell
throughout two days. In the hills east
of Gorilla our troops attacked and oc-
cupied new position near Santa Cate
rina. On the Csrso detachments Of
the enemy attempted to surprise Hill
200 to the south OF Villanova. but were
promptly driven off with losses"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-22
THpitz MiSLed Germany
in U-B0at War, Is Charge
Fashed Number of Submarines and Successes Professor
Vaentn Says-Reichstag Fight Expected
as Result Of Exposures

cess of the submarine campaign and the
amount of tonnage destroyed, and that
the Foreign Office obtained the correct
figures only from papers stolen from
the Admiralty.
This account Of Professor Valentin's
conversation not only reached Admiral
Won Tirpitz, but was submitted in the
form of an affidavit to the Bavarian
War Ministry, and formed one of the
subjects of discussion at an audience
granted last month b. the King OF Ba-
varis TO a delegation which demanded
3 change in the imperial policy and the
sharpest possible warfare against Great
Britain.
In communication printed in the
"Norddeutschc Allgemeine Zeitung
this afternoon Professor Valentin de-
MES fatty any mention Of the theft OF
papers from the Admiralty, or that, as
charged in the affidavit, he cited as
authority for this statement the Chan
cellor, with whom at that time he was
not acquainted. There has arisen "a
sharp issue Of veracity between Pro-
lessor Valentin and the author of the
aft davit, Professor Grossman, editor OF
the South German Monthly" prom
inent political periodical.
The partisans Of the admiral and or
the Chancellor protagonists of ruth
less submarine warfare-and those OPP
posing a breach with the United States
have thrown themselves into the con-
troversy, and by the time the Reichs-
tag convenes ample material for a
vigorous clash doubtless will be avail
able to the Reichstag orators as we'll as
to the Chancellor, should he determine
TO refer to the issue in his expected
speech on the general situation.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-22
British Hope to Capture
Germany's Foreign Trade

c. Hamilton Wickes, British Board
Of Trade Commissioner to Canada, told
Yesterday on his arrival on the steam
ship Andania OF the great movement
on foot in England TO capture trade
with foreign countries formerly held
By Germany.
previously England has been con-
tent with extensive trade with her
colonies and has not made great
efforts TO stimulate trade with foreign
countries" said Mr.. Wickes. "The war
has awakened my country TO the
necessity of extending her trad e rela-
tions. and 10 that end several more
commissioners will shortly be ap-
pointed by the King.
"Our seven commissioners at present
only take care of the British colonies,
but in the expansion soon TO follow
more men must be trained in trade re-
ouirements Of various foreign
countries. in order that they may make
intelligent reports 10 the exporting
houses at home who are seeking TO
establish foreign commercial rela-
fions"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-22
RIOTING IN GERMANY
AGAINST WAR GROWS
Fatal Fights In Street Between
Civilians and Military.

London, Sept. 21.--Reuter's Copen-
hagen correspondent sends the follow
ing:
"The 'Wilhelmshaven Zeitung' says
the number Of sanguinary and eppar-
emily organized encounters between
civilians and the military lately has
assumed alarming proportions. Last
week several street fights occurred
with fatal results. Another occurred
on Sunday night, when civilians, armed
with knives, attacked a party Of
marines near the railway, killing two
and mortally wounding others. The
assaiants escaped"
The Wireless Press to-day gave out
a dispatch from Zurich to the effect
that $50 Socialists were arrested IN
Berlin on the ground that they were
concerned in agitation against the war.
Although over military age, they arc
said TO have been sent TO the front.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-22
Crete Rebels; DisOWnS
King to Enter War

London, Sept. u. Crete. the home OF
Venizelos. is in revolt. Dispatches from
Athens say the rebels have disowned
King Constantine. overthrown the su-
thorities and proclaimed provisional
government committee will be sent
TO Salonica 10 cooperate IN the cam
paign against the Bulgars.
With the Greek censorship abolished
fuller dispatches from Athens VIII
reach London. The report of the Gre
tan revolt is the first of these. Many
parts of the kingdom were infiamed by
the insistent Bulgar advance TO the
Kgean.
As result OF this agitation, parts
of Greek Macedonia rose in revolt last
month and proclaimed their lndepen-
dence OF the Athens ministry. Then
the censor interviewed, and no further
news Of the situation reached London.
That the Entente ministers have not
relaxed the pressure on Constantine
seems certain. But stories that the
King is beirg guarded in his home
protected by trenches. are incredI Die.
The Allies can seize him any time II
they desire.