davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
RELIEF PROMISED

several representatives of the Bir- mingham fire department came before the committee on local legislation in the senate Wednesday in the interest or bill introduced by Senator West to limit the days work of firemen in Greater Birmingham to 12 hours Both senator Craft of Mobile and Senator Acker of Anniston assured the firemen mat If they place the matter fairly before the commission and fail to get rellef, the legislature will take up the nght, even if it involves the introduce ton of bill to abolish commission government
 After the meeting Senator Craft let It De known that he will introduce A Dill repeating that section of the com mission government laws which pro- vioes that in the event of a change rom the commission form of govern ment cities automatically revert to the aldermanic form of government. He proposes to pave the way for the adop- tion of city manager and board of directors for municipalities, if the peo- pie thereof signify their desire for the change by election.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
Proposes Investigation
 Wire Control Necessity
By Associated Press

Washing ton. January 2g.- investigation and necessity of the government assum- ing control of telephone and telegraph. lines was proposed today by Representa- tive Mckinley of Illinois, republican,. is a resolution introduced to authorizs Speaker Clark to appoint three republi- cans and three democrats to conduc. suA inquiry. \. ssl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
CRITIZES COMMISSION

Mir Armour criticized the federal trade commission for alleged unfair- ness in conducting its inquiries. Dis cussng in detail recommendations by the commission, he declared:
 q think the commission made lot of foolish suggestions that won't work Anything that is hardship to the pack CT is bound sooner or later to manifest itself in hardship to the consumer or producer.
 Levy Mayer, counsel for MT. Armour will tell the committee tomorrow why he thinks the pending bill is uncon- stitutiona! and will be followed on the stand by Louis F. Swift. president of Swift 6 Go.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
PERSHING CALLED.

Gen. John J. PerShing, the American commander in chief, has been called to Paris, and it is expected that he will betthe military member of the Ameri- can representative of the joint commits sion.
 Aside from the importance of the con- clusions reached it was especially mo- table as being the first time that the voice of the United States had taken the direction in the concert of Euro pean powers on the most serious Eu- ropean question now presented. There was added significance in the fact that an American President in person had taken leadership in the council made up chiefly of European statesmen and had pointed way which they had unanimously adopted.
 The final result came after three days of continuous discussion of Russia, which did not crystalline until the final hours, when President Wilson present. ed in writing the plan he had elab- orated.
 There was little opposition and this was based mainly on doubts as to whether the proposition would be ac- -cepted.
 In reply it was pointed out that the gcontending factions were well nigh at the end of their resources and that their needs likely would lead them at least to combined appeal to the as- Soc1ated powers.
 FOUR CONDITIONS
 Besides the definite proposal as given in the communique, the joint commits sion of the associated powers will lay down four conditions indispensable In bringing about an adjournment; first peace at all points; second, removal of all economic barriers which restrain the free circulation of exchange of food and commodities between the factional zones and the outside world; third, gen , eral elections on a representative basis, and fourth, some adequate arrange ment for the payment of debts
 Even if eventually the proposal Is not accepted, members of the council expressed the view that their propo- sition was before the world and that it would pave the way for such other measures as their own action had brought about
 The Princes Islands were chosen for the eventful meeting because they are outside the zone of the contending fac tions. They are also allied headquar- ters and are not open to be ob- noxious to any of the factions as would be other points having better material facilities for the meeting.
 TO MEET FEBRUARY 15
 February IS was designated as the time of the meeting so as to give time for representatives to come from the remotest sections of Siberia and other distant localities.
 Besides the decisive action taken with regard to Russia the council today also provided a joint commission of two each from the United States, Great } Britain, France and Italy to proceed inn mediately to- Danzig and Warsaw for consideration of the entire military, } economic and financial situation of Po- land.
 A plenary meeting of the full con ference was announced for next Satur- day when the plans of President Wilson and David Lloyd George, the British prime minister, dealing with league of nations. will be the first order Of business.
 Today's action on Russia and Poland, however. goes into effect without pre- sentation to the full conference, and is taken as the action of the great pow < CTS.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
RELY ON SPECIALISTS Rv Aseociated prexs
By Associated Press

Paris, January 22.-The American peace commission is depending upon it's specialists in international law for the preparat ation of the American view of important questions raised in the agenda adopted by the peace confer once Saturday.
 These are, first, responsibil ility for the war and, second. the framing of a policy for international cooperation in legislation directed toward the in- terests of labor.
 Wide differences exist at present re- garding the first question, particularly as to the responsibility of individuals rather than of governments for the war. and likewise violation of the rules of war by the central powers
 1t is believed to be by no means cer- tain that the American delegates are willing to accept the views of the French legal authorities quoted by Pre- mier Clemenceau respecting the person. al responsibility of the former German Emperor and his generals in the ab- sence of precedents, and until there is a clearer understanding of the limita- tions within which such doctrine can be exercised.
 There is a possibility that recom- smendations upon labor will be with held until opportunity is afforded to study the developments of the Berne labor congress.
 RESUMES CABINET SESSIONS
 By Assoc,zred Pr-ss
 Paris, January 22.-President Wilson has decided to resume the sessions of : his war cabinet, or, his "Wednesday cabinet" so-called because this is the regular meeting day at the White House of the heads of the war boards.
 1csntinued on Page EiEhtl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
HARD STRUGGLE

Mir. Ferguson said his company had struggled over the fprostrate form of the American shipbu6ding industry for many years before the war to get con tracts
 There are some practical things this keep merchant marine Mir. Ferguson said You can't tall. about Yankee in- genuty and pass good resolutions and do the job The best shipbuilders in the world are along the Clyde in England and the best American managers, engi neers, architects and workmen learned the trade there. We had 40,o00 shipbuiders before the war, and we've got 100000 who call themselves shipbuilders now, but they cant build ships to compete when the wages have increased from B to 4a cents per hour on the, Clyde and to $ an hour here'
 MT. Ferguson said he favored sys- tenn of allowing American ships rate differentials in American trade, rather than subsidies. since in that way you pay ship for carrying goods and not for just sailing the flag around Laws and treaties should be made confining trade between the United States and oth- CT countries to ships from either that country or the United States. he said.
 This is the crux. as l see it, of a merchant marine" he asserted, and a proper one that insures each country. having a merchant marine commensurate with it's commerce. It may be said this is reactionary. It looks to me that it would be a very good thing to react a l06 years to a successful merchant ma ripe."
 IT take it that it is the real sense of this meeting" he added. that since the war a merchant marine becomes not only A necessity from a commercial stand point. but an absolute necessity from standpoint of maintenance of national in- tegrity and national dignity
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
sTEADINEss NOT STRANGE

"The steadiness. of purchase perceh- tages is not strange, because va riance of even 100000 animals might make a difference of only one per cent" he told MT. Dillon.
 Mir Armour defended the practice or wiring on'' whereby buyer who iail- ed to obtain cattle which the grower insisted on shipping to another mar ket for a better price notifies the corh- pany's representative at the new mar ket of the price he offered
 Foreign business of Armour x ." was said to be entirely divorced rom the parent corporation because it was desirable to have the companies op- crate under the laws of the country where they were located.
 The South American plants made s10000,0 900 last year, Mir. Armour said. Virtually all of the South American meat has been shipped to Europe an1 MT Armour thought there would be little of it sent to this country in. the near future, especially if a free mar ket is opened in Germany, which the company hopes will result from he establishment of new government there. t
 Charges of juggling figures were re- sented by the witness He said thai reports of transferrfng prices, to make one department of the business show better results than another was "child's talk
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
M O RE CRITICISM IS HE EAPED UPON WILSON AND HOOVER IN SENATE DEBATE
Senate Again Fails to Reach Vote on Famine Relief Bill Although Passage of
 Measure Today
 Is Hoped
By Assoclated Press

Washington, January 22. Criticism of Presidtnt Wilson and Food Administrator Hoov- CT was continued today in the Senate during debate on the ad- ministration bill appropriating $100,000,000 for food relief in Europe and the Senate again failed to reach a vote.
 Disposition of amendments was be- gun, however. and administration lead CTS hope to pass the measure tomor- row.
 Without a record vote the Senate re- jected the amendment by Senator Pen rose of Pennsylvania, republican, pro- Viding for distribution of the fund by a commission to be named by the Prest- dent subject to confirmation by the Senate and to be responsible to Con- gress. The amendment by Senator Ashurst of Arizona, democrat author izipg a bonus of SO days pay to pri- yates and noncommissioned officers dis charged from the army, met a similar fate. Senator Ashurst vainly sought record vote and said he would again call up the amendment for final dispo- sition
 Senator Townsend of Michigan. re- publican, led the attack on the Presi- dent declaring that his absence was causing neglect of interests at home and delaying emergency Legislation, He also asserted that the President was the only American peace commissioner and that he was keeping the country informed as to his plans.
 TOO MUCH POMP
 While supporting the bill. senator Lenroot of Wisconsin, republican, said he was sorry that the Presidens had not remained in Paris when he went there. He deplored 'ostentatious dis play" and emphasizing of class dis functions. which he said was displayed during MT. Wilson's visit. especially to England, and said the "pomp and ceremony attending the peace com ference "is doing just as much to feed bolshevism as food can do to pre- vent it."
 Senator Borah of Idaho, republican,. in opposing the bill renewed charges that the appropriation Is designed prl- marily for the benefit of the big meat packing concerns in this country lie said the plan for relief had been made in Chicago and approved before MFs' Hoover went to Europe and that it was proposed to absorb surplus stocks of supplies the packing firms now have on hand in Europe,
 Support of the bill was given by Sem alto Mclean of Connecticut, republic- an, who said the feeding of the people of Europe to prevent industrial trou- ble was a good business proposition He also approved the measure on hu- manitarian grounds.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
SHOULD LEASE VESSELS

Mir Evans, indorsing, he said, MT. Fer euson's presentations declared for the immediate leasing of government owned ships to private operating companies, which should be given options to buy them during a period of five years, and ramed a basis of s75 per ton as the value or which the leases should be fixed.
 "British subjects are buying British sbips today on a basis of from $S5 to SIS per ton,'' Mir. Evans said. ''At the present scale of wages in the United States it actually costs slS5 per ton to build cargo ships. Now it is proposed to write off sl.0oo,oOo of the cost of gov
 (Centinued en Pare EixhD
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
LED BY WILSON,
 SUPREME COUNCIL MOVES ID ADMIT
 RUSS DELEGATES
Will Ask All Russian Fac tions, Including Bolshev- ists, to Declare Truce
 and Meet Represen-
 tatives of Allies
By Associated Press

Paris, January 22.-Led by President Wilson, the supreme council of the great powers to- day moved to unite the factions of distracted Russia and bring them into the peace congress.
 They unanimously adopted
 proposition brought forward by
 President Wilson asking all the
 Russian factions, including the bOl-
 shevists, to meet the allied and as-
 sociafed governments at Princes Is
 lands in the Sea of MarmOra on
 February 15, the contending fac
 tions meantime declaring a truce
 and suspending all military opera
 ti0ns.
 The joint commission of the associ- ated governments will be announced as soon as the Russian factions accept the proposal which was communicated to them by wireless tonight. The Rus- sian commission will proceed to the meeting place, probably on warship, by way of the Black sea and the Bos- DhOrJs
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
NATION MUST PAY.

J. w. Powell, vice president of tn , Bethlehem Shipbuilding corporation, Ho- mer l.. Ferguson, president of the New port News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock company, and Holden A Evans, president of the Baltimore Dry Dock and Shipbuild- ing company, who spoke for the builders emphasized the cost of building Ameri- can ships as an insuperable barrier against any attempt to establish a mer- chant marine without as MT. Ferguson said the nation paying for it.'
 MT. Powell said that as nearly as can be calculated the difference between the cost of ship built in Great Britain and that of vessel built in this country has increased from about s25 or s35 a ton before the war to $100 today.
 "A great part of that cost" the speaker declared, lis due to the great increase in the cost of labor in this country. Our wages, set for us by the government have gone up 15 per cent since August, 1917. There is no possible efficiency of op- eration by American shipbuilders can bring that cost down. Should changes in labor conditions in England eQualize that cost we shall still have Italy and Japan as competitors and the situation is an impossible one on a straight com petitive basis. Any consideration of the question of an American merchant ma rine must be based upon consideration of these facts
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
FOUNDATION LAID FOR ENTERTAINMENT
 BODY ID EXPAND
 MERCHANT MARINE
Senator Ransdell of Louisi- ana, Chairman, Names Committees on Perma-
 nent Organization.
 Final Session Today
By Associated Press

Washington, January p. The foundation for a perma- nent organization having for It's purpose the maintenance and expansion of the American merchant marine was laid here today at conference of repre- sentatlves of ship operators, builders and employees.
 The meeting was called by Senator Ransdell of Louisiana, who presented subjects for discussion and who, as tenn porary chairman, named committees on permanent organization and resolutions which are to report the final sessions to- morrow
 Commissioner Charles Page of the ship ping board said that body would well come the advice and assistance of the conference and other speakers, including some of the foremost shipbuilders of the country. were unanimous in declaring opposition to government control and op- eration of ships during peace, and in be- half of a national policy of subsidizing ship operation, either by direct payment or by application of differential rates They also demanded relinquishment of government wage control in shipyards as first step toward meeting world and particularly English competition.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-23
PACKING INQUIRY
 BEING CONTINUED
 BY co M M TEE
Armour Renews Opposition to Pending Bill for Feder- al Control of Packing
 Industry
By Associated Press

Washington, January 22.-Two
 congressional committees, were
 occupied again today in hearing
 witnesses who were questioned
 concerning evidence brought out at
 the federal trade commissions
 meat packing inquiry. The com
 mittees have under consideration
 Legislation providing for govern
 ment control of the meat packing
 industry.
 J. Ogden Armour, president of Ar mour & Co.. continued his testimony before the House interstate commerce committee. He said that Armour & Co. would welcome means to enable livestock producers to market their animals at a price based on the cost of productions; suggested a central control of livestock shipments as a possible means of obtaining this aai renewed his opposition to pending bill to empower the government to take control of all adjuncts of the packing industry
 LOGAN AGAIN QUESTIONED
 Before the Senate agriculture com mittee, Thomas F. Logan was ques- toned again as to his activities in Washington for Swift Co.,, the stan dard Oil company of Indiana and other corporations, and his friendship with Joseph P Humility, Edward N. Hurley and other government off cials The committee also heard sew eral independent packers.
 Congressmen who questioned MT. Ar mour paid especial attention to getting his views on the probable effects of the pending bill Replying to Repre- sentative Shook of Ohio, MT. Armour said he thought the bill probably meant ultimate government owner ship of the packing industry, and he agreed with Representative Cooper of Ohio that if the bill were constitu- tional. there was no limit as to how far the government might reach out and invade the realm hitherto occupied by private industry.
 Representative Dillon of South Da- kota tried to find out how cattle buy : CTS determine prices 1e drew rom MT. Armour admission that Armour x Co. insisted on having an equal diyis- ion of the cattle offered at markets where there were only two packing plants. such as Fort Worth and Dem yer. but the witness said there was ho collusion that the purchases were made on a basis of plant capacity.
 Ny
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1919-11-22

.ni u~ulhcn..'aw. Joseph Cantlcr
New-York tribune., 1919-04-02
Indemnities at Once
TO Ruined Factories
In France Proposed

PARIS, April l (By The Associated
Press).-Tt is suggested in authorita-
tive circles that the difficult question
of protecting ruined French and Bel
gian industries from German competi-
tion before they can be restored, and
at the same time permit the Germans
to import raw materials and resume ex-
portations at an early date, so as to
facilitate the payment Of indemnities,
might be settled by allowing indemni-
ties to the owners of ruined factories
these to be calculated on a basis of
proved profits for a certain number of
years before the war.
1t is pointed out that trade could be
reserved for the devastated factories
only by restricting the entry Of manu-
factures of all foreign countries into
the markets concerned during the en-
tire period of reconstruction. In view
of the urgent requirements of these
markets, however, this is considered
impossible
Financial compensation, with priority
in the matter of reparation, is proposed
as the best alternative, as it has the
advantage Of increasing Germany's pay
ing capacity.
New-York tribune., 1919-04-02
Italy Wants Border
Claims Settled Along
With Those of France

PARIS, April /. - Settlement of
Italy's frontier question contempo-
raneously with that Of France was in
sisted upon to-day by Premier Orlando
at conference with President Wilson
just before the Council of Four con-
vened to discuss the Italian frontier
question.
The Italian Premier asked the Presi-
dent whether he did not think it ad-
visable to have an informal exchange
of views on the Italian problem, es-
pecially as regards the Adriatic, before
it is presented to the council. The
President replied that he shared this
view, but owing to pressure Of work
had been unable personally to study
the Italian question. However, he
promised to do so.
Premier Orlando's suggestion of a
simultaneous settlement Of the from
tier question involves joint peace
with Austria, plan which is favored
by the American delegation, provided
it does not cause too much delay. In
this connection, the American boun-
daries commission expects this weeek
to conclude all boundaries, including
those Of Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey.
New-York tribune., 1919-04-02

Walsh. Y, former joint chairman of the
War Labor Board, and Michael J.
Ryan, city solicitor fer Philadelphia
Hundreds of Friends vf Irish Free
dom, with the trcolor OF the "rcpub-
llc,N bade them farewell at the pier
"W hat the result OF our mission will
be, time alone Will dctermiro." said
Governor Dunno. "Wc hope to hold
Cp the hands OF the accredited repre-
scntatlves of ireland now in Paris and
to express with dignity and frmness
the aspirations and sentiments Of the
Irish race in .he Western Hemisnhere.
believe We will have with US the ac-
tive sympathy of all American citizens
who love liberty, justice and interna-
tional fairplay"
1--WE plan" said Mr. Walsh, "to 90 to
the epresentatives of America and
present IrcIand's case 10 them with the
request that Messrc. de Valera.
Plunkett and Griffith be allowed TO
present lreIand's case first TO the peace
conference. We may assist these gen
tlemen if We are allowed to-
III this request is denied, we shall
ask that we be allowed to present il
ourselves in behalf of the people Of
Ireland. We arc hopeful that one or
the other Of these requests will be
granted"
New-York tribune., 1919-04-02
Air Commission Agreed
On Peace Purley Clause

PARIS. April 1.-The aeronautical
commission of the peace conference
met yesterday to receive and consider
reports from sub committees concern
ing military, legal, commercial and
technical subjects. 1t was found that
the ub-committees had not completed
their work, but the commission ap-
proved the temporary reports sub
mitted.
1t was agreed to put before the su-
preme council the proposals to be
finally submitted at the next meeting
by the joint military and legal sub
committee. Good progress has been
made in other directions and a sub
stantial agreement has been reached
on important points in connection with
the future of commercial aviation.