davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
Fifty-Fifty Relationship
Between u. S. And France
Premier Millerand's Hope
Declares Two Nations Must Continue the Close
Friendship Which Has Always Been Maintained"
--"No Fleeting misunderstanding Must Be Al
lowed to Trouble Their Relations"

Paris, March Is. - Premier Mil
lerand today put aside the German
crisis long enough to discuss rela-
tions between France and the
United States and conditions of in
ternational credit. He said to rep
resentative of the Associated Press:
France and the United States
must continue the close friendship
which always has been maintained
No feeting misunderstanding must
be allowed to trouble their relations.
The sooner misconceptions are dis.
sipated the better.
1T appears to me an opportune
time to recall to our friend, the
United States, that France is not
asking for charity. The greater part
OF money France borrowed abroad
was spent Ill the common interes,
of all civilized countries-a fact
which might form the basis of a
claim for special consideration, but
such is not our intention.
I'VE don't request cancellation o1
Our deb'i. We only ask time tu
breathe and to recover our strength
after four and a half years of ex,
hausting war. Our propositions are
those which any debtor would feel
right in making in the interest Of
both himself and his. creditor"
Refers to Ruinous Exchange.
The premier referred to the ruin
Gus fluctuations in exchange, which
he held would be aggravated rather
than palliated through measures
proposed by France bv those not
taking sufficient account of interior
conditions.
"If France is obliged to meet her
obligations abroad at the present
Tate of exchange she will be forced
to pay Q and half times what
she owes he continued. Thus,
after spending for the common good
30,000,000, francs borrowed from
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16

her friends. she would have to pay
IS, GOO, 100000 francs as Frances
premiums to these same friends.
I'VE have given our blood, we
have given our money. To ask us
now to give more than double our
debt is, an anomaly that cannot fail
to strike the most impartial judges"
After mentioning the suggestion
made by the United States that
France could raise the value of the
franc by increasing expectations,
the premier said that the question
appeared to be imperfectly under
stood by the American people.
Hopes to Increase Exports.
I'VE ask nothing better than in
creased exports. We must first, how
ever, manufacture and we can't make
the things for foreign trade until we
have factories in which to manufao-
ture> them. Do our American friends
lose sight of the extent of the de-
vastation OF the richest part of our
territory; do they forget that we are
still partly paraiyzcd and that it will
require years to recuperate our
wasted manpower and restore the
former aourishing manufacturing
centers?
The war cost US 100000 industrial
workers, 100000 of our buildings
were destroyed, regions were ruined
which in 1913 gave US 90 per cent
of our wool, go per cent of linen
thread. 90 per cent of our minerals,
IS per cent Of our pig iron, 70 per
cent OF our sugar and 53 per cent Of
our coal.
The war wasted our railroads to
an unimaginabie extent. Thirty per
cent OF our merchant feet was sunk
and our wheat. production was
diminished two-thirds, involving a
deficit of 2,00O,O0O,0O0 francs. These
catastrophical changes were a blow
to the very base of the economic and
financial situation of France"
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
"GOD WITH US"
SAVEDCO CONVOYS,
SIMS TESTIFIES
Admiral Tell. Of Wartime
Anxiety in London and
Washington.

Washington, March l5.-An un-
published story of wartime anxiety
i'll London and Washington lest
German battle cruisers attempt a
forlorn hope raid against American
transports was disclosed today to
the senate naval investigating CONF
mittee BY, Rear Admiral Sims. Mes
.sages exchanged by Admiral Ben
son, chief Of operations, and Ad-
miral Sims in July, 1918. were pre-
sented by the latter to correct Sim
plications" which, he said, Secre-
tary Daniels had made to the COM
mittee that general plans and pol
icies were none of my business"
Included in plans formed by the
Navy department to meet such raids
and rejected by Admiral Sims as
Impractical" was a proposal to call
on Japan for battle cruiser division
to serve with the American Atlantic
feet.
Feared Battle Cruisers.
In the spring of 1918. he said,
when the submarine menace had
been overcome, naval officials in
London became apprehensive that
the Germans might send out battle
cruisers in the hope of destroying an
American convoy.
He advised guarding United States
troop conveys with battleships.
Despite this. he said, the Navy de-
partment on July SO outlined a plan
of its own to meet such raids, pre-
dicated, he added, on the false
premise" that advance warning
would be gwen. The plan contem-
plated placing one division of Amer
ican battlesliirs at Queenstown, Ire
land, to cover the eastern Atlantic,
another to De held at home ready to
cover the western Atlantic and a
division/of Japanese battle cruisers
to be stationed with the Atlantic
fleet TO pursue and sink raiders.
Sims Own Plan Adopted.
"The plan was impracticable for
a number of reasons" Admiral Sims
declared. ut was eventually aban-
doned and for it was substituted a
plan substantially the same as pre-
viously recommended by me-"
Admiral Sims said the department
sent many cables insisting that its
plan be given trial and that it was
not abandoned until months after il
was first suggested. A raid in the
meantime. he asserted, would have
found the United States without a
practical working plan to meet it..
Only the fact God was with u.s.
saved early troopship conveys from
German, torpedoeS Admiral Sims de-
clared.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
60-Mi|e Gale DemoIishes
Airplane on McCo0k Field

McCook, Neb.. March 15.-(Spe-
cial Telegram.-A new Curtiss air.
plane recently purchased by ]. E.
Brumley and housed in hangar on
the municipal landing field was over
turned and completely destroyed by
O-mile gale which blew here Sun
day night and Monday. Five store
fronts were blown iu and many
houses had windows destroyed by
the high wind.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
Germans Are Successful
In SChIeSWiu PIebiSCite

Copenhagen, March l5.-Latest
unofficial figures relative to the
plebiscite held yesterday in the Sec
ond zone of Schleswig snow that
13,025 votes were cast for Denmak *,
while 48,l48 were in favor of Ger
man control. The districts of Got
ing, Hedehusum and Utersun show
Danish majorities. Results in four
districts have not been learned.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
Dramatic Art Student
Arrested in Lincoln
For ."ShopIftng' :

Lincoln, Neb., March 15.-(Spe-
cial Telegram. )-Loye of fine clothes
is the reason given by pretty Mona
Banca, l7-year-old student of dra-
matte art, for the theft of $500 worth
of clothing from stores here. in a
confession to police. The loot was
recovered in her room.
Suits, shoes, silk hose and silk
teddy bears in large quantities were
found in her room. All were identi-
fled as having been stolen from Lin
coin stores.
Miss Banca's home is in North
Loop, Neb., where her father is a
prominent business man.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
0'Neill Man May Enter
Contest for Governor

Lincoln, Neb., March 15.-(Special
Telegram. l-Senator John A. Rob-
inson. of O'Neill is being prominent
ly mentioned here as democratic
candidate for governor in the April
primaries. It is said petitions will
be circulated in his behalf at once.
He was member of the senate in
the sessions of 1915 and 1917.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
Wood Leads Opponents
In Minnesota Primary

St. Paul, March l5.-When Are-
turns from last nights statewide
republican presidential preference
primary were halted early today BY
a blizzard which paraiyzed wire.
Communication, Major General
Leonard Wood was maintaining 4
commanding lead over Senator Hi
ram Johnson ct California. The vote
from about $50 precincts, including
majority of the St. Paul and Min
neapolis precincts was Wood. H.
or; Johnson, 8.sl7; Hoover, 4,486,
and Lowden, $50. &
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
Express Agent Must Serve
Six Years for Diamond Theft

Sioux Falls, S. D.. March 15.-
Especial Telegram .)-Joseph Four
nier. alias Collins, who confessed to
vctimiring Chicago jewelry firms Of
diamonds worth in the aggregate.
$1,000, while relief express agent at
Ethen, S. D, last summer. was sem
fenced to term OF six years in the
federal prison at Leavenworth. Kan.
by Judge Elliott OF the federal court
in this city.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
Revolutionary Commander
Zone of Kaiser's Old Guard

Washington, March 15.-General
Luettwitz, commanding military
forces of the new German govern
ment. was described as zone Of the
kaiser's old gang" by Herbert
Hoover. Who said he had found il
necessary to deal with the officer
during the war as enc of the prin-
cipal German military officials in
occupied Belgium.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
Short Circuit in Electric Line
lgnites Escaping Gas in
Street ManhoIe and Business
Section Is in Darkness.
W0RkMEN NARROWLY :
ESCAPE FROM INJURY
Several Days Will Be Required
To Make All Repairs-Spe-
ciaI Officers Guard Valuable
Stocks in Stores.

Two explosions of illuminating
gas in street manhole at Ninth
and Jones streets yesterday after
noon tore open underground light
circuits of the Nebraska Power &
Light company, resulting IN the
stoppage Of electric powers for two
hours. Electricians working in the
manho1c narrowly escaped injury
from the force Of the explosions.
The circuits were partially re-
paired and power for illumination Of
buildings was switched on at 4:3O, Is
minutes following the Second ex-
plosion. The first denotation oc-
Cured at 2:30.
Street lights and current for
power were discontinued last night
Firemen Are Called.
A FIRE alarm was turned in. Fire
men had difficulty extinguishing
smoldering fires along the under
ground openings.
Elevator service was curtailed in
many of the buildings. Department
stores were without lights during
the period of the troubleA
Officials of the Nebraska Power
company were at the scene OF the
trouble and directed workmen in re-
pairing the broken circuits.
Employees in wholesale houses i'll
the vicinity of the explosions rushed
to the streets in fear that tornado
or possibly an earth tremor had oc-
Cured.
Buildings Are Shaken.
John Deere Plow company build
ing. Teath and Jones streets, was
shaken by the force of the explo-
sions. The Bradley, Merriman &
Smith building. Ninth and Jones,
tremored slightly from the effects.
Crossed wires in the underground
openings, causing short circuit,
was the probable cause of the ex,
plosion Of gas from leaky mains,
w. S. Byrne, sales manager of the
Nebraska Power company, stated
Leaky gas mains in the UNDER
ground openings, leading to the
monhole. have caused considerable
trouble during the past three years,
officials of the power company said.
Investigation to Be Made.
Evidence Of the explosions indicate
that the circuit openings had been
closed at both ends of the system,
thereby causing confinement of gas,
firemen said.
Nebraska Power company officials
were unaware that both ends of the
circuit systems were closed, Mr..
Byrne said. An investigation will
probably result. 4
The force of the first explosion
tore several lead lines, protecting
power circuits, to pieces. The switch
pcdestals on the curbing near the
rnanhole were torn from their bases
Spasmodic explosions along the
openings occurred while firemen
were flooding the hole with water
Residences Get Light.
Residents districts of the city were
kept supplied with power from sub
T, stations in various parts OF the city
Electricians were at work in the
manhole repairing cables shortly be
fore the first explosion. Two work.
nen were just emerging from the
pit and narrowly escaped effects oil
the detonation when the switch
pedestals were torn loose. Gables
along the system i'll which the ex'
tCortinued on Page Two, Column F1ve.)
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
Payne Sworn in Monday
As Secretary of Interior

Washington, March is John
Barton Payne retired Monday as
chairman Of the Shipping board and
was sworn in as secretary of the
Interior, succeeding Franklin X.
Lane, who retired March !. Mr..
Payne was replacedson the Shipping
board by Rear Admiral William S.
Benson. retired.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
Food for Europe Assured.

Washington, March ls.-Food re-
lief for Europe was assured when
the house passed overwhelmingly a
bill permitting the United States
Grain corporation to sell 100000
barrels OF soft wheat flour >on long
term credits to Poland. Austria and
Armenia
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
Rocky Mountain States
Suffer Badly by Storm

Denver, Colo, March Histories
of~heayy property damage. crippled
wire service, snow slides and biz
card came into Denver in the wake
of heavy wind storm which swept
the Rocky Mountain states all of
Sunday. Sunday night and Monday.
The wind is dying down.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
New Hungary Cabinet.

Budapest, March 15.-Alexandef
Simonyi Semeden, who last week
was asked to form a cabinet, will
submit to Admiral Horthy. the new
regent, names of persons he has
chosen. He will be premier and
minister of the interior.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
Turkish Peace Delegates,

Constantinople. March Is. Ap-
pointment OF Turkish peace dele
gates is announced. The delegation
will be headed BY Tewfik Pasha,
former foreign ministes.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
Subcommittee Completes
Draft of Naval Measure

Washington. March l5.-The
house subcommittee has completed
its draft cf the naval appropriation
bill CARRYING approximately $780,
100000. The bill will be submitted
to the full committee Tuesday,
Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-16
The Weather
Forecast.

Forecast.
lowa-Partly cloudy Tuesday and
Wednesday; cooler Tuesday
Nebraska--Generally fair TUESDAY,
and Wednesday; colder in east Tues
day.
New-York tribune., 1920-06-13

or in part lined up in the anti-Wood
column on the ground that it was
local treason not TO support citizen
of the same state or a graduate of
your own state university. The
spirit of localism having been stimu-
lated, men whose hearts beat nation
ally were naturally allowed to re-
main at home.
The convention, though unbossed,
was composed in its majority of rep
resentatives of the wing of the party
which believes that there has been
enough of innovation and agitation
and that the time has arrived to
conserve rather than to progress. So
the claims of General Wood, al
though recognized by the party's
rank and file and by the more far
seeing leaders Of the party, met a
strong obstacle through their lack of
appeal to many of the gentlemen as
sembled at Chicago who had the vot-
ing power.
New-York tribune., 1920-06-13
Fate Propaganda
No Such Thing a. LucI
Outside Dictionary

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Having read the article published
q few days ago in The New York
Tribune editorials by IN. D." it seems
to me about time that some one came
to the front and called halt on this
so-called luck and fate propaganda.
1t is true enough that when the
wheel stopped spinning some "bugs''
were on top and some on the bottom,
but doesn't this old world of ours do
Just the selfsame thing?
1t means only this The bugs that
were on the bottom of the wheel had n
much harder struggle to get on top than
the ones already there. But why sit
back and weep over matter we can
easily overcome7 We know there is
plenty Of room on top for the ambitious
and If it were in our line TO be left on
the bottom and we arc contented to re-
main there, why stoop to consider it a
matter of fate, when hard work and
close attention to ali ncidentals will
get US on top some day?
II the salesman has not the position
awarded the bank president, who is at
fault? No one but the salesman. He
evidently never aspired to got any
further, or IL just awakening to the
fact that there is another step on the
New-York tribune., 1920-06-13

to the defense Of the department
drew such conclusions almost en-
tirely from the evidence of the de-
partment's witnesses. Indeed, it
would be more appropriate to call
Sims's concluding statement dissi-
patton of the Daniels smoke screen
rather than rebuttal. Irrelevan-
cles were blown aside and pertinent
admissions were exhibited. The de-
partment's evidence made unavoid-
able the conclusion that Sims's criti-
clsms were warranted and that he
had not only done the country q
great service in bringing to light the
lessons Of the war but had brought
additional honor to the navy by
showing up the colossal handicaps
under which it labored in its strue-
gle for victory.
The country owes a debt to Admi-
raj Sims for having brought about
this investigation. It owes a like
debt to Senator Hale for conducting
it as he did. The country will look
to him to see to it that prompt ap-
plication Of the lessons of the inves-
tigation is made.
The Navy Department must be re-
organized and the navy de-Daniels-
lied.
New-York tribune., 1920-06-13
The Henry Conviction

The feature in the conviction of
Inspector Henry that will best please
the citizen bystander is the demon
stration that an able and thorough
housekeeping of the city depart
ments under examination by the AL
mlrall grand jury is at last in prog
ress.
For the personalities involved the
public cares little. The accusations
and hints of accusations made
against Mr.. Swann's office and else
where may or may not be true.
What exasperated the public was
the effort to prevent an impartial
investigation. 1t was unsupport-
able that a grand jury should al
nounce itself possessed of clews in.
dicating wrongdoing and that il
should then be denied the benefit Of
impartial counsel in the processes of
pursuit.
Plainly, with the official aid of
Mr.. Rand, the grand jury is on the
road to the truth. There will be
every confidence in the final conclu.
slons reached. If public officials are
cleared there will be reliance in the
bill Of health. All the facts seem
certain to be uncovered. let them
prove what they may.
New-York tribune., 1920-06-13
When Not to Smoke

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: More power to your pen. In
your editorial this morning headed
when Not to Smoke" you touched on
the enforcement of the anti-spitting or
dinances, especially with reference to
elevated and subway stairs and plat
forms. You might add elevated cars,
for, in the narrow, downtown thorough
fares, and, in fact, anywhere under
the elevated structures, people walking
along the sidewalks, or crossing under
the structures, or waiting for surface
cars, are subject, through the entire
summer. to being spit on by those who
have the habit of splitting out of the
elevated car windows I've had the ex-
perience numerous times.
And how can ordinances be enforced
when the representatives of law and
order have as little respect for them
as the police officers Of New York
have? A traffic policeman walking or
the sidewalk spits at will A patrol
man walking on the sidewalk spits
equally at will. On the day of the St
Patrick's Day parade I walked through
Sixtieth Street from Madison to Fifth
Avenue toward a group of seventeen
police officers who had just finished
parade duty on Fifth Avenue As I ap-
preached these officers, walking in twos
and threes, counted thirteen who spi,
on the sidewalk. And so I repeat, how
can we expect enforcement of anti
splitting ordinances? DR.. Copeland
prints red warnings of arrest of any
one splitting unscrupulously during in.
fluenza epidemics, but apparently he ha:
nothing back of the threats of fine and
I imprisonment. J. A. 3.
New York June O. 1920
New-York tribune., 1920-06-13
The Naval Investigation

The Senate investigation has in
creased the country's admiration of
the work done by our naval forces in
the war. That work was done under
grave handicaps. Upon our entry
into the war not only was there no
matured and comprehensive plan for
war against the German submarines.
but there was not even detailed
plan for the expansion and operation
of the navy. The organization of
the Navy Department had to be
changed fundamentally before it
could direct war operations.
Secretary Daniels has asserted
that "the navy was ready from stem
to stern; the feet was ready and the
department was ready" Yet figures
deduced from official reports of the
department showed the following
conditions on April 6, 1917: Only
one-third of the vessels of the fleet
then were in material condition for
war, while two-thirds required an
average Of ffty-six days for ere
pairs essential for war service"
Only one-tenth Of the vessels had
their "full war compliments" on
board, while nine-tenths averaged
only 81 per cent of such compliments
on board.
The Navy Department had fun
damental misconception of strategy
during the first six months of our
active participation in the war.
From early April on Sims begged
that every. possible destroyer and
anti-submarine craft Of all kinds be
sent over, so as TO check the sub
marine sinkings. In May and June
a few destroyers arrived in Euro
pean waters, Meanwhile our naval
forces were concentrated in home
waters, where they were useless.
In short, the Navy Department act
ed as though the naval war were
here, whereas it was TO be won or
lost In European waters.
The rebuttal Admiral Sims nasde
New-York tribune., 1920-06-13
Congress, but did not reach the stage
of enactment into law

Congress, but did not reach the stage
of enactment into law.
1t is obvious that the bureau must
follow the law as it exists, even
though the law be susceptible to I'M
provement There can be no founda-
tion for criticizing the bureau for not
doing that which is unlawful.
Arrangement of the Bureau of War
Risk Insurance on the ground of fail
ure to answer letters or 10 issue lnsur-
ance policies promptly is distinctly un-
tenable at the present time and amounts
to ignoring the fact that the congestion
which was precipitated by the wholesale
rehabilitation following the Hryaistice
has been cleared away and that pc ',d-
reau is now current in its ccrresprnd-
ence. The permanent insurance policies
are being issued daily, and this work
will be completed within very few
weeks.
R. G. CHOLMELEY-JONES,
Director, Bureau War Risk -nsur-
ance.
Washington, June 9, 1920.