The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-01-08

/ protocol Certain concessions were
made to them, but these were not
enough for they insist they are unable
to turn over the 100000 tons of harbor
| and dock material demanded in repa-
lsration for the sinking Of the informed
warships in Scapa Flow. Late reports
said their proofs of this inability were
| so strong that experts of the allies
were disposed to consider an offer to
reduce the amount to 100000 tons.
Germany's chief internal trouble
just now is financial. The premium
loan, by which it was hoped to raise
FIVE billion marks, was failure, ana
some of the papers assert that open
bankruptcy is not far distant
Austria is starving That grim fact
/ has been established by the testimony
OF numerous persons, and it appears
to be up to the United States to supply
/ the food for that unfortunate nation.
! All the other nations of central Europe
are suffering only in less degree, and
Herbert Hoover, who knows more
| about the foreign food situation than
anyone else, proposes that the great
surplus of wheat and flour held by the
/ grain corporation be sold to them on
| credit.
The Russian bolsheviki and the Es-
/ thonians in conference at Dorpat are
/ not arriving very rapidly at an AMIGA
Bile understanding. The Esthonians
suspect the Russians of treacherous
/ designs, and in addition there are ru-
| mors that France is intervening in
/ the Baltic against the soviet govern
ment. In the field the bolsheviki had
more victories to report, including the
capture of Kiev, capital of the
! Ukraine, from General Denikine's
troops. They also occupied Kupiansk,
southeast of Kharkov.
The United States and Great Britain
have become involved in an unpleas-
ant controversy over the treaty by
which virtually British protectorate
over Persia has been established. A
Teheran paper accused the United
States Of having abandoned Persia,
whereupon our. legation there issued a
statement this country had done its
utmost to befriend Persia but that the
act of some Persian authorities in con-
E.cluding the treaty with England had
indicated that they did not desire the
friendship of the United States in the
future
British. Foreign Minister Curzon has
taken extreme exception to this state
ment as being undiplomatic, unfriend-
~ and even hostile and asks that the
impression made by it be corrected in
Persia by our state department. In
the reply from Washington it is plain
i " stated that the United States will
not, at the present time, approve of
the Anglo-Persian treaty.
According to what is called anthem
tic information from the highest
sources, the government will not re-
turn the railroads to private owner
ship on January 1, but will continue to
operate them until March /, or per-
haps for a month longer. This was
good news for everybody and served
to remove the apprehension that the
return would be made before congress
had passed the needed legislation,
which certainly would result in the
! paralysis of transportation and bust
ness and in great general financial
loss. There is no immediate prospect
of the passage of the Cummins bill
which the senate is considering, or any
other railroad bill, and Director Gen
eral Hines is said to have recommend
ed to the president that the govern
ment retain control until legislation is
| effected
AIexicos reply to Secretary Lam.
sings latest note on the case of Con-
sular Agent Jenkins was received in
Washington Thursday, and doubtless
gave the state department little salts
/ faction. In it Carranza said he took it
for granted that the release of Jen-
kins on bail had removed the cause of
complaint and then declined to have
/ the proceedings against the consular
agent dropped. He asserted that the
American governments belief in the
innocence of Jenkins was not sufficient
cause for removing that official from
the Jurisdiction of the Mexican tri-
| bunals. So once more it is up to Wash
ington to make the next move, and
what that will be there is no intima-
/ ton. Senator Fall thinks that our gov
eminent will not depart from its time
honored policy of permitting Carranza
to insult and defy it with impunity.
the American Legion explained recon-
mendations of the organization as for