Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 165, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1919 — Page 2

CHINA TRYING TO STAMP OUT THE OPIUM EVIL

It Is reported that the Chinese express fear pat the League of Nations will not he strong enough to the Hague opium convention of 1912. Our photograph shows one of China’s methods of wiping out this evil. They are burning part Of $25,000,000 worth of opium purchased from the opium trust.

BOLSHEVIKI LEFT DEATH IN WAKE

Murdered Civic Leaders and Sacked Homes Before Quitting Riga. 15,000 ILL FROM STARVATION Captain Forman Makes an Official Report on Conditions to the American Relief Administration — No Bread for Weeks. New York. —Before the bolshevists abandoned Riga they murdered most of the civic leaders, played machine guns on the persons in one prison and sacked the homes of the wealthy, according to an official report received here by the American relief administration. This report, made by Capt. Howell Forman, head of the administration’s Baltic "mission, and forwarded., by Herbert Hoover, director general of the organisation, asserted that inhabitants, of Riga, heartened by the arrival of American supplies, had turned on their oppressors and now were hunting down bolshevists and executing many daily. The report warned that “a large radical element is left in the population, and failure of the authorities to provide food until the city can get on its feet again might lead them, with the assistance of the bolshevists still In hiding, to attempt another uprising.” Even with the arrival of American supplies food conditions were pictured as distressing. “Roof rabbits”-—bol-shevik for house cats—are bringing almost prohibitive prices, as they are virtually the only form of meat available. 15,000 Persons 111. Captain Forman reported that 187,000 persons—nearly 15,000 of whom are seriously 111 from typhus, effects of starvation and other causes —are receiving a meal a day from 50 American kitchens, while American bread is being distributed from 90 depots. With an epidemic of dysentery feared In the approaching warm season. American medical experts are studying the situation to decide what foods are most urgently needed. ••Before the bolshevists abandoned the city they opened the doors of one prison and drove the prisoners into the yard, where machine guns played upon them,” said Captain Forman’s report. “The bodies of seven clergymen a number of women were found', when troops entered Hie city. “Under the bolshevik reign occupants of handsome residences were moved into slums and- hordes of ruf- 1 bans invaded richly furnished apartments. Houses of the wealthy were ransacked and furniture, clothing and Jewelry shipped into the interior. “To be well dressed in Riga today Is dangerous, A £rlm local jest says

ARE CLAIMING KARL’S JEWELS

Dispute Between Italy and Austria Over Art Collections. Italians Particularly Anxious to Recover Former Austrian Emperor'a “Florentine Gem"” Vienna.—A new turn has been given to the dispute between Italy and Austria over art collectings by the statement that former Emperor Charles has carried off to Switzerland the Imperial Jewels, the whole of which are regarded in Austria as being his private property, but claims for which have been filed by Italy, particularly the Florentine diamond of 133 1-3 carats. The Italian commissioner. Professor D’Ancona, has stated that, this diamond formed part of the collection left to the city of Florence under the will of Anna Maria Medici, but that it was carried off by the house of Austria in

if a man Is well dressed he is a bolshevik ; if in rags he is harmless.’ “The bolshevik* divided the population into three classes for distribution of food. To receive this daily ration applications had to be made for cards, but as applicants were often thrown into prison instead of receiving cards, many were frightened into staying away and starving. —— —•• No Bread for Weeks. “Feeble men and women stood In line for hours to receive their rations, and often there was no bread for When there was any extra food, such as meat, fats or vegetables, bolshevik commissaries were the only

SCRAP BIG WARSHIPS

Great Britain to Dispose of Vessels by Auction. L Many of 200 That Have Outlived Usefulness Hold High Place in Naval History. London. —Nearly 200 warships of the British navy, most of which have outlived their usefulness^are to be sold to the highest bidder as soon as they can be cleared of their guns, etc. Among the vessels to be disposed of are several which have a high place in naval history and around which hovers an intense sentimental interest. A somewhat similar step was taken by the admiralty In 1904, when a large number of obsolete vessels were disposed of. At that time a great hue and cry was raised, as many persons feared that the strength of the navy would be seriously impaired. But, as a matter of fact, the sale of the ships resulted In making the navy stronger than ever and the coming sale is expected to have a similar effect. The removal of obsolete vessels in 1904 had a two-fold purpose, and in both respects was justified by the war. It set free the personnel needed to start the nucleus crew system, and placed out of commission ships which did not give an adequate return in fighting efficiency for the cost of their upkeep. v Widespread Interest will be aroused by the revelation of the names of ships to be removed from service. Sentimental Interest in his majesty's ships of war is strong, amounting almost to reverence, evoked ,bv such an ancient monument as Nelson’s Victory. Among the ships now to be disposed of are many which have been brought prominently before the public eye. Several have flown the flags of distinguished officers, and not a few have .'made records in connection with the war. ~— - More than 100 destroyers, compris-

1748 when Duque Leopold became emperor of Austria. He said the Austrian government had been notified of Italian claims to this jewel months ago. and if it permitted. Emperdr Charles to carry it away it. would be necessary to obtain possession of it again. It is unknown here whether the emperor has disposed .of the diamond while in Switzerland in order to pay his living expenses. Professor D’Ancona has carefully traced the history of this remarkable stone which, legend relates, was lost on the battlefield of Granson by Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, six centuhes ago. It was picked up and believed to be a piece of glass and sold for a small sum. It found i-« way to Switzerland, where it was sold -for 11.000 ducats to the duke of Milan, and brought to Rome in ,1601 by Ferdinand Medici. It has been on exhibition years

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. IND.

ones to benefit. No food was to be had in open markets. “The bolshevik ration being insufficient the inhabitants either starved, or if they had property, exchanged Jewelry or clothing for bits of food smuggled into the city by peasants from the country. Exorbitant prices were demanded. Bright-hued bolshevik currency, printed In vast .quantities, was thrown about in the streets, being, practically valueless. “Curious crowds still gather on the water front at Libaii watching white flour unloaded from American ships of the American relief administration. Women and children In warehouses pinch flour from the floor and eat it raw from their finger tips. Stevedores scrape lumps of wet flour from ship decks and secrete it in bootlegs. “A little meat is on sale at prohlbl five prices. House cats are sold undei the more appetizing title of ‘roof rabbit.’ After five years of war and bolshevism the population is reduced from 12,000 to 4,000.

Ing the “A” to “F” classes, are now biassed as noneffective, and 97 of them, including 21 for immediate disposal, appeared in the list of April 9. There will soon, therefore, be no destroyers in the navy launchedbefore 1909. All the torpedo boats, except the 36 turbine-driven ’ boats of toe coastal type built in 1906-09, are being cleared off, and 46 are in the list. Perhaps the most interesting unit of this group is torpedo boat No. 079, which in the naval maneuvers was commanded by King George, then a lieutenant in the navy.

CLAIMS KINSHIP TO KAISER

Giri Held for Theft in England Says She Is Princess of Germany. London. —Tried on a charge of larceny, a girl known as Daisy Irving testified at Bromley, Kent, that she was innocent and had a “double” who was a thief. The girl said she was bom at Potsdam on January 1, 1893, and wir.» christened Diaraendo Wilhelmina Hohenzollern. Her father was .Prince Victor Wilhelm Hamburg H ohenzollern. the son of the brother of the ex-kaiser and cousin to the ex-crown prince. Her mother was a Frenchwoman, and the only name Tshe knew her by was Girlie Irving. Accused further said that she had visited nearly every country during her life, but the first time she came to England was in October last. She then came with her parents from Paris. A motor journey and a visit to a bungalow were incidents of her adventures of which the accused spoke. “I am a German princess in my own right,” she declared. It was alleged that under the name of Miss V. Raynjond she rented a furnished cottage at Hayes and while there disposed of a piano, a sewing machine and other household articles. She was held.

in the Hofburg museum. Professor D'Ancona pointed opt to the Associated Press correspondent that the Austrians, cannot claim that in surrendering this stone they would be—injuring Vienna’s—art—collection since they were willing to part with it to the former emperor who is how a private citizen and has left the country.

Marries Brother’s Widow.

Topeka, Kan. —An unusual feature developed at the marriage license desk in the probate judge’s office here when Ernest D. Day, thirty-two years of «ge of this city, secured a license to wed Katie Day, twenty-one years of age, also of Topeka. Mrs. Day was the widow of his brother. This is said to be the first a thing has occurred here. It is prohibited by law in some states and some countries.

$125,000 Collar for Dog.

Hudson, N. Cristo” received a $125,000 collar on his birthday. Monte Cristo, a bulldog, had • party in honor of the event.

YOUNG HILDEBRAND USES HEADWORK IN GAMES.

Umpire George Hildebrand of the American league has A twelve-year-old son out in California who already is exhibiting the strategy —headwork It is called for short—that indicates he either will be a great ball player, a millionaire railroad magnate or' a master safe blower. The umpire got a letter from the precocious youngster the other day in which the twelve-year-old told of a game of ball he had pitched. He wrote Papa Hildebrand thusly: “It was a pretty good game and we beat them 4to 2. They never scored on me till the fifth. I didn’t have anything on the ball but my fingers. Out of the lot was out, so every time I got in a hole I just threw the ball over easy, and over the fence it was hit, ending the inning. I was never in a hole except in the fifth. Then I used my headwork.” We’ll say he did.

SLUGGER FLAGSTEAD WINS REGULAR JOB

Rookie Got Into Line-Up When Shorten Was Injured. Has Played Excellent Ball, in All Departments and Is Hitting Above .300 Mark—Not Expected That He Will Fizzle. Ira Flagstead, who was secured by the Detroit Tigers from the Chattanooga team of the Southern association, where he gained a reputation of being a consistent hitter, went well during the training stay at Macon and subbed in center in the early games before Cobb* joined the club. Then he was on the bench and he expect-

Ira Flagstead.

ed to stay tliere, to be ready for emergency duty in the outfield. The rest is an old story. Shorten injured his leg near the end of the training trip, got in the opening game against Cleveland and then was forced out of the lineup when his leg again gave him more trouble. Flagstead got three hits in that second game against the Indians, has played excellent ball in all departments ever since and now is the club’s regular right fielder. He has been hitting more than .300 most of the time, much of it in pinches. Shorten’s misfortune wal* his good fortune. Many other ball players with batting marks almost as big as Flagstead’s have come from the minors and failed in the majors where they found the pitching too good. Ira may also fail for the same reason, but there seems little chance. He has faced the best pitching in league and hit far above the average; in fact that is why he is sticking in right, after starting there as a substitute. Many minor league phenoms have been curve-bailed out of the majors, but Flagstead has shown no weakness against this kind of pitching. He is fast on his feet, covers a lot of ground and has a strong arm. He has faced several trying situations and his judgment at those times has been good.

LOSE SERVICES OF HUNTER

Sailor Has Been Transferred From San Pedro Submarine Base to Atlantic Station. San Francisco has lost the services •f Herb Hunter probably for the season. He had been playing with the Seals while on a' furlough from the navy but now he has been transferred from the San Pedro submarine base to an Atlantic coast station, and even if he does get a layoff from Uncle Sam now and then he can't hop back to 'Frisco. The navy has put the Hd n Releases temporarily.

PROMINENT BASEBALL PLAYERS POSSESS LITTLE FADS OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER

Many ball players have fads of one kind and another. A brief list might be instructive. Lena Blackbtfrne, who has played shortstop on many teams, collects pennants from the various cities he visits. Joe Benz has an account of every game he has ever pitched pasted away in a scrap book. Dutch Leonard has a passion for talking machines, and spends much of his spare cash purchasing records. Strong for Flowers. Eddie Collins is strong for flowers, and picks up a rose bush here and a new kind of plant there for his garden back in a suburb of Philadelphia. A large number of players keep scrap books. Ed Walsh has a pile of them large enough to stock a small library. Few players have had so many features written about them as Walsh has enjoyed, and many a day he filed from one to four pages in his book. Ed also picked up pictures of himself in action, and has fixed up a baseball den at his home in Meriden, Conn., which is said to be one of the finest of its kind in the country. Eddie Cicotte is another who keeps a scrap book. His fondest hope is some day to place an account of his no-hit game in this volume. He has nearly everything else. While on the coast this spring we visited Jack Fournier, former Sox and

OPINION OF ARBITER KLEM

Veteran Umpire Says All Players Are Battling as if Life Depended Upon Outcome. Take it from Bill Klem, veteran umpire of the National league, the current pennant campaign is going to be ohe of the most bitterly fought races in the annals of the pastime.

Umpire Bill Kiem.

Bill has umpired his way through many seasons, but he declares that not since the days of the old intercity rivalry between New York and Chicago and New York and Pittsburgh have the players on all of the clubs fought so keenly in every contest to win as they appear to be doing now. “The old game is bacfc,” declared Klem; “make no mistake about that. The boys are all battling as if life-it-self hung upon the outcome of the chase. That is the spirit that makes baseball the most popular of all sports. And while they, all are fighting every step of the journey there haa been a praiseworthy lack of disorderly conduct on the field for which I am sure the fans are grateful.”

Yankee, at his home in a Los Angeles hotel, writes Malcolm Mac Lean in Detroit Free Press. Jack is one of the coast’s star players and seems certain to be back in the majors again before the year is out. His room was bare of ornaments —unless a Y ar( J r °U e trunk could be considered such —and the only objects in sight were "two scrap books on a table beside the water pitcher. Many of the clippings in his books refer to him as the Frenchman, which he collects with great delight. “You know,” he confided, “I was born In Michigan.” Had Great Time. ‘T had a great time when I played with Montreal,” he continued. “The French afns took me to their hearts I actually heard one of them tell another that I couldn’t understand any English except a few words like ‘ball,’ ‘strike,’ and others used In playing the pastim< “And I didn’t have to buy many dinners in Montreal, either. I had one or more invitations every night at one of the French homes, and I had one swell year of It. Many of them called me Jacques Flonyea, and I could often hear them yelling that at me when I was at bat.” Before closing we might state that the Angels have a hitting trio that compares favorably with many of those in the majors—Fournier bats third, Sam Crawford, former Tiger, fourth, and then comes Rube Ellis, ex-CardinaL

PLAYED IN GAS MASKS

Hank Gowdy tells of playing one inning of a ball game over in France with the players wearing gas masks, against a team made us) of Twenty-sixth division boys. Hank pitched, and of course his team won, 4 to 3, but the wonder of it to Hank and to all others who have worn these gas masks was his center fielder catching a fly while peering through the dim panes.

BASEBALL STORIES

Alaska will revive its twilight baseball league. The Salt Lake club has dropped the veteran Ed Willett. * * * Claiming the pennant now is like dancing around a May pole in December. * ♦ • Truck Hannah, catcher of the Yankees, is a heavy hitter. He’s also a heavy runner. • 1 * * • , Jack Tait, the Canadian middle distance amateur runner, is playing baseball with the veteran nine ofToronto Senior league. The grand stand taanagers at Bridgeport are panning Manager Grimes for releasing Outfielder Mltterling and Outfielder Yim. - - « * • Cuban Stars baseball team of Havana will shortly begin a tour of cities of the eastern part of this conn try, opening in New York city. * * • : , one thing about Fletcher as a shortstop. He plays grounder! so few of them bound badly away* from him as they do With otheis.