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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 1917)
Omaha Daily. 1 lit! THE WEATHER Fair; Cooler TOL XLVII. NO. 57. OMAHA. THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST 23, 1917 TEN PAGES. On Trilni. t HoW. Ntwi Slindi, Etc., 5c. SINGLE COPY TWO -CENTS. BRITIS AT WEAKENING USSIANS ES FRONT NOTHER CRUSHING BLOW LINE ON YPR PUBLIC WILL NOT BENEFIT BY CUT IN COAL PRICES Victor White Says Omaha Coal VIen Have Filled Their Bins at the Former High Prices. BULLETIN. Chicago, Aug. 22. The Consum ers' company, Chicago, said to be the largest retail coal dealers in the world, today announced a slash of from $1 to $1 80 on soft coal, ef fective immediately. This is in line with the price fixed with President Wilson. Other dealers 'will make similar cuts at once, it was said. It was estimated the reductions will cut Chicago's coal bill by $30,000,009. Unless the government puts a crimp in the plans of the wholesalers and retailers of coal indications are that the consumer is Hot going to de rive any immediate benefit from the cut of $1 to2 per ton that President Wilson has ordered in the selling pricej at the mines. This is the opin ion of Omaha coal dealers. The reason why coal is going to be sold to the consumers at the present prices, notwithstanding the reduction ordered in mine prices, is due to the fact that jobbers and retailers are stocked to capacity with the high priced coal, bought during the sum jner. While local dealers are short or. their supplies of hard coal, tliejr have the normal- quantity of the bitumi nous and semi-anthracite grades on hand and it is asserted that if there is no more coal shipped into Omaha there is enough in stock to last up to pretty close to the first of next year. Victor White, who has been in the coal business for years and is con nected with the C. N. Dietz com pany, ::ays: Would Mean Bankruptcy. "To make the dealers comply with the conditions of the president's price-fixing plan would be to work a great hardship upon the coal dealers of the country. It would force them to lose enormous sums and perhaps many of them would be brought face te fac .wfth.-bankrjupfcy., , ... ,i; t. '"'"'"btrring the eartyisamm pating a car shortage and inability to get coal later in the season, the job bers bought large stocks, and in turn sold to the retailers. As a result, the bins of both wholesalers and job bers are filled. The coal was bought at the high prices that maintained at the time, and most of it still remains in tne possession of these same pur chasers. "Some time ago consumers con ceived the idea that there would be va cut in soft coal prices and very few of them bought the winter supply. The fact is that there is hardly a family in Omaha that has laid in the wnfer stock of soft coal. Dealers See No Way Out. , "Tii the event the government ? should force the dealers to sell the coal now on hand and absorb the loss, it would mean ruination to many. The loss would be from $1 to ?i and in some instances $3 a ton. '1 don't sec how this loss is going to be taken care of. Perhaps the gov ernment will work out some plan in the, difference in price to the job bers and retailers. Only time will tell what is to be done and what can be done.- , "Of course, coal bought from nowj on," will take the reduced prices, but 1 don't believe dealers will make; many purchases until the stocks now on hand are disposed of." Randall K. Brown, head of the Coal Hill Coal company: "Unless the government should issue an or der compelling the dealers to unload their present stocks of coal and take the loss, I don't see how the fixing of the price at the mines can affect ( Continued on Ttif Two, Column Three.) The Weather I'or Nebraska Fair, cooler. Temperatures at Omaha Yesterday. Hour. Temp. 5 a. m 64 6 a. in 65 7 a. m 66 8 p. m 69 9 a. m 72 10 a. m. . . ., 76 11 a. m 7S 12 noon fO 1 p. m Si 2 p. m S3 " p. m M 4 p. m 83 p. m ffi 6 p. m 8 5 7 p. m 82 8 p. m 79 Comparative Local Record. 1917. 1916. 1615. 1914. Hifheeb yesterday..,.,. 86 75 81 1.00 Lowest yesterday. 64 09 6 J .73 Mean temperature . 75 67 72 .86 Precipitation .00 .00 .45 .00 Temperature and precipitation departures from the normal: Normal temperature,..., 73 Kxcoss for tne day 2 Total deficiency siuce .March 1 182 Normal precipitation 13 Inch Deficiency for the day .13 inch Total rainfall since March 1. .. .19.54 inches I'flciency since March 1 1.34 Inches Deficiency for cor. period. 1916.. 9.53 inches Excess for cor. period, 1915.... .83 inch Report From Stations at 7 P. M. Station and State Temp. High- Raln- of Weather. 1 p. m. est. Cheyenne, clear 6 70 Davenport, clear 80 84 Denver, cloudy 76 84 Des Moines, part cloudy 82 14 Dodge City, part cloudy 86 ' 94 'ander, clear .73 Is fall. .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .oo .. .00 .02 .01 .00 North Platte, clear..... 7 8 ! ? 'i4 6 St 74 ,'lmaha, cloudy 82 ?ueb!o. rloudy 82 Raptd City, clear 74 .Salt Lake City, clear... 86 .Santa Ke, clear 80 Sheridan, clear.. ... 72 Sioux City, cloudy...... 80 Valentine, clear... 76 L.-A, "WELSH. Meteorologist. Tobacco Low; tier many Stops Street Smoking Amsterdam, Aug. 22. According to Die Morgen Post of Berlin, the police in Germany intend to pro hibit smoking in the streets in view of the decline of tobacco stocks. The prohibition will be extended to the whole of Germany. CALVIN TELLS OF TASK TAKEN OVER BY JUDGE LOVETT President of Union Pacific Says that President Wilson Has Given Him Most Im portant Work. President Calvin of the Union Pa cific is back from two weeks in the east, most of the time being spent in New York and Washington. He is enthusiastic over what is being accom plished by the railroads' war board. "The appointment of Robert S. Lovett, chairman of the board of di rectors of the Union Pacific" system, iir charge of priority of shipments completes the last step," said Mr. Calvin, "in the. plans necessary to en able the railroads to accomplish the work the government has asked of them. Mr. Lovett will give orders for such priority of shipment to the railroad war board and it in turn will issue orders to the various railroads. Has Important Task. ""Mr. Lovett is also in charge of priority of manufacturing and with these two important duties in his hands lias charge of probably the most necessary work in connection with the big job of winning the war. "For instance, during my . call upon him at his office in New York an of ficer in charge of the work of fleet construction called upon him for or ders giving priority to the manufac ture of certain things needed by the shipping corporation. This work re quires a complete understanding of all the needs of the government at this time, the needs of the army, the navy and the shipping corporation, together with all the needs of the allies and the neutral countries, as well as the com mercial needs of our own country. The papers have already reported the fact that Mr. Lovett has issued or ders" wanting priority of shipment to coal for certain sections of the coun try. ; Surrounded by Experts. "Mr. Lovett has gathered around him an organization of the most high ly trained experts in the country. One "of the men upon whom he will lean is I.' O. Rhoades, general pur chasing agent of the Southern Pa cific, who is well known in Omaha, where he started his career as a rail road man as ,an office boy in the storekeeper's office many years ago. He is a brother of William E. Rhoades, vice'president of the United States National bank of Omaha. His duty will be to investigate the claims for both priority of manufacturing and priority of shipment. General Aleslure, who lor years was quartermaster general 01 tne army and retired some time ago, has been brought into Mr. Lovett s or ganization to advise upon the ques tion ot priority ot the needs ot the army; ana Kear Admiral Mason, aiso retired, is on Jlr. Lotelts statt in connection with the needs of the. navy. Serve Without Pay. j "Mr. Lovett and all of his assist ants are not only serving without compensation, but are also paying their own expenses, as is the case with all of the big business men who are in charge of the various war bu reaus and war commissions in Wash ington today. "The work of the railroads' war board, which is now strengthened by Mr. Lovett's appointment and the powers granted him, is giving an ex ample of the efficiency which is pos sible with the elimination sof many of the restrictive laws that have here tofore interfered with the best oper ations of the railroads. "The entire 260,000 miles of line in this country is now being operated as one railroad from the central head quarters in Washington. The equip ment and resources of the railroads are being pooled in such a way 'and the entire work is being handled in such a manner, as to prove the con tention made, for years by railroad ex ecutives that the railroads operating (Continued on Pae Two, Column One.) Death and Destruction Again In Wake of Air Attacks On England - , : London, Aug. 22. Ten German airplanes approached the English coast on the county of Kent today, the British war office announces. Two of the raiding machines were brought down. The communication issued by, Lord French, commander-in-chief of the home forces, says: "Ten enemy airplanes approached over the Kentish coast near Rams gate, about 10:15 a. m. Being met and heavily engaged by machines of the royal flying corps and royal naval air service and also by gun fire from anti-aircraft guns, the raiders were unable to penetrate inland. "A small party traveled west to Margate, but then turned homeward. The remainder skirted the coast to the south as far as Dover. "Bombs were dropped at Dover and at Margate. Casualties reported up to the present were three persons killed and two injured. The ma terial damage was slight. Two enemy machines wer brought down by anti-aircraft gun fire and by our own airplanes." German airships made a raid off the Yorkshire coast last night, it is announced officially. So far as has been ascertained the damage inflicted was small. The announcement follows: J "Enemy airships, in numbers not definitely ascertained, appeared off the Yorkshire coast (in northern England on the North sea), last night. One of the raiders attacked the mouth of the Humber and was fired on by anti-aircraft guns. It dropped some bombs, then made off to sea. "The damage so far reported is slight, One man injured." , Haw 'Campania Was Captured and Sunk By SubpAs After Last Shell Was FirecU Remaining Survivors His Place COURT-MARTIAL FOR ALL WHO ARE ; EVADING DRAFT Military Authorities to Deal With Slackers Who Fail to Stand Up When Names Are Called. . Drafted men who fail to appear for, their physical examination after re ceiving notice to do so are choosing a thorny path to travel that may end at the firing squad. 1 Assistant United States Attorney Saxton has received from the provost marshal general full instructions as to how. such men are to be treated. Upon failure to appear for physical examination, the men lose their right to physical examination and are ac cepted by the exemption board with out examination, being thereupon cer tified to the district boards for the national army. if the men still fail to appear to claim exemption they thereby waive the right to exemption and they will be certified to the adjutant general as accepted. The adjutant general will then mail them notices to appear for duty at a specified time and place. Under Military Rule. At this point they become subject to the-onilitary authorities. Should they fail to comply with these notices they are classed as deserters from the army and will be treated as such. Where persons are known to be re- (Continned on Pe Two, Column Two.) Austrians Claim Capture of Three Thousand Prisoners Vienna, Aug. 22. The repulse of heavy Italian attacks on the Isonzo front is reported by the war office. Several civilians were killed in a naval attack on Triest. On August 19 the Austrians captured 3,000 prisoners. "9 in the Sun RECRUITS FOR BIG ARFilYCAfflPS BEING RUSHED FROM HERE Omaha Supplies Average of Fifty Men Daily to Concen tration Points; Battalion Drills for 'Dandy Sixth.' While the federalized Nebraska Guards are being sent to the camps, many more men are being moved every day by tn"c army recruiting sta tions with little confusion and without the public's knowledge, as a rule. Fifty men were Tuesday taken in by the army recruiting station in the Army building. This sounds' like a large order, but it is the usual thing at this station. Sergeant Hansen meets a hundred or more every day and from thirty to fifty are sent from Omaha to different camps daily. Most of them go to Fort Logan, Colorado, 'if they are approved there they enlist and are sent to other camps over the country. "We are sending many to Fort Riley, Kan." said Sergeant Hansen. "The school for bakery and cooks there is proving very popular." Start Battalion Drills. . Wiith the arrival of Mayor II. L. Harries of the Sixth Nebraska has come a big change to the Omaha bat talion. Before this the companies worked out their own plans each captain was a law to himself. There was un bounded enthusiasm and unlimited willingness to work in the battalion. But with no head the different units were working rather blindly. Now there is order and system, there is military precision and a cen tral head from which all battalion commands come. The captains breath ed sighs of relief when the young ma jor took charge and the whole battal ion has started to work with new vigor. "The whole plan of .Major Harries is summed ui in one word "work " (And again work, and once more, work. . Jt he has allowed himself sleeping hours, tlfe men of the battalion do not know it. He was on the job when they went to sleep last night and this morning they found him there. The first thing Major Harries did was to make out a battalion program. Henceforward all the companies will work in unison. They will rise to gether, have mess at the same time, drill together and do everything else at the same time. Camps Under Guard. Iu a general way the companies have been doing this, but not so ex actly as Major Harries deems neces sary. A number of changes in the program have been made. In the morning the first drill will be physical setting-up, and the noncommissioned officers will hold their school in the morning instead of in the afternoon as formerly. The company drills have been changed from morning to after noon. The Auditorium looks like a real war camp now. There are guards and officers of the day, and if is planned to have mounted guards around the buildinjfc ' ' ' i Bluejackets on Boaru Seize Revolvers When Ammunition Is Exhausted; Crew at Mercy of German Com mander. ( iy AtutoHatrd Pre.!;. 1 An Atlantic Port, Aug. 22. The Standard Oil tank steamer Campana, whose captain and five of its navy gunners were taken prisoners by a German submarine on August 6, sur rendered to the U-boat, but only be cause it had not another shot to fire. The Campana's ammunition, after fir ing 180 shots, became exhausted. This was the story told by J. H. Bruce, third mate of the Campana, who, with forty other members of the Campana's crew and eight gun ners, arrived today on a French bat tleship. The battle, began at 5 a. m. and was waged for four hours at a range of between 7,300 and 7,500 yard's. IGNORES WHITE FLAG. The U-boat fired 400 shots, only two of which hit the mark. The t'ampana, nevertheless, was out ranged by the two guns, one four inch, the other two-inch, with which the submarine was armed. The U boat also was fully as speedy as the American vessel. After the CainpajM hoisted the in ternational signal of surrender, its last shell pone, the submarine never theless continued to fire, Bruce said, and all hands took to the boats. The U-boat commander first ap proached the boat commanded by liruce, which had aboard the Cam pana's thirteen naval gunners, and or dered it alongside. He then went to the lifeboat occupied by Captain Al bert Oliver of the Campana and took him prisoner. Having room enough only for six. additional men aboard his craft, the German skipper made only five of the gunners prisoners, Bruce said. These included the chief gunner and .two petty ofheers. One of the gun ners, whose name was Miller, was in cluded because he could speak Gcr- J he ifl)iuarine w the U-2, "Bruce did not leafti the- cominander'a name. The German told him, he said, that he had first ficcd a torpedo at the Cam pana, but had missed, the projectile apparently passing under the steam ship. Threatens to Sink French Vessels. The Campana was sent to the bot tom Ivy bombs after its crew had been allowed to return and get their personal effects. Directions were given to Bruce by the submarine commander how to reach the nearest port. He told him at the same time that he had heard wireless messages exchanged by two French war ves sels in the vicinity and warned him not to allow himself to be" picked up by them. "I am going to sink them," he said. Bruce and his men, nevertheless, took the chance, encountering a French warship after floating about in small boats until 6 o'clock that night. The warship took , them aboard and landed them in France. Bruce said he was told by an officer of the war vessel that he had heard a wireless message from another French cruiser, saying that it had sunk a German submarine in the vicinity of the place where the Cam pana had been sunk. Bruce said it was only a matter of conjecture as to whether this was the submarine that attacked his vessel, but, if true, he feared it meant that Captain Oliver and his(gunners had perished. Message From Oliver. . "When Captain Oliver and the other prisoners went below on the submarine," said Bruce, "they bid us good-bye and the U-boat captain as sured me they would be treated as prisoncrsof war and landed in a few days at a German base, where, the captain said, they would be given every opportunity to send word home to their families. I was allowed to take a personal message from Cap tain Oliver to be delivered to his wife. "The bluejackets with us were a game lot. When the last shell had gone they would have tackled the Germans with their revolvers had the word been passed to them. It ..would have been a useless sacrifice of life, however, as the Germans had us at their mercy. Captain Favored Americans. "The captain said, his instructions were to take all Americans gunners and captains of armed ships prison ers. He said, however, he was sorry the United States was in the war, be cause he hated to fight Americans, as he had always found them friendly and good sports. Americans, he said will always fight to a finish. He had no use for the French or the Eng lish, though, especially the English." Russia Said to Be Facing Crisis of Political Nature Washington, Aug. 22. Official dispatches have been received from Russia within the last twenty-four hours of such a character as to cause some concern over the situation they picture. They will not be made public, much less be discussed at this time by American officials, who regard them as indicating a condition with which the provisional government had to deal. It is known that the dispatches refer to no physical events such as would be suppressed by the censorship at Petrograd, but rather are an, estimate of political conditions. N The extent of German intrigue in Russia is well known and the sub ject matter of the dispatches probably is connected with that. ENGLISH CHARGE TEUTON TROOPS IN NEW ENGAGEMENT Haig'$ Troops Advance Against Germans Near Ypres, Plowing Their Way Through Many Strongly Or ganized Positions; Further Progress in Drive on Lens. BULLETIN. London, Aug. 22. The British troops attacking fiercely again today have captured important strategic positions for a mile along Ypros-Menin road, to a depth of nearly a third of a mile, and further to the north carried forward their front about a half mile over an extent of two and a half miles. (By Associated Press.) Another of the rapid succession of blows which the British and French are striking at various points along the Franco Belgian front fell this morning on the Germans in the region of Ypres, where the British were held up last week in their drive in conjunction with the French forces to the north. At dawn the British advanced over the fiercely contested ueia Deiween Langemarck and CENTRAL POWERS WELCOME POPE'S PEACEfROPOSAL All Parties of Reichstag Appar ently Favor Pope's Plan, While Austria Also Falls Into Line. Copenhagen, Aug? 22. After Chan cellor Michaclis had, informed the main committee of the Reichstag Tuesday that Germany would not re ply to the papal peace note until it had consulted its allies, socialist speakers who followed him said they welcomed the pope's, action as they would welcome any step capable of bringing peace, and all the more be cause it was expected to bear results. The liberals declared themselves in agreement with the chancellor's sympathetic interpretation of the pope's acfon, The centrists associated themselves with the chancellor's remarks and said the pope's proposal marked ex traordinary valuable pfbgress toward peace, which was so ardently desired by alt nations. They hoped the act of his holiness would meet with full success. Austria in Harmony, The Vienna Reichspost says it has reliable information that tlie pope's peace note is in absolute harmony with the aims of the monarchy. Austria-Hungary, according to the paper, is willing to evacuate terri tories and renounce claim to indem nities once the pope's ideas of dis armament, international arbitration and freedom of the seas are guar anteed and world peace is carried out, but all the consequences dcducible from the pope's proposals must be understood to be included .therein; namely, the disappearance of the British naval bases at Gibraltar, Malta and the Suez canal, and also the Italian abandonment of Varona. Note Not Inspired. Copenhagen, Aug. 22. Dr. Michael is, the imperial German chancellor, at the convening of the Reichstag main committee yesterday in Berlin said that the recent peace proposal of Pope Ilenedict had been issued spontaneously and not at the wish of the central powers. The committee was informed by the chancellor that the pope's note would be answered only after the closest consideration with the Reich stag. Germany Must Consult Allies. Chancellor Michaclis informed the main committee of the Reichstag that Germany would not reply to the papal peace note until it had consulted its allies. Dr. Michaelis added that in view of the fact that Germany had previously repeatedly and positively indicated its readiness to enter peace negotiations, the Vati can's appeal, of course, is looked on with sympathetic approval. Germany, however, could not again offer peace in face of the summary rejection of previous proposals and continued declarations by the entente that no ; peace is possible until the central i powers are defeated and crushed. rrezenburg. ' Q lTTirv rkl t true No details have been received thus far of the new battle, which is being fought over a section strongly organ ized by the Germans with concrete redoubts and machine tm nests in shell holes. Sharp fighting .continues around the coal - Jning center of I v. , ; skirts of which the British are making progress in spite of the de termined resistance of the Germr.ns. The Germans last -right -Ci:.jed their efforts to recapture ground gained in the new French offer.sive on the Verdun front. Heavy Counter Attfcks, Heavy counter-attacks were made on both sides of the Meuse and al though the Germans were able to gain a footing temporarily in the new French positions at points, they were soon driven out. The number of pris oners taken by the French had reach ed 6,116. Several strong attacks by the Ger mans on the Aisne front during the night were repulsed. Vienua concedes, that- fhtfrtalians have forced back the Ajstrians at some points in the new battle of the Isoii2o. The Austrian war 'office re ports the loss of the village of Selo, on the Carso front, and of territory below Auzi-a, on the Isonzo south of Tolmind. It is said more than 5,600 Italians have been captured. Offensive in East. -The Germans have opened an of fensive on the extreme northern end of the Russian front. They struck be tween the Aa river and the Tirul marshes, a belt of low larfds between the Aa and the Dvina. Petrograd re ports initial success of the Germans, who compelled thei Russians to with draw as much as two miles at some points. If the fighting now under way de velops into a sustained attack the first objective of the Germans un doubtedly will be the important Rus sian port of Riga. Possession of this city would be of immense advantage to the Germans in land or sea opera tions against the Russian northern flank. Senate Adopts New War Tax Measure on Income Surtaxes Washington, Aug. 22. After" pro tracted debate in which many sena tors urged heavier levies on incomes and war profits in the war tax bill, the senate today tentatively adopted Sen ator Gerry's amendment, which would add $40,375,000 by increasing surtaxes on incomes exceeding $500,000. Gen. Pershing Witnesses Battle on Verdun Front Paris, Aug. 22. Major General Pershing, commander of the Ameri can expedition in France, returned to his Paris headquarters today after witnessing the French offensive on the Verdun front with General Petain, the commander-in-chief of the French armies. General Pershing, who saw much of the Verdun battle, was greatly im pressed with the spirit and vigor of the French troops. New Russian Commander To Succeed Klembovsky Petrograd, Aug. 22. General Letch itzky has been appointed commander on the northern front, succeeding General Klembovsky. General Letchitzky was the right hand man of General Brussiloff in the successful drive of the early sum mer of Jast year. He captured many thousands of Austrian troops and oc cupied all of Bukowina. Last March he was appointed commander on the central front. Forest Fires Rage in Montana; Fighting Force Redoubled Butte, Mont., Aug. 22. With for. est fires spreading over three dis tricts in western Montana and great quantities of valuable standing tim ber threatened,, the local forestry o ficials redoubled their efforts today to secure a sufficient number of men to aid in fighting the flames. Nearly 4,500 men are now engaged in an effort to check the fires,.