The Omaha Daily
.Bee
THE WEATHER
Fair
s
VOL. XLVII.NO. 174.
OMAHA, MONDAY MORNING. JANUARY 7, 1018.
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS
IPEND PEA
f ir Tr'S- vTw
GE
25,000 SOLDIERS
MUTINY AT KOVNO;
TURN ON LEADERS
Military Authorities Powerless to Quell Revolt When
Entire Body Entrenches and Uses Machine Guns
to Defend Selves Against Other Units
of Teuton Army.
(By Associated Pn.)
London, Jan. 6. A dispatch received here from the Rus
sian wireless serviced says that 25,000 German soldiers in the
region east of Kovno have revolted.
German deserters stated that in consequence of the gov
eminent drafting all soldiers below the age of 35 for dispatch
to the western front, the afore-mentioned number of men re
belled and marched out of the battle line.
MILITARY AUTHORITIES POWERLESS.
They then entrenched themselves with rifles and machine
gups against the other German units. The German military
authorities have been powerless against the revolters and are
trying to cut off their food supplies. - (
The German deserters declared that one of the motives for
the revolt was that the sending of troops to the western front
was a contravention of the Russo-German armistice agreement.
DESERTER TELLS OF REVOLT.-
Washington, Jan. 6, A dispatch to
the Greek legation here today said
that a German aviator, a graduate of
Berlin -university who had deserted
and arrived in Greece, told of starva
tion in Germany and the cruel treat
ment of the Greek population in
Macedonia and Thrace occupied by
the Bulgars.
"Questioned by the Greek authori
ties," said the dispatch, "the aviator
said that daily a great number of
deaths occur in Germany due to
starvation. Coffee and fats are
scarce. Coffee and bread are substi
tuted by acorns.
"The morale of the German rmy
U low because of insufficient refur
nishment due tor the prolongation cf
the war.. Mutinies and threats to the
officers occur daily. ,
"This aviator, before deserting, vis
ited the towns of Xanthl, Dramma,
Pravi and Cavala, and said that the
most appalling tragedy that mankind
has ever experienced is taking place
in Macedonia and Thrace occupied by
the Bulgars.
"Greeks from the age of 17 to 47
by tens of thousands have been taken
by force into the Bulgarian army.
The Bulgarian government, having
decided to exterminate the ""Greek
population by starvation, does not
bother to feed them. The. pound of
bread is sold at two dollars and a
half. The aviator himself gave $25
at Dramma to buy five pounds of
sugar." .
, Two Separate Armies.
Zurich, Switzerland, Jan. 6. The
newspaper Pester Lloyd, of Budapest,
a copy of which has been received
here, states that the question of a
separate identity of the Austrian and
Hungarian armies now has been set
tled. x
The joint ministry of war will be
abolished and . the Hungarian military
administration will be placed under a
Honevid ministry, while the Austrian
forces will be under a ministry of
national defense.
Independent Austrian and Hungar
ian army, organizations will be ere
ated, but the training and equipment
of both will be absolutely uniform.
The language used in the army serv
ice and the high command of the
Hungarian army will be Magyar.
Extend Motor Service'
On Parcel Post Routes
Washington, D. C, Jan! 6. Within
three months the Postoffice depart-'
ment's motor truck parcel post serv
ice will be extended, it was announced
last night, to routes totalling between
3,000 and 4,000 miles, one chain vill
extend from Portland, Me., to New
Orleans; one will cover a large
Mretch of territory in Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois and West Virginia and others
wilt serve several California cities.
Routes already are in operation con
necting Washington with towns in
Pennsylvania and Maryland.
It is thje belief of the Postoffice de
partment that the new routes and still
others to be established later, wilt aid
materially in -the distribution of par
cel post matte and lower the cost
i food products.
; The Weather
X'jirasUu Fair; rlsin T t'-tv.:
A Hour.
Comparative Loral Record.
1917. 1916. 191. 1914.
llirht rerterday ....II 45 S2 32
Lowest yesterday 14 XI 1 27
Mean temperature ...1S 5it IS 30
Precipitation 02 .00 .00 .06
Temperature and precipitation departures
firm the normal at Omaha Blnce March 1:
Norma! temperature 21
iMsflcienoy r the day J
Joul rioflrlenej since March 1 HI
Normal prevfcii'Hilon 05 ir.'h
l'-fi"leiK- for ihe day .' 4 Inch
'iolat 'ralnUU since Starch' 1 21 86 inchea
res-
- o a., m 17
J r 6 a. m 17
ftiyf A " 1
9 a. tn IS
TVjjip 10 a. m 15
MesLsA I " m
if e5mi n i: m is
?JJ D 1 p. m 16
XC1 I 2 tm 17
mt 3 p. m 18
V& 4 p. m. 18
sssssr 5 1: . ::::::::: It
' 7 p. m 14
FIRE THREATENS
SMELTING PLANT,
AS OFFICE BURNS
Wind From the Norfh Saves
Valuable Property; Loss Is
$20,000, Which Is Mostly
1 Insured. ...
. Fire destroyed the office and lab
oratory of the'American Smelting &
Refining company, Sunday morning.
Loss is . estimated at $20,000, the
greater part of which is covered by
insurance.
The office. is a. frame structure lo
cated at the southern end of the huge
smelting works at Dodge street and
the nver front, the largest silver re
fining plant in the world.
Working Full Force.
A full' force of men was working
in the building when the blaze was
discovered, but none was hurt. Valu
able minerals in the vault of the of
fice were saved.
The exact origin of thje fire is not
known. It is thought, however, that
a leaky gas jet was the cause, as an
explosion was heard before the flames
were discovered.
The building was a two-story
frame, the first floor of which was
occupied by the laboratory, with the
office on the second floor. A stiff
north wind fanned the flames, and it
required the combined efforts of the
company's fire department and city
firemen to Jceep the blaze under con
trol. . Threatens Entire Plant.
Flying sparks fell , on ' surrounding
buildrngs and the entire plant was
threatened for a time, but the north
wind blew the sparks away from the
rest of the plant. After two hours
of fighting, however, the fire was pro
nounced under control. Work of re
building will begin at once, accord
ing to Walter T. Page, manager of
the company. Work on war orders
continued unabated Sunday.
May Use Dutch Ships to
Carry fln U.S. Cotton Traffic
New York, Jan. 6. According to
reports received here today by cot
ton brokers and shippers, a number
of the Dutch steamships which have
been held here and at other Atlantic
ports for several months by embargo
regulations, may be used within a
short time to transport cotton from
south Atlantic and gulf pons to cot
ton manufacturing ports of New Eng
land. Volcano Shows Signs of
Eruption; Cities Uneasy
San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua, Jan.
6. lrazu, a volcano 11,200 feet high,
near the cityof Cartago, Co?ta Rica,
is manifesting signs of eruption. The
population of San Jose, the Costa
Rican capital, Cartago and the neigh
boring towns arj growing uneasy.
Merchants May Aid Nation in
Speeding Freight Movement
(By Associated Trent.)
Washington, Jan. 6. Institution of
the one-de!ivery-a-day system by
Washington merchants and the utili
zation of their wagons and -trucks
to clear up congestion at freight ter
minals, was said today to be prelim
inary to a nation-wide movennt to
speed up the unloading of freight, if
'hi; plan here proved successful
A, W. Shaw, chairman of the com
mercial economy board, and Hale
Holden, one of the advisers of Direc
tor General McAdoo. are responsible
'or .the adoption .of the. plan in Wash
ington and if it proves of value, Mr.
CHICAGO IN GRIP
OF HOWLING GALES
AND HEAVY SNOWS
Surface Traffic Stopped, Taxis
and Automobiles Abandoned;
Lake Shipping Endangered;
Drifts Six Feet High.
(By Amoriated Press.)
Chicago, Jan. 6. Chicago was in
the grip today of one of the most se
vere snow storms that has visited
the central west in a number of years.
Steam railroads suffered heavily, traf
fic on some of the lines being prac
tically at a standstill and fears were
expressed that should the storm con
tinue tonight a number of the places
affected would suffer for want of fuel.
Temperatures throughout the central
west were moderate, but a strong
wind whirled the falling snow into
drifts that at many points were al
most impassable.
Comes From Northwest.
The storm, which started in the
southwest Friday, moved slowly
northward, widening its path until to
day it extended from Omaha, where
snow driven by wind is prevailing, to
Ohio points, where it became one of
sleet or rain, extending from Louis
ville, Ky., to Toledo.
In and around Chicago for a wide
distance almost a fot of snow had
fallen between 3 o'clock in the morn
ing and 5 o'clock p. m. Driven by a
35-mile gale, the snow piled in drifts
of six and more feet, sometimes as
suming fantastic shapes and filling
the entrances of such places as re
mained closed on Sunday. Surface
line made strong efforts to keep their
traCKS Clear, oui luwaiu mc tomi
part of the day, service on. many of
the crosstown lines was stopped.
Main north and south bound lines
maintained an iuregular service the
lattei part of the day, with the trans-,
portation officials uncertain a 1 to
whether even such service could con
tinue many hours.
Taxis Taken Off.
Elevated railroad lines suffered
. least .from the ..storm. The strong
wind swept the' snow from the ele
vated structures, and the eftmpanles
managed to maintain a fairly, regular
service, although all schedules were
vawry . .
, One of the larger of the taxi-cab
companies withdrew nearly a thou
sand of its vehicles from districts
outside the central area, operating
only in the "loop'or downtown sec
tions. Innumerable automobiles were
abandoned in snow drifts.
Officials of the weather bureau pre
dicted early in the evening that the
storm would continue throughout the
night, the only relief coming from a
possible decreased velocity of the
wind.
Lake shipp'ng was endangered by
the storm. The steamer Missouri of
the Northern Michigan Transporta
tion company, plying between Racine,
Milwaukee and Chicago, is icebound
two miles outside the harbor. Life
guards at the harbor entrance caught
the call of the steamer, but late to
night it had been found impracticable
to get a relief boat to it. It was re
ported, however, that the boat was
not in danger, but its passengers and
crew might suffer some from a night
on the lake. Some concern was ex
pressed for the steamship Illinois,
owned by the same company, which,
had not reported late tonight.
Late tonight a big ice ramming tug
reached the Missouri and reported by
wireless it was preparing to tow the
steamship into port.
THIRTY-EIGHT
PERSONS TAKEN
IN GAMING RAID
The morals, squad, headed by Ser
geant Murphy, this morning conducted
a raid on the Her Grand nool room
and arrested 3 persons. This is the
largest raid in Omaha tof this kind
since May 1. j
When the officers reached the place, ;
the lights were extinguished and the j
players were making hasty exits
through windows and doors.
, Blackjack was the game in progress.
Charles Johnson is keeper of the pool
room. ,
All were released on $10 bonds.
Cannon Blaze in Italy.-
Rome, Jan. 6. Aiistro-Getnun and
Italian big guns maintained a vigor
ous fire along the entire Italian front
yesterday, says today's war announce
ment, and there was great aerial ac
tivity. Holden will recommend to Director
General of Railroads McAdoo that
blanket extension be nrade to every
city.
Voluntary agreement is expected,
but it has been suggested that such
a plan might be enforced by drastic
curtailment of the time allowed for
unloading freight. It is probable that
merchants will be notifiedjn advance
when to expect shipments to arrive
and that they will be expected to
clear the ears within 24 houror !es.
This would effect a substantial in
crease in the ear suyyty. Railroad
j men are understood to rtrjard tlie
j pian v. ith hili J4irol.
Three Men Newly Named
To Push War Activities
s
ilv rv ' ,; Vf av "
MAJOR'-" -fr jv - (4 v VnB JTCAJOse,-
jEKEJ?Jy y j" ' - W' SthJEAl
ITAM&S- ill v I CT
. vw i a. . i Mrs
Secretary of War Raker recently
announced that Colonel McRoberts,
formerly executive 'manager of the
National City bank of New York, will
have charge of the newly created
Procurement division of the Ordnance
bureau. This division will have charge
DARING ITALIAN
AVIATORS STOP
R;iD ON PADUA
Form Aerial Cordon Around
City and Drive Off Enemy
Machine; Observation Bal
loon Destroyed.
(By Associated Press.)
Italian Headquarters in Northern
Italy, Saturday, Jan. 5. (By The As
sociated Press.) Padua was spared
another air raid last night largely
through the daring of Italian aviators,
who went into the air an hour before
moonrise and formed an aerial cor
don around the city, meeting enemy
machines as they advanced. The en
emy aviators, seeing the heavy con
centration, diverted their course, go
ing to Mestre, Bassarfo and Castel,
France, where they caused some
casualties and considerable loss at
the last place. British aviators are
doing especially good work. Their
latest exploit was the destruction' of
an enemy- balloon at Sussgana and
the bringing down of an enemy air
plane by gunfire.
Slow Down onPiave.
The artillery action along the
mountain and Piavc fronts is inter
mittent and no longer shows the in
tensity of a big offensive. Along
the Upper Piave enemy batteries have
been virtually silent for a week, in
dicating either a shortage of ammuni
tion or a possible movement of forces
westward to other fronts.
Weather conditions continue
normally good, with clear days
ab
and nights.
Italy Increases Army.
Washington, Jan. 6. Italy
adooted a drastic new nolicv to
has
in-
crease her fighting forces. Physical
requirements have been modified, and
all men between the ages of 18 a"l
44 vears nreviouslv exempted tor le
fects are ordered to present them
selves for further examination.
Those accepted will be mustered in
the army on January 15. It is esti
mated that the decree will itrin; r.io::
than 600,000 men to the colors.
Recognizes Finland Republic.
Paris, Jan. 6. "The French govern
ment has recognized in. right as in
fact, the independence of the Republic
of Finland," says the Temps today.
First Yeomanette
At Lakes Station
Kansas Cit Mo., Jan. 6. The
application of Miss Virginia Stod
dert Moore, of this city, for a po
sition a$ first class yeoman in the
United States nary has heen ac
cepted by Captain MofTett, com
mandant of the Great Lakes naval
training station, it was announced
yesterday. Miss Moore is the great
great granddaughter of Benjamin
Forrest Stoddcrt, first secretary
of the navy, appointed m 1798.
Miss Moore is officially enlisted
as a first class yeoman. She is
the first woman to be accepted
at the Great Lakes tation. ac
cording K' Captain MofTett.
CCUoNXi
MSRGBXiPTS
f procuring all supplies for the
armies of the United States. Major
General Robert Bullard will, it is un
derstood, replace Major-Gencral Sib
ert as second in command to General
Pershing in France. Major-General
James Parker also may be selected
for dutv in France soon.
MQTHER PRAYS
IN VAIN TO HELP
SUFFOCATED BOY
Norman Brown Dead of Gas
Fumes From Jet Blown Out
by the Wind While
Reading.
While alone in their cozyt little
home reading a fairy tale,' 12-year-old
Norman Brown, son 'of Mrs. Esther
Brown, 201 South Thirtieth street,
went quietly to his death yesterday
afternoon from asphyxiation by gas
fumes from an opened jet.
His mother, a widow, found the
body, still warm, lying across the bed
in his room, his hands still clutching
the book. His death was pronounced
accidental.
It is believed a sudden gust of wind
extinguished a lighted gas jet and the
lad was overcome probably after he
had fallen asleep.
Mother Prays In Vain.
Police Surgeon Romonek was sum
moned immediately and worked one
hour in a futile attempt to resusci
tate life in the lad's body by use of
a pulmotor, while the grief-stricken
mother knelt and prayed uesiae ner
child.
The death of her boy told with pa
thetic sorrow on the face of the wid
owed mother.
Norman was, a pupil in the Farnam
grade school and assisted an older
brother, Clarence, carrying papers
toward the support of the little fam
ily, which consisted of mother and
two sons, the father having died 12
years ago.
County Attorney Maguey was noti
fied and said he would order an in
vestigation. 1 he body was taken to the Jackson
jundertaking establishment. 1705 Leav-
enworth street.
Suffs Threaten to
Tactics if
IB- Associated Pre.)
Washington, Jan. 6. Threats of
the woman's party to resume militant
tactics if the federal constitutional
suffrage amendment resolution is not
adopted and charges that socialists,
pacifists and pro-Germans would wel
come enactment of the amendment
for its effect on the war, were features
of yesterday's hea'ing on the resolu
tion before the house suffrage com
mittee. -
Speakers representing the national
association opposed to woman suf
frage, including the president, Mrs.
James W. Wadsworth, jr., told the
committee that those opposing the
war want to see the amendment en
acted and in support of their argu
ment presented figures to show that
the "socialist, pacifist and pro-German
vote had forced woman suffrage
on N'ew York state."
Representatives of the
woman's
party, v. ho included several women
v.iio served jail sentences for picket-
CENTRAL POWERS
REFUSE TO CHANGE
PLACE OF MEETING
Decline to Comply with Russian Insistence to Transfer
Negotiations to Stockholm on Neutral Soil and for
that Reason Temporarily Suspend All Peace
Parleys With Bolesheviki Delegates
(By AMorlateil Pre.)
London, Jan. 6. An official statement issued at, Berlin
yesterday and forwarded by the Zurich correspondent of the
Exchange Telegraph company, announced that because of the
Russian insistence on their request to transfer the peace pour
parlers from Brest-Litovsk to Stockholm, the central powers
had temporarily suspended negotiations with Russia.,
CUT PASSENGER
TRAINS IN EAST:
SPEED FREIGHT
McAdoo Orders Twenty Per
Cent of Service Discontinued
Sunday to Free Locomo
tives and Crews.
ny Auorlated Ftcm.) .
Washington, Jan. 6. To free loco
motives and crews for the more im
portant freight transportation, '20 V
cent of the through passenger trains
on the eastern railroads will be dis
continued tomorrow by approval of
Director General McAdoo.
The running schedule of others will
be reduced to lower speed to facilitate
the. movement of "Freight train!.'-;,;. '."
This policy, announced" tonight' by
the director general, gradually 4vlll be
extended to affect "train service,
throughout the country. Ft trains,
betweea .New York1 and Chicago and
St. Louis and Chicago and southern
Und westtrn points probably will be
th4 rlext to be affected. Individual
railroads will take the initiative in
suggesting curtailments, but these
will be approved by the director gen
eral in most Cases.
, In a statement tonight the director
general . sought to dispel the impres
sion which he said had been created
in California and other Pacific coast
states, that any radical changes in
passenger travel to the coast are con
templated. Asks Travel Curtailment.
In approving the newv passenger
schedules of the Pennsylvania and
the Baltimore & Ohio, wnicti go into
effect tomorrow, and of the New Hav-
which becoms effective January
Mr. McAdoo ordered a number
of modifications, resulting in reten
tion of more parlor cars than the
railroads Had planned.
Mr. McAdoo appealed to the public
in a statement tonight to refrain from
travel as much as possible, but prom
ised that no suburban commuter trains
or others necessary for proper "main
tenance of business life in cities will
be eliminated.
Congress next week will take up
the railroad bills introdoced yester
day following President Wilson's
message on government operation
Land discussion today among members
ot both houses indicated a marked
difference of opinion over whether
government control should extend
only for a definite period after the
end of the war, or indefinitely until
congress orders otherwise. Coal con
tinued to go forward today ahead of
other freight. Fuel Administrator
Garfield telegraphed the following:
"By direction of Director General
McAdoo all priority orders hereto
fore issued with respect to transporta
tion have been suspended and np fur
ther priorities may be issued in emer
gencies under Mr. McAdoo's direc
tion as occasion may require."
Use English
Amendment Fails
ing the White House, declared that
they would resume militant methods
unless congress gave the state legis
latures, an opportunity to pass upon
the amendment.
Miss Maude Younger, one of the
speakers, said President Wilson fa
vored the amendment and gave as au
thorities for her statement Dudley
Field Malone of New York, and J. A.
H. Hopkins of New Jersey Replying
to questions of Representative Clark
of Florida, she explained that she had
said at a wortian's party mass meeting
that a man "well known as an ad
ministration mouthpiece" had told
Miss Alice Paul, party chairman,
while Miss Paul was serving a sen
tence in the district jail, that the pres
ident would make no mention of suf
frage in his message at tMe opening
of ongrcss, but would work for the
passage of the resolution.
The hearings will end Monday after
other representatives of the national
association opposed to woman suf
I fiage are heard '
f POLITICAL CRISIS ON.
A Copenhagen dispatch to the Ex
change Telegraph company says that
the crisis between the central powers
and Russia because of the Bolsheviki
demand that peace negotiations be dis
cussed in a neutral country is having'
a powerful effect in German' politics
and is likely to lead to a sharp conflict
between the center ahd socialist par
ties. Newspapers, such as the Nation
al Zeitung and the Deutsches Zeitung.
claim that advances have taken place
between the national liberal and the
center parties and that they are likely
to lead to new developments in the
German policy.
The Bolsheviki have dealt a knock
out blow to secret diplomacy.
Whether they have accomplished any
thing else, they have undoubtedly
fixed the form which future peace ne
gotiations will take.
A good evidence of this is the wide
spread satisfaction expressed by the
entire British press over the manner
in which the Russian delegation at
Brest-Litovsk .dragged the German
proposals into the sunlight, thereby
with a single stroke proving the false
ness of ithe German pretensions more
effectively than could jrs of allied
prorjagatida. ; ; . , ' r
' Recognition Not Soon. ' v
The shrewdness .displayed by Joffe's
delegation in out-maneuvering von
Kuehlmahrt' ahd other leading diplo
matists qf tlie central powers together
with, the continual indications of re-'
soiircefutness with which Trotzky is
meeting changing conditions inside
Russia unquestionably is affecting
allied opinion favorably. The per
sistent talk of allied or St least British
recognition of the Lenine government
is a sign of this, for such suggestion
would not have been tolerated a week
ago.' . . ' - J .
It is not believed such a recognition
is imminent and the Bolsheviki them
selves apparently don't insist upon it.
Litvinoff, recently appointed ambas
sador to Great Britain, has announced
lie considers himself accredited by
the Bolsheviki to the British people,
not the government.
Change In Policy.
What is more probable than the
immediate official recognition of the
Lenine government is some Sort of
working agreement pending the re
storation of order in Petrograd.
The departure of Ambassador Bu
chanan from Petrograd has rendered
such action possible. While he was
there in the capacity of ambassador,
he naturally was unable to deal with
anything, less than a recognized gov
ernment. There is a-new and inter
esting light thrown on one feature of
the Russian situation by certain dis
patches today from Petrograd, which
allege efforts are being made by con
servative elements to establish, com-
munications with Austro-German
delegations.
N Ukrainians Baffle Germans.
Stockholm, Jan. 6. The Ukrainians
are "The Yankees of Russia" and in
them Prince Leopold of Bavaria met
his match when he tried to get chatty
at Brest-Litovsk, The Ukrainian re
public's three peace delegates an
swered the prince's questions with
the utmost suavity and apparent di
rectness but left the prince no wiser.
Delegate Gascnko says: "The Ger
mans showed amazing interest in the
Ukraine's army and the ske and lo
cation of our detachments. The dele
gation's leader, Levitsky, adds: "More
than anything else the Germans were
interested in our army's size, type of
weapons and all similar matters. V
Prying Into Secrets.
Prince Leopold deftly chose his
method of questioning with Gasenko.
The prince asked: "What is your
trump card?"
"Warm love of our fatherland."
The prince said: "I beg your par
don, you must have misunderstood
(Continued n Page Two, Column Three.!
Urge Higher Salaries for
Judges ot federal Court,
Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 6. Higher
salaries for federal court judges will
be urged by the American Bar asso
ciation. At today's meeting of the
executive committee of the body, it
was stated that alt of the cc tnmittec
and a big majority of the 11,000 mem
bers of the organization favored an
advance, nevertheless action on the
question was deferred and the matter
referred to a sub-committe , of which
Senator Sutherland of Utah is chair
.man. While the . federal judges receive
but $6,000 a year, it was stated that
supreme court judges in New York
draw $17,000 each and the common
pleas judges in this state are ' paid
$11,500.
- - '.
t
V