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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 1918)
THE SEMLWCEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE. NEBRA8KA. GARFIELD'S ORDER GOES INTO EFFECT BUsrNESS IN EAST SUSPENDS TO RELIEVE FUEL SHORTAGE. WILD STORM OF PROTEST FAILS Fuel Administrator Declares Sevens Weather, Terminal Congestion and General Confusion Made Act Imperative. Washington, Jan. 21. Tho extreme scarcity of coal In tho United Status h. nation of he , com; oV this country by tho order of Fuel Admin Istrntor Gartlcld shutting down man ufacturing plants east of the .Mississ ippi and in the states of Minnesota and Louisiana for a period of five days and on each Monday for the next ten weeks. Despite bitter protests from thou Jobbers, ! sands of manufacturers, merchants and other business men "Jiroughout the east and despite u resolution to postpone the order for flvo days adopted by the senate, Ad ministrator Garfield signed the man date and the closing order went Into effect President Wilson and members of tho cabinet supported the fuel admin istration move. In New York state alone It Is es timated thnt approximately 11,000,000 woco earners nro nffected by the temporary shutdown, while through out the area Included in tho order no less thnn 75,000,000 will feel the ef fects of the drastic measure. Many business men nnd nlllclals criticised the order as unnecessary nnd as furnishing no real solution of the problem, while others are Inclined to tho belief that stern measures were needed to cope with the situa tion nnd thnt the saving of coal, while working hardships on thou sands, would be worth the sacrifice. Tt Is believed that the shutdown will save n total of no.000,000 tons of bituminous coal, which, probably, Is about half of the present shortage. Tho Indications are thnt at the end of tho ten weeks of Monday holldnys n permanent policy of restricted con sumption will be perfected. This plan will limit the use of coal to the les essential Industries under n self-rationing basis. Omclnls foresnw that tho German government might distort and mnke much of the order to Improve the morale of tho German people. " but they said this danger wns negligible when compared with that of permit ting the fuel situation to continue un improved. Effects of Garfield's Order. Summarized, tho provisions of the fuol administration's order follow: Domestic consumers, railroads, hos' pltnls, charitable institutions, public utilities, ships, government buildings, manufacturers of perlshablo foods mny operato continuously. During five days, from January 18 to 22, no manufacturing Industry oast of tho Mississippi mny operate, tiven If It hns conl on hnnd. Factor ies engaged In wnr work nro not. ex cepted. All 'stntes east of the Mississippi river, Including Mlnnosotn and Louis innn, nro Included. Theso regulations, with nddlltonal regulations op thentcrs nnd amuse' mcnt plnces, apply each Mondny un til March 25. Pennltles of $5,000, or one year's Imprisonment, nro provided under tho Lever net, giving authority for this step, Dr. Garfield's prohibition, extends to fuel oil users and establishments using gnsollno power as well as coal nnd coke. Water power, however, may be nsed at all times. Order of preference In allotment of coal, both during the suspension per lod and on nil occasions, until further orders. Is substantially ns follows: First Railroads. Second Domestic consumers, bos oltnls. charitable Institutions, army nnd nnvy cantonments. Third Public utilities, telephones, elegraphs. Fourth Ships and vessels for bunker purposes. Fifth Strictly governmental pur poses of the federnl, municipal, conn ty or state governments for necessary public uses, not Including orders from factories working on contracts for the United States . Sixth Manufacturers of perishable food or of food necessary for Imme diate consumption. Garfield Gives His Reasons. Fuel Admlnstrntor Gartlcld, explain ing his order for the closing of Indus tries east of the Mississippi river wild: "The most urgent thing to be dono In to send to the American force. abroad and to the nllles the food and , wnr supplies which they vitally need. War munitions!, food, manufactured articles of every description, lying In Atlantic ports In tens of thousands of tons, where llternlly hundreds of ships, Innded with wnr goods for our men and the nllles, cannot tnke the nns because their bunkers are empty 0t coal. The cool to send them on their way Is wnltltiK behind the con gested freight that hus Jammed nil terminals. "It Is worse thnn useless to bend our energies to moro manufacturing when whnt we huvo nlrendy. rannu- fnctured lies nt tldewnter congesting tcrmlnnl facilities, Jamming the roll rond yards and side tracks for Jour distances hack Into the country. No power on earth can move this freight Into tho wnr zone where It Is needed until we supply the ships with fuel. "Once the docks are cleared for the valuable freight for which our men nnd associates In the war zone now wait In vain, then again our energies and power may he turned to manufac turing, more efllclent than ever, so that a steady and uninterrupted stream of vltnl supplies may be this nation's answer to the allies' cry for help. "It has been excess or production In our war-time speeding up, that has dono so much to cause congestion on our railroads; that hns tilled the "-mowing: that has cluttered the docks of our Atlantic ports with goods waiting to go nbrond. At tide water the flood of freight has stopped. The shljw were unablo to complete the Journey from our factories to the war depots be hind the tiring line. "Added to this has been dlfllcnlty transporting conl for our own uomcsnc neons, un top or rucse iu 'flcultlos has come one of the most terribly severe winters we have known In yearn. "The wheels were choked and stopped; zero wenther and snow hound trains; terminals congested; hnrbors with shipping frozen In; rivers and cnnnls impassable It was useless to continue manufacture nnd pile confusion on top of confusion. "A clear line from tho manufactur ing establishments to the senboard nnd beyond; that was the Imperative need. It was like soldiers marching to the front. The men In the fore most ranks must have room to move. "More than n sbock wns needed to make a way through that conges tion at the termlnnis nnd on the docks so that the nld so vitally need' ed bv the allies could get through. "The Incidental effect of this trans. portatlon situation on conl produc Hon hns been disastrous. There Is, and always has been plenty of fuel, but It cannot be moved to those places where It. Is so bndly needed while railroad lines nnd terminals nro choked. Throughout the conl fields, scores, even hundreds of mines are lying idle hecnuse of railroad inablll ty to upply the cars to carry nway their product. Conl mines cannot operate without cars. Cars cannot bo supplied while the railroads are crip pled by the present freight conges tlon, which keeps Idle ears lying use less In the freight yards. "In the pnst week the production or conl has heen disastrously re duced. Reports In some cases have shown 1)0 per cent of the mines In certain Molds cloned completely for Inck of cars. "This Is war. Whatever the cost. we must pay so that In the face of tho enemy there can never be the reproach thnt we held bnck from do Ing our full share. Those ships laden with our supplies of food for men nnd food for guns must hnve coal and put to en." Dr. Garlleld appealed to all employ ers affected by the coal order to pay their employee" while their plnnts are closed down, Just as If they were In full operation. "It is their patriotic duty." Dr. Garlleld said, "nnd they should rise to the ocension. Says Workers Win Suffer. Samuel Onmpers, 'president of the Amerlcnn Federation of Lnhor, In n statement declnred thnt tho workers of the nation will be the greatest suf ferers from the fuel restriction order, but that they will "maintain their loynl stand despite the suffering nnd sacrifices which they mny bo called upon to boar." Mr. Gotupers expressed doubt thnt n suspension of Industry wns the best way to meet the situation and Rug- gested that a "wiser and more prac tical course" would hnve heen to place all Industries of the country upon an eight-hour bnsls work day, nt least during the war, Mr. Gotupers said that everything must be done to see that the workers are not made to suffer unnecesarllv, and he expressed the hope that the employers would heed Fuel Adminis trator Garfield's nnpeal to comply with the order without "shifting tho burden to lnbor." Chicago Hard Hit. Chicago. Jan. 21. Fuel Administra tor Garfield's order will, cause a loss of production of approximately $00, 000.000 In this flty nnd throw out of work about 000.000 wage earners, Labor leaders predict an upset nnd readjustment In the nlrendy critical lnbor situation due to the migration of workers to states not affected by the order and to avoid loss of wages In Illinois by the enforced shut down. As nn evidence of the fnllure of the railways to move fuel In the yards of this city there are 2,500 cars of coal which cannot be moved hecnuse of the congestion Can Eat Deef In West. Washington, Jan. 21, Tho food ad ministration has decided thnt all meats except pork may ho oaten on meatless days in a group of western states. In which growers Ya been forced to market their stock because of tho scarcity and high price of feed. 1 (Jol. Theodore Roosevelt urging ing station under lire on the west front. for America's great air fleet. NEWS REVIEW OF THE PAST WEEK Astounding Order by Garfield Stops Nation's Industries for Five Days. CAUSED BY THE COAL FAMINE Nine Additional Holidays Decreed Storm of Protests Is Unavailing At tacks on Secretary Baker Continue Central Powers Reject Russian Peace Proposals. By EDWARD W. PICKARD. "It Ib the earnest desire of the fuel administration to prevent entirely uny dislocation of Industry or of lnbor." With these words, Fuel Administrator Garfield closed bis summary of the most drastic and startling experiment In domestic and wur economy made by this or nny other government. For flvo days beginning Jnnunry 18 every fac tory and workshop In the region east of the Mississippi and Including all of Louisiana nnd Minnesota, was ordered closed, with the exception of those manufacturing perishable food or food for Immediate consumption. Ten sue ccsslve Mondays beginning Jununry 21 nre ordered to be observed as holidays when the consumption of coal shall cease except In specified cases. Doctor Garfield stated that he ex pected to save 30,000,000 tons of coal by his order. Very likely ho will, but his plan, announced without warning, brought n tremendous storm about his head. Innumerable business men, whose nffnirs were dislocated despite the "earnest desire" of tho adinlnlstru tor, flooded Washington with protests and requests for revocation of the order, but It had been issued after con sulfation with and by direction of President Wilson nnd the wallers had no chance for relief save In those Indl vtdunl Instances where It was neces sury to prevent Injury to health or de- structlon of property. Another nnd most Important angle to the situation was the enforced loss of millions of dollars In wages to work era. Koine nig concerns utu not deduct anything from the pay of their em ployees, but It was beyond hope that this example would be followed by nny considerable number of employers. Congress, startled out of Its usual deliberative calm, got Into nction im mediately. The senate committee on manufacturers called Doctor Garfield before It nnd heard an explanation that did not explain, nnd the senate thereupon adopted a resolution usklng that the order be delayed for live days for Investigation. This Adinluistrn tor Garlleld, on advice of the president. Ignored. In the house various resoln tlons were Introduced, but Immediate action was blocked by certain Demo crats. As finally Issued, the order per mltted ship yards and essential war In dustrlos to get coal and remain In operation during the five workless days. sa Tim metropolitan press of the coun try In general bitterly scored Doctor Garlleld for his order and declared that U not only wns n ghastly mistake, but exposed to the world the utter In competence of America to meet a con dltlon that throughout the war bus confronted the nations allied with us and yet hns called for no rueh panicky action by any ono of them. The severe winter weather which paralyzed traffic, and the extraordinary demands for fuel due to wartime conditions are cl ted by Doctor Garfield as the causes making necessary his order. Tho miners blame the railroads for the coal shortage, and the railroads blame the "starvation policy" of the government toward them for the lust generation. More coal wan mined In the United States last year thnn ever bofore, the output exceeding thnt of 11)10 by 10, 000,000 tons of anthracite and 42,000. 000 tons of bituminous. Of the output to greater efforts the men of the shipyards nt Chester, Pn. 2 British dress .'1 Type of the hangars that are being only about 3 per cent was exported, mostly to Canada. Yet, within the last week Knglnnd sent conl to us, In order that supply ships might not be stopped. a Out of the lire of congressional In vestigation tho marine corps lias come with added luster, the contrast to war department conditions being sadly marked. The house committee said the corps has been kept supplied on a war bnsls with no apparent delays, while about 25,000 recruits during the year have been pr6perly housed, clothed, fed and trained. The secret of this lies In the fact that MaJ. Gen. George Rurnett, commnndnnt of the corps, be lieved In preparedness. Two months before America entered the war he or dered 50,000 pairs of shoes and 150,000 Lewis machine guns. Ills purchasing system has worked smoothly and ef ficiently, possibly because he has had the assistance of np "dollar-a-week civilians, whose capabilities and knowl edge are not commensurate with their patriotism. The bureaus of construc tion nnd repair und of engineering of the nnvy department also received high praise from the committee. Hi Secretary Baker and his manage ment of the war department are still the objects of sharp attack and the de mnnds for his resignation or removnl Increase dnlly. Ills long defense be fore tho senate committee was the re verse of satisfactory, and there is de cided diversity of opinion ns to wheth er or not his reorganization of bureaus will cure the evils thnt have Infested his department. Daniel Wlllnrd told the committee the new plan was faulty In that It did not concentrate control and relied too much on voluntary ef fort, und immediately thereafter Mr. Wlllard resigned his post of chairman of the war Industries board. It was In timated a new chairman might not be appointed pending action on the pro posnls for tho creation of a war supply department or administration. Cun It be thnt Mr. Raker, deep In his pacifist soul, believes the war will come to an end before the American troops nro called on to fight, and there fore Is willing that adequate prepam- tlons for their active participation in the conflict shall be delayed? In his review of operations In Europe he says a great German offensive Is to be ex pected on the west front, but he Is con fldcnt that the war-worn Rrltlsh and French armies can withstand It. Fierce controversy raged throughout tho week between the German groups represented respectively by Von Luden dorff nnd Von Kuchlmnnn the pan Germans und the nonnnnexntlontsts, There was n report that the govern ment had compromised the dispute by yielding to Von Kuehlmnnn ns to the enst front, nnd assuring Von Luden dorff that he might grab any laud on the west front that ,tho military forces of the empire could selzi and hold through the peace negotiations. Rut this report was unconfirmed. Rerlln stated officially on Thursdny that the central powers had found tli Russian proposals Inncceptable, and that German nnd Austrian troops would not be withdrawn from the oc cupied territories while tho war lasts, The Austro-Germans, the stntcniont added, do not Intend Incorporating Into their respective countries the ter ritories now occupied by them. Trotzky clung to his demands for the right M self-determination for all na tionalities, and that prlncplle.supported by Lloyd-George and President Wilson, has taken Its place as almost the lend ing peace term of the opponents of the central powers. The German General Hoffman taunts the bolshevlkl with tlry fact that they are Inconsistent because they urc fighting the Ukrainians, but on the other hand Lenlne, Trotzky and their fellows have permitted the set ting up of Independent governments In various parts of Russia because the, people so willed It. They have Just declared, also, that their government supports the right of the Armenians In Russia and Turkey to bo Independ ent and to decide their own destiny, The Rrltlsh government has so far rec ogulzed the bolshevlkl as to establish official relations with their minister In London. Turkestnn unnounced Its Independ ence on Tuesday. Petrograd announced that after ten built In this country and Franee days of fighting the bolshevlkl force had seized Irkutsk, eastern Siberia; disarming the Cossacks and military cadets. They also have occupied Oren burg. Among the Interesting reports that came out of Russia was one to tho effect that the former czar and his family had made their escape from Tobolsk. Another story said the for iner czarina has lfecomo hopelessly In sane. Pa The abandonment of the Roumanian front by the Russian troops led to a nasty little row. Roumanians arrested and disarmed several Russian regl ments, nnd the Russlnn government nt once put under nrrest the Roumnnlnn diplomats In Petrograd and threatened wnr on Roumnnln If the Russian sol diers were not nt once freed. A strong Joint protest by representatives of all the allied and neutral powers brought about the release of the Roumnnlnn Hplomnts. Then came un astonishing order from the bolshevlkl government for the nrrest of King Ferdinand of Rou manln and his Incarceration In tho fortress of St. Peter and St. Paul. This was attributed to the action of tho Roumanians , in arresting some Aus trlan ofllcers who had nttempted to pass through the Roumanian lines to fraternize with the Russians. lea The British labor party came to the front on Tuesdny with a message to the Russlnn people announcing that the British people accepted the prln clple of self-determlnntlon of peoples and no annexations for the British em plrc, especially In the middle East, Af rica and Indln. The manifesto con eluded with an appeal to the peoples of central Europe to help end the war by the defeat of militarism on both sides, and not to drive the British peo ple, as fhey nre driving the Russians, into tne terrime cnoico Detween con tinning the conflict and abandoning the only principles thnt can save the world, Thero Is not much to be written ot the week's lighting. The German pa pers were talking openly of the com Ing great offensive on the west front and asserted that a million more troops had been sent Into France, but Yon Hlndenburg still delayed the blow. Tho activity of the aviators was notable, and the allied flying men mnde several successful bombing raids on German cities, Karlsruhe especlnlly being hard hit In Italy the main event of the week was a surprise attack by the Italians, supported by the French, by which cer tain Important dominating positions on Monte Asolone were wrested from the Austrlans and their observation posts destroyed. On Wednesday the Austrlans made a desperate attempt to recapture the lost positions. For four hours they at tacked fiercely and were stubborn!; fought off, finally retiring, leaving the field covered with their dead. Pa The German submarines haw not been very active of late, the weekly re port of the British admiralty showing only six large British vessels and four smaller ones sunk. One of the ub merslbles, bowover. emerged off Yar mouth and shelled thnt pretty English city violently. Three persons were killed. Further evidence t,htU the submarine service Is most distasteful to the Ger man sailors Is contained in the report from Geneva of another mutiny anions the submarine crews nt Kiel, the Ger man naval base, fhlrly vlglif ofllcers nre said to have heen killed. The nam her of U-bonts returning to German ports Is decreasing every month, m cording to the Geneva correspondent lot France Is In the throes of n new Call laux scandal, the former premier being now under nrrest on n charge of tren son. The affair was brought to a crisis by Information supplied by Secretary Lansing, for It appears that Calllaux engaged In Intrigues with Count von Luxburg In Argentina In 1015 und was In communication with the foreign of fice nt Berlin with the object of con eluding pence. His plotting In Italy also has been exposed and d-cumenti seized there show he plnnned to make himself dictator of France and to with draw that country from the war. AUSTINS STRIKE Tl SECURE PEACE ANTI-GERMAN DEMONSTRATIONS- IN VIENNA AND NEUSTEDT. WAR FACTORIES CLOSED DOWN People In Rage at German Attempted. Annexations In East Berlin Pa per Says Only Miracle Will Prevent Starvation. Paris, Jan. 22. According to relia ble reports reaching here a general strike Is on throughout Austria, 100,000 men having quit work la Vienna and Ncustudt, closing down all the war factories. The strikers arc described as open ly anti-German, and the movement b both polltlOnl and economic and espe cially aimed nt securing peace. Public demonstrations, it Is added. have been held in many plnces nt which hostility was voiced townnl Berlin for trying to force tho Aus trlans to continue tho wnr. Evidently the Herman censors uro- .keeping a strict watch otcr Uio Ger man newspapers In their expression of opinion on the serious lnternnl po litical situation, for even the most meager reports concerning the doings of the militaristic and untl-mllltarlstJe parties are missing from tho paper. The latest accounts of the contro versy, fuming by way of Amsterdam were to the effect thnt the military party had gnined a victory over tuclr opponents with regard to- the settle ment of the question of annexations In the east. Enraged at Germany's Attitude. Berne. Switzerland, .Inn. 22. The people of Austria, reports reaehiug here say, are enraged over tho Phj German demands, which threaten to prevent n pence agreement with Rus sia. President Wilson's and British Pre mier Lloyd-George's war alms speeches- "offer a possible basis of peace nego tiations," the socialist party's spokes man in the Vlennn chamber of depu ties declared. Progressist Deputy Denlter, who fol lowed, declared that most Austrlun. non-soclnllsts agreed with this state ment. Germnny Is more sorely pressed lor food than at any time since tho start of the war, travelers from Germany say. Except potatoes, almost every article of food Is very scarce. Owing; to shortage of fodder the milk supply Is deteriorating. So mnny trucks are used by the army thnt food distribu tion Is hindered. The Berliner Tngeblatt says: "The authorities will be unable, full ing a downright miracle, to prevent the death, practically of starvation, of thousands of our people. Neither con science nor patriotism are wont to- march with hungry stomachs." Famous Raiders Meet Doom. London, .Ian. 22. After nn adven turous career of nearly uirce unu a. half years in lighting and rafOing operations in the Black sea, tho- famous former German cruisers uoe- ben anil Breslau havo met their fate- nt the hands of British wnrshlps In a. fight nt the entrance of the Darda nelles. The Breslau, renamed Ml- dullu, wns sunk, nnd tho Goebcn re- fhrlstened Sultan Ynwuz Sellm, wan benched. The Breslau nnd Goeben were In the Mediterranean Bea at tn- outbreak of tho war and fled Into the Dardanelles, seeking, safety from the- British nnd French wnrshlps that sought their destruction. Nebraskans Win atfcDcnver. Denver. Colo., Jan. 22. Tho team representing the Nebraska State Col lege of Agriculture carried off the first prize in cattle Judging In tne opening event of the 1018 National' Western Stock show, which will con tinue for the next week. Five teams' competed In the class Judging for col leges. The winning Nebraska team- was composed of the following mem bers: Merle Townsend. Glenn Hnnpp,. P. P. Grau. A. E. Anderson nnd J. Moulton. Hog Prlceo Fixed. San Francisco. Cal.. Jan. 22. A. minimum price for burs In the Pn- llle eont states has heen fixed by n voinmnn agreeim-ni i-hwi-i-ii pawn ers of California. Orci-nn and Wash ington, and the United Stntes food ud mlnlstmtlon. The new minimum price Js 1 cent under the food mtmlnlsfrn- tlon minimum, effective on the Chica go market, which now Is $15.50 per hundredweight. Want Czar's Family In Germany. Petrograd, Jan. 22. Maxim Gorky's' newspaper Novnla Zhlzn, nssertN thnt the German delegates In Petrogrnfli asked the represontntlves of tho gov ernment commissioners to permit the former empress and some other mem bers of the late Imperial household' related to Emperor William to travel' ' to Germany. The request 'not only was cat gorlcally refused, but was the Imnte I n'nto cause of a decision to try thf i former Imperial porsoti'iges.