Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1918)
THE SPMI-WEEKLY TRIOUNE. NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA SOLONS MAY CONVENE Oov. May Call Legislators Together to Provide Means for Taking Vote of Soldiers. Governor Neville announced that he Is considering the calling of a spe cial session of the legislature to enact laws to provide means whereby Ne braska soldiers, not members of tin' regular nrmy, may vote during their terms of service. The announcement was made following n decision by Judge Day In the district court at Omaha that soldiers In any arm of the service, enlisted after the outbreak of the war, are entitled to the right of franchise while serving In the nrmy. The purpose of the legislation sought Is to provide the machinery for the soldier vote. A suit has been filed In the supreme court to test the validity of the law passed by the last session of the legislature which permits sol diers to vote. An nttuck on the referendum peti tion against the suffrngo law ennctcd by the last legislature, was made In Lincoln when attorneys representing the Equal Suffrage association, filed n suit In the Lancaster district court asking a restraining order preventing Secretary of State Pool from submit ting the referendum petition to a vote of -the people. The suit attacks the legality of 14,000 out of the S2.08Q signers of the referendum petition and charges of forgery and fraud are made. Mrs. Ida Hermann of Lincoln, mother of, Fred W. Hermann, victim of the Tuscanla, whose body was bur led In Scotland, with 1(53 other bodies, lias asked tho War department to send the body to Lincoln. I. C. Pcrrymnn of Ord was elected president of the Nebraska Retail Clothiers' association at tho closing session of the convention at Omaha. Tho convention will be held In Omaha again next year. The War department at Washing ton announced that Nebraska will fur nish 1,W0 men of tho first draft to be sent to Camp Fnnston for training March 4. This will bo tho last Incre ment of the first call. A conference of county food ad ministrator's Is to bo held February 2fi and 20. On those dnys county ad ministrators north of tho Platte river will meet "at Omaha and thoso south of the Plntte will meet at Lincoln. .Marshall Davison, Gugo county far mer, has obtained a test of 100 per cent from his seed corn, llo planted B0 .kernels and every ono of them ger minated, the stalks now being about (lve Inches In height. . German text books were stolen from tho Fairmont blgh school the other night. Tho school board had been nsked to discontinue German in the schools, but bad been negligent In granting the request, It was elnlined, A petition hns been presented to the city council of Wymoro asking that a welghmaster for that place be appointed. An ordinance providing for the appointment of such officer Is being prepared. Randolph high school reports that In a recent thrift stamp drive cverv scholar from the first grade to the 12th subscribed, and the total amount will run close to $2,000. Announcement has been made that the Nebraska quota for the llrst draft Is tilled and no men will be sent from this state In response to the call for tho last IB per cent. For the purpose of conserving the egg supply the federal food adminis tration has ordered that no lums be slaughtered between February 2!J and May 1. Omaha Is making a concerted ef fort to bring the national swine show to tho elty again for 1018, St. Louis nnd Peoria, III,, are after the show. An ordinance Is before the city commissioners of Omaha to permit Jitneys to opernte In the elty under a small license. Every county In Northwest Nebras ka was represented at tho dedication of tho east wing of the Stato Normal School at Chudron. The total actual cash war saving stump sale for Nebraska up to Feb ruary 8. 1018, was $4,020,001, accord ing to official figures. Twenty-six thousand dollnrs worth of thrift stamps were sold at a big patriotic rally at Madison. County Agent lllsf who has been making a thorough canvass of the seed corn situation and wlntor wheat condition In Gage county, reports that In 1R0 tests of seed corn conducted, the test showed an average of 01 per ' cent germinating. Fire Commissioner Hedgall's annual report shows that 07 persons were burned to death In Nebraska last year and thnt lire destroyed $2,805,035 worth of property In the state. A to tal of 1,010 fires occurred In the whole state during the year. Tho Classical association of the middle west will hold Its fourteenth annual meeting In Omaha April I, o nnd 0. Thirty states will bb repre sented and ubout .'100 delegates an expected to attend. A movement Is under way at Kear ney to utilize every vacant lot In the city for garden purposes this similiter It Is planned to have school children lo most of tho work. , Reports from Washington are to the effect that work will be vigorously jmimIu'iI on Ash'nnd's new pnstolllee tl.K pring. Tho Norfolk Laiidwohr Vurelu, at organization composed of former German soldiers, has a new title. It Is now known as the Columbia Club of Norfolk. Charges preferred against the club by the county coun oil of defense resulted In the change of tho name. Tin; German Hag own ed by the club was torn to pieces by Its ofllcers. According to State Auditor Smith, taxes due for state administration from 1017 assessments amount to $4.471, (147.1)1, based on an assessed valuation of $.r27,200,C0fl. On this basis, the actual tlix valuation of Ne braska Is $2.030.0 18,:i30 five time's the assessed valuation. Governor Neville has appointed Commissioner Maylleld of the bo;ird of control as Nebraska's representa tive on the war prison labor board, which Is being organized for the pur pose of utilizing the labor of all pris oners In county Jails and state pris ons nnd reformatories. Nebraska' taxpayers will contribute $30,000,000 In taxes for the current fiscal year, according to an estimate of Secretary Borneckcr of the stnte board of equalization. The average tax levy for, the state will be !57.riO mills, but In Omabo nnd Lincoln It Is double thnt amount. James W. Tanner, well known Ne braska newspaper man, and founder of tho Fullcrton Post, died Just re cently at Filer, Idaho. At the time of his death he was editing the Filer .Tournnl. He was a brother of State Senator John M. 'Knnner of Omabn. Following reports that n great spring wheat seed shortage existed In Mndlson county an Investigation brought to light that farmers In the county ore holding large quantities of seed wheat for higher prices. The proposed plan to have a county farm agent appointed In Buffalo coun ty is meeting with considerable op position. It Is stated an organized effort Is under foot to defeat the agent plnn. The Rig Chief Oil & Gas company's well near Red Cloud has reached a depth of 1,82." feet. The drill Is going through a stratum of blue shale and experienced oil men state that the prospoct for finding nil Is excellent. The State Ranking Board has been notified that the Third State Bank of Wood Lnke has gone Into voluntary liquidation. Wood Lake has a popu lation of about 300. and has three banks. The tornedolnir of the transport Tuscanla. loaded with United Stntes troops, has proven a great, stlmulnnt for nrmy recruiting In Omaha. Fol lowing the llrst reports 70 men enlist ed In the army. According to present plans there arc seven labor candidates, seven social ist candidates and scores of Individual candidates who will aspire for city commissioner nt Omaha at the pri maries April 0. Judge Good, In the district court at Aurora, ruled thnt hog breeders who use the word "Immune" In their ad vertisements must warrant absolute Immunity from cholera. Henry J. Buss, farmer near Ster ling, picked an ear of corn from his field that contained 20 rows, with 1,448 kernels. He thinks lie hns liea ten the record. Gage county millers hnve signed nn agreement not. to exchange Hour for wheat unless the owner of the wheat Is willing to take nn equnl amount of wheat substitute. Two hundred thousand bushels of Nebraska potatoes have gone to ruin In Box Butte county, alone, because of lack- of market facilities, according to reports. Schools of Valley will hold Satur day sessions for the remainder of the year In order thnt the larger bovs may be released early for farm work. Pawnee County Food Administrator A. E. Henry Is considering the ndvls ability of Issuing In the near future Hour and sugar cards. Webster county farmers will hold a blrf mass mooting al Red Ofhud next Saturday to consider employing a county agent. Twenty Nebraska chnpters of tho Natlonnl League for Women's Serv ice will attend the stnte convention nt Omaha February 28. Tho Lincoln school board has nbol I shed spring vacations, to release 12.000 punlls two weeks earlier for farm work. Recruiting for the army and navy hns been exceedingly brisk over the stnte since tho torpedoing of tho Tns canln. Tho council of defense of Cumins county has decided to adopt the card Index system of enrollment for each person In tho county. This will cover nil property possessed, donations made for war purposes and much other vab liable Information. A carload of Red Cross supplies, fyudo by organizations In Nebraska, was loaded and shipped to an Atlantic port from Omaha a few days ago. Governor Neville hns called upon all Nebraska children to enlist ns Junior members of the Red Cross. O. M. Gruenther of Piatt o Center, executive secretary of war savings fot Platte county, has reported that coun ty chairmen of war savings from all over Nebraska have been Inquiring of him us to how tho Platte county win savings drive, which more than pledg ed the quota of the county In one day wiih accomplished. Stockmen Hvlng tributary to the Onmlui mtirkot are being warned to Imlil back tholr stock for a few day until the railroad situation el en is im-1 !.-iH r are able to gel their product i) ill eastern market, i Aim i Kitn troops, just urriveu i i trance, nut-u u get uieir .-.uup. uno or me ne. feiiu -..jui.. air planes, with three cars, that was brought down by French gunfire neur Soissons. 3 Friedrlch von Payer, Ger man vice chancellor and leader of the progressive party, who played nn Important role l.i suppressing the great strikes in the empire. NEWS REVIEW OF THE PAST WEEK President Wilson More Hopeful of Austrian Peace Than Is Lloyd George. AGAIN SETS FORTH DEMANDS Bolshevlkl Perplex the Germans by Abandoning the War Without Sign Ing Treaty Ukraine Makes Sepa rate Peace All Ready for West Front Offensive. By EDWARD W. PICKARD. President Wilson believes Count Czernln mennt what ho seemed to say In his recent speech on pence, and still hopes Austria-Hungary may he separated from Germany nnd thnt the wnr mny bo brought to an end with out a great deal more of fighting. Premier Lloyd-George believes that In Its real substance the Czernln ad dress was as uncompromising nsjlint of Chancellor von Hertllng nnd that the allied wnr council nt Versailles was right when It declared peace must bo won by force of nrms. In his' address to congress on Mon day Mr. Wilson enunciated the four cardinal principles to which he snld the enemy must agree before general peace pourparlers can ho begun. Brief ly, these are: Each part of the final settlement must be based on essentlnl Justice to Insure permanent peace. No peoples shall, be bartered for tho gain of any sovereignty or to retain the now discredited "balance of pow er." Territorial settlements must be for the benefit of the people nnd not of neighboring states. All well defined natlonnl nsplrntlons must be satisfied. Until n pence bused upon these prin ciples Is secured, the president assert ed, America hns no choice but to go on, and will continue Its moblllzntlon of Its resources until the whole strength of the nation hns been put In to this war of emancipation. He de nounced the stand of tho Imperial chancellor, but seemed to Invite Count Czernln to lead Austria away from Its nutocratlc ally. a Though balled as a sign of weaken ing by most of tho Teutonic press, the president's speech Is not so regnrded by his fellow countrymen. Many of them mny believe he Is ovcroptlmlstlc concerning Austvlu, ns does Lloyd George, but they accept at Its face value his statement of the nation's de termination not to stop fighting until the results he demands have been achieved. They feel no harm can re sult from leaving open the door to pos sible mjgottntlons with any one of the central powers, provided there Is no letup In our wur preparations becnuse of the bare chance that they may not be needed. Premier Lloyd-George's stand In sup porting the Versailles council and maintaining secrecy concerning the plans decided on by It wns Indorsed by parliament, which gave him a vote of confidence by an overwhelming ma jority. The German press warns Mr. Wilson again that bis efforts to separate Ger many nnd Austrln-Hungary will be fu tile and calls bis references to Ameri can mobilization mero bluff. The kaiser, It may be noted, nlso de livered u speech, In which he said any peace must bf preceded by an admis sion of German victory. Kb The outsldo, world Is not permitted to know much of wbnt Is going on In Austria, but such Information ns does escape the censor really indicates that President Wilson may not be far astray In his hopes. It is said Austria shows Increasing reluctance to sending her troops to fight against tho British nnd Americans In Frnnce. The Ber liner Tngeblntt admits that the Inter unl situation In Austria Is serious and thnt government "Is no longer possible, since the Czechs, Jugo-Slnvs and Poles form an Important majority, against which the German parties are power less.'" tea According to nn American correspon dent In Frnnce, the peace program of Hlndenburg, Ludendorff and the crown prince, forced on Von Kuehlmann and the emperor, Includes the extending of the East Prussian frontier, making an uutonomous protectorate of the Baltic provinces, dismembering Bc'glum and nnnexlng or otherwise controlling the Brley-Longwy Industrial region of northern France. The question of Poland apparently Is left to Austria. tai Meanwhile Trolzky nnd his bolshe vik comrades hnv6 handed Germany a hard nut to crack. Flatly refusing to sign a pence treaty, they declared the war with the central powers, so far as Russia is concerned, has ended. They decline to light longer against the workers and peasants of Germany and Austrln. Simultaneously, the complete demobilization of the Russian armies wns ordered, although It was reported that this order was Immediately coun termanded nnd that the reorganization of the Red guard was begun. At first the people of Germany and Austrln balled this greut "victory" with extrav agant Joy, but In a few hours they nnd their governments began to wonder what It would avail them. They cannot obtain treaty recognition for their In tended annexations on the east front, and they nre far from sure that It will be safe to move to the west all or near ly all their troops. As the bolshevik lenders long ago admitted, the Teutons can easily push a long way Into Rus sia, but what ultimate good will that do them? The bolshevlkl always have main tained that they ure operating, not for the benefit of Russia or any other nu tlon, but for the workers and peasants of all nations, and they are persistently continuing the spreading of their prop aganda all over the world. Whatever may he the real motives of Lenlne, Trotzky et ul, they uppear to have the Prusslun uutocruts up In the air Just now. Pa Ukraine, one of the Independent gov ernments Into which Russia has split, has presented a complication that may be more serious for the allied cause than the quitting of the bolshevlkl. It has signed a separate peace treaty with the central powers which opens to then) the possibility of obtaining Immense stores of food from that rich grain country. However, as pointed out In these columns some time ugo, the trans portation system of that part of Rus sla Is so utterly inadequate that sup plies can be got out only extremely slowly, and besides, the crops have been sadly neglected ever since the war began. The trenty gave Ukraine quite a slice of Poland, which aroused the Poles to bitter opposition. to Germany during the week attempted to put the screws on Rouniaula. de manding that It accept peace terms within 24 hours or suffer the conse quences. But the Roumanians defied the kaiser, declaring they still had un shaken confidence In their allies and would continue to tight to the finish. Their armies now occupy all of Bessa rabia, where they have repeatedly de feated the bolshevlkl troops. , It Is be lieved they were nerved to take this determined stand by prospects ul' an allied offensive In the Balkans which they might aid' by attacking the Bul garians and Austrlans from the north. There are Increasing evidences thnt such a drive, to cut off Turkey and re duce Bulgaria, Is contemplated, A new Roumanian cabinet Is beaded l Gen eral Avarescu. Ra in southern Finland, where the Red guards are still holding out against the government, horrible conditions pre vail. Murders and all other crimes are committed openly uud thr- bolshevlkl are running amuck. Sweden still fears to violate neutrality and send help to the government. Recent reports from Stockholm said certain Red gunrd lead ers had asked General Mannerhelm to consider peace negotiations. tea There Is little to say of tho Italian front except thnt the lighting there wns mnlnly by the artillery and aviators nnd that neither side had any marked advantage. tea Seemingly the stage Is set for Ger many's supremo military effort on the west front, und Field Marshsl von Woyrseh. the Invader of Poland In rhoto by cilern Newppr Union 101C, Is said to have been selected to lend It. Allied aviators report that the kaiser has gathered about 2,100,000 men there and that elaborate rehear sals are fcolng on behind the lines. Where the blow will fall has not been revenlcd, but the commanders of the allied armies evince no fear that It cannot bo repulsed. They have made every preparation that their skill and resources permit und are sitting tight. All feellng-out movements by the ene my huve been checked and the French, In their turn, have been making some strong raids that carried them far In to the German lines. In every way possible the Germans have been seek ing to test the strength of the Ameri can forces, and there are Indications thnt Pershing's men will be In the thick of the lighting when Hlndenburg orders the forward movement. It Is believed In London and hoped by naval men, thnt Germany plans to combine u nnval drive with her spring offensive. The kaiser Is supposed to have a number of "supersubniarlnes" which have not yet been In operation nnd which mny then be put to work. Switzerland is growing very nerv ous with fear that the kaiser will de termine to tear up another scrap of paper and invade her territory In or der to attempt to turn the right flank of tfte French armies. Therd have been large concentrations of German troops nenr" the Swiss frontier, and Teutons In Zurich have openly boast ed that the conquest of the little re public would be a matter of but a few days. It wan said skeleton govern ments for the cantons already had been prepared by the authorities in Berlin. Just in case ills spring drive doesn't succeed, as the allies are determined it shall not, Wllhelm hits been construct ing most elaborate and expensive sys tems of defensive works back of his present lines all the way from the North sea to the Swiss frontier. Vice Admiral Sims went to Rome last week, presumably to ' confer re garding plans to clear the Mediterra nean of U-boats, which have worked havoc there with allied shipping for a long time. tea Efforts of the government to recruit a great army of shipyard workers are meeting with considerable success, but the work of building our marine was threatened by a prospective strike of 50,000 members of the marine wood workers' union. They demanded $0.40 a dsy instead of the $4.80 allowed by the shipping board, and the govern ment got busy at once to try to settle the dispute. Chairman Hurley of the shipping board sent a telegram to the union bends wnrnlng them that the fathers who have sent their sons to war will not long permit continued Interference with the shipping program and urging that the workmen continue their labors and trust to the fairness of the wnge adjustment board. (Charges of gross mismanagement and reckless spending of money In connection with the new government shipyard at Hog Island, Pa., having been made, the president ordered an Investigation to determine whether there had been any criminal misuse of funds. Rear Admiral Bowles, general manager of the Emergency Fleet cor poration, said he win confident all ex penditures ordered by the board would be vindicated. Ra Reorganization In the war depart ment reached the general staff last week. It has been restored to Its for mer power and under General March as acting chief of staff are. now five new members Generals Pierce. Jer vey and Graves, and Colonel Ketchan. Owing to good work by Director General MeAdoo and hlS assistants and milder weather, traffic conditions have greatly Improved, and Fuel Con troller Garfield felt warranted In re scinding the order for hentlcss Mon days. The railroads are now giving much attention to the transportation of corn and wheat, for the former must be marketed and the distribution of wheat and flour still Is very faulty. to Bolo Pasha, the Levantine financier who conspired to break down the French morale and to bring about a dishonorable peace and who was financed by Germany, was found guilty of high treason nnd sentenced to death. "They order those things better In France," as I'nc'e ioby u'-cd to ssj TROUBLE POLAND GERMANY FACES MAZE OF DIFFI CULTIES IN EA8T. POLES IN STATE OF REVOLT Austria Refuses to War On Russia ) Berlin Authorities Fear Reds May Harm German Prisoners. Loudon, Fell. 10. Germany has sud denly found herself Involved In n maze of difficulties on the eastern front and Is In danger of losing all tho largo, benefits she was calmly preparing to realize from her peace with the Ukraine and the bolshevik withdrawal of Russia from the war. Poland, that land, which so fre quently In the course of history has proved a thorn In the side of mili tary conquerors, Is threatening te constitute herself the rock on which, the German hope of peace and gain ful expansion in the east may be Bhattcred. Embittered by the tearing off of a. strip of their territory to be given to the Ukraine for breaking nwny from thp bolshevlkl nnd signing n pence with the central powers, the Poles nre In whut appears to be vir tually a state of revolt. Austria Won't Aid In Rugs War. Amsterdam, Feb. 10. German forccs nre nlrondy being concentrated In the Ukralne to attack the bolshevlkl ac cording to a Berlin dispatch to the Tljd. The Gormnn authorities nre nnxiously regarding the fnto of Gcr mnn prisoners In north Russia, whom the bolshevlkl are holding as hos tages and who Berlin dispatches say. may be killed if the bolshevlkl nre driven to desperation. Count Czernln, the Austro-Hungnrlan foreign minis ter, has notified Berlin thnt Austrlnn troops must not be used against Rus sln to support any policy which Aus tria lias not approved, but only for purposes of self-defense against ma rauding bands. Berlin, Feb. 10. The armistice be-, tween the Russian nnd German forces which hns been In existence for sev eral weeks on the Russlnn front hns expired, nccordlng to nn official state ment Issued nt the Germnn nrmy henT quartery In conformity therewith, the official statement snys, the Ger man government reserves n free hand in every dlrectlpn. Wilson Scores Strikers. Washington, Feb. IS. President Wilson issued a sharp rebuke to Wil liam L. Hutchesoii, president of tho Brotherhood oi' ( 'arpentcrs and Join ers, who after refusing to send strik ing eastern ship carpenters back to work pending action by tho shipbuild ing labor adjustment board, had asked for a personal conference to put 'th situation before the president. In ef fect the president declared that if liutcheson did not want to give aid and comfort to the enemy ho would send the men to work and leave n set tlement of difference to the adjust ment board, and declined to see hlin. until he had done so. British Chief of Staff Quits. London. Feb. IS. General Sir Wil liam Itboertson, chief of the British imperial stuff, lias resinned, it was of ficially announced. General Wilson sub-chief of stall', takes the vacant place. General Robertson was unable, the statement says, to accept a posi tion ns military representative on the supreme war council at Versailles or to continue ns chief of tho imperial staff Willi limited power. The an nouncement apparently Indicates that something npproachlng an allied gen ernl staff was created by the supremo war council In Its recent session at Versailles. No Sign of "Great" Offensive. With the American Army In France, Feb. 18. American troops now are In bnttlo on three sectors on their own line east of St. Mlhlel nnd with the French In Chnmpngno nnd on one of the most famous bnttlo fronts In the world, where ruined villages and the devastated country generally tell the tale of bard fought battles when the Germans pushed forwnrd their lino and ultimately were driven back by the French. There still Is no Indi cation if the rear npproach of the ex pected big line In France and Belgium. Ruse Action Threatens Far East. New York. Feb. 18. Dr. T. Iyenaga, n prominent .Tnnnnese publicist nnd director of the East nnd West news bureau, a Japanese organization, speaking nt n luncheon here, said that chaos In Rtissla Is threatening peaco In the east, nnd suggested the pos sibility of Jnpnnese Intervention In restoring order In Russln. May Make Texas Dry. Austin, Tex., Feb. 10. Measures to prohibit the sale of Intoxicating liq uor within ten miles of any army camp In Texas, and making violation of such measures a felony, will be submitted to a speclul session of the Texas legislature called to convene Tuesday, February 20, by Governor W. P. Hobby, In n proclamation Just Issued. Tho governor's rccommendn- tlons, If passed by the legislature would practically make Texas a "il " state.