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 8, 1918)
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRA8KA. NATION F AC FOOD cm Next Two Months Will Be Most Critical Railway Conges tion Blamed. 0. S. MUST AID THE ALLIES Country" la Far Behind In Its ProQram of Sending Supplies Overseas Food Administration Asks People to Help. Washington, Feb. 23. The next two months will be tho most critical period with regard to food that the United States has faced since she entered the wnr. This was tho statement on Thursday of Herbert Hoover, United States food administrator. The statement reads: "In response to many Inquiries I beg to say It Is true that since the first of December wo have fallen far behind our agreed food program with the al lies. By the end of February wo will bo short 45,000,000 bushels In cereal products which vo undertook ns our nharc of their supplies. We nlso will be short of the amount of meat prod ucts that we were to deliver. "This deficiency Is due solely to the railway congestion since that date. "The next sixty dnys will be the most critical period In our food his tory. The simple fact is that the pro gram goes far deeper than supplies to tho allies. "During the last three months we Jiave fallen far behind In movement of foodstuffs from the farms to the con sumers. "Wo bad about 130,000 carloads of potatoes November 1 that should have been moved from the producing cen ters, and up to tho first of February we had moved about 2S.000 carloads. Wo should have moved over 50,000 In this period. The result Is that pota toes are spoiling In the producers' hands. "There is a great deal of live stock which has been ready for tho market for some time, but Is still held In the farmers' hands through Inability to ob Inln transportation. "Tho effect of this delayed move ment hns been manifold : "First To jeopardize the safety of ti great deal of tho soft corn aud per ishables, such as potatoes. "Second Tho stricture In How of distribution bas disturbed ho price conditions of tho country by practical ly suspending the law of supply and demand. "Third Tho cost of grains for feed ing live stock has so Increased to tho feeders of finished cattle that they face serious losses. The costs of the dairy ing Industries have necessarily great ly Increased. "Fourth Through the lnrge consum ing areas we have been living on re serves through the period of scant sup plies. These reserves are approach ing exhaustion. "Fifth We have been unable to transport to seaboard tho necessary foodstuffs for tho allies. "Tho situation calls xOK"very co-operation of tho public through the quick loading of cars, loading them to enpacity, and discharging them quick ly and In every way reducing tho tax on the railways. "Co-oporatlon can be given by reduc tion of consumption of foodstuffs, by tho consumption of homo and local stores to the exclusion of transported articles. "No effort Is being spared to move nllled food, and the railway director ate Is arranging special trains to carry meat and packing-house products from Chicago to load tho waiting ships. "HERBERT HOOVER." U. S. TAKES 11 IN WAR FRAUD Federal Grand Jury Indicts Men In Al leged Plot to Rob Government $5,000,000 in Goods Stolen. New York, Fob. 23. Eight clothing manufacturers, two employees and a clerk In tho quartermaster's depart ment of the nrmy were Indicted on Thursday by tho federal grand jury here, charged with being concerned In extensivo nrmy uniform cloth frauds. Cloth and other army supplies worth approximately $5,000,000 were stolen, according to Lieut. George D. Bernltz of the New York police force. The Indictments aro based upon ovldenco gathered by the federnl district attor ney's ofllce In connection with the ar rest of Louis Davidson, head of the Universal Cloth Shrinking and Re finishing works, here. Davidson Is one of those accused, to gether with flyman Ilorwltz and his son Benjamin. Barnet Tletz, Jacob Welnsteln and his son, Abraham Purseh and Loon Levlne, Barney Rob inson nnd Morris Alewltz, and Irn L. Janowsky, civilian clerk. In the quar termaster's olllco here. Terry McGovern Is Dead. New York, Feb. 25. Terry McGov ern, former world's lightweight cham pion, died at tho King's county hos pital on Frldny. Pneumonia and kid ney trouble, complicated with other ailments, brought on the boxer's death. Nine Perish In Flames. Boston, Feb. 25. Nino persons were burned to death In a flro which de stroyed tho Miller farmhouse and barn at East Peabody. Mr. and Mrs. Mor ris Mlllpr, their threo children and four farm hands were the victims. HOT WHAT It GIVE BUT WHAT (trj . Europe 400.000.000 bushels of Wheat J D0Y00 KNOW The Worlds Food Crop is Short DO YOU KNOW The United States isihe Greatest Food ProducJng Country in the World ?' DO YOU KNOW Our Own Need of Wheat OurAllies Nged of; Wheat MORE THAN OUR SUPPLY BUT DO YOU KNOW By substituting another 130.000.000 bushels AND WE PEOPLE EB0M STARVING AIRPLANES TO FRANCE LIBERTY MACHINES COMPLETED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. Secretary Baker Declares America's Problem Now Is to Get tho Men. Washington, Feb. 22. Tho first American-built battleplanes aro en route to France, nearly five months ahead of the original schedule. In making this announcement on Wednesday Secretary Baker said tho first shipment, although In itself not large, "marks the final overcoming of many difficulties met in building up this new and Intricate Industry." "These planes," Mr. Baker said, "aro equipped with the first Liberty motors from machine production. One of them in a recent test surpassed all records for speed and climbing for planes of that type. "Engine production, which begnn a month ago, Is now on a quantity basis and the peak of production will bo reached In a few weeks. "Only the twelve-cylinder type Is be ing made, as developments abroad have made It wlso to concentrate on the high-powered engine Instead of the eight-cylinder." Optimistic as these statements ap pear, tho secretary said they should not be exaggerated and should bo con slderd In the light of these facts: That after three years of warfare the total number of planes able to take the air at any one time on either side of tho western front hns not been more than 2,500. That 40 men nro required on tho ground for every plane In tho air, mnk lng a total of 115,000 men needed for tho present maximum of 2,500 planes. That for every piano In tho air there must be two replacement planes on tho ground and ono training piano for every pilot who eventually reaches tho front, with a spare engine for each plane. U. S. BONE-DRY ACT VOID? Representative McLenmorc Challenges Vote In House on National Amendment. Washington, Feb. 22. Charging tho national prohibition amendment was not constitutionally passed, Represent ative McLenmorc of Texas Introduced a resolution on Wednesday calling for an Investigation of the voto of tho house by the Judiciary committee. The gist of McLenmore's objection Is tho amendment passed by a bare two-thirds voto of thoso present and a two-thirds voto of both houses Is re quired under tho Constitution. Ho contends a full vote of all members was necessary. The bouse membership Is 435. Tho voto of 282 to 128 fell eight short of tho totnl. Two-thirds of all tho sen ate members voted for tho amend ment. In Impeachment proceedings, Mc- Lenmoro contends, the Constitution provides for a voto of two-thirds of all present. Meatless Days Save Much. Wnshlncton. Feb. 25. Meatless ilnvo In the United States have saved 140,- uou.uuu pnunus ui uem in xour months, tho food administration announced to day. During this period 105,000,000 pounds of beef were exported. Health of Camn ImDrovea. Washington, Feb. 25. Health condi tions In all American army camps showed decided Improvement during tho week ending February 15 and for that week tne ucain rate was tho low est slnco last November. United States can give 88.000.000 bushtls of Wheat other cereals we o U. tt. food Admlainiritlon." RUSS TO MAKE PEACE BOLSHEVIKI FORCED TO AGREE TO KAISER'S TERMS. Official Statement Signed by Lcnlne and Trotrky Protests Against. Resumption of War. London, Feb. 21. Russia Is now forced to sign peace upon tho condl tlon proposed by Germany, says an official Russian statement received hero on Tucsdny. Tho olllclal statement was signed by Premier Lcnlno and Leon Trotzky, the foreign minister. It protests ngalnst tho German resumption of the war and says the councils of peoples' com missioners Is now forced to declare Its readiness to sign a peaco ns dictat ed by tho delegation of tho quadruple alliance at Brest-Lltovsk. The Russian government, according to an official statement received hero, hns addressed tho following messago to headquarters and all the fronts: "The council of people's commis saries lias offered to the Gormnns to sign peace Immediately. I order that In nil cases whero Germans nro en countered massed pourparlers with tho Germnn soldiers should be organ ized nnd the proposal to refrain from lighting made to them. If tho Germans refuse, then you must offer to them every possible resistance. "KRYLENKO." U. S. UNIFIED THE ALLIES Lloyd George Says American Plea at Versailles Was Made With Irresistible Logic. , London, Feb. 21. Premier Lloyd George demanded an Immediate vote as to whether the houso and tho coun try wishes tho government to proceed on Its present wnr policy. lie de clared that If tho voto of confidence Is not given he wotdd quit office. The British premier stnted that tho American delegates to tho Versailles supremo war council were responsible for tho plnn of a centralization of tho allies' strategy in the' prosecution of the wnr. The dramntlc feature of tho ad dress of the British premier was his statement that tho American represent atives at the Versailles war council hnd submitted a document that by Its "Irresistible power and logic" forced a revision of the allied plan for the pros ecution of tho war. 15 BRITISH SHIPS SUNK Twelve Merchantmen of More Than 1,600 Tons Destroyed by Mines and U. Boats In Week. London. Feb. 22. British merchant men sunk by mine or submarine In the lait week numbered 15, according to tho admiralty statement Issued hero on Wednosdny. Of theso 12 were of 1,000 tons or over and threo wero un der that tonnago. One fishing craft was also sunk. ' U. S. Army Ellglbles Abroad. London, Feb. 23. Approximately six hundred Americans resident In tho United Kingdom nre subject to tho drnft under tho Anglo-American treaty, It was announced by tho American consul general, Robert P. Skinner. Military Writer Fined $500. London, Fob. 2?.. Fines of $500 each and costB were Imposed upon Col. O. A. Rcplngton, mllltnry correspondent of tho Morning Post, and nowoll A. Gwynne, editor of that newspaper, for publication of a censored article. Mil PASSES RAIL MEASURE Only Amendment Adopted Pro vidos Control for Com peting Short Lines. WilSON CAN FIX THE RATES Changes Proposed to Curtail Presl. dent's Powers Rejected Govern rrxr.t Octroi Eighteen Months After the War. Washington, Feb. 25. The adminis tration railroad bill passed the senute oil Friday by a viva voce vote. Before passing tho measure tho sen ute adopted a resolution of Senator Cummins of Iowa directing tho govern ment to tako over all short lino roads representing an Investment oC$l,000, 000 or more. This was practically the only change of Importance effected, On all other points the administration forces held firm. The Important provisions of the bill as passed in the senato are: 1. The president is to fix tho rate of compensation for the railroad owners for the usu of their property on tho basis of their averago earnings for tho years 1015, 1010 and 1017. It Is estimated this will Involve the payment by tho government to the owners of $050,000,000 each year. An amendment by the committee to reimburse the roads for Improvements made during the six months ended De cember 31, 1017, was rejected by the senate. This would have made neces sary the payment of about $15,000,000 additional. v 2. Rates for freight and passenger tralllc are to be Initiated by the presi dent whenever advisable, but final Jur isdiction in nil rate changes rests with the Interstate commerco commission. Tho original bill proposed by Direc tor General McAdoo would have given the president supreme authority In the matter of fixing rates. 3. The contiol and operation of the railroads by the government Is to cease at the end of IS months after the end of the war. As originally presented to congress tho bill left the period to con trol open. Tho houso bill fixed tho time limit at two years after the end of the wnr. More than a dozen amendments were disposed of during tho day. Hundreds of short speeches were made under the llve-mluuto rule. Tho bill now goes to tho house, whero general debate on a similar measure has practically closed, and whero almost a hundred amendments aro pending. Next to tho Inclusion of the short lino railroads, tho most Interesting step of the day was tho rejection of amend nieuts by Senator Cummins to limit the government return to tho ronds to not more than 5 per cent upon their capi tal stdek. . Senator Cummins' amendment nf- fcctlng tho short Hues was adopted by 58 to 11. One section of tho bill allows the president to buy nnd sell railroad se curities and turn the proceeds over to tho revolving fund. Objections were made to this by Senator Klrby of Ar kansas, who said It "was dabbling In stocks." M'ADOO WILL MOVE FOOD Asks Hoover to Name Location of Sup plies and He Will See They Are Hauled. Washington. Feb. 25. Differences between William O. McAdoo, director of transportation, and Herbert Hoover, food administrator, over tho reason for the delay of food shipments to the coast, reached a now climax on Frl day. Mr. McAdoo, In a letter to the food administrator, called on him to show where tho food was. Tho letter rends : "Dear Mr. Hoover: "You are, as I understand It, the sole purchaser in this country, of food sup plies for the allied governments. You must, therefore, know the location of the food supplies which you from time to time purclinso and the ports In this country to which you desire such sup plies shipped. If you will notify me from time to time of the location of the specific supplies and tho port or ports In the United Stntes to which you wish to have tho supplies trans ported, I will guarantee tho necessary transportation, subject alone to Inter ruptlons from blizzards and floods. "I wish to reassure the country by saying that so far ns transportation Is concerned, there Is no dnngor of suf fering from a serious food shortage In tho eastern part of the country. "Cordlnlly yours, "W. G. M'ADOO." Ptosenwald to Quit. Rumor. Washington, Feb. 25. According to ronnrts In official circles .Tullus Rosen. wald of Chicago will shortly rotlro from his duties as chairman of tho commltteo on supplies or tho council of national defense. Air Fatalities Total 81. WiiRhlncton. Feb. 2(5. Althnuah there have been CI fatalities at army nvinttnn training camps In this coun try, the death record was described by Secretary or war waner ns reraarK ably low. 903 IN NEXT DRAFT Five Counties Exempted According tc Stato Provost Marshal. Webster County to Send Most Men. According to Stale Provost Marshal Anderson but 1)03 of tho 1,320 men Nebraska was supposed to send to Camp Fuuston as tho lust 15 per cent of tho last draft actually will bo sent. Nebraska Is given credit for more than 500 men already Inducted Into the service slnco tho last draft. Five counties, Cherry, Hamilton, Hooker, Sherman and Thurston will not have to send any men with tho last 15 pur cent, as each has already furnished more than Its quota. Webster county will havo to furnish -10 men, tho largest number of any county In tho state. A suggestion that tho sugar fac tories In western Nebraska might bo utilized as starch factories for hand ling tho potato crop made by Chancel lor Avery of tho state university has not met with favor from the factory owners. It is claimed that If the po tato crop Is handled by the sugar fac tories, It will result in tho reduction of the sugar beet acreage. . A statewldo farmers' exchange Is being planned as a part of the coun ty agent program now being In augurated by tho Nebraska extension service. Returns are being received daily at tho university farm at Lin coln Indicating tho labor needs, as well as the amounts of llvo stock and seed offered for salo or desired. Food Commissioner Murschel of Nebraska, announces he will not prosecute manufacturers of cornmeal wlio put up their product in packages containing tho weights specified by 41. r..i,...i r.wt.i ...lkl..lcifli4l.n ..,-. though such packages do not conform to the laws of this state. Announcement has been made that early in May the American Red Cross will make an appeal to the people of the nation for another war fund of $100,000,000. In the last drive Nebras ka's quota was $1,-170,152. It probably will be tho same In the next campaign. A delegation of women from vari ous towns over tho state called on Governor Nevlllo at Lincoln for tho purpose of Interesting him In tho mat ter of incorporating In his call for a special session of the legislature, a clause for the ratification of tho pro hibition amendment. Records of alleged cocaluo and morphlno sales averaglijg $150 a day for tho last two months, and totaling more than $0,000, wero seized by fed eral agents who raided tho homo aud restaurant of Charles Moore, a negro, ut Omahu. Stato Labor Commissioner Norman says that tho great national drive for tho registration of men for tho ship building trades has resulted In tho en rollment of more than one-half of No bruska's quota of -1,500 men. Becauso the boys disobeyed train lng rules, especially smoking, tho Beatrice high school athletic board decided to eliminate athletics ut tho high school and cancelled tho basket ball schedule. Dodgo county is the thirty-sixth county In Nebraska to adopt tho county agent plan, u petition filed by a largo number of farmers having been concurred In by tho board of su pervisors. O. H. Llebors, formerly county agent for Gage county, has beep ap pointed by Food Administrator Hoov er to take charge of the pinto bean work In growing sections of Ne braska. A load of hogs donated by citizens of Nanco county wero sold at auction at tho South Omaha murkut for tho benefit of tho Red Cross, $2,500.85 be lng realized from the sale. The Fremont city council has de cided to ask citizens of tho city to voto $75,000 bonds for the Installa tlon of a sewerage disposal tank. Secretary of Stato Pool's name has been placed on the primary bal lot, for the democratic nomination for congress from tho Sixth. State board of educational lauds and funds will recommend that one- half of 1 per cent Interest be added to bonds at the next meeting. A loyalty petition signed by 507 citizens of Grand Island has been forwarded to President Wilson. State Knglucer Johnson has pre pared a table showing division of Ne hraska into nineteen good road din trlets, ami giving the federal fund al lotinont for each district. The total federal appropriation for the state Is $3.1(57,011.21 for the next five years $1,200,308.75 of which Is to be spent this yenr. I'. J. Pa tlon of Stella, who has a contract to furnish walnut logs for the manufacture of gun stocks ex peels to make a shipment of about 25 car loads before long. Tho Rulo Reporter has been pur chased by Mrs. Larcum, editor of the Globe at Whlto Cloud, Kas. The com blued papers will be called the Globe Reporter and circulated In both Kulo and Whlto Cloud. Tho stato board of control will not permit tho uso of convicts at the stato penitentiary In making of roadways In tho state, as migrated by the last legislature. At a thrift stamp rally at Genova pledges wero signed which puts tli district $7,000 ahead of Its apportion uicnt. Tho stato supremo court has ruled that tho stato of Nebraska cannot maintain Us suit for possession of tho property of John O'Connor, who died in Hastings, owning valuable! fnrms In Adams county, and which tho stato has laid claim to becauso of alleged lack of proper heirs of the deceased, until all private claimants to tho estate, totaling about 150, havo had a Chnnco to present their claims In tho probato court of Adams county. I'lio case Is ordered back to the Adams county district court, with In structions to abate any further pro; cecdlngs until the probnto court has entered final Judgment. Statu Auditor Smith hns discovered that $2,000 In school bonds voted by the citizens of School District No. 120, Antelopo county, nro Illegal, as rec ords of the county nssessor show but a $000 valuation. As this Is less than half tho required valuation, the bonds had to bo turned down. Tho building Is nearly completed nnd school has already been started In tho completed part. ' Mrs. Nettle Howe and her 8-year- old son Gordon, of Eustls, were killed and more than fifty othbr per sons wero Injured, when Burlington passenger train No. 151 Jumped tho track threo miles east of Curtis and went over a big embankment. Tho wreckage cnught flro und three pas senger coaches, mall and baggago cars wero destroyed. Paul S. McAuiuy of Omnlm was named superintendent of tho stato In dustrial school for girls at Geneva by tho state board of control. Ho suc ceeds Miss Lydlu ,T. McMuhon, who re cently resigned at the request of tho board, following developments regard ing relations of the bandmaster, Prof. Fagan, and ono of the young women employes. Complaints reaching tho stato coun cil of defense from farmers In somo parts ,of Nebraska allego that farm hands nro demanding oxccslve pay and refusing to work exenit on their own terms. They o ' as much as $00 or $75 a month, . ioported, besides tho usual nccon:-'. .ntmenis or board, lodging and washing. A movement Is under way to re organize tho Madison county council of defense. It Is hinted that somo of tho olllcots havo not been actlvo enough, and speeding up work on various campnlgns Is desired. No Ger man language will bo allowed in any schools of tho county. Tho Omaha chamber of commerco has voted favorably on tho resolution circulated by tho chnmber of com merco of tho United Stntes, which proposes to avoid an economic war with Gennany after present hostili ties. Tho Mnswnlc temple craft of Omaha will present a service flag to tho stock holding bodies of tho Masonic tcmplo this week, who will In turn deuicnio it. This Hag has 400 stars and Is said to bo ono of tho largest In tho United States. Tho "Country club," near Sargent, ' an organized club of eight women who nro working this winter for tho Red Cross, by sales have raised $350, besides doing other work for tho society. Chairmen of tho war savings com mittees from eight counties met nt AUInnco and formulated phms for tho stato wldo drlvo for tho salo of war savings stamps, which will tako placo March 22. Granville .T. Wado of Elwood, Gos per county, has been added to the list of those rescued when tho transport I'uscunla was sunk by a submarlno off the eoTTfct of Ireland. The fowy-second annual encump- ment of tho Nebraska department of the Grand Army of tho Republic will be hold In Seward May 14, 15 ami 10 of this year. Students of Utlca schools havo purchased $1,550 -orth of thrift stamps, nn average of $8 to each pupil, which Is believed to bo a record for the state. J. K. Miller, mayor of Lincoln, wna elected - president of the Nebraska Conference of Chnrltlcs and Correc tions at tho recer.t session of tho or ganization at Omaha. James Stephens, food administrator at Central City. Is Investigating tho spread of tuberculosis among cattle In Merrick county. Medals resembling tho "Ace" med als given aviators nro to be given Boy Scouts who do the best work In the war snvlngs campnlgn. Beatrice produce men shipped 350 ensos of eggs to eastern points ono day last week. County Commissioner J. C. Lynch of Douglas county was found guilty on llvo counts of willful maladminis tration and corruption In olllco by a Jury In tho district court at Omuh.i and summarily ousted from his posi tion. Omaha Ministerial union unani mously passed resolutions Indorsing prohibition. The namo of Cardinal Gibbons of the Catholic church, who recently renlllrmed his opposition to prohibition, was mentioned In the dis cussion. Tho Lincoln Traction Co. lost Us fight before tho state railway commis sion for an emergency fare of 5 cents straight replacing tho slx-for-a-quar-ter rate which lias been In forco In tho city for years. Tho test case Involving tho soldier voting law has reached tho Nebraska supremo court on an appeal from Douglas county. It has been ad vanced for argument by tho court for Its next sitting, beginning March 4. West Point Homo Guurd company now comprises nearly 500 men, with a prospect of many wore yet to Join