THE 8EMI.WEEKLY TRIDUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
FEARS CROP DECREASE
State Board of Agriculture Asks Food
Administrator to Visit Nebraska'
Chango of Sentiment Needed.
Tho stnto board of agriculture hns
sent nn urgent telegram to Washing
ton asking National Food Director
Hoover to come to Nebraska nnd con
fer with fanning nnd live stock Inter
ests of tho atnte. Tho telegram was
ulRticd by H. It. Dunlelmn. secretary
of tho board: "Nobraskn nor
mally produces n surplus of food,"
the message said, "but unless there is
a change of sentiment there In gmvo
danger that this surplus will diminish
rather than Increase."
Not one man from Hamilton county
has been drafted Into the United
States army. Jty reason of the largo
number of men who huvo volunteer
ed their services to light for world
freedom, Hamilton county has estab
lished n record unequalled In Nebras
ka. Aurora comes In for a grcut deal
of credit for tho splendid showing of
the county. Hanging In the audi
torium of tho city high school Is a
lmgo sorvlco flag with ninety-one
stnrs, showing tho enlistment of that
many graduates and former students
of the schools In-the world war. The
Aurora schools hnvo Just completed
the contributions necessary to enroll
every ono of the 705 pupils as a mem
ber of tho Junior Red Cross.
Unidentified persons raided tho
high school rooms at Grand Island,
burned .'!00 German books and threw
yellow paint on tho Lehlerkrnnz hall
and tho building of the Uonglnnd
Lumber company, whoso manager, t
Itlcbard Goohrlng, Jr., Is alleged to
have made an offensive remark about
a soldier.
Two carloads of hogs, donated to
tho Ited Cross by farmers of Hurt
county, wero sold nt auction at the
South Omaha market, bringing more
than $.r,000. Hurt county is the ban
ner county In Nebraska In Ited Cross
membership, 72 per cent of Its popu
lation being enrolled.
Otiv3 of tho Boatrlco high school
senior class Imvo decided that they
should wear dresses of washable ma
terials at tho annual Junior-senior re
ception to bo hold In April, as a con
servation measure.
Tho Nebraska food administration
has found It necessary to rescind Us
order permitting the salo of potatoes
nH a flour substitute on "potato day,"
to comply with tho orders of the na
tional food administration.
O. Sherman, n wealthy Sheridan
county rancher, was shot and killed
by two unidentified men near Gordon.
Robbery was tho motive for the crime,
it is believed:
Nebraska republicans will hold a
dolegnto loyalty convention nt Lin
coln In April to make known tho at
tltudo of the pnrty In this state and
nation as regards to tho war.
Wymoro volunteer flremon are
planning to construct a now bend
quarters to cost In the neighborhood
of $10,000.
Glen II. Work of Obert, Cedar
county, was severely wounded In no
tion In France, March 1, when tho
Germnns raided American trenches.
Registration blnnks returned to tho
Omnha postofllco show thero nro be
tween 14,000 and 15,000 alien ene
mies In Nebraska.
A Hcvcro epidemic of contagious
diseases prevail in Kearney nnd It has
boon necessary to closo tho schools
and public meeting plnces temporarily.
Persistent efforts to burn tho towns
of Trumbull and Juniata has resulted
In both villages Installing electric
lighting systems.
John M. L. Chase, 01, a member of
Nebraska's first legislature, nnd ono
of tho oldest Masons in tho state,
died nt his homo ut Pupllllon.
VIrtunlly every wagon bridge
across tho -Matte river In Hall county
was destroyed as the result of tho
sudden breaking up of tho Ice.
The state council of defense Is urg
ing all counties which Imvo no agri
cultural agent to employ such an
ofllclal.
Fire of unknown origin destroyed
the ofllco of tho Palmer Journal at
Pnlmer, also tho town electric light
plant.
A goose, donated to the Red Cross,
was auctioned off nt Tckiunnh, bring
lng tho society tho sum of $1,005.
Governor Neville hns lodged a pro
test against tho proposed plan of
Provost Marshal Crowder to mako tho
number of men In Class Ono the basis
for tho quota each stato and county
is to furnish In tho next draft. Tho
governor contends that the plan
would bo unfair to patriotic counties.
It is nnnounced that students of tho
stnto collego of agriculture at Lincoln
will bo graduated April 5, three weeks
earlier than usual, to permit their
taking nn active part In farm work
this spring,
March 23 Is tho dnto sot for
county adding contest at Rent rice. In
which rural nnd vlllagu schools of
Gage county will participate. Tho
contest is to select delegates to take
part In tho district contost during the
Southcasern Nebraska ICducnlonal as
noclalon meeting nt Reutrlco March
27 to 29.
A balloon squadron, trained and
equipped at Fort Omnha, was tho tlrst
American nlr unit to reach Franco,
Tho men are now at tho front follow
ing n special schooling under highly
killed French airmen.
Thomas Norrls, who lives on tli
Clarence Mutton farm, near Arr-ndl
Is believed to bo the oldest whit
man In the United States, and possi
bly In the world. Mr. Morris wa
born In Scotland In 1704 and Is no
In his J year. The remnants o;
the bible In which was Inscribed hi
birth date nro still In possession of
the Mitten family. Mr. .Morris I
blind, Imrdly able to hear and unnbb
to walk.
The pptrlAml body of Miss Ann;
llora, 18-yoHr-old school teneher
drowned in the Dismal river, Febru
ary 0, 101(5, was found near Thedfonl
by a trapper, The girl's clothing, li
good condition, was moulded to he
body. Her head nnd one arm, broket,
off, wero carried away by the current
Identification was made by tho cloth
lng. The entire torso was completed
turned to stone.
A commission composed of Dean K
A. Rurnett nnd Prof. II. U. Fllley of
Lincoln, A. 13. duly, of St. Paul, W. I
Farley of Aurora and Andrew Welsc
of Mitchell has been appointed 1
Food Administrator Wattles to de
termine the cost of producing sugar
beets In Nebraska and what Is a profit
to the producer.
Touching of tho Gorman Inngungi
hns been abolished In all Adam-
county schools. Hustings wns the lust
city In the county to drop tho course.
Reeuuso he was claused as an alien
enemy and feared Interment, August
Sehormun of Arlington committed
suicide.
Major J. M. Rlrknor of Lincoln, of
tho quartermaster's department of tho
Fifth Nebraska, Is ono of tho men
who will be effected by announcement
from General Pershing that no men of
aermnn nationality could servo in
France. Mujor Rlrknor was born in
Germany.
A grand Jury has been cnlled In
Douglas county to nlr alleged charges
of frauds, violation of the dry law
and other Irregularities growing out
of tho suit which resulted In tho oust
ing from ofllco of County Commis
sioner Lynch.
Stato Food Administrator Wattles
has requested that all schools In Ne
braska, from the state university to
he smallest country school, omit the
spring vacation nnd close earlier to al
low students to take up farming nnd
other lines of Industrial work.
The council of defense nt Kustls
issued n statement declaring that re
ports of pro-Gorman proclivities pub
lished over tho stnto were greatly ex
aggerated. Kustls now has a homo
guard company of loynl citizens.
Tho stnto council of defense und the
federal department of justice nro In
vestigating conditions ut Kustls,
where pro-Germans bent up a member
of tho local exemption board nnd
threatened loynl Americans.
The Commercial club nt Goring and
nt SeoUsbluff nro solidly behind n
movement to call a special election In
SeoUsbluff county to vote bonds to tho
amount of $100,000 for road purposes.
Nebraska fanners had on hand
March 1, 130,700,000 bushels of corn
and 2,7515,000 bushels of wheat, ac
cording to n report Issued by the De
partment of Agriculture at Washing
ton. The new Rentrlco homo gunrd
started out with a rush, 110 citizens
of tho town having signed tho mus
ter roll. Tho organization Is ex
pected to develop Into ono of the
best of Its kind in the state.
Tho Rurllngton Is arranging to
store 7fi,000 tons of engine coal at
Ravenna and tho coal. Is now arriving.
It is supposed storaga will be placed
at a number of points on the system.
Tho Northwestern railroad plans to
spend n half million dollars In Omahn
this year In tho construction of new
passenger car, yards.
Lincoln has lost Its Western league
baseball team, tho franchise having
been transferred to Sioux City for the
1018 season.
Luthoran churches of Nebraska
raised $12,000 for tho Lutheran war
time service fund of nearly $1,000,000.
Prospects are exceedingly good, it Is
said, for the establishing of n polush
plant at Merrlman, Cherry county.
York county has glvon S'-',000 over
Its'quotu for the rellor of destitute
Armenians and Syrians.
The North PSfilU' chapter of the
Red Cross will soon open up n mov
ing picture show In tho elty.
A new $11,000 farmers' elevator '
to bo constructed at Arlington.
Farmer of Hurt county donated ICO
head of hogs to the Red Cross.
An appeal to people of Nebraska to
contribute to 2,000,000 homeless
and helpless Armenians ami Syrians
has been made, by Governor Neville.
Contributions may bo made through
tho Nebraska commission for Ar
menian und Syrian relief, State
House, Lincoln.
In Investigating tho fire which de
stroyed tho Fllley Spotlight plant
Gngo county otllclals found that oil
from a small stovo In tho rear of tho
building hnd been sprinkled over somo
wnst paper nnd then tired.
Articles of Incorporation of tho Al
bou & Reaver Valley Railway com-
puny have been filed In the office of
tho secretary of stato. Tho capital
stock Is placed nt. ?2,000,000. The
road will run up tho Reaver valley
from Albion to Atkinson, probably
through Wheeler county.
Stuto Flro Commissioner Rldgell Is
sccktns: tho co-operation of Nebraska
nowspnper publishers in tho matter of
flro wrovontlon. fearing that the In
tercst taken in tho war may cause
peoplo to become lax In their vigilance
to prevent fires.
i iiie MIhtI..ii Munition as tne uuigrowtii of ilu Ku 5iau . eh 1 . hm iuiding tile ttu-m.nu ii Lioo lollop
ing the world war. This picture shows some of the Japanese troops who inoy soon be sent to Siberia. 2 Ofllcers
In command of an American trench In the Lorraine sector on the western front. .'J Dugout where the first Amerlcnn
officer, Lieutenant Harden of the Signal corps, w minded by a Gorman shell; tho dugout Is decorated with Ameri
can nnd French colors.
NEWS REVIEW OF
THE PAST WEEK
Russia Makes Humiliating Peace
But Kaiser's Soldiers Con
tinue Invasion.
AMERICANS REPEL RAIDERS
Pershing's Troops, Now Occupying
Eight-Mile Front, Hurl Back Strong.
Forces of Germans Fight
Like Veterans.
Extreme chaos has continued to
mark tho Russian situation, the only
thing that has seemed really clear
being that Germany Is determined to
take advantuge of tho utter collapse
of Russia to selzo such territory and
supplies tin she desires. The bol
shevik envoys presented the humiliat
ing spectncio of signing a peace treaty
without discussion, fearing as they an
nounced, that negotiations would only
result in the Imposition of more ob
noxious terms. Rut even after the
Russian pence delegates ha'd thus
debased themselves tho Germans con
tinued their Invasion of Russian terri
tory.
Whether the musses of the Russian
people will accept the humiliating pcaco
terms agreed to by tho bolshevik dele
gates Is a question that only time can
Bottle.
Tho bolshevik government aban
doned Petrogrnd as tho Germnn troops
advanced upon that city and moved
tho administrative offices to Moscow,
which city, It was announced, would
he made tho Russian capital. Leon
Trotzky, tho bolshevik foreign min
ister, Indicated that ho and his as
sociates are concerned with the future
of tho revolution, rather than tho fu
ture of Russia as a national entity.
Ho nnnounced that the bolshevik lead
ers tiro prepared to withdraw oven as
far as to tho Ural mountains rather
than submit to the defeat of the revo
lution. Tho haste of the Russian envoys In
signing a treaty of pence with Ger
many was explained on tho ground
that the terms proposed by the Teu
tonic envoys were growing more oner
ous hourly. At the last minute the
Germans demanded three great trims
Cnuenslon provinces Karabad, Kara
and Uutoum presumably for their
Turkish ally, and they got them, of
bourse. The Russian envoys shut
fhelr eyes and signed the document ns
It was pushed across the table by tin
Hun envoys.
ta
With Russia In thorough subjection,
so far as the bolshevik government
wus concerned, tho central powers
turned their attention to Itoumnnln,
and, as wns to bo expected, they forced
that country to sign a preliminary
peace treaty which is little less hu
miliating than that forced upon the
Kusstnns. Under tho terms of this
treaty Hounmnlu codes the province
of Dobrudjn, as far us tho Danube, to
the central powers, agrees to evacu
ate all occupied Austro-Hungnrinn ter
ritory, promises to demoblllzo Its anny
and agrees to "support with all Its
strength tho transport of troops of
tho central p&wors through Moldavia
and Bessarabia to Odessa." Tho sub
mission by Roumanln to any terms im
posed by tho central powers was ex
pected, as that country, nhandoned by
Russln, and entirely cut off from all
posslblo aid from tho allied powers,
was absolutely at tho mercy of tho
Teutonic powers. A pence trenty be
tween Russln und Finland has also
been signed.
While Germnny was working Its will
In Russia nnd Roumanla, the diplo
matic situation growing out of tho pro
posnl of Japan to Interveno In Slberln
for tho purposo of protecting tho vnst
stores of supplies pnld for with money
furnished by tho nllles. occupied tho
.nttentlon of tho United Stntos and the
entente governments. It wns tndlcnt
led that thero was some divergence of
'opinion between President Wilson and
the lenders In Knglnnd, France and
Italy, as to tho wisdom of giving Ja
pan n free hand In this connection.
un
American troops In the front lino
trenches In France have bad their real
baptism of fire. They have taken part
In several engagements with tho ene
my, ono of which nppronched tho dig
nity of n real battle. The Americans
have repulsed several raids made by
tho Germans nnd inflicted heavy
losses upon tho enemy. The most
pretentious engagement wns that
which resulted from n strong Germnn
attack upon the Amerlcnn lines In the
Toul sector. A large force of German
"shock" troops, trained especially for
this operation, attacked the American
line after heavy artillery Are had
practically leveled tho American
trenches. Tho American troops, un
dismayed by tho terrific bombardment,
stood their ground nnd engnged in, a
liand-to-hand struggle with the Ger
mnn raiders In tho trenches. The Ger
mans were driven back Into No Man's
Land, lenvlng three prisoners nnd
many dead In the American trenches.
The Americans pursued the fleeing
Germans nnd inlllcted further losses
ns tho enemy retrcuted to their own
lines. The Americans suffered severe
casualties, the dead including three
officers nnd seventeen men, but the
Amerlcnn lines were maintained at all
points nnd tho raid wns declared a
complete failure. Mnny cases of In
dividual heroism on the part of the
Americans wero reported and several
officers and men wore decorated by
the French premier for bravery.
Other raids upon the American
lines in tho Chemin des Dames sector
and in Lorraine were also repulsed
with severe losses to the enemy. In
all these engagements tho American
troops have shown that, despite their
Inexperience In tho new type of war
fare, they are now perfectly at home
In the trenches and are ablo to hold
their own against tho enemy.
The Increasingly largo part which
Pershing's troops are taking In the
fighting on the west front Is Indicated
by the announcement that the Amer
icans nre now holding something over
eight miles of trenches on the bnttUs
front. This front Is liable to exten
sion at any time to the regular trench
nllotment for an nrmy corps. The
present American sector is understood
to ho a divisional frontage, which
means that at least three divisions of
American troops nre thero to give tho
necessary support for tho front lines.
The growing activity of the American
troops Is further shown by the dally
casualty lists which are now coming
from General Pershing.
Announcement bus been made that
tho third Amerlcnn Liberty loan will
be offered twin. The campaign for
subscriptions will open on April (I,
the first anniversary of the entry of
the United States Into the war, and
will continue for three or four weeks.
The amount of the loan, tho interest
rate and other features have not been
made public but the fact that further
legislation will be sought from con
gress In anticipation of the loan indi
cates that the amount of the Issue
will lie more than $3,000,000,000, the
remainder of authorized but unissued
bonds. Tlie campaign work for tho
new loan has already been started
throughout the country and every dis
trict will have been thoroughly organ
ized before the drive begins.
Rs
Several steps have been taken by
the United Stntes government to fur
ther co-ordlnato and centralize the
work of war preparation. Tho two
outstanding developments along this
line wero the appointment of Rcrnurd
M. Raruch of New York as clutlrnnin
of tho war Industries board with great
ly enlarged powers, and tho assump
tion by Maj. Gen. Peyton O. Mnrch
of his duties as acting chief of staff.
Mr. Ramch, according to tho presi
dent's own announcement, made In hjs
letter of nppoivtment, will hnvo grent-
er powers even than It wus proposed
by certain members of congress to
confer upon n minister of munitions.
lie will be, In fuct, n practical dicta
tor over Industrial problems relating
to the war and will have, among other
things, the last word In determining
priority of supplies for the govern
ment whenever thero Is competitive or
other conflict of Interest among depart
ments. .The power placed In the hands
of Mr. Raruch ns chnirmnn of the
board Is lndlcntod by the dlrectfon of
the president that tho ultlmnte de
cision of all questions, except the de
termination of prices, shall rest al
ways with the chairman, tho other
members of the board acting In nn
advisory and co-operatlvo capacity.
Under this plan, the president seems
to hnvo provided for the centraliza
tion of power to nn even greater de
gree than has been proposed by those
demanding some action of this kind.
to
Tho death of John Redmond, the
Irish nntionul leader, removes tho
lending chumplon of homo rule for lrc
Innd and ono of the most striking fig
ures that English politics has pro
duced in tho past quarter of a century.
For more than twenty-five years Red
mond had fought for homo rule In Ire
land nnd during the greater part of
that tlmo, he was the recognized lead
er of Irelnnd's "struggle for liberty."
Ills determined fight in parliament for
honie rule earned for him the sobriquet
of "stormy petrel of the house." In
paying tribute to the memory of Red
mond in the house of commons, Sir
Edward Carson, Ulster leader and
long-time opponent of Redmond, made
this significant statement: "Indeed,
we were not very far apart In our at
tempts at a settlement of the Irish
question." Redmond was well-known
In the United Stntes, having visited
this country in 1008 nnd again lu 1010.
ta
In the case of General March, the
new acting chief of staff, tho lden of
centralization of power Is also to bo
carried out. It Is nnnounced that
General March will have full power
to reorganize the general stnff with u
view of giving It tho hlghegt efficiency
in its work of directing the strictly
military end of tho war. lie has been
given the power to select his own as
sistants. Ono of General March's
first acts was to establish the "open
door" policy. Ho arranged to see
nowspaper correspondents once every
dny and indicated that he will endeav
or to relax tho censorship to such an
extent that Americans may learn more
about what their soldiers are doing
In France. Tho appointment of Gen
eral March to this position has won
wide approval as, In his work ns chief
of all tho American artillery forces In
France, he has been in closo touch
with General Pershing und Is Intimate
ly familiar with all conditions abroad,
to
Speculation as to Germnny's well
advertised offensive on the western
front has continued, with opinion di
vided as to whether such an offensive
really will bo launched. In somo quar
ters It Is believed that Germany is so
fully occupied with developments in
Russia and Is so intent upon accom
plishing her designs in the east that
she will not undertake an offensive in
the west but will be content to main
tain a defensive attitude. Those tak
ing tills view believe that Germnny's
idea Is that a deadlock on the west
front will force tho nllles to- agree to
a pence by negotiation and that under
such circumstances she will be able to
attain all her Imperialistic designs in
the east.
On tho other hand, further concen
tration of troops on the western front
Is taken by some authorities as indi
cating that Germnny renlly Intends to
launch u determined offensive In
France. General Maurice, chief direc
tor of inllltnry operations at the Hrit
lsh war office, declares that the enemy
Is now ready to strike on the western
front nt nny moment suitable to his
purpose. Ho declares that tho allies
remain superior In guns, rifles and air
craft, hut that tho margin of advan
tage in these particulars Is steadily
diminishing and an equalization of
strength is being approached,
frequent nnd more pretentious
rnlds undertaken by both sides along
tho entire western front nre regard
ed as forerunners,of an offensive. The
rnlds nre mndo to feel out tho enemy,
to find, If possible, the weak spots in
his lines. Tho many Germnn raids are
believed to have been made necessary
by tho air superiority of the allies
along the greater part of the western
front. Unablo to gain the Information
they need through their airmen, the
Gennans havo boon forced to resort
to rnlds In order to lenrn the strength
of tho opposing forces at various
points on the front.
BAKER li 1MB ZONE
SECRETARY OF WAR CROSSE&
SEA TO INSPECT SAMMIES,
miSSlON PURELY MILITARY
Ohio Swept By Tornado; Five oi
More Killed; Property Damage
Several Million.
Washington, March 18. Newton i.
tinker, the American secretary of war,
with a staff of seven persons, arrived
safely at a French port last Sunday
on an American armored cruiser. Tha
party was met at tho pier by a French
general representing the French nrmy,
Mnjor General Squlcr, representing
tho American nrmy; Admiral Morouu,
representing tho French navy; Rear
Admiral Wilson, representing the
American navy and tho mayor and
councillors of tho municipality.
Secretary Raker's party Immediate
ly proceeded to Paris, where they wer
mot by General Pershing, Ambassador
Sharp and representatives of Uie
French government. Secretary Raker
plans to spend but a few days In
Paris, whero ho will meet President
Polncure and Premier Clemencoau, af
tor which he will visit the American
troops in tho field.
Following news of tho nrrivnl of
Secretary Raker in France, tho war
department announced that tho secre
tary's visit is purely military and not
diplomatic, and is for the purpose
of Inspection and personal confer
ences with military otllclals. For soma
tlmo Secretary Raker has desired to
visit tho headquarters of the Ameri
can expeditionary forces. IIo sailed
from nn American port about Febru
ary 27. IIo hns not determined tho
length of tlmo ho will remain In
France, but his stay will bo long
enough to enable him to make a
thorough Inspection of tho American
forces nbroad and to hold important
conferences with American mllltnry
ofilcers. Twelve Die in Movie Disaster.
Winchester, Ivy., March 13. Twelve
persons wore killed, ton of whom wero
children, twenty-threo persons so so
vercly injured it wns found necessary
to remove them to n hospltnl, and
about thirty others less seriously hurt
hero Saturday when tho walls of a
burned building ndjolning a moving,
picture theater collapsed, crushing In
Its roof. The wall which collapsed
was also used as ono wall of the thea
ter, but projected considerably above
the roof of tho theater building., When
it collapsed tho peoplo in tho theatei
wero thrown into a panic. Appar
ently no ono was hurt In the rush.
Eleven Iowa Soldiers Dead.
Des Moines, la., March 13. Rela
tives of eleven Iownns have been noti
fied by the war department of the
deaths in action on tho French front
or from disease, of members of their
families, while among the list ot
wounded nre the names of twenty
more soldiers from Iowa. In accord
ance with the recent ruling, tho date
oi? action, tho locations, nnd the
units of which tho dend and wounded
soldiers were members, are not given
out.
Ohio Swept by Tornado.
Lima, O., March 13. Five persons
nro known to bo dead, several others
are reported killed, scores are Injured,
scores of lior.ies were completely ni
partially demolished nnd hundreds of
barns nnd outbuildings wero razed
by the tornado which traveled acros
northwestern Ohio Saturday evening.
Kstimates of property damnge rang
from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000. The tor
nado began In Van Wert county, on
the Ohlo-Indlann stnto line nnd then
traveled In n northwesterly direction.
Spent $40,000 to Defeat Prohibition.
Washington, March 13. RoUvoen
$40,000 and $50,000 wns spent by the
National German-American alliance,
to dpfent national prohibition,, Percy
Andreac, Chicago, testified before the
senate probing subcommittee Satur
day afternoon. The alliance's federal
starter stipulates that the organiza
tion shall not participate In political
activities.
March 18-25 "Old Clothes Week."
AVnshlngton. March 13. The Amerl
cnn Red Cross' hus set aside the week
of March 18-2,r ns "old clothes week."
Throughout tho United Stntes dlsoanb
ed clothing will he collected for ship
ment to Relglum. It hopes to gel
5.000 tons of used garments to garb
Bcnntlly-elnd Ilelglnns. Twelve thou
sand live hundred tons will bo ac
cepted. Suspend Publishing Casualty Lists.
Washington, March 12. Issuance
of dally lists of casualties among the
expeditionary forces abroad lias been
discontinued by the public Informa
tion committee as the result of mi
order of tho War department under
which tho numes of tho next of kin
and emergency addresses of soldier
whose names appear on the lists here
of tor will bo withhold. The otllelat
explanation is that tho purpose of
the order la to keop information of
value from the enemy.