11
E
VATICAN IS PORT
OF MISSING MEN
Pope Benedict Conducts De
partment of Lost Soldiers
Clearing House for Sorrow.
HIS SISTER ASKS HELP
(CorrwpondMict of Tin AuiHlanj Prcn.l
Rome, Dec. 18.--Pope Benedict XV,
through the department of lost sol
diers established at the Vatican, has
aided in learning the whereabouts of
more than 10,000 lost soldiers about
whom heart-broken relatives had in
quired through personal appeals to
his holiness. He is receiving, and
has received since the war began,
some 200 letters a day from distracted
parents, wives and sweethearts in all
of the belligerent nations, pleading
that he use his good offices to learn
whether their loved ones, about whom
they have been unable to hear any
thing, are dead, wounded, sick or pris
oners. The pope has found this one of the
saddest phases of the war. Notwith
standing the size of his daily mail,
he reads all such letters himself. In
t lie beginning of the war he attempted
to investigate each personally, but
the task became so formidable that it
was necessary to establish a separate
department at the Vatican, now in
charge of Father Huismarn. under the
pope's direction. His holiness, after
reading one of the appeals, makes
some notations on its envelope and
sends it to the department of lost sol
diers, which has its offires on the
fourth floor of the V atican near the
papal secretary of state. Here arc
some thirty priests and civilians en
gaged in clerical work.
The department has access to offi
J rial records transmitted by the Prus
sian minister of war to the holy see
at Lugano, Switzerland and has of
fices at Paris, Constantinople, Vienna,
Freiburg. Brussels and Padeborn,
Westphalia, Germany, with several
minor branches in other countries.
Efficient Organization.
The department has become one of
the most highly organized of any in
the Vatican. It writes several hun
dred letters a day, and to date such
letters have run up to a total of more
than 5,000,000. As the department re
turns all money enclosed in letters of
appeal and as a person writing from
England cannot well enclose Italian
stamps for international correspond
ence, the stamp bill alone of the de-
Sartment has been upwards of $200,
00. After making an official demand on
the government of the country where
the lost soldier is supposed to.be, the
department causes each new name to
be posted up in the military prison
camps, by the aid of a Catholic chap
lain always present, in the hope that
some of the lost soldiers' comrades
may see the name and offer some
clue that will lead to his location.
Several thousands of such lists have
been printed. There are 110 lists,
each containing 200 names, for the
Italian army alone, making thus a
total of 22.000 lost Italian soldiers.
Aside from this, the department hasi
copies of official army prisoner lists,
arranged by nations, and it immedi
ately searches these lists carefully
for the name of the lost soldier.
Despite the difficulties of the task,
the department has so far been able
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inual Convention of the Officers
merican
OMAHA, NEB.
1ROWTH BY A SUBSTANTIAL NEBRASKA COMPANY
Admitted
Admitted
Admitted
Admitted
Admitted
Admitted
Admitted
Admitted
Admitted
Admitted
Admitted
Assets Dec.
Assets Dec.
Assets Dec.
Assets Dec.
Assets Dec.
Assets Dec.
Assets Dec.
Assets Dec.
Assets Dec.
Assets Dec.
Assets Dec.
31st, 1906,
31st, 1907,
31st, 1908,
31st, 1909,
31st, 1910,
31st, 1911,
31st, 1912,
31st, 1913,
31st, 1914,
31st, 1915,
31st, 1916,
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS-
GEO. J. HAS LAM, M.
to find more thin 10,000 lost soldiers,
and the pope has received a treasured
collection of letters of thanks from
families, often from little children,
who address him as "Mister," or who
give him the title names of popes
dead'many hundreds of years.
The correspondent of the Asso
ciated Press on a visit to the depart
ment saw a bundle of letters that had
just been sent by the pope, possibly
seventy-five in number, and on the
envelope of each one, in his own
handwriting, was written directions
concerning its disposition. Among
the heap was a letter from his sister,
the Countess I'ersico della Chiesa of
Genoa, the pope's home city, asking
that a search be made for a certain
soldier of Genoa. "The countess
begs attention again," the pope had
written on the letter.: Another one
of the letters was one of thanks from
a French family whose sou, Jean La
forgue, had been for two years in
the orient without being able to send
news to his family of himself, but
the pope had been able to discover
this lost son at Samsam, in distant
Turkey.
Another letter was one of thanks
from the family of Count Hugo de
Kochetort. lieutenant in the aeronau
tic corps, who, during the Somme
offensive, fell into the German lines.
By telegraphing to the Nuncio at
Munich, Bavaria, the department had
been able to learn that the voung
men had died in the hospital of Vath-
land and been buried m the cemetery
attached to the hospital. "It was at
least a consolation tor the iamily to
know the burial place," said Father
Huismarn.
Japan Suffers Slight
Losses On the High Seas
(forrespondfmre of The Associated. PrM )
Tokio. Dec. 10. A total 3f 1.290
merchant vessels, with an aggregate
tonnage of 2,910.000, have been sunk
since the outbreak of the war, ac
cording to Baron Kenjiro Den, min
ister of communications, who spoke
before the Japan Trade association
on the subject of war and shipping.
"Despite the heavy losses suffered
by some of the entente countries," he
said, "Japan's loss has been compara
tively slight. So far only six Japan
ese steamers, with an aggregate ton
nage of 26,000, have been sunk by
the enemy, jvhile three more of 12,
000 tons are missing, making a total
of nine ships and 38,1)00 tons. Since
the outbreak of the war Japan's mari
time trade to foreign countries has
greatly developed, and the tonnage
of tramp' steamers now trading to
America, Australia, India, etc., is
put at 800,000. This shows a five-fold
increase sine' the outbreak of the
war." f
London Women Working
As Clerks of Courts
(Correpondno of Th AMocUt1 Prw.ii.)
London, Dec. 29. In the central
law courts women are now being
trained to do the work of clerks.
Six women typists have been en
gaged in the scriveners' office, but
only for such ordinary work as short
hand and typewriting; engrossing is
still being done, as typewriting lacks
permanence as a record, and is also
open to facility for forgery. The en
grossers, however, are all elderly
men.
There are ten women in the ad
miralty division of the courts. In
the prize department their work is
varied; they keep the ledgers and
look after the premiums of insurance
payable on prizes.
J . ..fe -
Lif
$ 1,924.00
7,612.00
25,866.00
86,345.00
178,328.00
268,250.00
345,624.00
428,680.00
480,651.00
532,848.00
617,955.00
"""a. - I - I I : I II I I 17. F.. HI l W A I , , 1 I I I M 1 I I 1 I . "? .u ' V li 1 1 ,,i 1 I 1 I I III .1111
D. F. A. C. S., Vice President, Medical Director.
W. B. YOUNG, Actuary.
THE OMAHA
AMERICA ALARMS
BRITISH ARTISTS
England Plans to Buy Back
Noted Paintings from the
Yankee Millionaires.
ART LOVERS UP IN ARMS
(Corrtapondenc of Th, Awoctateil Preu )
London, Dec. 21. There is a pe
culiar appeal to the art world of Amer
ica in the proposal now before the
House of Lords to sell famous pic
tures in the National gallery in order
to provide funds for the purchase of
still more noted paintings and thus
stem the flow to the United States.
America is the only country buying
works ot art just now. Kecent sales
to noted collectors in the I'nited
States of some of the noted pictures
in England have alarmed the local
art world.
But the proposal which authorizes
the trustees to sell works of art which
have been bequeathed or given for the
benefit of the nation is opposed by
a large body of distinguished painters
and sculptors on the ground that it
involves a serious breach of faith. An
other objection is that it would break
up the works of J. M. W Turner,
who is ranked by many as the great
est artist this country has produced
and the greatest landscape painter.
In a formal protest to the prime
minister a score of noted painters
and sculptors declare that the pro
posed powers have uever yet been
given to a similar board of trustees
by any state or legislature. They say
that the immediate result would be to
discourage prospective donors and
testators and that no future purchases
could compensate the nation for the
destruction of the Turner collection.
Squabble Over Turner.
Supporters of the bill say that the
Turner works are redundant, are not
appreciated and could easily be sold
and the funds devoted to obtaining
more wonderful masterpieces. Led by
Lord D'Abernon, the author of the
bill, they assert that of 23,000 pic
tures and drawing owned by the Na
tional gallery 20,000 are by Turner
and 3,000 by artists of all other
schools. In other words they say that
there are too many "Turners." They
want to get rid of some of them si
that they can prevent other master
pieces from crossing the Atlantic.
Many artists and students of Turner
have joined in the opposition to the
bill. Lord D'Abernon and the trus
tees of the gallery have been attacked
in Parliament and through the press,
the trustees being accused of select
ing a favorable opportunity to smug
gle a bill through giving "themselves
power to betray their trust and buy
a few more pictures which under pres
ent conditions are regarded as unnec
essary luxuries.
But it appears that what the ob
jectors fear most is that the privilege
thus given to the trustees will prove
the entering wedge to a system that
will threaten the unique collection of
Dutch pictures. "It was only the
other day," wrote a noted artist to
the Telegraph, "that a certain noble
peer parted with a celebrated Italian
picture for America, and is t nn to
be presumed that the proverbial sum
of 100,000 pounds has been obtained?
Supposing then that Lord D'Aber-
'mv - haM.j
and Leading Agents of the
Total Dividends Paid Policy Holders since organization $201,713.45
Total Death Losses sustained since organization . , 105,750.00
Dividends Paid Policy Holders Exceed Death Losses 95,963.45
Every Death Claim has been promptly paid in full, with
out resistance and without anyexpensetothebeneficiary
SUNDAY BEE: FEBRUARY 25, 1917.
non's bill had become law, it is evident
that Turners would not have sup
plied the required demands, and in
order to make the purchase Ihs trus
tees would have been obliged to dip
into the Dutch collection."
A strong appeal is made on senti
mental grounds. Tne pictures were
obtained by bequests, and it is con
sidered unfair to de.-.eased donors to
have their (lifts traded with, or the
National gallery "changed from a per
manent resting place into an occa
sional auction mart."
John Bull Feeds
War Prisoners On
Two Dollars a Week
(Correponduc of Tho AMocUtd Prow.)
Douglas, Isle of Man, Jan. 4. As
an experiment in communal feeding
the British government's camp for
war prisoners at Knockaloe is the
biggest and most successful thing of
its kind ever attempted in the British
Isles. Here 22,000 prisoners are
housed and fed at a figure which av
erages only $2 per man, per week,
Tlie capital cost of the camp, which
was built on farm land in the north
of the Isle of Man, was $1,250,000.
This figure covers the building; of all
the barracks and administrative- of
fices, kitchens, streets, sewage, water
and electricity plants, telephones and
all the other essentials of a modern
citv. On a basis of a population of
25,000 the cost of building this prison
camp fity figures out at about $50 for
each inhabitant.
The question of food as related to
health has been a prime consideration
with the British officials from the
start. "Our dietary," explained the
commandant, "has been constantly ob
served and studied scientifically by a
staff of medical men, who from time
to time make such changes as expe
rience dictates. The cooking is all
done by the men themselves, and the
excellent results they achieve are not
to be wondered at when it is remem
bered that they have among them
some of the finest chefs of the big
German hotels and restaurants. At
one time their table was so much su
perior to the English officers' mess
that the officers discharged their Eng
lish cook and requisitioned one of the
prisoners, who has been in charge of
their kitchen ever since."
The health of the prisoners bears
testimony to the adequacy of the food
orovided. In this improvised town
of 25,000 inhabitants, there have been
only seventy deaths m two years a
year death rate of less than 1.5 per
thousand. This compares with a
death rate in all England of 13.3 or
in the United States of about 14.1.
Nebraska Naval Militia
Will Train On the River
Ensign H. E. Reed of the Minne
sota naval militia is in Omaha to or
ganize Nebraska young men into a
similar body. Lieutenant W. W.
W'addell of the nav) recruiting sta
tion is co-operating with him. Head
quarters art temporarily at the Del
mar hotel. Boat drills on Carter lake
and the Missouri river are t lanned, to
train civilians for naval service in time
of war. The naval militia is a reserve
plan, similar to the National Guard,
and except on vacation cruises for
training purposes would be active only
in wartime.
,- imihim-i run-
Company
BRITISH HOLDING THE
INDIAN TRIBES DOWN
Efforts of Emissaries to Stir
Up Trouble Is Overcome
in Short Order.
ROOS-KEPPEL AT THE HELM
(fnrrftiondonc of Tho Aiooolfttft PrMi.)
Peshawar, Northwest Frontier
Province, India, Feb. 12 British
army officers and Tommies in this
northwestern .section of British In
dia, who often turn their thoughts
longingly towards the activities in the
great theaters of war, solace them
selves with the fact that they are hold
ing the eastern end of the front any
way. Under the direction of Sir
George Roos-Keppel, chief commis
sioner for the northwest frontier
province, they are keeping open the
Peiwar Kotal and Khyber passes, the
gateways into Afghanistan, and ire
preventing the tribesmen of the inter
vening territory from carrying Into
British India a warfare which might
have a strong bearing on the situation
as a whole.
Whn the war broke out there was
considerable uneasiness among Brit
ish officials regarding the thousands
of Independent tribesmen, who are
ever ready to make trouble and who,
if they should succeed in burying their
tribal feuds and unite, would pre
sent a serious menace. Numbers of
German and Turkish emissaries had
made their way into this independent
region and had been busy trying to
stir up the mountaineers to war, play
ing on the religious fanaticism of the
latter. To a certain extent they were
successful, for they created more or
less unrest and aroused hopes of con
quest which held dangerous potentiali
ties. Gets Situation in Hand.
Atthis juncture Sir George Roos
Keppel, who was then on protracted
leave of absence ill England, returned
to take charge of his province, which
forms the buffer between the tribes
men and the rest of British India. As
the .result of the measures which he
instituted the situation is said to have
been got thoroughly in hand and
while the habitual fighting still con
tinues there is no longrr any fear of
serious trouble.
The handling of the tribesmen is
largely a matter of personal influence
and Sir George is credited in official
circles with being extraordinarily suc
cessful. One thing that undoubtedly
has contributed to his success is the
fact that he is a typical leader of
.men tall, broad-shouldered, Keen-
eyed, quick of mind and with a par
ticularly strong personality the type
the tribesmen respects. The chief
Commissioner ieals with the chiefs
as man to man, employing their own
open-handed form of diplomacy. He
has established a reputation among
the tribes of never trying to bluff, a
fact which is said to have bridged
many a difficulty.
Influence it Sir George Felt.
The Afridi, the most warlike and
powerful of the tribesmen, have been
remaining strictly neutral ever since
the arrival of the chief commissioner,
although they were restless when he
left England. Here the personal in
fluence of Sir George came into play,
for he had worked among the Afridi
for nine years and is known and re
n iimii.mil. .11. .1 mi.. II r ' ill iftm, ..fa
D. D. HALL, Secretary.
OTTO POM, Director.
spected by the people. The fact that
the Afridi are friendly is most im
portant, as it prevents the tribes on
either side of them from joining hands
against the British.
The Mohmands, whose territory lies
near Peshawar, have been giving con
siderable trouble, as have also the
Mahsuda, far to the southwest, but
it is not depredations by individual
tribes that is feared, as only a con
certed action by all of them would
give cause for particular worry. The
Mohmands, who have been comitting
outrages in British territory and wag
ing petty warfare from time to time,
already are paying for their hostility.
Not only have they been barred from
entering the province to carry on
trade by which they have been want
to secure the necessities of life, but
virtually all the Mohmands in the
British domains have either been
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Mr. W. H. Chaney, R. F. D. 2,
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if (It If f !
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8 C
driven back into their own country f 1 O
interned. CO
Former Omaha Man Dies '
In Detroit Last Tuesday;
Mrs. Ross Hyde of this city
ceived news of the death TuesdiyTTfJ
of her brother, Fred Thrall of l)fM"
troit, who has been ill from a nerv
ous breakdown for some week). Mrest
Thral! is the elder son of Mrs. George,
Thrall, formerly of this city, and his
boyhood was spent here before the
family moved to Detroit. He leavei
a wife and little daughter. His death.CES
occurred a year after that of his
father almost to the day, and his own
breakdown of health is in part due to
the shock he suffered at his father's;'1"
death and from overwork since thatn the
tim" , , , ? ac-
iiviii'ia nj biiu nigiii, ii i iiliiii, ku neet-
unriii. nr.
i.hck oi rourroi, smarting, uric acia
dizziness, indigestion, sleeplessness
nervousness, sometimes the heart actvjj,
badly, rheumatism, bloating, lack eff,',
M-nitinn mv he loss nf flesh. sal- .m
1 . . . . . . ;j imi-
. y complexion. . , ' 9
, Prevalency of Kidney Disease.
Most people do not realize the' r
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