Daily Bee: VOL. XLVI NO. 289. OMAHA, TUESDAY MORNING, MAY 22, 1917. TWELVE PAGES, SJSMffifc SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS. FIRE-SWEPT; S NURSE SHOT The Omaha s THE WEATHER v - Showers v 100 BLOCKS INXFLANTA NEBRASKA kDGROS SHELL EXPLODES ON U.S. STEAMER ON WAYTO FRANCE Two Red Cross Nurses Killed and One, Miss Matzen of Columbus, Neb., . Injured. ', New York, May 21. Victims of an explosion during the pratice firing of a gun on the American armed mer - chantman at sea Sunday afternoon, Mrs. Edith Ayers and Miss Helen Burnett Wood of Chicago, American Red Cross nurses, bound for war duty in, France, were killed, and Miss Emma Matzen, another nurse of Columbus, Neb., was injured, although not dangerously. The steamship, only one day out from New York, re turned here today and a naval investi gation is under way to determine the cause of the accident. Unofficial reports were that a de fective shell was responsible. One ac count had it that the shell exploded prematurely after leaving the gun, an other that a breach explosion oc curred. ; ' Cartridge as Boomerang. It was learned, however, that the opinion of those aboard the ship best competent to judge was that the shell was not defective, but thath some unexplainable manner a portion of the structure of the cartridge had been diverted from its course boomerang fashion, The shell itself hit the mark, it was said, but fragments of brass. apparently from the metal.disc that separates the powder charge from the shell, were picked ort of the flesh of the three women. The gun itself, 47 inch, was not damaged, according to the accounts. One of the two womeXkilled was struck in the heart and the other in th heart. Thev were members of base hospital No. 12, with a personnel of more than JM). Women All on Deck. Tt was a beautiful afternoon when the tragedy occurred and nearly all the sixty women nurses of the hospi tal were on deck watching target prac tice. According to Major Frederick Besley, professor of surgery at North western university and commander of the unit, the gun crew -was not aware that anybody had been killed until so informed, which seems to dispose of the theory that it was a breacn e Major Besley said, that the moral " of the nurses and surgeons after the accident and since was splendid. Miss Matzon received prompt attention ana is said to be on the road to -recovery at the New York navy yard hospital. An informal inquiry was made aboard ship and statements were taxen oi me ctrcumstances in amaavu iorm. No Exact Evidence. "There is no accurate evidence said Major Besley, "to warrant mak ing a positive statement as to the exact cause of the accident. That will be determined in an inquiry to be 1 made bv a naval board." The ship will be held here, it is un derstood until the evidence necessary for the navv inquiry has been Ob tained 1 Columbus, Neb., May 21. (Special Telegram.) Miss Emma Matzen, Red Cross nurse, who was injured while on her way to France, is a daughter nf Mr: and Mrs. IV K. Matzen of Columbus. She was born near Leigh, Neb., thirty-five years ago and graduN ated from the Illinois l raining School for Nurses and attached to Cook county hospital in 1913. She has been practicing her profession in Chicago. " ' Two of her sisters, Misses Mamie and Stella Matzen, who reside here, are alio registered Red Cross nurses. Four other brothers and sisters also live here. Miss Matzen left Chicago with the Red Cross unit to which she was at tached last Wednesday evening. Gwinn Knew Nurse. When Bert Gwinn, Union Pacific station agent, residing at Salina, Kan., saw The Bee bulletin announcing the explosion of the ship, he immediately made inquiries as to the whereabouts and welfare of Miss Ola Reed, who was on the same ship. The name of Miss Reed does not appear in the list of injured and Gwinn is anxious to know if she escaped. He - received a letter from her a few days go, stating that she would leave on the ship carrying the Red Cross nurses to the battlefield in France, but she did not give the name of the ship nor its sailing date. He says he is well acquainted with Edith Ayrcs V and has met Emma Matzen. Memorial Service for ' Choate in London CJurch London, May 21. Several hundred persons attended a service in memory of Joseph H. Choate of New York at St. Margaret's church, Westminster, today. The archbishop of Canterbury spoke of Mr. Choate's services for the " American and British nations. Among those at the service were: Ambassador Page, Mrs. Page, Robert P. Skinner, the American consul gen eral, Mrs. Skinner Mrs. Whitelaw ,- Reid, former Premier Asquith, Vis count Bryce, Lord Beresford, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Lady Ran dolph Churchill, Sir Thomas Lipton, Lady Gilbert Parker and Sir Robert , B. Finlay, lord high chancellor. The British Pilgrim's society, under whose auspices the service was ar ranged! was largely represented and a number of American diplomatic and consular officials were present. Hopes U.S. Will Not See the Swiss Starve Berne, May 20. (Via Paris, May 21.) President Schulthess, speak ing today on the Swiss economic situation at a radical democratic congress, dwelt particularly on the possible consequences of the entry, of the United States into the war to Switzerland's food supply. He expressed the firm hope of the federal government that the United States would not mak Switzerland's existence impossible. President Schulthess also voiced the conviction that the entire na tion would be behind the federal council at the critical moment to safeguard the country's indepen dence on a footiing of the strictest neutrality. ITALIAN MISSION, NO AMERICAN SOIL, TO VISIT CAPITOL . : Prince Udine, Cousin of King Victor Emmanuel, Heads Dis- , .tjnguished War Party En Route to Washington. Washington, May 21. The Italian war commission, headed by Prince Udin, first cousin of King Victor Em manuel, will arrive in Washington to morrow. j Its personnel is: Prince Ferdinando 1 Di Savora of Udines Enrico Arietta. I minister of transportation: Marquis Luigi Borsarelli do Rifrieddo. under secretary of state for foreign affairs: Guglielmo Marconi, senator; Augusto Ciuffeli, deputy, former minister of public works; Francesco Sdverio Nitti, deputy, former minister of agriculture. Attaches accompanying the mission are: Cavaliere De Parente, secretary of legation and secretary of the mis sion; Naval Lieutenant De Zara, aide-de-camp of Prince of Udine; Cavaliere Alvise bragadtn and Cavaliere Oindo Pardo.vjecretaries to Signor Arlotta Duca Di Sangro, and Signor Di Soiisa, secretary ot senator Marconi; Lava Here Angeli, secretary to Signor Ciuf' felt and Cavaliere D'Amato. : . a Partv Lands Safelv. The fact that the commission had landed safely on this continent be came known officially today through the State department. One of its members Enrico 'Arlotta, minister of transportation in the Italian cabinet, already is here and has had preliminary conferences with government officials. Arrangements for receiving and en tertaining the visitors have beefi made by a departmentalcommittee. The missibn is "coming on a visit of courtesy and to discuss with Ameri can officials the shioDinir and -food problems and the adjustment of rates of exchange. Food and Munitions Bill Reported Back to House Washington May 21. Favorable report on the ndn dministration bill to give the president broad powers as to preferential shipments of food, mu nitions and other war traffic was made today to the house. The repoit- says the bill is "Ger mane to the earnest effort we are making to utilize to the highest state of efficiency during the war the trans portation facilities of the country and to promote the efforts of the adminis tration to carry on the war by requir ing preferential shipments, of all freight which,in the judgment of the president, is essential to the public security and defense." ' The section 3s to movements of transportation, the report explains, "has no reference, as has been er roneously stated in some quarters, to any disputes between carriers and their employes." , - "Fortunately," it adds, "there is a truce on that subject during the war." Exemption Clause on , Drovers' Passes is Void Washington, May 21. Federal laws prohibiting railroads from giving passes, the supreme court decided to day, do not exempt them from lia bility to live stock attendants injured while traveling on a drover's pass is sued under the uniform live stock con tract. It was successfutty contended that the drover's pass was not gratu itous, but a part of the live stoak transportation rate and that the lia bility exemption clause was void. Newman Elected Captain ' Of Aurora Guards Aurora. Neb- Mav 21. (Soecial Telegram.) At the election of offi cers in Company H, Fifth regiment, held Saturday and Sunday, O. M. Newman was elected cantain. W. F Dorland first lieutenant, Clyde Wida man second lieutenant. Elgie Bute of Hampton was defeated by Widaman by two votes for second lieutenant. ine rirst National bank of Aurora has subscribed for $100,000 worth of the liberty loan. r Old Suit to Prohibit Liquor Sales Dismissed Washinirton. Mav 21. Suit to orn. hibit liquor sales in Nebraska was dis missed today by the supreme court. Prohibitionists contended a law passed in 1855 made the state dry, but state courts held that subsequent leg islation had repeated the measure and permitted liquor sales until a new dry constitutional amendment became ef fective May 1, 1917. . . MORE RECRUITS IS URGENT PLEA OF WAR OFFICES Army, Navy, Marine Corps and National Guard All Are Far Below Standard War Strength. v Men, men and ever more men!" The cry of the nation voiced through the recruiting offices of army, navy, marine corps and National Guard is for patriotic, red-blooded men to rally to the colors at once. In no department has Jfebraska filled its quota and the recruiting of ficers are looking eagerly for men to aid in bringing the enlistments of the state up to standard. Even the Omaha companies of Na tional Guardsmen are calling for more recruits, the latest order from the War department having made it necessary for the Fourth Nebraska to recruit to war strength, leaving each - Omaha lompany short about titty men. A lotai oi at least ou men is necaeu to bring the regiment to war strength. Only three men-were recruited for guard companies up to noon for Mon day's record. . - Army headquarters tell a little bet ter story, a dozen recruits having been mustered in during the morning. Twenty men left Sunday night for' Fort Logan to be mustered into various departments. Navy is Favored. Better results also seemed in view for the naval station, the waiting room of the department much -resembling an employment office on the eve of the departure of Coxy's army. Men Were lined up all around the room, waiting their turn to interview the recruiting officers. One man had even stretched out on a bench, pulled his hat over his eyes and was sleep ing until called, evidencing his deter mination to remain "on the job" un til his application for enlistment had either been accepted or rejected. At the recruiting office of the ma rine corps eight new recruits were re ported. TJiey will be sent to Port Koyai, a. U, at once tor training. lo reach the required war strength standard the navy still needs 40,000 men, recruiting officers report. The marine corps is short about 10,000 men to bring it up to its new stand ard of 30,000 men. Western Iowa and the state of Nebraska, which com prise the territory of the Omaha army office, must furnish 1,780 men as yet to complete the quota called for by Ihe war office. . ' , Boys Eager to Serve. ' ' . If the army were able to take school boys there would be no diffi culty in filling the ranks, officers as sert. Letters from all over the state constantly bring inquiries from lads under 18, bat these youthful patriots cannot be accepted for service, even (Continued on Paso Two, Colnmn Two.) Many Young Americans . ' ; Are Crossing Into Canada Spokane, Wash., May 21. American citizens of conscriptire ages are crossing the border into Canada in large numbers, according to United States inspectors here. Can We Beat Him to It? Oats Traders Invade Chicago Wheat Pit ' Chicago, May 21. With specula tion in wheat all but eliminated on ' the board of trade by the estab- ; lisjiment of maximum prices, oati traders today took possession of the pit historically sabred to wheat, . although there was little trading. A notice -in the newoats pit stated that with the approach of ' warmer weather the augmented oats group, reinforced by many former wheat brokers, needed room ier quarters. -Wheat prices dropped ( to 10 cents early, but recovered. - MAKE THURSDAY. 'LIBERTY LOAN ' DAY' FOR OMAHA , i Frank R. Wilson, Secretary McAdoo's Advance Man, Ar-. I rives to Pave Way for ' Distinguished Visitor. . Next Thursday will be "Liberty Loan day" in Omaha if the suggestion of Frank R. Wilson is carried out. Mr. Wilson was in Omaha yesterday. He is the "advance man" for Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo, who is mak ing a tour of the country, in the inter est of -the $7,000,000,000 war loan and will be in Omaha Thursday. The mayor is to be asked to issue a proclamation making: the dav a semi-holiday during which the peo ple s attention will be directed to the big loan and everybody will be urged to subscribe for a part of it. . Secretary McAdoo will speak at the Commercial club at 12 o'clock noon and at the Auditorium at 2 p. m. At both of .these meetings W. P. G. Harding, governor of the Federal Re serve board, will speak also. Other details for the day are being worked out by Mayor Dahlman and T, C. Byrne. "The people must be taught that in vestment in this loan is not only a pa triotic duty, but it is a safe investment and a paying one: It is the largest loan ever floated by any nation. Few Americans Own Bonds. "The people of the United States are not naturally bondholders like the people of France and England. Only onejfifth of 1 per cent of the people here own bonds. In France and Eng land 12 per cent of the people have bought war bonds. "Another thing to be borne in mind is that these .bonds are exempt from all taxes with the exception of in heritance taxes. Also, it should be re membered that they can be bought on' installments, thus putting them with in the reach of everyone. On pay ment of only 2 per cent of the bond a purchaser can secure it and make pay ments at regular intervals, thus ad ding to his own savings and helping the government at the same time." Mr. Wilson is publicity director for the Federal Farm Loan bureau. Morris & Co. to Help Its Employes Buy Bonds The Morris & Co. packing plant is urging every one of its 25,000 em ployes to buy at least one of the liberty loan bonds. , FOOD CONGRESS -OPENS TONIGHT AT AUDITORIUM Mayor Dahlman to Welcome the Delegates and Governor Neville and Secretary Vrooman Speak. The State Food Conservation con ference will open formally in ' the Auditorium at 8 o'clock tonight. Mayor. Dahlman -will welcome the delegates. , Governor Neville will address the convention on the purpose of the call and the necessity of a united effort at conservation W. J. Taylor of Merna, la., is to deliver an address, and Assistant Secretary of Agricul ture Vrooman will arrive in Omaha in time to speak dm1 the subject, "What We Are Farina." S The conference will continue four days. Much committee work is to be done, as there are many committees on various phases of conservation, and all will have to make their re ports to the general conference. Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo will speak Thursday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. . Tells of His Efforts. . William T. Judy of Kearney cannot attend the conference, but lie is in favor of conservation. He has writ ten the executive office in Omaha, set ting forth his ideas and the plan he personally expects to follow on his thoroughbred stocf farm, that of W. T. Judy & Son. His letter says in part: "We have 200 cows' and heifers on the place, but are not offering any of them for sale. We aim 'to raise all we can from them and we feel we should do this. I believe and uree that all otners should keep their heifer calves, not sell them as veal, as it makes onlv a few pounds of meat anyway, and we will be short on breeding cows in a little wmie. J he same is true of hogs. We were thinking of putting most of our sows on the market, as the price is hieh. but realizinir how short we are of pork for our people, and also lor oilier nations, we are breeding 150 sows for fall litters. Of these we will sell fifty at our sale May 24. but they will be bought by those who will use them to raise more pigs, not by the packing houses." Check Elevator Men. W. H. Reynolds, insurance man from Chadron, wrote, giving his views on regulation of distribution. "We regulate the railroads because they are rendering service to the pub lic, ' he says, "and if the middle men who control elevator storage houses and supplies oi food are not rendering serviee lor the public, they should be prohibited ftom doing business. We (Contlnned on Paso Two, 'olnmn Two.) 'Frisco Ad Club Delegates Are Traveling by Auto San Francisco'. Mav 21. Fourteen automobiles bearing San Francisco's delegation to the annual National Ad Men's association xonvention were on the way to St, Louis today. The cars will traverse the Lincoln Highway, expecting to reach their destination June 3. ' MILLIONS OF DAMAGE FROM FLAMES THAT BURN UNCHECKED FOR HOURS IN BEAUTIFUL GEORGIA CAPITAL CITY i . Several Square Miles in Residence Section of . Jewel City of South in Ruins When Confla , gration Sweeps On Unchecked in Spite of -' Efforts of Thousands of Fire Fighters. IvTSny'buildings DEMOLISHED BY DYNAMITE High Explosive Uied on Every Hand, But Blaze Leapt Street After Street in Fury, Wiping Up Fine Homes As Well as Poor, in Its Path of Destruction ONLY ONE PERSON LOSES LIFE EARLY REPORT Atlanta, Gs., May 21. Several square miles of the resi-' dential section in northeastern Atlanta was swept by fire late this afternoon. Many "fine residences were destroyed, the flames going beyond the control of the fire department and rag ing over a great section without hindrance. By 4 o'clock about . forty blocks had been burned and the fire was still progressing unchecked before a high wind. ; ... , - . y HUNDRED BLOCKS SWEPT. At 4 o'clock about forty blocks had been swept, extending from about Decatur street northward to Merritts avenue, tak ing1 at toll of many fine residences. At that time the flames had not reached Ponce de Leon avenue, but there appeared to bei nothing to stop its progress northward. ' By 6 o'clock it was estimated 100 blocks had been burned over. HAIG AND PETAIN MAKE NEW GAINS IN UPPER FRANCE British and French Forces Re sume Offensive Begun Sun day and Take More ; , Trenches. (AMoolitnl VraM War Bumnu .) ' General Haig and Fetain are again pushing ahead with 'their offensive in northern FranSc and today both re port new gains. . ' Alter driving into the Hindenburg line along s mile front yesterday morning in the sector northwest of Bullecourt resumed their attack last evening and captured a. support trench behind the position just taken. The firmness of the British hold on this section of the Hindenburg line seriously threatening the Queant Drocourt switch protecting Douai is attested by the failure of the German reactions. , Britons Splendidly Gaining. General Haig is well rViaintaining his initiative and bit by bit forcing the Germans to give ground. Not only did the British prove themselves able to-hold , their gains from morning against heavy counter attack, but to resume their offensive the same day and push further ahead, maintaining their- second advance against renewed counter attacks. Tire French for their part in the great battle have' resumed their ad vance in the Champagne. Having foiled the crown prince's desperate and costly effort to regain control of the Chcmin-Des-Dames plateau on the Aisne front, General Petain turned to the Champagqe sector and struck northward on the , Moronvilliers heights. Lines of- Trenches Taken Several lines of German trenches were captured in these operations and some 800 prisoners taken. AH t,he important observation posts in this section of the front are now in French hands, facilitating their further drive calculated to flank the Germans out of the salient to the northwest pro jecting towards Rheiins. Attack Kussii Again. ' Again comes news that the Ger mans, probablv owing to the better ment of he internal situation in Kus- (CoQtlnaerf an pag Tw, Cohinm Three.) U. S. Lets Contracts for 1 Thirty-Eight Ships Washington, May 21. Contracts for thirty-eight vessels, twenty-six wooden and twelve steel, have been let by the Emergency Fleet corpora tion in the shipping board's ship building program. Twelve of the wooden ships and four of the steel vessels will be built by the Merrill Stevens company at Jacksonville. The G. M. Standifer Construction corporation of Portland, Ore., will construct ten wooden shins and the Peninsular Ship-building company of Portland, Ore., four. Announcement was made some days ago that the Los Angeles Ship-build-Ig anil Dry Dock company would j build eight steel cargo ships. These ar6 included in the total, -!) BUILDINGS ARK DYNAMITED. The firemen, aided by 1,000 men from the officers' training camp at Fort McPherson, made a stand on Boulevard Place, two blocks from ex clusive Ponce de Leon avenue, and shortly after 4 o'clock began dynamis ing;, hoping to clear' a space wide enough to check the flames. . .: ' y Aid was asked from Macon, Chat tanooga, Augusta, Newman and Grif fin. , ' i . The dynamiting did not prove en tirely effective and at 4:30 the blaze. jumped across Ponce de Leon avenue and was moving on northeastward". RESIDENCES DESTROYED. Shortly after 5 o'clock the fire got into the Ponce de Leon section, which includes some of the city's best resi dences and several large apartment houses. The dynamiters had to aban don their stand it Boulevard Place and move on past Ponce de Leon ave nue. Up to 5:15 p. m. only one death, that of Mlis Bessie Hodges, who died " from shock, had been reported, It became increasingly difficult to get ac- curate reports from the burned srea, Wires were cut and streets were chocked with debris, street cars that did not get out of the area in time and vehicles of all sorts. LOSS WILL BE MILLIONS. Shortly before 8 o'clock the blaze started to move westward on Forest , avenue, where the destruction had been great two hours previously. It rapidly approached Peachtree street. No estimate of the loss can be made but it will be counted in millions. Court Construes New York Workmen's Compensation Law WashiiiKton. Mav 21. The New York workmen's compensation law, recently upheld as constitutional by the supreme court, was construed to day by the court as not applicable to workmen injured on ships while in New York navigable waters. The gen eral and federal maritime laws, the court decided, are exclusive and para mount' Again Last Sunday Advertising in The Bee (WarfteM Agency Measurement!) ' First In Total Display First In Auto Display , . . . Also First In Gain Sunday, May 20, 1917 In Inches Local Display ,. .1248 Foreign Display .. . 370 . Automobile , . , . , , , ;, 787 Classified 985' Total .8391 i Same Sunday Last Year: ' Local Display ... . ... .," 99BH Foreign Display.,.,... 158 , 'Automobile 601 V4 Classified v. ; .. .... .... -7C0 Total. 1. 2406' . . GAINS 988 INCHES Keep Your Eya On The Bee