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
