Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, August 06, 1917, Image 1
M AHA Da. T 7 THE WEATHER Fair VOL. XLVII. NO. 42. OMAHA, MONDAY MORNING, AUGUST 6, 1917. 'Sfi-SL Htl.!V SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS. BATTALION UN 0 Bee ES CONTINUE TO FORM: ALLIES ' GAIN STEADILY IN FLANDERS r, : : L- 0 w SUNDAY FINDS uMAHA BUSY IN FITTING ARMY Work Carried on With a Rush at the Auditorium, the Quar termaster's Depot and at Doctors' Offices. Perhaps the busiest place in Omaha . v--:L'rday was the Auditorium where tiic examining officers were atwork mustering in the Sixth Nebraska. But the quartermaster's supply de pot at Twenty-second and Hickory, ran a close second. There the requisi tion orders had just come in for equipment for the Sixth and the whole force from Colonel Grant to the youngest truck driver were hustling to get the uniforms and guns ready for the newly enlisted soldiers. Colonel Grant issued the orders, checked lists and talked to visitors o stood in line to get their busi ness transacted. Major Maher signed pay checks for Fort Omaha men with one hand and with the other held the telephone receiver for city mes sages. Captain Ray wrestled with the prob lem of getting 1,000 uniforms out of the storehouses, checking them up and sending to the dinerent company captains immediately if not sooner, "We were given a week to do a certain amount of this work and there was plenty for even that much time,' said Captain Ray. "But we thought the boys ought to have them as soon as possible, so we have vorked with all our might and completed the work in two days. Jow we can rest easily knowing the boys will be supplied right away with uniforms and other equipment. Many Are Examined. Almost as much curiosity was in evidence around the exemption boards headquarters, and the offices of the examining physicians. Men were put through the physical examinations at a stiff pace all day Sunday. The sec ond district heading the list with ex aminations. At one tune more than seventy-five were in line for examina About 15 per cent of the men in this district were exempted because of physical disabilities, but the larger share wanted to claim exemption on one groiyid or other. s Had Seen Service. On man stated: "I thought that men who had seen military service would not be drafted or I would have en listed." j A i other thought he should be ex empted because he owned a farm al though no one was dependent upon him. Work in the third district started at 7 o'clock and will proceed as fast as the five available doctors can ex amine the men. Although this is the heaviest district of the six, Chairman Redwood believes that everything will work according to schedule and the last man be examined before Wednesday evening. The first district examined men all day Sunday at the fire barn at Twenty-second and Ames avenue. Messages From Labor to Be Read at Little Funeral Butte, Mont., Aug. 5. No minister of the gospel will utter the last sacred riles over the body of Frank H. tit tle, the Industrial Worker of the World chieftain, who was lynched here Wednesday morning, but leaders of the Metal Mine Workers' union will read messages from labor organ izations in various parts of the state at the funeral of the deceased tomor row. Following the receipt of a tele gram from W. D. Haywood, secretary-treasurer of the Industrial Work ers of the World, to "1. ury Little on his battle grounds." changes in the funeral arrangements have beer! made ;md interment w ill take place in Moun tain View cemetery. Six Armed Bandits Steal Statue of Catherine II Petrograd. Aug. 5. Six armed men, three of whom were disguised as soldiers, motored to the senate build ing, garrotted the guards, stole a sil ver statue of Catherine II and other antiques valued at 1,500,00 rubles. The Weather For Nebraska Generally fair Mon day, s- TVmpratiirM nt Omaha Yntwday. Hour. Deg. K n. m. . . ,- 69 6 a. m (8 7 a. ni., 69 Si a. m 69 STT in 71 10 a. m 74 it a. m 77 12 m 77 1 p. ra 77 2 p. m 78 79 80 80 -80 .... It 8 p. m 4 p. m 6 p. m p. m 7 p. m. Comparative I .oral Record. 191". 1916. 1915. 1914. 80 9i 81 89 "9 56 8 74 87 68 78 .19 .00 .00 .14 Highest yesterday Lowest yesterday . , Mean temperature Precipitation , Temperature and precipitation departures from the normal: Normal temperature 78 Deficiency for the day 5 Total deficiency since March 1 132 Normal precipitation .11 Inch -Encera 'for the day 08 Inch Total rainfall since March 1..., 17.10 Inches Deficiency since March 1 1.79 Inches Deficiency for cor. period. 1916., 8.20 Inches Excess for cor. period, 1915 84 Inches GREAT TRACTOR SHOW STARTS AT FREMONT TODAY Forty-Two Companies to Dem onstrate Steel Giants at Na tional Power Farming , . Exhibition This Week. When the crowd of farmers begins to arrive at Fremont this morning, scores of gasoline and kerosene en gines will already be popping and roaring, for the great farm tractors will be clanking into position for the National Power farming demonstra tion to be held just outside the city of Fremont all week Every year the army of farm trac tors at this show grows larger. Every year, these monsters are trimmed down to greater and greater effi ciency. They march together today, forty-two abreast at Fremont, like a mighty army of steel giants, trained, skilled, hardened-exulting in their strength and masterfullness. It has been a process of prepared ness, this process of mobilizing the farm tractors during the past few years. A dozen years ago farmers in Nebraska laughed at the idea of farm ing with a tractor. They believed that tractors belonged only on the great wheat farms of thousands of acres in the Dakota's and Minne sota. They sneered at the idea of plowing an eighty-acre or a forty acre field with tractor power. Faith is Lasting. But there were those who had faith in the ability of the horse of steel. There were those who insisted that the day must come when horse farming must give place largely to power farming. They toiled with in vention after invention, confident they must reach the epitome of power and efficiency at last. Then came the gasoline and kero sene tractors, and with their coming the old steam tractors began to be re garded as too heavy and clumsy for the fields. Soon invention after in vention began to improve the tractors, until farmers saw that they could be used to advantage on the smaller farms. Still they were slow to try them, though they Veard good reports at Jong distance. Practical Exhibits. Then came the Fremont Power farming demonstration, when a few alert minds decided to show the farmers of this and adjoining states what tractors could do in the fields. Only fifteen tractors were exhibited at the first demonstration in Fremont in 1913. . ... Forty-two tractor companies will exhibit their various tractors today when the show opens. Thirty;six ac cessory companies will exhibit their accessories. A field of 3,000 acres lies ready for the demonstrations. With much clanking of steel, and churning of wheels, the hissing iron monsters will fling the furrow wide, and hurt the stubbled sod of the many acres lightly aside. From tables of the crowds of peo-; pie who have visited this show during j the past four years, it is carefully esti mated by the management that there ! will be fully 500,000 people at the. show this year. To Haul Water Wagon. Some tractors will attract special ttention because of similiarity to the a British "war tanks now m action in Franrr The little outfit shown above is the j invention of Ro in H. V lute ot Cleve land, renowned automobile and motor truck desienine engineer. 11 win, in addition to participating in competi tive demonstration work be usefl lor hauling the official "water wagon" around the demonstration grounds. Aurora Interested in False Imprisonment Case Aurora, Neb., Aug. 5. Special Tel egram.) The interview Friday in the stale papers purporting to have come from T. E. Nordgren, who with his brother-in-law. Attorney R. R. Smith, was arrested Thursday and taken to Omaha on the charge of false imprisonment preferred by Fred Luff, created much interest in Aurora, where most of the principals reside, Attorney C. P. Craft against whom Attorney Smith, filed complaint im mediately on his return to the city, de manded early trial, and it is now set for August 14. Captain Who Tried to Enlist Drafted Men Is Censured Nevada, Mo., Aug. 5. Captain F. P. Coester, of the Fifth infantry, Mis souri National Guard, with head quarters at St. Louis, was found guilty late today by a court-martial of unmilitary conduct in attempting to enlist through fraudulent methods into the Fifth regiment, men whose serial numbers came out first in the drawinir for the national army, ac cording to an announcement from the office of Brigadier General r. u Clark. The penalty was fixed by the court-martial as a reprimand from the regimental commander. Bold Daylight Robbery In Office at Chicago Chicago, Aug. S. Three robbers, armed with revolvers, bound and gagged three men employes in the offices of J. W. Synder & Co. con tractors, in Michigan boulevard at I noon today and escaped with $5,100. the concern's pay roll. j Hoanks of Peace, at Tractor Show, Compare With War Tanks in Flanders S , N o . P i ' ' M I IlliliiiillilB 1 n ... ..... &2mte? JVCAl i i ' ' i..- i , j ropj rlf ht by I'nderwood & rndrronod, X. Y. 11 iii ... i , . . . . British Tanks Modern Engines of Warfare In Bloody Battle of Flanders, One Great Monster Plows Its Way Through Railway Train and Proceeds on Its Way; Terrorize Enemy. (By Associated Pre.) British Headquarters in France and Belgium, Aug. 5. The great squadron of tanks which went into action with the British infantry t dawn Tuesday proved their right to a place among the modern engines of war. The battle of Flanders furnished the most comprehensive test of the worth of these monsters as, fighting ma chines which has yet been given and they came through the ordeal with flying colors, notwithstanding the fact that thev were oneratinsr under the I most trying conditions of terrain. lhe opening of the conflict saw a considerable concentration of tanks. Fewer tanks proportionately were knocked out by a direct hit than in any previous engagement. Total of the casualties among the tank crews was remarftably low and most of these were among men who deliberately left off the cover of their iron fort and worked in the open un der machine gun fire. Material Damage Enormous. The material damage the tanks did to the enejny defenses was enormous and prisoners state that Heavy casual ties were inflicted on the Germans. That the enemy is extremely afraid of the tanks is without question and in numerous instances the Germans surrendered freely on the mere ap pearance of one of these engines, which truly are of terror-inspiring ap pearance. At one place eight German officers surrendered without question when a tank crawled up and threat ened to open fire and sixty soldiers were captured by a single tank near Saint Julien. There were accidents, which, though regrettable, were not without touches Germans and Turks Will Try to Retake Bagdad Geneva, Switzerland, Aug. 5. The Germans and Turks are preparing to make a great effort to regain Bagdad, according to the Secolo of Rome. General von Falkenhayn, who com manded the Austro-German armies in Roumania last year, has arrived at Constantinople to take command of the forces now being assembled. Four Turkish divisions from Dobrudja and Turkish troops from Thrace are being concentrated at the Turkish capital. Prove Right to of humor. One tank, which was trav eling in the dark toward the front some time before the battle, encoun tered railway wagons standing at a crossing. The operator of the tank did not see the obstacle and the engineer of the train could not hear the approach of the tank because of the noise made by his machinery. The tank went through the train as if it were made of pasteboard and continued its lum bering but ruthless way, leaving one of the railway wagons much the worse for wear. The tanks did much fighting in the difficult country -about Saint Julien and Frezenberg and in the territory lyirig directly east of Zillcbeke. Spectacular Battle at Frezenberg. At the defenses near Frezenberg a spectacular battle occurred. This con sisted of two strong redoubts, one of which was known as the castle. In front of them flows the Hanebeek and the surrounding ground was marsh-like and difficult for heavy bodies to move across. The attacking tanks advanced over the stream and sodden ground under a heavy fire from the machine guns in the redoubts and the anti-tank guns hidden behind the fortifications. One tank worked its way around the castle, and opening fire, drove all the de fenders into the other redoubt. It then forced its way to the rear of the occupied redoubt and compelled all the enemy to flee back to the eastle, where, in a frenzy of fear, the Ger mans took refuge. At this point other tanks joined in the fray and after surrounding the castle delivered a concerted assault, clearing the castle for the second time, as well as all the outlying de fenses. Fort Is Captured. Another tank attacked St. Julien with the infantry. It drew the fire of a small fort to the west of the village and turned aside to deal with this. One sh'ot only it fired at the for tification and the Germans to a man ran out with hands raised crying, Woman Rough Rider Is Accidentally Killed Denver, Colo., Aug. 5. Mrs. Ed Wright, 20 years old, of Douglas, Wyo., widely known through the west for her skill as a rough rider, was killed at a park here yesterday while riding a broncho for a motion picture company. Soon after she mounted the horse, it made a mad rush and somersaulted over a fence, Mrs. Wright's head striking a post. Her husband, also a skilled rough rider, witnessed the accident. 51 L Plac,e Among "kamerade," and gave themselves up. This was a capture totalling sixty prisoners. v Having silenced this fort the tank crossed the Steenbeck river and pro ceeded through the shell-torn main street of St. Jiiin to the northern side. It assisted tlw infantry to clear the place of the German defenders, who were concealed in the buildings and then returned without having suf fered damage, leaving the British in possession. The British next day withdrew from St. Julien, but continued to shell the place so heavily that the Germans could only re-occupy it in part. Later the British re-entered the village un der cover of a heavy barrage and took up the postidns which they hold to day. Valuable work also was done by the tanks in sections of woodland back of the German defenses astride the Ypres-Menin road. The largest of these reaches of forest had a strong redoubt in front. The wood was filled with machine guns and afforded ap portunity for the massing of German troops. The tanks were sent ahead to clear it out. The redoubt in front of the wood was taken after a tierce fight between the guns of a tank and those of the little fort. Beyond the redoubt the tanks found themselves under a steady hail of machine gun bullets, but they lined up on the edge of the woods and lor hours continued to sweep them with their guns, until all con cealed machine guns had been searched out and the Germans forced to retire, lhe tanks then returned behind the British infantry. Two tanks were ditched temporarily near Frezenberg, but helped to repeal a counter attack by the Germans. The enemy believing the tanks helpless be cause they were stuck in the deep mud, advanced in the hope of regain ing the ground lost and capturing the monster machines. The tanks opened fire,' on the advancing line of infantry and mowed the Germans down in large numbers. Scotch troops finished the repulse with bayonets. Iowa Bugler Thirteenth Man to Take Var Bride Shenandoah, la., Aug. 5. (Special.) Even the bugler in Company E is to have a war bride and his marriage to Miss Mary Smith of Malvern will be the thirteenth one among the soldiers, the bugler, by way of introduction, is Walter Flynn. Judge G. B. Jennings performed the ceremony last night uniting Lee W. James, Company E private, in marriage with Mrs. Lillian Walters tif f ""- - . - TEUTONS YIELDING GROUND UNDER STEADY PRESSURE OF BRITISH AND FRENCH IN WEST New Areas Are Occupied by clement Weather; Fierce Artillery Fire Believed To Be Prelude to Another Assault Soon to Be Made. (Associated Press War Sumrrtary.) The Teutonic armies, still advancing, although against in creased resistance on the eastern front, are slowly being forced back by the pressure of the allied masses in the west. Gains made by the British when the village of St. Julien was re-entered, were followed by an advance by the French on their front Friday night. KERENSKY AGAIN IN FULL CHARGE OF RUSS AFFAIRS Following Votes of Confidence Premier Says H Will Execute Republican Policy With Strong, Firm Hand. - (Bj Anwclatcd Prn.) Petrograd, Aug. 5. Premier Ker ensky has returned to Petrograd and withdrawn his resignation. He at tended a ministerial meeting on Sat urday evening and afterwards con ferred with various politicat leaders. M. Kerensky has issued a mani festo in which he declares that he considers it impossible, when the country is threatened with defeat .without and disintegration within, -to refuse the'heavy task agin entrusted to him, which he regards as an ex press order from the country to con struct a strong republican government ot carry out the principles already laid down. "At the same time," said the mani festo, "I consider it inevitable to in troduce changes in the order, and distribution of government work, without allowing myself to be in fluenced by the thought that these changes will increase my responsibil ity in the supreme direction of the affairs of state." Two Votes of Confidence. By a vote of 147 to 46 a joint meet ing of the executives of the Work men's and Soldiers' and Peasants' councils confirmed the decision of the all-night polotical conference of on tinued confidence in Premier Keren sky. The Maximilists strongly protested and forty-two of the members of this party abstained from voting. The Duma committee also has con firmed the vote of confidence in M, Kerensky. Sioux Falls Druggists Shy at Liquor Permits Sioux Falls, S. D., Aug. 5. (Spe cial.) So strict are the provisions of the state-wide prohibition law regulat ing the sale of liquor for medicinal, scientific and sacramental purposes, and so small the chances of obtaining a reasonable profit from the invest ment of money in liquor stocks, that thus far but one druggist in Sioux Falls has taken out a permil to sell liquor for these purposes. Several other applications have been made, but none of them are being pressed very earnestly. So far as known not a single physician in the city has yet taken out a permit to prescribe liquor for patients. Ban on Patent Medicine In South Dakota Town Sioux Falls, S. D., Aug. 5. (Spe cial.) A woman was arrested in this city on the charge of being drunk, and when asked by otticers to tell where she had secured the linnor. stated that all she had drank was a bottle of patent medicine, which she had pur chased at a local drug store. Front this l)as resulted the placing of a ban on this medicine by Sheriff Shanks. The state sheriff states that anyone selling the medicine will be prose cuted under the provisions of the state-wide prohibition law. Lenine Escapes From Finland in Garb of Sailor Geneva, Switzerland, Aug. S. Nikolai Lenine, leader of the Maxi malists in the recent disorders in Petrograd, according to a private re port from Stockholm, received by Swiss socialists here, escaped from Finland on a Swedish vessel. He was disguised as a sailor. Lenine, it is said, will remain in hiding for a while and then return to Switzerland. Civil War Veteran Shoots Wife and Kills Himself Boston, Aug. 5. Major William Hoffman, U. S. A., retired, a civil war veteran, shot and killed his wife with a revolver today and then turned the weapon on himself, dying in stantly. The reason for the act is un known. I Allied Forces Despite In on the Flanders front on Friday, -Q Notwithstanding the continuing in clement weather, French forces drove m beyond the Kortekeer Cabaret, moving their lines forward, while their patrols pushed back German outposts and explored considerable areas in ad vance of the French positions. ARTILLERY FIRE VIOLENT. . Berlin announces an increase in the artillery fire to great violence at times on the Flanders' front. Apparently the renewal of the great battle in all its fury is only awaiting the return of favorable weather. The London war office makes it clear that no shifting of British troops was found necessary to cope with the situation created by the German di version of Thursday night near Monchy Le Preux, on the. Arras bat tle front, through which inroads were made upon the British position on in fantry hill. Attacks carried out the following day and night by the troops on the spot, the official statement an nounces, forced the Germans out and completely restored the postions. Russian Defense Stiffens,. The situation on the Russian front continues favorable to the central power, but the 'Russians appear on the whole to be offering a stiffer de fense,, particularly along the t.tastern Galiciarr bo'rUct. ' At one point an en-" ergetic operation cleared the Austro German forces from a sector of the east bank of the Zbrocz. Near Skala, the Teutonic troops were driven out of two villages. ' The Russians continue to , yield ground in Bukowina and in the Car pathians. They arc engaged in a stiff battle with the enemy northeast of Kimpolung. however. Below Kimpo lung the Russian forces are falling back on the Moldava ad have yield ed the town of Watra to the Austro German advance. Berlin sums up the campaign of the last fourteen days in the east as hav ing cleared ail Galicia of the Russians, with the exception of a small strip of territory extending southeast from Brody. Activity On Italian Front. On the Austro-Italian front there is somewhat more activity. The Italian airmen are notably busy. They rapidly followed up their recent raid on Pola, carrying out a second air attack in which great damage is re ported to haye been done this Aus trian naval base. Freight Service Gains 16 Per Cent nr Efficiency in Year New York, Aug. 5. Railroads of the United States gave 16 per cent ' more freight service in May 1917 than the corresponding month a year ago. with virtually the same number of cars and locomotives, according to a statement made public tonight by . Fairfax Harrison, chairman of the . Railroads' War board.' ' This is interpreted, the statement pointed out, as "a gratifying indica tion of the extent to which the rail-' roads of the United States are ma'k ing effective their efforts to produc greater transportation efficiency to aid in winning the war." "Actual returns just compiled," tin stateWnt said, "are from railroads having 173,105 miles of line.. The re ports show that these lines in May last year gave service equivalent to carrying 25.4J6.845.01 1 tons of freight one mile, while this year they car ried 29,522.870,109 tons one mile, an increase of 16.1 per cent. Von Waldow Named Food Dictator by the Kaiser Copenhagen, Aug. 5. Herr von Waldow, high bailiff of Pomerania, according to the Berlin Vossische Zei tung, has been designated as successor to Adolph von Batocki as president of the German food regulation board or "food dictator" as that post is com monly known. Amsterdam, Aug. 5. According to 1 the YVeser Zcitung of Bremen, the German system of food distribution is about to be entirely reorganized under Herr von Waldow. Rumor of Resistance to Draft in Minnesota St. Paul,' Minn., Aug. 5. Fifteen communications reporting war, pro test meetings scheduled at various points in Minnesota were received at the office of the Public Safety com mission today. No reports were re ceived of disorders at any , meeting already held, but sheriffs have been instructed to be on the watch for out .... breaks,' - ,. . i ra !P u i t