T-n-
MAHA
THE WEATHER
Fair
VOL. XLVII NO. 52.
OMAHA, FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST 17, 1917. TEN PAGES.
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SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.
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TEUTONS RUSH
TO LENS IN FINAL EFFORT
TO HOLD AGAINST ALLIES
Force Which Originally Held French Mining Town Com
pletely Annihilated as This and Other Battles Rage
on Western Front; Associated Press Graphic De-
scription of Battle a Historic Document
Canadian Headquarters in France, Aug. 16. (By Cana
dian Press, Ltd.) The Germans are now fighting with great
tenacity to maintain their precarious hold on the central por
tion of Lens. Throughout the day they have been bringing up
fresh troops with which to carry on counter attacks.
The original German force which met our assault was
pretty well accounted for by the attacking force. It consisted
of two battalions of the 165th regi-9
ment, two ot the l wenty-sixth, two of
the 156th and one of the 293d. Ger
man regiments consist of three bat
talions each, and after the battalions
, of the three first mentioned regiments
i holding the trenches had been put out
of action the reserve battalions were
V moved : up ' hurriedly. At 9 o'clock,
. ' while headed toward Hill 70,'. these
battalions were caught under our ar
tillery fire and dispersed. v
EMERGFNCY. TROOPS CALLED.
The enemy leaders next called upon
the fourth guard division, which had
been lreld n this section of the line
for such an emergency as that which
confronted the defenders of Lens.
The guards proceeded toward Bois
: Hugo with the evident intention pf
retaking Hill 70. They, too, were
caught undr our artillery and ma
( i chiiffe gun barrage and so roughly
handled that two attempts to advance,
one at 11:50 o'clock and' the second
shortly after noon, had to be aban
doned. . i
Hill 70 was no" even seriously men
aced during -the remainder of the day.
Allies' Casualties Light.
A short way to the north between
St. Laurent and Lens the enemy re
covered a portion of a line of reserve
trench,, the possession of which les
sens for a moment our pressure from
- the north. - x ' ' .
Artillery and machine gun' experts
'" have just explained "that the enemy
position is an impossible one and that
if it' cannot drive us off Hill 70 it
will have to get out of Lens.
Our casualties can now be spoken
of as light.
Tne Battle Begins.
During' a veritable, earthquake the
Associated Press correspondent
penned this remarkable description of
the fall cf Hill 70. The progress of
the battle from the first streak of
gray dawn until the blood-covered
hill was in the hands of the allies is
laid befoie the world in a vivid pen
picture of the year's great victory for
democracy. ,
The 'attack began at 4:25 o'clock,
just as the first streaks of dawn were
appearing. All night the British big
yuns , had been pouring a steady
.stream of high explosive shells into
the German positions, great detona
tions overlapping one another, like
the rapid crackling of a machine gun
tire, and swelling into a mighty vol
lyne of thunder that shook the earth
and stunned the, senses.
Then a short lime before the hour
of offensive arrived the batteries
ceased abruptly and a strange, almost
. oppressive stillness fraught with 'the
portending cataclysm which must fol
low, crept over the country, which
until then, had been an inferno of
deatii. It had been raining and gray
-clouds still hung low over the trenches'
where crouched the "Carradian infan
trymen, waiting eagerly for" the mo
i , i
(Continued on Pass Two, Column Two.)
The Weather
For Nebraska: Fair; not much
change in temperature,
lb and the man went down to thennup
Temperatures at Omaha Yesterday.
' Hours. Deg.
a. ni 7
6 a. m 66
8 a. m 69
a. m 72
10 a. m 75
11 a. m :. 78,
is m ju
1 p. m t2
2 P. ni... 3
3 p. m SI
4 p, m. M
6 p. m 85
6 p. m SI
7 p. n ;
8 p. ni SI
. Comparative Local Record.
Official record of temperatures and precipitation-compared
with the corresponding
period of the last three years:
, 1917 151(1 1315 19U
Highest leeterday ...83 J5 82 87
Lowest .yesterday .. 64 6S 88 7S
Mean temperature ..74 7S 7S 88
Precipitation .. 00 T. .21 T.
Temperature and precipitation departures
from the normal at Omaha sl.ica March 1,
and compared with tho'laet two years:
Normal temperature 75
Deficiency for the day I
Total deficiency since March 1 196
Normal precipitation 11 Inch
Deficiency for the day H inch
Total rainfall sine Majh 1... 18.49 Inches
Deficiency since aMrclPl 1.69 inches
Deficiency for cor. period, 1J1 8.8S inches
Kwm fweor. period, 1915... .11 Inch
Reports From gallons t,7 P. H.
Station an Stata Temp. Bain- High-
of Weather. 7 p. tn, fall, est.
Cheyenne, clear 73 73 '.U9
Davenport, cloudy .. 84 81 .00
Denver, cloudy fis 7S T.
Des Moines, pt. cldy.. 84 . ' 00
-Dodge City. pt. cldy., Js 62 ' All
Lander, cloudy 74 v .00
North Platte, cloudy .. "s 90 .00
Omaha, clear . ? : Sr,, -.on
Pueblo, cloudy ' 64 0 .04
Rapid City, cloudy ... !4 8 .00
Santa Fe. cloudy 8! 7" .23
Sheridan, clear 84 '90 .00
Sioux City, clear 82 86 .00
.Valentine, clear 83 88 99
"T" Indicate trace of precipitation.
- A- WELSH, Meteorologist.
NEW TROOPS
ALLIED TROOPS
BEGIN NEW DRIVE
ONCROWNPRINCE
British, French and Belgians
Make Concentrated Attack
Orf.Vast Front With Ex
cellent Results.
Canadian Army Headquarters in
France, Aug. 16. (By Canadian
Press, Ltd.) The talking of Hill 70
yesterday stirred the German higher
command as nothing else has done
on this front this year. Prince Rup
precht has made frantic efforts to
'recapture the lost positions, and a
grim battle was waged throughout
the day, particularly on Hill' 70.
Then times the enemy came on, but
they seldom got close enough for
fighting with bayonet or bomb. The
Prussian guards were subjected to
a terrific concentrated fire from our
artillery and machine guns.- Their
losses were frightful.
GAINS BY THE ALLIES.
London, Aug. 16. British, and
French troops, attacking on a nine
mile front east and northeast of
Ypres, in Flanders, today gained all
their objectives except on the right
flank.
The French drove the Germans
from between the Yser canal and
Martjevaart and captured the bridge
head of Dreigrachten. The village of
Langemarck was carried by the Brit
ish after they had taken all their first
objectives in the cenater of the at
tacking line. ' '
The official statement from British
headquarters in France tonight adds
that the Germans fought stubbornly
on Field Marshal Haig's right for the
possession of tne high ground north
of the Menin road.
Suffering heavy losses, the Germans
finally pressed the British back from
the terrain they had gained early in
the day,
More than 1,800 prisoners, includ
ing thirty-eight officers, already have
been counted by the Anglo-French
forces. Some German guns also were
taken.
The British have made further
progress east of Loos, in the Lens
area, and the total of prisoners cap
tured there now has reached 896.
I (Associated Press War Summary,) -Forces
of the entente allies at day
break today began another drive
against the troops of Crown Prince
Rupprecht of Bavaria along a wide
front from a point opposite Polygon
wood, east of Ypres. to the left of the
French positions on the northward.
In the first onslaught the right
flank of the French surged across the
(Continued on Page Two, Column Fire.)
Major Todd Practices Swimming
So He May Be Able to Cross Rhine
Major Todd of the Fighting Fourth
is practicing swimming these days.
"Gettuitr ready to swim the Rhine."
say his friends, recalling hi,s famous
stunt of-Spanish-American war days,
when he and Funston swam a river
under heavy tire and made a rope
bridge across which the soldiers
conjd pass.
To look at Major Todd one would
never think he has had the most ad
venturous career of any one in the
Nebraska brigade. Years of the most
exciting kind of army life have left
him almost as young , and even
more enthusiastic, as when he swam
the Rio Grande river in the Philip
pines so long ago.
Major Todd was in Funston's. reg
iment during the Spanish-American
war, where he was the leading spirit
of Funston's men in those stirring
days.
He was one of Funston's chief
scouts, highly honored by him for
daring and resourcefulness. After the
war his resUess spirit demanded ac
tivity still, so he entered the secret
service, where he had many adven
tures in various parts of the world.
Much of his secret service work was
done in China and the Philippines."
During the Russo-Japanese war he
was on hand as official observer.
' Just now Major Todd is particu
larly? happy, for he is counting on
still more adventures over in Europe..
T
In the kiifof the Fray
WAR BRIDES BEAT ALL:
RECORDS OF THE JUNE
BRIDES
Ruth of Young Girls to Wed Boy in Khaki Keeping
Omaha Marriage License
dings Before Soldiers Are Sent to Front or
Denting Training Camp.
Soldiers and girls under 18 years
of age are the factors in the greatest
epidemicTof girl brides in the history
of Douglas county.
Records of the department super
vised by "Cupid" Stubberidorff, mar
riage license clerk in county court,
show the record rush of girls in their
teens to the marriage altar. '
Nearly every other license issued
in the last few days has been to cou
ples where the prospective bride was
from 16 to 18 years old.
Five soldiers, about to leave for
training camps or the front, have
taken brides in the last twenty-four
hours.
UNIFORM CONSPICUOUS.
The military uniform played a con
spicuous part in the. following mar
riages since Wednesday noon:
James Davis, 26 years old, and
Ethel Ferguson, 16 years old,
Melville C. Snyder. 19 years old,
and Hazel Goodwin,, 17 years old. '
Donald Koplin, 21 years old, and
Margaret tnrisiensen, i years oia.
Isadore Rimerifian, 21 years old,
and Rose Gitlin. 18 vears old.
Charles W. Rogers, 23 years old,
and Tholme Hanson, 18 years old.
In each instance the soldiers pre
sented certificates signed by the par
ents of the brides-to-bc consenting
to tlje matches.
Written consents are required by
- - - '. ' .
.1 4 Saw
$ , -, )
FOR COUNTY
Clerk Busy; Hasten Wed
law when the girl is 18 years old or
unaer. .
Acting County Judge Sundblad has
performed several soldier-girl bride
ceremonies m the last few davs.
"I never saw such a flock of young
girls rushing to the marriage altar,"
declared judge bundblad. "The mar
nage germ seems to have hit the
younger generation of Omaha. June
records, usually the biggest, because
of the proverbial 'June brides,' have
gone a-glimmering in the face of the
patriotic rush to wed preparatory to
soldiers leaving for France.
Many1 Girl Brides-
Girl brides whose names'have been
placed on couny court records since
August 1 include:
Minnie Corbett, Ralston, Neb., 18
years old; Ida rerry, Lincoln, 18: Ida
Benneditto, Omaha, 18; Ida Volz,
council tsiurls. 18: La Verna Lone.
Omaha, 17; Guiseppa Orlando, Oma-
na, 16; Ihelma M. Ehrhardt, Omaha,
17; Leone N. Detlesfen, Denver, 18;
Francesca Sousove, Omaha, 17; Jean
M: Fitt, Omaha, 17; Charlotte F.
Kicheleau, Omaha, 18; Elizabeth
Henderaliot. Omaha. 16.
Several couples have been turned
down when they applied for marriage
licenses because the girls were under
18 years of age and could not produce
consents irom t .eir parents.
In two instances prospective brides
"fibbed" about their ages, but broke
down when "Cupid" Stubbendorff
asked them to swear that the state
ments they made were true."
"Forbidden" List.
T I a a .
ine marriage license clerk has a
list of forbidden brides names tele
phoned in by parents, requesting that
no certificates be issued where, their
daughters were a party to the affair
Jiandy which he refers to whenever
a young couple applies fora license.
Rev. Charles 1 Savidge, Omaha's
"marrying pastor," believes young
brides make good wives. , x
Judge Day, who sits in one of the
divorce courts, created a mild sensa
tion recently when he exhibited fig
ures compiled in the last couole of
years showing that mojt marriages
where the bride is under age are fail
ures and ultimately end in the legal
separation, mill.
Strike Is Finally Settled
Kansas City Street Car
Kansas City, Kan., Aug. 16. Street
car service in Kansas City, paralyzed
for nine days by a strike of more than
2,000 operating employes of the Kan
sas City Railways company,, will be
relumed tomorrow morning. Settle
ment of the walkout was effected to
day, both the men and the company
ratifying terms that will permit union
ization of the company on an "open
shop" basis.
The settlement, was a compromise
on each side. For years the men have
been seeking the right to belong to
unions and to have arbitration meas
ures provided for the consideration of
grievances.-.These. points they won. i
COMMISSIONED
MEN FROM TORT
SHELLING ARRIVE
Trains Ahead of Time and Oma
ha's Reception Committee
Misses the Main'
Sectipn.
With the home guards sleeping at
their posts, the soldiers from the
north swooped down ou Omaha at
an early hour yesterday and took
possession of the city without the
firing of a shot. An hour later the
attacking forces were reinforced,
with still more of the command ar
riving shortly afterward.
The occasion was the return of
the Ncbraskans from Fort Snelling.
They came back, booted and spurred
and on their coats they wore the in
signia of Uncle Sam, indicating hon
ors won at the training school.
The training school had turned out
something like 1,400 officers Trom a
possible 2,500. Of the successful
ones those who had earned com
missionsthere were eighty some
from Omaha, and about 200 from
Nebraska. v 5
Nebraska Well Represented.
Liko conquering heores, but on a
peace mission, most of the Omahans
and those from the South Platte
country of Nebraska arrived on a
specal train at 6:50 yesterday, a
full three-quarters of an hour ahead i
of the schedule. This early arrival and
the beating of the schedule prevented
the holding of a reception at the
Union station, as had been planned.
Members of the reception committee
were at home snodzing, or eating the
early breakfast.
When'the boys piled off the special,
a"bout' Sht only ones to greet them
were newspaper men and the depot
attaches. But at Council Bluffs dif
ferent conditions maintained. The
citizens of that town had hired a
band and had it at the depot. In fact
the band had been at depot since 5
o'clock in the morning. '
Come On Street Cars.
As the train pulled into the. Bluffs,
the band struck up "When Johnny
Comes Marching Home," and the
music was so inspiring that fully half
of the Omaha contingent piled out of
tlie cars, received the congratulations
of the crowd, and then beat it for the
street cars, the boys reaching their
nomes in time tor breakfast.
Shortly after 7 o'clock Mayor Dahl-
man, Charles Pickens of the Commer
cial club and others of the reception
committee reached the Union-station,
but there were no' soldiers to receive.
They received the information that
more of the boys were coming on a
Great Western- special and they
waited.
About, this time loving mothers,
fathers, sweethearts and admiring
friends began to arrive and when the
Great Western special arrived at 8
o'clock there were 1,000 or more peo
ple crowding against the gates. On
tins tram there were 100. or so. Nc
braskans and a dozen of the Omaha
boys. They were all given a cordial
welcome, the Omahans being whiskedi
away m waiting automobiles. The
boys from out in the state lined up
for their trains that later were to
take them to their respective homes.
Then word was passed along the line
that the Korthwestern s regular train
from St Paul was bringing another
bunch. When it arrived it brought
about 100 Nebraskans, cTf whom there
were twenty-five from Omaha.
To Get Home Breakfast.
Owing to the irregular arrival of
the several contingents there was no
attempt made to hold a reception at
the station and after the first greet
ings were over the Omahans hurried
out to their homes to eat "mother's
cooking" and clean up.
At Smelling Wednesday officers of
the railroads were at the fort, supply
ing transportation that was good on
any of the trains into Omaha and
this accounted for the fact of the Ne
braskans arriving in such a hit and
miss manner,
Of those graduated from the school
and given commissions, something
like vuo are assigned to the na
tional army and expect to go to Des
Moines August 29. where, under the
direction of regular army officers,
they will commence converting the
drafted men. into real soldiers.
Close to itxj ot the men are as
signed to field service, and another
100 to the artillery arm of the army.
witn some titty going into the avia
tion service.
Work at Snelling Strenuous.
The Omahans all agree that the
work at Fort Snelling was 8trenuous.
baid Lieutenant McLacheron:
(Continued on Pare Three, Column One.)
Curbstone Orators To
Be Checked In New York
New York, Aug. 16. In an ef
fort to curb treasonable and se
ditious utterances by soapbox ora-
tors, every loyal and patriotic man
and woman in New York was asked
today to help organize local vig
ilance committees.
Through the police department
one hundred other cities in the
United States are to be asked to
join in the movement started by
thef American Defense society,
which announced that the "gutter
oratory" in New York must stop.
The movement was begun follow
ing the "arrest of Cleveland Mof
fett, author and newspaper man.
who was arrested when he recently
attempted to break up one of the
meetings, v
POPE'S APPEAL TO
NATIONS AT WART0
STOP BLOOD SHED
Pontiff Calls Upon Belligerents in Humanity's Name to
End Most Sanguinary Struggle in History; Full Text
of Note as Transmitted by Cardinal Gasparri
to King George of England.
(By Associated Press.)
v London, Aug. 15. The foreign office tonight issued the
French text of the letter from the pope to the king,v inclosing a
copy of his appeal to the heads of the belligerent people.
n i
vDenecac
FRANCE IS AWED
BY U.S. TROOPERS
IN SIBERT REVIEW
American Contingent, Gathered
for First Time in Europe
Amazes French Officials
in Historic Event.
American Field Headquarters in
France, Aug. 16. The review yester
day by Major General William L. Si
bert of all the troops of his command
in training for the trenches afforded
a military spectacle of international
significance and historic import.
It was the first time the troops
of this particular unit of the Ameri
can army in France had been assem
bled in its entirety and' the display
they made was deeply impressive.
There have been other reviews of
American troops in foreign lands
in the Philippines, Cuba, far away
Guam and Panama but there seemed
to be an entirely new meaning to the
sturdy tramp of the men of America
in France today. One saw in them
the symbol of their country's new
adventure.
"They made me feel very proud."
declared Major General Sibert last
night, echoing the sentiment of a
small but enthusiastic little handful
of Americans who were permitted to
see the martial display.
The setting for the review was one
of rare beauty. It was held upon a
broad and somewhat . rocky plateau
in the rollincr fields of France. rir-
pling away in every direction, all
green and brown with glowing crops
and ripening grain.
Picturesque Setting.
Here and there picturesque little
French Villages, white walled and
red-roofed, snuggled amid the trees
of matchless valleys. Occasionally
these valleys were bathed in sunshine
and again they were hidden in the
jgray mist of rain. The scene was
one of changing brilliancy and shad
ow, the deep blue of the harvest sky
and dazzling August sun being
masked now and then by masses of
cumuloiis storm clouds, driven along
by a stiffening gale.
At one time during the review a
rainstorm broke over the marching
troops, but it was only of brief dura
tion, and there was not a falter in
(Continued on Tags Two, Column One.)
Cabinet Crisis in Finland
Result of Food Scarcity
Helsingfors, Finland, Aug. 16. Dis
orders occasioned by the scarcity of
food have led to a cabinet crisis, The
senators have requested the governor
general to transmit their resignations
to the provisional government. The
governor-general has asked M. Tokio,
vice president of the department of
economics and former president of
the Diet, to form a socialist cabinet.
He ha acefptf d. A general strike
has been declared. -,
p i tie appeal was transmitted in a
letter by Cardinal Gasparri, papal sec
retary, andyis as follows:
To the Leaders of the Belligerent
Peoples; Since the beginning of our
pontificate the horrors of a terrible
war let loose in Europe we have in
view above everything three' things
to preserve:
. Perfect impartiality towards all bel
ligerents as is. suitable for him, who
is the common father and who loves
all his children with equal affection.
Continually to attempt to do all
the good possible and that without
exception of person? without distinc
tion of nationality or religion, as is
dictated to us by the universal law
of charity, with which the supreme
spiritual charge has confided to us
with Christ. . ,
Finally, as or pacific mission also
requires to omit nothing as long as
it was in our power which might con
tribute to hasten the end of this ca
lamity by trying to lead People and
their leaders to more moderate reso
lution, to hasten a serene deliberation
of a peace just and durable.
Whoever has followed our work
during those three painful years which
have just passed has been able easily
to recognize that if we had always re
mained faithful to our resolve of ab
solute impartiality and to our attitude
of benevolence we have not ceased
to exhort the peoples and the bel
ligerent brothers again to become
brethren, although publicity has not
been given to all that we nave done
to attain this very nfeble thing.
Towards the end of the first year
of the war, we addressed to the .na
tions in conflict most lively exhorta
tions and more we indicated the part
to be followed to arrive at a stable
and honorable peace for all. Unfort
unately our appeal was not heard and
the war continued '
Desperately for another two years
with all its horrors it became even
more cruel and extended ovef the
earth, over the sea and in the air, and
'one saw desolation and death descend
upon the cities without defense, upon
peaceful villages and on their, inno
cent population and now no one can
imagine how the sufferings of . all
would be ; increased and aggravated
if other months or, worse still, other
years are about to be added td this
sanquinary triennium.
Is, this civilized world to be noth
ing more than a field of death? And
Europe so glorious and so flourish-ing-
is it going, as if stricken by a
universal madness, to run to the abyss
and to lend its hand to its own sui
cide? . '
In such a terrible situation as in the
presence of menace so serious we who
have no particular political aim who
do not listen to suggestions or to the
interests of any of the belligerent par
ties, but are solely compelled by a
sentiment of our supreme duty as the
common father of the faithful by the
solictation of our children who im
plore our intervention and our pacify
ing work. i .
Through the voice, even of human
ity and of reason, we -once more emit
the cry of peace and we renew a
pressing appeal to those who hold in
their hands the destinies of nations.
But in oder no longer to speak in
general trms as the circumstances
had counseled us in the past we now
wish to make more concrete and
practical proposals and to invite the I
Lgovernments of the belligerent peo
ples to come to an agreement upon
the following points, which scm to
be a basis of a just and durable peace,
leaving to them the task of analyz
ing and completing them:
First of all the fundamental points
must be that the material force of
arms he substituted by the moral force .
of right from which shall arise-a-fair-agreement
by all for !".; simultaneous
(Continued on Pace Two, Column One.)
Faces You Know
Can You Pick 'Em?
You scarcely realize what
a difference a few years
- make, in the personal ap
pearance of your closest
friends. That's what makes
old photos so interesting,
especially when compared
with present-day pictures
A'
r
Another Bunch Tomorrow
And the group will appear
again Sunday with the
names. Like so many other
fascinating features '
Exclusive in The Bee