Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, November 01, 1917, Image 1

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THE WEATHER
Fair
VOL." XLVII. NO. IX
OMAHA, THURSDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 1, 1917. FOURTEEN PAGES.
Cn Train,. t Hottli.
Nm Stutft. Etc.. K.
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS
TAlfS FORCES TIGH
TAX TO RAISE WA
II. S. WILL SpTTODAY TO
COLLECT TAX TO HELP PAY
HUBE COST OF WORLD WAR
TEN LINE .'
R COST N E
TC) REPEL FO
FFECT
TODAY
M
WAR ON AUSTRIA
Only Uncle Sam
Government Starts to Levy Its
No One" to Escape When!
! Taxto Help Ruse the Funds Necessary .to
Keep Annie In Field and to Help
thi Allies.
Yesterday was the la it day of grace for many new war1
taxes. Omaha is interest'! m the entire list
With the exception' jf Increased letter rates and tobacco
taxes which go into effect Friday the special stamp taxes on
documents, legal instruments and parcel post pactcages which
go into operation December 1, all special taxes btgan to apply
at midnight last night. They include:
WHAT TS TAYRn S
for
for
One cent on each dime paid
s amusement admissions.
Three per cent on payments
freight transportation.
Eight per cent on passenger fares.
Ten per cent on payments for Pull
man end similar accommodations,
Five per cent o.i oil pipe line trans
portation. One cent for each 20 cents or frac
tion paid for express package's.
Five cents on each telegraph, tele
phone or radio message costing 15
cents or more. ,
- , Various taxes c cigars, 'cigarets,
tobacco and produtis.
Ten per cent on club dues.
Eight cents on each $100 of new life
i insurance and I cent on each dollar of
fire, marine, casualty and othef in
surance policies. ' "
. BOOST TOBACCO PRICES.
Although .the tobacco taxes do not
become operative until Friday, many
Omaha dealers have already advanced
retail prices in anticipation of the tax
levies. Other taxes of the new law,
including those on hard and soft
"drinks, incomes and war excess prof
its, have been in effect, since the law
was approved OctobeF but in in
v direct form.
December 1 the new stamp taxes,
including those on parcel post pack
ages, will be payable, putting th en
tire law into complete operation, ex
cept for increased rate oa! second
class mail, postptmrUnifcttt, j for 1
next, -
Increases !n first-class tnail rates
probably will be most generally felt.
The law provides tha'. the poJtage on
letters, except "drop" or local letters,
shall be 3 cents; and thr.t. cn post
cards, including private mailing cards,
shall be 1 cent more than heretofore,
This in:rease includes1 so-called pic
ture post cards. The advances were
made effective 30 days after th pas
sage of the law, and are construed by
the" Postoffice department to begin
, with letters and post curds post
marked N ovember 2.
The increases also have been ex
tended by deparmental order t- first
. class mail to many foreign coun
tries, which, under postal conven
tions, have enjoyed the domestic
rates. The new 3-cent letter rate,
therefore, will apply to letters to
Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, Eng
land, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the
Bahamas, Barbadoes, British Guinea,
British Honduras, Santo Domingo,
Dutch West Indies, Leeward Islands,
Newfoundland and New Zealand.
The post card, increase will extend to
Canada, Cuba, Mexico and Panama,
the only countries which have en-
STATE RED CROSS
WORKERS GATHER
FOR CONFERENCE
More Than Two Hundred Reg
ister Up to Noon; Central
Division Heads From
Chicago Attend.
ioved the domestic post card rate,
For consumers' convenience, books
of postage stamps containing 3-cent
- (Continued on Page Six, Column Two.)
.. . ' i 11 '
Explosion in Powder Works
, Kills One and Injures Threfc
Carney's Point, N. J., Oct. 3K One
man was killed and three injured, one
seriously, in an explosion at the Du
Pont powder works here today. The
accident occurred in the sporting
powder plant.
The Weather
For Nebraska Fair.
Tmnmtureg at Omaha Teterday,
Hours.
Per.
.6 a. m , 23
6 a. m 22
7 a. in 25
8 a. m 26
9 a. ra 27
10 a. m 30
11 a. m Jf
12 m I. ?8
1 p. m 4?,
2 p. m 44
3 p. m..., 45
P. m 46
6 p. m ,,, 45
6 P. Si . U
1 p. m 40
. . , . 1 P. m ig
. Comparative Local Beeord.
. y ' . '117 Hifi 1915 1914
Highest yesterday .... 4 i 63 67 73
Lowest yesterday .... 22 37 (4
Mean temperature ... 34 ISO 6064
PreolpitalfoTV .00 .00 .00 .00
Temperature and precipitation departures
from the normal: .
?ormal temperature ; 46
Deficiency for the day y... jo
Total deficiency since March 1 431
Normal precipitation ,07 Inch
jlHsflciency for the day .07 inch
(Total rainfall since Mareff'1....21.24 inches
(Deficiency since March 1 8.04 inches
(Deficiency for cor. period, Isl6.11.j4 inches
'Deficiency tor cor. period. 1915. i.05 inches
t v Reports Front Stations at 7 P. M.
Station and Stat , Temp. High- Raln
of Weather. T p. m. eft. fall.
jneyenne, clear 34 42
Davenport, snow ...... 33 rg
Denrer, clear . 42 48
Des Moines, clear 36 43
Dodge City, clear ..... 4( (2
Lander, clear ..36 4g
North Platte, clear .... 42 F2
Omaha, clear . 40 48
Pueblo, clear 48 o
- Jlapld City, clear 42 4
SU Lake City, clear. .. 63 60
Stprldan. clear 38 ; .,
Sioux City clear 36 42
Valentine, clear 38 4$
"X" indicates trance-of nrectmtatlon
, -v A. WELSH. Meteorologist
, Nebraska State Red Cross confer
ence, with more than 200 registered
up to noon,; assembled at the Hotel
Fontenelle yesterday morning.
The conference will continue until
tonight. Eleven speakers were sched
uled to make addresses during the
day.
The morning session of the gather
ing opened an hour late. Mayor
James C Dablman delivered an ad
dress of welcome, Dr. E. H. Jenks
delivering the invocation address.
Heads of the various branches of
the Red Cross in the central division
from Chicaao ?,re attending the con-sc7it-jiyninent
i mong these are:
tos, Charfljf G. KfY, superintendent
of general sippliM Woman's serv
ice; B uce D.yJmith, manager of the
centra division, and Miss Ina Taft,
superiijtendent'iof hospital supplies,
Chicagb.
State Represented.
Wonlen Red Cross workers from
practklilly every to vn'and city in the
state re in attendince at the con
ferenct, The fconference, coming at this time,
was dlclared by F. W. Judson, Ne
braska!! director, to be, perhaps, the
Jmost important m the history or the
Nebraska chapter. Many new ideas
will b brought up before the confer
ence with the view of working as di
rectlywith the European battlefields
as possible.
Social entertainments and other
amusements for the visiting Nebraska
womdn will be sharolv curtailed dur
ing the conference, if not entirely
eliminated. No night sessions will be
held. -
Uurges Constant Effort.
Bruce D. Smith, manager of the
central division, in his speech on "The
American Red Cross Organized tor
War" laid particular stress on the
creat strides the Red Cross had made
since the declaration of war with Ger
many. Perfect as it was, Mr. Smith
ureed the women to push on even
harder in their mercy work, declaring
that practically the .entire world
needs a helping hand."
Mrs. Z. T.. Lindsey, assistant state
director, was a very busy woman dur
ing the day. Mrs. Lindsey assisted
the delegates in getting placed for
the session. Clarence Hough, direc
tor of publicity for the Red Cross,
central division, was also a very busy
delegate.
Question Box.
A' question box, anchored in a
orominent place in the convention
hall, seems destined to an eventful ca
reer.
The first question, dropped by a
delegate from upstate, would be suf
ficient to provide argument pro and
con for the remainder of the conven
tion. The question read: "Will the
war last until 1920?" The question
box officials have decided to leave the
question until the final hour of the
convention Thursday night.
Numerous pamphlets are being pro
vided by women directors ot the va
rious branches of Red Cross work.
Mrs. Charies G. King, superintendent
ofxgcneral supplies, women's serv
ice, has issued instruction for knit
ting sweaters from light wool, that
will make them heajv and serviceable
for foreign service.
The inability of Mrs. Joseph M:
Cudahy of Chicago, formerly an
Omaha girl, to attend the conference
caused much regret among Omaha
members. A telegram from Mrs.
Cudahy arrived during the morning,
expressing deep regret and declaring
that the Red Cross work in Chicago
had grown to such volume that she
could not attend the Omaha meeting.
Gulf Coast Oil Fields
Workers but on Strike
Houston, fex., Oct. 31.Njne thou
sand workers in the gulf coast oil
fields struck, beginning at midnight
tonight and continuing as each shift
thereafter concluded its work, accord
ing to W. A. Campbell, chairman of
the grievance committee, and Ed Cun
ningham, president of the Texas Fed
eration of Labor.
Jl"4:i
cry in ?mm
TO PRESIDENT
American Defense Society Ad
dresses Wilson, Urging U. $.
Open Hostilities on Ger
man Allies.
(By Associated Press.)
New York, Oct. U-President Wil
son was urged to call a special ses
sion of congress at an early date to
declare' war on Austria in a resolu
tion adopted by the board of trustees
of the American Defense society, at a
special meeting here today.
A copy of the resolution was tele
graphed to President Wilson.
Prior to its adoption, the trustees
of the society adopted a minute which
declares that an inconclusive peace
would be an insult to those who had
fallen in the war and a "betrayal to
the living."
The sending of an ovchwhelming
force to France because it says, "the
more we sond the fewer will be slain,"
is counselled in the minute which de
clares that, considering the great num
bers of men poured into the war in
the last three years by England and
France, the sending of as many as
10,000,000 from its population of over
100,000,000, would be no more than
this country's proportionate share.
Declares War on Turkey.
The minute urges that congress at
its next tession be asked to declare
that a state of war exists also between
the UniteflNStates and Bulgaria and
Turkey."
The resolution further ursres the
transportation to Italy -pf a coifcin
gent of American tropps and war ma
terials, u:ng all ships possible, in
cluding seized Austrian ships for the
purpose. It sets forth that "the com
plete defeat of Italy's armies win en
danger its national existence and im
peril the issue of the war for democ
racy" and that "to preserve Italy's
existence and to maintain its efficiency
as a fighting force immediate moral,
military and economic aid from its
alliej ij i prrative."
The resolution declares that "Ger
man agents throughout Italy have
stea.lil-' e:. " -ed . .e fect turt ihe
United States Las never yet seen fit
to declare war against Austna-Huti
gary,- Italy
enemy, and that it is patent to the
entire world that German and Aus
trian troops are working as a unit
for th? same end which America has
declared it will not endure."
Bank Clearings
In October Beat
All Past Records
For the first time in history Omaha
bank clearings passed the $200,000,000
mark.
Bank clearings for October totalled
$203,149,223.75. The previous record
was hung up in March this year when
the clearings were $164,058,91762
Clearings for October a year ago
were $132,240,393.29.
Slackers Get Twelve
i Months in Bluffs Jail
One indictment for alleged threats
against the president and two indict
ments for failure to regist-r for the
selective draft was the federal grand
jury's answer to Judge Wade's
patriotic instructions on their respon
sibility, at the close of the grand
jury's first day's work at Council
Bluffs. Henry Simmons, Pottawato
mie county, was indicted for mak
ing threats against President Wilson.
Albert Slack of Des Moines and Al
bert Walter, from nowhere, were in
dicted as alleged slackers. Both slack
ers were given 12 months in jail by
Judge Wade.
glial auu. rciui7Ui ing
SUSPECT SPIES
START BAD FIRE;
SEVEN MEN DEAD
Loss of FW Million at Balti
more When Terminals
and Ships Are De
stroyed. Baltimore, Md.. Oct, 31. A fire
which wrecked two of the. finest of
the Baltimore & Ohio railroad termi
nal piers at Locust Point and spread
to a British steamship broke out last
night, causing the probable loss, of
seven lives and a financial loss'esti
mated at between $3,000,000 and $4,
000.000 before it was subdued. Fhe
of the missing men were membc( t
of the crew of the steamship. Among
them were two of the ship's officers
and the chief gunner of the British
naval crew aboard.
Vice President J. M. Davis of the
Baltimore & Ohio said it was the be
lief of the railroad officials that the
fire was of incendiary origin, as cred
ible witnesses stated that they saw
flames leap from piers No. 9 and No.
8 at live points almost simultaneously.
Already the police injUieir investiga
tion have arrested one man.
Mrs. Minor Hull Morris
Is Burned to Death
' Washington, Oct. 31. Mrs. Minor
Hull Morris, whose forcible ejection
from the White House during Presi
dent Roosevelt's first term caused an
uproar of national proportions, was
burned to. death today in the rooming
house where she Iivtd. No one seems
to know how it happened. She was
discovered wrapped in flames.
Russian, 42 Years Old, At Night
School to Become U. S. Citizen
E. Vaks, 4824 South Twenty-second
street, 42-year-old Russian, is going
to night school so that he may learn
to become an American citjzen.
Vaks served four years in the Rus
sian army when Nicholas II was
czar. He was a radical and was not
in sympathy, with the government, so
he fled to Austria.
He was shot by a Russian guard as
he dashed across the border. 1 The
bullet passed through his right side,
but he ran on and eluded his pursu
ers by swimming across a river in
the darkness. He finally reached a
cottage, where Austrian peasants
cared for him through the sickness
that followed the loss of blood and
the exposure.
"I always have stood for the free
dom of Russia," said Vaks. "Now
that Russia is a democracy I could re
turn, but I like the United States,
and I am anxious to become a citi
zen." Vaks has taken out 'his first
papers. He is intensely interested in
the war. His native town, Lutzk, 50
miles from the Austrian border, has
been taken twice by the Germans. He
does not know whether his father is
still living. He came to America on
board the ship Arabic, which was
later sunk by a German submarine.
Vaks bought a Liberty bond and givesndealer and peddler. He is president
1 a at. f ' -1- . f iTi. .. V. s a t i- i i
cenerously to the Jewish relief fund
Vaks can read Russian. Polish. He
brew and German and he hopes to
make rapid progress in English at the
mght school. His wife is in Russia.
He had two children, but both have
died during the war.
V aks cams his living as a junk
of the Junk Dealers' and Peddlers' as
sociation, is a member of the B'nai
Abraham, of the Eagles and the
South Side Jewish Israel church. He
is fond of animals and has a horse,
Dick; a trick dog, Prince, which, he
declares, understands everything he
says.
U-BOAT SUNK
BY U.S. GUNNERS
ON LUCKENBACH
.
Shot Planted Fairly Between
Periscopes of Enemy Craft
Before Steamer Goes
Down.
An Atlantic Port, Oct.' 31. Three
hours before the American steamship
Lewis Luckenbach was torpedoed and
sunk by an unseen submarine Octo
ber 11 naval gusners aboard the ves
sel planted a shot between the twin
periscopes of an enemy submarine
and sent it to the bottom, according
to an officer of the Luckenbach who
arrived here today.
The officer, who hails from Brock
ton, Mass., expressed surprise that
the fact had not become known in the
United States and declared that Amer
ican naval officers on the other side
knew of the incident and conceded
the sinking of the undersea boat.
The Lnckcnpach, a steel screw ves
sel of 3,906 tons, was sunk while
bound for Havre with a general
cargo. It was built in 1903 at Cam
den, N. J.. The captain, nine members
of the crew and one of the naval gun
ners aboard were reported lost in
the sinking of the ship.
Washington, Oct. 31. J. E. McNeil
of Plainville, Mass., who was a mem
ber of the armed guard; seven mem
bers of the crew and a French pilot,
all of whom were reported -missing
when the American steamer Lewis
Luckenbach was sunk October 11,
have been given up as lost.
Allied Airmen Drop
Bombs On German
Munition Plants
London, Oct. 31. The British war
office last night issued the following
substitute statement on aviation ac
tivities: "Yesterday there were a few fine
intervals during which our airplanes
observed for our artillery and fired
several thousand pounds -from their
machine guns at enemy troops in the
trenches and on the roads. More
than 100 bombs were dropped on hos
tile billets at Roulers and elsewhere
during the day and again at night.
In air fighting four hostile machines
were driven down and one was driven
down out of control. Two of our
machines are missing.
"Night before last our machines
again attacked the railway station and
lines around Saarbrucken (Rhenish
Prussia, northeast of Metz), Ger
many. The bombs were seen to burst
with good effect. All our machines
returned, though the weather condi
tions were exceptionally bad. Yes
terday morning at 11 o'clock twelve
of our machines went further afield
and attacked the munition works and
gas Works at Pirmasens, twenty miles
beyond Saarbrucken.
"Bombs were seen to burst on fac
tories and the gas works with excel
lent results. Many photographs were
taken and the weather was good. All
our machines returned."
Italian Situation Is
Discussed at Conference
Washington, Oct. 31. The Italian
situation and the prospect of Ameri
can aid were discussed at a conference
late today between the Italian am
bassador. Count Cellere and Secre-
Jury Lansinjj
ITALIANS MOBILIZING
TO CHECK INVADERS
ALONG TAGLIAMENTO
Cavalry Covers Retreat of Shattered Armies; Cadorna
Succeeds in Saving Bulk of Tolmino Forces; Enemy
Attack in Carnia Region Not Considered v
Serious; Situation Improved.
BULLETINS.
Berlin, Oct. 31. The number of Italians made prisoner
by the Austro-German armies hat increased to more than 120,
000, says the official communication issued this evening;.- The
communication adds that more than 1,000 guns also have been
taken. V
.
Rome, Oct. 31.-There were various hill and canal en
gagements between the Italians and the invading Austro-Ger
man troops yesterday, says the war office announcement today.
The Italian covering units and cavalry permitted the other
troops to continue their move towards their new line.
O Berlin. Oct. 31. (Via London.)
The campaign of the Italian front is
being developed in accordance with
the intention of the Austro-German
leaders, the war office reports. ,'
(Bjr AMcl!d VremO -German
and Austro-Hungarian
troops are driving through the plains
of Venetia toward the Tagliamento
river, while another army is endeavor
ing to break through the Italian de
fenses in the Carnic Alps in an at
tempt to outflank the Tagliamento
line. Udinc, abandoned some days
ago by General Cadorna, has been oc
cupied by the invaders, whose1 ad
vance guards are being harrassed by
Italian cavalry between Udine and the
Tagliamento.
General Cadorna apparently has
succeeded in saving the bulk of the
forces which occupied postions south
of ToUnino, as during the last two
days Berlin has made no claim of
additional captures of large numbers
of prisoners and guns.
Udinc is less than IS miles from
the Tagliamento and if the Italian
commander is to make a stand there
heavy fighting along that line should
take place within a day or two at the
latest.-' '-.. .
: . Carnia Region QuicV--..
The German' threatening move
ment in the Carnia region has not de
veloped greatly and sewningly is not
yet a serious menace to the Taglia
mento line. Vienna reports the cap
ture from the Italians of positions at
Pontafel, near the Ploecken pass, and
on St. Pal.
These positions are on the Austro
Italian border and it is probably not
unlikely that General Cadorna is Drc-
paring to draw in his lines there to
better protect the line of hc Taglia
mento in the Ampczzo ana Tolmezzo
regions. Berlin reports an advance
i?
PROUD DAY FOR
CANADA: GREAT
, VICTORY IS WON
Army of Crown Prince Rup
precht Tastes Bitter Defeat
on Flanders Front; Counter
Attacks Futile.
ny Aisoclnted IrM.)
British Front in Belgium, Tuesday,
Oct. 30. The forces of Crown Prince
Rupprecht of Bavaria today suffered
another stinging defeat when the Brit
ish reached out across a sea of mud
and wrenched away still more of the
few remaining defenses of the enemy's
Passchendacle system.
If has been another proud day" for
Canada. Its troops this afternoon were
restitighnost atf the gates of Pass
chendaele, and from their positions
astride the Broodseirtdc-Passchen-daele
highway along the ridge, they
could see,' only 400 yards away, the
great church which stands in the
center of the village
While the .Canadians were battling
their way forward here in the face of
fierce resistance from the Bavarians,
comrades on their left were hammer
ing their way along the Mectcheele
or Bellevue spur to points which seem
to have carried them well beyond the
hamlet of Mectcheele and the num
erous machine gun defenses with
which the elevation was covered.
There was sanguinary fighting in
both sections. The German losses
were heavy and the men from over
seas did not achieve their triumph
without sonic cost in casualties.
British Protect Flank.
Meanwhile British troops oil the
left of the Canadians had undertaken
the task of crossing the Paddebeek
river and the morasses in order to
bring their line forward and protect
the Canadian flank. The men from
the British Isles knew this must be
done and they did it.
The Canadians encountered a stiff
opposition early in advance at Fries
land copse, a machine gun defense
lying in the valley of the -Ravebeek,
which runs down the slopes at the
junction of the Meetchele spur and
the Passchendaele ridge. The enemy
turned a heavy machine gun fire on
the advancing troops and when they
closed in. fought bitterly to retain a
hold on their concrete defenses. But
(Continued on Face Nix, Column One.)
Americans Anxious
To Do Patrol Duty;
Officers Try to Go
With the American Army in France,
Oct. 31. Conditions in the sector in
which the Americans are stationed
WeTe normal today. The rtillcry
work continued. The weather was
showery and much colder.
For the last two days there has
been considerable aerial observation;
late yesterday three German planes
flew over the American trenches.
So great is the enthusiasm among
the Americans to go on patrol, that
the French commander has ordered
that none of the higher grade officers
perform other than their regular du
ties. It is the duty of the junior com
mand officers and the non-commissioned
officers to go with patrols, but
the officers of higher rank, such as
majors, were anxious to go out.
The quartermaster now has sup
plies for several days within reach
of the American position as a precau
tion against any transportation diffi
culties with the bise.
Germans Hide Windows
To Prevent Their Loss
Amsterdam, Oct. 31. The stained
glass windows of the Cologne cathe
dral, according to German news
papersj..are being replaced with plain
glass as a precaution in case of air
raids.
The Cologne cathedral is one of the
most magnificent gothic edifices in the
world. Some of its stained glass win
dows date from 1508, but most of
them are modern. The older windows
are among the finest examples of
early sixteenth century art.
j. .y
toward the upper course of the Tag- , J
namento, but does not say how near . I
the German forces are to that river. V I
Since last Wednesday the Austrn- 1
Germans have occupied more than 8(MI l
.... - a r. t ,.
aijuaic nines oi irrruory lormcriy neii
by the Italians. The greatest depth of
the advance has been from Tolmino
southeastward to Udine, a distance
of about 25 miles.
U. S. to Aid at Once.
The United States will give Italy
what aid it can in the form pf money
and immediate tonnage to transport
needed munitions, food and fuels. Briu
ish troops and' guns probably are o(
their way into northern Italy In
ternal conditions in Italy are improv
ing. The Austro-German blow appears
to have brought together the oppos
ing politicians, and the new cabinet
of Premier Orlando has been an
nounced. Italy's foreign policy will
undergo no change, Baron Sonnino
will retain the portfolio of. foreign
affairs.
German efforts last nightagainst
the territory gained by the British
in the Passchendncle region were
t I -.MI f - , .
cuimncu io arinicry lire, no counter ;
aifarVa fl.iriilnm'n
1 French Preparing.
In the Aisne' region, on the Frencn
front, General Petain is apparently
preparing toi renew his attajc south
west of Lacjn, where he scored his
recent brilliant advance. Berlin yes
terday reported a concentrated fire of
"powerful proportions" from French
guns in this area, while today Paris
announces an artil'ery battle in prog
ress there. In the Argonne a Ger
man surprise attack wasTepulsed.
More Credit to Britain.
Washington, Oct. 31. A credit of
$25,000,000 extended to Great Britain
by the treasury today raised the total
credits to the allies to $3,131,400,000.
4 Sundays In October
(Warficld Agmey MnsuremenU)
The Bee ij 1 7 Q .!-
Gained J Admtisini
In the Four Sunday
Issues in October,
1917, over the same
Sundays last year. :
World-Herald's " f 1 tjn
Loss, In Inches .... ,
Daily .News
Gain, In Inches .
32
Yes, We Thank You.
Keep Your Eye On The Bee
IMPROVING SYERT DAYIi-
fl,.