Omaha' Sunday b
PART ONE
NEWS SECTION
PAGES 1 TO 14.
VOL. XLVII NO. 24.,
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 25, 1917.; FIVE SECTIONS. FORTY PAGES.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS. J
ITALY
BLOODY Fl
EE
&k THE WEATHER
Fair
GHTATTOMBA:
HI
BRITISH PUSH ON CAMBRAI
DESPITE FIERCE THRUSTS
( BY REINFORCED GERMANS
Enemy, Resisting Desperately, Forcs Bloody Fighting in
Bourlon Wbd, Which is Key to His -Position, and
Around Fontaine,
Entrance to
V BULLETIN.
(By Associated Press.)
British Army Headquarters
wood, which dominates Cambrai
the hands of the British this morning. .
Meager reports indicate that Moeuvres may have fallen,
According o the latest information, Fontaine is ablaze.
i STEADY PUSH. Q
General Byng has settled down to a
steady push against the German lines
west of Cambrai, after his recent
rapid forward, dash and has made
substantial progress along a front of
nearly six miles. Incidentally, it is
now announced that more than 100
guns were captured by the British
during the offensive, including numer
ous heavy pieces.
Valuable high ground around the
dominaing Bourlon wood to the west
of Cambrai was taken yesterday, and
progress was made further west on
both sides of the Canal du Nord, near
Moeuveres and Queant. Additional
ground also was gained in the neigh
borhood of Bullecourt.
BRITISH RENEW ATTACK.
British Army Headquarters in
iffance, Nov. 24. The British re
newed their attack on Fontaine and
are" still holding the ground between
Cantaing and 'south of Fontaine. It is
unofficially estimated -.that several
score of guns have been'' captured. .
The withdrawal from Fontaine was
only for a short distance and the
British still hold the ground from
. Containg to the south of- Bourlon
1 T- iJM Vkc (ntimu a k ii H .
tiel trench the British had the luck to
discover the secret of the German
mines and tit the wires, thus pre
venting the; enemy. Jr.om , setting the
mines off. There was a desperate
bayonet fight in the tunnel. Four
hundred German bodies-were counted
I after the capture.
Germans Not Ready.
Further evidence of the German
unpreparedness for an offensive in
the Cambrai sector was obtained to
day in the capture of an order drawn
i up by a German battalion command
er the day before the attack. It was
His summary of events for a week and
he drew this conclusion:'
"The attitude of' the enemy clearly,
is one of defensive." , " :
The commander was stationed in
the forward area and, it is quite ap
parent he did not know what was go-
higher command had no information
...i j ;f-., fiim
ing on. it is aiso eviaem mat mc
VI II IVITUM UaYV. ,.,wv-
Use New Troops.
The Germans have called upon ev
ery possible source to get troops to
withstand the British attack. By rak
ing many places in their line they ap
parently were able in the first 48
hours of fighting to bring in only two
new divisions and some five odd bat
talions. Today another division was
Wrought up from the Aisne front and
e One Hundred and ..Nineteenth
division from Flanders. ; -
Owing to the British artillery work,
there is little doubt that the" Germans
will be forced to abandon Cambrai as
a rail head for bringing up troops.
A later report form Bourlon wood,
just as this dispatch is being filed,
said that the British attack there was
proceeding well.
Irish Show Well.
British Headquarters in France,
Nov. 23. The attack came after a
k-iight of comparative quiet along the
fCambrai front and was delivered
jagainst the German positions at
Fontaine and about both sides of the
southern part of the Bourlon wood,
which ' dominates Cambrai and much
of the Surrounding territory.
At; the same time Irish infantry
with tanks were making an assault
against the enemy defenses about
Moeuvres. where sanguinary fighting
already had occurred during the last
tlifcee days and early in the morning
(Continued on Page Two, C'olnmn One.)
The Weather
For Nebraska Fair.
Temperatures at Omaha Yesterday.
Hour. Dei?.
6 a. m . .
6 a. m. .
7 a. m..
8 a. m..
a. m . .
10 a. m..
11 a. ra.
12 m....i
2S
.7
29
29
30
32
31
1 p. m.
2 p. m 32
3 p. m 32
4 p.. m. 31
5 p. m..... 29
6 p. m. ......... 30
T p. in 31
r.nnnratlve Ixx-at Record.
1917. 1916. IMS. 1914.
Highest ye.terday .. 33 33 34 1
Lowest yeBterday .. 2 24 44 ' 37
Mean temperature 28 38 64 49
Precipitation T ,0 .00 .00
Temperature and precipitation, departures
from toe normal:
Normal temperature 34
peflcjency for the day
T"4i deficiency since March 1 208
' jTnal precipitation 02 Inch
lMency for the 'day 01 linch
Total rinfall since March 1. .. .21.30 Inches
Deficiency since March 1 C.93 inches
Deficiency for cor. period, 191. .13.13 inches
PlcUncy lor oor. period, 115.
i.4 inches
Which Commands.
Famous City.
in France, Nov. 24. Bourlon
from the west, probably is in
SOLDIERS LOOK
FORWARD TO BIG
TURKEY-EATS
Responses Are Coming in to the
Invitations Being Ex
tended Through The
V Bee.
That the boys at both posts are an
ticipating their Thanksgiving dinner
and are reading The Bee's invitation
list with interest in prospect, is shown
by the number of responses from the
boys asking to be connected with cer
tain invitations... , ." .
A sergeant at the' Fort Omaha, bal
loon school, with five friends, lias
asked -t accepf theHnvitation to go
to Tekamah as the guests of Mr. and
Mrs. J. A. Griffeh. The Griffens were
to eome for the boys in their auto
mobile. - - :
"We would certainly like to get out
into the country," said the sergeant.
Mrs. Charles SMcKee, who ex
pressed a preference" for boys from
Kelly Field, Texas,, where she has a
brother now, received two responses
from Kelly. Field men through The
Bee.
Wants Blond Soldier.
A tall, blond young woman wants
to invite-- certain, dashing southern
soldier for Thanksgiving .dinner, but
she doesn't know his name, so she
appealed to The Bee for aid.
"He is a soldier with a marked
southern accent who came in on the
train November-4 about 6 o'clock iflj
the evening, said sne.
ft1!'" a nonplussed when
told of the great number of southern-
...!,. J I 1J L
ers whose drawl it(would be hard to
distinguish. If the 'soldier recognizes
his own description, or that of the girl
in question, her address reposes at the
Bee office., '
Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Loughlin, 3609
South Twenty-fifth street, on the
South Side, have sent in a cordial in
vitation for six men. , ,
Wants Music Lovers.
John S. Helgren would like to en
tertain two Swedish soldiers, or those
who enjoy music. Charles Hansen
has invited three Danish soldiers. J.
F. Houchin requests two Kentucky
men and Mrs. A. T. Klopp would like
to entertain two boys who have no
friends in Omaha. . . '
Howard L. Hite wants The Bee to
send him two men, with good appe
tites. He likes to see boys eat hearty.
Mrs. Charles Gnggenmos prefers sol
diers who are Catholics. "
-Further invitations have been ex
tended as follows:
Walter Petersen... 40ilrs. W. S. Parrott. 2
Mrs Lillian Baxter. 8iD. D. McTaggart.. 2
B. Blotcky s....r.i'2)Mrs. A. P. Faith... 2
Julius Hinz 2!Albert B. Koltz.... 2
Prank J. Norton.. 2lMary A. Meade 2
C. F. Lambert.,.. 2john Redfewick .... 2
tr. M. Munnecke... 2H. M. Allwlne 2
Mrs. D. Padrlck... 2Mrs. R. K. Marble.. 1
Mrs. R. L. Rqsslter 2Mrs. A. J. Hlgglns. 1
C A, Yanderfing.2
Privates Specially Invited
Tokening of Khaki Club
A special inVitation is extended to
privates at Fort Omaha and Fort
Crook to attend the opening of the
Khaki club, Seventeenth and Howard
streets, tonight 'from 7:30 o'clock to
11 o'clock. The committee in charge
of the opening wants as many sol
diers a" possible to visit the new
club, which has been created vfor their
benefit.
Ask Women to Give (Jp Returned
Goods Privilege During War
Douglas county women should
carry home their small packages andJ
give up their returned goods oriv
ileges, as a war measure, jhe women's
committee, Douglas County Council
for Defensei voted at a meeting held
Friday in tht public library. Mrs. A.
L. Fernald, county chairman, reports
resolution endorsing the retailers'
association plans for conservation.
Mrs. George Doane Kelle. one of
the vice chairmen, is preparing the
lists of women registered for war
service September 12. .The cards will
TllT"r "TT-r-r--.-, Sk Qii
li. S. DESTROYER
SENDS GERMAN
-SUB TO BOTTOM
Sights Periscope 400 Yards
Away; Immediately Plunges
! After Track' of, U-Boat
and Captures Crew.
' (By Associated Press.)
Washington, Nov. 24. A German
submarine captured recently by two
American destroyers was sent to the
bottom by members tf its crew open
ing cocks below", while their ship
mates stood on deck with hands
raised in signal of surrender. All of
the crew were taken prisoners.
One of the Germans was drowned
while being transferred to a de
stroyer and another died. The latter
was buried with military honors.
The action occurred in the war
zone several days ago and the, sub
marine went down while one de
stroyer was attempting to tow her to
port. , ...
Although the British policy is to
(Continued on Page Pour, Column Two.)
KELLY NOT GUILTY,
SAYS JURY IN AX
MURDER. TRIAL
Red Oak, la., Nov. 24. (Special
Telegram.) Rev. Lyn G. J. Kelly,
accused of murder in connection with
the famous Villisca ax. murders, in
Villisca, was tonight pronounced "not
guilty" by the jury.
The verdict was returned at o:4U
p. m. 4.
Red Oak, la.. Nov. 24 (Special
Telegram.) The Kelly case went. to
the jury at 4:15 'o'clock this afternoon,
following the instructions of Judge
Wheeler. It .is the general opinion
that the jury will be ready to report
some inie tonight.
Both the morning affd the afternoon
session of "court today began a half
hour early than usual in order that
all the arguments might be made be
fore adjournment this evening. County
Attorney Wenstrand spoke for an
hour this morning and was immedi
ately followed by W. E. Minchcll, for
the defense, who finished at noon. At
torney General Havner spoke for two
hours this atternoon.
Judge Wheeler instructed the jury
that their verdict may be any one of
the following forms: Guilty of first
degree murder, second degree murder,
manslaughter, not guilty for the rea
son that he was insane at the time the
act was committed," or not guilty.
be sorted according to the war work
indicated.
Mrs. Charles A. ,otz was named
chairman of the conservation com
mittee, and Mrs. T. E. Brady of pro
duction. Mrs. F. H. Cole, Mrj. F. J.
Birss and Mrs. W. N Halsey were
named a committ-to draft a consti
tution i
Americanization work in wards and
precincts and the sale of Christmas
cards to defray the expense of the
council's ( work will occupy the wo
men froui now oa.
The Next Offensive
Peace by Russ Ousts
Him From Civilization
London, Nov. 24. Lord Robert
Cecil, minister of blockade, in his
weekly talk today with the Asso
ciated Press spoke of the pro
clamation issued by Nikoli Lenine
and his followers in Russia, urg
ing -.jut. Immediate atmis'tice, say
ing: ' ';: ' :
"If it represents ine real opin
ion of the Russian people, which
I do not believe it does, it would
be a direct breach of treaty, ob
ligations and' Russia's ' alliance.
Such an action, if approved and
ratified by the Russian nation,
would put them virtually outside
the pale of civilized Europe."
CITY LOSES SUIT
AGAINST OMAHA
STREEIRA1LWAY
District Court1 Judges Hand
Down Decision in Action on
, Reversionary Rights Under
" Franchise.
Judges Redick, Troup and Day, sit
ting in equity court, ruled against the
city in its suit against the street rail
way company for reversionary rights
under its franchise. The case was
argued four months ago, J. L. Web
ster, representing the street railway
company and Corporation Counsel
Lambert appearing for the city.
Corporation Counsel Lambert con
tended that approximately one-half
the total value of the present street
railway ,system became the property
of the city in 1917 under the legislative
act of 1867, providing that the prop
erty of the old Omaha Horse Railway
company, later incorporated into the
present system, should revert to the
city after 50 'years. .
Under the judge's ruling the only
propeYty the city can take from the
street car company is whatever is
left of the original "strip" rails used
to nail down on two-by-fours and the
three or four old horse cars scattered
on the back lots about town.
Connection Only Historical.
"It cannot, be said that the present
electric lines are the outgrowth ' of
th Omaha Horfse. Railw.ay company
in any sense other than it may be
said that the automobile is the out
growth of the carriage," opined Judge
Redick. "The connection is solely
historical. The latest creature of in
ventive genius is just as distinct from
its ancient form as man is distinct
from the monkey." ;
The motion of the street railway
company sustained by the court asked
that certain paragraphs of the city's
petition be stricken out. These para
graphs contained the basic allegations
of thecity's case and were founded
on theonsolidation act of 1889.
The city's attorneys claimed that
this right of reversion attached to all
accretions, improvements and de
velopments growing out of or which
could be connected with or traced to
the original Omaha horse railway
system.
Rot her mere New Air
Minister for Britain
London, Nov, 24. Baron Rother
mere, chief proprietor of the" Daily
, Record and Mail of Glasgow and
the Leeds Mercury, has accepted the
post of air minister in the British
cabinet, according to the Pall Mall
- Gazette.
COSSACK LOOMS
AS STRONG MAN
, IN RED RUSSIA
Major Stanley Washburn Says
Kaledine May. Be Man of
! Destiny and Come Into
y ' Control.
San Francisco, Cal., Nov. 24. (Spe
cial Telegram.) "Kaledine, who has
been prominent in recent, cables, is
one of the strong men of Russia,"
said Major Stanley Washburn, who,
as representative of the War depart
ment and the Russian embassy, spoke
in San Francisco on the Russian
situation. ."The recent news sug
gests the possibility that some man
of strength will come into control
in Russia in the near future and stabil
ize conditions," Major Washburn said.
"Kaledine, the Cossack, may be the
man. There are other strong mea in
Russia of which Kaledine is a ypc.
He might hsjeome an outstanding fig
ure. If he does, it will mean suppres
sion by force and promptly of the
Bolsheviki and the restoration of or
der, discipline and efficiency. Kale
dine is a soldier, a man without much
sentiment, practical, direct and ef
ficient. If he comes into control we
may confidently expect a reorganized
Kussia. ,A Kussia that n6t only will
maintain great armies in the field
and hold German 'divisions now on
the Russian front, but will bring pres
sure against the German lines by next
spring.
i Regards Him Highly.
"I know Kaledine personally, and
have the highest regard for him as a
soldier and administrator and would
look upon his coming into control
as the first step towards the perman
ent overthrow of pro-German influ
ence in Russia an1 the downfall of
those temporarily holding control
who would sell out their country.
"History may repeat.
"Napoleon the Great again and
again defeated the Russians,
i "There is not a battle in the long
list of fights where Napoleon faced
the Russians in which they can be
said to have been victorious.
"Even Eylau was a draw and Freid
land a crushing Russian defeat. And
there were 14 years of this. ,
"Yet the first troops Vf the allied
forces against Napoleon to enter
Paris, were Russians and they forced
the abdication of the war lord of Eur
ope at Fontainbleau. '
"Russja has again and again been
compelled to give ground and suc
cessive defeats are recorded against
it in the present war, but the recup
erative power of Russia is even great
er relatively than it was a century
ago. A European war lord then de
feated them repeatedly, but surren
dered' his throne to them at last, and
history may repeat."
German Home to Be Given
U. S. as Hospital Base
, The German home on South Thir
teenth street will probably be tend
ered to the secretary of war as a war
hospital after the next regular meet
ing of the German society at the
home December 2.
Authority to offer the building to
the government for this purpose was
granted to William Sternberg at the
last meeting of the society. At that
time it was planned that the tender
should be made formally at the pa
triotic meeting at the auditorium last
Monday night. Sternberg was pres
ent at the meeting to make the formal
fiex. but did not make it. 1
FURIOUS COMBATS ' "
CHECK INVADERS
ON ITALIAN FRONT
Desperate Fighting Causes Terrible Carnage; Cavalry
Charging Repeatedly in Face of Heavy Artillery
Fire; One Section Losing 27 Out of 30 Of
ficers, but Holding Its Ground. '
.
(By Associated Press.)
Italian Headquarters in Northern Italy, Friday, Nov. 23.
The battle of the mountains it raging with unexampled vio
lence. The Italians again hold the Monte Tomba and Monte
Peraica positions which they lost last night. The losses have
been very great, but the enemy's far exceed those . of the
tisiuauM
RUSSIAN EMBASSY
REPUDIATES NEW
FOREIGN OFFICE
Notifies State Department to
That Effect and Three of
Its Chief Officers Re
sign Their Posts.
, Washington, D. C, Nov. 24. Am
bassador ' Bakhmetieff of Russia
formally notified the State depart
ment today, that the embassy does
not recognise the authority of the ex
tremists now. in control of the for
eign office at Petrograd.t
Jn letter to 'Secretary Lansing,
following the resignation, tf three. .of
the chief officers' xf the embassy ,io
avoid having relations . with the Bol
sheviki, the ambassador said the Bol
sheviki government was not repre
sentative of the true will of the Rus
sian people and that he would not
recognize that or .any. similar govern
ment which, would. lead the,country
into nonparticipation in the war.
The ambassador said he considered
himself duty-bound to remain at his
post and would do so with a compe
tent staff of assistants. While ex
pressing the belief that the true spirit
of Russia was bound to arise, he said
it was. evident that until conditions
changed, the embassy could not exer
cise in full measure its essential du
ties, and, therefore, he had authorized
members of the embassy to find other
fields for their activities. .
Three Have Resigned.
Three of the chief officers of the
Russian embassy here resigned today
to avoid having further, relations with
the Bolsheviki leaders now control
ling the Petrograd foreign office.
They are C. Onou, counsellor; John
Sookine, first secretary, and' F. De
Mohrenschildt, second secretary.
There has been no indication so far
as to what will be the attitude of the
ambassador himself.
Waits on Developments.
He is not in sympathy with the ex
tremists in authority at Petrograd
and has had no communication with
the foreign office, but the under
standing has been that he would re
main in office for a time at least,
waiting for the situation to clear.
- Mr. Sookine came to Washington
with Ambassador Boris Bakhmetieff
after the overthrow of the monarchy,
and has been the ambassador's chief
assistant. "
Mr. Mohrenschildt married Miss
Nona Hazelhurst McAdoo, daughter
of the secretary of the treasury, last
May. He and Mr. Onou were attached
to the embassy before the arrival of
the new ambassador.
LATE WAR
BULLETINS
GERMAN ATTACKS FAIL.
Rome, Nov. 24. Powerful thrusts
which were carried out yesterday by
the Austro-Germans after heavy ar
tillery preparation en the Italian
mountain front from the Asiago pla
teau to the Brenta river all failed, the
Italian war office announced today.
GERMANS HOLD OWN.
Berlin, Nov. 24. Italian attacks
against the Austro-German positions
west of the Brenta river and between
the Brenta and Piave rivers yesterday
failed, the German war office an
nounced today.
THIRTY TANKS DESTROYED.
Berlin, Nov. 24. British attacks on
the Cambrai front in France yester
day were repulsed in front of Bour
lon, Fontaine and LaFolie wood, it
was announced today by the German
war office. The statement adds that
30 British tanks which were shot to
pieces lie before Fontaine alone.
Southwest of Cambrai, the state
ment says, the English again sought
a decision. A strong attack on Inchy
and desperate assaults against Moeu
vres failed.
OECAPTURE MONTE TOMBA,
On the outcome of the mountain
battle depends the result of the ene
my's greatest effort to break through
the Italian lines to the Venetian
plain. The recapture of the Italian
positions on Monte Tomba was ac
complished by a- succession of bril
liant charges which dyed the snows
red and left the ground, piled with
enemy dead.
Monte Pertica was lost and won
four times, the enemy finally being
thrown back. Although the losses
have been terrible, those of, the en
emy are by far the greatest, owing to
mc cunumon 01 me ngniing neia ana
the desperate heroism of the Italian
troops. .y i . .; flt ,'. v
Battle Most Furious. -
The battle,-which had been gradu
ally gathering force in the last few
days, broke in full fury early yester
day and raged .throughout the day,
the night and today. The first blow
was struck at Monte Pertica, where
dense masses of enemv infantrv wert
i,..i.i ...!... i . ti.i' v ;T'i..
tifTihno: via evlrfmelif vnlnf ' Pr.
tica was ldsf, thn retaken, then lost
again' and then retaken again in such
a whirlwind of enthusiasm as sel
dom has been seen before. ! y.
But the enemy's greatest blow wai,
aimed at the strategic key of Mont
Tomba and Monte Monfenera.' Here
the lull force of two divisions, one
German, the other. Austrian, was
hurled in a furious attack on the Ital
ian right wing in an effort to turn
the wing and cut off the army from
its line of communication along the
Piave. Now came one of the blood
iest struggles of the war, which went
on all last right and' today with' a
steady succession of attack and coun
ter attack.
Snatch Back Victory. '
What the outcome will be cannot
be foreseen, but the Italian arms have
again covered themselves with glory
and have snatched back victory when
it was hanging in the balance. Even
the enemy yields tribute tp Italian
valor, for prisoners say their forces
are surprised at the resistance met and
disconcerted by the impetuous brav
ery of the Italian troops.
Attacks Follow Fast. .
Italian Headquarters in ' Northern
Italy, Friday, Nov. 23. A successibn
of attacks and counter attacks fol
lowed ranidlv' thrntiirhniir vstrrlaw
on the hills between the Piave and
Brenta valleys, where the Italians
and Austro-Germans are engaged in
furious combat.
Brigades and regiments, their num
bers diminished in the struggle, were
reformed and returned to the fight.
In one section where there were 3(1
officers 27 were killed or wounded,
but the remaining three fought the
battle of the 30.
Mountain batteries had been se
cured in mountain emplacements and
as the fight ebbed and flowed over
these positions the Italians not only
brought' back the guns, but even the
wheels i and the limbers, their pride
not, permitting a vestige to fall into
the hands of the enemy.
Sweep Entire Field. "
The final charge of the day came
at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. The
enemy had struck its greatest blow
earlier in the day and the fierce at
(Contloned on Page Two, Column Three.)
Price of Telephones Not
' Raised in War Times
The story recently published jn
The Bee referring to things in Oma
ha that have not risen in price dur
ing the last year omitted an import
ant feature.
The local telephone company, de
spite the enormous toll the govern-'
ment kas taken in its workers, has
not changed its price for telephone
service.
Statistics of the Bell system show
that 4,000 miles of wire are absolute
ly destroyed each month by shells
and bombs; $11,000,000 worth of ma
terial has been lost in four months
and that 6,680 skilled men are in the
service. ,
Dollar Will Send Xmas
Packet to One Soldier.
Mrs. Dwight Swohe, of the Christ
mas Pasket committee, wishes it
made known that $1 will send a packet
to a soldier boy. The committee has
already sent 5,000 packets to Europe,
and they are now working on the
gifts for our home Sammies gifts
that will go to our owi two loris.
and also, to other camns in the tat
1