IF YOU READ IT IN THE BEE YOU MAY BE SUM ITS TRUE; NQ FAKE NEWS OR PICTURES
he Omaha Daily
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I PART ONE
NEWS SECTION
THE WEATHER
Fair
PAGES 1 TO 10
aM i
OMAHA, SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 8, 1917. TWENTY-TWO PAGES.
5L iTSrA-:1 10- SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS
VOL. XLVII.-NO. 149.
OMTiM
Bee
muPM nornm stums c
AT WAR
" ' - ' '
PRESIDENT SIGNS BILL
DECLARING GERMANY'S
ILLY AMERICA'S ENEMY
-t-
Congress, 'With One Dissenting Vote, Adopt Resolution
in Response to Epochal Speech of Tuesday; Effec
tive at 5:03 P. M. Friday When Chief Execu-'
tive Affixed Signature to Document,
(By Associate Press.) , f j c't j
Washington, Dec. 7. War between the United States and
Austria-Hungary was formally declared today.
Congress, with one dissenting vote in the house, adopted,
and President Wilson approved, a resolution declaring ex
istence of a state of war between the "Imperial and Royal Aus
tr Hungarian government and the government and people of
thl United States," and authorizing the president to employ the
nation's armed forces and pledging its resources to victory.
F.WFF.r.TTVE AT 5:03 P. MT O
The resolution, the response of con
gress to the president's request in his
, ddress Tuesday, is similar to that
passed April 6, declaring war on Ger
many. It became effective at 5:03 p.
m. today, when it was signed by the
executive without formality. An
executive proclamation will follow
shortly.
SENATE'S VOTE UNANIMOUS.
After but one hour's debate the
resolution was unanimously adopted
by the senate with an affirmative vote
of 74. It was approved by the house,
363 to 1, Representative London, the
New York socialist casting the only
dtVstenting vote.
" few minutes later Vice President
Marshall .and Speaker Clark had
sighed the document and sent it to
the White House, where President
Wilson attached his signature with
Secretary Tumulty, and Assistant Sec-,
retary Forster as hc only witnesses.
The"" resolution' follows:, v
Joint resolution. - j
"Declaring that a state of war ex
ists betweenUhe Imperial and Royal
Austro-Hungarianp. ttoverrttnnl -aird
-the government and the people of the
United States and making .provision
'to pspsecute the same, '
Acts of War Against U. S.
"Whereas the Imperial and Royal
Austro-Hungarian government has
committed .- repeated acts of war
against the government and the peo
ple of the United States of America;
therefore be it, - . '. ,
"Resolved by the senate and house
oft representatives of the United
V of America in congress assem
OT:i that a state of war is hereby de
clared to exist between the United
States of America and the Imperial
and Royal Austro-Hungarian govern
ment and that" the president be and
he is hereby authorized and directed
to employ the entire' naval and mili
tary forces of the United States and
the resources of the government to
carry on war against the Imperial and
Royal Austro-Hungarian' govern
ment; and to bring the conflict to a
.successful termination. All the re
sources of the country are hereby
pledged by the congress of the United
States.
"CHAMP. CLARK,
."Speaker of .the house of repre
sentatives.. '- ., ' . . '
"THOMAS R. MARSHALL,
Vice President of the i United
SfUt and president of the. senate.
"ApproVei-7th December, 1917.
"WQODROW WILSON.
Turkey and Bulgaria Deferred.
In accord with President Wilson's
suggestion, action in respect to Tur
key and Bulgaria, Sermanys other
left -to the future. Wide
spread demand in congress for their
inclusion iti the declaration was mdi-
f ontlniwd on f a Two, qplamn one.
The Weather
- j
For Nebraska Fair;
TenPtnre at Omalia Testerday.
Hour. Der-
5 a. m i
6 a. m 18
7 a. m.. 1
8 a. m 11
9 a. m 13
10 a. m......
11 a. m......
12 m
1 p. m......
S p. m
"rJ p. m.
4 p. m.
,( p. m......
', ( p. m
7 p. m
8 p. m
IS
0
ComparatlTe Local Record.
1917. 1916. 1913. im
Highest yeHterday .. IS SO 65 36
Lowest yesterday . . 3 -7 Si 33
Mean temperature ...
Precipitation ....... .16 .00 .00 .07
Temperature and precipitation departures
from the normaU ,
Normal temperature' .,...... SO
Deficiency for the day....... 24
Total deficiency since March 1
Normal precipitation r.03 inch
Kxcess for the day 13 Inch
Total rainfall since March 1....2V52 inches
Deficiency since March 1... 7.02 inches
Deficiency for cor. period 1916.. 12.47 inches
Deficiency for cor. period, 1915.. 1.80 Inches
Reports From Station at 1 P. St.
Kt.n r,A State Temp. Hlgn- Kain
. of Weather. " T p. m.
est.
tall.
rhavanna. clear ........
10
IS
IS
1
.IS
It
8
1
24
i
.04
T
.04
.03
.18
'.10
Davenport,, anowtng
Denver, snowing? ...
Des Moines, cloudy
Dodge City, clear ..
X.ander. clear .....
North Platte, clear
Omaha, clear ......
..1
.. 13
.. 4
..
10
..
.. 1
.. 24
Chi '. clouoy
TU. 4 City. - clear
Salt iako City, ciouay.
fiRitta Fe, clear
SliCTidan, part cloudy..
Sioux Cltyr clear
Valentine, clear ......
. 39
. 26
. 4
.4
12
14
Tvlndlcalea trace of pTedpltatlon.
L -4 indicates below ioro. '
t - i. A. WELSH, Meteorolorlst
. Y
GERMANS FOOLED
BY BRITISH: TAKE
ABANDONED WOOD
Reforming of Line Done So
Quietly That Enemy Was v
' Misled for Several
Hours.
By Associated Press.)
German wedges, driven in'to the
salient before Cambrai, have com
pelled the British to evacuate ex
posed points,- and they have given up
to the Germans several villages west
of Carhbrai as well. As the Bourlon
wood. - The retirement "waj carried
lined to "isfieirthV empty positions
for several hours, not knowing the
British had left them, "'.
. .The -British line , has? beetshort
ened and made, more capable of
6trong defense by the retirement!
Attacks Repulsed. . .
Berlin in its latest report . claims
the occupation of -Marcoihg, -about
four; miles southwest . of Cambrai.
Minor GeVtnan attacks south of Bour
lon wood and near. La Vacquerie have
beeen repulsed by the British.
Violent fighting - continues on the
northern Italian front between Asiago
and the Brenta river, where the Aus-tro-Germans
ntade gains Wednesday,
but have not yet been able to. break
the Italian line. The Italians, inflict
ing heavy losses on the attackers,' re
tired gradually to prepared positions
up Monte Fior and Monte Castelgom
berto. ' . . . " '
On the western end of the. line the
Austro-German . attempts to encircle
the . Meletta position - and cut it off
were defeated. Along the Brenta east
of. Monte Badenecche and Mont
.Tondarecar, lost Wednesday to the
enemy, the Italians repulsed with
heavy loss, a determined effort to
break through.
Grocery Stores and Meat
- Markets to Close Sunday
Beginning next Sunday,- December
9, all grocery stores, meat markets
and bakeries must close by city ordi
nance. ' The Sunday closing ordi
nance goes into effect that day. The
fine for not obeying this ordinance is
$25 for the first oifense and $100 for
the second. The Grocers' and Butch
ers' association of-Omaha will watch
the situation closejy Sunday for vio
lations. Secretary T. T. Cameron of
rthe association says in all probabil
ity any wno keep their stores open
Sunday will be arrested. He says he
has heard rumors of a few who in
tend to open for business in order to
test the validity of the ordinance.
PREACHER WHO -W0ULDN0T
FIGHT
HELD FOR TRIAL
Hastings, Neb., Dec. 7. (Special
Telegram.) W. L. Crowe, an itin
erant preacher,from Chanute, Kan.,
who is so strong a pacifist that he
says he would not defend his own
home, because Christ taught men
not to resist evil, was bound over
by U. S. Commissioner Addie to
day for trial in February court.
Bond was fixed at $5,000, which he
was titrable to supply. The com
plaint charges Crowe with convey
ing false reports with intent to in
terfere with the operation and suc
cess of the armed forces ofthe
United States. (
Crowe had addressed a number
of meetings at Holstein and Ayr
and' was arrested at the latter place
at the instigation of the council of
defense.
Crowe says' he told his audience
that, he . would not take a combat
ant position in war and advised
those drafted to seek non-combatant
positions. He denies making
pro-German statements and plead
ed not guilty wheri arraigned.
Crowe was called to Ayr by Hen
ry Druecker, but he says Druecker
did not know his sentiments on the
war. "ffT'
Sammy's Christmas Shopping
mmMmwrnjiyp " . :
KiETfll- , ' fJ;'N METHlV
G!W TOUCH n. 15,1M TOOCH Vou"l
As Visioned.by One of
TERRIFIC ONSLAUGHTS FAIL
Takes Advauitage of Unusually Mild Weather and Attacks
With Unprecedented Ferocity,' Meeting Determined
and Bloody Resistance-From Bersaglien and (
Alplni, . Which Preserve Italian Line. -
Italian Headquarters in Northern Italy, Thursday. Dec. 6.
The big operation which the enemy is attempting in the
north ia virtually a repetition of the turning movement he ex
ecuted six weeks ago in the great offensive above Gorizia. At
that time he broke (through the upper end of the line and thus
endangered the lower end. This is exactly the situation which
is being repeated today. .v..;v;i.;ri ..v"-
STRONG CO-OPERATION. ' 1
-It has been established that while
Field Marshal Conrad von Hoetzen
dorff is directing the movement Gen
eral von Krobatin's forces also are
co-operating. In addtion to the su
periority, in numbers the Austro-Ger-mans!
are taking advantage of the
backward season and are striking be
fore the mountain snows impede oper
ations. . v y
The weather this year happens to
be favorable' to the enemy. The
sno is only a few inches deep,
whereas in December the snow usu
ally reaches a depth of from four to
10 feet. One such snowfall now
would be worth divisions. Gray skies
today indicated snow, but the fall was
light. . ,
Russian(Prisoners Released.
Austrian prisoners taken in the last
few days say that the release of Rus;
sian prisoners held in Austria began
10 days ago. Austria took the intia
tivc in this without waiting for Rus
sia to release Austrian prisoners.
Each Russian prisoner was schooled
carefully in Austria's desire to end
the war and the whole body of these
Russian prisoners was returned . to
Russia as a sort of a propaganda for
terminating the struggle.
The importance of - the lighting
around Asiago is not underestimated,
but it is-believed the line of resist
ance on which the Italians ' have re
tired is capable of holding the Fran
zclla and Gadena passes leading into
the Brenta valley and the open plain
some miles below. The fighting has
been of the most desperate charac
ter and while the enemy has . paid
dearly for its success the Italian
losses also have been very heavy.
An eye-witness from the scene of
operations gave the correspondent de
tails of the extent and bloody nature
of the carnage. Enemy reserves were
poured in until the Italians were far
outnumbered. They continued to
struggle desperately, however, and in
one case a small detachment of Ber
sazlieri met the shock of an entire
Austrian regiment Austrian kaiserf
jaegers displayed unprecedented fe
rocity, using stilettoes - as well as
bayonets in fierce hand to hand fighting-Bravery
of Bersaglieri.
But thexgreatest single instance of
heroism and loss was in the case of
several detachments of Alpini, which
held Monte Castelgomberto . against
overwhelming odds until surrounded.
Thus" encircled, they made repeated
charges, but the heavy mr rounding
the Fort Cropk Boys
lines held and the entire party was
still on the mountain when the Re
mainder of the Italian line fell back.
In, another-case one brigade of Ber
saglieri lost a. number of officers and
men in. the same proportion.
The extent of the enemy reserves is
shown by their concentration in the
average amount of a division for
every kilometer. The artillery , fire
also has been the heaviest since the
new Italian line was formed.
''Conditions this morning were ir
tually unchanged. Much depends upon
the ability of the Italians to hold the
passes to which . they , now have' re
tired, commanding the Brenta valley
and the plains.
LATEWAR
BULLETINS
. MONTE SISEMOL TAKEN.
Berlin, Dec. 7. Four thousand
more Italians have been captured in
the new Austro-German offensive on
the northern front, bringing up the
total to 15,000, according to today's
official communication. Monte Sise
mol was captured by storm, the state
ment adds.
NEW CHIEF-OF-STAFF.
Petrograd, Dec. 7. General Bouch
Bruyovitch, former commander-in-chief,
has been appointed chief-of-staff.
' NO REPORT TO TROTZKV
London, Dec. 7- The Russian am
bassador at London has decided not
to reply to ths telegram of Leon
Trotzky, the Bolsheviki foreign min
ister, ordering him to resign unless
he was wiling to follow, the Bolshe
viki peace policy.
RZFULSE AT VERDUN.
.Paris. Dec 7. Two attempts were
made by ths Germans to attack the
French lines east of the Meuse in the
Verdun region last night, after a
heavy bombardment. The attacking
forces, the war office announced to
day, were driven off by the French
re.
BATTLE STILL RAGES.
Rome, Dec. 7. "On the Asiago pla
teau the battle is continuing without
interruption,'' says today's official re
port. V
WAR'S CARNAGE
PALES BESIDE
HALIFAX HORROR
Persons Under Debris Battered
Beyond Recognition; Parents
in Mad Frenzy Rush to
Find Little Ones.
(Or Avaoclaied Proaa.)
St. John, N. B., Dec. 7. Every pub
lic school student in' the city was
asked to bring o his school today a
bit oj clothing for some destitute
child of Halifax. Tonight 10,000
pieces of clothing wercicounted as
representing the response of the
city's youth.
A St. John distribating depot has
been opened in the devastated city
and frequent trains will keep it sup
plied with donations collected here.
RECOVER 1,600 BODIES.
Persons arriving here , on steam
ships (from Halifax added to the story
of death and sufferingii Thomas
Trainor, a pilot, said that 1,600 bodies
had been recovered. He had seen
several steamers in the harbor that
had been damaged and said that the
number of seamen killed was large.
C. P. Frizzihreported having seen
50 charred bodies in Campbell road.
While walking from Halifax to Need
hani, he counted 6') bodies scattered
inUhe fields. . '
Another arrival said that in a
school at Richmond 200 children had
met, death.
The battlefields of Europe do not
provide, parallel to the scenes ."wit
nessed "at Halifax, in the opinion of
Duncan Grey, who arrived today.
This is his story:
Worse Than War's Carnage.
' "I have been in the .trenches in
France. . I have gone 'over the top.'
Friends and comrades have been
shot in'' ray presence. I have seen
scores of dead men lying upon the
battlefield, but the sight that greeted
me yesterdaV was a thousands times
. worsfr -and JaKmore. jatthatie.ir,W
"I saw people lying around under
debris: some battered oeyond recog
nitioit- and others: groaning ft . their
last agonies.
"Rushing .here and there I struggled
to assist them-and as near as 1 can
remember, pulled 22 men and children
from under the Vreckage., As I was
riarht in the affected district, I wit
nessed the full horror of the situa
tion. Partlv blinded bv the smoke
from" burning dwellings, 1 1 groped
around, assisting some of, the poor
mothers and' little ones who were
running about screaming and search
ing vainly for lost ones. Death was
everywhere. -
A Living Hell.
"Flames were sweeping a wide
pathway for themselves. Doomed
structures were belching forth- great
volumes of smoke from doors and
windows. The district was a living
hell. Some of the bodies were with
out clothing. Many were so mutil
ated that it was difficult to realize
that they were human. Some men
were virtually demented.
"Thinking only of their wives and
children they; flashed about in the
burning debris hazarding their lives
with the single thought of rescuing
their own. '
Parents in Frenzy. '
"I shall never forget how I felt in
that hour. I saw little ' child rm run
ning along, some with blood stream
ing from" them. All were crying for
their parents while lathers and moth
ers raced abbut in frenzy. I have
never seen anything so pathetic even
on the battlefield."
Right Rev. E. A. Lcblaiic, the
Catholic bishop here, today received
word that all the children of the
Sacred Heart convent and at St.
Mary's school in Halifax escaped.
Most of Actaeon Crew
Reach Shore Safely
New York, Dec. 7. All but four
or five of the entire crew of the
American steamship ., Actaeon, sunk
by a submarine on.Novembcr 25, have
reached European ports safely, ac
cording to authentic reports received
here today. "
The crew of the Actaeon, formerly
the German merchantman Adam
strum, included 26 American citizens
and five naturalized Americans.
Madrid, Dec. 7. Twenty-one sur
vivors of the American steamer
Actaeon, which was torpedoed and
sunk on November 25, have arrived
here. They are suffering severely
from exporsurc.
This dispatch probably refers to the
survivors reported , on November 27 to
have landed at Cape Finistcrre. Sixty
three others in three boats were re
ported missing. "
Count Czernin Says Peace
' Will Follow Armistice
Amsterdam, Dec. 7. The Vienna
correspondent of the Berlin Lokal
Anzeiger says that Count Czernin,
the Austro-Hungarian foreign minis
ter, alluding to' a newspaper report
that the delegations would adjourn
owing' to the peace negotiations, told
a committee of the Hungarian delega
tion that the government desired that
peace negotiations should follow the
Jrmistice. and in that case "my de
parture to participate ih thv" would
be necessary and nobody will deny
that it is my dutf to be there."
The correspondent adds that the
question whether the delegations will
adjourn is still undecided, , ,
SNOWFALL COOLS
BURNING RUINS
IN STRICKEN CITY
Havoc Wrought by Great Explosion Not Fully Estimated; -
Dead Number Thousand; Property Loss Runs Into
Millions; American Sailors Patrol Streets;
Red Cross Dispatches Relief Train.
(By AMorlnteil Trons.) v.Sy
Halifax, N. S., Dec. 7. Five thousand casualties2,000
dead, 3,000,others injured.
This is tonight's official estimate of the toll exacted m hu- .
man lives and suffering by the
WOMEN CRAZED
BY SHOCK OF
SHIP EXPLOSION
Arrive at Relief Stations, In
jured and Destitute, and Un
able to Tell Own Names;
Orphans Perish.
(By AmwUtcd PrM.)
Halifax, N. S., Dec. 7. The matron
and all but two of the children at the
Protestant orphauago- are believed to
have perished. Of the two who es
caped, one child was not in the build
ing at the lime of 'the explosion,
. Thought' It a Bomb.
' The chjld jwho.wak t the building
said that 'when 4h- explosion" came
Miss Ktiaut, th matron,' called to the
chiidreiilJo take refuge with her in
the basement. It is . supposed liat
she thought a bomb had: falleii.
; Thirty girls employed at the Rich
mond Printing company are reported
dead.' ' '
" , Women Are Crazy.
St. John, N. B., Dec. 7. A simple
statement that came over the tele
phone from Truro today reveals more
of the horror of the tragedy at Hali
fax. It was that many women, in-
C' rV' l tJ
f Mt-01 lcfitMr rtr rwt n i ln1
had beaii so crazed by, the'shock that
. V:. .: ! t
UpUIl ailiYUlg HI IMC IXI1CI SIclllUllH
they-were unable to even tell their
own names.
All direct telegraph wires between
St. John and Halifax were down
today, i ' - ' ''...'
A ftedvy sleet storm added to the
delay in restoring Jl hem. Three local
tclegrapli wires bween St. John and
'Kruro were, working spasmodically.
The onlyfyommunication out of Hali
fax was by cable south and the Ca
nadian Pacific virc, wliiclr is occupied
entirely with government and railway
business.
Some Soldiers Killed.
A message from Truro brings the
story of E'eanor Tapley of St. John,
a student at Mt. Vincent academy, at
Halifax. Miss Tapley says the armory
was destroyed and some soldics
killed, 'flic academy was converted
into a hospital, to. which as many as
could be found places for were
brought and cared for. The .convent
was badly damaged and some of the
S"!"6 seriousIy injurcd hyFind German Clique
"We first received word of the dis
aster," 'said Miss Tapley. "from an
engine which came hurrying up from
the city rocking from side to side un
der its terrific speed. The engineer,
the only man aboardcricd out, 'Give
me anything you have. Blankets,
food, bandages, or anything. The
whole city is wrecked and for the
mercy of God be quick!'
Bandages from Everything'.
"Wc girls immediately rushed to
get anything that we could lay our
hands on. Sweaters, coats and other
clothing were torn in strips for band
ages. Everything was piled into the
locomotive, which then tore"away
again at top speed for the scene of the
disaster.
"No one1 at the convent was killed,
but some of the sisters wcre.ierribly
cut by flying glass, which inj our sec
tion of the city did most of the dam
age. Every window of the academy
was broken and some of the pillars in
the chapel fell."
Officers of Imo Missing.
New York, Dec. 7. Captain H. C.
From, the first, second and third of
ficers and three members of the crew
of the Imo, the Belgian relief ship
which collided with the Mont Blanc,
were reported missing in a telegram
received hefe by Norton, Lilly & Co.
from their, agents at Halifax today.
The company has no'record available
showing the names of the six men re
ported missing, except the captain.
The general accepted estimate of
the casualties up to this afternoon is
2,000 dead and about an equal number
injured.
There is nothing to justify the in
evitable rumors that the collision in
thi harbor was other than accidental.
Nor were there exolosions of ammu
nition on ihcre so far at ia known
explosion and firea of yesterday.
O CONDITIONS APPALLING.
Exact conditions in stricken Hali
fax are more appalling than was indi
cated by last night's reports.
This message was dtspatcneo to
Governor McCall this morning by A.
C. Ratshesky, manager of the Massa
chusetts special relief train,' after a
night spent in gathering bits of infor
mation from trainmen and others as
the train sped eastward.
- The dead are everywhere, -said
these reports. There is immediate
need of a great staff of surgeons and
scores of nurses. ,
Supplies and help of every kind will
be welcome. It has . not been hu
manly possible to take care of the
hundreds of injured and many per
ished during the night.
In improvised morgues the dead
are piled high an! - unidentified.
Scores oi these bodies never will be
claimed. .
. Stunned by the magnitude of the
disaster which has .overwhelmed the
"garrison. city by the sea," the people
of Halifax today bent all their ener
gies to relieving the injured, feeding
the hungry, sheltering the homeless
and gathering their dead.
A heavy snowstorm set in today,
and while this in a measure impeded
the work of relief and rescue, it
served to aid the firemen in fighting
the flames which still burned fiercely
in many places among the ruins in
the devastated district.
Estimate Two Thousand Lives. Lost.
Reports from the improvised
morgues and from hospitals,
churches, schools and private resi
dences seemed to bear out last night's
estimate that at least 2,000 lives were
lost when the Belgian relief steam
ship Imo collided with the French
munitions steamer Mortt Blanc, caus
ing the detonation of . 4,000 tons or
I n -
Uriuitrotuluol. one of the most pow-
VI i II I CA)'iiaii.D iiianui ayiui vu
Help from outside began to. reach
the stricken city today. Qoctors.
nurses and medical and food cupplics
arrived on special trains from Truro
and Windsor, N. S., and from Monc
ton, N. B. Other trains were ex
pected, to reach here during the day.
The special train sent from Boston
by direction ;bf Governor McCall of
Massachusetts will arrive this eve
ning. . .
irtually all business is suspended
and the schools are closed, while the
inhabitants generally are' turning their
attention to relief work Soldiers and
sailors,- including seamen from an
American warship, which rushed to
the port when it received word of the
disaster, are patrolling the stricken
district and aiding in therescue work.'
Fire Still Burning.
. The 'snowfall, however, comes as an
aid to the fircnieu in quenching the
flames in the ruins ; '
Special trains, bringing doctors,
(Continue! nn Pure Three, Column One.)
v Here for Defense
New York, Dec. 7. Letters in
dicating the existence in this coun
try of a "German military , organi
zation for defense" were seized by
agents of the naval intelligence bu
reau today when they examined the
effects of Otto Julius Merkel, a
German writer and lecturer, who
was arrested last night and interned
on Ellis island on orders from the
government authorities. According
to these communications, Merkel
was at the head of this German
body.
The Road To Wealth
Economy is the , road , to
Wealth. Particularly true in
War Times. All things that are ;
not absolutely essential to your
welfare should be sacrificed.
If you have any articles, of r
furniture, clothing, office fix
tures, musical instruments . or
personal effects that have
ceased to be '6t value to you
Trade Them
kor something you actually
need by putting a small ad m ,
i The) Swappers Column, !
of The Bee. You can count on "
a rapid 'exchange.
Swappers' column rates are ;
25c for a 3 line advertisement '
3 times, and 3c for each aniwer
yutecciy . ". :
X
