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VOL. XLVII. NO. 162.;
OMAHA, MONDAY MORNING, , DECEMBER ; 24, 1917.
- i . ; ; . " -
OR Trtlm, it Hll,
Nw Standi. Etc, (,
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS
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UKRAINIAN
NEW FEDERAL SOCIALIST
REPUBLIC BE ESTABLISHED
General Dutoff's Cossacks Prevent Transmission of Sup-
plies from Siberia and Ukraine Government '
, Has Begun to Issue Its Own Notes; Rada
Defies Bolsheviki to Start Civil War. ' ' " 1
" (By Associated Press.) . j'-..
. Petrograd, Dec 23. The conflict, between the Ukrainian
' Rada and the Bolsheviki commissaries continues unabated The
Rada, replying to an ultimatum of the Bolsheviki, insists on cre
ation of a federal socialist republic, embracing Maximalists and
Socialists, which it' contends alone can be competent to decide
I , the question of peace for the whole of Russia. v - v v
" ' L READY FOR CIVIL WAR. " " ' ' " .. '
The Rada declares itself favorable
to settling by peaceful methods polit
ical and national questions, but asserts
that if the commissaries assume the
consequences of civil war, it will ac
cept the challenge and stop at no ob
stacles. 1 ' " T. ''
On reason for the quarrel is the
' ' Rada's refusal to permit bread stuffs
to be sent to northern Russia in con
sequence of the refusal by the com-
missaries to issue money to meet the
needs of the Ukrainian government.
. This stand, it is. stated, threatens
eventually to starve the north, espe
cially as General Dutoff's. Cossacks
hold Chiliabinsk and are preventing
the transmission of supplies from Si
beria. .In the meantime the Ukraine
has begun to issue its own notes. ..
General Verkhovski, " Kerensky's
minister of war, has offered his serv
ices to the Ukraine government. The
reports ' of military movements In
i connection with the impending clash
include the arrival of General Dutoff
with a strongly reinforced body of
Cossacks .at Ufa, where i he sup-
presed Bolsheviki organizations and
(Continued his advance to Samara and
' . Saratov. Orenburg is surrounded by
C6ssacksV-vl.'-i V sji;
Ukrainian Troops Concentrate.
Ukrainian troops are said to be
concentrated between Homel .and
Bakhmatch, 'while Bolsheviki forces
are 'gathering at Minsk. The Max
imalist troops trying to- reach Kiev
were stopped by torh-up railroad
trscWs. ",
The Rada is said to be in complete
control of Odessa and to have been
joined by the Black sea fleet. The
Bolsheviki have occupied Proskurov,
inj Podoli. - The Syzran Soviet is
t said to hve (Hsarmed :four Cossack
regiments. AH reports continued dis-
connected, howeVer, and are often
1 ; contradictory. ; , ,
According to a -dispatch to the
'Times; from Odessa, liquor .looting
- orgies similar to those in Petrograd
', occurred mere wnn muca inmscnm
inate shooting, incendiarism and de
struction of property.- Finally, rep
resentatives of the soldiersand work-,
' men's delegates and the Kada co
s. ooerated and appointed a committee
' to restore order.' - v . '
A Reuter dispatch from Petrograd
reports that notwithstanding the state
-.. of sieee. sacking of wine stores con
tinues in the capital accompanied by
the riotous - scenes now - laminar.
Manv shoos and dwellings have been
pillaged, as well as the Danish Red
Cross; "; ;fy -'y '"'i ' '
Submarine Chaser Afire,
Reached on Atlantic Coast
An Atlantic Port, Dec. 23. A sub
marine chaser on patrol duty near
here, was destroyed by fire late today
and two of her crew were injured in
lowering the small boats. "They were
taken to a naval hospital. .
When the fire started in -the engine
room the crew beadhed the craft and
after they got to land a shore battery
opened fire on the vessel in an effort
to puncture the gasoline tank and pre
vent an explosion. Two shots went
. wild and" then another , submarine
chaser fired into the tank releasing
the gasoline. ; - ,
Mark Twain Heroine Dies
Quincy, 111.,' Dec. 22. Mrs. Toba
thia Greening, the "Cousin Puss" of
all Mark Twain's 'stories, and to
whom he left a legacy, died today in
Palmyra, aged 83 years. ; '
: The Weather ;
i'or Nebraska Fair,' colder. .
TrmpraturCT at Omaha Yesterday.
Hoar. ; De.
& a. m... ....... 40
6 a. m..
40
7 a. m.. ........
. S a. m..........
9 a. m . . . . . . i .
T , 10 a. ra. .........
11 a. m
- 12 m
i .. 1 P. m
, 2 p. m....
; P. in
4 p. m
6 p. m.t
, ( p. m. .........
7 Pi m ......... .
3t
3
n
19
41
43
46
4
63
(0
41
47
48
CoroparatiT Ieat Beeord.
11T. 11. Hit. 1114.
lllghet yesterday ..,,62 20 42 r 28
Lowest yesterday ,...38 ' 1 31 12
Slesn temperature ,..45 ' 10 38 20
Ff eolpitation 00 ' .02 T. .00
Temperature and precipitation departures
from normal at Omaha since March 1:
. Normal temperature 25
Exr.r-un for the day.....!...:...'..,...-. 20
Total deficiency since March 1 S3
Normal preclpltatioa .03 inch .
Dficiency for the day .03 Inch
Total rainfall .since March 1..21. 75 Inches
Deficiency since March 1, 1017., 7.28 Inches
Deficiency for cor. period, 191.. 12.68 Inches
peflcency-for cor. period, 1915.. 2.04 inches
K 1 LA. WELSH, Meteorologist. 1
RADA INSISTS
KIDNAPER OF
KEET BABY
ADMITS CRIME
j ,V ( ' 1(- .( ,. ; : f
Claude Piersol, Under Sentence
of.35 Years in Prison for
Abduction, Says Child Mur
dered With Laudanum. ,
By the ABSoclated'Presg.) '
Springfield, , Mo.r Dec. 22. Claude
G. Piersolj who recently was '! sen
tenced to serve 35 years in the Mis
souri penitentiary forthe abduction of
Baby Lloyd. Keet at .Springfield, Mo.,
and now charged with ; the 4 infant's
murder, ' has made 1 a concession. 5 to
Sheriff Ward , Mackey Of Webster
county, the sheriff announced ' to
night. : .- . .--'a, L.
The confession implicated ' niany
persons now under arrest, and others
who have been mentioned from time
to time. ' ' -
The kidnaped child died of laudai
num poisoning, according to Piefsol's
. (Continued on Face Two, Column Four.)
' I jrj j
PAN-HELLEMC FETES BOYS
Santa Claus Presides in Person at
v ':, Party Given by Greek Letter Girls.
AND GIRLS IN MAS FROLIC
By GRACE ROBINSON.
Santa Claus in all his glory of White
whiskers, big boots and a jovial smile
presided in peison at the Christmas
fete given by the Pan-Hellenic asso
ciation of Omaha Saturday afternoon
at the" home of Mrs. Robert Adams,
3310 Davenport street. ; .
Sixteen kiddies basked in the wafm
smiles of the genial saint and dove
into the generous socks of candyand
nuts which, he dispensed with a Javish
hand. '' -
The big Christmas tree, resplendent
in holiday attire and -aglow with
vari-colored Christmas cartdles.-yield-ed
a bountiful harvest of gay gifts,
which Santa Claus delivered person
ally to each child.- Each youngster
received ;one useful gilt and one toy.
Loud were the exclamations of sur
prise and joy when the mysterious
packages were opened. , One little,
girl clung tenderly to the most "boo
ful dolly .Tse ever seen1' and refused
to be divested of it when ice cream
and cake and bananas and oranges
appeared on ' the scene 'in generous
portions, v - i - '
A complete china tea set delighted
the heart of . another child, who im
mediately began to serve, all - her
friends a veritable "Barmecide feast"
frm the miniature dishes. i
..One little girl proudly displayed
bright red mittens as Santas gift
to her1' - .... .s. ;:
The merits of every toy. were im
mediately 1 demonstrated, and "great
was the confusion when ' whistles,
trumpets end horns were tried out," in
CAUSE OF GREAT HALIFAX DISASTER.- The Belgian relief ship, Imo, wrecked on the
Dartmouth shore opposite Halifax. The Imo rammed the French munition steamer Mont
Blanc, causinjtsjr"-6 N. T. to explode. v ; , '
PACKERS CONTROLLED
tOTTON SEED PLANTS
AND BIG
Federal Trade Commission to Probe Control of Grain,
T Fertilizer; Dairying, Leather ; iides, Canned Veg
' etables and Poultry; Armour Profits Enor- ,
, 'i'Vr.-.mou; Swift and Morris Implicated. ;
Washington, Dec. 22.- Cotton seed oil plants, Chicago real
estate and cattle trade papers appeared today in the records of
the federal trade commission's inquiry into the packing industry
as sidelines into which the control of the big packers has ex;
tended. . --.'j,-
TN BOSTON NEXT. ' ?
When the inquiry , was., adjourried
over the holidays, Francis J. Heney,
special counsel, announced that Sub
sequent hearinga probably in New
York or Boston would deal with the
oackers' alleged control of grain,
fertilizers, dairying, dairy feed, butter
substitutes, leather hides, poultry ana
canned vegetables, none of which was
touched on in the first three days
testimony. ' ,
Having introduced evidence , de
signed to establish the control ot tne
Chicago stock vards and terminal rail
ways by the Chicago Stock Yards
company of . Maine, promoted and
owned in large part by J. Ogden Ar
mour of Chicago, and Frederick H.
Prince of Boston, Mr. Heney de
veloped from witnesses today that
Armour & Company are interested
also in 11 6ther stock yards.' '
It had been testified previously that
the Morris group of packers owned
most of the Kansas City' yards, and
that Swift was interested in the St.
Paul yard. , '
Mr. Heney charged that by con
trolling the principal cattle markets of
the country, the packers are in a posi
tion to manipulate .the nation'9 meat
supply as well as dictate prices to
both producers and consumers. He
said that the large profits of the stock
yards and railway companies came
chieflyfrom the producers, who pay
storage feed and haulage charges
which constitute the bulk of the com
panies' income. W
Records were introduced today td
show that other packers besides Ar
( Continued on Fas; Two, Column One.)
unison with the clatter of little feet
and the babbling of childish voices.
The feature of the entertainment,
however, was the remarkable' rendi
tion of Christmas stories and read
ings by 4-year-old Gwendoline Eiche.
This tiny tot held grownups and
children alike spellbound wfyen she
related with amazing dramatic appre
ciation the story of the shepherds and
the little , Christ Child. Tears came
into the large eyes of Frank Nicotero,
the little Italian Bee newsboy, as he
listened to the narration of the com
ing of the Holy Babe and his gentle
mother, Mary, told in meltingr accents
by the baby voice, , , v
Humorous recitations followed and
two" baby seal songs, admirably
chosen for the occasion and sung by
Mrs. Irene Cole Wright, enlivened
the remainder of the afternoon. ,
There were many "ohs" and "ahs"
over the, chocolate ice cream and the
cunning cakes with white frosting and
a cherry, and the golden fruit passed
in great baskets to each child. ,
Little 10-year-old Frank Nicotero
enjoyed the distinction of being the
only boy at the party. He acquitted
himself with ease and dignity and po
litely wished his-hostess a merry
Christmas and a "happy New Year
when he departed. : -
The beaming faces and shining eyes
revealing a riot of happiness in each
childish heart brought home to the
young women responsible for the fete
the blessed Christmas truth that "It
is more blessed tov give "than to re
ceive " , ' '
TRADE PAPERS
BRITISH WREST
BETHLEHEM FROM
INFIDEL TURKS
Allenby'i Forces Take Addi
tional Towns and Large Nurh
v ber of Guns and Stores;
: Use ftfount of Olives.
. ,, (By Associated Freis.)
London, Dec. 23. Since the Turks
were driven out of Jerusalem they
have been conducting gorilla warfare
north and east of the' city, to snipe
patrols and generally make them
selves unpleasant, says Reuter's corre
spondent at Jerusalem, telegraphing
under date of December 15.
, To improve the, British positions,
the correspondent says, the taking of
certain ridges has been ordered so
that there may be a wider , range of
defense. . r '
"A remrakable opportunity to view
this fighting is alorde'd by the Mount
of Olives, which makes what is prob;
ably the most wonderful observation
post in the world. -
"One of the most brilliant pieces of
work during the recent ' operations
was the capture of Bethlehem. The
Turks and strong fortifications here
with numerous field guns on the out
skirts of the town. The troops, which
had '.been ordered to take the town,
deloyed by niglrto the left, threaten
ing the Turkish line of retreat and
compelling, the Turks to withdraw.
Welsh troops then entered Bethlehem
at day break." ' . . ,
Allenby's Troops Victorious.
Further progress by the forces "of
General Allenby at two 'points in
Palestine was reported in a statement
issued by the war office. , The state
ment follows:
"General Allenby reports that at
midnight of December 20-21, our
troops crossing the Nhr El Auja, four
miles north of Jaffa on the Mediter
ranean, on rafts-and light bridges,
seized Khurbet, Hadrah.vSheik Muan
nis, Teaer Rekket and El Nakhras.
These localities are near the mouth
of the river and include commanding
ground three miles north of it. They
captured 305 prisoners, 11 of whom
were officers and 10 machine guns.
"pther forces captured Ras ' Ez
Zandy,' two miles northeast of
Bethany, taking 30 -risoners, two ma
chine guns and beating off three
counter attacks.
"General -Allenhv also rennrtrA flu.
following captures sirtce the com
mencement of operations: Ninety
nine guns and howitzers with car
riages 400 limbers, wagons and other
vehicles, 118 machine guns; more than
7,000 rifles, 10,500,000 rounds of small
arm ammunition and mor than 50,000
rounds of gun and howitzer ammuni
tion and various stores.".
Krupp Fire Not Serious.
Amsterdam, Dec. 23.-rA dispatch
from the frontier to the TeleWaaf
says it is learned from Dutch work
men that an explosion occurred in the
electric, power station at the Krupp
plant in Essen, owing to a short cir
cuit The building is reported to have
been damaged seriously. -". . . . :
RED CROSS DRIVE
CLOSES TONIGHT
ilfSIX O'CLOCK
Workers Put In a Busy Day
Sunday, But Figures Are
Not Available Until ,
Today.
But ope day remains for the work
ers vn the big Red Cross drive ' to
reach the 65,000 mark andthey report
they expect 'o reach this goal. sr
With a paid membership of nearly
53,000 and hundreds of workers to re
port on Sunday's drive the prospects
for' doubling Omaha's quota of 40,000
are bright.:.'., .. . , :) ,J
- .Beware of, Hwrtm Cfirftrrtaieve
in connection with candle-lighting
ceremony of. Red Cross.
The National Board of Fire Un
derwriters urges the utmost cau
,tion in the use of candles to illum
inate service flags in home win-,
dows on Christmas Eve.: Pedple'
are instructed to' be very careful.
If possible, an electric light or
flash light should be used. Taking
down curtains is advised.
. Take no chances fire means a
wrecked home; maybe loss of life.
1
The hundreds of workers did, not
make Sunday a day of rest, but on the
contrary, they worked like beavers at
all the public gatherings and recep
tions. Even as early as 8 o'clock Sun
day morning Red Cross workers were
stationed at the two big depots which
were thronged by thousands en route
to upstate towns to spend the Christ
mag vacation, and scarce indeed, was
the man or woman who could run the
gauntlet without digging up a dollar.
At Red Cross headquarters Sunday
night it vas said that when the hour
hands pointed to 6 o'clock Monday
night the big drive would close with a
membership of 80,000.
The committee is anxious to have
all workers turn in reports and money
not later than tonight, when the of
fice will beopejiuritilll o'clock.;
Accidentally Killed '
" Comrade; Imprisoned
Spartanburg, S. C. Dec." 23. Cor
poral Charles Volkenner, Company
B, 106th field artillery, has been con
victed by. , court-martial at - Camp
Wadsworth of criminal carelessness
in the killing of Private Antonia
Massucci, his tentmate, and sentenced
to one year in prison. A month ago
Volkenner was explaining a new rifle,
when the weapon was discharged, in
stantly killing Massucci. (
. Rice, Theatrical Man, Dies.
New York, . Dec. 23. Myron ; B.
Rice, theatrical producer and man
ager, died today at his home in this
city, at the age of 53 years. He came
into prominence when he produced
"My Friend From Ijidia" and "The
Man From Mexico."
It's to Be Soldiers' and Sailors'
Christmas This Year of War
It's the soldiers' Christmas this year. Even the little people, who will
make the America of tomorrow, must stand back for the men in olive
drab. .,''"' ,. -
" Christmas is going to come, not only to every soldier in an encamp
ment or cantonment in the United States, but to every sailor on shipboard
or in port, and td every man in uniform, Somewhere-in-France, or any
where else in the service. They will all celebrate Christmas; not one will
be left in loneliness. ; - :
There will be Christmas trees in every Young Men's Christian asso
ciation building in the United States, where men in uniform come; in the
base camps in the training rone in France, and even behind the trenches
where "Holy Night" is of necessity sung to the accompaniment of explod
ing shells. There will be gifts wrapped as daintily as if they were intended
for someone very dear; and men coming wet and cold from the trenches
will warm themselves around real Yule logs in the fireplaces of Red Tri
angle huts, f. '
Thousands of packages from Omaha and points in Nebraska addressed
merely to "Some Soldier,. Somewhere-in-France," left the "Atlantic ports
on the early November boats. No soldier or sailor will be without a holi
day gift. Those who find it impossible to seek out their Christmas will
have it brought to them.
The Sammies are generous in realiiing that Christmas is made up as
much of giving as of receiving, and the. various Young Men's Christian
association buildings at the encampments have lately been the scenes of
feverishly busy bundle wrapping. Paper and twine have been furnished by
the association, and the boys in khaki are showing that they do nbt for
get when they send gifts to the folks at home. , : , , i.'i . .
JL
ITALIANS RETAKE
MILE OF GROUND
IN FIERCE THRUST
Drive Teutons From Recent Gains in Brilliant Attacks;
Climb Mount Asolone and Charge Garrison; Reach :
; Summit of Mountain But Forced Back
' By Superior Numbers. .
Dr Associated rrM.) " '" -' ' t
, Headquarters of the Italian Army In Northern Italy.
Friday, Dec. 21, 7 p. m. In a succession of brilliant attacks
throughout yesterday and today the Italians succeeded in dis
lodging the enemy front a great part of Monte Asolone and:
driving him back more than two-thirds of a mile along a three
mile front. I ..I'i'Vv '.-V;';. ': 5 fv";VC sp. ::; - f
. The enemy's occupation of Asolone was regarded as a seri
ous menace because it gave him partial control of San Lorenzo
Valley, leading to the plain and Bassano. i. vr , ; :' ' 7
p S ATTACK IN DARKNESS. . ,
ESTABROOlt,
LAWYER AND
ORATOR, DEAD
Former Omaha Man, Once Can-
didate for Republican Nomi
nation for President, Dies
, atTarrytown, N. Y.
Henry Dodge Estabrook, formerly
of Omaha, widely known as an attor
ney and at one time general solicitor
for the Western Union Telegraph
company, died suddenly in a motion
picture theatr-ati'arrytown, N. V,
,. HENRY D. ESTABROOK.
last night. He left his home after din
ner apparently in good&health and
spirits, but collapsed a few minutes
after entering -the theater. He died
in the, lobby .without regaining con
sciousness.': ' . ' - i-.-
Mr. Estabrook's reputation as an
orator and ca: lpaign speaker was
country wide. He was one of the men
mentioned for the republican nomina?
tion for president in 1912, and was
given active support' in Nebraska.
After the nomination of William H.
Taft, he toured the western states in
behalf of Taft's candidacy, v. .
Mr. Estabrook was; bosn , October
23, 1854, at Alden, N. Y. He was edu
cated in the public schools of Omaha,
and was graduated from the law de
partment of Washington university.
He practiced in Omaha from 1877 un
til 1896 and, then rmoved to Chicago
where he remained until 1902. He
then came " to New York as general
solicitor for the Western Union and
served in that capacity,until 1911. He
was a member of the law firm of
Noble, Estabrook and McHarg;; His
(Continued on Page Two, Column Three.)
A determined effort was made to
redeem the position. The first attack
was in darkness at 2 o'clock yester
day mornihg, when a small detach
ment of the Seventh infantry climbed
Monte Asolone and made a forced
charge on tthe garrison. For a time
the little band was beyond the sum
mit, but finally was driven' back by
superior numbers, .-iv, v. ,- ,
' The main attack began at 10 o'clock
iti the morning, when the Alpini and
Seventh regiments ' advanced on a
three-naile front." having Asolone as
its center. The left and center moved
straight ahead. while the right exe
cuted a turning movement which par
tially enveloped the enemy position
on Asolone. -? rs -
The fighting was fierce all through
the day a.d into the darkness of last
night, when the Italians had again
mastered, the strategic points of
Asolone, and the enemy was pushed
back for nearly a'mile.. ;
The enemy's effort to cross the Old
Piave at he nearest point to Venice,
has been thrown back brttattartlailf
ors jind niafines.": The enemy used
armed flatboats carrying a storming
party, ' The Italians, landed a party
from the fleet and engaged the enemy,
driving him back and sinking one of
his armed, boats. ; M ' ; ;
SACRED HEART, ,
FOUNDER DIES
IN NEW YORK
New York, Dec. 23. Mother
Xavier Cabrini, founder of the Order
of the Missionary Sisters of the
Sacred r; Heart, ; died tonight , at
iColumbus hospital of heart disease
from which she had suffered for sev
eral years. ; "-V",;U .;vM--.p,
, Mother Cabrini was born in Italy
on July 16, 1850, and formed the first 1
order of the Sacred Heart at Codog- ,
no, Italy, in 1880. Her work received
the sanetion of the pope and the or
der thrived and spread to all parts of 1
the world. She was called to Rome
in 1887 by Pope Leo Xlll to the,
pontifical school. ' '" v .; '
In 1889 Mother Cabrini desired to
extend her missionary work and was
directed by Pope Leo to go to Amer-
lea. She took, charge of the Italian
schools on her arrivat in New York .
and in 1890 opened the first orphan
asylum of the Sacred Heart at West
Park,"N Y. , As mother-general of
the order, she went to all parts of the. '
world and opened schools, hospitals,
asylums and missions.
REVEAL HUGE .
SPY TRAFFIC .
WITH GERMANY
Washington, Dec. 22. Operation of
a system'1 of regular communication .
between the United States. atad Ger
many, Austria and European neutrals
was disclosed today by announcement
of customs officials that within the
last two weeks they have found scores
of letters containing inscriptions in in
visible ink or code phrases in 'the
clothing or personal effects of ships'
crews bound to or from Scandinavian
ports. Swedes and Norwegians were
most prominent in the traffic and
about one-fifth of the letters were of
suspicious character. v
Evidence -gathered thus far leads
officials to believe some neutral sub
jects aided by Americans have made
considerable money by promoting the
clandestine traffic in communications
to evade the British ' censorship of
mails before and . after the 1 United
States entered the war. These are
now subject to criminal prosecution
with penalty of $10,000 fine and 10
years imprisonment
Omaha Restaurant Men
: ' Conferring With Hoover
Washington, Dec. 23. (Speciat
Telegram.)-John W. Welch, P. F
Petersen, T. F. Naughton and Chaa.
Wortman were in conference today,
with Herbert Hoover, food adminis
trator, with reference to the conserva
tion and distribution of cakes and
sweet dough. ' They are in Washing
ton as representatives of the hotels,
restaurants ami cafes of Omaha and
Nebraska - ' "