Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, December 24, 1917, Image 1
MrT1mrirT''""'r'T 11 "" ' 'i '" l-lll1'''"S''nn wifwMUfcWb" .' ' V ' ' t n A IT "7 I LJpTI!TrT theweather .JJAJLY MEM.1 v 'Do Your Bit" I TOUt I 116 I rr A TTTT A REDR05Sl MAMA And Do ItS now VOL. XLVII. NO. 162.; OMAHA, MONDAY MORNING, , DECEMBER ; 24, 1917. - i . ; ; . " - OR Trtlm, it Hll, Nw Standi. Etc, (, SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS SMEW MM IT U II ti JIB ITALY DEFEATS TEUTON m wmm IA . . . . r ll, .: ..... yi 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 - ' "