JUST INSIDE THE DOOR OF FARNAM STREET ENTRANCE- - THE BEE'S NEW WANT-AD SHOP The Omaha Daily Bee THE WEATHER Fair; Cold VOL. XLVII. NO. 166. OMAHA, FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 28, 1917. TEN PAGES. on Tram, it hms. CTrnT & nrr v Tivn nxrvrTC ISVTtiAlTi) UNDER ENTC n i (S m Ann OOTMOL PEACE TERMS TEUTONS WILL END WAR OUTLINED BY CZERNIN Favor General Peace Without Forcible Annexations or Indemnities, But Will Not Bind Themselves to Such . Terms Unless All Russia's Allies Will Recognize and Carry Them Out. Bjr AMMtated Frws.) Virtual acceptance of the peace terms of"ejed by Russia vcs made by the central powers in a statement issued to the peace conference Tuesday by Count Czernin, the Austro-Hun-garian foreign, minister, provided Russia's allies also recognize them and carry them out honestly toward the central powers. AGREEABLE TO KAISER. ' Peace without forcible annexations and indemnities is agreeable to the central powers and they will con clude a general peace immediately on conditions equally just to all the bel ligerents. The return of Germany's lost colonies is made an essential part of the German conditions. The United States and the entente allies up to this time have not rec ognized the Bolsheviki government or agreed to the terms Russia proffered at the beginning of the Brest-Litovsk conference. Will Sign Terms. Petrograd, Wednesday, Dec. 26. The central powers. Count Czernin, the Austro-Hungarian foreign minis ter, told the peace- conference 'at Brest-Litovsk yesterday solemnly de clares their resolve immediately to sign terms which will terminate the war on conditions equally just to all belligerents. The central powers also favor a general peace without forcible annexations and indemnities. They could not bind themselves: to such terms without a guarantee-that Rus- . , ..... sia's allies woia4ecopnz-ttenTrt1&t-ufc-wJ- facikt,cs cavy them out honestly toward tte central powers. : i : Basic Terms of Peace. Count Czernin declared that the central powers believed that the basic principles uttered by the Russian dele gates could be the basis of such a peace. He said they shared Russia's condemnation of a continuation of the war for the sake of conquest. It is necessary to indicate most clearly, however, the count added, that the Russian proposals could be real ized only in the event that all bel ligerents obligated themselves to ad here: to the terms of such a peace. The Austro-Hungarian foreign min ister declared that the central powers did not intend to forcibly annex ter ritories seized during the war nor to deprive nations of political indc pendence lost in the war. The question of the subjection of nationalities who have not political independence to another country can not be solved internationally and must be met by each government and its people in the manner established by the constitution of that government. The protection of the right of minor ities is an essential part of the right of peoples , to self-definition. In the eveftt of a mutual refusal to meet war expenditures and py dam ages caused by the war. Count Czer nin continued, each belligerent shall bear only the expense of its subjects made prisoner and damages caused to property 6f civilian subjects by de liberate violations of international law on the part of the adversary. The creation of a special fund for this pur pose, as suggested by Russia, could be discussed only in the event that (Continued on Pace Two, Column Two.) the Weather I'qt Nebraska Fair nd continued cold. Tempers tares at Omaha Yesterday. Hour. 6 a. m. i a. m. 7 a. m. 8 a. m. 9 a. m. .. 26 . . S6 25 22 16 10 a. m 14 11 a. m 12 12 m... 10 1 pm 10 2 p. m... 10 3 p. m 7 4 p. m 4 I p. m 2 6 p. m 1 7 p. m 1 8 p. m r.. 0 Comparative Loral Record. 117. 1916. 115. 1914. Highest yesterday .. 26 24 2J 22 Lowest yesterday ..0 6 10 5 Mean temperature .. 13 16 IS 14 Freclpttatlon 00 .00 .00 T Temperature and precipitation departures from the normal: Normal temperature 23 Deficiency for the day 10 Total deficiency since March 1 409 Vormal precipitation 03 inch Deficiency Tor the day 03 inch Total rainfall since aMrch 1. .. .21.76 Inches fx-flclency since March 1 7.38 inches Deficiency for cor. period, 1916. .13.62 inches Deficiency for cor. period. 1915.. 2.11 IncheaJ Report from Stations at T P. M. Station and State Temp. High- Rain of Weather. 7 p m est 48 36 62 32 30 51 H (all. .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 00 .01 .')0 . T .00 .00 Cheyenne, cloudy 44 Pavenport, cloudy 20 Denver, cloudy 36 Ies Moines, pt. cloudy 4 D(dr City, clear .... H Lander, clear 4! North Flaite, pt. cloudy 2 ('ma hi, clear 1 I'ueb!n, part clrady... 42 Tiapid City, cloudy 10 Salt Lake City, cloudy 50 Santa Fe, clear 41 Sheridan, cloudy 6 s:iux City, cloudy 4 a!entlne. clody 10 T Indicates trace of precipitation, r Indicates below zero. m . .L. A. Jvt'ELEH, Meteorologist, ON WHICH SPEED FREIGHT HAULS UNDER U.S. RAIL CONTROL Shipments Now Will Go Over Shortest and Most Convenient Routes; Formerly Competi tion Reduced Efficiency. (By Aiwovlated Press.) ' Washington, Dec- 28. Under the traffic pooling plan worked out by Secretary McATloo as director gen eral of railroads, freight will move over the shortest and most convenient routes regardles of the individual in- will be pooled, this system can be be pursued to an extreme limit, of ficials pointed out today, without en danfferinir the revenues of anv line. Earnings will be pooled and paid out oii the basis ot pre-war returns re gardless of how much freight a rail road actually moves. Competition Loses Efficiency. Railroad experts admit that there is a great loss of efficiency in com petition. Freight often is billed over a particular line when .it miglij be handled much more expeditiously over another. A shipper has a right to ship his freight as he pleases, but tinder eovernmeut operation and traf fic pooling it matters not which road lrotzkys object is to discredit tne receives his freight. It will move over entente allied governments through the line or lines best able to handle their representatives, and the meth it. Two railroads running between ods he has adopted are calculated to New York and Chicago, for instance, intensify the hostility of the Russian miirht cross at some point in between, proletariat toward the allies, which Under the ordinary system, freight given to one road in New York would proceed all the way over that line. verted to the other road at the cros sing point if the Qther road from the crossing on to Chicago offered at the tibe better facilities for moving. Will Relieve Congestion. While admitting that competition slows up traffic in a situation such as exists at present, railroad men point to the fact that competition has brought all the improvements in rail road facilities such as the airbrake and other devices. But during the war, even they admit that the inven tion of new appliances is far less im portant than the moving of freight. Under the government pooling plan a railroad with its lines congest ed will not be given more freight to handle if it appears it may add to the congestion. Interstate Commerce commission officials will work closely with Secre tary McAdoo on a comprehensive operating plan. They believe a sys tem will not be hard to devise and that with a' skeleton plan outlined rail road officials themselves can carry out the details without a great deal of trouble. LATE WAR BULLETINS UKRAINIANS WINNING. London, Dec. 27. Ukrainian forces, according to a report received from Petrograd, have occupied the head quarters of the Fourth, Eighth and Eleventh armies on the Roumanian southwestern front. Those who re sisted were disarmed and a quantity of guns and rifles were seized. The Ukrainians have occupied the station at Brailoff and disarmed the guards. A telegram received in Petrdgrad from Tomsk reports fighting in Ir kutsk, Siberia. Cossacks and military cadets have engaged the garrison there for two days with alternating success. GERMANS REPULSED. Paris, Dec. 27. Three attacks were made by the Germans last night on the Verdun front east of the Meuse, it is announced officially. At their third attempt the Germans succeeded in reaching the French lines, but were driven out immediately with heavy losses, leaving prisoners. BOLSHEVIIU ADMIT RIVALS TO COUNCIL Seek to Placate Political Op ponents Who Have Ma jority in Constituent Assembly. (By AHSoclnted Press.) The Bolsheviki are taking measures to placate their opponents. Seven members of the social revolutionist party, which has a majority of the constituent assembly, have been ad mitted to the council of national com missioners, as the ruling body in Rus sia is called. The Bolsheviki still re tain 10 members in the council. Allege American Plot. London, Dec. 27. The Bolsheviki newspapers continue to print revela tions of an alleged American plot to support General Kaledines, according to a Petrograd dispatch to the Morn ing Post, dated Tuesday. So far as Ambassador Francis is concerned, the dispatch adds, the whole ridiculous charge falls to the ground before the straightforward statement issued by the American ambassador on Tues day. Colonel Kolpashnikoff never ap plied to the ambassador for any fund for any purpose, although fully em powered to draw as needed on the Red Cross account, he being con nected with the American Red Cross. Leon Trotzky's charges against Kolpashnikoff and American represen tatives in Petrograd, the correspon dent adds,' amount to a series of sup positions, unsupported by evidence of any kind. The correspondent says that Colonel Kolpashnikoff assisted the officials in Halifax in examining Trotzky when he and Trotzky were traveling to Russia together, and addsr Trotzky's Personal Hatred. "The matter thus comes down to the personal element, which plays so large a part in what is called politics in Russia today." Colonel Kolpashnikoff, the corre spondent says, is still in prison and has not been seen by any American official. It is plain, according to the cor respondent of the Post, that in some small bits of friction between the respective American missions in Rou mania and Russia, Trotzky found a peg on which to hang a series of base less charges against Ambassador r-rancis and the American nation German agents always have fostered, I , J If) W A PRF AlHFK ALMOST HANGED FOR HIS SPEECH Audubon, la., Dec. 27. After months of friction between citizens, members of the county Council of Defense and pro-Germans of this community, late yesterday a sensa tional attack was made upon Rev. W. A. Starck and Fred Tenekheig, both of whom had ropes placed around their necks and were all but lynched by the parents of boys who have gone to war and who have become in furiated by the continued unpatriotic actions of certain citizens. This followed a public meeting, at which Doth men refused to be sub ject to the Council of Defense. Tenekheig, 30, single, and said to be worth $45,000, had done little for the war, and Rev. Mr. Starck has been before the Council of Defense re peatedly for alleged treasonable acts. Both men at different periods of the late afternoon had ropes placed about j their necks and Tenekheig was : dragged nearly a block to the public j square, where he was released more ! dead than alive and where he signed i a check, for $1,000 for the Red Cross. Starck s escape from lynching was due to his wife, who ran screaming to the spot where they had led him. and as she fell fainting to the ground the men turned their attention to her and later let Starck free on condition that he and his family leave the com munity at once. He left within an hour. Officials Seize Sugar That Was to Be Given Away Paterson, X. J Dec. 27. Three hundred and seventy-five pounds of sugar which were to be given away free last night to the patrons of a local theater are now in the poses sion of the federal food administra tion, and D. Nochinsohn, a wholesale grocer, must go before the United States commissioner in Jersey City to answrr a charge of hoarding the commodity. When the theater ad vertised that it would give .the sugar away last night, an agent of the food administration seized it and served the grocer with a summons after be ing informed that the suear had been ( purchased from Nochinsohn. ALL LINES TO BE OPERATED AS ONE GIGANTIC SYSTEM AND DIRECTED BY THE SECRETARY OF TREASURY Your Uncle Samuel's New Role DICTATOR" SS.- SAMMY i FEDERAL BOARD ' PROBES CASE OF VILBER LAWYER Frank W. Bartos' Alleged Ac tivities Before Exemption Boards ' Investigated by Representatives of U. S. Frank W. Bartos, former state sen ator and senior member of Bartos & Bartos, lawyers, Wilber, Neb., was in vestigated recently by a government board because of his activities before the various exemption boards and the big fees he charged. The first intimation that Bartos wag making money out of his activities on behalf of drafted men was received when a Wilber farmer came into the exemption board rooms at Lincoln and stated Bartos had made out exemption papers for him and charged him $250. He had offered the attorney $25, which was refused, he said. L. B. Frye, of the appellate board, advised the far mer to offer Bartos $5. That was the last heard of the case. E. M. Pollard, of the appellate board, said information had come to it that Bartos was charging exorbi tant fees. Fictum Case Cited. Another case cited by the critves of Bartos is that of Eman Fictum. a son of a wealthy farmer who had neglected to register. Information of this came to the government, but before any ac tion could be taken, Bartos made a trip to Lincoln and asked the governor ioi: permission to let Fictum register. There was no necessity for this, as the law allowed the young man to register. But his registering did not exempt him from arrest, and he is now await ing a hearing. According to a story circulated in Saline county, Bartos charged Fictum $1,500 for his services. Fictum says he paid $250 and expects to pay more. Another case is in connection with the son of H. D. Damkroger, presi dent of the Farmers and Merchants bank of DeWitt. The son was drafted. (Continued on I'a-e Two, Column Mx.) Girls Supplant Boys At Burlington Offices At Burlington headquarters girls have taken the place of boys as messengers, not because they are considered more efficient, but be cause boys cannot be found to do the work. Boys who in the past have been doing messenger service have found other employment in other lines of work at higher wages. As a result, girls have been taken on to run errands and perform gen eral messenger duties, GERT HOFFMANN JUST MUST HAVE HER CHAMPAGNE Max, Her Hubby, Also Requires a Cocktail Now and Then, According to Testimony in Court. Gertrude Hoffmann would be sub ject to grave danger and risk if de prived of champagne. Max Hoffmann, her Adonis-like husband, might collapse if he could not have a nip of martini now and then. This information was brought out in municipal court before Judges Holmes and Baldwin at the hearing of cases filed by Prosecutor McGuire against members of the Hoffmann company and Skects Gallagher, an other Orpheum performer who hap pened to be on the same train when the Hoffmann company's baggage was raided last Sunday morning at Union depot. Rule Car Is Home, The court dismissed the case against Max Hoffmann on the grounds that the car on which he ar rived from Kansas City was his pri vate car, and, therefore, was his home within the meaning of the Ne braska prohibitory law. Mr. Gallagher was fined $100 and costs, as the evidence showed that he brought four quarts of intoxicants to Omaha for the purpose of cheering his aged mother on Christmas day. He admitted those circumstances, but the court held that sentiment should not contravene the law. Six bottles of champagne and one bottle of martini were found in the personal effects of Gertrude and Max Hoffmann. Gertie was not required to appear in court. On behalf of his wife Mr. Hoffmann offered in evidence the fo'lowing telegram received in the morning from a New York City physician of the famous disciple of tcrpsichoie: Says Necessary Stimulant. "I prescribe champagne for Ger trude Hoffmann, one glass after each .(Continued on Pma Two, Column rive.) . Attorney General Reed Appeals Omaha Strike Case Lincoln, Neb., Dec. 27. (Special.) Attorney General Reel has ap pealed the Omaha ftrke injunction case, lie seeks to have all unipns included in a permanent injunction against Omaha labor organizations. Only the teamsters were named in the permanent order issued by Judge Leslie several weeks ago. EXPECT REDUCTION IN OPERATING EXPENSES TO SAVE ONE BILLION Enormous Salaries of Rail Managers to be Cut and Wages to Workers Increased; Government Will Sell Bonds to Buy New Equipment and Guaran tee Earnings of AH Properties Taken. (By Asaodatad Trr.) Washington, Dec. 27. Order No. 1, to be issued shortly by Director General of Railroad McAdoo, will provide for the pooling of all traffic and facilities, the common use of terminals, tracks and equipment, the hauling of freight by the shortest route regardless of billing or routing, and the retention of all present officers and employes of railroads. One effect of this order will be to give a number of rail roads terminal facilities which they do not now have in hi? cities. The Baltimore & Ohio probably will enter New York City at the Pennsylvania station. BROTHERHOOD CHIEFS CONFER. Heads of the four railroad brotherhoods conferred with President Wil son for an hour and a half late today, discussing in detail the part of the employes will play under government operation. A. B. Garretson, of the conductors, said afterwards that wage increases were not mentioned. Mr. Garretson added that the brotherhools were behind the government operation plan nad the president had krywn it for two weeks. REDUCE LARGE SALARIES. One of the first acts of the government in beginning operation of rail roads will be to reduce Urge salaries now being paldto the railway executives and increase in some measure the wages of the railway workers. Securities to be issued while the government is in control will be at In terest rates not less than 4 per cent and the issues will be made under joint authority of the director general and the Interstate Commerce commisson. U. S. TAKES SURPLUS EARNINGS. President Wilson, when he outlines the government's plans in the forth coming address to congress, will ask that the government be empowered to buy any quantity of new railroad securities. All earnings over and above an amount to be agreed upon will go to the government. Congress will be asked also to appropriate a large fund probably $200, 000,000 for the immediate supply of rolling stock to handle the flood of traffic which has swamped the roads. MAY TAKE EXPRESS. The director general will have authority to decide whether the govern ment shall also assume operation and control of the express companies. President Wilson will recommend to congress that the railroads be guar anteed the average net income of the three years ending June 30, 1917, but any railroad may abide by its constitutional right and refuse to accept this : basis of compensation. In that case the question will pass to an arbitrating body, the precise nature of which is to be determined by congress. MAY SAVE A BILLION. The equipment fund will also be used to pay any deficit of earnings this year under the pre-war average or the amount agreed upon, but officials who have given the situation close study believe it may be unnecessary to ex pend any great sum in this way. They believe that the government by elimi nating wasteful competition and unnecessary expenses under a common con trol, can save hundreds of millions of dollars. Some officials even estimate that the saving will be a billion dollars a year and that the government will be able to garner revenue from the government operation plan in addition to in suring railroad securities holders against loss. (S To Help Weak Lines. SENATORS SAY M'ADOO CHOICE IS PARTISAN Washington, Dec. 27. Prelimin aries for actual taking over of the railroads by the government at noon tomorrow moved forward swiftly today and overshadowed all other war activities in the capital. Although approved by the great majority of railroad men, there was some disposition toward criticism in congress, principally on the ground that the government proposed to al low the railroads too much, but there was no indication that the president's plans would be seriously opposed and everything was prepared for enacting necessary laws quickly after he ex plains the situation soon in an ad dress to congress. Many members of the house and Senate predicted that the step was only the beginning of government operation and control and that it would soon extend to telegraph and t lephone lines, if not, indeed, to the distribution of life's necessaries. The Interstate Commerce commit tees in congress began a survey of the legislation they will prepare to carry the president's plans into effect. The criticism in congress was heard from the lepublican side. Senator Cummins, in a statement declaring his doubt that the president had author ity, thought it would have been wiser to wait for legislation by congress. Senator Weeks, also a republican, declared the president had ample authority and added that while it was of no effect to criticise, the question might well arise as to whether the se lection of Secretary McAdoo was a good one. Acting Republican Leader Gillette, of the house, also assailed the selec tion of McAdoo. "1 think it proper," said he, "to ex press my regret that this great ap pointment has not been a less part isan one and was not givtn to one whose experience and impartiality would insure more confidence," 1 Although in most cases earned dividends exceeding the guarantee will revert to the government, congress will he asked to make some' provision (or railroads whose pre-war earnings were abnormally low, by authorizing the payment of dividends in excess of those amounts on approval of the In terstate Commerce commission. Railroads will continue to provide for their own issues of securities, but will be compelled to obtain the ap proval of the director general before going to the Interstate Commerce commission for final sanction. The commission will pass upon the size of the issue and the director general will determine the interest rate, which could not be less than 4 per cent un der the proposed plan. Work for McAdoo. In his dual position of secretary of the treasury and director general of railroads Mr. McAdoo would be in the best position to pass on questions of securities interest rates. It also would be his duty to determine when the government should purchase new securities issued under his approval, and this plan would prevent the rail securities from interfering with future issues of Liberty bonds without neces sitating actual government financing of the railroads. The legislation which will be recom mended to congress would specify that the roads would remain subject to all existing: laws and regulations of the Interstate Commerce commission. Those who have given careful thought to the situation believe the director general will not modify the existing order radically at first, but eventually will ro far toward centralizing author ity under the federal government State Commissions. The Association of State Railroad Commissioners will give full support to the new plan so long as its func tions are not reduced materially but it is expected to protest against being deprived of adjusting minor questions of rates and rules within its terri tories. Until Mr. McAdoo outlines his plans the status of express companies under government operation of rail roads will not be fully determined, Naturally they will be under very (Continued on r( Two, Column !".) . I J