B
AHA
THE WEATHER
Fair -
VOL. XLVII. NO. 175.
OMAHA, TUESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 8, 1918. TEN PAGES.
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS
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KAISER CALLS OFF RUSS
CONFERENCE; UNABLE TO
AGREE ON MEETING PLACE
Socialist Party is Stumbling Block to Plans of Kaiser's Gov
eminent;. Berlin Denies Report That General Von
Ludendorff Has Resigned; German Crown
Council Discusses Demands.
. (By Associated Press.)
Russian efforts to have Germany acquiesce in the transfer
of the peace negotiations?rom Brest-Litovsk, in German con
trol, to the neutral city of Stockholm apparently have failed.
An official statement issued at Berlin says that a German
crown council meeting discussed the Russian demand, after
which it was announced the sittings had been temporarily sus
pended, i
that fear of intrigue in Stockholm on
thp part of entente interests would
endanger the work or the plentipo
tentiaries ,is not confirmed from Pet
rograd. Foreign Minister Trotsky
went to Brest-Litovsk in a vain at
tempt to persuade the Germans to go
to Stockholm.
SOCIALISTS MAY DESERT.
In Germany the political situation
is much disturbed over the attitude
of the liberal parties concerning the
government's stand upon the pro
posed transfer. The socialists appear,
to be the stumbling block and there
is danger that they may desert the
Reichstag majority, making it neces
sary for the government to reform
the party alignments.
Berlin has issued an official denial
that General von Ludendorff, first
quartermaster general, has resigned.
The general, with his chief, Field
Marshal von Hindenburg, was pres
ent at the crown council which de
cided to suspend the Russian negotia
tions, i
Crown Council Meets.
London,; Jan. 6. German advices
Saturday were to the effect that the
Bolsheviki delegates, on finding that
the representatives of the Teutonic
allies were at Brest-LitovsK awaiting
them, had started for this town, but
nothing has come through to show
that these had any foundation irufact.
The decision of the Germans-to dis
continue the sittings was ar.riv.ed. at.
during a crown council neia in rserun
Saturday, which was attended' by
Field Marshal von Hindenburg and
General von Ludendorff, iirst .quar
termaster general.,
A ; belated dispatch from ' Berlin
gives as the reason for the refusal of
the Germans to consider Stockholm
a place where peace might be-advantageously
discussed the fear that
British,, French and American diplo
mats in tlit Swedish, capital would by
,itrigue." render all endeavors futile.
Situation Serious in Berlin. . ,
Dispatches from Berlin indicate
that although the Reichstag parties in
the main are supporting the govern"-'
ment, considerable political unrest is
prevalent,- and that strong efforts are
being made to hold the socialists in
line. The socialist organ in Berlin
characterises the situation as-extraor-
' Armistice in Ukraine.- . .
An armistice has been declared in'
the Ukraine region, the Rada, the
Ukrainian legislative body, ' and th$
Bolshevik having agreed .to a'comp'ro
mise of their difficulties. The Rada is
said to be ready to decline to give
support to General Kaledines and his
L'ossacks in return for the withdrawal
jf the Bolsheviki troops from the
Ukraine. ...
The Petrograd Post says the kiug of
Roumania has cabhd the entente al
lies that the Roumanians are deter
mined to continue the war notwith
standing the desires of the. troops
on the Russian-Roumanian front, arid
that M. Poincare, the French presi-
(Continued on Page Six, Column Six.)
The Weather
For Nebraska Snow and-warmer.
Temperatures at Omaha Yesterday.-
Hoifr. Deg.
1. . t a. in. 3
6 a. in .' iS
7 a. m.
5 a. ni 2
8 1. tA 3
10 a. in 5
11 a. ra X 8
12 m , , 12
1 p. ra 14
2 p. m. ..'.17
3 p. in - 18
4 p.fn 19
3 p. m 18
6 p. m 16
7 p. m IS
5 p. m IS
t'omparatlTe Reeord.
1918. 191. 1916. 1915.
Highest yesterday ..13 34. OS 25
t.owesttyesterdy . . 2 20 2f '20
Mean tlmperature .':'Mo., 27 28 24
Precipitation i...... .00 .00 .00 .00
Temperature and precipitation departures
from'The normal: .
Normal temperature 21
Deficiency for yie day 11
Total deficiency since March 1 442
Normal precipitation 02 inch,
Deficiency for the day.. .. .021 nch
Total rainfall since-March 1.'. . .21.861 nches
Deficiency for cor. period, 1916. .12.67 Inches
Deficiency for cor. period, 1916.. 1.98 Inches
Report from Stations at IF. 1.
Station and State Temp. HlKh- Raln-
of Weather. 7 p. m.
Cheyenne, cloudy 32
Davenport, clear 12
Denver, cloudy . 3fi
Dea Moines, ckar .... l'i
Do1e City, cloudy .... 32
Tender, cloudy 26
North Plattt, snov-in;.. 32
Omaha, cloudy It
Tueblo, cloudy 40
est.
fall.
.00
.10
' .00
T
.00
'.00
T
."0
.00
ss
20
4$
i0
33
4-
19
52
T indicates trace of precipitation,
I.. A. WELSH, Meu-irolog!st.
REDS PREPARE
TO GIVE BATTLE
TO GERMAN FOE
Bolsheviki Declares Radicals
Do Not Desire Help of Allies,'
Raising Army to Fight
for Ideak
(By Associated Press.)
London, Jan. 7. The Bolsheviki
are definitely strengthening the front,
Petrograd advices say. The corre
spondent of the Daily News obtained
this information from M. Radek, one
of. the Russian delegates who toolc it
prominent part in 'the negotiations
with the) Austrians and Germans at
Petrograd. He sajd the Bolsheviki
-were intending to send h6me alt wh'o
didk not wish to fight, so that they
would have an army which was will'
ing to fight for an ideal.
The correspondent asked "what
would be the attitude of the Bolshe
viki in case of actual war, with regard
to help from the allies."
4M, Radel? replied: "We do not de
sire their help. Our strength lies itf
our weakness, and if we accepted help
from the allies, the significance of
pur position would be destroyed.. The
weaker we are the stronger we are.
The Germans 'can drive' lis back; but
what good -would it- do them?"
Country Has Been Stripped.
"The. country behind the front has
been stripped bare. There is not
enough there to feed a single hors.
The Germans will hot wish millions
of starving persons on their hands.
"We stand, for a democratic peape.
So do the German working classes.
If the German government attacks
us it will displayitself to its own
people in its own true light."- -
A telegram from Brest-Litovsk to
Amsterdam gives a wireless message
sent to M. Joffe, . chairman of the
Russian delegation, by Foreign Min
ister von Kuehlman for the German
delegation, Foreign Minister Czernin
fof 'the Austrians, Foreign Minister
Nessinmy Bey for the Turks, and
Minister of Justice Bopoff for' the
Bulgarians. It recalls that when the
central powers outlined the terms on
which they were willing to make
peace they stipulated that these terms
would be valid only if all the belliger
ents bound themselves within a cer
tain period to observe them. The
Russians -then fixed 10 days as the
period in which the other belligerents
were to decide to join in the negotia
tions, but, although this time elapsed
January 4, nothing has' been heard
from them.
Discussion Favors Germany.
Another" telegram from Brest-Litovsk
states that informal discussions
there friday between the Germans
and Ukrainians took" a direction fa
vorable to Germany.
A Petrograd- dispatch to the Daily
Mail says that General Missel, head
of the French-military mission, replied
to Foreign Minister Trotzky's com
plaint respecting . .French .military
propaganda by. stating, that certain
news received, from Stockholm had
been issued by a young officer by mis
takeN ' The general promised that no
such mistakes would be. made again.
M. Trotzky replied with a demand
that the officer in question leave Rus
sia. '
The correspondent adds that it is a
pirj' that some of the allied diplomats
pretend to ignore M. Trotzky, while
in fact they are obliged to recognize
his authority.
City Commissioners Approve
PIans for Three Comfort Stations
City commissioners, in committee
of the whole, approved plans f ir thrt i
public comfort stations, one to be lo
cated in the South Side and two iff
Omaha proper. . The exact locations
have not been determined. Sixteenth
and Dodge streets and Sixteenth and
Harney streets have been recom
mended. The plans were drawn by the City
Planning commission and are the
REGIMENT, WHICH GOVERNOR NEVILLE
RESIGNED HIS OFFICE TO COMMAND,
ORDERED MUSTERED OUT OF SERVICE
War Department at Washington Notified Colonel Neville that Troops Cannot be Used
in Federal Service and Adjutant General of Nebraska Immediately Or
dered Regiments Mustered Out; Facts Known at Lincoln
Since December 15; Delayed in Mails.
The Lucky Seventh, or, as
known, the Unlucky Seventh, is
tion given out by Governor 'Keith -Neville at Lincoln this
morning.
Members of the Seventh
quarters with shouts of approval.
in the war, was the.opinion expressed, and seemed to be
unanimous. -
Some members of the regiment who were chafing under
what they considered a "raw
they would enlist with the Canadian troops as an expression of
their feelings. They changed their minds immediately when
one young man jumped to his feet and shouted:
MTJ-M WTT.T. FMT.TST
"I am going to enlist in the United
States army or navy assoon as they
will take me and I am going to fight
under the Stars and Stripes. I am an
American and always will be and that
is the country I will fight for."
Governor Neville, who resigned as
chief executive of the state, to become
colonel of the regiment as
soon as' it was mastered into federal
service, expressed his regrets that the
regiment had been ordered disbanded.
He said information from the War
department at Washington was to
the .effect that the regiment would
not be sent to the f.ont. The gov
ernor expressed the opinion that the
troops were not -needed for home
L service and it would be better to dis
band in order that those who desired
could enlist in the regular army or
navy. ,
The orders received by the gov
ernor at 11:30 Monday signified
that the War department considered
it best to raise the army by the draft
method rather than by state organiza
tions..; . The .order was sent from
Washington November 6, but was not
received by the adjutant general of
Nebraska until December IS.
WANTED TO FIGHT.
Local officers of the regiment are
of the opinion that the majority of
the 1,800 enlisted men in the regiment
will enlist as soon as the Seventh reg
iment is formally disbanded.
"We enlisted .because we - wanted
to fight," said Captain Higginson. "I
will enlist, as I am over the draft age,
and I think the rest of the mer will
do likewise , if they can." "
A large percentage of the members
are -under 18 or more than 31 years
of age and will not be affected by the
draft rulings. Jt is planned by the
governor to give a .certificate to the
men that they were in the National
Guard service and unable to enlist in
order that they may yet see active
service.
: "The formalities of finally disband
ing the regiment should not occupy
a great deal of time is the opinion of
lgcal officers.
Governor Neville will issue a or
der to the-adjutant general to mus
ter out the Seventh regiment. The
adjutant general will immediately 6r
der Colonel Neville to disband his
regiment. The colonel will so in
struct his company commanders.
No censure is placed upon the gov
ernor by the loeah members, as they
feel that he is sincere and desirous
of entering the service, and the hope
was expressed that he would see fit
to have ' is resignation go into effect
and enlist with the rest in regular
service.
Hard for Howard.
Governor Neville's' resignation- was
conditional.. It, was' to take effect im
mediately upon the mustering of the
regiment into federal service. From
the governor's chair he was to step
into the colonelcy of the regiment.
Lieutenant Governor Edgar How
ard, who once "shuddered at the
thought of becoming governor," and
later flattered himself that he might
actually carry off these honors with
tolerable grace, will shudder no
more;
For Neville is booked to stick to
the big mahogany chair.
Howard is booked to notify his per
sonal friends that he will have no ap
pointments to .dish out to them. It is
known tftat quite a flock of demo
cratic birds of a certain fcathejr have
been hovering over .the state house
situation for months waiting to snatch
up some of the appointments the lieu
tenant governor would toss out once
he got into' the executive chair, aftffr
first relieving some of the Neville ap
pointees. same for the three stations. Estima
ted cost per station .'s $14,183, which
will bring the cost within the avail
able fund of $50,000 received through
the sale of bonds authorized by the
legislature. '
These comfort stations will be
placed under sidewalks and will be
similar to one now in use at Six
te'enth and Douglas streets.
Bids for the construction will be
called for within a few weeks.
it has become more familiarly
no more, according to informa
received the word at their head
"At last we know our status
deal" expressed the opinion that.
EARL READING TO
REPRESENT THE
ENGLISH IN U.S.
- i
New Ambassador,to Deal Main
ly With Business Affairs;
Northcliffe Not to
Return.
London, Jan. 7. Earl Reading, lord
chief justice, wiy go to the United
States as direct representative of the
British war cabinet, according to the
Daily Express. While Earl Reading
will have the title .v of ambassador,
purely diplomatic matters will, be in
the hands of a charge d'affaires, the
earl controlling war activities. ,
Earl Reading's work will, according
$ the understanding in official circles,
eal mainly with financial and general
business matters and he1 will be re
lieved of the ordinary ambassadorial
functiois of handling numerous minor
diplomatic negotions which constitute-a
large part of the embassy's
work Colonel E. D. Swifton, assist
ant secretary of the war cabinet and
one of the originators of the British
tank, will accompany the lord chief
justice as an attache.
The appointment of Earl Reading
as the ambassador is primarily for
war purposes, it is said, and probably
means that Viscount Northcliffe will
not return to the Unitejd States as
head of the permanent British mis
sion. Lord Northcliffe will continue
the active direction in England of the
American mission offices which have
just been established in Crewe house,
a spacious old-fashioned mansion in
the heart of Mayfair. Lord Crewe has
loaned Hie house to the government
for the'duration of the war.
Earl Reading was attorney general
of England as Sir Rufus Isaacs. In
October, 1913, he was appointed lord
chief justice' to succeed Lord Alver
stone and was elevated to the peer
age in December of that year. 1
Making
LONDON PRESS
APPROVES WAR
AIMS OF GEORGE
Premier's Statement. Hailed as
Satisfactory to Allies; Ger
many's Reply Awaited
With Interest.
London, Jan. 7. If the country's
opinion, as is probable in the pres
ent case, can be judged by expres
sions in the London press, it may be
said that never before 1 has Preruier
Lloyd George won such universal ap
proval as is given to his statement
of Saturday concerning Great Brit
ain's war aims. It is recognized that
there will be a divergence of opinion
cn details like the economical terms
of settlement and disposition of Ger
many's' African colonies, but in all
essentials his statement is hailed as
eminently satisfactory, and the pre
mier is declared to have performed
a-most important service to the coun
try. All interest Is now focused on the
o,jestion as to how the statement will
be . received in Germany- Austria
Hungary and, not the least, in Rus
sia, tut asj yet; there is nothing to
satisfy this anxious curiosity.
With the exception only of the bel
licose Morning Post, which, however,
is not opposed to the premier's thesis,
the morning newspapers of London
join in a chorus of approval.
Important Document.
The Times declares it is the most
important state document since the
declaration of war. It commends the
moderation of the statement, which,
however, it-thinks, may disconcert
some tried friends and allies and even
lend itself to the enemy misrepresen
tation. The Daily Mail says that nothing
could be more simple or more demo
cratic than the statement and the
whole British people are solid behind
it. The Germans, it declares, will
never get better terms.
Premie- Lloyd George s assertion
that he was not speaking for the gov
ernment, but the nation and the em
pire, the Daily Telegraph thinks, will
remove a load of anxiety from many
troubled minds. It says that all the
primary essentials for peace terms arc
included in the statement, which,
however, it anticipates will draw a
cry of incredulous rage from Ger
many. I ,
..... i i
It Fit
FIVE LADS ADMIT
STEALING TWENTY
OMAHA MACHINES
i
Five Lads, Four of Them Under Age, Make Signed Con
fessions of Thefts on Big Scale; Ringleader
Blames Bad Companions and "Joy Rid
ing" for Their Downfall.
Confessions of recent wholesale automobile and merchant
(
dise thefts in Omaha were obtained from five youths Monday,
according to police.
PRO-GERMANISM
CHARGE HURLED.
AT WOMAN'S CLUB
Motion to Buy Thrift Stamps
Voted Down and Mrs. Charles
Rosewater Makes Accusation
Which Starts Wrangle,
A discussion on buying war thrift
stamps, club finances and patriotism
terminated in a hopeless tangle and
charges of pro-Germanism in the
most stirring business meeting the
Omaha Woman's club has held this
winter. It was Monday at Metropol
itan clubhouse.
Liberal investment of club funds in
Liberty, bonds and contributions to
Young Men's Christian association
and Young Women's Christian asso
ciation war funds made by motion of
the house, has drawn so heavily on
the club's treasury that a motion was
introduced and passed early n Mon
day's business session that expendi
ture of club funds should be referred
to'the club directory for investigation
before action by the, house.
This was no sooner done than F. A.
Brogan addressed the club urging the
purchase of war savings certificates
and thrift stamps.
Mrs. Charles Rosewater then moved
that 10 per cent of the club's yearly
income be used to purchase war thrift
stamps.
Guided by the first motion passed,
the club votad Mrs. Rosewater's mo
tion down.
Oharges Pro-Germanism.
"I am amazed at the pro-German
sentiments expressed in this club,"
came from Mrs. Rosewater. "You
don't need the clubhouse for which
you are hoarding the money in the
bank. What will you do with a club
house if your boys are killed in the
war. I'm ashamed of you, every one of
you," Uc exclaimed.
Mrs,. F. J. Birss, Mrs. S. A. Collins1
and others jumped to the floor to re
fute the charge. "We voted the mo
tion dowrf in order to have the busi
ness carried on through the channel
indicated by our first motion," they
explained.
"You're out of order. It isn't an 'ex
penditure' of club money; its' an 'in
vestment,'" was" Mrs. L, M. Lord's
Stand.
Wrangle Ensues.
The wrangle ensued until one calm
person moved to refer the matter to
the directory.
Then Mrs. C. W. Hayes moved that
the club formally express its loyalty
and that it was not of pro-German
sentiment, for fear of any misunder
standing, and this the women did by
loud and prolonged applause.
Having in effect "kissed and made
up," the' women continued their busi
ness voting to send telegrams to
Nebraska's delegation in congress
urging their support of the federal
suffrage amendment; to endorse
Jeanette Rankin's bill for equa'l pay
for equal work by government wom
en clerks, and to extend an invitation
to the state charities and corrections
conference to meet in Omaha Febru
ary 18.
Mrs. Marie A. Leff, head resident of
the South Side Social Settlement, was
the speaker for the open session of
the club
Food Administration to
, Control Supply of Twine
Washington, Jan. 7. The food ad
ministration has arranged to control
during 1918 the supply of binder twine,
so important to farmers, particularly
those of the granger states. Reason
able prices though not so low as for
mer ones, are expected. l-
Army Commandeers Uniforms
In Stock of Omaha Retail Stores
Officers from the quartermaster de
partment of the army stationed in
Omaha a week ago took over all stock
on hand of certain sizes of army uni
forms. The commandeering order
applied only to the O. D. (olive drab)
wool uniforms worn by enlisted men.
Serge uniforms ?nu others carried
in stock for sale to officers were not
?) MAKE SIGNED CONFESSION.
Signed confessions telling of motor
car thefts on a scale without parallel
in the history of youthful crime in the
middle west were made by the lads,
detectives said. ,
The following boys were arrestedt
William McKenna, 4838 North Thir- ,
ty-eighth street. 23 years old; O. All- ,
good, 1821 Cass street, 17 years old;
James Holloway, 2124 Sherman ave
nue, 17 yeas oid; Jay Evans, 2773
Burt street, 20 years old, and Leslie
Moore, 324 North Fifteenth street, 20
years old.
Automobile detectives-are working '
on a list of 20 cars said to have been-,
stolen by the boys at various times.
McKenna,. who acknowledges himself
leader of the gang, previously had
been bound over to district court on
charges of highway robbery and
breaking and entering.
In Bad Company.
The other four boys, all of whom
are under age, have served time in
the state reform school. They say ,
the training received there was of
great value to them, but declare they
fell .in with bad companions, whom
they blame for their downfall. I '
"Joy riding, late hours and bad
companions tripped me up," admitted
McKenna. Holloway and Allgood,
both 17 years did, sat stolidly in theiiv
cells and refused to- talk.
"They aYe blameless,"- said - Mc
Kenna. "They just .happened to be
hanging around with us."
Besides the auto thefts, the boys
are suspected of several store robberi
ies, in which they threw a - brick
through plate glass windows ami
stole quantities of wearing apparel.
Several sweaters, alleged to have '
been among the goods stolen, were V
taken1 from the boys at the time of
their arrest. '
Dairy Inspector Bossie . ,
Submits Annual Report
Dairy and Milk Inspector Bossie
reports that during 1917 he gathered'
2,136 samples of milk and v.ream for
tests in the city laboratory. Sixty
four cases were taken into cpurt. 1 '
"A laboratory for testing of milk,
cream, ice, water, culture tubes and
any other substances that pertain to
the health of the city has been es
tablished in the city hall," states the
inspector. , .
During the year 2,723 dairy rows
were tested for tuberculosis, of which
83 were condemned, removed from
the herds and slaughtered under g6v
ernment suprvision on the South Side.
"The year just closed has-been one
of hardships upon all dairymen. The
high cost of feed and labor and in
creased cost of materials caused 26
dairymen to go oilt of business and
increased the price of milk 20 per
cent,". the report states. '
Mr. Bossie maintains that milk at
124 cents per quart is still the cheapf
est food. . v rr
Joe Butler. City Gas "
Commissioner, Arrested y
Joseph Butler of "2024 California
street, was arrested Monday after
noon at Sixteenth d Farnam streets
by State Agents Buell and Mathwig
and was booked at Central station
on a charge of intoxication and abus
ing an officer. ,
The desk sergeant at the police sta
tion stated that the prisoner is the
city gas commissioner whose address
in the city directory is given at 2820
California street.
Two American Aviators-- ;
Are Killed in France
Washington, Jan. 7. Deaths of
Lieutenant William S. Ely and Ser
geant George E. Houdek it an air'
plane accident in France were re
ported today by General Pershing.
Ely lived at Rochester, N. Y., and
Houdek at Chicago.
Canadian Steamer Ashore.
A Canadian Atlantic Port, Jan. 7
A Canadian steamship of 2,600 tons
wept ashore today during a dense fog
on the Cape Breton coast. Vessels
have been dispatched to its assist-?
ance. ,
included in the order. The uniforms -are,
now being held awaiting transfer
to the quartermaster depot.
New shipments have been received
by the various stores since that time,
so that Omaha is well prepared to
take care of all uniform needs today.
The uniforms taken over by the gov
ernment were to till temporary ceU
only. - . . ,