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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 1918)
s he Omaha Daily B VOL. XLVII. NO. 189. OMAHA, THURSDAY MORNING, JANUARY 24, 1918. TEN PAGES. Sfii. SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS nn rv UvJ THE WEATHER Fair j Fa Ju- LABOR UNREST SPREADS IN AUSTRIA AS LEADERS FAIL TO APPEASE HUNGRY PEOPLE Censorship Hides Dual Empire When Situation Threatens to Overwhelm Government; Germany's Attitude , on Peace Terms Adds to Difficulties: Brit ish Workingmen Discuss Plans. (By AiMKiated PrM.) With more than 1,000,000 workers on strike and wide spread reports of disorders in Austria and Hungary, the situa tion in the dual monarchy is beclouded, the censorship having stifled all news. The German censorship also has prohibited German news papers from telling of the situation in Austria. STATESMEN 17ATT. P Efforts of Austrian statesmen to quiet the hungry people in their de mand for peace apparently failed of their purpose and the censorship, which permitted the promises of the government's spokesmen, to reach the outside world, again has resumed its igor. The trouble is said to be deep seated and is a mixture of war weari ness, hunger and anti-Germanism. Germany Balks at Peace Plans. Seemingly the one strong hope of Austrian leaders in quieting the tu mult is in the success of the negotia tions at Brest-Litovsk with Russia and the Ukraine. The German attitude on occupied territories has balked the conclusion of peace with Russia and the central powers have been unable to agree to a treaty with the Ukraine. A peace with the Ukraine would open the food-producing territory of little Russia to the Austrians, who have been refused food by Hungary. Little news has come from Ger many on the political situation there, but it is indicate J that the Austrian emperor is not unmindful that the trouble in his own land may force Emperor William to change his atti tude oward the peace negotiations. , It is reported that further pan-German attempts to hold meetings in Germany have been broken up by peace adherents. The tefusal on the part of Germany to give a guarantee of-the evafcuatidn of occupied territories is emphasized in a long statement dealing with the peace negotiations at Brest-Litovsk issued through the Bolsheviki tele graph agency. The statement speculates on the at titude of. the 'Germans during the ne . gotiations and adds that the signifi cance of the pour parlers is that it stripped the imperialists of their false pretentions to democratic principles. Little Fighting at Fronts. On the fighting fronts the situation is unchanged. Small raids and spir ited artillery actions at various points are the only activities on the western and Italian fronts. .mere nave Deen no iuriner rsuiga "n'an attacks in Macedonia, but in Al bania the French have repulsed en emy reconnaissances in the Skumbi valley. The British labor party opens its annual conference at Nottingham to day. Labor's attitude toward the carrying on of the war and peace aims will e-e discussed. The food situation in England, which has resulted in the ordering of two meatless days a week by the food controller, is expected to be the subject of several resolutions. n , , . . t .1 T . I Dodge Pioneer Dead. Fremont Neb., Jan. 23. (Special Tel egram.) Wesley Frantz, 69 years of age, a resident of Dodge county for ov ra third of a century died at the home of his son, Archie J., near Ethan, S. D. The Weather , For Nebraska Fair; colder. Hourly Temperatures. Hour. ' Peg. 5 a. m 17 6 a. m IS 7 a. m 32 8 a. m ...28 9 a. m it 19 a. m St 11 a. m 17 12 m 44 1 p. m 46 3 p. m ..42 3 p. m 43 4 p. m 43 6 p. m 42 6 p. m 41 7 p. m 40 8 p. m .... 39 Comparative Record. 1918. 1917. 1918. 1915. Highest yesterday.... 46 28 61 5 Lowest yesterday 16 6 35 7 Mean temperature.... 31 17 43 1 freclpttatioD 0 0 0 0 Temperature and precipitation departures om the normal: Normal temperature 20 Excess for the day 11 Total de?clency since March 1 013 Normal precipitation 01 Inch Deficiency for the day 01 Inch Total precipitation 1ne Mar. 1 22.11 Inches Deficiency since March 1 7.63 Inches Deficiency for cor. period, 1918 12.46 inches Deficiency for cor. period, 1916.. 1.76 inches Be ports From Stations at 1 1f. M. Station and State Temp. - High- Ealn- of Weather. 7 p. m. est. fall. Cheyenne, clear 26 Davenport, cloudy 3 Denver, clear 33 Des Moines, cloudy 40 32 to 44 42 46 42 44 46 44 4 38 38 36 42 38 Dodge City. clear 38 Cinder, clear 30 orth Platte, clear 34 Dmaha, cloudy 44 .'ueblo, clear 3C Rapid City, clear .38 .'alt Lake City, pt cloudy 34 Santa Fe, clear 30 Sheridan, clear 26 Sioux City, cloudy 32 Valentine, clear 34 indicate below zero. T Indicates trace of precipitation. I A. WELSH. Meteorologist. GOMPERS URGES SEVEN-HOUR DAY FOR WAR PERIOD Asserts Universal Short Work ing Hours Preferable to Pres ent Spasmodic Suspension of Industries. Indianapolis, Ind., Jan. 23. A uni versal seven-hour day during the period of the war, instead cf present spasmodic suspension of industries by fuel administration to conserve toal and relieve railroad congestion, was suggested today by Samuel Gorapers, president of the American Federation of Labor, in a speech to the conven tion of the United Mine Workers. Mr. Gompers' speech to the miners was regarded as labor's message to the country on the action of the fuel administration.' . . ' ' ;. tie pretacea nis declaration tor a seven-hour day with a' defense of those in high governmental station who may have made mistakes. They are promoted, he said, by the patriotic purposes to win the war and to think that the great transition from, peace to war could be made without mistakes-was asking the impossible. Continuing; he said: ' "The order issued a few days ago I regard as an absolute necessity. You know there is now a discussion to repeal or modify the Sherman anti trust law. No Excuses for Railroads. "I am not going to offer any ex cuses for the railroads; they have been lax so long, but the Sherman law forbade them to do what now the director general of the railroads has the right to do. "The jam had occurred and was in creasing and something had to be done to relieve the situation. If the ice king has interfered there can be no help for that. "I think there is one mistake in the making, and I trust it will be changed or modified. "I refer to the closing of the indus trial and commercial plants of our country one additional day each week. I think it is a mistake to have a whole day such as Mon'day idle and involv ing from Saturday tfternoon until Tuesday morning. I believe if the order were changed so that instead of there being ten, nine or eight hpurs as a day's work the same power pro claim a universal seven-hour day dur ing the war better results would fol low. Would Get Results. . "We would have virtually the" same results in the conservation of fuel and all other needful commodities. It would not do violence to the history, the traditions, the work and the prac tical operation of industry and com merce. "I trust that the suggestion may find lodgment somewhere and bring about that change, but if it doesn't I am going to obey like a soldier of America; I am going to yield ryy judgment to the judgment and the ac tions of the men in whose hands the destinies of our republic are placed." Mr. Gompers said there can be no neutrality in this war. "You have got to be either for au tocracy or democracy," he declared. Labor must make victory sure for democracy, but sounded the warn ing that labor would not surrender the standard of life except to 6ave the republic; that no sacrifices would be (Continued on Page Two, Column Three.) United States Troops Are to Guard Omaha's Big Industries Omaha industries will be guarded by at least 300 soldiers from the United States Guard. Although no order has been sent out designating the location of guard units, army of ficers are confident that Omaha in dustries are of sufficient importance in war time to be given federal pro tection. 1 The German home has been offered to the government for use as a bar racks and will probably be use for these troops. Two battalions of United States Guards are now bein He's Been RETAILERS ASK INVESTIGATION OF HIGH PRICES Assert, That they , Are, Unrea sonable and Unjustified; En dorse Late Opening and ' Early Closing. The Nebraska Retailers' Conserva tion council will ask congress to in vestigate the rapid advances now being made in prices of necessities. This they resolved to do in the inter est of the consuming public. This was included in the resolution adopted at the- Hotel Fontenelle Wednesday. "We believe that the present market price on all cotton, wool, and many other manufactured products are un reasonably high and unjustified, "the resolutions ran. "We favor the reg ulation of price on raw cotton and wool, and an investigation of manu facturing costs." The retailers further endorsed the late opening and early closing rule of the stores for the conservation of fuel; endorsed the one-delivery-a-day proposal, and urged that where pos sible the merchants , use the co-operative delivery plan, and pledged them selves to use the utmost endeavor to see that these requests are put into operation. The association pledged its loyal support of the president, to Governor Neville and others associated with the state and national movements for the prosecution of the war, praised the record of Nebraska in war stamps, Liberty bonds, Young Men's Christian association and Knights of Columbus, and similar subscriptions, and favored the election of men to the legislature who are willing to serve the state ir respective of politics. Ross Hammond's Address. Theodore Roosevelt for the cabinet, or at least to help Baker, is what Ross L. Hammond of Fremont urged in his address before the 500 delegates of the retailers war council at the Hotel Fontenelle Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Hammond, who was recently in France with a congressional commit tee, talked of the war situation and gave his experiences in France. "I am with the administration," concluded Mr. Hammond. " I don't want to be considered a critic. The time is past for' partisan politics. But I suggest the advisability of a coalition war cabinet.' I would take from Secretary Baker -some of his present duties and place them in the hands of Theodore Roosevelt, the one man to send chills down the spines of the German war lords. "I would also prohibit the publi cation of all papers in a foreign lan guage. I would prohibit the teach (Contfnoed on Page Two, Column Two.) organized from men between the ages of 31 and 41. Previous military experience is usually sufficient grounds for waiving the age limit if applicants are in scund health. The guard is being recruited at the regular army recruiting stations. Spanish-American war veterans are especially being urged to enlist. All men enlisting in this branch will be stationed as near their homes as prac tical. The duties of this organiza tion will not take its members outside of the United States. Telling 'Em 1W CoJ FOUR DEAD TOLL OF FATAL SMASH ON CAR TRACKS TwQ'More Vjptims of Monday's Tragedy Die in Hospitals; Eight Injured Are Rest ing Easily. Four dead and eight injured is the toll to date of Monday night's street car tragedy, when a runaway cinder car on the Missouri Pacific Belt Line crashed into a trolley at Twenty fourth street. Two more victims died Tuesday night. Frank Krasck, a passenger on the ill-fated car, died at a hospital as a result of injuries suffered in the crash. His hojne was at Twenty-ninth and Duponf streets. Little Girl Dies. Mary Tighe, 15-year-old girl, died late Tuesday night in a hospital. She was so badly injured in the accidents that physicians entertained no hopes for her recovery. He home was at 1412 rjorth Nineteenth street. James Hutchinson, 3915 North Twenty-fifth street, and John J. Bradehoft, 3532 North Twenty-eighth avenue, were instantly killed in the crash. Both were street car con ductors. Paul Steinwender, deputy in the of fice of County Attorney Magney, ex officio coroner, said no inquests will be held over the bodies of the vic tims. Injured Are Recovering. The following injured are reported by physicians to be recovering: Oscar Brugman, 1324 North Twenty-second street, motorman. Walter Moraine, 4807 Seward street. Belle Sprague, 2567 Ames avenue. Mss. Jennie Brennan, Twenty seventh and C' streets. Mrs. Irene Faulkner', 2610 Patrick avenue. Charles Litton, 1513 South Twenty-fifth street. John H. Paulson, 4719 North Eight eenth street. Edward Warstat. 1138 North Twenty-second street. Spinal Meningitis Takes Two Balloon School Men i Two deaths from -cerebro-spina! meningitis at Fort Omaha on Tues day prompted Health Commissioner Connell to visit the fort to confer with Captain Poole of the medical de partment. William A. Watson and Charles R. Koontz of the balloon school were reported as having succumbed to meningitis. Oldest Indian In America Attends Automobile Show ' Chicago, Jan. 23. Kabenawwoy wence, a Chippewa Indian, said to be 130 years old, who is here from his home at Cass Lake, Minn., to attend the automobile show which opens next Monday, does not like the white man's bed. Although he occupied a room with a bath at a leading downtown hotel last night, he slept on the floor. He said that beds in -hotels and berths in sleeping cars give one a cramp. According to the records at the Indian agency, where Kabenawwoy wence lives, he is the oldest Indian in Amerka, EMBARGO ON MANY FORMS OF FREIGHT Three Big Eastern Railroads Ordered by McAdoo to Rush All War Shipments, Food and Fuel. Washington, Jan. 23. An embargo on all freight except food, fuel and war munitions on the Pennsylvania lines east of Pittsburgh, Baltimore & Ohio east of the Ohio river, and the Philadelphia & Reading was authorized today by Director General McAdoo. The action was taken on recom mendation of A. H. Smith, assistant director general in charge of trans portation in the east. Garfield Ignored. No reference was made to the recommendation for an embargo sub mitted last night by Fuel Administra tor Garfield. The embargo is temporary and is expected to last only a few days. "On account of the extremely se vere weather, which has particularly affected operation of railroads cross ing the Allegheny mountains," said the railroad administration announce ment, "Director General McAdoo, upon the recommendation of Reg ional Director Smith, has authorized him to place an embargo upon all freight except food, fuel and such war munitions and war supplies as are specifically approved by the War de partment, upo,n the Pennsylvania lines east of Pittsburgh; Baltimore & Ohio east of the Ohio river, and the Philadelphia & Reading, for the pur pose of enabling those lines, which are the heaviest bituminous coal carriers, to continue specializing upon coal for the double purpose of sup plying the acute conditions in New England and the harbor of New York and elsewhere, and in the provision of empty cars for mines and coke ovens. Embargo Only Temporary. "This embargo is a temporary one. It should list but a few days, if the weather moderates." The practical effect of this order will not greatly changa conditions of the , last Jewdays, it jvas slated by railroad administration officials, since local embargoes already have been declared By many eastern railroads. These' have been made on the in itiative of individual railroads with the general approval of Mr. Smith. Passengers Warned Not to Sail on Nieuw Amsterdam London. Jan. 23. A dispatch to the Daily Mail from The Hague says it is reported that some of the passengers on board the Holland-America liner Nieu Amsterdam have received anon ymous warnings not to sail for the United States on her. The corres. pondent adds that the warnings are similar to those issued before the Cunard liner steamer Lusitania was sunk. , The steamer has been lying in the harbor at Rotterdam since .January 16 with 2,000 passengers on board, among.thein 30 Americans. Augustus Phillins. the new Netherlands minis ter to the United States, intended to make the trip on the liner. No Labor Shortage in Pacific Ship Yards Washington, Jan. 23. Reports of a general labor shortage in the Oregon shipbuilding districts was declared un founded today by the employment service of the Department of Labor, which issued a general warning to skilled workmen in other parts of the country not to attempt to seek em ployment in those yards without first communicating with the federal em ployment office at Portland. English Working Men to "Fight On;" Will Back Premier Nottingham, England, Jan. 23. At the opening today of the annual labor conference Frank Purdy, the president, said that if Germany would not accept the terms Presi dent Wilson, Premier Lloyd George and the the labor party had laid down as the minimum, "we must fight on." President Purdy said that in view of the declarations of President Wilson and Premier Lloyd George, Germany could claim no longer that it was fighting a defensive war. "We see no signs yet," he added, "that Germany and its allies are willing to accept the principles enun ciated by Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. Wilson and the labor party." Dances of Yesterday to Be On Program at Next Muny Dance A revival of the old-fashioned dances has been planned by the Board of Public Welfare for the next com munity dance in the Auditorium on Monday night, February 4. Many requests have been received for a terpsichorean carnival such as the merry villagers of 50 and 60 years ago enjoyed. This program will be made up almost exclusively of the dances of yesterday, when partners bowed gracefully, tripped back and forth, held hands now and then and. during some of the steps, the young Lochir.vars were permitted to place their arms gently around the waists of the village belles. Square dances, much in vogue in Omaha 50 years ago, will be favored. SLA VS UNABLE TO OBTAIN SUPPLY OF FOODSTUFFS Railroad Congestion in Large Centers Stops All Ship ments; Soldiers Interfere With Rail Traffic; Shortage of Bread Threatens to Create' Distress Among All Classes. PeHrograd, Jan. 23. Moscow, Petrograd and all the larger cities of north Russia have little bread. The bread allowance in Petrograd today has been reduced to a quarter of a pound daily and the food commission hat lim ited eggs to children under 3 years, each child to have four eggs a month. O REDUCE ALLOWANCE. EAST RESUMES BUSINESS WITH CONDITIONS BAD Adverse Weather Upsets Plans of Fuel Administration to Relieve Congestion Dur ing Five-Day Period. Washington, Jan. 23. America's in dustries, idle for the last five days under the fuel administration's clos ing order, resumed operations today in the face of a congested transpor tation situation cast of the Mississippi threatening daily to become worse from adverse weather conditions. At the end of the five-day restric tion period no official could say today just what were the effects of the in dustrial shutdown except that it had got coal to seaboard for ships. Fewer Complaints Received. Homes in many parts of the coun try still were without fuel, although complaints were fewer than they had beeiirfor weeks. Railroad cotieestion has not . been much relievedbut it 'was impossible' to say whether the closing order helped or not. Bad weather nullified much of the good effects the general closing might have had in clearing the railroads." At the. same time Director General McAdoo of the railroads was consid ering proposals of the fuel adminis tration to embargo all freight except coal and food for the rest of the week at least, to insure an adequate move ment of these commodities, Chicago Still Crippled. Chicago, Jan. 23. Industries in the Chicago district resumed operations today after the five-day shutdown, with the problem of fuel still con fronting them. Consumers were warned that the most rigid economy in the use of coal would be necessary if the factory wheel? were to be kept moving. Hope was Icen in the prediction of the weather forecast of .warmer weather for tonight and tomorrow, with some prospect of a January thaw. According to John E. Williams, state fuel administrator, the shortage of coal is 1,000,000 tons now, due to further snowfalls and continued zero weather in the coal fields of Illi nois. GERMANS SINK TWO SHIPS WITH LOSS OF 718 MEN ' i London, Jan. 23. By the sinking of two steamers by the enemy in the Mediterranean about three weeks ago, 718 lives were lost, it was announced here officially today. , The amiouncement was made in the House of Commons by Thomas MacNamara, financial secret? ry of the admiralty. Mr MacNamara's announcement 'gave the first news received here of any heavy loss of lite in recent sink ings in the Mediterranean. A. dispatch from Tokio on January 4 showed that an attempt had been made by hostile submarines to attack British trans ports convoyed by Japanese warships in the Mediterranean on December 30. The Japanese admiralty announce ment Uated that the submarines were repulsed and that the warships were not damaged. Polkas, minuets and the waltzes of other days will not be forgotten. Mrs. R. M.- Ohaus, superintendent of the Welfare board, intends to dance some of these old-time forms of the poetry of motion. Sophus Neble and Jack. Walters, members of the board, are looking forward with interest to this recrudescence of what they regard as real dancing. They regard a Virginia reel as the last word in dancing, expect perhaps a minuet if it is done gracefully. One of the numbers of the program will be for the "boys and girls" who were nimble of their feet SO years ago Old-fashioned fiddlers will play some of the numbers just as they played them in the good old days hereabouts. But eggs are not obtainable at any price. The commission also has limited fresh meat to children between the ages of 3 and 12, with a half pound monthly to each child. Potatoes have been substituted for bread at Novgorod and many other places in north Russia, but the cost is equivalent to 18 cents per pound in Petrograd and consequently thi masses of the people cannot buy them Since the dissolution of the con stituent assembly and the disappear ance of any immediate hope of recon citing the striving political parties, public attention in north" Russia U centered on the bread shortage, th lack of virtually all foodstuffs, th breakdown of transportation and ths commercial stagnation as the result of the closing of the banks. A general suspension of passengel trains began today in an effort to speed the' transportation of foodstuffs from Siberia and south Russia to the north. Railroads Are Crippled. Members of the railway men's unions are remaining at their posts trying to maintain transportation, but locomotives and cars are badly dis abled and traffic is hindered by the masses of wandering soldiers from all sections of the country who in sist that .their trains have precedences over freight. ,vV-n:'" ' -jT ' Virtually: til trains arriving at Pet rograd are crowded with soldiers, the windows in many of the passenger coachesJiaving been broken by the passengers to get air. Former bank employes in Moscow and Petrograd still refuse to work under the direction of the Smolny in stitute. "Withdrawals on checks are limited to 500 rubles to each depositor daily and long lines form at the bankj because of the long delays and diffi culties in getting money. Bolsheviki agents are. opening safe deposit boxes and confiscating hoarded gold and silver for the gov ernment and turning hoarded paper money into current accounts for the owners. Street Cars Suspended. Street cars and lighting plants have suspended operations frequently in Petrograd because of the lack of fuel, and car lines, when operating,, are so crowded with soldiers and refugees that much of the .rolling stock is broken down. In Moscow the car lines are in worse condition than here. Soldiers and sailors have become peddlers throughout north Russia and are making excursions into the coun- ' try and returning to the cities with bread, meat, tobacco and sugar. Although the city shops are with out stocks, the streets are lined with soldiers offering supplies at high prices. Illuminating oil is not obtain, able in Petrograd and candles are sell ing at 75 cents per pound. One pound of sugar is allowed each . person monthly by card, at 22 cen pet pound, but sugar bought without a card costs 75 efflts a pound. Flour is unobtainable at any price and black bread when bought with cards costs 5 cents a pound, when available. Dis. patches from many points in the Sa. mara and Moscow districts report starvation. , Thousands marched yesterday in a peaceful demonstration following the funeral services for M. Logvinoff, Si berian member of the constituent as sembly, and the ether victims of last Friday's demonstration. The city was quiet during the day, the holiday anni versarv of "Bloorfv Siinrtav" Iitmsnr 9,1901 " " U. S. to Hqve Sugarless as Well as Eggless Days Chicago, Jan. 23. In addition to present meatless, wheatlcss and pork less days the people soon will be com. pelled to observe sugarless and egg less meals, according to Harry A. Wheeler, federal food administrator for Illinois. i . - "Announcement will be made from Washington as soon as plans are com pleted," Mr. Wheeler said today. ; "To what extent the food conserva tion rules will be made more strin gent has not as yet been determined by the food administrator. The prime factor in the proposition-is to draft the order so that it will apply to all equally." Mr. Wheeler said the new order probably would not be applied to households, but its" observance by hotels and restaurants would likely be made compulsory. Oil Producers Complain. - Washington, Tan. 23. Indeoendenv Oklahoma oil companies comdained today to the Interstate Commerce commission that rates to Montana were discriminatory in favor of Kan sas 'producers.
