i t i
THE WEATHER
Fair; Colder
The Omaha Daily Bee
VOL. XLVlI NO. 194.
,OMAHA, WEDNESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 30, 1918 TEN PAGES.
O Tr.l.t, it Hotels.
Niwt Standi, Etc.. Jc.
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.
ITALY STARTS BIG DRIVE AGAINST TEUTONS
DISEASE
FETROGRAD; LACK FOOD
RAGE
BAKER'S REPLY TO .
CRITICS REVEALS
MILITARY SECRETS
J. S. Will Have 500,000 Soldiers in France Early This
Year f Million and a Half More Ready to Go;
Germany in Dark Regarding Actual
Number at French Front
Washington Jan. 29. Secretary Baker's statement of
America's war plan carrying the 'assertion that an army of
500,000 would be in France early this year and a million and
a half ready to send to France during 1918, remained the cen
ter of interest at the capitol today. 1
DDnvAnHn TMPPtrsSTAN v f
A W "WW w w
The secretary's outline of the army's
preparations, revealing many hitherto
carefully-guarded military secrets and
given yesterday to the senate mili
tary committee in answer to criti
cisms 'of the War department, made
a profound impression on committee
nembers. ,"
Chairman Chamberlain, who had
-fit'en the department's chief critic, ad
mitted this before 'Secretary Baker
left the stand.
.The chairman proposed that Mr.
Bakers be 'given a rest and -there was
no attempt at cross-examination, al
though when the committee assem
bled today it was understood the sec
retary would be recalled for further
;xamination later.
COMMITTEE IS AMAZED.
The secretary was on 'the .stand yes
;erday virtually the entire, day and
his statement was heard by many
members of congress crowded into
the big caucus room of the ,senate of
fice building.
The committee members seemed
imazed when told that men in the
)2 National Guard and national army
divisional camps were ready to go
abroad today if needed. .
When Senator. Chamberlain asked
the secretary why the public had not
been taken into confidence in such
matters Mr. Baker spoke of the re
luctance -f military Wen to rreveal
irmy plans and referred to a
VrtrTITJndenbiirfir to the efi
feet hat America- was "Wveftteing its.
war plans. . t
, , Germany Is Mystified.
"But isn't it ; fact that. Germany
has known all about this?" persisted
Senator Chamberlain., . . . .
"Nof replied-Secretary BaKer. ' The
German government. is still mystified
regarding the. number of men now in
France. r . - .... ...
'tww Vnnv what is doincr on trie
front but Germany still is in doubt as
to the nuniDer 01 men wt
ibroa4." fi
t Train .New Draft.
V The secretary's statement that the
Jnited States "will have 500.000 men
n France eariy in 1918and a million
ind a half ready to send to 'France
l 1918" caused. many to express the
pinion that war plans contemplated
the completion Qf the training ot
those called in the new draft before
v.he year ended.
The committee was told-that it
-ould- be. tragical if the impression
,vhich had gone out that the War de
partment had brolien down was al
owed to remain unchallenged.
r r f -C Un Aaimtinn AT nl A S-
sociates in the department, military
ind civilian, in strong terms. .
TJ. S. Making History.
Never in th'e history of time, he de
lared, had aji army of its size been
aised, equipped trained and prepared
-or battle as had that of the United
States
Emphasizing that he was not there
o defend himself or anybody, the
secretary urged the committee again
and again to lay bare any shortcom
.ngs of the department that it might
be- corrected. .
The Weather
For Nebraska, Snow; colder.
Temperature at Omaha Vetrdaf.
6 a.m.... 6,
6 a. ra
7 a, m
8 a. m
I a. m
10 a. ra
11 a. ra
IS m...
1 p. ra
: p. si
Up.nr
4 p. m
5 p. ra
t p. m
7 p. m
8 p. m
. 3
. 3
3
1
4
a
, 12
, IS
, 17
1
. IS
, IS
, 11
14
Comparative local Record.
1918. 1917. 19K. 1915.
Highest yesterday .... 18 42 12 20
Lowest yesterday 24 7 V-l
Mean tempertture .... 4 33 2 10
treclpitaUon 00 .00 .90 .01
temperature and precipitation departures
om the normal:
Normal temperaturo 21
Deficiency for the day 17
Total deficiency since March 1 5
'Normal precipitation .02 Inch
Deficiency for the day...., 02 Inch
Total rainfall since March 1. . .22.47 inches
Deficiency since March 1 7.39 IncheB
Deficiency for corv period,. 1918. .12.58 Inches
Deficiency for cor. period, 1916.. 0.58 Inches
Reports From Station at 7 P. M.
station and State Temp. Hirh- Raln-
of Weather. 7 p. m.
Cheyenne, snow 4
Davenport clear
Denver, cloudy 19
Dea Moines, cloudy... 10
Dodge City, clear 33
Lander, snow 3
North Platte snow.... i-
Omaha, cloudy 17
Pueblo, i-lear 40
Kansas City, clear 2.
'alt Lake City, clear. 3
unta Fe, clear. ...... 24
Sheridan, pt. cloudy.. 14
Chicago, clear 13
.'slentlne. snow 14
est
3
'12
46
13
44
34 '
28
11
50
2
SS
30
- 3
14
0
fan.
T
.00
.00
.00
.00
.02
T
.00
oe
.00
.02
.00
.01
.00
.00
T indicates trace or precipitation.
indicates below lere.
L. A. WELSH. Meteorologist.
ALLIED POWERS
HOLD SUPREME
WAR COUNCIL
U. S. Has Representative at
Session; Meeting Will De
termine Plans for Spring
Campaign of Allies.
Versailles, France, Jan., 29. Great
Britain, France, Italy and the United
States were represented at the ses
sion .of ..the supreme war council,
which was convened here today.
The council .was presided over by
George Clenjenceau, the French, pre
mier.
The meeting is regarded as one of
extraordinary importance, because
the . plan of operations during 'the
coming campaign is expected to come
before it before determination.
General Bliss Attends.
.The ' United. States is represented
by General Tasker 11. Bliss, chief of
staff "of the "American" army. -"Arthur
Hugh Fraiier; secretary of the Amer
ican embassy in Paris, attends as a
diplomatic officer to report the. pro
ceedings, but not to participate other
wise. ' -v
The other participants in the con
ference aie:
For Great Britain, Premier Lloyd
George and Major General Sir Henry
Hughes Wilson, sub-chief of the Brit
ish general staff; for Italy, Premier
Orlando, Baron Sonnino, the foreign
minister, and General - Cadorna; for
France, Stephen Pichon, the foreign
minister; General Ferdinand Fdch,
chief of staff of the ministry of war,
and General Maximo VVeygand.
EXPLOSION AND
FIRE DESTROY
MUNITION PLANT
Marquette, Mich., Jan. 29. An ex
plosion followed by a fire early today,
which destroyed the alcohol rifining
plant, the primary building, and a se
ries of condensers.of the Pioneer Iron
Furnace company, owned by the
Cleveland Cliffs Iron company of
Cleveland, O., caused damage esti
mated at $500,000.
Seven Persons Dead
From Poisoned Eggnog
Muskogee, Old., Jan. 29. Seven
persons are dead, two ofhers are ex
pected to die and nearly a score are
ill as a result of an eggnog party
Sunday at Francis, Okl., at which de
natured alcohol was used by mistake.
Cable and Telegraph
To Petrograd Are Cut
(By Associated Press.)
Washington, Jan. 29. Cable and
telegraph lines to Rusia have been
cut, American Minister Morris at
Stockholm reported today and the
onlj, remaining routes of com
munication with Petrograd now
are through Persia and Vladivos
tok. The land telegraph lines were
severed. Mr. Morris reported, at
Haparanda and the cables at Vi
borg. - He gave no indication of the
significace.
Seven Contestants
Friendly Knitting Tournament
Entries in the friendly knitting con
test of the National League for Wo
man's Service closed Monday with the
entrance of the seventh contestant.
Mrs. Etta Siegal, 1938 South Eight
eenth street Mrs. Emi! Weyerman,
1016 South Twenty-seventh street;
Mrs. Julia Stenicka, 1412 South Thir
teenth street, who has knit 50 sweat
ers; Mrs. John bkoumal. 0J4 south
I'ifteet.th street; Mrs. Joseph Kynes
2419 South Sixteenth street; Miss
Helen Winkleman 108 South Forty
first street, and Mrs. Linge Larsen,
knitting instructor for the league, are
the other contestants.
Each woman will be required to knit
GERMANCES
KILL 47 IN NIGHT
RAID ON LONDON
Teutons Lose One Machine,
Which Falls 10,000 Feet;
Three Occupants Are
Burned to Death.
(By Associated Press.)
London, Jan. 29. German airplanes
made their first attacks of the year
upon London and its suburbs last
night, their bombs inflicting casualties
officially reported as 47 killed and 169
injured.
All the victims except one of the
killed and seven of the injured were
in the London area itself. No serious
material damage was done and the
raiders suffered the loss of one ma
chine, which fell in flames from a
height of 10,000 feet, its. three occu
pants being burned to death.
.Machines in Relays.
A large number of machines came
over the coast in relays, but apparent
ly only three or four succeeded in
Retting through the barrage and drop
ping explosive and incend'ary bombs
into the town. The gun fire lasted in
termittently through five hours and
for two .hours of that time was al
most continuous.
There was an hour's interval be
fore midnight when no fighting was
heard except an occasional distant
gun off toward the coast.
Residents who were away from
their homes at the theaters or in the
shops when the raid began concluded
it was all over, although the bugles
had not sounded "clear" signal and
more persons were on the streets than
usual , at midnight when the heavy
guns began to boons again in warding
off the second ot the two attacks.
British Fliers. Active.
The British flyers were more active
than ever before, haying gained ex
perience in night flying. Besides the
Gotha brought down by British scouts
over Essex, one was pursued over
London by the- scouting forces and
the rattle of machine' guns in the air
was plainly heard from, the streets.
There was a full moon and no clouds
or wind. The -popj)atiiMliad ample
time for-obtaining shelter, adequate
warning having been given.
In the . Various sections different
methods of giving the alarm have
been adopted. In some, naval rockets
were fired, the reports sounding like
the booming of guns.' In others col
ored lights were turned on atop the
lamp posts and on towers and. high
buildings. In one section two steam
sirens, which could be heard five
miles away, sounded their blasts,
while all over town the Police and
special constables blew their whis
tles, Lords in Session.
The tube railways and the buildings
of strong construction were crowded
during the raid, but the audiences as
sembled at most cf the theaters saw
the performances through." The
House of Lords was sitting when the
raiders first aooeared. and it contin
ued its deliberations until midnight
with an attendance of 40 peers, which
was affair number for that body. The
House of Commons had adjourned a
few moments before the warning was
received. Motor buses, which had no
jack of passengers, ran all over town
during the intervals when the gun
fire was not heavy.
John Hodge, the minister of pen
sions, was addressing a publicmeet
ing in Battersea, attended by 1,500
persons, when the firing began. He
declared to them his only regret was
that the Germans had not been given
months ago a taste of what they were
giving Londoners. $
"When a squadron of British and
French airplanes bombarded Karls
ruhe," he remarked, "what a whining
was set up about bombing 'my be
loved Karlsruhe.'"
Brown Talks at Fremont.
Fremont, Neb., Jan. 29. (Special.)
E. P. Brown, chairman of the Lan
caster County Council of Defense,
and former state senator from Arbor,
addressed Fremont merchants and
other citizens at the monthly meeting
of the retailers on the subject. "Some
Brighter Phrases ctf the War."
Germany Violates
Truce with Russia,
Says War Department
Washington. Jan. 29. Charges
that Germany is violating the terms
of the Russian truce by withdraw
ing troops from the eastern front
and transferring them to the west
ern battle lines were made today
by the War department.
Entered in
a sweater, the work to be done in the
service league headquarters in the
court house in periods no less than
two hours. Two of the contestants
have already completed their sweaters
but the winner will not be known
until all have finished.
Geoge Lorenz, 11-year-old boy, at
tending Monmouth Park school, has
designed a unique poster for the serv
ice league. The Atlantic ocean bord
ered on one side by the east coast of
this country and, on the other, by the
west coast i of Europe is shown. A
strip of knitted yarn stretches from
ihe United States to Berlin. The cap
tion on the poster is "The only way
to win is to knit a path to Berlin."
Was 1st??
-i
BULLETIN , j
UNCLE SAM Slfsv
2,ota!oo Jpf
SOLDIERS Rgf M
READY FOR Mm
ADULTERATION OF ALL
FOODSTUFFS BRINGS BIG
EPIDEMIC ON RUSSIANS
-. -rV ; " ,"--"
Red Government Plans Reprisals on Roumania; Will
Seize Gold Reserve at Moscow; Peace Parley Im
mediately to Be Resumed at Brest-Li tovsk;
Ukraine Question Unsettled.
By Associated Press.)
London, Jan. 29. Confirming the outbreak of the diseases
at Petrograd, the Times correspondent says the population is
being deciminated thereby. The epidemic is attributed to the
extreme shortage of food and adulteration with all kinds of in
juries admixtures.
Various forms of typhus, as well as smallpox, are rampant.
Moreover, extremely unsanitary conditions now prevail in
the city, While all the organizations concerned with public
health either have been abolished or virtually have ceased op
erations owing to the revolution.
SERVES BEER
Mayor Apologizes
for Substitution.
IN PLACE TEA
(By Associated Press.)
Liverpool, Jan. 29. Beer was sub
stituted for tea as a beverage at the
annual dinner which the mayor of
Southport gives to the aged poor of
that city. More than 500 guests were
served
The mayor apologized for failing to
furnish tea owing to market shortage,
and said that instead of the customary
tea he had decided to give each of
them a glass of beer and six pence.
FORMER OMAHA
BOY DEAD ON
FRENCH FRONT
St. Joseph, Mo., Jan. 29. (Special
Telegram.) Joseph Ellis, a former
Omaha boy, and husband of a Ne
braska girl, is dead "somewhere in
France." His widow is staying with
her sister-in-law in St. Joseph. It
is thetfirst fatality sreorded for a St.
Joseph member of the expeditionary
forces, for Ellis enlisted from this
point. Word came today from the
war department in Washington that
Ellis was dead but no information
was given as to the manner of his
death.
Miss Harriet Hart of Rulo, Neb.,
was married to sergeant Ellis at
Fort Bliss, Elpaso, Texas last easter
Sunday. hTe two then went to Co
lumbus, N. Mex., where the sergeant
was stationed and lived there seven
weeks before he was sent abroad with
his division, the Quartermaster's de
partment. Letters received by her
husband from the sergeant, who was
reecntly made sergeant major, told of
the delights of the life in France and
of his satisfaction with life of the
front. i
Sergeant Ellis served throughout
the Spanish-American war being only
18 years old when he enlisted. Af
ter that war he served four years in
the rliillipine islands and then re
turned to Omaha and finally came to
St. Joseph. j
p inncAifin iu le.av.
There is no sanitary commission;
there are no great specialists, and
there is no registration ot diseases.
very cw uutiuis aic in piatucc anu
some of these threaten to go to Ger
many, if the ignorant Russian pro
letariat doing menial work in the hos
pitals are permitted to continue dic
tating to medical officers and trained
nurses.
According to Berlin advices re
ceived via Amsterdam, the Russo
German commissioners at Petrograd
have reached a substantial agreement
concerning the exchange of invalids
and the dispatch of men homeward
has begun to a restricted extent. But
the question of exchange of civilians
and the treatment of unwounded pris
oners of war has not been settled.
London., Jan.29 The Bolsheviki
foreign minister, Leon Trotzky, an
nounced to the congress of work
men's and soldiers' deputies at Pet
rogard Saturday night the decision of
the government respecting reprisals
against Roumania.
j -.These include the breaking off of
diplomatic relations, the seizure of
Rumanian gold reserves in Moscow,
and the outlawing of Lieutenant
General Stcherbatcheff, the former
commander in chief on the Rumanian
front.
Resume Peaace Parley
Trotzky said that the Rumanian
gold reserve amounted to -1,200,000.
000 rubles and that the custodian of
(Continued on Face Two, Column One.)
Peculiar Situations? Arise in
Registration ot Alien Enemies
Registration of alien enemies in the
city council chamber causes situa
tions, which interest even the regis
trars. A man of German nativity, 45 years
old, appeared Tuesday morning for
his affidavits, which are to be filled
out and returned next week. He ex
plained that when he told his em
ployer he had to register as an alien
he was discharged from his work.
"I was brought to this country
when I was .1 years old and have been
here ever since I voted on what I
beljeved was my father's naturaliza
tion, but a fev years ago when the
election commissioner required evi
dence of siici naturalization I was un
able to furnish the evidence,, so I
ITALIANS LAUNCH
ATTACK TO FORCE
ENEMY FROM HILLS
Berlin Reports Violent Artillery Duel in Progress; Mid
winter Assault Surprise to Teutons; Russ Foreign
Minister Trotzky Reported Returning to Brest'
Litovsk for Peace Conference with Germans
BULLETINS. -
London, Jan. 29. The Bolsheviki have split on the ques
tion of peace, a majority being against the conclusion of peace
on the German terms and in favor of a holy war, an Exchange
Telegraph dispatch from Petrograd says.
As the present government is unable to carry on the war,
the formation of a coalition of all socialist factions was pro
posed. Rome, Jan. 29. Italian troops made a heavy attack yes
terday on the northern mountain front and broke into the
enemy lines, the war office reports. . .
Reinforcements which the enemy was hurrying down the
Nos and Campomulo valleys were dispersed by the artillerv
of the Italians and their allies.
The Italians took more1 than 1)500 prisoners.
(By Associated Preti.)
Italy has furnished a military surprise by launching an at
tack of apparently considerable force on its mountain front it
midwinter , .
The blow comes on the Asiago plateau, where the Austro
German invaders were halted early in the winter in their effort
to push down the Italian plains west of the3renta river.
RUSS REQUESTS
PERMISSION TO
VISIT AUSTRIA
Member of Peace Commission.
Endeavors to Spread Rus
sian PropagandarGer
mans Mask Intentions.
Petrograd, Jan. 25. (Delayed.)
M. Joffe, of the Russian peace com
mission at Brest-Litovsk, has sent a
request to Count Czernin, the Aus-tro-IIupgarian
foreign minister, that
he be given permission to go to
Vienna t confer with the repnesenta
tives of the Austrian people regard
ing peace.
In a telegram to the Smolny insti
tute today, M. Joffe said that his ac
tion was prompted by a general belief
that the Austrian people were most
anxious for peace regardless of the
views of their government.
The Petrograd newspapers empha
size the importance of disorders in
Vienna and Cracow and claim to
have information that the Tflirest is
I spreading
throughout Austria-Hun
gary.
The Vechemia Post declares that
Austria-Hungary already has offered
tomake a separate peace with Rus
sia regardless of the action of Ger
many. Austria Ready for Peace.
Foreign Minister Trotzky, address
ing the congress of councils of work
men's and soldiers' delegates on the
question of peace, tonight declared
that the Germans had masked their
real intentions with fine words, but
were in reality demanding all they
could get
"The thought Russia needed peace
at any price," Trotzky said.
"They were mistaken. This is not
the position of the workman's and sol
diers' government. We still insist on
a democratic peace.
"When the nation has become ex
hausted and when all the efforts that
have been made have proved unsuc
cessful, then it might be possible for
the nation to conclude an undenio
cratic peace, but the present govern
ment has not yet reached that posi
tion.
"But, if under force of circumstances
it would be forced to sign an undem
ocratic peace, it would never tell the
people that it was a democratic
peace."
started" my own naturalization by de
claring my intentions to become an
American citizen I have not com
pleted by naturalization. I am loyal
to this country." said this "alien
enemy."
The Department of Justice of the
United States requires this man to
register and technically he is an "alien
enemy."
Another man explained that he had
lived in Omaha 30 -year?, but had
"neglected to see that he was., nat
uralized." Furnishing photographs and finger
prints jars the sensibilities of some of
these registrants, but H. J. Nielsen
and Frank Rose, registrars, explain
th:se matters in a taful manner
V 'APTITTITDV riTTCT
Berlin heralded the attack yester
day in reporting the breaking out of
a violent artillery duel in the Setti
Communi region the Asiago sector.
Its force was reported to hava
reached a climax at dawn on Monday
Germans Rain Tons
Of Bombs on Romans
Berlin1, (Via London), Jan. 29,t
A German aearlal squadron drop-,
ped 21 tons f bombs lastSatnrdSy
on CastlefrAnco, Trevlso and Mes
tre, in northern Italy, the waret
tioe repprti. . " ,
Large fires, the statement adds,
were seen froni a distance. , .
Rome, Jan. 29. Twelve enemy
airplanes were brought down.
The Italiaas held mastery of the
air everywhere.
The Italian war , office an
nounced last Sunday that the en
emy on the preceding night had
earned out r raids between the
Brenta and Piave rivers, especially
on Treviso and Mestre.
Among the victims were six wo
men, three of whom were killed
and three wounded. Three hos
pitals in Mestre were damaged.
in the vicinity of Col Del Rosso,
which height stands about midway be- :
tween Asiago and the Brenta.
NO DETAILS ANNOUNCED. :
The supplementary German official ;
report of last night, which was not
received until today, announces the !
opening of the assault in this region,
describing it as a violent attack.
There were no accompanying de
tails. Russian Attitude in Doubt,
Contradictory advices from Petro
grad throw doubt on the Russian at:
tittulc towards the continuance of the
Brest-Litovsk peace negotiations. ;
A semi-official statement declared
that Leon Trotzky. the Bolshevik for
eign minister, had not returned to
Brest-Litovsk'and added - that M.
Kamcneff, one of the Russian dele
gates to the conference, was going to
Stockholm, London and Paris to lay
before the entente governments the
progress of the peace pourparlers.
Another circumstantial report from
Petrograd was to the effect that
Trotzky had . returned to the Brest
Litovsk peace conference armed with
a vote of confidence by the congress
of the council of workmen's and sol-
(CoDtlnurd on Page Three, Colnmn Tbrea.)
Icwa College President ',v
Is Made a Bishop
Dubuque, la., Jan, 29. Monsignor
M. D. Gorman, president of the Du
buque college, was notified of his
appointment as bishop of the diocese
of Idaho today. '
The information was contained in "
a telegram from Archbishop Christie
of Portland. Ore.
Bishop Gorman will leave in a few
weeks for the west
Be Sincere
Your Want-Ad may attract at
tention and yet fail utterly to '
interest the prospective Buyer.
If your advertisement is to ting
true, it should avoid gush of . any
sort. The Public don't judgo of
your proposition by the noise
you niake. They know that the
poorest machinery creaks the
loudest.
State your proposition in a clear,
consise manner, create in the
mind of the reader, an image of
something he needs or wants.
Place your Want-Ad in The Bee
Sind yo will GET RESULTS '
Call Tyler 1000 now and
Keep Your Eye On The Bq
Improvinc Every Dm '
