e Omaha Daily Bee
PART ONE
NEWS SECTION
PAGES ONE TO TEN
THE WEATHER
Fair; Cold
VOL. XLVII-NO. 209.
OMAHA, SATURDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 16, 1918 TWENTY PAGES
On Trtlnt, it HotU.
Newt Standi, Etc, to.
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.
IV
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a.
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WLSOtf PLA YIM POLinvyN
FIGHT OVER WAPINET
Senator Weeks of Massachusetts Attacks President's
Stand in War Controversy; Secretary Baker Criti
cized for Attitude Toward Military Prep
aration; Says Opportunities Wasted.
Washington, Feb. 15. President Wilson was charged with
deliberately injecting politics into the controversy over war
efficiency by Senator John R. Weeks of Massachusetts, repub
lican member of the military committee, in a speech today. He
vigorously criticised the War department and other branches
of the government.
URGES WAR CABINET.
Supporting the military commit
tee's war cabinet and munitions direc
tor bills as a constructive, nonparti
un effort to aid and not to embar
rass President Wilson in unifying
America's war force, Senator Weeks
detailed delays and difficulties of the
government's military preparations.
He declared that lack of a central
body to make and direct all of the
government's war plans is largely re
sponsible for present and past trou
bles. In his charge against President Wil
son the stnator said:
"Not a question indicating partisan
ship was raised until the president de
liberately injected politics into the
situation by an attack upon the chair
man of the committee (Senator Cham
berlain of Oregon, democrat), and the(
committee itself, and by calling to the
White House many democratic party
leaders, not for consultation pur
poses, but to insist that a discussion
of this question on he floor of the
senate be prevented if possible.
"Have we come to such a pass that
the action of the most important com
mittee in congress at this time is
to be forbidden by the president?"
Refers to Secretary Baker.
Referrin,. to Secretary Baker, Sen
ator Weeks said after praising many
army achievements:
"Neither do I want to unjustly or
tmreservedly criticize the head of the
War department. He has had to deal
with a multitude of questions, the dis
posal of many of which meet my ap
proval. "If I were to criticize the secretary
personally it would be that he has un
dertaken to do too many things him
self, some of which might have been
left to subordinates. . ;
"If I were to make a further criti
cism it would relate to his tempera
mental relationship to the war.
"Doubtless he himself would admit
that he is a pacifist by nature. For
example, even now he is opposei to
universal military training and I can
not divorce myself from the conclu
sion, based on hi3 own testimony, that
he has been inclined to plan for pros
ecution of the war and this condi
tion has to some degree permeated the
department on the basis that we are
3,000 miles away from the front in
stead of hastening preparations with
all the vigor we would exercise-if our
borders were the battle front."
Answer Was Flippant.
Referring to Mr. Baker's reply,
when asked by the committee if other
men could not have done things bet
ter, that he did not know all the men
in the world and could not judge their
capabilities, Senator Weeks said the
answer was "somewhat flippant' and
that it is impossible to expect a de
partment whose head makes such a
statement to make many changes
which an outside investigation has
shown to be necessary.
"One of the notable features of the
present situation," Senator Weeks
continued, "is the virulence used in
aWacking those who favor the com
mittee's plan (of centralization). They
are referred to as plotters, mischiev
ous meddlers and even as servitors
of the enemy. Every mean of false
suggestion has been used to discredit
a sincere and loyal attempt to make
(Continued on Fae Five, Column Two.)
The Weather
Nebraska Continued cold.
Temperature t Omaha Tuterdajr.
-Trr-rvrr TTTVIour. Dcg.
m.
COLD
6 a. m.
7 a. m.
8 a. m.
S a. m.
10 a. m.
11a. m.
12 a. in.
1 p. m 14
2 p. m i
S o. m 1
4 p. m I7
5 p. m 18
6 p. m 19
7 p. in 1
8 p. m 19
Comparative Local Record.
1918 1917 1918 1915
Highest today 19 40 37 31
Lowest today 7 15 18 25
Mean temperature ....13 22 28 28
I frecipitation 12 T .00 .00
1 Temperature and precipitation departures
from the normal at Omaha since March 1.
and compared with the past two years:
Normal temperature 24
Deficiency for the day 11
Total since March 1, 1917 629
Normal precipitation 02 Inch
Excess for the day 10 Inch
Total precip. since Mar. 1. 1917.. 22.92 Inches
Deficiency since Mar. 1. 1917.... 7.46 inches
Deficiency for corr. period 1916.12.97 inches
Deficiency for corr. period 1915. .73 Inch i
Reports from Stations at 7 P. M.
Station and State Temp. High- Raln
of weather.. 7 p. m. est. fall.
Cheyenne, clear 10 18 .04
Davenport, clear 22 24 .00
Denver, clear 22 28 .00
Des Moines, cloudy ... . 24 26 .00
Dodge City, clear 26 32 .00
Lander, clear 20 . 24 . .0
North Platte, snow .... 8 12 .06
Omaha, snow, 19 19 .12
Pueblo, clear 30 38 .07
Rapid City, clear 4 . 00 .04
Salt Lake, clear 26 32 .01
Santa Fe, clear 38 44 .00
Shorldan, clear 2 . .00
Sioux City, cloudy ... . 14 14 .00
Valentine, snow 2 2 .10
"I" indicates trace of precipitation.
Indicates below ro.
U A.
welsh. Meteorologist. J
8 BRITISH SHIPS
SUNK BY FLEET
OF DESTROYERS
Patrol Force in Dover Straits
Attacked by German Raiders;
Teuton Flotilla Escapes
Unharmed.
(By Associated Fress.)
London, Feb. IS. Eight British
craft which were hunting submarines
have been sunk by a raiding flotilla
of enemy destroyers, it is announced
officially.
After having sunk these vessels,
seven of which were "drifters" and
one a trawler, the enemy destroyers
returned rapidly northward before
they could be engaged.
The destroyer raid took place in
the Straits of Dover, the official an
nouncement states.
The admiralty statement reads:
"A swift raid was made by a
flotilla pf large enemy torpedo boat
destroyers at 1 a. m. today on our
patrol forces in Dover straits.
"The following craft, which were
occupied in hunting a submarine
which had been sighted by the patrol,
were sunk:
"Trawler -.- Jamest - Pond,;..- drifters
Jamie Murray, Clover Bank, W. El
liott, Cosmos, Silver Queen, Veracity
and Christina Craig.
"After having' sunk these vessels
the enemy destroyers returned rapidly
to the north before any of our forces
could engage them."
Foreign Commerce
Placed Under Control
Of War Trade Board
Washington, Feb. IS. By a new
proclamation today, President Wil
son today placed exports to all
countries under license by the war
trade board after tomorrow.
The proclamation - also applies
the license system to all imports,
and thus places the entire foreign
commerce of the country under the
license system of the war trade
board.
It is one of the steps of reducing
ocean tonnage of nonessentials to
release ships for transportation of
troop3 and war materials.
Vernon Castle Killed When Airplane
Dashes to Ground After Collision
Fort Worth, Tex., Feb. IS. Cap
tain Vernon Castle of the English
royal flying corps was killed this
morning while flying IS miles west
of Fort Worth.
Castle, in trying to avoid a collision,
swerved his machine beyond his con
trol, fell and was unable to right him
self. The accident happened close by the
Benbrook club. The occupant of the
other plane was uninjured.
Plane Was Near Ground.
Castle was in the front seat in
structing a cadet instead of in the
rear, where the instructor usually
rides. Had he occupied the rear seat
he would not have been injured.
When he saw the danger of a col
lision with the approaching plane
Castle undertook what aviators know
as an Immelman turn. The plane
failed to respond.
The cadet was R. Feters. His only
injury is u black eye.
Castle never regained consciousness,
but died in the field hospital 20 min
utes after the fall.
Concussion of the brain was the
cause. Castle belonged to the Eighty
fourth royal flying corps squadron.
The plane was only SO feet above
the ground and was going rapidly.
The plane with which the collision
was threatened was just rising.
Had Reputation as Dancer.
New York, Feb. 15. Vernon Cas
tle had a national reputation as a
dancer. His home was here. With
his wife, he attained great popularity
several years ago as a teacher of the
modern dances. O-
He was 'granted an aviator's pilot
license by the Aero Club of America
February 9, 1916, after having made
a satisfactory record in test flights at
Newport News, Va.
He was born in Norwich, England,
May 2, 1887.
His right name was Vernon Blvthe.
In March, 1916, he was appointed a
temporary lieutenant in the British
SHIP STRIKERS
DEFY U.S. DEMAND;
REFUSE TO WORK
Chairman Hurley Makes Fresji
Appeal to Yard Workers to
Stop Hindrance of Nation
War Program.
(By Associated Fress.)
Washington, Feb. IS. A renewed
demand that William L. Hutcheson,
president of the United Brotherhood
of Carpenters and Jobbers, send i
striking shipyard employes in east
ern plants back to work, pending an
adjustment of their grievances ,was
made tonight by Chairman Hurley
of the shipping board.
Earlier in the day Hutcheson had
answered a previous appeal with a
communication declaring it would be
impossible for him to act until he had
some definite proposition from the
shipping board as to working condi
tions. Hutcheson's virtual defiance of the
shipping board presents a situation
on which officials decline to com
ment. Mr. Hurley's request that the
men be put back to work immediately
carried no threat and shipping board
officials would not say what steps
they have in mind.
Threaten Forcible Draft.
Reports today that local exemption
boards are preparing to call into the
military service striking shipyard
workers -within the draft arge,
prompted the shipping board to send
telegrams urging that such action be
not taken. Deferred classification for
shipyard workers has been put by the
provost marshal general's office in the
charge of the industrial section of the
shipping board, headed by' Meyer
Bloomfield and the board desires that
all draft questions be decided in
Washington.
President Wilscn is known to be
giving personal attention to the labor
situation and is following every move
in the shipyard strikes.
Blames Carpenters and Joiners.
In his communication tonight to
Hutcheson, Chairman Hurley points
out that the heads of the "carpenters'
and ioiners' unian were the only ones
who declined to leave adjustment of
difficulties to the ship building labor
adjustment board. Even the carpen
ters' locals, despite this attitude, Mr.
Hurley declared, have asked to be in
cluded in the agreement.
Hutcheson in declining to ask the
strikers to return to work, called
Chairman Hurley's attention to a pro
posed agreement he submitted Feb
ruary 7, for an adjustment of the sit
uation and declared he had done his
utmost to prevent the men from quit
ting work.
Shipping board officials said tonight
that the agreement was not accepted
because it did not provide tor settle
ment of difficulities by the adjustment
board, and because it contemplated a
closed shop agreement.
MR. AND MRS. VERNON CASTLE.
royal flying corps.
Mrs. Castle followed her husband
abroad to visit him. Returning a year
later, she announced that her husband
had received the cross of war for val
orous -ction on' the western front.
She said he had brought down two
German aviators.
Castle returned from the French
front in April, 1917, and joined the
DENNISON
SAYS LYNCH
TOOItGRAFT
Got Part of Profits From Riv
erside, Which Ran Two Years
Under His Protection
Without License.
Tom Dennison, recalled to testify
in the Lynch-Clark ouster suit yes
terday afternoon, said that Johnny
Lynch was a "double crosser" and
that he had no friendly feeling toward
him.
Dennison testified that Lynch re
ceived one-fourth of the profits from
Riverside located on the river at the
end of North Sixteenth street, for
furnishing "protection." A petition
for a 1916 saloon license for Riverside
was circulated and filled out ready to
file when Lynch said, "We don't need
any license and we might as well save
the money."
The place was operated without a
licenses during 1914 and 1916 under
Lynch s "protection Mr. Dennison
testified.
Counsel for Lynch handed Dennison
a newspaper clipping and asked: "Mr.
Dennison are you correctly quoted in
this interview with a World-Herald
reporter. )
"I am not," Dennison replied.
No Feelinir Toward Lynch.
"Mr. Dennison. do you entertain
any feeling toward Mr. Lynch?"
"I am not friendly toward him.'
"Why are you not friendly toward
him?" f;
"He is a double: crosser. He has
double crossed me and every friend
I have."
A sharo verbal battle between T
A. C. Kennedy, Lynch's attorney and
counsel for Sheriff Clark occurred
.when Kennedy7 sought to introduce
the World-Herald a clipping in evi
dence. Judge Sears ruled that coun
sel for Lynch should question Den
nison direct, as to his feelings toward
Lynch. The questions were not
Dennison testified he went to see
Sheriff Clark in regard to Riverside
when he, Clark, took office, January
2. 1917.
"Clark was going in and the other
man was'going out, sq, J went up to
see what his policy wouhl be.". Deh
nison testified. "He said he was going
to close all roadhouses and that those
thatr un open would have to take a
chance. So we close'd up."
"Have you opened the place since?"
"We have not."
Money Divided by Four,
John D. ("Jack") Haskell, former
Omaha Beau Brummel and Western
league umpire, from Kansas City
testified when he was manager of the
Riverside roadhouse "Johnny" Lynch
was allowed 25 per cent of the profits
for "looking after us."
Haskell testified that the money
from Riverside was split four ways,
one-fourth to Dennison, the same to
Billy Nesselhaus, another fourth to
Lynch and one-fourth to himself.
Became Part Owner.
Replying to questions by Attorney
Baker, Haskell testified:
"I became identified with Riverside
in July of 1914. Nesselhaus wired
me to Denver that he had a place in
Omaha and wanted me to take charge.
I became part owner of that club
(Continued on Tags five. Column One.)
royal flying corps in Canada as an
instructor with the rank of captain.
When a Canadian contingent of the
flying corps was transferred to Texas
last fall for winter training Captain
Castle 'went with it as an instructor.
Mrs. Castle, who is now one of the
star actresses of a motion picture con
cern, was prostrated upon receiving
the news of her husband's death.
GERMAN ARMY WILL
INVADE RUSSIA SOON
BAKERS GUESS AT
WHAT IT COSTS
TO DO BUSINESS
MisimsHs
Appear Before Food Adminis
tration, But Appear Ignorant
When Questioned on
Bread Making.
Bakers examined by the food ad
ministration yesterday afteruoon by
Attorney John W. Parish showed a
woeful lack of information as to the
cost of operation, the cost of doing!
business and the profits of their es
tablishments.
A. Bakkc, Otto Wagener and Wil
liamJ. Elsasser were the three bak
ers examined. All admitted they had
no accurate system of bookkeeping,
and admitted that their answers to
the questionnaires they signed were
estimates and guesses.
In each case the bakers admitted
that Joe Fradenburg, their attorney,
had made the questionnaires, and they
had furnished him the information.
Otto Wagener testified he didn't
know what his expenses were in De
cember last, nor the cost of the in
gredients that went to make his bread,
but he knew he lost money in De
cember. "How do you know it?" asked At
torney Parish.
"Because I couldn't pay my flour
bills, the witness replied.
"Well, but if you don't know what
it cost you to do business, or wha.t
you got for the bread during the
month, you couldn't tell if you made
money, could you?"
"No."
"Did Attorney Fradenburg make
out vour questionnaire for you?"
"Yes."
"And it's just guess work?"
"Yes, just guess work"."
"You and Fradenburg are equally
good, guessers," commented the at
torney for the food administration.
Just Guess Work.
William J. Elsasser admitted that
Attorney Fradenburg made up his
questionnaire in Fradenburg's office,
and that most of it was merely guess
work and estimates.
Anton Bakke testified that he keeps
nothing in the way of systematic
records except a cash book Bakke
and Fradenburg had made up the
questionnaire which listed ingredients
that went into the December bread
at $2,856.65.
On the witness stand Bakke testi
fied he did not know how much the
ingredients had cost, that he had no
way of keeping such a recprd, and
that the sum put into the question
naire was merely an estimate made up
by himself and the attorney.
"It may or may not be correct then,"
said Attorney Parish.
It may or may not be, answered
the witness.
Bakke testified that he takes $225
per month as his own salary, and
added, "that ain't half enough , for
the way I work."
Money for a Rounder.
This witness had listed $400 spent
in December for electric wiring and
electric work, and $500 spent for a
"rounder," a machine for making the
dough into lumps. He was unable
to state what part of these two sums
should be charged to the December
expense, but he listed them in that
month's expenses because he bought
them then. On examination he d
mitted that a machine similar to this
$500 "rounder" had lasted him seven
years.
When Bakke repeated that he could
not tell what his profits for December
were Attorney Parish asked him:
"Then how do you know you can
not sell bread at 7 or 7j4 cents whole
sale?" "Well, if the larger concerns cant
(Continued pn rate Fire, Column Fire.)
Russia Breaks With
Former Allies Trotzky
London, Feb. IS. Russia's with
drawal from the war was a real
withdrawal and the throwing away
of all agreements with its former
allies, said Leon Trotzky, the Bol
sheviki foreign minister in reporting
to the All-Russian and Workmen's
and Soldiers' councils on the result
of the Brest-Litovsk conference, ac
cording to a wireless dispatch re
ceived here.
proved Trotsky's policy.
Judge Appoints Receiver
Rufus E. Lee was appointed re
ceiver for the Nebraska Electric com
pany by Federal Judge Woodrough on
petition of the Chicago Savings Bank
and Trust company, . which holds
$125,000 of the bonds of the corpora-
lion, on wmcn inc scmi-anuuai inter
est, due February 1, has not been paid.
The company was organized by
Iowa men and has its main office in
Cedar Rapids. It is incorporated in
Nebraski and supplies electric light
and power to the Nebraska towns of
Lreighton, Wausa, Jiloomlicld. Ilar
tington, Wakefield and Emerson.
It was oreaniz March 1, 1917.
The petition states that plans were
BERLIN TO SUPPORT
UKRAINE REPUBLIC
IN FIGHT WITH REDS
Trotzky's Plan of "No-War-But-No-Peaie" Rejected By
German Leaders; Central Powers Plan to Extend
Power Over New Buffer States; Will Re
sume Operations At Once.
London, Feb. 15. Germany has resolved to renew mil
itary activities against northern Russia.
This decision is said to have been reached at a conference
at imperial headquarters, special dispatches from Holland say
KAISER ATTENDS CONFERENCE.
The conference was attended by Emperor William, Chancellor von
Herding, Field Marshal von Hindenburg, General von Ludendorff, Foreign
Secretary von Kuehlmann and others.
REJECT TROTZKY'S PEACE PLAN.
The "no-war-but-no-peace" plan of Leon Trotsky, the Bolshevik! foreign '
minister, was rejected at the conference, according to the Amsterdam cor
respondent of the Daily Express, and as Trotsky does not wsnt peace he
will get war.
Invasion of Great Russia, It is added, will continue, at any rate until ,
Petrograd is occupied by German troops. A dispatch to the Daily News
from Rotterdam says that the Germans take the view that Trotzky's decla
ration, though it did not end the war, automatically ended the armistice.
(The armistice expired February 14).
. ' WILL SUPPORT UKRAINIANS.
The Germans now consider that they have a free hand and mean to use
the opportunity. '
This, according to the correspondent, does not mean necessarily that
the Germans will immediately try to reach Petrograd, but more probably
that they will support the Ukraine by force of arms.
The Germans, he says, are carrying on an active propaganda in Ukraine
for the purpose of suggesting to the Rada that the new state is endangered
by the Bolsheviki.
SCHEME TO BREAK UP RUSSIA.
It is declared that this is all part of Germany's scheme for breaking up '
the former Russian empire with a view to extending its own power and in
fluence over the new states, of whom it is posing as protector.
It is certain' that the Bolsheviki are now moving troops against the
Ukraine, a Berlin dispatch to the Koelnische Volkszeitung says, and the
central powers do not intend to allow themselves thus to be robbed of the
fruits of their lately concluded peace. i
The newspaper adds that it "probably had been decided at the conference .
at imperial headquarters to resume operations on the northern Russian front
for the protection of the Ukraine." v 1
MOVIE MOGUL DEFENDS CLEO'S
W. R. Sheehan Says Climate Along Nile Made
Necessary Abbreviated 'C h i c' Costumes.
WIGGLE IN VAMP PRODUCTION
If a
ST fen. " & J Jkk
WitifietfSJieeia,
Western Farmers Demand
Higher Price for Wheat
Washington, Feb. J5. Members of
the Wheat Growers' association, here
to demand that the government raise
the price of wheat' from $2 to $2.75
per bushel, held a meeting last night
with senators and congressmen from
ten western states and told them that
.at the present time wheat is being
fed to hogs because it is cheaper than
Corn and that unless the price of
wheat is raised .the farmer will find
it financially impossible to raise it
this spring.
They said under present conditions
"wheatless weeks" will take the place
of "wheatless days" during the com
ing months of the war.
For Nebraska Electric Co.
carefully worked out to connect the
six towns named by wires with a
central electrical plant and that this
work is now under way, but, owing
to soaring war prices for materials
and labor, funds are lacking to com
plete the system. The petitioner
states that when this system is com
pleted and electricity supplied from
a central plant the concern can earn
substantial profits.
The receiver was appointed in or
der to keep the plants runing and, if
possible, to complete the connecting
lines and-the central plant. In addi
tion to, the $125,000 bonded indebted
ness tli? concern has $90,000 of debts.
Cleopatra's wiggle, strongly disap
proved by Omaha Woman's club
members, was "the lady's privilege,"
according to Winfield R. Sheehan,
general manager of the Fox film cor
poration, which starred Theda Bara
in the celebrated vampire's role. Mr.
Sheehan was in Omaha Thursday.
"There is nothing in history to
prove that Cleopatra didn't wiggle,",
said Sheehan. "The lady was justi
fied in doing anything she pleased to
display her charms. So do all women
today, club or otherwise. There is
nothing different in the impulse which
guides a woman to tilt her hat to a
becoming angle or to wear low-cut
gowns than that which induced Cleo
patra to wiggle," said Sheehan.
"I suppose the club women of Oma
ha would like it better if Cleopatra
wore furs, but unfortunately the cli
mate of the Nile region induced the
inhabitants to discard as much cloth
ing as possible," he continued.
Sheehan said the film received spe
cial commendation from the national
board of censorship for its artistic
presentation and for its historical ac
curacy from Shakespearian students,
college presidents, Hall Caine, Rider
Haggard and other celebrated writ-
Qers. The Chicago censorship board
was the only one in the whole United
States, England and South America,
where the film has been released, to
enter any protest, he said.
Mr. Sheehan was asked i the film
production' could not have been
staged starring Octavia, the faithful
wife of Antony, instead of Cleopatra,
as suggested by Mrs. Benjamin S.
Baker at the Woman's club meeting
Monday, where the movie came under
the ban.
"Film productions representing ex
penditures of upwards of $200,000 and
$300,000 are too expensive to make ta
suit every one's taste," he replied.
The people will not stand for a cen
sorship board, the movie man as
serted. "If they don't like the pic
tures, they won't patronize the house,
that's all, any more than they would '
continue to eat in a restaurant where
poor meals were served. One person
or board of censors cannot sdequately
reflecUhe likes and dislikes cf a whole
community."
Genoa Couples Stage Double
Wedding in Omaha Hotel
Florence Gillespie was married to
Wesley Winell, and Pauline Pearson
was married to Harry Hodge in a
double wedding at the Merchants'
hotel Thursday night. All of the
young people are residents of Genoa,
Neb., where they will make their
homes.
Man Passes 50 Days in Jail,
Then Release and Fined $5
Virgil Jestes, after passing 50 days
in the county jail, was brought before
Federal Judge Woodrough Friday
and fined $5 for bringing liquor into
the state from Kansas City
ii