Q
PART ONE
NEWS SECTION
PAGES ONE TO SIXTEEN
Bee
HE
THE WEATHER
Fair; Warmer
VOL. XLVII NO. 37.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY 24, 1918. SEVEN SECTIONS EIGHTY PAGES.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
W FIGUR
Omaha
Sunday
GOVERNMENT TO
WILSON SEJME
FLEE
PETROGRAD:
E ON WHEA T
-o
$2.20 IS WHEAT PRICE
FIXED BY PRESIDENT
FOR THIS YEAR'S CROP
Wilson Takes Definite Action to End Agitation for In
crease Which Is Stopping Flow of Cereals to
Market; Differential Scale Shows $2.15,
Figure for Omaha.
(By Associated Press.)
Washington, Feb. 23. A price of $2.20 a bushel the
same as for last year's crop was fixed by President Wilson to
night for the coming season's wheat yield. The price is for No.
1 northern spring wheat at Chicago, with a scale of differentials
for other markets.
STIMULATE PLANTING. J'
in fixing a price now tor ine new
crop, which will not be harvested un
til June, the president was believed to
have had two objects in view. The
first was to halt legislation pending
in congress to fix prices at from $2.25
to $3, and the other was to stimulate
spring planting.
The introduction of the price rais
ing bills had begun to check the flow
of wheat to market and food adminis
tration officials feared that mills soon
would have to close down. Hoping
the legislation would pass, farmers it
is declared, have been refusing to sell
at the present price of $2.20.
In enacting the food law, congress
put a guaranteed price of $2 on next
season's crop and this has been con
strued as a minimum price. To draw
wheat to market the president fixed
a price of $2.20 on last season's yield
and it had this effect until the price
raising bills were introduced. Then
the flow began to stop.
Upset Flour Program.
Food administration officials have
declared that if the bill passed the
government would be forced to raise
present prices to the new levels and j
that to do so would upset the food
administration's flour and bread pro
gram. On the basis of No. 1 northern
spring wheat and its equivalents, the'
president fixed the prices as follows:
Chicago. $2.20; Omaha, $2.15; Kan
sas City, $2.15; St. Louis, $2.18; Min
neapolis, $2.17; Duluth, $2.17; New
York, $2.28; Philadelphia, $2.27; Balti
more. $2.27; Newport News, $2.27;
Charleston, "S. C:, $2.27; . Savannah,
:'2.27: Portland, X)rt., $2.05; Seattle,
: 2.05: San Francisco, $2.10; Los
Angeles, $2.10; Galveston, $2.20; New
Orleans, $2.10; Salt Lake City, .$2;
ireat Falls, Mont.,. $2; Spokane,-$2;,
P.ocatelio Idaho, $2; Fort Worth;
Tex., $2.09; Oklahoma City, $2.05;
Wichita, Kan., $2.08.
Fix Selling Date.
The" equivalents of No. 1 northern,
lo which the same price applies, are
'o. 1 hard winter, No. 1 red winter,
o." 1 durum and No. "1 hard 'white.
The wheat must be harvested in the
United States during 1918 and sold
in the market before June 1. 1919.
The president's proclamation states
that the action is to meet an emer
gency requiring the stimulation of
wheat planting.
In a statement accompanying his
proclamation the president said:
"Under the food control act of Au
gust 10, 1917, it is my duty to an
nounce a guaranteed price for wheat
of' the 1918 harvest. I am, therefore,
issuing a proclamation setting the
price at the principal interior primary
markets. It makes no essential altera
tion' in the oresent guarantee. It is a
continuation of the present prices of
wheat with some adjustments arising
from . the designation of additional
terminal marketing points.
Assures Farmers Profit.
"This guaranteed price assures the
farmer of a reasonable profit even if
the war should end within the year
and the large stores of grain in those
sections of the world that are now cut
off from transportation should again
come into competition with his prod
ucts. To increase the price of wheat
above the present figure or to agitate
anv increase of price would have the
effect of seriously hampering the large
operations of the nation and of the al
lies by causing the wheat of last
year's cmp to be withheld from the
market. It would, moreover, dislocate
all the present wage levels that have
been established after much anxious
discussion and would, therefore, cre
ate an industrial unrest which would
(Continued on Tttge Two, Column On.)
The Weather
For Nebraska Continued mild tem
perature. .
T.miwratirM at Omaha lesttrday.
j-jour.
5 a. m 1
6 a. m 37
7 a. m 38
8 a. m 40
9 a. m 42
10 a. m 45
11 a. m 30
13 m 63
1 p. m S"
2 p. m 62
3 p. m 65
4 p. m 66
5 p. m 67
6 p. m 65
7 p. m 63
rw.-
Comparative Loral Rrrord.
1918 1917 1916 1915
HiKhest yesterday 67 21 45 34
Lowest yesterday 37 7 25 28
Mean temperature ... 62 14 35 31
rrerlpitntion 00 T. .00 ' .01
Temperature Hnd precipitation departures
from the normal since March 1:
Normal temperature 26
Excrm for the day 2
Total deficiency since Mar. 1, 1917 CS0
Normal precipitation 02 Inch
Deficiency for the day 02 Inch
Total preclp. since Mar. 1. 1917.. 23. 36 Inches
Deficiency since Mar. 1, 1917 7.19 Inches
Deficiency for cor. period 1916. .13.05 Inches
Deficiency for cor. period 1915.. .89 Inch
"T" Indicates trace of precipitation.
L. A. WELSH, Meteorologist.
READ PRICE
IS DECLARED
TO BE HIGH
Chain Store Manager Testifies
Omaha Bakers Can Make
Fair Profit if Charge is
Lowered.
The testimony of W. D. Williams,
general manager of the Basket Stores,
in the food administration inquiry into
the cost of making and selling bread,
showed that bread can be made and
retailed for much less than the prices
held to be necessary by Jay Burns of
the Jay Burns Baking Company,
Peterson and Pegau of the Peterson
& Pegau bakery, and a lot of other
bakers of Omaha, who testified pre
viously.
Mr. Williams' testimony showed
that, his stores sell the bread at 7Vt
cents retail, which is less than the
other Omaha bakers are charging at
wnoiesaie.
. Bakers Say 8 Cent;.
The government is asking that the
bakers' wholesale, their brsfcd at 7A
cents.'. .The majority of the Omaha
bakers went before the food admin
istration with their records attempt
ing to show that they cannot wholesale-it
for less than 8 cents.
. Mr. Williams , was on the stand be
fore Referee Henley in the office of
Attorney John W. Parish in the First
National bank building 'Saturday aft
ernoon. He operates a string of 42
retail stores in Omaha, Council Bluffs
and Lincoln and testified that he re
tails bread in these stores at 7'A cents
per pound loaf. In Lincoln, where
the, company operates its own bak
ery, Mr. Williams testified the com
pany sells an average of 1,500 loaves
pef day.
"Can you tell the cost of bread de
livered at your stores in Omaha and
Council Bluffs?" questioned Attorney
Parish.
"Yes, sir," Mr. Williams, "Six and
three-fourths cents per loaf."
"And at what price do you retail
it?"
"We sell for 7'2 cents retail.
"At this price do you make a fair
profit?"
"Yes, sir."
"Your company has a bakery in
Lincoln?"
"Yes, sir."
"Can you state the cost of produc
tion at your Lincoln bakery?"
"Yes, sir. Six and six hundred and
forty-six thousands cents per loaf.
This includes delivery charges."
"Have you raised your price since
December?" .
"No sir. We were retailing bread for
8 cents in December and reduced our
price to 7'2 cents in January."
"You are now selling bread for 7y2
cents?"
"Yes, sir."
"Can you tell the cost of production
irrespective of delivery?"
"I can tell the cost of delivery and
it can be substracted. It cost $109.11
to deliver bread to 11 stores in Lin
coln." "What will that make the delivery
charges per loaf?"
A small fraction less than one-half
cent per pound loaf."
Mr. Williams was the last witness
to be examined during the investiga
tion and the transcript of the testi
mony will be prepared as rapidly as
possible and submitted to State Food
Administrator Wattles and be for
warded to Food Administrator Hoover.
Guests at Grant Street Dancing
Party Wind Up in Police Court
Misfortune followed Jim Bell. Madge
Pearson and William Snell, negroes,
when they attended a dance in Grant
street on Washington's birthday. In
police court Bell was charged with
unlawful possession of whisky, and
made to pay a fine of $100 and costs.
William Snell was fined "for falling
down on his job" as floor manager,
and Madge Pearson was convicted of
being drunk.
Bell asserted that Officer Franklin
was mistaken in supposing that the
bottle of whisky which lay on the
floor under his feet belonged to him.
He said there were 250 others in
NEW HINDENBURG LINE UNDER
CONSTRUCTION WILL SHORTEN
FRONT ON AMERICAN SECTOR
German Forces Ready to Fall Back to New Entrenchments
Near Fortress of Metz; Will Straighten' Long
Y, Line Around Verdun; Trenchei v - ,
1 Are Sea of Mud. '
Ey ARTHUR S. DRAPER,
London, Feb. 22. (Special Cable to New' York Tribune
and Omaha Bee.) Petain's 11 -mile attack Wednesday near
the Seille river, in Lorraine, has added interest today with the
news the Germans in that part of the front have prepared a
new "Hindenburg line."
READY TO RETREAT. O
It is far in the rear and apparently Tl 1 PTI A RATil TA
they are ready to fall back upon the ! I U Ah HI llr N I II
fortress of Metz from the St. Mihiel I Hfll I IU IllLll I U
salient this spring, as they did from
the Noyon salient, further west, a year
ago.
INCLUDES AMERICAN SECTOR.
The part of the line they would
give up if this maneuver is carried
out includes the sector near Xivray
and Seicheprey, held by American
troops.
The extreme depth of the retreat
on the center of the line involved
would be 25 miles. The new line
selected, running from near Etain,
due east of Verdun to near the
Rhine-Marne canal, where American
troops first went into action, would
be about 60 miles long, replacing a
tortuous front about 20 miles longer.
Metz New Pivot.
The new line makes the great
fortress of Metz the pivot and gives
up all the plain of Woevre. A cor
respondent in the field for Le Temps
of Paris has just visited this section
of the front. From Verdun- to Par
roy the French hold all the high
ground and look across- the plains to
the east.
The German lines are in places on
the slopes of hills, and others in the
valley at the foot of steep declivities.
The correspondent was able from the
high ground to see what he described
as a new "Hindenburg line.
Trenches Sea of Mud.
"In fact," he says, "the Germans
have finished or nearly finished here a
Hindenburg line, as elsewhere along
the front. From the heights of the
Meuse to the Moselle our muddy
trenches are opposed by their trenches.
equally muddy, but behind their
trenches they have built their new
Hindenburg line, which cuts off en
tirely the St. Mihiel salient.
the hall, so "why did he pick on me?"
Snell said that in his capacity of floor
manager it was essential that he carry
a gun to protect himself when he tried
to take booze from the customer:.
He said he did not know that Bell
had any in his possession.
"You're fined for taking a job you
couldn't swing," said the judge.
Madge Pearson protested that it
was a broken ankle sustained by fall
ing through a skylight in Canada that
made her walk "that way," but officers
asserted that it was good, old "red
eye."
A complaint against Siull for carry
ing concealed weapons was dismissed.
My! How We Have Grown
. , t&wp(Dl
E FIGHT FOR
DEFEAHF BILL
Proposal to Eliminate Func
tions of Interstate Commerce
Commission Denounced by
Omaha Shippers.
In line with the action of similar or
ganizations throughout the country,
the Omaha Traffic club has taken steps
looking to the defeat of the congres
sional plan to curtail the powers of
the Interstate Commerce commission
by vesting in the president of the
United States the authority to initia
ate advances ill the rate rules and
regulation of common carriers.
At its meeting Saturday the Traf
fic club took the position that "our
system of railway control and rate
(Continued on Page Two, Column Three.)
Statistics on Omaha's
Thirteenth Annual
Au(o Show
Date February 25 to March
2, inclusive.
Place Auditorium and An
nex to south of Auditorium.
Auspices Omaha Automo
bile Trade association.
Manager Clarke G. Powell.
Opens Two p. m. Monday,
February 25.
Closes Ten thirty p. m. Sat
urday, March 2.
Hours (After Monday) 9:30
a. m. to 10:30 p. m.
Mu3ic Afternoon and eve
ning by Oleson's orchestra.
Number of Exhibitors Sixty
four. Makes of Gasoline Cars
Eighty-seven.
Makes of Electric Cars Two.
Cars on Display Two hun
drey and sixty-one.
Lowest Priced Car Four
hundred and thirty-five dollars.
Highest Priced Car Nine
thousand dollars.
Value of Exhibits Approxi
mately $1,000,000.
Public Entrance Fifteenth
street, between Howard and
Jackson.
Exits All sides of building.
SECOND DRAFT
WILL BE CALLED
EARLY IN MAY
Unofficial News, from . Wash
ington Indicates That Prep
arations .Are Completed for
Raridlingr Another Ariny. -
, Washington, Feb. 23. While War
department officials reiterate that no
date has. definitely been' fixed for the
calling of the second draft of the na
tional army, all available outward in
dications would seem to point to
some time during the month of April
or at the latest early in May.
Such an estimate is based on the
known preparations for equipping and
housing the men.
It is no military secret that equip
ment. and supplies for men of the sec
ond draft will become available soon
after April 1, and careful observers
look for the first increments to be
called soon afterward.
The number of men to be called in
the first increment has riot yet been
determined because the question of
housing them has not been disposed
of. .
There will be room for some of
them in camps and cantonments now
occupied by troops, and it is possible
that additional cantonments may have
to be provided.
It is also possible that some of the
National Guard camps may be used
during the period. This phase of the
subject is being given careful study,
but nothing has been rlc-wlcd.
New York Aviator Is
Killed on French Front
Paris, Feb. 21 Edward J. Lough
ran of New Yorkr flying on the
French front in a French squadrilla,
was killed 10 days ago in an aerial
combat.
Loughran went across the Genmti
Jines and was attacked by fournenfy
machines. He flew back to the
French lines, where he fell tothe
earth and was dead when found. He
was buried near Chalons.
WOULD-BE DETECTIVE, WITH
Erstwhile Sleuth Displays Big Badge, Fin
gerprint Paper and Magnifying Glass.
'LOTS EXPERIENCE SEEKS JOB
A position as "United States detec
tive" was sought by J. Burwil, who
wandered into United States' Marshal
Flynn's office Saturday morning.
He met Deputy Marshal Quinley,
whose humorous brain immediately
took in the seedy-looking individual
in the cardigan coat.
"Have you had any experience as
a detective?" Quinley asked him.
For answer Burwil unbuttoned his
coat, sweater and vest and showed a
shining badge about a foot in diame
ter, decorated with eagles and stars
and inscribed "Deputy Chief of Po
lice." He also displayed a cheap magn'f
in;; glass and a sheet of paper i
some finger prints on it.
He explained that he had met a
"feller" in Portland "who knew how
to take the finger prints" and he
asked him to teach him this part of
the detective art, which the "feller"
did, for a consideration of $5.
"I'll give you a note to the boss,"
said Quinley, and he wrote to Rus
FOREIGN DIPLOMATS
QUIT RUSS CAPITAL
TO AVOID CAPTURE
Petrograd is Threatened By Rapid Advance of Teutons:
Bolshevik Government Reported Fleeing to Point
Farther Inland; Francis Cables Plans for
Evacuation to Washington.
BULLETIN. ,
Berlin, Feb. 23. In their new invasion of Russian territory
the German forces have reached Walk, in Livonia, 90 miles
northeast of Riga, it was announced today by the German gen
eral staff. In Volhynia the Teuton armies marching from Lutsk
have reached the town of Dubno. The official -statement fol
lows: "In Esthonia we are pressing eastward. In Livonia. Walk
has been occupied.
"In Ukraine the forces advancing southward from Lutsk
reached Dubno. Elsewhere our operations are taking their
course.
"The number of prisoners brought in has been increased to
two generals, 12 colonels, 433 other officers and 8,770 men."
(By Associated Press.)
Petrograd, Feb. 23.- The allied embassies will leave Pet
rograd in the event that the German advance threatens thei
city. They are ready, however, to aid Russia to fight the Ger
mans. The embassies are virtually unanimous in a decision not to
break relations in any event
NATION TO BE
PLACED UNDER
RATION LAW
Compulsory Food Conservation
urged by House Agriculture
I .Committee; Food Famine
Threatens Country.
Washington, Feb. 23. Compulsory
food conservation is necessary in the
opinion of members of the house ag
riculture committee, which today sub
mitted its report on the bill giving the
president power to regulate public
eating houses and the distribution and
manufacture of foodstuffs. The bill
does not directly affect householders.
The report recalls that the presi
dent has no power to enforce econ
omy in consumption under the exist
ing food law and that the success of
conservation plans depend entirely
upon the voluntary co-operation of
the people.
MANY SLACKERS.
The appeals to save food have met
with gratifying results, the report
says, and adds "but there is a small
per cent of people who either will
fully or for lack of understanding
fails to respond to the call made for
patriotic duty."
"The food situation as it affects us
and our allies," the report continues,
"is becoming so critically serious as to
warrant the committee in the belief
that the necessity is upon us of adopt
ing compulsory methods of conserva
tion in certain well-defined directions.
"It would be foolish for us to shut
our ,eyes to the facts; it would be
cowardly in us to fail to attack the
problem of waste in foodstuffs in the
most vigorous manner.
"The bill is designed to meet a sit
uation which is closely allied to con
servation. "If wc ship to Europe all of our ex
portable surplus of certain foods,
there is never going to be more than
just enough of such foods available
for consumption in the United States.
"In order to prevent local shortages,
(Continued on Tane Two, Column Four.)
sell Ehcrstcin of the bureau of in
vestigation as follows:
"This man wants a position as
United States detective. He has had
lots of experience and already has a
badge."
Armed with this, the candidate went
to Ebcrstein's office, down the hall,
and presented himself there. He
again unbuttoned his coat, sweater
and vest and displayed the shining
badge, lie again took the paper with
the linger prints from his pocketbook
and he again showed his magnifying
glass.
He said he would be willing to start
in at $300 a month, hut was told that
was a trifle high for a new detective.
He expressed a willingness to Start
even lowe..
When told that at present the
United States detective force is full,
with a long list waiting to be ap
pointed, he put away his badge, put
the "finger prints' back in his pocket
book and his magnifying glass in his
coat pocket and departed.
GOVERNMENT TO MOVE.
If Petrograd is actually threatened.
the embassy staffs probably will pro-
ceed inland with the bolshevik govern
ment, wherever it may move,
RUSS UNCONCERNED.
London, Feb. 23. The inhabitants
of Petrograd await coming events with
an outward calm, according to the
latest dispatches received here, and .
continue to pursue their ordinary bus
iness life seemingly unconcerned ovrr
the great interests at stake. -'
The Daily Mail's Petrograd corre
spondent,, in a dispatch sent last
Thursday, repeats a statement that
the majority would welcome the ar
rival of the Germans, fearing an out
break 6t uncontrolled anarchism with
riot and murder.
TIRED OF DISORDER.
The bulk of the population, the cor
respondent says, is tired of revolution,
tired of Hunger and disorder and tired
of the uncertainty perpetually over
hanging them.
The only information of current
date received here consists of official
pronouncements.
The Petrograd correspondent of
Reuter's Limited sends an official
statement that the council of the peo
pie's commissaries has appointed a
Francis Ready to
Leave Petrograd
Washington, Feb. 23. Ambassa
dor David R. Francis advised the
State department today of the in
tention of the diplomatic corps in
Petrograd to leave the city with
the Bolsheviki government if the
Germans menace the city.
The American ambassador gave
no details as to the plans of the
diplomatic corps, but added that
the soviet government was plan
ning to make a defense of the city
if necessary.
special general staff and has issued a
decree reiterating its warning that
martial law must be used mercilessly
to repress "criminal attempts" and
extirpate the counter-revolutionarv
element.
Measures, it is officially declared,
have been taken for the registration
and distribution of foodstuffs and of
the mobilization of the entire popula
tion for defense. The special general
staff will appropriate all property re
quired for defensive purposes.
No Resistance to Germans.
An extraordinary session of the cen
tral executive committee of 'the sol
diers' and workmen's delegates was
held Friday evening. M. Sverdioff
presided and asked the committee to
adopt a resolution expressing con-
(Continurd on rage Two, Coltiran Two.)
Two Big Nebraska Farm
Papc re to Bo Merged
By negotiations just completed the
Twentieth Century Farmer has been
acquired by and will eventually be
merged with the Nebraska Farmer.
owned and published at Lincoln, by a
corporation in which S. R. McKelvie
has the chief interest. These two
weekly papers are the leadinjr agri
cultural publications of the state, the
Twentieth Century Farmer having
been issued by The Bee Publishing
company, under the editorship of
Thomas F. Sturgess since 1900, as the
successor to the old Weekly Bee. The
transfer will be made April' 1, but
The Bee Publishing company will
continue to print the Twentieth Cen
tury Farmer into June for Mr. Mc
Kelvie and also after that the con
solidated paper until his plant at
Lincoln may be ready to take it over.
This will enable The Bee organiza
tion to concentrate an ettorts upon Ihc
Daily and Sunday Bee and make these
papers better than ever.