Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, February 25, 1918, Image 1

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    1
he Omaha Daily Be-e
X
THE WEATHER
Unsettled
V
VOL. XLVII. NO. 216.
OMAHA, MONDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 25, 1918.
Vl$i&gX SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.
m T TiyTKi
u
o '
2
GERMAN PEACE
TERMS INCLUDE
SLAV TERRITORY
Livonia and Esthonia to Be Occupied By German Police,
Russ Warships Disarmed and Indemnity Paid In
Gold Are Among Humiliating. Demands
Made By Germany.
BULLETIN.
London, Feb. 24. Germany's peace terms have been ac
cepted by Nikolai Lenine, the bolsheviki premier, and Leon
Trotzky, foreign minister, acting for the central executive of
the Soviet. TJhe- announcement is made in a Russian official
statement received by wireless. It adds that Russia will send
a delegation immediately to Brest-Litovsk.
(By Associated Press.)
London, Feb. 24. -A Russian wireless government state
ment received here tonight says:
"Germany will renew the peace negotiations and will con
clude peace on the following conditions:
"Both to declare the war ended.
"All regions west of the line indicated at Brest-Litovsk to
the Russian delegation, which formerly belonged to Russia, to
be no longer under the territorial protection of Russia.
Denounce all claims, o
"In the region of Dvinsk this line
must be advanced to the eastern fron
tier of Courland,
'"The former attachment of these
regions to the Russian state must in
no case involve for them obligations
toward Russia. Russia renounces
every claim to intervene in the affairs
of those regions.
"Germany and Austria-Hungary
have the intention to define further
the fate of these regions in agreement
with their populations.
"Germany is ready, after the com
pletion of Russian demobilization to
evacuate the regions which are east of
thenbove line. So far -as it is not
stated otherwise,. Livonia and Es
thonia must immediately be cleared
of Russian troops and red guards.
Police Baltic States.
"Livonia and Estonia will be oc
cupied by German 'police until the
date when the constitution of the re
spective countries shall guarantee
their social security and political or
der. All inhabitants who were ar
rested for political reasons must be
released immediately.
"Russia will conclude peace with
the Ukrainian oeoole's republic. Ufc
raine and Finland will be immediately
evacuated by Russian troops and red
guards.
"Russia will do all in its power to
secure for Turkey the orderly return
of its Anatolian frontiers. ' Russia
Kdiser'8 Peace Reply
Sealed Goes to Russ
Petrograd, Feb. 24. The Bol
shevik headquarters has re
ceived a wireless message
signed by General Hoffman,
saying that the German answer
had been handed to the courier
of the Russian government, who
immediately started on his re
turn to Petrograd. The mes
sage gave no intimation of the
contents of the reply.
A second wireless message
addressed to Leon Trotzky,
from the Austrian-Hungarian
government, has been received,
announcing that Austria-Hun
gary is ready with her allies to
bring the peace negotiations to
a final conclusion.
recognizes the annulment of the Turk
ish capitulation.
"The complete demobilization of the
Russian army inclusive of the detach
ments newly formed by the present
government must be carried out im
mediately. Scatter Russ Warships.
"Russian warships in the, Black Sea,
the Baltic sea and the Arctic ocean
must immediately either be sent to
Russian harbors and kept there until
the conclusian of peace or be dis
armed. Warships of the entente which
are in the sphere of Russian authority
(Continued on Page Two, Column One.)
The Weatther
For Nebraska: Unsettled.
Temperatures at Omaha Yesterday.
(J Hour. Deg.
rrr ; tj i.m
3 i a. m t
O 7 a. m 43
2 a. m 42
T9 a. m 45
10 a. m 48
)T 11 a. m B0
T 12 m 64
E-y
2 p. m 60
Q 3 p. ra 69
4 p. m 69
) C 6 P. m 6
P. m 67
7 p. m 66
. Comparative I .oral Record.
' 1918. 1917. 1916. 1915.
Highest today CO 36 40 34
Lowest today 41 16 - 28 24
Mean temperature .. 60 26 34 29
Precipitation 00 .00 .00 .00
Temperatures and precipitation departures
from the normal.
Normal temperature 2(
Excess for the day 24
Total deficiency since March 1, 1917 656
Normal precipitation 03 Inch
Deficiency for Jhe day 02 Inch
Precipitation since Mar. 1, 1917.23.36 Inches
Deficiency since March 1, 1917. . 7.21 Inches
Deficiency for cor. period 1916.. 13.07 Inches
Deficiency tot cor. period 1911.. .91 Inch
C-fSKJ
GERMANS ASKED
LAND AND GOLD
IN FIRST.PARLEY
Proposition Laid Down at Brest
Litovsk Included Russ Sur
render of 160,000 Square
Miles of Territory.
(By Associated Press. C
Petrograd, Feb. 24. The peace
terms submitted at the Brest-Litovsk
conference by the central powers
and at that time rejected by the Rus
sians, were as follows:
"Russia should surrender 160,000
square miles of territory, having a
population of 18,000,000, and pay an
indemnity, subsequently modified to
13,000,000,000 rubles.
"The. central powers were prepared
to return to Russia 7,000 square miles
in the Grodno government, province
of Lithuania.
"Russia should agree not to spread
revolutionary propaganda in the cen
tral empires.
Would Police Cities.
"The commercial treaty which was
abrogated at the beginning of the
war, should be reconstituted and ex
tended 30 years."
Reports reaching Petrograd are to
the effect that the newest German
demands include the policing of all
the principal cities of Russia.
The bolshevik authorities are ready
to accept the peace terms originally
outlined by the central powers, and
also to accede to a demand that Rus
sia evacuate the small portions of
Austrian territory still held, as well
as Armenian and all other territory
captured from Turkey.
A dispatch from Petrograd, under
the date of February IS, quoted Leon
Trotzky, the bolshevik foreigrV min
ister, as declaring in his report upon
the ending of the Brest-Litovsk ne
gotiations that the German terms in
cluded the retention of Poland, Lith
uania, Riga and Moon Inland, with an
indemnity of $4,000,000,000, presum
ably in gold. It will be seen from
the foregoing dispatch that the Teu
tonic demands, both in territory and
indemnity, were much less than those
i-jl r rrv--. t '
reported Dy ju. irotZKy.
POLITICIANS PONDER OVER
City Hall Men Wonder What Bearing Lynch
Case Will Have on the Election Campaign.
EFFECT OF OUSTER HEARING
What effect will the Lynch ouster
case have on the city election cam
paign, which is beginning to take on
a little speed and which will gain
momentum as the days grow more in
viting for sidewalk discussions?
That question was heard more than
once during a sight-seeing trip
through the municipal monument
across from the court house, the scene
of the recent upheaval.
Some ff the city hall dignitaries
and convalescents, when they heard
the news of the verdict jn the Clark
Lynch suit, became stricken with a
pallor which is usually caused b re
ceiving bad news from home.
Tom O'Connor. Claude Bossie and
a few more of the "administration
leaders" asseverate that the Lynch
ouster suit will have no effect on the
city campaign. They made this state
ment in luch an optimistic manner
MILLION .uLLAR
MOTOR GAR SHOW
READYTO OPEN
First War Time Automobile
t Display ih Omaha Most Pre
tentious Affair in Annals
of History.
t -
Omaha's 13th annual motor car ex
position opens at the Auditorium to
day. It continues the remainder of
the week.
Despite the fact that this will be
Omaha's first war-time show, auto
mobile men expect it to be the most
successful of the series. Neither the
manufacturers nor the dealers have
permitted war retrenchments to in
terfere with their show plans and
they declare the exposition opening
today will be as large and imposing
as though no war was in progress.
Many New Models.
The auto show this year contains
especial significance for the motorist
for the. reason that this year as never
before manufacturers have made radi
cal departures in model, style and
design. Even the more conservative
manufacturers, who have struggled
to maintain similarity of models each
year insofar as that was possible,
have found it necessary to make con
stitutional changes. These changes
are not only in body design, but in
construction and motor.
The 1918 cars are to be. distinctly
different from the 1917 cars through
out. War has been largely responsible
for this. In some instances the war
has necessitated these differences.
Lower grades of gasoline, for in
stance, have forced motor builders
to construct engines which do not
require high test fuel. In other in
stances, the. exigencies of war have
so inspired invention that many new
improvements have come to light
These have been incorporated into
the new cars.
Million Dollar Display.
The Omaha display this year will
be truly a "million-dollar" show. The
car which will be . displayed.-. are
valuSd'at far metre than this sum.
Every type of car from sport run
about to cabriolet, will be displayed
and prices will run from less than
$500 to more than $5,000. More than
50 different makes of machines will
be exhibited.
This year the auto show will be
larger than ever for the reason that
more space is available. Arrange
ments have been made to use part of
the new McCaffrey plant adjoining
the Auditorium for show purposes.
Everything Is Ready.
Practically all of the cars to be
exhibited at' the show were placed
yesterday. Some difficulty was ex
perienced in moving six carloads of
show cars from Des Moines to Oma
ha, because the express companies
refused shipment, but persuasion
finally was successful and these cars
will be here today.
Everything will be in readiness by
tonight, Manager Clarke Powell
promises. . t
County Sunday Schools to
Meet in Omaha Next Week
The annual Douglas county Sunday
school convention will be held in
Omaha March 8. The meeting will be
held at the First Christian church.
Prior to the state convention, a
number of district conventions are to
be held at the various churches in and
around Omaha.
W. H. Kimberly, state business
manager, and Miss Margaret A.
Brown, state general secretary, are to
attend the convention.
Rev. H. Houseman will speak on the
"Sunday School and the Boy Scout,"
and Mrs.' W. T. More will speak on
the "Sunday School and the Camp Fire
Girl." ,
Campaign to Cause Strike
In Germany Said to Exist
Amsterdam, Feb. 24. There are
numerous indications in Germany
of a very systematic campaign to
promote a new general strike, says a
Berlin dispatch to the Weser Zei-
fr
lung oi Bremen.
that their wor'ds did not fall within
the realms of jocosity.
The court house seems to have, a
new interest for the members of the
city hall crowd. They look wistfully
across to the great temple of justice,
where there was once upon a time a
gymnasium with shower bath, and
they ponder over the hour glass of
political fortunes and misfortunes.
Anent the city campaign, one hears
comments regarding Commissioner
Kugcl, who was mentioned several
times in the Clark-Lynch suitv"Will
Kugel's identifications with Lynch re
turn like chickens to roost?" is one
of the man queries asked by those
who are seeking for information.
"Did Kugel receive an immunity
bath of the shower bath of 'Johnny's
gym' at the court house?" is another
question.
The city campaign will be a time ill
(Continued on Page Two, Column One.)
BOLSHEVIKI HELPLESS IN
FACE OF GERMAN ONRUSH
7 '
Livonia Completely Overrun With Teuton Armies; Invad
ers Near Important Slav City of Reval; Petrograd
Threatened By Whirlwind Onslaughts of
Kaiser's Legions; Americans Menaced.
J
(By Anooiatod Freie.)
London, Feb. 24. The Germans, according to the latest
dispatches from Petrograd, some of which were sent from there
last night, are meeting with little or no opposition in their new
est invasion of Russia, whose disorganized and scattered army
Is taking no notice of the appeal of the bolsheviki to engage in
guerilla warfare.
GERMANS NEAR REVAL. C
Livonia is completely overrun with
the German armies, and the Germans
are not far from the outskirts of the
naval base of Reval, the evacuation of
which could hardly be completed, as
Petrograd dispatches say the soldiers
refused to assist in the work.
At Minsk the Germans are astride
one of the main routes to Moscow,
while "ftrther south Austrians and
Ukrainains are on their way to Kiev.
Until the Ukrainian peace these Ukrai
nian soldiers were prisoners of war,
but have since been released and
armed by the central powers.
Meanwhile the helpless bolsheviki
are publishing appeals to the people
to resist the invaders and there is
talk at Petrograd of convoking the
constituent assembly.
Some of the agency headquarters
say that, units of the German army
are refusing to participate in the in
vasion, while disorders have been ob
served among the Austrians.
Urge War Measures.
Petrograd dispatches to the Ex
change Telegraph company state that
it was announced at a meeting of the
Soviet that the main factor is the
reorganization of detachments of red
guards for service at the front.
M. Sinovieff, associate of Nikolai
Lenine and chairman of the Soviet,
reported that it required only 100
Germans to capture Dvinsk. .
- He added that the committee re
sponsible for the defenses of the city
would be tried by a revolutionary tri
bunal. Lettish snipers are resisting the
German invaders near Walkand and
have asked for support from the Sov
iet, which has decided to send 2,000
red guards to that region.
Three German Groups.
Petrograd, Feb. 24. The Germans
in their invasion of Russia are ad
vancing in three groups, according
to a report from the commander-in-chief
of the Russian army on the
northern front, who says:
"The Germftns are advancing with
great caution. They are marching in
three groups: First, in the Walk re
gion; second, in the Reishitsa region,
and the third, T)etween these two sec
tions. In the Mohilev sector all is
quiet;"
Embassies May Leave.
Washington, Feb. 24. Occupation
of Petrograd by Germans, which is
now considered imminent, would in
volve the flight from that city of 150
Americans, includng 45 members of
the diplomatic and consular staffs.
Information at the- state department
indicates that of the 150 there are 30
women. The number of French and
British nationals in the menaced cap
ital is larger.
Ambassador Francis has not re
ported to the department the details
of any plan for the departure of na
tionals of the co-belligerent govern
ments, but it has been assumed that
practically all will leave with the al
lied diplomats. It was taken for grant
ed that Ambassador Francis and the
allied- diplomats would go to what
ever place in the interior1 the bol
sheviki may decide upon as the new
headquarters. Nc new instructions
were sent to him and none will be.
Even the question of leaving the
country has been left to his judgment.
OMAHA MAN DIES
OF PNEUMONIA AT
CAMP CODY, N.-M.
Funeral services for Sergeant Harry
Horan, who died at Camp Cody, will
be held at the home of his sister, Mrs.
Bessie Patterson, 2716 Charles street,
Monday afternoon.
Sergeant Horan died of pneumonia
after an illness of only two days. He
was 35 years old.
Sergeant Horan had an enviable
military record. During the Spanish
American war he enlisted and was
sent to the Philippines, where he
served six years in the Twenty-second
infantry. When the recent Mexican
trouble became acute he enlisted again
and when the present war started he
was numbered among the Fourth
Nebraska boys who were sent to
Camp Cody. Later, he was transferred
to the 127th heavy artillery.
Sergeant Horan was born and raised
in Omaha, and after his return from
the Philippines was a member of the
fire deoartment.
He is survived by his, wife, whol
lives ai -oiu ionn i weniy-sevenin
street; a 2-year-old daughter; his
mother, Mrs. Mary Horan of Omaha;
five sisters, all of whom live in Oma
ha, and three brothers.
The funeral will be conducted, by
the city firemen with an escort from
Fort Omaha
CHOBAR GUILTY
OF MURDER; JURY
SAYS LIFE TERM
York County Man Who Killed
Albert Blender Prostrated at
Verdict; Wife Faints in
Court Room.
York, Neb., Feb. 24.-(Special Tele
gram.) Louis W. Chobar was found
guilty last night of murder in the first
degree for killing Albert Blender, near
Benedict, November 19, 1917. The
jury retired to deliberate at 5 p. m.,
and returned a verdict at 10:20 o'clock.
Life imprisonment was fixed as the
sentence.
The prisoner was remanded to the
custody of the sheriff, J. C. Miller,
pending further order of the court.
Chobar took the verdict as a severe
shock, evidently having expected an
acquittal. Mrs. Chobar was carried
from the court room in a faint.
Chobar's mother of Chillicothe, 111.,
was here as was Mrs. Chobar's mother
from'Ewirrg, Mo - '
MOTION FOR NEW
TRIAL IN MATTERS
CASE ON TODAY
At 10 o'clock this morning, in the
Federal building, United States Dis
trict Judge Martin j. Wade of Iowa
City, will hear the motion for a new
trial in the case of the Uited States vs.
Thomas H. Matters.
John L. Webster, counsel for Mat
ters, contends that it is not claimed
Matters ever received any money
from or misapplied any moneys of
the First National bank of Sutton.
It is agreed that all Matters received
were certificates of deposit.
Mr. Luebben, president of the bank,
testified these certificates of deposit,
which were issued and delivered to
Matters, were to be by him negoti
ated to obtain money for the bank
to keep the bank supplied with money
as a going concern. It was a method
adopted by the bank to borrow money
for its own benefit.
After the First National bank of
Sutton failed, the bank claimed that
Matters had overdrawn his account
and owed the bank money on account
of some of these certificates of de
posit. Matters claimed that he had
paid into the bank more than $10,000
above the amount he had drawn out,
and that at the close of the bank's
business there was owing him from
the bank more than $10,000.
The government's contention is
that M; L. Luebben, president of the
bank, had 'no right to issue these
certificates of deposit; that Matters
knew that fact and, therefore, he had
no right to de;.! with them. Matters
has been twice convicted.
American Red Cross Asks
Aid for Chinese Flood Relief
Wsahington, Feb. 24. Americans in
charge of Red Cross flood relief work
in China, have asked the society here
through- Ambassador Reinsch at Pek
ing, to transmit an additional $75,000.
Since the beginning of the floods in
China, the Red Cross has expended
$125)000 out of the $200,000 appropri
ated for that purpose.
London Goes on Ration Cards;
Poor King George Has One, Too
(By Associated Press.)
London, Feb. 24. This was the last day on which persons living
in London and the immediate adjoining counties could buy meat, mar
garine and butter without producing a ration card.
When the stores open Monday morning the new plan will be in
operation and every one will be compelled to produce a card before
making purchases.
The newspapers have featured the details of the ration card plan
tothe exclusion of other news, giving prominence to the fact that
King George has his food and meat cards like every other person in
the city.
Voluntary rationing died hard. Long lines of people stood before
the meat markets and margarine stores today. In most cases thousands
sought in vain to get extra supplies to tide them over the still more
lean days to come.
Bidding farewell to the days of voluntary rationing in these
scarcest products and greeting the advent of the first compulsory
ration for every one proved to be a more absorbing topic than the
latest war news. Every one in London and vicinity has for several
days concerned himself with the business of hunting up his ration cards.
The last unrationed dinner will be served Sunday.
LINER SUNK BY
TERRIBLE GALE
TAKES BIG TOLL
r 0
Feeble Appeal By Wireless. Operator of No Avail to lU
Fated Craft; Beating Waves Swallow Prominent
Englishmen on Way to New York and
Sunny South.
(By Associated Press.)
St. Johns, N. F., Feb. 24. The Reel Cross line steamer
Florizel, bound from this port for Halifax and New York, with'
77 passengers and a crew of 69, was wrecked near Broadcove,
20 miles north of Cape Race, Sunday,. and all on board arej
supposed y have perished. Six bodies were washed ashore
during the day. y
ARMY OFFICER
TO PRISON FOR
25 YEARS' TERM
Captain David Henkes, Claim
ing German Descent, Sent to
Penitentiary for Violation
of His Oath.
(By AMoelated FrM.)
New York, Feb. 24. Captain
David A. Henkes, 16th infantry, U.
S. A., has been sentanced to dismissal
from the service and confinement at
hard labor for 25 years, by a general
court martial held at . Governor's
Island. , ' ,
Henkes, who is German descent
endeavored to resign his commission;
saying he did not care to fight
against relatives and friends.
Captain Henkes, who was stationed
at San Antonio, Texas, fast May
wrote to the secretary of war, urging
him to accept the resignation, which
he had already submitted, and giving
reasons which, he declared, would
no longer alow him to serve as an
officer of the American army.
Parents from Germany.,
"Further service as a commissioned
officer must sooner or later take me
to Europe and there bring me in
conflict with my relatives and friends,
although for the time being my
legal enemies,' "Captain Henkes
wrote. "My father came from Ger
many. My mother was born here
shortly after the arrival of her
parents. We have many other rela
tives and friends there.
"I cannot force myself to the con
viction that I am capable of making
war on my kindred upon their soil
in a manner that would become my
duty and station."
Captain Henkes soon after had
submitted his regisnation, was order
expeditionary forces, and from his
quarters there, June 29, 1917, wrote
to the adjutant general in Washing
ton calling attention to the fact that
he had resigned and declaring that
his battalion commander, the quarter
master, and the commanding officer
of the southern department had
approved his action.
Summoned to Court.
Again on October 10, while still on
duty in, France, Captain Henkes
wrote another letter to the adjutant
general in which he urged acceptance
of his resignation.
Captain Henkes was then sum
moned before general court martial
at Governor Island where he was
formally charged with violation of
the ninety-fifth article vf war. This
charge recited that "having taken
an' oath of office in which, among
other things, he swore to support and
defend the constitution of the United
States against all enemies, foreign
and domestic, and that he would
'bear truth faith and allegiance to
the same'" had written th; letter con
cerning his resignation.
Fort Yeavenworth, Kan., was desig
nated as the place cf imprisonment
P STRUCK IN BLIZZARD.
The steamer struck early this mor.
ning while fighting her way through)
t blinding bliziard.
In a few hours she had pounded
to pieces on the rocks and at dusk
her hull had settled under the batter
ing until she was almost submerged,
The bodies washed ashore include
those of Joseph Kean and Robert
Snow, passengers, and James Long,
a sailor.
Snow was one of six non-commissioned
officers of the Newfoundland
regiment who were proceeding to
Toronto to join the Royal Flying
corps.
MILLIONAIRES DROWN.
Of the passengers 50 were salo6n
and 27 steerage.
Among the saloon passengers wers
John Shannon Munn, managing di
rector of Bowring Bros. Co Ltd., of
Liverpool and New York, owners of
the steamer; Major Michael Sullivan,
commander of the Newfoundland for
estry battalion; Thomas McNeil, prin
cipal owner of the McMurdo Drug "
company of this tity) Fred Smythe, t
manager of the Newfoundland Wool-
en mills; William Butler, an architect,
and his wife, who were on their way
to Florida; William Earle, a fish mer
chant, bound for Canada on a business
trip; Edward Berteau, Robert Snow,
Morman Sellers, John Parsons, Ralph
Burnham and Alex Ledingham.
Soldiers on Board.
The last six named were cadets of
the Newfoundland regiment who
were to have joined the Royal Flying
corps at Toronto.
Others on the passenger list wers
buyers, commercial travelers and a
number of women.
Accompanying Mr. Munn were his
little daughter, 3 years of age, and
her nurse. They were on their way
to New York to join Mrs. Munn and
her father, Sir Edward Bowring, and
proceed to Florida with them.
The Florizel was a sister of the
steamer Stephanio, which was sunk
by German submarine U-53 off Nan
tucket, October 8, 1916.
Left St. John Saturday
It had been continued in the
service between St. Johns and New
York, but since the United States
entered the war its movements had
not been given publicly.
The Florizel sailed from here at 3
o'clock last night with a large num
ber of passengers and a cargo which
included 10,500 barrels of dry cod
fish and herring for New York and
1,200 barrels for Halifax, its only
port of call between St. Johns and
New York. The hip itself was val
ued at $1, 000,000.
A blizzard was brewing when it
left and it grew worse toward mid
night, but abated in the early morn
ing hours. Mariners here think it
probably put its head seaward tof
ward morning, its commander, think
thevwind moderated somewhat to
ward morning, her commander, think
ing he had passed south of Cape
Race, turned westward.
Sent Wireless Appeal
The ship struck in Broad Cove
about 5 o'clock. It sent one wireless
message of distress, which was re
ceived at the Cape Race radio sta
tion, saying that it was aground and
in imminent danger of destruction.
Its apparatus worked haltingly and
soon was silent.
Nothing further was heard from it,
and as the cove is in a remote and
sparsely settled district, it was not
until late in the forenoon that a res
cue party reached the scene. They
discovered the Florizel lying wel' in
shore and subjected to a merciless,
pounding by heavy seas.
Some boats could not live in the
surf, and efforts to escape from the
ship were hopeless. In the absence
of life saving equipment, no assist
ance could be given from shore.
Lashed to Rigging
Men could be seen on the bridges
signalling for help and some had
lashed themselves to the rigging.
Gradually under the buffeting, the
hull disappeared from view and after
a few hours the vessel was almost
(Continued on Pas Three, Column Three.)
Mysterious Fire Destroys
$5,000 Government Horses
Kansas, City, Feb. 24. Police of
Kansas City, Kan., are investigating
the origin of a fire that tonight de
stroyed a carload of government
horses in the railroad yards there on
the theory that incendiarie were re
sponsible. Twenty-two animals, esti
mated as worth about $5;000, were
burned to death. A carload of mules
was rescued.
v t
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