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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 1918)
frrw MAHA AILY VOL. XLVII NO. 225. OMAHA, THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH 7, 1918 FOURTEEN PAGES. On Trilnt. II futtli. Hlwt blind, (to . SC. SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS. 0) cJIILJ 0 Bee ttt THE WEATHER Warmer FACES j4 It CROWDER TODEMAND800,000 DRAFTED MEN DURING YEAR TO FILL UP GAPS IN UNITS Losses to American Army in Trenches Figured Down to Scientific Basis Where Soldiers Called to Colors Must Hold the Line; Conscription Basis Still Undecided. r ' . - (By AtsoclaUd Pre.) Washington, March 6. While a large number of men will be called out duringthe present year to fill up the army and complete its organization, it was learned tonight that War de partment plans do not call for the creation of any additional di visions in 1918. '- - , - . The announcement concerning theO second draft expected soon from Pro vost Marshal, General Crowder may outlne the manner in which less than 1,000,000 men probably not much in exctss of 800,000 are to be summoned gradually during the year to complete the existing organzations. . ; DRAFT DATE DELAYED. Delay in the announcement asjo the next draft is understood to be due to uncertainty as to which method of al loting quotas to the states is to be followed. .' , ' The senate already has passed and the1 house military committee has fa vorably reported an amendment to the law to base the quota on the number of men in class one instead of upon total registration of. a state. This change is regarded as. certain to be made, butv to avoid further delay schedules of allotments under both Systems have been prepared at provost marshal general's office ready to go Dut as soon as final actidn js taken. Small Number irt June. As to the date of the second draft, members of congress from agricul tural' sections have been practically assured that no withdrawal of men from civil life was contemplated which would embarrass harvesting.-It has been--indicated,, however. -that. a relatively small number P men must be called to the colors prior to June 1; and that process may 'start in April, when equipment, ' clothing and;- quar ters will be available. ' - ;. The men are needed to fill tip 1.0 full strength divisions slated for early de parture to Europe, and also for field army and corps troops not attached to divisions. The replacement-detach-ments also must go forward at an accelerating rate since American troops art now actually hblding a.sec- tor of the French front an.i men are being' killed or wounded , in action every day. - The completion of tire, full program of the War department without cre ating any additional divisions probably will absorb' m the neighborhood of 600,000 men. The extent to which it has been necessary ta increase artil lery quotas throughout the army and to add special units of all sorts has surprised every officer an:! accounts for the existing shortages to a large extent. " Losses Estimated. The number of replacement troops necessary is worked out in a scientific way, based on experience at the front. A fixed percentage for each arm of the service is established. Among the noncombataTt arms, this is very small; but it . is quite high among front line troops.. While official fig ures are not. available it is estimated that something more than 200,000 will be necessary for the 1913 program, making 800,000 necessary to call out during this year.. The last increments of the first draft now in process of mobilization, totalling about 80,000 men, are being used to fill regular and national guard divisions shown by their eiKciency re ports to be available for early duty abroad. Some of the men are being jised also to fill up the special forces, although an additional source of supply- for highly specialized technical units is being used continuously. This is by special drafts of particularly qualified men of the trades necessary. Orders were issued today to local boards calling for 528 artisans of vari ous sorts for noncombatani units. Even with all of the first draft men mobilized there. are considerable de ficiencies among the ' national army and some of the national guard di visions. I he hrst purpose or the sec ond dratt will be to make up shortage. - ' .; ' ; ; tnlS , , , Gandy Man Shoots Wife Following Divorce Suit Staplton, Neb- Uarch 6.r-(SpeHal Telegram.) Clinton Myers shot his wife through the breast Wednesday afternoon, at the home of her mother, six miles south of Gandy. It is doubt ful if she will recover. - Mrs. Myers had started suit for di vorce, on grounds of nonsupport,-of which Myers learned only Tuesday night. Wednesday , afternoon , he walked to the ranch where his .w'fe was stopping with her mother, and sister, and started shooting. , . ' After the shooting, Myers ' fled towards Stapleton, but was captured a few miles from town. He is now in the county jail. Myers said he intended to commit suicide after shooting his wife, but lost his nerve. . The couple have been married eight rears, and have two children. 7 and 2 years old. - " : 1 . - ? i Mrs. Myers' ; father is. the president of the Gandy bank. . j EUSTIS CITIZENS BAND TOGETHER IN HOME GUARDS People of Community Sign Roll at Meeting Where Effort Is Made to Prevent Organ- , ization. ! Lincoln, Neb., March 6. Assurance was given' at the office' of the State Council fe-r Defense today' that loyal American citiiens .at, Eustis, Neb., would be given protection against any possible trouble from' pro-Germans, reported to(be numerous .there. Eustis, Neb.,' March. 6. (Special Telegram.) Fifty-one persons today signed the roof as members of a Home Guard company. About 100 were present at the meeting.,- Captain N..T. Hale, .United States army and John McElwain',were,elected,chaiiTOanau4 secretary;. respectively.' t '.'.: . v.-. . ; . j TK$ 'organization is only temporary as it will be necessary to send to Lin coln to get the necessary; papers and instructions, before 'organising, "the guard. v - j 'I-., - ' , During the .meeting A. J. Baker, a member of, the executive committee of the local Council of Defense, asked permission .-to read c a story about Eustis which -was published in the Wednesday, issue of The Bee. , " '' Fail to Denounce Story. ' ' , Permission was! granted and after reading the story ;M'r.' Baker made a motion that the story be denounced. Chairman Hale refused to entertain the motion. ' - ' After a little wrangling Ed Murry attempted to Filibuster by making a motion to adjourn. j Notwithstanding a motion to ad journ is always in order the chairman stood pat and Ignored the motion. After more wrangling the meeting took up the' business for which it was called. -' .. ... definite time was set for the next meeting of the guard., A petition signed by .116 citizens, asking the gov ernor for adequate protection will be forwarded to Governor Neville Thurs day. - Word From County Council. The Bee is in receipt of the follow ing message from Eustis. which speaks for itself. It is signed "Coun cil of Defense": "The Eustis Council of Defense In ses$ion, passed the following resolu tion: , . ' '"Whereas, An article appearing in The Omaha Bee and other papers which, in the judgment of the Council of Defense,' grossly misrepresents the true condition and sentiment of Eustis and vicinity, therefore be it "'Resolvad, That we condemn such, article as having a tendency to create more iK-feeling than has ex isted.'" Executive Committee Not Advised. The executive committee of the Eustis Council of Defense did not authorize the telegram sent to The Bee, much feeling being aroused as a result. This information was con tained in a long-distance telephone message from the war-torn village. Apparently; the pro-Germanites inm rf fiftv-one American tn th Home Ouard rolls of the town. While small groups of men were gathered around the principal streets discussing the situation, violence, it was declared, was not anticipated. Cold Wave Loses Some of Punch, But Causes Drop of 30 Degrees Cold wave did not hit Nebraska and Omaha as hard as the weather bureau predicted it would. But it hit hard enough to cause. 9 drop of 30 degrees in Omaha in the 24 hours ending at 7 a. m. Wednesday, when the thermom eter touched 15 above zero. The coldest point in the state war Valentine, in . the northwest - corner of the state, which had 8 above zero. Zero temperatures prevailed in South Dakota. Bismarck, N. D., reported 8 below zero, and Sheridan. Wyo.n; had 10 below. - It was snowing Wednesday morn "One Purple Week" "r . "Z?lVfJ' PAPERS MARKET WEEKj BRITISH MERCHANTMAN SUNK BY U-BOAT; 48 Armed Mercantile Cruiser Goes to Bottom Off Irish Coast Near Spot Where Tuscania Met Doom; Four German Torpedoes Puncture III failed Vessel. ; Belfast, Ireland March 6. The British liner Calgarian has been torpedoed off the Irish coast. -There were 610 per sons on board, nearly 500 of whom have been landed at Irish ports. The Calgarian was struck by four torpedoes. AVERS HUSBAND IS UNPATRIOTIC; SEEKSJIVORCE Wife Alleges Ernest Hundred mark is in Sympathy With German Army; Says He . . Threatened Her. Georgia A. Hundredmark has fi'ed another divorce suit in .district court against Ernest Hundredmark on the alleged grounds he is "unpatriotic, a pro-German and in sympathy and ac cord with the German army." She declares he has chided her be cause her son is in the United States army, bhe alleges he said he hoped her son would never return and ,t: a the Germans " would "get "emy damned Yankee" in the army. Mrs. Hundredmark filed a petit on for divorce December 28. 1917, alleg ing her husband struck her while; .he was wrapping a Christmas package for her son in the army. She dis missed this action, she says, at his request and on his promise to treat her in a kind and loving manner. They started living together aiain in the latter part of December, Mit she says that notwithstanding his promises' he, renewed his unpatriotic utterances and continued lo abu?e I her. - . ing at, Cheyenne. Vyo., an'd Denver, Colo. Also east of the Mississippi river in the upper lake region. Ne braska had slight flurries of snow Tuesday night. - ' While the weather is cold and win terish in Nebraska, there is nothing to Indicate an approaching blizzard, reports to the railroads say. Tues day night over most of northern Ne braska there was a snowfall of two to three inches, with light snow flur ries elsewhere in the state. The storm broke during'the early morning aad now clear weather is the rule. Nebraska temperatures Tuesday night, according to the railroads, were 7 to 24 degrees above zero. PERSONS LOST nouncement was made by the admir alty today that the British armed mercantile cruiser Calgarian was tor pedoed and sunk March 1. Two offi. e'ers and 46 men were lost. NEAR TUSCANIA SITE. An Irish Port, Monday, March C The people of this' town, who a few days ago won the gratitude of the American people by their kindness to the survivors from the Tuscania, have extended their hospitality in the last few days to nearly 500 men from 'he Calgarian, one of the finest auxiliary cruisers in trie Atlantic service. The Calgarian was torpedoed in the late afternoon, not far from the place where the Tuscania met its doom. The-ship's. bell had just sounded 4 o'clock when a torpedo struck. The shock was so slight that it was thought the vessel had mertly touched a mine astern. It was hoped to get it safely to port. A considerable time later a sec ond torpedo struck it, followed quick ly by two more. By this time there were several trawlers and patrol ves sels ia the vicinity and the work of disembarking the crew was hastened. By good fortune the Calgarian re mained afloat on an even keel for some time," notwithstanding the four torpedoes. It was possible to take' off nearlv all the crew except men in the stoke-J nonis ana oiners wno nad been in jured by the explosions. The Allan liner Calgarian was a vessel of 17,515 tons gross, 568 feet long and 70 feet of beam. It was built in Glasgow in 1914, There are no oublished records of the recent movements of the Calgari- an which tor some time has been in the service of the British government, Ihe last report given out concerning the liner was in April, 1916, when it sailed from Halifax for England with Canadian troops. A most unusual circumstance in connection with the sinking of the Calgarian is the fact that it was struck by, four torpedoes. .So far as published reports have shown, in no previous case has a merchantman been subjected to such a heavy at tack 'by submarines. Evidently the Germans concentrated U-boats to en sure the sinking o1 the liner. ' Owned by Allan Line'. New York, March 6. The Allan liner Galgarian) torpedoed off the Irish coast, has been for some months serving" as 'a' British cruiser, converted from the status of a merchantman, convoying cargo ships between Brit ish ports and Nova Scotia, according to officers here of the Canadian Pa cific Ocean Service, Ltd., o,wners of the Allan line. The head offices of this company are in Montreal. WAR PARTY GAINS POWER AS GERMANS' PEACE BECOMES DOMINANT RUSSIAN ISSUE JAPS REALIZE V. S. A FRIEND v Washington, March C It was authoritatively stated today that the United States has sent no com munication to Japan on the subject of action in Siberia and that if any views of this government are ex pressed, they probably will be con veyed to Great Britain, through which the United States has re ceived all its information of the situation. It was further stated that the United States has not assented, dissented or protested and that without any exchange of written communications Japan already un derstands the friendly attitude of the United States and its disposi tion to take no part. In addition, Japan understands that the United States credits it with disinter ested purposes if action in Siberia "should be taken. At the same time, it is under stood, Japan understands the United States is giving thought to the moral effect in Russia of such action and would feel that the ab solute necessity, should be appar ent before it is taken. These views have been expressed to Great Brit ain, which, as an intermediary, ad vised the United States of Japan's views. JOHN E. REDMOND, IRISH LEADER, DIES IN LONDON Famous Nationalist Succumbs to Heart Disease Following Operation and Several Severe Illnesses. ' London, March 6. John E. Red mond, the Irish nationalist leader, died at 7:45 O'clock this . morning. Death was due to heart disease, fol lowing a 'recent operation for an in testinal obstruction. This was borne courageously and it relieved the patient, but heart dis ease supervened Tuesday night. The physicians attending Mr. Red mond issued the following announce ment:' "We regret to announce that John Redmond died at 7:45, this morning. After several serious attacks of illness a severe operation was faced with great courage. It had become imperatively necessary owing to an intestinal obstruction. This was re lieved by the operation and for some days satisfactory progress was main tained. After a fairly comfortable day Tuesday, heart disease .supervened during the night and after a few hours Mr. Redmond passetf peacefully away." Rivals Great Parnell. Since the death of Charles Stewart Parnell, the most forceful factor in Irish leadership has been John Ed ward Redmond. Bom in 1851, John Redmond came of parliamentary stock, his father be ing the late W. A. Redmond, member of parliament for Ballytrent. He was educated at Trinity college, Dublin, was a barrister of Gray's Inn in 1886 and of the Irish bar the following year. He entered parliament as mem ber for New Ross in 1881, was elected for Wexford in 1885 and has repre sented 'Waterford since 1891. In 1901 Mr. Redmond, with Patrick McHugh and Thomas O'Donnell, came to America to explain to the people of the United States the pur pose and scope ofthe United Irish league. He was a consistent lieuten ant pf Parnell and he clung to the (Continued on Paie Two, Column Four.) I GERMAN PRESS LOOKS ASKANCE AT MUCH LAUDED RUSS PEACE (By Associated Press.) Amsterdam, March 6. Despite orders from the high command for the German people to beflag their towns and rejoice over peace with Russia, notes of doubt are not lacking in the German press in regard to the future in the east The Vorwaerts says that Russian territory is not the place the Germans longed for nor is German occupation cal culated to endure. It adds: "We should regard it as wiser and more far-seeing if the German government had not exploited to the utmost the helplessness of the Russian peoples and forced a peace for which the only, historical paral lel is that which crushed Prussia was obliged to conclude at Tilsit in 1807. ' . , "The German social democracy must now take up the fight with the object of preventing the new neighboring states from teing treated by Germany as subjugated peoples.' - George Bernhard, in the Vossiche Zeitung, confesses to uneasiness as to whether the same coalition which confronted Germany before the war "and is now momentarily broken as a fighting organization" will not after the war reconstitute Itself. He hopes that peace in the west, when it comes, will not show the same lack of imagination characteris ing the Russian peace. - : Herr Bernhard soundly berates Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg, the former chancellor, regarding the German demand, revealed by M. Pichon, the French foreign minister, to be given Verdun and TouL He declares it was a piece of stupendous folly which made the entry of Great Britain nito the war inevitable. Official and Civilian Population Flee Petrograd; Lenine Trotzky Regime Doomed to Fall if Slav Congress Fails to Ratify Teuton Treaty, Which Seems Probable. V The Lcnine-Trotzky government in Russia faces collapse. The war party is gaining power day by day. The official news agency announces that a supreme military council has been formed for defense of the country. The commissioner for military affairs has issued a decree ordering that the entire' people be armed. Refusal of the German peace terms by the All-Russia con gress of workmen's and soldiers' delegates when it meets in Moscow next week will mean, the downfall of the present bol sheviki rulers, if they do not resign beforehand. Petrograd is being evacuated by the bolshevik! govern ment. Moscow, the ancient capital, is again to become the seat of the Russian government, while Petrograd is to be made a free port. ;'-''. : JAPS TO PROTECT SIBERIA UNDER BRITISH TREATY Washington Government An noyed by Interpretations Placed on Exchange of Notes With London. ' Washington March 6. Adminis tration officials are somewhat 'dis turbed at the various interpretations being placed on the attitude of the government toward Japan's prospec tive action in Siberia. The statement that the United States is in accord in principle with Japan's plans, supposing always that action is necessary, has been in terpreted in some dispatches to mean that the United States has assented to the plan, and the further statement that the United States has not as sented has been construed in others to mean that the government has withheld its assent4 These various statements are all generally regarded as a play upon words at a time when official an nouncements of the exact status of the situation is 'being withheld. Japan, so far as can be learned, has never asked the approval of the United Statty to its plans. Conse quently . there is -nothing for the United Slates to assent to. On the other hand, the fact that the .United States under .the circum stances is not' .assenting. to the, plan is not construed, in the absence of official announcement to that effect, that assent has been withheld in the diplomatic sense of the term. The United States had been ad vised of Japan's feeling through Japan's ally, Great Britain, and these two governments are discussing the situation in ihe fight of the Anglo Japanese agreement for the preserva tion of a status in the far east. It has been pointed out to State de partment officials that the Anglo Japanese pact is essentially conserva tive in spirit and that, so far from contemplating or countenancing ag gressive action on the part of either Great Britain or Japan with the pur pose of exiending their territorial possessions in the far east, the pur pose is directly opposite and aimed to conserve the present status of both nations. To this end it was found necessary to pledge each of them to combine to (Continued on Van Two, Column One.) POPTJLACE IN FLIGHT. , The population of . Petrograd is' quitting it hurriedly and various gov eminent departments are ' removing further inland sway from the German invaders. Bolshevik councils in Mos cow and the provinces are said to be more opposed to. the Germans and a separate peace than those in Petro grad. ": ; vVv : ; The bolshevik leaders are prepared to withdraw even as far as the Ural; mountains rather than submit to th defeat of the 'revolution, said Leon Trotsky, bolshevik foreign minister, in an interview today with the Asso-. dated Press. - rf-.riwww Evacuation of Petrograd is one of the measures proposed , by the war party and the hurried exodus of both civilian -and official population lends strength to the view that the nonpeace party is in the ascendancy; '" Previous reports that the hard terms of the German peace treaty, which takes from Russia thousands of square miles in Europe and Asia, would not be accepted by the all Russian congress of workmen and sol diers' delegates indicated also that'the nonpeace elements in the bolsheviki ranks were gaining the tipper hand. ' A section of the bolsheviki is -said to lean toward the social revolution ists of the left, who have been op posed to the Lenine regime and in clined to be friendly to the entente allies, although favorable to an im-, mediate general peace. : German Diplomats Fooled. Apparently Germany unwittingly played into the hands of the AH Russian congress by granting a re spite before the treaty should . be ratified. Reports from Petrograd in dicate that the congress and allied organizations will use the intervening days in recruiting' an army and pre paring for a defense against the Ger mans. - ' ' ; American Consul Tredwcll has re turned to Petrograd along with Ray-, rqond Robins, head of the perma nent Red Cross commission to Rus sia. Removal of the government to Moscow probably will compel them to go there also. On the fighting fronts , in Frante (Continued on Page Two, Column Two.) SEARS-ROEBUCK . CHARGED WITH UNFAIRMETHODS Washington, March 6. Complaint was issued today against Sears-. Roe buck & Co. of Chicago by the fed eral trade commission, charging un fair methods of. competition in the conduct of its business. The complaint summons the firm tc answer a charge that it has advertised sugar for sale at 3 to 4 cents a pound actually at a loss, but only upon con dition that certain amounts of other groceries be purchased, for which a sufficient price is charged to make a profit ou the combined sale. - The complaint further charges that Sears, Roebuck & Co., with the pur pose of injuring competitors, has cir culated catalogues representing the quality of merchandise 'sold by its' competitors as inferior. : ' ; The complaint charged that the low price on 6ugar was made for the purpose of lessening competition and creating u monopoly. v - A hearing has been set for April 11. BADGER S0L0NS S HIT LA F0LLETTE BY VOTE S3 10 32 Madison, Wis., March 6.After"2 hours of . self-imprisonment in the state house the assembly, deadlocked over the anti-La Follette .resolution this forenoon, reachetfka compromise which broke the deadlock. , The resolution condemning Sena tor La Follette was passed by a vote Of 53 to 32.' - ' '"""'
