The Omaha Daily B
N v- -
THE WEATHER
Rain
VOL. XLVII NO. 231.
OMAHA, THURSDAY JT' VV; MARCH 14, 1918. FOURTEEN PAGES.
"'aU'iTfc. SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.
EE
x
Mill
PLAN TO ALTER DRAFT
SYSTEM MEETS BITTER
OPPOSITION IN HOUSE
Legislation to Change Present Laws of Apportionment In
definitely Held Up ; Must Wait for Baker's Return ;
Crowder Refuses to Issue Call for Second
Quota Until Passed.
(By Associated Press.)
- , v Washington, March 13. Legislation to change the system
of apportioning drafted men by making the basis the number
of men in class one, instead of the population of states, was
held up in the house today with the filing of an adverse minority
report by members of the military committee, and by the state
ment of Chairman Dent that the measure would not be called
up until after Secretary Baker's return from France.
rDniunru AHYrnits
WXW .....WWW,
This will delay the second draft; as
Provost Marshal General Crowder has
, announced that they will not go ahead
with it until the .law is changed. !
At the time the minority report was
filed General Crowder was before the
senate .military . committee, . urging
speedy consideration of the measure
and of another to require registration
of all men attaining 21 years of age,
since last June 5. He appeared greatly
concerned when he learned that the
legislation was checked in the house.
- ACTIOfTBY HOUSE.
The senate has passed the bill to
change the "basis of apportionment
and is expected to pass this week the
measure registering younger men.
The house committee already has
filed a favorable 'majority report on
the bill changing the apportionment.
A favorable report on the resolu
tion already has passed the senate,
but will not be brought up in the
house until Secretary Baker returns
from Europe. .
Representatives GordonfShaHenber
ger, Wise, Nichols, Harrison and Hull
joined in the dissenting reply, which
declared 4Jaat the proposal would sub
ject "to the arbitrary will and au
thority of those in control of the na
tion s military power the 9,000000
men registered, except only those un
conditionally exempt from the draft,
as fully and completely for all prac
tical purposes as tnose aireaqyjn
ductod into the miUrary. service.
Creates Favorefr Class.
"If congress," the dissenters added,
"is prepared to deliver the Bodies of
these 9,000,000 meninto the hands of
the military authorities, without con
dition or limitation, then it should
pass this joint resolution; if not,, it
should be defeated."
Five democrats and one republican
constituted the minority, which
spared no words denouncing the reso
lution as a repudiation of the princi
ple of universal liability to service;
declared that it substituted the arbi
trary will of the military and would
create a favored class to feast on war
profits.
"It is sought," the minority report
contends, "to defena the grant, of
these unheard of powers by asserting
that the military authorities desire to
take for military service only those
who have not become articulated with
the social or-' industrial life of the
communities in which they are regis
tered; this rule, if strictly applied, ex
cludes from the military service ev
eryone but vagabonds and tramps."
ROOSEVELT'S SON,
ARCHIE, WOUNDED
BY FOE SHRAPNEL
New York, 'March 13. Archibald
Roosevelt, a son of Theodore Roose
velt, has been wounded in action with
the American forces in France. A
cablegrani"was received today at the
colonel's office "here. Young Roose
velt is a captain.
The message came from Theodore
Roosevelt, jr., a major with the
American expeditionary troops, It
reads: -
"Archie wounded by shrapnel
slightly in leg. Arm broken, but not
badly. 'No danger. Ted."
"I am as troud of my four boys as
I can be," Colonel Roosevelt said
when informed by his secretary, Miss
Josephine Stryker, over the telephone
at his home in Oyster Bay, where the
former president is recuperating from
his recent ilir.ess. "As long as Archie
Was not killed, everything is all right."
Charles Page Bryan," Once
U. S. Envoy to Japan, Dies
Washington, March 13. Charles
Page Bryan, former ambassador to
Japan and former minister to several
Dther countr:es, died here last night
if heart disease. He was 61 years
ld. ,
Mr. Bryan began his diplomatic ca
cer as minister to China in 1897 un
rler President -McKinley. Afterward
he served as minister to Brazil, to
Switzerland, to Portugal and to BeT
gium. He was ambassador to Japan
n 1911 and 1912. The body will be
yx juried here, prpbably Friday.
Nation-Wide Purchasing
System for Railroads
Washington, March 13. The rail
oad administration today awaited
inly the (enactment of "the pending
railroad control bill to perfect the
..tablishment of a nationwide pur
chasing system for all the roads.
An advistory committee for finance,
J- a central advisory purchasing com
' mittee and regional purchasing com
mittee for the east, west and south
were named by the director 'general.
LIBERTY MOTORS
UPON AIR GIANTS
ARE ACCEPTED
V
America's First Fighting Sea
planes, Largest in World and
Carrying Four Guns, Soon v
Be on Way to Pershing.
' ; (Br Associated Preu,) '
Washington, March 13. America's
first Fighting seaplane equipped with
Liberty motors has been tried out and
accepted, it was learned tonight, and
a number of the craft are' now being
delivered for the. use of the naval air
service. They arethe advance guard
of a big fleet which will be added to
the forces engaged in submarine hunt
ing in the war tone.
A second type of fighting plane for
the American army, known as the
Bristol mdel, also has now reachefl
the production stage and a consider
able number will become available
during the present month. Still an
other type, a two-seated machine, Js.
being manufactured, y : -'kz.!.
r wnsirucntra is sccrei.
Construction details of these planes
never has been published. It is
known,, however that the seaplanes
are substantially similar to the British
flying boats and are equipped with
two Liberty motors, which provide
approximately 700 horsepower to
drive the ship. This is understood to
be much in excess of the power used
in similar British craft and their per
formance is expected to proportion
ately better.
In this connection it was learned
that engineers of the aircraft board
now have overcome the last minor
defect of the Liberty motors, having
to do with tlie lubricating system. A
number of motors taken haphazard
from the quantity prodpttion supply
have been operated continuously for
many hours without any trouble de
veloping. '
Officials in close touch with prog
ress being made on production of
fighting planes in this country are still
satisfied that the output will tax ship
ping facilities before July, -when de
livery in quantities in France has
been scheduled. Already a problem
of caring for the planes on the other
side is one to which General Persh
ing's staff is giving serious thought.
Motor Great Success.
Those produced in the United
States are in addition to the fighting
aviation equipment to be provided
under contract through the French
and British governments. Tjhere are
indications that these foreign con
tracts are not up to original schedule
of delivery. No -details are available,
however, as to the actual number of
machines that will be turned over to
General Pershing during the summer.
The success of the Liberty motor
known to have attracted the atten-
on of both -trench and British air
service officials and both governments
nave narj experts in this country
(Continued on Pate Two, Column Four.)
FIRST WOMAN MAJOR RAPS
Mrs. St. Clair Stobart Says that Fair Sex
Should Train to Take Places of Men at War.
"SILLY KNITTING NEEDLES"
"""Mrs. St. Clair Stobart, first worna
major in the worjd, in Omaha to
speak on Serbian relief work, believes
ablebodied women should put aside
their "silly knitting needles" and train
to take the places of men who will go
in the draft '
She is a slight little woman, with
iron-gray hair, and distinctly feminine
in manner, until she speaks of the
great world tragedy, then her face
suggests the firmness which entitled
her to leadership in the Serbian army.
Following her experiences as head
of a hospital unit in the Balkan war,
Mrs. Stobart ten years ago began
training women for national defense.
"The more you believe in peace, the
real kind of peace, which means co
operation and good will among na
tions, the more you will push this
war, that we may overcome the one
nation whicn stands in the way of the
realization of this peace," she" said.
"In this sheltered country, where
you have know nothing but peace
and happiness, you cannot possibly
visualize the wretchedness, the blood
shed, the frightfulness of war. espe
cially of devils at war." she explained
in telling tint her mission was to te
of her personal experiences in order
RUSSIA IN GRIP
OF TERROR RULE
INDESCRIBABLE
m
Letter to Dr. Holovtchiner of
Omaha Front Father h Kiev
Tells of Wholesale
Slaughter.
Scenes of terror and the chaotic
conditions in Russia are described in
a letter received by Dr. Elias
Holovtchiner of Omaha from his
father in Kiev. ,
"In a letter previous to this I wrote
about the Russian republic. We are
in a state of complete anarchy here
in Kiev, and the same conditions
prevail in every large city," writes
Dr. Holovtchiner's father.
"Civil war is waging here in Kiev,
Petrograd antf' Moscow.
"In one battle here 400 were killed
and a large number wounded. In
Petrograd thousands were killed and
in Moscow the dead reaches, nearly
15,000.
Kremlin, is Bombarded.
"It is impossible to describe con
ditions in Moscow. The Kremlin,
with its shrines, were bombarded with
large guns The power is in the
hands of soldiers and workmen. All
the ministers of the provincial govern
ment are arrested and lodged in the
fortress of Peter and Paul. Kerensky,
by miracle, fled from Petrograd and
escaped with the aid of friends.
"The soldiers are killing their
officers and generals. Massacres,
robbery and murder goes on in the
whole of Russia.
"The high cost of ' living is in
describable. Bread, which is not fit
to eat, cewts 40 cents a pound and
even at that price, is hard to get.
Cloth, which before the war cost. $3
a yard is now $100 a yard.
Rivals Revolutionary France.
"The leaders of the new party, which
is called bolsheviki, are issuing orders
like France during their revolution
whereby all personal and real prop
erty is confiscated. The peasants are
robbing the estates of the landowners
and the beet sugar factories are
("plundered of the, sugar.
Ihe soldiers are deserting ana
.demolishing the wine and
jtoreKraMsvrttttiirrttnk
stroying everything they can lay their
hands On. They have killed our
neighbor, Prjnce Shangushki, an. old
gentleman of 85 years, in his palace
in Slavutov.
"We don't know what will happen
tomorrow and we had better be dead
than to live through times like these."
Dr. H-olovtchiner, a native of
Russia, has lived in Omaha many
years. He served as member of the
Board of Education and has given the
Russian ai'vation considerable
thought and stud-. He is familiar
with the fi :ces which are now at
work in the iand cf his birth.
The letter was passed by the cen
sor in spite of the graphic recital of
facts.
Kiev is the capital of Ukrainia, a
province of southeastern Russia
which recently declared its indepen
dence and has been recognized by the
central powers as a separate nation.
Fined for Duck Shooting.
Fremont, Neb., March 13. (Spe
cial Telegram.) George Stover of
Northbend was brouglrf to Fremont
to serve a sentence of 10 days for
shooting ducks. Deputy Game War
den Dick Howard arrested Stover.
Consolidate Railway
City Ticket Offices
Washington, March 13. The rail
road administration is taking steps
to consolidate city ticket offices in
scores of cities and expects to save
several millions of dollars by their
unification. Consolidation has been
ordered for Washington, Atlanta
and several other cities and investi
gation is under way in New York,
Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland,
Pittsburgh and elsewhere.
In many cases the offices cannot
be unified until after leases expire.
that America
further effort.
might be spurred to
When asked what hopes she had
of a peace in the near future, Mrs.
Stobart said she saw none.
"Peace will come only when the na
tions have defeated the German army
in the west. Physical force is the
only argument which the Prussians
understand. The allies will not follow
the example of the Russians who
made a diplomatic peace and whose
faith has already been shattered in the '
German promise." , j
'Secret treaties will never more be
made by the nations In England Baron BlvthswOOd Dies.
nothing can be done without the voice ' .
of the labor party. I should be sorry London, March 13. Baron Blyths
if I had no more power in my own wood, lieutenant governor of Guei
house than the king has in the coun- sey.VAlderney and dependencies from
try. Your president has more power 1903 to 1908, died yesterday at Doug
than any one man in the world." las Support, Lanarkshire.
Mrs. Stobart believes that there is Barrington B. Douglas Campbell,
little internal difficulties in Germany, third Baron Blythswood, was born in
either in labor circles or in lack of 1845 and succeeded to the title in 1916.
supplies. She says that the German He was forrner commander of the
people and the government are ab- Scots Guards and served in Egypt and
solutely one in their war work. South Africa. He became a major
"Germany's w eakness and peace general in 1898. His heir, the eldest
talk is German propaganda to pro-1 of three sons, is the Hon. Archibald
duce an enfeebling effect on effort ; llouglas Campbell, a captaiu in the
among h- Ji;v ' i Scots Guards
War-Not
QENERAL EFFICIENCY
U.S. MISSION TO
ROUMANIA FLEES
FROM AUSTRIANS
iui ".wai amine neyaiueu u
Snare of Central
Powers.
Washington, March 13. Members
of the American and allied special
missions to Roumania have left Jassy
for Odessa under assurances of safe
conduct from the -king of Roumania.
They had been held for quarantine.
Word regarding the missions came
from Minister Charles Vopicka, who
said the Austrian authorities had at
tempted to hold the missions for 30
da'3- ... ....
An investigation by members, ot the
missions indicated there was no sani
tary reason for their etention and
the protests were made' which con
vinced tne Koumanian govcrnueni
that some assistance should be given
and provision was made for them to
leave immediately.
The minister in reporting the inci
dent to the Stae department said the
Austrian action was regaraea as a
snare.
With the missions went the Ameri
can Ked cross workers and otner
Americans connected with war work.
The French and British contingents
included several hundred men
PACKING H0VSE
LABORER LOSES
LIFE IN SMASH
Mike Kirila, a laborer at the Ar
mour packing plant, South S;de,
kissed hisiwifc and his four children, J
one of them only 4 days old, "ood
by" Wednesday morning and started j
for work. He waved his wife as he
walked irom tneir nome at i
street.
"I'll be home early to see the new
baby," said Mike.
An hour later he was dead.
Me wits fatally injured , when an
aiftomobilc driven by James Coir of
the Corr Electrical company turred
turtle at Thirty-seventh t and Q
streets.
Mike had "bummed" a ride from
Mr. Corr.
The business man lost control of
the machine when dog ran iri front
of the car. It .swerved into the curb
and turned over, pinning the men un
der the wreckage.
Mr. Corr suffered a lascerated wrist
and bruises about the face and body.
Kirila never regained conscious
ness. He struck his head on the
pavement when the car turned over.
He died in the South Side hospital,
where he was taken after the accident.
Play
GENERAL DEBILITY
GERMAN ZEPS IN
RAID ON BRITISH
COAST BOMB HULL
Woman CsJnJiufp
Shock; Airships Unload
Tons of Shells on Open
Country , ;
London, March 13. Three Zeppe
lins took part iif last night's raid on
England. One of them dropped four
bombs on Hull. ' v
The other airships flew about aim
lessly over country districts dropping
bombs and then proceeded back to
sea.'
One woman died of shock in con
sequence of the raid.
The Germans have sustained such
heavy losses in Zeppelins that they
have employed them only at infre
quent intervals in the last year for
raids on England, substituting air
planes. The last previous ZeppeliS
raid on England was on October 19.
1917, when 34 persons were killed ana
56 wounded. On returning the Zep
pelin flee- was put to rout by the
French, five of the dirigibles being
brought down.
The following official announcement
was given out:
"Latest reports indicate that three
enemy airships crossed the Yorkshire
coast between 10:30 and 11 p. m. last
night. Only one ventured to approach
a defended locality namely, Hull
where four bombs were dropped. A
house was demolished. One woman
died of shock
"The two remaining airships wan
dered for some hours over remote
country districts at great altitudes, un
loading their bombs in open country
before proceeding out to sea again.'
First Nebraska "Mail Women'9
Begin Carrying their Route
tit ' - A $L$v
S f ,
Nebraska now has two women mail
carriers. They are Mrs Mollie A.
Shrader and Mrs. Edith G. Anderson,
both of Pawnee City. They have at
tained national prominence because it
was for them that the test case was
made befoie the FosUffic. tlepart
ment in Washington.
.Whether !hev will be called "mail
TR0TZKY AW ANTI-WAR
FACTION CONTEND FOR
RULE OF RUSS CAPITAL
Government Flees to Moscow; Armies of Central Powers
Now Before Odessa; American Forces Score in
' spirited Raids on German Defense, Pene
trating to Second Line.
N BULLETIN.
- Berlin (Via London), March 13. German troops have en
tered Odessa. This official announcement was made tonight.
(By Associated Press.)
The bolsheviki government has fleJ to Moscow.
The All-Russian congress of Soviets which was called toi
ratify the peace treaty with Germany has postponed its open
ing meeting until Thurday, March 14. ' 4
In Petrograd two committees are preparing to take over
the government. . '
One is headed by Trotzky, dismissed by Premier Lenine as
foreign minister, and the other by M. Zinovieff, a Lenine ad
herent.
Trotzky s committee consists of seven members, with him
self as president. ,
The Zinovieff faction is endeavoring to seat a committee
of ten mentbers, representing the council of commissioners.
SAMMIES NEAR
TOUL CUT TO FOE'S
SECOND DEFENSE
Germans Evacuate Trenches in
Face of Terrific American
Artillery Fire; Teutons
Use Gas.
With the American Army in France,
Tuesday, March 12. There was
greater artillery activity by the Amcr
kans 9114b Toul 4ctoMday than
at any time sinct; thej-took-pcrsitiorr
there.!
American shells have obliterated at
least five groups of gas projectors
which hjid been set up by the enemy
in preparation for an attack. Fires
back of the German lines also trc
caused and a number of explosions
were heard.
The American troops on t!; Toul
sector again raided the German posi
tions, penetrating to the second line.
No prisoners were captured, but a
number of the enemy were killed by
shell and rifle fire."
Aloag. the Chemin-des-Dames the
crew of a Gorman raider which fell at
Clamecy Monday night was made pris
oner by American soldiers. The Ger
mans later were turned over to the
French.
Hurl Thousands of Shells.
The sect'ir occupied by American
troops cast 01 Luneville, which was
designated formerly merely as being
in Lorraine, has developed suddenly
(Continued on Pi- Two, Column One.)
Ban on Fireworks
In Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, 0., March 13. State
Fire Marshal Alfred T. Fleming an
nounced today that he will issue, an
order prohibiting the use of fire
works in Ohio this Fourth of July.
The announcement was made in I
connection with the beginning of a
campaign against fireworks as a
waste of money and powders that
could be used in the prosecution of
the war. v
women
women"
or
or
"cartlcrettes"
or
not
'post
been
what not has
decided.
The post?.l officials, however, be
lieve. that the experiment of having
women mail carriers vvill prove suc
cessful. It an occupation, they be
lieve, tu 'Allien women are as wel1
V Tt?OT7lrV PPn.AT.t.V
Trotzky wts a member of the first,
peace delegation which met with the
German mission and it was due to
his pro-ally opinions and hit refusal
to accede to the crushing Teuton de
mands thst the conference was aban
doned. Zinovieff is admittedly of the pro
peace faction. He was chairman of
the delegation which assented to the
German terms.
In eastern Siberia, General Seme
noff, the anti-bolshevik leader, has
been driven across the border into
Manchuria by bolshevik .troops aided
by released German prisoners. China
has warned the bolsheviki against in
fractions of its neutrality in Man
churia. .
In the Wocvre and in Lorraine, the
American troops are giving the Ger
ittlo restand raids - are being '
rcwfcoifniMcctsfony
lery, especially m tne ioui sccmr.
also has 4eenactive.
American Line Busy.
South of Richecourt, onsthe Toul
sector. General Pershing's men pene
trated to the second German line in a
rid Tuesday. Casualties were in
flicted on the enemy by shell and
rifle lire.
, The American troops ea't of
Luncvillc, in Lorraine, which places
them very near the Franco-Get nan
border, went into the German posi
tions Monday and found that the
enemv had not yet rcturnea to the
trenches he evacuated the day Ufcrc.
Despite German artillery fire, aair.st
them, the raiders came back w'Uiout
a -casualty. ' .
Powerful German Raids, v
On the line between Arment trc
and La Bassce, which has not charged
in 18 months, the Germans continue
their powerful raids. Their h'est
effort was made against Pottugtese,
positions near Laventie. The Gtr-"
mans were chickei by machine Kim
fire, which caused heavy casua1t:es
and left prisoners in the hands of the
Portuguese. ' '
The British troops repulsed small
raids in the Ypres area, where the
enemv artillery fire is intense. On
the French front the bombardment
has been most violent in Champagne,
especially cast of Rheims.
In aerial fighting French and Brit
ish machines have accounted for 21
enemy airplanes, while French gun
ners have destroyed three others. In
addition to attacking military targets
close behind the German lines, Brit
ish airmen have bombed the city of
Cohlcnz. on the Rhine, in daylight.
A ton of bombs was dropped, caus
ing two fires and a violent explosion.
Bring American Heroism v
To Notice of Parliament
London, March K5.-Sir j. Fortes
cue Flan aery, member for the Maldon
division of Essex, announced this
morning that he would call the at
tention of the first lord of the admir
alty toda. in the House of Commons
to the remarkable heroism and sea
manship displayed by the American
crew of the destroyer Parker in res
cuing nine survivors, including the un-j
conscious navigating officer, of the
hospital ship Glenart Castle, sunk in
the LSristol channel late in February.
Tile official report of the sinking
of the Glenart Castle, on which it js
estimated 153 persons lost their lives,
announced that survivors had been
landed by an American torpedo boat
destroyer, the name of which was not
given. "v
Omaha Man's Damage Suit
In Los Angeles Goes Over
Los Angeles, March 13. (Special ;,
Telegram.) Owing, to a technical :
point raised in the suit of Charles C ,
Rosewater agajnst E. T. Earl asking
$31,642.33 damages for alleged breach
of contract, the trial of the action ;
was continued by Judge Monroe un
til April 1. In the interval briefs are
to be filed covering the point raised.
Metal Workers to
Strike.
13.-Meta!"
Motile, Ala., March
trades workers in the shipyards tere
voted today to strike Monday un'es!
they are given an immediate in:ier,st
in wages. Their demands are n tin
hands of the shipbuilding labor 'ad
justment board at Washington,