The Omaha Daily
Bee
THE WEATHER
-Unsettled
VOL. XLVII NO. 237.
OMAHA, THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH 21, 1918 FOURTEEN PAGES.
rffiVfci..?- SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS. -
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'4:
V7
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FOE FORCES
ARE BEFORE
PEtROGRAD
Occupation of Russ Capital by
r Germans Only Matter of
Hours; Fear Capitulation
of Moscow.
1 London, March 20. Occupation of
Petrograd by the Germans is only
a matter of hours, according to dis
patches from Petrograd to several of
the morning newspapers.
The Russian capital is said to be
assuming a waiting attitude and is
not displaying the slightest sign of
organized resistance.
The Germans are reported in a
Reuter dispatch from Petrograd to
have reached the vicinity of Dno
; Station, about ISO miles south of
Petrograd. x
The Austro-German advance in
southern Russia continues. The en
emy has occupied Soumy, five hours
march from Kharkov, the dispatch
says.
Moscow in Danger.
German possession of Petrograd
Aould give the enemy complete con
trol of the Gulf of Finland and all
the important ports on, its coast ex
cept those in Finland yet in the hands
of the Finnish rebels, who are being
'.ttacked by the Germans and Finnish
government forces. , ,
This would cut Moscow off from
the Baltic sea.
The various reports from Russia
also indicate the greatest anxiety over
what appears to be an enveloping
movement the Austro-German forces
are carrying out against Moscow.
There is talk' of moving the govern
ment, according to these advices, to
Sarjoff, (probably Saratoff, 450 miles
southeast of Moscow), or to Nizhni
Novgorod (265 miles northeast of
Moscow). ( '
Church Boycotts Peace. V
A Reuter'a dispatch from , Petro
grad : dated March' is, .reports v the
patriarch of the Russian church to
; T ' " have .sennrtnessage to- the orthodox
f population declaring that the church
cannot regard as binding a', .peace
which dismembers: the. country and
places it under the domination of a
conquering .foreign power.
In this connection the Communist
is quoted as declaring that the Rus
sion proletariat cannot make, further
concessions, but must be ready to
rise at anjr moment irrespective of
its state of preparedness.
Other reports from Petrograd State
that the council fii people's . comn is
sioners has ordered the arrest cf M.
Bibenko the commissioner of marine,
for opposition to the ratification of
the peace treaty. Petrograd dis
patches filed March 13 reported that
M. Bibenko has been missing several
days.
Russ Friend of Entente.
Moscow, Tuesday, 'March 19.
Russia's relations with -'the en:ente
are unchanged, M. Tchitcherin the
bojshevtk foreign minister, declared in
an interview with the, Associated
a Press correspondent today.
More friendly relations were btmg
established with the United States,
he added, and he commented rpon
President Wilson's message to Fussia
as showing that America wou?) rot
take aggressive action against it.
Leon Trotzky and other bolshevik
leaders are quoted here as denying
rumors that large numbers of Austro
German prisoners have been armed
by the bolsheviki at Irkutsk, Chita
and other Siberian cities as well as in
European Russia.
Welcome United States Probe.
The announcement that the United
States is sending a mission to investi
gate the reports of the arming - of
prisoners is hailed with enthusiasm
by the government organs.
The Weather
t'pr Nebraska Unsettled; somewhat cooler.
1 Temperature at Omaha Yeaterdajr.
fl U m 47
"la. m 49
Cj a. m 62
T10 a. m.. .......... 60
)T 12 m.. .!!"!!!. 68
L, 1 P. m... 72
Ez p. m. 7 3
3 p. m 78
C 4 p. m.... 72
S P. m 71
I D. m HH
Comparative local Record.
ins. ii7.im.im.
Hiarhest Jsterday 75 . 68 71 26
Lowest yesterday ., . JS 40 21
lean temperature ..1,80 4S 86 - tt
1'rwMpttallon ........ 1.(10 .00 1 .00 .02
Temperature and precipitation departures
from the normal: .
Normal temperature J8
Kxcpss for the day 22
Total excess since llaerch 1. 215
.Normal precipitation .04 Inch
Deficiency for the day ............ .04 Inch
Total rainfall since March. 1... 11 Inch
Oeflclencyslnce March 1 .67 inch
I ) Excess for cor. period, 1S17 .SI Inch
Deficiency for cor. period, 18U. ....70 Inch
iBeporls From tSatlons at 7 P. M.
Station and State Tem, High- Kaln
ot Weather. 7 p. m. est. lalL
Cheyenne, part cloudf : 48 So .00
Davenport, cloudy .... 66 74 .00
Oes Moines, cloudy .... 68 76 .00
Dodsa City, clear .... 70 76 .00
Lander. - clear 56 ' .00
North Platte, clear .... 64 -70 ,o
3ueblo. cloudy . 64 , 70 , .00
Sapid City, part cloudy F. , jh ,00
anta Fe, cloudy .44 56 .00
Sloox City, cloudy .... 68 72 .0
Valentine, -cloudy 58 fct joo
m "T" indicates trace of precipitation.
T L, A. WELSH, Meterorologiit.
MB
Scene at Federal Trade Commission Investigation of Omahia
and Sioux; City Packing' Industry Which is Now
BAKER LOOKS OVER
'N0MAN'S'LAND;HAS
CLOSE DEATH CALL
War Secretary Visits Listening Post Far Out From Ameri
can Sector; Talks to Sammies Who Greatly Sur
prised; Great German Shell Drops 50 '
Yards From Machine.
, (By Associated Press.) : '
With the American Army in France, MarcrT20.35ecretary
Baker had his baptism of fire thU,; morning in the front line
trenches, and while he was returning a German shell burst
within less than 50 yards of his motor car. He was not injured.
The secretary went into the trenches in a sector the lo
cation of which must not be revealed, where American troops
face the enemy nearby. For half an hour he plodded over the
duck boards. , .
SEES NO MAN'S LAND.
The Germans maintained an active jSre with heavy pieces
and .machine guns. Nevertheless Mr. Baker made his way to
an advanced sap, entered a listening post and talked for several
minutes with the soldier on duty
But the narrowest shave was on bisO
return to headquarters. The Get man
shell, of 105 millimetres, roared down,
and burst cleanly less than 50 yards
from the automobile containing the
secretary of war and the escorting of
ficers. The shell hit a roadside dug
out, digging a big crater. Mr. Baker
wished to stop and ascertain whether
there were men in the dugout, but the
chauffeur, realizing the danger, opened
the throttle, and made his best speed
until the danger zone was passed.
BAKER'S GREATEST DAY.
This was the secretary's hardest and
most exciting day in France. jfOn
Monday evening, accompanied only by
a general commanding a division and
one other officer, 'he motored to a
point accessible to the sector selected
for his inspection. He dined anc slept
in the chateau of French friends of the
officersN Retiring early, the sec;etary
arose at 4 o'clock in the dark of an
overcast, chill March day. Taking
breakfast quicklv, he drove through
the misty dawn to his destination
,As the lines were approached the
steady reverberation of guns sign&.Ied
great activity of the artillery. This
was confirmed when, on arrival, it
(Continued on Page Two, Coloinn One.)
FRANCIS HENEY IS POPULAR
Oh., My, Yes; Just Like the Revolution
. . Was to the Czar and the War to Serbia.
PERSON IN PACKERTOWN SET
By ELLA FLEISHMAN.
Francis J. Heney is about a pop
ular with "Mike" Murphy and others
in exclusive South Side packer' so
ciety as well, Anthony Comstcck
was with painters of the nude. f
Mr Heney of Reuf scandal fame in
San Francisw is conducting an ex
amination for the Federal Trad-; .om
jnission in Omaha. Mr. Heney is try
ing to find out all the "insides" of the
packing and stock yards business and,
judging by the amount and kind cf in
formation he already has stored in
his mind, I don't blame Murph and
the vst of the gang for trying to
hold out their business secrets.
Why, if Heney got somebody, with
motiey enough to back him, I cpine
he knows enough about the business
to hpst into the game himsetf fnd
grab a fat handful of those luscious
profits. He certainly would be lively
competition" in my judgment.
Why Heney even toid ath'n or
two to the freight expert for the Ne
braska Railway commission, who has
been handling- local- stock yard 'fig
ures for years, to say nothing jf the
there.
1
CORPORAL HUGHES
FIRST OMAHA BOY
KILLED IN FRANCE
Word Comes to Parents .That
Son Gave His Life While
Fighting With U. S.
Rainbow Division.
Corporal Russell1 G. Hughes, Com
pany L, 168th United States infantry,
Rainbow divisiot, is the first Omaha
boy reported killed in action. Wednes
day afternoon his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Frank A. Hughes. 4116 Lafay
ette avenue, received news of his
death, which occurred March J 7.
Corporal Hughes was 19 years old.
He was born in Chicago, but the fam
ily has lived in Omaha for five years.
(Continued on Tagu Two, Column Two.)
surprise he sprung on "Mike" yester
day. It's some hog scandal Heney is
unearthing-a''beastly" affair. (Bum
jokey Which reminds me of an ex
cellent suggestion I could advance t6
Herbert Hoover if he wants t6 save
pork consumpion so our. soldiers and
allies canxhave bacon for breakfast.
Mr. Hoover can take a tip from Moses,
who anticipated him several thou
sand years in saving hog products.
He ought to introduce a Hoover
dietary law instead of the Mosaic law,
forbidding the use of pork. The Jew
ish population of this country is ob
serving seven pbrkless, days a week
instead of one 1
If everybody did this, wouldn't the
price Df hogs take a slump. Then it
wouldn't be fashionable to eat it and
the poor starving Belgians coiild have
as much as they liked. J
Mr. Heney was 12 minutes late get.
ting into court this morning. I had
visions "of hirelings of the packing
house trust .phrase borrowed , from
Jerry Howard) kidnaping the fa
mous prosecutor from right under
(Continued on Face Four, Column Sis.)
ALLIES TAKE ALL
DUTCH SHIPS TO
WAR ON GERMANS
Seventy-Seven Vessels, With
Total Tonnage of '400,000
Tons, Seized in American'
Waters by Government.
Washington, March 20. Vpon Hol
land's refusal in the face of German
threats to put into effect her volun
tary agreement for restoring her mer
chant marine 0 normal activity, the
United States government Jonight
fequjsitioned alt Dutch ships in Amer
ican waters. At he .same time; Great
Britain was aking over. Dutch vessels
hi British ports.
A total of 77 ships of probably 600,
000 tons was added to the American
merchant marine by the requisition
ing. Another 400,000 tons are put
into the allied service by Great Brit
ain's action. Mostof them will be used
in the food carrying trade between
the United States and Europe.
Holland Rejects Plan.
President Wilson's proclamation
taking over the ships was issued only
after word finally came from London
that Holland's delayed reply was a
rejection of the British-American de
mand. The government had waited
more than 48 hours beyond the time
when Holland had been requested to
make a decision as to whether she
would carry out the original pact or
submit to requisitioning. Every effort
was made to avoid drastic action, as
transfer by agreement was sought,
rather than by seizure, although the
latter is an exercise of sovereign
rights justified in international law
and practiced by all nations.
As late as 6 o'clock tonight it was
disclosed that President Wilson, dur
ing the day had been informed of the
delay in the Dutch reply, with the re
quest that he indicate whether o: not
the requisitioning should proceed He
decided to await the formal reply,
which proved unacceptable, although
under other conditions it might have
served as a basis for further negotia
tions. -
Manned by Americans.
Tlie president's proclamation was
issued immediately authorizing the
navy to tak over the vessels, which
will be, equipped and operated by the
Navy department ,and the shipping
board, the Dutch crews being sup
plemented by American, civilian sailors
and naval reservists. Compensation
will be made to the owners as required
by law.
Although the ships have been taken
over without any informal agreement,
the United States proposes to carry
out scrupulously the terms of the
original .pact, so that' Holland shall
receive ample foodstuffs, and wi;l be
protected in its colonial trade by hav
ing sufficent tnnage to maitnain its
commerce.
President Issues Statement.
In a statement outling the negotia
tions which, preceded the requisition,
President Wilson pointed out that
the permanent agreement with the
Dutch government had been blocked
by Germany, despite the little king
dom's acute need of foodstuffs, for
which x the ; agreement provided. A
temporary agreement then was ne
gotiated to fide over the emergency
and that, too, was held up by Prus
sian diplomacy.
y'Although the. reason never 'was
formally, expressed," the president
said, "it was generally known that
the Dutch ship , owners feared lest
their ships should be destroyed by
German submarines. That this fear
was not wholly unjustified, has un
happily been shown by the recent act
of the German government in sink
ing the Spanish ship Sardinero, out
side the danger zone, when carrying
a cargo of grain for Switzerland, and
after; the submarine, commander had
ascertained this fact by an inspection
of the ship's papets." ' .
For two months the proposed
agreements lay in diplomatic pigeon
holes without action and meanwhile,
the president say?: "German threats
have grown more'violent''
SWIFT'S CONTROL
EXTENDS EVEN TO
POLITICS Of CITY
Attorney Tells How Big Packer Corporation Forced Un
ruly Independent to Sell Out to Save Invest
ment; Strange Workings of City Council ,
Before and After Sale.
Francis J. Heney, general counsel for the Federal Trade
commission, Js endeavoring to show that ajp alleged packers'
combine exist at Sioux City and that the ramifications ol.thif
combination haft extended, and still extends, through many
branches of the municipal life of that city, even to the city
council. ' '
GERMANS PLOT
TO HOLD RUSS
AS PEACE PAWN
Kaiser Said to Be Willing to
Give Up Alsace-Lorraine
and Evacuate Belgium in
Return.
(Br AiiooUted Frcsi.)
Washington, March- 20. The con
tinued advance of the German army
into Russia despite the peace treaties
signed at Brest-Litovsk is no surprise
to American officials.
They fully expected the German
high command to prosecute its de
signs7 in Russia to the fullest extent
regardless of any considerations of
good faith with the peace agreement.
No formal explanation of the mo
tives that impel the Germans to press
their advantage to Petrograd and
Moscow is available here, but it is
known that officials regard the situa
tion as filled with sinister possibilities.
There have been many recent hints
St anotlu.- peace effort by the Ger
mans in the near future, and if these
predictions are fulfilled, it is pointed
out. a vast section of Russia actually
in German hands, and furnishing enor-
mous tliougn undeveloped mineral
and other resources for employment
in the German war program, might
well serve as a foundation upon which
to erect a compromise peace proposal.
Evacuate France and Belgium.
It has been suggested that with
those resources in its possession Ger
many might offer even to restore Alsace-Lorraine
to France, hoping
thereby to be left in undisturbed pos
session of the eastern field,
With such a proposal could go an
agreement to evacuate France and
Belgian, the whole constituting an al
luring prospect to the war-worn peo
ples of france and Great Britain, if
they did not look deeper and see the
threat their statesmen point out in
the sacrifice of Russia.
Given time to develop Russian re
sources, many officials here believe,
the Germans could well afford to sur
render all they hold ituthe west with
perfect assurance of both their eco
nomic and military future.
1 Russians in Germany Army.
Some officials here even expect re
cruitment of the Russian peasantry
into the German armies. Others, how
ever, believe the Russian people are
so thoroughly Tmbued with the spirit
of the revolution that no great move
ment of that sort is to be expected;
Americans Reported in
Canadian Casualty Lis'
Ottawa, Ontario, March 20 A
Canadian overseas casualty lis is
sued here today-mentions the fo; ow
ing Americans: "
Wounded V. L. Pearce, G.yid
Ranids. Mich
in Full Swing
v nnMiHiTE KTriTTY rrrv
On Tuesday Mr. Heney made the
statement that in his belief the Swifts
dominated the situation in Sioux City,
. J. Stason, Sioux City attorney,
representing the Hurnf Packing
company before that plant was bought
by the Swifts last year, was called to
the stand by Mr. Heney. He 4hrew
some light on the situation in the up
river town.
Heney read letters said to have been
written by Louis F. Swift to Sioux
City men, these letters being offered
by counsel to show the connection of
the packers with various interests in
the city in question.
STARTED AS BUTCHER.
Attorney Stason related that R.
Hurni started in at Sioux City many
years ago as butcher arid eventually
his business grew until he built a
small packing plant, had an ideal lo
cation and bought hogs from wagons
instead of paying, yardage charges'
which the stock yards company is
said to have demanded of him.
Witness related that before" the nir
chases of the Hurni plant by the
Swifts the city council of Sioux Oty
denied Hurni the privileges of plac
ing a spur track which was netted
for their business, but as soon a it.1 lie
Swifts had the plant, he added, the
council granted the spur track priv
ilege. Compelled to Sell.
"Did the worries of the sitti?.,.Joii
have anything to do with Hurni
selling to the Swifts?'' Heney ashd.
"Yes; Hurni practically worked
himself to death. He sold bsra se
lie rpali7pH it was liiq latt nnnnrlnnitv
and thai if Up Aui nm n thn i.
Would be compelled to sell later on
and would lose hfs investment. He
was never able to obtain concessions
from the stock yards company.
The general line pf this testimony
is an effort by Heney to show how
the large packers have been absorb
ing the small or so-called jndepend-
ant packers in this territory. He of
fered letters to indicate the general
influence of Swifts. Armours and
Cudahys in Sioux City.
Made No Improvements.
Have the Swifts improved the Hurni
plant since they have taken it over?"
he asked of Stason.
"Not so anybody could notice it,"
was the reply.
"It is generally .understood that
Swift will build a plant at Sioux
City?"
It has been understood so.
Foster Becomes Evasive
T. H. Foster, vice president and
general manager of Morrcll & Co.,
packers at Ottumwa, la., caused Coun
sel Heney to grow a trifle irascible
when witness became evasive in his
replies. 4
"It never worries me what the big
packers do," was the surprising reply
of the witness. Heney looked at'the
Ottumwa man with new interest and
proceeded.
"Whynot?" asked Heney. "It
seems they have swallowed up nearly
every independent packer and you
are the only one left in a large terri
tory. Does not your business sagacity
tell you what is happening? Has the
territory from which you naturally
get your hogs been reduced by rea
rnntinnMi ah Tmwu Vtnr. Column One.)
HITCHCOCK
FEARS VOTE
OF CENSURE
Nebraska Senator , Leaves Ur
gent War Work at Washing-
ton to Look After Special
Session of Legislature.
"Hush! Don't tell anyone! Our
Senator G. M. Hitchcock has sent
word that he will be back in Omaha
by the end of this week.
No, of course, he is not coming be
cause there is nothing for him to da
in Washington. Congress is still In
session and up to its ears in urgent
war business and the committees to
which the senator is assigned are over-
loaaea witn work. Then, too, he re
cently returned from a two weeks'
outing in Florida, but that is not pre. '
venting him from sliding here.
Needed attention to his personal af
fairs or directions to the sub-editor of
his paper as to the city campaign may
be offered as the excuse.
It is to be noted, however, that Sen
ator Hitchcock is hurrying home just
on the eve of the special session of
the legislature convened by the-gov-v
ernor tb meet next week. . .
Extra Session Ahead,
Rumor has it that the' senator is
coming to Nebraska to renew'
acquaintance with a few of the law
makers. For, though Governo.- Ne
ville, specified only 10 bills to be con
sidered at the extra session, there
are low rumblings that, once the leg
islators get together, they havf a
right to express their opinion on pub
lic issues and thai a resolution may be
offered and adopted censuring the
democratic senator for his pro-German
activities in congress and calling
on him to show his loyalty to An. er
ica rather than to the kaiser.
The senator's lieutenants agree
among themselves that his polircal
fences in Nebraska have been prr tty
badly broken down recently in con
sequence of his peculiar attitud:a on
wap questionatt-WashngtJn;"Tiar-ticularly'on
account of his pershtint
sword-crossing" with the admli.isira
tion 'while pretending friendship and
fealty. :v ' - "v.' - -v-
. That Worried Look.
And some of the emocrats sav he
will have a lot of repairing to dj here
to hold his old 8upp6rters in the.
Hitchcock corrali Even member of
the legislature who used to be pro
nounced pro-Germans are manifest
ing their disgust with the senator'!
inconsistent and turncoat perform
ances. . . . ........
The present legislature is made up
of a. large democratic majority, it is
true, but plenty of these democrats
are not concealing their dissat'stac
tion with Hitchcock's hyphenated
record before and since the war, and
have : placed him ' strictly in the
class of the Reed and Stone demo
crats and other undesirablesT
So he is likely to be a worried look
ing senator when he begins seeding
out messengers summoning his fed
eral appointees to report for instruc
tions and prepare ;defensive opera
tions. - ' . ': , ' v
American Aviator In French
Service Lands Fifth Plane
v Paris, Tuesday, 'March 19. David
E. Putnam of Brookline, Mass., a
descendant of Isreal Putnam and a
member of the Lafayette flying squad
ron, has just brought down two . more'
German airplanes. Putnam also has
been promoted to the rank of sergeant
in the French army. He already has
the war cross with palms.
On the afternoon of March 14 Avia
tor Putnam attacked three Albatross
monoplanes, bringing down one and
putting the other? to flight. The next
day he .attacked two two-seated ma
chines, one of which crashed to the
ground in flames. In each case Put
nam was alone on patrol duty.
This makes four machines with
which Putnam js officially credited,
although he brought down a fifth ma
chine on a German airdrome. This was
not seen by French; observers and, .
therefore, was not officially credited...
OLD FIGHTER
Veteran of. Several
Wars Wants Action.
WOULD SERVE
Thomas F. O'Brien, 3321 Cuming J
street. 82 years old, a veteran of the
civil war, and a grandfather, wants to
get into active service in the United
States army. t ;
O'Brien, who served more than 40
years jn the United States army, en
listed in the fairious 68th regiment of
New1 York volunteers in 1864. He
took part in several of. the big battles ;
of the civil war and later saw service
in the Indian wars. He also served
in the Philippines and served in the
British army throughout the Crimean
war. -v ' .
O'Brien is an old man now, well
past the alloted three score and ten,
and his hair and long flowing beard :
is snowy white. . ,.- . ...
The veteran soldier has a. son,
Thomas, jr., who enlisted in the
"Dandy Sixth" Nebraska last sum
mer -nd is now in the service ur
Washington, and a daughter, Miss
Cathrine O'Brien, who is connected I
with the Omaha Welfare board, , f
