Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, April 03, 1918, Image 1

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THE WEATHER
Cloudy; Cooler
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VOL. XLVII NO. 248
OMAHA, WEDNESDAY 'MORNING, APRIL; 3, 1918-TWELVE PAGES
EJstkVA SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.
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SEVENTY-SEVEN GERMAN
DIVISIONS AWAIT GUNS
MR BLOW AT AMIENS
Fighting Dies Down as Both
in Gigantic Game;
General Foch Prepare for
Offensive.
By Associated Press.) 1
' Infantry operations on a large scale on the Picardy battle
s field nave died down, while both sides prepare for the next
, move in the great conflict
Vicious local fighting has occurred between Albert and
Montdidier, but the Germans have been checked in all attempts
ito advance toward Amiens, while the Franco-Britislr troops
, have made small gains between the Somme and Demuin.
f A (!Orn ATTATVa TTATT. P 7- : : !
. In the daysvof desperate and san
guinary fighting since they launched
their attacks on the line before Cam
brai, St. Quentin and LaFere, the Ger
man command apparently .has learned
; that massed Infantry attacks without
. great artillery preparation are fruit
less and most costfy.
The German artillery fire is report
ed to be weak, indicating that the
enemy has not yet been able to move
his, big guns across the barren region
. between St. Quentin and Albert.
Seventy-seven German divisions are
on the battle line waiting for the guns
before attempting another gigantic ef
fort to reach Amiens. Norttwjf the
Somme there are 40" divisions, while
?7 divisions are on the line between
I'ht Somme and Chauny.
Meanwhile the allied armies under
General Foch are making ready, not
only to counter 'any German blow
which the enemy must make or con
cede defeat, but probably alsjo for a
counter-offerfsive. American troops
probably will, participate in the ap
" Jproaching renewal of heavy fighting
along most of the line, as more than
100,000 are moving toward the battle
" linrfs. Some unseasoned American
units will be placed side by side with
hardened British and French veter
ans, according to 'a decision an
nounced in London.
Allies Reclaim Ground.
The Germans are reported to be
massing troops bfore Albert, where
their attacks were beaten back by
the British Monday. The British
look for heavy German efforts north
of the Somme, where there has been
no marked activity since the repulse
at Arras Thursday.
Fvront fnr the activity at Albert,
the fighting has been confined to the
line between the Somme and Mont
didier. The, allied troops have re
claimed sonjfe ground between the
Somme and Demuin, while between
Hangard and Mofeuil heavy Ger
man attacks were bpeten off with
os. German- attempts against
rivesnes, northwest of Montdidier,
were repulsed by the French.
"Artillery exchanges continue, on the
rest of the front in France, including
the American sector near Toul, and
on the Italian front. The Austro
v German artillery fire against the Ital
ian lines is moderate and there are
yet no indications that the enemy is
ready to launch his attack with the
-many thousands of . troops reported
to have been brought from the east
ern theater. '
RAINAND SNOW
OVER THE STATE
COME . ON ORDER
Rain and snow began falling in
Omaha early last night the spring
storm from the west reaching this
section by 7 o'clock. The temperature
dropped 20 degrees during the day, all
as predicted b the weather forecaster.
The reserve forces of old man win
ter, who was supposed o nave been
put out of action several weeks ago,
are speeding toward Omaha with all
possible haste. ,
In some parts of Nebraska, accord
ing to reports received at Omaha
headquarters of the railroads, the
snow which fell Monday night is
from two to six inches deep. In the
Black -Hills and in Colorado, Wyo
" ming and Montana heavy snowfalls
' have occuredr -' Temperatures in
western ! Nebraska Tuesday- morning
ranged generally from 18 to 28 de
grees above -iercV
THat tne rajn and snow will, be of
jhort diration is indicated in railroad
reports, which say the weather is be-
ginning ta clear m the; snow-covered
treat. ..'' . v. .-. . ' ' : '
British Steamer Carrying
. War Supplies Sunky by Sub
- " Boston April t2. Sinking" of the
British -steamer, Carlisle Castle,: pre
sumably' by , a . German 'submarine,
while" on to voyage from, this country
for :forgn port; a$ reported, in
ihipplng circles hire, today., . .. V.
' Boston exoorters? "notified malne
-inderwritersithat theyfcadi&een
vised of the joss- oi tne vessel, ;eu
' hd no information regarding the late
- of he crewi. Jheship was under
-charter to the Ctlnard line .and car-
ried war suoplies''
Sides Prepare for Next Move
Allied Armies Under
TROOPS IN U.S.
RUSHED ACROSS
TO BACK ALLIES
American Army Units Brigaded
With Britjsh and French
Units; Thrust Aside N'a- v
tionai Pride.
Washington, April 2. The an
nouncement from London that Amer
ican army units are to be brigaded
with British and French organizations
was interpreted by army officers here
today as indicating that the United
States, government is read to thrust
aside all question of national pride in
placing American man power at the
immediate disposal of the allies. '
The plan was decided on at con
ferences between Secretary Baker and
Generals Bliss and Pershing and Brit
ish and French officials.
Details of the method to be fol
lowed are not available and presuma
bly will . be arranged by General
Pershing. There was every indica
tion, however, that American troops
now in training herexare to be rushed
across regardless-,of their proficiency.
The British statement says the na
tional aspect; of General Pershing's
army is not to 'be impaired. The
building up of that purely American
war machine will proceed as rapidly
as possible.
Whatever eiforts may beTmade to
keep a purely American unit nT a
veteran division of one of the other
armies, dfficers say, the exigencies of
conflict and the problem of replacing
losses will lead to the creation ulti
mately of composite battalions,
rather than of divisions, composed of
French and American or British and.
American units. A complete merging
of the men is as certain, it is believed,
as is the merging of regular army,
national army and national guard
units in the American army. There
is no practical way to avoid it, offi
cers say, without impairing the ef
ficiency of the entire force.
Ihere are many othcers wno De
lievfe this to be the only practical
solution of the transportation and
supply" problems, if American mili
tary nower is to be made immediately
available to repel, the German On
slaught. y-
Newbill, Canning Expert, '
' Cancels Nebraska Dates
T. J. Newbill, who was to have
given three canning lessons in Oma
ha; has been forced to cancel all his
Nebraska dates owing to the fact
that officials at Washington have or
dered him elsewhere. N
Omaha Uni Students to Present
, Benefit Play for Hospital Unit
Isabel Pearsall will play one of the
important roles in "The Dream That
Came True," a play which will be
presented by the dramatic club of the
University of Omaha at Jacob's hall,
Twenty-fourth and Pratt streets, next ,
Saturday night. J
,' Proceeds from the play will go to
the Nebraska base hospital unit, now
in training. Fort Ees Moines. Sev
eral University of Omaha students
are members of the unit.
Others who have important roles
in the'play are: Esther Knapp, Mar
garet Powell, Irma Tucker and Helen
More. ' r
An elaboratm set of scenery has
been obtained for the production, the
college press agent promises. The
play was written - especially for the
students. " :
Omaha business houses will loan
settings and electrical effects.
L . ; j-0
Stop Bail Solicitation.
Toronto, Ont., April 2. Solicitation
of business tyjmerican railways in
Canada has stopped, following the
practice introduced in the United
States, and hereafter only the. pas
senger and freight business offered to
the various roads from its present con
nections will be accepted
LENROOT HOLDS
SMALL LEAD. IN
WISCONSIN VOTE
Loyalty Candidate. Polls Large
Number in Doubtful Districts;
Pro-German Section Goes
Democratic. -
Milwaukee, April 2. First scattered
returns from today's special senatorial
v juoiuiiv-ivni i-Jitu lilt
baste of a convincing prediction
brought joy t othe republican leaders.
For United Stater senator they
showed for 15 counties: '
IrvineL Lenroot, republican, 4,078.
Joseph E. Davies, democrat, 3,670.
Victor L. Berger, socialist, 1,566.
Harry G. Hogan of 4he Lenroot
forces asserted that the increase in
.the Lenroot vote ift the democratic
counties indicated " a landslide for
Lenroot. He predicted the election
of Lenroot by 70,000.
" Pro-German Vote.
A feature of the early returns came
from Port Washington, in' Ozaukee
county, a German community and
normally a democratic stronghold.
From returns in the recent primaries,
ft was evident that the democrats of
the county had gone solidly for
Thompson, the La Follette republican
candidate, as against Lenroot, known
as the loyalty candidate. Today Port
Washington complete gave Davies,
democrat, 344 Lenroot, 180, and
Berger, socialist, 80. .
State Claims Loyalty.
This was taken by republicans as an
indication that "the socialist hpe that
disgruntled La Fllette partisans would
swing over to the socialist candidate
was not to be realized, v
-As Davies' apd- Lenroot " in their
campaign pledged support of the war
administration of President Wilson,
Wisconsin expects the rest of the
country to accept their combined vote
as the loyalty vote of the state; leav
ing to Berger the onus of poJlinK.the.
disloyal vote His platform calls for
Immediate abandonment' of the war,
and for this reason is labeled disloyal
by patriotic Germans of the state in
common with their brethren of other
ancestry. '
STEAMER CELTIC, '
TORPEDOED, SAFE
IN BRITISH PORT
- New York Ap"ril 2. The big White
Star line steamship Celtic, which was
torpedoed a day or two ago while on
a voyage to the United Stated is re
ported to have reached a British port
safely. J - '
Information that, the- Celtic had
been a victim of v submarine attack
was received here yesterday, -but no
details were sent other than that ef
forts were being mader to save sher
from sinking. That these efforts were
successful was welcome news, as it
meant that one of tlje biggest trans
ports in allied service was stitl avail
ablet The Celtic is a vessel of more
than 20,000 tons, and its destruction
would have been equivalent to the loss
of a ha dozen vessels such as ordi
narily fall victim, to the German sub
marines.' ' v .
to sL-iy rv kti rt' A rrA rt tit a v
tent of the damage sustained by thei
Celtic, officers of tlje White Star line
here felt confident it soon would be
in commission again.
Shipment of Whale Meat
Received by Boston Hotels
Boston, April 2. Whale meat, fried
in butter, was served today to "SO
wholesale fish dealers, who obtained
the choice portions pf the first ship
ment received here by rail from Van
couver, B. C. All, including the cook,
said it was first rate.
Isabel Pearsall.
I ' v
' ' If
"8 'Nough!
:
' in ' i ' i
CHARGE DAMAGED
GAS MASKS WORK
Senator Thomas Declares Small
Perforations Made by Per
.' sons in Factory Render
Articles Useless.
Washington, April 2. Charges that
German spies are interfering with the
manufacture of gas masks intended
for use in France were made in the
senate today by Senator Thomas of
Colorado, who declared that in one
factory 2,900 but of 5,000 masks were
found defective. s
Even aftefMhe defective ones had
been discarded a number later were
found packed with those that had
passed inspection, he said.
Senator Thomas declared thp masks
had been damaged by small perfora
tions and asserted the work was done
by persons in the factory.
Senator Thomas . declared ' he
United States now faced a serious sit
uation. The German drive, he de
clared, has not ended.
"Is there any significance in the
fact that these labor conditions exist
now, or is it only a coincidence?"
the Colorado senator asked, referring
to the reports of strikes in various
parts of the country. He added he
believed, them to be a part of German
propaganda. "I contend that the man
who incites strikes at this time is an
enemy of the United , States and
should be treated as such," Senator
Thomas continued. "That is equally
true of our profiteers."
In declaring that union labor is re
sponsible for the Kansas City labor
trouble, Senator Reed of Missouri
said it will be "a very dark day for
organized labor" if it interfered with
war industry.
Denouncing the Industrial Workers
of the World, Senator Pomerene of
Ohio said they were a "fertile field"
for professional agitators.
OMAHA FEDERAL
"LAND BANK LOANS
REACH NEW LEVEL
The Federal Land bank of Omaha
loaned $3,248,050 during the month of
March, 'breaking all previous records.
February of this year was the previ
ous high month for. this bank, when
$3,025,000 was loaned.
"The Omaha Federal Land bank is
'doing the biggest business of the 12
federal land tanks in the country,
said President D.' P. Hogan. "Our
February figures were far ahead of
those of any of the other 'banks and
I have no doubt that our March rec
ord will also show the Omaha bank
far in the lead.
. "Our total loans up to April 1 are
$9,526,900, of which $3,576,250 was
loaned in Iowa, $3,374,340 in, Ne
braska. $2,351,00 in South Dakota
and $223,600 in Wyoming." "
Mont Blanc to Blame "
' For Halifax Explosions.
Halifax, N. S., April, 2. The trial I
OF GERMAN SPIES
ui ine acuui anu counter Claim in
the admiralty court between the own
ers of the,'r.teamers Monk BJarif -and
the owners iHheIm6?each claiming
$2,000,000 against the other,: was corns,
pleted yestej-davi ' ' .:, .,
.;- - . ' - ... - ' .,' "
- . v'
- i . .-
GERMAN DEATH
LIST ENORMOUS
IN ARRAS DRIVE
Attack Along Scarpe, Aiming at
Vimy Ridge, Brings Teutons
Nothing But Increased
- Casualties
British Headquarters In France,
Monday, April 1. The German attack
along the Scarpe river, on March 28,
had as its bbjective. the city of Ar
ras and the formidable Vimy ridge.
Careful plans were laid to carry out
this ambition and the attack was sup
ported by a very heavy assault south
and southwest of Arras, units of at
least 11 German divisions being em
ployed here.
It may be seen, therefore, that the
Uerman plans were far-reaching, but
the main result they achieved was to
swell the already great total of their
casualties.
Open Terrific Bombardment.
At about 3 o'clock on the-morning
of the 28th German artillery of all
calibers opened a terrific bombard
ment against-the British positions. It
was obvious the enemy intended to
attack and at 6:40 o'clock the British
gunners unloaded an 'avalanche of
steel against every known place of
assembly the Germans might be using.
Map Showing French Railroad -Center
Germans Seejz to Take
i
'j
Mil ""-TT I I I Fj"'T
The solid black portion of the map
marks' the deep salient driven into
theNFrenh front. Several towns have
been retakjn from the Germans and
the' fren.clbhave gained'' one and one
haljE: miles on a long front on the
lower siae marked by the arrow. The
arrow . on the upper side of the sa
lient indicates the point where Brit-
GERMANS SUFFER .
HEAVY L0SSES-AT'
BRITONS' HANDS
1 ' v " ' ''"
Enemy Resumes 'Long Distance Bombardment of Paris;
Tommies Stand Ground. Before Powerful Counter
Assaults Near Luce liver, Taking Both
Prisoners and Machine Guns.
BULLETIN.
British Army Headquarters in France, April 2. The Brit
ish stormed strongly-held German
Luce river yesterday. When the
ghting he left the ground strewn with his dead.
Paris, April 2. French and
night between the Somme and Demuin, it is announced offi
cially. . V ' " ' .
Over.jnost of the front between the Somme and the Oisa
the night was. relatively calnu Heavy artillery fighting oc
curred at some points.
The statement says:
"The night was relatively calm on the front between the
Oise and the Somme. Artillery fighting became heavy along
come parts of the battlefield. v ' !
"In the region of the Colonne trench and at Ban de Sapt
the French made two successful raids and took prisoners." ,
1 : O l?fiP! BflMHAPnS PAPTS
ARMENIANS
FIERCE. BATTLE
-AGAINST TURKS
Caucasus Arms for Defense
Against Invaders Who En
ter Under Terms of Brest
Litovsk Treaty.
Petrograd, Monday, April 1.
Fierce fighting has smarted in the dis
tricts of Batoun, Kars and Ardaham,
in the Caucasus.
The Armenians and Georgians
have formed a large army for the de
fense of the territory against ' the
Turks, who" have begun military oc
cupation of the three districts by vir
tue of the Brest-Litovsk treaty.
The Georgians have seized most
of the Russian warships in harbor of
Batoum and have taken them into the
Black 'Sea. ;Theacntire population of
Georgia has been mobilized to oppose
the invaders.
filack Sea.
Deny Bulgarians Sent
To Fight on West Front
Washington, April 2. A report to
the State department today from
American Consul General Murphy, at
Sofia, declared that no Bulgarian
troops were moved to the western
front for ih big German offensive.
It had been stated that Bulgarians
were fighting in the west alongside
Germans and Austrian. I
OAOS
ish are fighting fiercely to lessen the
pressure on French
The uppermost, arrow, near Arras
shows where the Germans have ex
tended their drive five miles to. the
north. ' Relationship of the offensive
to the. remainder of the front is
visualized in the inset map. The al
lies' line of March 21 in the big map
is jepresented by the shaded line.
positions in a wood along the
enemy withdrew after sharp
British troops advanced last
The eighth long-range bombard
ment of Parisbegan at 10:10 o'clock .
today when a projectile exploded in
the region of thecity. '
An air raid warning was sounded ,
t 3:15 o'clock this morning. Anti
aircraft guns began to fire immediate
ly and a continuous curtain of firj
was placed, around the capital. At
4:25 it was announced that all danger
was oven ' , j ; v
,' The night was calm and the noon
gleamed fitfully through the light and
fleecy clouds, amidst which glided the''
twinkling light of the French air
planes defending" Paris. .
BRITISH BAG PRISONERS.
- London. Aoril 2. In the seetor be.
tween the Avre and Luce rivers yes
terday the British took SO prisoners,
the war office announces. Thirteen
niachine guns were captured..
Near Hebuterne the British made
a successful stand) capturing machine
guns "and "prisoners. A German counter-attack
was repulsed.
The statement says:
''In the course of the fighting yes
terday in the area between the Avre'
and the Luce rivers i we captured 50
prisoners 'and J3 niachine guns. A
large number of German dead were
found and two counter-attacks at
tempted by the enemy later in the
day were broken up with heavy losses
by our artillery. .
v "A successful local enterprise car- ,
ried out byus in the neighborhood
of Hebuterne resulted in the capture
of 73 prisoners and three machine
guns. Many Germans were killed in
this operation also and a hostile
cqunteNattack during the Ifternoon
was completely repulsed."
Former Czar's Brother
v Imprisoned -by-Workmen
London,, April 2. Former Grand
Duke Michael Alexandrovitch, broth
er of the former emperor, has' been
arrested, and imprisoned at Perm, by
order of the Perm council of work
meifs and soldiers' delegates, says an
Exchange Telegraph dispatch ,from
Petrograd. ' .
Rear Admiral iSablin has been
elected commander in. chief of the
Black sea fleet. ,
General Payoff, who has beet) ap
pointed commandec of the Moscow
military district, says a Reuter. dis
patch, has announced that he expects
to form an army of 1,000,000 men
within two months.
TRAFFIC GOP
Motorists Up in Air
On Rules of Traffic.
IS MADE GOAT
Autoists are up in the air over va-'
rious rulings of the traffic cop land
wonder what the rules of the road
really are. " -
Chief of Police Dempsey says the
rules are "vague and you cannot blame
a poor policeman if he doesjiot know
them." He says he is going to asJ
the 'city commissioners to make them ,
more specific. , " '
One point not covered in the rules
at all is tie question of the rightOf-"
way: For years it has been the un- 1
written law that cars headed east
have the right-of-way. That is the
rule for street cars and applies be-
cause cars, headed easf are going to.
the depots and are not to be delayed.
' But some Of the traffic ''police are
applying the law of intersections in'
another way. "They hold that the car
to the right' has the right-of-way.
That rule, if enforced, would knock
out the old rule of cars headed :ast
having the right of way. ; " -.
,Tbe .ordinance also says that a o- . .
ists must have lwJa;5S l-tr! s.t-,i-sunset.
' Some are . violating tliis. :?
save . fuel ;;-7r; ;; r '"'''.;''. - "
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