Omaha Daily Bee
THE WEATHER
. Cloudy
4-
HE
3L. .
VOL. XLVII NQ. 262.
M Ml Mill
TEUTONS FAIL IN
FIERCE ATTACKS ON
LA BASSE E FRONT
Reinforced By Freneh, British Hold Hard Against In
cursions Which, if Successful, Would Jeopardize
Entire Arras Sector, Embracing Famous Coal
Mining Region About Lens.
(By Associated Press.)
1 Reinforced by French troops, the allied line is holding
'vhard against further incursions by the Germans from the region
of La Bassee to the north of Ypres.
Everywhere the Germans have struck the line in an en
deavor to press back the defenders they have been repulsed
with heavy losses and have been successful nowhere in gaining
further ground.
RTPTHTINF. NOW OBIECTIVE.
" Attacks of an extraordinary vio
lent nature are being made by the
f. Germans on the 10-mile front between
, Givenchy and Robecq. where an en
: deavor is being made to cross the La
Bassee canal and bend southward the
salient which now outflanks the im
portant railroad town rf Bethune. A
division of troops to each mile is being
used by the Germans on this sector,
.bit the British at last accounts were
holding well and inflicting heavy
losses on the enemy.
WOITLD JEOPARDIZE ARRAS.
If' successful the new attack of the
Germans would jeopardize the entire
'Arras sector, which includes the fa
mous French coaling region about
Lens and the equally famous Vimy
; ridge, where the Canadians are hold
ing forth. It seems evident that it is
' part Of the strategy of the German
r high command to wipe out the salient
by an enve'.oping move rather than
again to give battle to the British
. about Lens and Vimy, two regions
that already have proved slaughter
- houses for their men.
Many Gas Shells Used.
' Following the usual custom prior
to the launching of an attack, the Ger
mans throughout Wednesday night
literally rained shells' of all calibers
between Givinchy and Robecq, the
firing by daybreak having reached the
intensity of drum fire. Large quan
r tittcs of gas shells were intermingled
with the high powered missiles.
During Thursday midway between
j Bailleul and Ypres, the Germans vig
orously attacked the British positions
south of Kemmel, which the British
, had recaptured from them Wednes
day, but were, unable to gain any ad
vantage in the face of the strong de
' fense.
Considerable fighting has devel
oped along the front in northern
Flanders between Langemarck and
"Kippe, held by the Belgians. At one
point the enemy penetrated the Bel-
' gian front line, but later was ex
pelled, leaving 600 prisoners, among
them numerous officers, in the hands
of King Albert's men.
French Succeed in Drive.
East of Amiens, along the Avre
river, the French have made success
ful attacks against the Germans on
"several sectors, capturing the greater
part of the Senecat wood and also
1 advancing their line east and west
of the stream.
i On the Italian front artillery duels
nd patrol encounters continue. In
tense aerial activity prevails over the
entire front Wednesday 17 enemy
airplanes were brought down five by
Italian aviators and 12 by British.
The Weather
Nebraska Partly cloudy Friday;
colder in southeast portion; Saturday
fair and warmer.
Temperatures at Omaha Yesterday.
Hour.
beg.
...45
.. .44
.. .45
.. .46
...4
.. .60
.. .52
5 a. m.
6 . m.
7 a. m.
8 a. m.
9 a. m.
19 a. m.
11 a. ni.
12 m 65
1 p. m.
2 p. m.
3 p. m.
4 p. in.
5 p. m.
6 p. in .
7 p. rn .
8 p. m.
Comparative I .oral Record.
1918. 1317. 151
0.
1915.
81
57
C9
.00
.jTlTirhest yesterday,
l.uwest yesterday..
3
62
74
.0
.70
..44
46
5S
1.10
IV nan temperature ....51
' Precipitation .00
Temperature and precipitation departures
from the normal:
Jv'ormal temperature ........32
deficiency for the day 1
Total exces), since March 1 ,-,....353
Iv'ormal precipitation 10 inch
' Deficiency for the day --,10 inch
-Total rainfall since March 1 ... .1.21 inches
leficlency sine March 1, 1S18..1.81 inches
Deficiency lor. cor. period, 1917.. .45 inch
Deficiency for cor. period, 116. .1.34 inches
.. sReportt From Station at 7 P. M.
Station and .State temp. High- Baln
of Weather. 7 p. TO est. fall.
hyenpe. snowing .... ?8 28
Davenport, ciear 51 58 .
iifflw. Knowing 30 - 4 0
Js Moines, clear .....54 CO
odge City, rlear 52 52
t.anler, cloudy 38
.Vorlh Platte, cloudy .. 42 4
un-.ah.-i, part cloudy ..EH 68
Tueblo, cloudy .. 40 48
T indicate trace jf precipitation.
i. A. WELSH. Meteorologist,
I - I
V"
U-BOAT WARFARE
WILL GO ON, SAYS
GERMAN ADMIRAL
Asserts Germany Is Building
Submarines Faster Than They
Are Sunk and Has Crews
to Man Them.
(Br Associated Press.)
Amsterdam, April 18. Vice Ad
miral von Capelle, German minuter
of the navy, discussing submarine
warfare before the main committee of
the. reichstag, declared that the new
U-boat construction exceeded the
losses and that the effectiveness of
the submarines had increased. He
quoted figures to prove Ins conten
tion that the U-boat sinkings were
six-fold the tonnage of the new Brit
ish construction.
The minister declared that the
American destroyers which had been
so much talked about had failed in
their object and he is quoted by the
semi-official Wolff bureau of Berlin
as saying with reference to ship
building:
Ridicules American Program.
"For the carrying out of America's
giant paper program, America must
first lay down the shipyards. After
prodigious promises, America in 1917
built 70,000 gross register tons of sea
going ships. The large mercantile
fleet placed on order America does
not want for the war, but for the
post-bellum period when, the ship
ping program having been in the
meantime carried out, America will
become England's world, freight car
rier." "The robbery of Dutch tonnage,
whereby Anglo-Saxons had incurred
the worst kind of odium for decades
to come," he said, "was the best proof
of how far the shipping shortage al
ready had gone with the western
powers." To the sinkings must be
added, the admiral added, the big
wear and tear in ships and the enor
mous increase in marine accidents
which Sir John Ellerman, in the Brit
ish shipping chamber, recently had
calculated to be three times the
amount of peace losses.
Admiral von Cappele admitted t'lat
Germany's opponents had had some
success 'with their anti-submanne
measures, but, he declared, this suc
cess. I
Major General Clarence Edwards
Now Commands Division in France
Major General Clarence R. Edwards
-vii vviiuiidiiu) VIIV V Vill.iV. UOIII 3
fighting divisions "Somewhere in
Prance", according to Omaha friend5-v
who have received letters from him.
He left America several months ago
in command of the divisipn which
followed General Perishing.
General Edwards' division is com
posed mostly of boys from New Eng
land, in which part of the country he
has spent most of his life. Prior
to his leaving for France, General
Edwards was in charge of the north
eastern department, with headquart
ers at Boston.
General Edwards has seen service
in the Philippines, and for many
months was on duty in the Panama
canal zone. He brought General
Lawton's body from the Philippines
following the Spanish-American war.
During recent years General Edwards
has been prominently connected with
the insular department at Washing
ton. r
naii county Raises Quota.
Grand Island, Neb., April 18. (Spe
cial Telegram.) Following Grand
Island's tompletetion of its quota on
Saturday. Hall county went over the
too by $34,000 toda
OMAHA, FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 19,
Schwab Enters Upon
His First Public Job
With Zeal and Energy
Washington, April 18.
Charles M. Schwab today be
gan his work as director gen
eral of the emergency fleet cor
poration with, as he expressed
it, "optimism, enthusiasm and
in perfect accord" with the
shipping board, and determined
to give no attention to his pri
vate enterprises while in the
government service.
"The great burden of this
program falls on the people in
the yards," he declared. "If the
ships are built in time to bring
victory over Germany, no credit
will belong to anybody in
Washington, but to the men on
the ground.
"Our task here is to super
vise, to encourage and to de
vise methods."
The iron master and practical
ship builder showed his eager
ness to get to work on the first
big public job to which he was
called, in discussing his new as
signment later with newspaper
men.
"It is up to every man in this
country to do the work to which
he is assigned to win this war,"
he said. "I never saw a man
able to work at his best except
under the stimulus of praise
and enthusiasm, fired with con
fidence that he has the approval
of the people for whom he is
working.
"We must appeal to the pride
and the patriotism that is in all
good Americans to speed up
production in the yards."
FRIDAY, APRIL 26,
SET AS LIBERTY
DAY BY WILSON
Citizens Called by Proclama
tion to Hold Rallies Every
where and Give Impetus
to Loan Drive.
(Ky Associated Press.)
Washington, April 18. Friday,
April ?6, will be Liberty day through
out the United States under a procla
mation issued tonight by President
Wilson calling on citizens of every
community to hold Liberty loan ral
lies and "liberally pledge anew their
financial support to sustain the na
tion's cause."
Patriotic demonstrations similar to
those of the opening day of the cam
paign will be held and the day de
voted to giving the race toward the
$3,000,000,000 war credit goal a new
impetus for the final week.
Now with the loan campaign almost
half over, $1,089,734,900 subscriptions
have been reported to the treasury, or
$136,811,650 representing yesterday's
business, and committees in every dis
trict heve received orders to make
extraordinary efforts to gather in
pledges faster, in the hopes of meet
ing Secretary McAdoo's expressed
hope for an oversubscription of the
$3,000,000,000 minimum.
Sunday, April 21, will be devoted
by thousands of preachers to special
Liberty loan 'sermons.
Charges Administration
With Playing Politics
New York, April 18. Representa
tive Frederick H. Gillett of Massa
chusetts, acting republican floor lead
er in the house of representatives,
in an address before the republican
county committee here tonight,
charged the . present national ad
ministration with extravagance, petty
politics and delay in war prepara
tions. t v tot Z. ',v,,v.wa -v
d xs .... m&h- -IS"
I
GENEkAL CLARENCE
P. EDWARDS.
FRENCH ARMY ADVANCES EAST 0FAMIENS;
MAKES GAIN ON BOTH SIDES OFAVRERIVER
GERMANS MEET
' WALLS OF STEEL
AT LA BASSEE
;
Ten Divisions Cut Up in Efforts
to Effect Crossing of Canal;
Battle Continues at
Wytschaete.
(By Anoclated PreRP.)
With the British Army in France,
April 18, Ten divisions of German
troops were driving today furiously
against the British defenses betweea
Givenchy-Les-La Bassee and-St. Ven
ant in an attempt to effect a crossing
of La Bassee canal.
The British were holding well and
inflicting heavy casualties on the
enemy, according to the latest re
port.
Coincidentally with this assault, the
Germans surged forward further north
and again began hammering at the
approaches of Kemmerl and the neigh
boring high ground, ,
FIGHTING INTENSE IN FURY.
The attack between Givenchy and
St Venant began at 9 o'clock after a
heavy bombardinertt by the enemy ar
tillery, lasting five liours. Hard fight
ing developed immediately along most
of the line. It was especially intense
about Givenchy and in the Robeeq
Locon sector. The British were fac
ing at least 75,000 riflemen, supported
by great numbers of guns and from
50,000 to 60,000 other troops, who go
to make up the complements for the
infantry.
The defending forces at Givenchy
had sustained numerous desperate at
tacks and had held their ground dur
ing the early hours of the battle. East
of Lacon, where the German line
bulged out close to the canal, the
enemy made a particularly i deter
mined effort to get across the water
way. Twice the German infantry at
tacked here, each time coming for
ward in four waves. In one of these
drives they succeeded in srettine some
nridges acros3 the canal, but the only
Germans who crossed were those who
ran over and surrendered.
The British artillery and machine
guns poured a deluge of steel about
the frail bridges, and the slaughter of
the opposing troops was heavy. One
party of 200 Germans advanced at
one time with hands over their heads
to surrender. For some reason they
changed their minds abruptly and
fled. They were shot to pieces as
they ran.
There also was hard fighting about
Pacaut wood, near the canal and be
tween Robecq and St. Venant, where
the Germans hoped to improve' their
positions in order to facilitate opera
tions to the north and south. The
attacks in this region were repulsed
completely.
A concentration of enemy infantry
in Calonne, west of St. Venant, was
caught in -the British artillery bar
rage and badly cut up.
Wytschaete Invested.
British troops in the neighborhood
of Wytschaete this morning vere
continuing their all-night battle with
the Germans. A German attack yes
terday resulted in pushing a salient
out northwest of the place, but a sub
sequent British counter attack again
drew the British line close about the
town and at one time a small body
of British infantry penetrated to the
southeastern section.
The British lost a very small piece
of territory between Baillau and
Dranoutrex yesterday, but the Ger
man attack here must be recorded as
a failure. Further westward hard
fighting continued about Mcteren, and
this place today apparently was No
Man's Land. A heavy Gentian attack
east of Meteren was smashed.
The Germans have been bringing
up fresh divisions to the Bailleul sec
tor, but the most promising sign is
that they are beginning to use a sec
ond time the troops which had such
hard fighting the early days of the
offensive. '
Man Power Measure
Passes Final Stages
London, April 18. All the re
' maining stages of the man
power bill were concluded to
day and the royal assent was
given the measure.
The leaders of the nationalists
in Ireland, including the Red
mondites, who now are led by
John Dillon; the Sinn Feiners,
O'Brienites, laborites and cler
icals, are united in their deter
mination to resist conscription
"by the most effective means at
our disposal," which is the
wording of a resolution passed
at a meeting of bishops at May
npoth yesterday.
191814 PAGES.
1 '
Greater Part of Senecat Woods Captured and
Line Carried to Outskirts of Castel
and Slopes of Height's 7
Dominating Valley s
(By Associated Press.) ' 7
Paris, April 1 8. The French forces in the region of Amiens have captured
a portion of the Senecat wood and made advances against the Germans on sew
eral other sectors, according to the official communication issued tonight,
The text of the communication follows:
"We have attacked various enemy positions on the Avre on a front offour kil
ometers between Thennes and Mailly-Rainvail.
"East of the Avre we have made progress and west of it we have taken the
greater part of the Senecat woods and carried our line to the outskirts of Castel.
Further south we reached the slop west of the heights dominating the Avre." v
BELGIANS DEFEAT
ATTACK BY HUNS
IN YSER REGION
Germans Driven Out of Ad
vanced Positions Gained
After Bombardment and
Lose 600 Prisoners.
(By AnnoHnted rre.)
With the British Army in France,
April 18. The Germans brought up
fresh divisions for the hard thrusts
which they made yesterday. Although
the British were unable to hold Wyt
schaete and Meteren, which they bad
retaken by a brilliant counter attack,
they beat off the enemy elsewhere.
The British maintained their line
throughout the night.
A renewed heavy bombardment of
the British front between the La
Bassee canal, at Givenchy, and the
Nieppe forest, suggests the Germans
contemplate another drive in this
region in the hope of taking Bethune
and creating a new salient.
BOMBARDMENT INTENSE.
All the areas back of this sector of
the front were sprinkled with gas
shells throughout last night. At 3
o'clock this morning the bombard
ment was nearly of drum fire intensity
between Locon and Robecq, where
the enemy has tried repeatedly to ad
vance his line to the canal.
An effort made by the Fourth Ger
man army, which holds the enemy's
right flank to the sea, to drive in the
front of the allies from the coast was
extended yesterday to the Yser re
gion held by the Belgians. At 8:30
o'clock in the morning, after an all
night bombardment, the Germans at
tacked on a front of four miles, be
tween Langemarck and Kippe.
Fail to Hold Gain.
The Germans gained a footing in
the Belgian advanced positions, but
they were thrown out after a fight
lasting nearly all day. The Belgians
tock 600 prisoners, including officers
belonging to four different divisions.
North Dakota and Montana
Go Over Top in Loan Drive
Minneapolis, April 18. Both North
Dakota and Montana have over-subscribed
their respective. quotas of
?6,5OO,0CK) and $19,000,000 by more
than $1,000,000 each, according to
word received at the Ninth district
loan headquarters here tonight.
"Shell-proof Mack"
in Next Sunday Bee
will tell you in plain language the
real story of the Battle of Mes
sines Ridge in which he took part
How they captured the Pill Boxes
and blew up Hill 60 are just a few
of the many thrilling incidents de
. picted by "Shell-Proof Mack."
Read It in Next
Sunday's Bee
ffwawfii SINGLE COPY TWO CEN.TS.
TAKE 500 PRISONERS.
"The number of prisoners taken by us exceeds, up to the
present, 500, of -whom 15 are officers. We captured several ma
chine guns.
"It is confirmed that an enemy raid last night east ol
Caurieres wood was deadly for our assailants. We found about
40 dead German bodies on the ground. We took 20 prisoners
including one officer. , V ,
' "Eastern theater, April 17: There was great Activity ot
the part of both artilleries along a section; of the front An Im
portant surprise attack carried out by the British, and Hel
lenic troops on the Struma, April 16, had most satisfactory re
suits and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy."
If OLD GERMANS ON LYS.
London, April 18. Field Marshal Haig's report tonight
says: '
"There has been severe fighting again today on the greatei
part of the Lys battle front. From La Bassee canal at Givench)
to the Lys river east of St. Venant, a bombardment was report
ed this morning, followed by strong hostile attacks, all of which
have been repulsed." , ' r
"The leisses inflicted on the attacking German infantry by
our fire are again reported to have been extremely heavy, and.
more than 200 prisoners have been taken. ',
"The struggle has been particularly fierce in the neighbor,
hood of Givenchy, where the enemy made determined efforts,
without success to retrieve his previous failures. The fighting
in this locality has not yet ceased and the activity of the enemy'
artillery is continuing on the whole of the front.
Farm Organizations feet
Soon to Talk War Work
C. II. Gustafson, chairn an, presi
dent State Farmers' union; O. G.
Smith, president Nebraska Farmers'
congress; E. R. Daniclson, secretary
Nebraska State Board of Agriculture,
and Charles Graff, president Improved
Live Stock Breeders, have decided to
call a meeting of farmcriof Nebraska
at Lincoln as soon as arrangements
can be completed to discuss patriotic
questions.
The announcement made yesterday
sets forth that the loyalty of the
farmer has been given much attention
of late and the land owners want to
take their full share in the wy ac
tivities. Millner Named New War
Secretary of Great Britain
London, April 18. The carl of
Derby has been appointed ambassador
extraordinary and plenipotentiary on
a special mission to France, in suc
cession to Lord Kerjie, says an of
ficial announcement today.
Viscount Milncr becomes secretary
for war and J. Austin Chamberlain, a
I member of the war cabinet.
O BRITONS HOLD KEMMEL.
. "Later in the day further sttacka
accompanied by heavy shelling, dc
veloped against our positions sout
of Kemmel and were repulsed.
"Beyond considerable , .. , artiller,
activity in different sectors, particu
larly south and north of the Soman
there is nothing of especial interes
to report from the British front."
REPULSED, SAYS BERLIN.
Berlin (Via London), April 18.'
The official report from general head,
quarters tonight says: , " .
"Yesterday the enemy left to us s
large part of the Flemish territory
which had been gained by him after
months of struggle at the price oi
huge sacrifices. General Sixt von Ar
nim took from the enemy, retreating
step by step, Poelcapelle, Lange
marck and Zonnebeke, and following
him up closely, drove him back behind
Strcenbrook. -
''South of Blankaert lake, an enemy
counter thrust, checked our forward
movement.
"North of the Lys, under protection:
of a vigorous fire, we gained grounfl
and cleared some machine gun nests.
"During the fighting of the last' few
days over ,2,500 prisoners, some guns
and numerous machine guns have
bean brought in. I
"On the other battle fronts on both
sides of the Somme the firing duel is
temporarily reviving; it was resumed
with greater intensity near Moreuil
and Mpntdidier.
"On 'the eastern bank of the Meusa
minor undertakings near Orncs and
Watronville were completely success
i'ul and sopie prisoners were brought
in. .
"To the north of Flirey, between
the Meuse and Moselle, a strong
French thrust failed with sanguinr"
losses."
Government Will Operate
Great Lakes Steamship Line
Washingtoii, April 18. To relieve
railroads of much through traffic be
tween the east and west Direitor
General McAdoo today -ordered the
establishment of a Great Lakes
steamship line under the railrond ad
ministration to operate 17 ships be
tween Buffalo and Chicago and Mil
waukee. Other vessels may be adde4
later . .
1
''?
if
