The Omaha Sunday Bee
PART ONE
NEWS SECTION
PAGES ONE TO TEN
THE WEATHER
Fair; Wa:
rmer
VOL. XLVII NO. 45. 1
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 21, 1918 5 SECTIONS 42 PAGES.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
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TEUTONS PREPARING
TO RENEW ASSAULTS
ON WESTERN FRONT
Armies of Six Nations Stand Together Ready, Not Only to
Repel Inevitable Attack, But to Strike Back at
Right Moment; British Hold Firmly Key
Position in Ypres Sector.
A Good Day's Planting
(By Associated Press.) (
Renewal of heavy fighting is momentarily looked for
along the western battle front, not only on the Flanders line,
but to the south in the Somme area, where the Germans made
their bid for a quick victory last month and failed in their
larger purpose of dividing the British and French armies at a
single stroke.
Reports from the front show that signs are not wanting
that the Germans purpose attacking again in the Amiens area.
READY TO STRIKE BACK. 0-
Against this blow the armies of
six nations are standing together to
day in the battle area British,
French, American, Belgium, Italian
and Portuguese divisions ready not
only to repel the inevitable attack
but to strike back when the proper
moment comes. Apparently the
allies have thrown in only enough of
their reserves to hold the Germans,
conserving their strength as far as
possible. It has been noted, how
ever, that when the necessity of hold
ing became imperative tne noiaing
power was there.
In the north the enemy, after his
bitter reverse of Thursday and Fri
day ale-tig the Givenchy-St. Venant
line south of the Lys, apparently is
pausing to organize thoroughly for
attacks upon Mount Kemmel, the
dominating point in the ridge zone
which the British are holding firmly
southwest of Ypres.
British Line Restored.
Field Marshal Haig found himself
able to take the aggressive Friday
night and carry out an operation
which deprived the Germans of
even such small gains as they had been
forced to content themselves when
Thursday' battle was over. By this
intensive British action the line as it
stood before Thursday's German at-1
tack was completely restored. 1
'The British apparently are ex
pecting some new move by the enemy
m the Arras region and Friday night
British detachments advanced m
big raiding operation on a front of
nearly a mile south of the Scarpe.
near Beaurains, taking prisoners and
capturing machine guns.
A renewed attack here would be
logical proceeding for the Germans
it would appear, after their failure
to gain ground by striking south
from the Lys sailent with the bend
ing back of the British lines south
of La Bassee canal as one of their
presumed objects.
Petain Prepares to Meet Blow.
The French apparently are lookine
foP a renewal of the German offensive
, south of the Somme at no distant
. date, as was instanced by this week's
move on General Petain's part to
improve his defensive positions along
.'-the Avre, southeast ot Amiens. I he
French gained the easterly slope of
the heights overlooking the river by
. this move and Friday night they had
the best of a reconnoitering en
counter, taking some prisoners them
selves.
irom Harbin, Manchuria, comes a
report that the Bolsheviki authorities
have ordered the munitions and sup
plies that have accumulated at Via
, divostok to be shipped to European
Russia. The entente allies have long
been concerned lest their valuable
materials of war fall, into the hands
of the Germans.
At Vladivostok it is unofficially re-
ported that increased anti-Japanese
i demonstrations there have made it
necessary to arrange for the sending
of reinforcements by Japanese and
British.
HAVKEYE FARMER
SAVED $10,000 BY
TIMELYARRESTS
Two Race "Experts" Meet Vic
tim at Excelsior Springs,
Mo., and Induce Him to
Bet on Fake.
Thirteen Years for Threat
Against Wilson's Life
Toledo, O., April 20. Thirteen
years in the federal penitentiary at
Mlanta, Ga., was the sentance im
posed today by Judge John M. Killits
m United States district court on
tnas uracely, Wyandot county
farmer, convicted of having threaten-
ea me ate ot resident Wilson.
The Weather
Nebraska Generally fair Sunday
and Monday: rising temperature Sun
day; cooler in west and central por
tions Monday.
Temperatures at Omaha Vesterdar.
WARMER
Hour Derree
6 a. m..... !)
8 a. m 34
7 a. m 33
8 a. m 39
9 a. m 35
10 a. m 35
H a. m 36
12 m 31
1 P. m 31
S P. m.... 33
3 p. m , 33
4 p. m 38
5 p. in 40
P. m 41
7 p. m..-. 42
Comparative Loral Rerord.
19U 1917 191? 1915
Highest yeiterday ....4! 53 63 83
Lowest yesterday ....3t 35 40 65
Mean temperature. ...88 44 48 68
?reclpltation 09 .21 .07 .17
Temperature and precipitation departure
!rom the normal at Omaha alnce March 1,
nd compared with the paat two yeara.
formal temperature S3
Deficiency for the day 17
Total excess since Iarch 1, lill 323
Normal precipitation 10 Inch
Deficiency for the day 0J inch
Total rainfall since March 1 ...1.33 inches
Deficiency since March 1. 1918.1.88 Inches
'DfeftiMjtnrw ".- had f lit n
E" - v -va yu,f A I s IV inuil I - w .
CitoJaac br-fttU IMmuhU ml&WUi Ju
Henry C. Thiessen, retired farmer
of Keystone, la., came near falling
victim to a horse race swindle Sat
urday morning at Council Bluffs when
State Agent Jack Farrand and Deputy
Sheriff George Gillaspy, Council
Bluffs, assisted by the Council Bluffs
police arrested A. J. Matson of Fargo,
N. D., and John Price of St. Joseph,
Mo., a few minutes before Thiessen
was to give them $10,000, which Mat
son and Price claimed he owed them
for money advanced to play the races.
Invests in "Bobby."
Thiessen, a bachelor of SO had been
spending a few days at Excelsior
Springs, Mo., when he met Matson
and Price, who after gaining his confi
dence, persuaded him to invest $10,
000 on a horse named "Bobby," sup
posed to have been entered in a race
at New Orleans.
Thiessen, who did not have the
cash at the time, told Matson and
Price to put up thje money for him,
assuring them that he would obtain
cash from the Keystone bank and re
imburse them.
Fell for Game.
The alleged swindlers agreed to do
this, but claimed to have been about
$450 short of the sum required, so
Thiessen gave them the amount.
Matson and Thiessen stopped at the
Rome hotel in Omaha, arriving there
Friday morning Price rceisteriner at
the Fontenelle. Saturday morning the
three went to Council Bluffs after the
$10,000 and as they entered the bank
all were nut under arrest. Thiessen
later being released.
Ihiessens confidence in both Mat-
son and Price was so great that it
took fully an hour before he realized
that he was being buncoed.
The alleged "Get Rich Quick Wall-
infords" are both held in the county
jail charged with obtaining money
under false pretense.
GERMAN STORMING
FORCE BEATEN OFF
BY PERSHING'S MEN
Enemy Defeated in Furious Hand-to-Hand Fighting
After Penetrating First Line Trenches and Tak
ing Village; U. S. Troops Regain Ground
Lost in First Stage of Battle.
AMERICAN STEAMER
VICTIM OF U-BOAT;
45 SEAMEN MISSING
Cargo Ship .Lake Moore Sunk by Submarine in European
Waters on Maiden Voyage; 41 Jackies Die When
Steamer Florence H. Is Blown Up in
French Port
Accused of Giving Germany
Tips on Transport Sailings
New York. Aoril 20. On instruc
tions from the Department of Justice
in Washington, two Germans sus
pected of furnishing Germany with
information relative to the departure
of American transports for France,
were arrested today by United States
Marshal Powers of Brooklyn.
The men were desicribed as August
Bertich, aged 26. and Theodore H.
Martens, 22, both of New York.
According to a confession which
Martens is alleged to have made, he
gathered data about troop movements
for Bertich, who, it is declared,
claimed to be in direct communication
with Berlin.
Bluffs Soldier Likes Army ,
Life at Camp Davy Crockett
Ernest A. Cottmire, former employe
f the Burgess-Nash store in Omaha
and a well known Council Bluffs boy,
s making good at Fort Crockett, Gal
veston, Tex. He enlisted in the army
last November and was assigned to
the coast artillery.
Atter hve months of army life,
young Cottmire has decided it is the
greatest game in the world. He is
working hard for his chevrons and is
tudying during his spare time with
view ot trying for the fourth officers
training camp.
ifte former Burgess-Nash employe
says he has the best-hearted captain
in the United States army. Cottmire
came home on five days' pass "and
then wired his captain for jhvt days
more. The officer wired him back the
extension of time.
He left for Fort Crockett last night
after several days' visit with s
father and mother, Mr. and Mrs.
William Cottmire. 2100 Avenue A.
(By Associated Press.)
Washington, April 20. The American steamship Lake
Moore, sailing on its maiden voyage with a naval crew aboard,
was sunk by an enemy submarine in European waters about mid
night, April 11, and five officers and 39 men are missing, the
Navy department announced tonight.
Five officers, including Lieutenant Commander Kinchen J.
Powers, U. S. N. R. F., and 12 enlisted men, have been landed
at an English port.
O OFFICERS MISSING.
Officers missing as announced by
the department are:
Lieut Lewis W. Offutt, U. S. N. R.
F., San Francisco, Cal.
Lieutenant Thomas Kirk, U. S. N.
R. F., Brooklyn, N. Y.
Ensign Sotires Lizikos, U. S. N. R,
F., Island of Thassos, Greece.
Assistant Paymaster Claude B,
Kriebet, S. N. R. F., Lansadle, Pa,
Machinist James A. McGourty, U.
S. N. R. F., Worcester. Mass.
None of the missing men is from
tne middle west.
LOST VESSEL CARGO CARRIER.
Full details of the sinking, the de
parimenr announced, have not yet
ocen received trom vice Admiral
aims.
The Lake Moore was a cargo car
rier of 4,500 tons, commandeered by
me snipping Doard while building in
the United States for a foreign com
pany. It was assigned to the account
of the navy last January and sailed
from an Atlantic port the latter part
ui lviarcn, on us nrst voyage across
the Atlantic.
Explosion Wrecks Another.
An internal explosion wrecked the
American steamship Florence H., in a
French port on the nieht of Anril 17
with a probable loss of 41 members of
the crew. The blowing up of the ves
sel was reported to the Navy depart
ment today by Vice Admiral Sims, but
the dispatch gave few details. It was
summarized by the department as fol
lows: "The Navy deparment has received
a dispatch from Vice Admiral Sims
stating that the American steamship
Florence II was blown up in a French
fport by an internal explosion on April
w auoui mianigni. first reports in
dicate that 34 out of its crew of about
75 were rescued. Most of these res
cues were made by a United States
destroyer, whose work Admiral Sims
describes as 'most gallon:.' "
OMAHA IS NAMED
DIVISION POINT
OF WESTERN UNION
Omaha soon will be made a divis
ional headquarters point for the
Western Union Telegraph company,
with F. R. Bradley, now of Min
neapolis in charge of the division,
which will extend from Omaha west
is far as the Rocky mountains.
The local office force of the tele
graph company will perhaps be ma
terially enlarged to care for the new
work which will be brought to this
city. Full particulars of the plans of
the company will be forthcoming
soon western union otticiais m
Omaha declare.
C. II. Gaunt, for two years general
manager of the western division of
the Western Union Telegraph com
pany, with headquarters in Chicago,
has resigned. He will be succeeded
by A. C. Cronkite, commercial super
intendent tor the company at bt.
Loins.
The territory between eastern Ohio
and Omaha will be known as the lake
division, with headquarters in Chi
cago.
A. Long of Denver has been ap
pointed commercial superintendent at
Minneapolis and C. H. Finley of the
Michigan division has been appointed
superintendent at Denver.
ft Tk(s4v
ERNES3J A, COTTMJRE,
Today Liberty Loan
Sunday in Churches
Today is Liberty loan Sunday
throughout the land and thousands
of churches will hold special serv
ices or hear special sermons on the
need of citizens to loan their money
to the government.
Reports o Washington yesterday
emphasized the active work done
by women in gathering subscrip
tions. In many communities the
women's pledges are segregated
and latest tabulations show $32,311,
000 obtained by women's commit
tees. Nebraska reported a total of
$14,516,850 loan sales up to yester-
COMPARE TALKS
OF VON CAPELLE
AND HITCHCOCK
New York World Calls Speech
of German Minister of Marine
Echo of Nebraska Sen
ator's Address.
WMhlnrtoa Bureau of The
Omaha Bea, 1111 G fltraoi.
Washington, Aug. . 20. (Special
Telegram.) The New York World in
its leading editorial today sees in the
recent speech of Admiral von Capelle,
the German minister of marine, made
before the main committee of the
Reichstag, in which he belittles the
work of the United States as to
American destroyers, American help
in men and airplanes, a startling simi
larity with the speech of Senator
Hitchcock, delivered in the senate on
February 4.
Atter quoting copiously from von
Capelle's speech the World says that
the German minister of marine is
"rather more generous towards the
American military program than the
senator from Nebraska. Von Capelle
even for propaganda purposes at
home, is willing to concede that four
tons of shipping to a man is enough.
Hitchcock will concede nothing less
than five."
The editorial closes as follows: "In
some respects von Capelle's speech
seems like an echo of the Hitchcock
speech. However, much it may im
press the German people, the Ameri
can troops are crossing the ocean in
a steady stream, regardless of German
ministers of marine and senators from
Nebraska.
"The speech of von Capelle is, of
course, straight out German propa
ganda, intended to hearten the Ger
man people, and the Hitchcock speech
was delivered as 'constructive criti
cism.' Bjut there, is another import
ant difference. Nobody in Washing
ton is proposing to make Admiral von
Capelle chairman of the foreign re
lations committee of the United
States senate."
BRANDEIS HEAD
TO MANAGE WELL
KNOWNTHEATER
Merchant and Director of
Brandeis Interests to Direct
Destinies of Playhouse
During Coming Season.
George Brandeis, director of the
Brandeis interests and president of
the Brandeis stores, will be manager
the
Dame Rumor Says City Hall Forces
Will Declare Themselves Monday
The weekwent into the whirligig
of time without the administration
candidates declaring themselves
either as to a line-up or a platform.
Mayor Dahlman, who returned oon
Thursday from Excelsior Springs,
stated Saturday afternoon that prob
lems had not been shaped up to a
point where a definite announcement
could be made, but he believed that
tomorrow the city hall forces will
be ready to declare themselves.
Notwithstanding this tacturnity on
the part of the mayor and others of
the administration, there is no doubt
that the mayor and Commissioners
Hummel, Parks and Withnell will
stand for a fall together and that
Falconer, Towl and Reynolds will
complete the administration ticket.
City hall candidates do not feel
perturbed over the platform as given
out by the antis. Commissioner
Hummel states that his department
already has established community
centers, and other features of that
platform have been or will be adopted
by other departments of the administration.
Home rule, municipal ownership,
efficiency tad cononur are poiatslnortaal yrotk?
By Associated Press.
With the American Army in France, April 20. Twelve
hundred German storm troops, the largest number ever concen-
trated against the American troops for an offensive operation,
were hurled against the American positions on a one-mile front
west of Renneres forest, northwest of Toul, today, after a ter
rific bombardment of gas and high explosive shells.
The enemy succeeded in penetrating the front line trenches
and taking the village of Seicheprey, but after furious hand-to
hand fighting, which was still going on at nightfall, the Ameri.
can troops recaptured the village and most of the ground lost in
the early fighting.
V BiTTTT TM ATP
No Americans were taken prisoner,
but three Germans were captured,
German airmen, flying at low eleva. ,
tion, poured machine gun fire into tht
American trops, but the anti-aircraft
batteries came Into play and American
airmen took the air, bringing down
two ot the enemy planes and dispers.
ing the others. All the American sir. '
men returned safely.
Intended to Stay. 1 ;
Tht attacking troops carried rations
and entrenching tools, indicating that
they intended to occupy the American
positions for a long period, A heavj
hare overhung the sector when th
attack began, but later there war
brilliant sunshine. The American ar
tillerymen did valiant work, the men
on many of the batteries wearing gar
masks. ." . -
. The enemy's casualties are believed
to have been the heaviest sustained
by them thus far in any operation
againstv American troops. Numbtn
of German dead are lying m No Man't.
land ' in. front of the American
trenches1 ' . s
The correspondent viewed the bat
tie from hill a short distance behind
the lines. Trains moved to the front
with great regularity. Scores of hug
shells were seen bursting, throwing
up clouds of white smoke in the
neighboring hills. The heavy rum
biling was heard all day.
All Eager for Fray. "
American ambulances tori
over the shell-torn roads and ap.
proached to within a short distance ,
of the front line. Men in the reat
positions begged their commanders
to be sent up to assist the infantry
men bear the brunt of the attack. '
The men of all services were eager i
for an opportunity to fight the enemy
in the open.
The resistance offered by the Amer
ican troops was a surprise to tht ;
enemy, who expected to break through
with little difficulty. , .
Contrasted with the activity of tht
Americans behind the lines, scorei
of old men, women and children were
seen peacfully employed in the fields',
apparently unmindful of the furious
fighting going on less than five miles
away. The troops in nearby towni ,
eagerly sought news, expressing confi
dence in the Americans and hoping
for the chance to take part.
All the Americans moving to the
front were in the highest spirits and
waved their caps to the . cheering
Easily Repulsed.
A German raid against the Amer
ican position north of St. Mihiel this
morning was easily repulsed. The
American troops withdrew from part
of the front line and allowed the
Germans to enter it. They then
drove them out, the enemy leaving ,
two dead in the trenches and one. '
German lieutenant dead on the wire.
Two wounded Germans were made 5
prisoners but died later.
The commander of one of the
American units which bore the brunt"
of last week's fighting northwest of '
Toul, addressed the men today prais. '
mg them for their gallantry and '
courage shown in that action and for ;
their defeat of numerically superior
enemy forces. -
Americans Hold 20 Mile Front. ,
The village of Seicheprey, where
the German attack occurred Saturday, -is
northwest of Toul and about seven
miles east of the forest of Aprc- V
mont, where the Americans repulsed "
masses of German storm troops
recently. The fact that American
troops have been on the sector north
of Toul -has been known, but the
fighting at Seicheprey, together with
the report of an engagement north
of St. Mihiel, shows that upwards of .
20 miles of the line in that sector is
under American control.
Seicheprey lies among rolling hills
overlooking a winding valley which. V
runs off to the northeast Tfe .
able objective of the German attack
there was to get possession of a
strategic road which parallels the
battle line for 15 miles.
If : 1 4 J0 (
v'4 '
GEORGE BRANDEIS.
of the Brandeis theater during the
coming season. He will be assisted
by C. J. Sutphen.
Mr. Brandeis, a man who has as
sociated himself closely with a multi
tude of movements for the better
ment of Omaha, now wakes his
initial appearance as an honest-to-goodness
theatrical manager, as the
business head of the largest and
most beautiful theater in Omaha!
Mr. Brandeis, in taking over this
new enterprise, is exhibiting a versa
tility that is rare. The characteris
tics that make for success in depart
ment stores and real estate and bank
ing interests, are quite different from
(Continued nn I'aite Two, Column One.)
which will be emphasized by Ed. P.
Smith in his talks during the next
two weeks.
W. F. Baxter, chairman of the
campaign committee of the antis, has
issued the following statement:
"Six nominees for the city commis
sion have associated themeslves to
gether for thar purpose of presenting
their candidacies to the voters. They
are united in the statement of prin
ciples and policy issued as their
platform. These men are well known,
reliable, responsible and capable
citizens in whose hands the city
offices wil be a sacred trust to be
administered in the interests of all
of the people. Their purpose, as
clearly expressed, is to bring about
a change of control in our city aflairs
and to better them. Politically I am
not interested in persons in or out
of
nffir hut thm rliancr intr-et
me greatly. I have acceded to the irtSil Members Bolt
request to uecome cnairman ot tneiri Hnnco tf Pnm n '
supporting committee and, believing nOUSc 01 t0IT!m0nS
this to be the real opportunity for y AmooUU Freu.)
citizenship of a high order. I call London, April 20. The Irish partr
members of the house of commons
upon all men and women who can be
spared from the tremenduously im
portant war work now on, to offer
themselves for service in this im-
decided today to remain in Ireland
during the crisis. Their obiect in
this is to help their constiuents fight
1
s
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