The Omaha Daily Bee
THE WEATHER
Fair; Warmer
VOL. XLVJl NO. 272.
OMAHA, WEDNESDAY MORNING, MAY 1, 1918 11 PAGES.
0 TralM. l Nottli.
Nil blindl. Eto.. !
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.-:.
CKKLDKI
ALU
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FOCH POISES FOR
OFFENSIVE STRIKE
WITH FRESH ARMY
Supreme Commander May Throw Vat Numbers Into Fray
Against Germany While Enemy Pauses From
Fatigue and to Bury Its Dead Soldiers
Who Corer Ground.
By Associated Press.
Again there has come a pause in the battle of Flanders,
where the ground everywhere is covered with the gray-clad
bodies of German dead, and the British and French are holding
securely to all their positions.
While the present halt in the battle possibly may indicate
the near approach of the throwing into the fray of the great
reserve army which General Foch has gathered, that such is
the intention of the supreme commander of the allied forces
has not become apparent. It is not improbable, however, that j
t a meeting of the inter-allied war council in Paris Wednesday j
which will be attended by the American, French, British and I
Italian representatives, measures having in view the turning of
the tide of battle will be uppermost in the discussions.
DRIVEN FROM LOCRE. O-
From Saturday until well into Mon
lay night General Von Amim's forces
continued their efforts to break the
British lne on the Ypres salient and
o pre back the British and French
'rem the high (round to the south
west, but everywhere their effort
re fruitless. True, they gained ,
rwir objective and again captured
Locre, but counter thrust forced;
item out again and at last accounts
tie French were holding the village.
In the hilly region just to the north j
yf Locrt the British also pushed back
the enemy at several points, notably
Mtwecn Kemme! and La Clytte.
GERMANS LOSE SNAP.
Much of tht snap o the German
ttutkin force hi been absent from
the maneuver thef TlaTT been ciffT"
nf out in nanaers nnorr me sin
coed line of the entente troop which
a been apparent sinre lat Sunday.
'Jo the ou;lt near Amiens and to
;he eat around N'oyon the enemy
rkwie ha fj'lrd in all hi attempts
to puh further forward. The Brit
f. east of Villcrt-Bretonneux.
htch lie directly rant of Amiens,
fltvt advanced their front and in the
N'oyon sector the Trench have re
published their line which the Ger
mans previously had captured from
hem.
Allied Guns Active.
The German nn various sector of
it line are ti!I hurling; tons of steel
iKiinst the Bntih and French posi
wmis, but the allied guns are every
where answering them in kind.
In all the various theaters except
the western the situation remains rel
atively calm so far as fighting is con
cerned. All along the front in Italy
'ecrfrol bombardments continue
ni small maneavers by reconnoit--ripf
parties are being carr"d out.
In Macedonia the Serbians in the
rgwm of Monastir again have entered
n enemy position and annihilated
the girrtson. They also have been
acrefiil in repulsing an attack
by Bulgarians, which had a its ob
ct the recapture of positions near
etretk. taken by the Serbians a
week sio.
Irish Home Rule Bill Is
Held Up by Committee
Lm1i. April JO.The introduc
rin of the home rule bill in the House
Common, which had been pdst
?ned by the (lrat'tins committee not
vSvfg completed its task.
The Weather
Fo NhrSu and South Dakota
t kr Wednesday; w?rmr in east por
"tmt; Thwrsday fair and coob-r.
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NEBRASKA LEADS i
KANSAS IN THIRD
WAR BOND DRIVE!
Omaha Climbs to $6,502,250,
Which Is 127.9 Per Cent in
Campaign Quota; Other
Cities Oversubscribed.
(Br Associated Press.)
Kansas City, Mo., April 30. For
the first time in two weeks Nebraska
took the lead from Kansas in total
subscriptions to the third liberty loan,
according to figures announced to
night. The official figures also
showed the district to have subscribed
114.1 per cent of its quota with only
Colorado and Wyoming not "over the
top."
The subscriptions by states are:
Nebraska, $.15,665,450; Kansas, $35,
198.100; Oklahoma, $26,632,000; Mis
souri (nineteen counties). $25,196,800;
i Colorado, $19,443,450; Wyoming, $4,
, 87X.350. and New Mexico. $1,395,200.
Ot the larger cities only Denver r
has not exceeded its official quota,
the committee announced. Of the
others. St. Joseph, Mo., with a sub
scription of $2,573,800 leads, being
over-subscribed 50.4 per cent. Kan
sas City, Mo., has subscribed 126.1
per cent; its total being $14,234,150.
Others totals and percentages are:
Denver, $5,248,550; Kansas City,
Kan., SI .036,1 101 13.9 per cent;
Wichita, Kan., $1,480,000140.4 per
cent; Topeka, Kan., $1,647,800141.6
per cent; Omaha $6,502,250127.9 per
cent; Oklahoma City, Okla., $2,644,850
116.5 per cent.
ine town ot .ntiocn, .eD., nasi
oversubscribed its quota eight times
WILLIAM M. HUNT
OF OMAHA WINS
U1C ffJUI1UI1CCIl'
illO LUMMlOijlUn
i
The names oi men from middle
west and eastern states who finished
he course given at the third ofiicers i
'.""""'V "c "C,SCQ :,a lamP grand army encampments from Sec
Lewis Taconia W ash., April 20, and ' retary McAdoo. "If I hadn't, that
now are eliaiible for commissions as i t, u hi.-rln ; i,;. k,.
second lieutenants as announced yes
terday, include the name of William
M. Hunt of Omaha, and the following
from Iowa: Harry L. Craig, Clarinda;
Mott T. Felt. Jesup; Stanley Hull,
Lake Mills: Robert E. Kfan, Bernard;
Frl H. Ofjden. Des Moines, and
Harry L. Patterson. Rolfe.
GERMAN SPY RELATES HOW HE
Wilhelm Von Linder, Deserter, Admits
Pilfering Valuable Military Secrets.
FOOLED U. S. ARMY OFFICERS
(By AwHM-Utted
Kansas City, April ."iO. Fred Roh
'rtion. federal district attorney for
Kan. announced tonight thaf Wil
helm von Linder. held in the mili
tary pmon at Fort Leavenworth as
a deserter from the American armv,
ha contend that while working as
a German spy prior to America's en
trance into the war, he obtained val-ita.
uahle military secrets m the vicinity
ft Aonoifc. a, where he nnoto-
spiled the naval works.
ennteswm ".tatd that von
I.ittder served in the German army
w1"" coming; to the United States
h-n. he met (apt. von Khlsruhue,
i ..' itiche of the German emhassv
.h .ng? ii. in Chtladelphia iii
f thirn until !u's arrest a a
r at Laredo. l'exa, vyu Lin-
NATION NOW
LEARNS WAR,
SAYSSOMERS
Commander - in Chief Grand
Army of Republic Says Coun
try Must Stand United in
Hour of Peril.
General 0. A. Somers, commander
in-chief of the Grand Army of the
Republic, scored pacifism and en
dorsed American militarism in a
speech before the Omaha posts of
war veterans in the court house last
nignt.
"For 50 years we have been fed on
pacifism. We have heard 16-to-l.
tongued orators win over this country.
I'm not so sure but at the last elec
tion we voted pacifism in the slogan,
'He kept us out of war!'
"Then came a time when we had to
fight or see our flag insulted and drag
ged in the dirt. And we entered the
war. And we are not ready for it.
We are just now preparing. It will
cost thousands of American lives to
repay for our orgy of pacifism.
Learning War Now.
"If we had been prepared, we would
be ready to go to it. What does the
president, or the secretary of war or
any of his cabinet know about war?
They have to learn it. They realize
this now and are making rapid prog
ress as a result.
"I spoke recently on a grand army
program in Washington at which
Secretary of War Baker was present.
And I offered up an invocation that
we might have another president,
now, like Abraham Lincoln, and an
other iron secretary of war like Stan-
i ton.
Must Stand Toeether.
! "We are waking up. For years the
I grand army was the only spark of
patriotism left in this country. When
: war was declared we remembered
I England's many intrigues against us
j and we didn't care very much whether
Germany took a slap at her or not.
B,,t we are alIies nw. and we must
fight hard and fight together."
i Keternng to grand army affairs,
j General Somer said . that while in
I Washington, he had obtained a one
cent rate on the raiIroads to national
and getting louder as election time
comes around, would have been
dead."
The general urged recruiting the
ranks of the Grand Army, saying that
two of evry three veterans still were
outside the order. lohn C. Cowin
! presided.
Prun.)
der worked under von Ehlsruhue,
spreading propaganda in German
communities and his activities were
reported to the German government
through Captain Boy Ed.
In 1916, he was arrested in Nor
folk, but released in three months on
promise to become an American citi
zen and then was ordered to Augus
Ga.. to enlist in the American
army. As a member of the First
Georgia in
reia intantry, ne obtained mfor-
mation for the German embassy in
Wa'hiiiston. Mr. Robertson said.
After five months lie was ordered
to desert and report at Juarez, Mex.,
where he was to gather military in
formation. He was arrested March 29, 1917,
and haj iee;i ordered interned at Fort
Douglas I'tah, for the period of the
tsar.
Wanted-5,000 More Doctors for
Immediate Erilistment in Army
(By Afttioriated Trraa.)
Chicago, April 30. Fifty physicians, representing the
state medical societies of the nation, with an enrollment of
150,000 practicing physicians and surgeons, met today at
the headquarters of the American Medical society to plan
to meet the call of the army and navy for the immediate
enrollment of 5,000 doctors in the medical reserve corps.
A total of 21,851 physicians have enlisted already.
A survey of the medical men of the country is planned
and a questionnaire will be sent to all members of the as
sociation, which will give the officers the data necessary
for arranging for a voluntary enlistment. The surgeon
general's call is for 2,500 additional enlistments each year
throughout the war of men between the ages of 22 to 55
years who can be spared by their communities
Dr. Thomas McDavitt of St. Paul, Minn., president of
the trustees of the American Medical association, presided.
LUDEND0RFFS MASTER DASH
TO REACH ENGLISH CHANNEL
COMES TO DISASTROUS HALT
By ARTHUR S. DRAPER.
(Special Cablegram to the Omaha Bee and New York Tribune.)
London, April 30. Ludendorffs campaign to gain
the channel ports and crush the British army has come to
a sudden halt on the front at Ypres. After a long series
of successes the Germans have suffered a heavy reverse
just when it seemed that they were about to grab the big
prize of Ypres, with its setimental associations and tacti
cal advantages.
The French and General Plummer's battle-tried vet
' erans fell back, but rallied, and for a moment at least they
form a barrier which Ludendorff cannot surmount.
GERMANY'S DISMAL FAILURE.
The enemy's gigantic effort to take Ypres and to pierce
Mount Rouge and Scherpenberg, the eastern buttresses of
the Flanders heights, tailed dismally, and if the kaiser
from Wytschaete looked down on the later stage of his
battle he saw his hosts cut up and thrown out of the posi
tions they had reached in their first great onrush.
With the exception of the reverse on the front at Arras
in the first phase of the battle of Picardy, -Ludendorff has
met no failure comparable to that which he suffered o
Monday-sonth of Ypres. From the allied point ol. view,'"'"'
the 'situation ia highly encouraging, because it is known
that the enemy employed big forces and that his howitzers
and machine guns were working in perfect unison.
GERMAN LOSSES RUN HIGH.
The enemy's blow proved to be abortive because the
allied defense worked better than it has done hitherto in
the northern campaign.
The German losses ran exceedingly high and today
the fighting slowed down materially.
The village of Locre, at the foot of Mount Rouge,
changed hands four times, but now the French hold it en
tirely. At one moment Von Quast's troops swarmed through
Locre and up the southern slopes of Mount Rouge, but the
French veterans came back with a rebound that swept the
enemy back to his former position.
The situation seemed decidedly gloomy in the morn
ing, but as the day advanced it improved and the enemy
could not hold the wedge he had driven in south of Zille
beke lake. However, it would be unwise to build hopes too
high on the developments of a single day. The Germans
are deeply involved in the Ypres campaign and the check
is hardly likely to discourage them.
MICHIGAN BOARDS F0CH ON BLOODY
WATER WAGON FOR FIELDS URGES U. S.
AN EXTENDED TRIP ,
Detroit, April 30. Michigan joined
the ranks of the "dry" states at mid
night tonight. At that hour the con
stitutional amendment adopted by the
voters 18 months ago, became opera
tive and affected 3,285 saloons in the
state.
The prohibition law is retarded as
one of the most rigid ever drafted, its i
terms permitting the manufacture, sale
or importation ot alcohol beverages
only for medicinal, mechanical and
sacramental purposes and even limit
ing to a very small quantity the
amount that may be purchased on a
physician's prescription.
Concord, N. H., April 30. More
than 500 bars went out of business
tonight and the state became "dry"
for the first time in fifteen years.
Dakota Banker Taken;
Said to 3e Wanted Here
Ogden, Utah. April 30.-H. C.
Hookstra, said to be a foimer bank
cashier of Herrick, S. D., and wanted
in Omaha on a charge of defrauding
a bank there of $1,000, was arrested
here today by operatives of a de
tective agency. The detectives said
they have trailed Hookstra from
South Dakota, north and south from
Canada to Mexico, and inland from
the Pacific coast to this city. He will
be taken to Omaha to face the charge.
Hookstra claims he is a vitcim of
wrong identity.
Local police last night said they had
no information of any charge against
Hookstra in Omaha.
Teacher Held as Enemy Alien.
Poughkeepsie, X. Y., April 30.
Miss Agathe Wilhehnina Kichrath,
instructor of German at Vassar col
lege, was tonight taken into custody
by federal agents charged with cir
culating pro-German propaganda.
"SHELLPROOF MACK'S"
Gripping Story of Trench Fighting
is continued on Page Seven of The
Bee Today.
TO "BUY BONDS"
New York, April 30. A cablegram
from General Foch, commanding the
allied armies on the western front,
was received here today by Benjamin
Strong, chairman of the Liberty loan
committee of the New York federal
reserve district. It reads:
"With magnificent ardor Americal
has thrown itself into the war. Its
soldiers are fighting valiantly on our
front, but, above all, money is the
sinew of war. "I am convinced that
American thrift will respond to the
call of the country and will contrib
ute to it the help so important in
this combat."
A subscription of $10,000,000 was
made today by J. P. Morgan & Co.
Sheep on White House Lawn.
Washington, April 30. Sheep will
be grazing on the White House lawn
within a few days. President Wil
son today purchased 12 thoroughbred
Shropshires.
One Year Since Nebraska Hung
Crepe on Old John Barleycorn
'Tis a quiet night, Sarg," a veteran
taxi driver greeted a passing police
sergeant.
"Nothing like a year ago," mused
the sergeant, hailing from li is nightly
vigil.
"Seltzer and chocolate sundae can
not put the pep into night life that we
had vhen the gin mills were in opera
tion," he continued. "One year ao
tonight we had 10 patrols and three
doctors on hand to take care of
drunks and fighters and tonight it is
quiet as a graveyard. And we had an
extremely quiet night, due to the
saloons selling out early."
The two veterans of Omaha in its
olden days chatted on, relating inci
dents of revelry that passed when
FRENCH HURL BACK
ENEMY IN SMASH
AGAINST FLANDERS
Germany Throws Thirty Fresh Battalions of Reserves
Into Battle Without Avail In Most Critical Moment
On Western Front; Lost Ground Isv
Retaken By Allies. V
By Associated Press.
British Headquarters in France, April 30. French forces
this morning held the whole of the town of Locre, west of Kern
mel, including the hotly contested hospice. The allied line also
made some progress, slightly improving the position around
Villiers-Bretonneux.
Yesterdays' attack was the biggest effort the Germans
have yet made in the Flanders offensive, the enemy employing
about 30 fresh battalions of reserves, in addition to the large
number of divisions in position at the beginning of the battle.
OMAHA BECOMES
HEADQUARTERS
OF V.U. DIVISION
Seven States and Hundreds of
Cities Now Under Jurisdic
tion of Office in This -City.
Omaha today becomes headquar
ters for the new central division of
the Western Union Telegraph com
tfrftyV ; ' 7
The new division, which embrace!
three districts, makes Omaha" head
quarters of seven states, Missouri,
Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Da
kota, South Dakota and Minnesota.
Cities like St. Louis, Kansas City,
St. Paul and Minneapolis will be
under the jurisdiction of the Omaha
Westeri Union offices.
Enlarge Present Headquarters.
Two more floors and probably three
will be added to the big Western
Union headquarters in the Woodmen
of the World building.
Among the new officials with offices
in Omaha division headquarters are
a general auditor, superintendent of
traffic, superintendent of plants and
commercial superintendent.
A. D. Bradley has been appointed
general manager of the central divi
sion, with headquarters in Omaha,
which makes him ranking official of
the Western Union in the seven states
and th$ hundreds of cities in this part
of the country.
Former District Hesdquarters.
Heretofore Omaha was a district
headquarters, taking its orders from
the western division, of which Chicago
was headquarters.
Effective today Chicago becomes
headquarters of the Lake division,
which comprises th states of Michi
gan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wis
consin. A. C. Cronkhite has been ap
pointed general manager of the Lake
division, with headquarters at Chi
cago. The central division has been dis
tricted as follows:
First District Minnesota, North
Dakota and 3outh Dakota; J. C. Nel
son, superintendent, Minneapolis.
Second District Iowa and Nebras
ka; W. T. Davis, superintendent,
Omaha.
Third District Missouri and Kan
sas C. W. Mitchell, superintendent,
St. Louis.
C. H. Gaunt Resigns.
The resignation of C. H. Gaunt as
general manager of the former west
ern division takes effect today.
The announcement of the new divi
sion plan of the Western Union comes
from J. C. Willevcr, vice president in
charge of the commercial department,
and is approved by Newcomb Carlton,
president.
crepi was hung on the door of John
Barleycorn. An old bartender en route
home stopped i.nd aftertjoining in the
conversation foi a short time in a
choked voice said:
"Come on in boys, and have a drink
on me."
With an ice crcm soda in hand the
old timers solemnly drank to, "The
first birthday of prohibition, and may
we have many mor; of them."
"A year ago tonight," said the ser
geant, "wc made 39 arrests, 10 of
which were for drunkenness and most
of the rest were for disturbing the
peace and disorderly conduct We
were lenient. Tonight we were called
upon to arrest only 13 which included
two for drunkenness. Business is rot
ten, thank you "
O SMALL FORCES WIN.
A satisfactory feature of the strug-
gle is that the British and French em
ployed relatively small forces to de
feat the enemy.
At one point the French were forced
to yield a little ground, but support
promptly arrived and drove back thi
Germans. -'
By 11:30 o'clock in the morning th
Germans had forced their ' way
through near Locre as far as Hyd
Park corner, between Scherpenbers
and Mont T.ouge. This was one of the
critical moments of the day, but the
French counter attacked fiercely and
an hour later had pressed back th!
. .U. il.-u .J L.I .3 Ll 1-
center.
RETAKE LOST GROUND. .
By 3 o'clock the French were holdf
ine the ground east of Kenderhet farm a
and Locre chateau, and TScTBaft' ol v
Locre village on the southern slope of
Scherpenberg. , . "
Thenceforth, the position becam
steadily more satisfactory and by 5:30
the French had retaken all the lost .
ground except a narrow strip at Hyde
Park corner.
Further desperate smashes by von
Amim's army against the allied lines
on the Flanders battle field yesterday
afternoon and evening met with ne
more success than the enemy's futile
and costly attempts earlier in the day
to break through and capture tho hill
positions west of Kemmel.
Allies Hold Firm.
Not only did the British and French
maintain their positions at virtually all; .,
parts in the face of furious onslaughts'
but during the night they reclaimed,
several bits of territory on which the
enemy had succeeded in getting a
hold,
Locre had again fallen into Ger
man hands late yesterday, but the '
French once more made a dashing
counter drive, and thrust the enemy ,
out of this important place.
The allies lines in Flanders this
morning were to all intents the same
as when the Germans surged forward
yesterday and in front of the defend
ing positions gray uniformed men lay
in great numbers, representing the
awful price paid by the Germans.
German Wedge Fails.
North- of Kemmel, the British and
French, countering in conjunction
also pushed forward somewhat during
the night and bettered their positions.
At one time yesterday the Germans
actually had some men on the lower
slopes of both Mont Rouge and the
Scherpenberg, after they succeeded in
driving a small wedge into the French
line between these two elevations. , - '
Fierce fighting continued about
Locre all day, and the enemy sacri
ficed great numbers of men in an at
tempt to push through here.
In the meantime the flanks were
holding brilliantly against successive
shocks. A particularly bitter battle was '
waged astride the Kemmel-La Clytte
highway, near the junction of the i
French and British. ,Here the enemy
tnea nis tavontc trie or . trying to
divide the two forces. '
Germans Lose Heavily.
At Ridgewood, west of Voorme-
i- l. :u.: t j
throughout the day, the Germans los- v
ing great numbers of men, both killed
and wounded. It is impossible to say
how-many attacks the enemy made at
this point during the course of theJ
day; they came forward in waves I
throughout long hours.
I I - 1. r j ;
face ot such onslaughts py superior
numbers.
The German artillery which ' had -been
greatly augmented for this at
tack pounded the back areas inces-
santly, and the duel between the op
posing guns of all calibers from Sat-;
urday evening until last night was ap-'
palling. .
The British improved their position
slightly before Villers-Bretonneux.
TIia 4aiAm cf 111 apm t4 m 'mfr cfli in -
this region and the enemy guns were
increasingly busy from Vimy north- .
ward. ',
Thus far the German capture of
Kemmel has done them little good, '
for the allied artillery has kept the v
crest of the hill so smothered , th
shell fire that it has been impossible .
tor the enemy to occupy it in force.
xncrc wdi no ixssaiiuu 01 inc icrri
ble battle. The wonder is that the ?.
allied troops were abte to hold in the
