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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1918)
V fTTTT -IT aily Bee THE WEATHER Fair 0MA1 D E A I i 1 . VOL. XLVII NO. 274. I. 5. PREPARING TO THROW EVERY RESOURCE MOW AR Congress Asked By War Department to Give President Blanket Authority to Raise All Troops Necessary " to Win Victory; Lull Continues Along Battle Lines in Europe ( Bf Associated Press. ) America is stripping for the decisive battle in Europe. In an executive session of the military committee of the lower house of congress Secretary of War Baker, Major General March, chief of staff, and Provost Marshal General Crowder have asked congress to give the president blanket authority to increase the United States army to whatever size may be neces lary to win the war. This country now has nearly 2,000,000 men under arms tnd the army appropriation for an increase of this number T.TTT.T. AT BATTLE LINES. While America's plans for throwing it everv resource into the battle , against Prussianism are maturing, the lull which has brooaea over tne west . m battle lines continues. Ine ex- nected German attacks on the Ypres and Amiens fronts have not been launched. i"Te and there the oppos ing artilleries have broken forth into wild bombardments such as usually , re ntvlndes to massed attacks on tne . allied lines, but they have died out after a few hours. Here and there locaf operations have been carried -out for the-purpose of straightening lines and raiding the 'enemy's posi tions, but they have not developed into anything unusual. The Germans must attack soon or . acknowledge their defeat in their ara . bitions J utterly :Jaicrush the allied armies. Kaiser Has Reserves. ,The present phase of the battle is ' not unlike that before Verdun, two years ago, after the first German rush had been stopped and even attempts to carry local objectives had met with defeat. Germany has lost heavily, but the emperor still has reserves to throw . into the fight. The defeat Monday on the Meteren-Voormezeete line south west of Ypres has taught the Ger mans that the allies are prepared to stand their ground and there seems little inclination at the present mo- ment to renew a conflict which threat ens to be disastrous. Roumanians Offer Services. The report that Czech soldiers de serting from the Austrian army now "-o -- --- - . fVJtt followed by a dispatch saying that Roumanians who had been captured by the Italians have asked permission to fight against the Austrians and that they are now on the firing line. The British forces in Palestine have recaptured Es-Salt, - a village from i which thy retired three weeks ago under pressure from a superior force of Turks and Germans. Germans Occupy SebastopoL A Berlin dispatch says , that the fortress of Sebastopol has been oc cupied by the Germans. This was expected after the capture of Sim feropol last week. - .Ukrainian peasant deputies are re ported to have overthrown the gov ernment of that republic. This report "follows closely a dispatch saying that many Ukrainian officials had been im prisoned Dy the Germans for con spiring against the military authorities of the central powers. The new regime has announced that it will carry out the provisions of the BrestLitovsk treaty. The Weather Nebraska: Fair Friday and Satur day, with continued mild temperature. - Temperature at Omaha Yesterday. Hour. Vtg. i a. m. a. m. 7 a. m. I a. m. 1 a. m. 10 a. m. 11 a. m. 18 m 71 1 p. m 75 3 p. m 78 3 p. m .I0 4 P. m 82 5 P. rr 83 I P. m 84 7 p. m 83 8 p. m 7 Comparatlre Local Record. 3918. 1917. 1916. 1915. Highest yesterday ....84 49 61 78 Lowest yesterday ......58 41 44 66 Mean temperature 70 45 53 64 Precipitation 00 .10 .00 .02 . Temperature and precipitation departures Trora the normal: v Normal temperature 58 i Excess for the day . 12 total excess since March 1, 1917 '..264 Normal precipitation 12 Inch Deficiency for the day 12 Inch Total rainfall since March 1....1.68 Inches Deficiency since March 1 3.97 Inches Excess for cor. period. 1917 79 Inch 'Deficiency tor cor. period, 1918.. 2.58 Inches Reports From Stations at 17,11, Station. State of Temp. High- Rain weather. 7 p. m. est. fail. Cheyenne, clear ...... ...62 (4 .00 Davenport, clear 71 89 .00 -Denver, cloudy 64 (8 .00 . Des Moines, clear... 82 82 .00 Chicago, clear 72 74 .00 Lander, part eloudy 70 74 - .00 Omaha, clear .......... ..3 84 .00 . A. WELSH, Meteorologist , bill for this year would provide to 3,000,000. 0 BAKER DEMANDS UNLIMITED ARMY TO GO OVERSEAS Big Appropriation Bill Equips 3,000,000 Men; New Dent . Bill Makes Ultimate Max imum 5,000,000. (By Associated Pien.) Washington, May 2. Secretary Baker, at a hearing today before the house military affairs committee, in confidential session, asked that con gress grant unlimited power for the creation of an army of whatever size necessary for the prosecution of the war. . He told the committee that it would be ill-advised to restrict the number of men to be utilized and that the size of the army, should be increased in the discretion of the government, as transportation and equipment facili ties warrant He indicated he would submit a proposed measure, probably as an amendment to the draft law, to grant the unlimited authority asked. ONE MILLION AUTHORIZED. unaer tne existing arair law, as construed by Chairman Dent of the Under the existing draft law, as military committee and others, there is authority for use of only 1,000,000 men under draft. Mr. Dent yesterday introduced a bill to authorize a draft total of 4,000,000 men, which with volunteers already in the service, would make an ultimate maximum strength of 5,000,000 men. Secretary Baker was questioned re garding his views to increasing the draft age. He said he had made no decision. The committee immediately will re sume consideration of the annual army appropriation bill and Secretary Baker's idea is that it shall provide only for the number immediately fore men. To Equip 3,000,000. 'Indications are that it will carry provision for equipment, transporta tion, pay and other expenses of ap proximately 3,000,000 men.'-as part not of a specific program, but as a furtherance of a blanket authority plan involving use of all or part of the funds appropriated and supple mental appropriations later on as their need may become apparent. Mr. Dent announced in view of the War department's attitude that he was ready to ask the house to kill its volunteer credits amendment to the draft quota resolution. The senate refused to agree to the provision,. Buy Another Bond" Movement Multiplies (By Awociated Press.) Washington. Mav 2 Onlv $240. 000,000 remains to be subscribed to the third Liberty loan to, reach' the three billion minimum goal and a headquarters statement tonight said "the prospects for an oversubscrip tion are considered hopeful." The total reported tonight was $2,751,360, 700, which did not include subscrip tions obtained today. It was an addi tion of $172,000,000. in the lasr 24 hours. The multitude of small subscriptions pouring into local headotiariers tn day, stimulated by the appeals to "buy another bond" and "match the president, created genuine enthusi asm among treasury officials, who consider the moral effect of a big ouuawiyuon rou quite as mucn as aJ ,.u6s yuui oi national creait. ine movement to Pet individuals tn hnv $50 bonds to keep pace with President wiison, wno subscribed for a "hahv bond" after already having bought! OMAHA, - 0 i r , ftlldolHU VUiilAN BURIED UNDER BASEMENT FLOOR Body of One of Three Reputed Wives of Detroit Suicide Dis covered; Had Been Stran gled to Death. (By Associated Fres.) Detroit, May 2. Wrapped in, can vas, the body of Irma Pallatinus was found today under the cement floor in the basement of the home here for merly occupied by Helmuth Schmidt, whose suicide in the Highland Park jail ten days ago has resulted in an investigation to determine the facts of at least three women who lived with Schmidt as his wife. Mrs. Edward Rederer, a sister of Irma Pallatinus, identified a strand of hair as her sister's and examina tion revealed that the woman had been strangled to death with a clothes line. Disappeared Two Years Ago. Miss Pallatinus accompanied Schmidt here from Lakewood, N. J., and relatives state that the couple were married in New York. This is disputed, however, by Schmidt's daughter and widow, Mrs. Tietz Schmidt. The woman disappeared suddenly two years ago. The discovery was made after the officials had given up excavation work. A workman throwing up a last shovel ful of earth, uncovered the canvas. The body had been placed beneath the cement floor, which had then been carefully recovered. Mrs. Schmidt, who was brought be fore Prosecutor Gillespie late today for further questioning in connection with the death of Augusta Steinbach, who, according to Schmidt, killed her self when he would not marry her, fainted, when told of the finding of! the body. ' t COUNCIL REACHES ; FULL AGREEMENT ON WAR MATTERS Paris, May 2. The supreme inter allied war council met today at Abbe ville with Premier Clemenceau. pre siding. Those present included Pre mier David Lloyd George of Eng land, Premier i Victoria Orlando of Italy. Viscount Milner. British secre tary of state for war: General Foch, commander in chief of the allied armies m trance; General backville West, General Tasker H. Bliss, American representative at the coun cil; General Belin, of the Versailles committee: Major General Henry H. Wilson, British chief of staff; Field Marshal Haig, General Pershing, Gen ral Petain, Vice Admiral Wemyss, British hrst sea lord, and vice Ad miral De Bon, chief of the French naval staff. During the two days in which the conference has been in session all military questions of moment were examined and settled in full agree ment, ice results obtained are unanimously regarded as most satis factory. Proposes Punishment of Profiteering Contractors Washington, May 2. Profiteering contractors who detraud the govern ment in production of war material would be severely dealt with under a bill ordered favorably reported to day by the house judiciary commit tee, a nne ot qiu,uuo or imprison ment for ten years is provided. American Sent to Prison For Drilling Men Near Dublin Dublin, May 2. William Pedler. an American citizen was sentenced by a magistrate today to tour months im prisonment for drilling men at night near Dublin. At the reauest of the military authorities the magistrate or dered dealer deported , after he had served his sentenc. Loan Subscriptions all he felt able to pay for, grew be yond bounds planned by originators of the feature and telegrams received today characterized it as the "distinct ive campaign feature of the third loan." ' . St. Louis is the first city of more than 500,000 population by the 1910 census to subscribe its full quota. De troit, which now has more than that population, went across the top some time ago, but it is placed in a dif ferent class because its population in 1910 was slightly under 500,000. One of the most encouraging fea tures of today's reports was New York's increase of approximately $90, 000,000, of which only about $25,000, 000 was in large subscriptions. Subscriptions in the Kansas City district are: Missouri, $25,509,150; Colorado, $19,968,400; Kansas, $35. 894,850; Oklahoma, $26,899,600; Ne braska.. $36,910,050; Wyoming $4.- 924,600; New Mexico, $r,396,200 FRIDAY MORNING, MAY S, GIANT "SAUSAGE" BURSTS IN HANGAR; : SOLDIERS' BODIES, HORRIBLY BURNED OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF . DISASTER BY COL. HERSEY - CoL H. B. Hersey, commanding officer at Fort Omaha, last night gave out this official statement concerning the balloon disaster at the x Florence field: "This is the first fatal accident that we have had since the balloon ' school opened. "A serious explosion occurred at Florence field when one of the observation balloons was being stored for the night. It probably was caused by static electricity produced by the fabric rubbing together. "Eighteen men were more or less injured and some quite seriously, but not fatally. These men were, burned and received immediate at tention of a large corps of surgeons at the Fort hospital. "Two men were killed, burned to such an extent that they cannot be recognized and a roll call will be necessary in the morning to estab lish with certainty their identity. "Every possible attention is being given to the injured men, and we have an ample staff of surgeons, nurses and facilities to care for them." SEBASTOPOL OCCUPIED B GERMAN FORCES . Military Rule Established in Kiev, Capital of Ukraine, By Invaders, and Peasantry Ordered to Surrender Estates to Former Owners and Return to Work on Land. (By Associated Pren.) Berlin (Via London) , May 2. German forces have occu pied Sebastopol, the great Russian fortress in the Crimea. Ac cording to official communication from headquarters, the town was taken without fighting. London, May 2. The Germans have established military rule in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, and have arrested a num ber of the members of the government oft the ground that the government had proved too weak to maintain law and order," according to a Berlin official statement. i LANDLORDISM RESTORED. Among the government officials arrested was the minister of war, the statement said. Zurich, May 2. General von Eich-O- horn, commander of the German forces in the Ukraine, according to a telegram from Kiev, has ordered the peasantry to return all property and effects taken from the land hold ers and to begin as quickly as possi ble the cultivation of the great estates. The order which protects the in terests of the land holders, who are mostly Poles and Russians, is op posed vigorously by the Ukrainian fada, which has adopted a resolution declaring that it will not permit inter ference by German, Austrian or Hun garian commanders in the political, social, or economic life of Ukraine and that Von Eichhorn's inter vention will result only in disorgan ization, rendering impossible the con summation of the terms of the eco nomic treaty between the Ukraine and the central powers. The rada has instructed the min ister of agriculture to direct the peasants to disregard the order. Rada Overthrown. Amsterdam, May 2. The old Ukraine government and rada, oc- cording to advices from Berlin, have been overthrown by peasant deputies, , J . Tr. .1- TTI ! wno arnvea at rviev, ine uKraiman capital. The new government im mediately declared that it adhered to the Brest-Litovsk peace treaty. The German government, according to a dispatch from Berlin, says it is unable to demand the removal of the red flag from the Russian embassy at Berlin as it has been recognized as the color of the Russian republic. The government made this announcement in reply to protests ot conservative members of the reichstag who consid ered the flying of a red flag in Ger- many provocative. Torpedoing of American Hospital Ships Foreseen London, May 2. The German wire less, which a few days ago sent out a dispatch alleging that American avi ators were crossing to Europe' on hospital ships, reiterates these charges in a longer dispatch today, the rea son for the emphasis placed on the false charge by the Germans, it is pointed out here, probably is that they are laying the foundation for justifica tion at a later date of the torpedoing of the American hospital ships in case any such ships are put in the trans-AHantic service to carry home invalided soldiers. It may be reealled that similar charges were spread broadcast about British hospital ships as a prelude to torpedoing them. Pope Appoints Bishop For American Army Rome, May 2. The pope has nom inated the. Right Rev. Patrick Hayes, auxiliary bishop of New York, as bishop of the American army at the front. ' "SHELLPROOF MACK'S"' Gripping Story of Trench Fighting is continued on Page Seven of The Bee Today. 191816 PAGES. WAR DECLARATION AGAINST TURKEY IS HELD UNNECESSARY Washington, May 2. Reasons why the State department does not con sider war declarations against -Turkey and Bulgaria necessary at this time were given the senate foreign rela tions committee in executive session today by Secretary Lansing. He is understood to have stated that the soldiers of neither of these allies of Germany have come into action against Americans and that American life i9 being protected in both coun tries. Without making any recommenda tion for or against action, the secre tary is said to have contented him self with a statement of the depart ment's attitude and of the confidential information in its files. Some members of the committee took issue with Mr. Lansing, but after the hearing Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska, acting chairman, said he saw no occasion for immediate action by congress. . The secretary was invited to appear by the committee as a result of agita tion at the capitol in favor of formally recognizing all of Germany's allies j enemies. 1 Here's the of Omaha Papers Of Worthington Place, From 8th to 10th State of Nebraska 1 County of Douglas J ss F. S. Di'lley, being duly sworn, says that on April 6th he took a newspaper census of Worthington Place between Eighth and Tenth streets, Omaha, and that there are 11 houses: 8 houses take THE BEE. 6 houses take the World-Herald. 6 houses take the News. ' '(Signed) ' F. S. DILLEY. Subscribed in my presence and sworn before me this 8th day of April. (Seal) HILMA D AHLQUIST, Notary Public. Another Block, Tomorrow Keep Your Eye On The Bee IMPROVING EVERY DAY Or Trl. at Hotalt Ntw Standi, Etc, (a. j Electric Spark Ignites Hydrogen Gas in Giant Bag as It i is Deflated on Horencfe Field; Men of Fourteenth x Balloon Company Laid Low By Burst of Flame. fe Two enlisted men of the Fourteenth balloon company sta tioned at Fort Omaha were burned to death at 8:30 o'clock last night when a "sausage" balloon exploded in its hangar on the Florence field, one mile north of the fort Six men from the company as Fred Beal, 19 years old, and clared they had been recently transferred to Fort Omaha from one of the northern army camps. Beal's home is said to be at Minneapolis. 1 HUN ALBATROSS SC0UTSM7N BY AN AMERICAN Lieutenant Meisner Victorious in Thrilling Aerial Battle; Lieut. Col. R. H. Griffiths Killed by Shell Fire. (By Asraclstcd Ptcm.) With the American Army in France, May 2.-Colonel Richard H. Griffiths, commanding a battalion of infantry, has been killed by sheU lire in Fio ardy. He emerged from a dugout just as a German shell arrived and ex ploded directly in front of him. ' Lieutenant Colonel Griffiths was with the Fourth Tennessee volunteers. He served also as major in the Philip pines constabulary. He was appointed a major in the national army atter resigning from the British army. His widow is a Red Cross nurse. Thrilling Battle in Air. An American aviator has brought down the fourth German airplane along the American front northwest of Tool. Lieutenant James A. Meis ner, whose home is Brooklyn, after a thrilling aerial battle at about 15,000 feet, shot down an Albatross scout, which fell id flames. Lieutenant Meisner is 21 years old and a graduate of Cornell. He came to France a few months ago and qual ified as a pilot here. While he was protecting a photo graphing plane, a German machine came in view. The day was brilliant with sunshine. A French plane started for the German, but Meisner, who was flying high near by in a speedy Nieuport chaser, made a dive for the German's tail. When within range he opened fire with his machine gun, and the German started a spiral nose dive, but after few seconds straight ened out and started back toward Ger many. ' ' Crashes to Earth in Flames. Meisner followed so closely when the German straightened out that the latter's wing tore both of the under wings of Meisner's machine, but at the same time the young American poured a deadly stream of bullets into theenemy plane, which started smok ing. Meisner kept up the fire until the German machine burst into flames and crashed to earth. The American pilot landed safely on his-own side of the lines, but the German fell about a mile inside the German lines to the south of Thiau court. Circulation the SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS. unofficially identified the dead - Davis, are 22. and du O EIGHTEEN MEN TNTTlPPn Two other soldiers were seriously burned and are not expected to r. cover, according to announcement of army surgeons. Sixteen others sustained burns, but the extent of their injuries could not be determined last night. At mid night one of the surgeons passed through the hospital ward and later announced that all of the injured were sleeping soundly. The dead men were burned beyond recognition and their identity prob ably will not be known positively un til a roll call Is had thU morning. Their bodies were brought to Omaha in an army ambulance and cared for ' at H. K. Burket & Sons undertaking establishment, 29th and Leavenworth streets. . BALLOON SHED BURNS. Fire immediately followed the ex plosion and the . great balloon shed soon was enveloped in flames. It was burned to the ground. The loss it estimated at $50,000. No insurance -was carried by the governmentjQn. lluL, balloon or building. , ' The loss is divided as follows: On the balloon, $32,000; on the building, $13,000.; AH of the equipment Con tained in the hangar was destroyed. It. will require an inventory before the value of this equipment can be ' ascertained. The Florence field fire apparatus was unable to cope with the flames and the Omaha depart ment was called. . . , k The injured men were rushed t the post hospital where they wen given treatment. . There are enough doctors stationed at the fort to care tor all the injured. Place Heavily Guarded. The bodies Of the men killed wert , burned beyond recognition. Military police stationed in the down town districts were immediately ' ordered to return all members of the com pany who were out on leave in order J to complete the check on the dead and injured. ; The guard around Fort Omaha and Florence Field was strengthened im mediately following the accident and no civilians were allowed entrance to the scene of the accident. " An ambulance containing wiurer men speeding to the hospital from the flying field collided with an im mobile near Thirtieth and Joyce streets. .One man was iniured. Immediately following th Hiaaater'" Col. H. B. Hersey, commanding offi- " cer at Fort Omaha, gave out an offi cial statement in 'which he declared tUat it would be impossible to fur nish a list of the dead and injured before morning. Matic Electricity Cause. The balloon was a French type ob servation bag commonly known as a "sausage." It had just been brought down and placed in the haasrar ore. paratory to deflation when the explo- " sion nappenea. . , It contained 35.000 cubic feet hydrogen, the explosive force of which is about double that of ordinary gas. the shock was felt by persons several hundred yards distant . from the scene. - ; ' ' Officers at Fort Omaha attribute the explosion to static 'electricitv generated by trie silken lolds of the big bag rubbing together. . They de clared tnat the moment the balloon touched the ground there was a dis charge and the spark fired the gas. Experts last night stated that at mospheric conditions were especially favorable yesterday to the creation of static electricity on account of the high barometer which had been hov ering over Omaha all day. The acci (Continued on Pare Two," Column Two.) GERMANS OBDEB GREEN BOYS INTO . WESTEBN LINES British Headquarters in.. France, r. May 2. (Via Ottawa.) The German field depots are being heavily drawn . " upon to replace recent casualties. The Thirteenth German reserve di vision has just received a companv of 250 boys of the 1919-20 class, who "had only ejght weeks' training and were not to be put into the fighting unless absolutely necessary. But tne ,. fact that they are now in the division nt tti liaHlA 1tn Gii(Trcf-a tfi sntiVinb. jtion that they may have to be
