a The Omaha Daily Bee 3 4 THE WEATHER 9 Fair; Cooler VOL XLVII NO, 277. OMAHA, TUESDAY MORNING, MAY 7, 1918 12 PAGES Oa TralM, at Hottlt Nrat Stss. lit.. M. SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS. If nri Jl nn nn M UVJ si wm .n TEUTONS LAUNCH HEAVY GAS ATTACK AGAINSTAMERICANS Fifteen Thousand Mustard Shells Followed By Intense Artillery Fire;1 Enemy Airplanes Appear at Same Time: One Brought Down and Another Dam aged By Anti-Aircraft Guns. i n (By Associated Press.) With the American Forces on the French Front, May 6. The Germans launched a heavy gas attack against the Ameri can troops on the Picardy front during the night. Early in the evening they sent over 15,000 shells, composed chiefly of mus tard gas, within a brief period. These shells were followed by an intense artillery fire at midnight. Several hundred gas shells were dropped into the American lines. tit ami? Ttvrmr.UT nnWM Q Enemy ah"planes appeared over the American lines about the same time. Anti-aircraft guns brought down one German machine and damaged an other. The extreme activity of the artil lery and aviators, the rifle- fire and night flares and the reported move ments behind the enemy lines in this sector may torecast a new infantry attack, but General Pershing's men are ready for any emergency. They are countering the enemy prepara tions blow foi blow, keeping up a harassing artillery, rifle and machine gun fire and are actively patrolling. IN GOOD SPIRITS. The spirit of the Americans is ex cellent. They are eager to fight and a typical expression is: "Let Fritz start something. He'll get all that is coming to him." A young French captain who trained the men now in the Picardy lines told the Associated Press today he never haa seen finer material. "AH are of one mjnd," he said, "to fight fast and hard and to finish the war quickly." Penefate German Lines. Low visibility prevailed over the Luneville and Toul sectors, as well as south of Verdun, today, restricting op erations by both sides. There was virtually no activity during the day light hours, but during the night the enemy heavily bombed the lines in the direction of Seicheprey and those northeast of Toul, while south of t Verdun the Germans displayed great nervousness, throwng up many Hares. It has been established that the troops in that section came recently from Flandirs. Along the lines near Luneville the American patrols have been active ind have penetrated the enemy lines once more. They found that the enemy had not reoccupied raided portions of their posit'ons and that the town of Anservillers, with the exception of one stone house, had been completely demolished by the Americam artillery fire. Many Ger man dugouts under the buildings had been made useless. Prisoners cap tured from an observation post di vulged much useful information and said they had just come to this front from Russia. County Board Member , Accused of Sedition Lincoln, May 6. Attorney General Reed announced today that he had mailed to, Thurston county, this state, a complaint charging Christopher C. Frum, a member of the county board of tha,t place, with violating the state sedition law by attempting to dis courage farmers from planting wheat. May Temperature, Record Broken in New York City New York,May 6. Today was the hottest May 6 in the history of the city's bureau. At midday the official thermometer registered 84, breaking by i four degrees the record estab lished May 6, 1896. The Weather For Nebraska: Generally fair Tues day and Wednesday; cooler Tuesday. ', Temperature at Omaha Yesterday. . Hour. Deg. 6 a. m.. 6 a. m . . T a. m.. '8 p. m . . J a. m.. 10 a. m . . 11 a. m.. 12 m 1 p. m.. 2 p. m.. 3 p. m.. 4 p.m.. S p. m t P. m 84 7 P. m 83 8 p. m 81 Comparative Local Record. 1918. 1917. 1918. 1915. Highest yesterday .. 84 61 90 60 Lowest yesterday .. 61 38 68 36 Uean temperature ..72 60 78 43 Precipitation T .00 T .09 Temperature and precipitation departures from the normal: S'ormal temperature 69 Excess for the day 13 Total exoess since March 1 321 Normal precipitation 12 Inch Deficiency for the day 12 inch Total rainfall since March 1 1.68 Inches Deficiency for the day 12 Inch Total rainfall since March 1 1.68 Inches Deficiency since March 1 3.45 Inches Excess for cor. period. 1917 l.H inches Deficiency for cor. period. 1916. .3.06 Inches Beports From Stations at 7 P. M. Station and Stat Temp. Htgh- Raln- or weatner. 7 p. m. est. Cheyenne, part cloudy ..64 66 Davenport, rata 60 70 Denver cloudy 64 72 Pes Moines, clear 76 76 ' Podge City, pt. cloudy. . SO 82 Lander, part cloudy ... 61 68 North Platte, pt cloudy 76 78 Omaha, part cloudy .... 83 84 fall .00 .46 T .22 .00 .00 .00 T X indicates trace of precipitation. ' L. A. WELSH, Meteorologist. MILLARD HOTEL SOLD; TO BECOME PUBLICMARKET Deal Made for $150,900; Rosoff Brothers to Install Market Modeled After One in 'Frisco. Omaha soon is to boast a new pub lic market where all kinds of meats and vegetables will be on sale the year around. This -is the announcement made by Jake Rosoff, who, with his brother, now operates the public market in the First National Bank building. This new public market will cover the entire lower floor of the Millard hotel which was yesterday bought from Rome Miller for $150,000 by Weiner Bros., Epstein Bros, and the Kosotf brothers The Millard hotel has a ground floor space of 132 feet by 154 feet and at one time was the leading hotel of the west, The new owners will spend $60,000 in remodeling the new property, which will be handy for the use to which it will be put. It is located on the corner of Thirteenth and Doug las and has trackage in the rear. Modeled After Frisco. The public market will be modeled after the San Francisco market house, where housewives come with their market baskets to make purchases for the family. Various stalls will handle every commodity needed in the home, Rosoff Bros, will have nothing to do with the operation of the hotel, ixrrtifh null rt -- ihi it a A Kir li a nrhav Jake Rosoff, manager of the Public Market, says that he is so taken with the success of the present venture that he is sure it is just what the people want, only on a larger, scale, and no expense will be spared in making the market a place where all will be glad to go with their market baskets, Agreement Reached on Draft Law Amendments Washington, May 6. An agreement on the bill extending the selective draft law to youths 21 years of age since June 5, 1917, was reached today by the senate and 'house conferees. The amendment of Representative Hull of Iowa providing that the addi tional registrants shall be placed at the (bottom of present eligible lists was retained. The conferees also adopted an amendment which General Crowder opposed, requiring registration of men already in the military service who have attained their majority since last June 5. Four Americans Awarded French Cross of War With the American Army in France, May 6. One American officer and three privates were awarded the cross of war at a hospital near Verdun last night for gallantry displayed in the recent raid by German shock troops on American positions. The soldiers decorated are: Lieutenant Harry J. Kelly, Ottawa, Ills.; Private Dewey D. Smith, Steens, Miss.; .Private George A. Hopkins, Baltimore, Md P. . . i Brown, Brooklyn, N. Y, i iivan Two of Bold Robber By Police Following a gun battle last night between Pol ce Officer Harry Buford and four a.leged footpads, Ernest Billingsly, 2626 Franklin street, and George Can-. 2414 Patrick avenue, were arrested. I wo men escaped. All were negroes. .Fohce think this Rantr has been ter rorizing North Twenty-fourth" s'treet citizens, for two weeks. Holdups have been reported from this neigh borhood neirly everv mailt dunnar the period. , Ihe four men entered an automo bile belonging: to Commissioner Jo seph B. Hummel, parked at Twenty fourth and Seward streets, and at tempted to drive it away. Harry Hummel, chauffeur for the commis sioner, nearly a block away, rushed back beforu they could start the motor, , ' To Readers of The Bee: v Following out my practice of keeping our readers informed of changes in The Bee organization that may be of outside interest I wish to announce that the position of managing editor of The Bee will be filled by Thomas F. Sturgess as successor to Monroe Reeves, who has resigned. Mr. Sturgess has been connected with The Bee organ ization in various capacities for many years, more recently as editor and manager of the Twentieth Cen tury Farmer, which is now being merged with the Nebraska Farmer. WILSON ORDERS AIRCRAFT GRAFT CHARGES PROBED Sculptor Borglum Reiterates Assertions That Pro-German Intrigue and Criminal Lia bility Can Be Established. (By Associated Press.) Washington, May 6. Talk of graft ana mismanagement in me national airplane construction program, heard for months in senate debate and MAJOR GENERAL SQUIER, capitol lobby gossip, culminated today in a presidential order for an investi gation by the Department ot Justice. Almost , simultaneously it became known that Major General Squier, chief signal officer and until recently Quizon 3orglum I Noted American sculptor, who ore. fers serious charges with respect to air service. in rlirect charcrp of armv svi.tinn i-A , "j . . .ui,u, nau aemanaing a military court ot inquiry, (Continued on Page Five, Column Three.) Gang Taken After Gun Battle With drawn revolvers the quartet rushed Hummel, who grappled with the leader but was unable to hold him. Officer Buford joined Hummel and they foll:wed to Twenty-fifth and Patrick streets, where the four made a stand. Billingsly surrendered upon recog nizing the policeman and the remain ing three scattered. One of the men fired three shots at Buford and escaped do.vn an alley when the of ficer stumbled over obstructions. Later Carr was arrested. - At the station Carr admitted shoot ing at Buford and that he had stolen things from Hummel's car. He was charged wit.l highway robbery and shooting, with attempt to kill. Identity of the other two men in the gang is known. w f-.U 1 j Omaha Man, Is on Duty CD D. C. Patterson, jr lieutenant com mander in the navy, and son of Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Patterson, sr., 303 North Thirty-eighth avenue, has sent a small photograph to his parents of himself and United States Consul John K. Caldwell, taken in Vladivos tok, Siberia. Recent cables carried the information that the bolshevik de mands that American and French con suls at Vladivostok be recalled has met no response. ' ' ANOTHER BLOW FROM GERMANS EXPECTED SOON Huns Fear Ever Increasing Strength of Ameritan Forces and Are Likely to Seek Quick Action. ,' (Br Associated Press.) On he French Front in France, May 6. The opinion is virtually unanimous that the further great blow which the German staff must inev itably deliver, if it intends to try to execute the promises made to the uerman nation when the offensive was started, must come soon. The great activity of the enemy along the Ypres sector is possibly a prelude to the opening of a new Ger man rush there, or is intended to dis tract attention from a formidable at tack elsewhere. There is, indeed, a widespread view that the next move must come from the German armies concentrated under General von Be low, fronting Arras., Some of its di visions were borrowed by other Ger man armies for attacks to the north and the south, but these have since been replaced and the force gathered is very powerful. Fear Americans. Another factor in compelling them to seek a rapid decision is the trans parent fear of the ever-increasing strength of the American forces. ENTIRE BOND ISSUE TO BE DELIVERED WITHIN FORTNIGHT Washington, May 6. To supply Liberty bonds to subscribers prompt ly, extra shifts of printers were set to work today by the bureau of en graving and printing and it is planned to deliver all bonds within two weeks. About 18,000,000 bonds already, have been printed and more than 10,000,000 have been distributed throughout the country by the treasury. Secretary McAdoo formally an- nounced that he would make allot ments of all subscriptions in fulL The total subscriptions tabulated by the treasury tonight was nearly $3,- 500,000,000 and nearly a half million more probably will be reported before the total is announced, some time after next Monday- Aspyxiqting Gas Injected Into Letters by Germans Paris, May 6. Germans are credit ed, in reports jeceived here, with in jecting asphyxiating gas into letters sent home by prisoners in their camps. A woman living in the village of La Sicotiere recently was ill for several days, after opening a letter rom a French prisoner in Germany. Un the same day it is said another woman received a letter also contain ing gas from her husband, also a pris """""kJSIjJJj-jjj oner in pavana. Naval Officer, at Vladivostok The picture was taken on the United States cruiser Brooklyn, near the dock at Vladivostok two months ago, its crew being assig.ied to guard duty. Lieutenant Commander Patterson, who is flag officer under Admiral Knight, has been in the navy for 13 years. He visited his parents in Oma ha about a year ago, prior to leaving on an Asiatic cruise. RED CROSS HEADS III SESSION HERE HEAR YPRES HERO N Nebraska Campaign Directors Meet With Division Offi cials From Chicago ! ' for Conference. Red Cross directors from 75 Ne braska counties were In Omaha Mon day conferring with officials of the state organization and central group in regard to methods to be pursued in the next drive for funds, which begins May 22 and nds May 27, The auota for Nebraska will be $1,300,000, of which Omaha's portion will be $200,000. A luncheon was given the directors at the Chamber of Commerce at noon. Bernard E. Sunny, Bell tele phone official, of Chicago, spoke, say ing that the national Red Cross head quarters was proud of the enthusiasm and efficiency of the Nebraska organi zation. Bruce D. Smith, Chicago, president of the central division, said he was confident Omaha and Nebraska would be among the first over the top in the next .drive, as in their other war activities. Nebraska's War Record. He said Nebraska has the record of first place in the central division in manufacture of hospital garments, surgical dressings and refugee cloth ing for the Red' Cross, and has fur nished 22 per cent of the whole. Sergeant Baldwin, Canadian army, who saw IS months service at the front, and lost his left leg at the bat tle of Ypres, was introduced and given a great ovation. "No one knows," he said, "the depth and nature of the love that one soldier bears his comrades who have shared (Continued on Pe Fire, Column Two.) "Peace Offensive" Branded As Fiction By German Leader , (By Associated Fress.) Amsterdam, May 6. "The -assertion of Lord Robert Cecil that Ger many will undertake a 'peace offen sive' if shfrwloes not succeed in over coming the allies is the latest means whereby entente statesmen are seek ing to stimulate the war ardor of their people, whoie belief in the justice of their own cause is vanishing," says Baron von Dem Bussche-Hadden hausen, German under secretary for foreign affaiif, in an interview pub lished in Berlin newspapers in reply to the statement of the British minis ter of blockade last week. In this statement Lord Robert said the failure of Germany's "knockout offensive" oa the western front would result in a great peace offensive in his opinion. "Let the British people deal with such maneuvers as they will," said the German under secretary. "The jwordJfirst has to speak. O ur task is GAINS SCORED BY AUSTRALIAN AND CANADIAN TROOPS Anzacs Advance Between Ancre and Somme Rivers and in Arras Sector; Allied Infantry Keeps Up Heavy Fire In Quarters Where Enemy Is Assembling Guns for Big Battle. (By Associated Press.) Australian and Canadian trooos are in action nn tV R':.t. lines along the vital sectors of the battle front in France. The Australians have struck the German, n MArl. court between the Ancre and auu nave ouvancea meir unes tnree-quarters of a mile a a re sult of two assaults on the Teutonic positions. The Canadians have aooeared in the Arr t.,u south than they have been since the battles in this region began March 1. This part of the line is most important as it defends Arras to the southwest and includes localities such as Neuville Vitasse. Mercatel and Boisleaux-St. Mara, what- ill AM I. been bitter struggles since the offensive. to VOTERS DECIDE ON COMMISSION AT POLLS TODAY Campaign Lively Until Last With Each Candidate Hust ling to Get Under Wire in Good Form. The candidates brought their cam paign to a close last night with a whirlwind finish. Some hired halls and others spoke at street corners Mayor Dchlmari and 'his running mates commended themselves and condemned their opponents, and the allied candduates did likewise. The case has gone to the voters, who will today decide the question of who will serve the city for the next three years as commissioners.. The mayor promised that, if re elected, he will keep Omaha progress ing as it has during the 12 years of his administrations. The allied can didates declared that Omaha will progress in a better manner if they are elected. Throw Fed Bombs. ' Personalities were freely indulged in during the evening. Speakers for the Jim Dahlman ticket defended the mayor in his attack upon Ed P. Smith, while the all es uttered strong words against the mayor on account of his criticism of Smith. Slates wi(i be smashed today as they have never been smashed be fore. A man living in the Hanscom park district last night showed a bunch of straw votes he had taken in his neighborhood and the evidence was that no two were alike. Organizations for getting the vote out have been recruited with care. The administration forces, allied can didates, falconer for Commissioner club, Harry B. Zimman club, Church rederation and others will have workers out all day. The probable vote today has been estimated from 25,000 to 30,000, with 28,000 as a con servative estimate, anticipating favor able weather Zimman Is Confident. Harry B. Zimman concluded1 a strenuous speaking campaign with a feeling of quiet confidence that he will be elected. The polls will be ooen until 8 n. m. in 1S4 voting districts. The spirit of ths commission form of city govern ment in this rtate is to vote for seven, notwithstanding importunities from various quarters to vote for less. Election Commissioner Moorhead has received a few returns from ab sent soldirrs who are registered voters. Some have been received from Newport News, Va. Yesterday Mayor Dahlman received telegraphic information that the ballots had not been received by the Omaha soldiers at Camp Funston and Fort Riley, but the election commissioner stated that (Continued on Psite Five, Column One.) to break wi'h hard steel our enemies' destructive aims against our achieve ments and integrity. We have at tained gigantc successes. We can face he fut.ire with firm confidence.,' The baron, who was formerly sec retary of the German embassy at Washington, continued: "It is known that the successes of the German arms in the west, which have not by any means come to an end, have made a tremendous im pression in entente countries. Wide circles in Great Britain perceve that tlie entente frequently missed the psychological moment for the conclu sion of peace "Xhe govirnments of the western powers are blamed because, as is well known, the secret treaties concluded by them prove they have set up im perialistic aims of conquest for the sake of which they want to tontinui the war until they have completely defeated their opponents," the Somme rivers, east of Amiens. Germans launched their great , , T AMERICANS UNDER FIRE. American troops, on the French front not far from Montdidier, have been under a storm of shells for ths last couple of days, projectiles con taining high explosives being mingled with those charged with poisonous gas fired ina ths lines held by Gen eral Pershing's men. ' - - . Along the rest of the tront in France there have been no engage ments of unusual character, nor ha, the Italian front been attacked as yet by the Austrian who have assembled , there. ..,'.Z, ',.";:;,; The British forces which have . been holding the town of EiAalt, east of the Jordan and northeast of Jeri cho, for about a week have been com pelled again to abandon the place be- f e it. a -, iurc superior iorces oi iurKisn ana German troops. The British, how ever, are stih maintaining their con trol of the crossings of the Jordan further south, - t' Heavy Fighting Foreseen. ' From the official reports andLlpe-, cial dispatches filed by ( Correspond ents at the front there come intima tions that 'heavy fighting may be re- sumed at auy time. The fact that heavy raini are falling may have a great deal to do with the delav in th German drive, but the allies hold hiVh ground, from which they can observe the German positions, which are gen erally in the lowlands, and have kept up a heavy artillery fire in sector where the Gtrmans have been assem bling or have been at work in bring ing up guns for. the battle which is virtually certain' to come. ' There is a feeling along the French -front that' be:' -Germans mav attack in the Ypres. Arras and Amiens sec tors at the same time. These blows. while carried on independently, would really be phases of a new attempt to '. cut through the lines in the Somme 1 sector, elim'r.ate the Arras Sector and, carry the high ground to the south-" west of Ypres. ' ( - v ' v Strong forces Menace Arras. It has been pointed out bv observ. ers that an attack on the Arras sec tor, either on the apex between Ar ras and Lens or on the sides of th. - allied lines as they stretch back from " ; those cities, .must come before the Uermans can hope to carry their ad vance in either Flanders or Picardv much further., It is reported that . heavy forces tre being assembled be- lore Arras lor the expected attack. Little relative to the international situation in Austria has come over the cables, but from Serbia sources it is learned vhat on at least two oeca- ' sions there have been clashes be tween the Slovenian population of that country and the Germans. The methods by which the German military authorities have dealt with the Ukrainians have been denounced in both Berlin and Vienna by socialist leaders. Two U. S. Generals Relieved r. Of Positions in France With the American Army in France, May 6, Brigadier General Benjamin Alvord, adjutant, general of the American expeditionary forces, and Brigadier General A. E. Bradley, ; chief surgeon, have been relieved of their positions on account of ill health ! and are returning to America. Lieutenant Colonel Robert C. Davis will act as adjutant general and CoL Merritt W. Ireland as chief surgeon. Flier Dies of Injuries x From Airplane Crash Fort Worth, Tex., May 6. Lieu tenan; Fred E. Keep of East Milton,' Mass., flying instructor at Taliaferro field, died today from injuries re ceived last week when his machine fell. , , - He had been located here since No- vember, coming to Texas after hav ing received his commission at a Can- ' adian. field. This was his second ac- cident. Two Women Executed : In France as Spies Nantes, France, May 6. Two wo-, men spies, Josephine Alvarez and Victorine Faucher, condemned to death by court-martial January 2 were executed this morning i