X
The Omaha- Daily Bfe
THE WEATHER
Fair
VOL. XLVII NO. 282.
OMAHA, MONDAY MORNING, MAY 13, 1918.
0 Tralni, it Hot.lt,
Niwi Ettndi, EM.,
.SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.
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BORGLUM DEMANDS
THOROUGH INQUIRY
INTO AIR SCANDAL
Secretary Baker Declared in Letter to President Wilson
To Be "Party to Statements Untrue and Unfounded,
Issued to Deceive Nation" and Serving as
Warning to Germany.
(By Associated Press.)
t Washington, May 12. Gutzon Borglum, storm center of
the aviation controversy, made public tonight another letter to
President Wilson, denying that he had betrayed the president's
confidence, renewing his assertions of grave misconduct in the,
government aircraft production organization and insisting that
the senate military committee should conduct openly and thor
oughly the investigation -which he says he was prevented from
making "by the War department under Secretary Baker."
In regard-Jo the documents put into the senate record Fri
day, designed to show that the sculptor attempted to capitalize
his friendship with the president by secretly organizing a cor
poration to produce airplanes, the letter says Senator Brande-
"gee of Connecticut will submit to the senate Tuesday or
.Wednesday detailed evidence and affidavits relating to "this de
liberate frameup."
DEEPLY CONCERNED.
"It is a matter of the gravest con
cern to me," it adds, "that credence
could be given to charges of such a
nature, or that they could have been
in your possession and I have received
no intimation of the falsehood, until
Mr. Marshall intimated that there
was some sort of a charge or charges
of disloyalty to you. This is so un
thinkable that "I dismissed fand de
clined to even discuss them."
- M. Borglum repeats his published
answer to the charges and continues:
'Tt is absurd to state that pro-Germans
are clamoring for investigations
while the secretary of war is a party
to statements untrue and unfounded,
issued to deceive the nation and serv
ing no other possible purpose except
to warn Germany to hurry up her own
airplane production as we are forever
and forever 'just at the peak of pro
duction.' Attacks Aircraft Group.
' ' "Never, I believe, in the history of
the country, has a group ot men been
Triven so comDletelv a nation's re-
sources, together with the adminis-
." tration, and the people s connaence,
as has the aircraft group, and never
has such confidence been more wan
tonly abused. I refer here to Major
General Squiers, Howard E. Coffin,
Colonel Deeds and Colonel Mont
gomery. These civilian and military
members appear everywhere in the
program planned to meet our military
needs and they appear everywhere
- in the deliberate and elaborate ma
chinery that placed and held the col
lossal contracts imong a few they
appear everywhere in the fine net
work of falsehood arid camouflage,
and they include Mr. Baker as their
partner in the common statement to
the public they deliberately lied to
vou and framed up their statements,
particularly their failures, misleading
' congress before the senate military
committee, and they directly are re-
' sponsible for no engines, no planes,
no propellers, and our vanished ap
, opriations.
Resents "Foul and Unfair Blow."
"Had there not been this malicious
effort to discredit me with you arid
impugn my honor on the floor of the
senate, I might have, with the rest of
America, though with some shame
, and anger, still been holding my
peace, waiting ahd watching for the
interminable shifting from one de
partment to the other of responsibili
ties that can lie only at the door of
the executive members of the air
craft board.
"The scurrilous stand by Deed's
friend was a foul and unfair blow and
the circumstances of its importance
and its purpose to invalidate me, dis-
credit me, gave it abnormal public
interest and unusual publicity. This.
Mr. President, compels me to demand
that the investigation by the military
committee of the senate shall be com
plete, and exhaustive in the matters
relating to aircraft production, but as
these charges have befen brought be
fore the senate, the interference by
the War department, under Mr.
Baker, prevents me from securing
proper evidence.
"I know you will agree with me in
' this, that I "have a right to demand it,
as you know no harm can come to
anyone but those who are guilty.
"I am loyal to you as our president
and even better I am loyal to your
thought as so often expressed- touch-
ing the state of the world and the na
tion's mission, and I shall remain so,
but I am not loyal to, nor can I sup
port, men or methods inimicable to
our country's good, planned to de
ceive you and the nation, and discredit
us in the eyes of the world."
Pershing's Soldiers
Come to State to Speak
(From a Staff Correspondent.)
Washington, May 12. (Special
Telegram). Two members of Per
shing's "Fifty" who have come to the
United States to participate in the
forthcoming Red Cross drive have
been ordered to report to Professor
M. M.t Fogg, in charge of the Ne
braska Four-Minute Men at Lincoln,
Tuesday, for a campaign through the
" state. The men selected to assist in
the Nebraska drive are Sergeant Ste
vens of Montana, a member of Com
pany H, 267th infantry, and Sergeant
Paul A. Haverin, of Maine, a mem
ber of 'Company D, Second Engineers. ,
o
FRENCH GAIN
HIGH GROUND
NEARJEMMEL
Germans Driven From Impor
tant Position Aft:: Long
Struggle and Fail in Drive
Farther South.
" (By Associated Tress.)
With the British Army in France,
May 12. An important section of
high ground near the Vyverbeek
river, north of Kemmel, has been
captured by the French in a strong
attack. Both hifj 44 and Goddeaone
farm, which lie between La Clyte
and Vierstraar,. were stormed and'
occupied, thereby giving the French
positions which had been a bone of
contention for many days.
The Germans also received a knock
cn the southern battlefront, where
they made a drive in an attempt to
capture defenses on the elevation
south of Mailly-Rainval.
Changes Hands Several Times.
The battle for hill 44 was the out
come of the German attack May 8.
When the Germans assaulted the
allies were holding the elevation.
Bitter fighting ensued all day Jong
and the Germans in the course of
time secured possession of the - hill.
The British almost immediately or
ganized a counter-attack and forced
the enemy out. The next day the
Germans again drove forward. They
made such a heavy assault that they
again captured the hill, which they
held until yesterday.
The German gunners have been
pounding the back areas hard and
during the last 24 hours great quan
tiies of gas shells have been thrown
by long-range guns.
German Gas Blown Back.
Prisoners recently captured declare
that the German losses in their at
tack between Voormezeele and La
Clyte Mary 8 were heavy. Especially
severe casualties were inflicted by the
allied machine guns which were
worked to the last minute. The allied
artillery rifle fire also took a heavy
toll.
Considerable disorganization was
caused behind the German lines be
cause the gas from their gas shells
blew back and forced them to don
gas masks. Fortunately for the en
emy the gas wa3 only an irritant, not
ethal.
An interesting entry has been found
in the diary of a German candidate
officer. Writing at Caix. on the
southern battle-front April 22, he
said that an attack which had been
planned to take place previously had
been delayed because a German naval
division had pillaged Albert and cre
ated disorder.
Roumania Ravished by Mailed
Fist Treaty, Declares Antonesco
(By Associated Trfss.)
Vichy, trance, May 12. Victor
Antonesco, former Roumanian minis
ter to France, Vho recently resigned,
showed deep emotion todav when the
Associated Press correspondent sub
mitted to him the text of the treaty
of Bucharest, which he had not seen.
"Such a treaty means the crushing
of Roumania politically and econom
ically," he said. "Her present terri
tory is seriously diminished and the
door is left open for further wrongs
which dare not yet be acknowledged.
Will the Danube become an Austro
Germah river? It seems probable.
"The Carpathians, which for cen
turies have guarded the race's ex
istance, are torn from us by Austria
Hungary. Dobrudia, won by the
glorious war of 1877 and made pros
HUNS' BIG
RUSH NEAR
COLLAPSE
Entente So Confident It Has
Been Decided Not to Use
Americans in Present De
fensive Operations.
(By Associated Press.)
Ottawa, Ont, May 12. So confi
dent is the entente of its ability to
withstand any drive the Germans can
launch that it has been decided not to
use the American army until it be
comes a complete and powerful force,
according to a cable summary of op
erations on the western front received
here tonight from the war committee
of the British cabinet.
"The position now "Is," said the
summary, "that the Germans, de
termined to concentrate every avail
able unit on an enormous offensive,
are draining their country dry to force
a decision" before it is too late, while
the entente are so confident that,
having been given the choice of a
small immediate American army for
defense or waiting till they are rein
forced by a complete, powerful, self-
supporttng American army, they have
chosen the later.
Aim To Exhaust Enemy.
"To the sledgehammer uses of
masses of men by-the enemy, the
allies are opposing the strategy of
meeting the blow with the smallest
forces capable of standing up to the
shock, while keeping the strongest
reserve possible. Troops on the
wings "are permitted to give ground
within limits wherever the enemy has
been made to pay a greater price than
the ground is worth, the whole aim
being to reduce the enemy to such a
state of exhaustion that our reserve
at the right moment can restore the
situation."
"In the present operations," the
summary adds, "the British army has
withstood many times its own weight
of enemy masses. It has retired slow
ly, exacting the fullest price. Mean
while, Foch holds the bulk of the
French reserves, sending units only to
points hard pressed. Ihts strategy
has justified itself in that in three
weeks it has seen the enemy brought
to a standstill without a single strate
gic objective fulfilled and with losses
so immense that his reserve is in
danger of proving inadequate to his
policy.
German Positions Exposed.
"The German commander, seeing
how nearly he is to delivering him
self to the allied reserve, has been
(Continued on rage Two, Column Three.)
MAJOR PADDOCK,
NEPHEW OF GEN.
PERSHING, ON LIST
New York, May 12. Major Richard
Bolles Paddock, reported slightly
wounded in the casualty list from
France, is a nephew of General John
J. Pershing, commanding the Ameri
can expeditionary forces in France,
and has been on his uncle's staff since
the American punitive exhibition was
sent into Mexico.
Born in Lincoln, Neb., the son of
General Paddock, who was killed in
the .Boxer uprising. Major Paddock
made his home in Lincoln with Miss
May Pershing, sister of General
Pershing, until he entered West Point
with the class of 1914. Upon gradu
ation he was assigned to the artillery
corps and later was placed in com
mand of the police reserve military
training camp on Staten island.
During the Mexican trouble, Major
Paddock, then a lieutenant, was trans
ferred to General Pershing's staff and
when the United States entered the
world war, he was made a captain
in the signal corps and retained on
his uncle's staff. Once.in France, he
was placed in charge of advanced
telephone communications and com
missioned a major.
Fifteen Drown When U-Boat
Sinks British Mine Sweeper
London, May 12. The Admiralty
announces that a British mine-sweeping
sloop was torpedoed and sunk
by a German submarine May 6. Two
officers and 13 men are missing and
are presumed to have been drowned.
perous by 40 years of toil, the port
of Constana and the magnificent
bridge across the Danube are ravish
ed by Bulgaria-
"Our wheat is requisitioned . at
German prices. Railroads, posts and
telegraphs arc in German hands.
There is a German representative in
every ministry, Roumania tri
bunals are no longer competent ex
cept for civil affairs, while- crimes of
public order are judged by a German
military tribunal.
"Roumania, which had the courage
to fight so that Hungarian and
Austrian brothers might be reunited
with their Roumanian brothers in free
Roumania is to be punished by the
ancestral oppressor. We are sure,
however, that o'ir woes arc only
transitory"
CONCRETE SHIP PROVES
WORTHY IN FIRST TEST
GIVEN NEW TYPE VESSEL
San Francisco, May 12. Exceeding all the expectations
of her- builders, the Faith, largest concrete steamer afloat, was
given a tryout which led experts to agree that the shipbuilding
world has had something much more tangible than a promising
experiment.
While they would not go so far as to declare that the per
formance of the Faith actually heralded a revolutionary era in
ship construction, they were free to admit that the trial trip
of the big stone steamer projected possibilities that appeared
unbounded.
Stone Ship Proves Speedy.
The experts admitted that
performance of the Faith in two
These were her speed and
In speed, the Faith averaged more than 11 knots over
the course off California City, which was more than 10 per cent
better than was expected of her.
The vibration of the Faith was pronounced to be practical
ly nil, and if she holds up in her trans-pacific trip as well as
she does on the bay her advent in the shipping world must be
hailed as something spelling extraordinary future achieve
ments. Steel Man Enthusiastic.
Joseph T. Tynan, general manager of the Bethlehem steel
interests on the Pacific coast, said after the trial run that the
performance of the Faith exceeded all his expectations.
He added:
"I don't think there was a man aboard the Faith that was
not astonished at what she accomplished. Her performance
was in every way a record achievement, and no one can place
a limit on possibilities after witnessing such a thing. She ap
peared as steady in every way as a steel ship, and there was
no vibration to speak of. Her builders have certainly every
reason to feel'elated."
Astonishes Expert.
John K. Bulger, supervising inspector of steam vessels
on the Pacific coast, was equally astonished. He said:
"The whole thing reduces itself to this : If the Faith holds
up as well outside the bay as she did today inside her success
will be unquestioned and she must be hailed a genuine mar
vel. I was conscious of no vibration while aboard her, and
she behaved in every way as a staunch steel craft. It was a
most wonderful performance, both in speed and in steadiness."
The Faith's engine was installed in 44 days. The previous
engine-installing record on this coast was made by the Union.
Iron works at the Alameda plant, and was G2 days.
RED CROSS SETS NEW RECORD
Nearly Million Meals Served at
, Rest Stations and Canteens
BY ITS ACTIVITIES IN APRIL
(By Associated From.)
5 Paris, May 'Xp The work accom
plished by the American Red Cross in
April surpassed all records of the
organization since it took up its activi
ties in France.
Food and drink were supplied to
American soldiers on the way from
ports of entry in France to the va
rious camps. Nine rest stations on
the American lines of communication
and seven canteens on the French
lines provided 408,000 meals.' Nine
metropolitan canteens served 454,000
meals. ,
A complete new hospital with 200
FIRE IN MIDLAND
HOTEL PROVIDES
MIDNIGHT SCARE
Fire in the engine room of the Mid
land hotel, Sixteenth and Chicago
streets last night, for a time threat
ened the entire structure. It is be
lieved to have started from a gas
water heater in the basement.
Seventy-five guests, with rooms fn
the annex, were able to make their
way out of the building. The fire was
discovered by B. F. Rais, engineer,
when smoke poured, up the stairways
about 12 o'clock.
Sidney Bixler, proprietor, says there
has been no fire in the heating plant
for a week and he could not account
for the blaze. The flames were con
fined to the engine room and the loss
wilt be small.
Tony Rider, porter at the hotel,
was asleep on the third floor and was
nearly overcome by smoke when
rescued by firemen.
Noted Archaeologist Dies.
Los Angeles, May 12. George La
mont Cole, known internationally as
an archaeologist, died at his home
here today of heart disease. Mr. Cole
was an authority on the ancient cliff
dwellers and the life, manners and
customs of the modern Pueblo people
of the southwest. He was 69 years
old.
New York and Missouri
Soldiers at Front Send
Mother's Day Greetings
With the American Army in
France, May 12. The following
messages have been telegraphed to
correspondents' headquarters with
the request that they be trans
mitted to New York and Missouri
papers:
"To the home folks of the 165th
infantry: Your boys at the front
send loving greetings on Mothers'
day. (Signed) COLONEL."
"To the signal corps mothers of
Kansas City:
"Missouri officers and men of the
signal battalion send loving greet
ings on Mothers' day. It is espe
cially sacred in France and every
man is writing home. Health ex
ceptionally good.
(Signed) "GARRET."
they were astonished by the
outstanding technical features.
the lack of vibration.
beds was established in a chatteau im
mediately behind the front. A hospi
tal of 500 beds is being erected at a
famous race track near Paris.
Convalescent homes have been
opened at Cannes and Biarritz. Nine
teen artificial arms and 169 artificial
legs were distributed gratis.
For Americans at the front there
was completed a shower bath estab
lishment with equipment for remov
ing vermin. It has a capacity of 25,
000 men weekly. Two laundries were
installed at aviation camps, of suf
ficient size to wash the clothes of 1,
000 men weekly. , Six field kitchens
furnished food to soldiers going to
and returning from the battle field.
Fach has a capacity of 5,000 men daily.
The Red Cross in the month dis
tributed 691,000 hags of tobacco and
packages of cigarets.
Uiftler an arrangement just con
cluded, the Young Men's Christian
I association withdraws from all hospi
tals, the Red Cross assuming respon
sibility for activities of whatever
nature there.
CHARLES TO PAY
VISIT TO WILHELM
AT HEADQUARTERS
Amsterdam, May 12. A Vienna
dispatch reports that Emperor
Charles, who has been on a visit to
the Italian front, departed Friday for
German great headquarters. He was
accompanied by Baron Btirian, Austria-Hungarian
foreign minister, and
Field Marshal Arz von Strauscnburg,
Austrian chief of staff.
Woman 45 Miles From Railroad
Says She Will Return 6 Sacks' Flour
"l live 45 miles from the railroad
station. I liave six 24-pound sacks
of flour, which 1 Lave freighted out
here. 1 want the boys over there to
have it. It is no sacrifice to go
without wheat flour. We have had
no white bread, or anything made of
wheat flour since last November.
Please advise me when and where to
send this flour."
The foregoing is the response from
Mrs. Florence Beckler, Spade, Neb-,
to the appeal to save wheat flour,
coming to Gtirdon W. Wattles,
federal food administrator for Ne
braska. "When Nebraskans display such
spirit as does Mrs. Beckler. there is
no question about Nebraska's pa
triotism," says Wattles. "Her offer
should be an incentive to every
citizen of the state. Isolated, you
might say from the world, she has
heard the appeal of her country and
she has answered the call as only an
American can.
"Shall wc, who live in the midst
of plenty, with every convenience
INVADERS SUFFER
SEVERE LOSSES IN
PICARDY BATTLE
French Maintain Positions Recenty Won Near Orvillers
Sorel; Artillery Duels Raging Below Amiens and
at Verdun; Italians Capture Dominating
Position of Monte Corno.
BULLETINS.
(By Associated Press.) --
Paris, May 12. A German attack last night on the posi
tions recently won by the French near, Orvillers-Sorel, on the
southern side of the Picardy battle front, broke down with!
severe losses, the war office announced this afternoon.
There was heavy artillery fighting near Mailly-Raineval,
on the battle line below Amiens, and also on the Verdun front.
London, May 12. French troops on, the Flanders front im
proved their positions north of Kemmel village yesterday and
took more than 100 prisoners, the communication from the war
office this afternoon announces. -
German artillery is active in the Ancre river sector, south
of Albert, east of Loos and near Voormezeele, in Flanders. '
NEW MEN AT HELM
AS GUARDIANS OF
OMAHA AFFAIRS
Administration Takes Reins of
Government Today, Follow
ing Program Outlined by
Commissioners-Elect.
The new city administration will
assume charge of the muuicipal gov
ernment today.
The following program, informally
agreed to last week by the six commissioners-elect,
will be followed at
the city council meeting" this mora
ing:
Ed. F. Smith will be selected
mayor; W. G. Ure, accounts and
finance; J. Dean Ringer, police and
sanitation; Roy N. Tow!, public im
provements; Harry B. Zimman, fire;
Thomas Falconer, parks; Dan B.
Butler, streets.
Commissioner Butler, re-elected by
the high vote last Tuesday, did not
attend the conference last week when
the organization program was ap
proved. Butler wants to retain the
accounts and finance department,
which he has had for six year3 and
did not look kindly upon the "assign
ment of the department of street
cleaning and maintenance.
Several protests will be voiced this
morning against" forcing the streets
department upon Butler, but there is
no indication that the assignments as
agreed to will be disturbed. Commissioner-elect
Towl yesterday denied
that he would dissent. The organi
zation plans as announced arc
agreeable to him.
Old Members Step Down.
Members of the retiring council
will meet at 10 o'clock and without
much formality will turn the reins of
government over to their successors.
Interest is manifested in the ad
ministration of Ringer as superin
tendent of the police department.
During the campaign heannounced a
determination to enforce the laws
against bo6tlegging. prostitution and
gambling.
I he gang has ruled the police de
partment," Ringer stated in a
speech. "He is hated by crooks in
and out of office," reads a circular
letter issued two weeks ago by the
allied candidates.
The New Platform.
Five allied candidates were elected
on this platform: ' "Help in every
way to win (he war; self-government
and individual liberty; reorganized
police department, eliminating
(Continued on I'mcii Two, Column Four.)
around us, permit this woman, in the
far off districts of this state to re
spond to the call while we unthought
cdly fail? There is but one answer
that is 'no.'
"While we arc conserving flour, we
must use sugar more intelligently
than ever. The food administration
has drawn up a plan which will per
mit Nebraskans to havcall the sugar
they need. By proper observance of
this scheme, we can avoid the situa
tion we find ourselves in with regard
to flour. And we can have sufficient
foods, with sugar, to carry us through
the season.
"One important lesson should be
evident to every Nebraskan. If we
observe faithfully the rules and
regulations of the food administration,
we can anticipate conditions and
avoid unpleasant situations, which
demand unusual and extraordinary
remedies.
"Let uc emphasize these two
things. Save wheat flour, elimina
ting it from use, if possible and use
sugar more intelligently than you
have in the past.'
Q HUNS RETIRE.
With the American Army in
France, Saturday, May 11. In the
Luneville sector, our patrols early
this morning established the fact that '
the hamlet of Ancerviller has been
sdandoned by the enemy. The Ger
mans had not attempted to occupy
shell holes in the salient which re
cently was torn up by our artillery.
Quiet prevails today on all fronts' in
which there are Americans, according
to reports. Poor visibility has pre
vented extended aerial activity.
The Seichcprey salient shows
s'gns of again becoming active. The
enemy last night and this morning
deluged the place with machine guti
bullets. ,
Fighting Activity Restricted."
Berlin, May ,12. CVia London.)
The official communication from gen.
cral headquarters today says:
"The fighting activity was restricted
to local engagements. North of Kem
mel and on the southern bank of Lys,
h.enrmy' attacked after violent ar
tillery preparation at several points,
pressing forward in strong recon
naissances. "North of Kemmel in hand to hand
fighting we broke down an enemy at.
tack on. our lines? Elsewhere his
storming troops collapsed under our
lire.
"On the western bank of the Avre
violent fighting developed as a result
of our advance southwest of Mailly,
during which we captured 40 prison- '
crs. , .
"Between the Avre and the Oise
there were many reconnoitering en
gagements. , .. , .
"In aerial fighting during the last
two days 19 enemy airplanes were
shot down, 12 of them being brought
down by the fighting echelon former,
ly led by Baron Von Richthofen."
Italians Take Monte Corno.
Italian Headquarters, Saturday,"
May 11. After a long period of in-"
activity, owing to weather conditions,
Italian troops on the mountain front
executed a brilliant operation last
night, capturing the dominating po
sition of Monte Corno, destroying) an
elaborate system of enemy defenses
and taking 100 prisoners, two guns,
a number of machine guns and much'
war material. ,
The actions were in the Area valley,'
which leads down from the Lagarina
valley and is the main line of ap
proach from Trent and Robereto. It
was here that the Austrians attempted
to reach the Venetian plain in the
first great offensive. Recently they
have erected powerful defenses, with
battery positions built in Roy, and
electrically charged, and with a sys
tem of barbed wire entanglements.
Take Enemy by Surprise.
There was considerable 'snow re
maining on Monto Corno, which is
6,000 feet high. This increased the
difficulties of movement of the com
paratively small Italian force which
carried out the attack. It was pre
ceeded by a short artillery action.
The infantry advanced over rocky
and precipitous heights in daylight,
but the enemy was taken by surprise
and could make little effective re
sistance." All the enemy's defensive
works were occupied. An Italian po
sition was established on the crest of
the mountain and the surrounding
slopes.
The chief effect of the action is to
dislodge the Austrians from the
dominating height in the center oi
the main highway from the mountains
and to give the Italians command
over the heights and approaches. The
result gives great satisfaction, espec
ially as the victory was won on the.
very spot where Dr. C. E. Battesti,
a deputy from Trent who went over
to the Italians, and others of this
heroic band were captured during the
first offensive. Dr Battesti was put
to death by the Austrians.
Former Greek King, III
At Zurich, Suffers Relapse
Paris, May 12. Former King Con- '
stantine of Greece, who . is ill at
Zurich and recently was reported to
have passed the danger point, is said
in a Zurich dispatch to the Petit Jour
nal to be in a very grave condition.
He has had a relapse, and has a high
fever. " ,
All the members of the royal family
gathered about his bedside yesterday '
