. V i
The- Omaha Daily
THE WEATHER.
Cooler
-v-
. - VOL. XLVII NO. 313.
OMAHA, MONDAY MORNING, JUNE 17,, 1918.
"WMWiTfi TWO CENTS.
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U. S. UN
American Machine, Gunners
and Riflemen Repulse attack
on Sector Recently Occu
pied in German Territory.
(By Associated Press.)
With the American Army in
France, June 16 Americans
machine gunners and riflemen
. repulsed a German attack on
the American sector in Alsace
this morning. '
' About 600 German shock
troops ' raided the American
first line positions at the village
of Xivray, in the Toul .sector,
' early this morning. Some of
the enemy got into Xivray, but
were soon driven out. At
other points the Germans were
badly beaten.
The attack began at 3 o'clock in
the morning after an extremely vio
Jent bombardment. The Germans ad
. Vanced swiftly to the attack, but were
' met by a heavy fire. Those who pen-
etrated Xivray were forced speedily
to withdraw, and elsewhere the enemy
were completely repulsed in hard
fighting lasting more than two hours.
Fight With Bayonets.
' .. According to prisoners the objective
"of the enemy" was to take American
prisoners. This failed, as no Amer
ican is reported pissing.
- Evidently angered by the failure,
the Germans continued an intcrmit
tenMielling of the villages in the rear
throughout Sunday. Some of these
points were not less than eight miles
behind the line.
rThe American, troops engaged at
close quarters the small German force
" that entered Xivray. There was se
vere, gltting- with bayonets and
clubbed 'rifle's. :The Germans left nine
- dead in the streets, and six prisoners
were taken, two of them officers, one
of whom was wounded.
An American observation balloon
- was shot down this morning by a
shell from a German gun. ThereVere
no casualty asyi result of the inci-
. dent. f
Thiacourt Line Raided.
... A Cfrmin rnMincr nartv nf ISO men
and three officers attacked the Ameri
can line south of Thiacourt at 2
a. m. Saturday. As a result the
enemy lost at least 20 killed, of whom
-one officer and four men died in the
American trenches. The American
casualties were light and the Ameri
tans took one wounded prisoner.
. The artillery firing in the Toul sec
fr rliminklipH last nieht. The visibili
ty tnrlv was nnnr. It is confirmed
that the American bombing- airplane
Jet afire the roundhouse at connanse
in the Friday afternoon raid.
v Hfrmsn nrisnners renort that two
German divisions which had been en
route to the rear of their lines tor
several weeks' rest after taking part
in the Chateau Thierry offensive sud
denly were ordered back to the battle
line. Their new orders were: Hold
back the Americans at any cost."
, , British Line Shelled.
London, June 1 16. The Germans
late Saturday night carried out heavy
bombardments against British posi
tions north ofBethune and between
Locre and the Ypres-Comines canal,
'says the British official communica
tion issued today. The artillery was
particularly active early Sunday in the
neighborhood of Dickebusch lake.
Held at Matz River.
Paris, June 16. German troops at
tempted during the night to cross the
Matz river near the Oise, but were
halted by the fire of the French,, says
today's war office statement. In local
actions northeast of the woods of
Genlis, south of Dammard and the re
gion of Vinley (northwest of Chateau
Thierry), the French took 70 prisoners
' and a number of machine guns.
The Weather
For Nebraska: Partly cloudly Mon
day; much cooler in southeast por
tion; Tuesday unsettled.
. Temperatures at Omatia lenerday.
Hour. , veg.
I a. m.
8 a. m so
9 a. m 3
10 a. m 86
11 a. m 0
12 ra 3
1 p. m 7
2 p. m 100
3 p. m 103
4 p. m 105
5 p. m 103
6 p. m. . . .'. 101
. . v ' 7 p. m 100
Comparative Local Kecord.
Official record of temperature and preclpl-
tatloa compared with the corresponding
period of the laathrce years:
v 1918.1917. 191. 1915.
Highest yesterday 105 7 ' 73 72
Lowest yesterday .... 79 64 52 57
Mean temperature .... 92 66 62 64
Precipitation 00 .05 .00 .04
Temperature and precpltatlon departures
' form the normal at Omaha since March 1:
Kormal temperature 72
Excess for the day 20
. Total excess since March 1.J918 531
'Normal precipitation ,T. . .17 Inch
Deficiency for the day . .17 Inch
Total 'precipitation since March 1 . . 7.1 1 Inches
'deficiency since March 1, 1018. .4.42 Inches
Kxresa for cor. period, 1917. ...1.97 Inches
tEce tot cor. jerlod,. 19H.,4.77. ltichei
IN ALSACE
'ROADS MILITARY ARM FIRST;
SERVE PUBLIC NEXT M'ADOO
Director General Declares He Hopes Future Development
Will Humanize Science of Transportation and
Negative the Idea That Corporations
Have No Souls.
(By Associated Press.)
Washington, June 16. In a comprehensive statement of
policy made public today, Director General McAdoo declared
the administration's aims in order of importance are to win the
war by moving troops and war
cient service to the public, to
standing between the railroad
patrons, and to apply sound business policies to railway opera
tion.
"The policy of the United States railroad administration,"
said the director general, "has been formed and shaped by a
desire to accomplish the following purposes which are named
i m what I conceive to be the order of their importance :
"First, the winning ot the war,
which includes the prompt movement
of the men and material that the gov
ernment requires. To this everything
else must be subordinated.
Service of the Public.
"Second, service of the public,
which is the purpose for which the
railways were built and given the
privileges accorded them. This im
plies the maintenance and improve
ment of the railroad prperties so
that adequate transportation facili
ties will be provided at the lowest
cost, the object of the government
being to furnish service rather than
to make money.
"Third, the promotion of a spirit
of sympathy and a better under
standing as between the administra
tion and the 2,000,000 employes and
their 100,000,000 patrons, since trans
portation has become a prime and
universal necessity of civilized exist
ence. .
"Fourth, the application of sound
economies, including:
"(a) The elimination of superfluous
expenditures; J '
"(b) The payment of a fair and
living wageJor services rendered and
a just and prompt compensation for
injuries received;
"(c) The purchase of material and
equipment at the lowest price con
sistent witS a reasonable but not an
excessive profit to the producer;
"(d) The adoption of X standard
ized equipement and the introduction
of approved devices that will save
life and labor;
"(e) The routiag of freight and
passenger, traffic with due regard to
the fact that a straight line is the
shortest distance between two points;
"(f) The intensive employment of
all equipment ajid-a careful record
and scientifip-study of the results
obtained yrffh a view to determining
the comparative efficiency secured.
Task Ahead Immense.
"The development of this policy
will, , of ; course,, require" time. The
task to which the railroad administra
tion has addressed itself is an im
mense one. It is as yet too early
to judge of the results obtained, but
I believe that great progress has
been made toward the goal of our
ideals. All ot those who have had
a share in this great work, including
especially the members of my staff
and the officers and employes of the
railways, have shown intelligence,
public spirit, loyalty and enthusiasm
in dealing with problems that have
already been solved and attacking
those that still await solution.
"With their continued co-operation,
I feel assured of a future in
which the lessons of our accumulat
ing experience will be favorably em
ployed to humanize the science of
railroading and negative the idea that
corporations have no souls."
Captain, Wife and Crew of 12
Of Burned Ship Roach Port
y San Francisco, June 16. After
Having' been IS days at sea in a 24
foot boat, the crew of the burned
five-masted schooner Crescent, with
Cap tarn T. Olson and his wife, calm
ly tied their craft up at a pier here
late today and climbed stiffly up a
ladder to shore ard safety.
The crew had pulled at the oars
steadily since the, burning Crescent
was abandoned June 1; Captain Olson
had navigated, and Mrs. Olson had
portioned out their food stores with
such precision that two days' full
rations yet remained.
Banker Cosgriff Dies.
Denver, Colo., June 16. John B.
Cosgriff, millionaire banker and stock
man of Colorado, Wyoming and
Utah, died at his home here last night
after an illness of a year.
Eugene V. Debs Praises I. W. W.:
Terrhs Bolsheviki Comrades
Canton, O., June 16. Eugene V.
Debs, three times socialist candidate
for the presidency, in addressing the
closing session of the Ohio socialists
convention here today, denied he had
repudiated the party's St. Louis plat
form, which pledges opposition to
conscription.
After paying tribute to the social
ists who have gone to. jail for their
principles, he praised I. W. W. mem
bers, referred to the Bolsheviki as
comrades and is said to have charged
that the purposes, of the allies in the
materials promptly, to give efh-
promote sympathy and under-
managements, employes and
EMPRESS MARKET
DAMAGED $1 2,000
BY MORNING FIRE
Six Open Buckets of Gasoline
and Turpentine Placed Over
Building and Upon
Floor.
Fire 61 incendiary origin, accord
ing to fire officials, destroyed the stock
of meats and groceries in the Em
press Market, 113 South Sixteenth
street, shortly after 12 o'clock Sun
day night. The loss is estimated by
the proprietors at $12,000. They
stated that approximately $10,000 fire
insurance is carried on the stock.
Six open buckets containing about
45 gallons of a mixture of gasoline
and turpentine were distributed
through the building and the floor
was saturated with the mixture. The
fire was started in the baseWnt,
Fire Chief Salter said, directly be
neath an open register. Rags were
found - leading to,lthr?Va1ous ' con
tainers. ': . . ' '
Danger of Explosion.
"The persons responsible for start
ing the fire have made a careful study
of inflammables," said State Fire War
den -Morris. "Had ' the fire, depart
ment reached the fire five minutes
later the entire half block, including
the Empress theater, would have been
demolished by the explosion when the
doors were opened."
The meat section of the market was
purchased June 6 from Rosoff Bros.,
by Samuel Epstein, Wolf Jonisch and
J. Cohn. They purchased the grocery
department Tune 10.
Epstein alleges that they employed
a negro painter named Taylor to re
decorate the store and they were
working Sunday. He alleges he visit
ed the store about 6 o'clock and at
that time he saw no inflammable ma
terials around the store.
Fire Warden Morris and" Captain
of Police Heitfeld are investigating
the cause of the fire and stated last
night that arrests would undoubtedly
be made today.
TWO NORWEGIAN
BARKS SUNK BY
HUN SUBMARINE
0 Washington, June 16. The Nor
wegian sailing ship Kringsjaa has
been sunk by. a German submarine
90 miles off the Virginia coast. The
navy department announced tonight
that the crew had been picked up by
an American war ship and are being
brought to an Atlantic port.
The Norwegian bark Samoa, was
sunk by shell fire from a German
submarine at 8 o'clock last Friday
morning about 90 miles off the Vir
ginia coast.
The navy department announced to
day that 15 members of the crew were
picked up by a schooner and trans
ferred to another -essel which is
bringing them to port.
i
May Import Lime Juioe.
Washington, June 16. Lime juice,
citrate of lime and other fruit concen
trates were removed from the restrict
ed imports list today by the war trade
board.
Men of 51 Called.
London, June 16. Men of 40, 50 and
51 have beeh called up for medical
examination for the army.
war are the same as those of the cen
tral powers plunder.
He predicted a crisis here, similar
to that which placed the Bolsheviki
in power.
J. J. Fried, Cleveland socialist,
said Debs lias approved a plan for
American socialists' co-operation
with the Bolsheviki by sending an
army oft 1,000,000 men to their as
sistance.' "
During Debs' address federal op
eratives seized and held for investiga
tion 55 young socialists who could
not show draft classification cards.
HEAT WAVE
BREAKS JUNE
RECORD HERE
Omaha Swelters in Hottest
Sunday for Seven Years With
One Exception; Temper
ature Up to 105.
Omaha - sweltered yesterday
i.a.'UUTA.irnni..,
in"the history of the
j weather bureau in this city. ,
It paralleled the tempera
ture of August 8, 1913, when
the mercury ran up to 105, and
with the exception of July 5,
1911, with a temperature of
107 degrees, Sunday was the
hottest summer day ever
known in Omaha.
The mercury rose to 105 degrees at
4 o'clock in the afternoon.
In the coolest hour of the early
morn the temperature did not go he
low 79. The average temperature for
the day was 92 degrees.
Highest June Record.
Prior to yesterday, the highest June
temperature known was. in 1911, when
the mercury was up to 102. The nor
mal June temperature for this city
is 72.
Highest temperatures for the last
eight years are given below:
July 5. 1911 107
July 14, 1912 102
August 8, 1913..- 105
July 12, 1914 100
July 14, 1915 96
August 4, 1916 100
July 28, 1917 101
Tune 16. 1918 105
Other parts of Nebraska reported
high temperature records.
People Rush to Parks,
People in the city flocked to the
parks, eagerly seeking comfort and
relief from the intensit of the heat.
Cars were packed throughout the
afternoon with women and children
and the street railway company did
a land-office business.
Downtown streets practically were
deserted.
The heat that flowed up from the
pavements in the sky-scraper , district
was- "something fierce," to- use the
vernacular., k ' ,;
In the early afternoon, the gentle
zephyrs stirred through the boughs
and leaflets, hut 'at 3 o'clock not a
branch stirred and the air was ab
normally close.
People Are Forewarned.
The early morn gave assured in
dication of a severely hot spell, and
to the precautions of the populace is
to be attributed the few cases of heat
prostrations. People ventured out
only in automobiles and to catch a
nearby car. In other instances, they
sought the coolest portions of .their
homes and yards, and remained in the
shade.
In the theaters all the available
electric fans whirred and whizzed,
but the audiences were not up to the
usual Sunday pleasure-seeking attend
ance.
It was a municipal coatless day.
In fact, the ultra decorous, unable
to tolerate the languid heat, threw off
coats and slung them over shoulders.
Coatless in Cafes.
Cafe patrons wearing coats were
decidedly few.
The more timid, accompanied by
wives, merely cast anAppealing look
at a waiter and then-i
Prestol
Off went the coat.
Even in the more select restaurants,
waiters in their characteristic kindly
manner, suggested to the patrons that
they would shock no rule of etiquette
laid down in the Delineator by remov
ing their coats.
The sultry afternoon played havoc
with Sunday evening prayer services.
The Sunday church attendance suf
fered a jolt in decrease.
Ice Apparently Plentiful.
Although there had been either a
scarcity or hitch in deliveries of ice
last week, there was nothing to in
dicate a scarcity of that necessity
yesterday. " u .
Patrons generally laid in a double
supply.
Soda fountains did a rushing busi
ness throughout the day.
Although Hoover regulations had
eliminated quite a numker of favor
ite beverages, drug stores had a run
ning demand for "anything, so it is
cold."
Mrs. Busch Reaches Cuba
On Trip From Germany
A Cuban Port, Jurfe 16. Mrs. Lilly
Busch, widow of the late Adolphus
Busch of St Louis, arrived here Sat
urday from Germany on her way to
the United States. Harry D- Hawes,
an attorney of St. Louis, who accom
panied Mrs. Busch, denied reports
that she had donated $1,000,000 to war
relief in Germany.
Paris Pelts American
N Troops With Flowers
As They Go to Battle
Paris, June 16. Paris has nevet
been so enthusiastic about Amer
ican soldiers as it showed itself to
be last night, when soldiers in huge
lorries filled with the soldiers from
overseas crossed the city on their
way to the front.
The Americans were pelted with
flowers and cheered as the automo
biles passed down the main boule
vards (
ALLIES BRAVELY WITHSTAND
ATTACKS ON ITALIAN FRONT
, .
Austrians With Strong Reinforcements Strive to Cross
Piave River and Reach Venetian Plains, But Suffer
Repulse at Nearly All Points; Italians
Capture 3,000 Prisoners.
(By Associated Press.)
The Italian and allied armies are bravely sustaining the
weight of the Austrian forces which are attacking along the
front of the Italian theater I from northwest nf th Asino-n
niofpn,, poatword tn tim Piavo
Jr . v.
stream to where it joins the headwaters of the Adriatic sea,
a front of nearly 100 miles.
The Austrians, having made extensive preparations for
the drive by bringing up strong reinforcements, many of them
coming from tne former battle line in Roumania and Galicia as
a result of the debacle in the east, is using theia without stint
in the effort to debouch from the mountain passes and cross the
Piave river and gain the Venetian plains.
HINTED U-BOATS
ARE PROTECTED
BY VENEZUELA
Government Reported to. Have
Taken Strong Pro-German
Stand, While People
Are Pro-Ally.
An Atlantic Port, June 16. Intima
tion that enemy submarines are lurk
ing in coastal waters of Venezeiila
and confirmation of reports that Ven
czeula had adopted a pro-German at
titude was given here today by Dr.
Karlos Lopez Buslamanti, .editor of
El Fonographo, formerly published in
Caracas. Dr. Buslamanti asserted that
the government of Venezeula, at the
instigation of pro-German interests, is
suppressing pro-ally newspapers and
throwing their, editors into jail. His
own paper was suppressed and he
served eight months in prison.
People Are Pro-Ally,
"German money is being spent
fteely in Venezeula," ;Df.. Buslamanti
said., "The government is pro-German
and does not attempt to conceal the
fact. The people, however, are for
the allies and resent the stand the
government has taken.
"I have documents which I will
present to the proper government of
ficials at Washington which will show
many German intrigues against this
counjtry.
"I will not deny that there are
German U-boat bases in Venezeulan
waters."
The editor asserted that when he
had refused to sell his paper, it was
suppressed and he was thrown into
prison and chained, hand and foot.
His cell-mate, receiving food intended
for him, died of poisoning, he said.
Aided by friends, he escaped and was
smuggled on board the steamship on
which he came to this port.
JOHN BRATT DIES
AT NORTH PLATTE;
WESTERN PIONEER
North Platte, Neb., June 16. (Spe
cial Telegram.) John Bratt died at
hisMiome in this city. At his bed
side were his wife and four daughters,
Mrs. W. M. A. Baldwin of Omaha,
Mrs. Charle Hendy of Denver, Mrs.
Edward R. Goodman and Mrs. New
ton E Buckley of North Platte.
Mr. Bratt was ncaring his 76th
birthday. He was one of the pioneers
of western Nebraska. He was born
at Leek, England in 1842. He came
to America in 1864 and in same year
was shipwrecked in the Gulf of Mexi
co, where he lost everything. For
valiant services in rescuing 4ives and
property' he was rewarded by the
ship owners. In 1865 he came to Ne
braska and in 1869 located at Fort
McPherson in Lincoln county, where
later he married Elizabeth Burke, a
daughter of John 'Burke, another
pioneer.
He was an organizer and early coun
ty commisioner of Frontier county.
Later when North Platte became a
city he Was one of its most prominent
and efficient mayors for two terms,
always prominent in politics and Ma
sonic circles. He was a member of
Tangier temple in Omaha, a member
of the state historical society and
senior member of the firm of Bratt,
Goodman & Buckley, of North Platte.
He was honorary, pall bearer at Ab
raham Lincoln's funeral. Funeral ser
vices will be held from the home
Tuesday evening.
U. S. Boasts Inspired Kaiser
To Build Planes, Not Brag'T. R.
Hartford, Conn., June 16. Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt, speaking at Trin
ity college at the Sunday services of
the commencement exercises here to
day said that the boast that America
would" have 20,000 airplanes by this
spring with General Pershing's .men
had stimulated Germany to build and
not to brag.
From a letter he said he had learned
that on a certain American sector
there were no American airplanes and
that German aviators flew over the
American lines and sprayed the Amer
icans with their machine guns. Amcri-
ntrai onI 4tiAn.a nlAn
Everywhere the fighting is of an
extremely sanguinary character, es
pecially east of the Asiago plateau, in
the Brcnta valley and on Monte
Grappa.
Allies Retake Lst Positions. .
In the initial struggle the enemy
succeeded in capturing several front
line positions in the mountain region
from the British and also jn crossing
the Tiave. Counter attacks, however,
tiave restored all the positions in the
mountains, including territory to a
depth of 1,000 yards along a 2,500
yard front captured from the British.
At last-accounts the allied troops
everywhere were strongly holding
the enemy and King Victor Emanuel's
men were gallantly striving to throw
back the invaders across the " Piave.
The Italians hive taken more than
3,000 Austrians prisoners, among
them, 89 officers.
As yet .the Vienna war office has
given only brief mention to the bat
tle, saying that the Austrian armies
had invaded the Sette Comuni
plateau, lying at an altitude of 3,400
feet northwest of Asiago, and that
up to noon Sunday more than. 10,000
Italian, English and French soldiers
and a. considerable , number of guns
had been captured.'
Battle in West Halts.
With the commencement, of the
long expected Austrian .offensive, tUp
fighting in France has simmereffJ
down almost lo sub-normal, except
southwest of Soissons, where the
French have delivered several vio
lent attacks against the Germans
holding territory captured last week.
Where the enemy a week ago was
throwing thousands upon thousands
of men against the allied lines be
tween Montdidier and Noyonf Sun
day saw him worn out with his use
less efforts and his forces sadly de
pleted through men killed and
wounded, unwilling or unable further
to give battle.
In the famous St. Mihiel sector,
where the, Americans took over their
first sector of the battle frbnt, the
Germans delivered a stroke and were
rewarded by being able 'to gain the
village. Soon afterward, however,
they were expelled and the position
regained. Prisoners were taken from
the Germans, who in their anger,
throughout Sunday "strafed" villages
in the rear with their artillery.
Probably having in mind President
Wilson's promise that the war
should not be ended until wrongs
of Alsace-Lorraine are righted, forces
of American troops now ate deeply
ing sectors in the picturesqie terri
tory of Alsace. They have been
there since May 21, and possibly
sensing the importance of the .move,
both from the strategic and moral
standpoint, the Germans already have
delivered an 'attack against them.
The American casualties were light.
In Macedonia tVe operations daily
increase in importance. Along the
greater part of the front there have
been heavy reciprocal bombardments
and Bulgarian troops several times
have endeavored to penetrate the
allied 1 ines; All their efforts, how
ever, met with ill success.
Speeding Auto Wrecked in
Collision With Wagon
Harry II. Hallsteadt, 1504 Burt
street, was badly bruised and pos-
sifciy injured internally when an au
tdinobile he was driving collided with
a wagon driven by Ike Kohn, 260fcLtroops who penetrated the line held
N street, and turned over several
times, late Saturday nightt The acci
dent happened at Twenty-fourth and
N streets.
Witnesses allege that the car,
which it owned by the Creighton
garage, was being driven at a high
speed when the accident happened.
Another man, said to be R. T.
Ritchie, escaped. Hallsteadt was
taken to the South Omaha hospital.
an officers fired back futily with their
revolvers.
"We owe this to the fact that last
fall," he said, "we were announcing
that there would be 20,000 ajrplanes
with Pershing's army this spring and
the boast took in our people. It took
in the Germans. Unlike our own
people they built airplanes to meet it
Then the great drive began, and
France and England had to make a
rampart of the bodies of their best
men to shield themselves and to
shield us. They found the Germans
had built the airplanes we were going
to build'and had not built,"
wmm
BATTLE!
PROGRESS
Large Masses of Infantry
Hurled Vainly Against Italian,
British and French Posi
tions in Italy.
(By Associated Press.) ''
Rome, June 16. A battle of
great violence, in which largo
masses of infantry are being
used by the Austrians in an at
tempt to break through the
Italian lines, in the eastern sec
tor of Asiago plateau, in the
Brenta valley and on Monte
Grappa, is described in the of
ficial report from Italian head
quarters today. The enemy's ,
attacks were met-in the ad
vanced defensive area.-
The Italian forces are firmly hold
ing the Asiago front, according td
the war office announcement They
have completely re-occupied their
original positions on Asolone and
Monte, Solarola and are closelypress' , .
ing the enemy who crossed theTiave ,
French Break Down Attacks.
. The Austrians, after a violent bom
bardment, attacked the French posi- '
tions, but the very efficacious fire of
the French broke down the thrusts
of the Austrian infantry.
The. enemy casualties were heavy
and in addition hejeft numerous prist
oners in the hands of the French.
The battle is in progress along the- '
whole front. ; S .
There were scenes of great enthusi
asm in the Chamber of Deputies today
when the minister of war, General Zu
pelli, announced the success of the
Italian troops and the repulse of the
tnemy, despite its numerical superi
ority, on the greater part of the front.'
The whole house rose and applauded.
The war minister said that the
capture of 3,000 prisoners was proof
thit , the ..Julian ,tf oops ;wr&nWity, -
heroic. , , .... -'Hold
at any Cost," Is Order.
- Italian Headquarters in Northern
Italy, Saturday, June 15. The - Aus
trian general offensive continues
strong, particularly on the 6S-mile ,
front from Vat Stagna to the sea
with the greatest pressure on the Asi
ago plateau, Monte Grappa and along' 4
the Piave river. At many points
the Italians forestalled the offensive.
Nowhere has there been any surprise.
Three Austrian, airplanes ; wers
downed over the Piave by one flier, ,
"Hold at any cost" is the .word t
that has been passed to the Italian '
troops as the Austrian offensive ap
pears to develop all along the line
of 117 miles wth.the use of gas and
special liquid bombs. - " ,
The long comparative silenceby
the Austrians was broken precisely
at 3:05 o'clock . this morning by a
violent cannonade, the sounds (,
which reached the cities of Verona, .
Vicenza and Venice. , f
While the exact geographic objec
tives of the Austrians as yet are con- .
jectural, it seems evident that their ,
earliest attack was heaviest against
the positions in trie upper Brenta
river valley while in th Val Sugana
region where the Brentf ftows. toward
Bassano it is considered possible
that Austria is following Field Mar
shal Conrad Von Hoetzendorf's old -plan
of striking at the Italian plains
through the Trentino ' distrkt, of
which the first classic move consists in
obtaining possession of Val Stagna
Monte Tombo and Monte Grappa
following the Brenta river to thai
plains, and then attacking with threes
columns westerly along the valleys ofl -the
rivers Adige and Astico and also .
on the Asiago plateau. . ;
Summing up the situation, it seems!
to be a renewal of the great battle
for Italy's Alps which was left off 1
last November, with the keys to the
mightiest fortresses of Europe held by
the Italians, who have spent tljc win
ter building fortifications.
British Line Restored.
London, June 16. The Austrian
by the British on the Italian front
have been driven back and the British
line has been completely re-established.
This announcement is made tonight
in the official statement issued by the
war office otthe operations in Italy.
, Austrians Cross Piave River.
Vienna (via London), June 16. Ten
thousand Italian, English and French
prisoners have been , taken - by the
Austrians in their great offensive, ac
cording to the, official communication
from headquarters today. The Piave
river has been crossed.
Auto Crashes Against Pole;
Dosey McNeely, Driver, Killed
Dosey McNeely, part owner of jl
pool hall in 2607 N street, South Side,
was instantly killed when an auto
mobile which he was driving jumped
over the curb and crashed into a tele
phone pole at Twenty-fourth, and' U ;,
streets at J:45 a. nv bundyy. Five.
passengers in the. car escaped without
injury. The other occupants of the
car were Raydel Green, Twenty-sixth .
and Grant streets; Marguerite White, ,
2425 Ersktne streetj Olga Henderson.
2425lLake street; John Walker, 2513
Lake street, and Martha Wright of
Kansas City AH were-negroes
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