BEST CHILDREN'S STORY AND PUZZLE FEATURES IN THE BEE EVERY DAY
The Omaha Daily Bee
VOL. XLVIII. NO. 2.
OMAHA, THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 20, 1918 12 PAGES
"VMJPfc TWO CENTS.
71
re
1
u
WAR WITH
TURKEY IS
I
Attack by Ottoman Troops on
U. S. Consulate and Looting
of American Hospital
Last Straw.
Washington, June 19. An
attack by Turkish troops on
the American consulate at Ta
briz, Persia, and the looting of
an American missionary hospi
tal in that city, reported to the
State department today, were
believed in some quarters here
to presage the long anticipated
declaration of the existence of
a state of war between the
United States and the Ottoman
empire.
Diplomatic relations between the
two governments have been suspend
ed ince April 20, 1917, when Turkey
Withdrew Abdul Hak Hussien Bey,
who had been acting as charge of the
Turkish embassy here since the com
pulsory retirement of the regular am
bassador, which followed his open
criticism of the United States govern
ment. Necessarily American Ambas
sador Morgenthau was obliged to
leave Constantinople and. since that
time the relations between the two
governments have been just short of
.. actual formal enmity.
No Actual Collision.
Recently there have been vigorous
demands in congress for a declaration
of a state of war between the United
States and Turkey and Bulgaria, but
. President Wilson and the State de-
partment have not regarded this step
as necessary or desirable since there
has been no actual collision between
American and Turkish and Bulgarian
troops.
s: On-the face -oMbe reports -from
'American Minister Caldwell, at Te
Jheran, officials were inclined to be
lieve that the sacking pf the Ameri
can hospital, a Presbyterian institu
; tion, over the protest of the Spanish
consul in charge as representative of
' American interests, furnished the nec-
essary provocation for open hostili
? ties between America and Turkey.
; The advices, however, were meager
-; and the minister explained that he
,. was only transmitting reports of mat
, ters not of his own knowledge. In
view of this it was realized that later
reports might show that the offenses
' were not as grave as now represent
ed. t Nurses Believed Safe.
American doctors and nurses who
-fiave been stationed in the hospital
wdre believed to have left Tabriz be-
? fore the Turkish troops arrived. Gor
don Paddock, the American consul
in that city, reported to the depart-
1 ment last May 29, that he and all of
the Americans and the British were
prepared to leave the city before the
advancing Turkish army, consequent
ly it was not believed that Americans
ctually were molested.
' The department is trying to get
further information regarding the out
; rages and probably no action will be
taken until these efforts are exhaust
ed. V Wilson Third Term
Boom Launched by
Hoosier Democrats
Indianapolis, June 19. Declaring in
! their platform that "the immediate
purpose of the democratic party, the
purpose which takes precedence of
every other, is to win the war," the
democrats of Indiana in state conven-
tion here today nominated a state
- ticket, adopted a platform and listened
to addresses by Vice President
, Thomas R. Marshall, former Governor
Samuel M. Ralston and Representative
icott rams of Oklahoma, chairman
of the congressional democratic cam
paign committee.
former Governor Ralstoa stirred
, them to great enthusiasm by declar
mg that the needs of the times de
manded the renomination and election
of Woodrow Wilson in 1920, regard
'ess of precedent.
Wheaton and Comstock
Running Neck-and-Neck
St. Paul, Minn., June 19. A hand
ful of votes tonierrt separated the
democratic candidates for the guber
natorial nomination. Returns com
piled from 2,124 of 3.119 nrecincts.
- and including 40 of 86 counties com
plete, gave lred E. Wheaton of Min
; neapolis 13,928 votes and Judge W.
L. Comstock of Mankato 13,703.
i Returns from Monday's primary
J for the republican candidates for
governor showed practically no
; change in the majority for Governor
J. A. Burnquist, who polled 184,187
votes in 2,676 precincts. Charles A.
Lindbergh of Little Falls received
(135.154 votes.
Returns from 1.543 precincts gave
Fred E. Wheaton of Minneapolis
'11,175 votes, W. L. Comstock of Man
kato 12,412.
Returns from 2,498 of 3,119 pre
k fcincts for governor on the repub
lican ticket Cave Bnrnni; 1RO Krt
t i t j. r ... 7 " .w,.ww
MMINENT
LIEUT. HAROLD KELLEY,
0MAHAN, KILLED IN FALL
Young Foot Ball Star at Uni
versity of Nebraska and
Creighton Meets Death
on Aviation Field.
Lieut. Harold C. Kelley, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Kelley, 2417
Emmet street,, was killed in an air
plane accident near Fort Worth, Tex.
He was instructor in aviation at Car
rutliers field.
The plane in which Lieutenant Kel
ley was riding went into a tail spin
at a height of 200 feet and crashed to
the ground . Flying with Lieutenant
Kelley was Oscar S. Rogers of Alex
ander, S. C, who was severely
bruised.
Lieutenant Kelley was trying to
make a forced landing at Worth field,
two miles from Carruthcrs field head
quarters when the machine fell.
He was born and educated in Oma
ha, having attended Lothrop grade
school and being graduated from
Central high school.
Young Kelley, who was 23 years
old. and familiarly known as "Put"
Kelley, was prominent in high srhool
athletics, playing quarterback on the
high school foot ball eleven.
After graduating from high school
he entered the University of Nebras
ka where he continued his studies
until a year ago last spring. At the
university he played foot ball, but
never made the first team owing to
his diminutive size.
Last fall he entered Creighton uni
versity and played quarterback on the
Creighton eleven. In November he
left his studies to enter the officers'
training school at Fort Snelling. He
remained there three months and
then decided to enter training for the
aviation service at Kelley Field, Tex.
He received his commission as second
lieutenant about six weeks ago.
His last visit to Omaha was about
AMERICANS SEND
GAS AGAINST HUN
LINES JNV0EVRE
Station East of Verdun Bomber!
by U. S. Planes; Patrols Cross
Marne and Bring Back
Prisoners.
(By Associated Press.)
With the American Army in
France, June 19. The Americans in
the Wocvre sent their first gas tire
against the German lines from pro
jectors this morning.
A German raid at Pemieres wood
was repulsed. Some of the, enemy
were killed and one prisoner was
taken.
Five bombing planes dropped 38
bombs on the station and tracks at
Conflans (east of Verdun). Several
enemy machines were encountered on
the way, but all the American planes
returned.
Two American patrols crossed the
Marne east of Chateau Thierry early
this morning, established contact with
the hostile forces, killed a consider
able number of the enemy and
brought back prisoners. These were
from landwehr units, which is taken
as an indication that no hostile at
tacks are intended at this point in
the immediate future.
Late this afternoon American ma
chine gunners discovered a hostile
party in considerable numbers appar
ently making ready to attempt to
cross the river. But after the guns
were turned loose for a few minutes,
the enemy abandoned whatever plans
he had.
The American artillery east and
west of Chateau Thierry for several
hours late last night and this morning
deluged the enemy with shells. The
projectiles burst along the road and
billets.
The enemy retaliated today with
numerous long range batteries, but
all were ineffective.
Selects Enter Banks.
Camp Cody, N. M June 19. (Spe
cial Telegram.) With only about a
month's training, the 6,000 selective
draft men sent here from Texas. Ari
zona, New Mexico and Colorado will
be distributed to the infantry and ar
tillery regiments forming the 34th
division
Civilization is
War, Says
(By Associated Press.)
London, June 19. The widest inter
est will be evinced in a pamphlet on
"The League of Nations," written by
Viscount Grey of Fallodon, who was
secretary of foreign affairs in the cab
inet of Herbert H. Asquith at the be
ginning of the European war.
"There is nfore at stake in the war
than the existence of individual states
or empires or the fate of a continent,"
says Viscount Grey. "The whole of
modern civilization is at stake and
whether it will perish and be sub
merged, as has happened to previous
civilizations of older types, or whether
it will live and oroeress. denends uoon
Jfeether. the nations engaged in this
LT. HAROLD C. KELLEY.
In Football Uniform,
a month ago, when he was here on
a short furlough.
The young lieutenant's father for
iTierly was with Burgess-Nash, but
now is in Sioux City.
DECREE AND CASH
TO YOUNG WOMAN
SUING STOECKER
Fifteen Thousand Dollars Ali
mony Given Common Law
Wife of Capitalist by
Judge Troup.
Theresia Stoecker, common-law
wife of William F. Stoecker, wealthy
Omahan and former politician, was
awarded a divorce and $15,000 alimony
by Judge Troup in district court Wed
nesday afternoon.
The trial of the suit, in which
Theresia Stoecker, little Bohemian
woman, sought to establish her rights
as wife of William Stoecker by having
the court award her a divorce and
$100,000 alimony, was started before
Judge Troup a week ago Monday.
The hearing was finished last Friday
and the case was then taken under ad
visement by the judge.
Question of 4 Contract.
In handing down his decision, Judge
Troup said that the principal point of
contention to be decided was whether
or not the parties involved had enter
ed into a marriage contract, verbal or
otherwise, by which each accepted the
other as husband and wite, respec
lively.
"I hold that the parties did enter
into such a marriage ceremony, the
judge said, "and that the plaintiff haV'
ing entered into it in good faitfi, rely
ing upon the honor of the defendent,
submitted herself and future welfare
to the defendent."
Girl Was Virtuous.
"I do not believe that the testi
mony in this case warrants the slight
est suspicion in this respect against
this girl," the judge said, "and I do
not believe that there is the least sus
picion that Theresia was other than
a virtuous girl when she entered the
employ of the defendant."
Pledge Support for War.
Chicago, 111., June 19. A resolu
tion adopted tonight by the 1,500
delegates of the National Association
of Credit Men and sent to President
Wilson pledges the support of the
24,000 business men represented for
the winning of the war and praises
the American Red Cross.
at Stake in
Viscount Grey
war, and even those that are onlook
ers, learn the lesson that the experi
ence of the war may teach them.
"It must be with nations as with in
dividuals in the great trials of life;
they must become better or worse
they cannot stand still. They must
learn and profit by experience and rise
to greater heights or else sink lower
and drop eventually into the abyss. If
this war does not teach mankind new
lessons that will so dominate the
thoughts and feeling of those who
survive it as to make new things pos
sible, then the war will be the greatest
catastrophe, as well as .the most
grievous trial and suffering of which
tat world nas an record,'
BILL FILCHED
FROM NAVY
OFFICE FILES
Government Employes Indicted
in Connection With Alleged
Plot to Defraud Treasury
of $187,000.
Washington, Tune 19. Employes
of the War and Navy departments to
day were drawn into the net set by
the Departmen Justice for war con
tract brokers, through indictments
returned by a federal grand jury
here charging four men with trying
to collect on a duplicate bill for $187,
000 submitted by a dry dock company
for repairs to a government vessel.
The four indicted are Clyde C.
Waltman, a yeoman in the navy de
partment's bureau of supplies and ac
counts; Charles IZ. Waltman, his
brother, a business man of Victoria,
Va.; Benjamin W. I'eake, a soldier
stationed at Fort Meigs, Washington,
formerly of Berea, N. C, and D. Mal
vin Mowrey, a stenographer employed
in the signal corps office, formerly
of Lancaster, Pa.
With free access to Navy depart
ment files, Clyde. C. Waltman and
Mowrey were said to have obtained
a bill for $187,000 rendered by the
Morse Dry Dock and Repair company
of New York, for repairs to the
government vessel Canandaigua. The
company was told it was lost and
was asked to submit a duplicate,
which was paid.
The scheme failed, it is said be
cause an unnamed soldier who heard
of the plot informed the government.
Definite proof of specific payments
to contingent fee agents was gathered
today by Assistant Attorney General
Huston Thompson from records
seized by secret agents in the raids
Monday on these agencies' head
quarters in Washington.
One Washington firm of contingent '
agents negotiated $10,000,000 worth
of contracts for its clients, it was
disclosed today by examination of
the firm's papers seized by secret
service agents. Another firm, also
maintaining business headquarters in
Washington, had received $100,000 in
commissions.
Inspectors Reject
492,074 Pounds of
Hams Sold to Navy
New York, June 19. Men of the
American navy and the naval reserve
would have been served with great
quantities of decayed meat, but for the
vigilance of inspection officers who re.
jected it as unfit for human consump
tion, according to evidence given here
today before the federal trade com
mission. The testimony was brought
out during the inquiry which the com
mission is conducting into charges
that Wilson & Co., packers, sold "bad"
hams to the government.
Naval officers also testified that the
packers had asked "exorbitant" prices
in bids to furnish hams to the navy,
with the result that a commandeering
order was issued at prices fixed by
the government.
After Capt. Charles Williams, navy
pay director, had described his refusal
to accept 492,074 pounds of hams,
which he said was "musty, mouldy,
marrow-soured or just plain sour,"
Thomas E. Wilson, president of the
company, denied that his firm had
ever knowingly delivered tainted meat
to the army or navy.
Value of Fairbanks Estate
Is Estimated at $2,150,000
Indianapolis, June 19. A trust
fund of $50,000 to be held for 500
years, the income from which is to
be divided each 50 years and ex
pended for social welfare work, is
set aside from the estate of the late
Charles W. Fairbanks as a memory to
his wife, by his will filed for probate
here today. The value of the entire
estate is estimated at $2,150,000.
A number of charitable bequests
are made. An income of $15,000 a
year is provided for Mr. Fairbanks'
daughter, Mrs. John W. Timmons.
After payment of the various be
quests the will provided the remain
der of the estate is to go to the three
sons, Richard, Warren and Fred
Fairbanks.
Germans Seize More
Territory in Russia
London, June 19. German troops
in southern Russia began an offensive
eastward on the Voronesh front on
June 15, says a Russian government
wireless message.
The Bolshevik War department has
ordered the mobilization of all work
ers and peasants born from 1893 to
1897 in a large, number of provinces,
for six months active service.
Pension Bill Carrying
$220,000,000 Passes Senate
Washington, June 19. Only five
minutes were required for passage to
day by the senate of the annual gen
eral pension bill, carrvinor $220.000..
000, the largest pension measure by
$12,000,000 in the government's his
tory. The senate added $35,000,000 to
the total of the bill as it passed the
house, to provide for recent pension
AUSTR0-GERMAN ATTACKS
HALTED FAR SHORT OF GOAL
Offensive on Italian Battle Line on Verge
of Collapse; German Stroke Against
Rheims Fails to Gain Yard
of Territory
(By Associated Press.)
The Teutonic allies apparently have lost their spirit of do-or-die. Their at
tacks everywhere lately have lacked the tenaciousness of days gone by.
Instead of plowing through allied lines with stubborn indifference to casual
ties so long as an objective was gained, they now waver and then halt in the face of
the artillery and rifle fire of the men barring their way, with the points they were
trying to gain still far beyond their reach.
Ambitious attempts by the troops of the central powers in the last few weeks
have proven this. The opening of a gateway to Paris through the western front,
running from Montdidier to the Marne, failed completely; the offensive oh the
Italian battle line launched by the Austrians seemingly has failed miserably in the
mountain regions, and apparently has almost been stopped along the Piave, while
a stroke started by the Germans against Rheims after heavy bombardment broke
down in its inception without the enemy taking a yard of territory.
GERMANS MEET
DISMAL DEFEAT
BEFORE RHEIMS
Forty Thousand Troops Under
Orders to Carry City Repulsed
in Attack, With Heavy
Losses.
(By AuMclsted Frm.)
With the French army in France,
June 19. Large units of German
shock troops which had been con
centrated on the western side of
Rheims, between Vrigny and Ornes,
and which went over to assault last
night were met with such an awful
tire from the French defense that they
were unable to make the slightest
progress. They suffered such losses
after trying time after time to, reach
the French positions that only a few
of the attackers were able to return
to t heir own lines.
When the ..Germans launched t'heir
attack on Rljeims their intention was
to deal a heavy counter blow to com
pensate for their failure to capture
Compiegne. Forty thousand troops
participated in the assault along the
front extending from Vrigny plateau
to Sillery, with orders to carry the
city at all costs. They met with dis
mal defeat.
At every point they were repulsed
with heavy losses. In a most gal
lant manner the French prevented the
enemy from scoring even an initial
success. The artillery preparation
lasted for several hours and was one
of the most terrific yet carried out.
High explosives from hundreds of
cannon intermingled with numerous
poison gas shells.
To the east of Rheims the Germans
at first made some advance, but were
soon thrown back to their original
positions and a considerable number
were taken prisoners.
At noon today the gunfire was still
very heavy, but the attack may for
the moment be regarded as a complete
defeat for the attacking forces.
Many German Naval
Craft Are Penned in
Bruges Canal Docks
London, June 19. Twenty-one
German destroyers, a large number
of submarines and numerous auxil
iary craft are penned in the Bruges
canal docks as the result of the re
cent British naval operations at Zee
brugge, the German submarine base
on the Belgian coast. Thomas J.
MacNamara, financial secretary of
the admiralty, made announcement in
the House of Commons to this ef
fect today and said that the opera
tions were more successful than at
first had been supposed. He added
that the German craft were now the
subject of constant bombing.
Curtail Use of Light,
Coal Conservation Plan
Washington, June 19. The public
will be asked soon by the government
to broaden its list of war sacrifices
to include electric lights and gas as a
means of saving coal.
One suggestion being studied is to
notify all households that they may
consume hereafter only half of the
average amount of electricity and gas
burned each month during the past
year. If that amount should be
reached before the end of the month,
the supply would be cut off for the
remaining days of that month,
And in these various attempted enterprises the high com-
mands of the German and Austro-Hungarian armies have seen
their men literally mown down until battlefields have been
clogged with dead "or wounded as recompense to the allied
troops for the small bits of terrain they yielded.
OFFENSIVE STILL IN PROGRESS ALONG PIAVE.
The Austrian offensive in the Italian theater is still in prog
ress along the Piave river, but in the mountain region after the
sharp reaction by the Italian, British and French troops, who in
counter attacks pushedbacjt the inyadfjom-thointa b& had
reached in "his initial1 rush; ihe enemy evidently is fearful of
again trying out the mettle of the defenders.
On the Piave numerous attempts have been made by the
Austrians to gain further bridgeheads on the western bank of
the stream, but the Italians everywhere are holding them with
their gunfire and also doing sanguinary execution within the
ranks of the enemy across theriver with bombs and machin '
gunfire. ,' ,
The Austrian war office asserts that the Austro-Hungarian
troops have crossed the Fossetta canal at some points where
Tuesday it was claimed they had made advances and also that
several Italian lines at the southern foot of the Montello plateau,
the key to the Venetian plains, have been pierced. Rome, on
ihe other hand, declared that all the weak attempts made in the
Montello region were completely repulsed. .
MOVE TO CHANGE
DRAFT AGE LIMIT
GIVENJMPETUS
Officials Preparing Estimates
on Number Available Between
18 and 45; Reclassification
Adds 250,000 to Class 1.
(B Amaolated Pre.)
Washington, June 19. Withdrawal
by Secretary Baker of his opposition
gave fresh impetus today to consid
eration of the proposal before con
gress to extend the draft age limits
so that the War department will
have available at no distant date am
ple man power to carry out Presi
dent Wilson's program of an army of
unlimited size for the war on Ger
many. Officials in the office of Provost
Marshal General Crowdcr immedi
ately began preparation of statistics
showing results which may be ex
pected if the draft is extended to
various ages between 18 and 45
years, the limits fixed in a bill by
Senator France of Maryland, repub
lican. It is expected that this infor
mation wilj be presented soon to the
senate military committee, whjch is
considering the France bill.
Early reports on the results of the
reclassification of men by local
boards indicate that more than 250,
000 men will be added to class one
by this means, as against the origi
nal estimate of 200,000.
R
n
ussian reasants
Start Revolt and
t. o i e
ftly
it jpreaas owi
London, June 19. A great revolt
has begun at Kiev, according to an in
tercepted wireless message transmit
ted from Moscow to the Exchange
Telegraph company. Artillery stores
have been exploded and there is con
tinuous street righting. The revolt is
spreading to the Poltava and Tcherni
gov districts. Forty thousand peas
ants armed and organized are oartici-
I pauag in, inc revolt
I . ? ! .tL
than 9,000 men have ' been
taken by the Italians since the of
fensive began and many guns and sev
eral hundred machine guns have been
captured. That intensive air fighting
also has taken place is shown by the.
fact that 50 enemy planes have been
shot down. Only two of the allied
machines have failed to return to their
base.
Huns Beaten at Rheims.
The attacks of the Germans near
Rheims resulted disastrously to them.
Hardly had they left their trenches
after one of the most terrific bom
bardments with shells of all caliber,
including gas projectiles, ever experi
enced on the western front, nearly
40,000 men were faced by the rein
forced French armies and literally cut
to pieces and forced to fall back pre
cipitately. Only at one point, to the '
east of Rheims, did the enemy succeed
in penetrating the French line. Here
they were ejected almost immediately.
The German official communication
describes the attack as a demonstra
tion of artillery and mine throwers.
Little activity has prevailed on the
remainder of the western front except
the usual reciprocal bombardments
and operations in the nature of patrol
engagements.
The success of the recent naval at
tack by the British on the German
submarine bas(. at Zeebrugge - seem
ingly was more successful than antici
pated. Twenty-one destroyers, - a
large number of submarines and nu
merous auxiliary craft are blocked in
the canal by the ships sunk across th
waterway. ,
Fighting in the Open.
Italian Army Headquarters, June 19.
Strenuous righting continued today
around the Montellao plateau and on
the bottom lands along the Piave near '
San Dona Di Piave, both the Italians
and Austrians concentrating their ef
forts at these points. Most of the
battles are in the open without pro
tecting trenches.
Austrian Emperor
Desirous of Victory
Without German Aid
London, June 19. Reuter's Rome
correspondent says that according to
report the Austrian emperor, who is
at the front, is disappointed at the re
sults obtained in the present offensive,
and, jealous of the excessive credit the
Germans took for their share in last
year's offensive, is determined to make
another desperate attempt to over
whelm the Italians unaided, befaa
1 asking for German assistance
More
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