v.
"The Start and Stripes
Forever."
n n n nnn
' mm m m m m mm
' ffl WW
FOCH S C10SWC'.
POCKET W WHICH
ARE 400,000 HUNS
Mouth' Now Only 21 Miles Wide and Whole District Be
tween Sides Under Range
rag German Left While The French and
American Armies Menace the Center.
f
' Jr.'
f. BULLETIN.
Paris, July 25. Franco-American troops today made an
advance of nearly two miles at certain points on the Aisne
Marne front, notably in the Dormans region, says the war of
. Bee announcement tonight. Additional gains are recorded,
ihowing tiiat the progress of the allies in this salient is steadily
going on.
B Aunetared Preaa. O
-
, London, July 25. The latest war
communique shows that General
Foch is methodically continuing to
close the pincers which grip the' Ger
mans between the Aisne and the
Marne. The capture of Armentieres
increases the envelopment of Oulchy-
le-Chateau and the capture of Bre
cy, brings the ; allies only five miles
from the ' important highway . center
of Fere-en-Tardenois.
The British advance north of the
Ardre is important, threatening the
German left with envelopment, while
the Franco-American troops advanc
ing from the Marne are a menace to
the German center.- V
The British ;r success 5. af ,Yngny
threatens Fismes, another important
tenrerrfoence lhesperatonT of "trie
Germans, who are attempting to pre
vent the allied advance in this direc
tion.. The German defense of Sois
sons, the pivot of their position, is
also begnning to become formid
able. . .
400,000 Huns Within Triangle.
It is estimated that there are
400,000 Germans fighting within . the
triangle. ,
British and French troops have ad
vanced to Gueux and Mery Premecy,
in the battle sector just west, of
Rheims, according to information re
ceived here this afternoon from the
battle front.
The new line shows an advance of
about two miles toward Fismes. This
gain when seen on the map is of evi
dent importance for it greatly nar
rows the salient created by the Ger
mans in their drive last May.
It no longer is proper to speak of
the pocket as running from Soissons
to Rheims, for the newest advantage
of the entente allies has pulled the
eastern edge of the pocket eight
miles to the westward, making Mery
Premecy the marker for the eastern
rim. ' '
Mouth Reduced to 21 Miles.
The mouth of the pocket is now
, only 21 miles wide and the whole dis
trict between the two sides is under
the range of entente allied guns.
On the west side of thu pocket the
Franco - American troops have
straightened out their line at the ex-
, pense of the Germans during the past
24 hours, this involving a loss to the
enemy of about 40 square miles of
territory between Armentieres and
Vincelles. The line fu. the lower west
ern part of the pocket now runs
straight southeast from Armentieres,
and along this line the Germans have
been compelled to give up all the lit
tie angles and corners they had bee
holding on to as observation posts.
The German military nerve center
tt Fere En Tardenois, which as the
junction of several tgreat roads was
the most important storehouse and
distributing point of the Germans, is
now under cross fire from French and
American artillery and must be well-
s nigh untenable. In fact, no place in
1 the whole pocket is a very comforta
ble position with the allies' long
range artiiery sweeping back and
forth.
Possible evidence of a further with
drawal by the Germans is seen on
the western flank of the pocket in
the fact that the German artillery fire
has grown much lighter and the guns
, ippear to be firing from greater dis
tances' behind the lines as if being
pulled, back to places of safety.
The morale in the German ranks
appears to have suffered seriously
from the setback and this condition is
accentuated by; the knowledge that
..' the enormous losses of the past fort
night have fallen on the flower of the
German armies, namely, their storm
troops, which have been combed out
from all fronts and which admittedly
ire irreplaceable.
70 German Divisions Engaged
Up to the present 70 German di
visions have been identified in the
present fighting zone and the battle
therefore may be regarded as the
biggest since the "beginning of the
war.-
The prisoners taken number over
25,000 and more than 500 cannon and
thousands of machine guns have been
.WOMEN LIKE THE BEE BECAUSE IT KEEPS THEM IN TOUCH WITH WOMEN'S WAR WORK
The Omaha Daily Bee
VOL. 48. NO. 33.
UHni u
I Onth
of Guns; British Envelop-
THINK FOE
MAY ESCAPE
NORTHWARD
Army Officers at Washington
Believe Germans May Pre
: vent Crushing Together : ,
Of J5vsjpMjcg.t
By The Associated Press.
Washington, July 25. With Amer
ican, French and British forces press
ing the enemy hard on all sides of
the Aisne-Marne battle front, the air
of Washington , was electric tonight
with a feeling of expectancy, as of
great events impending. , Rumors of
decisive victory ran through official
circles like wild fire. Untraceable re
ports were current that the army of
the German crown prince had been
trapped and even that the f crown
prince himself had been captured.
Official reports gave no foundation
on which the feeling of suppressed
excitement could be based.
"The latest dispatches," said Secre
tary Baker, "show continued ad
vances in several places by French,
British and American troops. They
are not extensive, but are important
and ehow that the battle is continu
ing with great vigor."
Decided Gains Scored.
Earlier in the day a press dispatch
told of rumors in London that the
British west of Rheims had scored a
decided success and advanced toward
Fismes, the German rail base midway
between Soissons and Rheims. Later
reports confirmed this to the extent
of a stride forward by British and
French forces on a three-mile front
just west of Rheims, throwing the
enemy back a mile and a half. Prob
ably it was this which started wild
reports of a sweeping victory.
Still later came reports of decided
gains by Franco-American troops
(Contlnnrd on Pw Two, Column Jour.)
Former Creighton "Grad"
And Member of Bee Staff
Killed in Battle in France
Thursday's casualty list for the
marines contained the name of Corp.
William J. Flaherty, St. Louis, Mo.,
who is believed to be a graduate of
Creighton University and for about
a year on the staff of the Bee. Fla
herty was reported killed in action on
the front. .
Flaherty is a son of Mr. and Mrs.
William Flaherty, 4241 De Sola
street, St. Louis, Mo. He received
his A. B. degree from Creighton
University in 1914, after one year's
work there. His first three years of
college work were taken at St. Louis
University.
While at Creighton, Flaherty won
the Inter-collegiate- English Essay
Prize. and received second place in
the Nebraska State Oratorical con
test. After his graduation, he taught for
a year at Carnpion College, Prairie
Du Chien, Wis. He later became a
reporter for the St. Louis Globe
Democrat. He began his work as
night police reporter for the Bee a
little over a year ago, after service
for some months as special writer of
Creighton news for this paper.
Flaherty attempted to enlist in the
aviation service two years ago, but,
failed to pass the physical examina
tion. He enlisted . inthe marines
about the first of the year. He was
not married and was 25 jears old.
MMialitt Mtttar May IS, IMS.
P. 0. adr Ml 1 Mirth J. 187
OMAHA,
cm
IF OT
Teutons Driven Hard by Their Masters
In Effort to Stem Rush of Allied Troops;
Enemy Losses Estimated Over 200,000
With the American Army on the , Aisne
Marne Front, July 25. With the sides of the
Soissons-Rheims sack coming steadily closer
together, the German crown prince's generals
are driving their men mercilessly in an effort
to hold them off long enough
armies threatened at the bottom, north of the ing. The French and American soldiers dis-
Marne. regarded caution almost entirely yesterday,
The American and French troops are never advancing their lines in open order and taking
far behind the retreating forces, and the what came without bothering to' hunt down
vicious rear guard actions are not sufficiently
resistant to enable the Germans to proceed in
the orderly manner planned. At Dormans,
north of the Marne and east' of Chateau
Thierry, the Germans counter attacked, taking
the position, but were promptly driven out.
They occupied Treloup, west of Dormans, and
have held it.
Minor advances have been made by the
allies in the woods m that part
while further to the east, south of Rheims, both shrapnel
there were additional allied successes.
The Americans have occupied Courpoil, on
the road to Fere-En-Tardenois, and the French
positions have been advanced until Oulchy-Le-Chateau
is dominated by the guns.
Nearer Soissons, the Germans failed to
hold all their positions, notwithstanding rein
forcements and their desperate
a is esumaiea unomciaiiy tomgnt inat ne having learned
enemy losses are more than 200,000, of which veii trifi
TJ. J.? . J J J3f?H J
50,000 were inflicted by the Americans. The ment7 on 4hp
PEACE TEXT FOR
WORLD FOUND IN
AMERICAN TERMS
Congressman Sloan Pays Trib
ute to the Soldier of United
States and Prophesies
Victory.
"American terms of peace will not
be acceptable to undefeated Ger
many," said Charles H. Sloan in a
speech to congress, and pulished in
the Congressional Record. "There
must be a conclusive allied victory.
The terms proposed by America,
agreed to by the allies, approved by
the conscience of mankind, and sub
mitted to by Germany, will be the
peace text of the world."
Mr. Sloan covered his own record
in. congress in connection with the
war, and with efforts made prior to
the war to prepare America for the
coming struggle. He told of his own
attempt to secure a majority in the
house for a greater naval program,
a bill that he and Congressman K.in-
kaid voted for (Reavis not then be
ing a member), and which was de
feated by the democrats.
Praise for the Soldiers.
Paying a deserved tribute to the
soldiers of today, he said:
I he president under the constitu-
( Continued oa Face Two, Column One.)
iNf ' mmj" ' ' ''''''
FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 26,
By Associated Press.
to extricate the artillery work
of the sector,
age.
Behind the lines, long transports of allied
troops fill the roads leading to the front, the al
lied, planes and observation balloons giving
warning against interference by enemy artil
lery or hostile aircraft.
The American trooos both on the linn and
need.
on the roads are
1 i 11 1 .1
Goperpment May Establish
Minimum Wage for tabor
Denver, July 25. Elimination of
the private employment agencies
was forecast at today's session of
the conference of the representa
tives of labor and capital from 17
western states.
When the government takes over
distribution of unskilled labor, it is
more than probable, according to
Mr. Davis, that a minimum wage
for unskilled labor will be fixed.
CLIFFORD WOLFE
ON BATTLE FRONT
Son of Mrs. Joseph Baldrige of
Omaha and Son-in-Law of
Dr. Macrae of Bluffs
Feared Dead.
Clifford Wolfe, son of Mrs. Joseph
Baldrige of Omaha and son-in-law of
Dr. Donald Macrae of Council Bluffs,
is reported among the missing on the
French front. His friends iear he. is
dead. The young soldier, was a
grandson of B. I Smith. Boston mil
honaire.
A cablegram from Dr. Macrae to
Mrs. Macrae came late Wednesday
nignt saying: Clifford missing.
Those who know Dr. Macrae know
that he would not have sent such a
message unless it was necessary to
prepare for something more serious.
The young wife, Marian Macrae
Wofe, h at Fort Still visiting her
brother, Lt. Don Macrae. Mrs.
Macrae took the first train for the
south to break the news to the daugh
ter and help her sustain the shock.
Clifford Wolfe was 25 years old.
He broke into the military game as
quickly as did his father-in-law, as
sisted his young bride to dismantle
and close the beautiful home ' on
Clark avenue. Council Bluffs, and
went with Dr. Macrae across the wa
ter. Young Wolfe's splendid executive
ability and mechanical skill caused
him to be placed in charge of an am
bulance corps, and the conviction
here is that it was while in discharge
of the dangerous duties of his posi
tion he met the disaster that caused
Dr. Macrae to sen the cablegram.
There still are strong reasons, how
ever, for hoping that he may only be
a prisoner. . ; .
Mr. Wolfe and Miss Macrae were
married three years ago.
Mrs. Joseph Baldrige, with her
daughter, Gwendoline, and two other
sons, Dudley and Grafton Wolfe, are
spending the summer at Glen Cove,
Me. '
Dr. A. B. Marshall of Omaha
Speaks at Elgin Conference
Dr. A. B. Marshall, president of
the Omaha Presbyterian Theological
seminary, was one of the principal
speakers at the Christian conference
in Elgin, III He delivered three ad
dresses during the conference. He
was extremely popular with the dele
gates at the conference ' .
AMONG
MISSING
1918.
billy tui.. Mi rattldt Ntk.
y Mill (I yur): Oilly. H.M;
The French used more armored cars than
usual, and cavalry or mounted patrols were
effectively employed in clearing the forests
and maintaining contact. .
Toward Soissons there has been increased
and bitterer and steadier fisht
machine gun nests. This brought them into
closer contact with the main body of the re
treating forces.
In numerous cases machine gun companies
surrendered, although it was necessary to
clean up many others.
Division headquarters are constantly
changing on account of the comparatively
rapid advancement of the lines, some of them
having been subjected to occasional shells.
and gas, thoueh without dam
keen spirited. Many of them,
a smattering of French" often
B,,wh,";. :S
hf, .w , . If r
NOT DECIDED
WHETHER TO DRAW
NEW CITYCH ARTER
Convention Favors Many
Things, But Has Not Said
Whether They Will Be
Submitted.
The city charter convention last
night was not ready to commit itself
for or against whether the city char
ter which will be submitted to the
voters this fall should be merely a
codification of the existing charter,
or whether it should embody amend
ments, making it in fact a new and
up-to-date charter.
Member W. W. Cole brought up
the question at a meeting last night,
but his motion was not seconded, the
sense of the members being that this
question should be decided at a later
date.
John C. Barrett, member of city
planning commission, appeared be
fore the convention with a suggestion
that the members should go on
record as to their policy whether
amendments will be considered in or
der that citizens and organizations
may be guided accordingly. He ven
tured an opinion that the people
would favor a new charter rather
than a mere compilation of the old
charter.
Go Over Charter.
"I believe that the convention
should say whether .amendments will
be considered," he said.
The members spent most of the
evening going over a draft of the
charter which has been prepared by
their secretary.
KIDDIES FROM ORPHANAGE
Annual Outing Provides Thrills
; Aplenty During One Joyful Day
ENTERTAINED BY KNIGHTS
Playing daddy to ISO little orphans
made yesterday a busy day for the
Knights, of Columbus.
The occasion was the annual out
ing the knights provide for the kid
dies from Sfr James orphanage and
Father Flanagan's home for boys.
The place was Krug park.
It all began with, that greatest ot
all joys, "a naughtymobile ride." At
10 o'clock in the morning the cars
called for the youngsters and took
them to all the pretty places around
Omaha. Shy at first, new sights soon
unloosed their tongues and they be
came wildly excited. They admired
everything, but nothing as much as
the big balloons at the fort, which
held them spellbound with pleasure.
One was just being sent up as the
children got there, and it was the
event of their lives.
At noon a big luncheon was served
the children in the park and then the
fun began in earnest. Every kiddie
got a toy. Little girls looked ; up
wide-eyed over their first' dolls, tiny
toittH nits,
Svitfiy. $?.M;
TWO CENTS.
GERMANS MAKING
DESPERATE FIGHT
TO ESCAPE TRAP
i iwrniMi..
Americans, French, British, Italians and Poles Steadily
Pressing Enemy Despite Counter Attacks of Great
i Violence Along Semi-Circular Front From Ourcq ,
River to Region Southwest of Rheims
By The Associated Press.
General Foch has taken a leaf out of the book of German
military strategy and ordained the use by the allied armies of
the pincer system of offensive in the Soissons-Rheims salient.
Both jaws of the pincer are moving smoothly, with thet
pivot along the Marne working in unison, and the process of
attempting to capture many of the nearly half a million Ger
mans in the big pocket is well on the way to what at present
seems like possible success.
FLANK BLOW
BY GERMANS
IS FEARED
Crown Prince Expected to
Mass Troops ior,KTerritic
f? Counter Attack bri Some
; Part of Front. v'
' By Associated Press. )"
With the, American Army on the
Aisne-Marne front, July 25. It would
be no surprise if the battle between
the Aisne and the Marne' ends soon,
or if the crown prince should force
operations in a new phase by massing
troops for a tremendous counter at
tack on a new part of the battle front,
perhaps the flank south of Soissons,
where the Germans already have of
fered such determined resistance.
Although outwitted by the strategy
of General Foch and outfought by
the Franco-American commanders,
these is no disposition to underesti
mate the danger of the staggering
German armies striking another terri
ble blow on either flank.
What lines the Germans will select
for a new stand is merely conjecture,
but it is believed the logical place
will be that long plateau southeast
of Soissons, ruaning toyard the Aisne
river and to the junction of the pres
ent line from Rheims. If the Ardre
js not chosen, the crown prince has
the choice of the valley of Vesle or
even the old line along the Aisne.
It is believed more probable that
the crown prince will choose the
Vesle region, where the forests and
hills west of Rheims toward Soissons
would make him relatively safe for
the moment. That he intends
abandoning the territory at the bot
tom of the pocket that rested on the
Marne is evident. It is equally evi
dent that has been forced to such
a course by the reduction of his num
ber of lines of supply.
Mrs. Gholson to Speak.
Mrs.- Grace Gholson, state direc
or of the Y. W. C A., will speak
at noon today at the luncheon of the
Red Cross auxiliary at First Presby
terian church concerning plans for
the coming campaign.
little boys rejoiced in toy horses and
wagons, and all had big sacks of
candy. Best of all each child was
given 15 cents to spend just as he
pleased, on the "roily coaster," the
merry-go-round or for something
more to eat, providing he could hold
more. ;
At 2 o'clock the cars were again
taken out and. 200 sisters, students
at the Creighton summer school,
were given a ride and shown the beau
ties of the city. Then they were also
taken to the picnic grounds.
At 5 o'clock the big dinner was
served, after which came a fine pro
gram of really good music for the
sisters and the grown folks and
games for the little ones.
The park presented a peculiar ap
pearance, with the smiling, black
gowned sisters in groups on the
benches or visiting among their old
pupils and their pupils' children, and
the orphans scattered everywhere,
and all having a grand, glorious time
under the care of the "good knights
and true." . ., -
THE WEATHER
For Nebraska -Partly cloudy
today, possibly showers.
Thermometer Beaainicii:
. m..
I a. m..
T a. m. .
I a. m. .
I a. m..
19 a. m. .
II a. m..
13 m.,..
7
74
1
H
14
77
77
10
IS
t
17
P. m.. ........ . (S
m..
m..
97
H
ti.
i
p. m. ,
p. m.
9 The Germans, however, evidently
do not intend to permit themselves ;
to be entrapped without fighting.
Having thrown thousands of rein-
forcements into the already congested
salient, they have started a counter
attack of great violence all along the '
semi-circular front from the Ourcq
river to the region immediately
southwest of Rheims and their men, I
are said to haveiorders to stem the
.t"ied tide of advance at ill costs.'
. . Poles Enter Combat. -
Nevertheless, at last accounts the
Americans, French, British and Ital- -iao
troops, ' themselves well - rein-'
forced to meet the new turn in affair,-
"were' steadily .pressing forward '
at nearly all points on '.tTie "battle" line
to Rheims, while east of the Cathe
dra! city the first of, the Poles to en
ter the combat are declared to have "
carried out successfully 'an enterprise
againM the enemy in which mora
than 200 Germans were made pris
oners. . ' ' , '
Thi wntlrrn law nf tti ninp.f .
tinues to move eastward on both side
of the Ourcq river and the Franco-
a : . . i ,
rvincrican iruups are virtually khock
ing at the gates of Fere-En-Tard
enois. the imnortant railway iimrfinr '
and storehouse for Germany's wai
supplies, rurther south to the Marnt '
new advance in keeni'nflr with ttinc
of the north, have been attained. '
Lines Extended Northward, .
At the nivot nf the ninrer nnrtti
of the Marne midway between Cha
teau i merry and Kheims, the trench
nave exrenaea tneir line northward
in the forest of Fere in fVie Ri
forest and north of Dormans, while
the eastern jaw of the pincer, under
the oressure of the British ha nnfire.
ably movecj forward in a north westef-
half over a three mile front to Mcry
Premecv and Gueux. the laf
village five miles west of Rheims and
a scant mue ana a halt from' the
Rheims-Fisme roar!. At Merv.Pri..
mecy the allied line now stands about '
ten ana a nan nines southeast ot
Fismes. which is the central station -
on tne railway running between poi
sons and Rheims. ,
For a week and a day the allied '.
troops have hammered against the "
Soissons-Rheims salient until its
width across between the cities has '
been narrowed to about .21 miles '
from an original width of 37. miles. 1
while the triangular salient has been
welded into a semi-circular cul de
sac. Over the entire pocket the .al
lied artillery continues to rain shells
from all sides and airmen are keeping
up their intensive bombing of troops .
formations and military works. . !
As yet, notwithstanding the in- 1
roads of the allied troops, there ha '
been no sign of an impending general
retreat on the part of the Germans -and
if he elects to stand and fight "
it out,-and the allied gains continue "
with the same success as heretofore '
it. seems that, with the daily narrow
ing of the neck of the pocke. .the '
enemy necessarily will lose many of
his men when the time comes to make
his way northeastward. I
Submarine Sighted '
Off Fire Island By -Coal
Boat Captain t
Boston, July 25. The captain of a '
coat steamer , now at this port be
lieves he sighted a large German sub
marine off , Fire Island, . N Y., last
Sunday at noon. He was confident
she was a German, he said, as her
superstructure was different from that
of American undersea boats. She
was lying on the surface a mile dis- ,
tant. He estimated the length of the
submarine at between 300 and 400
feet.
Edward A. Rumely
Life Story of Man Who Bought
New York Mail for the Kaiser1
on Page Six of . This Issue