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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 1918)
!L The Star and' Stripes forever." GET YOUR WANT-XDS IN FOR THE BIG SUNDAY BEE BEFORE 9 O'CLOCK TONIGHT The Omaha. Daily Bee VOL. 48 NO. 70. cmirfd u Me.ci.M ( mu as. tmn1 ATTA RATTTRn A V MflRMlNP. SWPTWMHPP 7 1(118 ?'. I h :: . UN; I Umth P 0 MNmiminlit U7 ' . v., Daily .. M- utildt N.I (otltit tra TWO CUNTS THE VSATOE?--; :; rV: -- F-fv Saluvclr.y Jiou l.' ''tri.i .urm. '. . m IM I p. .., ;.M fl n. r J,1 i i. pi 34 " n. in 19 .1 i, im. Ill n. m flrt ; i i. m 17 n. m. ,., tVl . ,1 p. m.. .18 HI n. m 04 I Bp. m 1H H . in fl 1 p. m 10 II in 7 ! N p. ii 13 HOUSE WORKING ON GREATEST REVENUE BILL IN ALL HISTORY Way and Means Committee Chairman Begins Explana tion of Draft of Measure to Provide for Raising $24,000,000,000, of Which $8,000,000,000 Is To Come From Taxes. mm Aft General Pershing's Army Soon May Strike Decisive Blow in Battle Now Being Waged On Sectors East of Rheims and of Verdun 3D- TWO WILSONS UNDER ARREST Washington, Sept. 6. Without evidence of political divi sions, congress today began work on the greatest revenue measure in all history, providing for the raising of $24,000,000, 000 $8,000,000,000 in taxes and twice as much in bonds to pay America's share of the cost of the war next year, and for loans to its co-belligerents, In the house, Democratic Leader Kitchin, chairman of the ways and means committee, explained the draft of the bill, while hearings On it were begun by the senate finance committee. , Mr. Kitchin's explana tion was interrupted by adjournment for the day after his general dis cussion of the bill and specific refer ence to the income tax. Beginning with the excess and war profits le vies tomorrow, he expects to devote all of the session to completing his statement. Enactment Next Month Predicted. With Representative Fordney of Michigan, ranking republican com mittpp member, and others expected to speak on the bill, indications to-, name of Wilson are in custody in Hight were tnat tormai reaamg 01 the measure section by section for amendment would not begin in the house before Tuesday or Wednes day. Chairmati Simmons of the senate finance committee, after hearing Mr. Kitchin's statement, said he hoped the bill could be a law by the middle or last of October. "This bill marks an epoch in reve nue legislation of the world," Mr. Kitchin told the house. "It levies twice' as much as any nation since the beginning, of time has tried to collect from its people." Hard to Pay, But Necessary. The .taxes, "the chairman admitted, will be hard to pay, but he asserted they would be borne "without injury to any industry or individual" and that not a protest against the bill has been made by American business. American business, he declared, is too patriotic, too loyal, too big to think of shirking the financial bur dens of the war. v The war, revenue measure, Mr. Kit ' chin declared, is designed to bring to the government the funds- abso lutely necessary for the war on Ger many, places the burden equally and equitably and the committee hopes it will meet with the approval of the administration and the treasury. "Bit" No Longer Enough. "These taxes are going to be hard to pay and hard to bear," Mr. Kitchin said, "but they can be paid and they will be, and I want every taxpayer to know that if his burdens are hard to bear, the burdens of millions of our boys over there are greater and harder and they are making a greater sacrifice and making it nobly and gladly. "A business man says I am ready to do my bit. The time has come when it is not enough to do your bit; the time has come to do your all. Every business man and every tax paver should understand that every dollar in taxes that he pays under this bill goes to help this nation save its life. Sometimes I am ashamed that we only raise $8,000,000,000 by taxes. For the individual and busi ness itself are better pff than they were any time in the pre-war years. I have found that 90 per cent of the business men are patriotic and ready to bear their burden, but they can afford to bear them and still be bet ter off than they were in the pre-war years. Business Profits Increased. ""Business in the three years prior to 1914 had profits estimated at $4, 000,000,000. In 1915 they had profits of $6,000,000,000. In 1916 they had profits of more than $8,000,000,000. Jin 1917 after paying all tfic war taxes they still had profits 60 per cent greater than they had in the days of peace, and America business after Continud on I'age Two, Column Two.) I Washington, Sept. 6. The hour j when General Pershing's armv will be I thrown into the battle is rapidly ap 1 proacliing, in the opinion of many ! officers and officials at the War de- ' :i r I m n t" Developments today indicate to these observers that the German with drawal was noariug the point when Marshal Forh would make use of every available weapon to prevent the enemy from making a stand in his old positions along the Hindenburg line. Speed Up Retirement. Reports indicate the Germans are accelerating their withdrawal along a wide front before the French and British armies that are pressing on their heels. The fact that the Britisii have broken across the old line on the Douai-Cambrai front is regarded as t lie spur that is impelling the Ger mans to rush the last stage of their withdrawal. There is no doubt among observ ers here that Marsha! Foch has mapped out a plan by which he hopes to prevent the enemy from settling into his old lines ami reverting again to trench warfare. It is argued that if the enemy attempts to hold the Himlenburg line or such of it as he can. he will have to mas reserves to do it. May Extend Action to East. A new attack far to the south and east of the present battle area would compel him to rush reserves to that front and it is in such an a. tack that many officials arc confident that Gen eral Pershing's army will be em ployed. It is noted no effort has been made by Marshal Foch to extend the action to the front east of Rlieims thus far. The sector between that place and Verdun has been completely quiet through the fierce fighting to the north. Many officers think an attack may launched there with the object of turning the whole German line northward and that probably a si multaneous attack would be delivered beyond Verdun, where the original American sector lies, to complete this conception of a wide turning move ment against1 tlie enemy positions in northern France. The St. Mihic! salient, where the German lines thrust forward beyond Verdun on the west, might offer a chance for Foch's favorite pincer tac tics some officers think. There are indications that this front is held by Americans with the exception of the defenses of Verdun itself and the lines southeast of that city. If Gen eral Pershing should strike suddenly toward Metz and meet with any suc cess, it is thought the enemv might be forced to evacuate the whole St. Mihiel bend and that the pursuit of that retirement could be expanded at will into action of whatever scope Marshal Foch had authorized. AUSTRALIANS )N BOMB CASE i CROSS SOMME AND DRIVE ON Hog Island Contractors Charged With Extortion Washington, Sept. 6. Contractors and sub-contractors, who .built the Hog Island, Pa., shipyard, are charged with extravagance ' and ex tortion during the ear.'y days of the work, in a report now in the hands of Attorney General Gregory to be transmitted soon to President Wil son. It was said today the investi gation failed to show grounds for criminal prosecution. One of Pair Arrested at Home of Widow of Man Hanged for the Haymarket Explosion. Chicago, Sept. 6. Two men of the cennection witn the planting ot a bomb in the federal building Wednes day and both have been identified as having been in the post office short ly before the explosion that killed four persons and maimed many oth ers. State's Attorney Hoyne said one of the Wilsons was the man who placed the bomb. John W. Wilson, arrested last night, was once clerk for William D. Haywood, convicted secretary of the I. W. W. He said he was in the federal building shortly before the explosion, but simply to assist Haywood, who was there when the bomb was detonated. Arrested at Home of Mrs. Spies. Harry Wilson was arrested at the home of Nina Van Zant Spies, widow of August Spies, who was hanged for connection with the Haymarket riot bomb some thirty years ago. State's Attorney Hoyne tonight said that this Wilson had been identified, to his satisfaction, as the man who ran from the post office a few min utes before the explosion. Both Wilsons proclaim their in nocence, despite long questioning by the police and federal and county de tectives. Mrs. Spies was also taken into custody as was Mrs. Minnie Wymann, at first said to be a sister of Haywood, but later described as a friend of the I. W. W. Mr. Hoyne's statement says that Harry Wilson was seen near the federal building 10 minutes before the explosion carrying a bundle that seemed to be heavy and another witness says he saw him place a bundle by a radiator near the Adams street entrance of the federal build ing just before the explosion. A receipt found in his pocket showed that he had paid the expenses of an I. W. W. meeting last Sunday night. Leaders Taken to Prison. Ninety-three members of the I. W. VV., including Secretary William D. Haywood, were placed aboard a spe cial train on the Rock Island road tonight under heavy guard to be tak en to Fort Leavenworth prison to serve the terms imposed by Judge K. M. Landis after they had been found guilty of violating the espion age act in fighting the selective draft and opposing the war otherwise. All efforts of the convicts to ob tain bail or legal delays were abandoned today after many efforts had been made to keep the men from prison. Substantial Advances Made on Wide Front South of Peronne and in Queant Area. With the British Army in France, Sept. 6. Substantial advances again are reported all along the southern part of the line. The Australians have crossed the Somme on a wide front south of Peronne and have driv en into enemy territory. St. Christ, Brie, Les Mesnil, Doignt and Athies wood all have been taken. Progress is reported east of these places. The enemy has been driven from east and northwest of Peronne. Over the whole area, from where the Ger mans are retreating on this large sec tion of the front, many fires are rag ing and numerous explosions have been heard. Villages are aflame be tween the British positions and the Hindenburg line. Here and in the northern areas the Germans are burn ing quantities of materials. The British have reached the Athies-Ham road and are on the out skirts of Bussu. At Nurlu there has been heavy fighting. Strong German forces fighting desperately with ma chine guns and trench mortars have caused the British to pause. Huns Hustling Guns Away. Along the whole front from the southern extremity to the Bapaume Cambrai road the enemy artillery fire is dwindling, indicating the Germans are making strenuous efforts to get their guns back of the Hindenburg defenses. In the Queant area the British, af ter severe fighting, occupied the ridge south of Moeuvres and captured more German posts around Havrincourt wood. South of Havrincourt wood the advance north and south of Equancourt met with heavy resist ance. Just east of here the whole town of Fins is aflame. This resist ance probably was offered to give a (Continued on Page Two, Column Thr) Tag Day Nets $9,323.03 tor Omaha Visiting Nurses The committee having in charge the drive for funds for the Visiting Nurse association announce that the total receipts were $9,323.03. These figures are a revised count showing all money received. Wilcox Regains Lead. Milwaukee, Sept. 6. With eight precincts' njissing at midnight, Sen ator Roy Wilcox resumed his lead over Governor Philipp for the re publican gubernatorial'' nomination. His lead was 235. Manufacture of Beer To Stop on December 1 Next as War Measure Washington, Sept. 6. Manufac ture of beer in the United States will be prohibited after December 1, next, as a war measure. This announcement was made to night by the food administration, which said the decision had been reached at conferences between President Wilson and representa tives of the fuel, food and railroad administrations and the war indus tries board. German Armies Pervaded By Revolutionary Spirit By Associated Press. British Headquarters in France, Sept. 6. Sparks of revolution seem to be flying in the German army. Prisoners taken by the British men tion the distribution of pacifist and revolutionary pamphlets . among the troops. One recently returned from leave said when in company of a large num ber of Bavarians he was shown revo lutionary pamplets' which he was told v re being widely circulated. AH the pamphlets were violently anti-Prussian and appealed to the men to refuse to fight. It was said thaf during the recent I37th pioneer battalion of the S2d di vision was shot by his men when he attempted to stop a panic-stricken rush from the trenches. A battalion surgeon captured said all the regiment officers bcliewd that General Ludendorff would fight de laying actions until the allied offen sives had died out, Jhe same a's the Germans did, at the same time saving his "elite divisions" for a counter stroke, preparations for which are now being made. ; If the allies ever reached the Rhinc, said the doctor, Germany would niake peace, no matter at what price. . - - m tr . - o - " . VWV1--I 'lllU ;.3litni the commanding officer of the 1 the Rhine mijht be reached. HONS STILL GIVING WAY EVERYWHERE Allies at Present Rate of Progress Will Have Back All Ground Gained by Enemy This Year. With the French Army in France, Sept. 6. At the present rate of prog ress the entente allies soon will have driven the Germans from all ground gained by them this year and the of fensive operation may enter a new phase. French calvalry, after passing through Chauny this morning, are in the region of Viery-Xoureuil and are advancing towards Tergnier, which is two and a half miles west of La Fere. Farther north the Ham-Guiscard position has been turned and the ene my is retreating all along the line with the utmost speed. South of the Oise General Man gin's troops are pressing in close to the enemy's line from which he launched his spring offensive, in the region of the lower Forest of Coucy. French troops are within a mile of that line at Hill 75 and in front of Fresnes. Near Cbemin Des Dames. Near Laffaux, General Mangin's men are within four miles of the Che min Des Dames and only about 10 miles from the citadel of Laon. The forest of St. Gobain, which sheltered the first long range gun that shelled the Paris region and which was the cornerstone of the Hindenburg position at the angle where the line turns to the eastward along the Chemin Des Dames, is un der the fire of French guns over its whole extent. Just south of the river Oise the Germans this morning were still re sisting at Sinceny between the river and the lower forest of Coucy with the evident object of gaining further time to save their material further south. The line follows practically the 1917 front. Norih of Landricourt the French are fighting from their old first line ol trenches, while a little to the southeast they are approaching that line at the ravine of Vauxaillen. Buenos Aires Wire and Nail Employes Ask Wage Raise Buenos Aires, Sept. 6. Two thou sand postal and government tele graph employes went on strike last night for higher wages. They form ed a parade at the central postoffice and proceeded through the downtown district singing as they marched. German Marks Decline as Allies Gain on West Front Copenhagen, Sept. 6. The present situation on the western front has caused a fill in marks of about 17 per rent. 'vrii the pound sterling has ."en t j 5."-'. JUNCTION POINTS ON RAILWAYS FALL TO MARSHAL FOCH French Penetrate to Depth Exceeding Six Miles Beyond Canal Du Nord ; British Seven Miles East of Somme; Americans Gain Positions Dominating Territory in Direction of Rheims. TRANSPORT TORPEDOED OFF FRANCE Mount Vernon, Formerly Ger man Liner, Limps Safely to Port After Attack by U-Boat. Washington, Sept. 6. The Ameri can army transport Mount Vernon, formerly the North German Lloyd liner Kronprinzessin Cecilie, was tor pedoed by a submarine yesterday 200 miles from the coast of France while homeward bound. She was able to return to port. The report to the Navy department made no mention of casualties. It was assumed that no one was injuredi No military units were on board, but the big liner probably was carry ing some sick and wounded soldiers in addition to her crew of probably 600 or 7Q0 navy men.- The extent of the damage was not given in the de partment's advices, but from the fact that the vessel was able to return to France at a speed of 14 knots officials concluded she was not badly dam aged. The Mount Vernon is the second of the great German liners taken over by this country to be torpedoed. The President Lincoln was sunk recently 400 miles off the French coast while homeward bound. Before the war the Kronprinzessin Cecilie plied between New York and European ports. When the war be gan she was on the high seas, bound for Cherbourg and Plymouth with $12,000,000 in gold bullion in addition to many passengers. Instructions were sent to her master from Ger many by radio to return to this coun try. The liner immediately put back, arriving at Bar Harbor, Me. She later was moved to Boston. Suit was brought against the North German Lloyd line by banks in New York for failure of the vessel to de liver the gold and the case finally came before the supreme court, which decided against the banks. Later the vessel was seized by customs officials for the shipping board, which had her put in seagoing condition, the crew having damaged the engines. The navy took over the ship and she wag converted into a transport. The Mount Vernon is of 19,503 gross tons and before conversion had a passenger carrying capacity of about 2,000. Her speed is 22: knots an hour. "Quiet Day," German Report Berlin, via London, Sept. 6. "The day passed quietly along the battle front." says the German official com munication issued tonight. "There ! were minor engagements in the areas j fronting our positions." I Paris, Sept. 6. The French have occupied all their old trenches along the whole of the front to the north of the Aisne river and also have captured the towns of Ham and Chauny in the salient southwest of St. Quentin, says the official communi cation issued by thf war office tonight. South of the Aisne the American troops have made further progress in the region of Villers-En-Prayeres and Revillon. The French advance east of the Canal Du Nord at some places has reached a depth of more than 10 kilometers. London, Sept. C The British troops south of Peronne are advancing approximately seven miles east of the Somme on the general line of Monchy-Lagache, Vraignes and Vin court, all of which villages have been taken by them, according to Field Marshal Haig's communication issued tonight. In the Lys sector slight advances also have been made by the British. V By Associated Press. ' The Germans arre giving ground ADD FORT CROOK TO FORT OMAHA BALLOON SCHOOL As Soon as Water Is Piped to Reservation Personnel of New Camp Will Be ln creased to 2,000. All reports that Fort Omaha is to be abandoned as a balloon school were set at rest Friday evening when Colonel Hersey, commandant, re ceived a telegram from the War de partment at Washington informing him that Fort Crook had been made a part of the balloon instruction camp. Fort Crook' reservation consists of 500 acres and there are permanent quarters for officers, barracks, hos pital and all the equipment for a per manent post on the ground. The only drawback that stands in the way of manning the post with its capacity of 2,000 or more soldiers is that of water. The water supply at present is only sufficient for the needs of about 500 men and these will be transferred from Fort Omaha as soon as possible. A bill has passed congress provid ing for the laying of water mains from Omaha to the fort and as soon as this will have been completed the personnel of officers and enlisted men and equipment at Fort Omaha will be increased to the capacity. The addition of Fort Crook to the Fort Omaha balloon school will afford a relief to the strain that has been put on the capacity of the latter post to care for the large number of men now in training there. It will further establish the pres tige of the Omaha camp as the larg est school of instruction in aero nautics in the country. Chihuahua City Preparing For Attack by Villa Troops El Paso, Tex.. Sept. 6. Chihuahua City is preparing for an attack by Francisco Villa on the night of Sep tember 15, the second anniversary of his last capture of the state capital, Americans arriving here from Mexico today reported. Villa sent a mes sage to the federal military command er in Chihuahua City saying he in tended to attack the city on that date. Villa has established a camo 50 miles southwest of Chihuahua Citv. Optimistic Messages Mark Lafayette Day Celebration over the 150-mile front from Ypres to Rheims. Particularly heavy defeats have been inflicted on them by the Frencli in the old Noyon salient, and by the French and Americans in the region between the Vesle and the Aisne, east of Soissons. - -To the north, the British - haft"" pushed their lines eastward at num erous points for important gains and daily are increasing -the menace against the entire German line. ' Ham and Chauny Taken. In the old Noyon salient the- French have captured the important junction towns of Ham and Chauny. with their railroads and high roads leading respectively into St. Quentin and Lafers. Across the canal Du Nerd, they have penetrated at var ious points to a depth exceeding six t miles. The little forest of Coucy, the western portion of the great wooden sector east of Laon that has barred a direct advance eastward, has been entirely taken, and across the Ailette river General Mangin's forces have t , reoccupied additional points which ; have brought them abreast the old ; German defense line, outflanking the present German line in this region and that north of the Aisne, which is now pressing backward toward the Chemin Des Dames. Americans Make Progress. ' The latest French official report records that French troops on the north bank of the Aisne have reoc- ' cupied all their trenches and says that eastward the Americans have made progress in the region of Villers-En-Prayeres and Revillon which brings their front appreciably nearer the Aisne and gives them a position which dominates the territory south eastward toward Rheims. Much pro bably will depend on this dominate ing position together with the pres sure that the French to the east mayl bring in starting a retrograde move! by the Germans from the Rheims secl tor. St. Quentin Menaced. 1 With the old Noyon salient now rructically blotted out with all it f roads and strategic points in the hands of the French and wffh St. Quentin seriously menaced by the British and the Germans in retreat from the Vesle to the Aisne, it seems apparent that the enemy soon must re-establish their battle front in ihe wet. r"-t of Peronne the British are advancing over a front of aporoxi- -match' seven miles toward St. Quen tin. having captured many towns. Where the enemy has attempted re sis'ance it has quickly been over come. In the north, further gams hav " been made in the direction of Cam- ; brai and on the Lys salient Field Marshal Haig's men are still engag ed in successfully narrowing down what remains of the old salient. New York. Sept. 6. Jules Jus serand, the French ambassador, in an address before the banquet of the Franco-American societies asserted that "the enemy is doomed," and we "shall choose and appoint the dav for peace." The banquet was part of New York's celebration of the 161st birthday anniversary of the Marquis De Lafayette, and the fourth anni versary of the first battle of the Marne. M. Jusserand piad tribute to Amer ica's efforts in the war. showed the insincerity of former German peace offers and predicted that the enemy's next peace offensive "will fail as well as hi? other offensives." Tonight's meeting was only one feature of the program. At an im pressive ceremony In the city hall were read messages from American and allied leaders, all expressing con fidence in ultimate victory. One from Marshal Foch asserted that if the allied dead open their eyes "they would see the blue sky." Other messages were from President Poiit care, Marshal Joffre, General Persh ing, Ambassador Sharp, Admiral Sims and Count Di Cellere. Italian ambas sador to the United States. Addresses were delivered by Col onel Theodore Roosevelt and John Jay Chapman, each of whom has lost a son fighting with the allied air forces. War Department Clerks Put Under Draft Rule Washington. Sept. 6. Secretary Baker has ordered the chief of each . bureau in the War department to re- , place by December 31 all men within : the draft ages who would be classified in Class 1 now assigned to duty in Washington or in War department branches elsewhere, with men phy sically disqualified for general miii tarv service. The positions thus vacated may also be filled by men in the deferred class- " es where such deferment, has beea granted on the grounds of dei dency.