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rALL THE LATEST WAR NEWS BY ASSOCIATED PRESS FULL LEASED WIRE SERVICE
The
OMAHA
DA
ly Bee
VOL. 48 NO. 75.
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I pnt f . 0. ntu m( Mtrak J. 1(71
.OMAHA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1918.
By Mill (I mrl, Dally. I4.M; tund.y. IJ.M;
Otlli n4 8u J; iitld Nib. WiH lr.
TWO CENTS
THE WEATHER
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BRITONS
DRIVE ON
GAifiBRA
I
Advance of Half Mile Made,
" Havrincourt Captured and
'1,000 Germans Made
Prisoners.
London, Sept. 12. The Brit
ish have made further impor
tant progress toward Cambrai,
having captured the towns of
Havrincourt, . Trescault and
Moevres, penetrated into the
old British defense line jat sev-
eral places and crossed the
Canal Du-Nord, north of Hav
rinrnnrr.. accordincr to Field
Marshal Haig's communication
issued tonight.
A thousand Germans were made
prisoner in the operation.
The British advanced for a distance
of a half mile on a front of three and
one-half miles.
All-indications on the British front
joint to the intention of the Ger
mans, to defend their positions in the
highly organized battle zone of the
Germans' old positions and the Hin
denburg line, by inundating the coun
try where that impossible. Doubtless,
however, they are considering the
establishment of a strong line further
back with the big towns of Douai,
Cambrai and St. Quentin as pivots. ,
It is pointed out that., the Germans
since July 14 have shortened, xaeu
line approximately 70 miles'," thereby
saving between 30 and 40 divisions.
A further shortening, however, is not
immediately possible. Hence . the
British expect strong resistance and
Before the Hindenburg system now
held by the Germans can be success
fully deilt with, much reconstruc
tion of communications will be. neces
sary. But this is not viewed as a
great task, owing to the speed of the
British engineers,, who are now en
gaged in the preliminaries of : this
work.
In their recent advance the British
fired more than 10,000.000 shells in
four weeks. As a result the enemy's
wire was cut with greater thorough
ness than ever before and the
British counter battery work, accord
ing to the German statement, de
stroyed ten guns to the Germans' one.
French Also Go Forward.
Paris, Sept 12. "West of St. Quen.
: tin, in co-operation with the British,
we advanced as far as the Holon-Savy
road," the war office statement an
nounces tonight.
Nebraska Soldiers
Probably Engaged in
. Americans' Attack
American divisions known to be in
the positions from, which the attack
has been launched by General Persh
ing, included the veteran First and
Second divisions of the old regular
army, the first American units to get
into action in France, the 89th na
tional army division, composed of
Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota.
Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico
and Arizona troops, and the 82d
national ( army division, composed
of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee
troops, with the 37th national guard
divisions, composed of Ohio troops.
General Pershing has been concen
trating his army for some weeks in
this region, however, and a complete
shift in the divisional alignment may
have been made.
Lad Instantly Killed . .
Under Wagon Wheels
Johnnie Robertson, 6 years old,
713 Leavenworth street, died shortly
after being run over by a heavy wag-
on at Seventh and Leavenworth
streets.
The rear wheel of the wagon passed
over his head. R. Rango, Albany
hotel, employed by the Hugh Murphy
Asphalt company, was driving the
wagon.
As the boy started to climb on
Rango's wagon to catch a ride, he
slipped and fell under the rear wheel.
The body was taken to the under
taking establishment of Duffy & John-
an inquest would, not be necessary.
Bill to Stabilize Bond
Market Reported to House
Washington. Sept. 12. The admin
istration measure designed to stabi
lize the Liberty bond market by mak
ing larger amounts held by individu
als and corporationVexempt from in-
- t.v.r .4a rrArA nn r t H
favorably today by the house wayf
and means committee.
Vcn Payer Intimates
Germany's Readiness
To Restore Belgium
Copenhagen, Sept, 12. That Ger
many might restore Belgium with
out conditions or indemnities in
case no other country would be
better situated as regards Belgium
than Germany was the belief ex
pressed today by Frederich Von
Payer, imperial vice chancellor of
Germany, in a speech delivered at
Stuttgart.
Herr Von Payer was speaking on
the depression felt in Germany and
allied countries which he attributed
not a recent military events but to
the prospects of a fifth war winter.
13,000,000
MEN ENROLL
IN RESERVES
Demonstrations of Patriotism
Mark Registration Every
where; a Nationwide
Roundup to Follow.
OMAHA REGISTRATION.
Dist No. 1 4,428
Dist. No. 2 4,070
Dist No. 3 4,967
Dist. No. 4 5,342
Dist. No. 5 5,139
Dist. No. 6 2,468
i r r t t3
JVJ liUUJlin
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ii) : ; ,
Total 26,414
Washington, Sept? "12. Thirteen
million men, probably more, the force
from which will come the reserves to
win the war, were' registered today
in the second great mobilization of,
the nattoV;man' power. rijfJiiw'd
t as uiese men were moving" in every
city, town and hamlet over the coun
try to add theif names to the roll of
the 11,000,000 who had registered be
fore, the nation's fighting army over
seas was hurling itself against the
enemy in the first distinctly Ameri
can affensive operation on the west
ern front.
Demonstrations of patriotism
everywhere marked the registration.
Long before the appointed' time for
the registrars to begin their work,
lines of citizens were waiting to en
roll. No Disorders Reported.
There were no reports of disorder.
With registration day now history
the next "move of the draft machinery
will be in the numbering serially of
the registration cards. Until that
work is completed by the local boards
the drawing of the order numbers
which will determine in a measure the
relative standing of the registrants
cannot be held.
In the meantime, however, ques
tionnaires will go forward to men
between 19 a!nd 21 and 32 and 36 so
that they may be classified and some
of them thus made ready for call in
October after the national drawing
is held.
Complete reports from the registra
tion today- are not expected by Pro
vost Marshal General Crowder be
fore Saturday. These will show the
total number of men registered as
well as the proportion of this number
to the estimate in each, district and
may form the basis for activity by
the Department of Justice in rounding'
up those who have evaded the law.
A naton-wide effort to round up
men who failed to register for the
draft today will be started immediate
ly by ,a specially organized corps of
Department of Justice agents.
Hogs Go Still Higher.
The record hog sales on the South
Side market broke all altitude
records Thursday. In fact, they went
"out of sight", The new record sale
is $20.25. The average sales were
$19.50 to $19.75.
AMERICANS ATTACK
W 20-MILE FRONT AND
ADVANCE FIVE MILES
. i
First Big U. S. Offensive Begun Between
Meuse and Moselle Rivers Under General
Pershing's Personal Supervision
By Associated Press.
Paris, Sept. 1 2. The first big American offensive, which began at daybreak
today between the Meuse and Moselle rivers, was conducted under General Per
shing's personal supervision and was executed under orders of American officers
with American soldiers. This was the first distinctly American operation of a ma
jor character launched on the western front. The attack was made along a 20-mile
front on the famous St. Mihiel salient in Lorraine, which had stood a sharp wedge
in the French line southeast of Verdun since the commencement of the war.
EUGENE V. DEBS
FOUND GUILTY
OF DISLOYALTY
Villa 8 Horse Captured
With Bloodstained Bridle;
Outlaw Reported Killed
El Paso, Tex., Sept. 12. Andres
Garcia, Mexican consul general an
nounced late today that he had re
ceived official advices from Chihua
hua that Francisco Villa's horse,
with a blood-stained saddle, had
been captured near Satavo, Chi
huahua, on Wednesday, following
a battle between Villa forces and
federal troops under Gen. Pedro
Favela. There is an unconfirmed
rumor in Juares that Villa has been
killed.
PERSH NG
Thiaucourt, Bouillouville, Pannes and several towns in
the north were captured by the Americans in the initial dash,
while on the west at the northern edge of the pocket, the vil
lage of Combres was captured and the environs of Dommartin
La Montagrie were reached. To the south everywhere the
Americans penetrated into the heights of the Meuge the great
est depth reached was five miles. ,
k ; V CAVALRY IN FRONT.
; The'cavalry far outstripped 'the.' tanks' atid'f od&nelHind
was last reported operating along the railroad near Vigneulles,
almost in the center of the salient and some ten miles northeast
of St. Mihiel, and also northwest of Pont-A-Mousson, through
the forests and along the railway line running northward to
Metz, thfi great German fortress, the southern outer fortifica
tions of which are less than 10 miles distant. i
FRENCH CAPTURE ST. MIHIEL.
French troops, brigaded with the Americans, recaptured
St. Mihiel where the Germans offered strong resistance and are
sweeping across the salient in an effort to close the mouth of
the big pocket before the Germans can" extricate themselves
from the perilous position they are in as a result of the sud
denness of the blow.
"The operation is developing under the best of conditions,"
the War office announced tonight. .
REACH GERMAN SUPPORT LINE.
Paris, Sept. 12. (Reuter's Limited.) American forces in
the course of the last 24 hours have accomplished a series of
bold strokes in Lorraine and in the Vosges. American detach
ments made a surprise attack on the German positions at many
points and penetrated the enemy lines at places, meeting with
but feeble resistance.
. Having in some places reached the German support line, the
Americans, in accordance with orders they had received, re
tired. They destroyed all the material they were unable to
carry away and blew up the machine gun shelters, concrete
blockhouses and munitions depots. German heavy shells
reached isolated points but tardily and ineffectively. The
Americans in the course of these operations inflicted heavy loss
es on the enemy. On the whole of the front there was a
sustained reciprocal bombardment. ' .
Malt PanM Pi-mrr... 'V
American Forces on the Lorraine
Front, Sept. 12. French and Ameri
can artillery this morning directed a
terrific barrage, fire on the German
positions on this front The reply of
the German big guns was vigorous
at some places, although as a whole,
it was weak.
American .forces this morning
launched an attack on the German
positions. At 9 o'clock they had pro
gressed generally along the line.
(Continued on Page Two, Colnmn Three)
Concert at Court' House Ends
Registration Day Program'me
A day epochal in the history of
Omaha and of the United States, a
day in which the full and vigorous
manhood of the nation was registered
and consecrated tto the cause of uni
versal freedom, was fittingly closed
last night by an inspirational patriotic
concert on the court house plaza by
Dan Desdune's band.
Twenty-five musicians, descendants
of fathers and mothers whose
shackles had been struck from them
by the might of another army of
idealists under the great emancipator,
Lincoln, through the travail of civil
war, breathed through instruments of
reed and brass and beat on cymbals
and drums the triumphant, uncon
querable spirit of an aroused demo
cracy, the American determination
to win the war "over there."
It was the closing number of the
program that interpreted the popular
spirit and voiced the sentiment of one
of the greatest days in American his
tory. . '
When the band-got into -the em
phatic, spirited, enthusiastic refrain of
''Over There," and wjth rolfcof drum
and strident bugle call rising in a
brasses and reeds the. immense au
dience of thousands of persons broke
into spontaneous and deafening ap
plause. The musicians, who seeiet
to be inspired with the spirit of the
musical theme, were compelled to re
spond to an encore that was insistent
Dan Desdune's band has won a
warm place in the affections of Oma
ha's population. It is not only a fine
musical organization, but it is also
one which will eb identified in history
with many of the patriotic activities
of the war.
Its "members have marched at the
head of all the companies of draft
selects who have left the city during
the fateful days that have come since
the nation entered the war. It has
cheered the folk at home and inspired
tfiose who have left as crusaders by
patriotic strains and gladsome meio-
FOUR PRISONERS
ESCAPE JAIL BY
MEANS OF ROPE
Flight Seen by Score of Per
' sons in Chicago Street; Two
Fugitives Convicted
Murderers.
Chicago, Sept 12. Two convicted
murderers, awaiting execution, a not
ed safe blower and an alleged accom
plice in a killing, escaped from the
fourth floor of the county jail to
night by sliding down a rgpe while
a score of curious persons watched
them from the street below.- Aftei
reaching the ground, two of the men
escaped in a black automobile, while
the other two fled into an alley. The
four who escaped are:
Earl Dear, convicted of the murder
of a chauffeur and sentenced to death:
Lloyd Popp, convicted of slaying a
policeman and also sentenced to
death ; Joseph Moran, a noted safe
blower, and Frank McErlane, wait
ing trial in connection with the kill
ins? of a policeman.
Early in the evening Moran pre
tending he was ill. called a guard to
his cell, and after beating him into
insensibility with a pistol, took away
his keys and freed his three com-
Ipanions,
Mrs. Stokes, Under Conviction
on Similar Charge, at De
fendant's Side When
Verdict Is Read.
Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 12. Eugene
V. Debs, charged with violating the
espionage act, was found guilty by
a federal jury today.
Talking to newspaper men after
the verdict, Debs said:
"It is all right. I have no com
plaint to make. It will come out all
right in God's good time."
Debs was found guilty of attempt
ing to incite insubordination, disloy
alty, etc., in the military and naval
forces; atempting to obstruct recruit
ing and uttering language tending to
incite, provoke and encourage the
cause of the enemy.
When it was announced that the
jury was ready to report, Mrs. Rose
Pastor Stokes, herself under convic
tion on a similar charge, came in
side the railing for the first time.
Previously at Debs' request, she had
remained hidden in the body of the
audience.
She drew her chair beside his and
into her hands he slipped his own
gaunt paw, wnere it remained while
the clerk was reading the verdict
and polling the jury. She had ex
pected an adverse verdict from the
first.
The maximum penalty is 20 years
imprisonment and a fine of $10,000
TANK FLEETS
LEAD ATTACK
OF U.S. ARMY
Heavy Bombardment Precedes
Advance of Infantry; Ob
jectives of Movement
Are Limited.
London, S:pt 13. The Daily Mail
correspondent at the American front
sends the following description of the
battle along the St. Mihiel sector:
"The first American army under
personal command of General Per
shing for the first time went pito ac
tion today in the St. Mihiel salient
Never before has there been such a
large concentration of American
troops for one operation and never
have the Americans been in such
complete c6ntrol of their own oper
ations. 1
"The event had long been antici
nated. Some neoole assigned to it
grandiose objectives, but in reality
the attack is for limited objectives
only. ' ' 1
"The concentration of a great part
ot tne most expenencea ,unueo
States troops had taken place during
the .last two weeks and everything
was planned minutely and with ex
actitude for a great event in Ameri
can history. . Last night the final pre
parations were completed.
"The country over which the Amer
icans are fighting is very difficult The
high ridges and thick woods offer
every concealment for enemy machine
guns and in addition the .Germans
have a fortified line of resistance,
which lias everything in its favor.
. Tanks Lead Attack.
"At I o'clock Thursday morning
the artillery preparations began with
a roar that could be heard many
miles away and all night it rose and
fell with peculiar fluctuations. From
all the roads that ran parallel the
flashes of innumerable guns told of
the impending assault. Towards S
o'clock-he hour of the attack the
firing became even more rapid and
its sullen tone mingled strangely with
the sound of the rain. .
"At dawn whole fleets of tanks,
manned by strong young Americans
and French, were to be seen moving
out of their shelters to lead the at
tack. They lumbered on, but the Ger
mans offered little opposition. The
American infantry followed in open
order, plowing through the mud, but
they" were little troubled by the feeble
artillery resistance.
- Cross Seicheprey R.dge.
"At one point, near Seicheprey,
where the Americans had previously
fought desperately with the Germans,
machine gun and automatic fire swept
down upon the Yanks' right flank,
but the tanks and artillery quickly
(Continued on Page Two, Column One.)
Beware ! Do You Know What
Day This Is? Jinx' 11 Get You
If You Don't Watch Out!
Psst! Watch your step today;
count your change, be careful what
you eat, keep a sharp eye on your
umbrella and don't start on any long
journeys I
Why, Because, this is Friday the
13th. U-u-ughl
The Jinx is abroad in the land to
day; can't you almost hear the flap
ping of his planes? Think of what is
liable to happen to the Germans on
the western front if the Yankees take
it into their heads to initiate them
into the mysteries of the day. Oh
boy! Good thing yesterday was reg
istration day!
This is the fist Friday the 13th in
1918. There will be another along in
December, but we should worry about
the one in December. We may all be
in France by thenl
Here are are some of the things
which tradition has it happen on Fri
day the 13th:
The mortgage comes due, men lose
fortunes in the stock market, people
break legs, the cat has kittens, the
plumbing gets out X order, it rains,
prices go up, street cars tie up, the
rent comes due. you break your
glasses and stooping to pick up the
broken lenses your watch falls out
smashing the crystal and mainspring
followed by your fountain pen which
rolls in the gutter where your hat is
and but you're still all right if
the Jinx don't get your registration
card.
If you didn't get your Bee this
morning don't blame the carrier or
the newsman, blame the Jinx.
Don't sign up for anything today
unless it is for a Liberty bond or some
war saving stamps and try not to do
any business withstrangers.
If you want to see, the rosy tints
of dawn on the 14th don't, don t (this
is exclusive; no other paper has this)
.don't walk under a ladder!
So much for the horrible things that
MIGHT happen. "
But things ain't what they used to
be. The days of real sport and hide
bound superstitition are past.
What probably WILL happen will
be a five or 10-mile advance by. the
allies; 25 or 37 Hun planes shot
down; another U-boat sunk; 16 ships
launched; reports of full and enthu
siastic registration from all sections
of the good old United States,
and oh, we almost forgot.
Today is General Pershing's birth
day. .
jThat takes the Jinx off of everything.
TO SPRING
HUN TRAP
American Advance Narrows
Gap Tjirough Which Ger:'
mans Can Escape From
St. Mihie! Salient.
By Associated Press.
Washington, JJept 12. Am
erican troops operating in the
St. Michiel sector made consid
erable, gains today, General
Pershing reported in his com
munique to the War depart-
ment late tonignt. Already
8,000 prisoners have been
counted, and the movement is
still in progress. '
Washington, Jbept. 12. Six
teen months of vast war effort
by the United States reached
its first goal Monday when
General Pershing's forces
struck their first independent
blow in France against the
German armv.
Reports tonight show that
success was meeting the Amer
ican commander's effort to fling
the enemy out of the sharp sali
ent thrust in behind the fort-
icbb vi vcfuuii ui viie ursv yea
of the.ar;;.f .
But of even greater significance
td government officials was the fact
that the all-American attack iheanf
that the months of ceaseless toil and
effort have now brought forth a third
great organized army, backed by its
own supplies and millions more sol
diers if needed.
Up to a late hour no official report,
from General Pershing had come.
General March, chief of staff, and his
officers. were gathered about the great
war maps, however, tracing out the
lines of the conflict from press ac
counts as they were received.
Applies Pincer Tactics.
First reports told merely that the
American army had launched an at
tack around the St Mihiel salient the
only sharp thrust toward the heart
of France that remained to the Ger
man leaders to show for their of
fensive efforts since the war began.
It seeftied possible that objective of
the attack was Metz, just beyond the
German border on the Moselle river.
Later accounts made it clear, how
ever, that for his first blow. Genera!
Pershing had determined to employ
the pincer tactics Marshal Foch has
now used with reneated success in
hurling the foe back from the Marne
and out of the Picardy and Flanders
salients. The chance lay ready to the
American leader's hand.
Almost due south of the war
wrecked fortress of Verdun which has
defied every German effort the town
of St. Mihiel stood at the apex of a
great enemy wedge driven into the
French lines and which all but cut
Verdun off in the first German rush
toward Paris. At the eastern curve
of this salient. American troops have
stood for months, holding the lines.
Americans were on the line between
Verdun and St Mihiel. but St Mihiel
itself was held by the French for the
fate of Verdun rested on that line.
Nirrnn. MniitVi rif Pnrlr
Surging forward on a 12-raile front
to the east of St Mihiel Pershing's
men have "rolled over the compli
cated defenses of the enemy all along
tne line and tnrusi a sieei-snoa jaw
out into the territory behind the ene
my forces mat hold the town. From
the other side, another ' American
thrust has carried the lines forward
(Contlanea' on Pe Two, Cotnma roar)
Bellevue College Made v
Student Training Camp
The War department Thursday no
tified C E. Baskerville. acting presi-.
dent of Bellevue college, that that in-'
stitution had been officially placed on
the list of the country's student army
training camps.
President Baskerville expects that
at least 75 young men will take a
vantage of this new opportunity af
forded at Bellevue college. The col
leg? is particularly adapted for this
work, having one ot ine largest gym
nasiums in the state, and other facil
ities. The training camp will be
opened on October 1.
To Study in U. S.
Bordeaux, France, Sept ,12. One'
hundred women students are leaving
here for he United States.. They are
winners of scholarships offered by the
American government to women stu-
Idents of French universities. '