Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, September 26, 1918, Image 1
ttt ODDS AND ENDS OF DAY'S DOINGS "Airnats" Flyers' Nickname. Paris. Sept. 25. "Airnats" will take its place beside "Poilus" and "Yanks" if the world will accept the result of the anneal made bv the Plane News, organ of the American ! air eririi fn t U - ........ C I w .v, wis; ucai luiniidllic 1U1 fighters in the air service. About 300 names were proposed from which a committee selected 25. By a vote bf the aviators at the great American aviation school where the Plane News is published, "Airnats" was chosen. It was suggested by Sergeant C. B. Swafford, of the 655th aero squad, to whom was warded the first prize of $20. Other names considered were "Sky Larks," "Joy Boys," "Eagles." "Starshoot ers," "Skyscraners," "Larks." "War Eagles," "Sky' Bo," "Sky Jackies," ind "Joy Stickers." Bars Kimonos on Streets. Honolulu, T. H.. Sept. 25. R. Moroi, consul-general of Japan, has forbidden 'his countrymen in Hono lulu to wear kimonos on the streets. To enforce his order he has had the sheriff swear in M. Nishigaya, an at tache of the consulate, as a deputy and it will be his duty to arrest Japanese men who appear on the streets in kimonos, on charge of wearing improper clothing. , Skunk Skins $9 Each. New York, Sept. 25. What is said to be the highest price ever paid in this country for raw skunk skins was obtained at the fall auction of furs here today when the finest lot of fered brought $9 each. A "freak" fox fur, auctioned for the benefit of the Red Cross, brought $500. Total sales for the last three days amounted to $1,750,000. Prices for house cats were fifty per cent higher than last spring and those for ermine 35 per cent higher. Makes Digging Pay Well. Moundsville, W. Va Sept. 25. Digging and loading coal is a profit able, in addition to being an "essen . tial" industry during times of war as demonstrated by the record pay check of $169.89 for 11 days' work, handed recently to Charles Fogle, a local miner. In one day Fogle loaded 30 tons and 17 hundred weight, earning $18.20 for eight hours' work. HOST TO SEE HIGHWAY AS LIGHTS GLOW Ak-Sar-Ben Carnival Attracts ) Bin Crowd First Niaht: Shows of High Merit Amuse Gay Throng. ATTENDANCE RECORD. 1917. 1918. Wednesday. 4,102 5,884 The opening night of the Ak-Sar-Ben carnival was surprisingly lively considering war conditions. Threatened rains failed to keep away the crowd and more than the usual "pep" was noticeable. Shows re ported a rushing business and were surprised at the opening night at tendance. 'Hot dog men shouted their wares in the usual carnival fashion, and the hungry rushed up to b, fed. Confetti and other things that go to make up a joyous entertain ment were plentiful and joy reigned supreme. Fort Omaha was represented by a plentiful sprinkling of men in uni form. Girls engaged in war work were evident by their costumes, en joying a little recreation after their day's toil. Patriotism to Fore. Women's patriotic organizations have booths on the grounds where they sell merchandise for the "inner man." and were constantly kept busy ' by the merrymakers. Plenty of mu sic adds to the festival feelings of those in attendance. ' A battle of royal between mere man Captain Dan Riley, the lion tamer, and seven vicious snapping lions, two leopards, two pumas, and one jaguar.-in which the latter were subdued, was one of the spectacles that attracted attention. The captain, who is a veteran of the game, carries many scars of pre vious battles with the untamable beasts, but his "morale" is still un broken as the cowering mien of his snarling antagonists obviously in dicated. An amusing incident occurred when Harry Lewis, another trainer, endeavored to show a crowd of spectators how really harmless the "cats" were. "Baby Strikes Back. Reaching his hand through the bars of one of the cages he essayed to bestow an effectionate stroke on the furry back of a baby jaguar. While his efforts obviously were appreciated, the "baby" in recipro cating "accidentally" stroked back. But he stroked too hard, apparently, ,for his gentle massage removed a Jiberal quantity of skin from the trainer;1 hand. However, in justice to the juvenile one, it must be said, he made all effort to undue his mis take. With his tongue he lovingly caressed the wound, which bled copiously. But, certain suspicious witnesses were inclined to believe the act was inspired by his weak ness for the red fluid rather than contrition over the accident. The knights of Ak-Sar-Ben have engaged a band -for the carrSval m-oiinds and the Kennedy shows have another band. There will not be a dull moment during the next 10 days. . The annual electric parade and pa will be held on Wednesday night, October 2, and the military and civic parade will be on Ihurs afternon. October 3. "The Answer of the Allies." is the title of this year's electrical parade. The military and civic parade will l one of the' most interesting and impressive demonstrations ever wit nessed in Omaha, according to the THE NEWSPAPER YOU ALWAYS LOOK TO FOR LATEST AND MOST RELIABLE WAK HEWS The Omaha Daily .Bee VOL. 48. NO. 86. Enttnd M wcond-eUn My 28. I9J it Omaha P. 0. udr act of March 3, 1879 OMAHA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1918. By Mall (I ytar). Dally. $4.50. Sunday. $2.10. Dally and Sun., $6; sutilda Nt. poitata axtra. TWO CENTS. THE WEATHER: . Fair Thursday and Fri day; somewhat warmer Friday. Hourly IVmprraturtl. 5 a. in . .61 1 p. m, 6 b. m 60 Ip. m, 7 a. m 60 S p. m. 8 a. m ....60 4 p. in. 9 a. ni 61 5 p. m. 10 a. m 68 6 p. m. 11 n. in 65 7 p. m. IS m 67 S p. m. U ZJ MM) 4g ii itlYJ FIREMEN STAND PAT FOR UNION City Council Opposes Affilia tion With American Fed eration and Clash May Come; Police Yield. Omaha is face to face with the possibility of the mayor and city council declaring that 225 members of the fire department are guilty of in subordination. The situation which involv es the unionization of the fire department will be brought to a climax at this morning's meeting of the city council when Mayor Smith's resolution, offered last week and deferred from last Mon day morning, will be brought up for consideration. Indications are the resolution will be adopted. Its adoption will mean that 225 members of the fire depart ment, who have joined a union re cently affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, will be placed in the position of defying the or ders of the mayor and council un less they recede from their position as publicly announced yesterday aft ernoon. Men Will Not Yield. C. F. T. Jensen, Fred J. Bloemer, Walter Bernhardt and John J. Cavaugh, a committee authorized to represent the new firemen's local union at a conference held in the mayor's office yesterday afternoon, stated that their union will not draw back from its determination to hon or an affiiation already accomplished with the American Federation of Labor. Affiliation with other organizations was the sticking point which the conferees could not bridge in a dis cussion affecting the firemen. Neither the mayor nor Commission ers Ringer nor Zimman, who attend ed the conference, would weaken in their position that the affiliated unions for either police or fire de partment are against best public in terests. Policemen Yield Point. The policemen's union, represent ed by Foster Burchard,- James Mc Donald and James Hughes, yielded to the extent of agreeing not to affil iate with the American Federation of Labor or the Central Labor union, which concession disposed of that matter, at least for the present. It was agreed that the policemen shall continue their organization within their own ranks, which they will do, subject to approval of the new chief of police, who will take charge Oc tober 1. They intend to obtain a state charter and will not be iden tified with any other organization, but organize only as a metropolitan police department. Mayor's Resolution. The mayor's resolution, which will be considered this morning, follows: "Resolved, That it is the judgment of this city council that any move continued on Page Two, Column Two.) Spain Ready to Aid in Repression of Bolsheviki Madrid, Sept. 25. The Spanish government has not yet made any statement concerning the receipt of President Wilson's recent note urg ing allied and neutral governments to take action in condemnation of the massacres in Russia. According to information obtain ed from reliable sources, however, Spain is ready to assist in any ac tion having the re-establishment of order in Russia as its objective as King Alfonso and the Spanish gov ernment are greatly interested in the future of that country, while Spanish capitalists hold 50,000,000 pesetas of the Russian debt. SPANISH INFLUENZA'S DEATH TOLL ALARMING More Than Thousand Succumb to Malady in New England in 10 Days; Massachusetts Calls Upon Red Cross for Physicians and Nurses; Theaters and Other Public Resorts Ordered Closed. Boston, Sept. 25. Alarmed by the rapidly mounting death toll in New England from Spanish influenza, Massa chusetts, the center of the epidemic in the west, today began a concerted effort to stamp out the disease. The executive council, in special session set aside a fund of $100,000, and Acting Governor Coolidge immediately created the emer gency public health committee. The first step taken was to call on the American Red Cross at Washington for physicians and nurses to take the places of those who have died or who have been exhausted by their arduous work. The committee then sent out a state wide request for the temporary closing of all theaters, motion picture houses and other places of public gathering, except churches. It was estimated today that there- were between su.uuu ana o.uuu cases ofinfluenza and pneumonia in New England. There have been more than 1,000 deaths in the New England states in 10 days. There were 107 deaths from in fluenza and pneumonia in Boston for the 24 hours ending at 10 o'clock tonight. Deaths from the disease in this city since .September 14 have totalled 697. Washington, Sept. 25. Spanish influenza has spread over the coun try so rapidly that officials of the public health service. War and Navy departments and Red Cross con ferred today on measures to help local communities fa combating the disease. Surgeon General Rupert Blue of the public health service said tonight that latest reports showed that the malady made its appearance in 26 states from the Atlantic to the Pa cific. The disease is epidemic in New England, where it first made its appearance. Influenza has appeared on the Pa cific coast in Washington and Cali fornia, but is not yet epidemic there. It also has been reported in Minen sota and Iowa, but with few cases. East of the Mississippi, however, there are few states where it has not been found. The disease continued to spread today in army camps, 5,324 new cases being reported to the office of the surgeon general of the army up to noon. The total reported from the camps today was the largest in any one day and brought the total to 29, 002 cases. The number of pneu monia cases reported among t the soldiers since the outbreak of the in fluenza epidemic September 13, is 2,313, and the number of deaths since that date is 530, with 155 re ported today. GERMANY'S BAD PLIGHT BARED BY HERRING Admission of Gravity of Situ ation Only Noteworthy Feature of Chan cellor's Speech. Washington, Sept. 25. There was just one thing in Chancellor von Hertling's speech which interested American officials. It was his frank and open admission of the serious ness of the ineernal situation in Germany. Following so closely upon the formal declaration by the social democrats of the conditions upon which their party would consent to participate in the government, the speech was regarded as intend ed primarily for internal consump tion in Germany. It is regarded as part of a plan to pursuade the socialists to come to the aid of the government in its grave straits by demonstrating that there are no sub stantial differences of principles be tween their party and the govern ment. The inclination of the govern ment to regard the speech as the latest movement in the German peace offensive and as insincere and unworthy of consideration is based upon the feeling that in scarcely a single point does the premier make an unqualued declaration of ad herence to the 14 principles laid down by President Wilson. Every where in his speech officials said there were limitations and qualifica tions. Through neutral countries have come reports of disorganization, mutiny, rioting and desperation in Germany, but it remained for the German chancellor to add the official confirmation which was wanting. Sedition Trial at Norfolk Involves Priest and Nun Norfolk, Neb., Sept. 25. (Special Telegram.) Anonymous letters sent in large numbers through the mail attacking the character of Rev. Father William Windolph, pastor of the Creighton Catholic church, and of a sister in charge of the parochial school at Creighton, were offered in evidence this afternoon by the de fense of the United States against Father Windolph charging the de fendant with violating the sedition and espionage laws by his utter ances. The anonymous letters came to light when the government put Mrs. ponahue Green on the stand, who on cross-examination identified the letters and admitted she had written them and mailed them to various persons connected with-t,he Catholic cnurchr Mrs. Green, wh.i a widow, and promises gl QSO tljQ are ia charge.who lives near .no church, was thought to be the star witness for the government. The defense announced that the letters were being introduced foi the reason of showing the bitter per sonal feeling which the witness had against the defendant. It is understood that the sister in question, the father of the sister, a number of the sisters who taught at the school at Creighton, and med ical men are to testify for the de fense. v Dr. George Mullen, for the eov- i ernment, testified that the defendant had made disloyal statements in his presence. Judge Woodrough interrupted the proceedings to announce emphatical ly that some of the examination was grossly improper and that the Catho lic church was not on trial in the present case and cautioned the de fense not to get the church mixed up with the trial. AHEAD OF BOCHE, SAYS LEADER OF NEGROJROOPS Colonel William Hayward Tells of 129 Days in Trenches and Interesting Facts of the War. Col. William Hayward, at the head of a regiment of negro troops, picked from the Harlem district in New York, has been in the thick of the fighting in France, has been commended by General Chabord, his commander, for the work he and his men performed, and is now in a rest camp after hard fighting for a sustained period of 129 days. Writing to William H. Pitzer, his former , law partner, at Nebraska City, he says: "Well, we are "at rest." A few days ago a tired, ragged, lousy, battle-scarred regiment trudged out of sector after being under fire every day for 129 days, after being through the greatest battle in the world's history and after holding what was at one time, (14 months after the United States declared war on Germany), one-fifth of all the ground the whole American army was holding, when that army had about ten times as many com missioned officers in France as we had enlisted men. "The French generals, from Gen eral Gouraud down, say we did our work as well as the veteran French infantry regiments on either side of us. We captured prisoners, includ ing a German officer and lost none to them. We killed many of them in their trenches and inside our own lines. We were never driven from our front trenches, although assault ed repeatedly. "No Man's land" soon became 15th B. Y. land after we took over each of the sectors we held, the last one being the most active and dangerous sector from Switzerland to the channel, so the French tell us. On total killed and captured we are away ahead of the boche may be 100. And we did what we were given to do with a minimum of losses. General Gouraud has inscribed to me a copy of his now famous ad dress to his soldiers before the great battle in which he expresses his great esteem "Au Cotanel Hay ward et son brave regiment." So as we tramped away to the south in the. sunshine and dust of the late days of August ' and the sound of the damned guns grew fainter and fainter, and we took off our steel helmets fcnd put away our gas masks, temporarily, you can imagine how the spirits of the men grew high, and how they sang marching songs lustily and what our thoughts were. And when one remembers the be ginnings of this little old hand picked, home-made regiment of Harlem colored boys and that we were never inspected, never trained, never coached, by an officer outside the regiment, that we were never in an American brigade or division, that we never had a training period, even ever so short, as all the other American regiments had, but in (Continued on race Iwo, Column Three) W WM U-BOATS L HUN HOP Reichstag Told Germany Now Has More Submarines in Service Than at Any Period of War. Amsterdam, Sept. 25. Captain Bruenninghaus, speaking for the German navy department in the main committee of the Reichstag today, said that U-boats were sinking more cargo space than was being built by the entente allies and that the number of German submar ines in service today was larger than at any period of the war. "The navy," Captain Bruenning haus continued, "is still convinced thyt our U-boat warfare is the sole means for making the Anglo-Saxon race see reason." The captain made a strong appeal to the members of the reichstag to keep up the German belief in the effectiveness of the submarine. Von Payer Defends His Speech. Vice Chancellor Von Payer de fended his Stuttgart speech in which he declared the treaties of Bu charest and Brest-Litovsk must stand. The vice chancellor said it would be a mistake to abandon those treaties insofar as they regulate the relations between the signator ies, but he added: "If one day we are able to display so much insight, self-control and un selfishness that we can, without in jury to our interests, permit our enemies to collaborate in questions which pjily affect them indirectly if at all, we can, after all, come to an understanding with those who, with us are concerned, whether we will discuss on the basis of reciprocity these questions also with our ene mies." General Explains Defeats. General von Wrisberg explained that the failure of the Ger man ottensive on the western front was due to the failure of the German army to surprise the entente allies and the necessity of assuming the defensive on the arrival of the (Continued on Tnge Two, Column Four) Hoover Guarantees Clothing Donated Will Reach Belgians New York, Sept. 25. Assurances that clothing contributed for desti tute Belgians would not fall into German hands, was given by Her bert Hoover in a message made public here tonight by R. Arrow Smith, manager of the clothing col lection campaign now being con ducted by the commission for relief in Belgium. "All clothing collected in America Jor Belgians," said Mr. Hoover's message, "is consigned to the office of the commission for relief in Bel gium at Rotterdam, is placed -in barges, and is sent into Belgium by a neutral Holland-Spanish commit tee, which, working under protec tion of the Dutch and Spanish min isters in Brussels, controls the final distribution of this clothing to Bel gian civilians. Absolutely none of the clothing falls into German hands." Douglas County Loan Quota Is $10,541,500; Sarpy's Is $428,000 Douglas county's qnota of the fourth Liberty loan is $10,541,500, O. T. Eastman, chairman of the local committee in charge of the campaign for selling the bonds, was informed last night by telegram from the tenth federal reserve dis trict bank at Kansas City, which made the allotments. This county's quota of the third Liberty loan was $5,319,900. W. E. Rhodes, chairman of the Sarpy county loan committee, was notified last night that Sarpy county's quota was $428,000. Its quota of the third loan was $163,000. Germans Prepare for Hurried Evacuation of Civilians From Metz "Amsterdam, Sept. 25. "It is an nounced that owing to the long range bombardment of Metz and other places preparations are making for the expeditious evacua tion of civilians and movable property from places within range of such guns when the evacuation becomes necessary," says a dispatch received here from Berlin, Chairman Hays' Clarion Call Mighty Fighting Force to Be Rallied Throughout Nation to Help Put Over the Fourth Liberty Loan Drive. 3 f fi "ZD If M New York, Sept. 24. To Republican State Chairmen, District Chairmen, County Chairmen, and all Republican Workers : THE MISSION OF AMERICA IS ABOUT TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. American soldiers in France are at this moment dem onstrating to the world the reason for America and the stuff of which this republic is made. Their complete success and the consequent eternal es tablishment everywhere in the world of the integrity of American rights, interests and honor and the right of men to govern themselves, are all assured with the proper perform ance of the plainest duty of the citizenry at home. THE FOURTH LIBERTY LOAN IS OUR NEXT OBJECTIVE. There is no geography, political orphysical, in the pa triotism of this country. Democrats and republicans alike love their flag and are ready to die for it. We continually in sist for all parties that the war be kept out of partisan politics and that partisanship be kept out of the war. Just as in congress the republicans led the fight that made possible the passage of the great war measures, so now the party membership and organization has an immediate, definite war wish in the accomplishment of which it can fully function. I repeat, let there be no contest in this coun try as to anything that touches the war except that contest WHO BESTJ CAN SERVE, WHO MOST CAN GIVE. The success of the Fourth Liberty Loan shall be the re publican party's supreme motif of thought and action until that objective is attained. Wherever republicans are together, by two or two thousand, it shall be a win-the-war meeting. Just as the republican party's every action at all times has been and shall be determined solely by how we can contribute most to the war's success, so now our every thought and action shall be determined entirely by how we can make certain the quick over-subscription of the Fourth Liberty Loan. The entire republican organization in every voting pre cinct in this country shall be a fighting force in this Liberty Loan drive. THIS IS THE REPUBLICAN ORGANIZATION'S BUSINESS. This is the real business of every man, woman and child in America. "EVERYTHING ELSE IS CHORES." 40,000 IN RRITfl MS' U 111 I U IUU CAGES1W Chairman Republican National Committee. PRELATE'S BODY TO LIE IN STATE FORJNE DAY Many Church Dignitaries Will Attend Funeral of Arch bishop Ireland in St. Paul Wednesday. St. Paul, Sept. 25. Hundreds of telegrams and cable messages from many parts of the world, paying honor to the memory and achieve ments of Archbishop John Ireland of St. Paul, were received today at the home of the Roman Catholic prelate, who died early this morn ing, after a long and lingering ill ness. It was decided this afternoon that the body will lie in state Tuesday in the cathedral. The funeral will be held Wednesday with solemn services at 10 a. m. It is expected that most of the church dignitaries who attended the impressive ser vices for Cardinal Farley in New York will attend the funeral of Archbishop Ireland. Rev. Thomas Welch, secretary to Archbishop Ireland, announced that the dying prelate had asked to have his body buried in Calvary ceme tery, instead of being placed in a crypt, as had been intended. Turkish Joke. Constantinople, Via London, Sept. 25. The retreat of the Turks in Palestine was still being carried out Tuesday, according to the war office communication issued today, "in conformity with prepared plans." BULGARIANS IN RETREAT ALONG 130-MILE FRONT Allies Gain Road Connecting Two Enemy Armies and Vardar River; Serbs Capture 30 Guns. London, Sept. 25. The whole of the Monastir-Prflep-Gradsko road, connecting up the two Bulgarian armies, is now in the hands of the allies, according to news received here tonight. The allied cavalry is within 10 miles of the second line extending between Vcles, Ishtip and Prilep. The enemy is fighting hard to obtain possession of these roads, also in the sector west of Prilep, and it seems to be a race for Uskub, as the allied forces are as near to the city as the Bulgarians. The allies are now in possession on the whole course of the Vardar river from Gievgeli to Gradsko. To nights reports say that the Serbians have takenOl guns in addition to those already reported. The Bulgarians are now retreating on a total front estimated at abouH 130 miles, the second Bulgarian army, under General Feodoroff, be ing in retreat before the British and Greeks on a front extending from the Vardar to the Struma. A Brit ish invasion of Bulgaria seems likely and the Bulgarians are re ported to be fortifying the old road from Fobrovo to Strumitsa, which the British cavalry is approaching. U. S. Aviator Sinks U-Boat Which Shelled Seaplane Germans and Bulgarians in Jeopardy in Macedonia; Allies Tighten Grip on St. Quentin. r0 passe! IN the ! London, Sept. 25. The first case in which it is known that a sub marine . fought back when attacked by a seaplane resulted in the prob able destruction of the submersible by an American aviator, Reserve Ensign J. F. Carson, it was an nounced today by the admirality. With shrapnel from the elevated forward gun of the submarine burst ing around his seaplane, Ensign Carson maneuvered until he was able to pour machine gun fire into the crew, felling two of them and driving the others inside. The sub marine submerged and as it was diving, two bombs were dropped on it. Within a few minutes the bow of the U-boat appeared on the surface and remained visible about four minutes. More bombs were dropped in this interval and it is believed the undersea craft was either badly damaged or destroyed. Ensign Carson's machine, with two others, was on patrol when the submarine was sighted on the sur face, and the ensign made for it. As he was getting into position to use his machine gun or to bomb the undersea boat the German fired five shrapnel shells, three of which burst close to the seaplane, doing it some damage. The other sea planes did not take part in the at tack. Ensign Carson remained over the spot 15 or 20 minutes, but the U boat was no longer in evidence, - The Teutonic alliedforce3 in Macedonia and Turkey still are in flight before the' armies of the entente, while on the highly important St. Quentin sector in France the British and French armies, after hard fighting, have drawn more closely their lines in the in vestment of the town on the northwest, west and south. The stubborn resistance of the Germans, in defense and in counter-attacks, has been unvailing except to impede the progress of the men of the armies of Field Marshal Haig and General Debeney. In Macedonia the Bulgarian and German troops still are faced with disaster; in Palestine the remaining: Turks seem to have scarcely a chance to escape from the British ; forces and tribesmen who are clos nig in upuu uicm cast or. xnc nvqs joraan. More man iu,uuu prisone and 265 guns have been taken by't British and yet General Allenby's s petite for further emoluments frc his hard campaign has not been sa ated. I Gauged by the swiftness of i strokes Allenby is delivering, 'gral nis purpose aDsomteiy to overw iy the Ottomans. And the fulfill! , of his plans seems appreciably far in no less ?;r" f Germans and' J Macedonian thea immediately on thl tier, where the5 4 ft gives them grou H, sistance to the invasion d territory through the Bulgarians and Germans everywhere are in rapid retreat before the Ital- ! ians, Serbians, Greeks and British. ' ! Rent in twain at several points, the 1 enemy forces are bewildered and . ; operating separate units. ?' Respectively on the western and j eastern flanks the Italians and the i Greeks and British are fast throw ing forward their lines in endeavors I to envelop the enemy, while in the r1! . i .t r I . . I " center, wnere ine oerDS nave ariven their sharp wedge toward Ishtip,' there is no lagging, notwithstanding the difficult territory that is being encountered. Rear guards of the enemy, armed with machine guns, are but little delaying the men whose task it is to reclaim their kingdom. As yet there is no news of great activity in Albania, but a resump tion of operations there in conjunc tion with those in the east apparent ly cannot long be delayed. . . British Take Selency. On the French front the British" have taken the village of Selency, a scant two miles from the western environs of St. Quentin, and both ' the British and French troops north and south of this line have driven v further wedges into the German front. More than 1,000 prisoners; and many machine guns have been taken by the British in these opera tions. Numerous strong counter at tacks were delivered by the enemy, both at Selency and at Cricourt. but Haig's men put all of them down, with heavy losses to the Germans. The Germans have also reacted strongly in the region lying west of the Chemin Des Dames, endeavor ing to regain the territory held by, the French as a menace against both the Chemin Des Dames and the' Laon sectors. Here also the enemy was beaten off. . ; Good weather has returned to the' American sector on the Lorraine front, but nothing has occurred -there except the usual reciprocal bombardments and a resumption of aerial activity on a great scale. Ad vices from Berlin are that there is much perturbation in Germany over " the long-distance guns of the Amer icans, which are shelling the areas ' behind the German line. The ad vices say that preparations are being made for the expeditions evacuation' of the civilians from Metz and other places within range when such a - move Becomes necessary. Chief Examiner Named. oryi. Appoint ment of Henry Thurtell of Neva as chief examiner of the Interstal v,uimncn.c commission, and otl Ueorge M. Lrossland of SotithM caronna as cnict ot the bureau of tariffs was announced today by thPj commission. ; , t Prisoners' Conference Ong?y Berne, Tuesday, Sept. 24. TJ American-German war prisoneM conference began yesterday unC tne presidency of Paul Dinkh'- owiss minister plenipotentiary. ' conference wii nnnr) k :; Calonder of Switzerland, f, '1