The Start and Stripes
Forever.
OMAHA INVITES SCRUTINY OF ITS PROUD RECORD IN ALL THE WAR ACTIVITIES.
The Omaha Daily Bee
xmj 4 a T n7 Etitrtd ii Mcond-clau witter Uy ?8. IMS it
VUL. 46. iSU. J I. omiht P. 0. under let of March 3. 1879
OMAHA, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1918.
By mlt (I yrar). Dally. H.50. Sunday. M.
Oally t4 Sea., 15; eutiltfe Nt. pottle extra.
TWO CENTS.
THE WEATHER:
Fair Wednesday and
Thursday; not much change
in temperature.
Hourly Temperature.
a. m It I 1 ii. m. .
a. ni 6V ! 3 p. m.
7 a. m 5!)
a, in fK
a. m 81
10 a. m t
It a. m.. ......83
it m....
3 p. m.
4 p. m.
R p. m.
8 p. m.
p. m.
. ..! S p. ru.
3M
UULJMVJ
U
PRESIDENT WILSON PUTS TWO VITAL QUESTIONS TO GERMANY
Washington, Oct. 8.-The following note, in the nature of a preliminary reply to Germany's request for an armistice and peace negotiations, was handed today to the Swiss charge here:
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge, on behalf of the president, your note of October 6th, enclosing the communication from the German government to the president; and I am instructed by the
presidents request you to make the following communication to the imperial German chancellor: "Before making reply to the request of the imperial German government, and in order that reply shall be
candid and straightforward as the momentous interests involved require, the president of the United States deems it necessary to assure himself of the exact meaning of the note of the imperial chancellor.
Does the imperial chancellor mean that the imperial German government accepts the terms laid down by the president in his address to the congress of the United States on the 8th of January last and in"
subsequent addresses and that its object in entering into discussions would be only to agree upon the practical details of their application?
"The president feels bound to say with regard to the suggestion of an armistice that he would not feel at liberty to propose a cessation of arms to the governments with which the government of the
United States is associated against the central powers, so long as the armies of those powers are upon their soil. The good faith of any discussion would manifestly depend upon the consent of the central
powers immediately to withdraw their forces everywhere from invaded territory. The president also feels that he is justified" in asking whether the imperial chancellor is speaking merely for the constituted
authorities of the empire who have so far conducted the war. He deems the answer to these questions vital from every point of view. Accept, sir, the renewed assurances of my high consideration.
"ROBERT LANSING."
TEUTONS RO UTED
AND IN FLIGHT
IN ALL SECTORS
Americans, British and French Smash Through Last
Lines of Hindenburg System, Advancing at Some
, Places Four or Five Miles and Capturing
Many Villages and Prisoners.
ODDS AND ENDS
OF DAY'S DOINGS
- l x By ASSOCIATED PRESS. .
London, Oct. 8. The British and Americans have ad
vanced to a depth of about three miles along a 20-mile front
in their great attack between St. Quentin and Cambrai today.
Field Marshal Haig makes this announcement in his report
from headquarters tonight.
North and South Carolina and Tennessee troops captur
ed Brancourt and Premont, making an advance in these
operations of more than three miles. '
With the British Forces in France, Oct. 8. The battle
begun at dawn today has resulted in a serious defeat for the
enemy. The British and Americans and French have ad
vanced everywhere, smashing through the last lines of the
Hindenburg system and driving the disorganized Germans
before them.
Premont is more than four miles northeast of Beaure
vohv and only three miles from Rohain.
man headquarters in its brief state
ment on the operations' in France
tonight admits that the allies gained
ground in the center of the battle
front between Cambrai and St.
Quentin. At other points, it de
clares, the attacks were repulsed.
Paris, Oct. 8. Franco-American
troops in Champagne . have driven
back the Germans over a front of
nearly two miles north of St. Pierre,
captured the plateau northeast of
Autry and taken numerous prison
ers, according to the French official ;
communication issued tonight.
The French northeast of St.
Quentin have captured Fontaine
Uterte, the Bellecourt farm, the vil
lage of Rouvroy and other impor
tant positions. More than 1,200 Ger
mans were made prisoners in this
region.
By Associated Press.
Entente allied forces everywhere
are defeating the armies of the Teu
tonic allies. In France they are fast
carrying forward maneuvers which
are resulting in tne enemy s line giv
ing way from the region of Cam
brai to Verdun. Likewise in Mace
donia and Turkish theaters the
cleaning up process continues un-
abated.
' Over a front of 20 miles between
Cambrai and St. Quentin the Brit
ish, American and French troops
have started a mighty drive, which,
(Continued en Pae Two, Column Fire.)
How Military Doctors .
Treat -Patients Who '
Suffer From the "Flu"
Medical men in the United States
army service have a recognized sys
tem of treatment for patients suf
fering from influenza. In brief it is
this:
Hot bath If not tuo n-rak.
Heavy does ot tails (Epsom).
Go to bed.
Take 10 grains of aspirin.
In fire houra Uk five grains more.
If coughing, on Dover powder.
Xothing marked had occurred inj
the local influenza situation last
night " In some quarters a decided
increase in jiumber of cases was
reported, but their treatment ap
peared well in hand. Eleven deaths
eav occurred in Omah from the
disease.
Spanish Cabnet itesgns.
- Madrid, , Oct. 8. The. cabinet
headed by Antonio Maura has re
signed. The cabinet was formed
last March.
GERMANY'S BID
FOR PEACE MET
WITH HARD BLOW
Terrific Attack Launched by
Allied Armies on Wide
Front; Battle Proceed
ing With Fury.
By Associated Press.
With the British Army on the St.
Quentin Front, Oct. 8. The British
launched a terrific attack on a front
of about 20 miles' today, from Cam
bria southward. American forces
co-operated and the French at the
south also attacked in conformity
with the general plan.
This was the answer of the fight
ing British armies to the German
bid for peace. Early in the day
smashing blows had carried the Brit
ish and Americans deep into the
positions of the staggering enemy.
The battle is one of the most
furious as well as one of the most
important of the war. The British
cannon, wheel to wheel, sent tons of
explosives crashing on top of the
enemy in a whirlwind barrage dur
ing the better part of the night and
early morning.
The very air trembled and the
earth rocked with the continuous
roar of explosives. The exploding
shells throbbed vividly against
clouds from which rain poured, the
flashes being visible for many miles.
Smashing Hindenburg Lines.
The British armies attacked in a
converging operation in a north
easterly direction. The fourth army,
with which the Americans were co
operating, attacked at a gap in the
last Hindenburg system and for
miles on both sides, while the third
army was in action up to Cambrai,
attacking along the continuation of
the Beaurevoir-Masnieres line both
on the front, and in the turning
(Continued ea Pi ice Two. Column SeTen.)
Balloon Perpetrates a Joke
New York, Oit. 8. A returned of
ficer tells of a paper Balloon that
, came floating on a gentle breeze
j over the American line near Chateau
: Thierry. When itwas low enough
I a dozen of our boys began leaping
for it. One caught the prize a
bundle of German propaganda leaf
lets printed in English:
"To German-Americans! Come
back to your Fatherland 1 The
kaiser, out of the fullness of his
heart, will forgive you your great
error 1"
In accordance with orders, all
these leaflets were sent up to the in
telligence department of the unit,
, but not before a roaring good laugh
! was enjoyed by the soldiers.
Y. M. 0. A. Runner Falls.
Paris, Oct. 8. James Bircheley
of Passadena, Cal., a membef of the
Y. M. C. A., has been killed while
carrying a message from a field dress
ing, station to another depot on the
Argonne front.
Recruit for Suffrage.
Frankfort, Ky., Oct. 8. Woman
suffrage gained a potential recruit
here today when Governor Stanley,
democratic candidate for United
States senator to succeed the late
Ollie M. James, announced that if
elected he would vote for it and any
other war measures advanced by
President Wilson.
The announcement was made in
response to a telegram from the
Kentucky Equal Rights league for
a public statement of the governor's
position.
Want 20l000:Gas Hounds."
New York, Oct. 8. Twenty thou
send men for the army motor trans
port corps are wanted by the War
department and will be inducted into
the, service as rapidly as they qual
ify, it was announced today. Men
from every classification in both the
first and second draft are eligible,
it was statel, and extra pay will be
allowed qualified mechanics. The
men of the corps have been dubbed
"gas hounds."
i ii m
Australia to Remain "Wet."
Melbourne, Australia, Oct. 8.
The Australian government has no
intention at present of introducing
prohibition as a war measure. This
announcement was made by W. A.
Watt, treasurer of Australia, in reply
to inquiries from members of the
house of representatives.
Government Cafes in Russia.
Stockholm, Oct. 8. Russia's food !
situation is rapidly growing worse,
especially in Petrograd and Mos
cow, where the population are sub-;
sisting chiefly on the potatoes which j
should be saved for the winter. j
Henry A. Laehre, an American en-1
gineer, who has lived for many years i
:n Moscow, arrived in Stockholm
today. He said that the soviet in
Petrograd had closed all markets
and shops and will not allow food
to be sold privately and actually is
tryjng to put in effect its long dis
cussed plan of compelling all per
sons to eat at government restaurants.
Petrograd and Moscow are be- i
coming more deserted daily.
Royal Match Arranged.
Paris, Oct. 8. A dipatch, re
ceived here today from Luxemburg,
announces the engagement of Prin
cess Charlotte, eldest sister of the
reigning grand duchess of Luxem
burg, to Prince Felix of Bourbon de
Parma, a brother of the Austrian
empress.
Labor Federation Wants
Road Cleared to Berlin
Before Effecting Peace
New York, Oct. 8. The attitude of the American Federation of
Labor towards the new German peace proposal is set forth in the
following statement by John R. Alpine, acting president of the federa
tion, telegraphed here from Washington to the American Alliance for
Labor and Democracy, which made it public.
"The American Federation of Labor believes that the recent pace
overtures from the imperial German government are in keeping with
all other proposals of a similar character that have been previously
submitted.
"The voice of the American labor movement tells us to ignore
these peace overtures and to batter away at the enemy lines until the
road is cleared to Berlin and a peace then effected that will last for all
time andVrid the world of the evils that have beseiged us for over
four years. '
- . "The workers of .our country refuse to be deluded by what we be
lieve to be this last attempt to deceiver" We want that th world
should be rid of the iron heel and the mailed fist. We want peace
but we want such a peace as will insure freedom and democracy for
all the world and for all time.
"Like the men on the firing line, our workers at home are ex
tending themselves to the limit of human endurance to the end that
a glorious and lasting peace shall result
"There can be no peace except such a peace as has been enun
ciated by the president of our country. When he declares the time
at hand for peace negotiations the workers will be with him in word
and deed just as they have been from the beginning."
SIX MILLIONS
SALES COUNTED
IN BOND DRIVE
Omaha Total Far Beyond Ca
pacity of Clerical Force to
Tabulate; Retail Stores
Close at Noon.
When the tellers at the Federal
Reserve bank stopped at 10 o'clock
last night, after working 14 hours,
they had actually counted and
checked up almost $6,000,000 worth
of Liberty Loan bonds.
This figure includes very few of
the second day's sales. Thousands
of subscriptions, which were turn
ed in Tuesday afternoon, are not in
cluded in this total.
The big subscriptions announced
by the railroad employes are not.
included and will not be counted
until they have been reported to
Washington and reassigned to Oma
ha. No one at the Liberty Loan head
quarters would take the responsibil
ity of estimating the amount of un
counted subscriptions.
"Your guess is as good as mine,"
said O. T. Eastman, county chair
man. "The big subscriptions are
about all in and most of the rest are
small subscriptions. It takes a lot
of'$50 bonds to make a million. The
totals will grow slowly from now
on. The business men of Omaha
have subscribed liberally, as in pre
vious drives. It is now up to the
citizens generally to put Omaha
over the top."
Iowa Colonel Gives
Warmest Praise to
Men of His Regiment
Des Moines, Oct. 8. (Special
Telegram.) A letter, received
here today from Col. E. R. Ben
nett, commanding officer of the
168:h infantry in France, bestows
high praise on his men as follows:.
"Officers and men of this regiment
have done wonderful work and I
want to commend every one of
them. The hardships they entgured
and danger they faced on the
front line cannot be described."
AMERICAN 'LOST'
BATTALION IS
SAVEDJNTACT
Men Who Were Cut Off From
Lines Saved by Comrades
After Fighting Until
Exhausted.
PRESS COMMENT !
ON WILSON NOTE j
With the American Forces North
west of Verdun, Oct. 8. The Amer
ican "Lost" battalion in the Ar
gonne forest was rescued at 6:40
o'clock yesterday. Though it had
encountered terrific opposition it
was found to be virtually intact,
few of its members being killed or
wounded.
The lost battalion, whose where
abouts was a mystery for some time,
comprised several hundred men un
der command of Major Charles
Whittlesey. Completely surrounded
by the Germans, they made their
stand with their pistols' and rifles
and a few machine guns as defen
sive weapons. When relief reached
them their stock of cartridges was
almost gone and the men were in
a weakened condition from lack of
sustenance and the effects of the
dampness of these fall days, from
which the trapped infantrymen had
no blankets to protect them.
Several efforts were made yester
day to obtain reports from the lost
battalion by messenger and carrier
pigeon. A basket containing a num
ber of pigeons was lowered by a
parachute in the vicinity of where
the Americans were thought to be,
but no bird had returned up to a
late hour yesterday.
It was five days ago that the
battalion was trapped near the edge
of the Argonne forest, about two
miles southeast of Lancon. It ap
pears that after a system of trenches
running east and west had been
captured near the edge of the Ar
gonne the Americans passed these
trenches and gained ground" to the
north. During the night German
troops to the left of the Americans
slipped to the rear and ' into the
trenches captured earlier by the ad
vancing forces. Meanwhile the Ger
mans had closed in on the east and
west, completing the circle.
New York Herald Americans
fee! that there should be nothing
that savors even remotely of diplo
matic weakening. Unfortunately
the president's note of inquiry is
likely to be so construed. Peace
is a long way off, for there can be
no peace until there is unconditional
surrender by the enemy. We have
just begun to fight.
New York World In dealing
with the German offensive, Presi
dent Wilson has employed the same
tactics that Foch used in breaking
the German military offensive a
counter onensive. r " ' me presi
dent, ha simply shifted the.Jssue
back to Germany and left the Ger
man government to get out as best
it can of the trap which .was so care
fully laid for the United States and
the allies. ,
New York Staats Zeitung The
reply of President Wilson to the re
cent peace proposal of the German
chancellor opens a possibility for
ending the war. In his answer Presi
dent Wilson gives proof that the an
nihilation of German is not his in
tenton, that he solely desires suffi
cient guarantees for a permanent
peace. We are convinced that
Prince Max can, and will, in a short
while, accede to President Wilson's
demands.
Philadelphia Inquirer: If the na
tion expected that the president
would return as the answer to Ger
many's peace proposals two words
unconditional surrender it will be
disappointed. Apparently the time
to proclaim that ultimatum (m the
opinion of the president) has not
come. But if Germany submits to
the requirements of the president
before he will advise our allies to
halt the armies in their smashing
blows Germany will have
virtually surrendered just the same.
St. Louis Globe Democrat. In this
interrogative way the president
places the responsibility of action
upon the' central powers. They can
not pretend that their proposal has
been flouted or that it has , been
denied consideration. The great
question of peace which they so
much desire is placed before them
for their own solution.
St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Hun
government has been out-maneuvered.
Since it has chosen, like Hin
denburg and Ludendorff, to resort
to subterfuge and indirect attack,
the president, like Foch and Persh
ing, has arrested his adversary in
kind he has adopted "tactics" rath
er than point blank fire.
New York Tribune: Our conclu
sion is that President Wilson's "in
quiry" was intended by him not to
express the state of mind of this
niinti'ir tfw?rA faWVitpca fipnnlp
but to make it impossible for the i
imperial German government to cap-1
italize its insincerity in terms of
morale by saying to the German
people: "We have asked in vain for
peace on President Wilson's own
conditions."
DOOR LEFT WIDE
OPEN FOR GERMANS
TO OBTAIN PEACE
Chancellor Maximilian's Note Met With Move Intended
To Disclose Whether Berlin Offer Is Sincere and
Place Responsibility for Prolonging War
Squarely on Hun Military Autocracy.
Chicago Tribune: The president
has met the adroit approach of the
German chancellor with a masterly
skill. He has given the Gernjan
people stern warninng of the terms
upon which thev must seek peace. I
i It is for them to choose whether!
they will pay now or later.
Springfield (Mass.) Republican:)
If the impression was entertained by j
the German government that Presi-i
.i . iTit V. u
uciu wnson Deing an lueansi wouiu
be found "easy" the mistake will be
dispelled by the extremely pointed
questions which Mr. Lansing published.
Washington, Oct. 8. President Wilson has met Ger
many's peace note with a move which will, at one stroke,
develop whether its proposal is sincere or merely a preten
sion and, if a pretension it be, fully justify for all time before
the world the prolonging of the war with force to the utmost,
force without stint or limit. At the same time the president
has left wide open the door to peace.
Declining to propose an armistice while the armies of the
central powers remain on invaded soil, the president today
called on the German chancellor to state, as an absolutely
necessary preliminary to a reply from the entente allies and
the United States, whether Germany accepts the principles of
peace as repeatedly laid down, or merely proposes to accept
them "as the basis of negotiation" and whether the chancel
lor merely speaks for the German military masters conduct
ing the war or the whole German people.
As the full significance of the
firn&IDIinn OPTO ! President's diplomacy is disclosed it
ucnnDunb acco
PEACE COMING
BY AGREEMENT
Says Germany Will Accept
Wilson's Points, but Will.
Fight to Bitter End
Against Humiliation.
'"Amsterdam, Oct. 8. "Militarism
has not attained its aim of peace by
annexation, violence and oppression
a peace by understanding is com
ing instead," said Dr. Dernberg, for
mer German minister of colonies,
speajcing at Chemnitz, Saxony.
"With Prince Maximilian," he
added, "the old German ideal comes
to the fore 'not what is useful, but
what is right and moral.'
"Such a peace will bring a new
era and new and better times will
dawn for Germany and the world
based on justice in thought and ac
tion. A new era means a funda
mental revolutionary transformation
of governmental system for the en
tire future.
"Militarism is an expression of
violence without the restriction . of
authority. -It terrorizes the entire
state life.
"President Wilson's 14 old and
five new points can be accepted by
us if put forward honestly without
humiliation for Germany. We shall
not accept an unjust, humiliating
peace. The new ministry is not only
a ministry of peace, but if necessary,
a ministry of national defense, and,
if it must b'e. to the bitter end."
Retail Stores Close
Wednesday Noon Hour
All department stores and re
tail shops in the downtown dis
trict will be closed Wednesday
noon from 11:45 to 1:30 during
the big Retailers' Liberty Loan
Parade.
becomes evident that he has left
open the way to peace and at the
same time left the militarist leaders
of the central powers with a ques
tion they must necessarily answer
in a way that will lead to peace or
confront them with an embarrassing
situation in their own countries.
Approved by Diplomats.
' Among diplomats here the presi
dent's communication is regarded as
one of his master strokes. It is
pointed out that upon cursory ex
amination it may not show such
strong terms as some may have de
sired. AH' the president's advisers,
however, are confident that as close
consideration reveals its full im
port, it will be apparent that it is a
long step forward if Germany really
means peace, and that if it does not
it will strip bare another hypocrisy
of German diplomacy so completely
that the responsibility for prolong
ing the war never can be charged to j
the allies, even by the German peo
ple themselves. v " '
The text of the president's com
munication was made public today
by Secretary Lansing, together with
the official text of Prince Maximili
an's note. At the same time offi
cials let it be known that there
would be no reply at present to the
Austrian note similar to that of the
German chancellor. It is not con
sidered necessary to deal with Aus
tria until the time comes for a re-
ply to its dominating ally. ,
Aims to Expose Trick.
Associated Press dispatches - last
night announced that the president
would not make a curt and peremp- .
tory rejection of the offer nor
(Continued on Face Two, Colnma Tire.)
Nearly Thirty-one
Millions in Bonds
Sold in the Tenth
Kansas City. Oct. 8. The total of '
the subscriptions from the 69 coun
ties of the Tenth federal reserve .
district officially accredited to noon
I today, was $o0,961,100, on a quota
ot $260,000,000. By states the bon
sales were j
Colorado. 5,19,00. . , rJf
Kanaa. $11.5.50.
AllMourl (1 ruuiitlrt), H.tM.SOO. ' i
Nebraska. S5.S3D.S00. r" I
New Mexico (10 coutiltf. Sm.tuf. I .uj
Oklahoma (all except eight counl;,?-V
3.91S.00. jifJ?'
Wyoming. S1.S3I.S00. . '
Ihese are the official figuwl . 7 .
j many counties and cities wet'"- 1
1 ' o 1.151.1 tviaip uvv
J cialiy reported.' ; " t