BRIEF, RIGHT REEZY BITS OF NEWS i LEADVILLE APPEALS FOR MORE GRAVE DIGGERS. Denver, Oct. 30. State health au thorities failed to find any signs of a decfease- in the epidemic in re- , ports made to the board today, the . totals of 921 "hew cases and 65 , deaths varying little from the aver age of the last several days. In' ' Denver the figures were not en- ' couraging for hopes of an earlf luting qi the closing ban. , Indications that conditions are se rious at Leadville were found in an - appeal from the 'Lake county de fense council for means to impress labor for digging graves. It was stated that 41 dead were unburied in that city because of inability to obtain grave diggers. CURE FOR PNEUMONIA FOUND AT CAMP FREMONT San Jose, Cal, Oct. 30. Head . ouarters the base hospital. Camp Fremont, announced today the ets ' covery of what the medical officers ; assert is a positive cure for the pneumonia, which follows Spanish , influenza and which always has been ' the fatal stage of the disease. The treatment consists of interveinous injections of coaguline and has been tound, it was announced, to prevent - hemorrhage' of the lungs, which ' characterizes this new type of prieu , ' monia. Three hundred cases have been successfully treated at the base hospital. . ' GIRL KILLS SELF WHEN j BOY? STONE JEWISH FLAG. New York, Oct. ,30. Police 're serves guarded house-tops and fire escapes in Harlem today to prevent x an outbreak of violence among .thousands of persons watching the ' funeral cortege of 13-year-old Sadie Dellon, who killed herself Saturday because boyi had stoned a small Jewisn"flag which she displayed in honor of her brother, serving with the Amejjy expeditionary forces. The girl barracaded herself in her fathej-'s Store and drank poison. When a patrolman broke into the shop she was found dead, and be side her body lay a -note reading: " "I cmnot see my flag insulted. Good bye. air ROCKEFELLER TURNS HOME INTO DORMITORIES . , New York, Oct. 30.-4john D Rockefeller, sn, has turned thp three upper floors of his city home into dormitories for women taking the special courses in recreational work, td be started here November 29 by the war work council of the Y. W. C. A., according to an an nouncement i tonight. The house has been closedr for several years and Mr. Rockefeller was persuaded to donate the use of the rooms by his daughter-in-law, who, as chairman of the war work council, is inter ested in training women to provide recreation for girls engaged in war industries. PEOPLE ON COAST OF WHITE SEA STARVING -Washington, Oct 30. Red Cross workers, who recently returned to Archangel, from a trip to isolated '- towns along the coasf of the White , sea, report the inhabitants on the .verge of starvation and .some of the , villages without flour and sugar for ; two -years. : "J--.. ALL THE LATEST WAR NEWS BY ASSOCIATED PRESS FULL LEASED WIRE SERVICE , . THE WEATHER , , M ; The. dmaha daily bee mrn - ' " " 8 . m j, 40 4 p.m. U.4 , , 9 a. m 4t B p.m. . .,,v....44 ij 1 10 a. m... 44 B. nt. . . 4 - , vol.48-no.ii6. SSS? r. ttr 2fr im, omaha, Thursday, October 3i, 1918. wrUftitfKfc ' two cents. l j . . - , ... - . ... w '"'': rn n rnnn A nrn nrn nri n n nn rr n r is in I 1 w n " - ; mm a 1 n inn h i I I w 1 I I 1111 11 1 I I I I l II U I I I w I I I I I I w 1 I I 1 I I I I I f w 1 I I II II II U LrUUVJUUy UUU ;ll U LruluLfUUU . iU Ln U U bL:g WW ii 1 ll H W Lrd j ; ! ?. - . AGREEMENT OF ALLIES ON PEACE TERMS IN SIGHT Differences of View argely Reconciled Under Friend ly Examination in Conferences at Paris; Supreme War Council Not taMeet Until Full Under standing Has Been Reached. By The Associated Press. Amsterdam, Oct. 30. "The German people shall be the freest people in the world." This declaration was made by Emperor William in addressing the new state secretary October 21, according to a Berlin dis patch printed in the Rheinische Westfalli3che Zeitung, of Essen. t Paris, Oct. 30. The heads of the allied governments and Col. E. M. House, special representative of the United States government, with the military and naval advisers of the respective countries, continued their informal meetings today. Differences of view, natural to the immensity of the in. terests -involved, have arisen, but under friendly examina tion they have largely disappeared. Although some points in President Wilson s declarations may require more complete definition, an entir? agreement is in immediate prospect. 1 The supreme war council will not meet formally until this full under standing has been reached. HUGHES FINDS MONEY WASTE IN -PLANE BUILDING Plans- and Results Achieved ""Generally Commended, HowevYr, in Report . of Investigation. " . Washington,- Oct. 30. Govern ment plans for turning out quanti ties ot aijplanes and results achiev- . ed through co-operation of manu Nbctrers are generally commended ---in the report f. Charles E. Hughes on the-aircrnft' investigation to be sent to President Wilson tomor row by Attorney General Gregory v ana maae puonc tnen. a numoer of specific acts and plans involved jn ' the big task - of preparing the . nation for warfare in the air are declared subjert to criticism, but In the light of later developments, ". some of these ar held to be ex- cusable. Officials, who have been in touch with the investigation, emphasized today this is liot to be interpreted as meaning blanket approval of the way the program Jjas been carried out is given. Plenty of evidence of inefficiency in manufacturing ' plants and waste of money and time is presented, they said, indicating ' that execution of the government's plans might have been much" better . by government agencies and con tractors fot- airplanes, i Although Ptgsiderft Wilson has not seeti the report he has been - told- its "substance. Attorney General Gregory devot ed most of his time today and this evening to perusal of Mr. Hughes' , report and to preparing a letter of transmittal in wnich he is expected to offer his individual comment. His attitude is understood not to differ radically from that of Mr. Hughes. Desirability "of speed in putting finishing touches on the document " was said to have been urged on Mr. Greeorv today by Postmaster Gen- , eral Burleson and Secretary Tu multy. V After their visit to the de partment 1 justice, it was said the report wcyild be sent to the White House early in the morning and probably would be made public be- tore noon, x ;. Paris Honors Bed Cross. WashimrtdnOct. 3a Paris will show its appreciation of the work t ) accomplished by the American Red ' Cross in France at a; celebration nlanned bv the municipal council . to take place in. the French capital. ' Kovembef 14, said a cablegram re- ' .1 ceived today- at Red Cross head quarters hert from Paris. , . . '. . - , Kaiser May Abdicate. Basel, Switzerland, Oct 30. Dep uty .Richard :KalkhfL,dclared at a recent meting of the centrist party that he was able to affirm that Em- peror William would not cling to the crown, but would abdicate forGer many's good, according to the Cologne Tageblatt. Commenting on the present po litical situation in Germany, the Frankfort Zeitung says: "In broad circles of the German people it is made quite clear the people would have been thankful if, in the radical change in the home am foreign policy now begun, Em peror William had drawn, personal consequences from those changes, especially for his own sake." The newspaper considers Em peror William's strong religious na ture as aTguarantee of his good in tentions in Germany's past policy, and it acquits him of having planned the great war, but it adds that he has made himself a "symbol of the old regime." Require Maritime Guarantees. London, Oct. 30. The general na ture of the military guarantees which the allies will require has been outlined here as the decupation of strategical German bases, as well as retirement of the German army on its own soil. Maritime guaran tees are considered equally impor tant to Great Bitain. Their nature thus far is only speculative, but the internment of German submarines, if not the surrender of the -whole fleet, appears to be the minimum terms which would satisfy the Brit ish. The sea is as important as the land to this island nation, and the only detail in President Wilson's 14 points on which there is constant questioning, is what the president means by "freedom of the seas." suspicion is the word which still summarizes public attuuae toward the central powers' maneuvers. Some of the most important papers believe Germany and Austria, or what remains of the Austrian gov ernment, are .working together. They interpret Austria's rush to wards separate peace as part of a plan To place Austrian territory as neutral ground between uermany and allied armies which may soon be able to march through Austria. Turkey's position's not clear. The Committee of , Union and Progress apparently is still in the saddle at Constantinople. " That ' Djavid (Continued en Pare Two, Column Three.) BERLIN SENDS ANOTHER NOTE TO WASHINGTON Peace Move. Believed Beyond Military Party's Control and Government Being Driven by People. Washington, Oct. 30. The gen eretopinion among officials and diplomats here is that the German proposal for an armistice and peace, while having its "origin in a plan to gain time for strengthening the army and restoring its shattered morale, has now got beyond the control of the military party, and that the German people are the force whichvis driving the German gov ernment to make a move for end ing the war. Another note from the German government explanatory of the changes that have been made or are projected in the German constitu tion and form of government" was received "today through the Swiss legation, but the State department did not make it public. This note was understood to be supplementary to the preceding German communication saying to the president that he must have knowledge of the efforts that have been made to democratize Germany. President Wilson was at work today on his' reply to Ausr'a's re newed olea for an armistice and peace and it was expected that id would ' be dispatched betore night, but later it was said at the State department that there would be no announcement regarding the reply tonight. ' i It was understood that in ( the note the presidentjntended to touch upon the steps that Austria and Hungary have taken in nie direc tion of releasing subject peoples from political bondage, but that the Austrian government's plea would fte referred to,'' the allied govern ments. j The administration was said to be well convinced now that Austria already is nearly out of the war (Continued on rage Two, Column FIto.) Little Black Crosses Dot Scene of Four Years' Battle : : r- t- Belgian Army Headquarters in Flanders, Saturday, Oct. 26. (By Associated Press.) That part ' of Belgium just liberated by the armies under command of King Albert has suffered little, in comparison with other parts of the little kingdom imd northern France. Western Flanders virtually is intact south of the Lys and east of the old battle line. ; " ' -. ' : y- s , - From the region of Nleuport to the south of Ypres the stretch of ground and the territory, for v six or more miles on either side, which was the battle ground for four years, judged by theumerous little black crosses that are scattered all about, might be called "Dead Man's Land." -East of this region, how ever, there are villages v untouched by the war, luxuriant farms and happy, liberated towns. West of the line which the British and Belgians held for " four long years, many villages and towns have been destroyed by German artillery fire. -'Fumes is only an empty shell of Tottering walls and Pervyse is merely a geographical name. "A post bearing the name of the village is the only thing remaining to show where IJamscapelle stood. Ip this region poison gas has killed all veg etation and the trees stand gaunt and bare of foliage. 5 Hun Troops Ordered By, Commanders to. Contaminate WettS Washington, Oct. 30. Docu ments quoting orders issued by German commanders for the 1 methodical destruction of prop erty and for the poisoning of wells during the recent evacuation of Belgium and. French territory have reached Washington. Ampng them is an order taken . from a prisoner, issued by the commander of the One -Hundred and Eighth infantry brigade ' of the German army September 5, directing specifically that certain villages be destroyecf by the rear guard. Designated units are assigned to the destruction of villages named and in addition the order states, "It is theduty of every one to participate in these de structions," which are to be carried out "with more method and less haste." The order, which is sign ed "Week," presumably either the brigade commander or hishief of staff, says: "It is recalled that wells are to be -contaminated." s REPUBLICANS PLAN MEETINGS FOR SATURDAY McKelvie, Jefferis and Others to Speak at Various Places C Ir. Beginning at 7 0'Clock. The republican county committee has arranged for a seriesNf street meetings to be held (otr Saturday night, with Samuel R. McKelvie and Albert W. Jefferis on the pro gram -together with other able speakers. Meetings will be started at Twenty-fourth and Ames, Twenty fourth and Clark, Sixteenth and Capitol avenue, Fifteenth and Far nam and Twenty-fourth and M streets, at 7 o'clock. The principal speakers will follow a schedule. Mr. McKelvie will appear at Fif teenth and Farnam streets at 9 o'clock when he will say a few things calculated to cause conster nation in the democratic camp. "Sam" McKelvie, republican gu bernatorial candidate, wrote the fol lowing statement: "This Saturday night Farnam street talk will give me an oppor tunity to make good on one promise I have made to the people of Ne braska. I have trafveled throughout the state, speaking against the Hitchcock-Mullen-Gooch machine. I have said th I would carry my message to the people of Omaha and deliver it within the shadow of the home nf that machine. The World-Herald building. I'll make good on that promise and I will not mince words in handling my sub ject." The general feeling of apathy 'and pessimism which pervades the de mocratic cohorts in this county was emphasized at the luncheon tender ed by the Chamber of Commerce to the democratic candidates. Not even a corporal's guard responded to the invitation and it was so embarassing to some of the candidates that they left before the speakingStafted. The Chamber of Commerce folks had, as had asked the democratic candidates, to vt their guests and let them hear what they might have to say in support of teir candida cies. It was a bitter disappoint ment forjhe democratic leaders who are cherishing the fprlorn hope of carrying theis ticket. "If the candidates do not take enough interest in their catripaiga to attend, a meeting of this kind, what can they expect of the lead ers?", was the doleful plaint heard at democratic headquarters. Jerry Howard made the " only vigorous speech during the session. He was primed for the occasion. "Mr. Toastmaster and members of the Chamber of Commerce" be gan Jerry on the job. "In anticipa tion of being called on, I reduced o writing a summary of my remarks. As a candidate seeking the suffrage of my fellow citizens in all sta tions of life within the limits of thf county, it is somewhat embarassing to me to appear here before your august body, fearing that I might not pass muster as a candidate to be relied upon. " "It is possible, perhaps probable, but not certain, that my actions at past sessions of the legislature," he continued, and he suggested that the time has, come to vote for in dividuals rather than for party la bels. He did not mention which of the democratic , colleagues he would eliminate. A Kaiser Tells Reichstag He Would Abdicate, But the Moment Has Not Yet Come London, Oct. 30. "If the moment comes when the interests of Germany demand it, I should abdicate with out hesitation ; but the moment does not seem to have come." V Emperor William is quoted as having said thisjn 1 an address to a number of members of the German Reichstag, according to a distfatch to the Exchange Telegraph from Amsterdam,jguoting advices from Ber lin. v The emperor said1 the people must not think that he had decided td remain on the throne at all costs. The dispatch adds that it is generally believed in Berlin tint if the emperor abdicates, it will be in favor of Prince William, the eldest son of the German crown prince. 4 -V: JOHNNY LYNCH QUITS WORKING FOR UNCLE SAM Released From Service at Camp Dodge and Every- thing Referred to Oma ha Exemption Board Johnny Lynch, former county commissioner, is no longer con nected with Uncle Sam's army, Chairman Sunblad of . exemption board No. 4 last night received, a telegrantjr6m the adjutant's office, CampbtsDodge, stating, "October 31, Lynch will I be released from the service, and all papers in his case will be sent to exemption board No. 4, Omaha." w What the board will do in the matter remains to be seen. Last night none of the members cared to, express an opinion. Board Takes Up Case. Local exemption board No. 4, composed of Clyde Sunblad, Dr, C. W. Pollard and Moses Campbell met behindxlosed doors Wednes-, day afternrfon and the matter of the LJuction into the army of Johnny Lynch was gone into. Previous to the meeting Chief Clerk Southard of the board asked for the resignation of Tony Minardi, clerk of the exemption board, who had gone to Lincoln with Lynch to put his case before Provost Marshal Anderson. Minardi's resignation was accepted by the board. After the meeting Minardi insist ed to the Bee reporter that he was innocent of intntionall misrepre senting the case, and -supposed the indictment against Lynch had been drcJpped, though when they met An derion in the governor's office at Lincoln, nothing was said about it, and he was of the opinion that An derson did mM know Lynch was the former Omaha political boss. Here's Minardi's Story. Minardi explains that before they went to Lincoln Sunblad told Lynch it was up to Anderson and that An derson asked for some confirma tion from a member of board No. 4 as to this, and aftrrtheir return to Omaha Sunblad called up Ander son and in this conversation it was agreed that Lynch could be induct ed. Chief Clerk Southard then in ducted Lynch into the service. Von Kuehlmann to Represent Germany At Peace Conference Copenhagen, Oct. 30. The Berlin Lokal Anzeiger, a copy of which has leeH received here, says Dr. ftichard Von Kuehlmann, former German secretary of foreign affairs, will be one of Germany's represen tatives at the peace conference. TURKEY OPENS DARDANELLES TO ALLIED SHIPS Small Force May Be Landed to Supervise Demobilization ofOttoman Army, Con stantinople Report. Amsterdam, Oct. 30. According tu a Constantinople dispatch, re ports are currenUihat X urkey, undejl J the peace negotiations has invitear-- the allied fleet to enter the Dar danelles. ' Troops are not to be landed, it is sard, with the exception of a small detachment to supervise the demobilization of. the Ouomin army. ' - The 'Constantinople newspaper, Ikdam, on Sunday printed a state ment from a "competent source" that Turkey had commenced official peace negotiations with the entente, adding that delegates already had left the Turkish capital. In othe'r quarters in Constantinople, however, it is declared the negotiations are unofficial. ;, Still Fighting in Mesopotamia. London, Oct. 30. The Turks were heavily engaged by the British Tues day north of Kaleh Sherghat, the official report on the Mesopotamian operation says. The British cap tured 1,000 Turks,' . Turks Evacuate Tabri. Washington, Oct. 30. Turkish troops have begun the evacuation of Tabriz, Persia, according to ad vices reaching the State department today. The Turks are menaced by tne cntisn torces in Macedonia in their advance nortward. John F. Bloonf Dead BULLETINS. ' " Vienna, Thursday, Oct 31. (Via London) "In view of our desire for peace, our troops on Italian soil s. are evacuating occupied regions," says an official state- y ment issued late tonight. . 1 Saloniki, Oct. 30 Serbian cavalry has reached the Danube east of Semendrja, 24 miles southeast of , Belgrade, and occupied Pozharevari, headquarters an- nounces today. 'Washington, Oct. 30. Thirty-three thousand Austrian, troops, including 802 officers, hundreds of guns and innum erable machine guns have 'been captured by Italian and allied forces on the Italian front, said an official dispatch to day from Rome. The Three Hundred and Thirty-second American infantry regiment has gone into action and the fighting now extends practically all along the course of the . fPiave river. . After Brief Illness John F. Bloom, 918 South Thirty third street, one of the leading monument erectors, in Omaha and founder of John F." Bloom & Co., 1702 Cuming street, died Wednes day .afternoon at his residence after a short illness of influenza. Mr. Bloom came to Omaha from Sweden in J900. He was a member of the Omaha Chamber of Com merce and also was a Mason. He is survived by a wife, Emma F., and five children, one of whom, Capt, Carl W. BToonvis in France with the field artillery. " Surrender antj Indemnity, Melbourne Council Demand Melbourne, Australia, Oct. 30. (Via Montreal.) The people of Australia will not be satisfied unless Germany surrenders unconditionally it is declared in a resolution unanim ously adopted by the city courtcil at Melbourne. The resolution requests that Great Britain insists on an ade quate indemnity for Australia, the British navy not to permit the Ger man flag on any occasion until such an indemnity 1s paid. y Lille Coming Into Its Own; Foofl Prices Take Big Drop Whh the British Army in France and Belgium, Oct. 30. Lille is rap idly coming into its own after four years of stultifying conditions im posed by the invaders. The streets have an air of bappy activity and business is being resumed. Prices of foodstuffs have dropped enor mously with the opening up of sup plies from the allied territory. Potatoes form a striking instance. Under the German regime they were seven francs per kilo (abour two pounds), now the same amount may be had for one France 25 centimes. Food was exceedingly scarce and dear while the Germans were in Lille. , The residents say when they received supplies from the Ameri- V. can relief committees, they were al ways besieged by Germans with of fers to purchase. The enemywas willing td pay any price for this food, but the people used to hide their -meager supplies. The city is having considerable difficulty with light and water be cause the Germans severed the elec tric wires in most houses and cut off thevater supply when they left . L" When the, British reached the place there was considerable dysen tery because the water had btjen cut off and many cesspools. had not been cleaned for four years. These con ations are now ieing rapidly over come i . -, . .. MORE THAN 1.00 . TOWNS LIBERATED BY ALLIES' DRIVE r Fighting Extends Practically Along Whole Course of Piave River and Eneiny Forces on Lower Stream in Danger of Being Cut Off; Left Wing v t Retreating in Disorder. t BRYAN SLATED AS PEACE ENVOY BY PRESIDENT? Friends in New York Hear Place Pledged by Wil i son to Former ' Secretary. (From New York Tribune.) -New York, Oct. 30. (Special Tel egram.) William J. Bryan as one of the commissioners from the United States to frame the final peace terms at the conclusion of the war. This is the "consolation prize" said to have been promised Mr. Bryan for so gracefully step ping down and out as secretary of state early in the great war. Mr. Bryan within the last year has conversed with one or two of his. intimate friends about such an onorary aonointment from 1 the hand of the president to round out his career. -These intimate friends are convinced that the president has pledged him such an appointment. Whether the president under stands it or not, Mr. Bryan's friends today are indulging in thejiope that within a few weeks hi name will be once more" emblazoned in news paper headlines as a peace commis sioner of the United States. v Talked Among Friends. The news that Mr. Bryan is slat1 ed for this conspicuous honor is circulating among Presbyterians and Methodist clergymen whose ac tivities in' the nation-wide dry fed eration movement; of which Mr. Byran is the head, have placed them in a natural relation to receive the confidences of Mr. Bryan. , When the news reached the Trib une today, a reporter . discovered that some of the "original" Bryan men in this city had heard of it already but they quickly indicated their alarm at publication. "Pinning the story down" was not a light task but partial con-i firmatiorf of it was obtained today from William H. Anderson, state superintendent of the Anti-Saloon league, who is in close touch with political conditions, both in" New York and in Washington. Mr. An derson would not discuss Byran as a United Stater peace commissioner until this question was put in writ ing and handed to him. Then he wrote his answer in part as fol lows; From High Source. "It is true that I have been in formed that suggestion contained in your question is substantially true. I have no direct personal knowledge, for Mr. Bryan does not confide in me. The information came to me from a very prominent, high-grade gentleman of . unim peachable veracity a democrat who undoubtedly believes that it is 'cor rect, and who frankly gave me the sources of his information." . The Tribune in telegram to Mr. Bryan at Ashevilhv N. C, asked him for a statement regarding the report, and received the following reply: "Am unable to answer your question. Have no information on the subject." . . .... i The Three hundred and Thirty- . second United States infantry t ' is com, osed of men from Ohio asd --. some Pennsylvanians. The Amer- . icans reached Italy late in July and twere "Warmly-greeted "by1 the king and the ministers and the populace. generally. . ' . - Advance Irresistible. .- 4 The' Austrians are resisting stub bornly, throwing in many new di visions, but have not been able to , " stop the advancing forces. More . than 100 villages and towns have , , been taken. ,V j The battle line is pressing closely upon the heels of the enemy, ' th.i' message states, having reached yes- ' terday the river Livenza where the ' ' Austrians attempted to stand, to save . their threatened principal lines of r,e- ' treat. ' .' The Austrian army corps on the left wing has , retired in disorder, : leaving behind war material and sev- ' eral hundred guns; The Sixth Aus trian army corps is said to be in , a very critical position, engaged in ' heavy defensive fighting on the hills " between Val Bobbiadene and the Soligio river. , ,"' In Albania the Itaans have oc cupied San Giovanni Di Medua, and are advancing on Scutaru t-' Treat-Commands Americans. ; Itajian -Army Headquarters on" the Piave Front, Oct. 30. Amer- ican troops under Major General Charles G. Treat have crossed the : Piave river. The -third army has ; established three bridgeheads on ' the lower Piave. - . ; ' . The American troops on th front ate operating with the Tenth ' army composed of British, Italians '; and Americans, under Lieutenant ' General, the Earl of Caven. This was the first army to begin opera tions by. establishing bridgehead across the Piave rivet at the island of Grave Di Papa, Depolo. v Austro-Hungarfan forces are re- . tiring in the region east of Cone gliano. They are leaving behind V them scattered along the roads to. , wards Vittorio, seven mile north -of Xoneggliano and Sae4r. farther . to the west, manybig guns and mu- "; nition wagons. Austrian Position, Critical -The capture of Conegliano by the Italians was important, - since .that' town is the center of five highways and also is situated n the railway. Tbe' city is being used as a lupply station for the Italians From this city the Italians will be able , to dominate not only the lower moun tain region, but. also the enemy troops on lne lower Piave. Large -.Inbers of Italian cavalrv aTfeady have crossedthe Piave. The position ot tne enemy forces in the lower , stream is. fecoming critical and they may be'eut off. " Thej taking of Congeliano was effected by Italian troops -who crossed the Piave south of the Ner vesa region Monday night in the face of an intense ,, artillery fire. They cut their way through road barred and blocked by barbed wire and machine gutfs. 1 hefirst troops to enter Conegliano, were seven cyclists,, who were. followed by the Como infantry brigade. The Ital ians were met by civilians .waving Italian flags. . '..v. . British Cross MonUcano. London, Oct, -30.-British troops in the offensive on the northern ItaU ian front have at some places crossed the, Monticano river, th British war" office announced 51 'evening. V . ' , ., .