Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, December 12, 1918, Image 1
. RIEF RIGHT REE Z Y BITS OF NEWS SILVER CHEVRONS ' ' FOR ALL SOLDIERS ' Washington, Dec. 11. Officers ' andmen of the army who failed to . reacji the fjehting front by reason - ... wM.a.tr aiiiiyvu til till in this country will not be denied , recognition of their- service in winning the war. By direction f chief of the army, Gen. March. s chief of staff, today issued an or der that hereafter such men shall be entitled to wear a silver chev ron similar to the gold one for overseas. TO AMERICAN SOLDIERS " Washington, Die. 11. Andre Tardeau, high commissioner of Franco-American affairs, has cabled , Secretary Baker from Paris offer ing to place the educational re sources and facilities of the French r government at the disposal of American soldiers in the army ot occupation and of those who will be delayed in returning home through the natural difficulties of transportation. Special opportunities would be given American college students with the army and an opportunity to learn French would be afforded all American soldiers. V Secretary Baker has not-yet re plied to the offer. SCIENTISTS ATTACK CHURCH CLOSING ORDER. Pasadena, Cal.. Dec' 11. The First Church of Christ, Scientist, of Pasadena today obtained an iniunc-. tion in the superior court of Los Angeles county forbidding - the health fficer and chief of police here from interfering with the hold ing of church services, which they had done and were again to do, it was alleged, in pursuance of the policy adopted here for tamping out influenza. 'During the hearing the city at torney stipulated in writing that the influenza closing order was in valid. The cause of its invalidity was not specified. , ADOR ELECTED . ' SWISS PRESIDENT Berne. Dec' 11. Gustave Ador, member of the Swiss federal coun cil and president of the internation al committee of the Red Cross, to day was elected president of the Swiss Federation for the year 1919, receiving 142 votes out of a possible 188. : v Mr. Ador founded the world famous agency of Jhe prisoners of war, the main" purpose of which was to act as intermediary between prisoners and their families or friends, and was largely responsible for the exchange of wounded or ill prisoners by the belligerents. EVERYTHING THAT'S BEST IN JHE GREAT AND GLORIOUS WEST THAT'S OMAHA. THE WEATHER: Increasing cloudiness Thursday, becoming unsettled at night; Fri day generally fair. Moderate tem perature. Thermometer Hfncllniis 8' a. m... SSI 1 i, m H a. m n. m 7 a, m. S'.' S p. m, ' 1 i t - I Kb m X II n. IH IH 'v ' ' ' ' -'.'' - - I S a. m S S a. m 45 vol. 48-NO. 152. g K 7tt 5 W - Omaha,; Thursday, December 12, T 1918. ' jjVSJ TWQ CENTS- ;S IZZ i. ' ' . ' ' S ' ' ; ', - WAR BILLMiM ART: THIS RflnREHIMC' lilllllll 111 CONTINUANCE OF RAIL CONTROL FOR FIVE YEARS Proposed by m'adoo --, , , Director General Urges Legislation Tha Will Permit Fair Trial of Government Operation After Elimi nation of Unsettled Conditions and Give Na - tion Time to Form Policy Carefully. Washington, Dec. 11. Extension of the period of gov ernment control of railroads for five years- until January 1, 1924, vrt recommended to congress tonight by Director Gen eral McAdoo. Advantages of this, Mr. McAdoo said, are that it would take the railroad question out of politics for the present, give time for carrying out an extensive program of improvements and provide opportunity for a fair test of unified control to indicate the permanent solution of the railroad problem. "The president has given me per-S- mission to say that this conclusion FARMERS TO GET $1 272,412,01)0 FOR 1918 CROPS Total Value Exceeds That of Former Record Year by $614,380,000; Corn ' Most Valuable. ; , Washington, Dec. 11. With a to tal value of $12,272,412,000 the prin cipal farm crops this, year were worth more based on prices paid to farmers December 1, than in any year in the histbry of American ag riculture. Decenfter crop estimates today of the Department of Agricul ture showed that this year's total , itxceeds that of the former record year, 1917, by $614,380,000. There also was a marked increase in acreage, the 355,895,722 total exceed ing that of last year by 10,700,000 acres. These crop figures were- looked upon with satisfaction by officials as showing that the nation will be in even a better position to fulfill its pledge of 20,000,000 tons of food stuffs to Europe next-year than has been expected. Most of the crops are larger, than the five year average and some of thqm " established records.particu laiiy spring wheat, barley, rye and tobacco. Corn, however, fell below the five-year average. Today's estimates placed the crop at 166, . 384,000 bushels less ' than forecast in November, with a total of 2, 582.814,000 bushels. That is almost half a billion bushels less than last year's record crop. The w'heat crop is larger than -the five-year average, and almost 300,000,000 bushels larger than last year's crop, but it is more than 100,000,000 bushels smaller than the record crop of 1915. Almost all of the crops were worth more this year than in any previous year because of the' high- prices paid to producers. Lorn s value was more than $3,500,000,000, wheat almost $2,000,000,000.1 hay and cotton more than $1,500,000,000 nd oats more than $1,000,000,000. accords with his own view of the matter," Mr. McAdoo said, in con cluding a letter addressed to Sena tor Smith of South Carolina, and Representative Sims, chairman, ve spectively, of the senate and house interstate commerce committees. Morale in Danger. Mr. McAdoo explained that to continue government operation for 21 months after formal declaration of peace under present conditions would mean disruption of morale among employes and officers and could not enable the government to go ahead with improvements and purchase of equipment. Ano'.her al ternative, the prompt return of the railroads to private control with out legislation to permit elimina tion of the old wasteful competi tion, would be "hurtful alike to the public interest and to the railroads themselves," he said, and the dif ficulty of obtaining immediate legis lation providing a permanent solu tion is apparent. "There is one, and to my mind only one-, practicable fhd wise al ternative," Mr. McAdoo ' continued, and that is to""extend the period of federal control from the one year and nine months ' provided by the present law to five years or until the first dayvof January, 1924. This extension ' would take the railroad question out of politics for a rea sonable period. It would give composure to railroad officers and employes. It would admit of the preparation and carrying out of a comprehensive program of im provements of the railroads and their ' terminal facilities which would immensely increase the ef ficiency of the transportation ma chine. It Would put back of the railroads the credit of flit United States during the five-year period so that the financing of these im provements could be carried out. It would offer the, necessary-opportunity under proper conditions to test the value of unified control and the experience thus gained would of. itself indicate the per manent solution of the railroad problem. ' Test Due to People , The American pfople have a right to this test. They should not be denied it It is to their interest that.it should be done. In my opin ion, it is the only practicable and teasonable method of determining the right solution of this grave economic problem. "I am not now and have not been for the past year interested in prov ing or disproving the theory of gov ernment ownership or any other (Continued oa. Pace 'Two, Column Four.) Cotton Futures Drop When Final Crop Report Is Issued New Orleans, La., Dec. 11. The Department of Agriculture's final cotton production report today caused 'a drop of between $3 and , $4 ,i Jbale in most, act ive .month of the . cotton futures market here. During the first five minutes of trading following an nouncement of the report prices fell 65 to.- 88 points. . - t Washington, Dec. 11. The total production of cotton in the United States for the season of 1918-19 will amount to 5,595,529,000 pounds, not including linters, and equivalent to 11,700,000 bales of 500 pounds grots weight, the Department of Agricul ture today announced in its final report of jhe season. DUTCH PREMIER SAYS EX-KAISER HAS SANCTUARY Beerenbruck Declares He Came to Holland as Private Individual and Return Cannot Be Demanded. The Hague, Dec. 11. The form er German emperor is entitled to the right of sanctuary in Holland and therefore his return to Ger many cannot be demanded accord ing to a statement made today by Jonkheer Beerenbruck in the low er chambers of parliament during a debate on the visit of the former emperor to Holland. Came as Private Person. The premier said the government would have preferred that the form er emperor had not chosen Holland as a refuge but that he came as a private individual after renouncing his throne without direct or indirect lotification of hi intended arrival. After renunciation of his throne, Premier Beerenbruck continued, there could not be a question of in ternment, nor could the former em peror's return to Germany be de manded in view of the immemorial tradition of right of sanctuary. Declares Not Unneutral. The government, the premier con tinued, must repudiate every effort to see in this step an unneutral at titude. Nevertheless, he said, the once emperor's stay in Holland was only regarded as temporary. Up to the present no power had protested against his visit but any eventual de mand for extradition must pass the test of law and of treaty. The gov ernment, the premier concluded, would not allow the former emperor to exercise any influence in another country. Youtsey Gets Release from Prison on Parole Frankfort, Ky., Dec. 11. Henry Youtsey, who has been serving a life sentence on a charge of complic ity in the murder in 1900 of former Gov. William Goebel, of Kentucky, was paroled tonight by the board of prison control, according to an an nouncement made by Herbert Carr, member of the board. Youtsey will leave the penitentiary tomorrow. . After Gov. Goebel was murdered as a result of a bitter political con test, Youtsey, Congressman Caleb Powers and several other persons were arrested. Strike Also in Indianapolis. Indianapolis, Dec. 11. Following a vote taken by the employes of the local street railway company it was. announced late tonight that the em ployes had voted to strike for an increase in wages and that the strike wmld be on in the morning. OF ALLIES SETATJZO BILLIONS Exceeds Total German Wealth But Germany Should Pay to Utmost Limit, Says Lloyd ' George. r By Associated Press. Bristol, Dec. 11. The waybill of the allies against Germany is 24, 000,000,000 pounds, ($120,000,000 000) according to the British prime minister, David Lloyd George, who presented this" and other interest ing facts before a large gathering here todav. The cost of the war to Great Britain was n 8,000,000,000 pounds. Before the war the estimated wealth of Germany, said the pre mier, was between 15,000,000,000 and 20,000,000,000 pounds sterling. So, if the whole wealth of Germany were taken, there would not be enough to pay the account. There for;; he had used the words: "Ger many should pay to the utmost limit to her capacity." When the prime minister was ad dressing an overflow meeting, her said Great Britain would be guilty of a great folly if she gave up her navy. A voice interrupted. "Then watch Wilson." The premier replied: "Well, I hope to meet him in a fortnight. I will tell him what you say." "; "Whoever the request,, comes from, wcare not going to give up the protection ai the navy, so far as. Great Britain rs concerned." ' Conscription Must Stop. London, Dec.: 11. Premier Lloyd George speaking today at Bristol, said the English military service act was passed in order to meet a great emergency. When that emer gency was passed the need was. passed and the act would lapse. He added there was no intention to re new it. Whether Great Britain would require conscription in the future in any shape of form, Mr. Lloyd George said, depended not upon the opinion which he now ex pressed but upon the peace terms which were made. Continuinc the prime minister said: "What drove us to conscription was the existence pf conscript armies on the continent that in evitably rushed the world into war. They could not have great military machines there without tempting the men at the head of them to try their luck with those machines. (Continued on Par Two, Column Five.) ALLIES DEMAND DISSOLUTION OF HUNS' COUNCILS Threaten to Refuse Foods and Reserve Right to March into Germany, Report ' . from 'Berlin. Copenhagen, Dec. 11. According to reports from Berlin, the entente governments intend to refuse to send foodstuffs to Germany until a demand they are said to nave made for the dissolution of the soldiers' id workers' council is carried out. The allies, the reports add, will re serve the fight to march into Ger many. . ' Representatives of the troops which are to, guard , Berlin took an oath in the town hall at Steglitz, swearing absolute loyalty to the Gerraan people's republics Inde pendent socialists exhorted the sol diers to disarm, but they refused. Day's Events in Car Strike Judge Woodrough of United States court issued temporary re-straining order against interference by strikers in operation of street cars. .'.-, , Judge Day in district court ordered street railway company to re sume traffic and restrained strikers from acts of interference. Executive committee of strikers' union agreed to waive union recognition demand if company will address a letter to its executive officers, announcing appointment of W. L. Musgrave as superintendent ff transportation and agreeing not to discriminate against the union. Company did not accede to latest proposal of the committee of the union, but stated another meeting will be held this morning when action will be taken. Company contends that letter to union officers would mean recognition of union. x W. D. Mahon, president of the International Association of Street . Railway Employes, advises the men to accept the judgment of the war labor board and to return to work. Jerry Burnett, representative of the international union, saysjt Is up to him to advise the men to accept the judgment of the war labor board. The strikers have called a meeting for this morning at 9 o'clock when they will .consider both the message of the international presi dent and also the letter which President Wattles has addressed to the men. . Chairmen Taft and Manly and W. R. Mahon wire they will be in Omaha January 2 for .further hearing of the .controversy, between the men and the company. OVERSEAS MEN ARGUE VALUE OF "MONKEY MEAT" v ; I Wounded Soldiers on Way to Letterman Hospital in Cali . fornia Given Banquet in Henshaw. Relative merits of . "monkey meat", (canned meat from Monte video) versus porterhouse steak, and "G-I cans" (high explosives) versus cabaret music were dis cussed by 62 wounded American soldiers who were entertained at dinner Wednesday evening in the Henshaw hotel by Omaha Red Cross canteen and motor corps. The wounded heroes of the Somme and Cantigny, who set sail from France the day the armistice was signed, are enroute to the Letter man reconstruction hospital in San Francisco. Suffered Many Wounds. A Japanese, several half-breed Mexicans and Spaniards and several Italians were in trU party, all of whom are Pacific coast men who saw, more than a year of overseas service. Some had as many as three wound stripes. Onnie Wilson, a pre-medic student in the university of Cali fornia before the war, was wounded six times and was gassed several times. "That was nothing, though, I didnt 'even go to the hospital for the gas," he said. The Germans pre ceded poisonous gas attacks with gas which induced heavy sneezing, to rended the gas masks ineffectual, he said. Longed to Dance. Broken bodies do not mean brok en spirits, the; gayety of the wound ed men attests. . "Only these crutches prevent me from dancing," exclaimed one when the music struck up a "jazzy" tune. "But, oh, boy, when I get rid of them, won't I make up fop lost timer i , Some of the boys had not eaten pie in more than a year until it was served to tnem at the Henshaw last evening. , L. J. Healey, whose wife was in charge of the canteemus, provided red rose boutonmeres for each sol dier. After dinner, the boys were taken to the Orpheum theater. They left on a midnight train. STRIKE TIES UP STREET RAILWAY IN KANSAS CITY Residential "Sections Light less; Company Pleads In ability to Pay Wages Of, Labor Board Award. Kansas City, Dec. 11. Street car service in Kansas City has been at a standstill today, many industrial plants have been forced to close "and most of the residential sections of the city are withouut electric lights as a result of the strike of street car and power house employes. The men demand the increase In wafces awarded them by the fede:il war labor board which was contin geu upon the financial resources of . the Kansas City Railway com pany. The federal court recently , r fused to grant an injunction to per mit the company to charge eight cents and the street railway officii Is assert they are unable to meet, the board's award on the basis of -the present six cent fare. "My Journey of Life h Finished," Clemence'au Tells French Chamber Paris, Dee. -11. Returning from redeemed Alsace-Lorraine to night Premier Clemenceau deliv ered one of the most remarkable speeches ever heard in the cham ber of deputies. "For me in this life, which at times has seemed miserably long," said M. Clemenceau, "it has been permitted that I should travel over the stage of crime which has" been committed between Bor deaux and " Strasbourg. What has been accomplished surpasses anything history has -ever regis tered before. "The redemption of Alsace-Lorraine has been the goal of my life. A young girl to whom I spoke in Strasbourg said to me, 'We may now smile, M. Clemen-, ceau. We have wept long enough.' "I am speechless. Silence alone could cope with such a situation. Many times I have felt life not worth living, but since young girls from Alsace-Lorraine in the exu berance of their joy kissed me, saying 'Savior,' my journey of life is finished." ' - President Ben Short Confident Men Will Obey Advice of Mahon to Return to Work Pending War Board Hearing Settlement of the Omaha street railway strike that, now has continued eight days, appears in prospect before to night. , ' ' W. D. Mahon, president of the International carmen's union, last night wired local strikers to return to work pend ing hearing of their troubles hee by the federal war board January 2. At the same time the war board sent messages to Mayor Smith, the street railway company and the strikers, stating a hearing would be given in Omaha on that date if -differences were smoothed out and the strikers returned to work. This word followed a day of con ferences, during which the company and the strikers appeared to be get- , ting on common ground over woo ing conditions, as a result of media tion by City Commissioner H. B. Zimman ' Short Says Strike Off. Mayor Smith met President Ben .Short of the local carmen's union soon after receipt of the telegrams from Mahon and said to him: "Well, . Shott, I suppose I shall ride down town on a stret car in the morn- ,. .. . ' . . Mr.'. Short replied: "Well, 1 don't know that you will in the morning, but the cars probably will be run- . ning sometime during the day.", . Members of the executive com- s mittee and National Organizer Bur nett ask that every one of the employes-attend a meeting this morn ing at the Labor Temple to consider all th phases of the strike situation up to date, including a letter pro posed by Mr. Wattles to the men. Burnett Says O. K. Jerry Burnett, organizer of the international union, who aso re ceived a wire last night from W. D. Mahon, asking him to advise the men to go back to work, said: "Ma hon is the man I take my orders from, and whatever he says goes with me." President Wattles "of the . street car company said: "I' have given orders to have everything in readi ness so that the men can take 'their runs the moment they accept Ma hon's and the war board's proposi tion. It is a very happy" solution of the matter and I am very glad to have it end that way."1 Pickets Withdrawn. Strikers withdrew their pickets from car barns last night. At the close of a day of swift moving events the board of directors of the traction company and the ex ecutive committee of the carmen's union parted company at 7 p. m., in the offices of the former, with ap parently only a techincal difference between them. The committee representing the union agreed to waive their demand for recognition of the union if President Wattles of the company. J would address a letter to Ben A. Short and J. v. McMiIIian, as pres ident and secretary, respectively, ol local union No. 807, stating that W. L. Musgrave had been appointed to his former position as superin tendent of transportation, with pow ers to negotiate with the men as to working conditions. Wattles Does Not Yield The strikers' committee an-, nounced, that it would agree to have Mr. Mif6grave appear before, the men and have it understood that his appointment and the letter to Short and McMiIIian would not bind the company to recognition of the union. The strikers, however, would insist that the union should not , be discriminated against. Mr. Wattles held out for "his point that by addressing the pro posed letter to Short and McMiIIian as officers of the union such action (Contlnned on Tbk Two, Column Two.) WAR BOARD SAYS RETURN TO WORK TO CAR STRIKERS Message Says Peace Must Be in Effect in Omaha When - They Will Conduct Hearing. - The following telegram was re ceived last evening by Mayor Smith from Joint Chairmen Taft and Man ly of the war labor board: "The appeal of the employes from the ruling of our examiners is now iifour hands. In our judg ment the men, by going out on a strike, have violated the rules of the board and are not entitled to have their. Appeal passed on until they go back to work. "We are advised by our examin ers that the spirit of both parties is subject to criticisruf and .that had there been accommodation on both sides and an attempt to car ry' out the award, the trouble might have been, averted. The examiners advise us that the ac tion of the men is in their judg ment an effort to secure a rehear ing 'of the original award rather than for the construction of the actual award. Of course we are most anxious, to secure peace and justicein accord with the award or by modification of it that ought to be made, bujwe cannot take anv stens in this direction until peace is restored and the men goA back to work. . . . -J'lf the men will go back to work, theJoint Chairmen, William H. Taft and Basil M. Manly will come to Omaha and b there on the second " of January to' hear both the appeal and a petition for a rehearing of the provisions of the award which seem now to be in controversy in view of the ugly situation. "It is necessary that both par ties should show the utmost fair ness in the restoration of the status quo until the hearing can be had and therefore the men should be restored in the utmost good faith, all of them to the places which they have left and they should go back and in the utm$t good faith- fulfill their duties under the present arrangement, awaiting the action cf the arbitrators upon the appraisal and rehearing, and seeking no change until that hear ing results in a decision, which will be promptly rendered and if possible before the arbitrators leave Omaha. i "We send this dispatch to the mayor, the company and the men. !'We have had a conference with President Mahon of the union and he has advised us that he has tele graphed the men to accept these conditions of the further hearing by the arbitrators of the award." MORE OF THE LOVE LETTERS WRITTEN FOR THE BEE'S CONTEST-WINNERS WILL BE KNOWN SOON . I No. 203. My Brave Hero': Out of the depths of a contrite heart I acknowl edge the receipt of your precious letter written over there. Words are inadequate to express the joy it brought to me ' To know that my love is reciprocated, loving yon as I do,. I da not wonder that even amid the roar of the' cannon and fire t uns my face appears before you. Do I not ' to" $ i you with a relentless - love that knows no s bounds?; Am I. not in my waking hours praying for your safe return How forcibly recurs to me the eve nings spent with you. They are in delibly; impressed upon my. mind, never to be forgotten. How I hope their swee$ reot$Ua v"A4V M brave boy, life of my. life, soul of my soul, I shall continue to pray that we may meet, if not on earth, then in Heaven, where.our undaunt ed love will - be rewarded. . With undaunted love, 1 - - . My hero, I caress and embrace you, Your loving and -faithful,. -, ;; -V . DOROTHY. No. 333. ' .Dear Sir: Your kindletter has confirmed what I have lofeg sup posed, froin your attentive conduct towards me. I ,think that I have never given you causeto doubt my affection for you. and if such should be the case involuntarily and. reckon jipon it with the greater confidence call a)urt'ps si m wjirme$t gratitude for the affection you enter, tain for me. I have .concealed noth ing from my parents, I have read your letter' to them.- they approve of our union and leave alt" to myself. I am proud of the man who is es teemed by everyone for his rare merit But esteem is ndt all I feel for you.. It is the, purest and most fervent affection. May I.neyer want opportunities to prove how 'tenderly I am devoted to you. : tv. Yours ever1 faithful, - . . - , "V - DOROTHY. - A No. 22. ' V Dear Friend: ; I am glad to know that, you think' me the cleanest souled girl in the world, and will be ii Sli U fill ckaa' and sound in soul and body, and that you have not been touched by life's mud and mire, and then I can tell you if I am waiting. V DOROTHY. :. No. 580. . ; Dear Heart: I used to wonder, before I met you, how a girl could care enough for a man to be willing to share the fortunes and trials of life wjth him. But now, it seems as if I would be willing to give my life, if needjie, for you. Life would not -be worth . living if I were not sure that some day we would be re united. I can hardly realize that you belong- to me, yet, I have only ,to- close my eyes to hear your won dwM joke. aid-SSl XSM hit lace, How sweet of you to remember me when you. have so many more im portant things to occupy your time. Yes, I think of nothing but you; the knowledge of yqur voice lends me .courage to overcome my trials and temptations. I can see you now as you looked, your ' beautiful eyes beaming, your athletic figure, your clean, open countenance and sthe love shining in your eyes the daywe parted. Could any girl fail to be proud of such a soldier lover? " , DOROTHY. No. 150. ; Yo letter, boy, dear, has made me very happy. So happy that I around. the doing the dull every-day tasks, which we stay-at-homes miist do, with a smile on my lips and the song which is only sung once in a life-time singing in my heart. After you had gone I knew, that life could never be the same to me again, and when I received your wonderful letter I knew that out of the bloody trenches, out of the ex citement and horror of war, your heart had called to mine, and though we are separated by miles of land and water, my owh heart hr.3 heard thccall and answered to it. ' It may be year before we meet again. There may be long weeks and months in which we cannot even hear fjoia each other, but wherever 1 you go my hopes for the future and my belief in you in the present will be with youv I know that you will be putting the noblest efforts of your life into this fight foryour c:untry and for me. -DOROTHY No. 289. ; My Dear, Dear Boy: If you could only clasp my hand, you would feel the warm glow of happiness that your letter gives me. 5 To be the ideal 'of some worthy man is every girl's desire and long ing and it makes me glad and proud to know that I am this ideal to you. I, too, have sweej dreams of our few happy evenings-together and the remembrance pf you. is a constant inspiration to me. When nothing seems worth while, and I find my self saying 'what's the usei the cards are stacked then I think of you fighting so unselfishly and courag eously for truth and honor and right and I fight on. trying to be as good a soldier in life's everyday battles as you are over there I 1 I hope, you won't find me too greatly changed when we meet again and that my soul will be wash-, ed clean, of all the mud and mire of life's experiences. For it's what happens , to our souls that counts, dear boy, it's soul stulf that love is made of. and if I see the wond rous light of understanding in your eves then I will tell you what voac love niean to , "01" EIXQ& . " .' .. y ". ' " '.'.. -