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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1918)
s f RIEF RIGHT REEZY BITS OF NEWS B GIVE HIM A YEAR'S PAID SUBSCRIPTION TO THE BEE HE'LL APPRECIATE IT. The Omaha Daily Bee THE WEATHER: Fair Wednesday and! Thursday; warmer Wednes- ' day. , llmirly Tiiuruturr j i t1 HOHENZOLLERN TRIBE "COMFORTABLY FIXED." , Basel, Dec. 24. (Havas.) Seizure A property owned by the Prussian j royal family f the Ilohenzollcrns) would produce immediately the sum j if 900,000.000 marks according to i figures compiled by the Frankfort ! Xachrichten. CANDLES FOR 5,250 YEARS PROVIDED OVERSEA FORCES. : Washington, Dec. 24. The sign- 'rig of the armistice left the Ameri- j can expeditionary forces in France ' with enough candles to keep one bin ning continuously and without ; interruption for 5,250 years, accord ing to an official statement today from the office of the director of pur-; chase and storage of the War de-, partnient. The primary use of the j candles was to furnish light in the ; trenches and dugouts. ! BELGIAN TROOPS ENTER GERMANY FOR FIRST TIME. aris, Dec. 24. The first cavalry hrigate of Belgian troops today en tered Germany, having reached Dalsdorf. This announcement is made by the Relgian war depart ment. LIVING INCREASE 52 PER CENT IN NEW YORK New York, Dec. 24. The cost of living in New York state has in creased f2 per cent s:nce 1914, ac cording to figures nude public to night by the consumers' league of New York. The figures, taken from records of actual living expenses of 1,760 women, showed an average weekly budget of $14.62, including room and board $6.67; clothes, $4.60; carfare, medical care and incidentals '; $3.35. The average weekly budget for a working woman in 1914 was K BAKER REFUSES AMNESTY TO 300 WAR OBJECTORS Secretary of War Refuses to Pardon Drafted Men Who , Refused to Work in Army Cantonments. Washington. Dec. 24 Secretary .' jker declined today to grant gen eral amnesty to 300 or more con scientious objectors held in military custody for having refused to per form any kind of work in connection with the army after being called for service under the selective draft law. . . - , A committee styling Itself as rep c resenting the friends of conscientious objectors called upon Mr. Baker to urge that blanket pardon be given the men in custody as a Christmas present and presented a petition said to bear 15,000 signatures. The secretary informed the com-' mittee that the cases involed differed so radically from each other that it did not appear that any general pol icy could be laid down, but that each case must be dealt with on its merits. A commission is now studying the problem for the War department it problem for the War department, it was anounced, and no formal state- ment of the attitude of the govern ment nor any final action on these :ases could ,be expected until the , report of this commission has been received and studied. Jilukoff Forced to Leave France, Due to His Hun Leanings - Paris, Dec. 24. Paul N. Milukoff, former Russian foreign minister, who was accused last July of Ger manophile leanings, has been obliged ' to leave Paris, according to the Matin. His presence here was be- - lieved to be unnecessary. Professor Milukoff obtained a passpoxfc'Tof F"rance at Constanti- liopie bv mistake, the newspaper says. He had been in Paris four davs. , Prince Georges T voff and Vladi mir X. Kokovsoff, both former Rus sian premiers, are among the prom- . inent Russians who have arrived in Paris to assist the movement of uni fying Russia and restoring order there with entente aid. The Rus sians here, representing many par- ties, have apparently recoi- .ncu men political differences and are working toward a common end. Each Enlisted Man at Fort Omaha Gets Present at "Blowout" VOL. 48. NO. 163. Entertd 11 Mcoiid-cltu matter May 2. 1906, at Omaha P. 0. under act at March 3. 1879 OMAHA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25. 1918. By Mall (I year). Dally. 14.50: Sunday. 11.30: Dally and Sun., $5.50; outside Neb. aoitaoe extra TWO CENTS. .. n. in 1 A II. Ill IX ; h. in is H h. iii I : ' . in MO S i. i. Ill H. Ill 10 I'. III. II H. Ill -Ml 1 . III.. . IJ m '.') S I'- " 1 p. m '.Ml i p. ni SI! ' S p. III. '.'I . . .it . . .mi ...IK BOTH MB S)uv(iSS HEART OF OMAHA IS PULSING I 7 A Christmas program for the en listed men of Fort Omaha was given in one of the garages at the fort Tuesday night. Lieutenant Colonel Wuest addressed the men, nd the band of the fort played. Each man got a present. The men also gave a number of gifts to Mrs. Wuest and Mrs. Saunders, wife of . Chaplain Saunders. Major Karl Connell Home from War Front v : , Maj. Karl Connell, son of W. J. ! Connell, Omaha attorney, arrived in Offlihi vesterdav on a ten-day fur lough, and is visiting his father and tister, Mrs. E. A. Creighton. Major Connell is the inventor of Mt "Connell" and "Victory" gas tnasks. The "Victory" masks were in general use by the American expedi tionary forces in France and are con sidered the most perfect ever invent- ed. N Major Connell is a graduate of Central High school, Creighton Uni- versity, and Columbia University, WITH JOY Christmas Given Over Almost Exclusively to Honoring Soldiers; Generous Giv ing Marks Holiday. Christmas today in Omaha will be passed around the riicside. For the strangers in the city's gates and they are many the hospitality of the many clubs, and semi-public associations has been extended that they, though in new surroundings, as nearly as possible, may exper ience the thrills of yuletide as they know it m their own homes. This will be a soldiers' Christmas. Rejoicing at the ie!urn of their loved ones, hundreds of families will lavish upon the boys in khaki all the fondness that hearts made glad by the end of the war can express. In manv homes wliere tlii soldier father or son still is in service, hap piness will reign over his safety thou eh its full expression mav be delayed until returning armies arj nve. Heart of Omaha Touched. Omaha has poured out its heart in gift giving. Never before in the history of the city, though it be wartime, has such generosity been displayed. The jov of giving made habitual through the year of participation in the war, has resulted in one of the most glorious of climaxes. Before, the giving lias been for the nation and its defenders. Now it is for the defenders and the homes. Last night in Omaha tiiis gift spirit kept its hold until the last shop door was closed and weary clerks wore left but little to store away. Think of the happinness that will result today. In cottage and mansion alike, this Christmas will live in memory. Open House Today. Open house will rule today at tli V. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., Army and Navy club, Knights of Columbus club house, Jewish Welfare board rooms, Omaha Athletic club and Red Cross canteen at the Union station. The influenza epidemic has done away with all entertainments and musicales, but secretaries will be on hand at tach of the above mentioned quarters to greet strangers and make them feel at home. Light re freshments will be served. Day for Dinners. No special program for soldiers has been arranged because of the day's entertainment offered to most of them through invitations to Christmas dinners in Omaha homes. "More invitations for dinne: came in response to the War Camp Community Service's call than we had men to fill them, so we turned over ihc surplus invitations to the Red Cross canteen corps at the Union station to extend to soldiers who may be in the city between train times on Christmas day," said Fred S. Williams, director. "The hostesses expressed themselves de lighted with the plan." Privileges of the Omaha Athletic club will be turned over to 300 sol diers Christmas morning at '0 o'clock. Harry Tukey and J. Clarke Coit will act as hosts. From 10 o'clock to noon the boys will use trie swimming tank. Aquatic races an..! other sports will be featured. The gymnasium is ' not yet open A regular Christmas dinner with all the trimmings will then be served in the main dining room. Club mem bers will be served in the balcony and grill. The Fort Omaha bard will play An open fire In the big fire place, victrola music, candy mak ing parties and light refreshments will bi provided for the woman away from home, all day, at the Y. W. C. A. Miss Etta Pickering gen eral secretary, and Miss Cora Molby will be hostesses. Two large Christmas trees and a quantity of holiday greens decorate the bui'J ing. Secretaries from the Knights of Columbus will be at railroad sta tions to welcome all men to the club house at Twenty-first and Dodge streets, where all privileges of the club will be extended. The Y. M. C A. and Jewish Welfare board rooms in the Lyric building will be open as usual. A full force of Red Cross can teen wcrkers will be on hand at the canteen rest room in the Union station. Gifts for all soldiers pass ing through the city will be pro vided. : . Doughboys Snowball; Officers Stage Big Dance East of Rhine By the Associated Press. Coblenz, Monday. Dec. 23. Snow fell early this morning on the high lands east of Coblenz, within the bridgehead area occu pied by the First iivision. On the low land the snow melted quickly, but in the hills the snow lasted long enough for the sol diers to ro some snowballing. The first all-American dance east of the Rhine took place Sat urday night with General Persh ing and General Hines looking on for a short time. The dance was given by the officers of the Third corps, whose headquarters is at Neuwied. About 100 nurses from Coblenz and officers from divi sions along the Rhine attended the affair, the music for which was furnished by an orchestra composed of soldiers. The Greatest Gift of All WILSON LEAVES FOB CHRISTMAS WITH SOLDIERS i Will Eat Dinner from 'Mess , Kit Then Review Troops j at Front; Later Will j Visit Pershing. Paris, Dec. 24. (By the Associat- j ed Press) President Wilson left ; Paris tonight for a week's trip, which will take hiin to American armybeadquarters at Chaumont and to England. He was accompanied by Mrs. Wilson, Rear, - Admiral Grayson and a small party.. The president is traveling by military train and will reach Chaumont Christmas morning. On Christmas the president will spend twelve hours in the Chaumont region, where he will take Christmas dinner with the men at their mess and review 10,000 Aniericn soldiers. Later he will inspect the billets in several of the villages, and, return ing to Chaumont will be the guesl of General Pershing and his staff. Leaves for England. The president will kaye American headquarters at 6 o'clock Wednes day evening for Calais and on Thursday morning will embark on a warship for England. As far as is known here there will be no further changes in the president's program in England unless the British gov ernment suggests them. American officials here are deeply interested in the reception which will be accorded the president by the British people, especially in the Man chester industrial district. The president himself looks forward with high expectations to a review of the troops on his visit to England. With his return to Paris from England on New Year's the presi dent hopes the most necessary pre liminary organization work of the American commission will be com pleted. The business of beginning to make peace may gtt under way if by then the other governments concerned have named their dele gates. Official notification of the appointment of the various delegates-it is belived will come w.ithin ten days, although it is realized that the British delegates mav not be chosen until the flections are en tirely out of the way. Meeting May Be Delayed. The coming of German delegates is still in an indefinite stage, while the question of Russian representa tion has gone no further than some internal discussions between the American commissioners and prom inent Russians here. Doubts are be ing expressed by some diplomatists that the conference actually can be gin work the first week of January as expected. Some of them are in clined to think that tiie first meet ing might not be held until Feb ruary. President Wilson's last official engagement was with the Belgian minister of foreign affairs tonight. " AMERICA REJOICES FOR PEACE ON EARTH AFTER WORLD'S WAR "Victory Christmas" Celebrated at Home and Abroad With Boys Wearing Khaki and Blue as Guests Of Nation; Executives Extend Season Greetings Across Atlantic MIDDLE WEST IS COVERED WITH FIRST BIG SNOW : Railroads and Street Railways j Handicapped in Moving ' Holiday Crowds by Deep Drifts. Many a guest expected in Oma ha will be late today. Many a Christmas feast will be delayed if friends here wait visit I ors' coming. i Uncle Sam's railroad administra- -I tion is wrestling with the first I severe storm of the winter and I his trains are belated. ; One Rock Island train due here ; from the west yesterday afternoon at 3:05 was 10 hours late. Union Pacific trains from the west were from three to four hours behind schedule. Through trains from the east were from four to five hours late. Nebraska traffic conditions were not such as to cause serious trou ble, but farther east and west snow and cold had disorganized all timetables. Chicago. Dec. 24. Snow and a high wind tied up traffic generally throughout the Great Lakes region and the upper Mississippi valley to day. In Chicago street traffic was ' seriously hampered and thousands of late Christmas shoppers missed J their dinners. Practically every I transcontinental train from the west was reported running 24 hours late or not moving at all. The storm. of unusual intensity, was the more i keenly felt because it followed a ) long period of almost spring-like weather. ! Few Trains in Denver. Denver, Dec. 24. Westbound ! trains on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railway, stalled in Kansas : today by heavy snow fall, were mov- (Continued on Page Two, Column Two.) Judge Estelle 71 Years Old on This Christmas Day Judge Estelle wishes all of his friends a Merry Christmas today which is his seventy-first brithday anniversary. Cuban Tribunal of Honor To Fix Swordsman's Status "The Gang's All Here" Sing Soldiers as Transport Docks in New York Harbor Royal Welcome Accorded Christmas Eve Liner With Cargo Of Enthusiastic American Doughboys Eager to Set Foot On Soil of Native Land for Yuletide Festivities. New York, Dec. 24. In a cold ! 1,504 wounded men from nearly driving rain that In no way dampen- j eve.rV state in the union, their iti- . , . 1 0-c a 'juries ranging from bullet wounds ed their ardor, 3,865 American j j arms a,fd ,gs t0-j:)cll shock and troops came into port today aboard j cases wnjc, require months of the big French liner France, Christ- treatment. mas eve ship of the fleet of trans-: There was in waiting at the dock port that is bringing back the ! a military band and delegations American expeditionary forces. As the ship steamed up the river the men crowded the deck and rig ging and sang "Home, Swtet Home," "Dixie," "Hail, Hail, the Gangs All Here," and answered their reception from ashore with more enthusiasm! berth .i i i j . i i i . r ti.. man nas Deen mspiayeu nereioiure of any transport. They seemed thoroughly to appreciate their good fortune in getting back to American soil the day before Christmas. The returning troops included from the canteen service of the American Red Cross. The enthu siasm and "home for Christmas" spirit that was displayed during the trip up the harbor was more than doubled as the ship rounded into her The appearance of the Red Cross flag, the uniformed members of the Salvation army nr.d other relief organizations on the dock brought forth a great outburst of cheers from the happy 'soldiers. WILSON TO HAVE i DANIELS THINKS BIG RECEPTION COUNTRY PROUD AT GUILD HALL OF BATTLE FLEET Elaborate Preparations Being Secretary of Navy Says Amer Made in London to Wei- i icans Will Greet Men as come President "Valiant Victors." Question Qualifications of Editor and Member of Congress as "Gentle men" Before Duel. Havana. Dec. 24. The question whether Food Administrator Andre should meet Carlos Mendieta, editor of the El Heraldo an3 a member of congress, in a duel has been sub mitted to a "tribunal of honor." The duty of the tribunal is. to examine into the evidence presented as to whether Senor Mendieta is a "gen tleman" and therefore qualified to demand satisfaction at the hands of Senor Andre. Senor Mendieta challenged Andre as the direct outcome of a letter ad dressed to him by Andre, in which the food administrator accused the editor of cowardice in connection with the revolution . of February 191". Should the tribunal decide in favor of Mendieta. a duel is believed to be inevitable. Andre is considered one of the finest swordsmen in Cuba. Andre and, Mendieta fought a duel several years' ago, which resulted in Mendieta receiving a sword thrust in the arm. London, Dec. 24. A large force of workmen is arranging the Guild hall for the reception to President Wilson there on Saturday. A board floor is being placed over the stone flagging and a dias is being erected at one end of the hall. Bright new allied flags are being hung. The president will be received at the door by the lord mayor and es corted to the dias. while the c"m mon council assembles on the plat form. The town clerk will ihm read the resolution providing for the address of welcome and the official reception. The president will reply to the welcome of the lord mayor, after which he will be con ducted to a carriage and driven to the mansion house, where he will be a guest at luncheon. Representatives of the American embassy and allied governments, the army and navy, and all the mem bers of the war cabinet have been invited. The capacity of the Guild hall is limited and only 1,200 in vitations have been issued. Details of the luncheon are not yet com pleted, but preparations are being made for 250 guests, including the most prominent of those who will attend the reception in the Gui'd hall. Washington, Dec. 24. Confidence j that the American people will greet the officers and men of the return ing battleship squadron "with pride I and congratulations" and as "valiant j victors," was expressed by Secretary I Daniels tonight on the eve of his j departure for New York to review l the home-coming naval units, j The American dreadnaughts ! though denied the opportunity of winning a great sea victory, urn more, said the secretary, for they co-operated in receiving the sur render of the entire German fleet. Secretary Daniels and many gov ernment and diplomatic officials will leave Washington tomorrow after noon for New York. The presiden tial yacht Mayflower, from which the naval secretary and his party vill re view the returning battleships Thursday, is now enroute to New York. Secretary Daniels announced to night the names of those who will be his guests aboard the Mayflower at the review. Included in the num ber will be former Ambassadors Gerard, Morgenthau, Elkus, Van Dyke and Penfield. Mrs. George Dewey, widow of the late admiral Dewey, will be the guest of Mrs. Daniels. Sinn Feiners Score Victory by Election of Candidates, Dublin, Dec. 24. The Sinn Fein scored a marked victory yesterday by the election of Prof. John Mac Neill of Dublin university as the uni versity representative in Parliament. He received twice as many votes as Prof. Conway, the nationalist candidate. Cardinal Gibbons Has No Fear of Social Upheaval Baltimore, Dec. 24. Cardinal Gib bons, in a statement today said he had no fear that socialism would become an issue to be dreaded in the period of reconstruction and that the good sense of the American working people would check any so cial upheaval By Associated Press. Washington, Dec. 24. Christmas eve found the Ameri can people preparing for a Christmas day of peace. Four Christmas days in a world at war upon one of which the United States was engaged actively in the con flict seemed to have intensified the dominant spirit o the season, the spirit of peace and good will. Immediately upon the ending of hostilities the American people began prepara tions for the holiday season and tonight it appeared that Christmas of 1918 would be a memorable one in the nation's history. EVEN HUN HONOR HAS BEEN LOST, THINKS ZE1T0N Cologne Paper Speaks Bitter ly of Sordid Acts of U Boat Crews at Time of Surrender. London, Dec. 24. (British Wire less.) Commenting on the handing over to the British of the German submarine U-9 by the German crew, who seized this opportunity to re turn 500 marks per man paid by Ger many as compensation for taking the boats to England, the Cologne Volks Zeitung says: "Even when the astounding his tory of the Russian rubles given to the German people's deputies, was related, we had patience. We had indeed still one consolation Through this night of universal misfortune the splendor of our armies' fame glistened with friendly radiance never to disappear so long as men walked on earth. "Shall we now be robbed of this consolation in the solitude and si lence of our misery? Is it possible in Germany that even "Red" sailors could have sold for 500 marks. "A British admiral (Beatty) re nounces the handing over of a U boat which as victor he wishes, with noble gesture, to bestow upon the vanquished, as one is accustomed to leave his sword to the brave commannder of a conquered fort ress. Revolutionaries in German naval uniform prefer, we are told, 500 marks. These dishonorable men venture again to tread German soil with their wages of sin. "Can it really be true? Many a tear would flow in the German fath erland. So, everything is lost, in cluding honor. Wc could not then sink lower in the estimation of the world it is impossible." Misquoting and Memory Slip Is Cause of Error In commenting on famous legal cases in which the late General John C. Cowin participated, The Bee, last Saturday, quoted Mayor Smith to the effect that one of these cases w5s that in which a son of P. E. Her was charged with the accidental shooting1 of his wife. Of course, this was an error, as the son of P. E. lier has never been implicated in anything of the sort. "The mistake occured," said Mayor Smith, "partly through my being misquoted and partly through the fault of my own memory. "I think I said this case had to do with a son-in-la v of Mr. Her That was not correct. It was the case of John W. Lauer who had married a distant relative of Mr. Her. "Mr. Lauer was acquitted at his second trial. He proved that he had shot his wife accidentally. It seems she arose during the night. While she was moving about the room, her husband awoke, h tight she was a burglar and shot her." In all sections of the country re- ' turning soldiers and iailors will be ! the center of tomorrow's celebration ' although hundreds oi thousands of ; those who aided in making a peace- ful Christmas possible yet remain i abroad. All efforts luve been di rected toward carrying) to them the j Christmas cheer home. The Red i Cross said that every member of ! the American expeditionary forces was assured of a Christmas box. Wilson Sends Message. 1 -To the folks at home, President Wilson, himself spending Christmas , in another land by reason of his ' attendance at the preliminary meet-, ines of the peace conference sent. a message of assurance that the boys in France were in fine form and in fine spirits. The president in his message, which was cabled to this country from Frai.ce and given out tonight at the White House , said: "I hope that it will cheer the the people at home to know that ; I find their boy over here iit fine form and in fine spirits, esteemed -by all those with whom they have been associated in the war and trusted wherever they go, and they , will also, I am sure be cheered by the knowledge of '.he fact that ., throughout the great nations with which we have been associated in this war public opinion strongly sustains all propsals for a just and ' lasting peace and a close co-operation of the self-governing peoples of the world in making that peace secure after its present settle ments are formulated. Nothing could constitute a mote acceptable Christmas reassurance than , the sentiments which 1 find every where prevalent." Message From Pershing. Messages also were exchanged be tween the American armies in France and the forces at home, Gen eral Pershing sending a message to General March, chief of staff, to which the latter replied. General Pershing's message follows: "Please accept for the officers and men of the American army in the United States cordial Christmas greetings and best wishes for the comiiiir years from the American expeditionary force." General March replied: . ' "Christmas greetings to yourself and the American expeditionary force. A Happy New Year and a speedy return home." Secretary Daniels sent broadcast (Continued on Tags Two, Column Foot.) NOTICE No Evening Bee will be issued today, Christmas day, but subscribers will be served with the Morn ing Bee instead, thus per mitting our employes to have this holiday. Kautsky Lays Blame for War on Army and Industrial Heads , Washington, Dec. 24. Responsi bility for the war and its prolonga tion is ascribed by Mr. Kautsky, ' commissary of the people at the German foreign office, to the follow ing, in order: First. The German emperor anc the crown prince; second, Genera Ludendnrff and Admiral von Tir pitz; third, the great industrial con cerns, and fourth the pan-Germans This view of Mr. Kautsky, who i; examining documents in the arch ives of the foreign ministry, wa given to a correspondent of the Petit Parisien in an interview, quota tions front which reached Washing ton today in official dispatches. The documents so far as examinee Kautsky said, prove the truth of statements made by Dr. Muelhon. director of the Krupp factories, and by Prince Lichnowski. Germanam bassador to England at the outbreak of the war, both of whom have laid the war at Germany's doors. The first part of the documents relating to the cause of the war will be made public within a month, Kautsky said, and at the same time the Austrian government will pub lish some of the documents found in the archives of Ballplat