Republican farmer. [volume], February 22, 1918, Image 1

About Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920

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ALL THE NEWS
THAT'S WORTH
PRINTING
ESTABLISHED A. D. 1790
LACK OF YANKEE MACHINES AT FRONT MAKES
PERSHING'S MEN UNPROTECTED TARGETS
OF HUNS TROOPS HELPLESS AS AERO
, TURNS MACHINE GUN ON THEM.
With the American Army in France, Feb. 20 (By the As
sociated Press) Control of the air in the American sector be
longs to the enemy. Any officer at the front will make this
declaration all have made it. The control is obvious. German
aeroplanes come and go over the American lines almost at will.
Every time the Germans come over their path through the
sky is followed by fleecy shrapnel puffs, but the chances of hit
ling an aeroplane with anti-aircraft shells is so remote that
the enemy aviators calmly fly along as if on a pleasure trip.
Every now and then aeroplanes on
this side attack the enemy. They
always do this when, they get a
chance. But the boche is clever
while flying and manages to come
over and take pictures, make observ
ations and do virtually whatever else
he desires and then calmly sail home
without interruption. Nearly always
he is at an altitude of about 3,000
metres where he is comparatively
safe from anti-aircraft fire and knowa
It is not permitted to name any of
ficers of the American expeditionary
force. It is not permitted to quote
them. If both were allowed it would
be possible to carry quotations from
virtually every officer at the front urg
ing a speedy appearance of large
r.umbers of American aeroplanes
with American pilots.
For there is only one way to wrest
control of the air from the enemy.
That is to fight him for it in the sky
tind to relieve him of it by force of
overwhelming numbers.
Right now, if the Germans knew
American aeroplanes were waiting
for them every time they came ovef
the line their trips would be less fre
quent. Neither would they dare t
attempt such a bold piece of work
es when they recently flew over th
line in an aeroplane disguised with
the Allies' red, white and blue bulls
eye marking and cut loose with a ma
chine gun on American soldiers in
the trenches.
Had there been American planes
nearby the chances of the Germans
B'tting back home after such a trick
would be small. And it is extremely
doubtful, officers say, whether they
ever woutdl have tried it.
Any officer also will say the safety
of individual soldiers depends on
keeping the enemy from doing as he
pleases overhead. For days the Ger
mans have been flying over certain
towns where American troops have
Ibeen resting after periods in the
trenches. Once or twice these day
light observation tours have been fol
lowed the same night by visits by en
emy bombing planes.
So fro eand unrestricted are the
Crerman airmen that in some towns
the commands are unrer strict orders
to disappear under cover the moment
a German aeroplane is sighted.
Moreover, officers say, more and
more Gemman planes are appearing
in the sky, and in various quarters
there is a growing belief that these
are the first of the machines that the
Germans have been building fever
ishly to offset the large number of ex
pected American aeroplanes in ac
cordance with plans announced in th
United States.
Whether this belief is true or not,
the fact remains that American troops
are holding the sector and are endan
gered daily because there are no
American aeroplanes with them. The
question most asked -from one end of
the American front to the other is:
J'When are some American planes
coming here?"
AGREE TO OPEN
SHOP IN REPAIR
OF LOCOMOTIVE
Washington, Feb. 21 To, hasten
repair work on locomotives and rail
road rolling stock, an agreement in
volving lengthening of working hour3,
promotion of apprentices and helpers
and maintenance of open shop condi
tions has been reached between Direc
tor General McAdoo and A. C. Whar
ton, president of the railway employe's
department of the American Federa
tion of La.bor. The agreement af
' fects more than 300,000 workmen.
' New Tork, Feb. 21 Two students,
Winfleld Matthews and Eirmer An
derson, each 22 years old, lost their
lives louay in a "ic Divci ii'oisomeimng new is only waking up.
training college of the Salvation j Concrete, for -instance, has been a
Army, In West . 14th street. The practical shipbuilding material all
property loss was estimated at' $75,- I along: only we are just now getting
08. . j I around to It
"mp in
ffiPTU
VOL. CXXVI
HOLCOMB SENDS
NUTMEG STATE'S
M A MESSAGE
Major Giddings Carries
Greetings to Connecticut
Soldiers in France.
CITES HISTORY OF
, THEIR FOREBEARS
Army Officer Personal Rep
resentative of Governor
. in Europe.
Hartford, Feb. 21 Gov. Holcomb
has sent a message to Connecticut
men fighting in France, voicing the
appreciation of the people of Connec
ticut for their services. The gover
nor took advantage of the trip of
Major Edward A. Giddings, a mem
ber of the Connecticut state council
of defense, to France as a member
of the federal reserve bank Liberty
loan mission to send his message
to the sons of this state serving ovar
seas. Word has just been received
from Major Giddings announcing his
safe arrival in a British port.
"Hartford, Jan. 28, 1918.
"Major Howard A. Giddings, Hart
ford, Conn.
Please extend to the officers and
men of the 102nd United States infan
try, the 101st machine gun battalion
and to all other Connecticut men
the miltary service of the United
states who you may meet in your
trip to the front the greetings of the
people of Connecticut and our appre
ciation of the great service our sol
diers are rendering in this world war,
and our gratitude, pride and confi
dence in our Connecticut soldiers and
sailors. They are performing our part
in defenidSng and maintaining the lib
erties we have inherited and in ob
taining for all . nations, great and
small, the opportunity for the equal
rights which were obtained for the
United States in the war of the Rev
olution. "The soldiers of Connecticut have
ever been faithful in fighting under
the Stars and Stripes to ultimate vic
tory in every contest in which this
nation has been engaged, and we
have the utmost confidence that they
will do so in this, the greatest war of
history, against the most dangerous
and unscrupulous enemy the forces of
human liberty ever faced.
"May the God of Righteousness
watch over them inspire them with
courage, give them complete victory,
and bring them safely home again to
receive, the greetings and honors
which the people are hopefully wait
ing to give them.
"In behalf of the State of Connecti
cut, I am
"Most sincerely, yours,
"M. II. HOLCOMB. Governor.
Major Giddings also represents Gov.
Holcomb personally and the Con
necticut State Council of Defense and
will make certain investigations in
France for the council.
CARGO SHIP DIVIDENDS
London, Feb. 21 An analysis of
the earnings of seventy British cargo
steamship companies for last year
shows that dividends were paid ag
gregating J13.000.000 or 19.25 per
cent on their capital. The earnings
of the same companies in pre war
days averaged 3.3 per cent.
The dividends of twenty-three lin
er companies were 14 per cent on a
capital of (189,000,000.
The man who thinks he has found
BRIDGEPORT, CON., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1918
1 I AUWUVUtM &w w , I
Senator Lewis Predicts
Public Ownership Pol
icy for U. S.
RAILROAD HEAD&
ADMIT FAILURES
Government Control of
'Telephone, Telegraph,
Etc., Inevitable.
Washingon, Feb. 21 Sena
tor Lewis of Illinois, speaking
in the Senate today, declared
the administration railroad bill
is a forerunner of government
control over various public util-
Ubs and predicted that the
Question would be the great
domestic issue in the next
presidential campaign.
"Let us not deceive ourselves as to
the meaning of this measETe," Senator
Lewis declared. "Thisis "the be
ginning of the government taking the
railroads as a government agency,
The roads will never be permitted to
return to the former state of per
sonal control for private benefit. At
the same time this country takes over
the railroads it will take the tele
graph and telephone privileges and
then the products for fuel, particular
ly the lands of coal and oil and put
.these under government direction.
"All agencies of this nature in this
republic, necessary for the public
welfare of man, will be taken by the
government as a necessary protection
of the republic."
The railroads, Senator Lewis de-
clared, confessed their inability to
meet the situation and by surrender
ing to the government admitted that
the one power capable to carrying on
the work under the existing condi
tions was the government itself.
"The government now conducts the
roads and directs them as the proof
of its power and ability to do so," he
asserted. "Private ownership of rail
roads failed us for the purpose of
sending supplies to ships or for trans
port of soldiers for foreign service.
What would be the calamity under
private ownership if enemies were at
our gates and in possession of our
country. v
"Let us announce that the United
States is a government and shall as
sume governmental responsibility in
protecting all public agencies of hu
man welfare from being a monopoly
of private pillage."
If this is done. Senator Lewis said,
any Bolshevik uprising in the United
States will be avoided.
CONDEMN RESALES
OF FOODSTUFFS
Washington, Feb. 20 Double mid
dleman's profits on foodstuffs with a
resultant price advance to the con
sumer caused by the practice of
wholesalers selling to one another to
make up depreciated stocks were con
demned in a statement issued today
by the food administration.
Resales should be permitted only
with the consent of the state food ad
ministrator and with the provision
that dealers share the usual wholesale
profit on the entire transaction. Com
missions or brokerage charges on re
sales, it was said, should be allowed
only when the legality of the resale is
clearly established.
Jacob Dashler, of Wrightsville. Pa.
was hit by a ton of iron. His re
covery is expected.
Cleveland bakers have defied the
Food Board and raised the price of
bread to retailers.
LATE WAR DISPATCH.
Paris, Feb. 21 One hundred ten persons perished when the
steamer La Dives was torpedoed in the Mediterranean on Feb.
1, says an official announcement. The attacking submarine
was not seen.
London. Feb. 21 Twelve German aeroplanes have been ac
counted for by British airmen and one by infantry, says a state
ment on aerial operations last night, which also reports success
ful attacks on Thionville and Pirmasens, Germany.
London, Feb. 21 "New Zealand troops carried out a suc
cessful raid early today east of Polygon wood (Flanders front)
and captured a few prisoners," says today's war office stater
se enemy's artillery was active
against our positions at Flesquieres."
German Goods Already in
Manchuria, Where Ex
Prisoners Work Mines.
Harbin, Manchuria, Saturday,
Feb. 16 German goods already
have reappeared far . east of
Irkutsk, according to information
received here. German mer
chants are active in Harbin and
the Bolshcviki are arming releas
ed German prisoners to guard the
Siberian railroad and facilitate
the movement of traffic.
A British mining engineer
named Piper, who has arrived
here from Krasgoyarsy says the
Bolshcviki have seized the gold
mines there and that Austro-Ger-man
prisoners are working them.
The Anstro-Germans have plenty
of money and are purchasing per
mits allowing them to circulate
freely in Siberia. The Germans
are taking charge of electric pow
er stations, railroads and depots.
Quantities of raw materials are
shipped to Germany from the dis
trict. Most of the Germans are
said to speak Russian.
Piper declares that unless the
Allies take immediate steps to
send supplies and raw materials
into Siberia the intellectual and
present classes will throw them
selves into the hands of the Ger
mans. .
BUNKER RULES
NOT FOR SWEDES
Stockholm, Feb. 21 Ira Nelson
Morris, the American minister, re
ceived yesterday from Washington
announcement that the new bunker
regulations are not applicable to the
hundred thousand - tons of Swedish
shipping included in the proposed
agreement between the two countries.
It was communicated immediately to
the Swedish government as Minister
Morris had learned that an attempt
to apply the regulations to the ships
in the agreement would imperil the
negotiations.
The announcement from Washing
ton saves for American use the 100,
000 tons of shipping. The bunker
regulations aroused the indignatiion of
Swedish shipping companies who con
tended that they would enable the
United States to control even Swed
en's coasting trade and compel the
cessation of long established traffic
with Lutoeck and Stettin, Germany.
The Swedish government alW was
somewhat diequieted.
FLOOD DANGER
IN N. E. IS PAST
Boston, Feb. 2.1. Danger of seri
ous floods in New England, at the
end of a winter seldom equalled for
its severity, is believed to have been
considerably reduced by the alter
nate thaws and freezes of this month.
A great deal of the snow and ice.
particularly in the southern section
of New England, has melted gradual
ly this month. i
COL. REPINGTON
AND BOSS FINED
London, Feb. 21 Fines of flOO
each and costs were imposed today
on Col. C. A. Repington, military
correspondent of the Morning Post
and Howell A. Gwynne, editor of that
paper, for the publication of an ar
ticle in the Post last week in viola
tion of the military censorship.
DID BUSIXESS AT LOSS.
Amsterdam, Feb. 21 The Berlin
Motor Omnibus Co., which was oblig
ed to conduct its business last year
almost entirely with horses and steel
tired vehicles owing to the prohibition
of the use of gasoline or rubber tir-'S,
ended the year with a deficit of $375,
000. The railway fuel men offer to aid in
conservation.
.
yesterday evening
After Two Months Peace
Sisters Would Take
Farm From Gustav.
ALSO SEEK MONEY
FOR LAND'S USAGE
Will of Mother Left An
Estate of $60,000 to
Three Daughters.
The Molls are at it again.
After two months of peace, lit
igation in the famous Moll pro
bate case has again broken out,
starting on its 25th year in the
Probate Court. The principal
in the case was Theresa Moll,
who died, a nonogenarian, last
year. Gustav Moll, her son.
had been conservator, and filed
his final account Jan. 25.
The report was accepted by Judge
Daniel B. Bradley, acting for Judge
Paul L. Miller.
Today, Mrs. Lillie Moll Thorp filed
notice appealing from the acceptance
of the report, representing that she is
aggrieved by the action. The other
two sisters, Mrs. August Stadtler and
Theresa Oberly, are in sympathy with
her.
In addition to the appeal from the
acceptance of their brother's report,
the sisters will file a writ of ejection
in the Superior court today and will
also file suit to recover a total of $6,
000, which they allege their brother
owes them- for rental.
Gustave Moll has been living on his
mother's farm on Madison avenue for
20 years or more. The sisters claim
rental on the theory that the place
was deeded to them by their mother
during her lifetime.
The aged woman left a will giving
her estate, estimated to be worth
more than $60,000, to her two daugh
ters, Lillie Thorp and Theresa Oberly,
cutting off Gustave, Mrs. Stadtler and
another son, who lives in Chicago.
The will was accepted in the Probate
court, but an appeal is pending in the
Superior court.
ELEVEN HELD FOR
5,000,000 THEFT
F WAR SUPPLIES
New York, Feb. 21 Eight cloth
ing manufacturers, two employes and
a clerk in the quartermaster depart
ment of the army were indicted by
the federal grand jury here today,
charged with being concerned in ex
tensive army uniform cloth frauds.
Cloth and other army supplies
worth approximately $5,000 000 were
stolen, according to Lieut. George D.
Barnit of the New Tork police, who
in conjunction with the federal au
thorities investigated the alleged
frauds which he said included thefts
in other parts of the country. He
asserted that a plot of nation-wide
proportions had been uncovered and
that investigations in other cities
probably would be undertaken.
The indictments are based on evi
dence gathered by the federal dis
trict attorney's office in connection
with the arrest about two months ago
of Louis Davidson, head of the Uni
versal Cloth Shrinkinc & Refinishing
A'orks here.
BOLSHEVIKISTS I
CHINA PROMPTING
ANOTHER REVOLT
Peking, Saturday, Feb. 16. Bolshcv
iki from Russian Turkestan as well as
Germans and Turks are inflaming the
Chinese Mohammedan population of
province of Singiang, Chinese Turke
stan, against the government, says a
report from Gen. Tang Tseng Sin,
governor of the province.
The general warns the government
that arms and ammunition are sup-
are prospects of a Mohammedan re-
) -Demon , similar to inc "esan
in lsSi. Even the loss of Chinese
Turkestan is possible, he added. .
NEW SERIES
HAPSAL AND MOLODECSNO TAKEN, GERMANS
PUSH ON TOWARD VITEBSK, MINSK, PSKOFF
AND REVAL AIRMEN BOMB REGITSA
DVINSK ENTERED TWO HOURS AF
TER ARMISTICE ENDED.
Petrograd, Wednesday, Feb. 20 (By the Associated Press)
Dispatches received here indicate continued German move
ments along all fronts toward Vitebsk, Minsk, Pskoff and Reval.
German airmen are reported to have raided Regitsa, on
Monday. Many bombs were dropped and several persons were
killed.
Troops that occupied Dvinsk are advancing toward Pskoff,
180 miles south southwest of Petrograd, according to a Reuter
dispatch. They also have occupied Hapsal, Esthonia, and their
cavalry is pushing toward Mohilev, the former Russian general
headquarters.
BRITISH TROOPS
TRUMPETING AT
JERICHO WALLS
London. Feb. 21 A further ad
vance of three and a half miles on
a front of seven and three-quarters
miles has been made by the Brit
ish forces in Palestine, the war
office announces. The British are
now within four miles of Jericho.
The operations are continued.
The British losses on Tuesday
when an advance was made on a
15 mile front east of Jerusalem
were very small. Yesterday's
losses have not been reported.
The British also advanced
northwest of Jerusalem to a maxi
mum depth of one mile on a front
of four miles.
VAST AMOUNT OF
BOOTY TAKEN BY
NS IN RUSSIA
Berlin, Feb. 21, via Lon
don The war office an
nounced that 1,531 guns
and between 4,000 and
5,000 motor cars have been
cantured from the Rus
sians. The Russian town of
Rovno has been cleared of
the Russians, the war of
fice reports. Trains with
about 1.000 cars, many
laden with food, have been
captured, as well as aero
planes and an incalculable
amount of war material.
U. S. AERO CLU
EKING REMEDY
FOR AIR MENAGE
New Tork, Feb. 21 A special
meeting of the executive board of the
Aero Club of America was called
here today to consider and take action
on the aeroplane situation on the
American front in France as told in
dispatches from the American front.
"The reports would indicate that
the situation is indeed' serious," an
official of the club said. "f:ur execu
tive board will meet to-lay and we
shall take immediate steps to ascer
tain whether we can do anything
that will assist the government in re
moving the menace. It has been truly
said that 'the war will be won in the
air,' and if the Germans, as the dis
patches say, are in control, we must
speed up our preparations to wrest
it from them."
The dispatches said "control of the
air in the Americansector belongs to
the enemy," German machines com
ing and going "almost at will" over
the American lines.
Twenty German sailors were killed
by'eheir own mines in the Baltic. ,
Burglars robbed the safe of $700 in
nickels at the Automat dining room at
No. 04 Sixth avenue
ALL THE NEWS
THAT'S WORTH
PRINTING
VOL. CXXVI NO. 5601
The Novaia Viedomsty, the dispatch
adds, says the Germans have occu
pied Molodecsno, an important rail
road junction northwest" of Minsk.
According- to the Pravda the Aus-
trians have begun an advance on the
Ukrainian, front.
Just two hours after the armistice
ended German troops entered Dvinsk.
It was 2 o'clock on the afternoon of
Feb. 18 that German patrols unex-"
pectedly appeared aroun-d the city and
seized the railroad stations and other
central points. Only small skirmishes
with fleeing soldiers took place. The
Red guard offered no resistance, while
the artillery and infantry were de
mobilizing and unprepared to fight.
Attempts Do evacuate the city were
unsuccessful. Much heavy artillery
and large quantities of ammunition
fell into the handsof the Germans.
The civilian population had no oppor
tunity to escape.
The commissaries of the local work
men's and soldiers' council tried' to
escape disguised as soldiers, but they
were seized by the Germans.
The decision of the Soldiers' and
Workmen's delegates to aecept the
German peace terms was reached by
a majority of only one vote after a
heated debate lasting throughout Mon
day night. Great secrecy was observ
ed in regard to the meeting, which
was adjourned several times to permit
the Bolsheveki and the Social Revo
lutionists to hold party caucuses.
There were divisions in both parties
on the subject.
Premier Lenine, Foreign Minister
Trotzky, Ensign Krylenko, commander-in-chief,
and many other leaders
addressed the council. Military men
explained the impossibility of offer
ing effective resistance, but no deci
sion was reached until messages had
been received showing that the Ger
mans had captured Dvinsk with ease
and were advancing all along the
front.
This news reached the council early
Tuesday morning, and influenced the
delegates to decide for peace. Before
the capture of Dvinsk Premier Lenine
said he was opposed to peace, but
finally urged that peace must be ob-
tained at any price in order to in
sure the reconstruction of Russia.' He
said the Germans were advancing t-n
a solid front from the north to the
south.
The announcement of Hussia's de
cision to accept the German terms
was sent by wireless at 5 o'clock Tues
day morning. At first the German
wireless station showed a disposition
to refuse to take the message, but
finally, four hours later, acknowledged
it.. -
Bolshevik leaders held repeated con
ferences throughout Tuesday, and late
in the afternoon received the German
reply, refusing to accept the wireless ,
message as official and requesting that
a delegation be sent to Dvinsk to con- "
fer with regard to peace.
The Russian press is divided as to
the wisdom of the council's action. .
The Pravda says the soldiers' and,
workmen's delegates have sgain
shown willingness to make peace and
carry out their pledges, and that
I whether Germany accepts the offer or
I does not, the Bolsheviki have won a
l moral victory. The Nova Jizn says
the Bolsheviki have brought the af
fair to an ignominious end and have
proved themselves to be adventurers
who are willing to keep themselves in
power at any price.
Boshevik leaders declare that if th
German advance continues they will
defend Petrograd with the Red
Guard and harasss the German ad
vance by guerilla warfare. No plans
have been made for evacuation of this
city.
The Bolsheviki say this is a now
war, not the old war, and that they
will present a united front against the
Germans. They believe the proletariat
of Russia will be able to continue the
struggle.
The War Department approved the i
scheme for the publication of a week-
ly newspaper in France for the Amsrr
ican troops. " .