Republican farmer. [volume], February 22, 1918, Page 4, Image 4

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

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TROLLEY BRAKES
FAIL TO
IPPLEI
WUHK: OFFICER GR
"w! w la NEW LAW
TURKS IX PALESTINE FACING NEW FOE, DE
CLARES SECRETARY BAKER IN WEEKLY RE
. VIEW ALLIED FORCES GETTING READY
FOR EXPECTED OFFENSIVE BY HUNS.
Washington, Feb. 20 After extensive preparations silent
ly and systematically carried on, it is apparent that both the
Germans and the Allies are ready for the long expected offen
sive in the west, Secretary Baker says today in his review of
military operations for the week ending Feb. 16.
"While there have been outwardly
no new developments In the military
situation in the west during the period
under review," says the communique,
"yet It is apparent that both the ene
my and the Allies, after extensive pre
parations, which have been silently
and systematically carried on, are
! ready for battle. The Germans have
1 recently withdrawn a number of their
veteran west front units from the first
line trenches and are busily training
them in mobile warfare.
"According to advices received, the
German general staff hopes that by
massing a large number of these pick
ed shock battalions, which have been
'intensively trained, they may deliver
a crushing blow.
"The bulk of the German forces are
'now assembled in the west. But a
, large number of these units are whol
ly untrained in the method of western
' front warfare which differs radically
from that conducted along other
1 fronts. Furthermore, the German
higher command realize fully that
their forces will meet with far more
' difficult tactical obstacles than any
hitherto encountered by an attacking
army. A break through was possible
in Russia only after the morale of the
Russians had been undermined; the
same was true in Italy and we wit
nessed how speedily the Italian line
was mended.
TDuring the week there has been
much activity of a minor character
along the entire western front.
"As has already ibeen announced, in
Lorraine- a segment of the line is en
tirely under the control of our forces,
i Alone our front patrol encounters
were numerous. The Germans under
took a raid against our positions and
i succeeded in inflicting a few casual
jtdes. A small American patrol, while
scouting in No Man's Land, was ani
busbed by 'the enemy. j
. , "The weather was very rainy dur
;inK the first part of the week and our
Itroops wwre busy manning the pumps
Ita an effort to keep their trenches
' dry. Later clear weather prevailed
and hostile air craft made frequent
flights to reconnotter our positions. A
! marked improvement in our anti-air-craft
barrage is reported. Artillery
! duels took place and the Germans
showered our Hnes with gas shells,
which, however, caused no casualties
lowing to efficient gas mask protec
tion. "In Champagne, units of American
artillery participated in an engage-
. ment undertaken by French forces.
This operation was the most import
ant of the week in the west. After
'very careful artillery preparation,
: during which our batteries co-operated
usefully, French infantry ad
vanced to the assault southwest of
the Butte du Mesnil, along a front of
about 1,400' yards. The French, suc
ceeding in penetrating the German
! positions, broke through the second
and reached the third German line
During this brisk attack the French
destroyed many enemy shelters, in
flicting much damage to enemy posi
tions besides bringing buck 150 pris
oners. "Other successful raids were un
dertaken by French detachments in
the vicinity of the Chcmin des Dames,
east of Rheims, in upper Alsace and
elsewhere. In all the French drove.
forward 12 very fortunate reconnais
sance undertakings along different
parts of the line.
"German units were also active.
' Their attempts to reach the French
lines were temporarily successful in
the vicinity of Bezonvaux and in Al
ace. However seven German raids
in various points broke down. French
; artillery kept the enemy constantly
engaged along the widely scattered
area.
"The British front also was the
scene of numerous minor engage-
1 ments. No important action took
place and the enemy, who was evi
dently busy with the grouping of
units and disposing fresh forces re
cently arrived from other theatres,
in the front line, undertook only such
reconnoitering engagements as to
familiarize the new units with the
nature of the terrain in front of them.
"In the Italian ttheater the enemy
has again assumed an aggressive at
titude. "The concentration of an important
body of German cavalry in the vicin
ity of Riga is noted and it is believed
the Germans may find it expedient to
advance on Fetrograd. It is difficult
to determine the exact status of af
fairs in southwestern Russia. The
Russian contingents are evacuating
the Armenian centers south of the
Black sea, which are being reoccu
pied by Turkish detachments. Tre
btxond will probably soon fall into
Turkish hands.
"It is important to record that
large contingents of Arabs are Joining
the forces of the Sheik of Mecca, who
is co-operating with the British.
"The Arabs have defeated the Turks
in two encounters, occupied, El Maz
reh, southeast of the Dead sea, and
are advancing along the Hedjaz rail
road toward Maan."
SEIZE PROPERTY OF
ALIENS IN MANILA
- Manila, Philippines, Feb. 20 Act
ing on behalf of the custodian of alien
enemy property. Gov. Harrison seized
today nine German and Austrian firms
in Manila, naming one British and
eight American receivers. The pro
vincial branches of the houses were
closed and placed in the hands of the
constabulary, pending action by the
receivers.
Treasury receipts from War Sav
Stamps to Fet. IS totalled $2,-
WHAT HAPPENS AS
ITALY'S FRONTIER
IS SHUT BY WAR
Many Humorous Incidents
Are Recorded By Guards
Watching Lines
RED TAPE OFFICIALS
MADE EXPERIENCED
Bedrooms of House Which
Arc In Italy and Kitchen
In Switzerland
Chiasso, Italy, Feb. 20 The Italian
frontier is closed. Here at the inter
national railway station ' of Chiasso,
Italy's northern gateway, though it
implies stranding of travellers, stag
nation of commerce, accumulation of
foodstuffs, and a score of equally dis
agreeable consequences, Italians and
Swiss draw comfort from the knowl
edge that the longer the frontier if
closed the more imposing is the num
ber of troops pouring into Italy to
help drive back the invader.
Closing the Frontiers.
The methods adopted to close the
various frontiers which shut the
Swiss territory offer a contrast in na
tional characteristics. Beyond Basle,
when the edict to close the German
Swiss frontier comes from Berlin a
barrier across the road is formed by
fierce-looking German soldiers, who
point bayonets menacingly even at the
nurse maids who unwisely push their
perambulators too close to the line of
demarcation; outside Geneva, when
the French-Swiss frontier is closed,
the poilus nonchalantly drag a lorry
across the road and pile up wheel
barrows on the pavement; the Austrian-Swiss
frontier is closed, when
the occasion arises, by a frayed rope
which schoolboys in their fun creep
under the leap over. At Chiasso the
Italians, having no need for either
wheelbarrows or bayonets, employ a
lever-crossing type of gate to mark
the end of Italy and the beginning of
Switzerland.
Only One Person.
Only one person the Italian Min
ister at Berne has crossed the fron
tier during the' past 10 days. The
Minister himself had to display a
large collection of sealed, signed and
cocketed documents, had to plead,
argue coax and threaten before the
quill-hatted Guardian di Finanze al
lowed him to pass into Italy.
"Well, we will let you in, Marquis,"
said the chief officer, finally; "but I
am not so sure that we will let you
out."
"I will bring back with me a pass
port signed by the Prime Minister
and Cadorna themselves," replied the
Minister, as the gate was raised and
he entered Italy.
Frontier absurdities, of , course,
abound. The pedestrian may stand in
Switzerland, but may not protrude
his head over the gate, because, ac
cording to the opinion of the best au
thorities on the sebject, the air over
a country constitutes the territory of
that country and the head of the
pedestrian would be in Italy.
Expensive Shave.
An Italian one afternoon bitterly
complained that the sudden closing of
the frontier had incidentally produc
ed the most expensive shave on re
cord. He had crossed to pay his cus
tomary visit to the barber's hop on
Swiss territory, when the sudden clos
ing of the frontier was announced.
With soap still on his cheeks he hur
ried to the gate, but he arrived 20
seconds too late, and the guards prov
ed inexorable. He estimated that in
loss of wages, and cost of board and
lodging on Swiss territory the shave
had so far cost him 125 francs (over
$25) and was automatically augment
ing. Bedrooms In Italy.
The plight of the occupants of a
house situated partly in Italian and
partly in Swiss territory, is equally
ludicrous. The bedrooms are in
Italy, and so, for over a week the
family have slept in the kitchen and
living room, which are in Switzer
land. Two Swiss chickens to men
tion a third of these incongruities
which, startled by the noise of a
motor car, scuttled across the fron
tier on another afternoon, have been
detained by the Italian authorities,
who base their action upon regulation
27 of the code governing frontier
traffic, namely: "When the frontier"
is closed no live stock, dogs, or other
animals, may be permitted to cross."
The inspiring character of the ne"ws
which, in spite of all precautions,
leaks out from the strong room of
Italy, helps the 5,000 Italians who
live here to endure patiently these
minor crosses. All Italy, particularly
all northern Italy, is aflame with pat
riotism. The knowledge that the
enemy is on sacred Italian soil has
galvanized this nation to giant efforts.
(By the International News Bureau,
Inc., Boston, Mass.) .
i Copenhagen, Feb. 20 An 18-year
old German workman has been sen
tenced to six weeks' imprisonment in
Berlin for calling out to a passing de
tachment of soldiers, "Throw away
our rifles and make an end of it.
Second Conscription Awaits
Passage of Pending .
Legislation.
Washington. Feb. 20 Secretary
Baker authorized the statement
today that no date had been se
lected for the beginning of the
second draft.
The ' government's disposition
not to disturb the labor situation,
particularly on farms at the
planting season, is one of the fac
tors entering the situation.
The provost marshal general's
office, it is understood, is disin
clined to go ahead with the sec
ond dr.'.ft until congress has per
fected the law by pending amend
ments to change the basis of ap
portionment and to authorize the
president to call the military ser
vice men skilled jn industry and
agriculture regardless of previous
classification.
The ren;aining increments of
the first draft will begin to move
forward to the camps beginning
this week. It is probable that
next month local boards may be
asked to forward small increments
necessary to succeed men soing
overseas, but the expected sum
mons of half a million men will
be later.
Plans for the second draft in
clude calling 100,000 a month un
til the second quota is complete.
In tiiat way officials expect to
avoid much of the confusion that
accompanied the ii:3t call. The
men will report in a steady
stream and be assimilated into
the military machine before Uie
next lot is received.
It has been definitely settled 1
that the first contingents will be
used to fill vacancies in National
Guard divisions caused by the
withdrawal of men for the orga
nization of special technical units.
Similar vacancies in the National
Army divisions will have been fill
ed by that time from the final in
crement of the first draft.
Washington, Feb. 20 The low point
of available Allied shipping has been
passed, two or three weeks earlier
than officials expected, and confidence
was expressed today that the amount
of shipping available for the future
would increase steadily.
Several factors were said to have
contributed to advancing the amount
of available tonnage. Included among
them were the increased efficiency of
the offensive against the submarines
and the beginning of deliveries from
American shipyards.
The transfer of neutral shipping to
trade outside of the war zone, thereby
releasing Allied tonnage for trans
atlantic service, also contributed to
the increase of available bottoms. Im
provement in harbor defenses and
facilities in France, so as to facili
tate the unloading of transports, like
wise tended to speed up the release
of ships.
Food Administrator Hoover in a
statement today called on all patriotic
ship workers to enroll in the public
service reserve. No amount of in
creased food production, decreased
food use or food substitution and sav
ing will help unless ships for sending
food across the Atlantic are available,
he said.
MILLION DOLLARS
New York. Feb. 20 A judgment
aggregating $1,000,000 against Joseph
H. Hoadley, promoter, and associates
was rendered yesterday by Supreme
Court Justice Cohalan in favor of the
American & British Manufacturing
Co. of Bridgeport.
The co-defendants with Hoadley
the Cramp-Hoadley Co., Alfred H.
Hoadley,' his brother; George E.
Bouchie, his secretary; William E.
White and Alfred W. Bleasdale, di
rectors of the plaintiff company.
The exact amount of the judgment
is $999,389.62. Of this $500 000 'is
for damages, the remainder for the
following properties of the plaintiff
company transferred to Hoadley:
$30,000 in funds, $121,000 in nego
tiable notes, $198,389.62 in accounts
receivable and $150,000 in bonds.
"MADE IN GERMANY"
WAR NEWS DISPATCH
New York, Feb. 19. The German
reading public is fed on such reports
about the American troops in France
as the following, circulated as a Gene
va dispatch by a leading German news
agency :
"In consequence of the increasing
number of excesses by American sol
diers in France and particularly in
Paris, the American government has
stationed in France a large number
of policemen in plain clothes, who beat
up, with rubber clubs loaded with
lead, all disorderly American soldiers.
Paris papers report that this measure
has caused many ineider-.ts of the pub
lic taking the side of soldiers ha.ndled
with such bestial brutality."
INTERN TORKINGTOX ALIEN.
Hartford, Feb. 19 Robert Besse, a
German alien, who was arrested )j
Torrington and put in the Hartfoijd
jail on Dec. 7, was taken to Netsr
York today to be sent to Fort Og!
thorpe. Ga., for internment. At t$
time of his arrest he had letters from
Mexico which ' he never satisfactorily
4 explained. 1
ALLIED SKIPPING
SITUATION GROWS
BETTER STEADILY
A, I B, FIRM INS
A JUDGIENT FOR
TRAFFIC POLICEMAN JOHN RYAN, KNOCKED DOWN BY CAR
AT STATE AND MAIN STREETS THROWN 12 FEET,
BREAKING RIGHT KNEE AND INJURING HEAD.
Traffic Policeman John Ryan, was hurled twelve feet, had
his right knee broken, his left leg badly lacerated and his right
arm and head injured, when brakes on a Connecticut Company's
trolley car, "1747", in charge of Motorman Daraly McClosh,
failed to operate this morning
The accident happened a few min
utes before nine o'clock while the
policeman was directing traffic at the
intersection of State and Main streets.
He had just closed the traffic along
Main street and was giving his atten
tion to the vehicles on State when the
trolley in charge of McClosh. coming
north on Main street struck him.
According to the story told by the
motorman, he tried to stop his car at
the dead line, but his brakes refused
to work, and although he shouted a
warning to the injured policeman, the
latter failed to hear him owing to the
fact that the trolley vestibule was
closed and there was no time to open
London, Feb. 19, Tuesday Premier
Lloyd-George and his government
have surmounted another crisis and
the parliamentary waters appear to
run smoothly once more after a
Week's turmoil, stirred up by the re
tirement of Gen. Robertson, chief of
the imperial general staff.
In the House of Commons today the
premier explained and defended the
recent reorganization of the Versailles
council with the added powers given
to it and his dealings with the famous
British chief of staff. There was no
proposal for a vote of want of confi
dence, but H. H. Asquith, the former
premier, expressed regret that the ex
planations had not been given a week
ago, when the premier declared he
could not go into the subject without
giving information to the enemy. Mr.
Asquith supported the right of par
liamentary criticism in such matters.
The occasion was not as stirring as
have been several other appearances
of the Welsh premier before the
house, when his administration has
been under attack. His speech was
a detailed but guarded recital of the
proposals by which the four powers
in Versailles had arrived at the prin
ciples of their latest form of co-operation.
There were no oratorical pass
ages except a few sentences at the
close, when Premier Lloyd-George
appealed to tie country to get to
gether in the face of a common dan
ger. The plan finally agreed on by the
council, he said, was due largely to
the strong logical representations
which the American delegates had
submitted in the form of a memoran
dum, and the premier several times
reverted to the influence that Ameri
can policy had exercised on the con
ference. He paid warm tribute to Gen. Rob
ertson and expressed the regret of the
government that it had been unable
to induce him to . take a position in
which his- abilities would be most
useful. Ho declared that their per
sonal relations always had been cor
dial. Mr. Asquith asserted the country re
garded with deep concern the recent
enforced retirement of the govern
ment's chief naval and military advis
ers, Admiral Jellicoe and Gen. Rob
ertson. The public and their own
professions had the utmost confidence
in these men. Mr. Asquith added that
the country had noted that both re
tirements were preceded by a hostile
press campaign. The public question
ed whether these losses were, com
pensated by the retention of the Earl
of Derby in the war ministry and the
appointment as director of foreign
press propaganda referring to Vis
count Northcliffe. although he did not
mention his name one whose news
papers had conducted the press cam
paign. There was a little altercation be
tween the two premiers over the ques
tion of Gen. Robertson's failure to
approve the Versailles plan. Finally
Mr. Asquith said he did not quarrel in
the least with the decision of the Ver
sailles council in respect to its func
tions. He took the view that the
question at issue was a domestic mat
ter and supported the view that the
military representative in Versailles
should be a representative of the chief
of the general staff.
A major;'" of the morning papers
accept the statement in the house of
commons yesterday by Premier Lloyd
George as a satisfactory explanation
and entirely approve the Versailles
agreement and consider the whole in
cident straightened out. Hostile
newspapers continue to accept the
situation. They express the opinion
ttjat no government crisis is likely to
arise at present, although they be
lieve the government has been weak
ened by recent events
Some of the papers that accept
readily enough the premier's state
ment and commend it nevertheless
endorse the regret expresses Ty for
mer' Premier Asquith that the pre
mier had not spoken with equal clear
ness a week earlier. Several support
the appeal of Austen Chamberlain
that the government sever its connec
tion with the press
MEXICO PASSES
PRO-ENTENTE BILL
Laredo, Texas, Feb. 20 Americans
arriving from Mexico City say the
Mexican Congress rejected a bill pro
viding for benevolent neutrality by
Mexico on the tide of the Entente
powers in the war solely because of
constitutional provisions that give the
President, not Congress, authority to
act on such a question.
The debate on the bill which was
secret, is said to have been mainly
pro-Entente, especially in tne Cham
ber of Deputies.
LLOYD-GEORGES
GOVERNMENT IS
AGAIN SUPREME
at State and Main streets.
the front wind shield.
An automobile belonging to the TJ.
M. C. Company happened to be near
at the time of the accident and
Sergeant Connery, who had come to
the assistance of the injured police
man, carried him to this machine and
to the Emergency Hospital. Dr. J. F.
Keegan attended the minor injuries
and then had Ryan removed to St.
Vincent's hospital where he now lies
awaiting an X-ray examination of his
injured knee cap.
From what doctors say there is lit
tle chance of the policeman ever re
suming his duties on the force again,
as the chances are he will be per
manently crippled.
HR
TELLS
TALE OF
URDER
GARY PRIEST
Describes to Capt. E. O.
Cronan Method of Accom
plishing the Crime.
NAMES "JOE THE WOP"
AS HIS ACCOMPLICE
Prisoner Believed to Be
Member of a Chicago
Gang of Bandits.
Wednesday, Feb. 20
Mike Schramm, the confessed mur
derer of Father Kayser, the Polish
priest in Gary, Indiana, nearly three
years ago, was again before Detective
Captain Cronan today and gave ad
ditional details of how the priest was
done to death in a struggle to take
$2,000 away from him.
According to the latest story told by
the assassin, he met another man
known to him only as "Joe the Wop"
in a poolroom in a downtown district
of Gary. Joe asked him if he was
game enough to go and get some mon
ey, and he answered that he was.
The pair went to the priest's house
and "Joe the Wop" took Schramm to
an open window through which he
showed the priest counting a huge
pile of money, the proceeds of a char
ity bazaar. Then he stationed
Schramm to guard the back door of
the house and he opened fire with a
revolver at the priest.
Apparently some of his shots went
wild for pictures of the priest's study
show bullet marks all over the walls,
but all did not miss their mark and
the priest mortally wounded struggled
to his feet, ran through several rooms
of the house and out the back door
"in a vain effort to get help.
At the back door he was met by
Schramm, who struck him down with
a heavy club. The priest dropped
and never moved. Schramm then,
according to his story, became terri
fied and ran. "Joe the Wop," in the
meantime, had entered the house by
the open window and gathered up the
money, making off with the booty.
Schramm said he did not see "Joe
the Wop" for several days afterward,
but when he did see him he asked
him about his share of the money,
only to be told "You are lucky to be
alive much less whining about dough."
After this Schramm did not tarry
long in Gary, but came east. He has
been in Bridgeport since last Septem
ber, shortly after which he came un
der the notice of Detective Captain
Cronan, who at that early date de
cided that the man needed watching
The result was his arrest yesterday.
Schramm declared to Captain Cro
nan today that for the first time in
nearly three .years he was able to
sleep and rest well last night. He
see-ms anxious to make a clean breast
of his share of the murder, come to
trial, and have it all over with.
Captain Cronan ifi of the opinion
that Schramm is a member of the
bandit gangs that infested Chicago a
number of years ago and is putting:
him under a continuous grilling in an
effort to worm out of him what con
nection he had with a number of
other crimes committed by gangsters
in the Windy City.
WAR DEPT. O. K.'S
FRENCH PAPER
Washington, Feb. 20. The war de
partment has approved plans for the
publication in France of a weekly
newspaper for the American troops.
The paper, entirely devoted to Amer
ican news, will be known as the Stars
and Stripes, and will be published
every Friday behind . the American
lines under the direction of the intelli
gence section of the American expedi
tionary forces.
In addition to matter sent by its
own correspondents in this country,
the army newspaper will have access
to a daily wireless ' report of about
1,400 words now supplied by the com
mittee on public information to the
French government.
A feature service for the Stars andi
Stripes also will be furnished by the
committee on public information and
arrangements have been made with
a syndicate for a weekly cable ser
vice.
Advertising contracts are being made
in this country and publication begins
with the promise that the Stars and
Stripes will be self-supporting.
Although official notification has not
Been received, it is assumed that the
first issue of the paper appeared sev
eral days ago in accordance with the
original program.
Desos Vassos, a restaurant keeper,
died from leprosy at Syracuse, N. Y.
HUNS TAKE 2,500 PEISONEES AND SEIZE RAIL
ROAD ROLLING STOCK UNREST GROWS
AMONG WORKERS OF CENTR AL POWERS
OVER DRIVE AUSTRIA- UBLIC DE
MANDS THAT HOSTIL1 -S STOP.
LATE WAR BULLETINS
Amsterdam, Feb. 20 In an address to the lower
house of the reiehrath in Vienna Dr. Von $eydler, the
Austrian premier, declared that under the peace treaty
with the Ukraine there had been placed at the disposal
of the Central powers the Ukraine's surplus of agricul
tural products. This surplus, the premier asserted,
was greater than the Central Powers could transport.
i
London, Feb. 20 German workingmen may rebel against
the resumption of war against Russia.
Opinion expressed in newspapers of Germany is strongly
against the new invasion of Slavic country. Murmurings iD
Austria are growing more dist inct daily and the public is de
manding a statement from Count Czernin assuring them that
Austria-Hungary regards her war against Russia ended.
In the meantime the invading German forces have advanc
ed to the northeast and east of Dvinsk, the German War Office
announced today.
The text of the statement adds that 2,500 prisoners, several
hundred guns and a great amount of rolling stock were taken.
3 AMERICANS
ENLISTED AS
BRITISH YOUTH
Washington, Feb. 19 Senator
Knox (Pa) informed the Senate to
day that he had received the following
telegram from fathers of three Pitts-;
burg youths who the parents charge
were kidnapped by British re'eruiting
officers, and spirited through Canada
to the battle front.
"Joe Barbour, aged 16, Reed Mil
ler, age 14, both under the name of
Clayton, and Francis McKnight, aged
16, under the name of Semple, re
cruited by a local British officer and
spirited to Canada Saturday night.
Will reach Windsor, N. S., Tuesday
Mr. Heinie, local recruiting officer,
refuses to take action. Have them
stopped and returned at once at Mon
treal probably this evening. All are
sons of American citizens. Copy of
this message was sent to the Secre
tary of State.'"
The telegram was signed by the
three fathers, and Senator Knox told
the Senate that he had not intruded
the matter in the Senate through fear
that the United States executive au
thorities would fail to take all need
ful action in the premises. He had
seen Secretary of State Lansing on
the subject and was satisfied that he
would co-operate with the British
Embassy to obtain the return of the
boys to their homes.
"My whole purpose," said Senator
Knox, "is thus publicly to bring to
the attention of the foreign recruiting
officers within the United States to
whom last summer was extended the
.ninla.n rt nnaninv T-ocririHmT nffif.
to enlist their own nationals that wef
did not at the same time license them
to kidnap American children boys
of 14 and 16 years of age and the
sons of reputable citizens of an
American town.
"I do not know to what extent these
children were participants in this
matter. All I know is the fact that
they were of those tender years was
presented to the local recruiting offi
cer and that he declined to facilitate
their return or make a.ny effort to
have them returned. If the facts
are as they are alleged to be in this
telegram I intend to bring this mat
ter to the attention of the Attorney
General and insist onp rosecution, be
cause it is worth while to give notica
that the privilege we have extended
to foreign countries shall not be
abused in this flagrant manner"
MONTANA WILL
DIG OWN COAL
Washington, Feb. 20. Two states,
Texas and Montana, notified the fuel
administration today that they -would
take care of the'ir own coal needs for
the reminder of the war, although the
production of neither heretofore has
been sufficient to meet all require
ments. Their intention is r-o increase
their output to the point where they
can do without shipments from the
outside.
The Montana state fuel administra
tor will issue instructions that the
people must put aside their hard ocal
burners and use the soft coal pro
duced at home. Heretofore the state,
which burns annually about 5,500,000
tons of coal, has bought from produc
era in other states slightly more than
1,000,000 tons.
SOUTH AMERICAN
WHEAT F OR MEXICO
El Paso, Tex.,Feb. 20. Between 30,
000 and 40,090 tons of wheat and flour
have been purchased in Chile and Ar
gentine for distribution in Mexico, ac
cording to El Universal, a semi-official
newspaper published in Mexico City,
a February 11 copy of which was re
ceived here today. The wheat and
flour purchased by agents of the Mex
ican government, already are loaded
In South American ports and are ex
pected to reach Mexico City by March
15, the newspaper said.
REPEL (GERMAN HAID
London, Feb. 20. A German raid
tag attack on British positions near
Arleux en Gohelle, south of Lens, was
repulsed last night by the British, It
is announced officially.
The German Independent Socialists
are arranging for a demonstrative
strike in the munition factories of the
empire beginning March 1, according'
to information received! from Berlin
and forwarded by the Amsterdam
correspondent of the Exchange Tele
graph Co.
Gen. Hoffmann, the German mili-
J .-r.vuv.uu.u, OAr uixot-
Litovsk peace conference, has tele
graphed to the Bolshevik government
for a written authentication of the
Russian wireless peace message sent
yesterday to Berlin. Gen. Hoffmann,
according to a Russian official state
ment today, says the authentication
must be sent to the German command
in Dvinsk.
The Russian official statement says
a messenger from Petragrad is sent
to the German command in Dvinsk.
The Russian official statement says
a messenger from Petrograd is sent
to Dvinsk today w-jth the original
peace message, which was signed by
Premier Lenine and Foreign Minister
Tnotzky.
When the Brest-Litovsk negotia
tions closed all talk in Germany was
of peace. The school children were
given a holiday and joy bells weri.
rune. The nublic aoDarentlv did not
discriminate between peace with the
Ukraine and with Great Russia, but
acclaimed it as a general peace with
Russia.
George Bernhard in the Vossische
Zeitung emphasizes this point and
wants an explanation of who was re
sponsible for this disappointment.
The Socialist Vorwaerts takes the
same line and says:
"The more we meddle in Russian
affairs the more we get away from
peace. What must be done is to stick
to the defense of our own soil and
to make peace wherever possible
without annexation or forcible ampu
tations." A large section of opinion in Aus
tria-Hungary also is alarmed over
the prospect of a renewal of war with
Russia. Dispatches from Amster
dam and Zurich quote Austro-Hun-garian
newspapers: to this effect and a
Vienna dispatch ' to the Vossische
Zeitung reports a rising of feeling
against Germany on account of her
action against Russia
The Neue Freie Presse and the
Reichspost argue that as Austria
Hungary no longer has any enemy on
her eastern frontier, she is not call
ed to interfere in Russian internal af
fairs. The Arbeiter Zeitung, Vienna'
leading Socialist newspaper, insists
emphatically that Austria-Hungary
must not take part in a new offensive.
It thinks that the invasion of a to
tally defenseless country will gain the
German government little support
among the German workers, who, al
though they entered the war against
czardom with enthusiasm, will not
endorse its continuance for the pur
pose of overthrowing the labor gov
ernment in Petrograd.
"Austria-Hungary,' it adds "can
not hinder the plans of the German
imperialists, but it cannot and dare
not join Germany in a new war on
Russia. This appears also to be the
view of the emperor and the govern
ment but the people demand from
Count Czernin (the foreign secretary)
absolute assurance that Austria-Hungary
regards her war with Russia
as ended."
SEVENTY-FOUR
ON TU SCANIA
STILL MISSING
Washington, Feb. 20 Seventy-four
American soldiers aboard the torpe
doed liner Tuscania remain unidenti
fied or unaccounted for today, accord
ing to the latest checks of lists of sur
vivors and missing available to the
war department and the Associated
Press. Included in this number are
33 unidentified dead buried in Scot
land and 41 still reported as miss
infg. The names of 44 additional Ameri
can soldiers who were rescued from
the liner and one other listed as miss
ing but who was not on the ship, were
announced by the war department last
night. Eight of these survivors had
been reported previously by the As
sociated Press. Besides the 37 new
names, 37 others, previously listed as
missing, were found to foe survivors to
day when the Associated Press list of
missing were checked against all avail
able official records, leaving a total
of 74 unaccounted for or unidentftteoV
but