New-York tribune. [volume], May 26, 1918, Image 1

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you LXXVin No. 26,124
First to Last?the Truth: News? Editorials - Advertisements
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The Tribune *.?s*_]
SUNDAY, MAY 26, 1918-SEVEN PARTS-SIXTY-TWO PAGES
FIVE CENTS "
_?***, ?CMr
Mexican Break With CubaT?UnedalV^r
Move in German Plot to Force Border War
i ' . ?i
T. R. in Reply
To Burleson
Blames Wilson
President Personally Re?
sponsible for Attitude
Toward Press, He Says
Charges Creel With
Political Propaganda
Quotes Editorials to Show
Anti - Americanism of
Hearst's Papers
Burleson Says T. R.
Fails to Back Charge
(Special Di*patch to The Tribune)
WASHINGTON, May 25.?The
Postmaster General to-day au?
thorized the following statement
upon being shown the letter of
fojtner President Roosevelt dated
the ?2d inst., addressed to Sen
ttor Poindexter:
Y "Mr. Roosevelt affects to
disregard the incontestable
facts contained in my state?
ment published in the papers of
the 20th, in which his charges
?we fully met.
"The extended remarks in
The Congressional Record,'
inserted at his request by Sen?
ator Poindexter, as a whole are
jpirely a rehash of partisan
matter which has appeared
from time to time in certain
newspapers.
'"The Postoffice Department
is charged with the execution
of the laws, at the administra?
tion of which Mr. Roosevelt's
critieism was aimed. He has
failed to make good his accu?
sations, but lacks the manly
courage to acknowledge it."
. WASHINGTON, May 25.?Charges
that the Administration has used its
powers.to stifle honest criticism, while
at the same time it condones anti-Ally
?and anti-American agitation in the
Hearst newspapers, were made by
Theodore Roosevelt to-day in a reply to
Postmaster General Burleson in their
tamtroversy over the Postoffice D?part?
aient'? treatment of publications.
The charges were presented to the
S?nate by Senator Poindexter, of
Washington.
Colonel Roosevelt declared President
Wilson personally was responsible for
Fostnmt*ter General Burleson's atti
lu r. He assailed Chairman Creel, of
we Committee on Public Information,
Md added:
"I deal with Mr. Burleson and his
actions purely because he is a repre?
sentative of President Wilson, exactly
? is Secretary Baker, exactly as is
mi. Creel.
Charges Political Propaganda
"President Wilson is re.sponsible for
?everything Postmaster General B?rle?
lo? and Secretary Baker and Mr. Creel
?? or leave undone. ... I have
??nt patience with the timidity or the
?oily which dares not hold accountable
jftf source of power and only venture
;? ??press displeasure with instruments
.??Kh which the power is exercised.
Messrs. Burleson, Baker, Creel and
tneir associates possess no importance
Whatever, except that accruing to them
?ecause it is through them that th?
Resident speaks and acts or refuses or
??'Is to act." *
jn attacking Creel, Colonel Roose
*wt declared he "assails publications
t. truthfully expose shortcomings
*? the Administration, and without re
J*rd to the facts, personally and
?rough his bureau, actively upholds
?T* '*,<,n''n'Rtrat,on >n matters such as
?te aircraft programme, in which have
*e?n grave governmental shortcom?
ings.
"This is partisan political propa?
gada of the very worst t?rfe," the
?ormer President declared, "carried on
With public moneys under the guise of
Public work "
Attitude Toward Hearst
Regarding the Postmaster General's
?trtude toward the Hearst papers,
*<mne\ Roosevelt said:
"Mr. Burleson has stated that he has
weeived 'more complaints' about my
writings than about those of Mr
?*?m' In view ?* Mr* Burl?l?on's rec
??d ?nd actions, there is small cause
??or wonder in this. Every pro-German
5** ?nti-American, every believer in a
???We American war and a triumphant
wWman .peace, every man who follows
*'? Hearst, would naturally appeal for
?jropathy to Mr. Burleson in denuncia
??n of what I have done."
ft Citing a number of editorials from
?????st newspapers, Colonel Roosevelt
*t is true that since we entered the
fat Mr. Hearst has at various times
jjjued editorials professing great pa?
triotic Mai, but it was at the very time
w?*n in other editorials he was attack
{***? the allies of America, England and
**I>?n, in the most offensive way, and
?* the verv time when he was uphold
?t the Russian Bolsheviki, who had
?**de Russia a traitor to the fr?e na
Continued on Page 8, Col. 1
Gregory Urges Care in
Invoking Sedition Act
WASHINGTON, May 25.?At?
torney General Gregory to-day is?
sued these instructions under which
the new sedition law is to be en?
forced by district attorneys:
"The prompt and aggressive en-..
forcement of this act is of the high- '
est importance in suppressing-dis?
loyal utterances and prevej-rti-ijir'
broach of ponce. It is als<vb?-,.g'reat
importance that this statute-be ad?
ministered with discretion.. Jt should
not be permitted to become the me?
dium whereby efforts are made to
suppress hanert, legitimate criti?
cism of tho edniinifjT.ration or dis?
cussion of govi--*n,mint policies; nor
should it be permitted to become a
medium for pfysor.al feuds or perse?
cution. T.h?-'Xvide scope of the act
and powers conferred,- increase the
importance of discretion in admin
iste-"insT it- Protection of loyal per
soi-s Jfrom unjust suspicion and pros?
ecution is quite asiinportant as the
suppression of actual disloyalty.
"All cases which clearly violate
this law should be promptly and
vigorously prosecuted, but care
should be exercised to avoid unjusti?
fied arrests and prosecution." -
Half of All
Women Voters
-HerejEimJl
Suffrage Leaders Well Pleased
With First Showing
in City
Women voters of New York City took
up the burden of practical politics yes?
terday and enrolled with the parties
of their choice. Fully fifty per cent of
the women eligible to vote went to the
registration places to show that they
wish to take an active part in the pri?
maries next fall. It was a showing
which pleased the suffrage leaders, who
; Mercy Fond
I For^RedCross
! ?eats Quota
_
Incomplete Returns Show
$24,307,825 Raised in
N. Y. City Alone
i
Premier Lloyd George
Praises Organization
Thousands of Workers to
Make Collections To-day;
Drive Ends To-morrow
The nation completed yesterday the
$100,000,000 funds sought by the Amer?
ican Red Cross, and the city passed its
quota of one quarter of the amount,
with the end of the week's campaign
still forty-eight hours away. Complete
reports for the city were not made
yesterday, but, on the incomplete re?
turns, the offcial count was $24,307,
825, and confidence was expressed that
New York was well above its quota.
The exact amount will not be known
until to-morrow evening, when the
workers hold their last meeting in the
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
G. M. Dahl, chairman of the commit?
tee for the Atlantic Division, compris?
ing the states of New York, excluding
this city, New Jersey and Connecticut,
arnounced that the total gifts to the
Atlantic Division Fund, outside New
York City, amounted to $12,721,203.
Sixty-one of the 219 chapters in the
division, he said, had gone over the
sPP, Buffalo exceeding its quota by
more than a million dollars, and New
Haven by $78,000. The total for New
York State, outside of New York City,
is reported as $6,439,233. That for New
Jersey is $3,707,025, and Connecticut,
$2,574,945.
Henry P. Davison, chairman of the
War Council of the American Red
Cross, yesterday announced the receipt
Republicans
Block Delay
On Tax Bill
Special Session Proposal
Abandoned When They
Reject Time Limit Plan
Democrats Prepare
To Frame Legislation
Differences Develop After
Series of Conferences
With President
WASHINGTON, May 25.?Prospects
for a postponement of revenue legis?
lation and an early adjournment of
Congress again appeared to have van?
ished to-night .when Democratic and
Republican leaders in Congress failed
to agree en a programme presented by
President Wilson for a special session
after the November elections
The Republicans, according to Ad?
ministration spokesmen, bioaked the
proposal by refusing to give assur?
ance that a bill along lines proposed
by the President would be passed with?
in a definite time. To-night Demo?
cratic leaders prepared to go ahead
with the framing of a bill.
The revenue situation has been con?
siderably muddled for several days.
At one time yesterday it appeared cer?
tain Congress would go ahead with the
legislation before adjournment at the
insistence of Secretary McAdoo, but
the President evolved the plan for an
extra session, and up until late to-day
THE TIME FOR AN ACCOUNTING HAS ARRIVED
.. . ?
are not concerned with party .rivalry
but believe that any woman's vote is
a good vote.
Fifty per cent was-a large enrolment,
inasmuch as the issues of the election
campaign have not been shaped yet in
a way to attract great public interest
and.many women are still indifferent
to party affairs.
The women who enrolled yestorilay
! were of two classes. They w^-'^iflJat,
the consienitious, who cnraUed -from a
sense of civie responsibility, Mid' who
said that if women'?^otor?v-wcre really
_-jr*^'.\.,?? ?--?.?__
Continu?e- engage 12, Column S
?' ' ' - i
of the following letter addressed to
Ambassador Page by Prime^ Minister
Lloyd George: ??
"My Dear Ambas??!?*:
"I feel surej*? I am only echoing
the thought of many in this country
in writhSg1 to you a word of-grateful
eppWciation of what the American
8?& Cross has done in this war. Not
4 only has it made munificent donations
to the fund of our own Red Cross,
? but it was one of the first American
organizations to begin to serve hu?
manity in this war.
"The work it has done not only in
Continued on Page It, Column 6
it was believed it would , be put
through.
After a day of conferences between
the President, Secretary McAdoo and.
among Congressional leaders, Senator
Simmons, of North Carolina, chairman
of the Senate Finance Committee, an?
nounced that negotiations for delay in
the legislation appeared to be off.
"Everything is off," he said, "and I
guess we will have to go ahead with
the legislation."
The unexpected diff?rences between
Continued on Page 11, Column 3
Allied Fliers
Hold Up New
German Blow
Enemy Airmen Fight
Vainly to Clear \J/ay
For Troops
Communications
Constantly Attacked
Bombing of Foe's Lines
Shatters LudendorfFs
Plans
By Arthur S. Draper
(Special Cable to The Tribune)
LONDON, May 25.?The attack
by German aviators on a British hos?
pital camp emphasizes the fierceness
of the aerial fighting in France,
where, out of sheer desperation, the
Germans have committed crimes as
black as any they have been guilty
of in this brutal war. There is no
longer any doubt but that the Al?
lies are clearly superior to the Ger?
mans in the air. Each day this
advantage is growing, one in which
the American aviators share.
At no period of the war has either
side enjoyed such an advantage in
the air as that held at present by
the American, French and British
forces.
Slowly Beaten Down
It is true that the German flierr,
are exceedingly active and daring.
But slowly and surely they are being
driven to earth. The British are
carrying out their bombing exp?di?
tions on a scale which makes pre?
vious efforts seem insignificant.
With the American forces looming
up larger day by day, the results
seem inevitable. It is highly prob?
able that the Allies will have the
same supremacy in the air that they
enjoy at sea.
No leader can estimate the value
of bombing. It may be that this
great weapon will revolutionize the
whole system of land fighting and
prove a decisive factor in ending the
war. Even now the Allies are bomb?
ing the enemy's lines of communi?
cation so that Ludendorff's plans
are being knocked awry. The Ger?
mans are striving desperately to in?
crease their output, but they are
deceiving their men harder than ever
and they are throwing aside all pre?
tence of following the code of war?
fare.
Foe Sees the Danger
They know that in their coming
push they will be at a considerable
disadvantage unless they can thin
out the flocks of Allied airmen who
hover over their area day and night.
What is happening at sea is being
repeated in the air. The part that
manufacturers of war munitions are
playing in the struggle is being de?
monstrated daily. Great as Ger?
many's military organization is, the
recent happenings on land and sea
show that the manufacturing genius
of America, France and Britain ex?
ceeds that of the foe.
German military critics are just as
industrious in explaining the delay in
operations as are the writers on this
side of the line. The same argument
used by both sides results in totally
different conclusions.
German critics argue that delay
is of great value, as Ludendorff has
been able to get reserves from the
East, while at the same time the Aus?
trian army facing the Italians has re?
ceived reinforcements from Rumania.
The Germans contend that their air
service is superior to that of the Al?
lies, and that their !->sses are only half
as large as those of the Anglo-French
forces.
Running through the articles of such
critics as Endres, Gaedke, Salmann and
von Ardenne there is constant specu?
lation about Foch's reserves and the
size of 4he American expeditionary
i forces.
In Dark About Americana
Most of the German critics write
calmly, but they are guilty of coloring
their review? for home consumption.
. However, this very exaggeration gives
la fair impression of the thoughts caus
j ing the gieatest anxiety among the en?
emy peoples. The German masses
? have no idea of the number of Ameri
' Continued on next page, Column 2
Mexico Is Striking at U. S.,
Says Montalvo, Cuban Minister
Juan L. Montalvo, Cuban Minister of;
the Interior, who came here recently!
for his health, expressed ?surprise yes- ?
terday when informed that Mexico had '
announced the breaking off of diplo?
matic relations with Cuba. As head of
the army, navy an dsecret police of the
island republic, he said he had re?
ceived no advices from Havana on the
subject, but was prepared to leave at
once for home upon receiving official
information that the break had oc?
curred. He added that he would cable
President Mcnocal at once.
After reading, however, the state?
ment of General Aguilar, Mexican Min?
ister of Foreign Affairs, explaining the
recall of the Mexican diplomatic rep?
resentative in Cuba, Mr. Montalvo ex?
pressed the belief that Mexico was
"striking at the United States through
Cuba."
"Striking at United States"
"Mexico," he said, "is actuated with?
out a doubt by hostility toward the
United States and is striking at il
through Cuba. President Carranza has
said privately, I am informed, that he
favored the German cause in this war
ilthough he has never admitted it offi?
cially.
"General Aguilar^s protestations 01
Mexico's friendship ofr Cuba are in mj
opinion insincere. He well knows tha
Cuba is acting in cooperation with th*
Allies and at the request of the Unitee
States, to whom Cuba owes so much
in handling her cxpott3.
"I believe this severance of diplo
matic 'relations is simply a manoeuvr
on the part of the Mexican governmen
to obtain a greater amount of food am
other products from Cuba, well know
ing that in the case of sugar, at leasl
our output for many months has bee
contracted for by the United State
and her allies, excepting a small sui
plus, which has been available t
Mexico and other countries not in th
war. It is untrue that Cuba at an
time has withheld sugar from Mexic<
except as the exigencies of %var and th
obligations growing out of it have;
forced us to limit our exports."
The effect of Mexico possibly cutting;
off its exports of peas, beans and pe
troleum to Cuba, Mr. Montalvo said.1
would not be serious. The gravity of
the situation for the Allies, he
thought, rested more upon what dis?
position the Carranza government may
bhow toward them in regard to the sup?
ply of oil from the Tampico fields for
the allied navies.
Cuba Is Prepared
"Cuba is prepared, however, for any?
thing the Mexican government may be
planning to do," continued Mr. Mon?
talvo. "I shall lose no time in getting
back home when officially apprised of
the new turn that affairs have taken.
"Two days before I left Havana for
New York, a Mexican gunboat appeared
in the harbor and was rigidly searched
by my orders. Aboard her we found
a German spy and Se?or Ysidro Fa
bela, Mexican Minister to Argentina
. We made no arrests, however, and after
a short delay, allowed, them to pro?
ceed.
"The report that we had confiscated
or stolen Fabela's baggage is untrue
We seized nothing; but this incident, I
suppose, has been exaggerated by the
pro-German propagandists in Mexico
: and mads to inflame Mexican senti?
ment against us.
"On account of this war Cuba has
: been obliged to maintain a strict cen
i sorship and many suspects from Mexi?
co have been taken into custody. We
? have no internment camps, so all we
| do is send them back to Mexico as
I undesirables.
"Much mail in furtherance of Ger?
man designs has also been intercepted.
\ The nature of the letters seized by us
? aboard Mexican and Spanish steamers
| proved beyond a doubt the intense
, pro-German sentiment of the Mexican
! government and people, and that Car
! ran'za is endeavoring to aid the Ceh
'?. tral Powers in every way. I see onlj
| the hand of Germany in this new de
i velopment of affairs."
America Has
Shipped 1,316
Aeros^broad
Two Million Men Now in
Army, Congress
Is Told
WASHINGTON, May 25.?There are
1,316 American airplanes in France, of
which 823 are combat 'planes, accord- \
ing to the report on the army appro?
priation bill submitted to-day by
Chairman Dent of the House Commit?
tee on Military Affairs. The report
showed that there are 3,760 'planes in
the United States.
In presenting the report Chairman
Dent announced that the full strength
of the army, including the National
Army, National Guard and regulars, is
now 2,000,000 men.
Mo*re than 200.000 Americans will be
sent abroad during Mav, and that num?
ber probabl*, will be much exceeded
next month, members of the Senate
Military Committee were told at their
weekly conference with Secretary Baker
and his assistants.
Huge Army Bill
The army bill carries direct appro?
priations amounting to $9,583,349,808
and authorizations totalling $2,458,332,
801. Among the items approved are:
Ordnance stores, ammunition, $390,
000,000; automatic machine rifles,
$237,144,000; armored motor cars, $73,
550,000; maintenance of provost mar?
shal general's department, $15,762,
000.
The House leaders planned to begin
consideration of the bill on Monday
Secretary of War Baker to-day en?
deavored to discourage the publication
of statements on the number of Ameri?
can troops in France or to be trans?
ported nvthe future, and declared that
he would endeavor to make official esti?
mates of the strength of the American
forces in France from time to time.
Warns Against Comment
In his statement to the press, asking
the withholding of figures on the
strength of Pershing's army, except
when issued by the War Department,
Secretary Baker said: ?
"A. good deal of public comment is
being made on the subject of the
number of American froops in
France and the number from time to
time in course of transportation.
"I want to ask the newspapers of
the country to refrain from comment
and speculation on this mbject, ex?
cept to the extent that official state?
ments With regard to ^uch numbers
are made by the Secretary of War.
I make this request because any pro?
gramme of troop shipment necessari?
ly depends upon a variety of consid?
erations qiiite apart from the num?
ber of troops in the country and the
available troopship capacity, and I
am therefore anxious that the people
of the country be not unintentional?
ly misled cither as to the- facts at
any given time or by speculative pos
sibilitim of the situation.
- "I will endeavor froi.. time to time
and whenever it can be done to state
through the press approximate num?
bers. My particular request, how?
ever, is that such statements be not
Continued on next jmge, column U
Liberty Motor
W^s Delayed
By Sabotage
_ I
German Agents Wreck Ma
chinery and Cause
Great Damage "
By Theodore M. Knappen
.DETROIT, May 25.?A German
sympathizer the other day threw a keg
into the rapidly revolving "club" pro?
peller of a Liberty motor being stand
tostcd at the plant of the Lincoln
Motor Company here, and in a thou- j
sandth part of a second a $5,000 ma- !
chine was utterly destroyed. This is !
cnly one of innumerable instances of I
a determined and persistent campaign
that has been carried on by German
agents and sympathizers against the
^Liberty motor.
The companies manufacturing the i
motor ?iid i*s part3 count the various i
manifestations of German enmity to
it asorirf of the chief obstacles to the
realisation of the original schedule i
of production. Literally scores of in- j
stances of attempts to delay produc
j tion, injure machines and destroy :
j plants can be cited.
In the great hew Lincoln plant, which i
i is scheduled to turn out seventy motors ?
; a day when its maximum capacity is
; reached, the German campaign seems
I tj have been most intense and malig- '
| nant.
Fire Extinguishers Plugged
The nozzles of the fire extinguishers
j distributed throughout the plant, which
| has a frontage of 3,300 feet, have been
found plugged with cotton in such a
! "manner that all of them would have
\ been useless in an emergency. The I
Lplotters were so bold that after this
(attempt had been discovered it was
| repeated.
At another time more than twenty
! of the extinguishers were found to be
?loaded with a highly -?xplosive gas.
| This effort to destroy the plant was
i discovered through the chance use of
j one of the extinguishers? to put out a
: small outdoprs fire. A violent explosion
; followed, fortunately without doing any
j injury. An immediate investigation fol
i lowed and revealed that twenty extin
j guishers had been similarly charged
I with explosive gas.
I Connecting rod bolts of Liberty
j motors -a highly stressed part- have
j been found in completed motors so
; filed as to be weakened enough to break
after a few hours use.
Toels Tampered With
.Sabotage of the-most nefarious kind
; has been practised in the making o?
: slifrht'.y erroneous too'?, and machine
tools have been persistently tampered
I with in such ft way as to result in the
: crankshaft being milled out of line.
Important tooU have been hidden for
j weeks at a time and the work of mak
: ing or adjusting other tools has been
i deliberately delayed.' One bit of de
| liberate m ??instruction in one shop de?
stroyed $5.000 worth of parts in one
evening.
Among thousands of workmen it has
i been exceedingly difficult to locate the
j criminals, and whenever found it ?n
. variably has been the case that they
! were among the last in the shop to
t be subject to suspicion, because, though
j always of German origin, they are al
i ways willing and energetic workers
} Continued on next page, column U
Senators Say
Carranza Is
Influenced by
Teuton Envoy
Cuban Issue Forerun?
ner of Trouble With
America, Belief in
Washington
Von Eckert Leader
Of Propagandists
Holding of Troops and
Munitions Here Need?
ed in France Is
Object
(Special Dispatch to The Tribune)
WASHINGTON, May 25.?Fear
of trouble between the United
States and Mexico, due to the ac?
tivities of German propagandists
headed by the German Minister in
that country, is frankly expressed
by Senators who have been studying
the situation as a result of to-day's
dispatches from Mexico City, telling
of the severance of diplomtaic rela?
tions with Cuba by Mexico.
Information relating to the activi?
ties of von Eckert, the German Min?
ister to Mexico, and the army of
propagandists under his direction,
has been reaching Washington
through unofficial channels for some
time. Nothing has been given o,ufc
by the State Department, or any
other branch of the Administration,
but the unofficial advices have been
most serious, indicating that it was
the deliberate intention of the Ger?
mans to provoke trouble between
the United States and Mexico, with
a view to compelling this country to
maintain a large army on the border
and thereby cut down the number
of men who could be sent to France.
Perhaps even more important;
from the German standpoint, is the
fact that such trouble would necessi?
tate the keeping here of such mili?
tary equipment, rifles, machine guns
and artillery, which should be sent
to France.
Mexico Apparently
Frank With Cuba
Apparently, from the dispatch
from Mexico City to-day, the Mexi?
can government is most frank about
the reason for severing relations
with Cuba. It is due to the fact that
Cuba is eager to do her bit in aiding
in the war against Germany. The
use of the word "afflicted" as per?
taining to Cuba, because Cuba is en?
gaged in war with Germany, was
interpreted here as most significant.
The Mexican situation has been
the subject of much interested but
quiet discussion in Congressional and
diplomatic circles for some time. In
many quarters it is frankly stated
that Carranza has come so much
under the influence of von Eckert as
to be strongly pro-German, and to
'day's news, as it is interpreted here,
confirms some of the fears that have
; been entertained. *
Other Senators and Representa
! tives, on reading the afternoon pa?
pers, began to renew t_!k of raisin?-*?
; a special force for policing and pa**
j trolling the border.
-
I Break in Relations
With Mexico Now
Is Thought Possible
IBy The Associated l'rma]
WASHINGTON, May 25.-In Mexico*?*
sudden breaking off of diplomatic ?e
| lations with Cuba to-day is se?**, an
! indirect action . against the United
! States. Those here most familiar with
, Latin-American affairs profess to sea
| in it the, forerunner of more direct
j action, possibly an interruption of in
j tercourse between the United States
. and Mexico.
Although without official informa
! tion of a detailed character, it is aa
| derstood here that Mexico's real griev
| snee against Cuba is the recent inci
i dent jn which the Mexican minister to
Argentina, Se?or Fabel?, was delayed