New-York tribune. [volume], July 01, 1918, Image 1

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ALL MERCKAN?>_?B iUiTBR.
TISED IN THE TRIBUNE
IS GU?RmANTBIBD
Vol. LXXVni No. 26,160
First t? Last?the Truth: News ? Editorials'- Advertisements
WEATHER
Thotwler ebowet- ?_*?_?>. To-morrow
partly ?rlondy; fr-mh soatheriy
winds, beciwain?/; w?-sterl>.
f-11 aXmpmri on rags 5
__ ___ -? ? ?? ... ? ?.. ;.".'^ll'l; "
?AS-A'A J?lQty MONDAY. -JULY 1, 1918
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Two-_?rw.'* ?^^ \ ^??%?
Western Union
Strike a Called;
U. S. Plans to
Seize Wires
?Order to Telegraphers
Brings to Head Gov?
ernment's Scheme to
Take Over Lines
Postal Department
Insists on Decision
Walkout of Employes
Ordered for July 8;
Company Rejects
Wilson's Plea
Wire Strike Is Called
CHICAGO, June 30.-*-Mem- I
bers of the Commercial Teleg?
raphers' Union of America
employed by the Western
Union Telegraph Company
have been called upon to strike
at 7 a. m.. Eastern time, Mon?
day, July 8, S. J. Konenkamp,
president of the union, an?
nounced here to-day. He said
the men demand the reinstate?
ment of discharged employe?
and the right to organize.
(Special Dispatch to The Tribune)
WASHINGTON, June 30.?Announce?
ment of the call for a strike of West?
ern Union telegraph operators to start
July 8, brought to a head here to-night,
it was learned on high authority, plans
for the government to take over the
telegraph and telephone lines of the
country, which have been under con?
sideration for some weeks.
The Postoffice Department, it is
known, has been pressing the Presi?
de:.*, for a decision in favor of this,
I and it ?'as positively stated to-night
that a favorable decision . had been
obtained.
While it cannot be stated positively
that officials of the Administration
'.new in advance of the setting of July
? a*- the date for the Western Union
strike, it was positively known that
the strike was coming, and plans have
been in preparation to meet the sit?
uation by guvernment ownership.
Officiai?, of the Postoffice Department
believe that the President has the same
authority for the step which he had in
taking over the railroads. <
Additional Legislation Planned
However, additional legislation is in i
reserve. The Sheppard bill, giving au?
thority to the Federal government to
take control of the wire systems of
the nation, has been tavorabiy reported
by a sub-committee to the full Com?
mittee on Military Affairs in the Sen?
ate. This bill directs government con?
trol of the wire lines as a military
necessity just as the railroads were,
taken over by the President.
It is understood that the plan pro- '
vides that the stockholders of the tele?
graph and telephone companies shall
be compensated on the same basis upon
which the stockholders of the railroads
are assured a fair return for their in?
vestments in railroad securities. |
A number of reasons is advanced
why the Federal government will be
forced to take this step, a high official
of the Administration pointed out to?
night. They are:
First?It desires absolute control
over means of communiation in this
country during the war.
Second The attitude of the Western
Union Telegraph Company officials
toward the government's proposal to ar?
bitrate the threatened trouble with the
operators is deeply resented, and it is
felt that the government must act to
prevent a tie-up on the telegraph lines.
Third?The discovery of the use of
a messenger system of sending night
telegrams by the Western Union Com?
pany.
Fourth?The demand of the tele?
phone companies in many American
cities for increased rates and reduc?
tion in the use of telephones.
Fifth?To install the automatic tel?
ephone system in the cities where
there is now a great congestion.
Assert Legislation Is Needed
Many government officials feel that
Congress must pass more legislation
before the President can take over the
telegraph and telephone lines. Con?
gress, it is stated, will be asked this
authority as soon as the completed
plan for government control is worked
out. Officials are working out these
plans and it is expected that they will
be laid before Congress immediately
after the summer recess.
The Sheppard bill, which has been
favorably acted upon bv a sub-com?
mittee of the Senate Committee on
Military Affairs, it is felt, will meet
the situation. The Federal officials, to
press this measure, are arming them?
selves with a mass of data which has
been acquired by experts in the Bureau
i of Standards.
These data, so far as related to
? Washington, were of such a character
?that the Public Utilities Commission of
? he District of Columbia was forced to
?indefinitely postpone its decision to give
?Mhe Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone
??iimpany authority to increase its
JBiti?. Chairman Brownlow, when he
|K:i.'? a halt on the hearings, declared
^?fit there may be a wide conflict of
JHitimony as to the necessity of
tiHHmtxorizing the increased rates as a
fKult of the inquiry made .by the
- iBreau of Standards expert.
ViBSoon after President Wilson was
>|K.uguratcd for lis first term Repre
? ? itative David J. Lewis, of Maryland,
?'ho had just finished the job of get
?ing legislation through Congress for
?he establishment of a parcel post sya
Iptem, began work on a movement .for
Continued on page five
j*i
Teuton Defeat
IsPredictedby
KruppDireetor
In War Expose
Dr. Wilhelm Muehlon in
1914 Diary Criticises
Foreign Office; Says
Kaiser Began Conflict
for Conquest
Plan to Overthrow
RussiabyRevQlution
Writer Denounces Inva?
sion of Belgium, Calls
Prussians Barbarians
andTerms Pro-Teuton
Propaganda Corrupt
The Tribune A?_s just received the
full text of the famous diary writ
ten by Dr. Wilhelm Muehlon at the
beginning of the war which hat;]
made the former Krupp Works di- j
rector a virtual exile from Imperial j
Germany. j
In its denunciation of Germany !
as the sole instigator of the war, in '
its expos? of Germany's imperial
ambitions', in its analysis of Pints- j
sian secret diplomacy and barba- j
rism and in its prediction of an ulti?
mate defeat of the Teuton alliance]
this collection of jottings is as sen- J
sational as are the memoranda oft
Prince Lichnowsky, former German
Ambassador to London, whose ex?
posures stirred all Germany.
In his capacity as one of the chief
officials of the world's greatest war
factory at the-time, #r. Mmhlon\
came into daily contact with the
greatest of Germany's war lords. He i
was in the confidence of Dr. Karl j
Helfferich, the Imperial Vice-Chan-\
cellor, and of Dr. Krupp von Boh- ?
len, one of the owners of the Krupp
works. This gave him access to
secrets known to but few outside the
immediate circle of the Kaiser. Dr. I
Muehlon is now in Switzerland. j
Trie following notes, which are !
the most interesting passages of his
diary, were written shortly before
and in the few months immediately
following the beginning of the war.
After an unsuccessful attempt to
publish them, Dr. Muehlon left them
untouched for more than three
years. They came again into tlte
hands of their author only a few
weeks ago.
_____ |
Predicted War When
Archduke Was Slain
THE DIRECT TRANSLATION
FOLLOWS: j
When, in the end of June, 1914, the
news reached us that the successor to
the Austro-Hungarian throne and his
I wife had been assassinated on June
28, 1914, in Sarajevo by conspirators
\ of Serbian origin, my first impression
' and my first words were: Now the
European war is certain. For Austria
a deed is necessary, otherwise her fate
will be sealed, and all people of Haps
, burg will tear themselves away from
? the powerless and decisionlesa Dual
'. Monarchy. Action by the Dual Mon
j archy, however, in view of all tradi
i tions, will mean war.
She will not decide to grant to her
: discordant people the long desired
i freedom to form small independent
I states which would be the truest
? friends of the mother who bore them.
: The Dual Monarchy, to the contrary,
i has always grabbed and annexed and
! in that way has increased or multiplied
her difficulties. She never gave up
| anything of her own will; but to the
? contrary, she has fought to maintain
i her unstable position, as she did once
I in Italy.
The Hungarians are largely respon?
sible for the retarded condition of
Austria-Hungary. Hungary repre
' sent- to-day much more strongly then
Austria the idea of the suppression of
all peoples not directly connected with
, them. The difficult position of the
i Dual Monarchy toward Rumania wa?
' due to the hard chauvinistic stand on
! the part of Hungary against the Ru?
manians. Hungarians are hated po
I litically. In Vienna they ndvoc-te
I only severe actions, never friendly
ones.
? Annexation Raises
Serbian ?Enmity
i The annexation of Bosnia and Her?
zegovina was a great mistake and a
source of the greatest discontent. It
can readily be understood that Serbia
should fight against this. If these ter
1 ritories, in which Serbians live, had
been promised to Serbia, Austria
? Hungary would undoubtedly have
gained in Serbia a thankful friend.
! This step naturally led to mortal
! enmity with Serbia and naturally led
i further on to the point of war with
?Italy. . _ ..' ....
Since Austria-Hungary, after the
! double murder in Sarajevo, could
not decide to change her political
i conduct and yet had to do something
! to sustain her supremacy, it was
| clear that she desired war in order
J Continued on page six
Germans Again Cut
Rations of Potatoes
AMSTERDAM, ?J^ne ao.-*-Official
??no-ancement wm made in Berlin
to-day that a reduction of from
"? t0 ?**?? PoantU weekly would
9* made In the/ potato ration. Four
hundred -rrams of oatmeal or other
cereal food will be distributed in?
stead. The potato ration at Pots?
dam has bc/en reduced to two
pounds, with /half a pound of groats.
The "T?lexai" learns that the
export of new potatoes from Hol?
land to G??/rmany has begun, fifty
wagonload"/'b??jng dispatched dally.
The "TelegraaT* protests against
the exportation on the ground that
if continued a potato famine may
be expected in Holland next winter.
THE HAGUE, June 80.?It is of?
ficially announced that the govern?
ment has agreed to export new po?
tatoes in e<rual quantities to each
of the belligerent nations. It is
also announced that Germany has
undertaken to send into Holland
60,000 tons of coal during July.
Debs Arrested
On Charge of
Seditious Talk
Socialist Leader Is Accused
in Indictment of Making
Anti-War Speech
GLEVELAND, June 80.?Eugene V.
Debs, four times Socialist candidate
for the Presidency of the United States,
was arrested here to?day by United
States Marshal Charles W, Lapp and
Deputy Marshal Charles Boehme as he
was about to deliver a Socialist ad?
dress.
The arrest was made on a Federal
warrant in connection with Debs's
speech at the Socialist state convention
in Canton, Ohio, June 16 last.
The arrest was made on a secret in?
dictment returned yesterday by the
Federal Grand Jury. It is understood
the indictment contains ten specific
counts under Sertion 3 of the espio?
nage act, as amended by the passage of
the sedition bill on May 16 last, which
provides a penalty of twenty years in
the penitentiary and a fine of $10,000
and costs for each violation.
To Be Arraigned To-day
Mr. Debs will be arraigned in Federal
Court at 9:30 o'clock to-morrow morn?
ing before Judge D. C. Westenhaver,
when the matter of bail will be decided.
He spent to-night in the Cuyahoga
County Jail in the custody of Marshall
Lapp.
Mr. Debs refused to make any state?
ment regarding his arrest.
Bliss Morton, special agent of the
bureau of investigation of the Depart?
ment of Justice; Federal Agent John
F. Sawkin and members of the Ameri?
can Protective League have been work?
ing on the case since the delivery of
the Canton speech
Mr. Debs arrived iu Cleveland to-day
to address a Socialist gathering. He
was arrested as he. was about to enter
the Garden, v/here the meeting was
Held. No commotion was caused, as
few persons were aware of what was
transpiring until after Mr. Debs was
taken to the Federal Building.
Following the announcement of Mr.
Debs's arrest, a defence fund of more
than $1,000 was raised by popular sub?
scriptions before the meeting ended.
Edwin S. Wertz, United States At?
torney for the Northern District of
Ohio, and Assistant Attorneys Joseph
C. Breitenstein and F. D. Kavanagh,
?will handle the case for the govern?
ment.
Following the arrest, Mr. Wertz made
the following statement:
"No man is too big to be held re?
sponsible for his acts under the espion?
age act or any other law of the United
States."
"Mr. Debs was indicted, not as a So- j
cialist, but as a violator of the law of
the United States because of things |
he said in his Canton speech," said
Breitenstein.
"The Federal jury had presented to
it for consideration during the past
two weeks many other cases under the
espionage act," said Kavanagh. "Among
the persons charged are not only So?
cialists, but many who are of other
political party affiliations. The gov
Continued on last page
Hearst Junket
Hits Snag in
?C* ? m ?tt* ?
?Special Tram
Railway Administration
Says It Has No Request
for Trip to New York
Many Leaders in
Congress Decline
Proposed Journey Consid?
ered a Scheme for "A
Patriotic Alibi"
(Special Dispatch to The Tribune)
WASHINGTON, June 30.?There were
many decisions to-day by members of
Congress who had planned to go to
New York on the Fourth of July for a
glorious junket, with all expenses paid
by Hearst, that they could not afford
to have themselves held up to the peo?
ple of New York and the country as
joining with Mr. Hearst in a loyalty
demonstration.
"Are you going on Hearst's junket?"
was a favorite question when two mem?
bers of either house met to-day on the
street or in their office buildings?for
many of them work even on Sunday.
Aside from the Hearst label being!
pinned on the expedition in the minds !
of some who had thought it was a civic |
affair, and some who had thought it
was a Tammany Hall demonstration,
danger threatened from another quar?
ter. The special train about which Mr.
Hearst boasted this morning, and
which had been painted in words
which spelled Lucullian luxury by the
Hearst agents who have been extend?
ing the invitations, seems to be in dan?
ger.
No Record of Request
The railroad administration to?
night could not find record of any re
ques for such a train. It was said at
tho railroad administration offices
that requests for special cars or spe?
cial trains are all supposed to pass
through the Washington office, in view
of the rule laid down recently cutting
out special cars and trains except in
cases where the necesviry was thown.
It was said that although it could not
be told in advance whether such a re?
quest in the Hearst case would be
granted, it would undoubtedly have to
pass under the rule.
There was much indignation among
members of the House and Senate and
among some officials of the railroad
and fuel administrations at the sug?
gestion of a special junketing train
from Washington to New York and
back again. There are patriotic exer?
cises a plenty, it was pointed out, which
members can attend in Washington,
without running a special train to New
York, which would disarrange train
schedules on one of the busiest
stretches of track in America, part of
which must carry much of the coal that
is to keep the munition factories of ;
New England running this winter?
with a coal famine actually prophesied I
by Fuel Administrator Garfield, even if I
the maximum carrying capacity of the ?
railroads can be maintained.
McAdoo in California
The havoc wrought in train schedules
and railroad operation by special trains
is fully realized by the Railroad Ad?
ministration. Hence the ruling that
there must be none save when ap?
proved directly by the offices of the
director general. Director General
McAdoo is in California, but his sub?
ordinates here to-night denied any
knowledge of such special permission.
Members of Congress who disapprove
the junket were amazed at the audacity
i of Hearst in talking of a special train
in view of the present railroad conges
: tion. They pointed that members of
Congress who accepted the invitation
j were really responsible, since the gov
I prnment would never give prmission,
they said, for such a train merely be?
cause a rich New Yorker was willing
I to spend the money. But if several
hundred members of Congress accepted
j invitations, they pointed out, there
would he a pressure in favor of tho
Continued on last page
Socialist Convention Asks 6-Hour Day;
Seeks Repeal of Anti-Loafing Law
I Demands that six hours hereafter
[ constitute a day's work for every per
I son in New York State and that the
anti-loafing lav/ be repealed were in?
corporated as plank?? of the Socialist
I party's platform at the state conven
; tion held yesterday at the People's
! House, 9 East Fifteenth Street.
? The candidates for state offices nom
i inated by the convention are pledged
i to agitate in their campaign speeches
? for a six-hour day and all of the So
i cialist voters in the state, approxi
| mately 180,000 in number, are to be
urged to work to obtain it. In oppos?
ing the anti-loafing law, which goei
into effect to-day as a war measure,
the party denounced it as threatening
! "the workers with industrial conscrip
I tion for the benefit of the employing
; class.
? The nominees on the state Socialist
j ticket are:
For Governor, Charles W, I.rvin, edi
I tor of "The New York Call."
For Lieutenant Governor, Ella Reeve
i Bloor.
For Secretary of State, Jessie Wal
1 lace Hughan, a teacher in Morris High
School, The Bronx._
For Controller, James C. Sheehan,
Albany.
For Treasurer, Charles W. Noonan,
Schenectady.
For Attorney General, Hczekiah D.
Willcox, Elmira.
For Engineer and Surveyor. Joel
Moses, Rochester.
' The putting of two women on the
ticket was in compliance with a dele?
gate's suggestion that it would be
"'good common horse sense." Morris
Hillquit, whose name was put up as
candidate for Governor, declined to
I
run.
The plank favoring a six-hour day
was adopted only after heated debate.
Alderman Baruch C. Vladcck proposed
the plan and Alderman Abraham Beck
ennan declared that as the Republi?
can and Democratic parties favor an
eight-hour day "it's up to the Social?
ists to go a step further and demand
a six-hour day." Jacob Panken sug?
gested as a substitute that a day be
kept at eight hours but that five days
he considered a week's work. Finally
the original plan was favored by a vote
of 86 to 20.
Another motion to embody a demand
for fourteen days vacation with pay for
Continued on last page
Italians Storm Mountain;
French Gain Half a Mile;
Blow at Americans Likely
Meyer London
Calls for U. S.
Army in Russia
New York Socialist Con
gressman, Born Under
Czar, Asks Intervention
Would Land Troops
At White Sea Port
He Opposes Action in Si?
beria; Thinks L?nine Re?
gime Near Collapse
By Carter Field
WASHINGTON, June 30.?A
sizeable American army should be
sent to Russia at once by way of
the White Sea, landing at Kola,
which is 708 miles from Petrograd
by the railway constructed since
the outbreak of the war.
The Lenine-Trotzky government
should be dealt with by America to
the- extent necessary to have this
American army received in a
friendly spirit by the present do
facto government.
The Lenine-Trotzky government,
however, cannot last, having de?
liberately shut out from any voice
in the government all of the pro?
fessional and intellectual classes.
Before any government in Rus?
sia can hope to be permanent it f
must win the confidence of its
people and the prestige of the
world by defeating some foreign
foe, just as the French Republic
was not really definitely estab?
lished until three years af'ter the
revolution, when it was beginning )
to whip its foreign enemies.
Views of Meyer London
These are the views of a member of
the American Congress who was born
in Russia and one who is frequently i
consulted on Russian affairs by Presi?
dent Wilson?Meyer London, of New
York.
Mr. London's views on the Lenine
Trotzky r?gime, incidentally, are of the
more interest since not only is he a
Socialist, but he has been connected
with the revolutionary movement in
Russia for many years. He lived in
that country until he was twenty years ?
old, and since coming to New York has j
frequently collected funds for his old i
revolutionary friends.
"Certainly I think we should send i
troops to Russia," he said when a?ked j
what he thought this country -should I
do in the way of aiding the Russians j
to save themselves from German
aggressions. "But, of course, sending
troops is a delicate matter, and before
they are landed in Russia there should
be a thorough understanding about the
part they are to play with the de facto
government of Russia.
Russians Trust America
"It may not suit the plans and pur?
poses of this government to recognize
L?nine and Trotzky. That has nothing
to do with the necessi'ty for taking !
some action in Russia. But certainly
their consent must be obtained for the
co?perationof American troops, and 1 |
think it could be obtained with ease, j
for I do not believe for one moment
that Trotzky and L?nine distrust this j
country.
"The whole Russian people trust the ?
United States more than any other one i
country. Their love for France, which
was genuine, wr.s modified a little by i
the fact that the French government
I had been in such close secret touch I
! with the old Romanoff regime. But ?
nothing has happened to inspire any
j distrust of this government. I do not '
i believe that even German propaganda
; has succeeded in doing that.
"With the consent of the de facto ?
i government obtained, American sol- i
: diers should be sent into the north of
; Russia by way of the White Sea. Three ;
! is a warm water port on that sea, I
I which seems to be little known, called I
; Kola. Connecting that port with Petro- !
grad is a railroad line which has been !
.constructed since the outbreak of the
war. It wai not finished until 1915.
? It is just 708 miles from Kola to Pet?
rograd, and ships can visit Kola all the
year around, .whereas Archangel 1ft
: closed by the ice in winter."
Would Send "a Real Army"
"Would you send a division?" he was
1 asked.
"Oh, a division, is all right for the
: moral effect," he replied, "but why not
send a real army? It might not be
safe to count on too much aid in the
actual fighting from the Russians, as
no one in this country appreciates the
I utter collapse in Russia. If we had all
1 the men we wanted?5,000,000 trained
, soldiers, for instance?and the neces?
sary ships, I would say to send several
millons to Russia.
?'I do not tor one moment forget that
' the Western front is the. supremely im
| portant place. One million soldiers on
? the Western front are as many, consid
j ering the length of the front, as four
! million in Russia. The only offset
, comes in the fact that, of course, every
? additional unit of strength in Russia
: on Germany's Eastern front requires
j Germany to muke just that much more
j effort on that front, and_detracts from
! her ability to deal smashing blows on
the Western front.
"I put no stock whatever in this talk
Continued oti next page
____m_____m
?-?-,-,-m
Germans Seek to Send Army
To Aid Soviets Against Czectis
(By The Associated Presa)
MOSCOW, June 19.?Germany's insistent offer of assistance to
the Russian Bolshevik government in quelling the Czecho-Slovak raov?e
ment is called attention to by the "Novaia Zhizn," an independent
Opposition newspaper, which says that the daily visits to the Foreign
Office of General Count von Mirbach, the German Ambassador to Rus?
sia, are to renew the offer of military assistance and to persuade the
Soviet officials of their inability to cope unaided with the Czecho?
slovaks.
The "Novaia Zhizn" says the Bolshevik government wants to re?
main neutral, but that its freedom of action is seriously impaired by
the Czecho-Slovak movement. The article continues:
"After all, there is nothing to be wondered at that the Germans
wish to occupy the remnant of the Socialist oasis so as to prevent
the Entente Allies from making a similar attempt.
"The Czecho-Slovak movement gives the Germans a good oppor?
tunity for interference, which may be justified in the eyes of the Ger?
man people by the danger menacing the German and Austrian war
prisoners in Siberia."
-?-?-?-?-._
Ludendorff
Calls His Own
Men Traitors
German General Says Allies
Got Plans of Rheims At?
tack Through Treason
By Wilbur Forrest
{Special Cable to The Tribune)
'Cipyrlght, 1918, by Die Tribuno Aiuoclatlon)
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES
June 30.?In a secret German armj
order dated June 10 and signed "P
O. L. Ludendorff," a copy of whicl
is now in the possession of th?
French military authorities, Luden?
dorff has notified the German
troops that two German soldiers be?
longing to the Seventh Chasseurs,
197th Division, divulged to the
French all plans of the German at?
tack between Soissons and Rheims
during the last days in May.
Ludendorff adds that soldiers
taken prisoner by the French north
of the Chemin des Dames on the
night of May 25-26 warned the
French against a surprise gas attack,
especially the 13th French Division,
which took new positions on the
heights between the Aisne and the
Vesle rivers.
Treason Cost Many Lives
He continues: "The resistance of
this division cost the life and health
of man*y German soldiers. Without
this treason the surprise of May 27
would have been more successful,
even more so than it was."
Thus the idea that the Allies were
surprised by the German offensive,
which in its first stage bowled over
three British and four French divi?
sions and finally resulted in the
enemy reaching the Marne, may be
dismissed.
The document, the tone of which
was both plaintive and fierce, also
charges captured Germans with giv?
ing the French all details of the Ger?
man attack of June 9 between Mont
didier and No yon, which caused the
French to prepare such strong re?
sistance.
Allies Get Many Details
"One is struck to see the precision
and richness of details which our
enemies obtain from German prison?
ers," he says, and issues strict or?
ders that all German soldiers be
impressed with the importance of
how to conduct themselves as pris?
oners and that the army give pub?
licity "through papers it controls"
I as to the dire consequences of giv?
ing information to the enemy.
Ludendorff concludes:
"Most men unhappy enough to be
! made prisoner do not realize the
i measure in which declarations, even
j as to insignificant details, not only
'? imperil the lives of their comrades,
i but compromise the success of our
i attacks.
; Reveals ?Lack o? Confidence
"The infamous conduct of a few
men clearly can have extremely
grave effects on the victorious issue
of the war; they can cause gravest
prejudices to the whole nation. The
; captured soldier who refuses to
speak honors himself, keeps a clean
Continued on page three
German Blow
AtU.S.Forces
ProbableSoon
Coming Attack Indicated!
by Movements of Troops
and Materials
(By The Associated Pre*?)
WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES ON !
THE MARNE, Jun? 30.--Excessive I
movements of troops and materials
north of Chateau Thierry, together !
with the increased artillery and aerial
activity, form the basis of the belief !
that American forces in this locality
may be called upon to defend them?
selves in the near future.
Long streams of enemy troops and I
wagon trains have been observed in
the neighborhood of the Bonnes Wood.
There have been more than fifty enemy
aerial flights over the American lines
northwest of Chateau Thierry in the '
last twenty-four hours. One German
machine was shot down by our anti?
aircraft gun.
The American artillery has heavily |
shelled many vital and active spots :
within the enemy lines, once obtaining
a direct hit on a detachment of march?
ing Germans.
For days the Americans have been
expecting that the enemy, stung by the
defeat administered to him recently on
this front, would maka a vigorous as?
sault upon our forces, and it was part?
ly for this reason that the American
operations in the Belleau section were
carried out.
With these operations completed, the
Americans now have the country for
several miles in front of them under
their eye3 and guns, and can see what
is developing. In consequence, when
the expected blow comes they will be
that much better prepared to meet it.
The American troops have made all
preparations, and the Boche will get an
exceedingly warm reception if he tries
what the situation to-day indicates he
has in mind.
The Americans say that no matter
where the enemy strikes he is bound to
pay dearly for his effort, and that the
bigger the target the better the Ameri?
can forces will like it.
To the east of Chateau Thierry, along
the river Marne, except for constantly
increasing long-range shelling on both
sides, comparative quiet reigns. There
has been no patrolling, because the
bright moonlight on the water prevents
a crossing, but the American snipers
have been so active in the last four
days that the Germans rarely e\er
make an appearance.
Germans in Alsace
Seek to Measure
American Strength
< By The At*ociattd Press)
WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES IN
ALSACE, Saturday, June 29.?American
troops or. the Alsatian front are learn?
ing what might be called the specialties
of inactive days while awaiting work
of a wider scope. The Germans have
found the overseas men facing them at
so many places that they are pushing
out patrols somewhat nervously here
and there with the object of trying to
fix tlie exact limits of the American
sectors.
The Germans have not a monopoly
on these expeditions. The Americans
aiso are out every night studying the
difficult lay of No Man's Land in the
mountainous region. Clashes naturally
| are frequent, and the Germans are
finding that the Americans are not as
easy to ceal with as they would wish,
even when outnumbered.
Sergeant Dewey F. Slocum and Cor?
poral John C. Phillips, both of Grand
Rapids, Mich., and Private Newton Bell,
of Muses Mills, Ky., were cut off from
the rest of their platoon in one of
these little fights at an advanced post
and refused to surrender. They could
not run, but they showed that they
could shoot. Private Bell accounted
Continued on page three
Austrian? Are Driven
From Stronghold on
Asiago Plateau and.
Lose 809 Prisoners
Foe Forced Back in
Champagne Salient
Great German Offen?
sive Against British
Lines Now Expected
at Any Moment
In three successful attacks in
France and Italy the Allies have
gained important ground and
taken altogether 1,207 prisoners.
The Italians, supported by British
and French raiders, stormed the
Austrian positions on Monte di
Val Bella, on the Asiago Plateau,
and held it despite desperate en?
emy counter attacks. They .capt?
ured 809 prisoners, including
twenty-one ofii<*ers.
Further east the Italians captured a
German observation post on Sasso
Rosso and took thirty-three more
prisoners.
The French attacked the ? enemy's
line near the tip of the great
Champagne .salient where it
stretches nearest toward Paris,
and captured the crest of the
heights east of Molloy. They ad?
vanced on a 1.8-mile front to a
depth of almost half a mile and
took 265 prisoners.
West of Soissons the French again
improved their line near Si
Pierre Aigle. One hundred Ger?
mans were taken prisoner here.
A correspondent on the British front
says a great German offensive ef?
fort may be expected to start
there at any moment. Increasing
artillery fire may herald the new
enemy drive.
Italians Drive Foe
From Mountain Post,
Take 800 Prisoners
LONDON'. June 30.?The Italians
yesterday launchead a heavy blow
agair.st the Austrian positions on
??lonte di Val Bella, on the left moun?
tainous wing of the Italian front, and
in a bitter struggle wrested the height
from the enemy, the War Office in
Rome announced to-night.
Supported by an intense preliminary
bombardment from the Italian guns
and by a series of raiding operations
carried out by British and French
troops, the Italian infantry attacked at
dawn. In the fighting on the slopes of
the mountain the enemy was compelled
to fall back slowly.
More than 800 Austrians were taken
prisoners, _nd many cannon, field mor?
tars, machine guns and a quantity o<
supplies fell into the hands of the at?
tacking forces.
Again and again the Austrians coun?
ter attacked, charging up the northern
slopes of "the mountain, but each time
they were mowed down by the Italia:
fire. Tremendous losses were inflicte<
on the enemy in his abortive efforts tt
retrieve his loss.
! Further east, on the Asiago Plateau
between the Frenzela Valley and tha
line of the Brenta River, 'the Italian
captured a fortified Austrian post oi
the southern slopes of Sasso Rossc
Thirty-three Austrians were take?!
prisoner.
Elsewhere on the Italian front ther
were local engagements. The artiller
fire, which "had become intense alon
i the whole northern front, decrease
'. somewhat. Along the Piave Riv?
; front? on the Italian right, the oppos
; ing forces were idle.
Kaiser Would Spare
Monastery to Learn
Where Kin Is Buriet
i fi;] The Associated Press)
WITH THE BRITISH ARMY I
FRANCE, June CO.?The air forces a
both sides are working overtime the:
fine moonlight nights and there hi
been heavy bomb>?g throughout tl
war zone. They have been no le
: active in fighting and reconnoitrii
throughout the day and many battl
royal have been fought along tl
lines.
There is an interesting developme
? in connection with the hostile shellii
of the territory around Mont des Ca
where the famous Trappist monast?*
! is located. For weeks the Germa
have been bombarding this Flemi
' elevation heavily and the monks' hoi
j has been sadly damaged.
Recently the German Emperor wrc
a letter to the German commander
? this area, asking thut Mont des Cata
: pared, because the aged prior of t
monastery was the only living pers
who knew where the Emperor's re
t i ?, c. Prince Max of Hess*, had be
i buried after his death in the monaste
in October, l'Jll. The prince waa i
Uchcd to the cavalry which occusi