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\ WEATHER. Fair, continued warmer tonight and tomorrow. Temperature for twenty-four hours ending 2 p.m. today: Highest. 81, at 2 p.m. today; lowest, 64, at 6:30 a.m. today. Full report on page 15k. Closing New York Stocks, Page 19. Member of the A?oet?*ed Pre*s fl The IYm Is nflilri to | j the dh for republication of ar. bfw? dispatch** i ; creditor to It Or not otherwloa credited to tblt ; paper lad aloe the local am pnbUohe* beiela. AB rtftits of pahUcatioa of upeelal dispatebot taereia an alao reoerrM. Yesterday's Net CnndatioB, 108,748 No. 27,216. WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1918-TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. ?? TWO CENTS. District Commissioners Re scind Closing Order Due to < Epidemic of Influenza. CHURCHES ARE ALLOWED TO REOPEN THURSDAY Schools and Movies and Other Gath erings, Included in Order, Hay - < Open Again Next Monday. The District Commissioners today Rescinded their orders closing the churches and other places of public featherings and amusements because of the influenza epidemic. It was directed that the churches m^y be reopened ThuVsday. October SI. thus enabling the Catholic and Episcopal churches to celebrate All Saints' day. one of the more important days in the church calendar, which falls jn Friday. Schools and Movies, Monday. # Theaters. motion picture houses ? ltd public and private schools will ??pen under the order. Monday. No vember 4. Tho order also lifts the l>an placed against public meetings of all kinds, whieff would include lodge meetings and other fraternal gatherings, and public gatherings of ' ail kinds. The order was issued shortly after 11 o'clock this morning, after a meeting of the District Commission ers, when a letter from Health Offi cer Fowler, written Monday morning, recommending to the Commissioners t hat the ban be raised was consider ed. The closlncr order has been in force since October 3. when it was issued as a safeguard against the spread of the influenza epidemic. Commissioners' Order. The order of the Commissioners fol lows: "Ordered: That the operation of the Commissioners' order of October 3, 1918. closing theaters, moving picture houses and dance halls in the District of Columbia for ^n indefinite time be terminated on Mondav, November 4. 1918. "That the operation of the Commis sioners' order o-f October 4. 191s, re questing the clergy of Washington to omit all church services until further action by the Commissioners, be ter- 1 xninated on Thursday, October '31 ! ,191l(." ^Demand for Heopening of Churches Immediately following the order: ?losing the churches and other places of public gathering, those against whom they were directed complied promptly in the interest oT public safet*. However, arter the churches had been closed two weeks, effort was made from time to time by the clergy Und churchmen to have the ban re moved, but without success. The last' effort of the clergy was made Satur day, when a delegation representing the Ministerial Association, as well as representatives of the Catholic clergy, called on Health Officer Fowler, pre senting from their viewpoint the ne cessity of opening the churches, be lieving. they said, that the danger of the contagion had passed. Dr. Fowler did not entertain the same views as the clergy, saving that he would not recommend to the Com missioners that the ban on the churches be removed. I,ater the Com missioners sustained Health Officer Kowler and refused to change the or der. Yesterday a letter protesting against the further closing of the churches was received by the Com sioners from Mgr. Thomas of St. I'at- ; rick's Catholic Church, in which the prelate expressed his doubt a? to the authority of the Commissioners to! close the churches. Dr. Fowler said after the order lift- i Jng the ban had been made public by : the Commissioners that conditions were . fiuch now that he felt assured by the fall in the death rate and the reduction I in the number of new cases of the dis ease that it was safe to open the ; churches this week and the opening of the theaters, schools and other public I Fathering places Monday. Deaths and New Cases of Influenza Indicate Decrease in District Reports of twenty-six deaths were > Triad? to the health department at noon today, covering the twenty-four- ? hour period ending at that hour. This i Js a decrease of two deaths a-s com- I pared with the previous twenty-four hour period, when the deaths totaled twenty-eifcht. This small decrease is In comformity with the expectations of the health officials, who look for miall decreases in the mortality list ; for several days before the big fall- ! Jng oft is recorded. A total of 286 new cases of influenza *a? reported tor the twenty-four-hour period ending at noon today. This is en increase of 127 cases over yester day. when the number of new cases ?as 159. The official record of deaths to date shows 1.433 since the epidemic started in September, The sum of J902 has been contrib uted for relief of needy sufferers from [ influenza, as reported by Patrick T I Moran. chairman of the Chamber of i Commerce committee on influenza re- i lief; work. Additional drug stores tiave volunteered to supply free pre scriptions to those unable to pay for them. Dr. H. S. Mustard of the United States public health service stated that the influenza situation in the District was such that in a few davs the local physicians would be able to handle it. A steady decrease is shown in the number of new cafes, with the num ber of deaths fluctuating as follows: October 25?67? new cases; 22 j deaths. Oct? bet 26?426 new cases; 34 deaths. : ? October 27?325 new cases; 26 deaths. s October 28?2S5 new cases; 28' deaths. There are now 212 patients in the emergency influenza hospital, thir teen having been admitted in the last iwenty-four hours. Eighteen patients v ere dismissed from the hospital and 1 ?o died since 6 o'clock yesterday ? ?=ins. ? No Other American Commu nity Makes Greater War Sacrifices in Blood or Treasure, in Men Sent to the Trenches or Money to Back Them. FAIR PLAY FOR CAPITAL (Editorial Correspondence of The Star.) theodobe w. notes. The last summer has been full of bit ter days for the people of Washing ton; gloriously bitter in the cheerful endurance of necessary patriotic war sacrifices with other good Americans; humiliatingly bitter through discrim inating. slurring, hurtful legislation, unnecessarily imposed or threatened, and through the slanderous vilifica tion of Washingtonians whicK" has ac companied it. rcsD?nd^Hr ;VnCr,COn commnn'?y u J record ?ho?., more SEffijS* T ,omP|?'?ely than *? ,he ca" ,or patriotic ???? ?***? '? be "Wrrcd on the "f'i "" altar, whether in blood or trem-h.'" ,eth" ,ncn ?ent to the InH ^ J" money to back, anxtaln ""1." them "?tU tl,e war ls i<an ^?the^ hand no other Amer i<an community was ever so unrip. served! y and infamously slandered ! ?..5S?-el?" alIeS^ions of lack of : patriotism. Washington Clerks Wo Slackers. j Civilian workers for the govern ment. in peace war, constitute a numerous, intelligent and highly valued element of the city's popula tion. They have long been petitioners for en equitable increase of their sal ary scale, which for years has been confessedly inadequate and at a standstill, while notable increases have been made in all other tranches of labor, especialfy organized labor. 1 heir distress and need have been accentuated by war conditions and the resulting higher and higher cost of living. In response to their rea sonable and respectful petition their legislature on one occasion voted to in crease their hours of work without in creasing correspondingly their compen sation. They had been working, in addition to a scheduled normal seven-hour dav as much of overtime without pay in the war service as the national neces sities demanded. By vote of Congress"*? nullified. how .1 th* end, by the President's 'he normal day was compul-! ?o?+iy -increased from seven to eight' ?Jtra "vcrl,1"e pay was j allowed. WaiihljtKton workers naked ' for bread and revived a Htonet and k y remonMraled afcaln>?t thin substitution they were denounred as * slackers by the House leader of thin campaign against them. Washington workers were thus sub jected in congressional intent at least to the industrial minimum eight hour day, without the usual indus trial protection against overtime labor, through an extraordinary scale of overtime pay. They were put on the same footing as organized-labor elsewhere, so far as disadvantages were concerned: and denied organized labors counteracting benefits. Washington departmental labor that works overtime without pay and patriotically without complaint, that does not strike, or tnreaten to strike or think of striking in war time may not even petition for equitv or re monstrate against gross 'injustice without becoming "slackers," to be Put.Jn the national pillory and to be derided and spit upon as unpatriotic. Undeserved Slur on Local Patri otism. Similarly the property owners and landlords of the city are universally and undeservedly slandered as unpa triotic in the discussion of anti profiteering legislation. These property owners and taxpay ers were slurred for years in the House as underassessed and under taxed, as mendicants subsisting unpa- : triotically on the nation's bounty ! This slander was dissipated the mo- I ment a fair tribunal, the joint con gressional fiscal committee exam ined thoroughly into the facts. So it will be with th'e recent slan ders upon the property owners, the landlords and the whole community as i rent profiteers or the accomplices of such profiteers, sympathizing with ! and protecting them. Rental profiteers, like food and fuel profiteers, are a tiny fraction of the ' population, who practice extortion upon the remainder, *ie great bulk : of the community. Nine-tenths of I . ashington, as of every other large' American city, is sore all over from ' the exactions of the high cost of war | e are 'ndignant and resent-1 ful. The profiteer, whether at the Ex pense oT the government or the indi- * vidual, whether he operates in muni- I tions or ships, in food, fuel or rents in I today's "black beast." j Universal Slander. Chairman Ben Johnson has extend-* ed the stigma, stain and sJander of1 rentals profiteering, as principal or! accomplice, from a few landlords to' ashington landlords in general, from the landlord class to the community in general, and from all Washingtonians who protest against his grossly unfair legislative principles and methods even to senators and representatives who venture to propose a fairer wiser form of fair-rents legislation than that which he has deviled ? v?!n ?'anders senators, who can fight back, the enormity of his offense is at once perceived. Why is not the offense greater when his defamation is applied with absolute tmpnSt, to ,hr ^?Mtntlon ! tlea hand and foot and turns over helpless to injury and Insult on the 1 part of any strong and influential na- ' tional legislator who is willing to de- i base himself by abuse of the far- i reaching power in respect to the I Capital-community with which he is intrusted by the Constitution' 1 Mr. Johnsdn denounces the pronertv i owners and landlords of Washington ' as the most unpatriotic people in th? whole world. He poses as p^uliarlv the protector of the boys in th. trenches and of the civilian war workers. Washington's Unsurpassed War Becord. ? Mr. Johnson's Washington con-1 stituency has sent more boys to the: trenches to give their lives Rrwin the i war than Mr. Johnson's Kentur-Vv constituency. ' j His National Capital constituency' has furnished more civilian war work 1 ers than his Kentucky constituency ~! His Washington constituency has I put up more money to sustain the boys in the trenches, and to win the! war, in donations through tlie Red I Cross and others ^Urty loaM Appeal for Democrats Dispels Apathy, Means Bitter Fight for Congress. DEMOCRATS ALSO REGRET i Second only to the concern ovw the I war is the interest of the public in the unprecedented ^political situation which has been precipitated by the appeal of President Wilson for Uie election of a democratic Congress Apparently, judging from the tenor of comment heard in various quarters and reflected in a section of the pub j lie press, the antagonism of one di j vision of the public eentinfent has ; been aroused not so much by the President's demand that he be given | a democratic Congress, as by his in ferential condemnation of all repub licans in the country as being dis loyal to the war airrls of the United States, and therefore unfit to have majority representation in the legis lative councils. , As such interpreted wholesale con demnation of a large section of the population of the country because of party affiliation does not accord with the record of that party's action in tho legislative branch, resentment is [ voiced. Expressions of regret are heard on j every side, and are not confined to ; republicans, either, that the President should have deemed it expedient from I a political viewpoint absolutely to shatter and dispel the political har | mony which existed in Congress over the war legislation, and which to a degree was reflected throughout the country. ^ Appeal Dispels Apathy. j The two great parties were giving ; evidence of dividing along normal political lines in the coming elections without undue heat or partisan spirit and indeed with what amounted al | most to apathy. There was no ap parent keen interest in the campaign among the people and certainly very : little expressed in the public press, i It seemed that the voters would go : to the polls, if it should be convenient, and vote their everyday political con I victions and for personal choice of ? candidates. In some states there was bi-partisan agreement upon candi ! dates, one man being indorsed by both political parties. . I It was out of this calm political sky i that the President's appeal came as a (bolt from the blue. The result has 1 been an immediate sharp division of j the people along party lines, a divi- I sion eTTected in the greatest bitter ness and with ho* resentment. The republicans have been stung to action as by a whip lash in the face, it is i declared. Every republican of na J tional prominence, including two for mer occupants of the presidential | chair, have vigorously retorted i against the President's appeal, tak ing violent issue with the gro-und upon which it was based. ; And it is the ground upon which it , was based that has caused the most vigorous resentment?the inferential (charge that the republican party is less patriotic than the demecratic Party and less likely to wage the war to a finish or to conclude a satisfac j tory peace. ^ Refer to One-Ma n Control. Occasional references are heard to i another phase of the last analysis of | the appeal?that the President desires I a Senate which he can control and jt>end to his views, in the ratification j I of a peace treaty, rather than a Sen- \ | ate wnich will express the views of all the people. Even in that, the re ! publicans take exception to the in ference that a republican viewpoint would be less patriotic, less American than the President's. What the probable effect of the ap peal will be on the voting is a sub ject of wide discussion and specula tion. Some democrats have voiced the apprehension that the President's action was unfortunate and will re act to the disadvantage of the party. Most of the republican Sentiment seems to be that it will arouse the republican voters from the twilight doze of political harmony and bring them out into the white glare of partisan action. The republicans had complained of having no issue up to a week ago. They do not find themselves lacking in that particular now, it is declared. R. H. ANGELL IS CHOSEN VIRGINIA FUEL CHIEF i Fuel Administrator Garfield today I announced the appointment of R. H. -mgell of Roanoke to be federal fuel administrator for Virginia, in the place of H. F. Byrd. Mr. Byrd has entered the military service. Mr. Angell is a well known banker and business man of Roanoke and local fuel administrator there. AUSTRIA ABOLISHES PRESS CENSORSHIP BERN", Switzerland, Monday, Octo ber 28.?The new Austrian govern ment has abolished censorship of the press, a report from Vienna says. AUSTRIAN NOTE RECEIVED. The new Auustrian note asking for armistice and peace terms was re ceived today at the Swedish legation The text is said to be identical with that cabled from Basel yesterday. and in war taxes, than his Kentucky constituency. The District of Columbia challenges comparison in all these Items ahd in dicia of patriotic devotion and sacri fice with the home constituency or any member of the House of Repre sentatives whatsoever. There is no reflection in this com ment and this challenge upon the patriotic spirit, labors and devotion of Mr. Johnson's Kentucky constituency or of any other constituency repre sented in the House. They are all true American communities, and have re sponded grandly to the call to arms and to sacrifice of blood and treunm upon the nation's altar. This challenge la draljcard t* rail at tention. sharply and vividly, to the tart that the non-voting, narrrtrr seated capital ronstltnrncy of each representative ha* responded aa nobly to the nation's rail aa hla own hone 1 coastitnency. And the earnest fcnmj ot Washlngtonlana la that when reo resentativea realise the truth, they will, without exception, reader j honor to their Washington eonatltn- ' too often been I "IS Z. lata underrating I aad despising. **"? FIRST HEREDITARY PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN REPUBLIC? 'HURRY ARMISTICE!' FOESmiISi "Notes" to U. S. From Ger many, Austria and Turkey i All Seek to End Fighting. HUNS AIM TO SAVE ARMY "Hurry up with that armistice'." is the. cry of Turkey. Austria-Hungary and Germany, according to all the latest "notes" now in hand or in course i of transmission. The text of the Austrian note has been cabled and today cam* an outUn# Turkey's reporte'd appeal for an Ihde pendent peace. ? 1 The two northern nations are pro lific in promises of reform along the lines laid down by President Wilson. Turkey's promises were not set forth in detail: Turkey wants peace, how ever, the report says, and wants it regardless of whatever obligations j are laid upon her allies. Austria-Hungary's professions of | willingness to adopt changes which i strike at the very keystone of the dual empire's construction; Germany's mar velous shedding of leopard's spots al most overnight and frantic assurances of coming democratizing, all bear wit ness to the seeming imperative demand of the two neighboring belligerents for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Huns Aim to Save Armies. In military circles here this is con strued to be incited by Germany's | necessity of an armistice in* order to enable her to move her armies, guns and munitions back from the territory where they are now threatened by the allied advance to positions of better security behind last^lines of defense. ?It is thought that the Germans are willing to promise anything to achieve this object, and this accounts for the complaisance with which they are re garding Austria-Hungary's defection from the alliance. The one big object of the German high command is be lieved now to be to save their armies from further harm and plant them on German territory, where they can be resuscitated and reinforced for subsequent emergencies. The supreme war council, now or soon to be meeting in Versailles, is well aware of these considerations, which afe visualized even on this side of the water, and there is no fear among military men here that any of the peace offensives of the Germans will avail to enable them to accom plish the desired objective. So the German, Austrian and Turkish pro posals of peace are i received in offi cial circles here With equanimity, military men and diplomats alike resting content in the assurance that the supreme war council of the allies will make the terms of the armistice such that peace negotiations of the future can be safeguarded. No Break in Alliance Seen. Though the Austrian note, according to the unofficial text, goes farther than have any of the German peace propo- ' sals in that it asks the President to begin immediately negotiations for peace and an armistice without await ing further exchange with Germany, many officials saw practically no signs of the expected break in the alliance of the central powers. In fact. It is believed that the Vi enna and Berlin governments are working in harmony and with a full knowledge of the other's actions. The belief was based largely on the fact that the actions of Austria have not thus far caused any visible resentment in Berlin. The statement of the Austrian gov ernment that it adhered to the point of view expressed by President Wilson I in his last communication upon the > rights of the peoples of the dual mon archy. and of the Czecho-Slovaks and! Jueo'-Slavs In particular?one of the greatest concessions Austria-Hungary could make ? was considered as re flecting the chaotic conditions in the empire. Emperor Charles, It was said, doubtless realizes that conditions can not long remain as they now are, and, accordingly. Is exerting even more I strenuous efforts than his ally to ob tain a peace not too onerous or too humiliating. Absence of Guarantees Noted. In regard to this Austrian asser tion, it was pointed out that nothing is said about guaranteeing the com plete independence of those peoples. It was thought In some quarters to day that the President will demand that such guarantees be offered be fore consenting to transmit the Aus trian proposal to the allies. No indication had been received early today as to when the official ~ (Continual an Second. PM?B INDEPENDENT JIM PlEA FOiFEACEREPHI By the Associated Press. LONDON, October 29.? Turkey has independently pre sented peace proposals to the entente nations, according to a report from Constantinople for warded by the correspondent at Copenhagen of the Exchange Telegraph Company. The nego tiations are expected \o end soon, it is added. Count Karolyi Takes Action in Opposition to Emperor Charles' Wish. By (lie Associated Tress. COPENHAGEN. OcHflier ? Archduke Joseph ban l.xmied a proclamation stating that Emperor Charles hau charged him with the tattle of securing the complete tn ?dependenee of Hunpnry, a dispatch from Budapest soy*. The proclamation add* that peace will be aspired to at once and Hun gary will Join a lea true of nations, her Integrity and unity being the first aim. COPENHAGEN, October 29.?An in dependent and anti-dynastic state has been formed in Hungary under the leadership of Count Michael Karolyi in agreement with the Czechs and south Slavonians, according to Vienna reports received by the Politiken. In a speech at Budapest Karolyi declared he had presented his program to Emperor Charles, who refused to accept it. Karolyi thereupon put into effect his plan for an independent state. Long Favored'Independence. Count Michael Karolyi is president of the Hungarian independent party, and has long been an opponent of the government party of Count Tisza. He has been in favor of Hungarian inde pendence and submitted a motion in the Hungarian house of lords October 20 for the disunion of Hungary from Austria. In addition to being anti-German, Count Karolyi has appealed to Austria Hungary to make peace since Decem ber, 1915. On several occasions he has demanded in the Hungarian parliament that Hungary make peace. Last February Count Karolyi was accused ot high treason by his cousin. The Hungarian ministry has never/ taken actiop on the charges against him. Shortly before the outbreak of the war Couul Karolyi was lecturing in the United States. He sailed for Europe late in July and was detained at Bor deaux for several months, finally be ing allowed to return home. Not Supported by All Factions. Diplomatic dispatches received here today, based on advices from Buda pest, say Count Karolyi has failed in his attempt to establish an inde pendent government in Hungary, with' representatives of all the peo ple, because the Slav and Rumanian representatives refused to join him. j It is assumed that the Karolyi gov- I ernment referred to in Vienna reports through Copenhagen was set up with out the support of thfe- Slavs and Ru manians. According to the Budapest dispatch es, the situation there is extremely serious. Peace treaties between the different nationalities of Austria and Hungary I and the entente powers are consid ered unavoidable. What is. reported as a "gigantic movement" has broken out. Its na ture is yet only partly known, but it is aaid to be evident.that the Magyar national council has proclaimed its dictatorship and that Count Karolyi, as president of this body, has. been given the mission of making this de cision known to Emperor Charles. The young Magyars are forming a military organization, and the people in the streets -Budapest are dt- j manding the ^pTinclation of the po litical "with Germany LIBERTY MOTOR IS SENSATION OREAR American-Made De Haviland Airplane Playing Big Part In War. SOME SALIENT FIGURES BY DAVID LAWRENCE. (Copyright, 1918, by N. Y. Evening Pott, Inc.) Now that all the aircraft investiga tions have ceased and all the official and unofficial reports have been or shortly will have been made public, it is possible to describe the present status of the "American -aircraft program, not Its al leged failures of six mojith ago, but Its results today. First, it may be a surprising statement to make, but it is nevertheless supported by an examination of records from the western front as well as production charts in the United States, that the liberty jnotor and the De Haviland air plane are the sensation of the year. When the history of the war comes to be written, it' will be found that the engine and battleplane made by the United States came in the nick of time, and should the War be prolonged another year the contribution from American aircraft will rank high among our mili tary achievements Foolish Predictions Failed. Early predictions which foolishly promised tens of thousands of battle planes have, of course, not been borne out. All thinking about airplanes must be considered in the light of knowledge that on July 1 of this year there were not more than 10,000 ma chines of all kinds on both sides of the western front, and the allied su premacy in the air is now being main tained with a proportion of that num ber which, for military reasons, can not be disclosed, but it is not above 10,000. Some idei. of America's contribu tion can be obtained when it is known 1 that the United tates has built to date more than 27,000 airplane en gines of all types, of which more than 11,000 were liberty motors. More than 11,000 airplanes of all kinds have been built, of which at least 3,000 are battleplanes, or the equivalent of one-third of the total number of such types on the western front. What "Wasted" Money Did. Furthermore, with the W40.000.000, which it has been repeatedly charged was "largely wasted," the entire pro gram of aircraft has been carried on, and only $456,000,000 has been spent to date of that sum. Indeed, the re mainder has been contracted for, and will mean more engines and planes, just as of a new appropriation of *760,000,000 only $29,000,000 has been spent and the rest obligated: but for those sums will come in the future. If the war is prolonged, more than 50,000 liberty motors and ever so many plane?. Some idea of the remarkable produc tion of America can be obtained when it is considered that America built more engines this year than England built from the time she entered the war until the end of 1917, and the same is true of France. The United States has built more planes this year than England did .altogether -from 1914 to the end of 1916. Liberty Motor in Demand. Liberty, motors have proved so won derful on the western front that Eng. land and France have ordered all that can be produced and given them. Our factories today are turning out lib erty motors at the rate of 4,000 a month. The liberty is called for be cause of the variety of its uses. It wias used by the British and American naval aviators in bombing submarine bases. It is used in the De Haviland battleplane which helped clean the St. Mihiel sector and drive Germans out of the Argonne forest. Every statement made above can be backed up by official records, both of the production in this country and the performances of the liberty engine and the De Haviland battleplane on the western front. Praise for John D. Ryan. America's program was slow in get ting started, but it was shaped right, and the results today are a direct re sult of the fact that John D. Ryan, director of aircraft production, re fused to be swerved by hostile criti cism from carrying out the original plans of our aircraft program, though he added a remarkable executive abil ity and knowledge of organization and a painstaking study of the prob lem himself to the situation and brought order out of what might have been chaos as a consequence of the criticism. Mr Ryan's achievement is (Continued oo Ninth Fafe.) LASTAUSTRIAN LINE ON PI AVE SMASHED BY ALLIED FORCES 15,000 Prisoners Taken by Diaz's Armies?Americans Soon to Join Fray, FRENCH ON WEST FRONT RAPIDLY ENCIRCLE GUISE By the Associated Press. ^ Allied troops maintained their progress ea-t of the Piave and have taken more than 15,000 prisoners. The Italian, British and French seriously threaten/the important railroad points of Coneg liano and Oderzo and two of the three railway lines supporting the Austro-Hungarians on the Piave front. VVhile the allies have thrown forces across the Piave on a front of about thirty miles, the heaviest fighting has been along a Stretch of seven miles between CJonegliano and'Odcrzo, where the Italians and British have advanced more than three miles, making a formidable wedge in the Austrian positions east of the river and between two of their main communication lines. The allies are within two miles of both Conegliano and Oderzo. The allied ad vance in the nortli would tend to force the Austrian? to evacuate the lowlands of the lower Piave. ? Will Force Offensive. Apparently the allied thrusts in the mountain zone between the Piave and the Brenta were feintg, for the pur pose of attracting the attention of the enemy from the more formidable movement across the Piave. Troops and supplies are being rushed to the Pia-fe front and it is evidently pur posed to force the offensive to the ut most. v On Western Front. East of the Oise. on the French front, the army of Gen. Debeney rap idly is encircling Guise. On the south they *re in the suburbs of the to-arn, and have captured German first-line trenches, besides enemy barracks and a hospital. Farther south the French are marching northeastward, between Guise and Marie, and threaten to out flank both points by smashing all the way through the Hunding position. Since the beginning *>f liis advance between the Oife and the Sorse, Gen. Debeney has moved forward more tin >t five miles on a front of about sixteen miles. Along the Serre the enemy evi dently continues to withdraw toward Marie, as the French war office says French patrols are in contact with the Germans on this sector. Yankee Lines Shelled. Eastward along the Aisne to the Argonne French pressure is main tained. German guns began to, bom bard the American lines in ti^; Vei dun region early Tuesday. ? .Tiie American artillery respoAdfcd. Appar ently the Germans hopeaTo check any further American efort to continue their advance Ly delugiug the Ameri can lines witHitiigh explosives at the hour when attacks usually me launched. Field Marshal Haifr reports only ar tillery and patrol activity on the front of his armies: In Belgium operations %re only of a local character. AUSTRIAN POSITIONS OVERRUN AFTER ALLIES CROSS THE PIAVE By the Auoeilted Press. WITH THE ALLIED FORCES ? ON THE PIAVE, Monday, October 28. 8 p.m.?The last lines of the Austro Hungarian resistance on the central positions along the Piave river were broken today by the British, French and Italian forces. The Austrians were dealt a smash ing blow. It resulted in the allies making new advances, pushing for ward as far as Vayolla, which was taken by the victorious Italians not withstanding desperate resistance. Fifteen thousand prisoners had been taken by the British, Italians and French up to late today in the ad vance across the Piave, which for the third time in one year is the scene of a desperate battle. This time, however, the tables are turned against the Austrians, who are. steadily being pressed back from the eastern bank Of the river. , Austrians Desperately Resist. The battle now has been going on for five days and has been marked by the desperate resistance of the Austrians. They have directed their artillery fire against pontoon bridges thrown across the Piave and their bombing airplanes also have caused trouble for the allies. The allies not only have had to battle against the swift river current,^but also to con | tend with the renewal of the pon toons and foot bridges damaged by the Austrians. Once across the river the allies t have had to overcome strong Aus trian trench positions and machine | gun posts. Austrian prisoners declare that I they know nothing of the political J situation at home and the efforts of their government to arraTTge an I armistice. The Austrian army post office is said to have stopoed the de ! livery of mail some time ago. Allies Eager to Advance. Although facing a heavy cannon ade and strong machine gun fire, the I allied troops succeeded in effecting a crossing t>f the Piave. The British. Italian and French soldiers are in the best of spirits and eager to continue the advance. All the roads leading to the moun tains or the Piave are crowded with heavy masses of troops, guns and other war material proceeding to the front in ordarly fashion. Whenever a staff automobile rushes by at sixty miles an hour, it is a common jok^l among the soldiers to exclaim: "They are trying to beat us to Vienna." Official Reports Conservative. the present battle of the Piave be gan officially October '19, but heavy fighting did not develop until Octo ber 24. the anniversary of Caperotto and the beginning of the retreat to tlie Piave. The Italian official state ments on the fighting have been re served in their comments owing to weather conditions, which threatened a rise in the Piave. Thanks to the fair weather of the last two days, the river has. been left several miles behind in the reirion southeast of Montello. Movements across the river in force are increas ing steadily and in the beet order, notwithstanding the constant shelling from the Austrian artillery. "We used *to say that roads led to Rome/' said an Italian general, speaking of the new advance, "bun now it appears that all roads lead to ward the land of the barbarians." Traffic Well Organized. Traffic lias b?en so well organized that there has been scarcely any in terruption. The vast network of roads leading to the plains of the Piave are filled with soldiers and trucks carrying war material. When ever a bomb or sheZl^ drops on the roadways the debris is quickly re moved and the road once again is free. Gangs of Austrian prisoners rap tured in the drive already are at work digging: graves for the burial oi tin dead. King Victor at Front. King Victor Emmanuel saw the al lied soldiers make the difficult cross ing of the Piave river. lie v as dressed, as usual, in a unif>rm of the same material as that <?< U.e private eouiiers. The king was under the ti'e <"<? tie Austrian guns, and was at vanon.s points where gas shells and shrapnel were falling, lie spent much time near where there was a heavy bombard ment to prevent the allied pa:;:-a^e of the river. People living in the war zone nre to night surrounding the bulletin boards. It is evident that the offensive \a ovu - lar, as has been warmly ue;:rc.*. ?<->? many months, especially by t;,e ti-.ou sands of refugees who were ?l?iv from their homes last fall by the a vancing Austrians. Progress Toward Oderzo. LONDON, Monday, October L'S Progress toward Oderzo, on the ? side of the Piave river, is indicated the official statement on operations 1 British troops in the Italian offens' issued at the war office tonight The statement follows: The attack of the 10th Army cor. - tinued today, and is progressing mo. r satisfactorily. On the right tji^ 11 Italian Corps has reached the line < " Roncadelle, Ormelle, Tempic, Borg Biancha and Rai. In the center the 14th British Corp is in touch with the Italians in ti. neighborhood of Raj< and has rcaehf ' the line of Chonoto and Ofcamiati ami is one kilometer south of Burgo Mi: lanotti. On the left the 18th Italian Corps which deployed last night in the r.-a of the 14th British Corps, has attackeu in a northerly direction and is making good l>rogr?ss. Reports of further captures of guns and men come from all corps. FRENCH CLOSING IN ON GUISE; PROGRESS ON PERON RIVER By tbe*JiocIated Press. | PARIS. October 29.?Gen. Debeney's 1st Army continues to close in on Guise, and has captured German first line trenches and the barracks and hospital south of tfce chateau in the town of Guise, according to the war statement today. South of GGise tfce Frencn nave I passed beyond the Louvry farm. The> also continue to make progress on t> right bank of the Peron river. PARIS. October 2S.?Still flirt ho, progress has been made by the French northwest of Guise, and they haw moved forward to th* east of t he Peron river beyond Pargny ?owl *he war office announces tonight. !?'>? . fcnaiurs have been exceedingly