The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., August 17, 1918, Image 1

About The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924

Image provided by: Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT

                
6 A
The vWeather Report
The Want Columns
For Bridgeport and vi
cinity! Generally fair to
night fetid Sunday,
VOL. 54 NO. 195 EST. 1790 '"conn8.'' under1" jlFUgV S3 BEIDGEPORT, CONK, SATURDAY,AUGUST 17, 1918
Shows Businesses in Which They Were Most Numerous,
Such As Pood Production and Distribution
Also in Metals and Oils.
Washington, Aug. 17 War profiteers in 1917 were most
numerous in businesses devoted to food production and distri
bution, cotton and woolen manufacturing and dealing, coal
mining, iron, copper, aluminum and other metal production
and oil production and distribution, according to a treasury an
alysis of income tax returns.
In addition thousands of small con
cerns in a great variety of Industrial
and commercial classifications mado
profits ranging from 100 to 3,000 per
cent, above their normal profits for
pre-war years, which even then were
considered high.
Detailed information on the extent
of war profiteering has been given
congress recently in compliance with
a resolution requesting it and' the
Federal trade commission is under
stood to have obtained considerable
information from the Income reports
in- preparation of its criticism of the
meat packing Industry.
In citing certain industry or com
merce classifications as containing the
largest percentage of profiteers, tha
treasury has made It clear that not all
individual businesses In these groups
have gathered in swollen earnings.
This Is true particularly of coal oper
ators, gome of whom made enormous
profits, often several hundred per
cent, higher than good earnings of
former years, while others made bare
ly enough to pay justified dividends.
With few exceptions manufacturers
of clothing and shoes reported big
profits. This was true of most con
cerns holding government contracts,
many of which were let early In the
war when the government felt com
pelled to stimulate production of the
vast quantities of supplies . needed by
the army. Scores of income reports
from suit, shirt, underclothing and
I shoe manufacturers showed earnings
I o from JO to 100 per cent, in invested
! capital.
Lumber production, stimulated by
I the sudden enormous demand from
i cantonments and other government
operations, netted forest ana saw
mill owners as well as distributers
profits several times above those . of
norma! years.
Oil producers made enormous prof
its, which they claimed Justified by
the rapid depreciation of property
and the extra financial hazard of their
business.
Despite high cost of labor and oth
er factors entering into mining the
treasury analysis shows that very few
iron, copper or aluminum mines failed
to make tremendous profits for their
owners, under the government policy
of stimulating production. Produc
ers of silver, gold, platinum and oth
er precious metals profited to a less
extent.
(Continued on Page 2.)
POUTS
GER1AIY G016EDES
King of Poland to Be Austrian Archduke, Decided at Con
ferenceAustria Not To Aid on
Western Front.
London, Aug. 17 Germany has made concessions to Aus
tria on the Polish question in consequence of the strong stand
taken by Emperor Charles and the Austro-Hungarian govern
ment, according to information received by the correspondent
of the Daily Mail at The Hague to which the Mail gives much
prominence.
PRESIDENT WILSON
ENJOYING HIS REST
Manchester, Mass., Aug. 17 Presi
dent Wilson told friends today that he
was enjoying the most restful outing
in years. Getting away from the
immense heat, at Washington, he
' found the weather along the north
shore almost like early autumn with
' ideal conditions for golfing. There
was a further drop In temperature
last night and the President added an
hour and a half to his usual sleeping
schedule.
Waiting For Safe
Conducts From Huns
)Dndon, Aug. 17. Statements that
tbtente diplomatic and consular
i agents have . not received authoriza
tion to leave Russia are denied in a
Russian wireless message received
i here. The Russian government, it is
added, -is awaiting a reply from Ger
many to the request that safe conduct
b given agents wishing to leave Rus-
' sta by way of Petrograd and Stcok-holm,
LOSES SAVINGS
OF A LIFE TIME
FROM STOGKI
Mrs. Kate Whitney Reports
Loss of About $400 to Po
lice This Morning.
Mrs. Kate Whitney of 1,311 State
street reported to the police today
that while she was on her way from
her home to the Bridgeport Hardware
company, where she is employed, she
lost $400 which constitutes her life's
savings.
She has no idea of where she lost
the money but was certain ehe count
ed it this morning and put it in one
of her stockings for safe keeping un
til she reached the bank to deposit it.
When she arrived at her place -of
business she discovered that in some
unaccountable manner the money had
disappeared from her stocking and
she Immediately reported her loss to
the police.
Captain E. O. Cronan detailed one
of his men to make a thorough in
vestigation, but up to a late hour)
nothing" could be discovered that
would give a clue to the missing bank
roll.
Immediately after Mrs. Whitney re
ported the loss of heir money, Fran
cisco Claftoni of 56 Rockland street
reported he lost his pocketbook con
taining nearly, $200 in cash, a J10O
Liberty Bond receipt, registration
cards, and a Remington Arms pass.
He has no idea of where he lost the
pocketbook, but was mainly concerned
about his registration cards.
He was directed to the office of As
sistant Superintendent Charles H.
Buckley, but on account of the ab
sence of Superintendent Suckley, who
Is away sick, the case was taken by
Sergeant Watts, of the police military
squad, who advised Ciaffoni to report
his loss to Local Board Three, anrt
search his homo well. Ciaffoni satdl
that he was willing to reward tho
finder well if he could but get back
his papers.
TO
It is possible there will be no per
sonal union ofthe crowns of Poland
and Austria, but the King of Poland
is certain to be an Austrian archduke,
says the correspondent, who adds that
the discussion at German headquar
ters had the following basis:
"The Germans demanded that Aus
tria send to the western front from
10 to 15 divisions of picked troops,
confining themselves to the defensive
on the Italian front.
Emperor Charles and his advisers
made the counter demands that Ger
many make further declarations re
garding Belgium, guaranteeing evacu
ation, restoration and an indemnity,
make a powerful movement in the de
rection of peace and that the Polish
question be solved in a manner favor
able to Austrian wishes.
The advisers of the Austrian Em
peror, it is declared, emphasized that
the opposition of Austrian military
and public opinion of the transfer of
troops to the western front was uni
versal. This opposition could only be
quiet if the government was assured
of Polish support, which could be ob
tained by securing from Germany con
cessions on the account of Poland,
and if the public could be shown the
German government had been Influ
enced in the direction of another
strong effort to obtain peace. Short
of this, Austria would not send troops
to the western front.
AUSTRIA
and
: . ' EiiiiuL.iiouiiLi yy L WL
IDNANC
EXONERATE
SABOTAGE GAS
Investigation by Army In
telligence Officers Shows
Officials Not to Blame.
According to a statement issued by
the Army Intelligence Bureau this af
ternoon, the investigation of Edward
Wainer, Arthur Ball and Albert
Broune, the three employes of the
Liberty Ordnance who were arrested
the early part of the week by federal
agents charged with sabotage, is at
an end, and the investigators find
that the men are involved in a very
serious manner. The investigators
however, are emphatic In stating that
the officials of the Liberty Ordnance
are in no way to blame for the ac
tions of the men.
The men it will be remembered
were placed under arrest by Frank
Cantillion, of the Army Intelligence
bureau and at the time all sorts of
wild rumors were spread regarding
tho charges brought against them.
The only information the federal
men would give out about the case,
even at the present time, Is to the
effect that the three accused men
are responsible for passing a large
number of defective shells for use
by our army at the front.
Wainer was the first of the trio
to be arrested and from information
which he gave the authorities when
he decided to talk, the other two were
arrested and it is thought that the
captures made by Frank Cantillion
constitute one of the most import
ant hauls made by the government
officials in a long while.
Aftep, the arrests rumors began to
fly. to the effect that the men were
not responsible for the passing of the
bad shells, but that they were pleas
ing someone higher up by doing so.
It was also said that the American
Can Co., which controls the Liberty
Ordnance Co. here, is not in favor
of the local plant and that the ex
perts which were employed there
have been let go to be replaced by
cheaper men.
Frank Cantillion, was most em
phatic in his denial of the above to
day when seen about the trio now
under charges and said that the man
agement of the plant was in no way
responsible for the actions of Wainer,
Ball and Broune. He went further
(Continued on Page 2)
Amicable Settlement of Two
and Tenants Could
Raises in
C fin. C Gen. March.Eeports That niiflll GF SFP.RFT . ... .
The Rent Commission heard testimony on several import
ant cases this morning, and adjustments were made to the sat
isfaction of all concerned.
'eras'
i
GETS STEAK
Tanker Mirlo Torpedoed
and Nine of Crew
Drowned.
Beaufort, N. C, Aug. 17. The Brit
ish tank steamship Mirlo was tor
pedoed by a German submarine off
Cape Hatteras last night. Nine mem
bers of her crew were drowned, ac
cording to reports reaching here to
day. All the other members of the Mir
lo's crew were saved by coast guards
and have been brought safely to shore.
They said the torpedo struck the ves
sel amidships and that soon afterward
the cargo of gasoline exploded, set
ting fire to the ship and compelling
them to jump for their lives.
As the Mirlo was torpedoed only a
few miles off shore, the crew from
coast guard station No. 178 reached
the scene in a short time and picked
up the survivors. All except nine
men were accounted for. The sur -
face of the sea for five miles around
was covered With burning gasoline.
It is presumed that the Mirlo sank,
although reports received here did not
say so definitely.
Evening Farmer
Gen. March.Eeports That
1,450,000 Have Been Al
ready Sent Abroad.
SAYS GERMANS HAVE
SURRENDERED LINES
American Prisoners Not
Singled Out for Mistreat
ment in Germany.
Washington, Aug. 17 More
than 1,450.000 American sol
diers have been embarked from
the United States, General
March, chief of staff, said today.
This includes men sent to Italy
and Siberia, as well as to
France.
General March was talking to
newspaper correspondents in
his semi-weekly conference. He
said official reports through the
Spanish embassy give no evi
dence that American prisoners
in Germany are singled out for
mistreatment as has been re
ported. Very detailed reports
including the daily menus are
received and show the question
of the treatment of prisoners
has largely become standard
ized. Discussing the battle situation in
France, the chief of staff drew atten
tion to the fact that the Germans now
have voluntarily surrendered portions
of their lines at four different places.
He placed no construction of his own
on this but it was taken as an indi
cation of an expected further with
drawal by the enemy. In a general
way, the lines generally are stabilized
on a front closely following 1916-1917
positions in Picardy and along the
Aisne-Vesle line to the south.
Speaking of the American program,
General March said it is proposed to
put 80 divisions into France by July
30, 1919, if it is possible to do so as
shown in the Senate military commit
tee report on the manpower bill.
General March announced that Major-General
Henry M. McCain, adjutant-general,
as a reward for e.cient
work in that office, had been assigned
to command the Twelfth Division now
being organized at Camp Devens,
Mass.
Brigadier-General Peter C. Harris
will be made acting adjutant-general.
He has been responsible for a great
(Continued on Page 2.)
Cases in Which Landlords
Not Agree Upon
Rentals.
The most important case was that
of a house recently purchased by a
Hungarian, Mrs. Theresa Toth, on
Waldorf avenue. The complaining
tenant, testified the rent had formerly
been $15, and through successive
raises had reached $22. When Mrs.
Toth purchased the property on Aug.
7 she called on the tenants and told
them to lay in their coal and wood
for the winter, as she would not raiss
the rents. Several tenants did so and
this month were notified the rent
would be $24 and later $28. The
commission decided that $2.4 for the
rent was sufficient, and the landlady
must make the necessary repairs.
The case of Henry Paetsch against
the Jackson estate, was that of
threatened raise of rent for five rooms
at 563 Stillman street, which formerly
had rented for $22. The raise was to
be $25, and testimony was taken on
the valuation of the property. expenses
and repairs. The agent said the hou?e
had had new plumbing installed but a
short time ago and that in view of
the -raise in taxes and repairs, the
property had been a loss of $42 last
year. Decision was not rendered on
this case, but in view of the evidence
the raise will probably be allowed.
Sidney Smith, tenant, against Rob
ert Mantler, who has a st -re in the
P. O. Arcade, testified r.v . The
house had formerly been owned by
parties living in Illinois, and had only
I KPPn rprpntlv purchased bv Mr. Mant"
ier. The tenant claimed the sanitary
j condition of the house is very poor,
ith. Mnf leaked and snoiled all the
paper in two rooms and ruined a new
linoleum recently purchased by - the
tenant. There are practically no im
provements In the house, and the ten
(Continued on page 2.) v
uiivkuii wbuiik i n n iii.eisBgii
OF 1,000 FOR 1
TO THE PUBLIC
Some Lucky Thrift Stamp
Buyer Will Get $1,000 for
$1 on September 21.
REWARD FOR THRIFT
CAMPAIGN STARTED
Mayor Wilson to Make the
Gift to the Person Select
ed to Get Award.
For the past week there has been
much conjecture as to the meaning
of the slogan "1000 for 1," which has
been seen on every hand in the
newspapers, on show windows, auto
mobiles, etc., etc;, and more than a
"thousand and one" solutions to the
mysterious combination of . figures
have been advanced. But the real
solution was not mads public until
today when the local War Savings
btamp Committee released to the
press an advertisement which ap
pears on another page of this issue.
Some lucky Thrift Stamp buyer is
going to be awarded $1,000 by Mayor
Clifford B. Wilson on the City Hall
green Saturday evening. Sept. 21, as
a reward for thrift. The plan con
templates an extensive and intensive
campaign looking toward the attain
ment of Bridgeport's quota of War
Savings Stamp Sales and in order to
create every atom of public interest
and to capitalize every ounce of local
energy it was decided to adopt the
plan which has proven so successful
in many other cities throughout the
ftounttt-y that of "A Reward For
Thrift Campaign."
The local War Savings Committee
have been working quietly Dor the
past week among the local merchants,
manufactturers, bankers and philan-
(Contlnued on 'Page 6.)
ALIEN RROPERTY
USTODIAN TAKE
RUEGER ESTAT
Valuation of Property Seiz
ed Today is Several Mil
lion Dollars.
New York, Aug. 17 The estate of
Gottfried Krueger, of Newark, N. J.,
valued at several million dollars, was
taken over today by the alien proper
ty custodian. An announcement at
the custodian's office here said that
although Mr. Krueger is an American
citizen, he is classed as an enemy be
cause of his residence in Germany.
Mr. Krueger's properties, it was
stated, include the United States
Brewing Co. the Dyon'& Sons' Brew
ing Co., and large interests in the
Union Brewing Co. and the Home
Brewing Co., all of Newark. Largs
holdings in several New Jersey realty
concerns also were taken over.
The seizure was made under a pro
vision of the trading with the enemv
act which rates a naturalized citizen
residing in an enemy country as an
enemy.
Before the outbreak of the Euro
pean war, Mr. Krueger, who is more
than 80 years old, went to Germany
for his health. . His repeated at
tempts since the declaration of Amer
ican belligerency, to return to this
country have been unsuccessful.
CZECHO-SLOVAKS
TAKE IRKUTSK
Washington, Aug. 17. Capture of
Irkutsk, the important Lake Baikal
pirt of the trans-Siberian railroad, by
the Czecho-Slovaks, aided by the Si-
i berian people's army on July 7, is
announced in a belated despatch from
American Consul Harris at Irkutsk!
dated July 22 and received today at
the state department.
WILL CONFISCATE
GERMAN SHIPPING
London, Aug. 17 Spain has noti
fied Germany of her Intention to com
pensate herself for future outrages
against Spanish shipping by confiscat
ing a corresponding amount of ton
nage from German shipping that has
j found refuge in Spannish ports, says a
despatch to the Times from Santan
der. There are about 90 German
steamers voluntarily interned in
Spain.
n&Xr$fflJtVZ
LINt IN TKUbKUd
Pioneers Are at Work, Says Echo De Paris, Pre
paring for Retirement German Position at;
Roye is Reported As Serious Roads Leading
to Peronne, Nesle, and Noyon Are Under Fire i
of the Allied Guns French Repulse Strong
Counter Attacks British Troops Report Mak
ing Additional Progress.
Paris, Aug. 17 (Havas) The Germans are preparing to
evacuate the Roye-Lassigny-Noyon salient, says the Echo de
Paris. It is indicated, the paper adds, that German pioneers and ;
laborers are at work behind the German front lines on a new
Hindsnburg line,
me German position in Roye is serious.
Not only are the Allies a mile and, one-quarter west of the
towp, but the roads leading out of it toward Peronne, Nesle and
Noyon are under the fire of Allied guns.
In the region south of Roye French troops have made more
progress in the Loges wood and have reached the outskirts of
the wood on the east, says the war office statement today.
There was' heavy artillery fighting west of Roye during
the night.
Northwest of Ribecourt the French have repulsed two
strong German attacks.
The enemy efforts were directed against the Monolithe and;
Carnoy farms. A German raid northwest of Rheims failed.
London, Aug. 17 In Picardy British troops have made ad
ditional progress, says Field Marshal Haig in his official state
ment today. The British lines have been pushed eastward north
of the Amiens-Roye road, and north of the Ancre.
British troops have gained more ground in the neighbor
hoo'd of Yieux Berquin, at the apex of the Lys salient, says the
official statement from Field Marshal Haig today.
(By The Associated Press)
Roye the central hastian of the
German defense line from Peronne to
Noyon, which has withstood Allied
thrusts for nearly a week, is menaced
seriously by advancing French, Brit
ish and Canadian troops and its fall
would appear to be a probability of
the next few hours.
. With the town in Allied hands thv
southern end of the German line at
least undoubtedly would have to re
tirSk although the- northern end,
through Chaulnes to Peronne, also
would be affected. The Allies now
are but a scant one and one-quarter
miles west of the town, while they are
pressing eastward in the north and in
the south.
Along a front of nearly nine miles
north and south of the Avre, which
flows through Roye, the Allies have
pushed back the enemy in stubborn
fighting. The most notable advance
was made on a front of three miles in
the center by French and Canadian
troops who are now fighting on a
AIR BATTLES IW
FORMIDABLE OF WAR
Number of Machines Engaged and Losses Inflicted on
Enemy Great During Week 189 Enemy
Planes Driven Down.
London, Aug. 16 (Friday) Measured by the number of
machines engaged the intensity of the fighting and the magni
tude of the losses inflicted on the enemy in the fighting in the
air during the past week was the most formidable of the war.
U.S. CONSUL WILL
STAY IN MOSCOW
TO HELP ALLIES
Washington, Aug. 17. American
Consul General Pole at Moscow, who
recently burned his code book and
turned the consulate over to the
Swedish consul, notified the State De
partment in a cablegram received to
day that he intended to remain in
Moscow to assist fhe British and
French consular officers there who
are in great personal danger.
The consul general reported thsrt
with thhe aid of the Swedish repre
sentative he had succeeded in secur
ing the release" of seveal hundred en
tente citizens, chiefly British and
Frnch, who were arrested by the Bol
shevik! and held as hostages for Soviet
members Imprisoned In th north.
Classified advertising In
this newspaper is sitectlva.
no matter what you may de
sire to advertise. Try It one
and see.
PRICE TWO CENT3
line through Goyencourt, St. Mar
les-Triot and Laucourt. St. Mard la
west of Roye and there are no vil
lages in the intervening mile and a
quarter.
French troops on the south have
foorced their way almost through the
loges wood, which borders the Roye-
Lassigny road on the west. The wood
is five miles directly south of Roye
and it would appear that a further
advance might enable the French to
outflank both Roye and Lassigny an4 ,
force the Germans to readjust thtir;
lines eastward toward Noyon and
probably 'beyond. North of Goyen
court British forces, after having re
pulsed an enemy attack on Damery,
in which 250 prisoners were captured,
are pushing eastward with French
units toward Fransart and Fresnoy-les-Roye.
Artillery activity continues on ths
remaining sectors of the main battle
front between the Ancre and tha
Oise. The British on the northern
end and the French on the southern .
(Continued on page 2.)
Some of the most severe conflicts
occurred on August S in the sector be
tween Albert and the Amiens-Roye
road where the German air forces
were increasing considerably soon
after the opening of the allied offen
sive. The air fighting resulted in the
destruction of 48 enemy machine,
while 17 others were driven down out
of control. Fifty British machines
did not return.
During the six succeeding days 1S5
enemy airplanes were destroyed and
89 driven out of control, making a
total of 339 German machines' for tho
week compared to 123 British air
planes missing.
In the same period British bombing
squadrons continually attacked enemy
airdromes, railways and other military
objectives, dropping more than 320 -tons
of bombs and causing great dam
age. Low fij'ing scout machines raked
the enemy's congested roads of retreat
with machine gun Are.
A notable feature of the aerial op- ?
rations was the virtually continuous
night and day bombing of the enemy
bridges over the Somme. This great
ly hampered tho supply and reinforce
ment of the German troops. The
week's work also included a number of
destructive raids into Gcrmaw.