Las Vegas optic., December 29, 1914, CITY EDITION, Image 1

About Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921

Image provided by: University of New Mexico

                
HMIOiucalsocitiy ;'r;
'
COOLER weather with
fair skies is the predic
tion for tonight and
Wednesday.
PAYING . Christmas
bills 'before - New
Year's makes one feel
fine. Try it.
EXCLU8IVE ASSOCIATED PRESS LEASED WIRE TELEGRAPH eERVIQE
VOL. XXXVI. NO. 90.
LAS VEGAS DAILY OPTIC, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1914.
CITY EDITION
A
OOmVONCEHISU
OF PASSES IN CARPATHIANS;
HER SITUATION IS IMPROVED
Combined Austrian-German Attack is Pre
vented by Latest Aspect ot War
TEUTONS WIN AN JIPOBTANT POSITION
English Press Concedes (he Taking
a Severe Blow (o the Allies
Russian announcements of defeats of the Germans are disputed
today by the Berlin war office, which states that the attacks of the
invading armies In Poland have made progress and that etrong Rus-
sian assaults have been repulsed. No mention is made, however, of
the situation in Galicia, when, the Russians are indicated as having
inflicted a sever defeat on the Austro-Gerinan forces. "
The French campaign for re-possession of its lost province of AX-
sace, one of the first objectives o( the aims of the republic after
the outbreak of the war, apparently is making progress. The unof-
ficial reports last night that the allies were shelling Muelhausen are
supplemented today by the statement of the French war office that
the town of Stelabacn, upper Alsace, has been invested;
! In France and Belgium the fighting drags on, with some small
victories for each side. The German official announcement tells of
the capture of a French trench in a burned forest, east of Apremont
The French statement admits the temporary loss of this trench, but
J. 4h.it 4t tirao rafftton lnto1 after thrpo Vnintol" nttn1?fl Hnrfh A
Paris and Berlin mention minor gains with violent fighting at vari-
ous points'. The French statement says that the allies have captured
the Belgian, town of St. Georges, around which heavy encounters
have been in progress for some time. - i-u ' '
. The Petrograd war office states that the Germans who have been
pressing forward in Poland have been repulsed with heavy losses. In
Galicia the Austrians are reported to have suffered complete re-
versal and to be retreating hastily. Their defeat apparently breaks
up the maneuver aiming at a combined Austro-German attack on the
southern forces of the Russians, which if successful might have 1m-
periled the Russian left wing. Berlin, however, views the situation
in the east with optimism, intimating that important developments in
Poland may be expected soon. -
Recent developments have given the United States a more direct
interest politically In the European situation. Washington has sent
to the British government a note voicing its objection to the meth-
ods employed In holding up and searching American vessels. An-
other Important question is raised by Germany's disposition not to
recognize longer American consuls in conquered Belgium unless they
are acceptable to Germany. , .
'"
Russians are Successful
London, Dec. 2. British observers
of the progress of the war point to
day to the admission in Austrian offi
cial announcements that Russia is
once more master of the passes in the
Carpathians and that the troops along
Jiiala river to a point northeast of the
Dukla pas3 seem to be falling back.
' This meana the withdrawal of vir
tually all the forces which swept
across the mountains to form the ex
treme right in the concerted Austro
German attack on the Russian armies,
and it marks another surprising re
versal of form on the part of Austrian
soldiers, whose battle fortune's since
the outbreak of hostilities have been
conspicuously erratic.
Elsewhere in tfcd eastern arena of
the war little change has been record
ed while on the western front the Blow
and tedious trench warfare goes on
uninterruptedly, with only slight gains
on either side, 1'' ' ' -;
xne jjntisn press cuuceuea iub im
portance of the trenches near Holle
beke south, of Ypres which have been
taken by the Germans, and points out
that the strategic values of these po
sitions have been emphasized recently
in a dispatch from Sir John French,
commander In chief of the British
forces on the continent. They com
mand an Important crossing of the
River Lya to which the Germans have
been holding tenaciously. The taking
of these trenches gives them a
stronger foothold.
Fear of a Zeppelin raid over Lon
don, which recently has more or less
subsided, has been replaced by the
possibility of a raid by German aero
planes. The comparative ease with
, which English airmen reached Cux
liaven has driven home the idea that
retaliatory visit would not present
any greater difficulty.
IrFT
VilLIL I
of Trenches at Hollebetk was
LUlle Change in the East
What Berlin Claims
Berlin, Dec. 29 (by Wireless to Lon
don.) The German official statement!
given out in Berlin today says the
Germans claim gams near Nieuport
progress and that Russian advances
have been repulsed. In the west the
Germans claims gains near Nieuport
and Ypres; they defeated the French
not far from Ste. Meuenoul; captured
a trench west of Apremont, and re
pelled attacks elsewnere. The text
of the communication follows:
"In the western arena of the war
we- gained some ground after relative
ly unimportant engagements near
Nieuport and to the southeast of Yjres.
"Several strong French attacks to
the northwest of Ste. Menehoul have
been repulsed with heavy losses to
the enemy, We captured 200 prison
ers. An advance in the burned forest
to the west of Apremont led to the
capture 'by us of one fortified, French
trench; ind three inachlne guns. French
attacks to the west of Senneheim have
been repulsed. 4 No changes have ta
ken place in the situation in east
Prussia.
"In Poland on the right bank of the
Vistula, on a branch of the Bzura on
the Rakawa river, several attacks
have progressed. In the region south
of Inowlodz, strong Russian attacks
have been repulsed..-
What Paris Asserts
Pans, Dec. 29. The French official
statement on the progress of the war
given cut this afternoon refers to
comparatively minor French successes
and mentions violent bombardment of
certain French positions by German
artillery. The Frencn have occupied
a vlllagj In Belgium, they have gain
ed ground in the Argonne and they
are Investing Steinbach in upper A'
"are. The text of the communication
follows:
SEVEBSES
"In Belgium the village of St.
Georges has been occupied by our
troops, who hav established them
selves in this locality.
"From the.Lys to the Somme. the
enemy has bombarded, our position
rather violently. '
"There has been calm along the
front between the Sointne and the Ar
Sonne, notably in the forest of LaGru
rie in the forest of Bolante, and in
the forest of Courte Chaussee.
"On the heights of the Meuse sev
eral German counter-attacks have been
repulsed- In the forest of Le Bouchot,
which is northeast of Troyon.
The forces of the enemy which had
occupied our trenches in the vicinity
of the redoubt in the burned forest
to the weat of Apremont have been
driven out after three successive coun
ter-attacks.
"In upper Alsace, following a vio
lent engagement, we are today close
ly investing Steinbach, and our forc
es have taken possession of the ruins
of the chateau which is located t;)
the northwest of this village."
Looks Like Fairy Tale
A second official announcement was
made by the French military authori
ties this afternoon. It Is:
"A German communication of De
cember 26 and transmitted generally
to all stations where wireless tele
grams are copied, refers to the fact
that It often happens that the shells
used by the German field artillery do
not explode. "At the same time the
statement Is made that these shells
were taken by caprure from the
French or the Belgians.
"The Germans, who daily have ex
cellent opportunities to observe the
efficacy of the French artillery, have
now discovered a new quality in our
guns. This is that they are danger
ous only when operated by French
men. ,-.'':,'.: ' ZiLm-js-u.""'
"Let us believe that this Is only
one form of romantic tales painstak
ingly spread abroad by the German
wireless system."
Used Periscopes on Land
Arras, Northern France, Sunday,
Dec. 27 (via Paris, Dec. 29). That
portion of the French army which is
holding the lines near Arras today at
tacked the Germans on a front 12
miles long. They carried half a mile
of German trenches near Lens by as
sault and tonight are folding the po-:
sit ions in force.
The way for these attacks was pre
pared by violent artillery and machine
gun fire, which swept the German po
sitions from a point to the north of
Lens to the suburbs south of Arras.
The German batteries everywhere re
plied heavily to this French fire.
While the Germans were thus en
gaged along the entire line of thi3
part of their defense works, the
French fire opposite Lens suddenly
ceased. Instantly French Infantry
men leaped from their trenches and
charged the German positions which
were from 100 to 200 yards distant.
A brief and furious bayonet encounter
brought victory to the French. The
Germans ;I were routed, the French
took some prisoners and occupied the
German diggings.
It was all over in 20 minutes. The
artillery fire on both sides died down
and silence fell on the field of battle,
but vigilance was in no sense relaxed.
At intervals of two rods in the
trenches keen, eyes peering into peri
scopes watched the edges of the Ger
man trenches, the observers them
selves being well protected below the
level of the earth. ' :
Russian Ship Did It
Washington, Dec. 29. Captain
Oman, commanding the armored cruis
er North Carolina at Beirut, Syria,
informed the navy deparement today
that it was a Russian cruiser and not
an American vessel which recently
threatened to bombard Tripoli.
Captain Oman's explanation was
made la response to a request from
Secretary Daniels. Captain Oman re
ported that no American merchant
vessel has been south of Alexandretta
since December 9. An Athens dis
patch published last week said the
crew of an American steamer had
been attacked at Tripoli, south of Al
exandretta when foreign consuls and
refugees attempted to board her, and
(Continued on pf,gs Four)
CONSPIRATORS OF
MEXICO ARE
BUSY
GENERAL VILLA DECLARES THEY
- ARE TRYING TO UNDERMINE
; GUTIERREZ
SAYS HE IS SINCERE MAN
THE PROVISIONAL PRESIDENT IS
LAUDED AS BEING ENTIRE
LY HONEST
WILL ATTACK TAMPItO SOON
CONSTITUTIONALIST F I G HTER
DECLARES HE WILL HAVE
PERSONAL' CHARGE
Mexico City, Dec. 27 (via El Paso,
Tex., Dec. 229.) When the matter of
frequent executions and the lack of
personal guarantees ' was brought to
the attention of General Villa today
he made the following statement:
"Many foreigners nave lately asked
me for personal guarantees. I am dis
posed to make every effort to give
these. Many of the requests have
been telegraphed.
"Regarding the. present executive of
the nation, I regret- to say that con
spirators are endeavoring to take ad
vantage of his sincerity and honesty.
What I will hae to do is to treat
this element with severity.
"The country needs prudence at the
present time. It also needs energe
tic measures. As soon as these mat
ters are attended to I will proceed to
direct the campaign for the capture
of Tampico."
General Villa sirred this statement.
Expelled f:w. Mexico -v ..
' EJ Paeo, Txns:, .i?.--u2.-?. ifa.
mou Prieda, a Mexican author andjur-
ist, returned here today from Mexico
City after having been arrested and
threatened with execution on his jour
ney north.- He finally was released
by order of Mexico City officials, and
being escorted to the international
bridge here was. .tod that he was ex
pelled from Mexico.
Prieda recently; wrote a book on
present day Mexican history which is
held accountable for his experience.
Carranza; Forces Mutiny
On Board United States Ship San
Diego, en route to San Diego, Cal.,
Dec. 29 (by wireless). Seven thou
sand troops of General Venustiano
Carranza's. forces declared today for
General Francisco Villa, at Tepic in
the state of that name, on the we.st
coast of Mexico. Foreigners at San
Bias and Tepio have taken refuge
aboard the United States supply ship
Glacier. i ,
Rear Admiral Howard, in command
of the Pacific fleet, on receipt of the
news ordered the gunboat Annapolis
by wireless to San Bias, but no trou
ble is expected.
Villa Wrecks Train
Laredo, !Tex., Dec. 29. Troops be
lieved to be operating under General
Francisco Villa's orders, according to
dispatches received here today, wreck
ed a passenger train and blocked traf
fic on the Tampico division of the
Mexican railway. 175 miles west of
Tampico, on December 20. The only
foreigners on board, ail American and
his wife, were treated courteously.
-NO MORE rOLITICS ,
New York, Deo. 29. Norman 12.
Mack, former chairman of the demo
cratic national committee and tow
member for this state, commenting
on the plan of Representative Mann
ol Illinois, minority leader of the
house of representatives to form a
congressional tariff commission, to
day 6aid he believed the democrats
should go even farther and name a
tariff commission with power to take
the tariff out of politics entirely.
OPPOSES LITERACY TEST
Washington, Dec, 29. President
Wilson -expects ' his legislative pro
gram, consisting of the shipping bi'l,
the Philadelphia bill, the conservation
bills and the appropriation bills, to Ye
passed during the present session of
congress and without an extra session.
He told callers today "that Cither pro-
posed legislation had been met with
predictions that it would be impossi
ble to pass. The president said he
expected the Income of the govern
ment to exceed its expenditures du
lng the fiscal year, and that he w-as
doing! everything possible to bring
about that result. He said he was
taking no personal part in the fight
over the immigration bill in the sen
ate, but added that it was well known
he was opposed to the literacy test. .
CONGRESS IN SESSION
Washington, Dec. 29. With, the re
convening of congress today after a
brief Christmas recess, both houses
faced the big task of clearing up
crowded legislative calendars. Sen
ators and representatives were ready
with the falling of the gavels in the
senate and house to settle down to
complete the work of the session.
Awaiting the action of congress are
the big appropriation bills and the ad
ministration program. The supply
measures have the right of way in
both houses, and while the house has
passed wo of them, and some gen
eral measures, all are yet to be acted
uj:on in the senate, in addition to the
administration program. The admin
istration ship purchase bill Is await
ing action In both houses, and Senator
Fletcher, acting chairman of the com
merce committee, says that every ef
fort will be made to bring the meas
ure up for debate in the senate as
soon as possible.
NAVY TO CELEBRATE
Washington, Dec, 29. Secretary
Daniels today ordered the battleship
Rhode Island from Vera Cruz, Mexico,
to New Orleans to participate on Jan
uary g in the celebration of the cen
tennial of the battle of New Orleans.
Other Bhips will be ordered there In
tlm to take part, in 0 exercises. The
battleship ' Delaware,. ,4 -Norfolk . . lias
been ordered to Vera Cruz to relieve
the Rhode Island.
NEW LOW PRICES
New York, Dec. 29 The New York
stock exchange established today, ef
fective tomorrow, new minimum pric
es In,, which certain stocks may be
traded In, as follows: International
Harvester 73, Louisville and Nash
ville 112, Seaboard Air Line, pfd. 38,
Virginia Carolina Chemical 15, Virginia-Carolina
Chemical pfd. 80. ;
TODOO GOES THIIOUGH
HERE ON WAY WEST
SECRETARY OF TREASURY WILL
ATTEND OPENING OF SAN
DIEGO FAIR
William G. McAdoo, secretary of the
1,reasury, passed through Las Vegas
this morning on train' No. 3. Mr. Mc
Adoo is on his way to San Diego, Cal.,
to attend the opening of the Panama
California exposition on January 1.
He was accompanied by his wife, who
before her marriage was Miss Eleanor
Wilson, the daughter of President
Wilson. n !:. -
Secretary McAdoo was appointed to
his present office last year. During
his incumbency several important
changes' have taken place in the treas
ury system. He formerly was a busi
ness man of New York city, having
held the office of president of ..the
Metropolitan Railway company... He
will play an important part in the cer
emonies attendant upon the opening
of the exposition at Sail-Diego.-
Interviewed at Albuquerque
Albuquerque, N. M., Dec. 29. Secre
tary of the Treasury McAdoo, here
this morning on his way to San Die
go as the representative of-- President
Wilson at the coming exposition open
ing, defined the position of the presi
dent on proposed conservation meas
ures as wishing to conserve the coun
try's resources without reserving them
from legitimate use. He declared the
land grants to trans-continental rail
roads formed ample ground for the
government's action in the Alaskan
railroad matter and prophesied pros
perlty in ' ampla mramire as the lot
of American business men in 191'
He said the federal reserve banks ha
aireauv nad a ticncricent eircct un
Inii-hif'sa, mnUnar money cheaper.
PRESIDENT VILSON SENDS NOTE
TO GREAT BRITAIN REGARDING
DETENTION OF AMERICAN SIIIPJ
Informs England She Alone Will be Called
Upon to Pay Damage Claims
INSISTS ON ABSOLUTE
I he Executive Says (ooMany Shippers Have BeenTryirg to Smug
gle Contraband Under the Guise of Oilier Materials
NO REVOLT EXISTS
Washington, Dec. 29. Philippine
disturbances were discussed today in
the house. Resident Commissioner
Quezon in a report of the recent out
break, declared such disturbancea as
had occurred were of no importance
and that there was no revolt in the
islands. Representative! Miller of
Minnesota, who opposes Philippine In
dependence, agreed with Mr. Quezon
in minimizing reports of a revolution,
but declared that "nevertheless we
should not close our eyes to these dis
turbances." He denounced the de
ported Filipino, Ricarte, who 13 charg
ed with conducting anti-American pro
paganda in . Hong Kong.
FAMOUS. GUIDE KILLED
'Vfurs.,.: pii'it, .,r?r:i..-.- r'.r"
Lathrop, a Vjcii. known "tmtutaaiw,
hunter and guide of the Ojal district,
was shot last night by Floyd Perritt,
a pitcher on the Los Angeles team of
the Coast baseball league, who was
hunting mountain Hon. Lathrop died
early today.
Perritt mistook Lathrop for a moun
tain lion and fired a high power rif
bullet into his abdoiw-n. Perritt had !
been camping near Lathrop's place
since the baseball season closed.
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE
WILL NOT J1E "BfflE"
ALBUQUERQUE BANK AGREES TO
TIDE OVER PRECARIOUS
TIME
Albuquerque, N. M., Dec. 29. The
financing of the : State Agricultural
College, $80,000 of whose funds were
tied up in a bank failure at Is Cru
ces, was arranged for today through
a local bank, P. F. McCanna, who suc
ceeded Morgan O; Llewellyn as treas
urer, having, completed the arrange
ments this morning. The local bank
was approached Sunday nightwhen
the governor was here on his way to
yesterdays -meeting of the regents at
Las Cruces, by the executive and Mr.
McCanna. Assurance was given at
that time that the bank would per
form the service asked.
The bank will be secured by the
bond filed by Llewellyn, which the at
torney general pronounces nnimpeach
able. - Immediate demand Is to be
made on the surety company, an Okla
homa concern which gave this bond.
Failing to collect the bond, steps for
the relief of the college can be taken
by the legislature, which meets I
three weeks. ' ;
4' -f
TODAY IN CONGRESS
Washington, Dec. 29. Senate: Met
at noon.
Senator Walsh asked for reports on
seizureg of American copper ship
ments in the trans-Atlantic trade.
House: Met at noon.
Debate was resumed on postoff ice ap-
pvopriation bill.,
Army appropriation lull, carrying
$101,000.000, was reported favorably
from MiminHtM.
17
19 11 M n M Is
I Mil
CARGO MANIFEST
0 Washington, Dec. 29 President
Wilson, referring today to the Ameri
can note to Great Britain insisting
on better treatment for American
commerce, declared that large dam
ages eventually would have to be paicf
by England for unlawful detention of
American cargoes.
The president coupied a confirma
tion of this morning's publication at
the sending of the note and of its
contents with the statement that tha
government could deal confidently
with the subject only if supported by
absolute manifests. He said the grent
embarrassment to the government iu
de-aiing with the whole matter was
that some shippers had concealed con
traband in the cargoes of nou-eontr&-band
articles, for example, under a
cargo-'of -oUem. S Ion; as tlwra wcr-
siiipiniiisl and ail uur-oei vtii i-.
to doubt and suspicion.
The president pointed out that many
protests previously bad been sent in
specific cases and that if the conten
tion of the American government were
correct, as he was firmly convinced
it was, claims for indemnification ul
timately would have to be met by
Great Britain.
Supplementary to previous protests
the new note, President Wilson ex
plained, represented fully the position
of the United States, saying that so
far as theory was concerned, there
really was no debate on the point
raised, because England herself in pre
vious wars had taken exactly the Am
erican position. The president was
asked if the communication were sent,
to Great Britain as the result of gath
erings of Pan-American diplomats
here. He said it was not, but that
the position, of the United States
would apply to any neutral, and that
the contentions advanced were,,; not
peculiar to this country. .;;
The president added that the note
of protests was based on the general
ly accepted principle of international
law. Foreign diplomats, espeoiaiy
those from neutral countries, discuss
ed the note today, and members of
congress, who had protested to the
state department on behalf of mer
chants and shippers of copper, flour,
wheat and other products in which
trade had been restricted, expressed
satisfaction with the attitude of the
government Some administration of
ficials expressed the view that wh:a
Great Britain realized the tone fit'
public opinion on the subject in t-
United States her attitude would 1-
modified and American industry new
halted would go forward.
Later the Belgian minister call- 7
at the state department to obtain in
formation about tha note to Great
Britain, and was promised a copy cf
a memorandum which is being -prepared.
When the senate convened Sr'ii
Walsh introduced a resolution caliuif?;
On the president, If not incon r
with the public interest, to s 1"
t lb
t t
the senate ccpie3 or ail cm-vr-ence
with representatives of-fo
nations with relation to tl i
by European belUgprcn' ef
ments of American cojwer c i
to neutral countries. E ' r '
I gave notice that ie
w 1 t
I (Cm'Dxit:S m T
4