The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, December 19, 1917, Page 1

The Weather Generally falr. THIRTY-SEVENTH YEAR, NO. ‘THE BIS 297 BISMARCK, AUSTRIA CONGRESS END SESSION UNTIL JANUARY 38RD Series of Investigations Proceeds During the Suspension of Labors. UPON RE-ASSEMBLING WAR MEASURES WILL LEAD Unusual Amount of Work Accom-! plished Since Austrian War Declaration. Washington, Dec. 19.—Congress closed yesterday for holiday vacation, leaving behind a series of investiga- tions to proceed during the recess. Both houses adjourned until January 3, when war legislation is to take the forefront of the calendar. In Me last day’s business, the sen- ate took final action toward submis- sion to the states of a national prohi- bition amendment to the constitution ordered investigations into railroad in- vestigation and the merchant ship- building situation, and arranged for disposal of the coal and oil land leas- ing bill on January 7. Exemption Removed. The house passed the resolution to remove doubt as to application of the new war excess profits taxes to con- gressmen and arranged for renewal of the battle for woman suffrage on January 10: Efforts to rush through legislation authorizing the treasury to buy $100,- 000,000 of farm loan bonds before ad- journment failed. The senate passed the bill today, but it was held up in the house to be considered when con- gress re-assembles. During the recess a half dozen of investigations into war activities will be in’ progress. Heading the list is tHe railroad:.inquiry. An address by Pres- ident Wilson with, his recommenda- tions for solution of the problem is ex- pected after congress reconvenes. Sen- ator Borah today failed in an effort to hold congress in session for consider- ation of the transportation question, a motion to reconsider the adjournment plan being defeated. War and Navy Inquiries Other investigations deal with army and navy war operations, the sugar and fuel shortages and the alleged dis- loyal St. Paul speech of Senator La Follette. Some of the congressional commit- tees will work during the holiday per- fod on the .enormous appropriation bills under .preparation and othen leg- islation, including, water power and other natural:sesourees. development. Capitol leaders: think. the fourteen legislative @aysisince the second ses-: sion of the sixty-fifty congress. was be: « gun Dec. 3 have seen an unusual rec- ord of accomplishment, beginning with the declaration of war with Aus- tria. THE SOCIAL STATUS Men and Officers in the Army Or- ganization. Washington, Dec. 19.—In response to a senate resolution asking whether there are war department rules and regulations to prevent social inter- course between officers and men of the army, Secretary Baker today wrote Vice President Marshal that dis- tinctions of rank in the army imply no social distinction and are solely in the interest of military discipline. Frequently in a country like this, the secretary said, the advantage of education and culture is in favor of the soldier. Nevertheless, he added, safety demands that the soldier and officer acquire by continuous and un- varying practice the habit of instant obedience to his superior. FARM LOAN BONDS Senate Passes Administration Bill by Acclamation. Washingtoon, Dec. 19.—The admin- istration bill authorizing the secretary of the treasury to purchase $100,000,- 000 of farm loan bonds during the next fiscal year was adopted by the senate today without a record vote after it had been amended so as to eliminate authority for a similar pur- chase next year. SHARP TILTS. Chairman Reed and Sugar Magnate Widely Disagree. Washington, Dec. 19.—Sharp tilts between Chairman Reed and Earl Pabst, president of the American Su-} gar Refining company, marked to- day’s session of the senate commit- tee investigating the sugar situation. Mr. Babst, on the stand, protested be- cause the chairman would not permit hi mto make a statement except in answer to questions by members of the committee, and charged that an attempt was being made to impung his motives in working for the food administration. Senator Reed said the committee was not attempting to impugn the wit- ness’ motives but added: “We have developed from you that beet sugar prices are affected by cane sugar prices, that your company has holdings in beet sugar companies and that the international sugar com- mittee, of which you are a member, fixed prices.” Later, when the commi executive session, it is understood that Mr. Babst succeeded in getting in a statement to the effect that the price of refined sugar at seaports was fixed before he bec-me a member of the international-committee and while he was on a vacation. Food Administrator Hoover made (Continued on Page Three) ittee wis in CHAMPION CALLED BY PUG MORAN Spartan burg, S. C., Dec. 19.— Frank ‘Moran, Pittsburgh heavy- weight pugilist, who is boxing in- structor for the New York Nation- al guard division at Camp Wads-, worth, here tonight telegraphed Jess Willard accepting his chal- lenge to fight any heavyweight for the benefit of the Red Cross. Moran said he was willing to meet the champion over any distance and at amy place. MOTHER SAVES BABE AND SELF IN HOLACAUST Mrs. S. D. Cook, Awakened to Find Home in Flames, Proves Heroine. TRUNK STRAP AS LADDER Aroused between 5:30 and 6 this morning by the odor of smoke, Mrs. S. D. Cook of the Riverview addition dis- covered her home in flames, the exit to the stairway blocked by a roaring conflagration and her only means of escape a second story window. leading to a veranda. With unusual presence of mind she flung some clothing about herseif and her three-yearlold son, Dan, and, with the means of a long trunk-strap which she anchored to a post, she lowered herself and baby to within dropping distance of the ground. Mrs. Cook then made her way to the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Lomas, whence a fire alarm was turned in. The fire department receiv- ed an incorrect address which sent it to the north part of town on a false chase, and by the time it reached the seegne-of the blaze the fine Cook man- jn,, completed only a year ago, was Gaupievery gulted, at a loss esumated to be near $20,000. Mr. Cook, state agent for the Mon- tana Life Co., is in Mayville, and Mrs, Cook was alone in the house last eve- ning. She and her small son retired last evening as usual. When aroused this morning there was barely time for them to escape by way of the porch roof before the. second. floor caved in, and furniture Was precipitat- ed two stories to the basement to add fuel to the flames there. The fire is believed to have started in the vicin- ity of the furnace.” "The house was closed tight and the flames found ac- cess to the second floor only by way of the stairway. The blaze probably had been burning an hour or more be- fore Mrs. Cook was aroused. A halt- bee more qnd it would have been too late.’ FRENCH CRUISER 1S SUNK BY SUBMARINE |= which McCurdy also is interested. ished. \ Tooday’s new goal is Paris, Dec. 19—The old French’ cruiser Chateaurenault, employed as| a transport, was torpedoed and sunk in the Meditorranean on the morning] charged with the embezzlement of $3,-. Marks of December 14, and the submarine which attacked her was later destroy- | ed, according to an announcement made tonight by the French minister of marine. The passengers on the vessel all oof whom were either sol-; diers or officers, were saved. Ten members of the crew were lost. The transport was 442 feet long, and had a tonnage of 7,898. Her complement before the war was 600 men. NO MORE JOY ROADS Building of Highways Just for Pleasure to Be Stopped St. Paul, Minn., Dec. 19—No more roads excusively for joy riding will be built during the war, according to C. M. Babeock Minnesota highway commissioner, who has just returned from a convention of highway officials in the South. The improvements on present roads and new roads in the future will be based on the nation’s war needs—to facilitate the movement of farm products, timber and minerals —he said. K TRIBUNE NORTH DAKOTA, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 19, 1917 NS POUN COURT ORDERS — PROSECUTOR T0 TAKE HIS SEAT Tilt Between Judge Coffey and Dan Brennan Enlivens =|” Hall Trial. PHOTOGRAPHS RULED OUT; Defense Insists Original Checks Be Produced as Evidence in the Case. Assistant Attorney General Daniel . Brennan was ordered to his seat this morning when he attempted to argue with Judge Coffey the pro- priety of the latter’s referring to the manner of the state’s conduct of its case against Hall as. “pettifogging.”, A. J. Arnot, cashier of the First National bank, was on the stand, and the assistant prosecutor had asked over and over again that the witness make a guess as to the number of Hall's checks which the bank had denied payment for lack of funds. Mr. Arnot had insisted that no record of checks so rejected was kept and that any guess made on the subject would be a very wide onc. Judge Coffey ruled a guess in sucha case would not be competent evidence, and when the prosecution, in spite of this ruling, renewed to Arnot ques-; tions of a tenor to reflect upon Hall's personal financial dealings with the bank, the court advised the state that “this pettifogging must cease.” ennan was on his fect in a mom- king the court’s right to apply such a term to the state’s con- duct of the case. Judge Coffey ad- vised the assistant attorney general to take his seat and to proceed with the case. Photos Ruled Out The defense won a rather import- ant technical point this morning when it s eded in ruling out of evidence photographs which the state has had made of four checks which had been included in deposits from the secre- tary of state’s office. The defense contended that two of these checks could only be identified by Eugene M. Walla, by whom they were drawn, and that the other two were in exist- ence and.were: in -themeelves. the -bost evidence, State Treasurer John Steen was on the stand a few minutes this morning in connection with these checks, as was F, Holmboe, who made the photographs. J. L. Bell, first vice president of the First National bank of Bismarck, offered the same testi- mony as;to Hall’s financial dealings; with that institution as produced the preliminary hearsng. GC. W. Strecter, eashier ofthe Baldwin bank, told of alleged attempts of Eugene M. Walla to borrow first $2,000 and then $1,000 from that institution. State’s Attorney F. E. McCurdy tes- tified as to the connection of Hall and Walla with an insurance company y. < E. A. Thorberg, deputy state exami- ner, was on the stand when court ad- journed at noon. Prev. The state in its prosecution of Squad Rept. Today Total. Thomas Hall, secretary of state, Lomas...... 69 24 93 seeeee 60 iB 173 400 of the automobile registration -Copelin . 44 258 fund, is going over step by step the Lahr .. see 110 grounds which it covered in the pre- Larson . 154 153 liminary examination of Mr. Hall in Whitney 129 359 police court. To date the trial has McGray . 50 180 not brought out one important fact Brown ... 51 122 which was not produced in the pre- Wanner . 52 206 liminary hearing, and from a news Clinton 141 sense the action is proving disapp2int- Marsh ...... 87 _ 87 ing. Occasional divertisement is fur- oS nished in tilts betwee nthe opposing Total to date . + 1,842 counsel, but each day Judge Coffey is bearing down a trifle harder on these little sorties. Thorpe Causes Excitement. Attorney Thorpe, of counsel for the defense, offered some excitemen: just before adjournment Tuesday evening by objecting to the identification of a photograph of four checks said to have been included in deposits from the secretary of state’s office. “It has not been proven that this witness is a photographer or an artist or in any way competent to identify these checks, except on hearsay,” said Mr. Thorpe. Judge Coffey, after inspect- ing the photograph, overruled the ol i (Continued on Page Three)” | London, Dec. 19.—German airplanes raided~ the English coast towns to- night. Some of the raiders reached London, where they were met with a heavy fire. Numerous bombs were dropped. Ten persons were killed and seventy injured in London during last night’s | air raid. Outside of Londoon, five per- sons were injured. The announcement says that several fires occurred, but that the material damage was not serious. There was no damage to naval or military estab- lishments. One of the German airplanes, which took part in the raid, was brought down, and another is believed to have | sixteen to! been destroyed. From twenty raiders, divided into six groups endeavored to reach London, but only five succeeded in dropping bombs on the city. There is reason to believe another raider dropped into the English chan- nel, according to a report. HOSTILE AIRPLANES IN ATTACK (es. harers ONLONDON DROP COMBUSTIBLES: TEN KILLED; 70 INJURED A British pilot fired two drums of ammunition into a raider as it was dropping bombs on London, from a height of 12,000 feet. ! After the main attack of the raid- ers ceased, a single airplane flew over London at about 9 o'clock. The raider, known definitely to have been destroyed, was hit by the fire of anti-aircraft guns, and finally dropped into the sea off Kent. Two of the | crew of three were captured alive by | an armed trawler. j went up to engage the raiders, have returned safely. An official announcement of the raid says: “Hostile airplanes crossed the Es- sex and Kent coast about 6:15 o'clock and proceeded toward London. Some of the railders reached the London district and dropped bombs. Bombs also were dropped in Kent and Es- sex. at 1 All of the British machines, which MAKE IT A RED CROSS CHRISTMAS Translating the Yuletide Spirit Into Service. THAN 200 OF , With reports.of the second full day’s , campaiga bythe Bismarck Homo Guard, totals.in the Capital City’s Red Cross Christmas membership drive at noon today stood at 1,842, within less than 200 of the 2,000 goal originally set, and with the drive not half fin- 3,000 Red Cross memberships for Bismarck. Home Guard Ensuses. The Home Guard, following its weekly drill in the basement of the Masonic temple Tuesday evening, held an inspiration meeting, addressed by Chairman H. P, Goddard of the gov-| erning board, Capt. E. G. Wanner and others, in which the guardmen were complimented for the splendid work ‘done in the first two days of the Red Cross Christmas drive. Mr. Goddard predicted ‘that if the present pace is maintained two days more the Red Cross drive will be made the biggest success of the many wonderful cam- paigns which the capital city has put over this year. “Civic pride!” said one of the squad leaders; “why ‘Bismarck is just bub- bling over with it. It’s not only: ‘We want to do our bit for the boys over see Bismarck fall behind; we want Bismarck to stand once more at the head of all the patriotic cities in North Dakota.’ “That's the sort of spirit we're find- ing in every home and shop and busi- ness office in Bismarck. It’s enough to make any man proud of his home town.” Capitol Does Share. “At the capitol,” reported Capt. E. G. Wanner, only two people refused yesterday to buy Red Cross member- ships. One man who had been con- sidered rather doubtful. took a half- dozen memberships. And they not only; yontgomery P wanted their buttons, but they were anxious to get their service flags up in their homes and to do their part in making it a Red Cross Christmas for Bismarck.” Show Your Flag. in Bismarck is service Many members who are known to have flags have not yet posted them jn their windo Thursday ev ning at 6 a number of squads plan to Every householder urged to display his Red Cros flag. WITHIN LESS |G. Wright, N. Y. GOAL FIXED guardsmen will feel justified in:calling upon every home which doesh’t sport a flag, and much duplication of effort wil be saved if these flags are put up at once. Stars for each member should be pasted on the flag to show how many of the family are members. Red Cross Meeting. The Bismarck Home Guard will fur- nish ushers, police and escorts for the Red Cross meeting at the Auditorium on Friday evening. The guardsmen will meet as usual at, their armory at 7 Friday evening, and after 45 min- utes’ drill will march in a body to the Auditorium. ! To See Boys Off. | Home Guardsmen are commanded by Capt. E. G. Wanner to fall in at the sound of a signal from the Hughes Electric Co. siren tomorrow to march to the Northern Pacific station to say; boys who embark at some time tomor- row for Camp Stevens, Ore. Arrange- ments will be made with the Hughes Electric Co. and the fire department for a signal which will notify the home guardsmen when the train is within 30 minutes of Bismarck. Every guardsman is urged to report prompt- ly, in order that the select service men who are saying good-bye to home and friends perhaps for the entire per- iod of the war may be given a suitable farewell demonstration. 19 LOST WHEN SUB RAMS SUB DURING A FOG Announces Disaster Without Details. Washington, Dec. 19. — Nineteen lives were lost when the American submarine F-1 was rammed and sunk by submarine F-3 in home waters dur- ing a fog Monday evening. The F-3 was undamaged and picked up five survivors of her victim. Sec- retary Daniels announced the disaster Daniels gave no further details. Lieutenant A. E. Montgomery, com- manding officer of the F-1, was among the five saved. His mother, Mrs. Julia ‘att, lives at Fort H. Other survivors are: J. M. Schissauter, Hills City, Tenn. Henry L. Brown, Macon, Ga. Joseph J. Burns, San Pedro, Calif. John J. Stewart, ship's cook, mother, Mrs. Celia B. Campbell, Huron, S. D. ' “KNOCKOUT” BROWN WINTER WHEAT ACREAGE SHOWS _ sFOR RED CROSS CAMPAIGN BIG INCREASES But Condition at This Time of Year Is Lowest One on Record. 4,2170,000 ‘ACRES PLANTED Washington, Dec, 19.—Winter wheat this year, planted on the largest acre- age sown in the history of the coun- try, showed on December 1 the lowest condition on record. A forecast of a crop of only 540,000,000 bushels was made today by the department of agri- culture. The final production, how- ever, will be above or below that quantity, according as conditions hereafter are better or worse than the average. Winter wheat sown this fall for next farewell to the 20 Burleigh county year’s harvest aggregated 42,170,000, acres, and its condition on December 1, was 79.3 per cent of a normal. The acreage is 4 per cent more than the revised estimated area sown in the fall of 1916. The area sown to rye is 6,119,000 acres, which is 36.6 per cent more than sown a year ago, and the con- dition of the crop on December 1st wag 84.1 per cent of a normal. Increased Sowing. Increased sowing of winter wheat and rye throughout the country were urged upon the farmers by the depart- ment of agriculture in order to supply the needs of the co-belligerents of the United States in the war. short crop of wheat has necessitated adoption of methods to conserve the supply by having consumers in the United States cut down use of that cereal. The wheatless days and the use of corn meal as a substitute are measures food administration offi icals are urging in order to increase the quantity of wheat that may be sent abroad. While the las year’s showings of winter wheat were on the second lar- gest area ever planted to that cereal, winter conditions caused an abandon- This year’s | DING ITALIAN LINES PRACE WITHOUT | INDEMNITIES IS TROTZKY'S AIM Central Powers Fail to Make Any Gains on Piave Front. HAIG CHANGES HIS STAFF London and the English Coast Towns Are Visited by German Planes. (By Associated Press) ‘Reports from Athens state that Gen- eral Sarrail, who has commanded the Entente forces on the Macedonian front, since the Allied base was estab- lished at Saloniki, has been recalled, to be succeeded by General Guillemet, also of the French army. It is not known whether this move presages any changes in the policy the Allies have pursued at Saloniki, which for months past has been just sufficiently aggressive to keep the central powers uncertain of the Entente intentions. On the Italian northern front, the Austro-German3 persist in strong ef- torts to find a weak point in the Ital- ion defense and through it to rush south to the Vencrinn plain. Checked east of the Breni jast week, the in- vaders, despite the heavy losses in- flicted upon them by the Italians, have struck at two new points on the line between Asiago and the Piave. Monte Solarole, has become the cen- ter of fighting in this sector. Berlin claims the capture of some Italian positions there, and the repulse of Italian counter attacks. Vigorous at- tacks in this region, Rome says, were repulsed by.the defenders. West of the Brenta, the Austro-Germans have attacked in the mountain regions, and Berlin says that more than 1,000 pris- oners were captured, . ‘ There has been- no, change on’ the front in France. Field, Marshal Hajg, the London Times says, is > making important changes in his headquarter staff. The British commander-in- chief in France has ‘made virtually no changes since he took’ over. the command from Viscount French, London and English coast. towns again have been visited by German raiders. Numerous bombs were drop- ped on London, and in Essex and Kent by the enemy airplanes which crossed the coast early Tuesday morning,’, Russian representatives ‘have ‘been ordered by Leon Trotzky, the Bolshe- viki foreign minister, to demand of the central powers at the peace con- ference at Brest-Litovsk whether they agree to make peace without’ atinexa- tions and indemnities, and: on '“the’ principle, of self-definition of nations.” The old French cruiser Chateaur- enault was torpedoed and sunk. in the Mediterranea): last Friday and the submarine, which attacked her, was also destroyed. CLAIM 2,000 ITALIANS. Berlin, Dec. 19.—Austro-German for- ces yesterday stormed the Italian posi- tions gn Monte Asolone and the ad- joining heights according to the of- | ficial statement issued today by the | German staff. Moore than 2,000 sol- diers were captured. FACTORY DELAYS CUT THE OUTPUT OF AMMUNITION Private Ordnance Manufacturers Appear Before the Senate Military Committee. Washington, Dec. 19. — Sevetal months delay in supplying rifles, pri- vate ordnance manufacturers told senate military committee today, caused the war department’s decision to modify the Enfield type. Factory machinery changes, the committee was told, reduced the output of En- field's for England, and _ production will not return to maximum until next May, A contract with the war department to produce modified Enfields was not completed until last July, President ‘Henry S. Kimball, of the Remington {company, testified. It was October, he said, before m:chinery changes could be completed, to begin output. |. Delays in congressional appropria- tions, Kimball stated, further delayed the output. His firm hesitated to take a contract in the absence of definite appropriations. ‘The new modified rifile and also the late today in a brief statement which’ ment of more than thirty-one per cent! american ammunition, Vice President of the acreage. Last fall, forty mil- ‘Tyler, of the same concern, testified, lion five hundred and thirty-four thou-' are regarded superior to British types. sand acres were planted to winter After war was declared in April, he wheat, revised figures show that the stated, the war department immedi- area harvested was only twenty-seven ately began negotiations with them million six hundred and _ fifty-three to devote their factories engaged on thousand acres, a reduction of twelve a British contract for 400,000 En- million, eight hundred and eighty-one ‘fields, to make the modified American thousand acres, from the area planted. | type. i Harvest on Record. “The committee cannot understand Last year’s abandoned acreage was why, with war emminent in March, the heaviest on record. The average | NO, contract was made until July,’ abandonment of acreage due to win- said Senator Hitchcock. Mr. Kimball ter conditions is about ten per cent, disclaimed any indication that the ap- the lowest abandonment in the last 15 PE ieee py tpeebe preanetlon one | years i two and eight-tenths per Sale y S. Heeler tt and the highest except-|ment were promptly begun. If re r last year, was twenty and one- department had not decided to m iy MOE ec cont taal? ithe British type, his firm could have tenth per cent in 1910. ing and the turned out the ‘British type without onditions a IN NATIONAL ARMY cover their territory, calling up ery home which does not show a Red cross service flag, in order that they may personally interview the heads of families whom they have not been ae to find in during the day. The jon ev-! Chicago, Ill, Dec. 19.—George “Knockout” Brown, middleweight box- er of Chicago, was called into the na- tional army today and will be includ- ‘ed in the group of selectives which | will leave soon for San Francisco. , elay, but both he and Mr. Tyler early growth of this phd = ae have said ‘he American rifle superiority is wt See ities of Lie can seed eee hoe bd its er etaaee use much f */ better American ¢: i: and in some sections prevented plow- “path manufacturers declared it “a ing and seeding. It was one of the very wise move,” to adopt the new type, notwithstanding the delay in production. driest Novembers on record in Kan- ‘ (Continued on Page Three)