New Britain Herald Newspaper, March 23, 1917, Page 1

o e P 'PRICE THREE CENTS. b Y 5 i ; - Push Way Over Ailette ~River and Crozat - Canal Despite Great " Opposition ' DEATH TOLL HEAVY ' IS BERLIN REPORT . Allies’ Chief Problem is to Hurry Ad- g vance of Artillery Before Geérmans " ‘Can’Consolidate Positions to Which 3 i They Retired—Progress Becomes i Slower on South End of Great Battleficld. 5 ?\ The initia] phase of the tremendous ‘battle which has opened in northern France has' apparently turned in favor of the French, who are report- : ed ‘to have forced their way ‘‘the Ailette river and the Crozat canal X &t several points. Along thess water- }-Ways the Germans elected to make | “their first stand in defense of La Fére, ward whicli General Nivell rush- ihg his‘'advance troops in & strenuous ‘effort to" bresk the Hindenburg line before the ?anun defense is con- Further south the French are at- témpting, to batter their way toward Laon but between them and their goal . }e the great forests of Coucy and St. Gobain and the comparatively meager ivance reported from Paris indicates that the issue is still very much ' in ., doubt. Some ground has been gained ] northeast of Solssons but/the fact that the - French . report. having ery heavy” losses on the Germans an intimation that the invaders are olding this section in force. . French refugees from the devastat- wildernesa over which.the retiring ‘Germans have passed adilitheir evi- Lille to Laon, fent run- Cambral must be support of ‘this as- | ed early today while attempting’ to | prised of cheap paper, ‘sumption, London reports explosions d incendiary fires in the .district t. Arres. This additional retire- ‘@bout §00 more square ‘miles = of ch territory, including the great . coal mines around Lens. - The whole question at present ap- Déars to be whether the Allles can ashing blow at the Germans before Iatter .can. effectively ' organize positions. Military critics in and London belleve that a few. ys will decide this question, Germans Gain But Lose Again. .. ' Paris, March 23.—A violent attack Wwas made by the Germans last’ night north of St, Simon, in the region east £ Ham. Today’s war office announce- Jaent says the Germans gained some at the beginning but were counter attacked immediately and firiven back as far as Seraucourt-le- Grand, three miles northeast of St. i The French continued to advance orth of Soissons. Fresh detachments - Detalls which had been Treceived from the attacks on Germans show m they sufféred heavy losses. Two FRENCH PIERCING _ HINDENBURG LINE NICHOLAS STOLID AS Former Monarch Indifferent on Arrival at Tzarskoe- Zelo. Tsarskoe-Selo, Russia, Thursday, March 23, via London, March 23.—On his arrival here today in the custody of four members of the Duma, the deposed emperor Nicholas was turned over immediately to the Tsarskoe- Selo commander and taken ‘to the Alexandre palace, where the former empress Alexandra already was . interned. The special train carrying the former ruler arrived at 10:30 o’clock on the branch line out- side Alexandrovsky park. On leav- ing the train' Nicholas entered an automobilé accompanied by his ad- Jjutant, Prince Dolgoroukoff, the only courtier of the fifst rank who ac- companied him, and by the four Duma commiséioners. They were driven to the palace. i Nicholas was met at the door in the left wing of the palace by Count Benkendorff, who was his marshal of the court, and is now under arreat. ‘The former ruler held himself erect, looking calm and indifferent, al- though, he stepped from the automo- bile .with nervous haste. A battalion of the First Rifle Guard regiment was, at the railroad depot. The com- mander at Tsarskoe-Selo is Col. Ko- bujlinsky, former commander of the t, stationed In peace time at Wi w. To him the Duma commissioners said: “Our mission of handing over the emperor is d. We now go to inflicted | petrograd to announce ' this fact to'{from fellow guards on the SPIES ' SHOOT SOEDIER Artilleryman Finds Two Strangers Near Battery. of 12-Inch Guns at NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1917. —SIXTEEN PAGES. FLEEING SPY DROPS |CABINET AT WORK ON PRESIDENT’S MAP OF FACTORIES Index of Local Manulacturing Plants Left by Fugitive Night Watchman Pursues Suspicions Character Without Success—Police _Anticipate Trouble From Hostile Element in This Otty If War Comes. Apparently verifying previous sus- picfons’ of. local police ahd manufac- turers that spies, representing the Céntral powers or pacifists at home, have been meking maps and glean- ing other information relative to New Britain's factories ' and commercial resources' for use in case of war, a document, supposed to be & code in- dex'of a map, came to light Wednes- | day night when an unidentified skulk- er eluded the armed private guards #t the factory of the Traut & Hinz Meanufacturing company and escaped. He {8 believed to be one of the two strangers for whom detectives ' have been searching in response to com- plaints of several weeks’ standing fromh other factories relative to sus- piclous conduct, including the making ot roughly-drawn sketches and maps. The document not only gives a tech- nical description of local factories but contains detailed information rela- tive to details, such as exits, rail- road spurs and other parts. It was dropped 'by the unidentified skulker when Peter Lambert, a guard, dis- covered his shadowy form in the fac- tory. vard, close to one of the build- ings and making an attempt to avoid detection. Index Drops From Pocket. Lambert tried to get between the skulker and the yard fence before the unknown’s suspicions could be aroused. He feared to summon aid ground that the stranger would take alarw and get away. Apparently not an amateur, the. skulker scented dis- covery before Lambert could make little progress towards him, made a break for the fence and got over it in spite of Lambert’s orders to halt. As he started to get over the fence the code index dropped from one of his pockets. Momentarily he stop- with the apparent {ntention of recovering it and nearly wrecked his ‘Tehances of escape by doing so. Jump- wa shot and probably, fatally wound- capture two men who had made their way into the reservation, ‘despite the present of a heavy guard, and had lent would mean tHe evacuation of | reached a point near ‘one of the |rough batteries of 12-inch guns. The men escaped. = Because of reported presence of 'suspieious characters near the forts, the guard force has been greatly in- taken to ] ‘protect goversiment pro 3 On Wednesday night a shot was fired at a soldier on guard at Portland Headlight. More experienced ' men were later detailed for duty at the forts and early today two men attempted to pass in the darkness. Poor grappled with them and was shot in the groin. At the post hospital it was said the chances, were against his recovery. The bullet was from a revolver of large calibre. HOLCOMB 1S SILENT/ Governor Has Furnished Military Au- - *thorities With No Information Con- cerning Drills. Hartford, March 23.—A statement fog the fence, he escaped into the darkness. The suspected code index is com- of a fiber known as “scratch paper” in lower grade schools. The names and figures are written coarsely with a pencil, the appearance, authorities be- lieve, being due to the paper having been placed against a brick or wall while the notations were made. Names of all the large local factories are inciuded, divided into sections and ‘accompanied by lettery and fig- ures, written singly and in combina- tion, clearly indicating some type of code. ~ Authorities are convinced -that it is a code index or map for inter- pretation of other maps and other descriptive matter already prepared. There is a bellef that New Britain factories have been marked for at- tention, in case of war. An unveri- fled rumor is current that a paper published in Germany was received in this city some time ago in which New Britain with its “munition plants” was cited as one of the places against which there would be offen- sive campaigns, in case of war. Police Anticipate Trouble. That there will be trouble that must be guarded against, in case of war, is the belief of police authori- ‘ties. One high official is quoted to- day as saying that he believes there will be much trouble locally, if there ompanies of French chasseurs, which |from Major Dorey, military aid on the | 43 war and that it is highly impera- isolated for a moment from the emainder of the troaps, cut their way staff of Major General Leonard Wood, commander ‘of the eastern depart- tive that proper precautions be taken and the utmost vigilance followed. hrough and brought back prisoners. |ment, was that no information in re-| whether this belief is simply his per- French as Heavy. Losses Reported - Berlin, March 23, By Wireless to |other than what was obtained through | cjties of tHs state, Rhode f Sayville.—Heavy losses were inflicted by the ] gard to night drilling in Connecticut of men “hostile to the government” newspaper reports of the speech of dret ‘1 ol and Massachuseétts, New Britain' included, sonal opinion or based on formation ‘obtained, he will, Germans yesterday upon {Governor Marcus Holcumb before the | w1 he in great danger, in case of French troops who had crossed the |Inter-church Men of this city, Wed-| i in his opinion, not only from the Bomme Crozat canal in the vicinity of |niesday, had been received at Gover-|.,,st with possibility of attempted in- 8t. S8imon, army headquarters an-|ner's Island, N. Y., the sending of & | .gqjon but even more so from for- Motnced today. The French were re- . pulsed and 230 -prisoners and several fes hine guns were taken. Squeezing the Turks. Petrograd, March 23, via London, letter by Governor Holcomb to United States District Attorney Spellacy with what information hé had on such drillings; the refusal of the district attorney to publish this letter; an in- timation by the governor that Mr. eign sympathizers and agents of the Central powers. 2 1t is known that local manufactur- ing concerns are taking the utmost Precautions against possible trouble and looked for trouble by adding to —Russian troops pushing west from |Spellacy was playing politics, and the | ;2 ;. armed guards at night and closa nanshah in Persia have reached |governor's statement that he could | neaion of day employes, suspected iint less than 45 mjles from the ppotamian border. The war of- jiannounced today that after a kish army had been beaten in a hour battle outside of Kerind the Purks had retreated to the vicinity . Kerind and made another stand nother Russian column has at- the Turks along the Shirwan do nmothing until a ‘‘disturbance” occurred, were the developments to- day, of what seemed Wednesday noon, ta be an insignificant after luncheon speech of the governor of Connecticut’s work in the crisis. MRS, VIETS SINKING, Mrs. Richard B. Viets of 48 Clin- of being in sympathy with the Cen- tral Powers or of forelgn birth. As much as is possible these guards are veing augmented by former police- men, supernumerary policemen who are available, men who have seen former military service and National Guardsmen. It is today reported that at several of the factories plans are under consideration to. have the tributary of the Diala, about | ton street, one of the victims of the | o5rds armed with loaded rifles with between Kermanshah and from which last point an- Russian army . has been pushing B jwestward into Mesopotamia. 4 Russians also have won a new sucdeqs near Lake Van iin.southern m Armeénia, capturing men and Curtis street grade crossing accident Wednesday night, is in an extremely grave condition today at New Britain General hospital and slight chanees of recovery are held out by attending surgeons. She has been in a gradual- ly sinking condition and it is feared orders to shoot, in case of necessity. No chances are being taken. The authorities announced today that the Stanley Rule and Level com- pany has engaged a special force of thirty watchmen. These men will be properly armed to defend the com- Ematerial on the southwestern shore of | thyt guspected internal injuries with.| pany's property. he lake. Bs. e ¥ e Macedonia Drive Waning, "Berlin, March 23, By Wireless to pville.—The war office reports today. &€ the French gffensive oW, the donia front is dying down, £ S e ic shock will prove fatal. Mrs. Susan Tryon, her mother, who was feared to be p&he worst injured of the three, is reported “as slightly improved to- day witl fighting chance -of reco ery. Her condition, however, § -re< Quietly, yet speedily and effective- 1y, the police department is being pre- pared for trouble that is expected, to cote in case there is war. Althofigh not verified because of reticenoce: by} (Contiiued on Bighth Page.)’ ADDRESS ON WAR BEFORE CONGRES . U-BOAT TREAGHERY |AMERIGANS LOST IN |Oftcials Believe Germany is Attempting HE 1S IMPRISONER unse ar meabr & mves| HELD RESPONSIBLE does Withoot Warning VESSEL SOON IN FLAMES Orew of Dutch Trawler Saw Illumina- tion But Believed It to Be Aurora Bokealis — Submarine Abandons 4&ilwyutn'nlelrm A Amsterdam, March 23, via London, 11:32 a. m.—The Handelsblad says theére are only six Americans among the survivors of the Healdton. In its dccount of the sinking of the Healdton,. the Handelsblad says: “The unreliability of the German. aksurances regarding the so-called safe zone is shown by the reports of |tho crew of the Healdton and the | crews of fishing boats. “For safety’s sake' the Healdton chose the northern route. All went well unti] Wednesday evening at 8:15 'clock ‘'when a submarine suddenly made a treacherous attack. Without fully emerging and without a warn- ing, it fired two torpedoes, which hit the steamer amidships, so that the vessel, because of the dangerous char- acter of her cargo and an_ explosion in the engine room, caught fire at once, “The crew in three boats tried to leave the ship. Two sloops with thir- teen and seven men respectively, suc- ceeded in getting way, ‘but the third, containing .twenty-one men, capsized and nearly all were drowned. Survivors M . ‘“The crew of a Dutch trawler which observed the fire from a great dis- tance believed the glow to be that of the aurora borealis and did not go to thp rescue. The next day, however, seeing a' sloop under. sail, they at once: stopped. fishing and = the direction of the sloop Whose oc- cupants were so exhausted that they were unable to bring their boat along- side the trawler. The captain of the trawler finally managed to approach the sloop and some of the Dutch fish- ermen juinped into the craft and ‘brought it alongside, where the ship- wrecked men were taken on board, jcared for and supplied’ with dry clothes. All the property of the crew was lost. i “After the attack the submarine at once submerged and departed without troubling over the lot of the ship- wrecked sailors. Among the crew of the Healdton were thirteen Americans, of whom six were rescued.” Captain Is Rescued. London, March 23.—A Reuter's de- spatch from The Hague says that Captain Christopher, commander of the American steamer Healdton, is among the survivors from the sink- ing of that vessel. The despatch says @ Healdton life boat with seven occu- pants was picked up by a Dutch de- stroyer. HARVARD TO BECOME VAST TRAINING CAMP —_— College Year to Be Terminated at Once If Unitod States En- ; ters Into War. Cambridge, March 28.—A semi-of- ficlal announcement that in the event of war the college year at Harvard university, probably will be terminated within a short time and the univer- sity plant turned into a military train- ing camp was made today. The an- nouncement was in the form of an editorial in the Harvard Crimson. “As soon as the decision (to enger the war) is made,” the editorial says, “the university authorities probably wil] allow all men enrolled in ' any branch of the naval reserve to leave college at once and report to their dé€signated stations. This will nat- urally apply also to members of the state militla. For those enrolled in ;the reserve of training corps special examination will be given as soon aa possible after the decision. ‘These will take the place of the ' regular final -examinations. “The college year will terminate immediately afterward. If the ap- proval of the war department is oh- tained, the university will probably be turned into a military training camp. The remainder of the year will' be devoted to military instruc- tion.” 5 e WEATHER. For Hartford and Vicinity: Rain, warmer togight. . Satur- day rain. E - HEALDTON SINKING fo Latest German Outrage - SOME CODLD NOT ESCAPE Many Were in Engine Room Pene- trated by Torpedo—Tanker Was Owned by Standard Oil Company—— Loss Will Be-$2,150,000. Philadelphia, 'March 23.—Thirtéen American szan. were among the for- ty members of the crew of the Amer- ican tank steamer Healdton, sunk by a submarine last Wednesday off Ter- achelling, Holland, with the probable loss of twenty or more lives. Whether any of them lost their lives has not been ,learned, but fear was expressed that since the torpedo from the.sub- mariite was reported to have pene- trated.the engine room and to have been responsibie for the death of thir- teen men, some of them wil! be found among. the victims.’ The chief engineer and three assist- ants were Americans. Most of the other members of the crew wére Span- fards,: Norwegians or Portuguese. The tanker was unarmed, having left this ~-=+ hefore President Wilson author- ized the navy to furnish guns and gun- ners to merchantmen. ; As given out here early today by Augustin’ R. Smith, shipping commis- sioner,- the personnel of the crew showéd: the following had signed ship- ping articles as American citizens be- fore sailing on the. ill-fated voya Charles Christopher, captain; I. Wil- lerup, \chief' mate,” New York. ‘W.. Chandler, second mate; Hudgins, third mate,” Virginia. S. W. Stnith, able seaman, Chicago. J. Caldwell, chief engineer; C. W. Embrey, first assistant engineer, Louisfana. John ery, second assistant en- C. Johnson, third Michigan. g : Emery 'Leveaux, oiler, Michigan.’ John -W. Steiner, messman, Pitts- burg. . George Healey, second Franeisco. Held Tp at Halifax. The Healdton, a tanker .of 4,489 gross tons, ownéd hy the Standard Oil company, saled from Philadelphia on January 26 for Rotterdam with a car- g0 of 2,137,700 gallons of refined pe- troleum. She had not been reported since February 12, when a despatch to the Maritime Exchange in this city from Halifax stated that the ship had been detained theré since February 8 for examination. How long she was c T assistant engineer, cook, San ‘| held after February 13 has never been ascertained here. According to Joseph C. Gabriel, lo- cal agent of the ' Atlantic . Refining company where the tanker was load- ed, the loss including cargo will ap- proximate $2,150,000. Until two years ago the Healdton was known as the Puerilite and sailed under German registty but since then has sailed under the American flag. Built in 1908 in Greenock, Scotland, she was 369 feet long, 27 feet in depth-and- 51 feet beam. 7 Herman H. Parker, the wireless operator aboard the Healdtoh, was saved," according to a cablegram re- ceived here today by his father, Wil- liam Parker. The message was dated ‘Terschelling, Holland. Mr. Parker said his son was 19 years old and a native of Philadelphia. Recalled Across Atlantic. ; The Healdton had an unusual voy- age before she was sunk, according to agents of the steamer here. The Healdton picked up a wireless off the coast of France ordering her to re- turn at once to Halifax and await or- ders. She arrived there about Feb. 8 and remained until about Feb. 28 when she sailed again for Rotterdam by way of the Shetland Islands route, which is out of the submarine war zone. The decision of the agents to have the Healdton not call at Kirkwall for inspection caused the British author- ities to put the ship and crew through, a rigorous examination at Halifax. 'When she left Halifax she had or- ders to call at Bergen and then pro- ceed to Rotterdam. Insured With Government. ‘Washington, March 23—The Amer- ican tanker Healdton torpedoed and sunk off the Dutch coast Wednesday night, was insured by the govern- went’s war risk' bureau for $499,000. The loss of the Healdton 1is the greatest yet sustained by the bureau. The next largest was the loss of the steamer Illinojs, insured for $250,000. MUNITIONS MAKER DEAD. Simsbury, March 28.—Ralph H. En- sign, president of the Ensign Bickford company, makers of fuses died sudden- %‘ :p was eighty-two ESTABLISHED. [ Y Place Responsibility for Hostilities on U : States But Are Determined Effort ¥ Healdton Strack by Two.Torpe- | Thirteen Citizens of U. 8. Exposed| Fail and World Will Understand the T .|RUTHLESS SINKING OF HEALDTON Lo MAKES NO CHANGE IN SITUA § Washington, March 23.—President Wilson’s ad to congress was taken up in its tentative form at te cabinet meeting - Virtually all the secretaries had?! asked to bring material for points upon which it will While the exact nature of the resident’s addr essarily will be determined by developments of the ten days, it is said to be specific in character. Administration officials ralize that during the’ of waiting a sustained effort is being made in Germ lace the re‘?)onsibili int of an o - denee of this movement but the are determined that if war actual for war on the United Stati er of mediation is regarded-as an add b rresidtnt?and his ly comes it shall b to the world that it has not been of America’s choos MITCHEL TO EXPLAIN PRO-GERMAN CHARGE New Yorl$ Mayor Accused | Senator of Working for ' Germany ; | Americans; ‘The president, to keép with army’ and - navy cancelled v&rtqplly all today except o) ith G Call of Massdol ), 0 confer on ways in which th might co-gierate ‘with. ‘the'd governmd o L i - sxnkin"‘h{n German subs the American/steamer ' Hes the probable’loss.of a s of her crew, many of ‘while another: gre |in’, the' situsiion Dbet: Albany, March 23.—A resolution summoning Mayor John Mitchel of New York to the bar of the senate to éxplain grounds for his allegation that democratic leader Robert F, Wagner was aiding. Germany de- - lnying - the Rockaway ot ons site bill wis introduced in the senate today by Senator Wagner. 3 Mayor Mitchel, according to reports from New York, blames Mr. Wagner, with other member of the legislature, for defeating his plans for taking title to land at Rockawzay Point needed by the federal government for the con- struction of fortifications to’ protect New York. Senator Wagner had de- clared that he would ask to have the mayor summoned before the bar of the senate to explain his alleged charge that Wagner was working "‘in the interests of Germany rather than in the interests of the United States.” Governor Whitman and Senator Brown, republican leader in the se:- ate, both have denounced the mayor’s statement as unjustified. Senator Wagner was born in Germany, but came to this country. when he was four years old. In an impassioned statement last night he asserted that the mayor’s charge was “an infamous lie” andithat he was ready to give his lifp for the defense)of this countcy. | DRIVE AGAINST MANN Congressman Hill and Other Conncc- ticut Men in Congress to Be Urged Not to Support Him. Stamford, March 23.—Congress- man E. J. Hill will be asked to do all in his power to defeat Congressmon James R. Mann of Illincis, candidate for speaker of the natioral house, by the Stamford branch of the National Security league. A resolution adopted at a meeting of the branch last night will be taken to Mr. Hill by a dele- gation and he will be told, according to instructions, that Mr. Mann is not in sympathg,with President Wilson cn the matter of national prepared- ness. 5 Copies of the resolution adopted-- which calls upon Mr. Hill to oppose Mr. Mann’s candidacy will be sent to other congressmen from Connecticut. The committee which will see Mr. Hill will explain the motives which actuated the presentation of resolu- tions by Hugh' L. Cooper and their adoptfon. The branch will finance any Stam- ford young man who desires to go to Plattsburgh for military training this summer. 3 RECOGNIZE - RUSSIAN GOYY. British, French and Italian Ambassa- dors Convey Felicitations of Own Countrics to ‘Provisional Ministry. London, March 23, 1:06 p. m~—The British, French -and Italian ambassa- dors at Petrograd conveyed to the minister of foreign affairs yesterday an official recognition by their govern. ments of the Russian provisional gov- ernment, says a Reuter’s telegram from Petrograd under ° Thursday's date. States ang Qa‘nmann | today. | exists, and th OWeVAL, A dent Wilson in his summ ‘Attgaks on Am port last night from ‘Amert Mahin at Amsterdam after, ident had refifed. - The consy ed that the vessel,.iwhich ws armed, was torpedoed witho ing off 'the 'coast™ ‘of *Hol Wednesday. 5 The president 'is ‘devoting: most updivided attentjon to tions ‘for 'national defense' expected that he will:continne: so in the interval sbetween ‘Hes the ‘convening - of congress.i s his latest steps‘in‘t Rte plans was to authopie :& sion of the eight-Hor' faw: to plants engagdd on' navai The National Council o6t ' D and ite advisory committee of # individual leaders will meat here 'morrow to discuss the next'im steps to put the country in a | of adequate preparations. Clark Predicts, R Speaker Clark, who from New Orleans, clecton by a majority o to five, within one hour .and’ minutes after the opening ' of the ira session at congress at I 2. This is what will happe: speaker “house meets at noos lain’s prayer ten minutes. the roll of members for foi utes, nominations for speaki minutes. Roll call on non forty minutes. My election g er thereafter by a majority of five within one bour &nd’ forty utes.” Speaker Clark said nobody tell yet just what congress wo called upon to do .in the emergency except the president self. g Lodge Working on Colombian 1 Senator Lodge of the fore tions committee discussed the cral international situation tods Secretary Lansing. He declin talk about his visit but it is that the treaty with Colombia ™ discussed. It is said its lang: pressing regret for anything inig nection with the FPanama i will be modified to win repub votes in the senate. ' - Buildérs ‘of the sixteen small rigid dirigible airships recently 3§ cered for naval coast work in co-operation with planes, expect .to deliver the shipment for trial within a moni ¥ . KAISER BREAKING DOWNy By Nervous Attack. London, March 23, 2:28 p. » vate messages have down, an Exchange Telegra) Spatch from The Hague reports. emperor's physicians are said to. ordered hirh to take the cure burg.