New Britain Herald Newspaper, December 6, 1917, Page 1

¥ b HERALD BEST OF ALl LOCAL NEWSPAPERS VEW BRITAIN HERAL PRICE THREE CENTS. NEW BRITAIN CONNECTICUT, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1917. —TWELVE PAGES. .S. MUNITION SHIP BLOWS UP; HALIFAX, N. S, IN FLAM - Explosion Kills Hundreds and Injures Thousand Others, Be sides Wrecking Build and Setting Fire to Canadian City:--Freight Cars Miles Away Blown Off Tracksy OSTILITIES WILL CEASE ON THE EASTERN FRONT December Eighth Set As Date When Offi- ciai Armistice Goes Into Effect STATEMENT IS GIVEN OUT AT PETROGRAD Emissaries from Russia Wanted to Draw All Belligerent Countries Into Negotiations to Secure a Gener-l‘ Democratic Peac®—True Record of Conference . Insisted Upon by Dele- gates—Another Conference. Pe}-roxrad, Dec. 65, Via London, Dec. 6.—Representatives of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and 'Bui- garia met the emissarles at Brest- Litovsk to discuss teriis of an arm -1 tice. The' delegates of the Central powers informed the Russians that they had power to negatiate only the conditions of an armistice which a Russian official communication calls| an evasive declaration. The request of the Russian delegates that all the belligerents be asked to take part in reaching an armistice on all fronts was met by the enemy that it did not possess such powers. The Rus- slans then presented a project for an armistice on all fronts, the principal points of which were the promise that the Austro-Germans would not send forces from the eastern front to other fronts and that the Germans should retire from the islands around Moon Sound. The Russians were handed a pro- posal for an armistice on the eastern front whieh is now being examined by the Russians. + The official communi- cation then says: “The enemy delegation declared our conditions for an armistice were unacceptable and expressed the opin- lon that such demands could be ad- dressed only to a conguered country. On the categorical statement by our plenipotentiaries that they were treating for an armistice on all fronts with a view to the conclusion of a general democratic peace on the basis established by the All-Russian congress of councils, the enemy del- cgates again replied evasively that they could not consider the question In such a manner because they were authorized at present only to nego- tiate with the Russian delegation, in view of the absence of Russia’s allies from the conference. “Our delegates agaln replied their task consisted in drawing all belli- gerent countries into negatiations for the purpose of securing a general peace. Having regard for the evasive replies of the enemy, our delegates, as already stated, submitted the ene- my conditions for an armistice to our military experts for their ecriticism from a purely military point of view and in order that they may indicate in what respect modifications are ne- cessaty in the interest of our army and navy from the Black Sea to the Baltic. The First Point. “The first point reghrding the pro- posed enemy armistice was the dura- tion of the armistice, which was first Indicated as a fortnight to begin De- cembef 8. ' After discussion, the Ge man delegates expressed their read- Iness to agree to a prolongatian to AIRPLANE FLEET RAIDS ~ ENGLAND ) Twenty-five of Them Drop Bombs on Coast Towns and London. London, Dec. 6.—About twenty-five airplanes raided England today, it is announced officially, Of these six reached London. Bombs dropped by the ralders | caused a number of fires in London¥ but all of them were quickly brought under control. The casualties are be- lieved to be light. Two of the ralders were brought down, the crew of three men on each | machine being captured. Seven persons were killed and 21 injured in the raid, Chancellor Bonar Law announced today in the house of commons. GERMANS CAPTURE | Qi 11,000 ITALIANS Teutons Also Get Sixty Guns in Their New Offensive on the _ Itallan Front. Berlin, Dec. 6, Via London.— Eleven thousand Idalians have been captured by the Austro-Germans in their new offensive on the mountain- ous front of northern Italy, it was offi- clally announced by the German war office. Strong Italian positions in the Metek Teglon of the northern front were taken and held by the Teutonic forces, who captured more than sixty guns, the statement says. Heroie Action. London, Dec, 6.—Survivors of the | British steamer Apapa, sunk by a German' submarine, say that the sec- ond torpedo smashed a boat contain- ing a score of passengers. Several were killed and the others, except three, were drowned. Of the fourteen women on the Apapa, eight were drowned. , Mrs. Harrigan, wife of the control'- er of customs at Accra, Gold Coast, was severely ill of fever and efforts were made to remove her from her | cabin . She asked that she be not | removed because she felt too {lI. Thereupon her husband said: *“Very well, I will stay with you.” They remalned in the cabin to- gether and sank with the ship. FIRST AGREEMENT IS WITH SWITZERLAND I t Project of Provisloning Country Gono Over by McCormick #hd Other N Representatives. | Paris, Dec. 6.—The project for the provisioning of Switzerland presented by the blockade section and approved by the full Inter-Ailied conference in session here was signed on behalf of the United States by Vand® McCor- | mick, chairman of the War Trade! board, and by the delegates of the | Swiss government—Monsieurs Cailler, | Crate-Roussy, Her and Ikle. The first | two are members of the Swiss Nation- | al council, M. Her is an important | twenty-eight days. This term may automatically be prolonged provided there is no refusal which must be made within seven days before the exriration of the armistice which is to begin December 8 if our delega- tion leaves Brest-Litovsk tomorrow, but if it leaves later the armistice wili begin later. “Before the commencement of the official armistice It riust be definitely manufacturer, and M. Ikle is a mem- | ber of the Swiss department of public | economy. ! This is the first agreement of the! kind effected between the United | States and a neutral government. It is accepted as highly satisfactory by | the Swiss delegates, who expressed their warm approval for the consider- atlon shown by the representutives of the United States for the difficulties | established that hogtilities shall cease. “From the heginning our delegates Insisted on a true record of all ne- (Continued On Tenth Page). with which Switzerland is contend- | ing. William Rappard, a mem- | Swiss mission to the United | ompanicd the Swis sates to Paris as counselior. }in January. { amount BROUGHT TO HOUSE FOR QUICK ACTION War Resolution “;ill Prob- ably Pass by Tomorrow Night. ‘Washington, Dec. 6. —With a for- mal report for the forcign affairs com- mittee the resolution to declare war on Austria-Hungary was toda brought into the house. There were no dissenting votes In the committee and at the request or Chairman Flood the house gave ity unanimous consent to take up the resolution tomorrow at the beginning of the session and pass it before to- i morrow night. RIGID ECONOMY, IS ORDER FOR BUDGET !Mayor Opposed to Spending Moncy Except For Absolute Necessity. Under the new charter amendments the Board of Finance and Taxation will begin its annual budget in Feb- ruary instead of in March dnd ac- cordingly the budget must be made up In remarking upon the coming budget Mayor George A. Quig- ley this morning said he would insist upon the most rigid economy in all civic branches. “Everynglng must be cut to bed rock this year. There can be ittle or no street work and nothing that is not absolutely necessary should be under- taken this year,” the mayor said. On Friday night of this week the Board of IFlnance and Taxation will imeet to give hearings to the Municipal Farm committee, the school board and the Charity department. The farm committee asks $4,000 to complete its work, but will explain that part of this money will be returned as the pota- toes are sold. The Charity department will ask for additional money to com- plete their work at the town farm dairy barn and the school board will ask for money with which to purchase the Boyle property adjacent to the Prevocational Grammar school. FOUR ARE KILLED IN TRAIN WRECK Several Coaches of Flier Are Derailed When Freight Fails to Take Siding in Time. Rochester, N. Y. Dec. 6.—Four men were killed and two seriously in- jured last ‘night when Erie train 48, bound for New York, ran into a freight at Susquehanna, Pa. Several coaches of the fller were de- railed and the passengers had a nar- row escape, but none was seriously in- jured. The wreckage of the freight caught fire and a number of cars loaded with foodstuffs were complet )y burned. It is sald the wreck, which oc- curred about midnight, was due to the freight failing to take the siding in time. Plumber Says He Has Liabilities of $19,199.45 and Assets of $16,712.92, in Petition Filed Today, Nair, a tinner and I(lumlm!'. city, filed a petition in bank- in the court at Hartford today petitioner his liabilit to $19.499.15 and his assets Loul of th ruptey The says | AVIATORS WORKING !Fly Over German Positions anfl Wireless Range to Gunners { OBSERVERS WORK VALIANTLY American Airmen and Engineer Corps Are in France Doing Thelr Bit to Prevent the Germans from Ad- vancing to British Positions. ‘With the American Army in France, Dec. 6 (By the Assoclated Press).— American army aviators are now working with the artillery, and the re- | sults so far have been most satisfac- | tory to both branches of the service. | American alrmen flew over a certain | sectlon of the American zone and took | photographs. The artillery started | firing at five separate targets located | from the photographs. The aviators i took to the air and the observers watched the tesults of the firing, which was at a considerable range. The first shells fell wide of the mark, but within four minutes the ob- | servers were able to correct this with wireless messages to the batteries, so that the shells began to hit the loca- tion. Later the obéfvers had prac: tice in locating the enemy with more or 1 success. : How American railway engineers gallantly fought and died with their British comrades in arms on the Brit. ish front before Cambrai last week was told today in a semi-official state- ment. “Two and one-half companies of aillway engineers,” the statement says “with,a strength of eight officers and 365 men were encamped at Fins on November 30, having completed their work in the neighborhood. At 6:30 Aour officers and 280 men went to Couceaucourt, arriving at 7 and start- ing to work with Canadian engineers. The entire contingent was under a Canadian major and an American cap- tain. The area was three miles in the rear of the line, and none of the troops were armed. “At 7:15 the German barrage fire moved on Couceaucourt after heavy | shelting to the east. At 7:30 a gen- eral retirement was ordered and it was effected with some difficulty due to the artillery, machine gun and airplane A number of losses were sus- tained at this time and also among the men who, cut off by the German ad- vance, had taken refuge in dugouts. Some of these men who had been cut off, succeeded in joining Britlsh com- batant units and fought with them during the day. Meantime there was active shelling against Fins, and the men there were ordered to scatter in the fields. “As the men returned to camp they were assembled under arms and In- structlons were asked from British headquarters. At 3 o'clock they were instructed to dig and hold trenches, and the men moved up and started work shortly afterward. At 6 the trenches were finished sufficiently for the entire command, and division headquarters directed a withdrawal to camp and that the men be held in readiness to man the trenches. Two small detalls were sent out to repair a distance break in the new track and to assist in transferring ammunition to another point. “The list of casualties is relatively { small. It is stated by British officers the conduct of the regiment was most [ sntisfactory. They praise its coolnes {under fire and the i the men worked without interruption is regarded as most commendable.” MURRAY FOR COUNCIL? and near-politicians in Politicians the third ward are now casting ahout cceed Licutenant Jos- as councilman in that ward. Tod s reported that an attenrpt may be made to induce Oscur J. Murray of Vine street.to be.a can- didate for the position. for a man to eph C. Andrew | WEATHFz Martford. Dec. 6.—Forcenst for Now Britain and vicinity Generally fair tonight aud 17 the | ability ‘to which | WARMER CLOTHING Buildings Will Not Be Closed This Winter by Coal Shortage FUEL ECONOMY URGED i Janitors Instructed to Maintain Tem- perature of 65 to 67 Degrees—Shut- | |Nothern Section of Important Port Ablaze and Mass of Wreckage, With Military Au WITH THE INFANTRY| ORDERED INSCHOOL| ~ thoricies in Supreme Command, Taking Charge of all Wires. St. Johns. Dec. 6.—As a result of the explosion 4 the American munition half the city of Halifax raging, the dead are lying thick ship this morning \nearly one has been destroyed, a great fire is in the streets, all the hospitals are filled to overflowing and many injured ar compelled to wglk about un “Ambherst,\N. S., Dec. 6.—Hundreds of people ' ha treated. down Strongly Opposed By Superin- | peen killed, hundreds of buildings destroyed and a portion of Halifax set on fire by an explosion which occurred aftel \the collision of an American . munition ship and anothe vessel at Rockingham, according to telephone metsssg ertifi tendent Holmes. About the first to be affected in New Britain by the prevailing shortage of | coal will be the public schools, but | rather than adopt any such extreme | measures as closing the schools dur- | ng the cold winter months Superin- | tendent Stanley H. Holmes has ro- | quested all school janitors to exercise | great economy in the use of coal and he has also advised the teachers and pupils to wear clothing sufficiently | warm to keep them comfortable in | school rooms which are not heated | over 67 degrecs. \ Opposed to Closing Schools. There has been a statewide rumor, current ifi this city, to the effect that the United States Fuel Administration ‘was abpud to request the closing of all schogld In order to -curtail the coal supply. This rumor intimated that the schools might he closed during the severe winter mounths. When ; asked about this matter today Super- intendent Holmes, while he made no attempt to deny that the coal situation | in reference to schools is acute, de. clared that no information has been | received; by his office from Washing- | ton relative to closing the schools. Furthermote, the superintendent said he would strenuously oppose any such,, plan becayse, he explained, to closc the schools during the term, to re-open at some indeterminate date, would tend to disintegrate the teaching staff. 1t would tend to incréase the delln- quency, of the pupils and, in short would Veficet most disastrously on the ! entire school system. Tt would be | practicaily impossible to keep the ! teaching staffs inrtact and it would likewise be impossible to secure teach- | ers to work during the summer months. “I am heartily opposed.to such a plan, if you want to know my person- | al opinion,” Superintendent Holmes! gaid, adding that especially in these crucial times it is the patriotic duty of every community to keep its children in school acquiring knowledge just as long as is possible. Miss Ella A. Fullon, supervisor of primary grades, likewise opposed such a plan. ‘I think if this terrible war! has got to hit the little children first it is most unfortunate,” she said. Commenting further upon the coal supply in the public schools, Super- intendent Holmes said that the supply is not what it should be, but in every school, with the exception of the Elihu Burritt school, there is a suffi- cient supply in the bins to last through the most severe part of the winter, with economics’ * Regard- ing the new Burritt school, the super- intendent admitted that the situation is scrious. He said that over ten days ago the school hoard advertised for Dbids to supply this school, which is expected to open within a few weeks, but not a single coal dealer in the city submitted a bid. i Order to Teachers. To curtail the use of coal in the schools, the janitors have heen or- dered to keep the temperature be- fween 85 and 67 degrees at all times, and the teachers have been ordered to keep an hourly chart of the tem- perature. Following is the~entire or- | der in reference 'to this matter that was sent out by Superintendent Holmes and which is now in effect: To All Teachers: The attention of the janitors and principals has been called to the need for cconomy in the use of fuel. The supply of coal now on hand will be insufficient to carry the schools through the winter and from present indica- tions it will be impossible to se- cure any additional coal when the present supply is exhausted. As a means of conserving the coal supply. janitors have been asked to keep the temperature 6f the (Continued on Eleventh Page) reaching here this morning. that it destroyed the installation in the telegraph and The explosion was so tel phone offices for thirty miles around Halifax, while” if was heard at Truro, sixty-one miles distant. It is reported that the American munition steamef was moving out from her pier and was rammed broadside by another vessel. Instantly there was a tremendous ex: plosion, which destroyed the two ships and killed theif Ccrews. The concussion resulting caused the roof of the raild way depot at North street damaged. fire. The forces of the concussion were - 80 great that freight cars were blown i off railway tracks along a stretch. of nearly two miles. " engines doctors et Messages and fire and asking for fire fighting apparatus, hospital supplies, ved from Halifax ber of localities in Nova Scotia. By Way of Havana. Halifax, Dec, 6, via Havana.—Hun- dreds of persons were killed and thousand others injured and half the city of Halifax is in ruins as the result of the explosion on a muni- tion ship in the harbor today. It is estimated that the property loss will run into the millions. The whole northern section of Huli- fax is a mass of wreckage and fires have broken out in a dozen parts of the city according to reports /zecl‘i\'ml after noon. The area of destruction covers sey- eral miles. The Canadian govern- ment depot used by the Canadian Pa- cific rallway is described as having entirely collapsed while a big gover::. ment repair plant at Willow Park in the northwestern section of the city i3 wrecked. From St. John. St. John, N. B, Dec. 6.—A large part of Halifax, N. S, is in flames fol- lowing an explosion in the harbor this morning. Two vesaels, one of them loaded with munitions of war includ- ing high explosives, collided. Other shipping in the harbor suf- fered severely and the crews of several vessels are said to have been killéd. ‘Wire communication between this city and Halifax was interrupted soon after the explosion and before more than fragmentary reports had been re- celved. The munitions ship blown up ‘was said to have been an American. Special trains were made up with everything required that could be se- cured. At Truro, Windsor, and here the city councils met this morning and decided to take immediate steps to render aid to the afflicted people at Halifax. It is understood large quantities of food were destroyed and that citizens of Halifax may soon be in danger of starving. It was decided carloads of food must be dispatched at once. The damage to the Western Union and Can c telegraph com- pantes and Scotin telephone company is so complete it is likely to be days before communication with points outside Halifax can be restored. Rockingham s located well within Halifax harbor at the mouth of Bed- ford basin. It is at the northwest portion of the harbor and since the war has been used as an examining station for ocean steamers. It was at this portion of the harbor that ex- Ambassador Bernstorff and party were to collapse, while the wares houses on the water front for a mile and a half we The premises affected in many places caught BCER ihr-ld and examined on their way frog the United States to Germany. | later it was stated positively hey that there were several transports i the harbor when the explosion !(‘urrml Nothing as to tha fate !thése was obtainable. Neither is% ! known whether the transports = wel filled with troops or occupied 0 Phy their crews 3§ At the moment of the explosio fierce storm was sweeping the haj and it is supposed that the colli§ jof the vessels was due to this, Operators Killed. One of the buildings that suffe severely was occupied by the Westi { Union Telegraph company and ! the terminus of the cable lines to th | United States. One report says ths itwo telegraph operators were Kill jand another that several employi { lost their \tves. Tt is pbssible the censorship at Hall} fax may prevent details of the di asted becoming known immediatel !When wire communication is e | stored. Meantime frantic effprts a being made by the telegraph com | panies here to restore their lines tf | some point in the vicinity of Halifa and within easy reach by courler. Attempts to communicate Wi Halifax by telephone failed as nol of the wires which went down duw |a storm Sunday had been restorel Efforts to ralse some point on ti peninsula were continued. ; The radio is the most liRely strument of communication and thif source was being worked to the lim this forenoon. 5 The Last Word. The last word received by wi from Halifax regarding the explosio: said the military had taken charge o the Canadlan Pacific company and had ordered the operators out of thi building. Only two operators in the oflice esi cajed injury. Scores of persons o the docks were killed. The fire start: ed in the north end of the city whicH bore the brunt of the damage, The Queens hotel on Hollins stre near Sackville street. marks approxi mately the southern limit of the dev | astated area, it is reported. | The vessels collided soon after 8:3f this morning and it is presumed tHg munition ship was hit in the stokse hold. Instantly flames were seen . pour from her. The crew appeaps | to be making an effort to get the fighting apparatus to work when Bh explosion suddenly occurred, Advices Lacking. . Ottawa, Dec. 8.—Authentic officla advices asg to the_ loss of life and ex tent of damage done at Halifax we atill lacking at the capital up 12:30 today. The authorities are u: able to get into direct telegraph communication with Halifax. Officlal (Continued on Eleventh Page)