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About The evening news. (Roseburg, Douglas County, Or.) 1909-1920 | View Entire Issue (April 4, 1918)
Public Auditorium. This Paper Has Enlisted With the Government in the Cause of America for the Period of the War THE WEATHER Tonight and Friday Fair; Light : Frost In Morning. Highest temp.' yesterday .80 Lowest temp, last night ..28 The Only Paper in Roseburg Carrying Associated Press Dispatches VOL IX. 7 ROSEBURG, DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON. THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1018. No. 81 sil THE NEWS PREPARING FOR HEAVY FIGHTING Germany's Peace J3rive" Eri v ters the Third Week Today Amiens Out Danger BOTH SIDES STAND STILL AotlvKleii on the Western Front .. Heem to Have Taken on u Pro grain of Preparation - i post Few Days. PREPARE FOR HEAVY FIGHTING. -'Associated Press War Lead, AprU 4. -"Germany's peace drive" through the Picardy outers tho third week today with hoth forces preparing for resumption of heavy lighting. The German newspapers are responsible for die declaration that the big drive was halted by the bad weather iirevalliiur and not by. the Franco- liritish defense that was put against the German troops. It Is admitted, however, that they are having a hard time bringing up their guns and supplies over tlie -muddy Somuie -area. For the present moment Amiens Is free from all danger from Invasion by the enemy forces. The American troops now occupy ing the Toul region were subjected to a heavy gas bombardment yes terday, but no great damage was ac complished by the Huns. Germany's sea offensive, like that on land, fell flat last week, only 10 ships of the entente nations having been sunk, against 87 for the pre vious week. The French and Brit' ish took a number of prisoners and a few guns in a raid made lost night. LOAN TO CONTINUE 4 WEEKS. Washington, April 4. Hie Liberty loon campaign will coutlnue four weeks, beginning next Saturday and ending May 4. ' . nf million nnd a Half. ' " ..nnnrtiir a ..tl A Dnaaln will - nvavv ,,-, ... form an army of a million and a half men, and these not inferior In power td the Germans and Japanese, according to a statement made by M. Podolsky, assistant secretary of war, at a conference of military heads here today. This would be the first step In arming the whole Rus sian nation and they hope to enlist the services of all the old officers giving the citizens the right to make objection to any of them, and it is also stated that enlistments are com ing In fairly well. Peace Proposed to Botshviki. MOSCOW, April 4. Peace has been proposed to the Bolshcvlkl gov ernment by the Ukranlan rada, of Kiev, a non-Bolsheviki organization, so It is rumored today. The chances of peace are regarded as much greater since Germany's reply re garding the territory of Ulcraln, which offers ground for negotiations. Agree on Ponnltlcs. WASHINGTON, . April 4. -Conferees have agreed upon the bill pro viding for severe penalties for thp destruction of war material as well as for sabotage. Penalties of 80 years' imprisonment nnd $10,000 fines have , been provided and the provisions greatly broadened In many respects. - : Urge Drastic Action. WASHINGTON, April 4. The state governor's meeting with the Vadnnnl rtafoltaa lfltmiA hft8 Ureed drastic action to stamp out all dis loyalty and curb the German lan guage press, as well as advocating the elimination of preaching Ger man and teacning meir. language m the public schools. Men and Women Sent to Russia. French civilians, 400 of Vhom.are women, have been sent to Russia by the Germans to be used at hard labor, according to Information re ceived nere. Will Mature in Ten Years. Paris, April 4. The tnlrd Issue of the liberty bonds will mature In ifln yearn uuui uui imom,. "... May 9, payable semi-annually. . Riifinlnn TWlfflriitlnn . Oomiiup LONDON, April 4. The Russian government is sending a delegation to tne umiea states 10 uquiuuie Russia's war orders with American Arms and arrange for future trade relations. Eleven Vessels Seized. -SEATTLE, April 4. The Japanese - steamship companies have been no tified that the Japanese government has seized eleven vessels to -be turn ed over to the United States. Masters of Situation. PARIS, April 3. The allies are masters of the situation on the west ern front. The enemy's advantage, gained in his Initial surprise, has nmhletelv nasaed. No one expects the Germans to cease their efforts In what may now ye Hrnts uiv uaiuv k Aniens. This battle began properly last Sat urday, when fresh hordes attempted to Invoke the same tactics of mass attacks against the little town of Moreull, which the enemy's strategy designated as the key point to the situation. Here, although opposed - by far smaller Franco-British forces, the Germans were fought to a standstill and Moreull was left finally in allied hands.. . In the opinion of those who are watching the situation from Parte, where the panorama of the entire front unfolds itself dally the enemy nas not only suffered terrific losses, but he has learned that the allies are finally ready for his new bull tac tics and that they now know the proper counter procedure. The situation was suuiinedi up by M. Renoult, president of the army commission, In a speech In " the chamber of deputies. He has just returned from a tour of the entire battlefront, which he made at the In vitation of Premier Clemenceau. "I bring back an Impression of ob solute confidence," said M. Denoult. "Everywhere, among both leaders and men, there is a state of admir able inspiration. The leaders are displaying a masterliness of the sit uation which following events can never change." M. Polybo, writing in "Flargo." likens the enemy to a harassed bull In a bull fight. "He Is now butting at the barrlors. It is necessary for this animal to find an outlet because 'he is now the prisoner of his own first success on this terrible ground. Friday, Satur day and Sunday exasperated the beast. He endeavored to break through the 60-mile front from Mor enll to Lasslgny. Since the great fights at Verdun there perhaps have never been fierc er struggles anywhere. . In view of the entire absence of artillery on both sides, it was practically a clas sical Infantry battle, In which the enemy at night fall was falling back on his own battered lines." - A comparative calm of the last two days must be considered the lull before the storm. When It breaks the French, the British and, possibly. the American oldest veterans in France will enter the struggle to gether with absolute confidence and with the advantage on their side. Troops who have fought and beat en the enemy before will be there. It Is the last act of the great drama, with Foeh's strategy matched against the enemy's. Foch has behind htm his career on the Marne, on the Yser and In Italy. In all these places he fought with unequal force and out-maneuvered he Germanic hordes. Now he is on equal ground. Watch him," Is the watchword here In France. , rf U. 8. Deputy Removed. SAN FRANCISCO, April 4. The fedoral officials have rocoinmended to Washington the immediate re moval of Captain R. J. Poulson, hs deputy United States Inspector of hulls and boilers at Seattle, as a re sult of the tentlmony he gave at the. trial of Hindus, charged with con spiring ngalnst the British rule in India. Poulson was captain of the Bteamer Mazaltan which, It Is alleg ed, transferred coal to the German cruiser Leipzig at sea in the your 1914. Portland Mnn In Trouble. SAN JOSE, Cal., April 4. -F. R. Cross, former cashier of the West ern Union Telegraph Co., at Port land, was arrested here today in com pany with a woman. It is alleged that he has confessed to appropriat ing funds belonging to the company WI1H BULLET IN HEAD By Associated Press.) WASHINGTON, April 4.-rJanies King, nightwatchman at the offices of the committee on public Informa tion, was found dead this morning with a bullet hole in his head: and It Is the general opinion that the man had been murdered. King's pistol showed that an effort had been made to fire the weapon but the bullet fail ed to explode. As there was no val uable papers kept In the office the' police do not believe that King was killed by some one seeking war papers. A negro employe with whom he had quarreled has been arrested charged with the crime. ... . INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZER TALKS. General assembly was held this afternoon at three o'clock in the high school auditorium, and was In charge of the industrial club of the high cshool, who presented Mr. L. 1 . Harrington, the stato industrial club organizer for this section of the state. Mr. Harrington save a. splendid talk on new ideas to be taken up by the local industrial club, and the Im portance of this great movement The Industrial club had their regu lar business meeting after Mr. Har rington's talk, and with new officers presiding matters appropriate were taken up at this time. The enroll ment at this time Is very large and ll , credit to the looal high school, HAS THE FRUIT BEEN KILLED IS PROBLEM Adverse,, Reports Coming In From .. Various Sections of the County. -, FEW I VARIETIES HURT Petite Prunes and Pears May Have Been Frosted Later Survey of .. Orchards Will Probably Show More Favorable Sit uation. Fruit men throughout the Ump c.ua -valley ore very much alarmed over wide-spread damage that Is be-llvei-ed to have resulted from the heavy frost Tuesday and -Wednesday night. On Tuesday' night the tom perature dropped to 26 as: cold as any time during the winter and last night 28 was -registered. Pears and petite prunes wero pretty well In bloom, and very many are of the opinion that much harm was done to the fruit prospect."' In the Garden valley section, it is reported, peara aud petite prunes, have suffereu ex tensively. Both varieties were in bloom. - Italian prunes, the principal crop, are not so far along and no damage has resulted, according to statements made to this office. Fruit Inspector Pearcy stated to a News representative this morning that the exent of lue damage, If nny, would not be determined for a day or two, but he was apprehensive that petite prunes were Injured by the frost. In many localities growers are san guine, and believe, that the damage will be far less than at first feared. They contend that the blossom peri od Is not ono of great anger from frost, so are confident that no great alarm should be felt at this time. Peaches, which have been In bloom lor some time, may have been killed i some localities, but his fact has not yet been fully demonstrated. Re ports from Walla; Walla, Wash., which Is a peach center, Indicate that the crop there.- has been practically destroyed by the cold of the last two nights. The temperature in that valley was 26 Wednesday morning, while here It was 25. In event the peaches of the Walla Walla district were killed, there is also reason to believe that they suffered a like fate In the Umpqua valley.. :- The News takes an optimistic "-view of the whole situation, however, and urges fruit men to make a careful survey of their orchards and not take too serious a view of the situation, be cause two or three days later, when the. fruit has had a chance to right Itself, things will look altogether different. The Roseburg Art Embroidery club met yesterday afernoon at the home of Mrs. Ben ShleldB on South Mill street and the afternoon was pleasantly spent with sewing for the Belgians. During the past few weeks and Indeed since the organi zation of the club the members have accomplished a tremendous amount of relief work in every department, and the patriotic women . who com pose the personnel numbering twen ty seven, are ever devoting tbelr earnest efforts in the various war re lief activities. The home of Mrs. Shields was tastefully decorated ' for the occasion yesterday In beautiful ferns and llllles and presented a most attractive appearance. Delic ious refreshments were daintily stirr ed and the afternoon festivities clos ed with the singing of America. Eighteen guests were present to en joy the event and all declared the day to have been most charming. MAY USE SPRUCE FOR SHIP KNEES (By Associated Press.) '' MARSH FIELD, Or., April 4. If the French government will accept spruce instead of ship-knees for v'es sels nuder construction In various parts of the United States, Coos coun ty will see the opening of ship-knee camps by a Portland firm, accord ing to O. V.. Gamble, an official of the company. The matter has been taken up with the French officials. , Specifications for the type of ves sels being built for France call for knees with an unusual length of root. Fir knees to meet the specifications are scarce. It Is said but if spruce meets the requirements It can be sup - plied in abundance. At least three or four camps would tie opened in Coos county In case fhe arrange ment! wr tntdt, ' MAKE IT UNANIMOUS. U, With one or two exceptions, every business house in Rose- burg have consented to close during , the : big liberty loan demonstration Saturday, from 1:30 to 3:00 o'clock. This Is in keeping with the spirit of true patriotic Americanism, We trust that no firm in the city of Roseburg will be so unpatriotic as to refuse to observe this re- quest; ii-On account of the above arrangements the after- noon delivery -'Will be delayed1 from-2:30 to 8:30. This will give the stores 30 minutes to receive: orders, after they re- open, before the delivery leaves. LIBERTY LOAN COMMITTEE. MYRTLE CREEK GUARD ORGANIZE LAST NIGHT Sheriff Qulne, Chief Deputy Raf- fety. Dean Bubar and Robert Glle motored to Myrtle Creek, last night, where they met about 65 men of that community and organized a home guard unit. After the com-; piny had -been organized Dave Mor gan was elected captain, and the men given some preliminary steps In mili tary, drill.'). Auxiliary officers will be appointed by Captain Morgan In the near future, and regular work will be given .in war time tactica. ' Ev ery one at Myrtle Creek is enthused over the home guard, and some ex cellent results are expected from the company there. . In every instance where borne guards are organized the individual members of the com panies ., are regularly sworn In as deputy- sheriffs, and are therefore perfectly competent to cope with pro-Germanism or other forms of lawlessness. With the I. W. W. and German spies at work In all parts of the country, the public feels a sense of security , in the homo guard or ganizations springing up at all Im portant places.. . ; '-A IS A LOST ART (By Associated Press.) . CORVALLIS, Or., April 4. The; local school- board, has decided ..to eliminate the study of the German language here immediately and to give the students in the German course full credit for the remaining two months of the term. L" The action was taken as the result of considerable agitation against continuing the teaching of this lan guage. The war council of Benton county had asked the school board to act at once. There were no appli cants In the public school to take the beginners' course in German this term and the second year course had dwindled to eight pupils. - ANTI-JEWISH RIOTS TAKE MANY LIVES (By Associated Press.) MOSCOW, April 4. Anti-Jewish riots have occurred at Turkestan, 300 persons having been killed and much property destroyed In Koland. The anti-Semitic agitation at Kiev Is be coming very acute. ' J. W. Morris, a resident of Can- yonville, was In the city today look ing after business matters. , : ' Telegrams released from Ho- boken, N. J., today, wero re- ceivea by a number of Roseburg people who have sons in the 65th, which sailed for Europe about March 23 or 24, The story - printed in yesterday's issue of The News, based on a letter from Lieut. J, H. Wol- ford, la accordingly verified in the wires received here this aft- ernoon. The News Was again .about 24 hours ahead of all others In telling the public of this successful transportation of 30,000 or 40,000 ' of our BOldiers over seas. The tele- grams reaching Roseburg homes today Indicate that the trip across was fine and hugely en- I Joyed, and tbe men are In best ' of spirits and mettle, every one of them anxious to get In tbe fight just as soon as possible- HEARING ON RATE Public Service Commission Conducts Investigation In The City Today. ASK FOR 50C INCREASE Testimony Favorable to xjorporntion's Claims Oil Has Advanced From 1 40c to 1.45 per libl. Doing ' . ' ' - Business At a vLoss. At a hearing before the Oregon public service commission, held In the jury room at the court house to day, Geo. F. Eclchart, manager and treasurer of the Oregon Gas Com pany, a concern owning plants and doing business in Medford, Grants Pass and Roseburg, declared, In sub stance, that his people were being held up by the oil iuon, who have boosted' prices so that gas can no longer be manufactured at the old prices, whicn have prevailed In this city since the business was Institut ed six years ago. Mr. Eckhart stat ed that oiL which formerly cost 40 cents per barrel at the well Is now selling at $1.45 and the prices still showing an upward tondency. It is also imopsslble for the gas company to secure contracts, for oil at a stip ulated figure, and they are compelled to buy the commodity In the open market. - Under these ' conditions, Mr. Eckhart stated, It Is' Impossible for the gas company to break any where near even; and a raise in prices has been asked for. .- The company originaly asked the privilege of raising the price of gas 16 cents per 1000 cubic feet. That was last October. Changing condi tions, with everything going up, so that now, the witness contended, they will have to get an' additional 50c per 1000 cubic feet. In other words, where consumers have' been paying $l;-50 'pel 1000 cubic feet for gas consumed, the gas company asks authority to raise the price to $2 per 1000 cubic feet. Under such an ar rangement a householder who has been using, for instance, 2000 cubic feet, for which he has been paying at the rate of $3 per month, will be taxed just another even collar for the same amount of gas. Another point emphasized by Mr. Eckhart, was that the company Is only asking for the continuance of this Increase during such time as these abnormal condi tions now prevailing have passed and commercial enterprises settle down once more, then prices will be: dropped to oldi basis. The commission's expert, utilities Engineer Fred A. Rasch, has care fully gone over the accounts ot tne gas company, . with the purpose in view of determining the exact state of the corporation's affairs, and ac cording to his testimony, given at the afternoon session of the hearing, the gas people are losing monoy ev ery moment they operate the plant. In California the rates lor gas have gone up to $2 per 1000 cubic feet, high cost of fuel and oil being the chief factor In the matter, and on July 1 next the gas companies must begin paying the now rate of 1.4B per barrel for oil at tne wen. According to a statement of the local malinger of the gas company tnere are in Roseburg 275 patrons of the gas company's product. Ser vice mains have been laid to quite a numbor of nouses whore the gas was later cut cut and the plant Is capable of manufacturing for a city of three or four times tho population of Roseburg, and that the overhead expenses attached to keeping up the plant and taking care of a lew nun ,ned customers Is as great as pro Ancing gas tor a population of 20,' 000. ...:.- .' A a late hour this afternoon the hearing was still on, and much evi dence was given to show the Insldo workings of tho business here. Tak ing of testimony will be completed some time late today, but the find ings of the commission will not be made public until the evidence and facts have been thoroughly gone Into. LARGE DELEGATION IN T01FR0MTHES0UTH About thirty representative citi zens of the Can'yonvllle section of the country, and also representatives from .Riddle and other parts of the upper South Umpqua valley, were In the city today in conenctlon with a 'proposition to Improve the public highway from Kidule to liner, a distance ot probably 27 or 28 miles. It is proposed - to expend: on this road improvement- approximately $30,000. Twelve thousand of tho money will be expended on the Pa cific highway between Rlddlo and Canyouvills, gad the remaining $18,000 Is proposed to be spent In building tip the road from Canyon ville to Tiller. It was understood that the county court wanted an ex pression of the people along the road under construction, and there fore a large delegation came down today to show their appreciation of the court's attitude in favoring the Improvement. ROSE STUART PASSES AWAY AT NOON TODAY Rose Stuart, a sister of Miss Pearl Stuart, a popular trained nurse of this city, passed away at noon today at the Stuart home on South. Jack son street after an Illness of several days. - The ' deceased ' was born in Rankin, Tenn., In 1894, where she resided .until October of last yoar, when in company with her younger sister, Gertrude, she came west to Join Miss Pearl Stuart' in this city. Since residing here the unfortunate young lady has been In poor health and a great deal of the time has been confined to her bed audi It was planned to return south In the near future, hoping that the change would benefit her health. Although, but here a short time Miss Rose made many frlendB who will be Intensely grieved to hoar of her untiinoly death. Sur viving the deceased In this city are tho sisters, Pearl and Oortrude, and two brothers, and a married sister in the south. Funeral arrangements have not boon completed until the relatives in the south, have been hoard from. However, It Ib thought that the body will be snipped to Tennessee for burial. TAX LEVIED ON COUNTIES IN STATE SALEM, Or., April 3. The state of Oregon, for the yeai" 1918 on the 1917 assessmeht' roll. has 'levied $23,203,140.66 for all purposes, In cluding state, county, school, road, cities nndt towns ' and miscellaneous taxeB, according to a statement com pleted today by State Tax Commis sioner. - The amounts of taxes as levied for the various countleB are as follows Baker $ 464,177.43 301,148.78 869,677.17 949,759.69 Benton Clackamas - Clatsop Columbia ..... Coos Crook ..... curry 451,153.61 800,107.00 182,113.68 89,745.33 233,877.32 529,921.63 190,038.60 140,688.63 234,487.98 272,294.46 693,132.23 Deschutes .... Douglas .... . Gilliam Grant Harney Hood River . Jackson Jefferson 121,655.64 Josephine .... Klamath Lake- Lake 295,033.47 503,204.09 170,204.09 170,906.70 912,970.14 212,240.24 Lane Lincoln Linn 637,172.43 Malheur. 307,582.72 Marion 984,220.62 Morrow 264,490.20 Multnomah ' 8,546,970.58 Polk 339,867.90 Sherman 177,939.26 Tlllnmoolc , 457,242.71 Umatilla .... 7, 731,112.81 Union ; 418,697.96 Wallowa..:. 274,436.52 Wasco 400,028.06 Washington 695,036.93 Wheeler - 66,420.20 Yamhill 457,676.44 Total : $23,203,140.66 0. SC. TIMBER SALES MADE IS MORNING A number of sales of Oregon and California timber wero mado today through the local land office and in elude the following buyers and amounts disposed of: 3.120,000 feet of fir at $1 a houBand with a total of $3120, to Ole F, Oleson, ot Com stock: 3.960,000 foet ot fir at $1.50 a thousand with a total of $5965, and 60.000 feet ot cedar at 50 cents thousand with a total of $300 to C. W. Fallen, of Portland and 690,000 feet of fir at $1.25 with a total of $737.60 to J. S. Magladry, ot Dorona Oregon. The first two pieces of tim ber disposed of are west of Divide and the last two near Dorena. ' TOMORROW lA8T DAY, - r ,. Friday, April 5, Is the last day for payment of taxes without penalty at taching. There has been many late comers at the collecting department today liquidating their accounts with the county, and Friday will-also be a buiy tlmei . , ROBERT A. BOOTH ED Governor Highly Pleased at Personnel of Board State Generally Represented. IS IMPORTANT BODY Appointee is Brother of Local Bank er, f. H. Booth Is Noted in Ku gone and Throughout State for His PlUlantliropy, SALEM, Or., April 8. Robert A. Booth, of Eugene, one of the state's leading men, today was named' by Governor Wlthycombe as state high way commissioner to succeed B. J. Adams, - whose , term i expired last Sunday. . . . Robert A. Booth Is heavily inter ested in lumber and other Interests at Eugene and other Oregon points, was one time candidate for United ' States senator on the republican ticket, and has been widely noted for his charitable and philanthropic ac tivities. He has been , particularly active in his work for Willamette university of Sulein,' with which he has been connected in an official ca pacity for many years. .- In announcing the appointment Governor Wlthycombe expressed him self as highly pleased with the per sonnel of the commission as It now stands. . The other two members are S. Benson, of Portland!, chairman, and W. L. Thompson, of Pendleton. "I consider the state exceedingly fortunate in securing the services of a man like Mr. Booth for this posi tion," said the governor, after stat ing that Mr. Booth had accepted the appointment tendered to- him a few days ago, "The highway commis sion Ig on of the most- important bodies in the state,, and it Is consti tuted of splendid men who have the right, vision, the necessary force and integrity ana industry, and know the needs of the state and can see Its future. . These -men are above any Influence politically. - , 'Roads must be established to meet the needs of the country, not for the preseht alone, but for the future, and I feel confident that with the exercise of a little patience we wilt have a magnificent highway system that will be the pride of this generation and of generations to fol low, because of the men who have accepted this trust. ' They are not only business men of the highest In- ' tegrlty, but men who will get the most out of the money for the state and there will be. absolutely no chance for graft or misapplication of funds. They are accepting the ser vice as a patriotic duty to the Btate, without recompense other than the satisfaction of service well perform ed. .. "The appointment of Mr. Booth might not satisfy all sections politic ally, but the appointment is not made for' political reasons. It is made for the purpose of securing the best possible system of highways ob tainable at the least expenditure of funds and with the Idea of serving the stnte In the largest possible man ner. ' I am highly delighted: that Mr. Booth has agreed to accept." Mr, Adams, whose term expired - Inst Sunday, was selected as short term member of .the commission to servo a year when the original com mission was appointed last spring. W.C.TJ. GREET MRS. L. HANAN The home of Miu. A; C. Marsters was the scene of a very pleasant gathering yesterday afternoon, the members of the Woman's Christian Temperance - Union being called to gether to greet Mrs. Lottie Hanan, an organizer and speaker for the na tional W. C. T. U, She addressed the company on the present urgent neces sity of the work of the organization. For the safe-guarding ot the soldier boys In eamp and field, as well as for the conservation of grain, she urged tho ratification of the national con stitutional prohibition amendment and othor more immediate war meas ures. She also gave some account of the vast amount of relict work that Is being done by the W. C. T. U. Other pleasant features of the aft ernoon's program were vocal boIos by Mrs. Gurdon A. Fory and Miss Anna Bryan, nnd a number of delightful readings by Mrs. Joan Pitts. Dainty refreshments were served by Mrs. nobert Markpe, Mrs. J. A. Buchanan and Mrs. O. P. Coshow, and an en joyable social hour closed the after noon, i ' Henry RIdenour, local capitalist, spent yesterday at Canyonvllle look ing after business matters,