;PHONE OBSERVER YOUR WANT ADS. MAIN 37 1 AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER PRINTS THE NEWS THE DAY IT HAPPENS A PHONE THE OBSERVER YOUR NEWS. MAIN 37
VOLUME XVI.
LA GRANDE, OREGON. I TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1917.
NUMBER 362.
WORLD'S GREATEST BATTLE IS NOW ON
l ,l ... i i 0,-r
ALLIES FIGHT ON
II LONG FRONT
Continuous Offensive For
Over Four Hundred
;-; Miles
GIGANTIC ACTION
IS NOW GOING ON
German Prisoners Report
Hundreds Deserting Daily
Picked German Troop3
Are Flung Against French
Line But Fail.
BY HENRY WOOD
(U. P. Correspondent)
With the French Armies,
'Aug. 21. The world's great
est battle is being fought to
day. '
From the seacoast to the
Swiss frontier, over a front
of four hundred and thirty
five miles the Allied forces
are fighting practically a
continuous offensive.
The French assault at
. Verdun completed the chain
of battle welded into one gi
gantic action, of unprece
dented extent and power.
The combined French' and
German artillery are prob
ably the greatest concentra
tion of weapons for single at
tack in the whole war zone.
German prisoners report
ed hundreds deserted the
'German army daily because
of the pressure of. the Allied
artillery.
Picked German troops
were flung violently and
vainly against four points of
the French front last night.
All French ground was
held.
Trench Report
Capture of Germans
Paris, Aug. 21. A smash
ing French victory on the
Verdun front is recorded in
the official report issued by
the war office last night.
The French have captured
the enemy defenses on both
sides of the 'Meuse over a
front of more than 11 miles,
penetrating .the German line
.at divers points to a depth of
. a mile and a quarter.
More than 5000 unwound
ed German prisoners have
been taken.
London, Aug. 21. (Unit
ed Press) British naval
airplanes last night dropped
many tons of bombs on an
ammunition dump at Mid
dlekerke and the . German
' works at'JBrugeoize, the ad
miralty announced. ,
George Way and party
over tlie valley Sunday.
motored
nniTinil nnnn
mm unur
MANY BOMBS
ON GERMANS
UNCLE SAM'S WAR EYES.
United States Airplana For
Franc Receiving Ite Star.
Photo by American Press Association.
The star la the distinguishing mark
for the United States war planes. The
picture slioV8 one being painted on a
machine which, like thousands of oth
er) Bonn to be built, U destined to be
come one of the "eyes" of Uncle Sam's
soldiers In France. I
E
F
TO POPE'S PLAN
Declares Proposition Will
Be Examined In Serf-
ous Spirit
London, Aug. 21. (Unit
ed Press) England is .the
first belligerent to answer
the Pope's peace proposi
tion. Great Britain sent the
Vatican a note declaring that
the plan would be examined
m a benevolent and serious
spirit. ' '
Cardinal Gasparn, tlie
papal secretary of state, ex
pressed gratification at tne
response. j
PRESIDENT POSTPONES .
DISCUSSION OF NOTE :
Washington, Aug. 21. j
(United Press) The Presi
dent Tiostnoned the discus
sion with his cabinet of the
Pnne's -neace Trotosal in
order to give undivided at -
tention to war work.
Catholic Knitting
Unit Organized
There has been organized in La
Grande what is to be known as the
Catholic Unit for Army and Navy
Knittiner of La Grande. Tho object
of this organization is to raise funds
for the purchase of material for knit
ting socks, etc. for the Army and
Navy. The material so ' purchased
will be given to the 800 Catholic
Sisters in the convents throughout the
state, who have volunteered to give
their entire unoccupied time tl knit
ting. Siiniliar Units are being organized
'throughout the state, the members
pledging monthly contributions. Mrs.
T. N. Murphy is chairman of the
local Unit.
UD
ENDS
IRST ANSWER
GERMANS ARE DRAFTER MEN " 6 ADMINISTRATE
REPULSED IN
Assault Is Made Behind
Sheeet of Flame But
'. Fails
London, Aug. 21. (Unit
ed Press) General Haig re
ported that British, fire re-
pulsed the third and most j
! powerful Q erman counter
'attack to regain the ground!
southeast of Epehy. The as J
sault was made after a vio
lent artillery preparation, '
behind aTvast sheet of flame. '
The fighting was of most;
violent character. ,
England, France, Italy j
and Belgium today joined in
the greatest united offensive
yet directed against Ger
many.' Every move is stra
getically timed and coordi
nated. , .:
Labor Party Will
Go To The Conference
London, Aug. 21. (Unit
ed Press) By a vote of one
million -two hundred and
thirty-four thousand to two
million two hundred and
thirty-one thousand, the La
bor party decided to partici
pate in the Stockholm Peace
conference.
The Weather
'The U. S. Weather forecast: "Pair."
TWtlnnil Ano 21 (TTniteri Press)
Another 50 Million
Loaned Great Britain
Washington, Aug. 21.
(United Press) The treas
ury department has loaned
Britain liity million dollars
making the total Allied
Loans one billion nine hun
dred and sixty-six million,
four hundred thousand.
STRIKE IN
SHIP YARDS
IS AVERTED
Government Yields To De-
! mands For Increased
Wages
Washington, Aug. 21.
(United Press) A nation
wide strike, in steel ship
yards working on govern
ment contracts may be pre
vented by wage increases
paid by the government.
In the first clash with or
ganized labor, the United
States will recognize that
increased cost of living war
rants higher wages.
The final decision will be
left with a commission of
three members, appointed
by the President, Samuel
Gompers and the Shipping
Board.
THIRD ATTACK
MUST BE READY
roe summons
Local Board Will 'Handle
Mobilization of Men In
County f ;
Portland, Or., August 21.
(Special) Every drafted
man who has been certified
by his local exemption" board
as not exempted or discharg
ed should keep himself in
instant readiness to obey the
summons from his local
board, to be made in. a few
days, calling him to report
at a designated time and
place for military service.
, The mobilization of the
men to be taken in the first
n i r. . . " ?n 1- .
drait irom uregon win mi
handled in each county, by
the local exemption board of
that county. .
. Each board will be re
sponsible for the mobiliza
tion and entrainment for the
American Lake camp, to
jwhich the Oregon men will
be sent, of its county's lull
draft quota.
The mobilization of the
entire auota will not . be.K
made all at once, however.
I It will take place in four in
stallments. The first installment of 30
per cent of the men com
prising the draft quota of
each county will be called to
mobilize on September 5.
A second installment of 30
per cent of the quota will be
called to the colors on Sep
tember 19, according to lat
est Orders of the war depart
ment. The third install
ment will be called out on
October 3. The remaining
10 per cent will be mobilized
as soon thereafter as pos
sible.
The dates, of course, are
subject to change. The local
exemption boards will select
the men to be called up in
each installment and notify
them when and where they
are to report. The notifica
tions to those selected for
the first installment of 30
per cent will be sent out in
a very few days.
If you are a drafted man,
be on the alert to
receive,
your instructions
Failure
to receive the notification
will not excuse you if you do
not appear, so take care also
to see if your name has been
posted at the headquarters
of the board as one of those
ordered to report.
Tlie board will , provide
meals and quarters for you
after you arrive at the place
j designated for entrainment.
, The board is instructed to
see that you take on the
train with you only light,
hand baggage, or better yet,
'only a bundle containing
necessary toilet articles and
changes of underclothing.
Don't brincr a lot of baggage
with you when you report,
f or vou will have to leave it
behind.
8r.avUllt" Mutt Coma Up
to Standard For Servlc.
i m -om
a
V2
cm
i
Photo by American Press Association.
Mule recruits for Uncle Sam's army
pack trains and wagons must come up
to as blgl! a Rtnudiml, comparatively
speaking, as his doughboys. Tlie pic
ture shows a "hIihvoUiII," as tlie army
mule Is called, being measured for
height. .Thousands of mules will be
needed for the Wg new armies.
ITALY TAKES
PRISONERS
Greatest Italian Drive of
t War Is Successful
Today
DEAD AND WOUNDED
ARE TEN THOUSAND
Austria Calls On Prussia for
Help-Morale of Austri
ans Is Being Undermined.
'Rome, Aug. 21. (United
Press) Italy's prisoners in
the greatest Italian drive
reached ten thousand.
It is semi-officially esti
mated that the Austrian
losses of dead and wounded
a i e ten thousand.
Italian air men reported
desperate attempts of the
enemy to reenforce breaches
in the line.
Prisoners declare urgent
calls were sent to Prussia
for help which Avas unprece
dented, and shows rully tnat
the Italian attacks are. as
believed undermining the
morale of the Austrians.
Industrialites Arrested.
i Spokane, Aug. 21 (Unit
ed Press1 Several In
dustrialites were arrested
Sunday for, a hearing to de
termine the leaders of the
Snokane Industrialists. The
colony was held this after
noon.
The leader will probably
be eourtmartialed. The sit
uation .throughout eastern
Washington is quiet.
Hogs Up To $20.00.
Chicago, Aug. 21. (Unit
ed Press) Hogs sold at
twentv dollars a hundred
weight today.
oil
TEN THOUSAND
WILL CONTROL
GRAIN SUPPLY
LETTER TO E E KIDDLE OF LA
GRANDE EXPLAINS , '
METHODS v
' 1
WAREHOUSES TO SELL
GRAIN AFTER 30 DAYS
Action Will Make Food Speculation
Impossible; Government Guarantee
$2.00 a Bushel for 1917 Wheat Crop.
E. E. Kiddle, president of the La
Grande Milling' company, received a
letter from the United States Food
Administration today including the
following paragraph:
"We suggest that elevators, issuing
storage tickets or warehouse receipts
should add in addition to the other
customary provisions of sueh, tlie fol
lowing:
"It is agreed that if the grain re
presented by this (receipt shall remain
in storage beyond tho period of thirty
days alter the date hereof, the under
signed warehouseman is authorized
to sell the same or to ship the am .
to the nearest terminal market for
sale for the best price obtainable, and
shall pay over the proceeds to the
holder of this receipt, less the law
ful storage and other charges."
The. order may be step toward
government control of the grain sup
ply.. Under these arrangements it
may be impossible, for food specula
tors to corner the grain supply and
boost prices. The government has
already arotofaM& c minimum, of
$2.00 a bushel for the 1918 wheat
crops although the exact price of the
1917 crop has not yet been determined.
Besides the state tax placed upon
warehouses, millmen will be required
to secure a national liscense also.
This takes effect September first.
BOTH SONS ARE
IN EUROPE
Charleston, W. Va., Aug.
21. (Special) Mi's. Nettie
Wood, of Shenandoah Junc
tion, near this city, is wond
ering whether her two sons
will ever meet. One of them,
William W. Wood, a Ser
geant in the U. S." Marine
Corps, is now fighting with.
the "Billy Blues" in France,
while the other, Clarence
Wood, is confined in a Ger
man prison camp. Clarence.
was living in Canada when
the European war first
broke out; enlisted in a Ca
nadian regiment, and was
captured shortly after the
German army attempted to
advance on Paris,
Hindenburg Personally
Conducting Operations
Washington, Aug. 21.
Field Marshal Von Hinden
burg is personally conduct
ing the Austro-German ope
rations against the Russo-
Roumanian troops, against
Jassay, a Russian cable said.
Pig Club Visits Stockyards.
Portland, Ore., Aug. 21.
(Special The Marian
County Pig Club (64 strong)
from Salem, Oregon, hearted
bv Mr. G. W. Avers, banker
and stock dealer of that city.
spent the day in the yards
studvinfir market and slaugh-
ferimr conditions of the great
Inorthwestern live stock-
center. .