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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 1914)
j$0i3tt Jijs wit ait vujl,. liv. io,7yu. PORTLAND, OREGON. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17. 1914. pkipf! pivp ppytb - - - - "a . . -. o 1 i . HARD FIGHTING MARKS RETREAT Roads Torn by Deadly German Artillery. PURSUIT MADE IMPOSSIBLE Countryside Through Which Armies Pass Is Picture of Desolation. WASTE OF WAR IS PITIFUL Richard Harding Davis De scribes Second Day of Bat tle at Soissons. BY RICHARD HARDING DAVIS Copyri-rht. by the Wheeler Syndicate. Incorporated. NEW YORK, Sept. 16, by cable irom funs, dated Sunday, Sept. 13. (Delayed by Censor.) The struggle lor the possession of Soissons lasted two days. The second day's battle, which I witnessed, ended with the city in the possession of the French It was part of the 6even days of continuous fighting that began Sep- leinoer h at Meaux. Tlipn the, left wing, consisting of the army of ueneral von Kluck, was within 10 miles of Paris. But the French and English, instead of meeting the ad vance with a defense, themselves at tacked steadily all of last week. At the rate of 10 miles a day they have been driving: the Germans back across the Aisne and the Marne and so have saved Paris. Artillery Tire Desolating. "When this retrograde movement of the Germans began those' who could not see the nature of the fighting believed that the German line of com munication, the one from Aix-la-Chap-pelle through Belgium, had proved too long and that the left wing was vol untarily retiring to meet the new line of communication ' through Luxem burg. ' The fields of battle beyond Meaux, through which today it was necessary for me to pass to reach the fight at Soissons, showed no evidence of lei surely withdrawal, but on both sides evidence of most desperate fighting and of artillery fire that was wid& spread and desolating. That of the Germans, intended to destroy the road from Meaux and to cover their re treat, showed markmanship so accur ate and execution so terrible as while it lasted to make pursuit impossible. Road Piled With Shattered Trees. The battlefield stretched from the hills three miles north of Meaux for four miles along the road and a mile to either side. The road is lined with poplars, three feet across and as hih as a five-story building. For the four miles the road was piled with the branches of these trees. The trees themselves were split as by lightning or torn in half as with your hands you could tear apart a loaf of bread. Through some solid shell had passed, leaving clean holes. Others looked as though drunken woodsmen with axes from roots to topmost branches had slashed them in crazy fury. Some feliells had broken solid trunks in two as a hurricane snaps a mast. That no human being could survive sucli a bombardment I saw many grewsome proofs. In one place for a mile the load was lined with those wicker baskets in which the Germans earry their ammunition. These were filled with shells unexploded and be hind the trenches were hundreds-more of these baskets, some as larsre as lobster pots or umbrella stands, for the shells of the siege guns, and others, each of three compartments, for shrapnel. In gutters along the road and in the wheat fields on either side the brass shells flashed in the sunshine like tiny mirrors. The four miles of countryside over which for four days both armies had ploughed the earth with these shells was the picture of complete desola tion. The route of the German army was marked by knapsacks and ac coutrements scattered over the fields on either hand as far as you could (Concluded OA Fas T.J BULLETINS LOXDOX, Sept. 17. The German rlg-at wing la now encircled "T the allies according to at Amlena dispatch- to the Dally Ken, LOSDOS, Sept. 16. The admiralty announces that submarine 13-9 Lieutenant-Commander Horton, baa re turned safely after having; torpedoed a German cruiser six mllea south of Heli roland. It Is believed the cruiser was the He-la, the sinking- of which by a aubmarlne was offlclally reported from Berlin yesterday. PARIS, via London, Sept. 18. The Petit Journal prints a teles-rats-, from Berlin, via Copenhagen, saying the Ger man Emperor will proceed to East Pruasla and assume chief command against the Russians. ROME, Sept. 16. Despite the ener getic measures by the Government, demonstrations In opposition to Italy's attitude of neutrality continued In the larger towna today. The -police belna Insufficient, troops are being; employed extensively to repress the demonstra tors and protect foreign embassies. WASHINGTON, Sept. 16. The Jap anese Embassy was informed today by the State Department," which Inquired about 50 Japanese supposed to have been In Germany at the outbreak; of the war, that 12 of those named are not now In Germany. Among them wu Tamakl Mlura, greatest of the Japaneae opera singers, a member of the Im perial Theater Company atToklo. ' ROME, Sept. 16, via Paris Dispatches received in Rome from Servla say the occupation of Vlshegrad Is causing- ex traordinary excitement throughout Bosnia, where the Servians are being welcomed aa liberators. The dispatches also say that Servian cavalry already Is approaching Rogatlca, with a view to opening the way for the army to proceed to Sarajevo, 28 mllea aoutheaat of Rogatlca. LONDON, Sept. 18. Renter's Parle correspondent aaya 800 flremen left Parta today to carry out under the di rection of the army medical service such sanitary measures on the recent battlefields as will free the capital and the region roundabout from all danger of Infectious diseases. COPENHAGEN, via London, Sept. 17. "rurrm von nuaeiDnrg, who has been directing the German forces in East Prussia, has been urgently sum moned from East Prussia to take com mand of a dlvlalon in the western area, according; to a message received here from Stockholm. NOTED HUNGARIANS HELD Max Xordau, Author Detained by France, Sconts Disarmament Idea. BORDEAUX. Sept. 16. Max Nordau. the author and physician, and Count Michael Karolyl, president of the Hun garian Independent party, are among the foreigners who are being tempora rily detained here. Nordau, although born In Budapest, has lived 34 years in France and does not disguise his sympathy with the French army. In a conversation with Paul Berthelot, the writer. Nordau said today: "We fight expecting a happy era for Europe. Total disarmament Is a chi mera, but partial disarmament may be realized." EXPLOSIVE BULLETS FOUND Red Cross Find ' Quantities Left by Austrlans, Say Russians. PETEOGRAD, Sept. 17. The general headquarters of the Red Cross an nounces that it has been Informed by telegraph by its representative with the First Russian regiment at the front that when Austrian fortifications have been captured quantities of explosive bullets,- packed in special parcels and labeled, have been found. It Is also charged that explosive missiles have been used by the Austrlans. The general headquarters of the Red Cross has been requested by its repre sentatives to send into the field a com mission to investigate the charge. WOUNDED FILL HOSPITALS Xumber Arriving In Vienna Up to Monday Estimated at 60,000. LONDON. Sept. 17. A dispatch to the Daily Telegraph from Rome says: "Sixty thousand wounded arrived in Vienna up to Monday night. Since the hospitals had all been filled last week, huts for the wounded were erected. Food, physicians and medical equipment are insufficient. "In Dalmatia the food situation is most serious and bread is being doled out by the military authorities." AMBROSE B1ERCE MISSING Newspaper Writer, in Mexico Since December, Object of Search. WASHINGTON, "Sept. ' 16. (Special.) Ambrose Bierce, widely known as an author and newspaper writer, has been missing in Mexico since last December and friends have requested the State Department to begin a search for him. Mr. Bierce has lived in Washington for several years. x His secretary, Miss Carrie Christen son, an English instructor, will arrive here tomorrow from San Francisco to direct plans for conducting the search. Airmen Battle Viciously. LONDON. Sept. 17. The correspond ent of the Times at Havre, after giv ing, vivid description of the battle of the Aisne, says: "While this battle was proceeding a most exciting battle of aeroplanes, Ger man and English, occurred hig-h in the air. It was a great struggle, the ma chines darting hither and thither till finally the German, wounded, fell to the ground." GERMANS RESISTING ON 110-MILE LINE Paris Says Reinforce ments Have Come. STRONG ORGANIZATION SHOWN Capture of Many Prisoners on Previous Retreat Reported. BERLIN NOT CAST DOWN German General Staff Declares No Victories Have Been Won. by Enemy and Decisive Result Is Improbable Soon. I PARIS, Sept. 16 It la officially an nounced here that the Germans are fighting a strong defensive battle along their front from Noyon. 65 miles north east of Paris, to a point north of Ver dun. The line thus runs nearly east and west. The battle line, according to this report, is 110 miles long. Germans Make Stand. The official communication says: "During the days of September 14 and 15 the rearguard of the enemy was overtaken by our pursuing force and oblige to turn and face us. Rein forced by large armies, the Germans waged a defensive battle along their entire front, on which certain of their positions show strong organization. This front is bounded by the region of Noy on, the plains to the north of Vic-sur-Aisne and Soissons, Laon, the heights to the north and to the west of Rheims and a line which runs thenca to the north of Ville-sur-Tourb, to the west of the Argonne region, and which is con tinued thence beyond the Argonne by another line, which passes north of Varennes, a point that has been evac uated by the enemy, and reaches the River Mouse in the neighborhood of the Forest of Forges, which is north of Verdun. Stragglers Added to Prisoners. "During, the pursuit of the enemy executed by our troops after the battle of the Marne. the Germans abandoned numerous prisoners to our hands. To these men there has been 'added a large multitude of stragglers, who were hid den in the forests. ' "No exact accounting of these pris oners, or of the war material captured by us so far has been possible. It is for this reason that the Minister of War, who does , not want to give out figures which might be considered fan tastic, refrains from announcing the details of these captures." Another official communication ls- (Concluded on Page 2.) HOW THEY OF D?rW5L c r . AN 1IDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS Tbe Weather. YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature. 1 aeg-rees- minimum, bu decrees. TODAY'S Unsettled weather with occa sional rain; southerly winds. War. Richard Hardlnr Davis describes desperats flshtlns as Qermans retreat. Face 1. Wilson refuses to pass on Kaiser's complaint , that allies use dumdum bullets. Pace i Be! Kino commission's report allealne- atroci ties by Germans submitted to president wuson. face 1. Associated Press correspondent says Ger mans not cullty of cruelties. Pace 8. Gsrmana making strong resistance en line iju miles long, race 1. Solssona again In hands of French. Pace 3. British Ambassador to Austria aaya war with Russia was once almost -prevented. Page 6. Austrlans say thay are preparing to return to attack on. Russians. Pass John Redmond pledgee Ireland'a aid to Km plre In wsr. Page 4. Democrats aree on special war tax list. Page C. National. Sir IJonel Card en forced to leave Mexico by Carranza. Pace 4. Domestic. Colorado miners accept President Wolson's peace plan, pace . Sport. Coast "League results Los Angeles ft, Oak land 1; San Francisco 6, Missions 0. Page S. Kores refuses to wear Giant uniform at sal ary of S1UO0. Pace 8. Federals ask truce of organised ball and chance at world's championship. Page . Portland pololata defeat Lewistoa players at tjpokane. Pace 8. Pacific. Northwest. C X. 1-aj-rabeo, millionaire philanthropist. drops dead in Belllngham, Wash. Pace 14. Commercial and Marine. Oreg-on hop market' opens up with heavy buying. Page IB. Reports of German-Austrian vlotorlee send wheat tip at Chicago. Page 19. Dock Commission to ask consignees to keep municipal dock clear, owing to need of space. Page 13. Portland and Vicinity. New shows at movlng-ploture theaters show notables In photoplays. Page 15. Commissioners shelve measure aimed at "Painless" Parker's street dental work. Pace 13. Dean W. T. Sumner of Chicago elected Episcopal Blsnop for Oregon. Page 1. Welfare Commission to adopt cannery rules. Page 14. Dinner dance at Commercial Club Is crest success. Page 9. Ex-Senator Bourne eager to see Mr, Booth elected. Page 18. Weather report, data and forecast. Page 18. Milwaukee would enter Portland. Pace 13. CHICAGO GAINS 806,668 School Census Shows Inhabitants . Xumber 2,437,526. CHICAGO, Sept. 16.- The population of Chicago is 2,437,526, according to the biennial school census made public to day. This is an increase of '252,243 over the Federal census taken in 1910. Of the number 806,668 were born of American fathers, 876,288 were born of foreign parentage. 7he Germans lead, the foreign-born citizens with 399,977; the Poles are sec ond with 231,346, and the Russians third with 166,134. TURKS AT BULGARIAN LINE Prussian Cavalry Officer Expected to Be in Command. PARIS, Sept 16. A dispatch to the Havas Agency from. Petrograd says: "It is announced that the Turks have concentrated a large army on the Bul garian frontier and that General Liman Van Sanders, a Prussian cavalry offi cer -.who trained the Turkish army, is expected to take command." HELP THE OREGON FARMER AND ' I elnasfi-a, Bt EFND CORriln ARGENT. nf WOOL AfMUTTOri IliAofffi COTTON GQbqs IN JAPAN CH EMICALS AiWQYS IM GERMAnv PERFUMES-. N .FRANSSE . rvl ITAI V I t ' 1 I I ! BELGIAN REPORT REACHES WILSON Charges Against Ger mans Reiterated. MANY MASSACRES ALLEGED Commission Says Murder Was Accompanied by Torture. DESTRUCTION IS PICTURED Allegations Divided Into Groups and Are Declared Supported by Evi dence Individual In stances Enumerated. WASHINGTON. Sept. 16. A resume of the findings of the Belgian commis sion of Inquiry appointed by the King of the Belgians to investigate the al leged atrocities committed by German troops, by the Belgian legation here. was made public today after the report had been presented to President Wll son. The findings were grouped under the headings of "the atrocities at Llnsmeau and OrsmaeL" "the massacre of Aer schot" and "the destruction of Lou- vain." The summary follows: "German cavalry occupying the ' vil lage of Llnsmeau were attacked by some Belgian troops and two gen darmes. A German officer was killed by the Belgian soldiers during the fighting and subsequently buried at the request of the Belgian officer In com mand. . Peasants' Skulls Fractured. "None of the civilians had taken pa In the fight: nevertheless, the village was Invaded at dusk by a strong force of German cavalry, artillery and ma chine guns. In spite of the formal assurances given by the Burgomaster that none of the civilians bad taken part in the fight, two fartnB and six outlying houses were destroyed by gunfire and reduced to ashes. All the male population were then ' compelled to come forward and .hand over what ever arms they possessed. No recent ly discharged firearms were found. "Nevertheless the Invaders divided these peasants into three groups: those in one group were bound and 11 of them placed in a ditch, where they af terward were found dead, their skulls fractured by the butts of rifles. Houses Looted la Night. "In the night of August 10 German cavalry entered Velm in great num bers. The inhabitants were isi.n "Without provocation the Germans nred on Mr. Deglirameq's house and broke Into it. Tehy destroyed furniture (Concluded on Pah, 3. PRODUCER. it ! x Wednesdays War Moves HE German and allied armies again are facing each other on a long, slightly curved line stretching from Noyon in the west to the Argonne Forest on the east and thence across the Mens to the southeast, in the direction of the German fortress of Met. That the Germans Intend to give battle on this line, with the River Aisne in front of their right, the hills of Rheims facing their center, and the mountains and forest of Argonne on their left, there seems little doubt. They went back steadily before, the French and English armies, fighting only rearguard actions until their right, in command of General von Kluck, got across the Aisne. They then turned and delivered sev eral founter attacks, which, however, according to the British official re port, were repulsed. These counter attacks doubtless were delivered in the hope of giving the troops of the right wing, exhausted by the long advance followed by a retreat almost as long, the opportunity of resting and pre paring positions from which they could resist attacks from the allies, and In which they could await reinforcements before taking up the offensive again. Th Germans are In the hilly country around Noyon, on the plateau north of Vic-sur-Alsne and Soissons and north of Rheims, where they are dig ging strong entrenchments and re ceiving reinforcements. Even here this right wing, which has up. to the pres ent borne the brunt of the fighting in the advance and the retreat, is not altogether . safe, for the -French army operating from Amiens clings to its flank, while the British and French forces continue to press in front. It is essential, however, that they should hold their positions, for they cover the lines of retreat to the north, which would be the only way out if defeat should be their lot. Both sides have suffered heavily. The German center, which in the last few days has come more into line with the two wings, now stretches from the heights north of Rheims to the western foothills of the Argonne Ridge, dipping a little south to touch Ville-sur-Tourbe, Just northeast of Camp de Chalons. This is all high, rough ground, in many places covered by forest, which may by this time have been destroyed. The German left has been driven back a little farther than the center and holds the ground from west of the Argonne hills north of Varennes, which the French have reoccupied. to the ileuse, which it crosses at Con senvoye, and thence southeastward to iletr. The crossing of the Meuse. which the Germans have selected at Consenvoye, is Just out of range of the fortress guns of Verdun, so that as far as the battle now pending is concerned they have not to reckon with this strong hold, except as it offers support to the French in case the allies are compelled to retire. The Germans on this line cover as many lines of retreat as possible, in cluding those to Namur, Glvet, Mez leres, Sedan and Stenay, and should soon be ready, if they have not already begun, to give battle, or, if the often sive comes from the other side, to de fend their positions. , it is Deueved General Jpf fre, the French commander-in-chief, retains the initiative, having received .reinforce ments to relieve his overworked troops, but whether he will try again to envelop the German right or to break up the Crown Prince's army on the left remains to be seen. It is known that the German right has been considerably reinforced, so that it would be more difficult than before to work around that wing, while the Ger man left and center, which also have seen a lot of hard fighting and held their positions until the retirement of the right compelled them also to fall back, doubtless have been stiffened despite the fact that many troops have been sent to the eastern frontier. Neither side has attempted to make any estimate of the losses in killed wounded and captured during the bat tle of the Marne, but they must have been enormous and will doubtless be blow to all the countries concerned when they are disclosed. Many Ger man prisoners have . fallen into the hands of the British and so great a number of prisoners and stragglers have been taken by the French that the Minister of War refuses to make an estimate, for fear of being accused of exaggeration. It is the number of dead and wounded scattered through the field from the Marne to the Aisne that It is feared will be staggering. "The losses In Galicla and Poland. where fighting has been going on in cessantly for more than three weeks, are even greater than those in. France, and. according to official reports, the Russians are still following the Aus trian and German forces In the hope of striking another blow before they can re-form. One report from Petrograd says that the Russians have severed communica tions between Cracow and Przemysl. the two fortresses for which the Aus trlans and their German allies are heading, and have begun an advance to sever communications between Galicla and Budapest, Meantime the Russian General. Ren- nenkampff, who, according to Russian reports. Invaded East Prussia to com pel the Germans to withdraw troops from the west and thus relieve pres sure on the allies, is having some -dif ficulty in extrlcaiing his army from a difficult position, lit has been com pelled to fall back to fortresses on his own frontier, where he is waiting for the Germans under General von Hin- denburg. whom some reports say the German Emperor has Joined. The opinion is held that the Germans plan some bold stroke against Rennen kampff before the troops which have been engaged in Galicia can reach him. It is pointed out, however, that it would be a bold stroke indeed for the Germans to attack the Russian forts on the frontier or invade a country that within a 'few weeks will be a marsh and later a snow-covered wilder T REV. W. T. SUMNER IS ELECTED BISHOP Chicago Man Chosen by Episcopalians. SESSION PASSES MIDNIGHT High and Low Churchmen Unite on Choice of Head. FOURTH CHOICE IS FINAL New Leader Active In Keform Work In Chicago Slums and Directs Activities of Vice Commission and City School Board. After deliberating and balloting all day and evening the clergy and lay delegates of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon, assembled in Trinity parish house. Nineteenth street, near Wash ington, elected the Very Rev. Walter T. Sumner, of Chicago, to succeed the lata Bishop Charles Scadding as bishop of the Diocese of Oregon. The result was reached about 12:30 o'clock this morn Insr. Three times the clergy delegates of the diocese of Oregon elected a bishop and three times the lay delegates re fused to indorse the selection, thus nul lifying the election. At midnight no election had resulted and the delegates were still In session. Name Meets Hearty Favor. Then the name of the Very Reverend Walter T. Sumner, who had been nom inated in the afternoon, was again suggested and it met with Immediate and almost universal favor. On the first ballot following the clergy elected the Rev. Mr. Sumner by a vote of 21 out of 28, the seven votes being scattered between the field, with the Right Reverend Charles a Burc-Jv, of New York, receiving four. The . laity overwhelmingly Indorsed the selection made by the clergy by giving him their first majority, 13 to 2. As only 11 votes were necessary to accomplish ' an election; the Rev. Mr. Sumner was declared elected subject to the consent of the standing committees and the bishops over the United States. Following the election both boJIes made the choice unanimous by mo tion. evr Head Slam Worker. The Rev. Walter T. Sumner has for eight years been dean of the Chicago cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, lo cated in the heart of the slum district of West Chicago. He is also superin tendent of the city missions. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and of the Western Theological Seminary in Chicago. The bishop-elect, who will be 49 years old December 5. is unmarried. He served as chairman of the Vice Com mission of Chicago in forming one of its famous reports, and was a member of the Chicago School Board until the resignation of his favorite, Mrs. Ella Flagg Young, from the city superln tendency. He has been West several times on Chautauqua tours, lecturing on white slavery and kindred topics. The Rev. Frederick K. Howard, a for mer classmate, who first nominated the bishop-elect at the afternoon session. styles him as a civic and social worker of the first rank and as a man who declines to accept the title of high churchman or low churchman, being an all-around" man. In this sense the chosen bishop was a compromise candi date. .i On the fourth ballot taken in the afternoon the clergy selected the Right Rev. Sheldon Munson Oris wold, bishop of Kansas, subject to the confirmation of the laity. Shortly before 6 o'clock the lay dele gates reported that tney stood 8 !-i votes for confirmation of the election and eight votes against confirmation. As 11 votes were necessary for confirma tion, the action of the laity, in effect. vetoed the election made by the clergy. Maay Candidates Named. On motion, the convention then ad journed until 8 o'clock, when nomina tions were again made and the for mality of balloting was resumed. - The fourth ballot at the night ses sion resulted in the selection of a dark horse. Rev. C If. Young, of Chicago. but by a vote of 10 "yes" and 6 "no," returned shortly a'fter 11 o'clock, the lay delegates again refused to confirm the election, and balloting was resumed by the clergy. The clergy again-chose Rev. Mr. Griswold, who had prevrously been turned down by the laity, giving htm 16 votes or the necessary majority. The lay delegates again refused to accept the election' by giving only eight votes out of 15 for confirmation, thus lack ing three full votes of the required ma jority. At the morning session Dr. - John Henry Hopkins, of the Christ Church of the Redeemer, in Chicago, was nom inated by Rector G. F. Rosenmuller, of Astoria, and Bishop Griswold, of Salina. Kan-, was nominated by Dean H- M. Ramsey, of St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral.' Portland. Following the noon recess, four more candidates were nominated. Rev. W. A. Breck presented the name of the Right Reverend William C. Robertson, of Chattanooga, Tenn., Rev. T. F. Bowen nominated the Rev. Edward Lambs Parsons of Berkeley. Cal.. Rev. Fred rick K. Howard nominated .the very ness. tCuucludcd on Page It.)