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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 1917)
VOL. IVTI. NO. 17,702. PORTLAND, OREGON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 1917. PRICE FIVE CENTS. CONTEST SPRUCE CONTRACTS ARE NOW TIED UP PEACE TALK !S FOR EFFECT Ifl AMERICA 5 OVERDUE SHIPS CAUSE OF CONCERN CHANGES ARE IDE ANGRY CROWD ROBS POLICE OF CAPTIVE MILLMEN OPPOSE 8 HOUR CONCESSION EOF ALLIES ALLIED GOVERNMENTS MUST CERTIFY TO DESTINATION. TIME BOMBS HIDDEN' IN CAR GOES ARE SUSPECTED. WOMAX SOCIALIST SPEAKER IN SEATTLE CAUSE OF TROUBLE. GERMANS ADVANG IN ARMY S MAKEUP Ten Times Tide of Battle Flows. ENGLISH TAKE LANGEMARCK French Drive Teutons From Dreigrachten Bridge. .1800 PRISONERS ARE TAKEN Progress Made East Germans Maintain on High Ground Of L-OOS. Position North of Mcnin Highway. LONDON, Aug. 18. Renter's corre spondent at British headquarters In Belgium says he hears that fighting Is proceeding wtll beyond Langemarck. LOXDOX, Aug. 15. British and French troops, attacking on a nine-mile front east and northeast of Ypres, In Flanders, today gained all their object ives except on the right flank. The French drove the Germans from between the Yser canal and Martje vaart and captured the bridgehead of Dreigrachten. The village of Lange marck -was carried by the British after they had taken all their first objectives In the center of the attacking line. Ilrltliih I'Oxe Gains. The official statement from British headquarters in France tonight adds that the Germans fought stubbornly on Field Marshal Haig's right for the possession of the high ground north ft the Menln road. Suffering heavy losses, the Germans finally pressed the British back from the terrain they had gained early in the day. More than 1S00 prisoners, including SS officers, already have been counted by the Anglo-French forces. Some German guns also were taken. Progress. Made at Loon. The British have made further prog- xess ' east of Loos in, "the Lena area, and the total of prisoners captured there now has reached 896. CANADIAN ARMY HEADQUARTERS IX FRANCE, Aug. 16. (By Canadian Press Limited.) The taking of Hill 70 yesterday stirred the German higher command as nothing else has done on this front this year. Prince Rupprecht has made frantic efforts to recapture the lost positions and a grim battle was waged throughout the day, partic ularly on Hill 70. jf Attacks Made Ten Times. Ten times the enemy came on, but they seldom got close enough for fight ing with bayonet or bomb. The Prus sian guards were subjected to a terri ble concentrated fire from our artillery and machine guns. Their losses were frightful. PARIS, Aug. 16. French troops In Belgium, attacking early today in con junction with the British on both sides of the road between Steenstraete and Dixmude. captured all their objectives and crossed the Steenbeke River, the War Office announced today. Further progress is being made along the river. The French made an attack on the Aisne and captured German trenches on a front of one kilometer. Four German counter attacks were repulsed. The statement follows: Officers Among Captured. "South of Ailles a vigorous attack made us master of a system of trenches on a front of one kilometer which was held strongly by the enemy. Four Ger man counter attacks on our new posi tions were" repulsed easily and 1 prisoners, one of them an officer, have been counted. In the region of the Hurtebise Monument we also made progress, taking a score of prisoners "'In the Champagne and on both banks of the Meuse heavy artillery fighting continued. We made a surprise .Wttack near Louvemont, taking seven ' prisoners. There is nothing of lmpor tance to report on the remainder of the front. "Our bombarding airplanes last night and this morning threw many bombs on enemy establishments north and east of the Houthulst Forest and also on the railway station at Lich- terwald. Aviators Swoon I-Kw. "During our attack in the region of Ailles and Hurtebise our aviators were not deterred by tlie bad weather from flying very close to the ground as our Infantry moved forward and turning their machine guns on the shelters and reserves of the enemy" BERLIN, via London, Aug 16. The combined British and French attack over a front of more than IS miles in Flanders was shattered by the Teutons, according to the official communica tlon issued this evening. Only local successes on the Yser Canal and in the vicinity of Langemarck were obtained by the entente, who suffered heavy losses. The text of the communication fol lows: "The enemy assault In Flanders which extended over a front of thirty kilometers, has been shattered with V. heavy losses. The enemy has only been a able to gain some small local successe at Driegrachten, on the Yser Canal, and near Langemarck, where fighting still Is proceeding. From St. Julien, north i.ConcluUed oil i'ae Column 2.) West Coast Lumber Mills Complain to Washington That Aircraft Board Is Slow. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash ington, Aug. 16. At the request o the Pacific Export Lumber Company, Sen ator McNary today endeavored to ob tain authority from the Aircraft Pro duction Board for this and other Ore gon companies to fill contracts with the allied governments for 1.200.000 feet of airplane spruce. These contracts, which are signed, are now tied up by the board because it Is not convinced the spruce is for the allied powers, save as regards Italian contracts. It France and England will certify that these contracts are for their gov ernments the Bpruce men will be al lowed to furnish the spruce already contracted for. Complaints reached Washington to day from several West Coast lumber mills that absolutely no contracts for Oregon or Washington spruce have yet been awarded by the Aircraft Boaro. In anticipation of the big American airplane construction, it is stated that the mills are ready to turn out this lumber as fast as needed and that I. W. W. troubles are not seriously in terfering with the spruce industry, in fact, prompt delivery will be guaranteed. POLK F1KES CONTROLLED Standing Timber Practically Un damaged, .All Districts Report. DALLAS, Or., Aug. 16. (Special.) Forest fires in Polk County are all well under control. There has been practically no damage to standing timber, as the fire on Cedar Creek, which reached the timber, was a ground fire, and was quickly controlled. The greatest damage has been to logging equipment, but this is not so great as first reported, as all the engines can be repaired and only a few bridges were burned. Fire which threatened the Canyon Creek water shed is under control and the crew has returned to Dallas. A fire at the Balderee camp of the Willamette Valley Lumber Company is practically out. - Logging trains are running and there has been no fire in the Siletz basin. At the Spalding camp the fire is well under control, as is that of the Sheridan Lumber Company on Mill Creek. PAINTER'S CASH IS MAGNET Corvallis Heir to Fortune Gets Many Appeals for Aid. CORVALLIS. Or.. Aug. 16. (Special.) A large quantity of mail was found by C. H. Smith, the Corvallis painter and paperhanger who fell heir to $600, 000 in Finland the other day, on his return from Portland. The letters con tained appeals for charity and financial help for all sorts of schemes. Mr. Smith says he will spend his in come doing good, but he does not pro pose giving it away promiscuously. Mr. Smith is making preparations for the transfer of his fortune. His ambi tion is to see the $600,000 grow tc J2.000.000. DISTILLERIES STOP SEPT. 8 Manufacture of Whisky for Bever age Purposes to Cease. WASHINGTON. Aug. 16. Eleven o'clock on the night of Satjrday, Sep tember 8, Is the time fixed by the food administration when all processes in the production in the United States of distilled spirits for beverage purposes must stop. The 30-day period allowed from the approval of the food control law ex pires at midnight, September 9, but this date falls on Sunday and the in ternal revenue law prevents the oper ation of distilleries after 11 o'clock Saturday night. AMERICANS ARE WOUNDED Arrival at English Hospital Report ed, but No N'cws of Battle. LONDON, Aug. 16. According to the Daily News, some wounded American soldiers from the western front have just arrived at the hospital at Bath. WASHINGTON. Aug. 16. Neither the War nor the Navy Department has any information on the reported wounding of American troops on the western front. Prompt official an nouncement is promised when informa tion is received, provided it is not in compatible with military interest. MANY MINORS ARE WED Seven, Ranging From 16 Upwards, Licensed at Vancouver. VANCOUVER, Wash.. Aug. 16. (Spe cial.) There was a rush to the hy meneal altar here today by minors, seven being wed. Leo Christianson. 20 years old, and Flossie Riley, 17, came from' Newberg to be married. Edward L. Williams. 19, and Violet Kuhn, 15. came from Hills boro. Or.; John T. McKay. 20, and Pearl Creveling, 19, embarked upon the mat rimonial sea. as did Earl Quarlng. 23. and Pearl Stegman, 16, both of Port land. . Jose Gnerr Is Inaugurated. LA PAZ. Bolivia. Aug. 15. (De- layed.) Jose Guiterrez Guerr. former Mlnlst-- of War. was InaUfeUiaicU Prea- iueui, ui iiuiivia. touay, Sincerity of German Offers Questioned. WAR GENERALS RULE PEOPLE Gerard Is Told Ludendorff Is Real Dictator.. LOVE FEAST PRECEDES WAR While Civilians Are Protesting Friendship for U. S., Prepara tions Go Forward for Defiance of Internatio'nal Law. BY JAMES W. GERARD. American Ami assador to the German Im perial Court. July U8. 11(13. to February 4. 101T. Copyright, 1917, by the Public Ledger Company. On my return from America to Ber lin every one In official life, the Chan cellor, Zimmermann, Von Stumm," who succeeded Zimmermann, Von .. der Busche, formerly German Minister In the Argentine, who had equal' rank with Stumm in. the Foreign Office, all without exception and in the most con vincing language assured me that cases like that of the Marina, for example, were only accidents, and that there was every desire on the part of Ger many to maintain the pledges given in the Sussex note. And the great question to be solved Is whether the Germans, In making their offers of peace, in begging me to go to America to talk peace to the President, were sincerely anxious for peace, or were only making these gen eral offers of peace In order to excuse in the eyes of the world a resumption of ruthless submarine warfare and to win to their side public opinion In the United States, in case such warfare should be resumed. Had the decision rested with the Chancellor and with the Foreign Office, instead of with the military, I am sure that the decision ' would' have been against the .-. resumption of thtsf ruth less war. ' - Ludendorff Real Ruler. But Germany is not ruled in war time by the civilian power. Hinden- burg at the time I left for America was at the head of the General Staff, and Ludendorff, who had been Chief of Staff, had been made the quartermaster general in order that he might follow Hindenburg to General Headquarters. - Hindenburg, shortly before his bat tle .of the Masurian Lakes, was a gen eral living in retirement at Hanover. Because he had for years specialized in the study of this region, he was sud denly called to the command of the German army which was opposing the Russian invasions. Ludendorff, who had been Colonel of a regiment at the attack on Liege, was sent with him as (Oonclmied on Pn-ce 7, Column 3.) HENCEFORTH UNCLE Sailor Tells ot Having Seen Frag ile Bottles of Acid Taken From Powder Cases. A PACIFIC PORT, Aug. 16. Five ships are overdue at this port, and have been practically given up by their own ers and agents. . They include three American, one British and one Japan ese vessel.- - .. The probable loss of the ships is be lieved by mariners to be due to time bombs, placed in the .cargoes by enemy agents. This theory was strengthened today when a sailor employed near this port told of having seen fragile bottles, containing acid, taken from powder cases, where they had been placed in such a manner that the breaking of the bottles would have ignited the powder. The. overdue vessels are the Ameri can schooner Winslow, 88 . days out from Sydney for Apia; the American sailing ship R. C. Slade, 88 days out of Sydney for this port; the American schooner Beluga, 92 days out for Syd ney; the Japanese freighter Koto Hira, 35 days out from Kobe for America, and the t British freighter Walruna, three months overdue from New Zealand. HUMIDITY IRKS PORTLAND Fair Weather Is Predicted for Today by Forecaster. High humidity and a mounting mer cury caused Portland residents to breathe many a fervent wish for rain yesterday when the Weather Bureau records showed 87 degrees above. Though at least two days of the pres ent season have been hotter, the intense humidity, which was 57 per cent, made the day rather irksome. Today, the Weather Bureau says, will be as fair as any of its immediate pre decessors, with moderate westerly winds. With the exception of an in finitesimal fraction of an inch no rain has fallen since June 29. CAMPAIGN COSTS 2 CENTS One Stamp Used by George Menzel In Race for Mayor. It was unfortunate that the local chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, in writing to George Menzel, did not Inclose stamp for reply. The oversight made it necessary for him to spend 2 cents during his. cam paign for Mayor last June. Mr. Menzel filed his statement of ex penses with City Auditor Funk yes terday, said expenditures being 2 cents for one. stamp, "with which to reply to the society of engineers," he wrote. HOLLAND FILES PROTEST Germany Questioned Seriously as to Violation of Neutrality. THE HAGUE. Netherlands. Aug. 16. Official announcement was made today that the Netherlands Minister at Ber lin had been instructed to protest seri ously to the German Foreign Office against the violation on August 7 of Dutch territorial waters by German airplanes and torpedo-boats off the Scheldt. SAM TAKES THE I. W. W. SITUATION IN HAND HIMSELF. yes. . THE MASTER CLASS I F YOU. WANT TO PUT I Y THAT WAV Mr ; ... Division Cut to Euro pean Number. COMPANY TO HAVE 250 MEN Two Captains Provided, to Be in Reserve. One OVERHEAD EXPENSE LESS One Colonel and- Regimental Staff Will Now Handle 3600 Men In stead of Little More Than 2 000, as Heretofore. WASHINGTON, Aug. . 16. Complete reorganization of : all branches of the American Army to conform with Euro, pean 'standards, as recommended bj Major-General Persuing, is provided for in Army orders revealing that the re cently announced divisional reorgani zation plan is to be carried down Into the regiments and companies. The administrative unit of the in fantry arm hereafter will be a com pany with 250 enlisted men and six commissioned officers in place of something- over 100 men and three of ficers. The company will be divided into four platoons, each in command of a lieutenant. There will he two captains as first and second in com mand, one first lieutenant and three second lieutenants. Reports of the review of American troops in France yesterday show that this plan already has been carried out in General Persh ing's forces. Second Captain Provided. The object of assigning two captains to each company, it Is understood, is to provide against disorganization of the unit through the loss of Its com mander. The second captain, under the European system, does not go Into the battle line with the company if his senior is present. He Is held as a re serve to - reorganize - the corr.pany If necensary. Under the new plan, each regiment will have three battalions of four com panies, making a total of 3000 men. Supplemented by the regimental head quarters, supply and machine gun or conizations, the strength of the new regiments will be. brought up to ap proximately 3600 men, as against little more than 2000 in existing war strength regiments. Division to Have 10,000 Men. The unit organization of the field ar tlllery and other arms of the service has not been changed. As a result of reducing the number of regiments in a division, the division instead of 28,000 men, will total hereafter about 19,000 men, 15,000 of them infantry. Today's order provides the organiza tion of 16 National Army divisions, des- (Concluded on Page 3. Colftmn 1.) Mrs. Kate Sadler Arrested After . Making Remarks Derogatory to High Government Official. SEATTLE. Wash., Aug. 16. A crowd of several hundred persons attending a meeting known as "the "eighth Amer ican conference for democracy and terms of peace" here tonight forcibly took Mrs. Kate Sadler, Socialist speaker, away from two patrolmen who had arrested her after she had made remarks said to have been de rogatory to a high Government official. Immediately after Mrs. Sadler made the remark considered disparaging. Motorcycle Policemen Schiveley and Dench pushed their way through the crowd and placed her under arrest. The crowd began to mutter threateningly, it is said, as the policemen walked away with their prisoner. Miss Eliza beth Freeman, of New York, another speaker on the programme, appealed to the crowd not to lose its head. Disregarding her plea, however, sev eral hundred men closed in on the trio, blocking their further progress. Find ing themselves outnumbered, the police men surrendered their "prisoner upon the demand of several members of the crowd. They then reported to the po lice station and 40 patrolmen and de tectives were sent to the meeting to aid them. Mrs. Sadler did not return to the meeting after the policemen had given her up to the crowd and members -of the department were making a search late tonight. TRAIN CRASH IS FATAL Several Reported Killed In Accident Near Fort AVorth. FORT WORTH. Tex.. Aug. 16. Sev eral persons are reported killed and a large number injured in a collision be tween a passenger and a freight train on the Missouri. Kansas & Texas Rail way at Watauga, 12 miles north of Fort Worth, tonight. Ambulances from Fort Worth are being hurried to the scene. Reports reachingthe dispatcher's of fice here said the northbound "Katy Flyer" and a southbound freight train collided head-on, some of the cars be ing telescoped. One engineer and five passengers are reported missing and a fireman, is se riously injured. Details as to injuries . to passengers have not been received, but a. request came for more ambulances. VACATIONISTS TAX RESORT School, Abandoned Building Trees Used for Shelter. and CANNON BEACH, Or.. Aug. 16. (Special.) An unexpected rush of va cationists has made it necessary to requisition the schoolhouse and the old postoffice building to house them. Every available tent has been in use. A few have had to find shelter un der the big trees, with driftwood fires to temper the penetrating salt air and the moon serving for a night lamp. . INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The Weather. iistisrday-s Maximum temperature. 8T ucBieea, iiuninium, tt$ aegrees. TODAY'S Fair; moderate westerly winds. Foreign. Lloyd George tells Commons England cannot us imrvBu. jrage o. War. stupendous tasks face American Army In i- i am it. rxgs o. uemra attenas love least at time when all iiiuicmioii, point to war. page 1. Ground In Ypres district hotly contested Page 1. American Army Is reorganized. Page 1. National. Senate approves liquor section of war tax Din. rsga 4. Platinum deposits found .in Alaska. Page 4. J? eaeral government to check I. W. W, movement. Page 2. Peace proposals arouse no enthusiasm Page 2. Domestic. Japanese mission leaves for Washington. rage o. German naval officer and associate held as spies. jrage o. Senator McNary protests against holding up ui luicign spruce contracts. rage 1. Montana's Congresswoman Investigating la- uor irouDiea 01 constituents. Page 4. Five overdue ships believed sunk by bombs. rage x. Sport. Pacific Coast League results: Portland 8, Oakland 2; Vernon 4. Los Angeles 3; San Francisco 4. Salt Lake 3. Page 8. Mrs. C. H. Davis, Jr., wins women's state golf championship. Page 8. Intra-club tennis matches at Laurelhurst are fast. Page 8. Trout fishing Is reported good. Page 8. Northwest. Mazamas again reach summit of Mount Jef ferson. Page 6. Of S3 Astorlans Tit for military service 73 claim exemption. Page 6. Washington lumbermen not willing to grant eight-hour day. Page 1. I. W. w. renew threat of general strike. Page 2. Matt Anderson, thought murdered at Astorta eight years ago. found alive in State Hos pital at Salem. Page 6. Seattle crowd rescues woman Socialist speaker fount police. Page 1. Commercial and Marine. Wheat bids reduced In Northwest with no sellers. Page IT. Corn declines with reports of first market ing of new crop. Page 17. War stocks decline under proresslonal pres sure. Page 17. Chief engineer, of Seattle, gets pointers from Port of Portland. Page 14. Portland and Vicinity. W. B. Ayer Oregon representative of National food administration. Page 7. One-delivery-dally system to be inaugurated In Portland Monday. Page 14. Women must take over labor, say British of ficers. Page 9. State Fire Marshal Wells appeals to citizens to prevent loss of food and property. Page 11. School Board discusses Increased cost of cleanliness. Page U. Twelve exemption cinlms apoealed. Page 13. Weather report, data and XuiecasU i'e ii. Attitude of Governor Lister Rebuked. STRIKE CALLED INSURRECTION Washington Wages Declared Highest Paid Anywhere. UNIVERSAL LAW PROPOSED Lumber Operators Say I. W. W. Plan Is to Agitate Next for Six-Hour Day Question of Workers' Patriotism Is Raised. SEATTLE, Wash., Aug. 16. Although Governor Lister's proclamation calling for a settlement of the lumber strike. Issued last night at Olympia, had not reached the lumber operators officially (late today, the operators in two dif ferent statements issued this afternoon and tonight have declared that the proposal of the Governor for an eight hour day does not impress them as feasible. A National eight-hour day in the lumber industry, according to Robert E. Allen, secretary of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association, would be welcomed, but he declares that the lumbermen of the Pacific Northwest will never consent to an eight-hour day in this section and allow the ten-hour day to remain in effect in other sec tions of the country where lumber is produced. Guarantee Is Lacking. Mr. Allen contends that the strike In this section is an Industrial Workers of the World strike and that even were an eight-hoiy day granted there would be no guarantee that there would not be another strike in a few weeks for six-hour day. The West Coast Lumbermen's Asso ciation today gave out the following statement relative to Governor Lister's proclamation: "Up to a late hour today neither the. West Coast Lumbermen's Association nor the Lumbermen's Protective League had received any direct word from Gov ernor Lister. Permanency Is Doubted. "There is some doubt in the minds of the lumbermen and men who are famil iar with the strike situation and the in dustrial economic problems involved, as to whether the Governor's reported rec ommendations will result in 'an imme diate and enduring adjustment of dif ferences.' "This Is primarily a strike of Indus trial Workers of the World and it is a part of their propaganda that upon re turning to work it shall not be with any intention of abiding loyally by the results of the conflict, but rather with the view of further disorganization. Further Trouble Expected. "This idea is apparently being in stilled in the minds of the men in the jungle camps. A couple of evenings figo an I. W. W. agitator named E. E. Ellis, whose home is In Portland, ad dressed a meeting of striking mill workers In which he advised his hear ers that Dr. Carlton Parker, who had been sent out here by the War Depart ment to endeavor to arrange a settle ment of the strike, had assured him, Ellis, that the eight-hour day was won and that within 10 days the strike would be over, as it was only a matter of fixing up details." Ellis then outlined the policy to be pursued on resuming work. He said, in substance: Six-Hour Day Object. "We know that the Industrial Work ers of the World will not be recognized as a union, but we do know who has brought about the victory, and then it is up to us to do the real work; that Is. getting job control. " 'If on returning to work you find that the I. W. W. are in the minority go to work and send the name of the job to Seattle and also the number of men short on each particular Job, and when it is known that they are needing men get a wire through as quickly as possible, and by so doing the I. W. W. will then be able to ship in their own men and as soon as they are there In the biggest numbers the I. W. W. can then tell Mr. Boss what to do, and by so doing we shall soon be able to shorten up the day to six hours.' Inquiry Im Threatened. "Under the circumstances. It does seem that the control of the I. W. W. situation in the state should be the first consideration." Joint state and Federal investigation of the lumber industry in the North west is- to be requested by Governor Lister, according to word reaching hero from Olympia today, if the labor trou bles are not adjusted by Saturday night. Late today the lumbermen's pro tective league, many of the members of which are also affiliated with the West Coast Lumbermen's Association, issued a statement in which it was de clared that the strike of lumber em ployes was "an I. W. W. insurrection." The statement is addressed to Governor Lister in reply to his proclamation, al though the proclamation had not been received officially by the league. The statement says, in part: "It is a matter of common knowledge, and beyond dispute that the strike i Couviudeu ou Fail- 3. (Jo'umn 2.)