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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 1917)
VOL. LVII. NO. 17,703. PORTLxlND, OREGON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1917. PRICE FIVE CENTS. 9 f Il 510 UlIOOiED CE1MIS GIVE IIP French Advance 11 -Mile Line Near Verdun. first pci;-;ts undefended British Tanks Effective in At tacks on Fortifications North of St. Julien. INFANTRY TASK IS LIGHT Air Service of Opponents Un usually Active, Fighting Far Into Night. PARIS, Aug. 20. A smashing French victory on the Verdun front is recorded in the official report is sued by the War Office tonight. The French have captured the enemy de fenses 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 unwounded Ger man prisoners have been taken. BERLIN, Aug. 20. (British Ad miralty per wireless press. Today's official report contains the following: "Outposts" Are Abandoned. "The French occupied without fighting Talou ridge, east of the Meuse, which since March of this year had been given up as a line of defense and had been occupied only by out posts. These were withdrawn yester day, in accordance with our plans and . without disturbance from the enemy. At all other places on the wide front fighting is in full swing." The German official communication Issued this evening follows: "The battle before Verdun is going in our favor. On the western bank of the Meuse the enemy only suc ceeded in penetrating our defensive zone at the Avocourt wood and on Le Mort Homme. Elsewhere his as saults were repulsed. . Losses Are Ileavy. "East of the Meuse the enemy was either completely repulsed before our fighting positions or driven back in counter attacks. French losses were exceedingly heavy." By the Associated Press. BRITISH FRONT IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM, Aug. 20. British tanks scored another triumph in the capture of important German posi tions yesterday morning in the neigh borhood of the Ypres-Poelcapelle road, north of St. Julien. It was a tank show almost from start to finish, and the infantry in this case played the part rf supernu meraries in support of the leading ac tors, while large numbers of the en emy troops added a finr.l melodra matic touch by surrendering abj.cf or fleeing in terror as the heavy leads lumbered onto the stage and "reached for their shooting irons." Strong Defenses Taken. As recorded in trie olliciai com munication, the British captured Ger man defenses along a mile front to a depth of 500 yards. Among the Strongholds occupied were the famous triangle, Hibau and Cockcroft farms, the sites of exceedingly strong con crete and steel machine gun redoubts, that menaced the infantry advance, It was the dawn when the tanks lined up and waited for the signal to "go over the top." The British ar tillery, observing no less of chivalry to the tanks than to the infantry in the past, poured a preliminary stream of shells into the German lines, then dropped a barrage ahead of the iron monitors, which started forward, look ing for all the world like great drag ons that had rolled out from one of Hans Andersen's conceptions into the gray morning light that shrouded this battlefield in the cockpit of Europe. Infantry Finishes Job. Behind them came the infantry, ready to do the cleaning up of the re maining enemy after the tanks had finished their part. But there was little for the infantry to do except assemble and care for the prisoners as the tanks progressed. There was hard fighting at several positions, 4 such as the three redoubts mentioned, but it was always brief. The tanks wheeled into position and (Concluded OA Page 4. Column Ji Progress of the War. W ITH the British troops busily en gaged in the successful parrying of German counter thrusts against the newly won ground In Flanders, the French and Italians have started mon ster offensives the T"rench against the Germans near "Verdun and the Italians against the Austrians from the region of Flava to near the headwaters of the Adriatic Sea. Sharp, decisive blows have gained for the French positions held by the Germans on a front of more than 11 miles, extending from the Avocourt wood eastward across the River Meuse and into the Bois de Chaume, while the Italians, after & bombardment of an intensity never before experienced in that theater, have leveled Austrian de fenses, crossd the ruins and also the Isonzo River, and now are at deadly grips with the enemy along a front of about 37 miles. Nearly 12,000 prisoners already have been counted by the- French and Ital ians, and doubtless this number will be materially augmented when full de tails of the fighting are at hand. In addition, the Germans and Austrians lost heavily in men killed or wounded and in guns and machine guns cap tured. The new territory taken by the French embraces positions which have literally weltered in French and Ger man, blood in battles that have waged to and fro since the German Crown Prince started his most costly enter prise the attempt to take Verdun which resulted in utter failure as a military maneuver, and cost the lives of tens of thousands of his men. Notable among the captured posi tions are the Avocourt wood, two sum mits of Le Mort Homme, the Corbeaux wood and Champneuvllle, all of which were held, notwithstanding vicious counter attacks by the Germans, which were broken up by the French fire with heavy casualties to the enemy. French airmen materially aided the in fantry in the press forward, swooping low over the German forces and firing their machine guns into the ranks and in fights in the air with German protecting machines, eleven of which were sent hurtling to the ground. Likewise the Italian flyers are giv ing their infantry valuable 6upport. more than 200 of them being engaged in attacking with bombs and machine gun fire Austrian troop formations be hind the lines. At last accounts the Italian guns were energetically pro ceeding with the work of destruction of the new positions taken up by the Austrians. The situation in .Flanders and in Northern France is calm as compared with last week, but both the British and French continue to make sallies at various points and to strengthen the positions won in the recent fight ing. The Canadians around Lens daily are biting further into the German line and now have the coal center virtually surrounded, except on the east . side. On this sector the Canadian guns have the range and .are making almost im possible any movements of the enemy from or into the town. The entente allied airmen 'still are carrying out raids on German positions In Belgium, many tons of bombs again having been dropped by them. In Roumania the Austro-Germans have forced back the Roumanians on both sides of the Oituz and Trotus valleys, according to the Berlin official communication. In the former sector more than 1500 Rouman ians and 30 machine guns fell into the hands of the invaders, while in fight ing on the Sereth River 2000 additional prisoners were taken. GYPSY PRINCESS DEAD Heir Who Abdicated Throne In Fa vor of Sister Succumbs. LONDON, Aug. 20. Betty Blythe, aged 92, daughter of David Blythe, and said to be the rightful heir to the gypsy throne, died today at Chirnside, Scotland. She waived her claim to the throne In favor of her sister, Esther Faa, who was Queen of the gypsies for many years. NEUTRALS COUNTED FOES England Announces Policy Toward Persistent Aids of Germany. LONDON. Aug. 20. In principle the British government is of the opinion. Lord Robert Cecil, Minister of Block ade, told the House committee today. that neutral shipping which has been persistently assisting Great Britain's enemies should be treated after the war on the same footing as enemy shipping. TONS OF BEANS POISONED Montana Board of Health Finds Strychnine; Germans Suspected. HELENA, Mont., Aug. 20. Burma beans, found on analysis by the state laboratory at Bozeman to contain strychnine, were ordered destroyed to day by the State Board of Health. Tons of them had been shipped into this state and sold to innocent dealers. German agencies are suspected. SAILOR DEAD TOTALS 6627 England Reports Fatalities In Mer chant Marine During "War. LONDON, Aug. 20. Since the out break of the war 6627 officers and men of the British mercantile marine, exclusive of those in the pay of the Admiralty, have lost their lives, ac cording to a statement in the Commons this afternoon by Sir Albert Stanley, president of the Board of Trade. GERMAN EMPIRE IS RULED BY PRINCES Reichstag Nothing But Debating Society. BUNDESRATH HAS MUCH POWER Chancellor Is Responsible Only to Emperor. PEOPLE NOT REPRESENTED Former Ambassador Gerard De scribes and Explains Govern ment of Which Kai ser Is Head. Br JAMES W. GERARD. American Ambassador to the German Im perial court. July 28. 1913, to February 4. 11.T. (Copyright, 1017, by the Public Ledger Company.) My commission had read: "Ambassa dor to Germany." It is characteristic of our deep Ig norance of all foreign affairs that I was appointed Ambassador to a pi :e which does not exist. Politically, there is no such place as "Germany." There are the 25 states. Prussia, Bavarfa, Wurttemberg, Saxony, etc., which make up the "German Empire," but there is no such political entity as "Germany." These 25 states have votes in the Bundesrath, a body which may be said to correspond remotely to our United States Senate. But each state has a different number of votes. Prussia has 17, Bavaria six, "Wurttemberg and Saxony four each, Baden and Hesse three each, Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Brunswick two each and the rest one each. Prussia controls Brunswick. Reichstag Only a Debating Society. The Reichstag or Imperial Parlia ment corresponds to our House of Rep resentatives. The members are elected by manhood suffrage of those over 25. But in practice the Reichstag is noth ing hut a debating society, because of the preponderating power or the Bun desrath or upper chamber. At the head of the Ministry is the Chanceller, ap pointed by the Emperor; and the other Ministers, such as Colonies, Interior, Education, Justice and Foreign Affairs, are but. underlings of the Chancellor and appointed by him. The Chancellor is not responsible to the Reichstag, as Bethmann-Hollweg clearly stated, at the time of the Zabern affair, but only to the Emperor. Innovation la Slight. It Is true that an innovation properly belonging only to a parliamentary gov ernment was introduced some seven years ago. viz.. that the Ministers must answer questions (as in England) put them by the members of the Reichs tag. But there the likeness to a par liamentary government begins and ends. The members of the Bundesrath are named by the Princes of the 25 states making up the German Empire. Prus- (Concluded on Page S, Column A HOUSE OF DIRTY CARDS, IT COLLAPSED AT THE 1 T i t L 4 'GET ALL YOU CAN,' COAL MAN'S MOTTO NO LIMIT TO PROFIT, INVESTI GATORS ARE TOLD. Witness Declines to Commit Himself on Ethics of Taking All Traffic Will Bear. ST. LOUIS. Aug. 20. William S. Scott, president of the Missouri & Illinois Company, which leases coal mines near Delleville, 111., today testified at the Inquiry into the Missouri coal trade that It is the policy of the coal men to make all they can, both in war and in peace. Asked as to his ideas of a fair profit during war, he said: "There is no limit. We get what we can. Everybody is doing that, includ ing the farmer." "Do you think that Is right?" asked Assistant Attorney-General Gose, of Missouri. "I am not qualified to say," was the reply. "I am doing all I can to get what I can." He said the highest price he had ob tained recently for coal was $6 a ton for six-inch Carterville lump. "How do you Justify chaging ?6 for something that cost less than $2 to produce?' asked, the Assistant Attorney-General. "Because you can get It," was the reply. "You are a lawyer and you wouldn't do a piece of work for $5 if you could get $10 for it." RAIN DOES GREAT GOOD Forest Fire Danger Lessened and Growing Crops Aided at Astoria. ASTORIA, Or., Aug. 20. (Special.) A light rain which visited this section this morning did a vast amount of good in lessening the danger from forest fires, as we '. as in freshening growing crops. TILLAMOOK, Or., Aug. 20. (Spe cial.) Tillamook farmers are rejoicing today in the steady downfall of rain. The drought has for some time threat ened to do damage to the cow pastures. EUGENE WOMAN DROWNS Mrs. Grace Granger, of University, Victim of Canoe Accident. EUGENE, Or., Aug. 20. Mrs. " Grace Granger, 30 years of age, employed in the administration department of the University of Oregon, while canoeing in the millrace here with her husband and two girl friends, was drowned when the canoe upset when it hit a bridge. Mr. Granger and. two 'men near by attempted to rescue Mrs. Granger. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were formerly of Ashland, Neb. MAYOR'S SON GETS "DEAR" Trophy of Chase Brought Home and Introduced as Bride. OREGON CITT, Or., Aug. 20. (Spe cial.) E. A. Hackett, son of the Mayor, went deer hunting recently. He re turned with a blushing bride, the in troducing to his parents being the first intimation of the event. s Toung Hackett and his bride, who was Miss Minnie Boese, of Boring, Or., were married on July 14 at Stevenson, Wash. The hunting trip was continued as part of their honeymoon. ARREST EXPLAINS H. H. LEEP MYSTERY Oregon Youth Held on Double Charge. ARMY UNIFORMS UTILIZED "Promotion" Taken as. Fancy Happened to Dictate. FRAUDULENT CHECKS MADE Telegrams Sent From New Orleans Announce Death, Then Injury, Believed to Have Been Sent by Man Himself. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash ington, Aug. 20. The arrest in New York of Homer H. Leep, of Myrtle Point. Or., on the double charge of im personating an Army officer and pass ing worthless checks clear- up the mystery which surrounded the disap pearance of this man at New Orleans, August 1, when he was reported shot. Leep was arrested in New York Sat urday by special agents of the Depart ment of Justice who have been trail ing him for nearly a month, and ar rangements are being made for his re moval to New Orleans for trial on .the charge of passing "bad checks. Second Charge Reserved. Prosecution for Impersonating an Army officer will be ordered later. A dispatch from New York says that Leep, when arrested, was wearing the uniform of a Major. Earlier he ap oeared as First Lieutenant, then as Captain. He admitted promoting him self to meet his whims. It was his plan to go to France aboard an Army transport, pose as a Major on leave of absence and see Paris at Government expense. When arraigned Leep waived exam ination and was held in $5000 bail. Bad Check Is Cashed. According to reports received by the Department of Justice,- Leep. while in New -Orleans, .posed jbjb -Fixat Lieutenant of -the Army and graduate of West Point. There he met a business man and got him to cash a check for J100, the check was subsequently returned endorsed "No provisions for payment." Leep meantime disappeared, but be fore leaving sent telegrams to his wife in Washington and to his parents in Oregon first announcing his death and. asking what disposition to make of the remains and later saying he was not killed but seriously injured In an aero plane accident. He signed these tele grams "Lieutenant P. H. Young," and the Department of Justice reports show that Leep frequently used this alias. Mind Believed Affected. Leep, according to the War Depart ment, Is not entitled to wear toe uni form of an Army officer, having been dropped from the Dayton aviation (Concluded on Page 2. Column il.) FIRST TOUCH. SPOKANE BANKER SUED FOR DIVORCE R. L. RTJTTEK ALLEGED TO HAVE DESERTED SPOUSE. Complainant Recites That Husband Nagged Her and Found Fault With Home Life. SPOKANE, Wash., Aug. 20. (Spe cial.) Isabel Rutter today filed suit in the Superior Court for a divorce from R. L. Rutter. president of the Spokane & Eastern Trust Company, and presi dent of the Western Union Life Insur ance Company. The complaint filed by Mrs. Rutter's attorneys charges in one paragraph that her husband has deserted her and refused to return to her although she has repeatedly asked him to do so. It recites that she already has a de cree of separate maintenance against him and that he was cruel to her in that he nagged at her, was fault-finding with the home and told her he was tired of home life. Such actions start ed six yci.rs ago and continued until he left her in 1914, she says. It Is set out in the complaint that all property rights of the two, esti mated at well over $100,000, have been settled between them, and that the terms of the agreement on property rights will be presented to the court for approval at the time of the hear ing of the case. DON W. NIX WINS BRIDE Journal Reporter Surprises Friends by Wedding at Vancouver. Don Wylle Nix, member of the re portorial staff of the Portland Journal, was one of the actors in a Vancouver matrimonial surprise yesterday when he wedded Miss Marguerite St. Clair, of this city. The wedding was solemnized by Rev. John Nisewonder, of Vancouver, Mrs. Marie Stler, sister of the bride, was matron of honor, while Charles N. Ryan acted as best man. The bride has made her home with her sister at the Hotel Venable. Mr. Nix has been with the Journal for the past two years. They will make their home at the Carmelita Apart ments. WAGE INCREASE OFFERED Striking Mill Workers of Willapa Harbor to Vote on Acceptance. SEATTLE, Aug. 20. A 10 per cent increase in wages is being offered to striking mill workers of Willapa Har bor by.,all the large operators of that district at a meeting of employers and employes In Raymond today. The pro posal will be put to a vote by the men. MOBILIZATION IS CHANGED Dates for Second and Third Draft Increments Advanced. WASHINGTON. Aug. 20. Mobiliza tlon of the second increment of draft troops was today changed from Septem ber 15 to 19 and the third increment from September 30 to October 3. Mob ilization of the first increment will be as previously announced September 5. INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The IVeather. YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature, 78 degrees; minimum, 65 degrees. TODAY'S Probably showers. War. French smash German line at Verdun, tak ing- 5000 prisoners. Page 1 Gerard tells kind of government that rules German empire. Page 1, U. P. will speed construction of destroyers. Page 2. Genera! Petaln reviews American troops. Pago 2. Italians take 7500 prisoners In new drlTe. Page 2. Foreign. . Allies to confer on replies to Pope's peace note. Page 7. National. Sentiment favors higher taxes on war prof- Its and incomes. Page b. Shipping Board will ask billion for pro gramme. Pago 5. R. S. Lovett named by President to direct priority of shipments. Page a. Domestic. Coal operator says he sells for highest price he can get. Pago l. Bopp and Von Schack to be sent to Utah internment camp. Page 3. California-Oregon Coast Highway to be built soon. Page 5. Arrest of Homer Leep clears mystery. Pago 1. Impost-ar passes bad checks. Page 14. Sports. White Sox and Red Sox divide double header. Page 12. City tennis tournament to start Saturday. Pag- IS. Blllv Williams to meet Jack Wagner Friday night. Page 12. Four Beavers hit better than .300 against Oaks. Page 12. Frank Troeh. of Vancouver. Wash., is high gun In National shoot at Chicago. Page 12 Pacific Northwest. Threatened general strike of I. W. W. is dismal failure. Page 1. Escaped Oregon convict accused of spectac ular career in Seattle. Page 0. Builders" risk in shipping industry lowered by state as patriotic move. Page 7. Fourteenth Red Cross Ambulance Corps to mobilize. Pago 11. R. T.. Rutter, of Spokane, sued for divorce. Pago 1. Commercial and Marine. Kew record price for hogs, $13.25, is reached. Page 17. Stork market listless, rails being slightly lower. Page 17. Cereals advance In Chicago market. Page 17. Contract let for design of municipal ele vator. Page 14. Portland and Vicinity. Marlon County children visit Union Stock , yards. Pago 14. Mayor will abolish moral squad. Fags 18. Mayor and Mr. Kellaher tilt In Council meeting on police force reorganization. Page 11. Soldier named in divorce complaint by hus band of six months. Page 11. Nobody in Oregon pays any attention to I. W. W. strike order. Page 4. Salary increases of 14 per cent recommended for Portland teachers. Page 13. French sing as they move to charge. Page 4. Weather report, data and forecast. Page 17. GENERAL" I. W. W. STRIKE FALLS FLAT Call Is Ignored in Every Industry. IDAHO ORCHARDS GUARDED Wallace Mines Are Patroled by Government Troops. MILLS ARE NOT AFFECTED Street Speaking at Spokane Is Stopped and Secretary Rowan May Be Tried by Court martial for Threat. SPOKANE. Wash.. Auir. 20. Th. s-.n. eral strike of the Industrial Workers of the World, which was called for tn- day as a protest against the holding in jaus or members of the organization, failed to materialize in all except one place, according to reports receivort here. Reports that 80 I. W. W Vl n r? frtn a on strike at St. John, Wash., demanding- tne release of one of their number held in jail, were denied in reports from Colfax, the county seat of Whitman County. Outaiders ' Plead for Strike. After two deputy sheriffs hart in vestigated the situation at St. John it was announced that about 50 I. W. W. from outside the district had estab lished a camp there and that their ef forts to persuade the men to strikn hart been unsuccessful. Only about half a dozen men quit work in Whitman County, it was de clared. No official of the I. W. W. could be seen today, as they are being held as military prisoners in the County Jail, and the headquarters of the organiza tion is in the hands of state guards men. Mines and Orchards Guarded. The Federal Government took steps today to check any threatened trouble by placing. troopsat Lewiston. Idaho, and at Wallace, Idaho. Troops at Lewiston will protect the orchards and harvest fields and the soldiers at Wal lace were placed near the big lead mines. It developed here today that James Rowan, district secretary of the I. W. W.. who signed the strike order which demanded the release of men being held in jails in Washington, Idaho, Ore gon and Alontana, may be courtmar tialed instead of being tried in court. Some Are Alien Enemies. The" men he wanted released from jails were being held by the military and an investigator said that it had developed that some of the men were alien enemies and others men who had failed to register. Major Clement Wilklns, who arrested Rowan and 26 other I. W. W. members, did not examine any of his prisoners today, as he had expected. They are being held in the County Jail with state guardsmen patrolling the corri dors. Street Speaking Stopped. At St. Maries, Idaho, 11 members of the order are in jail and' none of the 230 men employed in the lumber mill3 there quit work. At Sandpoint, Idaho, more than 500 men continued work in the lumber mills there. Harvesting continued as usual in the Eastern Washington harvest fields, according to early reports. The City Commission of Spokane to day ruled that no street speaking will be permitted in the future. This ap plies to Industrial Workers of the World and religious organizations. Last night the guardsmen who arrest ed the Industrial Workers prohibited street meetings. 2000 I. W. W. NOW IN JAITj Haywood Says Arrests Don't Worry Order, as It Is Used to Them. CHICAGO, Aug. 20. The strike of agricultural and Industrial workers in the West will be intensified by the ar rest of their leaders, declared William D. Haywood, National secretary of the L W. W., today. "Anyway, arrests don't bother us," he asserted. "We have more than 2000 men in Jail now." MONTANA HAS NO TROCBLK No Reports of Violence or Strike Reach Federal Official?. BUTTE. Mont., Aug. 20. So far as officials of the United States Attor ney's office here have ascertained the I. W. W. strike of agricultural and con struction laborers in this state hao not interfered with work in any Montana community. James A. Baldwin, Assistant United States Attorney, said that no reports of violence or trouble of any kind had reached his office from any point in the state. FEW I. W. W. AT IiOS AGEI,i;3 Threat Is Made of Visit of Army if Northern Effort Succeeds. LOS ANGELES. Cal.. Aug. 20. (Spe cial.) So great has been the exodus of members of the Industrial Worker of (Concluded on Fags 4, Column 3.)