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 These were withdrawn yester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.)