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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (June 25, 1918)
STAMP! STAMP! STAMP! KEEP UP GOOD LICKS The Boys Are Marching. W. S. S. Help. The Gum on W. S. S. Tastes Fine. Try It. VOL. L.VIII. NO. 17,967. PORTLAND, OREGON, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1918. PIIICE FIVE CENTS. MANY RAILROADS SAID TO FACE RUIN TEX THOrSAND MIXES OF LINES NEAR BANKRUPTCY. AUHH RETREAT CHAfJGED TO ROUT AUSTRIAN ROUT IS BLOW TO BEBHAHY Teuton Offensive Plans Believed Upset ALL INDUSTRIES TO BE ORGANIZED UMATILLA COUNTY GETS HEAVY RAIN U. S. BOYS CITEO FOR GALLANTRY III PROPERTY PLOT TRI-STATE ZONE .COMMISSION . FLAN ADOPTED. GOOD SHOWERS REPORTED IN MANX SECTIONS. GERMANS CAUGHT Enemy Piles Across Piave Under Italian Fire. 40,000 PRISONERS TAKEN General Diaz Says Appalling Number of Austrian Sol diers Are Killed. RIVER FILLED WITH DEAD American Airmen Do Briliant Work in Developing Italian Victory. VIENNA, via London, June 24. The War Office announces today the evacuation of Montello and the right bank of the Piave River by the Aus trian troops. WASHINGTON, June 24. Austrian losses in the retreat from the Piave included an "appalling number" of troops killed, more than 40,000 made prisoner and an enormous amount of war booty, said a report from General Diaz, the Italian commander, which was cabled' from Rome tonight to the Italian Embassy. Tenacious Hold Broken. "Yesterday we obtained a great vic tory," said General Diaz' message. "Owing to the extreme pressure of our troops and the continuous fire of the artillery and airplanes, the enemy, after having desperately clung for eight days at the cost of appalling losses to the right bank of the Piave, on the night of the 23d "began to re- treat to the left bank under our ter rific fire. "The retreat continued during the entire day, protected by strong ma chine gun contingents and rearguard units, which, after opposing obstinate resistance, were successfully over powered by the impetus of our troops, which enveloped Montello and swept over on the entire Piave line with the exception of a short section at Musile, where the fight continues. "Thus far 40,000 prisoners have been counted and an enormous amount of booty captured. An appalling num ber of Austrian corpses litters the ground bearing witness of the un fortunate bravery and of the crush ing defeat of the enemy." (By the Associated Press.) The defeat' of the Austrian armies on the western bank of the Piave River is complete. Admission is made by the Austrian "War Office that the troops of Emperor Charles have been forced to evacuate the Montello plateau, over which they had hoped to press their way and gain the Vene tian plains, and "some sectors" of the positions they attained last week on the bank of the river between the plateau and the point where the stream empties into the Adriatic. Crushing Attacks Failure. Bad weather and the rising of the Piave under the heavy rainfalls are assigned as the reasons for the with' drawal of the Austrians. But the Rome War Office asserts that it was the impetuous attacks of the Italians that brought about the failure of an operation which was started with the intention of crushing the armies cf General Diaz and forcing the Italians like the Russians, to accept a Teutonic allied peace. All along the river the Italians have I pressed back the invaders of their ter ritory until . only small units remain on the western bank, and across the stream King Victor Emmanuel's men are keeping well on the heels of the retreating enemy, who is fleeing in disorder. Again the cavalry has been thrown into the fighting and is harassing the enemy, while machine guns from the ground and from aircraft, some of the latter operated by American aviators are working havoc among the fleeing Austrian columns. 40,000 Men Captured. The losses to the enemy are de scribed as enormous, rotn in men killed, wounded or made prisoner. An official statement from Rome to the Italian Embassy in Washington as serts that the Austrians have lost 40,000 men in prisoners alone. The Italian War Office statement men 1 tions only 4000 Austrians, as having (Continued on F&ge 2. Column 3.) Railroad Administration's Attitude Blamed for Flight of Small er Companies. WASHINGTON', June 24. Because ot the railroad administration's attitude toward the short-line railroads of the country, 10,000 miles ot lines belong ing: to smaller companies are now on the vergre of bankruptcy and threaten to suspend operations. representatiTes of the short lines told the Senate In terstate commerce committee today. They urged,, an amendment to pre vent relinquishment of short lines while control of competing: trunk lines is retained. Ben B. King:, of Dallas, Tex., mem ber of the executive committee of the American Short Line Association, said the operating- income of his road, the Gulf, Texas & "Western Railroad, has been reduced about 50 per cent since the Government took control of rail roads because much of the freight shipments which formerly passed over that line are now being routed over Government - controlled roads which compete with that one. He said the relinquishing of the Denver & Salt Lake Railroad, about 200 miles in length, by the Govern ment had destroyed that road's credit, and that the Colorado & Midland Rail way, having a mileage of 344 miles, also will have to suspend operations forthe same reason. The Midland noad., Mr. King said, parallels the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, and all traffic has been di verted to the latter road. Witnesses told the committee that practically 800 short-line railroads In the country, with a total of -30,000 miles of track, are affected by the resolution. WARDNER'S SINS WIPED OUT City, Minns Saloons, Is Sans Police and Needs No Jail. WARDNER, Idaho, June 24. (Spe cial.) Owing to falling off In business since the state went dry. Police Judge T. R. Jones of this city has asked the council to reduce his salary from $35 a month to $10 a month. The judge also informed the Council that there w.as no further need of ity jail and that the city might as well quit paying rent on the place. The Council had already dispensed with the services of a policeman. In the palmy days of liquor the city had"18 saloons, employed four justices f the peace and a police judge to han die the business, while three policemen rounded up the strays. Owing to its ocation even the bootleggers now shun the town and the only attempt made at moonshine work was nipped by Federal agents, who confiscated the plant. EACE DOVE NOT IN SIGHT Iturlan's Remarks, Says Lord Robert Cecil, Damned by Tisza. LONDON, June 24. In the House of Commons tonight Lord Robert Cecil, Minister of Blockade, replying to a question concerning the latest utter ances of Baron Burlan, the Austro Hungarian Foreign Minister, said there was no indication favorable for official peace negotiations. Baron Burian's remarks, he added. contained no serious contribution to any peace discussion. He was the nominee of Count Tisza, the former Hungarian Premier, who was as re sponsible as any man in Europe for the war. SPANISH SHIP IS HELD UP IT -Bo at Captain Refuses -to See Pa pers and Sinks Craft. MADRID, June 24. The captain of the Spanish sailing vessel Joaquima re ports that his ship, which sailed from Cuba, was held up by a submarine which declined to examine the ship's papers. The vessel was sunk and the crew was afloat for nve days, being rescued off the coast of Africa. The vessel which, picked them up landed all at Gibraltar except the captain. A dispatch from Paris May 22 said that the Joaquima had been found abandoned. TWO DISTRICTS OVER TOP Clackamas Committees Open Drive in Defense of Nation. OREGON CITY, Or., June 24. (Spe cial.) J. E. Calavan, county chairman of the War Savings Stamp drive, has received reports from several dis tricts of Clackamas County. .The first district to report is Advance, a Ger man settlement. This district has gone $565 over the top. The quota was $2065. Another district heard from is Sprlngwater. About $1000 worth of stamps had been sold at noon, and the committee was still at work. TRALEE HAS MARTIAL LAW Irish Seaport Put tn Same Class as County Clare. DUBLIN, June 24. A proclamation issued tonight declares the seaport of Tralee, County Kerry, to be a special military area. This means the same system of martial law has been ap plied to Tralee as has been enforced in the County Clare. Permits will be necessary for persons to enter tie jyrescrihed dUtfictt . GERMAN TROOPS RUSH SOUTH Temper of Austrian Public Makes Defeat Fatal. TEUTONS MUCH WORRIED Possibility That Austrian Govern ment May Pall Hampers Ber lin in the Prosecution of Struggle In France. WASHINGTON, June 24. Germany's entire offensive programme may .have been upset, in the opinion of some of ficers here, by the crushing defeat of ! the Austrians along the Piave River. Official reports reaching Washington bear out the picture of the Austrian disaster given In press accounts from Italy, although. the full extent of the Italian success is not yet apparent. Teuton Morale Hard Hit. It is regarded as certain, however, that the central powers have been dealt a blow that will further shake the morale of their people and prob ably will compel the German high command to make a complete readjust ment of its plans in France. Secretary Baker showed the signif icance attached here to the defeat of the Austrian when he dispatched a telegram today to the American Am bassador at Rome for transmission to the Italian Minister of War. Mr. Baker's message was sent before the Secretary had received additional reports from the Italian front show ing that the retirement was a disor ganized rout. There is no doubt hene now that the victory will prove to be one of the most decisive in character of the whole war. Italian Kront Danaeron. Army officers agreed with the view expressed by Mr. Bakar that the de feat could not help but influence greatly the course of events In France. It is regarded as vital from the Ger man point of view that the Italian front be made secure before German designs in France can be prosecuted to their fullest development. While there Is imminent danger that the Austro-Hungarlan government may collapse, Germany cannot devote her self wholly to the task she has under taken of forcing victory in the west before American man-power can swing the scales finally against her. J?or tnis reason, both at the War Department and in the diplomatic clr cles. there was much speculation as to the moves to support Austria already taken by the German high command. There is little doubt that reports of large German troop movements to Italy are well founded, as it is believed the situation must be restored there at all costs unless the whole German in fluence is to fail of its own weight. The German problem of rushing (Concluded on Page 4. Column l. j'" ' '? I THE DRIVE IS ON. I - ...... . . i 1 i t I - I 4 II COWVWU .' I .,?snnk. 1 1. JSftU. IT I I : .UP.?! 1 hW . UUH X I I , ; &,r r -?TL -1 ' t i it.............. j ....... jj.,, twJJJ.,..Y Sub-District Centers Are Portland, Seattle, Tacoma, Walla Walla, -Spokane and Boise. ( SEATTLE, Wash., June 24. Repre sentatives of civic organizations of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, at a conference here today, adopted a plan of organization for a zone industrial commission . of the War .. Industries Board. The purpose of the plan is to bring manufacturers In each zene Into close relationship with the needs- of the Government in order that they may change over their production to Govern ment necessities as quickly as possible when the need arises. The district is to have a representa tive attached to the War Industries Board at Washington, D. C, who will represent zone manufacturers In deal ing with all purchasing -departments ot the Government. Sub-district centers ard their dis tricts are: Spokane All of Idaho, and Asotin, Whitman, Adams, Grant, Douglas, Lin coln, Chelan. Okanogan. Ferry, Ste vens, Pend O'Reille and Spokane conn ties in Washington. Boise All of Idaho south of Idaho County. Walla Walla Pendleton, Franklin, Benton, Walla Walla, Garfield and Columbia counties in Washington, and Morrow, Waliowa. Umatilla. Union and Baker counties In Oregon Portland All of Oregon except the above-named counties; Klickitat. Ska mania and Clarke counties in Wash ington. Tacoma All counties except Clarke in Southwestern Washington. Keattltf Kittitas, Kitsap. Clallam Jefferson, Island, San Juan, Whatcom, Snohomish and King counties. Wash Ington. STATE SUPERIOR TO CITY Montana Supreme Court Upholds Authority of Utility Commission HELENA, Mont., June 24. The Su preme Court of Montana affirmed to day the decision of the District Court of Yellowstone County in favor of the defendant in the suit of the city of Billings against the Billings Gas Com pany to compel that utility to furnish gas in accordance with provisions of an ordinance enacted a year before the State Utilities Commission was created. The court laid down the rule that the right of a municipality to fix prices by an ordinance contract was subject to the paramount authority of the state, and that by the creation of the Utility Commission the state decided to exer else that authority, abrogating the provision of the ordinance. The city can obtain relief, if rates are too high by complaint to the commission. MORROW SCHOOL IS FIRST Cecil District "Over the Top" in War Stamp Drive. Cecil school district. Morrow County, is the first district In Oregon officially to report "over the top" In the war sav ings stamp drive. C. E. Woodson, of Heppner, county chairman, yesterday telegraphed State Director C. S. Jackson that Cecil dis trict had more than doubled its quota. $43 having been subscribed for every man, woman and child in the district. Sixty per cent of the sales were in cash and 40 per cent in pledges. riuHK ami UNCLE SAM j U. S. Takes Over Three Big Corporations. SAFEGUARD' SCHEME EXPOSED Enemy Assets Masquerade as American Holdings. ATTORNEY DEVISES PLAN Aggregate Capitalization of Teuton- Owned Concerns Seized by Cus todian Palmer Is Placed at $3,500,000. NEW YORK, June 24. German plots to hide enemy assets under the cloak of American corporations organized or lent for the purpose were revealed to day when A. Mitchell Palmer, alien property custodian, took over three German-owned concerns with an ag gregate capitalization of $3,500,000. The companies were: Dleckerhoff. Raffloer & Co., importers and manufac turers of notions, 660 Broadway; Raf floer, Erbsloh At Co.. cordage manufac turers, of the'same address, with plants In Cuba, and the American Storage Company, of Havana. ' Lawyer Helps Out Plot. It is charged that on March 17. 1917. three weeks before the United States entered the war against Germany, George Carlton Comatock, a New York lawyer, advised Ewald C. Dleckerhoff, one of the principal owners, to "safe guard" his property. Comstock, In a letter which was discovered by the De partment of Justice, is said to have writton on that date: "The best thing to safeguard your property . : . would be to transfer all your assets to a New York corpora tion which could be organized for this purpose, or a corporation already in existence could be used. Corporations Out of Jobs. "We have corporations in this office which are not doing anything at this time; they have been created for cer tain purposes and those purposes have been accomplished, are now available for other uses after amendments to the objects and increases of capital stock have taken place." Dleckerhoff, who is said to have lived in this country IB years, but has never been naturalized, has a resi dence in Greenwich, Conn., a town house in Park avenue and maintains a 2000-acre estate in the Catskills. Some Owners Live Abroad. Others Involved are Rudolph Erbsloh, of New York, a native of Germany, but now & naturalized American; William H. Erhart. of New York, an American citizen, who has one sister married to Erbsloh and another sister, Clara Erhart von Truchsess, who lives in Germany. Still other owners of the concerns taken over, who ' are living in Ger many, are: Johauin Herkmann, Johann C. W. Rumpe, Millie Raffloer, Emma (Concluded en Page 3. Column l.j Thunder Storms and Even Small Cloudbursts Seen Maturing Grain Is Benefited. PENDLETON, Or., June 24. (Special.) From many' sections of the county have come reports of heavy showers, thunder storms and even small cloud bursts yesterday afternoon. So far as can be learned, there was no serious damage, though in some 'instances there was considerame danger. From Stanley Creek, near Pilot Rock, comes the report that hailstones as large as walnuts fell for several min utes yesterday afternoon, driving men and horses working in the fields to shelter. In places the stones lay four inches deep on the ground. A cloud burst on Meacham Creek caught the end of freight train No. 235 on the O.-W. R. & X. betwen Duncan and Huron, washing rocks and logs onto the track and derailing the caboose. Traffic was delayed for some time. Upper McKay Creek experienced a small cloudburst near the John Schmidt placa on the. south fork of the creek and warnings were telephoned to ranchers farther down in the Valley. The water spnead out before any dam age was done. There were heavy rains at Lehman Spring, at Thorn Hollow, east of here and between Milton and Weston. The farmers profited greatly by the rains, especially those having Spring grain. t.a r,nxnp n. t -, r clal.) Reports today show that some slight damage was done by the heavy aownpoui yesterday, which hit moun tain ana vaney alike. Mountaineers suffered by hail somewhat. In the Valley the rain, which yesterday to taled an inch and a half, so soaked Union County that no more is needed 10 mature me gratn. SLACKER SUSPECTS TAKEN feeven Hundred of Draft Age Are Rounded Up in Brownsville, X. V. NEW YORK, June 24. More than 700 men of draft age were rounded up by the police in the Brownsville district of Brooklyn tonight and questioned concerning their registration cards. The raid was prompted by local draft officers, who were disappointed in the registration of June 4. and who had learned that circulars had been dis tributed urging all young men to re sist being "Illegally Inducted Into the Army." MRS. MUCK IS REGISTERED Wife of Interned Musician on Rec ord as Enemy Alien. BOSTON. June 24. Mrs. Anita Muck wife of Dr. Karl Muck, former conduc tor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, who has been Interned as an enemy alien, registered here today as an en emy alien. She gave her birthplace as Graz Styrla, Austria, where her father was one time Mayor. INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The Weather. TESTERDAY'S Maximum tmra.tur. dftrs; minimum. 5.', deterges. TODAY'S Fair; gentle westerly winds. War.' Austrian rout disrupts German war plana. rage l. Many Americans cited for gallantry on bat tieneia. f.tr i. Americans gain Belleu Wood po.itlons. Austrians flee. In utter rout. Page 1. Offlotat cuualtr liai- Page S. Lloyd George says U. 8. troop movement or ganisation amaxlng. Pago 4. U-boat sinks transport: 67 of crew mining. Foreign. Austrian labor strikes In protest agaln.t war. rage - Food shortage causes big strikes In Ger many, page Allies help America to solvo Russian prob lem. page o. National. Many small railroads said to face bank ruptcy. Paso 1. Draft lottery to be held this week. Page 4. Senate ratlfiea U. S.-Brltlah draft treaties. Pag 3. Domratlt. Allen property plot detected at New York. Pago 1. Federml official resigns Job because Baker wants him to stop attacking Hearst. Pago 5. Sports. Heer defeats Troeh by three birds. Page 12. Mora power given shipyard "unpi" to good advantage. Page 12. Irvlngton gets state tennis tourney. Page 12. Vancouver. Wash., Is new league member. Page 12. rarifle Northwest. Heavy rains reported general In Umatilla County. Page 1. Zona Industrial Commission plan adopted. Page 1. Salem completes plans for home-coming. Page S. Commercial and Marine. Heavy movement of produce from California to Northwest. Page 17. Livestock prices steadier at North Portland yards. Page 17. Corn prices break on selling, duo to news of Austrian defeat. Page 17. Wall street stock market strengthened by war news. Page 17. Alblna Engine Works sets new record. Pago 13. Portland and Vicinity. City usured milk aupply despite action of Oregon Dairymen's League. Page 11. Prizes awarded In essay contest. Page 6. Refusals to buy war savings stamps will be reported on yellow card. Page's. County work of T. M. C. A. spreading rap idly. Page 7. Multnomah County financially embarrassed. Pago 18. Five hundred drafted men leave Portland today. Page 6. Red Cross Issues call for workers. Page 13. Housing problem discussed. Page 11. Hun effigies to be plastered with stickers. Pago . Training school for reconstruction aides opened at Reed College. Page 10. War stamp drive starts with bang. Page 7. Shipbuilders not exempt from draft. Page 4. Officer Is accused in bootlegging trial. Page 13. iicmher report datg, tUi XvtecMd H 13. Valor Wins Official Recognition. MAJOR ROOSEVELT ON LIST Young Officer, Badly Gassed, Sticks to His Command. SANITARY SECTION PRAISED Conduct of Many Americans En gaged in Fighting at Cantigny Referred To in Terms of Commendation. WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE. June 24. (By the Associated Press.) Major Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.. has been cited by the General com manding the troops to which his unit attached for "conspicuous callantrv In action during the operations con nected with the capture and subsequent defense of Cantlgny." The citation says: "During an enemy raid he displayed high qualities of courage and leader ship in going forward to supervise in person the action of one of the com panies of his battalion, which had been attacked. Officer Retains t ommand. "On the day of our attack upon Cantlgny, although gassed In the lungs and gassed In the eyes to blindness. Major Roosevelt refused to be removed and retained the command of his bat talion under a heavy bombardment throughout the engagement." One hundred and thirty - two other members of the First Division and two entire batteries of field artillery and Company D, First Engineers, are cited. Sanitary Section, U. S. 649. is thus cited: "The personnel of this section, with out regard to personal danger, dis played great courage and devotion to duty In assisting and evacuating the wounded." father'. Hehavlor Splendid. The citations read as follows: "Lieutenant CS. P. Cather (since killed in action): With splendid cour age and coolness he mounted the para pet of a trench and directed a destruc tive flanking fire from two automatic rifle teams exposed to seven Oerman machine guns. "Sergeant Edward Nester "Owicz Knocked out by a shell : nd left be hind, he staggered on and rejoined his company, after which, mortally wound ed, he died. "Sergeant William L. Kouns Seri ously wounded, he helped to repel a counter attack, assisted the wounded and refused to quit. Kelly Accurate Kunnrr. "Sergeant Frank Kelly, machine gun ner He brought in two wounded and did valiant service with the accuracy of his machine gun. "Corporal Joseph Samert He wived an important position while under ma chine gun fire and assisted a wounded comrade. 4 "Private Brooks C. Bowles He crept several hundred yards in daylight un der a terrific machine gun and rifle fire to rescue a wounded comrade ly ing in the open. "Private George Purcell Cited for a similar action to that of Bowles. Krlty Good Fighter. "Private Wlllard Felty Exposed to enemy machine guns, he silenced with hts automatic a German machine gun and reduced the fire ot others until his own weapon was useless. "Private Fred M. Meyer He shielded an automatic rifle firer with his body, enabling the rifleman to silence a German machine gun. Meyer was killed as the result of his action. "Private Shelton Amies Wounded in two places by a shell, he regained consciousness and Joined his platoon. Wounded Officers Saved. "Private William 1 Proup. machine gunner Carried a wounded officer to safety through terrific shell fire. "Private Walter Stewart, machine gunner Wounded while helping to res cue a wounded officer who was lying on open ground swept by artillery and machine gun fire. "Private Andrew Charles, machine gunner His corporal and another comrade having been killed, he manned a machine gun for three days without relief and constantly under artillery and machine gun fire. "Private Russell Handley Wiring front positions in daylight in plain sight of the enemy, who shot him with a machine gun. "Private William Phrar Cited for a similar performance to that of Handley. Majcooa Defies Gas. "Private Victor Magoon Remained at his post and did distinguished serv ice, although suffering from gas poi soning, for four hours. "Lieutenant E. D. Orrell With brav ery and coolness In handling a platoon under heavy bombardment he defeated an enemy counter attack, inflicting heavy losses." "Colonel Lucius R. Holbrook Dis played conspicuous skill in handling an artillery group in attack and subse quent bombardments, preserving the mission of the guns, adjusting the barrage line and efficiently supporting the infantry. "Captain R. H. Oglesby. Engineers iCoacludcd, pa i'sie i, Column 4.) IfGTl 1Qfi.pt