Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (March 16, 1918)
AVEATHFR Fair except probable' rain in northwest portion; moderate southwesterly winds. glXTY-SI-VKXTII VKAIt NO. 304 SAL KM, OIJWiON, SATURDAY SlOli.M.NG. MARCH Hi, 1918 PRICE FIVE CE.STS I DAILY EDITION LEADERS IN SPLIT OVER RUSS POLICY German Civil Government and . Military Chiefs Divided on Plan to Annex Russian Bal- tic Provinces KAISER AND GENERALS CONFERING AT COUNCIL Lmnediate Economic Gain to .! Germany, Improbable, : T Americans Believe WASHINGTON'. March 11. Seri ous differences between the German civil government and the military leaders over the plan of the general staff to annex the Russian Baltic provinces are reported in an official dispatch bused upon German news paper reports received here today from France. The dispatch says: "A crown council, at which were present Emperor William, Marshal Hindenbarg, Count von Herlling and many notable personages has been held! to deliberate upon various ques tion relative to the conclusion of' peace wth Russia, to the offer made the emperor of the ducal crown of Courlaud and finally to the1 affairs of Rumania and Finland. It ap pears that serious differences have arisen between the majority of the reichstag and the government on one side and treat headquarters on the other. ; 1 Baltic' Prorinces Puzzle. "The divergent views concern dy nastic questions and the attaching to Germany of the four Russian Bal tic provinces of Livonia, Esthonla Conrltnd and Lithuania, as well as the questions of the rectification of the frontiers of Polind. The gen--eral staff supported by the right de sires the immediate solution of all these problems in a manner favor able to Germany. The civil govern ment which considers the present situation far from stable, prefers to temporize. :. "The Lelpziger Nachrtchten, or Kan of the crown prince, writes that today great headquarters alone should make decisions that are of to great importance and that Count von Hertling lacks political Judg ment. The same paper says that Germany should annex all the rich industrial territory of West Poland and announces that the national council of Lithuania, like that of Cotirland. desires to se its country reunited to the empire in a personal union. "The plan of German great head-; quarters, then, consists of incorpor ation to Germany Livonia, L'sthonia, Conrland and Lithuania." Little Benefit in Prospect. WASHINGTON, March 13. Ger many's military and political victor ies In Russia will give her little economic benefit immediately in the .opinion of American officials familr iar wlh the resources of the S'.a territory, Not more than 10,000,000 bushels f grain is believed to be available now in Eastern and Southern RussU hot in October it is possible that from 30,000,000 ot 40,000,00 bush els will be available from the new ,crop.'- Perhaps more important than rraio will be the vast resources of the Siberian dairy farms, which have heen developed by German capital nd which will begin to supply in Jane the fats for which Germany ad mittedly has been suffering. Semi-official reports of the cap tare of 80.000,000 bushels of grain . Rumania are ridiculed by officials here on the strength of reports from American Red Cross workers anJ "mere who have been- in iiumanii recently. They say there was no ; Rrala to be bought in the open mar kets and that even when comman deered cars were sent under guard to remote regions, only limited quan tities could be obtained and thoa ere subject to pilfering by the needy population. Russia always has sold Its grain "Pidly after the harvest, because there are few facilities for storage "d officials here believe little stor ed grain remains. Revolution Hurt Production. Supporting this belief are reports that last year's crop in Russia were helow normal and the devolution has further curtailed production. H Meat animals obtained In Russia undoubtedly will help Germany to I some extent, but the amount of them H1 not be large. Many are In re mote section. The same thing is true of the vast mineral 4 resources. bich are found chiefly in the Ural fountains, in mins which hav .ren neglected of late and reached oily hy a transportation system that has lost much of its efficiency. .German oreanization. perhaps th -kind exemplified in Belgium, will get the most out of the conquered land,. officials have no doubt. It .is evident, however, that th . constant i pressure on the western (Continued on Pago 2.) OFFICIALS THINK RUSSIAN CHAOS LITTLE CHANGED Washington Is Interested in Report That Peace Will Be Temporary MANY CAST NO BALLOTS Immediate Offensive on West Front Not Expected; Amer ica In to Win WASHINGTON, Maarch 15 The decision of the ll-Russian congress of Soviets at Moscow to ratify the Ger man peace terms was reached after receipt of President Wilson's mes sage to the Russian people assur ing them that America would take the first opportunity to help them regain their complete soverignty and independence. A message received at the state department today from American Consul Summers at Moscow, said the president's message was delivered two days befoie the Soviets met. Official expression here today In dicated that America and the allies txpect the action of the congress to have little direct bearingon the gen eral Russian situation. It apparent ly i was believed that chaotic condi tions will continue in Russia for a long time to come, even though the Germans make every effort to re establish order and reorganize the country's industrial and agricultur al life. Officials here were deeply inter ested in a dispach from Moscow which said that the Russian factions declared that peace will be temporary only and that Russia will gather her self together with a new Socialistic army to resist the Germans. Tha fact that only slightly more than halt of the delegates expected to at tend the congress were repotted as voting also caused comment. ;The attitude of the American gov earnment towrds any German inov-j towards a general peace at the ex pense of Russia is directly in line with the "expression of Lord Robert Cecil in the house of commons to day that evn f such a proposal came from Germany it would not i;e considered. ' War department officials are not convinced that the German3 are ready to undertake a big offensive on the western front despite adyanced notices sent out from Germany. j Whatever Germany's program, however, America and the allies, it was reiterated today, are in the waf to win and their stand against a pre mature peace is as strong as it had been at any time in the past. U. of 0.' Debaters Win From British Columbia EUGENE, Or., March 15. The University of Oregon debating team received the unanimous decision here tonight over the men represent ing the University of Rritish Colum bia in a trl-angular debate in which the universities of British Columbia. Washington and Oregon participated the subject being "Resolved. That at the conclusion of the present war the nations of the world should es tablish an international ) supreme court to pass upon all international disputes with an international con stabulary to enforce its decrees." This is the first time Oregon has met the Canadians In debate, thus giving an international flavor to the con test. In former years the discus sions were held with Stanford uni versity, California. I BEATTLE, March 15. University of Washington's affirmative debat ing team tonight won a unanimous decision here over the University of Oregon's negative team in a debata On the question which was also ar- . , .... gued in rJngene ana- amuuei, i. C. in the triangular inter-collegiate debate. Train Derailed: Woman and Waiters Injured 1 " 1 CHICAGO, March 1 8. The east bound Olympian limited train of tha Chicago. Milwaukee and St, Paul railroad, was partly derailed today north of Roecoe, S. D.. and four per tons, the dining car chef, two wait ers and a woman passenger were in jured. , The cause of the accident was not reported. The derailed train was bound from the North Pacific coast toChi cago. It is aid that the injured will all recover. French Regain Trenches Lost Since March 1 i r TARIS. March 15. In the Cham pagne region west of Monte Carnn let the French have regained trench er which the Germans had occupied since March 1, according to an offi cial statement Issued today. The Trench brought back forty-two pris oners and two machine guns. ' I. W. W. CLASH WimCROWD; P0?S SENT Sympathy for Ex-Secretary of I. W. W. on Trial Leads to Beating of Idaho Sheriff and Riot Follows GUARDSMEN RUSHED ON SPECIAL TRAIN Soldiers to Co-operate With 100 Deputies at Order of Governor ST. Maries, Idaho, March lfj. With the removal to Couer d'Aleu, Idaho, this afternoon of W. M. Nel-j son, former secretary of the he? I branch of ths Industrial Workers of the World, for trial on a charge of criminal syndicalism the situation here was again quiet following an al tercation this forenoon between Sheriff E. B. Noland and a crowd of Industrial workers and sympath izers in which the sheriff was knocked down eevei-al times and badly beaten. Information that a change of ven ue had been granted, on motion of the state, in Nelson's trial, which was set for the local court today, caused the formation of a mob runabout 200 with the purpose of deliveriug Nelson from jail, the sheriff said. When he attempted to dissuade them from such an attempt, he was et upon and beaten. . I. W. W. Meeting: Dispersed Armed citizens quickly surround ed and quieted the rioters, and afterward- a score of special deputy sheriffs were sworn in to preserve order. Industrial workers and sympa thizers held a meeting here tonight on a -vacant lot but later dispersed without additional threats at vio lence. Citiaens sworn in as deputy sheriffs are patrolling the streets to night. No arrests have been made as result of today's disorder. BOISE, Idaho, March 15.--Vol-loing an urgent request from Sheriff E. B. Js'oland of St. Mariesr Govern or Alexander tonight wired a request to the commandant of the western division that 50 soldiers of the Unit ed States army be dispatched at once to St. Maries to quell a possible 1. W. W. uprising. ' (Continued on Page 2.) ROLL OF HONOR WASHINGTON, March 13. More than 100 names were contained in the casualty list cabled to the war department today by General Per shing, but only sixty-five were made public .tonight because of delays in checking. Although the list was the longest yet received from France In a single day, the number bf men reported . killed in action was com paratively small. The great major ity of the names were of men slight ly wounded. The sixty-two names made public were divided as follows: Killed in action, four; died of wounds, three: died from accidents, two; died of disease, five; wounded severely, four; wounded slightly, forty-two; "wounded. two. The nearly fifty names withheld contained those of several men killed in action, but most of them were of men slijrhtly wounded. The first list follows: Killed in action Privates William EUinrer. Marshall H. Jarrett, Joseph E. White. Joan De Posta Molles. Died of wounds Sergeant Leroy W. Miller. Privates Ted A. Butler, Carl Larsen. Died of accident Lieutenant Rich ard II. Whitney, Private Edwin C. Todd. Died of disease Corporal Charles M. McChord. meningitis; Privates Fmosi Edwards, pneumonia: Ed- Imund G. Holmes, meningitis; Einar Reinholt Moller, meningitis; Josepu A. Yorkes. pneumonia. Wounded, severely Sergeant Ot to C. Leach: Private R. C. Camick. William G. Carroll. Bugler Howard G. Parker. Wounded Lieutenants Louis W. Ross and John W. Apperson. Wounded, slightly First Lieuten ant William P. Bledsoe, Lieutenant Granville M. Burrow. Lieutenant William C Dabney. Sergeant Carl Kahn.' Corporal Lewis Dagg. Jacob Klein.' Frank Phlllipns. Ebner Wer ner, Privates Bernie Baldwin. Fnlev S Beeler, John Reran. Perrv C. Bradfield. Frederick J. Cairns. Noah W Cox, Joe J. Czap. Frank T. Dan kow. A. O. DavisArle E. Dibble. Ja cob O. Dillenbergr. Clay W. Dukes. Olaf E. Venbye. Harold R. Gerhart. Archie Fahlgren. Phillip Goldstein. Henry Keller. Mike Klachko, Ben jamin F. Mercer. May Meyers. Dom irk P. Neri. Hlalmar G. Nelson. James J. O'Shatiehnessy., Angelo Pa potto. Joseph F. Pot rovic. Joseph Ttichter. Theodore Ross, Prank Rzei nik. Henry F. Schwalbarh. Alvin Smiley. Percy J. Turner. Harry F. Weldman. Clare E. West, Emery E. Wilcox. ! AMERICAN ARMY HAS FIRST REAL FRENCH SUNSHINE Skies Are Cloudless and Men Take On New Vigor in Training for War I BAKER'S VISIT PLEASES Soldiers Prepare to Show Secretary What American Forces Are Doing WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, Tuesday, March 12. After weeks of rain, snow, wind, and murky weather there came to the American front today its first bath of genial spring sunshine. The skies were cloudless and in the moderate temperature that prevailed sweaters were discarded by the men for the first time since last summer, while In the villages where they are billet ed and in the cantonments in the training area. , the camps were dec orated with rolls of bedding beirlT given an airing. Men and horses basked in the sunshine in the streets and on the hillsides a grateful ex perience after the winter damp chill. Everywhere possible equipment hunt: out to dry. tent flaps and hut windows open and hospital patients breathing the sweet spring air. Meanwhile, the transport work was beinp expedited by the rapidly dry ing roads. Training I Crowded. In the training areas the fullest advantage ws taken of the open weather, tbej- officers crowding the men willingi to renewed efforts to make them fit for front line service. Under the sunshine Did lie still atmosphere airdromes all along the line sprouted flocks of planes, both on trial and on serious missions, and everywhere there was expectant readiness for an enemy offensive should it develop. The troops both' on the front and In the trainlnr areas are on the tip toe of expectation for the arrival of Secretary of War Baker, the pres ence of whom in France was an nounced In the Paris morning news papers and took the whole army by surprise. Word of the secretary's presence in France was spread rap idly by telephone from the bases to the furthermost outposts. Officers in villages at outlying points stopped the newspaper motors and asked for definite word when Mr. Baker would arrive. "The old man will find us ready to pass inspection," it was said. Mr. Baker's Visit O rati fie. In armv circles there is a general gratification over the coming of Mr. Baker in order that he may see at close hand what has been, accom plished thus far in the face of obsta cles and. the difficulties of distaare, and especially the morale and physi cal condition of flTe troops, so that he mar carry home a personal knowledge of easily remedied defl ciencies and complaints. The most serious" of the deficien cies and complaints surround the army mail service. Everywhere the rank and file complain of the ab sence or great delay in mall from home. 'Company officers generally say the mail problem is one of the most serious they have to contend with because th men become lonely and anxious in the absence of word from their families. The qrdinary mails are from one month to six weeks ahead of the army mails, and the officers express the belief that there will be no better actor for the happiness of the men than the most expeditious mail service it is possible to devise- even a faster service than through the ordinary civilian channels. . W. W. Indictments Rid Kansas of Agitators WICHITA. Kan.. March 15. Fed eral authorities tonight believed that with the indictment here today of thirty five alleged members of the I. W. W. hey were entering the last clages of their campaign to rid the Kansas oil fields of labor agitators and anti-war workers. The Indict ments charge disloyalty, Insubordi nation ond interference with the war With one exception all of the men named in the Indictments are rnder arrest or are interned for the dura tion of the war. The defendants under arrests probably will be tried at the September term of court, it was stated. American Attache Witt Protest Finnish Arrests STOCKHOLM. March 1Z. An at tache of the Anferloan legation left tonight for Finland canying a for mal protect from Minister llorris, to General Mannerheini, commander of the government forces, aeainst th. arrest by Germans on the Aland islands of Henry Crosby Emery. D?- raand is made that the Finnish gov ernment obtain the release of Mr. Emery. ... PERSHING TO HAVE PLANES BY SUMMER AH Sectors Held by American Forces in France to Have Adequate Protection by Ju ly Is Assurance AIRCRAFT PROGRAM IS 60 DAYS BEHIND Three Months Required to Build Plane and Get It On Battlefield WASHINGTON. Marchl5. Am r rican built, battle planes will be in France by July in tufflcient quanti ty to insure adequate air protection of the sectors then held by Ameri can troops. This statement rests on the highest authority and was mado tonight with full recognition, of all failures and disappointments that have hampered, the development of me air program. i Facts and figures on the aviation situation as well as every other branch of the government's war pre-, parations were laid today before Tir-j tirally the full membership of the house military committee, as yester day they were disclosed, to the sen ate committee. Acting Secretary Croweli again presided at the session in the rooms of the war council at the war de partment, where the new policy of taking congress directly into the con fidence of the executive branch of the government was launched. Gref.t Task Is Faced. The comment of Representative Kahn of California, ranking Repub lican member of the hTuse commit tee, expressed the sentiment of the house members on the new policy. He said It means team work by tha whole government on the enormous problems that face It. The figures revealed to the committee the imme diate, current demands of the war program and the progress being made in meeting them, he added, made It clear the country was still unawake ot the enormity of its un dertaking. Mr. Kahn predicted that great results could be looked for from now on if the weekly confer ences with the legislative commit tees are continued. Program Still Short. It was disclosed to the committee members that the aviation program is far short of what had been hoped for. Figures estimating the effici ency in percentage that have been quoted, however, wew shown to be wrong. No such method of calcula tion has been evolved. The actual delay can be figured only In point of time. The airplane production program In the United States is to day substantially sixty days behind what had been hoped for by the most sanguine officials. The foreign con tracts which were to have provided ihe initial equipment for General Pershing's air forces are still further behfnd. There is every prospect, however, that some of the delay will be made up. Even should the sixty days lost time stand, however, and even should there be no deliveries on the European contracts. General Persh ing will receive a considerable num l.e of American1 buUt planes by July. Estimates of the time required to get a completed battle plane from the. factory in the United States to the front have been placed at ninety days. The war department is now concentrating its efforts of reducing that period with bright prospects of cutting it In half. Speeding up ef forts are being directed also at very other element of the air craft 'pro gram. ' Portland to Eliminate German Study in Schools PORTLAND, March 15v German will not be taught, in Portland high schools after June this year. The committee on education af fairs of the school board, consisting of O. M. Plummer. Francis Drake and X. G. Pike, will recommend at the next reeular meeting action cut ting off the Teuton tongue from the curriculum of the Portland educa tional system. The suggestion al ready has the pledged approval of all members of the board. According to information in the hands of the board, nearlr ail stu dents who have been taking the Ger- kman courses are children of parents who are German or or Oerraan descent. Naval Vessel and Steamer Collide; 26 Are Missing LONDON. March 15. Twenty-six persons, are missing in consequence of a collision between a naval vessel and the British steamer Rathmore. Survivors have been landed at Kings town, Ireland, by .destroyers. SPEAKING FORCE ARRIVES TODAY FOR CONVENTION Whole Personnel Will Be pres. ent at Noon-Day Rally at Y. M. C A. PREPARATIONS C0MPLET Registration Committee to Re port at Luncheon Held Today Franklin speakers of convention, today. J. Clark, one of tha the coming Missionary who will be in Salem Secretary Gingrich has been notified that the entire company of speakers for the coming Lay men's Missionary convention will be present at the big noon rally at the Y. M. C. A. tolay. Afl the workers, nrin and women. for the big Laymen's Missionary con vention in Salem next Sunday, Mod day and Tuesday, are summoned to final rally and noon luncheon at the Y. M. C. A. today. The entire cast of speakers will be present and the inspiration of the meeting will give the impulse needed for the fl- Anal preparations Among the speakers whose pres ence Is expected today are: w. iu. Doughty, secretary of the Laymea's Missionary movement; Frederick A. Agar, secretary of the methods of the Northern Baptist convention and former medical missionary in Central Africa; Thomas O'Farrell, another man of extensive missionary exper ience in Africa; Mrs. Paul Raymond, leader of the Woman's Missionary convention, which meets in Salem simultaneously with that of the men; Franklin J. Clark, secretary of the board of missions of the Episcopal church; Rev. C. Marsh, noted Bap tist minister; Rev. William S. Mar quis who speaQs on the plan of cam paign. J- Interestlng reports are exjected from the registration workers and fi nal plans will be made for pushing the work of registration-to the ut most confines of the convention field. James StUlman, Famous , Banker, Dies at New York NEW YORK, March 13. James Stlllman, chairman of the board of the National City bank and one of the most famous bankers in the Unit ed States, died of heart disease late today at his home n fhis city. Ue had been in poor health for several months. Lane Has Bill to Teach literates of Draft Age WASHINGTON. MarA 15. In preparation for the launching of a campaign against adult illiteracy among the American people gener ally and against ignorance of the Engli&h language among the foreign born. Secretary Lane sought the aid of President Witsbn- in pressing for the passage of a pending bill whlcn would provide funds to be ueed for the purpose by the bureau of edu cation. - If the bill Is passed quickly, the jplan Is to give special attention -im mediately to teaching illiterate men of draft age, especially those in class A who may be called to the colors within a few months. King Thanks Davison for Red Cross Contribution LONDON. March 15. King George sent today for Henry P. Dav idson, chairman of the American Red Cross war council, Mho arrived in England a few days ago, and thanked him for the" contribution of ll.OCO.000 made recently by the Am erican to the British Red Cross. Mr. Davidson was a guest or the Prince of Wales at luncheon. , -.: .... V - . -. v j y ' "I , .'.. I ; V -: - ' ' t . ' " t ? " " ' J f ;v I ' i . 'v - j - ; . - PEACE OFFER TO ENGLAND IS EVIDENT Germany Said to Have Made Proposal at Expense of Rus sia; Ludenotff Boasts of Superior Pbwer HARD PEACE TERMS RATIFIED BY RUSSIA Large Majority Votes to Ac cept Treaty; Trotzky to Raise Army (By The Attociatcd Pre) That peace terms have been of fered Great Britain by Germany may., posstblj? be inferred from severaf significant statements given out Friday. Lord Robert Cecil. British minister of blockade, when asked if proposals T'had been received for a peace at the expense of Ruasla." an swered that "no such proposals are being considered or will be consid ered." A little earlier in the day n Amsterdam dispatch quoted Flold Marshal Hindenburg as saying that "the entente has shown an unre sponsive attitude toward Germany's peace Intentions and the great Ger man offensive must, therefore, go on." Later in the day, General von Ludendorff. the German quartermas ter general, was reported as saying: "Since the enemy Is not inclined to make peace, he will have to fight and this fight will, of course, be the most tremendous of the whole war." Lndendorff I Boaxtfnl. General Von Ludendorff con tinued: "We" are stronrer than the aerial forces, tanks. Everything in fact of which he boasted Is standing In readiness on our side In the great est abundance." ' . It is admitted that offers of peace have been made to Serbia by Austria-Hungary and Bulgarian, but It is stated that Serbia has absolutely refused to consider them, v The treaty of peace submitted by Germany to Russia at Brest-Lltovsk. which makes Russia an outpost of, the Central empires, has either been ratified by the all-Russian congress of Soviets, or its ratification appar ently Is imminent.: Reports from Moscow aTe not clear on the sltua tlon.-'but It seems certain that the Bolshevik! element has voted by a large majority to affirm the treaty. As this element dominates the con gress the hard terms will dortless be accepted, notwithstanding reports that Leon Trotzky. the mouthpiece of the Bolshevikl, is opposed to their provisions and Is willing to try to re organize the Russian army to fight the German Invaders. Germany Threatens Holland. Holland stands In a perilous situ ation, according to the German newspapers, which are pflnting edi torials, evidently Inspired, on the taking over of the Dutch rhips by the United States and Great Britain. "Drastic measures" are advocated if Holland "gives way" to the allies. The allied maritime transport council, formed at the instance of the American mission to Enfcland and France, led by Colonel E. M. House, has held Its first meeting and t announces -that it will organize al- lied shipping so that tonnage may be used In the most effective manner. Spirited fighting Is reported along the French front. , In the Cham pagne and Lorraine sectors, the French have won local successes. German official reports admit the loss of ground In Champagne be fore heavy forces of the French who are apparently able to hold the ground they have gained. Along the 'British front the ar tillery fire has grown in intensity in many sections and there have been lively engagements between raiding parties. Italian Position Blown t'p. - The Canadians have carried out another raid southeast of Lens. The Arustrlans report that Italian positions on Mont pasubio on the mountainous section of the Italian battle line have been blown up and that Austrian forces have occupied the ground. Mount Tasublo is east of Lake Garda and on the left side of a deep, salient In the Italian line. The attack on these positions on the left bank of the Bacehiglione river may indicate the approach of a Berl ous brow at the Italians there In the hope of opening a wav into the Bac ehiglione vaUey and turning th flank of the Italian armies guarding the lower Piave. Since the American forces have advanced and consolidated their lines In the Luneville sector there have been no reports of unusual ac tivity. In the positions occupied by General Pershing's men. CaucusuM Jtefuse to Ratify. PETROGRAD, March 15 The Caucasu. government has I.fsred a statement in which it refuses to en dorse the Brest-Litovk peace treaty, which cedes Kars. Batourn and Ard ahan to Turkey, and declares tfia peace with Turker can only be slpned (Continued on P?o 20