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 - . -.
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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