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About The Maupin times. (Maupin, Or.) 1914-1930 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 1917)
DEFENDING ENGLAND. AGAINST RAIDERS This massive dirigible balloon Is but one of the great number of similar craft guarding the coasts of Great Brltula from attacks by Zeppelins and German airplanes. At the left Is Field Marshal Sir John French, at the head f the British home defense forces. NEWSPAPER MAN DESCRIBES ; VISIT TO HEADQUARTERS Nerve Centers of British and Ca nadian Armies Peaceful I Even in Battle. IS LIKE BUSINESS HOUSE Function Calmly and Efficiently With out Turmoil or Slightest Disorder Young SUff Officers Com plain Because They Must ' " 8tay Out of the 8how. London. During the past three years of warfare there have been dully communications emanating from a mysterious place called general head quarters, whose location or surround ings have never been mentioned, in fact are not known to the average sol dier fighting in France, writes Hal O'Flaherty in the New York Sun. To the citizen unacquainted with the affairs of glunt armies the mention of the term general headquarters brings tip a picture of a building in the heart of the great army activities, with mud splattered couriers dashing up on home or cycle and with sentries pacing to and fro armed to the teeth, while wor ried generals sit about grent tables within tracing upon their maps the Various positions in the front line. The fact of the mutter 1b that Brit ish general headquarters Is perhaps the most peaceful and orderly place that one could Imagine. The roads ap proaching the main buildings are not lined with troops and paraphernalia of war, nor Is there any of the much- talked-of dramatics of fighting. Guards Are Unarmed. 1 It Is a business house, conducted on the most advanced systems of efficien cy. The trafllc coming up to the heart of the gigantic chain of fighting units Is regulated by military policemen who know their business and keep motors and pedestrians going in the right di rection. The soldiers on duty In front of the building visited by the correspondent were unarmed and directed the arriv ing officers In a manner as courteous as that displayed by the commission aire at tiie war olllce In London. With in there was nothing to Indicate the presence of the greatest army chief tains. The furnishings were modest, almost honioly, and the atmosphere of the whole place was that of a peaceful and well conducted business establish ment. To secure an Interview with one of the men who conduct the nffnlrs of the British armies was simplicity Itself. A telephone call sufficed to tell him of our coming and we were ushered into his olllce immediately upon our arrival. An officer of the United States army, known as a "liaison officer," hud quar ters nearby, lie has been working as bard as any man of affairs at home could work and his surroundings showed he wasn't in the habit of en tertaining visitors. "Take that rocking chair over in the corner," he said as we entered, and one of the party went over as directed and at on the wooden box that had held his typewriter. A wooden table, two chairs and a rack for books mude up the furnishings of his office. On his table was a stuck of corre spondence a foot high, which If It could be read by the Qermun high command would probably give them heart fail ure. There was something significant In that stack of letters. It was prob ably the first nucleus of a correspond ence between the directing officials of the American army and the British upon whom they are depending for ad vice and information. Some day that little pile will have grown into an en tire library of documents that will fill long ranks of filing cases. It is pio neer correspondence under the new order of things between Britain and the United States. The following afternoon brought ns by a lucky chance to Canadian head quarters, where we had the privilege of spending several hours with other men who are conducting operations. It was more than a lucky chance that brought us to Cunadtan headquarters almost at the same hour that the Ger ' i. - 1 I Iff I mans began an attack It was an act of providence. Lighted by Lamia and Candles. It can be set down here without further parley that two newspaper men were never treated more royally than we were by these men who at the moment we entered their quarters were directing -a barrage agulnst a strong German attack. In the midst of tea the door opened and for n few minutes we were under the impression that every general on the western front bad been deluged in to our presence. It was a party of officers who had dropped in for tea and a chat with the nrmy command ers. Instead they had a rather amus ing talk with two American corre spondents, who were found Interest ing because they had been with the American army on the Mexican border and In Frnnce and hnd some Idea of what the United States troops could do. Their Intense interest in prepara tions of the United States for war was manifested In every question, and their friendliness toward everything Ameri can was more than evident. In two minutes the formality of in troduction was over with and for fully half an hour the Canadian general stuff dropped their heavy responsibili ties and enjoyed the unique experi ence of entertaining two Americans. It was the first time that such a gath ering had ever assembled In this par ticular building and all made the most of it. The staff captain who had Intro duced us suggested that we get a little exercise, explaining that the stuff offi cers usually spent an hour In the eve ning playing bndminton or some other gnme Just to keep In condition. We went out to a well constructed court similar to a tennis court and tuped off In the same manner. For an hour we watched four officers bat the feath ered shuttlecock across the net with a display of skill and strategy that was worthy of men who used strategy in a greater and more deadly manner. We took a hand in the gnme for a time and then watched four others pluy oft the stuff championship. Meet Famous Strategist. When the game broke up and we re entered the headqunrters building we were presented to a man whose name Is fumous the length and breadth of the British front. Ills keen stratagems and forceful work have won for him the praise and admiration of every Canadian fighting in France and his record as a fighter would fill several books. We were fortunate In having an opportunity of tulklng with him, for he, like the lute General Funston, Is keenly Interested in newspaper work and It gave us a good start on the right plane. We explained to him our reasons for coming to headquarters and how the car that was to meet us had broken down. "Well, I'm glnd you're here, boys," he said. "I'll Just arrange to have a couple of places set for you at dinner. How nre things over In the U. S. A.?" We had been talking with him only a few minutes when an officer brought to him word that un S. O. S. signal had been received from a certain point in dicating that the Germans were pre paring to attack. There was no blus ter. The Information was given in a low, steady voice and the orders for certain counter-measures were given In an equally unrullled manner. An hour later It was learned that the Germans had given up their attempt after being unmercifully flayed by the gruelling fire which our host had turned loose. From time to time an officer would appear at the door and report the prog ress of various movements under way, and throughout the evening there was no letup in the handling of business. The whole procedure of this work of directing armies seemed to operate as smoothly ns the service at the dinner table to which we were shown. When the meal was finished and we were comfortably seated in the main room we heard from the Hps of one of the officers a story of the thoughts and feelings of a man directing an offen sive. For the moment we saw a series of pictures thrown on the screen of our imagination. The officer asleep in his room. A servant calls him in the small hours. He dresses and walks slowly to tils omce, where a number or tciegntpn and telephone operators sit at keys and switchboards. A cup of coffee lb steaming at his desk, u broad, flut ta ble, upon which Is spread a grout de tali map with flags marking the line of attack. He drinks the coffee, light his pipe and turns to greet his brother officers. Men Go Over the Top. The hour of the attack is marked by a general glance at watches and then the phone rings. The men are over the top 1 Several phones ring. A number of objectives have been reached. An S. O. S. signal from "A" section. All reports are marked upon the big map by flags, and as each objective Is reached a new flag Is added. As re ports of trouble come from different points certain barrages are Instructed to cut loose with everything they have. A "cut-In" shows the men lying by their guns, which are loaded and trained upon certain points. The S. O. S. signal comes to the gunner near est the string, who reaches out and gives it a yank while the other gun ners Jump into action. Before the first shell has reached its destination a second is on its way and the 'big show is on in full swing. We see the men bombing the Germans out of dug outs; fighting hand to band In the open ground with vicious thrusting of bayonets. Finally the picture reverts to head quurters, where we see the officer, tired eyed but smiling, reading the congratulations from all along the line and transmitting them to the victori ous men out In the shell holes and trenches. "I don't believe there's a one of us that wouldn't have given a great deal to be right down there with our men," he said. "That's the worst of having a staff Job. One must take a distant view of things and stay out of the show, which Isn't a pleasant task, es peclully for that young officer who Just handed me this report. I'll venture to say that he'd yell with Joy if he got orders to go back to his regiment to night." Along toward midnight our disabled car came limping up to heudquarters for us and our furewells were said outside the door In the Inky blackness of a rainy night. We shook hands there In the darkness with these men who had been our hosts. From the dis tance came the deep-throuted growl of heavy guns. "We never let up on them," said a voice from the steps. "It has been Just as you hear It now for months, and we'll keep on until we finish the Job. We are going to win." And that is the spirit that pervades not only the headquarters stall but every enmp and every dugout on the British front. PROUD OF HER RECORD. Members of the National party, re senting the suggestion that their White House pickets are not as patriotic as some of their less militant sisters, are pointing out the record of Miss Eleanor Hill Weed, granddaughter of the late Representative Ebenezer J. Hill of Connecticut. Miss Weed, who assisted In picketing Inst spring, was one of the 12 Vnssar college girls who spent last summer on a farm, accomplishing a sum total of products sufficient to feed 1,500 persons all winter and 20 head of live stock until next year's crops are ripe. Miss Weed Is a sopho more at Vassar this year. DESCENDS IN BURNING PLANE British Airman Recovers From In juries Received After 1,000 Feet Drop. London. After one of the most miraculous escapes of the war, Major Bannatyne, D. S. O., is today recover ing from his Injuries In the Clrcen cester hospital. While flying alone at a height of more than 1,000 feet his en gine caught fire. He headed the ma chine toward the ground. Soon the flames reached his feet, ne climbed out of the seat and crawled along the body of the plane toward the tall while the blazing plane plunged to ward the earth. The flames reached him again. He swung himself off the frame ond hung by his hands under the machine now a mass of flames. He fell into a plowed field and was picked up suffering from a broken arm, scores of cuts and with all his hair scorched to a crisp. r1 i.h i ft p v ' -- , NYf I' . 4 ' I " V - - L IF Brief Resume Most Important Daily News Items. COMPILED FOR YOU Events of Noted People, Governments and Pacific Northwest and Other Things Worth Knowing;. A Long Island, N. Y., grocer is offering as a premium, instead of trad ing stamps, a lump of sugar with every 10-cent purchase. Robert P. Perkins, of New York, has been appointed Red Cross commis sioner to Italy by the Red Cross war council. He will serve without salary. Stabilizing of sugar prices, the food administration announced Monday night, probably will be accomplished before the end of December. Prices now are widey different in many parts of the country. Automobiles caused the death of 801 persons in New York state during the first 10 months of 1917, an increase of 197 over the corresponding period in 1916, according to a report of the National Highway Protective society. Stories of germ-laden balloons that floated across the line from the Ger man front were related by the mem bers of a party of 18 American volun teers in the ambulance service who arrived in this country on Thanksgiv ing Day. Lively Bkirmishng between the Brit ish forces campaigning for Jreusalem and the opposing Turkish troops, in which the British captured more than 450 prisoners, is reported in Sunday's official statement on the Palestine operations. Leon Trotzky, the Bolsheviki foreign minister, has issued an order that no British subject shall receive permits to leave Russia pending the settlement of the cases of Russians alleged to be in terned in England because of their po litical convictions. War crosses have been awarded to Beniamn Burton, Jr., of Colusa, Cal., and Herbert Hope, of Oakland, Cal., of the American Field Service in France. Mr. Burton and Mr. Hope drove a motor truck under heavy bom bardment October 8, two men with them being killed. The final shipment of the first 2000 ton consignment of refined sugar has arrived in Stockholm from Germany. A further 1000 tons now is being load ed at Stettin and is expected to arrive within a few days. It is declared that the sugar has been received without any special compensation from Swed en's resources. Pottery and glass manufacturers in Eastern Ohio, Northern West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania were Mon day notified that their products had been listed as non-essentials by the govenment, and many manufacturers took this to mean their plants would be closed for lack of transportation facilities and fuel. Prince Ong Chow Artitt, nephew of the king of Siam, arrived in San Fran cisco Saturday from the Orient on his way to Washington, D. C, where he expects to arrange for his naval edu cation in this country. The prince, who is 14 years old, is accompanied by a private secretary and a member of the Siamese legation at Tokio. Six men Thursday attacked the Huebner brewery company paymaster at Toledo, Ohio, and got away with $35,000. The death of ten soldiers at Camp Beauregard, near Alexandria, Va., during Thursday, was announced, mak ing dea ths in the last ten days. Some of thfj deaths were due to pneu monia and measles. The Brazilian government has reached an agreement with France for the use under the Brazilian flag for one year of 30 former German ships, held in Brazilian ports, for provision ing the allied countries. Food Administrator Hoover's plan to take a large quantity of sugar held in this country for foreign account and pay for it with government funds was approved as legal by the controller. The appointment of Leonidas R. Whipple as professor of journalsim at the University of Virginia was re scinded Friday by the board of vis itors, after an investigation of alleged disloyal sentiments expressed by Whipple in an address last week at Sweet Briar College, Virginia. All communication has been broken between North and South Russia, The foreign embassies at Petrogrd are un able to establish any touch with Odessa or other points in Southern Russia. Official messages, however, are reaching Odessa by way of Persia, United States Deputy Marshals Fri day arrested 14 alleged members of the I. W. W. who are believed to be responsible for the wrecking near Hen rietta, Okla., Thursday, of a fast St uniis & ban Francisco passenger train, in which three persons were killed. I D HAPPENINGS CURRENT WEEK RED CROSS REPORTS Chairman of War Council Sets Forth at Length Vast Amount of Work That Has Been Performed. Washington, D. C Six months of effort to meet the most far-reaching appeals for relief In history is de scribed in a report to the American people made public Tuesday night by Henry P. Davison, chairman of the war council of the American Red CroBS. It is the council's first semi annual report, and it tells how more than $40,000,000 of the $100,000,000 war fund contributed by the people has been allotted for expenditure at home and abroad. Demands from Europe continue to Increase, and on the recent basis of expenses the council estimates that the war fund will not last much' bey ond spring. So far about 188,000,000 in cash has been paid Into the fund by the subscribers. Of $40,272,657 appropriated by the council, $7,659,000 has been advanced to chapters for the purchase of ma terial and will be refunded. For work abroad $27,885,816 has been appropria ted, $20,601,240 of the amount going to France, where suffering has been "beyond description." For work out side of France, exclusive of $750,000 recently sent for emergency relief in Italy, the following appropriations have been made: Belgium, $720,001; England, $1,066,520; Italy, $214,000; Russia, $1,359,440; Roumanla, $1,518, 398; Serbia, $493,203; Armenians and Syrians, $1,800,000; others, $113,012. The report describes in detail how all this money has been spent, and tells of the vast organization set up by the war board since its appoint ment. It records the formation of the Union Red Cross, Naval Auxiliaries, the Camp Service Bureau, the Sani tary Service Bureau and other div isions, and describes the membership campaign which brought the number of Red CroBS members beyond the 5,000,000 mark. The total expenses of raising and collecting the war fund are proving to be less than 1 per cent. The war fund Is deposited locally by the chap ters and campaign committees. About 3500 banks now hold these deposits in the name of William G. McAdoo, treas urer. Forty-nine army base hospital units and five for the navy have been re cruited, organized and equipped by the Red Cross. More than 12 of the army units and two of the navy units have now been mustered into their respective medical corps and are see ing service. These units can care for a 600-bed hospital each, and some of them have been reinforced to enable them to take over larger hospitals. The Red Cross has also organized 45 ambulance companies, with a total personnel of 6580, all of which have been taken into the army medical corps, some for service abroad, others for the camps and cantonments. A general hospital, for the use of the navy, has been established at Fhila- delphia. Convalescent homes have been built at Fort Oglethorpe and Fort McPherson, Ga., and mobile lab oratory cars are to be provided for use in case of emergencies at the camps. Fourteen thousand Red Cross nurses have been enrolled for duty, and ap proximately 3000 have already been called into active nursing service, of whom 2000 are working abroad. COAL GOES UP WITH WAGES President Authorizes 35 Cents Per Ton Increase. Washington, D. C. A general in crease of 35 cents a ton was added to the price of anthracite coal at the mines Monday by President Wilson, to meet a proposed wage Increase for anthracite miners. The new prices are effective beginning Monday and will add more than $30,000,000 to the public's annual coal bill. The wage increase was agreed on by operators and miners' representa tives here two weeks ago, contingent pn higher coal prices to absorb the raise. When their negotiations were ended the operators and miners turned over to the fuel administration their agreement and estimates of what it would add to the cost of production They asked that prices be raised at least 45 cents a ton. Bryan Augurs Dry Nation. Washington, D. C Ratification by the states of a prohibition amendment to the federal constitution within two years was predicted by William Jen nings Bryan, speaking before the opening session of the annual conven tion of the Woman's Christian Tem perance Union. With 26 states al ready dry and prohibition territory spreading over others, Mr. Bryan said a federal amendment before 1920 seemed certain. Nearly 1000 dele gates are here for the convention, which will continue until next Friday. Monroe Man Is Handled. Everett, Wash. George W. Croff, merchant of Monroe, a town near here, was seized on his way home Sunday night by five masked men, tied and taken by automobile three miles from town and released. Later a can of tar was found there. Croff had a large sum of money In his pos session, but It was not taken. His daughter, who was with him at the time of the assault, ascribed It to her father's alleged anti-war attitude. HUGE WAR BUDGET III CONGRESS Eleven Billions Estimated Needs to Carry On War a Year. LARGEST IN HISTORY Army and Navy Costs During Fiscal Year Loom Largely in Report of War Secretary to Congress. Washington, D. C A war budget of more than $11,000,000,000 to pay army and navy costs during the fiscal year 1919 faced congress Tuesday when the government's estimates were presented. The sum-represents only the strictly military expenses that can be estimated so far in advance and is more than two and a half billion larg er than similar appropriations made for the year 1917-1918. So far as the estimates show, it provides only for raising and maintaining an army of 1,500,000 men and carrying out naval and coast fortification projects al ready authorized. The chief item In the budget is for the military establishment of the army, to cost $6,615,936,553, an in crease of $1,365,907,609 over the total of army appropriations made at the last session. The only means of de termining the size of the army pro vided for is in the estimate of $1,003, 933,676 for pay. This is $159,294,558 greater than appropriations obtained last session for the pay of 62,000 offi cers and 1,208,300 enlisted men of the line and 398,000 enlisted men of the various auxiliary corps. The estimates call for staff officers as follows: General staff, 347; adjutant-general department,. 281 ; inspector - general, 246; engineers, 400; ordnance, 2000; quartermaster, 8300; medical, 14,000; Judge advocate-general, 300; signal corps (including aviation), 11,941. With these large Btaff increases and foreign service pay increases totalling nearly $80,000,000 also are estimated, for it appears clear that the total in crease in the pay item of $159,294,558 does not cover any material extension of the original military program of an army of 1,500,000 men. Fortifications estimates total $3, 332,445,123, or an increase of $1,155, 102,874 over appropriations obtained last year. The navy estimates total $1,039, 860,502, a decrease of $552,977,357. The naval figures probably do not in clude, however, new ships that will be asked for whenever building facili ties are available. Striking items in Secretary Baker's estimates are: For the signal corps $1,138,907,609, which is $399,172,648 in excess of the existing appropriations including the special $640,000,000 aviation measure; $2,224,335,000 for army transportation and supplies, an increase of $324,000, 000, mostly for clothing and camp equipment; $28,755,991 for the pur chase of cavalry and artillery horses, a decrease of $37,355,000, and showing restrictions placed upon use of ani mals for the army In France due to transportation difficulties; $157,111, 894 for the medical department, to in clude $17,000,000 for new motor am bulances and $111,000,000 for medical and hospital supplies, also $24,000,000 for veterinarian supplies, the total be ing an increase of $26,331,894; $135, 000,000 for engineer equipment for troops, which includes the gas and flame devices, star rockets, hand gren ades and signal lights of all kinds; $892,000,000 for engineer operations in the field, an increase of $600,000,000, and covering bridge, railway and road building and operating equipment; $390,000,000 for ammunition, an in crease of $175,000,000; $93,400,000 for ordnance repairs, which covers the ex penses of operating the great base arsenal In France; $237,144,000 for the purchase of machine guns; $75,500,000 for armored cars. A new item is $4,500,000 for arms and ammunition for the home guard, and $6,018,000 is asked to conduct civilian training camps. For the mili tary academy a total of $5,713,254 is sought, some $4,000,000 being for ex penditures for buildings and grounds. Secretary Daniels' estimates for the navy show that the store of guns and ammunition is rapidly being gathered and that estimates have been reduced in many particulars under appropria tions received last year. The chief in crease is in pay, the total being $213, 229,551, against $126,532,448. Provi sions also called for more, $64,485,353, against $41,885,935. Marine corps pay estimates have risen to $22,153,370, against $13,531,802. Naval aviation calls for $94,000,000, an increase of more than $30,000,000; for arming naval vessels and mer chant ships $38,309,523 is asked, against $74,593,523 obtained during the last session; the torpedo item is re duced from $12,291,280 to $1,000,000; reserve ordnance supplied from $81, 417,000 to $33,000,000. U-Boat Mutiny Reported. An Atlantic Port. A story of mu tiny on board a German submarine, resulting In the killing of all the offi cers and the surrender of the crew to an American warship was told here Wednesday by an enlisted man of the United States navy, Just returned from France. According to the story, the Germans said they had been sent on two months' service, but had been out three months, and that they could stand it no longer. After they had disposed of the officers a white flag was broken out and the men waited until the American ship ran along- J side. .