KAISER ASKS
FOR PEACE
CONFERENCE
Urges Spain to In
tervene. Wants Nothing West But Pres
ent Status of Roumania and
Russia to Stand.
Amsterdam, July 24. Germany has
made suggestions for a peace confer
ence to the Spanish government, says
the Socialist Vorwaertt of Berlin.
The suggestions sre:
First Germany wants no annexa
tions or Indemnities In the West.
Second The peace treaties with
Russia and Roumania may not be
questioned.
Third The principle of self-deter
mination of peoples has not been dis
cussed, but may be settled at the
peace conference where the fate of
Belgium also Is to be settled.
Fourth The Balkan question is to
be settled around the conference table.
Fifth The freedom of the seas, the
dismantling of Gibraltar and the Suez
canal and the right for Germany to
use coaling atations.
, Sixth The colonial question Is to
be settled on the basis of the status
quo.
The Vorwaerts considers this a very
reasonable peace program.
While some of the peace terms sug
gested by Germany in the suggestion
for Intervention by Spain are repeti
tion of those previously declared by
President Wilson and other allied
leaders to be unacceptable, it is signif
icant that Germany has "suggested a
peace conference," as this Is the first
time a meeting of peace delegates ac
tually has been proposed by any of
the nations now at war.
U. S. CRUISER IS TORPEDOED
San Diego Believed to Be Prey of Hun
U-Boat Off Atlantic Coast.
New York. German submarines ap
pear to have renewed operations off
the American coast.
The United States armored cruiser
Ban Diego was sunk not far from the
entrance of New York harbor Satur
day." Circumstantial reportB regarding
her Indicate that she was torpedoed.
There were also reports, though not
confirmed, that other BhlpB had been
attacked, one being described as a
coastwise passenger ship.
Some 300 survivors reached New
York on a tank steamship at 10
o'clock at night,
Thirty-two, a lieutenant, an ensign
und 30 sailors, were landed in lifeboats
on the Long Island Bhore.
Survivors were reported to have
been picked up by other ships, how
ever, and to be on their way to New
York.
The San Diego was sunk at 11:30
A, M., about 10 miles southeast of Fire
Island light, which is off the Long
Island Bhore about 60 miloB east of
the entrance to New York harbor and
on the marine highway of trans-Atlantic
slil pa bound in and nut of the port.
Although the navy department an
nounced that the cause of the loss of
the San Diego had not been deter
mined, Information received from re
liable sources Indicated submarines
had been operating off the coast and
that she had been torpedoed.
3000 Bakers Join Strike.
Buenos Aires, Argentina. One-half
of the 6000 bakers employed in Buenos
Aires have joined the general strike
movement, under the direction of an
anarchistic strike committee. Efforts
have been made to bring about a gen
eral strike of all labor throughout Ar
gentlna.
The employes of power houses
threaten to walk out within the next
few days and the government Is pre
paring to use naval engineers and fire
men In their places.
Bolshevlkl Losing Ground.
Washington, D. C The situation In
Siberia la daily presenting new phases.
At three widely separated points, op
position to the soviet government had
strengthened Us positions.
On the shores of the Arctic and
White sea the small International en
tente force which has been holding
the railroad terminus at Kola and Mur
mansk has been considerably rein
forced and Is understood to be advanc
ing southward along the railroad to
wards Vologda and Moscow.
Canada's Draft Law Valid.
Ottawa, Ont. Constitutionality of
the amended military service act,
abolishing certain exemptions, was up
held by the supreme court of Canada
Monday, in dismissing the application
for s writ of habeas corpus made on
behalf of a drafted man. The appeal
division of the supreme court of Al
berts had previously decided the
amended law was invalid. The whole
fabric of the Canadian draft law was
involved in the case.
SAYS FOOD CRISIS ENDED
Hoover In Address In London Delivers
lteaMuring Message.
Loudon. Speaking at a luncheon
given In his honor by the Lord Mayor
at the Mansion house Wednesday,
Herbert ('. Hoover, the American food
administrator, gave a highly reassur
ing review of the food situation,
"We can say emphatically that all
anxiety as to the great essentials of
food Is now past," Mr. Hoover de
clared.
Reviewing what already has been
done in the way of Increased produc
tion and saving In consumption by vol
untary efforts and rationing, Mr,
Hoover said the exertion of the Ameri
can agricultural authorities and farm
ers had borne such fruit that "there
will be no need during the next 12
months for any restriction on the vol
ume of breadstuffs to be shipped to
the European allies."
Continuing, Mr. Hoover said:
"It will be the Joint conclusion of
my colleagues In the European conn
tries that we can get along with a less
moderate mixture of other cereals In
the loaf and thus provide better bread
for the 220,000,000 people who are op
posed to Germany."
Mr, Hoover pointed out, however,
thut with restricted shipping the en
tente allies must face a reduction in
fodder Imports and thus a decrease In
animal products until the submarine
has been overcome and Bhlpplng re
stored. This degeneration in produc
tion, he added, would be continuous
throughout the war.
Mr. Hoover added:
"In seeking President Wilson's coun
sel as to the conference of food offi
cials which now Is In progress, I re
ceived from him this statement of our
point of view In all our food negotia
tions: " 'That the American people will
gladly and willingly make any sacri
fice In consumption and in the produc
tion of foodstuffs that will maintain
the health, comfort and the courage
of the people of the allied countries.
We are, in fact, eating at the common
table with them.
U. S. TO TAKE OVER
TELEGRAPH JULY 31
Washington, D. C Acting under
the authority recently conferred by
congress, President Wilson Wednes
day issued a proclamation taking all
telephone and telegraph 'lines under
government operation at midnight,
Wednesday, July 31.
Although congress empowered him
to do so the president did not Include
wireless systems, because the navy
already is in control of them.
He did not include ocean cables pre
sumably because contracts the cable
companies have with foreign govern
ments on whose shores they land, con
tain clauses respecting government
operation which ralBed involved ques
tions. , The navy is already In practi
cal control of the cables through its
censorship.
The president's proclamation placed
administration of the wire systems
with Postmaster-General Burleson and
provided that until otherwise decided
the present managements and em
ployes will continue. Present finan
cial arrangements also will continue
with the approval of the postmaster
general. In a statement accompanying the
president s proclamation, Postmaster-
General Burleson announced to the
country that hlB policy would be one
of the least possible Interference with
the wire communication systems con
sistent with the Interests and needs
of the government.
Press wire service, Mr. Burleson
said, would be Interfered with only to
Improve Its facilities, and farmers tel
ephones would be interfered with only
to facilitate their connection with the
larger lines.
Postmaster General Burleson will
personally take charge of the adminis
tration of the wire communications
and will be assisted by a committee of
three composed of John L. Koons, first
assistant postmaster-general, in sub
jects of organization and administra
tion; David L. Lewis, former congress
man from Maryland, now a member
of the tariff committee, on subjects
of operation: and William H. Lamar,
solicitor for the postofflce department,
on matters of finance.
German Raider Off West Coast.
San Diego. A German raider Is re
ported operating on the west coast
and American aircraft and warships
have joined in the chase of the enemy
vessel.
Following the report from the Brit
ish consul at La Paz that the raider
was cruising off the Mexican coast,
all vessels In the 12th naval district
were advised to observe special pre
cautions of the submarine zone.
Airplanes from stations in the Vi
cinity of this city and warships within
call have been sent In search of the
prowler, according to navy authorities.
Slavs Face Famine.
Washington, D. C Starvation, as
well as economic and financial dis
aster, threatens Russia, according to
information reaching the state depart
ment. Prospects for the 1918 harvest
are described as very poor and finan
cial chaos is said to be almost com
plete. Information further furnished
by the Russian commlsariat show the
number of fields under cultivation in
1918 compared with 1916 are 38 per
cent In the government of Yekaterino
slav; 40 per cent in Voronesh; 53 per
cent in Kharkov; 28 per cent in Sara
tov; 30 per cent In Samara.
Industrial Survey Taken.
Washington, D. C An industrial
survey to determine the nation's tax
able resources as an aid to the ways
and means committee in framing the
income and excess profits sections of
the new J8.000.000.000 revenue bill is
under way.
Committeo members said Wednes
day they expect to raise approximately
$5,000,000,000 from excess profits and
incomes. Some members still hope to
raise $ti,000,000,000 by taxes on war
profits and incomes.
STATE NEWS!
IN BRIEF. I
Hugh L. McC'aminon, a former Sheri
dan boy, son of Major W. W. McCam
mori, has Joined the United Stutes ma
rines, according to advices from Salem,
and will sue service soon,
The milk condensing plant at Sclo,
the chief manufacturing Industry in
that section resumed operation Mon
day. This plant has been Idle since
about February 1 of this year, when
the company operating It became In
volved in financial difficulty.
Coos county's second July quota of
81 men left Marshfield Monday morn
ing for Vancouver. A gala farewell
was given as the Coos Bay Limited
left. Home of the men are In other
parts of the state, working In ship
yards, but all have been notified of
their selection.
The harvesting around Warren Is
well under way and the winter grains
are proving a splendid crop, but spring-
sown grains are nil, Winter wheat
and oats are the most prolific In many
years. Potatoes are only about 20
per cent average and the acreage
about 40 por cent of normal.
Word has been received In Marsh
field from the Powers logging camps
that the 10-hour day Is not popular
with the loggers and there Is a move
ment on to request a return to the
eight-hour day on August 1. The men
complain that with the 10-hour day
they have no time for recreation. No
complaints have been heard of from
other camps.
The Deutsches Haus, former gather
ing place of German-Americans at
Eugene, which has been closed since
the beginning of the war, was sold
Tuesday at Sheriff's sale, to cover In
debtedness. The building and grounds
are located In Klncald Park, a suburb
of Eugene. The Oregon German-
American association met there sev
eral years ago.
Harvesting of the cherry crop for
1918 is nearly completed. The Sheri
dan district has yielded the largest
crop of Bings, Royal Anns and other
varieties In years. The cannery at
Sheridan is running to capacity. The
employes are nearly all women. It
has canned more than five carloads
of cherries, loganberries and other
small fruits.
County Agriculturist H. R. Glaiyser,
of Klamath county, and J. E. Pittman,
of the department of Irrigation and
drainage, who have been conducting
experiments In that county, report that
the application of 100 pounds of sul
pher per acre on alfalfa lands has
increased the yield about one ton per
acre. A number of experiments were
made and the results were uniform.
Prospects for another week's shut
down of the plants in Eugene's manu
facturing district as a result of the
destruction of the Spillway dam on the
millrace by plotters last Sunday, ap
parently with the design of crippling
the Eugene Wqolen Mill, engaged in
the production of war materials, de
veloped Tuesday when the second
temporary dam constructed during the
week washed out.
The farm home of Scott Campbell
located on the Falls City-Dallas road
southwest of Dallas, was totally de
stroyed by fire Sunday night. The
origin of the blaze is believed to be. a
defective flue. The family was at
supper at the time and the flames
had gained such headway at the time
of discovery that it was Impossible
to extinguish the blaze and all efforts
were turned toward saving adjacent
buildings and contents.
Fire which burned 30 acres of clear
ed timber land at the North Bend
Mill & Lumber company camp on Da
vis slough Monday did a small amount
of damage, which will cause a delay
of a week or 10 days for repairing.
One hundred and fifty feet of trestle
on the logging railroad was scorched
so that portions must be replaced.
Seventy men fought the fire for 15
hours and saved much camp parapher
nalia. This camp cuts spruce almost
entirely and Is in the thickest of the
Boutin tract. Two donkey engines were
damaged.
Farmers in the Redmond vicinity
are having difficulty in obtaining help
In their hayftelds. Practically every
boy over 11 years of age is out on the
ranches doing the work men usually
do. The merchants are aiding by send
ing a part of their force to the country
each day, and County Agriculturist R.
A. Ward is busily engaged in seeking
and locating all available laborers.
Alton Butters, the four and one-half-
year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter
Butters, of Allegheny, near Marshfield,
fell into a boiler of scalding water
Monday and died from his burns at 5
in "the evening. The father had been
doing the family washing, owing to
Illness of Mrs. Butters, and while out
of the room the child climbed Into a
chair, which upset and propelled him
Into the bollor which was resting on
the rioor.
Pear orchards in the north end of
Jackson county will net the growers
a 90 per cent crop of good quality
fruit, while the apple crop will aver
age 65 per cent, is the report of the
shippers in this district The drought
will not affect these crops to any ex
tent, as the principal orchards are un
der irrigation. The Del Rio orchards,
two miles below Gold Hill on Rogue
river, with 12,000 boxes from eight-year-old
trees, will be the largest In
dividual shippers of pears in this dis
trict. Secretary Olcott has referred to At
torney-General Brown for an opinion
as to its legality a claim of $50 sub
mitted by Warden Murphy, of the pen
itentiary, for payment of prizes award
ed to convicts in athletlo contests held
July 4 at the prison.
Eight graduate nurses from The
Dalles hospital are now -in France, ac
cording to a cablegram received by
friends In The Dalles. Among the
nurses are Miss Wlnnlfred Douthlt,
Miss Eva Willis, Miss Leila Stone,
Miss Ida Falmer, Miss Zetta Galbralth,
Miss Vesta Bunnell, Miss Gertrude
Betsworth and Miss Kern.
y
EMPEY JOINS THE "SUICIDE
SQUAD IS
8ynopsls. Fired by the sinking of the Lusltanta, with the loss of
American lives, Arthur Guy Empey, an American living in Jersey City,
goes to England and enlists as a private in the British army. After a
short experience as a recruiting officer in London, he is sent to truln
lng quarters in France, where he first hears the sound of big guns and
makes the acquaintance of "cooties." After a brief period of training
Empey's company is sent into the front-line trenches, where he takes
his first turn on the Are step while the bullets whiz overhead. Empey
learns, as comrade falls, that death lurks always in the trenches.
Empey goes "over the top" for the first time and has a desperate fight.
CHAPTER XII.
Bombing.
The boys In the section welcomed me
back, but there were many strange
faces. Several of our men had gone
West in that charge, and were lying
"somewhere In France" with a little
wooden cross at their heads. We were
In rest billets. The next day our cap
tain asked for volunteers for bombers
school. I gave my name and was ac
cepted. I had Joined the Suicide club,
and my troubles commenced. Thirty
two men of the battalion, including my
self, were sent to L , where we
went through a course in bombing.
Here we were Instructed In the uses,
methods of throwing and manufacture
of various kinds of hand grenades,
from the old "jam tin," now obsolete,
to the present Mills bomb, the standard
of the British army.
It all depends where you are as to
what you are called. In France they
call you a "bomber" and give yon med
als, while In neutral countries they
call you an anarchist and give you
"life."
From the very start the Germans
were well equipped with effective
bombs and trained bomb throwers, but
the English army was as little pre
pared in this Important department of
fighting as In many others. At bomb
ing school an old sergeant of the Gren
adier guards, whom I had the good
fortune to meet, told mi of the discour
agements this branch of the service
suffered before they could meet the
Germans on an equal footing. (Paci
fists and small army people in the
U. S. please rend with care.) The first
English expeditionary forces had no
bombs nt all, but had clicked a lot of
casualties from those thrown by the
Boches. One bright morning someone
higher up had an Idea and issued an
order detailing two men from each
platoon to go to bombing school to
learn the duties of a bomber and how
to manufacture bombs. Noncommis
sioned officers were generally selected
for this course. After about two
weeks at school they returned to their
units in rest billets or in the fire
trench, as the case might be, and got
busy teaching their platoons how to
make "Jam tins."
Previously an order had been Issued
for. all ranks to save empty Jam tins
for the manufacture of bombs. A pro
fessor of bombing would sit on the
fire step In the front trench with the
remainder of his section crowding
around to see him work.
On his left would be a pile of empty
and rusty jam tins, while beside blm
on the fire step would be a miscella
neous assortment of material used in
the manufacture of the "jam tins."
Tommy would stoop down, get an
empty "Jam tin," take a handful of
clayey mud from the parapet, and line
the Inside of the tin with this sub
stance. Then he would reach over,
pick up his detonator and explosive,
and Insert them in the tin, fuse pro
truding. On the fire step would be a
pile of fragments of shell, shrapnel
halls, bits of iron, nails, etc. anything
that was hard enough to send over to
Fritz ; he would scoop up a handful of
this Junk and put it in the bomb. Per
haps one of the platoon would ask him
what he did this for, and he would
explain that when the bomb exploded
these bits would fly about and kill or
wound any German hit by same; the
questioner would immediately pull a
button off his tunic and hand it to
the bomb maker with, "Well, blame
me, send this over as a souvenir,"- or
another Tommy would volunteer an
old rusty and broken Jackknlfe; both
would be accepted and inserted.
Then the professor would take an
other handful of mud and fill the tin,
after which he would punch a hole In
the lid of the tin and put It over the
top of the bomb, the fuse sticking out
Then perhaps he would tightly wrap
wire around the outside of the tin, and
the bomb was ready to send over to
Frits with Tommy's compliments.
A piece of wood abont four Inches
wide had been issued. This was to be
strapped on the left forearm by means
of two leather straps and was like the
side of a match box ; it was called a
"striker." There was a tip like the
bead of a match on the fuse of the
Mini
1" WVvl
JL VI
to
AH ATOM SOLDIER
WHO WENT
MACHINE GUTO,BVING IN fWE '
17 by ;
mmmtrm
CLUB," AS THE BOMBING
CALLED.
bomb. To Jgnlte the fuse, you had to
rub it on the "striker," Just the same
as striking a match. The fuse was
timed to five seconds or longer. Some
of the fuses issued In those duys would
burn down in a second or two, while
others would "slzz" for a week before
exploding. Buck In Blighty the muni
tion workers weren't quite up to snuff,
the way they are now. If the fuse took
a notion to burn too quickly they gen
erally buried the bomb maker next
day. So making bombs could not be
called a "cushy" or safe Job.l
After making several bombs the pro
fessor instructs the platoon In throw
ing them. He takes a "Jam tin" from
the fire step, trembling a little, be
cause It Is nervous work, especially
when new et It, lights the fuse on his
striker. The fuse begins to "slzz" and
sputter and a spiral of smoke, like
that from a smoldering fag, rises from
it. The platoon splits In two and
ducks around the traverse nearest to
them. They don't like the looks and
sound of the burning fuse. When that
fuse begins to smoke ahd "slzz" you
want to sny good-by to it as soon as
possible, so Tommy with all his might
chucks it over the top ond crouches
against the parapet, waiting for the
explosion.
Lots of times In bombing the "jam
tin" would be picked up by the Ger
mans, before it exploded, and thrown
back nt Tommy with dire results.
After a lot of men went West In this
manner an order was issued, reading
something like this:
"To all ranks in the British army:
After igniting the fuse and before
Throwing Hand Grenades.
throwing the jam-tin bomb, count
slowly one I two! three 1"
This In order to give the fuse time
enough to burn down, so that the bomb
would explode before the Germans
could throw it back.
Tommy read the order he reads
them all, but after he ignited the fuse
and it began to smoke orders were
forgotten, and away she went In record
time and back she came to the further
discomfort of the thrower.
Then another order was issued to
count, "one hundred! two hundred!
three hundred!" But Tommy didn't
care If the order read to count up to
a thousand by quarters, he was going
to get rid of thnt "Inm tin." heennse
from experience he had learned not
to trust it
When the rowers thnt he renllzed
that they could not change Tommy
they decided to change the type of
bomb and did so substituting the
"hair brush," the "cricket ball," and
later the Mills bomb. '
The standard bomb used In the Rrlt-
ish army Is the "Mills " Tt Is nhnnt- the
shape and size of a large lemon. Al
though not actually a lemon, Fritz In
sists tnat It Is; perhaps he judges it
by the havoc caused by its explosion.
The Mills bomb is made of steel, the
outside of which is corrugated into 4J
small sqnnres, which, upon the explo
sion of the bomb, scatter In a wide
area, wounding or killing any Fritz
who is unfortunate enough to be hit
by one of the flying fragments.
Although a very destructive and ef
ficient bomb the "Mills" has the con
fidence of the thrower, in that ho
knows It will not explode until re
leased from his grip.
It Ih n mechanical device, with a
lever, fitted Into a slot at the top,
which extends hulf way around the
circumference and Is held in place at
the bottom by a fixing pin. In this pin
there Is a small metal ring, for the
purpose of extracting the pin when
ready to throw,
You do not throw a bomb the way a
baseball Is thrown, because, when la
a narrow trench, your hand Is liable
to strike against the parados, traverse
or parapet, nnd then down goes the
bomb, and, In n couple of seconds or
so, up goes Tommy.
In throwing, the bomb and lever are
grasped In the right hand, the left foot
Is advanced, knee stiff, ubout one and
a half Its length to the front, while
the right leg, knee bent, Is carried
slightly to the right. The left arm 18
extended at an angle of 45 degrees,
pointing In the direction the bomb Is to
be thrown. This position Is similar
to thnt of shot putting, only that the
right arm Is extended downwurd. Then
you hurl the bomb from you with an
overhead bowling motion, the same as
in cricket, throwing it fairly high In
the air, this In order to give the fuse
a chance to burn down so thnt when
the bomb lands, It Immediately ex
plodes and gives the Germans no time
to scamper out of Its range or to re
turn It.
As the bomb leaves your hand, the
lever, by meuns of a spring, Is projected
into the ulr und fulls harmlessly to
the ground a few feet in front of the
bomber.
When the lever flies off it relensea
a strong spring, which forces the firing
pin Into a percussion cap. This Ignites
the fuse, which burns down and sets
off the detonator, charged with fulmi
nate of mercury, which explodes the
main churge of ammonal.
The average British soldier Is not an
expert at throwing; It Is a new game
to him, therefore the Canadians and
Americans, who have pluyed baseball
from the kindergarten up, tuke natu
rally to bomb throwing and excel In
this act. A six-foot English bomber
will stand In awed silence when he
sees a little flve-foot-nothlng Canadian
outdlstunce his throw by several yards,
I have read a few war stories of bomb
ing, where baseball pitchers curved
their bombs when throwing them, but
a pitcher who can do this would make
"Christy" Muthewson look like a piker,
and Is losing valuable time playing in
the European War bush league, when
he would be able to set the "big
league" on fire.
We had a cushy time while at this
school. In fact, to us it was a regular
vacation, and we were very sorry when
one morning the adjutant ordered us
to report at headquarters for trans
portation and rations to return to our
units up the line.
Arriving at our section, the boys
once again tendered us the glad mitt,
but looked askance at us out of the
corners of their eyes. They could not
conceive, as they expressed It, how a
man could be such a blinking Idiot as
to join the Suicide club. I was begin
ning to feel sorry thnt I had become
a member of said club, and my life to
me appeared doubly precious.
Now that I was a sure-enough
bomber I was praying for peace and
hoping that my services as such would
not be required.
CHAPTER XIII.
My First Official Bath.
Right behind our rest billet was a
large creek about ten feet deep and
twenty feet across, and it was a habit
of the company to avail themselves of
an opportunity to take a swim and at
the same time thoroughly wash them
selves and their underwear when on
their own. We were having a spell of
hot weather, and these baths to us
were a luxury. The Tommies would
splash around In the water and then
come out and sit In the sun and have
what they termed a "shirt hunt." At
first we tried to drown the "cooties,"
but they also seemed to enjoy the bath.
One Sunday morning the whole sec
tion was In the creek nnd we were hav
ing a gay time, when the sergeant ma
jor appeared on the scene. He came
to the edge of the creek and ordered :
"Come out of it. Get your equipment
on, 'drill order,' and fall In for bath
parade. Look lively, my hearties. You
have only got fifteen minutes." A howl
of indignation from the creek greeted
this order, but out we came. Disci
pline Is discipline. AVe lined up In
front of our billet with rifles and bay
onets (why you need rifles and bayo
nets to take a bath gets me), a full
quota of ammunition, and our tin hats.
Each man had'a piece of soap and a
towel. After an eight-kilo march along
a dusty road, with an occasional shell
whistling overhead, we arrived at a
little squat frame building upon the
bank of a creek. Nailed over the door
of this building was a large sign which
read "Divisional Baths." In a wooden
shed In the rear we could hes'
wheezy old engine pumping watei;
The Joys of the bath are de
picted by Empey in the next in
stallment. (TO BE CONTINUED.)
Great Writers Lazy.
Shelley had an indolent vein. He
was very fond of the water, and many
of his finest poems were composed aa
he idled at his ease in a boat He
made the best of his short life, how
ever, and thnt cannot be said for Cole
ridge, who seemed to be afflicted with
that lack of will to work which some
people call laziness. He bad one of
the greatest minds, but he left even
bis finest poems mere fragment.