THE HERMISTON
GERMAN SPIES TIP
OFF FLEET SAILING
Berlin Knew Four Days Before
U. S. Destroyers Started.
WASHINGTON UNEASY
Three Torpedoes Launched at Ameri
can Vessels at Mouth of British
Harbor—Mines Also Laid.
Washington, D. C.—An extraordin
ary demonstration of German spy effi-
ciency, aimed at the American de
stroyers sent to the British isles, has
just been furnished the Navy depart
ment by Vice Admiral Sims, in com
mand of the flotilla on duty in Euro
pean waters.
According to Vice Admiral Sims,
the Germans knew that the President
and his advisers were considering the
dispatch of the destroyers at the very
moment the proposal was being dis
cussed by these high officials.
Berlin knew four days before the
arrival of the ships the date when
they would reach their destination.
More than that, Berlin had precise
information as to the port selected as
the destroyer base.
Promptly the German admiralty act
ed. Entrances to the harbors were
promptly mined by German subma
rines.
Never before had this been done.
Fortunately the vigilance of the
British mine-sweeping vessels prevent
ed a catastrophe. Those vessels, in
accordance with their instructions,
swept the sea, picked up mines and
thus made the way safe for the Amer
ican ships.
But this is not the whole story.
German submarines lay under the
surface in wait for the American ships
just in front of the harbor.
Upon the appearance of the destroy
ers three torpedoes were launched at
them.
The lookouts saw them coming. The
helms were turned over and the mis
siles shot by their targets.
The destroyers promptly swung
around to give battle to the enemy,
but the submarines did not show them
selves.
The search revealing nothing, the
destroyers went into the harbor to
refit and resupply themselves.
Thus the first brush with the enemy
left both scatheless.
Gratifying as is the failure of the
Germans to sink or damage the Amer
ican destroyers, their advance know
ledge that the vessels were coming and
the exact destination of the craft is a
matter that has caused great alarm in
official circles.
CORN YIELD WILL BE GREAT
Immense Volume of Business Done on
Board Sends Business Down.
Chicago — Likelihood of a record-
breaking com yield thia season had
much to do with sharp declines in
prices of com and wheat Thursday.
The market closed heavy for wheat,
with values 1 to 6 cents net lower at
32.05 for July and $1.84 for Septem
ber. Corn finished 3 to 5 down, oats
unchanged to § higher, and provisions
off 5 to 25c.
General rushes to sell on the part of
both longs and shorts brought down
com prices in a hurry. The greatest
smash of values was in the July deliv
ery, which made an extreme descent
of 72.
Aggressiveness on the bear
side was accompanied by widespread
assertions that with a continuance of
existing favorable weather conditions
the 1917 crop would surpass all pre
vious known totals.
Wheat showed a little more activity
than has been the rule of late, but the
amount was puny alongside the huge
volume of business in com. Foreign-
ers appeared to be the chief sellers of
July wheat. The fact was noted that
world shipments were larger, espe
cially from Australia. Moreover, Brit
ish advices reported less apprehension
regarding supplies. In addition there
was decided optimism here concerning
the outlook for the growing domestic
crops. A big decrease in the United
States visible supply figures, however,
led temporarily to some firmness, but
the general tendency in the end was
again down grade.
0000900 • 0990000000009 9,
STATE NEWS ;
IN BRIEF. I
E. F. Slade has been appointed by
Superintendent of Banks Sargent as a
state bank examiner, and his appoint
ment was unanimously confirmed by
the State Banking board.
Practically all of the 400 acres of
flax selected by’the Salem Commercial
club for sowing this year had been
seeded, according to a statement made
by Harry A. Schoth, government flax
expert, who has had charge of the
work.
Stockmen from various sections of
Douglas county reported during the
past few days that many horses had
become affected with what is known
as “pink eye” and that in some in
stances the animals are in a serious
condition.
.
Stanley Hickey of Cottage Grove,
has a ewe which he thinks is a prize
winner. Within 14 months she gave
birth to seven lambe. The first birth
was twins, the second triplets and the
third twins. She is of the Shropshire
breed and gave a good clip of wool.
Although fishermen were not agreed
with the Macleay company at Wedder
burn, near Marshfield, on the price
for catches and did not begin fishing
until eight days after the season
opened, the pack at the cannery is 500
cases ahead of the same date last year.
The Hammond Lumber company at
Mill City is now paying $3 a day for
common labor in its big mill and near-
by logging camps. An increase of 25
cents a day in wages was announced
To Build Drying Plants.
Wednesday. The mill had raised the
Walla Walla — Four and possibly pay from $2.50 to $2.75 only a short
more drying plants or evaporators are time ago.
to be built in the Walla Walla valley
this year and all will be under one
Chief Grant, Sheriff Burns and dep
management. They will handle ap uties, of Astoria, searched the steam
ples. This was decided definitely at a schooner Florence Olsen, which arrived
meeting attended by about 40 fruit- recently from San Francisco. They
growers representing Dayton, Waits- found five five-gallon kegs and one
burg. Milton, Freewater, Gardena and two-gallon demijohn of whiskey and
other points here Thursday.
three sacks of bottled beer, which they
Prunes will be handled by enlarging confiscated.
the Blalock Fruit company plant and
The Newberg Commerial club is put
the Luther dehydrating plant. The
Baer-Langdon company will construct ting on a novel gardening contest.
one plant with a capacity of from 20 Twelve prominent business men are
to 30 tons a day at its orchard near the enrolled. Each will plant, hoe and
city, but it will be managed by the care for two rows of potatoes in the
vacant block across from the city hall.
general board.
Another plant will be built in Walla The man who gets the smallest yield
Walla, another at Milton or Freewater must be host at a banquet to the oth
and another at Dayton or Waitsburg. ers.
One possibly will be built at Gardena.
Baker county officials have informed
State Treasurer Kay that they intend
Food Preparedness Success.
to pay for that county’s share of the
Olympia — That the efforts of the state tax, only 6 per cent more than
State Agricultural department toward was paid for the state tax last year,
accelerating food production in the or $59,839. The amount of state tax
state have met with success is the last year, or $59,839. The amount of
statement of E. F. Benson, agricul state, tax which has been asssessed
tural commissioner, who has returned against Baker county is $62,646.90.
from a trip to Spokane. As a result of
Through plans effected at Hood Riv
action taken by State Land Commis er, it was decided that all local Fourth
sioner Savidge in leasing state lands of July events would be given under
free of charge to those who want to the joint auspices of the Twelfth com
cultivate crops, many acres of new pany, Coast artillery corps, and the
land have been placed under cultiva local chapter of the Red Cross. The
tion, while through efforts of the gov city will give these organizations a
ernor Indian lands are also being used. blanket concession to operate refresh
ment stands, hold open-air dances and
participate in other forms of entertain
ment.
NORTHWEST MARKET REPORT
MANY DEAD IN BIG TORNADO
Kansas Twister Takes Toll of About 30 Wheat—Bluestem........................... $2.45
Fortyfold........................................ 2.42
and Does Other Damage.
Club.................................................. 2.42
Wichita, Kan.—Thirty persons are Red Russian.................................. 2.38
known to have been killed, more than Oats—No. 1 white....................... $45.00
50 have sustained injuries from which Barley—No. Ifeed....’.............. 45.00
it is said several will die, and property
worth thousands of dollars upon which Cattle—Steers, prime... $9.75010.00
no valuation has yet been set was de Steers, good.................... 9.50@ 9.75
stroyed late Saturday, when a tornado Steers, medium.............. 9.00@ 9.50
swet up through Sedgwick and Harvey Cows, choice.................... 8.75@ 9.00
counties in the south central part of Cows, medium................ 8.25@ 8.75
Cows, fair........................ 7.25@ 8.00
the state.
Andale, a village of less than 300 Heifers............................ 7.00@ 9.75
inhabitants, bore the brunt of the twis Bulls.................................. 6.00@ 8.00
ter’s rage, 18 lives being the toll be Calves.............................. 7.50(d) 9.50
fore the storm which, accompanied by Hogs—Packing.............. ...
a blinding rain, bore on to the north Rough heavies.................. 14.90@15.25
Pigs and skips.................. 13.00@13.50
west.
The country southeast of Newton Stock hogs........................ 12.00@13.00
furnished the remaining fatalities, Sheep—Wethers.............. ...
Ewes ................................ 9.00@11.50
three lives being lost from that city.
The country between Andale and Lambs................................ 10.25014.00
Flour—Patents, $12.10.
Newton was pierced by a path from
Millfeed — Spot prices : Bran, $37
a quarter to a half mile wide, where
the twister ground everything in its per ton; shorts, $40; rolled barley,
path either to death or to inanimate $51 ; rolled oats, $54.
Corn—White, $72 per ton; cracked,
destruction.
Sedgwick, the largest town between $73.
Hay — Producers’ prices : Timothy,
Andale and Newton, escaped with
amali loss. So suddenly did the tor Eastern Oregon, $30032 per ton ; val
nado rise and so well did it do its work ley timothy, $22024; alfalfa, $20@23;
that telephone and telegraph lines valley grain hay, $18@20.
Butter — Cubes, extras, 37ic per
were broken before word could be sent
pound; prime firsts, 37c. Jobbing
ahead of the impending danger.
prices: Prints, extras, 39c; cartons,
1c extra; butterfat. No. 1, 39c; No.
Army District “Dry.”
Fort Bliss, Texas—The border army 2, 37e.
Eggs—Ranch, current receipts, 33c
district went on the water wagon Mon per dozen ; selects, 34c.
day, when Assistant United States
Poultry—Hens, 17@18c per pound;
Attorney Crawford announced the pro broilers, 16@21c; turkeys, 22@24c;
vision of the army law prohibiting the ducks, 18@22c; geese, 12@13c.
sale of intoxicating liquors to soldiers
Veal—Fancy, 14@14]c per pound.
and officers in uniform would be strict
Pork—Fancy, 193c per pound.
ly enforced.
The El Paso Country
Vegetables — Artichokes, 70 @ 75c
Club bar will close, because it is near per dozen; tomatoes, $4.2504.50 per
a hospital unit.
The officers’ clubs crate ; cabbage, 4@5c per pound ; egg
here and in the different camps will plant, 25c; lettuce, $1.7501.85; cu
also close.
Saloons, hotel bars and cumbers, 90c@$1.50 per dozen; cel
cafes in El Paso have been warned not ery, 75c@$1.25; cauliflower, $1.00
to sell liquor to soldiers.
per dozen ; peppers, 20035c per
pound; rhubarb, 203e; peas, 5@6c;
Censor Clause is In.
asparagus, 5@6c; spinach, 4/8 6c per
Washington, D. C.—Conferees on pound.
Potatoes — Buying prices, $3.50@
the Espionage bill have drawn a so-
called modified newspaper censorship 4.00 per hundred.
Green Fruit—Strawberries, Oregon,
clause, which will be brought before
congress with the influence of the ad $2.503.00.
Hope—1916 crop, 3@6c per pound;
ministration for inclusion in the pend
ing bill. The wording of the new sec 1917 contracts, nominal.
Wool—Eastern Oregon, fine, 45048c
tion confines prohibited publication ex
clusively to military information and per pound; coarse, 50c; valley, 45@
retains the provision that a jury shall 50c; mohair, 5561c.
Cascara Bark — Old and new, 62c
■decide whether published information
is useful to the enemy.
HERALD,
per pound.
HERMISTON, OREGON.
9
HOW BIG ARMIES WERE CREATED
•---------------------------------------«----------- --------------------------
Least Difficulty Found Was Ob AMERICA’S SMALLEST RECRUIT within the first year of the war the
Oxford university O. T. C. provided
taining Men in Early Days
over 2.300, three of the smaller north
ern universities' O. T. C.’s over 1.000
of the War.
and the Inns of Court O. T. C.’s over
PROBLEMS QUICKLY SOLVED
System la Finally Established After
Early Blundering and the Present-
Day Efficiency of the Troops
In France Is Testimony to
the Thoroughness of
Their Training.
New York.—We received from the
office of the general staff an interest
Ing article on the “Organization anti
Training of the New Armies of Great
Britain” which tells us that the British
army that went out to Mons in the
early days of August, 1914, was proba
bly the best trained army that has ever
left England, the Army and Navy Jour
nal states. Nearly all the officers were
men who took a keen Interest In their
profession and who availed themselves
of every opportunity to increase their
military knowledge and experience.
The training of part of the expedition
ary force at Aidershot, under the com
manders who themselves led it into ac-
tlon, was training such as never had
been seen in England. Owing to the
stress of circumstances the training of
the new armies during the first period
was less complete than that of the ar
mies organized later In the second
period, but both armies were character
ized by the spirit which puts life into
the instruction in military duties.
The practical training in small wars
had taught the British soldier the ines
timable value of never knowing when
he Is beaten, the Russians saying that
the English never win more than one
victory In a war—but that Is the last.
This and a strong regimental feeling
which has always been characteristic
of the British army have been pre
served in the armies now In the field.
Men at First Responded Quickly.
This regimental feeling tends to
make officers and men one happy fam
ily, proud of themselves, jointly anx
ious to make their regiment a glory to
the British army, it cultivates a spirit
of self-reliance, loyalty and kindness,
all based upon the strong sense of dis
cipline and community of interest. It
Is a broadminded and tolerant method
which insists on smartness and on duty
and discipline ana high courage and
courtesy, but not on hate.
The men who came Into the army as
recruits were the kind who were ready
to respond to the British methods of
training a volunteer army. The least
difficulty found was in obtaining the
men in the early days of the war. Re
cruits came faster than they could be
taken care of and supplied with proper
equipment. Some 800,000 troops were
housed in hired buildings and other
temporary quarters, but within a year
huts to hold three-quarters of a million
men, with water and light laid on, hnd
been built, besides various enormous
depots for stores, remounts, etc. These
huts seemed to spring up In every part
of the country ; one great bare moor
That no less than seven steel bridges land in the midlands, uninhabited
bought by the Baker county court since the dawn of history, had been
within the last year are now lying use covered with new roads, railways,
less, excepting two at Robinette, pumping establishments, power sta
which are being used as sheep corrals, tions and huts for some 40,000 individ-
is the claim of A. N. Ingle and other nals.
persons in their reply filed recently in
Soldiers' Quarters and Food.
their efforts to enjoin the county from
Within a year the problem of quar
paying $6000 worth of warrants issued tering the troops In the chief training
in favor of the Coast Bridge company, centers had been solved. The previous
of Portland.
uncomfortable accommodations were
There will be 114 seniors in the the cause of bad discipline and sloven
graduating class of the University of ly training. Fortunately a satisfactory
Oregon this year, according to an an system for feeding the troops on a war
nouncement made by Registrar A. R. basis had been elaborated two years
Tiffany. Peculiarly enough, the class before the war. A description of this
is evenly divided as to men and women, method is given. At the beginning cer
there being 57 of each, who will ap tain articles of food, especially meat,
pear in the caps and gowns next week. were so excessive that great waste re-
This graduating class exceeds that of suited, also owing much to the ignor
last year by 15 and is one of the larg ance of the soldiers detailed for cook
ing duties, who served the excellent
est classes in recent years.
food provided In a slovenly unappetiz
In telegrams to President Wilson, ing way, and improvement followed the
members of congress and to the public establishment of schools in Instruction
service commissions of Washington, in cookery and the admonition to com
Idaho, California and Nevada, the Pub manding officers to lay stress on the
lic Service commission of Oregon is variety in the cooking of the food, on
urging the appointment of Clyde B. cleanliness and on economy.
Aitchison as a member of the inter-
Clothing the recruits was another
state Commerce commission.
Mr. difficulty experienced at the beginning.
Aitchison formerly was chairman of Important parts of the equipment such
the Oregon commission and now is so as army boots were for a long time sad
licitor for the National association of ly deficient. The enlargement of old
Railway commissioners.
plants, the erection of new plants and
With a population of 8000, Hood instruction in the methods of manufac
River has subscribed for the liberty ture was a slow and laborious process.
loan $30,000.
Local bankers state When the war started, England seemed
that applications from individual in to have been as badly off in matters of
vestors, following announcements of supplies as we. They had less than
fruit men of a possible condition that 800,000 rifles, only half of them the
will render apple distribution the com latest pattern. The weekly output of
ing fall negligible, have fallen off ap rifles In the United Kingdom was under
preciably. Hood River Valley citizens 2,000, which could be increased some
refuse to go further with their sub what by night shifts, but which at the
scriptions until they have the assur best was infinitesimal compared with
ance that their product will not be sac the needs of the new army. Unfortu
rificed. Such action is not for lack of nately the rifle, though needed In larger
patriotism, but simply because they quantities than any other weapon for
will not be able to buy the bonds.
an army, requires longer time than
Dr. J. P. Truax, mayor of Grants any other before Its manufacture with
new plants can be started, owing large
Pass, captain of the Medical Corps of ly to the number of gauges of extreme
the new reserve army and one of the | accuracy required In the process ; con
prominent physicians of Southern Ore sequently the recruits bad to wait
gon, suffered a broken collar bone and I long.
serious internal injuries when his auto
By January, 1915, the first new army
turned turtle with him Friday evening. had about 400 service rifles per bat
Approximately 10,000 annual report talion. and the second about 100, and
blanks are being sent out by Corpora it was not until March, 1915, that these
tion Commissioner Schulderman to the armies were beginning to be fully
various corporations which transact armed. To provide even a limited
business in this state.
The reports, amount of drill and musketry practice
under the law, are to be filed with the It was necessa ry to hand around the
Corporation commissioner on or before few service rifles ir each battalion as
July 1.
Private Murdock MacPherson taking
the salute at the aviation field,
Sheepshead Bay, L. I. He Is certainly
the embodiment of “young America”
with his uniform, soldierly bearing and
big, broad smile.
the three Fates handed around their
solitary eye in the story of Perseus.
Many rifles were too worn to shoot
with sufficient accuracy for musketry
practice and there was no opportunity
to cultivate In the soldier a personal
pride in his own rifle and the knowl
edge of its idiosyncrasies. This scarcity
of rifles in the early days prolonged the
training.
In the artillery it was quite as bad.
In October, 1914, the artillery of one di
vision of the first new army had only
six 18-pounders altogether instead of
its full complement of 54; another had
only a few of the obsolete 15-pounders;
In March, 1015, some divisions had only
two guns per buttery ; even In May,
when the full complement of guns had
arrived for the first new army divi
sions, the equipment of dial sights, etc.,
for indirect laying was still deficient.
The second new army was at that date
in very much the same state, except
that in their case the howitzer brigade
hud not been delivered. The’ third and
fourth new armies were still worse off.
For months the gunners In some di
visions hud to learn what they could
of the mechanism of a rille without
even seeing one. Some enthusiastic of
ficers provided dummy wooden guns at
their own expense and obsolete guns
were utilized for the same purpose.
When some such guns as these were
available there were no artillery in
struments such us dial sights, range
finders, directors and so on, without
which a modern battery Is almost help
less, except those that could be impro
vised by an ingenious limber gunner.
Similarly horses, harness and the prop
er wagons were hardly ever complete
for any battery of the first three
armies till on the very eve of their de
parture over sea. Noncommissioned
officers fit to train recruits were sadly
lacking.
Those having experience
could not be spared from their regi
ments at the front. The most that
could be done was to have one experi
enced man in each unit and this only
by employing 200 officers of the Indian
army home on leave and retired officers
(“dug out" as they were popularly
called). Some of these did important
service and others were of little value,
not being up-to-date and lacking the
capacity of making themselves so. The
infantry drill had been altered and the
double company substituted for the old
single coinpuny ; in artillery the
cbunges had been even more notable by
the introduction and almost exclusive
use of Indirect laying, which required
in artillery officers and noncommis
sioned officers facilities of rapid obser
vation and calculation ; again the co
operation of artillery and airplanes
was a closed book to all the old school
gunners; the use of telephones and
signals bad been developed In a manner
unknown to quite recent generations
of officers.
To secure officers required the
courses at Woolwich and Sandhurst
were reduced and the age limit low
ered. A certain number of commissions
were granted directly to university
graduates and ex-warrant and noncom
missioned officers were given commis
sions. There were at the beginning of
the war 22 senior officers' training
corps. Some of the best trained men
from the senior corps were given regu
lar commissions at once and large num
bers received "temporary commissions”
for service with the new battalions. A
great many senior boys from tbs cadet
corps of ths schools wers also given
temporary commissions. It Is an indi-
cation of the valus of these O. T. C.’s
at • critical junction of tbs war, that
2,500. It was found necessary to give
temporary commissions even to univer
sity graduates and the senior boys in
public schools. Practically all pupils of
the public schools applied for commis
sions as soon as they reached the age
limit. Excellent material for junior
officers was found among the young
men who had gone to the colonies or
foreign countries to take up a life of
adventure. No young men made better
officers than these, for all had taken
some risks ; they had been on their own
responsibility, and generally had men
under them and experienced dangers
by flood and field. The supply of offi
cers for a technical corps proved sur
prisingly adequate, the war office se
lecting according to the recommenda
tions of the heads of the correspond
ing civil professions. In addition to
these the war office has obtained a
large staff of specialists for work with
the troops,. e. g., bacteriologists, oph
thalmologists, aurista, radiologists, der
matologists, experts in tropical dis
eases, etc.
For all practical purposes, most of
the Infantry subalterns of the new ar
mies had to train themselves during the
first five months of the war as best
they could In the intervals of training
their men. If the officers were un
trained, the noncommissioned officers
of the new armies were in the main
even less trained. This presented a
marked contrast to the really good ser
geant of the old school with his min
gled humor and severity, putting a
squad of recruits through their paces,
the type of Kipling's Private Mulvaney.
There was some compensation for this,
however; the fact that the necessity of
doing the noncommissioned officers’ job
as well as their own gave the officers
greater proficiency and better under
standing of their men.
An experienced British general writ
ing on the training of some of these
new divisions, said that a mass of
civilians had been transformed in less
than eight months Into an army which
had more practical training for war
than it had ever been possible to give
to troops in England before. There was,
he added, a feeling of confidence in all
ranks, due partly to the organizing
power of a short-handed staff, but
chiefly to the keenness of all ranks to
make themselves fit for the front. The
experiences here recorded are highly
suggestive of our own experiences and
they Indicate the methods we sitali
have to follow In creating armies to
meet our regular requirements.
NO
FAVORITISM
IN
DRAFT
Selective Service Act Is Specific and
Allows No Latitude to Registra
tion Officials.
Washington.—A statement hus been
issued from the office of the provost
marshal general of the United States
army as follows:
The attention of the war department
has been called to the fact that fear
exists in some parts of the country
that -some members of the county and
city registration boards may be influ
enced by personal considerations to
discriminate between young men who
are liable for service, and to make
friendship or some other consideration
a moving factor in the selection of
soldiers for the new army.
There is no ground for such a fear.
The law is specific and allows no lati
tude to the officials either In the mat
ter of registration or In the later mat
ter of exemption from service. In
fact, the law Is seif-executing. Every
man within the age limits fixed by
the selective-service act must register,
and the penalty of the law for evasion
of registration will full, not only on
the man who falls to appear, but on
any member of a registration board
who may be shown to be in collusion
with the person who attempts to es
cape his duty.
Further than this, the registration
boards never will act as exemption
boards except In certain specific cases
as where a young man who has reg
istered shall claim to be employed in
a federal, state or local office, and
thereby does come within the exemp
tion cluuse of the statute. In a case
like this the facts must be entered
officially nnd attested.
The law provides the penalty of im
prisonment with no alternative of a
fine for any official or any registered
man who shall make a false return or
connive at such a practice. The safe
guards against favoritism or evasion
are ample.
The response to the government's
appeal for volunteer service has been
so prompt and general In Its distri
bution that it is assured that in virtu
ally all the districts there will be of
ficials whose sole moving purpose Is
the patriotic one of seeing to it that
the duties of the office are performed
In strict accordance with the require
ments of the law.
So far ns the other reasons for ex
emptions under the law are concerned,
exemptions for men engaged In pur
suits In which their work Is more val
uable nt home than In the service, the
authority will lie with a board of high
er jurisdiction. Those who fear that
discriminations will be made on
grounds of personal friendship or on
other grounds may be assured that ev
ery precaution will be taken to make
it certain that the registration will be
conducted with exact justice nnd that
the democracy of the law will dwell
in ita spirit as in IM letter.