Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, December 13, 1916, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., December 13, 1916, Page 1, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextUniversity ot Oregon library i Medford FORECAST " Tonight luid tomorrow, fnlr BilU coukv. WEATHER Maximum yesterday, t!H; Minimum today, I'll. Kortv-slxth Yiar. " tinny Eleventh Tmr. MKHFORl). OKKOOX. AVKDXKSDAY. DKCKM TWAl V.). mail Tribune GREEKS ATTACK FRENCH FORCES NEAR SALONIKE Greek Regulars Capture Katerina From Allied Forces Russians Capture ' Carpathian Heights . Teutonic Armies Continuing Ad vance in Eastern Wallachia. HER MX, Dec. lX Fighting is in ( nroRress between Greek regular' ,Aroops mid tlio French, the Overseas' News ngenc,v announce. The news agency says the fighting I "'"H t .... , ubout sixty miles southwest of. Sal-, oniki, mul Hint Hie Greeks have n force of .1000 men. The town of. Kalcrina has been captured bv the Greeks, the news I agency says, Hie French line of posU tions having been pierced. The Greeks are said to have taken up a line between Katerina and Horlotzko. Situation OUscuro. The situation in the. region of Katerina has been somewhat obscure since, last November, when French and Greek royalist troops were, re ported to be apparently on the point of a clash over possession of the city. There had been previous trou ble there between royalist and Ycn- i.clist lorces and Ucneral harrait, me entente commander, sent n French' force to occupy the town, presumably ! in the carrying out of his purpose to establish a neulral zone nloiur the frontier, of old Greece. " On November 24 a news agency1 dispatch from Athens reported that I the Greek royalist troops had refus ed to evacuate Katerina and that' General Sarrail had notified the Alh-1 eus government that unless they-did1 so lie would be compelled to use I force. No further specific reports on conditions in the vicinity of Kat-i erina' have been received, but since I that time has occurred. the fighting' between the entente and Greek forces' in Athens and vicinity, with concur-1 rent reports that Greece was asscm-l Mine; an army in the interior to at tack the entente Saloniki forces in the rear simultaneously with assault' . by the central powers on the fight-1 . ing front to the north of Macedonia.! Russian Offensive. PETROGRAD, Dec. l.'t. Russian troops yesterday captured a line of Teuton trenches on heights .to the south of Agusunlia, in the region of tue irotus vunoy 01 nuinniiia, ac-j cording; to an official statement is-; sued by the Russian war department.! The Teutons counter-attacked in an attempt to regain the lost positions, but were repulsed with great losses, the statement adds. Rumanian forces tool; the offen sive south of the Mir.il-Hux.enii high road yesterday mul captured a rotf of villages, the Russian nnnouncc- (Contlnited on Page Six.) GERMAN REPLY WASHINGTON', Dec. 13. Ger many's reply to the American inquiry oh the sinking of the American steam er Lanno by a German submarine ort Cape Vincent October 28. receiv ed at the state department today, con tends the sinking was Justified be cause the vessel carried contraband and was not in fact an American ship but hadbeen transferred to foreign owners. The exact registry of the Lanao Is in dispute. Owned by Flndlay, Jliller and Company of Manila, and under Philippine registry, her Bale to the Norwegian firm of Hans Hanne wlg of Chrlstiania, had been reported before she left Manila. Captain Mainland reported to the department that though the sale had taken place the actual transfer was not "be made uiUJl arrival In Engr land. The American consulate at London has reported that the vessel was still listed as American there. The Lanao's crew of thirty was landed at Barry by a Norwegian steamer. 10 Wilson's Course in Regard to Ger many's Peace Proposal Still Unde cidedConfers With Colonel House United States to Become Medium of Communication. WASHINGTON, nee. 13. Presi dent Wilson's course of action l:i con nection with Germany's propona's re mained undecided unlay while he awaited the official profrer which the central rcvcrs have asked the L'n'tcl Stules to fa i:;t la their enemin. '. The imnrt. .sion p rew that whlls the president's first to'isideration was 10 s.ifgnard his fulness as a nvc .nukcr by emitting any eoiinienl vhich miaul p;;t-i'y be coupled w :'i r-Mtcii'iii ny i lie entente po'vers there wa a d F'o-i'ion to find wmo w.iy. !-o vevor rato and Infor nm, i.i lnllii.itM the fc'iiccre wish of :iie I'nl'.ed Staif s II at some basis for rN russion at least might be reached. Await Developments Many officials felt that an indica tion of the temper of the entente gov ernments should be available before the Influence of the United States was thrown into tho balance. The United States, by reason of its dual responsibility of representing the interests of most of the central powers and the entente governments in tho capitals of their enemies, would of course, become the medium of com munication through which any reply of the entente governments to the central belligerents would be made. The German embassy had no fur ther advices on the, terms of tho cen tral governments bat freely admitted that the terms hnd purposely ben omitted from tho chancellor's speecn and note because the solo purpose was to propose a conference on terms and carefully avoid advancing any which might be made the basis of a refusal. The Germanic diplomats in this country, reflecting the views'of their governments, believe tho answer of the entente allies will be an inquiry as to the basis on which Germany proposes peace and with that much as a foundation they see the warring nations well on the way to a confer ence from which they are sanguine peace would result. Confer With House. The probability of the entente al lies themselves making some an nouncement of the terms on which thoy would make peace Is regarded here as having tremendous possibili ties for effect upon the German peo ple, themselves. The president cancelled all his out Ride' engagements today, Including (Continued on Page Six.) LONDON, flee. 13. The German peace proposal is rejected by the Times, which says: "Germany's proposal bears no rela tion whatever to the objects for which I we are fighting. She has been trying .by all the means at her disposal to induce us to make the suggestion of mediation. The attempt has lamcnt ' ably and conspicuously failed, as she does not judge that any neutral power could proffer mediation with much advantage, she falls back on this In direct offer to the belligerents as a nfs ntlcr. It in nhnve nit ttilnca a 'symptom of her conscious weakness. I The nllies must absolutely re ject any Idea of mediation In any t shape and from any quarter as long as the basis proposed is the triumph of might and not right. Thoy must refuse with equal firmnesB even to talk about an armistice until the lands the. enemy has overrun are re ' stored and compensation made. They 'must renew the enunciation of their 1 peace terms, laid down once for all in .Mr. Asquilh's guildhall speech and must redouble their efforts to force 'these terms noon German' anil her accomplices." 1 T AWAIT TERMS BEFORE ACTION nnrvr ninTiinr NKol HUUnt - This picture, lirst icceived in this country, shows mammoth In h dig gers now being used in the French armv after thousands of miles of trenches have been dug by soldiers with picks and shovels. 'J' he new machines arc patterned after trench digycrs used in Aiiicri-.-a. lint much larger. GENERAL NIVELLE IE I'AIilS. Dec. i:i.-tn conformity with the change in military command announced last niuht. President Poin cure today signed a decree .running "(ic'ucral Joffre, .commander in chief of 'the French armies, technical counsel of government regarding (In direction of Ihc war." Another decree declares Hint the commanders in chief of the armies of the north and northeast and of the army of Ihc Orient shall exercise command in conformity with the de crees of October 18. IP.1.1, and De cember ID, 101."), which made the commander in chief of the armies in the field responsible directly to the minister of war. PARIS, llec. 13. The new cabinet arouses but moderate enthusiasm in the press. The morning papers point out that seven ministers and two unrier-secretarles belong to the pre ceding administration, so that the change Is not so rndlcal as might be expected. At the same time the ap pearance of M. Clnveillo and M. I.oucheur as technical experts is wel comed. The most popular features of tho re-organization are the appointments of Genernl Hubert I.yautey ns minis ter oi war nnu uencrai Aiveiie-as successor to Joffre as commander in chief of the western front. All the newspapers print photographs of Gen eral Nivelle untie the title "one of tho war's revelations." Long biogra phies are also published, recalling the general's brilliant stroke In re-capturing Forts Douaumont and Vaux on the Verdun fornt. The papers also say that the fact that Ceneral Ni velle is half English his mother hav ing belonged to a Kentish military family makes his appointment par ticularly acceptable across the chan nel. Jules Cambon continues in his post as general secretary of the foreign of fice. SEEK 8 HOUR DAY Ni:V YORK, Dec. 1.1. Labor's movement for an elght-lioui day was Inaugurated among New York's cloth ing workers today with a strike which coming as the city's second garment Industry disturbance during 1 9 1 C, will throw more than 60,000 persons out of work. If the leaders' plans are carried out. The walkout Is expected to extend to Newark, N. .!., and per haps to Philadelphia, which would affect thousands of other workers. liesldes an eight-hour day the workers demand a weekly wage In crease of J 2. Ninety per cent of the employe to whom tin: strike call was addressed, are declared to be mem bers of the amalgamated .body, the others working iu non-union ahlps. SUPREMECOMMANDrALUES nr kirui niniT mninn "ninir" Ur NrJ blANI IKtlW MULL" 1 ' . : B ( . ,..fii'il it, li'VDOD LIKELY 10 MAKE PUBLIC 1 OBJECTS OF WAR LONDON, Dec. 1 3. Although lit tle confidence is shown iu London that any result .rill come from tho pence proposal of the central powers, and the opinion prevails quite gen erallly that the time Is not oppor tune even to discuss terms, there Is un undercurrent of feeling that some thing would be gained by making the world acquainted definitely with tho objects of the belligerents. The at tltudo of the Hritlsh government toward the offer will be made known in the house of common tomorrow, i provided sufficient time shall have j elapsed to permit consultation with I Great Britain's allies and this state ment is awaited with the greatest in terest. If the press which supports the administration, correctly interprets official opinion, little time will lie taken for consideration of the move of Germany and her allies, although tho moderate opinion of the country does not favor too hasty rejection of j tho overtures. It is believed the Ger I man people once acquainted with the, j objects of the entente, might he more Inclined toward peace and that for j that leaspn, if no other, the terms of I the entente allies should he made known officially to the central pow ers. The possibility that President Wil son will make some suggestions when forwarding tho offer is also much discussed. It Is intmated that he might at least express willingness to convey the terms of the entente to the central powers. The report Is current here that Fm peror William is about to announce the grnntiug of a parliamentary form of government to Germany. XKW YOItK, Iiec. 1.1. The crew of the United Stales transport Sum ner, W'hich is hard aground on the New Jersey coast off Darnegut, is preparlng'to al'andon the ship, accord ing to a wireless dispatch received I here today. The passengers were res cued yesterday, j The coast guard Hitler Senera en ' deavored for four hours to pull the Huniner off the shoai at high water i last night, but the transport rc ' maliicd firmly stranded. Portlier cf- forts Kill be made today, p HUNGARY READY AT ALL TIIVIES TO A.MKTKIthAM, IW. 1 :l. A limln 1m niryraiii says llntl UK- pence nolo iT the central powers was n-nil in the Hungarian parliament, yester day Ity Premier Tisza before- a crou-iled bouse. A Her rending the note the premier said : "I must state that iu the note ,jut read the standpoint put fonvaril con tains nothing redly new, but only ex presses the standpoint adopted by the monarchy and its allies both during the war and previously. This fuel must be nnplwisized in order that, it may be appreciated' The premier then gave an historical retrospeel of the Ktimpenn situation, maintaining that the cetitial power; acted oil (lie delt-m-ive, while Unssia and Fiance followed an aggressive policy and iiieal Untiiin, in joining them, strengthened Iheir hope of -haltering (iennanv and the dual monarchy. Tic premier continued ''We itrew the -iuoid, however without iin iilcji of couo,ue-,t nr de trtielion our enemy. We have al ways been ready - before the war, at the moment of iu oiiihrciik and iu iH entire tin rut it in - to conclude peace, The reesoij we coo'd not previously -how our peaceful ile-ire in siieh -oicnin manner was I ha I we were eonfrniiii',1 by an eni-iuv who aimed iit our dc-1 riM't ion and to whom, therefore, we could inal.e an offer of peace only when no one could see in it a ,-iun of weuliiic ' OIL LAND LEASE WASIIIXCTiiN, li.-c. 111. - Pro lunged c!l'-il-- ii. cmgics- haing tailed lo lniii'i abonl an nurccinent on all nil land tca-ing biil uliich would inccl approval of llic sccrclarics of Ihe navy, nitciior. :!ic iitlorncy cral and uc-lclll nil bind litigant-, the senate Iniid- committee today referr ed Ihc nth -fimi to a siib-comiiiitlcc to j ii il j, like i-oinihit Ice of Ihe house j ami co-opt rale with llic tovc rnincnt ilcp.irtinculs in a final clfoil. AsiMitlit Sci-iclar li'nnsrvclt said thai -iicli a plnn voiibl be sjilisfnc lorv lo the nay di-p:irlmcnt which i-iu-i-lciii upon ictjiiiiiiig control of mmil rc-crtf nil bind-. II the coui niillee ciiull'd briit'' about an arcc- IIH Ilt, b'L'i--lil inll Jit llli- sc-inl plnb- ably will be abandoned. F RENCH DECLARE PEACE OFFER 15 Chorus of Derision From Paris Press Aim Alleged Is Political Effect at Home and Abroad Emphasizes Weakness of Germany Army Be ginning to Feel the Strain. I'AIilS, Uec. 1X The oiler of peace of Chancellor von llctluminu- llollwcg is. received with u chorus of derision iu the l-'rench Press. Tha newspapers nre unanimous that it ji nn ndiuissinn thai the situation is getting critical in (icriiuiny and that Ihc chancellor wunls-a way out he fore it is too lale. His move is con sidered to have Ihc additional ad vantage that in the event of ils fail ing it will enable him to Jhi-ow the blame for Ihc coulinuliiion of. Ihc war on Ihc allies, which he hopes will have a moral effect on tlcnmiiiv and the neat nil nations. A Clumsy Trai. "A clumsy trap" is the caplinn un der which the morning papers print Chancellor Von lictluminn-llollwcg's speech in Ihc rcichslng. "Tho time lor leints is owr," savs the 1'ctil Journal. "We are no longer in the presence of the trial effort., of those persistent appeals to interviewers ami newspaper arliclcs. Chancellor Von llnllwcg summoned ll(c rcichstag nul to hear his speech, lint lo be conl'ronlcd wilh an act. We do nol know if at licrlin there arc pWiple so miiic as in imagine nun the allies arc likely to swallow ; Ibis clumsy bait, even on I lie morrow of the evcuis in Kum.'iniu. in - nny ciisc. field Marshal' Vim I liiidciiluirg's st.'itcnicnl slums Ihal Ihe military cherish no such illusion. "What, is slill mure ccrlnin is lluil Ihe treacherous German move aims al Koiiiclhiiiir else lhan genuine peace. II seeks an internal and ex ternal effect. In Germany Ihal is in. tended to convince the people thai Ihe govcrnmcnl is mil responsible for Ihc sacrifices imposed and tlml ils adversaries altme are responsible for the cimlimialiiili of the struvgle. Abroad it desires lo per-nailc neu trals thai the allies are pursuing a policy of ambition. Thai is the ex pli'iialiun of Ihc pretended inodera lion in Ihe lot f Ihe speech. (Continued on Pago SIx.I VILLA PLANNING Kl. PASO, Tex., Dec. l:i. 1'Villl-cisi-o Villa announced in Cliiliuubiia Cily he intended lo divide hi- men into groups of twciity-tn h anil di-lribnle them along the American hnrih r and in llic inn-rim- of the I'nilcil Slates to-loot and burn prop erty under his insl ructions, a letter received Irnm a prominent Chihuahua business man iinil Tni-wanled In Washington loday staled. The Idler -Inlcd thai Villa cap tured 'JllOtl rille- from the Carranza I'nrces in Cliiliuiiliii.-t Ciiy, uiiieh iini miiuitinn ,-iud many cnuutms. Villa, while in (he -Nile cnpil.il, declared his iiiieiilinn nf i'ai-ing an a liny nl' L'5,(iP n, IhiI denied he intended In uliack llencral Persh ing's column, the Idler added. These sliilciacnls, according In Ihc Idler, w ere made to I he mceliug of iner chiinls called by Villa. Villa, the Chihuahua Cily business man wrote, -aid he nould have hi men in the border stales issue prnc liimiilinns calliii" mum Ihc .Mexicans lliiing in the American side In "rise in rclicllinn ugiiiii-l Ihc t'uiti"'. State- iin, j,,in his aiiiiy," llic, lt-llel -tilled. Villa nl-o deel.-ind l' had JO.IIIKI. IHIII rounds of ainrniiiiiiion hidden in llic desert, mid h'.- could ed it am i lime he needed il. iicconliii" to this Idler. The .Mexican leader also i repoiled In him- i'cl'cri"d to unlit 1 icul ci'iidilions in Hie l inled Si nt , -living Hie Kuropeiin ntrie- wnnld -uhjiigiitc the l iiilcd Stall - in order lo gel ils rnnllin.il- gold -upplv iu which lie, Villa, would have a pint. A CLUMSYTRAP LLOYD-GEORGE REPLIESTUESDT 10 PEACE OFFER Indications Are That Entente Allies Do Not Intend to Act Hastily, But Take Several Weeks to Consult All Assert Armistice Would Favor Germans Alone. , LONDON, Dec. 1 Premier Idoyd George will refer to the speech of tho German chenecllor before tho rcich slag when he mnUes his statement In tho bouse of commons Tuesday ot next week. ' Tho vote of credit will be moved to morrow by Andrew Honar I,aw, whoso remarks will have to do solely with financial matters. ' Tho view expressed here is that flermany would have tho most tn gain from an armistice, of ing to recent losses on the western fronts and eco nomic stringencies within Teuton ter ritory, for that reason an armistice 19 not received with favor in London, and the suggestion Is advanced In somo quarters that the condition prompting the proposal Is a necessity to gain time. - ltussln to Opitose, Russia's refusul also Is expected of any settlement, which would leave parts ot Serbia within Teutonic au thority, owing to the bearing of the Sorblnn question on Russia's entrance into tho war. Tho indications are that the va rious governments of tho entente ht lles do not intend to net linst'ly in making joint response to the pea) proposals of tho central powor.s. It was pointed out- in well 'lnformod quarters today that whllq oneh one ot tho allied governments might Indi cate n general attitude, consultation among the allies under tho treaty, binding them in such action pfouably. would require two or throe ivecka. France 1'nfiicudly. s PAlitS, Doc. J 3 IT a roply 1s mndo lo tho German note, it will bo only after consultation with the. allies of Prance and such conversations would require considerable time Inquiry In responsible quarters today elicited the opinion that Germany's suggestion l n maneuver designed, first for effect at home; second, to impross neutrals; third, ns a test of public opinion In belligerent countries, with the thanco of somo reaction there. Germany's suggestion Is rejected in nuthorltatlve quarters, wliero it is considored to he a repetition In more concrete form of tho peace discussions originating in licrlin from time to time In tho last fifteen months. . All Meanwhile Unities Huge Fighting is continuing on the bat tle Tields of Kn rope, but interest In the operations Is overshadowed by the pending peace proposals of Ger many and her allies. The proposasl are voluminously commented upon by tho prims of both the entente and Teutonic, allies, but with the handi cap of lack of definite knowledge, of the terms upon which Germany and the powers allied with her are wlillns to discuss peace. In general, th tone of the entente press comment Is not optimistic as to the probable suc cess of tho overturos. German news papers lay emphasis upon the offer ns a sign ot strength rather than weakness. Great Hritain's attitude, according to London dispatches, may ue made known in the house of com mons when it rtcouvenea tomorrow provided the time proves sufficient for her to consult with her allies. i -. ; FLEET 10S1 192 VESSELS MIO It UN. I)w I :!. Incluilii'r: tho Iiish of tho French IntttWhlp Huriren, miivh an Overseas NVwr Aetincy f.tati? nH'iit, today, tho total iossea of tho fnl'.n't fleet during tho present wnr, luive been 1!U vtMMils, hirlintint; tor led o bout! ami ftiilmiHr i.e with a total tonnnKfl of 711,000. Tlnne fig ures do not Include Rppefal .ycs Vfswf'lf, Kiich ni ausltian n'l other craft of the, merchant inn line. Tho L'rillsh navy's Mian? of Iheao lost!, s.ivr the statement, ha. hoon 113 MitpR and lortcdu hout.-i totallmc "5 i.- I tons.