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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.