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WEATHER Maximum yesterday, 62; minimum today, 37. FORECAST Tonight and tomorrow, rain
Forty-aeventh Tear.
Daily Twelfth Yonr.
MEDFORD ORECON", THURSDAY, APRIL If), 1917
XO. 24
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Mail Tribune Mfc
MEDFORD
GERMANS FAB
I
QUARTER Mill FRESH TROOPS RUSSIA FIRM
HURLED AG1SI FRENCH IN VAIN TO FINISH WAR
- EFFORT TO STOP
Germans Throw Twelve New Divisions Against Enemy, Who Continue to
Make Gains on Extended Front, Capturlpn Key Positions and Takinq
17,000 Prisoners Slcdne-Hammsr Blows of Neville's Men Gain Strat
egical Points French Have Whip Hand and Germans Are Staggering
Under Great Rebuff Hindenhurg Line Shaken to Its Foundation.,
Germany has thrown nearly a quarter of a million
fresh troops into the fray on the sixty-mile sector of the
western front between Soissons and Auberive, and still
is unable to cheek the French advance.
Both north of the Aisnc and in the Champagne, Gen
eral Neville's forces are pressing forward. The last
stronghold of the Germans on the Aisne was taken with
the capture of the Yailly bridgehead yesterday, and their
wavering lines continued last night to be pushed rapidly
northward. .
From Chavonne, on the Aisne, the French have driven
more than three miles north of the river, despite desper
ate resistance by Yon llindenburg's reinforced armies.
In the Champagne the French have driven a great
wedge more than three miles deep into the German lines
between Rheims and Auberive, and last night's attacks
netted General Xivelle's men several important heights in
the Moronivelliers region. .'
Meanwhile the British are quiescent, so far as the offi
cial accounts show, awaiting their turn to strike the other
flank of the Aron llindenburg line.
The French have far taken more than 17,000 prison
ers in their offensive. At last accounts the British had
taken in excess of 1 1,000.
The French also have caphired nearly 100 guns.
PARIS, April 19. Tho Germans
threw 12 new divisions (220,000
men) against the French between
Solssons and Auberive last nlKht. The
war office announces they were un
able to check the successful offensive
of the French.
' . The French continued to make pro
gress north of Vllloy and Ostel, not
withstanding violent German attacks.
,The successes of the French in the
Champagne were followed by further
advances in the reslon of Moron-
villlers. Several important heights
and strong positions were taken.
Two more batteries of German ar
tillery were captured on the front
between Solssons and Auberive. The
prisoners now total 17,000.
HindcnhurK IJno Shaken. (
That section of Von llindenburg'.-,
granite wall which runs from Sois
sons to Rheims has been shaken to
Its foundation by tho terrif's blows
of General Nivelle. The French have
the whip hand nnd the Germans are
still staggering from the great re
buff dealt to them on .Monday. , The
French soldiers who won tho first
line have been relieved by fresh for
mations and the second plutso of the
battle has begun with renewed visor.
Unaffected by counter attacks In
some places and the sturdy resistance
offered everywhere, the French have;
gained substantial advantages and
have driven forward with such rpeed
at the Germans have been obliged
to abandon many guns. The enemy
made a desperate effort to stem the
tide between Iluvincourt and llerry-
Au-Bac. This Is tho weakest point
of his line, being devoid of natural
defenses. Thirty thousand of the
best German troops were hurled for
ward here in a furious counter at
tack but the move iiad been foreseen
and the French gnns wero ready.
Artillery and machine guns smashed
wave after wave of tho green-clad
soldiers until finally, the attempt was
given up after awful carnage.
French Outclass German.
Further details of yesterday's bat-
"WASHINGTON, April 1'. S-re-;
Inrv Hou-ton todav ini; d tho h';id
j of the principal fanner orL-;iniz;i-j -prejtd of lmrenueratie laws nnd ne
I tions to come here net .Monday t ) t i vit i-s which mii-lit tend to jopar-
.confer on the fond situation nnd di.e l!ic hi-torie riuht of free speech,
j pive advice nnd ni:je-ti-ris a- to tn: fiee pre; nnd right of assemblage
f best means of iuereaiu the supply, during the war,"
VICTORIOUS RUSH
tie from Soissons to Auberive show
that the French infantry tactically
outclassed the Germans. The French
army, operated from Solssons to
Craonne had established Itself on
Momlay nlKht along the front riln.
nins from northeast of MarKival and
Vauxalllont to tho south of Craonne
by Vrcsny, Chives, Chavonne, Chivy
and Aillcs. North of the Chives-Chi-
lty tho enemy maintained all the
helsllts nnd tho tootlng had to Ue
won thereon before the operation,
auspiciously begun, could be proper
ly completed.
Two simultaneous attacks were de
cided upon with Nanteuil-La-Fosse
on tho left, Chivy and Braye-En-La-onnois
on the right, as the respective
objectives. The attacks succeded per
fectly notwithstanding the determin
ed resistance of tho enemy, who had
an tll0 advantage of the ground.
llridgchelKl is Won.
Driven out of -Vanteull and Drnye,
tho Germans nevertheless still clung
to tho intermediate positions, com
prising Vnilly and the important
bridgehead on the Aisne, by which
they could threaten the French flank.
The movement was then extended
to the bridgehead, which was soon
carried and the attacking troops scal
ed the slopo of tho plateau north of
Vnillq. They advanced rapidly as far
tas Uouge Malson farm and a coun
try houso to tho right, gaining sev
jcial hundred yards of ground on the
'summit of the plateau. Substantial
progress was alHO made east of 'Nan
'tenll nnd by the afternoon only one
narrow gap was left through which
the Germans could withdraw the
I troops In the region of Conde, Cellos
land Sancy. These detachments are
In serious danger of capture.
(Continued on pago six.)
ASK PRESIDENT 10
WASHINGTON, April JO. An
open Inter to l'lv-ident Wilson,
igned liy twenty citizens, ineluding
J.J;ne Addani, Amos Pirn-hot, Oswald
(i;uri-ini Yillard. Knhhi Wise nnd
others, ni:;de public lien? today, n-ks
pnnh-nt Vilon to make n stnte-
merit "ili-eonrapng the too zealous
A Ml I FF
"Allies Need Have No Fear Russia
Will Desert Alliance or Weaken
Her Resistance to Enemy," Says
Foreign Minister Free Russia Is
Doubly Strong-.
I'KTROCI HAD, April II). "Rus
sia's allies need have no fear she
will desert the alliance or weuken her
resistance to the enemy." Professor
I'uul llilukoff, the foreign minister,
said today in answer to representa
tives of Hritish nnd French workmen
who are now in 1'ctroRrnd.
"We understood that ut the mo
ment of the revolution von might
have feared that we would lose our
strength for resistance," said the
foreign minister. "I best you to an
nounce to your countrymen that free
Russia lias become doubly strong
through democratization."
"Thorough democratization of
Russia will overcome nil sufferings
which war cntuilsj despite the revolu
tion, we stand firmly for the princi
pal object which was imposed on
us. Russia will continue the cru
sade for annihilation of German mil
itarism with the greatest intensity,
for our ideals is to prevent nil pos
sibility of wijr in tlioJ'u.lure. Our
present problem, consists .of organ
izing" our force, shaken by the rcvo
lulion. Wo shall encounter the en
emy with redoubled strength, confi
dent of victory."
l'enco Plot Denounced.
PKTROGRAD, April 11). The
Russian press considers tho semi
official German nnd Anstro-Iiungnr-inn
notes concerning- the possibility
of conciliating the war aims of the
central powers' with those of Russia
as n "base, treacherous nnd hypo
critical" maneuver. The Reich, in
reiterating that the Russian provis
ional government is pursuing no
aims of conquest, declares it is fully
and entirely in agreement with the
views expressed by the representa
tives of the oilier entente powers.
"The enemy precipitately deduces n
Russian desire for a separate peace,
in these notes scarcely more clever
than the proclamations thrown into
the Russian trenches inviting the
peasants to relum to their villages
and share the estates of the land
owners," says the newspaper. "These
notes will have no better success
t linn the proclamations in the naive
attempt to embroil Russiu with her
allies."
Struggle, to Continue.
Emphasizing the "monstrous soph
ism" of the Austrian declaration
that the nim of the dual monarchy
is to give tho peoples the right to
regulate their own destinies the
war aim announced by the Russian
provisional government the Heidi
continues:
"Our enemies nre Irving to avoid
nny concrete indication of their nims,
just as they abstained from reply
ing to the definite appeal by I'rcsi-
(Continued on pige six.)
ENTENTE ALLIES
WASHINGTON', April 10. Xicn
rngna has aligned herself with the
l.atin-American nations indorsing the
entry of the United Slates into the
war with Germany, it was announced
today.
Reports of nnli-Gerninn riots in
Argentine, wholesale dismissal of
natiniials of the central powers from
government workshops nnd arsenals
and the order to German residents to
evacuate n certain suburban zone of
Iltienos Aire' nre. construed here ns
indicative of the difficulty the Ar
gentine government will have in pre
venting itself being forced ,v its own
people into un open break wilh Germany.
HER HUSBAND, WHO THOUGHT HE WOULDN'H HAVE TO
ORDERS PLACED FOR iNffl BRIDEGROOMS 10 'GERMANS Alii
FOR UNITED STALES
"WASHINGTON", April 19. Emer
gency orders for 6000 Lewis machine
guns for tho navy and army have
been placed by tho government al
though the American made weapon
which has been tho subject of such
bitter controversy, has not been adopt
ed as the standard light machlno gun
for the army.
Teats of the Lewis nnd other light
weapons will take place May 1, It
was stated at tho department, as a
result of which a final decision will be
reached. The Lewis gun, once re
jected by the American government,
has become one of the factors of en
tente armaments on the western
front.
Kor the nrmy KlflO guns havo been
ordered, that being tho limit ot avail
able funds for the purchase. Anoth
er 1700 will bo ordered ns soon as ad
ditional funds are voted In tho pend
ing army appropriations act. Tho
marine corps ordered 2000 guns
some time ago and an additional 1 000
have been ordered for the navy.
SAN" KUANTISCO, April 19. Ma
jor General J. Franklin Hell, com
mander of the western department of
tho U. S. army will leave hero .Mon
day, he announced today, for New
Yor klo take charge of tho eastern
department of the army. Until Ma
jor General Hunter Liggett arrives
about May 1 from tho I'hlllpplnes,
General Win. Slbert will command tho
western department.
BY HEAVY SNOW
MON'THOHK, Colo., April 19
Southwest Colorado was mantled to
day In from one to three feet of snow.
Train service in paralyzed, many
trains being snowbound on the roads.
Twenty-four Inches fell at Ourny;
thirty at Tellurlde; thirty six at Sll-verton.
be wwm AS
WASHINGTON"', April 10.
The following announce
ment was Issued today in re
gard to men who havo mar
ried Hince the outbreak of
war:
"Tho war department an
nounces that men married
since tho outbreak ot war
will bo treated upon tho Baino
basis us unmiirrled men In
sofar us tholr military obli
gations nro concerned. It Is
dosircd that tho utmost pub
licity bo given by the press
to this announcement."
. j.
EXILES 10 RETURN
COPKXHACKN, April 19 Tho
German government has grunted per
mission to a second delegation of
Russian exiles to return to Russia
from Switzerland. This time fifteen
social revolutionists of tho extreme
radical type will he repatriated, Tho
earlier detritions wero social-democrats
of a milder persuasion. Tho
fifteen exiles nre headed by Nathan
son, who next to Prince Koropatkin,
Is the oldest Russian revolutionist of
prominence. Nalhanson was one of
the lenders In the original revolution
ary party of "the, people's will."
While Koropatl.in wik; a Nihilist, N:i
thanson and his eo'leag'ie: are ex
treme peace apostles.
PATRIOTS DAY . IS
HUSTON', April 10.. !! riots' day
was observed with more tliuu uiunl
enthusiasm today. The principal
ccnt was the trip of a horseback
rider impersonal ihir I'anl Hcvere,
over the route from Itoston lo Lex
ington and the outskirts o" Concord,
folloned liy the revolutionary patriot
who warned the Middlesex county
j fanners of the approach nf llic llrit-i-h
troops ill 1770.
GO TO WAR, GETS FOOLED
t
ItKRMN. April 1!). The Imttle
in the Champagne northwest of Au
berive yesterday continued into the
night, says today's olTieinl im
nouncement. This morning the fight
ing increased in intensity nn a result
nl' the, introduction nf fresh troops.
Near Ville Aux Hois, the state
ment says, "the forest position he
eame unsuitable to us, and we estab
lished ourscdves in n rearward line."
A local l'Ycuch attack near lirnve
Kn Lannois'suceeedcd, tho statement
says, hut assaults on (ho elevated
front along the ('heinin-I)es-Uames
and near Craonne failed.
Documents ruptured f nun the
Kronen indicate far-reaching ohjeets
of the French atlack launched on
Monday, (lie communication adds.
At no w'mt were the hotter f the
Frcncli realized. Their troops only
approximately attained their tactical
aims, o say nothing of their strat
egic objects.
Ml
IlOSTON, April 1 II. Wiltfnnt Ken
nedy, of New York, today won the
American marathon, the champion
long di.stanco running event of tho
country. Seventy runners from var
ious parts of the Tailed States, Can
ada and Greece, were entered nnd
more than 100,000 spectators were
gathered along the U5-inilo course.
Sidney II. Hatch, Chicago, was sec
ond; Clarence- II. DeMar, HoMon.
third; llannes Kolehmalnen, Ilrook
lyn, -V. Y., fourth.
10 ISSUE DRY EDICT
WASHINGTON'. April 19. House
democrats In caucus today voted to
consider nt the present session of
conitress the Howard bill to permit
the president to prohibit the salo or
inaniifactiiro of llipior durlnK tho war.
IteprcHentative Smith's proposal to
consider a general rivers und harbors
bill was rejected.
PRESS CENSOR
BILL OPPOSED
Espionage Bill Under Debate Pro
vides $10,000 Fine and Ten Years'
Imprisonment for Publication of
Matters of National Defense De
clared an Attack on Free Speech.
WASHINGTON1, April 10. Senate
debate on Iho administration espion
age bill continued today with the fate
of n press censorship still in doubt.
This section of the bill provides a
ton-.vonr imprisonment or a fine of
$10,000 for persons who collect,
publish or elicit information concern
in;; matters of national defense
which iuijfht be of use to the enemy,
in violation of the regulations by the
president.
Senator lioruli contended that con
gress was devoid of power to inter
fere in any way with the liberty of
tho press. Ho also declared the
fnuuers of the constitution were
agreed that the national eovcrnment
should bo excluded absolutely from
all power over the press. The first
constitutional, amendment, he said,
was added to 'make certain that in
terference with liberty of the press
by the federal i;overniuent was ex
pi msly (feiiied.
Ilonih Opposes lltll.
I liofrardiny; the contention that na
tional safely makes n censorship
necessary now, Senator Hornli suid:
"The public interest has 'always
been the basis for nil attacks upon
the press. Kinsrs and dictators have
suppressed publications because they
believe tliein against public interest."
Senator Thomas of Colorado pro
posed to strike out virtually tho en
tire so-called "censorship" section,
but notion was deferred.
Senator Johnson of California op
posed the whole section as a blow at
free speech as well as nt n free press.
"My opinion is not so much becnuso
of tenderness for the press," suiil
Senator Johnson. "A decent and
si'll'-rcspeelin press in lime of war
will censor itself and will not be de
terrct1. by any law from honest and
legitimate criticism.
1'ih-o Svi'li if. Issue.
"I nm concerned mostly with the
rinhl of free speech, tho preservation
of democracy itself. This is not a
partisan war. It is an American wur
of all our American people, und
Aiurrii'a is tho tiM of ail the world
of democracy.
"We have already conferred al
most autocratic powers financially.
.We will probably confer extensivo
other powers on the president. But
we must slop short of an assnult up
on democracy."
"The censorship section nivcs tho
president power to prescribo what
people shall speak nnd write, nnd is
drawn with nebulous and elastic lan
sruuiro,'' Senator Johnson concluded.
"The powers conferred, even upon un
officer, no mutter how hicli nnd
highly respected, constitute an ex
cursion into autocracy and one that
cannot be excused by our desire to
destroy autocracy in Kuropc."
II.
CIIK'AdO, April 10. Marshal
r'iold III, one of Cliieauo's richest
.voium men, arrived from New York
to enlist as a private in the l''irst Illi
nois emiilrv. lo will draw $13 a
mouth.
"I believe every yomiK man of my
ime- - should enlist," ho sniil
"My wile thinks ns I do. There is A
lot of I lair l iiisini: in Kew York, but
more real recruiting is beinif done ill
the middle west.
"I think the young of the country
will do their duly, but there is no
doubt that conscription is the fairest
ami most efficient method of raising
un uniiy."
AS AUTOCRACY