Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, April 24, 1917, Image 1

Historic Oregon Newspapers

Medford mail tribune., April 24, 1917, Page 1, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextIWversUy f Oregon WEATHER Max. yesterday, 73. m. today 39. FORECAST Tonlg.it mul tomonw, Fair Forty-seventh Tear. DallyTwelfth Year. MEDFORD OREGON7, TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 1917 NO. 28 MEDFOKD GAN ill 1 lofl ill RESISTANCE OEGEHNS INCREASING British Gain Ground on Wide Front In South Reach St. Qucntin Canal Further North Capture Villages of Beaucamu and Villers-Plouich Bitterest Fighting of Present Advance in Progress Resistance Increases. LONDON, April 24 The British gained ground on a wide front last night south of tiie linpnume-C'ambrni road. They readied the St. Quoiitin canal at one point. Further north the villages of Beaiieamp and Villers Plouich were captured. The positions gained on the French front yester day, says the official statement to day were maintained and furtjier progress was made east of iUonehy and near Houcx. Jlorc than lotlO prisoners were taken in yesterday's operations and many more are com ing in. Bitterest Fighting. What is apparently the bitterest fighting of the present Anglo-French offensive is raging today along the Wotun line, the hastily organized po sition east of Arras to which the Germans retired when the norlheni end of the llindcnhurg line was turned by General Ilaig. The Ger mans are putting fori li a supreme ffort to hold this vital portion of their defenses, the crumbling of which would expose Pouni and Cani- brai and bring into prospect another great retreat. The British have driven two wedges into the German positions, forming sharp salicals in the region of the Scare river and north of Iln-pttumc-Canibrni road. The head of the first salient has been thrust within four miles of Vilrv, the most important point on (In; Wolan line, but the tenacity and power with which the Germans are 1'ihtitm leaves the issue for a time in doubt. Resistance Increases. BRITISH HEAlKjrAUTF.HS IX FRANCE, April 124. The resistance of the German armies appears to in crease in accordance with tile near ness of the British approach to the Hindenburg positions. This is par ticularly true along the present front, where the threat is against the llro-court-Queent switch lino which is depended upon by the Germans as the connecting link between their lines north of St. l(iientin and south of Lille. This is the switch toward , which the Germans arc tailing back slowly, but surely as a result of the turning of the top of the oriuinal Hindenburg line, running from just southeast of Arras toward Qucunt. Desperate Fighting. The fighting which began at dawn .yesterday beyond Arras increased in intensity in the afternoon ami last night. The ground gained by the British was won in tV.c face of some 'of the most desperate fighting on the part of the Germans since the war began. Trench warfare for the time being was forgotten. The Ger mans, away from their deep ducoiiN (Continued on Pago Four) l)N'I)OX.ApriI 21.-C .1. T.; the King's Own Scottish lionl second son of Andrew I'.miar chancellor of the exchequer, ported to have been wound Palestine and to be missing. CIS. a vv, ro. Chancellor Bonnr I.nw has four sons and two dauirlitcrs. His cble-t son. Captain .1. K. Law of the KomiI Flying Corps was wounded in Franco lust year. GERMAN. HUNS LEAVE DESERT Destruction of Evacuated Portion of France Most Complete Sad-Eyed Women Wander Among Ruins Churches and Graves Defiled Wanton Acts of Vandalism. PARIS, France, April 24. (Start Special). Why do the French und British call the Germans "Huns" and "Vandals?" Ono trip through the French terri tory just recovered from the invad ers' grip, and you will no longer ask that question! You never hear of "Germans'' among the British or Canadian troops. Us "Huns" and "Bodies." The, wrecked towns, the ruined houses, tho defiled churches, the de vastated gardens, and above all the kidnaped girls and the dishonored women of liapaume and tho country thereabouts, answers tho question, Why? Destruction has 'been excused by many neutrals as "military necessi ty." Instances of Vandalism. But It is a strange sort of military necessity that leaves high hilltop walls and tall towers intact, while smashing mirrors with pistol shots, putting tho ax to pianos, and dese crating graves. In Bapaume, for instance, the tow er of the "hotel tie ville" (city hall) still stands despite the terririe 'bom bardments. From this vantage point much of the surrounding territory can be viewed. , The old town wall also remains intnet, even where it runs over a fair sized hill. From the wall, too, the country can be surveyed. The tower and the wall are the highest struc tures in Bapaume. But in tho church, paintings have been slashed with knives from their frames, and in the homos, furniture has been chopped up, cisterns filled with debris and offal, draperies cut mil mutilated, and silver and hooks carried away. Graveyards have been crisscrossed with shallow trenches, graves opened, leaden covers stripped from coffins, and tombs broken open. Desecrating Graves. Filth has been spread over unopen ed graves and in opened vaults. Filth has been placed in living rooms of houses; filth has been placed on priestly vestments torn from church es and thrown into the streets and to all apeparanees, deliberately plac ed. Houses have been made uninhabita ble by filth smeared about the walls. And among the ruins of these once prosperous French towns and vil lages ream sad, furtive eyed women, cringing at every sudden1, noise, screaming maledictions at German prisoners brought through to the al lied rear, and mourning for dead chit dren and lost daughters carried Into exile by the German retreat. They will not talk easily of the things they have seen, tho sufferings they have passed through. "Sufferings? The moral suffer ing was the worst of all!" one woman tolda party of newspaper correspond cuts making a tour of the reconquer ed waste. I'lllM llcvalile llui'burltleS. Another told of being fined SO francs because, penniless, Bhe visit ed her father and mother without ob- (Continued on Page Five.) I.mXIKiX, April Tim German I t'-or-i-jn uftice bus notified the Amcr I icau ciiiTespnndcnts who have re J iii.iim d in Berlin that their presenci in Gcimuiiw is no longer desirable j j;i-n,i'iii!-.' to the KxchatiL'c Telegraph i corre-p"iidcnl at The Hague. Th American new spiiienncn, it is added, I have therefore decided to leave for Switzerland or Scandinavia. Or DESOLATION WARSHIPS ESCORT . rnrMPU MiooinM French Commission Arrives to Discuss War rnmon miooiuu I American Warships Break Out in French Colors .and American Bands Play French Anthem as Joffre and Viviani Enter Harbor No Untoward Incidents on Trip. WASHINGTON, April 24. "The department of state Is advised of the safe arrival of the French commis sion," it was officialy announced early today. Later the state department Issued this farther statement: 'The department of state is ad vised that the French mission will reach Washington tomorrow morn ing. The precise time and place of arrival will he announced later." The commission, which Includes Marshal Joffre, and Former Pre mier Viviani,, arrived early this morn ing on board a speedy steamship of the French line, which was convoyed across the Atlantic. 'Welcomed to America. Tho vessels were mot off the coast by American torpedo boat destroyers and escorted to a port. Tho naval and military attaches of the French embassy nt Washington and American naval and military of ficers, together with a representa tive of the state department Imme diately boarded the French vessel and extended a welcome to American shores. Tho Associated Press correspond ent who accompanied the party from Franco sends the following dispatch from the port of arrival: "As tho ship bearing the French commission came into port today American warships broke out French colors from their mastheads and Am erican bands played the French na tional anthem. American and French sailors lined the rails of their re spective ships. No salutes were fir ed. Slips Out in Morning. "The special train bearing the com mission slipped out of Paris early In the morning observed only by a few secret service agents and railway men. Tn trnnster rrom train to ship was without event, as was the voyage across tho Atlantic. "Warships passed out ahead of the French steamer Into the danger zone, which In this case Is ono of tho haunting places of German subma rines. "The first night out the ship and convoy made eighteen knots an hour before tb wind, lilt rulltltllE without .. . ... . .. . iikiiih. niiKi llliee it-'iua vtii biji.h.u - the celebrated liner which boro the party Is a mixture of former elegance (Continued or Page Five.) STREET SCENE IN WHAT WAS A PROSPEROUS AND HAPPY VILLAGE OF FRANCE BEFORE GER MAN OCCUPATION. Homos of tho poor are wrecked nml burned by tho 'ionium troops relrenflnK from norllicrii Franco. Hero Is a unmple of (bin work n street in the village of X 'Worn ( aibonnH. fioiinan explanations of thU ilcst notion have laid it to military tii-co-liy, but It Is not. -it that plain homes of working ixviplc like these often aro wantonly rtivagetl whilo Mono towet and lifuli wuIIm tluit might form olworvat Ion postn are ullow ed to stand. lv , -X l6em xJofTFliE' t ARTHUR 7. BALFOUR.- Adm.D.R.5 DECHAir Muster minds of war eoiifeiviice. French Field .Marshall, - the hero of Balfour, secretary of loreigii attaint fm. (;reat Britain; iAiwer, Bene Viv ijllli, former premier and minister of justice In Franco: Admiral Do Uliair, commander of British ship of admiralty. TOTAL LOSS IN $15,000,000 JUNKAtF, Alnskn, Ar9 24. Above lb',1 flooded Trmidwell mines cracks in the enrth expend from 700 feet up the hill to the 1)1.1 Glory hole and down to the mes.s house end on the bnscbnll grounds. All persons living in houses on the hill moved out when the erneks begun to nppeur. Hunk house No. -I is out of plumb by six feet, ready to slide into the abyss. The club house is equally out of plumb. A thousand miners were thrown out of work, ult hough scores of these are being used on the surface, pro tecting mills and shops. Five million tons of ore had been blocked out for mining iu the lower levels of the flooded mines. Most of this work had been done within the 'past two year at an expenditure of millions of dollurs, all of which will I be a dead loss, unless tiie mines are reopened. The total loss, including jthis ore, is estimated at .fl.l.OOO.OOO. o - - Problems Rene Viviani ?. i.f(, (,, liigin, upper, General .loffre (Ho battlo of the Mai ne; Arthur .1. Crescent, rofnier secretary to first lord 30 MILLION EGGS TO RAISE E CHICAGO, April '21. According to Herbert A. Knierson, who has been to the I'ncil'ie const invest iga tin); food conditions for John Dillon, com missioner of the stale of New York, there are between thirly million and thirty-six million eggs on the tracks in Chicago, held by speculators to keep up high prices. Mr. Knierson said that Ihe Pacific const stales this year, instead of impeding cms as they have done generally, will have a surplus of 7", 0110 to 1 (10,0(1(1 rases to sell. Mr. Knierson said he had no evi dence? of an "egg trust but said he is sure there is a "mighty close un derstanding" between the big dealers and was confident an investigation would cause a break iu prices, '''file butter situation is a parallel," he said. "The I'acifie coast this' year will be able to ship east a surplus of lot) ears of butter, 'J 1,011(1 pounds to Ihe car. Four years ago the coast imported 200 cars." t r Vt 11 bi i $i STANDARD OIL TO BLAME FOR GASOLINE GRAFT Federal Trade Commission Reports to Senate the High Prices of Gaso line Durinn Past Two Years Due Principally to Trust Price Arbi trarily Raised and Output Cut. WASHINGTON', April 21. Domi nation of tho gasollno Industry by tho Standard Oil Interests, tho federal trade commission reported to tho sen ate today, lias been largely responsi ble for high gasoline prices of the last two yenrs. The report written after an ox haustlvo investigation into tho entire petroleum Industry declares Inter locking stock ownorshlp prevents any real competition among tho various Standard Oil companies and tho com mission recommends legislation to permit tho reopening of tho oil trust caso to obtain modifications of the supremo court's dissolution decroe. No conclusive cvldcnco was found it Is stated, that collusion exists among the Standard companies In vio lation of the decree, hut the commis sion's finding have been transmitted to the attorney general. i'rlces Aribtral ily Kled. Prices aro declared to have been arbltrurily raised, although natural causes contributed. Pronounced price 1 Inequalities wererfound In different i parts of tho country. Tho principal findings of tho com mission are: That In most marketing torrllorles the Standard companies are domi nant. That the Standard companies have maintained a distribution of terri tory in marketing gasoline and that no substantial competition in the hief petroleum products exists among tho Standard companies. That the absence of competition Is duo to a community of stock own ership. That tho facts disclose in prices of gasoline and differences In prices, corresponding to Standard marketing territories which could not bo ex plained except under tho conditions charged. Perpetuities Monopoly. That tho combination of pipe lines with other branches of tho Industry has tended to establish and perpet uato monoply. That there Is no conclusive evl donco of collusion among tho Stan dard compnnics In violation of the dissolution decree ' Tho commission recommended these measures as necessary to rem edy conditions: A law providing for tho reopening of anti-trust cases on tho application of tho attorney general by a bill of review for tho purpose of obtaining much modification of decrees us are required by new conditions. Legislation to abolish In certain cases common stock ownership In cor porations formerly members of com binations dissolved under the Sher man law. Kffective limitation of common ownership of stock In potentially competitive corporations by with drawing tho power of voting and control. I, imitation of Ownership. Legislation, which, wiillo roeoguiz alng common ownership would fix up- ( Continued on Pago Four.) DENY CAPTURE OF GERMAN U-BOAT WAKIIi'.VCTO.V, April 2 1. Denial of reports that a (icriaun submarine has been captured by an American warship alter being caught In tt net near Newport News, Va.( and was be ing taken to New York was made to day by Secretary Daniels. "The statement Is entirely with out any basis of truth,, the secretary said. "It has been current here for peroral days and has been denied of ficially by the iinval commander of tho Norfolk district." ENGLAND SOLID FOR UNIVERSAL MILITARY DUTY Member of British Commission States That British Democracy Almost Fanatical for Conscrip tionVolunteer System Crippled Army ami Nation Proved Failure. WASHINGTON, April 24. Lieu tenant General Dildgos, a member of tho Uritlsli commission, declared to day In talk with nowspaper corres pondents thnt tho Uritlsli democracy had beconio "almost fanatical" over universal military service. The vol unteer system under which tho em pire entered the war, General Bridges said, cost tho lives of the most val uablo citizens and crippled Industrial mobilization. "War," said General Bridges, "now has beconio an Immensely demo cratic business and needs the full ef fort of every member of the commu nity. Men, women and children are equally drawn Into its vortex, the. women and children being forced In to industry and fed on half rations to supply tho men at the front." Goneral Bridges talked of the dif ficulties which had beset England at the beginning of the war. itritish Mistakes. "The source of our greatest diffi culty," ho declared, "was the sending to Kuropo'of practically our whole trained army a,:' an expeditionary force. This robbed us of all trained officors and It was only through re Lirned wounded officers and the with drawal of others that we wore able to build tho skeleton for our new forces. At the same tlmo wa allowed most of our better class youths, uni versity men In many cases, to enter the ranks which withdrew 'them from the officors clnss and placed that re sponsibility on far loss well equip ped persons. Tho wastage of the best blood of tho nation wns enormous. "It Is my opinion if It had not been for Kitchener's Immense person ality wo should have had conscription within a few months. If Lord Rob erts' proposal for universal Borvlce had been enforced, wo should have savod enormously, not only In men but In Industrial efficiency." General Bridges estimated eight mouths ns the nocessary time to train a division. Individual recruits, how ever, may bo made fit to go to the front in a short space of eleven weeks provided they aro distributed In pro portions of fifty amongst two hun dred trained men. Artillery .Needed "Artillery must bo In great pre ponderance," General Bridges said, "before an ntack can be Initiated. Tho bayonet, however, is still essen tial. 1 should estimate that the pros out successes on tho western front aro duo to a British preponderance over tho Germnn artillery of at least three or four to one. There Is abso lutely no doubt ns to the outcome of tho war; tho only question is as to Its length." General Bridges commented brief ly on the difficulties of mulling good fighters In a democratic nation full of personal freedom and Inching mili tary experience The French bour geois In the general's opinion, makes the Ideal soldier because war bus been almost an Instinct in his blood since tiie days of Napoleui. General H.'ldges praised the French army In Hie highest terms and sr. Id that there bad grow! up between Fiance and r,.igbind, former ciemics a feeling that mora '.nil fi lin 1Mi and that almost a love ctch WASHINGTON", April 24. Elihu Hoot will head the American coinniis. .-Ion to Kussiu if he will consent to undertake the duly. It became known today that the president has com pleted the selection oC Ihe principal nicnibciN of Ihe in i-.-iolt.