Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, May 08, 1917, Page 1, Image 1

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    WEATHER Maximum Yesterday G7; Minimum Today 37. FORECAST Tonight and Tomorrow Showers.
VII H I
EDFORD
RIBUN
Forty-seventh Yar.
Dally Twelfth Year.
MEDFORD OREGOX, TUESDAY. MAY 8. 1917.
NO. 40
I
RECAPTURE OF
SEEKING SCALP
BUILD FLEET OF
MAILT
UP
I X3 14
7 JL2
AMERICAN SHIPS GERMANS CLAIM PAN GERMANS
ATTEMPT ON KAiSER S UFE" RE
REPORTED ASK BILL ON 10
LANSING PUTS
K SUPPLIES
CENSORSHIP ON
TOSUBMARINES FRESMQV. FRANCE
OF CHANCELLOR
5 MILLION TONS
OREIGN NEWS
German U-Boats in Atlantic and Un
til Recently... Supplied.. From the
United States by Ships Flying the
American Flag, According to State
ments by Crew of Manitowoc.
WASHINGTON", May 8. The gov
ernment is investigating the activities
of the steamer Manitowoc si ml oilier
vessels of the American Trans-Aflan-tie
company which are said to have
carried supplies to German .siibmn
i Tines in the Atlantic. This was dis
closed nt the navy department today
but no details of the steps taken
were piven out.
The American Trans-Atlantic com
pany lias ofiees in New York anil
Boston and its ships l'ly the Ameri
can flag. Officials here will not say
what had aroused their suspicions,
hut admitted that the ships had been
held for investigation at St. Thomas,
Yiring Islands, by order of the navy
department. Both the slate and jus
tice departments have been taking
part in the investigation.
Submarine in Atlantic.
SAX JUAN", Porto Hico, May ,".
(Correspondence of the Associated
PnSis) There are Herman subma
rines in the Atlantic and until very
recently they have been supplied from
the United States by ships flying the
American fluff, according to state
ments by members of the crew of the
steamer Mnnitpwoo which for sev
eral weeks was jlclaincd at the har
bor nt St. Thomas. Twenty-one of
the crew are returning to the "Tailed
States after difficulties with Caplain
F. Hogsted, master of the ship.
The Manitowoc, Muskegon, Allng
nash, nil belonging to the same line,
shortly before tin? Danish inlands
became the Virgin islands, United
States of America, pat into the har
bor bound from Buenos Aires for
New York, supposedly to "await or
ders." They were Mill waiting for
orders when the islands were trans
ferred to the United Stales. Accord
in); to their manifests all three ships
carried coal and other fuel supplies.
Members of (he crew of the Manito
woc said all the vessels were loaded
with contraband and supplies for Her
man submarines.
Supplied U-Knats.
"When wc left New York last we
were supposed to have a cargo of
coal exclusively," said one of the
crew . "Underneath the coal were all
sorts of fuel and food supplies. Sup
posedly the cargo was destined for
Buenos Aires. Between SI, Thomas
and Buenos Aires we pit rid of our
cargo on the high seas to German
submarines. We had no cargo when
wo reached Buenos Aires."
At Buenos Aires that ship, tin
Muskegon nnd the Allngiinsh all took
on general cargoes, oil and other fuel
supplies which were covered ovc
with several hundred tons of coal
thev said nnd on the Manitowoc there
was placed two iron chests filled
with gold, each supposed to contain
02.-)0,000. These, according to t
men, also were bidden under the coal.
Crew Wiintcd l'ay.
While waiting in St. Thomas for
orders, the Danish inlands were
t',nsfcrred to the United Slates and
tiie ships were not permitted to sail.
The crew of the Manitowoc tried to
pet some of their pay while idle in
the harbor, but Captain llogstend re
fused to make any payment. The
men then made n complaint to Hear
Admiral Oliver, governor of the island
who requested Captain Hooti-nd that
he would not supply any more enemy
ships before being permitted to le ave
(Continued on pace three)
UNOCAL RE-ELECTED
HAVANA, May S. The Cuban
congress, in joint session, proclaimed
General Mario G. Menocal, re-elected
president of the republic for another
four-year term, with i"!idnl Kinilio
N'unes us vice-president. Of the lJ'J
electoral voles cast. President Mella
ril 1 received 8(1: Alfred ayas lib
eral candidate, III!. The conservatives
carried four of the sis provinces.
Town on Arras Front Reported Re
taken in One of Many Desperate
Counter Attacks Canadians Re
port Line Penetrated but Re-established
Severe Fighting.
IIKRI.1N", May 8. German troops
have recaptured I'Yesnoy, says the
official statement issued today by
1 lie German army headquarters staff.
Uresnoy is a town on the Arras
front five miles southwest of Lens
ami was captured by the Canadians
on May .t. Since the taking of the
town by the B 'itish forces, the Ger
mans have made dcsiiernte efforts to
recapture it and the fighting has been
continuous on that part of the Ilin
denburg line.
OTTAWA, May 8 A dispatch re
ceived here today from ft'-' corres
pondent at Canadian nrnry headquar
ters says that the Canadian line was
penetrated this morning by n German
attack northeast of Frcsnoy village
but that the Canadians succeeded in
re-establishing the line except nt one
small point. The fighting still con
tinues, the dispatch adds.
Fi-ench Statement.
PARIS, May 8. German counter
attacks near Vauxaillon and along the
Clieniin-Des-Dames last night were
repulsed by the French, the war of
tleo announces. Violent artillery en
gagmcnts occurred on the Vauclerc
plateau and in tho region of Craonne.
The statements follows:
"iiotween' the Somme and the Oise
active artillery fighting occurred. An
enemy attack on one of our posts in
tho region of Vaucourt was checked
During tho night .counter attacks
w-to made east of Vauxllion and on
the Chcniin-Des-Uames near Lo Pan
theon and Ccrny.
. (iciiiintis Defeated.
All efforts of tho Germans were de
feated by our fire. Further east the
artillery fighting was violent for a
time on tho plateau of Vauclerc and
In the vicinity of Craonne. North of
the Vauclerc a surprise nttaek ena
bled us to capturo the main German
position and take twenty prisoners.
"Northwest of Ilheims the Germans
made futile efforts to gain a- footing
in the trenches which we captured
yesterday. South of Berry-au-Dec
there was a spirited engagement
which resulted to our advantage. The
number of prisoners we took at this
point was 120. Northwest of Pros
nes we captured a field fort. A strong
German attack northeast of Mont
limit, against Crete-du-Teton was re
pulsed. We took prisoners and in
flicted losses on the enemy. Gren
ade fighting occurred In Avocourl
wood and near Chambrettcs."
On licit Isli Front.
I.ON'IIO.V, M.ay 8. "The enemy's
artillery was active at intervals
throughout the night at a number of
places along our front, particularly in
the sector between Fresnoy and
l.oos," says today's officinl statement
"Our artillery replied. We made suc
cessful raids during the night in the
neighborhood of Neuve Chapelle and
Fauquissart. Our positions north
west of Armentlers were raided yes
terday evening by a small party of the
enemy. After hand to hand fighting
the enemy wore driven out, leaving a
few dead In our trenches. A Tew of
our men are missing. Another enemy
raid south of Armentlers was re
pulsed.''
Ei
LONDON', May 8. The Norwegian
foreign office reports the Norwegian
-learners Tolskn, Vale and Troni
sunk by Gentian submarines, says a
Central News dispatch from Chri
tianiu. Three men were lost from
the Yale.
The Yale wn of 71!) tons and the
Tpmip of 2,7.)1 tons. No steamer
Tol-kn is li-tcd. The Norwegian
steamer Tolom of l.HIM tons may be
Ihc ics-el alined lo.
Blame for Long War Put Upon Von
Bethmann-Hollweg Poland for
Dispatching Troops to Save East
Prussia and for Delaying U-Boat
Campaign Compared to Bismarck,
COPENHAGEN, May 8. The con
servatives and Pan-German have
now brought up their heavy artillery
in tho batle against Chancellor Von
Bethmann-Holweg and boldly lay the
blame for the long duration of the
war at his door. The conservative.
Dautsche Tages Zeitung, explains that
three or four days' delay in the Ger
man mobilization at the outset of the
war, due to the chancellor's hesitating
policy, caused the loss of the battle
of the Marne.
The paper holds that the troops
that were detached to stem the Rus
sian invasion of east Prussia would
have been sufficient to change the
defeat of General Von Kluck's army
into a victory and that in that case
the war would have ended in a
speeds' and decisive German triumph.
The Tages Zeitung goes on to declare
that the chancellor threw away a sec
orfd chance of terminating the war
by opposing ruthless submarine war-
faro. It cites Field Marshal Conrad
Von Hoetzendorf, Austrian com
mander-in-chief, as saying recently:
'The war would have been over
long ago if the submarine campaign
had. been begun a year earlier."
Compare Willi Illsraiirek.
The Pan-German and anexation-
ists are also comparing the chancellor
with Bismarck and demanding his re
tirement because he does not mensure
un to Germany's "Iron Man." The
agitation for the downfall of Von
Bothmann-Hollweg is unconcealed in
press and parliament and Is rein
forced by mass meetings organized
by imperialist leagues and the inde
pendent committee for a German
peace.
The bitterness Increases as the
chances grow for a reform of politi
cal conditions In Germany. The chan
cellor's opponents couple their attacks
with far from flattering remarks
about the Austro-IIiingariun govern
ment for Its declarations in favor
of moderate peace terms.
1iy I'ostKno Terms?
AMSTERDAM, May 8. In refer
ring to the Russian government's ex
plnntlon of its war alms, the Berlin
Socialist newspaper Vorwaerts, In
sists that Chancelor Von Bethmann-
Hollweg has no reason to postpone
a dofinite statement of Germany's
alms In the war and asks what the
chancellor Is waiting for.
"If a frank, hold statement Is made
in the sense of the Russian peace
formula." it says, "Russia, Germany
and Austria-Hungary will stand to
gether'. LIBERTY LOAN FOR
NEW YOIiY, May 8 A liberty
loan for the provisional government
in Russia has been approved by tb
council of workmens' nnd soldiers'
delegates by n vote of 1,(100 to 1 l'J,
neording to a dispatch received to
day from Pctrograd by the Jewish
Daily Forward. .,
The 312 who voted against the loan
are of the Maximalist faction who
favor an immedintc separate pci.ee
the niesnge said.
The dispatch adds that an "AJI
Russian congress of trade unions"
has been enllcd for May 'JO declared
lo be the first of its kind ever hch
in Russia and n society for the pro
motion of the idea of n United States
of Kurope has been formed.
SUSPENDS CIVIL SERVICE
TO AID GUNNER'S MOTHER
WASHINGTON, May 8. Picsi
dent Wilson today suspended the
civil service rules so that Mrs. An
nie Koplueci, mother of John O. F.o
plucei, the naval gunner who lost his
life in the submarine destruction of
the American merchantman Aztec, be
appointed a seamstress at Hie Wash
ington navy yard.
Stock Kxcliango rumors nre current, in tho Kust of an attempt to nssus
siiiuto KniH.'ror Wiliielm. Tho Associated Press, however, has received
nothing to substantiate the report.
IN U. 5. SENATE
- WASHINGTON", May 8. Foreign
Minister Balfour, Lieutenant General
Bridges nnd Admiral Do Chair of the
British mission were received today
in the senate with a demonstration
which rivalled the enthusiasm and
acclaim of their reception recently in
the house. After the reception on
the senate floor the party was enter
tained nt luncheon by Vice President
Marshal.
Introducing Mr. Balfour, Vice Pres
ident Marshall expressed the hop;
that when the war was ended the
free peoples of (he earth would sit
down nt the council table and not
arise until they have written on Ihc
firmament the legend "thine only for
the wise nnd I hey are not wise who
are not just."
M!r. Balfour declared that Germany
blundered when she counted otlml
Kngland nnd America were n I'm id to
enter the war and estimated the ef
fect as negligible if they did.
"That will be the wrecking of all
(heir hopes," he said. "That iH ihc
blunder that- will save civilization.
"The war isn't going lo be settled
by the sinking of nciilrals or of send
ing women nnd children to the bot
tom of the ocean, but by hard fight
ing," he said, adding Unit, it would re
quire the combined efforts of every
man and woman on both sides of the
Atlantic.
SA.V FRANCISCO, May 8. Simul
taneously with tho publication today
of the names of candidates accepted
for training as officers of the rcservc
corps at the Presidio camp here, it
was announced that other camps to
accommodate nearly .1000 qualified
applicants, barred for the lack of ac
commodations nnd Instructors, would
probably be established soon. Lieu
tenant Colonel II. II. Whitney, adju
tant of the western department, an
nounced that the war department had
under consideration the establish
ment of other ramps.
The first catch of ",00 recruits for
officers of the recerve corps were in
structed to report for duly next
Thursday. They will be assigned lo
various duties until instruction be
gins, May 15. Infantry, cavalry,
coast and field artillery and engineer
reserve officers who have already re
ceived commissions reported today
for duty.
i -km
1TODAY
SBfowl & JMwlo r
PHOENIX SAFE
Cracksmen blew the snfu..-of the
Phoenix .Mercantile company mill Ihc
postoffice at Phoenix nt an early
hour Tuesday and got away without
leaving n clew with ffl'OO of the com
pany's i icy, $(." of the posloflice
funds, $18 id' the eily funds, and -fl
of the Phoenix high school students'
fund, all of which they obtained from
Hie big safe. They did not take a
single one of (he large qnanlily of
stamps in Hie sale, however.
In addition to the oilier plunder
obtained from the safe they look
away chocks to the value of tfl.'l ami
a $15 county warrant.
From n smaller safe which was un
locked, as it was broken into some
tihie ago and had never been repair
ed, the burglars look $1:2 in gold nug
gets mill $:!.;'0 in gold dust.
The burglary took place at 3:30 a.
m. ns at that lime the niiiffled'sound
of the safe blowing was heard by
several residents who did not think
iinylhing about it at. Ihc time. The
burglary was not discovered until
Tuesday morning when the store was
opened.
Sheriff Ralph Jennings was noti
fied at once and was soon on Ihc
scene. From Hie investigation lie
made and Hie marks on Ihc safe there
is no doubt, thai the cracksmen had
to fire three charges of explosive be
fore they got into Ihc inner compart
ment of the safe.
Entrance was gained to the store
by prying open a door and breaking
a lock.
There seems to be no doubt In the
minds of Sheriff Jennings und othors
that the work was done by profession
al cracksmen. Additional color 1ft
lent to this theory by the fact that
tho burglars did not take uny stamps,
as an attempt to dlspoxo of stamps
might lead lo detection.
WASHINGTON, .May H. - France
today received the $illl.lillll,lIIO the
United States has di cided to lend
her lo meet her expenses in this coun
try during May. The amount was
trnic-l cried by Ncciclnrv McAdoo to
Ambassador Jusscnind today hy
treasiiry wai run I.
CHICAGO, May H.-Mey wheal
sold at $:i a bushel today, the high
est price on record. II was an ad
vance of 17c. The close was ul
f-'.lir. July wheat rose T'-'.e t
.f'J.33:'l.
Shipping Board Contemplates Divers
ion to Government Users of Prod
uct of Every Steel Mill In the Coun
try and Cancellation of All Private
Contracts Labor to Co-Operate.
WASHINGTON", May 8 Congress
will be asked to appropriate $1,000,-
000,000 for Hie building of the great
American merchant fleet which is to
overcome the submarine menace.
The program evolved by the ship
ping board contemplates the diver
sion to government uses of the pro
lines ol every steel mill in the coun
try, caneellalion of existing contracts
between these mills and private con
sumers and where necessary payment
of damages by (he government to the
parlies whose contracts, are cancell
ed. Estimates of the shipping board are
(hat between fi,(M(l,0(t) nnd (1,00(1,000
tons of steel and wooden vessels will
be constructed by the government
during the next two years.
Begin in Two Weeks.
The only mnnufaetiires of steel to
be exempted from the program will he
those needed otherwise for national
defense. Bills for introduction i
congress have been prepared and the
administration hopes to gel them un
der way so promptly that the first ol'
the shipbuilding operations may be in
motions within two weeks.
Just how the $1,000,0110,000 will be
provided is left to congress, but the
tentative program calls for an addi
tional issue of bonds. Co-operation
ot the labor organizations has alreadv
hecn pledged, it is understood, and
there will be no legislation, unless
the preset n program is changed.look-
nig to tliB-drnlling iil the labor nec
essary lo carry out Hie plans.
Itailroads un lvvecption.
The only oilier exception lo the
general caucellalioiis of private con-
tracls with steel nulls will be those
of railroads. Steel mills, it is con
templated, will be permitted to sin
ply I hem with the minimum amount of
steel products with which Hie rail
roads can get along.
All other industries kindred to
the steel trade or in which Hie use ol
steed figures largely will be afl'ecled
by the proposed legislation. To adjust
equitably their losses, Hie admiiiistra
t ion coiilciuplulcs Hie creation of a
tribunal which probably will be des
ignated a court of appraisers, to de-
lerniine tho extent of private losses
duo to cancellation of eonlracls.
It liiay he iineoiistiliilional to no
timlly take over the shipbuilding
yards ol the country and they prob
ably will be operated by their pres
ent owners under strict govcrumcnln!
supervision.
The program contemplates Ihc use,
to Hie maximum of every resource
within the United Stales to speedily
begin Ihc largest liaiiibr of ships p" .
siblc. Should the number of vessels' thus
turned out. hi' inadequate to meet (he
(lei limn siibiiiarine menace, shipbuild
ing facilities will be increased.
NKW YORK, May 8. The United
Stales Steel corporation will suli
scribe $'J,"i,000,Olltl to the Liberty
loan, the largest single subscription
yet liuuoanced. Officials of Hie cor
poration in making' known today in
tention to subscribe for this amount
intimated it probably would be in
creased by an a'-'rcu'iite of subscrip
lions from Ihc employes of the cor
poration.
FEDERAL CONTROL
IS
WASHINGTON, May 8.- lli il.i rt
Hoover uryenlty ri-i-uiiiini'iiilt 1 In
tho senate niit'iiltuiul eonmiillee t
ilny a separate depa il meat of the
ic)Vninieiit to deal v il li the food
((motion uthl nh-olute o eminent
control of eertam staples, uirtieii-
lurly wheat atwl nnar.
State Department Officials Forbidden
to Give Out Information or to Criti
cise Department Policies Under
Pain of Dismissal All Information
Centralized in Intelligence Bureau.
WASHINGTON", May 8. Secre
tary I.ausiug today followed the state
department order which forbids any
other official to give information to
the public willi a statement that any
other official who may give informa
tion conveying a criticism of tho do
pa rtment's policies should be dismiss
ed. Mr. lainsing reiterated that tho
giving of information to the public
through Hie newspapers would hcro
al'ler be restricted to himself and tho
newly created bureau of foreign in
telligence. Iteiisons ns Cited,
Secretary Lansing said he had for
bidden officials to talk with news
paper correspondents because he was
dissatisfied wlh having information
eonie from many difference channels
and perhaps from contrary points of
view, lie intended, he said, to cen
tralize nil information, even as to de
tails, in the bureau of foreign intel
ligence. Apart from what informa
tion was to be given out by the bu
reau or by himself, the secretary said
no information would bo allowed to
reach the public from the state de
partment. Secretary Lansing was pressed for
an instance of where information
harmful to Hie best interests had
Ibus been published, lie said that
as yet no serious cases had occurr
ed but he was very much ufraid that
I hey would occur shortly. ''
llllronll Handles All.
Secretary Lansing stilted that the
press would have to content itself
willi what the bureau of foreign in
telligence gives out. That bureau, ho
said, would handle everything in the
international field, all subjects con
nected with the wur, in short every
thing. WASHINGTON-, May 8 The sen
ate closed its doors again today
when it look up the embargo section
of the espionage bill. The section
as desired by the administration Was
virtually ngreed to lust night when
.Senator La Kolletle proposed nn
amendment IWbidding an cmbnrgo
to nations which consume Ainertcun
exporls themselves and did not nl
low them to get lo enemy countries
and provided that the embargo
should not be used lo coerco neutral
nations.
The action came late yesterday
after a lou debate in executive ses
sion during which republican sena
tors led in vigorous criticism ot
l'res. Wilson for bis alleged failure to
consult members of congress nhout
the proposed legislation nnd after
ward had been passed around that
the president would be embarrassed
by the old embargo provision. It
was explained nlso that tho gov
eininenl had reason to believe thut
American exports wero getting to
Germany through Holland nnd Swit
zerland. UNABLE TO AGREE
W'ASlllNiiTON', May 8. Conferee
on the army hill today fell into such a
deadlock over the amendment to per.
mil sending Colonel Iloosevolt'a di
vision to France that they susponded
work nnd considered returning tho
bill to house nnd sennto and asking
for Instructions. Tho prohibition
amendment, tho ago limits for the se
lective conscription nnd the amend
ments for raising volunteer patrol
regiments for the Mexlcau'border also
are stumbling blocks.