Medford mail tribune., October 17, 1917, Page 1, Image 1

Unvevsity HI
LUirary
WEATIIEU Max. yesterday, 38;.inlii. today, 26.5. FORECAST Tonight' and tomorrow : Fair; warnu'jr' Thursday ; killing frost tonight.
Medford Mail Te
Forty-ievflnth Tear.
Dally Twelfth Year.
. MEDFORD. OREGON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1917
NO. 178
IF
OESEL ISLE
POSSESSION
Kaiser's Military Machine Proceed
ing With Rapidity to Carry Out
Program of Dominance in Gulf of
Riga German Battleship Strikes
Mine Intense Artillery Battle on
Flanders Front Prepares Another
British Drive.
,-."' ' n
BERLIN, Oct. 17. German troops
linve captured the Russian island of
Oesel, in the Gulf of Hign, in its en
tirety, it was officially announced to
day by the German general staff.
The German statement says that
Teuton naval forces had encounters
with Russian torpedo boat destroyers
and gunboats north of Oesel island
and in the Bay o Higa, and these re
sulted favorably for the Germans.
The Hussiun ships were compelled to
retire. The German vessels, it is
added, sustained no losses.
Naval aircraft dropped bombs on
1'ernan, a Russian port on the Gulf
of Riga, where lurge fires were ob
served. On the main fighting front in the
cast there was a revival of activity.
Russians attempted to advance, the
statement soys, but were driven back.
Control lilgu Gulf.
The German military and naval
machine is obviously proceeding with
rapidity to carry out its program of
gaining complete dominance in the
Gulf of Riga. It has all of Oesel
island, off the mouth of the gulf, al
ready in its grasp.
All arms of the German service
seem engaged in the operations, even
n fleet of Zeppelins being on hand to
make observations. lite Russian mi
val forces aro now bearing the brunt
of the resistance to the Gernuin ef
fort and l'etrograd reports ( heir pa
trol ships keeping in touch with and
having encounters with German tor
pedo craft.
Berlin iloes not admit any losses
in the engagements north of Oesel
island, in which the Russians report
ed two German torpedo craft sun!
and two damaged, while conceding
the loss of one Russian destroyer.
Furthermore, I'etrograd today re
ports that a German drcadnaught
struck a mine off Oesel island on Oc
tober VI, making for the coast utter
the explosion of the mine, the ulti
mate fate of the warship not being
known.
Ifnig Prepares Diivo,
"All the important infantry fighting
last night in the western war theater
was confined to the French front,
where attacks by the Germans in the
Aisnc and Champagne sectors, as well
as in the Vtfrdnn region, were re
pulsed by General l'etuiu's troops.
There is promise of a speedy re
newal of the activity in Flanders
however. Field Marshal Ilaig, for fn
stance, sends from British headquar
ters today one of those laconic re
ports that so frequently have pre
ceded the periodic attacks on that
Jront.
"Nothing of special interest to re
port," has meant in several of the
cases that the British guns had op
encd their terrific drumfire prepnr
ulory to an attack.
The German high command appar
ently is anticipating a renewal of the
British drive, as the latest Berlin
statement in reporting the intense ar
tillery activity in Flanders said "at
tacks had taken place, up to the
present."
Jtulgai's Code Villages.
There, has been a spell of compnr
(Continued on Page Three.)
PARIS, Oct. 17. The chamber of
deputies, nfter a secret session this
evening, resumed its public session
closing the secret reort on the state
ment concerning ANnce-Lorraine,
made in the chamber last Friday bv
Foreign Minister Riliot, by voting to
pass to the next bn-tiicss. The mo.
tion was carried by ILl to 0, the so
cialists refusing to vote,
DICTATORSHIP
BEING PLANNED
I A LI
Forces Actually at Work for Military
Dictatorship or at Least for Con-
, tinuance of Chancellor in Office in
Defiance of the Reichstag Social
ists Vote Against War Credits.
COPENHAGEN, Oct. 17- The Ber
lin correspondent ot the Fremdenblatt
of Hamburg discerns Indications that
forces actually are at work In the
entourage of Chancellor Mlchaells,
with the thought of a military dicta
torship or at least with the idea of
having the chancellor continue In of
fice In defiance of the reichstag, sup
porting himself by military backing.
Conservative and socialist papers
In Germany have been engaged In a
controversy for some time on the sub
ject of a dictatorship, but hitherto
It had not seemed to be of such a na
ture that it should bo taken serious
ly. Withhold Credits.
AMSTERDAM, Oct. 17. A German
socialist newspaper says that the so
cialists have decided to vote against
the new war credit of 10,000,000,000
marks which is to be submitted to
the reichstag in December unless
Chancellor Mlchaells resigns.
Except for the independent social
ists, represented in the reichstag by
about twenty deputies, who broke
away from the party last year, thofl
socialists have suported the German
government thru the war and voted
for the war credits. Defection of the
entire socialist party in therelchstag
will present a serious division, inas
much as the social democrats and the
Independent socialists combined have
108 seats, a greater number than any
other party.
Sllcliaclls Must do.
Admiral Von Capelle's announce
ment in the reichstag at the out
break In tho German navy, with his
Insinuations that three independent
socialist deputies were concerned in
the movement, arrayed against the
government the whole socialist party,
already displeased with the attitude
of Chancellor Michaelis toward the
reichstag peace resolution, and by
his countenancing of pan-German
propaganda. The Voerwaerts of Ber
lin, the great Genua! socialist organ,
declared that the chancellor must go
and that the socialists would appose
him unrelentingly.
CHAMPIONS CAUSE
OF 0. S.
MANILA, Oct. 17. The insular
congress opened today, its first act
being the adoption of a resolution af
firming the adherence of the Filipino
people to the cause of Ihe United
States in the world war.
rraucis Morton Harrison, llie gov
ernor general, in his message to the
congress, urged legislation authoriz
ing the 'government to proceed with
the food campaign ulroudv begun bv
the administration, lie asked liberal
treatment of nil nnvernnient. eninbiv-
ers who have been fulled to serve In
the war. Regarding economic login-
bition, he suggested a postponennt
until die end ol the war ol the con
templated rliiingcs in the Philippine
tariff.
Authority was- asked by the gover-
nor-gcncral to reduce the intrinsic
value of silver coins and to issue peso
bills. Legislation for the establish
nieiit of a Philippine mint also wa
requested.
The governor-general reported the
treasury to be in sound condition, and
therefore asked congress lo make
adequate appropriations, particularly
lor public works, education and the
promotion of health.
L. A. Dollar who has been serving
In the navy since last July when he
enlisted In San Francisco and who
has been spending his five days' fur
lough here visiting relatives, left to
day to report for duty at the San
Diego training station. He expects
to be assigned to active duly on board
ship ill the near future.
RAILROADS ASK
T
Eastern Railroads Seek Temporary
Financial Relief Thru Higher
Charges on Commodities, Such as
Brick, Copper, Stone and Sand
t
Application for Increase to Follow
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 Eastern
railroads today, risking the interstate
commerce commission for temporary
financial relief thru certain freight
rate increases, gnvo notice that for
mal applications fou general in
creases of an extended nature soon
would be asked.
George Stuart Patterson, on behalf
of the roads, outlined their suggestion
to the commission,
"We come," bo said, "with two
specific suggestions.' The first is
whether it is not practicable and
whether a blanket application should
not be filed by the carriers asking for
permission to file tariffs covering all
those commodities such as brick, cop
ner, stone, sand and many othor com
modities. "The second suggestion is this:
Would it not bo desirable and in ac
cordance with the public interest to
postpone the hearings which have
now boon set with respect to Ihe tar
iffs under suspension covering in
creased rates on grain, grain prod
ucts, livestock, dressed meats and
certain other miscellaneous commod
ities. "It is tho opinion of the gentlemen
whom I represent that tiny relief
which will be secured from permitting
these increased rates in respect to
these commodities will.be only a tem
porary relief and that it is only a
question of a short time w-hen the
needs of the eastern carriers will be
brought to the attention of tltis com
mission on a much more general and
more specific way than is contem
plated in these particular tariffs."
The commission, nfter hearing the
railroad executive's suggestion, ad
vised tiictn that it would confer and
communicate with them biter.
I
DKS MOINES, Ta., Oct. 17.
Available returns from .Monday's
prohibition Mention show a majority
against flu; constitutional amendment
forbidding Hip nuinufnoturo and snle
ol' liquor in Iowa ot .'WHO at 2 p. m.
today. Ki fly-one scattering pre
cincts are yd, to he heard from, the
vol o standing 210,0-1!) against and
20(i,(i."i) Cor (lie amendment.
An official count may he neccsKiiry
to determine the, result of. the elec
tion. A victory for the amendment
means the constitutional prohibition
of manufa'lure and sale of lienor in
the stale until a legislature is elect
ed which would re-submit the ques
tion to popular vole. A victory for
the wets would not mean the immedi
ate lepnl sale of liquor unlit the stat
utory provision under which the slate
is now dry is repealed. This would
be impossible, until the next legisla
ture convenes, two years hence.
T'KTKOOIIAI), Oct. 17.-Thc gen
erals arrested for participation in
the Kernihil'f uprising on their de
parture from llerditchev, province ot'
Kiev, on October KI, were compelled
lo Hulk three miles to the rajlroad
-tation, while they were jeered, pelt
ed with missiles and threatened by a
mob of scvernl thousand persons.
The officer barely eseaped alive
thru thetrutegy of a member of the
cadet guard, who started the (ruin
out of the station as it was being
fired upon by the mob, according to
repyrls which have jut arrived here.
(iciiern! AilulT was s!ruck in the
eye by a ads-ile, while Oenerai Van-otif'-ky's
sjiine wua injured seriously.
CERTAIN FREIGH
RATE INCREASES
The Safest Security in the World
Liberty 4 Bonda arc tho newest and tho oldest
of our securities.
?ack of every investment in tho country is tho
United States Ooveninient. It gives value to every
enterprise and business.'
Tho government has the power to tax tho whole
count ry-r e very individual, every business and every
piece of property to fulfill its promise to pay its
bonds.
If it should fail to meet its obligations when due,
the value of every business, every piece of your prop
erty, every bank account, in tho country would bo
vitally affected.
(Considered thus, the Liberty. Bond is practically
a first mortgage on every railroad, every industry
and every municipality in tho United States tho
richest nation in the world.
. Even' if the United States is forced by a continu
ation of the war to raise say twenty billion dollars by
sale of bonds, the United States would still owe far
less in proportion to her wealth than tiny nation in
Europe.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT YOUR BANK.
IE -
SETTLED: MEN 10
SKATTl.K, " Oct. 17. Scuttles
shipyard strike was considered tem
porarily settled today and tho strik
ers, numbering approximately 12,
000, were expected to return to work
Monday as a result of n patriotic ap
peal inadc to the men by the federal
wage adjustment hoard here recently.
The decision to return to work on
Monday was made ut meeting last
night of tho meUil trades council,
which called the strike. Tho coun
cil voted to instruct its members to
relurn to work under conditions ex
isting before the strike and to leave
their claims for higher wages and the
closed shop in the hands of tho ad
justment board.
Thirteen of the fourteen unions af
filiated with tho council previously
had voted to end Ihe strike, but the
fourteenth union, tho boilcrmukcrs,
decided lo remain out. in view of the
council's action it was expected tho
hoilcrmakcrs will reverse their de
cision. Hy Monday the men will have been
on strike three weeks and one day.
Work on a number of government
contracts was halted by tho strike.
A committee from the Metal Trades
Council today made public tho fol
lowing statement :
"In complianco with the expressed
wishes of the United States wage ad
justment board, the Metal Trades
Council of Seattle, and vicinity, con
fident that its interests will be fully
protected, and desiring lo remove as
far as possible all obstacles in the
way of the fulfillment of the United
States shipbuilding program, voted to
return to work in the Seattle ship
yards Monday, October 'J2, pending
the awards ot the wage adjustment
board.
"Upon receint of tho board's decis
ions, their findings will immediately
he communicated to nil affiliated
unions for their acceptance or rejec
tion." UNITED STATES IN
E
WASIII'NdTOM, Oct. 17. While
official announcement Is being with
held. It In practically certain that tho
United States will ho represented at
tho coming conference ot all the na
tions nl wir against (iermuny, which
probably will bo held In Paris.
Secretary Lansing today authorized
tho statement, that It definitely had
been decided that thero would lie a
conference and that the I'nltcd
States was considering participating
In It with the possibility that It
would be decided to do so.
Germans Bombard Nancy
I'AUIS, Oct. 17.- Ten persons
were killed and fortv wounded in a
bombardment of Nancv hist night by
(icruian aviators, the war office announce-.
On Monday and Tuesday
twenty-five tlennnn airplanes were
destroyed by the French or compelled
to hind in damaged condition.
French airplanes have bombed
several military establishments be
hind the (icniHill lines.
NEXT MONDAY
NKW YOH1C, Oct. 17. On Liberty
day, October 21, set apart by Presi
dent Wilson to promote the liberty
loan, the state legislature here will
close ut noon, it was announced to
day. WASHINGTON, Oct.-17. All in
dications today aro that subscrip
tions to the second liberty loan have
passed the one billion dollar nmrk.
New York's unofficial estimate to
day was $-120,1100,0(10. The Chicago
district claimed at least $200,000,-
000. Estimates of other ' districts
arc: St. Louis, $-10,000,000; San
Francisco, $:12,000,000 ; Kansas City,
$2f),000,000 ; Minneapolis, $1(1,000,-
000; Dallas, $12,000,000; owa, in
cluding lies Moines, $-10,000, 000.
Assuming that these figures nre
approximately correct, about $-100,-000,000
a day must be raised be
tween now and the close of the cam
paign, October 27, if the $."),000,000,
(100 goal is to be reached. .
The initial report of tho Minneap
olis district received last night was
highly encouraging.
E
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17. Great
Britain has agreed to a modification
of tho postal treaty which fixed a two
rent letter rate from tho United
tflat.es, so as to Increase It to three
cents for prnctlculy aV foreign let
tors no wtaklng tho two cent stamp.
This will bring a largo quantity of
foreign ninll Into tho class whero the
United States may collect tho addi
tional one cent letter tax Imposed by
the war tax bill.
The three cent rato also will apply
to tho Hahamus, Canada, Cuba, Itar
bndoes, llrlttsh Gulnen, llrlllsh Hon
duras, Dominican republic, Dutch
West Indies, England, Ireland, Wales,
Scotland, Leeward Islands, Mexico,
New Fouudtaud, New Zealand aud
Panama.
Tho three-cent rate becomes ef
fective November 2.
IN DETENTION MP
NKW VUKK, M. 17. I 'mil (lilly,
the Algerian baritone, mid I'nrinerly
with tin1 Mel niM)iitini Opera com
pany h")tl, i .starving in mi intern
ment rfmi nl Unnb, Austria, iierurd
iliLf lo ii iHter received from liim hy
KujjfTK! !oiicliir of this city, ilnlrd
August 17 ut. New York f'rii'inls
toiluy stiirtcd n fund r r tin- t-inyr.
The huritonc li'tl I ml on liim
diiys hpfnru wttr heujiii nml whs m
Slnitz pit-Hi', llolii'inijt. when put un
der gminl a a Prefudi nuhjeet, Af
ter two years he wum removed liU
nun request In the detention cau..
Here he Iuih heen olilieil to pny for
loiliiijj- nnd food Mijjlies.
0VER1ENI
THREATENS TO
OPERATE MINES MENACE ABROAD
Fuel Administrator Garfield Warns
Coal Operators and Miners Where
Strikes Have Occurred That Dras
tic Action Will Be Taken If Work
Does Not Proceed at 'Once.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17. Federal
Fuel Administrator Garfield today
warned coal operators and miners
where strlkuH havo occurred or aro
Impending that tho government
would take charge of coal production
It It continues to bo threatoned by
strikes:.
After a conference with John F.
White, president of tho United Mine
Woikors, ovor BtrlkoB callod or Im
pending In Illinois, Ohio, aud Indi
ana, Mr. Garfield sent a toleKrnm to
operators aud minors alike giving no
tice that the government would deal
most drastically with strikes Intend
od to force a revision of govornmont
prlcoB to moot wago Increases,
(iitrftcld's Telegram.
Tho fuel administrator's telegram
follows:
"American citizens ongaged In tho
mining of coal, whethor oporacors or
miners, aro for tho most part mind
ful of tho fact that our country Is at
war and that the burden rests upon
them to produce tho coal needed with
out Interruption. Hut there aro evi
dently some who fall to understand
tho gravity of tho situation and who
do not hesltalo to advocato strlkos
at tho present time as u means of
forcing tho government to at onco
docido- whethor tho wago lncrense,
agreed, to at tho meeting recently
held nt Washington by the operators
and miners ot tho central district,
should justly ho covered by nil ud
vance In tho prices fixed by tho pros
ident.
"Tho matter has been submitted to
mo and all concerned aro cxpectod
to co-operato. I am giving Imme
diate and close attention to tho sit
uation and hope to reach a decision at
an early date. Tho only circumstance
within my control which will delay
that decision will bo tho violation of
the spirit of tho arrangement between
tho oporators and miners which was
that under no circumstances should
the production of coal In tho United
States at tho present tlmo bo allowed
to diminish.
"if elthor the operators or miners
attempt to bring pressure upon mo to
reach a decision, I shall postpone It
and use wbatover powers aro neces
sary to compel tho production of coul
to meet tho country's needs." '
C'litrnfi Thrnatenr-il.
CHICAGO, Get. .1 7..--l'nleHH the
rnal nlrikn a Heltle.d wHhin tun du.VH,
IniHineKB In ('hicuno will bo paralyz
ed, accordhiK to a Btutoinent inude
today by -i'rnd W. Upliani, president
of tho largest coal company In tho
city.
"Thero In lent than ton days' sup
ply in tho city, and no coal In pomitm
In," nald Mr. Upham.
"Tho situation 1h tho most serloun
which ever confronted tho city,"
continued Mr. (Iphain. Ho added that
Mb company Imd but three days sup
ply on hand. llo ald ho believed
thnro v-uh not a building In tlio city
out shlf tbn IndiiHtrii.l plants with
morn than a six days' supply on hand.
Mont of thorn, ho said, could run only
th run days more.
"ConinHircial lifo in Chicano will ho
wrecked by next week unless Kuol
Administrator Carfield moves quick
ly," said Mr. rphiim. "Ilefuro the
striko situation was bad. This Ik the
climax."
CIVIL UfE HELD UP
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 7.-- General
llllss, chief of stuff of the army, bus
abruptly ended tbn pno l.lcc of com
missioning officers from civil lifo to
Ihe staff corps of various benches of
tbn army aud cslilng them Into active
Mervtro before actual need for their
services exists.
Indications that the practice lias
grown out of all hounds, particularly
In th.t medical, signal and n'lnrler
master's corps, led the chief ot Staff
lo take Ibis action,
U. S. WARSHiPSl
I
Decrease in Sinkings Due Largely to
Effectiveness of American De
stroyers, Which Steam Collectively
Nearly a Million Miles Each Ves
sel Has Encountered a Submarine.
BASK OF AMERICAN FLOTILLA,
IN 1VH1T1SH WATERS, Sept. 30
(Corespondonco of the Associated
Pross. ). In these five months of ac
tive service that they have seen in
tho great war, the American destroy
ers havo steamed collectively a total
distance of 875,000 miles. This Is
more by soveral times than the dis
tance cruised In two whole years of
peace. And what makes the figures
all the more Impressive is that they
have been, reached without the loss
thru an accident of war, of a single
lifo or a very serious mishap to any
of tho units.
Roughly, tho destroyers have spent
flvo-elghts of their tlmo at sea and
their averago tlmo lnport has' beon
three days aftor each turn of five or
six outsldo.
Tecluilqiio Learned.
Clear weather and long 'days have
favored them and aided the men In
learning the tcchniquo ot their busi
ness of combatting tho submarines,
convoying troop ships and merchant
men, patrolling tho shipping routes
and rescuing survivors from torpe
doed ships.
Tho Americans, therefore, can
claim no small part ot tho credit for
tho gradual decrease in shipping
losses. First of nil, the addition ot
their units to tho allied forces, pa
trolling as they do an area as largo
as that bounded rouniily hy tho great
V formed hy New York, Detroit tnd
Knoxvlllo, was cortain to make life
less comfortable for the U-boats. Next
the Americans applied all the tactics
of tho long-cxperlencod British and
in some Instances Improved on them.
All the destroyers added to their
equipment, depth charges and other
devices. Then tho crows learned
some moro about, the business .of
smoke screening a merchant fleot
while they beat off the .attacking
suhmnrino with gunfire and lepth
charges. Their gunnery, too, has
greatly improved. One crew1 saw a
spar of a sunked ship tho other day
which they at first thought was a
periscope, und shattered It at 2000
yards.
New Ideas Apodlcd.
"New Ideas also have boon nnd ore
constantly being worked, with a vlow
to rendering mo worn or tne sunma
rlne Increasingly difficult.. Filled
with enthusiasm over each new ex
perience had with tho enemy, tho
Amcrloaim aro not slow to apply a
moro effective method of dealing wltti
him the next time ho shows his head
above water. For instance, two of
ficers, working on designs for new
destroyers, have Introduced many
new Ideas, gained from observations
made In this nnti-subnuu'iuo gamo.
Still others have suggested changes In
gun firing. In fact, something new,
allho not always practicable, is be
ing worked out all tho tlmo.
In the period of netivo servlco ovor
here, each destroyer has taken many
turns nt patrol duty. This means flvo
or six days away from port in vary
ing Kinds of weather whun tho rou
tine In "cut, sleep, stand watch and
get seasick." Orcnslonolly this rou
tine Is broken by the call lo general
quarters usually caused by tho pres
ence or a li-boat or crew of a torpe
doed ship.
Depth Charges Flit'd. 1 1
Kvcry destroyer 1ms to its credit at.
(Continued on page threo)
Cni'KNIIACKN, Oct. 17. Tho
N'orvw-'iau slenmer Themis ban been
-.link in I he Mediterranean, i ordin?
to an aniiiiimi'emeul by Ihe Norweg
ian torch:!! nil'i''o received here to
day. All the members of the crew
are mi-Mug.
The Themis, 7101' ton gross, and
'l lo feet long, viis built in. Sunder
land, Knuduud, in Ijlll nml owned in
Ton.-bci'i;-,
MASTER U-BOA