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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 30, 1918)
Unl-erjlty pf Oregon Library WEATHER Maximum Yesterday, 83; Minimum Today, 43. FORECAST Toiiiylit and Tomorrow, Fair. JACKSON COUNTY lit C C BAKOMbTKK IV. J. J. Quota for 1918. J6Sa.OUO.00 BaloB to May 20. $26,2 64.70. Buy Thrift Stamps, gyy Save and Buy lor Victory Buy W.S.S. Thrift Stamps wind'. Safest Investment ribune rorty-olRhth Year. Dally Thirteenth Tear. MEDFORD, OREGON", .THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1918 NO. 58 ERVES CHECKING HU Medford Mailt FRENGH-RES ALLIED III BADLY BENT IS UNBROKEN Slight Progress Marie During Last Day Farthest Advance Is 18 Miles French Evacuate Soissons to Prevent Sacrifice of Life, but Hold Environs and Command All Roads British Still Hold Rheims French Reserves Arriving. PARIS, May 30 The entire front is holding; firmly, accord- ing to semi-official advices. Although the allies still retain lilieims, their position there may hecome untenable if the enemy pressure. further southward should he accentuated, turning the position of the defenders of the city. From Thillors, four miles west of Iiheims, the front bends northward and runs nlnng ulung the Aisne canal, forming a semi- eirelo a little more than a mile before the city. . I)Y ASSOCIATED PRESS, May 30. Cloiioral Foch's reserves havo be gun to come into action in the fight against the powerful Gorman thrust southward from the Aisne and the enemy Is finding his progress Increas ingly difficult. Again the allied flanks are stand ing firm and while Soissons has been lost on the west, Rheims is still hold ing out on the easterly edge of the bultlc front. The chief progress of the Germans revealed in today's official reports was In the center ot their advance, where some throe miles additional ground has been covered from Lou polgno, 12 miles north of the Marno, to Forc-Un-Turdcnols. IH-.Milo Advance. Tho lilunt edge of tho German wedge is shown to run hero from Fero-Un-Tardenols and about ten and ono-hnir miles directly cast to Vo- zill.v, 1314 miles southwest of Rheims. Along this line the Germans arc about IS miles south of the Chomin-Dcs-Dames, giving them a penotra tlon of approximately that distance at the beginning of tho fifth day of their offensive. Desperate has been the resistance 'I of the French and British, especial! the French on the loft, and tho heavy losses suffered by the enemy, the Ger man advanco has been halted greatly. Tho allied troops have held together remarkably well while contesting ev ery foot of the way. Soissons was ovacuated to prevent useless slnughter after fierce fight ing In tho streets of tho city for scv ' oral hours and the French were last reported holding tenaciously to the western suburbs. Flunk Holds Steady The steadiness of the allied flanks under the heavy German pressure Is one of the outstanding indications In tho Paris official report. The Germans for Instance, mado attempt after attempt to debouch, from Sois sons after gaining that town, but the determined French held them back. (Continued on Page Two.) NEW GUN USED IN PA If IS, May :I0. Kxniuinution of the shells discharged by the Ger mans in the long range bombardment of Paris indicates that new (tuns lire being used. larger shells arc being employed than formerly, the caliber of the guns being 24 centimeter (W' i inches) instead of 21, hut the force o Ihe explosion does "id win to have increased, RESERVES FROM SOME REACH BATTLE FRONT Allies' Reserves Taking Up Positions and Strengthening Defending Forces Where They Are Weak est, Placing Barrier to Further Advance Heavy Fighting. WITH -Till' FHKNCII AUMV IX FUANCK, May 30. (Ily the Asso ciated Press.) Allied reserves now are Inking up positions in the battle line. They are being thrown in to strengthen the defending forces where they are weakest, in prepnra tion for the placing of a barrier to a further German advance. Fresh enemy divisions Iia,ve been brought forward hastily to take the places of those exhausted by the ail vancc of the last three days and coil fiuue the pressure on the allies. The territory south of Ihe Vesli river, which lite Germans have cross ed al several points, is more difficult for the attack. Germans ItiLsli Fffort. Now that the allied command has reached the conclusion that the ene my intends this rush to be his chief attack, prompt measures arc beinj taken to stay the movement. The enemy is still pushing on with every ntom of strength to obtain possession of as much lerritory as possible before the allied reserves come up in full force and slay Ihe advance. The German crown prince, who previously has met wilh invariable defeat, may claim a primary success on Ibis occasion. However, no breach has been made in the allies' line which has merely been pressed back by irresistible masses of troops, and has maintained complete cohe sion. Capture of Soissons. Although the Germans entered Soissons yesterday it was only after some of Ihe most severe infnnlry lighting in the present battle. The allied reserves aru gradually reaching Ihe scene of Ihe struggle below I hi' Aisne, and Ihe resistance opposed to Ihe German push is becoming more obstinate niinule by niinnle. Yesterday's si niggle for Soissons began early in Hie morning when large numbers of German t roups ob tained a fooling in Ihe eastern sub urbs of the town. Shortly afterward they were p.jpeted, and the allied troops bung on in the outskirts fur some time, coul'ronliug wilh cold steel the desperate enemy efforts to drive in. The valor of the defenders, how ever, was greater than their strength, and when fresh German troops launched a new assault the line of combat receded into the town and there was lighting in the streets from house to house. The small body of French troops holding Ihe place fi nally gave way hut only after dozens of individual duels wilh bayonets, re volvers and rifle bulls. WASHINGTON, May no. The sec ond section of General Pershing's communique for May 29 announces the failudo of tho enemy to break through tho American lines. A raid ing party of about fifty men, it says were repulsed with a Iocs of ton dead and four wounded, American cas ualties wero light. On May 27, the communique said, Lieutenant Fisher, Curtis, Hnlford and .Mcl.ennhan, on patrol duty In the St. Mlhlol region, encountered enemy machines at 4 000 meters. One of thes was downed. Iiefeat of an .enemy airplane re ported In the communique for May 28 Is credited to Lieutenant Rlsken- bacher' and Lieutenant Hamhleton, and not to Lieutenant Klskenbacker and Lieutenant Campbell, as pre vlouely reported. AIRSHIPS AD HAS AMERICANS Germans Air Attack Mad" With Ut most Deliberation, Umbrella Flares Being Used to Enable Aviators to Pick Out Hospitals as Targets and Bomb Sick and Dying. WITH Till'. AMI'lilCAN FOUt'KS ON Till' FUKNCH FliONT, Wednes day, May I'll. (lty the Associated Press.) The German air altiick on Tuesday nighl on American hospitals in a town ninny miles behind Ihe front was carried out with the utmost ap parent deliberation. The German airmen used umbrella flares to aid them in picking out their targets. Their bombs also started a fire in a garage which lighted up the neigh borhood in which is located one of the four finest cathedrals in France, built in the twelfth century. Tho air men also lurned their machine guns on the airmen engaged in fighting the I'lnincs, mid upon ambulance drivers. Hcsides the killing of one French nurse and the probable mortal injury of another, while flying glass slightly injured a number of Americans, the paiients in one American ward were in some eases hurled out of their beds by the shock of a bomb explosion. In some of the hospitals it was ncees, sur" to remove the "litients, including some Americans, to the cellars for safely. Nearly every window in one of Ihe largest hospitals was shuttered, its were the windows in the historic church, adjoining, now also used as a hospital. Scores of American pn licnls and hundreds of sick and wounded French soldiers were ill Ihe various hospitals attacked. FLAGS AT FRONT AT HALF MAST WITH TNI" A.MKItlCAN All.MY IN FRAI.NCI", May 30.. (lly the Asso ciated Press.) From Flanders to Switzerland and from tho battlo lino to tho sea the American .expedition ary forces today are paying homage, to their doad. Wherever Amorlcan flags are flying today they are nt half mast and before the day is over the Star Spangled Uannor and .flowers will he placed on virtually every American grave. At some points the ceremony took place early in the morning while oth er exercises were held at various times thruout the day. Daylight saw some graves decorated. At one placo In the vicinity of Luncvlllo the graves had been deco rated in tho morning darkness when tho enemy could not sco clearly, for the soldiers performing this duty might hnvo drawn tho German fire ns did tho burial party. I lore both tho American and French flags wer placod on 'the mounds with bunches of wild flowers great blood red pop. pics and yellow and whlto daisies. NARROW ESCAPE - PA IdS, May .10.-Premier Clemen- cchu had Ibe narrowest possible es cape from fa'ling into Gorman hands yesterday, according to the I'clil .Journal. He left a certain point on the front only a lew minutes before the arrival of a patrol of 40 Lilians, Premier ( Icinenccau declared that the morale of the French soldiers, as they march sinning to Hie battle front, is admirable mid mnttnificcnt, During the trip the premier, with his usual fearlessness, went near tin front lines. Three minutes alter M. Clemencenii had passed n certain cro.-s roads, u gmerul was killed there. THE OLD BOYS. lty ltlKTON Time was TIIKV inarched "lib a swing and a lilt With heads erect, and liats ntllt In tho strength and glow of youth. When oucli man shouldered Ills aiek and gun, And fought tho. fight that has mado us one, A nation in fact and truth. Today their gait Is a trifle slow f "' "" ' And their ranks nre thin, hut their old eyes glow Willi 'n light that Ls clear and bravo. A they triulgo along on tlielr tired feet, Or Jirt. their races again to greet v The flag that Uiey hclcd (A save. And now the. test of Ol'K souls has comu As tho soldiers inareli to fifo and drum, To join in Ibe thick of war. And tiio young laiys fight as tho old 'toys fought Willing to count their lives as naught lu a cause worlli dying for. And somehow we know that In war's red hell These lads will battlo as nobly well Ah tho grand old boys wo cheor. 'Who falter by to n nuu-tiul strain, Or those who under the sod havo lain For ninny a quiet year. So wo life, onr eyes ti tho flag that flirty With Its ml, and its whito and Hue. And we cheer again for (lie kind of men Who havo always seen us thru, For the stalwart breed that meets our nocd, For the )1I Hoys and the New! ill ill T 5! BY EX-MEMBER 3T CHICAGO, May 30. A soldier of fortune, Frank Wormkeo, appearing as a government wltnoss today In the trial of the 112 Industrial Workers of tho World for seditious conspiracy. tostifled that during tho summer of 1910 that organization virtually took control In isolated districts of Kan sas iby Intimidating authorities. Appearing In tho uniform of an American soldier, Wormkoe testified to specific acts of violenco and told how in one small Kansas town the I. W. V. threw open jail doors to roloase their members and then locked the sheriff In tho Jail. "They told me, too, that they planned to place a sun bomb lu a hay stack In tho public square at one Kan sas town,,, tho witness testified, add ing that the bomb explosion was in tended to further Intimidate citizens and authorities. Wormkco testified that ho and othor members of the I. V. W. prac ticed sabotage In the grain fields ot the Dakotas and Montana, destroying machinery and causing other damage to property of employers. lie said that lutor ho became an active worker In California where, ho said, tho 1. W. VV. bocanie so strong and so daring In somo district" hat they commandeered freight grains. YANKEES REPEL WITH Till-: IIUITISII A II MY IN I'KANCK. May :". (Ilv the Asso ciated I'ress.) Another strong 1 ncm.v counter attack against the American troops in the Ciintigny sec tor, west of .Moiitdidicr, seems to have met wilh n complete repulse, ac cording to a brief report Iroui the south. ' The American" evidently have been scheduled to almost continuous at tacks since they stormed their way into t'antigry. In every ease the enemy's waves have been broken etrainst the stone wall resistance oi' the Americans, KISALHY. AERIAL BATTLE ' T NORTH OF TOUL WITH TI1M A MICK IC AN AK MY IN FUANCK, May 30. 9:.'t0 n. in.) (By Iho Associated Press.) I' rom day lire nk until this hour there has been u continuous series of aerial battles on the front, northwest of Tout. One plane is repotted to have fallen in Xo Mutt k Land, "hero ure uneoii finned reports that Homo Herman planes have been shot down bill nt (he moment of filing (Inn djsput nenrly all Ihe Ameriean aviators arc either answering alarms or fighting and neenritle details arc unavailable, The Herman artillery threw linn drcds of shells of all sizes and main turned a destructive, and hurrassing fire. All night the Ameriean puns have been very busy nnd ure giving the enemy as good as lie sends. ft is not improbable that tho Her mans have home plans in which they may employ their infantry. The situation hud hardly reached the horizon on this cloudless, wind less day, when large numbers of ene my planes made their appearance, The American n viators took the air one nfler another ns (he Hermans came info sight. Within fil'tccn minufcK four bul lies were fought over No Man's hind. E l.ONKO.V, May 30.-In their lull ial onslaught on Monday, the Ger mans aro believed to have used more tanks than ever bnfore, snys Hauler's correspondent with the Itrlllsh forces on tho French front, writing Wednes day. Tho fiftieth Ilrltlsh division near Craonno withstood tho gas attack of three hours and held tho Germans In the attempt to reach tho Alsno until "Iho men wero drowned under the German combers." The same fate overtook tho French division to the right of the fiftieth. After falling Ijack, tho fiftieth mnde a gallant attempt to recapture Craonno, hut was defeated by Ma chine gunflro from the enemy tanks. In the end tho fiftieth was obliged to fall back toward the river. ERMAN FLOOD SOON DAMMED STATE F Enemy Fails to Pierce Line Though Bending It Progress Slackened as Reserves Came Into Acation Purpose of Enemy Twofold to Reach Mnrne and Approach Paris, PAKIS, May HO. The (ionium flood will soon be damned, says u semi-official nolo issued today sum lnarizinir the situation between Kbeims and Soissons. The uoti says: 4,The (iermans again pressed yes terday, hut while on one hand they failed to pierce our lines, on the oth er it is comforting to observe that their march was slackened consider ably. 'The French commands retains mi diminished confidence, based as it is on the power of our reserves and the incomparable valor of our sol diers." 'As these come into play the bal ance will gradually be restored and soon the German 1'Ioud will be dam med. Kncmy's Purpose Plain, As the battle proceeds the enemyH purpose becomes plain. It is two fold. First of nil, eighteen miles south of the Veslo flows the Jin rue which forms, with the Oise, one of the urent avenues of approach to Paris. A lotii; its course runs the ( haloiis railroad the main eastern artery. 4'o xaiu a footing in the Maine valley or even to approach within artillery run, ye of it would he an appreciable result. Thut iH sufficient to show why the Her mans continue to push southward 80 vigorously. The advance (here yesterday, however, amounted to only three and one-half miles, as aumst five and one-half on the first day of the nttaek nnd seven in the second This indicates the rowinjr force of tho opposition which the enemy is en countering, ParLs Second OlijiNilve, The second objective, which the German staff considers even more important, judging by tho efforts made at Soissons, is to broaden the salient, to Ihe weslwaid. My enlarg ing Ihe action llicre the German crown prince intends. In approach nearer to I'm is on the direct roule. The French command is fully uwurr of the impot'laiice of this movement. Although Soissons was evacuated to prevent necillos sacrifice of men, the French hold all the roads leading out of Ihe town. Heavy fighting slill lies ahead for Ihe allies but those most competent to express an opinion are now salis fied that the German drive will be Mopped in Ihe near future. WEDS RAY BAKER WASHINGTON', May :ill. Mrs Alfred Gwynn Yundcrhilt and liny T, linker, director of the mini, will hi married at Mrs. Vanderhiirs country place nt Ij'iiox, Mass., early in .lime Announcement was made today by Mrs. Vamlerbilt's father, Captain l-iiae K. Kuierson of Itnltiuiore. After the ceremony at llomewood Mr. linker will lake his bride for a trip lo California and Hie west, nnd upon llieir relurii ill live in Wash ington. Mr. Maker comes from Nevada where lie was cnt'iit'cd in mining an. business. About four years ago he went lo Kiissin as secretary to the American ambassador al I'ctrograd end on bis return here a lillle more than u year 111:0, was appointed di rector of the mint by President Wil son, i Mr. linker's best inn n will be Sena tor Key I'ittmnn of Nevada. Auto tourists enrouto lo Portland are Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Lathrop and son of San Diego, who nrn guests nt tho Hotel Medford. THREE RAIDS BY HUNS, LUNEVILLE MEET REPULSE Purpose of German Attacks Was to Capture Americans, But Latter After Withstanding Gas Bombard ment, Captured or Killed Attack ersYankees Delighted. WITH THE AMI'IMCAN ARMY IN I'll ANt'K, May SI. (By the AssoT eiated Press.) The purpose of. tho German attack today against the American positions near Hremenil, east of J.pneville, was to capture Americans. The determined Ameri can resist anec, however, repulsed the enemy wilh heavy losses nnd no ' Americans wero taken prisoner. The Germans nttaiikcd lot three ; points and at one place a croup of 14 got into the Amerionn trenches. It never went Hack. Nino of the 14 Gormuns were killed; four ure pris oners nnd ono is wounded. Prisoners suid they were ordered ' to capture Americans at any cost, ' their superiors being anxious to de termine whero American troops are ' stationed and their present fighting strength. ' At a point west of Bremcnil, after a heavy barrage, 50 German soldiers ' attempted to reach the American line. They wero in three groups and tho two larger ones wero held up nnd n dispersed by the Amerieuji nm- . ehino gun and rifle fire. , The third group, consisting of 14 men, niuniiged by reason -of terrain conditions, lo reach Iho Ameriean trenches and jump into them. Iiwl by l Farmer. - Under the leadership of n lnnky youth, who was n farmer until ho en listed, n group of Americans gnvo the Germans a hot reception. Bnyo nets on tho end of Americnn rifles flashed white and then red almost ax quickly ns it takes to tell it nnd tho enemy pnrty wns Roon overpowered. During the engagement n big German noii-eoinmisHioned officer, who di rected Hie enemy purly, stood on a pnrnpcl. He raised his arm to hurl u grenade at un American soldier, but ho never threw it. Another American, who hud come through a severe gns attack last Monday morn ing reached the Gerninn with his bay onel. The grenade fell from the dy ing Gcrmun's hand mid . exploded harmlessly on the parapet. The gas bombardment that preced ed the in I n nl rv iidvanco by the eno ii v began at l'J:(l o'clock this morn ing, 'fhe Germans had brought up additional eight inch projectors to replace those thnt hud been destroy ed by the American guns Mundnv night nnd mustard, phosgene nnd chloride shells fell by (he hundreds on Ihe American positions. In ono small urea alone .'111(1 of these arrived. Many of Hie AmcriennM, n.-i a result, began (o show the effects of slight gassing and were harboring n lurgo lirudge iigniiisl Iho enemy on this ue- COIIIll, Satisfies Americans. When the gns shells begun to full I hern was hardly any wind, making it ccrliiiu Hint Hie fumes would re main in the loeulilies where the (ler tiiiius planned llicm, nnd tho men in the American trenches hoped the ene- (Contln'icd on Page Two.) WASHINGTON", "May 30. Short ago of farm labor to harvost the woat ern wheat crop will be mot by a mob llo force of workers recruited for this purposo, tho federal employment sor vleo announced today, Tliese work ers will stnrt early next month in harvesting tho winter crop In Okla homa, thon going Into Kansas and afterwards moving Into the spring wnoat section ot the northwost and finally crossing the border and as sisting Canadian farmers late In tho fall. ... ... M..l