n
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FULL LEASED ft
WIRE DISPATCHES ft
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CIRCULATION IS
OVER 4400 DAILY
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V f f P B R H B P. R
1 1 r
FORTIETH YEAR-NO. 100
SALEM, OREGON, THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1917
PRICE TWO CENTS ffiSESEg
9 II ti
(Oil
II HI
r II
0
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ii K a va
HY WITH
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UTTER DESPEIPOII
Packless of Losses fierce Counter Attacks Are Made In At
tempt to Halt British Drive One Attacking Force Melts
- Away, the Last Man Going Down Before Hell of Machine
Gun fireLosses Are Appalling and Morale of German
. Troops Weakens - .
By William Philip Sims,
(United Press Staff Correspondent.) I
With the British Armies Afield, April 26. One single
British post, defending just a part of Guillemont farm,)
emerged victorious today from one of the fiercest fought
of the countless scattered actions marking a day replete
with bitter fightingby killing off every man of their
German assailants. '
It was over a field carpeted with German dead, around
Guillemont. Here, during the night, the British had bat-'
tered forward to take the farm and a stretch of front
two thousand yards east of Lempire. Hill 140, to the
north, had fallen into British hands, after a swaying,
, desperate battle.
Hardly had the Tommies started to dig themselves in
on this hard won ground when the Teutonic counter at
tack came in blinding force. The enemy's guns dug great
burial holes for the thousands of their dead but it like
wise, by sheer intensity, gave the advancing Germans a
brief foothold. All over the farm the battle raged. The
enemy managed at terrible cost, to regain part of it. But
to the west, the one British post stood adamant. On it
beat wave after wave of the attack. The last and most
violent caught fully in the face the tremendous fire of the
defenders machine guns, halted, wavered, and literally
mdted into heaus of dead and twisted shapes. The
British held the line. - .,v . , -
The same sort of fighting was in pro
gress at a score of places on the British
front today, but it had abated just a
trifle from the ferocity of the night at
tacks. There has been no timo for the
wont part to bury the dead. The Ger
mans, particularly, have been too oc
cupied in reinforcing their bleeding di
visions and in trying to launch counter
fettucks, to take care of their now use
lesB fragments. Kverywhore they lit
tered the fields today.
Lespite these tremendous counter at
tacks which the enemy, prodigal of his
nittii, is hurling all along the line, the
U'itish afe holding their most important
gains.
The fighting today for the most part
is ulong the Scarpe. The enemy is los
ing not only in thousands by counter at
tacks, but everywhere the deadly accu
racy of the British artillery is adding
to the toll.
Cold wintry weather, with lowering
clouds, lessened the air fighting from
the tremendous scale on which the war
fare of the skies has been waged during
the past few days of clear, sunshiny
.weather.
American Sentiment
May Be Cause of Ireland
Getting Home Rule
London, April 20. Announcement to
day that Premier Lloyd-George had
postponed for a few days his statement
on Irish home rule, promised this week,
aroused hopes of complete settlement
of the question. " It was believed that
Lloyd-George was making a final effort
to reconcile the various Irish elements
as a result of urgent representations
from Foreign Secretary Balfour, now in
Washington.
Balfour was reported to have indi
cated to Lloyd-George that the Amer
ican government and the American peo
ple favored home rule and that solid
arity between the United States and
Great Britain would be greatly en
hanced by recognition of this senti
ment here.
The London public was much im
pressed today by a great display in the
Northcliffe newspapers representing a
canvass of American sentiment by its
American correspondent, and including
quotations from Koosevelt, Taft and
prominent Americaus, favoring home
rule.
MOVEMENT STARTED
Attacks Repulsed. .
London, April 26. Complete repulse
of js violent massed counter attack by
Gorman forces against new British posi
tions around Gavrclle was announced in
Field. Marshal Haig's official statement
today. '
"Early at right the enemy again en
deavored to attack our new positions at
Gavrclle," he said. "His troops were
euught in our artillery barrage and
eompletely repulsed. "
Germany is now suffering her most 'losses to the enemy, today's French of
sppumug losses 01 tne war in ine ties- f,Cial statement declared
In the fnce of great masses of men the
carnage was greater than that suffered
by the enemy Bince the war starteu
German Nerve Shaken.
Front dispatches today carried the
idea that the Germans, realizing no
trench work could stand against the
levelling fire of the British artillery,
wore seeking to make a wall of living
human beings against the advance. Into
the closely pocked troopB opposing, the
British fire did temtic work. Thou
sands of mangled bodies are flung over
the battlefield along the Scarpe, most
lv Germans. The British losses have
been exceedingly low, considering the
ferocity ot the fighting.
That the terrible mortality of the
German troops is undermining their
morale is apparent by statements of
prisoners. The German troops all of
them picked divisions are literally
driven into the fighting line now. Those
who survive the deadly accuracy of the
British artillery fire and the pouncing
of the British infantry attacks are ex
ceedingly glad to be taiten prisoners
Today it appeared that the British
and the enemy were deadlocked to the
north of the Scarpe. .The drive toward
Douai along this line was being opposed
with the Germans' every resource. To
the south, however, the British pressure
could not be resisted and they were
slowly moving forward.
French Stand Fast.
Taris, April 20. Two tremendous
German attacks made on a front of more
than a mile and a half west of Cerny
were smashed unavnilingly against
French lines and repulsed amid heavy
ITED STATES TO
TAKE FULL C1AR
E
OF FQQD SIT A I
III
Commissioners Get Down to
Business of Dividing
the Work
$50,000,000 FOR ITALY
WILL AID OTHER ALLIES
Selecting Parts America Can
Do Best Money and
Food.
HOUSE WILL VOTE
II BILL i RR
SENATE SATURDAY
Both Houses Debating Army
Bill and Conscription
Feature
LATTER SEEMS CERTAIN
OF HAVING MAJORITY
Senators Mason and Hale
Want Roosevelt to Raise
Division
Would Sweep Aside Hohen-
zollermsm and Have Self
Government
Washington, April 2G. What may
prove to be imports nt moves to sweep
aside Iloheiuillernism and replace it
with a German republic were reported
officially to the state' department to
day from several sources.
According to a message to the sec
retary of state from Minister Stovall
at lierne, an open movement is on in
Switzerland by a committee of Ger
mans to spread the propaganda of re
pnblieanisiu and democracy.
Dr.- Koese Meyer, former editor of
tho Berlin Morgcn Post, leads the Swit
zerland propagandists, who already
'have established a paper, The Frie
Zeitung, to further their attempts, to
spread the doctrine of a German ro-j
public in the fatherland. j
From other sources this government
learns that the German people "are in
creasingly anxious" for peace.
Such a message was taken by a
traveler in a neutral country from Ger
many to state department officials in
the unnamed neutral nation. This gov
ernment's officials so telegraphed the
state department today. It was stated
that "the strike of iiiU,000 laborers in
Berlin shows the growth of the desire
for peace."
Moreover, this traveler declared uer-
many has reduced tho bread rations
trom 1HOO to 11)00 grams a week.
As a result of the "continual strike'
at Ebling, the department of state is
informed, orders were issued by the
commander in chief of that district
that all striking munition workers who
have been withdrawn from the front
in order to do munition work-woujd
have to report immediately to military
headquarters if they did not resume
work before April 20. As a result of
this, work was immediately resumed
IS
OF
perato endeavors of her army staff to
stop the British drive by sheer weight
of tinman masses opposing it. North of
the Scarpe river today where the Bri
tish fought ahead almost inch by inch
3jC )fc ijc dft jfc s( 3jt 3S 3C 3c
i ABE MARTIN
'
Tifford Moots an' family are trvin
i-W-s this week. Ther's too m'anv folks
with opinions an' no information.
Powerful German counter attacks at
two other places on the French front
were likewise repelled.
The war office statement indicated
that all along the French front the Ger
mans were making violent attempts to
loose the grip ot French troops on their
new positions. Some bitter fighting
was reported from half a dozen differ
ent points.
UTi the shores of the vise," the
statenientsaid, "a German patrol was
easily repulsed.
".North of the Aisne several German
attempts to eject our troops from the
plateau and the Ladies Highway were
unsuccessful.
"Two powerful attacks on a front of
two kilometers west of Cerny were
smashed on the French lines, the Ger
mans losing heavily, une other attempt
at Hurtebise farm also failed-
'In the Champague, in the region
of Pompelle, in front of Navaria and
Tahure, several German attacks only
resulted in our capture of prisoners."
, They Get Thanks.
Amsterdam, April 26. Thanks to the
heroes of Arras and the Aisne and hope
of an early peace was expressed in a
telegram sent by the main reichstag
committee today to Field Marshal Hin-
denburg.
Dispatches from Berlin, said the mes
sage promised the entire German people
would devote all their strength to the
country's defense until peaee-"-which, it
was Hoped, would come soon.
The German Version.
Berlin, via London, April 26. Ter-
(Conticued on riage six.)
Conferred With President
Over Mission But Makes
No Comment
Washington, April 2G- Elihu Root,
former secretary of state, today accept
ed the chairmanship of the American
commission which is going to Eussia.
Root conferred with President ilson
today for an hour as to the purposes of
the commission and then talked with
Secretary Lansing- He would not dis
cuss in any way the commission's plans
in fact, would say nothing whatever
as to his connection with it, preferring
to let Secretary Lansing make any an
nouncements to the public.
The full personnel of the commission,
which in addition to Root, is to include
railroad experts, financial authorities
and two or three other prominent rep
resentatives of America s business and
scientific life, will be announced very
soon. ,
Realizing the need of immediately ex
erting assistance of all kinds to the
Russian government, it is tho purpose
bf the president to send the commission
abroad as quickly as the business af
fairs of the members can be settled, j
However, the ame secrecy as to de
tails of leaving and luufc will be main
tained as was practiced concerning the
French and British commissions sent
here.
Root's selection and his acceptance
t was taken as the 'final sign of a com
i . - . 1 . . a . i .
pieie American political unity ior me
war, Root having been one of the presi
dent's political critics and Roosevelt's
former premier. .
If is good to ltnow that the food sup
ply is to be revised by its friends.
By George Martin.
(Uuited Press staff correspondent.)
Washington, April 26 That some one
American possibly Herbert Hoover or
Secretary of Labor Wilson within the
next few months will become food dic
tator of the world was indicated bv de
velopments at the international war
conference of the allies here today.
More and more the war council 's pro
ceedings are cry-stalizing into a monu
mental campaign to feed the allies. Fin
ance and shipping problems are coming
to be considered comparatively collater
al, though, of course, vital. ,
It was taken for granted today that
it will be the policy of the allies, aft
er America has made, her preliminary
contributions to her fighting sister na
tions in men, money, ood, shipping and
other things, to entrust the United
States with absolute control of certain
phases of the war.
That food will be one of the prob
lems left entirely in American hands is
believed certain.
This will mean that one man or small
group of- men, will be named by Presi
dent Wilson absolutely to dpminate the
production and distribution, of. all food
in the United States, England, Franee,
Italiy, Russia, Cuba and the other..al
lied countries.
A Food Commission.
It is deemed probable that this step
will involve the formation of an inter
ally food coimnisison. comprising a di
rector general of food for each nation
with the American dictator as the head
of the commission.
This, it was officially pointed out.
has been the allies' method of handling
an ns problems. England dominates
war finance. Other phases, which it is
desired shall not be discussed as they
are not generally known are under the
respective direction of some one or oth
er of the other allies.
Domination of war divisions other
than food may be allotted to the Unit
ed States, but food will be the most
important.
The real crux of the conferences go
ing on here today is the international re
organisation of the war since the Unit
ed States is in, much on the same prin
ciples that an army of field fighters is
organized; one branch handling the
commissary department; another mobili
zation and transportation, another the
collection and distribution of munitions
and so on.
Visit the President.
Premier Viviani, Marshal Joffre and
Admiral Chocheprat, called on President
Wilson at tho White House during the
morning.
They were met by the president's
aide and taken to the green parlor,
whence they were conducted to the blue
room and warmly greeted by the presi
dent. The Frenchmen were with the presi
dent only a few minutes. No confer
ence such as occurred between the presi
dent and Balfour, of British commission,
took place. After greeting had been
exchanged, Viviani, left for the capitol,
to call on Vice-President Marshall; and
Marshal Joffre left on foot for the war
department to talk with American army
officers.
Short and -stout, Joffre made a pic
turesque figure in his red trousers", black
patent leather boots, blue cloak and red
cap heavily l.raided with gold. As he
left the Whito House grounds, a big
crowd which had gathered outside the
gate, welcomed him noisily and he s
ingly saluted.
Departments Busy.
The long flight of steps into the
state, war and navy building, he took
on tho run, two -steps at a time a real
feat for a man of his build and (55 years.
The crowd laughed and applauded as
the young officers under Joffre were
compelled to speed up.
Meanwhile all government depart
ments began actual work putting the
plans of the allied conferees into ef
fect.
An army of laborers is rapidly being
mobilized by Secretary of Labor Wil
son to, start building the 1,000 faHt
wooden ships to bridge the Atlantic and
supply our European allies with food
despite the submarine menace.
Congressional committees and Secre
tary of Agriculture Houston speeded up
national food production, conservation
and transportation arrangements so
that a steady stream of foodstuffs and
all supplies may be kept pouring intoj
the holds of these vessels from the na-
tion's producing centers. j
Plans Materializing.
Out of the ruck of informal parleys
Steel Manufacturers
Wil Supply Government
at Reduced Rates
New York, April 2t. Steel manufac
turers of the country will fill the gov
ernment 's war orders at prices rang
ing from 3.1 1-3 per cent to 51 2 3 per
cent below th epresent market quota
tions. At meeting of heads of the United
States Steel! Coporatlon, Republic
Steel and Midvalc Steel today, it was
decided to fill the government s orders
for bars at $2.50 base' per hundred
pounds, for plates at $2.90 and for
structural shapes at 2.50. 'Today's
Pittsburg prices for these materials are
$3-75 for bars, $6 for plates Bnd $4 for
shapes.
This put the rates on bars 33 1-3 per
cent below the market, plates 51 2-3
per cent below and shapes 37 'a per cent
below. r
The prices to the government were
fixed bv a general committee appoint
ed by the American Iron and Steel In
stitute, in conference wuj the United
States representatives. They were unan
imously approved by today's meeting.
. By J. -. Yoder
(United Press staff correspondent) j
Washington, April 2tt. The house (
will act on the army bill tomorrow.
The senate will vote lato Saturday.
Conscription seems certain to win. j
The long drawn out debate on the
question of raising two million men by i
Iratt or volunteering will end tonight.
This was decided today by unanimous
consent, immediately tho house con
vened. . '
By agreement, the house is to contin
ue to talk as long as it can stand it
today and this evening. Then tomor
row Chairman Dent of the military
committee, who opposes the president's
draft plan, and Representative Kahn,
California, ranking republican member
of the same committee, who is leading
the president's fight, will make con
cluding arguments.
Tho house action speeded the senate.
Shortly after the unanimous consent
agreement war reached in tho house,
tho senate acted similarly, agreeing to
vote some time before midnight Satur-
ireworKS roanea Jtiariy
Pvrotechnics started early in the
house. Representative Mason, Illinois,
demanding that Colonel Roosevelt be,
permitted to raise an army (or immo
diate service in France, declared '.'the
man in the white house has not the
courage or political sagacity to permit
Colonel Roosevelt to enlist for fear he
will profit politically."
From floor and galleries instaniiy
came almost deafening hissing, which
continued for several moments.
Mason bitterly attacked the general
staff's selective draft plan. Ho Baid
nothing would please the kaiser more
than to'se an army of conscripts go
to Europe to fight.
"Thev call it tho bill of tho general
staff," ho said, "before they get
through they will call it General Do
bilitv and General Red Tape- The gen
oral staif does not want Roosevelt to
enlist. He applied at tho whito house
"The president, I suppose, stamped
his application with red ink and refer
red it to the secretary of war. Tho sec
rotary referred it to the assistant sec
retary and he referred it to tne gen
cral staff,"
Mason is Bitter
Mason charged that keeping Roose
velt out of the army is part of tho plan
01 opposition to the volunteer system.!
' ' i used to oppose the colonel, but 1
support him now," Mason said. "They
don't intend to let tho colonel enlist
for fear it will hurt the draft plan.
They don't want him to make a hero
of himself, for, while he is spreading
democracy in the old country, ho may
be raising hell with democracy in this
I country.
"Half the people ot tnis country
want to see Roosevelt go to Europe and
some of them want to see him stay for
a long, long time."
Representative Frear of Wiscon de
nounced the selective draft plan as un
democratic and as giving autocratic
powers to the army heads.
Senator Chamberlain offered the
unanimous consent resolution at the
beginning of the fifth day of senato
debate.
Under the agreement night sessions
will be held if senators desire to speak.
Rule in Effect Saturday
At one o'clock Saturdty a rule will
go into effect limiting speeches on the
bill to ten minutes and to five minutes
on amendments.
Senator Overman attempted to bring
up the "spy bill" and sidetrack the
army bill by consent. Ho said the at
torney general's office requested its
immediate passage. He was allowed pr
mission to ask consent later.
. ith a plea for sending an expedi
tionary force to France, Senator Hale,
Maine, just returned from the French
front, spoke in favor of the conscrip
tion bill-
The idea of an American legion
marching down the Champs Elysees on
their way to the trenches led by Roose
velt created enormous enthusiasm in
France, Halo said.
BERT WINSLOW FALLS
ASSERT REPORTS
OF FOOD SHORTAGE
ARE iSLEADHIG
Probers Say Shipments of
Foodstuffs Are Abnormal
ly Held Up ,
Being Good Swimmer, Strikes
Out For Shore But Goes
Down
FARE TO COMMAND
San Francisco, April 2fi Lieu
tenant Colonel Otho W. Farr,
Seventh field artillery, was
named today commandant of the
officer's reserve corps training
school to be held at the Presidio
beginning May 8. Lieutenant
Colonel F. W. Slandeu will be
-senior instructor.
(Continued on page three.)
H. R. Winslow of 1155 South Thir
teenth Btreet of Saioni was drowned at
8 o'clock this morning in the Willam
ette river midway between tho old
wagon and Southern Pacific railway
bridge.' '
Ho was assisting n running a gaso
line launch between tho two landings,
as the regular barge was not in running
order. When half way across tho river,
the launch was stopped- to answer
questions from the Polk county side
In starting, the engine refused to start,
and tho launch began drifting helpless
down stream," When near the wagon
bridge; as the launch was about to
strike a pier, Mr. Winslow attempted
to push the launch from the pier. In
doing so, he lost his balance, falling
into the river. Ono of the workmen on
the launch called to him asking if he
eould swim. He said he was all right
and struck out for tho Polk county
shore. The launch continned to drift,
coming over towards the Marion coun
ty side. . Some "one suggested that a
lifo preserver be thrown him. There
was some delay in loosening the life
preserver and by the time it was
ready to bo thrown, ono of the pas
sengers called out that he had gono
down two times.
The current of the river was so
strong that those in tho helpless drift
ing launch, could do nothing for him-
Up to a lite hour this afternoon the
body had not been found although the
river has been dragged ever since this
morning. .
The biff launch "Frolic." which has
1 been used to tow the barge across, was
disabled last night by the breaking of
a casting holding tho lino shaft. The
launch was token from the barge and
tied up to the barge of Wkinncr Bush
nell. This morning the little launch
'Olympic" was used to bring over the
foot passengers. '
Winslow and tho pilot, one of Captain
Mitchell's men, who had lust amveo
from Portland, and who was on his first
run. took th'j launch across, and got
the load, wh'ch consisted of about 25
passengers. On the return, it took some
time to start the boat, and, according
to one of the passengers, it required
about 20 minutes to get the engine in
operation, '
According to the Btatemcnt of the
pilot, when the launch got out la the
river and strucic tne current, ine pro
peller was lost and tiio boat drifted
helplessly. At first the pilot was un
able to locate the trouble and tried
to find out if the trouble was not with
the engine. Jy that time, the launch
had drifted duwn the river until it wa3
about to strike tho middle pier of the
inter-county bridge.
Winslow, seeing that a crash was in
evitable, took a pike and went to ths
bow of the bort, and as it was about to
striko the pier, pushed it away. The
boat veered suddenly to the east and he
was thrown headforemost into the water
on the west side of the pier.
The boat then drifted down stream or
ono sido and Winslow on tho other side
of the pier- The screams of the wo
women and the shouts of the men at
tracted tho attention of Charles Den
nison, who ruu a boat house, and he
sent a launch -ifter tho drifting boat.
He came up with it just before it reach
ed the island that at this time is sub
merged. He towed the disabled launch
to the Marion county side where it is
tied np at tho foot of Division street
neai Hunt's cannery.
The pilot in charge of tho Olympic
was James Davis, of Portland, Oregon,
a regularly licensed river pilot, wno
told Mitchell that ho lost the propeller
near the west approach on the Polk
county side and was unable to control
the launch and it drifted in the eddy
south near the Marion county's Polk
county landing until the current caught
them and carried them down stream,
where the stern of the Olympic struck
the pier.
Regarding the statement made that
no life preservers wcro on the boat,
Mitchell said there were life preservers
SPECULATION CAUSE OF
HIGH SOARING PRICES
Shipments to Belligerents Not
Cause of Rise In Eggs,
Onions, Etc.
Washington, April 2fi. Results of the
first congressional authorized and paid
for price probe as a result of recent
soaring price) throughout the nation.
were reported today. '
Ihc conclusion reached is that "there
is no just ground for such high price
of many products, as are demanded of
the consumer at this time " . -
The report recommends there is "urg
ent need in this country for organiza
tion of comprehensive marketiHg ma
chinery which will-put producing and
consuming communities in trading rela
tions with each other and make possible
sending perishable products . directly
from the point of production to point
of use."
Municipal wholesale markets arg re
commended.
The probe was conducted in the na
tion's capital. Some sensational dis
closures were laid before congress in
tho report, which says that, similar
conditions undoubtedly hold in other
cities of the country. -
Conditions unearthed here also may
be taken as a criterion of what the fed
eral trado commission may find in its
nation-wide investigation.
What Probe Found.-- .
That reports of food shortage wer
misleading. -
. That prices in many cities were "un
usually high."-
That tho poor have been compelled
to resort to strictest economy to pro
vide food.
That the sale of ordinary cuts of
meats appear to have been discontinued.
That consumers are exhibiting more
frugality than ever before; the falling
off in garbage collections prove this.
That shipments of food stuffs were
abnormally held up and the food supply
therefore abnormally depleted.
That the element of speculation in
food products has been one of the po
tent factors in enormous increases in
prices.
mat shipments or roods to belligerent
countries havo not affected prices of
potatoes, eggs and onions, but thnfc
prices on these commodities soared
with prices of other foods.
That the food situation ,here is merely
a part of the food situation of the rest
of tho country.
The probers reported that increased
valuo of farm land, agricultural instru
incuts, costs of distribution and
"changed methods of living" undoubt
edly has some effect on price increases.
"Suburban life," tho report said,
"for instance, calls for longer hauls for
delivery. On the other hand apartment
house life calls for frequent small quan
tity sales with corresponding increase
in frequency of deliveries. The delica
tessen -serves as pantry for the apart
ment dweller and the pioprietor charge
for services rendered.
on board, but that when Winslow ap
peared below the pier he was too far
away for them to throw one to him.
In the opinion of Coroner Clough,
who was notified of the accident, it
is highly improbable that the body will
be found near the place where it went
down as the current there is strong
and bears away toward the narrows
below the railroad bridge. He says it i
probable that it will be found seven
or eight miles down the river in about
the samo locality ns tho girl who was
found on Christmas day.
Mr. Winslow was a brother of at
torney Winslow and is survived by a
wife 'and two children. His youngest
child is but a few weeks old.
"If Mayor Curley's bill legalizing
Sunday home gardening meets with tho
approval of the legislature," suppose
the Boston Globe. And what do wa
know about blue laws, out here in tha
west, anyhow I
THE WEATHER
SUMMER IS
COWINO
)C )C rt 3(C 56 !C
I
Oregon: To
night and Friday
fair; cooler to
night, with light
trost south and
east portion;
n o r t hwesterly
winds. ;