Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919, January 10, 1918, Image 1

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Daily capital journal., January 10, 1918, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextTODAY'S WEATHER The North 4,400 SUBSCRIBERS (22,000 READERS) DAILY Only Circulation la Salem Guar anteed by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. FULL LEASED WIRE DISPATCHES SPECIAL WILLAMETTE VAX LET NEWS SEE VICE Oregon: Tonight and Friday fair and warmer, ex cept rain north west portion Fri day; fresh easter ly winds. r 'V L "ir I 1 tuna ON TRAINS AND NEWS STANDSFIVE CENTS FORTY-FIRST YEAR NO. 9 SALEM, OREGON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1918 PRICE TWO CENTS t 1 J J rfiY fnnnTTrvTni SY America's Progress la.' Raising andnoing Great Arniv Has Never Been Equalled Vast Qiies of Supplies Purchased asd Much of It Delivered mitions and Equipment Coming Rapidly-Health la Csl Improving MOlicn and Half of Men Now Under Arms ' Washington,-Jan. 20. Secretary of War Baker, testi fying today before the senate military investigating com mittee, declared that not an American soldier has been delayed in getting to Europe by lack of equipment or arms. - , No army n the history of the world has been raised, trained and equipped so quickly, he added. Answering criticisms of his department, he contrasted the position of the United States nine months after war was declared, with that of Great Britain. "Remember that eight months after the war broke out, Kitchener's army was sill drilling in top hats and with walking sticks," Baker said. He stoutly declared that considering the magnitude of America's problem and the utter lack of any preparedness program, the war depart ment's accomplishment should be a source of pride, not condemnation. . Washington, .Tan. 10. No .my of similar size in the history of the world lias ever been raised, equipped or train cd so quickly as the present American tinny, Secretary of War Baker told the senate military probers investigat ing his department. Painting to the fact that in nine months all branc hes of the army have grown from 9524 officers to 110,850 officers and from 202,510 men to 1, 428,050 men, he answered his critics with a broad outline of work accom plished a work which he" held show ed "splendid effectiveness" of tho American people. American accomplishments, he said, re such as to depress German morale, iwhen the Germans realize that the American democracy has neither blun dered nor hesitated, ont has actually ilirought the full power of its men and acsources into completely organized frtiengtb. against their military ma chine." Health Improves Health in camps is rapidly improv ing; the elo.thing shortage is practic ality met; the death rate is lower than in civil life;) further increments ot the army "can be adequately equip ped and trained as rapidly as those already in training can be transport ed," he declared. All this, ho added, had been tre'eom plished without serious industrial dis turbance; the spirit of the army is I'.ieh; it is well fed; all kinds of guns are available "for every soldier who can be gotten to France in the year FMKf Cii DEPUTY PRAISK SPEECH OF PRESIDENT Storm of Applause Sweeps Over Chamber When Eulogy Is Pronomiced Paris, .Tan. 10. Minister of Foreign Affairs Piehot this afternoon or to rnorrow will speak in the chamber of eternities, outlining France's war aims, according to authoritative Informa tion early today. It was silted that the foreign min ister would follow exactly the lines of Premier Lloyd-George of England and President Wilson of America in baring to the whole world the exact aims which France has in continuing the war and the only terms on which she can consider peace. At the opening of the session of the chamber of , deputies today Deputy Desehanel, speaking, he said, in the name of the deputies, pledged thst the chamber would support the restitution of Alsace-Lorraine and . sustain the armies in the field to this end. Amid a storm of applause he paid eloquent tribute to President Wiison's sjieech. "Glory to all the allied nations!" Deschanel declared. "GUjry especial ly to the Vniied .States, which from .Washington to Lincoln to Wilson has odded new lights to universal morale, as she has added new stars to her flag. " Victorious France wii! not have a peace of a vanquished peoyilc; she will nit recede; s'-ie will oppose Jier in vaders with sn inflexible he'rt a Jvart inflimfd with the one pasyion that France is to save th? supreme god of our fatherland by justice." 101S;" and "great programs of new instruments of war have been formu lated." Ir. Baker did not answer criticisms in detail in his preliminary statement. Aa. far the ordnance, department he pointed to laek of experts available and to the- tremendous expansion re quired at the start of the war. War Council The war council, ho announced, will add army officers and men from civil life from time to time. Reorganization of4 the ordnance branch is well under way while tho quarcermaster branch is undergoing shifts in which army men and civilians will be utilized. ' It was anticipated, too, that Baker would, take occasion to discuss his plans for centralizing purchases and supplies. As for the Council of Na tional Defense and war industries board, he felt they had filled import ant niches. Asks for Advice taker asked tho cooperation and advice of the military probers, but without apology for shortcomings. He said, in conclusion: ' ' ' We can now see the entire situa tion. The internal needs are substan tially, supplied. The technical corps have been expanded and reorganized on industrial and efficient lines. The co-ordination of all international needs with our purchases has been effected An agency exists to prevent conflicts and to adjust those which cannot be prevented". "By the cooperation of all interests and all people in the country, tho na tion is now organized and set to its task with unanimity of spirit and con fidence in its powers. "More has been done than anybody dared to believe possible. That there have been, here and there, errors of judgment and delays goes without say ing; but I should be wanting in frank ness were I to omit my own estimate of the real unselfishness and intelli gence with which my assistants, mili tary and civilian, have applied them selves to this undertaking and the re sults demonstrate the suecess of their efforts." . . - Massing figures to show the Amer ican progress, Baker" suggested to the committee, inferentially, that they had dwelt on details which, though im portant, obscured the bigness of the tasK done Death Eate Low "The death rate in our forces in the United States," Baker said, "from mid-September to the end of December averasred 7.5 per thousand and is slijibtty less than would have been tt. death rate of men of the same age a? heme. ' ' Aside from deaths due to measles and its complications (pneumonia chiefly), the rato wag about two per thousand per year and Baker held out the hope that with improved clothing and health conditions the 7.5 ra;e world be lessened. Turning to the ordnance branch, he pointed to the necessity for developing trained officers, enlarging the work ing force, building new structures, modifying designs and plans to con form to latest war experience. Expan sion, tco, had made the quartermaster branch problems difficult- In the course of a resume of accom plishments the secretary declared: "Tho training of the army is pro ceeding raridly and its spirit is high. The sub.-istence of the army has been above criti-ism; its initial clothing si:;.p!y, temporarily inadequate, is new si.b'jirkntially complete and reserves win rapidly accumulate. Arms of the most modern and effective kind in- (Continaed n page four) li5 i nil" THE START LIES AND INTRIGUE ARE KAISER'S ONLY RESERVES NEW YOKKEE READY TO PROVE THAT MAN POWER OF CEN TEAL POWERS IS RAPIDLY ON DECLINE AND BELIEVES 500,000 YANKEES WILL BRING VICTORY TO ALLIES; FRITZ WON'T FIGHT TO LAST DITCH, HE SAYS. WOMEN'S WAR WORK WHIG THEN RIGHT (Note: The following signed letter from G. Stanley Sedgwick was printed in the New York Times, without comment. The Times gives considerable space to Mr. Sedg wick's articles and communica tions, which tako a more optimistic view of the war situation than is general in official circles. Editor.) The disaster of the Italian debacle and the Kussian treason have engender ed a feeling of depression and pessim ism among the umnilitary portion of the entente allies which js, in my opin ion, more dangerous to our cause than undue optimism. Were the expression of this feeling confined to our Social ists and pro-Germans we might ignore it. When I read the statements made by Mr. Gerard, the distinguished diplomat ist and ardent patriot, that the Germans have 11,000,000 available soldiers still at call, and one by a no less competent and patriotic congressman, Mr. McCor mick, that in his opinion the war may last five years, it behooves one who has made the military situation a care ful study to try to relievo the gloomy apprehensions of these gentlemen, and of those whose opinions may be thereby infected. Infection Is German Hope, Let not the god Pan run amuck un checked among us. For really the Ger mans base all their hopes upon the psychological infection engendered by such statements and not at all upou the military situation, unless ground less groundless panic unnerves us. A bare mathematical statement of the facts is sufficient to prove my case. The population of European Ger many in 1914 was about 68,000,000. Of this" about 33,000,000 were male and 35,000,000 female. The official statistics for the vcar 1914 gave 1029 females to ;950 males per 100 in the German em jpire. There were not 11,000,000 men be jtween the ages of 18 and 50 in the Ger Imaa Kmpire in 1914. Assuming that every male between these possnblo ex tremes of youth and age, IS and 50, were conscripted ,and that every man from 18 to 50 were fit, even then only about 9,000,000 would have represented the military man power of Germany in IDli. Thirty per cent of the whole male population has never been contributed in- any country at any time to its armies. The only people who have cvel ; approximated to that figure were our ierrine but sallant brethren of tho south ern confederacy. "They practically put 'in every male between 17 and )0, and, las General Grant said, tho '"robbed the cradle aud the grave," to do it. It Us unnecessary to stnre to any one' in the slightest degree a student of war t'aat, supposing at the start the total number of Germans between 18 and 50 was 9.000,000, it would be impossible to 'put ' .0O0,0b1 in the army. At least 1, .000,000 between those extremes of age would Vie unfit, ant 2,000.000 at least would be necessary for the industrial service of the country, in ammunition works, railways, and the farms. The German navy, 1 believe, employes over 300,000 men. - Less Than 4,500,000 in Armies But not to weary you with statistics permit me to state as a fact that on June 1, of last year, the Germans had in the army only o,500,0U0 men. Of. these about 1,250,000 were on the Rus sian front; 2,000,000 a France, perhaps 150,000 in Turkey and the Balkans, and the remainder on the communications and at the depots. At the present mo ment all Germans under arms do not number 4,500,000. The losses in Flanders on the Aisne, and in repeated futile at tacks on Verdun have been about 1,-. 500,000. I am aware that these are bare state ments of uiy own, but should any one of your readers chooso to question them I shall, so far as you accord mo space, be fully prepared to substantiate them in every respect. As to the present situation, and a to any hopes the Germans may have for tho future, a year ago tho Germans called up the class of 1918. The French have not yet called up the class of 1918 at all. Germany then called up the class of 1919; this is exhausted, and now she has ealled up the class, of 1920, of whom the oldest are only 18 and the youngest not 17. As Mr. Hilaire Belloc says, Germany, for tho first tiino since the war began, has been compelled to call all three classes. When she called 1918, a year ago, she was two years ahead of normal; now she is four years years ahead, fcihe has no reserves. The class of 1921 includes no boy over 17. We are told by our pessimists that France is exhausted. She has still the classes of 1918, 1919 and 1920, untouch ed, and she has, about 2,000,000 men at the front. " Gonnany's Waning Man Power. Now as to the predictions of Mr. Me Cormick and the other prophets of woe who see a possible prolongation of the agony for five years, I venture the simple statement tnai uermany i me ' end of two years and at tho present ; rate of casualties would not have 1, 1 000,000 men left in the field. On June 11 of last year the German losses had been 4,500,000, of whom over 2,000, OC0 were actually killed and over 200 iOOO prisoners. Kinec that date they have I been even proportionately larger. Their 'partially successful but entirely fruit j less counter attack on the English at ! Cumbrai the other day again set the or iaelea prophesying dreadful things. ! How well I remember the shuddering i predictions in 1915, when the Germans i outnumbered the English two to one iu men and five to one in guns, that they i would capture Calais and bombard Do iver. Thrice have these desolating blows jbeen threatened and one attempt with I devastating losses to Germany at Ver- (Continued on page two) FREEDOM OF SEAS STIRS INTEREST AMONGENGLISH Newspapers Wast Further Iafsraisbon More Reach ing Conclusion GENERALLY SPEAKING EDITORS ENDORSE SPEECH Bolshsviki Ambassador Ap proves Expression of Sympathy for Russia OF EQUAL SUFFRAGE Wissn Assures Leaders of His Hearty Sup port of Movement By L. C. Martin, (United Press Staff Correspondent.) Washington, Jan. 10. Women's war work is winning them the right to vote. The first trench in the battlo for suffrage extending over many years in this country is expected to fall late today when the house votes on a con stitutional amendment granting equal franchise rights to women. With President Wilson supporting the suf frage ranks and republicans almost solidly for the amendment, it is ex pected to get the necessary two-thirds vote. Already tho battle to carry the sen ato has been started by tho suffragists. They will press for an immediate voto in the upper branch and expect a com plete victory within two months. Huffrage leaders, happy today at tho sudden and tremendous impetus given their movement, predicted ratification of the amendment by all the Btates by 1920. In twelve states they already have full suffrage aud in five enjoy partial suffrage. A complete suffrage victory would ! mark the -second great constitutional amendment brought about by the war. Prohibition came as a war measure. Tlinn tka nmnn t9 tlii ftr.:mtrv buop!. ficing their sons, knitting, making! bandages, working tirelessly for tho Red Cross, and in liberty bond cam paigns, won the right to demand equal recognition with the men. They brought from President Wilson at a psychological moment the declaration that democrats in congress should vote for suffrage on grounds of "justice and right" It was many years ago that Susan B. Anthony started her movement for suffrage. Then during a trip she made south with Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, now president of the national Amer ican women suffrage association, Miss Anthony tsid,: " We must worV along by states for a long time When wc have got enough states the women of the country will know the time has come to press for a constitutional amendment and it will win." Twelve states are already theirs California, Washington, Oregon, Neva da, Kansas, New York, Idaho, Wyom ing, Utah, Montana, Arizona, and Colo rado. Five others enjoy partial suf frage Nebraska, Illinois, Rhode ts land, North Dakota and Michigan. The hardest ratification fights are expected in the southern states with the exception of Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas and West Virginia. These states suffrage lead-J era today declared woum --come in (Continued on page three) By Lowell Mollett (United Press Staff Correspondent) London, Jan. 10. Britain would like more details concerning President Wil son's aim for "freedom of the seas".' In the general chorus of editorial ap proval voiced in the morning press over the direct, clear cut outlines of peace terms by the American executive, there was nevertheless a clear note of anxiety as to exactly what was meant by free dom of the seas. The dominant British fouling'' is Still opposed to complete disarmament on the seas unless there is an effectivo inter national league with widest police pow ers. Some of the more conservative Brit ishers recognized tho possibility of po sitions being reversed, putting England at Germany's mercy. In this connection, it was recalled, tho Declaration of Lon don in 1910 was defeated iu the house of lords.. It sought to deal with this question. Oil the other hand, there was general recognition of the fact that the whole question was ono for after the war so lution, aud in the meantime all factions realized President Wilson's btatemerit on this as a shrewd move to strengthen the German liberals. -j The conservative press today held doubts as to whether President Wilson has "considered tho hard, realities of tho situation." Stress was laid on tho latest German atrocity in tho sinking of tho hospital ship Rewa as indicative of the sort of foes with which tho British have to deal. The liberals expressed emphatic do- URANIA JO HIS RUSSIAN FACTION IN IIEG0TIATI0I1S Stand Together For Transfer of Peace Conference to Neutral Soil STOCKHOLM FAVORED FOR-MEETING PLACE Trotsky Promises Soldiers He Will Truly Oppose "Peace at Any Price' RUSSIA AND BULGARIA SIGN Berue, Jan. 10. The nowspa- per Dor Bund doclured today ( that a separate peace between huasia and Bulgaria had been formally signed. The announcement was con- tained in quotations from a speech delivered to tho Bulgar- iun sobrauje by Premier iiadoa- Jlc lavoff. He read a telegram from Brest-iiitovsk declaring: " - "Tho war between Russia and Bulgaria cease. The economic relations will be resumed. Rub- sia recognizes Bulgaria's right to nominate a delegate in the in- ternntional Danube commission " Premier Radoslavoff com- mentod that this was " the first peace concluded in the war with . Bulgaria's allies consenting' Dispatches here also said minister had been named by Bulgaria to proceed at once to Petrograd. " By Joseph Shaplen (United rPcss Staff Correspondent) Potrograd, Jan. 10. Ukrainia and Russia havo joined hands in the peace negotiations with Germany. Dispatches received from Brest-Litov sk today expressed firm conviction that with a unitod front shown by all Rus- (Continued on page six.) (Continued on pag two) AMERICA'S WAR WORK WILL BE BIG DECIDING FACTOR ATTITUDE Of GERMANY . By Carl D. Groat. (United Press Staff Correspondent) Washington, Jan. 10. America's war work, the next few months will deter mine Germany's attitude toward Pres ident Wilson peace terms, officials here advised today. If wo go m with all our strengtn earnestly enthusiastically and whole heartedly it will uo more than any thing else to bring early peace, tho ex perts say. On the other hand, if Am erica slows down under tho thought that peace is near, the talo will be tar dit ferent, officials believe. Meantime, Germany may appear to yield as far as possible to tho Lloyd George aud Wilson terms. The extent to which she camouflages certain sec tions will measure just how badly sho wants peace. This is how officials prophesy the "next steps" in this mighty maneuver, which has already laid the foundations' for peace: 1 Germany will answer tho terms ac cepting some, appearing to accept others 2 Sho will continue a west front of fc: sive this spring and summer. If fall finds her without a big victory to her credit she will then set about in earn est to negotiate peace. 3 Russia will do what? If Lenino and Trotsky permit frank publication of the Wilson message in the Russian press, that will meuu a long stride to ward swinging Russia back to the al lies. If they try to suppress it totally or partially, it will mean they are not to bo trusted and that Wilson's doctrino must be spread by American propaganda slowly. As for tho United States, its position is this: "Our aims have been stated; take them or leave them." Hence, it will proceed with its plan for war, while at the same time it spreads in Russia and so far as possible iu Austria and in Germany it appears to liberal minds to cut loose from mili tarism and join the new congress of na tions, where all arc equal. The state department is waiting to ascertain how the government-controlled German press is permitted to deal with the Wilson message. If it is printed with deletions or mistranslations, the mes sage will then be put over to Germany by tho air route and otherwise 4. i ' Abe Martin "Slacker" Officers Roasted by Missouri Senator Washington, Jan. 10. "Slacker" Oiiiccrs, who clamor for "safety first" jobs far from the suuud of guns should not be permitted to wear the Boldiers uniform, f-'enator Stone de clared in tho senate today. Stone de manded legislation to distinguish "thousands " of men who clamor for safety first jobs from the men who are to carry guns and go into the trench es." Stone's speech was called out by en equally severe denunciation of pro fiteers by Senator Jones, Washington. Jones said young officers are forced to pay two or three times a fair price tf it hecauso the ouartcr- Iroaster'a department won't supply them. . n ... r -r. Th' sugar shortage '11 work quite a hardship on th' sparker that's been git tin by ever' Sunday night on a nick el's worth o MarshuiEtlows.