Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919, February 27, 1918, Image 1

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Daily capital journal., February 27, 1918, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextIU0AH WEA1HEE THIS MQNXH 4,500 SUBSCRIBERS ' (22,000 HEADERS) DAILY Only Circulation in Salem Guar anteed by the Audit Bureau of Circulations FULL LEASED WIRE DISPATCHES SPECIAL WILLAMETTE VAL LEY NEWS SEBVICE IS SffY TtVo I 'Life v4 r Oregon: Tonight fair; Thursday fair east portion, probably rain west portion ; gen tle winds, becom-." ing southerly. LUUt JIUi I IUU IUUUUL if' V FORTY-FT T YEAR NO. 50 GERPfe GAS ATTACK POlSOiJING Attack Came Suddenly Yesterday Morning Huge Flare From German Trenches As Minewerfers Were Discharged Wounded Soldiers In Hospitals Are Suffering Terrible AgoniesAmericans Were Not Taken By Surprise But Some Could Not Adjust Masks Quickly Enough To Escape Murderous Gas, One Breath of Which Meant Death By Fred S. Ferguson, (United Press Staff Correspondent.) With the American Army in France, Feb. 27. Sixty one American soldiers, gas victims, lay in the hospitals to day, following a night of horror. The doctors worked all night on the cases. ' - Five others were killed in the gas attack. Many of the hospital cases included artillerymen, ?ho were overcome by fumes from 'gas shells. The first victims included boys from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Ohio, New York, Wash ington and Arkansas. The attack came suddenly this morn ing after an all'day rain. The clouds had parted and the moon was shining brightly in the trenches. Stillness pre vailed. Suddenly there was a huge flare from the German trenches as the minewerfers were discharged. Then came the deton ations of higli explosives with the quick spread of deadly gases. Three officers ran into a dugout and eloeori the curtain so tight they nar rowly escaped death through asphyxia tion frrm the charcoal fire. They wore taken to a hospital but -their condition is not serious. - Three men were killed and nine were overcome in the first attack. When the attack came over the men ondeavored to adjust their gas masks. These who weren 't quick enough were soon gasping for breath. These were carried to a hospital. A child could I not look more helpless than these Am-Lj erieans. Their huge chests raised and lowered the covers as they fought for breath. As their breathing grew loud er and more difficult and cnorrag start ed, the doctors hurried an oxygen tank to the side of one of the victim's cot. He drank in the oxygen from the rub ber cup and with a sigh of satisfaction at the temporary relief. The American army has gas equip mcnt and will use it as the occasion de mands, but it is a matter of self da fense. The boche introduced the gas ter ror to the world. Its first use against the Americans Jias aroused the entire army to the stage of "seeing red." It- would stir the fighting blood of every American to view the hospital where lay the victims of the first Ger man gas. attack. At the hour of cabling five were dead and twenty were in hospitals struggling like drowning men for breath. Word came that thirty additional were en route to the hospitals. At the field hospital where the first twen,.' victims cf Gorman gas fright-, fuluciS were taken, the doctors were stirred to the deepest hatred toward tin bodies after having seen the suffering The struggles of tiip victims irwr Jtoe could be heard a hundred , feet away. With closed eyes and blue faces, these American boys gasped and struggled for every breath, while the attendants iu charge of a captain, worked tireless ly. Among the doctors was one from "Waco, 'icxas, and one i'rom Milford, Pa. Every effort to ielie-e the suffering T!as retorted tc. ilood-lctting and The giving of oxygeu were tried. Every breath was a groan. The Americans' eager-drawing iu of the God-given air Ho:ir,ded like boliowj to nearly were thi lungs closed. As the sufferings became worse, the men's hands were outstretched as though they were drowning. Their fin gers extended, they stiffened, there was a sudden foaming at the mouth, then i the end. The doctors cursed the bodies for every minute the men suffered. They treat wounded men with no special feel ing of hatred for the enemy. Hut watch- j ing gas victims is like watching twenty i men slowly ilrowning or dangling from a rope, gradually cuffocating. i The gas victims were in a hospital which was recently repeatedly bombed. Doctors declared that the final act they might expect from the Huns would be an air raid on the hospital while the gassed men were slowly passing out. Between 1 and 2 o 'clock Tuesday morning, gas projectiles were burled from minewerfers. There were two at tacks, in which about 73 chlorine and phosgene gas shells, accompanied by high explosives, were thrown. Small ball? of fire were first visible, then the entire battery of minewerfers (Continued on page three) SIXTY-ONE ROAD FROM SALEM TOinUSH County, Forest Reerve and Private feterests Fill Unite In Construction A road from Salem to Breitenbush Hot Springs is being planned, and will bo built by the co-operation of the forest resorve anil the county. The plan, as it stands at present, calls for to Detroit by tho county and ,;,, T, i,n , ai' lidU HjV) lyULU DUIll iuH Hull. 1.11V expense, and a road, built by private capital, from Detroit to Breitenbush. This has been practically agreed on, (Continued on page three) -x flif IS Wmmwtifi SALEM, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1918 RUSSIAN DEFEIiSE OF NATION'S CAPITAL IS BECQff MONGER This Is Taken As Evidence That Spirit of People Is Not Entirely Crushed By J. W. T. Mason (Written for the United Press) New York, Feb. 27. The increasing resistance by the Bussians against the German attempt to capture Petrograd, whether immediately successful or not, is reestablishing respect for discipline among the Eussian people. This is more important even than the salvation of the capital. If Petrograd 's fall is necessary as a final demonstra tion, that discipline alone is required to save the revolution, then the price will be cheap. Tho saving of the great stores of munitions near Pskof f reported today in United Press Petrograd dispatches, is very important, not so much -because of the value of the munitions, but because it demonstrates, tho presence of real mil itary leadership among the revolution ary soldirs. Hitherto, during the German advances the Bussians have made no effort to save anything. Disorganization has been complete. The Pskoff incident reveals that the spirit of panic is vanishing and the Bussians are recovering some I of their morale. It requires large organ izing ability and a willingness Jo re spond to orders to remove such exten sive war supplies as wore stored in the Pskoff area. Transportation difficulties have given the greatest trouble to the Bolsheviki civil regime, but the military leaders of the revolution are showing a new ability in this direction. Von Hindenburg is now in a serious quandary because of tho increasing prowess of the revolutionary army. There is no longer any question but that the active force at Von Hinden burg 's disposal for the capture of Pet rograd is comparative'y very small. If he presses onward he is lengthening the communications of his expeditionary forco to the danger point. If a strong Bussian rally were to take place near Petrograd, the German detachments might be cut to pieces or compelled to end in a disastrous retreat. "STOW THE GAB" CAMPAIGN. , Portland, Or., Feb. 27. A "stow the gab" campaign is tho latest war activ ity for Oregon. The coming month is to bo devoted to educating people to the danger of circulating unfounded ru mors, especially concerning war. In this way, it is hoped that a lot of "Bed Cross salary" myths, several tons of "ground glass" and "enomy pizen" being circulated over the state via the backyard fence, pool hall and tho "now, I've been told" routes will be killed. . r I - 2 I - v Ji I I H ' l 1 ', ..7 NAILS IN THE KAISEB'8 COFFIN. ATLANTA MAYOR 111 SENSATIONAL BLACKMAIL CASE Multi-Millionaire Asserts Mrs. H,H. Hirsdand J. W. Cook Conspired CALLED AT HIS OFFICE ON RED CROSS BUSINESS Removed While He Was Looking Out of Window Atlanta, Ga-, ', Feb. 27 After one of 'tho speediest trials in the history of the court, J. W. Cook, indicted jointly with Mrs. Margaret" Hirsch, on t charge of demanding $500,000 black mail from Mayor Chandler, was found 'guilty at 4:15 this afternoon and was sentenced by Judge Benjamin Hill to serve one year in prison and to pay a fine of $1000. ' . The, jury deliberated only 25 min utes. ' Mrs. Hirsrh will be placed on trial 'Li i ,. . . .. : t: ' . -r a-huw. uiuruiijg, ,i:uru.iug 10 jrroaecu tor Boykin. Chandler Takes Stand Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 27. As A. Oandler, multi-millionaire mayor Atlanta, today took the stand as the first witness in the sensational black mail trial of J. W. Cook and Mrs. Her man H Hirsch, he repeated the story lie tola tho grand jury several days ago. Mrs. Hirsch, he said, came to his of fice February 6, ostensibly in the in terest of Bed Cross work. Suddenly, apparently in fright, the mayor said Mrs. Hirsch exclaimed: "There's some one. watching us from that window." The mayor stated when he turned to Mrs. Hirsch after examining the win dow and finding no one there. Mrs. Hirsch had removed her hat, disar ranged her clothing and was opening tho omce door. (Continued on page four) MOUNT LA'SSEN EBTJPTS Bedding, Cal., Feb. 27. Mount Las sen broke forth this morning in the biggest eruption of the present year, 'sending out a high column of dense white smoke which a stiff wind car Wed for miles before the cloud waf dissipated. - , lsa PRESIDENT WILSON AWAITS COUNT CZERNIN'S REPLY TO PEACE TERMS SPEECH Wltat Austrian Foreign Min ister Says Will Influence . Future Course By Oarl D. Groat (United Press staff correspondent) Washington, Feb. 27 President Wil son is waiting upon Count Czernin's 'expected reply to his' last peace terms message before determining hi future course as to a new statement for be fore the tribunal of the world. If it shows a conciliatory and re ceptive spirit, the president will again appear before congress to amplify his previous statements, according to the tjolicf among international authorities today. Whether he .would reply . to Hertling cannot be stated now. The general spirit here today, after 'digesiting Hertling s messago was one 'of rejection. Everywhere the thought Was that Hertling was insincere, that THIRTY HEN LOST NAVAL TUG CHEROKEE GOES TO BOTTOM Vessel Foundered Off Atlan , tic Coast With Forty U. S. Sailors Aboard Washington, Feb. (27. Thirty men Iproibably lost their lives when the United States naval tug Cherokee (foundered off the Atlantic coast yestor Iday, Secretary of the Navy Daniels announced today. . Tho bodies of four dead have reach ed Philadelphia. V ' The complement was five officers and 35 enlisted men. The ten known survivors have been Handed. The list of those aboard will bo made public soon. The message gave no do- Itails of the foundering- The ten survivors of the United States steam tug Cherokee who were landod at Philadelphia arc:- Boatswain E. M. Senott, naval re serve, Boston. L. P. Acherman, seaman. ' H. P. Pointer, fireman. B. J. Hall, seaman. C. E. Barker, chief machinist's mate B. A. Kozeck, fireman. P. H. Warmaek, fireman. A. A. Wailim, oilor. E. L. Gudgol, fireman. B. F. BlumficM, radio eleetrician. Daniels announcement read: "Tho navy department is advised that the U. S. S. Cherokee, a navy tug, foundered yesterday morning, off the (Atlantic coast. Of the forty aboard five officers asd 35 enlisted men ten men have been landed at Philadelphia. Four dead were picked up by steam ships. "The ten known survivors got away, Sn tho first luo ratt. tour got away ion the second raft, but two wero wash led overboard and the other two were Idead when picked up by a British steamer." : Brings Living and Dead Chester. Pa.. Feb. 27. Two vessels (bearing survivors and dead from the 'foundered naval tue CheroKce nave nassed br here on their way to Phila delphia. One of tho-vcsseis, a craisn Whip, was ordered to the League Is land navv vards. The other went to (Philadelphia. Officers on the first Bhip to pass (here, also a British vessel, said -they picked up a wireless from the other 'rescue boat and went to the assistance iof her and the Cherokee. She picked Vip two bodies and came on to port, the signalling vessel naving jen. British Columbia Ship Yard Workers to Strike Tancouver. B. C Feb. 27. A strike in the shipyards of British Columbia, involving over 8000 men, is now re corded as inevitable if the ten per cent increase in wages demanded cy the men is not met before Iriday. To day, representatives of the owners of the Vancouver shipyards will meet a. P. Butehart, director of wooden ship building under the imerial munitions board, and consult with him regarding precautions to be taken in tne various vards if the men go out on Friday morning. The yards will be guarded 10 prevent disturbances. There is a possibility mat 11 a Bin s precipiiaiea, me aiin " ment will appoint a compulsory arbi tration board and take over the settle ment of the dispute. The imperial munitions board shows no signs of yieldihg to the men's demands. PRICE TWO ue was piaying a game. This game. - . according to the general view, was to try to foster pacifist spirit within the allied nations and to try to cause split in them. There is much camouflage about his remarks anont Belgium, about self de Termination and about German war aims, according to the thought here The disposition of the Russian prob lem is considered a particularly adroit maneuver. The chancellor 's statement anent Germany's war of "defense" are re- 'gardod here as threadbare sophistries which in the tight of German atroci ties appear ludicrious. Count -Czernin, howver, may adopt a different tone, as he has in the past 'While the Austrians are so linked to 'Germany by debt that a break is dif ficult, Austria's yearning for peace is 'such that the president believes a po Oitical offenBivo should be continued there just as long as any chance of a hoparate peace is possible. IN CONTROL OF CHEESE INDUSTRY III MIDDLE WEST Profiteering On Contracts Is Also Brought Up By Prosecutor Heney Chicago, Feb. 27. Packers handle and controP 75 per cent of the Wisconsin chooso business, the nation's principal source of supply, according to Henry Krumrey, Plymouth, Wis., who testified here today in the federal trade commis sion's inquiry. Krumrey is president of me W isconsin Uheese and Produce ed eration". ;'--vV , ,. . ; He declared this control dated back to 191 2.: Krumrey told of efforts to es tablish a co-operative cheeso . making plant to combat the price fixing ring. It was necessary to abandon the pro joct," he said, "bocause of the obstac les thrown iu our path by the big in terests." Profiteering on army contracts 'was hinted at by Heney in reading a left tor from Bobert 1J. Morcy in charge of an Armour subsidiary at Waukesha, Wis., to F. B. White of Armour and company. The letter read into tho rec ords said in part: "I am just in recerpt of a telegram from tho National Canner's association in Washington, as follows: 'Army New York need largo allotment milk, ex port cases, prompt shipment. Wire amount you can handle.' Your Mr. Da vis instructed me to accept an order for two thousand caws. This order nets us $3.65 at tho factory, no discount and no freight, which gives us about 45 cents margin over and above our reg ular business and makes it look pretty good." . The Denver, Colo., packing situation came in for another treatment by Heney today. Ho read into the record corres pondence from the files of Swift and company, including a letter dated Aug ust 2, 1917, to Louis F. Swift from W. B. Traynor, Swift's confidential mail in Chicago. Tho letter iu pait follows: "Armour and company and ourselves have been in the same position in this nsntter and have worked it out together. "We got word on July 13 that the butchers of the Denver plant were be- (Continued on page six) Abe Martin You never find some folks out till ther all in. Nobuddy seems t ' have as much fun as a couple o' fellers with an' ole, second handed, long waisted red roadster. CENTS ON TRAINS AND NEW STANDS FIVE CUNTS SEVERE BATTLES WITH INVADERS OF RUSSIAN SOIL Germans Are Hurled Back by Russian Masses at Several Points PROGRESS ELSEWHERE AFTER HARD FIGHTING Germans Refuse To Stay Ad- Tin 1Th m vance wnen feace terms Are Accepted By Joseph Shaplen -(United Press staff correspondent) . Petrograd, Feb. 26 (Delayed) Tha Germans have been hurled back fc 'Vitebsk and 18 miles from Orsha. (Vitesk is tho capital of the prov ince of that name, 300 miles south of Potrograd. Orsha is an important rail way junction on the Dnieper river 30 miles south of Vitebsk and 44 niilc north of Mohileff.) Alter fortifying Borissoff (80 miles) west of Orsha and 38 miles northeast of Minsk), the Germans advanced to ward Orsha. Bussian forces made a sortie and be the Germans back, 18r miles out from the city. Then, retiring upon the city, the) Bussians blow up a bridge over tho IBeresseina, where Napoleon suffered heavy losses in November, 1812, end began an orderly evacuation. Germans seeking to occupy Vitebsk. whero tho first mobilization for the idofenso of Petrograd occurred, were thrown back. Germans are organizing detachment of Ukrainian prisoners at Bovno (i Volhynia.) . ' The battle for possession of Pskoff (102 miles southwest of Petrograd,) whiah continued all night, ended in a Russian victory. The Bussians have succeeded in removing most of tho vast store of Bupplies there (valued at four hundred million rubles) into tho interior. The commissariat had admitted that Beval (capital of Esthoma, situated on an arm of the Uuit or Kiga, zuu miles west of Potrograd) was captured after a battle in which sailors and red guards contested every step. The Germans surrounded the city in the evening. They approached within seven versts (4.02 miles) and sent rep resentatives forward. These declared that in view of Esthonia's independ ence they were coming as guests. Tho defondeers refused to accopt that at titude and tho battle ensued. Enthusiasm for the defense of tho revolution grows hourly. There is constant stream of armed men leaving or the front. Two hundred thousand roletariats havo enrolled. Tho staff at Luga (100 miles south 'of Potrograd on the Biga-Petrograd railway) wired they would be able to (halt tho Germans if they had reinforce mcnts. These were sent immediately. j Officers are eagerly joining the gar risons which) are re-invigorated and fbeing organized hurriedly. ADVANCE WILL CONTINUE By Joseph Shaplen (United Press staff correspondent) ltirograd, Fdb. 2b'. (Night) Tho (Continued on page six.) Kidnaped Her Soldier and Married Hun Leavenworth, Kan., Feb., 27. Mrs. Florence Wettig, champion war bride, was celebrating her victory over a gria- zled top sergeant today, while her sol- ler husband was on a troop train speeu ing toward an unnamed destination. While Private W. V. Wettig, St. Louia was awaiting for orders to board a troop trniu with his company, the bride, who waS M iss Florence M. Cunningham, Dal las, Texas, appeared with a motor car, a license and the county judge. Despito tho protests of the sergeant, she "kid naped" Wettig and sped to a nearby grove, where the ceremony was perform- ed. Five minutes later Wettig Board ed the train as it pulled out. Senator Swacson Sounds Warning Note In Senate Washington, Feb. 27. Charging "in sidious and treasonable propaganda," is being conducted in America, "to pro duce dissatisfaction and secure a Ger man made peace," Senator Swanson, Virginia, today in the senate bitterly de nounced Teuton war practices. Engaged in the propaganda work, ho said, " is a motley crew of fanatics, Ger man spies and sympathizers, persons cor rupted with German gold and promises, officered by a few selfish politicians, who foolishly think they see an oppor tunity for self government, although it may wreck the country."