Paris, August 10—Latest—The allied forces have captured Mont
didier, which the Germans valued highly, and which is approximately
at the apex of the German salient north of the Somme river. Twenty
four thousand Hun prisoners have been captured and an additional
hundred big guns have been taken. In two days, the allied foiees ha\e
advanced twelve miles along a twenty-mile front. ( haulnes, the Gei
jnan base south of the Somme, may tall any hour. It is within the range
of big allied guns that are bombing it furiously. Americans are play
ing an important part in aiding the Franco-British armies. 1 rench
forces virtually surrounded Montdidier before it fell. General von IIu
tir’s German army is retreating from the Montdider-Noyon line, leav
ing much material behind.
OFFENSIVE ECLIPSED ANY MADE BY GERMANS.
Summary.— (By the Associated Press)—The German lines on the
Picardy front are badly broken as a result of the allied offensive. A
wedge has been driven eleven miles into enemy territory, along the
Amiens-Chaulnes-La Fere railway line. Up to noon yesterday, the
British forces had advanced to within a mile of the Chaulnes-Roye rail
way, which forms the chief artery for supplying the German forces in
the Montdidier sector. The results of the allied attacks appear to have
eclipsed those obtained by the Germans on the first day of any of their
terrific offensives of the past year. The Germans have lost Morlancourt,
a Teuton stronghold.
DECISIVE MOMENT ARRIVED IT IS BELIEVED.
Washinoton. August 10.—Army officers believe that the decisive
moment, perhaps the final battle of the war, is approaching. General
Foch is apparently challenging the enemy to fight or withdraw, giving
up all he gained at a staggering cost in his several offensives. The whole
bottom of tin Picardy salient has been flattened out by the allied forces
in two days' time. A British statement, received at Washington, re
veals for the first time, the fact that American forces are participating
in the Picardy drive. The identity of the units engaged is known to
the war department officials and officers, who are gratified to learn that
the Americans employed have gained a considerable success.
OVER SEVENTEEN THOUSAND PRISONERS TAKEN.
London. August 10.—The allies in the Somme drive, up to noon
yesterday, had taken over 17,000 prisoners, 200 big guns, and vast
stores of war stocks and munitions. It is reported that a divisional
general is anmng the captives.
GERMANS RETIRING IN GREAT HASTE.
British Headquarters, August 10.—Since noon yesterday, the
Franco-British forces have gained more ground. The Germans are re
treating in great haste before the advancing allies. General llaig, com
manding the allied offensive, reports that lighting continues today
southeast of Amiens and that the allied forces have reached the line
of Piempont, Arvillers. Hosieries, Raincourt and Morcourt. The Ca
nadian forces captured Warvillers, south of Hosieries and the French
took Arvillers, seven miles from Rove. The Germans retook Chippilly,
north of the Somme river. Rapidly advancing British tanks captured
the best German gun positions facing Amiens and thousands of pris
oners. which were cut off in a triangle. The allies, upon the time this
report was sent, noon yesterday, had captured 17,000 prisoners and
between 200 and 300 guns, on the Somine-Ancrc front. This is an of
ficial statement.
GERMANS PREPARING TO RETREAT.
British Headquarters in France, August 10.—The Germans are
blowing up munition dumps behind their lines on the Picardy front.
This is considered a good sign that they are preparing to retreat. The
British casualty list, in the present offensive, is placed at three-fifths
of the number of German prisoners taken up to 3 o'clock yesterday af
ternoon. The French losses are much lighler. Allied airmen have
destroyed many bridges over the Somme river, which is seriously em
barrassing the German retreat. British cavalrymen captured many
prisoners and enormous quantities of stores and munitions that were
abandoned by the* Huns in their hasty evacuation of advanced lines.
GERMANS WERE HARVESTING FRENCH FIELDS.
Paris, August 10.—Thursday’s operations surprised the Germans.
The French forces captured many.Huns that were harvesting the fields
behind the advanced German lines. French artillerying, preceding the
offensive, lasted an hour. The original front of attack was four kilo
meters, in the sector south of the Ainiens-Royc road. Gradually the
offensive developed all along the right bank of the Avre river, near Har
gicourt.
>
ALLIED LOSSES PARTICULARLY LIGHT.
Paris, August 10.—The Franco-British forces have captured the
villages of Pierrepont, Contoire, Pangesten, Santerre and Arvillers.
Progress in this direction is fourteen kilometers in depth. Four thou
sand prisoners have been taken in this section. The allied losses are
particularly light.
With the Americans on the Marne, August 10.—Since the coun
ter attack on the Germans on the Marne-Aisne front, the allies have re
gained fifteen hundred square kilometers of territory, have taken over
two hundred towns and villages and have shortened their front by thir
ty-three miles. The Americans yesterday captured the village of Fis
teste, on the north bank of the Vesle river, taking a hundred prisoners.
ITALIAN RETIREMENT IN ALBANIA STOPS.
London, August 10.—The Italian retirement in Albania has reach
ed strong positions and has stopped. The Italians and allies still hold
the important city of Berat.
MORRIS AND SWIFT OPPOSE,
ARMOUR AND WILSON FAVOR
GOVERNMENT CONTROL.
OPINIONS OF THE BIG PACKERS
Those Opposing Federal Operation of
Packing Plants Say Scheme Im
practical, While Others Assert They
are Willing to do Anything that
Will Aid Conditions.
CHICAGO, August 10.—Heads oL
the great meat packing companies ap
pear to be divided in their opinions as
to the feasibility of the government
assuming partial control of this big
industry in the United States, as rec
ommended by the federal trade com
mission.
Edward Morris, of the Morris com
pany, said, “I cannot see where condi
tions will be improved under govern
ment control.”
Louis F. Swift, of the Swift com
pany, said he believed the taking over,
by the government, of the branch and
storage houses would be impractical.
J. Ogden Armour, head of the Ar
mour company, said: “My early
statement that the government can
have the company and every official
and employe is reiterated a thousand
times.”
Thomas F. Wilson, president of the
Wilson company', said: “I will wel
come any new methods for the benefit
of the public and will co-operate to
the fullest extent.”
FABER COMPANY
AMONG SEIZED
NEW YORK, August 10.—The alien
property custodian yesterday seized
four enemy-owned corporations, capi
talized in excess of two million dol
lars. Included in those taken over yes
terday is the A. W. Faber company, of
Newark, New Jersey, manufacturers
of lead pencils. This concern was es
tablished in 17(51.
AMERICAN SHIP
SUNK BY U-BOAT
NEWPORT NEWS, August 10.—A
German submarine sank the American
schooner Stanley L. Seaman Monday,
at a point 110 miles off Cape Hatteras.
The vessel was foreign-bound. The
captain and eight members of the crew
were rescued by a British steamer and
brought to this port.
G.O.P. LEADERS
TO HOLD MEETING
OKLAHOM ACITY, August 12.—A
meeting of the national association of
republican state chairmen will be held
at Chicago September 2. It is called
for the purpose of a full exchange of
ideas for the conduct of the coming
congressional campaign.
OVERTIME TROUBLE
AMICABLY SETTLED
PHILADELPHIA, August 12.-The
Pacific coast ship yard employes and
employers have adopted rules drafted
by Piez, of the emergency fleet corp
oration, stopping-overtime, except on
specific orders from the district officer
of the emergency fleet corporation.
COLORADO MINE ASSOCIATIONS
JOIN ISSUES IN MAKING
RECOMMENDATION.
REQUEST HIGHER GOLD PRICE
Urges the Government to Purchase
All New Gold at a Price Sufficient
to Cover the Increased Costs of Pro
duction Since Beginning' of World
War.
DENVER, Col., August 10.—The
Colorado chapter of the American Min
ing Congress and the Colorado Meta!
Mining association have joined issues
| in recommending to the government
j the purchase of all new gold produced
j in the United States and its posses
; sions at a price sufficient to cover the
| increased cost of production over that
I maintaining in the pre-war days, or
July, 1914, just before the world war
j started.
j This action was taken in harmony
j with a desire of the government to
j stimulate the mining of gold. Produc
I tion has decreased since the war start
ed, due to the increased costs of min
ing. The mining men feel that the
government should share in this bur
den, failing in which gold mining will
fall off, due to the prohibitive costs
in production.
CZECHO-SLOVAKS
GIVEN RECOGNITION
WASHINGTON, D. C., August 10.
—Italy has joined France in granting
1 recognition to the Czecho-Slovak na
tional council as the governing body
of the Czechs in entente countries.
PLAN TO BUILD
MONSTER PLANT
WASHINGTON, D. C., August 10.
! —The war department today an
| nounced plans had been approved for
I a gun-relining plant to cost over $25,
000,000. It will compare in size to the
Ivrupp works in Germany.
VESSEL ATTACKED
BY A SUBMARINE
A CANADIAN ATLANTIC PORT,
August 10.—The schooner Gladys M.
Hollett, attacked by a German subma
rine Thursday, was towed into this
port last night. The damage is slight.
5U.S.BIRDMEN
ROUT 12 GERMANS
WITH THE AMERICANS ON THE
VESLE, August 12.—Two enemy Aer
oplanes were downed in a battle yes
terday between twelve German planes
and five American planes. No Amer
ican casualties.
FISHERMEN IDENTIFY
SUBMARINE CAPTAIN
GLOUCESTER, Mass., August 12.
—Fishermen claim to have identified
the commander of the German subma
rine operating off the Massachusetts
coast as a skilled navigator formerly
employed in the American fisheries
service.
NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENT
TESTIFIES IN REGARD TO
AUTHOR’S ACTIVITIES.
GERMAN AGENT, HE ASSERT^
William Bayard Hale, Well Known
American Diplomat and Author, Is
Charged With Being Head of Ger
man Information Bureau in United
States by Newspaper Man.
NEW YORK, August 10.—William
Bayard Hale, the well known author
and American diplomat, is the head
of the German information bureau in
the United States, according to the
testimony given yesterday in the New
York attorney general’s office by a
newspaper correspondent, whose name
has not been made public.
The correspondent testified that in
the year 1915, Hale entered the ser
vice of the German government. The
following year, or 1916, Hale made a
trip to Rumania on official business
for the German foreign office and on
a passport supplied by Germany. The
correspondent said he accompanied
Hale on this trip.
Following the Rumanian trip there
were confidential meetings between
Hale, the German chancellor, von
Bethmann-Hollweg and other high
German officials.
The correspondent testified that lat
er Hale arranged with a steward on a
Scandinavian passenger liner to car
ry messages from America at $800
each trip. The steward carried a dic
tionary as a code book.
SPAIN SENDS
NOTE TO HUNS
MADRID, Spain, August 10.—Spain
has sent Germany a new’ note concern
ing the torpedoing of the Spanish
ships recently sunk by German sub
marines.
STATE OF DEFENSE
RUSSIA’S ATTITUDE
NO WAR DECLARATION AGAINST
ALLIES, LENINE TELLS
GOVERNMENT.
WASHINGTON, August 10.—The
American consul at Moscow advises
the state department that Premier
Lenine recently told the soviet gov
ernment that a state of war existed
between Russia and the entente allies.
Lenine said he did not consider this a
declaration of war, but rather a state
of defense on Russia’s part, similar
to the one which existed against Ger
many recently.
ADMINISTRATION
IS URGING ACTION
BAKER TELLS COMMITTEE THAT
SPEEDY ENACTMENT OF
DRAFT BILL DESIRED.
WASHINGTON, August 10.—Sec
retary of War Baker yesterday told
the senate committee on military af
fairs that the administration desired
a prompt enactment of the draft ex
tension bill by the congress, so that
September 5 may be definitely fixed
as registration day. The secretary
said it would be necessary to drawT
men from the deferred classes under
the present draft law, unless the draft
ages were extended.
CAMP KEARNEY
FORMS DIVISION
CAMP KEARNEY, August 10.—
The Sixteenth division is the name of
a new organization of troops that has
been formed at Camp Kearney, Cali
fornia.
LANE’S DEPARTMENT WANTS TO
MINE COAL FOR NAVY
DEPARTMENT.
IS UNDER BUREAU OF MINES
If Navy Secretary Turns Down Sug
gestion of Interior Secretary, Navy
Bureau of Supplies and Accounts
Will Create Organization to Assume
Charge.
SEATTLE, August 10.—A Post
Intelligencer special from Washing
ton, published in today’s paper, says:
“Secretary of the Interior Lane is
negotiating with Secretary of the
Navy Daniels whereby the interior,
department, acting through the bu
I reau of mines, may superintendent the «
expenditure of the million dollar ap
propriation, carried in the naval ap
propriation bill, for the mining of
coal in the Matanuska coal fields for
the benefit of the navy.
“If Daniels rejects the proposal, the
i navy bureau of supplies and accounts,
i at the head of which is Admiral Mc
Gowan, will create an organization to
produce the coal.”
BIGGEST CASUALTY
LIST YET REPORTED
j WASHINGTON, D. C., August 9.—
I Army and marine corps casualty lists
announced today by the war depart
i ment number 1,014 men, the largest
since the Aisne-Marne offensive began.
Of these, 150 were killed and 437 were
severely wounded.
GENERAL OTANA
RANKING OFFICER
WASHINGTON, August 10.—It is
semi-officially announced that Gen
eral Kikuso Otana, one of Japan’s
I most distinguished soldiers, will com
| mand the Japanese section in Siberia.
I He will be the ranking officer of Am
erican and allied forces and will be in
| command of the expeditionary armies.
1
LIBERTY BONDS
ARE ABOVE PAR
| NEW YORK, August 10.—Favor
able war news drove the first issue of
j United States liberty bonds, bearing
three and a half per cent interest, up
to a hundred and two tenths, the high
est price paid this year.
VOLUNTEERS SEEK
TO BEAT OUT ORDER
SAN FRANCISCO RECRUITING
OFFICES SWAMPED WITH
APPLICATIONS.
SAN FRANCISCO, August 10.—In
the hope of getting ahead of the of
ficial receipt of orders from Washing
ton stopping army and navy enlist
ments, pending the enactment of the
new draft bill, hundreds of men yes
terday applied for enlistment at the I
*
various recruiting stations in San
Francisco. Over a hundred registered
at the navy depots here, before the or
ders suspending recruiting were re
ceived. The men were dismissed, as
orders stopped all recruiting after yes
terday.
NITRATE-LADEN
BARGE BURNED '*
SAN FRANCISCO, August 12.—A
barge with twelve hundred tons of so
dium-nitrate, worth $80,000, burned in
San Francisco harbor last night. The
cause of the fire is unknown.