A WEEK OF CONDENSED WIRE NEWS
MONDAY
Washington.—It is stated today
that the American troops abroad
will not be obliged to go without
turkey on Christmas. More than a
million pounds of gobblers cran
beries sweet potatoes, mince pies and
other good things have been landed
in France where they are now’ be
ing distributed among Uie men. It
is also stated that gifts sufficient
to supply every man in the American
army have reached France.
Atlantic Port—Two deserters from
the German army arrived here on
a Belgian relief ship. They escaped
from the German army on the Rus
sian front and made their way to
the coast. They had been in hiding
five days when discovered by the
crew of the vessel. They were hun
gry and thirsty but said that they
were used to that having been with
out food for days at a time while
fighting with the kaiser's forces.
Amsterdam.—Advices received in
this city today state that the Krupp
plant was only slightly damaged by
the fire which occurred there last
week.
Salt Lake.—George Dern, a mem
ber of the American mining con
gress committee which conferred
with Secretary of the Treasury Mc
Adoo says that it is the intention
of the government to fix the price
of silver at $1 an ounce. Dern re
turned home today.
Rome.—Considerable progress has
been made by the Italian forces dur
ing the past two days. They have
assumed the offensive at several
points and have forced the invaders
back across the Piave. Violent fight
ing is in progress today on the var
ious fronts.
Washington.—Secretary Baker is
authority for the statemen t that
American troops will soon form the
principal body of fresh strategic re
serves on the battlefields of Europe,
where it is expected that they will
bear the brunt of the fighting. The
secretary says that this fact is fully
appreciated by the enemy, as indi
cated by the latest peace feeler and
the elaborate preparations which are
being made by the Germans on the
Western front.
London—The British armed steam
ship Stephen Furness was sunk by a
German submarine yesterday off the
Irish coast, the attack resulting in
the death of 6 officers and 95 men.
Washington.—A statement issued
by the treasury department today
tells of the discovery by custom offi
cials, of extensive traffic in written
communications to Germany and
Austria involving the use of invisible
ink and a clever code system. The
traffic was carried on largely by
Swedish sailors.
London.—Peace with annexations
is the keynote of the Russian terms
which are being discussed at Brest
Litovsk. The Russian terms have
been submitted to the representa
tives of the kaiser, who now have
them under consideration. The Slavs
propose that the Teutons evacuate
the territory which they have seized.
Bolsheviki is offering terms also to
the revolting Ukranians.
The Hague.—In an address deliv
ered to his troops yesterday, the
kaiser declared that “we must bring
peace by our iron fist and our sharp
edged sword if the enem" shows that
he does not want it, 1.1 spite of
more than three years of fighting
and suffering. We must show that
our offensive spirit sitll exists.”
Petrograd.—The Swedish embassy
has been advised by German agents
to warn the Swedish subjects resi
dent of Petrograd to vacate the city
at once in view of the expected oc
cupation of the city by German
troops.
Tokyo.—According to statements
made today by Japanese staff offi
cers the Japanese government has
not moved and does not intend to
move troops to V'ladivostock or else
where. The army is not even being
mobilized.
Buenos Ayres.—Mounted troops
are having great difficulty in pre
venting rioting in this city among
the pro-German population.
Seattle.—Custom officials hav ■
made a search of the Russian steam
ship Shilka, now in port, for $100.
000, said to have been shipped to
the United States via Vladivostock,
j for the defense of Industrial Work
| ers at Chicago. The money is sup
I posed to have been sent by Bolshe
viki. Less than $1,000 was found
and this consisted of Russian cur
rency of doubtful value.
WEDNESDAY
Washington.—The total amount of
gold in circulation in the United
States is $4,420,928,348. The per
capita is $47.03, which is the high
est figure ever recorded in our his
tory.
| Copenhagen.—The German gov
! ernment has requested Bolsheviki
| to postpone the next session of the
| peace conference until January 24,
j for the purpose of giving more time
j for the consideration of the Russian
| demands.
Peking.—Advices received in this
city state that heavy fighting is in
progress at various points along the
j Trans-Siberian railroad, between
Bolsheviki troops and revolutionists.
Washington—In a statement made
before the senate investigating com
mittee today, Fuel Administrator
Garfield declared that a serious coal
and transportation shortage confront
1 ed the nation, as the result of the
lack of foresight on the part of the
government. He said that coal ship
1 ments had clogged the railroads to
such an extent that nothing short
of government control could relieve
the situation. He said further that
the government had made it impos
sible for the various roads to work
as one system under the present sys
tem of private management. The
coal shortage at present amounts to
fifty million tons.
_
With the American Army in
France—According to announcement
made this morning, an American
sentry was found yesterday with his
throat cut from ear to ear. It is
the belief of the American officers
that the soldier was surprised by
an overwhelming force of Germans,
and murdered in cold blood after
his capture. The incident is regard
ed as an indication that the Teu
tons have begun their savagery
against the American troops in an !
i effort to frighten them.
i Washington.—A note received by
i the state department today from the j
Greek government expresses the de- ,
1 sire that all Greek citizens in the ;
; United States enlist in the Ameri- j
jean army. They will be rewarded
by their own government for fight
ing with the Americans.
! --
j Paris.—Severe artillery action is ■
in progress today along the right
bank of the Meuse, northeast of
; Verdun. The German infantry is
inactive.
London—The admiralty arm uncos j
! that the German city of Mannheim .
\ was raided yesterday l>v British air- ;
planes. Tons of bombs were drop
ped and several fires started ir. ;
various parts of the city. All buc
! one of the attacking machines re- 1
i turned in safety.
Cleveland.—The department of
justice announced the discovery of
! what is believed to be a nation-wide
enemy plot to infect the bandages j
| which are being made m this coun-1
try for the American troops abroad.
Rome.—In a desnerate battle, that
lasted all day yesterday, the Italian:;!
fought their way back to positions
from which they were rorced on
Monday, on the Asiago plateau.
Some of the batteries and many m .- j
' chine guns which were left by the ,
Italians at the time of their retire
; ment were recovered yesterday.
Petrograd.—The commander in
| chief of the Russian army has re
I ported to Bolsheviki that more of
1 the German troops have been trans
| ferred from the Russian frontier to
i the Western front and to the South
western front, in violation of the
'agreement entered into recently.
Washington.—The senate military
committee issued orders to Secre
tary of War Baker today to cut
out red tape and see that the men
at the cantonments id training
camps throughout the country are
supplied with winter clothing with
out further delay.
Li Paso—An American mail stage
i driver was found today where he
had been hanged by Mexican raiders,
on the American side of *he bound
ary Th-. nmn'i throat was e it also
Seattle.—After having been in the
Coast guard service for 02 ;,oars,
the cutter Bear was transferred to
day to the navy department and will
be used in the future as a training
ship.
Paris—French patrols are report
ed to have penetrated the German
lines near St. Quentin. A number
of prisoners were captured. French
guns have silenced the German at
tack on the Verdun front.
Chicago.—Rock salt and bran con
taining poisons and disease germs
were shipped from St. Louis to cat
tle dealers of the Southwest pre
sumably by agents of the I. W. W.
Peking.—The Chinese government
at Harbin has delivered an ultima
tum to Bolsheviki giving the Rus
sians 48 hours in which to disarm
and vacate.
London.—-Today’s dispatches from
Petrograd all agree that the power
of Bolshevika in Russia is waning
rapidly. Among the causes alleged
for the collapse are general lack of
of authority, and increase in drunk
edness among the soldiers and civil
population, the reluctance of the
people to work and the scarcity of
food stuffs. It is also claimed that
the Slav soldiers are strong for
peace.
Boston—Charles Woods is author
ity for the statement that the real
object of Germany’s negotiations
is to secure control in Asia Minor.
New Orleans.—Five hundred sa
loons in this state will close on the
first of the year as the result of the
increased cost of liquor and the
heavy war tax imposed by the gov
ernment.
Washington.—Food Administrator
Hoover declares that the fixing cf
an arbitrary price on sugar by the
food administration saved the nation
the enormous sum of two hundred
million dollars He says that food
gamblers had planned to Poost the
price of sugar to 25 cents a pound,
but were prevented by the action
of the food administration
Washington.—The administration
has called upon the governors of the
various states to mobilize a force
of one thousand bricklayers for the
Pershing army in France.
Ottawa.—According to advices re
ceived by the naval department this
morning Explorer Stefansson has
arrived at Ft. Yukon, on the Yukon
river, enroute to the East. He is
accompanied by the members of hi':
party.
Stefansson left Victoria on June
17, 1913, aboard the Karluk. His
arrival at Ft. Y’ukon indicates that
he failed to complete his proposed
western trip through the Northeast
passage, from Melville island, where
it is thought he spent the past
winter. It is believed that he re
traced his steps to the McKenzie
river then crossed Rat portage and
came down the Porcupine river C
the Yukon.
Washington—General Pershing re
ported to the war department today
that twelve of his soldiers had died,
six of them in action.
Berlin.—Officials of the war of
fice have announced the capture of
9,000 Italians, including 370 officers
as the result of an atta' k on the
Italian positions between Asiago and
Brenta rivers. The action took p'act
on Sunday.
THURSDAY
Washington—The Red Cross drive,
which was to have ended this week,
has been prolonged until the first
of the year. The subscriptions al
ready reported total $13,297,000.
Washington.—Raymond Stephens,
vice-chairman of the shipping board,
has informed the senate investigat
ing committee that about 105,000
m»n are enga?d in shipbuilding.
He says that twice that number
could be used.
Washington.-—Rear-Admiral l)ow
lea, assistant general manager of the
emergency fleet corporation, in
formed I he senate investigators to
day that the wooden shipbuilding
program had developed into almost
a complete failure.
Washington.—General Bliss will
r- tain his i osition as chief of staff,
despite the fact that he has reached
the age of retirement.
London.-—-Admiral Weymess has
been appointed first sea lord, suc
ceeding Jellico, who has long been
under fire in consequence of the
apparent inability of Ihe British
navy to put a stop to German raids
in the North sea.
Halifax.—It is estimated that five
hundred residents of this city were
blinded by the exploson which killed
fifteen hundred, injured four thous
and and caused a property loss of
fifty millions.
Washington—In a statement made
today before the senate investigating
committee, R. B. Stephen, a member
of the shipipng board, declared that
strikes had seriously retarded the
building of merchant ships for the
government. The loss in time, he
.-aid, equals the work of 20,000 men
for a period of 30 days. He ad
mitted that a general tieup of Pa
cific coast workers is impending as
the result of the metal workers'
strike. He said further that com
mandeering labor would not help the
situation.
London.—Austro-Hungarian For
eign Minister Czernin issued a state
ment to the Brest Litovsk confer
ence on Tuesday .virtually declaring
that the Teutons will accept the
Russian peace terms, providing that
the allies of Russia will recognize
them and carry them out honestly
toward the Teutons. He says that
the Teutons are ready for peace
without forcible annexations or in
demnities. He said further that the
Central powers would conclude a
general peace immediately on condi
tions equally just to all, but Ger
many will insist that ail her lost
colonies be returned by the Allies.
London.—Reports received in this
city from Berlin state that over
three hundred German Finority So
cialists were placed under arrest in
that city on Chistmas eve.
Washington.—President Wilson is
sued a proclamation this morning
in which he announces that the rail
roads of the United States will be
taken over by the administration on
Friday and operated by the govern
ment during the remainder of the
war. Secertary of the Treasuy Me
Adoo will become diector-general of
all the roads in the country, and
will continue to act in his official
capacity as secretary of the treas
ury, retaining his position in the
One of the first acts of the di
rector-general will be to reduce the
large salaries paid by the companies
to the executives of the various
roads, and it is probable that this
action will be followed by a general
increase in the wages of the workers.
The president will ask congress
for an appropriation of $2000,000,
000 for the immediate purchase of
rolling stock to handle the flood of
traffic which has swamped the roads.
McAdoo will decide whether or not
the government will take over the
business of the express companies
while the roads are under federal
control.
Railroad stocks have soared as
the result of the announcement that
the government would take over the
roads, denoting the general satis
faction with which the financial
world views the action of the presi
dent. The heads of the various
roads, contrary to expectations, an
nounce that they are perfectly satis
fied with the arrangement and prom
ise to co-operate in every way pos
sible.
The new arrangement will become
effective on Friday noon.
Paris.—The Germans attacked
twice today on the Verdun front,
and three times during the night in
an effort to dislodge the French
from their positions, east of the
Meuse. At one point the attacking
forces reached the French lines, but
were driven out with heavy losses.
Many of the Germans were captured.
Washington.—The state depart
ment has not yet been officially in
formed regarding the reported new
peace offer mentioned in late press
dispatches, received from Russia and
Swedish points.
Washington.—The senate military
committee has been informed that
j 20.000 soldiers at cantonments and
training cam ns are without overcoat.
and 47,000 have not yet been sup
plied with winter blouses.
Chicago.—George Vandeveer, at
torney for the T. W. W.t has been
j lined the sum of $100 for appearing
in court with a loaded revolver con
cealed on his person.
Geneva—The kaiser's special train
j is reported to have left the station
I at Mannheim scarcely an hour be
| fore the British air raiders attacked
the town, partially wrecking the sta
j tion and doing considerable other
] damage. The kaiser was returning
i from an inspection of the Verdun
front.
London.—Russian officials in this
; city are authority for the statement
that Bolsheviki rule in Russia is
; doomed. They claim to have re
• ceived cable advices today to that
j effect. Lenine already has fled, in
anticipation of the collapse of the
' new regime.
Washington.—The Germans have
started a powerful offensive in the
Macedonia probably in anticipation
' of the Allied drive which is about
| to begin.
Peking.—Gilbert Reid, an Ameri
1 can accused of being a pro-German
! propogandist and sympathizer, has
j been deported to Manila at the re
i quest of the Chinese government
_
Faris.—Eighteen German war
| planes have been destroyed during
' the past twenty-two hours according
to a bulletin issued by the French
| war office this afternoon.
i _
San Francisco.—The California
1 Sea Products company and the Vic
toria Whaling company have been
: given permission to operate whale
canning plants along the coast, with
a production of 30,000 cases of
whale meat annualy.
I _
Washington.—The American em
bassy at Odessa is reported to have
; been badly damaged by a bomb on
'December 18, during the recent
j street fighting in that city. No cas
! ualties are reported.
Camp Dodge, Iowa.—Brig.-Gen.
Getty, camp commander, has been
informed by the council of national
' defense of an alleged German plot
! to destroy all food stores in the
j United States. Every precaution is
being taken here to frustrate such
•tdiuopn! UB
London.—Eleven ships over 1600
j tons and one under that tonnage
■ were sunk during the past week by
' Ggrtnan submarines.
i Mafa, Texas.—American troops
| crossed the Mexican border yester
day in pursuit of the bandits who
1 raided the Brite ranch on Christmas
! and killed an American mail carrier.
Two Mexicans who have just ar
| rved here report that one American
| soldier and a number of the bandits
:were killed duing the running fight
] on the Mexican side.
mi DAY
j Pairs.—The French foreign mini
i ster has announced that the cham
| her of deputies has rejected the
terms of peace suggested by the
; Austria foreign minister.
Paris.—The war office announces
I that the efforts of the Germans to
, break the French lines northeast of
1 Verdun have been unsuccessful, and
I the attempt apparently has been
abandoned for the present. Heavy
! artillery is active on both sides.
j Washington.—Cablegrams receiv
ed by the war department today
state that American aviators were
! the first of the Allied airmen to
, reach the Italian front, where they
' are now operating against the Teu
tonic invaders. They were given an
! enthusiastic reception by the Italians
i Washington.—The senate military
■committee is inclined to believe that
the profits allowed shipbuilding cor
! porations are much too hgh. The
i committee has been informed that
I the American International Corpora
tion, of Camden, N. J., will make
1 a clear profit of six millions on their
contracts for 120 steel ships which
they are building for the govern
ment.
Paris.—Two American privates
wore killed on December 22 as the
I result of the explosion of a bomb
j which fell near them. The explosion
I of another bomb on Christmas night
: resulted in the death of an Ameri
can corporal of the engineer corps.
—
j London.—General Haig has sub
; mitted a list of persons serving on
| the Western front who are deserv
ing of honorable mention. The list
contains the names of many Ameri
cans, attached to the American army
nursing corps.
j Washington. — The war trade
board has confirmed European dis
patches which reported an agree
ment between the United States and
Switzerland, the former nation as
suming the responsibility of ration
| ing the latter. Officials of the
board state that the United States
will ship a fixed amount of food
stuffs to Switzerland, with the un
derstanding that none is to reach
Germany.
Marfa, Texas.—American cavalry
men who chased a band of Mexican
raiders across the border, have re
turned to this city and report hav
ing followed the bandits for a dis
tance of ten miles into he moun
tains. Ten of the raiders were
killed and a score wounded during
the running fight. Three of the
cavalrymen were killed by the band
its and ten injured.
Washington.—President Wilson is
celebrating his sixty-first birthday.
Washngton.—At noon today, ap
proximately 250,000 miles of rail
roads in the United States were
silently merged into one great sys
tem for the winning of the war.
The change from private to federal
control was made without ceremony
of any kind, but the event is re
garded by many as the opening of
a new epoch in government opera
tion and control of public utilities.
It is expected that orders will be
issued immediately for the actual
unification of the various lines for
the purpose of expediting traffic,
which is at present congested.
London.—Labor Leader Arthur
Henderson has urged before the
British labor congress that England
make a clear re-statement of the
Allied war aims. Henderson has en
dorsed the war aims outlined by
President Wilson, expressing a de
sire for a continuance of the war
until the mailed fist of Germany ha*
been crushed. He says British labor
wants to find out how Germany
would regard a peace proposal put
forward by the laborites.
Washington.—Administration offi
cials declare that if the operation
of the railroads of the United States
is successful under the direction of
the government, it is likely that
the telephone and telegraph systems
1 also will be taken over by Uncle
Sam for the duration of the war.
Petrograd.—Acting under instruc
tions from Bolsheviki’s finance com
missioner, Russian soldiers have
taken possession of all private banks
in this city, including a branch of
the National City Bank, of New
York. Manager R. R. Stevens was
placed under arrest and detained for
a short time, following his refusal
to surrender the keys to the bank
vault. Directors of other banks
were also arrested and later re
leased.
Washington—The commandeering
of the railroads by the government,
with a guarantee of earnings, has
been reflected on Wall street by the
most sensational advance in stocks
seen in years. Railroad stocks which
reached the lowest point in years
recently, were advanced from five
to eighteen points immediately fol
lowing the announcement that the
government had decided to take the
roads over.
Rome—Eleven Austro-German air
planes were brough down yester
day during a big aerial engagement
over the Italian lines. British and
Italian machines participated.
Seattle.—Prof. Georgeson says
that the government should offer
more inducements to settlers in
Alaska. Those desiring to go North
for the purpose of engaging in
farming should be given low trans
portation rates for themselves and
for everything they care to take
with them. Many Outsiders, he says,
are deterred from locating in Alaska
because of the excessive cost of
making the trip to the territory.
Washington—President Wilson has
informed Chairman Denton, of ‘h
house military committee, that he
desires bills passed during the pres
ent session, providing for the ad
mission of Philippine s uts i .id
national guards to the nati nal army.
Petrograd.—It is unofficially re
ported that, the Russians have given
i: e T utons 48 hours in which to
answer the Slav peace propo lis.
Rome.—The Italians made addi
tional gains or the norther:; front.
today, lorcing the Teutons back at
several poi- ts.