Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 15, Number 94, Decatur, Adams County, 20 April 1917 — Page 1

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Volume XV. Number 91.

DRASTIC FOOD LAWS TO CONSERVE SUPPLY DEPARTMENTCFAGRICULTURETOASK CONGRESS FOR BROM LAW COVERING USE AND DISTRIBUTION OF ALL FOODSTUFFS.

(United Press Service) Washington. April 20 (Special t > Daily pernor-rat) The department of agriculture today asken authority of congress, which if granted, will practically place the country’s entire food prpducton under strict government supervision. In addition to a preliminary nation wide investigation of food markets, the department asked auto crlty to “license and supervise the operation of all other establishments or factories in which food or feeds, agricultural implements and any other article required for agricultural purposes are prepared, manufactured or gsold”. Discussing the genera! question of food conservation. Secretary Houston hinted that the advisability of a possible regulation or prohibition of inanufasture of liquor, saying, ‘Some of the European nations have secured a con siderable addition in their food supply by reducing the production of malt liquors or by reducing or prohibiting production of distilled liquors. It has been roughly estimated that the value of the food matter entering into the manufacture of alcholic beverages in the country in one year, on the basis of prices lower than those now prevailing, is approximately $143,000,000. The power asked with regard to industries connected with the food market would include authorization to make regulations governing the use and operation of such enterprises, including the taking over and operation of them ' whenever such course may be necessary in the public interest." This authority as requested is the most sweeping of any ever asked in the history of the government. It is said to be far more drastic than any power asked by European belligerents. excepting, perhaps, Germany. In case ol extreme emergency the government would have power to purcbaM- stores and subsequently dispense of them, fixing maximum and minimum prices. This power is , recomm- tided to be lodged in the council of national defense, “to be useci only when directed by the president.” • London. April’ 20— (Sped- ’ to Daily Democrat l -"President Wilson can obtain home rule for Ireland merely by saying the word." declared J. Delvin, acting leader of the Irish parlimentary party today. He explained that if the president made it clear to ■Ugland's leaders that a settlement of the Irish question is necessary to bring about a wholehearted American participation in the war the leadets would not fail to act on the question. Supporting Delvins hint that greater American participation might be expected if the British government settled the Irish question, most of the British press for the last few days have been unusually strong in urging | action on Lloyd-George. The greatest K interest is manifested in what LloydGeorge may have to say next week about the Irish settlement-* statement. being promised from him .y Bonar Law. (By W. S. Forrest) t Paris. Apr. 20-(Special to Daily © Democrat)— -Spain's greatest cabinet shake-up centered French interest on King Alfonso’s nation today. « Will Irwin. American magazine writer, and student of war Europe, returned to Paris today after three. | weeks’ study of the situation in torpedoing of a Spanish ’ steamer excited the public." he said, “but the Spanish governments chief grievance against Germany is the German demand of SIOO a ton that | Spanish ships will not carry supplies for the allies if they are to be im mune from torpedoing. ‘ “As near as 1 am able to judge 25 Wi per cent of the Spaish are pro Ger

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

man. 30 per cent are pro-ally, and the remainder are neutral. Madrid is radically pro-German. On the other hand the country districts in Spain are generally pro-ally.” London. Apr. 20 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —General Murray has resumed his march to Jerusalem and has achieved a victory over the Turks, an official stateement from the Egyptian front announced today. Washington, D. Ch, Apr. 20—(Special to Daily Democrat)—Alarmed over the possibility that opposition to the administration spy and censorship bill might block all other war legislation, caused senate leaders to suddenly switch their plans today and announce that consideration of the president's selective conscription army measure will be shoved ahead of aU other legislation pending. Washington, D. C., Apr. 20 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —With minor changes suggested by Secretary McAdoo, the amendment to the seven billion dollar war bill was agreed on by the house and senate conference committees today. The bill will go to the house Monday. Buenos Aires, Apr. 20—(Special to paily Democrat) —A cipher secret received by the Spanish legation at Rio de Janeiro declared (that Russia and Germany have signed an armistice, according to dispatches from the Brazilian capital this afternoon. BULLETIN. (By Charles P. Stewart. United Press Staff Correspondent) Buenos Aires, Apr. 20 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —With, an air-tight Brazilian censorship clapped on, reports from Uruguay today declared the German revolt in Brazil’s provinces near the Uurguayan boundary was growing. Refugees were pouring into Uruguay, reporting fighting between the German rebels and government forces in Brazil. The Montevedio reports indicated a serious condition of affairs in probably three Brazilian states. Zurich, April 20—(Special*to Daily Democrat) —Vienna dispatches today • said it was confirmed that Count ' Tisza, Hungarian premier, had :e signed. SIX DEAD AT INDIANAPOLIS (United Press Service) Indianapolis, April 20, —(Special to] Daily Democrat) —Investigation of the l fire which killed six persons and! caused $50,000 damage in the Colfax building last night, was under way .today. The blaze started with a violent | explosion in the rear of the basement, of the building and spread through, the structure with such rapidity that] those killed were trapped in their ' rooms. i Harry Rolland, 1(5, was caught by ; the blast so that he was unable to move from a trunk from on which he was sitting. Others killed were: : Dr. Martha E. Keller, Mrs. Roe Griffin, and her daughter, Leona, and r son. Robert and Mrs. Ella Vinson. Reports that the explosion was caused by gasoline or motion pictur" films were unconfirmed. Owners f t the building declared that neither , films, gasoline or other explosives were stored in the basement. a Fifteen families occupied apart- ’ ments in the building. The victims e all lived on the first floor. t A grand jury investigation of the fire was made certain this afternoon it when County Prosecutor Rucker anI, nounced that he would place the evif dence before the grand jury. Coroa 1 ner Poole stated that he believed the ■t' city building code had been violated, s Investigation proved to this official’s t- satisfaction that the explosion had I been caused by moving picture films 5' stored in barrels and unprotected by r-'a fireproof vault.

Decatur, Indiana, Friday Evening, April 20, 1917.

BATTLEOFSNOWS Graphically Described by Eye Witness—French Keep on Going. J SNOW HELPS THEM • Fight on Nameless Hill ‘ Gives an Idea of World’s Greatest Battle. (United Press Service) (By Henry Wood. United Press Staff Correspondent) With the French Armies in the Field. Apr. 20—(Special to the Daily ■ Democrat) —It is the battle of the j snows that is raging over forty i twisting miles today on the great | French offensive front. French ar-I tillery fire turns the carpet of snow | into oozy mud and red spattered pat-1 terns through which General Neville’s' men were advancing—always advancing today. 1 succeeded in following the French advance in this battle of the snows on one nameless hill southwest of Moranvillers. Trenches. dugouts, shelters everywhere were filled with perman dead. Dazed Germans were being hauled from dug-outs where they had hidden, burrowed deep in the piles of their own dead. Farther back where French troops were dean ing the horrors of the ground taken by the first movement. I had seen dazed, starving Germans staggering j out of dug-outs choked with their ■ dead comrades thirty-six hours aft-< er those dug-outs had been taken by the French. Beyond the nameless hill the French and German lines were visible. Between them was an abandoned German battery, stark and bare on the snow. As I watched I saw one of ’ those marvelous bits of French strategy executed. The French established lines to the rear front this- abwndoned battery. They were plainly put there to entice the enemy to seek a recapture of the abandoned guns. The ruse was successful. As I watched, out the Germans dashed. Their horses were hurriedly hitched to the abandoned guns. Then the French machine guns suddenly spat death. Horses—men—all except thirty Germans, were wiped out in a twinkling. From another nameless hill today I saw across the Champagne plains an endless maze of German trenches. It represented three years' work of millions of men. Countless tons of barbed wire; numberless car loads of steel plates; miles of concrete fortifications marked it. There were thousands of bomb-proofs. Many were fitted with electrical plants equipped with the most costly and most modern conveniences. These the French captured intact. The ardor of their advance, the irre- . sistable sweep following the batter- ' ing down of the preliminary works by the terrific hail of French artili lery, drove the Germans out. Most i of thesq positions were taken Tuesday. Then the fighting centered in the I Rheims-St. Souplet sector. The ; French advance was executed over I snow-clad ground which curiously ] aided them. The Germans occupied I a crest of hills' so strongly fortified that in the plain below the French had 1 heretofore not been able to advance I since the battle of the Marne. But | the French shell bombardment was ! so destructive that in fifteen minutes after leaping out of their trenches the French infantry had occupied the German positions on a front of more than two-thirds of a mile, advancing forward more than a mile and a third, in an hour. Despite the terrific artillery fire, the positions were so dotted with machine guns that there was brisk fight- ; ing. The French settled down during . the night. At dawn, just as a bril-: • liant sun the horizon, .; glistening on the snow, the French . flashed forward. The Germans, blinded by the glare of the sun, dazpd with the cold, were unable to use their machine guns before the French were upon them. A Russian brigade, which took the b I oath of allegiance to the new provis1 ional government shortly before going into action, distinguished itself in one attack of the offensive today. 9 GAME POSTPONED s The basket, ball game between the 1 merchants and the high school faculs ty hit: been postponed until next V Thursday night, it was announced this afternoon.

I CHESTER ROTH HURT I Chester, son of Chris Roth of near Geneva, Is suffering from injuries sustained in a severe accident while al r tempting to dress a wotftid of a young horse. The horse kicked over the stall striking young Roth in the face almost directly over the eye with lie edge of the hoof, thus tutting the , tlesh quite deeply. He was knocked unconscious and, ecause he was >n I (the barn alone, it is not known how |, long he lay there till sufficient strength was regained to stagger to the house in a bleeding and moaning condition. He remained unconscious for about five hours. He suffered intense pain. Dr. C. R. Price, of Geneva, was at once summoned anil pronounced it a serious injury, although it later >ecame evident that it would not become fatal. At last report the young man is de- | ing as well as can bo expected. fourtF annual ■ 1 ■< Commencement of Monroe High School Will be Held Thursday, April 26. AT THE M. E. CHURCH M I Dr. Frank .Jaynes to Deliver Address—Baccalaureate Sermon Sunday. The fourth annual commencement and graduation exercises of the Monroe High School will be held Thursday evening. April 26th. at the M. E. church, and a class of nine, composed of five boys and four girls will be graduated. Dr. Frank Jaynes, of Wabash, who delivered such a stirring and patriotic address at the Lexington celebration held at Fort Wayne yesterday will deliver the commencement address. The Savage orchestra, cf Bluffton, will furnish music for the | evening. The class roster is as follows: Doni Andrews, Chelcie Leo Strait, Pryor Gilbet, Marion Watkins, Ralph f). Stogdill, Hettie Louden. Lucile Thomas. Cecil Rickford and Miriam Thomas. The baccalaurate sermon will be delivered by Rev. John Phillips, pastor of the M. E. church on Sunday evening. Tickets are on sale for commencement exercises at the Hocker drug store. COURI HOUSE NEWS. Mabel Whitesei vs. William Whitesei, divorce. Appearance by Simison & Dailey for defendant. Rule to answer. Theodore Woeste vs. Everett C. Arnold et al. Separate demurrer by Rupel and Orval D. Arnold. William C. Pratt, a timber buyer, who formerly worked here, and who was convicted in the circuit court here for obtaining money under false pretenses. that of selling timber •which did not belong to him to John D. Meyers, is on trial on a similar charge in the court at Celina, Ohio, \today. A telephone message came today asking that hte court records here be taken over to be used as evidence in the case there. County Clerk Will Hammell, with the records in his charge; ex-Prosecuting Attorney R. C. Parrish; ex-Sheriff T. J. Durkin, Sheriff Ed Green and Attorney L. C. DeVoss went to Celina. The Fort Wayne News says: A marriage license was granted to Fred E. Fuelling, 25, farmer; Elsie M. Franz, 21. Real estate transfers: Belle C. Dit- ' son to William A. Sipe, 42 acres of I Hartford township, $675; William D. , Brown to Homer Gauze, 33.40 acres . of St. Marys township, $3,200. o - —< GAVE FINE ADDRESS 1 —— Prof. W. F. Beery conducted the chapel services at the high school this morning. The feature was the very e fine and patriotic address of Dr. S. P. I- Hoffman, on "My Country and Your t Country.” He talked for about half 1 an hour and held his audience every minute.

CHESTER ROTH HURT

, MOTHER IS DEAD . . IK Mrs. W. 11. Gleiser, Mother ii of Former Decatur Pastor, Died in Chicago 1 1 IN THE HOSPITAL n I r ’ f Following an Operation—- [) g Funeral Service Today —Well Known Here. * Very many Decatur people who had the pleasure of the acquaintance of Mrs. G. H. Gleiser, of Watseka, ill., j i mother of the Rev. Gleiser, former -i pastor of the Decatur Presbyterian 1 'church, will be saddened to hear of (her death. She passed qway Wednesday afternoo.n at 3:45 o’clock in the hospital in Chicago, following an , operation, according to a letter received by Mrs. S. D. Beavers, from her • i daughter. Miss Rnth Gleiser. April fifth a letter had come telling I of her serious illness and of her being I taken to the Chicago hospital for i treatment. Later word was that the outcome was uncertain. The le.t’-r I following her death stated that the i operation had offered a chance for n- : covery, but that the other alterative would have meant a certain death witli a lingering and very painful il'ness. Death was due to a liver . ilnient. Funeral services were held today at | Watseka, 111., and the body will be ■ taken to the home of a daughter, Mrs. • Hedishee, at Monticello, 111., for burial . tomorrow The family has been located at Wat seka for several years, where the h'is-i 'band is pastor of the Presbyterian] ■ church, the family being very well j liked. Mrs. Gleiser visited here on I > several occasions with her son. who ; is,now located at Delevan. 111. diedinwarsaw - I Mrs. Eva Breading, Mother of Mrs. Hugh Woods, Died There Yesterday. WAS ILL LONG Funeral Services Will be Held Saturday—Known to Many Here. The Warsaw Union gives the following on the death of Mrs. Eva Breading, mother of Mrs. Hugh Woo!, known to many here, which occurred yesterday at Warsaw: “Eva L. Breading, widow of Frank Breading, died shortly after five o'clock this morning at her home in Warsaw, after an illness of long duration. A complication of diseases was I the cause of Iter death. Mrs. Breading was born in 1860. Frank Breading, her husband, died 14 years ago. “Mrs. Breading is survived by three children, Mrs. Hugh Wood, Hazel and Paul Breading, the latter of IndianI apolis. She was a member of the I United Brethren church. “The funeral will be from the United Brethren church at 2:00 o’clock Saturday •afternoon, Rev. Noble officiating. The body will lie in state from 12:00 to 2:00 p. m. Saturday , at the church. AUTOMOBILE ON FIRE II While Eli Sprunger was backing out *| of the Holthouse Fireproof garage ' i this morning his automobile caught fire and for a few minutes it looked iasif it might go up in smoke. The f I quick work of the employees soon et- . , tinguished the flames, resulting only s slight damages to the machine. A defective battery wire caused the fire. MEETINGS IN PR°EBLE TOWNSHIP e Two preparedness meetings will be s held in Preble township next Tuesday y evening. One will be at the Preble school house, one half mile north of r Preble and the other at the St. Johns f school house. Farmers are request? 1 yto attend this meeting. A number from this city will also be there.

I FRANK TWIGG DEAD Frank M. Twigg. 42. died Tuesdaj I morning at 9 o'clock at his home :i Geneva. The funeral was held y<-> • I terday at Union Chapel, near Genev.l The deceased enlisted in 11 Company One Hundred and Fifty-eighth Real ment Indiana, in 1888 ;tnd- was a Unit ed Slates sailor after the war. After leaving the navy he made his hom<- in Detroit, Mich., where he vonlrac'.-d 1 tuberculosis in 1910. Returning *n i Geneva he fought the dread disease for nearly seven years. He leaves a mother, Mrs. I). A. Juday, of Geneva; two sisters, Mrs. Robert Hearn, of Napoleon, O.; Mrs. Andrew Monroe, of Bluffton, Ind.; three brothers, Samuel of Breckenridge, Minn : Ernest of Sapulpa, Okla., and James of Paulding. Ohio, at“larsonlge Rev. F. F. Thornburg Officiated at Wedding of Frances Zerkel AND RALPH SCHNEPP Witnesses Were Sisters of the Bride —Will Make Home on Farm. Jurist evehing at 5:30 o’clock at the Methodist parsonage this city the Rev. F. F. Thornburg officiated at the wedding of Miss Frances Zerkel aM Mr. Ralph Schnepp. The bride, who is a daughter of Mr and Mrs. J. A. Zerkel, of east of tb.e city, is one of triplet sisters. Mrs. . Ruth .Drake, one of the other triplets was unable to be present, but the third, Miss Esther, was a witness, -s I was their oldest sister, Mrs. Rty ’ Smith. Mr. and Mrs. Schnepp will make j their Imme on the groom’s farm sotttli- ' east of the city. Mrs Schnepp, who i was a graduate of the Decatur high school, has been a teache r in the I county schools. Mr. Schnepp is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Abe Schnepp. o THE CHICKEN QUESTION The following taken from the question and answer column of an e < change, was handed to this office .or reprint: “You are advocating back yard gardens and telling the people tomtit the H. C. of L. by so doing. Now Ia n a lover of back yard gardens and front yard flowers, but will you kindly tell us what to do with our next door neighbor’s flock of scratching chickens that are running all over our back yards. If you order them (even in a nice way) to keep their chickens shu; up, that you don’t like to have your garden seeds scratched out, they -g*t sore at you and you got them and the chickens both to contend with Please tell us hack yard gardenerwhat to do. Thanking you for this very .valuable space, I will await yotu answer.” Answer —Under the law chicker. are not allowed to run at large in the city and the prosecution of their own ers would no doubt result in the infliction of severe penalties. The own er of a garden can by law collect dam ages for the injury done it by chickerland would be perfectly warranted i’ doing so.” o RED CROSS NOTES Mrs. John Niblick, chairman of thRed Cross soliciting committee ask that her assistants meet with her th! evening at 7 o’clock, in the referenct room of the library, when reports w : U be received. i Mr. and Mrs. Burton Niblick and Miss Betty Boyers will motor tn Fori Wayne this evening and will be a<'- ‘ companied home by the Misses Helen 1 Niblick and Marie Connell, who are : n ’ the Red Cross instruction classes - This evening they will have the-r • first night class when they begin the - home nursing and first aid work under Miss Springer, head nurse of Hope (Hospital. The lesson will last until ten o’clock. . o— — — parent-teacher club The Parent-teacher club of the central school met last evening and talk-, ed further about plans for making a skating rink on the grounds. Committees will be appointed further to investigate and plan for the rink.

Price, Two CenUl

,THOUSANDS , OF BUSHELS Ml ' I Decatur Consumes About r Twenty Thousand Bushn ,i els of Potatoes O IN AVERAGE YEAR What It Will Take to Make 1 Home-Production Equal the Demand. > “Decatur people consume about '■twenty thousand bushels of potatoes during a normal year,” said John Everett of the Evereti & Hite Wholesale House, this, morning. One of the committee n General Preparedness, who has been enth.usiastic over the great space allotted for gardening this year in the city, was simply astounded; in fact he was not. ( a little frightened when he heard Mr. Everett’s statement. He had thought that twenty-five acres would raise . enough to supply the whole city, and that if the city were cut oft from outside help, the space of gardening in the city would be sufficient to feed the populace. Mr. Everett stated that the figures jon potatoes this year could not be taken as a basis, as the consumption ■ of potatoes was limited this year. Last year, however, this one wholesale house alone shipped in thirtyone car loads of potatoes, the cars averaging about seven hundred btish- , els. making a total of 20,000 bushels. |to supply Decatur and its outlying .] trading district. One grocery fir n. , however, shipped in its own supply, , and there were several other smaller . dealers, who also dealt in potatoes. Averaging the shipments both in and , out, however, it is estimated that the 20-,ooe. represents the amount con- , suraed in this city and district, exclusive of those raised within the city limits. And there are several families who raise enough potatoes every year for their own use in this city. The crop of 150 bushels an acre in a large one, seventy-five bushels being considered an average yield. Hence it would take about two hundred and sixty-six acres of potatoes to supply this community. The estimate made ty the wholesale man tallies well with an estimate made by one family. In that, family of five, a peck of potatoes a week, was considered a very small estimate. On that basis, the 5,500 population of Decatur would consume about 1.100 pecks or three hundred bushels a week, making nearly sixteen thousand bushels a year. This is exclusive of the large quantities used in restaurants and hotels, whdre the potato appears at nearly <-t#ry meal. Large amounts of canned corn, tomatoes, hominy and other vegetables are shipped in also. Mr. Exer tt stated that they simply could not get enough of this kind of goods, ma ty families depending nearly wholly on . canned goods. Five hundred eases of corn, meaning 1.000 dozens of cans; and as many tomatoes, were shipped in by tin’s one firm this year Nearly each grocer also has an exclusive brand, so that this does not. begin to nearly estimate the amount of canned goods used in t.is city. Thus it is seen that it will take much garden space within the city to produce equal that which has been shipped in. PLANS FOR CITY HIGH SCHOOI. 1 The school hoard are planning for the letting of the contract for the new i high school buildnig in this city and have contracted with Oscar Hoffman for tiie architectural work. Details are now being worked out and will bo made public within a short time. KIRKLAND HIGH SCHOOL The new central high school 'or Kirkland township will be completed by fall, by Moon & Annen. who secured the contract for $15,930. Linegar Brothers of Hartford City got 'he heating contract, at $5,900, making the total cost, $21,830. MOTHER IS ILL Mr. and Mrs. John \V. Kelley left - this afternoon for Convoy, ()., .in re- ) sponse to word that his mother, Mrs. Catherine Kelley. Is very ill.