Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 15, Number 208, Decatur, Adams County, 8 September 1917 — Page 1

olunie XV. Number 208.

WORKINGS OF PLOT DISCLOSED Count Luxberg German Minister In Argentine Worked With Sweden FIRST LIST OF DEAD Os War Is Published In the United Press Dispatch I —Hospital Bombed. (United Press Service) Washington, Sept. B—(Special to Daily Democrat) —The subtle working [ of a plot in which Sweden violated neutrality and carried secret messages between Count Luxberg, German charge d affaires in Buenos Aires, and Berlin, were revealed by the state department today. Luxberg insolently advised his home office not to heed Argentina’s demands in the U-boat situation. Most daring of all his recommendations was that Germany compell Argentine ships to run back or to sink" them without leaving any traces. Sweden aided his machinations. ' The Swedish legation at Buenos ' Ayres forwarded his message to Stockholm’s foreign office as their own of-, 1 ficial messages. This was a distinct violation of j neutrality which is likely to result in . a delicate situation between Sweden , and the United States, while Argen- , tine is expected to plunge into war j now that Germany’s schemes against | her have been disclosed. , Luxberg sarcastically referred to the acting Argentine miister of foreign l affairs as a “notorious ass." , 1 The communications bore on Ar- 1 gentine’s protests in the Monte i Protedigo case and subsequent de- < velopments. ! 1 Luxberg’s first message, dated May ’ 19. noted "a great change in public feeling in Argentine as a result of < the settlement of the Monte case.” * Luxberg had access to news of the 1 secret sessions of the Argentine senate for on July 3 he cabled his government that the acting foreign minister had declared that Argentine < would demand that Berlin promise to sink no more Argentine ships. On July 9 Luxberg advised that * there be no show of concessions on ' Germany’s part, and she postponed her reply until she had heard further from him. At that time he saw a change of ministers coming and advised his government either to turn ( back the Argentine ships or “sink them without leaving any traces or letting them through.” The state department refused fur- ] ther comment on the subject than to announce it had turned the message oved to the Swedish and Argentine envoys here. i (By William Phillip Simms, United Press Staff Correspondent.) Scene of the Bombardment of the American Hospital in France, Sept. 8 —(Special to Daily Democrat)—Four Americans were killed when German airmen deliberately bombed American hospitals on the French coast. The men killed were, fist Lieuteant Fitzsimmons, of Kansas City, adjutant to the colonel commanding the Harvard hospital, Privates L. G. Woods, of Streator, Illinois; Rudolph Rupino, Jr. I of New York and Oscar Le Tugo, of Boston. In addition to those killed three first

I s WHY SHOULD WE WORRY? Regarding this war, you are mobilized or not mobilized, | If vou are not mobilized there is nothing to worry about. | If you are mobilized you have two alternatives; g Either vou are at the front or in the reserves. g If vou are in the reserves there is nothing to worry about, g If vou are at the front you still have two alternatives; Either vou get hurt or you don't get hurt. If vou don't get hurt there is nothing to worry about. g If vou do get hurt you still have two alternatives; g Either vou get slightly hurt or seriously wounded Ts vou get slightly hurt there is nothing to worry about. g If vou get seriously wounded you have two alternatives; Either vou recover or you don't recover. 4 if you recover there is nothing to worry about. g y O u don’t recover—Well— you still have TWO ALTERNATIVES y g So, why worry at all? „ O hio Motorj}t H I

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

lieutenants were wounded as well rs six privates and one nurse. A visit Ito the scene of this ruthless attack by the Germans brought the conviction that the bombardment of the hospitals was deliberate. I The above dispatch from the United Press staff correspondent constitutes the first casualty list of the war. London, Sept, "k -(Special to Daily Democrat) Austria has lost at least 120,000 killed, wounded and taken prisoner by Italian forces since Aug. 9. when General Cadorna assumed his' great offensive. Prisoners alone total more than 30,000. The figures were contained in semiofficial despatches received today. They indicated the tremendous drain on the dual monarchy’s man power which has forced Vienna to demand reinforcements of Berlin. Fighting was continuing violently at two points on the battle front—around Monte St. Gabriel and south of Permada. St. Gabriel was still a stumbling block in the Italian advance It has been in the hands of General I Cadorna’s troops at least five times now; but on each occasion Austrian counter-attacks made regardless of staggering casualties, have wrested it from them. The fighting on the Hermada sector was in a series of desparate count-er-attacks by the Austrians. New and picked troops were engaged. It is here that Austria evidently feels the menace to Trieste is strongest and has massed her greatest forces to repel the advance. London, Sept. B—(SpecitlB—(Specitl to Daily Democrat) —England talked reprisals again today. Indignation over the certainty that German airmen were deliberately attacking hospitals was brought to a focus by the news of the bombing of the American units on the French coast. In official circles it was pointed out that British flyers’ were nightlybombing German ammunition dumps, railway stations and strategic points inflicting real military damage on the enemy to offset his barbarous vengence on unprotected buildings devoted to works of mercy. The' campaign of bombing Red Cross units is expected to result in special precautionary and defense measures hereafter. BULETIN Rome, Sept. B—(Special to DailyDemocrat ) —Since August 19, when General Cadorna’s offensive started 30,671 prisoners have been taken by the Italians, including 858 officers, according to official statistics today. BULLETIN Paris, Sept. B—(Special to DailyDemocrat)—Corporal Everett, of the Lafayette escadrille, a resident of Chicago, was killed Thursday morning in an attack with two fellow American flyers against five German planes, acording to word received here today. London, Sept. B—(SpecialB—(Special to Daily Democrat) —Raids and patrol fighting were all Field Marshal Haig had to report from the front today. “In the neighborhood of Gavrelle," he .said, “we carried out small successful raids at night. "Northeast of St. Julien there was heavy enemy shelling.” "Around Largemarck there was patrol fighting at night, with considerable enemy casualties. Amsterdam, Sept. B—(Special to Daily Democrat) —The Germans are unlikely to continue their offensive toI ward Petrograd this year, according to an important personality quoted | today by the Berlin Correspondent of the Polltiken.

Decatur, Indiana,Saturday Evening, September 8, 1917.

ADE ALL WORKING K ? Boys of Company A Are ( Kept Busy In There Camp 8 At Fort Harrison ' THEIR MASCOT “MAX” I I Must Be Sent Home Bex cause Almost Every Company Brought a Dog Mr. and Mrs. Luther Hower who went to Indianapolis yesterday to drive home a new Ford, and who stopped for a while at Ft. Harrison are perhaps the first Decatur people to see the boys of Company A since they left Decatur. Mr. Hower says the boys are very I happy and contented and when he saw | at the fort they were all hard at work doing something. Burt Hower was busily cutting slices of meat for the boys’ consumption, Leon Gass, Melvin Gallogly and Floyd Enos were slicing onions and had a washtub of them sliced to attest to their dilligence and others were setting up tents, digging trenches around them, cutting weeds and doing many other things. The company now has a cook of its own, taken from some other company and they say the eats are fine. The company A row- of tents is the second row on the right after crossing the railroad into the camping grounds. All the tents were not set up yesterday but the boys are making good progress. It seems the company is soon to lo e their mascot. Captain Dunn requested Mr. Hower to take the dog “Max” home with him. but as he did not have the room, the captain said if no one would haul the mascot home, a collection would have to be taken to cover the express charges on him. The reason for this, the captain said, is that every company that mobilized at the fort brought a dog along as a mascot and now there are too many canine for the good of the regiment. WARNING ISSUED Against Misuse of the Red Cross Emblem Commercially—ls Serious IN MANY CASES Red Cross Emblem Should Be Regarded Much As the Flag Is Regarded Because of the growing misuse of the Red Cross emblem commercially the American Red Cross has just issued a new warning to those who may be violating the law regarding it. While much of this misuse of the emblem is unintentional and through excessive zeal, the National Red Cross can no longer acquiesce in these violations, many of which have been and are or a serious nature. Under the statute, the Red Cross em blem can only be used by authority It cannot be used in the manufacture or sale of Red Cross buttons or pins except upon such authorization. Many novelty manufacturing houses and stores, taking advantage of the great increase of popular interest in the Red Cross, as well as the growth in membershop to nearly four millions, have put o nsale large quantities of Red Cross pins, postcards, and devices. An equally common abuse has been on the covers of patriotic songs and popular magazines. It is the feeling of Red Cross officials that the Red Cross emblem should be regarded much as the flag is regarded. Under the law and the Geneva Internationa! Agreement, the emblem is set for the work of relief and mercy. It should not be used to detract from that high office. Its use to stimulate the sale of magazines, songs, post cards, or other articles under the guise of patriotism, therefore, should not be regarded as proper. Provisions of the law are as follows: “It shall be unlawful for any person corporation, or association other th in the American Red Cross and its dulj authorized employees and agents and the army and navy sanitary and hos pital authorities of the United States

| for the purpose of trade or as an ad- ■ vertisement to induce the sale of any * article whatsoever or for any business or charitable purpose, to use within the territory of the United ? States and its exterior possessions, th" emblem of the Greek Red Cross on a white ground, or any sign or ensignia made or colored in imitation thereof, or the words. ‘Red Cross’ or any combination of these words.” ’ — oHOWER FAMILY REUNION The first annual reunion of the - Hower family will be held Wednesday, September 12, at the. home of Noah Hower in Wells county located about five miles north and onehalf mile east of Bluffton. As this is the first reunion they desire that ( all knowing themselves to be mem- ( bers of the Hower family, either by blood or marriage relationship, should make it a point to attend. BOYS ROB HOUSE Two Lads Ransack House of Mrs. Caroline Brake While She Is Away i MONEY IS TAKEN i Search Is Made and One , Suspect Mas Taken But Later Let Go f Two young boys about fifteen or eighteen years old entered the house of Mrs. Catherine Brake, living at f the corner of Fifth St. and Nuttman ' Avenue, about nine o’clock this ’ morning and after ransacking the house escaped with a little ' over five dollars in cash. The boys ' gained entrance through the back 1 door. k Mrs. Brake had gone up town at r. 1 quarter of nine to do some shopping ' and had not locked the back door only 1 hooking the screen. When she return ed about half an hour later, she found ' the robbers had taken food out of the ' cupboard and eaten a meal on the 1 kitchen table, looted the dresser draw ers in the upstairs and down stairs I bed rooms and had taken the money I from a purse on the front room table. She immediately called up her daughter, Louise, who is employed at ’ the Sugar factory and she in turn notified the police. Chief of Police Melchi responded and was informed by a neighbor, Miss Tina Conter, that two suspicious looking boys has been hang ing around the Brake and Conter ( houses for some time, and that she had suspected them of planning to do something wrong. She described the boys as being very young and wearing dark shabby suits and dark caps. At first Tt was thought that a number of souvenir spoons that Miss Brake had kept in her trunk had been taken, but these had been thrown aside by the thieves and were later I found. Also a pocket book containing a large sum of money had been over looked by the boys in their hurry, 1 The access to the house was gained j by cutting the back screen and lifting | the hook. A search was started around the , railroads, the police thinking that the boys might be looking for a freight to ‘ get them out of town. One suspect I was picked up along the Erie, and was < taken to the Brake home, but he did , not answer the description of the thieves and was let go. Two persons had been seen by a switchman walk ing down the Erie track and they appeared to enter a woods near where I the Peterson road crossed the track. . A search was made in the woods but ■ no one was found. I Two boys were seen leaving the i Brake home by Mrs. Henry Thomas > and they answered the description givr en by Miss Conter. The police will keep a sharp look out for any suspici - ous characters and they will be taken 1 into custody. r — -o — TO ATTEND FUNERAL 2 - e Grandmother of Verne Overdear f Dies at Columbia City. l ' Verne Overdear, assistant mana--6 ger of the Morris five and ten cent ’’ store, with his family, will leave on 8 Sunday evening or Monday morning ’• for Columbia City, to attend the funr - eral of his grandmother, Mrs. Daniel : Stiles, aged eighty-four, who died ’> this morning at 1:30 o’clock. She II had been ill only two days, death rey suiting from infirmities of old age. d She was the mother, of Mrs. J. 11. s- Overdear, mother of Verne Overdear 3, of this city.

ALL NOW READY For Opening of the City Schools Next Monday Morning—The Stall’ OF THE TEACHERS And Their Assignments— Disinfecting Schoolbuildings Today. City School Superintendent M. F. Worthmann has everything lined up in readiness for the opening of the public schools next. Monday, September 10. The several buildings are be- | ing disinfected today and other preliminary work has been accomplished. The names of the entire staff of tea< Iters and their assignments, follow: North Ward J. R. Parrish, principle Margarette Moran, 4 and 5 grade: Della Sellemeyer, 2 and 3 grade; Elizabeth Peterson, 1 grade. West Ward—A. L. Brentlinger, principle; Neva Brandy berry. 4 ami 5 grade; Nellie Winnes, 2 and 3 grade; Ruby Miller, 1 grade. South Ward Eva Acker, principle and 1 grade; Alma Kooken, 2 and 3 grade; Estella Perkins, 4 and 5 grade; Clara Boknecht, 5 and 6 grade. Library—Efflie Patton. 2 and 3 grade Central Building—Bess Congleton, 1 grade; Ella Mutchler, 7 grade: Matilda Sellemeyer, 7 grade; Grace Coffee. 8 grade; Guy W. Brown, principle. High School—J. D. Sarig, principle; Virginia Cravens, English; Frieda G. Wehtnhoff, German; Sue Cook, Latin; Lester Keller, Hist.; June Ossenberg, Science; Verne C. Knepper, Manual Training; Betty Boyers, Domestic Science: Ruth Gay, Commercial; Anne Rackstraw, Music. Janitors—Central, W. J. Wertzberger; North Ward. Amos Biggs: West Ward, J. Houck; South Ward, T. J. Houck; Library, Ben Schrank. HEARS FROM SON l Mrs. Catherine Brake Receives Interesting Letter From Son, Herman t WITH COMPANY M At Ft. Wm. Henry Harrison, Stationed At Billings, Mont. Billings, Mont. Dear Mother and Sister: I received your card some time ago. We are stationed out here at Billings, Mont., on guard duty and we may Le here for some time. We were called into Helena, Ft. Harrison some time ago to prepare for proceeding to a training camp, supposedly Palo Alto, Cal., but we were in Heelna a short time and were called out on guard duty, guarding tunnels, bridges, etc., which is a great necessity owing to recent trouble of a labor order called the I. W. W. an out-law organization which wishes to run the country on their own criminal basis but will assure you they will not succeed. z We are living in camp life and out-of-doors is great. This is sure a fine town here, the people are very generous and their hospitality is very much appreciated by all the soldiers. Well, how is everybody? All well, I hope. I am just about to write Minnie a letter, so I will close. Your son, HERMAN BRAKE, Company M, 2nd Mont, Inf., Fort Wm. Henry Harrison, Helena. Mont. P. S.: Still retain this address for the mail goes through headquarters 1 and so if we should leave at any time ’ I can receive the mail. o— — GRANDSON OF WAR VETERAN , Corporal Joseph C. Laurent, who left for Fort Harrison with the other members of Company A, has the distinction of being a grandson of a civil ■ war veteran, Joseph Sapp, of Fort Wayne, Ind.

f ANSWERING EVERY REQUEST County Council of Defense Have Ac complished Much This Far. ! The regular semi-monthly business meeting of the county council of defense was held this morning in Judge D. E. Smith's office In the court room. Four members of the board were present and a number of business mat- , ters were taken up and disposed of. The council of defense complying with the request from the state council appointed a chairman to head the Liberty Loan committee and named Hugh Hite for the (dace. Mr Hite will be chairman for the county and will in turn appoint sub-committees. The Adams county council of defense has made and fulfilled every reque-t made by the state and since the organization has been accomplishing a, great deal. A PEACE RECIPE Interpellation of Administration’s Attitude Toward Peace Obtained BY UNITED PRESS * I ’ I ] Say Peace Negotiations 11 Can Not Be Made With Kaiser But the People , < (United Press Service) ( By Robert J. Bender, United Press t Staff Correspondent.) ' 1 f Washington, Sept. B—(Special to! i Daily Democrat)—Full suffrage for a ? Germany rid of Hohenzollernisra rignt . of disputed territories to speak for If their own futures and restitution and 1 restoration for those countries trod-] 1 den under foot during the war, means peace. Nothing short of this can term inate the war. ’ To clear up the confusion created by the state department’s recent announcement in apparent conflict with ‘ President Wilson’s reply to the pope, * the United Press sought and obtain- 1 ed today a semi-official interpretation ' of the administration’s actual attitude * an interpretation vouched for by the 1 highest authorities. Bluff reform, such as merely mak- ' ing the chancellor subject to the will 1 of the reichstag, is not suffiient. € There must be a clear knowledge ' among the allies of full responsibility 8 of the Germanic powers to their people. Acceptability of Germany’s internal 8 1 reforms will not depend upon the der cision of the United States, or Engc land, or France, but must be such s "the other peoples of the world would be justified in accepting.” The United States will be guided in f its peace opinions largely by nations I which have had the most experience 1 with Germany—France, for example. 1 France believes it would be madness to enter peace negotiations with the ’ kaiser. So does the United States. When President Wilson said peace must rest uppn the rights of people, great and small —not upon governments —he meant it literally, and that point applies to his utterance against dismemberment of empires. It is declared that Alsace-Lorraine, Bosnia- Herxegovnia—even SchleswigHolstein, wrested by Germany from I Denmark in 1866—d0 not constitute' itegral parts of the body and soul of Germany and Austria, Bosnia and Her- . zegovnia were assumed by Austria by ■ executive order in 1908. Alsace-Lor-raine was part of the teptonic spoils of the war of 1870. There must, of course, be autonomy for Poland and restoration and restitution for Belgium, neutralization <f; the Dardenelles and some rein on 1 Turkey. Free grant of full power to the Ger- *’ man people, willingness to let dis- '■ pitted territories speak for their own future and grant of restoration and restitution for overridden small countries means peace. Anything short 1 of this means war to the end. r A The traction cars stop at the 4th. 9 regiment headquarters at Fort Harrison and those going to that place will have no trouble in finding the j boys. Tell the conductor to let you ’ ’ oft' at the 4th regiment. The band, r is first and right next to them is ■ company A. The boys are having a ' I 'fine time and every one getting along j t nicely writes Lieut. Peterson in a card received this morning. |

Price, Two Cents

FROM OLD JAPAN Miss Esther Sellemeyer Writes Interesting Letter to Her Parents THE SEA VOYAGE Splendidly Described By Decatur Girl Enroute to Far Off China Tlie following letter was receiv'd yesterday by Mrs. A. H. Sellemeyer 'from her daughter, Miss Esther, who ■ is en route to China to serve as a mis- ■ sionary. The letter was written I aboard the ship Empress of Russia jand was mailed at Yokahoma, Japan: At Sea, Aug. 14th, 4 p. m. Well by tomorrow a. m. at 4 o'clock we hope to be getting in Yokohonia. Since you will have received a cablegram from Shanghai before you get this letter, it will be safe for me to tell you about some of the dangers, which were involved between Vancouver and Shanghai. In the first place I knew this long time that tiie Pacific was full of danger from submarines although few have been caught. Last winter this boat was fired on by a submarine as it was ieturning to America from Hongkong, China and only by making a quick zigzag in the course, did the shot miss by twenty yards. The account of it came out in the Tiffin papers and I found it out when we got to Vancouver. Two weeks ago they said that our sailing was uncertain, owing to a strike by the sailors and the delay in getting the boat loaded. We knew that this was all untrue because every thing was so systerious and the slightest information could not be obtained from any source. The boat was originally scheduled to sail Thursday at 11a. ni. All passengers were put on Tiodrd Thursday as usual anil were not allowed to get off. so that when sailing orders were given, everything would be in readiness. At first they said we would sail at midnight Thursday and then at 4 p. m., then 6 o’clock, then midnight of the day following and finally we did go at 2:15 that night, but we stopped at Victoria. B. C., which is only four hours ride from Vancouver. and hung around there all day Friday. until 4 o'clock, when we actually started across. This boat is carrying an American Red Cross unit of 38 members, consisting of both doctors and nurses, and besides a quantity of araunition, no doubt. That you see is another reason for all this precaution and mystery. We tliink that the amunition was smuggled on at Vancouver, which of course necessitated an anxiety at that port. At Victoria the harbor, bay and part of the ocean, had been laid full of mines; for that reason sailing was postponed until investigations could be made. We thought for awhile that we were going to be patrolled out to sea, but such was not the case. Our ship is painted gray, instead of the usual black and white in order not to be visible at such a great distance on the water. We are flying no flags and at night all deck lights are turned out, although the cabins are allowed to bn lighted. Since yesterday we have I been examining the course all the j time and the lookout and captain are ■ especially attentive to duty, but no- . body knows why. For awhile yesterday afternoon, they made an artificial . fog of smoke with the ships three tun- . nels, so that we would be concealed from a distance. None of the passengers were able to find out from anyone whether we were getting to Japan on time or not until this a. tn., when it j was announced that all laundry and wine bills had to be paid today. This means that we will undoubtedly get to Yokohonia some time tonight. AU officers are sworn to secrecy and not allowed to discuss anything <>f questionable importance with anyone. This lias made things considerably interesting, but since we have seen no actual gun powder demonstration, most of the passengers on board have ' manifested a calm and resigned attitude. Personally sea sickness has so | occupied my time that 1 didn't care whether a sub-marine came along or ' not, ha, ha. I Really though, I’ve had just three days in which I felt something like myself, five days 1 spent on my back in the cabin and the other days I was ! wrapped up in my robe, sitting out on I (Continued on Page Two)