Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 16, Number 76, Decatur, Adams County, 29 March 1918 — Page 1

Volume X\ I. Number 76.

GENERAL FOCH IN CHARGE OF FORCES

GREAT FRENCH LEADER I WILL COMBATGERMfiNS EXPLOSION OF MUNITION DEPOT HEARD FORTY MILES-FRENCH HOLDING LINES FIRMLY—THE GERMANS ANNOUNCE NEW ATTACK. 1 1 (United Press Service) ( Washington, 1). Mar. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat) — .That General Foch has been named inter-allied commander of the great forces combatting the Germans in France, was indicated i today in a message from President Wilson, congratulating Foch . on “Your new authority-” , The message follows:— , “May I not convey to you my sincere congratulations on your , new authority. Such unity of command is a most hopeful augur- , ing to ultimate success. We are following with profound interest , the hold and brilliant action of your forces.” Paris. Mar. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat) —Many persons , were wounded in the explosion of a munition depot at Laxourneuze today- The damage was extensive. The explosion was heard for forty miles, as the concussion shattered windows in the center of Paris. An American Y. M. C. A. ambulance corps was the first to arrive at the scene. Paris, Mar. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat)—The French ' are holding firmly the territory recaptured from the enemy yes- ' terday in the Monteidier sector, according tr he official announcement issued this afternoon. Amsterdam. Mar. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat) —“The < German supreme command is about to deliver a fresh, mighty t blow at another point of the British front and make a new breach in the enemy’s line." declared Berlin dispatches received today. < ( Washington, D. C-. Mar. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat) —The great al- t lied counter-drive against the German onset is now developing, high American t army officers declared today. It may take a day or more for the full movement to reveal itself, it was , said, but the troop dispositions have been made and the great army of maneu- j ver is taking up its all important task. t London, Mar. 29 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —“Our positions were main- ; tamed against strong attacks north of the Somme yesterday afternoon and evening and we gained ground by successful counter-attack,” Field Marshal 1 Haig reported today. “Heavy continuous fighting continued south of the Somme until late in the evening. We maintained our line throughout the day in the face of repeated assaults by superior enemy forces. , “We have withdrawn a short distance from advanced points.”

illy Carl I>. Groat, United Press -Mti p correspondent.) | • Washington, March 29 —(Special to 1 Daily Democrat) —Confidently and ex-| pectantly America looked out upon ' the west front death grapple. Today and tomorrow, army officers , said, will tell the tale of good news for democracies on the “frontier of freedom,” or will mark for them a gloomy chapter. All the news before the authorities | early today, however, cheered them. They foresaw that British and French legions, with some of the victory reserve, would stand off t.ie Germans, hammering at the gates of western civilization. News from General Pershing indicated that the enemy has drained his reserve to the utmost and has now drawn upon the east front for further reinforcements. He is staking his all on the west line, but the British, French and American strategy reserve apparently is now getting rapidly into the struggle. The German spike driven out at Mont Didier is menaced. The gallant French pounding at the flank apparently are developing a strong counter-offensive which will menace the Germans considerably. Meantime,, the British defense is solidifying. German has been slowed down and hi 3( vitality is being sapped by death and * injury. The extent to which American troops have participated and will par-, ticipate is still a matter of secrecy ] They are known to have had some part, and it is assumed by high officers that perhaps 100.000 will have a share in smashing the foe. London, March 29 —(Special to Daily Democrat)—The battle front of the great German drive has grown to nearly twice Its original size as the combat enters its ninth day. The offensive opened on compara-

DECATUR DAILY J DEMOCRAT

tively a straight front, extending from Arras southward an slightly eastward to Lafere, a distance of about 50 miles.' The area comprised in the enemy advance now consists of an irregular ] triangle, with Arleux as its northern ] point, Mont Didier as its southwestern point, and the southern edge of St. I Gobain forest as its southwestern, point. Each of its sides are roughly, 50 miles long, in an air line, while the base is 35 miles across. The territory thus recovered by the! Germans comprises about 875 square miles. I In the original battle line, the fight- ( ing has extended northward from Ar- ( ras to Arleux, a distance of about five miles; and southward from La Fere to St. Gobain forest, a distance cf < about seven miles. I I (By Ed L. Keen, United Press staff correspondent.) London, March 29—(Special to ' Daily Democrat) —There is no reason yet to believe that Quartermaster General Ludendlorff has increased his prospects of winning the great political gamble—which is the real character of the German super-offensive. “Every effort thus far made to draw the allies reserves has failed. Meanwhile, the German line has been com-, ' peiled to take an increasingly precarious shape. Simultaneously, the! ■ German command has been forced to drain its own reserves past the point lof highest effectiveness. The time undoubtedly is approachi ing when the allies reserves, still m-] • tact, will be able to strike where they i please. | San Antonio, Texas, March 29— > (Special to Daily Democrat)-Private f Theodore K. Albert was killed at > Pilares. Mexico, In a battle Thursday, • between troop G, Eighth U. S| cavalry and the Mexican bandits who raided i- i ‘ (Continued on Page Four)

Decatur, Indiana, Friday Evening, March 29, 1918.

THE MELTING PUT I I Will Yield Up Proceeds lo the Red Cross Fund. YOUR OLD JEWELRY Is Called sor I —However Little Gold it May Have About it. "The Melting Pot" is a new way whereby the people of Adams county may contribute to the Red Cross fund. I And it is but another way of gleaning', from the ways - this time from jew- 1 , elry which otherwise would lie *'or' years unused and of no value. Anything and everything in jewelry,l that has long since been discarded, is asked tor. Old pins, buttons, chains, parts of chains, or any thing, however cheap, that may have even a “suspicion” of gold or silver about it, though it nfay be mostly brass or copper — may yield up their mite for the aid of.! the soldiers. All this old jewelry obtained will lie sent to the reliners and the metals separated and the products sold. The proceeds will then be returned to 0. lx Vance, chairman of the Adams County Red Cross chapter. "The Melting Pot" will be ready next Monday. There will be three of them for Decatur. These will be placed in various stores and changed from time to time so that every business place and all the jieople may have the opportunity of contributing their “bit” of old jewelry to help the “boys over there". ( Begin at once to look through your old jewel boxes, dressers or other chests, where at some long forgotten ' time. Vou may have laid by a piece that you never intended to use again. ( Mr. Vance has named Mrs. C. F. Davison, chairman of "The Melting Pot” committee, and she has choseu 1 N Mrs. O. L. Vance. Mrs. Henry Schulte and Mrs. E. X. Ehinger as her assls- ' tants. THE GREAT MATCH I To Which Many Have Looked Forward Long 1 < Will i 1 BE HELI) TONIGHT i Forty-nine Spellers of the North Part of the County Spell. 1 The great spelling match to which ' forty-nine spellers of the six north townships and the Decatur schools have looked forward to with interest, will be held tonight at the circuit court room. The spelling will begin promptly at 7:30 o'clock. ' The fourteen best spellers as de- ■ termined tonight will meet an equal number in a week, from the south part of the county; the winner of the county meet to be declared the champion speller of the county. | Prof. L. E. Keller and Miss Virginia Cravens will pronounce the words toI night. Misses Wehmhoff, Cook and Ossenburg will be the judges. | The spellers include teams of seven from each of the six townships and the Decatur schools. Everybody is invited to come. A fee of five cents will be asked to defray the expenses of the match. EMORY CLARK IN SERVICE Arthur D. Suttles today received a copy of the Red Cross edition publishJed by the Routt, county, (Colorado) Sentinel, containing the Routt county roll of honor. In the list appeared the name of Emory Clark, former sheriff of that county, he resigning from that office to enlist In the field artillery of the army. Mr. Clark is a broth-er-in-law of Mr. Suttles.

++++++++ + + + + + -!- + DECORATE DECATUR. + + + 4* The people of Adams county •“ 1 4* are going to have at Decatur, on 4* + Saturday, April 6th. the biggest + + patriotic celebration that has 4- + ever been pulled off in the his 4- + tory of the county. I have been + 4- appointed chairman of the com 44- mittee on decoration. 1 will ap- 44- point asistants to help mo. 144- ask. in the name of patriotism. + 4- that every business man and ev- 4- + cry householder commence now + 4- and arrange for his decorations. 4- + particularly flag and bunting, so + + that upor» Friday, April sth. they + 4- will be able to decorate every + 4- business house and home beauti- 4- i 4* fully. I am -sure no one will -fr 4- fail mo. Decatur should be a44- blaze of bun'ting. + + HENRY THOMAS. + Chairman Decorating Com. + 4-4* + 4-4-4* + 4* + 4-4-4*4-4 - ADAMS COUNTY LIBERTY NOTES ________ J Saturday, April 6, Will be J Wonderful Event in Adams County History. PLANS GO FORWARD i Parade Will he Success— ♦ Union Township Ready —Other Items. ' i - i John T. Myers will bring in a band of Paul Revere riders that will sue- i prise you, Uncle Sam will be here an I 1 you should by al! means plan to bring the children and come to this event, ’ that will be talked about in future * history. 1 Judge D. E. Smith and Mrs. Eley 1 were the speakers at the Peterson school house last night. Chairman 1 George Ktnzle and Will Arnold being in charge. The house was crowded and the meeting was a most splendid I one. Meetings were also held at i Pleasant Mills and other places over the county. i The members of theadvisory committee will meet at Mr. Schlrmeyer'.-, office at seven o'clock tonight I > further complete the plans for the work. The advertising material arrived today and will be distributed ’ within a tew days. There are various kinds of posters, window cards, auto signs, door signs, buttons and pamph- 1 lets for the entire county. The wo'! - ers will have a Volunteer button different from that of the purchaser. The celebration in this city on Saturday. April 6th. will be the greatest ever held in this city. The program though not complete is sufficiently so to warrant that assertion. The big event starts the night before when watch meetings will be held all over the county and when beacon lights, red, white and blue will burn from every window, homes, schoo's, churches with bon fires on the hills, speaking in various places and a gen-i eral awakening of the people to the I fact that we are to start the Third Liberty Loan drive on the first anniversary of the war. In Decatur the watch meeting will be a union event at the courthods*, with speakers from outside, home ora-j tors, splendid music and other sea-j tures, continuing until 11:30 o’clock . Then everybody will go to a vacant i lot where a huge bon fire will be lighted and while the bells and whistels . scream out on the midnight air, the crowd wyi sing America and other patriotic songs. The parade on Saturday morning t will be the most wonderful sight ever ‘given here, with more than thirty i floats, representing various patriotic 1 events of history, details of'which will ' be given later. The speaker for the i day is Mr. Archbold Hall of Indianap- . ells and there will be a number of i features. . I The organization of Union township I (Continued on Page 6)

AHEAD OF THE SUN I Clocks Will be Pushed Forward One Hour Ahead of Standard Time l ON SUNDAY MORNING You’ll Miss an Hour of Sleep Sunday — Must Comply With Law. 4-4 N + 4-4-4-4-4-4-4- + + 4-4. + NOTICE. <fr + + 4> On Sunday morning March 31. <• ❖ standard time throughout the + + United States will be advanced 4* * one hour. All clocks should + +be set forward so that 7:00 ♦ 4» a. m. formerly will become 8:00 + +a. m. This changed time is to + + continue until the last Sunday 4> 4* in October. Adhere to former + + schedules and habits, but in con- 4* •b formity with the new time. + 4* Make no changes in hour of + meeting, and no confusion will + 4* result. Indiana State Council of + 4* Defense, Scientific Research + + Committee. 4. 4-4* + 4-4-4> + 4**4> + 4-*4- - Indianapolis, March 29—In order to prevent any confusion which might , suit from the observance of the new daylight saving law which goes into effect at 2 o’clock Sunday mornin.,. March 31. Daniel B. Luten. secretary of the Scientific Research committee, of the State Council of Defense, has issued the following bulletin: “On Sunday morning. March 31. the daylight saving law will »o into effect J throughout the United States. It provides that standard time will he _■ 1vanced one hour at 2:00 a. m. Sunday, so that 2:00 a. m. standard time becomes 3:00 a. m. This changed time J will continue as the legal standard 1 time until the last Sunday in October. "The Western Union Telegrabh com pany has sent to all of its local ag‘n(Continueft on Page 5.) WHAT THEY ASK — What the Food Administration Asks the Women to do. MAY BE LESS COMFORT For a While—But if We Win, Honor Will be Preserved. War may destroy a little of your comfort. But if we win. your honor will be preserved. If the kaiser wins —you know the fate of Belgium. There is the truth. What can you do? Just do what the United States Food Administration asks you to do. It's not hard, but it is necessary. “Eat only as much as you really need. I “Buy only 3 pounds of sugar pqr ' person per month. “(You may have as much corn syrup molasses, sorghum, honey and maple syrup as you like.) “Use not more than one pound ot ! fat per person per week. I “Use not more than 2 pounds of I meat per person per week. “Use cheese, pinto beans, soy beans. . nuts and fish. * 1 “Use up every drop of milk. > “Give the children whole milk. “Don't use more than 2% pounds ot wheat flour per person per week. , "Make this amount less if you can. i- “This amount of wheat flour in- ,■ eludes the amount you use in bread. ? All bread, home made or baker's ] should contain 20 per cent of cereals * other than wheat, -I “Uso other - cereals as much as def sired. “Don't do any deep fat fryffig. “Don’t eat between meals. > "Don't eat midnight suppers. ". (Continued on Page 6.)

1 FIGHT ON THROUGH RAIN BRITISH LOSE SLIGHTLY NIGHT FIGHTING WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF FIERCE GALE—ENEMY DEAD LITTER GROUND SOUTH OF I THE SOMME. I ■ 1 (By William P. Simms, United Press Staff Correspondent) With the British Armies in France, Mar. 29—(Special to the Daily Democrat)—-The fighting continues today, despite a'sudden change in the weather that has sent a gale and a rain sweeping across the battle field. The Germans are still butting away at the British lines in the region of Arras. The enemy has progressed some, occupying the front line trenches at Orange Hill. The cold rain made night fighting difficult. The moon which since the announcement of the offensive, turned night into day, was obscured, rendering the night as black as a pit. As a result there was a comparative lull in the Ancre valley and astride the Somme, following a hard day. Four heavy attacks were repulsed late in the afternoon north of the Somme. The enemy dead are littering the ground south of the Somme. I After repeated assaults all day the Germans bent back the British line a short distance seven miles south and west of Albert on the . south bank of the Somme. Below this point the French brilliantly held the German crown prince’s hordes with the bayonet at places. (By William Philip Simms, United Press Staff Correspondent) With the British Armies in France, Mar. 28 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —The tide of battle is ever rising. The great struggle is extending northward and southward, with a sudden new thrust westward and northwestward against Arras and a gradual spread southward around Noyon. The new battle line is more than seventy miles long, measured around the westward bulge. The principle fighting is in three distinct sections—one against the north flank toward Arras: the second astride the Somme, against the center; the third, against the south flank, between Mont Didier and I Noyon. Severe fighting is under way in all three. After comparative quiet since the beginning of the offensive, the sector from Avion (one mole south of Lens and about three north of Arleux) to below the Scarpe (which crosses the battle line directly south of Arras, six miles south of Avion) was the scene of a hurricane bombardment of high exI plosives, gas shells and shrapnel. Infantry actions followed. The conditions were identical with the initial."kick-off" a week ago Thursday. Fierce fighting developed, the enemy making headway south of the Scarpe only, in massed formation, at frightful cost. Orange Hill around which a great battle swirled in April, 1917, is again I strewn with corpses, uniformed in grey-green. Telegraph hill, nearby, likewise is covered with dead, as the enemy desprately attempts to reach Arras. (Telegraph hill is about midway between Lens and Arras. On its north is the famous Vimy Ridge. To the south is the Labyrinth.) Meanwhile the struggle kept up north and south of Albert, from where the Germans are trying to push westward, with greedy eyes on Amiens (twelve miles to the southwest.) Here they have made little or no progress, the British driving them back with heavy losses. The Franco-British forces on the south flank reported hard battles, with little enemy headway. Hindenburg has put fresh division after fresh division into the struggle since it commenced. Well over seventy divisions (approximately 840.000 men) have appeared on the fighting line. Commanding the enemy troops in the three storm centers are the pick of the German generals—Otto von Below on the north; von Hofaker, in the center, and von Hutier, on the south. Von Below must not be confused with Fritz von Below, who lost Vimy arid his job simultaneously. Otto commanded the eighth army. Later during the allied drive in Macedonia, he commanded the Bulgar-Germans and thers won the order pour la merite for personally leading the ninth Jager battalion in a "forlorn hope,” saving a dangerous situation.

(By J. W. T. Mason, Written for the United Press) New York, March 29—Special lo Daily Democrat) —As far as can be foreseen, the combat in the west hasj definitely turned in favor of the allies with the Germans beginning to engage in sullen defensive tactics at import-, ant strategic points. ' The German front is now entangled | i in dangerous formations, due to von Hindenburg's failure to keep his for-' ward movements advancing at a eon;-: 'mon speed. The precarious situation 1 of having out run Germany’s ability| to provide a sufficiently large perman-' ' ent army to protect the new battle front is beginning to face von Hindeu-' burg. Even if the allies do not develop a major counter-attack, a retire-. 1 ment of the Germans may be forced by a series of local assaults, giving 1 von Hindenburg no rest at any part l_ of his unwieldly front. L When the present drive, began, the' s German line from Arras to Craonne s measured about 85 miles. The battle | front between the same points is now “ atyout 120 miles. Each additional mile: means von Hindenburg must find prob j ably six thousand soldiers for defensive purposes. If, therefore the Gormans attempt to retain their present positions permanently they must in- e _

Price, Two Cents.

crease their trench garrisons by about 200,000 men and find the reserves to make good the constant losses to which this force will be subjected. ■ It was this same problem that compelled Ihe Germans to move back to the Hindenburg line last March and . thus sliorten their front. At tl\at time I they had a somewhat less lengthy I front to defend between Arras and Craonne than now. The old difficulty of man power has therefore been re- ■ vived by Hindenburg in an even more serious form than previously. | Von Hindenburg must now accept • the fact that the present engagements ‘ will not result in the decisive defeat of J the Anglo-French forces. The Ger- ■ mans, therefore, will shortly be com■(Pelled to confess that the lengthening their permanent front by thirty-five I miles has not had sufficiently compensating results. Thereafter, the possibility of another strategic retreat ‘ back perhaps even to the old Hindein ’ burg line will be the ghost at the coun- ' cil table of the German general staff. .... ...... .—. —n., •' DELIVERED TWO TRUCKS -! The Kahor-N'oblo garage company made delivery today of a 1-ton truck to th<* Fornax Milling Company, and also delivered one to Fred Ashbaucher.