Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 16, Number 77, Decatur, Adams County, 30 March 1918 — Page 1

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT W

Volume XV I. Number 77.

WILL NOT SAFEGUARD NEUTRAL SHIPS

GERMANY REFUSES TO GRANT SAFE CONDUCT TO SHIPS CARRYING CHAIN TO SWITZERLAND—ALLIES CONTINUE TO HOLD LINE THOUGH SLOWLY RETREATING AT FEW POINTS. (United Press Service) Washington. I). C., Mar. 30—(Special to Daily Democrat)— Germany has refused to grant safe conduct of ships carrying ••rain to Switzerland, the Swiss government has informed this country. As a result grain shipped for Switzerland will be held up until Germany relents. *, The United States promised 30,000 tons of grain to be shipped to Switzerland byway of Cette, provided Germany would promise immunity from submarine attacks. Germany’s refusal to pledge safe conduct creates a new international regulation for Switzerland, as well as for the Teutons and alliesPetrograd, Mar. 30—(Special to Daily Democrat) —The most significant changes in the relation between Russia and the allies apparently are working out. Simultaneously with the return of the allied diplomats, bol--heviki speakers intimate a modification of their own program to ’ a point somewhat approaching that of the allies. London. Mar. 30—(Special to Daily Democrat) —British 1 forces in Palestine advanced two miles in an attack on an eight- 1 mile front west of the Jordan river Thursday, according to a re- ' port from General Allenby today. — i London. Mar. 30—(Special to Daily Democrat) —“We were pressed back 1 rt Demuin and Mezieres, south of the Somme, but at the latter village we j counter-attacked and took a number of prisoners." Field Marshal Haig rj- | ported today. 1 "Only local actions have taken place north of the Somme during the past , week. 11 "Our cavalry has fought with great galantry, both mounted and dis-1 mounted, and has repulsed the enemy with heavy losses in numerous en- . counters.” | j “At Denuin, the enemy’s attempts to capture the village broke down aft- . er sharp fighting throughout the afternoon.’ , < (By William Phillip Simms, United Press Staff Correspondent) With the British Armies in France. Mar. 30—(Special to Daily Democrat) . —The first phase of the central powers’ great offensive is over, I believe. That the second phase will begin as soon as Hindenburg’s battered hosts can be relieved and guns brought up. however, cannot be doubted. ( The situation is not materially changed throughout hte British line this morning, while the Germans, life frightened moles—their passage overland I checked—were digging in like mad in places. About mignight the enemy put down a heavy trench mortar bombard- ■ ment southwest of Cite St. Auguste, near Lens. The situation is not materially changed throughout the British line this about the same distance east and south of Loos.)

(Uy Henry Wood. United Press Stuff a Correspondent) With the French Armies in the Field, Mar. 30—(Special to Daily ' Democrat)—Since General French at Ypres, prevented the Germans from turning the British flank by stretching out his little army until it recah- , ed the North Sea, no more brilliant movement has been executed on the ( west front than the manner in which the French general staff, night and . day. kept up contact with the British armies doggedly retreating to the northwest. The French steadily extended theii lines from the region of Da here to beyond Mont Didier. This successful operation has definitely broken up what is known to have been the original German plan, namely following the Bavarian crown prince's expe<ted rupture of the British front, for the German crown prince's army to pass through the breach anti manh on to Paris byway of the Oise valley. While barring the latter movement by holding the Oise line solidly, the French kept up contact with tht British. This was accomplished only by masterful handling of the Ft em it reserves—throwing in infantry divissions when they arrived in tinle ' otherwise using cavalry divisions when quick action was necessary, while artillery was rushed rapidly along the entire front. Meantime, every French division was resisting heroically, necessitating often fifteen German attacks to dislodge them. Prisoners declare they were driven to the attack by officers wielding whips, London, Mar. 30— to Daily Democrat)—British casualties published during March totaled 14.588,

according to compilations made today from official lists. This is the smallest British casualty list since last August and obviously does not include the total losses in the present German drive. The casualties pic divided as follows: Officer!—Killed, 334; wounded. 729; missing. 136; total. 1.199. Men-Killed. 2.976; wounded. 9855; missing, 558; total, 13,389. Totals—Killed. 3,310; wounded. 10.554; missing. 694; total, 14.586. The total casualties for the past few months have been: February, u 19.492; January. 74.038; December. ( 80,034; November, 120,679; October. 83,558; September. 105,430; August, 60.373. 1 Paris. Mar. 30—(Special to Daily Democrat) — Seventy-five persons were killed and ninety wounded yesterday when a church was demolished by a shell during Good Friday ( services, it was officially announced today. IN CANADA (United Press Service) Quebec, March 30 —(Special to Daily Democrat)—Order was maintain ed here today by troops, following a night c- riots. Anti-conscription mobs wrecked the office pt the newspaper L’ Evenment and the Chronicle and set fire to the auditorium building in which records of draft cases were kept. The records were destroyed. About 10,000 were in the crowds, but most of these were spectators. ' The riotors for a while held posses'slon of Upper Town. The Ontario 1 battalion and the eighth and ninth : militia regiments were called out., I After dispersing the mob, most of the /soldiers returned to barracks where thev remained, subject to call. They are armed with ball cartridges.

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday Evening, March 30, 1918.

DIED IN CISTERN Tour Year Old Child of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Rice Found Dead. DROWNED IN CISTERN Body Found Last Evening After Long Search. After a search lasting three house, during which time the aid of the polfee were enlisted, little Marjorie Kutli Rice, four and a half year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde M. Riee, 1409 Onedia street. Fort Wayne, was found dead at six o’clock last night m the cistern at the back of the home. The family formerly lived here, Mr. Rice at one time being a teacher In the Decatur schools, and later being a carrier of mail on both the city and rural routes here. The child is a granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. David M. Rice, of Monmouth. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette says further: "The little child was last seen yesterday afternoon at 2:15 o’clock by the mother when she came into the house for one of her dolls. She returned la her playhouse at the rear of the house and about fifteen minutes later the mother missing the laughs of the little tot. started to look for her. She was not about the premises and the mother 1 becoming alarmed asked aid from neighbors. The father was called home from his position at the General Electric works and the aid of tbe police was enlisted and the entire neighborhood was scoured. Many school children and playmates helped in the hunt. “About 6 o’clock the father and :i neighbor were standing in the back yard, when the former thought to look into the cistern. Reaching down with a garden rake be pulled the cold body of his little daughter to the surface. The lid was on the cistern at noon yas- ~~ < Continued on Page Two) SDSPECT TAKEN At Jeffersonvile Through Vigilance of Lieut. Robt. M. Blackburn. AN ALIEN ENEMY Was Making Notes in Book While Walking Around Government Depot. Julius Sader. age about 60 years, was arrested at the Quartermasters Depot Wednesday afternoon by Cant. Glascock and Lieut. Ford, and, landing an investigation into his case, he was held over until Tuesday when presented on a vagrancy charge in the ixdice court this morning. Sader was registered as an alien enemy in Louisville, and under the federal restrictions violated the government’s order by visiting the depot, as he was aot 'allowed within 1% miles of government departments during the war. At the time of his arrest, Sader, the officials said, was calmly walking around the interior of the depot, carelessly making notes in a book of h.'s observations. His actions attracted the attention of Lieut. Blackburn, and he was placed under surveilance for some time before he was taken in cus- ' tody. He failed to give any reason for his action when presented and pending investigation will be held in jail. —Jeffersonville Star. BURIAL HELD TODAY The burial service for Peter Mutschler late of Chicago, was held this afternoon at the Decatur cemetery. The body has been in the vault since the death last winter. The widow arrived yesterday from Chicago to be here for the service.

144444444444444 | + MECHANICS ARE SELECTED. 4 + The local military board thh * 4 morning selected from a list of 4 + eight volunteers, four Adams 4 4 county men who will be sent to 4 4 Purdue university. Lafayette. 4 + Indiana, where they will be giv 4 + en a training course in the me 4 4 chanical division. The four 4 4 men are: 4 4 Walter Wilkinson. Decatur. 4 4 Lawrence S. Brautham, Deca- 4 4 tur. + 4 Ralph Shaupp, Linn Grove. 4 4 Paul V. Myers, Geneva. 4 4 According to present orders. 4 ♦ these men will be sent to Purdue 4 ♦ on the 28th of April. They will 4 ♦ be given a two months' intensive 4 4 training in mechanics and after 4 4 their schooling will be sent to 4 4 camps or cantonments, and la- 4 4 ter to France. 4 4 Ralph Schaupp is now a stu- + + dent at Indiana University, and + 4 Paul V. Myers is employed by + 4 the Burroughs Adding Machine 4 4 company at Akron, Ohio. 4 44444444444444 EIGHTEEN MEN LEAVE FOR CAMP Third Contingent from Ad ams County Left This Morning for ( AMP ZACHARY TAYLOR Escorted by Band—Seventeen Will Go to Ft. Hamilton on Wednesday. 44444444444444 4 Captain, John R. Wemhoff, 4 4 catur: 4 4 Homer Winteregg, Berne. ✓ 4 4« Peter Stucky, Berne. « 4 4 Frank Aumiller, Berne. 4 4 Ira Sprunger, Berne. — 4 4 Fred Walchle, Fort Wayne.” 4 4 Harvey Neusbaum. Berne. •> 4 4 Adolph Reichart, Berne. * 4 4 Noah N. Soldner, Berne. 4 4 Hiram Leichty, Berne. - 4 4 Claude M. Foreman, Berne. 4 4 Enoch E. Carpenter, Monroe. • 4 4 Floyd F. Marbaugh,* Pleasant 4 4 Mills. 4 4 Joseph Irelan, Decatur. 4 4 Noah Zurcher, Berne. • 4 4 Carl V. Luginbill, Monroe. 4 4 Merle F. Lee, Geneva.- 4 4 Vilas Huser, Berne. z 4 44444444444444 At exactly 7:09 a. m. this morning eighteen Adams county lads, headed by “Captain” John R. Wemhoff, started "off" to get the kaiser. Aboard the regular passenger trait that pulled in at the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad station at 7:05 a. ro under the steam of engine No. 4. the third contingent of selective men to be sent to camp from this county, waved and said good-bye to their fa thers, mothers, brothers and sisters and the hundreds of friends who ha gathered at the depot to bid them God speed on their initial journey to get the Hun. Four minutes later the big engine emitted a puff, the engineer threw in the throttle and the trip to Camp Taylor, Louisville, Ky.. was begun. At Richmond they were transferred to the Pennsylvania road for Indianapolis, where they will have their dinner, and at 1:30 leave for Louisville, arriving there at about 4:30 this evening. Two extra coaches were “hooked" 1 to the regular train, they being oc- ' cupied by men who were also going 1 to Camp Taylor, from two of the Fort Wayne districts, and one contingent from the northern part of the state r At 6:30 this morning the eighteen ' men reported to the local military ■ board at the city hall and answered to roll call. Every man was pres ent, including the substitutes. Fif teen minutes later they marched tc the station, escorted by the board . I officials and the Decatur band. Johr R. Wemhoff of this city was appoint e ed "captain” of the squad. e Seven non-combatants were includ ii ed in the squad, but they, like the r rest, had a look of determination or ♦ (Continued on J’age Two)

itlnued on Page Two)

: HELP ORGANIZE fr * I). N. Erwin and French * Quinn Sent to Lagrange ► by State Bureau. I MET LAST NIGHT ► H *■ Advisory Committee Selects > Men to Work Out Quota > for Each Township. Dan N. Erwin and French Quinn went to LaGrange this morning where , they addressed a meeting of county , workers for the Liberty Loan, giving , them their ideas of organization. , They were sent out by requests of the , state publicity department and the , speakers’ bureau. Adams county is , considered one of the live ones on sr- , ganization and the compliment given these men is a worthy one. The advisory committee for 'he Liberty Loan held another important meeting last evening and a number of important matters were disposed of. The arrangements for the April 6'h celebration are going along in a very satisfactory manner and it is assured that it will be a real occasion. A committee consisting of Chairman Schirmeyer. Secretary Voglewede, C. S. Niblick. C. A. Dugan and H. L. Confer, was appointed to work out the quota of allottment for each township and corporation and report the plans for the taking of applications. The real work will start with the opening of the campaign at midnight Friday and from then on the work will be for the sale of lionds. Announcement of meetings in St. Marys township next week were made today, as follows, at Pleasant Mills, Tuesday evening, the speakers being French Quinn and Mrs. Fay Smith Knapp: at Bobo, Thursday evening with P. L. Andrews and Mrs. Frank Downs as speakers. There will be good music, and it is hoped large crowds. . DIED"LAST"NIGHT Mrs. Vashti Fonner Hoffman Passed Away Last Evening. IN FOR WAYNE Death Followed Long Illness—From Armenia — Relatives Here. Mrs. Cal Kunkel and Miss Helen Fonner left this morning for Fort Wayne, where they were called by the death of their cousin, Vashti Fonner 1 Hoffman, wife of A. M. Hoffman, which occurred last night at 10:45 o'clock at ( the St. Joseph hospital. Death ''ol- > lowed a long illness from anemia, . which had reached a most critical s stage about the holidays, after which , the decline was very rapid. ? Mrs. Hoffman was twenty-five years 1 of age last January. She was a 1 daughter of Bernard and Lilly Fone ner, and was born and reared in Fort t Wayne. Her frequent visits here to the home of relatives, however, resulted in her making many friends ’ here, who will be sorry to hear of her p death. Besides her parents, and husI band and many other relatives, she II leaves a little son, John Bennett, about 5 ' six or seven months of age. She is a n niece of W. A. Fonner of Root town5. ship. The funeral will probably be held Monday or Tuesday at the Cathedral 0 in Fort Wayne. <1 KITCHEN TACTICS CAMOUFLAG n t- There is a woman, poor but proud, who goes into the kitchen every mornd- ing and pounds a folded towel with a ,e rolling pin just, to make the neighbors n believe that she has beefsteak for _ breakfast.— Exchange.

=AMERICANS MAY START INVASIONOFJERMANY GENERAL FOGH IS NOW CONSIDERING . PLANS WITH THAT IN VIEW-DASH FOR THE RHINE WOULD JUST SUIT THE SAMMIES,'TIS SAID, (By J. W. T. Mason. Written for the United Press) New York, N. Y„ Mar. 30—(Special to Daily Democrat) —General Foch's decision whether or not to use American troops in large numbers in the pres- < nt combat, will probably depend on the magnitude of the counter-attack that is planned against the Germans. If the allies decide to attempt to bring the war to an end by overwhelming the German armies in western France, then every possible source of strength must be thrown into the battle and General Pershing's full force will participate. But, if a counter-offensive with strictly limited objectives is considered the wisest course at this time General Foch may think it inadv:sable to use the American army for the present. The American troops now in France and those fast arriving are the finest offensive fighters left in the world. This is true not because they are Americans, but because America is the only great power left whose first classes of picked men have not suffered the casualties of nearly four years’ fighting. If the allies major offensive in answer to the present German thrust is not to be delivered immediately, General Foch may desire to keep the Americans for the principal role at a later date. A major American offensive toward the Rhine, for instance, instead of in western France, might not only carry the war into Germany, but at the came time compel Von Hindenburg to shorten his western line by abadoning much if not all of the territory he has just won. Such a retirement under threat of American invasion of Germany would certainly have a far more depressing influence upon the kaiser's subjects than a limited counter-stroke by the allies along the Oise, Somme and Ancre. Questions such as these must be fully considered by General Foch betore he makes his decision, which ought not to be influenced by impatient and nervous home demands for immediate action. Von Hindenburg is now concentrating what is left of his offensive strength for the capture of Amiens. His blows, however, are greatly weakened and may come to an end automatically through General Foch’s presure against the German southern flank. If they do not, Foch’s first work of prime importance will be to save Amiens by a direct counter-offensive against the German pressure to the east of that highly important railway center. London, Mar. 30—(Special to Daily Democrat) —French forces are trying to slice off the sharp end of the German wedge, which lies just west of Mont Didier. The night official statement of the British war office reported Petain’s men thrusting northward between Mont Didier and Lassigny, twelve and a half miles to the east and south, in an effort to flank the enemy forces fighting on the line from Mont Didier northward. East of Lassigny, the statement said, there is no change in the situation.

(By Fred S. Ferguson. United Press Staff Correspondent 1 With the American Army in France. Mar. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat)! Secretary Baker revisited general headquarters and spent the entire day there today. The secretary stepped into a garage and asked the chauffeurs how they; were “getting on.” None of them recognized him and when he had left.' asked who the “inquisitive civilian' was. Five Americans crawled across No. Man’s Land last night and rushed a] dugout in which were six Germans, j Two of the enemy paused long enough j to exchange shots and are believed, to have been wounded. The raiders , returned to the American trenches unharmed, through a German barrage. Americans on the Toul front, in a silent raid without artillery prepara-' tion, took four German prisoners last night. Artillery action was heavier on this front during the night, the Germans putting down a barrage on the American positions. - (By William Philip Simms, United t Press staff correspondent.) > With the British Armies in France. • March 29—(Special to Daily Democrat s —ln the last 4S hours I believe Hindr enburg’s cohorts have been foirgnt - practically to a standstill. e Carefully sifted information from t widely different sources convinces me a that the German war lords battle plan i- has signally miscarried. The present spasmodic thrusts are d dua partly to recomposition of the 1 enemy's fighting forces and readjustment of its offensive scheme. From prisoners it is known the Germans expected to occupy Amiens I, on the fifth or sixth day of the offoiie’sive, cutting the Carais-Paris railway, a Yet Amiens still stands. s! Similarly, Arras, which was yesr terday's immediate object with Vimy, remains in the hands of the British.

Price, Two Cents.

The kaiser’s storm troops wore wrecked by the withering fire from machine guns and artillery. I Further cyclonic fighting is expected along the whole line. The first flush of the enemy’s enthusiasm is past. Prisoners say the offensive is not going as well as was expected. 1 While their loses are high, German i discipline will undoubtedly continue .the offensive, though their spirits are ’ much lower than at the start. | About 80 enemy divisions, (960,0'10 .men) have already participated. Many ! of these were badly mauled and are un ! fit to return to the firing line. Before the tide definitely turns, fresh divisions are being hurried toward the bat1 tie, while the enemy, though tired, is I trying to advance everywhere possible particularly south of the Somme, in 'an effort to reach the Amiens-Paris railway. | Against the British alone, fortyone divisions were hurled the first day of the battle; eleven more the second; .four more the third; nine more the fourth: six more the fifth: six more the seventh; one more the eighth and i about, five thereafter. * Slowly but surely, the enemy is t steadily losing headway. On the con- . trary. Hindenburg was expected to /gain momentum as the first strongly [entrenched positions were passed. J Meantime the enemy’s main thrusts J are in the southward, where the Ger- , mans are trying to drive a wedge between the French and British. 3 With the American Army in 3 France, Mar. 29—Sergeant-Major ‘ Charles Taft, son of former President. Taft, has been recommended for a 3 commission, it was learned today, s The recommendation, made through ‘.the routine channels, reached the ■1 chief of staff of a certain corps. It h fated that although Taft is still under age. he has served a year and a J half and shown qualifications warI renting a commission.