Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 43, Number 28, 14 December 1917 — Page 1

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AJLJ VOL, XLIII, NO. 28-ffl,adn!4? Palladium and Sun-TsUaT c v RICHMOND, IND., FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 14, 1917. SINGLE COPY, 2 CENTS

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FOOD BOARD BLAMED FOR

SHORTAGE OF SOGARIN U. S. Low Price Set by Administration Causes Supply to Go Abroad, President Spreckels of Sugar Refinery Says. FAMINE TALE DENIED

WASHINGTON. Dec. 14. Declaring there is no shortage of sugar in the United States and that the famine is local to the Atlantic sea-board, President Spreckels of the Federal Sugar Refining company, testifying today at the senate committee's - investigation placed the responsibility on the food edministratlon. ugar, he declared, was now passing through New York for Canada because of higher prices. The world's supply is approximately as former years, said Mr. Spreckels. Supply of U. 3. Is Same "The available supply of the United States is the same. There is no shortage of sugar in this country except in spots. The United States has ample today but not in the eastern Atlantic 1 .. states. N- -,. Mr; Spreckel said there still were 900.O0O.tons of last year's crops unused and estimated the 1917-1918 crop exclusive, of that produced by Germany, her allies and Russia, as 1,230,000 tons in excess of the amount produced in the same territory last year. "While the 900,000 tons of old sugar . exists It is a question of tonnage In oistributing It," he said. ,s Canadians Pay More ' The sugar going through New York, Spreckels said was raw and the Canadian refiners paid a higher price. "We entered Into an agreement with the food administration to pay a certain price for raw sugar," said Sreck,els. '"We adhered to that agreement uid the products normally imported into this country went abroad because better prices could be obtained, We were forced to close our refinery for lack of supplies." "If you could pay a higher price now could .you open your refinery?" f aid Senator Reed. "Not at once. Much of the supply has gone abroad and it would take time to get the raw product here." ' . On October 19, 1917. Spreckles said V he telegrarhed Food Administrator j t..Hoovar,urglagvi be allowed to-pay a higher price and agreed not td raise the price to the wholesalers if allowed to do so. The food administrator answered that $6.90 per 100. pounds price for imported raw sugar was high.

THREE Y. M, C. A. MEN IN FRANCE Richmond has thre Y. M. C. A. workers in France. J. Donald Peacock, who was graduated from Earlham college in 1916, Herbert Weed, formerly secretary of the Richmond "Y" and Clayburn E. Jones, who was also graduated from Earlham college, are the three "Y" workers abroad. Peacock was connected with the Richmond "Y" after he graduated from Earlham. Weed, after serving as secretary of the "Y" here, was the general agent of an insurance company. Jones, who wrs one of the four college, men, selected to establish Y. M. C. A. camps on the Italian front, was employed in Chicago. SAVE OLD TEA LEAVES LONDON, Dec. 14. Instructions have been sent to all Army and Navy canteens to save all used tea leaves, which are to be carefully kept In muslin bags and forwarded to central depots.

MAKE IT AREP mW& CROSS CHRISTMAS : THE WEATHER

For Indiana by United States Weather Bureau Fair; continued cold tonight. Saturday, partly cloudy and rot so cold. Today's Temperature Noon 14 Yesterday Maximum 21 Minimum 5 For Wayne County by W. E. Moore Continued cold and probably fair, with the temperature considerably below zero. Saturday, increasing cloudiness, followed by snow." General Conditions The storms and cold wave are following each other in lapid succession. The present storm Is moving east and will probably pass away tonight. The crest of the cold wave will reach here tonight. Another storm is now hovering over the Rocky mountains and is following thp same path as the present storm and another cold wave is moving slowly behind and will probably reach here the first of the week.

BEEF WAS TWO CENTS A POUND THEN

The collection and sarins of relics has always been a notable trait In the family of Edward J. Valentine. 206 North Ninteenth street. Valentine is the owner of , many ancient books. V , i,: He also is the owner of an old wallet, containing a list of prices on September 25, 1821. And prices have been airplaning ever since that time. . Chickens then sold for six and one-fourth cents each. Now one la scarcely able to buy a pound of chicken -for less than one-third the same amount. Beans sold, for twenty-five cents a bushel ninety-six years ago. Now they eell for twenty cents a pound, or $.14.50 a busheL The prices then and now follow: "'''"' ' 7 v ; ', - ' Then. .. Now. Apples........... .....25 cents bushel...'.;. ...... 3 to 8 cents pound. Beef..... .. ..;.,. ...Two to four cents pound. ...16 to 30 cents pound. Butter..... ..12 cents pound.,... 40 cents pound. . Beans. ................. ....25 cents bushel... .1..... ..20 cents pound., . Chickens.......... cents apiece........... 16 to 24 cents pound. Sugar..,.... .......... ...6V4 cents pound. ...... .....9 and 10 cents. Turkey............... 374 cents each........... .34 to 37 cents pound. Ham .4 cents pound... .....38 to 30 cents pound. Lard-... V 4 cents pound. .31 to 32 cents pound. Mutton....................l to 3cents pound.... .22 cents pound. ... Oats.................. .....12 cents bushel...... 65 cents busheL Potatoes............. 25 cents bushel.... '...$1.35 to $1.50 bushel. Pork. 2 to 3 cents pound .30 to 33 cents pound. Salted Beef 2 to 3 cents pound 18 cents pound. Veal 2 to 3 cents pound. ........ .18 to 25 cents pound.

Great German Attack Forestalled by Heavy Barrage of British

LONDON. Dec. 1. Bitter fighting was in progress almost the entire day Wednesday, east of Bullecourt, where the Bavarians attacked British positions, according to a Reuter dispatch from , British headquarters In France As a result of the attack, the enemy remained in possession of some ground he had taken early in the assault. "But to say that he is holding our trenches," the Reuter correspondent adds, "Js incorrect, 6imply because there are no trenches left where his new bit of front now runs. He has been digging violently under a ceaseless harrasslng fire to try to convert the shell-holes and outflanked traverses Into some sort of cover, but the value of the .gain to him is about on a par with the significance of its loss to us. In other words, being on level ground and with no advantage of position or observation the trifling readjustment of territory simply does npt matter. . , Barrage Prevented It. "We took only a handful of prisoners because in Use close grip of a struggle of this character, it is usually a fight to the finish. Talks with prisoners give the idea that an attack of considerable magnitude was designed but the promptness and intensity of BOMBS KILL ENGINEERS v Tty Associated Press) WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, Dec. 14. A number of American railway engineers have been killed by German aerial bombs in a town somewhere behind the British front. It is now permitted to announce that a German bomb fell in a street in a town through which American troops were passing. Pieces of the bomb shattered the windows of a house in which there were officers, showering them with glass, but hurting no one. Two American soldiers have died in hospital from gunshot wounds.

Two Cold Waves Scheduled to Hit Richmond This Week End

There is no hope of the early abatement of the extreme cold and snowy weather, Weather Forecaster Moore said Friday. General Winter, accompanied by two cold waves is now moving on Richmond and Wayne county and pre-! paring to strike the temperature far below zero, according to the Weather forecaster. The crest of the present cold wave will arrive in Richmond Friday night, the weather man said, and will cause zero temperatures. The weather will moderate Saturday afternoon and night long enough to cause snow and Sunday the little stream of red mer- J cury is scheduled to hover between the ten and fifteen below zero mark. The second cold wave is scheduled to strike the first part of next week, carrying low temperatures with it and also accompanied with plenty of snow. "White Christmas" Seen From present indications Richmond and Wayne county will experience a

U-Boat Menace is Held, But Not

LONDON. Dec. 14. "The submarine menace, in my opinion, is held but not mastered," said Eric Geddes, First Lord of the Admiralty, in the House of Commons today. "Our ship-building is not yet replacing our losses." "Since Nov. 1, when I made my last statement." Sir Eric continued, "the downward ?rend of mercantile marine! losses has continued satisfactorily. I The upward curve of merchant ship-! building and the upward curve of de-j struction of enemy submarines have been equally satisfactory. I have no reason to doubt that all three will continue satisfactory." The First Lord said that if the country would economize so as to restrict the use of tonnage and sea ships free for more urgent uses; If the English would follow the tradition of their race and put forth all their power, relaxing no effort to defeat the subma

our barrage prevented its development. "There was expectation that a further attack had been planned for this morning (Thursday) and shortly be

fore dawn a tremendous bombarding i operation blazed up, but our guns to mediately inunaerea uacK roeir repiy and no infantry action followed- It is reported that the struggle has boiled up again this afternoon, but I am unable yet to ascertain with what result Our gunners got wind of a formidable concentration of trench mortars designed to cover an infantry assault. They turned such a heavy fire upon the spot that nothing happened." crozier is BLAMED FOR RIFLE LACK Senators Criticize Head of Ordnance Department for Shortage of Arms.J - WASHINGTON, Dec . I4.r-State-ments regarding the prospective delivery of rifles, considered confidential by the war departments and other mat ters tne witness aecunea to oiscuss publicly were given' today by Major General Crozier, chief of ordnance at an executive session of the senate military committee's inquiry into alleged delays in supplying the war army. The committee's investigation which leaders say is the beginning of a general inquiry into the executive conduct of the war, has beeu under way since Wednesday with the examination thus far confined to General Crozier's testimony regarding guns and ammunition. His admissions yesterday of the existence of a machine gun shortage and that the American troops in France had been supplied with French weapons brought . a running (Continued on Page Twelve.) "White Christmas," the weather man said. However, the weather might change within the next week causing the snow to disappear, he said. The gas supply in Richmond was better Friday than it has been all week, due to the risiub temperature. The gas supply will Increase with a rise in temperature or decrease in a tall in temperature according to N. H. Johnson, manager of the Richmond Light, Heat & Power company Centerville, Cambridge City and ; Dublin were still desperately in need ; of coal Friday and efforts were being j made to send coal to Centerville and i Cambridge City. Temporary aid to meet immediate needs has been sent I to Dublin. The other towns in th'? county are fairly well prepared and have not appealed to Fuel Administrator Bates. ' Richmond Is still In a fairly good 6hape to meet the cold weather and several more cars of coal have been received by one coal dealer. rine, then the war could end only in victory. Need Still More Ships. "We must have ships, more ships, still more ships, and now I want the men to build them," Sir Eric added. He said the plans were made and the stell bad been obtained, and that unless he mistook the spirit of the country there would be an adequate response to the appeal for men. Since June, said Sir Eric, there have been only three torpedoed ships in home waters the salvage of which had been abandoned, and only one ship which it had been decided not to repair for the present In June 27 per cent of the total salved tonnage on hand was under repair, while today SO percent was undergoing the repairing process. Since August the output of ships repaired in drydock had increased 43 percent and repairs afloat by 45 percent.

AMERICAN

Top shows' pair of Sammies o bserving enemy airships. .In the hot torn picture Is shown General Perth Ing on a tour of Inspection of French lines at Chemln des Dames, accompa nled by French officers.. Map shows where American are fighting. WASHINGTON. Dec. 14. To the American troops now fighting in France has been assigned that sector of the front in which history was made in 1914 and also that sector which affords the best ctance for the allies' troops to bring the war right Into the heart of Germany, , who has really been viewing the struggle from. her balcony.

The section opposite Lorraine aodjplace .to strike and they watch with

around Verdun is the site of the Sammies' front line trenches, according to numerous recent stories which the censors have permitted to come through and Pershing's,-men have already had several tastes of, real war fatteiielr raids, artillery duels and visitations from the Fritz of the air. AGED FARMER SDFFOCATED Suffocation by gas caused the death of Elmira Nicholson. 71 years old, a farmer living one mile west of Greensfork, Thursday. . A neighbor. Charles Gause, went to the home of Mr. Nicholson and upon finding the doors locked and a light burning, telephoned Merritt Nicholson, a son. Upon the arrival of the son they broke into the house and found the body of Mr. Nicholson lying on the floor, where evidently it had lain for several hours. According to Coroner Morrow, who Investigated, the death was due to suffocation by hard coal gas, the gas being allowed to escape through poor adjustment of the drafts on a baseburner. It is thought that Mr. Nicholson must have died some time before midnight. Mr. Nicholson has been a resident of the Greensf ork community nearly all his life. He is survived by his two sons, Merritt, of Greensfork. and F. C Nicholson, of Richmond ; three sisters, Mrs. Electa Bish, Mrs. Mary Lamb and Mrs. Louisa Heath, air of Greensfork; four brothers, John Nicholson, George Nicholson, Rhodes Nicholson and Oscar Nicholson, all of Greensfork. , - Funeral services will be conducted in the Sugar Grove church, west of Greensfork, at 10 o'clock Saturday morning. Burial -will 'be" in Sugar Grove cemetery Friends may call at any time. j The First Lord described three new j national shipyards which were being ' built on the river Severn. The first keels, he said, would be laid there during the early part of the year of a more highly, standardized ship than had heretofore been undertaken. Prisoners To Lend Hand. A great deal of the steel work would be dope in bridge yards and a considerable part of the labor would be performed by prisoners of war and unskilled help. , These yards, added Sir Eric, will provide 34 ship building berths. They were located on the Severn because of the facilities there for the more comfortable and healthier housing of the workers. The cost of the new yards, he. said, would be 3,887,000. In the year 1913, continued Sir Eric, Great Britain launched 2,282,000. tons of ships, of which 1.920,000 tons was merchant tonnage. That, said the First

TROOPS'. AT GATES OF

The Lorraine front along the region of the Marne canal Is the historic battleground where General Sastelnau and his loyal French soldiers drove back the victoriously onrushing Teutons in one of the earliest battles of the war, when the Germans thought they were beaded straight for Paris. Petal n Tries It Later. General Petain In December, 1916. was successfully piercing the German lines. at this point,: intent on carrying the war directly into Germany, but was checked when the politicians at Paris and London planned their heavy strokes for other sectors. Neither general has ever given up faith in his idea that-the Lorraine front is the eagerness the plans being put forward by Pershing. .. The German positions at this point give her control of the Iron mines of the Bassin de Briey, wbich furnish her withrSOTier cent of the steel she uses for armament and without which she could not' carry on the war three

Women Don t Waste Time Over Toilettes These Cold Mornings; Most of 'Em Dress in 20 Minutes

Richmond women aren't wasting any time on dressing these cold, wintry mornings. Especially if one arises early and the furnace fire has not been lighted, with the wind howling without and the temperature flirting with the zero mark. Then it is, say the girls who report for work at 6even bells, that the onepiece dregs. is hurriedly sought and well, if they have ten minutes to get dressed, so that they get to work on time, they do it, and if they have twenty minutes to dress and still get to work on time, they take twenty minutes.- - - The amount of time it requires for Siberians Want to Be Adopted by U. S. SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 14. All of Siberia east of the Ural mountains is i clamoring to be sold to the United States, according to C. A. Hoffart. of Marysville, Cala., who has arrived here from Nicholalevsk, eastern Siberia. Hoffart, who Is manager of a British mining syndicate at Nicholaipvsk, said today the movement to have America acquire Siberia was so widespread that it had become the main ouestion ! of debate at political meetings and! that it had the support of the press! and thousands of citizens. I

Checked, Says Geddes

Lord; was th3 highest output ever reached." If the output for December was as good as that in November, the tonnage launched this year, he said, would be equivalent to that of 1913." The rate reached during November and thus far in December was 18 per cent higher than in 1913. , i ' More U-Boats at Work. ' ..When The Associated Press inquired of a high nava authority today "if the anti-submarine was going well and what was the reason for the high rate of sinkings in the past three weeks," the answer was "The enemy has had more submarines at work. "He has actually been attempting a submarine offensive of the - greatest possible magnitude in an effort to reenforce his offensive on land. He is trying to bring off 4 coup which will incline up to peace. "He has failed signally on sea as on

GERMANY

months, according to her own steel experts. In the "quiet sector," where our Sammies are entrenched, flanked by the invulnerable Verdun on the northwest and the French positions In the Alsatian. Vosges on the southeast, lie the bodies of 40,000 Germans, the flow, er of the army of the Crown Prince of Bavaria, where for twenty-eight days in August and September, 1914, five French army corps under Castelnau fought seven under the crown prince. Castelnau Saves J off re. While Castelnau and the Crown Prince of Bavaria were battling It out in this sector the great battle of the Marne was being fought farther west and the eyes of the world were on the Marne. For that reason the limelight never showed with full brilliancy on Castelnau and his valient men, but had. they been defeated by the Germans the' battle of the Marne might, have-nad .-fr-different eonclnston' It was the plan of the Varavian to outflank the Joffre army at the Marne, if he could get past Castelnau. a woman to dress. Is based on the time at their disposal, Richmond women say. "It all depends on how much time I have at my disposal and where I am going," Mrs. F. W. Krueger, Richmond singer, says. "If I am going to sing a solo it takes me longer than usual, but ordinarily I can dress in twenty minutes' time at the longest." Miss Lillian Adams, employed at the office at the Starr Piano Company, says she can dress In ten minutes if it is neJessaiS' for her to do so and still get to the office on time.. Takes Thirty Minutes. "But if I have planty of time it takes me thirty minutes," she said. Miss Mary E. Williams, supervisor of art in the public schools, says she can put on a shirtwaist and skirt in twenty minutes. A one-piece dress comes to the rescue if she's in a hurry. Miss Stella McGreevy, chief operator at the Richmond Home Telephone Company, is also an advocate of the one-piece cire6S. Ordinarily she can dress in twenty minutes however. The one-piece dress is used in an emergency. Alter au, it aoesn t taice women much longer to dress than it does men. FOE GENERAL KILLED AMSTERDAM. Dec. 14. The man General von Wartenberg killed in action on Nov. 5. Gerwas I land and he has had to pay a heavy price. Our counter measures are meeting .with ' increased success and the enemy will experience constantly increasing difficulty in maintaining his campaign. - . - - . "If the shipbuilding efforts can be properly spurred on in England and America," the allies will be able to say within a measurable time that tonnage is being launched at a rate ex- , ceeding the sinkings; and also, if the navai measures continue 10 improve ! as it is reasonable to expect, that U-

boats are being sunk faster than the Germans are able-to build them, and that the German U-boat fleet steadily is dwindling away. - "Much still depends on American ship-building, but as encouragement to those who are putting their efforts into that work, it may be said with confidence that the allied navies are able to handle the U-boat" i . ' ' : " ' -

DELEGATES OF BOLSHEVIK! EMPOWERED TO MKEJEACE Negotiations Can Start Immediately After Armistice Is Signed, Says Official Word From Petrograd.

WESTERN FRONT BUSY (By AssoctaUd Press) Official announcement Is made by the Bolshevik! government at Petrograd that the Russian delegates to the armistice conference now in progress at Brest Litovsk are empower ed to begin peace negotiations with, the Central Powers if an armistice Is signed. Meanwhile the struggle for power in Interior Russia Is growing more bitter. Advantages In the Civil warfare are claimed by both sides. The Bolshevikl assert success In the fighting with General Kaledine's Cossacks in the vicinity of Bielgorod, some 350 miles south of Moscow, while the Cos sacks are reported victorious at Ro Btov-On-The-Don, capturing the city and forcing the Bolshevik! troops to retire across the Don. Foe Press Predicts Drive. Attention is attracted by the fact that the German press is being per mltted to predict a German offensive on the western front, a rather unusual prelude to any new aggressive move by the Germans especially Immediately preceding one. ThiB front, however, Is admittedly more active as a whole on the German side than for a long time, with brisk artillery battles and reconnoterine thrusts In force frequent occurrences at point after point along the extended line. An artillery action, it Is to be noted, has broken out In the Champaign which has been pointed to as one of the fields where the Germans might attempt an offensive in an effort to break through in the direction of Paris. , 'Of actual infantry fighting there baa been- little- in the last 24 hours. London announces that the British were successful yesterday In improving their position as the result of the local operation in the Cambrai area, east of Bullecourt. Berlin declares the British were beaten back in an attack at this point. SMALLPOX IS CHECKED HERE The smallpox situation In Richmond Is dally Improving according to Dr. S. G. Smelser, secretary of the city board of health. The number of cases In the city Is decreasing every day. Friday one new case was reported to the health authorities. It is the first case reported In the last three days. Dr. Smelser said. Quarantine has been lifted at between eight and ten houses during the la6t three days. Vaccination Is still urged however, as It be believed that the spread of the disease was prevented by a general vaccination of adults as well as children. 2,160 MEMBERS OF RED CROSS There are now 2,160 members of the Red Cross in Wayne County. By Christmas eve Mrs. Elbert Shirk,, chairman of the campaign which starts Monday, hopes to go above the goal, 10,000 new members set for Wayne County.' Captains, lieutenants and workers will be given final instructions Saturday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at th3 First Presbyterian church at a mass meeting for all Richmond women Interested in the work. Tuesday and Thursday of next wee!s luncheons will be held at the Y. M. C. A., when captains will make partial reports to the chairman. Will Not Quarantine Smallpox in Town of Bicknell, Ind. BIC KNELL, Ind.. Dec. 14. Fifty persons are suffering from smallpox in Bicknell and the city board of health refuses to quarantine them. Tfe city board of health has refused to quarantine the smallpox sufferers on the ground that, the city has no money to do so. -- ' A suit is pending against the city filed by a Bicknell grocer who says he provided foodstuffs for smallpox patients last year and now the city refuses to pay the bill. Several cases of diphtheria and scarlet fever have been reported and these cases hav ben nuamntlned.