About Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920 | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1917)
Utfeswfe® JBcmi-Wci'fclx) SkuoMl VOLUME XIV. GERMANS BATTLE TO ESCAPE BRITISH WEDGES DRAFT BILL WILL PASS DESPITE FIGHT HALF MILLION MEN WILL BE CALLED JS "WAR VOLUNTEERS" U. S. Officials Prepare to Is-1 sue Instructions to Recruit ing Officers to Fill Up Army and National Guard WASHINGTON. April 12.—Threat of a serious fight over the general staff bill grew in congress today. Majority Leader Kitchin, sounding out ' nti-conscr!ption sentiment, found it very strong Frienas of the selective draft system are dwindling, but most still believe President Wilson will force it through. The war department prepared today i to issue instructions to recruiting offi-' <-ers which will be in effect a call fcr »o*.*a* volunteers to fill up the regu iar army and the existing units of the national guard All recruits enlisted since the declar ation of war and those to be enlisted hereafter will be notified that they will be discharged at the close of the war. putting theni in the status of war time v olunteers. • A total of 1.335 men already have beer, enrolled in the regular army who will i-ome under such a status. This number of recruits was accepted during the first ten days after the passage of the war resolution. Analysis of the pending administration b.ll as it affects the regular army and tne national guard shows that provision i» made for the absorption of 517.86* volunteers. Os these 161.519 will bi reeded to fill up the regular army and 3*6.34* for the national guard. As 150,-j 000 men must be withdrawn from thes-> j two services within six months to train: rhe first 500.000 increment of the seiec »tve conscript army, their places must be •aken by that nunjber of additional vol unteers. • By this plan while absorbing the vol-, uwreer spirit <jf the country, the feast- • bl’ity of depending entirely upon volun teers will be demonstrated. Army of•' •«. rs arc certain that it will show con-’ Kress. where there are some doubts ot •’•e selective • onscription plan, that con i. ; pt ion is necessary to maintain an -• . e*. »ale to meet the present sit- tts • ton. T >- senaite met today with practical!.-* !• n slate. The house did not meet. . ir.-r-rmv it will take up and pass - << or inn to Majority Leader Kitchin he ST.n-io.o.’O.Ovn bond bill, this coun trj’s first bit" in tiie world war. Ruth tb« army bill anti a tremendous t -t.’;e 1:11. designed to raise between and sl.*»oo.<Ho>.<»«>o by di rect taxes for war purposes, are ex pected before the house within -two weeks. Pressure is now being brought j<> on the house military committee to a-. on tht almy bill. Ways and means committeemen to day b -an conferences a ; io methods >f raising the extra taxes. S ret.-ry McAdoo conferred w: *i the »-nate fit: iti'-e committal on the bond is sue bill an<l outlined the administra tion's views on raising 32.b00.000.<»00 in general taxation. The house military committee, after a general exchange of views on the new administration bill to raise an army by selective conscription, agreed today to lose ail hearings next Saturday, when opponents of the conscription plan will lie heard The bill -probably will be re ported to tiie house next week. H. Grady Webb, Escaped Train Robber, Captured 1 hursday at Badin, N. C. CHARLOTTE. N. C-. April 12.—H. • Grady Webb, train rohiier. who was be ing transported to Atlanta federal prison ' r roni West Virginia and escaped from ' the officers on a train while in the yards I here one night last week, has been cap- ' t ured. * • He was captured today at Badin, near j Salisbury, and will be carried to At- T lanta today to begin hsi sentence Minister Sentenced to Five Years in Pen M’ll'LTßlE. Ga.. April 13.—With a recommendation that the charge against him !>*■ reduced to a misdemeanor, the jury t-ying Rev. J. J. Adams, a Baptist minister, aged 50. charged with decoying Miss I*ewey Kennedy, a young girl from home. returned a verdict of guilty against the defendant this afternoon Judge Thomas stentenced A lams to five years In the penitentiary, asserting that after taking all of the circumstances sur rounding the case into consideration he did not feel justified In following the .•try’s recommendation. Exchange Members Must List Aliens’ Securities NFAV YORK. April 12. Members of the New York stock exchange today were informed that they must submit by 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon a mem- , orandun; of securities and monies they are holding for alien enemies. Thia action was decided u|»on by governors of the exchange today with a resolution ' covering the order adopted. SAMPLE COPI RECRUITING BEGINS I FOB NATIONAL GUARD UNITS IN ATLANTA Officers for All Branches Are Opened With Gratifying Success Regular Army and Navy Stations Thronged Active recruiting was begun Thurs day morning by the Fifth regiment of Georgia infantry and the second squad ron of Georgia cavalry, following in structions from the war department to bring the national guard units up to maximum peace strength, which is just another name for war strength. The Fifth regiment opened a recruit -1 ing office at the auditorium-armory un der direction of Lieutenant Thomas F ‘ Jackson. and within an hour twenty I young men were sworn into the service of Uncle Sam. Troop L. of the Second squadron of cavalry, known as the Governor’s Horse Guards, opened its offi.e at 56 Gilmer street. on tne south side of the audi torium. The Horse Guard now is but a few men short of war strengtn. but it was stated that there are advantageous openings for cooks, farriers, etc., and I several non-com missioned officers’ places ' are vacant. Georgia field hospital No. I is station ed at LaKewood. It was stated that the field hospital may take steps to open a recruiting office in town. Recruiting continued brisk Thursday at the regular army station and *the navy and marine corps stations. STATUS of fifth. For three days Colonel Orville H. * ! Hall, commanding the Fifth, has been I waiting for the orders issued by th.- ; war department, instructing all national guard organizations to recruit up to the; maximum peace strength of the regular army, which is 10* men to the company. | They arrived Thursday morning at 11' ' o'clock from General Walter A. Harri s. ' commander of the Georgia brigade. As General Harris instructed Colonel Hall j to recruit to maximum peace strength. Colonel Hall, in accordance with the or ders. in turn instructed his subordinates to recruit to maximum peace strength. This means that the commanding offi cers of detachments of the Fifth, wher ever they are located, have the authority to go ahead and enlist men. Recruiting will, therefore, be more widespread and j effective than if it was confined to one office and one locality. It has been gen erally known for some time that all of ' the regiment is not stationed in Atlan ta. i hough'censorship has prevented an nouncement of the locations of the va rious companies. OPEN ALL DAY. The Atlanta recruiting office of the Fifth regiment is on the second floor | a. t':e auditorium. It is open all day and dur'ng the evening as long as re- 1 emits apply. The office had scarcely been opened Thursday before swearing in of the ; lecruits began. In fact, the recruiting I office of the regiment, anticipating the ' reception of the orders hourly, had be- I gun to examine applicants the day be- ' fore. Thus, within an hour after the orders I were received, the regiment's quota had been considerably augmentedand it was believed that within a very frhort time i the ranks will be full. The maximum peace strength to be recruited will be about 1.400 men. The Fifth now lacks | about 500 of this number. It was remarked that among the ap- ; plicants hardly 50 per cent were from Atlanta proper, this though the Fifth is ■ generally spoken of as "Atlanta's own." Many of the boys were farmer lads from north and middle Georgia, others were from suburban Atlanta. ; "It looks to me,” remarked one officer, "as if a few more Atlanta boys should | enlist In Atlanta's own.” This officer pointed out that now is ‘ the opportune time to enlist in the reg- I iment. as the new orders will Increase the number of non-commissioned offi , cers and leave vacancies which must he ; filled from the ranks. While the regular army recruiting . officer has received instructions from Washington lowering somewhat the strict physical standards for admission •to the ranks, the Fifth has so far not I yet received these instructions and the requirements are as strict as ever. NAVY SLOGAN "Nine hundred men in nine days.” This is the slogan these days at the | naval recruiting station in the federal buildings, and the reason is that just nine days are to elapse before the time I limit for Georgia to raise 1.20<i men ex pires. Up to Thursday morning a total of 253 men had been enlisted in the navy, leaving a balance of 947 that must be secured before April 20. if Georgia is i to supply the number of men asked of her by the navy department. Lieutenant H. R. Keller, in charge of recruiting, stated that Georgia was go ing to get the required number. “We will leave no stone unturned In our ef forts to get those nine hundred men in nine days, and unless I'm badly mis taken. Georgia will toe the mark when the 20th conies." he said Thursday. "What we need more than anything else right away is more men to help re cruit," he continued. "We are handling as many men now as we can. and in or der to double the number our office lorce and the men at work throughout the state must be materially Increased. "I have eighteen men at work in At lanta. and about fifty in the state, but I need more. 1 have wired for author , ity to hold men who re-enlist for re- I <*ruiting duty, and expect it will be I granted. PLEASHD WITH SUBSTATIONS “I am particularly well pleased with l the way substations are working, and \TLANTA. GA.. FRIDAY, APRIL' 13, 1917. I” ANOTHER VERY NECESSARY ARMY VC . \ x \ r\V ' V 'l . / ■. V i#* \ s' .. > gy.-lZ Ti- —rxL -/£ V V >’t A,” *' JKivIF AwJ (V/ 5' ;Ta a Iff /si - < /s " R t A ft' fyt- Y ff Jr' r V? Jl /■ 3z t .' < ■ iJS A /( y ■ / /"■ ■ /f? J'AnmurZ ' < .->n. JL''" / V IsrJ? J jßk r c fooj Aw* MEN, TUB Ta BLDW IIP PLANT. ■ AFTER DUEL -Attempt in Birmingham Frus- I trated by Watchman—Dyna mite Is Left Behind I BIRMINGHAM. Ala., April 12.—An attempt to blow up the benzol plant of* . the Woodward Iron company at Bes -1 semer. fifteen miles from here, is be lieved to have been frustrated early i this morning, when two men were I routed from the company’s property by la night watchman, after he had en | gaged with them in a pistol fight. After I the fight the watchman discovered a I stick of dynamite under one of the tanks near where the men were first | seen. I According to the watchman, whe nhe saw them they were told to halt. Upon refusing, he fired at them, and his shots immediately were returned. A fusillade of shots were exchanged and the men finally disappeared in the darkness. The Woodward plant is not far from the benzol plant of the Edison company at Bessemer. the results they are showing. More, men have been got by each substation in the past two weeks than ever before in the history of recruiting since I have been in charge." Lieutenant Keller s desk is swamped every morning with large batches of in quiries from every part of the state from youn~ men inquiring for informa tion on how to enlist. It plainly shows the need of more men to help recruiting, as many parts of the state have never been canvassed. Men apply for every position. but Lieutenant Keller stated that more men applied for the hospital corps and yeo man service than for any others. Men are needed in every branch of the navy, one being no more important than the other, unless it is active seamanship, for which branch the majority of re cruits are being enlisted. Fifty applicants were examined and enlisted Wednesday, and the office was again taxed to capacity Thursday, in suring that Thursday would see more men enlist than did Wednesday. Both Dr. Murphy and Dr. Dykes had their hands full examining applicants all morning. Eighty-nine men were‘accepted by the army recruiting station Wednesday, and over a hundred more applicants were In the office Tharsday by noon. The sta tion this month lias already secured 450 men from Georgia, which is 251 more than Georgia’s quota of 199 men required each month by the army officials. BRAZILIAN POPULACE CRIES IFOIIMI WITH GERMAN! Break With Austria Is Mo mentarily Expected in Rio de Janeiro BY H. B RSOBERTSON. • RIO DE JANEIItO. April 2. —Serious outbreaks in Sao Paulo marked the con tinued public insistence on war with Germany today. The proponents of war atacked houses of German-born resi dents of Sao Paulo and reserves of po lice were called out. Reports received here asserted a number of citizens had teen killed and wounded in resisting the guards. A break with Austria was momen tarily expected. German Minister Pao lis and his staff, with all German con suls. will be transported to Christiana on the steamer Rio de Janeiro, leaving here April 18, according- to formal an nounement today. A number of high sources were authority for the state ment that before the Germans’ depart ure Brazil’s rupture of diplomatic rela tions would be extended to include Ger many’s foremost ally. The Brazilian populace is crying war with an insistence that the government ' apparently will be able to withstand only temporarily. Inflammatory speak ers draw enormous crowds in the va- ' rious parks and on the city streets. Pa- : triotism is at a high pitch. The Journal du Commercio today’ de- I rnanded in the name of the public the arming of all Brazilian merchantmen, the seizure of interned German ships, taking over by the government of all German banks here and the ordering from German soil of all Brazilian clt- | izens. Chancellor Muller, who is also for- , eign minister, today cabled Sylvino Am- I aral, Brazilian minister at Berlin, to 1 request his passports. German Minister Paolis today declin-| ed Argentine’s offer of an escort of | Brazilian war vessels on his voyage home. The government has’ mobilized two di- I visions of the army to keep order in | districts of Brazil where German resi-, dents are most numerous. It was semi-officially stated that the' cabinet was drafting an embargo on shipment of meat. Ruy Barbosa, foremost advocate of war and one of the most popular figures in Brazilian public life, announces he is planning a monster war demonstration Saturday. Ever since tension whs cre ated between Brazil and Germany over sinking of the Brazilian steamer Pa rana by a Teutonic U-boat Barbosa has been demanding war. During the past EDDYSTONE EXPLOSION ’ ACCIDENT, MARSHAL SAYS Fire Official Declares It Was Result of "Flare-up" of Powder PHILADELPHNA, April 12. —‘There is no evidence of a plot," is the state- Jnent today by G. Chai Port, state fire marshal, who with a corps of special aides, is making an exhaustive study of the Eddystone Ammunition corporation plant, which was blown up Tuesday. An accidental “flare-up" of black pow der in the “shaking chamber" in the east end of the main building affected by the blast, started the explosion, said the marshal. Despite the statement of the state of ficial, federal officers are working today on the various clews that have been of fered from many sources. The fire mar shal said today that while he is open minded regarding the plot theory he would demand most conclusive proof before relinquishing his theory that it was accidental." Nearly sixty of the unidentified dead., still at the Chester morgue, will receive public burial today. Four additional identified dead today revealed the fol lowing: Clarence St. Clair Young, Jack sonville, Fla.; Hanna Brown, Phila delphia; Beatrice Hansen, Philadelphia; Bertha Moore, Darby. Another Explosion Suspect Is Arrested NEW YORK, April 12.—Hans Ehret, a German boy twenty years old. ar rested in Mount Vernon Tuesday night 1 and held here today without explana | tion by federal authorities, is believed to know about the Eddystone munitions disaster, according to the Mount Vernon police, who made the ar- I rest. The man was spirited into the federal ' building last night and was grilled for | hours by Captain Offley, department of | justice investigator and assistant dis- I trict attorney. It is said he made re marks which led to the belief that he | was connected with the explosion. He was caught as he sped through i Mount Vernon on a motorcycle, bound, i it is believed, for Boston. When officials, after Tfe had been stub- • ' bornly silent under cross-examination, told him the death penalty might await him as a spy. he is said to have con fessed to robbery of the Greenwich bank. New York, of $240, but denied any con nection with the Eddystone plot. week he has addressed scores of street meetings, fanning the flame of anger against Berlin info a conflagration of demand for instant hostile action. BOLGMH REPORTED SEEKING fi SEPJRME PEACE lffl ENTENTE Austria Also Said to Be Urging Pope to Move for Peace in Europe—Gets Little Encour agement PARIS, April 12. The American minister to Bulgaria has been handed his passports and has left Sofia, ac cording to a dispatch from the Bul garian capital reaching here via Zurich, Switzerland, today. LONDON. April 12.—Reports from a Swiss source have been received In .Rome that the Bulgarian minister at Berne has made overtures to the entente ministers with a view to the conclusion of a separate peace, says the Exchange Telegraph’s Rome correspondent. Similar advices regarding Bulgaria ' are sent by the Exchange Telegraph ' representative at Lausanne. He reports ; that the Gazette of that city states it has learned that semi-official Bulgarian delegations are in Switzerland endeavor ing to arrive at a basis for a separate peace with representatives of the en i tente. U. S, Not Surprised By Bulgaria’s Action WASHINGTON. .April 12.—Bulgaria’s reported action in breaking off relations with the United States was received here in official and diplomatic circles this afternoon with no surprise. At the state department, however, it was said no word of such rupture had come. At the Bulgarian legation it was stated no news of any kind had reached the legation from the home government •‘for some time.” Austria Presses Pope to Make Peace Move, Report ROME, April 12.—Austria is pressing Pope Benedict to move for peace among the European belligerents, according to an authentic report in Vatican circles today. The Carriere Della Sera, in mention ing the move today declared that the holy father is refusing to proceed now ‘‘for diplomatic reasons.’’ Germany Seeks Peace With America, is Report COPENHAGEN, April 12.—Apparent ly positive reports were received here today that the German foreign otfic was making overtures to the United States, it was understood these negotiations sought peace between the two nations. No further details were available here. Official circles manifested the most in tense interest in the report. It is understood that Secretary of State Lansing has already received the overtures through unofficial mediaries. The proixjsition as reported here is for the United States government to send Colonel E. M. House to The Hague for a secret “unofficial conference.” Germany’s terms were not specified in the reports here, but it was hinted there had been no change in her position as outlined by the German embassy in Washington early in December, when Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg made his formal proffer in the reichstag. At that time Germany hinted that the ques tion of indeinnity for Belgium would not be an insurmountable obstacle to peace, but plainly insisted on a return to th»9 status quo before the war—includ ing return of all her colonies, or a re arrangement of all belligerents* colonial possessions. Germany has frequently sent out un* official peace ‘‘feelers’’ in the past, in addition to the official proffer made early last December. The importance of the present peace overtures —if they are in progress— would depend entirely on the conces sions announced by Germany. When peace “feelers” were sounded in Washington by the Swiss minister, Dr. Ritter, representing Germany after de parture of Ambassador Bernstorff, Sec retary Lansing, on behalf of the presi dent, said the United States could enter tain no proposals from Germany until after the submarine decree had been withdrawn and the pledges for U-boat war under rule of international law re affirmed. w No Overtures Received By State Department WASHINGTON. April 12.—The state department today declared it had receiv- I ed no peace overtures—formal or other- i wise—from Germany and had no reason to believe any were en route. It added that this government is not ready for any such overtures and the de partment left the inference that the administration view is against a separ ate peace. It was pointed out today that Ger- I many’s reported overtures might be of i so “Inforintd" a nature that the state department might very well claim lack of any official basis for such reports. Previous "peace feelers’’ by Germany have always been put out in such tangi ble shape that they have first reached other governments usually in the form of mere reports without any official character. American Schooner Is Sunk; Crew Set Adrift . WASHINGTON. April 12 —The Amer-| ican schooner Marguerite, of New York, was captured and presumably- sunk by a submarine thirty-five miles southwest of Sardinia on April 4. and her. crew, in cluding one Ameican, exposed to forty six hours in open boats. A dispatch to ■ the state department today from Am- ' bassador Sharp at Paris, forwarded the information from the American consul at Tunis. The ship made no attempt to escape or resist and was refused all aid by the submarine. NUMBER 55. VALIANT BUT FUTILE ATTEMPTS fflOE TO CHECKJBEAT DRIVE British Line Rammed Forward North of Vimy Ridge and Two More Important Posi tions Are Captured LONDON. April 12.—Stumbling for ward over slippery hummocks or sticky mudholes in the most wintry April weather France has ever known. British troops were nevertheless ramming their line further and further forward against the Germans today. F ield Marshal Haig today jammed his forces still farther north of Vimy ridge. “Early- this morning.” he reported, "we captured two important, positions of the enemy lines to the north of Vimy ridge. Astride the river at Souchez a number of the enemy were taken prisoner. Two hostile attacks against our new positions at the northern end of Vimy ridge were driven off by machine gun ' fire, which inflicted heavy losses on the Germans. “We made some progress south of the Scarpe river.” The British commander-in-chief said the weather continued wet and stormy. The most desperate of all the bitter fighting that is marking the great push was apparently centeunng today north and south of the Arras-Cambrai high road At Monchy-le-Preux, (to the north) and around Bullecourt (to the south) the British have thrust forward two formid able wedges. Today they were bringing enormous pressure to bear on the sides of these wedges to sweep the foe out of I the intervening ground. It was against I both these wedges tnat the German I troops were being thrown in constant I counter-attacks. The Germans apparent ly realized the danger in the wedge and sweeping arm tactics under way by Field Marshal Haig. F ighting in the British offensive was apparently spreading northward this afternoon. In that direction a strongly defended hill near Givenchy, known as Piople, was taken. Boisenhache, a mile farther northward, was also captured. To the south the Canadians today ad vanced to the crest of Hill 145-. Thus far the Canadians have captured ~ four 8-inch guns, five 9:5 guns and twenty field pieces. One source of great pride in England today in the tremendous successes so far achieved In the drive was the extraor dinary perfection of the British com munication and supply services. Front dispatches agreed that despite unpre cendented snows, high winds and bitter cold weather, the troops even in the sec tions of their most speedy advance, had not out-distanced the supply transport. No army in the history of wars has ex pended such a supply of ammunition in its fighting as the British army has been expending in the big offensive. General Haig’s men are literally blasting their way forward. Every battle front report agrees on the utter havoc created by the concentrated British fire. The trans port service must be perfection, if the advance is to he a success and apparent ly the British service has been perfect tion. Dispatches today indicated the Ger mans were desperately- draining other sections of the line in massing reserves to oppose further advances by the Brit ish. Germans Driven Back In French Offensive PARIS. April 12.—1 nan attack last night on the new front below St. Quen tin between Coucy and Quincy-Bassee, the French drove back the Germans to the southwestern edge of the upper Coucy forest, capturing several impor tant positions, the war office announces. In the Chatnpagne the Germans were ejected from the trenches east of Sap igneul. w The statement follows; "Between the Somme and the Oise ' artillery fighting continued with vio lence during the night, especially in the region of Urvillers. "South of the Oise our troops, after artillery preparation, attacked the Ger man pOstions east of the line from Cou cy la Ville to Quincy-Bassee. After a spirited engagement we forced back the enemy as far as the southwestern edge of the Upper Coucy forest. Several Im portant points of support fell into our hands notwithstanding the resistance of the enemy who left a number of dead on the ground and prisoners in our hands. “In *tne region northeast of Soissons there v. ere patrol encounters and active ’ artillery- fighting. Especially- in the sec tor of Laffaux. North of the Aisne our reconnoitering parties penetrated ’the German lines at several points and brought back forty prisoners, one of whom is an officer. "East of Sapigneul a sharp attack en abled us to expel the enemy from cer tain portions of trenches which he had held since April 4 and our line was re-established intact. Two surprise at tacks by the Germans in the Champagne, in the sectors of Ville-Sur-Tourbe and Butte du Mesnil were broken up by our tire which inflicted losses o nthe enemy. “In an incursion into the German lines in the Woevre northeast of Rem enauville we inflicted appreciable losses on the nemy. Patrol encounters occur red southwest of Leintrey.” Arras Conflict’ Will Be Greatest of the War LONDON. April 12.—That the Arras conflict will develop shortly Into the greatest battle of the war was the pre diction made by Major General F. B. Maurice, chief director of military oper- i operations at the war office, in his week ly- interview wth the Assocated Press today. General Maurce declared the offen sive was being conducted according to plans completed in February, thereby controverting German claims that their retreat had upset the British schedule and that the Teutonic military authori ties control the situaion. The Briish losses during the first two days of the offensive were only half sus tained as compared with the correspoi.- ding time in the Somme offensive. Gener al Maurice declared.
