®he Atlanta 3ronn!
VOLUME XX.
GERMANS SINK ELEVEN SHIPS IN NOR TH SEA
TOO MUCH RED TIPE
IN GETTING MONEY.
GEN. CROZIER SAYS
Ordnance Chief Continues Tes-
timony on Situation at Open
Session of Senate Military
Committee
WASHINGTON. Dee. 17.—Inquiry into
alleged delays in supplying the army
with guns and the curtailment of funds
recommended by the ordnance bureau for
that purpose was taken up again today
in open session by the senate military
committee after a two days examination
of Major General Crozier behind closed
door a
General Crozier continued his detailed
statement of the ordnance situation as
far as it revealed nothing the war de
partment considers a military secret
At Saturday's hearing General Crozier
told the committee that while congress
had been generous with funds the ap
propriations recommended by the gener
al staff invariably were reduced by civil
ian executives, and the reduction of
ordnance was chargeable to executive
action.
General Crozier declared there was
‘entirely too much red tape" in getting
money. While an emergency appropria
tion request for a lump appropriation of
52.933.537 was made by the war depart
ment April 5, the day before the war
was declared, it was June before con
gress made appropnationsu nder the es
timates.
“But you had millions of dollars left
of appropriations made a year before,"
interrupted Chairman Chamberlanin. “I
have not been entirely satisfied with any
explanation made of this matter. For
instance, you had money appropriated
for machine guns and you haven’t the
guns yet. We appropriated for small
arms and you spent the money for pis
tols instead of rifles.”
“We were far shorter of pistols than
rifles.” General Crozier answered "We
are not going to be slowed up in this
war in the slightest degree on account
of rifles.”
“I don't think the country will be sat
isfied with that explanation." Senator
Chamberlain insisted. "We need rifles
for target practice and training purposes
and in the field.”
How prospective appropriations by
congress were anticipated was recites
oy General Crozier. For instance, he
said orders were placed for 9.000,000
rounds of ammunition early last spring
before any funds were available. Hesle
tailed how many new factories that had
never before made gun forgings were
given large contracts, to Increase ord
nance production
"We have placed orders of more than
S 1.500.009.000 since the war began.”
General Crozier explained, citing the
magnitude of operations. “That is more
than 50 per cent over the entire govern
ment's expenses for any years since the
Spanish war.”
Senator Wadsworth asked whether
.the government should have an officer
or department similar to England's min
ister of munitions.
"My own belief is that the better
way is to enlarge and strength existing
organizations rather than create new
ones,” General Crozier replied. • “Quick
er results have been obtained here than
by the British organization."
Senator Hitchcock said that it seemed
•here »a, an unusual length of time
between appropriations and deliveries
and asked whether the war department
had considered any “speeding up” plan.
"We think and. I think, the country
thinks that there has been too much
delay, too much red tape, too much
.•ircumlocution in the department.” said
Senator Hitchcock “Has any effort
been made to shorten up the processes?”
••Yes. a creat deal of tape has
been eliminated.” said General Crozier.
Daniels Approves the
Proposed Navy Inquiry
WASHINGTON. Dec 17- —Plans for
the proposed inquiry into the navy’s
war activities were begun today at a
preliminary meeting of the house naval
sub-comm it tee entrusted with the work
of starting the investigation.
Secretary Daniels has approved the
purpose of the inquiry and declared the
more congress learns of the navy over
seas and at home the better congress
will be satisfied.
The probe will open Wednesday with
Secretary Daniels and Admiral McGowan
is the first witnesses, th* investigation
committee has decided
Means, Acquitted, May
Be Held in New York
NEW TORK. Dec. IT.—Gaston B.
Means acquitted in Concord. N. C.. «f
the charge of murdering Mrs. Maude A.
King, wealthy widow, may be indicted
:n New York for forgery and embezzle
ment. District Attorney Swann said to
day he believed Mrs. King's will was
forged and her funds embezzled. He
will confer with Assistant District At
torney Dooling, who has been aiding in
he prosecution of Means, before tak
ing any action here.
ALABAMA DOCTOR
CONQUERS PELLAGRA
Great excitement prevails among the
medua! fraternity of the south, over the
reputed discovery of a cure for Pella
kra by the famous scientist. Dr. W. .1.
McCrary. I ft l Park square. Carbon Hill.
Alabama.
Several prominent physicians state
ihat Ur. McCrary's discovery has suc
ceeded in curing scores of cases which
were considered hopeless. Since an
nouncing his discovery, the doctor has
been literally swamped with requests for
information, and in order to quickly
spread the glad tidings to sufferers of
this dreaded disease a few public-spir
ited citizens of Carbon Hill have arrang
ed to assist Dr. McCrary in publishing
in illustrated 50-page book, which not
only explains the cause of Pellagra,
but also tells how it maj •»* quickly
cvercome by anyone in the privacy of
their own home. While the supply lasts
this book will be sent in plain, sealed
wrapper without cost to any reader of
this paper, who writes to Dr. McCrary.
(Advtr)
Full Associated Press Service
PROHIBITION DEBATE
WAXES WARM 111 HOUSE
Agreement Reached for Vote
Late Monday—Gompers
Is Storm Center
WASHINGTON. Dec-. 17.—With the
air tense, the house of representatives
shortly after 11 o'clock started de
bate on the national prohibition amend
ment approved by the senate.
Final vote scheduled for 5 p. in. was
confidently awaited by the anti-saloon
forces. It was regarded by both sides
as the preliminary to the bigger fight
in the forty-eight state legislatures, ap
proval of thirty-six being necessary
to make this a dry nation.
Bitterness over organized labor's op
position to the amendment developed in
the opening speech for the “drys” by
Representative Webb, chairman of the
house judiciary committee and co-au
thor of the resolution.
“Samuel Gompers never has and does
not represent organized labor on this
question. The great body of American
labor realizes well the great benefit to
them of this amendment,” said Webb.
The attack on Gompers was taken
up by Cooper. Ohio. “It is a blood
faced lie.” he shouted, “to say labor in
this country is opposed to prohibition.
Youngstown, Akron and Columbus, la
bor centers in my state, voted dry at
the recent election. The state went wet
because of the ability of some prospec
tors in Hamilton county to find things,
and at the last moment they found 1,000
wet votes. Leave out Cincinnati and
Hamilton county, the wettest section of
the United States, and Ohio and the
labor centers in it were overwhelmingly
dry.”
Gard, Ohio, opening for the opposi
tion. sounded the keynote of the wets.
States rights and war harmony would
be injured by raising the national pro
hibition issue in the various states at
this time, said Gard.
States Mights Issue
Representative Chandler, New York,
declared the amendment is the only one
ever prepared which attempted to dele
gate rights of the individual states to
the federal government. ’
“No real advocate of states rights
can vote for this amendment,” he said.
Reveiwing the existing constitution
al amendments, he pointed out every one
either “modifies, defines or interprets”
the orginal body of the constitution.
None he said, carry police powers be-
Ilonging properly to the states.
Representative Dyer, of Missouri, op
posing it, declared the issue nothing
more or less than whether congress
shall stand by “Dinwiddle and the Anti
saloon league, who think more of this
issue or whether America or Germany
shal win this great war.”
As the debate ran on. Representative
Barkley, of Kentucky, one. of the prohi
bition leaders, claimed that a complete
canvass of the state delegations indi
cated adoption of the resolution by a
margin of fifteen votes over the neces
sary two-thirds. •
Many members made short speeches on
both sides of the question.
Gompers. in a full page advertise
ment in local papers, had addressed an
open letter to Webb in defense of beers
and light wines.
One Democrat and one Republican
from each side were selected to control
the division of time in the debate: Webb
and »olstead for the drys and Gard and
Graham for the wets. This plan was
adopted after Republicans defeated an
attempt to place a Democrat in charge
of the drys’ time and a wet Republican
in control of the other half.
With the galleries crowded by .tem
perance advocates. Speaker Clark
warned against outbursts anA asked
members for an orderly debate.
The drys predicted victory confidently.
They anticipated that the labor argu
ment would be insufficient to beat the
measure in view of the ever-growing
anti-liquor sentiment of the nation.
Moreover, they said that with the
matter submitted back to the state leg
islatures. they can still procure the
necessary number of ratifying votes
in the Seven years allottea for that
purpose.
The vote was to be taken at 5 p. m.
Bryan came to Washington today to
induce congressmen to vote “aye” on
the amendment. “The Commoner” vis
ited the white house this morning to
confer with the president.
“I think the states will ratify this
amendment if the house passes it.”
Bryan said.
Both sides held consultations, lining
up their forces preliminary- to the con
vening of the house-
Prohibitionists conceded that the op
position had gained some strength in
the last few days but expressed con
..uence in the adoption of the‘resolu
tion by a narrow but safe margin.
Representative Randall, of California,
predicted twenty more votes than were
necessary.
Opponents of the resolution gave no
figures but declared their belief that
Lhc resolution would not be adopted.
Temperature Will Take
Upward Journey This
Week Forecast Says
A marked rise in temperature was
forecasted by the weather bureau Mon
day for the entire United States with
Atlanta and the southeast coming in
for a fair share of midwinter spring
time.
From 24 degree- about 7:30 Monday
morning the mercury by noon had risen
to 35. Tuesday noon it will be about
40 and Wednesday noon about 50, says
Forecaster von Herrmann.
Monday night is to b* fair and com
paratively warm. Tuesday is to he
warmer with th* possibility of local
showers. All th* ice should be gone
by Tuesday night. Nowhere in the
United States will it be below zero
Tuesday, says the forecaster.
The coal situation in Atlanta was un
changed Monday, according to the local
fuel administrator. Harry Kennedy.
Supreme Court to Recess
WASHINGTON. Dee. 17.—Chief Jus
tice White today announced that the
supreme court’s Christinas recess will
be from Wednesday, December 19, to
January 2.
Hundreds Dying of Famine
WASHINGTON. Dec. 17.—Hundreds
are dying of famine at Tehran. Persia,
said state department advices today, ad
ding an appeal for relief.
RUSSIAN LEADER
DENIES RUMDR OF
SEPARATE PLAGE
M. Vorovsky Is Quoted in
Stockholm Paper as Repudi
ating Report That He Is Ne
gotiating With Germany
STOCKHOLM, Dec. 17.—M. Vorovsky,
said to be the representative here of
the Bolsheviki government, is quoted
by the Tidingen as saying that the
story published by the Social Demo
kraten concerning secret negotiations
between the Bolsheviki and Philip
Scheideniann, the German majority So
cialist leader, and other German Social- ,
ists. is untrue. He says it is true I
that Scheidemann and other Socialists ,
are' in Stockholm, but no secret confer
ences have been held nor are any con
templated. No conferences will be open
ed. lie added, unless the entente powers
agree to enter the negotiations for a
general peace.
The Brest Litovsk conference of min
isters representing the armies of Ger- ;
many and Russia will presumably con- :
tlnue, irrespective of negotiations at
Stockhlm.
The Bolsheviki, it was reported, first
suggested the conference with Scheide
niann at the Swedish city, in the belief
they could line up Scheidemann’s ma
jority Socialists against German im
perialism.
Railway Union Denies
Reported Escape of Czar
PETROGRAD. Dec. 17. —Railway
union headquarters today received a
dispatch from Tobolsk declaring for
mer Czar Nicholas had not escaped as
widely reported.
Russians and Germans Will
Fraternize Under Armistice
PETROGRAD, Sunday, Dec. 16.—The
terms of the Russo-German armistice ac
cording to a statement issued here, obli
gate no transference of troops until Jan
uary 14 (January first Russian): no in
crease of troops on the fronts or on the
islands in the Moon Sound or a regroup
s free. The Germans are not to con
centrate troops between the Black sea
and the Baltic east of the 15th degree
of longitude east of Greenwich. Inter
course between the troops may be allow
ed from sunrise to sunset. Groups are
limited to 25 persons at a time who may
exchange newspapers and unsealed mails
and who may carry on trade and ex-,
change articles of prime necessity.
A special agreement will be made by
the naval general staff regarding the ex
tension of the armistice to the White
sea and the Russian coast in the Arctic
zone. It is agreed also that attacks on
war and commercial vessels must stop
in these regions in order to avoid at- j
tacks in other seas.
The armistice «n the naval front em
braces all of the Black sea and the
Baltic sea east of the meridian 15 de
grees east of Greenwich. The Demar
cation line fixed for the Black sea is
from the light house of Slinka to the ,
estuary of the Danube to Gape Garos. >
In the Baltic the line runs from Reo
guel to the western coast of Worms is
land to the island of Bagsher to Khe
garne. Russian war vessels must nut
cross south of this line and the other
parties must go north.
The Russian government guarantees ]
that the entente war vessels will obey
the rules of this provision and that Rus- '
sian warships will not be allowed to i
sail among the Aland islands. The text'
of the armistice agreement follows:
“Between the representatives of the
higher command of Russia on the one]
hand, and of Bulgaria. Germany, Aus-1
tria-Hungary and Turkey on the other]
for the purpose of achieving a lasting
and honorable peace between both par
ties, the following armistice is conclud
ed :
“The armistice shall begin on Decem
ber 4 (December 17). at 2 o’clock in the
afternoon, and continue until January 1
(January 14). The contracting parties
have th* right to break the armistice by
giving seven days’ notice. Unless notice
is given the armistice automatically con
tinues.
“The armistice embarces the land and
aerial forces on the front from the Bal
tic to the Black sea, and also the Russo-
Turkish front in Asia Minor. During
the armistice the parties concerned obli
gate themselves not to increase the num
ber of troops on the above fronts or on
the islands in Moon Sound, or to make a
regrouping of forces.
“Neither side is to make operative
any transfers of units from the Baltic-
Black Sea front until January 1 (Janu
ary II). excepting those begun before
the agreement is signed. They obligate
themselves not to concentrate troops on
parts of the Black sea or Baltic sea east
of 15 degrees of longitude east of Green
wich.
"The line of demarcation on the Euro
pean front is the first line of defense.
The space between will be neutral. The
navigable rivers will be neutral, their
navigation being forbidden except for
necessary purposes of commercial trans-1
port or <>n sections where the positions
are at a great distance. On the Russo-j
Turkish front the line of demarcation,
will be arranged at the mutual consent]
of the chief commander."
"Intercourse will allowed from sun-j
rise, to sunset, no more than 25 persons ]
participating at a time. The partici-]
pants may exchange papers, magazines,
unsealed mail and also may carry on
trade in the exchange of articles of
prime necessity.
“The question of release of troops
freed from service who are beyond the
line of demarcation will be solved dur- ]
ing the peace negotiations. This ap-■
plies also to Polish troops.
"Naval fronts: The armistice cm- ■
braces all the Black sea and Baltic]
sea east of the Meridian 15 degrees east
of Greenwich. applying to all naval and
aerial forces. In regard to extysion of
the armistice to the White sea and the f
north Arctic Russian coast a special
agreement will be made. Attacks upon ;
war and commercial vessels must cease :
in the above regions and attacks in I
other seas must be avoided.”
After fixing the liens of demarcation
in the Black and Baltic seas and limit
ing the movement of warships the gree
nient stipulates that commercial naviga
tion of these seas wil be permitted un-
9
ATLANTA, GA., TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1917.
“OVER the: TOP!” |
—~~—
Br / ■
• <•
- -<? O- 5 -> L' ?
IB;
km - ' -
in DOO’- 0 >Z / ’ - i
'/ A ■
Ow:<- - . / - I
XMAS RED CROSS
DRIVE GETS OFF
TO FLYING START
‘Atlanta Office Flooded With
Telegrams Asking for Addi-'
tional Advertising Matter.
Director Milner Says
Although the campaign barely had
I time to get under way. early reports
i received Monday morning at the offices ;
iof the southern division of the Red ,
I Cross show that in every section of the I
r south the drive for 600.000 new mem-
; bcrs by Chrisetmas day seems destined
! to reach its goal.
| "The offices were almost flooded with
telegrams this morning asking for ad
ditional advertising matter.” said Wil
lis J. Milner, Jr., publicity director,
"and showed that the campaign has I
gone far beyond the basis we expected
a sa starter. There is no doubt that
the south will come through with its
quota of new members by Christmas
day.”
On Sunday services were held in all
' the churches of Atlanta, in which ap-
I peals for the Red Cross were made. The
’ subject was stressed by Hilly Sunday at!
the tabernacle and 10,000 people at the 1
auditorium heard Congressman William j
S. Goodwin, of Arkansas, tel! of the
morale-building influence of the Red
Cross in the countries of our allies,
building influence of the Red Cross in
the countries of our allies.
Mr. Goodwin was a member of the
foreign relations committee which w*as
on the firing line in Europe and got all
his information at first hand.
"From now until spring,” he said,
"the war in Europe will be an economic I
war and one in which most of the fight
ing will be done by the Red Cross in ■
helping our soldiers and the soldiers of
our allies, besides bringing sustenance I
and cheer to the weary people of I
I France.” ,
Congressman Enlists
I WASHINGTON. Dec. 17.—Representa- I
ttive Johnson, of South Dakota, enlisted
i today as a private in the regular army
land was assigned t.o Camp Meade. He
'has not resigned his seat in the house.
• I
der rules to be formulated by a com
mission.
Immediately after the signing of the
armistice peace negotiations are to be
begun. It provided that measures shall
be taken for the exchange of civil pns
; oners, invalids, women and children un-
I der fourteen years, and for the ameliora
! tion of the condition of war prisoners
The treaty concludes with these w-ords: i
"With the purpose of teeilitating the I
conduct of peace negotiations and the |
I speedy healing of the wounds caused by j
I the war. the contracting parties take
I measures for re-establishinment of cul
| tural and economic relations among the
| signatories. Within such limits as the
armistice permits, postal, commercial
relations, the mailing of books and pa
pers, will be permitted, the details to be
worked out by a mixed commission,
representing all the interested parties,
at Petrograd.”
HOOVER TAMS HSNII IN ’
SENATE SUGAR PROBE
! President Spreckles, of Feder
al Sugar Refining Company,
Gives Testimony
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17.—Food Ad
ministrator Hoover personally appeared
I today at the senate committee investiga
! tion of the sugar shortage and asked
to make a statement of his version of
conditions.
I The committee, after considering the
request in executive session, went on
i with the questioning of President
i Spreckels, of the Federal Sugar Resin- i
ing company, one of the food adminls- I
trator’s chief critics, without announc- I
ing any decision on Mr. Hoover's re- (
quest. The food administrator then left
the committee room.
Spreckels declared that if this year's
; western beet sugar crop had been al
; lowed to come east there would have
been “an abundance of sugar.”
As the refined price for beet, he said,
had been set by the food administra
tion at $7.25 at all ports, the western
refiners sold in the west to escape
freight charges to eastern ports.
Spreckels reiterated that at the time
J his refinery was about to close for lack
of supplies, 110,000 tons of raw cane
! sugar was held by the California-
Hi waiian company and the Western Re
fining company and that George M.
Rolph. president of the former and di
rector of the sugar division of the food
administration, declined to allow any
of it to come east.
Spreckels testified that the price for
the Cuban sugar now coming on would
have been less than it is had it not
been regulated and that the regulation ,
! would result in additional revenue ot
$9,000,000 to the California-Hawaii Re-1
;fining company.
There should have been plenty of su-,
gar in the cast this fall. Spreckels main-I
\ tained. if stocks held by Rolph s com- i
pany and the Western Refining company j
had been allowed to be shipped.
CIPT. “TIP” BISON
INTERRED IT OAKLAND
The remains of the late Captain Wil-,
'Ham Henry ("Tip”) Harrison were in
tered at Oakland cemetery Monday aft
ernoon at 3 o’clock, burial having been
postponed from Sunday afternoon on
account of the non-arrival of Captain
| Harrison's grandddaughter, Mrs. Morris |
•H. Bennett, from Waterbury, Conn.
I The funeral services were held Sunday;
I afternoon at 3 o'clock from the Trinity ’
Methodist church. Rev. Charles O. I
Jones, pastor, officiating. Ths six ne-1
phews of the deceased acted as pallbear
ers, while the capitol officials and mem
bers of Atlanta Camp No. 159 U. C. V..
formed the honorary escort.
Awaiting the arrival of Mrs. Bennett,
the remains were removed to the chapel
of H. M. Patterson &- Son. The inter
ment Monday afternoon was private.
AMERICAN SECTOR
ALONG FIRST LINE
TRENCHES CHANGED
By Shifting Training Grounds
General Pershing Is Causing
Serious Confusion to the
German General Staff
NEW YORK, Dec. 17.—There are indi
cations the American sector along the
French first line trenches has been chang
ed from the vicinity of the Rhine-Marne
canal where the first American prison
ers were captured by the Germans. It
is also probable that the Germans do
not know where the Americans have
j gone and their recent series of raids
along the Alsace and Lorraine borders
I has been undertaken to try to discover
• the new location of the American con
tingent. The absence of any recent an
nouncement by the Germans of captured
Americans suggest the kaiser’s curiosity
concerning the whereabouts of Uncle
Sam's troops has not ben gratified.
The entrenched front all along th>i
Lorraine and Alsace borders exceeds one
hundred miles. There are many sectors
that arc capable of being used lor Amer
ican training trenches. By changing
the training grounds General Pershing
would be instructing his troops in ways
of deceiving the enemy while at the
same time he would be causing serious
confusion to the German general staff.
A further gain would result to the Amer
icans by familiarizing them wtih differ
ent parts of the Alsace-Lorraine border
It is of fundamental importance to Von
Hindenburg io discover if he can, where
the major American offensive will be
developed. The offensive might occur
in at least half a dozen different posi
tions along a front of 100 miles. If the
American trench training were to be
I concentrated in a single sector :t
, wouldn't be difficult for Von Hindenburg
I to deduce the direction of the American
' blow. By moving his men about. Gen
eral Pershing will keep this vital in
i formation from reaching the kaiser. If,
i therefore, the front line sector of the
. Rhine-Marne canal no longer provides
i the principal training trenches for the
1 Americans General Pershing has ready
started the kaiser guessing.
■
4,000 Subscribed
To Buy Testaments
For Dixie Soldiers
The Journal's fund to buy Testaments
for the soldiers of Dixie went beyond
$4, JOO Monday.
With additional contributions in the
I next few days, the fund may mount
much higher, but The Journal is anx-
I ious to close the list early this week
and mail the total to the American Bl
i b]r society, in order that the Testa
’ ments may he forwarded to the train
i ing camps as soon as possible.
! Contributions now it) the mail or be
lated donations that reach The Journal
within the next few days will be added
to the fund, but they must be sent at
once. The extension of time authorized
by the American Bible society formally
ends Tuesday night of this week. All
checks should be sent to The Journal
by that time.
NUMBER 24.
NEW PEACE PROFEER
FROM HONS THROUGH
NEUTRALS REPORTED
Will Assert "Political Disinter
estedness” in Belgium, but
Will Not Mention Alsace.
Review of Fighting in Italy
LONDON, Dec. 17.—One British and
five neutral merchantmen, a British de
stroyer and four mine sweepers have
been sunk in the North sea by German
naval forces.
The losses were the result of an at
tack on a convoy bound from Scotland
to Norway, Sir Eric Geddes, first lord
of the admiralty, announced today. The
total tonnage of the lost merchantmen
was 8,000.
Two neutral merchant vessels and a
trawler were sunk off the Tyne on De
cember 12 by German destroyers, Thom
as J. McNamara, financial secretary* to
the admiralty, announced in the house
of commons today.
The German raid duplicates the suc
cessful enterprise of last October, car
ried out by two German raiders which,
attacked a convoy in the North sea.
They sank nine neutral merchantmen
and two of the escorting British de
stroyers. Norwegian, three Swed-
ish and one Danish vessel were sunk
without warning. Three other mer
chantmen escaping. The raiders were
armed heavily and succeeded in evad- S
ing the British watchers on the return J
as well as the outward trip.
Dec. *l7.—information
received here today among neutral diplo
mats agrees with intimations from
abroad that Germany is considering an
other offer of peace.
Report of Peace Offer
Made at Amsterdam
AMSTERDAM, Dec. 17.—Germany
will shortly transmit peace terms to
the allies through neutrals and under
pledge of secrecy, according to word
from Berlin today.
Reports declared proffers would as- i
sert Germany’s "political £isinterqpted
i ness” as to Belgium, but would not
I mention Alsace-Lorraine. Whether they •
would cover the German colonies or
future disarmament and indemnities foi
damages in Belgium and northern
France was known here.
British Troops Making
Influence Felt in Italy
NEW YORK, Dec. 17.—(Summary
from European Cables.) —British troops
are now making their influence felt on
the Italian front. Berlin reveals this
today in announcing an attack by Brit
ish forces south of Monte Fontana
Secca, which it declares broke down be
fore the Teuton positions.
Counter attacks have recently been
growing more frequent on the part of
the Italians, and this British thrust
gives added indication that more agt
gressive tactics are being adopted by
the allies in opposition to the Austro-
German invaders.
The British drove in on the mountain
line just to the west of the Piave,
northwest of Monte Tomba. The Ger
man report today is the first specific
mention of British activities on this
front made in any of the official state
ments, although it has been known that
considerable British forces were in
place in this sector.
Three Enemy Airplanes
Are Downed by British
LONDON, Dec. 17.—" There Is nothing |
of special interest to report.” says the
official announcement from the war
office.
The war olfice statement on aerial op- ‘
erations issued last midnight reads:
“Although the weather was tine Sat- 1
urday a very high wind and ground
mist interfered with reconnaissance and
artillery work. Many rounds were iircd j
during the day into enemy trenches and
bombs were dropped on numerous tar
gets. including two positions of long
range guns southwest of Lille. Later
we again bombed those gun positions
“During several tights three hostile
machines were brought down and two
, were driven down out of control. None
of ours arc missing.”
Italians on Offensive
Take German Prisoners
ROME. Dec. 16.—CVia London, Dec.
17.) —Italian troops suddenly assumed,
the offensive against Austrians in the
Piave delta sector and on armed motor
boats and skiffs destropyed an enemy j
bridge, swept over some enemy post
tions and took many prisoners, today’s
official statement asserted Friday eve- ,
ning the war office said the Italian
forces in this section effectively bombed
enemy troops anti their lines of com
mAinication.
In the ('’oldelaberetta region an Ital
ian counter attack repulsed an enemy
advance. Around Monte .'.lelino a
attack on an observation post was re-,
pulsed.
Huns Gain Col Caprille,
But With Heavy Losses
NEW YORK. Dec. 17. (Summary of ,
European Cables.) —Except on the short '
stretch between the Brenta and Piave
rivers there has been no marked infantry
ni-tivity on th* front, North sea to the]
Adriatic. Mthough their losses have
been h*avy the Austro-Germans con-j
tinue their strong attacks In an effort
to break the Italian northern defense. In*
hard fighting just east oft he Brenta the
enemy has gained Col Caprille at th<b
head of the San Lorenzo valley, after
two attacks had been repulsed. The
xaders have not y*t reached the valley,
further efforts here and elsewhere hav
ing been checked by the Italians.
British troops on the Cambrai fronts
have repulsed raids by infantry and,
bombing parties on the southern end of
the new salient. South of Lens the
British improved their position. The
artillery battle has been more marked
south of the Scarpe, in the Arras area,
and north of Langemarck. in Flanders.
In Champagne, north of the Chemin des
Dames and south of St. Quentin. Ger
man efforts have been checked by the
French, while intermittent artillery ac
tivity has continued over a greater
of the front from St. Quen’m to
erland. ’'IIS
