mmmmmmmmm
tWtSPII
PBIF
FINANCIAL EDITION
NIGHT
EXTRA
VOL.11 NO. 8-1
NIGHT
EXTRA
ituentn
PHILADELPHIA, MONDAY. DECEMBER t(), 1!15.
cert slant, 1018. bt l Ptiito Ltcain Coufint.
POTOH ONE OHNT
mmmmmmmmmmm
Ls1 St. ATti
BRITISH BEGIN
TO RETIRE FROM
Troops Withdrawn From
Suvla and Anzae Fronts,
War Oflice Announces
MAY GO TO SAVE EGYPT
Strengthening of Weakened
Balkan Campaign, View of
Some Strategists
Tabloid Chronicle
of Strait Campaign
Condensed chronoloRicnl history
of the campaign which military ex
perts call the "greatest failure of
the war":
February '2 (15)15) AiirIo
Frcnch fleet opens bombardment of
Turkish forts at western entrance
to Dardanelles and forces an open
ing into the strait.
March 18 British battleships Ir
resistible and Ocean and French
battleship Bouvct sunk. British
dreadnought Inflexible and French
warship Gntilois nut out of action.
April '25 Allied forces effect
landing on both sides of Darda
nelles, but French subsequently
forced
to withdraw from Asiatic
side.
Mny
ments.
0 Allies get reinforce-
May
15 Riifisli li.ittlnshin fin-
liath 'torpedoed with heavy loss of
life.
May M British battleship Tri
umph sunk by submarine.
May 27 British battleship Ma
jcstic'dcstroycd; Turkish transport
sunk in Sea of Marmora.
August '28 Capture of Turkish
positions east of Suvla Bay offi
cially announced in London.
October 15 Officially announced
that total British casualties nt
Dardanelles were 90,805) up to date.
The HrltiHli have abandoned all
present Intention of continuing their
efforts to reach Constantinople by way
of the Gtilllpoll PenlnsJula.
Thu western sldo of the peusinsula
has now been surrendered to tho Turks
by the abandonment, announced today,
of tho Suvla Bay and Anzac regions,
. but "does not mean the British have
i- deserted Gnlllpoli entirely. Tho south-
s'ern section of the peninsula, which
has iilwiij s been tlio mnro Important,
st 11 L Is retained. Nevertheless, It is
apparent that only defensive opera-
' tlons aro contemplated for tho future.
Othcrvvlso the co-operation of tho
troops which have been taken from
the western side of the peninsula
would be tequircd.
The withdrawals announced today
are nn olllclal admission that the
Turks under German leadership have
been tho victors In tho Gnlllpoli opera
tion and tiiat the British direction of
the campaign has been faulty. The
acknowledgement of defeat, however,
seems lo have been made too late to
permit the troops withdrawn from the
Gallipot! to change tho military situa
tion In the Balkans.
It Is by no means certain that the
troops taken from Suvla Bay and
Anzac will not be sent to tho Balkan
area. If they are tho reason unques
tionably must be the prevalence of a
lively fear In London that the Ger
mans are to attack Salonlca nnd the
present defenses there nie not sulll
cient for a successful resistance. There
Is an equal chance, however, that the
Sue C'nnal fortlllcntlons need
strengthening and that the army which
has evacuated western Gallipoll next
will be heard of In Kgypt.
LONDON, Dee. 20.
nntli.li ttoops aio being withdrawn
from the Gnlllpoll Peninsula, It was of
ficially announced today by the lliltlsh
War Oflice. In the oflielal statement. It
was said that nil troops on the Anzac
ami Huvla Bay fionts were being sent
to another Held of operations.
The hardest Infantry lighting nt the
(ontlmifd dii Page 1'iir, Column Tito
WEATHER
Weather affects Kissing.
It has been known for centuries that
the balmy bteezes of the shore laved by
the waves of the Mediterranean help
along the gentle arl. and that In the
polar legions kissing Isn't In such great
demand. Hut right here at home the
effect of tho weather on kissing Is ex
'mplllled. Over In the community across
the Delaware they have stopped It on
account Df the snow, the rain, the sleet,
the frigid air. the ice. the icicles, the
fog and tho slush of tho last few days:
Tho Board of Health hopes to segregato
the grip germ by frowning on the kiss
ing germ. It has put a taboo on kissing.
Husbands and wives now bow politely,
.swains foimall) say "How do you do?"
to their ladles, and babies gurgle with
Joy at being let alone.
i FORECAST
For Philadelphia and vicinity
Fair tonight with lowest temperature
about SS degrees; Tuesday increasing
cloudiness; moderate winds mostly
northwest.
l LOST AND FOUND
L'i,u,"El.l.. Lost on lloute 10. rrom Sid bt and
i fiSSf ' ' , to 15'b and Market: buckhom
niiiaic. Utje silver name olatej InitiaU "J.
iL'.i. ,n1'lr ulaie, "IbSS," Iteward. J. W.
EOSTO.N iihimdi,e Hl'IXDOU lout: i uhlt
I Sff: "all noe and breast, tcrew tall with
IS" tip. i .null nun on head; an-
17" b' t3 "ward If reiurne-l 11J4
ONK ailvlij xTi.VSKIU TIKE, moiuitod oa rim
-Uiit, t rida . leivmlier IT. lull. Iteuurd If
BuU" " " u S FcrBUSon, 5UT Unctiln
"'!"- f(-ii!1r, ,d, ,, foact li anil H
iA Christmas Supplement, Printed by the Intaglio Process, Will Be Issued With Tomorrow's Editions of the
BULGARS INSULT
U. S. FLAG; SEIZE
RED CROSS FOOD
American Woman Held
Prisoner at Monastir.
Troops Raid Stores
AGENT HIT WITH SWORD
State Department Appealed To.
Flour Taken for Use of
Bulgarian Army
S.M.ONICA Dec. 20 .Mrs. Wnlter
K.irvvcll, Chicago society woman, vm
roughly handled by tlulcni'lun soltlleis
who attacked I'r Ilntry S. Forbes, of
Boston. AmctlcHii I ted i'iom worker,
in n raid on the Ami'iic.in lied Cro'i
hrndqmirtcm at Monnsllr, Sol bin, ac
cording to woid luoilglit hoie toditv.
Tho A nici ionn Hag was totn from tlio
building and lied Cross stoics for the
tellef of Kcihlmis seized for 00 by the
Bulgarian nrniy. Sentries were stationed
at all doors of th" Itcd I'nw bulldlim
mid the Amcilcnu woikers and Mr
l'nrvvcll virtually made pilHiinsrw,
Kdvvaid Stuiiit, chief of the American
Ited Cioss foicc In Seibl.i, todnv ap
pealed lo the American State Depart
ment, thiough Consul Kohl, to demand
that Mis. I'linvcll mid Forbes bo allowed
to leao Monastic. A Bed Cross ugent
who repotted the nttaok to Stlluil said
that thev were safe last Wednesday, but
that tlio situation was growing very un
pleasant If not actually dangerous.
I'-oibcs. according to ropoits received
by tlio Bed Cross olllclals hero, purchased
21 carloads of flour from the Serbians be
foio thov evacuated Monastir. He stored
It In Bod Cross beailquartots and was dis
tributing small portions dally to the 2000
linpovpilihcd families In Monastir.
The Bulcnrlnpi repeatedly demanded
that Forbes" sell the Hour to their troops,
offering double prices. Forbes refused,
explaining that the Hour was the property
of the American Bod Cross for dis
tribution among civilians. When the Bul
gars threatened to confiscate the flour
Forbes hung an American flag over the
door.
Sevoinl Bulgarian officers, with SO sol
diers, suddenly descended upon the build
ing and tore down the flag. One olllcer,
who said ho was a former deputy sheriff
In Kansas, exclaimed to Foibes: "I know
that rag. It's only good enough to scare
Mexicans, not liutgnrs."
Several soldiers sprang upon Forbes,
ttccotdhig to tho leport received by Bed
Cross ofllclals here. In the strugglo an
olllcer struck him with the butt of his
sword.
Mrs. Farwell attempted to photogmph
the Invaders. Three soldiers seized her
by the neck and arms and smashed her
camera.
The Bulgars then seized two carloads
of flour, and warned Forbes nnd Mrs.
Farwell not to attempt to leave the
building.
A Bed Cioss agent, who was sent Into
Serbia In an attempt to reach Forbes
nnd Mrs. Farwell, was turned back at
the Bulgarian lines. He gathered tho
story of the rold from Bulgatlan officials
with whom he conversed.
CHICAGO. Dec. 20. Mrs. Walter Far
well, reported to have been taken Into
custody with Doctor Forbes, of the Bed
Cross, 'by Bulgarians at Monastir, Ber
bla, Is the wife of Walter Farwell, son
of the late C. B. Farwell, United States
Senator from Illinois, In 1S90. Her hus
band is a milllonahe.
Mrs. Farwell was engaged as corre
spondent of tho Chicago Tribune at
Monastir. Slio had been assuicd of safety
nt Monastir by the Bulgarians. She was
formerly Miss Mildred Williams, of
Washington, D. C daughter of General
and Mrs. Williams.
WOMAN GIVES
A BIG CLUE IN
TRUNK JURDER
Suit Case, Like the One Kel
ler Got for McNichol,
Thrown Into Yard
"GET RID OF IT, AL"
The police are close upon the tracks of
"Al" Young, "star" witness In the trunk
murder mystery, as tho result of re
markable clues furnished by a woman
living in the extreme southwestern corner
of tho city.
A suitcase was thrown into her yard
;csterday morning , by two l-.en who
stopped near her house In an automobile.
It is believed to be the suitcase which
if... triAl.nnl Tarttilnrrs irni'A T'Trlw.ifil lfl
1,19. ,. nw w v........e, om.w ..,.... ..-.
ler to give her son-in-law, Darlel J. Mc
Nichol, after his disappearance. Keller
Is In a cell at City Hall accused of the
murder of McNichol. whose body was
found In a tiunk In the celler of Keller's
old laundry at Mi Frankford avenue.
After McNichol disappeared on Marcn
30, 1911, Keller, who was associated with
him In the leather goods factory at 12th
and Hamilton streets, told McNIchoPs
young wife and her mother, at their home.
i66 North 2?d street, that McNichol was
hiding in New Toik, ashamed to face his
family after the failure of his business.
They gave him money and a suitcase full
of clothes to be forwarded to McNichol,
As It is believed McNichol was mur
dered in his factory the day he disap
peared the rtndlng of this suitcase, which
evidently never leached the missing
man's hands, has been an Important link
of evidence sought by tho police. Also
they have sought "Al" Young, a work
man at the leather factory of McNichol
& Keller and later an employe In Keller's
laundry, as a witness.
It Is even belieed by the deteetUes
that Young knew something about the
murder, and In one of their theories of
the crime he figures as having helped
to dispose of the body when It was re
moved In a ttunk to be bur(ed in tho
cellar of the Frankford avenue laundry.
The evidence supplied today by Mrs.
Joseph P. McUowan, of 81th street and
Bantam uvvnuc, gles clues not only to
the suitcase but to "Al" Young. Sbe was
Continued vn I'Me Two, Column Two
CHRISTMAS TREES AT CITY HALL
pCTM$M-fa':c -Mmmmmmwiitfm I
The annual mobilization of tree venders on the piazza around City
Ilnll began today and from now till Christmas Day trading in fir,
spruce, holly an 1 other Yuletide greens will be brisk there.
GERMAN FLEET
FAILS TO MEET
FOES IN FORAY j
Warships Cruise North to j
Skaggerack Without En
countering British Units
52 VESSELS SEARCHED
rtEUMN, Dec. 20.-Part or the Get man
fleet has put to sea. but failed to encoun
ter any British warship1,' It was officially
nnnounced today In the following report
from the Admiralty: "A detachment of
the fleet searched the Noith Sen for en
emy ships. On Friday and Saturday tliey
cruised into the Skngeitack. Flft-two
vessels were searched. One ship bearing
contraband was brought Into a German
port. During all the time no Hritlsh war
ships weie seen anywhere."
The German War Oflice announced to
day that German coast batteries drove
oft hostile war ships which bombarded
Westenilf, on the Belgian coast. Siinday.
The reported foray of German war
vessels north to the Skaggerack (the
strait which separates Norway from Den
mark) does not necessarily mean that
the Kaiser's ships sailed with the definite
purpose of seeking out the enemy and
giving battle. Had this beep tho Inten
tion the louto along the Danish coast
would not havo been taken, as no British
warships hae been reported recently in
that part o: the North Sea.
The fact that the German warships
made no strenuous efforts to locato the
British fleet is revealed In the ofllclul
report from Berlin, which states that
hostile warships bombarded the German
positions on the Belgian coast nnd were
driven off by shore batteries.
Any cffoit on the pan of German naval
authorities to engage in a battle with
the lliltlsh would lead the Kaiser's war
ships Into the lower part of tho Noith
Sea or F.nglish Channel, wlieie they
would in all ptababilit) be accommo
dated. CHRISTMAS TREE SALE '
ON; SCARCE THIS YEAR ;
City
Hall Plaza, Stacked With
Holiday Firs and
Cypress
Chilstmas tiees are on sale. City Hall
plaza is gieen with a greener that Is
not of this clime. Tlio tall visitors from
tho Maine forests, tied together In huge
bundles, look strangely thin and gaunt,
their branches bound tightly to the
slender trunks. But they loosen up and
spread gracefully out, as In natuie. when
the vvelghr of golden balls and sliver
spangles tugs at the ends of the boughs.
The trees are scatce. The supply con
sists chiefly of the small vaiiety of Al
and cj press. The prices range from CO
cents, to to. The east plaza of the City
Hall Is, as usual, the scene of the gieat
esc trade activity. Scores of other stands
are to be located near the Reading
Terminal, Market street ferry houses
and other points near railroad terminals.
Tlfe highest bidder for space on City
Hall plaza was P. Glasman. He is pay
ing the city $30.25 a square foot for the
space occupied by the trees.
The supply of trees Is diminished each
year and substitutes In the form of arti
ficial trees are being sold.
GERMAN PLOTTER
CONFESSES CHIEF
IS PAUL KOENIG
Metzler Implicates Boy-Ed
and Von Papen in Canal
Conspiracy
TWO JURIES IN SESSION
SDW YOItK. Dec. 20
Frederick Metzler, private secietary to
Paul Koenlg. alleged chief of the German
secret service In the t'nlted States, made
a confession today In which he is re
ported lo have mado Important revela
tions. In his statement Metzler nbsoheil
himself, naming other persons, who, he
declared, curried out tlio pro-German ac
tivities in this country.
In the confession coveting Teutonic
conspiracies, Metzler Involved Captains
vou Papen nnd Boy-i:d, recalled attaches
of the German Ihnbassy, the Govern
ments agents said.
The confession was made to Chief Wil
liam B. Offley. head of the Investigating
department hi New York, but It was ob
tained mainly through the efforts of two
opeinthes. Alfred Adams and John J.
Gnguezich.
FAH.I3D IN ATTEMPT.
It was said that Metzler repealed the
fact that Koenlg had sent George Fucln
to the Wellnnd Canal to blow It up.
Fuchs reported that ho was unable to do
so and afterward Koenlg sent others on
the same mission.
Activities of Koenlg In Boiton, Port
land. Me., and other New Kngland cities
nro being traced, mid an effort Is being
made to connect him with the lire on
hoard the steamship Minnehaha. Koenlg
Is believed to have operated an elaborate
secret service establishment, employing
L'3 operatives to gather information for
him.
The Government oflicials investigating
the plot believe tlut Koenlg vvas not eon
nected personally with Hies and bomb
plots which were batched to Impede the
shipment of war supplies to the Allies.
The alleged German agent Is regarded as
too crafty for that.
Two operatives Investigating the actlv-
(ontlnurd on Tuse Two, tulumii Two
PRIGIONIERI AUSTRIACI
TRASFERITI IN ITALIA
30,000 Austriaci Catturati
Dalle Truppe di Re Pietro
Sono in Albania
L'n telegranuua da Roma dice che
trentamlla priglonlerl austiiaci presi dai
serbl saranno trasferiti in Italia dove
rlmarranno slno alia fine della guerra.
Questl priglonlerl sono ora In viagglo per
l'Albania dove saranno imbarcatl alia
volta dell'Italla. I.'Italla ha gia' nelle sue
uianl oltre 30,000 priglonlerl austriaci
presl sul fronte dl battaglla dell lsonzo e
del Trentlno.
II communlcato ufflciale pubbllcato iert
sera a Roma dice che nonostante che U
neve uelle tnontagne e la ploggla e la
nebbla iicila planura ostaccllno le opera
zlont dl guerra, lo. truppe italiane con
tlnuano ad essere per quanto e po&slbile
attlve. Ksse liunno attaccato dl sorpresa
e conqulstato una t.lncea austriaca sul
llanchl settentrlonall del Monte San
Mlchele facendovi priglonlerl 113 austriaci.
(l.eggere In i pagina le ultime e plu'
dettagliate notlzla sulla gutua, iu lUl-iano.)
VIENNA TO STAND
FIRM DESPITE NEW
NOTE, IS BELIEF
Ofiicials F c a r Popular
Feeling Will Force Aus
tria to Reject Demands
DISPATCHED YESTERDAY
Lansing Has Private Phone
Wire to President at
Hot Springs
WASHINGTON, Dec. SO.
The national capital icttlvd down today
to a pcilixl of lUitlous waiting. The last
word to Austria In the Aticoim case Is
en route to Vienna It llkrlj .vlll be
dflivetrd there on Thursday. And on
tin- Until iiil) tuiide tlii'tetn will hinge
the future lehitlous betvvren the two
counlties.
cret.irv l.iinlng tndiij announced thai
Hi' imte would he made public nt noun
I dlK'Sil.l.
..iriidiiK s.ilil the noto ni s.eut clcr
dm. 1'n'in hl statement he impeded It
t'i i.. nli liim.i .tunic time tomoitovv.
Tin mit liixloti , us drawn that It li
slioM 1'omniutili.ttiuii
Thi Stole IVi:irtuient this nftei nonti
iiiiiioi'mi i d i in- leci'lpt oT a labl'-gtam
friii.i Vuib.ii-M.iilor I'nife nt Home, hav
ing t : -i t ti 1.11 tietn di-tlniii'ly ctnlillshi-d
Unit i' Vini'i u'liiri weie about it the Ital
ian lliii-i Viuoiiii, sunk b.v nn Austrian
siilimni mi I I'l cablegram Mated fur
thei that imlv tlimi' of these were saved.
Tlieie Is little expectation In tho minds
of Secretin') of State Lansing nnd those
In his eonlldi'itrt' that Austria will yield.
Mthough 'pit'HsiiK- to innko concessions
Is being exeited troin Berlin, and Hun
gailnti officials nic pointing out that a
iliplomatli break at this time must have
u ei Inns eftcct on the Balkan outlook,
the lunlldentitil advices of tlio Depart
ment Indicate that the antl-Aniericnn
element continli In Vienna. Inasmuch
as the lin.il lejolnder of this govern
ment to AtiHtil.i H a telleratlon of all
pievioui demands, coupled with tho
declaration that the subject Is one of
principle not pieeedents, officials iiy
that Vienna can hi expected to maintain
her announced position and decline to
disavow the sinking of tho Anconn.
The only possible lay of brightness
seen liem li tin- possibility that Austria
may have reeelvcd late Information that
would admit repudiation of her original
admit nlty statement legardlng the cir
cumstances sunoundliig the sinking of
the Italian liner. If this should be to
tho United States would have to receive
the supplemental information and It
might be possible for Austria sharply to
contrudict the evidence now before the
State Department that the Anconn, was
torpedoed and sunk after she had stopped.
So far, however, no Intimation has come
from Ambassador I'eulleld at Vienna In
dicating that such lnfotmation Is availa
ble there.
Although Secietary Lansing has been
clothed with absolute power to settle the
Ancona dispute, he will be able to reach
President Wilson at a moment's notice
should a grave emergency ailse. A
special telephone line has been stretched
between tho 'residential apartment In
the Homestead Hotel, at Hot Springs,
Vn., and the State Depai tmeut. This s
of the "non tap" variety slugged through
the White House switchboard and equip
ped so that If any attempt Is mnde to
"listen In" nnywiiere, a danger signal is
flashed at both ends. It Is not expected,
however, that the 'phone will bo much
used as I.m ing has full authoilty to at ,
as ho sees fit at till times.
"GLIMPSES FROMAFAR"
IS ALL CURIOUS GET OF ;
PRESIDENT AND BRIDE i
Woodrow Wilson, Private Citi
zen, Not Woodrow Wilson,
President of U. S., on His
Honeymoon
COUPLE IN SECLUSION
HOT SPRINGS. Va.. Dec. 20.-Secluded
In their suite iu the east whig of the
Homestead Hotel here. President Wilson
and his bride enjoed the second day of
their honeymoon free fiom all prying
ej eg. An automobile ride at top speed
wjiH scheduled to be their only out-of-doors
diversion. The remainder of the
day will be spent on the big sun veranda,
which adjoins their Immediate suite or In
the cosy Bitting room which had been es
pecially decorated for them. The entire
wing of the hotel has been set apart for
the couple and access lo it Is denied by
encigetic secret service men who guard
tho entrances.
The President caused It to be known
today that be desired complete seclusion.
n visitors wilt be received. All meals
i will be taken In the piivate dining loom
of tlio suite. And It has been arranged
that the golf links shall be set apart for
their private use at certain hours of the
day. The President has let It be known
thut he has divested himself of his olllclal
duties and that he is here on his honey
moon as Woodrow Wilson, happy bride
groom, instead of as Woodrow Wilson,
Piesident of the United States.
Only "gllmpss from afar" of the
President and his bride are possible for
the fewer than 100 guests now at the hotel
here. ' They have even been denied so
far the customary view of the couple
passing through the corridors.
There is a private entrance to the wing
of the hotel in which the Presidential
suite is situated and it will be used at
all times. And, bj order of the Presl-
Continued ou l'age Two, Column One
EFFORT TO AID COST $25
Ex-Congressman Fined for Speeding
III Sister Home
WILMINGTON. Del, Dec. 20.-In City
Coutt today II. C. White, former Repre
sentative, vvas lined $25 and costs for
violating the automobile speed law. lin
sister was taken ill in bis car and he
rushed her home so that a physician
might be summoned.
Judge Churchman expressed his sytui
paihv, but declared 'he law made no ex
ception In such cases.
GERMAN AIR FLEET SHELLS BELGIAN TOWN
nUntlN, Dc-. 5?0. The
repett tills afternoon: "Lively artillery duels nnd nilntnj opevn
UtlHS occurred ftlsng Hie west fvoiit. One of our nh squadrons bom-
hflrttctl For-eriitalic, BdeUtirt,
AR HtiglMU liliilniie was thof
Uffletl,
UULGARS' LOSS 130.000 TO DATE
LONDOKi Dec. 20. "It Is estimated iu allied staff clrele3 at
atilonl$a tlial lo date the BU.l5aTi.1u3 hive lost 1D0.OOO men," tnj-j
an Athene iltotutck le the Uwuliic. Stnudnid,
AUSTRIANS GAIN MORE GROUND IN BALKANS
BliltUX, Dec. L'O. The text of this afternoon's olllclal statement follows:
"Hnlknn theatre of wnr: In the fighting northeast of the Tarn. Itlver
mountain guns and two Held guni were captured. In further successful fights
about AIo.lkoviH- the usttlo-Ungarlans took several hundred prisoners."
HOTEL HELD LIABLE FOR SAFETY OF GUEST IN FIRE
WASIIINCTOX, Dec. 20. A Nebraska statute making Innkeepers liable
for tho sufetv of their guests In tho event of fire was upheld by the Supreme
Court today ns a reasonable exercise of police power. A verdict of $6500
for personal injur.v, obtained In Nebraska courts by Kmll J. Strahl ngnlnst
Home Miller, n hotel proprietor, was nfllrmcd. Strahl was Injured follow
lug a lire, nnd alleges that Miller did not uso diligence In warning guests
of the outbreak of the Are.
MONTENEGRINS TREACHEROUS, BERLIN CHARGES
11 13 RUN. Dec. 20. An olllclal statement issued nt the wnr oillco today
iiccurcs the Montenegrins of treachery. It described the taking of Monte- j'
negrln prisoners as follows: r
"The Montenegrins nt some places held up their hands nnd waved flogs,
advancing until nenr the Austro-Hungnrinn lines, where they suddenly threw
hand gienades. This treachery met with corresponding treatment. It always j
will be treated In tho same way." 4
FORMER PRESIDENT TAFT ILL
LA CltOSSK. Wis.. U"i'. L'U. -Former President William Howard Taft on
his arrival hete today w:-s met nt tho ttaln by a physician nnd taken to
the homo of George W. Iiurt'on, a Vnle classmatu and ft lend, where ho was
put to bed.
The former President vvas taken with chills on the train, and It was
necessary to make up a bed for him In the parlor car. Ills condition was
not believed to be serious.
RUSSIANS DRIVE BACK PERSIAN GENDARMES
nuCIIAHKST. Dec. 20. Severo fighting has taken place between the
Pcrslnn gendnimerle nnd' Kuislun troops In the mountains around Kum nnd
Hnmadun, In Persia, ubotit SO miles southwest of Teheran, according td infor
mation received here today.
The gendarmerie were supported by Kurd tribesmen under German md
Turkish olllcers, as well as many members of the MeJIIss (tho Pernlnn Parlia
ment). The Persians letired from their mountain forts after hiiffcrlns heavy
losses.
THOUSANDS OF SERB REFUGEES PERISH IN SNOW
I.OXDOX, Dei-. 20.- "A half-million refugees lied from Serbls,," says the
Times' Salonica correspondent, "preferring tho horrible alternative of n winter
flight Into snow-covered mountains to submission to the Germans. Llttlo has
been learned of their fate, but it is only too likely that many thousands perished
of cold or starvation or were devoured by wolves. Some 750,000 refugees thus
assembled on the Plain of ICossovo on the way to Albania anil Montenegro. Of
these, a quarter of a million were persuaded to accept the authority of tho Aus-tro-Germans;
the others lied."
REACTIONARIES STRONGER IN RUSSIA, BERLIN SAYS
1113HLIN, Dec. 20. "The reactionary movement in Uussia is piogressing,"
said an Item Issued by the Overseas Xews Agency today. ".Minister of the
Interior Chostor has suppressed the announced conventions of the Russian
National Towns Union and tho Russian National Union of ricIf-Govcrnment,
the Russian Committee on War Industries stilting that Moscow Is no place
for gatherings, since the mob which stnrted recent street riots is still restless."
RUMANIA GENERAL.ENDS.LIFE TO AVOID DISGRACE
GENEVA, Dec. 20. Munich newspapers received here announce tho suicide
of General .Tonesco, commanding the Second Rumanian Army Corps. According
to the story, the general v,an suspected of having been bribed by gne of the Pow
ers. The Minister of War ordered nn Inquiry and, his suspicious being con
firmed, he sent two oWeeis to infoiin General Jonesco of the result of tne Inves
tigation. Two hours later General Jonesco killed himself.
KAISER FORBIDS CHRISTMAS FETES BY COURT
LONDON, Dec. 20. The Kaiser has prohibited any Christmas festivities In
the German coutt or otherwise before peace shall have been established, accord
ing to a report received here by the Exchange correspondent. This report says
that even New Year's wishes will be barred and that the rojul Princes will not
be allowed to return home to spend Christmas in their fumlly circles.
The Kaiser and Kaiserin will spend Christmas at headquarters In France.
INVASION OF BRITAIN BY GERMANS PREDICTED
LONDON, Dec. 20. During the relaxntlon In all tho offensive campaigns
European Interest la focused on the probabilities of some new but as yet unde
veloped upheaval. It appears to be taken for granted on all sides thut the policy
of the Central Powers will' be to uttempp to gain a decision somewhere, while
their opponents will prefer to devote the winter to preparations for watfare in
the spring.
The Observer considers a German attempt to Invade England ns a desperate
gamble, one of the foremost possibilities, and believes that the extensive move
ments of troops In Belgium may mean preparations for embarking at Zeebrugge
and iu the Scheldt River.
BERLIN ADMITS SINKING OF TWO WARSHIPS'
BERLIN, Dec. 20. The following olllclal statement is issued here; "Th
small cruiser Bremen and an accompanying torpedoboat have been synk by a
submarine In the eastern Baltic. A considerable portion of the crews wens
rescued."
Many bodies and wreckage continue to come ashore from the German
vessel Buenz, which sank or was destroyed two days ngo. Fog prevented an
investigation of the disaster and It is not known what caused the sinking of
the Buenz.
Some believe that she ran Into u German mine Held, while another version
is that she was torpedoed by a British submarine.
UNITED STATES SETS NEW SHIP-BUILDING RECORD
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20. American shipyards have under construction now
more vessels than ever before were building in the United States: to add to n
American merchant marine whose gross tonnage already is the largest In the
country's history, said a report from the Commissioner of Navigation.
Ninety-eight merchant vessels of more than 3000 tonnage are being lmlU
or are under contract. These, with many small vessels belngconstructed, havo
u total tonnage of 761.511.
Altogether 171 foreign vessels have taken American registry under the act
of August 14. 1914. Ninety-eight American vessels have been transferred to for
eign registry since August.
QUICK NEWS
German War Office Issued the followinl
wlieie enemy tioop? weie concentrating.
down nt Bitipbcn end thr occupants li
Evening Ledger
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