HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
LXXXV1 — No. 70 20 PAGES
ARMIES CLASH FOR
BIG BATTLE OF WAR
THUNDER OF GUNS
MARKS OPENING OF
GREAT NEW ATTACK
Main Forces of French and German Legions Clash For Opening Struggle of What Promises
to Be One of World's Decisive Battles; Paris Has Hope Hindenberg's Plan Has
Been Killed By Forcing of Wedge Into New Front; Teuton Retreat Stopped at
Line Prepared in Advance I
By Associated Press
Irench troops are in contact with the main German army and what may prove to be the initial
stage of the greatest battle of history has opened before the gates of La Fere. For the first time since
the great German retreat began patrol and rear guard fighting has given way to the thunder of
artillery and the clash of major forces. The Germans are making a stand on a line running north and
south of La Fere, from St. Simon to the forest of CDUCV, a distance, roughly .estimated, at about twenty
miles.
The position selected by the Germans is protected by the Crozat canal and the Ailette river, a
tributary of the Oise, but in this line the French have driven a great wedge directly in front of La
Fere and reaching to within two miles of that important town. On this wedge is based the hopes of
I rench military critics that General Xivelle has outmaneuvered Field Marshal Yon llindenburg and
that La lere is doomed and with it the whole of the famous llindenburg line.
Paris believes that the extraordinary speed with which the French have advanced has discon
certed the German plans and renders probable a continuation of the retirement to the Belgian frontier.
1 he official Berlin reports throw no light on the situation, but it seems certain that a few days or even
hours must decide the fate of La Fere. v
Ihe situation on the British front is somewhat more obscure owing to the rather vague char
acter of the British official reports. The latest reports from London say that General Haig has
pushed ten miles east of the Somme at some points. Measured from Peronne this would place the
British within four or five miles from the vital point of St. Ouentin and this estimate is supported by
U unofficial dispatches from the front.
The German retirement is pivoting
from their positions east of Arra9 and
in this pivotal region General Haig
reports steady progress but no locali
ties are mentioned which might give a
clue to the relative Importance of the
advance.
Apparently the spasmodic fighting in
the Champagne and Verdun sections
has ceased, for the time being at least,
but Important news coines from an
other and far distant field of the world
war. The Russians, driving forward
from Persia, have crossed the Mesopo
tamian border at one point while a
second army is continuing its advance
from Kermanshah in support of the
British advance from Bagdad. This
means that the retreating Turks are
boing menaced from three sides, and
according to allied military observers,
[Continued on Page 10]
Cavalry in Action For
First Time Since 1914
By Associated Press
Berlin, Tuesday, March 20 (by wire
less to the Associated Press via Say
ville, March 22). —German cavalry is
now in touch with the French and
British mounted troops which have
been in action for several days in the
territory evacuated by the Germans,
so that for the first time since the
fall of 1914 cavalry on both sides is
being employed on the western front.
This is regarded here as an indication
that great events are taking place and
that a great battle is in prospect,
trench warfare being over fot the time
on this part of the front.
The French and British attempted
to use cavalry on the Somme last year,
as well as at the time of the Cham
pagne offensive, but the employment
of these forces in the face of en
trenched troops with machine guns re
sulted in very heavy losses. The pres
ent situation is a different one because
neither side is now protected by
trenches.
THE WEATHER-
For Harrisburg anil vicinity: Fair
(■■■•l Hiirmpr to-aight anil Fri
day! liinnt tempt- rill lire to-nlKbt
about 311 degree*.
For Kastern Pennsylvania: Fair,
warmer to-nixht and Friday;
Kentle to moderate shifting
wind*.
River
The Xorth Branch will rise sliKht
ly. other streams of the ayatem
will fall slowly or remain nearly
alatlonary. A ntngr of about
• feet In Indicated for Harrisburg
Friday uornlnis.
General Conditions
The moderate disturbance thnt was
central over the Ohio Valley,
Wednesday mornlnar. hns moved
off the Virginia eoast. It caused
IlKht rains In the last twenty-four
hours generally south and east of
the Ohio river. Including Penn
sylvania. The disturbance from
the Far Xortbweat has been di
vided by an area of hlich pres
sure from the Pacific ocean, bne
center being located over West
ern Kansas and the other over
Alberta.
Temperaturei 8 a. m., 30 degrees
above aero.
Sun t Rises, Hso3 a. I*l.
Moon■ Mew moon, March 22.
River Staßet 6.0 feet above low
water murk.
Yesterday** Weather
Highest temperature, 43.
l owest temperature, 34.
Mean temperature, 38.
Aormal temperature, 40
French and German Armies Meet For What May Be War's Dcr
GERMANS REACH
VON HINDENBURG
LINE OF DEFENSE
British Join French in Pressing
Close to Teuton's
Heels
By Associated Press
Paris, .March 22. —The German re
treat to the Arras-St. Quentin-La Fere
line is now practically complete, since
the French are now within artillery
| range of St. Quentin and La Fere. The
movement has been carried out by
i echelons, according to approved prin
; ciples, one section holding firm while
j the next fell back. The allied op-
I erations are now concerned with driv
! ing in the last of these sections which
are still resisting. They art situated!
| respectively, south of Arras, southeast
j and east of Peronne. east of Ham and
the valley of the Ailette and north of
Soissons.
Just in the middle of the line, east
of Peronne and between the plain of
Cambral to the north and the plain
of the Somme to the south, is one of
the few positions of defensive value
running to the east of Roisel and Ver
mand. The Germans showed signs of
intending to cling to this salient, but
it is now, too. gone, the British being
close to both Roisel and Vermand. An
other strong section which is still
holding out occupies a formidable de
fensive position formed by the forest
of Coucy, but, from the signs of de
struction in the rear of the defenders,
apparently resistance is only being
made to secure the retreat to the prin
cipal line at St. Gobain.
Germans Ix>ot Banks
As the result of Wednesday's op
erations the British line is now level
with the French which runs along
the Crozat canal from St. Simon to
Ternnier. At the latter point the
| French positions are less than two
and a half miles from La Fere. Part
of the road from Ourscamp to Noyon
which was paved with granite, has
been unpaved by the Germans, but in
less than a day the French engineer
corps had repaired the road, rebuilt
bridges and put the railroad in work
ing order as far as Ourscamp.
The military commissariat has sent
200 bullocks to Xoyon and distributed
10,000 bread rations. Before leaving
the Germans made a clean sweep of
the Xoyon banks, sending to Germany
securities valued at 18,000.000 francs.
Teuton Retreat Releases
Homes of Many Frenchmen
By Associated Press
Paris. March 22.—The total amount
of French territory liberated from the
German Invaders by the Somme offen
sive up to March 21 is 853 square
miles, situated in the four depart
ments of Pas-de-Calais, Oise, Aisne
and Somme. It includes 366 towns
and villages, the homes of 181,93 a!
Frenchmen. The Germans are still in
possession of 7,126 square miles of
France.
Dr. Henri de Rothschild has given
100,000 francs for the relief of the
inhabitants in the liberated sections of I
Plcardj
HARRISBURG, PA., THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, 1917
FRENCH JOYOUS
AT RELEASE FROM
GERMAN BONDAGE
Others Show Spirit Broken at
Hardship Suffered Be
hind Lines
"War Correspondents' Headquarters
with the British Armies in France,
March 21.—(From a Staff Correspond
ent of the Associated Press)—"We
would have starved if it had not been
for tiie American Relief Commission,"
declared a French woman in the city
[Continued oil Page 10]
Girl Knocked Down and
Dragged by Automobile
in Serious Condition
Miss Bessie Jackson, 647 Boyd
street, an employe of Wilsons Con
fectionery Store, Third street, who was
struck Tuesday niyht by an automo
bile at lteily and Sixth street, is stili
in a serious condition.
Miss Jackson was severely cut and
bruised about the body, several ribs
broken and the skin stripped from
parts of her body when she was
dragged along the concrete street. The
owner of the machine is unknown to
the police.
In a crash at Third and Boas
streets last night between a taxi and
a touring car one driver, Harvey Fort
ney, of Whitehill was cut about the
body. Both cars are wrecks. J. Coul
ter, driver of the taxicab was unin
jured. According to'the story told the
police one car was coming down Third
street and another going up. Neither
one turned out but ploughed together
head on.
An automobile badly wrecked was
discovered this morning at Division
and Second streets. It had been hit
by a street car. The owner had not re
turned for the machine and he is un
known to the police.
Swaps Stones For Potatoes,
But Read the Story
"Potatoes are much too high to
buy stones instead," said Mrs. G W
Carpenter, 1139 Melrose street, whe-i
she returned three perfectly good
stones to a farmer at market and de
manded potatoes in return.
Mrs. Carpenter purchased 9. half
peek of potatoes last Saturday. She
noticed that they were a trifle heavy
for so small an amount. When the
potatoes were poured into a tin pan
she noticed a hard metallic sound. In
vestigation proved three of them not
"spuds" but "sinkers."
Mrs. Carpenter said she was ac
customed to getting stones for pota
toes but never in such a big ratio. She
returned the stones to the farmer and
was given three potatoes. However,
she decided that if Mr. Farmer wanted
to sell stones he should at least l>e
given the trouble of prying them from
the frozen ground . The stones were
retained and one of them brought to
the HARRIS BURG TELEGRAPH, to
be preserved as she said "a relic of
high prices and crooked methods."
3Thf Star- 3ni>cprn&fnL
GROUND GAINED BY ALLIES IN FRANCE
Jjpi;
SCALE. O-£ MILES HWUV*A*
This map shows the extent of the allied advance following the German
retirement in France. The lighter shading shows the progress made by the
British (north of Ham. - roughly) and French troops on ihe first day of the
general retirement: the darker shading? shows the advance reported on the
second and third days of the withdrawal.
The "Hindenburfc line," where the Germans are expected to make a stand,
is also shown. Tills is the line which the Germans are said to have been pre
paring for months; but late news dispatches report fires behind this line, which
would indicate that the Germans may abandon even this naturally and arti
ficially strong defensive position.
WHOLE STATE
BEING PLACED
ON WAR BASIS
I Preparedness plans moved forward
in the State capital to-day when legis
lation to provide for quarters for or
ganizations of the National Guard and
;to save positions of men connected
with State, county or city govern
ments who might enter the service
of the country was presented iri the
; Legislature; an inventory of all mili
.tary stores to ascertain just what'the
i National Guard requires to fit it for
j active service was started and Gov
| crnor Brumbaugh called upon the
men appointed to the State-wide com
mittee qn safety and defense to organ
ize as speedily as possible and begin
MOTHER AND SON~
ARE SEPARATED ON
WAY TO FUNERAL
Boy Mysteriously Disappears
From Train; Parent
Left Penniless
| Half a hundred policemen of the
j Pennsylvania railroad are to-day
searching for John Sposilone. He dis
appeared from a train at Johnstown
last night. In the meantime a funeral
scheduled for to-day at Passaic, N. J.,
had to be postponed because of John's
mysterious disappearance. There is
also a brokenhearted mother, Sebronae
[Continued on I*age 10]
ELECT ANTI-WAR MAN
By Associated Press
London, March 22.—Dr. Franz Meh
rlng has been elected to the seat of
Dr. Karl Liebknecht in the lower
house of the Prussian Diet, according
to a Berlin dispatch to Keuter's by
way of Amsterdam. Dr. MehrinK is
a members of the Socialist minority
I which is opposed to tho >var. Ac
cording to the dispatch he was op
i posed in the election by a number of
Ithe Socialist majority, but received
341 votes out of a total of 427.
the work for which they were ap
, pointed.
Many telegrams accepting places on
the Governor's committee were re
j ceived at the Capitol during the day
jand the co-operation of the State gov
; ernmental departments was formally
; tendered, while the Governor suggest
ed that the new committee get into
prompt communication with the na
; tional defense organizations.
While this is going on the com
jmandcrs of the National Guard units
, will take steps to locate all men who
served in their organizations on bor
• [Continued on Page ll]
IIN EVENT OF WAR
EIGHTH REGIMENT
NEEDS MORE MEN
Local Companies Will Accept
Fifty Recruits at Once; In
spection Under Way
According to an announcement by-
Colonel Maurice E. Finney, com
mander of the Eighth Regiment, Na
tional Guard of Pennsylvania, with
headquarters in this city, fifty more
recruits are needed by the local com
panies at present under general con
[Continued on Page 6]
GROCERS HOI.II MEETING
A meeting of the Retail Grocers' Bu
reau of the Chamber of Commerce was
held yesterday afternoon. Various
questions of interest to the bureau only
were discussed.
CANAI. BOATMEN STRIKE
Mageri>town. Md., March 22.—About
a hundred boatmen on the Chesapeake
and Ohio ranal, between Cumberland.
Md.. ana Washington, have abandoned'
their boats and gone out on a strlkr
at the time set for the reopening of the
waterway. They demand a tlfty-celit
rate per ton for hauling coa'
Single Copy. 2 Cents HOME EDITION
GERMANY MAY
ASK AMERICA
TO ARBITRATE
Neutral Nation Plans to Submit Offer From Berlin That War
Be Averted; United States Will Not Consider Offer
As Long As U-Boats Carry on Ruthless Warfare;
Hurry Plans to Get Country's Armed Forces on Wa"
Footing
By Associated Press
\\ ashington, March 22.—Offers of mediation to prevent actual
war between the United States and Germany arc expected among
tlie next developments.
Administration officials heard to-day that a European neutral
was contemplating such a plan and tliey frankly regarded it as
another effort backed by Germany to divide sentiment in Congress
and embarrass the President.
It was declared authoritatively to-day that no proposals of medi
ation or for discussion will be considered unless Germany first
abandons the campaign of ruthlessness.
All administration officials from the President down take the
position that the United States never has, and does not now, desire
war with Germany but is being forced into it to protect lives and
rights of its citizens against unlawful aggression.
Unless Germany is prepared to com
pletely change her position, it was de
clared to-day, offers of mediation and
discussion are useless. Germany, It
was recalled, never accepted former
Secretary Bryan's proposal to sign one
oi his "peace investigation" treaties,
which would have bound the United
States to inaction for a year, wnile a
commission investigated the situation.
Meanwhile every preparation for an
eventuality is being carried forward
by the army and navy, and the Presi
dent is aawiting the assemblying of
Congress.
Unless there is some great change in
the situation before April 2, it is ex
pected ho will detail, in his address,
how Germany has in fact been making
I WILL WORRY- PRESIDENT CONSTANTLY
Vt v Y rk, March 22. —David Starr Jordan in behalf
Envr<reney Peace federation will send a telegram to Presi
dent W:l\ n daily and nig! "Jy asking him to prevent war,
I faOATS REDUCE I OOD EXPORTS
W nr •i, March ,V --Food exports in the Unit-id
f States in February were reduced about one thirji by Ger
many's submarine campaign. Shipments iell {rom $105.-
1 000,000 in January to $67,000,000 in February
i DANGER POINT NOT IN RUSSIA
London, March 22, —Andrew Bonar Law, Speaker in
the Hi;:.; 'C;r • . ... vtd 4 resolution of greeting to
I the Russian Duma. He added that it is too soon to say
that all danger is over in Rustia.
1 U- S. ALAFiMED OVER CONSULS V.
I Washington, March 22. —Alarm over the fate of four
American Consuls ordered from Germany to Turkey on
the severance uf relations and last reported in Munich,
has caused th S' te Department to inquire about them
again through the Spanish Ambassador
BLOW IN NEW BLAST FURNACE
SiNo rnace, the second of .'ivc lag*,
iron producers b<ing instiled at the Bethlehem Steel
Company Plant, Steelton, was blown in this afternoon,
the -furnace has a capacity of 500 tons
THREE HURT BY RUN-AWAY ENGINE
Harrisburg,—Three members of a freight crew were
injured tp-day in the Perm y yards when a run-away engine
crashed into a cabin t r The injured are Harry Silver,
conductor;, A M Fleck and O. G. trainmen.
DR. J. D. ZIMMERMAN DIES
Lebanon, March 22. —Dr. Joseph D. Zimmerman, i4I
Cumberland Street, Jged ?J, died at his home here tlut,
morning from at illness oi pneumonia. Funeral services*
v/iil be held Sunday morning at S-30 o'clock Buriai will be
made at union Deposit. The Masonic lodge will havt
chaige ci tat services. Di x Zimmerman was one of tije most
prominent physicans in this section of the state*
MARRIAGE LICENSES
JOKO Zvnrnovlc and Margrtn Kraiiet, SlfeKun.
Frank Kuhna anl ltoNir Silverr, Harrlaburar.
Clarion Urlnirer and KIKIC i arolint- Sbuey, Mew Klnffnton.
Harry J. Slont, Camp Hill, and l*ottlr May Lcfever, Mechanic* bur*.
Howard K. Trontman and llcrtha A. Gberwole* Upper I'aiton tonnnhlp.
war against the United States by tho
ruthless operation of lier U-boats, and
leave it to Congress to declare a state
of war existing and vote money and
men to protect tho interests of tho
United States.
Hush War Plans
Meanwhile believing that Germany,
by the hostile acts of her submarines,
actually is making war on the United
States and determined that it shall be
so recognized, government officials are
bending all their energies to meet that
condition by putting tho nation's arm
ed forces and resources in readiness
for any eventuality.
President Wilson is believed to be
[Continued on Page 6]