British Suffer Enormous Losses infkdt Drives on France f
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
_ _ (The Star- flnfopmfrent. •
LXXXVI— Xo. 130 14 PAGES
FRENCH ARMY
STANDS FIRM
UNDER ATTACK
Germans Make Fruitless Effort to Push General Petain's
Men Back From Vantage Points Won in Recent Bat
tles; New Lines Withstand Bloody Assaults
SAVAGE BLOWS DEALT AT FOUR POINTS
FROM HINDENBURG'S SHAKEN POSITION
Crown Prince Able to Take Advanced Trenches at One
Point After Paying Heavy Price For Few Feet of
Ground; Gas Shells Liberally Employed in Battle
Desperate attempts by the Germans to push back the French!
from the vantage ground won in the recent attacks by General
Petain's forces in the Champagne region have been renewed.
As a whole the French line remained intact under the suc
cessive severe blows dealt it early to-day in a sustained effort of
an extremely violent and sanguinary character, gas shells being 1
liberally employed. The front was dented at only one point and
this but slightly, the Crown Prince's troops gained a footing in ]
some advanced trenches northwest of Mont llaut. '
At the Teton and the Casque, at positions northwest of J
Auberive and at Mont Blond, on the front against which the at
tacks were launched, the net German gain was nil, the valuable
ground which the French need for the pushing of a further of
fensive, particularly for observation purposes, being retained
intact.
Along the British line in France
the comparative, quiet was broken
into only by trench raids. Increas
ing artillery activity from the Arras
battle front, however, is reported to
day, the big guns on both sides hav
ing started up again in somewhat
lively fashion near Bullecourt and
further north along the Scarpe east
of Arras. British losses of nien in
the Arras battle was reflected in the
figures of casualties published dur
ing May, which total 112,233, includ
ing 5,902 officers.
The political situation in Spain is
being closely watched, particularly
in view of to-day's newspaper an
nouncement in Madrid that the con
stitutional guarantees would short
ly again be suspended. Former Pre
mier Romanones is quoted as declar
ing that conditions in the country
which is known to be suffering
keenly in a general economic way
from the war as well as directly
from submarine sinkings, were be
coming graver every hour. He con
sidered the recent great meeting of
_j>ro-ally sympathizers as of enormous
importance and as perhaps likely to
exercise "a greater influence on for
eign than on home policies."
IS HE A QUITTER
ORJUST SLACKER?
Which in the better term for
a man who disobeys the Se
lective t>raft Law and refuses
to register next Tuesday for
fear he will me drafted?
1)1 ITTKft)
One who quits; especially, a
contestant in any nianlv sport
who shirks although physically
fit; hence, a shirker; a coward.
—Standard Dictionary.
SI, M'KKR:
A person who slacks fis negli
gent. tardy, slow); a shirk.
I THE WEATHER
For Harrisburg mid vicinity > In
settled, probably ahonrri and
thunderstorms tn-niuht ami
Friday; ivarmrr to-night.
For Kastern Pennsylvania: Prob
ably honrr> and thunder
storms to-night and Frlda.V;
warmer to-night; increasing
south winds.
River
The main river will rise this nf
tcriioon and to-night and prob
ably fall Friday. All tribu
taries will probably fall to
night. but some may ride Friday
a* a result of heavy >huner>. \
singe of about 7.S feet is Indi
cated for llarrlsburg Friday
morning.
General Conditions
The disturbance that Man central
over .New Mexico, Tuesday
morning, has moved northeast
ward without much riiuiiKc In
energy and la now central aloiiK
the western shore of I.ake
Michigan. It has caused show
ers and thunderstorms In the
Inst twenty-four hours In the
l>ower Missouri. Middle and
Vpper Mississippi and Lower
Ohio valleys and over the south
ern and western portions of the
I.ake Region.
There has been a general fall of 2
to 14 degrees In temperature
over the western half of the
country since Tuesday morning.
Hilling frost, with temperature
degrees below freezing, oc
curred at Helena this morning.
It Is warmer In the Eaat.
Temperature: 8 a. m„ AO decrees.
*uni Rises, 4:31 a. m.
Moon: l ull moon, Jane 5.
River Stage; 0.2 feet.
, Yesterday's Weather
Highest temperature, 7.
Lowest temperature. SI 1
Mean temperature, 64.
.Normal temperature. 6.
July Wheat Drops 89
Cents, But Bakers Do
Not Favor Cheaper Bread
By Associated Press .
Chicago. 111., May 31.—July wheat
to-day went under $2 a bushel and
touched $1.94, which is S9 cents
lower than the price which imme
diately preceded restrictive regula
i lions by the Board of Trade here
i two weeks ago.
Flour prices have to a large extent
followed the lead of wheat. No agi
l tation has developed among bakers
to reduce bread prices, however. At
The top of the market the B-cent loaf
was advancd to 10 cents and the
! 15-cent made its appearance. This
was brought about largely by the
was advanced to 10 cents and the
Supporters of Allies
Force Spain Again to
Suspend Constitution
By Associated Press
Madrid. May 31.—According to the
newspapers, the constitutional guar
antees will lie suspended again in two
! oi three days.
Former Premier Count Romanones
has declared to an intimate friend
i that he regretted he was not invited
to the mass meeting held by pro-ally
sympathizers last Sunday, lie said
that if he had been present he would
have maintained the declaration
made in his letter to King Alfonso
at the time he resigned He added
that many Liberals who were parti-
I sans of the Allies would also have
j liked to be present.
Asked what he thought of the
situation in Spain, the former pre
! mier declared that it became more
j grave and more confused "every day
and every hour of the day."
The constitutional guarantees were
suspended in Spain at the end of
March following several strikes and
serious disorders throughout the
country. It was reported in Wash
, ington that a revolutionary move
ment was in progress, but this was
denied by the Spanish ambassador,
i The operations of the censorship
have cut off definite information re
j garding the recent internal situation
I in Spain.
George Weidman Groff
Home From China After
Five Years at Canton
George Weidman Groff, formerly
of Old Orchard, who is professor of
scientific agriculture in the Christian
College at Canton. China, arrived
in Harrisburg at 12.30 to-dav after
five years in the Orient. He was
preceded by his wife and young son.
who have been in the city for some
months. Mr. Groff is a brother of
Mrs. Ralph T. Diehl, of Paxtans
He will remain in Harrisburg untii
the latter part of the week, when he
goes to State College 'for Groff day
next Sunday.
Mr. Groff has been one of the
pioneers of scientific farming in
China. He expects to remain in this
country until the latter part of 1918
studying and further ntting himself
for his work in the Christian Col
lege.
Mh Groff left in Canton Mr. and
Mrs. A. Groff. formerly of Old
Orchard, now connected with the big
. missionary book rooms at Canton
kXhey are in. good ilealUi.
HARRISBURG, PA., THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 31, 1917.
SENATOR ALLEGES SICK WERE ILL-TREATED ON V. S. HOSPITAL SHIP
U.S.S.. SOI/ACE. SKA3TQR CAI/32FR.'
Die I lilted States hospital ship, Solace, and United States Senator William M. Calder. of New York, who read
to the l.nited States Senate a "round robin" signed by thirty invalid sailors aboard the Solace, alleging ill
treatment and unsanitary conditions on that vessel. Among the charges made by the men were that, while ill
with high fevers, they were compelled to carry their own baggage on board the ship; that drinking water, was
\or\ scarce and always very warm; dishes used by men sick with measles were washed in the lavatory, where
vessels were standing around tilled with germs of scarlet fever and mumps; all food was served to men on one
platter. The Senate has as jet taken no action.
EXPERTS GO OVER
PARK PLANS WITH
STATE OFFICIALS
Final Session Before Commis
sion Goes Out of Office;
Street Lines Up
Arnold W. Brunner and Warren J.
Manning, landscape architects and
engineers, are meeting with Gover
nor Brumbaugh and members of the
Capitol Park Extension Commission
and the City Planning Commission,
at the Capitol this afternoon, going
over details for taking up the work
of improving the tract as soon as leg
islative appropriation makes the
money available.
Street lines through the park zone
are under discussion and the city
authorities will be asked to approve
two streets, running north and south,
and one east and west throughout the
tract. Much of the work to be dis
cussed at to-day's session has to do
with plans already outlined and was
made necessary by reason of the fact
that the Capitol Park Commission
goes out of office to-night, by legis
lative enactment. Final details of
its work were placed in the hands
of the Department of Public Grounds
and Buildings and the commission
concludes its duties with everything
in shape for the state to take up
the grading and other preliminary
improvement work as soon as the
$350,000 to be provided by the Legis
lature is at hand.
SOI SA EN LISTS
By Associated Press
Great Lake, 111., May 31. —John
Philip Sousa, who held the rank of
lieutenant when he was director of
the United States marine band at
Washington, to-day became an en
listed man of the United States Navy.
He began the organization of the
Great naval training station
band, which he hopes to develop into
one of three hundred pieces.
I.OMi DIVORCE Sl'IT
Beginning divorfce proceedings
against his wife on January 26, 1903,
Kavid Daub did not have the decree
issued until to-day. The case was
heard at the October term of court
in 1904. and the divorce from Maria S.
Daub granted on January 23, 1905.
5D| TO
y|-* Registration Day
S| • JUNE 5
"There Must Be No Gaps
In The Ranks"
PRESI
In this hour of YOUR Country's need
will they put YOU down as a MAN
or as a GAP?
"ALL MALE PERSONS" AGEI) 21 YEARS
AND NOT PAST 31 MUST REGISTER
BIG WAR TAX IS
PLACED ON SUGAR
COFFEE AND TEA
I
Senate Committee Removes
Proposed Levy on Mu
nitions Profits
Washington, May 31.—The Senate
I Finance Commitee to-day decided to
! p/ovide in tlie war taS* bill to raise
i $80,000,000 by consumption taxes of
i two cents a pound on coffee, Ave cents
! on tea, one-half cent on sugar and
| three cents on cocoa.
Substitutes for tea and coffee also
will be taxed.
Raise Millions
From the next taxes the com
. mittee estimates the following reve
i nue will be raised: Sugar, $50,000,000;
: coffee, $18,000,000; tea, $3,000,000,
and cocoa, $7,000,000. Coffee and
! tea taxes will be levied upon imports,
j Arrangements are being made to
take care of import contracts made
before May 1 by requiring purchasers
from importers instead of the latter
to pay the taxes. Under the House
bill it was proposed to tax coffee
1 cent a pound and tea 2 cents.
The decision to abolish the present
special tax of 12 per cent, on war
munitions was said to I e due to two
reasons—diminishing of the tax and
[Continued on Page 11]
Coal Profits Permit
Payment of a Great
Dividend to Stockholders
New York. May 31.—Directors of
| the Lehigh Valley Coal Sales Com
pany to-day declared a cash divi
dend of 30 per cent, payable July 14
j and authorized an issue of new stock
j for subscription by present stock
j holders equal to 30 per cent, of their
' holdings. The company has the con
j tract to dispose of the product of
j the Lehigh Valley Coal Company
; and is controlled by stockholders of
] the Lehigh Valiey railroad. It is
| capitalized at $10,000,000 of which
j about $7,600,000 has been issued.
I The stock dividend of 30 per cent.
brings the capitalization of the com
| pany to approximately the full au
[ thorized amount.
HALF REGISTERED
UP TO THIS TIME
CLAIM EXEMPTION
Majority Have Dependants;
175 Persons Away Fvom
Home Sign Up
First unofficial totals of draft
registration at the office of City Clerk
R. Ross Seaman, of persons who will
not be at their homes in points out
side the county on June 5, were com
puted to-day.
Of the 175 who registered, not in
cluding the 27 who signed this morn
ing; 80 claim exemption from draft,
the majority because they have de
pendants, a few for physical disabil
ity and several because of their posi
tions. Ninety-five do not claim ex
emption on any ground.
The proportion rlaitning exemp
tion increases with the age. The to
tals for each year from 21 to 30 in
clusive witli the number not claim
ing exemption follows;
Twenty-eight years, 8 of 11.
Twenty-two years, 14 of It!.
Twenty-three years, 11 of IS. ,
Twenty-four, 15 of 26.
Twenty-five years, 6 of 19.
Twenty-six years, 13 or 22.
Twenty-seven years, 7 of 19.
Twenty-eight years, 9 of 17.
Twenty-nine years, 5 of 12.
Thirty years, 7 of 17.
Total, 95 of 175.
Few Have Training
All but eleven of those signing are
natural born. Of the eleven four
are aliens, one n naturalized citizen,
and six declarants of intention to ap
ply for naturalization.
Only 15 of the 175 have had any
military training, three in the Ital'-
| ian army, one in Trinidad. British
West Indies, and the remainder in
National Guard units, or United
States service.
Five ball players of the Harrisburg
New York State League team have
signed, and one member of the Legis
lature, John Hudson McKinney, of
Franklin. Pa.
! An appeal was made by the city-i
I draft registration board members to i
| all employers in the city to make
I some arrangement on Tuesday so
I that employes who must register can
| do so at intervals during the day
j instead of crowding to the registra
| tion places at night.
Wants Interpreters
I City Clerk Seaman also asked all
I persons who can speak foreign lan
j guages and are able to act as inter-
I preters to volunteer their services
for the registration. Three interpre-
I ters have already been selected for
the Seventh ward. They are Lazar
IShumandan, Petru I). Petrieo and
; George Rasadan, who offered their
I services.
Determined not to let any one es
| cape registration, Sheriff W. W
Caldwell this morning gave instruc
tions t<s Ross Saul, of Steslton. to
make the rounds at Locust Grove
; where a camp has been established
i for negroes and register those of
I draft age, as they are nonresidents
! County Clerk Ed. H. Fisher, clerk
| of the county draft board, will have
] the county commissioners' office open
| this evening and to-morrow night
I until 10 o'clock for all other non
| residents of the county to register.
Italian Army Mission
Will Be in City From 9
to 10.30 O'clock, June 12
Despite the short period the Italian
War Commission will be in Harris
burg the Chamber of Commerce la
preparing for a royal reception to
the members.
The following message has been
received by E. L. McColgln, from the
Third Assistant Secretary of stati
Brecken ridge Long.
"Italian Commission can be ii
Harrisburg from 9 to 10.30 a ni
Tuesday, June 12, if agreeable ic
you. Absolutely must leave ut 10 30
Please send program."
SELECTIVE DRAFT
FOR BIG LIBERTY
LOAN CAMPAIGN
240 Men Needed to Put Over
the Liberty Bond Sale in
Harrisburg
DON'T BE A SLACKER
Those Who Dodge Duly Are
Not Doing Their Full Pa
triotic Service
Twn hundred and forty men are
needed to "put over" the Liberty
Bond campaign in Harrisburg.
They are being chosen by "select
ive draft."
Some of those whose names are
on the list of tho teant captains who
are notifying them of their choice
for this service are trying to dodse
their duty, tor duty it is.
Think a moment, Mr. Harrisburs
er, before yoti say "No" to the man
who approaches you with the re
quest that you become a Liberty
Bond salesman for three days next
week.
You don't want to be called a
"slacker." If you were of the draft
ing age you would not think of try
ing to avoid registration.
How much easier, then, is it to re
spond to the call for the kind of
work you can do. To sell a Liberty
Bond is a sei'vice. You may be too
old to go to war, but you are not too
old to sell a bond and so provide
money with which to support our
soldiers In the Held. And if you re
fuse without real excuse to be draft
ed as a Liberty Bond Salesman, you j
will be just as much a slacker as
though you avoided registration
June 5.
Will Visit Everyone
That is the message the Harris
burg Clearing House Association, the j
Rotary Club and the Chamber of I
Commerce want to bring home to the
men of the city.
Never was a better organization
formed than that now being put to
gether for the bond campaign which j
will be waged in this city next week, j
Not a man who ought to vmbscribej i
will escape visitation. The city will j
be combed from one end to the other i
and an immense increase in the|
number of bonds subscribed is ex- i
pected as a result.
Campaign in Country
Bond salesmen this morning began
the first work of carrying the cam- |
paign for Liberty Loan subscriptions
to the outlying towns in this section i
of the state. Each salesman has
been assigned a town to organize the
local people for concerted effort in ,
getting subscriptions. The smaller
towns and the surrounding country j
will be solicited by the salesmen.
The salesmen met this morning in I
a conference to finally determine the)
personnel of the teams. With the
exception of a few names the lists
are almost ready. Immediately upon
the linal announcement of the teams
the volunteer salesmen will begin J
work.
Jail Belgians For Picking
Up Proclamation Dropped
by Allied Aviators
By Associated rrcss
Havre, May 31.—A tine of 10,000
marks and three years' imprisonment
are the penalties imposed by the
German authorities on Belgians w>ib
dare pick up proclamations or objects*
of any nature dropped by Allied
aviators in invaded territory. The.
inhabitants are forbidden to ap
proach any flying machine that may
be obliged to alight in Belgian ter
ritory and are obliged whenever an,
aviator lets fall any object |
to notify the burgomaster, who, in j
turn, must report immediately to the |
kommandantur.
This measure is supposed in Bel
gium to he intended to put an end
to propaganda by the aviators of the
Belgian, French and British flying
corps, who have until now succeeded
in keeping the Belgian.- remaining in
occupied territory more or less
posted on the military situation.
Great Lakes Training
Station Said to Be in
First Class Condition
Chicago. May 31.—The Great I„akes
Training Station is one of the health
iest communities in the world. Dr.
Frank Billings, chairman of the
health and sanitation committee of
the Illinois State Council for De
fense, announced to-day after a tour
of inspection of the camp yesterday.
Dr. Billings svas accompanied by Dr.
Arthur Reynolds, for years health
commissioner of Chicago, and Dr. K. J.
Doering. formerly with the United
Slate Marine Medical Service.
deferring to a report that there has
been an inordinate number of cases
of spinal meningitis at the station,
tiie doctors said they had found that
less than one-half of one per cent,
of the sailors who have passed
through the station have been affected
by the malady. At no time had there
been a case of typhoid fever In the
camp, they said. Scarlet fever and
measies have visited the camp, but
were quickly^stopped.
Penn-Harris Hotel Plans
Are Near Completion
Final revision of the plans for the
new million-dollar Penn-Harris Hotel
was accomplished this afternoon at a
meeting of the directors at which
the architects and representatives of
several contractors were rocetved.
■ rank A. Dudley, president of the
i 'nited Hotels Company, which has
i 'ten given the lease for the op
| ration of the hotel, also was present.
Kinal action probably will be taken
I the directing board beforu the
s nd of the week.
Single Copy, 2 Cents
BRITISH LOSSES
TOTAL 112,233
I IN ONE MONTH
Heavy Casualty Hecord Due
to Great Offensive at
Arras
5,902 OFFICERS ON LIST
Number of Dead and Injured
Less Than in Battle of
Somnie
By Associated Press
London, May 31.—British casual
ties as published in May srfiow a
total of 5,902 officers and 106,031
men.
The British offensive on the Arras
front, involving some jf the severest
lighting of the war, naturally has re
sulted in a large increase in casual
ties over the inactive winter season.
Casualties for the last fow months
have not been received, but in Feb
ruary the total reported was only
1.243 officers and 17,185 men.
Heavy Losses
The assertion of the British that
their losses are 50 per cent, smaller
than in the battle of the Somnie, not
withstanding the fact that larger
forces are engaged, is not borne out
by Hie May figures, although in the
absence of the casualties report for
April, curly in which month the
offensive was launched, the showing
is not conclusive.
The casualties recorded in the first
three months of the Somme drive
were 307,169 officers and men. In
August of last year, the second
nonth of the Somme battle, the cas
ualties were 127,94.". as compared
with 112,233 for May. the second
month of the Arras battle.
KIDNAP RICH BABY
By Associated Press
Springfield, Mo„ May 31.—Lloyd.
14-month-old son of B. H. Keet,
vice-president of the Holland Bank
ing Company, was kidnaped while
his parents were attending a dance
at the Country Club last night.
Bloodhounds were placed on the trail
of the kidnapers early 10-day.
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r Philadelphia, was nominated to-day by President Wil- j
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ATTACK ENROLLMENT IN COURT
s
>
p
I ions to enjoin Governor Gardner, Mayor Ed\vards and
I other tUui county and city officials I
j dr.isr ).*;gist:t;on no' ,I'ijrv ! m the
C it ■ ,rt herc to- . 1
I
j POWDER PLANT PI OWS TIP
[ Scranton, May 31. An explosion at t J
. Powder Mills near Moosic.P*., to-day killed Thomas I
Thomas and seriously burned Thomas Johnson an<| j|j
I Geor R. Brown, all .< ■ >
;
\
RIFFS WATCH SLACKERS" i|
Jacksonville, Fla., May 31. Sheriffs along tl)* i F
I *
whe ■ • - • • ■ - the ' ite tor fore n ore*
by launch or steamer to escape registration. The Sheriffs ,
• will detain any person within the age limit (suspected of. 11.
trying to escape. * <-1 -t
- _____ . i |
MARRIAGE LICENSES
... L , n . ,r< '". o K hu Hockvllle, ■< l.onle llvrore Market,
li .rH ■ n Jwl r* ~Mrv Kllmnbeth < orcj, Harrlaburt;
..TILVM I , . W*yeboro, HIMI Clara Hell HIKKIIIM, Williams- .
i , J. ; "'.r'' 1 " aad Anna Jnnett Swnnberry, lltirrlnbursi Jo-| I
-Luir"l . M WOn " , ."" d y'" 1 " Ktaerle, l>eter*biir< '
Samuel l,oel> and Mary Amanda alburn* fctouvbburg.
V^iiiqivi(>>
HOME EDITION
GIGANTIC PLOT
TO HARASS U. S.
IS UNCOVERED
Federal Agents Find Head-*
quarters of Anti-Enroll
ment Gang
PRINTED CIRCULARS
Scheme Is Well Organized
and Has Finances in
Plenty
By Associated Press
Columbus, Ohio, May 31. —A gigan,
! tic propaganda plot with national
j headquarters in this city, organized
i (o induce young men of military ago
all over the United States to refrain
from.registering for conscription next
Tuesday, has been uncovered by state
and government secret service agents,
, according to announcement to-day
; by Governor Cox.
Details of the plot, which was said
| to have extended into many states,
became known when United States
j marshals raided a printshop and
office at 111?4 South High street,
| where practically all of the propa
ganda literature was printed and dis
tributed. It was stated that the plot
j appeared to be well financed and
well organized.
KIIiLKI) HY GUARDSMAN
By Associated Press
Chicago, 111., Hay 31. —An uniden
tified man, lurking near a railroad
bridge at the outskirts of Chicago,
to-day was shot and killed by a pri
vate in an Illinois National Guard
regiment. The man was shot after
he had knocked down with a brick
another guardsman who ordered him
to approach for identification.