More Than 5,000 Prison Taken by British in Most Spectacular HARRISBURG ifSpli TELEGRAPH M LXXXVI — No. 279 14 PAGES ENGLISH SMASH U. S. ASKED FOR MILLION MEN HUN ARMI STAGGERED BY DEFEAT British Army Strikes One of War's Most Terrific Blows Along Thirty-Mile Front When Haig's Men Drive For ward For a Depth of Five and Six Miles; Victory Is Already Greatest on the West Front ENGLISH TOMMIES SURPRISE THE BOCHE BY . ATTACKING WITHOUT USUAL ARTILLERY FIRE Hindenburg Position Rolled Back by Great Wave of De termined Infantry; Thousands of Germans Fall Pris oners as Tanks and Guns Roll on in an Irresistible Wave; Advance Not Checked By Associated Press British Army Headquarters in France, Nov. 21 (By the Associated Press) The Germans are fighting on their last line of de fense at one point of the British attack. London, Nov. 21.—The number of pris oners taken thus far by the British is given at about 5,000 in a Reuter dispatch filed to- day at British headquarters. London, Nov. 21. The Hindenburg line has been broken to a depth of four to five miles, the war office announces. British troops stormed the first system of the Hin denburg line defenses on the whole front between St. Quentin and the Scarpe river. From St. Quentin to the Scarpe is thirty-two miles. The attack was begun yesterday by the Third army. There was 110 artillery preparation and the Germans were taken com pletely by surprise. The British infantry and tanks pressed 011 and captured the second system of defenses, over a mile beyond. The second system of German defenses captured by the British is known as the Hindenburg support line. The British captured Benavis, Lameau Wood, La Vacquerie, the defenses known as Welsh Ridge, and Ribecourt village. Their operations arc continuing. Several thousand prisoners have been taken. The whole German line west of the Canal Du Nord to the Bapaumc-Cambrai Road has been captured. The British also fought their way through Couillct Wood. Lieutenant-General Sir Julian Byng is in command of the attacking army. The towns of Havrincourt, Marcoing, Graincourt" and Anneux and i\euf Wood have been captured bv the British. A large number of tanks moved forward in advance of the infantry when the attack was opened and broke through suc cessive belts of (rcrman wire defenses, which were of oreat dentil and strength. 1 Great Drive Is Strongest British Have Launched Against Teuton Invaders The British drive covers a part of the field of last year's offensive on the Somme and the section of the Arras battle front south of Arras. The British center in this thrust is nearly'opposlte Cambrai, the import ant German base and railway center, from which the British line on the Bapaume-Cambral road was about nine miles distant as It has stood for several months past. The main force of the push Just launched Is appar ently aimed at Cambrai along this road. Urcals "Impregnable Barrier" What Is known as the Hindenburg line was established by the German command last spring when the fa mous "strategic retreat" on the Somme front was carried out. It was a supposedly Impregnable barrier, which had been in careful prepara [Continued on Page 11.] I THE WEATHER Fur llnrrUliurK Hiid vicinity! Kalit to-night nnd Tlauratlayi iour nbnl warmer to-night, with Innfut temperature about IS Trmprraturrt 8 a. in., -Ml. "iiin lilneH, 7 a. M.i atla, 4i42 p. m. Mnoni Kill I moon, November 28. lllver stnge: 4.1 feet above low* Mater murk. Venlerdnr'a Weather lllKhmt temperature, no. I.onent temperature, S3. Menu temperature, 42. Normal temperature, 40. Tanks Deserve Credit For Spectacular Success; . Counter Attacks Smashed British Army Headquarters in France, Tuesday, Nov. 20.—The re doubtable Hindenburg line in the Cambrai section was broken in many places to-day by the great force of the British tanks, and this afternoon the infantry which followed through the gaps was still battling its way forward. The surprise attack was launched at dawn over a wide front. In the first few hours its progress was marked with evident success, and up to the latest reports received at this time (4 p. m.) had been moving [Continued on Pago 11.] Frosted Sweet Potatoes Thrown Into River Gives Spectator a Thrill A number of local produce deal ers purchasing sweet potatoes in large quantities last week to resell them in the city have been com pelled to consign all of them to the reduction company or the river, ac cording to Harry D. Reel, city in spector of weights and measures. Late yesterday it was reported to Inspector Reel that a dealer was dumping sweet potatoes In the river and that another had sent a num ber of barrels to the reduction company. Mr. Reel Investigated and found that the local dealers had purchased frost-bitten potatoes which were not fit for use, and lost the whole supply. One dealer lost fifty barrels and another forty eight. HARRISBURG, PA., WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 21, 1917 AMERICANS PLAN GERMAN SURPRISE IN NO MAN'S LAND 160 Men of First Battalion to Enter Trenches Prepare to Punish Enemy HUNS ARE SUSPICIOUS Scouting Party Betrayed by Cough; Teutons Shell Hiding Place By Associated Press With the American Army in France, Tuesday, Nov. 20.—One hun dred and sixty men of the first American battalions to enter the trenches for a week were given spe cial training and, after being trans ported to the front, crawled across No Man's Land and took positions in front of and in the German wire entanglements at a point where it had been discovered the enemy came out every night. Each man had been trained in a special task and the entire unit had rehearsed the part it intended to play under conditions similar to that in front of the German lines. The' Americans reached the position soon after dark and remained in waiting all night but not one Ger man appeared either there or as far as is known at any place in No Man's Land. The plan was to allow several groups of ten to fifteen Germans to [Continued on Page 6.] Steelton Concern Will Build Mill to Replace One Destroyed by Fire Announcement was made to-day at the office of the John Hoffer Flouring Mill Company in Steelton that a five-story brick building hav ing one half the capacity of the fnill destroyed by fire October 13, will be erected on the old site in the near future. Plans and specifications for the new building are being drawn by E. E. Hollenbach, Inc.. designers and architects of Philadelphia and will be submitted to officials of the com pany in a few days. As soon as plans are approved bids will be awarded and work started at once on the structure. The new building will be 50x70 feet and will be fireproof. This is about one-half the size of the mill which was destroyed. The grain elevator located in the old mill will not be replaced. Four grain elevators constructed of steel which were not injured by the fire will be large enough for the present, officials say. On account of the scarcity of material and labor it was deemed ad visable not to build on a largo scale. In the spring if conditions become normal it is the plan to make an addition. The mill and warehouse, one of the largest in this section was de stroyed by the worst disastrous fire in Steelton's history. At the time of the fire the company was working on government orders, it is said. Thousands of bushels of grain were destroyed. Hoover Representative to Speak in Harrisburg Dr. T. Alexander Cairns, personal representative of National Food Ad ministrator Herbert Hoover, will ad dress an emergency luncheon meet ing of the Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce at noon to-morrow i.i the Hoard of Trade rooms. He is thoroughly c nversant with the food situation in this country with respect to the world war. and is expected to bring ir formation to Harrisburg that will be valuable in the future. This meeting is being arranged on the shortest notice yei given by the Chamber. This is because the' Fe deral government arranged the emergency date immediately upon the receipt of the urgent re iuest of the Chamber to send Dr. Cairns here. The request to the hovernment is a result of the repeated request of members to have Dr. Cairns brought to the city. Austrians Agree to Spare City of Venice Paris, Nov. 21. The Matin says that the Austrians have agreed to spare Venice, in response to an ap peal from the Vatican, bat say that all authority must be left in the hands of the patriarch. It is certain, tiie newspaper adds, that Venice will not be defended in the event that a further retreat of the Italian forces becomes necessary. URGED TO TAKE INSURANCE Bv Associated I'rcsx Washington, Nov. 21. —Ail officers and enlisted men and nurses in tho Army and Navy were urged in a statement to-day by Secretary Me- Adoo to apply to the bureau of war risk insurance at Washington for ■government life insurance before February 12 next. SUBSTITUTE *IO,OOO SUBSTITUTES 1 ilfeSlß or these bum 5U85T1- BMjM AMERICANS NEEDED ON BATTLE LINES Lloyd George Calls Upon United States to Rush Men to France to Counteract the Disasters Faced by Allies in Russia and Italy By Associated Press American troops and American ships are needed by the allies, Premier Llovd George informed the American mission now in England at the first meeting of the Anglo-American war council. An early increased supply of tonnage is necessary for the continued welfare of the allied cause, and the British prime min ister is anxious to know how soon the first million American sol desire can be expected in France. Russia's collapse and the J eutonic success in Italy, Premier Lloyd George declared "make it even more imperative than.before that the United States should send as many troops as possible across the Atlantic as early as possible." Franco Is Firm Pledging "nothing but war" as his policy, Georges Clenienceau has re ceived the confidence of the French Chamber of Deputies in himself and his cabinet by a vote of 418 to 65. The new premier pledged his admin istration to a vigorous prosecution of the war and declared that his war aim is to be a victor. He would not agree to permit Germany to enter the society of nations because Ger many's signature cannot be trusted. With the Italians holding the Austro-Germans from Lake Garda to the Adriatic, Field Marshal Haig has carried out successful operations against the Germans from St. Quen tin to the Scarpe. east of Arras, a front of mqre than thirty-five miles. He reports no details, but says the effort had satisfactory results. Pris oners were captured and much war material taken. British Push Ahead The British attacks were made on the roads from Bapaume and Pe ronne to ' Cambrai, Berlin reports, and the Germans were forced to give ground. Cambrai, the railroad cen ter for all the German lines between Lille and the Chnmpagne, is less than ten miles from llavrlncourt, reached by the British last spring. There has been no great fighting activity on this portion of the front for several months but a blow here might be corollary to the recent French stroke southwest of Laon. Violent Austro-German attacks are being thrown against Monte Tomba, but the Italians have repulsed all ef forts successfully. The position is one of the natural strongholds pro fiting the plains of western Venetla behind the Piave river and the in vaders are making strenuous efforts to gain It. Russia in Bad Shape Italian offensive operations east at Asiago continue and the Invaders have been driven from Beveral poßl tions with the loss of more than 300 prisoners. No further attempts have been made by the Austro-Oermans to cross the Piave after the disastrous results attending the efforts of last week. The Russian Maximalist govern "nt has declared Russlh. out of the war, according to information from German and Scandinavian sources. A dispatch to Copenhagen from Ber lin says that the belief is held in the German capital that the prospects for a "peace of conciliation" are far better than previously. Neutral cap itals have no official reports nor is there word from Petrograd that the Bolshevik! have decided to suspend military activities. The Workmen's and Soldiers' Con gress is facing a split into Bolshevik! and anti-liolshevlkl organizations. The district of the Ukraine, in south western Russia, has declared iti. in dependence and 360,000 Ukrainian troops have been withdrawn from the fighting front, which may cause a serious crippling of the effective ness of tHe Russian army. Retail Milk Dealers to Appeal to Hoover For Aid Retail milk dealers to-day de clared they will call uport Herbert Hftover, federal food administrator, to prevent farmers and dairymen from exacting seven and a half cents a quart, which they set as heir price to retailers, beginning December 1. Retailers declare that they cannot sell milk for less than twelve cents if this price is them, and they think that the wholesalers are exorbitant. It was pointed out this morning that in a similar situation in New York the food administrator Torced th whole salers to sell their milk nt the October prices. A committee compo*?<3 of six dis tributors was last night to confer with the Wnolcaalo Milk Dealers' Association In an effort to make them rescind their nuv prlcot. SCOTTISH RITE MASONRY PLANS FOR 'JUBILEE' Degrees to Be Conferred on Large Class of Candi dates at Cathedral Designated as "Jubilee Year" the annual fall reunion of the Harrisburg bodies of Scottish liite Masonry, which begins to-night with a recep tion to, candidates in the cathedral, North and Capital streets, gave prom ise to-day of being a memorable oc casion in the history of the local consistory. In addition to the long established purpose of further In creasing the membership of the vari ous bodies, the ceremonies this year have a patriotic significance owing to the absence of many members in Gov ernment service. In his foreword, Commander-in- Chief William S. Snyder says: "livery power of our organization and every force of our influence should at this critical period be marshaled to serve mankind and to labor devotedly for its true welfare. Now as never be fore we must be ready to serve our [Continued on Pae 11.] Sells Turkeys at 20 Cents a Pound For Short Time Turkeys at twenty cents a pound live weight could be purchased for a short time yesterday afternoon in Market street from a farmer who brought in a wagon load from across the river. It was the cheapest price for the fowls in several years. The farmer said he wanted to dispose of his stock quickly. Price of Chewing Tobacco Goes Up Another Cent Users of. certain brands of chew ing tobacco to-day saw an extra cent tagged onto their favorite brands in a number of the larger retail tobacco shops. The price went up from five to six cents when the war tax became op erative. The seven-cent price is said to be effective on revised wholesale rates by the manufacturers. This Man Borrows on His Liberty Bond in Pawnshop Wanting to' realize a little money on short notice, a young man whose name Is being withheld has secured a loan of $95 on a Liberty Bond 1 from a local pawnbroker. Pawnbrokers said to-day they have advanced loans of various amounts on bonds. The amount of the loans varies on the nmount wanted up to full value less the regular pawn broker's fee. Single Copy, 2 Cents HOME EDITION KEYSTONE STATE HOLDS FATE OF ALLIES IN HAND Pennsylvania's Industries Are Vital to War, Says Steel Man PRESENTS COLD FACTS Manufacturers Here For the Annual State Efficiency Conference "Let the industries of Pennsyl vania cease and the Allies would be palsied: England and France would have to quit," declared Edgar C. J"clton, formerly president of the Pennsylvania Steel Company and Directoi of the Department of Civi lian Service and Labor, Committee of P"blic Safety for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at the opening seshior in vhe House of Representa tives where the Department of Labor and Industry is holding its efficiency conference. "We produce more steel than the wnole of the central powers; we pro duce more coal than Germany and Austria combined. All this must row b'- placed at the disposal of the nation which means that some [Continued on Pajjc •!.] To Dim Electric Signs Early as Means of Saving Coal Electric signs .in Harrisburg will not be lighted after 11 o'clock at night, the Harrisburg Light and Power Company announced to-day. The measure is taken as a means to save fuel and was decided upon by the corporation without waiting for a demand from the federal fuel ad ministration. Where signs are not located on the property which is beir.M adver tised, electric signs will not be light ed until 7.45 o'clock. There is no restriction on the use of current in homes or to industries. ii * ~ - i T LONDON, NOV. 21.—DESPITE THE CONTINUA- J I ' rORM ON THE BRITISH BATTLE . J J FRONT THE BRITISH TROOPS AND -TANKS £ :RE ST FORWARD ' TO-DAY *j -1 j}' SEUTERS' CORRESPONDENT AT HEADQI AR- £ -! .. t , 4 K -4 . BRITISH ARMY HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE MOV. 21.—GENERAL PERSHING, COMMANDER Zi IF DF THE AMERICAN FORCES IN FRANCE, WAS ,4" •' PRESENT AT THE BRITISH HEADQUARTERS <£ *J AS THE GU: OF FIELD MARSHAL IIAIG, THE T * • BRITISH COMMANDER, TO WITNESS THE 4 \ I ERICAN COM- jjMANDER FOLLOWED THE BATTLE WITH j? ' EREST. X \ J ADVANCE IN HOLY LAND'CONTINUES T * London, Nov, 21.—The British forces in Palestine ♦ T | 4 have ; ted five miles northwest of Jerusaleth, the war | X off:: . mnounces. T |F, g X ' t ] , GOVERNOR CALLS CONFERENCE J ! J • iy announced y that he had sent a call to all Boards of Trade and Cham- X * Commerce nthracite region to have rep- .4* e sentatives rnc?t him in the Executive Chamber at the 4* State Capitol Friday, November 23, at noon, to "con- ' -*W sider a problem of importance to their communities." JL'The Governor declined to make any statement regarding T the problem to be submitted. *** X RUSSIAN SUGAR SEIZED £ | New York, Nov. tOtis of sugar, T I which hid beca purchased for fhe Imperial Russian gov- , rrmnt before the> revolution and stored In a warehcu:e t # here, was seized by Federal Administrator George M. jj* * * Re- :et imme * * | distributed to retailers by the Amcr X €# jar Committee. *f* ♦ ITALIANS HOLD POSITIONS J | Berlin, Nov. 21.—The situation on the,ltalian front i| 4 t i<!, unchanged, the war office announces. - * I *3* - 10 * t MARRIAGE LICENSES ' 4) Dnvlil 1.. Ilowrrx, llnrrlxburK, nml .Miirnnret !V. Hler, Al'n-.'.m ' r < harlra K. Cuhourn. I'aoll, mill llrlrn C. Hchuelfrr, tlniontowni Wll- T* llitm I). Wick* ami Martlaa itumin>, Hnrrlabum. <1 I STOP SALES OF , FOOD AND SUGAR IN COMBINATION State and Federal Food Ad ministrations Prohibit Prac tice Among Grocerymen SUPPLY TO BE CONSERVED Move Taken to Prevent Hoard ing; Profits Must Be Kept Normal The practice of some lpcul grocers in refusing to sell sugar except In combination with other foodstnlTs to ilay was prohibited absolutely b.v (lie federal food administration of Pennsylvania. Announcement of this ruling, made at the instance of the federal au thorities, was received here this morning. It not only applies to sugar, but to all other products used for lootl with tile exception of corn meal. Howard Heinz, in charge of the tood administration in this state, de clared to-day that he will follow out orders in this respect. The ruling particularly applies to grocers who will sell sugar in large amounts it the purchaser takes an equally large amount of other groceries. Many Complaints Numerous complaints had come to the food department of the Pennsyl vania Committee of Public ouiety on ihis subject. The practice seems to have been general in other states as well and action was taken by t'ie lood administration in Washington. "Combination sales" are forbidden on the ground that they are likely to lead to the purchase of more food than customers really want and th* system is therefore wabtelui. The only combination permitted is cornmeal and sugar, and in this the rate must be one pound of sugar wtth two of cornmeal. The dealer shall not sell either the sugar or the cornmeal at a price yielding him a profit grenter than he h -■••mally enjoyed upon the particular com modity. The dealer is not required to make combination sales of sugar and cornmeal, but may do so at his discretion.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers