—•••* - ■ - ' Cossack Leaders Confident of Bolsheviki Defeat; ft ' • HARRISBURG iSSgISi TELEGRAPH ©>c Star- Jn&cpcnbcnt • " * - LXXXVI:— No. 296 18 PAGES COSSACKS PLAN REBEL DEFEAT; DEFY GERMANY Counter Revolutionists Expect to Depose the Bolsheviki Soon and by Spring Have Formidable Fighting Force to Meet Germans; Growing Unrest in Petrograd and Moscow; Cossacks Advance Northward By Associated Press • London, Dec. 11. —Russian officials in London who arc estab lishing direct communication with General Kaledines and other leaders of democratic organizations in Russia, declared to the As sociated Press to-day that the movement to overthrow the Bol sheviki was supported not only by the Cossacks but by almost all the leaders of the other parties. These leaders, it was said, ire confident they will be able to make short shrift of the Bolsheviki. They also feel certain they will be able to present a formid able fighting force by spring. It is said thousands of Cossacks already have left the fighting front and rallied to Kaledines' support and it is expected he will soon have the entire force of 400,000 Cossacks at his disposal. The officials In London assert the plans embrace the solidification of the loyal fighting forces, the com plete elimination of the Bolslieviki organizations in the cities and towns of Southern Russa, the re establishment of order, the reorgani ztion of supplies and the establish ment of a new allied fighting front to protect the rich Russian granaries and coal and mineral fields from the Germans. They added that a form of guer rilla warfare may possibly precede the re-establishment of a solid fight ing front, owing to the present dis organized state of the Army on ac count of the Bolsheviki peace nego tiations. The question, of allied support, which the officials declare is neces sary if Kaledines and the other forces loyal to Russia and the allies are to be successful. Is one on which much stress must be laid, especially the question of the eventual send ing of an American expeditionary Army to co-operate with the forces holding the new front. It is pointed out that this would not be in the nature of American Interference in Russian internal affairs, but a case similar to American and British troops helping France. Hard as it may be for Russia to carry on in the face of the tre mendous sacrifices mad'e at the be ginning of the war and the paralysis of thb Army under the Bolsheviki and German propaganda, the officials assert that Russia will carry on till the time a general peace is agreed upon in common with the allies. The fact that the Germans them selves cannot make up their minds regarding the Bolsheviki peace meet ing the approval of the Russia peo ple is shown, it is said, by the report of a meeting held at German eastern headquarters early this month. News of this meeting was received in Russian sources here through what is said to be a trust worthy neutral source and was tc the effect "that the civil and military au thorities differed on the question. The civil authorities were willing to accept the Bolsheviki offer but the military leaders pointed out that to make such a peace would only com promise Germany. This opinion also is said to be held in Austria. ' ONLY 1 DAY left for men between the ages of 21 and 31 years to enlist In the war against the 11 tin. After tha> time all registered men must take their chances In being placed in whatever branch of the service the government decides. 1 1 THE WEATHER For Harrlsburg nnd vicinity: Fnlr this afternoon; probnbly light •now to-night nnd Thursday; somewhat nurmn, loft tem perature to-night about 15 de gree*. For Knstern Pennsylvania : Prob ably occasional Mnow to-night nnd Thursday, not quite HO cold; fresh northeast to north winds. River The Susquehnnnn river and all Its tributaries will remain gen erally lee-bound without inn terlul ehanges in stnges. About feet, lee rending, is indleat ed for Harrlsburg Thursday morning. tienernl Conditions Pressure has diminished decidedly over the eastern half of the country, except the northeast ern portion, where It has In ereased. Moderate rains have fallen In the Gulf and South At lantic States, except Florida, and light to moderately heavy snows in the Middle Atlantic States, the Ohio Valley nnd Tennessee. I.lght to moderate snows fell from the Great l.okes westward to the Itocky Moun tains, nnd rain In Oregon. There has been a general rise of 2 to 18 degrees In temperature over nearly all the eastern half of the country, except in New Knglaitd. Temperature i 8 a. m., 14. Son : Rises, 7:25 a. m.| sets, 4i,13 p. m. Moon: New moon, December 14. Hlver Singe: 3.0 feet übove low water mark. Yesterday's Weather Highest temperature, 20. I.owest temperature, 7. Mean temperature, 14. Normal temperature, 34. AUSTRIAN SHIP TORPEDOED AND ! SUNK SUNDAY Battleship Wicn Attacked and: Sunk, Says Vienna State ment; Most of Crew Safe By Associated Press London, Dec. 12.—The Austrian battleship Wien was torpedoed and sunk Sunday night, according to a Vienna official statement received in Amsterdam and forwarded by the Central News. Most of the crew was saved. The battleship Wien displaced 3,311 j tons and was laid down in 1893. She j had a complement of 441 men. Her largest guns were four 9.4 inch and six 5.9 inch, and she had four torpedo tubes above the water. Russians Resume Their Negotiations For Peace Petrograd, Tuesday, Dec. 11. — Representatives of all the Russian fronts started to-night for Brest- Litovsk to resume the armistice ne gotiations with the Germans. Lieu tenant Colonel Fokieh, the general staff member of the armistice com mittee. informed the Associated Press that the delegation would con sist of thirteen members. Including General Skaloeok, one representa tive each from the northern, west ern, southwestern, Rumanian-Rus sian and Rumanian armies, M. Alt flater, the naval representative and • five political delegates. Lieutenant Colonel Fokkeh be lieves the Germans will make consid erable concessions and will even con sent to leave Moon Sound. The Ger mans have eliminated the demand that Russian troops leave Macedonia and France because the Russian del egates said these armies were not under their control. The Russian delegate at Brest- Litovsk telegraph ed to Petrograd to-day that the Ger man command therft had demanded the immediate cessation of the dis tribution of Russian literature to Germans and Austrians. He said that eight million leaflets already had been distributed among the Teu ton forces. Bolsheviki Disperse Senate; Substitute New Tribunal Petrograd, Monday, Dec. 10.—The Bolsheviki have dispersed the Sen ate, the highest Russian court, and all the other courts of Petrograd, in keeping with the recent decree of the people's commissaries substitut ing new revolutionary tribunals. The only opposition met was at the con gress of county judges who refused to be dispersed. They were arrested by. soldiers. The soldiers, peasants and work men in each district, according to the proclamation, name a permanent president of the court and six jurors, the latter serving only one week. They have full power to impose fines, imprisonment and banishment. Each juror can cause the arrest in an emergency, but the entire court must approve later. Any member can cause a prisoner to be released. The Petrograd advocates congress has decided to Ignore the law. Cossacks Successful in Initial Battle London, Dec. 12. —Reports of fighting at Mohilev, Russian general headquarters, between troops new ly arrived there and the Bolsheviki garrison were received in Petrograd i .Monday, according to the corre spondent of the Times in the Rus sian capital. It is also reported that shock battalions and Cossacks ad vancing on Mohilev clashed with the Bolsheviki who were defeated. HARRISBURG, PA., WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 12, 1917. UNFIT FOR PARTNERSHIP p int. ru "i MUNITION PLANT BURNS; DEL.TOWN IS BOMBARDED Following Fire Which Spreads Rapidly, Loaded Shells Are Hurled Through Space Wilmington, Del., Dec. 12. —A ter rific bombardment, shortly before 8 o'clock this morning with shells— such as are used in the war zone of Europe—flying in every direction, aroused New Castle and immediate vicinity, as well as Wilmington and other distant points and soon de veloped into a fire which had broken out in one of the r.-ost dangerous sections of the shell-loading plant of the Bethlehem Steel Company, about a mile below New Castle. The blaze, which is of unknown origin, incendiary, man believe, started in the shell-loading house In which Were stored 4,600 shells loaded with T. X. T., one of the most violent of all explosives used in war, and 30.000 empty shells. The fire had scarcely started when the contents ol the loade 1 shells began >o fly in every direction. The b .ilding, which was a frame structure, about 100x100 feet, [Continued on Page B.] No Cause For Alarm Over Hard Coal, Says Hickok That there is no immediate danger of a fuel famine in Harrisburg was the opinion expressed to-day by Ross A. Hickok, fuel administrator for Dauphin county. This view, however, was not shared by coal dealers, who declared there is a very serious shortage. Mr. Hickok, while admitting that the coal situation is very trying, de clares there is no immediate danger of hardship. He says that if the peo ple play fair and don't try to hoard, there is no reason why the coal should not hold out well until con ditions improve. Mr. Hickok said that if an accurate idea of the amount of coal in the city were ascertained, enough coal would be found to sup ply the needs of the people. It is his opinion that when customers cannot get the size they want at their deal ers' they rush around to other deal ers, who will not supply any but their regular customers, thus causing alarm and a fear of an extreme shortage. Following Zero Weather Governor Seizes Coal Columbus, Ohio, iJec. 12.—Governor James M. Cox went over the heads of Federal fuel administration officials to-day and lias taken the Ohio coal shortage problem in his own hands. The first move to-day was to order solid trainloads f coal assembled and sfcnt immediately to points in the state most seriously in need of fuel. The order is directly contrary to instructions of P. C. Baird, Federal fuel administrator in charge of the Liakes coal pool, Cleveland, who re fused by long distance telephone to day to sanction such action. ZF.MB" ELKCTIOX TO-NIGHT Much interest is being taken in' the unnual meeting of Zenlbo Tem ple of the Shriners to-night. II will be held at Chestnut Street Audi torium at 7.30 o'clock. GEN. ALLENBY IN JERUSALEM: HOLY PLACES GUARDED Mosque of Omar Has rfcen Placed Under Control of the Mohammedans By Associated Press London, Dec. 12. Premier Lloyd George to-day announced in the House of Commons that General Allenbv, the British commander in Palestine, enter ed Jerusalem on foot on Tues day. Guards have been placed around the Holy places, the premier said. The Mosque of Omar has been placed under Mohammedan control. • The premier said General Allenby's proclamation insured maintenance and protection of all sacred buildings and holy places. General Allenby was well re ceived by the population. Surrender of Jerusalem Surprise to the British London, Dec. 12.—The surrender of Jerusalem came as a complete sur prise to the British public. A week or ten days ago it was repeatedly reported that the city had been taken but these rumors were set at rest by an authoritative statement that an other pitched battle would be neces sary before the British could hope to enter Jerusalem. In fact, the public had almost given up its much cher ished hope that the task General Al lenby had set his troops would be accomplished by Christmas Day. The British general. however, proved himself a supermaster of strategy, and while the Turks and their German officers were expecting a stroke from the northwest, Allenby made a sudden advance from the south and west and succeeded in throwing a cordon .about Jerusalem and its garrison. The city might have been taken pome time ago, but the British were determined that there should be no bombardment of the holy places, and that even if time were lost the Turks must be forced out of their positions without any big gun actions which might cause damage. When the news of the capture of the Holy City was received the bell of the Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral was rung for the first time in three-years and a solemn Te Deum was sung. Demobilization of Russian Forces Already Begun Copenhagen, Dec. 12. The semi official German news agency saya demobilization of the Russian forces already has begun and that peaca negotiations, restricted to the Rus sian front, have been authorized. The news agency's dispatch says General Oherbatc*hoff lias been ap pointed commander-in-chief, "with the assistance of the allies" (Teu tonic?) and that he has been author ized to open peace negotiations with 1 Germany. NAME LEADERS TO DIRECT RED CROSS CAMPAIGN Each Ward to Have Com mander and Teams of Fifty Workers Announcement was made this morning of the commanders who will lead next week's Red Cross member ship campaign in the fourteen wards of Harrisburg. Each of these com manders will appoint his or her team captains in the fifty-three voting pre cincts of the eity. The captains make selections of their team members— the men having, fifteen to thirty on a team, the women from ten to twenty. The ward commanders are as fol lows: •First ward—Mrs. C. N. Hunter, W. J. Everett. Second ward—Miss Letitia Brady, Charles E. Pass. Third ward—Mrs. Edward R. Spon sler, H. A. Keiker Jr. Fourth ward—Mrs. Ross A. Hick ok;, Arthur'D. Bacon. Fifth ward—Miss Mary Heister, F. C. Neely. t Sixth ward—Mrs. John Dapp, An son P. Dare. Seventh ward—Mrs. Mary Leonard, J. W. Bayles. , Eighth ward—Mrs. R. E. Holmes, George A. Shreiner. Ninth ward—Mrs. W. T. Scheffer, A. G. Eden. Tenth ward—Mrs. Herman Miller, ' [Continued on Page 12.] R. R. War Board Pledges President Full Co-operation By Associated Press Washington, Dec. 12. That full est measure of co-operation in any decision President Wilson may make to solve the railroad problem, even though he should choose government operation, was pledged to the Presi dent to-day by the railroads' war board, composed of a representative committee of railroad executives. The railroad executives told the President they did not ask a billion dollar loan or a suspension of the anti-trust and anti-pooling laws. They told him they believed the rail roads themselves would be able to cope with the traffic congestion if the government would name a fcil eral traffic director to co-ordinate all government shipments and have the government approve railroad credit for raising new capital. Thousands of priority orders, com ing from as many sources, the rail road men declared, are the principal cause of congestion. Co-ordination of government, shipments by a fed eral traffic manager they said, would meet the situation. Following Quarrel, Husband Kills Wife and Three Others Millville, N. J., Dec. 12. After a uarrel with his wife over the love affairs of their daughter; James Borecca last night shot and killed his wife, and then killed Mr. and Mrs Benjamin peluca and the five-vear old daughter of the Delucas. Svlvia Borecca. tfio 19-year-oldl K j r i, whose romance led to the shooting escaped by leaping through an upstairs w'in dow. She was badly cut by glass Borecca escaped and the police throughout southern New ejrsey were conducting a search for him. FIRST AMERICAN SHOT FIRED AT AUSTRIA IN ITALY Representative Tinkham Pulls String and Hurtles Shell Across the Piave GREATER AIR ACTIVITY Heavy Bombardment on West ern Front Is Believed to Presage Huge Attack by Associated Press Italian Army Headquarters in Northern Italy, Tuesday, Dec. 11. — The first American-shot against Aus tria was fired by Representative Tinkham, of Boston, on the lower Piave, when Mr. Tinkham pulled a string firing a large 149-milimeter gun sending a shell hurling across the Piave to the Austrian positions, i A huge cloud of black smoke marked the place where the shell burst. The Italian batterymen gath ered around the gun and raised a cheer as the American Congressman fired. Washington, Dec. 12.—Congress man Tinkham, by tiring an Italian gun at the Austrian positions has taken on the status of a noncombat ant attacking tro'ops and, according to the rules of warfare, laid himself liable to execution by the Austrians should he by any chance fall into their hands. Under the laws of war, a civilian may never engage in hos tilities. The fact that war has been declared does not alter the situation. London, Dec. 12.—Them was great activity in the air on Monday, es pecially in the Cambrai region, ac cording to the official statement on aerial operations issued last mid night. British airplanes dropped bombs on enemy villages and the Germans bombed the British area. Five German airplanes were brought down and three British machines are missing. On Tuesday British aviators dropped bombs on a large railway junction northeast of Plrmasens in the Bavarian Palatinate, about 100 miles east of Verdun. There has been no break in the Infantry in activity on the western and Italian fronts. The artillery on both sides has been active along the greater part of the two fronts and on the western front the allied and German airmen have engaged In lively combats. German reinforce ments continue to be sent westward, but there is no sign of when and where the expected blow will fall. Heavy bombardments by the big guns generally signify approaching lighting activity and the impression prevails in allied capitals that the Germans Will make a supreme ef fort before very long. Usual Supply of Light and Heat Expected by Evening, Says Kaltwasser By to-night Harrisburg will have Its usual supply of heat and light was the prediction to-day of Mr. Kaltwas ser who explained that the Harris burg Light and Power Company had tinally received from the manufac turers the duplicate pump which is essential in asli handling. At the same time the company has turned to softtcoal for fuel Instead of the river coal and this change guarantees a higher pressure of steam. Soft coal, however, can not be used Jjter mdnently without a raise in rates, it was pointed out. Another deficiency which has been pnrtly tilled is the receipt of an au tomatic stoker which had been order ed months ago and the absence of which caused the luck of heat. This stoker was put going to-day and a fourth will be installed in a few days. Mr. Kaltwasser said that the firm would have r.%>t the recent emergency even though disappointed by the slowness in manufacturers if the York Haven plant had not frozen up. It was expected that Harrisburg could get a current there but that plant, too, was partly out of com mission. "Harrisburg should have heat and light aplenty to-night" was the assurance from the head of the Light and Power Cdmpany, "and I do not think we will have any trouble the rest of the winter." Children to Aid Less Fortunate Youngsters in Having Happy Christmas The 279 children under the care of the Associated Aid Societies will have a happy Christmas if the Junior Aid Society s plans materialize. The Junior Aid Society, composed of chil dren between the ages of 10 and 15 years. Is making Arrangements to till the stockings of th%279 wards of the charitable organization. Toys, candy and other gifts to please the tots, will be given. Miss Annette Bailey. 401 North front street, is president of the society and Miss Lydia Kunkel 1607 North Second street, is chairman of the commit tee in charge of the arrangements. Honore Patton and Cecilia Kunkel are members of the committee. Of the children whom gifts are to be given, eighty-four In private homes, twenty-four are in homes and boarding Is paid by the Associated Aid Society; and 194 are in various institutions. All are wards of the Associated Societies. Falling Snow Raises < Optimism in Italy With the French Armies in Italy, Tuesday, Dec. 11. (By the Associated Press) Snow began to fall this morning In the mountain district where the Austro-German armies are trying to break through. The beginning of the snow falls adds to the optimism of those who have been I confident the drive would bo check ed within its present limits. Single Copy, 2 Cents FIREMEN'S UNION WANTS TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY Would Have Mayor Supervise! City Department Along With Police COMPANIES HAVE DEFICIT Protest Against Auditing of Accounts Contributed by Members The Firemen's Union met last evening in the Hope Enginehouse, and befo-e adjournment expressed the desire that the entire department be placed under the mayor, in con nection with the police department, or under the superintendent of pub lic safety. There were criticisms on account of the Sunday afternoon lire, the assertion being made that if the first firemen on the ground had had smoke masks, and the appliance asked for more than a year ago whereby everything in a room filled with smoke can be plainly seen— and which masks and appliance were promised—the loss probably jvould have been $5,000 less than it was. The firemen, who have funds made up by dues, fines and volun tary contributions of members and friends, and not in any way coming from city funds, are opposed to hav ing such funds audited or examined into by public officials. They loo'k upon such money as their private property. An examination of books shows that every tire company in the city, with the exception of two, has a deficit, nothwithstanding the most rigid economy. Our fire department has been in vited to take part as an entire divi sion in the great state firemen's parade "to be held in Lancaster next summer. It was stated that such an invitation had been accepted by the Delaware county firemen, and also by the fire department of York —and others to follow. 4* j T " 1 X GRANTLAND RICE GETS COMMISSION " 2 § Greenville, S. C., Dec. 12. -Grantland Rice, the sport- ing writer, v !.o cam-: here from New York City Sunday • <§ Vto enii'.;t in the One Hundred and Fifteenth field artillery 3 m v 'j at Camp Sevia has been made a sergeant of a battery of J JL ft X a unit from "i ennessee. ' m I GERMANS MASS MEN IN ITALY 9 7 Washington; Dec. 12.—Reinforcements from the Kus- f egp sian front for the AustVo-German invaders of Xtfaly are ' 2 X stili arri official dispatch from Rome to-day an- T 4* hounded. The German plan of 'ttft>n. however, has suf- <# 4 1 X l'ered much deiay. 1 ' T j "ITALIANS RETAKE LOST POSITIONS j <4* Rome, Dec. 12. —The enemy has resumed the attack.