The German Advance on Front Faltering Before the Brilliant Defense of Field Marshal Haig
HARRISBURG ifllllti TELEGRAPH M
' ©K Star-Independent , 1 N ff?
LXXXVII— No. 87 22 PAGES
..BRITISH HOLD UP
CONTINUED GER
GERMANS SEEK
TO WEAR DOWN
MANPOWER OF
BRITISH ARMY
Battle Plan Proceeds on the
Theory That Continuous
Fighting Will Annihilate
Anglo-Saxon Army
DETERMINED ENEMY
ATTACKS CONTINUE
War Settles Down to Grim
Fact to See Which Side
Can Kill Most Men Im
possible to Replace
With the British Army in
France, Thursday, April 11.—
Determined enemy attacks con
tinued to-day against points of
strategical value along the new
baitle front north and south of
Armentieres, from which the
British have withdrawn, the
Germans having placed it in a
pocket hv driving a wedge on
cither side of it.
On the extreme right the tier
mans to-day were pounding
away against the British de
fense at Givenchy which has
changed hands numerous times
since the initial enemy onslaught
Tuesday. North of Armentieres
the Germans were showing an
equal desire to possess Messinfcs
ridge and Wytschate which are
dominating positions and which
.changed hands several times
■yesterday and last night. The
Germans got a footing in Mes
sines village and they were still
there this morning, but the
British were clinging to the west
ridge and were keeping the
enemy from Wytschaete.
Again Surge Forward
In the neighborhood of Ploegstert
the enemy again surged forward and
hard lighting was proceeding in this
section late to-day. South of Ar
mentieres the enemy also delivered
violent assaults.
The British this morning made a
successful counterattack and forced
the enemy from Paradls, southwest
of Lest rem. J"liis is on the front
between Kstaires and Givenchy.
Armentiere- was evacuated yes
terday afternoon hut was still reek
ins to-day with clouds of poisonous
gas am? was a most inhospitable!
place for the enemy. The British
withdrawal beer, me necessary when
♦he Germany on the north drove
forward to the vicinity of Stcen
werck, bottling up the city. By
their operations the Germans had
gradually thrust forward lines on
cither side of the city toward the
west until at neon yesterday Ar
mentieres lay at the bottom of a'
sack-shaped salient whose sides were
12,000 yards long and whose mouth
near Steenwerek was only J, 000
yards across.
Wan or Battle
Tlie withdrawal does not mean as
much from a military standpoint as
mlglit appear from a first glance,
but tile Germans undoubtedly will
make much of the capture for tlie
[Continued oil I'age 18.]
One of our busiest
business men buys
A THRIFT STAMP j
every time lie
gets a check.
H3PWIIY DON'T YOU 5
' i
I THE WEATHER |
For Horrlnbiirß and vicinity: |T n - I
Mettled, probnbly nnotv or rnln
this afternoon, (o-nltcht and
d Sntlirililyj not much eh tinge In i
W temperature, lowent to-nlirht
about freezing.
For Eastern I'ennsy Ivnnln: In. I
settleil to-night and Saturday
probably snow or rnln; not
niueli chunKe In temperature) .
moderate north to northtveat
winds.
Temperature! 8 a. m., 32.
Sum Hlsch, tltlSt) a. m.| sets. 7ißl
p. m.
Mooni First quarter, April J7 t
I t tO7 p. m.
River Stuiiei 0.8 feet above low
water murk.
Vesterdny's Weather
Highest temperature, S4.
I.oitest temperature, .'lO.
Moan tempernture. , - t- 1
formal temperature, 40.
ANOTHER GERMAN
~~~
\/ / / '• R THE.V SEEM TO
' I I
BRITISH ARE PUSHED
BACK IN NEW FIGHT
Heavy Battling Continues, With English Regaining Some
Ground by Counterattacks; Enemy Makes Progress
By Associated Press .
London, April ].—Attacking yes-]
terduy in the neighborhood of i'loeg-
Btert, the German* pre—id back tiie
British to the vicinity of Neuve
lOglise, it is announced officially.
Last night the Germans captured
Merville. Heavy lighting is contin
uing in the neighborhood of Mer
ville and Neuf Berquein.
On the remainder of the northern
battlefront there is little change.
North of I-'estubert the British re
gained ground by a counterattack.
On the front between Loisne and
the Lawe river German attacks were
repulsed.
lOnemy Presses Hard
The announcement follows:
"Severe and continued lighting
took place last night in the neigh
borhood of Merville and Neuf Ber
quin, in both of which localities the
GROUND STREWN WITH CORPSES
OF HUNS WHO DIE IN VAIN
Great Wanes of Hoc he Infan
try Go Down Before British
Guns; Further Attacks Are
Expected
By Associated Press
iiOiulon, April 12.—German troops
made a determined attack along the
Messines ridge and succeeded in
gaining some ground, says a Renter
dispatch from British army head
quarters in France and Belgium, but
the British once again drove them
out by a counterattack early this
morning.
The Germans are developing great
artillery activity in the southern ;irea
the dispatch says. The Bray-Corbie
road is being liercely shelled, her
alding, it is believed, further infantry
attack. *■
Three attacks which the enemy
launched yesterday in great waves
near Villa Chapelle were repulsed
with immense losses to the Germun®.
The ground wry* strewn with iheir
corpses.
FOCH PRONOUNCED "KOSCH"
Wnnhlntclon, April 12.—Since the
appointment of General Foch as the
Allies' generalissimo, the question of
the pronunciation of his name lias
been raised times innumerable. The.
correct answer is this: The "o" Is
long, ns In "roll," and the "c" Is soft,
as though It were "Foech.'
SINUI.K COPY,
■J CUNTS
I enemy is continuing his pressure and
has made progress. Merville was
captured by the enemy during the
night.
! "Attacks made by the enemy yes
-1 terday in the neighborhood of
Ploegstert succeeded after heavy
i lighting, in pressing our troops back
to the neighborhood of Neuve
i Kglise, to new positions.
Attacks llcpulscd '
| "On the remainder of the north-'
j ern battlefront the situation is sub
; stantially unchanged. A part of our
i positions into which the enemy
j forced his way north of Festubert
! was regained by a counterattack. On
I the front between Loisne and the
i Lawe river and to the north hostile
I attacks have been repulsed, fighting
jis continuing, on the whole front
north of La Bassee canal as far as
llollcbeke."
Machine Guns Reap
a Terrible Harvest
l<oiidon, April 12.
YOU could huve shot them
down with your eyes shut,"
said a wounded machine Run
ner, in describing how the Ger
mans attacked on the western
front, according: to the corre
spondent of the Daily Mail. "We
tired straight into them and they
went down in heaps, yet we could
not stop them, it was one down
and another come on.
The correspondent quotes other
remarks from wounded soldiers
which are indicative of the un
conquerable spirit of the British
defenders and which bear further
testimony of the terrible toll the
Germans are paying for every
foot they advance. The corre
spondent says the wounded sol
diers agreed that the Germans
outnumbered the at
least two to one.
U. S. TAKES THREE RUSS SHIPS
A Pacific Port, April 12.—Three
Russian ships have been taken over
here by the United States shipping
board. They have a dead weight
cargo capacity -of 12,000 tons. ■
HARRISBURG, PA., FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 12, 1918
Liberty Editorial
HY l\ W. SMITH, JR.
SujieiiiiieiHloiit. Eastern Pennsyl
vnnin Division, Pennsylvania
Railroad
PAUSE AND THINK
PAUSE; think. Well, what are
you thinking: al>out? Are you
thinking' of how you can spend
your wages or salary next Saturday?
About the new suit, dress, hat or silk
shirt which you wish to acquire.'
About the Rood time you expect to
have over the weekend, even if it*!
does entail railroad fare and other
expenses? Or, on the other hand, j
are you giving though to the present!
conditions prevailing in your Coun
try. and how much your future de
pends on what you are willing to do
for your government now when il
needs your help?
Are you thinking of that brothel,
cousin or friend who is offering his ;
life in order that he and you may
live happily as you have been doing? I
Do you think he does not .count on ]
your backing? Are you going to
fool him? You arc not. You arc I
going to cut out some, if not all, ex
travagant and useless waste of the
money you work for and when you
tliink about it, it is surprising how
much you spend for useless, extra
vagant things you don't need and
can just as well do without.
When you think of it, you are go
ing to invest your money in the only
safe tiling in the world to-day,
I .liberty Bonds. And some day you
are going to get it back, and tliink,
what a satisfaction it will be to feel
and know that you have done vour
duty, and with that cqnsciousnnss
look squarely and bravely in the eyes
of all the men and women you meet.
If you are still thinking, just tliink
how it will bo if you don't get a bond
or two, as many as you can. Will
you be using the side streets and
avoiding your friends and business
acquaintances? Will you be think
ing of some excuse to offer when you
must know there is no excuse?
The Third Liberty Loan provides
you with an opportunity you can't
afford to miss, and th* President of
these United States and all the peo
ple of Harrisburg expect you to do
your part. Wake up and get into
the game, and do it now.
Doutrich's One Hundred
Per Cent, in Bond Sales
Doutrich's registered to-day as a
"100 per cent." store on Liberty
Bond sales. THe store itself has in
vested heavily in Liberty Uonds and,
from general manager to messenger
boy everybody in the big clothing es
tablishment is an owner of bonds. n
HAICS DEFENSE
SLOWING DOWN
HUN ATTACKS
ON LONG FRONT
Battle Rages With Contin
ued Intensity Although
German Progress Is No
tably Less in North
LINE STRENGTHENED BY
A SHORT WITHDRAWAL
British Pushed Back Two
Miles on 25-Mile Front
Where Assaults Are Most
Desperate
By Associated Press
With the British hanging
grimly on to the great bulk of
Messines ridge, their bulwark in
Flanders, the Germans to the
south are pushing their wedge
deeper into the British lines
northeast and north of Bethune,
one of the British advance bases.
The point of this wedge was
driven last night, further along the
Lys canal to Melville, two miles west
ofLestrem, which the British held
up to yesterday. The ;A'icnt was
extended also slightly to the north
near its tip to the vicinity of Neuf
Berquin, two miles northwest of Es
taires, another point where the Brtt
ish had been making a stand.
Continue Heavy Pressure
The Germans to-day were con
tinuing what appeared to be their
heaviest pressure in this region and
had made some progress when the
noon official report was issued jn
London.
The southerly side of the salient,
as it runs southeast toward Givenchy
is being strongly held by the Brit
ish. They were standing firm to-day
at Loisne, three miles northeast of
Bethune, and along the line north
west to the Mervillc region. Further
southeast, they repelled a German
attempt to advance northwest of
Givenchy, on the high ground about
which protects the British right
flank before Bethune.
Line Is Strengthened
| The British task here patently is
|to prevent the sides of this salient
I from being materialy widened as the
| tip cannot be pushed in much
j further Without grave danger to the
j attacking forces from flank attack
I unless they succeed in broadening
j'their advancd front,
j Northwest of Armeutieres, aban-
J doned yesterday by the British, the
i line was straightened out by their
| withdrawal from Pioegsteert, whence
.they fell" back, fighting to the vicin
j ity of Neuve Eglise, close to the
southerly end of Messines ridge,
! which protects their new positions.
Hold Messines ICidgc
! Tho British lines apparently are
being firmly maintained along tho
Givenchy the high ground in 'he
Messines and Wytschaete regions
and to the north toward Ypres. No
material change in the situation is
[Continued on Page 10.]
COMMISSIONERS
MAY DECIDE TO
BUILD HOSPITAL
County Officials Considering
Plans For Contagious Dis
ease Institution •
Because of the Conditions reported
at the Municipal Hospital, where
smallpox patients are isolated, and
the statements by city healtlt au
thorities that the building is inade
quate for such a purpose, the county
commissioners to-day discussed the
advisability of erecting a county con
tagious-disease hospital. It is likely
that a number of sites will be in
spected during the next few weeks
and more definite action taken on
the plan.
By authority given in an Act of
Legislature passed in 1917, the com
missioners in any county are direct
ed to secure a site and erect a suit
able contagious-disease hospital.
Shortly after the passage of this act
City Health Officer J. M. J. Raunlck,
with other health officials of the
county and some of the boroughs,
conforred with the county commis
sioners. No further action was
taken at the time.
AVhile the suggestion was only dis
cussed, It is likely if carried out that
more than one building will be
erected, so that children can be iso
lated when taken there for treat
ment. At present there is no insti
tution in the city or county which
Can be used for any communicable
disease except smallpox cases.
It is likely a new hospital would
be built near the city, probably on
the site of the present frame struc
ture. as it is situated more than one
hundred feet from the roadway and
hundreds of yards from any other
building. The hospital would be
under the supervision of the di
rectors or the poor, according' to the
irovislons ot the Act of 1917,
ALDERMEN COST
TAXPAYERS MUCH
USELESS EXPENSE
Fees Mount High When They
Sit in Chair Mayor
Should Occupy
MAGISTRATE TOO COSTLY j
Budget Is Mounting Steadily i
Without Added Expense
to the City
With police court hearings con
ducted by aldermen called to the of
fice by Mayor Daniel L.
both the city and county lose fees
totalling hundreds of dollars which
would revert to the treasuries in;
case the mayor presided himself,
city and county officials said to-day.
Investigation of figures in the an
nual report of the city treasurer
and county controller reveal in part
how much was paid out to aldermen
sitting as committing magistrates at
police court hearings during 1917.
While these figures do not show the
present expense as totals have not
been made they furnish an approxi
mate estimate of what the total for
1918 will be if Mayor Keister con
tinues his present office system and
I retains a ward alderman to conduct
police court in the face of the criti
cism that has been leveled at him.
Fees Arc Heavy
Pecs paid by the county to the
aldermen who served as police court
magistrates last year follow: John |
B. Nicholas, $59.20 court cases;
$51.95 discharged cases; A. M. Lan
dis, $153.60 court casetj; $131.15.
discharged cases; James B. De-
Shong, $1332.20, court'_ cases;
$223.55 discharged cases. City and
county officials state that while some
of these fees would have been paid
to the aldermen for cases heard in
their respective offices, a large part \
of them would have remained in j
the treasuries if the old system of
[Continued on Page I".]
Faces Courtmartial For ' j
Shipping Wrong Body
Lexington, Ky„ April 12.—Because
he was negligent in giving instruc
tions regarding the nending of a
Pennsylvania soldier's body home
from Camp Taylor, Ky., Cap
tain C.sment Frey, of the quarter
master's department at the Ken
tucky cantonment, is facing a general
court martial.
Private Ferdinand Alvey, of Har
risburg, Pa., member of the 333 d
Infantry, died at Camp Taylor and
the body was ordered sent home. A
sergeant appealed to Capt. Fry for
instructions, and through error the
body of a negro was sent, it is al
leged, to Ilarrisburg in place of Al
vey's, as it was said to have been
the only body in the morgue at the
time and no name was given.
Frey, who pleaded not guiltx, Is
charged with negligence and violat
ing the ninety-sixth article of war.
The city directory does not give
the name of Ferdinand Alvey nor
does any of the rosters of soldiers
who have left the city give any in
formation concerning him.
| TEN PKR CENT. BO\l s
GRANTED AT SILK MIUj
Officials of the Ilarrisburg Silk
Mill Company, Second and Nor'h
streets, announced late this after
noon that a bonus of ten per rent,
had been granted employes. The in
crease will become effective at once.
More than 300 employes, the larger
number of which are females, are
benefited by the increase.
[SNOW AND RAIN
TO CONTINUE FOR
24 HOURS MORE
j'Farni Experts Hopeful That
Little Damage Will He
suit to Crops
Old Jupiter Pluvius grinned at the
| weather predictions yesterday which
| promised fair weather, and sent a
I few more bucketsful on the city
last night and to-day. The storm of
rain, snow and sleet which began
I early Monday morning has contlnu
| ed almost six days, and this morn
! ing the weatherman forecasts that
| the snow, rain and sleet will con
i tinuo twenty-four hours longer.
In spite of the sleet and snow,
11. G. Niesley, county farm agent,
came forward this morning with an
encouraging report on the chances of
i the crops being able to survive the
I rigors of he cold spell. With the
| exception of early garden plants
j which cannot survive, the farfn agent
f Con tinned on Page B.]
Senator Sprout's County
Put Up "Dry" Candidates
The Chester Times, Senator W C
Sproul's paper, says mnv Republi
cans favoring the prohibition amend
ment attended the 'meeting of the
Republican Campaign Committee of
the Delaware County Ratification
Committee. Harmony prevailed, and
there was much enthusiasm. Charles
F. Kggleston, the chairman of the
general committee, eulogized Senator
Sproul's stand on the national prohi
bition amendment, and said that Sena
tor Sproul favored a dry delegation
to go from Delaware county to the
Legislature with him as the next Gov
ernor,
ONLY K VIS NINO ASSO;i A t'liU I'llli.as
NEWSI'A I'KII I N II All IIISII ■ I IIIJ
ALL BANKS JOIN
TO MAKE IT EASY
TO BUY BONDS
Weekly Payment Plan Ac
cepted to Aid Men Who
AVant to Save
LAST EXCUSE
IS REMOVED
Biberty Bonn headquarters an- |
nounced this morning that every
bank in Harrisburg has agreed
to take care of possible Biberty
Bond purchasers so that they
may buy bonds on terms which
will enable them to • carry the
obligation with the least possible
effort.
The last excuse has thus been
removed—the last obstacle is out
• of the way—and the 35,000 wage
earners of Harrisburg are at lib
erty to buy Biberty Bonds.
It was announced this morning at
Biberty Boan headquarters that the
following have been added to Ihe
list of "Hundred Percenters" —those
institutions every member of which
is a Biberty Bond owner:
Commonwealth Trust Company,
[Continued on Page 15.]
Don't Eat Too Much at
Picnics, Warns Heinz
If there is anything that Howard
lleinz. state food administrator, over
looks it has not yet been discovered.
Picnic waste is his latest warning
He believes in taking Time by the
forelock, and the result is that when
picnic parties penetrate Reservoir
Park or any of the other wildwood
retreats they will lind plenty of re
minders in the shape of signs, that
no one is to waste one scrap of
sandwich, bread, butter, sugar el
even lemonade. Nothing for the
birdies, as in the days of yore.
Heinz says this is a serious matter
and it is a fact that after picnics at
Reservoir Park last summer many
baskets full of provender were gath
ered up by the park employes. The
county is to bo thoroughly posted
with these signs.
T ?
2 UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR ARRESTED 4
4* Chicago—Agents ({ the department of justice Jast T
® night took into custody Dr. William.lsaac Thomas of the jf
T Pity of U c University of Chicago anu a woman, said fa
4* §
■ lO' De the wife ot a Ti . ance with Gen-
X cra ' 1 ershing. They had registered at a hotel nr. Wus- If '
tia
A band and wife from Gary, Ind-
X AUTOMOBILE BANDIT KILLED *F
<Xi •§
X ' Toledo, O—ln a gun battle between Patrolman 4
iH* 4
i 4* ; J. and X
T Kenneth I". Young and Wesley Worden, automobile y"'
■■ bandits, Yqupg is dead and Worden wounded. The police &
I jX ;ay Wbvdcn confessed he and Young stole an automobile T J
J which they were attempting to replenish with gasoline
!<£ when covered bv the officer. T yj
X RUSSIAN £LEET AT KRONSTADT t
* Petrograd—The Russian 'fleet at Hetsingfors, aggre- X
4* X
X two vessels, apparently has escaped 7 .- *
*T menace of by the Germans and has arrived "4
T ' 4
aafely at Kronstadt, th ! base of Petrograd. X
|| |
JJJ BRITISH PLANES MISSING ♦£
Lp London—British aviators yesterday dropped tr.orc th;
X :on of bofnbs on the railway station at Luxemburg. In y
X rtj; it: • '•. >n the battlcfrc.; Wed-
m: Hesday the official statement on aerial operations says 4*
1
♦ eight enemy airplanes were accounted for and that seven f
X British machines are missing.
f TRANSPORT NOT IN DANGER ?
4* 4*
X An Atlantic Port—The transport Meade, which broke
X away ftom a tug yesterday while being towed here for T
j use-as a training hip. remained at anchor oft 'the New , I
T England coast to-day. No attempt will be made to bring J
her in unt'l- the weather moderates. Reports indicate 4*
4 the ve:; : -cl it: in no danger. 'X
T EDWARD J. WILKS DIES J
4 ci:l i■ ic, Pa.—Edward J. Wilks, for many yea , super* *
Ml
intendent for the Carlisle Shoe Company, died to-day, X
|j of pneuinoni" l . He was fifty-five years oldi *f*
? I *
i $
t MAKKIAUt LICENSES J
Willlnm It. I.lll* nuil Mary C. Shnuli. Iliic-rlaburgi Cnptnln Ed-
J, muml IV. Mrl.nrrrn, ('limp l.rr, IIIKI l.roln D. Hullrr. >\ imblnutoii i J
J™ Hoy \V. Mycm nml liiilillr It. Juinlaon, Went In livinv i Jmum W, "i*
Miwuthiiii nnd Catherine 11. I.raliy, llarrlaburid John K. Brian and • *_
Florence M. OberbolLer. Mlddlelown. ' X
HOME EDITION
O'NEIL PLATFORM
IS OUTLINED AT
OPENING RALLY
Governor and Pinchot En
dorse State Highway Com
missioner For Governor
STANDS FOR PROHIBITION
Would Have State-wide Anti-
Liquor Law Also as
War Measure ,
•Meliccsport, Pa., April 12. J.
Denny O'Ne'il, State Highway Com
missioner opened his campaign for
the Republican nomination for Gov
ernor here last night. The meeting
was in the form of a reception and
short speeches were made by Gov
ernor Brumbaugh and Gifford Pin
chot. m *
Governor Brumbaugh attacked
Senator Sproul and made an appeal
lor national loyalty in this war and
in the war afterward, when the
whole economic and social proced
ure of America will require reorgan
ization. He said that in that day so
cial justice and not selfish greed
must reign, and' that O'Neil is the
man to whom the people may con
fidently turn to serve them wisely,
ribly and impartially.
On the platform with the Govern
or were Attorney T. C. Jones, form
er ,ludge of Allegheny county, who
presided, and many of the prominent
men of the county.
O'NeH's Platform
Mr. O'Neil's speech will be his
[Continued on Page. 11.]
Deserters Are Returned
to Camp in Handcuffs
Jesse C. and Karl I!. Stevens, Com
pany M, 30th Infantry, were taken
to their station, Camp Merritt, in
handcuffs to-day. The men escaped
from the camp two weeks ago. after
they had stolen civilian clothes.
They were arrested by railroad po
lice near the city, and turned over to
the local recruiting officers. While
in the Dauphin county jail they tried
i to escape by climbing over the wails.