davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
Transfer of Guns More
Dangerous Than Men

The transfer of these divisions 10
the Franco British -American-It0ilan
front, while IL would undoubtedly pro-
long the war, Is not such a serious
menace as on paper 1t appears to be.
Since the Russian army began TO de-
teriorate a year ago. the Germans
have come more and more to use
tho Russian front as a rest camp for
divisions smashed up and exhausted
by fighting in the west. Aside from
these recuperatinc divisions, the Rus
sian front Is garrsoned by landwehr
and landstrum formations composed
of the older men who are not trusted
to fight In the great suction battlea'
such as Verdun, the Somme, Flanders
and Cambria
Even with no war in Russia, Ger
man divisions would have to rest. and
1andwehr and lGndstrum divisions
-,Culd remain incapable of meeting
the allies In battle. 1t was these con-
siderations that led high authority
to tell me that the nominal addition
to the 147 German divisions In the
west OF the 80 divisions now In the
cast would not add more than 20 per
cent to the strength OF the German
army In man-power. But that 20 per
cent. he was careful to add. would
prolong the war by very many
months.
There are some thousands OF can
non on Germany's eastern front, and
their appearance in the west would
be unpleasant. It is probable that
Germans strength in the west, In the
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
Allies Have Advantage
of Positions in West

The desperate and bloody strug-
giles, which appeared failures or at
most indecisive successes when they
were fought at Loos. Notre Dame de
Lorette and In Champagne in 1915,
on the Somme in 1916, at the Chemin
des Danes, Arras and In Flanders
this year. are about to bear fruit.
Little by little, thru the long and ter
rible years, as each push has followed
the last the dominating heights along
the west have been wrested from the
enemy and have passed into French
and British hands. One great retreat
the Noyon salient last spring. but
even this well-conceived and skillfully
executed measure only postponed the
desperate position in which Hinden-
burg now finds himself
Between Verdun and Bslfort no
serious attacks have been made dur
Ing the war. and the German posi-
tions, fortified during three years and
protected by the Vosges mountains.
remain formidable. As for the rest
of the western front. excluding Italy,
II is not too much to say. since the
battles OF Flanders and Cambria, that
1t is shaking.
Hindenberg and Ludondorf have
the rest of the winter to find a way
out of their difficulties. If they can.
They are able stragetists. and II
would be rash to say that they will
not succeed in discovering some tenn
porary cxpedient Or some new line
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30

operations in the principal thcater in
1918, the quantity Of allied guns anu
shells and aeroplancs. the strength OF
the American forces which 1t is esti-
mated will come into play before me
end of the year, campaign. cannot be
hinted at.
There are about 147 German dlvi-
sions mn the west fl ont. Including
all the reserves, troops in depots. gar
ris1n troops. in fact all Germans in
France and Belgium, the total num-
Der of the invading army this winter
is estimated at two million men. The
number of German soldiers on all
the fronts and at home not includ-
ing boys younger than IS, many Of
whom will be called up within the
next year, is thot to be five million.
The reserves of German manpower,
with the exception of the growing
boys, have been exhausted. German
authorities themselves admit that the
"com bing out" process in industry
has gone to the last possible extreme.
and that the substitution of prisoner
labor. and labor forced from the un-
willing slaves in the occupied terri
tories cannot be carried much furth-
er. Men up to the age of "a have
now been put into the army, and
above that age not even German or .
ganizatlon can make men able 20
stand the hardships of the front.
There remain the boys, Germany's last
rpSerVaa
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30

have to catch 1t again for the next
one. The bombs came methodically
closer and closer, destroying every.
thing when they arrived. We backed
out of the sap just as methodicallJ
until we were at the end and had &C
stop.
There we remained. sitting or
lying on those corDses of our gun
crew and helpless 10 move. II
was rather ghastly under the
conditions. and a chap couldn't
help but wonder n he was going
To look as nasty I'm few mo-
ments ~ they did. We don't
mind nice. quick shell that sud-
denly arrives from nowhere and
does Its work I'm II hurry. but the
slow moving. whispering bombs
that go way up aud then come
straight down so there Is no get
ting away. are nerye-racking.
Luckily for MS the posts wer,
around the side OF the crater. Wher
Fritz saw his bombs bursting in the
crater he thot he had gotten us, ant
stopped about ten yards short or ouI
little hole. The Germans had man.
a ged to destroy everything from tn,
crater to our front line and changed
the shape of that part of the ridge
but hadn't been able to XIII or wount
a single one of us.
Copyright, 1179, by Major Donald
McRae.
ITO be continued.)
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
Italian Front Recognized
as Important Sector

The Italian front IN now recognized
as an integral part OF tho western
battle line. 1t would have been we'll
had this view obtained from the start
but for the disasters which resulted
from the parochial strategy of the
allies the politicians are probably
more to blame than the soldiers. To
attempt to forecast the course of the
1918 campaign In Italy would be futile,
as tn, situation there Is a new one.
In France and Flanders. the opera
tons will simply continue along the
lines OF the past three years, utilizing
the results obtained In that time.
Whether the Germans Will accept
their check on the Piave and make
no further attempt to knock Italy
out of the war, withdrawing their
troops and leaving the Austrians to
stand on the defensive. Is question
that only the Germans can answer.
Whether the French and British arm
les in cooperation with the Italians,
will undertake to drive the enemy out
of the Venetian plain. 1t would at
th.q time be premature to discuss.
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30

out in No Mans Land. but the sight
before me was so wonderful that
never thot of that. I crawled up on
the old parapet and watched the
show in a fasciuated sort of way.
After looking around for q while.
observing the havoc wrought by tho
explosion Of our mfne under the Ger
man lines. Captain Cowan and |
walked toward the front on ground.
which, until that night, had been be-
hind the Hun front line. The first
thing we found was wounded Ger
man from whom we got a very val
liable Identification disc This showed
what German troops held the line op-
posite, information which was BADLY
needed. We sent the Hun back, but
he was too much blown about to live.
Next. we found German Off
Ger. who had gone uD with the
mine. but had been very little
Nlmagcd until he came down,
when he landed on top OF a
brallcr and was sizzling when
we pulled him off.
An identity disc was also secured
but ii was the same as the other ono.
During our wanderngs we met a
half-crazed German running around
and colared him. He was dazed. but
recovered and gave us much valuaDie
information
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30

and the next few hours were as BAD
as any have spent.
The most of the bombardment was
done by a very heavy concentration
of trench mortars OF all descriptions.
or course, the big two hundrco
pound Minnie" Was in evidence as
usual. Besides this old friend we
were that day treated TO a profusion
of "pineappleS" This bomb IL very
well named and looks for all the
world just like a good sized pineap-
pie. the fins on the bomb correspond
ing 10 the leaves on the fruit.
The little and big "Minnies," tho
"pineapplos." rifle grenades and all
the rest of the Krupp fanny began TO
arrivle with great rapidity. They
started dropping at the junction OF
our front line and our sap. and we
began chuckling at the poor shooting
OF Fritz Soon, however. the explo-
slons began to come our way NJ v
regular pace of a few yards at a time.
so we began to back out OF the sap.
As the hits got closer and closer II be-
came more and more unpleasant. and
I again began wondering what was
doing in such place and why had
been so unlucky as TO wander over to
No 4 cOmpany that noon
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30

which to stand fast while dangerous
saients are given up In Flanders
there is nowhere 10 stand, short OF
= temporary line near the low Thielt
ridge, 12 miles back OF the present
positions; and this line is open to such
dangers from the south that many au-
thorltlcs expect llindenburg TO go
hack thru Belgium this wluter to
Antwerp, Brussels and Namur.
The retreat apparently imposed by
the Cambrai salient has also no piv-
OTIS upon which to hang, while the east
of Cambrai lies the open plain of the
Scheldt, devoid OF defenses until the
MeauSc Itself Is reached and north
crn France given up. The evacuation
OF I.aon would admit the French TO
this same plain
1t liz difficult to believe that the
German high command Will clear out
of Belgium and France. this winter
or next spring, without fight But
it IL evident that II they intend TO
stay they must execute local retreats
in circumstances u extreme 'er :.
and fight during 1918 upon uLJ
which favors their opponents. and
not themselves. as has been the case
thruout the whole war from the bat
tie of the Marne until this autumn.
And II must not be forgotten, when
these momentous movements begin
probably amid tho mud and rain OF
winter, and the Joy bells begin TO
ring I'm Paris, London and Washing
ton, that the allied peoples are really
celebrating the results achieved by
the two million heroes who fell strug-
Cling for some obscure hill or village
during the past three years in opera
t.ons which the critics declared at
the time "relative failures" or "quali-
fial SnpppGqag -
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
EQUALIZATION BOARD
MAY REVISE TAX LEVY
Must Provide for Raising Of
About Three Million
Dollars.
World Capital Bureau.

World Capital Bureau.
SIP Campbell Building.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Dec. 29.-Thers
Is possibility of the necessity of tho
state board of equalization meeting
again and revising the state tax levy
TO provide for raising about 5000, 900
In taxes representing that portion OF
the taxes paid to the state by tho
railroad property In the opinion OF
j. l.. Lyon, secretary OF state and
member OF the equalization board.
Mr.. Lyon cites the taking over by the
government of the railroad lines md
property as he believes the present
arrangement means.
The railroad property in the state
Is valued at 1904. .042, ,472. according
to figures compiled by Mr.. Lyon. He
points TO tho enabling act which pro-
vides that no taxes shall be imposed
by the state on lands or property he
| longing to or Which may hereafter
be purchased by the United Sattes,
or reserved for It's use.
Under the proclamation issued by
the president of the United States.
taking possession Of and assuming
control OF all railroad property is
reservlng by the United States gov
ernment for its use all railroad prop
erty and relieving the state from this
amount of taxable property" is the
contention OF Mr.. Lyon.
lie Is also OF the opinion that altho
the state board has already made the
levy for the fiscal year ending juno,
1916, that II the S3,000,00O taxes that
is the portion the railroads have been
assessed to pay, should be exempt, II
will he necessary for the board to
meet again and raise the present levy
on other property to meet the states
current eXpenss.
! But Governor Williams. who Is also
a member of the equalization board.
does not view the situation with Mr..
Lyon. The governor believes that the
government would not in anywise
work a hardship on the states or the
people. He believes that the corpora
tlon commission CT the state and tho
railroad commissions OF all the states
will be used more as a federal agency
thru which the local movements OF
trains may be directed. There will
be no disturbance of present condi
tions the governor believes, because
the government just now wants trans-
! ortation facilities.
| While the government may be said
to be in possession OF the roads, 1t
Is not to the extent that there is any
Intention to exempt the property from
tlXation, is the belief OF the governor,
at least at this time.
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
Hear Buried Men
Trying to Get Out

On the way back to where the men
were digging we got quite n surprise.
While walking along we felt peculiar
shocks i'm the ground and heard the
sounds OF blows way down under
ground.
We at once realized that n
dugout had been cavcd I'm ny the
debris from the mine. It must
have been full OF Germans who
were slowly smothcrlng to death
down there I'm the dark. for,y
feet underground. It Is hOr-
rible form of death. and II was
Ditiable TO hear their hopelessly
frantic efforts to dig out.
/ felt sorry for them, even IL they
were Germans. but there was notn-
ing we could do.
/ thot IT about time to get TO my
own men again, so scrambled back 10
my place. Just after | left. Cowail
beat off two more counter attacks
with heavy losses to the enemy. but
not thing showed up on my side.
BY o'clock everything had died
down temporarily. and Cowan and |
were relieved and allowed to go back
and get our much needed rum.
then discovered was mass ol
bruises from flying pieces of rock and
from being thrown about against
wooden revettlng posts. etc. All the
rest OF the night | was so pleased "a
be whole and to have stood the racke,
my head was pretty well swollen un.
I'll / found out that the worst or the
enemy shelling had gone over my
by the men who were not In the
nn ri n all
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
Germans Are in Tight
Place All Along Line

In Flanders, the Germans are faced
by the necessity Of retreat. The loss
of most of the passchendaele ridge
leaves them exposed to British fire
from concealed positions directed
against their exposed lines In the
plain. The nasty Flanders salient In
their fronts offer possibilities TO an
attacking force that the German COM
mand cannot afford to extend when
the mud dries up, next spring. Ac
cordingly. the enemy must go back
Forty miles to the south General
Byng, by the most brilliant attack of
the war In the west has driven a sa-
lient into ths German front before
Cambria that outflanks much OF the
Hindenburg line to north and south.
Gwen the winter to concentrate for
an attack here, his situation would be
such that the German command VIII
probably refuse to face the terrible
peru their centrr armies would be
placed in If an advance Of a few miles
were mado by the British In good
campaigning weather from the new
salient. Here, TOO. n retreat seems
forced before the 1913 campaign
begins.
About tho same distance south or
Cnmbrai as Cambria is south of Ypres
General petan In October, after
months OF terrible fighting, cleared
the Chemin des Danes, and forced the
enemy back over the Alette. gap
between the hills to Laon, five miles
away offers tempting possibilities to
an attacking force.
Tragedy, for the Germans, lies In
the fact that local retreat from one
or all of these danger spots does not
appear possible. Last autumn, when
the French and British drove a wedge
into the line and threatened Bapaume
and Perenno in tho Somme fighting,
the enemy constructed the Hindon-
burg line and abandoned tho threat
ened sector. This was possible be-
cause, and only because, IIlrdenburg
had In the Chemin des Danes posi-
tons at the southern end of his re-
treat. and I'm the Arras and Vimy ridge
positions at the northern end, secure
pivots which he could be sure of hold
Ing during the operation.
It is perhaps the most significant
and encouraging fact that the wac
mas yet made evident in the west that
there are no more such pivcts upon
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30

Within the past Few mon. hf Tie
class of 1919 has been called I. the
colors. This means that 10000 boys
who would attain their twentieth
birthday, IL they were alive, in 1919,
were summoned for examination, and
under the present low standard OF
physical fitness required from Ger
man recruits, some 100000 of them
are being sent to the war. These
10000 boys, at present, are not yet
nineteen. Some of them have already
been identified on the western front
The class OF 1920, composed of S00.-
600 lads not yet eighteen, is now being
examined and classified for service
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
Menace of Submarine
No Longer Serious

The submarine warfare, upon whlch
German hopes were pinned, is CIV
ing less anxiety Counter measures
have been attended with such sue
ess that n repetition of the blach
weeks last spring is not anticipated.
vhi/ the six million tons OF Ameri-
can shipping promised in 1918 should
more than make up for all the ships
the U-boats can sink curing the year.
al the present rate OF destruction. The
fan in the number OF ships sunk in
certain waters, due to the patrollin3
operations of United States warships
in the past four months Is most graft
flying and the Improvement in this
region should be more than main
tanned
Turning TO the war on land, the
great enigma that makes difficult any
estimate of the course Of operations
in 1915 Is Russia. But, with or with
OUT Russia, operations on the west
front WIZ pursue their implacable
course, II. as military authorities are
now confident, the west front is i'm
pregnable against any conceivable
German offensive undertaken with
troops brought from the east. The
importance CT Russia in the grand
strategy of the war now Is not thai
her detection might lose the allies
the war, but that. If Russia released
enc hundred and forty enemy diyi-
sions for other fronts, 1t will take the
allies much longer to win IL.
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30

that will serve for time their stub
born defensive. All that can be done
here is To Indicate the truly critical
situation in which the German arIuics
In the west have been placed as the
cumulative effect OF three years Of
French and British cnslaughts.
Leaving out of consideration the
gap that leads from Belfort by swift
zerland into Alsace, II seems probable
that the front from the sea to Cham
pagne will continue to be the decisive
theater of war. as 1t has been from
The heginn.ng.
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
"Minnies" Are Invisible
Because of Dense Fog

one OF the worst features OF the
whole thing was the fog, which hid
the "Minnies" as they came over. We
could only hear them. They came
singing. their ungodly song getting
louder and louder. We felt that each
one was the one with our name and
number on II for sure, and held our
breath during the entire flight. When
the explosion was over. except for the
large fragments or "humming birds
flying around. we would let out our
breath with a sigh OF relief. only to
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
ALLEGED ROBBER CAPTURED
Citizens Catch Man Believed Guilty OF
Entering East Third Residence.

After chase In which he was run
down by several citizens, William
Tingley was arrested yesterday by tho
police and held for the county. A
residence on East Third was robbed,
and n little later Tingley suspected
of the deed, was seen on the street,
when several men gave chase. Ting
watch and savings bank. away be-
fore he was caught The police were
notified and TOOK the man to the sta
ton where ne was held 10 await tho
filing OF a complaint by the owner Of
the property.
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
Bv JOHN LLOYD BALDERSTON

Copyright, /, the
LONDON, Dec. 29-This is attempt, the old year
draws close survey the military outlook for the 1913
campaign in the against Germany There many in
cacuable factors the problem and nothing rash
than prophecy in but the writer has been in touch
since early in the with the highest military and naval
opinion here and claim for of the statements made
below the situation the various fronts that heY
based upon and figures whose publication would be
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
Elect OklalOnau.

ST. LOUIS. Dec. 29.--Aaron NJ.
Weitsenhoffer OF Oklahoma city to-
cay was elected council chief OF the
Hal Resh fraternity. national He
brew organization which 10 holding its
annual convention here
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
Confidence Soon Puts
Fright to Rout

But even this couldn't take away
the feeling that / had done my job.
and. while II didn't amount to any
thing. I was certain Of myself and
knew | would not fall down In the
future--and that Is what want to
Impress on NIL our men going over
You may get excited at first and not
use your brains like veteran, but
you will not be afraid or fall down on
your work. The bravest deed I ever
heard OF. one that won the Victoria
Cross. was done by young chap Of
21 the first time he ever went into the
trenches.
After few hours of comparative
fire once more. They had accurate
~ located the crater and posts BY this
time and probably had ascertained
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30

New Years Resolution. Resolved,
will quit paying rent In 1918. Buy
u lot in Investors Addition. $1,000
cash. $500 a week. See NJ. ]. Glass
4 Co.-Adv.
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30

To take first the war ut sea. There
appears no reason To suppose that
even with the addition of the United
states navy to the English, French ard
Italian flets, the new year Will be
marked by great fleet actions. Mines,
submarines and shore batteries make
IN offensive against the enemy no less
difficult than before and 1t is not
thot likely that the German high sea
fleet will come out and face another
Ipt1nnd
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
War Must Be Won
on That West Front

1t is or the west front that the war
must be won Tho number of British
ard French divisions available for
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
Into The Enemy Lines

staimont OF a story OF fighting in France by |
a young American officer with the Cana !
dians at Vimy Ridge. In the first chepter
the author described preparations to blow
up a mine under the German lines1
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-01-23
PRIZES AWARDED IN
BIC ESSAY CONTEST

CHICAGO, ILL.,, Jan. 23.-Duncan A.
MacGibbon, of McMaster University,
Toronto, was yesterday awarded the
first prize of $1,000 in the economic
essay contest conducted by Hart,
Schaffner & Marx. MacGibbon is the
third Canadian to take first honors in
one of these contests. His prize-win-
ming essay was entitled, Railway
Rates and the Canadian Railway
Commission
An unusual feature of the an
nouncement is an award of the sec
end prize of $500 to ]. Noble Stockett,
Jr., of Baltimore, who died on Sep
tember 1S. 1916, after submitting his
paper on THE Abitral Determination
of Railway Wages" Stockett was a
graduate of Johns Hopkins University
and had been appointed an assistant
professor of economics at Dartmouth.
The remaining two prizes of $500
and 5000, respectively, for university
undergraduates went to Victor E. Gut
willig, of the University Of Chicago,
and to Herbert Feis, of Harvard Uni
versity. Gutwillig's subject was "The
Manufacture and Marketing of Mems