davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
Drafting of Women
In Belgium Proved
BY German Diary
[Stuf Correspondence

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2-Furthcr de-
tails concerning forced labor in Bel
gium, anf the sending Of Belgian
women to work behind the German
lines, under the Allies fire, were made
public to-day by the official Belgian
Information Bureau, which has re-
ccived the following report:
can unpleasant story is revealed by
q journal captured from men of di-
vision of the Landwehr. Less than two
miles behind the German front, in the
flooded region beyond the User, almos :.
exactly to the east of Pervyse, on the
Belgian front. there is little village
called Leko. 1t is situated in the zone
of fire the civilians having evacuated
it long ago.
"This journal states that fifty young
women and young girls have been at
work on the concrete shelters at Lckc.
The place is situated, as related, in
the zone Of fire. How did the German
author of the journal know about the
affair? 1T is my duty to escort band
of f0rty-seven women to Leke. if they
have to go, and bring them back at
night The authenticity of the report
cannot be doubted The Journals al
lusion to a round number of fifty, and
afterward to forty-sevcn when he
speaks of his escort duty, is sufficiently
convincing.
"This incident gives an idea of the
stories Of horrors which will come
from Belgium when the Belgians are
again free to tell what they know. 1t
is stated by very trustworthy person
that women and girls between the ages
of fifteen and forty-fve from tho
neighborhood of Tournai are being sent
to points behind the German front"
Another instance of forced labor and
| Of punishment for refusal OH the part
of the Bclgians to perform it is re-
lated in the following dispatch, re-
ce;ved here to-day:
"In the country around Licge sew
eral Belgian policemen Of the auxiliary
police force have been dismissed from,
their positions by the German authori-
ties because they refused to give their
assistance in the requisitioning of mat
ftresses." -
. :. Official adviccs state that the Ger
mans arc appropriating to their own
uses practically everything of utility
in Belgium, leaving the native Belgians
only the scant necessaries for theil
own existence. All buildings, includ
ing churches and private residences
are being stripped of every particle o.
metal, which is being consigned to wal
uses by the invaders. The severity O.
the Germans is said to exceed tha
which marked their occupation Of Bel
rium early in the war
New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
Head of Sloane Corporation
Eliminated; Gets $4,000
"Just to Keep Quiet"
Has 16-Ship Contract
Wood Vessels Cost $40 a
Ton, Steel $16O and $17O,
Says Witness

WASHINGTON. Jan. 2.-Rear Adj
miral Bowles. Of the Emergency Fleet
Corporation. to-day told the Senate
lnvcstigating committee the govern
mcnt was paying all salaries of the
American international Shipbuilding
Corporation. under its contract. ex-
cepting some. aggregating about $780,
600 year.
The admiral cited the Sloane Ship
building Corporation. Of Seattle Wash,
as an instance of where the govern
ment had taken complete control. The
contract. he said. eliminated Sloane
from the company, but continued to
pay him $4,000 year instead Of $780,
600 formerly paid by the company.
"Still drawing $4,000 and yet moth
ing to do with the company ?" suggest
ed Senator Nelson.
eyes," responded the admiral. Gust
to keep quiet and help US keep things
in order. III admit it looks like too
much, but it was driving a bargain
in which we had no absolute rights"
The Sloane yard, the admiral testi-
fed. has a S7,S40,000 contract for six
teen wooden ships, 3 per cent COM
plcted, and the government already
has advanced $1,70O.O0.
Reorganized the Company
The government, he said, insisted on
q reorganization of the company in
August and forced new accounting
methods.
The admiral said the government had
taken a S7b0,000 mortgage on the
Sloane plant
Senator Nelson suspected a possible
with the Sloane contract. He asked ie
the Joseph b. Cotton who had helped
General Goethals negotiate the orig
NAL contract with the Sloane com
pany was not the same Cotton whom
he recalled as having been in Wiscon
sin as counsel for the Steel Corpora
ton, and who later on had moved to
New York. Admiral Bowles said he
did not know.
Later Senator Johnson said he lad
been told it WAS not.
Admiral Bowcs said Joseph B. Cot
ton was counsel for the Emergency
Fleet Corporation.
Admiral Bowles testified Sloane told
him the company paid the ClinchGeld
Navigation Company s400,00o as a
brokerage commission for securing the
contract. The admiral also said that
his records showed that a Mr.. Ferris.
construction official of the Fleet Cor
poration, had given to a Mr.. Barnett,
of the Clinchtield Navigation Company
u letter of introduction to General!
Goethals.
"The record shows" the admiral
went on. in response to inquiry, "that
the Clinchiield Company is client of
Mr.. Ferris"
Wood and Steel Costs Compared
George s. Radford, manager of the
contract division of the Emergency
Fleet Corporation, said the cost OF the
New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
Confident of Future,
Petain Tells Armv

PARIS, Jan. ! delayed In a New
Years order Of the day General petain
French commander in chief, says to his
troops:
"Ofcers, subalterrs. soldiers, 1918
is here. The struggle must continue.
The fate Of France requires it. Be
patient, be persistent.
In the attack, as in the defence.
you have shown your worth. Each
time you have attacked the enemy
has retired. Each time he has at
tempted to break through you have
stopped him. 1t viii be the same to-
morrow.
"The default of the Russians has
not shaken your faith. take this oc
casion TO assure you that the CO.
operation of the United States is be-
coming more powerful every day.
You are firmly determined to fight az
long as necessary TO assure peace for
your children, because you know that
II those who are most impatient call
for peace, those who are most per-
sistent fix the conditions Of peace"
Il salute your flags, and in ad-
dressing 70 you my most afectionate
wishes for 1913 l express to you once
again my pride in commanding YOU
and my full confidence in the future"
New-York tribune., 1918-01-03

wooden ships in the Fleet Corporations
programme approximates S140 "a ton,
and OF steel ships $50 ii ton or higher
on the the East coast and $17O on the
West coast.
I'm view Of these relative figures,
don't you think it better to build steel
ships" asked Senator Nelson.
II know nothing Of wooden shipg, but
generally I'd answer yes to that ques-
ton"
Mr.. Radford said the corporation was
planning to place contracts for a few
wooden ships on the Pacific Coast, util-
izing, however, only the present facil-
ltics without encouraging the creation
OF additional shipyards. He added
that the corporation would not be war
lnnted In building many more wooden
ships on the East coast because OF
transportation and .abor problems
Meyer Bloomfield, of Boston, in
charge of the Industrial Service De-
pertinent Of the corporation, told of
the work Of his department in recruit
ing men for the shipyards. lie sale,
labor had assumed its share Of re-
sponsibiljty and that there have been
no organized efforts Of labor to prof
tecr. Replying to questions, he said
he had seen no evidence of enemy ac-
tivity in the ranks Of labor.
SO far as this wage problem is con-
cerned," Mr.. Bloomfield said "some
proftcers are beating us to it,"
DO these conditions prevail on the
Pacific Coast?" asked Senator Johnson
"as a whole, I think the situation is
pretty well taken care Of
The inquiry will be resumed to-mor-
New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
Whitman Neutral
In Bone Dry Message
TStuf Co1vcspondenccI

ALBANY, Jan. 2.--The plan Of the
Anti-Saloon League to have Senator
William II. Hill, Of Broomc County,
introduce resolution asking the Leg
islature to approve the bone dry
amendment to the Constitution was
somewhat upset by q special message
sent by the Governor to both houses
to-day.
In his message the Governor said he
had just received the constitutional
amendment from Secretary OF State
Lansing and that he simply transmitted
it without communicating the words
of Secretary Lansing-"for such action
as may be had thereon"
The majority of the legislators at
heart are for submitting the amend
ment to referendum. One 80 inclined
New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
Hapgood Back From France

AN ATLANTIC PORT, Jan. Nor
man Hapgood. fcrmcr editor Of "Har-
per's Weekly returned to-day by a
British steamship after trip Of OBJ
servation through France and England.
He said the situation abroad was as
tangled and complicated at close view
as it appeared to be in the reports pub
lished in the American newspapers.
Military leaders cf .ho Allied armies,
he declared, believe that Germany is
preparing this winter for tremendous
drive, but he personally expressed the
belief that Germany was not diverting
from the Russian battle line to the
Western front as many troops as is
generally reported
Another traveller was Captain Will
lam D. MacDougall, attache of the
American Embassy in London, who
returned 10 ,his country for an active
assignment at soa. Also on board were
q score of British army officers, who
have come mere to participate in in
struction in the American training
carp9
New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
No Propaganda
In German Tests,
Says Prof. Thomas

Disagrceng with the declaration Of
President MacCrackcn Of Nassar Col
lege that last autumn's college exami-
nations, prepared by the college en-
trance examining board, could be in
terpreted to contain pro- German propa-
ganda, Professor Calvin Thomas, mead
Of the German department in Columbia
UNIVERSITY, yesterday said that it
would be practically impossible to pre-
pare a German examination without in
vitlng q similar criticism.
Professor Thomas said that it would
be an impossibiiity to submit examina-
ton papers prepared from the German
masters, as they must necessarily be
If the student is to lie properly tested,
without touching upon some vital SUBJ
lect which could always be interpreted
to belong to a world topic.
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler. presi-
dent of Columbia University, refused
to discuss the assertion and analysis
OF the examination papers made by
President MacCracken He said that
he did not care to be drawn into the
controversy. Through one of his Sec
retaries, he declared that he was con-
tent to rest upon his statement con-
corning the teaching of German in ed
I
ago in his annual report This was
substantially to the effect that German
must be taught in every country as Il
matter of protection and education.
The statement Of Professor Thomas
follows:
III see no insidious or unconscious
pro German propaganda in the exam
ination papers to which Dr. MacCracker
calls attention. For several years |
h ,nt h i,,fr ~.
the preparation OF examination papers
7or admission to college, and know
personally but one of the men who pre-
| pared the papers in question.
but at one time | had much to do
with this kind of work, and am sure
that | might have selected the very
passages found in the papers under
criticism. Any one who knows much
about Goethe and Schiller knows that
British. When Goethe spoke to Ecker
mann about the English slave trade he
used language far less strong than
English and American writer's of that
era were in the habit Of using Speak
ing broadly. Goethe was full of praise
for the British. He was the friend and
correspondent of Carlyle and the en-
thus sastic admirer of Byron.
LET us be very patriotic, but let us
not smell smoke where there is no fire
! am sure that if DR.. MacCraoken will
have harmless" paper prepared by
the most fiery patriot on his faculty or
any other faculty. can take that paper
and find dangerous propaganda in it by
applying to 1t the principles he has
applied in the case under considcra-
ton. II fail will undertake to send
check for 500 to the Nassar Red
Cross.
If our test papers arc to avoid all
doing and reta!iation to suffering and
death, TO the use OF science for de.
structive purposes. TO the profaNation
Of art 4ad works of art-~what is there
left
New-York tribune., 1918-01-03

said to-day that it was likely that fear
Of the woman vote next fall and tha
drive the temperance people are plan
ming for January ~ through the states
clergy of all sects and creeds might
force the Legislature to approve the
amendment.
Tho liquor interests want it sub
mitted to the people. When the Ieeis.
lature reconvenes next Wednesday the
advance guard of their army of lobby.
lists ale expected TO arrive. The adyo.
Gates of legislative approval of the
bone dry amendment are already on the
scene. Their leader, Superintendent
Anderson Of the Anti-Saloon League
conferred with the Governor for a sbor,
time to-day. Neither would talk Of
the conference
New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
Marconi Praises the u. S.

ROME, Jan. 1.--Senator Guglielmo
Marconi, who has been appointed head
of the Italian permanent mission in
America. made the following remarks
to-day in addressing the Senate on
Italo American relations:
1.-THE Italian Mission to the United
States again realized during its journey
the great friendship and sympathy ex-
listing there for us and the great as
sistance the United States is ready to
give us.
''The friendly feeling and concrete
measures adopted by the American peo-
Pile in favor OF Italy deserve our entire
gratitude. We must consider the spon-
taneous AnRrican intervention in the
war with special satisfaction.
New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
Agents of British Firms
On the American Blacklist

LONDON. Jan "a heavy demand
in London for copies OF the American
blacklist" has developed the fact tina.
the names of number OF representa-
tives Of British firms in South America
are on the list.
Hence the American Consul General
and other America- officials here have
been asked for details.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-16
MAXIMALISTS MURDER $50
JAPANESE ~ SIBERIA

London. March I6 NaNmalsts
Siberia have murdered 40 larauese .t
Blag0vieshtcneusk capital p. f1c lwur
province. says rrporf uuted 1
newspaper Hochi ~cmmnuu rdat Y4
forwarded by Reuter- HHltcd.
dispatch from iicn ,-m, hina
the Daily Mai. SAYS be- .lpancs. ..a-
bassy at PekIng has uoeu informed l8t
during recent disturbance 4t HilE1trsu-
tchensk. three japanese tcro ahcd rlJ
seven wounded Vhic defending 0rr
property against Boishcrs.
conflict between tar AlaNutl-- U4
Social RevOiutoulsis of me icIt. af,u-
bers of the Council af People lon.-
uissarIes. occurred "a Moscow. aya ls-
port received here from He fctrpgrld
Telegraph agency The -pcu Bcsoi--
tIonists refused to rauiy ihe treaty
peace with Germany anu sad ,uey Neia
resolved TO resign the "omcut 1c ncAtY
is ratified by he Nl-RussAu t'ugress %
SovIets.
Blagovcshtchcnsk IS on tho tmur
river near rs confluence with ,he Lela
and is opposite the M4nlhlrlE town .l
AiglIn It IS 800 miles north & liarau
and has a population of 1000 IH'r
arc extensive gold mines p 'he DISTRICT
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-16
EGGS SELL AT 38.
But Poultry Was Scarce and 80
Was Butter, Both Bringing
High Figures.

The fine weather today brought many
farmers to King street markets. Poultry
was again scarce and high, which was
also the case with butter Little could
be had under 65 cents. Shad were plen-
tiful Eggs were selling at wide range
of prices, from 3S to Is cents. Vegetables
were plentiful especially lettuce.
THE DAYS PRICE LIST
Below is today's price list: Onions,
10 to 10 cents quart, white potatoes
20 cents n quarter peck, Sl.25 basket,
81 q bushel; sweets. 25 cents quarter;
turnlps, 25 cents n quarter peck: Gran
berries. 20 cents n quart, chickens, ho
cents pound, dressed. turkeys 81 cents
a pound, eggs, 81 TO - cents dozen
apples, - to 30 cents a quarter peck :;
peppers. ; cents each; caultlowcr, %
cents n head; cabbage 10 cents "A pound
and 10 cents ~ head; celery, ~ to II cents
a stalk: bects. IL cents a bunch or two
lunches for % cents; lettuce. 10 TO u
cents head; butter, 50 cents a pound. !.
parsnips. 10 cents bunch; strawberries,
20 cents n box; pineappes, 10 to 80 cents
each
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-16
ITALY S ARMY GAINS.
Disperse Strong Enemy Parties
Near Bezzecca; Capture
German Patrols.
BY Associated Press % Every Evening

=
Rome, Italy, March l5.-1'he War
Office statement issued tod reads.
West OF Bczzecca strong enemy par
ties who attempted 70 capture one OF our
patrols was dispersed by our fire. The
enemy exploded a powerful mine on
Monte pas5ubio. but Our positions were
not damaged In the vicinity of Laghi
one of our patrols caused great alarm in
the hostile positions aud returned without
loss 10 our Iue.
Other patrols III ambush at the head of
the Ornio valley succeeded III capturing
two enemy patrols.
"Ou artillery dispersed two enemy
troops and working parties IN the AsIag0
basin and conveys along roads in the
Brenta and Seren valleys There was
slight hostile artillery activity in the
upper Val Telllna and along the middle
Piave At Bassano a field hospital.
visbly marked with Red Gross, was
hit :
"Harassing activities by the opposing
artillery took place in the region Of Ponte
Della, Priula and south Of Ienson ION
the Piavel' says todays War Office
statement Hostile patrols were put tc
flight.
''In the Asiago region our bursts oi
Ere repeated disturbed enemy rear line
movements.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-16
HUN WOOL PLOT
PROBE CONTINUES
Passaic. N. J.. Manufacturer Ac-
l1nowledges Writing Letter to
Alien Now Intetned.
Nv Associatei rr,.s h Evcrx Excnins


New York. March rs The invrstiga-
tInn Of the State attorney general to
determine whether an alleged German
plot exists IN this country Ia control the
wool market was resumed today with
julius Forstmann, 2 wool manufacturer
Of PassaIc. y J agaIu on the stand
Deputy Attornev-t icncral Becker IN
troduccd at the outset letter which
Forstmann acknowledged he had written
to Hugo Schmidt. agent for the Deutschc
Bank in New York and now interncd as
an alien enemy The letter dated Nav
y, 1916 requested Schmidt to purchase
for the writer various German securities
Tor him. saying there would be paid INTO
hls account IN the Deutschc Bank IN
Berlin 350.0W marks
II pray you particularly to handle
things IN such a way and in such form
that Il letter Is intercepted one cannot
read in 1t that | am the party concerned. .
FOrstmaun wrote
The letter to Schmidt was introduced
by Becker rs evidence IN contrast to
FoTstmann statement yesterday that
aeter the sinking Of the Lusitania. Nav
Z, 1918, he had had a change Of heart
III his regard for Germany and had taken
every step TO sever his relations with
Germany and German interests
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-16
E. D. P. HARMONY
GIVEN A JOLT IN
STATE SENATE
Defence Bill Program Slips a
Cog" After the Cards Are
Stacked.
LIQUOR VOTE DELAYED
stan Correspondence Of Every Evening


SrArr HOUSE,, DovrR, MsRcH l6.
Republican hopes of party harmony
received a JOLT when the State Senate
yesterday afternoon sde-sterped Govern
or Townsend's Defence Council bill,
which went through the House ON Thurs
dav II was quite evident that anti
Organization influences had sandcd the
we'll creased Republican machinery III
the Senate. and that, while "the ducks
had evidently been in row. rs Repre-
sentative McNabb bad declared when
the bill was pending in the House. some
body had gotten hold of NJ least two oi
them. which. for the time being at least,
broke up the combination The doiec-
tion came So suddenly that Regular Re-
publican Senators spoken to on tho sub
ject frankly confessed that IL appeafcd
To them that somebody had been tam
pering with the jury. and they manifest
ed an air of disgust because of that fact
hen, at / clock Yesterday after
noon, the Senate adjourned until II
O'Clock next Monday morning. the net
result was a week spent at Dover with
practically nothng accomplished Not
bill had been passed and, until lew
minutes Of adjournment time. nothing
contemplated in the special session call
had come ont ot committee. nc chlet
excuse M io Yesterday was that the
Senate was waiting On the House, where
the only two bills prepared under the call
had originated but as he House passed
both On Thursday and both went 10
committees IN the Nenaie that afternoon,
the presumption was that both would at
least I've considered IN the senate vcsfer-
day. and II Is likely that they would
have hccn if there had not been neNpoct
ed and mysterious interference. \ tn
that time tho Republican harmony ~
the Senate was so thick that Il could havo
been cut in chunks, hut now i has
vanished into thin alr and the breach seems
TO be quite as wide as Il was during the
trOuboua times at the regular session
last winter
All went we'll up 70 noon Yesterday
Before the morning session opened the
nine Republican members present Mr.
Webb being detained ri home hv illness
held a lengthy caucus. 1T the conclusion
~ hich II was stated that M agreement
had been reached to take in the Defence
hlll and national prohibition resolution
and act on both Of thern. with tho hope of
passing both prlar to adlournmnnt ~ the
afternoon. the undcret andng being that
both were to 20 through without amend
mcnt
II was known that aonc of the llcm-
ocratic members proposed making m ei-
fort To have both measures amended. tut
this did not worry the Republicans. for
Continued On page 6
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-16
PLENTY OF COAL.
No Occasion for Concern Among
Householders Regarding Obtain
ing Next Winter s Supply.

From present indications there viii be
no oecasion for worry for fear wc shall not
be able 20 receive An adequate amount NJ
coal during the next six months At least.
Warned bY the mistakes of the past the
Fuel Administration is taking time by
the foreIock" and. il is aaid has already
mapped out comprehensive plans for the
supplying Of fuel to I'll who may wish u
during the next few months.
The reduction IN price Of 30 cents per
ton beginning April J will not become
effective here until the latter part ~ the
month, probably about the 10th
Charles ~ Ten Weeges, the local adj
ministrator stated this morning that "a
the reduction IS made At The mines at that
time IL hardly seemed fair 10 the dealers
here that they be compelled to sell at a
lesser price until they had been given an
opportunity for burning at reduced figure
and therefore the reduction will not be
made effective here the first NJ the month
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-16
IDAHO AWAITS j. S.
TROOPS IHI.W. N.ROW
ST. Maries Fears Renewal Of VIC
lence: Armed Citizens
Patrol Town.
By Associated Press TO Every Evening

st Naries Idaho, March l6-AruvaI
Of United States troops and Idaho State
guardsrnen, ordered here by Mai.-Gen.
Arthur Murray, commanding the western
army department and Governor Alex
ander, rs a precaution against possible
renewal Of violence by Industrial Work
ers Of the World. was anxiously awaited
here to-day
Armed citizens, depuuzed yesterday
bv sheriff A L. holland after he was set
upon and beaten by mob Of Industrial
Workers and their svrnpathizers, who are
declared to have threatened to deliver
one of their number from jail here, pa
trolled the streets during the night to
prevent any fresh outbreaks.
The trouble arose yesterday wneO the
|. W. W. members learned Of the sherIif's
intention to remove William Nelson,
formerly secretary of the |. w. ". local
20 Occur ID 'Alene, Idaho. on a change Of
venue for trial on charge Of criminal
syndicalism The sheriff, who remonstrat-
ed with the crowd who made threats to
release Nelson from jail, was knocked
down several times and severely beaten.