davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
Lane Secretary Only in
Name, Says Thomas

WASHINGTON, Sept 1s. - Senator
thomas, of Colorado, made sharp at
tack upon Secretary Daniels and At
tcrney General Gregory, in the SEN
ate to-day, charging them with usurp-
lng ;he duties of the Secretary of the
interior and with barring the passage
OF pending legislation looking to the
development Of government awncd Gil
and gas lands.
Responsibility for the present oil
shortage and the necessity for the
United States to depend upon the out
put of Mexican wells to supply its
army was placed upon the government
by Senator Thomas, who declared the
development of the oil lands las been
restricted ever since 1909.
II believe that if the Secretary Of
the Interior could have his way. #
he were Secretary of the Interior in
fact as we'll as in name, this bill
would have been passed long ago" de-
clared the Senator referring to the oil
land leasing bill. now deadlocked in
conference. "If he would insist upon
the operation of his own department
1t would be unnecessary for me TO
take up the Senate's time"
Senator Thomas declared the bill
was demanded to meet our domestic
rs we'll as our foreign consumption Of
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
Buria77 Peace Note
Approved by Kaiser,
Deputies Are old

AMSTERDAM, Sept. 19.-Baron Bu-
ran, the Austro- Hungarian Foreign
Minister, in announcing to the German
Deputies that the Austrian and Hun
garian delegations would assemble in
the first fortnight of October is quoted
in dispatch from Vienna as saving
that his note to the belligerents had
been considered for weeks, and was in
no way influenced by recent events on
the battlefront.
The Foreign Minister said he had
taken the step alone, "of course not
without previously acquanting our all
lies of it and being certain of their
approval in principle" because, on the
one hand, the proposal had to avoid the
appearance of a peace offer by the
Central Powers. and on the other be-
cause the proposal was to be addressed
to all the belligerents.
Baron Burian said success would.
perhaps, not Immediately ensuc. but
the loyal intentions which were behind
the proposals would undoubtedly
strengthen the conviction that no pos
slble success obtainabe from a con.
tlnuation of the war would be able to
weigh against the heavy sacrifices
which the struggle would continue to
impose on the nations
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
Vatican Not Satisfied
With Tone and Terms
OF Austria's $ Offer

ROME. Sept 1S.-In long article.
which is taken as rejecting the views
of Vatican officials, if not the Pope
himself, the "Corriere dItalia," the
semi official organ of the Vatican, de-
clares that Austria should be more ex-
plicit in her declarations.
"The old subterfuges that the note
undoubtedly carries show the desper-
ate need of peace" the article SAYS.
There is no need for secret confer
ences when President Wilson and
others have already set forth the AL
lied conditions. There is no doubt
that the note was inspired by Berlin.
With the cannon of Hindenburg un-
successful, we will now see return
to the subtleties of diplomacy. The
note is equivalent to a confession Of
the fatal hour has begun for them
when they must submit to the Allies
peace.
"If in the year of 1916 they offered
peace, now they ask it," the article
continues. "But in what spirit do they
ask peace?
when President Wilson on July q,
in Washington, demanded the destruc-
tion of arbitrary power the German
Chancellor responded by accepting the
principle and then began excluding
such principles regarding the Russian
possessions. He asked guarantees
against Belgium and denied the aspi-
rations Of France and Italy.
To-day the Chancellor makes a
little more headway by admitting that
Belgium is right, but interposes a re-
serve regarding the vital interests of
the Central Empires, which term
bears an ironic flavor.
"Vienna should have spoken far
otherwise. Vienna has not yet
reached the stage when durable
peace is possible. There is hesitation
there despite the fact that each day
shows the rredeemable failure of their
plan Of conquest. How long will this
hesitation last, or is the step taken
by Vienna sign that preciptate
events soon will be SEEM"
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20

hoped for for four years, has become
a reality in a night. There has been a
publication of the German people by
great fire"
The "Tagliche Rundschau' says:
"One thing only we know, that peace
cannot be much longer delayed. We
are waiting for it as for deiverance."
Apparently there is no longer the
keenness in Germany to claim any part
of the great work of spreading German
culture and the liberation of the world.
General Won Ardenne, concluding a
review in the "DJsseldorfer Mach
richten" on the military situation, ex-
presses agreement with General Frey
tag -Loringhoven's view that the angle
formed by the whole German front has
lis disadvantages.
at is constantly exposed to attack
on two sides, from the south and west,
and moreover he says, at would be
difficult to develop from it an offensive
on large scale because the enemy
would always tie down the other nank.
Foch will no doubt do his best to take
advantage of this.
"The German command, on the other
hand, will endeavor to f1atten out still
more the already blunted corner of the
front and at the same time to evacuate
areas and villages on the front Of the
real battle position
des Danes are now said to lie outside
of the Siegfried line.
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
War Office Approves est
For 100000 Convict Amy

TRENTON, N. j., Sept. 19.-Burdette
&. Lewis. Commissioner of the State
Department of Charities and Correc-
tions, announced day that he had
put into effect, with the approval Of
the War Department, n plan which
may enable the government to recruit
battalions, regiments and whole divi-
sions from among the prison popula-
tion of the country. Prisoners in this
state will be put to work Immediately
under the control Of institution au-
thoritics and supervision of army Off
GERS as the first step in the experiment.
Their tasks will consist Of road
building, drainage, railroad grading,
farm work and similar outdoor duties.
Prisoners and bosses understand that
the men are working on a merit sys-
tenn, emitting those who make good
to leave cell blocks behind them for
ever and enlist in special military
training units. If the plan proves sue
ccssful and is generally adopted a
new man power reservoir numbering
100000 will be tapped
"Wc have arranged" said Commits
sioner Lewis, latter comforting with
the War Department. to assign prison
ers to do essential work in the State
of New Jersey. The prisoner should
be given chance to 90 his bit in that
class of service for which the army
and state authorities decide that he
is best fitted
"The plan will at once eliminate the
objection Of certain army officers to
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20

the placement Of felons and misde-
meanants with other United States
troops, inasmuch as it provides for
the segregation Of such prisoners in
separate army divisions under regular
army officers. Further. it will elmi-
nate the obvious injustice of situa-
ton which calls for the entire effort
and sacrifice of our best and noblest
men and carefully shields and protects
our offending classes.
IL have received the approval Of the
War Department to test my plan,
which will eventually provide, if ex-
tended to other states. for the utiliza-
ton Of man power Of more tran 400,-
OOc prisoners in the United States. To
this end | have called meeting to-
day of the wardens and superintend-
ents of the correctional institutions Of
the state and of my medical advisory
board on classification, and have di-
rected that the plan be put into i'm
mediate operation.
"1he prisoner should be compelled
either to work or fight. The plan
calls for the intensive training of the
those who have been tested and found
physically, morally and mentally
sound to work through the grade units
and gain eligibility to admission to
the special military training units.
from which they may be selected by
the United States army authorities for
the separate combatant service class"
Governor Edge to-day wrote to David
S. Houston, Secretary Of Agriculture,
suggesting that returning soldiers de-
sirous of taking up farming be pro
vided for by government purchase of
waste land in New Jersey, which could
be issued to soldier farmers in 40-acre
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
Wilson Gaue Austria
Italy's Ans.uer, Says
"Giornale PItalia''

ROME, Sept. 1S.-The Italian gov
ernment has no knowledge of the Aus
trlan note inviting the belligerents to
a conference except for the text Of
the document carried by the telegraphic
agencies, the scmioficial Stefani News
Agency announces. The government
however, is indicated by the agency
to be IN no mood for opening such
negotiations as are suggested by the
If the text is correct, says the agency
statement. the Italian government
seek to create sembance of peace
negotiations. without any real consist
ency or the possibility of practical
outcome.
The agency adds that recent declara-
uons by, the men at the head of the
Austro- Hungarian and German govern
ments, which bar any territorial CON
cessions by the Central Powers and
seek seek to make binding and definite "the
lnlqu1tous treaties of Brest- t-Litovsk
and Bucharest" make the opening Of
any useful negotiations impossible
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
Gonpers Still
AuerSe to Meeting
Enemy Delegate.
Special Cable to The yribuu,

Especial Cable to The Tribunc)
LONDON, Sept. 19.-A profound
change in the attitude of the Gompers
mission apparently has taken place
To-day the president of the A. F. of l..
presented programme for the con-
sideration of the 1nter-Alled Labor
Conference. While he indorsed Presi-
dent Wilson's fourteen points for
peace, he failed to say a single word
about meeting with enemy labor rep
resentatives during the war His
silence on this score is considered
highly significant, especially as this
point is one of the chief reasons for
his trip to Europe.
British and French delegates haven It
retreated an inch, and so the only de-
duction is that it is good diplomacy to
avoid troublesome questions. Pre-
sumably the Americans hold that there
is no danger of a conference with the
enemy, and therefore there is no rea-
son to come to conflict with their col
leagues.
Three committees were appointed,
the American representatives being j.
7. Frey and w. A. Bowen on the war
aims committee; C. l.. Baine and Edgar
Wallace on the international relations
committee, whose special task will
be the consideration of the Austrian
peace proposal, while Mr. Gompers and
Mr.. Frey are on the committee TO draft
an official report of the congress and
formulate the conclusions reached.
There was stormy period during
the congress to-day when an attempt
was made to upset the resolution of
the previous day permitting individual
members to submit resolutions. A
ruling at this point by Mr.. Baire later
was confirmed by vote when a resolu-
tion by Mr.. Gompers was defeated, is
to 2S. which provided reference back
TO representative bodies in certain in
stances.
All kinds of resolutions we're handed
il. to the committee, ranging from a
resolution by Mrs. Philip Snowden
appealing for wise and sympathetic
treatment of the Austrian note, on the
grounds that unsympathetic replies in
the past have done harm by uniting
the extreme and moderate OPINIONS of
the Central Empires, to J. Sections
resolution calling for no peace until
the Kaiser and his associates were
harged by the neck. Vandevelde in
resolution expressed deep sympathy
for the Russians lighting German i'm
perlahsm, adding that Belgium decided
''to put workers on guard against a
policy Of intervention in Russia which
is not aimed to help a Russian democ
racy, but the restoration of mon
archy"
A resolution supported by Jouhoux
and French trade unionists urged that
a curt, scornful reply be not given to
the Austrian note, but a reasoned one.
For the same reason they commented
on President Wilson's reply on the
basis of American war aims and ap-
poaled to other Allied countries to pub
hsh their concrete war aims.
After the meeting Baine said 81
shouldn't be surprised if after all the
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
mo Gentlemen S War;" Declares
Veteran of 1861 Who Tried 1t
Nicholas c. Van SAINT Found Liberty Loan Shouting Too
Tame. So Went to Front to Brace Yanks Morale
With Flapiacks; Home "Furlough

AN ATLANTIC PORT, Sept. ia
his bit making fapjacks and coffee for
the men in the first line American
trenches on the Western front came
here to-day on French liner with the
impression that the present European
conflict "is not gcntlcman's war"
He is Nicholas G.. Van SAINT, of Ster-
ling, H., president of thee state bank
of his home town. He was mustered
out of service from the 9th Illinois
Cavalry at the age of nineteen, and
while a peace loving man, he declared
that he was impatient to get to the
Western front from the moment Amer
siderable speaking throughout the state
to aid recruiting, he said, and when the
draft law went into effect he asked
himself what he had done in the way of
actual physical attack upon the enemy.
Nothing" he said day. Nothing
All | did was to boost Liberty Loans
and urge young fellows TO fight. |
couldn't get into the army as fighting
man. as was too old. But | appealed
to the Salvation Army, they accepted
me. and over | went. | was over there
six months and will probably 90 back
soon. In the daytime | slept in a
cool wine cellar and at night made
fiapjacks and coffee for our men on
the firing line. They were good flap
Jacks. too. The boys said they were
the best they had ever eaten.
Il tell you our troops look mighty
good Those from the West, as a rule
are big fellows. | talked with some
young giants with Missouri regiment
and was informed that half the rcgi-
ment was made UP of men over six feet
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20

plainly designed to stir up trouble be-
tween the Allies that it is an insult
to the intelligence of the most humbly
educated doughboy, who has been able
to see the daily stages Of clear provo
cation since Americas entry into this
war.
But more Importantly, it is another
confession Of Gcrmanv's weakness and
clear indication of an attempt to
make Bolshevism do what the Kaiser's
much vaunted German sword is so
topelessly unable to do The American
doughboy and his officers we're never
so determined as now to wipe German
militarsm off the map.
Germany's aerial newspaper is one
Ct series of "squeals" which come
from dangerous animals when they are
held by the captor's rope. These
squeals will inevitably resound
throughout the world this comne win
ter, but if once the rope is relaxed
watch out for the dangerous German
animal.
This. believe. is the opinion Of
most every American soldier to-day.
Next SPRING is the phrase which has
meaning Of its own in American ranks.
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
Manchester Guardian
Assails u. S. Ansuer
10 Austrian Proposal
by Arthur S. Draper
Especial Cable to The T,jhuuo,

''opo'ieh' l9lN New York Tribune Inc)
LONDON, Sept. 19-The editorja,
comment of "The Manchester Guard
IAN which heretofore has invariably
5upporCeo 1,1 every utterance of President
Wilson, is in sharp contrast with his
reply to Austria. ''''
There will be rejoicing in high off
clal quarters at Potsdam to-dav." saws
The Guardian" which adds: "Germanv
OBTAINED precisely the fiat refusal which
sh desired" Il
Though opposed to confidential dis
cusslon; with no fixed points of depart
ure. "Thc Guardian" says:
"Thc proper course for any govern
ment dcsirous of peace was to reply in
.his sense, reminding Austria of the
Terms proposed on our side and invit-
ing an answer on the question whether
she would be willing to discuss neaca
on those terms. f"N'
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20

in height. Shortly before I came away
J saw two fine young fellows marching
under guard to the rear, They stopped
a moment, and asked them what was
wrong. They informed me that they
had grown tired Of plugging away in a
training camp behind the lines and had
sneaked into the first line trenches to
get some action. AS soon as they were
found out they were arrested and sent
back to training camp. This war is diff
fcrent from the Civil War That was a
gcntlcman's war, where a fellow stood
up and fought. This war is-well, it's
a war where you dig in first, then
fight
Another traveller was Prince Andre
fonlatowski, of the International Bank
Of France. He came over on financial
business and will return within few
months
"Ah." he said, "you cannot realize
what spirit the splendid American
troops have put into the French. Every
where there are high hope and supreme
confidence. This is the first time in
this war that we have been on the
offensive from the Channel to Switzer-
land. Everything is breaking we'll since
the Americans came. and men all along
the line are loath to leave the front
and rest up back of the lines. My
chateau on the Vesle, in the hands Of
the Germans for about four years. is
now in possession Of the French | have
there in May, soon after it was retaken.
1t is merely a shell, with some Of the
inner rooms intact One of these had
been occupied by the Duke Of Wurtcm-
berg. Paintings were cut from their
frames, and all the silver was cons-
Gated. Ancient furniture that nrized
highly was taken out on the lawn, COW
cred with oil and burned to ashes.
had prize herd of twenty cows. Short
~ before getting out the Germans
killed my pets and put the beef in
cans"
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
German AUiators Drop
Copies of Peace Feeler
On French at Epernoy
(By The Associated Press)

WITH THE FRENCH ARMY IN
FRANCE, Sept. 19.-Aviators flying
over the region of Epernay on the
night Of September 16 dropped leaflets
reproducing the Austro- Hungarian
peace conference proposal in French.
There are no Austrian aviators on
The Western front. so far as is known.
1t is supposed, therefore, that the leaf
lets were dropped by German airmen
with the object of starting a move
ment in favor of the proposal.
The only result of this propaganda
has been to raise the presumption that
while the proposal is referred to in
Germany as an "isolated action" on the
part of Austria, the German army at
least approves it,
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
Allied Governments
Expected to Ignore
Austrian Peace Note
Especial Dispatch to The Tr,bunc

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10. - Allied
diplomatic representatives here have
not been advised whether their gov
ernments will ignore the Austro-
Hungarian proposal for peace confer
sncc or dispatch a Joint reply. An
Entente diplomat stated to-day that
there was no occasion for the Allied
governments to reply, as they had re-
lected practically a similar proposal
made by Germany in 1916. and there
IS now even less reason than at that
time to consider such project.
In any event, the Allies would have
10 exchange views before any could re-
ply, under the implied obligation in
the Treaty of London. England most
probably would take the initiative, ad :.
dressing Paris and Rome on the sub
lect; but the prompt, decisive and final
answer to America was declared to
have precmpted any reply the Allies
might make unless the very text Of
the note written by President Wilson
should be sent also hy the Allies. "To
add to such document said one diplo-
mat, would be bad form. both in
statesmanship and also in literature. :"
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
Peace Offer
Is Spurned
By Belgium
Foreign Minister Gives
Outline Of Indirect Pro-
posal From Germany
(Eu The Associated Press J

LONDON, Sept. 10. - The Belgian
Foreign Minister. in discussing Ger
lnany's "pcace approach" to Belgium
declares that the conditions cannot be
taken as a basis for any serious dis
cussion. From the details furnished
by the Foreign Minister it appears thai
Belgium received q formal proposition
directly from' the German government
but that communications came by ar
indirect channel.
Those showed that it was Germany's
intention to demand that Belgium binc
herself to effect solution of the Ian
guage question in conformity with the
German imperial policy. which Belgium
would regard as an abdcatlon of the
right inherent in her government tc
solve internal problems in accordance
with the freely expressed will Of the
Belgian people.
Amnesty Idea Obnoxious
Germany would also claim full am
nesty for Belgian citizens guilty OF
helping the enemy plans, and woulc
thereby, according to the minister, i'm
pose on the Belgian government an act
of submission.
Germany would insist on the main
tenance after the war of the CONNER
clal treaties previously III force. IhlS
following up the destruction of Belgian
industry by the invader, says the min
lister, would insure Germany's economic
grip on the country. Moreover. he
adds. the pawn theory is not aban-
doned. Germany would insist upon
binding the fate of Belgium with tn,
solution of the colonial question
Finally. the obligation resting on
Germany to repair the damage unjustly
inflicted on its victim was not even al
luded to. Germany. the minister points
out. would thus be enriched by the
pillage of Belgium, whose ruin would
be complete.
Evacuation Not Mentioned
These indirect approaches made no
reference to the eventual suspension
of hostilities between Belgium and
Germany, nor to the evacuation of
Belgian territory.
The Foreign Minister concludes
The conditions thus set forth over
shadow and render sterile all declara-
tions which appear to recognize the in
dependence of Belgium. They cannot
be taken as a basis for any serious
discussion. The Belgian government
formulated its programme in its note
to the Pope on December "a last and
published it in January, and as all the
Allied governments know, is firmly re-
solved to maintain it undiminished.
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20

purely negative policy in their treat
ment of the Austrian proposals, but it
urges the Allies to interrogate their
opponents regarding their general and
particular war aims, (which have never
been defined, thus imposing upon the
working classes the responsibility of
choosing between the solutions pro-
posed"
The committee report further says:
ut is By defining their own war
aims. jointly with the United States
with the same precision and clearness
that the Allied governments will give
the workers of the world the convic-
tion that they are resolved to con-
tinue the struggle, not in order to meet
the aggression of the Central mon
arches by undertaking in their turn
a war of conquest but for the single
purpose of establishing on an unas-
sailable foundation peace which will
be Just and lasting and in conformity
with the aspirations of international
OemOcracV'
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
Would Have u. S. Honor
Ypres Defenders Nov Q

Officers of the Sulgrave Institution
voted yesterday, at meeting in the
Lawyers Club, to form committee
with other organizations to DESIGNATE
November 9 as British day" in COM
memoration of the defence of Ypres.
and bring about its general observance
IN this country
The other organizations named were
the National Security League. the
American Defence Society, tie National
ASSOCIATION of Patriotic Societies, the
AMERICAN Society. the National Lafay-
ette Day Committee, the Society of
scenic and Historic Preservation and
the Pilgrim Society. ~
New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
Allies Wonder at u. S.
War News Censorship
By Arthur S. Draper
oSpec.ci cable to The Tribune}

Copyright. 1918. New York Tribune Inc,
LONDON, Sept. 19.- The severity OF
American censorship in the news Of
the battle of St Mihiel has inspired
some mild criticism in the British and
French press. Most of the newspapers
go no further than to express wonder
al the modesty of the Americans, but
The Daily News" SAYS:
1--WE. had great deal of comment
from America in the early years of the
war on the ridiculous meagreness Of
official reports of the doings of the
British army. but I do not think either
Sir Douglas Haig or Lord French was
so reticent as Pershlng is now that
the Americans have got to business.
THE old gang of censors may have
been severe. but the way the American
military authorities have shut down on
the details of the St Mihiel offensive
surely reaches the limits OF reserve