davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09
DON'T NEED HELP
Western Union Head Says Z. s..
Aid Unnecessary.
Telegraph Companies Able To
Solve Problems.

Washington, July 9-Senators de-
manding investigation before action
on the house resolution authorizing
the president to take over telegraph,
telephone, cable and radio lines won
a partial victory today when the SEN
ate interstate commerce committee
heard testimony behind closed doors
on the telegraph situation from Presi-
dent Carlton of the Western Union. A
decision regarding further hearings
was deferred.
After examining President Carlton
nearly three hours, the committee
ad d;ourned until later in the day for
mediate reporting the resolution to
the senate. Chairman Smith stated
that no more hearings were planned
The examination of Mr.. Carlton, it
was said. was not arranged in ad-
vance Chairman Smith of the COM
happened to be in Washington and
was given a hearing.
While Carlton took the position that
advisa bility of the pending legislation
was doubtful! according TO committee
members he did not vigorously pro-
test against enactment of the house
resolution He pointed out difficulties
attending government operation and
some of the members said they gath
cred that he regarded government
control as unnecessary and believed
the company can successfully cope
with labor difficulties.
The Western Unions capitalize ton
bonded debt, physical value and other
statistics were presented to the COM
mittee. Mr.. Carlton was said to have
insisted that if the government takes
over the company's lines, ample pro-
vision should be made for protection
of stockholders interests.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09
THEY CLAIM ERRORS
Men Who Opposed rraft File Habeas
Corpus Suit in Court.

H. C. Spence, Anthony Eberlie, w
I. RennefieId. H H. Munson and Roy
Crane, all serving sentences in the
federal penitentiary at Leavenyor'h
for the part they took last summer II
the organized resistance to the draft
law in eastern Oklahoma, filed oday
in the federal court h. { habe1= cor
pus suit to obtain their release Tne
applicants claim several errors exist
in the commitments and sentences,
and say they were charged under a
section of the espionage law which
provides a maximum sentence and fine
oe two years and $4,000. All the ap-
plicants except Crane, the petition
says, have been committed to the pris-
on for ten years. Crane was sentenced
to six years Imprisonment.
COPY of the Indictment and other
court records in the case attached to
tie application shows that the apph-
CENTS. together with several score of
other residents of eastern Okla homa
were indicted for conspiring against
and resisting the conscription act be-
tween June and August 3. 1917
Eberlie and Bennefield were
charged in the indictment with afmins
themselves to resist the draft, and it
was also charge Gthat they were mem
bers of the party of men who burned
the Frisco bridge over the Cana diaE
river. All those indicted were charged
with conspiring and organizing them
. YES at a meeting held at the Lone
Dove Sc -Iolhouse in Seminole county
Bennefield and Eberlie, the records
show. pleaded guilt before Judge
Ralph Campbell before jury was
called to hear their cases. Crane
Munson and Spence showed fight and
a jury was impaneled to try them bat
! before any testimony could be ntre-
duced they also pleaded guilty as
charged in the indictment.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09
AUSTRIANS LOSE
IN fierce FIGHT
WITH ITALIANS
Defeated Everywhere Along
East Side of Adriatic.
Fighting Extends Over a Hun
dred Mile Front.
ITALIANS ADVANCE TEN MILES
Battle Reaches From Adriatic
Sea to MOnastir.
Vienna Admits Defeat at Hands
of Allied Troops.

London. July 9.-One of the great
est battles of the war appears to be
developing in Albania.
Starting with an Italian advance
Sunday over a front of about thirty
miles from the Adriatic inland, the
fighting has now extended clear across
Albania to the Serbian frontier--a
front of nearly 100 miles-and is. in
Volving the French forces in the upper
Devoli valley, southwest of Monastir.
British monitors are cooperating
by bonn harding the Austrians from the
sea. Further extension of the battle
to the eastward will involve Serbian
troops.
The Italians appear to be pushing
forward al great speed and the Italian
communique today indicated that cav
airy detachments may have penetrated
nAarly ten miles beyond the original
sent
1t is known that half million Ita1-
tan soldiers are in Albania, under Cen
eral Ameglio. a veteran of the Turko-
Italian war
Since the Italian forces constructed
military roads over the mountains
125 miles, the allied forces have been
receiving most Aof their supplies by
this route, instead of thru Saloniki.
Rome, July e.-The Italian offensive
in Albania is growing and the Aus
trians are being pressed back every
where, the Italian war office an
nounced today.
British monitors are cooperating by
bombarding enemy positions from the
sea. Italian cavalry is doing effective
work, splitting the Austrians lines and
taking the enemy from the rear. More
than 1,30 prisoners and great guam
titles of material have been captured.
In Albania, the action is continu-
ing" the statement said. "On our left
wing after artillery preparation in
which British monitors effectively
participated the infantry started from
the lower VojutZa river and carried,
after a bitter struggle, the height
between Levant and the monastery of
Pojani.
Between the westerly slopes of
Metakastra and the sea, cavalry pass
ed thru the Austrian lines and at
tackled the enemy from the rear de-
stroying the bridges at Semei and
Metali. We captured the village of
Fferi
Took Strong Positions.
In the center, the very strong po-
captured after a strenuous defense
We also captured the head of the Tom
erica valley and, carried the contested
heights of Cafadevris
Our prisoners now total more thar
1900 and we have taken an airplans
and guns and machine guns in un-
specified numbers"
Austria Admits Defeat
Vienna, July 9.-The entente pres.
sure against the Austrian lines in AL
bania' is being continued by forces
advancing across the River Voyusa
according to today's war office an.
nouncement. a gain of ground by the
French along the Timer npTnIi &c
ported. Fighting also is takiXg place
in the interior southwest of Berat
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09
ALLIES CONTINUE
NIBBLINC TACTICS
AGAINST TEUTONS
French Take Important POSI-
tiOns ON 2-MiIe Front.
Bag $50 Prisoners Northeast of
Villers-CotteretS.
HUNS DRILL ATTACKING UNITS
Probably VIII Deal Blow Where
1t Is Least Expected.
Italians and French Hold All
Gains i'm Albania.
HUNS DRILL ATTACKING UNITS
Probably VIII Deal Blow Wher
1t Is Least Expected.

French troops again have been suc-
cessful in resumption of the nib
bling" tactics which the allied COM
mand has followed while the Germans
prepare for a new blow. The fighting
activity on the western front how
eyer, still is much localized.
Important positions on a front OF
two miles to a depth of two-thirds of a
mile and $50 prisoners were taken by
the French in their latest effort in the
region of Longpont northeast OF VII
lers-Cotterets. The sector on which
the gain was made is just south of
where the French last week made i'm
portant local gains in the region of
st. Pierre Aigle and northward for SIX
miles toward the Aisne- No counter
attacks have been made by the enemy,
nor has he struck back at the Austria
Somme.
Germans Drill Attacking Divisions
For several weeks the Germans
have been drilling and instructing spe-
cial attacking divisions behind the
German lines, leaving the front posi-
tions to be guarded by mediocre
troops. The German artillery fire has
increased to above normal only ON cer-
tain sectors.
1t is not unlikely the enemy will de-
pend on the element of surprise in the
impending blow as he did on March 81
and in the attack against the Chemin
des Danes. While the Germans ave
been spreading reports of an attack
against the British it is known they
| have not constructed defensive works
on the front between scissors AID
| Rheims. The usual intervals between
enemy offensive movements has about
expired.
| Airmen Bombai Huns.
| Entente airmen are keeping up an
active h ardments ssof the AREA pc !
hind the German lines. British lyers
again ave invaded Germany, .irop-
ping bombs on Kaiserlautern east of
Metz and on Luxembourg. In serial
! fighting British and French dirmen
4 have accounted for twenty-five Ger
| man machines.
| Patrol activity and local operations
are increasing in number on the Ita1-
| ian mountain front. On the lower
| Piave the Austrians, it is estimated.
| -ost 10000 men killed, wounded and
| prisoners in the actions last week in
| which they were driven back across
the river, relieving somewhat the pres
sure against VHnice.
Austrians COunter-Attack in Alba nin
| In western Albania French and Itai-
ian troops are withstanding strong
| counter-att9 cks by the Austrians All
| positions have been maintained on
| the heights of Bolnia and slight prog
ress made elsewhere. Various reports
of happenings in Russia in connection
| with the murder of Amba assador Won
| Mirbach lack official confirmation.
Germany apparently has not yet acted.
An advance toward Moscow has not
been reported altho the Germans have
| mad large forces of troops near Smol-
enSk, 25O miles west of Moscow
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09
GERMAN FOOD SCARCER
Socialist Says Further Deterioration
VIII Be UnbearabIe.

Amsterdam, July 9.-"A1l Germany
and Austria Hungary now will be SUBJ
jected to food seizure. rationing and
prohibition OF free trading" Food Con-
troller Won Waldow announced in the
German reichstag Saturday, it was
learned today.
TT will be sometime before large
consixnments of corn arrive from
Ukraine. The meat ration will be re-
duced. As soon as the bread and po-
tato rations are restored. n1eat1ess
weeks will be introduced"
Replying to Won WaIdow, Herr
Wells. socialist, said:
Further deterioration of the food
supply will be unbeara BILE The wages
of the workers will not buy adequate
food even now and unemployment fs
increasing. If the situation continues,
the strikes of January will be re-
peated.'' The Tageblatt announces
that beginning August 1. there will be
one meatless week a month.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09
Engines and Baggage Cars
Completely Demolished
One Passenger Coach Ripped
From End to End.
OCCURRED NEAR NASHVILLE
Entire Crew of One Train Is
Reported Killed.
Most of Killed and Injured
Passengers Were CoIored.

Nashville, Tenn, July 9.-One hun
dred persons, most of them negroes,
are believed to have lost their lives in
head-on collision early today be-
tween two passenger trains on the
Nashville. Chattanooga & st. Louis
railway seven miles west of Nashville.
It was estimated that more than eighty
persons were injured Between twenty
and twenty-five of those reported
killed were white persons.
In one car every one was killed
There are said to have been several
women passengers in this coach Their
bodies are still in the wreck. Nash
Vile hospitals are crowded with the
injured. AS the engineers and fire
men of both trains were killed, the
cause of the collision may never be
known. One of the trains is said to
have disregarded orders.
Nashville, July Six coaches
crowded with passengers. were demol-
ished with a casualty fist which some
estimates place as high as 35 dead
and IS injured, when two Nashville
Chattanooga & st. Louis passenger
trains co1lided at Belle Meade Park, a
suburb of Nashville, this morning
The majority of those killed and in
jured were negroes. The sleeping cars
attached to the trains escaped serious
damage.
Earlier Estimates Were Lower.
Nashville, Tenn, July 9.-Twenty-
five persons are reported to have beer
killed and between fifty and seventy
five injured in a collision between
passenger trains Nos. 1 and 4 of ,he
Nashville, Chattanooga & ST. Louis
railway this morning near Belle Meads
Park. a suburb of Nashville.
Six passenger coaches in all were
demolished and two cars of the thru
train caught fire and were buried up
Wreckiug crews and volunteers work.
cd sfaesoieally in the wrechage K
rescue the Injured.
The wreck occurred at 7:15 o'clocl
on the Dutchman's Grade seven mile:
from Nashville. One train was east
lContinued on Page TMol
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09
Is Opinion of Observers With
the British Army.
Based on Increasing Slowness
of His Past Efforts.
HEAVIEST OF THE WHOLE WAR
Is Expected To Eclipse All Past
Efforts in Violence.
Present Quiet Means Thoro
Preparation for Stroke.

| With the British armies in France,
July 9.-The next German blow, be-
lieved to be a matter of days, is ex-
pected to be the last Hindenburg will
be able to deliver. judging from the
increasing slowness of his past eff
forts.
But nobody out here doubts that it
will be the hardest he is capable of,
once his men are set in motion, or
that it will eclipse all previous battles
in point of violence and men and
material engaged.
The strange lull, which has spread
for weeks up and down the lines from
one end to the other-save for occa-
sional tiny battles here and there, like
the Fourth of July show" along the
Somme--continue to hover grimly
over the west front.
Air Activity Below Average.
The German infantry might be
sound asleep for all it is doing in the
men are sticking closer to their roosts.
Despite the fine weather, air fighting
is considerably below the average.
Much has been printed regarding
Hindenburg's delay. Some say the
Flanders fever is the cause; Others
say lack of men; others that he is
waiting until roads to the forward
areas are laid, so that big guns may
be brought up; others believe the mo-
rstle of the German troops is low
Germany Storing Up Munitions.
The truth is probably a mixture of
all these things, plus other things. Be-
side a shortage of raw materials Ger
many doubtless has only limited out
put of munitions now, making it nee
essary for her to economiZe over a
long period in order to get big
or, oh IN ~ a
on a scale similar to those in March
and June.
Owing to the limited number OF
| men for-the armies. however large
once the majority of German divi
sions are battered in battle or tired
| Hindenburg must wait until they arc
| rested, refitted and restored to optim-
| ism.
Prisoners taken since the Hame
| fight declare they had no food fol
| two days, owing to the confusion il
the lines. Low flying war plane:
finally dropped bundles of bully
beef dog biscuits and hard tacl
along the advanced posts. This meth
| cd of relieving hunger shows the Ger
man army is less able to maintain it:
cohesion than formerly.
Air Officers Scarce.
The scarcity of airmen officers I:
! growing, according to an enemy order
which says that fewer officers mus
| do reconnaissance flights, noncom:
| being substituted. Planes are manu-
| factured with difficulty, owing to the
| lack of raw materials. Some of thos'
| delivered are breaking under the
| strain OF flying, according to captured
| letters.
! Prisoners also say there IS mucf
/ illness in the army due to "Flander:
| fever" grippe, Spanish Influenza
or whatever the strange malady ma!
| called
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09

Acreage figures for last year were:
Corn 119.755. 900; white potatoes A.
$4,000; sweet potatoes 953,00O; to-
bacco 1,447,000; flax 1, 100000; rice,
964.O00.
Wheat remaining on farms July 1
last year amounted to 15,611,000 BUSH
els; and the five-year average is 49,
066,000 bushels.
Acreage planted to various crops
and announced for the first time are:
Corn 113,S35,000; white potatoes A.
$4,000; sweet potatoes $4,000; to-
bacco 1,452,900; flax 1,967,000; rice
100000.
Condition on July I of the various
crops was announced follows:
Winter wheat 1915 per cent of nor
NAL; spring wheat S6.1; all wheat
81e; corn S7.1; oats S5.5; barley SAL
rye sos; white potatoes SIS; sweet
potatoes S6.4; tobacco S3.1; flax 1913
rice 911; hay S2.2; apples 59,7i
peacheS 46 5.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09
WHEAT RAISE BLOCKED
Congressman Shouse Wires MohIer
Presidents Veto VIII Settle 1t.

According to a telegram from Con-
gresham Jouett Shouse, just received
by ]. c. Mohler, state secretary of ag-
riculture, the s2.40 wheat price which
passed both houses of congress the
other day applies to this years wheat
crop.
The facts as to when it applied had
been in doubt here, but Shouse's tele-
gram settles the point.
However the question has lost it's
Importance since President Wilson has
announced that he will veto the raise.
In his telegram to Mohler, Shouse
says that in his opinion the measure
cannot be passed over the presidents
veto and that in all probability the
present price will stand.
Shouse also expresses the opinion,
in which Mohler concurs, that when
the food administration fixes the
price for 1919 wheat, the announce
ment of which IS expected soon, IL
will not be much different from the
present figure.
Shouse's telegram was in reply to q
message from Mohler, who was him.
self in doubt as to which crop the
price affected and wanted to get au-
thoritative information
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09
BACK B0L LSHEVIKI
Huns Will Stand by Their
Loyal Tools in Russia.
Blame Assassination on Allied
Intriguing.

Amsterdam, July 9.-"The murder
ers hoped to create a break between
Germany and the Bolsheviki, but there
is no idea here of connecting the lat
ter with the crime" declared the
Lokal Anzei.er, regarding the assas-
slnat1on of Ambassador Mirbach
The North German Gazette said:
"On the principle of who would
benefit from the crime, the facts point
TO the allies, who long have tried to
sow mistrust between Germany and
the Soviets''
Francis Verifies Reports.
Washington. July 9.-Ambassador
Francis at Vologda in a message,
dated July Z. bringing the first word
received from him by the state de-
partment SIM June "a, has confirm
ed the report of the assassination of
Count Won Mirbach, the German am
bassador at Moscow.
The killing occurred at 8 p. m. July
6, and latest reports reaching the am
bassador said fighting was progress
ing in the streets of Moscow Wire
less messages to the Soviet govern
ment told of the capture of several
prominent Bolshevik officials by
revolutionists and of the arrest of
revolutionary leaders by BoIsheviki
forces.
Similar information reached the de-
partment from the Associated Press
representative at Vologda, who said
there was street fighting both at Mos
& and Jaroslav.
Martial Law in Moscow.
Basle, Swift, July 9.-Martial law
has been proclaimed in Moscow, ac-
cordfng to dispatches received here
today.
Several of those arrested in con-
nection with the assa ssination of Am
bassador Mirbach are said to have
admitted the purpose was to pro-
woke annulment of the Brest-Litovsk
peace treaty. Among those arrested
was Madame Spiridonova.
Members Kerensky Cabinet Arrested.
London, July 9.-Premier Lenine
has caused the arrest of NJ. Skobe1eff,
former minister of labor; NJ. Tcher-
porff, former minister of agriculture
NJ. Tseretell. former minister of post
and telegraph and other members of
the KerneslSy cabinet, according to a
Moscow dispatch received today.
| The above cable would seem to bear
| out the Bolsheviki claim that the
counter revolution in Moscow had been
suppressed and would indicate that So
| cial revolutionaries formerly allied
with Alexander Kerensky were among
the leaders
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09
THE NORTH AMERICAN
Actual Work on the New Hotel Co.
ing Ahead Lively.

Work is going forward at a lively
pace on the new North American
hotel at the corner of Ninth and Kan
sas avenue.
There is a tight high-board fence
around the four lots, so that it is rath-
er difficult for the passerby to see just
what is going on, and it will be some
time, of course, before there is any
showing made above the top of the
fence. Meanwhile, the work is forg-
ing ahead just the same.
The North American hotel here has
encountered obstacles and possibly
even more than the ordinary num-
her of them that are so often present
ed to enterprises which tend for the
welfare and upbuilding of the COM
munity.
The cement for the ten-story Tope-
ka hotel was bought months ago.
Much of the other material, including
brick and plumbing supplies. We're also
contracted for. There was some trou.
pie, however. about the prosecution OF
the construction.
AS the reader knows, the govern
ment is now restricting construction
operations. 1t is necessary now 10 get
an official o. K from Washington.
The United States government. after
delay pending hearings has granted
the right to continue the work and go
ahead with the construction of the ho-
tel.
The government permit or order,
number 794, was granted at Washing
ton last Friday.
tract for removing the old buildings
ON the site of the North American
hotel, completed that part of the work
some days~ago.
Before this, a contract had been let
by the hotel company for the excava-
| ton, but the contractor was called of
on account of government work and
went to Camp Funston.
Last week Assistant Architect Nor
rison was here from Omaha and let
a new contract for the excavations to
Thomas Smith.
Smith has begun vigorous work or
the excavations. There were ten men
scrapers engaged on the site this
| morning. and that was about as many
as can be used. The scrapers are
about three times the size of the ordi-
| nary scraper. The dirt is scraped
onto a platform; teams drawing empty
| wagons drive under the platform and
receive the dirt from the dumping
scrapers above.
| Topeka needs no one thing more
| than it needs a modern fireproof no
| tel, and it is believed the work viii
now be prosecuted vigorously and q
| completion The North America
| Hotel Company has a large bono
up with the American Security Co
| agreeing to dc this.
| The North American Hotel people
/ with headquarters at Omaha, are do
ing even more for Topeka than the.
agreed to do. Topeka will be proude
of the enterprise the further -st goe
along toward completion and actua
operation. The men behind, It ar
successful, experienced business inel
/ and mean business here.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09
O, GEE! uE is BUSY!
Deputy Game Warden Runs Down An
other Unlucky Fisherman.

County officials had not quite fin
ished expressing their opinion Mon
day afternoon of the case brought
against Adam Semon, a boy employed
in the Santa Fe shops, by Henry Ogee,
a special deputy fish and game ward
en-, when Ogee came into the court
of Topeka and demanded a similar
complaint against Earl Osborn, who
lives on Liberty street between Third
and Fourth streets.
The complaint against Osborn
charges him with operating two trot
lines, one more than is allowed by
law. in the river According to the
defense, as twill be presented by Ed
McKeever. attorney for Osborn, the
man arrested and his son were run
ming a line each. and were taking
turns running them. Osborn hap
pened to be the one ION duty when
Ogee happened along, It is asserted.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-09
GERMANS MOVE MEN
General Pershing Reports Signs of
Approaching Offensive.

Washington. July 9.-Increasin
proof of Germany's intent to make
a new offensive is given by General
Pershings daily communicates These
for several days have reported heavy
movements of men. supplies and am
nnunition behind the German rear
areas. and that can only mean con-
centration for an attack. It is as
st1med that the American-allied FLYERS
are keeping close tab on where these
forces go and that this time the allies
will he better informed than ever be-
fore as to where the blow is to be ex-
pected
At present the indications are that
IL will he a further development of
reaching the channel ports.