St. John's Daily Star, 1917-10-17

              The St. John's Daily Star Newfoundland VOLUME 111. ($3.00 per Annum); WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1917. f(Price: One Cent.) No. 238. CLASH BETWEEN RUSSIAN AND GERMAN NAVAL FORCES Germans Retire as soon as Russian Cruisers Arrive London, Oct. 16===According to news from Berlin, in an undated despatch received by the Admiralty by wireless press, Germany is expected shortly to declare the coasts of the United States, Canada and Cuba as war zones. NAVAL BATTLE BETWEEN RUSSIANS AND GERMANS Russian Patrol Squadron Gives Battle To German Torpedo Boat Fleet ONE RUSSIAN TORPEDO BOAT SUNK AND ANOTHER BADLY DAMAGED DE IROGRAD, Oct. 17.—Today's statement follows: On the northwestern and Roumanian fronts there have been fusilades and scouting operations. On the Caucasus fronts there is nothing to report. In the Baltic on Sunday at 4 o'clock p. m., our patrol squadron off Soela Sound, consisting of four torpedo boats and two gun boats, were shelled by German dreadnoughts. The torpedo boat Brom was severely damaged.Following this 12. and afterwards more German torpedo boats of the newest type, forced their way into Sound Under cover of a German battleship. Our patrol squadron accepted battle. The gunboat Khrabry was struck twice, and the torpedo boat Brom was under violent fire. The other torpedo boats covered them, energetically engaging the enemy. The enemy's fire was principally directed on the Khrabry and Brom. All the guns of the latter vessel were put out of action, and she was also set on fire .which burnt the hausers with which the Khrabry was towing her. The Khrabry approached the Brom and once more tried to take her in tow but without success, and the Brom sank. The majority of the crew were saved by the Khrabry. Simultaneously one of the enemy torpedo boats was sunk by the fire of the Khrabry and others. Our warships then appearing on the scene, the enemy turned back. The rest of our warships were only slightly damaged. ■ » ■  Visit of Encouragement Amsterdam, Oct. 17.—The Westerzeitung suggests that the visit to Sofia of the German Emperor has as its object the encouragement of a Bulgarian attack on General Serrail's forces, with Salonika as a reward in the event of success. The paper adds, that a declaration of war by Greece against Bulgaria is to be expected at an early datev • ■  Another Fire. New York, Oct. 17.—The grain elevator of J. W. Esterger and Son, Brooklyn, containing a large store of grain, was destroyed by fire last night, the loss is $200,000. THE PRESIDENT: "JUST THROW HIM ON ONE SIDE."-London Passing Show. GERMANY DESTROYED OWN FOREIGN COMMERCE Forced Allies to Manufacture Goods Formerly Supplied Exclusively By Her COMMERCIAL "FRIGHTFULNESS" WILL HAVE PASSED AWAY JJEW YORK, Oct. 17.—What a different world of trade this will be after the war was pictured at the Southern Commercial Congress here tonight by Secretary Redfield, in an address telling of the cutting of the threads of Germany's foreign commerce by her own act and of the awakemng of America and the Allies to the danger of having their industries dependent upon a foreign and possibly upon unfriendly sources of supply. "When peace shall come, and her merchants take up the task of restoring Germany's ruined commerce, they will find that it is a strange world which they seek to re-enter," said the Secretary. "There will be difficulties in the path of the future peaceful penetration, of which they seem not to dream. "Commercial frightfulness, like its military namesake, will have passed away. It will hardly be said again to any Secretary of Commerce of the United States that German dyestuff will not permit of the establishment of American dyestuff industries. The monopolies in which the German foreign commerce in a large part seemed to rest secure, have passed away. "Our friends beyond the sea, and we ourselves, have learned the danger of having our industries wholly dependent on foreign sources of supply which may become unfriendly. It is pitiful to read extracts from the German press which seem to show that they expect to take up the task of rebuilding their commerce where they had laid it down. "They reckon the world's demand for potash as a purely German asset. It was so, but is so no longer. They were the world's source for dyestuffs. That opportunity has gone. It was they whom the world looked to for optical glass. We don't look there now. They were the source of supply of the chemical porcelain. We make it today as well as they. "When our sons have fought and died together with those of Britain, France, Italy, Russia and our other honored friends, things cannot be as they were before that happened. Each knows the other better than he did. Old lines of separation have gone. Our vision is enlarged. 'Applied to commerce this means that we understand other peoples and their needs better and know better what we have to supply them. Our men with the vision are reaching out into all lands. We are in a family, whether we will or not, and my honest belief is that we shall draw richly from the family intercourse. "We were one of those who looked upon peaceful contests of commerce as an economic war. We should hardly feel we could speak with freedom in their presence in coming days when normal commercial intercourse throughout the world shall replace the present restricted conditions, for we recognize, as a matter of course, an opportunity and duty they are not slow to see and upon which they rightly act, that the nations associated with us in this war are preparing for their proper share of the world's business when the war shall close. "Believing as we do, however, that commerce is not war, but mutual intercourse to mutual gain, we look without fear and with strong approval upon every efferot of our friends to renew their commercial and industrial activities in the happier days that are comning. ■ . Shell Open Boats. Washington, Oct. 16.—Small boats from a British steamer recently attacked by two submarines were mercilessly shelled by one of the U-boats. Two men were killed and seven wounded. The State department was advised today by Consular despatches that one other man was killed before the crew abandoned the steamer which carried a number of Americans. The date and place of the attack was not disclosed. Nothing of Interest London, Oct. 17.—Field Marshal Haig in his report to the War Office today says: "There is nothing of special interest to report."* —: ■ ■  Record Wheat Crop. Washington, Oct. 17.—A record crop of wheat in India was reported yesterday in a despatch to the depart- RUSSIANS OFFER STOUT RESISTANCE German Warships Unable to Give As Much Aid As was Expected, to Land Forces in Riga Region. APPARENTLY there has cessation in the hurried programme of the Germans to seize the Russian Island of Oesel, at the head of the Gulf of Finland; but although their troops have now taken the greater proportion of the island, the aid they had expected from their fleet in putting down Russian opposition in adjacent waters is meeting with considerable resistance from Russian warships.The Russians are disinclined to throw their naval vessels into a general engagement with the invaders, fearing that the superiority of the Germans would result in losses to them which would leave open the pathway through the Gulf of Finland up to Petrograd; but in a small battle with torpedo craft and possibly light cruisers the Russians have sunk two German torpedo boats and damaged two others, to the north of Oesel Island, while the Russians themselves lost a torpedo boat destroyer. The Germans, which were accompanied by a battleship, put to sea after the engagement. The German land forces are now driving hard against the Svorb peninsula, on the southwest portion of the Island of Oesel, with the object of capturing the batteries at Serel which dominate the eastern entrance to the Gulf of Riga. NEW PEACE PROPOSALS  * Athens, Oct. 17.—1n well- * * informed diplomatic circles here * * it is considered that peace is * * imminent despite the secrecy ob- * * served in Germany regarding * * the subjects discussed at the * * Council held in Berlin immedi- * *ately before the German Em- * * peror's departure for Bulgaria, * * and these discussed in Sofia and * * Constantinople between the Al- * * lied monarchs. * * Authentic information has * * been received here to the effect * * that new and less irreconcilable * * peace proposals are to be ex- * * pected from Germany in this * * coming week. * SUGGESTS REASON FOR GERMAN MOVE British Paper Says It May Be for Purpose of Creating Atmosphere To Allow Withdrawal in Ypres lONDON, Oct. 17—Hindenburg's new Russian drive has given rise to a suggestion that his <jdea may be to create a proper atmosphere in Germany for the abandonment of the present lines before Ypres, to straighten the line based on Ostend or Zeebrugge. Of such a contingency The Manchester Guardian says: "Supposing Germany decided to create a new Belgium on the shores of the Gulf of Finland threatening Petrograd, and is prepared to that end to sacrifice the other Belgium or a great deal of it, which is1 getting rather too hot to hold, what effect would this change have on the strategy and politics of the war? We do not say it is certain that this is Germany's plan, but it is one of these possibilities which ought not to take us by surprise should it come," Mysterious Fire. Kansas City, Oct. 16.—More than half the Kansas City stock yards, the second largest in the country, was destroyed by fire early today. Several thousand head of cattle were destroyed, some estimates running as high as ten thousand. The origin of the fire v unknown. GERMAN NAVY FILLED WITH SPIRIT OF REVOLT Escaped German Prisoner Says Riots in Navy Began Months Ago NAVAL OFFICERS TREAT SAILORS WITH PURE SAVAGE BRUTALITY £HICAGO, Oct. 17.—That the German navy is full of a spirit of revolt is the statement contained in a cable despatch to The Chicago Daily News from Edward Price Bella, its London correspondent. The assertion is made by Peder Pederson Dahlgaard, who was a sailor on the German battleship Kaiser at Kiel until last June, but who escaped and has just arrived in England. There is serious unrest in the German navy, said Dahlgaard to the correspondent. It arises from the beliefs of the sailors that Germany has lost the war and that further fighting is a crime against the German people. I do not think this feeling prevails to the same extent in the army, but it is by no means unknown there. Riots in the German navy began months ago, in April, I heard of an outbreak on the Koenig A. Albert. The sailors on the ship are said to have seized a watchman and tied him to an anchor and sunk him. Two hundred and fifty of the men were sent to prison. In Cologne similar actions were planned on other ships. No civilized Government, besides that of Germany, ever imposed such discipline upon men as the German naval commanders impose. Officers beat sailors sometimes out of pure savagery, and think it perfectly right to call them dogs and spit in their faces. I have heard officers say that the Allies need not fight another battle in' order to beat Germany. All they had to do, these officers said, was to hold fast and wait another six months, when famine would force Germany to surrender.LONDON PREPARES BOMB SHELTERS Sufficient Already Prepared and Indexed to Accommodate One Million People. [ONDON, Oct. 17.—London bombproof shelters are being card indexed in preparation for further German raids. Sufficient tunnels, arches, crypts, basements and substantial buildings have been indexed to accommodate one million persons. In making this announcement today, Sir George Care, Home Secretary, declared an advisory board of prominent surveyors will be appointed soon, to make a caiivass of bomb-proof shelters in London. He said the Government had decided to make it a regulation under the Defence of the Realm Act, to require everyone possessing bomb-proof shelters to place them at the disposal of the public. The decision of the educational author) i ip close all schools in London duriii: the last week in Octdber is perhaps the most interesting of many steps being taken in anticipation of a recurrence of German raids as soon as the moon is up again. Air raid shelter placards are being distributed throughout the city, and many substantial forms of relief for air raid victims and their relatives are announced as a result of the conference of the Mayors of the various London boroughs. « i Lively Bombardment. Paris, Oct. 16. (Official)—On the Aisne front after a lively bombardment the Germans launched several surprise attacks on our positions south of Courtecout. The eriemy succeeded in gaining a footing in one of our advanced posts from which we immediately ejected him. Another attempt south of Ailles likewise failed. Artillery fighting was maintained in a very spirited fashion throughout the day in the region of Plateaux. • ♦ ■  Not Guilty Paris, Oct. 16.—Premier Painleve communicated to the Cabinet today the result of the inquiry he made into the charge against Louis J. Malvy, former Minister of the Interior, accused by Leon Daudet of having betrayed secrets to Germany. The Premier said his inquiry had showed that the accusations, whether of communicating military or diplomatic documents to the enemy, or of complicity in military disturbances, were quite unfounded. » ♦ i  Parliament Postponed Peetrograd, Oct. 16—The Provision al Government has postponed the opening of Parliament from October 16th to October 20th. „ - -- - WAR CABINET SENDS CONGRATULATIONS British Premier Transmits Message Congratulating F. M. Haig and Troops On Achievements. Oct. 17.—Premier Lloyd- George sent the following message yesterday to Field Marshal Haig: "The War Cabinet desires to con* gratulate you and the troops undei your command, upon the achievements of the British armies in Flanders, in the great battle which has been raging since July 31st. "You and your men have continued to drive the enemy back with such skill, courage and pertinacity as have commanded the great admiration of the peoples of the British Empire and filled the enemy with alarm. "I am personally glad to be th? means of transmitting this message tt you and your gallant troops, and 1 desire to take this opportunity of renewing my assurance of confidence in your leadership and in the devotion of those whom you command." HUN TURNED SAINT Hun Paper Says Belligerents Should Not Shell Open Towns Zurich, Oct. 17.—That Breat Britain's decision to bombard German cities and towns in reprisal for air raids on London and other cities and towns, is having an effect in Southern Germany, is indicated by The Muenchener Post, which says that air attacks on open towns have proved, quite apart from moral estimates, that this mode of warfare will be the means of stiffening, rather than breaking the determination of the people. The newspaper says: This applies to all belligerents, and that it would be a matter for rejoicing if all of theaa would agree no longer to make this fearful mode of warfare. A catastrophe still more horrible through the slaughter of defenceless persons. __ i^i Successful Raid. London, Oct. 16.—Northwest of Bullecourt early this morning, British troops carried out a successful raid, says today's official announcement. The enemy's artillery showed considerable activity during the night in the neighborhood of the Ypres-Staden railway.Total Prohibition. Desmoines, lowa, Oct. 16.—Returns from more than > two-thirds of the State on the election of Constitutional Prohibition, held in lowa yesterday, indicates that the amendment forbidding the manufacture or sale of liquor was adopted by a majority of about ten thousand. Prohibition by statute prevails, in lowa at present LADIES' FURS A Sample Lot in MUFFS COLLARS NECKLETS STOLES WHICH WE OFFER AT prices HARD TO BEAT All of the Veryl Latest SHAPES & STYLES And Quite \A yar'ety to Select l?rim. SEE THEM. BOWRING BROS., LIMITED.