St. John's Daily Star, 1918-09-17

              The St. John's Daily Star Newfoundland VOLUME IV. t ($3.00 per Annum) TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, idU (PROBS: Showery.) No. 204. ALLIES REFUSE TO CONSIDER AUSTRIAN PEACE OFFER SERBIANS GAIN IN MACEDONIA-FRENCH ALSO ADVANCE SURVIVORS ARE LANDED Heart-Rending Scenes Wit-j nessed On Arrival of Sur-! vipors of Galway Castle Sunk Without Warning. WHOLE FAMILIES HAVE BEEN LOST DLYMOUTH, Sept. 15—Heart rending scenes were witnessed here vvhen hundreds of survivors of the torpedoed steamer Galway Castle were landed at seven o'clock Thursday morning. The passengers were mostly women and children, and it is believed that whole families have been lost. Among the survivors were little tots scarcely able to walk crying in vain for their parents. Partnts were searching in all directions fer news of their children and women were seeking vainly for their lost husbands. It mattered nothing that warm dry clothes was distributed to take the place 'oi the scanty attire the survivors snatched as they left the.ship. "1 heir one thought was to get news of tneir relatives and friends. There seems no reason to doubt that the vessel was torpedoed without warning. The explosion occurred between the engine joom and i stokehold, a fact which is taken to : iule out any possibility that the ship struck a mine. The explosion caused < comparatively little noise and caused < the ship to buckle in a most extraor- ] rinary manner. She was injured at i the extreme bottom and was bent and, i torn clear to the upper deck andj. seemed likely to break in two at any moment. In spite of the extent of the damage done to the Galway Castle, some cf the crew declared that the shock was hardly greater than that of the vessel bumping heavily against the side of a quay. The inrush of water was tremendous. One engineer was swept into the tunnel from the engine room and drowned. Fearing that the liner would founder at any moment, Capt. Dyer ordered the boats lowered, and issued lifebelts to all the passengers. One ] boat was swamped. Another was swept back against the liner by a wave and smashed. —. —— ( FOOD QUESTION DEBATED. Socialist Members of Berlin Municipa Council Debate Food Shortage Amsterdam, Sept. 16.—Socialist members of the municipal council of Berlin raised the food question in a public debate in the council meeting on Thursday, according to advices Ito The Telegraaf. j One speaker, after denunciatory remarks, exclaimed: "It is time the war came to an end." His words were greeted by loud applause from the public gallery. REPULSE COUNTER-ATTACKS. Enemy Assaults Against French Positions Repulsed With Heavy Loss Paris, Sept. 16.—Three enemy counter-attacks in the region of Vauxaillon, northeast of Soissons, were repulsed last night by the French troops, says the war office announcement today. These assaults were made against J new positions held by the French. { Both in the. Champagne and in Lor- • raine the French repulsed several attacks. BEYOND the Hinderiburg Line fI. Quentin, bulwark of the Hindenburg line, is rapidly being encompassed by the British and French and will fall ir1 A few days. Then the allied armies will press on to the Oise Canal and the towns shown on this map. AVIATORS BOMB  ENEMY BILLETS Seventeen Direct Hits Obtained On Objectives At Karlsruhe London, Sept. 16.—British aviators have again bombed the railways at Metz, Sablons and Mabz, and docks and sidings at Karlsruhe. Seventeen direct hits were obtained on the Karlsruhe objectives according to the air ministry communication tonight. The statement reads: On the battlefront on the night of Sept. 15-16 four hostile airdromes were heavily and repeatedly attacked by our machines with excellent results. Four fires were started. Three hostile machines were wrecked on the ground, two hangars were completely demolished and several more hangars received direct hits. A transport convoy was hit four times. The railways at Metz Sablons were again bombed and a fire started. The railway junction at Mainz and the docks and sidings at Karlsrhue were successfully attacked. Very good results were observed on both targets ond at Karlsruhe, where 3Yi tons of bcmbs were reported dropped, seventeen direct hits were obtained. During the night 350 bombs, totalling 16/2 tons in weight, were dropped. A" our machines returned. AIR RAID ON PARIS Enemy Succeeds in Dropping Some Bombs on French Capital Paris, Sept. 16—Several enemy aerial squadrons flew over the region of Paris this morning. They were subjected to a heavy fire from the anti-aircraft guns, but succeeded in dropping some bombs. There ware a few victims and some material damage according to the official report. The alarm was sounded at 1.25 and the all dear signal v.as given at three o'clock. 21 TOWNS BOMBED British Aviators Drop Over 100 Toes Of Bombs on Enemy Works London, Sept. 15—Twenty-one im portant towns have been bombed by the British independent air force during the month of August, according to information from an authentic source. The objectives were railway stations, chemical and other factories and blast furnaces. The total weight cf bombs dropped in these raids was more than one hundred tons. Cardinal Fardy HI New York, Sept. 15—Cardinal Far ley is in a very critical condition tonight, according to physicians who have been attending him at Oriental Point, his summer home, where he v.as stricken with pneumonia a month ago. Heart weakness has develoDed within the Dast 24 hours. FURTHER EXPOSURE HUN PLOTS IN RUSSIA German Controlled Bolsheviki Carry on Campaign of Sabotage, Looting and Crime GERMANY INSTIGATED ASSAULT ON ITALIAN AMBASSADOR WASHINGTON, Sept. 16.—Secret activities against the United States and the allies of the Germanpaid and controlled Russian Bolsheviki government, are the subject of today's chapter of confidential documents from Russia given to the public by the American government. One of these documents, a terse note from the German general staff to the council of people's commissioners, discloses that as long ago as November, 1917, when the Russian regime still was regarded as an a ly of the nations at war with Germany, the Germans were brusquely requiring Lenine and Trotsky to furnish information regarding the amounts and places of storage of supplies received by Russia from America, England and France. Others tell of the launching in January and February this year of ft Bolshevik peace and socialistic propaganda against the United States, England and France at the direction of the German intelligence service. This was at the time that Scheidemann, the powerful German socialist and world socialism apostle, was in communication with his Russian brothers regarding the destruction of the traces of the party's business relations with the imperial government The intelligence service required the Bolsheviki to send to the allied countries through neutral Europe, comrades ■ under assumed names and with false neutral passpoTts to preach their doctrine of disorganization and to carry on campaigns of counterrevolution, sabotage; looting, etc. Plans of the Germans for sending three submarines disassembled, by rail over land to Vladivostock, for service on the Pacific, are disclosed in a communication of the German high seas fleet general staff to the commissioners. Another of the naval communications reveals a scheme conceived in January of employing Russian spies on the Pacific under the Russian flag to carry agitators and agents and destruction to the United States, Japan and the British colonies m Eastern Asia. Personal notes from the German intelligence service to the commissioners desired the assault upon and robbery of the Italian ambassador in the streets of Petrograd in February last in a vain effort to get possession of important papers believed to have been in the ambassador's possession. Other notes tell in detail of the watch kept upon the American and other allied embassies. Like the remainder of the documents of the series, these made public today are accompanied by notes explaining which are originals and which photographic copies, and explanations and comments by Edgar Sisson who obtained the correspondence in Russia for the committee of public information. TORPEDOED CREW REACHES PORT Sixteen of Crew of Portugese Skip Land—Thirty-five Still Missing A CVanadian Atlantic Port, Sept. 16—After five days* exposure in an open boat, sixteen of the crew, including the captain, of the Portugese steamer Leixces, arrived here today, reporting that their steamer was torpedoed in the North Atlantic five days ago, since which time there had been very heavy winds and seas. It is feared that three other boats with thirty-five men, the remainder of the crew, have been lost. ■ » i . An Act of Reprisal Berlin, Sept. 16—As a reprisal for the continued bombardment of German towns, says the official statement issued to-day by the German war office, twenty-four tons of bombs were dropped last night on Paris. THE WAR SITUATION  (By J. T. M.) A LITTLE over a year ago, the exn act date being July 29th, 1917, Robert Lansing, secretary of state, in an address to candidates for commissions, which he delivered at Madison Barracks, Sackett's Harbor, N.Y., said: "I am firmly convinced that the independence of no nation is sure, that the liberty of no individual is sure, until the military despotism, which holds the German people in the hollow of its hand, has been made impotent and harmless forever. Appeals to justice, to moral obligation, to honor, no longer avail with such a power. There but one way to restore peace to the world, and that is by overcoming the physical might of German imperialism by force of arms." Since these words were uttered" German imperialism has given three great demonstrations of its physical might on the western front—first in its drive towards the Englisji Channel, via Amiens, secondly its drive on Paris, via Mont Didier, and thirdly its attempt to reach the French capital through the Marne Valley. Each drive ended in failure. 1 hough inflicting staggering blows on the allied nations they fell short of final victory, and final victory alone counts in war. In an anecdote of Napoleon's life it is related that when one of his generals explaining why he did not succeed in his undertaking against a part of the Austrian army in one of his battles said, "We« came near overthrowing the enemy, the famous general replied: "Partial success in war is a failure only a little less disastrous than your own overthrow " Napoleon's retort may be applied to Germany's failures in the trfree great drives mentioned above. She has made tremendous efforts to reach the goal, paid a monstrous toll in human lives to win the coveted prize of victory over the allies, and in each fell short of it, and had but partial success, which has proven only little less disastrous than complete overthrow.These failures, or partial successes have paved th& way to defeats which the German arms have suffered the past two months, and will end in overthrow, complete and crushing. , Seeing it beyond their power to ward off defeat, by military resistance, the central powers once more essay to rob the allies of the fruit of their war efforts by forestalling their ] victory by "peace-by-negotiation." Hence their latest bid for peace discussions, and their astounding proposals to Belgium. Their "near , successes" have brought them face to face with defeat. For four years they have made the world drink deeply of. the cup of bitterness. It ; is now about to 'be pressed to their j own lips and they would push, it , aside untouched, and avoid tasting the bitter dregs they have made other nations drain. Glutted with crime they hope to side-step retribution which usually ' follow it. Peace before defeat may preserve their power unshattered within their own frontiers, while ' peace dictated by the victorious allies may precipitate uprisings disastrous to autocratic sway, and so we have the central empires opening another PEACE NOTE GIVEN FROSTY RECEPTION America First of Entente Nations to Give Official Refusal to Austria's Proposals For Peace Conference Tho British Foreign Minister Has Unofficially Made Declaration Along Same Lines BRITISH NEWSPAPERS SCOFF AT IDEA OPINION OF TEUTON PRESS DIVIDED of an old German trick. As to the offer to Belgium, The Mail says it is insulting, and offers the Belgians one more sCrap of paper. The note is absurd on the very face of it, says The Telegraph. Is Not Hopeful. Amsterdam, Sept. 16.—The peace initiative should have been left to the entente allies, according to The Tages Zeitung of Berlin, which comments on the Austrian peace note ■that the fate of all previous announcements to readiness for peace and a conciliatory spirit on the part of the central powers, does not encourage great hopes that this offer will meet with greater success. The newspaper says it must naturally encounter great skepticism on our part. By Emperor's Order. Amsterdam, Sept. 16.—The note in which Austria-Hungary invites the belligerents to conference for discussion of the possibilities of peace was despatched by Baron Burian, the Austrian-Hungarian foreign minister on the order of Emperor Charles, The Cologne Yolks Zeitung declares. Germany's Catspaw. Paris, Sept. 16.—The newspapers in general declare that no attention must be paid to the Austro-Hungarian proposal, arguing that Germany's r.lly is merely acting as her catspaw. They see in the new peace offensive a proof of the weakness of the enemy who is endeavoring to re-establish unity among the powers in the Teutonic alliance while creating division among the entente allies. All the newspapers agree that it would be a most serious mistake for the entente to fall into the trap. Pessimistic View. Amsterdam, Sept. 16.—The Berlin Tageblatt editorially expresses ths opinion that the independent action of Auitria-Hungary will probably cause the entente to redouble its military efforts. The Austro-Hungarian offer coming on top of the programme enunciated by Vice- Chancellor Yon Payer it comments, betrays bad stage management. With all respect to the nobility of the AustTO-Hungarian government's motives, The Tageblatt adds this was not a psychological moment for the move as far as the entente was concerned. The editorial also expresses disappointment that no mention was made in the note of the cruciai Alsace-Lorraine question. Vital Questions. Manchester, Sept. 16.—The Guardian discussing the Austrian peace note, asks if the central powers would be willing to restore the countries they have overrun, reverse the Berts-Litovsk treaty, set Russia free and leave Poland, Lithuania, Finland and the Ukraine to determine their own destinies. These are among the questions which the allied governments are entitled to ask before confidential negotiations, The Guardian declares. MEW YORK, Sept. 17.—The United States has turned its back on the Austro-Hungarian peace proposals. Secretary Lansing, by authorization of President Wilson, has announced that the United States "can and will entertain no proposal for conference upon a matter concerning which it has made its position and purpose so plain." The British secretary for foreign affairs, Lord Balfour, had also stated, though unofficially, that he was utterly unable to see that such a conference as proposed by Austria could have any desired end, adding that it is incredible that anything can come of this proposal. While the GeTman newspapers comment on the proposal as though Germany had no part in it, the Vienna newspapers declare emphatically th?t all of Austria's i&t* Ind been informed of Austria's intention, though the action itself was Austria- Hungary's own. Fighting Still Goes On. Meanwhile, in the various theatres of the war, fighting is going on steadily and with added ifnpetus in Macedonia, where the reconstituted Serbian army, cooperating with French forces, have stormed three strongly fortified Bulgarian positions and occupied Vetrenik, Dobrop'olje and Sokal, considered the most im- I portant part of the Macedonian front. French troops in their advance towards the Chemin dcs Dames have gained two-thirds of a mile on a two and a half mile front to the northeast and west of Cancy, whers they captured an additional 600 prisoners. American and German patrols are doing the major part of the work on the Lorraine front, but there are reports of a possible great attack by one side or the other. Han Airmen Active. In the Vosges, in that mountainous territory, the artillery has developed intensely, and hostile airplanes have been unusually active. All reports indicate a marked increase in the work of the airplanes along all the fronts. The Germans who quite recently appeared to lack adequate air forces have now sent augmented forces into the air and there have been numerous engagements. As an illustration of the severity of the fighting the British airmen on Sunday accounted for 37 German planes, while they themselves reported sixteen missing. While the Czecho-Slovaks have been courageously and successfully carrying on war against the Bolsheviki steps have been taken looking to the organization of a Polish division under Polish officers, to wage the fight in Siberia westward to their fatherland, as integral units in the American army. It is estimated that 100,000 trained men can be made available at once in the regions of Harbin Nokolsk and Vladivostock. ** Useless Move. Paris, Sept. 16—(Havas)—The Austrian proposal for a conference of the belligerents was not much of a surprise in Parisian political centres, where it is considered to be a consequence of the recent military successes of the allies. The general impression is that thi new peace move cannot be fruitful. Discuss Peace Note. Amsterdam, Sept. 16.—An important conference of leaders of the majority of parties in the reichstag was held on Sunday with reference to the Austrian peace note. Telegrams from Berlin today report it was said the deliberations would be continued today. Same Old Trick. London, Sept. 16.—An impudent shame is The Daily Mail's editorial head over its comment on the note which it describes as another form JAPS OPERATE IN SIBERIA Locomotives and Coaches Captured —Many Prisoners Taken Tokio, Sept. 16—An official state ment issued to-day by the Japanese war office reporting operations on the Lssuri river front in Siberia, says the main strength of our cavalry has entered Kha-Batovsk on the Ussari branch of the trans-Siberian raifway between Uyazenskaya and Khabarovsk.Seventeen locomotives, 191 freight cars and four passenger cars were captured. Thirty-five prisoners including some Germans were taken. These were in addition to the 150 prisoners including German oftcen captured on Sept. 6. 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