Government troops are here seen In actual combat with Spurtacans In the SctotKBStraew In Bertla, They have intrenched themselves behind huge bun* n e w s i M p e r a . : : ' v S ^ ' r * ,. j-*- SV-JN4 •><£** .*V . ? *:o sipf CMtf of Staff Says Home Folks Do Not Understand J " '•• iethods/i?^?^ «£$ • ". "W"»f <^.^4 PROBLEMS TO SOLVE t if m Why tkt Old Draft Board* Could Not :VI U«d--Provision Supplied for <Ml Those in DUtreaa--Bonus > Given to Discharged Men. Washington.--The war department •ntbortses the following statement from the office of the chief of staff: The present system of demobilization does not seem to be understood by the people of the country. AA a fundamental starting point, let* us a» some that all the selected service men who have been inducted < Into tlw» service j during the war were removed from their home communities at one time; and that upon their departure, and until their return, conditions of labor and industry did not change in the slightest respect in any portion of the country. Again let as assume that the conditions of labor and industry having remained exactly the all these selected service men returned at the same moment to* the niches previously held by them in dvll life. Under such assumptions the «Ore operation would have been perforated without the slightest jar to the industrial conditions of the conntry. 1Mb would be an Ideal condition, but It Is based on an utterly absurd hypothesis. The selected service men were not all inducted into the service at one time. Nor did the conditions of labor and industry remain unchanged after their departure innu tbefar home districts. Tremendous Problem. k Ooold the history of each parttfctitftr Job from which employed men had been withdrawn be traced, could it be discovered whether the job remained open to him or whether A's Job had been filled by B; could it be definitely ascertained that B left a job wliieh remains open to A; It •right be possible, were these returning men so many spare parts of a machine, to assign each returning man a definite Job. But they are not spare parts of a machine. They are hqman beings, influenced on the one hand by home ties, and on the other by varying desires and ambitions; and if no pMtlons which they want are immediately open to them, they, as well as the original unemployed, must be gradually absorbed In the industrial life of the nation. This, then,' Is the tremendous problem that confronts as--to return to a country whose digestion for labor is not now of the best hundreds of thousands of men withput employment, not forgetting that they and their families deserve the grateful thanks of the nation, and remaining keenly aware that their patriotism and sacrifice demand that they be given every possible recognition and favor. Certain 8p*elfle Laws. •' As certain specific laws govern fae discharge of soldiers, and their interests as well as those of the government must be Jealously guarded, the use of local draft boards for the entire demobilization of the army -would. Among other things, Involve the following: Necessary commissioned and enlisted personnel for the preparatloa of all records of each man discharged; for the reception, storing, care and shipment of all government equipment turned in by him; for his physical examination and fin*! payment. There would also be needed facilities for housing and feeding men, including hospital treatment, while awaiting discharge. The machinery necessary at each one of the local draft boards would depend upon the amount of work which it would be required to do. About 4jfl80 local draft boards would have to be provided with this necessary personnel and other faculties mentioned above. -The machinery of each local hoard would have to be maintained intact as long as there were In the service men from the particular district involved, and would have to be kept at such strength as to be able to handle such men as were sent to it for discharge at any time. The difficulties of transportation from the port to local draft boards, assuming the abandonment of the present demobilization would he materially increased. The question then arises : If local draft boards cannot be used for complete discharge of the soldier, cannot they be used In conjunction with present camps? Ai\d the answer is that if is not feasible. The present system of demobilization is that certain camps and- cantonments throughout the country have been designated as demobilization centers. These centers are provided with personnel, temporarily retained in the service, for the operation of the machinery of discharge. (This system of demobilization necessitates the splitting up of organizations upon arrival from overseas and their distribution in small groups to the various demobilization centers. Experience of Other Nations. The suggestion has been made that we pattern our demobilization system after that of Great Britain. The United States, in formulating its plans for mobilization, was fortunate enough to ad« «husMecti<m pNweoted men from Mbf sent *to-fhe Mmefcl . who later had to be Wlthdravta attift returned to Industries essential tto the prosecution of ihe war. In cainying out its systematic draft system, the tendency was to retain in the industrial world the pivotal or key men, the return of whom to their normal activities in the industrial world appears to be one of the outstanding principles in the British demobilization system, tfhe war department has consistently declined to discharge our selected service men by classes, the needs of industry having been recognized in the selective service law. In many families distress exists. Certain men are Indispensable to' industry. To enable such men to be released, the war department has issued a circular to all commanders covering their cases. The secretary of war has also recommended to congress that a man be paid an additional month's pay and allowance on discharge In order to tide him over the interim between his discharge and the date he obtains employment ; and congress has now passed a bill authorizing' a $00 bonus to be paid on discharge to each officer and man who Is honorably separated from the service. v { - Some Dissatisfaction. 1 Seme dissatisfaction has arisen bars use families had it difficult to immediately see their sons and relatives on their arrival at the port of debarkation. This Is dne to the fact that public health demands that these men be segr^g&ted until they can be disinfected, in order to prevent the spread of diseases, such as typhus, trench fever and influenza, in the country. aAlso practical conditions connected with the handling and discharge of large bodies of men demand that they be sent after their disinfection direct to their demobilization points. This all seems fcard. and being a difficult practical problem. Is of necessity entirely devoid of sentiment, which is, however, continually Impelling those intrusted with the carrying out of these measures to devise some way of showing the soldier the esteem In which he is held by the country, and of satisfying the Just pride which his family possesses in his exploits. There is a general belief that the emergency has passed, that the war is over, and that there is no reason for keeping troops in France. The war is not over until a treaty of peace ends it. The emergency dannot be considered over until the last of our troops arrive from France. What could we say to these men and their families If we demobilized all troops in this country and were powerless to care for and return to their home districts the men returning from overseas? Troops must be kept in France for such army of occupation as may be decreed by the treaty of peace, and for every d^ision held there to clinch the fruits of victory must be kept a certain proportion of men for their supply, to provide measures for their comfort and for their final embarkation. ILLINOIS State News of DESCRIBES HUNS' LAST OFFENSIVE Correspondent Reveals HOW "Beaten" Troops Turned Against Foe. : * • SIDELIGHTS ON MARCH 'SHOW' Allied Trsops Believed Retreat Was "Part of Some Blooming Strategy, 'Cos the Chaps Next Door Couldn't Hold On." •y PERCY M. SAR (TnStteff Press Staff Correi London.--"Woo-oosh! Bang!" I looked out of my tent on the morning of March 21, 1018, imagining that some aerial humorist was bombing us. But It was a long-range, ten-inch, highvelocity gun, and a couple more in quick succession, the second shell landing about fifty yards from me, showed that It was no stray round. I realized that the great German offensive bad started. The night before I had Joined the Fortieth division artillery, which was lying in "close reserve," Just south of Arras. I was hoping for a recuperative -period on what wad reckoned a fairly "quiet" front. - > "Stand by your horses!" brought us all onto the lines. Fortunately, the Boche was shooting by the map and not from observation, or we should have taken little further Interest in the "March show." As it was, he dropped about sixty rounds right In the midst of us without doing much damage. The enemy had broken through at Bellecourt and was coming on fast. ;:; . Blazing Away at Foe.. "The divisional artillery will come Into action at--so-and-so 'map spotting,' " and we were off. But when we got there--well, the cupboard wasn't exactly bare, because lust before we reached our objective we came across an 18-pounder section squatting In the open and biasing away over open sights at the oncoming hordes of Boches. We dropped bsck and found a less conspicuous place from which to declare war- Then we had one solid week's hades, such as General Sherman never thought of, or he would have used stronger language about "war." . The Germans brought their field guns on so rapidly, and In such numbers, that we were shelled from pillar to post. Our infantry hung on doggedly, and were wiped out, battalion after battaljon. Each batch of reserves found their predecessors' positions untenable and were compelled to try to hold a line a bit farther back. Always in the open, for there was no time to dig oneself in; and when one hillside became too hot for comfort we shifted, either to flank or slightly to the rear. . I never saw soldiers so cheerful or determined. Dog-tired, they hijpg on; and while the great game of "tactics" went on, the whole line having to conform to some unknown situation many miles to a flank, the Third army grumblingly wondered what it was falling back for. "All Part of Strategy." If the pessimists who conceded a German victory last March could have seen those "beaten" soldiers retreating, they might have taken heart, because It never occurred to the troops themselves that they were being beaten. The retreat, to them, was all part of "some blooming strategy 'cos the chaps next door couldn't hold on." Back through Mory, Ervlllers, St Leger, Gommeeourt, Courcelles and Bucquoy fell my part of the line, and then we stopped them. March 80 saw about the epd of the nightmare as far as we were concerned, and the Fortieth divisional artillery pulled off a regular "boy stood on the burning deck" stunt. My own brigade, the One Hundred and Seventy-eighth brigade royal field artillery, composed of London citizen soldiers mostly, came Into qiflon In the open, under heavy fire directed by .hostile airplanes and smashed up an attack of three battalions which had been on the front held by a company of the British guards. One battery was practically wiped out, gun after gun being knocked out by concentrations of enemy artillery.' I was fhankful to find myself when the "Cease fire" order came through, v There were many weary weeks of routine warfare and night alarms. It was between BoisIeux-au-Mont and Bolry-St. Martin, about 400 yards from the place where that first ten-inch shell landed on March 21, we stopped the Boche. There we refitted and planned and prepared for the final triumphal advance of the allies in the ensuing summer and tell. THOUGHT OLD MAN WAS POOR Shows Sioux City Carpenter Had an Estate In Excess of *100,000. OMjr, Ia^~8amuet C. Cfoaty, a ca*|i§nt«*>. ig&I elghty-lWe 'ftdHTa resident of Sioux Oity since 1801, died recently at a local hotel where he had made his hWMTfbr many years. He Ittd noftnthnate Mends and those who did knnr' hU& fftttsamed him to possess little If any property. However, a will of the aged carpenter has been filed for probate In -the district court It revealed he had an estate worth considerably in excess of $100,000. consisting of Iowa real estate, bonds^ mortgages and other property. The will bequeaths $90,000 to Smith W. Todd of Industry, Pa.; $10,000 to another nephew, John W. Todd of Eagiesmera, Pa., and $10 each to two nieces, Iva M. Cromly and Mrs. Josle F. Kltchell of Los Angeles. Cal. By the terms of tb -IT? "f/ - a Todd was made executor without bond. Attorneys representing the nieces have filed notice of protest and a local beaker has been named temporary executor with bond fixed at $30,000. Pulls a New One,' Kansas City, Mo.--"Here's reward for that 60 cents when I was down and out," said a brown-eyed stranger tendering a five spot. Mrs. C. M. Mc- Knjgnt didn't recall the Incident, but proffering $2 change. Money and etpu^, dlsa#$wjwl 99 an alk?. ~ j ~~ „ i> Am boy.--Purchase of motor-driven fire-fighting apparatus to replace the old equipment of the local department Is contemplated by the city authorities. Aledq.--Howard (VHara and James ("Sonny") Giolin, under indictment at Rock Island for the murder of Sheriff Wigers escaped from a Jail at Galva near here. East Molina.--Application has been made by East Moline citizens for 265 city lots to be used as home gardens this summer. One who subdivision of 20 acres has been taken. Rock Island;--It will be necessary to appoint a special prosecuting attorney to handle the work of the May term of court owing to the appoint ment of Floyd E. Thompson as judge. Chicago.--Thirt^ group leaders have been selected, It was announced form the foreign language cabinet of the Seventh federal reserve district In the coming whirlwind campaign to sell Victory Liberty loan notes. Aurora.--An inspector of public welfare will supplant the policewoman here, If an ordinance now before the city council is adopted. The inspector will be a woman and will have power to Investigate all matters of public morals. Freeport. --- Home-made whisky, which they are said to have drunk, is believed to have caused the death of Mrs. Lulu Ruthe, twenty-flve; lkfrs. Blanche Soliday, thirty-three, and Adelbert Gelbralth. forty-six, all this city. Chicago.--Navigation on Lake Michigan opened on April 15. the earliest In many seasons, as result of the mild winter and warm spring. Reports from the Straits of Mackinac and the Soo state that they are both practice ly free of Ice. Washington, D. Cr--Conciliator Fred L. Felck was assigned by the depart' ment of labor to adjust a strike at the American Steel Wire company's plant at DeKalb. The workmen charged that the company has acted arbitrarily In reducing the men's pay without notice, and report that half the plant la shut down. The situAtlon is conshlered serious, It was stated. Springfield.--Charging that coal operators gave false reports about the salaries of miners to prevent sentiment that might result in an increase in wages, subdistrict No. 4, U. M. W. A., in session at Virden, adopted a re» olution condemning the coal officials and declaring that "through these statements they have the public believing that the miners are well fixed nancially and not entitled to an ad* vance In wages." Chicago.--Four bank robbers were found guilty by a jury before Judge Guerln In the criminal court here on charges of robbery with Intent to kill. They face sentences of from one year to life in the penltepttfffy^ The me# were charged with holding up the Summit State banlk in Summit December 28, when they obtained $6,566.8tf and Liberty bonds (totaling $5,400, They are Clarence Collins, John Cherry, Harry Wagner and Michael O'Conr, nor. ' Springfield. -- Homeward bound! This Is the word that comes from members of the Thirty-third division In France to relatives here. The divl' stem's personnel is mostly Ulinoisans. The information states the division, stationed at Luxembourg, has already turned its face toward America and la on its way to a port of embarkation ia France. They are expected to sail some time in May, arriving in the United States probably by the first of June. Springfield.--A new record for Illinois for the number of men taking examinations for mine examiners, mine managers nnd hoisting engineers, was established the past week, when 218 men wrote the test held under the di rection of Joseph C. Thompson, director of mines nnd minerals. Of the total number writing the test, 100 registered for mine examiner, 54 for mine manager, 12 for mine manager of the second class and 43 for hoisting engineer. Champaign.--In the first telegraphic swimming meet held in the Big Ten conference, Illinois' 'varsity swimming team won from Iowa 39 to 20. The Dlinl swimmers took first in all eventit with the exception of the 100 and 200i** 1 yard swims. The result of each event- I was telegraphed to the two team* competing and standings made from the summaries sent over the wire. Th0 meet was slow, with no record-breaking time made in any of the events. A^ mass swimming meet in which over, fifty swimmers competed was held fti connection with the 'varsity competition, which Illinois won also. Waterloo.--One of the Jurors who recently convicted Dr. Leory Bundy of conspiracy to murder in connection with tlfe East St. Louis race riots in 1017 liOn beeu declared insane. Arguments afre being made by Bundy's' attorneys ivow to have the verdict set aside. < Chicago. -- Two thousand editors from thie §*e states ht Seventh Federal Reserve district met in Chicago last week to plan the Victory Liberty loan campaign. From Illinois there were 400; from Indiana, 400; from Iowa, 300; from Michigan 400 and fAim Wisconsin, 300. Prit>ceton.--Two crippled stags are all thht remain of one of the finest herds of deer in the W est. The John Kitterman herd, near here, at one time was composed of 49 head, but hunters have killed some, others have been killed by dogs, and now only a pair of crippled stags remain. Belvidere.--What Is believed the Severest penalty imposed in this state tor Illicit liquor traffic has been given to Frank Barney for his third offense. He was sentenced to four years and, two months In jail and fined $5,000. The fine, if served out, would call for j i,30u days' labor on roatfs or streou. ^Almost Officer placed ir<?Wd on an Adams street home, directly jpnder the house number. ^ • 1 ' • " Two youngsters on their way home from school stopped ' to try to read the card. "What.,doe® it. pay tP asked one. ' After a dose scrutiny the other replied : •It says *3438 Measles.'" - "My sakes," said the first speaker. "I knew you had to have a card on the house, but I didn't know you ha<J to tell how marly spots there "were 6n you."---Chicago Journal Cutieura Comforts Baby's Skin When red. rough and Itching with hot baths of Cutieura Soap and touches 6t Cutieura Ointment Also make use now and then of that exquisitely scented dusting powder, Cutieura Talcum, one of the indispensable Cutieura Toilet Trio.--Adv. Pre-War Days. It i« altogether a good sign that we seem to be making so great a catchword of "pre-war," says London Dally News. Whenever It Is desired to say that anything Is going on well or comfortably, or easily, if an enters talnment is brilliant or a sale successful, It Is described at once as "quite op to pre-war standard." And yet are we not supposed to have entered on a new deal in which post-war will be a much greater thing than fire-war? •til Important to WoUisn' Iwamlne carefully every bottle of CAST()RIA, that famous old remedy for infants and children, and see that it Bears the Signature of In Use tor Over 30 Years. Children Cry for Fletcher's Castoria Starch Prom Decayed Potatoes. The department of agriculture in Its war-time experiments has discovered that starch can be made from a decayed potato just as well, if not better, than from a good one. The surplus stock of the farmer or dealer need no longer be thrown away or wasted. It din be turned to good account at onCe. Occasionally a man knows a ^ood thing when he sees it but most men tlis gnat seta* «f Sifteditfr risM aai I. *./* s ma fuhree ' Dimes as Oast *fyour *"tUhole \ttouse I, Qrom cJrj)cneaeis ier SJ health ful heat for the entire house, from one register -- bo pipes, no bulky cold air returns; no floors or walls to be torn up. These are but a few of the advantages offered by the Quaker Steel Pipeless Furnace. The ^principle upon which the Quaker operates is simply yet it ia positive and efficient the! ates a to the which is ffllMl- by a constant supply el cool air from tfca roemaafcevBi This air tekasAsli drifted, inaistHMV and seat'Jfaix through the -'MM*. ThcK a 1 miirhiiawfr PIPELESS FURNACE £Li£°L nstnictioT1 5^ Quaker differs from all cither npelen Furnaces in that the furnace itself is of steeL This fc ^rfu! improvement over the cast iron n»mi 't^ion -- RTYTatiga STEEL RADIATES HEAT THREE TIMES AS FAST--heott k supplies three times the heat for the same or less amount of fuel. Aa tnere are no joints and as gas cannot penetrate steel there be to teuage of gas, dust or soot The Quakejr is titan (me net -oaH- a better heater but a more healthful one. Stetl Pftetess furnace has many other «.i • 1,1 < know about. If there ia no dealer near yon write to oi m«i m -in ,1 fan iaforrny^andteU rou where you can s«7c^k«^Wrt» tSwT -- ft" DsptS. TfHE QUAKER MANUFACTURING CO. 140 N. Dearborn Si. .cncAGo •signified to recognize it. ®TcQ rhat'a the matter *am. Ne _ "Wormy." that's ... _ and Intestinal worma. Nearly a* bad aa diatemper you too much to feed 'em. Look bad--an ml rw physic em to death. Sfohi'i Coaqpawae' will • worms. Improve the appetite, and to&e 'am as rail and don't "physic" Arts on fflanSa aHe iHSSZ directions with each bottle, and aol« fe? *11 drafNtfata SPOHl* HBDICAL CO.. GmIm, lai. ft. 4. Middle Aged Womeiv Are Here Told the Best Remedy for Their Troubles. Freemont, o.--"I was passing through the critical period of life, being forty-six years of age and had all she symptoms incident to that change --- heat flashes, nervonaneaa, and waa in a general run down condition, * eo it waa hard for me to do my work. Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound was reoosunended to me as tiie best remedv for my troubles,which it surely proved to be. I feel better and stronger in every way alnee taking it, and the annoying aymptoms nave disapgeared.'*-- Mta. If. GoD«Msr9tt Kapoleoa St, Fremont, North Haven, Conn' 'Lydla E. Pinkham*s Vegetable Compound restored my health after everything else had failed whan passing through change of life. There ia nothing like it to overcome the tryingsymptoma." fUMUuraa Imwxa,Bq» m. NorthHaven, Cons. W Hf4 •m IYDIA E. PINKHAM'S VEGETABLE has tkt qreate*t record for tke fMatesjt f®odj LYMA E.P1NKNAM MCMCIMC CO. lyiHI.ICAn. Abbreviating Names. The pioneers give up beautiful rames and the postal authorities abbreviate them.--San Francisco Chronicle. u It takes a barrel of dough to make> a homely poor girl a pretty rich one, A signal failure has wrecked many a train of thought. W. N. U., CHICAGO,.NO. j" It is better late than never; the man who buys a summer suit lip'; March is rather early than late. •"V »1 , Put a little alum on the end of your, tongue and you will have the reason why alum baking §Jt)pvil4» not be used in food. -• y-f Li-1 W*- «% V-'-i r*: England and France Uprbid the sale of baking powder containing alum. You c^n tell whether baking powder contams aiuiB by reading tbe label. ROYAL Baklag Powder Absolutely Purg 'A. RoyU Contains Wo Alum-- Leaves No Bitter Taste fife ; >k • 1 •* fMrskS&lMi- ;2Hv»- O