THE FULTON COUNTY NEWS. McCOHOTSLLSBDBO, PA.
UNITED STATES
PRESIDENT SEES
D
Tiie Stamp Collector
U-Boat Warfare for Year Not
So Successful.
Urges the Farmer to Make Sac
rifices for the Nation.
SEIZED 107 TEUTON BOATS
CULMINATING CRISIS HERE
HAS LOST 69 SHIPS
THE WAR'S END
or fl-TRllI s'l
&7 .... - ipbMh
infer1
1 tkiiiMiii-tiki i mops giturilliig tlic sttitc hunk III Pctrograd after It had been
Heavy French guns of u new type mounted on nrmoreil curs. 3 The "kindly",
the Russian soldiers they caiitnre.
HEWS REVIEW OF
THE PAST WEEK
Germans Threaten Quick Attack
When the Russian Delegates
Reject Peace Terms.
DEMAND BALTIC PROVINCES
Proletariat of Austria-Hungary on
Eve of a Revolt Turks Lose Two
Big Cruisers Secretary Bak
er's Management Hotly
Criticized by Senator
Chamberlain.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD.
Encouraged by the growing strength
Of the Fatherland party, the pan-Ger-OiaiiK'hnve
thrown aside (he mask tin y
liave worn In their dealings with the
Itussluns und shown th-ir true face.
At the last meeting of the delegates
lit Itrest-Lltovsk before adjournment
1 xto January 121, General llofl'man told
the bolshevlkl frankly that Germany
must have Courland ami all the Baltic
provinces, and that If Itussla did not
consent the German armies would
move at once ami within a week would
occupy Kevul. When asked about the
territory south of r.rest-I.ltovsk, Hoff
man replied that Germany would set;
lie that only with the Ukrainians. The
request of the Russians for a recess
that they might consult on the Ger
man terms was grudgingly granted
with the assertion that no further post
ponements would be allowed.
The Russian delegates thereupon
,oted unanimously to reject the Ger
man terms and departed for Petrograd
to submit the question of pence or war
to the congress of soldiers' and work
men's delegates, with which the final
decision rests.
Tint the Germans are able to carry
eut their threats against Russia there
can he little doubt. The holshevlkl
leaders realize their helplessness and
have Issued "to all" an olllcial wnil
telling how they have been deceived
and how monstrous are the demands
of the Germans. In I'etrograd and
Moscow the holshevlkl lire si niggling
to maintain their power, pulling In Jail
large numbers of their opponents on
charges of plotting a counter-revolution,
and taking any other coercive
Ftcps that promise to help them. If
they can prevent it. they do not Intend
that their principles of "self-definition"
and personal liberty shall apply at
home. They promptly dissolved the
constituent assembly because they
could not control Its deliberations.
So loud has become the popular out
cry against the rule of the holshevlkl
and so great the disorder In Itussla
that German parliamentary leaders are
Seriously questioning whether It Is
-1ro for the central powers to nego
tiate further with n government that
may he swept away any day.
The Ukrainians, according to late
dispatches, are proceeding amicably In
their negotiations with Germany and
Austria and are about ready to sign n
separate peace.
r
Japan, which holds Itself responsi
ble for the preservation of pence In
the far East. Is ready to take radical
Steps to put an end to the Increasing
disorders In Siberia, according to Pre
mier Tnrauehl who addressed the open
ing session of the Japanese diet. lie
reiterated his country's absolute loy
alty und fidelity to the allies ami Its
determination not to sheathe the sword
until an honorable peace Is secured.
In' Finland (here Is growing disord
er and the socialist red guards anil
government militia have fought sev
nru! considerable battles, notably at
A'lborg and Davldstad. The red guards
are aided by Russian soldiers while
tin peasants are supporting the gov
ernment forces.
Tho Austro-Ilungarlan government
lias been treading on thtn Ice for two
weeks. A great peace-demand wave
Bv4pt over the nation and more than
a million workers went on strike, the
war Industries being absolutely para-
HS CONFIDENCE IN AMERICA
Roumanian Statesman Satisfied His
' Country Will Receive Proper Con
sideration at Peace Conference.
Tuke Jonescu, one of the lending
...... ,,,,n f Ttoiimiinln nnd vice nres-
i.i-nt of the council of ministers, !
whose resignation from the cabinet
King Ferdinand recently declined to
.accept, talked with the Associated
Tress abont what that country would
expect as a condition of peace.
lyzed. Tho government was forced to
accept the socialists' demands as to
food, communal woman suffrage and
noninllltarisiii of war Industries, and
thereupon most of the strikers return
ed to their work. The trouble was
only partly allayed, however, and the
radicals made further demands and re
Iterated their call for u general pence
by understanding.
The Austrian masses are determined
that at least peace shall be made with
Russia, and If this Is not done their
words and nctlons betoken a revolu
tion that will remove the dual mon
archy from the alliance of the central
powers. Germany Is awake to the
danger of this defection and the mili
tarists there are manifesting great Irri
tation toward Austria because they
think Emperor Charles and Ids govern
ment have fostered 'democratic Inter
nationalism. The troubles of Emperor Charles'
realm are nggrnvated by the attitude
of r.ohemla. At n great meeting In
I'rague a resolution was adopted de
manding Independence for Bohemia.
Hungary, also. Is doing Its bit In the
general upheaval, having absolutely re
fused to give cereals to either Austria
or Germany. The Roumanian -stocks
of grain nr exhausted and the food
situation In Austria Is most acute.
to
The reasonable peace advocates In
Germany have not by any means sur
rendered to the Increasingly arrogant
jpm,.orinnns, and have been hoidip
meetings in Cologne and elsewhere,
II (111 the
radical socialists are keeping i
no the fight with vigor. There is no
doubt that the proletariat of both Ger
many and Austria has been Immensely
heartened and Inspired by the propa
ganda of the P.usslan holshevlkl spread
byi'ticans of the fraternization of sol
diers on the cast front.
4
All this sounds good, but It would be
foolish to base upon It any strong
hopes of an early pence with victory
for the allies. The German army prob
ably was never before so strong as
now, and If tho Indications tuny he
trusted, the long expected offensive on
the west front may be under way be
fore this review Is In the hands of
readers. All last week there was In
tense artillery action in France and
Flanders, with numerous "feeling out"
raids and much activity by the air
forces, ftrenf concentrations of troops
at several points continued and it
seemed evident the kaiser was about
ready to strike. French military ex
ports believed the Germans would at
tack the I'.rltlsh lines In Flanders and
also the French in the region of Nancy.
It wns In the hitter sector that the
raid wns made on American troops.
Whether Pershing's men still are help
ing hold the line there has not been
revealed.
n
Having lost to the French some Im
portant positions on Monte Tombn. the
Teutons In Italy were compelled to
evacuate considerable territory wet
of the Plnve river, moving back to
Monte Splnoncla. They seem to have
given up hope of forcing the passage
to the plains along the west bank of
the Plnve and are constructing de
fenses In the rear.
On the sen the Turks suffered n con
siderable disaster In the loss of the
cruisers Medullu and Sultan Sellm.
formerly the P.reslau and Goeben.
These vessels emerged from th" Dar
danelles to attack certain British mon
itors, but were seen and at once en-
gaged by British destroyers and driven
into mine fields. The Bresluu was
blown up nnd sunt- and tic Goeben.
badly damaged, wns run aground nt
Nagara point, where for several days
and nights It was subjected to bomb-
Ing by British air craft and rendered
useless. The British lost two moni
tors. Th" number of British vessels sunk
by submarines In th" week was given
as only six large and two small ships.
In Its efforts to supply tonnage to
meet tho submarine depradallons, the
United Slates scored a point by get
ting a large number of vessels from
neutral nations, especially Sweden, for
use In American coastal triifllc. This
brought forth n howl of "unneutrnllty'
from Germany, coupled with n threat
to sink nil such vessels thnt Its sub
marines could reach.
H
Belgium made a dignified reply to
the pope's pence note, stating "that Its
As to the future course of Rnunin
nla, M. Jonescu declared the Hounm
nlan people would remain faithful to
the entente allies until tho end, "what
ever that end may be."
He added : "The consequences to the
entente allies of the failure of Russia
hnve been enormous, but to Roumnnln
the results of thnt fuilure hnve been
almost tragical.
"The union of Roumunlnn provinces
now under the domlnntlon of Austria
Hungary that nation so guilty of the
provocation of the war with frea
seized liy their government. -
wuy In which the Germans treat
terms of peace, so far as they concern
Belgium Itself, arc absolute political,
economic and territorial Independence
equitable reparation und guaranties
for the future.
Pi
The British labor party In conven
tion at Nottingham declared Its posi
tion In the matter of war jmd peace.
A resolution wns adopted welcoming
ami Indorsing the statements of Prem
ier Lloyd (ieorge and President Wilson
and calling on the central powers to
formulate their war alms nt the ear
liest possible moment. Speakers gave
high praise to Mr. Wilson's statement,
and It was made clear that the party
would not stand for peace negotiation
with Germany while she holds the tw
litorles she has seized.
Hi
Fuel Administrator Garfield's Indus
trial shut-down was far from beiug
wholly successful In relieving the coal
shortage and railway tie-up. For this
the plan was not entirely to blame,
for heavy snows In the eastern part
of the country Intervened to prevent
the free movement of coal trains.
Consequently Mr. McAdoh was con
strained to declare an embargo on
three of the largest coal carrying roads
of the East, forbidding the transporta
tion of any freight save fuel, munitions
and foodstuffs. The situation, espe
cially on the Atlantic seaboard, still Is
most serious.
-bipartisan
politics reared Its ugly
head In congress last week and en-
fred Into the discussion of the con-
duct of the war. So far' It has done
little harm, and perhaps It cannot be
kept down In an election year. Sena
tors Penrose nnd Stone were the chief
offenders, the former attacking the ad
ministration nnd the latter having the
effrontery considering his own record
to assail the patriotism of Colonel
Roosevelt.
Interest In the doings of congress
centered on the Chamberlain bill for n
war cabinet, the Introduction of which
was perhaps hastened, though not
caused, by the Investigation of Secre
tary linker's department. The presi
dent had forcefully, even angrily de
clared his opposition to the measure
und his absolute confidence In Mr.
linker's ability und efllelency, nnd the
defeat of the bill was predicted, al
though It had tho support of many sen
ators of both parties.
Mr. Wilson In n public statement ac
cused Senator Chamberlain of making
"an astonishing nnd absolutely unjus
tifiable distortion of the truth" in a
New York speech, in which the Ore
gon senator told of the failures of the
war department. In replying to this
In the senate, Mr. Chamberlain reiter
ated his charges and undertook to
prove them by citations from the In
vestigation by tho senate committee.
The senator scored the war depart
ment unmercifully, and produced docu
mentary proof that Secretary Baker.
when before the senate committee, was
Ignorant of the actual conditions In the
matter i supplies to -the army camps.
"The president," he said, "did not
know tlf) truth, and I did. lie must
have got his facts from his distinguish
ed secretary of war and he In turn got
them from somebody else, and If those
who furnished the evidence knew the
facts, they lied."
In the course of his speech Mr.
Chamberlain rend n heartbreaking let
ter from a father telling of the death
of his son In an army camp under most
astounding conditions of neglect. Af
forward Secretary Baker said of this
that It was not a singular case, that
there had been several such due to the
link of nurses, and that each one had
been rigidly Investigated.
The hot discussion over the inefii-
' elcncy
of our war preparations con
tinues unabated and Is reaching tin
stage wher-' it becomes personal und
vicious. The thlck'-and-tbin support
ers of the administration declare the.
critics of some of Its nets are border
ing on treachery because, they give
comfort to the enemy, while those who
criticize nssert thnt only by letting tin
public know the faults that are being
committed can those faults he correct
ed. Their course, they hold. Is dic
tated by the purest patriotism.
!KS-
Genornl Tasker If. Bliss, chief of
staff, has arrived in Paris to represent
the American nrmy In the supreme
war council. It Is believed he will urge
that the nllles renew offensive opera
tlons on n lnrge scule.
Roumnnln Is one of the elementnry
conditions of a Just nnd lasting pence.
Great Britain, France nnd Ituly ore
pledged to restore these provinces to
Roumanla.
"I udmlre too much, also, the moral
greatness of the American soul, not
to know that the American peopVe ar
bound to us by the most sucrcu ties.
nnd that their high sense of Justice
nnd duty will prompt them to rnls
their powerful voice In behalf of out
little kingdom at that conference oi
The President Telle The Farmers The
United States Was Forced Into
The War To Preserve Its
National Life.
Wasington. The result of the Eu
ropean War will be determined during
the coming year in the opinion of
Pjegiden-t Witaon. He made tills plain
In a letter sent to the Farmers' Con
ference now In progress at Utbana,
111., when he told them: "You will re-
tllze, as I think statesmen on both
ides of the water realize, that the
culminating crisis of the struggle has
come and that the achievements of
the year on one side or the other must
determine the Itutue."
The President had been so deeply
interested In the viewpoint of the
American farmer on the war that he
bad planned personalty to visit the
conference to deliver his message In
person. For two days a special train
dad been held In the local railroad
yards to" make the trip. At the last
moment, however, It was decided that
the Inclement weather made it unwise
for 'him to cttempt the trip, in view
of the fact that he was suffering with
a severe cold. The letfer, in part, was
as follows:
President Wilson's Letter.
I am very sorry, Indeed, that I can-
aot be presen in person at the Ur
nana conference. I should like to en
oy the Benefits of the Inspiration nnd
rxchange of counsel which I know I
should obtain, but In the circum
itances It has seemed Impossible for
me to be present, and therefore I can
anly send you a very earnest message
expressing my intereH and the
thoughts which such a conference
aiust bring prominently into every
mind.
'I need not tell you, for I am sure
you realize as keenly as I do. that we
are as a nation in the presence of a
great past, which demands .supreme
sacrifice and endeavor of every one
of ns. We can give everything that is
needed with the greater willingness,
and even satisfaction, because the ob
ject of the war in which we are en
gaged Is the greatest that free men
have ever undertaken.
it Is to prevent the life of the world
from being determined anij the for
tunes of men everywhere affected by
small groups of military masters of the
governments they unhappily, for the
moment, control. You will not need
to be convinced that it was necessary
for us, ns a fiee people, 10 take a part
In this war. It had raised its evil
hand agnlnst us.
"The rulers of Germany had sought
to exercise their power in such a way
as to shut off our economic life with
in the Western Hemisphere, while
they accomplished purposes which
would have permanently impaired
and impeded every process of our na
tional life and have put the fortunes
of America at the mercy of the Im
perial Government of Germany.
"This wns nn thrprtt lr hurl hr-
come a reality. Their rV.ind of vl
lence had been laid upon our own
people and our own property in
flagrant violation not only of justice,
but of the well-recognized and long
standing covenants of International
law nnd treaty. We are fighting,
therefore, as truly for the liberty and
self-government of the United States
as if the war of our own Revolution
had to be fought over nga'in, and every
man in every business in the United
States must know by this time that
his whole future fortune lies in the
balance.
"Our national life nnd our whole
economic dev'opment will pass un
der the sinister influences of foreign
control If we do not win. We must
win, therefore, and we shall win. I
need not ask you to pledge your lives
and fortunes with those of the rest
of the nation to the accomplishment
of that great end.
"You will realize, as I think states
men on both sides of the watei re
alize, that the culminating crisis of
the struggle has come and that the
achievements of this year on 'the one
side or the other must determine the
Issue. It has turned out that the
forces that fight for freedom, the free
dom of men all over the world as well
as our own, depend upon us in an
extraordinary and unexpected degree
for sustenance, for the supply of the
materials by which men are to live
and to fight, and it will' bo our glory
when the war is over that we have
supplied those materials and supplied
them abundantly, and it will be ail
the more glory because In supplying
them we 'have made our supreme ef
fort and sacrifice."
WASHINGTON.
Secretary Daniels announced after
his appearance before the House
Naval Committee that the' Navy De
partment has let a contract to Henry
Ford for scores of a new type of
anti-submarine craft developed by the
Navy.
To the farmers of the United States
President Wilson sent a message in
Which "iie called attention to the coun
try's need of their assistance
To determine tea standards for the
coming year. Secretary McAdoo ap
pointed a board of seven experts to
meet in New. York, February 11, and
examine samples submitted by im
porters. The House Immigration Committee
tabled the Rankin bill, to grant to
American women married to foreign
ers the right to retain their citizenship.
SA1IES DIE IN
DESPERATE FIGHT
Two
Killed and Four Others
Wounded in Raid.
GERMANS ALSO SUFFER LOSS
One Sammy Reports Dropping Two
With His Automatic Rifle Re
cent Casualties Occurred In
Same Section.
American Army In France. Amer
ica's fighting forces suffered more
casualties through n German raid.
Two American soldiers were killed,
lour were wounded, one seriously, and
one was taken prisoner by the enemy
in a sortie against a t-wall American
salient.
The Americans battled heroically
against supeiior odds. There was evi
dence of bloody fighting In the small
corner of the line on which the enemy
swooped.
A heavy, le w lying mist aided the
Germans. Taking advantage of it the
enemy suddenly put up an intense bar
rage fire over n small salient ami
listening post manned by American
fighting mm.
The German rain of high explosives
destroyed the -communication wire by
which the listening post and salient
might have summoned help. The mist
effectually hid rockets ' which the
Americans sent up. The Sammies had
to fight without aid of a counter
barrage from their own guns, because
of this lack of communication.
That they fought valiantly was
amply shown In the blood and disorder
in the little notch they held. The
Americans didn't have a chance to
win against the vastly superior force
of German raiders, who swooped down
on them and who did not have to pene
trate any barrage protecting the
salient.
The enemy barrage, it was shown,
began very suddenly after a night and
dawn of comparative quiet. There
had been only the customary desul
tory reciprocal artillerylng.
American patrols who had been out
on reconnoisances over No Man's
Land had ail relumed with the advent
of daylight.
Most of t lie shells that came In the
deluge of hoc lie fire were heavy seventy-sevens.
They were directed
around a little trench salient held
by the Americans which sticks out
like a pcik toward the German lines.
A listening post, lorming a further
extension of the salient, was Included
in the enemy zone of Are.
The whole salient was manned by
a platoon of American troops 275
men.
How much the Germans suffered in
their raid was not known. Following
custom, the raiders took away their
own dead snd wounded. From, the
condition or the bit of the silent
which they entered, however, it is cer
tain there was a fierce struggle.
THE SUBMARINES' TOLL,
Nine British Ships Of Over 1,600
Tons Sent To Bottom.
London. An increase in British
shipping losses is shown in the official
summary which reports the destruc
tion of nine vessels of more than 1,600
tons and six of lesser tonnage.
The official statement follows:
Arrivals, 2,t!.r.2; salings, 2,30!).
British merchantmen, l.CaO tons or
over, sunk by mine or Bubmurine, nine;
under l.tiOO tons, six; fishing vessels,
one
British merchantmen unsuccessfully
attacked, eight.
ACCEPTS WILSON'S STAND.
Buenos Aires Newspaper Approves
Letter On American Aims.
Buenos Aires. "What President
Wilson says constitutes (lie same base
as we ourselves had Conceived In re
gard to the action and spirit of the
United States," La Naclon, a leading
Buenos Aires newspaper, declared dis
cussing President Wilson's letter on
America's alms.
GENERAL WOOD IN HOSPITAL.
Wound From Bursting Gun, However,
Not Thought Serious.
PaVls. Brief details of the wound
ing of Maj.-Gen. Leonard Wood, of
the United States Army, while on a
visit to tho French front have been
received. General Wood was hit by a
fragment of a gun which burst while
being tested. His injuries, which are
confined to the left arm, are not con
sidered serious, but he was brought
to a hospital here.
16 TEUTON LINERS
LAND I S. TROOPS
Huge Vaterland, Now Leviathan,
Used as Transport
MEN AND SUPPLIES SAFE
Seized Vessels In U. S-, Service Ten
Months Earlier Than Expected;
German Crews Broke
t
Engines.
A French City. The pride of Ger
many's and Austria's great merchant
fleets have brought thousands of Ainer
leun troops to Europe to fight the bat
tle of democracy.
Permission was granted for the an
nouncement to Americans that 18 for
mer German and Austrian merchant
steamships have arrived in Europe,
bringing gnat numbers of American
soldiers, and that th.-ir holds carried
thousands of tons of supplies.
The 18 included the great liner Le
viathan, the biggest ship in the world,
formerly the Vaieiiand, of the Ham-bv.rg-American
Line.
Others In the fleet or transports were
the Covington, Cincinnati. President
Lincoln, President Grant, Powhattan,
Madewaska, all of which were seized
by the United States at the outbreak
of the war, and former North German-Lloyd
steamships George Wash
ington, Mount Vernon, Agamemnon,
Aetolus, Mercury, Pocahontas, Huron,
Antigone nnd America hnve all ar
rived. All had uneventful passage.
Everyone of these transports has
reached a European port 10 months
earlier than their former German
crews anticipated wheri they smashed
the machinery aboard each liner.
Announcement may also now be
nmde that the steamships Baron Von
Steuben and Haron he Kalb are now
actively engaged In service.
A half-million tons of shipping, for
merly property of the enemy. Is now
capable of being utilized by the
United States and the Allies.
Washington. The heart of America
was thrilled with the news that the
greatest armada In her history six
teen huge transports had arrived
safely at a French port with thousands
of officers, soldiers and supplies.
The great transports left American
ports during the last two weeks. The
vessels delivered their precious cargo
on European soil untouched by spies
and unobserved by the watchful eyes
on submarines.
Protecting them on their voyage
were American men-of-war fleet gray
monsters, whp swept through the
waves grim warning that their trans
port charges were to be delivered un
harmed. Aboard the transports were thou
sands of young men ofllcers for train
ing, Sammies for service, doctors,
nurses and skilled worknun. From
all parts of the country they had been
secretly assembled at different em
barking points along the seaboard.
After the grcnt vessels (joked their
noses out of port the curtain of cen
sorship dropped down over' their voy
age. Whether they all met at sea,
forming one great movement, the
War Department will not reveal.
The maneuvering of transports
which already have landed nearly a
half-million or America's fighting
forces in France without loss is suf
ficient unto itself, the Navy believes.
Announcement of tho arrival of
many transports and thousands of
American troops in Europe inaugu
rates a new policy of co-operation
between the censors in this country
and abroad.
SELLS FIFTEEN TONS OF SUGAR.
Food Administartor Seizes Hoardings
Of East Side Bookseller.
New York. Fifteen tons of sugnr,
which Pincus Friedmnn, an East Side
bookseller was accused of hoarding,
was sold by the Federal Food Admin
istration to hospitals, charitable In
stitutions and some 500 retail grocers,
at 9 cents a pound. Friedman, who is
under $2,500 bail, is alleged to have
obtained the sugar from New Orleans.
GOV. EDGE SIGNS DRY BILLS.
Action Puts 3,000 Saloons Out 0' Busi
ness In New Jersey.
Trenton, N. J. Governor Edge, In
the presence of leaders and members
of the legislature, state ofllcers and
temperance advocates, signed the
Mackay and Wells local option bills.
It Is estimated that through the local
option regulations, which many of the
cltles'and towns of the state will now
have, about 3,000 saloons will be put
out of business in New Jersey.
Net Gafn Of 515,433 Gross Tons For?
This Country More Than
300 Lives Sacrificed.
New York. In the 12 month of
unrestricted warfare launched against
American and Allied shipping by Ger
many one year ago Friday, there have
been sunk by submarines, mines and
raiders 69 American vessels, totaling
171,061 gross tons, according to a care
ful compilation of records of sinkings
which have been made public during
the period.
Offsetting this loss of American ves
sels, most of which were sailing ships,
the United States since February 1,
1917, has added to ber merchant mar
rlne by the seizure of former German
and Austrian owned ships a total of
107 vessels, having a gross tonnage
of 686,494, leaving on the credit side
of the American ledger In the account
with the Central Powers a net gala
of 515,432 gross tons. The loss of
life caused by the sinking of the 69
American ships was more than 300
persons, -wever.
The percentage of sinkings of Amer
ican ships compared with the number
of vessels which have sailed through!
the war zone successfully Is wnall.
Records of the Department of Com
merce show that for the period be
ginning with February 1, 1917, and
ending with December 1, there were
cleared from American ports in the
foreign trade ships aggregating 17,
7:;S,'ji0 net tons, or approximately 24,
M4,Hi" gross tons. The number of
ships making up the total of tons was
not made public by the dopartmenf.
Further offsetting the loss of ton
nage occasioned by the submarine
warfare, the United States, through
the Shipping Board, requisitioned In
American shipyards 126 vessels, total
ing more than 2,000,000 .gross tons
and contracts have been awarded for
884 ships, a large number of which
arc now under way and are being
rushed to completion.
In addition, the Snipping Board, on
October 15 last, placed under Govern
ment requisition :i'J3 American vessels
of over 2.500 tons deadweight capacity,
Vhich were already afloat and immedf
ately assigned them to the tasJf of
carrying supplies lor the Allies' and
the American forces abroad.
Another difficulty which faced the
United States in the task of putting to
sea vessels to offset the ravages of the
U-boat was the repairing of the "will
ful damage" done to the former Ger
man ships by their officers and crews
before the ships were seized. This
cost millions of dollars and In many
instances called for the highest engi
neering skill to make and replace
parts of foreign-built engines and boil
ers removed or broken.
Indicating that the task has been at
tended by success, the statement was
made by a prominent olllcial connect
ed with the Shipping Board that every
seized vessel was now completely re
paired and In .service. Many of them
have made as many as three and
four round trips through the war zone.
Three of the former German vessels
have been the objects of successful at
tacks by the submarines. The Actaeon,
formerly the Adnmsturn, and the
Owasco, formerly the Allemannla,
were sunk, and the Armenia was hit
hy a torpedo, but was saved after be-
Ins beached. Several other former
German ships have been attacked, but
escaped. '
LITTLE HOPE FOR STORES.
Given Small Encouragement After
Protest To Garfield.
Washington. Retail merchants wTio
came here from many cities of the
Enst and Middle West to protest
agnlnst the government's Monday
ciosinT order received little encour
agement from Fuel Administrator
Garfield.
The Fuel Administrator, it was re
Iterated, will not modify the order
unless he Is shown specific cases In
which there are excellent reasons for
so doing.
TO ENDBLACK RUST DISTRIBUTOR
Appropriation Asked For Eradication
Of Barberry Bush.
Washington. On motion of Repre
sentative Young, of North Dakota, tho
House Included in the Agricultural bill
nn appropriation for eradication of tho
Barberry bush; said to be the distrib
utor of black rust which in' 1916 de
stroyed 180,000,000 bushels of wheat In
tho Dakotas nnd Minnesota. Nation,
wide destruction of the Barberry ,busb
will be planned under the appropria
tion. World War in Brief
Germans raided the American front
line trenches in France, killing two
and wounding four.
The strikes in Germany continue tfl
spread. All Industries In Hamburg
and other leading cities are at a stand
still. It is reported that the Socialist
party leaders have urged the conven
ing of the Reichstag.
There were nine British ships ot
more than 1,600 tons and six of lesser
tonnage destroyed by U-boats the past
week.
British casualties In January totaled
73,107, Including 358 officers, and 13,
698 men died of wounds or killed.
Twenty persons were killed end 50
wounded in an aerial raid on Paris.