fHJE FULTON COUNTY NEWS, McCONNELLSBURO, PA.
i American troous. just arnveu
pianos, with three cars, that ai brought ilowa by French gunfire near Solssons. 3 Friedrlch von Payer, Her
man vice chancellor and leader of the progressive party, who played on Important role In suppressing the great
strikes In the empire.
NEWS REVIEW OF
THE PAST WEEK
President Wilson More Hopeful of
Austrian Peace Than Is
Lloyd George.
AGAIN SETS FORTH DEMANDS
Belshevlkl Perplex the Germane by
Abandoning the War Without Sign.
Ing Treaty Ukraine Makes Sepa
rate Peace All Ready for West
Front Offensive.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD.
President Wilson believes Count
Cxernln meant what he seemed to say
In his recent speech on pence, hi id
still hopes Austria-Hungary may be
separated from Germany and that the
war mny be brought to an end with
out a great deal more of fighting.
Premier Lloyd-George believes thnt
In its real substance the Czernln ad
dress was as uncompromising as that
of Chancellor von HertUng and thnt
the allied war council at Versailles
was right when It declared peace must
be won by force of arms.
In his address to congress on Mon
day Mr. Wilson enunciated the four
cardinal principles to which he said
the enemy must agree before general
peace pourparlers can be begun. Brief
ly, these are:
Ench part of the final settlement
must be based on essential justice to
Insure permnnent peace.
No peoples shall be bartered for the
gain of any sovereignty or to retain
the now discredited "balance of pow
er." Territorial settlements must be for
the benefit of the people and not of
neighboring states.
All well defined national aspirations
must be satisfied.
Until a pence based upon these prin
ciples Is secured, the president assert
ed, America has no choice but to go
n, and will continue Its mobilization
of Its resources until the whole
strength of the nation has been put In
to this war of emancipation. He de
nounced the stand of the Imperial
chancellor, but seemed to Invite Count
Cxernln to lend Austria away from Its
autocratic ally.
Though hailed as a sign of weaken
ing by most of the Teutonic press, the
president's speech Is not so regarded
by his fellow countrymen. Many of
them may believe he Is overoptlmlstlc
concerning Austria, as does Lloyd
George, but they accept at Its face
value his statement of the nation's de
termination not to stop fighting until
the results he demands have been
achieved. They feel no harm enn re
sult from leaving open the door to pos
sible negotiations with any one of the
central powers, provided there Is no
letup In our war preparations because
of the bnre chance that they may not
bo needed.
Premier Lloyd-George's stand In sup
porting the Versailles council and
maintaining secrecy concerning the
plans decided on by It was Indorsed
by parliament, which gave him a vote
of confidence by an overwhelming ma
jority. The German press wnrns Mr. Wilson
again that his efforts to separate Ger
mnny and Austria-Hungary will be fu
tile and culls his references to Ameri
can moblllzutlon mere bluff.
The knlser, It mny be noted, also de
livered a speech, In which he said any
pence must be preceded by an admis
sion of Germati victory.
sa .
The outside world Is not permitted
to know much of whut Is going on In
Austria, but such Information as does
escape the censor really ladicutes thut
President Wilson mny not be fur
astray in his hopes. It Is said Austria
shows Increasing reluctance to sending
her troops to fight against the British
and Americans In France. The Ber
llner Tngeblatt admits that the Inter
nal situation In Austria, Is serious nnd
thnt government "Is no longer possible,
since the Czechs, Jugo-Slnvs and Poles
form an Important majority, against
EAGER TO REPEL GERMANS
Belgian Officer Says Army It Stronger
Than Ever, and Confident of
Ultimate Victory.
Stop pitying "poor, ravnged Bel
glum" for ft moment and listen to
Adjt. Walter J. Meerschnert of the
Ninth Line regiment of King Al
bert's gnllnut and ever-growing army.
lie spoke before the Chicago Asso
ciation of Commerce about the things
.Belgium Is doing today.
in rrauee, uneu up to get their Houp.
which the German parties ore power
less." According to an American correspon
dent In France, the peace program of
Hlndenburg, Ludendorff and the crown
prince, forced on Von Kuehlmann and
the emperor, Includes the extending of
the East Prussian frontier, making an
autonomous protectorate of the llultlc
provinces, dismembering Belgium and
annexing or otherwise controlling the
Brley-Longwy Industrial region of
northern France. The question of
Polund apparently Is left to Austrlu.
M
Meanwhile Trolzky and his bolshe
vik com rudes have handed Germany a
hard nut to crack. Flatly refusing to
sign a peace treaty, they declared the
war with the central powers, so far as
Itussla Is concerned, has ended. They
decline to fight longer against the
workers nnd peasants of Germany nnd
Austria. Simultaneously, the complete
demobilization of the ltusslan armies
was ordered, although It was reported
that this order was Immediately coun
termanded and that the reorganization
of the Bed guard was begun. At first
the people of Germany and Austria
hulled this great "victory" with extrav
agant Joy, but In a few hours they nnd
their governments begun to wonder
what It would avail them. They cannot
obtain treaty recognition for their In
tended annexations on the east front,
nnd they nre far from sure thut It will
be safe to move to the west all or neur
ly all their troops. As the bolshevik
lenders long ago admitted, the Teutons
can easily push a long way into Bus
slu, but what ultimate good will that
do them?
The bolshevlki always have main
tained that they are operating, not for
the benefit of Bussia or any other na
tion, but for the workers and peasants
of all nations, un:l they nre persistently
continuing the spreading of their prop
aganda all over the world. Whatever
may be the real motives of Lenlne,
TtoUky et al, they appear to have the
Prussian autocrats up In the air Just
now.
H
Ukraine, one of the Independent gov
ernments Into which Bussia has split,
has presented a complication that inuy
be more serious for the allied cause
than the quitting of the bolshevlki. It
has signed a separate peace treaty with
the central powers which opens to them
the possibility of obtaining Immense
stores of food from that rich grain
country. However, as pointed out In
these columns some time ago, the trans
portation system of that part of Bus
sis Is so utterly Inadequate that sup
plies can be got out only extremely
slowly, and besides, the crops have
been sadly neglected ever since the war
began. The treaty gave Ukrulne quite
a slice of Poland, which aroused the
Poles to bitter opposition.
s
Germany during the week attempted
to put the screws on Boumnulu, de
manding that It accept peace terms
within 24 hours or suffer the conse
quences. But the Roumanians defied
the knlser, declaring they still hud un
shaken confidence In their allies and
would continue to fight to the finish,
Their armies now occupy all of Bessa
rabia, where they have repeatedly de
feated the bolshevlki troops. It Is be
lieved they were nerved to take this
determined stand by prospects of an
allied offensive in the Balkans which
they might aid by attacking the Bul
garians and Austrlans from the north.
There are Increasing evidences that
such a drive, to cut off Turkey and re
duce Bulgaria, Is contemplated. A new
Boumnnlun cabinet Is headed by Gen
eral Avarescu.
ta
in southern Finland, where the Bed
guards are still holding out against the
government, horrible conditions pre
vail. Murders and all other crimes are
committed openly and the bolshevlki
are running amuck. Sweden still fears
to violate neutrality and send help to
the government. Becent reports from
Stockholm said certain Bed gunrd lead
ers had asked General Maunerhelin to
consider peace negotiations.
-
There Is little to say of the Italian
front except thnt the fighting there was
mainly by the artillery and aviators
and that neither side had any marked
udvuntnge.
r
Seemingly the stage Is set for Ger
many's supreme military effort on the
west front, nnd Field Marshal von
Woyrsch, the Invader of Poland In
'Ttflttrltim'H iirinv In tnrinv four time
ns big as In October, 1014." he said.
"We nre holding twenty-eight tulles of
the line. When the Germans stnrt
their drive we will be in the thick of
It. And nre ready,
"Most of our recruits have come to
us from henenth the electric wire
which Germnny has drawn about Bel
glum. Thousands upon thousands of
them have dared the death penalty to
rally to their king. We are growing
dally. All men up to forty-one years
have been colled out That call has
I One of the new glunt Got ha air-
1013, Is said to have been selected to
lead it Allied aviators report thut the
kaiser has gathered about 2,100,000
men there and that elaborate rehear
sals are going on behind the lines.
Where the blow will fall has not been
revealed, but the commanders of the
allied armies evince no fear that It
cannot be repulsed. They have made
every preparation thnt their skill and
resources permit and ore sitting tight.
All feellng-out movements by the ene
my have been checked and the French,
In their turn, have been making some
strong raids that carried them far In
to the German lines. In every wuy
possible the Germans have been seek
ing to test the strength of the Ameri
can forces, and there ore Indications
that Pershing's men will be In the
thick of the fighting when Hindeuburg
orders the forwurd movement.
It Is believed In London, nnd hoped
by naval men, that Germany plans to
combine a naval drive with her spring
offensive. The kaiser Is supposed to
have a number of "supersubmurlnes"
which have not yet been In operation
nnd which mny then be put to work.
Switzerland Is growing very nerv
ous with fear thnt the kaiser will de
termine to tear up another scrap of
paper and Invade her territory In or
der to attempt to turn the right flank
of the French armies. There huve
been large concentrations of German
troops near the Swiss frontier, and
Teutons In Zurich have openly boast
ed that the conquest of the little re
public would be o matter of but a
few days. It wa said skeleton govern
ments for the cantons already had
been prepared by the authorities in
Berlin.
Just In ense his spring drive doesn't
succeed, as the allies are determined it
shall not, Wllhelin hns been construct
ing most elaborate and extensive sys
tems of defensive works back of hit
present lines all the way from the
North sea to the Swiss frontier.
Vice Admiral Sims went to Borne
last week, presumably to confer re
garding plans to clear the Medlterra
nean of U-boats, which have worked
havoc there with allied shipping for a
long time.
Efforts of the government to recruit
s great army of shipyard workers are
meeting with considerable success, but
the work of building our marine wat
threatened by a prospective strike of
50,000 members of the marine wood
workers' union. They demanded $0.4I
a day Instead of the $4.80 allowed by
the shipping board, and the govern
ment got busy at once to try to settle
the dispute.
Chairman Hurley of the shipping
board sent a telegram to the union
heads warning them that the father
who have sent their sous to war will
not long permit continued Interference
with the shipping program and urging
thnt the workmen continue their labors
and trust to the fairness of the wage
adjustment hoard.
Charges of gross mismanagement
and reckless spending of money In
connection with the new government
shipyard at Hog Island, Pu.. having
been made, the president ordered an
Investigation to determine whether
there hud been any criminal misuse of
funds. Benr Admiral Bowles, generul
manager of the Emergency Fleet cor
poration, said he was confident all ex
penditures ordered by the board would
be vindicated.
s
Beorgnnlzntlon In the wnr depart
ment reached the general staff last
week. It has been restored to Its for
mer power nnd under General March
as acting chief of staff are now five
new members Generals Pierce. Jer
vey and Graves, and Colonel Ketchan.
-pl
owing to good work by Director
General McAdno and his assistants and
milder weather, traffic conditions have
greatly Improved, nnd Fuel Con
troller Garfield felt warranted In re
scinding the order for hentless Mon
days. The railroads are now giving
much attention to the transportation
tt com nnd wheat, for the former
must be marketed and the distribution
of wheat and flour still Is very faulty.
M
Bolo Pasha, the Levantine financier
who conspired to brenk down the
French morale and to bring about a
dishonorable peace and who was
financed by Germany, was found guilty
of high treason and sentenced to death.
"They order those things better In
France," ns Uncle Toby used to sty.
gone Into all the neutral countries.
"And our army Is now self-support
Ing. We have mu and fuctorles In
Eftglnnd and are producing all our am
munition, all our cannon und even our
automobiles."
Adjutant Meerschnert Is Chi
cagonn. '
Dr. Alfred W. WUhart of Grand
Baplds, who returned recently from
many months In the Y. M. C. A. work
told of witnessing the arrival of for
mer German ships loaded with A inert
csn troops.
AMERICAN BATTLE
E
Secretary Baker Announces
First Shipment
FIVC MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME
Peak Of Production Will Be Reached
In Few Weeks First Shipment Is
Not Large, Secretary Of
War Announces.
Washington. The first American-
built battleplanes are en route to
France, nearly five months ahead of
the original schedule.
In making this announcement Sec
retary Baker said the first shipment,
although in Itself not large, "marks
the final overcoming of many difficul
ties in building up this now and in
tricate industry."
Optimistic as these statements ap
pear, the Secretary eald they should
not be exaggerated and should be
considered in the light of these facts:
Vatt Ground Force.
That after three years of warfare
the total, number of planes able to
take the air at any one time on either
side of the western front has not been
more than 2,500.
That 46 men are required on the
ground for every plane in the air,
making a total of 115,000 men needed
for the present maximum of 2,500
planes.
"These planes," Mr. Baker said,
are equipped with the first Liberty
Motors from machine production. One
of them In a recent test surpassed
all records for speed and climbing for
planes of that type. Engine produc
tion, which began a month ago, is
now on a quantity basis and the peak
of production will be reached In a few
weeks. Only the 12-cylinder type is
being made, as developments abroad
have made It wise to concentrate on
the high-powered engine instead or
the eight cyllhder."
That for every plane in the air there
must be two replacement planes on
ihe ground and one training plane for
every pilot who eventually reaches
the front, with a Kpare engine for
each plane.
After reviewing the many obstacles
that had to be overcome In getting the
aircraft production program under
way. Mr. Baker wild the great prob
lem now remaining is to secure the
thousands of skilled mechanics, en
glnemen, motor-iepa'r men, wood and
metal workers, etc., needed to k"?ep
the rlanes In perfect condition and
without which the machines turned
out soon would be useless and the
fliershelplfss.
Life Of Plane Short.
"At best," said the Secretary, "the
life of a plane is but two months and
the engine must be overhauled after
75 hours, while a pilot on) a plane al
lowed to leave the hangars In imper
fect condition Is as helpless as a bird
with a broken wing.
"Now that American battleplanes
are going overseas a great increase In
the volunteering of skilled mechanics
Is both essential and expected."
During the past month, Mr. Baker
said, a responsive channel of com
munication with the Allies has been
opened, the latest types of foreign
machines have been adapted to Amer
ican manufacture, the Industry In
creased at least twenty fold, the train
ing plane problem solved and the pro
duction of battleplanes begun.
American battleplanes were not due
in France under the original sched
ule until July.
NEWSPAPER FOR THE SAMMIES.
Baseball Scores And War Newt To Be
Told Men In France.
Washington. Everything from war
news to baseball scores will be printed
in the "Stars and Stripes," a newspa
per for the Sammies. The paper, prob
ably already out with Its first issue,
will get a 1,400-word dally news report
from the Committee on Public Infor
mation as well as other news and fea
ture articles The paper promises to
be self-supporting, as It has a good
advertising list.
BARS DOWN FOR NEWS PRINT.
War Board Issues Order To Pats
Shipmentt From Canada.
Washington. The War Bourd Issued
a blanket license for all news print
paper to pass from Canada Into the
United States. In response to ap
peals from publishers all over the
country, Chairman McCormlck In
structed all customs agents to pass
print paper automatically.
ATTACKED BY TEN PLANES.
Admiral Simt Reports On Lost Of
Entign Sturtevant.
Washington. Vlce-Adnilrnl Sims
advised the Navy Department that
the American seaplane, in which En
sign Albert Dalton Sturtevant, U. S.
N. B. F., was lost, Is claimed by the
Germans to have been shot down In
flames. Ensign Sturtevant was sec
ond pilot In the machine. "Apparent
ly this machine was attacked by 10
enemy planes," the dispatch states.
"SHERIFFETTES" NOW ON DUTY.
Fifty-Five Around Training Camps
For Protection Of Girls.
Washington. Fifty -five deputy
"shoi-lifoMes" are doing scouting and
patrol work around the training camps
for the protection of young girls. Their
work Is chiefly concerned with girls
who are attracted to the camps by
tbs uniforms, girl residents of towns
nearby who are working around the
camps and girls who arrive to take
Jobs and who are without funds.
PLANES 10 FRANC
TO CALL 500,000 FOR ARMY
The Call Will Not Be Before May 1
And May Be Deferred To A
Later Date,
Second Draft May Be Later To Avoid
Ditturbance To Corn And
Wheat Planting.
Washington. Details of the plan for
calling out the net 500,000 increment
for the National Army have become
known on high official authority.
The call will not be bfeore May 1
and may be deferred to a later date,
in order to leave undisturbed the' farm
labor class during corn and wheat
planting seasons. The detailed plans
for the next quota have received the
approval of the Secretary of War and
will be placed in the hands of Provost
Marshal-General Crowder in a few days.
Directions for handling the men to
be called to the colors In the second
draft will be placed in the hands of
the various local boards throughout
the country In April with definite word
to each board how many men must be
selected week by week and the total
number which must be supplied.
The greatest difference in detail be
tween the first and second calls for
the National Army lies In the per
centages of men to be sent to the
camps and cantonments at various
times. Under the first call definite
percentage of the total number re
quired were sent to camps. The plans
for the second call contemplate send
ing men at the rate of about 10,000
a week if shipping conditions are such
that the men already in the camps and
trained can be moved to France at
that rate, making room for the new
men in the camps and cantonments.
It had been planned to call the sec
ond draft in 16 increments ns accom
modations for their training becomes
available. This was altered in order
to keep the camps as nearly full to
capacity as possible.
The men for the second Increment
will be chosen from among about 250.
000 men those now in Class 1, and
about 1,000,000 youths who have reach
ed the age of 21 years since regis
tration last June. About half the can
didates are expected to pass physically.
The call to succeed the one in May Is
expected to be obtained from Class 1,
and from the boys who have come of
age meanwhile.
The average number to be drawn
from the territory covered by the jur
isdiction of each of tile 4,557 local
boards Is about 110, but the larger
registration of aliens and others not
in Class 1 may make the quota from
each district greater. If legislation
now pending is adopted before the next
call each district will be called for a
definite . percentage of the men In
Class 1 and who have reached 21 years
of age since June 5 last.
COAL TO BE APPORTIONED.
Garfield Divides Consumers Into Four
Clattet And Creates Board.
Washington. A direct method of
preferential coal-distribution to sup
ply first the requirements of consum
ers whose needs nre considered nec
essary in winning the war and to cur
tall consumption by the less essential
industries will be instituted soon by
the Fuel Administration.
Class 2 would include necessary war
Industries; Class 3, necessary peace
industries, and Class 4, the so-called
makers of luxuries.
Preferential distribution would be
enforced by orders to operators to
supply consumers according to classi
fication nnd by co-operative measures
on the part of the Bailroad Admin
istration, which would assist by em
bargoes. The program, outlined tonight by
Fuel Administrator Garfield, calls for
division of all consumers into four
classes and for the creation of a pref
erential board representing the Fuel
Administration, the army and navy
and the Shipping Board to pass on
the Importance of consumers' needs.
Class 1, which would get. coal first,
as contemplated by Dr. Garfield, would
Include consumers put in a prefer
ential list in the Fuel Administra
tion's closing order of January 17.
This list still is receiving preferential
treatment, but there has been no
classification of other consumers. It
includes households, ships, railroads,
public utilities and public institu
tions. The plan furnished the first definite
move to put American Industry on a
strictly war basis. The question of
restricting the operations of the less
essential industries has bothered Gov
ernment officials since the outbreak or
war, but thus far the problem has not
been dealt with directly.
The purpose of the new plan will
be, it wai explained tonight, to disturb
the industrial fabric as little as pos
sible, and many of the Industries en
gaged in producing materials not con
sidered essentia! will be converted
Into munition plants.
DRAFT EVADERS TO PRISON.
Two Given Twenty Years By Camp
Funston Court.
Camp Funston, Kans. George
Veager, of Troy, Kan., convicted here
recently by courtinnrtlal on charges
of evading the draft, was sentenced
to 20 years in the Federal penitentiary
at Leavenworth. Yeager, who Is 23
years old, refused to serve, denounced
the government and boasted that he
was a member of the I. W. W.
$25,000,000 In War Stampt.
Washington. Treasury receipts
from war savings stamps Tuesday
amounted to 12,845,828, bringing the
total for February to $25,134,933, and
the total for the campaign to $59,931,
107. PretenU Hit Credential!.
Washington Augustus Phillips, the
new Minister from The Netherlands,
presented his credentials to President
Wilson.
E
CAN
PLAN
ADOPTED B! ALLIES
Premier Lloyd George Tells
Commons of Decision
FOR CENTRAL AUTHORITY
Wilson Sw Peril To Allied Cause
Determined United State Should
Not Waste Her
Strength.
London. Premier Lloyd-George made
In the House of Commons his eagerly
awaited statement regarding the recent
army changes. He said the Govern
ment was anxious to retain the serv
ices of Gen. Sir. William Bobertson
as chief of staff so long as it wss
compatible with the policy decided
upon in common with Great Britain's
allies.
The Premier said the policy of the
Government was based upon the as
sumption that the Allies had suffered
In the past through lack of concerted
and co-ordinated efforts. It had been
decided to set up a central authority
to co-ordinate the strategy of the
Allies.
Document Most Able.
The Premier asserted that the con
clusions reached were the result of
very powerful representations by the
delegates of other governments, not
ably the American Government.
"I hesitate for some time," said the
Premier In referring to the American
representations, "at whether I should
not read in the House of Commons the
very cogent documents submitted by
the American delegation, which put
the case for the present proposal. It
Is one of the ablest documents ever
submitted to a military conference.
The only reason why 1 do not read
it to the House is that it is mixed up
with the plan of operations."
Represent Great Britain.
The Premier announced that Gen.
Sir Henry Seymour Bawllnson had
been appointed to represent Great Brit
ain ou the supreme council. .
He said the country was faced with
terrible realities. He begged the House
to have done with all controversy,
adding that the Government was en
titled to know whether the House and
the country wished It to proceed with
the policy deliberately arrived at.
Anyone who examines closely the
events of 1916 and 1917, said the Pre
mier, would find plenty of argument
for some change In the machinery In
order to effect a greater concentration
than had hitherto been achieved in the
direction of the Allied Governments
had decided that it was necessary to
set up some central body to co-ordi
nate the strategy of the Allies. At
the last conference at Versailles it was
decided to extend the powers of that
body.
The Premier explained that he was
hampered in discussing . the action
taken at Versailles by a resolution
passed at that conference by the mili
tary representatives and the Govern
ments that it was not desirable to give
any Information regarding the gen
eral plan arrived at.
READY FOR THE HUN DRIVE. .
Allies Prepared To Counter If Ger
many Violates Switt Treaty.
London. The Allies assuredly are
fully alive to the situation detailed by
William Philip Slmms In his dispatch
regarding the possibilities of Hlnden
burg invading Switzerland. If Hinden
burg has completed tentative plans for
Buch a move, the Allies are equally
prepare to counter, as long as they
are convinced it is the German policy
to regard the treaty of 1815 as no
more sacred than the Belgian "scrap
of paper," providing the violation Is
considered strategically advantageous.
There is no doubt that the fullest
cognizance has been taken of the re
cent massing of Germans near the
Swiss border, which, however, must
be regarded as a possible blind to dis
tract attention from the real point of
the projected offensive.
This has been suggested In some
quarters in connection with the recent
trip of General Smuts to Switzerland,
which had been reported to be polit
ical In character, but which, perhaps,
may have been really military.
HITS THE COUNTRY'S SCHOOLS.
Wholesale Resignations Are Due To
Students' Desire To Join Colors.
Washington. Wholesale resigna
tions of students to Join the fighting
forces are seriously impairing the in
comes of the country's colleges and uni
versities. Dr. P. P. Claxton, commis
sioner of education, gave notice that If
many of the institutions were to con
tinue their work financial aid from the
outside would be necessary.
BLAST WRECKS FOUR BUILDINGS.
Three Men Burned In Explosion At
Wayne, New Jersey.
Wayne, N. J. Three men were
slightly burned In explosions which de
stroyed four buildings of the Wayne
Powder Works here. Windows in
towns nearby were broken by the ter
rific force of the explosions. One wet
house, one dry house and two wheel
mills were completely destroyed. 1
ASKS $2.65 WHEAT PRICE.
Thompson Introduces Amendment In
The Senate.
Washington. An amendment to the
Food BUI to fix 1918 wheat at $2.65
a buBhel, instead of $2, as now au
thorized, was introduced by Senator
Thompson and referred to the Agri
culture Committee. Amendments fix
ing the price of $2.60 were introduced
recently by Senator Gore and another
naming $2.75 was presented by Sen
ator McCumber.
CALMLY AWAIT THE HUN DRIVE
With Full Knowledge Of What It
Means, Tommies Are Resolute
And Unafraid.
Officers And Men Feel That German
Offensive Will Mark Turning
Point
British Armies In the Field. With
utter absence of panic or dread, the
British troops are awaiting the shock
of battle. Unlike Hlndenburg's brag-
garts, the British do not pretend they
are longing for carnage. The fight
ers are ready, with Jaws set resolutely,
calm and unafraid.
Not that the troops underestimate
what is coming. On the contrary, every
one is keenly aware of the situation.
It Is unlikely that any army in the
world Individually ever understood
quite so well the importance of an
approaching battle.
First, because Its Intelligence was
never so high.
Second, leaders and men never wr
so thoroughly in each other's confi
dence.
Everyone appears to feel that in all
probability it will be the turning point
of the war; that behind the Kaiser's
bluffing Is a discontented nation of
starvelings; that although Hlndenburg
undoubtedly has put everything he'i
got into this punch he cannot must
not will not win.
Formerly only the generals knew
what a battle was about. Today every
soldier Is wise to the fact that upon
him to some extent depends much
even victory perhaps an early Allied
peace.
Meantime, a strange calm reigns over
parts of the front. Here and there
raids are Increasing; there is a spo
radic cannonading and lay machine
gunning at wide Intervals.
Otherwise the front gives an impres
sion of calm before the storm.
BILLION-DOLLAR BILL PASSES.
House Putt Through Great Urgent
Deficiency Measure.
Washington. The bllllon-dollar
Urgency Deficiency Appropriation,
carrying half a billion for the military,
establishment and large sumf, for the
navy and other branches of the Gov
ernment, was passed by the House
without a record vote.
In direct appropriations and in au
thorizations lor obligations during the
remainder of this fiscal year the total
of the measures is $?,! 07,220,000.
TWO-CENT COINS NOW ASKED.
Medium Recommended To Meet
Change In Newspaper Price.
Washington. fiecommendatlon that
the Treasury resume minting of two
cent coins has been made by the execu
tive committee of the American News
paper Publishers' Association in fis
sion here.
The new coin, it was pointed out
would provide a convenient medium
of exchange in purchasing newspapers,
the price of which generally has ad
vanced to two cents because of the
newsprint paper shortage.
35 SAILORS ILL FROM HASH.
Case Not One Of Ptomaine Poisoninj
Or Ground Glatt.
Washington. Thirty-five men of the
Norfolk (Va.) Naval Station become
suddenly ill after eating corned beef
hash, said a telephone message from
Captain Dayton, in command, to Sec
retary of the Navy Daniels. The case
was not one of ptomaine poisoning or
ground glass, Dayton reported. Pay
ton's message was the result of alarm
ing reports of a widespread poison
plot at the training station, coupled
with a story that at least one man
had died en route to the hospital.
GENERAL KALENDINES SUICIDE.
Leader Of Don Cottackt Said To Have
Shot Hlmtelf.
London. General Kaledlnes, leader
of the Don Cossacks, has committed
suicide, the Buss-Ian official news agen
cy declared in a Petrograd dlspatci
received here. General Kaledlnes' re
ported suicide has been rumored ft"
several days. One report was that lit
shot himself after the civil govern
ment of the Don district voted to all?
itself with the Bolsheviki.
204 LOST ON TUSCANIA.
32 Soldiers Still Missing, Believed Ti
Havo Gone Down With Ship.
London. Two hundred and fon'
Americans lost their lives on the Tui-
oania, according to the latest figure
received at American army headquar
ters. Of this total there have been
identified and buried, 3 officers n4
137 men; unidentified burled, 1 officer
and 31 men; missing (presumabU
went down with ship), 32 men.
ACCUSES HOG ISLAND BOSS.
Employe Says He Was Fired F
Threatening Expose.
Washington. Albert Freedmat
formerly employed in the stores o
partment at the Hog Ulnnd Shipyard
told the Senate Commerce Committe'
that he was discharged by J; E. Lynct
sunerintendent of stores, when he an
nounced his intention of coming (
Washington to testify to mlsmanagf
ment at the yards.
WOMEN TO REPLACE MEN.
Colleges Join Movement To Fill P"
tlons Of War Services.
Washington. A division to p'c'
college women In positions of
service vacated by men has been crj
ated under the Intercollegiate Intel
ligence Bureau. The Bureau has a
......- nml Ida nnnnlnf trinnf nf
Louise Shepherd, associate warden
Vassar College, as director. B"
Mowr, Smith, Vassar, WelleRley
Barnard are among the women '
leges co-operating.