rT TT A 1 a LE RY yr CEOS LTP RT a Pe wer 's TRI Fan v Ci 5 7 THE MEYERSDALE COMMERCIAL, MEYERSDALE, PA. PEE CA eel DIFFER MUCH ON AGE LIMIT Senate .and House Conferees Also Have Trouble Over Question of Temperance 21 to 31 MAY BE AGREED UPON U-Boat Warfare of Germans Causes Government to Appropriate Pro- ducts of Steel Plants—Aliens will Be Interned in Camps. Washington, D. C.—That provision of the selective draft army bill voted into the measure by the Senate, which would make it a crime for an American soldier in the trenches to accept from his British or “French comrade a drink of ale or light wine, is the principal obstacle at this time in the way of an agreement of the conferees upon the provisions of the bill. While the conferees are wrang- Ying over this amendment, forced into the bill by the prohibition ele- ment in the Senate, all steps for the organization of this conscript army of more than a million mens are halted. The age limit is a matter of point- od discussion, the Senate having fixed the age limits from 21 to 27, : while the House made them 21 to 40. It is understood that the Senate conferees will yield to the extent of raising the maximum limit to 31 years, and upon this basis there is a prospect of agreement. A provision of the Senate bill which the House conferees are de- terminedly fighting is that which authorizes the President to accept the Roosevelt Legion as a division of volunteers. intern. Enemies in Camps. Washington, D. C. — Arrangement for placing all interned alien ene- mies in permanent detention camps ‘where they will be well housed and given work at fair wages have been letad by Secretary Wilson of the labor department. An official announcement says the first camp will. be established on a 500-acre tract of agricultural land in the mountains of North Carolina and that the 1,800 officers and sailors taken from German merchant ves- sels in American harbors will be the first aliens to go there. The state ment adds that Secretary Wilson ex- pects the necessity will goon ‘arise for the establishment of ‘additional asked for $1, aa for construc: tion of a, great merchant fleet to “ preak the ‘German submarine block- ade. The government shipping. ‘board thas determined to build at least 5, ©00,000 tons of steel _ ‘and wooden ships, within the next two years. “To carry out the plan, the ship- ping board contemplated legislation to divert for government use the products of steel mills of the coun- try and to provide for cancellation of contracts already existing between steel manufacturers and consumers. Contracts for railroad construction and for work connected with na- ‘tional defense would be exempt from CANADA TO CUT WHEAT PRICE Announcement Made at Ottawa of Joint Movement. Ottawa.—Announcement was made in Parliament by Sir Thomas White, the minister of finance, that plans are under way for joint action by Canada and the United States to reduce the price of wheat. Chicago.—The highest prices ever paid for a car of cash wheat on the Chicago market was realized when a city miller paid $3.14 a bushel for one car of Turkey No. 2, Hard on track. AAA AAAS SASS SSIS INS SSI PITH OF THE WAR NEWS EEN The British by successive - blows are tightening their grip on the village of Bullecourt, which lies in the orig-|. ° inal Hindenburg line south of the Arras-Cambrai road and due east of Croisilles. This is the front held by the Australians. General Gurko, Russian commander on the western front, issued an or- der declaring that the fraternizing of Russian with enemy troops must be stopped. . This will stop the Teu- tom spy ruse to get information. A school for Americans seeking com- missions in the French army was opened in France. Austrian detachments were repulsed with heavy loss in an attack on advance Italian lines on Dosso Faitl on the Carso front, says the italian War Office statement. Italian artil- lery caused a big explosion on the slopes of Mont Seluggio, in the Astico basin. Lord Devonport, Foed Controller for Great Britain, considered as a model the Hoover scheme of organization in the work of Belgian: relief in the event the rationing of the United 8 new FRENCH MASTERS OF AISNE HEIGHTS Occupy All but Small Section of 6,100 PRISONERS CAPTURED e Germans’ Efforts Everywhere Broken against the French north of the Aisne and in the Champagne. Shattered and ‘everywhere. en cannon have. been taken by the ailes separate Nivelle’s troops from 8 persed, being thrown back The separate dis-|- our gains.” : a ‘has made the French the masters of jathing themselves in the breach they Chemin des Dames, Despite Heavy Enemy Attacks. ss. Down and Forces Dispersed, General Reports—W ith Enemy Exhausted. He Is to Resume Drive. London—Waves upon waves of German storming columns were flung beaten they floated back in thin lines Those who were not cut, to pieces by the hurricane of shells from the French barrier fire leapt on to grapple the poilus man to man. They ran into @ esome picket net of bayonets and sealed their heroism with death. The victory belonged to the Repub- lic’'s soldiers. It was the third day to be crowned with absolute victory, not an inch of the ground conquered by the French lines was wrested from them. ‘When the dusk settled upon the battlefield Gen. Nivelle was victor in the greatest battle of the year, on a front of 18 miles. Another thousand prisonera were added to the captures, the total announced being 6,800. Sev- victors. ; ® France hailed Petain, savior of Ver- dun, as the “man of the hour,” who has begun this deliverence of the Re- public’s soil from the invader. Now that the Germans orce more have exhausted themselves in vain counter thrusts, he is expected to re- sume his drive on Laon. Only 12 that keypoint in the Hindenburg line. Under Petain’s new plan, it seems, there is to bé no let-up. “Everywhere,” says the official re- port from Paris, “the enemy’s efforts were broki en down and his forces dis- or at the point of the We have fully. maintained ¥ Consolidation of the sraund won 2 ridge crowned by the § “which ‘the military “writers rank only second to the Baitle of the ‘Marne, in importance. .. ' The British are successfully main- ve made in the Hindenburg line near Bufiécourt. - Russian troops, in a new aggres- sive against the Germans in the Kovel district, have blown up a num- bér- of German munition storehouses in a furious cannonade. PASS MODIFIED SPY BILL Question of Guilt ie to Be Decided by Jury. Washitigton ~ Win most ot its teeth drawn, the espionage bill was passed by the House. - The censorship section of the Ad- ~ministration’s bill, modified so that publishers must follow directions from the President on the character of news and criticisms that may be published, but leaving the question of guilt: to juries to decide, was passed by the House, 260 to 105. The original censorship section had been stricken from the bill by a vote of 220 to 167 and the anti-censorship members had left the chamber ac- claiming a victory, when the modified substitute measure was introduced by Representative Gard, Ohio, and passed. Charges of bad faith against the rep- resentatives who pushed through the substitute while the antis were out were made by Representative Graham, Pennsylvania, leader of the fight agaipst the President’s measure. He sald that Representative Gard had vio- lated a gentlemen’s agreement in tak- ing advantage of the absence of mem- bers. But the action of the House stood, and the substitute, it was said, was acceptable to the President. - TEAR-GAS AMERICAN IDEA Dr. Wood, of Johns Hopkins, Sent Formula to Paris. . ‘Baltimore.—It became known kere that the lachrymose or tear gas used by the Allies is the invention of Dr. Robert W. Wood, professor of experi- mental physics at Johns Hopkins Uni- versity. Professor Wood sent sent the formula for it to a friend, Pro- fessor Cotton, in Paris; and it was turned oyer to the Fench War Oe- partment. -Dr. Wood is a member of the Naval Consulting Board. ADVOCATES SENDING TROOPS Army and Navy Journal Changes Re: garding Expeditionary Force. Washington.-——An editorial im the Army and Navy Journal says: “It might be well to send some of our partially trained soldiers abroad, where they could secure in the short- est space of time the intensified train- o fit them to meet the conditions rn warfare.” circles there has rent of feeling aj edition: Y at O1 U. S. LABOR ARMY FOR FRANGE WAR DEPARTMENT TO SEND $ REGIMENTS OF ENGINEERS. To Fly Engineer Corg. Pennants, But Not to Be Part of Or ganization. Washington—Nine new regiments of army engineers, to be composed exclusively of highly trained railway men, will be the first American troops to be sent to Europe. They will go “at the earliest possible moment,” the War Department announced, for work 4 on communication lines, but specula- tion as to exactly when or to what points they will be sent is forbidden because of the submarine menace. The new forces will be volunteers, raised at the nine great railway centres of the country. Each regi- ment will be commanded by an engi- neer Colonel of the regular army, aid- ed by an adjutant. All other officers will be railway engineers or officials. Subway Engineers to Go. The expedition will have a total strength of betweeft 11,000 and 12, 000 men, each regiment being com- posed of two battalions of three com- panies each. Every branch of rail way workers necessary to the build- ing or operation of lines will be repre sented in the ranks. The officers will be made up largely of trained tech: nical men, but such training will not be so rigidly required of the enlisted personnel, it is understood. New York’s regiment, according to reports will have in it many of the engineers who have been employed in subway work and similar undertakings there. Railroad copstruection will be the main task of ‘the contigent from America. Rails will be shipped from this country as well .as a great part of the rolling stock. The output of American locomotive plants and car factories will be diverted to a great extent to France and in some cases existing rolling stock will be taken over by agreement with the owning railroads and shipped abroad. New York Unit Forming. New York City will have one of the nine central recruiting stations. Ma. jor William Barclay Parsons several weeks ago was assigned to the regi- ment which is being raised in New York and it is- understood here that the organization of the New York unit is almost complete. The announcement of the War De- partment follows: ‘The War Department has sent out orders for raising as rapidly ‘as pos- sible nine additional regiments of en- gineers, which are destined to pro- ceed to France at the earliest pos- o- | sible moment for work on the lines no speculation. or rumors be carried by the newspapers other ‘than given out by the War Department. The details regarding the force will be released by the Department as fast as compatible with the best public interests. These regiments will have as their central recruiting points the follow- ing cities: New York, St. Louis, Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh, Detroit, |" Atlanta, San Francisco and Philadel: phia. - The nine regiments first to go to France will be organized under the national defense act, which aliows the President in time of emergency to call for the formation of special units. Unions’ Aid Is Expected. Recruiting for the regiments and the organization of each force will be directly under the Colonel of each regiment. Recruiting machinery of the regular service or the National Guard will be placed at their service and it is hoped the enrollment of the troops will take little time. Officials believe the great . railroad brother- hoods will co-operate, throwing the strength of the unions behind the recruiting efforts. The railway com- panies already are so organized under the Council of National Defense that their co-operation is assured. The en- gineers and officials of the lines who offer themselves will be selected in such manner as not to cripple the operating forces of any company. APSA NI PP PPPS ANI NIP PINS WORLD’S NEWS IN CONDENSED FORM RIO DE JANEIRO.—According to an interview with the new Foreign Minister, Brazil will put the entire re sources of the country at the disposi tion of the United States. WASHINGTON.—Mr. Lansing, Se cretary of State, announced that all official comment on foreign news in the State Department was barred ta American newspapers. . NEW YORK.—Two novices in the army aviation camp at Mineola, L. I, took up a giant aeroplane without per: mission and after plunging about in the air for half an hour dived to death. PETROGRAD.— Workingmen and soldiers in Russia received the report of its executive counsel and loudly ac- claimed the statement that the govern- ment is worthy of the people's trust. WASHINGTON. — Clearing misap- prehension following the statement of W. L. Saunders, chairman of the Naval Consulting Board, Lawrence Add of the Special Navy Prob- g tests were evice to destroy U-Boats. officer res nested ot" ‘the press that Committee of the Board, sald | §75 being made | YORK.—Enrollm 8 in the | KEYSTONE BRIEFS Knights of Malta are holding their twenty-fifth annual convention in Pittsburgh. Many cities and towns throughout the state are forbidding the sale or use of fireworks. Bishop J. L. McCloskey, consecrated for a Philippine see in Philadelphia, is a native of that city. Automobile accidents resulted in 10 deaths in Allegheny county in April. > Judge Joseph Buffington of the United States court, looks for a pro- tracted war, according to an address he has delivered. . Fred C. Hanyonof Scranton, has been elected for the third time as grand treasurer of the I. 0.°0. F. of Pennsylvania. Levi Smith, 76, the millionaire oil refiner and philantropist, died at Elkhart, Ind., while en route to his home in Warrefi, Pa. Automobiles and light motor trucks have been used to plow for spring crops in Greensburg owing to scarc- ity of teams. Bethlehem Steel Works has con- tracts for 4,800 small cannon for the United Stafes ranging in size from three to six inches in diameter. Thomas Reisinger, aged 28, owner of the Reisinger Motor Car Company, died suddenly at his home in Union- town. Harbor Creek, 12 miles east of Erie, was threatened with destruction when fire ruined the business center of the town. J. Lord Rigby, the new chief of corporations under Auditor General Snyder, used to be recorder of deeds of Delaware county. Howard Heinz of Pittsburgh, has beenfappointed director of the depart- ment of food supplies of the commit. tee of public safety for Pennsylvania. After |1-ceiving several threaten- ing letters, the barber shop of Tony Marcinelli in Trafford, was blown up in the night by dynamite. In a special order handed down by Judge J. W. King, etail liquor deal- ers in Armstrong county were direct- ed not to sell any bottle goods. _ Reports from all sections of the state indicate that the acreage planted in food crops this year will be greatly in excess of former years. J. Denny O'Neil, state insurance commissioner, has been appointed re- cetyer for the Pittsburgh Life and Trust Company, wrecked by New York speculators, it is alleged. Dr. John Royal Harris, pastor of the Shady Avenue Baptist church, Pittsburgh, has been appointed super- intendent of the Dry Federation of Pennsylvania. H. H. Althouse, who is to make the investigation of grade “crossings in ‘Reading for the civic authorities of that place, used to be «hlef engineer for the Erie railroad. Two men are dead and a third is suffering from wounds as the result of a shooting affray during a card game in the home of Joe Rabino in . Ellwood City. The Public Safety Committee of Uniontown announces that it will have on sale a carload of seed pota- toes to be supplied to such farmers as have not money -to buy seed. Notes of the farmers will be taken. The Supreme Court in Philadelphia has reversed the Fayette county court in appointing receivers for Josiah V. Thompson of Uniontown: The case now stands the same as before the proceedings for a receiver began. Director of Safety William E. Wil- son, of Philadelphia, says that men who do not work should be arrested and has issued orders to round up tramps. The Connellsville Women’s Suffrage party will aid in garden production by giving 1,000 tomato plants and 1,000 cabbage plants free to girls of 13 and over, who form garden clubs. Prizes will be awarded for the largest crops. Pennsylvania railroad shopmen at Altoona say they will declare a boy- cott on the barber shops, which have recently increased the price of hair cutting to 35 cents and shaves to 16 cents. The 20 girls of the domestic science class of Irwin High school are going in for gardening in a wholesale way. The school board has secured several acres near the building and had the ground pre- pared for planting. The tract will be called the “Irwin War Garden,” and will be worked by the girls en- tirely. Corn and beans will be grown and canned by the girls, the depart ment to furnish the canning utensils. Mayor Charles E. Rhodes, of Al- toona, has received a check for $1,000 from Benjamin Cohn, a lpcal business man, to be used for the purchase of seed potatoes for those who are culti- vating gardens but who cannot afford ta pay the prevailing prices. The seed potatoes are to be loaned to the re- cipients, who are to return them after harvesting their crops. The returned potatoes are then to be turned over to the Sunshine societies to be distri- buted among the poor during the win- ter. Two children of John Steiner, a farmer living near Bloomsburg, were burned to death when their home was burned. The father had called the children when he discovered the fire, but they went back to bed. The other members of the family saved them- selves by jumping from windows. A petition asking for the.court’s ap- proval of a deal involving more than acres of coal lands and over )0 was presented in court at 1 by Attorney E. C. Higbee f a receiver. ompany is name