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THE MEYERSDALE COMMERCIAL
"BRITISH WARSHIP
MOLDAVIA SUNK
Vessei Carrying American Troops
Is Torpedoed With Warning by -
German Submarine.
ALL ON BOARD WERE COOL.
Wo Panic Among Crew or Soldiers.
All Lost Are Believed to Have
Been Killed in Compartment
by the Explosion.
—t—
London. — The British armed mer-
<hant troop ship Moldavia, with Amer-
dcan troops on board, has been torpe-
<doed and sunk, according to an offi-
lal bulletin issued by the admiralty,
which says:
“The armed mercantile cruiser Mol-
<davia w=s torpedoed and sunk yester-
«ay morning.
“There were no casualties among
the crew, but of the American troops
on board 56 have not been accounted
for. It is feared they were killed in
one compartment by the explosion.”
The Moldavia was torpedoed with-
out warning. It was a moonlight
night, and, although a good lookout
was kept, the attacking submarine was
not sighted before the torpedo struck.
Most of the men aboard were in
their hammocks when the “explosion
occurred amidships. The seamen and
soldiers alike showed no panic.
They fell calmly into line and await-
ed orders. When it was seen that the
Moldavia was settling down all cn
board were taken off by the escorting
ships.
The men lost all of their belongings,
but were supplied with new clothing
at the different naval ports where they
were taken. 5
It is believed the American soldiers
missing from the Moldavia were sieep-
ing on the bottom deck and were over-
taken by the great inrush of water
after the explosion When they were
trying to reach the main deck. It also
is presumed that some of the ladders
were destroyed. :
The vessel was struck below the
bridge. She steamed ahead for some
time after being struck, and at first
it was hoped that her water tight com-
partments would enable her to reach
port.
The Moldavia was of 9,500 {ons
gross and owned by the Peninsular
and Oriental Steam Navigation Com-
pany. She was built at Greenock in
1003 and was 520 feet long.
Loss on Moldavia Is Confirmed Here.
Washington.—The war department
authorized the following announce-
ment:
“Information has been received from
London that the British armed mer-
chant cruiser Moldavia has been sunk
and that 56 of the American soldiers
aboard are missing. The announce-
ment was made by the British admiral-
i od ;
¥ No other information regarding the
sinking of the ship or the missing sol-
diers was available.
U. S. TROOPS FOR ITALY.
Baker's Announcement
Wildly Cheered.
New York.—American troops will
soon be on the Italian battlefront, lend-
ing their aid-to the gallant troops who
have entered upon their fourth year
of war against the central powers.
Secretary of War Baker, in his ad-
dress at the Metropolitan Opera House
here, made this assertion. He said:
“The time undoubtedly is not far
distant when American soldiers will
take their places with British and
French soldiers on the Italian front,
thus making of the army on the Ital-
tan front a composite unft evidencing
the community of feeling and unity of
effort which is characterizing the ac-
tivities of the great civilized allied
powers on the front in France.”
NTA AASNS NS NSAI NS NPI NPIS INNIS NIIP SS
Secretary
WORLD’S NEW? IN
CONDENSED FORM
WASHINGTON.—The President has
issued an appeal asking all Americans-
to join with the foreign born residents
of this country in a big loyalty demon-
stration on July 4.
EDINBURGH.—Lloyd George an-
nounced at a luncheon in Edinburgh
that there was no doubt there had
been a conspiracy for a great rising
in Ireland to take place when the Ger-
mans were attempting their operations
in France.
NEW YORK.—The Board of School
Superintendents adopted a resolution
to eliminate German from the public
schools,
KANSAS CITY.—Mrs. Rose Pastor
Stokes, a New York Socialist leader,
was found guilty by a federal jury of
violation of the espionage act on three
counts. Mrs. Stokes may receive a
maximum sentence of $10,000 and 20
years in prison.
PARIS.—Allied shipping production
soon will pass the rate of sinkings by
more than 500,000 tons yearly, while
U boat construction is below the losses.
WASHINGTON.—Legislation offered
by Secretary Baker, giving the Presi-
dent sole power in deciding the size
of the United States army, is unani-
mously aporoved by both houses,
KING OF ITALY
His Country Has Been
at War Three Years.
Rome.—The anniversary of Italy's
entrance into the war has never been
sv solemnly and generally celebrated
as it was this year, the chief reason
being that the enemy pow treads Ital-
ian soil, and therefore the people wish
to demonstrate their dogged determi-
nation never to lay down their arms
until they have redeemed the captured
towns of the mother country.
MUST WORK OR FIGHT
Every Draftman to Show He Is
in Useful Industry.
Women or Males Beyond Military Age
Will Take Nonessential
Posts.
Washington.—Concentration of the
man power of the country that is of
draft age upon industries and voca-
tions deemed useful and essential to
winning the war and the infusion of
women workers into industries is the
object of new and sweeping regula:
tions issued by Provost Marshal Gen-
eneral Crowder following their ap-
proval by the President and Secretary
Baker. :
This step, one of the most important
taken since the selective draft bill was
passed, will change the present em-
ployment of more than 500,000 men of
draft age, it is estimated, and feed
them into other fields of industry re-
garded as essential either as war in-
dustries or enterprises of recognized
importance to the economic life and
welfare of the nation.
The places of these men will be
taken by women or by men above the
draft age. . :
No rigid definition of useful occupa-
tions is made in the order. The order
does stipulate, however, that it will ap-
ply to the following classes of persons
in addition to loafers and those of the
idle classes:
Persons engaged in the serving of
food and drink, or either, in public
places, including hotels and hotel clubs.
' Passenger elevator operators and at-
tendants, doormen, footmen and other
attendants of clubs, hotels, stores,
apartment houses, office buildings and
bathhouses.
Persons, including ushers and other
attendants, engaged and occupied in
connection with games, sports and
amusements, except actual performers
1a legitimate concerts, operas or theat-
rical performances.
Persons employed in domestic serv-
hG clerks and other clerks em-
ployed in stores and other mercantile
establishments.
NO PRINT PAPER EMBARGO.
War Trade Board Opposes Proposal
by Publishers.
Washington.—The War Trade Board
disapproves the resolution passed by
the American Newspaper Publishers’
Association calling for an embargo on
the export of print paper.
The War Trade Board declared that
there are good reasons why the supply
of news print paper to countries now
depending .upon American manufac-
turers for their paper should not be
interrupted.
PULLMAN CARS TAKEN OVER.
Federal Government to Run Carrier
Part of Business.
Chicago.—The carrier business of
the Pullman Company has been taken
over by the government and will be
operated as an integral part of the rail-
road system. As in the case of the rail-
roads, the government will pay the
Pullman Company a rental for its car-
rier industry based on the three-year
average earnings. The manufacturing
end of the company will not be inter-
fered with,
2,078,222 NOW IN
AMERICAN ARMY
United States Can Raise 5,000,-
000 This Year Without Going
Outside of Class 1.
BRITISH EFFORT EXCELLED.
Our Front and Force Abroad Bigger In
Ten Months Than Was Ally’'s
in Year—All Thoroughly
Equipped.
Washington.—Representative C. P.
Caldwell of New York, Democratic
member of the Committee on Military
Affairs, placed before the house a com-
prehensive outline of the war depart-
ment’s military program and accom-
plishments.
Mr. Caldwell’s address resulted from
an interchange of letters with Secre-
tary Baker. The statements in it were
approved by the war department and
were regarded as a semiofficial pro-
nouncement on its affairs. He said
that in a year the American army
would be 4,000,000 or 5,000,000 strong.
He declared there were at present
2,078,223 officers and men under arms,
‘of whom more than 500,000 were in
France, and 1,000,000 additional were
amply trained to be sent to France as
fast as shipping space could be pro-
vided.
The United States, said Mr. Cald-
well, had raised and sent to the fight-
ing lines in ten months an army larger
than England Lad found herself able to
provide In a year, despite the fact that
3,000 miles of submarine infested At-
lantic separated America from France,
as against 30 miles of the English
channel.
During the first ten days of May, the
representative said,. the United States
sent 90,000 men to Europe.
Mr. Caldwell went into a detailed
comparison of the man power strength
of the central powers and the allied
nations, estimating that the maximum
total of men available to the enemy
for service was 18,360,000, and the
number for the allies was 68,879,500.
He said that the United States itself
could raise 5,000,000 men this year
without going outside Class 1 of the
draft. ;
Representative Caldwell continued :
“When war was declared in April,
1917, the standing army of the United
States consisted of 136,000 officers and
men, many of whom were in the for-
eign service, and the National Guard
consisted of 164,000 officers and men,
many of whom were too old for active
service and a large: part of them phys-
ically unfit for the work for which they
had volunteered.
“Our experts told us it would take
two years to raise an army of 1,000,-
000 men and five years to train the
commissioned personnel. It has now
been about one year since the first leg-
islation was passed authorizing the in-
crease of our army for war purposes.
“The strength of our military forces
is now as follows:
Officers. Men.
Regular army......... 10,205 504,677
Reserve Corps........ 79,038 78,560
National Guard....... 16,906 411,952
National army...... .. 33,804 510,963
ess. 273,742
Total ..............148,328 1,929,804
Grand total..............~. 2,078,222
“So we have today,” continued Mr.
Caldwell, “an army of more than
2,000,000, of which more than 500,000
have already been shipped to France,
and 1,000,000 more have the necessary
training to fit them for foreign serv-
ice. They are now waiting for the
ships to carry them over.
“Our critics now complain that we
have not done more, yet we have done
In one year twice as much as they
thought we could do in two years.”
PANS NS NI NS NI NI NI NSS ISS P ISPS PPPS
PITH OF THE
WAR NEWS
Military officials in Washington ex-
pressed the opinion that the coming
German drive would result in the
defeat of the enemy and the offen-
sive power of Germany would be
finally broken,
One million Russian prisoners to be
exchanged by Germans are reported
to be total invalids. x
British air raids on every city of west-
ern and central Germany are pre-
dicted by the London Daily Mail,
which says the series of raids car-
ried out by the British aviators in
recent weeks show that the air serv-
ice is best in the offensive.
Uncertainty still exists when and
where the Germans will renew their
offensive in the west, but surprise
has been eliminated, and the allies
are well prepared for whatever hap-
pens, a dispatch from the French
front says.
British aviators destroy sixteen Ger-
man airplanes and two balloons,
down two other airplanes and drop
tons of bombs on enemy positions,
causing three fires in Mannheim,
German prisoners, taken in raids, ad-
mitted that their commanders had
told them the great offensive would
Special and technical
duty cL a. sess" 8705 vies]
Drafted in April...... ..... 150,000
Drafted in May.......
&
DANIEL WILLARD
Relieved of His Duties as Presi-
dent of the Baltimore and Ohio.
Daniel Willard, president of the Bal.
timore and Ohio railroad, has been de-
posed of any connection with the op-
eration of the line under the govern-
ment. Charles H. Markham, newly ap-
pointed director of the Allegheny re-
glon, embracing this district, assumes
control about June 1.
SINS AINSI NIN NS NSAP SPS IS PSPS SSP PSS
HUNS RAID HOSPITALS
Nurses Die Bravely Tending to
Wounded Charges.
British Wards Filled With Helpless
Wounded Ruthlessly Bombed
by German Airmen.
With the British Army in France.—
German airmen again have bombed
heavily British hospitals in the area
behind the lines, and this time have
killed and wounded some hundreds
‘among the personnel and patients of
many different hospitals in the group.
Recorded in the casualty list are
the names of several sisters, who,
with other women nurses, stood brave-
ly by their posts throughout a terrific
deluge of explosives.
There is in the neighborhood one
large American hospital and another
in which there are American workers,
‘but neither of these appears to have
‘suffered. Last summer a number of
American doctors and nurses were
killed and wounded when these same
hospitals were raided by the Germans.
This latest horror was perpetrated
apparently by four squadrons of en-
emy airplanes, which appear to have
comprised more than a score of ma-
chines. A great number of bombs
were dropped, about thirty of them
being huge affairs which dug vast
craters in the hospital grounds, and
the rest high explosive shrapnel, which
sent their death dealing bullets tear-
ing in every direction through the
crowded hospital tents and buildings.
In one building which was damaged
most seriously all the patients were
suffering from compound fractures,
which made necessary their limbs be-
ing strapped in the air.
U BOAT PERIL IS PASSING.
Foe Straining to Beat United States to
Victory Goal.
Edinburgh.—Germany is straining
every nerve to strike a decisive blow
before the American armies can be
brought into the fleld, David Lloyd
George, the British prime minister,
said in an address on the occasion of
the freedom of the city of Edinburgh
being tendered to him. The allied
commanders, who knew best what the
prospects were, he added, felt most
confident about the result.
The premier was most optimistic as
regards the submarine campaign of
Germany. He said while the menace
of the underwater boat had not been
entirely removed, the allied nations
now were building ships faster than
they could be sunk and that the un-
restricted submarine warfare might be
disregarded as a vital danger by the
entente nations.
UTAH EXECUTION BY SHOOTING.
De Weese Asked Firing Squad to
Make Sure of Aim.
Salt Lake City, Utah.—Howard H.
De Weese, who was convicted of the
murder of his wife, Fanny Fisher De
Weese, was executed in the state
prison yard here at 6:55 o'clock in the
morning.
De Weese walked calmly to the
chair, insisting that the marksmen
comprising the firing squad make cer-
tain of their aim. Death was almost
instantaneous. .
VOTES TO END BEER MAKING.
House Adopts Amendments to Food
Bill Barring Use of Grains,
Washington.—The house went on
record in favor of prohibition on a spe-
cial roll call taken at the instance of
Representative Moore of Pennsylvania,
It approved the Randall amendment to
the food control act, which provides
that the President prohibit the use of
grains, feeds or foodstuffs for the man-
ufacture of intoxicants.
heain the first week In June,
The vate was 177 to 133. =
THERE ARE MANY
SPECIAL POLICE
Adjutant General's Department
Is Making Important Compi-
lation From Reports
SENDING OUT COMMISSIONS
Short Items of Interest Gathered at
the Various State Departments
Touching Affairs of the People
of the Commonwealth.
Harrisburg, Pa.—Compilation of the
strength of the police forces, special
policemen, home defense units and
committees of safety, county, muni-
cipal and local, is now being made
at the Adjutant general's Depart-
ment from reports filed with that
officer by mayors and burgesses and
secretary of public safety commit-
tees. It is expected that when the
list is finished that it will show thou-
sands of men in police service and
thousands more men in the defense
organizations. It is believed that
there are committees of safety in
every county which are in touch with
men willing to respond to calls.
Commissions are being sent out to
scores of additional volunteer state
policemen who are being commis-
sioned for the period of the war.
There are now between 7,000 and
8,000 of such policemen it is be-
lieved. Many of them are men of
military experience.
Goes After Watered Milk.
Over 250 arrests have been ordered
by State Dairy and Food Commission-
er James Foust as the result of the
spring sampling of milk and cream
and ice cream sold in the state. This
is an annual inspection and it has cov-
ered every county in Pennsylvania.
The twenty agents of the commission-
er have been taking an average of
200 samples each and the chemists
have been working on them night and
day. It is expected additional arrests
will be ordered.
To Advance Oakdale Claims.
The plan adopted a year ago when
the Eddystone munitions disaster oc-
curred wi be followed by the State
Workmen's Compensation Board in
the Oakdale disaster. Chairman
Mackey arranged to have all claim
petitions filed with Referee L. E.
Christley at Pittsburgh, and Harry
Myers was assigned as investigator
to expedite settlements.
Well Causes Typhoid.
Reports from a sanitary engineer of
the State Health Department investi-
gating typhoid fever in Petersburg,
Huntingdon county, state that there
Is a total of sixteen cases, nine living
In Petersburg and seven in the adja-
cent districts. The source of infec-
tion has been discovered to be pol-
luted well water and principally from
one well.
Expect Appointment Soon.
An early appointment of Alexander
Simpson, Jr., as a justice of the
State Supreme Court is expected to
be made by Governor Brumbaugh.
State Wants More Tractors.
Efforts to increase the number of
tractors at work in the fields of the
state under direction of the State De-
partment of Agriculture will be made
next week, the plans for buying more
machines having been interfered with
by the difficulty of obtaining deliveries.
The demand for tractors has jumped
enormously, state officials have been
told.
Counties Will Pay.
Primary elections held May 21
throughout Pennsylvania will be paid
for by the counties instead of the
state, the act of 1915 having relieved
the state of the payment of the cost
which was imposed by the uniform
primary act of 1906. Some .of the
bills for primary elections held prior
to 1915 are still in litigation.
Militia Orders Are Issued.
General orders were issued from Re-
serve Militia headquarters that the
camp of instruction for officers would
be held at Mt. Gretna on June 3 to 7
and that the camp of the brigade at
Mt. Gretna would be held July 13 to
20, inclusive. Information has also
been given that not less than 72 hours
of drill will be required during the
year in addition to camp, but week-
end marches or bivouacs may be count-
ed in the total hours, provided they
do not exceed twenty per cent of the
time.
Assurance has been given at Wash.
ington that any further drafting of
men connected with the state police
would be “seriously considered” by
the army authorities. The state has
suffered loss of many valuable men.
Vacancies in State Police.
State police headquarters announc-
ed that there were twenty vacancies
on the state force and that eight men
had been taken from the four troops
through operation of the draft. Un-
der the latest order, men in the force
on May 18 will be given deferred
classification. The police will enlist
men within the draft age if they are
in deferred classes and able to pass
the physical examination, but for the
twenty vacaucies there are wanted
men between thirty and thirty-five
or up to forty if active enough.
PENNSYLVANIA
STATE ITEMS
Wilkes-Barre.—A $30,000 damage
suit has been started against Wilkes-
Barre city by Earl Hons, a resident of
this place. The plaintiff was seriously
injured when he was dumped on his'
head from his wagon, as his outfit:
bounced over a hole in the pavement
on Pennsylvania avenue.
Reading.—Berks county paid the
Pennsylvania railroad $5233.99 proper-
ty damages, arising out of the erection
of Penn street viaduct, ending litiga-
tion started five years ago.
Oil City.—Sergeant Fred A. Tess-
ler and William Ward, both of this
tity, have arrived in France with the
American troops, according to word
received here.
Oil City.—Charles B. Banbury, a rail-
way mail clerk, has enlisted with the
Canadian army. His only son, Ralph,
died about a year ago as the result of
wounds received while fighting with
the British forces on the western
front. The father served in the Buffs,
a British regiment, during the Boer
war, and also in the armies of Yuca-
tan and Guatemala.
Connellsville. — The Connellsville
0oard of education has decided to
sliminate the German language begin-
ning with the next term. The French
language was substituted.
Herndon.—Mistaking young laurel
for tea leaves, Henry Anderson, aged
seven years, of Red Cross, near here,
ate heartily of the tender shoots. A
short time later he was taken violently
ill and died in convulsions caused by
the poisoning. :
Allentown —Mrs. John E. Thomas, a
clerk in the Allentown courthouse, has
received a telegram announcing that
her husband, who was a member of
the United States ambulance corps, in
France, enlisting last summer, at
Camp Crane, has been brought back
to this country, and is now at the
base hospital at Waynesville, N, C., re-
tion.
Lancaster—Four Lancaster high
school boys were formally expelled
They were the ringleaders in an egg:
throwing incident some time ago and
later were concerned in the absence
from school of the entire senior class.
Several of the boys were enlisted in
the boys’ working reserve, but their
pranks have interferred with this.
Johnstown.—County Superintendent
of Schools M. S. Bentz has written t¢
the teachers of Cambria county, re
questing them to omit the study of
German unless pupils who are abou
to go to college need two years’ of
modern language and have already
taken one year.
Johnstown.—That school teachers
are not entitled to pay for the month
or more of school lost on account of
the state infantile paralysis quaran-
tine, is the opinion of Judge Moser, of
Northumberland county, who heard
the test case of Thomasine Holter vs.
the Patton school district.
Altoona.—Finding a shotgun shel),
Lester Clark, aged sixteen, tossed it
into a bonfire at the rear of his home
and retreated. He did not run fast
enough, however, for the shell explod-
ed and the full charge struck him in
the left leg, inflicting a wound that
may lame him for life.
Shamokin.—Fourteen drafted men
left here for Columbus barracks, Co-
lumbus, O. They were given a rousing
send-off by a band and hundreds of
citibens. A committee of patriotic
organizations presented each man with
tobacco, cigarettes and cigars, while
the Red Cross provided each with a
comfort kit and luncheon.
Wilkes-Barre.—Although reported to
be worth more than $15,000, Matt Zur-
konis, a blind man of Luzerne, was
arrested on a charge of taking a small
boy to New York, where the youngster
sold pencils, turning the money over
to Zurkonis. The blind man came
home and left the boy stranded in New
York.
Hazleton.—John M. Lewis, fifty-five
years old, former mine inspector of
the Hazleton district, and for some
years mining engineer for Coxe Broth-
ers & Co. and A. Pardee & Co., drop-
ped dead from heart failure on the
street while on his way to the plant
of the Jeanesville Iron works, where
he was employed as a munitions ex-
pert.
Sharon.—Lured to a lonely spot
near the Petroleum Iron works, Jo-
seph Scere, aged forty, a macaroni
merchant, of Meadville, was murder-
ed, presumably as the result of a
Black Hand feud. His body was dis«
covered on a bridge over Yankee Run.
There were two bullet wounds in his
abdomen and he had been stabbed
three times with a stilletto. The man
had been dead several hours when
found. .
Reading.—Jennie M. Goldsborough,
of Mount Penn, was recommended a
divorce from her husband, Lloyd B.
Goldsborough, of Cumru township. Be-
fore the master the wife alleged that
she was compelled to ride horses for
hours on their farm and that she was
stoned by the husband. She also ac.
cused her husband of making chicken
coops in the parlor on Sundays.
New Castle.—The board of educa-
tion has voted to eliminate the study
of German in the high school at the
close of the present school term.
Scranton.—Enforcing Mayor Alex T.
Conneil’s edict against loafers, the
police turned over eleven men arrest-
ed as vagrants to Director Robert W.
Allen, of the department of publig
works. :
covering from wounds received in ac« -
TRAN