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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (June 14, 1917)
Ioke german line Details of Important A'lied Vic tory Before Ypres. OLD SCORE IS WIPED OUT — Capture of Meuinti Ridges Peculiarly Gratifying, as It Was the Scene •# Former British Defeat— Defenses Shattered. With the British Annie- in France Jut.- 7. In i.w of the most elalsirately (■tanned ami •lnringly executed tna m-uv.-rs of the war Sir I>otlgias Haig's her.-, have dealt a mighty blow against the German line in Belgium, and t«een r» wanted with notable gains In terrain ami the capture of more than primmer* nud numerous gun* of various enllher. In addition they lutlirtad heavy casualties on tlic Germans. The Germans though npjmreiitly aware that the Mow was coming and seemingly pr.-jsired to meet It. were driven from their nearly three years' h*4*l on Messine* riilge. opposite ''|mnr «W" Y|«res Yf>res in a sense was avenged today, for Messines ridge lias been the vantage point from which the German* have |««urcd torrents of shells Into the stricken city. The British also tailed ..IT an <*id score against the Ger mans. for they held the ridge in (irto her 15*1 ♦. and with very thin forces, and virtually no artillery, fought Mood ily hut vainly to hold It when the Prus sian troop- mil's.-.! their modern and onn-.wenng weai*»u* of war against H. IYi«*«ieni taken declared that the l>ottit>9rdtnefit of Vltny ridge was child's play miDf<ared with the gunfire turned upon Meantnes ridge. Triumph for Artillery. This fire reach .-I its ciimax Just a* dawn was graying the eastern skies and while the full tniM.n was still sus pe- .Jed high In the heavens. The attack was acconi|ianied l>y nil the- arts and deviltries of latter-day war The enemy gun* and gun crews had l-een hat Led for days in ga- shells sent over by the long-range British run*. The night was filleit with red In cendiary flames Shells that spurted lead in streams crushed in appalling nun t-er» about the heads of the de fending soldier*. High-explosive and shrupm-I fire was .-im.-d out with such rascdily that the earth writhe*! under the fore* of the attack. Mi’..' ’hat had taken two years to dig arid fill with an overwhelming ex pulsive broke into an avalanche of fSatuu.g destruction in the half light of dawn TLi» wa« indeed an Ypres day of retaliation and victory for the vi*-..os sufferings *.f two years and eight months. Gunner* Strip to Waist. It w:i« a day of lunar heat. and tlie gti;.t*er* worked strip) wd to the waist. The att.-:«-k went forward with clock - like regularity. Tf • liritish casualties were -light. T» fee out of four of the casualties were rej«.rt.-| to lie walking mses. who »**uld return to duty In a few days. The attack l*egan at dawn, and the netting wa* as plcttire-.pie as can well I*- Imaginable Tlie day before had been 1**f and sultry. Toward evening t*-ere was a series of thunder storms which cxtcntied well into the night, the lightning mingling with the flashes of the guns, hut the thunder heing virtu ally unnoticed amid the din of the can non. A full tie ion struggled continu ously to break through the heavy clouds which scudthsl across the vel vety night sky. Sing on Way to Fight. **t! the way to the front were ail the familiar |iii-tures of the war—endless trains of motor trucks; all varieties of horse rrans|«irt. the liritish sol diers marching to battle light of heart and singing songs familiar in every Aim ricnti community. In tlie shadow of an old windmill which has withstood the storms of a century and l«wi undaunted by nearly three years of war. the rarres|xindent witnes-cd the last phases of the seven da' |>retlmij*ary iMHulninteieiit and the final outburst of the guns which sent the Itritish infantry' confidently on tlieir way to new succes-es jn fighting the greatest military nation the world has ever known. From the German line the same laxy. lot-ping rocket signals were as cending to illuminate the treacherous bit of ground lietween the trenches knout! as \o Man's Land. This night ly “straffing" had been going on so kitif that the enemy considereil it en tirely normal ami link no alarm. Oc casionally blur and yellow rockets would lw flung Into the air by Germans holding the front line. • •tie by one the gun* became silent. There was tlie old “grandmother" howitzer of enormous calllier. which kept breaking tlie |ience at five-tniii ute intervals, the shock of each suc ceeding explosion and the shriek of the heavy shell- lielng emphasized h.v th- -.letn-e winch lay over at1 Mie sur reundiug country. Like Volcanoes in Erup*'or-. fhiy was smrcely breaking 'men from the dimly visible ridge a setfre of fiery volcanoes seemed suddenly to iqpri&g from the earth. Tlie night had hem filled with strange noises and still stranger sights, hot thc.-e masses of flame, leaping from the ground, had a meaning all their own They were the »|M-ctarular outward and visible evi dence* of more than a million pounds of high ex|iioslves which had tieen hurled deep Id mines below the ene my's pool (ions for months. All the world appeared lurid and havTcaf^ British Make Cains of Tremendous lm ports nee in Their Two Victorious Drives in Belgium. — i London. June 7.—The British really ,^/ie two victorious drive*. Begin ning their attack on a nine-mile front between Me**lne* and Wytschaete, at an early hour, they captured all their rim objective*, taking a large num ber of prisoners, and then continued - - 'I* .. Messlnes. Lenfre, Zeebrea and Wyt sehaete were reported taken. The official report says that the sec ond drive curried the village of Oosttaverne and the German posi tions east of the village over an ex tent of five miles. The German cas ualties were very heavy, and the Brit ish took more than 5,000 prisoners, j many guns, trench mortars and ma ! chine guns. Naval airplanes dropped bombs on the airdrome at Nieumunster, near the horrible under the sinister glow. The earth shook as if torn by a great seis mic disturbance. It was not a single shock. The force of the explosion actually set the earth rocking to and fro, and under the influence of the giant guns, which immediately began to roar from fur and near, the trem bling continued indefinitely. It was 3:10 o’clock when this final terrific bombardment began. It has seemed that the battle of the Somme attained the ultimate in the close assembly of war weapons, but this sudden outimuring on Messines ridge was beyond all calculation. The lighter field guns far forward set up a perfect curtain tire, under which the assaulting troops trudged confidently to their allotted goals. Farther back the deep-throated heavies began to tHiur out torrents of high explosive shells on tlie German trenches and communications, while still other guns : —enough to win any ordinary battle— confined themselves solely to tlie task of deluging German guns and gunners in baths of gas tired in shells of ev ery conceivable caliber. The effect of this counter battery work was not appreciated until later j in the day. when the infantry sent hack wonl that their progress had not been hampered by the enemy ar tillery and that their casualties amounted to virtually nothing. Enemy Signals for Help. Great black observation balloons had stolen skyward during the din of the newly begun battle. In the wood hark of the windmill spring birds, awakened by the deafening clamor, hml begun to sing joyously. Like so many children who have come into the consciousness of being in the midst of the war. these birds regarded the ap palling noise of the battle as a normal condition of life. Tlie smoke of the giant mines ex ploded along the battle front mean time rose in great, curling plumes to ward the sky and was punctuated by red signals for help from the stricken Germans In the front and support lines Never was tlie air filled with more frantic notices of danger. The entire horizon glowed with red balls of fire sent up by the nervous Ger mans. More and more Ilritish airplanes be gan to make their appearance. One flew over tiie lines, the flashes of the guns being reflected brilliantly on its highly glazed wings. I’nder tlds appalling fire trudged for " ard on tlie ten-mile front General Plunier's army. At many places the men found German troops utterly dazed liy tin* mine explosion and the ordeal of the artillery fire. First Taste of New Warfare. Many of these troops hail hut recent ly ciune from Itussia. where they had 'pent is months and knew nothing of what actual warfare was like on the western front. They had bolted at the ; first mine explosion and had only been i gathered together in groups by their j noiu-ommi'sioned officers when the j British appeared out of the smoke and shells and made them prisoner. They said they had been given to understand by their officers that the Britisli always killed their prisoners. It was really pitiful in some instances to see the manner in which these pris oners cringed to their captors. As a matter of fact, the British sol dier. when tiie fighting is done, is in clined almost too strongly to treat the German prisoners as pals. Some of tiie prisoners taken today had only gone into the German lines last night and had made their way forward un der a galling fire and had lost heavily. But the troops already in the line were calling for relief in such a manner that their appeals could not be denied. Failed to Time Attack. In view of the fact that tiie attack had lieen expeeted tiie German com manders were endeavoring to get their best units actually into the fighting front, but had underestimated when tin- British would strike. The troops in a strange line were utterly bewil dered when the attack began and fell easy prey to tin- advancing British. Tiie Irish. New Zealanders and Aus tralians. win* had been rehearsed in every detail of “the show.” knew just what to do from The moment the word to advance was given. The battle was far more visible dur ing tiie first uncertain moments than later when the sun gradually burned its way through tiie eastern banks of clouds. By that time the smoke of ex ploding 'hells and the vapors from the blinding barrage, which had been part of the artillery duty, obscured the more distant landscape to such an extent that tiie roaring guns could not lie seen , at all. although the firing was almost at one’s feet. The brilliantly leaping shrapnel shells, breaking far above ground, appeared through a thick mist j only as brief and brilliant electric sparks. British Planes Rule Air. For n month past, hut especially since June 1. the ai.planes on this front have been indefatigably at work during every possible flying hour. They had brought down nearly oO ma chines in six days as a means of blind ing the enemy. Lately the Germans have endeavored valiantly to obtain airplane observations for their artil lery. but their observing machines have seldom been able to direct more than one or two shots before the Brit ish fighting scouts had pounced ti|*m them and either sent them crashing to the earth or had driven them to cover at breakneck speed. Today the British planes flew far and long over the enemy's retreating lines and were only challenged by some very bad-shooting anti-aircraft batteries. All through the day British planes ruled the air. They eo-operated actively with the British artillery and infantry in maintaining the success of this brilliant episode in modern war fare. 1—Scene in tlie great Russian fortress of Kronstadt, whose garrison revolted but later yielded to the provisional government. 2—Eleanor Parker of Barnard college and Charles F. Phillips and Owen Cattell of Columbia university, who were arrested in New York for conspiring against the draft; Phillips pleaded guilty and asked permission to register. 3—Brig. Gen. R. E. L. Michie. aid to General Scott in the Root mission now in Russia; the low-collared uni form he has on is now disapproved by the war department. •!—One of the battering rums used by the Germans to destroy without explosives the cottages in the French territory from which they are being driven by the allies. NEWS REVIEW OF THE MSI WEEK More Than Ten Million Young Americans Register for National Army. PERSHING REACHES ENGLAND British Start Tremendous Offensive in Belgium, First Blowing Up Messines Ridge — Japan Warns Russia Against Withdrawing From the War—Food Scarcity Wor ries Germany. By EDWARD W. PICKARD. More than lO.UOO.UOO men between the ages of twenty-one and thirty years responded to the call of the na tion on Tuesday, June 5, registration day for the national army. Thus the first step in the execution of the se lective service law was completed with gratifying success and the predictions of the Germans and of the traitors in America who side with them that the registration would be a failure were proved false. That there would be opposition to the registration was a foregone con clusion. but it was sporadic and on the whole was of no importance. Such hostile demonstrations as there were generally took place in strongholds of the I. W. W. and the Socialists and were promptly squelched. Returns from some states were be low the estimates of the census bu reau. but In other states those esti mates were exceeded. A large pro portion of those registering claimed exemption, usually because of depend ent relatives, and the war department officials, as a result, intimated that the rules governing exemption would be tightened. The considerable number of claims for exemption really does not mean that so many young Americans desire to avoid service. Such n conclusion would he most unjust, for everywhere there were evidences of unbounded pa triotism and loyalty, and the indica tions of exemption claims arose mainly from the necessary answers to ques tions that were merely statistical. As soon as the machinery of regis tration is readjusted. 1,500.000 names will be drafted, the exemption boards will do their work and 625.000 men will be called for immediate service. Pershing Arrives in England. The safe arrival of General Per shing and his staff at an English port was announced on Friday. The naval collier Jupiter, laden with grain and other supplies for the Per shing army and escorted by American warships, arrived at a French port; a squadron of our warships arrived at Rio de Janeiro. Brazil, presumably to relieve the British navy of the pa trol of the South Atlantic; and more hospital units landed in England and proceeded to France. So much the government allowed to he known of the movements of our armed forces. Military expediency demanded the sup pression of much more interesting news. Preparations have been made for the reception of American troops in France. A number of bases have been organized, camps for infantry and ar tillery have been laid out. and aviation parks established. From France came the news of the exploit of the American steamship SllversheP which encountered an ene my submarine in the Mediterranean. The two vessels fought for an hour I and a half, exchanging many shots, j and then one shell fired by the naval I gunners on the Silvershell found its mark and the U-boat was sent to the bottom. British Offensive in Flanders. After a smashing bombardment last- | ing three days, the British began their expected offensive in Flanders early Thursday morning with nil explosion that was heard by Premier Lloyd George at Walton Heath. 140 miles away. Nine miles of German positions along the Tpres-Armentleres front : were blown into ihp air by 20 charges j of high explosives, totaling a million pounds. Instantly the Englishmen, Irishmen, Australians and New Zea landers that make up the British army in Belgium sprang forward in succes sive waves, and one of the fiercest battles of the war was on. The attack was directed at the Mes sines ridge, between Messines and Wytschaete. where ever since October of 1914 the Germans had maintained themselves in a sharp salient that al ways threatened Ypres, only three miles to the north. The morning rush resulted in the capture of Messines and Wytschaete and the enemy’s de fense systems on the nine-mile front, and later in the day another forward movement took the British into and through the village of Oosttaverne. The entire salient was straightened out and all the counter-attacks were re- j pulsed. Any considerable further ad- : vance in this sector will threaten the German hold on Lille, which is about five miles from the nearest British po sition. Large numbers of prisoners already have been taken. The Germans must have known that ! the attack of Messines ridge was in tended. for the preparatory bombard ment was terrific, and yet reports from prisoners indicated that they actually were taken by surprise. In preparation for the operations in Flanders the British fleet co-operated with the land forces, subjecting Os tend to severe bombardment. The British air forces also were in action, repeatedly raiding the German bases at Zeebrugge. Ostend and Bruges. In retaliation a squadron of German air- ! planes attacked the British naval base in the Medway, close to London, on Tuesday, but was driven off with the loss of eight machines. Several times during the week the Germans made vicious attacks in the Aisne and Champagne sectors and even gained possession of some French positions; but the gallant poilus al- j most immediately recovered the lost ground, inflicting severe losses on the enemy. The Austrians claimed bo have ef fectually checked the Italian advance toward Trieste, and announced that the Italian losses in the offensive were 180,000 men. On Tuesday the Italians were forced back south of Jamiano. Dispatches from Rome revealed the fact that Italy hnd proclaimed the in dependence of Albania. Once more the British admiralty is sued a very satisfactory report on the work of the submarines, showing but 23 British vessels sunk in the week, five of which were fishing ves sels. The American destroyers com pleted their first month in the war and have proved themselves most valu able aids to the British naval forces. Russia Is Warned. Conditions in Russia remain chaotic. ! though they may be straightened out somewhat by the work of the Root i commission and the American railway engineers. The revolt of the garrison of Kronstadt, which declared the is land fortress independent of the gov ernment. caused considerable concern in Petrograd, but as the action of the garrison was denounced by the 1‘etro grad council of workmen’s and sol- | filers' delegates it collapsed, and the garrison bowed to the authority of the provisional government. Following President Wilson's exam- j pie, France replied to Russia's state ment of her peace plan by setting forth in a general way the demands of the French. These, embodied in a vote of the chamber of deputies, in clude the liberation of the territories invaded by Germany, the return to France of Alsace-Lorraine and just reparation for damage. .lapnn also took official cognizance last week of the Russian crisis, in forming the government at Petrograd that if Russia withdraws from the war Japan, in consultation with England and the United States, will consider what measures to adopt. The pro visional government was warned that if Russia accepts a separate peace it will become another Austria under the domination of Germany, will lose Po land, Lithuania and Finland and will be stripped of many of her outlying possessions. Furthermore. Japan in formed Great Britain that while, in cnse of Russia’s withdrawal from the entente, Japan would prefer to send her troops to France rather than to undertake military chastisement of Russia, if tlie new situation seemed to threaten Japan the latter would take measures for self-protection. This means she would declare war on Rus sia and take away Manchuria and pos sibly, outer Mongolia. The best informed opinion is that the entente allies have little to hope from Russia in the way of further ac tive participation in the war. If she can be persuaded to reject a separate peace and to hold the Germans back from further invasion, that is about the limit of reasonable expectation. The provisional government seems ut terly lacking in cohesion and its power is negligible. The strike of munition workers in 1‘etrograd was averted on Wednesday, but only by granting the demands of the men. including the six-hour day. General Brussiloff was made com mander in chief of the Russian armies, and General Gurko again resigned as commander on the western front. Two Things Worry Germany. Two tilings are causing especial anxiety in Germany. One is the per sistent demand of the masses in Aus tria-Hungary for a peace on the Scheidemann plan of no annexations and no indemnities—a separate peace if Germany remains obdurate. The German Socialists are aroused to an ger by the prospect of this breaking up of the alliance of the central pow ers, and lay all the blame on the pan Germans. The other cause for German worry is the scarcity of food, which admit tedly is increasing throughout the em pire. Food Controller von Bntoekl told the reichstag that the potato crop is smaller than was expected, and that the crops in the occupied territories are a great disappointment, us seed will hardly germinate in ruined soil. In Turkey, Bulgaria and Austria, he admitted, the food situation was des perate. The cities and towns over there are suffering far more than the country districts, for the peasants re tain much of the meats and other food stuffs they produce, despite the ef forts of the officials to force them to disgorge. Itt some parts of Germany the townspeople have been conducting regular expeditions into the country to seize food, by tinned force if neces sary. The war and the question of China’s participation therein sire causing a lot of trouble for the rulers of that so called republic. The situation is con fusing to occidentals, hut the concrete results have included the revolt of 11 provinces, which formed a provisional government, and the resignation of the vice president. Germany undertook to appease Spain by apologizing for the sinking of a Spanish vessel and offering to pay damages, hut the Spaniards tire still angry and the food situation there is had. King Alfonso last week made a demand on the eentral powers that the abuse of Jews in Palestine he stopped, and in this was backed up by the Ar gentine republic. Northcliffe Comes to America. An interesting development of the week was the acceptance by Lord Northcliffe of the position of head of the British war commission in the United States in succession to Arthur Balfour. The great editor and pub lisher is. next to Lloyd-George, the most influential man in Great Britain and it is predicted that his work in America will he momentous. A neat example of German methods nf oppression is supplied by the treat ment of Mons. That Belgian town was fined $100,000 last week because a Belgian paper, printed in Holland, announced that Crown Prince Iru precht of Bavaria was in Mons w1i-m that city was bombarded by allied air men—also, probably, because the Gr anins needed the money. The finance committee of the senaia put in another strenuous week revnmp ing the war revenue bill, and finally irot it in shape for consideration by the sennte. The campaign for the sale of Lib erty bonds is still being carried on with vigor and the greatest success throughout the country. Why it should te necessary to urge people to put heir money into these absolutely safe tnd very desirable securities is not easily understandable, but since it is, the men who have the work in charge ire to be highly commended for the skill, persistency and ingenuity with tvhich they are pushing the campaign. GRANT DEMANDS OF WORKERS Threatened Strike of Employees of Petrograd Munition Plants Has Been Temporarily Averted. Petrograd.—The threatened strike in 140 factories in Petrogrnd engnged in metal and other war work has been averted for the present. The workers’ claims were granted, including the six hour day. Gon Mirhnel Alexieff. who recently ■ i I'l—m.i i IH HI .jrw.BMwnni nii*winmj|i,,=g?*" the Russian armies, has been ap- j pointed military adviser of the pro- | visional government. An official announcement made prior \ to the departure of the socialist min isters for Kronstadt reads: “The provisional government, recog •nizing that the present condition of affairs in Kronstadt is both menacing and intolerable, has requested the so cialist ministers Tseretelli and Sko beleff to visit the fortress city with the oblect of clear!utr ud its attitude Arthur Henderson, British minister without portfolio; Albert Thomas, French minister of munitions; and Emile Vandervelde. Belgian minister of munitions, all noted socialists, have sent a letter to the council of soldiers’ and workmen's delegates expressing surprise that a call should have been issued by the council for an interna tional conference to consider means of ending the war before the negotiations between the British, French and Bel EPITOME OF EVENTS ;PARAGRAPHS that PERTAIN TO MANY SUBJECTS. ARE SHORT BUT INTERESTING ! _ • Brief Mention of What is Transpiring ! In Various Sections of Our Own and Foreign Countries _ U. S.-Teutonic War News. Only about 15,000 men will lie tried In Hie second series of eight officers' training camps to be held from Au gust 127 to November 120, it is an nounced. * * * Five divisions of national guards men, about 1125,000 men, will lie in i Europe by the time snow flies, if plans under consideration by the ar my general staff are adopted. * * * The Navy department announced that an armed American steamer en gaged in a running fight with a Ger man U-boat and it is believed that a shot from the vessel sunk the subma rine. * * « Announcement has been made by Provost Marshal Crowder that claims for exemption from military service j under the draft law will be deter mined by local boards appointed by the president for each 30,000 popula tion. * * * The first military census ever ta- I ken in the United States was com- j pieted on June 5, with but few weeks of preparation, when more than 10,- j 000.000 American youths registered for war service without serious dis turbance anywhere in the country. • » * Preparations are being made in j France for the arrival of American troops. The navy department an nounced that an American transport containing food for them lias arrived in a French port and American war ships are anchored off the French I coast. * * * The grain requirements of the al lies nnd the European neutrals were put at 971,000.000 bushels, a total much greater than the United States can supply, in a statement by Her bert C. Hoover, listing the minimum needs of each nation for human con sumption and for feed. * * * Following the arrest of three men | in New York, charged with conspir- ' Ing to send military information to ] Germany it became known that two ! complete wireless outfits had been ! assembled in the city and shipped to ! Mexico for use of a German spy sys- : tern in this country. ... Herbert C. Hoover, recently named ; food administrator of the United States, emphatically denies reports quoting him as saying that this coun try's sugar supply would soon be ex hausted. He declared it is his belief that the price of sugar will be low ered during the coming year and the supply will lie ample. General News. John M. Haines, born in Jasper county, Iowa, January 1. 1S63, and governor of Idaho in 1913 and 1915. died at his home at Boise, Idaho, after a long illness. ... Fifty buildings in Perry, Okla., were demolished by a tornado that swept the district hist Thursday. It was tlie fifth tornado in the state dur- ■ ing the week. The damage is placed j at $150,000. No one was killed. ... It. \v. Fields of Brockton, Mass., paid $53,200 for a 5-months-old bull calf at the Holstein-Fniesian associa tion convention auction sale at Wor- * cester. Mass. The previous record 1 price for a bull was $35,000. i ... Three persons were killed, several injured and heavy property loss re- '■ suited when a tornado destroyed the ' towns of Elmont. Valencia, Maple * Hill and Menoken, Kansas. All the records for the registration for the draft were lost in the storm. < ... i Despondent because of his wife’s t ill health and the poor condition of t his crop. Bruno Herold, aged 50. of f Austin. Tex., shot and killed his wife, ' bent to death his two children, aged f 9 and 11, set fire to his home, then t shot and killed himself. s ... For the second time in two weeks Kansas and Missouri were visited by t death dealing tornadoes, which took t a toll of thirty-one lives in the two i states and caused property damages t estimated at $1,000,000. t * * * Final tribute was paid to Colonel r William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) when j the remains of the famous plalnsmnn , were laid to rest in a tomb hewn from i solid rock on Lookout mountain, near , Denver. June 2, The Golden Mason- j ic lodge conducted the ceremonies. s * * » r Three deaths, the injury of more ( than thirty and damage estimated at ft more than $500,000 were caused by the tornado that swept over Coffey ville, Kan. More than 100 homes \ were destroyed. ki • • • After thirteen months of the fastest ^ construction work ever done on anj ^ sugar refinery, the Savannah ^ugar f( Refining corporation’s si plant, at Savannah. Ga., "hie ''overs Jr five acres, has been completed. It will refine 1.000.000 pounds a day. * * • One man killed by lightning, «100 000 damage to bridges, culverts h, and roadbeds, also heavy losses in fo stock and crops in eastern Nebraska w nnd southwestern Iowa resulted from sll ^ roln nn<1 irlnd cfnrm » - Henry Ford, Detroit automobile manufacturer subscribed for $r>, 000,000 worth of Liberty loan bomb * * » Eleven provinces of China, includ ing the province Chi Li, in which Pe king is situated, have declared their independence and now no longer rec ognize the authority of the Peking government. The situation is said lo be serious. * * * Allan L. Henson, candidate for pn s ident of the United States on the so cialist ticket at the last election, an nounced that he will resign from tie party unless it repudiates the anti draft resolutions adopted at the St Louis convention April 7. * * * Three quarter sections of kind in Kern county. Calif., worth si <>;m•.<mmi. were ordered restored to tie \.Tu rnout by Federal Judge P..ait of Portland. ore.. in a suit >\ the government in the United court at Los Angeles, to reeovc under the Taft withdrawal orde sued September 27. 1909, to ostab: 1 a fuel oil reserve for the navy. * 4 * The Colorado supreme court re versed the action of the lower court in the conviction of John It. Lawson former executive hoard member of tiie United Mine Workers, found guilty of murder in connection with the strike of coal miners in the southern Colorado fields in 1914. The court did not remand the case for new trial and no further proseru tion will be made. Washington Notes. A campaign to recruit and train 10,000 men to officer the ships <.: tbe new American merchant marine was announced by the federal shipping board and the department of ouu merce. * • * The senate flounce committee [ it a 2-eent tax on checks and dri fts over $5 as u new levy in the war r- v enue bill. It is expected that $1> 000,000 will be raised under tin n-w section. * * * A delegation from the Natii nal Farmers' union, representing agri ul tural interests in thirty-two states, told President Wilson that they en dorsed the administration plan for food control. * • • Former Governor W. It. Stubbs of Kansas told the interstate commerce commission that the railroads of the United States have $1,000,000.1 HHl sur plus and that if an emergency exists now is the time for them to spend it * * • President Wilson has issued an aj> peal to the citizens of Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, Montana. Wyo ming and five other western states to raise the west’s share of the sioo. HKt.(HK) sought by the National lied Cross. • • • Exemption of popular priced m<>v ng picture theaters from aniuse nent taxes and the levying of a new ’ederal license tax on automobile iwners. ranging from $7.50 to $25. ■vere agreed upon by the senate inance committee in revising the rev alue bill. * * * The supreme court of the United States affirmed the decision of the su preme court of Nebraska upholding he validity of the state law under which irrigation companies in certain nstances may be compelled to bridge heir canals. * * • Healthy business conditions gencr illv are reported in the federal re ierve board's monthly summary of nisiness conditions, though war eco lomies are being felt in many sec ions. The freight traffic situation in iome places is improving, hut it still s serious. European War News. The house passed the senate bill to mthorize issue of rifles and other ■quipment for organization of horn tuards. * * * Petrograd reports declare that the 10-caIled Kronstadt republic has sir •endered unconditionally to the Itus ian government. * • * Fifteen vessels of 1.600 tons and iver were sunk by mines or subma ines during the week ending June 2. ceording to official announcement by he British admiralty. This is three ewer than the losses for the previous reek. The admiralty praises the ef ective co-operation of the American avy in reducing the destruction by ubmnrines. • • * Announcement has been made that he French steamship Yarra, 4.1S' nns gross, was torpedoed and sunk n tile Mediterranean on May 29. Or he 690 persons on board, thirty six rere lost. » * * Over a front of more than nine tiles, from Ypres to Armentieres. Iritish forces under General Haig ealt a mighty blow to r,1<1 r'Pnnan ist Thursday. They took 5,000 pris ners a number of heavy guns and iiineti much ground. The attack tarted b.v blowing up 1.000.000 ounds of explosives in front of the erinan position, the detonation being eard in England. 130 miles away. • * • British casualties published during ny totaled 114,118 officers and men lied, wounded and missing. * * » The Russian workmen's and sol ars' council named July 8 as the ite for the Stockholm socialist con rence. A world council to “con fer means to end war and eliminate iperialism” is the announced pur ise of the meeting. • • • According to information received • the Norwegian legation in London rty-nine Norwegian steamships, th a gross tonnage of 75.397 were nk in Mny. Twenty-five lives were