Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1917 — Important News Events of the World Summarized [ARTICLE]

Important News Events of the World Summarized

U. S.—Teutonic War News The American steamer Hqfkihghaiu has !• by a-Gemtun submarine. . Thirteen men are. missing. ' Two boats containing 33 men were picked up, one by a patrol vessel. One boat .containing 13 nieii wjas not found. The American steamship Rockingham, "formerly the steamship Nebraskan, Was of 4,408 tons gross. - ' The French commissioners were told at Washing oh that the American government is willing to send troops to France—one of ' the urgent recommendations they brought to. this coun-try-r-Aylien' the-'allies believe they can' affor i 'to spare the necessary.shih-s for transporting an army and its equipment acr.-< the Atlantic. Marshal Joffre. held a long conference with President. WflSon on the question of sending American troops to France. » » * “We might as well wake up to the fact that tire situation is serious.” Thus spoke Secretary of State Lansing at Washington in the course of a discussion of the plight of the allies, whose security, is menaced at sea by German submarines and on land by shortage of lighting men. Lansing said that the United States is facing one of the gravest crises in its history. * * * "If we 'don’t fight the war on the other side,” Secretary Lane said, “we shall have to- fight It on this side of the Atlantic.” Lane, speaking before the defense council of governors and state representatives at Washington, said that the great destruction of ships was threatening the existence of Great Britain and France and menacing the United States. .... » » ♦ The movement, to have an American army sent to fight in France at the earliest possible moment took one more step toward accomplishment. It also developed that the civilian ’Officials of the government at Washington are almost in a body in favor of the plan, while military advisors of the war department stand solidly against sending any soldiers to France until they have been thoroughly trained here.

♦ ♦ • It was announced at Washington that the Hamburg-American liners’ Portonia and Clara Mennig at New York had been turned over by tile American government for use of the entente allies. One ship will go to France and the other to Italy. . * ♦ • That at least it brigade of'American troops will be on the fighting line in France by mid June Js the confident prediction being made at Washington. * ♦ ♦ The American oil tank steamer Vacuum has been smik. The captain and part of the crew and the naval lieiitenant and nine Aineriean gunners are missing. Tile Vacuum was sunk by a German submarine while it.was oil the way to the .United State's, says a statement issued at London. . The first American contingent to carry the flag overseas will be a mission of-mercy. This was nouti < 1.1 at the war at Washington in the statement that si large group of Fled Cross doctors and nurses would be sent .immediately to Europe. - * * * H< nry Pabst. nephew of the Milwaukee brewer. Aysts accepted by the recruiting office Of the marine corps at Salt Lake > Zity. • • '■ < . - ■* *■ * A two-pound bomb was hidden tinder the eoat of Wolf Hirsh of Kiel, Germany, Wlieh lie; and a companion, George ADrringvi' of Regensburg. Germany, were arrested in New York. ® » * It was announced at Amsterdam that Berlin newspapers published a police notice stating that citizens of the United States, Cuba dud Panama hereafter will be subjected" to the ordinances governing enemy aliens. . “France, which has long recognized the valor of • the American soldier, cherishes the confident hope that the flag of the United States will soon be unfurled on our firing line.” Marshal Joffre, the hero of the Marne, made this statement to a group of newspaper men at Washington. Domestic The University of Kentucky at Lexington. Ky., canceled its entire athletic schedule for 1917 because three-fourths of its athletes have enlisted. * • ♦ Despite the refusal of Mayor Thompson to extend an invitation to the French war mission to visit Chicago, the visit will be made upon a formal invitation by Senator J. Hamilton Lewis at Washington. • * * William (Red) Kelley of Mitchell, S. D., end of last year’s football team at Wisconsin university, and Arley Mucks of Oshkosh, Wls.. famous ath- ' lete.left Madison,-Wis., to take over a 200-acre farm in South Dakota for the production of foodstuffs. 1

i Continued reports of marked lncrease in the acreage devoted to food ' crops and scarcity of farm help, as well as seed, came from all parts of | the country to\ the department 0/ agrii culture at -Washington in the weekly ’ dispatches on weather and crop conditions. • ' ■ • • • Nearly i’GOO is already available toward a fund .to buy Marshal Joffre a jtsmall golden miniature of the Statue : of Liberty when he comes to New York . with thesFrepch c<mtmi.ssioners.' r A' tornado swept through Western I Kentucky, damaging" residences and i small" buildings in several towns and I ruining crops. Gen. J. Franklin Bell, successor to Maj. Gen. Leonard - Wood, took up. his duties as commander Of the depart-, ment of the East, with headquarters at Governor's Inland, N. Y. Foreign If was announced at .Rome that the • special mission to America will be -Composed of Prince Udine, Senator Marconi, Alarquijj Borsarelll. undersecretary for foreign affairs, and Deputies Ciufelil and Nitti, both foreign ministers. . ' » The speech which was to have- been made in the reicljstag by Dr. von Beth- i ■mann-I-lollweg, t,he German imperial chancellor, on peace and .international.. relations, has beep postponed to a more fitting occasion, according re- , celved at Copenhagen. A brief Berlin dispatch to Amslerdam believed to be officially inspired. ■ stated the general strike failed to materialize, no cessation of work was reported, no parades were held and no disturbances occurred. From neutral frontier sources In Hollahd, Switzerland and Scandinavia came persistent reports of a different story. One million workers are reported to be on strike. “* • *

Washington The food situation precipitated another lively discussion in the senate at Washington, during which Senator Thomas- reiterated his opinion th.at high food prices could be cured by a liberal hanging of food speculators on handy lamp posts, and Senator Williams suggested that the "German corruption fund” might have figured in creating a food scare that resulted in soaring prices. • * • ♦ . It was announced at Washington that Frank S. Peabody of Chicago was selected as fuel controller for the United States. ♦ * ♦ All recruiting records of the United States army, navy and marine corps were broken during April when 68.524 men enlisted, the war ami navy departments announced at Washington. Of this total 40,258 joined the army. 21,650 the navy and 4,(507 tin* marine corps. * * ♦ General Joffre, the grayhaired marshal of France, with just eight words spoken in a soft voice literally took she United Slates senate at ’fishingion by storm. These were the words: “I do not speak En-glikh. Vive FAmerique'!” Cheer after cheer greeted him and eeas<*d only when the hero of the Marne had left the senate chamber. * ♦ - State aid in the federal trade commission's investigation of high food prices was .taken up at- Washington at a eonferenec of •representatives of stat e food boards wi 1 li. the c<imitiissioil. * * ♦ By unanihunts vote, the senate at Washington passed a resolution providing for transfer to the American govermnent of title and possession iff enemy ships in American ports ami their use in-commerce under direction of'the shipping board. * * ♦ European War News In the first two .months of unrestricted submarine warfare, shipping to the amount of more than 1,600,(MM) tons, was sunk by Hie Germans, Dr. Karl Ilelfferieh, German secretary of the interior, told the reichstag main committee, Says a dispatch from Amsterdam.

The British official, announcement at London of tile number pf vessels sunk in the week ending on Sunday last shows 38 merchant vessels of more than 1,600 tons each were sunk. Those of less than 1,600 tons numbered 13, and 8 fishing vessels were sent to the bottom by submarines or mines! * ♦ ♦ Secretary Daniels and high naval officers at Washington made their annual May day observances of the anniversary of the battle of Manila bay. Since the victor in that fight, Admiral Dewey, no longer lives to receive the congratulations of his associates, thejf were paid to his widow. * ♦ ' The Peninsular and Oriental steamship Ballara.t (11,120 tons), carrying troops; the American schooner Woodward Abrahams (744 tons) and the Uruguayan steamer Gorizia (1,246 tons), are three. U-boat victims reported to London in 24 hours. All were sunk without warning. There was no loss of life. • * • The evacuation by the Russians of Mushy tn Turkish Armenia, is announced by rhe Constantinople war office. The town has been occupied by the Turks.