Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1917 — Important News Events of the World Summarized [ARTICLE]

Important News Events of the World Summarized

U. S. —Teutonic War News Plans well laid by the war department at Washington contemplate the listing for service in the National army under the new questionnaire now r being answered by the conscripted men, of a sufficient force to enable President Wilson to issue a call for a new draft about February 1. * * * Two sailors were saved by the Germans from the American destroyer Jacob Jones, according to an official German announcement received at Amsterdam. * • * Gen. John .T. Pershing, commander Ln chief of the Americans in France, in general orders issued in France proclaimed Chrisynas and New Years day as holidays. The order said no work is to be performed on the two days. * * * Col. E. M. House, who headed the United States delegates to the interallied conference held ln Paris, arrived in New York. He said; ‘I he work was satisfactorily done. The mission was a great success. The representatives agreed on everything.” * * * Seventeen enlisted men of the Unlted States army engineer corps were reported missing in action by General Pershing in a dispatch to the war department at Washington. They were missing on November 30, the day of the German turning movement at Cambral, and are believed to have fallen into the hands of the Germans. * * • Foreign General Kaledines, the. (Cossack leader, has proposed to the bolsheviki government at l’etrograd, Russia, that civil strife cease, stipulating the independence of the Don territory and nonintervention by the maximalists.

* * * The executive council of workmen’s and soldiers' delegates has proclaimed a state of siege in Petrograd in an effort to repress disorders due to the looting of wine cellars and shops. • • * Former Premier Kerensky of Russia has taken the field against the bolsheviki forces and is marching toward Petrograd, according to a dispatch printed in the Copenhagen Berliugske Tidente. * * * Conscription has been confirmed and the unionist government has been returned to power by the Canadian domestic vote. Returns show that the government of .Sir Robert Borden has been elected to administer Canadian ,affairs and that Sir Wilfrid Laurier has been defeated. The unionists won 128 seats and the opposition ST, with four seats deferred. * * * Personal Frank (bitch of Humboldt, la., who retired as heavyweight champion wrestler a few years ago, died at Des Moines, la. (bitch was known all over the world as the greatest catch-as-cutch-oan wrestler in the history of that sport. Death was caused by uraemic poisoning. * * * Washington

Rifle manufacturers laid at the door of tht‘ war department entire blame for the delay in supplying rifles and machine guns for American soldiers. Inability of department officers to sense the danger three months before war was declared and refusal to interest themselves in preparedness are held responsible l’or the small arms Shortage. The manufacturers, appeared as witnesses before the senate military affairs committee at Washington. * * Secretary Daniels and Paymaster General McGowan of the riavy were the first witnesses before the house naval subcommittee at Washington, delegated to begin an investigation intd the navy's war activities. Secretary Daniels gave a general review of what tfie navy has been doing, told bow the navy is now building 424 capital and other important ships. ; * * Insufficient clothing, overcrowding and bad sanitation are held largely responsible for. disease epidemics at Camp Bowie, Texas; Camp Funston, Kansas; Camp Doniphan, Oklahoma, and Camp Sovier, South Carolina, by Surgeon General Gorgas, in reports 'to Secretary of War Baker, made public at Washington as the result of his personal inspetcion of the camps. * * *

The worst of the equipment shortage and overcrowding, resulting in the excessive deaths in four army camps* reported to Washington by General Gorgas, has been passed. Health conditions in all the camps are improving. * * * Secretary Baker announced at Washington that Maj. Gen. George W. Goethals has been recalled to active service and detailed as .acting quartermaster general, to succeed Major General Sharpe, detached to serve as a member of the war department’s new war council.

Rear Admiral Frederick R. Harris, recently appointed general manager of the shipping (ward's Emergency Fleet corporation at Washington, asked to be relieved of that duty. His request will be granted and Charles A. Piez of Chicago will be named to succeed him. • • • Investigation of the delays in building the American merchant marine by the shipping noard and emergency lleet corporation was ordered by the senate at Washington which rushed through a resolution after vigorous criticism by several senators of the failure to produce ships. ■* —• * ■ • European War News Fourteen British merchantmen of more than 1,600 tons and three under that tonnage were sunk by mine or submarine during the past week, according to the admiralty statement issued at London. * * * Ten persons were killed and 70 injured in London during an air raid. Outside of London five persans were Injured. Two German airplanes which took part in the raid were brought down. * • • General Sarrall. commander of the allies’ armies at Saloniki, has been recalled, according to newspaper announcements in Athen«. The successor of General Sarrall. in command of the Macedonian forces, it is said, will be General Guillement. • • • Ukranian troops and bolsheviki guards are lighting in the streets of Odessa, Russia. * • • One British and five neutral merchantmen, a British destroyer and four mine sweepers have been sunk in the North sea by German naval forces. The losses were the result of an attack on a convoy bound from Scotland to Norway. Sir Eric Cedes announced at London. The total tonnage of the lost merchantmen was S.OOO. * * • A dispatch. Jfrom Constantinople to Amsterdam quoted the Turkish war ofgce as stating that the small islands of Planka and Messonissa. off the coast of Asia Minor, have been occupied by Turkish forces. * * * An armistice agreement between the bolsheviki government in Russia and the Teutonic allies was signed at BrestT.itovsk Saturday, according to an official communication issued at Berlin. The armistice started December 17, and is to remain in force until January 14. A provision in the armistice agreement is that peace negotiations are to begin immediately after the signing of the armistice.

• • • Domestic More winter wheat has been planted this fall by American farmers than ever before in the history of the nation, according to a report issued by the department of agriculture at Washington. The acreage of winter wheat is reported as 42,170.000. • * * The United Mine Workers of Ameriica, in order to meet unprecedented demands for coal, will keep mines in operation during the holidays except on two days —Christmas and New Year's—according to a statement issued by international headquarters at Indianapolis, Ind. • * * Liberty motor truck No. 7. one of 33 military Liberty motor tracks en route from Detroit. Mich., to Newport News, Vn., was struck by an Erie train near Rraceville. 0., resulting in the death of Driver Frank Pappelo, Canton. 0., arid injuring John I.itzenbnrg. * • * The arrest of all Germans who have failed to take out second naturalization papers was ordered by O. Ti Wood, United States marshal for Kansas, in a telegram to the Kansas City. Kan,, police. * * * William Potter, state fuel administrator of Pennsylvania, is in Washington to protest against further seizure of coal in Philadelphia by Director Krusen of the department of health and charities. * * * Two big plants in the South Chicago steel mill district suspended part of their operations tine to the scarcity of coal and throwing approximately 3,000 men out of work. ■ .* - # . ♦ Nineteen lives were lost when the American submarine F-l was rammed and sunk by submarine F-3 in home waters in a f«»g. The F-3 was undamaged and picked- up five survivors of her victim. Secretary Daniels announced the disaster in a brief statement at Washington. Lieut. A. E. Montgomery, commanding officers of the F-l, was among the five saved. * * ♦ Gaston B. Means was acquitted at Concord, N. C., in a charge of slaying Mrs. Maude A. King, the wealthy New York and Chicago widow. The jury deliberated a little over fifteen hours. ■ * •' » 1 That their male ticket agents may be relieved from usual duties and replace men who went to the armies, the Union Pacific railroad placed woman ticket, agents at all important ticket offices of that road, says a dispatch from Omaha, Neb. * • • George H. Earle, Jr. y one of the leading independent sugar refiners, issued a statement at Philadelphia praising Food Administrator Hoover and George M. Rolpb, head of the sugar division for their work arid bitterly assailing Claus Spreckles.