Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 82, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 January 1918 — Important News Events of the World Summarized [ARTICLE]

Important News Events of the World Summarized

European War News The hospital Ship liewa was torpedoed and sunk in the Bristol channel January 4 when on its way from Gibraltar, it is announced officially -at London. All the wounded were saved. There were three casualties among the crew. ... * « * "The additional strength which the enemy can obtain from the events In Russia and Italy already has been largely discounted and the ultimate destruction of the enemy’s field forces has been brought appreciably nearer,” is the confident summing up by Field Marshal Haig of last year’s work by the British army on the western front. ’ • • • Withdrawal of Russian troops from a sector of the Macedonian front is reported in Mie statement from army headquarters to Berlin. The French General Lize, commanding the artillery on the Italian front, has been killed in action, says a statement issued at Paris • • • A British torpedo-boat destroyer has been torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean sea, according to an admiralty announcement issued in London. All the officers of the destroyer were saved, but ten members of the crew were lost. • * * The bolshevik! are definitely strengthening the front, Petrograd advices to London say. The correspondent of the Daily News obtained this Information from M. Radek, one of the Russian peace delegates. He said the bolshevik! were Intending to send home all who did not wish to fight, so that they would have an army which was willing to war for an ideal. • • * British patrols have again crossed the Piave river, the Rome war office announces. They forced a passage at various points, causing an alarm in the enemy lines. • * • British aviators have dropped large quantities of bombs on tlie RamegnlesChln airdrome in Belgium and in the vicinity of Metz, Lorraine, according to the official statement issued at London. • • • A dispatch received in London from the Russian wireless service says that 25,000 German soldiers in the region east of Kovno have revolted. German deserters stated that in consequence of the government drafting soldiers for dispatch to the western front, the men rebelled and left the battle line. • • * British troops attacked and captured from the Germans a trench section (sap)-which the Teutons had occupied earlier in the day to the east of Bullecourt. on the Arras-Cambrai front, the war office announced at London. • • • Personal Ellis H. Roberts, ex-treasurer of the United States and for many years editor of the Utica Herald, died at his home in Utica, N. Y. Mr. Roberts was born September 30, 1827. • « • Foreign Another outbreak has occurred in Portugal. Crews of Portuguese , warships mutinied and bombarded Lisbon forts. The army remained faithful to the government and tranquility has been restored. * * • The Paris Temps says of the passage in President Wilson's address dealing • with. Alsace-Lorraine : “It is the first rime the president of the United States has declared himself on , the AlsaceLorraine question. We had no doubts as to his sentiments, but we are profoundly glad that he litis expressed them.” » * * President Wilson's speech, like all his utterances since America entered, the war, takes the leading place in both the news and editorial columns of the London press. One newspaper describes it as “The Magna Charts of future peace." Representatives of British labor issued a manifesto giving whole-hearted support to the program presented in the speech. * * * An official statement issued at Berlin announced that because of the Russian request to transfer the peace conferences from Brest-Litovsk to Stockholm, the central powers had temporarily suspended negotiations with Russia. A dispatch from Amsterdam says leaflets are in circulation all over Germany containing the following extracts from a recently suppressed number of Vorwaerts: “Many people are dying of sheer hunger. Sixty million people are suffering. They will not always remain silent. Germany is on the verge of a catastrophe worse than Russia’s — namely, a German defeat and loss of the whole war.” Premier Alhucemas announced at Madrid. Spain, that a revolutionary movement is now under control.

More than 30 persons were killed and 100 injured in a railway accident near Kalserlatitern In Bavaria, Germany, according to a dispatch received at Amsterdam. • • • Domestic Miss Helene Branstitter, twenty years old, was smothered to death at the state hospital at Jacksonville, 111., by two patients, Marian Menlka of Springfield and Stella Coppa of Chicago. After killing the nurse the patients escaped. ■» » ♦ Lieutenant Commander David Worth Bagley, who commanded the 1 American torpedo-boat destroyer Jacob Jones, sunk by a German submarine in the war zone on December 6, departed from London for the United States. * * • Gov. Walter E. Edge, in a message to the New Jersey legislature, which convened at Trenton, N. J., recommended the immediate passage of legislation designed to make the most of the state’s “strategic position” in helping tlie United States reach “the zenith of her fighting power.” The governor urged placing food, fuel and fisheries under state control. ♦ • • Dr. Asa W. Chamberlain was found guilty of the murder of his brother, Albert, at Richmond, Va. Life Imprisonment for the physician was fixed by the jury. ♦ ♦ » The thirty-eighth annual meeting of the fanners’ national congress will be held in Jacksonville, Fla., next December 3, 4 and 5. This decision was reached at Washington by a subcommittee. • • • Chicago was struck by the most severe storm In Its history on Sunday. A 44-mile-an-hour gale which arose In Texas swept Into the city and kept up its terrific pace throughout the day and night. A blinding snow accompanied it. Every form of traffic was demoralized by the elements and drifts of 15 or more feet were not uncommon sights. * * • U. S. —Teutonic War News

The former captain of the Princeton football team, now serving in the flying corps, brought down his first German plane, the Paris edition of the New York Herald says. The captain referred to probably Is Lieut. “Hobey” Baker. » • ♦ The American steamship Harry Luckenbach has been torpedoed and sunk with loss of life, according to word received at New York by the owners of the vessel. Eight of the crew are missing. • * • Revelations of a conspiracy to smuggle small arm ammunition from this country to Germany were made at Washington. The charge is made that German reserve officers at liberty in this country have been supervising the manufacture of tins ammunition. • • • Mobilization of 3,000,000 workers for agriculture, shipbuilding and war contract plants was intrusted to the United States employment service by the department of labor at Washington. Tremendous expansion of the service is in progress in preparation for recruiting men necessary to carry on tlie economic work in support of the military forces in the war. John B. Densmore of Montana will be national director of the employment service. • • » Generar Pershing reported to Washington the death of Capt. William E. Hard of penuinonia. He lived at 1200 Western avenue, Joliet, 111. * * * Deaths of Lieut. William S. Ely and Sergt. George E. Houdek in airplane accidents in France were reported to Washington by General Pershing. Ely lived at 501 East avenue, Rochester, N. Y„ and Houdek at 1118 Monticello r venue, Chicago. • • « United States aviators have flown over the German battle lines and dropped bombs, in conjunction with British and French pilots, says a dispatch from France. The flight of the Americans virtually was a reprisal for Ihe killing of two American woodcutters during a German bombing expedition a week ago. • • • Washington Tire government at Washington is preparing to take control of the oil supply under the fuel administration. A man has been selected to take charge, and his name will be made public with the announcement of the government’s decision. ♦ * * "There is plenty of labor in the United States for the array and for industry. It heeds proper adjustment, however,” said Secretary of Labor Wilson at Washington. Only 5 per cent of the nation’s workers will be taken by the army in the first year, Secretary Wilson estimated. ♦ ♦ ♦ Vigorous exception was taken by the department of justice at Washington to complaints that the government is 1 too lenient in dealing with enemy ' aliens. In a statement if was declared • the government is exercising "rigorous severity.”’ . • * * The treasury decision that in making inventories, for excess profits and Income tax returns, dealers in merchandise or securities might use the cost price or market value, whichever . was lower, is being reviewed by the department of justice at Washington.