Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1918 — MOST IMPORTANT NEWS OF WOULD [ARTICLE]

MOST IMPORTANT NEWS OF WOULD

BIQ HAPPENINGS OF THE WEEK CUT TO LAST ANALYSIS. DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN ITEMS Kernels Culled From Events of Moment In All Parts of the World— Of >Jnterest to All tho People Everywhere. u. S.—Teutonic War News Germany’s threat of a great spring offensive on the western front no longer impresses American military men. In Its weekly review the war department records conclusion that the enemy, in spite of his vast preparations, will not take the offensive unless forced into it. * ♦ ♦ After a terrific artillery preparation large numbers of the enemy crossed No Man’s Land on the extreme right of the American sector northwest of Toni. Apparently the purpose of' the raid was quickly accomplished and oiF^ - a comparatively small number entered our lines. • ♦ » The Spanish and Swiss ambassadors at Berlin have been directed by the German foreign office to notify the American government that Germany will proceed with measures against American property in Germany in the same proportion that action Is taken against German property In the United States, Reuter’s Amsterdam correspondent reports to London. * * * ■l—Fifty persons were killed and great material damage was done by bombs dropped by allies’ airmen when they raided Koblenz. Germany, according to a neutral traveler, who arrived at The Hague, Ihe Times says. “The people believed the raiders were Americans,” the traveler said. ♦ ♦ •

It is now permissible to announce that American artillery in the Lunevine sector in France has located and blown up a battery of mine throwers. The battery had been causing a great deal of trouble for several days. ♦ ♦ ♦ Secretary Baker had his baptism of fire in the front line trendies on the American front in France and while he was returning a German shell hurst within less than fifty yards of Ids motorcar. He was not Injured. * ♦ ♦ President Wilson issued a proclamation taking over (500,000 tons of Dutch shipping within the territorial waters of the United States. At the same | time similar action was taken by the allied governments on 400,000 tons of Dutch ships in their resepeetive ports. The ships'will be immediately put Into j service in the most vital war work of | the moment —getting men to France and food to the allies. ♦ ♦ * A German airplane flew over the American sector northwest of Toul. France, and dropped rubber balls eighteen inches in diameter, tilled with liquified mustard gas. This is the first time, so far as is known, that an‘airplane has been thus employed. The effect of the gas was not serious. • * * Twenty-nine British and Canadian officers, 13 of them commissioned, arrived at an Atlantic port direct from the western front. They will be sent to various army camps and detailed to Instruct American soldiers in the latest arts of trench warfare.

Domestic The National Education association announced at Washington that a bronze tablet would be presented to the school in the United States that leads in the sale of War Saving stamps. ♦ * • Four persons, two men and two women, claiming. French citizenship, * but who both American an I I’ri nch authorities say have been intimately connected with German espionage activities in the United States, were arrested in New York by agents of (lie department of justice. They will be turned over to immigration “authorities for deportation to France. » * » Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor. vigorously defended the loyalty of organized labor in the United States in the war against Germany in an address at New York at a meeting called by the National Civic Federation to discuss after-war problems —with particular reference to labor and sociological conditions. • ♦ • Fire of reported incendiary origin destroyed the Lincoln. Suppes, Rose and the new Kline buildings at .Johnstown. Pa., causing a loss of about sl,000,000. Q ** * J Mrs. Hugo Reisinger, sist**r*’X Adfil 7 phus Busch, wealthy St. Louis brawer, now dead, was summoned to the office of Charles F. de Woody, division Tu’perintendent of the department of justice at New York for questioning as to her acquaintance with Count Robert de Clairmont and the other alleged spies. * • • Cadet Flyer Ellis B. Watts of Portland, Ore., was instantly killed and his Instructor, Capt. L. V. Drake, Royal Flying corps, was injured at Fort Worth, Tex., when their airplane fell 900 fleet in a spinning nase dive. 1

Congressman Irvine L. Lenroot has been nominated by the Republicans of Wisconsin for United States senator by a majority over James Thompson, the La Follette candidate, of at least 5,000. Revised figures give Lenroot 68,532; Thompson, 66,206; Berger, 36,645; Davies, 54,173; McCarthy, 13,026. The nomination of Joseph E. Davies on the Democratic side, effected a better than 4 to 1 victory over Ids opponent, Charles McCarthy. * • * F. C. Schroeder of Denver was held to the federal grand jury at St. Louis in a thousand-dollar bond for making an alleged disloyal remark, » • * Grain movements to \\ estern primary markets in the last five weeks have been 40 per cent higher than in the same period last year, mainly because of heavy corn offerings, but deliveries of wheat have been less than one-third of last year and in the last three weeks have been decreasing. » * * St. Louis labor leaders were called Into conference by William C. Rodgers of the army ordnance department, who stiid he was acting for the government, and that his purpose was to discuss plans for the settlement of all strikes now in progress. German requirements have been eliminated from all state civil service examinations, even in the case of interpreter, it w‘as announced at the office of the state civil service commission at Springfield, 111.

First Lieut. Walter J. Johnson, twen-ty-two years old, of Belleville, 111., was killed Instantly when the Canadian Curtiss plane which he was driving fell 1,500 feet at Kelly field, near San Antonio, Tex. » • • Washington The Japanese military mission was cordially received at Washington by Acting Secretary of War Crowell and Acting (’hief of StafTMareh. They will be entertained for several days before leaving for a tour of inspection of the munitions, aircraft, motor, clothing and other plants. Foreign The two American engineers recently captured in northern Hoon, China, are being held for a ransom of 70 rifles, says a dispatch from Peking. * * ♦ The British foreign office in London Issued a statement embodying a protest of the entente premiers and foreign ministers assembled in London against Germany’s action, in the name of German peace, toward the Russian people. • • ♦ Alexander Kerensky, deposed Russian premier, is safe In Christiania, according to word received at Tokyo. Major General lakhontoff has been i named vice minister of war under Ker- ' ensky.

♦ • * Two very violent explosions in a factory at La Courneuve, north of Paris, caused the death of 50 persons and ifhe injury of a large number, mostly slightly, according to an official announcement Issued at Paris. Tlie British labor party announced in London that it regards with anxiety 'the prospect of Japanese intervention 'in Siberia. * • • Figures on the shipping output and tonnage losses of Great Britain will be published regularly hereafter, it was announced In the house of commons in London by Sir Eric Geddes. The amount of tonnage sunk in the last 12 'months was 6,000.000, said Sir Eric, instead of 9,500,000, as the Germans ' claim. There will be no consistory until after the war. Pope Benedict announced! at Rome.

♦ ♦ ♦ M. Trotzky former foreign minister (and now chief of (lie Petrograd commune) has asked the American military mission for ten American officers to assist him as inspectors in orgnniz- ( Ing anil training a new volunteer army. There are many signs of renewed cooperation between Russia and the allies. •- ♦ ♦ European War News British airplanes-dropped a- ton of bombs on the German city of/Mannheim on Monday, it was officially an!nonneed at London. | Seven enemy airplan*-s were brought down, according to the Rome war office report. Two were accounted for by the Italians, two by the French and three by the British. * • * Reports from Germany to Geneva say panics'liitve been caused by British aerial attacks. At Koblenz there were several fires and an ammunition sac- . tory was blown up. The Fribourg rail- ! way station was badly damaged. In the principal Rhine cities many houses are vacant, numbers of persons moving to central Germany. • * * Taris war office reports a series of strong German attacks in the dlrec- ! tion of Samogneaux. north of the Bols des Caurieres, and in the Bezonvaux region. French troops (entered the extemy trenches at Marlancourt on a front of I.bOO meters (about five-sixths of n mile) to a depth of 800 meters (about half a mile). Great bombing raids against Geri many have been cariTed Out "by British airplanes. The barracks and-.-rail-I way station at Kaiserlantern --sfßavarln I ttacked.