The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-05-12
REPLY TO U. S. Note
DELIVERED BY germany
NOTE ON SUBMARINE WARFARE
HANDED TO AMBASSADOR GER
ARD THURSDAY AT BERLIN
French ON OFFENSIVE
Fighting Around Dead Mans Hill in
France Has Been SeVere-Irish
Rebels Executed in Tower of Lon
don-EngIand to Force Service
latest From European War Fronts.


the United States for immediate aban.
donment of present methods OF sub
marine warfare was delivered to Am
bassador Gerard at Berlin Thursday
A brief message from Ambassador
Gerard, as we'll as press reports, how
ever, had created the impression that
the imperial government would pro
pose conditions which the United
States could not accept
1t was reiterated that President Will
son stood unalterably by the position
declared In the note to Germany:
Abandonment of present submarine
methods must be declared and effect
ed Immediately or the United States
must sever diplomatic relations.
The French curtain Of fire has set
at naught another German attack
launched against trenches which the
French recently captured at Dead
Mans Hill This engagement, which
is characterized by Paris as small
one. has been the only fighting by in
fantry on the French and Belgian
fronts. The biz guns, however, have
not ceased activity on various sectors.
A very violent bombardment is report
ed in the vicinity Of Hill 304, north
east of Verdun.
The announcement in the house OF
commons Wednesday by the prime
minister that the leaders in the re-
bellion in Ireland had been court
martialed and summarily executed
created a profound feeling, although
this action by the government was eX-
pected. Four men faced the firing
squads, they being Patrick Pearse,
James Connolly, Thomas Marlborough
and Thomas j. Clark.
Premier Asduith, at the same time,
announced that Sir Roger Easement,
who was one Of the prime movers in
the uprising and who is now a prison
er in the Tower of London, would be
tried with the utmost expedition.
Augustin Birrell made a brief state.
ment and admitted his error as chief
secretary for Ireland in underestimate.
ing the Sim Fem movement adding
that when he was informed that the
insurreCtiOn had been put down he
had rendered his resignation to the
prime minister and that it had been
accepted.
John Redmond, leader Of the Irish
parliamentary party, begged the gov.
eminent to be lenient with the great
mass of those involved in the revolt
and said he was partly to blame for
Mr.. BirrelIs earlier ComplaCenCy re.
specting conditions in Ireland, as he
nad concurred in the secretary's view
hat the danger of an outbreak was
not real one.
On the sector of lie Mort Homme,
northeast of Verdun, the French have
taken additional German positions in
A brilliantly executed attack and cap.
tured in the operation about a hun
dred prisoners and four machine guns.
In the AdamellO sector of the Aus
trO-Italian front the AustTians and
italians still are engaged in the hard
fighting that has been in progress for
several days, but with no important
changes in positions reported
A German aeropiane has dropped
bombs on Deal, England. Some ma.
terial damage was done, but only one
man is reported to have been injured
The aeroplane escaped.
Thirty-six casualties resulted from
the Zeppelin raid Tuesday night on
the northeast coast Of England and
southeast coast of Scotland.
The house of commons, amid loud
cheers, has passed the first reading of
the British governments bill calling
| for immediate general military COM
pulsion for the duration of the war.
The British troops and the Royal
Irish constabulary have brought about
the surrender of all the rebel forces
in Dublin and the people of the Irish
capital for the first time in a week
are able to move about the city freely
unendangered by bullets Of rebel snip.
ers.
Another phase of the Inflated British
campaign in Mesopotamia has closed
with the surrender of General Town
shend and the garrison at Kut-ELAma
ra on the Tigris river, about 1870 miles
below Bagdad Some ten thousand
men in all laid down their arms to the
Turks after having destroyed all their
guns and munitions.
The British Mesopotamian cam
paign, waged along the Tigris from
the Persian gulf northward almost tc
the gates of Bagdad, had as it's chic
aim the capture Of that ancient city
To divert Turkish forces from Gallipol
was another object
General Townshend held out for IA;
days, his supplies steadily growing
lower as he awaited the relief army
which, first under General Aylmer an(
then under General Corringe, battIeC
its way up the Tigris toward him
This army encountered strong posi-
tons Of the Turks below Kut-ElAma
ra on both sides of the river, and al
though several of these were carried