Middletown transcript., 1917-08-11


the Galician affair with the aid of his
spies, promised the kaiser he would
put Russia out-of action within two
months. But Kerensky, though he Is
terribly handicapped and is not a SOL
dier is proving himself to be much
greater man than the German chieftain
and civilization still looks to him with
confidence in his ultimate success.
1t was announced on Thursday that
General Brussiloff had resigned as
commander in chief Of the Russian
armies and that General Korniloff had
been made generalissimo, being sue
ceeded on the southwestern front by
General Tcheremissoff.
The heroic conduct Of Vera Butch
mareff's feminine battalion at the
front has resulted in popular move
ment for the formation of great
army Of Russian women.
Teutonic Peace Bunk.
The beginning of the week was
marked by the ascension Of three large
peace balloons sent up by the central
powers. One was piloted by Chancel-
lor Michaelis, one by Count CZernin,
Austrian foreign minister, and one by
the un-American correspondent, Ben
nett, acting for Michaelis and Luden-
dOrff. The balloons went up swiftly for
a time, but, being filled only with hot
air, they soon came to earth again, the
descent accompanied by the ironic
laughter and cheers of the allied ma
tons. The imperial chancellor, to
abandon the metaphor, told vivid tale
of secret treaties between France and
Russia looking to conquest, and Pre-
mier Ribot promptly branded him as q
liar. Michaelis uttered a lot more
cleptrap about the wicked aims of the
entente allies and 1.-The justice of our
defensive war;" and, through the I'M
American correspondent, gave out a
mess of high-sounding phrases and
foolish accusations, and declared the
submarine warfare would continue un-
til the British raise their blockade.
Czernin gave an interview that sound
ed more reasonable, and couple Of
days later Vienna paper announced
authoritatively that Germany would
gladly act upon peace Overtures COM
ing by way of Vienna. The entire
peace move Of the week, however, was
declared by Washington, London and
Paris to be insincere and evidently
made in the hope Of slowing up the
war preparations in America and the
restoration of authority and discipline
in Russia.
On Wednesday the kaiser issued two
proclamatiOns, to the German people
and to the German army and navy and
colonial forces, in which he defantly
set forth his determination to prosecute
to a successful termination this right
eous war of defense"
The German attempt to bunko the
Poles with vague promises Of a re-
stored kingdom has fallen through.
Dispatches from Berlin say the Polish
legions have been disarmed and in
termed, because the Germans found
themselves confronted by mutinous
Polish army, while Austrian subjects
enrolled in the original legion insisted
on taking the oath to the new Polish
kingdom as if Galicia were a part Of
it.
Americas Submarine Detector.
The problem of the submarine is
still holding first place In the consider
atoms of the allied nations, for while
the Germans admit the U-boat cam
paign is not reducing England to star
walton, Admiral Jellico admits the
submarine has not yet been mastered,
and says until the effective antidote is
discovered the allies must concentrate
on the building Of patrol boats and
merchant vessels. Secretary Daniels
believes the American navy depart
ment has found a plan for protecting
American shipping and 1t will be put in
operation very SOON The department
is working on giant detector which
Rear Admiral Grant thinks will bring
detector, Of course, are not revealed,
but it is expected to be effective over
a distance Of five miles, and if these
expectations are justified the depart
ment will stretch the device across the
waters in the vicinity of the German
bases and thereby locate submarines
as they start out. Meanwhile the
trained gun crews placed on American
merchantmen are giving good ac-
count of themselves, generally getting
the better Of any submarines that ven
ture to attack the vessels they are
sr.r
guarding.
The British admiralty's weekly re-
port showed a decrease in the number
of British merchantmen destroyed by