The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-05-17

lions from America and the purchase
OF coal and railway rolling stock. The
submarine warfare has caused a grew
Gus shortage Of conl In Italy.
The Food Problem.
Herbert c. Hoover. chairman OF the
food committee of the Council Of Nh.
tional Defense. strongly advocated the
government measures that give the
president and the department Of agri-
culture direct control of the country's
food resources. lie also urged II more
limited use OF wheat In this country.
and his talk on that topic was followed
Immediately by a government report
showing that the winter wheat crop
will be only about 800, OOO, 600 bushels.
The smallest since 1904. The acreage
abandoned II the largest on record.
In Great Britain the ''mentless day"
was abandoned because Baron Devon
port, food controller, found u dimlnu-
ton In the consumption Of breadstufYs
was Of more Importance.
Food riots took place In many cities
and towns Of Sweden, and according
10 an official statement. the vast ma
jority Of Germans are underfed.
Sweden's predicament. however. was
lessened greatly on Wednesday when
England ngreed to release the Swedish
ships laden with food and other neces-
| .tsl.. sh.s kaA kxAu lal la n~le
ish harbors. In return Sweden agreed
TO release 100000 tons Of allied ship
ping that had been tied up In the gulf
Of Bcthnia since the beginning of tho
war.
Desperate Struggle In France.
The desperate battle for possession
OF the coal fields OF Lens In northern
France continued undated through
the week. Crown Prince Ruprecht of
Bavaria brought up great masses OF
reserve troops and every available gun
to check the unceasing British attack.
and on Tuesday he succeeded In re-
taking Fresnoy village and wood. But
that night and the next day the British
returned to the assault and ngain took
possession OF most Of the lost ground.
There was heavy fghrine ut other
points along the Drocourt-Queant line.
which evidently Is regarded by the
Germans as Of vital Importance. Bad
weather lessened the severity Of the
lighting along the French front.
The expected general offensive by
the allies Oh the Macedonian front be.
gan after several days Of intense artil-
lery activity and according to London
advices 1t was fairly successful. Be-
tween Lake Ochrida and Lake Dorian
there was fierce fighting, the British
capturing Bulgarian trenches for a
stretch OF two miles. In the Cerna
river bend the Russians took several
ienica river valley the Serbians, fight
Ing to regain their own land, hit the
Teutonic allies hard blows. As usual.
Berlin claimed that all these attacks
by the entente allies were repulsed.
An interesting development OF the
week was the announcement that ia
pan had been asked 10 supply ships
for the transportation Of American
troops and supplies to Europe. and the
resulting discovery that japan itself
was planning to send n large number
of soldiers to the Russian front this
summer.
President Wilson on Thursday cre-
ated II war council Of the Red Cross
and Henry r. Dawson of J. p. Morgan
& Co. was placed nj It's head. In nc.
'epting that post Mr.. Dawson snid all
he vast facilities Of the Morgan firm
would stand behind the Red Cross for
he duration OF the war.