Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1917-05-10
First American Shot in the Great
War Destroys a German
U-BOat.
FIRED BY Liner MONGOLIA
Destruction of Shipping by subma-
rines Now Threatens England
With Food Shortage - Great
Britain Gets Money From
Uncle Sam.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

Americas first shot in the war with
Germany was fired on April 10. 1t
scored u direct hit and destroyed
German submarine. The shot was
fred by the gun crew on the American
liner Mongolia when q U-boat attempt
ed to attack that vessel in the Irish sea.
The first shell smashed the periscope
and after other shells we're sent there
was an explosion and the submarine
did not rise again. Capt. Emery Rice
of the Mongolia told of the incident
on arrival in an English port. 1t is
interesting to note that the gun that
got the U-boat had been named Theo-
dore Roosevelt by the gunners.
The destructive work of the SUBJ
marines is causing increasing anxiety
in Great Britain. The latest weekly
report of the admiralty shows a much
larger number of ships sunk than did
any previous report, and on Wednes-
day Lord Davenport, the British food
controller, solemnly warned the Brit
ish public that severe privations
menaced the nation before the next
harvest was reached. This aroused
the London press to gloomy comment,
the burden of which was that the sub
marine blockade was the most serious
feature of the war now and that IL
Great Britain was to be saved from
starvation and possible defeat some
thing must be done mighty soon to
counternct it. This something, OBJ
viously, is the turning out from the
shipyards of a vast and continuous
stream of tonnage, but though many
ships are being built, the shortage of
skilled labor renders it impossible to
construct anywhere near the number
required. The great British navy is
! powerless to relieve the situation. No
one over there seems able to suggest
any solution Of the problem except to
be careful of the food supply and pre-
pare for the worst.
The food question is serious else
where. 1t was responsible in large
part for the strikes in Germany an6
is the chief cause of demonstrations
that are alarming the Swedish gov
eminent. In France meatless dinner:
except Sundays and holldays-begaI
Wednesday, and already in the United
States the hotels and clubs are cut
ting down their menus.
Plans for larger crops and NOR
farm labor In America were carried
nearer to completion during the pas
week. One notable incident was tn
departure Of 500 students of the agri
cultural college of the University o
Illinois to help raise Canada's whea
crop. They are to be we'll paid an,
the Dominion government will give t
each of them homestead of $50 acres
On q moments thought such a move
ment as this must win approval, for
bumper crop in Canada will do tn
civilized world as much good as on
In the United States, and the Dc
minion has been depleted of labor.
Great Britain Gets First Loan.
Speedy work Is being done in tn
way of supplying the immediate need
of the allies of the United States. /
the first conferences with the commits
sioners from England and France tn
government was told that the mos
! urgent OF these needs were none
ships and food. 1t was agreed thu
the first allotment Of the $1,000 O,0C
loan would go to Great Britain, and O
wednesday Secretary of the Treasur
McAdoo handed to the British amba
sador treasury warrant for 100000
/, 600. Arrangements for disposing
the immense bond issue are practice
--.