Middletown transcript., 1917-05-12

soon and will be followed at frequen'
intervals by other detachments. The
Stars and Stripes Is likely to be flying
before long in both France and Rus
Sia.
Toward the end of the week the
French commission took time for .
visit to Chicago and other cities. Mar
shal Joffre and his colleagues were
welcomed everywhere with an acclaim
that testified eloquently to the love
and admiration the American people
have for the French. In the course
of their trip the visitors went to
| Springfield, ILL.,, and placed wreaths on
the tomb of Lincoln as they already
had done on the tomb of Washington
at Mt Vernon.
England Is Alarmed.
Finally awakened to the deadly
menace in the activities Of the Ger
man submarines, the people of Great
Britain are clamoring, in the press
and in parliament, for a change in the
admiralty personnel Of methods that
shall give some promise Of relieving
the situation. The terror Of hunger
and of possible defeat in the war is
on them. and they are calling bitterly
for more action by their great navy.
''Where are our own submarines and
why do they not do something?" is
the demand. The policy of the ad-
miralty in concealing the full truth
about the success of the U-boat cam
paign is attacked on all sides. 1t Is
admitted that the Germans are sink
ing vessels faster than the allies can
build them, and though the United
States is counted on to supply a great
number Of bottoms, that aid, it IS
feared, may come too late.
To guess at what took place In Ger
many and Austria during May Day
week would be futile, for the Swiss
and Dutch frontiers were closed and
the censorship of the news was abso-
lutte. 1t was stated officially that the
May Day celebrations were peaceful
in both the empires.
The German reichStag resumed its
session Wednesday and DIR. Johannes
Kaempf, president of the chamber
made bitter attack on President Will
son, accusing him of seeking to divide
the German people. Doctor Won Beth
mann-Hollweg, the imperial chancellor,
had intended to make speech on in
ternational relations and was expected
to announce Germany's peace terms,
but postponed the address "to more
fitting occasion" Spokesman for the
entente allies already had declared no
suggestions Of peace terms from Ger
many would be considered at this time.
Austria is in sad state and the news
that has filtered out from that country
during the week indicates that the en-
tire nation. from the emperor down,
demands an early end of the war, on
any terms obtainable. But Charles
may not be able to wrggle out from
the iron grasp Of the kaiser.
What About Russia?
Still big black Interrogation point
must be placed after Russia. The rest
of the world really knows little of
what is going on there, but it is evil
dent that If the kaiser were not kept so
busy on the western front, he might
break through the Russian lines below
Riga with comparative ease. New
rules for the Russian army have been
promulgated, and how under them any
effectiveness and cohesion In the army
can be maintained it is impossible to
conceive. The officers seem to have
been deprived of all powers of discip-
line and nearly everything is put in the
control of committees of the soldiers.
The "common people" are at the helm
over there, and it will be only by
Gods mercy if they do not drive their
now republic onto the rocks of disas-
ter because of their inexperience and
their exorbitant demands The peace
party in Russia still denies vehcmently
that it has any idea of advocating Il
separate peace, and there is encour-
agement in the fact that the soldiers
who deserted and went home are fast
returning to the ranks
On May 1 the Russian provisional
government sent to it's representatives
in the allied countries note giving as
surance that the change in government
could give no pretext for any slacken-
ing on the part Of Russia in the COM
mon struggle of all the entente allies, |
and that on the contrary, the nation
was even more determined to bring the
war to decisive victory.
One of the first things America will
do to help Russia is to send a commits
sion of four experts to reorganize the
facilities of the new re-
interest payable semiannually Janu- |