Middletown transcript., 1917-08-11


U-boats. One British warship, the old
cruiser Ariadne, was sunk by a torpe-
do and 80 of its crew killed.
What Congress Is Doing.
One month behind time, the admins
tration food control bill was reported
out of conference without the features
that were Objectionable to the presi-
dent. Its enactment within week
was confidently predicted. The chief
features that were eliminated were the
congressional war expenditure COM
mittee and the three-member food con-
troll board. The price-fxing and con-
troll provisions were greatly restricted
and the prohibition section is less dras-
| tic.
Partly as q result of the compromise
on the food control bill, the senate
adopted the Sheppard resolution for a
national prohibition amendment to the
constitution. The votes to 20
would have been much closer had the
dry forces not consented to provision
that the amendment shall not be opera
tive unless it Is ratified by the states
within six years. The constitutiOnality
Of that limitation is doubtful
The dry leaders decided to await the
December session of congress before
trying to get the resolution through the
| lower house.
Another commendable action of the
senate was the adoption of McCum-
ber's resolution calling upon the presi-
| dent to undertake to obtain the consent
| Of the European nations allied against
the central powers to the draft of their
| subjects in the United States for the
| war. It is believed the allies will
| quickly agree to this and that the plan
| will be In operation before long.
The new war Industries board, with
| Frank A. Scott instead of Bernard Ba-
ruch as its chairman, has taken up
with vigor it's work of government
buying and supervision over the gen.
eral Industrial activity. Mr.. Scott an
nounced that profit-making must now
yield to patriotism, extravaganza to
economy and selfshness to service.
The reorganized shipping board also is
speeding up and last week it made the
Southern pine producers promise
prompter delivery of the timber they
have pledged, for the board intends to
build as many wooden ships as pos
sible.
The embargo that is designed to shut
off Germany's supplies of food and
war munitions is going to have an eff
feet on the supply of shipping. Nor
way already has proposed to place al
most it's entire merchant feet at the
disposal Of the allies and promised to
export nothing but fish to Germany if
assured Of receiving American food
products, and Holland, too, is willing
to exchange ships for food If the YES
sells are not to be sent into the danger
zone. Sweden and Denmark, it is be-
lieved, will follow suit The effective
ness of the embargo policy, however,
depends to a considerable extent, on
whether or not the shipment of food
stuffs from Russia into Germany can
be prevented.
The shipping board last week pre-
pared to commander all American
shipping, and President Wilson issued
an order that has the effect of cutting
off steel exports to Japan unless jap
anese vessels are diverted to war uses.
Exemption Boards Busy.
The examination Of drafted men by
the exemption boards is going on rap
idly and smoothly, and under instruc-
tons from Provost Marshal General
Crowder the boards have frightened up
on the exemptions. They have been
told to keep in mind that the two
things to be accomplished are the rails
ing of armies and the maintaining Of
industries. Meanwhile the federal and
local authorities all over the country
are rounding up the slackers- =
Continuing their work Of co-operat-
ing with the Germans, the Industrial
Workers of the World stirred up vari-
Gus troubles for mine owners, lumber
producers and themselves, in many
Western localities. Some towns fol-
lowed the example of Bisbee and de-
ported the disturbers, and one Of their
leaders, Frank Little, was taken out
and hanged by masked men at Butte.
Mont. Such occurrences, Of course,
must be deplored-theoretically.
The government cannot and will not
tolerate strikes that tie up industries
that are vital to the successful conduct
of the war. This was demonstrated by
the quick ending Of strike of thou
sands Of railway switchmen that
started at Chicago. When the federal
authorities took a hand, both sides
found they could yield points and
reach an amicable agreement.