Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-21
RUSSIA TO REFUSE
POPE'S PEACE PLAN
Ambassador Bakhmeteff Gives Out
A Statement
SAYS PLAN IS UNDEMOCRATIC
Lovett Appointed Coal Traffic Head
French Break German Lines at
Verdum, Advancing Mile

That Russia will reject the Pope's
peace proposals was forecasted in a
statement by Boris Bakhmeteff. the
Russian Ambassador, which is sup
posed to have been issued by direction
of the Provisional Government at
Petrograd, although there is no
official acknowledgment to that effect.
The statement of the Ambassador
reads:
THE answer to the Popes peace
proposals has not yet been formulated
by the Russian Government, but there
is a feeling in Russia that these pro-
posals have been made with some in
spiration from the Central Powers
II is considered in Russia that the
very bases of the Vatican's proposals
are inconsistent with the democratic
aims of the Russian people in this
war, and are not acceptable from that
point of view
1t also became known that the
United States Government was ex-
changing views with the Governments
of the allied powers on the subject of
the character of the answer to be
made to the Pope's proposals. The
State Department would admit only
that the-~exchanges were informal ;"
and announced that no response
would be made to the Pope until these
exchanges had been concluded.
There is a striking similarity between
1 l1at cnfd of rf
ment and the announcement in the
House of Commons by Lord Robert
Cecil.
America May Reply Separately.
The State Department indicated that
this Government did not expect to
participate in any formal meeting of
delegates of the Allies, although its
course would be determined as a re-
suit of Allied conversations.
To Control Coal Traffic.
The first definite step to set in mo-
tion the machinery by which the Gov
ernment will gain complete control
of the coal industry of the nation, was
taken yesterday by President Wilson
when Robert S. Lovett was designated
as Federal Agent under the Priority
Shipments Act. and directed forty-six
railroads to give bituminous coal
shipments from the mines for the
Northwest via the Great Lakes prece-
dence over other business
Among the railroads placed under
this order. which is drastic and man
datory. are the New York Central. the
Pennsylvania. the Baltimore & Ohio
and other great systems which carry
coal from most of the large bitumi-
nous fields. The President acted be-
cause of information that coal was
not being shipped to the lake ports,
for reshipment by water to the North
western States, in quantities deemed
necessary to meet the demands made
by the unusual wartime conditions.
Copies of the order were sent by
registered mail to all of the COM
panies involved The rules set forth
will go into effect Immediately.
French In Smashing Drive.
French troops won a smashing vic
tory yesterday on a front of over
eleven miles north of Verdun, the
scene of many of the hottest engage
ments of the Verdun campaign last
year The advance, which was pre-
ceded by heavy artillery fire last
ing three days, reached at some points
a depth of over a mile and quar-
ter. The number of unwounded Ger
. mans taken exceeds 1000
The French attacked simultaneous
ly on both banks of the Meuse and
everywhere carried their objectives
On the left or west bank of the river
the attackers gained Avocourt Wood
the SUBMITS of Dead Man Hill. and
the Corbeaux and Cumieres woods.