, 1917-09-13

boats. Now the South American re-
public is in the throes of a great rail-
way strike which is certainly fomented
and financed by Germans. Thousands
of workmen have quit and there has
been serious destruction of property
and considerable rioting.
From an American port" comes an
exciting story of a concerted attack
by seven German submarines on a
fleet of % allied merchantmen west
bound. -Four of the largest of the
steamships were sunk by t~orpedoes,
but the guns of the others destroyed
three of the U-boats. The battle took
place 30 miles off the coast of Ireland.
Organized Labor Loyal.
Organized labor in the United
States. determined to assert its loyal
ty, met last week in Minneapolis, to-
gether with many radicals and Social
lists, and formed the American Alliance
for Labor and Democracy. Under the
leadership of Samuel Gompers, Frank
Z. Walsh, John Spargo and others, the
delegates declared the new organiza-
ton firmly back of the armed forces of
h government In their fight for "a
victory which will mean the coming
OF the greatest world democracy ever
dreamed Of" Definite reports have
been circulated that laborites are plan
ming to cripple various Industries by
strikes, especially the fuel industry.
These reports, Mr.. Gompers declares,
do not relate to the American Fedora
ton of Labor. They are, however, too
well substantiated to be ignored.
The British trades union congress by
a vote of 2,s94,OO0 to 81, 900 declared
itself opposed to participation In the
Stockholm congress, and this, taken
with the refusal of many countries to
grant passports to delegates, probably
VIII result in the entire abandonment
of the gathering in the Swedish city.
Pope Preparing Second Note.
Not wholly discouraged by the fall
ure Of his peace note, Pope Benedict
is preparing a second proposal for the
ending of the war. Premier Ribot.
speaking on the Marine battlefield, de-
clared that a requisite in any peace
treaty acceptable to France was the
restoration Of Alsace-Lorraine.
The German press continues to heap
abuse and ridicule on President Will
son for his reply to the pope's note,
declaiming loudly against his demands
that the government of Germany be
democratized before peace can be
made with 1t. But the reichstag ma
jority is insistently demanding just
about the reforms the president con-
siders essential.
Dispatches from Switzerland saw the
central powers have determined on
the partition of Poland. According to
the plan, Germany Is to take about
one-tenth of Russian Poland to rectify
her frontier, and Austria will annex
the remainder, unite 1t to Galicia and
proclaim the territory the united king
dom of Poland, with Emperor Charles
as its king. 1t is to have its own par
lament, but Its foreign policy, finances
and army are to be controlled by Aus
tria. This plan does not please Hun
q mat NohllllN HIN ll6
influence will be lessened II the en-
pire becomes a triple kingdom.
Led by President Wilson and men,
bers of the senate and house, and es-
corted by thousands of soldiers and
sailors, the young men of the District
of Columbia selected for service in the
National army paraded the streets of
Washington on Tuesday, and similar
parades took place In hundreds of
cities and towns. Next day these men
Of the National army began streaming
from all points of the compass into
the 10 cantonment camps built for
their training and instruction. They
are the first 8 per cent of the 6S7, 900
men selected by the draft.
The long wrangle In the senate over
war profits taxation ended in the de-
feat of the high tax group and the
adoption of the finance committees
provisions for a total levy of $1,2S6,-
100000, or about a third of this years
war and normal excess profits. This
would make the bill total 1882, OOO,-
600.
Thursday night the house passed
unanimously the big war credits bin
authorizing S11, 53S, 945 400 in bonds
and certificates. Every effort of a
group of Republicans to limit Secre-
tary McAdoo's control over these is
sues was defeated, but an amendment
by Congressman Cannon was adopted,
exemptlng from taxes interest on
bonds not in excess of 5000.