The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-05-04


tional industrial Traffic league have
agreed upon 100 per cent increase In
demurrage charges over the rate IN
effect prior to December ] last, when
emergency rates were prescribed by
the interstate commerce commission.
Coal men estimate that the 20 per
cent wage increase granted 10 17J.OOO
miners in the anthracite fields will
raise the retail price OF hard coal an
average Of 60 cents ton.
Orders directing the country's rail-
roads TO give coal and iron ore pref
erence over all, other traffic have been
issued by the general railroad board
Of the council of national defense.
Approximately $4,000 men have APP
piled thus far and been found to meet
the necessary requirements for mem
bership in Col. Theodore Rooseyelt's
proposed army division, 1t was an
nounced April %.
WASHINGTON.
The government has decided not to
insure any more sailing vessels bound
for the war zone. The risks on this
class of craft, it was felt, were too
| great. Insurance on auxiliary sailing
vessels also will be discontinued.
The Irish home rule question has
been discussed at the conferences be
tween members of the British COM
mission and American government Of
ficials at Washington.
President Wilson has approved re-
quests from France and Italy for Inn
mediate financial aid, and from $780,
100000 to S300,000,000 will be lent
them by the United States.
i Conferences between members of
the French war mission and American
4 government officials for exchanges OF
views regarding the conduct of the war
against Germany began April 20.
i Legislation to give the government
direct control of American shipping
will be asked of congress soon.
The French war mission to the
United States, headed by Rene Viyiani
minister of justice and vice-premier,
and Marshal Joffre, hero of the Marine
and popular idol of France, was well
coined to Washington on April % with
heartfelt enthusiasm.
Plans for supplying two million
workers for the country's farms have
been announced by Secretary of Labor
Wilson. The departments employ
+ ment service has been ordered to
comb the country for men to till the
soil. A preliminary census has dis
+ closed that some two million will be
needed.
FOREIGN.
q A small riot was precipitated al
q Petrograd when crowd drove tbs
q audience of the Socialist Lenine int
! the street as protest against his ex
1 hortations for a separate peace ant
+ his attacks on the provisional govern
ment.
. Herbert L. Samuels. former hom'
4 secretary, speaking at London on tn
gravity of the submarine menace, salt
- the figures he had seen on the sinking
J of vessels show that the situation i
= worse than official reports have indi
q Gated.
e British board of trade figures SHOW
that March imports decreased e5.1OO'
r 600, while exports increased e6,513,000
% The imports of raw material decreased
y nearly e3000,OO0, chiefly in cotton ant
wool. The imports of foodstuffs in
n creased 100000.
= German destroyers attacked Rams
\ gate Friday night, the British war OF
j fee announced. A large number o
;, shells We're fired, but the destroyer
i were driven off by land batteries.
A further retirement of the Turks il
.e Mesopotamia for a considerable dist
r ance north of Samaria, recently cap
n tured by the British, is reported b.
n General Maude.
D. A Berlin official announcement say
ut that a great number of exemptS hay
been drafted for field service. The
rs will be replaced by women and thos
rs liable for the auxiliary service.
Official dispatches from Berne ar
at nounce the appointment there of
ed commission for propaganda in favor c
a, the establishment of republican, forl
of government in Germany. headed b
r. DIR. Reese Meyer, former editor of til
ta MOrgenpOSI OF Bertln,
e- 1t is announced that the Mexica
TX government has warned Germans
ST Mexico that any concentration of &c
u mans near the American border wi
az be followed Immediately by the
arrest.
r The text of Spain's note to German
ne as given in Berlin dispatch, viii
~ conveying a grave warning that Il
~ end of Spanish patience is in sigh
also contains a suggestion that
crisis may be averted through negoti
=, lions.
Adjournment of the reichstag unit
Z, May after a brief session, is repor
= ed in a Central News dispatch fro
- Amsterdam. Philip .Scheideman, 5
- eialist leader, expresses regret tn
the refchStaS should be convoked al