The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-11-08


armies and the Belgian coast. The al.
lied aviators made many raids and
dropped vast quantities Of explosives
on German military establishments
with destructive results. The German
airmen were not idle, but their main
raid was made on Nancy, where num-
Der Of civilians were killed.
The British government on Tuesday
announced formally, through Bonar
Law, chancellor of the exchequer, that
reprisals would be made for the Ger
man raids over London and other I'M
fortified places. German towns, Mr..
Law said, will be bombarded so far as
military needs will release the neces-
sary machines. The threat may be suf-
ficient to check the barbarity of the
Germans in this respect.
Realizing the danger OF collapse
of the Austrian forces that are Oppos-
ing the advance of the Italians, the
central powers have withdrawn at
least forty divisions from the Russian
front and hurried them to the rescue
of the defenders of Trieste. Large
numbers of German, Bulgarian and
Turkish troops are now on the Italian
front.
American Destroyer Torpedoed.
The first real American casualty list
from the war zone was given out
Wednesday by Secretary of the Navy
Daniels. 1t included one death, that
Of Osmond Kelly Ingraham, gunner's
mate, of Pratt City, Ala, and the
names of five other men of the navy
who were slightly wounded. These
men were of the crew of an American
destroyer which was torpedoed by a
German submarine while on patrol in
British waters. The vessel was not
sunk and soon reached port. The re-
port came from Rear Admiral Sims
and said Ingraham was blown over
board and his body was not recovered.
Naval officers think it remarkable that
until this occurrence Admiral Sims
fighting units should all have escaped
damage in the fight against the U
boats.
From Amsterdam the other day came
the report that Germany was about to
include American waters in the sub
marine zone. This meant nothing to
American naval authorities, for they
had considered our waters so included
since we entered the war. The best
informed opinion is that American
transports, with their speed and their
conveys, will be quite safe from the
submarines.
The weeks list of victims of U-boats
was small in number, but the loss of
life was greater than usual. This was
due mainly to the destruction of the
French steamer Medic with the loss
of $50 persons, including soldiers and
prisoners of war. 1t is an undiSputed
fact that service on German subma-
. rines is becoming more dangerous ev-
cry day, and this probably is respon-
sible for the latest reported mutiny
in the German navy. Sailors at the
port of Ostend refused to go aboard
the U-boats and are said to have
thrown one commander into the sea.
There is trouble in the Austrian navy
also. Soldiers and the crews of sub
mersibles have had several conflicts at
Pola, officers on both sides being killed.
The Austrian government thereupon
decided to change the naval base to an
other port.
Wilson's New Blow at Germany.
Determined that Germany and its al
lies shall not benefit from the trade
and industry of the United States,
President Wilson started off the week
by setting in motion machinery to stop
srade with the enemy and transmission
of information valuable to him, to con-
troll enemy aliens and enemy property
and to check the activities in America
of German sympathizers. BY execu-
tive decree the president created war
trade board, with Vance Mccormick as
chairman, supplanting the exports adj
! ministrative board, and war trade
council to advise the board on ques-
tons of policy; gave the secretary of
the treasury power to regulate the ex-
port of gold, silver and currency, trans
fers of credit, transactions in foreign
exchange, and enemy Insurance COM
panies.. and authority to prevent the
| transmission of written or Photographic
information from this country except
through the mails; created a censor
ship board to prevent the transmission
of intelligence to the enemy by any
means; gave the trade commission full
authority over enemy patents; gave
the postmaster general power TO regu-
late the publication of war matter by
foreign language papers, and in other
ways took control of enemy interests
in the United States.
The provisions of this sweeping de-
| cree when put into full force should
help a lot in the process of bottling UP
the German empire. The United States
a