The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-09-08

have shown the determination and
ability to go forward the alarmed Aus
trian commanders are hurrying great
numbers of troops to the fighting lines
and their resistance is increasing.
Some of the heaviest fighting of the
| week took place on the Bainsizza pla-
teau, where the Italians pushed stead
| lily eastward toward the Upper Car
niola border and Laibach. At the same
time Cadorna's men have been making
considerable progress In their advance
on Trieste on the Carso front, though
details of this movement were with
held by the italian war office. On
Wednesday it was reported that prac-
tically all civilians had evacuated Trl-
este.
The German crown prince has been
keeping up his continual counter at
tacks on the French in the Verdun
sector and on the Aisne front, but has
been repulsed in every instance losing
great numbers In killed, wounded and
especially prisoners The scene of
bloodiest fighting about Verdun shifted
! to the east bank Of the Meuse, where
ter of desperate combats. At Dead
Man hill, also, the Germans made re-
peated attempts to regain the posi-
lions they had lost.
With bulldog tenacity the British
hung on to parts Of Lens they had cap
.tured, consolidated them despite
almost daily and nightly attacks by
Grown Prince Rupprecht's forces.
! Though heavy rains hampered opera
tons, the English took some more
positions east and southeast of LANCE
marck in the direction Of Poelcapelle.
On the Eastern Front.
The advance of the Germans in Rou-
mania, Galicia and in the region of
Riga slowed up very considerably, and
what little news came from those
fronts indicated that both the Rouma-
mans and Russians were putting up
credtable fight, except in the region Of
FOkshani. Perhaps they cannot keep
the foe out of southern Russia, but
even so the possession of that fertile
region would help the Germans little
because of the wretched transportation
facilities westward. What Germany
needs now and is going to need much
more in the near future is food, and
/ that cannot be carried long distances
inland without railways.
A modification of Germany's policy
toward neutrals is indicated by her
backdown in the negotiations with Ar
gentina. She has promised indemnity
fer the destruction of the steamship
Toro and virtually pledged the free
dom of the seas to vessels flying the
Argentine flag
Americas Heavy War Bill.
More than nineteen billion dollars
will be required to run the government
during the fiscal year 1917-191S, ac-
cording to the statement of the house
ways and means committee made last
Monday. This is about fifteen times
as much as for an ordinary year.
Chairman Kitchin said the loans to the
allies would aggregate $1,000, 100000,
the shipping board will require about
$1,000,000,000, and the other expenses
of the government will bring the total
to about $19,300,000,000.
The finance committees of the house
and senate have tentatively accepted
the RECOMMENDATION of the treasury
department that the proportion of this
sum to be raised by taxation to that
raised by bond issues shall be about
3 to 7. All but S2,000000,000 of the
money to be raised is provided for in
bills already passed or now pending
before the senate or before the house
committee.
President Wilson hF approved Sec
rotary Daniels estimates for the CON
struction of a great fotilIa of destroy
ers, for which congress is asked to
authorize the expenditure of $350,000,-
900. The destroyer seems to be the
best weapon yet devised to combat the
submarine.
Apparently in no way related to the
murderous outbreak of colored troops
at Houston Is the warning issued by
the Patriotic Education society, that
the Germans are conducting propa
ganda in this country to start a gen
eral uprising of negroes against the
whites, promising German aid and
money to finance the instruction and
telling the ignorant negroes that when
Germany rules America the blacks will
have equal rights with the whites. The
story is not so fantastic as it may APP
pear and the society is said to have
authentic information supporting its
statements. /