Middletown transcript., 1917-06-02

it be known officially that it "sympa-
thized" with Ribot's position, and there
were intimations that the government
would soon make a formal statement
of its attitude toward the mo annex
alton, no indemnities" slogan of the
Russians.
Lansing Against Stockholm Meet.
What America thinks, officially, of
the coming peace conference of soci-
alists at Stockholm was made clear last
week when Secretary Of State Lansing
announced that passports would be de-
MED any Americans desiring to go to
the meeting and that any Americans
participating therein would be liable
to prosecution under the Logan act for
bidding individual meddling in foreign
relations. Evidently the government
believes. as does most of the rest of
the world, that the conferences is but
one of the kaiser's schemes to disrupt
the entente. Russia and all neutral
nations were notified of this action.
About the same time rumors came to
Washington that Russia already had
concluded an armistice with Berlin or
Vienna, or both.
That all the fangs were not drawn
from the jaws of the old Russian
regime was evidenced Tuesday when
an unsuccessful attempt was made to
assassinate Minister of War Kerensky.
To add to the perplexities of the pro-
visional government of Russia, the
Swedish political party, representing
most Of the wealthy and influential
classes in Finland, met in congress and
declared for a complete separation of
the grand duchy of Finland from Rus
sia and it's establishment as a sover-
eign state.
Over in China the kaiser lost anoth-
er point when President Ii Yuan Hung
dismissed from Office Premier Tuan
Chi Jul, who had effectually blocked the
efforts of the rest of the cabinet and
a large part of the parliament to have
China declare war on Germany. DR..
WI Ting-fang, former ambassador to
the United States, was made acting
premier and authorized to form new
cabinet.
Declaration of war by Brazil against
Germany was brought nearer by the
request Of President Braz that con-
gress revoke the decree Of neutrality
and that Brazil take stand along
side of the United States.
On BattIefieIds of France.
Such progress as was made during
the week in pushing back the Germans
in France was mainly by the French
in their campaigns south and south
east of Laon and east of Reims. In
both sectors they gained important
ground, seizing the dominating heights
above the Ailette valley and in the vi
cinity of Moronvilliers. General Petain
thus put his troops in position to
threaten the Reims salient held by
the Germans, and to attack the Laon
fortress from the rear and compel the
retirement of the Teutons in this en-
tire sector.
The British were busy consolidating
the positions they had won along the
Hindenburg line from Arras to Bulle-
court and repelling the repeated and
vigorous counter-attacks of the Ger
mans. Won Hindenburg was prodigal
of hrnJJphf
from the Russian front, but in every
important instance his attempts to re-
gain lost ground was fruitless, and the
slaughter was terrible.
In reply to the Italian push toward
Trieste the Austrians began a violent
counter offensive in the TrentinO, tenn
porarily gaining some ground from
which they were driven later. The ad-
vance on Trieste slackened somewhat
during the first part of the week, but
this was only to gather force, for on
Thursday General CadOrna's troops
smashed their way through the Aus
trian lines on a wide front from Cas-
tagnavizza to the Gulf of Trieste.
This front had been strongly fotified
by the Austrians and was considered
by them almost impregnable. The
Italians took the town Of Jamiano, and
captured 5000 prisoners, including 3OC
officers. Ten batteries of British ar
tillery took an important part in the
great battle.
| U. S. Helps in War on U-Boats.
| The British admiralty in it's weekly
report showed big increases in the ar
rivals and sailings and decrease in the
number of vessels sunk by submarines,
and gave ample credit to the American
destroyers for this gratifying showing
Following closely on the admiralty