The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-05-31

of these ships. Some members OF the
Shipping Board, in spite of Gen.
Cocktails expressed opinions in the
matter, hold out for ships of wooden
construction.
Henry Howard, of Boston, manu-
featuring chemist and practical
sailor, has been notified by the
United States Shipping Board Of his
appointment as director Of recruiting
for the board. He has been er,DcE-e:'-
cd to enroll and train 11,nGG officers
for the fleet of 1000 CARGO ships now
under way of construction for the
Government.
The President of Brazil has sent a
message to the Congress of that
country urging the adoption Of meas
ures of defense against the German
U-boats.
A Spanish steamship of 4376 tons
was torpedoed Sunday by Z German
submarine and sunk. Of the 1873
lives lost forty-eight were said to be
passengers.
AS food administrator for the
country Herbert C. Hoover has out
lined plan through which the house
wives Of the Union will be enlisted in
the food conservation campaign.
An official statement made public
in London Monday says that. counting
the Americans serving in the British
and French armies and the additional,
troops already ordered to France,
there will soon the 100000 Americans
in that country.
The first. administration food bill
passed the House Monday by record
vote. It appropriates S14,770.00u
for an immediate investigation Of the
country's food resources and for
measures to stimulate production.
It was announced Tuesday that the
Italian forces had again gained
ground north of Gorilla and repulsed
attacks made by the Austrians along
the lower end of their line.
The italian War Mission to the
United States, now in Washington
will leave that city next Monday fo1
a tour of the South and Middle West
Atlanta will be the first city visited.
| A New York dispatch, under date
of the 18th. says Russia has placed
an order with American manufacture
ers for 500 locomotives, to cost ap
proximately $25,0oo,0n0, and 10000
cars, to cost 100000.
i Washington War Department Of
tficials have pointed out the failure Of
the volunteer system in recruiting
. and state that it may be necessary tt
, fill regiments with men obtained
under the selective draft.
The War Tax Bill assumed rough
hut nearly final form yesterday i.
. the revision of the 1.a00.Q00,C
House measure by the Senate Finance
Committee. It is now expected tina
the bill will acrrc~ate slightly il
excess of $1.500,000,000
: It was officially announced yester
LAY that only eighteen British mer
chant vessels of more than 1000 ton
were sunk during the past week b,
the German submarines and Eainas
One smaller vessel and two fishin!
: vessels were also sunk.
For some days there has been
lull in the fighting On the Frencl
front, for the better part only hcav
] artillery being brought into action
but, as reported, there has been n
cessation in Germany's aercplan
raids. This method of invasion ha
| continued day and night and some o
the most desperate air battles Of tn
S war have recently taken place. On
e or two of these have been fought a
: height exceeding three and one-hal
r miles above the earth, and in one ir
stance British pilot. having run GU
: of ammunition for his machine CUR
n got close enough to the enemy me
+ chine to shoot and kill it's pilot wit
i a revolver. It is said the number G
e German aercplanes destroyed durin
i Nav will run well into the hundreds
IS and that upward of thirty were az
n counted for Sunday of this week.