, 1918-03-28

pire's good faith. Trotzky warned the
world that Germany and Japan had
agreed to divide Russia between them.
but T~rotzky's opinions are no longer
entitled to very serious consideration.
Early Thursday morning two Brit.
ish and three French d~estroyers en-.
gagged a force of German destroyers
off Dunkerque, and when the fight was
over four enemy vessels hadebeen sunk.
One British destroyer was damaged,
but the allied casualties were slight.
The same day Ostend was heavily
bombarded by British monitors and
Helgoland was attacked by airplanes.
IA
Eloquent argument having failed to
bring the Teutonic rulers to their
senses or the Teutonic peoples to a
realization of the truth, and encour-
agement and sympathy having met
with no response from the Russians,
President Wilson seems to nave de-
cided that action, quick and forcible,
is the only thing that will bring the
war to a close. He cheered up the
country immensely by calling into con-
ference the heads of the various war
boards, who had been named as advis-
ers to the chairman of the war indus
tries board in establishing co-ordina-
ton. He impressed upon these men
again the need of harmonlzing their
work in order to hurry up s%hipbuild-
ing, increase shipping facilities and
provide materials for the production of
munitions. The shipbuilding question
is the most pressing one, and the gov
eminent is somewhat disturbed by the
uncertain labor situation. 1t intends to
adopt a definite labor policy, as did
England, but this has not yet been
formulated.
The matter of ships also came to
the front again in England, and in re-
Spouse to public demand Sir Erid
Geddes, first lord of the admiralty,
gave out figures on the results of the
submarine warfare. Total losses to
the allies and neutral nations since the
beginning of the war, he said, were g.
100000 tons, and he. admitted the
monthly losses are 100000 o greater
than the new ships built. To correct
this, Sir John Jellicoe is to devote him.
self to combating the submarine, Lord
Pirrie has been made governor general
of merchant ship building and all avail
able men in the country will be put TO
building ships. Premier Lloyd-George
said that by special effort the detcien-
cy could be made good in British ship
yards alone.
ID
A great help in solving this transport
problem is the seizure of about a mil
lion tons of Dutch shipping by the
United States and England. This was
accomplished on Wednesday after the
Netherlands government had refused to
put into effect it's voluntary agreement
to restore its merchant marine to nor
NAL activity. Most of the vessels
taken will be used in carrying food
from America to Europe, and President
Wilson says Holland will receive am
pie supplies of foodstuffs, in accord
ance with the original pact. Germany
of course, has warned the Dutch that
their ships now will be sunk, but II
never has shown much regard FOR the
rights of neutral ships outside the pro-
scribed zone.
III
After being assailed in vain by the
Republicans, the administration Dill 10
establish a war finance corporation
was passed by the house THURSDAY
with only two opposing votes. On the
same day the president signed the Dill
which brings the railroads under gov,
eminent operation and control untll q
months after the end of the war.
Apricultura Interests we're relieved
Of anxiety by an order of the war ue
partment permitting men engaged III
planting or c~ultivating crops TO cor
tinue their work until finished NJ
though their draft numbers are
reached. This does not apply TO uais
workers,
Wisconsin, smarting under the mi
tations of ~disloyalty caused by La ror
lette and his doings and sayings un
dertook to redeem herself In the sehu.
torial primaries, and succeeded III d
measure. Joseph L. Davies, backed w
the national administration, easily wv"
the Democratic nomination but ""
gresham Lenroot had a hard task ue'
feating James Thompson, the La ~"
lette candidate, for the hepue"
choice. The Socialist vote, uneApe'.
eddy heavy, was cast for victor beTsoi,