The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-05-25

ment explains that the brigading plan
in operation is temporary, adopted to
meet the emergency in which it is de-
sirable to send over as many Ameri
cans as possible without waiting for
their arms and ammunition. Later
they will return to the American army
and will be using American equipment,
1t is gratifying to note that General
Pershing now issues daily official COM
muniques on the doings of the Ameri-
can forces, following the system of the
other allies.
Ia
The continuous battle for suprem-
acy in the air ragged with increasing
intensity all through the week and Off
cial reports led to the belief that the
flyers Of the allied armies generally
had the best of 1t. American aviators
won several notable victories. Gener-
al Pershing reported the commissions
ing Of nearly 1000 student aviators.
The French have delivered to his army
500 battle planes and 900 training
planes and the Haviland battle planes
made in America are beginning to ar
rive.
Ia
On Sunday Emperor Charles visited
the kaiser at great headquarters and
made plans for renewal of the Aus
tro-German alliance, to last twenty
years. The news of this of course was
received with rejoicing by the pam
Germans of Austria-Hungary but,
equally of course, the treaty Is bitterly
opposed by the Slays and sJfi1yss uifrz-
German elements in Charles realm.
The people there as whole are more
and more DESTROYS of peace and there
is fear that the agreement will Prus-
! sianize their army and compel even
greater efforts In the war. BY some
| the preparations for an offensive in
Italy are looked on as direct result
Of the conference. According to Co.
penhagen reports, the two emperors
selected kings for Lithuania, Courland,
Esthonia and Poland, but the men
chosen were not named.
The meeting of the rulers was at
tended by the kings Of Bavaria and
| Saxony who, though not Invited,
sought to maintain the Importance of
, their kingdoms as parts of the German
| empire and not leave Prussia the sole
arbiter of German destinies." That
sounds big, but the fact remains that
Prussia Is as much the boss of the
German empire as ever.
IA
The kaiser is treating Russia just
as thoroughly defeated enemy might
expect to be treated by him, despite
the peace treaty of Brest-Litovsk. His
demands are exorbitant and enforced
by arms, and In an address to the town
council of Aix-le-C hapelle he an
nounces that "Sebastopol has been
captured with a big, richly laden feet
there" More than that, he is prepar-
ing to call on the Baltic provinces that
were a part of Russia to supply men
for the German armies. No other con-
| struction can be placed on his procla-
nation recognizing the independence
! Of Lithuania, In which he says: 1--WE
assume that Lithuania will participate
In the war burdens of Germany which
secured her liberation" AS Lithuania
has neither money nor munitions to
contribute, the kaiser must mean men,
and the Lithuanian national council
says the country will not consent to
have its citizens dragooned into the
ranks of the kaiser.
! In the Caucasus the Germans under
took to gain control Of the grain, coal,
oil and iron districts by the capture of
Rostov-on-Don, but they held the city
only one day, when the Russians re-
captured It, There are several power
full groups Of RussiaIss operating In the
| Don region, and others all through
south Russia, and Germany has pro-
claimed war at Ekaterinoslav, Odessa
and Poltava and mined the entrance
into the Sea of Asov. In the Ukraine
the antl-German movement increases
daily, the people being very bitter. In
European Russia, says a dispatch
from Samara, less than half the arabic
land usually cultivated will be titled
! this year, owing to the shortage of
seed, horses and implements and the
unsettled condition brought about by
the land division. Well posted Britons
are urging that the allies continue to
help Russia In the work Of reconstruc-
ton In order to balk the efforts of Ger
many. 1t is recognized by all that Ger
many's peace hopes now lie wholly in
the east and that If she is permitted to
realize them she will have won the
war regardless Of the conditions Inn
posed on her In the west.
Lenine processes to see signs OF q
counter-revolutiAh In Russia and on