Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-03-16

of MI. Baruch as chairman OF the
board is indicated by the direction OF
the president that the ultimate de-
cision of all questions, EXCEPT the de-
termination of prices, shall rest al
ways with the chairman, the other
members of the board acting In an
advisory and cooperative capacity.
Under this plan, the president seems
to have provided for the centraliza-
ton of power to an even greater de-
gree than has been proposed by those
demanding some action of this kind.
The death of John Redmond, the
Irish national leader, removes the
leading champion of home rule for Ire
land and one of the most striking f1g-
ures that English politics has pro-
duced in the past quarter of century.
For more than twenty-five years Red
mond had fought for home rule in Ire
land and during the greater part of
that time, he was the recognized lead
er Of Ireland's struggle for liberty"
His determined fight in parliament for
home rule earned for him the sobriQuet
of stormy petrol of the house" In
paying tribute to the memory of Red
mond in the house of commons, Sir
Edward Carson, Ulster leader and
longtime opponent of Redmond, made
this significant statement: Indeed,
we were not very far apart in our at
tempts at settlement of the Irish
question" Redmond was well-knOwn
in the United States, having visited
this country in 1908 and again In 1910.
In the case of General March, the
new acting chief Of staff, the idea of
Capitalization of power is also to be
carried out. 1t is announced that
General March will have full power
to reorganize the general staff with a
view of giving it the highest efficiency
in its work Of directing the strictly
military end of the war. He has been
given the power to select his own as
sistants. One of General March's
first acts was to establish the ''Open
door" policy. He arranged to see
newspaper correspondents once every
day and indicated that he will endeav-
or to relax the censorship to such an
extent that Americans may learn more
about what their soldiers are doing
in France. The appointment of Gen.
eral March to this position has won
wide approval as, in his work as chief
of all the American artillery forces In
France, he has been in close touch
with General Pershing and is intimate
~ familiar with all conditions abroad
a.
Speculation as to Germany's we'll
advertised offensive on the western
front has continued, with opinion di.
vided as to whether such an offensive
really will be launched. In some quar-.
tiers it is believed that Germany is sc
fully occupied with Developments in
Russia and is so intent upon accom-
plishing her designs in the east that
she will not undertake an offensive In
| the west but will be content to main
tain defensive attitude. Those TAX
ing this view believe that Germany's
idea is that a deadlock on the wes1
front will force the allies to agree tt
| a peace by negotiation and that under
such circumstances she will be able tt
| attain all her imperialistic designs II
the east.
On the other hand, further cOncen
tration of troops on the western from
is taken by some authorities as indi
eating that Germany really intends Il
launch determined offensive IL
France. General Maurice, chief direc
tor of military operations at the Brit
ish war Office, declares that the enem!
is now ready to strike on the western
front at any moment suitable to hi
purpose. He declares that the allie
remain superior in guns, rifles and air
craft, but that the margin Of advan
tage in these particulars is steadil.
diminishing and an equalization o
strength is being approached.
Ia
More frequent and more pretentiou
raids undertaken by both sides alon
the entire western front are regard
ed as forerunners Of an offensive. TIL
raids are made to feel out the enemy
to find. if possible. the weak spots II
his lines. The many German raids ar
believed to have been made necessar
by the air superiority of the allie
along the greater rart OF the western
front. Unable to gain the informatlo
they need through their airmen. tn
Germans have been forced to resor
to raids in order to learn the strengt
of the opposing forces at varlou
points on the front.