The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-09-05


them and the ways of combating
them. The submarines, in addition to
sinking a number of steamers and at
lacking others, in some cases only
few miles from the harbor of New
York, also destroyed a considerable
number Of fishing vessels off New Eng
land Several fights with these U-boats
were reported and it was believed that
at least one of them was sunk. What
was believed to be a gas attack on
the coast guard station and lighthouse
on Smiths island, South Carolina, in
which several men were overcome, has
not yet been explained though the
theory that the poison gas came from
submarine was discarded. Presum-
ably the fact that our naval vessels
are pretty busy on convoy duty accounts
for the comparative immunity of these
U-boats along the Atlantic coast.
The steady decline of the German
submarine campaign is emphasized by
the official reports on sinkings and
shipbuilding for July. The allied and
neutral shipping sunk during the month
amounted to 100000 tons, compared
with 534,S39 tons sunk in July, 1917.
During the month the allied nations
constructed tonnage in excess of
100000 to that destroyed by enemy op.
erations.
Ia
The administrations man-pOwer bill
extending the draft age to eighteen
and forty-five years was reported to
the senate Thursday and that body
prepared to take it up and act on 1t
speedily. Chairman Chamberlain in
reporting the measure said General
March told the military affairs COM
mittee that he believed 100000 Amer
leans under one commander could go
through the German lines whenever
they pleased and that if the ages are
fixed as asked, the voluntary enlist
ment system automatically ends. He
also said all the men called for active
service under the amended act would
be in France by next June. The new
American war program, it was re-
vealed, calls for 80 divisions, or about
100000 men, in France and Is more
divisions in training in America, by
June 80, 1919.
Mr.. Chamberlain told the senate
that President Wilson's program called
for concentration of American forces
on the western front, including Italy,
and that the theory Of the fighting In
the future is that we must force the
issue and win on the western front.
The bill as reported contains work
or fight provision to which organized
labor, through Samuel Gompers, has
filed emphatic objection.
The immediate need for more fight
ing men induced the president to issue
on Wednesday a proclamation calling
for the registration, on August "a, Of
all young men who shall have become
twenty one years of age between June
last and that day. This extra enroll
ment, it is believed, will include about
10000 men, one-half of whom are fit
for military duty.
Ia
Chairman Kitchin and other mem
committee being welded to the idea
that the best way to raise more rev.
enue is to increase the excess profits
tax, rather than to impose a war prof
it's tax, Secretary of the Treasury Nc
Adoo was compelled to go before the
80 10
sustain his contention that the war
profits tax method is the best and only
fair one. In reply to Kitchin's asser-
ton that a war profits tax was "only
camoufiage to let out the big fellows"
the secretary produced figures to show
that in great majority of cases the
war profits tax would fall more heav-
lily on the large concerns than would
the excess profits tax, which, if fixed
at 80 per cent as the committee pro-
posed, he said would touch not more
than one of the large corporations. He
favors the continuance of the existing
excess profits tax, with corrections but
without increase. He also urged heav-
Ter levies on unearned incomes than
on earned incomes, and the imposition
of a tax upon servants as luxurfes.
The secretary impressed on the
committee the necessity Of passing the
new revenue bill before September %,
the date set for launching the fourth
Liberty loan campaign, saying that
further delay would jeopardize the
ability Of the treasury to sell sufficient
treasury certificates to finance it in
the intervals between the Liberty
loans. In Washington most of the de-
lay in passing the measure is expect
ed to develop in the senate.