The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-06-29

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! who wish to join the allies. Most of
them are armed ard organized. We
| may yet have the chance to see these
sturdy fighters, formerly our foes by
compulsion. passing in triumph
through the United States on their
way to join the other armies of free
| dom.
The senate committee on military
affairs adopted an amendment to the
army appropriation bill authorizing the
| president to raise volunteer legion
| of Slavic residents of the United
States for service In "any field of ac-
ton" Mr.. Wilson approved the
amendment.
! Word was received that the Turks
on June IA occupied and looted
Tabriz, the second city of Persia, took
possession of the American and Brit
ish cOnsulates there over the protests
of the Spanish consul who was in
| charge Of them, and sacked the Amer
lean hospital over which the Spanish
flag was flying. If the report is veri-
I fed, Turkey has committed an act of
war against the United States, and
declaration of war by this country
against the Porte may be the result.
Many senator's and representatives
hox 20 %.
time and their position is strengthened
| by the recent occurrence. The formal
inclusion Of Bulgaria also among our
enemies probably would follow imme-
| diately. Thus would come to an end
the incongruous state of affairs which
Ifr.fs permitted the Turkish and Bull
| garian diplomats to remain In this
country free to gather such informa-
!! ton as they could and transmit 1t to
their allies and our enemies. The
well informed have given up the hope
that Turkey might be induced to with
| draw from the war, since she has
been given part of the spoils Of Rus
| STA.
| lag
| The submarines operating in the
west Atlantic have sunk several more
| neutral vessels, but there Is reason to
| believe that one or two of them have
been destroyed in encounters with
| armed steamers. A Venezuelan jour
nalist who was driven from Caracas
| admits there are German U-boat
bases in Venezuela. The raids off the
| American coast are declared by
| American naval headquarters in Eng
| land to mean that the submarine cam
| paign is failure, the enemy's only
chance of employing the limited num-
Der of his U-boats successfully being
| to concentrate their operations on
the focal points of allied trade. 1t
| was stated that today sufficient ton
mage Is available to meet allied de-
mands and 1t is constantly growing
larger.
| The British make the welcome an
nouncement that 81 German destroy
ers and large number of submarines
and other craft are penned up In the
Bruges canal locks as q result of the
recent blocking operations at Zee
brugge. These vessels are constant
| ly subjected to bombing by the naval
aviators.
| -m-
| The department Of justice uncov-
cred last week gigantic conspiracy
between manufacturers and cOntrac-
tors agents to solicit government war
orders under agreements to pay COM
missions illegally to the agents. Hun
dreds of offices throughout the cOun-
try were raided and papers seized.
The department said the commission
agents would be prosecuted, and that
all contracts made by them or with
their aid were subject to annulment
by the government.
la
So insistent Ia becoming the demand
for more complete mobilization of
Americas man power that extension
of the draft age limits probably will
not be postponed until the winter SEES
sion Of congress. Provost Marshal
General Crowder urges that the law
| be amended Immediately to take In
all between the ages of eighteen and
| forty-five years, and Secretary of War
Baker says he will recommend such
| an amendment IL submitted by the
| senate or house. General Crowder
told the military affairs committees
that the legislation is needed at once
| If we intend to do anything this year.
He not only wants more fighting
men, but also he desires to extend the
work or fight" order so that there
will be virtual CONSUMPTION of labor
for war industries. His plans would
assure the registration of four Or five
million men qualified for milltar
! service.