The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-06-20

U-boat warfare. A significant event ct
| the week was the launching at Newark
of the Agawam, the first of the new
standardized fabricated steel vessels
built by the Emergency Fleet corpora
ton.
The British admiralty announced that
the transport ship Leasowe Castle had
been 1orpedoed in the Mediterranean
with loss of 101 persons.
The central committee of Finnish
workmen has protested against the
brutalities of the White guard, which,
it asserts, has imprisoned 10000 per-
sons and slaughtered prisoners by
wholesale, hundreds Of the killed being
women. In this delectable work the
White guard is helped by the German
soldiers.
OF great Importance was the an
nouncement by the administration last
Wednesday that the United States
now supports the nationalistic aspira-
tons of the Czecho-Slovaks and the
Jugo-Slavs. Until now the president
had gone no further than to express
sympathy with the idea of autonomy
for the anti-German Austrian states,
but he has changed his attitude and
his new policy may do much to encour-
age the subject races Of Emperor
Charles to revolt. 1t will certainly
encourage the brave Italians who are
fighting along the Piave, where before
long American troops will be with
them in the trenches.
On the other hand the Austrian en-
peror has stated that In the future
he will rely on 1.-THE faithful and pre-
cious collaboration of the Germans for
the development of the interests of the
state"
President Wilson appeared before
congress unexpectedly on Monday and
urged that body to begin work imme-
diately on tax legislation to provide
the funds necessary to the carrying
on Of the war. The defeat of the CEN
trail powers, he said, is the considera-
ton that dominates every other. Sen
ators, representatives, supreme court
justices, everybody present, rose and
cheered Justify when the president add
ed:
1--WE are not only in the midst Of the
war, we are at the very peak and crisis
of it. Hundreds of thousands Of our
! men, carrying our hearts with them
and our fortunes, are in the field, and
ships are crowding faster and faster
to the ports of France and England
with regiment after regiment, thou
sand after thousand, to join them until
the enemy shall be beaten and brought
to a reckoning with mankind"
Despite the desire of many members
to have an early adjournment, congress
yielded at once to Mr.. Wilson's plea
and plans were made to formulate q
revenue bill as speedily as may be.
The president in his address confirmed
the expectation that there would be
another and larger issue of Liberty
bonds In the fall, probably immediate
ly after the election.
-
On Wednesday the president issued
an appeal to all Americans to buy only
those things which are essential to the
individual health and efficiency, and to
save their money and invest it sys-
tematically in war savings and Thrift
stamps and other government securi-
ties.
Ia
Director General McAdoo announced
general pay increases for nearly 2,000,-
600 railway employees, carrying out
most of the recommendations of the
railroad wage commission, and he fol-
lowed this with the announcement that
both freight and passenger rates would
be raised, the latter to cents a mile,
and the former by more than % per
cent. This, it is estimated, will bring
in about $900,O00000 more 4 year,
which will be used to meet the. in
creases in wages and the higher cost
of supplies.
Popular belief, based on the wheat
crop estimates, that the restrictions on
the use of wheat might soon be modi-
fed was corrected by Mr.. Hoover, who
says every prospect of the wheat sit
uation intensifies the need for the
greatest possible limitation in the con-
sumption of wheat and wheat products
in America in order that there may not
be serious want among our allies. The
consumption of the cereal at home, he
says. should be only one-third of the
normal.