Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-23
CURRENT EVENTS OF INTEREST

Formal ratification Of the cOntraGN be-
tween the United States and the French esx=
eminent covering the purchase Of $25, 0O0,-
600 worth Of machine tools to be used in
rehabiltating French industries, has been
announced by the War Department
A commission will leave France for the
9Tai'a3 States in about ten days to select
the tools. The contract, however, does no.
give the French any exclusive right of pur-
chase. Payment will be made in ten year
5 per cent gold bonds of the French re-
public.
The average daily expenditure Of the Brit
ish government from a -;fiI / to November
80 was reduced = 100000 pounds, as COM
pared with more than 100000 pounds dur
ing the war. Freight traffic expenditures
were reduced to 100000 pounds, as COM
pared with 6S,500,000 pounds prior to the
war.
Winston Spencer Churchill, British Secre-
tary for War, announced in the House OF
Commons last week that the Germans had
handed over TO the Allies 5000 guns, rs, 900
machine guns, 5000 trench mortars and l.,
700 airpIanes. They had still failed to de-
liver AZ locomotives and 4,760 railway trucks
Loss to the United States on account Of
the recent coal strike amounted to approx
mately $4,000, 900, while Ohos loss was
about 100000, according to W. d. Nc
Kinney, secretary Of the Southern Ohio Coal
Exchange. Additional loss to railroads from
curtailed service and to industries forced
to shut down on account Of the fuel situa-
ton could not be estimated and no allow
ance therefor is made in the estimate, Mr.
Mckinney said.
The miners we're the greatest losers in
the strike. Mr.. McKiEney's figures showed.
Sixty million dollars his estimate of
their losses in wager. The loss to the rail
roads he placed at $4O,OO0,000 while the
operators figure he set at $26,0oo,o00.
burst Of speed of approximately 22G
miles an hour was attained by Sadi Leconte
the noted French aviator, in officially tim
ed airplane test last week Leconte, VINO
holds the French record for height and VINO
broke the French speed record last Septem-
Der. covered the distance OF kllometer IN
the test at an average speed OF 3O7 ,225 k1lo-
meters (about 1910 miles) an hour, while our
ing some seconds of his flight he reached
a speed of 364.5 kilomcters (226 miles, an
hour or about 8 y miles minute.
Announcement has been made in Cleve-
land, marlborough, England that local
engineer has succeeded in extracting COM
mercal alcohol and its derivatives from
coke. It is claimed that if the process which
requires the use Of gas is applied to all the
coal carbonized in Great Britain an estimat-
ed yield of SO, 900, 900 gallons of motor spir-
it's will be obtained annually, revolutioniz-
ing the supply and cost Of liquid fuel.
Investigation of the activities of Ludwig
c. A. K. Martens, self-styled ambassador to
the United States from the Russian Soviet
government, is called for in resolution in
troduced last week in the Senate by Senator
Kenyon, Of Iowa.
The resolution authorizes the Foreign Re-
latlOns Committee to make the investiga-
ton, and the measure was referred to that
committee. 1t is recited in the resolution
that Martens has refused to answer questions
asked him by the Lusk investigating COM
mittee in New York and that therefore he
be called before the committee of Congress
and be forced to explain in detail his activ-
tiles in the United States and his connections
with the Russian Soviet government.
The French and British army commands
have discussed plans for peace time organiZa-
ton, according to the "Matin," one Of the
leading Paris journals. The newspaper sees
the maintenance of Marshal Petan as rench
generalissimo at the disposition IF the Inter
Allied Council, over which Marshal Foch
probably will preside.