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INTAN r ATTACK l —•— ■ WABBIMQ NATIONS LOOJt FOR DECISION IN THE EAST. BAHLE IN WEST SUCK PtshOng on the Dnrdnnellea Forte Retained by Allied Fleet—German* * 1 —. CUlm Sacoeaeee Wednesday—Brit ish Vessel Sunk—French Ram Ger man Submarine. After a brief lull In the fight for possession of Dukla pass In the Car pathians, the Russians brought up re inforcements and resumed the attack Wednesday. At Vienna it Is said the Rufes<ans have not been able to gain their objective at any point along tho Carpathian front for the Invasion of Hungary, and that they were defeated In I.ukowina. Dispatches to Swiss newspapers, however, say the Aus trians have suffered enormous losses In northeastern Hungary. It la esti mated that they lost 18,000 men on Monday and the Russians are credited with annihilating a column of 4,000 Austrians in an hour. 1 The Increasing pressure of the Rus sians on this front, together with the fall of Prtemysl, may have an in fluence on the operations in the west. The report Is being spread In Holland that the Germans are contemplating the abandonment of their present line In Belgium in favor of a less extended front running slightly west of Brus sels, and that withdrawal of German cavalry from the Yser line already has begun. London reports Wednesday say the battle of the Carpathians now rivals the bombardment of the Dardanelles In political possibilities. German ex perts assert that Russia's efforts are of such vital Importance politically that the supreme command of the Teutonic allies is justified In exerting every effort to check the Invader there. A sudden and dramatic Influx of Muscovite hosts into Hungary might, It is argued, stir the Balkan nations to quick action. German reports also attach great importance to this struggle. Major Moraht, the military expert. In a dis patch from Austrian headquarters to the Berlin Tageblatt, attaches great Importance to the present fighting In the Carpathians. Major Moraht says: “Without going eo far as to consid er that the result of the entire war, oa even the eastern campaign, de pends on the Issue of this battle, nev- ertbeless victory here indubitably will exercise a strong effect on the entire ettuatlon. Nor can we completely axelude the possibility that the politi cal situation may be affected In one way or another. Russia, in any case, had political reasons In choosing pre cisely this ground for a decisive bat tle. This is the view of Intelligent Hungarians and also of the Vienna press The supreme army command has grounds enough for employing all disposable forces to avert a Russian Irruption into the Hungarian plain.” The fighting the Dardanelles has been slack. Petrograd has officially warned the Russian people not to ex pect an early capitulation of Constan tinople. There are no signs, how ever, that the allied fleet has given up the attack, as battleships again are shelling the outer defenses. The Russian assault on the Bosphorus has been Interrupted by a thick fog. From London Wednesday comee the news of a Reuters dispatch re ceived from Constantinople by way of Berlin says the allied fleet has re sumed Its bombardment of villages near the outer forts of the Darda nelles. Turkish aviators are making dally reconnaissances. In the western area little was transacted. The Berlin office’s an nouncement Wednesday says: "West of Pont-a-Moussen French attacks near and east of .RegnieviUe and In the forest of Le Petree were repulsed. The enemy sustained heavy losses, and at only one place to the west of Forest of Le Petre in the en gagement still continuing. "Hostile aviators yesterday threw bombs on the Belgium towns of Bruges, Ghlstelles and Courtral with out doing any damage to military es tablishments. In Courtral, near a hospital, one Belgian was killed and one wounded. “On the Russian frontier In the district north of Memel the banks of the river were cleared of the enemy. The Russians were defeated near Turoggen and retreated In tho direc tion of Szkaudrwly. “Russian forces which during the last few days advanced north of the Augustowo forest against the Ger man position were repulsed by Ger mans who advanced into the forest lake district near Sejny. The num ber of Russians taken prisoner in the engagement near Krasnopol and to the north and east was Increased by 600. Near Kliraki, on the Skwa, 200 more Russians were captured.” The French report Wednesday was exceedingly brief. It merely said: “No modification of the situation has been reported since the last commu nication.” A British ship was sunk by a sub marine Wednesday. The Ellerman line steamer Flamlnian. with a gen eral cargo, from Glasgow to Cape Townfl was sunk off the Sicily Isles Monday, March 29, by the German •ubmarlne" U-28. The crew of 39 took to their boats and were picked up by the Danish steamer Finlandia and landed at Haly Head. The Flamlnian sighted the U-28 at 1:1K Monday afternoon. While the prepared to lower the boats, the was seat ahead foil speed, i bmarine easily overhauled her, r, and fired three shots, sig- ker to stop. The Flamlnian tHamn and the crew abandoning sll belongings, go! o7 in small MT He tub—Has then fired 10 the German submarines. A statement rie II I Mil I II Mlt'lllfcl by the ministry of marine Wednesday r III H I W I H I II I I IIM sayethatTnesday afternoon a French I Hill I VV I I II UU I I Kill light cruiser sighted a German sub marine msnoeuvering on the surface MANUFACTURING POWDER. NEED OF AIL NATIONS off Dieppe. The cruiser ‘“W^iately THOUSANDS OF BALES USED IN (gave chase, forcing the submarine to dive, firing meanwhile at the peri scope and turning In order to ram it with the bow. The cruiser passed above the sub marine at the moment the periscope disappeared, and from the spot where the submarine was last seen quanti ties of oil floated on the surface. From Germany comes reports of a more extensive submarine campaign. In the shape of a lecture, In which Maximilian Harden, editor of Die Zu- kunft, predicts a further extension of Germany’s submarine activities. “As soon as we extend the radius of action of our bigger submarines,” Herr Harden is qutfted, “they will be used 'for the wholesale laying of mines. Then England will find her mastery of the sea will be at an end. “In every respect Germany can have confidence after eight months of a tremendous struggle. Even if some of the present neutrals join the allies it will make no difference to the real proportions of the conflict.” From Petrograd comes the news of an attack upon the port of Liban, as follows: “On Sunday a German ves sel approached Liban (on the Baltic) and fired 200 projectiles, killing one civilian acd wounding another. No soldiers were Injured.” The French report of Tuesday’s fighting Is as follows: the enemy continued, without results, to bombard the Nleuport bridges. "There has been an Intermittent cannonade on the entire front from the sea to the Alsne. "In Champagne, In the region of Perthes, Beausejor and Ville-Sur- Tourbe, there was an artillery action and mine Warfare, te which we ob tained the advantage “In the Argonne determined fight ing continues at several points, but without appreciable results to either side. “On Monday Fort Donamont, north of Verdun, was struck by German shells. Our artillery Immediately si lenced the German batteries. The fort was not damaged. "In the western part of the forest of Le Pretre we carried a Une of trenches, In which we took 100 pris oners. Despite a violent counter-at tack, we maintained the greater part of the trenches won. “To the west of Pont-a-Mousson we carried a Herman post and repuls ed three counter-attacks. “On the battlefield at Hartsmanna- Wellerkorpf the bodies of 700 Ger mans have been counted.” FORMAL DEMAND MADE. Germans Had ao Amort Right 8 hip. to Sink Indemnity for the full value of the American ship William P. Frye, de stroyed at sea by the German convert ed cruiser Print Eltel Friedrich, has been formally requeeted from Ger many by the United States govern ment Acting Secretary Lansing announc ed Friday that a note on the Subject had been sent to Ambassador Gerard for presentation to the foreign office at Berlin. Pending Its receipt in Ber lin, the document will not be made public. No representations were made con cerning the cargo, since It was es tablished. after an investigation by the state department, that It was sold en route and was Brltlsh-owned at the time of the sinking. The American government con tends In the note that of commander of the Eltel was not warranted In de stroying the Frye, because It could not lawfully have been condemned as a prize had it been taken Into a prize court. NAVAL FIGHTS IN BADTIC. Petrograd Claims to Have Inflicted Hevere I^oas Upon Germans. In a summary sent out from Petro grad Monday considerable naval ac tivity has taken place In the Baltis sea. The statement, which Is re garded as semi-official fotlowg: “Early In September the activity of our fleet in the southern Baltic compelled the enemy to modify his plans and concentrate his chief ef forts upon operations by submarines. Nineteen of these attacks were made in two months, but only one was suc cessful. Enemy submarines suffered considerably. ^ “Our fleet has developed Intense activity along the enemy’s coast. De details of the operations can not be published yet, but the enemy suffer ed severe losses In fightingunits and have been seriously Impeded In ths operations along his own coast by the loss of a number of transports with munitions.” SUNK BY SUBMARINE. Eleven Men Drowned In the Sinking of Steamers. A dispatch from New Haven, Eng land, says the British steamer Seven Seas of 632 tons was torpedoed by a German submarine off Beaehy Head Thursday afternoon. The attack was without warning and eleven of her crow of elghten, Including all the offi cers except the second engineer, were drowned. The steamer was bound from London for Liverpool. Such was the force of the explosion that New Establishment* Have Sprang Up and are Manufacturing Cotton Into Smokeless Powder for Use of Euro pean Nations Now Warring With Each Other. (By Richard Spillane. In Commerce and Finance.) An article on gun cotton, printed In Commerce and Finance on Jan uary 20, has been copied widely. It told how smokeless powder is made and gave the capacity of the powder plants of America and Europe. While everything that was stated In the article was correct at the time of its publication there has been such an extraordinary change in the situation since then, and the cotton trade Is concerned so deeply In the change that the whole subject as sumes a new and much more impor tant aspect. In ordinary years the powder plants of America turn out 10,000,- 000 pounds of smokeless powder. That means they use 20,000 bales of (inters or cotton. Their extreme ca pacity was 15,000,000 pounds or 30,- 000 bales of cotton. So tremendous have been the demands of the Euro pean governments for powder 4bat tho Dupont establishment, the larg est In the United States, has extended Its plants so that to-day they have a capacity of between 100,000,000 and 120,000,000 pounds a year. That means a consumption of from 200,- 000 to 240,000 bale* of cotton. But big as the Dupont establish ments are, and rapidly as they have been extended they have not been able to keep up with the needs of the warring nations. The high price the European governments ar e willing to pay has led various persons to em bark In the manufacture of powder. There Is no secret process to the making of smokeless powder, and the whole thing, aside from its attend ant and constant danger, is compara tively simple. Roughly speaking, one pound of cotton makes one pound of powder. The best cotton for the powder man ufacturer Is the dellntered stuff that Is shaved from the seed after the real cotton of commerce la ginned. The shorted the Unters the better for the powder maker's purpose, for the stuff Is put through a machine and chopped fof eight hours by knives until the fragments ars reduced to lengths smaller than three one-hun dredths of* an Inch. Then the cot ton Is treated with nitric %pd sul phuric acid until the liquid gets all through the fibre. The next treatment Is to get rid of all surplus acid for thin as Is each Individual fibre It Is formed like the body of a tree and has a cover not unlike the bark of a tree, Into the lines or valler or which the acid sinks. Next the cotton Is mixed with a solution of ether and alcohol. When It emerges from this treatment it does not look anything like cotton, but Is plastic like clay. Its color is determined, largely, by the character of the water In which It is washed In getting the surplus acid out. How many independent plants have sprung up In the last few months It is difficult to determine. There are reports of scch plants In Pennsylvania, Ohio. Illinois and else where. The principal establishments of all the Dupont company are at Haskell, N. J., and at Kearney’s Point, near Wilmington Del., but a new and mammoth one is being built on the shore of the James river. One of the independent concerns has an order from the Russian gov ernment for all the powder it can produce. The first order was for 1,- 500,000 pounds, but this soon was in creased to its present unlimited scale. This company thus far has been ship ping at the rate of 100,000 pounds a week and expects to increase the out put decidedlyv A new plant whlcR'tS'do begin op erations soon has contracted with a 4«r satlmated tit* maximum capacity of the foreign plants at 100,000,600 pounds, or 600,000 bales of llntere, if all tho maaufactories need gun cotton exclusively, which, usually, they do not. Now th)a interesting question pro jects Itself before us: It the de mands of Europe for powder necessi tated the remarkable increase In our powder-making Industry, how large ly have the Europeans Increased their own production? Logically they would do their utmost to provide for their needs before turning to Ameri ca for their supply. If they have done so, tt- may explain in part why our cotton exports ^re of so much greater volume than the vast majori ty of the people in the cotton trade expected. Few persons looked for heavy exports. The textlU Industry abroad was disorganized partly by such mtdl centres as Mulhausen, Rou- baix, Lille, Lodz( etc., being ^within the war zone; partly by operatives being drawn Into .the armies; partly by blockades on sea by hostile ships and on land by movement of troops, and partly by the general derange ment of finance and trade. And yet our exports may approximate 7,500,- 00 or 8,000,000 bales! There Is one powder man of prom inence who declares that at the rate smokeless powder Is being made to day the powder mills of the world will consume a minimum of 1,200,- 000-bales of cotton. He says cotton because the powder people are In such a hurry to get supplies on which to work that they can not wait tor llntere. The European plants are us ing cotthn and the contract for the American plant, which will require 100 bales a day and to which refer ence has been made. Is for cotton, not Unters. The truth of the matter probably Is that this war Is such a gigantic af fair that estimates relating to cotton In connection with it can not be made according to ordinary standards of reasoning. Never was powder used so lavishly as now. There are said to be 57 warships engaged in the bombardment of the Dardanelles. The big ones are burning up cotton at a monstrous rate. A 12-Inch gun uses 300 pounds of powder every time It is fired. It Is theoretically possible for a battleship to use from 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of powder s minute or from 10 to 12 bales of cot ton a minute in firing all Its guns. It would take a fair sized planta tion to supply enough material for the powder of the Queen Elizabeth alone. The fleet at Symrna has shot enough cotton at or Into the Turks to clothe an army corps, perhaps. And what of the millions of men In the rifle pits and those serving the hundreds of batteries from Ostend down to the Swiss border and from the Baltic to Bnkfwlna? Russia, England, Germany, Tur key, France and Servla have been making or buying all the powder they possibly could. Italy, Greece. Roumanla and Bulgaria have been piling up as large stores of the great essential as possible. Holland, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland have had to Increase their stocks of powder as a matter of precaution. And now the period Is approach ing when, according to Kitchener, the war really begins. To the cotton trader the statistics of supply and consumption are not so dependable this year as ordinarily. If 1,200,000 hales or more of cotton go Into powder they are not likely to appear In the mill figures. GIRL SAW MEN FIGHT, the hntches were blown off nnd a big hole, was torn In the steamer’s side, ‘“' l ll, ”tn l ’T l V", r " aU ennein* hereto sink within three mth-! had » capacity from 10 to 20 times greater than those of the - United States, but all of the foreign powder Is not made of gun potion* -While Russia, France arf<!‘ Germany* depend on gun cotton exclusively, England, Austria, Italy. Sweden and Norway causing her-to sink within three mlh utes. The survivors, three of whom were Injured, were lan ’ed by a de stroyer. > V Asquith Relieve* Ed Grey. Premier Asnnlth has taken tmo no ra nr charge of the portfolio of Sir Edward Grey, who has been compell ed to take a few weeks rest. Shouts Encouragement to Her Escort During Pistol Battle. Miss Agnes Farmer, 18, was forc ed to act second for two young men friends Saturday who fought a duel on the highway. Harvey Hurt, 23, had Miss Farmer In a buggy on their way home In the country. He met Ira Scott, 24, coming to town on a load of cotton. The men had quar relled over an affair of no Interest to Miss Farmer. When they met in the road the row was resumed. The girl pleaded for peace, but the men want ed to fight. She stood up in the buggy and told Hurt to flght,for his life. The men stepped off 20 feet and opened fire. During the duel Miss Farmers would call to Hurt to be cool, aim straight and Are quick. Each was wounded three times. Hurt was hit twice In the left shoulder and once In the neck Scott was shot twice in the left lung, and Is serlous- AIRSHIP OVER CANAL. ly Injured. Another shot broke his New York cotton house to<*supply iffrigh^arm. with cotton at the rate of 100 bales a day, or 30,000 ’’ales a year. This tnformatioif comes from the New York cotton exchange people who are to furnish the cotton. Near Chicago, 111., a new powder plant has been established which, it Is said, has a capacity of 30,000 pounds a day, which means a con sumption of 60 bales a day. Old powder works In New Eng land are reported to have been re opened, and others are said to be .In the course of refitting for use. If all the people who say they have ders from abroad for powder and ve consulted with powder experts regarding the establishment of plants embark in the business the produc-* tlon of America will be immense. Full allowance must be given for ex aggeration in the talk of these peo ple, but there is no getting away from the fact that the plants of the stand ard powder concerns have been ex panded amazingly and that such in dependent companies as are In the that the gross output of the Dupont works in ordinary times. It was pointed out in the article of last January that the plants abroad Panama Military Authorities Making an Exhaustive Inquiry, Military and canal authorities are Investigating a report that an ero- plane had been seen flying over the Pedro Miguel and the Miraflores locks. Gov. Goethals, of the Canal Zone, and Brigl Gen. Edwards, commander of the military forces, both detailed men to make an exhaustive search for the machine, which is said to have been seen and heard over the locks Thursday night. The air craft Is also reported to have flown over Hill 15, which is heavily entrenched, and also located east of the Pedro iguel locks, of whose defense It orms a part. , . It is known that a Bleriot.jnachine Is owned on the isthmus, but its whereabouts hasf pot yet been ascer tained. * . „ r. KM FBI ACTION ' 0 - FORTS AND SHIPS READY TO EN- ! FORE NEUTRALITY. SEA IBYEI’S TIME IS UP Prins Eltel Frcrireick Has Choice of Flight or Internment—Battleship Alabama on Hand to See That no A" .. . ... r - Unfair Advantage Is Taken or Se cured. ’ ^ A dispatch from Newport Hews Monday says it is generally believed there that the German auxiliary cruiser Prinz Eltel Friedrich does not Intend to intern. It is rumored that the delay of Commander Thierichens in making a move is due to no unpreparedness on the part of his vessel, but to the failure of the United States govern ment to provide warships to protect the Eitel In territorial waters^ Reports from Washington say that Capt. Thierichens has asked the gov ernment for protection from the al lied ships while in neutral waters, and that he has been assured that he will not be molested while in the three-mile limit outside the capes. Other than two torpedo boats and the submarine D-2, there are no war ships that could protect the Eltel against any hostile move by the for eign vessels now reported lying in wait outside Cape Henry. It is also believed that the arrival of the bat tleship Alabama from Philadelphia may be closely followed by the long expected dash of the German cruiser. The guns at Fort Monroe can only protect the Eltel as far as the capes and the Alabama will be used, It is said. In convoying the German ship outside while she remains in the three-mile limit. Should she go to New York to Intern as reported, thefe is a question as to whether or not she can find enough water In the three-mile limit. Not many more hours remain for the German merchant raiding cruiser Prins Eltel Frederick to hold her status In American refuge at New port News. Government officials remain silent as to the time given the vessel to make repairs, but it Is known the time limit has almost expired, and Capt. Thierichens either must dach soon for the open sea or submit to internment of his ship for the re mainder of the European war. Although the prevalent opinion In official quarters at Washington has been that the Prins Eltel would In tern. the dispatch of the battleship Alabama to Hampton Roads on neu trality duty has served to indicate that navy department officials may have reason to bellova the warship will put to tea. Reports are current that the German government has given notice of such Intention. In view of the fnct that British and French warships are reported outside the threo-mtle limit off the Virginia Capes, It Is declared the Washington authorities deem It es sential to have means of enforcing neutrality within the waters of American jurisdiction. While It is not believed that Brit ish or French ships would violate neutrality by coming Inside the three- mile limit to attack the Eltel Fred erick os she left. It Is said to have been regarded as necessary for this government to provide means to meet any possible emergencies. On leaving Newport News tho Eltel could remain In coastal waters within the three-mile limit, proceeding up or down the coast, untU twenty-four hours after receipt of notice from the American government to depart. To see that neutrality regulations are not violated In this regard Is advanc ed as one of the reasons for the send ing of the Alabama to Hampton Roads. For some reason nnusual activity has been displayed by the United States navy around Newport News, Va. , The German merchant cruiser, the Prinz Eltel Fredlck is still tied up at a pier, but her officers say she will leave some time. Fortress Monroe ud Fort Wool, in the centre of Hampton Roads, Fri day night exhibited unusual activity. All the troops stationed at the forts were ordered to the barracks and the big gun crews and mine companies were sent to their stations. At 9:30 o’clock the engines around the guns were started and the searchlights t both forts were In operation. '''Subsequently it ' as discovered that one United States submarine and three destroyers kad arrived in the Roads and drjppoa anchor, between the fwo forts. mander-ln-chl*f of Uls Atlantic serve float Secretary Admiral Helm would deride whether he would accompany his ship- . There wer« unconfirmed^ reports that Commander Thierichens, of the Prinx Eltel, had made Inquiry of Ute Washington government as to what protection he might expect within the three-mile limit should he decide to attempt to run the gauntlet of enemy warships said to be awaiting him. Capt. Thierichens was said to have taken the position that his vessel was entitled to protection from any mo lestation while In the territorial waters of the United States, and in that view it was understood govern ment officials concurred. A dispatch from Washington says the German - commerce destroyer Prinz Eltel Frederick will be intern ed at Newport News by order of the Washington government within a few days, according to opinions expressed In official ,'du&rtet*7f?$Q’ one in au thority, hiowever,j'woluld discuss the ship’s status. i There was little doubt that a time limit for the making of repairs to the Eitel had been set by the govern ment and that the limit is close to expiration. When th e period granted expires* Commander Thierichens, of the Eitel, will be formally notified that he must either put to sea within 2,4 hours or his ship and crew will be interned for the war. _ The German captain'could appeal for time to make further repairs, but this would be granted, it Is thought, only on a new and unexpected show ing as to the unseaworthiness of his vessel. It appears to be the general opin ion that Commander Thierichens would not ask that hts ship be in terned, but would wait out his time limit and compel the government to act. Officials recalled the statement of Capt. Klehne of the American ship William P. Frye, sunk by the Eltel, who declared when he reached shore from the qrulser that she would not put to sea again during the war. He refused to say on what he based his prediction, but officials believe his long association with the Eltel’s of ficers qualified him to speak with some autnorlty. It was suggested to officials that the presence of numerous British horse transports at Newport News might serve to delay the departure of the Eitel should her commander de termine to attempt a dash to sea past the patrol of warships said to he maintained by the allies beyond the three-mile limit. Under neutrality laws no belligerent warship such as the Eltel may leave port within 24 hours after the departure of an ene my merchant craft. By sailing in and ont of the har bor at frequent Intervals the British merchant skippers could delay the Eitel's dash If they so deslre4. It was thought, however, thst no such manoeuvre would be attempted as the conclusion was general the Eltel would not put to sea and the allies wer« not desirous of delaying the time of her Internment. Secretary Daniels and Acting 8m- retary Breckinridge of the war de partment conferred regarding the measures to carry out neutrality laws In the com of the Eltel. Mr. Breck inridge said no orders htd yet bees given to the post commander. He de clared that even in case of a naval battle within the three-mile limit, should the Eltel make the dash, there would be no firing from forts wttheat express orders from Washington. MADE NO OFFERS. i Foot and Mouth Disease Gone. The United States department of agriculture announced Thursday the virtual eradication of the foot and mouth disease in this country. Germany Asked for Indemnity. A full indemnity has been request- use trinltrotolulol and picric acid im ^ TOta Germany for the loss tb* Big Cotton Record. 11 Exports of cotton from Galveston, to Toroa. tor March am sots I to «««.- 4ft Mon. I the making of some powder. Of England’s . production of powder probably TO per cent, is of gun cot ton. Of Aaatria’a. Italy'o, Sweden's and Norway's, tha percentage is from SO to 70 of gwa Fye. which tha German Print Eltel Friedrich sank. at ifhan. Rooter’s eorrcsppndeat says that as a roaalt of two bombard moots of Llboat by tbo German flatf. three nraoas bare bona killed and sarca Fortress Monroe, went to tho Ports mouth navy yard, it was said, and the acting adjutant In charge said that he could make no statement con cerning the unusual stir at tho forts. The searchlights ere constantly play- ed over Hampton Roads and Ghesa- peake Bay out toward the Capes. The Prinz Eltel Frederick was still tied up alongside a pier at the ship yard, and has made no move as If to leave. The lieutenant In charge said the cYulser would not leave Friday night, but “some other night.” Smoke was seen rising from the funnel and It was uvldent that fire was up In at least one boiler. The battleship Alabama, of the re serve fleet, was ordered to Hampton Roads Saturday night on "neutrality duty,” according to an anhouncement f*-om the navy department. The bat tleship Is at the Philadelphia yard. Secretary Daniels said It was In tended to place one large vessel on guard to support the submarines and destroyers, whj^ have been on duty since the German Cruiser Print Eltel Frederick reached Newport News. Heavy ships had been employed in neutrality duty at Boston and New York, the secretary said and it was thooght best to take similar precau tions at Hampton Roads, as the ■mailer vowels would bo handicapped la tbo event of heavy weather M the flagship of Austria and Italy Have Had ao Direct laterrhangea. Contrary to stories in the French and the British press, Austria-Hun gary opened no direct negotiations with Italy concerning nosslble terri torial concessions. From the highest sources at Rome it Is affirmed that everything done In this line was doe to Germany's Initiative. The action of the German ambas sador to Italy, Prince von Uuelow, it is said, was sniracted by a desire to eliminate the causes of the ancient antagonism between Austria and Italy, but even the work of the‘for mer imperial chancellor of Germany, in this direction was cautious, so that decided statements wh'ch have ap peared In one sense oi* the other were premature. This, prominent Italians point out, Is why Italy vigorously continues her extensive military preparations, not knowing what the future may bring, when, next day, according to the most reliable opinions, the_European war will take a definite turn. The council of ministers did not discuss the International situation. The mihisters considered proposed rules to prohibit the publication of news of a military character, a plan for a partial reopening of the stock exchange and measures for the bene- e rwo IO J_ 18 - .' Jflt of the unemployed. Col. Ira F. Haynes, commandant or ' ; _ . AVOIDS COTTON CONGESTION. Italians to-Allow All-American Car goes to be Exported. As a result of the efforts of Ameri can Ambassador Page, instructions have been issued from the foreign ministry at Rome to allow all Ameri can cotton bi]t'>d tjirougli this coun try to be exported Difficulties in the way of moving the commodity now are due to congestion. Ing to unload, white outside the har bor 116 vessels are waiting to enter. Methods employed in unloading the ships prevent more than 3,000 bales of cotton entering the port daily. — mm* ALL ENGLAND ABSTAINS. E., British Isles to Abstain frqjp Us* *f Alcoholic Liquors. A London dispatch says the king’s abstemious example is being rapidly foRdwed, for, in addition to 'Bart Kitchener, all. th* cabinet minister* in London announced to Chancellor Lioyd-Georga, according to Th# Dally Mall, their hU*0tlon to follow tho king's pledge to abstain from alce- hette Hanoi* d«HBg the war If It fc