The Barnwell people. (Barnwell, S.C.) 1884-1925, April 08, 1915, Image 6
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