Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, April 17, 1917, Image 1

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Atlanta semi-weekly journal., April 17, 1917, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Textzttlanln 3 nni-Wtldj} Journal VOLUME Xl\ GREAT FRENCH OFFENSIVE IS NOW IN FULL SWING M IS IN FAVOR OF CONSCRIPTION OS ANY OTHER WAR MEASURE After Conference. With Presi dent He Says He Is ‘‘For Anything the Government Wants in Pushing the War" WASHINGTON. April 15.—William Jennings Bryan today personally told President Wilson he is "for anything the government wants in "pushing the war to a quick and successful end." , Bryan, in a conference with the pres;- | dent at the White House lasting over a half hour, told the chief executive he was willing to serve on the firing line or anywhere the president wanted him to serve. He said he had but one specif !c thing to urge—war time prohibition. As to universal military service. Bryan i doesn’t care a hang. If the government! thinks there ought to be universal serv ice or conscription, ar any other way of raising an army. Bryan will get right behind whatever plan the government suggests and. do everything he can to make it a success. The colonel will begin rt once as a ■recruiting officer" among the civilian population of the country called upon to offer their service* in furnishing sup plies of every kind that the war may be brought to a speedy and successful close He will set out tonight speaking be fci* meetings tn various parts of the country outlining the ‘part the citizen ■an play in support of the government. ""I do not care to discuss any question before congress.". Bryan said, “but what ever the government says is right. 1 shall support it to the uttermost. "I am heartily in sympathy with this ■ effort to conserve the food supply by I nor allowing the bread supply to be shortened in order to lengthen the sup ply of alcohol "It isn’t wise to starve the people in order to make them drunk.” Bryan is conferring with various executive departments to gather such information as the government wished disseminated among the people to rouse them to the duly before them. Auer more than half an hour with 14KV president. Bryan carefully dictated Htefollowing Statement to newspaper men: RRYANS STATEMENT. “I vailed upon the president to pay my respects and confirm my telegram sent the day that the state of war was declared to*exist. "1 do not care to discuss any question before congress. Whatever the govern ment does. Is right, and I shall support it to the uttermost. “I take it for granted that the people will unitedly support any action taken by the government in war. “The government speaks for the whole ••ountry and there should be no division, no dissent. , "I have a number of speaking dates, made before this situation arose. They can bp cancelled at any time my serv ices are needed by the government. These meetings, however, will give me th* opportunity to bring before the audi ences I address the part that the citizen can plav in support of the government. T am collecting now from govern ment sources such Information as they desire spread and shall use that infor mation both in my speeches and my pa- Itryan will confer with Secretary Houston this week as to what he can do in "farm recruiting." He will speak tonight at Lehighton. Ta.. Saturday at Shamokin. Pa., and later at Ithaca. N. V. MTU ENDS DIO FEUD I •BETWEEN RDEKEFELIEfIS Funeral of Frank Rockefeller Will Be Attended by His Brother, John D. NEW YORK. April 15.—Death today ended the sev<sntecn-year-old feud be tween John *D. Rockefeller and his rother, Frank. The billionaire oil king announced that he would attend his brother s funeral at Cleveland. ft took the reaper to settle the grim, alien hatred that existed—for what rea son they themselves only knew —be- tween the two brothers for nearly a score of years. "John D. Rockefeller and William Rockefeller will attend the funeral of I their brother. Franx. in Cleveland." was the laconic official statement from Rock efeller's Standard Oil offices here to day. Neither friends, assistants, mutual business interests, nor family ties suc • eeded in breaking down the mysterious wall lietween the two men. For sev enteen years they neither spoke, wrote tier so much as referred to each other, it was to each as though he other nev er existed. They were chums in Iwyhood. They fought thvir,early business buttles side by side. They shared t’»eir first sue esses ns they had shar'd their <hll4- hood poverty. They were unusually M brothers. The break cam* in 1900 In that year T-’rank Rockefeller announced that he had left the Standard Oil company never to return, and that he had taken a vow rever again to speak to his brother. The uuarrel was said to have been over bus iness affairs. Even when he knew he was going to die Frank prohibited those about him informing his brother. John. Not long ago William Rockefeller made an unsuccessful attempt to rec oncile his two brothers. Frank Rockefeller was not on speak : >r terms with his brother John D. as result of a quarrel they had years Horn in Richford. N. Y„ in 1545, he was the youngest of the three Rocke feller boys, and when his brothers or ganised the Standard JOU company be BAfITDW COUNH OPENS GREAT FOOD CIPIIGN I Farmers, Merchants. Schools j Are Visited in Prepared ness Movement* Special Dispatch to The Journal.) CARTERSVILLE, Ga., April 16. Perhaps the most extensive movement ever inaugurated in any county in Geor gia for the production of a food crop has been set in motion by the citizens of Bartow county. Several mass meetings have been held In the county court house, attended by citizens from every part of Bartow coun ty. and a plan has been worked out to bring to the attention of the people of the county the great necessity for raising a food crop for this year. Several thousand circulars have been sent broadcast over the county appeal- I ing to the people to plant corn. peas. | potatoes, early maturing grasses, vel- I vet beans and an early garden, and then ■ to plant fall gardens, raise hogs, save I the fruit and berry crop, and otherwise I conserve and better their condition, pre paratory to meeting the great war emer gency now confronting the people in the United States. This morning a committee of citizens, about fifty in number, visited every county school and every merchant and farmer in Bartow county possible for the purpose of bringing the attention, of the people to the emergency exist ing. On Friday. April 20. the county schools will hold their commencement exercises in this city, and there will be over 2.500 county school children in attendance, besides their parents, and upon this occasion an earnest appeal w’ill be made to the patriotism of the people to prepare themselves and there by help the government to prosecute the war to a successful end. The Fifth reg iment band has been secured for the occasion and it is planned to make this a grand preparedness and food rally for the county. APPEAL IS ISSUED. The following circular has been sent I to every household in Bartow county: 1 "AX APPEAL TO rm: CITIZESS <•!' BARTOW I’OT.XTY. “Do you r-allif that you are now living un der war conditions—that the first ’-all from the armies of the world must and will be fed. • And did you know that the great drain upon America forth- last two years has left us with an alarmine shortage of food and that there is not enough food io the south to last lut a short time? And did you know also that th- armies o ft he world must sad will be fed, and that every facility will t>e a.revted to di rect transportation of food and supplies to keep "These are facts. Already the wholesale end retail merchants cannot get certain food articles. All are higher and scarcer. If you df-nbt it. try to buy. Make diligent Inquiry and investigate the situation before it is too Ist®. --Georgia has been buying annually $65,000,000 of food products from tbe west, tour govern ment knows this, and foresees that there will be no food and grain for you to buy. ••The government has been for many months npfealing to the people to wake up and meet the situation before it is too late, by t»cgin ning now and plant plenty of food g!:?plies lor themselves. ••Now that our nation has entered intn war. no one knows how long the struggle will last, or how much suffering we will be called upon to endure. “The safetv of our families and armies is in fond. With tbe great railroads being called upon to supplv the armies and allies with all i kieds of supplies, it is said it will he imposst bl- to ship foodstuff from tbe west, even if I they had it tn spare, and most certainly they j will not. PLANT NOW AND SAVE. "A -all ha* l*e-n made for men for the army l and navy. But a greater call has been made i bv the internment tn prepare and preserve in • this time of waste ami destruction. With the vest pouring all of her resources into the hun grv and famished conditions of Europe, there is no po*>iMe way for the south tn meet tbe situation hut by Ranting now and saving all we can. •-H..W can we meet the condition? ••I lant an early garden; -an and preserve all | the 'Ogetahles ami fruits possible: do not sell, or ship out of your county any live stock, but I increase their yield: raise chickens and hogs, i and keep ybnr tnlleh cow; on every one horse I farm thei- should be planted five acres In | ■wn and velvet beans, five acres in peas for hay. ten a-re« in cotton, one acre In peanuts, on account of high food cable for hogs; one and one half acre in sweet potatoes and some • arL' maturing corn and grasses for stock; a good I gar.cn containing hesns, cabbage, collards, okra, onions, tomatoes, turnips, lettuce, squash, cu ' um'-ers. etc. ■■Whether tenant, wage earner, farmer, busi ness man. teacher, professional or moneyed etti -~n. plant a garden, work It well; replant and make a fall garden. "Every article to eat will command a good price. And if transportation Is upset we will | be preserved in »mr own foresight and efforts. ’ Already this county has been called upon for ‘ seed of any kind, and yet we find a shortage I in seed for our own needs. "W. A. Dodd. W. T. Burton. J. W. Vaughan. ; P. c. Ftemister. Paul Oilreatb. J. C. McTier. I G. M Bcyd. r. Ft. <V»v. committee.” GENERAL SUPPLY DEPOT FOR ARMY WON BY ATLANTA Order Issued by War Depart-’ ment Places Major Robert B. Poweis, of Quartermas ter’s Corps, in Charge WASH INGT< »N, April 16. —Establish- | ment of a general supply det»ot of the army quartermaster corps at Atlanta was authorized today in war department orders. Major Robert B. Powers, of the quartermaster's corps, is relieved from further duty In the southern department land ordered t<> p;v»ceed immediately to J Atlanta. , became identified with them, serving for a lime as one of the vice presidents. He acquired considerable wealth, but . his relations with his brothers became strained ami he severed his business connections with them. In 1900 he 1 turned his attention to stock raising, purchasing 12.000 acres at Belvidere. Kan., for a stock farm, which became i recognized as a model throughout the i southwest. Although he closely resem bled hk. brothers, he was more stury and a little more squaYely built than • they and well equipped physically for the new work he had undertaken. Frank Rockefeller always manifested i great aversion to being referred to as i -John D. Rockefeller's brother,” or “the other Rockefeller.” "I am Frank Rockefeller, stockman,"' he would say, “not Frank Rockefeller, a brother of John D.” He studiously ■ avoided newspaper publicity. MR FUND MEASURE APPROVED BY SENATE MCE COMMITTEE Favorable Report on $7,000,- 000,000 Bond Bill Is Reach ed With Little Discussion and No Opposition WASHINGTON. April 16.—With lit-j tie discussion and no opposition, the senate finance committee today reported favorably the $7,000,000,000 bond bill. The bill will be rushed through the’ ■ senate tomorrow to make available the' ■ Hood of gold. Senator Simmons said. Only three minor amendments were {added to the bill as it came from the | house. j One, at the suggestion of Secretary McAdoo, was adopted. It provides that the money from the sale of bonds may be deposited in non-members of the federal reserve and also trust com panies. Another amendment expressly pro vides that the treasury certificates are exempt from taxation. A*small change in the title was the only other amend ment. The words "and for the purpose of assisting in the prosecution of the wax" were inserted. Titc senate stopped its morning busi ness routine today long enough to adopt unanimously the conference report on the urgent deficiency "hill, making available to the president's use at once the SIOO,- j 000,000 for national defense- It imine-; diately was sent to the house, where the < report also was adopted. The Webb bill allowing exporters to form combinations for foreign trade competition so long as there is no “re-, straint of trade” was favorably reported . to the senate by the interstate commerc* committee today. NEW SENATE BILLS. Four ullls designed to make available to the farmers of the nation, financial aid And mutual co-operation in increas ing the production of foodstuffs, were in troduced by Senator Sheppard, Texas. One provides for creation of a national credit society for the purpose of pro moting agricultural credit and devising forms of obligations eligible for redis count at federal reserve banks. An other proposes establishment of a na tional chamber of agriculture to pro mote quitable distribution of farm products. Two other bills would make possible the establishment of co-aperative bank- 1 ing associations and co-operative rural banking associations. With the approval of the administra tion (.'hairman Adamson, of the house commerce committee, today introduced a war embargo bill to empower the presi- 1 dent to forbid exports of any sort when I he deems it In the public interest to do I so. Bfeth houses now will consider taxation problems Suggestions for rais ing nearly $2,000,000,000 about half the first year s war expenses—by added taxes are formally before congress to day from Secretary of Treasury McAdoo. I Meanwhile, the selective conscription ! ; bill is before the senate military com- ! mlttee while other war-time bills like espionage, wooden shipbuilding plans and finance measures are due for early J action. The federal shipping board Is I to organize a $50,000,000 corporation to day to build and operate the 1,000 wood en ships. DRAFT PLAN CERTAIN. The selective draft measure now seems likely to pass, though President Wilson I may exert further pressure upon the : halting. Overshadowing the congress course. ■ in so far as the public imagination is concerned, is the visit of the allied high ! commission—England’s and France’s noted officials, braving the perils of ; the deep and possible the fate of Kitche- I ner that they may counsel with their newest war friend. America. They will be greeted ceremoniously but their visit will be for business, not pleasure. Aside from momentous co-operative ( questions, the issue of peace terms *s • vital for them. The allies .know each I other's terms, and they know the broad principles of President Wilson's terms, i But these views doubtless will be co . ordinated in a general agreement as to ! when America and her allies shall re- : gard Prussiantsm as obliterated for all I time. • Mere discussion of such terms does not mean a peace move. In fact, of ficials say the nation is in this war to the last dregs, and discourages any talk i that peace is on the horizon. The na tion Is building a war structure to last at least three years, they emphasize always. It knows of no honest peace move, I and expects none just now, it is official ! ly said. The seven billion dollar war revenue bill is in the hands of the senate and ! its passage by tomorrow with almost jno opposition was expected. The senate finance committee met to consider the measure as it came from the house, which passed It Saturday, and expected to report the measure immediately after the senate convened. It seemed probable it would lie over until tomorrow and then be tbe exclusive business of the senate until it is passed. War taxation, navy and army, espion age and financial and industrial mobili zation bills are among the measures i which both houses are to push through I quickly on the heels of the big bond I act. General Strike and Riots Are Reported in Berlin LONDON. April 16. —Travelers arrlv ' ing in Holland from Germany, accord ( ing to a dispatch from Amsterdam to ’ the Central News agency, say that a general strike was commenced this morning in Berlin and that riots have . taken place in the German capital i Damage Award Affirmed i WASHINGTON, April 16.—The su- preme court today affirmed a $15,000 damage award to Cynthia Williams for ’ the death of her husband. W. E. Wil liams, Seaboard Air Line engineer, kill ed near Comer, Ga.,Un a head-on colli sion. ATLANTA, GA., TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 1917. WAR NOTES Fightingl i next Sxxm BOND, 0.5 AL / TisWs - V-S. I CAN $7 000.000,000’ ; Oil R AISE THE fe ' WAR. ACT MEN ani> the < ■* . \x\ MT Money, but ' *’ wS \ 0N voy to , jIa IM. V Raise the J (S®?, | FOOD k Kaiser.'- achl FhhiS , :|4 4 business! 1” Wq/yA -x. DRITISH Will COMMISSM REACHES CAPITAL TIM Enlistment of English Resi dents in U. S. One of First Questions Coming Up WASHINGTON. April I«.—The Brit ish war commission, headed by Foreign Minister Arthur J. Balfour, has arrived in the Vnited States. Formal announce ment that the English statesmen will reach here at 5:30 this afternoon was made today, in a statement regarding arrangements for a. reception at the White House on Wednesday to all the allied commissioners—French and Eng lish. The White House reception of the al lied commissioners, it was said, was made on the belief that the French members would arrive before Wednes day. The French commission Includes Pre mier Vivlani, General Joffre and other distinguished Frenchmen. Both sets of commissioners will be formally welcomed to the country by official delegations, representing the army, the navj r and the civil department of the government. Elaborate prepara tions have been.made for their entertain ment. The conference with the president will be the first of the series of joint meet ings devlsihg aid which America will render the allies, and the extent of the United States' co-operation in military and naval affairs. C»ne of the first questions to be taken up with the United States government by Lord Balfour's mission will be ar rangements to subject British residents in the United States to conscription in the Americ&n army, or the option of vol unteering in the British army. It became known today on unquestionable author ity. The mere fact that British subjects resident in America for numbers of years have failed to take out naturali zation papers, it Is intended, shall not exempt them from service, either here or abroad. Arrangements also will he discussed whereby Great Britain may be allowed to recruit British subjects in this coun try for her armies. Committee of Welcome Is Reported in Boston BOSTON, April 16.—1 t was reported today that the committee of welcome ap pointed to receive into the United States the Franco-British commission, was in Boston. Their arrival was kept very quiet and absolutely no information concerning their movements was given out. The committee consists of Third Assistant Secretary of State Long, rep resenting the state dei»artment; Rear Admiral Frank P. Fletcher and Com mander D. F. Sellers, representing the navy, and Colonel Robert E. Tj. Michie. Lieutenant Colonel Spencer Cosby and Captain John G. Quekemeyer, represent ing the army. War Tabloids k NEW YORK. bull-headed pe destrians were soundly ducked in New York bay by naval militiamen for cross ing the steel submarine net off Fort Hamilton against orders. NEW YORK.—The Merchants’ asso ciation. since several civilians have been shot by bridge and armory sentries, is sued big “halt when the sentry calls" posters CHICAGO.—Negro band of the Eighth Illinois infantry started a ragtime re cruiting campaign. Fifty shoulder-itch ing youths followed the syncopated melody into the armory. CHICAGO.—EnIist or get out of town is the police uKase to knights of the road who are Hocking into Chicago. Many have already taken the blind bag gage route west. NEW YORK. —The British tank steamship Narragansett, a ship of 9,196 tons and one of the largest carriers of bulk oil ever built, has been torpedoed and sunk somewhere off the Irish coast, according to word brought here today by officers on a British ship. MANILA.—The authorities have com-, menced the unloading of the seized Ger man ships. A start has also been made on repairing the damage done to them by their crews. WILMINGTON, Del.—A glazing' bar rel containing about two tons of smoke less powder flared at the Cameyx- (Joint plant of the DuPont company, ing the mill. Nobody was hurt. StuJ' I accidents are frequent and are regarded by the company as a hazard of the bust- , i ness. ,! CHICAGO.—O. W. Davis and R. Whit-, ■ I field were going fishing, so they rose at 3 a. m and dug for bait in an alley off Sheridan road. Two squads of police arrived ten minutes later. Somebody! had mistaken the fishermen for opies * planting bombs. AMSTERDAM.—Advices from Berlin > today declared the reichstag had been summoned to meet April 24. and that Imperial Chancellor von Rethmann- Hollweg was expected to make an early statement on Russia. 1 M ANCHESTEK —A special service, will be held tn Manchester Cathedral 1 1 next Friday “to invoke a divine benedic -1 tion on the strengthened ties between Great Britain and the United States.” 1 The lord mayor will attend in his official 1 capacity as representative of the city. WASHINGTON. —As a reward of ' merit for efficient work done in han • dling consular work at Queenstown dur ing the war. President Wilson today asked the United States senate to pro mote Wesley Frost. Kentucky, now con sul of class seven, with his post at Queenstown, to be consul of class six. TEUTON ACTIVITIES AGAIN ARE SEEN IN MEXICO President Elect Reviews Rela tions With U. S. Back to Huerta Regime WASHINGTON, April 16.—Further evidences of German activities in Mex ico, spreading anti-Atnerican and ajiti entente propaganda and exerting Ger man influences (upon the Mexican gov ernment, are contained in diplomatic re ports passing through here to Euro pean capitals. Circulation of any matter at all fa vorable to the United States or the eng tente is disapproved by Mexican offi cials, and the newspaper El Universal recently was suppressed. Efforts of the German propagandists and agents are directed especially against materials which might be of as sistance to Germany's enemies. The wri ter of one of the reports asserts that he has information that 12,000 barrels of oil, the property of the Eagle Oil com pany, a British concern, have been burn ed at Minatitlan. MEXICO CITY, April 16. —Mexico Is neutral. The capital today received with satisfaction the tong expected statement by President-elect Carranza of the na tion’s attitude toward the world war since the United States is in. The situation had grown tense. No body knew what stand Carranza would take until he started to read his first presidential message to the first con stitutional congress Mexico has had in three years. * Every chair in the diplomatic boxes were filled when Carranza entered the chamber and began to speak. A hush fell on the brilliant and lively scene. He spoke for four hours, from 200 type written pages of manuscript; and the diplomats listened carefully for some indication that the now famous Zim ‘ mermann note proposing war on the ; United States by Mexico, Germany and I Japan had borne fruit. The first chiefs speech was a de j tailed outline of his position with re gard to tlie United States dating back | to the usurpation of power by Huerta. He defined Mexico's position as a ’ neutral nation as follows: • “With respect to the. gigantic war which is being sustained by two groups ■of European nations and in which the ■ United Stales. Cuba and Brazil have now entered, the government under my charge sent to the neutral nations on February 11 a message which, upon the . basis of the most absolute impartiality, invited all these countries to use the I necessary efforts to discourage the j i progress of the war and prevent itsj ; spread. The note also suggested dis i cussion of measures which would serve to prevent wars in the future. Mexico will endeavor to continue to follow a policy of the most rigorous and strictest neutrality in the European conflict. I am able to assure you that actual rela tions with all the peoples on earth are friendly.” General Carranza devoted much atten tion to the resumption of diplomatic relations with the United States. He referred to the occupation of Vera Cruz as a “lamentable incident” NUMBER 56. BIG GUNS THUNDER Ml LINE FBDM NORTH SEI TH THE SWISS BORDER Tremendous Activity of Artil lery Is Believed to Presage Vast Assault of British and’ French Infaotry -LONDON, April 16. —“News of the opening of the great French offensive has spread like wild fire through the British forces,” telegraphs Reuter’s cor respondent at British headquarters in France today. BY W. S. FORREST. PARIS, April 16. —France’s great of fensive, timed to synchronize with the British “big push,” may now be start ing. .' Today’s official reported indicated ( spread of violent artillery preparation* > ell along the Champagne front, an in creased French drive toward St. Quen tin; more bitter fighting south of the Oise and a series of terrific smashes far down to the south in Alsace-Lorraine. Coincidentally the newspaper Le Temps remarked today: “The war of movement will go forward soon. Our cannon roar terribly north of Soleeons. in Champagne, where numerous recon naissance raids on the enemy lines have taken numbers of prisoners.” Other Paris newspapers today hinted that a French drive was impending. NEW YORK, April 16.—(8y Foreign Cables From European Capital*.)—The fighting on the western front has assumed almost the proportions of a general engagement along the whole line from the north sea to the Swiss border. As yet the infantry has not bean heavily engaged much to the north of Loos, In the Lens region, or east of the Soissons region, within which confines the battle of Arras and the struggle for St. Quentin are being waged. The artillery duel, however. Is grow ing in intensity in region of Rhettns, in the Champagne and down the line to Lorraine and Aleace. Raiding opera tions by the French in these sectors' also have assumed great Importance,] and similar significant activities are be ing displayed by the JBelgian* north.; of the present great battlefield. Were attention not centered on the dramatic situations about Lens and Quentin, the fall of both being consid ered Imminent, the great artillery bat tle in the region between Soissons and Rheims, which has been going on for several days, doubtless wpuld have at tracted more notice. As It is, the po tential importance of this duel of the big guns cannot be minimized, presaging, as it may, offensive movements of the infantry on a large scale. In this connection the probability of a northward push by the French from the Rheims region to turn the left flank of the Hindenburg line, as the British have turned the right flank at Vlmy, has come to Jhe front while the artillery battle has been raging. Desperate German resistance and a. probable ’ desire by the British to squeeze the Germans out of Lens rather than drive them from this coal mine and factory town by a direct bombard ment and frontal attack have delayed the fall of the city. Today's official statement from Lon don. however, shows the British lines creeping steadily closer, notably on tha northwest. Within the town the Germans are re ported working havoc in the destruction of industrial plants and mines and fev-■ erishly removing guns and stores to fol low the population in the exodus which already has been effected. The situation around St. Quentin Is little changed, but both the British and French statements reveal a situation there which is making the town un tenable for the Germans. Tn the dis trict to the south the Frencn are stead ily pushing forward, reporting today’ the capture of several points of sup port in the region of the upper Goucy forest. ’ i Occupation of Dixmude by Belgian troops, without opposition from the Ger mans, gave hint to experts today that the Germans may be planning a retire ment on a vast scale on the west front, j Some believed this retreat might even, carry the Germans back to the Belgian border. Such a maneuver would greatly short en the German line and, therefore, re lease a mass of men for defense against the smashing British and French at tacks. Increasing probability of the opening* of ftnportant operations between Soi»- sons and Rheims and in the wester#) Champagne is indicated by the German official report that “infantry fighting developed this mornin®- over wide sec tors,” after heavy artillery firing and reconnoitering drives. The severity of the fighting accom panying the German counter attack yes terday on a six-mile front in both sides of the Bapaume-Cambrai road is em phasized by today’s German headquar ter’s statement. It announces the cap ture of 475 prisoners and fifteen ma chine guns from the British and the destruction of twentyltwo British guns which had been captured by the Ger-, mans, but apparently could not be taken with them when they were driven off. According to reports brought to Am sterdam by travelers from Germany a general strike began in Berlin this morn ing, accornpauied by rioting. Berlin Declares Positions _. f Were Abandoned Voluntarily AMSTERDAM, April 16.—(Via Lon don.)—lt is asserted in a dispatch re ceived here from Berlin that various villages in the Arras region which the British official statement of April 14 re ported captured were villages and pieces of ground which the Germans had volun tarily evacuated several days previously. "The English press,” says the dis patch. "is circulating reports regarding the piercing of the Hindenburg line. The English attempt to break through was directed, however, against old positions held since 1915 and despite local suc cesses it has completely and fina'G failed. “It is not clear what the English pst— means by the Hindenburg line, for all lines are Hindenburg lines. -