Newspaper Page Text
The Atlanta Semi-Weekly JOurnal
VOLUME XIV.
MICHAELIS' PEACE
SPEECH IS DERIDED
US HOLLOW AFEAIR
Characterized by State De
partment as Attempt to Bols
ter Publid Opinion at Home
and Dissatisfy Allies
WASHINGTON. Jul? 30.—German
Chancellor Michaelis' peace interview
is regarded at tae state department as
another German attempt to bolster up
public opinion at home, appeal tv tne
peace sentiment in enemy and neutral
countries, and create dissensions be
tween the allies. At the Russian em
bassy it was stated to be wholly in
correct tn tact.
State department otfic.als say that
while German attempts by innuendo to
fasten on France a vast campaign of
conquest, with hope of making a breaen
with the new Russian democracy.
Michaelis. makes no suggestion that
Germany herself has in any way re
vised her war program or accepted the
principle of no annexation.
The new attempt at peace is consid
ered as hollow as the many otners
which have always followed a'success
ful offensive The maneuver is viewed
as similar to that one which had the
purpose of getting the allies ..about a
conference table where Germany hoped
to instill differences between them and
split up the alliance. The government,
it is stated, will take no notice of the
latest German effort. Secretary lean
sing's speech, although delivered before
the Michaelis interview was published,
is taken as a complete answer in stat
ing that peace can come only when the
united forces of the world’s democra
cies has overthrown the German mili
tary system
Russian embassy officials were amused
that the new German chancellor should
make such a’ mistake as to say that
Albert Thomas was sent to Petrograd
••to overcome this remorse of M Teres
chenko." whom he evidently thought
to be Russian minister of foreign ay
fairs toward France's plans of con
quest. They point out that M. Thomas
went to Petrograd about three weeks
after the revolution, that is. about
March 1. and that his sole purpose war
to get into communication with the
council of soldiers' and workmen's dele-
• gates, as a fellow-Socialist. to under
stand their point of view
At that time M. Tereschenko was
practically unknown in France, as he
had held the office, not of foreign sec
retary. but of minister of finance, for
only two weeks Milukoff was then
foreign secretary and continued to con
duct all the country’s foreign affairs
ter the first six weeks of M Thomas’
visit. M. Tereschenko succeeded him
about two weeks before M. Thomas left
• for Franc#, and the two men came to
' an absolute understanding which was
publicly announced by Tereschenko. As
a result of their agreement. Russia
asked for a conference on war aims
and both France and England accepted
the Invitation.
It realised at the Russian embas-
• sy that the German policy Is sufficient-
Iv clever to mislead many people in
Russia and that it is evidently based
on that hope. Nevertheless, the atti
tude of the government and the great
majority has been so often reiterated and
tne measures being taken against Ger
man agents in Russia are so severe
that it is not thought it will have serl
•>us effect.
Russ a, it is stated, has never pro
tested against its allies' peace aims, as
represented, but has merely sought an
understnading about them
Germany’s Junkers Seek
To Justify Military ism
~ LONDON. July 30.—Germany’s Junk
ers are working hard with the German
'- people to justify militarism. An effort
by the militarists to delude the public
into belief that Germany is beset by
rapacious foes, who started the war to
dismember Germany, is what London
saw today behind the "peace interview"
granted by Chancellor Michaelis, of Ger
many. and Foreign Minister Czernin. of
Austria.
The reported presence in Switzerland
of Matthias Erzberger. the Clerical lead
er recently head of the reichstag coali
tion. presumably as a peace negotiator,
was regarded as proof that the mili
arists deliberately staged the recent
dfteis" in the parliament, and that
Erzberger was merely a tool of those
interests.
Michaelis' peace interview was rather
an assault on England and France. He
charged the allies with secret agree
nents aiming at "enslavement of Ger
many." He was particularly bitter in
responding to Sir Edward Carson’s sug
gestion that the first step toward peace
would be for Germany to announce her
willingness to surrender occupied terri
tory.
Count Czernin's statement was along
the usual Germanic lines, asserting com
plete agreement between Germany and
Austro-Hungary and reiterating the old
plea that Germany’s enemies were re
sponsible for continuation of the war.
Os curious collateral interest in the
peace talk was an interview attributed
to Dr. Erzberger at Zurish. in which he
declared if he could talk with Premier
Lloyd George or Foreign Minister Bal
four a few hours, an "understanding
which would permit peace negotiations
would result.
Herr Michaelis’ accusation against
France are dismissed by some commen
tators as best left for refutation by
French allies, but discussed by others,
one of which says the story is too thin
even for the Germans to believe The
Dally News, however, maintains that
although the chancellor’s statements are
valueless as evidence they cannot be
left unanswered and insist that a state
ment of war aims be formulated at
the coming conference of allies must
constitute an explicit disavowal of all
thought of conquest for conquest's sake.
The paper denounces the “ignorance or
the folly of Sir Edward Carson’s threat
to drive Germany behind the Rhine.”
which, it says, has given Herr Michaelis
a weapon which, he was swift to use.
"It is in the power of the allies to
render the weapon inocuous. even tu
;ng it against himself, but the repudia
tion of his charge must come quickly
and In a form leaving no lophole for
misinterpretation."
"The Chronicle proclaims its belief
that it would be unwise for the allies
to deprive Germany of genuine German
soil. It points out that while the chan
cellor talks of vast territorial modifi
cations he mentions only the Saar Val
ley and it suggests that France may
?? aiming to restore the old German
Full Associated Press Service
WOMEN SOLDIERS
OF RUSSIA PREFER
DEATH TO CAPTURE
Each Member of the famous
Leg’on of Death Carries Ra
tion of Cyanide of Potassium
Into Battle
BY WILLIAM G. SKEPKEKD.
PETROGRAD. July 30. —Russia's
women soldiers have pledged themselves
to take their oyn lives rather than be
come German war prisoners.
Each soldiej carries a ration of cyan
ide of potassium to oe swallowed in
event of capture. The members of the
women regiments, now constantly in
creasing. agreed that death was to be
preferred to the fate they would prob
ably meet at the hands of the Germans.
The Legion of Death fighters are "good
killers." I learned that today when 1
talked to five of them, now in a hospital
near here, suffering from shell shock.
From a woman's lips I heard how she
had run a German through with her bay
. onet. firing the rifle at the same time.
From otners I heard how these women
' and girls, fresh from comfortable homes
and universities, went leaping over man
gleij. bloody bodies in the charge with
. enemy shells bursting all about them.
Bift these harrowing experiences of
' the women fighters have steeled them,
and hundrds of other girls, to a new de
termination to see it through. Girl sol
I diets drilling In the streets are now a
common sight In Petrograd. Huge
crowds gather dally about the engineers'
school where 1.000 girls are drilling,
preparing to go to the front. In Moscow
1.000 more are training, while Kiev and
Odessa, have smaller bands.
WOMEN FOR THE NAVY.
Premier Kerensky has also authorized
the formation of women marine detach
ments and has promised to assign them
to ships. The new women commands at
tempt no sort of decoration. Their
heads are shaved and they wear the reg
ulation uniform. Including the heavy,
■ ugly army boots.
The five women fighters I visited at
ithe hospital were partially paralyzed by
) shell shock. One of them, a peasant
I girl, smiled joyously as she pointed *o
a German helmet on the bed beside her.
I it was the first war prize of a Russian
I woman.
"I saw a German in front of me as
I ran forward with the others in the
1 charge.” she told me. "It was his life
>or mine. I raised my rifle. 1 plugged
with all my strength. 1 stabbed him.
The bayonet went deep into his body.
At the same moment 1 pulled the trig
ger. He dropped—dead. Then I took
his hat as a souvenir.”
The girl soldier smiled with delight.
"What was the battle like Fl asked
another of the legionnaires.
"I was very nervous just before the
charge,” she replied. "We knew' the
order was coming and naturally we were
just a little scared. But as soon as
the orders to go forward came, we for
got evvi'thing else in the advance.
"I could hear our girls yelling
shouting throughout the march forward.
{ None of us were afraid once we got
started. We were in the midst of *
great fusillade of shots. Then terrific
big shells began breaking all around
us.
"We were again frightened a little
when we first saw dead men about.
But before very long we were jumping
av»: bloody corpses and quickly forgot
i all about them.”
“We couldn’t tell what was going on
anywhere,” said a third girl in descrlb
j ing the final stages of the battle.
"Commander Bochkoreva was every
i where In our midst, urging us to fight
and die like real Russian soldiers."
Then the girl told him the legion
took its first prisoners.
"As we ran forward we suddenly came
upon a bunch of Germans immediately
ahead of us. It was only a second
until they were right In our midst—
or rather until we were all around them.
They saw they were caught and threw
down their rifles, holding up thetr
aands. They were terribly frightened.
"Good God! Women!” they exclaim
ed.
“We saw wounded soldiers raising
themselves on their elbows and shoot
ing. ” Interjected another wounded girl.
"We just forgot ourselves entirely. We I
were simply Russia, fighting for her
life.”
"The loss of Lena the most popular
member of our company, was keenly
felt by all of us.” she added soberly.
“During the battle Lena heard that
Commander Boshkoreva had been killed.
She hurried forward into the shell fire,
saying she was going to find her. We
saw her go through one space literally
strewn with exploding shells. Then,
through the smoke and flames, we saw
her blown to fragments.
"We also lost Sonia. She used to
be a musician with the Romanoff con
cert organization. She was* killed by
machine gun Are.”
Petrograd has not yet seen the full
-asualty Het of the legion of death.
None has been published. From what
the girls say, however. It appears that
at least a dozen big shells struck
squarely in their midst, killing perhaps
•welvje girls and wounding twice as
many more.
Five of the German prisoners the ;
girls captured were women, wearing
the German soldier's uniform
The number of women in all armies
on the eastern front is believed to be
growing steadily.
Mrs. Pankhurst, the British suffra
gist leader, thinks it only natural that
’.hie should occur.
"The Russian women " she said to
day, “are stepping into the breach as
women always do when men need
them.”
"Russia's women are fighting the
'menace to what remains of clviliza
| tion," declared Prof. Ross, of the Uni
versity of Wisconsin.
As I returned from the hospital,
where I saw tne paralyzed girls, I met
a new company of women marching
briskly through the street. They were
ready for the firing line, ready to give
their lives in battle, and with tnetr
■little ration of cyanide, ready to take
their own lives to avoid worse than
death at the hands of the enemy.
frontier of Lorraine which would in
volve ‘a little strip on the German side
: of from five to fifteen miles."
If France desired this for strategic
reasons the Chronicle would not say
i she necessarily had the right, but "It
, would be an exceedingly small affair
I comparable for an instant to Germany’s
I seizure of two large provinces in 1870.
} It must be remembered, too. that after
| losing some millions in killed and
i wounded in a war forced upon her and
' wherein she has borne the brunt of bat
tle for liberty throughout Europe.
I France has the right to make exception
i al claims for her future security such
as Germany had not in 1871 and no
other state unless Belgium would have
today.
AMERICA BEGINS GALLING
NEW NATURAL ARMY
IWashington and Other Cities
j Summon Initial Group for
Examinations
WASHINGTON, July »o.—America
j began calling out men for her new na
| tional army today. All over the coun
i try prospective soldiers are at atten
; tion
The nation's capital, one of the first
to be ready, called its initial group for
: examination at 9 a. m The response
was without hesitation, and authorities,
; while on the lookout for slackers, antici
{ pated practically no shirking.
) Other eastern cities also had their
j first roll calls.
In other parts of the country, examin
| atlons will start as soon as local
boards get their official lists checked
iup and their notices mailed. By the end
{ of the week this step should be accom
-1 piished all over the land.
As men came up for physical ex
amination. early reports indicated al
heavier percentage of exemptions than
anticipated will result from the tests.
As a result, exemption boards have
been instructed to be especially careful
as to freeing men on claims. Each
■ case must be carefully vised, and there
■ must be no favoritism.
There has been no change, however,
in the general plan for exempting those
with dependent families or those indis
. pensable to industries vital to prosecu-
I tion of the war. •
As matters now stand, it is doubt
-1 ful whether the first -army will be en
-1 camped before October 1, inasmuch as
cantonment construction started so late
that it is almost impossible to have
things ready before that date.
As 10.006.000 men began their march
to examination headquarters today, the
war department wrestled with the prob
lem of supplying her great national
army.
Arming and equipping the coming
thousands is proving a tremendous task.
By the time the men are in camp, how
ever, the department believes there will
be necessary supplies at least for the
preliminary training.
Food and money problems promise
Ito be on their way to settlement this
1 week. A complete agreement in con
; feren.ee on the food control bill is ex
pected within twenty-four hours. The
senate finance committee will report a
$1,900,000,000 tax bill Thursday.
Having reorganized its work under a
board of seven to control all govern
ment purchases, the national defense
council 1$ prepared to rush contracts for
I supplies. *
fIiiESTiONSFEXTENDINO
IS. Jl. BEFBBE SENATE
Senator Townsend Asks for
Committee to Investigate
Advisability ot Proposal
The advisability of extending the
■ Western and Atlantic railroad to the sea
with St. Marys, Ga., as its terminus,
would be made the object of an investi
gation by a committee of three Geor
gia citizens undera joint resolution in-
i troduced in the Georga senate Monday
by Senator Townsend of the Fourth.
The resolution provides that the In
vestigation be made between the ad
journment of the present session and the
next session of the general assembly, a
report to be submitted at the next ses
sion. The committee, to be appointed by
j the governor, would contain one expert
railroad man.
The committeemen would serve with
out compensation but the state would
pay all exptnses of their work.
Senator Heath of the Seventeenth in
troduced a resolution Monday calling
on the legislature to set aside April 12
■is a day on which all Georgians shall
i make donations to a fund for paying
tor the mammoth Confederate memorial
to be carved upon the side of Stone
mountain. The resolution provides that
each year the governor shall issue a
proclamation calling on the citizens for
donations until the monument is com
pleted. April 12 was chosen as the date
as it is the anniversary of the date upon
which the first shot was fired in the
defense of the Confederate states.
A similar resolution was introduced
4n the house by Representative Law, of
Burke, and referred to the committee
on the state of the republic.
The fight over the 20,000 gallons of
wine left the state by the late Mr. Jud
son Hand again got into the senate
Monday. On this occasion Senator
Wholwender Introduced a resolution
providing for the appointment of a com
mittee to investigate whether any state
official had been guilty of failure to
perform their duty in conectlon with
this wine. Some days ago Mr. Wohlwen
j der introduced a resolution calling for
I the destruction of the wine.
A motion to recommit the Neill prl- j
mary bill, which passed the house last {
week, to the general judiciary commit- {
tee. wa.i passed by the senate.
A resolution by Senator Andrews pro
viding that a joint committee of two
from the senate and three from the
house be appointed for the purpose of
arranging a program for the presenta
tion of a portrait of General John B.
Gordon, painted by the late Mr. Elipha
let Andrews, by Mrs. Andrews, his wid
ow, to the state of Georgia, was adopt
ed unanimously by the senate. The
presentation will take place in the pres
ence of the general assembly, August
2, at 12:30 o'clock.
The bill dividing the state into game
zones was tabled
NEW SENATE BILLS.
By Senator Loftin, of the
enth: To incorporate the town 'of I
Southwest LaGrange.
By Senator Andrews, of the Thirty-'
fifth: To prevent any person, firm or
corporation within this state from using
the flag or national emblem for the
purpose of advertising articles of mer
chandise or to decorate or contemptu
ously use or otherwise abuse the same.
By Senator Heath, of the Seventeenth:'
To correct defects in the law of 1916
relating to the special registration of
voters in county board elections.
By Senator Denny, of the Forty-sec-1
ond: To establish uniformity in school
books.
NEW .HOUSE BILLS.
The following bills were introduced tn
; the house on Monday: *
By Mr. Ellis of Tift—To abolish the
experiment station at Griffin; to estab
lish an experiment station at the State
(Continued on Page 3, C°L S.)
ATLANTA, GA., TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1917.
IT’S OUR MOVE—CAN WE WIN?
SlflJ
■ ’ X I 111 W
NO FOIINMTION TO fIEPBfiT
BULDCK IS TO LOST OFFICE
Commissioner Osborne Nails
Rumor and Pays Tribute
to Georgia Collector
BY RALPH SMITH.
WASHINGTON. July 30.—Publication
in Georgia that A. O. Blalock, internal
Collector, is slated for removal has oc
casioned surprise and aroused resent
ment in administration circles in Wash
ington. The published story is without
a scintilla in foundation, according to
Internal Revenue Collector Osborne.
"Colector Blalock has one of the best
records of any man in the government
service,” said Mr. Osborne today. "The
examination of his office disclosed that
there are only two collectors in the
United States who outrank Mr. Blalock
in point of efficiency. He is rated as
‘very good.’ ”
Administration representatives It is as
unfair to the administration as it is
to Mr. Blalock, to suggest that he is
to be removed from office because of
allegedl differences between Senator
Hardwick and the administration.
Collector Blalock’s term of office will
expire within a few months and it may
be regarded as settled beyond the per
adventure of doubt that he will serve
out his term without molestation,
petition states, after a check Mrs. Tur-
At the expiration of his term, it is not
known whether the secretary of the
treasury will invite the suggestion of
another for the position or whether, in
view of Mr. Blalock's excellent record,
he will continue him in office without
the formality of a second nomination.
Unless there is to be a change, it is
not customary for an incumbent to be
renimonated, since he serves until his
successor is nominated and confirmed.
The prompt and vigorous denial of
the report that Collector Blalock is to
be "scalped” will be read with pleasure
by thousands of people throughout Geor
gia, and more especially the business
men who have dealings with the collec
tor. From the same high authority it
was learned that Robert A. Keeley’s
dismissal was recommended on the
ground that his services have not been
satisfactory. The agent making the rec
ommendation, it is understood, hadn’t the
remotest idea as to the relations between
Mr. Kelley and Senator Hardwick.
Gen. Harrison Gray Otis,
Os Los Angeles Times,
Is Called by Death
LOS ANGELES, Cal., July 30.—Gen- '
eral Harrison Gray Otis, president and ■
general manager of the Los Angeles '
Times, died today at the home of his ■
son-in-law, Harry Chandler.
General Otis was generally known best
for his uncompromising anti-labor
union attitude, and as the proprietor of
the newspaper whose lant was blown
up in the famous McNamara dyntu
miting case.
NONE THOUGHT DEAD
IN FIRE AT GIRARD
COLUMBUS, Ga., July 30.—The re
port that three persons were believed’
to be the charred ruins of the Girard
fire is not given credence by the police,
an investigation today failing to reveal
any such evidence.
The fire which raged for two hours
last night, destroyed the Manhattan
club and several pool rooms and small
er buildings with all contents, the es
timated loss being $22,000.
111011011, BEEF) UNO WINE
ON THUE BEFORE SENATE
Agreement Reached to Vote on
Amendment at 4 o’Clock
Wednesday Afternoon
WASHINGTON, July 30.—Liquors,
beers and wines came up for trial be
fore the senate at 2 o'clock today.
For the first time in the history
of the country the senate is to pass
upon an amendment to the constitution
which would prohibit the sale, gift or
manufacture of intoxicants in any
form.
If the amendment is passed by a
two-thirds vote of the house and sen
ate it must then he ratified by three
fourths of the states in the union. By
agreement the senate will vote on tne
amendment next Wednesday at 4
o’clock.
Twenty senators were on the floor
■ when Sheppard introduced his amend
j ment. A moment later, when the sena
tor began his speech the audience of
Isolons melted to ten and then fell away
still further.
Senator Gronna was the only Re
publican on the floor. The galleries,
however, were filled with rooters, for
and against king alcohol.
“This is a historic occasion,” Shep
pard began. "For the first time in its
lannalg the senate is to vote on the sub-
I mission of a constitutional amendment
{for nation-wide prohibition. The method
ordained by the federal constitution for
its own alteration is being strictly fol
lowed. If this proposed amendment
should be adopted by three-fourths of the
{states the traffic in intoxicating liquors
{for beverage purpose# would be forbid
.den anywhere within the American re
public. Prohibition would be imbedded
| in the organic law of the na'tion.”
| Sheppard during all qf his address di
rected a mixed fire of medical fa.cts and
human sentiment against the liquor traf
fic. He began with a quotation from
Lincoln, and carried his quotations on
through the American Medical associa
tion, Admiral Jellicoe, Rudyard Kipling
and a hundred others in a terrific in
dictment of alcohol.
He denounced appeals to labor to sup-
P'ff't the men employed by the 68.006 sa
loons and 2,500 breweries, distilleries and
varlou’s other liquor-producing plants.
Every million dollars invested in the
liquor business, he said, gives employ
ment to 77 men. A similar sum invested
in the lumber industry, he said, wotdd
employ 579 men. ’
Uncle Sam Will Give
Prizes to Housewives
WASHINGTON, July 30.—Uncvle Sam
' today announced that he has $5,000
worth of gold prizes in his jeans for
the American housewives exhibiting the
best lot of canned war garden vegeta
bles. Exhibits to decide the contset
will be conducted under his supervi
sion by the national emergency food
garden commission.
American Transport
Rammed by Steamer
AN ATLANTIC PORT, Jul y3o.—An
American transport at anchor, waiting
sailing orders, was rammed by an in
bound American steamship here today.
The ship headed toward the beach in a
sinking condition.
U Bill NUT YIELB
ON FOOD CONTBOL BOMO
!President Again Declares Op
position to Amendments
Now in Conference
WASHINGTON, July 30.—President
Wilson today declared again his oppo
sition to amendments to food con
trol bill now in conference providing
for an administrative board of three
instead of one and for the
a congressional committee on expendi
tures in the conduct of the war.
The president’s position was made
clear today by Senator Chamberlain, one
of the conferees on the bill. The presi
dent considers the committee on con
duct of the war a reflection on himself
and insists there can be no question of
the greater value of an individual food
administration over an administrative
board of three.
Senator Chamberlain left the White
House convinced that unless the con
ferees elimina'te those provisions the
till must go back to the senate and
house for further action. The possi
bility that the president might veto the
measure if they were left in it was
widely discussed in congress.
The president, however, it was said,
gave no intimation to Senator Chamber
lain today he was so’ strongly opposed
to the provisions as to veto the bill.
Senator Chamberlain said he thought
the senate conferees would insist on
both the three-member food board and
the congressional committee, causing
disagreement on these two points alone.
Virtual agreement on all other matters
in dispute between house and senate
had been accomplished or was in sight
today.
The senate amendment providing a
food board of three members instead
of the house bill’s one member, will be
modified to have a one man food con
trol, the man to be nominated by the
president and confirmed by the senate.
This would mean that Hoover’s name
would have to be sent to the senate for
confirmation.
The prohibition section finally agreed
to forbids the use of the fruits, ce
reals or other edibles in the manufac
ture of distilled spirits, forbids the
importation of spirits and authorizes the
president to seize all spirits in bond or
stock, paying a fair price for them.
It further authorizes the president
to stop or curtail the manufacture of
beers or wines and to prevent their im
portation.
In the agreement as to a minimum {
price for wheat, the $2 minimum estab-,
lished by congress will be effective only j
on those crops being harvested between j
June 1, 1918. and May, 1919.
Powers for handling the present crop
probably will be placed in the hands of I
the food control department.
Further drastic provision for pre
venting hoarding and speculation in
foodstuffs is embodied. The Pomerene
coal price fixing amendment's been
agreed upon.
Under the definition of food control ;
will be included food, feed, fuel and in- {
struments and equipment used in their
actual production.
Norwegian Mission Calls
WASHINGTON, July 30.—The Nor
wegian mission to the United States,
headed by Fridtjof Nansen, called on
Acting Secretary Polk, of the state de
partment, today and arranged for dis
cussion with officials on a working
agreement for the importation into Nor
way of foodstuffs needed by that coun
try. Dr. Nansen will be presented to
President Wilson later.
NUMBER 86.
SIX MORE VILLAGES
TAKEN IN MW
DRIVEJNJERMANS
Advance on Eastern Front,.
Designed to Relieve Pres
sure on Russians, Is Contin
ued, Reports State
LONDON, July 30.—Six villages were
taken in another advance on the part of
the Rumanian troops, according to an
official statement igsued by the Rumani
an war office. The statement reads:
"On the 27th. between the valleys oft,
Casin and Putna, we again advanced:
some kilometers and occupied the vil
lages of Sovela, Dragoslav, Negrilestl,
Topesti. Valeasares and Colacul. We
again took prisoners and some motor
batteries and war material.”
Russians and Rumanians
Are Slowing Up Germans
PETROGRAD, July 30. —Russian and
Rumanian troops have put such force be
hind their offensive in the Putna sector
that today the pressure of the German
advance into Russia in the Tarnopol rer
glon noticeably lessened. In Galicia,
the Russian troops forced back at the
outset of the breakdown In Tarnopol,
have retired in good order across the
Russian border.
Premier Kerensky was at the front to
day conferring on the military situation.
On account of the necessity of these
conferences, and the inability to gather
together all elements for the all-Rus
sian assembly, this latter conference at
Moscow, scheduled for tomorrow, has
been postponed. It will be held at a
later date when all parties are expected
to attend, when it is certain that repre
sentatives of all civic organizations can
send delegates. /
Extensive preparations are now under
way for Russia's first constitutional as
sembly.
Only Small Encounters
Reported by the British
LONDON, July 30.—Except for small
encounters between British and German
patrols near Bullecourt and Acheville
last night, there was nothing to report
on the British front in France. The
official statement issued today says:
“There was nothing of special im
portance last night on the British front.
There were small encounters between
our own and the enemy’s patrols in the
neighborhood of Bullecourt and Ache
ville.’*
Violent Artillery Duels
Reported by the French
PARIS, July 30.—Last night ther*
were violent artillery duels in the Aiane
and Verdun regions of the French front
The French official statement issued
this afternoon says the German sur
prise attacks at various points along the
front were repulsed. The statement
reads:
“The night was marked by rather vio
lent artillery actions, notably in the
sectors of Braye-cn-Laonnols and Spine
de Chevregny in the region of the mon
ument at Hurtbise and on both banks
of the river Muese.
"Surprise attacks at various points
of the front were repulsed by our fire.”
Morale of the Russian
Troops Much Improved
PETROGRAD, July 30.—Russia’s gov
ernment will take council tomorrow with
the Russian people on the crisis at
home and at the front. Out of these
deliberations may be expected to come
more unity in complete stamping out
of traitors and in granting dictatorial
powers to government heads.
Tomorrow’s conference at Moscow is
between the provisional ministry and
representatives of two great assemblies
who come nearest to representing the
voice of the people in Russian affaJrs.
They are volunteer elective bodies of
men chosen by the plain people.
A coalition cabinet is regarded as cer
tain ta result from the meeting. Re
entry of the cadet party has been fore
cast and there will be complete ad
justment of the ministerial power. Pre
mier Kerensky was today reported as
ready to turn over the posts of army
chief and navy head to twd army and
navy officers.
Today’s news from the front indicated
considerable improvement in morale of
the soldiers—even of those most likely
to be affected by the disgraceful retreat
of the Eleventh army. A straightening
out of the Russian line to offset the
wedge driven into the front around Tar
nopol and relieve the dangerous situ
ation there is under way.
Korniloff Is Executing
Deserters by Wholesale
LONDON. July 30.—The correspond
ent of the Times at Russian southwest
headquarters, after describing the de
sertions and panic of the Russian
troops says General KornilolTs meas
ures against indiscipline have been ap
proved and that he is executing de
serters by wholesale.
Reports of Lenine’s
Capture Declared Untrue
PETROGRAD, July 30.—Nickolal Le-_
nine, peace agitator and alleged German
spy, has disappeared from his usual
haunts in Petrograd and his whereabouts
is not known to the government au
thorities. The stories published in the
United States that Lenine had been
seized by the police at Ozerki, Finland,
on July 24, and that later he had es
caped during a battle between govern
ment agents and anarchists at Tornea,
Finland, are said by the officials to
be untrue. A vague story was current
in Petrograd July 28 that the su'spected
Teuton agent had fled from the capital
to Kronstadt, that he had been smug
gled through Finland to Stockholm and
already had reached Germany. Confir
mation of this report canned be had.
Another rumor current here yesterday
was that Lenine was operating in Stock
holm.
Berlin Reports Germans
Advancing in Kukowina
BERLIN. July 30.—(Via London.) —
German troops are advancing through
the Suchawa Valley in the Austrian
provinces of Bukowina toward the town
of Seletyn. it was announced officially ’
today by the German general staff. The
Germans also have pushed forward to
the east of the upper Moldavia Valley.
The statement says the Russians are
holding the heights to the east of the
river Zbrocz, on the Russian frontier,
which has been crossed by the Teutons
at several points.