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WEATHER. Tlmndarshowehs this afternoon or tonlarht; somewhat cooler. Tomorrow cloudy, with moderate tempera Temperature for twenty-four hour* ending 1 p.m. today: Highest, 89. at 3:30 yesterday; lowest, 71, at 1:50 a.iu. to Fnll rewrt on page 14. tXOON NEW YORK STOCKS FACE 11 Member of die Associated Presst The Associated Press la exclusively entitled to th? ok for republicstion of all win credited to it or not otherwise credited In this paper and also the local news published herein. All tights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserred. n fTTorn Jfet Circulation. Month of July. 1917, Dally ??erase. 87,545x Sasdny, (U8& No. 26,785. WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1917?EIGHTEEN PAGES. ?? ONE CENT. 16 KILLED IN RIOT SIMM MS Many Others Shot Down by 150 Soldiers, Who Fire on Officers. OUTBREAK DUE TO CLASH WITH POLICE OF HOUSTON City Placed Under Martial Law and U. S. Regulars Have Situa tion It Hand. I By the Awociated Prw*. HOUSTON. Tex.. August 24.-?After a J night of rioting:, title to an outbreak of j 150 negro soldieiC, members of the 24th I United States Iniwntry, in which sixteen j persons were k.lled and a score or more injured, Houston today is under martial law and normal conditions rapidly are being restored. Gen. John A. Hulen of the Texas National Guard, who is acting provost marshal, stated at noon that ti?e situation was under control, and with several hundred Regular Army troops, rushed here from Galveston, patrolling the city and round ing up the scattered remnants of the riotous soldiers, no further disorder was anticipated. Under military law, it is stated, sol diers may be shot for having rioted and fired on their officers. More than 100 of the riotous negroes still are at large and are being sought today by strong patrols of regulars and Illinois National guardsmen under the com mand of Gen. Hulen. The uprising followed a clash between a policeman, who had arrested a negro woman, and a soldier of the 24th In fantry, who demanded her release. Other members of the negro regiment broke camp and joined in the disorder, which quickly developed into a riot and clashes throughout the night be tween the negro troopers and the po lice and citixena Gen. Hulen took charge of the situation early today. Other Troops at Houston. In addition to the riotous soldiers, ten oompantea of Illinois guardsmen and sev eral companies of Texas troops were as sembled here awaiting orders to prowd to their cantonment at Cfcmp Bowie. One at the Illinois companies was composed of negroes, but made no attempt to join in the rioting, ana officers declared their con duct exemplary. Several companies of the federalized national guardsmen aided in quelling the disturbance. Capt. J. W. Mattes of A Battery. Illinois Field Artillery, was among those killed. Orders have been given to soldiers to watch all incoming trains and not to permit armed men to enter the city. A report shortly after midnight said that armed men were lfkely to flock into Houston from some of the adjoining counties. It was -decided that this should not be permitted. Regulars Protect City. When the 100 or more regulars ar rived from Galveston some of them were detailed to go to Camp Logan. Others were assigned to duty in the city. Two soldiers were detailed to each /?street car in the city and two more were detailed to each street corner in | the downtown section. Orders were given to prevent the assembling of citi sens on the streets. City snd county officers ere co-oper ating with and following the instruc tions of the military officers. Among the dead is a negro sergeant, ?Ida Henry, believed to have been the ringleader in the uprising. Henry's body, riddled with buckshot, was found a quarter mile from the camp limits. Horace Moody, one of the wounded police officers, who suffered an amputa tion of the leg, died this mprnlng at the hospital. E. J. Meineke. another police officer. Is the fifteenth victim re. ported found. The body of EL M. Jones, a taTicah driver, the sixteenth victim, was found " near Camp Logan today. The following orders and warnings were issued today: -All citlxens will remain in their homes or usual places of business at "No cltixen not an officer will appear on the streets with arms. ''Parties will not assemble on the streets. "Saloons will not be permitted to -places of business where arms and ammunition are sold, kept or stored will remain closed. (Signed) -HULEN." Warning by Acting- Mayor. Acting Mayor D. M Moody of Houston 1 ssinil the following statement: ?1 call upon every cltixen of Houston, white and colored, to preserve the peace, to go quietly about their business and to rest assured that there is going to be full Inquiry and proper punishment for the crimes which have been committed. -It is time for coolness and for care ful avoidance of further trouble. "It is no time for further excitement. <-The city is under martial law, a condi tion which is most regrettable ; but it is necessary. "There will be no further trouble if every citizen will carefully see to hi, own con duct. "Incendiary speech la of no avail. ?The situation la well in hand?unless there be studied efTort to cause more trouble." People Shot in Their Homes. The trouble Is said to have started after some of the negro soldiers had complained of treatment accorded them by members of the Houston police force. About ? o'clock some eighty negroes, later being Joined by others. formed at their camps and began a march toward downtown Houaton. Lights In resi dences along the way were shot out and a number of persons wounded aa they sat Inside their homes. * Ma). K. S. Snow, commanding the negro troops guarding Camp Logan, de clared that he attempted to control the men when he saw what was about to happen, but they were beyond control, and some ISA of them started to shoot promiscuously In the camp and some scattered In every direction. An at tempt waa made to kill MaJ. Snow, he declared. , According to police reports, the origin of the trouble was the arrest of a negro woman In a downtown section. A negro soldier asked that the prisoner be turn ed over to him. and a refusal led to an argument, the soldier finally being taken to police headquarters. A little later another .TEX.! Secretary Baker Waiting for Full Reports Before Taking Definite Action. WORD FROM GEN. PARKER Senator Sheppard of Texas, after a conference with Secretary Baker today, announced that the negro troops con cerned In the rioting: at Houston would be withdrawn from Texas Immediately. Later Secretary Baker, after reading first official reports, announced that he j , could take no action of any kind until j j the affair had been investigated fully. The Secretary also said the Houston affair did not affect the policy of train ing negro troops in the south. * It Is within the Jurisdiction of the I commander of the Southern Depart ment to move the troops to any other point in his territory without orders I from Washington. Report# from Maj. Gen. Parker, com manding the southern division, said the situation was under control and that no further rioting was feared. Senator Sheppard asked that no negro troops, except those of Texas origin, be sent Into Texas for training. Official Reports on Rioting. Official reports on the troop rioting at Houston began arriving at the War Department early today and were hur ried to Secretary Baker as fast as they came in. They were coming from the commanding general of the Southern ?w?ar'ment* wh?se investigation pos sibly may be supplemented by a spe cial inquiry by the Inspector general of the Army, as the affair is regarded as most serious, particularly in view of the fact that the negro troops con cerned were regulars and not National Guardsmen or drafted troops new to Regular Army discipline. similarity of the occurrence to the releb rated Brownsville rioting, as the re ? President Roosevelt sum marily dismissed two battalions of negro th^S. *nd officials Indicate **** affair will be investigated Just as thoroughly and dealt with aa vigorously ff "?**"* demands. They realize that delicate question of tr??Pa In the south. **. protests have been coming "id which has confronted Department with a very embar rassing situation. - Southern Members Shocked. Southern members of Congress were greatly shocked today at reports of race trouble at Houston, ^ between negro soldiers of the Regular Army white civilians and white members of regimenti * fl'lnols National Guard A demand for a congressional Investl Kress, especially1*hose'from*Texas,Care Information other than con newspaper dispatches. Of this, however they feel that there is doubt and that the press dispatches contain more information than will " through private advices. . ^he Houston trouble haa revived the agitation among southern representa tives and senators to reverse the War ??Ucy of sending negro troops to southern training camps The members of Cbngress feel that the Houston Incident may be regarded as *dv*nce notlce of what will occur in the Carolina*, in Alabama and in southern states generally where col ?r.ed, militiamen are to be quartered within a few weeks. Statement of Secretary Baker. . Later Secretary B^ker Issued the fol ^wing statement In regard to the Houston "The War Department announces that It has received from Gen. Parker, in com mand of the Southern Department, a tele gram stating that a serious clash had oc *PP">x]matety 160 men of the 24th Infantry and the civilian popula tion. resulting in from nine to twelve casualties so far recorded. "Gen Parker states that he has used Illinois troops and coast artillery com panies from Galveston to get control of the situation, which, he says. Is now entirely under oontrol. The cause of the trouble was unknown at the time Geo. Parker sent his dispatch. He also reports that the Governor of Texas tad wJSJST?? martial law and placed Gen. X tVl ' Hu'en is known to the department as an excellent offl oer. who saw service In the Philippine insurrection. Beyond this no official report# have readied the department jf butGen. Parker has been ttTZESSX* th? news exactly aa Hay Be Oi*en a Hero'* Funeral. thC?IF.,AG?L.Au*?*^ "-?It is expected im the body of Capt. Joseph Mattes will be brought back to Chicago and that bis funeral will be made a public demonstration. He was unmarried ami lived with his brothers and sisters in a house on land taken out by his grand father as a government grant many years ago. 10 STUDY WAGE SCALE OF MEN IN NAVY YARDS Messrs. Booserelt, Lippman and Blackmon Consider Pay at Gov ernment Arsenals Abo. The special commission, consisting of Assistant Secretary Roosevelt of the Navy Department, Mr. Llpraan of the War De partment and Mr. Blackmon of the Labor Department, appointed to consider the question of wages paid at government ar senals and navy yards met at the Navy Department this afternoon and arranged for a close Mudy of a mass of data bear ing on the general subject The main idea is to fix a harmonious scale of wages for the same class of work at both ar senals and navy yards and to readjust wages paid at government establish menu on the basis of wages paid for slmM. paid for similar work by private employers in the sama general vicinity. Reports are In from the wage boards at New York. Boston. Mar" lYland Naval Academy and other naval sta tions. but so far no Information haa been rseeived regarding the waae schedules at the Washington navr the Indian Head proving station an.i the yards at Philadelphia, Norfolk Hd Portsmc'th. It is the purpose of the commission to study closely the reports from the government arsenals and yards and to havs Its report ready for action earlv in September. There is an impression that wages at government plants will be increased in the main to meet similar raises m?4a In private .stab U.S.PLANSTO BUILD 1,270 MORE SHIPS New Billion-Dollar Program Calls for Additional Ton nage of 7,968.000. SPLIT ON FOREIGN VESSELS The government's shipbuilding pro gram calls for a total of 1,270 ships of 7,968.000 tonnage, it was revealed today in <stimates the shipping board has sent to Secretary McAdoo, on which to base a request for & new billion-dollar appropriation. This is in addition to nearly two mil lion tons of shipping now building in American yards which has been com mandeered by the Emergency Fleet Corporation. A large part of the gov ernment fleet and of the commandeered fleet will have been competed by the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 191S. Building, commandeering and purchases of vessels will total about two billion dollars. Estimates in Detail. Estimates of the entire cost of con struction are given as follows: Con tracts already let, 433 ships of 1,919, 200 tons. $285,000,000; contracts ready to let. 452 ships of 2,968.000 tons, $455, 500.000; under negotiation, 237 ships of 1,28^,000 tons, $194,000,000; 150 mis cellaneous' vessels of 1,800,000 tons, $300,000,000. and construction of gov ernment-owned fabricating yards, $35, ooo.ooo. Commandeering will cost $515,000, 000. and the purchase of ships. $150, 000,000. The board already has re ceived for construction, $550,000,000, and for commandeering. $250.000,0*10. The board now desires from Con gress authorization to spend for con struction $719,500,000; for commandeer ing. S265.O0O,<wx>, and for purchases. $150,000,000. The appropriation asked to carry the board through the fiscal year is divided as follows: Building. $400,000,000; commandeering, $205,000,000, and purchases. $150,000,000. Divided on Foreign Ships. A sharp division of opinion has de veloped among government officials as to the final disposition of foreign mer chant vessels now building in Amer ican shipyards. All foreign as well as American ships of more than 2.500 tons under construction were commandeered a few weeks ago by the emergency fleet cor poration to speed up their construction. The shipping act recently passed gives the government authority to retain the tonnage after its completion. Great Britain is protesting vigorous ly, against retention of about 1,000,000 tons of ships building for British in terests and negotiations as to their dis posal are proceeding between the State Department and the British foreign of fice. Neutral countries, too. are insistent that their vessels be turned over to thyn when completed. 4 Some officials of the State Department, it is said, favor at least releasing the British tonnage on its completion. The United States, they hold, can spare the ships, as they would be put into the trades most needed for the conduct of the war. A majority of the members of the ship ping board want the government to keep and operate the foreign vessels, paying their original owners the actual cost of construction. Their position is that the United States can ill afford to let these ships go when it has a big army to main tain In Europe. Features Fiction Photographs AN AMERICAN WOMAN IN ITALY IS CALLED "THE MA DONNA OF THE WOODEN LEGS" ?And the term Is one of affection and gratitude, for ahe ralaea funds with which to purchase artificial lege and arnu for maimed Italian ?oldlera. THE PROBLEMS OF VIOLET STRANGE?This Is the last of this remarkably Interesting series of detective stories by ANNA KATH ERINE GREEN. It Is entitled "VIOLET'S OWN" and It explalna Violet's own mystery. WITH OUR BOVS IN FRANCE? A half dozen photographa In the PLANOGRAVURE SECTION of our soldiers already acroae the aea. LETTERS FROM HOME FOR SOLDIERS AND SAILORS ABROAD?The Poet Office Depart ment will see that those in the service of Uncle Sam in foreign lands receive their mall promptly. THE WHITE FEATHER?This Is the concludihg installment, In which all ends happily. WITH THE STUDENT ENGI NEERS AT OFFICERS' RESERVE TRAINING CAMP NEAR AMERI. CAN UNIVERSITY?A ni^nber of photographs sharply reproduced in the PLANOGRAVURE SECTION. AMERICA AND THE FUTURE? How will America fare In the colos sal, social and economic readjust ment after the war? ISAAC F. MARCOSSON sets forth his opinion of the problem In most Interesting style. RUSSIA'S FAMOUS BATTALION OF DEATH?This Is the only regi. ment of women In the world, but It has done heroic service. You will find a number of Interesting photo grsphs on these Twentieth Century Amazons In the PLANOGRAVURE SECTION. WHAT THE MAILROADS ARE DOING TO CONQUER THE HUN ?JAMES B. MORROW tells how our American railroads have worked like Trojans to meet every require ment of the government In its pros ecution of the war. CONFERENCE OF SCANDINA VIAN COUNTRIES INTER. ESTS THE UNITED /#TATES? CHARLES M. PEPPER presents a number of little-known facts con cerning this Interesting subject. PHOTOGRAPHS OF ESPECIAL INTEREST IN THE PLANOGRA VURE SECTION?The Steel Hel met Adopted by War Department for Our Soldiers; Women at Work in Railroad Yards; A New photo graph of Pope Benedict, Who Re. cently Made Peace Propoaala; Treasury Department Employes Making Red Cross Supplies; Gen. von Hindenburg, as One Caricatur ist Sees Him. IN THE SUNDAY STAR QER.MAN BULL?T>n3" OUR U tOOi! have Cleared \tmt the Seas American of^H/PP/ZTO/ARMY ISA IblCULOOS, ? "french /MJE AT TtyE / BLED EN?opeE'l) WHITE! RUTH LESS HESS HAS MOKE Thau FULF! t-t_Et> OUlf , ?*PECTAT"/0/*5/ K5M.* I Gwmany fS URMV IS FORGING I D/viNELY Forward/ destw ed To R.OLE T?e , EARTrf 6 We hold ? ~r?e Wwip hand. Peace Before Winter Seen by Prominent Germans Austria Literally Crying for War's End?Revolu tion, If Reasonable Offer Were Refused, Is Claim. Bt the Associated Press. COPENHAGEN, August 24.?An Aus tria which is literally crying: for peace, which has discarded any thought of territorial expansion and is even will ing- to buy its way out of the war by territorial sacrifices on the Italian front and in Galicia; an Austria of fre quent food riots, unable to last through another winter of war; an Austria whose population would rise in revo lution if any reasonable peace offer were rejected by the government, is pictured by an intelligent Austrian who has arrived here from Vienna. I In a long talk with the correspondent today he told a story which, though per haps unduly pessimistic, explains the per sistence Of Count Czernin, Austro-Hun garian foreign minister, and of Emperor Charles in returning again and again to the subject of peace negotiations. This Austrian, who spent several days in Berlin on his way to Copenhagen, had an opportunity to talk with representatives of the German foreign office, including Baron von dem Bussche-Haddenhausen, the under secretary, and other prominent Germans of the stamp of Prof. Hans Del brueck of the University of Berlin ; Phillip Scheidemann, the socialist leader, and Maximilian Harden, editor of the Zunktmft, He said that ail of these men, with the exception of Herr Harden, were convinced peace was coming before winter. Belief Growing That He Will Discuss America's Peace Attitude. dress Congress or. peace at the same time he makes reply to Pope Benedict's proposals, and In that way take the national legislative body into his con fidence and at the same time not only inform the country on the question, but also enable members of Congress to carry the government's views home to the people when Congress adjourns. No indications of the President's plans had come from the White House today, but possibility of his discussing the sub ject before Congress in this way, and con sequently before the nation, was talked of at the Capitol. I It is understood that the President will have before him very soon the substance of the replies Great Britain and France will make to the Pope. Fropl^ Viscount Ishii, head of the Japanese mission, the President will get an intimate understanding of Ja pan's purposes in the sittf&tfon, and also, it is understood, a very close assessment of the situation in Russia. The Japanese view of the Russian sit uation is at this time appraised at a special value. No one has been authorised to say what reply President Wilson will make to the Popes proposal further than that it will be in harmony with the responses of the other allies. Acceptance Hot Expected. It seems to be generally accepted in official and diplomatic circles that the ! Pope's proposal cannot be accepted. In deed. there have been indications from ! the Vatican that Pope Benedict did not expect it would be accepted, but addressed ! the belligerents with the purpose of build ing the groundwork for another discussion ' later on. The unofficial forecast of what the Pres ident will say if he speaks is that Pope Benedict's proposal contains nothing on i which to proceed and that a discussion of ; peace terms can best be approached Uy Germany stating hers, as the allies have done. DEVOKIAH'S CHEW SAVED. I State Department Advices Show Hone Loit in Sinking:. ! All member* of the crew of the I steamer Devonian, yesterday reported submarined, were saved, according to today's advices to the State Depart ment. In the crew were sixty-five Americans. ' The Devonian, long in the Boston Liverpool service, was the first ship sailing out of Boston to arm herself afainst submarines. Cable advices from Kngland to the company in Boston did not indicate whether the vessel had de parted for this side, although It was assumed that she was on a westbound President Wilson may decide to ad Qetting Views of Allies. 20,000 PRISONERS TAKEN BY US Sixty Guns Also Captured From Austrians?Great Battle Continues. By the Associated Press. ROME. August 24.?The war office re ports that the battle on the Isonzo front continues and that about sixty guns have been captured. More than 20.000 prisoners, the war offioe statement says, have been re moved from the Austro-Itallan front by the Italians. Gen. Cadorna announces that the Italians yesterday stormed new Aus trian positions, broke up violent coun ter-attacks made by the enemy and took a large number of Austro-Hun garian prisoners. "On the Carso the Pallansa Brigade has covered itself with glory. After having carried a strong position south east of Dosso Faiti this brigade has held it with heroic tenacity in three days of most bitter fighting," says an official statement. / "The aerial arm co-operated yester day in our success. Our airplanes and airships bombarding the enemy dropped more than twelve tons of bombs." Move Valuables From Trieste. LONDON. August 24.?The Austrians are removing everything of value from Trieste to Vienna and other inland places, according to a Rome dispatch to the Exchange Telegraph Company. LOVE PIRATE ARRESTED FOR DEFRAUDING WOMEN John F. Beckwith Said to Hare Fair Victims in Nearly Every State. ? CLEVELAND. Ohio. August 24.?With: fair victims in almost every state in the Union, J?hn F. Beckwith, poet, novelist, soldier and love-letter writer, has been arrested by federal authorities here charged with setting large sums of money by defrauding women whose confidence he is alleged to have won through expressions of love. He used a "follow-up" system of love letters. It is charged, written in masterful English. Beckwith admitted to federal officers he followed a system in cajoling each victim, studying each separately, and declares himself to be "Intensely im pressionable." His first epistles to his I victims usually expressed his desire for "love in an Impersonal manner, but in each succeeding communication his avowal of love became more intense. When arrested he had a mailing list of seventy-five names, including wom en from Portsmouth, Alcron, Deshler, Canton. Columbus, Korestville and Ashland. Ohio. Most of his operations were directed from Albany, N. Y.. but he has been in Cleveland since April, fie was arrested on a warrant charging him with using the mails to defraud Mrs. A. E. Peterson, ItZ Bast Sim street. Sycamore, 111. Beckwith says be Is a college grad uate. holding two degrees, and served as an officer In the Boer war. He was born In Norway, his father being a former chief Justice of the Norwegian supreme court, he declares. i , BEAT DOWN ENGLAND, KAISER'S CRYTO TROOPS German Euler Addresses the Men Who Have Been Meet ing British. By the Associated Press. COPENHAGEN, August 24.?England, the arch enemy of Germany, must be beaten down at whatever cost. Emperor William told his troops while on a visit to the Flanders front on Wednesday. An official statement issued In Berlin says the emperor addressed deputations from all detachments which have had a share In meeting the British attacks. He said be felt impelled to express his thanks and his full recognition of the heroic gallantry shown by troops from all parts of Germany in the hard fight ing of the last week. The emperor referred to the marked contrast be tween the German and Anglo-French points of view, and continued: "It is in God's hands when in His wisdom He will give us victory. He has taught our army a hard lesson and now we are going to pass the examina tion. With the old German confidence in God we shall show what we can do "The greater and mightier the prob lem the more gladly we shall grapple with it and solve it. We shall fight and conquer until the enemy has had enough of these struggles. "All Germans have realized who is the instigator of this war and who is the chief enemy?England. Every one knows England is our most spiteful ad versary. She spreads the hatred of Germany over the whole-world, filling her allies with hatred and eagnerness to light. Thus every one at home knows what you know still better, that England is particularly the enemy to be struck down, however difficult it may be. Your relatives at home who. too. have made great sacrifices thank you through me. "A difficult struggle lies ahead of us. England, preud of her stubborn re sistance, believes in her invincibility, but you will show that you can attain still greater things, for the prize of the war is the German people's freedom to live?freedom at sea and freedom at home. With God's help we shall see tile straggle through and be victorious." tanksIeamajo SINKS ENEMY U-BOAT AN ATLANTIC PORT, August 24?The Standard Oil tank steamship Navajo, destroyed by fire at sea August IS. while homeward bound, had an encounter on her trip over with a submarine and sank the enemy vessel with her guns after a four-hour battle, according to members of the -fcrew of twenty-seven, who arrived here today on an American steamer. The destruction of the Navajo was caused by the explosion of a fuel pipe. Had Three Separate Encounters. The Navajo had three separate en counters with the submarine before she sank hai1 one of the officers said. She first mst the German craft off the Irish coast and drove her off. . The next day firing was heard and a large sailing vessel appeared pursued by what those on the Navajo identified as the same U boat. The German sank the sailing vessel and then engaged the Navajo for a second time, until a British hydro-air plane appeared and the V boat sub merged. A fog settled down and the airplane returned to shore. When the fog lifted i the U boat was found still lurking near i and the third engagement ensued The tanker was damaged In the stern but in return registered a hit "squarely beneath the U boat's periscope " The officer described her as sinking stern first. The Navajo proceeded to Franca for repairs. When she caught fire on the return trip the crew was rescued and landed at an Irish port. ADELE PAHKHURST JAILED. English Suffragette Gets Month's Sentence in Australia. LONDON. August 54.?A dispatch to the Exchange Telegraph from Melbourne says Adele Pankhurst, daughter of the English suffragette leader, was sen tenced to a month's Imprisonment yes terday for a demonstration she started outside parliament building yesterday Adele Pankhurst for some time has figured In the "no conscription" prona ganda in Australia. Several times meet ings at which she was to speak have been broken up by soldiers, and at one of them Mas Pankhurst and other wom an engaged in the anti-conscription moven snt were struck on their faces by stones thrown by. soldiers and other : J $100,000,000 MOR Credit Made by U. S. Today Brings Amount Up to $275,000,000. SOME FOR RAIL SUPPLIES Another credit of 1100.000.000 to Rus sia was made today by ths^lmerican government. This brings the total of credits ex tended so far to the Russian govern ment to $275,000,000. The credit has been the subject of; recent conferences between Secretary McAdoo and Ambassador Bakhmeteff, I in which the ambassador has pointed j out the necessity of rendering aid", speedily, so that needed supplies might be sent to Russia before the closing of her ports by ice. Some of the money probably will be used to purchase rail way supplies and equipment in this country. Needs About 2,500 Locomotives. Approximately 2,500 locomotives, tens of thousands of freight cars and many thou sand tons of steel rails and o^her railway equipment are needed at once and efforts are being made by producers*in this coun try to hurry shipments. Detailed information as to the needs of all allied nations in American markets is being collected by Secretary McAdoo in planning the next issue of liberty bonds. Lord N'orthcliffe of the British mission presented to Secretary McAdoo today much additional information on British requirements. France and Italy also have outlined their needs. The estimates cover several months the future, and indicate the neces sity or increasing the credits extended r>y this government. Thus far credits total approximately to the rate of lit tle over $500,000,000 a month. The new figures, it is estimated, will advance it toward $600,000,000 monthly. Apprehension Not So Acute. In some quarters where the Russian situation is closely watched and ap praised with an inner knowledge of af fairs, the loss of Riga and the threaten ing of actual capture of Petrograd with a move of the capital to Moscow is not being* regarded with such great apprehension. It is pointed out that the conserva ?ve forceful men to whom the allies are looking to maintain order and a government has"its headquarters in Moscow and that the radical ele ments always have been attached to Petrograd. even when it was St. Peters burg Moving the capital to Moscow would bring it close to the men of affairs and at the same time etrike a respon sive chord among all the Russian* who, "for centuries, have cherished a sentimental regard for Moscow, rich in its traditions of Russian power It is suggested that radical elements. threatened by an invader, marching on 8e*t ?f thelr might then prefer to unite their strength with the conservative element to protect the country, rather than weaken its force by internal dissen sions. Confidence in Buss Government. Complete confidence fn the new Rua sian government wm expressed today by the State Department. Secretary Lansing: denied that news from Russia had caused this govern ment to take a pessimistic view of the situation, declaring that instead of there prevailing a feeling of pessimism quite the contrary had been created by the confidential dispatches that have been received. "I regard the government of Russia as stronger today than it has been for a month, he said. **I mean in general " he added "both from political and mil itary points of view. This opinion is based upon reports more or leas con fidential that we have been getting " .V. ?,new "Ports have been received at the department within the last twentv four hours. ' Maj. Gen. Scott, chief of staff, who w" a member of the Root commission iJ ? the cat"ture Of Petrograd would be only slight strategical loss to the Russians. II. S. SENDSNEWNOTE OF CHKRTO RUSSIANS President, Through Secretary Lans ing. Expresses Confidence in Provisional Government. A new message of hope and encour agement to Russia has been dispatched by the American government, as a re ply to Foreign Minister Tereschenko's note of August 3. In which he assured President Wilson of neW Russia's steadfastness of purpose to consecrate all her power and resources to the prosecution of the war to a victorious peace. ?*nsing. in a note sent to d iA -he Russian ambassador, Boris Barkhmeteff, made a reply, in which he "Department of State. ? Washington, August IS. 19X7. i "Excellency: "A translation of that communication has been furnished to the President, who. in full appreciation of the vast task con V?e Provisional government of Russia In the reconstruction of that coun ?JJ<i the reorganisation of Its forces. and of the energy with which that gov ernment is endeavoring, in the face of dis loyalty and enemy-inspired propaganda to uphold the good faith of Russia, welcomes the assurance now given by the provisional ff whiJ-h Si R"S8la of lts Intention. 12 th/ .Pr*?l?CTIt has had no doubt, of being deterred by no difficulty in pursuing the war to a final triumph. Faith In Russia's future. "No less gratifying to the President is the announcement by that govern ment that, like the United States, Rus sia consecrates all its forces and all Its resources to this end. With this tenacity of purpose moving all the al lied governments, there can be no doubt of the outcome of the conflict now rasing. "I ask you to be so good as to- give to your government renewed expres sion of the President's deep sympathy wlU* them in the burden they have as sumed and in the obstacles they have encountered, and are encountering, and his confidence that, inspired and im pelled by their patriotic efforts and guidance. thire will emerge from the present conflict a regenerated Russia fonnded upon those great principles of and e,u*"ty- rl*ht ft WINS HILL 304 FOR I Petain Now Master of All Po sitions Held Before German Drives Last Year. BITTER FIGHT FOR LENS GOES ON THROUGH NIGHT Canadians Battle Fiercely to Gain Green Crauier?Teutons Suffer Extremely Heavy Losses. In a brilliant attack this morning on the Verdun front the French carried HiU 304, one of the most bitterly disputed po sitions of the war. In the struggle for which thousands of men have lost their lives. Berlin admits the loss. The French advanced to an average depth of 1 % miles over the sector between Avocourt wood and Dead Man hill. Paris announoss officially, and, In addition to HiU 304, stormed the fortlfled works between Hau court and Bethincourt. The new French assault, made less than a week ago, after the beginning of the new offensive, was delivered west of the Meuse on a somewhat shorter front than Mon day's opening attack, which was on both sides of the river. Now Hold Former Positions. At the first shock the French, although highly successful, did not obtain all their objectives, and today's attack doubtless was intended to complete the attainment of the ends Immediately In view. The French are now masters of all the Im portant points on the Verdun front which they held before the beginning of the great German attack last year. On the British front the bitter fight for possession of Lens was continued during the night. The official British statement announces that the British now hold German trenches Immediately northwest of the Green Crassler. to the south of Lens! and that especially heavy losses have been inflicted on the ? Germans. Portuguese troops which are holding 1 a sector in northern France repulsed German raids in the vicinity of La Bas see. Heavy artillery fighting continues around Ypres, where the British have improved their positions and success fully withstood counter attacks. French Story of Fighting. 1 BpARI8"a'ugu?t 24.?The official an nouncement of today follows: "In the Champagne our axtillery con tinued to bombard German defense works effectively. Our. patrols pene trated the German lines in the sector between Souain and St. Hilaire and as certained that apparatus for the die- ; charge of gas had been destroyed. "On the left bank of the Meuse at 4:45 o'clock this morning our troops, with their customary dash, attacked the German positions between Avo court wood and Dead Man hill. All our objectives were attained and la most instances surpassed. Capture Defense Works. "By a single charge the French car ried the formidably organized Hill 304 and also Camard wood, to the west of it. They also captured north of HiU 304 a line of defense works and forti fied farms and reached the river south of the Forges brook. Between Hau court and Bethincourt the average depth of the advance was more than two kilometers. Prisoners were takea in the course of this action. "At the same time a vigorous French offensive east of the sead between Eshes and Bethincourt enabled us to enlarge our positions north of Dead Man hill to a depth of about a kilo meter. "In Lorraine we repulsed easily an enemy attack on small posts near Mon cel." Ordered to Die at Posts. GRAND HEADQUARTERS OF THH FRENCH ARMY, August 24.?The testi mony of prisoners shows that the Ger mans intended to hold the left bank of the Meuse at all costs. The regiments sta tioned there were ordered to die at their posts, if necessary. Many of them did so. while what remained in the line were captured. More than two-thirds of ths prisoners were taken there. A visit to the reconquered territory shows the value placed on the posi tions of Le Mort Homme and Regne ville as defensive organizations. The | ground everywhere is covered with small fortresses. It was the last hope of the German crown prince, who ap ! parently was obsessed with the desire j to conquer Verdun, in the neighbor hood of which thousands of the flower of the German army found only a burial place, without any laurels of victory. French Losses Are SmalL j All attempts to recapture the posl? ti'ons lost proved vain, every German effort being thrown back in disorder. I The remarkable thing about the whole French offensive is the emallness of their losses, while those of the enemy have been terrible, as can be seen wherever one goes on the battlefield. Of one German division at least three regiments exist no more, and thosa remaining alive are prisonera One of the captured men related how a French shell fell into a depot of poisonous *gas shells near Herbebois. the fumes of which killed the comple ments of three entire German bat- ? teries. composing a group which had just been sending hundreds of these horrible projectiles over the French lines. A German infantryman captured said that his battalion, while being re lieved from front line duty, had lost two-thirds of its total. British Gain at Lens. LONDON. August 24.?The official announcement follows: "Fierce fighting continued In ths night south of Lens as a result of which we hold German trenches Im mediately northwest of the Green, Crassler. The enemy losses in tha4 close fighting have been especially heavy. "The enemy artillery has been active in the night northeast of Ypres. "Hostile raiders were repulsed in the night by the Portuguese at two points northwest ef La Bassee." The text of last night's statement reads: "Heavy local fighting has taken plaoa all day for the possession of an im portant enemy stronghold immediately south of l^ena known as the Green Crassler. Our troops gained a footing on the spoil heap early this morning and have sinoe beaten off several ooun* ter attacks, in which the enemy suf* fered heavy losses, both from oar ar tillery and In hand-to-hand fighting. Possession of the position is still being fiercely disputed. hostile attack upon ens of t A