New-York tribune. [volume], May 27, 1918, Image 1

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Vol. LXXVm No. 26.125
The TMbnne Ass*****]
[Copyright 191??
MONDAY, MAY 27, 1918
o o ?
two reaere? *n ?nrme?mr View fork am?
rwu OJD"w?wi?Mn eammntiac dista??*
THREE CENTS
Elsewhere
Mc?doo Decrees Pay
Raise of $300,000,000
And 8-Hour R. R. Day
?*8
Provides That Women;
Shall Receive Same
Wages as Men
Board Created to
Correct Injustices
New Rates Affect All Re?
ceiving Less Than $250
a Month
WASHINGTON. May 26. - General
p?y increases, for nearly 2,000,000 rail ?
Tond employe? were announced to-dav
by Director General Mc.Adoo, effective
next Saturday and retioactive to last
January 1, currying out substantially
recommendations of the railroad wage
commission. The aggregate of the
i increase? probably will be more than |
1300,000,000 a year, half of which will ?
' be distributed within a few weeks as
back pay in lump sums ranging from
about $100 to nearly $200 each.
The Director General departed from :
the wage commission's recommenda?
tion-? in the following particulars:
The principle of the basic eight-hour |
day is recognized, but owing to the ,
exigencies of the war situation hours
of employment are not actually re?
duced, and overtime is to be paid pro
rata. Future adjustments of pay are
to be made on the basis of eight hours.
Equal Pay for Women
In addition* to the ordinary scale of
increase, day laborers, employed main?
ly on track work, are to get at least
2-*2 cents an hour more than they re?
ceived last December 31
A minimum of 55 cents an hour is
established for the shop trades, includ?
ing machinists, boilermakers and black?
smiths.
Women are to receive the same pay
as men for the same work, and negroes
are to get the same as white men for
similar employment.
To work out a multitude of inequal?
ities of pay among employes doing
similar work in different localities, and
other injustices caused by varying
rules of employment and conditions of
organization, the Director General cre?
ated a*- new board of railroad wages
and working conditions, consisting of
three labor representativea and three
railway executives, which will conduct
extensive investigation and recommend
ware and other employment changes.
All increases now ordered will be de?
termined according to a percentage
scale based on pay received in De?
cember, 1915, and any increases which
have been allowed within that time
will be deducted. In many cases raises
\n pay in the last two and a half years
are about equal to the increases now
approved, and consequently those em?
ployes will get little or no more.
Task for New Wage Board
To cohect just such situations when
injustices arc apparent will be one of
! the principal duties of the new wage
lioard, whose creation was suggested
by the Railroad Wage Commission. In
no cases are wages to be reduced.
Men working on the monthly, daily,
hourly, piece work and mill basis will
benefit by the liew allowances, and
members of the four leading railway
brotherhoods whose pay was raised
through operation of the Adamson act
?re to receive from 10 to 40 per cent
addition, a smaller increase than they
asked of railroads shortly before the
government took control.
The wage order applies to all em?
ployes ot the 164 roads now under
federal management, but not to the so
called short lines, unless they are re?
tained by the government after July 1.
It affects employe? of terminal, union
?tation, and switching companies, light?
ers, ferries and tugs owned by rail
toads, but not employes of railroad
boat lines on the lakes, rivers or coast
, w?w traffic. Although Pullman cars
"ow are under government operation,
Pullman employes will not benefit
?"?lese the railroad administration de?
cides to retain management of the
urs.
forget Dissensions, Says McAdoo
In announcing hia decision, Mr. Mc- |
?Moo appealed to railroad employes to
'orge*, disronaions and disappointments
?rising under private control and to
ieaember that the success of the war
depends largely on their service.
To meet the expense of the wage in
?***??. the biggest ever granted to
ra?road or any other class of employes
K.0n?.tum>> the railcoad administration
a** discussed raising freight and pas
?*nger rates.
The percentages of wage increase
2??* "?m 43 for men who received
?ws month in December, 1915, down
Vn&?^ttL?**6 ?,or th08e receiv-?? i?<
'mmW-i' and no more ,s allowed
?en who made S260 or more in 1915.
*?Sltu5? addit'0n? run up to $34.
wisn the exceptions of officers and
??M,...-??????ivhj vi winters ann
>*?**K?*er Koy' undcr eiehteen, who
>wfc*IT* "-"?ller increases, all employes
! XlJ?* ?ed ,Iess than *4* ? ??nth
IrVeUJt tt? incr?*?e of $20, with the
III ?tu **!?.** taboM? P?id by the
WhS?11!?*1 * ?*?*???"? of 2% cents
an nour shnvn ??.?. ..-.. ??_ ._.>_
Unk??. i*" ? mimraira or ?v? cents
jan hour above the rate six months sgo.
Summary of Increases
(*!*? ^i* ot ??cresses, ss snnounced,
ttsrawed for each dollar of wages re
Continued on Poaje 4, Column ?
I ? th Hour Plea Made
To Aid Red Cross
The second Red Cross War j
Fund drive for $100,000,000 ends !
at midnight to-night.
New York City's minimum"
quota is $25,000,000.
Twenty-four hours before the j
end of the drive William C.
Breed, chairman of the local cam?
paign, said:
"Reports indicate that the
other sections are heavily over?
subscribing their allotments. Our j
committee will not be satisfied j
unless New York maintains its
position and gives one-fourth of
the amount contributed by the
entire country. That was the
estimate of the measure of New
York's patriotism and generosity, ?
and we must not fall h?low the |
estimation placed upo ; us. To
attain this result our est efforts ?
must not be relaxed one minute
during the next twenty-four
hours."
Repressive Acts
ByU.S.Causeof j
Mexico's Break
Capital Thinks Steps Taken
to Check Teuton Agents
Irritate Carranza
'Special Dispatch to The Tribune)
WASHINGTON, May 26.?Restrictive
measures imposed on Mexico by the
United States and the Entente toblock
and counteract German activity in Cen?
tral and South America were the cause
of the diplomatic break between Mexico
and Cuba, according to prominent Cu?
bans here who profess to know the
present temper of the Carranza gov?
ernment.
The bi*eak in relations announced by
Mexico City is considered generally
here a slap at the United States. In
support of this view it is being pointed
out that General Candido Aguilar,
Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs,
in his formal note announcing the
break, refers to Cuba as being "now
in an afflicted situation." This refer?
ence is interpreted as a criticism of
the present close alliance between Cuba
and the United States.
Fabela Affair an Incident
The so-called Fabela affair is be?
lieved to be only an incident, though it
is known Mexico City was much ex?
ercised about this affair. While it has
been publicly announced that the lug?
gage of Ysidro Fabela, the Mexican
Minister to Argentina and Chile, was
stolen in Havana, it is held in Mexico
City, according to reports reaching
Washington, that Fabela's baggage was
seized and searched by agents of the
Entente and the Unite?! States.
If this was the case, it is thought
the action was taken because the En?
tente secret service believed that tho
German Ambassador at Mexico City
was employing Fabela to transmit com?
munications to the German diplomatic
representatives in the Argentine.
One of the repressive measures im?
posed by the United States on Mexico
which is said to be particularly irritat?
ing to that nation is the virtual cen?
sorship of all Mexican mails to Spain.
The United States will not provide
bunker coal for Spanish vessels beyond
Havana, and. in consequence, Mexican
Spanish mails are transmitted via
American Ward liners from Mexico to
Havana.
This enables representatives of the
United States to enforce a censorship
of mails from Vera Cruz and Tampico
to Cadiz, Spain. Before the United
States took this action, it is reported,
the Entente registered repeated pro?
tests that German agents in the United
States and in Mexico were communi?
cating without hindrance with Berlin
via the Spanish liners sailing from
Havana.
The embargo declared on Cuban
sugar to Mexico is said to be a further
irritant contributing to the present
strain which found expression in the
Cuban break. There is little reason to
support complaints on this situation,
however, because the Mexican govern?
ment could negotiate arrangements
with the War Trade Board to provide
sugar supplies adequate for her mini?
mum needs, it is pointed out.
Carranza Fears for Prestige
Carranza does not like to negotiate
with the United States, however, it is
said, because such action would cost
him prestige with those influences in
Central and South American, to which
he has sought to play oracle. This
desire on the part of Carranza to as?
sume leadership in Latin-America is
said to have had not s little to do with
his recent Cuban action, it being a
feeler to determine the support he can
command if he elects to take further
action along the same lines.
Inquiries made regarding the diplo?
matic background of Aguilar, Mexican
Minister for Foreign Affairs, in an ef?
fort to throw light on the recent un?
precedented Mexican diplomatic action,
to-day disclosed that Aguilar, before he
became Minister for Foreign Affairs
at Mexico City, was foreman of a
dairy at Orizaba, in the State of Vera
Cruz. Among Mexicans Aguilar has
been regarded as a "pelada," or or?
dinary individual, who possessed few
attainments which commended him for
the important post he now holds
through his close friendship with Car?
ranca.
Nation Gives
$ 112,097,304
To Red Cross
Over '$18,000,000 More Ex?
pected To Be Raised Be?
fore Drive Ends To-day
New York City Sets
Mark at 30 Million
Incomplete Returns Indi?
cate Quota Already Ex?
ceeded Here
WASHINGTON', May 26. -With the
American Red Cross second $100,000,
000 war mercy fund already oversub?
scribed by $12,097,304, officials to-night
were setting no limit to the outpouring
of dollars on the closing day of the
week's drive to-morrow. That the daily
'average of something more than $18,
000,000 would be far exceeded they had
no doubt.
On the face of returns at headquar?
ters here to-night eleven of the four?
teen divisions had oversubscribed, with
the Gulf leading the home divisions in
percentage with 210, but the foreign
topping them all, with 300. The three
divisions which had not attained their
'Delighted/
Says T. R. at
Meeting Taft
"Glad to See You, Theo?
dore," Is Reply in
Chicago Hotel
I Silent on Subject
Of Conversation
I They Are Together Infor
l mally for First Time Since
Historic Break
{Special Dispatch to The Tribune)
CHICAGO, May 26.- Colonel Theo
| dore Roosevelt and William H. Taft,
chatting together like n pair of happy
j schoolboys, was the picture late diners
| in the Blackstone saw to-night.
| ' The meeting of the two ex-Presi?
dents, the first informal one since the
historic break in this city six years
ago, was accidental. Colonel Roose?
velt, who had spent the day resting
in the hotel dined late, as is his habit.
Mr. Taft, entirely unaware that the
Colonel was in the house, registered
just after 8 o'clock and was on his
way to bis room, when John Murray,
an elevator runner, told him Mr.
Cha?ges Sea
Of Flames to
Save Sailors
U. S. Officer Drives Destroyer
Through Mass of Muni?
tion Ship ,Wreckage
Fifty-eight Men
Named as Heroes
Acting Chaplain and Nine
New York Seamen Among
Those Commended
WASHINGTON, May 26.?Stories of!
the heroic darirtg of American naval i
officers and men in rescuing thirty- j
four of the seventy-five members of i
the crew of the American munition
ship Florence H., which caught fire and
broke in two in French waters on April j
17, are told in the report of Rear Ad?
miral Wilson, commanding American |
naval forces in France, made public
to-night by the Navy Department.
Lieutenant H. D. Haislip, of San I
Mateo, Cal., who at the risk of de?
tonating his depth charges and de- *
stroying his vessel promptly charged j
his destroyer through the mass of blaz- i
ing and exploding wreckage covering j
the water in which survivors were !
GERMANY REWARDS NORWAY FOR REMAINING NEUTRAL
quotas were expected to go over the top
early to-morrow.
The returns by divisions, with the
quotas, follow:
. Division. Quota. Returns.
New England. $6,650,000 $6,457,000
Atlantic . 35,000,000 36,233,531
Pennsylvania _ 12,000,000 9,612.750
Potomac . 3,300,000 4,200,29o
Southern . 2,950,000 3,701.100
Lake . 9,40(1,000 11,003,755
Central . 13,800,000 12,032,000
Gulf . 1.300,000 2,739,894
Northern . 2,200,000 3,905,337
Southwestern _ 7,250,000 12,000,000
Mountain . 1,300,000 2,135.241
Northwestern - 1,770.01X1 2,574,723
Pacific . 3,730.000 4,611.683
Foreign . 300.000 900,000
Totals .$100.000,000 $112,097,304
Philadelphia, with an allotment of
$4,500,000, has subscribed $10,231,000..
Detroit has given $5,500,000, nearly
four times its minimum. Pittsburgh
has attained only 56 per cent of its
$4,000,000, while Chicago has turned in
only 47 per cent of its 57,000,000. Bos?
ton is another of the larger.cities be?
hind in the campaign.
City Sets Mark
Of 30 Million in
Red Cross Drive
' It was impossible to tell just where
New York City stood in the second
Red Cross War Fund drive last night.
William C. Breed, chairman of the
local campaign, assumed ?that more
than $25,000,000, this city's minimum
quota, already bad been subscribed. On
the basis of the daily returns, those
most closely in touch with the drive
estimated that the total would go to
$80,000,000, which the leaders feel and
hone the city will attain/
Mr. Breed, however, issued a state
Contmued on Page 9, Column 1
Roosevelt was at that moment at din?
ner. "I hear he's leaving right away,"
the boy added, in response to a ques?
tion
"Then I'll ask you to take me back
downstairs," said Mr. Taft.
Entering the dining room he saw
Colonel Roosevelt sealed alone by a
window.
"Theodore!" he exclaimed, "I am
glad to see you!"
"Well, I am indeed delighted to see
you," replied the Colonel, rising.
"Won't you sit down??"
Meantime the hundred or more din?
ers in th? room, recognizing the sig?
nificance of the meeting, were applaud?
ing a bit more loudly than Blackstone
diners usually do. Even the well
trained waiters for a moment forgot
themselves long enough to lend a hand
while the word swept through the lob?
bies that "T. R. and Taft are together
again."
Mr. Taft, who had come from St.
Louis to attend a meeting of the War
Labor Board here tc-morrow, had dined j
on the train and so had to decline the
Colonel's invitation to join him,' but
the pair were rather too busy to eat
anyway for the half hour they were
together.
Both Colonel Roosevelt and Mr. Taft
declined to discuss the subjects of
their conversation. ?'Just say we j
talked patriotism and the good of the
country," said Mr. Taft, parrying the
question, "Did you talk politics?"
"It is the first time I have seen the
Colonel since he was sick," added Mr.
Taft, "and I was glad to see him. He
looks very well."
Colonel Roosevelt said Mr. Taft's
statement covered the meeting.
Colonel Roosevelt and Mr. Taft met
at the.Union League Club, New York,
during the last campaign, and, accord?
ing to some accounts, the meeting was
extremely formal. Since the Colonel's
illness they have come together much
in the old way, a telegram of sympathy
from Mr. Taft when the Colonel was
in the hospital paving the way for s
res] reconciliation.
struggling, is recommended for com
men dation.
Gunner's Mate F. M. Upton, of Den- j
ver, and Ship's Cook J. W. Covington, !
of Durant, Okla., are recommended for j
Congressional medals of honor and
gold life saving medals. They leaped |
into the sea and rescued a man who, !
exhausted, was in the midst of explod
ing powder boxes.
Six officers who commanded life and
motor boats which entered the wreck- \
age to rescue men who were being j
badly burned about the head and arms,
two surgeons and a chaplain and forty- j
eight seamen who were with them are j
mentioned for commendation.
Admiral Wilson's Report
Admiral Wilson in describing the |
situation said:
"The sea about the wreckage was ,
covered by a mass of boxes of smoke- |
less powder, which were repeatejdly ex- j
ploding, and among this wreckage
were a number of survivors. .The
wreckage was so thick that small boats J
were unable to reach these men. The ?
heat from the burning vessel in the j
vicinity was so intense that the eon- I
verted yachts present, with wooden up- j
per works, could no,t safely penetrate '
(the wreckage.
"Under these conditions Lieutenant j
Haistip took his vessel at high npeed
ipto the midst of the wreckage at a ?
considerable risk of detonating the
depth charges carried on his vessel j
and made lanes through which the j
small boats lowered by his and other I
vessels could reach the survivors.
"The dash, initiative and courage j
shown by Lieutenant Haislip on this j
occasion are in order with the best
traditions of our service, and it is ]
recommended that he be commended
by the Navy Department." j
The French Vice-Admiral command- I
ing the district, in commending Lieu- !
tenant Haislip, said he pave "proof of ?
Continued on Page 3, Column 1
Americans Rout German
Patrols; Raid Foe's Lines;
U. S. Wins Control in Air
Greatest Air Fleet in History,
190 Planes, Bombards Teutons
By Wilbur Forrest
{Special Cable to The Tribune)
WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES IN
PICARDY, May 26?Proof of the
Allies' superiority in the air and the
growing magnitude of the sky activity
is being demonstrated and carried out
on this front. While the enemy
'planes seemed to be venting their rage
by night raids on a hospital on the
British front, a fleet of 190 Allied
machines, a few with American flags
painted on their taiis, gathered over
Montdidier at a specified hour. . In
broad daylight they started for the
enemy's rear on a bombing expedition,
defying the German airmen to come
up and attack.
Forty heavily loaded, though fast,
bombing 'planes, each carrying half a
ton of projectiles, were thus able to
fly over the enemy's organizations,
pick out clear military objectives in
daylight and drop bombs on them.
Form Battle Array
They were accompanied by 150 fight?
ing planes. When all had gathered in
the sky at the appointed time, they
fell into their places and, in perfect
formation, and all working in complete
, unison, this enormous fleet, probably
? the greatest in the history of aviation,
! calmly flew at will over the objectives
; previously planned by the high com- ;
| mand. j
They gathered in the sky like i
I bees gathering at a hive. The vibr?t- j
! ing of their motors could be heard !
j farther than the eye could see. They
i defied the enemy to attack, but the
! enemy declined to accept the challenge.
Glimpse Into Future
I Some day the enemy will probably :
i be forced to accept a challenge in sim- [
I ilar circumstances and the world will .
hear of a battle without parallel in ?
\ warfare.
The preliminaries now going on are
| simply a glimpse into the future of
' air fighting. Experts predict that be
: fore this year ends the fighting in the
I air will have become the most spec
! tacular known.
;
Two weeks ago The Tribune cor- j
| respondent saw an air fight in which j
! fifty machines were engaged. At any |
| time now a fight in which 400 machines ;
| will be engaged is an actual prob
l ability.
Destruction of
U-Boats in May
Sets New Record
French Marine Minister
Says Allies Gradually Are ?
Overcoming Menace
PARIS, May 26.?As proof" that the
Allies rapidly are overcoming the sub?
marine menace Georges Leygues, Min?
ister of Marine, informed the Army
and Navy War Committees of the
Senate yesterday that Great Britain
and the United States alone had con?
structed in April 40,000 tons more
shipping than was sunk by the enemy.
The minister pointed out the tre?
mendous strides recently made by the
Allies in repairing ships damaged by
torpedoes or mines, and declared that
coordination between the allied nations
had become so smooth during the last
four months that the.tonnage restored
to the sea exceeded 500,000 tons
weekly. Great Britain, he said, had re?
paired 598,000 tons in one week re?
cently, while France had. effected re?
pairs upon 260,000 tons ih one month.
The increased building and more effi?
cient and speedier repair work was
constantly bringing better results in
the transport of troops and supplies.
As to the increasing destruction of
submarines, which was constant, said
'the Minister, the figures for April
wer? excellent, showing an increase
over the preceding months, but were"
far surpassed by the results known to
have been attained thus far in May.
Allies Have U-Boats
Completely Under
Control, Says Raney
(Special Dispatch to The Tribune)
BALTIMORE, May 26.?The Allies ab?
solutely have the U-boat under control,
according to Dr. M. L. Raney, librarian
of Johns Hopkins University, who
has just returned from Paris, where
he was the sole representative of the
American Library Association Overseas
War Service. Dr! Raney said:
"The U-boat situation, according to
Admiral Sims, absolutely is under con?
trol. The construction of tonnage is
meeting the destruction. Captain T. L.
Wilson, commanding officer of the flag?
ship upon which I visited vessels of the
American navy in French waters, said
that by the end of August we should
have the U-boats completely dammed.
"One of the most important arms of
the American service in France is the
hydro-airplane. Within two months the
number of hydro-airplanes has been
doubled. The submarine practically
has refused to function on the French
coast. The U-boat commanders have a
wholesome fear of the American gun?
ners, whom they know to be deadly
shots.
"The American navy has done and
?3 doing magnificent service in French
waters and in every other section to
which it has been assigned. Too much
cannot be said in its praise, and if
the facts were known the American
people would be astounded at the ex?
tent of their naval operations."
Hindenburg Reported
A Victim of Typhoid
GENEVA, May 26.?Field Marshal
von Hindenburg, chief of the Ger?
man general staff, is in a hospital
at Strassburg suffering from ty?
phoid fever, according to reports
from that city. These advices state
that the report of von Hinden?
burg'.* death is incorrect, but that
his condition is critical.
Typhoid fever is said to be
spreading rapidly in the German
army.
Of late there have been various
reports of the death of Fiejd
Marshal von Hindenburg. Some of
these reports were given on the
authority of German prisoners on
the Western front.
?Ameritan Found
Germans' Spirits
Buoyed by Fraud i
Singer Was Forced to!
Leave After Wilson's
Note
AN ATLANTIC PORT, May 26.?The j
story of a starving, disgruntled Ger- j
many striving to keep up the spirit of;
its people by fraud and deception was !
brought to this country to-day by Miss
Bonaventura Spink, a dramatic soprano
of Indianapolis, who fled from Ham?
burg on March 25, when the people
turned upon her because she was an
American.
Miss Spink had been in Germany
four years and four months, singing in
Liepsic, Dresden, Berlin, Hamburg and
other cities. Because of her art she
managed to get along without trouble,
but when President Wilson issued his |
last note she was ostracized, denied ad- |
mission to the opera houses and hotels, j
and was forced to seek the intercession *
of the Spanish Ambassador to get into |
Denmark.
She said that Germany was tottering, ?
in a military sense, just before Ker- ?
ensky was deposed, and that the so- ;
called truce effected by Trotzky and j
L?nine at Brest-Litovsk gave the army j
a new lease of life by releasing troops
from the East. Some of the German ?
officers, she said, admitted that the ?
British were unbeatable in Flanders,
where the German arms had counted on
a decisive victory.
"The feeling for Americans," she
said, "was not generally friendly, but
within the last five months it has be?
come exceedingly bitter, so bitter that
it is impossible for any self-respecting
American to live there. The few Amer?
icans left are seeking to get away.
"In all the big cities the military
element is seeking to bluff the peoplo
by lavish entertainment and merriment
': theatres, opera houses and restau?
rants into the belief that all is going
woll with the war. One can get plenty
of food in the restaurants by paying
high for it and Somehow the people
accept this deception with the knowl?
edge that there is scarcely any food
for their own tables at home.
"Grand opera is in full swing. Wag?
ner, of course, predominates in Berlin;
nevertheless they keep Verdi, Massenet
and Gounod en the boards, which helps
add to the whole scheme of deception.
They aro even bold enough to stage
new productions.
"When the spring drive started
word was sent back that the German
troops were again close to Paris and
that the whole offensive had been one
round of Teutonic victories.
"Word leaked into Germany that
American troops were appearing in
large numbers on the Western front,
but this was denied by the. military
leaders and the military newspapers,
which declared that there were no
American troops on French soil. The
people have been forced to read edi?
torials continually stating that it
would be at least five years before
? American troops could be trained and
j transported to France and that before
'? half that time had elapsed the war
! would be ende ! by a glorious German
! victory.
"British discipline was ridiculed and
reports of British insubordination and
mutiny in the British army and navy
were constantly kept before the Ger?
man public.
"Throughout the land children are
being starved that soldiers may be
fed. The little ones are being kept
from school because they have not the
I physical strength to attend. The rail
| roads have been in poor condition for
some time and are gradually getting
worse.
"In Berlin butter is $3.50 a pound;
sugar and flour cannot be bought; tea
is $10 a pound, and such other foods
as are obtainable are proportionately
high." ?
Allied Aeros Wreck
Liege Railway Station
AMSTERDAM. May 26?The "Rot?
terdam Maasbode" reports that an Al
lied air raid has been carried <**?nt over
Li?ge. The Longdo : railway station
was destroyed and twenty-six persons
were killed.
Allied Airmen Break
Up Foe's Attempts
to Mass for
New Blow
French Repulse
Thrust in Picardy
British Line Unshaken
by Gas Attack on
Front Before
Amiens
LONDON, May 26.?Although the
lull in the fighting on the West
front continued to-day, there is
every indication that the Allied
armies are not waiting passively for
the coming German blow. By break?
ing up every enemy attempt to con?
centrate his troops and by effective?
ly combatting him from the air
Foch's army is slowly gaining the
upper hand.
Ludendorff showed no inclination
to renew the offensive to-day. The
violence of the German batteries
along the valley of the Lys and
south of the Somme increased no?
ticeably, but the infantry remained
idle. The enemy attempted a heavy
thrust against the French line near
Orvillers-Sorel, but was driven back
with losses.
Gas Attacks at Amiens
In two sectors the enemy launched
gas attacks against the British
lines, Field Marshal Haig reported
to-night, drenching Villers-Breton
neux,~in the Amiens sector, Satur?
day night, and the regior* west of
Hinges, in the southern part o? the
Lys area, this morning.
In a, sharp fight in the Lun?ville
sector last night an American patrol
routed a German detachment, inflict?
ing casualties on the enemy. The
Americans had no losses. In the
Toul and Picardy sectors also the
American troops have fought with
unusual brilliance recently, both in
the air and in raiding operations.
Americans in Silent Raid
A silent raid by the Americans in
the Picardy sector was reported by
General Pershing last night. Six
Germans were killed and one capt?
ured. A semi-official statement from
Berlin to-day said that American
losses in the Picardy sector recently
had been severe, and the statement
issued by the Berlin War Office to
night stated that American prison
ers had been taken west of Mont
didier.
Observers report that, with th?
superiority in the air regained an?i
with increasing power through th<
unified control of the armies, the Al?
lies are becoming better prepare
every day to meet the German blow
when it falls. Everywhere there ii
a spirit of growing optimism.
U. S. and German
Patrols Clash; Foe
Is Driven Back
I WASHINGTON, May 26.?Gen
| eral Pershing's communique fo
| Sunday, issued to-night by the Wa
Department, tells how an Americai
patrol of an officer and twenty mei
in the Lorraine sector last nigh
drove back and inflicted losses upoi
an enemy patrol armed with ligh
! machine guns and assisted by ma
chine gun fire from the enemy's line;
Following is to-day's statement
! "In th? course of patrol encouri
ters our troops drove back the em
[ my and inflicted a number of ca?
i ualties. Last night in the Lorrain
ene of our patrols, consisting of a
officer and twenty men, gained cor
tact with an enemy patrol of abou
equal strength, which was supplie
I with light machine guns and assiste
| by machine gun fire from its ow
lines. In the fighting which ensue
our patrol drove back the enenr
killing several of them."
The communiqu? for Saturda;
delayed in transmission, says:
"Yesterday in Picardy our troop
executed a successful silent raid an
inflicted on the enemy a number c
losses in killed and prisoners. The
is nothing else of importance to r<
port."
(By Th? AssoeiaUi Press)
WITH THE AMERICAN ARM
IN FRANCE, Saturday, May 25.
American forces in tlie Montdidi?
region carried out a silent raid upe