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WEATHER. VWr and cooler tonight: tomorrow fair: moderate westerly winds. Temperatures for twenty-four hours ending at noon today: Highest, 69, at S p.m. yesterday; lowest, 63, at 8 p.m. yesterday. Full report on page 12. Member of the Associated Press Tbo Aaaoctat?d Prr*. la oirloalTotr ntlUM to tba bh for wmMHUmi of all wti dUpatrhw rrodltod lo It or sot otborwtao mdtled la tbla paper aod alio tba kx-al ?'*? publUbod bonis. All rtfkta of puMlootloa of aprrlal dUpatcboa berela aro aloo morrod. Yesterday's Net Gradation, 96,068 No* 27,087. WASHINGTON, D. 0., SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1918?EIGHTEEN PAGES. TWO CENTS. FOE DEFINITELY DEFEATED, SAYS PREMIER OF ITALY Italian Counter Attacks and Rising of River Wreck Austrian Hopes. ENEMY DRIVEN BACK ON MONTELLO PLATEAU Dial's Men Hake Gains on Lower Piave?Invaders Concentrate in Mountain Regions. Premier Orlando of Italy has announced that the Austrians have been definitely defeated and that the Italians are victorious. Fighting on the Piave line ap parently is decreasing as the Austrian offensive enters upon its second week. In the moun tains there has been little activ ity for several days, but the Austrians are reported to be concentrating large bodies of men there, presumably for an other attegipt to push southward to the Venetian plain. Wreck Austrian Hopes. Italian resistance and counter attacks from Montello to the mouth of the Piave, aided by the sudden rising of the river, have played havoc with Austrian hopes of capturing Montello and domi nating the plain. Slowly the enemy on the Important plateau Is being driven back by the Italians and his efforts at other points have either been driven back or repulsed. The fighting on Mon teUo continues Intense. At the mouth of the Piave the Haitians have made gains and It is apparent the Aastrlans have been unable to capture the angle between the old Piave and the Possstta canal, which they reached north of Capo Sile. West of San Dona IX Piave. where the canal leaves the river, the Italians have driven back the Austrians. Vienna claims the repulse, at all attacks. yrsmtsf ytwlllMit Victory. ROME, June 28.?The battle sltua- | tlea. is unchanged and Infantry en gagements were not resumed during Friday, says the statement Issued last night to the Italian parliament by Premier Orlando. It Is now permis sible to say that the battle has been won. the premier told the deputies Friday morning, according to the Tribune. The Austrians, the premier added, are now gathering all available men In certain sections of the mountain front. Only a small part of their re serves have been drawn on by the Italians... ? I Aeros Carry Austrian Food. ROME, June 21.?Austrian airplanes } were compelled to carry provisions to i the Austrian troops that succeeded In 1 crossing the Piave river, and were in danger of starving owing to the flood which carried away their pontoon bridge between Zenson and Musile, ac cording to a dispatch received here by the Oiornale D'ltalla. In spite of the difficulties that he Is' encountering. Gen. Wurm. the enemy commander, Is attempting to press on, but all his efforts are vain In the face of the resistance presented by the Italian soldiers. Anstrian Plan Plainer. Tfco Austrian plan becomes plainer and plainer." says a semi-official note Issued today. "The plain Is to obtain, no matter at what price, command of the Montello, whence they can hurl forward the division accumulated on the left bank of the Piave. "along the Montellbuno-Suaegana railroad the battle raged all of yee terday afternoon and night. A short section of the track which the Aus trians captured was covered with the bodies of their dead. "Attacks follow one another me thodically, but elowly on acoount of the difficult terrain and the contln uaUy changing lines, which prevent both sides from using their artillery to the full effect. The line weather is favorable to aviation operation, and the Italian airplanes continue to de stroy bridges and to direct their ma chine guns at a low altitude on the enemy troope. ?A lull that probably Is only mo mentary continues In the mountain zone. "At present more than forty enemy divisions are engaged in the battle line, and of these thirty already have suffered heavily." Counter Offensive Superior. A semi-official note Issued tonight, t concerning the Austrian offensive, says "The Italian counter offeneive is ab sotutely superior to the enemy offensive Tsstsrday In the Montello region and on the Trevlso-San Dona dl Piave road and toward the Zeneon bend the Italians re duced by a good half the ground won by the enemy in his graita attack on the preceding day. "Statement* of prisoners and the number of dead oounted on the field show that the Austrians loet heavily in the day's fighting. Five Heavy Attacks Fail. "The Austro-Hungarians launched heavy attacks on the Italian linee at Lesson, to the west of San Dona di Maw* Exhausted by their exception ally hsavy looses, the attackers were forced to retire in the face of the Italian resistance." Tbe statement Issued by the Italian war offics says: "On the Montello yesterday the pree mm? of the enemy continued strongly, but everywhere he was held by our troops, who. counter attacking, regained gieaud. Advances attempted by the snsmr toward the west and south ani mated the straggle, particularly east of the Cess Ohsller-Bavaria line and In tbe vicinity of the Nervesa station -The Plea brigade and the 2?th and Mtfc regiments, advancing with admira '?i, captured 400 prisoners and a -_?f seachlne gune. They wrested from the enemy two of our bat talias of medium caliber, which were put Into action against the Toe Xepulsed at Candela. Piave the struggli in some sectors. the Piave the struggle was con wit ol tl T in mm w From 100 to 150 Hagenbeck Wallace Show People Reported Killed. FOUR CARS DEMOLISHED; WOUNDED DIE BY FIRE Empty Steel Pullmans Crash Into Filled Sleepers?Accident Near Michigan City, Ind. CHICAGO, June 22.?The personnel of the Hagenbeck-Wallace shows is be lieved to have been practically wiped out in a disastrous railroad collision between Michigan City and Hammond, Ind., today. According to meager details received at Michigan Central offices, a hundred or more persons were killed or injured or burned to death. Four coaches in whicli members of the circus were J sleeping were demolished by a rear end collision. The accident occurred at about 4:30 a.m. It was impossible to obtain wa ter. The wreck caught fire and the flames burned unchecked. Perish in Flames. Daylight was Just beginning; to show when the crash came. Those thrown free from the wreck stood in their night clothes, helpless, while their comrades perished in the names. Surgeons and nurses were dispatched from Chicago, Gary, Hammond, Whit ing and other nearby towns. Among those reported missing are the Rooney family of bareback rid ers. the Meyer family of animal trainers, the Cottrell family, eques triennes; Harry La Pearl, Ed Devore, Mark Adams and Joe Coyle>, clowns. Heavy loss in dead and Injured Is said ha,v? occurred among the ballet of 100 girls. Halted by Hot Box. The show was traveling in two sec tions of a Michigan Central train go V1/ from Michigan Clfy to Hammond. At bast Ivanhoe a hotbox caused the second ? section to stop. A train of empty Pullmans, coming to Chicago, crashed Into It, the locomotive plow ing its way through the rear car and four sleealng- coaches. The A hirer! r*eJe?taken to ho,P'tals at Hammond and Gary. , A telephone message from Gary said the heavy steel Pullmans crashed iiirr?U,5 ~, t H*h,er circus 'coaches complete1 paptr' Tho wreck was Here and there in the wreckage legs fled atrdn8ti?r0trlJ?e1' and groans testi nea to the suffering of those milt ? T~'nraa?ter Whipple ^ "the Michigan Central was on the train PWfJ.n?'!0?*d am<>nR the missing. S , ^ured Persons from the ?, Ji circus train were taken ta "Hospital In Hammond, and it was said that fifty others had Rafiarrt the ho!,pi,al at Gary. Ed Ballard, owner of the circus estimated the dead at fifty and the l",,V?hdI "J. seventy-flve. A number of perished iSo"" beUeVed t0 hav? Missing Engineer flamed. L. W. Landman, general oassenr?r agent of the Michigan Central, said that exP,Unatlon of the week was Si! ??!?*^eer th? train of empty thrntl? been dead at the "to "J? other way can I account for the fact that he ignored all of the usual danger sigiml. placed by th. clrrai train, said Mr. Lindham, "H? rnn past two block signals, two red light be^n'fife ^IsTrTd th?"ngPW d!i,K.rWl UKht Vlslbl# 'or * long 'TThis engineer Is missis* Mv 1? with the excepWon of the engineer, whose fate la a mysterv hurt"* ?" ' tral" 0t p"n"""? was Un>* before an accurate list of the dead can be compiled. It Is ro^Trb"A,e7ee?-k ,n th# hUtoIy of th" The large number in the casualty list is said to be due to the practice of show wih" Th e?p'nK two Persons to a J?"1?- The coaches wer? Pullmans of an obsolete type converted Into gaudily painted show cars. y \ Dead May Number 150. "-?Estimates of the dead in the Michigan Central wreck near Ivanhoe station vary from 100 to 150. hTe Wreck caught ?e ?? ["""J bod'es and killing the injured pinned under the debris. Twenty-six persons were brought to ggMagg^.jy .y.a?t'ag U wa* ?a'^ that forty bodies had been received at morgues ll'/v a 1 others were on their 'IHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHH PICTURES ,? A Btrwrmrrz rtrtL rOE OOIT, Pictnroo of VultllttoB'i wotor front* when 2,000 cortU ofVoLd >n saw otorod. wtQi WABHW0T0W BOTS graduated nOM WAVAL ACADnErZX page of pictuei. ?u POLISH-AMERICAN LEGI0HAKIFA 0* THE KAXCH IN rKAXCE A NIGHT IAD "OVu THE TOP," WABBZVOTOV WAI OAKSEM? TwOjJidl P**?? of u> to rutin* phot*. AT ca? Htrionnurrs, va?a pego.of pletttroo of rarloa. aotiYltUo AKMICAjr STEAMSHIP VICTIM or A OERMAlf ST7BMASIKE. pictvbes or Washington no rue. nr the PLAN0GRAVURE SUPPLEMENT or, THE SUNDAY STAR I'lHtimr^Tm ?. Reports Reaching Amsterdam Unconfirmed?Vienna Strike Movement Develops. "DOWN WJTH GERMANY" NOW IS POPULAR CRY Premier von Seydler 011 Way to Headquarters to Submit Resig nation of Cabinet. Bj the Associated Press. LONDON, June 22.?Reports are current on the Amsterdam Exchange today that an at tempt has been made on the life of Emperor Charles of Austria, says a Central News dispatch from Amsterdam. The reports are unconfirmed. According to the Vienna Neue Freie Presse, during seri ous street riots in Vienna the police and military were called out and took strict measures. Admits Great Strike. According: to the Arbeiter Zeitung of Vienna, a great strike movement has developed in the Austrian capital, though its full extent is not known. The Vienna workers' council, the newspaper says, has issued a mani festo saying It hopes the government will understand In view of the strike movement how necessary it is to in crease the food rations. Guarded by Cavalry. The Times correspondent at The Hague is Informed through a Dutch source that the remnants of some severely tried Austrian regiments ar rived in Vienna on the 16th, many of the men being slightly 'wounded. These were employed on the 18th to patrol the city, but their bearing was such that they were withdrawn the following day. All public buildings in Vienna now are guarded by cavalry, the police heretofore having been able to disperse such gatherings as oc curred. The Times correspondent cites infor maUon apparently from Vienna that the collection of the harvest in Austria, Ger many and Hungary will in the future be strifctly a state affair, owing to the fact that Austria now enters the new harvest year without any supplies whatever and therefore the best possible method of securing grain must be adopted. 'Down With Germany" Is Cry. LONDON. June 21.?New bread riots started Thursday night in the Favoriten and. Brigittenay districts of Vienna and there are now more than 150,000 muni tion workers on strike in the Austrian capital, says an Exchange Telegraph dis patch from Zurich. An attempt to attack the German em bassy in Vienna, according to Vienna correspondents of Munich newspapers, was dispersed by the police. There were many arrests and some persons were in jured. There were many cries of: "Germany is starving us. Down with Germany !" A statement issued by the Vienna po lice declares that demonstrators held up tramways, broke windows and looted food shops and bakers' carts. At the municipal council meeting Herr Neum nann, representing the socialists, de nounced the Brest-Litovsk peace as a fraud and declared the situation was un tenable. Cabinet to Be sign. Baron von Seydler, the Austrian premier, left Vienna at midday today for Austrian headquarters to submit the resignation of his cabinet to Em peror Charles, says a dispatch to the Exchange Telegraph from Zurich. Police Fire on Workers. BASEL, Switzerland. June 22.?Dr. Alexander Wekerle. the premier, sparking before the Hungarian cham ber of deputies yesterday, made a statement concerning the Industrial strikes, and referred to the serious trouble in factories and gn railways and the extension of the strikes to several plants. The premier told how the workmen In a locomotive works stoned the police and in return were Jired upon, four of their number being killed and nineteen wounded. The proceedings in the chamber ended in a sharp exchange between Premier Wekerle and Count Karolyl, leader of the independent party. Anti-German Feeling: Grows. GENEVA. June 21.?A commercial traveler who has arrived here direct from Vienna today Informed the As sociated Press that there are 100, 000 men on strike in the Austrian cap ital and that there are srnallen. strikes in progress at Laibach. Agram and Gratz, all mention of which has been stopped by the censor. The traveler said that anti-German feeling was growing, especially in Hungary, where it was assuming a revolutionary aspect. The feeling was not aimed directly at the Hapsburg dynasty, he added, but at the regime it represented. The traveler said he was convinced that events might be expected which would change the fate of the war In favor of the entente allies. Half Rations of Bread. PARIS. June 21.?A dispatch to the Temps from Geneva says the Austrian government Ha; decided to put Vi enna and other large cities on half the bread ration in order to amelo rate the conditions in Galicla and Bo hemia. These conditions are so bad. the Temps quotes the Vienna Neue Freie Presse as saying, that railroad and other strikes can only be avert ed by such a measure. The Vienna newspaper adds that the cities, though badly off, are still In better condition than the country, where there Is virtually no bread. Unable to Supply Potatoes. AMSTERDAM, June 21.?The Frank furter Zeltung's correspondent at Munich telegraphs that Bavaria is unable to supply Austria with pota toes. Frost has retarded the new crop and the old stocks must be used sparingly. Senator Horris to Bon Again. LINCOLN, Neb., June 22.?United States 8enator George W. Norrls, re publican. flled a petition with the sec retary of state as a candidate for re oomlnation at the Nebraska primary > election la August, : l_ RUBBER STAMP COMMUNIQUE. Vacant Land on East Capitol Street Practically Chosen for Big Project. $3,000,000 MAY BE SPENT The Department of Labor, it Is un derstood, has practically decided on the purchase of vacant land lying be tween 17th and 19th, E and East Capitol streets southeast, as a site for the erection of housing accom modations for n^vy yard employes. Those in touch' with the housing situation here feel that the nee<t for relief for the nary yard workmen is even more acute at present than the problem of the clerks in the execu tive departments. It is likely that the Department of Labor will lose no time in getting started on the n^vy yard projects. The navy yard Is now employing more than 9,000 men, and expects to reach a qiaxlmum force of 13,000. The hundreds who have already been brought to the yard from other cities have taken up all available housing in the southeast. Small, Permanent Homes. It is understood that the bulk of the navy yard projects will consist of small permanent homes, which can be rented to the workmen during the war. After the war mechanics who expect to remain will be given an op portunity to buy the houses. The housing bureau also has con sidered some temporary structures near the navy yard for mechanics without families, but what decision has been reached on this question is not known. It is not likely that more than $3,000,000 will be spent on navy yard housing. The East Capitol street site has an advantage over other vacant tracts in the southeast, being only one mile from the navy yard. The site also is graded, has streets laid off through It, curbing set and underground Im provements installed. It Is within a stone's throw of the site of the pro posed new Eastern High School. The East Capitol street car line stops at 16th street, two blocks away. No Private Enterprise. It Is expected that both the navy vard housing and the dormitories for clerks will be erected by the govern ment and not by private concerns on loans from the government. The Labor Department had consid ered a plan under which the govern ment would advance 80 per cent of the cost of building projects to private concerns willing to under take them. Indications are that this plan will not be followed. The government, however. Is con sidering making loans to the T. M. C. A. and the T. W. C. A. to enlarge their dormitory facilities in Wash ington. For several months after the outbreak of the war. when war workers were flocking to Washing ton and the government Jiad not yet taken up the problem of housing these employes, these two organiza tions placed hundreds of newcomers in private homes. Even after the room registration office of the Dis trict Council of Defense was estab lished the T. M. C. A. and the T. W. C. A. continued to And quarters for war workers. The Y. M. C. A. contemplates erect ing accommodations for 950 men at 1724 to 1732 G street. USED FLAG AS APRON; $50 FINE IS PENALTY i Using an old American flag for an apron cost Gaston O. Williams, 615 New Jersey avenue, $50 in Police Court this morning. Williams explained to the court that he was doing some painting and was using the flag for an apron because he could not find any old rags. He had Just bought and unfurled a new flag from his window. Judge Mullowny was convinced that' he used the flag In Ignorance of the law and fined him $50 and two months' imprisonment in default of payment of the fine. Head* Food Zone Committee. PHILADELPHIA, Pa., June 22.? Howard Hieing of Pittsburgh, federal food administrator for Pennsylvania, has been elected chairman of the United States Food Administration committee for Zone No. 9, embracing Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia. District of Columbia, Mary land met Delaware, AMERICAN CASUALTIES GREATEST IN ONE DAY Fifty-Three Killed in Action of 153 Named in list Sent by Pershing. The steadily increasing participa tion of American troops in the fight ing in France was sharply marked in today's casualty list. Of the 153 men named, 53, including three officers, were killed in action, the heaviest death roll from the battlefield yet made public. Probably no particular action Is re sponsible for the number of killed. It is an accumulation from the five or | six sections of the front where | Americans are fyhting, and from j patrol actions, ar well as from larger operations, like the attack yesterday near Chateau TlUBiiy. to rectify the lines. Great care is exercised in for ' warding the lists not to reveal the losses in any particular engagement. The British take" similar precau tions, yet their casualty lists last week passed the 30,000 mark. During the week, so far as known, the Brit ish were involved in no major opera tions except on the Italian front. A comparison of the American and British lines, however, in some measure forms a gauge of the limited extent to which the United States has a yet been able to bring its power to bear against the German invaders. HIGHER RATES REFUSED TELEPHONE COMPANY Temporary Belief Not Granted While Issue of Automatic Sys tem Is Being Investigated. Temporary relief to the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company in the form of higher rates, pending a thorough inquiry into the telephone situation, will not be granted by the public utilities commission. With the commission preparing to go Into the question of the practica bility of the installation of automatic telephones in the District, the tele phone company, it is understood, has applied for temporary relief, to be ef fective until the utilities board thor oughly has probed the matter and de cided what permanent relief, if any, | should be granted. This the commission has refused to do. The policy of the board is to con tinue with its Inquiry as rapidly as possible, but take no action until the record is complete. The commission has announced a hearing for Tuesday, when it is to confer with experts of the United States bureau of standards as to the advisability of Installing automatics. There is some doubty however, as to whether the hearing will be held, as the government department repre sentatives have indicated they may not be ready to go on the stand at that time. Commissioner Brownlow, chairman of the commission, was in conference today with P. A. Wolff, E. B. Rosa, B. L. McComer and P. D. Agnew of the bureau of standards, in regard to plans for the hearing Tuesday. He said it would not be known before Monday whether the session could be held. DENTISTS GIVE AID IN WAB. North Carolina Society Helps Hos pital Unit and Buys W. S. S. WILMINGTON. N. C., June 22.?The North Carolina Dental Society ad journed Its sixty-fourth convention at WrlffhtsvllI? Beach today. The following' officers were elecet ed: President, J. N. Johnson. Golds b'oro; first vice president, B. T. Gal lagher, Washington; second vice president, A. S. Cromartie, Fayetts vllle: secretary, W. T. Benson (re elected); treasurer, P. M. Morrow, Burlington, and essayist, D. E. Mc Connell, Gastonia. Ashcville was se lected as next year's convention city. The society voted to contribute *500 to buy additional equipment for base hospital unit No. 65, and J200 Was set aside for the purchase of war savings stamps. WAR IIDE TURNS IN AIM FAVOR Every Reason for Confidence, Says British Critic in Dis cussing Situation. SEA POWER A FACTOR I By the Associated Press. LONDON, June 22.?The necessity of keeping: an eye upon the Impor tance of sea power in the present conflict, despite- the close attention claimed by the land battles, is empha sized by Archibald Hurd, the naval expert, writing in the Daily Tele graph. "We have been during- the- re cent offensives on the western front,'* Mr. Hurd wrkes, "to Overlook other aspects of the war?notably the funda mental factor which is sea power. After a period of fifteen months, during which our strength in ships has steadily declined, the downward tendency has now been definitely ar rested. Not only is our sea power Increasing, but our grip on the en emy is firmer than at any previous period of the war. "Seven million tons of shipping en ter or leave our ports monthly. Each ship is the target of enemy subma rines, yet there have been days in the present week when the enemy has not secured a single ship. Great Volume of Supplies. "Twelve months ago we were with difficulty maintaining one stream of traffic, namely, that which brought us food and raw material. Today sup piles are flowing through this main artery In greater volume than a year ago. At the same time another stream of traffic has started and merchant shipping has been made available for the greatest transport movement which has ever been carried out. "For three months past American troops have been coming across the Atlantlo by tens of thousands, far faster than at one time was thought possible. That means that the balance between the allies and the central powers is being adjusted in favor of the former. B?asons for Confidence. ? "Viewing the war in its various as pects?naval, military and economic? we have every reason for confidence. The tide is distinctly turning, and turning, let us hope, for the last time. The submarine menace is being held. The allied armies are increasing in relative strength. The food position of this country, of France and of Italy is Improving, and shipbuilding,both in British and American yards, is pro ceeding at a greatly acoelerated pace. There Is assurance that by the end of December at least 4,000,000 tons will have been put into the water here and in the United States, and that figure may be considerably exceeded. Balance of Shipping. 'On the other hand, the enemy's sinkings of British and allied tonnage have been so considerably reduced, owing to the activities of the allied navies and the courage and resources of their merchant seamen, that it is practically certain there will be a balance of shipping on the right side. In a word, the relative naval, mil itary and economic strength of the allies is steadily Increasing at a mo ment when the enemy is feeling the cumulative effects of the blockade maintained over a period of nearly four years with increasing stringency, and of the war on land, tfhioh not only has resulted in heavy casualties but has drained the central powers of industrial workers. SPECIAL PRAYER BY POPE. For Evils Tormenting Humanity, on Eve of St. Peter's Day. By the Associated Press. ROMS, June 22.?Pope Benedict XV, In offering a special prayer for the evils tormenting humanity, will de scend to the basilica of St. Peter's at 10 o'clock in the evening of June 28, which is the eve of St. Peter's day. For two hours the pontiff will kneel In worship of the holy sacrament. Immediately after midnight the Pope will celebrate the special mass that has been ordered for the Cath olic clergy of the whole world "for the cessation of the evils tormenting humanity." Thus the Pope will be the first to offer divine sacrifice in the day sacred to the Apostles Peter and Paul, imploring their intercession with the view that justice and peace may be reeter.d throughout the *orld. r, ii Morris Wittlin and Henry B. Terrett Arrested and Give Bond. I SAID TO HAVE CONSPIRED WITH MESS SERGEANTS I Charged With Silling More Goods Than Were Delivered?District Attorney Investigating. Two Washington commission mer | chants were arrested shortly before noon today, following: searching: in vestigation begun by the United States district attorney's office into charges that local merchants and mess ser gynts at nearby Army camps have been conspiring to defraud the United | States by submitting bills for more ; goods than were delivered. I The men under arrest are Morris j Wittlin, thirty-nine years old, of 938 942 Louisiana avenue, and Henry B. I Terrett, forty-one, of 950 Louisiana | avenue. Both were charged with vio lating section 35 of the penal code, which concerns itself with filing false vouchers. j They gave bond of $5,000 each and were released to await action of the grand jury. The arrests were made on warrants sworn out by Detectives Helan and Weber. hTe warrants recite that the defendants "caused to be presented for payment and approval" a claim upon the government which, the war rants allege, was false and fraudu lent. Although no further arrests are ex pected today, it was officially stated that the district attorney's office is conducting a sweeping inquiry to de termine if other merchants are in volved in alleged illegal practices with mess sergeants. Billed More Than Delivery. It is alleged by the authorities that the merchants under arrest submitted for payment bills which contained more than the authorities say was ac tually delivered to the camp. Some time ago the district attor ney's office received information that mess sergeants were entering into agreements with merchants to pur posely "short-weight" orders beio ~ delivering them to the camps a^d then "split" the value of the supplies which had keen cut. \ District Attorney Laskey instructed Assistant United States Attorney Ralph Given at Police Court to in vestigate. it was upon the report of his inquiry that today's arrests were made. The civil authorities will/ take no action, it Is understood, against mess sergeants involved in the alleged il legal deals. It is expected the mili tary authorities will handle that end of the cases. Case for Grand Jury. The information gathered against Terrett and Wittlin will be presented to the grand jury by District Attor ney Laskey. In the case of Wittlin the "short weight" is alleged to have been in meat. The alleged fraudulent voucher was presented for payment on June 19 to First Lieut. Frank A. Stein, 56th Engineers, the warrant recites. A food supply other than meat, it is charged, was involved in the case of Terrett. Within an hour after their arrest both Wittlin and Terrett secured their release on bonds of $5,000 each. Provisions of Statute. Section 35 of the penal code, under which the prosecutions were Insti tuted, provides that: "Whoever shall make or cause to be made, or present or cause to be pre sented. for payment or approval, to or by any person or officer In the civil, military or naval service of the United States, any claim upon or against the government of the United States, or any department thereof, knowing such claim to be false, fic titious or fraudulent: or whoever, for the purpose of obtaining or aiding to obtain the payment or approval of such claim, shall make or use. or cause to be made or used, any false bill, re ceipt, voucher, roll, account, claim, certificate, affidavit or deposition, knowing the "same to contain any fraudulent or fictitious statement or entry; or whoever shall enter into any agreement, combination or con spiracy to defraud the government of the United States, or any department or officer thereof, by obtaining or aid ing to obtain the payment or allow ance of any false or fraudulent claim; or whoever having charge, posses sion. custody or control of any money or other public property used, or to be used, in the military or naval service with intent to defraud the United - States or willfully to concoal such money or other property, shall deliver or cause to be delivered, to any per son having authority to receive the same, any amount of such money or other property , less than that for which he received a cer tificate or took a receipt; or whoever j being authorized to make or deliver any certificate, voucher, receipt or other paper certifying the receipt of arms, ammunition, provisions, cloth ing or other property so used or to be used, shall make or deliver the same to any other person without a full knowledge of the truth of the facts stated therein, and with intent to defraud the United States, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or Im prisoned not more than five years or both. "And whoever shall knowingly pur chase or receive in pledge for any ob ligation or Indebtedness from any sol dier. officer, sailor or other person called Into or employed in the mili tary or naval service, any arms equipment, ammunition, clothes, mili tary stores or other public property whether furnished to the soldier, sail or, officer or other person, under a clothing allowance or otherwise, such soldier, sailor, officer or other person . not having the lawful right to pledge or sell the same, shall be fined not more than $500 and imprisoned not more than two years." Chewing Gum Vendor's Trial Halt j RALEIGH. N. C? June 22.?Pending [ the report of a chemist us to the an- | alysts of chewing gum, which, it is alleged, has produced ?iore throats and Illness among children of several ! communities in North Carolina, the trial of B. W. Pulliam, under arrest at Selma for distributing the gum. has been deferred by the United States commissioner at Selma. Fed eral authorities are maf fng efforts to arrest two other men Supposed to be In charge of the wholeitftU distribu tion pt iha sum. ARMY OF 900,000 SENT TO FRANCE, i SAYS GEN. MARCH United States Five Months Ahead of Program for Pro viding Fighting Men. CENTRAL POWERS HELD AT ALL BATTLE FRONTS . Present Lull in Fighting Regarded , by Chief of Staff as Preliminary to Another Hun Drive Xinc hundred thousand men have been shipped across the seas, Gen. March told newspaper correspondent* I at the weekly confercnce today. Thtae include the troops shipped from all American ports of embarkation. The United States is today live months ahead of its program for plac ing an army in France, Gen. March said. i Viewing the whole situation, includ ing the Italian front, the chief of staff said that the central powers again were held on all fronts. Lull Precedes Storm. The present lull on the western front means that Germany Is refitting her combatant divisions and preparing for another drive, it was stated, and al'ied officers look forward to a re newal and repetition on the western front of what has been transpiring In the last few months as far as Ger man activities are concerned. The lack of fighting on the French front for the last week is aiding the allies to augment their man power. Single Command a Success. One of the most striking things about the recent operations on .the western front is considered to be the efficient results obtained by having a single command. Such a command was advocated at an early stage In ; this country's participation in the war by President Wilson, and was carried through under his constant pressure. It is regarded by officers here as one of the most Important military things done since the United States entered the war. Such unified command Is thought to have been a German as set, so far as her troops are con cerned, of prime importance. * ? High Officers Gratified. ! High officers here consider the re i suits -of the past week's fighting a* most gratifying, first, because of the ' success of the Italian defense against the Austrian drives, and. second, be , cause of a lull on the French front. which has aided the allies in swelling i their man power. j Despite their lengthy preparations . and vigorous start, the farthest I point at which the Austrians were ! able to penetrate the Italian line was j four miles along a six-mile front in ! the region of a railway to Venice I Around Montello the advance was three and a third miles on a nine-mile i front. In addition to their valiant fighting the Italians, it now is clear, were helped by flood, which carried away their bridge positions along the > Piave. One of the most striking things on the western front, the chief of sta.T declared. was the supreme im ! portance of a united command. This i was first advocated, he added, by ; President Wilson and carried through under the President's constant pres sure until unity of command was real ized in the appointment of Gen. Foch. Gen. March regarded that as one of the greatest single military achieve ments of the allies,' which was alread> showing its effect in the fighting. 12,000 Marines Included. American troops In France Include substantial quotas from the Regulsr Army, National Guard and National Army soldiers, and about 12,000 ma rines. So far, when the test has come, re gardless of the character of the troops, the American fighters have done well, according to reports (Ion. Pershing has sent from time to time. It was stated today that the first division, which also was the first to land in France, was the unit engaged at Cantigny, where Maj. Gen. Robert L. Bullard was in command. It was stated that the fighting there of the Americans was gratifying, be cause of jthe team work of the in fantry, field artillery and the staff, showing -that the staff training of American officers, which is considered one of the most important factors with a modern army, was of high cal iber. The 1st Division is a thoroughly trained, high-grade unit, and. so far, has always "delivered the goods." Another division which has reached a high point of proficiency, is the Rainbow Division, under command of Maj. Gen. C. P. Menhor. At Chateau Thierry, though the number of troops engaged is small, machine gun units proved their ef fectiveness. The unit engaged at tha* point was part of a brigade command ed by Maj. Gen. James G. Harbord. PANAMA ELECTIONS PUT OFF. Government Given Time to Correct Conditions in Two Cities. PANAMA. June 22.?President Clro Urriola, who succeeded to the presi dency after the death of Dr. Ramon Valdez on June 3, has issued a decree deferring "for six months the elections which were set for July. The reason given for this action is that it will permit the Panama government to correct conditions in the cities of Colon and Panama and put into oper ation regulations requested by th* American military authorities. A protest against the suspension of elections has been made to Washing ton by the opposition political party on the ground that the president's action is unconstitutional. The United States Is asked to uphold the Panama consltution In accordance with the treaty. The work of abolishing the opium traffic, restricting the liquor trade and placing vice under more stringent regulations is now going on. Holds Illinois Draft Men Can't Vote SPRINGFIEL.D. 111., June 22.? Drafted men will not be entitled to vote at the November election under the provisions of the Illinois military absent voters' law, passed by the fiftieth general assembly. Attorney General Brundage holds, in an opin ion handed to Secretary of State Louis X* Emerson, %