D. C. RENT MEASURE MNK Mr. Lever Sees No Present * Prospect of Anti-Profiteer ing Legislation. DEFENDS HOUSE ATTITUDE it he question of rent profiteering in District of Columbia and legisla tion to prevent abuses, was again dis cused on the floor of the House today. Chairman Lever of the House com mittee on agriculture presented a res olution to continue during November the appropriation for the Department of Agriculture to carry out its pro gram under the food stimulation bill. Representative Anderson of Minne sota, the minority member of the committee, objected, on the ground that interest in rent profiteering would be lessened. Chairman Lever in a statement de clared that the houses are in deadlock on account of the so-called Pomerene anti-profiteering rent amendment, and that there is now no possible way in which rent-profiteering legislation may be passed in the House, so that the agri cultural appropriation w~"ild be tied up. Tie pointed out that if the House ad journed until November 12 the work ?f the Department of Agriculture along lines of food stimulation in the bill would be stopped. Says House Has Not Besn Derelict. Chairman Lever emphasized that the House had not been derelict; that this bill had been passed by the House on May 23, but did not pass the Senate until September 6. He said that as * it passed the House it contained no * ttem that was not absolutely ger mane, but that when it came back from the Senate it was loaded down with irrelevant amendments. The Sen ate, he said, insists upon the Pom erene amendment. The Senate refuses to deal through regular channels in this rent profi teering bill. He said the controversy now between the House and Senate is as to whether the Senate has a risrht to dictate the appointment of House conferees, since the Senate conferees object to entering into a conference with Chairman Johnson of the House District committee on account of criticism voiced by him on the floor of the House. Regards Many Riders as Vicious. Chairman Lever said th^t more Ticious legislation is passed in the shape of riders than in any other way, and he resented the attempt through the Pomerene amendment to transfer the jurisdiction of the House District committee. He said he was unwilling to agree to a vote of censure of Mr. Johnson, as would be implied in adopt ing the Pomerene amendment as a rider on the food stimulation bill. He also refused to abdicate the functions of the House in this way. Representative Anderson said that tke conferees had had those amend ments before them for six weeks. He said that what he is seeking is rea sonable legislation against rent prof iteering in the District of Columbia. He was unwilling by any action of Ti,T? to assist in further delaying such legislation. QJDENDORFF 'LAST RAT TO LEAVE SINKING SHIP View of English Writer, Who Calls Eesignation Significant Phase of "Peace Offensive." BY EDWARD PRICE BELL. Cablegram to The Evening Star and Chicago Daily Ne*v?. C opyright, 191S. i . LONDON, October 28.?Frederic Wil liam Wile, writing in today's Daily Mail j on Gen. LudendorfT, says: Ludendorff is the latest rat to dis- ; appear from the sinking ship of kaiser Ism. Time will show whether he left of his own accord or was dismissed, but personally 1 think that he is getting from under. His disappearance is the nteflt significant phase of Germany's peace offensive yet reached. "Incarnation of Victory. Ludendorff was the incarnation of vic tory in the minds both of the army and the nation. Now that he is gone Ger many will say that all hope is gone. He himself educated the country, particularly since last spring's offen sive. when the Germans thought that they were cannonballing their way to"Paris and the channel, to believe i&at t??e impending victory was his and not Hindenburg's achievement. Only fifty-three years old and eight een years Hindenburg's junior. Lu dendorff was credited by the majority of Germans with being the real strategic brain of their campaigns. No man ever before had so meteoric a career in the German army. He be came brigadier just before the out break of the war and led the German plunge into Belgium. Wins Way by Merit. The son of humble farmer parents in Prussian Poland, h^ won his way to the front through sheer merit. Americans have every cause to re member him, for he assumed credit for insisting upon an unrestricted submarine warfare, even at the cost of war with the United States. The Ludendorff family mausoleum was dedicated the other day. Over the portal is inscribed "Fearless and True." It looks as if Ludendorff was neither the one nor the other. . t * NEW YOKE HEALTH IMPBOVES Big Drop in Epidemic Figures Gives Authorities Encouragement. NEW YORK, October 28.?Figures on the influenza and pneumonia epi demic today showed the most decided falling oft since October S, with only " 812 new cases of the former malady and 4S5 reported, as compared with 4.3S7 and 638. respectively, on Sunday. While the Monday records through out the epidemic have been light, ow ing to failure of many physicians to file reports Sunday afternoons, health authorities pointed out that the de crease has been at no time so marked as today. Deaths from influenza, during the last twenty-four hours numbered 350 and from pneumonia 244. which were 68 and 49 less than yesterday in each case. TOR BECBEATION ASSOCIATION Favorable Beport on Bill Made by Senate Judiciary Committee. A bill lncorpating the Kecreation .Association of America, which, before tbo war, was instrumental in stimu lating public recreation in more than 240 cities and since the beginning of war has co-operated with the emalMfon on training camp activi ties was ordered favorably reported to*ar by ikt Bits to jo4MUrx.?u> SEN By OFFICIALS Twenty-Eight Deaths Re ported in 24-Hour Period Ending at Noon. Twenty-eight deaths from influenza in the twenty-four hours ending-at noon today led officials of the health department to believe that the epi demic has begun a steady decline In the District. More encouraging than the low death report was the an nouncement of only 159 new cases, a drop of 243 from the total of 402 made I public at noon on Saturday. "I am still firm of opinion," said Health Officer William C. Fowler this morning, "that the influenza epidemic I is well under control, and due to take a heavy slump both In deaths and new i cases. But I do not mean by that that | danger of contagion has been re | moved, nor would I advise the public to relax for a moment every precau I tion now in force to prevent the spread of the disease/' | Commissioner Louis Brownlow de .clined to comment on a letter sent to him today by Mgr. C. P. Thomas, pas tor of St. Patrick's Church, in which the clergyman questioned the juris diction of the Commissioners in clos ing the churched Health Officer Fowler said he had received letters from ministers and others asking for removal of the ban on places of public gathering, but that he did riot see his way clear to rec ommend such action to the Commis sioners at the present time. "Iiose Sight" of One Fact. "These well meaning citizens lose sight of the fact," said Dr. Fowler, "that I am responsible for the health of the community, and that on their shoulders no such responsibility rests. Should I advise the Commis sioners that as a matter of public safety it would be wise to lift the ban, and following that there should be a reaction and new spread ot the epidemic, I would officially" and per sonally come in for caustic criticism along with the District Commission ers, not only from the citizens gen erally, but officials of the govern ment and the members of Congress as well. I cannot see my way clear just now to ask the Commissioners to open the placcs of public gather ings." 218 Patients in Hospital. There are 21S patients in the Emer gency Influenza Hospital operated by the United States public health serv ice. Deaths at the hospital for the last twenty-four hours were six. This last is largely due to the fact that the patients being brought to the hospital now are those who have been critical ly ill for some time and are sent to the hospital as a last resort. Eighteen patients were admitted during the past twenty-four hours and twelve were dismissed in the same length of time. GEORGE W. MAHER DIES AT HOME IN THIS CITY Served 54 Tears in Treasury De partment, Part of Time as Chief of Special Agents. GEORGE W. MAHER. George W. Maher, an employe of the Treasury Department for more than fifty-four years, during a part of which time he was chief of the special agents of the department, died yesterday at his home, 1435 9th street northwest after an illness of two months. Mr. Maher was seventy-nine years of age. During the past week he had been able to go out of doors each day, but Sat urday morning be sufTered a relapse and became unconscious, remaining in that condition until bis death. Funeral services will be held, at his heme Wednesday morning at 11 o'clock. Interment will be at Mount Olivet cemetery. Durinij his long service Mr. Maher held several important positions with the Treasury Department. As chief of the special agents he was intimately connected with the branch of the cus toms service directing the movements against smuggling, customs frauds, un dervaluation of imports and guarding the United States borders from de predations by Mexican and Canadian refugees. Mr. Maher was an author ity on all matters relating to customs and was frequently called on by Con gressional committees for information on customs matters. He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. John C. Gallen and Mrs. James A. Twoney, and four sons Lieut. George B. Maher of Washington; Ar thur F. Maher of Baltimore; Capt. John L. Maher of the Coast Guard, and Walter J. Maher, now in the Army at San Antonio, Tex. REPLIES TO HAWS PRAISE. LONDON". October 27.?In reply to Field Marshal Haig's commendation of the American 27th and 30th Divisions for their gallant "service In the opera tion of the 4 th British army, MaJ. Gen. George W. Read has sent the following message to Field Marshal Haig: "Every member of the American Id Corps will always remember with great pride your generous com mendation. We are under the greatest obligations to all the British units at tached to us for their splendid co operation. especially that of the royal" artillery, which insured at all times the success of our operations." British Casualties Decrease. LONDON, October 28.?British cas ualties reported for the: week ending today numbered- 32,249, compared to 37.150 for the previous week. They are divided as follows: Killed or died of wounds?Officers. 43C; men, 6.207. Woupded or.miseinff-r-Offic er*. Jjil; men. 25,3<5. Democratic Leader Asserts "Selfish Interests" Are Pour ing Out Money to Win. FILE COMMITTEE REPORTS Charges of enormous expenditures in campaigns for eongressional elec tions are making their appearance^ Homer S. Cummiiigs, acting chairman of the democratic national committee, having set the", ball rolling with the assertion ttiat the "selfish interests" are seeking to get control of the gov ernment by electing a republican Congress and are pouring out their money to bring about this end. At the office of the clerk of the House today returns of receipts and expenditures had been received from several of the campaign oommltteea The report of the republican national committee has not yet come in. The democratic national committee showed receipts amounting to $412, 138 and disbursements of I247.1S6, with ten days of the campaign still to run. The democratic congressional committee's receipts Were $132,900 and Its disbursments were $82,762. The democratic senatorial committee had received $100. $50 from Senator Gary o( Rhode Island and the same amount from Senator Pittman of Idaho, both of. whom are members of the committee. Its expenditures were given as $68. The republican central committee received a total of $159,398 and ex pended $140,895. Tfie republican sen atorial committee received $71,800 and its disbursements were $56,085. The largest contributions to the re publican fund was $15,000 by J. S. Bache of New York. James A. Patten of Chicago gave $5,000, while the re mainder was raised hy contributions ranging from $50 to $2,000. All its ex penditures were for state campaigns, except $4,585 used for office expenses. Champ Clark is named among the five contributors for $100 or more to the democratic congressional commit tee. The money was expended largely for organization work, the largest amount in any one state being $5,500 j in Indiana. Other expenses included | the printing of thousands of copies of speeches by President Wilson, Chair man Ferris and M. H. Glynn. The republican congressional com mittee's fund was raised largely by small contributions, few exceeding $1,000. John D. Rockefeller is listed as giving $1,000, and hiB son as giving $500. The National Association of Repub lican State Chairmen also filed its re port, showing $550 paid by twelve chairmen, with $425 of the amount being spent for office expenses. The socialist national committee reported receipts! of $56,835 and expenditures of $53,509. The prohibitionists re ported receipts of $25,588 and ex penditures of $25,665. The democratic national committee report, made by W. D. Jamieson, act ilng treasurer, reported total contri butions of $220,138, in addition to $42,000 borrowed from the District National Bank, Washington, D. C.. and $150,000 advanced by several democrats. Bernard M. Baruch. chairman of the War Industries. BoMd. gave $25,000, I and Vance ' McCoriMek, A. Mitchell Palmer. W. M. March. E. T. Meredith, Thomas L- Chadbourne. Jr., F. D. Lynch. Homer S. Cummins. Joseph F. Griffey and Mr. Jamieson advanced the $150,000 loan. The larger part of the national com mittee's disbursements were $247,186 for state, congressional and senatorial campaigns. The largest item in this was $25,000 for the Massachusetts state campaign. Other state cam paigns vary from $100 for the Idaho senatorial campaign to $15,000 for that in Nebraska. Ten thousand dollars was sent into both New Mexico and Colorado for senatorial campaigns, a.-id $5,000 for the same purpose into South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and New Hampshire. AUSTRIA READY TO MAKE SEPARATE PEACE (?Continued from First Page.) opportunity of autonomous develop ments.' "Since that sentence was written and uttered to the Congress of the United States the . government of the United States has recognised that a state of belligerency exists between the (^echo-Slovaks and | the German and Austria-Hungarian empires, and that the Csecho-Slovak national council isa a de facto bel ligerent government clothed with proper authority to direct the mili tary and political affairs of the Czecho-Slovaks. It has also recog nized in the fullest manner the justice of the nationalistic aspira tions of the Jugo-Slovaks for free dom. "The President is. therefore, no longer at liberty to accept the mere 'autonomy' of these peoples as a basis of peace, but is obliged to In sist that they, and not he. shall be the judges of what action on the part of the Austro-Hung'arian government will satisfy their aspirations and their conception of their rights and destiny as members of the family of nations." $200,000 SUiT FILED IN TIMBER LAND DEAL Sidney Bieber Aska Damages Prom Five Others, Alleging1 That Contract Was Broken. Sidney Bieber today AM soft In the District Supreme Court to recover $200,000 damages from Samuel Roes, Bates' Warren, William H. Sholes, Mordecai T. Endicott and Johnson T. Heare. Mr. Bieber claims that he had a written contract with the Rosslyn Lumber Company to purchase valu ale timber lands in North Carolina and Virginia, and that the defend ants induced the corporation. to break the contract. The defendants, with the late O. G. Staples, owned the majority stock of the company, it is asserted, and by their alleged actions rendered the company powerless to carry out its contract, whereby he was prevented from making large profits, the plain tiff asserts. lrtunTB AIRMEN KILLED. , ? Three fatalities among Marine Corps officers in the aviation servioe abroad were reported to the Navy Depart ment today by Vice Admiral Sims. Second Lieut- Harry C Norman. Dav enport, Iowa, and &leb W. Taylor, Pelahatchie, Miss, were killed when a bombing plane was shot down by the Germans on the Belgian front. Lieut. Ralph Talbot. Booth Wey mouth. Mass, killed.-when jrii ?}ane Ml in the eame sector. * * WITH THE YANKS IN J3ILLETVILLE. It a soldier become* a casualty on the western front It is said of him that he has "gone west." Of these happy (o-lnck; lads the converse holds all Is well and. they are "(olng east." The Yankees enjoy their recreation periods, for art Is Ions and time Is fleeting. Fan Is had wMJe time hangs heavy. American soldiers in Europe make the moat of their time. MR. KNOX ASKS IF U. S. WANTS PEACE MADE BY ONE MAN f Continued from First Page.) place Germany in a position -where it cannot again menace the world. "On this we shall require the word of Foch. of HaiR. of Ilia* and of Persh inpr," he continued. "We shall also re quire evidence that the German grip upon Russia, Turkey and the Balkans has been loosed." As to the league-of-nations ques tion. Senator Knox said some regard ed it as Utopian?visionary. "In its .most extreme form," he de clared. "any league of nations will. I believe, have to be relegated to a fu ture quite beyond the purview of the ending of this War or of the recon struction of peace immediately after this war. There will be no room for a task of such problematical possi bility in either of the. phases of ne gotiation that now confront us. The peace that follows this war must rest upon a recognition of this interde pendence of nations." Senator Hitchcock Replies. Replying to. Senator Knox, Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska, said he was glad the Pennsylvinia senator had brought the subject before the Sen ate at this time, as it would afford an opportunity to state the facts in such a way as to correct any erroneous impression. "The anxiety of the senator from Pennsylvania seems to be that the President of the United States will take into his own hands the settle ment of this war," said Senator Hitch cock. Fraises President's Course. "It seems to me that the President has followed the logical course. On January 8 he asked the two houses of Congress to meet him in joint session. At that time he delivered his message, in which he boiled down into fourteen principles the terms which he deemed were the essentials upon which the United States should insist on as a basis of peace." "But that did not bear in the slight est degree an appeal to the war alone, for he ,took Congress into his con fidence." At the time these principles were enunciated there was no point raised against them, Senator Hitchcock said, but on the contrary they were ac cepted by all parties as being in keep ing with the American ideals. News papers ef both political parties in dorsed them, and they -were not ques tioned anywhere, hp said. Referring to the third principle as enunciated . by the President, Mr. Hitchcock read from a document re cently sent.out by the republican con gressional campaign committee, stat ing that the President was endeavor ing "to write free trade into the peace treaty." Misrepresented Article 3, He Says. Republican leaders, Senator Hitch cock charged, have deliberately mis represented the meaning of article 3 of the President's fourteen peace terms. He asserted that there waa an attempt to make political capital by these attacks on the article. He. said republicans had praised the Pres ident's message of January 8 enun ciating the terms, and waited until the end of the present political cam paign to make their attack. ( Statements from Republican Leader Lodge, Representative Cannon and others in Congress praising the Pres ident's message of January 8 were read by Senator Hitchcock. Interrupting, Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania, republican, said he had not criticised article 3 at the time, He deferred criticising after consultation with his colleagues, who suggested postponement. "My conclusion, as I understand the Knglish language," said Senator Pen rose, "was that the President did make a free trade propaganda. I may be unusually dumb in reading the President's message." Senator Hitohcock replied that al though republican leaders praised the President's message when it was de livered, now they are making a "bit ter partisan appeal" based upon mis representation of article three. \ Senator lodge Interrupts. Republican Leader Lodge interrupted to declare that although he was in ?Very-full sympathy" with the Presi dent's recent note to Austria, he ob served that In it the President had said that "times had changed" and conditions been altered because of recognition of the Csecho-Slovaks. "Is he- alone to hare the right to change bis mind?" asked Senator Lodge." "He exercises It freely.*' Senator Lodge said he had never in dorsed all of the President's fourteen teVms and had so emphasized in a recent address: Although 'he ad mitted stating that the January 8 message was an "able message," Sen ator Lodge added: ?'I disagreed utterly with the one (term) about Turkey, -which proposes to make Turkish sovereignty secure." Senator Hitchcock, continuing, in sisted that republican leaders and newspapers generally had. voiced complete approval of the January 8 address and its contents, indicating "practical unanimity of the Senate and House and the peoples" - "Now at this late day, tar parti san [imposes. an effort Is being made to distort and misrepresent' article in. said Mr. Hitchcock. OFFICIAL WAR REPORTS. AMERICAN. October 27?North of Ve'rdun the enemy renewed without success his attempts to regain the ground lost in recent fighting. Yesterday evening an attack launched with strong forces against our positions between Bantheville and the Bois Des Rappes broke down under our Artillery fire before reaching our lines. Eaft ? the Meuse there has been sharp fight ing in the region of the Bois Belleau. On the front of the -d Army there was lively artillery fighting in the Woevre. ? . , Gen. Pershing's statements for Fri day and Saturday also were received today. That for Friday says: On the Verdun front there 18 no change in the situation. Saturday's communique follows: North of Verdun our troops have made further progress in the Bois de Bourgogne, reaching the hamlet 01 Fumay. - Artillery fire has continued heavy, particularly in the region 01 Bantheville and east of the Meuse. In his communique for Saturday, delayed in transmission. Gen. Persh ing notes that the battle being fousrht by the 1st American Army north of Verdun entered that day upon its second month .and repve reached their first effective accord ing to program, overcoiuiug alront resistance. bbitish. October 28.?A determined counter attack was made yesterday on Farmers and was repulsed after street fighting, in which many of the enemy were killed. ?.. We have improved our positions slightly on the borders of the Mormal forest and north of the Raismes forest. British front in Italy, Sunday: The line of the 10th Array is reported to night to run south of Stabinsxos, Polo di Piaveborgo, Zanettioorgo, Malanotti, Lasegao and Tonon. Prisoners counted up to 6:15 o clock this evening amounted to 5,620, in- | eluding 121 officers. Of this number 3,620 men were taken by the 14th | British Corps. ^ The number of guns at present counted amounts to twenty-nine, in cluding six nine-inch howitsers taken by the 2?d British Division. * * 1 f AUSTRIAN. October 27.?Italian theater?On the plateau of Setti Commumi the enemy yesterday again undertook a series of strong thrusts, which were all re pulsed. Further attempts to attack failed under our defensive Are, and the enemy suffered heavy losses. In the mountains east of the Brenta the battle continued with undiminished intensity and the fight raged, the whole day. In the region of Col Ca prile the enemy suffered through our counter attacks the complete loss of the temporary advantage gained by him. The fojirth division recaptured Monte Asolone by storm. Our bat talions launched an attack against Monte Pertica and succeeded during the evening in getting as f araathe foot of Auppe, and during the night this also fell into our hands. (Section missing.) , On the Piave the artillery duel con tinued yesterday. During the night on both sides of Montello an entente attack was launched on a lafge scale. At points where the enemy succeeded in reaching the left bank of the river bitter fighting is in progress. GERMAN. October 27?Army group of Crown Prince Rupprecht, In Flanders: There are no special lighting operations to report. The enemy is continuing the destruction of Belgian villages behind the front. The populations to Ootag _ham and Ingoyghem. who had sought refuge in cellars on account of the bombardment by incendiary Shells, have perished for the greater part. South of the Scheldt we repulsed by our counter attack strong enemy at tacks between Famars and Artres. in partial attacks the enemy penetratea into Engiefontaine and Hecq. He was again driven out of Hecq by our coun ter thrust. ? __ Army group of the German crown prince: From the Oise to the Aisne the French continued their attacks. On both sides of Origny we repulsed them before our lines. The enemy who penetrated into our positions near Pleine-Selve was held up on the height northeast of the town; his at tempts directed from that point to bring about the fail of our front: on the Oise by an attack in a northerly direction failed, with heaviest losses to the enemy. Origny and the heights to the southeast were maintained. Numerous armored cars of the enemy were destroyed. In the Serre sector enemy thrusts from Mortiers were brought to a standstill before our lines. Violent attacks against the Souchez sector between Froidmont and Pierrepont were repulsed. Toward evening we repulsed attacks which were renewed by the enemy in great strength. On both sides of Sissonne the enemy infantry yesterday remained inactive. On the heights west of the Aisne a local counter attack by our troops against Saxon wood rendered abortive strong attacks which the enemy, with far-reaching objectives, had begun between Nizy-Le-Comte and the Aisne. When crossing the height to the northwest of Nizy-Le-Comte the enemy suffered heavy losses, as a re sult of our artillery fire. Here, as well as west of Banogne. attacks of the enemy completely fail ed. Desperate fighting luted through out the day in the thickly wooded lands west of the Aisne. The fighting was in our favor. It came to an end near the Banogne-Chateau-Poreien road and nejr Perpy. , The Aisne front and army group 01 Gen. von Gallwltz: On both sides of the Meuse there have been no large fiSou\nhKea?sPtfrntXater:Movemer.ts^o fn6 olif^ceS fe ' fensive operations. Near Kragujevats i and Jogodina our rear Boards pro tected the withdrawal of our main ? October 27 (night).-The day passed without great fighting operations. NO FREE TRADE IN 14 PEACE TERMS, j PRESIDENT SAYS! I {Continued from First Page.) ; bend them to partisan sef^ce- To th? initiated and discerning. themotive is transparent and the attempt falls. "Sincerely yours. "WOODROW WILSON. Senator Simmons' Letter. I Following is the letter of Senator Simmons: "Dear Mr. President: "Certain republican leaders are at tempting to make a partisan use of paragraph III of your peace terms found in your address to Congress Jan uary 8, 1918. No one has authority to replv to a misconstruction of any part of your address excepting yourself, but I as chairman of the finance committee of the Senate, wish you would make reoiv to these statements and insinua tion's whioh are being industriously circulated by the opposition to embar rass you in the handling of these deli cato matters. "Sincerely yours, "F. M. SIMMONS. President Wilson Explains in Letter Read in Senate Third Article of Peace Terms President Wilson, in a letter to Chair man Hitchcock- of the Senate foreign relations committee, read to the Senate today by the latter, interpreted article III of his fourteen peace terms not to mean free trade, but as designed to pre vent discrimination in commercial priv ileges between nations, leaving free, however, each nation to determine its economic policy. In his letter to Senator Hitchcock the President said he did not regard it "worth while" to answer repub licans' attacks on the third article of the peace terms. The President said article three would "leave every na tion free to determine its own eco nomic policy," except that such pol icy must be the same as to all na tions. , _ The President's letter to Senator Hitchaock follows: "My Dear Senator: "In freply to your letter of October 21 let me say that it seems to me really not -worth while to answer the republicans' attacks on article 8 of the peace terms I suggested in my address of January 8th- The words I used are perfectly clear to any hon est mind. They leave every nation free to determine it's own economic policy, except in the particular that its policy must be the same for all other nations and not be compounded of hostile discriminations between one nation and another, euch weap ons of discrimination being left to the joint action of the nations for the purpose of disciplining those who will not submit to the general pro gramme of justice and equality. "It would be impossible to follow, up all the perversions and misrepresenta tions that some of the republicans are now indulging in. and^my own judgment Is that we can safely leave the matter to the good sense pf our fellow comitrymen who can read Eng. lish. ?ncere^rours,ow WjLBOjt? Solf s Brevity and Prompt ness Indicate Need of Ar mistice, London Says. SEES NO NEW VIEWPOINT By the Associated Pwi. LONDON, October 28.?"The brevity of the reply to President Wilson's last note is a measure of Its significance, says the Daily News. "President Wil son's note put an end to further argu ment. It is due to Dr. Solf. the Ger man foreign secretary, to say that hjs note is precisely what the occasion de manded." ?If peace, as the new pasture of Ger many warrants us in Believing, is Coming within reach," the newspaper continues, "there must be no delay in taking steps to end hostilities. There is no justification in fighting on for what can be had for the asking. The terms for an armistice must be rigorous, but must not te needlessly so. The Express, enumerating the latest occurrences in Germany, includlngt reply to President Wilson, exclaims. "The signs portend enough, pointing t? a speedy end of the nightmare and indicating an acceptance of the terms soon to be dictated." Regarded 'Unqualified' Acceptance. The Chronicle says: "The German reply is in effect an unqualified ac ceptance. Nothing remains but for the associated powers to announce with out delay the program of naval and military measures which the armis tice necessitates. It is unlikely that Germany will object to the details after agreeing to the Principle. If her situation were not desperate sne would never have gone as far as she has. If any confirmation _?er? n? as to the significance of Dr. SolTs re ply. it would be found in Gen. Luden dorfl's resignation." i Fails to Answer Questions. The Daily Mall hopes and believes the allies "will not do anything so foolish" as to disclose immediately the terms upon which they are willing io grant an armistice. The paper says the German reply does not meet Presi dent Wilson's Questions, and, a?er_8um marizing the most recent happenings in Germany, declares, in effect, that nothing is altered there. "The sword is still in the hand of autocracy." the paper says. It will be time enough for Marshal Foch to state the terms when that sword has been broken or surrendered. Shows Germany's Need. "The promptitude of the reply may be accepted as convincing evidence at I least of Germany's desire and need of I an armistice," says the Post. Dr. Solfs assurances regarding far-reach ing changes are not very satisfying, however. Nothing has happened as vet to suggest that anything funda mental has been changed In Germany except the expectation of victory-. ? ? The first condition of any armistice is that Germany shall be unable to break it or refuse the conditions the allies dictate. If the German govern ment means business It will send Plen ipotentiaries to Marshal Foch, but from present indications Germany s rulers are Intent only on gaining time." No New Viewpoint. The Times says: "There is no new viewpoint in the German reply except that it seeks rather crudely to impose upon President Wilson and the allies the initiation of proposals for an ar mistice. It is for the Germans to approach the naval and military com manders with their formal petition for a cessation of war." Annua! Report of Disbursing Officer J. R. Lusby Made to Commissioners. The annual report of Disbursing Of ficer J. R. Lusby of the loaal muni cipal government made to the Dis trict Commissioners shows that for Uie fiscal year ending June 30. 1918, $12,242,003.51, of which sum approx imately 13,000,000 was in cash, was paid out through that office. This in volved over 200.000 transactions with employes, merchants, contractors and others, all of which was cleared through the auditor's office. During the year the total sum of $13,184,529.20 was placed to the offi cial credit of the disbursing officer, the unexpended balance from the pre vious year was $78,941.46 and the can celed checks and special deposits amounted to $10,951.06. making a grand total of $13,274,421.72 to lx> ac counted for. The amount of checks drawn against the said total charged was $12,242,003.51 and the amount of repayments to appropriations was $997,910.18, leaving a net balance to the credit of the disbursing officer on June 30, 1918, of $34,508.03. 108,658 Checks Issued. During the year 102,658 checks were Issued by this officer, an Increaseof 1,448 over the preceding year. The number of vouchers upon whicn checks and cash was disbursed was ~*More than 3,000 payments were made to witnesses and jurors In the Police Court, Juvenile Court, lunacy proceedings and the coroner s office, while payment was refused on Police Court jurors' fees in the total amount of $1478 due to the appropriation being'exhausted. A deficiency appro priation to cover these payments has been requested. More than 8.??? checks were mailed to abandoned wives and non-supported wives and children, and pensioners of the police and fire departments were paid a total of 4.719 checks. Work of Office Doubled. By direction of the Commissioners, beginning in June last, all laborers In the District service are now paid semi-monthly. While the work of the office, the report says, has doubled. It has been handled efficiently by the regular force without an increase In the personnel. POLES TO H0K0B. PRESIDENT. Flan to Build Ship at Danzig and Name After Him. GENEVA, October 27.?A campaign for subscriptions with which to build a Polish vessel at Dansig to be named I after President Wilson haa been be gun in Poland. Danzig was formerly a Polish pott, sav IE Reichstag Takes Action. Rioting Increases?Munition Making Seriously Hampered. TERMS OF REFORM BILL By the Associated Press. LONDON, October 27.?The German reichstag, by a great majority. hs? adopted a bill placing the tnillt&ry command under control of the civil government, according- to an Ex^han^o Telegrapn dispatch from Copenhagen. Unofficial advices report the situa tion in Germany la dailf growing worse. There are persistent reports of riota it^ various parts .of the countri. conflicts with the police and loss of life and that lack of raw materials js seriously Interfering with the pro-, duction of munitions. socialist. George Ledebour. is quoted by the Cologne Volks Zeltun^ ??!i8VLn* ,n the re'chstag: "The banc, ful influence of the kaiser must t>e ? L and advocating the aboli tion of the monarchical system. Hit ?.Was greeted by the socialists with shouts of "Abdicate!" Slots Cause Loss of Life. LONDON. October 27 (via Montreal). It is persistently reported that riots of daily occurrence in various parts wi?hG,ermanT, res"lted in conflicts with the police and loss of life.. The ? ra7 material, especially for nmin JeV8 s?rious'y hampering mu h.iA k' " 18 Klated that Krupps workers" compc,Ied to dismiss many Confidence of Allies Needed. AMSTERDAM, October 27.?In the course of a speech in the reichstag Thursday the German vice chancellor. FViederich yon Payer, said that the' ??8 bellef and the assertion I hat i"* German people were politically .? their rights and were *.> oppressed and dependent on smari rulingr circles that it constitutor! :i constant danger for the peace of the entire world, had been the greatest hindrance to the attainment of peace. This hindrance, he declared, had to pe removed, and the government ha.I Instituted far-reaching internal re forms. which were long overdue. On the previous day the vice chan cellor had said: "We need confidence not merely at home: we need the confidence of foreign countries, even the confidence of our enemies. H"or we want peace and we need it. Out enemies distrust our sincere inten tion to conclude a peace oT justice. They mistrust us mainly on the ground of many events in the past, concerning which we cannot take it amiss of them if they have certain doubts. "We have, therefore, no use for any one in the government who still favors a peace of force more than :i peace of justice. What we need in order to be able to exist is an un equivocable, honest and straight forward policy. That alone can pro mote our welfare in the future." Proposed Reform Bill. The socialist Vorwaerts (Berlin) prints the proposed text of the reform bill, which includes the following provisions: u Flraft War can only be 4mUkA *' the sanction of the relchiUii; and the bundearati Secondi The chancellor can only remain In power while he poaacaaea the conddence of the reichstag. Third: The chancellor will be rr aponaible for the political action* of the kaiser, and the chancellor and ministry will be - responsible for. their tennre of office to the reichstag and bnndearat; Fonrtht The appointment, pro motion and dismissal of officer* or the army and navy can only be ef fective by the aUrnatare of the chancellor. The mlnlater of war will be held raeponaiblc for the aame by the reichstag. Saxon Ministry Resigns. A dispatch from Berlin says the reichstag on Friday passed in all it* stages the bill amending the law re lating tq. the government of Alsace Lorraine. According to a Dresden telegram the Saxon State Gazette announces that in view of the reorganization or the Saxon government the king ha; accepted the resignation of the Sa*on ministry. IffPLYflSMSlS City Befiagged and Citizens Wildly Enthusiastic Over President's Note?Trouble at Fiume. AMSTERDAM. October 27?Scenes of indescribable enthusiasm occurred at Agram, capital of Croatia-SIa\onia. when President Wilson's reply to Aus tria was made public.' Immediately the whole city, which is the Slav headquarters, was beflagged and the delighted citizens paraded the streets, venting their joy. There was indis criminate handshaking and congratu lations. This news is contained in a special dispatch from Agram to the Weser Zeitung of Bremen, dated October 23. In the evening, the dispatch adds, 29,000 persons assembled before the building where the Slav national council was sitting. The president of the council declared the council was firmly resolved unswervingly to con centrate all efforts upon creating an independent state of Serbs. Croatians and Slovenes. The crowd outside sol emnly swore to stand by the council'* decision. Huns Report Mutiny. PARIS. October 28.?German news papers maintain that mutinous Croa tian troops are still masters of the city of Flume, in spite of official statements that they were under con trol. according to the Zurich corre spondent of the Journal, who says that the Croatians have driven the Hungarians from the city. LONDON. October 27.?A dispatch to the Exchange Telegraph from Zurich. Switzerland, says the revolu tionary movement is spreading throughout Croatia. The dispatch adds that more than 400 persons have been killed at Fiume and 300 at Zjgabria. Collisions at Fiume Reported. AMSTERDAM. Friday, October 25.? The Dutch newspapers today publish a dispatch from Budapest which says that in collisions between Croatian and Hungarian troops in Fiume there were many casualties, hundreds of persons being wounded. The Croatian tricolor waa hoisted on the public buildings. The railway station was, destroyed and the mobs and troops' plundered It. The Hungarian and Italian population fled. The Budapest newspaper As CJsar reports demonstrations at Xarlowits in Croatia-Slavonia. where two try regiments mutinied: The railway rtrrrbouse was plundered. J