North Carolina Newspapers

7oL.XCIX-NO;"208. WILMESTGTON, N. C.; TUDAY MOUOTNG, APRIL 2 1917 WHOIiE ST(JIBBR39t927 British Foreign oeciewMjr oays Interview With President Worth Whole Trip jNY FORMAL CALLS MADE War Commissioners Receive Every Mark of Honor and Courtesy in Gift of Government NEGOTIATIONS NOT OPENED These to Begin Upon Early Ar rival of French Statesmen TVashington. April d. Great Britain's Avar commissioners spent today in the American capital re- ceivinji every mark of honor and government. " : - . Foreign Secretary Arthur Jas. Balfour. . formally presented . by Secretary Lansing to President "Wilson in the morning, was the guest of honor tonigh't at the most notable dinner given at the White House in a generation. During the day he was presented to Vice President Marshall at the Capitol, lunched with Ambassador Jusse rand at the French embassy, and received cards or calls from many prominent persons, including for mer Secretary Bryan. Call On Department Heads. , Meanwhile Lieutenant-General Bridg et and other British army officers i called on Secretary Baker, Major-Gen eral Scott, chief of staff and War De partment officials; Admiral DeChair and his naval aides called on Secretary Daniels, Admiral Benson and other N'avy Department officials; and Lord Cunliffe, governor of the Bank of England, called on Secretary McAdoo af the Treasury Department. The conferences so far, with the en thusiasm that the people of the capi tal have shown and the courtesies and cordialities extended by the officials, have taken the British commission completely by surprise. Mr. Balfour, after three quarters of an hour's con versation with President Wilson, re marked enthusiasticaly that his trip had been justified by that meeting aiune. - . o Formal Vrcol(ini Y. hile no formal , negotiations were entered into today, the preliminary conferences were stated not to have wen wholly perfunctory, but rather to h-ve laid an excellent basis of ac quaintance and understanding for the failed conferences to follow. Presi dent Wilson and Mr. Balfour are Known to have tmip.oi vori Phases of the Situation in euh a -arav s to give each an insight into the atner s personality and viewpoint and on established an atmosphere of wmdence and concord between them. ne mc,ial prediction was made that . rormal conferences would be besrun ln"l the arrival f th irr.nn. I mi.. V r A J- J. fa,., j ' -Ai":l'lca now in me. nex; as r a" -"uuna worK wm De una mCnfP.'uIy as Possible so that the mo- on8 mav w t, TJ' I' na- - -ei in caiueSl. Gettinc Ready For Work. ine British visits wu zation meeting a..u , and Mr T) i cuiimsoy iuu4, row "our plans to spend tomor- 'u morninr, , i ... .. .. f wo l- "pping out tne division orK and arransritiEr frr tha nrnnttn . ' I dnd AmoinK rt: : i A x Ior t, umciais iu meet Ule task before - thATn Another arP subordinate British Officials The , ''u':uy: . ' . that it lummission announced nntrv P'Jrpose in coming to this tion s r - purely one of co-opera-ffom:n 'e "" eratitude. and -that ference direction of the con- Amerinan um rest largely with the me a! governnent. At the same BritWh TcriCn officials convinced the f thpir 9 warmth and . cordiality apnrpoio, c""on tnat this . country and i. 6Sfort a " V dedicated to . every possible "oainst the common fna Mr. rV ay Senate. ' make P ' was also stated, will h's sv nub"c statements during view ' v; as , 1,0 ' the English point of him 'to ,e7 resident Marshall invited Wi e,s the Sena-te, but it is Sreiis nni wiU aPPear before Con- istr of t !-perhaps with French min- ar6 v. "uowte viviani. Arraneements g made for him to se mem- s c.r 8rldEPl.. p.ress Wednesday, General and Lor V- oe 'interviewed tomorrow, ToSf.C"nliffe Thursday. 'as n,; ,r "'oner at the White House Salfour x!max of aii eventful day. Mr. HiCo J' or'tish Ambassador Spring ' Sritu-i ranking members of 0 meet u c?mm'ssions were invited I'on tv,0 Z lK 1 resident and Mrs. Wil- Ins'tirj,!!lei?bers of the. cabinet." Chief Of "nte. the. .iu... Secr,te,Co'1!lcil of umoui wirruitLi.ee cret National plefepse, (ConT.U?ity. and MUHeUa "uc on rage Ten). BALryuK uiLZi UF HONOR AT THE 10ST NOTABLE miNN ER THE WHITE 'CSV j GC7V4 TOUV I BRITAIN TO , E FIRST LOAN Amount and Devils Probably Will be Announced by McAdoo . Within a Few Days OUT OF BIG BOND ISSUE Day Crowded With Conferences Be tween McAdoo, Reserve Board Officials, Bankers and Anslo Prcnclt Representatives Washington, April 23. The first Am erican loan to the allied nations will go to Great Britain. The amount and oth er details probably will be made public by Secretary McAdoo within a few days. , Whatever the sum, the amount will be -available out of the proceeds of the $5,000,000,000 bonds soon to be offer ed to the public, of which $3,000,000, 000 will be loaned to the Allies. , Announcement to this effect was made tonight at the Treasury Depart ment after d day- crowded with con ferences between - Secretary McAdoo and Federal Reserve board officials and American bankers and bond holders and official representatives of Great Britain and France. Another development was the an nouncement that the size of the first issue of bonds authorized under the $7,000,000,000 war finance measure will depend largely upon the immediate needs of the Allies. Reports as to this as yet have not "been received in de tail. The entire $5,000,000,000 of author ized bonds will not be off ered . in one lump sum, according, to present' tenta tive plans, but probably will be call ed for in .several installments, or cJs- sues. By this course it is l)eljeved that financial disturbances v which might, resnlt; were .the country called upon to" absorb the whole issue at once, will be averted. - Details as to the amount of the first issue, its distribution among the Allies, the character and terms of the bond's," methods of. disposing of them and other questions will engage the attention of the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve Board officials during the next ten days. . Lord Cunliffe Pays Visit. The first of the conferences began today with the visit of Lord Cunliffe, governor of the Bank of England, upon Secretary McAdoo and Governor Har ding of the Reserve board. Negotia tions will be conducted with a view to disposing as rapidly as .possible . of de tails so that the bond issue may be of fered without delay. The French ambassador called tipon Secretary McAdoo later in the day and discussed the terms of the bond issue and the immediate needs of the French government. On behalf of Great Britain, it is ex pected. Lord Cunliffe will place before Secretary McAdoo details as to her most press'.ng financial problems. A's soon as a definite idea is obtained of the needs of the chief Entente gov ernments, ' the tentative program will (Continued on Page Two). AMERICAN SHIP CHASED BY 6EHWI SEA RAIDER The Seeadler Thrown Off After Five Miles Desperate Run Captain of American Steamer Arrives at New Yorlc and Tells of Ex cltiag Experience Off Braal- llan Coast. New York, April 23 An American steamship was chased for five miles by the German sea raider Sfeeadler, off the coast of Brazil, April 12, according to the captain of the vessel, which reached this port today. The Seeadler, previously reported by the victims of her raids on their arrival at Rio Janeiro, was formerly the American bark Pass of Balmaha, into which the Germans had fitted gasoline motors.; ' ' - The captain of the steamship, which is engaged in the South American trade,, said the raider was sighted at 6 o'clock in the morning bearing down on him at a point 39 miles north of the Equator, and between suv anu ouu miles off the coast. The pursuer, he said, put on all speed, making about 13 knots, an hour. As this was slight ly, less .than his own vesel's speed, he was able to throw her off after a desperate chase. . Although within range,- the raider did not attempt to fire on him. She had Norweigian flags painted on, her sides, he said, and mounted two guns .ap parently of eight-inch calibre. This ia the first report of the opera tions of the' Seeadler siitce crews, from, ships she-- sank reached Bid Janeiro March 31. . . . , ; '. - GREA HAV G IVENAT i GERMAN POSITIONS TAKEN BY BRITISH More han 1,206 Prisoners Captur ed in First Day 's Fighting of New Offensive SUMMARY OF WAR NEWS Berlin Claims Assault "Broke Down" -French Further Advance Their Line Activity on Macedonian ! Front ; Again the British have begun a period of extensive fighting from the region of Lens southward to the Hav rincourt wood, and, according to the London war office, have been success ful at various points in capturing im portant, German positions. In addi tion, more than 1,200 Germans were made prisoner in the first day's fight ing in the new offensive. Both north and south of the Scarpe river the British have materially ad vanced at several points toward Douai. North of the river the village of Gav relle and positions two and a half miles long south of the village were cap tured, while south of the tream they took- the line of Germans on a -wide front south and east of Monchy-le-Preux and captured the villages Of Gav-relle-and Guemappe. - Farther to the south' the entire vil lage of Trescault and the greater part of Havrincourt wood now are in the hands of General Hale's-forces. On the northern end of the batle line ad ditional progress has been "made south west of Lens, seemingly placing that important town in great jeopardy. oBroke Down" Says Berlin The latest Berlin official communica tion dealing .with -the .fighting Monday says' the' new - Brftrsh offensive","6tn" tfie Arras 'front broke down with heavy casualties. - Berlin admits" the pene tration of German trenches on a front of '500 yards northwest of Lens, but says the British later were expelled from them, in a counter, attack. .Northeast' of Soissons, between the Aisne and the Chemiri-des-Dames, the French " have further advanced their line, but elsewhere on the front held by .the French "artillery duels have pre dominated. Sunday night the Germans tried, but Vithout success to penetrate French positions, notably . east of Cra onne, in the Champagne, near St. Mihiel and in the Vosges mountains. A: return of .good weather to the 'western front has brought about a re i riewed aerial activity and numerous ' battles in the air. A British airship is believed to have been destroyed over the' Straits 'of Dover by a hostile air plane, with the loss of its entire crew! Sunday French airmen in aerfal en gagements shot down six enemy air planes. ' A similar number fell prey to British aviators, while fifteen others were driven down out of control. Anti-aircraft ' guns disposed of another German airplane and seven kite bal loons. . Berlin reports that German airmen forced down 11 Entente machines and destroyed four captive balloons. The (Continued on Page Three)., E OF VESSELS FORECAST Coastwise Ships to be Used in Trans-Atlantic Traffic Transportation Representatives Hold Conference With Shipping: Board 'and Defense Council In terned Vessels. Washington, April 23. Immediate di version of a number of 'steamships from the coastwise trade to gratis -Atlantic service was forecast by officials today after a conference here Of trans portation company representatives with the Shipping Board and the Council of National Defense. Many vessels, it was said, can be removed without disar ranging railway service. At' a meeting here next Wednesday a newly created sh'pplng commitree of ths council will take up measures to put the vessels to transporting supplies to the Allies. The committee was name today by William Denman, chairman" of the ShibDing Board, at its head. It will work out plans in co;pD3ration with a -general railroad committes named recently to co-ordinate "opera tions of rail systems during the war. Vessels will be taken off their runs with as little dislocation to domestic commerce as possible. .,; ... Legislation introduced in -both 'tho Seriate and. House today by the admin istration would authorize the President to .confer'' title and possession of -the German ' and Austrian ships , held In American ports.v Its terms would ex tend to vessels owne'd by any sublet or- A luoniinuea on rage a en. Ml AT DIVERSION CONGRESS TAKES UPtHE NATION'S PROBLEM OF FOOD Houston Presents to Senate Com mittee the Administration's Program for Control STATE CO-OPERATION PLAN Plans Laid Before Heads of Five Big Farmers't Organizations, Who Promise Approval Washington, : April 23. Congress took up the . food proolem today in public hearings by the Senate Agri culture committee at which Secretary Houston set forth; the administration's food control "program. At the same time the- Federal! Trade Commission, directed by President Wilson to in vestigate with the Agricultural De partment the causes of high food prices, asked all state governors to send rep resentatives to Washington April 30, for a conference on state co-operation in the inquiry,' Before appearing at the committee hearing, Secretary. Houston put his plans before the. heads of five of the country's big -farmers' organizations and received assurances of support for any measures the government con templates for getting a firmer grasp on food production and distribution. The farmers' representatives promis ed even to give their endorsement to legislation giving: the government power to flx maximum and minimum prices in emergency. -To Mobilise Boy on Farms : As its part in: the government's plans, the Department of Labor announced that it had undertaken the mobiliza tion of a million boys throughout the country, as .active farm workers for the summer,' An organization will te formed to b. known as the s-v 'United States., Boy a! vtklxyieserYejCts op-. rations' will - be directed from Wash ington.' - I . Two announcements of the day bear ing on the food situation were a defin ition of the duties to be performed by Herbert C. Hoover; as' chairman of the food commission of the Council ; of National Defense, and the statement that Wm. J. Bryan' would tour the west to help spread the Agricultural Department's, appeal for increased food production. Mr. Hoover, it was stated, will advise as to the best mans of assisting the Allies to meet their food needs and will assist state agencies and communities . in meeting their food problems. Appearing with Secretary Houston before the Senate committee were the representatives of the farmers', organ izations! Mr. Houston answered ques tions about food supplies,' high prices and proposals for minimum and maxi mum price fixing legislation . He said the Department pf Agriculture lacked machinery to obtain an accurate esti mate of the country's food supply now and needs legislation to provide it. Wheat and Potatoes Short Aside from the wheat and potato crops, there had ibeen no indicated shortage of staple I foodstuffs, the -Secretary said. The Natioh needs for its formal domestic requirements about 640,000,000 bushels: of wlreat a year. That amount, he said, was about this year's crop. Last year, the Nation had a "carry oyer"' of about 170,000, 000 bushels of wheat, j From July 1 last until March ! last. the. amount x ported was about 1 130,000,000 bushels. With all these facts in mind, the Sec retary said, it was hard to determine the cause for $2.32 wheat. "Probably", he said, "there is partly an economic justification; .partly there is apprehension that the low prices paid a few years , agq will be paid again. As to what extent prices may be controlled, I have no facts to base an' opinion." " ! . Secretary Houston said he had heard there had been - already storage of quantities of food by people alarmed over the situation, but he did nQt be lieve this was general. Increased Production Safe. ! In his opinion ; the t farmer is quite safe in' increasing production, and "is sure to find high prices continuing even if peace were to come now. j But he said. the farmer should be guaran teed a minimum price for these things the government-told- him he should grow to help the Nation. -. -Mr. Houston , said be did not believe the power to fix price's would haye to be exercised and'he did not think the government should go into the whole sale business. J- The Secretary said, he had no accurate-estimate of the grain going into alcohol except that it's value last, year was $145,000,000. i i i, A GROWING- ORGANIZATION The Amerjin rited Cross has "460 local chapters, Oiii President Is .its head and -the . society Hs the right hand. of the nation in 'time of war and calamity.. .-:. Surgical ; dressings; and hospital garments will be , needed ..ln.great number and hase hospitals will be formed -as-the, need arises. - V Every "vWdmancan help "with the equipment by doming to -some of the weekly - meetings held j in Room 209 -on the second. "floor of the Murchison National BapH;'bldlng in -Wiir vmington. ; :i. j.: ; .'.r- : 7 "' ' Meetings are jn . Monday,; Tues? day, Thursday, and .Friday 'mornings, . r a oame or rras Flaming Fury st Fierce Fight Sky Last Night Alight for Miles With Flashes "of Guns Yesterday's Fighting; Covered an Eight-Mile Front Long Sections of Ger man Positions in Front of Hindenburg Line Taken With Many Prisoners and Battery of Guns. , From a Staff Correspondent of The Associated Press, with British Armies in France, via London, April 23 The battle of Arras, which had been smoul dering for a wek past, burst into flam ing fury "again today and is still rag ing tonight with some of the heaviest fighting of the war in progress The sky is alight for miles with the flashes of guns, with star shells that spread a moonlight paleness over the battlefield and with vari-colored rock ets, which flash signals to the oppos ing artillery. The cold east wind car ries the echoes of . the reverebating cannonade far back of the British lines. The fighting today covered approx imately an eight-mile front, from south of Vimy Ridge to a point well below Croiselles. At the north end of the at tack the British swept over German fixed positions running almost due south . fronl Lens and captured long sections of German positions in front of the Hindenburg line and . a great number of. prisoners. 9&re Than 1,200 Men Captured More than 1,200 prisoners were count ed in' this sector late today, and others were still coming in. The largest num ber of prisoners' was from, the 141st Pomeranians, who surrendered in hun dreds after very brief resistance. A battery of field guns also was taken. Between Gavrelle and Croisselles the heaviest lighting occurred along both banks of the Scarpe and around Mon-chy-le-Preux, where the British East advance had projected a sharp. salient into the German lines. Monchy was taken in the first phase of the . Arras battle after three- days fighting and has 'been held against desperate coun ter assaults. . ..The. Germans always managed td cling to the. slopes, on either side of the hill on wnich Monchy-lerPrettx is Xiefched; 'this, being the higieC?fpoint east Of Arras and Vimy, overlooking the great broad eastern plains of northern France. The Germans today were un doubtedly, throwing their full force in to their resistance along the Scarpe. They -had brought, up strong reserves to oppose a, fu.rther;Briti8b; advance and had . thrown - in scores of new bat teries of artillery. '. t Fighting Extremely Bitter The fighting about Guemappe due south. of Monchy, was extremely bitter. The attacking British vaves "went over" in the half , gray light of dawn. It was still dark enough to make a fiery ,: spectacle of the barrage which crept ahead of them a veritable wall of exploding, shells. Men who have been over several times under the protection of a barrage are apt to grow a bit over-confident , in following the shell and occasionally get hit by bits flying back, . although virtually every shell clearing the way for the infantry bursts forward with a great spray of shrapnel bullets. A modern barrage as set up by the British and French gunners is a -terrifying thing to face, and the Germans involuntarily break before it, many of them seeking , any dugouts available. ' Today in many parts of the battle fronts there were no more dugouts to serve as shelters, and the Germans had to stand and fight, with the result that REPORTS FROM STILL MORE Under New Democratic Provisional Government, Country is No More Likely to Abandon War Without Achieving Her Object Than - . ' '.--..'-"' - is the United States Wilson's Address Effective., , Washington, April 23? Further en couraging reports from Russia came today in a dispatch to the State De partment telling of the affect of Presi dent Wilson's war address and declar ing that Russia under the new demo-, cratic provisional government is no more likely to abandon the war with out achieving, her object, than is the United States. . '.":"' Recalling that one of the Impelling causes for the overthrow; of the im perial regime was . the belief that it was planning a separate peace, the dispatch said the revolution would ex pedite the defeat of Germany and the establishment of a general peace. Prompt recognition, accorded the new o-nvernment bv .the United States. gave encouragement and . help to the council of ministers ana tneyr sup porters, the department - was inform ed, while President Wilson's allusion to the. Russian revolution in - his ad dress to Congress made a deep, lasting impression on the people. The address has been translated and is being given wide circulation in pamphlet form. United Statea ThJMr Model. No people, says the report, ever have made 'greater sacrifices f or ,v freedom than the Russians and fftey fully rea lise that a 'separate peace would jeop ardise; all they have gained. The Am erican form of government has been taken as the model of the Russian peo ple and the participation of the .United States has infused -in them a: confident spirit: - They believe tliey have an army . '.. - .X h ',v '-'i-'';,';",..'-'.i;,-.'-:'. Bursts Into Aga in; Some of ing Yet Seen their Casualties were high and the prisoners fewer in those sections of the line. Advanced From Half Trenches The British advanced in nearly every instance from mere . half trenches, where they had been lying for the past week awaiting the bringing up of artillery and the order to advance. The Germans opposite them had been dig ging at every possible opportunity, but they too were unable to construct more than sections of an unconnected trench, with machine guns concealed in every possible nook and corner. In the village which skirted the battle front, it seemed as if every building contained machine gun crews. Many machine guns were fired on the oppos ite bank of the. River Scarpe, and if was somewhat difficult to ' deal with them. . The artillery preparation for today's attack did not cover the ground . and did not equal in intensity that of Easter Monday, when the first battles of Arras were launched. There had been what is termed a deliverate bombardments for; two days, but noth ing like the mass of fire which was concentrated to blow the Germans out of their old positions opposite the cathedral city. BRITISH BUSINESS NOW TO CLEAR OUT BURROWED ENEMY London, April -23 Reuter's correspon dent at British headquarters in Fjance, describing the new British advance, says: . - '"We are not now up against a 'set pace to. reform the regular trench sys tem, but are. dealing with innumerable dw patches in the shape of machine i gun for tins, of little redoubts and short traverses '.antv, saps running in various directions. Ndtwhere is there any regu lar tracing of trench works to barrage. .- "For the present it must be a business of,; aclear4ng -out the .'widely burrowed enemy, which :1s being-done with: th least costly tactics by pounding every acre of the honeycombed ground rath er than by attempting to rush positions in direct Infantry attacks., "I hear that many tanks have been in action and have given a fine account of themselves. "The weather is all in our favor and our airmen are busy. It is too soon yet to rt definite details of the extensive operations. - However; we have takesi over 1,000 prisoners, and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy." "While we got . on: well in place, we have not done .quite so well in other places. ' That is all than be said for the moment." BERLIN SAYS JVEW ASSAULT OF THE BRITISH BROKE DOWN Berlin, via London, April 23. The new British offensive on ; the Arras front was repulsed today with heavy casualties to the attackers, according to the .evening official communication issued by the war office. ' The communication says: "On the battlefield of Arras today the new English assault broke down; without success, under very heavy ene my losses. "On the Aisne and in Champagne there have been strong artillery duels -at intervals." RUSSIA ARE ENCOURAGING unequalled in number, unexcelled in courage, and led by commanders of ability and patriotism. If Americans are incensed at the in trigues and underhanded machinations of Germany in their midst and on their borders, the message declares, the Rus sians have four-fold cause for like re sentment and will make any sacrifice rather than conclude a separate peace. GREATER' ENTHUSIASM THAN EVER FOR DEFENSIVE WAR London, April 23. The Daily Ex press Petrograd correspondent contri. butes an- interview he has had with A. F. Kerensky, minister Of Justice in the new Russian government, who he calls the Lloyd-George of Russia. While insisting Russia would only wage a defensive war and contenance no annexations, M. Kerensky emphas ized the fact that greater enthusiasm existed in Russia- today than ever be fore for a defensive war. Even the Lithuanians, Poles, Little Russians and Finns, who had no war zeal under the autocratic regime, were now prepared to defend their country to the utmost. ' - 'President Wilson will express the will of his people, and not merely make a democratic 'move," said J. Kerensky, "I am in complete sympathy with the war aims he suggested as be ing .. compotfble . with an- enduring peace"..- -'-.'-' BITTER CONTEST III E OVER ARMY BILL IS PI Passage by Senate of Selectiva Draft Bill,' Virtually Unchang ed, is Regarded Certain - BOTH HOUSES DEBATING Discussion in Senate May Contin ue to Saturday House May Agree to Vote Thursday OiSD Washington, April 23.-fWith both houses of Congress debating the war " army bill today, it' became more than ever apparent that there is no fight over whether a ' great army shall be raised, the only question being what strength can be mustered by opponents of the administration's selective draft plan. In the Senate passage of the. gen eral staff bill virtually without change is regarded as certain; on the House side the President's supporters also are confident of success, though the con test there will be bitter. Discussion in the Senate may continue.until Sat urday, but the House under a tentative agreement for 18 hours of general de bate probably will be ready to vote by Thursday. Most of the speeches in the . House were in favor of the administration plans, after P.epresentatiVe ' Dent, chairman of the Military committee, had made an opening statement earn-' estly. supporting the bill as amended by his committee to authorize calls for volunteers,' with provision for ap plying the draft only if the volunteer system fails. F.eprejsentative Kahn, of California, ranking Republican of the committee, appeared in the iihl- -que position of spokesman for the President and leader of the adminis- tration forces. The Line-Up - ' Representatives ,McKenzie, Ulinoisj v Crago, Pennsylvania; Onley'Massachtr- -j setts.; -Lynn, ewYbrk;. Gf-een, Ver mont; Adamsoh, 4 Georgia," and others spoke for the draft as the. tfnly effec tive method of raising the aumy need ed. Representative Nichols; of South Carolina, joined Chairman Dent in championing the volunteer plan. Senators Wadsworth and Weeks, vig orously advocating the draft, and Sen ator Thomas, as strongly opposing it, made the principal addresses' in- the Senate. ' - 4 ".,' .Chairman Chamberlain, of the Sen- : ate committee, said tonight( that nu might seek, unanimous consent Wed nesday for a vote that day Or Thurs day. He said he did hot -now expect to endeavor ' to, use the ; new cloture rule, both because he was not certain he could get the two thirds necessary to "invoke it and because It might re- suit in more talk than would foil6v in the ndrmal ' course. - OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF TURKEY'S BREAK RECEIVER In a. Dispatch From American Minister Stovall at Berne. Washington, April 23. Official notifl. cation of. the Turkish government breaking off diplomatic relations wiU the. United States was received today by the State Department in a dispatch from American Minister Stovall at Berne, Switzerland. The communication came, from "G. Cornell Tarley, secretary of the Am- ' erican legation at Constantinople, act ing for Ambassador Elkus who is ill. It was sent to. the American legation at Berne and forwarded from there to Secretary Lansing. ' Boston, April 23. Dr. James L. Bar ton, foreign secretary of the American t Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, announced today 'that 94 men and women representing the board were in Turkey at the present time. Eighteen children of these mission aries also were residing with their parents in that country. .The value of the board's property invested in mis sion plants, building equipment, etc., was estimated . at betweenf $3,000,000 and ?4, 000, 000 at the outbreak of Vthe war, but its present value is difficult to determine. Other American organizations also have extensive properties in Turkey, including Robert College at Constanti nople, the Syrian Protestant College a,t Beirut, and the Constantinople College ' for Women. TheBe three institutions represent a plant value of more than ? 3,000,000. Washington, April 23. Despite th. German submarine campaign, American exports in March reached a value of $551,276,000, which has been ' exceeded only once, last January, the best month in the country's history. Imports of. $270,484,000 set a new American record. RECRUITING FIGURES STILL SHOWING STEADY DECLINE Washington, April 23. Although men enlisted for the regular army are now being assured that they will be held only for the duration of the war . with Germany,, recruiting figures continue to show a steady de cline. Figures made public . today for- April 21 and 22 show 1,913 men accepted for the service, while a f er days ago more than 2,000 men a day were being enrolled.; Illinois retain ed, her lead among, the states in the number "of men' furnished' for the service. .--' -;: . .i. -..V: V . . - : i -. ';.