AMERICA AT WAR.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15917, 2 June 1917, Page 9

AMERICA AT WAR.

CONSCRIPTION CENSUS

COMBING OUT ELIGIBLES

(By Cable—Press Association—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cablo NEW YORK, May 31. A secret census is being taken of eligible men. Those who have not inlisted by June sth are liable to a year's imprisonment. It is 6tatcd that thousands of Americans have gono to Mexico, Cuba, and Alaska to avoid conscription. The Government has taken steps to defeat their intention. ANTI-CONSCRIPTION CAMPAIGN. UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ARRESTED. NEW YORK, May 31. In pursuance of the suppression of the anti-conscription campaign, Justice Department agents have arrested two students of Columbia University. One is a son of Professor J. MclCcen Cattel and the other a girl named Parker. Tfcey are charged with conspiring to induce men not to register. PACIFIC COAST DEFENCE. SUBMARINE AND AVIATION BASES. WASHINGTON, May 31. The Navy Station Commission recommends that submarine, bases be provided at San Diego. Los Angeles, Mare Ts-

land, Port Angeles, and tho Columbia river (all on tho Pacific Const). It is also recommended that six aviation bases should be established on tho Pacific coast. Tho total cost will be 8,000,000 dollars. GERMANY LOSES SHIPS. WASHINGTON, May 31. Thirteen intorned German naval i»na commerce vessels have been transferred to tho United States. THE LITTLE NATIONS. BARBAROUSLY SACRIFICED. "WASHINGTON. May 3fi. The Prince of Udino (head of the Mission to the United States), nadresoing the Senate, said that tho little nations, which - were entirely guiltless, and which had produced masterpiece--of art and treasures of industry, lad been barbarously sacrificed. ' Personal slaverv had been reintroduced into Europe equal to tho worst period of mod'a'val invasions. "Tho day will. come," he said, "when tlie"Allied nations will be prot»l of their sufferings." CANADA'S PART. THE CONSCRIPTION ISSUE. NEGOTIATIONS FOR COALITION CABINET. OTTAWA. May 81. Negotiations are proceeding between Sir Robert Borden (Prime Minister) and Sir Wilfrid Laurier (Leader of Opposition) for the formation of a Coalition Government in order to enforce conscription. The outcome is unsettled. The anti-conscription disturbances in Quebec are abating, but tho labour elements aro strongly objecting to compulsion. The introduction of a Military Service Bill has been postponed, pending tie reorganisation of the Government, CANADA AND THE WAR. ACTIVITIES IN THE DOMINION (from our own conaEsroxnßXT.'l TORONTO, May 4. The Imperial Munitions Board hus accepted tho offer of Sir Thomas White, Financo Minister, to make a special loan of ten milion dollars to assist in tho development of tho building of wooden ships in Canada. Orders have now be4n placed for stoel Bliips in Canada up to the full limit of the steel plants available during tho next fifteen months. Specifications and designs of the typo of wooden vessels required have been agreed upon by the imperial Munitions Board, representative.? of the British Minister of Shipping, and various shipbuilding firms, and a standard pattern arrived at. Work,>on beats of this type is soon to be begin; probably the greater number of th<\ ships will bo built on tho Pacific Coast, where suitable timber is available in abundance.

Ottawa has called for Hcveral thousaid more rocruita for the Canadian Forestry Battalions overseas. Some ten thousand men aio now in these battalions, but about halt of them were taken out of other battalions alrcndv overseas, and it is to enable these men to be sent back to their original unit-; that the present call iB issued. TUt! ago limit is forty-eight years, and met of 4ft llin are accepted. Sergeant Edwards, of Toronto, spent a few days at home on furlough., after experiencing a series of thrilling nd- \ enturcs in German camps, from whicn ho finallv managed to escape. Ho, is one of the forty-nino survivors of tno original famous Princess Pats, the re- ' jrimont of veterans of former wars, o"o thousand strong, who were so badlv out to pieces in the Ypres salient in ' May, 1915. He had previously oeen wonuded, in March. He had beenofiicially declared dead, and had considerable red tnpe to untanjrfe to convince the authorities ho was alive. The total value of orders received »v the Imperial Munitions Board up to the 30th March for munitions to ho produced in Canada was 850,000 000 dollars, munitions shinned to that date wore valued at 470.000.000 dollars, and disbursements totalled 543,000,000 dollars. EmpJoveoß direct and irdirect number moro than 250,000, and 630 factories and plants arc in operation under the direction of tho Board. Thfl cash disbursements for March were 41 million dollars, and for April will be til millions. Towards the financing of thin business the Dominion has contributed £00 million dollars ns a loan to the Imperial Treasury, and arranged with *,'no Canadian banks for advances aggregating 100 millions more.

Thnr* aro reasons for believing that negotiations «ro. ii between the British, /United States, and Canadian authorities looking to the purchase of tho entire North Americas wheat crop of 1917 at a fixed price. All membors of tho Canadian Expeditionary Force who have been oversell and who have served at least- six months' continuous service, are to receive a grant of throe months' pay and allowances on being honourably dis. charged. This, it is explained in th< Oi'dcr-in-CJonueil enacting it, passed it. the 18th April, is made retroactive thus applying to the fifteen thousanc or more men who have already returned, honourably discharged. Nursing sißtcrs participate in the grant upor tho same terms as soldiers. Separation allowances as well as pay are inelude d, The extra pay is granted with a view to enabling tho Boldiers to maintain themselves while finding employment and becoming re-absorbed intc civil occupations in which they can earn a livelihood. It will mean the additional expenditure of probably at-least fifty million dollars. This, with the deferred pay now held back by the Government and available to tho returned icon on discharge, will go far towards finnncinrr the soldiers till they can again adjust themselves to the vocations of peace. Tho giving of land grants to the returned soldiers is strongly opposed in seme quarters, and it has not beet, seriously proposed so far. The entire exportable surplus of tho eheesn output of Carada, it is said, may ho purchased bv Britain this year for the use of the British, Canadian, and Allied soldiers.

Tlic first party of women and \'uldren returning to Canada from England under the scheme recently !nvigurated arrived safclv at Ilahrax on the '20th of April, there bein<r moro than six hundred women and children on hoard. Tlfcrc are twenty-seven members of Parliament either serving now nr who havo Ktrvi-d wit'.i the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in the present war; twenty-two of them, «it-Gonernl Sir Sam Huschon", former Minister of Militia, listed an having served ove" Cf> n. t'Mrte-n of these have returned to Canada • on<> member. T,ip' , te*Vint- r ''>!finel Han— Raker, f'> r Uromi", Qi:eVc. foil in aet'on: I'liri'tr. Hon. Dr Henri S. forme- PoitmasteffJereral. who :« s'i'l n f,r!F'" ,, .cr of war, Hvin;: horn v.'nvrde r l ard rnntured w'tib scn-ina lit Antwrr\ arc still overS3P I '. A' least t —c*t'-nro in sight f->v p— rx-editint the work of p—for spring seedins in' Ontario; a number are now a*

work. Ten are provided by the Ontario Department of Agriculture, r.nd live have bei-n purchased by the War Production Club, members of tho Toronto Board of Trade, out of their own pockets.

The Government, at tho request of the Military Hospitals Commission, has dccided to increase tho subsistence allowance for disabled 6oldiers in training for new occupations from 60 cents fto one dollar a day. By tho same Order-in-Councj'l meu of the naval and flyingservices arc brought into the scheme of training on the sam« footing with land lighters—a singlo man to Ycceivo S-10l uioutii pocket money besides his maintenance, like tho married man—and the allowances fo r dependent kinsfolk are .-•x tended to.relatives who have not l.een drawing separation allowances. As a result of a report made to the I nitod State# War Department byLieu-t<"-nnnt-Colonel John 13. Bennett and Major I>. B. Foulois, after investigation of Canada's aviation schools, i'ip Ignited, Stales, it is said, will adont the Canadian.system. which is described as » model of cfficiencv.