UNITED STATES' PREPARATIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3315, 26 September 1917, Page 17

UNITED STATES' PREPARATIONS.

WAR FINANCES. Congress has unanimously passed a 7,000,000,000d0l urgent deficiency Bill, carrying huge appropriations to f>rosecute th© war. A Congressional conference agreed to a Bond Bill for 11,600,000,000 dollars. Mr Baker (Secretary of War) has submitted additional army estimates totalling 287,000,000 dollars. Mr Baker has explained that tho additional estimates are to help to ©quip and supply an army of 2,300,000 men during next year. Tho next Liberty Loan campaign opens on October 1. The issue will be from, three to four thousands of million dollars. "The New York Herald states that American troops will launch a big drive on the west front next summer, but will start active duty in tho trenches before Christmas. Mr Hoover, Food Controller, _ warned a business conference that Socialism might be the penalty if the employers failed to realise their war responsibilities and did not co-operate with the Government. The New York World says that an allied committee,- comprising five members, has been appointed to control and distribute the world's sugar supply. President Wilson has fixed the price of copper at 23g cents. The United States Government proposes to establish a chain of Red Cross instruction hospitals, where wounded and maimed will be restored to health and taught trades. The Vice-president of tho United States (Mr Marshall) st ited in a speech that at the close of the war America must bo free to resume her policy of isolation, untrammelled by entangling alliances with European nations. He added: "This expresses but'lamely Mr Wilson's views." ALLIED SHIPPING CONTROL. The United Press reports that Britain has agreed that tho United States shall be dictator of all allied shipping, thus making the United States a strongly centralised Power and virtually the whole War. The United States will control all affairs unselfishly and in the national interests. CANADA AND CONSCRIPTION. The composition of the Borden Coalition Cabinet has been practically decided upon. The first 100,000 men under the new Conscription Act will be selected before November 11. From these 25,000 men will be prepared to go overseas immediately, and the remainder as required. The Trades and Labour Congress of Canada, dealing with the principle of compulsory service, passed a resolution thate"We do not deem it right or patriotic in Labour's interests to interfere to prevent the Government from obtaining the desired recruits by means of conscription." SERBIANS' SAD PLIGHT. Agonising details have been received regarding the situation of the Serbian population. Normally tho population is 3,170,000, but now it is 2,218,000. The reduction in the male population -is 38 per cent., including practically all the males from 18 to 60 years of age. Thirty thousand Serbian women and children —boys from the Nish district —have been deported and interned in Asia Minor, and 8000 have been delivered to tho Turks. A great number of women preferred suicide, throwing themselves out of trains going to* Asia Minor. Those left in Serbia are continually writing to their friends: —"Send us bread or we shall die." At present only £6OOO is being spent monthly in Serbian relief, though there are 2,000,000 sufferers. Sixty' thousand families are without any means of living. Serbians who have escaped from Austria state that they wero the victims and witnesses of terrible barbarities, though latterly the treatment has significantly bettered; and the change is accompanied by much talk of the restoration of Serbia. The crops in Bulgaria and Serbia are being ruthlessly requisitioned, insufficient grain being left to enable the producers to carry on. BRITAIN'S FOOD PROBLEM. Lord Rhondda states that the minimum foodstuff requirements of Bi-itain from the United States and Canada for the ensuing year will be over 10,000.000 valued at £250,000,000. The bulk of the money will be expended on cereals, sugar, and meat. The danger in regard to the food situation lies less in submarines than in' a world's food shortage. In order to stop breeding and subsequent food consumption, the London Kennel Club ceased registering dogs whelped after September 8.