UNITED STATES.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 May 1917, Page 5

UNITED STATES.

THE -PROPOSED EXPEDITIONARY | FORCE. Washington, May <l. I The first war conference between the Allies and America discussed the proposed expeditionary; force. Al- decision was not reached. SUBMARINE PROBLEM SOLVED. New York, May <J. The 'New York Evening World states that the Naval Consulting Board has solved the submarine problem and submitted a plan to the Navy Department based on aetual experiments. New York, May C. The general opinion is that the proposed system of dealing with submarines will consist of a scheme whereby Britain and America will co-operate in the mce complete blockading of the North S':a, even if it entails greatly diminished supplies for neutrals. AN OFFICIAL REPORT. •!" London, May fl. A Russian communique; sajts: On the Caucasus fronts, for strategical reasons, our troops in the Ognot and Mush regions took up new positions. The Turks occupied Mush. On the western front our heavy artillery bombarded the station of Povweiak, east of Kovel, causing great explosions. Our aeroplanes bombed stations on the Vilna and Roumanian front. The enemy took the offensive west of Monestirka and Kachinul, but our heavy gun 3 drove him back to the trendies. RUSSIAN NORTHERN FRONT IN DANGER. Petrograd, May < t . General Koaniloff, in command of the troops in Petrograd, announced that he had received reports , that the enemy was concentrating large iorccs on the Russian northern front. German merchantmen at Libau were ready, as soon as the ice melted, to embark troops, an<t under cover of the German fleet, carry out a landing, possibly close to Petrograd. Accordingly orders had been given for the reorganisation of the reserve.* at 'Petrograd in order to defend the capital against the foreign enemy and consolidate the freedom w:on by Russia. LOAN SUBSCRIPTIONS. 1 Washington May 0. The Liberty Loan subscriptions are now twenty million dollars hourly. MR BALFOUR OVATIONEB. Washington), May 16. The British Commissioners visited the House of Representatives. Mr Balfour, in his speech, eulogised America's entrance into the war to assist in the overthrow of the German design to dominate civilisation. He . received a great ovation. Mr Balfour subsequently received a Home Rule deputation, who urged a settlement of the Irish question, and promised to cable their viewa to London. AMERICAN ACTION. Over a week before the American declaration of war the President and the Secretary of the Navy had decided upon the following measures: diate construction of 60 submarine chasfrs at the New York Navy Yard, their delivery to begin of one every three days. (2) The construction of 200 and as many more submarines chasers as private shipbuilding companies are able to build within the next few months, these to bo ■ 110-foot motor patrol boats, on contracts ranging from three to five months. (o> Arrangements to draw upon privately owned motor c.'aft available for navy use along the entire Atlantic coast. (4) The enrolment of voluntary crews for these boats among yachtsmen, the commanders pi naval districts being ready to call them out and begin patrol work without delay. (5) A submarine patrol off the ■American coaßt, insuring the safe passage to and from American ports for all '«hips, and a working agreement with British and French patrol squadronsN which are'now endeavoring to protect ships passing through the German submarine zone. (6) The utilisation of the £23,000,000 naval emergency fund for the purchase and construction of submarine chasers, for small craft for use in anti-submarine ■work, aircraft, guns, ammunition and the more expeditious construction of the •ships which are now being built or which iire under contract or authorised by Congress. (7) The suspension of the provisions of the eight-hour law with respect to naval construction and the payment of tin* and one-half for all overtime work on naval orders. (8) An immediate graduation of some, if not all, of the first class of midshipmen at the naval academy, the men to be at once commissioned second lieutenants. (9) The immediate raising of the number of men in the navy, which has now been, recruited to about 60,000, to the full, emergency limit 01 STjgKl. . 1 *