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GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAY. A vigorous protest is being prepared by the State Oepartiueut against the removal by the French cruiser Descartes of six Germans and Austiians from the American steamships Carolina, Coamo and San Juan on the high seas. The note will contend that removal of citizens of any nation from an American vessel on the high seas is without legal justification. It will be asserted in the note, as it was a year ago in a protest to France in the case of August Piepenbrink, that the men removed were not embodied "in the armed forces of the enemy" in the sense of that term in established international law. For the first time since the seizure of the cotton steamer Dacia a serious dis-put with France is threatened. The third steamer held up by the cruiser Descartes was the San Juan, from which two passengers were taken at midnight. These passengers were William Gun-thevodt and Fritch Lothar, both of Xew Orleans. Previously the Descartes had held up and searched the Coamo and Carolina. The State Department is awaiting the arrival of these vessels m port to obtain a lull report of the taking of Germans off the vessels and to clear up the report that the Descartes fired four solid shots at the Coamo. If such shots were fired the seizure assumes a serious phase. Following close on the suggestion in President W ilsons Message to Congress that a commission be appointed to ascertain the needs of the railroads and the presidents declaration that the railroads prosperity was interlocked with the prosperity of the whole country, the inter-state commerce commission has granted a substantial increase in passenger rates on western railroads. The president on Tuesday declared the transportation problem lies at the foundation of our efficiency as a people. Saturday— four days later — the commission declared passenger rates of 2.4 cents a mile — an average increase to the public of .4 cents— were justified in several states and allowed a rate of 2.6 cents a mile in others. The increase is substantially what tile roads asked for. according to Carl C. Wright, general counsel for the Xorthwestern Railroad, who Jed in the arguments before the commission for a 2.5 cents interstate rate. He said an annual increase in passenger revenue of between ,000,000 and .000,00 would accrue to the roads. A Paris dispatcb of Sunday morning savs: Confirmation came from authoritative sources tonight of re| orts that the allies are evacuating Serbia. At the same time it was announced that the Anglo-French forces have no intentiou of abandoning the Balkan campaign: on the contrary, it was sated several additional army corps will be transported to Saloniki for an offensive movement early next spring, if not this winter. The decision "against abandonment of the Balkan campaign was reached at todays session of the allied war council. Sir Edward CJrey. British foreign minister: Lord Kitchener, Premier Briand and General Gallieni. the French war minister, were in lengthy conference after the council adjourned. When their meeting ended an official statement was given out declaring the allies had reached a complete agreement un urgent problems of the war. Postmaster-General Burlesons annual report says the European war has cost the American postal service 1. mh».o;»0. but that economies of administration have reduced the audited deficit to a little more than 1,000,000 for the fiscal year which ended last June. Considerations of service, the report savs. were placed above all others and notwithstanding adverse revenue conditions, expansion and improvement of |« stal facilities continued. Had it not been for economical reorganization begun before the war started and continued since, the postmaster-general says the audited deficit would have been at least 4,000,000. Of the total deficit, however, his analysis of the departments finances declares that all but a little more than $:WO.000 was the result of increases of postal salaries and additional railway mail pay required by law. Cocienhagon and Amsterdam dispatches tell of a demonstration iu Berlin, with the crowds shouting for peace, even insulting the crown prince, who has arrived at Berlin, but there is no direct continuation of these stories. Reports from Switzerland of peace demonstrations in Hungary receive some attention in London. There is a "strong peace party in Hungary and a lwlitical body which advocates secession from the war. The Exchange Telegraphs Copenhagen c-orresjioudeut sent the following dispatch: Details are slowly arriving here regarding Thursdays rioting in Berlin. At least 50.000 persons participated. The i»olice charged the crowd repeatedly, killing and wounding many. The crown prince, who had just arrived from the front, was subjected to offensive cries. The French report of military operations issuel Saturday night says: "In the region of Iteve our batteries dispersed a troop on the march and some enemy convoys on the NSfl from Villers. In the Argoune. north of the Four de Paris, we exploded two mines which destroyed a gallery where enemy miners were at work. On the heights of the Meuse. in the sector of the Bois Bouchet. our artillery tii-e cHused important destructive effects on the trenches of the first line and their support, as well as on the enemy shelters. General .Toffre has designated • ietieral Edouard do Curb-res ile t.i-tilnni as chief of the general staff, but continues himself iu general command of all French fronts. De Casteluau is known as the savior of Xancy. because of his work early in the war." The Bulgarian premier. M. Radoslavoff. stated in an interview that the central powers have over a million men at their disposal in the Balkans, says ■ dispatch to the Central Xews Agency from Amsterdam. Great Britain notified the state department that it was taking the steiniers Hooking and Genesee of the Ameri an Transatlantic company to London for prize court adjudication. The federal trade* commission Monday will hear the National Lumber Manufacturers Association u: its uppeals for reforms in the lumber industry.
