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GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAY. From London yesterday a dispatch said: The Germans, heavily reinforced, delivered strong attacks against the British on the Somme front. They gained ground in Mametz woods and Trones woods. An official announcement issued late today says all the German attacks were beaten off. except in Mametz and Trones woods. Since the commencement of the battle the enemy has received large reinforcements, the announcement says. Yesterday and last night strong hostile attacks were made against several points of our new positions. Except in Mametz wood and Trones wood, in both of which localities the Cermans regained some ground, all these attacks were beaten off. with loss to the enemy. Between the main battle field and the sea. we have been engaged actively in bombarding the enemys positions and raiding his front line. Southeast of Loos, a party of royal Irish fusiliers penetrated the enemys trenches at a point where they were held strongly and remained there for twenty-minutes, during which time heavy fighting took place in the trenches. Many Germans were killed. Our casualties were slight. Opposite the Ilohen-zollern redoubt, two companies of Seaforth Highlanders forced their way into another portion of the enemys trenches after a stiff fight. Many Germans were killed or wounded. A hostile machine gun was destroyed. Several dugouts crowded with the enemy were bombed successfully and some prisoners were taken. The French war office report of yesterday said: "The Germans delivered two attacks on a French position in the neighborhood of Dead Man hill on the Verdun front. The war office announcement of today says that both of these assaults failed, breaking down under French fire. East of the Meuse the French retook part of the ground won yesterday by the Germans. In the operations east of the Meuse the French took eighty prisoners, of whom one is an officer. There were no developments last night on the Somme front. The French conducted successful raids in the Champaigne and in Lorraine. On both banks of the River Somme last night passed quietly- In the Champaigne district we captured some prisoners in the course of a small operation near Cernay. Also we delivered successful surprise attacks upon trenches of the enemy between Maisons de Champaigne and Le Cnlvire, on the north of Ville-sur-Tourbe. On the left bank of the river Meuse two att-icks upon one of our trenches at Dead Man hill failed completely under our lire. On the right bank of the river a night counter-attack delivered by our troops east of the Fumin made it possible for us to reoccupy a portion of the territory taken yesterday by the enemy. .We took eighty prisoners, including one officer. In the Lorraine district, sector of Rcillon, we drove the Germans back from certain trendies where yesterday they secured a footing." Two battalions of Pennsylvania infantry, one of the Second Regiment and one of the Tenth, broke camp at El Paso. Texas, yesterday and prepared to entrain for Marathon, Texas. It was announced at military headquarters that the state troops had been ordered to re-enforce the border patrol in the Big Bend district. The orders followed closely reports from the district that Mexican bandits had raided the Laniula mine, an American property about 100 miles south of the lorder. and that residents along the frontier near Boquillas, Texas, feared the outlaws were moving north. Belief was expressed in military circles that it was this band that General Carranza referred to when lie repeatedly warned the State Department that he was informed that Villista bandits were moving north from Jimenez witli the intention of attacking the American border. Mexican authorities in Juarez said they were without information concerning jibe .baud, but assumed if the reports of the raiding of the mine are cor- I rect it was done by one of the detachments of the Villistas who scattered following the recent attack upon Jimenez. Mayor Mitchel and representative physicians of New York, including the members of the advisory board of the health department, lipid confer-eiice yesterday to ascertain whether any further steps can be taken to check the epidemic of infantile paralysis. The meeting was called as the result of an increase of 100 per cent in the number of cases reported. This conference brought together the most experienced medical talent in the city, comprising senior practitioners witli wide experience in childrens diseases and epidemics, as well as outside experts. The mayor will transmit to his department chiefs any orders that may be recommended by the meeting. The spread of the disease is generally around the centers in South Brooklyn and the lower East Side of Manhattan, where the epidemic has flourished since its development early in June. Some eases, however, have been discovered in the other sections of Brooklyn, and a few in the upper residential districts of Manhattan. The London Daily News says the British government is disposed to take a very serious view of the status of the German submarine Deutschland. The official opinion is said to be that under existing circumstances a submarine cannot be classed as a merchant vessel at all. The American government faces a new and delicate problem which adds one more to the already numerous points on which a decision after the war will be imperative, the News continues. Even if a submarine merchantman can prove herself to be unarmed, the difficulties of supervising such a craft, even in harbor, must be almost insuperable for the friendly neutral. If such a vessel chose it is fairly clear she, with the advantages she possesses, might abuse most grossly the hospitality extended to her. Democratic and Republican senate leaders conferred yesterday on measures to speed the work of congress witli a view to an early adjournment for the political campaign. Democrats agreed on a legislative program and decided to hold the senate in session nine hours daily until it is completed. The attitude of Republicans indicated that they, too, are anxious to get away. There is less and less evidence that they will resort to a filibuster on the shipping or revenue bills, although both will be fought vigorously. Democrats hope none of the administrations big measures will meet dilatory tactics. Imperative legislation on the Democratic program is given as the army and navy appropriation bills, the child labor and corrupt practices measures and the revenue bill. Clarence I. Peck, pioneer resident of Chicago and retired capitalist and real estate owner, is dead at his summer home at Oconomoe, Wis., after an illness of several years. He will be buried at Rose-hill, after services in the chapel there. Mr. Peck was born in Chicago in 1841. His father, Phillip I. W. Peck, came from Buffalo in 1S30 witli a boatload of merchandise and began business in what was then a small village 011 the edge of a swamp. In 1S31 the elder Feck built the first, brick building in Chicago at. Washington and LaSalle streets, and it was in this house that Clarence I. Peck was born. The family later moved to Jackson and Clark streets, where the Grand Pacific Hotel now stands. The latest dispatch of yesterday from Berlin said: German troops on the right bank of the River Meuse pushed forward their positions to a point nearer Souville and the Laufee works, taking thirty-nine officers and 2.100 men, says the official statement issued today by the German army headquarters staff. Russian troops which attempted to establish themselves on the left bank of the Stokhod river in the advance toward Kovel were attacked by German troops and defeated. In the east the Russians are engaged in heavy battles in the extreme northwestern corner of Bukowiua, where they are inflicting further defeats on the army of General Pflauzcr, now cut off from General von Bothmers forces to the north, and also along the Stokhod river, where the Austrians and Germans are putting up formidable resistance. The Stokhod is a shallow river, but marshes on either side impede movements of troops and guns. The Spanish railroad strike situation shows no improvement. Premier Ronianones and the minister of public works conferred with leaders of .the employes and railroad directors yesterday without results and the strike began at midnight, at which hour all trains on the Northern Railroad were to be stopped. Meanwhile all the principal railroad stations have been occupied by troops. The Chinese Prince, a British steamship which left New York April 15 for far eastern ports, has been seized by the .collector of customs at Manila as she was about to leave for Vladivostok, and a fine of 1.000,000 pesos has been imposed for 2.000 missing packages consigned to Manila merchants. The packages were confiscated by the British authorities at Penang. For the first time in Kansas, so far as is known, wheat is being thrashed by electric power. Nine wlieat growers at Abilene have organized a cooperative company, purchased an outfit and secure current over a transmission line. They claim the cost is fifty per cent less than thrashing by steam power. The French chamber of commerce has adopted a resolution, urging the government to introduce a bill providing for the requisitioning of the entire French merchant marine for the duration of the war. According to a dispatch to the Paris .Tournel from the Italian front, the Austrians appear to have evacuated Tolmino on the Isonzo front.
