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GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAY. General Joffre. the leading me:a!ier of he commission in America to give the French side of the war and to ask America for assistance in prosecuting the war to a successful conclusion now that America has declared against Germanys warfare, would like to have an American army iu the front line trenches in France. The tield marshal holds that the effect BgaM the morals of the Preach poilu would be tremendous ami would MM to hasten to a successful conclusion the present struggle. A semi-official Berlin statement says that the German government, at the reaaarat of neutral states having vessels detained in Knglish halliors owing to the German blockade, has offered to permit the departure of these vessels on May 1. promising them safe passage in the barred zone, except for danger from mines, provided they carry safety signs and keep within a fixed route. The conscription bill, which is having a hand time of it in Congress, although almost certain of passage, will be voted upon in the House and Senate Saturday, according to advices from Washington. Military men expect a general call to the colors in four months time. Miners working in the anthracite coal fields of the eastern states have beea granted a voluntary wage increase. The ruling will apply to about two hundred and twenty-five thousand workers and will mean an added wage of 20 per cent the gross earnings. The vigilance of the Montreal police frustrated an attempt to subject the Canadian parliament to a poison gas attack Thursday night, according to officials of Parliament and the police. A heavy guaid was thrown around the government buildings. Berlin Iniversity has stricken the names of fourteen male ami four female American students from its lists. They were the last remaining of fifty male and seven female students matriculated at the beginning of last winters courses. Count Reveutlow asserts in the Tages Zeitung that Talaat Pasha, the Turkish Grand Vizer. is conferring with the German naval and military experts on the question of possible concessions to Russia iu connection with the Dardanelles. According to plans already formulated by bankers and financial agencies iu this country. America will need to loan the Allies about five hundred millions of dollars u month to help them properly carry on the war. A violent earthquake, lasting several niinutcs, occurred in Tuscany and tmhria Thursday. Considerable material damage was done in both provinces and there were a large number killed at Alonterchi. About two hundred thousand bushels of wheat intended for the Allied armies and contained in an elevator in Erie, Pa., were destroyed by fire. The net loss is said to aggregate six hundred thousand dollars. A recommendation to all Greeks in this country that they serv the interests of their own country t by enlisting in the American army, was made Friday in a communication from Elutherios Aeni-zelos. American army officers, who are to lead the hosts America is preparing to send to France, are to be sent to the battle fronts on the French -British line to study actual battle conditions under fire. British naval men do not believe an extensive raid will ever be attempted upon the Ualted States coast by German submarines or naval vessels of any kind.
