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1 j 1 1 ; I 1 GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAY. The latest summary of the activities on the various war fronts is as follows: Artillery activity of increasing violence and the rapid drying up of the ground in the vicinity of the battle lines in Flanders indicate a renewal of the allied drive toward the German U-boat bases on the Belgian coast within the next forty-eight hours. In the meantime Canadian troops are steadily tightening their lines about Lens, their outposts now being within a few yards of those of the enemy, according to unofficial reports. A desperate hand to hand battle for possession of the city is expected at any time. In the Champagne three separate attacks against the French lines were repulsed, the French following up their advantage by counter attacks which penetrated the German lines at all three points. The Germans also suffered heavily when a fierce attack between the Avocourt wood and Dead Man Hill, in the Verdun sector, was caught in a hurricane of fire and smothered. On the eastern front the result of General Korniloffs efforts to restore discipline in the Russian army is becoming more apparent in the gradual stiffening of the Slavic resistance to the Teuton drive. While the retreat continues in some sectors, the Teutons are being forced to fight for each advance. In the region west of the Zbrocz on the Russian-Galician frontier Austro-German troops are reported hastily gathering the harvest. Only minor activities are reported on other fronts. The situation in Poland is critical, according to information received by the correspondent at Lausanne, Switzerland of the Exchange Telegraph company. The Germans are said to be discussing the possibility of an organized revolt on the part of the Poles. All German women in Poland, including the wives of high military and civil officials, have returned to Germany. Martial law, the correspondent adds, has been declared at Warsaw and in other Polish centers. Riots which have been suppressed with much bloodshed in the mining area have been renewed. Austro-Hungarian newspapers, according to a telegram from Vienna, view Chinas declaration of war as the work of the entente, especially President Wilson. It is aimed as a blow at German and Austro-Hungarian business interests in China and to oust two troublesome trade competitors by furnishing the Chinese with a pretext not to pay their debts, rescind railway and mining concessions granted to Austrians and Germans, confiscate Austro-German capital invested in the country, seize their ships and intern their subjects. A record crop of corn is promised this year. The indicated yield of this king of American cereal is 8,191.000,000 bushels a larger crop that was ever raised in a single year before. It is 07,000,000 bushels larger than was indicated in the July report, and COS, 000,000 bushels larger than was raised last year. And, best of all, private reports are that since the date of compiling these figures, the whole western part of the corn belt has been drenched; with rain, thus adding many millions more to the prospective yield. British forces, after artillery bombardment of drumfire intensity, last night pressed forward from Nieuport, on the coastal sector of the Belgian front, but were driven back after hand to hand fighting, it was officially announced yesterday by the German army headquarters staff. The artillery activity in Flanders, the statement adds, increased during the night to greater intensity. Repeated strong entente attacks between Draibank and Fre-zenberg, northeast of Ypress, were repulsed by the Germans. The newspaper Novoye Vremya of Pctrograd reports that the Russians have evacuated Proskurov, in Podolia. on the Bug, as well as Kamcnetz Pod-dolsk, fifty-three miles south. Kamenetz Pod-dolsk is the capital of Podolia, on the Smotritch. an affluent of the Dniester. Under the Poles it was an important fortress. Its population is 34,-500. Proskurovis is on the main road from Kamcnetz Poddolsk in the same province. It is an important garrison town and has a population of 23,-000. That the next American troops to go abroad will be sent to Russia and that others are soon to go to Italy, was the declaration of Senator J. Hamilton Lewis on the floor of the Senate yesterday. "The next legions of our men to go forth," said he, "will be to Russia to support the" loyal Russian armies now fighting under the principles of our making. These shattered but struggling people we must go to with food and supplies and also with our men." The democratic movement in Germany which reformers were sure was getting such a splendid start in the recent reichstag crisis now seems to be slipping backward downgrade; The liberal and radical newspapers in Germany generally interpret the selection by Dr. Michaelis, the chancellor, of his colleagues as a distinct rejection of the principle of parliamentarism or parliamentary influence upon the administration. Phillip Scheidemann, socialist member of the German reischstag, in a speecli delivered at Mannheim, Baden, before 6,000 people, demanded in the interest of peace the quick substitution for the present government of Chancellor Michaelis, of a government really representing the will of the German people. Believing a break with Germany inevitable, Argentinas army of 100,000 men will be mobilized this month, according to reliable information received at Washington yesterday in government circles. The pro-ally sentiment has been sharpened by revelations of German espionage plots, it was stated. The food bill passed through the last stage of legislative enactment at 4 oclock yesterday afternoon when it was finally adopted by the Senate in the form previously approved by the House. The vote was 66 to 7. President Wilsons signature will make it a law. Official advices from Chios say the Turks have bombarded the island from Tchesme, a seaport of Asia Minor forty miles from Smyrna, sinking four sailing vessels and slightly damaging the town and the aviation grounds. Four Americans were lost on the British steamer Belgian Prince, which was sunk July 31 by a German submarine. One American is among the survivors.
