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. . , I 5 3 i 3 l r y p s y ,f i as IS GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAY In anticipation of a declaration of war on Austria, Department of Justice-: agents yesterday were laying plans for the arrest throughout the country of scores of Austro-Huiigarian subjects suspected of being enemy agents. Many of these1 men have been under surveillance for months, but . lack of definite evidence prevented their interment. With the adoption of a war resolution nearly l,00O,0ifl Austrian subjects in the United States .automatically become enemy aliens and amenable to President Wilsons recent order requiring registration: of aliens and restricting their activities. Cardinal Bourne, archbishop of Westminster, has communicated to the Morning Post a .statement from Cardinal Gasparri, the papal secretary of state, answering the Posts, accusation that the Vatican was implicated in disruptive propaganda in Italy and is unneutral. Cardinal Gasparri declares that the accusation is an "atrocious calumny" and says that the hierarchy and clergy in Italy have given the most open and most generous help to the countrys cause and have received unreserved praise from the Italian parliament and government. Postponement of the Austrian war declaration by Congress until next week npieared probable yesterday after conferences between chairmen of the Senate and House foreign committees. Chairman Flood of the House committee said lie hoped to get the resolution liefore the House tomorrow, but postponement until Friday appeared probable nud in such ah event it was hot believed that the Sehato could act before next week unless simultaneous consideration in both houses could be arranged. A decree authorizing the signing of an agreement with the French government for the use of thirty former German ships is published by the newspapers at Rio Janeiro. A statement issued by the finance minister places the total tonnage of these shins at 249,500. France, it adds, is to place at the disposal of Brazil 110,000,000 francs and will purchase 2,000,000 bags of coffee and Brazilian cultural products to the value of 100,000,000 francs. The French foreign office announced officially yesterday that at the recent interallied conference, in which the United States participated, agreements were concluded "upon the basis of a complete understanding and close solidarity among the allies for the solution" of the question in which they have a common interest in the wur." It was also announced that the creation of a supreme interallied naval committee had been decided upon. , An exceptionally heavy artillery bombardment from the enemy position around Asiago last night and through the early hours yesterday appears to foreshadow the long-expected resumption of the heavy offensive from the north. The cannonade was of extreme violence, the enemy using heavy as well as middle caliber guns, says a report from the Italian headquarters. Government operation of railroads for the duration of the war. if unification is not permitted by Congress, was recommended yesterday by the Interstate Commerce Commission. An increase in rates, a government loan of money and the suspension of the nnti-trust and anti-pooling laws as far as the railroads are concerned was suggested as an alterna- tive. Among the troops and units that have arrived in Italy with the" British and French armies, is a large group of aviators patiently waiting to get into action. The British have sent a large contingent of fliers, half of whom are young Canadians and Americans, who have been doing scout work in Flanders and northern France. Says a dispatch from Peking: Rebels from Hunan province are being engaged heavily by govern men troops near Chungking. The foreign consuls there have telegraphed that they have made every preparation to protect foreign, lives and property should the government troops be defeated aud Chungking attacked. Premier Czernin of Austria-Hungary announces ills countrys pence terms as based on recognition of national integrity, economic liberty, complete independence of all countries and guaranties of the nations free development, according to a Zurich dispatch printed by Llnformatiou yesterday, Draft registrants, whose classification anil order numbers are so low that they do not full within the current quotas of their local boards, may at their own request be immediately inducted into the military service, Provost Marshal General Crowder yesterday announced. The British steamer Apapa lias been torpedoed and sunk, accordiugto the London morning papers. Eighty passengers and the crew of the vessel perished. About 120 passengers were saved. It is. re- ported that the submariue fired on women and children in open boats. The enemy has begun an attack on the Italian lines on the Asiago plateau, the Italian war department announced yesterday. The only successes achieved have leen the capture of some positions, the loss of which has not weakened the Italian de- fensive line. The1 war trade board went actively to work yesterday on a classification of nonememy firms in Central und South America to serve American merchants barred from trade with 1.G00 concerns blacklisted, except under special license. Rear Admiral Charles Custis Rogers, N. S. N., retired, who was constructor of the naval station at Guantanamo, Cuba, 1904-00, died at a hospital in Washington Tuesday. He was 01 years old and a native of Virginia. Ambassador Jusserand presented yesterday nftcr-s noon to President Wilson, a bronze medul from the people of France to commemorate the entrance of the United States into the world war, A number of Americans havo been captured by the Germans in the fighting around Cambral, ac-cording to unofficial advices from the British head-- quarters in France. Thirteen Norwegian steamers of a gross touuage of 19,092 -were lost duriug November by causes arising from the war. Forty-one lives were lost through same causes. From Petrograd comes word that the Bolahevki iiau secured 00,000,000 in gold front the- Moscow . branch of the .Russian National bank. Christmas mail for American troops is beginning to arrive in France.
