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GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAY Diplomatic information from Holland emphasizes the extreme gravity of the German -Holla ml situation, says a dispatch from London. Germany has made demands which mean the abandonment of Hollands neutrality, if she yields. Between the devil and the deeii sea. Holland fears to forsake her neutrality. The questions here are: Will she yield, ami what will Germany do if she does not yield? The aggressive tone of the German press indicates Germany will not recede from the course by which she seems to he deliberately picking a quarrel with Holland. The newspai»er Cermania shows Germanys hand, saying: "This is Hollands chance fur redress and to balance her concessions to the entente. Sooner or later both Holland and Switzerland must enter one or the other camp. May they understand the signs of the times and choose that side which will have the deciding voice at the peace conference by right of success and victory." Fighting of the most desperate character attends the German attempt to enlarge on the capture of Mont Kemmel. on the Flanders front, as the Franco-British troons strive to hold the enemy in check. On the vital sector of the Picardy front east of Amiens the allied soldiers have driven the Germans from more of the ground they gained earlier in tlie week. The fall of Mont Kemmel is a serious blow to the security of the salient about Ypres. but to gain a complete victory the Germans must strike quickly. This they are trying to do. while the allied troops resist strenuously. While Kem-mels capture by the enemy does not mean the immediate evacuation of Ypres. military observers say. it does menace the British positions there, and a further retirement in the next few days is not unlikely. Late reports yesterday say that in continued iiiiinterattacks oil the front east of Amiens, the allies gained further advantages in the Hiingard Villers-Bretonneux sector. The French have recaptured imsitioiis from Locre to La Clytte in Flanders, west of Mount Kemmel. The fighting in Flanders north of the I.ys has lieen extremely seven. The enemy advance was held at all points. Heavy losses have been inflicted oil the Germans. The standing of American aviators based on the number of adversaries shot down to date follows: Maj. Raoul Luflierv, IS; Maj. William Thaw. 5: Lieut. Frank Baer. 5; Sergt. Baylies, 5; Capt. Charles Piddle. 2. and Sergt. Vernon Booth. Xergt. August Grehore Second Lieutenant Henry Crende-lass. Sergt. Thomas Hitchcock. Lieut. Friest Lanier. Sergt. David Putnam. Sergt. W. A. Wellman, Lieut. Allan Wiuslow ami Lieut. Douglas Campbell, 1 each. Tlie formation in Vienna of an "anti-Emperor Charles party." composed of persons prominent iu court circles." is reported in a Vienna dispatch to the Tageblatt of Berlin. The chief argument of th" promoters of this movement, the dispatch says, is that Eiii|M-ror Charles is under the influence of Empress Zita. who has failed to grasp the Austrian |Kiint of view. Word has reached this country from Armenia confirming the recent reports that Turkey was taking methodical measures to annihilate the race in every locality which the Turks have rcoccupictl. All Armenians arc l cing put to death and unless it is pos-sible to intervene at an early date the Armenian race may be exterminated. Seventeen persons are known to have lieen injured and others are liclicved to have been overcome in the plant of the Chicago Cold-Stomge Company, in this city, yesterday, as the result of the explosion of a MM gallon ammonia tank. Surgeon General William C. Gorgas. of the United States army, was a visitor in Chicago yesterday.
