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GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAY. A "d. lay no more" mass meeting held in Madison Square Gardes in New York Thursday evening at Which 15.000 people, aroused at the situation confronting this country by German ruthlessuess, I pledged support to this country and entereel their desire for a war with Germany to set right the position of this country before- tin- world. Forme-r Senator Elihu Root. President llibbe-n of Princeton and Mayor Mitchel were among the speakers. General belief was expressed at the- meeting that this country should actively engage upon the side of the allies and that an American army should be sent to the HladeabUTg line- in France, headed by Col. Roosevelt, whom, it is said, has signified his willingness to join a movement of that kind. An army of 100.000 is expe-cted to be organized for such a purpose. An American st. .inie-r. the Ili-aldton. a Standard Oil tanker, while carrying oil to Holland and while yet within the shadow of a Holland lightship, was sunk Wednesday night without warning, carrying twenty-one of the cre-w with it as it went down. A German submarine was responsible for the catastrophe, which only adds to the situation, already acute, but now possibly too far advanced to prevent war. The torpedo penetrated the engine room and is said to have caused the- Immediate death of thirteen of the crew. The survivors have been landed on the Dutch coast and being taken care of by the Hollanders. Re-potts on the war for the past twenty-four hours were as follows: London reports German resistance on western front is imrc-asiiig. British make- no important advance. Paris reports hard fighting iii neighborhood of St. Quentia, also lively engagements West of La Fere, one of the Cermaii strongholds. Berlin claims and Pe-trogracl admits Cerman advance in the Re-ve-sina river region, east of Liela. Basabias continue- advance against Turks in Persia, Petrograd reports Britala to take further drastic- action to conserve food; "meatteas" days ka hote-is and restaurants. Seventeen officers, who are attending tin- Aaaapolhi port-graduate school, have beea ordered by the Naval Department to report for duty at tie- various assignment places mapped out for them. They will, no doubt, be given places which will cause-them to assist the navy in protecting commerce and to make psasthlr the furtherance of the plans to see- that submarine- activities against the nations ships shall be- prevented, if possible. The following American boats have been sunk by Cerman submarinis since- the new Ce-rman undersea "frightfulness" campaign went into effect this year: February 3 — Houoatonlc, no fasunllhsi February 13 — Lyman M. Law. no casualties; March 12 — Algonquin, unwarned, no casualties; March IS — Vig-ilancia. unwarned, fifteen missing: City of Memphis, warned; Illinoi-. no casualties: March 21 — Ileahl-ton. unwarned, twenty-one missing. A joint plan of alignment, by which the navies of the- Entente could semi their naval vessels into ports or naval bases of this country for repairs or munitions and a reciprocal agreement whereby the vessels of this country, under similar conditioaa, could do like-wise-, is about to be enacted, according to advices from Washington. Many boat owners have pledged their craft to this country in case-of hostilities. Inless Olimsaj abandons forthwith her policy of ruthless and indiscriminate destruction on the high seas, there can be no hope of a peaceful settlement is the gist of a Statement made by Pre*. Wilson. in a summary of the situation confronting this conn try on the- ere of an almost inevitable declaration of war. That Germany will not abandon the submarine campaign, now far advanced, is an almost fare gent conclusion. Asphyxiating gas bombs thrown into the open city of Monastir by the- Bulgarians in their violent bombardment on March IT. killed more than sixty civilians, including twenty -five wonie-n and thirty-one children, according to dispatches received in this country. Nearly twenty others, mostly women and children, wen- killed by shi-11 fire. Colonel George W. Rurr. commandant at Rock Island arsenal, has received orders from Washington to operate arsenal shops on two t-VJ hour shifts and to suspend the- usual Saturday half holiday. The new orde-r will mean vastly increased production. Time and a half will be- allowed for all work in excess of eight hours. During Qermaajrf first month of submarine blockade around England anil Scotland and Ireland. America ■ export trade through New Turk to those countries dropped tP8.888.888, as compared with that in February of 1818, according to figures made public in New York Wednesday by the collector of customs.
