I
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H
DOUBLING
" OF TAXES
WASHINGTON, D. C., May 28.—
Congressional leaders have been ad
vised by Secretary McAdoo that leg
islation at this session of congress
is imperative to provide revenue to
meet the unexpected increases in ex
penses incident to the vast expansion
of tho nation’s war program.
A statement of the country’s finan
cial situation, upon which the amount
of additional taxes and bonds needed
may be calculated, has been prepared
at the treasury for submission with
in the next two or three days to the
committees of the senate and house.
Whether congress will undertake
at the present session upward revi
sion of the war revenue law of last
fall, leaders at the capitol said to
night, depends upon the impression
made by this statement. If it demon
strates that it is essential to act now
instead of waiting until December, as
planned, hope of adjournment by July
1 will go glimmering, and congress
probably will be here until fall.
Secretary McAdoo’s belief that leg
islation must be enacted at once was
expressed in a letter to Senator Sim
mons, of North Carolina, chairman
of the senate finance committee.
The unexpectedly heavy estimates
of expenditures for the coming year
include the $15,000,000,000 army pro
gram, about $1,500,000,000 for the
navy, with further estimates expect
ed. and $2,250,000,000 for the ship
ping board.
Senator Simmons said tonight that
the tacit agreement to defer further
revenue legislation until next Decem
ber was made before these new esti
mates were submitted. The situation
now, he said, is materially changed,
and will have to be considered in the
new light when Secretary McAdoo’s
formal statement is presented.
Representative Kitchin, of North
Carolina, democratic leader of the
house and chairman of the ways and
means committee, said if additional
taxes were decided upon, the levy of
the last tax bill probably would be
doubled, lie estimated that $2,500,
000.000 in new taxes would be levied,
but other leaders placed the probable
figures at from $1,000,000,000 to $1,
500,000.000, making a total of around
$0,000,000,000. based upon the esti
mated returns of between $4,000,000,
000 and $4,500,000,000 from the pres
ent law.
Further bond issues also undoubted
ly will have to be authorized during
the present session, according to Sen
tor Simomns, regardless of when reve
nue legislation is enacted. The amount
cf the issues, however, of course will
depend upon the decision as to taxes.
Incomes and excess profits, both
Representative Kitchin and Senator
Simmons indicated, are regarded as
the principal source from which any
revenue increase must come. The for
mer said both can be doubled, while
the latter believes additional tax bur
dens should be spread more gener
ally over the poulation. More con
sumption taxes are regarded as a
strong probability.
Strong republican opposition to any
general revenue legislation at the
present session of congress is expect
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Senator Simmons explained tonight
that a decision regarding immediate
legislation largely depends on Secre
tary McAdoo’s showing of actual
treasury receipts in sight between now
and February, when it is assumed a
new bill begun next December would
be available. The basis of calculation
upon which $23,000,000,000 is fixed
upon as the amount needed for next
year necessarily is inexact since con
ditions which cannot be foreseen may
either increase or reduce the actual
government outlays.
The treasury’s estimates of expendi
tures in the fiscal year opening next
July 1, as made up last June from de
partments’ forcasts, provided for only
$12,804,000,000, not including loans to
the allies. It placed needs of the mil
itary establishments at $9,912,000,000,
instead of the $15,000,000,000 now ask
ed by the war department, the navy
department’s budget at $816,000,000,
instead of the $1,500,000,000 carried in
the pending naval appropriation bill;
and the shipping board at $900,000,000
instead of the $2,250,000,000 now
sought by the board.
CONCEALED WEAPONS.
“Isn’t that a sword cane you’ve got
there, Sam?”
“No, sah. Dat ain’t no sode cane,
sah.”
“Well, it looks like one. Sam, you
know it’s against the law to carry a
scword cane.”
“Well, I ain’t breakin’ no lo’, sah.
Dat cane I take when I goes t’ cullud
balls, sah. It ain’t no sode cane; it am
a razor cane, sah.”
LEADERS
OF LABOR
PARIS, May 28.—Previous to their
departure for England late last night
the members of the American labor
delegation were received in the cham
ber of deputies, Premier Clemenceau
being present. James Wilson, chair
man of the committee, reiterated the
decision of American labor organiza
tions not to meet German labor flele
1 gates under any consideration until
they had thrown off the imperialist
military yoke.
I The committee which received the
delegation, in addition to Premier
Clemenceau, were Paul Deschanel,
president of the chamber; ex-Premier
Paul Painleve, and Antonin Dubost,
president of the senate.
The delegates entered the chamber
as Victor Borest, the food minister,
was responding to an interpellation by
Deputy Lafont concerning the institu
tion of three meatless days a week:
The minister was being heckled and
interrupted by radical socialist depu
; ties ,and the speaker was continually
sounding his gong calling the house to
At the conclusion of M. Boret’s
I speech Henry Franklin-Bouillon mov
ed for an adjournment, which was sec
onded by Louis Ivlotz, minister of fi
nance. The ministers, deputies and
visiting delegates assembled in the
speaker’s chamber, where M. Deschan
Iel welcomed the Americans, saying:
“We render homage, not only to the
great financial effort of America, but
to its military help. American soldiers
i are mixing their blood with ours on
j fields of battle to insure a peace from
| which justice shall be reborn. The
I courage and abnegation of the Ameri
I can soldiers have endeared them to our
I’oilus, who are proud to have such
oaring companions in arms.”
! M. Dubost greeted the delegation
briefly on behalf of the senate.
Edward T. Meredith, responding for
the visitors, said that the French pride
in the Americans was mutual, and that
the American soldiers were honored to
fight side by side with the glorious
French under General Foch.
Mr. Wilson’s declaration concerning
American labor’s attitude toward Ger
man labor was cheered loudly, Pre
mier Clemenceau leading the applause.
The premier shook Mr. Wilson's hand
warmly and patted him on the
1 shoulder.
John P. Frey, Martin F. Ryan,
, George L. Berry, and Mr. Wilson told
The Associated Press that the party
was delighted with its visit to France.
They had only one fault to find, the
time allowed them was too short. Con
cerning the results of their sojourn,
Messrs. Berry and Wilson said:
“We are confident we have rendered
our country and France a great
service.”
The American delegates last night
received a deputation of French social
ists which presented a declaration
drawn up by Deputy Alexandre Var
enne. It was to th§ effect that the
• view of American labor—that there
; can be no meeting with German work
ers until they have done something to
ward overthrowing militarism—was
shared by the socialists represented by
the delegation, amounting to fully
one-third of the party.
; It was explained that the statement
was intended to dissipate and false
idea in regard to French socialists
which might be created by divergen
1 cies of views among labor organiza
| tions and in socialist circles.
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH UNCLE SAM
—
| SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., May 28.—
I The Washington Irving Grammar
! school of this city has entered into
| a partnership with Uncle Sam. The
; pupils voted to do without candy, ice
1 cream, movie shows, and other in
I dulgences that has been absorbing
their money and save their money for
Thrift Stamps and War Savings
Stamps in order to outfit a soldier for
the firing line in France. They agreed
to save enough to recruit, transport
! and outfit a soldier. They will have
| one soldier battling for them with
| the rifle and powder they furnish. The
I cost of outfitting one soldier is
I $156.71.
The number of War Savings soci
eties in northern California has pass
ed the^TOO mark.
MODERN CURSERY RHYMES.
Kaiser Bill
Went up the hill
The Sammy boys to slaughter.
Bill fell down,
And lost his crown,
And his Huns came tumbling after.
A woman seldom measures her
words. What she says is never so
important to her as how she looks.
BIG OFFENSIVE LODGED AGAINST BRITISH ON FLAN
DERS FRONT, IN EFFORT TO REACH COAST, AND
AT SAME TIME MAJOR ATTACK LAUNCHED
AGAINST FRENCH LINES IN RHEIMS—SOISSONS
SECTOR.
DATELESS—The Germans have resumed the big drive
for a decision on the western front. Nearly four weeks have
elapsed, in which the enemy is presumed to have made all pre
parations for the offensive move aginst the allied lines, since
the Germans were brought to a standstill in the major attack
started March 21. If the Germans have been busily employed
in preparing for the present attack, the allied armies have
been equally busy strengthening their positons, bringing up re
serves and vast quantities of munitions and supplies, in antici
pation of the coming great battle, which will probably prove
the greatest in all history. While it is too early for the true
German intention to be disclosed, the effort apparently is to
simultaneously reach the channel ports by an attempted drive
through the British lines on the Flanders front and to strike
for' Paris in the south by attacking the French lines in the
Rheims-Soissons sector. Leading to this conclusion is the fact
that the German drive started yesterday on the northern side
of the Lys salient, in Flanders, and at the same time the enemy
forces lodged an attack against the Rheims-Soissons front,
held by the French. This front has been quiet since last fall.
The offensive is estimated to cover about forty miles of front,
and the Flanders attack covers about the same number of
miles.
BIG OFFENSIVE BEGINS.
LONDON, May 27.—Official: A strong German attack de
veloped yesterday against the British and French positions
between Rlieims and Koissons. The attack was ])reced(‘d by
;i heavy bombardment. Tin* Germans, in attacking along tlie
sector usually referred to as the Aisne front, have taken a
course contrary to that which was generally predicted. It is
reported that the attack of the enemy covers a front about
forty miles in width, along the Ailette river, north of Aisne.
h is believed that yesterday’s attack will he followed by a
removal of the offensive on the Picardy and Flanders fronts.
Jn fact, there was a slight enemy offensive on tin* front be
tween Lucre and Yormezele, in the northern Flanders salient
yesterday, which appears to presage further operations.
FLYERS SINK GERMAN DESTROYER.
LONDON, May 27.—The Gormans have succeeded in shift
ing tin1 concrete-laden cruiser \ indictive, sunk in the Ostend
harbor by the British May 10, so as to leave a passageway for
destroyers .‘50 feet in width. The Vindictive now lies along
side of the piers. Nevertheless, the harbor is not being used
successfully. An attempt to haul a dredger to the scene, to
aid in deepening the channel, was frustrated by British air
men, who sank a destroyer that was being employed to trans
fer the dredger. The destroyer now lies at the bottom of the
channel and further blocks the channel.
ARTILLERY FIRE INCREASING.
BERLIN, May 27.—Official: Owing to storms which pre
vailed last week, artillery tire has been only moderate, but with
the coming of fair weather, it has increased to great intensity,
especially to the northwest of Mount Kemmel. In local at
tacks by the enemy in this sector and in the Albert sector, our
troops inflicted severe losses and threw the enemy back. Storm
ing troops of the enemy, in counter attacks, were repulsed.
BAVARIANS OPPOSE AMERICANS.
WITH T1IF AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, May 27.—
Bavarian soldiers are now opposite the American sector in the
Toni district. These troops have but recently arrived in this
sector and in an offensive lodged against the mby the Ameri
cans, they lost 7)0 per cent of the troops engaged in the fight
ing. Virtually all the losses to the Bavarians were in killed
and wounded. But one prisoner was taken by the Americans.
GERMANS MADE SMALL GAINS.
WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE, May 27.—
The latest reports this morning indicate that the Germans
have made a few small gains in the attack northwest of Kem
mel. The attack appears to be directed against the positons
gained by the French May 20.
RESISTED WITH USUAL, VlUrUR.
PARIS, May -7.—Official: The Germans attacked on the
front between Pinon forest and Rheims yesterday, the French
and Brititsh resisting with their usual vigor.
LONG RANGE GUNS IN OPERATION.
PARIS, May 27.—After a long interval of silence, the big
German guns resumed the bombardment of Paris at G o’clock
this morning.
ACTIVITY ON ITALIAN FRONT.
ROME, May 27.—Official: Between the Brenta and the
Piave rivers, both Italian and Austrian artillery is fairly act
ive. On the southern slopes of Sasso Rosso, enemy attacks re
sulted in lively hand-grenade fighting. Italian patrols de
stroyed an advanced enemy outpost, captured arms and war
materials, on Asiago plateau. On this front, British aviators
bombed enemy communication lines, downed five Austrian aer
oplanes and forced the sixth one to land behind its own lines.
BRITISH SINK GERMAN SUBMARINE.
LONDON, May 27.—Official: A British submarine sank
a German submarine of the cruiser type near Cape Vincent,
Portugal, yesterday.
HEADQUARTERS ITALIAN
ARMY, May 28.—The Italian and al
lied forces on the mountain front are
in the best of condition. The winter
months have been utilized in
strengthening the degenses and rein
forcing lines of works until the whole
region is interlaced with powerful
systems of defense and attack. There
are vast stores of guns and ammuni
tion, and the spirit of the men is one
of cnfidefice and eagerness for an ap
proaching conflict in the mountain
| regions.
General Plummer, commander of
the British forces, recently announced
their establishment in new position
in the mountain sector around Asiago,
and General Diaz’s bulletins now re
fer to the operations of the British
forces in that mountain region. The
French too, who made their brilliant
stroke in Mount Tomba, are also in
this mountain region.
It is here that three Austrian arm
ies under Field Marshal Conrad von
Hertzendorf are in position: the
Tenth Army, Eleventh Army, and
what is known as the Kraus Army,
under General Kraus. These armies
comprise in the neighborhood of forty
divisions, besides several divisions of
reserves; while on the Tiave front the
Austrian commander, Boroevich, has
about fifteen divisions and some re
serves. The divisions on the north
recently have been strengthened by
fresh troops brought from Austria’s
sections of the Russian and Ruman
ian fronts which no longer need her
attention.
This enemy concentration has been
going on steadily for months and the
Italian and allied forces have also
made powerful preparations for the
coming campaign.
The main cause for this shifting of
attention from the I’iave to the moun
tain line is of a strategic character.
The Italian front has two main
branches, one running northward
from the Odriatic at a point twelve
miles east of Venice; and the other
turning westward across the moun
tain regions and running irregularly
up to the Swiss frontier. When the
enemy made his rush last fall the
first pressure was felt along the
Piave as the enemy swept in from
the east. But later, when the Ital
ians threw the' enemy into the river
at Fagare and Zenson and establish
ed a solid defense of the river line,
the enemy turned his attention to the
north and began pressing down from
the mountains.
Most of the enemy forces first
brought to the Piave line were gradu
al y withdrawn to the mountain line.
Von Below’s German divisions were
among those shifted from the Piave
to the mountains, before Von Below
went to the French front. The Brit
ish reinforcements, which first took
position on the upper Piave at Mon
tello, soon observed that the enemy
j artillery had slackened off to almost
j nothing, and that the enemy positions
| on the east bank were apparently
i deserted. The British made many
j raids across the river but met little
! opposition, and there was some pros
| pect this would permit an advance
; by the Italians and their allies east
ward into the region invaded by the
enemy but held by them with reduced
forces.
It was evidence, however, that the
enemy’s inacti^ty on the Piave was
part of a strategic plan, by which his
massing of forces on the north would
not only permit him to make an of
fensive in the mountain regions, but
would also give him a position on the
Italian left flank in case of an Italian
advance across the Piave into the in
vaded region. He was willing there
fore to leave the Piave with compara
tively light foi-ces, and concentrate
most of his strength in the moun
tains.
TEN STATES
HAVE RATIFIED
BATON ROUGE, La., May 24.—
Louisiana is the first state in the
union to decline to ratify the nation
al prohibition amendment. The state
senate yesterday defeated the ratifi
cation measure, which had been pas
sed by the house a few hours previ
ously. Ten states have ratified the
amendment, through action of state
legislatures.
NOT POLLUTE FLAG.
OAKLAND, Cal., May 28.—Resolu
tions have been passed here against
requiring Germans to kiss the Ameri
can flag. The better plan, the reso
lutions state, is to comppel them to
salute the flag.
PRESIDENT
WASHINGTON, D. C., May 27.—
President Wilson has personally taken
charge of war tax legislation. He ap
peared unexpectedly before a joint
session of the house and senate Sat
urday afternoon and declared that it
was necessary for the congress to pro
ceed immediately with new war tax
laws. He said the only way of meet
ing the problem of financing the war
was to have congress remain in ses
sion until these laws were passed and
to proceed without delay to their con
sideration.
There has been considerable agita
tion among members of the congress
to adojurn along about July 1.
The president asked the congress to
eliminate politics in considering the
proposed revenue bills. He declared
politcal discussions should not be in
dulged in at this crucial time in the
history of the nation, when a united
country is required to gain the best
results.
The chief increases in proposed
taxation should be on incomes, war
profits and luxuries, he said. The
president give warning that lobbying
in connection with the new bills would
not be tolerated. He said there was
indisputable evidence that there was
considerable profiteering going on
throughout the country and that those
thus engaged should be reached by
new legislation.
Major Norman H. Read, of the Am
erican aviation service and a captain
in the Royal Flying corps of England
with three years active service on the
battlefields of France, left yesterday
morning for a two weeks’ trip into the
Kahlitna river country in company
with Professor H. C. Parker, John P.
fHolman and A. E. Clark.
Major Read was in Alaska in 1914
on the Ivenai peninsula with Professor
Parker and when the war broke out
left for England where he volunteered
his services and was accepted in the
flying corps. After a brief training he
was sent to France and in the course
of two years during which he brought
down a number of Boches from the
clouds, was promoted to a captaincy
in the Royal Flying corps. He was
injured and was discharged from the
service. He then entered the aviation
service of the United States and for
a period of one year fought with great
success. Again injured while in an
aerial battle he was granted a year
within which to rest and recuperate.
Major Read will return to Anchorage
in about two weeks and will then leave
for his home in New York.
RETURNS ARE
INCOMPLETE
The primary election returns for
candidates for the lower house in the
Alaska territorial legislature, in the
Third division, so far as heard from,
indicate that Thompson of Anchorage,
Green of Seward, Murray of Chitina,
and Slater of Cordova, have been nom
inated, although complete returns
from all the precincts may change this
result. Reports from the precincts
heard from show that Sullivan of Val
dez has a big lead for road commis
sioner.
The precincts heard from are An
chorage, Wasilla, Matanuska, Gird
wood, Moose Creek, Chickaloon, Pal
mer, Eska, Seward, Roosevelt and
Latouche. The vote in these precincts
follows:
Green .145
Slater.139
Murray .130
Thompson .—135
Reed .122
Sutherland .117
The vote for road commissioner in
these precincts is as follows:
Sullivan .110
Wood . 79 »
Galen . 48
It will be observed that there are
important precincts missing in this re
port, namely, Cordova, Valdez, Ken
necott, Katalla, McCarthy, Seldovia
and all westward precincts and the
several interior precincts.