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A despatch from Washington says: --Conferences between members of the French war mission and American Government officials for exchanges of views regarding the conduct of the war against Germany began here on Thursday after the leading commis- sioners had paid official calls upon President Wilson, Vice-President Marshall and Secretaries Lansing, Baker and Daniels. Of foremost importance was a long talk between Marshall Joffre and members of his staff and Secretary Baker, Gen. Scott, chief of staff, and several other American army officers. Fran. is known to desire the send- ing of an American expeditionary force to co-operate with her armies, French War Mission Exchanges Views With Aierlean Govern- 3 ment Officials. and Marshal #pffre came to the United | "% States"prepared to give reasons for the opinion of French military ex- Derta that the sending of such a force is gdvisable. Information regarding the military the meeting between leaders was withheld. Soon after the conclusion of the con- ference Rene Viviani, vice-Premier of | L288 France, head of the mission, made a statement, in which he declared that |? the co-operation of the United States only a victory for France, which p was assured, but a victory of morality and right, which will "forever secure the existence of a world in which all our children shall draw free breath in full peace and undisturbed pursuit of their in the war would mean labors." RUSSIANS FACE 2,250,000 HUNS Germans Predominate in Num- bers North of Pripet. A despatch from Petrograd says: The Russky Invalid states that the en- emy has from 150 to 156 divisions of infantry and cavalry on the Russian front (a German division is about 15, 000 men), consisting of eighty-five to ninety German, fifty-five Austrian, and fifteen Turkish and Bulgarian divisions. On the front of Prince Leo- pold of Bavaria, who commands eleven armies, there are three grouped under Generals Eicchorn, Lisinger and the Austrian General, Boehm Ermolli. He holds two-thirds of the whole front with 105 divisions, while Archduke ~J6seph commands in Bukowina with fifteen and General Mackensen on the Rumanian front with thirty-five mixed divisions. Only three of the northern armies from Riga to Vilna, and the Pinsk army, under General Grenau, are purely German, while only 'one army, under General Kerbach, is Aus- trian. In the remainder of the Aus- tro-German army the German element is predominant north of Pripet, and the Austrian element south of it. Turkish troops are found in the arm- ies commanded by Generals Bothmer, Falkenhayn and Toschev on the Buko- wina, Rumanian and Dobrudja fronts. RRR GERMANS AGAIN RAID RAMSGATE Heaviest Bombardment Coast | Town Has Yet Ex- perienced. A despatch from London says: Ger- man destroyers attacked Ramsgate Thursday night, according to an offi- cial announcement issued by the War office. A large number of shells were TOUCH EVERY PHASE OF AID FROM U.S. British War Commission Spends Day in Conference With American Officials. A despatch from Washington says: --The British War Commission on Thursday entered upon its first day of uninterrupted work with a wide series of conferences touching every phase of American participation in the war. Experts in all lines set out in| earnest on the various paths prescrib- ed by Foreign Secretary Balfour as al result of "his preliminary conferences with American officials to learn how | most effectively the British mission could be of service. Mr, Balfour himself passed a strenuous day. The morningvhe de- voted to writing his first report to England, which, it is stated, will be made public later. Attorney-General Gregory called on Mr. Balfour in the afternoon and is understood to have discussed with him the many kinds of legislation needed to protect public safety in war-time and to prevent aid and comfort feach- ing | the enemy. M. Viviani, head of the French com- mission, also called on Mr. Balfour to more closely co-ordinate the work of the two commissions. Chas M. Schwab, president of the Bethlehem |g; Steel Company, also paid his respects | 2 to Mr. Balfour, after a visit to the | French commission A is LE TWENTY STEAMSHIPS RUN U-BOAT BLOCKADE. A despatch from } New York says: The Associated Press says twenty steamships, runners of the German submarine blockade, arrived at this port on Wednesday, and thus made available about sixty thousand tons of space for cargo to Europe. Four of these vessels are among the largest merchantmen afloat. The 82,120-ton fired, but the destroyers were driven off by the fire from the land batteries. | America Line in England, and taken One man and one woman were killed | during the bombardment and one man and two women were Injured, |a White Star Line name. passenger ship, built for the Holland- over by the British Government in {1914 for war purposes, arrived under DEADLY WORK OF BRITISH GUNS CONTINUES WITHOUT A HALT All Efforts of Germans to Recapture Positions Meet With Bloody Failure. Territory Gained by British. a A despite from London says:-- The Brit artilléry, which, in" the second week of the Battle of Arras, used up more shells than ever had been used' in one action in the history of modern warfare, continues its deadly and destructive work, while the Ger- man artillery answers here and there. Apparently this is the lull before the next great clash, An effort of Crown Prince Rupprgcht's troops to recap- ture positions taken from them by the British, have met with bloody tail. ure. * South and north-west of St. Quentin, that strong and important link in the German defence system, British troops have hurled back Ger- man losses: Arras-Cambrai road and northward the British havejgained some ground.i German positions the wasps o* air, the aeroplanes, aiding the artillery in finding its tar gets. desperately with German aeroplanes to secure information which only they. can obtain. behind™®hd in front of the entrench- ments brought down ten German airmen and' sent down twelve others damaged or out of control. counter-attacks with heavis In local operations along the] Over the battle-line and behind the: the, have been busy' British birdmen have battled In numerous fights over, the British aviators have May 3 do., ise 1 Ss oatsN 1 - 1f 82¢, all J TS gion. 3 nominal, Subject to an . Ontarl o Sats--No, 2 white to f to $2. 80; nal woos No. 8 White, 1 0. bf lo 4 to treights outs TE no according to Bar] Malting, $1.38 to $1. 37° ac- eye] cordl: x tre Rye-- ne oR ) bg $1.90, according to raat. taide. Manito 1.81. 76 to 8c, 17 emir a) fobs flour--First Siesta," fn in ute bags, Has second patents, ute 3.80; strong aks, ute s, 5 sit 50, frore io flo ur Winter, ntar! win sample, $11.10 to $11.20, in bags, 5. oronto, pr Prompt shipm 0, Mil =Car Jots. Maelvered Montreal Pel bags included--Bran ton: Forts ts) ber ton, $45; RR ner feed flour, ner r bag J3.00, Bay nF No. 2, ton, $11. $12.5 mixed, per om, iss. 50 : $11. 00, track Toronto. LE au--Car lots, per ton, $8 to $9, k Toronto. Country Produce--Wholesale Butter--Fresh dairy, choice, 40 to 41c; Sreamery prints, 43 to 46c; solids, 42 to Eggs--New-laid, in cartons, 38 to 39¢; out of cartons, 36c¢. Dressed poultry--Chickens, 26 ta«28c;- fowl, 24 to 26¢c; ducks, 22 to 26c; squabs, per doz., $4.00 to $4. 50; turkeys, '30 to Cheese--New, large, Jes twins, 28¢; June, large, 28ic; twins, eans-- Japanese hand- ied, bushel, 5.75; x Buckwheat honey, 60-1b. tins, 104¢ to 11c a pound. Maple syrup--Pure, $1.65 to $1,76 per Imperial gallon. Live poultry--Chickens, fat, 20c to chickens, or- 22¢; fowl, fat, 21c to 23c; dinary, 22¢; fowl, ordinary, 20 to-22c. Provisions-- Wholesale Smoked, meats--Hams, medium, 29 to 80c: do. heavy, 26 to 26c; cooked, 39 to 1 40c; roils, 26 to 26c; breakfast bacon, | 30 to 36c; backs, plain, 34 to 86c; bone- less, a8 to a rd--Pure lard, tlerces, 256% to 26c; | tubs, 26 to 26ic; pails, 261 to 264c; com- pound, tierces, 20 to 20%c. | Parad meats--Long clear bacon, 31 to 32¢ per 1b; clear bellies, 20 to 204c. Montreal Markets May 1-1 Oats ~ Canada estern, No, 2, 83¢c; No. 81c; extra No. 3 feed, 81dc, AE RL feed, $1.1 Flour--Manitoba Spring wheat ite firsts, $18.40; seconds, $12.90; strong bakers',' $12.70; Winter patents, choice, $13.00; straight rollers, $12.30 to 2. 6.00 to to $6.15. Rolled 90 Montreal, 2, Cheese--Finest nest easterns, 24} Gholcest crea creamery, 42c; seconds, 38 to --Selected, 36 to 37¢; No, 1 re 34 to 35c. Potatoes ~--Per bag, car lots, $3.76 to $4.00. ver ton, car lots, $13.50. westerns, 254 to 26¢c; to 26c. Butter--C 3 Winnipeg Grain Winnipeg, May 1---Cash prices: Wh --No, 1 Northern, $2.60; No. 2 Notehe i No. 3 Northern, $2.50; feed, Oats--N .42; No. 6 special, $2.04 . 2 C.W,, 76¢c; No. 3 C.W., rife. extra No. 1 feed, 73§c; No. 1 feed, 7230. Barley No. 3 C.W., $1. No. 4 C.W., $1.12 19%; rejected, 3 00; feed, $1.00. 1 N.W.C,, 33.01%; No. 2 C.W., 32.974. United States Markets Minneapolis, May 1--- Wheat--Ma, 2.45% to $2.46; July. $2. 293; sash, No. i ard, $2.76 to $2.81; No. 1 Norther, 2.64 to $2.70; No, 2 Northern, $2.60 t 2.70. Corn--No. 3 yellow, $1.49% to 1.51%. Oats--No. 8 white, Ji to 73¢, Lo JiR fate 20; first cle: other i es unc Bran -339. hie $40.0 hanged, Aa, No. Northern, 2.6038; July, $2. 3.3 3.30%; 2%; May, ; tember, $3.14; October, -R-E. 3.283; Sep- 5301 Live Stock 3 Markets Toronto, May 1---Extra choice heavy ests, 313, 75 30 $12; choice heavy steers, 1.65; good heavy steers, 1: 65 a" $10. es butGhers Sats, choice, 11.36 to $11.65; Jood , $10.50 to 10.75; do., FT $0. 6 to $10.15; do., common, $8.85 to 35. 15; butchers' bulls, choice, $10 tg $10.50; do. good bulls, $9.25 to $9.75°do., medium bulls, $8.35 to $8.75; do. rowgh bulls, $6.40 to $6.50; butchers' cows, Ha olce, $9.75 to $10, 00: on ood, $8.76 to-$9.50: do., mediu: 26; Slockers, $7.50 to $9.00; Ted 0 $10.25; canners and cutters, : Jhilkers, good to choice, ., com. and med., each, 40 to $60; AR $50 to $110; light ewes, §12 to $156; sheep, heavy, $8.60 to $10;° calves, good to choice, $11.26 to $12.50; spring lambs. each, $8 to $15; lambs, fo 150 25 to $16; do., medium, 10.50 to $12 hogs, fed and 'watered, 16.50 to $16.65; do. weighed off cars, $16.75 to $16. 4 do., f.0.b.. $15.76 to $16. Ha A GERMAN SUBMARINE SUNK BY U. S. STEAMER. A Jespatch from London says: Captain Rice, of the American steam- ship Mongolia, 13,638 tons, which has arrived at a British port, told the As- sociated Press on Wednesday that the Mongolia had fired the first gun of the war for the United States. A sub- marine was about to attack the liner in British waters on April 19. The hit at 1,000 yards. The periscope was seen to be shattered. Oil was seen on | .{ man forces i | French positions . | along a 2,000-yard front, where the - | Lord"Robert Cecil, Minister of Block- ard, | Captain Fryatt be returned to Eng- 11 JOIN IN BUILDING b naval gunners on board made a clean | Board ar | pause has settled upon ole Sui to | {lefleld east of Arras--apparently pause of utter exhaustion on the part of the Germans, who are obliged to rest without recompense to show for heir appalling sacrifices of the last [an days, while the British methodic- ally refortify the objectives.won in the thrust begun on Monday. The German reactions died out in front of Gavrelle last. night, ii German bulletins to the contrary nof withstanding. To-day there were no attacks whatever and the Brit- ish sappers were able to work undis- turbed, save for bursting German shells. What fighting, there was shifted southward on the line running down to St. Quentin. Last night also marked the climax of the German 'A bat- a line. The renewed German efforts twice Thursday night to loosen the French grip on the Chemin-des-Dames around Cerny, westward of Craonne, wilted, then died away, under the stubborn resistance of the French. Strong Ger- Ker thrown toward the about nightfall French, as a result of their forward push last week, ually dominate the valley- throu which the Ailette stream runs. Farther along towards Craonne, which sits on the road, and com- mands the main road from Rheims to Laon, on the plain spreading east- ward, lies Hurtebise Farm, which shares with Cerny constant German attention, in consequence of its situa- tion near Craonne, the continued pos- session of which is of great import- ance to the Germans. The opposing artilleries fight an incessant duel in this sector, and the Germans are do- ing their utmost by holding Craonne to threaten the French advance across the flat lands towards Laon. reef eet me HOLD GERMAN PRINCE'S * BODY FOR A PRICE Britain May Demand in Return Bodies of Nurse Cavell and Capt. Fryatt. A despatch from London, says:-- ade, said in reply to a question ih the House of Commons on Thursday that a private inquiry had been received through the Sovereign of a neutral power as to whether .the body of Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, who died of wounds while a prisoner, could be sent to Germany. The Gov- ernment, he said, had responded that this was impossible at the present time. It has been suggested by members that the British Government, Lord Robert stated, insist as a con- dition for granting the request that the bodies of Miss Edith Cavell and land. London despatches late in March re- ported the death of Prince Friedrich Karl from the wounds he received when shot down by artillery whi's he was flying in an airplane over the British lines mear Peronne. The Prince, who was a cousin of Emperor William, had previously been reported by Berlin as missing after an air raid by the German$ in this vicinity . -- OF F WOODEN SHIPS. Munitions Board heed United States « Shipping Board to Co-operate. A despatch from Ottawa says: The Imperial Munitions Board and the United States Shipping Board have been in consultation during the past fortnight with regard ito co-operation in the production of wooden ships in' Canada and the United States. Stand- .ardized types of vessels have been agreed upon, and there will be a com- mon schedule of prices and contracts. Arrangements are now being made to have a considerable number of wooden ships for ocean -transportation built on the Pacific coast. In Canada R. P. Butchart of Victoria will take charge of the business organization of the in- istry for the Imperial unites ols ET There is one line in which over- the water after-the submarine disap- peared. - "! corn, counter-attacks upon the new French: in France says: The German airmen had one of the greatest surprises had been heavily overcast until near- thinned and the sun broke A few German machines had been | sighted well back of their lines dut- ing the obscured period, but when the sun shone out several enemy rons, which had been housed all day, came out to stretch their wings in the slanting afternoon's rays. They had scarcély .taken the air when the British machines pounced upon them, and in the after-teatime 'fighting that ensued several German machines were seen to crash and eight others to be driven down com- pletely out of control, which ar€ be- lieved to have been destroyed. Between 6 and 8 o'clock the air was A A despaidh from the British Armies if of their lives late on Thursday. The day | 6 p.m., when the clouds suddenly [several DS through. | and calmly remal leader of the malls the attained about 6,000 feet. ; In the meantime he had noticed that one of the hostile birds was something of a stranger. It had a very long tail and a very. . The Britisher, however, did™ ' to worry about it. He dived at the highest of the climbers and gave him two bursts from his machine gun. Down went the German in a crash just outside a bit of wood. BRITISH ARMY IN FRUITFUL LAND Army in Palestine Advan Through Grain and Fruits. A despatch from British Forces in Palestine says: It is over two months since the British troops entered El- Arish, which geographically and h EVERY CONFIDENCE "REPOSED IN U.S. No Treaties Could Increase the Unbounded Trust Felt by the. Allies. A despatch from Washington says: Arthur James Balfour, British For- eign Secretary, stated on Wednesday that the allied Governments, complete- torically is the gate of Palestine, and the continuation of the advance has | now put them firmly on the soil of the Holy.Land. Progress from the sands of the: desert to the sown land whs gradual | and was marked by three 'separate | stages. The first ended at EIl-Burg, bringing' the troops to the region of Grass." After a year of yellow sand | the green vistas were soothing and | refreshing to the.eye, especially with the relief afforded by the tamarisk trees rising between the sand dunes. The second stage was from El-Burg to Sheik-Zoweid, marking the transi- tion from the green meadows to a land of barley fields. Sheik-Zoweid is a mud village, but boasts a fruitful orchard with a cac- tus hedge, such as surrounds every place of fruitfulness in Palestine. The orchard blossoms were a joy to the eyes of thousands of men who had seen no signs of spring for two years past, The third stage of the transition was from Sheik-Zoweid to Rafa, and marked the entry into the country of wheat. The grass was no longer found in patches, buat stretching away in undulating plains, like the downs of Sussex and Hampshire in England. With the passing of Rafa the Brit- ish army began the British occupa- tion of Palestine, and opened a new era in the history of the East. rep ENEMY LOSSES ON THE AISNE Killed, Wounded -and Prisoners Are Estimated at 235,000. A despatch from Paris says: The extent of the German losses in the re- cent desperate fighting along the Aisne (not including those in the Ar- ras area in which the British are fights ing, where the German losses e probably 100,000) is partially disclos- ed in the i in Friday's official statement to the capture of 130 guns, of 'which a considerable number were of heavy calibre. The German' i Toten in men are es- timated Ly 2 wi production never takes place. This is priso 3 hv one of the most Tormulable totals te "| ly convinced of America's whole-heart- ed consecration towards the common end of destroying Prussian militarism, would not think of asking the United { States to depart from its traditional ! policies or enter into any formal ance which might prove embarrass "Our confidence in the alliance an "the assurances of this Government," Mr. Balfour said, "is net based on' such shallow considerations as arise from treaties. No treaty could increase | our unbounded confidence that the United, States, having come into the war, will see it through to the great end we all hope for." Mr. Balfour, after his first two days here, consented to an interview to ex- press his deep gratitude for .t warmth of his reception and his viction that America's services war could not be exaggerated. Sta ing in the midst of a semi-circle of correspondents, Mr. Balfour spoke with the deepest feeling of the losses already experienced in France and England, and of the gratitude felt in both countries at the decision of the United States to enter the war. TELEGRAPH €0.'S PROFITED BY WAR Great Increase in Cable Mess- ages--Express Companies Also Gained. A despatch from Ottawa says: The annual reports of the Railway Depart- ment on telegraph and express statis- tics were tabled in the House o "The : earnings of the telegraph companies evidently profited by the War. were the highest of any year since telegraph statistics in Canada i tabulated. Gross receipts from Rod Sok ation of the various companies 0 te 0b ing in Canada amounted in 1916 to $6,256,740, as Sompared with $5,686, 877 in iy There a large in- crease in receipts fro cablegrams, and the report points out that there has been a substantial increase in re- ceipts from this source since 1912, and particularly since the outbreak of the - European war. Operating expenses |are placed at $4,204,515 for 1916, as | against $4,129,165 in 1916. 2% i {our yesterdays determine ou = of the present war. ou OF MY (Ve BEEN Jotaig chore ach WEEK FOR A WCE, iL see ou och | PAN EN