WEATHER FORECASTS WHERE TO GO TO-NIGHT For SI hours endlns 6 p. m. Thursday : Victoria and vicinity—Mostly cloudy v Royal Victoria—Cyril Maude. and oooi, with rain P&ntages—Vaudeville. %mtz Variety—“Birth." -c Lower Mainland—Mostly cloudy and Dominion—Madame Petrova. coot with |aln. Romano—"Morgan's Raiders.*' Columbia—“For Freedom of World.** VOL. 52. NO. 119 VICTORIA, B. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1918 EIGHTEEN PAGES FRENCH TROOPS TAKE BITE AT TIP OF AMIENS SALIENT British Airmen Drop SUBURB OF PRAGUE DECLARED IN " Nearly Five Bombs CAPTURE OF WOOD TO SOUTHEAST to One by Germans London, May 16.—In the month of A STATE OF SIEGE AS FERMENT April British airmen dropped 6,033 bombs behind the enemy lines along OF AMIENS BY FRENCH IMPROVES the British front in Francs and Bel- lium.. In the same period the enemy 1:ropped 1,344. in the terrain - occupied SPREADS THROUGH ALL BOHEMIA by the British troops. ALLIES’ POSITION IN THAT AREA Austro-Hungarian Government Faced With Steadily HIS SHIPBUILDING Germans Counter-Attack Strongly in Effort to Retake Increasing Spirit of Revolt; 150 Women Arrested FIREMAN KILLED AND ONE FIRM SUFFERS FIRE as Result of Demonstrations LOSS; J. J. COUGHLAN Ground From French But Attempt Is Failure; Raid SHIP RUINED BY FIRE IN Repulsed by Canadian Troops London, May 15.—A state of siege has been declared at Smichow, a suburb of Prague, Bohemia, and the troops there hare been sent _ COUGHLAN YARD, VANCOUVER London, May 15.—The expected renewal of the German offensive away, an Exchange Telegraph dispatch from Amsterdam reports. on the Western front having failed to develop, the Allies are continu­ One hundred and fifty women are said to have been arrested owing Vancouver, May 15.—The building of steel ships in Vancouver ing their tactics of anticipating the thrust by reaching out for new to demonstrations. The burgomaster has resigned. has received a severe set-back as a result of a fire which early to day vantage points from which Che better to resist it. The ferment is extending throughout Bohemia, according to the destroyed a large portion of the plant of J. Goughian A Sons on False French troops were the aggressors in the latest operation of this dispatch. Creek. Robert Cameron, a fireman from No. 12 Hall, was killed by a kind, carried out late yesterday. They pushed out from their lines falling wall. Damage was done to an estimated extent of between south of Hailles, on thé Somme front, their objective being a wood $1,500,{HX) and $1,750,000, and more than half of the company’s 2,800 situated about the point where the Germans made their farthest west­ NORTH SEA MINE BARRIER employees will be out of work. Reconstruction of the plant will need ward advance and are within a short distance of the Paris-Amiens months of time, and the completion of the steel ships Alaska and War railroad. The raid was entirely successful, resulting in the capture Camp, which were at the fitting-out Knutson, of Norway, who placed the of the wood on the slopes west of the Avre River, possession of which "PLACED BY BRITISH NAVY wharf, will be greatly delayed. The order for the Alaska, said that the engines of the Alaska were destroyed three boiler* were not seriously dam­ improves considerably the Allied defensive position there. The Ger- aged.' Two of the boilers had been un­ with the boiler -shop. mans evidently recognized this fact. dergoing tests and were filled with The works had four ship ways, two water. This saved them. Strangely for they later countered strongly; NOW IS PERFORMING TASK of which, with keels laid, are entirely enough the third boiler, which was Their determined attack was a fail­ intact No 2 way, with the War empty, was not even scorched. Mr. ure. howover. Charger under construction, was par­ IE iPohl thinks that the Alaska will bo tially destroyed, and the War Charger towed hack to the yard by to-morrow The artillery fire- Is reported by Parts London, May 15.—The British Admiralty’s restriction on naviga­ was subjected to tremendous heat, and work will proceed- under handi­ to have been violent last night north which warped some of her plates and caps. The manager of the shipbuilding of Montdtdter, Just to the south of this tion in the northern part of the North Sea, in view of the laying of a caused other damage, but the damage Fish Plant Destroyed. concern of J. Coughlan & Sons at sector, where American troops are Vancouver, whose extensive. yards REPLY OF ALLIES holding a portion of the front. great mine field for the purpose of foiling the Oerman submarines, be­ to this ship is not bqyond repair, and The herring packing plant of Watson were the scene of a destructive fire came operative to-day, and hereafter all shipping in that area must probably will be covered by $100.000. Field-Marshal. Haig reported to- On the next way was the War Chariot, Bros.. Just east of Cough Ians, was en­ this morning, is J. J. Coughlan. The comply with stringent regulations.or ignore them at their own risk. seventy-five per cent, plated, which Is tirely consumed by this morning’s fire. Coughlan yards have grown up as a John E. Watson estimates the firm’s result of thé great demand for new Economic Measures Would Be "A .raid attempted by enemy troops After dark no ship will he allowed within the prescribed area, which a total loss. The supporting piles last night north of Lens (Canadian burned through, the foundations gave loss at about 120,000 largely covered ships to carry the ever-growing ocean- lies between the eoasts of Norway and Scotland, and any vessel find­ by insurance. Half of the fire dam­ borne traffic of the Allies. Formerly Entente's Answer to Strength­ front) was repulsed. We carried out way and the ship settled down In the another successful raid northwest of mud with her back broken. Salvage age was to the fish, either packed Mr. Coughlan was a resident of Vic­ ing herself there half an hour after sunset must anchor in accordance ready for shipment or in process of toria. being at one time a member of ening of Teutonic Alliance Robecq (Flanders.) with the Admiralty’s directions. The operations would be very expensive. The entire plant was fully Insured, the Victoria City Council. “The hostile artillery was active regulations include strict iules affect during the night in the valleys of the ing all except warships entering and including the ships under construction. Somme and Ancte, north of Bethune leaving the ports of Northeastern Acetylene Exploded. Scotland, as well as the Orkney and Rostov Retaken London. May 16.—The. recent meet and in the sector of the Forest of Shetland Islands. The fire started In the boiler room, Ing of Kaiser Wilhelm and Emperor Nleppe. This rooming the enemy’s ar­ tillery activity increased southwest of The vast barrier, which seems to and gained great headway when the JOHN BULL DOES Charles of Austria-Hungary Is of ab­ From Germans by SEN. MAURICE GIVES Morlancourt ahd north of KemmeL" acetylene plant used for welding ex have been over-estimated in extent sorbing interest to the British public. In earlier reports, is now said to cover plodedj The entire fire fighting equip­ French Report. ment of the city turned out, but the approximately 22.000 square miles. Bolshevik! Troops There are two viewpoints which ap­ Paris. May 15.—French troops yes­ men were handicapped greatly by the pear in the press comments on the terday evening attacked German posi­ Many details can not be divulged laek of a fire boat NOTUCK FUNDS meeting, one as to the immediate re­ tions near Hallies, on the front below and some of those printed appear to HIS SIDE OF CASE The blaze was very spectacular, and sult of the conference and the other as Amiens, and captured a wood on the be based on assumptions by non-of­ Moscow, May 15.—Rostov-on although it started about 2.30 to its* future result, but both are of west bank of the Avre River. It was ficial experts, but it is generally ac there was soon a great crowd, of spec­ the-Don, the largest city in the paramount importance., The first is announced officially here this after­ cepted that the barrier is designed to tators. As the fire spread and there Bonar Law Says Task of Rais­ States in London Chronicle the effect which the meeting is likely noon. German troops made a counter­ fence in as far as possible U boats Don Cossack territory, was re was danger of the War Camp and the to have on the military operations— and other enemy craft in the northern attack and were beaten off with severe Alaska falling victims where they were ing Money Not Worry­ He Wished Ministers to whether another great blow at Italy losses. end of the North Sea in the same captured to-day by Russian Soviet moored for being filled out, volunteers may he expected to coincide with the manner the barrier across the troops, who drove the Germans .took them In tow with tugs and motor ing Him Shoulder Responsibility dally anticipated renewal of the on­ During the night there was a violent Strait of Dover already effectively boast and hauled them Into the stream slaught on the Anglo-French front; bombardment north of Montdldter and t blocks their access to the Channel. It out.