In the blacklist are included the great banks, manufactories, and public utilities of Argentina, representing the most powerful combination of German capital in Latin America. All shipments to the public utilities of Buenos Aires have been held up. The great German-controlled corporations which have been entirely dependent upon American coal have been forced to the extreme of burning oil and wood to keep power stations for electric railways and electric lighting systems in operation. A rough estimate of the capital involved in the industries and banks on the American blacklist place the total at $3,000,000,000.

AMONG the material benefits coming

from the world war, a prominent place must be given to the large restriction of the use of alcoholic liquors by practically all the belligerents. A notable beginning was made by Nicholas II. in Russia. Two months before the war the Emperor had directed General Sukhomlinoff, then War Minister, to prohibit the use of alcohol by the soldiers, in the interest of the "strength, health, and psychic vigor of the army." Early in August, 1914, Nicholas II. sent an order to his Ministers practically prohibiting the use of vodka throughout the whole Russian Empire. "It is not meet," he said, "that "the welfare of the Exchequer should be "dependent upon the ruin of the spiritual "and productive energies of numbers of my loyal subjects." The production and consumption of vodka instantly stopped almost completely. In September, 1914, the first month of full prohibition, only 102,714 kegs of vodka were consumed throughout Russia, as against 9,232,921 kegs in September, 1913. Since the revolution the ban on alcohol has not been as strictly enforced as before, but the masses of Russia still support the reform.

In England, King George, Lord Kitchener, Lloyd George, and the Archbishop of Canterbury set the example of total abstinence, though there has, up to the present, been no general measure of prohibition in England. Measures have been

taken, however, to restrict both distilling

and brewing, while the proportion of alcohol in the liquor produced has been diminished. Nova Scotia appears to be the only part of the British Empire which followed Russia in a measure of complete prohibition.

In France, especially since the measures passed during the Summer of 1917, there has been a large degree of restriction, liquors testing over 18 degrees of alcohol being forbidden, though light wines are still largely used, a ration of wine being served to the French soldiers.

In the United States, both the ban on liquor for soldiers and the prohibition of distilling for the duration of the war are strong influences in the same direction. Under an order approved by President Wilson on Nov. 26, 1917, beer must not contain more than 3 per cent. of alcohol.

In the Central Empires Dr. Richard Froehlich of Vienna testifies that with the first mobilization throughout the whole German Empire the sale of all spirituous liquors in all railroad stations was absolutely prohibited, while the sending of spirits as "love-gifts" to soldiers was strictly forbidden. The same measures seem to have been taken in AustriaHungary also. Turkey, as a Moslem country, always abstained from spirituous liquors, though many of the "Young Turks" treat this law of the Prophet as a dead letter.

TH

The

HE first plenary session of the Interallied Conference in Paris opened at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Nov. 29, 1917. French Premier, M. Clemenceau, presided. It was the most important conference that the Allies had held, and was regarded by many as the most momentous council of nations thus far in history. Sixteen nations were represented by their Premiers or High CommissionThe list of representatives was as

ers.

Colonel E. M. HOUSE, Chairman. Admiral WILLIAM S. BENSON, Chief of Naval Operations.

General TASKER H. BLISS, Chief of Staff.

OSCAR T. CROSBY, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.

VANCE MCCORMICK, Chairman of the War Trade Board.

THOMAS NELSON PERKINS of the Priority Board.

Italy

VITTORIO E. ORLANDO, Premier and Minister of the Interior.

Baron SONNINO, Foreign Minister. FRANCESCO S. NITTI, Minister of the

Treasury.

Count BONIN-LONGARE, Ambassador. Signor BIANCHI, Minister of Transports.

General ALFREDO DALLOLIO, Minister of Munitions.

Japan

Viscount CHINDA, Ambassador to Great Britain.

Belgium

Baron CHARLES DE BROQUEVILLE, Foreign Minister.

Baron DE GAIFFIER D'HESTROY, Minister to France.

General RUCQUOY, Chief of the General Staff.

Serbia

NIKOLA P. PACHITCH, Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Dr. M. R. VESNITCH.

Rumania

V. ANTONESCO, Minister. General ILIESOU, Chief of the General Staff.

Greece

ELEUTHERIOS CONSTANTINE VENIZELOS, Premier and Minister of War. ATHOS ROMANOS, Minister to France. ALEXANDRE DIOMEDE, former Minister of Finance.

M. AGYROPOULOS, Governor of Macedonia.

Colonel FRANTZIS.

M. ROTTASSIS, Naval Attaché.
Portugal

Dr. AFFONSO COSTA, Premier and Minister of Finance.

AUGUSTO SOARES, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

HU WEI-TEH, Minister at Paris. General TAMPT TSAI-LIEH, Vice Secretary of the General Staff of China.

Premier Clemenceau's Exhortation

In his opening address Premier Clemenceau indicated that the council had assembled for work, not words, by making his speech exceedingly brief. He said:

Gentlemen: In the name of the French Republic the honor of welcoming you falls upon me. In this greatest of wars it is the feeling of the supreme solidarity of peoples which unites us in this moment to win on the field of battle the right to a peace which shall be a true peace of humanity. It is for this we are here in this admirable reunion of hope and duty, well prepared to make every sacrifice demanded by an alliance which no intrigue and no weakening can ever impair. Our task is to translate into acts those lofty feelings whereby we are animated. Our order of the day is work. Let us work.

M. Pichon, the Foreign Minister, then outlined the questions to be examined and the method of work to be followed. The resolutions by the French representatives having been adopted without discussion, the conference divided into sections in which the various allied delegations were represented. These sections were Finances, Imports and Transportation, Armament, Munitions, Aviation, Food and Blockade. Each of these commissions was presided over by the French Minister whose department corresponded to the subject under consideration.

The conference divided into separate

committees to consider the various phases named. The results of these conferences were officially announced on Dec. 6 asfollows:

The various committees constituted by the Interallied Conference dealt as a whole with the technical question of the conduct of the war, the details of which cannot be published. However, at the conclusion of their deliberations, the committees decided to publish the following resolutions:

Financial.-The Financial Section, meeting under the Presidency of Louis Klotz, French Minister of Finance, held numerous sittings, in the course of which the various financial questions interesting to the Allies were successively examined. At the end of its labors this section unanimously adopted the following resolutions:

"The delegates of the allied powers in "the financial section consider it desira"ble, with a view to co-ordinating their "efforts, to meet regularly in order to "draw plans for the payment of liabilities "and the settlement of loans and rates of "exchange, and thus assure concerted "action."

Oscar T. Crosby, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, and M. Klotz told the section that, in their opinion, this regular meeting ought to be a permanent organization. Other resolutions were adopted to the effect that, although the dispositions manifested by all the delegates evidenced sentiments of the financial solidarity of the Allies, this solidarity ought to be affirmed in practice by the methodical co-ordination of efforts, which alone should determine the judicious utilization of the resources of the Allies and the best distribution of their strength.

Armament and Aviation Section.-The representatives of the allied nations examined the condition of their various war manufactures and considered practical means of avoiding all duplication and directing the effort of each nation to the production of the things for which it was best fitted. In matters of first importance, an interallied committee was formed for carrying out the common programs, and decisions were arrived at.

Sections of Imports, Maritime Transports, and Supplies.-The Allies, considering that the means of maritime transport at their disposal as well as the supplies at their command ought to be utilized in common for the conduct of the war, decided to create an interallied organization with a view to co-ordinating action in this direction to establishing the common program, constantly kept in mind, and enabling them, while utilizing their resources to the full, to restrict their imports in order to release as much ton

nage as possible for the transport of American troops.

Blockade Section.-The Blockade Section examined, in the first place, the convention of the Allies with Switzerland regarding the questions of blockade. The draft of an arrangement between the United States and Switzerland was approved, and the United States will nominate delegates to participate in the deliberations of the interallied commission at Berne.

The section decided to make the dispositions necessary to enable the commission in regard to the food supply in Belgium and Northern France to accomplish its program as to provisions and transport. The section submitted to the conference a declaration to the effect that, the prolongation of the war having led to the consumption of products of all sorts out of proportion to production, it was evident that the available resources, whether in allied or neutral countries, were unequal to actual needs, and that it would be necessary to extend the general principles laid down by the American Government.

Work of Naval Council

Naval Section.-A conference was held at the Ministry of Marine in Paris Nov. 19. M. Leygues, Minister of Marine, presided. The conference comprised representatives of the naval powers. It was decided to create an interallied council in order to assure close contact and more complete co-operation between the navies of the Allies.

The mission of the council will be to watch over the general conduct of the war and assure co-ordination of effort on the sea. The council will make all suggestions necessary to assist the decisions of the Governments, and will hold itself cognizant of their execution. The members of the council will address to their respective Governments all reports they deem necessary on the subject.

The individual responsibility of the Headquarters Staff and the commanders at sea to their Governments concerning immediate operations, as well as the employment of strategical and tactical forces

placed under their command, will remain without change. The council will be composed of the Ministers of Marine of the nations represented and the Admiralty chiefs. As the meetings of the council will be held in Europe, the United States and Japan will be represented by officers appointed by their respective Governments.

The Interallied Naval Council will be provided with a special Secretariat, which will take charge of all documents, &c., and will meet as often as desirable under the Presidency of the Ministry of Marine of the country where the meetings take place. The different Ministers of Marine will be willing to furnish the council with every information of a nature that would require to be submitted to and examined by the Financial Section.

The Supreme War Council

The Supreme War Council of the Allies held its first session at Versailles on Dec. 1. It was attended by Premier Lloyd George and General Wilson for Great Britain, Colonel House and General Bliss for the United States, Premier Clemenceau and General Foch for France, and Premier Orlando and General Cadorna for Italy. The hotel in which the meeting was held was closely guarded by military, and even the official photographers of France and the United States were not allowed to enter the grounds. No statement of the proceedings was given out other than that they were harmonious and entirely satisfactory. On Dec. 6 it was announced that General Foch had been recalled to become personal adviser to Premier Clemenceau, and that Lieut. Gen. Maxime Weygand, recently promoted to General of Division, would serve in his place; he became a Major General in 1916 and a Lieutenant General in November, 1917; he had been closely associated with General Foch throughout the war.

J'

ERUSALEM, the Holy City, was taken by the British forces under General Sir Edmund Allenby on Dec. 10, 1917, and the victorious commander entered officially at noon on Dec. 11. The capture was announced in the House of Commons on Dec. 10 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The news was received with deep satisfaction throughout the allied nations; solemn Te Deum masses were held in celebration at cathedrals in London, Paris, and other centres, and profound pleasure was expressed at the Vatican. Throughout the world the Zionist Jews celebrated the taking of the city as a final step toward fulfillment of the promise of the British Government-announced some weeks previously-that Palestine should be granted autonomy as a national Jewish State.

The official cabled announcement of the taking of the city was made Dec. 10 by General Allenby. The final attacks near the city were made Dec. 8, at the south and west. Welsh and home county troops, advancing from the direction of Bethlehem, drove back the enemy, and, passing Jerusalem on the east, established themselves on the Jerusalem-Jericho road. At the same time London infantry and dismounted yeomanry attacked the strong enemy positions west and northwest of Jerusalem, and placed themselves astride the Jerusalem-Shechem road. The city, being thus isolated, surrendered. General Allenby's official report follows:

I entered the city officially at noon Dec. 11 with a few of my staff, the commanders of the French and Italian detachments, the heads of the political missions, and the Military Attachés of France, Italy, and America.

The procession was all afoot, and at Jaffa gate I was received by the guards representing England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, India, France, and Italy. The population re

places. My Military Governor is in contact with the acting custodians and the Latin and Greek representatives. The Governor has detailed an officer to supervise the holy places. The Mosque of Omar and the area around it have been placed under Moslem control, and a military cordon of Mohammedan officers and soldiers has been established around the mosque. Orders have been issued that no non-Moslem is to pass within the cordon without permission of the Military Governor and the Moslem in charge.

The telegram also stated that a proclamation in Arabic, Hebrew, English, French, Italian, Greek, and Russian had been posted in the citadel and on all the walls, proclaiming martial law and intimating that all the holy places would be maintained and protected according to the customs and beliefs of those to whose faith they were sacred. The proclamation reads:

Proclamation

To the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Blessed and the People Dwelling in Its Vicinity:

The defeat inflicted upon the Turks by the troops under my command has resulted in the occupation of your city by my forces. I, therefore, here now proclaim it to be under martial law, under which form of administration it will remain so long as military considerations make necessary.

However, lest any of you be alarmed by reason of your experience at the hands of the enemy who has retired, I hereby inform you that it is my desire that every person should pursue his lawful business without fear of interruption.

Furthermore, since your city is regarded with affection by the adherents of three of the great religions of mankind and its soil has been consecrated by the prayers and pilgrimages of multitudes of devout people of these three religions for many centuries, therefore, do I make it known to you that every sacred building, monument, holy spot, shrine, traditional site, endowment,