v . - -
ssa The Wilmington Bispat&sh irgM
warmer in interior. . .1 II HJI OCpffffina
1 Y FULL LEASED WIRE SERVICE v "CM"?"
VOL. XXIV. No, 71 t WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY ARCH 20, 1918 ; PRICE FIVE CENTS'
THE FALL 0WE1TOGRAB IS
dv W3 -S
m
IN A FEW B
CAPITAL
Population Said to Be Pas
sively Awaiting Coming
of the Invaders
NO INDICATIONS OF
DEFENDING THE CITY
Bolshevik Government is Now
Safely Housed in Moscow.
Germans toControl Forts.
. Other War News
The fall of Petrograd 1s imminent,
German troops, probably advancing
along the Baltic coast from Narva
and northeast from Pskov and Dvinsk
are nearing the Russian metropolis,
according to a dispatch received in
London.
The population is said to be await
ing the coming of the invaders pass
ively and there are no indications
that the Bolshevik authorities will at
tempt to oppose the Germans before
riving up the city. v :
. Evacuation of .-Petrograd, by. the Bol
shevik government departments was
ordered last week and all are now in
Moscow which the Lenine govern
ment has declared the Russian cap
ital. When the order to move to Mos
cow was given, it was said that Pet
rograd probably would be declared a
free port.
German possession of Petrograd
would give the enemy control of the
Gulf of Finland and all the important
ports on its coasts except , those in
Finland, yet in the hands of the Fin
nish rebels, who are being attacked !
by the Germans and Finnish, govern
ment forces. This would cut Moscow
off from the Baltic sea. On the south
the Germans have been reported with
in 350 miles of Moscow and they vir
tually1 control the Black Sea.
Although they can advance in the
East against disorganized Russia, the
Germans have not yet displayed any
intention to carry out their heralded
offensive in the West. Except for
most intense artillery bombardments
on some sectors there has been no
great activity on the lengthy Western
front, trench raids having decreased
in number.
On the British and French fronts,
the German artillery has been most
active on the sectors which were borii
barded last week Ypres, Armentier
es, Cambrai, the Champagne, Verdun
and the Vosges. The marked aerial
fighting on the British front continues
and British airmen have accounted for
28 more German machines, making a
total of 54 in two days, 37 of which
ere destroyed.
Entente aviators have been busy
bombing enemy billets and airdromes
and British airmen have dropped
bombs on Mannheiem, Germany.
On the Toul sectors the Americans
have been re-paying the Germans for
their lavish use of gas shells, by
throwing large numbers of the same
shells in the enemy lines. The bom
bardment is reported to have had the
ect desired by the. American gun
ners. Towns and positions behind
the German lines also have been sub
jected to American fire, while the en
emy has replied with gas shells. "East
j? Luneville the big guns also have
b?en busy and in both the Luneville
Toul sectors, American gunners
have demolished ' more German gas
Projectors.
Secretary 6f War Baker visited the
American trenches Tuesday and
hen he was returning a large Ger
anoshell struck and burst dangerous-
v near the automobile in which he
Sjnd his immediate party were riding.
rhe enemy shell caused no damage-
RUSSIAN WARSHIPS
ESCAPED GERMANS
Washington, March 20. Russian
arshipS at Odessa escaped to Se
vastopol when the Germans took
jjaessa, according to a dispatch to
n State Department today from
erican Consul RrnnmoM at Mns.
Doponr nrr.. j: t x i
51m authorities as declaring that
a ships were taken when the city
6 occupied,
noop
GERMAN
SPY RING WAS
ONLY UOVE AFFAIR
Suspicious Correspondence
Turns Out to Be Merely
Love Letters
Washington, March 20. Investiga
tion has convinced the Department of
Justice that the two women and the
two men claiming French citizenship
recently arrested in New York on
suspicion of connection with the Ger
man spy ring can only be classed as
undesirable citizens, rather than as
spies. On this conclusion they will
be deported.
Suspicions that the quartet were a
band of spies were exploded when
government agents found that a love
affair between one of the women and
a. neutral diplomat in Washington,
was the real basis of the activity of
the- four which had brought them un
der the observation of the Department
of Justice. The full disclosure is
withheld by the government out of
consideration for the neutral diplo
mat and his associates.
The fcfar under arrest in New York
gave their names as Madame Des
pina Davidovitch Storch, Madame
Elizabeth Charlotte Nix, Baron Henri
De Belville and Count Robert De
CLairemont
It is now disclosed that what were
thought to be mysterious code letters
found in a safe deposit box of one of
those under arrest, were love, epistles,
couched in gentle terms with hidden
meanings which hard-headed investi
gators at first failed to recognize.
Pins BOYS TESTIFY
IN mm DEFENSE
Garfield on the Stand Declares
He Did Not Kill Dr.
Hennessee
'Morgairton, N. C, March 20. Tak
ing the stand in his own behalf to
day, Garfield Pitts, elder of the two
brothers charged with the murder of
Dr. E. A. Hennessee, said that he
was at the .Glen Alpine station at the
time the physician was shot to death.
He stated that he had gone to the
station with Aaron Wiseman but that
he later went back to his store. He
said that he heard shots. He de
clared that he had no knowledge of
the doctor's absence from Glen Al
pine. The witness denied that he or
his brother, Aaron, had fired any
shots or had had anything to do with
the killing of the doctor.
Pitts admitted on cross examina
tion that he and Hennessee had been
enemies for years and that he would
not admit having shot the deceased
if he had been concerned in it. Tell
ing the story of the fight five years
ago when his. brother was killed by
Hennessee, he said that &e fought in
self defense at that time. Acknowl
edging that he had been in many
fights, he said that he had always
fought in self defense. Garfield prob
ably will be on the stand the rest of
the day and will be followed by his
brother.
NARROW ESCAPE FOR BAKER.
With' the American Army in
France, Tuesday, March 19.
While Secretary Baker and his
party were returning today from
the American front line trenches
a German 105-rhillimeter shell
burst alongside the roadside with
in 40 yards of the automobile. The
occupants of the car were not In
jured nor was the car damaged.
Secretary Baker remained for
an hour and a half in a front line
trench on a certain sector under
a brisk enemy shell fire. He also
visited an advanced listening post
and talked with the officers and
men.
SAKE
u um up
OF RUSSIA
GERMAN ADVANCE
IS NO SURPRISE 9
TO WASHINGTON
Officials All Along Believed
Invasion of Russia Would
Continue
MAY BE PREPARING
FOR A PEACE OFFER
Germany's Motive May Be to
Seize All Russia Then Of
fer to Let France Have
Alsace-Lorraine
Washington, March 20.--The conn
ed advance of the Germans into Rus
sia, despite jthe peace treaties signed
at Brest-Litovsk, is no surprise 'to Am
erican officials, who all along fully ex
pected the German high command to
prosecute its designs in Russia to the
fullest extent, regardless of any con
siderations of good faith with the
peace agreement..
No formal information as to the mo
tives that Impel the Germans to pres3
their advantage to Petrograd and
Moscow is available here, but it is
known that officials regard the situ
ation as filled with sinister possibilities-There
have been many recent hints
at another peace effort by the Ger
mans in the near future and if these
predictions zxpi fulfilled, it is pointed
out, a vast section of Russia actually
in German hands, and furnishing en
ormous though undeveloped minerals
and other resources for employment
in the German war program, might
well serve as a foundation upon which
to erect a compromise peace proposal.
It has been suggested that with
those w resources in her possession,
Germany might offer even to restore
Alsace-Lorraine to France, hoping
thereby to be left in undisturbed pos
session of the Eastern field.
With such a proposal could go
agreement to evacuate France and
Belgium, the whole constituting an
alluring prospecjfc to the war-worn
peoples of France and Great Britain
if they did not look deeper and see
the threat their statesmen point out
in the sacrifice of Russia.
Given time to develop Russian re
sources, many officials here believe
the Germans could well afford to sur
render all they hold in the West with
perfect assurance of both their. econ
omic and military future.
Some officials here even expect re
cruitment of the Russian peasantry
into the German armies. Others, how
ever, believe the Russian people are
so thoroughly imbued with the spirit
of the revolution that no great move
ment of that sort is expected.
The rapid advance of the German
forces through Russia, it is admitted
here, is serving to cut off a great part
of the Russian population from any
effective means of counteracting Ger
man propaganda. Already all repre
sentatives of Allied thought and pur
pose have been forced to abandon the
field or be captured by the advancing
Germans.
GERMANS ARE STILL
SEEKING PUBLICITY
Zurich, Switzerland, March 20.
Another of the reports of an impend
ing German blow in the West appears
in the Koelnlsche Zeitung. It says
the German headquarters staff is or
ganizing a series of conferences to be
held at Cologne, Berlin, Karlsruhe,
Hanover and Leipsic, with represen
tatives of the leading newspapers,
for the purpose of preparing the Ger
man press for operations on a great
scale on the Western frpntv
AWARD THE FIRST
OF NEW AMERICAN
MILITARY CROSSES
Lieutenant and Two Sergeants
Selected for Receiving,
the Honor
ALREADY RECEIVED
FRENCH DECORATIONS
The Three Men Were Decorat
ed Recently by Premier
Clemenceau Pershin g
Approves
With the American Army in France,
Tuesday, March 19. General Persh-!
ing, the American commander-in-chief,
has approved the awarding of
the first new American military
crosses for extraordinary heroism.
The recipients are Lieutenant John
O. Green, Sergeant William Norton,
and Sergeant Patrick Walsh.
The crosses were awarded for "ex
traordinary heroism in connection
with military operations against an
armed enemy."
Lieutenant Green probably will
stand on the record as the first to
receive the honor, for his name is
first on the list of three approved by
the commanif t 4n-chii.fv The exploits
of these men afe described by the
general commanding their division as
follows :
"I recommend that the Distinguish
ed Service Crosses be awarded to the
officer and men named hereafter who
distinguished themselves by acts of
extraordinary heroism.
"Lieutenant ' Green, while in a dug
out having been wounded by an en
emy hand grenade, was summoned to
surrender. He refused to do so. Re
turning the fire of the enemy, he
wounded one and pursued the hostile
party.
"Sergeant Norton, finding himself
in a dugout surrounded by the enemy
into which a grenade had just been
thrown, refused to surrender and
made a bold dash outside, killing one
of his assailants. By so doing he
saved the company's logbook.
"Sergeant Walsh followed his com
pany commander to the first lines in
spite of a severe barrage. The cap
tain being killed, he assumed com
mand of the group and attacked a su
perior force of the enemy, inflicting
severe losses upon them. Though
of advanced age, he refused to leave
the front."
To these recommendations, Gener
al Pershing appended the following:
"The commander-in-chief approves
the recommendations for awards of
distinguished service crosses They
are not on hand at present, but will
be forwarded when received and will
be presented by you in the names of
the commander-in-chief with suitable
ceremony."
Lieutenant Green and Sergeants
Norton and Walsh all have received
the French war cross, Norton and
Walsh being decorated personally by
Premier Clemenceau on March 3.
Lieutenant Green, an artillery officer,
was wounded by shell fire early in
March. Sergeant Norton, a veteran
in service, formerly resided in Ar
kansas. He was decorated by Prem
ier Clemenceau for his act in killing
a German lieutenant and two German
soldiers. He was challenged by ;he
lieutenant to leave his dugout and led
out his men fighting.
Sergeant Walsh, formerly of Chi
cago, also is a Regular Army veteran.
His French decoration was received
for heroism in the Toul sector. He
took command of a detachment in
front of the American wire entangle
ments when his captain was killed
and continued the fight Sergeant
Walsh was selected by General Per
shing to act as orderly to Secretary
of War Baker during his visit to the
American army in France.
Kores Goes to Louisville.
Louisville, Ky., March 20. Arthur
Kores, third baseman, has been secur
ed by the Louisville American Associ
ation Club from Nashville of the
Southern Association, according to
announcement here today.
Another Aviator, Killed.
San Antonio, Texas, March 20.
First Lieutenant Walter J. Johnson,
22 years old, of Bellesville, 111., was
instantly killed today when the air
plane in which he was flying, fell
100-leet at Kelly Field. ,
MOSCOW GIVING
THE BOLSHEVIK!
MUCH CONCERN
German Advance Alarms the
Newly Designated Rus
sian Capital
GOVERNMENT MAY
AGAIN BE MOVED
While No Effort is Being
Made to Defend Petrograd,
Situation of Moscow
Causes Uneasiness
Russian advices Indicate that the
Bolsheviki, while preparing to giv-3 up
Petrograd without a struggle, are se-
riouslj- concerned over Moscow, fear
ing they may have to evacuate the
ancient capital as well as the more
modern one. The movements of Teu
tonic troops eastward is considered
so menacing as to threaten the isola
tion of Moscow where the Bolshevik
government has been established, and
talk is heard of moving the govern
ment anew, possibly to Nizhni Nov
gorod, or even to Saratoff, more than
400 miles to the southeast.
Meanwhile the advices also seem to
indicate that the Bolsheviki are lean-
ling more strongly toward the Entente!
and particularly upon America for
support. Their foreign minister has
declared that the relations of Russia
with the Entente are considered to be
unchanged and other of their leaders
! are taking pains to deny that . the
Bolsheviki have been arming German
j prisoners in Siberia or elsewhere and
are reported as welcoming the report-
j ed American intention to investigate
this question in Siberia.
I First awards of the new American
military cross for meritorious service
by American soldiers are announced
jby General Pershing. The men hon-
;ored are a lieutenant and two ser-
jgeants who receive the decoration for
extraordinary heroism in action.
The Germans seem to have found a
new method of inflicting suffering in
warfare by the use of rubber balls, a
foot and a half in diameter, contain
ing liquid mustard gas, dropped by
airplanes. Several such were project
ed from the air upon American troops
in the sector northwest of Toul by
German machines Monday night and
Tuesday morning. No serious effects
resulted.
NO CONSISTORY
DURING THE WAR
Rome, March 20. "There will be
no consistory until the war is over,"
Pope Benedict said today upon hear
ing that the report had been pub
lished that he' intended to call a con
Wstory shortly.
The last consistory was held since
the war' began, but before Italy's par
ticipation in the conflict, and at a
time when the creation of a German
cardinal was possible.
Now, however, despite the efforts
of the Italian government to carry
out the spirit as well as the letter of
the law, guaranteeing the papal sta
tus, it is considered 'that the hold
ing of a consistory might prove an
embarrassment, especially as the pon
tiff feels that he must announce in
the next consistory the creation of
two cardinals, one of whom is a Ger
man and the other an Austrian.
Neither of these could very ll
come to Rome to receive the red" hat,
nor would it be an easy matter to
send them the insignia by papal dele
gates. UPRISING REPORTED
FROM BELUCHISTAN
London, Ms xh 26. Uprisings on
the part of nutives in Beluchistan re
cently resulted in fighting in which
many casualties were inflicted, the
India office announces. The attack-H
ers attacked British posts and were
repulsed completely. Punitive meas
ures are being undertaken.
ONSLOW MAN GASSED.
Ottawa, Ont., March 20. P. G.
Grant, of Sneads Ferry, N. C,
serving with the Canadian over
seas forces, has been gassed, ac
cording to today's casualty list
IMMINENT
COTTON PRODUCED
LAST SEASON WAS
11 M BALES
Last Report Shows an Excess
of the Estimate of De
cember NEARLY AS LARGE AS
THE CROP OF 1916
Production the Previous Year
Was 11,449,930 Bales.
October Frost Reduc
ed Million Bales
Washington, March 20 Cotton pro
duction from last season's crop was
11,285 999 equivalent 500-pound bales,
exclusive of linters, the Census Bu
reau today announced in its final re
port of the season's ginnings. Lint
ers produced to March 1 amounted to
1 829,019 equivalent 500-pound bales.
In December the Department of
Agriculture estimated the production
at 10,949,000 equivalent 500-pound
bales. Early Indications were that a
crop of more than 12,000,000 bales
vould be produced, but a heavy kill
ing fiost about the middle of Octo
ber resulted in damage estimated to
have reduced the crop by & million
bales
Production of the 1916 season was
11,449,930 equivalent 500-pound bales,
and for the 1915 season 11,191,820
bales.
Including in last season's figures
are 158,943 bales which ginners es
timated would be turned out after
the March canvass. Round bales in
cluded are 189,069, compared with
192,339 for 1916 and 111,716 for 1915.
Sea Island included are 92,501 bales,
compared with 117,559 for 1916 and
91,844 for 1915.
The average gross weight of bale
for the crop, counting round as half
bales and excluding linters, is 502.2
pounds compared with 503.8 for 1916
and 505.6 for 1915.
The number of ginneries operated
for the 1917 crop was 20,304, com
pared with 21,624 for 1916.
Ginnings by States are:
Alabama, 517,279; Arizona, 20,899;
Arkansas, 973,399; California, 55,705;
Florida 37,820; Georgia, . 1,881,503;
Louisiana, 638,388; Mississippi, 903,
237; Missouri, 60,668; North Carolina,
616,675; Oklahoma, 957,676; South
Carolina, 1,235,735; Tennessee, 239,
677; Texas, 3,124,185; Virginia, 18,
583. All other States, 4,642.
Ginnings of Sea Islands by States:
Florida, 37,500; Georgia, 47,868;
and South Carolina, 7,313.
ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE
Reply to the United States
Was Put on the Cables
Today
Washington, March 20. Holland's
reply in the shipping negotiations is
on the cables, the government was ad
vised today, and is expected to arrive
before night.
Unacceptable Conditions.
London, March 20. The conditions
laid down by the Dutch foreign min
ister for the acceptance of the de
mands of the associated government?
as regards the taking over of Dutch
shipping are not likely to be accept
able to those governments, according
to a Reuter dispatch from The Hague,
filed yesterday. It adds, however,
that a concession may be made to the
extent that the arming of Dutch ves
sels may not be insisted upon.
DENIED OWNERSHIP.
Property Recovered by Police Not
aken from Gribbin Home.
The property recovered from Moses
Sharpless and ; a negro named John
son by Officer Coleman, of the plain
clothes squad, and believed to have
been a part o fthat removed from
the closed residence of Rev. and Mrs.
P. E. Gribbin, aftr viewing the vari
ous articles recovered, denying own
ership. The police are still of the
opinion that the property was stolen
and Johnson and Sharpless are being
held.
DUTCH
4
AMERICANS RAM
GAS SHELLS ON
Four Different and Effectivd
Attacks Launched
Enemy
on
PATROLS SEEK OUT
PATROLS OF ENEMY1
Artillery Duels Are Frequent!
the American Sector. ,
on
Considerable Damage to
the Germans .1 j
With the American Army la
France, Tuesday, March 19. Ameri
can artillery on the Toul front has
heavily attacked the Germans with
gas shells during the past day or -eo,
it is now permitted to announce.
Four different attacks were launched
and from the manner in which the
enemy was silenced it is evident that
they had the desired effect.
During one period when the gas
snens were flying over the enemy
lines last night a German airplane
with a red tail light appeared over
the American lines and dropped a
red rocket, for what purpose it is not
known. However shrapnel from
American anti-aircraft batteries burst
so near the German immediately af
terward that, he "was forced to fly fpw
his own lines in a hurry.
Last night the enemy observation
towers and position on Montsec were
shelled heavily and a heavy fire was
directed against the enemy lines this
morning. .
At noon today the enemy opened
a lively fire from one of the Amert
can positions with 37-millimetec
guns from the cemetery at Riche-
court. The American guns of the
same calibre came into action and af-
ter they had fired 50 shells the Ger
mans ran from the position and took
their guns with them. The American
guns then shelled the village of La-
hayvllle, where two heavy explosions.
apparently of munition stores, were
caused.
The German artillery directed most
of its attention to dropping a few;
shells into one or two towns withjn
tne American lines and sneiiing a,l
cross roads known as Death's Corner;!
during the day and night
Last night American patrols enter-,
ed the German front lines at twd
points, but did not see a single enV
emy soldier, although they hunted
ior some time. Another patrol reH
mained in the enemy wire entangle
ments all. night hoping to ambush an
expected enemy party, but it did not
appear. A third patrol party was dis
covered by the Germans who hurledl
hand grenades and forced the Amer
icans to withdraw. Still another esH
tablished contact with an enemy ps
trol and a few shots were exchangff
The Americans came through Tfft
scathed, but it is not known what
happened to the Germans. v
Many airplanes were up until it be
gan to rain at noon. One airplane
from the rear of the American line
drove off two Boch machines after a
thrilling battle in and out of the.
clouds. Another airplane was en
gaged against a German when a sec
ond German joined in the fight. A!
second friendly airman came up to afH
sist, but it was too late, for the air
plane the Americans hoped would be1
victorious fell to the ground within
the enemy lines. ; ,
On the sector east of Luneville the
artillery continued active and a few;
American patrols have reached the
enemy line. One party encountered
an enemy patrol and forced the Ger
mans to withdraw after a sharp skir j
mish.
A certain Irish regiment was bom
barded heavily today with big shells.
Reports from both the Luneville
and Toul sectors say that more Ger
man gas projectile batteries have
been discovered and blown to bits:
by the American gdnners.
SENATOR BROUSSARD '!
IS CRITICALLY ILC
New Iberia, La., March 20. United
States Senator Robert F. Bronssard
was reported critically ill at his home
here today. Two specialists from
New Orleans and local , physicians
early this week performed an opera
tion on Senator Broussard for infu-'
sion of blood, which they ajd was
successful, but other complications:
developed bringing on a serious con
Sition, according to the physicians
Senator Broussard is. 54 years old.
GERMAN WORKS
v.
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