wpATHER
North and South
Carolina: Cloudy and
;onTlrued,cool tonight
Tnnivio iiruro
luuni o UCWO 'I '-TV.
and Sunday,
TMliY l
FUUL LEDxWIR&SERyiC
i f
VOL- XXIV. NO. 94
WILMINGTON; ORTH; cM6&A. SAHnfirbON, APRIL 13. 1918. .
PRICEFIVECEN1S
it. --... 4 :. , . , , ,:-....- - ,,1,M , Jt. , ; V,-, J, ,.,.. 1 -Jj. . ' . . f" v -i
: 7 ... f , - , i l i
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TROOPS BJEMCUP
GEMAH ASSAULT
Foil3 In Attack 'On Messines
Ridge, Enemy Extends
His Efforts
HAIG CALLS ON HIS
MEN TO STAND FIRM
Pritish Told to Die Rather
Than Retire Struggle Is
At a Critical Stage -Heavy
Fighting to Come.
Pressing their attack against the
British southwest of Armentieres, the
Germans also have extended their ef
forts to other frons and have clash
ed with French and American troops
In the north the Germans are ad
vancing toward Bailleul; on the Pi-
cardv battlefront, they entered the
village of Hangard, after heavy
fighting, and east of St. Mihiel Amer
ican and French troops have repulsed
in enemy attack iinEe Apremont for-
. e-t.
Repulsed in their efforts to gain
tie Messines-Wytschaete ridge, the
Germans are putting most of their
jtrnegth toward widening the salient
pouth of Armentieres in an evident
attempt to outflank the hill positions
nd gain important railroad centers
Bailleul is northwest of Armentieres
and. west of the southern end of the
jaessines ridge, while Hazebrouck
and Aire, toard which the Germans
are endeavoring to push home 'their
attacks, are also important railway
tases.
Field Marshal Haig. like Marshal
Joffre at the Battle of the Marne, has
-.11 nr? Vti ...lJr.. w. A -fiv-Trl a Tl A I
VUCU W UU BU1U1CI9 LV 9UWU U"" CfciH 1
I fie rather than give up a posiion to
1 ft enemy. '. Military . observers and
1 Sajor General Maurice, director of
J aatary opcmUcmfeXJJr HWs British war
Brace, agree mat crisis nas Deen
reached. "There must be no retire
ment," Field Marshal Haig says in
his appeaL French forces are rapid
ly coming to the aid of the British
and a gigantic. and most sanguinary
struggle probably will be enacted on
the lowlands between Lille and St.
Omer.
In heavy fighting the British
are !
fceing forced back to Bailleul on the
north and toward Aire on the south.
Near the centre? the British and the
German are hotly engaged around St.
T111' VYiu a"1 xt ri '
advance of 10 miles for the Germans j
Vincent, which marks an approximate
roice Tuesday. t . ..
On the extreme Northern and
here the Germans have at least i
400.000 men there has been little
fphtinz
Sonth of the Somme the Germans
j.wi uieir way into xiangiru, nc-,
er several hours of sanguinary fight-i
mg in which the French and the en -
emy attacked and counter attacked.
A French counter attack regained the
Western part of the village and heavy
figMing continues. Southward to-1
-ard Hourges, the German attempts
-erp reDuld
The Aont forest, where the
Americans and French repulsed the i
Mfmy is where the American sector !
northwest of Toul joins the French
The Germans gained advanced!
but the- Americans
, , .. . - j
French made a spirited counter at
tack and drove them out, the enemy
paving 22 prisoners in the hands of
-he Americans.
German aerial forces also have been
husy, Paris and the east coast of Eng
land being raided Friday night. Two
sirplaneB got through the Paris de
fenses and dropped seven bombs, .11
persons being killed and 50 wounded.
One or two airships went inland from
the English mast nTiT rtrivrmAft hnmhs.
hjt apparently did not reach London.
Allied airmen have been very busy
tombing military targets behind the
German lines and in aerial fighting
Jfe British have brought down 35
German machines, 14 out of control.
Reports received in Switzerland in
dicate that a German naval raid In
FRANCE WELCOMES THIRD FLAG ON PLAINS OF PICARDY.
J. American troops fight r:.m
J BommWo ihe French uuTISifriUt tm.1fl ttOl!S.LH2IsA-:
FORTf BOYS BURNED
E
L
Oklahoma Hospital For In
sane Had a Fatal Fire This
Morning
Norman, Okla., April 13. Between
30 and 37 boys, aged 10, to 15 years,
all patients at the State Hospital for
the Insane, here, were , burned to
death in a fire of unknown origin
that completely destroyed three
wards and the dining room of the
institution. The blaze started at 3
o'clock this morning.-
Later in - the morning Dr. Griffin
said the death list might reach 40.
The greatest number of deaths oc
curred in ward 15, where the chil
dren had little chance to escape be
cause of the rapidity of the flames
and subsequent panic. No lives were
lost in Wards 10 and 14, but the
inmates were rescued with difficulty.
In the confusion some of the chil
dren are said to have run back into
the flames after they had been safely
removed from the burning building. ,
Dr. Griffin expressed the opinion
that the Are, which was discovered
shortly after 3 o'clock this morning,
originated in the engine room of the
hospital.
0
Number of Bales Was 571
202 Against 603,919 for a
Year Ago
Washington, April 13. Cotton con
sumed during- March amounted to
571,202 running bales, exclusive of lin-
ters, the Census Bureau today an
nounced for the eigh-tmonth period,
it was 4,400,233 bales.
Last year March consumption was
603,919 bales, and for the eight-month
v , ro n-iz?
period, 4,508,916 bales.
Cotton hand March 31, in consuming
establishments was 1,721,311 bale3,
t rnrn
and In ?u9b"C1QfK SSLSL wTh
presses 3,258,499 bales, compared with
h'5"'5;0
Cotton spindles active numbered
,oa wu, 93 27rt S48
1
aec" s": ,
ImPrt "i?!"'!
compared with i.679 a 7 ear ago .
E?1 i1- ' a ? ?, Jnd
313 bas
for the f&Jf1?-1
compared with 4,547,128 a year ago.
Unt" JL'i
compared with. 76 570 a yeai ago u and
or the eight months 133 463 bales,
compared with 236 ,377 'a .year ago
Co?A 313'020 l!8' C,pa5v?
-eirith wz'zn a year asu, xui mo
eight months 2.495,931 compared with
2,51,141 a year ago.
On hand, in consuming establish
ments 1,065,269 bales, compared with
1,069,886 a year ago; in public stor
age and at compresses 2,957,021 bales
compared with 2,576,002 a year ago. T
Cotton spindles active 14,300,323
compared with 13,876,994 a year, ago.
great force Is soon to be attempted.
There -has been great activity at the
HQSPiTA
COM
CONSUMPTION
FOR
MONTH
MARCH
naval bases in Northern uermany ana ui iuiunuu"i ui
coal and ammunition are being hur-,ber, which materially affects rates,
rled to the warships. The German was instituted today by the Interatate
battleship Rheinland, of 18,600 tons, is Commerce Commission on is own in!
reported to have struck a mine and ative as a result of complaints by
sank in the. Baltic, while another re- lumber producers and shippers of dis
port says she only grounded., criminated effected by the rules.
H01JS
E
L
TO OMIT DRAFT
The Vote Was Preceded By a
Most Remarkable
Debate
BONAR-LAW DEFENDS
CONSCRIPTION BILL
His Promise of Home Rule
Was Greeted With Laugh
ter Debate Attended
By Uproars
London, April 13. A proposal by
Irish Nationalists to omit the con
scription of Ireland clause from the
government man-power bill was re
jected by a majority of 172 in the
House of Commons last night. The
total vote shows that a large section
of the House abstained from voting.
The debate in the House yesterday
and last night was remarkable for
the speech for former Premier As-
quith who, while strongly - objecting
to the conscription of Ireland, frank
ly declined to take the responsibility
at the moment the nation is facing a
grave military crisis of pushing that
opposition to the extent of .forming a
change in the government. Henry E.
Duke, chief secretary ; for Ireland, at-
bers. The effort' wd to a strong al
tercation with the Nationalists at the
close of the debate.
The government spokesman in the
House, Andrew Bonar-Law, In a brief
speech winding up the discussion, con
tended that the government had a
moral right in what they were doing
and would be craven not to do It.
"We could not tell America she
had the right to conscript Irishmen
in the United States while we had
not the same right at home," he said
"We intend at the earliest moment to
introduce a bill which we hope will
give home rule or rather local gov
ernment to Ireland."
This statement brought a fresh up
roar and laughter from the Irish mem
bers.
FINLAND INVITED
GERMAN TROOPS
vvasningion, April ia.a message
reaching the State Department today
from Stockholm, reported the Finnish
official news bureau had given out a
statement declaring that all German
troops landed in Finland had been
sen at the request of the Finnish gov
ernment.
When the Germans landed on the
Aland islands, Sweden protested.
Further Reorganization
Washington, April 13. At their
weekly conference with War Depart
ment officials today Senate military
committee members said they were
advised that further and Important
re-organization was planned and that
Brigadiel General Williams will be
appointed chief of ordnance, probably
through retirement , of Major General
Crozier, now serving on the Super
War Council
Investigate Size of Carloads.
Washington, April 13. Investiga
tion into various railroads on the rules
IRISH
PROPOSA
STUPID AND
H
But She Invited ., the . Profes-i
sor s Af fifinity to Stay At
Home fclh I Heri"
Chicago, April 1 -The case of
Prof. William S. 1 aas, of the Uni
versity of Chicag" U ad Mrs. R. M.
Granger, detained iy govecnment
agents, after regis;, tg on Thursday
at a downtown h ;as ' "C. Roland
and wife, Gary, 1)4 was in tfce
hands of the city - .horities today,
Federal officials y . bunced. They
were released on t, ' own recogniz
ance. What actloijKii city authori
ties would take, if any, had, not been
indicated.
Mrs. Granger, 24 years j old, mother
of a 3-year old Child, andnwife of an
army offloer, with the American;
forces in France, spent last night at!
the southside home of the -"University
of Chicago professor of sociology.
She as there by invitation, of the. pro-,
fessor's wlfe who is prominent as '
pacifist and an advocate of woman
suffrage. Mrs. Thomas . met - Mrs.
Granger down town by appointment
and took the wife of the soldier' home
with her. accompanied by Mrs. gran
ger's sister. Miss Delia Raines, la mo
tion picture and art student.
"I am terribly, terribly sorry for
you," Mrs. rnomas said to Mrs.
Granger. "The only thing I can't
forgive is the utter? stupidity and the
absurd childishness i of the professor
doing such a thing. He ought to have
known better."
Mrs. Thomas has on several occas
ions rallied to the defense of her
husband, when criticised for some of
his writings and utterances on sex
questions. She is the daughter of the
late Rev. James Park, a i Presbyterian
minister, of Knoxvxille, Tenn.; Is
president of the Chicago Peace So
ciety and accompanied the Hemy
Ford Peace Party to Stockholm.
Dean Albion Small, head of the
Department of - Sociology of the Uni
versity of Chicago, of which Prof.
Thomas Is a member, said some ac
tion probably would be taken by' the
university authorities. ,
"The matter of procedure will, rest
with President Harry Pratt Judson,
who is out of the city. It is probable
that a committee will be appointed to
investigate the conduct of the profes-
sor."
. .V.
MOTOR TRUCK WRECK
COST LIVES OF TWO
Spartanburg, S. C, April 13. Two
soldiers were killed and six were in
jured today in a motor truck acci
dent here. The troops were from
Camp Wadsworth.
LOAN SUBSCRIPTIONS
PASS HALF BILLION
. Washington, April 13. Suubscrip
tions to the Third Liberty Loan re
ported to Federal Reserve banks to
day as the first quarter of the drive
v,as passed, totalled $539,426,100, or
slightly more than one-sixth of the
minimum amount sought by Secretary
McAdoo.
Senator Stone Worse.
Washington, April 13. Senator
Stone, of Missouri, who suffered a.
stroke of paralysis last Wednesday,
became worse today, after spending a
restless night, and is in a serious con
dition, according to an announcement
by his physicians.
CHILDIS
BONDS THAT BLESS
By GOVERNOR T. W. BICKETT
' Liberty Bonds, like mercy, are twice blest.
They bless the folks who stay at home and the men who are g
; teg to the front.
They test and declare the physical and spiritual dynamics of this
Republic.
They appeal to the commonest kind of sense, and to the rarest
sort of sentiment.
In them will be found more of strength than in the lordly head of
the herd, and more of warmth than in the fleece of the leader of the
flocks.
?; They will carry one farther than a "Ford" and faster than the
fleetest descendant of "Nancy Hanks."
They will yield more solid comfort for the inner man than 'pos
sum , and potatoes, and more juicy sweetness than the apples for which
our. first ancestors threw Paradise away.
They are absolutely free from the uncretainty that racks the nerves
of men, and from the taxes that make the grasshopper a burden' and
mqurners go about the streets.
They will add to the glory of youth and to the grandeur of aife.
In them one may hear ten thousand cannon roar to save a little
child, and see ten million men leap forward to die that others may truly
live.
They are preferred stock in Tae Gem of the Ocean.
They are Star dust from Old Glory. 1
They are the soul of the Red, White and Blue,
' They are messengers of hope to our friends, and missiles of ter
ror to our foes.
They are harbingers of peace to all lands, safety to all seas, and.
freedom to all of the children of men.
They are badges of chivalry, certificates of nobility, memorials .of
love. '
Buy one! Buy today, and live forever in your own esteem and in
the gratitude of a world you help to save. .
ANOTHER DULL WEEK
ON STOCK EXCHANGE
Anxiety Over the Western
Front Fighting Was Felt
By Trades
New York, April 13. Greater inter
est not unmixed with anxiety in the
outcome of the terrific battle still
raging on the Franco Belgian fronJ
was reflected in another dull week on
the Stock Exchange. Prices of stand
ard issues were well maintained as
a rule, those pressures were at times
effective. The scarcity of stocks due
largely to the abstention of public
participation had automatically crea
ted a technical condition which tends
to stabilize values. Probably at no
time since country's entry Into war
has public interest been so negligible.
This is borne out by the statements
of local banks, which show brokers'
loans to be only about 40 per cent of
normal. Easier rates for call money
ana freer offerings of time funds,
though mostly for short dates, ar ad
ditional indication of the public's gen
eral attitude of aloofness.
The Liberty Loan, drive engrossed
the attention of banking and bond
interests, investment demand for th.
bonds being gratifyingly large. Out
standing Liberty issues were again
subject to variable quotations, but in
ternational issues, notably Pari3 6s
and French Municipals, were active
and firmer.
Reduced dividends in one quarter
and increased disbursements in Ma
rine preferred and Sumatra Tobacco
testified to the uncertain conditions
prevailing in various lines of industry
and commerce. Foreign Exchange was
featureless except for the scarcity of
Spain remittances.
ANOTHER TRICK OF
THE WILY GERMAN
London, April 13. Still another
trick of the wily Hun has been un
covered. . From time to time during
the war stories .have been told of
rural folks on both the Eastern and
Western fronts being awed by appar-
tions in the heavens. One of tha
most notable instances of the kind oc
curred just before' the assault , at
Przemyslvwhen Numerous visions oc-Wjrred'-to
the country : people living
around, who fell on their knees and
worshipped the holy picture of the
Virgin and Child.
Apparatus found on some German
aeroplanes captured recently on the
Western front goes to prove that the
suuerstitious countrv-folk were trick
ed and deceived by mere aerial pho
tographs which they believed to come
from a Divine source.
The operation is said to have been
caried out on low-lying clouds by
means of a magic lantern showing
photographic slides as in relief. The
outfit could be conveniently carried
in' an aeroplane, and could show
such pictures with a diameter of 185
feet at a distance of one thousand
feet.
Alexander's Fate in the Balance
Lincoln, Neb., April 13. Whether
Grover ' Alexander, pitcher for the
Chicago Nationals will have to quit
baseball and go with this month's
draft contingent to Camp Funston,
Kas., will probably be definitely de
cided upon within the next few days,
K. D. Bahensky, a member of the
draft board at St. Paul, Neb., Alax
ander's home, said today.
GERMANS PLANNED
FOR THREE GREAT
DRIVES-
AN OPEN LETTER TO
PERPLEXED CHRISTIANS
Question "Is War Contrary to
Christianity?" Answered
In Affirmative
(An open letter to a perplexed
Christian, by Rev, B. W. .Dodson, A.
B., Presiding Elder Hamlin District,
Northwest Texas-Annual Conference.)
Mr. Dear Brother: I am sorry to
see that you are distrubed and per
plexed concerning the question,
war contrary to the Bible and to
Christianity?"
It seems clear to me . that wars of
conquest and oppression are abhoredj
and condemned by Christianity; but
war (1) against tyranny and oppres1
sion, (2) in self defense, (3) to pro
tect the weak from injustice.' and
(4) to punish and make possible the
outrages of an outlaw whethe
among men or nations Is unquestion
ably authorized by the Bible and
Christianity.
The majority of the wars mention
ed in the book of Judges as also
those of King David were wars
against tyranny and oppression, and
the New Testament glorifleB those
Old Testament warriors, because "by
faith they subdued kingdoms and put
to flight the armies of aliens." (Heb.
xi, 32-340 Now, we are really fighting
against the tyranny and oppression
of a military autocracy, and for ho-
man liberty.
'In the beauty of the lilies, Christ
was born across the sea, v
As he died to make men 'Jioly, let us
die to make men freer'
In the fourth of Nehem'ah this
great leader exhorts Israel to "re
member the Lord and fight for you
brethren, your: sons and yourdaugh
ters,. your wives - and y5nr Tiquae("
"(Neh. iv, 14), and this inspired Script
ure (II Tim. iii, 16) clearly authorises
a war of self defense. Today all men
ought to realize that we are fighting
to defend our homes, as truly as if
Germany were already deplicating on
our soil the atrocities suffered by lit
tle Belgium.
The Golden Rule, the law of
brotherly love and every principle of
justice and righteousness compel a
Christian to use force if necessary
to protect the weak from brutality,
and these same principles apply to us
as a nation, and compel the United
States to continue this war until
conquered or until Germany agrees
to make a peace based upon right
eousness and justice for these divine
ideals must finally control the con
duct of nations.
In Romans xiii, 1-4, Paul teaches
that an outlaw must be punished and
suppressed, declaring that the officer
bears the sword as a "minister of
God." . . . "to execute wrath upon
him that doeth evil." Germany has
outraged humanity and despised In-,
ternational law; she has shot and
drowned the innocent; she has massa
cred Armenians; maimed and muti
lated children; committed horrible
outrages upon women and girls and
proved, herself to be an outlaw among
the nations. Unless right is to ?lve
ace to might, unless law and civili
zation are to perish, this outlaw must
be punished and suppressed. Chris
tian prinicples compel me to use my
strength to save a child from out
rage, apd these , same principles com
pelled the United States to enter this
war that national outlawry might
cease and that Christian ideals of
justice and righteousness, liberty and
brotherly love might become a guide
and inspiration for the conduct of all
nations.
"My brother, two reat ideals are
now struggling for victory. The an
cient ideal that might makes right
now grapples with the ideal of Christ,
that righteousness, justice and broth-
erly love should control and direct na
tions, as well as individuals, and to
day we see the testing of the nations,
for Lowell truly said:
Once to every man and nation comes
the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood,
for the good or evil side."
i
I sincerely thank God that the
United States has decided to risk hei
blood and her treasure in a mighty
effort to make Christian Ideals su
preme in the affairs of the- nations,
and if my two sons now in uniform
shall not come back, my wife and I
can thank God that they died trying
to make the ideals of Jesus dirist a
glorious reality among men.
i '
"And that glorious day is coming, that
morning promised long,
WJien Christ's ideal, at last made
real shall overthrow the wrong;
No marching host, no cannon's roar,
no red glare in the sky.
But. strife shall cease and perfect
peace shall flourish by and by."
-By brother, I believe that if you
will' carefully weigh, all these consider
ON BRITISH
No Less Than 28 Divisionr
Used In This Pretentious
Program
X. t
HAVE NOT REACHED V
THEIR OBJECTIVES
But There Are No Indications
That the Effort to Break
British Will Be Abandoned
At This Time
With the British in France, Friday. 1
April 12. With the exception of Mer
ville the Germans thus far have not
reached their objectives In part for,
the present drive north and south of
Armentieres but today's develop
ments indicate that the enemy had net
intention of abandoning the assault
Immediately, A captured German doc
ument reveals that there were to be
three smashes on the front north ani
south of Armentieres. One had Bail
teul as its main objective, tne other
Merville and Aira and the third Bev
thune.
Not less than 28 division had been
employed by the enemy in this pre
tentious program which has meant
that at some, places the British have
been very heavily outnumbered. A
German division aggregates 13,000,
men including- 7,500 rifles. j
St. Vincent, between Merville and
Aire was being heavily attacked to
day by strong forces of Germans alter
their success of last night which, gave
them possession, of Merville. -The en--emy
seems to desire reaching Aire
a railws.v rentfti' and wata hrrvwttic
large numbers ot troops into the conV ! ,
fiict. The German threat, in this dl- ; .
rection undoubtedly is of considerable 'ml "f
Importance. i? ; ;
The flghtmgtoday conUnued ti be Sl-f
of the' bitterest ature, nt only iai$9J'r
tbMrrtlleigfitfosf t
the" maim assault was made, but also "
northward, from Givenchy.i
Yesteeday and last night the enemy : 4 t'
continued 'Ms pressure from Wyts-; : ! '
chaete southward and gradually forced- Vv1-:
the British to fall back from PJoegs- " ' I
teert and Ploegsteert wood until tha
battle was being staged today near t :
Neuve Egllse to the west. :
Meanwhile Bteady pressure waa
maintained in the Estaires sector be
yond which lay Merville and Aire.
During the night the enemy pushed
back the defenses at Destrem and -
captured Calonne-Sur-Lys southwest :;
of Merville. : .'
through . Neuf Berquin, a little above
At the same time they pushed down ,. " -Merville,
and these two covering '
forces hurled themselves on the towx
Giving way before greater nnmbea, , -the
British fell back toward St Ven r.
ant, fighting doggedly all the way
against the closely pressing Germans.
A sanguinary battle was proceeding"
today west of St. Venaht with the
British making a determined stands ?s J,
Durin the night the British counter -Y'
attacked west of Steenwerck, west of . , ;
Armentieres and re-occupied La Bac ' f
que, after hard fighting. ' -
The German attack about Givenchyv
on the Southern end of the battle line
was being pressed today by some nine
divisions. There has been virtually no .
cessation in the fighting here since' :
the beginning of the battle Tuesday. -
Thus far the British have maintain
ed a stone wall defense against whicn
the Germans have flung themselves
with heavy losses. Today the casual- ,
ty list of the attacking troops was -swelled
appallingly as the British ar-. :
tillery and machine' guns pounded
concentration points and troops ad
vancing in close formation. " ' .'.: ;
The work of the British gunners at, " ;t
Givenchy have been noteworthy.. On. J '
the first day, when the " Germans - . , " j
swept forward in masses and the sit-. -
uation was very give, many artuieiy ; v t
men worked for hours shooting point
blank at'dose range.
One gunnery sergeant stood If? his
piece firing with open sights- at' a :,
range ot ;,200 yards and held the en
emy off for a considerable time be ;
fore he "was compelled to fall back.
The British troops, who have been ?
making such a gallant stand just' v
above Givenchy, also distingulsed s
themselves by holding the German! ' , ' & -up
for hours at a certain pbpint in tht - : ' y, ,
battle before Cambrai on November 30 ; '
when the enemy counter attacked. ; ,
It became known today that of the v
750 Germans captured near Givenchy
last Tuesday 300 were rounded up
while devoting their energies to loot-
ing a 'British canteen. . . .;
. Obstruction Provision Eliminated.,
Washington, April 13. Provisions i
in the Sabotage bill for penalizing s
acts obstructing production of wa
materials were eliminated from the?
measure today by Senate' and House ;
conferees. -
ations you will see that a .Christian ;
man ought to support our country iv . .
this great crisis. Yours fraternally, - V
B. W. ' Dodson. .
Stamford. Texas." February 7. 1911. ri
:M J EsBBSlta-N flo . JLi;
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