V WEATHER. North and South Caro lina: Generally fair to night and Wednesday ISPiSTCH HOME EDITION VOL. XXIV. NO. 125. WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA. TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 14, 1918. FIVE CENTS WHteWiLMNGTON FIRST MILLION TONS OF SHIPS HAVE BEEN PLACET) QV HIGH SEAS Were Completed Under Direc tion of the Shipping Board. SHOW STEADYJNCfeEASE Over Half of Tonnage Been Delivered Service First of January. MANY REQUISITIONED None of Vessels of Great Wood Program Has Yet Been Turned Over, Due to Delays of Machinery. Washington, May 14. The first million tons of ships completed and delivered to the government undr the direction of the shipping board have been put on the high seas to help defeat Germany. A total of 159 vessels of 1,108,621' tons was completed up to May 11, ac cording to statistics recently compil ed by experts of the shipping board. Since January 1, more than half of the total tonnage, 667,896, has been delivered and the monthly totals have shown a steady increase. Most of the ships delivered were requisitioned on the ways or in con tract form, when the United States entered the war. Virtually all are of steel construction. None of the ships of the great wood program has been delivered although 46 have been launched, due to delay in obtaining toilers and other machinery, i The first completed wood ship built on fn for the government is now peed trials off the Pa- Miiiveues, of ships last week were made at. Seattle, Sparrows Point, Maryland; Chicago, Ecorse, Mich.; Gloucester. N. J.; Wilmington, Del., and New York. Eight steel, ships totalling - 48,150 tons, were completed during the sev en days ending May 11. Fourteen vessels were launched with a total tonnage of 57,100, of which, seven were steel with a total capacttyVMSf LOUS. The steel deliveries included refrigerator ship, two r tankers one and five cargo vessels. The state of Maine during the week turned put its first wooden ships for the. government, the Andra, a, 3,500 ton vessel, built at Portland. OVER 126,000 FARMERS APPLIED FOR LOANS Washington, May 14. About one ninth of the farm loan business of the United States was done by the federal farm loan system during its first year of active operation just closing. A re port issued today shows that since the first loans were extended last May 40,451 loans totaling $91,951,000, have been closed. More than 126,000 farm ers applied for loans amounting - to 5299,948,000, and loans approved, In cluding those closed, were $174,858, 000. The total agricultural loans made in this country yearly is esti mated at about $800,000,000. The St. Paul federal land bank did one-sixth of the federal business and the Spokane bank was a close sec ond. By districts, loans closed in the last year and in April, include: Year. April. St. Paul :$15,424,000 $2,870,000 fPokane 14,224,000 1,586,000 New Orleans 6,091,000 1,198,000 NEVILLE ISLAND PLANT BIGGER THAN KRUPPS Washington, May 14. Neville island, in the Ohio river, near Pitts burgh, was selected today by the war department as the site for the great government ordnance plant to be wilt and operated in the interior. V ork will be rushed as rapidly as pos- Moie The Neville Island plant will be the t,'?ea in the world, surpassing even inat of the Krupps in Germany. It " be built and operated by the nited States Steel corporation at the rI-UatIon of the government. Heavy an.iiiery and projectiles in great quantities will be made under the su pervision 0f the steel corporation, jch will detail experts from Its or ganization to build the plant. More Loans to-Allies. VrA gton' May 14. Secretary i?nA today authorized loans of oo o'L00;000 to Great Britain' 100' YJIJ0 to France and $100,000,000 to alii akin the total loans to the GrZ 5'763-850,000. Total loans to OOOOnn !taiQ now amount to $2,995, tn 1 1?' 1 ance $1,165,000,000, and 10 Kaly $650,000,000. TiraS.e"d Germans to Georgia. Germf gton' Ma-y 14. The 2,200 X p ans.1no interned at Hot Springs, dena be. taken over by te war thorimenJt-and sent 10 Fort OSle tiZ and Fort McPherson, Ga., be- Ben , ana July" 1, it became LABOR REMAINS LOYAL UNTIL VICTORY K Wilson Savs Must R! brld of MUitarism Fofg; Tim 3 "j London, May 14. JamiN chairman of the American . gation, at a dinner at th '. commons last night given ilson, U dele te of dele- gates by the General Federation of Trades Unions, reiterated the deter mination of American labor to sup port the president, congress and the allied peoples until freedom was won, not only for the allies, but for the' people of Germany themselves. Ha said the fight should go on until the world was rid of, militarism for all time. At the beginning of the war, Mr. Wilson said, the labor movement in America had invited the labor move ments of the world, to a conference to consider eventual terms of near.a. The reply of the German labor lead ers was a refusal to participate. John P. Frey, of the American del egation, proposed a toast to the cause of democracy. He mentioned the re ception to the delegation by Premier Lloyd-George at Downing street, in the afternoon, and referred to, the historical fact that it was in that same room that Lord North, then prime minister, and others had dis cussed the democracy of the United States at the close of the revolution ary war. Sir Thomas McKenzie, high com missioner for New Zealand, said he welcomed the t Americans personally and as representatives of their great republic. The people of New Zea land, he said, had the warmest feel ings toward America, which was' sort of a half way house between them and their motherland. Democracy was on trial. If it came, out .'of 'the war safe and sound, as the .speaker believed, it jrould justify the world wide continuance Sf denjocratiorin- olnlaa fnr all iima V- -SP.- TkJiigh- coascvIsBlqijr;Xir CaB&JNf"; Sir tJeorge Perley, sad that as long as English speaking-democracies held together .they would be, able to con solidate the world in tfiie interests of humr-nity and democratic govern ment. " As brothers-in-arms they understood each other and got to know each other better. Sir George hoped the alliance would last for many generations. T Hold Three Mass Meetings Simultaneously on Sun day Evening. CAMPBELL WILL SPEAK. Publicity plans for the second war fund drive of the American Red Cross, localy, call for three big mass meetings. The central meeting will on Sunday night and request will be made upon all churches in the city to . omit the regular evening services in order that all may attend these meetings. The centraly meeting will be held at the Academy of Music and will be addressed by Lance Corporal Campbell, of the British army. The meeting for the southern section of the city will be held at the Southside Baptist church, and for the nortern part of town at St. Andrew's Presby terian curch. All meetings Will open at 8:30 o'clock and everyone is ex pected to attend. Speakers will be announced later. In the British army officer, the pub licity committee has a speaker that everyone will want to hear. He is well qualified to tell of the work the Red Cross is doing and will bring a message to Wilmington that Wil mington will be better for having heard. He speaks at the academy. Complete plans for the meetings have not been perfected as yet but will be announced before the end of the week. The drive will be launched at a dinner to be given Monday evening at 7 o'clock in the dining room of the Y. M. C. A. to the members of the campaign committee and workers generally, and active ' work of raising Wilmington's share of the fund will begin Tuesday morning. There will be no let up until the sum total de sired is realized. All plans for the coming campaign are progressing wonderful. The col ored citizenship - is organizing enthu siastically under the guiding hand of Rev. E. L.. Madison, pastor of St. Luke's church, who is their war fund chairman, and are confident that big returns will be shown from their er- LAUNCH CAMPAIGN UESDAY MOB METHODISTS ELECT ' CMLLAUX WIK SIX BISHOPS TODAY IN TREASON TRIAL Church Conference Decides to Adjourn Next Monday. LARGE CROWD PRESENT Talk of Moving Publishing House From Nashville Quiets Down. GREETING TO BAPTISTS Opinion is Voiced That Union of Methodists is Both Feas ible and Greatly to be Desired Atlanta, May 14. With the election of bishops, the special order of the day, the general conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, today started holding both morning and afternoon sessions. A motion to adjourn finally next Monday evening, May 20, was adopted. Anticipation of lively scenes con nected with the balloting drew large crowds to the galleries of Wesley Me morial church, where the conference is sitting. Bishop E. R. Hendrix pie sided, and the religious exercises were conducted by the Rev. H. A. Boax, of the Central Texas eonf er ence. All talk of moving the church pub lishing house from Nashville to At lanta was quieted when the commit tee on publishing interests presented a report recommending that there shall be a publishing house at Nash ville, Tenn. The committee on missions added an amendment to its first report re quiring that the Southwest Texas conference embrace all the German charges in the state. If the report is adopted the present German mission conference will go out .of existence but the work among the Germans will be continued. A telegram of grvetings was order ed sent to the Southern Baptist con vention, now in session at Hot Springs, Ark. V Much interest is manifested in the report of the committee on church relatidnsv 'which recomends the con tinuance of the commission on nni- iport 5 "expresses satisfaction, with the wpri; fr.tM commission in its meetings with a similar commission from the Metho dist Episcopal church and the opin ion is voiced that union of the two churches is both feasible and greatly to be desired. The college of bishops sprung a surprise at this afternoon's session of the general conference when Bishop Collins Denny announced that the bishops had vetoed the actions ol the conference in granting laity rights to women and changing the ritual from "Holy Catholic church" to "Christ's Holy church." It was held the action of the con ference was illegal and that both measures must be submitted to the annual conferences and not until two thirds of the annual conferences vot ed in favor of the proposed change in laws could the action of the general conference be held constitutional. Heated discussions followed the reading of the bishops' veto. Platinum Is Commandeered. Washington, May 14. All platinum, iridium and palladiu, held by refiners, some importers, manufacturing jewel ers and large dealers, has been com mandeered by the government The price fixed for platinum is $105 per troy ounce. ( CASUALTY UST TODAY 72 Eight Southern Men are Re ported Among Dead and Wounded. Washington, May 14. The casualty list today contained 72 names, divid ed as follows: Killed in action 14 Died of wounds 7 Died of disease 3 Wounded slightly 21 Missing in action .. 27 Officers named included Captain Lloyd Brussell, Manchester, Okla., and Lieutenants Herbert Boyer, San Francisco, and Stephen E. Fitzgerald, Dorchester, Mass., killed in atcion; Major John I. Haskins, Minneapolis; Captain Michael J. O'Connor, Boston, and Lieutenants Edward M. Guild, Nahant, Mass.; William A. Murphy, Chicago, and Ray E. Smith, Rutland, Vt., wounded slightly; Lieutenant Ben jamin C. Byrd; Hartford, Conn., miss ing in atcion. The list includes: Killed in action: Private Willie B. Sanders, Converse, S. C. Died of wounds: Private Wilmer L. Childers, R. F. D. No. -5, Paragould, Ark.; Willie J. Jones, Starke, Fla. Died of disease: Private Soguino A. Arnold, Greenville, Miss. L Wounded slightly: Cook Bon H. Schuster, Eureka Springs, Ark.; Pri vates James H. Carter, Surrency, Ga.; Cleave N. Vaughanr R. F. ' D.' No. S, Lynch's Statio: Va. r-.f- tj-,rf 1 CONTAINS NAMES Former Premier is Called For Landau, One of Accused GERMAN FUND SUPPLIED Asked If Marx Was Mentioned to Reporter on Bonnet Rouge in 1916. DISMISSED BRUTALLY Tells Court He Has "Always Defended His Honor and Will Continue to Do So. Has Given Nothing Paris, May 14. Former Premier Caillaux was brought into court from his prison cell today to testify in the treason trials growing out of the Bon net Rouge affair. He was called at the request of councel for M. Landau, one of the, accused, who was a reporter for the Bonnet Rouge. The former premier apparently was in splendid health. Colonel Voyer, the presiding officer, admonished him to confine his re marks witb'n the proper limits. "The only point at issue," said Col onel Voyer, "is whether the witness mentioned the name of Marx, of Mann heim (a German banker through whom funds were supplied for the Bonnet Rouge propaganda) to M. Lan dau, in September, 1916. Please keep to that point" M. Caillaux denied that he had mentioned Marx in 1916. He said he had never heard of the man until July A 1917, when the Bonnet Rouge case jra.s discussed in the chamber of deputies. The name and address of Marx was found on a slip of paper among the documents belonging to M. Caillauxr which were ' discovered at Florence. The former premier ; explained that the paper was handed to him by a Swiss merchant who was Introduced to him under the pretext that he was to speak about the exchange of mer chandise between -France and Swit zerland.,;, ,v - 'T dismissed him brutally," declared M. Caillaux. , 1 r Tk&$ki. suff ictNuiswe vCol- reoywsaiarou'rny;;Koc li. Caillaux Insisted on speaking fur ther, however; saying: "I have never given one franc to the Bonnet Rouge since- the war began. It is true that I subscribed 40,000 francs before' the war, but this fund was ex hausted at the beginning of hostili ties. At the time I was engaged In defending my honor against a bitter press campaign. The Bonnet Rouge defended me, and therefore I helped it "I have defended my honor in the past and will do' so in the future with all possible means at my command." M. Caillaux exhibited emotion as he made this declaration. A ripple of applause broke out. "It is my contention," said he, "that a public man in time of war must con sider every possibility of bringing about a favirable peace, no matter whence it comes." M. Caillaux's testimony, seemed to be disturbing to the accused, who be gan to attempt to shift the responsi bility upon - each other. M. Marion, assistant manager of the Bonnet Rouge, accused M. Duval, the director, and M. Landau. The latter replied that M. Marion's declaration was un truthful All the defendants except M. Joucla attempted to separate their cases from that of M. Duval, for wlftm alone the prosecution specifically de mands the death sentence. ATTACK BY TEUTONS REPULSED BY ITALIANS - Italian Army Headquarters in Korth ern Italy, Monday, May 13.-Jtalian troops repulsed with heavy loss a des perate enemy attempt last night to redeem the loss of Monte Corncu It is believed that this was - only the first of a series of efforts to regain the lost ground, owing to the value of the height, which commands the approaches to the valley leading from Trent to Rovereto. The fight last night was in the dark ness and was a bloody hand-to-hand struggle over the rocky slopes of the mountain. The Italian positions, how ever, were maintained intact. Thus far the fighting around Monte Corno has been of local character and not a part of any general offensive, although the outposts show increasirlg activity all along the mountain fornt. Cannon Supports Wilson. Washington, May 14. Former Speaker Cannon came to the support of the administration today in debate on the Overman bill giving the presi dent power to reorganize government departments. Representative Gillett, of Massachusetts, republican leader, led .the fight against the bill. Both democrats and republicans, Mr. Can non said, would continue to support the president in the war until victory was won. Daniels Commends Seamen. Washington, May 14. Four enlist ed, men of the, navy were commended by Secretary Daniels today for risking their lives to save men' from drown ing. One was Millard Frank Staton,of Jacksonville, -Fla.; who rescued a ship-. matn liiAxmirU ge OFFICIAL REPORT BRITISH. London, May 14. German artil lery fire was violent last night in the Somme and Ancre sectors, . says the official statement from Field Marshal Haig today. The statement follows: "We carried put a successful raid last night ' northeast of Ro becq (Flanders) and captured a few prisoners without casualties to ourselves. A party of the en emy which attacked-one of our posts west of Marville was re pulsed with loss. "The hostile artillery, was ac tive during the night in the Somme and Ancre sectors." FRENCH. Paris, May 14. Heavy artillery fighting in the Champagne is re ported in today's, official state ment. Only patrol actions occurred on the main battlefront in Picardy. The announcement tonows: "French patrols carried out op erations north of Hangard (on the front before Amiens), near Cour cy, and west of the Meuse, bring ing back prisoners. We easily re pulsed a German raid on " small French posts northwest of Orvil-lers-Sorel. - "The artillery fighting was rath er spirited in th6 Champagne near Butte Du Mesnil and in the Vos ges. A German local attack north of LaFecht was repulsed by our -fire. There is nothing, to report else where." , . J Owner of New York Herald's Last Words Were of His Paper. Beaulieu, France, May . 14. James Gordon Bennett, proprietor of the New York Herald, died at 5:30 o'clock this morning, after having been uncon scious for two days. Mr. Bennett's last words before lapsing into unconsciousness were in relation to his newspaper interests, Mrs.- Bennett was with her husband when he died. Dispatches from France early this monttf ; reported Mr. Bennett so serf hously ill that his condition was giv ing cause for anxiety. He had been for some months at his villa at Beau- lieu in the Riviera, after an illness, and advices from Nice at this time an nounced that he had had a relapse. IRON AND STEEL RATES NOT UNREASONABLE Washington, May 14. Transporta tion rates on iron and steel from Pittsburgh to Newport News were found not to be unreasonable by the interstate commerce commission to day. Prevailing rates, however, subject Newport News consignees to undue prejudice and disadvantage, said the decision, as compared with lower rates on the same articles to New York and Baltimore. The complain ant in the case was the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock comply- i&Uig NAVAL AID OF AMERICA HELP TOJRITISH FLEET Expert Says Have Co-operated in Convoys and Sub Fighting. London, May 14. American naval aid has been of the greatest help to the British fleet, says Archibald Hurd, the naval expert, writing in the Daily Teelgraph on the new situ ation in the North Sea, resulting from the Zeebrugge and Ostend raids, the extension of British mine fields and the generally increasing naval pressure against Germany. "When the war is over," he says, "the nation will form some concep tion of the extent of the debt which we owe the American navy for the manner in which it has co-operated, not only in connection with the con voy system, but in fighting the sub marines. "If the naval position is improving today, as it is, it is due to the fact that the British and American fleets are working in closest accord, support ed by an immense body of skilled workers on both sides of the Atlantic, who are turning out destroyers and other craft for dealing with the sub marines, as well as mines and bombs. "The Germans can have a battle whenever they want it. The strength of the grand fleet has been well main tained. Some of the finest battleships of the United States navy are now as sociated with it. They are not only splendid fighting ships, but they are .well officered and manned. "If Admiral Beatty were asked War opinion, there is no doubt of what he would say of the value of -iIe aid which the United States has given, in this respect. The conditions un&er which the Germans would engage us, therefore, are le?i f avo. r, JJjyaji two AMES GORDON BENNETT DIED IN BEAUL EU TODAY RESERVES STOPPED GE E Gough Was Pushed Back Only by Superior Numbers. DEFENSE WAS GALLANT Deadly Cross Fire Was Poured on Attacking Enemy by The British. TRIBUTE TO SOLDIERS Reserve Divisions ofFifth Army Used Up at Start of Battle and Absorbed v When Breaks Came. (Correspondence Associated Press.) London, May 3. Misty weather and an overwhelming weight in numbers, probably four to one, enabled the Germans to push back Major General Gough's fifth army in the opening days of the spring offensive and to gain a decided advantage. The line west of St Quentin was held by the fifth army and it only fell back, fuller reports now received say, after a gallant de fense. : Fighting desperately all the way, the divisions of the fifth army were forced farther and farther back until belated reserves arrived to stem the German tide. f The four army corps of the fifth army held a line 50 miles long. To provide against a determined attack a "deep system" of defenses had been built. The outer system was com posed of concrete blockhouses and similar defenses, so placed and con structed as to pour a deadly cross fire on an attacking enemy from any point. , But this system of defense, relied upon to-hold the enemy until Reserves could be moved up, failed owing to weather conditions. The Germans made their attack in a dense mist through which the defenders could not discern the enemy until they were within a few yards of the block houses. The outer system did not jhave the opporttmit Jo use Its strongj ui ubs mo ctuu, tiiter a Biuuuum strug gle, was overwhelmed" and compelled to retire. Jn the area known as the "battle zone" behind the blockhouses, the en emy was held throughout the first day in .desperate hand-to-hand fighting. The.n the overwhelming numerical su periority of the enemy began to tell. The rBitish line weakened and breaks soon developed. How doggedly the British line resisted , is shown by the fact that all breaks occurred at the juncture of army corps and not along the line held by: a particular corps. One break necessitated a retire ment for a considerable distance. This had to be repeated again and again as fresh breaks developed and the expected reserves, delayed by dif ficulties behind the front, failed to get up in time. The immediate re serve divisions of the fifth army had been thrown in at the beginning of the battle When the breaks developed and were immediately absorbed and used up. General Gough and his corps of of ficers have nothing but praise for all the units concerned in the fight. "They all did well," said one of the officers. Some perhaps did better than others, but none of them failed and no blame can be attached to any division of the fifth army. SHT ID PASSENGER RATES Report Made to McAdoo Says Expresses Will be Over $600,000,000 Higser Washington, May 14. An increase of at least 25 per cent, in freight and passenger rates is indicated in esti mates of railroad officials, a report of which was published here .today. The report sets forth that the costs of fuels, wages, equipment and other operating expenses, will be from $600,000,000 to $750,000,000 more than last year. Director General McAdoo's advisers have recommended that rates be in creased by approximately this percen tage and it is expected that he will act within the next six weeks and put the increases into effect. RUMANIA SELLS GRAIN TO TEUTONIC POWERS. Amsterdam, May 14. A Vienna dispatch says that special economic treaty between Rumania and the cen tral empire provides that Rumania will sell to Germany and Austria Hungary her surplus production in 1918 and 1519 of all kinds of grain. including oil seeds, .and also fodder, pulse, poultry, catUe, fibrous plants and wool. Rumania also agrees to sell (his surplus ' to the central powers for a; further period of seven years, tfjj jBfrflalA frOttflaasied, ; ; MANS ADVANC MAY INCREASE HUN TAKING TIME TO RENEW BATTLE Only One Assault in Two Weeks, It Was Repulsed, j A ARTILLERY IS ACTIVE Allied Airmen are Using Every Opportunity to Invade" the j Enemy Territory. J SIX MACHINES DOWNED West of Montdidier the Ameri cans are Harrassing Ger-' mans With Heavy Fire., Heavy Damage Done. " Committed as they are to a con tinuation of heavy fighting on th western front the Germans apparent ly are taking their full time befor-v beginning another forward operation? on the line from Soissons north to the Belgian coast. In two we,eks the enemy has mada only one determined attack an dthis was repulsed by the allied forces southwest of Ypres. Along the vital sectors of the sal ients driven by the Germans sinco March 21, the enemy artillery has been active, but there are - no signs of renewed infantry activity in strength. North of Kemmel, around Serre, on the line between Albert and Arras and on the southern end of tha British line across the Somme and on the French sector immediately south the German big guns are hurl ing thousands of shells into the allied positions. Allied airmen are taking advantage of every opportunity to invade enemy territory. Many more tons have been dropped on important railway cen ters and other military targets behin J the German lines in Flanders and Pi cardy. On aerial fighting, the British have brought down six more enemy machines. While British naval air men bomb the German submarine bases at Zeebrugge and Ostend, army fliers continue the aerial bombard ment of Bruges. . . , .West of Montdidier, in Picardy, and northwest of Toul, . America's artillerymen are harrasstnip the Ger -mans with a heavy fire Considerable damage is believed to have been caused on both sectors. The announcemnt from Ottawl that the American army " was not t4 be employed fully against the Ger mans until it was a complete organ ization, It is declared in London, was due to an error, which has been cor rected. Lively fighting continues in the Monte Corno region, south of Aslago, with the Italians throwing back re peated Austrian efforts to regain the summit of the mountain. Elsewhere on the Italian front the artillery duel goes on, but there are no Indications that the enemy is ready to start his heralded attack. BRITISH LOST 41,612 DURING PAST WEEK London, May 14. The total of British casualties reported in 'the week ending today is 41,612. They are divided as follows: Killed or died of wounds: Officers 501; men 5,065. Wounded or missing: Officers, 2,123 men 33,923. " , Reports of British casualties usual ly are not available for some tlm after the actions in which they ar sustained. The largest total in the last week, evidently represents losses j suffered when the fighting in Ylans-i ders and Picardy was at its height. " Complete records have not been given out, buit Is probable that the casualties reported in the last weelt are the heaviest British losses of any week of the war. The total last week was 38,691. . ' ; ; FATE OF AMERICAN AIRMAN IS UNKNOWN New York, May 14. While on an air patrol trip above the German lines in France, Lieutenant Frank-K. " Knapp, an American with the British royal air forces, disappeared on April 16 and his fate is not known, accord ing to word received today by his p rents In Brooklyn. Two days earlier Lieutenant Knapp was attacked by five German airmen. , He descended 10,000 feet and escaped' without injury after downing one -ot the enemy machines. Knapp enlisted in Canada last June at the age of 24 WILSON HAS REMOVED BANDAGES FROM HAND Washington, May 14. -President Wilson today removed the bandages which have encased his left hand since he burned it four weeks ago by taking hold of an exhaust pipe in the British tank that visited the white house. The . hand has healed, but th burns have 1ft ugly scars which cover the entire palm. The president wa compelled to give up golf, his daily recreation, for two weeks, but recent ly he has been playing a one-handed game, at which, he became quite, pro Sclent - . Or i S it;, i - . 1 r ! A i I

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