Newspapers / The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, … / May 22, 1917, edition 1 / Page 1
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Johnston County Community Chatauqua at Smithfield, June 9th to 14th VOLUME 36 SMITH FIELD, N. C., TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1917. Number 22 TROOPS ORDERED TO FRANCE. Expedition To lit' Under Command of Pershing, the President Directs. Will Consist of Approximately a Division of Regulars and Will Start at as Early a Date as Practicable. Executive Declines to Accept Ten der of Roosevelt Services. Regis tration for Selective Draft to Start June 5th. Washington, May 18. ? President Wilson tonight ordered that a divis ion of regular troops commanded by Major General John J. Pershing, be sent to France at the earliest practi cable date. This is the answer of America to France's plea that the Stars and Stripes be carried to the fighting front without delay to hearten the soldiers battling there with concrete evidence that a powerful ally has come to their support against Ger man aggression. Announcement of the order follow ed signing of the selective draft war army bill by the President and the issuance of a statement that under advice of military experts on both sides of the water, the President could not employ volunteers nor avail himself of the "fine vigor and enthu siasm" of former President Roosevelt for the expedition. The army law provides for an ulti mate force of approximately 1,000, 000 men to back up the first troops to go to the front. When the bill had been signed, the President affixed his name to a proclamation calling upon all men in the country between the ages of 21 and 30 inclusive, to reg ister themselves for military service on June 5 next. The proclamation sets in motion immediately machinery that will enroll and sift 10,000,000 men and pave the way for the selec tion of the first 500,000 young, effi cient soldiers without crippling the industries or commerce of the nation or bringing hardship to those at home. Even before the bill was signed, the War Department announced that the full strength of the national guard would be drafted into the United States army beginning July 15 and concluding August 5. Orders to bring the regiments to full war strength immediately accompanied the notifica tion sent to all governors. A mini mum of 320,000 fighting men will be brought to the colors under those or ders, supplementing the 293,000 reg ulars who will be under arms by June 15. The Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee guards will be mobilized July 25th. It is from these forces that the first armies to join Gen. Pershing at the front will be drawn, to be fol lowed within a few months by recur ring waves from the selective draft armies, the first 500,000 of whom will be mobilized September 1st. Following is the text of the terse announcement of the War Depart ment as to Gen. Pershing's expedi tionary force: "The President has directed an ex peditiJnary force of approximately one division of regular troops, under command of Gen. John J. Pershing, to proceed to France at as early a date as practicable. Gen. Pershing and staff will precede the troops abroad. "It is requested that no details or speculations with regard to the mobil ization of this command, dates of departure, or other items, be carried by the press, other than the official bulletins given out by the War De partment relating thereto." Gen. Pershing has been in Wash ington some days. He was person ally summoned by Secretary Baker from the Southern Department which was under his command until tonight's order was issued. The man who led the expedition into Mexico and handled his difficult task with such judgment and skill as to win for him the complete confidence of the President and his advisors, has work ed hard on plans for the expedition to France. He has been in daily con ference with Secretary Baker, Major General Bliss, acting chief of staff, with department officials co-operating in the preparation of the forces he will lead against the Germans and also with Lieut. Gen. Bridges, head of the military section of the Brit ish mission and a veteran of the bat tlefields of France. In Macedonia artillery duels and isolated infantry engagements con tinue. DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN ATLANTA Losses >\ ill Run Into Millions As Result of Flames and Explosions. Thousands of People Left Home less and Being Quartered and Fed In Public liuildings. Atlanta, Ga., May 21. ? Fire that today swept through a large section of Atlanta from Decatur street north and northeast, cutting a clean swath of varying widths, finally was brought under control tonight just before it reached the Atlanta baseball park, in the opinion of Fire Chief Cody. The fire started in an obscure negro section of the city at Decatur street, just east of Fort street, this afternoon burned several blocks of small houses clean, jumped over five low brick buildings and a -row of small shacks and swept on unobstructed un.til it reached the better residence sections, and tonight at 8 o'clock was two blocks beyond Ponce de Leon avenue, and not under control. The fire fight ers who included hundreds of soldiers, tonight were aided by an abatement of wind, but "by no means had mas tered the flames which many feared would not be conquered until they burned themselves out at the edge of Piedmont Park, a large open space in the northeastern section of the city. Thousands of persons tonight were homeless and are being fed and quartered in public buildings by the Red Cross and a committee of Atlan ta men. I The loss at 8 o'clock was estimated at from $2,000,000 to $3,000,000, but persons familiar with real estate values stated that any estimate at this time was nothing more than guesswork. The flames did not attack the more exclusive residence sections, but a large part of the devastation was in neighborhoods composed largely of hpmes ranging in value from $2,500 to $6,000. Scores of pretty homes in a com paratively new section of the city tonight were blown up with dynamite to stop the blaze, but four hours of this work had not resulted in much good. The conflagration was eating up home after home, more slowly than in the afternoon when driven by a high wind, but moving forward relentlessly. ROOSEVELT CALLS PLANS OFF. Frees All Volunteers and Tells Them to Enter Military Service In Some Other Way If They Can. Urges All To Aid Country. Oyster Bay, N. V., May 20. ? Col. Theodore Roosevelt announced to night that all men who had volunteer ed to serve with him under the Amer ican flag in France had been absolved from all further connection with the movement, and that the only course left open to them was to enter the military service in some other wayj if they are able to do so, and if not to serve the country in civil life." "As good American citizens," said Colonel Roosevelt, in a formal state ment, "we loyally obey the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the American army and navy. The men who have volunteered will now con sider themselves absolved from all further connection with this move ment. The funds that have been promised will be treated as withdrawn and applied to other purposes. I, therefore, direct that this statement be sent to the leaders in the various States who have been raising troops." Oneals Township Road Meeting. The citizens of Oneals township are called to meet at Hare's Store on Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock, on June 2nd, for the purpose of select ing three men who shall have charge of managing and building the roads in the township. The County Commis sioners will appoint these three road commissioners at their meeting the first Monday in June and they want the people of the township to recom mend the names of the men they want to have charge of the building their roads and looking after the funds. Let every citizen in the township who is interested in the building of our roads remember the time and place ? Hare's Store, June 2nd at 3 o'clock ? and be on hand and help in the selection of the Road Commissioners. This is a very important matter. MANY CITIZENS. The only thing you cannot afford to pay is a grudge you owe. ? The Youth's Companion. ITEMS FROM FOUR OAKS. Automobile Accident I.ikely to Prove Less Serious Than First Reported. Ten-Days' Meeting Comes to a Close at M. E. Church. Dr. Stanley Loses Smoke House and Fine Lot of Meat by Fire. Sa? Mill Partly Burned by Fire. Local Items. Four Oaks, May 21.- ? Mr. Leon Adams left Thursday for Fort Ogel thorpe by way of Warrenton, N. C., where he will enter training for United States Army officer. Mrs. Lester Massengill left Tues day for Fuquay Springs for a week's visit to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Theo Stephenson. Mrs. It. B. Strickland spent Thurs day in Fayetteville with Mr. Strick land. Attorney J. R. Barbour, of Benson, was a business visitor here Satur day. Dr. and Mrs. J. B. Surles went to Parkton, N. C., Tuesday to attend the funeral of Mrs. Surles' brother, who died Monday of pneumonia. Messrs. W. II. Tucker, Erwin Ray, B. O. Barbour and Bert Barefoot are attending Federal Court this week. Miss Gladys Adams, who has been in school at Louisburg the past year, has returned home. Messrs Chester Cole, Barham Creech and Hunter Strickland, who have been in school at Buie's Creek, have returned for their vacation. Sheriff Grimes was on our streets shaking hands with friends Thurs day. Mrs. W. E. Barbour returned home last Thursday from an extended visit to relatives in Knoxville, Tenn. Rev..Mr. Proctor, of Selma, assist ed by the local pastor, Rev, T. E. Davis, closed a ten-days meeting at the M. E. church here Wednesday night. Born to Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Benson, a boy, Saturday morning ? a 10 pounder. Messrs. Pope and Tart, of Dunn, have purchased the planing mill of Mr. G. K. Massengill. Mr. Tart will make his home hera. The automobile accident near Clay ton in which Mr. D. W. Adams was severely shaken up, will not prove as disastrous as was first expected. All are improving at this writing. Dr. J. H. Stanley had the misfort une to lose his smoke house by fire Friday, in which was a fine lot of meat. It was fired by an ash barrel and only quick work saved his resi dence. Mr. Lester Massengill's saw mill near Oak Forest church caught on fire Saturday afternoon, but was extin guished before a great amount of damage was done ? loss about $300. No insurance. Rev. T. E. Davis will preach to the Junior Order the 4th Sunday at eleven o'clock at Methodist church. Mr. Henry Graves, of Smithfield, was in town Monday. Mrs. H. B. Williams left Saturday for Dillon, S. C., to visit relatives. Mrs. S. M. Barbour spent Sunday in Benson with friends. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Adams, of Richmond, Va., are spending some time here with relatives and friends. 7,000,000 KILLED IN THE WAR. Arthur Henderson Estimates Total Casualties Exceed England's Population. London, May 19. ? The number of men killed in the war thus far was estimated at 7,000,000 by Arthur Hen derson, member of the War Council, in an address today at Richmond. He estimated the total casualties of the war to be in excess of the population of the United Kingdom. (The popula tion of the United Kingdom, accord ing to the census of 1911, was 45, 370,530.) Mr. Henderson said that after nearly three years of military effort which was unprecedented there was no immediate prospect of cessation of hostilities. The severe character of the war and its prolongation tempt ed some persons to ask why peace should not be attempted by other means. He would tell them, he said, it was because the challenge thrown down by Germany in 1914 still held good. The lust of world-domination which dictated the policy of aggres sive military action on the part of Germany continued to be supported by the German Emperor and his Prus sian advisers. Until the great act of liberation had been fully achieved the Allies could not falter. DOYEN HEADS SEA SOLDIERS. His Marines Fresh from Active l ighting in Haiti and Sonto Do domingo. American Land Contin gent Already Designated for France Numbers 10,000. Washington, May 19. ? Secretary Daniels announced today that a reg iment of United States Marines, 2, 000 strong, under command of Colo nel Charles A. Doyen, now command ant of the Marine Barracks in Wash ington, would be sent to the fighting front in Europe at the earliest prac ticable moment. It will accompany the first expeditionary force of the regular army, consisting of a divis ion of approximately 25,000 men, to be sent to France at an early date under command of Major General John J. Pershing. The personnel of the marine con tingent will consist of picked officers and men, who have seen service dur ing the past two years in Haiti, Santo Domingo, and Cuba. They were in numerous fights in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and are consid ered as hard and fit r.s any of the regulars who were in Mexico under Pershing, and from which the regu lars for the Pershing expedition to France probably will be chosen. The marine regiment will be arm ed, equipped, and organized the same as the regiment of the regular army establishment with which they will serve. Colonel Doyen will take his orders from General Pershing as Commander-in-Chief of the division force constituting the expedition. Although details are not being made public, it was calculated to night that with the marine regiment the total American force now desig nated for land service in Europe was close to 40,000. An army division at war strength comprises about 25,000 men, and upwards of 12,000 are ex pected to be in the nine volunteer reg iments of engineers now being re cruited. The forestry regiment will number more than 1,000. The strength of the naval force in European waters has not been revealed. ? New York Times. Remarkable Year at University. Chapel Hill, N. C., May 21.? "The University is closing a remarkable year ? one of success and achieve ment in every line," said President Edward Kidder Graham at the last gathering of the students of t he Uni versity of North Carolina in '.'hapel. "Our athletic teams have made an enviable record," he continued, "and our men in every field have brought honor to the University. The student publications have been better this year than ever before. The very lifa of the institution has been quicken ed by the magnitude of world events." Dr. Graham commended the Uni versity for the number of men she has given to the service of the coun try, there being over 300 active stu dents and alumni of recent yearn who have gone to Oglethorpe and other departments of the service. Over half of the senior class has en listed. In closing he appealed to college men to go home and engage in some productive enterprise which would help to relieve the present crisis. "May no man lose himself in the whirl of events," said Dr. Graham, "that he will neither return to col lege nor enlist in the cause of his country." The opening of the University Summer school is now only three weeks off, and from the number of requests that are daily coming into the office of Director N. W. Walker for rooms, it may be inferred that the attendance this year will be un usually large. Over 2000 prospec tive students have written personal letters to the office for information concerning courses, and more than 5000 catalogues have been sent out. The first number of the Summer School News, the weekly newspaper of the Summer School, came out Sat urday and gives the latest informa tion concerning courses, entertain ment features and the various activi ties of the Summer School. The ses sion opens on June 12, and the admin istration is urging all to be on hand for the opening classes. The Invisible Made Visible. Patriotism is written on the Ameri can heart; the ink may be invisible in ordinary times, but an emergency makes the letters legible. ? W. J. Bryan. WAR RECORD BUDGET IS VOTED Passage by Senate of $3, 3 12.000,000 Rill Facilitated by White Ilou?e Conference. Amendment for $100, 000,000 for Freight Cars With drawn. Washington, May 19.? The Senate today cut the Army and Navy Ur gency Appropriation bill from $3, 390,000,000 to $3,342,000,000 and then passed it without a dissenting vote. The $48,000,000 reduction was made in the appropriation for army horses. Senator Weeks, who offered an amendment cutting that item from $73,000,000 to $25,000,000, ex plained that the War Department had found it would not need so many horses, as it would not be necessary to send cavalry to France for a time at least. The passage of the bill carrying the greatest amount ever voted in one bill by Congress, was facilitated, it was believed at the Capital, by the conference at the White House last night between President Wilson and Senators Lodge, Knox, and Gallinger. At that conference the President took the three Republican Senators into his full confidence, explaining the necessity for the pending legisla tion and divulging information that had been withheld from the Senate. When the Senate met today, it was evident, from the brevity of the de bate on an amendment offered later by Senator Hoke Smith, an amend ment later withdrawn, providing for an appropriation of $100,000,000 to allow the Government to supply freight cars to the railroads at Gov ernment expense so as to make up the shortage in hauling capacity, that deliberation over the bill was to be curtailed. Rut it was not suspected that the Senate would be able to rush the measure through before the day was over. ? New York Times. HEALTH AT FORT OGLETHORPE Everybody is interested in the boys who left recently for Fort Ogle thorpe r.nd wonder what their train ing will be that will equip them for officers of the army within the next three months. About the first thing requned of the boys on arriving was to get themselves in good shape phys ically with orders to keep themselves in such condition for the time that they are there. Those who had not re cently been vaccinated against small pox and typhoid fever were given this prophylactic treatment. Punctur ed arms was the order of the first day. Those who did not get their teeth fixed, their gums treated or their tonsils removed, if any of these were diseased or defective, were at once assigned to this job. Perhaps a few slight operations were necessary for those who failed to have such done before leaving. What has begun to be a daily and a most important drill is not a two or more hours marching about twice a day only, but a faithful use of the tooth brush, regular and sufficient hours of sleep, observing hygenic rules in eating, bathing, and in all the habits of life. Sanitation is the first law of camp life, as good health is the soldier's first and best equip ment. ? Health Bulletin. Methodist Women to Meet Here. The officers and district secreta ries of the North Carolina Woman's Missionary Society will meet in Smithfield on May 28-29 in executive sessio^. Following this, or rather in connec tion, the Raleigh District Conference Woman's Missionary Society will hold its annual meeting here, May 29-30. One ccction of the Conference will be held in Oxford later. The Confer ence officers have decided that it will be better to have two sessions of the meeting, hoping thereby to have larger attendance and reach more folks. Science of Government In Schools. Of the children who enter the grad ed schools of the United States less than 10 per cent enter the high school and less than 2 per cent con tinue their studies in college or uni versity. Unless, therefore, the prin ciples of popular government are taught in the Graded Schools nine tenths of the yopth of the land will never learn in school the science of the government under which they live. ? W. J. Bryan. NEW OFFENSIVE BY ERITISH. General Main Making Effort to Straighten Out Ilia Line Through Bullecourt. Russian Line Attacked, (iermans Start Offensive In Vicin ity of Mitau and Also In Rumania. Italians Cdhtinue to Score Suc cesses Against Austrians. With Bullecourt firmly in their possession, the British troops are giving the Germans no chance for rest and have started another offen sive with the idea, of bringing their forces to the north of Bullecourt in alignment with those within the vil lage. Sunday saw Field Marshal Haig's men again strike the German posi tions over a front of more than a mile between Fontaine Lez Croiselles and Bullecourt and hold them, notwith standing furious counter attacks. The fighting here again was of a sanguin ary character and the British war of fice reports that heavy casualties were inflicted on the Germans. Although London makes no men tion of the fact, the Berlin war office reports an offensive by the British along a fifteen-mile front, extending from the region of Achevillc to Queant, which means that again tho entire front of the Drocourt-Queant line is being hammered. The army of the Crown Prince con tinues its efforts to crack the French line along the Chemin des Dames. Af ter a shell fire of great intensity by all calibres of guns, and not except ing asphyxiating gas projectiles, the Germans Sunday endeavored to come out of their trenches and attack in force. With their usual display of expert markmanship, however, the Frenchmen at most places held the Teutons to their trenches under a recijirypnl artillery fire. Wherever the Germans were able to come into the open and dash toward the French trenches they were met with a with ering fire and suffered heavy losses. Only at one place, northeast of Cer ny, did they succeed, after the pay ment of a heavy price in killed and wounded, in penetrating the French positions. At this point advanced ele ments on a front of about 200 yards were captured. Again comes news from the Rus sian front, that the Germans, proba bly owing to the betterment of the internal " situation in Russia, have attacked the Russian lines. Last week they essayed an offensive in the Vol hynia sector, but met with no marked success. Now the offensive has been switched to the north in the vicinity of Mitau, where they threw an at tack against the Russians, but were stopped by the fire of the Russian artillery. In Rumania there also has been the semblance of an attack against the Russians east of Koveik, but here again the Teutons were dis persed by the Russian guns. North and East of Gorizia the Ital ian troops are continuing' their suc cesses over the AuStrians, either in fresh advances or in holding back counter attacks launched with huge effectives. In the former region dense formations of the Austrians endeav ored to wrest from the Italians posi tions captured on the Vodice, but were driven bacTc with sanguinary losses. A number of guns and large quantities of arms and lines ammuni tion were taken by the Italians. East of Gorizia the Austrian lines were pierced in an attack by the Italians who took 254 prisoners. French torpedo units have been in an engagement with a German flo tilla which was forced to retreat has tily to its base. One of the French boats was damaged, but all of them safely made port. Still further hope for the solidarity of Russia in the prosecution of the war together with her allies is had from the public statements of three of her highest officials. "Russia can not hand down to future generations a dishonored reputation," said Pre mier Lvoff. "The country must speak its im perious word, and send its army out to fight. "So long as I am minister of war," paid M. Kerensky, "No attempt at a counter revolution is possible. Our new regime has for its soul complete union with the allies." Foreign Minister Tereachtenko asserted that in free Russia there was no party capable of carrying on a propaganda in favor of a separate peace. ? Associated Press summary in Wilmington Star, 21st.
The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, N.C.)
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May 22, 1917, edition 1
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