Johnston County Community Chatauqua at Smithfield, June 9th to 14th
VOLUME 36
SMITHFIELD, N. C? FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1917.
?
Number 23
AT THE CAPITAL OF BANNER.
Fishing Party Returns From Luni
berton and Report Fish Plentiful
In" the Cape Fear. Mrs. Allen Home
From Colon, Panama. .Many Items
of Local and Personal Interest.
Benson, May 24. ? Mr. R. T. Surles
was a visitor to Smithfield yesterday
on business matters.
Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Whittenton
and children spent Sunday in Har
nett County at the home of Mr. Mer
ritt Whittenton.
Mrs. J. W. Holmes and children, of
Faimville, are here for" a few days at
the home of Mr. J. M. Britt.
Messrs. A. L. Barefoot, Chas. John
son and others went to Lillington to
day on business.
Mrs. J. L. Hall and children re
turned the first of the week from a
several days' visit to relatives and
friends in Lillington and Buie's
Creek.
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Faircloth and
Miss Vallie Hill went down to Clin
ton Sunday, spending the day with
friends.
Friends here of Mrs. C. A. Fisher
will be glad to hear that her little
daughter who has been sick at Mat
thews, N. C., is rapidly improving
and will be home soon.
Mr. Willie Allen, son of our towns
man, Mr. Seth Allen, is here from his
home in Jacksonville, Fla., on a visit
to- his father.
Mr. Herman Boon, who has been
here on a vacation for a few days,
returned the first. of the week to Eliz
abeth City for the purpose of regis- i
tration.
Mr. J.. E. Wilson went down to
Fayetteville Monday to see his broth
er, Mr. Luther Wilson, who is still in
the hospital there, having been oper
ated on some time ago for appendi
citis.
Mr. S. F. Ivey took a load of de
fendants up to Raleigh yesterday to
be tried in the Federal Court for
violations of the liquor laws.
Miss Evelyn Boon left the first of
the week for Elizabeth City, and
Norfolk, where she will spend several
weeks before her return, visiting rel
atives.
Mrs. Tobitha Hobbs, of Elevation
township, is here spending some time
with her son, Mr. Matthew Hobbs.
Mr. J. W. Langdon, a prominent
business man of Four Oaks, was
here for a short while Monday on
business matters.
Mr. W. H. Stallings, of Selma, was
in the city for a while Tuesday on
business.
Messrs. Judson and John Caven
augh and children, of Wallace, N. C.,
have been here for some time visit
ing at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W.
V. Cavcnaugh.
Mrs. D. M. Raynor returned Mon
day from Durham where she has been
visiting her sister, who has been sick
at her home there.
Mr. Harvey Benson, son of Mr. C.
H. Benson, of Elevation township,
was here yesterday on his way home
to Danville, Va.. after Spending some
time at the home of his father, and
with other relatives in Elevation.
Mr. J. Willie Moore was a visitor
to Raleigh for a few days the first
of the week.
Mrs. Joe Allen returned Tuesday
from Colon, Panama, where she has
been for a year or two with her hus
band who is in the United States
Army stationed there.
Messrs. Chas. Johnson, P. B. John
son, Red Farmer and George Hol
land, together with a party of sever
al from Emporia, Va., went down to
Lumberton the first of the week on a
fishing trip. They returned last night
and report fish very plentiful in the
Cape Fear.
EIGHTEEN MERCHANTMEN
SUBMARINED THE PAST WEEK
London, May 23. ? The sinking of
18 meirhnntmen of more than 1,600
tons is reported in the weekly ship
ping strtement.
Nine vessels of less than 1,600 tons
and three fighting vessels also were
sunk.
For the third week in succession
the .Josses of British shipping from
the submarine war have been held
substantially below th* large figures
which caused so much alarm last
month. The losses reported last week
were considerably less than half
those of the preceding week as re
gards the number of vessels sunk
and the report given out today shows
??ly a small increase over last week.
SUBMARINE MENACE FAGGING.
American Destroyers Credited With
Having Part in Lively War
On U- Boats.
London, May 23. ? This week's fig
ures of vessels sunk by submarines
show that the allied navies are keep
ing up the good work of the pre
vious fortnight; and the American
unit, although still a small one,
shares the credit for excellent work.
Not only are the sinkings being kept
at a fairly low figure, but the offen
sive against U-boat also continues to
show favorable results. The actual
figures in this respect, however, are
not known.
The British admiralty this week
wears a pleased smile at the mention
of the submarine campaign, for the
results of the naval work in the past
two weeks are regarded as really in
dicating an important victory over
the Germans. The German naval
people throughout the early months
of the ruthless U-boat war freely
predicted that England would be "on
her knees" by June 1st, and gloomy
pictures were painted of grim famine
certain by that date for the people of
Great Britain and France. June 1st is
almost here, and German victory in
the submarine warfare seems as far
distant as ever. There has been a
constant improvement in the methods
of the allies in opposing and suppress
ing U-boat activity, and these meth
ods have become more and more suc
cessful with longer days and finer
weather and increasing familiarity
on the part of the skippers of mer
chantmen with the methods of naval
control. An admiralty official, speak
ing to the Associated Press, said:
"The American destroyers are
playing no small part in the anti
submarine war, and our officers have
expressed the greatest enthusiasm at
the spirit, enterprise, acumen and
quick-wittedness with which the
American unit has taken up its work.
It is the old American doctrine of
keeping everlastingly at it.
"The Germans, who at first said
they would strip us of our tonnage
by June 1st, have now advanced the
date to October, and we are confident
that when October comes they will
be under the same necessity of ad
vancing the date again."
MAXIM SAY ~ THAT HE HAS
SOL1?;. J-BOAT MENACE
New York, May 22. ? Hudson
Maxim announced today that he had
invented and perfected a device which
will make ships immune from dan
gers of the submarine. He said that
torpedoes, even when fired at close
range and striking their targets,
would explode harmless against the
hulls of their intended victims.
The inventor made the announce
ment at a luncheon given in Brook
lyn. He asserted that the invention
soon will be demonstrated by the
Government, which already has been
advised of the details.
RUSSIA WILL CONTINUE FIGHT.
Iler Foreign Minister's Pledge to
Belgium is That War Will be Con
tinued Not For Conquest But For
Permanent Peace.
Havre, May 23. ? Baron Bcyens the
Belgian foreign minister today re
ceived a telegiam from Michael Te
rechtenko, the Russian foreign minis
ter in which he greeted Belgium and
declared :
"Russia will continue to pursue this
war not for the purpose of conquest
or envy but to assure all nations the
right to shape their own affairs and
to secure a peace guaranteeing against
new attacks."
Ammunition In 1863 and In 1917.
In six weeks the British alone
have fired 200,000 tons of ammuni
tion in France. The official estimate
of the ammunition by both the Union
and Confederate Armies at Gettys
burg is 569 tons, including the mis
siles hurled from Lee's 150 guns on
Seminary Ridge across to Meade's
center on Cemetery Ridge, the most
terrrftc bombardment of the Civil
War. The British, therefore, have
used 350 times as much ammunition
as was fired at Gettysburg, enough
to have kept that great battle going
at the same rate for three years. ?
Kansas City Star.
There are 40,000,000 church mem
bers in the United States.
WEDNESDAY IN THE BIG WAR.
Weather Holding Men In Trenches,
But With the Lifting of Clouds
llaig's Big Guns Will Start Roar
ing Again.
(Associated Press War Summary.)
Inclement weather is holding Field
Marshal Haig's men to their trenchcs
?ilong the Arras front, and the expect
ed recommencement of the offensive
with the object of clearing out the
Germans from the little sector of the
Hiiidfcnburg line they still hold west
of Bullecourt has not yet started. It
is probable that with the lifting of the
clouds the big guns will str.rt roar
ing again and the infantry will be
loosed against the Germans ir an en
deavor to complete the tactics which
will place the entire British front in
alignment for the next step on their
program ? the smashing of the Dro
court-Queant switch line and an ad
vance eastward toward Douai.
The infantry also was inactive
Wednesday along the French front,
where the Germans bombarded heavi
ly the new positions captured by the
French Tuesday night east of Chev
reus and on the Californie and Vau
clerc plateaux. The number of pris
oners taken by the French in this re
gion has now reached more than\?oif
hundred.
In the Isonzo sector of the Austrd
*
Italian theatre the infantry activity
apparently has given sway to artil
lery duels of the greatest intensity.
The Rome war office reports the
Italians have recaptured positions
the Austrians had wrested from them
Monday night in the Travignole val
ley on the Trentino front.
Germany's submarine campaign ap
parently is still falling far short of
the expectations placed in it by the
British admiralty on tonnage sunk
last week shown that eighteen mer
chantmen of more than 1,600 tons and
nine of less tonnage were sent to thi
bottom. In the first category the fig
ures are the same as those given
the previous week, while in the sec
ond category they are four more.
This is far below the million tons a
month average expected by Germany.
There seems to be a likelihood
that Germany soon will have two ad
ditional enemies ranged against her ?
Brazil and China. The President of
Brazil has requested Congress to re
voke Brazil's declaration of neutral
ity which doubtless would be followed
immediately by the proclamation of
a state of war, while the President of
China has dismissed the Premier and
ordered the formation of a new cab
inet which is considered in Peking
as likely to end the deadlock in Par
liament and make possible a declara
tion of v/ar against Germany by
China.
The situation in Russia still bears
a promising aspect. As an indication
that Russia will stand firmly with
her allies and that the military situ
ation is brightening is the start on
a tour to all the military fronts of
M. Kerensky, the new Minister of
War, who is on record as favorable
to the prosecution of the war until a
victory over Germany is secured.
FEDERAL COURT IN SESSION.
Grover Thompson, of Johnston Coun
ty, Gets Year and Day in
Prison. ,
(News and Observer, 23.)
Although good headway was made
in disposing of eases on the docket,
not a new case was reached yester
day at the opening session of the
United States District Court in this
city. Most of the cases considered
were postponed from previous terms.
Several old defendants arranged
new appearance bonds.
Grover Thompson, a defendant
from Johnston County, was the only
one to receive a sentence. He pleaded
guilty to a charge of illicit distilling
and was sentenced to one year and a
day in the Atlanta prison. Rufus
Jones, Willie Hudson, and Bertie
Webb, all of Johnston County, were
other defendants who pleaded guilty,
but no judgment was passed on
their cases.
All of Certain Age To Register.
The law requires that every male
citizen, white and colored, from 21
to 30 years of age, inclusive, (that is
one who has not yet reached 31) shall
register on June 5th. Those who are
sick must send in their card,
and those who are away from home
must send in their names by mail.
THE NEWS IN CLAYTON.
Mr. Waldo H. Gower Weds .Miss
Eleanor Worthington, of Grifton.
\ounK Mr. Spenre Hurt in Aato
Accident in South Carolina. Other
Items of Interest.
Clayton, May 23. ? Mrs. J. W.
Massey went to Oxford Monday, re
turning Tuesday afternoon, 'accom
panied by her daughter, Miss Lois
Masaey, who has been in school there
the past year.
Mrs. C. G. Gulley and children
spent last week with relatives at
Warsaw, returning home Monday.
Mr. Ed. Creech, of Selma, was in
town Sunday.
Mrs. R. C. Sears, of Apex, visited
her parents here this week.
Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Austin spent
Monday night in Raleigh.
Mrs. A. T. Beddingfield left Tues
day morning to visit relatives in
Louisburg.
Dr. and Mrs. J. H. Broughton, of
Raleigh, spent Sunday here.
Mrs. T. M. Johnson and little Miss
Lucile, of Raleigh, are visiting Mrs.
0. G. Smith.
Among those who spent Monday in
Raleigh arc Mrs. W. P. Creech, Mrs.
Glenn Pope, Mrs. R. L. Parkinson
and Miss Ruby Ellis.
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Poole, of Ral
eigh, were here Sunday visiting rel
atives.
Mr. and Mrs. John Stallings arrived
Tuesday from Raleigh to visit Mr.
and Mrs. G. S. Cable.
Mr. S. M. Spence was called to
Simsonville, S. C., last Saturday on
account of his son who was seriously
injured in an automobile wreck the
day before.
Mr. E. B. McCullers spent Tues
day in Raleigh.
Miss Julia Austin, after spending
a month here 'vith her parents and
other friends, left Tuesday for Mem
orial Hospital, Richmond, to resume
her duties there.
Mr. J. D. Hocutt and family, of
Rocky Point were here Sunday vis
iting friends.
Mr. R. A. Wall spent last week a^
Dallas, Texas.
Mrs. R. H. Gower, with her son
Irving, and Perine and her daughters,
Geraldine and Dorothy, motored to
Grifton last Wednesday to attend
the marriage of Mrs. Gower's son,
Waldo H. Gower, to Miss Eleanor
Worthington, Thursday, the 17th, at
7:00 o'clock a. m. Invitations had
been sent for June Gth, but on ac
count of war enlistment was moved
up. Waldo has a host of friends here
who wish him nnjch happiness and
success. Mr. and Mrs. Gower are
spending their honeymoon in the
mountains.
STOCK LAW DEFEATED
BY VOTERS OF PENDER
Burgaw, May 23. ? The board of
County Commissioners met here yes
terday to receive and canvass the
returns of the stock law election held
last Saturday. Official and unofficial
returns grave the vote as follows: For
stock law, 153; against stock law,
852.
There was no election held in Up
per Caswell, and those in favor of
stock law evidently did not vote in
many of the other voting precincts,
as 103 votes were cast in Burgaw
township for stock law, leaving only
50 for it in the balance of the coun
ty. Rocky Mount township was not
included in the territory, hence did
not vote. There is little doubt that
the stock law people will contest the
election, as they allege that there
were so many irregularities in hold
ing it that it will not stand the test
of the courts.
Paris Pays $1 a Pound for Beef.
Paris, May 22. ? With the begin
ning of the regime of two meatless
days a week, beef went t<? $1 a pound
today and vegetables and fish fol
lowed the upward tendency. The
rush for meat supplies to carry
consumers over until Wednesday
swamped the butchers, although they
had laid in extra amounts. There
was a good deal of crowding, and
some sharp talk was heard against
rich buyers who paid any price the
dealers asked, sending the quotations
too high for modest purses.
Beof on the hoof at the stockyards
was higher than last week, although
the receipts were larger. Wholesalers
appear to take the view that the ne\ii
regulations will not reduce consump
tion.
MISINTERPRETS HIS SPEECH
('resident Writes Congressman Pou
Concerning Utterances in Red
C ross Address.
(News and Observer.)
Washington, May 23. ? Much has
been said about the President's speech
before the Red Cross in which he de
clared that our grievance against
Germany was the same as that of
other nations.
His statement has been distorted
Representative Pou wrote the Presi
dent on May 19th, saying that there
was some misunderstanding of part
of the President's Red Cross speech,
delivered before the American Red
Cross Society, in Washington City, on
May 12, 1916. The following is a
copy of the reply he received this
morning:
"My dear Mr. Pou: Certainly no
apology was necessary for your let
ter of May 19th. It was an act of
friendship on your part to write it
and of loyalty also to the great cause
we are engaged in.
"Your interpretation of my mes
sage I supposed would be the inter
pretation everybody would give it. I
meant just what you say, that our
grievance, 'while entirely sufficient,
was the same as that of other neutral
nations, perhaps aggravated by the
fact that Germany had made us spe
cial promises which she had grossly
ignored.' I would be very much oblig
ed to you for any steps you might
take to correct this damaging and
erroneous and I must believe, insin
cere interpretation of my address to
the Red Cross.
"Cordially and sincerely yours,
"WOODROW WILSON."
FACTS WORTH CONSIDERING.
A Man's Conduct Largely Responsi
ble For His Bright's Disease. A
Noted Physician Says Disease Can
Be Cured by Changing Living
Habits.
Dr. W. A. Evans, probably the
country's best known health writer,
sounds an optimistic note for the
person suffering with Bright's di?
ease. He strongly emphasizes the
point that if the first signs of this
disease are accepted as warnings,
aftd a change of living habits insti
tuted, that life would be prolonged
and the disease entirely cured. He
advises a strict observance of the
doctor's orders as to diet, as one's
diet is the most important item in
the cure. Dr. Evans writing on
this subject says:
"Of all diseases Bright's disease is
most influenced by habits ? of eat
ing and of life generally. This holds
true to every form of the disease. If
a man has a necessarily fatal form
of the disease, if he will live accord
ing to the rules, he can add a few
months or a few years to his life. If
he has a chronic but slowly progres
sive downward form he can almost
live out the expectancy of a man of
his years by playing the game fair.
If he has a mild form of the dis
? ease he can live the law, and he will
find that his symptoms will entirely
disappear.
"The relation of conduct to
Bright's disease is not limited to the
curative side. Many men earn their
Bright's by improper habits. Some
get it from poisoning by lead of al
cohol or other poisons, some from in
fection with ordinary forms of con
tagion, with rheumatism, or with
venereal disease. Some get it from
overeating, some from such infrac
tions of the laws of well being as
"staying on the streets until late at
night engaged in occupations or in
associations which are responsible
for their disorders." However, what
we arc now considering is what a
man can do by care of himself, his
diet, and his habits generally, to pjro
, long his life or to cure himself when
I he learns that he has Bright's dis
ease.
, "The diet of a person with chronic
r nephritis should be simple in quality
r and limited in quantity. He should
, especially refrain from eating heavy
, meals. While "neither a feast nor a
I famine" is advisable, the former is
. the more harmful."
*
i A new Methodist church, to cost
$30,000, is being built at Lenoir. Mrs
i Uriah Cloyd, aged 89, the oldest liv
i ing member of the church and blind
i for many years, laid the fir^t, brick
r She was present when the foundatior
? of the former church structure wat
laid 73 years ago.
THOSE WHO MUST REGISTER.
Every Young Man Between the Age
of 21 and 30 Must Register. Noth
ing Excuses Him. Married Men
Not Exempted. Registration Day
June 5th.
An article in Wednesday's Char
lotte Observer explains some facta
about the conscription registration
law that all should read, as follows:
Contrary to the general belief,
married men arc not exemptod under
the act, but must register, as only
the following are exempted:
Thoso who have not reached the
age of 21 on June 5. (If their 21st
birthday is June 5, they must regis
ter.)
Men whose 31st birthday comes be
fore June 5 or whose 31st birthday
comes on June 5.
Men in the Navy or Regular Army
of the United States, the Marine
Corps, and the officers of the Reserve
Corps.
Men in the National Guard and
Naval Militia actually in service on
June 5.
Men in the enlisted reserve corps
actively engaged in service ef the
United States on June 5.
Sickness, physical disability, of any
kind, or absence from home, will not
excuse any failure to register on
June 5. National Guardsmen fiot
mustered into service before June 5
must also register.
Punishment for failure to ?egister
is one year's imprisonment. For
making false statement is also one
year's imprisonment with a conse
quent enforced registration in ail
cases. It is also added that where a
person registering is subject to mil
itary law he will be courtmailialed.
There has been considerable mis
understanding on the par* of those
who must. register; but the doubt has
been on the side of those who must,
rather than those who don't have to
register. Briefly stated, eveiy man
between the ages of 21 and inclu
sive, must register. Later, for one
of several reasons, he may possibly
obtain exemption.
Some will doubtless obtain exemp
tion upon the first call, to be
brought into the service on the sec
ond, or third, or fourth, or some later
call, should the war last long enough
to demand the men.
It is the general belief that married
men, and other men who have moth
ers or young sisters or brothers de
pendent upon them, will not be called
out on the first call to arms. It is
also generally believed that those
with serious physical defects will be
left out for all time. It is believed
that the first call will be issued to
those healthy single men, who have
no one df pending upon them or who
do not have jobs that are ?f more
economic worth to thi^ Government
than are the men as soldiers.
The registrars will send in the
cards at the end of the conscription
period and the Government experts
will sort them out and issue orders
for the chosen ones to mobilize at the
proper cantonment. It rs not believed
that this will require any gqeat
length of time, but that the work of
training the new National Army will
be well under way witlfin a few
months.
War Taxation Bill Passes House.
Washington, May 23.? The war
taxation bill, levying more than $1,
800,000,000 annually in direct taxes,
passed the house late today by a vote
of 329 to 76. The opposition came en
tirely from the Republican side of the
chamber. Representative Mann, the
Republican floor leader, led an unsuc
cessful attempt to recommit the bill.
He contended that the tax levy was
too high and a greater proportion of
the expenses of the war should be met
by bonds and a gradual imposition of
taxes.
| As finally approved by the house
the bill is estimated to raise annual
ly about $1,857,000,000. The bill re
ported by the ways and means com
mittee was drawn to produce $1,810,
000,000 in revenue. By adopting the
Lenroot amendments, imposing high
er surtaxes on all income? above $40,
t 000, the house added approximately
? $60,000,000 to that total. However,
? the house eliminated today the pro
I posed tax on advertising, which re
. duced the tax on express shipments
i from 10 per cent to 6 per cent. ^This
? is estimated to decrease the total by
an additional $6,000,000.