VOLUME 36 SMITHFIELD, N. C., TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1917. Number 44
KNEW AUSTRIA'S INTENTION.
Germany Received Austria's Ultima
tum Fourteen Hours Before It Was
Delivered to Belgrade. Zimmer
mann's Admission Sets at Naught
the German Government' Repeated
Denials.
Washington, Aug. 3. ? Germany
had possession of Austria's ultima
tum to Serbia fourteen hours before
it was delivered to Belgrade, accord
ing to positive information which has.
reached officials here and which was
made public today for the first time.
It was stated that former Foreign
Secretary Zimmermann admitted this
himself, when pressed very closely as
to Germany's foreknowledge of the
action of her ally which precipitated
the European war.
Germany has maintained consist
ently in all her public documents that
s?he was not consulted by Austria as
to the ultimatum which practically
denied Serbia's independence and
that she did not even have knowledge
of the step.
Foreign Secretary Zimmcrmann's
admission, however, is interpreted
here to show that Germany had full
knowledge of the note in time to stop
action on it if she felt it essential.
Iler inaction, however, is felt to have
proved her an accomplice of Austria,
whom she had already told she would
support in any decision she might
make.
The admission was stated here to
have been made when Zimmermann
was pressed very closely as to Ger
many's knowledge of the Austrian
ultimatum. For a considerable time,
it was stated, he maintained Ger
many had known nothing at all
about it.
MEN EXAMINED IN CHARLOTTE.
Thirty-four of Ninety-two Summoned
for Saturday Absent. Of Fifty-eight
Men Examined Saturday Forty-Six
Passed. Of the First 197 Men Ex
amined 42 Failed to Pass Physical
ly.
The third lot of men called by the
Charlotte exemption board for the
new national army were examined
during Saturday in the gymnasium of
the Young Men's Christian Associa
tion. Of the ninety-two summoned to
appear yesterday for the examination
thirty-four failed to report, leaving
fifty-eight to be examined. Forty-six
of those examined passed the physi
cal examination, while twelve failed.
The fact that so many men have
failed to report for the examination,
when they have been mailed notices
to appear, is causing the city board
trouble. Members of the board said
last night that they hoped that it
would not be necessary to resort to un
pleasant means to bring the delin
quents before them. ,
Of the thirty-four men failing to
appeal, nineteen were white and fif
teen colored.
The twelve men failing to pass the
physical examination were white, all
the negroes examined passing. Thir
ty-five white men passed the exam
ination and eleven negroes. Only
eleven negroes were examined.
The city board has now examined
197 men, forty-two of whom have
failed to pass the physical examina
tion, leaving 155 men who have pass
ed and are therefore liable for mil
itary duty should they have no
claims for exemption. Seventy-one
have failed to appear before the
board, although notices were mailed
them to report during last week.
A Moonlight Picnic.
%
Kenly, Aug. 3. ? A delightful moon
light picnic was given Wednesday
evening by Misses Clyde and Agnes
Watson of Kenly, in honor of their
guests, Miss Bedia McCaskcy, of
Kinston, N. C., and Miss Celestia Gul
ley.
At four o'clock the party motored
out to Sasser's Pond. Boating and
swimming were enjoyed, but the
lunch was especially enjoyed.
Those present were: Misses Bedia
McCaskcy, Celestia Gulley, Elizabeth
Farmer, Inez Edgerton, Adna Lee
Bailey, Nellie Hardison, Eunice Je
rome, Sadie Morris, Clyde, Agnes and
Myrtle Watson.
v Messrs. Rudolph Kirby, Dobbin
Bailey, Ulysses Hardison, Hal Gil
breath, James Kirby", Robert Jerome,
Claude Edgerton, Donald Kirby and
Viron Edgerton. Chaperones, Mr.
and Mrs. T. M. Aycock.
MANY CIIRL SOLDIERS KILLED.
Only 53 Remain Unhurt In the Heavy
Casualties for Russia's Legion of
Death. All Wounded Determined to
Return to Battle Line.
Only fifty-fiv.1 of thf wholi' battal
ion of women in Russia's Legion of
Death came through their first battle
unscratched. But the wounded as well
as those who escaped are going back
to the front.
Mme. Bctchkneva, commandcr of
the legion, suffered from shell shock
in a hospital, near Petrograd, proudly
told the heroic story of her unit's
fighting and made this statement.
Half a dozen other wounded girls in
the same hospital gave instant cor
roboration.
"We have fought with rfien and
with women," Commander Botch
knev declured, "and one is as good as
the other if he or she loves the fath-4
erland.
"My girls had been divided before
the battle. One-half remained a unit,
under my command, and the other
half was distributed in small detr.ch
mcnts of six or ten to various com
panies. These small units were to act
as ammunition carriers only. My half
was an active fighting force. 1 led
them into the charge myself.
"Out of all cur legion, just fifty
five of the girls were uninjured."
"Why should women anywhere in
the world be surprised at our fight
ing?" interjected Evodkia Minenkova,
formerly a stewardess in the trans
atlantic steamship service, who spoke
good English. "I know American
women pretty well. If they knew the
facts I would not be surprised to see
them do the same thing."
I asked all the wounded girls to
tell me exactly why they fought.
"Russia needed me, so I quit high
school," promptly responded pretty
Minnie Golubieva, 18.
"Because my husband is also in the
army," said Mrs. Anna Konovaliva.
"My husband was killed in fighting
early in the war, and I joined to
avenge his death," responded Mrs.
Irene Perchurina, salesgirl.
Natally Svanzinger, former chauf
feuse, declared:
"Because driving a car did not make
a sufficient dent in the enemy, I pre
ferred a rifle."
"I'm a 'papa's girl,' " laughed pretty
Mary Bialokurova, round-faced and
blue-eyed. "They used to say I went
to school instead of working. Well,
here I am, and I've been working."
"We are all going back to the
front," one of the girls declared. The
whole roomful of wounded legionaires
chorused instant approval.
"The German girls we captured
carried a sign, 'Send us your women;
we will pay them well,' " declared
one of the girl soldiers.
"They sent us, but we carried bay
onets," she added. ? Petrograd Special
to Now York Evening Sun.
Iredell's Tallest Man Exempt.
The Iredell County Exemption
Board had the first called men before
it Wednesday and Thursday of last
week. One of the men before the
board Thursday was over 6 1-2 feet
tall. Friday's Str.tesville Landmark
says:
"Of the .50 who appeared yesterday
for examination James Burley Wil
cox, New Hope, 'took the cake.' He
stood 79 1-4 inchcc flat-footed and is
entitled to exemption on the grounds
of excessive height, the government
not accepting men in excess of 6
feet and 6 inches unless they are
otherwise exceptional. A local wag
remarked that if Wilcox was acccpted
they would have to dig him a well to
stand in instead of the ordinary army
trench. He weighs 145 pounds."
ORDERS SLACKERS REPORTED.
President Wilson Says All Delin
quents Will Be Certified Into
National Army.
Washington, Aug. 2. ? President
Wilson to-day ordered all "slackers"
who failed to appear for draft exam
ination be reported to the Department
of Justice and certified into the na
tional army by the Adjutant-Gener- i
al of the State.
Should these men fail to report to 1
the Adjutant-General within five days
after notification of their certification
into the army they will be reported
to the Adjutant-General of the army i
for his action. \
FRIDAY'S WAR NEWS IN BRIEF.
Political Troubles Iireak Out Anew
In I'etrojrrad. While the Russian
Armies Still Retreat. Haig's Men
Re-Kstablish Themselves in Town
of St. Julien.
(Associated Press War Summary.)
Political troubles in Petrograd, the '
continuance of the Russian retreat j
and a further advance by the British
in Flanders stand out from the gen- i
eral war news.
Norther st of Ypres on Friday thi I
troops of Field Marshal Haig re-es
tablished themselves in the town of
St. Julien, captured by them on Tues
day, but from which they were driven
by the Germans on Wednesday.
Additional ground was gained south
of HoJlebcke, near the center of the
line on which Entente allied attacks j
were launched early this week. Brit- j
ish artillery dispersed German forces
preparing to attack near Ypres and I
forestalled any attempt by the Teu
tons to charge against the British
lines. On Tuesday, the first day of
the allied advance, (5,122 Germans
were made prisoner by the Anglo
French forces.
Near Monchy le Preux, southeast
of Arras, the Germans on Thursday
night entered British front line
trenches at two points. Desperate
fighting ensued and the British dur
ing Friday re-took most of the ele
ments.
Except for the repulse of a German
attack on a 1,500 yard front near
Cerny, on the Aisne front, there has
been only raids and artillery duels
on the rest of the Western front.
With apparently no let-up in the
Ivussian retreat along the line from
i arnopol to the Rumanian border,
there came advices of a new political
process in Petrograd. Premier and
War Minister Kerensky and his fel
low cabinet members, except one, re
signed, but later, with the exception
of M. Terestchenko, the foreign min
ister, withdrew their resignations.
To defend himself along charges
that he had been connected with the
German general staff, M. Tchernoff.
the socialist minister of agriculture,
has resigned. Efforts to strengthen
the Russian cabinet by the inclusion
<>f constitutional democrats seeming
ly have failed, and Premier Kerensky
will attempt to rule the country with
aides from the radicals and socialists.
General Erdelli, recently appointed
military governor of Petrograd, is re
ported to have been assassinated.
The line of the river Xbroz, at its
confluence with the Dneister, has
been given up at several places by the
Russians, who, however, fought stub
bornly to hold back the Austro-Ger
mans. Between the Denter and the
Pruth the Russians have not halted
in the retreat toward the border.
Bukowina is almost entirely in the
hands of the Teutons apain. Czerno
witz, the capital, has been occupied by
the Germans, and Kimpolung, an im
portant town several miles south of
the Rumanian border, has been evac
uated by the Russians. The German
advance in Galicia and Bukowina
seemingly is aimed at Kamenctzpodol
sky, a fortified city north of the
Dneister and in the direction of
Odessa, Russia's great port on the
Black Sea.
AVIATION INSPECTOR DEAD.
Capt. Ralph L. Taylor Falls to Earth
While Making a Flight
at Mineola, N. Y.
Mineola, N. Y., Aug. 2. ? Capt.
Ralph L. Taylor, in command of the
training section of the aviation signal
corps here, lost control of his airplane
today and plunged 800 feet to his
death. Sergt. Thomas Pell, who was
in the machine with him, suffered a
broken jaw and internal injuries.
Captain Taylor had been in com
mand of the instructors and students
about two months and was an expert
flier. He was married two months
ago. His home was in Stamford,
Conn.
The Bags Used by Oil Mills.
The latest quotations of which we
have heard on bags used by the oil
mills are as follows:
Inside coffee bags $182.50 per
thousand f. o. b. place of shipment.
Second hand cotton-seed meal bags
11% cent" each, freight prepaid.
Hull bags arc 12% cents each and
new fertilizer bagi are $220.00 per
thousand. <
CRUEL ACT OF A SUBMARINE.
Thirty-Eight Sailors From the British
Steamer Belgian Prince Mustered
on Deck of U -Boat Which Later
Submeiged, Leaving the Men to
the Mmy of the Seas.
A British Port, August 3. ? Thirty
eight member of the jrrew of the
British steamship Belgian Prince
wore drowned deliberately by the
German submarine which sank her,
according to the account given by sur
vivors who have reached British
shores. The chief engineer, who many
times after the steamer was torpe
doed wr.s near drowning, gave the
following narrative of his expe
riences:
"About eight o'clock on Tuesday
evening when we were two hundred
miles off land I saw the wake of an
approaching topedo. The vessel gave
a lurch as she hit and I was thrown
to the deck among the debris. The
vessel listed heavily and all of us
took to the boats.
"The submarine approached and
shelled the vessel and then Ordered
the small boats alongside the subma
rine. The skipper was summoned and
taken inside. The others were mus
tered on the deck of the submarine.
"The Germans removed the life
belts and the outer clothing of all ex
cept eight of us, smashed the life
boats with axes, and then re-entered
the submarine and closed the hatches,
leaving us on deck. The submarine
went about two miles and then sub
merged.
"I had a life belt. Near me was an
apprentice boy of 16, shouting for
help. I went to him and held him up
until midnight, but he became un
conscious and died of exposure. At
day light I saw the Belgian Prince
afloat. I was picked up after 11 hours
in the water by a patrol boat."
The second engineer also was a
survivor, and succeeded in reaching
the Belgian Prince before she blew
up. The Germans came on board and
looted her, he reported. He was in
hiding, but finally jumped into the sea
and kept afloat on the wreckage.
The only other known survivor is
too ill in a hospital to tell his story.
OKLAHOMA MEN IN TROUBLE.
Two Hundred Who Resisted and De
fied the Selective Draft Now Un
der Arrest Charged With Treason.
Attorney to Ask for Death Penalty.
There has been trouble in some
sections in Oklahoma among those
who have banded together to resist
the JJraft Law. The United States
government officials have been right
after them and the following dispatch
in this morning's News and Observer
tells the story:
Oklahoma, City, Okla., Aug. (5. ?
Without waiting for a conclusion of
the state's campaign against organ
ized resistance to the selective draft
in central Oklahoma, the United
States government today moved lo
punish the 200 men under arrest in
connection with armed opposition to
military service. Warants charging
treason were served on the prisoners
who were taken to the penitentiary
at McAlester or the jail at Muskogee
to await trial at which United States
District Attorney McGinnis will ask
that the death penalty be imposed.
Announcement that extreme punish
ment would be asked was expected to
aid materially in bringing to terms
the few resisters still sheltered in the
hills. Posses in three counties ? Semi
nole, Hughes and Potti watomie ? re
ported tonight that isolated groups
refused to surrender, but that they
apparently were discouraged and
seeking to avoid an encounter.
Determination of the possemon to
run down all of the leaders was
strengthened today by confiscation of
half a freight car of dynamite which
had been run on a siding southeast of
Sasakwa, in Seminole County. An in
vestigation is being made to establish
ownership. The car was unaccompa
nied.
Clashes between the resisters and
posses have cost three lives and nu
merous injuries. Two objectors to the
draft have been killed and a traveler
was shot when he failed to heed a
posse's warning to halt.
Development of the causes of the
outbreak and of the force-; behind it is
expected preliminary hearings to
morrow when the men in custody arc
arraigned before a United States
commissioner at McAlester.
SATURDAY IN THE WOULD WAR.
Germans iiive Rack Slowly Under (
Tremendous Entente Pressure on
West Front. In the East, They Con
tinue to Drive Russians, Rut in
Face of Increased Resistance.
The teutonic armies, still advanc
ing. although against increased re
sistance, on the eastern front, are
slowly being forced hack by the pres
sure of the entente masses in the
west.
Gains made by the British on the
Flanders front on Friday, when the
village of St. Julien was re-entered,
were followed by an advance by the
French on their front Friday night.
Notwithstanding the continuing in
clement weather, French forces drove
in beyond the Kortekeer Cabinet,
moving their lines forward, while
their pctrola pushed back German
outposts and explored considerable
areas in advance of the French posi
tions.
Berlin announces an increase in the
artillery fire to great violence at
times on the Flanders front. Appar
ently the renewal of the great battle
in all its fury is only awaiting the
return of fairly good weather.
The London war office makes it
clear that no shifting of British
troops was found necessary to cope
\\i;h the situation created by the Ger
man diversion of Thursday night near
Monchy le Preux, on the Arras battle
front, through which inroads were
made upon the British position on In
fantry hill. Attacks carried out the
following day and night by the troops
on the spot, the official statement an
nounces, forced the Germans out and
completely restored the position.
The situation on the Russian front,
from northern Galicia to the Car
pathians, continues favorable to the
armies of the central powers, but the
Russians, although symptoms of con
tinuing low morale are still noted, ap
pear on the whole to be offering a
stiffer defense, particularly along the
eastern Galician border. At one point,
an energetic operation cleared the
Austro-German forces from a sector
of the east bank of the Zbrocz, the
river forming the boundary line. At
another point on this line, near Skala.
the teutonic troops were driven out
of two villages.
The Russians continue to yield
ground in Bukowina and in the Car-,
pathians. They are engaged in a stiff
battle with the enemy northeast of
Kimpolung, however. Below Kimpo
lung, the Russian forces are falling
back on the Moldavia aid have yield
ed the town of Watra, on that river,
to the Austro-German advance.
Berlin sums up the campaign of
the last fourteen days in the east as
having cleared all Galicia of the Rus
sians, with the exception of a small
strip of territory extending southeast
from Brody.
On the Austro-Italian front there
is somewhat more activity. The Ital
ian airmen are notably busy. They
rapidly followed up their recent raid
on Pola, carrying out a second air at
tack in which great damage is report
ed to have been done this Austrian
naval base.? Associated Press Sum
mary.
Weather Summary for Cotton States.
Now Orleans, La., Aug. 6. ? Tefti
peratures generally near the season
al average except maximum tempera
tures ninety-four to one hundred and
four in Oklahoma, northern and con
tral Texas Saturday and Sunday, and
cool weather with maxima seventy
four to eighty-two in Georgia Sun
day.
Heavy rains Sunday in southern
Georgia and north central Florida,
and light to moderate showers in
southern portion of South Carolina,
Alabama, and in southeastern Louisia
na. General rains Monday in Georgia,
northern Florida, and Alabama; local
showers in southeastern Louisiana,
central Oklahoma, and northwestern
cast Texrs.
Heavy Rains ? Monday, Georgia,
Dublin, 1.04; Wnycoss, 1.54; Eastman,
1.46; Glcnnvilje, 1.30; West Point,
1.40; Newman, 1.10. Alabama, Ozark,
2.04; Anniston, 1.58; Eufaula, 3.32;
Goodwater, 2.80; Opelika, 1.28. Texas,
Henrietta, 2.20; Weatherford, 2.-r>4.
Heavy Rains- Sunday, Georgia, Way
cross, 1.54; Glennville, 1.42. Alabama,
2.80; Albany, 1.30; Daindridge, 2.00;
Valdosta, 1.90; Quitman, 3.04. Florid?,
Tallahassee, 4.24; Marianna, 1.20.
Louisiana, CUfiton, 1.60; Lafayette,
2.50; Schriever, 1.40.
A BETTER VIEW OF THE WAR.
Only One Man in Four Will Ever
Get in Fight. Statistics Show That
Comparatively Few Are Wounded
and Killed.
War danger and war mortality
among the men who will go to Eu
rope in the American conscripted ar
my will not be unduly heavy in the
opinion of Babson's Statistical organ
ization, which has just issued a state
ment on the subjcct, based upon the
most accurate information obtainable
as to mortality ratios since the war
began. The men now being drafted,
says this statistical authority, stand
only one chance to four of seeing
actual fighting, and even if they take
part in hard fighting, statistics are
in their favor and conditions are im
proving.
It is brought out that according to
the most reliable statistics, which are
difficult to obtain, about sixty men
per 1,000 are being killed in the war
and aboijt 150 men per 1;000 are be
ing wounded. Most of the wounded
later return to the front.
The normal death rate in peace
times of men within the age limits
of the soldiers now fighting is only
eight per 1,000, but that is a yearly
rate, while the figure of sixty per 1,
000 covers the period of enlistment
and in some cases is for a period of
three years.
The loss of life from disease, which
has been one of the deadly life-takers
of other wars, is declared to be in
large measure eliminated, - ? ? . j.
The mortality is ??id to be less to
day than it wuh at the start of the
war. Gas attacks are being well
handled, and with reasonable precau
tions men are not in very great dan
ger from that form of attack. They
are exposed to the most danger when
a charge is made.
At -other times wounds are mostly
in the shoulders or arms and easily
treated. Skull wounds are rather
fiequent, however, and are naturally
serious. But the amputation of limbs
is less than in previous conflicts.
Different branches of the service
show different degrees of mortality.
In the heavy artillery the danger is
said to be about equal to the danger
of railroading in civil life. The mor
tality among certain classes of of
ficers, including lieutenants, sergeants
and corporals, is found to have been
greater than among privates.
"We believe," says Babson's Sta
tistical organization, "that the draft
ed man who goes as an ordinary sol
dier, taking his judgment with him
and leaving his enthusiasm at home
is not only most effective, but is fair
ly sure to return in better physical
condition than when he left. Of course
during the one or more days a month
tjiat it is his turn to charge he is
subject to great danger, but the rest
of the time, with reasonable precau
tions, he is, statistically, almost as
well off as in the streets of New
York."
WHOLE COST OF THE DRAFT.
Total Expense Is Put at $8,660,480
by Secretary Baker. ^
* *
Washington, Aug. 3. ? The cost of
drafting America's first great Nation
al Army ? from registration to en
rollment ? was placed by Secretary
Baker today at $8,660,480 in his esti
mates to congress.
This amount includes all overhead
expense of registration, examination ?
and selection. It is based on regis
tration of 10,000,000, examination of
approximately 5,000,000 and enroll
ment of 1,187,000.
"On a tentative estimate that the
generous system of exemptions and
discharges will result in a necessity
for examining four registrants to
produce one soldier," said Secretary
Baker, "it is apparent that the sys
tem must be capable of examining
5,000,000 during the year.
"For this task the organization in
cludes a personnel of more than 18,
000 persons."
Air Raid Fatalities in London.
Since the beginning of hostilities
366 persons have been killed and 1,
092 injured by air raids in the Lon
don metropolitan area, according to
a statement by Sir George Cave, the
British Home Secretary, in the House
of Commons. During the sr.me period,
the Secretary noted, 2,412 persons
were killed and 7,863 injured in or
dinary street accidents in the same
territory.