TUESDAY IN THE BIG WAR.
ACTIVITY ON WEST FRONT
DAILY INCREASES IN VOLUME
German I'rosoner Skys at Least One
ill-' Attack is Due Next Month.
Americans Constantly Exchanging
Fire With the Enemy. Attacks
Launched Against Both French and
Italians.
(Associated Press War Summary.)
The military activity on the west
ern front is daily increasing in vol
ume. The movements are being car
ried out with larger bodies than since
the heavy winter set in and mora
zest is in the fighting.
The French near Epy and La Bas
see have conducted further incur
sions into the enemy positions in the
latter region, inflicting numerous
casualties on their antagonists and
taking prisoners and machine guns.
, French north of the Aiette river and
in the Woevre section the French
have made successful attacks, which
resulte'd in the capture of nearly 300
prisoners. A somewhat * ambitious
attack by the Germans in the Verdun
sector was put down' by the French
with severe casualties.
Between the Americans and the
Germans there is constant changcr of
artillery fire and the Americans con
tinue to carry out patroling maneu
vers toward the enemy trenches. The
Germans evidently are anxious to
guage the positions occupied by the
Americans and also ascertain the
number of men they are employing,
for daily their air craft are hovering
over the lines taking protograps
and making observations. Anti-air
craft guns several, times have driven
off the enemy. *
Although the increase in activity
along the entire front in France and
Belgium is noticeable, there' is no in
dication as yet as to when the Ger
mans will begin their much heralded
general offensive. A German cap
tured by the British says that at least
one big attack is due to begin some
time in March. Meanwhile large con
centrations of fresh troops daily are
arriving behind the German line and
carrying out practice maneuvers.
On the Italian front the Austrians
again have endeavored to test the
strength of the Italians in the Zette
communi plateau sector. The Ger
man war office asserts that the Aus
trians carried out a most successful
attack hert^ but the Italian official
statement declares that the Austrian
columns were torn to pieces by the
Italian artillery as they tried to get
in the southern slopes of Monte Sasso
Rosso and other positions and the of
fensive completely routed.
31 RAIDS IN GERMAN
TERRITORY LAST MONTH.
Berlin Reports Five Killed, Nine
Wounded and "Insignificant"
Damage Done by Airmen.
Berlin, via Amsterdam, Feb. 12. ?
Entente allied airplanes made 31
raids on German territory in Janu
ary, says an official statement issued
today by the German war office. As
a result of these air attacks, the
statement adds, five persons were
killed and nine wounded. Insignifi
cant material damage* was done.
The statement says that "although
the number of attacks compared with
those of the previous month was con
siderably increased, owing to the
favorable weather, the damage and
losses fortunately were smaller. Five
persons were killed and nine wound
ed. The material damage was insig
nificant. There was no interruption
of work worth mentioning. The
enemy lost four airplanes during
these attacks."
Mr. John L. Southerland Dead.
Early Monday morning, February
11th, Mr. John L. Southerland died at
his home near Wilson's Mills. Last i
fall he had stroke of paralysis which
was followed by another stroke last
Saturday from which he never re
covered. He was fifty-six years old.
The burial took place Tuesday
afternoon at the Perrian Jones place.
He leaves a wife and six "children,
three sons and three daughters.
Wilmington is making an effort to
get a big million-dollar industrial
plant located in that city. A half
millin' dollar trust compa.iy has been
organized to induce the big plant to
locate there.
ARMY CONSTRI CTION
PLANNED ON BIG SCALE.
Expect to Erect $8,000,000
Camp Somewhere to Take
IMace of Camp Greene. %
TOTAL COST $268,650,000.
Washington, Feb. 12. ? Many new
construction projects for the army,
including munition plants, ordnance
depots, storage plants, port termi
nals, hospitals, aviation work, can
tonments and housing, were disclosed
in a statement given the senate mili
tary committee today by the war de
partment. The work will cost a total
of $268,050,000 and, while some of the
projects had been announced before,
in most cases the location and cost
had not been given.
The statement shows that $37,000,
000 will be spent in building a gas
making plant at Edgewood, N. J.,
while 40 interior storage depots to
cost an aggregate of $30,000,000 are
to be erected at unnamed points. On
aviation work, including a new can
tonment, the location of which was
not given, $46,000,000 will be ex
pended.
Ordnance depots are to be built on
the south Atlantic coast at "some
seaport" at a cost of $4,000,000 each
and one on the mftldleT Atlantic coast
at a cost of $6,000,000. An ammuni
tion depot at "some seaport" is to
cost $7,500,000 and a like sum is to
be expended for an ordnance depot
in central Pennsylvania.
Hospitals for soldiers, suffering
with tuberculosis, are to be built at
Denver, Colo., and Asheville, N. C.,
at a cost of $500,000 each and $12,
800,000 is to be spent on hospitals at
32 army training camps.
A division cantonment for the
regular army is to cost $8,000,000,
but its location was not given. It
may take the place of the regular
army training c^tmp at Charlotte, N.
C.? which soon is to be abandoned be
caused of unsuitability of the ground
on which it is located.
Eight million^ will be spent on a
port terminal at Boston, Mass., and
$10,000,000 on a similar terminal at
Charleston, S. C. Two millions are
provided for three powder bag load
ing points at sites not yet selected.
For housing for the shipping to
relieve congestion in shipyard com
munities the department plans to ex
pend $35,000,000. This will represent
a part of the $50,000,000 for this pur
pose provided in a bill which passed
the house today. In addition to this
$600,000 will be expended at New
port News, Va., for housing the negro
stevedore regiments engaged there
in loading vessels.
Another item is that of $250,00 for
a high explosives plant at Sandy
Hook, L. I.
Brigadier General Littell, in charge
of cantonment division and other con
struction jobs, also submitted state
ments to the committee, showing
that, in addition to the new work, his
bureau has charge of construction
now in progress calling for an expen
diture of $135,900,000 making the
total for present and future work
$404,550,000. ? Associated Press.
LIVB OAK NEWS.
The School ha8 closed until the 18th
on account of the German measles.
There are several cases in school,
among1 them Miss Harwood.
Miss Bailey spent the week-end
at home with her brother, Clarence
Bailey, who is in training at Camp
Jackson. *
The farmers are very busy around
here since the weather has cleared
off.
The school has been preparing the
program for North Carolina Day
which will be celebrated the twenty
third. ?
We are glad to state that the
church has been ceiled, and when
painted will be a nice community
church. ? T. S.
i
Tine Level Safety League.
Pine Level, Feb. 13. ? A very inter
esting meeting of the students of the
Pin^ Level public school was held last
Friday morning in the Chapel of the
school building. At this time they
organized a Safety League. The fol
lowing officers were elected: Walter
Godwin. President; Bessie Stallings,
Vice-President; ~~Plo3sie Stallings,
Secretary; Flossie Warrick, Treas
urer. Miss Mary Weaver from the
faculty was elected as Honorary
President.
V
FLOUR ORDER IS MODIFIED.
Farmers May Now Buy Flour In
Quantities Not Exceeding 24
Pounds By Signing a Certificate
Stating That They Have Produced
And Are Using Corn Meal, Horn
ij>y. Grits and Other Cereals to the
Same Extent.
Raleigh, Feb. 13. ? By a ruling just
issued by State Food Administrator
Henry A. Page, North Carolina far
mers who have produced and are us
ing theip own corn meal, hominy,
grits, or other cereal substances will
be allowed to purchase flour in quan
tities up to 24 pounds without pur
chasing an equal quantity of cereal
substitutes. This ruling has been
made by Mr. Page in justice to North
Carolina farmers because the Food
Administration at Washington has
granted permission to the Food Ad
ministrators of all Southern States
to make such a ruling and similar rul
ings are being made in neighboring
iMh.
ministration forbidding the sale of
flour except in combination with
cereal substitutes did impose some in
conveniences upon farmers who have
their own corn meal or cereal sub
stitutes, but no considerable number
of North Carolina farmers wh<? un
derstood the urgency of the purpose
of the order have made objection.
The ruling as announced by Mr. Page
is as follows:
"Retail merchants are hereby au
thorized to sell flour alone and in
quantities not exceeding 24 pounds to
farmer customers who sign a formal
certificate stating that they have pro
duced and are using oern meal, grits,
hominy, or other cereal substances
contained in the list included in the
recent order of the Food Administra
tion to the same extent as they use
flour.
"Wholesalers, jobbers, millers and
brokers are hereby authorized to sell
to retailers flour alone in such quan
tities as said retailers have Sold to
farmers under the ruling above
stated, balancing against such sale of
flour the certificates received by the
retailers from the farmer. These cer
tificates in turn may be used by the
wholesaler or other dealer to balance
against purchases of flour from
mills."
ROCK HILL NOTES.
Mr. W. M. Lee recently made a
business trip to Wilson, N. C.
Mr. G. L. George spent the week
end with his parents near New Hope.
Mrs. Ransom Blackman and chil
dren, from near Four Oaks, spent
Sunday at Mr. J. M. Blackman's.
Mr. Daniel Keen and family, from
Four Oaks, spent Sunday at Mr.
George Wood's.
After spending several days with
relatives and friends in thi? section,
Mr. Junius Lee returned to Camp
Sevier Sundav.
recent order of the Food Ad
Miss Cassie Lee Spent Saturday
and Sunday with Miss Letha Lee near !
Bethel Church.
Mr. and Mrs. Pharoah Lee spent
Sunday in Sampson County at Mr.
Almond Lee's.
Master Garrett Lee visited friends |
near New Hope Saturday and Sun
day.
Misses Lessie Lee, Mittie Smith |
anrt Mr. Walter Smith attended
church services at Bethel Sunday.
Messrs Cellie Barefoot and M. F.
? I
Holly, from Peacock's Cross Roads, |
spent Sunday afternoon in this sec
tion. w
Mr. John Holly and family left las' !
Friday for Hopewell, Va., where they
expect to remain for awhile as Mr. |
Holly has accepted a position with
the DuPont Powder Company.
We are glad to note that Mr. Ir;i
Lee, who has been very sick with
pneumonia is improving. Also tho
son of Mr. John Tart is on the road
to recovery after a severe attack of
pneumonia.
The two debating societies cf Rock
Hill school, the Liberty and Rock Hill
Societies, are doing some very good
work now. They give a public debate
on Wednesday night of each week.
A very interesting basket ball
game took placolast Friday after
noon bctwew Rock Hill school and
New Hope school boys on Rock Hill
grounds. Tho score was 8 and in
favor of Rock Hill. ? Snoodles.
Will Hayes, of Indiana, has been
chosen as chairman of thj Republican
National Committee, to succeed W. R
Wilcox, who recently resigned.
AT THE CAPITAL Ol BANNKR.
A Brief Chronicle of Those Who
Come and (Jo. Several Soldier
Boys Among Benson's Visitors
During the Past Week.
J*1
Benson, N. C., Feb. 14.? Mr. J. R.
Me Lamb, of Rocky Mount, spent Sun
day here with relatives. He has
moved his family to Rocky Mount,
where ho is employed in a garage.
Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Holland loft last
night for New York, Philadelphia end
other northern cities where they will
buy goods for their store.
Mr. Alonzo Parrish returned the
first of the week from Florida where
he has been on a short vacation.
Messrs. W. E. Thornton and P. P.
Allen returned the first of the v/eek
from a few d*ys' visit to their farm
in Robeson County near Lumberton.
Mr. A. V. Morris was a visitor to
Raleigh Monday and Tuesday on busi
ness.
v *
Mr. Grcver Upchurch, of Buies
Creek, was hero this week on a short
visit at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Claud Henry.
Mr. J. C. Hodges, cf ,Loris, S. C., re
turned to his home after a few days
visit here to. his father, Mr. W. A.
Hodges. .
Air. Ernest Johnson left yesterday
for Petersburg, Va., where he has
pccepted r. position.
Mr. George Cacenaugh, of Greens
boro, was hero this week shaking
hands with his old friends.
Mr. T. V. Stewart and J. A. Stew
iirt, cf Coats, were here this week for
ti day or two on business matters.
Mr. U. F. Wallace, of Fayey,cville,
was hero yesterday on business.
Mr. and Mrs. I. P. Roberts, former
ly of our city -and who have been liv
ing in \Y ilson and Bailey Tor the past
several months, have moved back
here; to make their home.
( Mr. E. R. Canaclay has accepted a
jjosition with a traveling concern and
has his headquarters at Raleigh.
Mr. Walter Strickland, of Camp
Sevier, was here Sunday with bis
relatives and friends.
Mi*. Jim Boon, of Raleigh, spent
Sunday in town with his brother, Mr.
W. D. Boone.
Miss Pauline Jones, of He ten, Ga.,
is visiting at the home of' Mr. and
Mrs. J. E. Hobbs. v
Mr. Alton Hall, who has been sick
for some time, is able to be out again
and will soon resume his studies at
Wake Forest College.
Messrs. R. G. Grady and W. F.
Purvis, of Wilmington and Durharri,
were here yesterday on business mat
ters.
Mr. Robert C. Barbour, of Eleva
tion, was in the city Monday for a
short while. Mrs. J. R. Gordon, who
has been hero for a few day^ with
her daughter, Mrs. J. R. Barbour, re
turned hoipo yesterday.
Mr. H. O. Dixon, who is in \the
I^Tiited States Navy in Norfolk, was
here this week on a visit to his wife
and friends. ?
Mr. H. B. Hardy, representing the
News and Observer, was here for a
few days recently.
Mr. T. W. McLamb has accepted a
position at Rocky Mount and is now
moving there.
Mrs. J. D. Lassiter spent a few
days here recently with her daughter,
Mrs. Geo. F. Moore, who has been
sick.
Mr. J. D. Coats, of Camp Sevier,
S. C., has returned to cnmp after a
visit to his family in Pleasant Grove
township.
jv Messrs. Alonzo Parrish, Almon
Parker, Jesse Surles; Robert Creech,
June Morgan, George Holland and
Milton Smith were visitors to Smith
field Monday.
Mr. Louis Ryils, of Durham, was
hero the first of the week on a short
visit to relatives.
Mr. James E. Wilson went up to
Richmond Sunday and spent a few
hours wirti hi3 uncle, Mr. Jesse Wil
son, of Dunn, who is in a hospital
there.
J. Willis Moore has accepted a
position as Deputy Sheriff in our part
of the county, S. F. Ivey having re
signed.
Mr. James Raynor went to Chapel
Hill last week on a visit to his wife
who hr^s been sick at her old home for
a few days.
M.ssr/, R. T. Surles, J. D. Morgan,
John Whittenton, Jesse Surles, Sam
Stone and A. E. Surles were visitors
to Raleigh yesterday.
Mr. Loyd Ltmgdon, of Coats, was
here yesterday on business ma'.ters.
Mr. William B. Tart, who has been
MRS. JOHN YOUNG VERY ILL.
Personal and Local Notes of Interest
From the Thriving Town of Clay
ton.
Clayton, N. C., Feb. 13.? Mrs. R.
C. Sears, of Apex, spent a few days
this week with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Robert Boom'.
Miss Thelma Barbeur ' returned
Tuesday from Raleigh -where she
visited friends.
Dr. and Mrs .Ohas. D. Bass, of Ral
eigh, spent Sunday here with Mr. and
Mrs. J. W. Massey.
Miss Genie Thomas, of Meredith
College, spent the past week-end here.
Mrs. C. B. Turley spent several
days this week with relatives at Ox
ford.
Mrs. G. T. Smith and son, Thurman,
Jr., left last week for Lillington
where they will spend a few days
while getting the furniture in readi
nes to more here. Mr. Smith went
to Lillington Sunday.
Mr. Norman Hales, of Rocky
Mount, visited relatives here during
the past week.
Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Parker spent
last Sunday with Mrs. .Parker's
mother ne:u- Selma.
Mrs. L. D. Debnam and children, of
Selma, were here Sunday the guest of
Mrs. J. A. Griilin.
MV. and Mrs. C. W. Horne and son,
Ashley, and Mr. Otho Gulley motored
to Morrisville last Sunday to see Mr.
Sam Horne who is seriously ill of
parr.lysis.
Mr. Dorcas Brown, of near Selma,
spent Sunday afternoon"" here with
friends. ?
Misses Nannie Lou Poole and Annie
Laurie Bancom, of Mt. Moriah, visited
Miss Thelma Barbour last week-end.
Private David Johnson came up
from Camp Jackson last week for five
days. He was called home on account
of illness of his mother near Beth
esda.
Misses Naomi and Pauline Vinson,
of Smithfield, came up last week to
visit relatives for a few days.
The Y. W. C. A. held its regular
meeting Tuesday afltertioon at the
home of Miss Thelma Barbour. Sev
eral members were present and new
membersNulded.
Miss Tessie T^oble, from near Kin
ston, is here visiting her sister Mrs.
Woodall.
Mrs. T. M. White and little daugh
ter, Susan, of Goldsboro, are here
spending this week with Mrs. Y. M.
Holland.
Mr. W. A. Barnes is spending some
time in Jacksonville, Fla., in the in
terest of his health.
Tha lecture held in the Horne Me
morial church on Monday night of
this week by Hon. H. T. Laughbaum
was enjoyed by a large audience. His
subject being: "John Barley Oorn,
Goodbye."
We are sorry to note the serious
illness of Mrs. John Young. She has
been ill since Sunday night when, a
few moments* after going out of
church, was found on the ground
speechless and unconscious. She re
vived a little Tuesday but has not
spoken yet. We hope Mrs. Young
will soon be greatly improved.
Death of Little Cecil Davis.
On Thursday night, February 7th,
the death angel visited the home
c*f Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Davis and
took thoir darling babj>, little Cecil,
home to rest. Little Cecil was born
July the 15th, 1917, and died Febru
ary 7th,' 1918, making his stay on
earth six months,' three weeks and
two days. All was done for him by
mother, father, physicians, and kind
friends, that could bfe done, but God
knew best and took little Cecil home
to rest.
The funeral setvice was conducted
FrWay afternoon at the home, and
the remains were laid to rest in the
family burying ground.
A living aunt, E. B.
at Camp. Sevier, S. C., was discharged
this week because of dependents and
has returned to his home near here.
Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Staneil, of
Smithfield, are here this week on a
visit to relatives.
Messrs. W. E. Barbour and William
Adams, of Four Oaks, were here yes
terday on business.
Rev. .Chas. E. Stevens, of Four
Oaks, is here on a short visit to rela
tives and friends. .
Mr. W. II. Royal left yesterday
for Rocky Mount where he will spend
1 m<>st of the week.
THURSDAY'S WAR NEWS.
Germans Planning to Make Sur
prise Maneuver on the East
. ern Front. (Germans and Aus
trians Afraid to ^j-ust Hol
sheviki Leaders.
t
Unofficial dispatches still indicate
that in German and Austrian official
circles there is very considerable dis
trust of the Bolftheviki leaders in
Russia, and that preparations even
are in the making for stemming a
surprise maneuver on the east front.
One Bavarian newspaper asserts that
the final conference between the Bol
sheviki .and German and Austrian
peaco delegates at Brest-Litovsk end
ed in a violent rupture which bore all
the seeds of a fufure^:<*nflict.
Austria Hungary for Peace.
In a manifesto to his subjects deal
ing with the peace effected with the
Ukraine, the Austrian emperor reite
rates his desire for an early general
peace.
"In common with my hard tried
peoples," says Emperor, "I trust that
after the lirst conclusion of peace,
which is so gratifying an event for
us, a general peace soon will be
granted suffering humanity."
On the Battle Fronts.
On the battle front in Franco the
fighting activity between ".he British
and French and the Germans hi: a as
sumed somewhat violent proportions
on at least two sectors, with the
forces of Field Marshal Haig and
v
General Petain the aggressors. Prob
ably the heaviest, encounter was hi
the Champagne region where, aided
by American batteries, which gave the
French "very effectfve support," the
French have captured and organized^
German trenches, southwest of the
Butte du Mesnil. TJie German official
communication admits the loss of this
ground.
North of Lens, the famous coal
mining region, the British and Ger
mans again have met in a sharp en
counter, but no details of it have yet
come through. The. artillery activity
continues heavy on numerous sectors
From Flanders to the Swiss border. ? ?
Associated Press Summary in today's
News and Observer.
The Farmers May Buy Flour.
Mr. Editor:
I have just received notice fronY
Hon. Henry A. P:'ge, State Food Ad
ministrator, stating that Lhe recent
order of the Food Administration
with reference to ctonbination sale
of flour and cereals has been modified
with reference to the farmer who has
produced and is using corn meal,
grits, hominy or other cereal substi
tutes. I ani copying the following
paragraphs of this letter:
"Retail merchants are hereby au
thorized to sell flour alone in quan
tities not exceeding 24 pounds to far
mers who sign a formal certificate
stating that they have produced and
are using corn meal, gi'its, hominy or
other cereals substitutes contained in
the list included in the recent order
of the Food Administration to the
same extent as they use flour."
"Wholesalers, jobbers, millers and *
brokers are hereby authorized to sell
to retailers flour alone in such quan
tities as said retolieis have sold to
farmers under the ruling above
stated, balancing against such sale of
flour the certificates recoived by tha
retailer from the farmer. These cer
tificates in turn may be* used by the
wholesaler or other dealer to balance
against purchases of flour from
mills."
The Federal Food Administration
has also announced that "retail deal
ers dc;ftg a business of less than one
hundred thousand dollars are not
subjret to license February loth."
Therefore, only feed dealers doing a
business of one hundred thousand dol
lars a year need have license.
F. H. BROOKS,
Food Administrator
Johnston County.
Smithfield, N. C., Feb. 14, 1918.
Irish Potatoes In Big Lots.
Mr. Lacy John, of Lumber Bridge,
is here on a visit. He says that in
and r.round Lumber Bridge Irish po
tatoes are being pfanted in largo
quantities. Besides local shipments
ten full car loads of seed potatoes
have gone to Lumber Bridge. Five
acres are supposed to make a car of
potatoes for shipment next spring,
and so farmers are planting from five
acres to seventy-five acres each. Five
tt> six hundred acres are being plant
ed around Lumbef Bridge.