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VOLUME 37. SMITHFIELD, N. C., TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1918. Number 17.
RUSSIAN ABJECT SURRENDER.
Lenine and Trotsky Accept German
Peace Terms in Order to Stop the
Inroads Made by the Army of the
Kaiser. Much of Russia's Valuable
West Territory to be Taken Over
by Germany. Rumania Cut off by
Russian Weakness Parleying for
Peace With the Central Powers.
The Associated Press war sum
mary in Monday's daily papers deals
mostly with the situation in Russia
which is, in brief, as follows:
The Bolsheviki government in Rus
sia, represented by Nikolia Lenine
and Leon Trotzky, has acceded to the
demands of Germany and announced
its readiness to accept the hard peace
terms which Germany has laid down.
Thus, apparently without further
hesitation, the Russians are prepared,
in an effort to stop the inroads the
Germans now are making into their
country, to add to the enemy's vast
holdings more of Russia's most valu
able western territory, extending
from the Gulf of Finland southward
to the Black Sea and even to with
draw her troops from Finland and
give back to the Turks what has been
taken from them in battle.
The surrender seems abj^t. Rus
sia is immediately to send a delega
tion to Brest-Litovsk, there to discuss
with German representatives the final
details of the peace and sign the com
pact.
At last accounts the German armies
in the east were giving no heed to
talk of peace, but on the contrary
were methodically pushing forward
their line over the more than 500 mile
front from the Gulf of Finland region
to Volhynia, and still nowhere meet
ing with any systematic attempts to
hinder their progress.
Numerous additional towns have
been captured and several thousand
more Russian made prisoner. In ad
dition, nearly 3,000 German and Aus
trian prisoners of war have been
liberated by the invaders. Russia's
principal port on the Finnish gulf is
rapidly being approached, notwith
standing the snow-covered roads. The
troops here are being pushed forward
in forced marches, the desire of the
German high command evidently be
ing to capture the port, which would
be available, if necessity arises, as a
base for operations by a fleet of war
vessels against Kronstadt and Petro
grad.
Meanwhile the internal situation in
Russia continues chronic. So bad
have conditions become in Petrograd
that a state of siege has been declared
by the military authorities. Looting
and other reprehensible deeds will re
sult in sentences of death, it is an
nounced by the Bolsheviki authorities
and all explosives must be immediate
ly turned in to the authorities on
pain of the holders being declared
outlaws. Opposition newspapers have
been suppressed and other organs
warned that inaccurate information
published in them will lead to the
arrest of the editors and their staffs.
Rumania, cut off from her allies
through the disaffection of Russia, at
last has entered into formal peace ne
gotiations with the central powers,
according to advices reaching London.
Those past masters in Teutonic allied
politics, Von Kuhlmann and Czernin,
respectively the German and Austrian
foreign ministers, and Radoslavoff,
the Bulgarian premier, are treating
with M. Avercsco, the Rumanian
premier, at a point near Bucharest.
Doubtless, as were the terms imposed
on Russia, tfie peace conditions that
will be offered Rumania will be hard
ones.
Already they are said to embrace
territorial acquisitions for Bulgaria
and economic performances for Ger
many and Austria. \
FORD SUBMARINE KILLERS.
Start Made On Big Shipbuilding
Plant.
Detroit, Mich., February 23. ? An
nouncement was made tod.ny by the
Ford Motor Company that work
was started yesterday at River
Rouge, a suburb, on a shipbuilding
plant that is t o turn out submarine
killers. The buildings, which are to
cover Ave acres, will probably be com
pleted in May It is understood that
the plant will employ between 10,000
and 15,000 men. The boats can be
launched in a canal at the plant and
taken to the Atlantic Ocean via the
Detroit River and Great Lakes.
W. S. S.? Wc Save and Serve.
OL1) PRICES FOR NEW WHEAT.
President Refuses to Raise Limit For
1918 Crop to End Agitation and to
Stimulate Production and Prevent
Holding Back.
Washington, February 23. ? A price
of $2.20 a bushel ? the same qs for
last year's crop ? was fixed by Pres
ident Wilson tonight for the coming
season's wheat yield. The price is
for No. Y. Northern spring wheat at
Chicago, with a scale of differentials
for other markets. The differentials
differ to a slight extent from those
now operative and range from a
minimum of $2 to a maximum of
$2.28.
In fixing a price now for the new
crop, which will not be harvested un
til June, the President was believed
to have had two objects in view.
The first was to halt legislation pend
ing in Congress to fix prices at from
$2.25 to $3.00 and the other was to
stimulate spring planting.
HIGHER PRICES FOR GRAINS.
Expansion in Receipts Offset by
Heavy Cash Demand ? Oats Much
Higher.
In spite of the fact that receipts
for corn last week were notably
heavy, the domestic visible supply
showed only a small gain, indicating
that the cash demand was active, and,
though arrivals continued large
week, the general tone of the market
was very strong. But while the ten
dency of prices was quite sharply up
ward at times, any material advance
was prevented by predictions that the
movement would reach unusually
large dimensions. On the other hand
support was derived from the efforts
of buyers to accumulate supplies be
fore formers turn their attention to
spring work, which would cause a fall
ing off in shipments, and advices were
also received of unfavorable weather
over a wide area. The. controlling in
fluence, however, was the active con
sumptive demand, and periods of re
action in prices were not frequent.
Receipts of oats were of liberal pro
portions, but heavy eastern buying
caused the demand to exceed the sup
ply and prices advanced until they
touched a new high level. The rise
was temporarily checked by com
mission house selling, but there was
no material yielding of prices, owing
to the maintenance of the demand for
the cash article.
There was no particular alteration
in conditions in wheat, although con
siderable interest was occasioned by
advices from Washington to the effect
that efforts were being made to ad
vance the fixed price of this cereal.
? Dunn's Review.
BRITISH NOW IN JERICO.
Their Eastern Army Has Camped
On the Banks of the Jordan River.
London, February 23. ? Much im
portance is attached to the arrival
of the British on the banks of the
Jordan, Reuters Limited learns from
an authoritative source. General Al
lanby's advance from Jerusalem was
carried out under great difficulties.
It was made during heavy rains and
when the British had to march over
hills comparable only to masses of
slippery soap.
Possession of Jericho is an impor
tant step toward establishing touch
between the British and their Arab
allies. The British will be in direct
contact with the Arabs for the first
time, which should be a great en
couragement to them as they have
fought a long and hard contest
against superior enemy numbers.
63 AMERICAN SURVIVORS
OF TUSCANIA RECOVERING.
Washington, Feb. 24. ? Sixty-three
American survivors of the torpedoed
troop ship Tuscania were reported to
the war department as recovering in
Irish hospitals from the effects of in
juries or exposure. The dispatch said
none of the cases was serious, and
that it was expected all men soon
would be discharged.
All of the sixty-three had previous
ly been reported saved, and the pres
ence of many of them in hospitals had
been recorded in press dispatches, al
though today's dispatch brought the
first official list of those in hospitals.
Two crops of rice, known as the
spring and winter crops, are raised
annually in the Foochow district.
POU WORKING FOR CARRIERS.
Will Lead the Fight in the House for
a Fifteen Per Cent Increase for
Employees in the Postal Service.
Expenses of Living Have Increased
43 l'er Cent.
Hon. Edward W. Pou, Representa
tative from this district in Congress,
is working for the postal employees
and the rural free delivery carriers.
The folowing article sent to the
Greensboro News by its Washington
correspondent and published in Satur
day's paper gives an idea of the ef
forts Mr. Pou is making:
"Representative Pou, of North
Carolina, will lead the fight in the
house early next week for the adopt
ion of a bill providing a flat increase
of 15 per cent for all employees, Mr.
Pou, as chairman of the rules com
mittee, has already reported the
measure favorably to the house and it
is expected that the bill will be
brought up the first of the week.
"The bill provides for an increase
for each and every employee of the
postal service except star route car
riers and others wbrking under a
contract. Provision, however, is made
for this class of employees by giving
the postmaster general authority to
re-open such contracts when in his
opinion such contracts are not re
ceiving a fair compensation for the
service rendered.
"In explaining his position today
Mr. Pou pointed out that the cost of
living has increased something like
43 per cent and that he deems it just
and proper that postal employees
should be given a fair increase for
the working which they are perform
ing for the government. Mr. Pou
says the average salaried by a rural
carrier after deducting the cost of his
horse or automobile is only $600 a
year. He declares this salary is in
adequate and he proposes to make
the fight of his life to have the meas
ure passed.
"Representative Doughton has been
fighting for legislation to hkve the
postmaster general re-open all star
route contracts and advertise for new
bids. Doughton says that star route
men are working at an actual loss be
cause they cannot now fill the con
tracts made three years ago when the
cost of living was much lower than
it now is. In many cases Mr. Dough
ton says these men have given up
their contracts and their bondsmen
have been compelled to take over the
job. Most of the star route con
tracts have two years to run."
LABOR SHORTAGE IS SERIOUS.
Congressman Small Working to Get
the Department of Labor to Look
into the Situation in This State.
One of the serious problems before
us at this critical time is the question
of labor. Parker R. Anderson, writ
ing from Washington to the Greens
boro News, gives the following which
is of interest to the people of this
State:
"Representative Small is determin
ed to have the federal government do
something to prevent the farm and
other laborers from leaving the State
to do government work in Virginia
and South Carolina if possible. Ap
preciating the seriousness of the
situation, Mr. Small has taken the
matter up with Secretary of War
Baker, Secretary of the Navy Daniels
and Assistant Secretary of Agricul
ture Ousley. All three of these gen
tlemen have responded and given as
surances that they will cooperate with
Mr. Small in his efforts to have labor
sent to the state.
It was learned today that the first
district congressman's efforts were
not in vain, because the department
of labor today dispatched Inspector
LaMarche to visit all the agricultural
sections in the eastern part of the
state and to ascertain the character
of labor desired. As soon as this re
port is in the department will make
an effort to send workmen to the state
to help take enre of the crops. Mr.
LaMarche will visit Fayetteville,
Lumberton and a number of other
eastern cities."
Three Aviators Killed.
Memphis, Tenn., Feb. 23. ? Civilian
Flying Instructor Guy II. Reagel, of
Chicago, rnd Cadets Robert Gray, Jr.,
of Long Island, N. Y., and James II.
Webb, Rome, Ga., were killed at Park
Feld, near Memphis, late today, when
the airplanes in which the men were
flying collided and fell about 800 feet.
\
TWELVE KILLED IN COLLISION.
Southern Train from Asheville Cashed
Into Hear of Greenville Train Near
Columbia, S. C. The Dead Are All
White Men, Two Are from North
Carolina. Several Severely Injured.
(News and Observer.)
Columbia, S. C., Feb. 25. ? Twelve
persons were killed, many seriously
injured and 100 more or less seriously
injured when train No. 42 from Ashe
ville and Spartanburg ran into the
reai* of train No. 18 from Greenville
at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon near
Frost's station, live and a half miles
from Cohimbia. Both were Southern
Railway trains.
The dead and injured were all pas
sengers on train No. 18. There were
no injuries or casualties among the
passengers on train No. 42.
The rear coach on train No. 18 was
a steel coach and the force of the col
lesion telescoped this coach half way
through the coach ahead which was
wooden.
The dead, all white men, are said to
have been occupying a smoking com
partment.
None of the train crews was hurt
except J. O. Meredith, of train No. 18,
who is reported seriously injured.
A special train has brought the
injured to the hospitals here, all of
which are taxed to their capacity.
State Factory Inspector Bonner is
reportedy among the seriously in
jured.
W. C. Tomlinson, of Raleigh, and
G. M. Bethel, of Kannapolis, N. C.,
are among the dead.
NOTES OF GENERAL INTEREST.
Maj. John Purroy Mitchel has gone
to an aviation camp in California. He
is best known as the recent mayor of
New York City. In a few months he
will be doing something in France.
Loafers, tramps and other idlers of
the male sex will now have to go to
work in New Jersey. Gov. Edge has
signed a bill providing that such per
sons should be conscripted for useful
employment during the war.
Every heatless Monday in New
York city is estimated to have saved
20,000 tons of coal. So Dr. Garfield
can always reply to his critics by
throwing 20,000 tons of coal at their
heads, says the Springfield Republi
can.
Sixty thousand beds in addition to
those already established in general
government hospitals must be provid
ed before the winter of 1918-11)19, to
care for wounded soldiers and sailors,
says a dispatch from Washington.
Surgeon-General Gorgas has recom
mended their establishment to the ad
jutant-general.
Plans for the second draft as now
under consideration include calling
100,000 a month until the second quo
ta is complete. In that way, officials
expect to avoid much of the confusion
which accompanied the first call. The
men will report in a steady stream
and be assimilated into the military
machine before the next is received.
Two hundred and four Americans
lost their lives on the Tuscania, ac
cording to the latest figures received
at American army headquarters at
London. Of this total there have
been identified and buried three offi
cers and 137 men; unidentified buried,
one officer and 31 men; missing, who
presumably went down with the ship,
32 men.
Secretary Baker authorized the
statement last week at Washington
that no date has been selected for
the beginning of the second draft.
Various estimates have placed the
time between March 1 and June 1.
These are declared to be entirely
guesses. The government's disposi
tion not to disturb the labor situaton,
partcularly on farms at the planting
season, is one of the factors entering
into the situation.
Future issues of treasury certifi
cates of indebtedness planned in prep
aration for the third Liberty loan will
bear an interest rate of 4 1-2 per
cent, or one-half per cent more than
issues of the immediate past. This
announcement was made at Washing
ton last week by Secretary McAdoo,
together with the statement that the
$500,000,000 block of certificates
closed the previous week was subscri
bed in full only because banks in New
York and other big financial centers
took more than their share and offset
the scanty subscriptions from the rest
of the country.
No French ships were sunk by Ger
man submarines last week.
PATRIOTIC DAY AT KENLY.
Kenly High School Observes the Day
With Kitting Exercises. Professors
Andrews and Jonhson Speak at
Nearby Rural Schools.
Kenly, February 23. ? Last Friday,
Washington's birthday, was observed
by the people of Kenly as a patriotic
rally day. The chapel exercises in the
school Friday morning consisted of a
short three-act play of colonial times
featuring George Washington as the
leading character. The play made the
success of the American forces
against England depend rather large
ly upon the large Amtrican flag given
to General Washington and his men
by Mrs. Betsy Ross. It is interesting
to observe that the teacher and stu
dents of the eighth grade English
class composed and dramatized this
little play ? that is, they composed
two of the three acts.
At recess school was dismissed for
the day in order that the students
might have a good time and in order
that high school teachers, Professors
Andrews and Johnson, might have
the opportunity of delivering patri
otic and War Savings addresses to
some of the rural schools near Kenly.
At ten thirty o'clock, Professor M.
B. Andrews delivered an address to
the students and partons of the Glen
dale school. In the afternoon, Pro
fessor Andrews spoke to a good
crowd assembled at Godwin's school
house. Both of these schools are well
attended; they have good teachers;
and their exercises were decidedly
well prepared and were therefore dis
tinctively impressive.
Professor H. P. Johnson delivered
an address at Stillie's school house.
He reports a large audience, a splen
did program, and the manifestation
of a great deal of loyal and patriotic
enthusiasm. Several of the citizens
of Kenly delivered addresses in sev
eral school houses of this section, but
the details have not yet been learned
by the reporter.
Friday night, the high school audi
torium of Kenly was crowded with
enthusiastic listeners to enjoy the
patriotic program consisting of three
parts. The program opened with a
song by the students of the second
and third grades, directed by Miss
Augusta McKeithen. The next num
ber was the play dealing with colonial
Times which had been rendered in the
morning as a part of the chapel exer
cises. The third number was a song
"Carolina," rendered by the fourth
and sixth grade students, who were
directed by Miss Barnes Wallace.
Then came the annual inter-society
debate between the members of the
Rollins and Thalian literary societies.
The question for discussion was:
"Resolved, That Congress should en
act legislation providing for Compul
sory arbitration of industrial dis
putes." The affirmative side of the
question was upheld by the members
of the Rollins society with the fol
lowing students as debaters: Gilbert
Boyette, Joe Broadwell, and Bryant
Hinnant. The negative side of the
question was upheld by the Thalian
girls with the following students as
debaters: Adna Lee Bailey, Myrtle
Watson, and Effie Woodard.
The judges rendered their decision
two to one in favor of the negative;
and they selected Myrtle Watson and
Joe Broadwell as two of our triangle
debaters to apeak against Selma and
Smithfield in the coming public de
bate. Doctor J. C. Grady, Attorney
Paul D. Grady, and the Reverend C.
J. Jerome acted as judges.
The program for the evening closed
with a very impressive reading,
"Playmates," rendered by two of the
little tots from the first grade, direct
ed by Miss Rena Edgerton. Music for
the entire program was delightfully
rendered by the competent teacher of
music, Miss Lena S. Marley.
Dwelling Burned in Wilders.
Selma, N. C., Feb. 25.? Mr. "Tink"
Williamson, who lives in Wilders
township, lost his dwelling and practi
cally all his furniture by fire last
Saturday afternoon. Mr. ar.d Mrs.
Williamson left home Saturday about
noon to visit relatives in Durham,
and the building caught fire about two
hours after their departure. The
origin of the fire is unknown and the
loss will probably reach fifteen hun
dred dollars. We understand there
was no insurance. When neighbors
reached the scene, the building was
burning to such an extent, that very
little of the furniture could be saved.
ARMY CAPTAIN GETS 25 YEARS.
Of German Descent He Could Not
Bring Himself to Fight Germany
For Native Land. Evidence Showed
His Connection With German Prop*
A New York Dispatch published in
Monday's daily papers says that Capt.
David A. Henkes, Sixteenth infantry
U. S. A., has been sentenced to dis
missal from the service and confine
ment at hard labor for 25 years by a
general courtmartial held at Gover
nor's Island.
Henkes, who is of German descent,
endeavored to resign his commission,
saying he did not care to fight against
relatives and friends.
Capt. Henkes, who was stationed
at San Antonio, last May wrote the
secretary of war urging him to ac
cept the resignation which he had
already submitted, and giving reasons
which, he declared, would not longer
allow him to serve as an officer of the
American army.
Evidence that in spite of his com
mission in the United States army
he was in touch with German agents,
contributing to Von Bernstorff's pro
paganda funds and and working for
peace at any price before America
went to war, was largely responsible
for the heavy punishment imposed
on Captain Henkes.
DAILY REPORT FROM HOOVER.
Food Administration Will Organize
Special Corpn of Men To Keep
McAdoo Informed.
Out of the discussion between the
food and railroad administrators over
responsibility for delays in food trans
portation has grown a plan by which
the railroad administration will be
furnished daily with reports not only
on the car needs of the food adminis
tration but of the allies as well says
a Washington dispatch.
In a few days the food administra
tion announced it will complete an
organization to collect this informa
tion. The allied food purchasing1
agencies will supply their demands
direct to the food administration and
domestic requirements will be reported
by regional transportation agents to
be named.
Wider Fluctuations in Cotton.
After a period of comparatively
narrow changes, price fluctuations in
cotton have attracted more attention
and the position of the market has
undergone reversal. Instead of dis
closing recessions, as in the recent
past, the option list this week showed
a net gain of about $4 a bale on the
average, and at one time $tf.50 above
last week's bottom figures. Thus, on
Wednesday of this week the March
delivery touched 31.22c., May 30.87c.,
July 30.35c. and October 29.02c. , while
the local spot quotation on the next
day was up to 32.15c., the highest
point reached since January 19. Com
paring with the top levels of early
January, however, futures still are
$5 to $6 lower, the latter on the more
distant months, and middling uplands
here show a decline of $6. But look
ing back a year, it is seen that the
options are higher by fully $69 and
the spot article by $80.
Recovery in cotton prices during
the week, with occasional sharp ad
vances, was prompted mainly by the
statement, which was credited to a
prominent Washington official, that
no legislation is impending to include
the southern staple among the com
modities on which prices have been
arbitrarily regulated. Fresh specula
tive buying, as well asi somewhat
urgent covering oif short commit
ments, was also stimulated by the
continuance of the improvement in
securities and the more confident
sentiment in financial circles, and pre
dictions of another cold wave in the
western section of the cotton belt ac
centuated the buoyancy of the market.
But it was the assertion, later said to
have been denied by the person to
whom it was attributed, that neither
raw cotton nor cotton goods are to be
included in the price-fixing movement
which turned the option list sharply
upward, for it was the fear that some
thing of the sort might happen which
largely explained the recent sharp
decline from the record quotations of
early January. ? Dun's Review.
In Denver it is estimated that there
are 10,000 women who speculate in
oil, and probably 500 who keep s
close daily watch on the markets.