Newspapers / The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, … / April 19, 1918, edition 1 / Page 2
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HP GAS BEAT BRITISH "Mustard" Shells Clear the Way Instead of Artillery. DO NOT DESTROY GROUND. Thousands of Allied Soldier* Die Be fore Presence is known. Replaces Former Barrages ? Ameri can* Claim to Have Discovered Remedy at Washington laboratory. Condition of Men in Lin*' at Tout Indicates Success ? Chemist* Mak ing \N ide Experiments. (Ryley Grannon, in Sunday's Wash ington Post.) As usual, the Germans are taking the lend in adopting new methods of fighting as soon as battle conditions demonstrate that old methods of of fense have been checkmated by methods of defense. Instead of destroying the ground in front of them by artillery an<l then sending the infantry under protection of a barrage to wrest a few feet of ground at a time, the Germans in the present attack upon the British are using gas in Buch a way as to press the British back. Gas Delivered in Shells. This gas is delivered in shells, so plentifully used that every foot of ground selected for bombardment is covered with "mustard" gas, sent in a bombardment at night. The gas is liquid at first, and in this form it drenches the ground and all houses, trees, ammunition piles, motor cars, artillery, and everything it touches. As soon as the sun warms this liquid it is volatilized and it then becomes deadly. The "mustard" on a uniform will burn in until it strikes the flesh. Until the volatilization of "mustard" gas was unlerstood, thousands of al lied soldiers fell victims to it without any suspicion on the part of the of ficers that the liquid became gaseous with warmth. "Mustard" has no smell nor taste. * Ingredients Are Known. Samples of the "mustard" gas have been carefully studied by American army chemists, both in France and in Washington. The gas and flame lab oratory here, where 450 experts are constantly at work, has found out all about the gas. It has chlorine as a base, but it is compounded differently from the pases first used by the Ger mans. The city of Armentieres was cap tured the other day by the Germans without making a charge or using a barrage fire. They drenched the city with "mustard" gas shells all one night. The next morning the British : army evacuated the city, after many ? soldiers had died of gas poisoning. "The city is full of gas," said the Brit ish official report. The "mustard" gas i retains the deadly character much i longer than vaporized gas. Soldiers have not yet fully understood its deadly nature, as the liquid stuff spat tered all about them does not give off any fumes whatever. First Used in Italy. When the story of the present Ger man offensive is fully known, it may be called the Gas Offensive. The form of gas which drove the British forces out of Armeiitieres was first used on the Italian front in October. The gas was new then, and the Germans did not use it extensively. It worked suc cessfully, however, and helped to make complete the enemy victory. Then the Germans experimented farther, and early in March they boast ed that they had produced a gas 600 times as deadly as the fumes used against the Italians. This boast was absurd, but there is no denying that the enemy has evolved a nw mater ial for attack which must be met by a new method of defense. Wherever the Germans can concen trate artillery fire, they can make the opposing forces fall back, if the weather is such as to volatilize the "mustard" gas. This advantage is such as to open up the most dreadful possibilities. Americans Claim Lead. Every allied government is busily engaged in trying to work out an ef fective method of warding off "mus tard" gas attacks. The Americans claim to be ahead. They say they have a gas that is stronger than any chlo rine gas ever evolved by the Ger mans. The young officers who make this statement are "live wires," and may know what they are talking about. There is no means yet of demonstrat ing the truth of their claims* It is a fact, however, that the Amer ican soldiers in the Toul region have not been badly gassed, although "mus tard gas" shells have been used by the enemy. So, it appears possible that the Americans have found a way to guard themselves. If they have in ? vented a gas that overpowers the Germans, the next phase of the work is to manufacture and deliver shells in sufficient quantities to accomplish large results. Experiments to Meet Menace. Methods of neutralizing or destroy ing the potency of mustard gas are now under experiment in Washing ton. The gas retains ita killing power for 36 hours after the explosion of the shell, and longer if the weather , retards volatility. Experiments to check volatility are being tried, and also experiments to determine wheth er the "mustard" may not be absor bed by other liquids which can be easily manufactured and sprayed in- i discriminately. The Parables of Safed the Sage. The Parable of the Husbandman and the high cost of living: Now the word of Kenturah come to me saying, Hie thee to the shop of the Grocer, and buy thou me a Pound of Butter, and certain Other Things whereof I have written down a list." S'o I went to the shop of the Gro- 1 cer. And there entered an Husband man with Money in his Pocket and more in the Bank. And he spake to the Grocer, and he boasted, and he said, Behold, I have sold my Wheat at the Government Price, and Believe Me, it was Some Price. Yea, and I got Eighty Three for my Oats, and One Twenty Seven for my corn. And he was Very Proud of what he supposed he had done. And he spake to the Grocer, and said, Give to me a Package of Oat meal, and behold here is thy Dime. And the Grocer said, The Oatmeal which was once a Dime is now Fif teen Cents. And the Husbandman said, It is an Outrage; I will not pay it. Give me a Breakfast Food made of Wheat. And the Grocer said, That will cost thee more. And he said, Let me have Corn Flakes. And the Grocer said, That also is Fifteen Cents. And the Husbandman said. The Grocers are Robbers, and the Millers are Thugs; and they are in a Con spiracy to Rob the Poor Farmer, i whose industry feedeth them all. And he was wroth, and he de- < parted. And he considered not the price i at which he had sold his Wheat and his Corn and his Oats. ? The Congre gationalist and Advance. Pastor's Long Service. Rev. Joshua B. Hutson, P. D., has resigned after 45 years and six months as pastor of the Pine Street Baptist church of Richmond, Va. He began his pastorate November 1, 1872. During his service Rev. Mr. Hutson made 50005 pastoral visits, baptized 2, 799 converts, performed l,7fi4 wed dings and officiated at 2,202 funerals. When he took the church it had 162 members and the roll for this year shows 1,901 members and 1,200 in the Sunday school. ? Ex. The Negro Wanted His Chum to Go. A few days ago a negro went to an ( officer and told him that he knew of ( A slacker and gave the officer the ( name of the colored ma* who failed < to return his questionnaire. Accord- j i*gly the offieer found the negro and i asked him for his classification card. ] He hummed and hawed a little bit and ; said that it was at Selma. The officer | then told him that he would have to ^ go over for it. The negro seeing that < he could no longer keep up his decep tion informed the officer that he had 1 no card and that he had just ns well i go on to camp. "But," said the negro, "My chum has wo classification card 1 either, and if I have to go, I want ' him to go too." He was asked where 1 his chum was and being informed 1 that he was at Selma the officer got a car and taking his slacker he drove to Selma. They had no trouble in finding the man who asked, "What's up now?" The first negro told him that he had to go to camp, and added, "You hnint got no can! and you jes* as well come on ani^ go with me." Seeing there was no escape his chum says, "well, damme if I clon't go." So he got in the car and was brought to Smithfield to await the trip to camp. Both are in camp ready to train for service in Uncle Sam's army. American Town in France. An America* city, the population of which will be more than 100,000, is in process of construction in France. This city is not a cantonment in any sense of the word, but a regular American city, the great majority of the inhabitants of which will be civil ians. The great arsenal whiqh the Ordinance Department of the Army is building in France is responsible for the creation of this America* town in the heart of France. The arsenal proper will comprise 48 buildings, each larger than an average New York City block, while one of the great or dinance plants will alone be larger than all the arsenals in the United States put together. The city will have its own police, fire and health departments, while thousands of small dwellings will be erected to house the workers. ? The Argonant. * The" inyicible allies. The crisis through which the PVench and British armies are passing is di rect cause of a profound stirring of patriotism among the American peo ple. The patriotism was there all the time, but it needed to be stirred. Ger many's monstrous energy and slavery, striking squarely at the heart of the United States, first appalled and then set fire to the temper of Americans. The setbacks suffered by the allied armies have served as triumpet calls to the people of this country. It would be well for Germany if she could peer into the heart of America. "We have misjudged Amer ica from the first," said one of the most intelligent German papers. America misjudged Germany, also, but it recovered its sen.se of propor tion ari l its accuracy of ju 1 rment. It now ha* Germany properly esti mated, while Germany is utterly un aware of what is going on in the heart of America. The German idea is that if the British army can be beaten the Brit ish empire will be broken up and Germany will be master of the Old World. "Then we will not take any nonsense from the United States," was the kaiser's statement of Ger many's position after it should have accomplished Britain's defeat. But Germany would not seek to continue the war. It would seek to make a bar gain with the United States. "We are now masters of the Old World, and you are masters of the New," is Ger many's line of reasoning. "Take what you want in the New World. Take Canada and all other British and French possessions. Assert your over lordship over Central and South Atnerica. We shall leave you alone, if you will leave us alone in Europe. We can trade across the Atlantic with great mutual benefit." Germany's masters actually believe that Americans coi^ld be bribed into making peace. The prospect of spoils, Germans believe, would prove too much for Uncle Sam's itching palm. This estimate of the American character as far wrong as the former American opinion that German was a nation jealous of its honor. Americans know that if such a stupendous castastrophe as the down fall of France and Great Britain should occur, the United States would reply to Germany, "We have just be ll to Iffct" Americans know that thereupon the spirit that made this nation free would transform the Union of the States. Instead of 1,000,000 or 2,000, 000 men ready to bear arms, 15,000, [)00 or 20,000,000 would demand the opportunity to kill Germans, and would not take No for an answer. In stead of imperceptible moves toward 1 hypothetical air fleet, America would commandeer the skies above Sermany. Gigantic weapons, even now foreshadowed, would be forged ay the Cyclops of American industry. By machinery of war vaster and more lestructive than anything ever before conceived, the American nation would lestroy Germans, and if necessary Germany. One has but to glance back ?ver the achievements of America* genius to be assured that these state ments are not boasts. The genius that produced the telegraph, telephone, airplane, submarine, tractor, machine ijun and other agencies of warfare is capable of improving upon them and ievising other weapons. It is literally true that America lias not begun to fight. The hardships of the allies are serving to arouse America to its duty. Everything that has been done to date is but a hint of what is to be done. The Americans at the front are but the spatter of drops before the deluge. France will stand. A thousand years of struggle has tested her met tle and found 4ier proof against de struction. The French nation is im mortal. Great Britain will stand. The swarms of enemies that dash against the bulwarks of England are attack ing that stronghold in vain. The French and British armies are the French and British nations in action. They may be bruised, but they can not be killed. The foe attacking them bleeds, and before the war is ended he will seek to escape death. Behind these two glorious and invin cible gladiators stands the majestic figure of the United States, whose power is the power of a planet and whose resources are the treasury of the New World. God lives, and therefore it is writ ten in the book of the destiny of man that these three defenders of liberty and civilization shall strike down and destroy the German empire and its work. ? Washington Post. He Got His Answer. Not long ago a man walked up to one of his friends and asked him for a smoke. His friend gave him a good cigar and as the beggar lighted it, he asked the man who had accommodat ed him if he didn't think it a mighty common thing to smoke. "Yes," re marked the man, "but not as common as to beg another for a cigar." A long silence ensued. Give Your Little Ones An Interest in the Future They are ycur hold on the future, and America is fighting to make their future safe. They are too little to realize this now ? but some day must leam to reverence the traditions of America, the ideals of America, the great cause for which the men of their father's day gave their lives. Be ready then to put in their hands bonds of their government They will be for them inspiring evi dence that their fathers planned sac rificed and invested for their sons' future. Liberty Bonds will mean more to them than money. They will make them proud of the fathers who in America's day of great need proved themselves true American patriots. Invest in Liberty Bonds for Your Little Ones rHIS SPACE PAID FOR AND CONTRIBUTED BY J. D. SPIERS, Smithfield, N. C. i 3 Warner's Rust-Proof 1 Corsets <? 1 j Guaranteed to wear, not to | rust, break or tear. We will ; give you a new pair if a War- I ner's should prove defective. / W. J. LEWIS FOUR OAKS. North Carolina HOME GROWN YELLOW SOJA beans for sale. T. S. Ragsdale, Smithfield, N. C. SAVE THE QUARTERS and SEE THE DOLLARS GROW. BUY WAR-SAVINGS STAMPS! FOR SALE? SPANISH PEANUTS, 15c. per pound, postpaid. Pump kin Seed 60c. per pound, postpaid. C. S. Powell, Smithfield, N. C., R. No. 2. DONT PUT OFF SCREENING house. See us at once. Cotter Hard ware Company. SEE US FOR NEW WAY ENGINES. Cotter Harware Co. ONE CAR LOAD OF HACKENY buggies now on hand. Come quick. Austin-Stephenson Co. TWO CARS OF STOVES AND Ranges just received. Cotter Hard ware Company. There Is No Monopoly in the packing industry. Swift & Company, al though the largest packer, handles not to exceed one -eighth of the total meat production of the United States. The five large packers do not handle to exceed one-third of the total meat production of the United States. % ? Swift & Company is not in combination with any other packer or packers to control prices. There is very active compe tition in the buying of live-stock and equally keen competition in the sale of dressed meats and by-products. 1918 year book of interesting and instructive facts sent on request. Address Swift & Company, Union Stock Yards, Chicago, Illinois Swift & Company U. S. A. It
The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, N.C.)
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April 19, 1918, edition 1
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