NEGOTIATIONS FOR
PEACE HAVE BEGUN
BETWEEN THI TEUTONIC ALLIES
AND THE RUSSIANS AT BREST
LITOVBK.
ENEMY PUTS TRUMP CURD
Von Kuehlmann Unsnlmously Elected
Chairman and Austro-Qerman Dele
gates Are Far Stronger Than Dele
gates From Russia.
Peace negotiations between the Teu
tonic allies and the Russians have be
gun at Brest Lltovsk. And apparen'.-
ly the enemy has played a trump
card at the outaet. for on the proposal
of Prince Leopold of Bavaria, the
German commander-in-chief on tho
Russian front, Dr. von Kuehlmann, th •
German foreign secretary and an
astute politician, has been chosen un
animously as"offlcal chairman
A noteworthy fact In the composl
Hon of the delegations from the va
rious countries allied with the Austro
'Germans Is that they Include men who
havjp stood high in the councils of
their respective countries, while lh.
men who are to handle Russia's In
terests for the most part are unknown
in world politics.
Still another outstanding fact in the
meager details of the formation of
tl)e conference that «,(litis far have
come through is that Rumaiiia Is not
« redlted with huvlng sent delegates to
Hrest Lltovsk The possibility Is,
therefore, that Rumania has decided
to hold aloof from discussing a sep
arate peace, notwilhstanditig the fa»• t
that geographically she will lie com
pletely isolated from her allies should
the negotiations result in Russia quit
ting the war
AMENDMENTS TO FARM
LOAN LAW ARC ADVOCATED.
Board Wants Private Farm Mortgage
Banks Admitted.
Washington The federal farm loan
beard announced that it advocates
amendment to the farm loan act un
der which many private farm mort
gage hankers may enter the govern
ment system as Joint stock land
banks At the same time, the board
also gave warning that It expects In
terests seeking to break down th'i
system to file a suit soon to test the
constitutionality of the ac t
Amendments to tho existing law
which will be specifically recommend
ed to Cotigress In the board's forth
coming annual report, are:
To remove the present restriction
permitting a Joint stock land bank to
do business only in the state where It
is situated and one contiguous state;
To permit a bank to Issue bonds to
the amount of twenty times its capital
stock, which must be $25(1,000 or more.
Instead of fifteen times, as under ox
Istlng law. and
To raise from six to six and a half
per cent the maximum interest rate
which Joint stock land ban k«f may
charge to farmers
All these amendments have been
sought by the Farm Mortgage Rank
ers' association, whose lenders predict
that' a large proportion of the mem
bers would seek government charters
and operate under supervision of the
farm loan board If the modifications
were made. Their plea to be allowed
to use the name "National Land Bank
instead of'"Joint Stock Land Rank"
has been received favorably by the
board, owing to fear of confusing the
private institutions with the govern
ment's' twelve federal land banks.
Joint stock land banks would still
be compelled to limit interest rates on
loans to within one per cent more thin
the selling price of their bonds, even
though the maximum were raised to
six and a half per cent.
Majority For Conscription.
Ottawa, Ont —A majority of 174.
000 votes for conscription Is shown by
the complete returns on the referen
dum In Australia, says a Keuter«*dis
{rafch from Melborne. The vote was
938,000 against and 764.000 for Votes
cast by the Australian troops on the
question are being counted in London
EVERY HOUSEHOLDER TO HAVE
ITS COAL SHOVEL TAGGED.
Washington.—JEvery household in
the land from the white house to the
most humble cottage is to have Its
coal shovel tagged with wartime
economy hints on Wednesday. Janu
ary 26. The fuel administration an
nounced that the services' of tho
twenty-three million odd school chil
dren were being enlisted, and that all
state and municipal authorities and
teachers would be asked to unite in
-making the day a school holiday
B. M. BTALLWORTH DI.ES
SUDDENLY IN GEORGIA.
Gainesville. Ga.—B. M. ■ Stallwojth:
aged 46, prominently Identified with
the cotton milK.. industry for many
years In Georgia and South Carolina
and general manager of Pacolet Mills
at New Holland, near here, died sud
denly at his home in New
Heart (allure was said to have' been
the cause of his death. Mr. Stall
worth, who was a native of Qreenwood
county, South Carolina, la survived by
Ida widow, two brothers and a slat"
0 •
• Officer of Torpedoed ;
• Cruiser Who Survived ;
"* ■* •„
Lieut. John K. Richards, IJ. S.NN t
WOK one of tin' officers of the Atnerlcun
destroyer Jacob Jones who survived
when ttiHl vessel was torpedoed and
sunk by n German submarine.
TWO YEARS AGO HAD ONLY 300
SECRETARY DANIELS SAYB NAVY
,- NOW HAS MORE THAN
1,000 SHIPS.
Contracts Have Been Let for Hun
dreds of Others Including Dread
naughts, Cruisers and Destroyers
and Auxiliaries—Explain Operation.
Washington A recital l>y Secretary
Daniels of how the navy prepared for
war !»>■ - h«lllnk several hundred HhlpH
to the fleet and letting contracta for
hundreds of others. Including dread
naughts, Imttle cruisers, doHtrOyors and
auxiliaries, and explanation of the op
eration of the navy supply department
by Hear Admiral McGowan, paymaster
perioral, marked the opening of the In
cpilry bv a house subcommittee Into
the navy's war activities.
Representative Brllten, of Illinois,
asked Secretary Daniels whether the
department had received any com
plaints from Vice Admiral Sims, com
mandlng American naval forces In the
war zone. The secretary said the
question wns Improper and that "mess
gossip" should not be banded about,
but he added that Admiral Sims had
been given everything possible that
the navy could give.
Later when Adtnlrnl McGowan was
called to the stand he submitted an
order Issued by him some months ago
directing that Admiral Sims requests
for suppllct* be acted upon on the
same day they were received.
"We have 424 ships In coursf of con
struction." Secretary Daniels told the
committee. "That does not Include
submarine-chasers, of which we are
building 360 and does not include the
small craft. The chasers will be In
service by early spring." Included In
the 424 ships, he said, were battle
cruisers, battleships, scout cruisers,
destroyers, fuel ships, gunboats, hos
pltal ships, ammunition hips, sea
going tug, mine-sweepers and sub
marines
The navy at the beginning of Its
participation In the war, the witness
continued, had at Its disposal the
money needed for most of the expntt
slon Immediately" required and in
pressing cases where funds were lack
ing over-obligations were incurred.
Within the last few days the navy has
had to ask for fSfi.ooo,ooo in addition
to the regular estimates amounting to
$1.0:10.(ton,000 for the next fiscal year,
now before the house naval commit
tee.
AUSTROGERMA NFORCE
ATTACK ITALIAN LINE
Reinforcements in Large" Numbers are
Brought Up.
The Auetro-Germans have renewed 1
In great strength their effort to pierce j
the Italian line and debouch Upon the
plains of Venetltt in the region of Bas
sano. In fierce fighting around Mont>
Azolone, In which the enemy again
suffered severe losses and several
times were repulsd. reinforcements In
large numbers were brought up nad
the Italians were compelled to give
ground. The fighting lasted through
out Tuesday and according to the
German war office, more than 2.000
Italians wore made prisoner.
Likewise along the southern reaches
of the I'iave river, the Invaders and i
the Italians are enraged in heavy 1
fighting A crossing of the Old Piave i
on pontoon bridges was successfully
carried out hy one ertemy detachment,
but later .the Italians shoved back the
Teutons to the water's edge.
SLIGHT DECREASE IN
SHIPPING LOSSES SHOWN
London. Fourteen British mer
chantmen of more than 1,600 tons
and three under that tonnage were
sunk by mine or submarine during the
past week, according to the admiral
ty statefhent. One fishing vesae) also
was sunk. The shipping losses by
mine or, submarine in the past week
are slightly under those of the pre
vious week, when 14 vessels of more
than 1,600 tons and seven under that
tonnage were destroyed. '
THE ENTERPRISE, WILLIAMSTON, NORTH CAROLINA
ITALIANS REGAIN
: LOST TERRITORY
CEASE DEFENSIVE AND REBUME
OFFENSIVE WITH SIGNAL
SUCCESSES.
TERRIFIC ARTILLERY FIRE
Situation Russia Contlnuee Ob
scure.—Germans Said to Have Re
jected Peace Terms of the Bolshe
vik!.
The Italians on the northern line
In Italy between the Brenta and
Plave rivers have ceased, for the
warfare against the attacks of the
time being at least, their defensive
Austro-Germans and assumed the
offensive with signal successes on
| several sectors.
t Attacking the positions which the
enemy earlier In the week captured
near Monte Asolone, Qeneral Diaz's
troops have regained a considerable
portion of the terrain and held it, no!
withstanding the terrific artillery fire
that was turned upon them.
The German war office. In endeay
orlng to belittle the success of the
offensive, which It asserts was re
pulsed, shows I ha! tin- effort of the
Italian* was a determined one, the
troops to the west of Monte Asolone
delivering seven attacks against the
enemy front - Admission Is made in
the German communication that the
Italians also have taken the Initiative
in lite fighting on Monte I'ertlca and
Molite Sllarolo, but it Is declared that
their attacks on these sectors, as on
Monte Asolone were without success
The situation In Itussla continues
obscure, although such reports as are
coming through indicate that the
holshevlkl government Is losing
ground in the face of the opposition
that Is being Imposed hy -the Ukraln
tans and the followers,. of General
Kaledlnes The holshcvlki commis
sioners are declared to have declined
to accept the negative reply of the
Ukrainian Itada to the holshevlkl de
maud that Ukraine cease aiding the
Kaledlnes forces and give the rsda
an opportunity to reconsider Its ac
tion. As Indicating that the rada has
finally declined lo give heed to the
dictates of the holshevlkl Is a report
that a definite alliance has been
formed between Kaledlnes followers
and the Ukrainians.
A dispatch from I'etrograd says an
unofficial report In circulation in the
Russian capital Is to the effect that i
the Germans have rejected the peace j
terms put forward by the holshevlkl
delegates. Kecent dispatches have In
dicated thai the peace pourparlors in
progress at Brest-Litovsk were mere
ly preliminary to the peace confer
ence which is to assemble there next
Tuesday and which Is to be attended
by the German and Austro Hunga
rian foreign ministers
ARMY CLOTHING, SHOES
AND FOOD UNDER INQUIRY
Quartermaster General Bharpe Be
fore the Investigating Committee
Washington.—Clothing, shoes and
food supplies for the American army
were Investigated by the senate mllll
tary committee, turning Its general In
quiry into war preparations to the 1
quartermaster general's department. It j
was developed that millions were
spent Just before the United States '
entered the war to provide for the I
great army since raised
Major General Sharpe, quartermas J
ter general, was before the commit-j
tee nil day and for an hour of the
time answered all confidential ques- j
lions behind closed doors He w;is
closely examined, especially regard
ing the admitted shortage of over !
coats, which he said was due princi
pally to.late deliveries of large orders. I
Except for overcoats and a few i
other winter garments, of which, he
stated, complete stocks would be in I
camp by December 31, the general
declared there is no clothing short
age.
G. B. MEANS NOT TO BE
INDICTED IN NEW YORK
New York—After a conference here
with a representative of the state's
attorney of Cook county. Illinoie. Dis
trict Attorney Swann announced that
he would not ask the New York coun
ty grand Jury to indict Gaston B.
Means in (connection with the "sec
ond" will of Mrs. Maude Robinson
King, of whose murder Means was ac
quitted by a jury at Concord, N. C.,
Sunday, December 16.
GETS JAIL SENTENCE FOR
ASSAULT ON BILLY SUNDAY
Atlanta, Ga. —Charged with assault
ing Billy Sunday at the evangelist's
meeting here W. H .Beuterbaugh, said
to be a German, was fined SIOO and
sentenced to Jail for 30 days here.
he was Indicted on thres counts
by the Fulton county grand Jury In
connection w'th the assault. Bail of
SI,OOO was fixed In each count,' which
charge assault on Sunday; assault on
on* of the evangelist's, workers, and
disturbing fubllc worship
• Rises From Clerkship J
• to Important Position 2
. uk Br
fli BK- V». *
n ■ fl
James L Wllmeth of Tennessee and
I Arkansas, who hna been appointed di
rector of the bureau of engraving anf
printing, Uncle Sam's big money fae-
I tory, Is one of the few men who huve
; advanced to an Important government
I poMltlon through the rank* of govern
j m«'iit clerk*. He entered the govern
! .rient service 20 years ago, assorting
i money ordera for $W) a month.
NO DETAILS ARE GIVEN OUT
-
NINETEEN LIVES ARE LOST
WHEN UNDERSEA BOAT GOES
DOWN.
|
Rammed and Sunk in Home Watera
by Another Submersible, F-3, In Fog.
—Thoae Loat Wert Mostly From
Far Western Statsa.
I Washington.— Nineteen Uvea were
| lost when the American Huhmarlne
|F-1 WHH rammed and sunk by sub
i marine F-3 In home waters during >i
fog.
The F-3, was undamaged and pick
,ed up five survivors of her victim.
Secretary Daniels announced the (Jls
BHler In a. brief statement which gave
no further details, •
Lieut A E Hpntgomery, com
mandlng officer of the F 1 was among
the Ave saved. Ills mother, Mrs Ju
lla Montgomery Pratt, lives at Fort
! II G Wright, N V
'Other survivors Include:
J. M Schmlssauter. machinist; fa
ther. Charles C. Hchmlsaauter, Hill
City. Tenn.
Henry L. Brown, gunner's mate;
father. H. P. Brown, Macon. Oa.
The Hat of thoae loat announced hy
the navy department ahows men to
be from far western atatea, with the
exception of two who are from Ohlj
and Pennsylvania.
CONGRESS SHUTS DOWN
FOR HOLIDAY RECESS
Senate Takee Final Action for Bub
mleelon of Prohibition Amendment.
Washington.—Congreaa closed down
for a holiday vacation, leaving be
hind a aeries of investigation* to pro
ceed during the recess Both houses
adjourned until Thursday, January 3,
when war legislation la to take the
forefront of the calendar.
In the last day's business, the sen
ate took final action toward submit"
slon to the states of a national prohi
bition amendment to the constitution,
ordered two rail
road legislation and the merchant
shipbuilding—and arranged for dis
posal of the coal and oil land leasing
hill on January 7. The house passed
the resolution to remove doubt as to
application of the new excess profits
taxes to congressmen, .and arranged
for renewal of the battle for woman
suffrage on January 10.
Efforts to rueh through legislation
authorising the treasury to buy SIOO -
000,000 of farm loan bonds before a.l
Jourament failed. The senate passed
the bill, hut it was held up in the
house to be considered when Congress
reassembles.
During the recess, a half-dozen
Inveetlgatioaa Into war activity will
be In progress. Heading the Hat is
the ralroad Inquiry.
Other Investigations in addition to
those of railroad problems and the
shipbuilding situation. deal with
army and navy war operations, the
sugar and fuel shortages and the al
leged disloyal St. Paul speech of Sen
ator LaFollette. ,
ARMY CAMP CONDITIONS
REPORTED BY GORGAB
Washington.—lnsufficient clothing,
overcrowding and bad sanitary condi
tions are held largely responsible for
disease epidemic at Camp Sevier. So.
Carolina; Camp Bowie, Texas; Camp
Funr'on, Kansas and Camp Doniphan.*
Oklahoma, by Burgeon General
gas in reports to Secretary Baker
made public on the result of his per
sonal inspection of the camps. With
the exception of Funston, none of the
camps base hospitals are completed.
TV
LLOYD GEORGE SETS
FORTH WAR AIMS
r
TEUTONB MUST RESTORE ALL
TERRITORY TAKEN AND PAY
FOR GREAT HAVOC.
6ERMAN PEACE PROPOSALS
Reorted That Teutonic Allies Would
Offer f«r Peace and Had Requeeted
Rusaia to Sound former Alliee for
Peace.
Id the midst of tha peace pourpar
lars that are in progress between tha
representative of the Teutonic alliee
and the bolshevik! government In
Russia, the war alms of Great Brit
ain— and doubtless of all her allies —
have been concretely set' forth in the
house of commons by David Lloyd-
George. the British prime minister
The complete restoration of terri
tory now in the hands of the enemy
and compensation for the havoc they
have wrought Is the price tha4 will
be damonded for the laying down of
i arms and the bringing about of
i peace.
Great Britain did not seek territo
rial aggrandizement for herself or for
j any of her allies when she entered
the war, Mr Lloyd George said but
j entered into the hositilitles merely for
j the sake \of her honor As to Ger
; niany's colonies, all of which are now
in the hands of the entente. Mr Lloyd
i George said, their disposition must be
determined \at the peace congress,
Jerusalem, however, the premier de
| dared, would never be restored to the
Turks
- The statement of the prime mlnls-
I ter came almost simultaneously with
a report that the Teutonic allies In
tended to make peace proposals to
the entent and that Russia had been
requested to take similar steps and
was endeavoring to sound her fromer
allies in arms as to their requirements
for a cessation of hostilities
PASSENGER TRAINS CRASH:
38 KILLED; MANY INJURED
Sheperdaville, Ky Thirty-eight
known dead and 40 to 50 persons in
Jured, some of them seriously, was
the-toll taken when l/ouisville ft Nash
vllje passenger train No 7, from Cin
cinnati to New Orleans, crashed Into
the rear of a Bardstown, Louisville
ft Springfield accommodation train 500
yards south of the station here.
The accommodation train had Just
left the station after making a stop,
when the faster train which makes no
atop here came In sight moving at a
high rate of speed. Efforts to bring
It to a halt were futile and the heavy
locomotive with the heavy weight of
a steel train behind it crashed into
the rear of the accommodation with
a terrific Impact. The two wooden
passenger cars and baggage cars mak
ing up the smaller train were splln
tered.
Virtually every person aboard the
accommodation train, both crew and
passengers were either killed or bad
ly Injured None of the passengera
aboard the fast train were killed,
thoug ha number were Injured The
locomotive was demolished and the
heavy steel coaches making up the
train were thrown from the track
Non of the passengers aboard the
fast train were killed and none of
them received more than minor inju
ries Another locomotive and train
crew was sent from Ijouisvllle and
after detaching one baggage car the
New Orleans train went on as soon
as the right of way was declared.
Jesse Wentherford. telegraph opera
tor at the station here, said that after
the accommodation train left the sta
tion he had thrown his block to show
the track clear and left the office to
help handle baggage. When he got
outside, he said, he saw the fast train
approaching, ran back to the office,
pulled his block to show red. seised
a lantern and rushed to the platform
to flag it. He reached ttie side of the
track Just as the hevay locomotive
thundered by.
PROPERTY OF AMERICANS
IN GERMANY TAKEN OVER
«
Berlin. —The property of Americana
in Germany has been placed under the
trusteeship of the German govern
ment. There is no Intention, how
ever, to confiscate property or to
Infringe on the personal righta of the
property holders
French Sink Two U-Boata.
Athens. —French destroyers have
sunk two enemy submarines in the
Gulf of Taranto.
BABST PREDICTS PLENTY *
OF SUGAR DURING NEW YEAR
Washington.—A plentiful supply of
sugar for the American people during
the coming year was predicted by
Earl D. Babst, president of the Amer
ican Sugar Refining Company, testify
ing before the senate Investigating
commlittee. Me oppoaed placing a
limit on domestic consumption, Con
tending that any such plan would re
sult in a larger aurplua than could ba
shipped abroad
STATE TO CONTROL
THE PRICE OF WOOD
AUTHORITY IS GIVEN TO STAT®
FUEL ADMINISTRATOR MCAL
LISTER TO ACT.
FIRST STATE TO TAKE ACTION
Believed That It Will Have a Whole
sale Effect en Price* and Deliv
j* ~ erlee of Wood.
Greensboro. —Authority given Stat*
Fuel Administrator A. W. McAllister
by th enational fuel administration,
authorizing Mr. McAllster and local
' committees to fix the price of wood,
will have a wholesome effect on price*- -
and deliveries in the state, it is be
lieved This is the first state in th*
union In which the fuel administrator
Is authorized to fix prices. These will
,be fixed to suit the locality, with th*
committeemen taking Into considera
tion local conditions.
A hauls for computation is furnish
ed by Mr McAlister, who advises ft
33 1-3 er cent to 50 per cent increas*
In the price per cord over the prices
prevailing In 1916, these figures to
apply to wood In four and eight foot
lengths on drays and wagS.is of farm
ers. or on cars f o b. the place of ship
ment. He suggests the allowance to
the dealer of $1 a cord for sawing
and splitting the wood, or $1.25 per
cord, if the committeemen deem tho
larger figure equitable ;and $1 per
. cord for delivery, 75 cents for delivery
of half cord and 50 cents for quarter
cords and less.
I Of Interest only secondary is th*
standardization of the measure for
wood to be observed by the vendor.
The instructions of the fun* adminis
tration marks the passing of the an
cient if not altogether honorable
"load." The wood dealers must sell *
in cords or "stipulated divisional parte
thereof No longer will an ultimate
consumer, pay $1.60 for a "load." but
what he pays will be fixed by the ad
ministration and It will be for an un
derstood portion of a cord, a full cord,,
or the multiple of it. In this man
ner ,the wood business of North Caro
lina, temporarily at least. Is brought
within the law mt weights and meas
ures
Educational Commission Announced.
Raleigh —The state education com
mission that the last legislature pro
vided the governor should apoint for
general Invostlgatlon and recommen
dation as to the educational system
and laws of the state was appointed
by Governor Blckett and is to meet
and organlie for work as early as pos
sible
It consists of the following: R. H.
Wright, professor of the East Caro
lina Teachers' Training school; E C.
Brooks, of the chair of education in
Trinity College; Dr. Charles E. Brew
er, professor in Meredith College; C.
C. Wright, superintendent of th*
Wilkes county public schools; D. J.
Bell, superintendent of the Rich
mond county schools and Rockinghftm
city schools.
The special act of the legislature
under which the commission Is ap
pointed provides that the commission
shall make a survey of the eudca
tlonal conditions in the state, codify
the public laws, Investigate the meth
ods and coat of supplying textbooks
to the public schools, the advisability
of establishing a state printing planL
the matter of a Bystem of pensions for
public school teachers The commis
sion is directed by the act to report
its findings with recommendations to
the 1918 session of the legislature.
Rector Volunteers as Chalain.
Rocky Mount. The Rev B. E.
Brown, rector of the Calvary Episco
pal church at Tarboro, has offered
his services to Uncle Sam as chap
lain. with the request that he be sent
to France for service In that country
with the American soldiers and ex
pects to be called within the next
few weeks. He came to Tarboro
about ten years ago
Paasengera In Burning Train.
Elkln. —Saturday a passenger coach
on the Elkin A Alleghany road caught
fire from a stove pipe just after leav
ing the station at State road. The flr*
was between the ceiling and roof of
the car and none of the 25 passengers
in the coach knew it until the train
arrived here and stopped at the street
crossing, and the flames burst out over
the entire length of the car.
cal firemen were soon on the" ground
and had a stream of water turned on
the flames. The woodwork and all
the windows of the car were destroyed.
Students Visit Cuba.
Chapel Hill.—Professor Collier Cobb
of the geology department sailed from
New York with % party of his students
last week for Santiago, Cuba, where
he goes to make a apecial study of tho
nickeliferous iron ore® of the Orient*
region of Cuba. One of Professor
Cobb's former pupils, De Bernlere
Whltaker, is in charge of mining work
there and will assist Professor Cobb
and the university students In every
possible way. These ores are very
valuable In the manufacture of tSie \
nickel-iron steeel.