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1.00 a Ymr ki Advance "FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY AND FOR TRUTH." eingle Copies, C
VOL. XXVIII. PLYMOUTH, N. C, FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1918 NO.
WILSON BEGINS
CAPTAIN KOENIQ
56 KH
LIEUT. GEORGES FLACHAIRE
STARS MID STRIPES
111
1ST
31 ARE MISSING
SAYS THE
1 DEAD
CORRECT
DJU
HI
NOW III FLANDERS
GO
REOftf
AIR
ER THE
ACT
Executive Order Directs That Air
Service Be Wholly Divorced
From Signal Corps.
Washington. Reorganization of the
army air service has been completed
by President Wilson as his Qrst act
under the new law permitting him to
readjust government departments for
the war. In an executive order, he
directed that the air service be wholly
divorced from the signal corps and
also that the functions of producing
and operating aircraft of all kinds in
the military service be separated.
The order formally creates a bu
Teau of aircraft production, described
as an executive agency which shall
exercise full, complete and exclusive
jurisdiction and control over the pro
duction of airplanes, airplano engines
and aircraft equipment for the use of
the army," under a director of aircraft
production who shall also, be chair
man of the aircraft board. This gives
full legal status and power to John
TJ. Ryan, recently appointed director
of aircraft production who shall also
be chairman of the aircraft board,
and the order transfers to him all
funds, lands, buildings and personnel
of the signal corps having to do with
aircraft production.
Similarly, the position of director of
military aeronautics now held by Ma
jor General William L. Kenly is for
mally established and all funds, du
ties, equipment and personnel of the
signal corps connected with the opera
tion of aircraft and balloons and with
the training of aviators placed under
his direction.. The signal corps re
verts to its old functions having to
do only with army signalling and the
transmission of military Information.
In connection with the reorganiza
tion, made at a time when the de
partment of justice is undertaking at
the direction of the President an in
vestigation of charges brought against
the honesty and loyalty of mea here
tofore in full control of the a'.r pro
gram, Secretary Baker dirscte 1 that
Cols. R. L. Montgomery, E. A. Deeds
and S. D. Waldon, of the signal corps ,
be detached from all other duties and
assigned to assistthe attorney general
in his inquiry. As the men are direct
ly In charge of production, the throe
officers have personal knowledge of
every phase of the subject.
GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED
PRESS ALSO PESSIMISTIC
Washington. Announcement that
the bread ration is to be reduced on
June 15 has caused grave apprehen
sion throughout Germany. An official
dispatch from Switzerland says that
even the governmental press has
adopted a tone no less pessimistic
than that of the socialist papers,
which foresee a great diminishing of
the physical and general force which
helps in supporting the hardships of
the fourth year of the war.
Even more critical than the German
food situation is that in Austria. An of
ficial dispatch from France quotes
Austro-German newspapers as saying
that at a recent conference in Vienna
on th situation it developed that
food supplies to be requisitioned were
sufficient only to feed Hungary and
the army and that Austria could ex
pect nothing but its own harvest.
Germany's purpose in anonuncing to
the world through its official wireless
the reduction of the bread ration for
its population was widely discussed
here. Some offcials conclude that the
German government, knowing that
eventually the news would reach its
enemies, decided to anticipate it with,
the purpose of showing the willingness
of the German people to make any sac
rifices to win the war.
SINN FEIN DELEGATE
ASSAILS AMERICANS
Dublin. A Sinn Fein delegate called
on the American mission, representing
the American labor delegation now
In England, endeavored to create a
scene in the hotel lobby by declaring
loudly that Americans were not treat
ing the Sinn Fein fairly. The mem
bers of the American mission replied
that they would be glad tq listen to
all sides and that they proposed jo
view tb Irish question without p -:4
PRESIDENT COMPLETES
GANIZATION OF TrE
SERVICE OF ARMY.
dice.
I
U M Mum
Captain Koenig, (ate commander of
in Interned German merchantman and
a reserve officer In the Imperial Ger
man navy, has been put to work by
Uncle Sam. He la one of a gang of
prisoners who are "making little one
out of big ones." Under heavy guard
the men are busy breaking stones and
building dams.
EXPLAINS THE SIXTUS LETTER
NO FAIR AND HONORABLE PEACE
HAS YET BEEN PROPPOSED,
SAYS SECY BALFOUR.
President Wilson May Soon Comment
on Balfour's Statement in
This Connection.
London. The British secretary for
foreign affairs, Arthur J. Balfour, in
giving explanations in the house of
commons in connection with Emperor
Charles' letter to Prince .Sixtus of
Bourdon, recently made public by the
President of the French republic, de
clared that no effort at conversations
has ever been made by the central
powers in the interest of a fair and
honorable peace, and he added:
"If any representative of any bel
ligerent country desires seriously to
lay before us any proposals, we are
ready to listen to them."
The letter In question had been ex
amlned by a committee of the French
chamber, said Mr. Balfour, and the
conclusion reached was that It did
not provide an adequate or satisfac
tory basis for an honorable peace.
Mr. 3alfour in his explanations was
replying to questions submitted by
the Rt. Hon. Walter Runciman, for
mer president of the board of trade,
who asked whether, when Emperor
Charles' letter was communicated to
the French government, and by the
French government to the British
prime minister, It was communicated
to any other of the allies; had the
American government any informa
tion as to what was passing? Did the
prime minister inform the foreign
office at the time of the fact that the
communication had been shown to
him? Why were the negotiations
dropped was it on purely territorial
grounds; was it because a demand
was made by France not only for
Alsace-Lorraine but for the 1814 line,
or even the 1790 line?
Mr. Balfour explained that he had
no secrets from President Wilson. Ho
was in America at the time and had
not gone very thoroughly into the
matter. The letter, however, had
been conveyed by Prince Sixtus to
President Polncare and the French
premier under seal of the strictest
secrecy. Only the British sovereign ,
and premier were to see it. There- j
fore, it was not communicated to the
President of the United States and the
American government was at the
time no better informed of the facts
regarding the letter than he was
Washington. Either through a pub
lic address or a diplomatic note Pres
ident Wilson in the near future may
take occasion to comment upon and
supplement the statement made by
Foreign Minister Balfour in the Brit
ish house of commons in connection
with the Austrian peace feelers
through Prince Sixtus of Bourbon.
"SUPER-WHEAT" HAS BEEN
EVOLVED BY L. BURANK
Santa Rosa, Cal. A "super-wheat,"
containing 14 per cent gluten, has
been evolved by Luther Burbank, the
California hortiuculturist, after experi
ments extending over 11 years, it was
announced here.
The wheat may be grown from
Hudson Bay to Patagonia. The new
wheat Is said to be of the winter va-
fcriety, hardy and producing a white
Vjour.
AS A RESULT OF NINE EVPLO
SIONS THAT WRECKED CHEM
ICAL PLANT.
CHINA GROVE N.C. MAN KILLED
Remnants of Human Bodies Brought
Out From the Debris Throughout
Day After Explosion.
Pittsburg. Flfty-slx men are
known to be dead, 94 Injured in hos
pitals and 31 employes of tne Aetna
Chemical Company, are missing as a
result of the nine explosions that
wrecked this company's explosive
manufacturing plant at Oaxdale, 16
miles from this city. Thl3 report is
the resulfof the day's investigation by
state, federal, county and city officials
and of the work of scores of men un
der the direction of Coroner Samuel
C. Jamieson.
Throughout the night and all day
men were extinguishing small fires in
the debris and were bringing out rem
nants of human bodies, legs and arms
hands with finger rings on them and,
in some instances, only the incinerated
torsos fere found. In most cases there
was nothing to indicate the Identity of
the victim. These gruesome recover
ies were carried to the temporary mor
gue where opportunity to view them
was given any one that might have
lost friend or relative In the disaster.
While earlier explosions wrecked
the plant, the last one, about 6:20.
scattered debris over more acreage
than before and blackening every
piece of metal or timber as well as
anything human beyond recogniton.
All day a blue-brown smoke con
tinued to hang over the ruins consid
erably Impeding the work of the
searchers. Its deadly, fumes are fear
ed by the residents of the community
and only when a slight breeze would
lift the smoke would searchers be able
to get close to the various piles of de
brls. For a time the work was Imped
ed further by the thousands of sight
seers that flocked to the scene from
the surrounding country. A company
of the state constabulary was rushed
In automobiles from Greensburg to
establish a greater cordon about the
scene of the disaster. The crowds and
automobiles were turned back when
they had eached within five mries of
Oakdale. Only those having business
or the officials were admitted past thh
guards.
Thousands of persons streamed into
the temporary morgue all day to view
the gruesome finds from the ruin3 and
it tok a special detail of police to
keep this morbid element in check
Some Identifications were made. Piti
ful, sad scenes were on every hand.
POSTMASTER GENERAL SAYS
TEDDY WAS MISLEADING.
Washington. Postmaster General
Burleson issued a statement asserting
that Colonel Roosevelt evaded the
Issue and was misleading in his "pre
liminary" reply to the demand that
he prove his charge that the adminis
tration was punishing publications
which upheld the war but told the
truth about administration failures,
while it failed to proceed against
those who opposed the war or at
tacked the allies but defended Inef
ficiency.
"Mr. Roosevelt's reply of May 11
which he then termed 'preliminary',"
said Mr. Burleson, "in the main
evades the issue presented and is
throufchly misleading. He names The
New York Tribune, Collier's and The
Metropolitan Magazine in a way
which creates the impression that
these publications have been the ob
jects of improper discrimination by
the pos toff ice department.
"This department has taken no ac
tion against Collier's.
"This department has taken no ac
tion against The Tribune.
"The department has taken no ac
tion against The Metrpolitan Maga
zine. NAMES 13 MORE NEW
TORPEDO BOAT DESTROYERS.
Washington. Secretary Daniels an
nounced that he had named 13 more
new torpedobcat destroyers in mem
ory of men of the navy who won dis
tinction through heroic conduct
Among them the Anthony is named in
memory of Sergeant Major William
Anthony, of the marine corps, who
distinguished himself when the Maine
was blown up in Havan harbor and
the Edwards for Midshipman W. Z.
Edwards, of Petersburg, Va.
Bit - - :.. ; .rfrf-
mm
Lieut. Georges Flachaire (left), a
French "ace" with seven German
planes to his credit, and MaJ. Gen.
George O. Squler In Potomac park,
Washington. Lieutenant Flachaire,
who has had an experience of two and
a half years at the front, has been
showing the capital the paces of a one
passenger battleplane, whose normal
speed Is 150 miles an hour.
GEN. FOCH STILL SUPREME
ALLIED TROOPS, AS PROCESS OF
BRIGADING ON WEST FRONT
PROCEEDS.
When Americans Predominate In Bri
s gaded Divisions, Pershing Will
Command Them.
Washington. General Pershing
probably soon will be commanding
French and British troops as the pro
cess of brigading American units with
the allies on the western front goe3
forward.
As if exemplifying the unity of com
mand and action into which the Uni
ted States and its co-belligerents have
entered, it became known here that
whenever American troops predomi
nate in the brigaded divisions as the
t-ocess goes on, these divisions, un
der present plans, will be turned
eve- to General Pershingls command.
This plan would accomplish several
things which the military authorities
consulting upon it regard as very de
sirable. It would rapidly increase the
size of the American fighting com
mand on the battleline, it would con
tribute tremendously to the spirit of
unity and concerted effort, and at the
same time instead of holding large
numbers of Amreican troops behind
the line while training, would sur
round them with seasoned veterans
and under actual battle ' conditions
school them to be re-brlgaded later
with fresh American troops coming to
France. In this way, the efficiency of
the British and French forces is ex
pected to be increased and the work
of building up a great, fully trained
and completely equipped fighting force
in France hastened.
In addition to this, as illustrtaive of
the unity of command under which
Generalissimo Foch directs all the al
lied armies, It was stated officially
here that Foch commands the Italian
troops in Italy as fully as he doe3 the
American, British and French troops
in France and Belgium. There has
been no question that Foch command
ed the Italian troops in France and it
had been supposed that, considering
the Italian front as part of the west
ern battlefront under a decision reach
ed at the Versailles conference, the
generalissimo's authority extended
there.
For the first time, however, it was
stated unreservedly that General
Foch's supreme command extended
to Italy.
S. C. NEGRO SOLDIER
CHARGED WITH MURDER
New York. Private James Layton,
a negro soldier who was drafted from
Rion, S. C, in training at Camp Up
ton, was locked up in the Tombs
charged with the murder of Private
Michael Maloney and Mrs. J. Harrity
of Brooklyn at the cantonment on
May 5. The police say Layton has
confessed he killed Maloney when he
came to the rescue of Mrs. Harrity,
whom the negro had attacked.
fit
SWF ':l
mm
AMERICAN TROOPS ARE BRIGAD
ED WITH BRITISH ON THIS
MOST IMPORTANT SECTOR.
BETWEEN HON AND THE PORTS
Less Than Two Months Required to
Get Them Across and Into
Position.
American troops are awaiting the
time when they will be thrown into
battle on an entirely new part of thte
battlefield in France. The announce
men that the Stars and Stripes are
waving with the British Union Jack
and the French Tri-Color on this bat
tlefield and that the Americans were
"completing their training in the area
occupied by the troops which are
blocking the path of the Germans to
the channel ports," which may indicate
that somewhere along the line from
Merville to Ypres Is the point where
General Pershing's men will once
more strike the Germans. ,
This 13 the fifth section of the front
where Americans have been located.
The others are east of Lunevllle,
northwest of Toul, north of St. Mihiel
and on the heights of the Meuse, and
in the Montdidier secto- of the Pic
ardy battle area.
How many Americans are behind
the British front, when they arrived
and the part of the United States
from which they came, are as yet un
known. It is probable that they are
not to be used as a separate unit but
will be brigaded with the British in
meeting the next stroke of the Ger
mans In the northern battlefield.
THIRD LIBBERTY LOAN
TOTAL IS $4,170,019,650
Washington. The total of the
third Liberty loan is $4,170,019,650, an
over-subscription of 39 per cent above
the $3,000,000,000 minimum sought.
The number of subscriptions was
about 17.000,000. Every federal re
serve district over-subscribed, the
New York district to 124 per cent,, be
ing the lowest.
"This is the most successful loan
the United States has offered, both in
number, of subscribers and in the
amount realized," said Secretary Mc
Adoo in a statement. "Every sub
scription was made with the full
knowledge that allotment In full was
to be expected,wunlike the first loan,
when allotments were limited to $2,-
000,000,000 and the second loan, when
allotments were limited to one-half
the over-subscriptions. I congratulate
the country on .this wonderful result
which is irrefutable evidence of the
strength, patriotism and determination
of the American people."
Total subscriptions to the second
loan were $4,616,000,000 and the
amount accepted was $3,808,000,000.
Pledges to the first loan ran above
3,000,000,000 but the loan was limited
to $2,000,0u0. Subscribers to the sec
ond loan numbered about 9,500,000
and to the first loan about 4,500.000.
The feat of the Atlantic district,
standing fourth int he final percent
age list, was the topic of favorable
comment about the treasury.
AT NEW YORK TO OPEN
BIG RED CROSS DRIVE
New York.-rPresident Wilson came
to New York to review the great Red
Cross parade and to open the Red
Cross drive for a $100,000,000 war
fund. He was met at the station by
Colonel and Mrs. Edward M. House
at whose home he and Mrs. Wilson
dined before going to a theater.
Although the time of tiie Presi
dent's arrival was unannounced, thou
sands of persons at the station and on
the street leading to the hotel at
which he stopped recognized him and
cheered as he passed. Later In the
day crowds homeward bound from the
downtown district gave him an ova
tion when with Colonel House and
Mrs. Wilson he went fo ra 15-mlnute
ride through the city.
DR.
JOHNSON IS ON
TRIAL IN RICHMOND
Richmond, Va. Following tha tes
timony of Miss Mildred Taylor, chum
of Mrs. Alice Johnson, the girl bride
of Dr. Lemuel Johnson, Middlesex,
N. C. dentist now on trial for the
murder of his wife here last Decem
ber, Dr. J. M. Whitfield, city coroner,
testified that he had made an analysis
of the dead girl's stomach and found
it to contain two-tenths of a grain of
poison. v-
I
GOVERNOR ASKS COUNTIES,
- t
HOLD MEETINGS TO DISCUj
I
PROBLEM MAY 29.
DELEGATES TO STATE filEElj
Governor Bickett's Idea Is to
Vagrancy Rather Than to
pUri.h r-;; ,
Raleigh. With the ST
ing vagrancy rather 43 JJl I
ishing vagrants, Goy4 f
sued a proclamation calling "V"
counties of North Carollnkv.
meetings on Wednesday, May
discuss the problem and to app
delegates to a State, convention v
held in Raleigh, Tuesday, June 4.
Governor Blckett wants it to
understood that wherever an able-b
ied man is arrested under the vagr 1
cy laws and will make It clear to
that he is ready to go to work a J
keep working, he will be given an l
The Federal government Is vif
interested in this matter and an a
was recently in Raleigh where';
matter of a special session of the ?v
islature to provide vagrancy. . IcgL i
tlon was broache'd. General oppo
tion met the suggestion, but it wtj
conceded that- some corrective st
should be taken to remedy a situaV
admittedly bad. L
Governor's Proclamation.
Governor Bickett's proclamatTar
reads:
"Never before in the history
North Carolina has it been of sue1
supreme importance to bring togetb
the jobless man and the manless jvr'
The agricultural, commercial and iM
dustrial life of the State depends p"
the utilization to its fullest capacS
of every labor unit that can be found
At this time idleness is a crime that
savors strongly of treason, for the
man at home work.
"To this end I call on very couty
in North Carolina to hold a session
on Wednesday, May 29th, for the pur
pose of discussing the bast method
of enforcing our vagrancy laws, ofj
tdblishing employment bureaus ana
appointing delegates to a Stats con
vention to be held in Raleigh on Tues
day, June 4, 1918, for the purpose of
discussing these subjects. The Fed
eral government is vitally intereslevi.
in this matter, and Its representatives
are prepared to give valuable assisU
ance In the solution of the grave labor
problem that confronts the State.
"T. W. BICKETT,
"Governor.
"By the Governor:
"Santford Martin, Private Sec'y.,
For Drafting Doctors. fJ
Raleigh. The Medical Optional Se
lective Draft Commission was "H sat?!
by Governor Bickett in pursuance if
. petition fro mthe North Carolina Me A
icai society wnicn at us lasc meeting t
in Pinehurst adopted resolutions to v
apply the draft to the enlistment of;
medical men in- the service. On that!
commission Governor Bickett ap-i
pointed Dr. Cyrus W. Thompson, ctt
Jacksonville: Dr. A. W. Knor. R .
leigh; Dr. M. L. Stevens, Ashevillefi
Dr. F. R. Harris, Henderson; Dr. R. Fv
Yarborough, Louisburg. The comA
mission is called to meet in RaleicV
May 22 for the purpose of organising
and drafting rules and regulations for
the work.
The Medical Society at its meeting
in Pinehurst unanimously adopted res
olutions placing its entire membership
in the State under the provisions ct
the selective draft. In this, it antici
pated the United States Governnv
and led all the States. Three hj
dred and forty-five members of
Medical Society have already Joy
the colors. In some communities V
burden has fallen with narticul&r
verity upon the physicians who !
rho ! !i
main. It is the purpose (.1 the
4U
tive draft for the medical men
cians and upon the com nunities tbj V
serve. I
I'ell. Ei
Expell Trlnm1
mt i 1 M Tit .
In Hi
special i rum w rrr
tionil Judiciary,- BRAG AW & ROD,
of the United AMAH
issued a p Counsellors at Lav
the frate-.. xT
bers of tfiAUOVTU. J. W
Councl. '
sequence
the Nv;
boro ?
flcpj , i
AMERICAN SECTOR IS
a