POLK COUNTY NEWS, TRYON, N. C.
ONE YEAR COURSE
FOR WEST P0IN1
MILITARY ACADEMY IS TO BE
UTILIZED TO THE FULL LIMIT
DURING THE WAR PERIOD.
TEACHING FLYERS "STUNTS
Aviation Students to Learn the Acro
batics Quickly or Not at All War
Department Compels the Making of
Clinical Thermometers.
(Fr:m Committer on I'ubllc Iuforn!in.)
Washington. The acting secretary
of war has approved the recommenda
tions of General March, chief of staff,
to graduate the two upper classes at
the United Slates Military academy on
November 1, and to authorize a one
year cours- at West Point for the re
mainder of the war. It Is proposed to
utilize this valuable and expensive
institution, the war department an
nounces, to the limit during the period
of the war. The number of cadets
graduated each year from West i'olnt
is now only about '200. Under the new
system it will be possible to graduate
l,tXX) officers a year.
Vacancies resulting from the gradu
ation of the two upper classes will be
filled by the war department, if pos
sible, by the admission on November
3, 1918, of qualified candidates. Ap
pointments will be made in the usual
way through senators ami represent
atives in congress, and other customary
channels. The war department de
sires that candidates to be admitted
on November 1 shall be not under
eighteen years of age on that date.
As the result of an investigation by
the war department, following the
failure of the medical department to
obtain a supply of clinical thermome
ters except at what were considered
exorbitant prices, the general staff has
ordered IS' manufacturers in different
parts of the country to furnish about
0G8,(XX) of Hie instruments, which are
urgently needed here and abroad.
Under these orders the war depart
ment will not only take the entire
stock of clinical thermometers now
manufactured, but will require the fac
tories to produce in large quantities
for 0 weeks, The compulsory order
specifies that the entire quantity must
be delivered by February 10, 1010.
The .price of clinical thermometers
has advanced in the past year from 25
cents and 30 cents to ',0 cents ami GO
cents each. The investigations of the
military authorities disclosed a combi
nation between the glass-blowers and
the makers of thermometers.
The prices to be paid by the gov
ernment for the GOS.tXX) thermometers
which have been requisitioned will be
fixed by the war department board of
appraisers.
One undertaking in connection with
the registration of more than 1.S.000,-
000 men for the draft, September 12.
is illustrated by figures, by Provost
Marshal General Crowder. A statis
tician in the provost marshal's office
has calculated that If all the printed
forma distributed since August 7 in
connection with the work of registra
tion, classification and mobilization
were placed in a pile ten feet square
it would tower above the" ground to a
height of 887. feet, or more than one
and a half times the altitude of Wash
ington monument.
Altogether there have been printed
and shipped out. since August 7, '224,-
000,000 forms of all kinds, weighing
4,300,000 pounds, and measuring, in the
aggregate, 88,787 cubic feet. A total
of 44,000 mail sacks were used to carry
this vast quantity of matter. The
largest number of sacks shipped in a
single day was 1,828. These weighed
about 83 tons.
If these forms were placed in one
mall train 143 60-foot postal ears
would be required and the train would
be one and two-thirds miles long.
Placed end to end, the forms would ex
tend 68,044 miles more than twice
the distance around the earth.
Naval and military-flyers who loo
the loop at altitudes of 4,000 feet, whc
d? nose dives, side slips and other
thrilling and seemingly frivolous evo
lutions, learn to accomplish these feats
in seven or eight hours or they never
learn them at all. For the mastery of
airplane acrobatics does not require
the time that Is requisite to train a
performer for a circus.
Cadet flyers receive this instruction,
which is called the acrobatic stage, to
ward the end of their training and aft
er they have become masters of their
machines and possess absolute con
trol. Otherwise they could not ac
quire the knack of throwing their ma
chines in and out of these whirls and
loops. And, by the way, some of them
never do. Because a cadet becomes
master of his plane, it does not inev
itably follow that he can "stunt." He
may not he fitted for it temperament
ally; he may lack the head or the Iteart
or the stomach for it. If that be .so.
then he must abandon acrobatics. Those
who like if stick to it, and thus it hap
pens that frequently these stunt fly
ers become the aces in actual combat
in France, because fights in the air are
more or, less games of tag; and the
more artful the dodger the greater are
his chances.
The course in acrobatics is not
chosen because it Is showy or spec
tacular, It is as much a part of a
cadet's training as pursuit work, re-
connaisance or bombing. It is designed
to inspire the student with confidence
in his ship and in his ability; to teach
him the feel of dangerous positions in
the air; to actually get into them and
out of them safely, and in general to
demonstrate to him how much may be
accomplished by the proper and skill
ful handling of his plane.
The greatest care is taken in choos
ing Instructors for this work and In
selecting the ships or planes to be
used. Kxpert riggers are assigned to
check the augment of the planes used-
after each flight.
At Kelly field, Texas, there Is a
special stage for the instruction and
to Insure safety for the cadets and
tlfeir Instructors. Others not flying in
this stage of Instruction are required
to keep entirely away from the terri
tory over which the stunts are being
performed. A severe penalty is at
tached to the slightest Infringement of
this regulation. No student or In
structor is allowed to -stunt under 2,XKJ
feet, and practically all of the work
in the acrobatic line is done between
2,000 and 4.000 feet.
When a student reports to the stage
for instruction, he is assigned to a
teacher who at the first opportunity
takes him and performs the requisite
evolutions. The student is then given
the control and directed to repeat the
maneuver. After the third or fourth
trial he is usually able to perform. in a
creditable manner. However, in. no
case does the instructor allow a stu
dent to fiy alone unless he shows him- t
self well qualified. 1
When a student is sent into the air !
he is directed to follow a definite
course in gaining his altitude; to turn
over Ins sector, and, if at. a sufhcient
altitude, to do his stunts. It may be
that he will have been directed to do
a one-turn spin, u two-turn. spin, five
loops and three Immelmanu turns.
Upon returning to the ground he re
ports to his .instructor, who has care
fully, watched the execution of the
stunts and who offers appropriate criti
cism and suggestions. This Is repeated
several times, and before the student
is transferred iie again goes up with
the instructor, who estimates whether
the former is qualified to advance to
the next stage.
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1 View in the ruins of Lei just after the British recovered it;:a large shell is seen exploding in the
distance. 2 Marshal Foch and King Albert arranging for the opening of the drive in which the Belgians drove
bi.ck the Huns. 3 General Berthelot, commander of the French forces operating north of Helms.
NEWS REVIEW OF
THE GREAT WAR
lermany's Tricky Peace Move Is
Balked by Presideht Wilson's
Diplomacy.
ARMIES OPPOSE ARMISTICE
Cambral Captured and Hun' Defen
Ive Line Smashed, Compelling Gen
eral Retreat Yanks Success
ful in Champagne Beirut
Occupied by the French.
Many sample cans of tomatoes such
as are used in the army have been
found by the inspection branch of the
subsistence division, quartermaster
corps, to be filled only to three-fourths
of an inch of the top, although weigh
ing the requisite amount. Instructions
have been issued that regardless of
weight, the cans must be filled to
within three-eighths of an inch of the
top. If the cans are not filled to with
in half an inch of the top there is to
be a readjustment of prices and under
no circumstances, it Is announced, will
underfilled cans be sent overseas.
It has been calculated that If this
saving of three-eighths of an inch were
made in all cans of tomatoes pur
chased by the army for a year, it
would equal 417,000' cases, costing
nbout $1,500,000. The saving of tin-
plate used in the can would equal
nbout 7.000.0QO square feet.
Troops for the Slavic legion which
is to be a part of the United States
army will soon be recruited under reg
ulations just promulgated by President
Wilson. The officers and enlisted men
in these regiments will be Jugo-Slavs,
Cxecho-Slavs and Ituthenians. If
practicable, companies will be com
posed of members of the same race
and this plan of organization will be
followed as far as can be In the larger
units battalions and regiments.
Enlisted men for the Slavic legion
will be obtained by voluntary induc
tion from among the members of the
races mentioned. They must be resi
dents but not citizens of the United
States and not subject to the draft.
Enlistments, in coal mining regions will
not be authorized. Volunteers for this
legion - will be forwarded by draft
boards to depots in the usual manner
and will be sent from there to Camp
Wadsworth, South Carolina.
German "prisoners are being used in
the construction of homes for Belgian
refugees in the village which t
American Red Cross Is building near
Havre, France, for families, who were
ariven from their country by the Ger
man Invasion. Many such prisoners
also have been put to work In the
.fields - In the section surrounding
Havre. They have harvested wheat
and other crops, thus lessening the
bnrden. on the women and ,irery old
men who Jiave been operating the
farms while the-young md vigorous
vftaiM ar fightlnf at the front.
The weather bureau will publish in
its National Weather and Crop Bulle
tin a series of charts showing for the
country east of the Itocky mountains
the southward progression of the earli
est killing-frost date line and the total
area covered by killing frost to the
date of each issue. These charts are
expected to be of much interest and
value, as they will Indicate the time, of
the ending of the growing season for
summer crors this year in the various
sections of the country.
Much loss is caused at times by
early frosts and interest is unusually
great this year because of the possi
bility of frost damage affecting Ue
food supply.
To test the present health of the
nation's children, the child welfare
committee of the council of national
defense throughout the country has"
weighed and measured more than
6,500,000 babies. Hundreds of com
mittees, endeavoring to meet the needs
revealed by this test, have employed
public-health nurses, opened infant
welfare stations.
In England, since the beginning of
the present war, $ne Infantile death
rate has been reduced nine points be
low the mortality among American
chHdrenOf the same ages.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD.
I'rince Max of Baden, the new im
perial chancellor of Germany, re-
j quesUng President Wilson to arrange
I tor nn armistice and a subsequent dls
: usslon of peace terms, and stating
! that Germany accepted the president's
; 14 points as a basis for the uegotla
j lions, evoked three separate and dis
j tmct replies. President Wilson an-
swered Jhat he could not suggest an
' armistice while the German armies
jvere outside the boundaries of Gy
I many, and then asked whether the
i
German government accepted the
i terms laid down nyiimi and whether
j Its object In entering discussions was
only to agree upon the practical de-
i tails of their application: furthermore.
he wanted to know whether the chan
, rH lor was speaking merely for the
constituted authorities of the empire
who have so far conducted the war.
The people of all (be allied nations,
soldiers and civilians alike, answered
I'rince Max with a tremendous shout
of "Unconditional surrender.''
Marshal Foch responded with one of
flic most powerful attacks of the al
lied armies, capturing the important
t-'ty of Cambral. smashing a H0-mlle-wide
breach through the Illndenbnrg
line, and forcing back the German
smiles all along the line from Verdun
to the sea.
Nearly all authorities agree that the
chancellor's proposal was Insincere;
that the request for an armistice was
'made merely to give the military com
mand a chance to reorganize the shat
tered armies, and that Prince Max
knew the suggestion for a peace con
ference, as he made it, would be re
jected, , giving him the opportunity to
say to the people of Germany : "I haTe
offered )to end the war on the enemy's
own terms and he refuses. The Ger
man nation now must unitedly fight
on."
At first there was some disappoint
ment because President Wilson did
rot reject the German proposal swift
ly and bluntly, but a little considera
tion has convinced almost everyone
that he evaded a trap and by his di
rect questions put the German dip
lomats In a position of the utmost diffi
culty. At the same time he left the
door open for ultimate negotiations,
jfter Germany has accepted his 14
points and given full guarantees. As
lor the armistice, he did not agree to
that even were the German armies to
be withdrawn from all occupied terri
lorles, recognizing the fact that the
declaring of an armistice is up to
Ihe military commanders. The presi
dent's note was fully approved, prob
ably In advance, by the allied govern
ments, and was given the highest
praise by the press in England and
France as well as America.
Any agreed cessation of fighting at
this time, short of the abject surren
der of the central powers, would bit-.
terly disappoint the soldiers of the
allied armies and the people who are
backing them up. Foch's forces have
the Germans on the run. and, If they
a'fe permitted to follow np the, Huns
on their retreat to the Meuse they will
destroy a large part of their effective
ness and capture probably half of their
material. On the other hand ah armis
tice would permit the Huns to retire
within their borders with their armies
intact and prepared to maneuver effec
tively, behind their shortened and pow
erfully fortified lines. Animated by
a spirit, not of vindictiveness, but of
retributive Justice, the men of the al
lied armies feel that no peace should
be granted Germany until her cities,
her towns and her people have suf
fered some of the horrors of war that
her brutal ' soldiers have Inflicted on
Belgium, northern France and Serbia.
The absolute unrepentance of the
Huns for their outrages is shown by
their action in looting and wantonly
destroying the towns in France from
which they arebeing driven and in
heir practice of carrying away with
them thousands of the helpless inhab
itants who are forced to wrork for
them like slaves. The formal warning
of France that-there would be retribu
tion for these shameful deeds has been
disregarded, and If adequate punish
ment Is not inflicted there will be a
general feeling that justice has mis
carried. President Wilson and his confiden
tial advisers, It is said, still believe
the German people will rise in revo
lution and oust the Hnhenzollern crew,
and his Inquiry as to whom Prince
Max represents is significant in that
connection. The chancellor, in his
speech to the relcnstag, undertook
rather feebly to demonstrate that re
rent political changes actually had put
the people In power and that he was
their representative. But all that was
looked on as bunk.
The diplomatic situation resolved It
self down to this : The German gov
ernment must either admit defeat and
surrender on allied terms, or it must
confess that the chancellor was not
acting in good fhlth. That Is the hole
In which President Wilson has placed
Prince Max and his associates.
fe -
The greatest blow delivered by the
allied armies last week was between
Cambral and St. Queutin. There Field
Marshal Halg's tireUss forces, re-enforced
by American divisions, tore a
'20-mile gap through the strongest of
Hiudenburgs boasted defenses, cap
turing dozens of villages and many
thousands of prisoners and on Wednes
day occupied the long and des
perately defended city of Cambral.
The Huns, in full flight, blew up most
of Cambrai and burned Bohain. Mar
ctz and many another beautiful town,
but the allies did not even stop to ex
tinguish the flames. The enemy ap
parently was attempting to reconsti
tute his lines back of the Selle
river from Le Catean to Solesmes. so
llaig's troops, led by the cavalry,
pushed rapidly forward and the big
guns followed so fast that they kept
the Huns always under fire. Only the
German machine gunners put up a cred
itable defense, the riflemen who could
be overtaken generally surrendering
willingly. Prisoners said the German
plan was to retreat to the Valenciennes
line and then to the Meuse, and it was
evident the retirement of the German
armies from France was well under
way. They will fight all the way back
to their borders, of course, but the
country Is open and the tanks and cav
alry of the allies will have daily In
creasing opportunity to do their part.
The Germans still have the strength
to maintain a fairly orderly retreat,
and if the war is ended by a military
decision, It Is admitted the Huns may
be able to postpone that inevitable
event for many months. When they
do reach the Meuse they will be be
hind powerful defenses, but the na
ture of those defenses Is known to-the
allied commanders, and so far as the
fortifications there are concerned, the
immense sum just asked of congress
for American artillery may be taken
to indicate the tremendous'concentra
tion of gunfire that will be used to
batter them to pieces.
While their comrades were helping
the British in the great drive in the
Cambral region, the American First
army was exceedingly busy west of
Ihe Meuse. For many days the dough
boys battled their way through the Ar
gonne forest, and at the northern end
of It they went up against a concen
tration of Huns gathered for the de
fense of the Krierahilde line. Pausing
to permit their artillery to pour a
rain of shells on the German positions
for 19 hours, the Yanks advanced to
the attack 'WedjiesdAyaand by a bril
liant and swift advance broke through
the enemy line. To the right of them
other troops forced their way through
the Cunel wood, and this made pos
sible the storming of the Mamel trench
of the Kriemhilde position.. Tlie en
gineers were advancing right along
with the Infantry, clearing the my
through the entanglements. Important
beights soufh of th.e Marcq were cap
tured, and tho Yankees joined hands
with the French at Laucon. East of
the Meuse also the Americans were
going forward, and, at the time of
writing, these movements, as well as
those all along the line, were still pro
gressing. These operations in France were
steadily crushing the great German
salient whose apex was near Laon,
and the French were maintaining a
continuous pressure on both sides of
that city. They also were compelling
the further retirement of the Huns
who still remained south of the Aisne
between NeufchateV and Vouzieres.
The American air service on the
front of the First army clearly dem
onstrated its superiority during the
v eek. Huge aggregations of bombing:
planes continually flew over the en
emy front lines, communications, back
areas and troop concentrations, doing
incalculable damage, while the pur
suit planes kept the air clear of Hun
machines.
The Serbian army kept up the unre
mitting pursuit of the Austrians in
Serbia as the Bulgarians withdrew
from that country, or surrendered, ac
cording to their agreement. Before
the end of the week the Serbs were
quite close to NIsh and moving ahead
steadily. To their west, in Albania,
the allied troops made considerable
progress. The Italians took fclbassan
after crushing determined resistance
by the Austrians, and then continued
tnelr advance northward.
The occupation of Beirut by French
marines only accentuated the troubles
of Turkey. The cabinet resigned, af
ter a peace note was. said to have been
started on its way to President WI1
pon, and Tewfik Pasha, It was report
ed, would be the new grand vizier. His
sympathies are rather with the allies,
and there is little doubt the sultan
himself would be mighty glad to get
out of the war on the best terms ob
tainable. London was' convinced Tur
key had notified Germany it intended
to make peace and that the kaiser
tried to stave this off by the proposal
of the chancellor.
fe
Austria-Hungary was In a condition
almost of panic and was nervously
awaiting the outcome of Prince Max's
effort. Reports from Vienna said the
ministerial council had decided to in
troduce national autonomy "In order
to make President Wilson's stipulation
an accomplished fact." Among the
people of the empire the movement to
proclaim the separation of Hungary
and Austria was making great head
way. Meanwhile the Bohemian lead
ers were conferring and preparing to
declare the 'independence of their
country and its separation from Austria-Hungary,
and, knowing the dan
gers of such action, -made their wills
and settled their personal affairs.
Ha
Boris, who has svipceeded to the
throne of Bulgaria on the abdication
of his father, Ferdinand, adheres to
the terms of the surrender made by
his armies, and has ordered Germany
and, Austria to quit his country with
in a month. Already the rail connec
tion between Vienna and Constantino
ple seems to be effectually broken.
Three more "victories" by the mur
derous German U-boats are to be re
corded. The Irish mail boat Lelnster.
the Japanese liner Hirano and th
American cargo steamship Ticonderoga
were torpedoed. The total loss of life
was estimated at more than 900. In
the case of the Ticonderoga about 230
were killed, most of them by shrapnel
4fire after the boat had ceased to resist.
lea
One painful result of the German
peace offensive was the decided slow
ing up of the campaign for the fourth
Liberty loan. Presumably because
many short-sighted people thought
peace was at hand and the money
would not be needed, subscriptions to
the $6,000,000,000 loan were distress
ingly slow in coming in.. All the agen
cies engaged in the campaign re
doubled their efforts and the American
public was loudly warned that the
Hun peace talk must be disregarded
and the money must be raised. Uncle
Sam needs those six blillona and he
will get them, and he win need and
will, get much more, In all pmba.billty,
before peace is declared and the arm
ies are disbanded. If the people re
fuse to lend the government all the
money It needs, at a food rate of. in'
terest. It has other' ways of getting
funds, and It nill adopt them.
PEACE AT PRESEH1
ATROCITIES ON LAND A(m
MUST "R,t BE PUT TSE
AN END.
MEETS APPROVAL -OF- S
Senator Lodge, Chief Crit
President, Expresses r, ' '!
fication at D
ecision.
WashinRt.0ll.-prilsii, ;
a.nswered Germany .af a";
with, a decision whirh r " "r"H:
the expectations of SUpnon?M"l3i'
diplomacy, but also d, 2ofb
of those who prt,lu:u a ha- T
substitute victories a a- wi
feats at diplomacy. 1 'mi.
No peace iwith kaisPrir,.
must go! No annistice';.',: '110'
thought of while German
uu ,a,m an(J
cannot be considered unleV, '
ly dictated by the allied
in the field in suc h tems as T
ly provided safeguards and glfa
that Germany's part will ZT
scrap of paper. L f 3
This is in a few words is the
dent's answer. "
If it does not bring a capit.,
which may be more than unr;
surrounder, allied diplomats and An;.,
ican officials believe it mav caue"
revolution in Germany.
The dispatch of
v.v, j,, canity ; -a
ply was followed by the issue 0 ,v,
formal statement at the White Hoi
by Secretary Tumulty:
"The government will continue
eend over 250,000 men with their sa
plies every month and there W be
no relaxation of any kind."
Quite outside of the formal phr
of a diplomatic document that r:t
President Wilson's word to the wool
that he had no thought of stopping tie
fighting at this stage.
The senate chamber rang with ap
plause of senators as "the prr ;d?r'
answer was read a few minutes aft-;
it had been announced at the s;a
department. Senator Lodge,
President's chief critic, i?sued a fo
ment expressing his gratification &
the president's decision. Opinion af
the eapitol and throughout o?fi-V.
Washington was unanimously In approval.
FIGHTING ON WESTERN FRONT
IS CONTINUED WITH SPIRIT
London. The British'. French sifl
Belgian forces in their ' new drive
against the German positions in
gium have captured Roulers The Eas
ing News says it understands.
The newspaper says an advance
five miles has been made in Belgian
by the allies. Coutrai is threaten!
from the north. The advance continues.
CAMP GREENE COMMITTEE
HAS NOT FILED REPORT
Washington, The following
order was made public:
"A board of officers to consist
Col. John W. Barker, general staff
corps; Col. Frank McC. Gunby. our
termaster corps; and Col. George
Winterburn, general staff corps, is
pointed to convene at Camp Greer,'.
North Carolina, at 10 a. m.. Octofc?'
7, 1918, or as soon thereafter as P
sible, to ascertain and report upon ;r
suitability of that camp for a lar?"'
garrison and to make recomm
tions as to character of troops to
sent there and as to the class of
tent of training practicable,
completion of this duty the member
of the board will return to their pro
er stations. Such travel as may
necessary to be performed by
board in connection with the.r da is
necessary in the military sen-
The board has returned JJ,
has not made its report to the
tary of war.
SOLEMN WARNING ISSUED
IN CONNECTION WITH LO
Washington. President Wi' y
sued this statement on the foi-1
erty loan:
"The reply of the Genua'-
raent gives occasion for n)p '
my fellow countryment that ;
that reply nor any other rer?ni
have in any way dimimhed t
importance of the Liberty .o - .,
taxation now, hesitation n0; o
mean defeat when victory
be in .sight."
SIMMONS SAYS PR'lo Hi
M Aft SCORED ANOTHER
HAS SCORED
Washington.-President
Wilson ha"
to German
vAiA AnAtiiAr hit in reply t
. u f following
fhe
ill
f . i ; ai ! t Vl
course m oeaimB qimnio'"'
Sovernmrat." said Senator fi?;J
tr m if thP renera 111 :,,ire.
dictate the terms -of ai w0,,,i
I had no idea the
v witl
denia
arre to any peace parle?
present German rler "
that the peopl of Germ
nit