1 ? Members of Gen. Feng Yu-Hslang's Christian army of China singing tlieli^ morning hymns. 2 ? Ad
miral Robert Coontz taking command of the Pacific fleet. 3? Dr. Gustave Stresemann, new German chancellor.
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Crisis in Anglo-French Relations
May Result in Clearing Up
the Muddle.
GBMMlin NEW GOVERNMENT
Stresemann Likely to Negotiate With
' Franco? President Coolidge's Poli
cies Made Clearer ? Anthracite
Coal Strike Is Not Yet Averted
?Recognition of Mex
ico l? Near.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD
OUT of the "foul welter of contro
versies" in Europe It appears
now that some practical method of
?settling the problems may arise soon.
England ,has spoken to France with di
recfness and harshness that 1? ranee Is
F .tvely offended, and the correspond
ents once more announce that the en
tente is ruptured. German Socialists
have overthrown the Cuno govern
ment, and Gustave Stresemann has
formed a new ministry. Communists
have promoted bloody riots and strikes
in a score of German cities. Belgium
supports France more firmly than of
late. Italy awaits further develop
ments. America reiterates her Inten
tion of not assuming an active role
in the crisis.
All that looks black enough, but this
may be the darkest hour just preced
ing the dawn. As the angry states
men cool down, they begin to intimate
that a basis of understanding may be
found between England and t ranee.
Failing this, it is likely France and
Germany will undertake to reach an
independent agreement, and in that
case Great Britain doubtless would
carry out her oft repeated threat of
making a separate settlement with the
Germans.
Chancellor Stresemann's ministry,
the first coalition majority govern
ment in the history of Germany, Is the
most promising yet formed and it has
been given a strong vote of confidence
by the reichstag. With the loyal sup
port of the army It has succeeded in
squelching the attempted revolution of
Communists except in Brunswick.
Adopting the financial program pre
pared by the late Cuno government,
it is about to put the country on a
gold basis by means of a huge gold
lefen and a plan of taxation that will
compel industrial magnates to pay up.
IN HIS first address to the reichstag
Chancellor Stresemann said Ger
many must still insist on complete
restoration of her rights in the occu
pied territory and the release of Ger
mans imprisoned there by the French
and Belgians, as a condition for cessa
tion of passive resistance, but it ap
peared his attitude was slightly more
conciliatory than that which Cuno had
assumed, and from which he was un
able to recede. In Berlin it is under
stood the government is considering a
proposal to France for a debt agree
ment similar to that between the
United States and Great Britain, one
of the main points being that Ger
many shall assume France's debt to
the United States. As a preliminary
Germany would first send a joint note
to France, Great Britain and America
admitting that previous efforts to meet
reparations payments, have not been
sufficiently strong, and that the gov
ernment is willing to go much further,
both in the amount and in the guaran
tees.
Arbold Rechberg, an industrialist
leader, offers a plan for French parti
cipation in German industry which is
being favorably discussed. He says
Its acceptance depends largely on the
question of percentage of French par
ticipation. Germany offers 30 per
cent In new stocks, and France de
mands 51 per cent.
"France cannot leave the Ruhr with
out showing to its people that it got
something," said Herr Rechberg, "and
with stocks showing a large participa
tion in German Industry, it would
achieve Its purpose. Likewise Ger
many and France can co-operate indus
trially successfully to the advantage
of both."
T ACKING at this writing an official
?*? ' statement of France's intentions,
one can make a close guess by reading
the inspired articles in the semi
official newspapers of Paris. These
are thus summarized by a correspond
ent :
"First, the French openly llirt with
Germany toward direct negotiations
for a solution of the reparations ques
tion, with the exclusion of Great Brit
ain or any other troublesome power.
Second, the French tell the British
? and the Americans, too ? in so many
words, that the only time they will pay
their war debts due is after Germany
pays for the reconstruction of the war
devastations and pays in addition the
amounts due from France to London
and Washington.
Third, repulsing the Curzon sugges
tion to refer the Ruhr occupation to
the world court, the French intimate
that they might ask The Hague to de
cide whether the Versailles treaty pro
vides that all reparations must be paid
before the interallied debts are recov
ered and whether President Wilson's
14 points provide that the allies' pen
sions are among the obligations which
Germany must assume.
If all conciliatory plans fail, Pre
mier Poincare will continue the occu
pation of the Ruhr with Increased
vigor and if necessary will seize the
valley of the Main with Frankfort
and other cities in that rich region.
This would practically cut Gfcrmany
in two.
Foreign minister curzon's
note to France and Belgium, which
possibly brought the Franco-British
entente to an end, suid Great Britain
was tired of diplomatic exchanges and
wanted Immediate action ; that she be
lieved the occupation of the Ruhr to
be illegal and would submit that ques
tion to the world court; and that
France must repay to Great Britain
enough of the money lent her to en
able Britain, with what she may re
ceive from Germany, to pay her debt
to the United States. The note con
cluded with a definite threat to take
action for a separate settlement with
Germany.
France Is Insulted by Curzon's
clauses on the interallied debts, assert
ing that she never had the slightest
Intention of repudiating her debts to
England and America. She points
out that the Ruhr occupation was first
suggested by England less than two
years ago, was Justified by Sir Robert
Horne in the house of commons Oc
tober 29, 1920, and was authorized
by the reparations commission by a
vote of three to one.
Regarding the allies' debts, the
Journal des Debats points out that
Great Britain wants only 14,000,000,
000 gold marks ($3,500,000,000) to
pay the United States, and as she is
entitled to 22 per cent of the 50, 000,
000,000 gold marks ($12,500,000,000)
A and B series bonds, this leaves a
balance of only 3,000,000,000 gold
marks ($750,000,000), "and there is
certainly some means to arrange that,
about which we can talk later."
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE and his
cabinet met TuesdAy and dis
cussed many of the important ques
tions confronting them. It was then
announced from the White House
again that the President's policies
would be the same as those of Pres
ident Harding, and his views on vari
ous questions were given in more de
tail. Summarizing some of these, it
is stated that the administration
stands ready to co-operate with Eu
rope In working out a solution of the
reparations question, if it can do so
without involving the United States,
blit it has no concrete proposal to
make at tills time; that it will pro
ceed with efforts to collect the debts
owed America by foreign govern
ments ; that the President and secre
tary of agriculture are sympathetical
ly studying many suggestions for leg
islation to help the farmer; that the
determination of the administration
to enforce strictest economy cannot
be stated too strongly and the budget
system will be scrupulously followed;
that the President favors the policy
of admitting only 'the better class of
Immigrants and will study plans sub
mitted by Secretary of Labor Davis.
Mr. Coolidge sees no need now for' an
extra session of congress.
/"CONFIDENCE and decision have
taken the place of the former ap
parent shyness of President Ooolidge
and Washington officialdom is pleased
with the vigorous way In which he is
tackling his tasks. Politicians give
him first place in the list of aspirants
for the Republican presidential nom
ination next year. Last week he held
conferences with a number of Repub
lican leaders from Southern states,
and there were signs th'fct the South- j
era delegate support was drifting his
way. In line with this was Mr. Cool- 1
Idge's appointment of C. Bascom
Slemp as secretary to the President
Mr. Slemp was formerly a congress
man from Virginia and has long been
one of the most important Republic- ,
ans of the South. The Democratic na- |
tional committee promptly character- j
ized the appointment as "the first step
to round up Southern delegates" for
Coolidge, and then went on to at
tack Slemp, asserting that he was
??exposed on the floor of the house De
cember 15. 1922, in connection with
the alleged trafficking in offices by Re
publicans in Southern states."
EFFORTS of the administration to
prevent the suspension of anthra
cite coal mining after September 1
have not yet met with success. With
the approval of President Coolidge,
the federal coal commission head
ed by John Hays Hammond invited
the representatives of the operators
and miners to meet it in con
ference in New York city. Accord
ingly the sub-scale - committee, four
men from each side, Joined the board
members in discussing the questions
at issue. The miners proposed to
abandon their demand for the j
'?check-off" of union dues if the op
erators would wnse their practice of
collecting explosive and fuel accounts
by the same method. To this the op
erators agreed, but with conditions at
which the miners balked. Mr. Ham
mond said "frankly, the outlook is dis
couraging."
Meanwhile other government depart
ments ,are preparing for a possible
strike.
JOHN BARTON PAYNE and Charles
B. Warren, representatives of the I
United States in the prerecognition
conference in Mexico City, have con
cluded their task satisfactorily and
by this time are back in Washington
with the signed records of the ses
sions. These comprise the two claims
conventions and the Mexican govern
ment's Interpretation of the bearing
of the subsoil petroleum and agrarian
laws on American property In Mexico.
It is believed the agreements reached
by Payne and Warren with the Mexi
can representatives will be acceptable
to the American administration and
that the resumption of diplomatic re
lations will soon follow. An agree
ment was made to have the president
of the permanent court of interna
tional Justice at The Hague appoint j
neutral umpires for the United States
and. Mexican claims commissions,
which are to be created through the
revolutionary and mixed claims con
ventions, if and after diplomatic rela
tions are resumed.
THE gasoline price war which Gov
ernor McMaster started in South
Dakota where the state placed the
fuel on sale at 16 cents began to
spread to other states in the Middle
West and resulted in the Standard
Oil company of Indiana meeting the j
cut, though it protested that the |
price was below the cost of produc
tion. Other concerns followed suit
and the consumers were comparative
ly happy. In a few days Governor
McMaster, after conferring with inde
pendent oil Jobbers, raised the price
in South Dakota to 20 cents, "so the
prevailing price would have the same
relative reduction as In other states."
The war is still going on, and it may
be the federal government will take
a hand.
i ____
ONE hundred and thirty-eight men
were entombed in a coal mine at
Kemmerer, Wyo., by an explosion
about 1,700 feet below the surface,
and despite the frantic efforts of res
cue workers 98 of them perished.
EAMON DE VALERA, the Irish
Freg State's chief thorn-ln-the
flesh, was becoming altogether too ac
tive In the campaign for the election
soon to be held, so government troops
grabbed him while he was addressing
a big meeting of republicans at Ennis,
County Clare, and locked him up. He
probably wLll be kept in Jail in Dublin
until country is more peaceful.
BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOCIA
TIONS HELP 4UILD 5,000
HOMES DURING YEAR.
REPORT OF STMT W. WADE
New Bern, in Which Great Disaster
Occurred, Leads State in Yearly
Report
Raleigh.
Losses by fire in North Carolina dur
ing the year ending April 1, 1923/ to
1 tailed 133,319,127; according to the
annual report of Stacey W. Wade,
state Insurance commissioner. Re
porting on Building and Loan associa
tion activities in the state during Nthe
same peViod, the Insurance Commis
sioner stated in his report that more
than 5,000 homes, representing an in
vestment of more than $15,000,000
were built through these agencies.
| Compared with the total fire loss of
$33,319,127, the statement Is made in
Mr. Wade's report that this loss was
covered by $19,257,000 Insurance. De
fective flues and shingle roofs are
accredited as the chief source of fire.
I New Bern heads the list in the
Insurance* Commissioner's report of
the towns and cities suffering the
greatest fire losses, withj Charlotte
second. The loss caused by the New
Bern conflagration December 1, 1923,
is listed as $2,500,000. Charlotte's
loss for the entire year is estimated
at $485,877.
The "appointment of an official
whose sole duty shall be te supervis
ion*' of the Building and Loan asso
ciations of the state is recommended
to the Governor In the Insurance Com
mlisioner's report on account of the
Increased activities of these organiza
tions.
The Department of Insurance col
lected $861,063.31 In licenses and fees
during the year, the report stated.
Let More Road Work August 29.
' Sixty, nine miles of hard surface
construction included in thirteen pro
jects will be offered contractors in a
letting announced by the State High
way Commission for Wednesday,
August 29. With the exception of four
smaller projects, callteig for grading
and bridges, every project In the list
Is for hard surfaced construction.
Greenville and Washington draw
the largest mileage of any project
with 14 miles ot paving to connect
the two towns. The Wilmington
Charlotte-Asheville highway will draw
three paving projects, Monroe to
Polkton, Laurinburg to Hamlet and
Wilmington to Leland. The Central
Highway has only one project in the
list, a short link between Asheville
and Waynesville.
Continuation of the paving between
Raleigh and the Virginia State lines
provided for in the proposal to grade
out the right of way and build needed
bridges between the Wake county
line and Franklinton. As soon as this
^jorfc 1? completed and the roadbed
settled, bids will be asked on paving.
The road is already under construc
tion between Raleigh and the Frank
lin county lfne. ?
Material and labor conditions, while
by do means back to normal, are
somewhat improved over conditions
that necessitated the supension of
much work in the early summer.
Bumper Crop of Hay.
"Last year was a bumper crop .for
hay, especially in the coastal belt
counties, ** it was declared in a state
ment issued by the state-federal de
partment of agriculture crop reporting
service. "Many crops were cut for
hay that were intended for other pur
poses, which in many cases was made
necessary on account of excessive
rains. .
"The average condition of hay for
August 1 was 80 per cent, with the
best condition being found in the
mountain and Central coastal coun
ties. Wild or meadow hay is found
almost exclusively in the mountain
counties where livestock is develop
ed to a considerable -degree.
"It Is reported that the hay crop
for the United States, averages 81
per cent, forecasting a production of
81,336,000 tons which averaged slight
ly over four-fifths of a ton to the
acre. Wild hay averages 84 per cent
with a slightly higher yield, than the
tame varieties. The average price at
this season Is tame, $12.46, and wild,
$9.17 per ton. These prices are about
$1.00 higher than quoted a year ago.
"Pastures averaged 83 per cent In
condition, which corresponds identi
cally with the condition of tame hay."
Dry Agents Have Good July Record.
One hundred and six distilleries:
1,115 gallons of spirits; 84,446 gallons
of malt liquors and 21 automobiles
were captured during July by federal
prohibition agents operating In North
Carolina.
Arrests totalling 78 were made while
170 prosecutions were recommended.
Value of the automobiles seized was
estimated at $5,825, while the total
appraised value of property seized and
destroyed amounted to $35,975.50. The
value of property seized and not de
stroyed was placed aj $5,898.
North Carolina Fruit prop Short
"We have one of the shortest fruit
crops in North Carolina that has been
experienced in many years," according
to announcement by the state-Federal
department of agriculture. "Even the
sandhill section is greatly behind in
this respect. The low forecast of one
fourth crop has been reduced to be
tween 1 and 18 per cent, the present
expectation being something over 300
cars of peachea.
"The state average, as reported
from hundreds of crop reporters all
counties, in the state, show 23 per
cent. The national crop is reported
at 47,300,000 bushels, which is almost
20 per cent less than last year's crop,
and approximately 10 per cent below
the five year average. The price of
$1.81 ie quoted for August average,
which is 20 cents above the price of a
year ago. The North Carolina crop is
very spotted.
"The state apple crop is estimated
to average 33 per cent for the agricul
tural crop and less than that for the
commercial growers. There was a
rather heavy drop in June, but condi
tions have been somewhat more favor
able during July. The American crop
is forecast at 188,000,000 bushels agri
cultural crop and 32,900,000 barrels
for the commercial crop. The aver
age price reported over the country is
$1.31 per bu6hel for the general run.
which is about the same as last year's
price.
"Grapes and pears show quite differ
ent conditions. Eighty per cent good
prospect, while 22 per cent for pears
indicates a low production. Other
fruit was generally poor over the state.
Blackberries showed a condition of 82
per cent, based on Auust 1 conditions.
"Watermelons and cantaloupes av
erage 72 per cent of a full crop pros
pect for Auust 1, in North Carolina.
Tomatoes averaged 80 per cent; cab
bage 79 per cent; onions 85 per cent
respectively. Sweet potatoes aver
aged 81 per cent; and late Irish pota
toes 77 per cent condition. Most of
the early truck crops suffered from
either unfavorable spring seasons or
the dry summer weather, especially
in the piedmont or central counties.
"The recent rainfall hae been fa
vorable for most parts of the state,
but is getting excessively wet in many
of the eastern counties while reliev
ing things considerably in the pied
mont. Cotton has grown unusually
well, but with the weevil in some of
the wet weather areas, the fruiting is
not as good now as it was. Most of
the crops are doing well and the farm
ers are generally optimistic about the
outlook. Certainly North Carolina is
one of the most favored states in the
union so far as crop growing condi
tions are concerned. This, however,
does not assure returns on their pros
pects, for later conditione may be
quite adverse and production in other
states may so affect the markets that
tfceJ farmers will get very poor prices.
The tobacco outlook is very food in
production and prices. This ia a gen
eral way, is true of cotton.
Big Crop of Wheat in N. C.
Indications are that North Carolina
will produce 6,633,000 bushels of wheat
this year, according te a statement is
sued by Frank Parker, statistician of
the State-Federal Department of Ag
riculture. The quality is unusually
good, said Mr. Parker, averaging 92
per cent of what might be expected
under extra good conditions.
"It has been seven years since
North Carolina had a good wheat
crop," stated Mr. Parker, "but she has
come to the front this year. From
the beginning of a very poor prospect,
especially after the Spring freezes, the
development has progressively im
proved. Even at harvest time the ex
pectation was not as good as was real
ized when threshed.
"This condition is evident from the
report of more than eleven bushels
per acre and a crop of 94 per cent. It
would appear from a yield map of the
State that the best yield of more than
eleven bushels per acre was made in
the main wheat belt and central moun
tain counties, and high yields were
also made in the coast belt.
"The poorest conditione were found
from Stanley northeastward to Frank
lin and westward to Rockingham, this
being the eastern part of the Pied
mont area, where the yields were less
than eleven bushels. Franklin, Per
son, Caswell, Chatham, Moore, Stan
ley, Surry and Cherokee Counties re
ported eight bushels or less.
"The American wheat crop shows
an average yield of 15.6 bushels per
acre forecasting a production of 793,
000,000 bushels. The Winter wheat
was better than the Spring sown crop.
The average price for August 1 is 84
cents as compared with 97 cents a
year ago. The North Carolina crop is
forecast at 11 bushels per acre, fore
casting a production of 6,633,000 bush
els, with the price averaging about
1.20. The quality is unusually good,
averaging 92 per cent of what might
be expected under extra good condi
tione. I
Cotton Damaged By Red Spider.
Numerous complaints of damage to
cotton by the red spider have been
received from Wilson, Bertie, Halifax
and Warren counties, according to
Franklin Sherman, chief in entomolo
gy for the state.
"There were a few complaints in
late June and early July but many
reports of damage have been received
since mid-July," Mr. Sherman stated.
"The area affected extends from Fay
etteyille to the northeastward with
the greatest damage In the counties
mentioned." - ..
Began Taking
ham'- lr
Vegetabl(
andifl?
any
not believe that any
worse than I did. f8t>
but nothing helnednf ^
take Lydia g^SrWl
Compound. I fe't a ?
* d k
after the tirst bottle, andl^.
ing it for 1 arn sure itiauW
me on my feet."
If you are suffering from
; ment, irregularities, backack
neas, sideache or any other W
male weakncs you BhouU*^
i Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine O
1 Massachusetts, for Lydia E.
I Private Text-Book upon "Ai
I culiar to Women." It will be*
i free upon request. Thisboit
5 valuable information.
Something Wrong So*
Maybe tlh
^ throw ^jjrr
this high cost ,,f jiving ^
A high K"verniiiHflt
collection (.f briMims jn jy.
ufaeturers were <??
award on brooms
' ?
"UNlM 1
I
J*
'UlIlKjfljr
Tlip
?wm\
#n?lg of >1
der will sell timus:
Uncle Sam.
"See that broom?* said ^
"Do you know Imw murh tVj,.
in the stores';"
His auditor did not.
"Well, it costs you $211
the stores," continued the ,
"Now do you know the price tii
quoted to us?"
Apain his auditor wa< i- ^|
"Well, they have quoted us h
of $12 a dozen, or iht'tvalmrAj
it out for yourself."? Wasbinnii
Just the Opposite,
In China the first name coil
and the last firsr. That is. w
to the American way of look^J
Sure Relid
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