North Carolina Newspapers

f.,. ! i a. t v ' P. II o PAGES TODAY ONE SECTION VOL.XCIX-NO. 224 0W YORK CAPTURED BY JOFFRE A ND HIS PARTY OF city Surrenders Unconditionally and Accords the Visitors a Triumphal Entry AN HISTORIC EVENT WAS Million People Turn Out to Pay Homage Foreigners Plain ly Show Emotion ALSO VISIT PHILADELPHIA Honorary Degree Conferred Upon Joffre and Viviani Xew. York, May 9. New York giif rendered unconditionally to Joseph Jacques Joffre, marshal of France, and the French war mis sion this afternoon. Not only did the world's largest city capitulate to the hero of the Marne and to Kene Viviani, former premier of France, who headed the war mis sion to the United States, but it accorded them a triumphal entry. Xever have visitors to New York been 'given so tremendous a wel come. At least a million of its citizens turned out to pay hom age to the great soldier and the great statesman of a sister repub lic. . " Overwhelmed at Demonstration. Accustomed as they have beoome to demonstrations of esteem since they set toot on American soil, the French -men were overwhelmed at the demon stration accorded them by New York. Their coming was an historic event ond it was celebrated in a historic vay. The men whom the city honored did Bot try to hide the emotion they felt. From the moment they alighted in Jersey City from the closely guarded special train which brought them from Philadelphia until they retired tonight in the Fifth Avenue mansion of Henry C. Fnck, they were not per mitted to forget that New York was prcud to have within its grates tho representatives of the best loved ally of the United States. Glimpse of Liberty Statue. The members of the mission caught their first glimpse of Bartholdi's fa mous Statue of Liberty as they crossed the Hudson river on a police boat on their way to Manhattan. Viviani and Joffre stood at the rail, the former in silence with his hat at his side; the soldier at salute. Then the city's sky line drew their attention as the boat approached the shore. The Frenchmen were greeted by a reception committee which included Robert Bc.con, former ambassador to Trance; Joseph H. Choate, former am bassador to Great Britain; Jules Jus serand, the French ambassador; Frank L Polk, counsellor of the State De partment; George Wickersham, former Attorney General; Dr. Nicholas Mur ray Butler, president of the Columbia Uiversity; Major-General John E. "Ryan, commanding the state Nation al Guard; Otto H. Kahn. Cornelius anderbilt, Thos. W. Lamont, Dudley ;eld Malone, collector of the port, and other city officials, together with officers of the army and navy. Trcops and Police Escort. Tjey were escorted from the battery w the tity hall by a squadron of cav- ry and two troops of mounted police, 'Br:)USh the canyon of Broadway, . lieh was choked with a wildly cheer- multitude. At the city hall they ere formally welcomed to New York J Mayor John Purroy Mitchell and Jjr. Choate. stVhiani resPned with the long speech he has made since his arriv- 11 m America. j America, said M. Viviani, waited a , befre deciding to enter the . . - -wo-woc cue nuuicu IU Pr?n'n- to enter on the riSht side nee fought for liberty, consenting y war .forth i,or inA Lcr. juie sacrifice tr win lihar-tv fny hv J explained, and that was PraV America finally stepped in. SiOrM6 gl3d' he 'said' to nave her hh,2nd material support, although -nI d never doubted that it would Vivian -e"atest lesson of the war, M. The uci-iarea. WflS rnnaKr nt nn ho. Germ.. 6 inere was a war like v. awgo wuuiu ue in irnie( "ULjr uenig 10 remain theVr-, Way from the citv hal1 to enu,t,- home where they will be , "tamed the three days they remain citv. Marshal Joffre told an ?eivM - most wnierful they had re- -a in America. a liberty day in the United aunuea on Paec TwnV Thin- Lesal Hday. Hodav May 10th' 1917 bein a nsart.i v re Wil1 be no business la!nl y the Ba"k of this city. iion T)1 CIearinff House Assooia toingt.,,, v - oper. Secretary.: Wil 6l, .N: C., May 5th, 1917.-rrAdv, FRENCHMEN DETAILS OF WAR LOAN COMPLETED McAdoo Announces Smallest De nomination Will be $50, With I $100,000 as Highest WILL MATURE IN 30 YEARS To be. Two Classes of Bonds, Coupon and Registered Applications to Loan Must be Made on or Before July' 15. Washington, May 9. The $2,000,000, 000 issue of Liberty bonds, Secretary McAdoo announced tonight, will be in denominations of from. $50 to $100,000, will mature in 30 years and may be re deemed by the government in 15, will be subject to payment in four install ments and wiU carry the privilege of conversion into any bonds which may be issued later during the war at a higher rate of interest. Two per cent of the subscription must be paid on application. The re mainder will be paid as follows: June 28, IS per .cent; July 30, 20 per cent; August 15, 30 per ceni, and August 30, 30 per cent. ' The bonds will be dated June 15 in stead of July 1, the date previously designated, and interest will be paya ble semi-annually on June 15 and De cember 15. Two classes of bonds will be issued, coup'on and registered. The lowest de nomination of registered bonds will be $100, other denominations being $500, $1,000, $5,000, $15,000, $50,000 and $100, 000. Coupon bonds, payable to bearer, will be issued in denominations of $50. 3100; $500 and $1,000. Decision to place the minimum de nomination at $50, instead of (100, the amount tentatively agreed upon last night, was not reached until late today: Another detail not decided until the last aaTnute was the conversion privilege. In all other respects the tentative pro gram reached last night was virtually undisturbed. The present offering, it was announc ed, will be limited to $2,000,000,000, and no allotments will be made in excess of that amount. This disposes finally of reports that Mr. McAdoo had under consideration the advisability of ex tending that amount of the offer to in clude a percentage of the over-subscription which apparently will result when the subscription books are closed June 15, next. ' ' , DEADLOCK ON THE DRAFT BILL MAY BE REPORTED Another Day of Conferences Falls to Bring About Agreement. Washington, May 9. Another day of conferences on the war army bill ended with Senate and House conferees still far apart on several differences in; the bill as it passed the two houses. An other effort to get together, probably the last, will be made tomorrow. There was evidence tonight that the Senate conferees were about, ready to report a deadlock and ask for further instructions: INCREASE OF FIFIEEII PER CENT INADEQUATE Western Railroad Representatives Present Their Side . Assert That Proposed Advance Would Fall By At Least $30,600,000 to Meet the Increased Operat ing; Cost. Washington, May 9. After South eastern railroad executives had told the Interstate Commerce Commission to day that an increased rate of at least 15 per cent was necessary for them to properly conduct their business, the railroads of the West asserted that the 15 per cent increase would fail by at least $20,600,000 to meet advanced op erating costs. Joseph' H Young, president of - the Norfolk Southern, speaking' as one of the Southeastern representatives, blam ed the emergency confronting the rail roads upon conditions brought about by the. war. Vice-President Kirkland,J of the Florida East Coast, said 15 per cent was not sufficient to cover increas ed operating costs, even though his road had been able to reduce its costs somewhat by splitting divisions and building additional terminal facilities. The first witness to testify for the Western roads was L E. Wettling, a statistician. ; He put into evidence detailed statis tical tables' to. show ' that the" increased revenue from a general 15 per cent ad vance would mean an added revenue to the Western roads of -$135,300,000.' .(Continued . 0n, Page Two). WILMIKGTON, IF BILL IS ADOPTED According to Its Terms the Amer ' ican People Will Pay Taxes of $33 Per Capita COMES UP IN! THE HOUSE Levy to be Placed on Light, Heat and Telephone Bills Pro tests Pouring In Washington, May 9. -Tho war tax bill, extending its excises to the fab ric of every American home, was for mally presented to the House today by the 'Ways arid Means committee with plans for quick passage.- It proposes special taxes to raise $1,800,000,000 in addition to the present normal annual revenue of $1,500,000,000. When its terms are effective the Am erican people will be paying direct taxes, of : $33 per capita. The people of the British Isles-half -as many now pay per capita taxes of $60. While the principal features of the new war levy are the increases in in come and profits taxes, internal rev enue rates and customs duties, many of its provisions reaoh the innermost structure of every home and make up a list of taxes, probably the most for midable ever faced by the American people. The household light, heat and tele phone - bills, admission tickets to amusements. Are and ' life insurance, railway tickets, automobiles, automo bile tires and tubes, soft drinks, pos tage' rates, golf clobs and base ball bats, club dues, and a. host .of other every-day necessities or luxuries come under ahe taxation. . Increased postage rates on newspap ers, arranged in - a aone system, . are such that publishers say they will force ' many newspapers .out; of busi ness. Already protests Against many features of the law are pouring in, and attacks upon it will center, in the Sen ate finance committee which will con duct public hearings on it and prob ably, make, some amendments.' When Democratic Reader ' Kitchin presented, the bill to the House today, he announced that .." general -debate would begin tomorrow and that he had .hoped to, pass i,t by Saturday... There is some objection, however, to hurrying the bill, and it probably will be passed the early part of next wek. SEVEN AUSTRIAN STEAMERS PURCHASED BY GOVERNMENT Have Tonnage of 52,651 and ' Were Bousrht For Only ' f 6,778,006. Washington, May 9. Tne Federal Shipping Board today announced it had purchased from American owners sev en Austrian merchantmen held in Am erican ports, totalling' 52,651 tons, for $6,778,006. . The price is about half the prevailing price for ships. The ves sels' will be repaired within a few months and placed in the war emer gency trade by the board. The ships are Dora, 7,730 gross tons, and Ida, "4,30 tons, both at New York; Erny, 6,515 tons, Boston; Anna, 1,575 tons; Clarai 3,932 tons; Teresa, 3,769 tons, at New Orleans; and the Lucia, 6,744 tons, at Pensacola. They were bought from A. T. Heard and Geo. A. Carden, New York ship owners, who agreed to sacrifice . their profits and sell at virtually the same prioe they paid for the vessels. 1 CONFIDENT SIMM1E MENACE WILL BE MET Admiral De Chair of British Navy Addresses Navy League Believes Either British and American Inventive Genius or Combined Efforts of the Navies Will Effect a Remedy. Washington, May 9. Confidence that the submarine menace will be met ei ther by British and American inventive genius or by the combined navies of the two powers was expressed by Rear Ad miral Sir Durley It. S. DeChair, of the British mission, at a reception tendered him by the Navy League. "British in ventions," he said, "encourage me to ex press the confidential hope that the necessary, antidote" to the submarine will be found. ; - Admiral de Chair said American and British naval ? officers would not be content to let things rest with the mer chant' shipbuilding program as a means td" crush the submarine. "It will be: six months,", he said, "before the full weight of a. shipbuild ing program can be felt. Decisive re sults may be, can be, and will be achieved before the combined efforts of our navies. "We have all of us a .the minute centered,, our thoughts upon the ;task of overcoming and crushing' the Ger man submarine campaign. - In this task: the United States, navy , is about to -ren-i der most necessary assistance i You wiir agree -with; me that the necessary . (Continued on , -Page :Two);j -1 -v..- FEEL WAR TAX 1ST. C, THURSDAY HORNING, MAY 10, 1917 Hollweg May Present Peace Terms Monday Copenhagen, via London, May 9. sneoial ; - disoatch receiver! v of from Berlin says Dr. Von Beth-mann-Hollweg, the imperial German chancellor, will answer a peace in terpellation in the-; Reichstag Mon day.' The dispatch adds that the Reichstag will adjourn in the middle of May, but not to autumn, as is customary. 'Amsterdam, via kortdon, .May 9. The Tijd's correspondent in Ger many reports that parliamentary cir cles there expect-the chancellor's reply to interpellations with re gard to Germany's peace aims will be rendered unnecessary by a more official statement ,bn the subject. London, May 9. A ; dispatch to the Exchange Telegraph from Am sterdam dealing .with the Tijd's statement concerning Germany's peace proposals, .says it , has been confirmed that Germany is about to make another peace offer in con junction with her allies. HOOVER ADVOCATES 1 As Means of Ending Food Specula tion Argues -for Prohibi tion as War Measure CONFERS WITH PRESIDENT Reports on Food , Conditions Abroad and Presenti Estimates of Allies for Their Food Require ments from - America. Washington, May 9. Herbert C. Hoover reported to President Wilson today on food conditions abroad and presented the Allies estiniates-of their food requirements frohi America dur ing) the coming year, f At an hour's conference-; heyiewed the situation in detail, ouriinip.a; measures foreign governments have taken to conserve their supplies. - .- On his departure from "the White House, Mr. Hoover was asked if he would accept a place as food dictator, if one was. created. "I don't want to bevfood dictator for thej American speople," he replied.- "The man , who accepts such a position' will die on the barbed wire i of the first line entrenchments." 4 1' Before the Senate agriculture com mittee earlier in the ; day Mr. Hoover urged that the central food department be established. He advocated price fixing bills approved ; by, the, adminis tration as a means of ending specula tion and argued ' for prohibition as " a wat- measure. Later he ' saw the six cabinet members who comprise the Council of National Defense. At this conference he cited the need for food control and outlined " What the Allies are! doing in this direction. I First Food Bill Debated. The first of the administration food bills was debated in the .Hiuse today, Chairman Lever, of "the agriculture committee, presenting J the measure with the declaration , that its prompt enactment is vital to (successful con duct of the war. Several members from the food producing parts of the country attacked the bill as giving too much power to the government, Representa tive Graham, of Pennsylvania, object ing - particularly to provisions, empow ering the Secretary of Agriculture to send his agents into nlaces of business to obtain information. 1 One reason for the provision. Repre sentative Lenroot, - of i - Wisconsin, re plied, "is to prevent speculation. This will permit the Agricultural "Depart ment to get information necessary for that purpose." i ' CROPS WERE RETARDED BY COLD WEATHER LAST WEEK Planting of Cotton in Vorth Carolina Delayed by Rains. '.; Washington, May 9.--Veg-etation was retarded in nearly ail sections of - the country -by. the cold, weather of- last week, according to the National weath er land crop bulletin issued today. In the Southeastern states much needed rains refreshed vegetation, but " cold, prevailed everywhere! j except in Flori-, dai' . . ' J I . ; " : . The weather was decidedly Unfav orable to cotton in the western part of the belt. Considerable replanting was necessary in Oklahoma. Generous' rains in the eastern section favorably affected the cotton plants. Good stands were assured by rains 1 in . Georgia and goods stands were reported in SOuth Carolina. Planting irt North Carolina was delayed somewhat, by rain, but the planting was nearly finished in other eastern belt district F Cultivation was going on in nearly all Southern states and chopping was -begm-in scattered localities in Texas, i - j CANADIAN CASUALTIES . SINCE BEGINNING OF- WAR,- S9.S43 Ottawa, Ont., May 9. Casualties among the Canadian " expeditionary forces from the4 time- the war began up to yesteraay. nau ; reacnea a total ofj 89,843. killed, v wounded -nd missing, according to a report; made tonight by the vr&r office, " fY ' n f ;) - . ' -:v " 'V'- Legal Holiday. :. :-' ;:. '''jj ' i iThursday, May.. 10th, 1917, being , a, Hoiiday, there ' will , be no -business transacted .by the i Banks, of. this, city, wnmlnfthn rtMine Hoiish : Annncis. Ltloji.v:.Th6-ECxwperSecretary. -Wil-jmington, N.'C, May 5th; 1917,T-Adv FIXING OF! PRICES VAWTER CLEARED OF THE CHARGE OF MURDERING HETH Jury Takes One Ballot and Re turns Verdict After Being Out .Two and a Half Hours STATEMENT. FROM VAWTER Says He Realizes He Was Guilty of Weakness When He Should Have Been Strong Christiansburg, Va., May 9. Charles E. Vawter, former professor of physics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, at Blacksburg, Va., was tonight declared not guilty of the murder of Stockton Heth,, Jr., sportsman and society man, who was found fatally wounded in the upper hallway, of the Vawteif home ear ly . on the morning of Marh 13, last. The case was given to the jury at 4:30 o clock and the verdict was . returned promptly at 7 o'clock. . ; i As Deputy Clerk. Trigg Walters read the words that made Vawter a free man, he sprang . from his chair and Clasped his. aged mother to his breast. R. L. Jordan, the only member of Vaw ter's counsel in the court room when the verdict was read, sank into his chair and sobbed-" "Thank God." Mrs. Vawter went into hysterics when a newspaper man telephoned her the news. She could hardly express her gratitude. , , j Vnwter's Statement. . Immediately after the verdict was rendered, Professor . Vawter j issued the following statement: VI thank the jury for their verdict, of which I. felt sure from the first. I greatly regret the whole sad affair and sorrow caused. The injustice done Mrs. Vawter by the prosecution and press is the greatest blot upon the whole sad affair. ' While I am blameless as to Stockton's death, I realize that I have beep, guilty of weakness when I should have been strong. The future stares me -darkly in the face, but with -God's help I shall endeavor to build some where ' a happy home for my children and wife. My plans are"to rest." A member of the jury, -after leaving the court room, stated that only one ballot was taken and that ( either one of the two thepries of the- defense, the unwritten rlaw or. self defense, would have cleared ' the accused manl - The end of the trial of 1 Professor Vawter brought to a close (one of the most sordid and .sensational cases in the annais of 'criminal history of Vir ginia. Both families ' involved are prominently" connected throughout the state, of aristocratic lineage -and well known socially. " " , j BRITISH SHIPPING LOSSES . DURING THE PAST WEEK London, May 9. Twenty-four '.Brit ish merchant vessels of more than 1,600 tons each were sunk J during the last Week, it was announced- officially. Twenty-two vessels of less . than 1,600 tons, and 16 fishing vessels also were sunk. The official-statement says: - "Vessels of -all nationalities, arrivals, 2,374; sailings, 2.499. ' ; " 1 "British merchantmen over 1.600 tons 6unk, including five- not reported previously, 24; under 1,600 "tons, 22. '"British merchantmen unsuccessfully attacked, including six previously not reported, 34. ! ". '-British fishers sunk, including one not previously reported, and 13 sail ers. 16." "V j L ii Bills Will be Introduced in Con gress at Once Will Ask for Half Billion Dollar Ap. propria tlon to be Used in Build- lng a Great Steel and ivood- . ' - en Cargo Fleet. Washington, May 9. Leaders of both parties jn Congress at a conference with President Wilson today promised to' support the administratidn's billion dqllar shipbuilding program. Bills will be introduced Immediately to give the Shipping Board $500,000,000 ,for . con struction of a -great steel -and -wooden cargo fleet to run the German undersea blockade' and the' remainder . of. .'the money will be' appropriated 'whenever needed. -j " ." "The billion dollars asked for ship building is a mere, trifle compared with what the Allies are spending in conduct of. the war," said Chairman Denman, of the .Shinning Board, after; the confer tnce. ""It may be far below he amouni we shall have to spend fori ships before the war is over. The board aims to produce all the - shipping American yards can turn out at forced speed and ask for more money, wheft : the , billion is exhausted." ; 1 ' The . shipping measures - willbe com. Dieted'., within a few days. They would empower the. government to take . over ship yards and the output of steel mills'. (Continued on nge two;, SUPPORT PLEDGED FOR sura IPR06R SANGUINAR Y BA TTLE STILL RAGES AROUND VILLAGE OF FRESNOY t . VICTOR GARLSTROM MEETS HIS DEATH Noted Aviator and Carey B. Epes, An Aviation Student, Plung ed 3,500 Feet to Ground THEIR MACHINE COLLAPSED Carlstrom Had ' Established Several Flight " Records Epos Was One of Best Known Young Men In Newport News. . Newport News, Va., May 9.-Victor Carlstrom, one of the foremost avia tors in America, and Carey B. Epes, an army aviation student," were killed here today when ai 'airplane crumpled in mid-air and . f ell 3,500 feet. Both bodies were badly -mangled and the ma chine was smashed. Young Epes, who resigned from a local bank last week to enter the army aviation corps, was oh his first flight. He and Carlstrom, who was regarded as the premier instructor at the Atlan tic Coast Aeronautic Station, ascended about noon and rose rapidly to about 3,500 feet, while hundreds of persons watched the fligTlt from different parts Of the city. . The machine had straightened away when it was seen suddenly to collapse,' the right wing breaking off. The plane shot down at terrific speed, land ing ' in a field about a mile from the aviation school, the, broken wing fol lowing. . - . - ' Carlstrom had established several records, including ah altitude flight of 16,500 feet with pilot-and passenger a year ago. ' . Probably his greatest performance was his flight ' from Chicago to New York In the, New Yofk Times airplane several months ' ago.- Before that he had established a "record in a flight from here to -New York. A few weeks ago he was appointed first lieutenant in the . aviation - reserve Corps ' of the United States army and had. a large class of army students at the local school. . . Carey Epes was one of the best known young' men in this city. Pend ing his appointment, to the army, he had decided ; to train as- a - civilian. He was 26 years old. . Besides two broth ers , and-a sister here, he is survived by another brother, Horace Epes, of the Washington office -of the Associat ed Press. MORE THAN 3,000 HOURS IN 18 MONTHS SPENT IN THE AIR New York, May 9. In the last 18 months Carlstrom was in the air, ac cording to his own estimates, more than 3,000 ..hours, Aian JR. Hawley, president of the Aero Club," sai.d here today in commenting on Carlstrom's ex perience "and ' skill when told of his death;- He had "a- great air sense, was a born cross-country flyer and seemed to" know by a remarkable in stinct details of direction," said Mr. Hawley, who flew . with Carlstrom last July from New York to Washington. American records held By carlstrom include that of 11,180 , feet, altitude for aviator with" two passengers and the cross-country distance for aviators and one passenger, at-283 miles. He receiv- . (Continued on Page Two). She and Brother of J. T. Hale Held for Court Without Bail Pender Coroner's Jkt? Completes In ' qulry Into Hcr.ilelde, at Rocky Point and Renders Verdict Wor an Arrested. (By T ong Distance Telephone) Rocky Point, N. C, May 9. That jolja Y. Hale came to' ;his , death by a shot from a pistol in 'the hands of his brother, David L. Hale, and that Lula Hale, wife of deceased, was an acces sory after the fact, was the finding of the coroner's Jury which this after noon .completed its investigation and made up its verdict in connection with the killing on last Saturday of John T. Hale, a highly respected citizen and blacksmith of this community. The Jury also ordered that , both David L. Hafe and Mrs. Hale be held in jail without bail until .the June term of Pender Superior court. Mrs. Hale was taken in custody at the station here soon after the coroner rendered "its "verdict and was taken to Burgaw by 'Deputy Sheriff Ieden and placed 1n Jail. ' Her two children, made fatherless by the tragedy of last Sat urday, were taken in. charge by Mrs. Hale's father, Mr.1 Hanson Futch, David L. Hale, charged with the killing, has been In jail at Burgaw since Saturday. The" jury, empanelled by Coroner A. (Continued on Page Ten). WIFE OF SUIIII Ml IS IN JAiL AS ACCESSORY WHOIiE NUMBER 39,943 Its Re-Capture by British Wou 4 Place in Jeopardy Entire a German Line North WOULD THREATEN CAMBRAI French Have Scored Another' Gain on a Front of More Than Four Hundred Yards 400 PRISONERS CAPTURED treneral Engagements in Every War Theatre Expected Soon The sanguinary battle between the British and Germans for pos session of. the village of Fresnoy goes on apparently without abate ment. It is a battle of despera tion on the part of the Germans who see in the loss of the village a double menace -the placing in jeopardy of their entire line north. especially the towns of Lens and its adjacent coal fields, and a deeply projecting salient into their lines which would virtually put the British at the threshold of Cambrai. ; ....). Reports Conflicting. j. . The exact situation in the little vil lage, which was re-captured by the Germans Tuesday after a stubborn de fense on the part of the Canadians, ia somewhat obscure. The British war of--flce asserts that Prince Rupprecht bl Bavaria's men met with reverses west of the village Tuesday night during a counter attack while un6fnclal advices are to the effect that they have been expelled from a greater portion of the village, but are still holding out, al though barely able to maintain them selves against stubborn onslaughts 1 of the Canadians. ' "i On the . other: hand, the German dffl cral communication asserts that the Germans have held the village against fresh. British attacks and hi addition have taken 100 more prisoners. In mak ing, this claim, however, the usual de tails of a victory and claims of san guinary losses , inflicted are . lacking in tlie statement of the German war offlce. Wednesday saw" a return of unfav orable weather along the Anglo-German front, and except around Fresnoy the fighting was mainly by' means Of the. artillery. French Capture 400 Men. The French meantime have been busy consolidating the nositions eantuVed from the Germans in Tuesday's fighting near Chevreux, repulsing counter 'at tacks and engaging in artillery duels with the Germans. Northwest of Rheims in . the single . instance where the. infantry left the trenches 'the French attacked and captured German positions on a front of more than 4flft yards and brought back 400 prisoners. 'Although the fighting along the Ar ras front -has been described as ' the most violent during the war, announce ment has been made in the house of commons that the British casualties are 50 to 70 per cent, fewer than those'1 sustained in the battle of the Somme. Rnftslana Break Teutonic Line. The lighting in all the other theatres except in France continues of a sporad ic nature, although "the operations ?n Macedonia, vhere heavy artillery 'duels are in progress along the entire front; and in Rumania, where the Russians have broken through the Teutonic al lied line at one place, indicate the com ing of general engagements in a short time. As had been forecast, the number1 British vessels sunk during the week ending last Sunday was smaller than during the former week. Last week 24 vessels of over 1,600 tons and 22 of less than 1,600 tons were sent to the bot tom, as compared with 38 of more than 1,600 tons, and 13 in the other category the previous week. Germany Optimiatlc. Germany, however, is still optimistic -that her underwater campaign will be successful in ending the war. The naval budget committee of the relch stag has been' told-that in April not less than r,100,000 tons of shipping comprised the booty of the .subma rines, while the minister : of the navy has assured the chamber that Ger many has the necessary boats, men; fuel and accessories to" persevere until the eh. To Expend Medical Corps.' . Washington, May 9. Assistant surg eons of the naval reserve have been asked to take examinations for ap pointment to similar rank in the navy and 135 will be examined May 11 at IS naval stations and hospitals. Surgeon General Braisted said tonight that fur ther expansion of the medical corps was imperative to meet the needs of the increased naval force. Legal Holiday.. Thursday, May 10th, 1917, being' a Holiday, there will be 'no business transacted by the Banks of this city. Wilmington Clearing House'' Associa tion.' Thos. E: Cooper, Secretary. "Wil mington, N. C, May 5th, 1917. Adv. it t t -A r i: i hi Si: PA Is 1 t 'i H 5:v 1 r "-T r f t. r, t V -