North Carolina Newspapers

Mints THE WEATHER ' Probably Snow Tonight and Sunday; Much Colder Tonight O'CLOCK EDITION 8 PAGES VOL XXII. NO. 325. ASHEVILLE, N. C, SATURDAY AFTERNOON, DEC. 29, 1917 PRICE FIVE CENTS MIA ATES, J I i STORY OF 1 U.S. DESTROYERS The Fanning and Nicholson Were American Warships Engaged, Report Shows ACTING AS ESCORTS TO MERCHANT SHIPS Destroyers Dropped Depth Charges, Which Sank U Boat; Crew Surrendered Washington, Dec. 29. Full details of the destruction by American de stroyers of a German submarine and tho capture of Its crew made public today by the navy department, show that the destroyers Funning iind Nidi olson were the warships engaged. The incident was reported Njvomber 24. but lew facts wore given. The submarine was sung, the navy ' department's story of the affair In dicates, as It was preparing to attack a, merchant ship flotilla convoyed by the destroyers. lAddrjss-is of officers of the Fan vnlng as announced by the navy de partment Include: lieutenant H'-r O. Henry, enre iN, V. Mllioy. Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Chief Pharmacists Maie Elscer fur well. Peotts Hill, Tenn. Navy's Story of Incident. The navy department's full story of the incident follows: "At about 4:10 p. m., while es corting a convoy, Coxswain David D. Loomis, lookout of the Fanning, flighted a small periscope some dis tance off tho port bow, extending about a foot out of water and visible lor only a few seconds. The Fanning Immediately headed for the spot and about threo minutes after the peri scope had been sighted dropped a depth charge. The Nicholson nlso speeded to the position of the subma rine, which nppeared to be heading to ward a merchant vessel in the convoy, pud dropped another depth charge. At that moment the submarine's con ning tower appeared on the surface between the Nicholson and tho con voy, and tho Nicholson fired three shots from her stern gun. The bow of i the submarine came up rapidly. She was down by the stern but righted herself and seemed to Increase her Fpeed. The Nicholson cleared, the Faunlni; headed for the U-boat, firing from the bow gun. After the third elv.it the crew of the submarine all came on deck and held up their hands. ' the submarine surrendering at 4:28 j. m. "The Fanning approached the eub-j marine to pick up the prisoners, both ; destroyers keeping their batteries trained on the boat. A line was got to the submarine, but in a few minutes she sank, the line was let go and tho crew of the U-boat jumped into the water and swam to the Fanning. "Although the crew all wore life preservers a number of them were exhausted when they reached the side of the destroyer. As the submarine Bank five or six men were caught by the radio aerial and carried below tho eurface before they disentangled them ' selves. Ten of the men were so weak that lines had to be passed under .their tarms to haul them aboard. One man i was In such a condition that ho could not even hold the line thrown him. Chief Pharmacists Mate Elzer Harwell and Coxswain Francis G. Conner (N. IN. V.) Jumped overboard after this inian and secured a line under his Inrras. When he was hauled aboard 'every effort was made to resuscitate lilm, but he died in a few minutes. ,The four officers of the submarine and : 85 members of the crew were all 'taken prisoners. "After being taken on board the prisoners were glvvn hot coffee and sandwiches. Though kept under strict guard, they seemed contented and ; after a short time commenced to sing. To make them comfortable the crew 1 of the destroyer gave them their 'warm coats and heavy clothing. "The German officers said the first depth charge had wrecked the ma chinery of the submarine and canned 'her to sink to a considerable depth. 'The submarine bore no number nor .distinguishing mark. She was, however. Identified by life belts and by . statements of an officer and men of the crew. One of the life bolts, the report said, had "Kaiser" marked on I one side and "Gott" on the other. "The Fanning proceeded to port and I transferred her prisoners under guard. As they were leaving In small boats, j the Germans gave three cheers. The j commanding officer of the Fanning (read the burial service over the body of the dead German sailor and the de stroyer proceeded to sea and buried ;him with full military honors. j "In his report, the commander of the Fanning praises the conduct of his officers and crew, and gives particular .credit to Lieut. Walter O. Henry, of iflcer of the deck, and to Coxswain Loomis, who sighted the periscope. He also commends Pharmacists Mate .'Harwell and Coxswain Connor, who "Jumped overboard to save the drown ing German. "Tho British commander In chief, tindpr whom the destroyers were oj erating, said this in his report to the IBritlsh admiralty: 'The whole affairs (reflect credit on the discipline and SONK SUBMARINE THE ALLIES WILL BE ASKED TO TAKE PART IN PEACE CONFERENCE And If They Refuse Russi a Will Make Separate Peace With Germany, Trotzky Announces Count Czer nin's Terms Insufficient, Allied Leaders Declare; Correspondent Thinks Russia Wants Peace Above Everything Else Russia, Leon Trotzky told the coun cil of workmen's and soldiers' dele gates, would be forced to conclude a Honnrnte nence with fiermanv unless the entente allies join in the peaca ne gotiations within ten days. The Bol-1 shevik foreign minister announced I that the ciTielals will ask the entente powers whether they will Join in the peace negotiations. An advance guard of German peace emissaries has arrived in Petrograd. Allied Leaders Reply. Great Britain and France, through Premier Lloyd George and Foreign Minister Plchon, have replied infor mally to the peace proposals enunciat ed by Count Czernin for the central powers. The German terms are declared to be insufficient. The British national labor conference has voted to continue the war to make the world safe for democracy In the future. Foreign pol icies of the French government were approved by the French chamber of deputies. Correspondents Write of Situation. London, Dec. 29 Special dispatches from Petrograd, bearing date of Thurs day, aim to give an Impression of how ; the German peace reply was received! there, but tho statements are lnex-1 plicit and seem to be based partly on surmise. The reply, according to the correspondent of The Daily News, created a favorable Impression gen erally and he-believes that if the Bol sheviki convene the constituent assem bly now they will havo Russia almost solidly behind them. Representing the people as dis pirited and indifferent owing to the miserable conditions of life, including the food shortage, the correspondent of The Morning Post says that as far as northern .Russia is concerned it will accept peace on any terms the Ger mans may like to impose. How the remainder of Russia will act, ho adds, is another question. The correspond end of The Times is of the opinion that the Bolshevikl are disheartened over the German refusal to allow na tionalities hitherto without political independence to decide their own fu ture. He says that as the Russian delegates will adhere to this demand, it is likely to be a serious stumbling block to further negotiations. AMERICANS ARRESTED Not Known What Action Embassy Will Take On Seizure Of Banks Washington, Dec. 29. B. P. Stev ens, mnnucer of tho National Cllv Branch bank in Petrograd, and his assistant, a Mr. Link, arrested when the Bolshevikl seized the bank, have been released. American Ambassador Francis reported today. Ambassador Francis' dispatch add ed nothing to yesterday's news cables on the seizure of the banks, but said that Stevens and his assistant after being arrested were marched through the streets to the bank, where they were released. What action, if any, because of the seizure has been taken by tho American embassy was not stated. Unofficial reports of tho Bolshevikl having refused admittance to Russia to an American courier because his pass ports had not been inspected by the Bolr.hevik minister at Stockholm, will cause no action by this govern ment, it was said today at tho state department, and would not cause the government to ask the Bolshevikl for passports. Such a request might be construed into a recognition. training of the United States flotilla,' and addod that the incident showed that the Fanning 'is a man-of-war in the best sense of tho term, well dis ciplined and organized and ready for Immediate action.' He also praises her commander, Lieutenant A. 8. Car pender, and commonds Lieutenant Henry, Coxswain Loomis, Pharmacists Mate Harwell and Coxswain Conner. The British admiral also commended the prompt action of the Nicholson, which he says completed the success of its sister ship. The Nicholson was commanded by Lieutenant G. H. Fort. The British admiralty sent a telegram to the commander-in-chief directing him to express to the commanding of ficer, officers and men of fhe Fanning its 'high appreciation of their success ful action against enemy submarines.' "Vice-Admiral Sims commanding the American forces, operating in Eu ropean waters commended the otfioers and men of the Fanning and Nichol son. Coxswain Loomis was advanced to the next higher rating in recogni tion of his vigilance In lighting the perescops." No News In l'etrograd. The Russian frontier, according to The Post's correspondent, again has been closed to British and Americans owing to the continued disputes con cerning government messages. Allied residents in Petrograd, like the ordi nary public, have been six weeks in complete ignorance of what is happen ing in allied countries. The ordinary postal service stopped working long ago. On the other hand there is plenty of German newspapers and in formation. Petrograd, the correspondent adds, is full of Germans who quite at ease, speak the Berlin dialect loudly, the Russians not protesting. In general, he says, the feeling of the allied resi dents in northern Russia at the pres sent finds its nearest parallel in that of the European residents in Peking during the Boxer troubles. He quotes a represenatlve of one of the allies as saying to him last week: "We shall put tip with any affront to keep Russia in the war." Affronts to Allied Diplomats The Post's correspondent adds that affronts to the allied diplomats have hot been lacking. It is reported that the Bolshevikl at Kiev are trying to establish a rival Ukrainian rada to be composed of workmen and peasants. A congress of workmen's and soldiers' delegates held in Kharkov has de clared itself the supreme power in the Ukraine, deposing the Ukrainian rada. The Ukrainian military commander at Kiev has requested Ensign Kry Ir.nko, ,the Bolshevikl commander-in-chief, to release a number of Ukrain ian officers and soldiers he arrested at Minsk, Pskoff and elsewhere. A reply was demanded within 48 hours. Passports to Couriers, Petrograd, Dec. 29. The British embassy authorizes the announcement that an agreement ha3 been reached with the Bolshevik government to is sue passports to couriers going to Eng land, on condition that they perform only courier duty and return imme diately. The Moscow Bolshevik authorities have followed the example of those in Petrograd and have taken over all the private banks in Moscow. Given Up Everything Which We Have Bought So Dearly,' Says One Amsterdam, Dec. 28. Pan-German newspapers angrily condemn the peace terms of the central powers. The Tag lische Rundschau, of Berlin, says: "Never before have w given up so completely everything we so dearly bought with the bolod of hundreds of thousands, with the sweat of millions, with the deprivations of our children, with our own hunger." The Deutsche Zeitung says that the entente has won the greatest victory of the war and that diplomats have destroyed all that has been fought for. The Koelnlsche Zeitung, on the other hand regards the conditions as opening the road to a peace advan tageous to all sides. The Lokal Anzelger thinks that the German answer to Russia will not be much to the taste of people with mili tary leanings but adds: "The outlines, however, are drawn wide enough to give scope for de mands of Justice. Definite Judgment upon the peace work at Brest-Litovsk depends on how far tills i, fusibility is utilized in later negotiations." PAPER ON JANUARY 7 Washington, Dee. 29. Commission er W. B. Colver, of the Federal trade commission, announced today that plans were rapidly maturing for the hearings beginning January 7. in con nection with the news print price agreement which several manufactur er! recently made with the depart ment of Justice. A general invitation has been extended : all publishers and jobbers to participate and from replies it Is expected that a large number will attend. The afternoon of January 9, next, has beon set for a conference with the Jobbers, at which tho provisions of the agreement in which they are Inter ested will be considered. AGAIN HITSTHECOUHTRY Eastern Section Plunged In Cold Snap From Which Weather Bureau Foresees No Early Relief Washington, Dec. 29. A great, thick blanket of intensely cold air, ly ing sluggishly over the country from the upper Mississippi valley to the seaboard has plunged the whole east ern section of the United States into a cold snap from which the weather bureau foresees no immediate relief. While record low temperatures may be shown in some places the cold gen erally does not equal that of the mid December snap, but it is none the less effective as an agent of distress and suffering in many localities where there are coal shortages, intensified by the increased difficulties of trans portation and communication. In the language of the weather sharps, an "anti-cyclone" is responsi ble for the change. This is nothing less than an extraordinarily high bar ometer, touching this morning as high as 31 inches, something seldom seen in winter weather. This condition, prevailing over a great territory, means that an area of high atmos pheric pressure, impregnated with cold, has suddenly settled down over the eastern section ,and by its superior weight and force, had crowded out to sea the low pressure area which con tained all the warmer air. Around the edges of the high pressure area there are rain and snow, but the whole great mass has settled so sluggishly and gives so little disposition to move on and give place to warmer airs, that the weather bureau warns the country it may not expect relief for three or four days at least. In the south there has. been some snow in the middle Atlantic coast dis tricts and easterp Tennessee. . .Cloudy, unsettled weatner win prevail tonignt and Sunday in the south Atlantic and in the coastal districts of the, middle Atlantic states. Cold wave warnings have been Issued for interior South Carolina and central Georgia. To Moderate After Wednesday. Washington, Dec. 29. Cold and cloudy weather the first half of the week, moderating after Wednesday with rain Friday or Saturday, is fore cast for the South Atlantic and east gulf states during the week beginning tomorrow. Fair weather and rising temperature the first half of the week, with snow about Thursday and again at tho end of the week. Is indicated for Tennessee. There will be no decided temperature changes the last half of the week. Four Below In Boston. Boston, Dec. 29. The most severe cold wave experience in New England since 1914 swept in from the north west early today and caused wide spread suffering because of the gen eral lack of fuel. From a maximum reading of 37 degrees yesterday, the temperature dropped to 4 degrees be low in Boston at 7:30 o'clocV. tns morning, and held close to that mark an hour later with little Indication, weather bureau officials said, of any rise during the day. There was no promise of immediate relief, for bur eau reports showed that the cold would continue over Sunday. Coldest Day In rhllly. Philadelphia, Dec. 29. Steam and electric car service was interrupted and telephone and telegraph wires were damaged by a snow storm which ushered in the coldest day of the win ter here today. While zero tempera tures prevailed in many parts of the state the lowest figure In this city was six degrees but a high north wind which blew the snow into deep drifts added to the discomfort. Suffering is widespread throughout the city among all classes because of the coal short aKe. Colder weather Is predicted by the weather bureau for tomorrow and Mcndoy. Little PnfferlnB In Pittsburgh. Pitsburgh, Dec. 29. Natural gas companies and coal distributing agen cies learned a lesson from the first cold snap of the winter two weeks ago and when the mercury began dropping late yesterday preparations were im mediately made to meet any emer gency. As a reBUlt, even though of ficial temperatures showed from three to five above zero this morning, there was no suffering and manufacturing plants were In operation. Train and trolley service, however, was delayed. Warnings In Far Smith.. New Orleans, Dec. 29. Warning of n cold wave tonight for Louisiana, east Texas and Mississippi was issued today by the district 'fdrecastcr of the local weather bureau. Louisiana residents were advised to protoct llvo stock and vegetation against predicted tempera tures of 14 to 18 degrees in the north portion and 20 to 26 degrees in the south. Temperatures ranging from ?0 to 28 degrees ware predicted for the sugar and trucking region of east Texas and freezing weather to (he ooast was forecast for Mississippi. Thirty Below nt Dulnth. St. Paul, Minn., Dec. 29. Frigid temperatures continued today over the northwest. At Duluth 30 degrees be low zero was recorded and at St. Paul 22 below. Ten Below nt Albany. Albany, N. Y., Deo. 29. A maxi mum temperature of ten degrees be low zero was recorded at the United States weather bureau station here today. PETROGRAD HEARS THAT CROWN PRINCE CHARLES SUCCEEDS FERDINAND SUNK; 193 LIVES LOST London. Dee. 29. Three Brit ish torpedo boat destroyers were sunk through being struck by tor pedoes or hitting a mineoff the Dutch coast on the night of De cember 22, with the loss of 12 of ficers and 180 men, the admiralty announced today. "Three of our destroyers were mined or torpedoed during foggy weather off the Dutch coast on the night of the 22nd of December. A total of 13 officers and 180 men were lost." . BRITISH ACTIVE North and Northwest of Holy City Turkish At tacks Are Repulsed and Enemy Pushed Back Only in Palestine has there been marked fighting nctiv'tv. North and northwest of Jerusalem British troops, after reposing four Turkish attacks, attacked th enemy and pushed them back 2t& miles On a fioiii of nine miles. Turkish losses are reported to have been heavy and among the pris oners taken were Germans. Artillery duels are in progress be tween the opposing armies on the Ital ian and western fronts. On the front In France the German artillery fire has been heavy around St. Quentin and in the Ypres section. A German attack in Lorraine was broken up by French gunfire. Patrol Knenunters. ' Paris, Dec. 29. "There was noth ing to report last night with the ex ception of patrol encounters north of (the Chemln-Des-Dames and near Saplgneul", says today's official state ment. "French aviators last night bombed the railway station at Maizieres-Les-Mtz and Thionvllle and German es tablishments in the vicinity of Vou zleres and Rethel." TD FUEL DIFFICULTIES Coal Arriving In City Slow lySuffering May Be Prevented A hard snow storm today sent hun dreds of people to the fuel officials and coal dealers In "parch of fuel. "It is a mistake to say that the coal dealers have been out of coal since Wednesday," said one of the coal men this morning. "The has been coal on the local yards every day, but the trouble Is that when a car arrives it takes only a half hour or so for the fuel administration to Issue orders for all of that car. Then when orders are cut oft at the City Hall the word goes out that there Is no coal in sight for anybody. Some people see the coal; others hear these mistaken reports and the result is confusion and mysti fication. We have been delivering some coal ever ydoi this week." The transportation system of the city was taxed today to deliver coal and wood to those who were in need. A new car of coal reached one of the yards last night and by 10 o'clock about 200 orders had been granted for distribution of that supply. At the city woodyard drays and wheelbarrows made their way through driving snow, and the city's auxiliary coal yard was busy filling small orders, with City Sealer of Weights and Meas ures J. H. Weaver and Truant Officer J. J. Worsley in charge of this new municipal department. It is sadly true that more coal and wood are needed. Snow today Is im peding the'dellcvery of coal and wood and the fuel administration and the city board are of coiirxe unable to say when the supply of fuel will either entirely be gone or will be sufficient for all demands. It Is still believed, however, that suffering will be pre vented In the city. The fuel administration today pur chased a carload of coal from the Southern railway and this will be dis tributed In small orders. NEAR JERUSALEM Bolshevik Government Gets Report That Rev olutionary Plot Against Ferdinand Has Been Successful Reports of Unsettled Conditions and Political Crisis Previously Received- Report of King s Abdication Unconfirmed King Ferdinand has abdicated the Rumanian throne in fa-i vor of Crown Prince Charles, according to persistent rumors in retrograd. Official confirmation, however, is lacking. Unsettled conditions and a political crisis in Rumania were reported early this week in dispatches from Petrograd and the Bolshevik government received a revolutionary plot against King Ferdinand. The Rumanian army has been inactive since the Russian armistice and peace negotiations forced it to suspend hostilities. Bolshevik and Ger man propagandists have been reported working among the Ru manian troops. PERSISTENT RUMORS. Petrograd, Dec. 29.-There are persistent rumors here that I King Ferdinand, of Rumania, has abdicated in favor of Crown Prince Charles. ' ! Political Crisis Reported. Disturbed conditions In Rumania were reported in a dispatch from Pet rograd, dated Monday. It was said news of a revolutionary plot against j Ferdinand had been received at the Bolshevikl headquarters in Petrograd . Other reports, it was added, tended to confirm indications of a political crisis. Except for this there has been little news from Rumania since the Rumanian army was forced to agree to an armistice on the eastern front. It had been reported that Bolshevikl and German propagandists were at work among the Rumanian troops. Member Hoheiizollcrn Family. King Ferdinand, who is a member of the Hohenzollern family, succeed ed his uncle. King Charles, in October, 11914, King Charles having died at Si Inaia on October 10. Rumania de i dared war on Austria on August 27, 1916. and King Ferdinand took per t sonal command of the army shortly thereafter. King Ferdinand is the son of Trince Leopold, of Hohenzollern-Slgmaring-en, and two of his brothers are gen erals in the Oerman army. He was born at Sigmaringen, August 24, 1865. Charles Officer in Army. Crown Prince Charles was born Oc tober 3, 1893, and is an officer in the Rumanian army. He is unmarried, although early in 1914 it was reported that his bethrothal to the then Grand Duchess Olga, of Russia, had been ar I ranged. British Prisoners Held By Teutons London. Dec. 15. (By mail) Brit ish prisoners held by the enemy, in cluding those in Switzerland, total 46, 712, according to an official announce In Germany In Turkey In Bulgaria In Austria Total . AMERICAN STEASR HINT Halifax, N. S., Dec. 29. The shift of tho wind today resulted In the abandonment of efforts to salvage the Amorican steamer ashore at Pennant. Yesterday afternoon high seas com menced to roll and all hands left the i steamer. Almost, a thousand tons of cargo had been removed from the ship and the work of sealing up the dam age to her bow was proceeding favor ably when the wind changed. Should the storm increase in violence It whs feared today that the steamer would not be long In going to pieces. The salvaging staff was hopeful, however, for moderate weather that would enable them to resume and successfully complete the salvage. Abandon Baseball TrlM. Wllliamstown, Mass., Dec. 29. The Williams college baseball nine will not make Its customary southern trip during the Eastern vacation next spring. The plan has been abandoned In the Interest of economy. Aviator Killed. Fort Worth, Tex., Dec. 29. Gordon Mott, of the royal flying corps of Can ada, fell while making an airplane flight at Benbrook field here today and was killed. information that there had been Queen Marie, of Rumania, who wai a duchess of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, is a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, of Great Britain, and was married to King Ferdinand on January 10, 1893. Since Rumania's entrance Into theJ war, more than two-thirds of her ter-i ritory has been overrun by the enemy.J I The royal family flea-from the capl- tal, Bucharest, in the fall of 1918, andj i since that time has been at Jassy. Rumania To Stay With Allies. London, Dec. 15 (By mall). De- -t spue me armistice negotiations rorcea on the Rumanian army by the col lapse of the Russian forces on their flanks. Rumania intends to remain one of the allies. The Rumanian min ister in London in a statement to the Associated Press, says: "The negotiations that have begun between the Russian general on the Rumanian front and the enemy have resulted only in a suspension of hos tilities. Negotiations for a regular armistice have probably not yet com menced, and when begun must neces sarily occupy some time. "It is certain that the Russians on that front will Insist as the first con dition of a stoppage of hostilities that there shall b& no movement of troops from one front to another. "Whatever happens, even in the pre vailing situation In Russia, Rumania will always remain one of the allies. and will be guided absolutely by their wisnca. hne win never lollow any In dependent course of action." " v-i Number 46,7 12 ment. The prisoners include members i of the regular army,, territorial forces, royal navy and naval division, divided j as follows: i Officers 1,863 340 42 12 Other Ranks 41,836 1,959 686 74 . .2,257 44,455 IlllflS PLANS FDR THE AUU1 ; Washington, Dec. 29. Speedy reha bilitation of Belgians now in France, according to cable dispatches received ; at the Belgian legation here. Repre nentatlves of the commercial. Indus trial and laboring interests of Bel glum recently gathered In Paris un- der the leadership of Mr. Hyman, King Albert's minister of economic affairs, to discuss means for restoring . the industrial machine crippled by the German invasion. Arrangement, were discussed for re building the machinery destroyed by the kaiser's troops for obtaining sum- ' cl?nt quantities of raw materials and for assembling and placing on a sound basis tho nation's shattered finances. The movement, said the dispatches, has the united support of the labor1 element. ' Suffering In Baltimore. ' Baltimore, Dec. 29. This region awoke today to one of the coldest days ' It has experienced since the local weather bureau was established. The , temperature dropped to six degrees above rero at 7 a. m., with a high wind and light snowfall. The storm brought a decided Increase in suffering among the poor of this city and added to the already serious wltuation la regard ' to coal shortage. i ! II