fife
lliiiir
ill if iin
--?. V5' V--'.'
1
Volume XIX
Published Taeedays and FrkUyt
LENOIR, N. C, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1918
Price: Fit Cents a Copy
N.es
SEC. BAKER DEFENDS
Tl
In a Public Hearing Before the Sen
ate Military Committee the Sec
retary Replies to Senator
Chamberlain
Senator Baker Monday replied to
Senator Chamberlain's charges of in
efficiency in the war department at
public hearing before Senate mil
itary committee. At 10:35 o'clock
the secretary began making a verbal
statement without manuscript
Mr. Baker said his statement was
not exactly supplementary to his re
cent one to the committee, but a
comprehensive statement on all the
army activities in war, especially re
plying to the charge that the war de
partment had "fallen down."
At the outset the secretary said he
thought much criticism came from
impatience of the American people
"to do this great thing quickly."
He concluded freely that in so
great an enterprise it was impossible
that there should not be "delays and
shortcomings." The confidence of
the country, however, he said, was
necessary to the tremendous effort
Million Men Under Arms
That there are more than a million
men under armS in this" country was
stated by Secretary Baker in refer
ence to the cases of alleged neglect
of the dead in camp cited by Senator
Chamberlain.
The mistakes cited ' in Senator
Chamberlain's speech, Secretary Ba
ker declared, gave a disproportionate
aspect. Without intent, he said, the
effect of the Senator's speech was to
give the country the impression that
the deficiencies were characteristic
rather than occasional.
He said he was not there to defend
individuals or deny delays and false
starts. "But I think I can say in
confidence that in them we have
sought the remedy."
Every soldier who needs f rifle has
one, Mr. Baker said, and of a better
type than if the British Enfield rifle
had been adopted.
Defending the lack of Lewis ma
nine guns, Secretary Baker reiter
ated that Gen. Pershing does not
want Lewis guns for the ground
forces, but only for aviation.
Maj.-Gen. Wood, Mr. Baker said
recommended calling out a large
army, although the men could not be
provided at once with rifles and cloth
ing.
Declaring that by securing artil
lery from France, Mr. Baker said, it
also would save ships.
"I'm telling no secret when I say
that sHpare tnecrux of our prob
lem," Re saioT " .
Secretary Baker said all foreign
representatives and also the war
council partiefpants headed by Col
House dBc!ifevthaf securing ordnance
from England and France will not
take supplies they need "but will help
them.
"For one reason or another the
impression has gone out into the
country to some extent that the war
department has fallen down in the
conduct bf the war,'' 'said Secretary
Baker. ' "f want to address myself
to that question.
"There are several reasons why
should ask the committee to hear me
First, the country is entitled to know
if.that Is a fact. The country is en
titled to know what this war is and
what the' problems are and how we
are to meet thim.' Second, I Have
deep sense of duty to the officers and
the Civilians that are laborfng with
devotion, sacrifice and zeal, and are
speh'ding sleepless ' nights to bring
thl army op'toMts' greatest efficiency
and success. '
Describing the spirit of army offi
cers; Secretary Baker said he had
seen "strong, grizzled ' men ' turn
away from my desk' in tears" "when
they had found they" could not go to
France, "where tkb glory of their
profession lay;" but 'must remain i
Washington. There was no case, fl
ndded, of any oftVer who had hot ac
cepted Mi's duty with his whole heart
Men of high places in iivil life
throughout' the country, he'said, had
come to Washington : to accept sal
aries of office boys; m'stny no salary
at all; to place their experience at
the disposal of 'the 'nation.
"Gentlemen," Said the " secretary
speaking 'with great" earnestness
would'be"l1a!aiicarthlng''ff this two
mentous 'effort "were' W "deserve th
comment that it hair falfeh'down.
-flit fj ."! '!' C''.!''' "
(Continued oft "page' two)"'
Will DDK AFTER EXCES
SIVE PURCHASER OF FOOD
4
ounty rood Administrator Moor-
Hat Such Instructions 7rm
State Admniistrator
Henry Page
County Food Administrator W. C.
Mbore, Jr., has been instructed by-
State Food Administrator Henry A.
Page to take prompt and vigorous
uction to the end that all purchasers
of excessive quantities of focdstuffs.
particularly flour, in this county .-hi11
return their surplus above one barrel
to the dealers without delay.
Mr. Page evidently means busi
ness, and Mr. Moore meant business,
too, for he announces that the State
food administrator's instruction will
carried out to the letter Mr.
Page's letter is of the straight from-the-shoulder
type that is characteris
tic of the man. He demands act'on,
and action right away. In writing
to the county food administrator Mr.
Page instructs him as follows:
'(1) That you demand of each re
tailer in your county a complete lht
of consumers who have purchased
flour in excess of one barrel during
the past three months.
'(2) That you immediately notify
the purchasers whose names are sub
mitted to you or whose names you
can secure that they must return all
flour in their possession in excess of
one barrel to the dealers from whom
they pdTchased', those dealers being
required to take it back at the price
they received for it.
"(3) That you take every means
within your command to remedy this
situation just as promptly as pos
sible. "(4) That you submit to us
promptly for indictment and prosecu
tion the names of any merchants whoT
withhold information and any con
suniers who retain in their possession
more than one barrel of flour after
they have been given an ppportunity
to return it to dealers."
N. CAROLINA MERCHANTS
AND JOBBERS ARE GOOD
Notwithstanding the fact that the
food administration has frankly and
readily granted a few merchants per
mission to sell flour on hand at more
than $12.50 per barrel and sugar at
more than 10 cents a pound where
they have shown that the delivered'
cost of the product has approached
the figures set, a further reduction
in sugar is announced as a certainty
and' a Vitfft 'further cut in the maxi
mum price of flour is intimated as a
possibility. 1
Tts a Vesult of 'complaints from
merchants who have paid very nearly
the maximum retail price for their
flour, and sugar the food administra
tion has taken up with the Washing
ton authorities1 the4' matteV of prices
charged by a number of flour mills
- VT il- 1- 1 l
outside of North Carolina and is also
investigating what appears to be un
reasonable charges for sugar by a
number of dealers outside the state.
A food administration official has
stated that in only one instance has
a North Carolina jobber been found
who recently charged more than the
margin allowed him on sugar. In
this instance the case was due to a
delay in the invoice and was alto
gether excusable, especially as the
merchant vety" promptly refunded to
retailers his profit in excess of the
margin allowed. ' In very 'few 'in
stances' Tiave North 'Carolina jobbers
been f6iind to 'have exceeded the
margin of SOcenta barrelallowed
them for' the handling of flour.
SHORTAGE OF SEED CdRN
On account of the late spring and
early fall last year there was" very
little seed corn" that " matured suffi
ciently for good germination. It wiH
not do for the "farmers to overlook
their seed until just a few days be
fore planting. If they do it will be
sure to mean a bad stand and poor
yield. This year the government is
not only expecting the farmers to do
their bit, but to do their best, and
if we do not have good seed we can
not do our best. If you have no
good seed see if your neighbor can
not spare some. If he has none see
me and I Will try tqget some! Se
lecting your seed for planting, the
blrfgest help Jou' wilf have ih'select
ing''your 'corn fexKibiV, for the' Cald
well county fair tie'xt1 yeaV' " ,
' ,0 "ti.'MrGbRTHrJr, ' '
Caldwell cVgrjf
ror Kesuus lry a jxews warn ao.
NUMBER AND DATE FOR
NEXT DRAFT UNCERTAIN
Baker Says Much Depends on Ships
and Events Abroad As to the
21 and 31-Year
Birth-
days This Year
Expansion of America's fighting j
forces beyond their present strength j
depends upon such factors as events
abroad and the shipping situation,
Secretary Baker says in 'isclosing
that the war department has not fixed
a date for another draft nor even
determined how many new men shall
be called.
When Mr. Baker told the Senate
military committee Monday that the
United States would have half a mil
lion men in France early this year
and that in all a million and a half
could go across if ships could be
found to carry them, he referred to
the divisions now in training camps
and those already in Europe. Future
developments will decide what addi
tional forces will be sent.
The secretary made clear his opin
ion that if events made it necessary
to call out more than another incre
ment of half a million men the ex
ecutive's authority to draft men for
fighting units other than reserves
would be exhausted and further leg
islation by Congress would be neces
sary. He said, however, that under the
authority to call two increments of
line soldiers of 500,000 each and
such additional numbers for recruit
battalions special units "as the Pre
ident may deem necessary,'' the sec
ond draft might bring out in all as
many as a million men.
The Senate committee tentatively
approved legislation proposed by the
war department to provide for the
registration of youths attaining the
age of 21 years since June 5, author
izing the fixing of quotas on the basis
of class one of the new classification
and empowering the President to
call men needed for special indus
trial or other work. Provost Mar
shal General Crowder, appearing to
explain the, bills, told the committee
it was proposed to hold a new draw
ing to establish the order of liability
of the new registrants. When the
new men have been given their serial
numbers their names will be inserted
in the classes to which they may be
assigned according to a, plan now br
ing worked out. . , , , . .
It Is assumed. Gen. Crowder said.
that, most of the new registrants will
fall into class one, giving, that, class
this year total of soma two .million
men. From class ope it, it. proposed
to take the next and any future
drafts. " ,
In a. formal memorandum presents
ing his. views the general also disap
proved suggestions thajt the registra
tion be extended) to men beyond the
age 31, saying the effort of .classi
fication, is so great, and. so expensive
and the number of. persdns past 31
years who would fall in class qpe .so
small that the task would not be
worth while.
Although- Secretary Baker reiter
ated his desire 'to have . exempted
registered men who . reach, the age of
31 without being called into the mil
itary service, the committee refused
to include such a provision in the
legislation. Gen. Crowder disap
proved of the suggestion.
The bills probably will be intro
duced in the Senate very soon, and
Senator Chamberlain said they would
be pressed for early passage.
BOLSHEVIK BREAKS
WITH THE ROUMANIANS
Petsograd, Jan. ,28 The Bolshe-
viki government, says an announce
ment from the ' semi-official news
agency decided to break diplomatic
relations ' with Roumania when the
temporary detention of the Rouman
ian minister here had failed to stop
"the' Roumanian ' offensive." The
council of peoples commissaries has
issued the following orders:
"First, that diplomatic relations
be broken and that Roumanian rep
resentatives be expelled from Russia
"Second, that the 'Roumanian gold
reserve in Moscow be seited, the
council being responsible for holding
It and to return it to the Roumanian
people.'
"Third, that the former command-
er-in-c'bief of the Roumanian front,
Lieut-Pen. Stoherhatcbeff, be de
clared a rebel again the revolution
and an enemy of 6ie" people, and is
. nereoy ouuawea.
DOUGHTON WANTS THE
SEED FUND INCREASED
Washington, Jan. 29. Represent
ative Doughton today made a fight
o have the old seed appropriation in
creased 50 per cent, and finally was
sustained by the House, says the
; Washington correspondent of the
Greensboro Daily News. Mr. Dough
ton takes the position that this is no
time to economize on seed furnished
farmers. He said in a brief speech
that the seed furnished by the agri-
cultural department and distributed
by congressmen will be most helpful i
to the farmers of the, agricultural
districts this year. Mr. Doughton
declared so far as he is personally
concerned he did not play favorites
in sending out bis allowance of seed.
He said that he sent the seed to every
taxpayer in his district, including
both white and negroes and all
brands of politics.
Mr. Doughton renewed his fight
for increased pay. for the star rural
route carriers. He has proposed that
the present star route contracts be
cancelled and new bids aske , for
He contends that many of these car
riers are unable to live on the amount
they receive from the government '
and that their bondsmen are being
compelled to fill the contract When
he contracts were let the v.ar was
not on us, Mr. Doughton declares,
lie contends that everything row is
50 per cent higher than it was when
the contracts were taken and tlcie
fore it is only fair that the govein-
ment should, reconsider the matter. )
The committee on postoffices a"d I
postroads appointed a sub-commit-j
tee to investigate the question after ;
Mr. Doughton appeared before the
committee.
'TANKS" PROVE WORTH AS
AS A WEAPON OF OFFENSE
With the French Armies in the
Field. The future of the "tank" as
an offensive weapon in battle is as
sure!. French troops who have followed
the chariots of assault into the most
recent battles on this front have
ceased to speak of them in elephan
tine terms or to compare them with
the lumbering, wallowing landships.
The tank today is the armored hound
of the chase. In packs, like the fox
hunt, they dash ahead of the poilu
hunters, keeping to the trail, explor
ing the ground ahead and when nec
essary .digging the fox from his lair..
When an official communique deal
ing with a French victory told of the
Capture of an entire German regi
mental staff it was a pack of armored
hounds that dashed up a, crest and
collared the staff before the arrival
of the troops. .When, the same conVJ
muque, announces. jtne ,fpuu oxj
dozens oi iierman jruns ii was again.
the nds,tV,W'r
Uerman gunner, uxe ioxes, Knowing
the pound's ogjold budoe& their
weapons, and, scurried on tnrougn tne
brush. " . ......
Attain a pack of "tanks," not sat-
isnea to nave tea me iniantry to iu
fixed pbjective, loped, ahead among
the a bewildered enenjy and, after
showing' Iheir teeth, over a area pf
several hundred square yards, loped
back again in conformity with or -
dere which had fixed , the advance to
gq go far and no farther. Another
pack, this time behind the infantry,
arrived to find the poilus held up by
several machine guns. The armored
hourWs dashed on and, literally dig
ging the machine guns from their
well-concealed lairs, also literally ob;
literated the "foxes" who served
them and the attacking wave swept
on with the "hounds" in the lead. .
A GERMAN NEWSPAPER
TELLS PEOPLE TO REVOLT
A dispatch to the Exchange Tele
graph. London, from Amsterdam
says the Deutsche Tages Zeitung
openly calls on the German people
to revolt against the presen tregime.
"We, too," says this pan-German
orKan, "have a Judas among us, to
day. He appears iq the red coat and
mantle of Germany's hangman. Who
will save Germany from, these trai
tors but the German people! It is
now 'Germans, help yourselves, and
God will help you.' "
Although Emperor William is not
named in the article, the expression
"Germany's hangman" is meant for
the kaiser, says the correspondent
SWANSON PLUMBING. SHOP
MOVED TO, WW QUARTERS
Mr. t A. Swapsonj fcas moved his
plumbing shop from, the old Earn
hardt row on Wt Tradet street to.
the Bernhardt building on West Har-
l,J'"
avenue.
INTEREST IS GROWING IN
MAPLE jp IUHU
Mr. J. B. Horton of Elkin Is Asking
Names of Parties Who Can
Make Sugar May Over
come Shortage
Consumers of sugar in Watauga
county will begin to make their own
sugar if the plans of Mr. J. B. Hor-
ton of Elkin pan out. Mr. Horton is
making a canvass to learn the names
of all parties in that section who can
make maple sugar, and if he can get
the proper co-operation he probably
will be able to make up a good sup
ply of the pure maple sugar before
the season is over. Mr. W. L. Win
kler of Shulll Mills is stirring up the
people of his county and they plan
a meeting next Monday at Boone.
They will probably work out a co
operative plan.
There are a great number of sugar
maple orchards in this section, espe
cially in the section across the Ridge.
Up until a few years ago these or-
chards were worked and maple sugar
was made in quantities in this entire
section. In late years' cheap sugar
has caused this industry to almost
die out. But now the prevail
ing price of sugar, coupled with its
scarcity, is causing interest in local
sugar making to grow.
There are many townships in our
mountain counties where sugar ma
pie trees grow in abundance and
where maple sugar has been made
from early times, says a statement
from the North (Tarolina geological
and economic survey. For various
reasons, but chiefly on account of the
abundance and low price of cane su
ar, this industry has greatly de
clined until during the last few years
maple sugar has been made in only
a few townships in North Carolina.
The present emergency, however.
makes one wonder If we are not care
lessly neglecting this valuable source
of sugar which nature has put ready
to our hands. If only enough can
be made to supply the needs of the
farmers themselves who can make it
the sugar shortage would at once be
relieved locally and at the same time
the farmers themselves would be
placed in easy circumstances as far
as sugar is concerned.
"t is' not necessary to have a large
grove of maples available in order
to start sugar making; a few good
tre,es will do. A family in the mid
dle nait, pf the state has, been mak
ing sugar for years from, a few sugar
maple , frees growing on a bluff over-J
lOOMDjr Jaw rivir, nu 'V v ; "
mujh, more easily, made in the moun
tains.. An average yield for a 100-
iree "camp" is forty gallons pf syrup
or ,300 pounds of sugar that is, an
orchard of fifty trees Bhould furnish
sufficient sugar to carry a family of
four through the year, basing con-,
sumption on the Hoover allowance.
It may ne no cheaper to maice
syrup from mape trees than it is
from sorghum, but the product sells!
for more money, and, what is of
equal advantage, the work is done in
! the late winter before the rush of
the spring farm work commences,
j leaving the season clear for the pro-
; duction of other crops.
There are many farmers 111 west-
ern North Carolina who have been
making maple sugar or maple syrup
for years. The scarcity of sugar will
induce them to redouble their efforts
i, - 1 ia. l 1 1..:
this winter and it is to be hoped it
will cause their neighbors to give th.
industry a trial. The state depart
ment, of agriculture at Raleigh and
the state geological and economic at
Chapel Hill are trying to secure the
services of an expert to demonstrate
improved methods in sugar making in
some of the mountain townships.
With better methods and improved
rppliances there seems to be no rea
son why a v. ,rd crop of maple su
gar shoufd it be Saved during this
coming spring.
REV. LOCKE WHITE WILL
NOT BE HERE SUNDAY
On account of the prevalence of
spinal meningitis at Camp Greene,
Charlotte, where Rev. Locke White
has been stationed during the past
few weeks, and oil account of his
exposure to this disease, it has been
decided to cancel his preaching dates
here Sunday.
The union service 'Will be held at
the Reformed church, as .announced.
One of the. local ministers will offi
ciate. For Results Try a News Want Ad.
WHAT SUBUAR1HES HAVE
E TBI TEG" STATES
While 69 Americas VtsMb Mar
Been Lost We Seix-HTIOT From '
the Eaemy--Our Not CalsT
515,433 Groos To
In the twelve months of unre
stricted warfare launched 't against
American and allied "shipping:
Germany one year ago last" FtuLif
there have been sunk by submarines, .
mines and raiders 69 American ,te
sehj totaling 171,061 gross"' tons,1 c"
cording to a careful compilation' of
records of sinkings which- havV peeft
made during the period. v"' r5'; -
Offsetting this loss o'Americatt
vessels, most of which ': wrt sailing;
ships, the United States since FetH'l
has added to her merchant marine br
the seizure of former Germatt' ind
Austrian owned ships a total 'of 107
vessels having a gross tonnigo ',f
686,494, leaving on the credit sid.
of the American ledger in the' V-'
count with the central powers1 Vnei '
gain of 515,433 gross tons. ,DIOfi
of life caused by the sinkingof th
69 vessels was more than1: S00 "pec
sons, however. "J'"1' .v .
The percentage of sinkings
American ships compared ; with the
number of vessels which have" sailed
through the war zone successfully1 V
small. Records of the department of
commerce show that for the period
beginning Feb. 1, 1917, and Ending;
Dec. 1, there were cleared froia," .
American ports in the foreign trad
ships aggregating 17,30,904 net, or
approximately 24,834,460-gross, tons.- ,
The number of ships making Sap tbtJ!
total of tons was not made 'public .
by the department. ';'Av4 "
Further offsetting the loss of. tcrn-
nare occasioned by the submarine- ?
warfare the United States,' through ;
the shipping board, requisitioned 1rt"
American ship yards 426vwislr tP
taling more than 2,000,000 ' groe
tons, and contracts have been award-,
ed 9or 884 ships, a large number f -which
are now nnder way and. are be
ing rushed to completion. In addi- 1
tion the shipping board on. Qct.,X$y
last placed under government" requiA '
sition 393 American vessels of over;
2,500 tons deadweight capacity which,
were already afloat and immediately ,
assigned them to the task,' o carry-
ing supplies for the allies 'toother
American forces abroad.' K i, Vk"
Included in these requisitioned .
vessels were 21 ships Jn Great' ake ' ,
trade and in addition ' thereVwersi
commandeered 24'Steaarers.huildirz
on the lakes for foreign account cl.v
ready for launching.. Virtually 'all
of these were brought "t04."Ajflaotic !
coast ports and immediately putijat-
service. Almost 6nj-hJi k9f 7'' I
had to be cut in two to " get" th&ui
through the Welland canal, but the
task was accomplished' and the' ships -rejoined
in less than tore months 1
from the
awarded.
time the. - contract-was "
Another difficulty which faced tho
United States in the task of putting
to sea vessels to offsetthe rivirra
0f tne U-boats was the repairing ot
: tne "wiHful damage" -done-'tot the
j former German ships by their officer
, ami crews before the ships ' were
seiaed. This cost millions of dollars
and in mgny instances called- for thel
highest engineering skill to make and-
repiace parts of foreignbuB3tf.e1i
; Kjne8 an(j bojierS removed or broken j: .
I ..... 7, . ....
Indicating that the task has been t
attended by success, the statement
was made. by a prominent official' eoir- .
nected with the shipping-board that1
every vessel seized was nOW'toni-1
pletely repaired and in service. Maajri
of them have made as many as three ; ,
and four round trips through lfcev,:
war sone. " ,
, Three of the former German ves' 'A
sels have beefl the objects of success-''
ful attack by the submarines. '"Sev"5! j
eral others have been attacked" but
escaOed.
a 'e ' "
The announced sinkings of British1 '
ships for the year up to and includ- ? "
ing the week ending Jan. 2S haveA,i .
been 1,033 vessels, of which (
were over 1,600 tons and 170 WeW1
under- that figure. The joint toeafcs ,5 i
of France and Italy have fceenf aver-J .
aged three to foer 'large vessel-
weekly. " .
The issuance of coal cards to man- -ufacturers
and priority orders jn, hey ?
half of apartment houses 4V hefttfc - t
considered -by-local fvrel;adWaratra-.
tors to provide an Vjuaf dTstrfhtttlori
0 fthe meager -daily coal supply that
reaches New York. ' 'ft) -