North Carolina Newspapers

THE ASHEVILLE CITIZEN THE WEATHER: Overnae Tuesday; Wedneedaj fair, ant much chng In torapwratara. CITIZEN WANT ADS BRING RESULTS 0 VOL. XXXV, NO. 52. ASIIEV1ILK. N. C, Tl'p:SDA M0HNIM1. DECEMBER 17, 1!M8. PRICK FIVE CENTS OWNERSHIP OP WIRE SYSTEMS Bf THE GOVERNMENT IS "IMPERATIVE" I So Declares Postmaster Gf neral Burleson in " Letter to Moon IMPRESSIVE RECEPTION TENDERED PRESIDENT AT THE C7Y HALL OF PARIS Seven More Long Days Till Christmas NO APPROPRIATION REQUIRED FOR DEAL Believes Waste Can Be Eliminated With Ab- ' sence of Competition Women Cheer President Wilson Repeat edlyCalls on Clemenceau, "Tiger of France in Afternoon Various Olticials Conier With U. S. Executive. WASHINGTON. Dec ll'-Ownnr-hip by the government of telegraph and telephone' nytlemi of the nation wu characterised aa "Imperative" by Postmaster General Burleson today In letter to Repreeentatlve Moon, chairman of the house postofflce com mittee. Mr. Burieeon said the system ran be acquired "without the appropria tion of a dollar from the public treasury" by applying to an amortiza tion f'jnd for twenty-five years the savings made under government ownership through elimination of duplications In plants and operating xpensea. Qnote Vail Letter. In support of the government ownership resolution Introduced In the house last week by Representa tive Moon, the postmaster general j (JfUpe, quoted from the recent letter of Theodore N. Vail, president of tre America's Telephone and Telegraph company, and from the annual re ports of a number of the uostmafcter generals since the ?lvil war. all of whom agreed, he said, thut govern ment control or ownership would greatly contribute to -he efficiency of the service. )"The economic Importance of tha proposition to acquire the properties by the government ia very' great," . Mr. Burleson wrote. "Private, capital is invested in public" servlc ..nter- priaet with the expectation or seven to eight per cent and often a greater reiurn upon the Investment. Thm. of course, the public la expected to pay, while the government cm borrow money at four and ona-hai; per eeu.. The public, however, ray the chaise rn either event. The dirte"mc? be tween four and one-ralf prr cei.t &R eight per cent for the money In vested In the wire systems of the T.'nlted State would maintain .ind par for the property In eighteen years and nine months." As Justification for the permanent taking over of the wire systems. Mr. flurjeson said PARTS. Doc 16. The reception at the city hall, while not attended by the huge crowds which welcomed President Wilson on Saturdav, was impressive. The president was received by the municipal council at the! main rn trance and walked iiirmin-h the n.i-inna inr. I ridors, which were tastefully decorated. More than 5,000 people were, within the building, for the most part women; the male element was in preat minority. Women Cheer Wilson. The women cheered the president in a manner, which, while not as lustily as the president had been accustomed to hear on a eollegd campus, must have sounded sweet in his ears, as he smiled and bowed repeatedly. Adrien Mithouard. president of the municipal conn cil, read the address, the president replying in loud clear tones, in which there was a tinge of emotion. After the official ceremonies, the president inspected the various departments in the city hall, ending finally in a small room where a buffet had been installed and re freshments were served. Several officials were present and many others showed eagerness to shake his hand. Shortly the president left, returning to the Murat resi- 'S V ww rune at fp? i r v1 j it --x. I w t T90 H'C 1 a rtrr L vfi ; s . in-- DOCUMENTS AR INTiOUGD E TRIflLOFBERGEi; Purport to Prove That So-' cialiat Violated the Es- pionage Law EDITORIALS ARE J READ INTO RECORD Were Anti-War in Tone and Commendatory of ; the German of Function f Government. 'To establish and mimUii -Titans' communication Ii as much the VISITS CLEMENCEAU. PARIS, Dec. 16. President Wilson, accompanied by Colonel E. M. House, but otherwise unattended, arrived at the French ministry of war at 4:40 o'clock this after noon. Georges Clemenceau, president of the council, and minister of war, came with outstretched hands to the top of the Wide stairs and greeted the president warmly. The premier took Mr. Wisloh's hand in both his and shook it vigorously in the especially vigorous manner the old "tiger" has when displaying pleasure. '.'How do you, Mr. President," said the. premier. "Quite well, Mr. Premier," answered Mr. Wilson. j " ou are not tired?" asked M. Clemenceau. "Xo, quite fit," declared the president. Mr. Wilson was then ushered by Premier Clemen ceau into his private office, Colonel Ifouse remaining in the ante-chamber chatting with General Mordacq. Presi dent Wilson left the ministry at 5 o'clock. The president's journey to the war ministrv was made by way of the outer boulevards through Montmartre, the WAR HAS PROVEN INDISPENSABILITY OF STRONG STATE GOVERNMENT AT ALL TIMES, SECRETARY BAKER SAYS Principal Agencies For Mobilizing Armies, Finding Employment For Returning Soldiers and Improving the Physical Welfare of Youth of the State, He Tells Conference of Governors at Annapolis. he iovtriiment ns IhtSoino Koiro - ,1 U Al 1 tit i. 1 provision for nati.ul defense. . "'K .xi.-pi-u uy XYltAiUluer III Onage. rtO great ve?o7mV:nt ?, ?hZ& am,' "to 11 ihe crowdH that accesH to the intior boulevards was progress and pron.-:-'y of lis people. , (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) , (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.) OF E CONSIDERED. IN SENATE Senator Smoot Delivers Pre pared Address Criti cising Bill MANY QUESTIONS Washington. Dec. m. After senator Smoot of Utah, republican. Had delivered a pre-pared address crit icising the war revenue bill, the sen ate today began consideration of dig puted sections of the measure. On the first roll call taken on the bill, the senate voted thirty-six to sixteen o main me nnance committee s amendment, providing for refund of taxes to those who demonstrate to the treasury department that In pre vlous years they have suffered a net loss in their business. Tomorrow It Is planned to discuss the Income tax section. Most of the session today was tak n up with discussion of the "net loss amendment. Senator Lenroot. of Wisconsin, republican, led the at tack on the provision, declaring it might cause the government tremen dous revenue losses, if serious and general Industrial depression should develop. Senator Smoot, Jones of New Mex ico, and McCumber, of North Dako ta, with Senator Simmons, defended the amendment, declaring that de mand for such s provision had come from agricultural as well as business interests. The amendment, they said. Is de- signed to balance ta .es, and is simi lar to an Kngllsh- income tax pro vision. The senate also adopted, without objection, the finance committee's amendment to the ' house provision authorizing the commissioner of In ternal revenue, in computing Income taxes, to require Inventories. : 1 , k CANOVA RESIGNS. PWICHliy COMPLETE REPORTS OF DEATHS IN ACTION EXPECTED SOON Other Casualties Will Be Beported About Week Later PERSHING CABLES WASHINGTON. De. 1 . Leon J. Canova, head of the Mexican bureau of tha tut department alnce 111. ha resigned btcause of 111 health. ; WASHINGTON'. Dec. 16. General Pershing cabled the war department looay mat practically complete re ports of deaths In action among the expeditionary forces should reach the department by December 20 and of severely wounded by December 2 l.eneral rershlng said the number or unreported casualties In process of verification at the central records ornce of the expeditionary forces on December 14. was 40.440. They were distributed as follows: killed In action 390; died of wounds 27Sj died or disease asg; accidentally killed K severely wounded in action S9.S71. These Include all "suspense cases un der Investigation," -the general said Total casualties to November 23 In the Thirtieth (Wildcat) division. iortn Carolina. Bouth Carolina and Tennessee national guard, were giv en as T.SZ3.. -i-ne casualties were classified as follows: Killed in action 1,168; died of wounds 2l: died of disease 16; died of other causes 6: severely wounded 1.161, wounded, de gree undetermined, 805; slightly wounded 6,973; missing or captured 13. General Pershing reported that th number of duplicated casualties dis covered In th central records office since November IT would not oper ate to reduce the total for the en tire expeditionary forces, given In his summary of that data as additional casualties reported more than offset the duplicates. The report today from the Amer ican commander was in reply to d- clfic questions cabled by the war de partment, in asking regarding the casualties in tha Thirtieth division. ths department aald there had been 'much apprehension -her about the looses of this unit which helped the British army break the famous Hln- danhnrsi Una. GREATEST WINTER WHEAT CROP IN mSTORT OF 0. S. "Eighty Million Bushels More Than Any Pre vious Crop" ANNAPOLIl Md. Dec. 16 Thirty-six statft. governors or governors-elect ' liV annual conference held her todaif were told by Secre tary Baker thai war had proven the Indispensabllity lif strong stats gov ernments in' peace as well as war times aa the principal agencies for mobilising and demobilising armies, finding work for rationing soldiers And developing better methods of physical trahrinTof""TOung men. - At the same time-he pleaded that state authorities gv cities mors freedom to work out their Individual problems. Would Msband Draft Boards. Karly disbsndment of the draft boards and state branches 'of the Council of National Defense as fed eral agencies wan advocated by the j secretary, who urged, however, that both remain iti existence informally to aid local authorities in solving problems of tbe readjustment period. Secretary Houston, addressing the governors, suggested that state gov ernments ascertain immediately what farming lands might be available for use of returning soldiers. He cautioned, however, against throwing these men Indiscriminately into agri cultural pursuits without previous experience. Reconstruction problems, particu larly those relating to labor, educa tion' and public lands, will be die cuassd by the governors at their meetings tomorrow. Tonight they attended a reception at the home of Governor' Harrington, of Maryland. Secretary Raker aald his principal purpose In addressing the conference was to express thanks for the re markable .manner in which stale and local . authorities, through - darens ficlsta. hsd carried out the federal government'! wishes throughout the war. Groat lowon of War. "This demonstration of the ability of a democracy to carry out great undertakings, using Its constituted authorities, is one of the greatest les sons of the war." the secretary aald. "Instead of adding to the igxrcgxte of centralized power this war has strengthened state government nnd made them more indispensable than ever in our scheme of govsriinisnt." Mr. Baker emphasized that one of the principal functions t ytntes hereafter must be "to rescue young men from the situation shown during the recent mobilization when one third of the drafted men were found to be physically undeveloped or de fective rjia end of this month. and stats branches of the Council f National Defense will ceaa ' funcMontng aa federal' agencies aa soon as pocrible, Mr. Baker aald. He urged that both co-operate with employment agencies m finding work for soldiers. Secretary Houston, urged states to establish strong centralised ngrl cultural departments, to define more clearly tha ; function of th land councils, draft boards nd hwr eM grant colleges', to continue promotion of agricultural extension wo.-k. build better roads and promote .com pa lgna In rural districts against preventable diseases. Considering the uncertainty of th future of the world's food production, Secretary Houston sa Id: "Congress should make available a revolving fund of not less than $600,600,000 to effectuate the govgrn ment guarantee of $3.20 a bushel for wheat,, for we cannot tell at this time what the real market price will be ia year from now. . It may be as much . aa ti.iv ana it may be as much as ASV nmntm 1--- .I.... . V. . .... . I wn bllMII .110 lU.l.limil price. Those In attendance Include Gov ernors Dorsey, of Georgia;' Blckelt North Carolina; Manning. South Caro lina: ' (Jovernorsvelect Campbell, of Draft boards will be disbanded atlArlxona, and Cooper,. South Carolina. WILL ESTABLISH AERIAL LINES IN U, S. "Never Was a Bunch Could Light Like Thir tieth," Weeks Says. IN SPLENDID SHAPE WASHINOTON. Dec. 16 A lm winter wheat crop, larger hy 80.000. 000 bushels than any yield In the his tory of American agriculture. was forecast today by the department of agrioiilture. The government's appeal, made be fore the coming of peace was In sight, saying an acreage of 47.500.000 was desirable arrti the guaranteed price of $2.20 a bushel for wheat, stimulated extraordinary effort on the part of farmers, said the department's an nouncement. As a result 49,027.000 acres were planted during a long a l almost perfect season. The fall growing season ha been one of the finest ever known, result ing in the crop being In the beat con dition ever recorded 1n Dece: ier and giving promise of heavy yields. The department announced that winter wheat gives promise of a total production of 76S.O00.000 bushels. An average spring wheat crop would place next year's production of wheat beyond a billion bushels and .exceed the record crop of 1615. States having sown more than a million acres of winter wheat, the percentage of increase and the coir dltlon of the crop on December 1, include: Virginia. ' 1.326.000 acres; 1 per cent; condition. 94. North Carolina. 1,025.000 acres; 1 per cent decrease; condition, 61. NEW YORK. Dec. 16 The giant liner l.evialhan whfch docked here loday with nearly 6.000 American sol diers, veterans of overseas fighting, also brought home many convalescents from the Twenty-seventh and Thir tieth divisions. Homer Weeks, nf Kpworth, ("Jr., 117th infantry, came home with a wound received in the attack of the Thirtieth division on the Hindenburg line near St. Quentln. "There never was s hunch of men who couM fight like the Thirtieth." h said. "The only kick we had was our officers would not let us go ahead aa fast as we wanted to." Lieutenant I.. D. White, of New York, praised the men of the Thir tieth and Twenty-seventh. Of his own division, the Thirtieth. Lieuten ant White said they were "poor trench fighters," as It was next to Impos sible to hold them back when there was a fight In front." Many of the convalescents of the two divisions, however, were loath to talk of their experiences. Private Z. L. Jenks. of Henry. N, C. with both arms and legs cruelly torn ly shrap nel, would not have missed "the show" for anything. Captain Lipsner Says He Has Backing of Wealthy Group of Men. NKW YORK. Dec. f6. Captain Benjamin S. I.lpsner. who resigned recently as superintendent of the gov ernment aerial mall service, announc ed tonight that, hacked by a group of wealthy men, he will establish next year the first serial passenger and express lines In this country. Captain Lipsner said that he was not at liberty to announce proposed routes but asserted the first line would be put In operation on May In. 1919. The service, he said, would be started with six planes, each with a speed of 110 miles an hour and a on parity of forty passengers or an equivalent weight In express. Hqulp meni of passenger plants, he ld, will Include a wireless telephone, sys tem and "all latest scientific appli ances." The rates "will be within the reach of all" he added. Captain Lipsner also said lhat un less gome one else has already done so. on June 15, he will make the first Trans-Atlantic flight, selecting the same route followed hy the transport George Washington i taking Presi dent Wilson to France. He added that a sea-going plane" to be used In the flight Is now being constructed. VILLA APPEARS ANXIOUS TO Planning a "Demonstra tion' to See What United States Will Do. WAST CANAL IMPROVED. WASHINGTON. Dec. 1 6. Balti more and Philadelphia municlnal of ficials today urged the government purchase and. deepening of the Ches apeake end Delaware canal before the house rivers and harbors com mute. - An appropriation of 11.000.- 006 was asked to be included in the covered and aezt river ana Harbor bill. . FIRST Ml'RDER TRIAL IX Yl'UtS. NEWBL'RYPORT, Mass.. iac. 1 For the first time In more t.ian twenty years a defendant charged with Drat degree murder was plac-l on trial in Newburyport today. The accused is ! I Antonio J. Szczpanek, who is to be I tried for the alleged murder on I'- cember 10 last of Mrs. Annie Spiew.k, whce badly battered body was found In the cellar of the boarriing house she conducted in the foreign section of the town. Two children who were in :he house at the time Insensible when theirrim was discover 1. They had been slashed by some heavy, sharp instruments. Mrs, -8piW3k's head had been broken In with an nxe. The children, a three-year-old joy, and his sister, aged five, were taken to a hospital, where shortly after ward the boy died, his sister re ts regarded as an itn TRANSPORTS SAIL. WASHINGTON, Dec. ' 16. An nouncement was liisde by the war department latc today of the nailing from France of four additional trans ports, th General Ooraac, the Hax- onia. the Cedrlc and tne Mongolia. K It. Stettin!nus. special representa tive of Secretary Baker in France, is returning a-hoard the Cerdic. Aboard the Mongolia are the Seventy-third and (seventy-fourth coast artillery and the 138th field ar tillery, with the headquarters of the Fortieth roast artillery brigade. Th vessel also carries 765 tick and wounded. WASHINGTON, D. 16. -Information has leached the American gov ernment that I'ancho Villa, the Mexi can revolutionist, Is planning a "demonstration" In northern Mexico with a view to ascertaining, what will Jo the attitude of the American gov ernment toward a renewal of his operations. Official of the state department would not say whether there was In formation of the nature of the pro posed "demonstration," but It was understood that Villa plans to at tack Chihuahua city or some other Important town near the American border. Government officials have Information that Villa has already collected a large part of the follow ing which he had before General Pershing's expeditionary force went into Mexico in L9I6 Information here Is that the gather ing of the Villa forces already has caused much apprehension among the Inhabitants of towns and ranches in northern Mexico and the Ameri can government is keeping a close watch on the situation. There was no indication, however, aa to what ihe attitude of the government would be Hhould Villa renew his operations In Mexico. CHICAGO. Dec. II A mas : or documentary vldnc In support of. th govrnmnt' chart that 'Vic tor L Berger, of Milwaukee, violated the espionage law In th anti-war campaign he carried on i editor of the Milwaukee socialist dally news paper, the Leader, was pr.-nle4 to . the jury In Judge. Land's' court te" day in tha trial of flv socialist pttl' , chiefs. ,. j . Editorial Extract F.xtracts from numtrous anti-war' editorial which Berger caused to be ' published in th Leader war raid in to the record. J. ti Harris, formerly managing editor of th Lader, test ified that he resigned his. position In! May, ItlT. because of a dispute with nerger over an order received to print for the second time the proclamation and war program of th Bt. Leu it socialist convention.. ' , . The witness said he previously had been criticised by Berger for the !' In which war new had been handled at times. , . ., .. "My Instructions from Berger were . to use the Berlin dispatches as lead- era In the war news," said. Harris - He always said that the Berlin sto ries were more reliable because th -news from London and France waa : censored." -: , . Had AtUwheH Kaiee. On press-examination - Harris ad. , mltted that Berger had on numerous occasions printed . editorials attack. , Ing the kaiser and th Junker olaa la . Germany. v ., ; District Attorney Clyn read ex-", tract ' from a ' number ef anti-war editorials published by Berger la th . idUwauka.edr- ... , On of the article said thai Oer man social democracy waa Infinitely . more democratic than the democracy of President Wilson- The article In-, quired what the German people had , ever done to this eountry that tne Vnlted States should send large r miss abroad to kill them, and b killed. - ' .1 . Another editorial rad Into the rec ord expressed tbe opinion that the persons who opposed the war , were tbe true, genuine American. ; In another article it wa declared that the war was unpopular, despite the effort of the capitalistic pres , to make it appear popular. ' The selective draft was described . as a national shame In another ar ticle which added that war was the price the people paid for having re- -jected socialism. . ,., ." PROTESTS AGAINST WAY GAMP POLK PATIENTS WERE TAKEN CARE Of Attorney-General Manning Says Medical Department Was Guilty of Neglect 4 WOMEN HORRIFIED 8ALOOX8 VOTED OfT. yjrtant witness for the' prosecution. FT. WWORTH. Texas, Dec. 16. Saloons were voted out of Tarrant county today ' by a majority of about three to one. The voting wa light. Ft. Worth has been dry since last April because of xhe low forbidding sale of liquor within ten mile of any army eanvp. AFTER THF.IIl LIQl'OR. DENVKR, Colo., Dec. 16. The ap proach of the hour for the initiated "bone dry" prohibition law to be come effective found thousands of persons besieging the express office here tonight striving for an opuur tunity to claim liquor consigned to them under the Horton law. which the new measure, signed by the gov-1 the Expre.s company officials said it would be impossible to deliver all the consignments. FIHF. AT COLVMBLV. NEW YORK. Dee. 16. Fire brok out lata tonight In a building at Co lumbia university in which It waa re ported is stored a quantity of chemi cals used for laboratory - purposes. The fumea -handicapped Hie. firemen fighting the hlaxa and a call for the r nee aauad waa turned ita. y. f By S. R WlntrnO WASHINGTON. Dec. 16. AttorneJ General James 8. Manning, of Ra leigh, has registered an emphatic pro test with Senator Simmons against the condti-rt of the medical department identified with Camp Polk. Lack of food, lnattentivenese to the sick and neglect of the soldier ty the medi cal branch, were practices obtaining at the Raleigh camp, according to tha letter of the attorney-general of th stale. To the sad state of affairs cam th tragic sequence of two soldiers dying , while being conveyed from Raleigh to a hospital near Ashevllle. "The com plaint particularly 1 dlreoteTd to th lack of proper food, lack of atten tion and neglect by medical offtcere connected with the camp," writes Attorney-General Manning. "I have heard of no one of the medical offtcers of the camp except Captain (Dr.) Knox, who seemed to make any effort to cure those who were sick. The ladies of this community who gv their time and who were willing to give more and who furnished much , of the nourishment and who were will. Ing to furnish more, fit to be used b sick aoldlers, are very indignant and horror-struck at the treatment Ihe sick soldiers received. When they re moved these soldiers, forty-two in, number, from the camp to Ashevllle last Monday mornln-g. many of these bovs protested their unwillingness to go' and plead moat pathetically thst some or ins iauie m should accompany inera a .v.aui Soma of tnem were in en exceedingly precarious condition. , in no condition to stand such a trip, and as a result two of them died on the -. train before reaching BUtmore. "The mothers and fathers who heva given their eons to th government to serve In time of war have th right, as I know you will agree, to expect that their sons when taken sick lit the service of their eountry shall be treated aa human beings and are en titled to the very best treatment.. h cluding not only medical attention but food, that can possibly b ftM-nishedy