Ill PROGRESS
TOWARDS PEACE
.''V: - ; y:- -
The task which confronts the peace
' conference consists of three parts:
To settle the amount of indemnities
and the manner and time of payment ;
to revise the map; and to provide
some means of preventing the re
currence of a world war.
The first of these tasks is not very
difficult; the obvious thing to do is
to make Germany and her associates
pay as much as they can and quickly
as they can. ; The real difficulty be
gins with the attempt to. revise the
map. The third part of the task,
providing means for preventing a
- recurrence of the war, is, in the
opinion of many competent authori
ties, not only -difficult but probably
impossible. , :
There are two reasons why1 the
map must be revised at the "peace
conference, however difficult it may
prove to be, One reason is that
national boundry lines, as they exist
ed before the war, were working a
terrible injustice to millions of peo
ple, who were forcibly held as sub
jects of one nation when by race
and sympathies they were affiailted
with another. Justice demands that
the lines be changed. That is one
reason. The other is that, unless
justice is done in this matter there
is likely to be an endless series of
wars.
Some of the changes are simple
enough. Alsace and, Lorraine must
belong to France. Italy must nave
certain lands which have been held
by Austria. Roumania must have
Bessarabia and Transylvania. Poland
must be freed. But some of the
problems are very difficult.
But the real trouble comes when
the attempt is made to form a league
of nations to enforce peace. Many
people think that the attempt is
doomed to failure; others think that
it is not only impossible but also
wrong. The delay in assembling the
peace conference has been largely
due to disagreements on this point.
A good many very well informed
people, whose judgment is usually
good, are of the opinion that it would
have been wise to let the league of
nations alone and make peace c aa
quickly as possible." Their idea is to
collect the biggest possible forfeiture
from Germany, to free subject popu
lations wherever it can be done ex
peditiously, and then adjourn. They
say that the best insurance against
future wars is to make Germany pay
for this one; no nation will be in a
hurry to enter on a war of aggres
sion while Germany is sweating to
pay for this war.
A number of other leading men,
however, take the opposite view.
They maintain that the only way to
prevent the recurrence of such wars
is to form a league of nations. They
admit this will delay the peace ne
gotiations; but they claim that the
result will justify the delay. This is
the view of President Wilson, and it
is held also by a good many people
among our allies.
Those who have for four weary
;and agonizing years been living in
the valley of the shadow of death,
and have suffered to an extent which
is inconceivable to us, must naturally
.be desperately anxious for a peace
that will last. They have borne their
.sufferings as best they can, but they
are determined that, if possible, their
children shall be saved from that in
ierno. To a .large number of such
people, the league of nations looks
8od; it holds out a hope of a lasting
'peace; and these are the people who
are giving such enthusiastic greetings
to President Wilson. But there are
wery many in England and in Italy,
and still more in France, who have'
Jittle faith in the proposed league.
' They think it will provoke more wars
othan it will prevent. Clemenceau, the
.French premier, is their spokesman;
and their slogan is to make Germany
'pay heavily and pay promptly, to
liberate, the stolen territories, and
than adfatirn. i
.WNU
Which of these opposing views will
prevail, It is hard to say. 'There are
' a good many shrewd observers who
predict a compromise.' Their guess
is that some sort of league or asso
ciation of nations will be formed or
1 .started At the conference, but .that its
.scope will be narrowed and its pow
ers limited and that the conference
.will base its main reliance for future
peace upon the terms imposed" at
Versailles..
i James Brown left '' Monday for
'' Davidson college, after spending the
Holidays with Sis parents. .
BRTTTS TRIBUTE
" With the death of Roosevelt there
passes from earth the world's very
greatest man. In every corner of the
earth he was known and loved and
honored. To his children of every
tongue the magic name Teddy
brought joy to the heart and hope to
the soul, for he was the inspiration
of every life that yearned for a
brighter day.
But now we behold him but all too
dimly. So quitkly was he changed
that he seems to us not dead, but
only away. We stand too near the
lofty peak either to paint its colors or
measure its height. We can not grasp
a globe of such illimitable propor
tions. The millions who loved him
and followed him gaze after him with
saddened hearts like children bereft
of a father. How inscrutable it is,
and what a mortal calamity, that one
so divinely potent for good among
men should so suddenly lie down to
remorseless death and pathetic dust!
And yet we know that for him it is
not the end, but the beginning of a
nobler and a fuller life. We know
that the snows of yesteryear come not
again, but we who know God believe
that for every trusting soul they hast
en the dawn of an eternal harvest.
Of all the men of history he was
pre-eminently the most universal and
many-sided. Masterful in the home,
he gave a new meaning to the en
dearing names father, mother and
child; exalted of men to the last
pinnacle of human glory, he yet
walked humbly before God; convinc
ing in the forum, he yet spoke the
plain words of the man of daily toil;
mighty with the pen, he wrote of the
practical things of a workaday world ;
strong in the chase, he was yet pas
sionately in love with animal and
plant and forest and stream. He
knew all joys and felt all sorrows
and strove for all good.
He was the last notch of human
courage, and knew no fear of either
men or things. He spoke out his real
thoughts and left them to soothe or
burn as they would, and he challenge
ed the sinister deeds of men and na
tions with the daring of a gladiator.
He had Washington's courage, Lin
coln's goodness, and McKinley's gen
tleness and his Americanism rose to a
height, ever; before equaled. , He
worshipped daily at the shrine of his
country, and passionately yearned to
lay upon its altar the blood of him
self and his sons.
Shocking and deplorable, yet how
fitting was the end! As life was rush
ing and strenuous, so death was hur
ried and merciful. And it stole in on
velvety sandals with healing in its
wine's. An oaken casket, a simnle
churchyard, a flowerless mound, with
only the pomp of tears, and they laid
him to rest who . might well have
claimed a place in the Pantheon of
the gods.
He was without a like in all the
world a new and strange and won
derful figure, striding across the ho
rizon of human history, beckoning
men and nations to a new and exalted
life vouchsafed by God's eternal
providence.
JAMES J. BRITT.
FIRST BANK AND
TRUST COMPANY
The annual meeting of the stock
holders of the First Bank and Trust
Company was held Tuesday after
noon. The old board of directors
was re-elected for the ensuing year.
Immediately following the stockhold
ers' meeting the directors met and
re-elected the same officers as hereto
fore. That the bank has done well dur
ing tle past year is shown by the
fact that the net earnings have been
about 18 per cent, of which 8 per
cent was paid out in dividends. The
last statement of the bank shows de
posits of over $556,000, a-consider
able increase over the deposits this
time ast year.
200,000 UNMARKED GRAVES
FILL 18-ACRE BATTLEFIELD
Mrs. Nina L. Duryea, the first
American woman to cross the battle
fields of the Somme, the Argonne,
and the Ardennes, has returned to
this country. She said, in a recent
lecture in New York city, that in the
vicinity of Ypres, Belgium, one field
of 18 acres contained the bodies of
200,000 German, and allied soldiers,
unmarked even by a single cross.
'. Four teriflc onslaughts had occur
red there during the war, she Mid,
and the men were buried where they
felL i-
Montraville Egerton is home from
the navy visiting his mother. -
HEALTH BOARD
At a meeting of the county health
board, held Monday, Dr. L. B. Morse
resigned his position as a member of
the board and applied for the posi
tion of county health officer. He was
appointed county health officer, and
the vacancy on the board was filled
by the appointment of Dr. J. S.
Brown.
The dog question came up for con
sideration. Some citizens from the
Naples section were present and re
ported the presence of mad dogs in
their community and asked for pro
tection. Several of B. B. Souther's
children were bitten by a mad dog
and sent to Raleigh for treatment.
Dogs are running loose in various
parts of the county, and are liable
at any moment to be bitten by rabid
dogs and thus contract and carry the
disease.
There is already a law which would
give ample protection if enforced.
But it is not enforced. Another
meeting of the health board will be
held the first Monday in February,
at which time it is expected that this
law will be amended in such manner
as to charge the secretary of the
board with the duty of seeing that
it is enforced. '
CITIZENS NATIONAL BANK
The stockholders of the Citizens
National Bank of this city held their
regular annual meeting Tuesday in
the directors' room in the Lank build
ing. The following officers were
elected: E. W. Ewbank, president; C.
E. Brooks and Brownlow Jackson,
vice presidents; C. S. Fullbright,
cashier; W. A. Young and E. H.
Davis, assistant cashiers. These offi
cers were all re-elected to the posi
tions they have heretofore been fill
ing in the institution.
All the directors who have been
serving the bank so well and faith
fully since its organization, were re
elected. The board of directors is
composed of the following: E. W. Ew
bank, B .Jackson, C. E. Brooks, W.
C. Rector, R. P. Freeze, F. A. Ew
bank, W. S. Ashworth, C. S. Full
bright, F. A. Bly, C. B. Glazener,
W. A. Cannon and Foster Bennett.
This bank has grown steadily since
it began business May 1, 1915. The
institution's surplus fund has been
increased until it now amounts to
$10,000, and a semi-annual dividend
of 4 per cent is regularly paid its
stock holders. This is equivalent to
8 per cent per annum.
Athe meeting Tuesday, the stock
holders' expressed 'themselves " as "be
ing highly pleased with the present
healthy and growing condition of the
bank, and a resolution was unani
mously adopted praising the officers
and employes of the institution for
the good and faithful work they have
done during the past year, and the
harmonious manner in which all had
labored for the success of the bank.
This is the only national bank in
the county, and its deposits now
amount to nearly a half million dol
lars, and its total resources foot up
more than six hundred thousand dol
lars.
As soon as conditions with regard
to the labor and, building material
situation become a little more steady,
the Citizens National Bank will com
mence the erection of a handsome
new bank building on its lot at the
corner of Fourth avenue East and
Main street, which it purchased some
time ago from W. A. Smith.
The committee on plans for the
new building reported to a directors'
meeting this week, that the plans
were completed with the exception
of iust a little more work on the
specifications. Work on the new
building will probably be commenceo.
in the early summer.
THOMAS SETTLE SICK
Hon. Thomas Settle of Asheville,
one of the best known men in the
State, has been critically ill for the
past several' days with pneumonia.
Mr. Settle is at the Mission hospital
where he has been for the past sev
eral days, attended constantly by two
physicians. Monday and Tuesday
there was little hope held out for
hia rAonverv. but on Wednesday it
was stated he had taken a turn for
the better. And now it is thought
he has a good chance for recovery.
STANDARD SUGAR IS
AVAILABLE AGAIN
For the past several weeks North
Carolina dealers have been able to
purchase sugar only from the Louis
ana sugar districts. This sugar has
not been altogether acceptable to the
North Carolina trade and the an
nouncement just made by Food Ad
ministrator Page, that the eastern re
fineries and the Savannah ' Refinery
have been authorized by the sugar
equalization board to resume ship
ments into North Carolina and other
southern states, will be very accept
able news not only to dealers but to
consumers also. This announcement
follows large shipments of new crop
Cuban 'sugar which will begin to ar
rive at Savannah and other Atlantic
coast ports the the latter part of this
week.'
LEGISLATURE
The North Carolina Legislature has
ratified the national prohibition
amendment. The vote in the House
was 93 to 10.
Beyond the ratification of this
amendment' nothing of importance
has so far been done. ; It takes the
Legislature some time to get down to
real business, the first few weeks of
the session being devoted to routine
work.
,The biggest question to come up
is the tax question. As increased
amounts of money will be needed for
various purposes, especially schools,
some system will have to be devised
forprovidmg the necessary revenues.
Jonathan .Williams Jackson is said
to be Henderson county's youngest
omce-noiaer. He is one of the pages
of the General Assembly. He is the
7-year-old son of Representative,
Brownlow Jackson.
U. S. HAS BIG SURPLUS STOCK
ON HAND
Uncle Sam is the biggest merchant
in the world today. He has on hand
in his 1,500 warehouses, reports say,
enormous surpluses of materials that
are not, now needed by him, since the
war Is over. These materials are
valued at billions of dollars, and if
thrown on the open market, would
doubtless bankrupt competitors hand
ling the same lines of goods. But it
is said the government will not allow
these large surpluses of war mater
ials to be thrown on the open market,
or. permit unfair competition, and
under a plan for the sale of all these
stores of surplus goods, outlined by
L. Hv Hartman, chief of the surplus
stock division of the government,
none of the immense quantities of
supplies left on Uncle Sam's hands
will be offered for sale or sold on
local markets unless there should de
velop a demand for the materials.
Some of the Stocks on Hand
Mr. Hartman has compiled an in
complete list of the materials that
the government has bn hand at the
present time, part of which will have
to be marketed. Among the items
are the following:
70,000,000 cans of tomatoes.
32,000,000 cans of corn.
43,000,000 cans of pork and beans.
26,000,000 yards of duck.
4,800,000 cotton coats.
1,51)0,000 woolen coats.
6,000,000. legginB.
5,000,000 miscellaneous hats.
6,000,000 pair of mittens.
6,000,000 bedsacks.
36,000,000 pair of summer and
winter underwear.
40,000,000 pair of summer under
shirts. 5,000 automobile trucks.
10,000,000 pounds of horseshoes.
2,000,000 tooth brushes.
10,000,000 shovels.
Preferential Market Created
Already large inroads are being
made into the surplus. The Russian
bureau of the war trade board has
ordered 800,000 pairs of shoes, 140,
000 pairs of drawers, 1,400,000 pairs
of cotton socks and hundreds of thou
sands of coats, shirts and other cloth
ing. The millions of pounds of sup
plies that Food Administrator Hoover
estimates will be required for Bel
gium will be taken from the govern
ment surplus.
The Postoffice Department has or
dered $45,000,000 worth of automo
bile trucks and will take over all
surplus aeroplanes that are not need
ed by the War Department.
Montenegro and Ecuador represen
tative in Washington are placing
orders for goods, and the Nether
lands is expected to purchase thou
sands of yards of cloth for uniforms
for its postal employes.
The Department of Agriculture will
ask for enormous supplies. American
representatives also will be sent to
Europe to drum up trade with for
eign governments.
The government is selling goods to
enlisted men at cost and to retiring
civilian war employes at ten per cent
below cost. Catalogues are being
prepared for the use of the county,
state and municipal governments in
the expectation of disposing of much
of the material to them.
PEACEMAKERS DIFFER RELIGI
OUSLY Many religious faiths will be rep
resented when the peacemakers
gather. Marshal Foch is a devout
Roman Catholic. Marshal Haig, of
England, is a Presbyterian. Presi
dent Wilson is also a Presbyterian.
Lloyd George was brought up a Uni
tarian. Premier Clemenceau and
General Petain, of France, are
agnostics. Arthur Henderson, Brit
ish labor leader, is a Methodist.
Hughes, Australian premier, is a
fighting Baptist.
BOARD OF TRADE
The Board of Trade" met Tuesday
night to consider the draft of the
proposed new road law. The proposal
is to have a road board of three mem
bers, one to be a county commissioner
and the other to be appointed by the
commissioners. The draft also pro
vides for a whole time road super
visor. ESTIMATE GERMAN DAMAGE
' Maj. George B. Ford, head of the
Red Cross housing service, and Amer
ican engineers associated with him,
have completed a survey of the de
vastated areas of France and Bel
gium and place the damage done by
the Germans in France at $13,000,-
000,000.
Belgium is estimated to have suf
fered from destruction to the amount
of $2,000,000,000, and more than
$1,000,000,000 in loss of machinery
stolen by the Germans.
Half a million buildings were dam
aged in France, of which 250,000
were destroyed. It is estimated that,
if no building were to be done any
where else and 500,000 men were
available, it would take more than 20
years to restore the damaged areas.
CHURCHES UNITED IN DRIVE
A united church campaign to raise
$10,000,000 for after-war emergency
needs will be launched soon by 14
Prostestant denominations. Each de
nomination will carry on a separate
campaign at approximately the same
time.
The principal objects of the drive
are to help ministers engaged as
chaplains, to assist in the restoration
of evangelical churches in Europe
and to provide scholarships in colleges
for returning soldiers.
MANY U-BOATS BAGGED
The allies destroyed or captured
202 German submarines during the
war. In addition to these, 14 U-boats
were destroyed by the Germans them
selves, ten in the Adriatic sea and
four off Flanders. Seven others were
interned in neutral countries.
The surrender of the German sub
marines has not been completed. The
number already brought into British
ports is 122. There are at least
boats now being built in uerman
shipyards will be at the disposal of
the allies upon completion.
RAILROAD HEADS SPEAK
Railroad executives have decided to
recommend to Congress a system of
unified private management of rail
lir.es with strong public control ex
ercised by a secretary of transporta
tion in the President's cabinet. They
also ask a reorganized Interstate
Commerce commission with regional
divisions acting as a court of last
resort in rate disputes.
The railroad commission opposes
indefinite continuance of government
ownership or operation of railroads at
this time. However, there is some
sentiment for adopting Director Gen
eral McAdoo's proposal that govern'
ment control be extended for five
years to provide a test period.
U. S. IS CARRYING HEAVY
INSURANCE ON SOLDIERS
Uncle Sam has today the largest
insurance business in the world as
much in fact as all the rest of the
world together. When the armistice
was signed he had insured his sol
diers for a total of between thirty
seven billions and thirty-eight bil
lions of dollars, about two-thirds of
the cost of the war to the United
States. This was written on the
lives of 4,000,000 soldiers, 95 per
cent of whom now carry insurance.
The average policy is about $8,750.
The War Risk Insurance bureau is
now at work canceling allotments to
dependents of soldiers as they are
discharged from the army. About
1,300,000 men made allotments .
On December 9, 1918, the War
Risk Insurance bureau had made com
pensation awards on 4,023 death
claims and 4,699 disability claims and
had received a total of 51,845 claims.
A large number of the men insured
are expected to keep their insurance
in force. And the War Risk In
surance bureau is expected to be
in operation many years.
If the death claims were paid in
one sum, instead of by instalments,
they would amount to about $800,
000,000. Premiums to date amount
to $170,000,000, as an offset to these
claims, or leaving a deficit of $630,-'
000,000. This figure may be greatly
increased when final reports have
been received. Deaths from influenza
amonnted to 17,000.
THE HGG AND
CORN MARKET
The following from the monthly re
view of the markets issued. by the
North Carolina Agricultural Exten-
sion Service, is of interest alike to
both buyer and seller.
Special reports from forty North
'Carolina mills show a total weekly
demand of 13,259 bushels of corn.
Twenty-five mills report payipg on
an average of $1.63 per bushel for
shelled corn in bulk for the week
ending December 7. The range of
prices paid is from $1.50 to $1.80
per bushel. This average is slightly
under the price of No. 3 white west
ern corn, which averaged $1.42 3-4
for the first three weeks in December
or $1.65 3-4 delivered in Raleigh.
The average price paid for corn in
North Carolina towns was $1.81 per
bushel during December. Usually
the price paid for North Carolina
corn is less at this time of year than
what it .would cost to deliver western
corn in the State. The average price?'
paid for corn in twenty-nine counties
is $1.78 and the range of prices $1.25
to $2.25. If the hope of western
growers to obtain $1.75 for their corn
later in the season is realized North
Carolina farmers may obtain $2.00 a
bushel for corn this year again. The
crop in the United States is reported
155,000,000 bushels less than the
five year average in the seven surplus
states. The total for the seven lead
ing corn producing states on a five
year average is 1,485,531,000 bushels
and the estimated 1918 production is
1,330,297,000 bushels. The number
of hogs to consume corn this year
is greatly increased over last. How
ever, as the food regulation requir
ing the use of corn as a substitute
has been removed, demand by North
Carolina mills for home grown corn
will not be as great as last year.
The regulation of hog prices by the
United States food administration is
undoubtedly having a stabilizing ef
fect upon the price of corn.
Hog Markets
Quotations in general at packing
centers show only a slight decline
during the month though receipts
were approximately 20 per cent
greater than in November, and the
xne oenei is prevalent that the pres
ent heavy demand for pork will con
tinue resulting in steady to higher
prices for the next few months at
least. The Baltimore market showed
a decline of approximately 50 cents
per cwt., Chicago market about 15
cents per cwt. lower, while the de
cline on the Richmond market was
nominal. The daily averages on
larger markets showed comparatively
little variation even in the face of
occasional record breaking receipts,
a condition that was frequently lack
ing prior to the government regula
tion of prices. The approximate
average prices paid for hard hogs
(soft hogs 1 1-2 to 2 cents lb. less
on the Richmond and Baltimore
markets are : Richmond mediums and
heavies, $17.25 to $17.75 cwt.;
lights $16.00 to $16.50 cwt; Balti
more, mediums and heavies, $17.93,
lights $16.81. Reports from North
Carolina local markets indicate that
$16.75 per cwt. was the average
price paid farmers for live hogs, and
$23.90 for dressed hogs, the North
Carolina quotations being for both
hard and soft hogs. The foregoing
quotations indicate that local North
Carolina markets have been relatively
higher than packer markets when
shipping expenses and reductions for
soft hogs at packer markets are taken
into consideration, which probably
explains why only a very limited num
ber of car load shipments have been
made to packer markets during the
months. Whether or not this condi
tion will continue during the next
two months, when the marketing of
North Carolina hogs will probably be
more rapid, remains to be seen.
RETURNING NAVAL GUNS
Naval guns and gunners placed on
American merchant ships to protect
them against German submarines are
being removed as rapidly as the ves
sels reach home ports. The rifles and
their crews are being returned to the
navy.
With the withdrawal of the naval
crews, accommodations will be'afford
ed for apprentice seamen, firemen
and stewards, junior deck officers and
junior engineers, who will be given
final training at sea.
Mrs. A. S. Truex is back at her
home after a long and severe illness
from erysipelas at the . Patton
Memorial hospital. She is improv
ing nicely. ..