tl
TT T7
TrTP
iORY
VOL III. NO. 131
MILITARY EXPERTS SAY
WESTERN
r Amnn Pa;ia
Kussu-ufcimu"
France and Italy For Some Time Russia
Formally Announces Withdrawal From
War With Central Powers
l',v the Associated Tress.
Washington. Feb. 12. How
, ii'iiiplfto withdrawal from
v;ir viil affect the allies and
lY.;U'd States in a military
rinnot bo accurately estimated
Rus
the the
way
at
t!::s time. I'mctai in-ueve despite
til,- t'nct that Russian demobilization
,,i lapcr will be a groat help to the
UTmatis. it will not help them very
materially in fact.
(:!':cia!!y there is ifdhing to be
i .1 .i I. 1U .
vl tilt' SUOJl'Cl Ht'lilUSB, lilt" kv-
uiit has no official information,
iitary men, however, confident
the allied line on the western
: will hold against any force
(Icrmans can throw against it
.Mirinir are optimistic.
M
tiiat
fr."i
till'
The fact that 1.. "00.000 German
viv!t'fs will be freed to return to
Crnianv is regarded with no alarm
Military men say they could
iv'kly bo organized into efli
lihtary units. Military men
Germans would be more in
1 in keeping the German pris
ii Kussirt until after the war,
than have them return with
!l.'f 'i
.:'. r
say tl
trIt
ratht'i1
M:hev;k ias.
Tic 1 17 Austro-German and Bul
bar JivUioiH un the Russian front,
which will entirely be released by
the separate peace, are regarded as
alreaily having been stripped of
their effectiveness which have been
transferred to the western front.
Military experts say that Germany
wouM be obliged to keep some of
these 117 divxisions in the con
quered tetrltory for garrison duty.
lU'SSIA CONFIRMS IT
Hy the Associated Press.
London, Feb. 12. Confirmation of
the German report that Russia has
withdrawn from the war is contain
ed in an ntlicial announcement from
fVtm-ra.l.
Th" statement says Russia declares
th- v.mv with Germany, Austria-Hun.-urv.
Uuleariii and Turkev nt an
en,!. !''N,i:,, tPoi,4 slmnltnnpm,,. !By
ly !( fivii;- aii order for complete
tie-ni'.bil.i'atii.n on all fronts.
I"r the defense of 'the frontier
si'iii" ili'taehments of soldiers will be
Iff;.
Although this announcement was
ma.!.' y-sterday from German sourc
thi. is the first announcement
fr'-rn Russia.
OF SODA 10
BE IDE TAX FREE
By tne
ITarr:,
Associated
Tresk.
mrg, Feb. 12. Secretary
t a 'J Tll'l i t II rit tiiHsil.' nnnr.!lnnnt 4Viof
all nr'rafc of soda sent to the farm
'r will ho exempt from the state
f';rri!i(.p f(.t.s. This mean3 that
'li! farmers will have to pay is the
freiu-ht from the port of entry. The
I'nitH States has purchased 100,000
t"'u f-f nitrate of sode from Chile
ii'i'l will bring it to this country.
It w;i! be distributed at cost by the
lepartm-rit of agriculture.
. The h'oment:s of nitrate will arrive
Thu country at Savannah, Char-;i-t.r,,
Wilmington, Norfolk and
baa. more.
K'"-'. -F. K. Barb conducted the fu-
r"ra! of a Mr. Hilton from old St.
''lu.'-i church, near Newton this af-
t'Tnoon,
Rep
ublicans and
NITRATE
to Share the Confidence of
President in War Matters
Ry the Associated Preg3.
Washington, Feb. 12. President
Wilson will begin a conference to
morrow with congress leaders
f"'Ui Democrats and Republicans for
lh'- Purpose of taking them into his
of,(i, , .,.,. in rt,j,ar,i to war activit
ies. i''r the first time members of
Ull parties are to be taken into the
'uncil of the white house in con
b ration of war legislation and in
liH way the administration hopes
t kee,, congress informed of his
variru:4 steps,
lh' pending bill to empower the
pri-Kiilunt to consolidate the execu
tlv'' department functions and re
"wtribute work among them, now op-
v opposed by the Republicans,
be one of the first subjects tQ
LINE IS GOOD
- m I- A . A 11
Aireci vines in
CHILD RUN OVER
' AUTOMOBILE
Herbert Nichols, small son of Mr.
and Mrs. Eugene Nichols, who lives
on Eighth avenue, was run over by
an automobile truck driven by Wil
lie Shuford, colored, late yesterday
afternoon and sustained serious injur
ies. The lad was carried to Dr.
Menzies' office, where medical atten
tion was given him, and this morn
ing he was hopeful that the injuries
were not fatal. Shuford is in the
city jail pending- the recovery of the
child.
It seems that the lad with his
sister was about to cross the street
near the Abernethy Hardware Com-
pny store when the mishap occurred.
There was an automobile ion this
side rnd another on the far side.
The girl ran safely across, but the
boy lv.n under the truck, the prop
erty of the Gibbs Grocery Company.
The truck wheel passed across his
stomach.
The reporter was unable to locate
anybody who saw the happening, but
it was said by others that the truck
was moving slowly and that the ac
cident was unavoidable. The driver
stopped the machine after going
six or eight feet, it was said.
It was said later today that hu
ford had one or two accidents lately,
a buggy being damaged some time
ago.
COAL FAMINE WILL
T
the Associated Press.
I Philadelphia, Feb. 12. The coal
I famine may end in two weeks, Penn
j sylvania fuel administration officials
say. Keports irom tne mines say
the situation is becoming normal
again.
T I IK KM HICKORY HOYS
AT PARIS ISLAND,
S. C.
A letter from Dick II. Shuford
today announced his installation as a
private in the marines at Pario Is
land, S. C, where he found James
Shuford and Cedric Dellingsr, who
ban gone before. The letter was
optimistic 7:d requested that the d's
renser of fXal cheer be sent to his
ad.iress. All three young men are
WJii.
TO CALL PRESIDENT
The board of trustees of Catawba
College will meet in Salisbury Feb.
2G for the purpose of receiving the
recommendations of the committee
named to secure a president to suc
ceed Rev. J. D. Andrew, resigned.
This was the action taken Monday
at Salisbury by the committee.
RED CROSS NOTES
The weather has been fine for
several days and should have brought
out a larger number. Please do not
tire in well doing.
.Saitilrf'Jriy MVs. W. B. Rawsay,
Mrs. E. II. Lawrence, Mrs. W. T.
Ccuncill.
Monday Mrs. II. S. Smith, Mrs.
Hugh D'Anna, Mrs. Fred Jones, Mrs.
R. A. Grimes, Miss Effie Morrison,
Miss Edwina Hancock.
Democrats
come up.
iSome of the Democrats do not fa
vor it and the Republicans openly de
nounce it.
The bill, however, is the adminis
tration's counter to the bill for the
creation of a war council and muni
tions director. The president is
represented as being unalterably op
posed to the committee plan and
many members of congress are just
as opposed to the president's plan.
The purpose of the conferences is
to arrive at some compromise on
this subject first, but there is every
evidence that the custom will be
continued throughout the war.
The president's move is the
step towards taking members
both parties into his conference
regard to important matters.
first
of
in
TRUCK
END
WEEKS
HICKORY, N.
PEACE IS VOICEO
By the Associated Press.
Washington, Feb. 12. Actuai
peace negotiations of a new type on
a far greater scale than heretofore
known are seen by old school diplo
mats in the recent addresses by the
spokesmen of the warring nations
delivered to the world.
Although President Wilson's ad
dress to congress is as seen as ;
clear reiteration of the country's
readiness to continue the war unti
victory is achieved, it was pointed
out iinat negotiations on a vast
scale really are going on.
These "extra official negotiations"
as they are called by diplomats, de
part radically from the ancient and
accepted practices of diplomacy,
Instead of being conducted in the se
crecy of the round table the great
issues are being threshed out in the
world court of public opinion.
ES
TO OVER 60 FEE!
By the Associated Press.
Cincinnati, Feb. 12. The Ohio riv.
er reached a flood gate of 61.1 feet
at 11 o'clock today and the weather
bureau predicts that if the Sugar
Creek gorge continues to hold, the
water will go to 65 feet by 6 o'cloc!
tomorrow morning.
By the Associated Press.
Washington, Feb. 12. 'Germany's
war lords were scathingly denounced
and Americans were urged to con
tinue their efforts to dethrone them
in an address commemorating the
birthday anniversary of President
Lincoln iby Senator Lewlis of Illi
nois. The German peace offers
were declared to be only "a ruse to
murder."
Struggles of the world's democ
racies to retain their liberty were re
counted by Senator Lewis, quoting
the German poet Goethe that "thos
who have liberty must fight to keep
it." '
GETS TARIFF JOB
By the Associated Press.
Washington, Feb. 12. Thomas W.
Page of Virginia was nominated
today by President Wlnson to be a
member of the United States tariff
board.
10
DISCUSS LIVE
ISSUES ON FRIDAY
The open meeting of the Commu
nity Club Friday afternoon at 3:30
will give tv ladies of Hickory an op
portunity of hearing the exact facts
about the food situation, methods of
helping in the cjisis and preserving
vegetables and fruits against worse
conditions next winter and spring.
The speakers will be County Food
Administrator Yates Killian, Mrs.
John W. Rbinson, Mrs. Gordon Wil-
fong, Mrs. G. Harvey Geitner ana
Mr. J. D. Elliott. Mr. Elliott will
talk on Thrift and War Saving
stamps.
TO
By the Associated Press.
(Washington, Feb. 12. Fuel Ad
ministrator Garfield is expected to
rescind tonight the heatless Monday
order. At a conference today with
Director General McAdoo he went
over the situation in the country.
Despite floods from melting snow,
fuel administration officials believes
there will be no further difficulty in
getting coar to the consumers and
manufacturing plants.
This gives coal first to housholders,
ships, war industries and other ne
cessary plants.
IN SPEECHES,
HE SAYS
OHIO
RIVER
LEWIS ARRAIGNS
GERMAN WAR
LORDS.
HELD
FUNS
REVOKE
ORDER
O, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 12, 1918
AUSTRIANS RAID iS A
ITALIANS IN
NORTH
By the . Associated Press.
Berlin, via London, Feb. 12. .
British Admiralty per Wireless
Press.) After a day of lively artil
lery fire on the Settee Communi
plateau on the Italian front, the
Austrians attacked south Sasso Ros
so clearing supporting positions and
capturing nearly 180 prisoners, ar
my headquarters announced today.
HUNS USING PRISONERS
TO PREVENT AIR AIDS
New York, Feb, 12. The German
authorities are packing Stuttgart, in
southwestern Germany, with pris
oners of war in an avowed attempt
to discourage air raids in reprisal for
those made by the Germans on Lon
don and other entente cities.
The Cologne Gazette announced in
its issue of January 7 that the Stutt
gart, which already was the site of
several large prison camps contain
ing British and French prisoners of
war and of hospitals in which pris
oners of war were being treated,
hundreds of officers were being
brought to be lodged in special quar
ters constructed for them in all
parts of the city, in order, as the
Gazette stated, to make them share
the dangers of the civil population
Karlsruhe, another important city
m the same region, has long been
packed with officers and soldier pris
oners. if lve ol tne Americans irom
ships sunk by the commerce raider
Moewe, who were among the sailors
brought to Germany by the Yarrow
dale, were connnect until tneir re
lease in an officers' camp at Karls
ruhe, and witnessed several air raid
from uncomfortably close range.
SERVED THEM RIGjHT
THEY DESERVED IT ALL
The Rev. and Mrs. J. G. Garth
were given a delightful surprise last
night when the members of their
church, all unexpected, made a sud
den attack on the manse and before
it was all over had left so much
stuff in the pantry - that- the family
will find it difficult to Hooverize.
The pounding was engineered by
the ladies, of course, and they put
it across in good style. Mr. Garth
being asked about it today, said the
Presbyterians were the best people
in the world and the way he proved
it was by saying that they had
listened to him for; 10 years and
then had showered so many good
things on him and his family. That's
not the reason assigned by the mem
bers.
Some poetry was spilled along
with the other good things and
Mrs. II. C. Menzies left an onion
in which was a $5 gold speck. Mrs.
Carrie Gamble and Mrs. W. B. Ram
say commanded the storming brig
ade.
THIS DURHAM BULL
IS GOING 10 PRANCE
By the Associated Pres.
Durham, N. C, Feb. 12 Amid the
applause of thousands of people,
Durham's first load of tobacco pull
ed out of the station today bound
for "Somewhere In France." It wan
a well known brand of smoking to
bacco. Mayor W. E. Newson delivered a
patriotic address to a great throng
that gathered at the station to wit
ness the departure ot the tobacco.
RESIDENT HEMMETER
GOES TO ROCHESTER
Ndwtor Feb 12. Rev. H. B.
Temmeter. who has been president
of Concordia College at Conover
two miles west of this place, for sev
eral vears has resigned and has
been installed pastor of St. Matthews
Evangelical Lutheran church at Ko-
chester. N. Y.. recently made va
cant by the transfer of Rev. Mr.
Ruhland to Trinity church, nunaio.
Rev. Mr. Hemmeter has held a
number of important pastorates in
cities of the middle west, his last
charge before being elected to the
presidency of the Conover institu
tion being Bethlehem church, St.
onis. Mo. He has long been recog
nized among Lutherans .as a leader
of exceptional qualifications and as a
peaker of great power ana elo
quence.
TRADING IN HENS AND
PULLETS IS FORBIDDEN
WwsViiTiP-ton. Feb. 12. Trading in
ive or freshly killed hens and pullets
anywhere in tne unitea states is
forbidden in an order announced
by the United States food admin
istrntion. February 23 is fixed as
the date when fresh stock must be
disposed of and adds that addition
al stocks may not be purchased.
T5v rpst.rirting the killing of chick-
em which should be heavy layers,
the food administration hopes to in
the nroduction of eggs and
allow them to be put in storage at
reasonable price.
TIip new order was issued several
days ago and had been given pub
liVitv hv local food administrators
before the administration announced
it.
WEATHER FORECAST
a
For North Carolina: Probably rain
tonight and Wednesday; light south
winds.
HIT SOL
By the Associated Press.
London, Feb. 12. President Wil
son's address was given the same
prominence that all his utterances re
ceived in the morning papers, but the
text reached here too late for Ex
tended comment.
The president's attitude toward the
1 i y-i i -r-r i
speecn oi ount von nerumg re
ceived the m,'ain consideration and
in this the president is regarded as
having gone to the heart of the mat
ter.
In the address the Times sees an
important "refutation of the bol
sheviki illusion that Prussian mili
tary force be exercised by rhetoric"
and commands the serene confidence
by which the president adhers to
the belief that 'the war will not enr'
without establishing the region of
right and justice.
IS
AT WILSON'S SPEECH
By the Associated Press.
London, Feb. 12: In the house
of commons today former Premier
Alsquithj, commenting ;on President
W'ilson's speech to congress yester
day, said the president had discrim
inated justly "between the Austrian
and German foreign ministers.
AIR MAIL
STARTS IfX
SUM
By the Associated Press.
Washington, Feb. 12. Establish
ment of an airplane service between
Washington, Philadelphia and New
York during the coming summer was
indicated today when the postoffice
department asked for bids.
Ihe service will begin with one
round 'trip a day and later will ex
pand. First class mail only will be
carried at first.
The bids will be opened February
21 and the planes are to be deliver
ed not later than April 25 this
year. Arrangements hlave been
made with the war department for
the release of several motors.
WILL BE REAPPOINTED
By the Associated Press.
Washington, Feb. 12. Major Gen
eral Barnett, commander of the ma
rine corps, whose terms is about to
expire, will be reappointed, Secre
tary Daniels announced today.
PLAN CONSIDERATION
OF PRESIDENT'S BILL
By the Associated Press.
WJhshinio-tori. Feb. 12.i Adminis
tration leaders in the senate planned
consideration of the bill the presi
dent feels he is now disposed to ex
dom in reorganizing departments and
bureaus.
Senator Overman today predicted
a favorable report.
If congress fails to act, the pres-
ercise authority to effect such reor
ganization of the department.
By th3 Associated Press.
Washington, Fefo. 12. Secretary
D.niri tn,ioir -rinc!Tnit.t.fifl to the sen-
ate military ' committee the shipping
statistics upon which he based his es
timate of transporting 1,000,000 Am-
erican soldiers to hiutujjc uu jcai.
. n 1 ' In j-i r
'lhe miormation was iucicu
;l,;.l,lTr .onfilontinl" and will be COn-
lllginjr .
sidered in executive session of the
committee as the basis for final
cross-examination of the secretary,
probably this week yoenmd cioseu
doors. ., , ,
The information was compiled lar
i,r' Kit ia oronf-rnl staff and is un-
derstood to give complete details ot
both American ana aniea srupa.
ASQUITH
PLEASED
IR
BAKER HAS FACTS
ON SHIPS FOR
SOLDIERS
:Y CLEARING WEA
Germany Mustering Her Hordes to Overrun
France, But Allies Are Confident They
"Shall Not Pass" Austrians Repulsed
By Italians on Brenta River
THE BOYs"7
Some of the most entertaining
reading from France is written by
men who are in the service, rather
than by trained writers. Arthur Guy
Empey is a case in point. A neph
ew of Rev. and Mrs. J. D. Harte,
who formerly resided in Hickory, has
written a most readable letter to his
mother. It was published in the
Oxford Ledger. The writer, whose
name is not given, is a graduate of
Virginia Military Institute, and his
"letter is good to read. In part it
follows:
Somewhere in France, Dec. 6. '17.
Mail! mail from the States! Do
you hear? I got some mail today!
Oh, I thought it would never come
and now that it has come I'm going
to take a whole afternoon off and
read first one letter and then the
other, and then write a little "on this
one and then go back and read the
others all over again.
Another warning- if you ever send
anything by parcel post, put it in a
good strong box and then wrap very
securely. But before you do either
take it to the post office there at
home, get the postmaster to inspect
it and then to tag it a? "insnected"
ithcy have "'little stickers saying "no
prohibited ai'ticles." That will in
sure that it will not be opened on
the way. I have a friend who is
mail orderly here and I frequently
see the mail when it comes in. The
condition is something wonderful.
Some packages have to be rewrapp
ed twice by the postal authorities,
and I have seen even tin cans mashed
in. So if there are packages, let
them be strong ones.
Don't you bother about my keep
ing warm when I begin flying
whenever that is. You can't keep
absolutely warm, but they do
all
they can to approximate protection.
They issue us heavy warm sweat
ers that roll up around the neck and
a "Scotch cap" of grey wool that
works like my knitted helmet
pulls down over the face and leaves
only the eyes out. Over the cap
goes a coik helmet with big ear
naps, both for warmth and protec
tion. And there are heavy leather
breeches and a still heavier leather
coat and fur lined gloves. Over
your regular shoes goes a pair of
fur-lined leather boots. So we
ought to be warm, you see!
Wherv lae 'boys "get far enough
advanced to do their altitude or go
on long trips "voyages" they take
away their leathers and give them
a "Teddy bear." A Teddy bear is
not the same in aviation as in the
advertisements from 5th Avenue.
Here it is a sort of mail pouch for a
human being, lined from top to bot
tom with heavy fur. closed tight
around the feet and wrists, and belt
ed in the middle. Add gloves, hel
met, and goggles, and the illusion is
complete. Oh, of course, the thing
is divided for your legs. I didn t
mean to convey the impression that
the poor boy was thrown into a
ibag and tied up. I merely said
"mail pouch" because even the
thinnest of them like myself look
like a full ballon when they dike up.
It would be fine if the govern
ment gave us those clothes but they
only lend them to us while we are
flying. And the boys have to be
very careful of them because a "sec
ond loan" is a very hard thing to be
negotiated. A few days ago one of
the beginners hit a "bump" a sud
den gust and fell pretty hard, lhe
machine was smashed ail to pieces,'
but all the eleve was worrying about
was a big tear in his leather breech
es that made them useless. A brok
en arm or so could easily have been
mended, but leathers! oh, they
should be well cared for! Its re
markable what a machine can go
through without hurting the pilot.
I was watching the "hop class
for a few minutes this morning. A
hop is still another thing different in
aviation from what it is in ordinary
ife. When a man hops he is tak
ing his first ride alone. It is sup
posed to be very short just a
straight rise and down again but
not as short as the attempt one boy
made. He had a tendency to keep
his nose down and the old boat rum
bled along on the grass or just a
very few feet up all the way. He
must have thought he was way up
for when it was time to land he
turned her nose down sure enough
and the bounce he got when the
wheels hit caused him to take the
only real flight he had at all. He
shot up to about fifteen feet and had
to fly there for a few seconds, at
least before he 'steadied and came
down for a good landing.
Another boy rode a "'cheval de
bois." I don't know where the term
started, but what he did was cer
tainly more exciting than any pos-(
PRICE TWO CENTS
THER
By the Associated Press.
On the western front where Ger
many is mustering her forces to crush
the entente there are signs of grow
ing altertness, forecasting the bat
tles to come. The weather has un
proved and in the British sector the
ground its getting to be in fair con
dition. German troops and guns are still
pouring into France opposite the
British linjes, but the British are
reported confident, the preponder
ance of artillery and men still be
ing with the allies.
Raids are increasing in intensity
and the artillery fire is becoming
more active on all fronts.
In the attack against Caurrlers
wood northwest of Verdun, the
French repulsed the Germans with
loss. On the Italian front the Ital
ians have repulsed Austrian at
tacks west of the Brenta.
AUSTRIANS REPULSED
By the Associated Press.
Rome, Italy, Feb. 12. .The Aus
trians yesterday renewed their at
tacks on the northern front west of
the Brenta river, but were held in
check. The Austrian columns were
torn to pieces by the Italian artil
lery. sible ride on a wooden horse. He
got his directional rudder mixed up
and the machine, instead of taking
a straight away, slewed around in
a circle. There was a platoon
from another squadron doing close
order drill near by and when in the
course of its turn the plane headed
for them and the first squadron
'broke ranjks and scattered like a
hand grenade, and the others were
about to follow suit when the
'cheval" swerved again and came to
a stop about where it started. An
aeroplane charging on the ground
is as dangerous a weapon as it is
novel. The last I heard of the fel
low who forgot which foot to push,
he was very shame facedly obeying
the French moniteur's pointed advice
to "geet out."
Such occasions as those are ex
ceptions. Most of the boys taking
their hop sail way as smoothly a;id
prettily as you wish. The unprac
tised eye like mine can't tell the
difference between some hops and an
experiencd flight. .
I have .something to tell you
about, that probably you already
know of from other sources. I
have, even this quickly found "une
marraine" a god mother. And I
'truly think I must have found the
best in all of France. The first thing
she does for me is to ask if she
might write to you about me! It
was mightly thoughtful of her to
suggest it, and her nice little let
ter was mailed to you three or four
days ago. And now she says that
she is going to write every week!
So you may look for her little notes
She is very nervous and
delicate and withal works very hard.
I met ma marraine in her hotel the
first Sunday I was here. I went
there for a bath a luxury, and while
there I was struggling along in
French with the landlady there are
no landlords now, even of the largest
hotels she came up and asked in
perfect American if she could help
me. And after she had helped me,
and after I had helped myself to a
bath, I sat in the lobby with her and
got acquainted. When I lef she
asked if I would come back and
study French with her, and I went
back and have gone . back ever since.
The mademoiselle is a countess
no, not a stage countess, but a real
one from one of the oldest of the
noble families of France. Her
mother's father was chief admiral of
the British navy. If I knew the
facts I could write pages of the
most interesting things about her
people. But it is of the Mademois
elle we are speaking.' She doesn't
use her title, and she uses only one
of her names . Her home is
in South America. It seems that
one of her ancestors was banished
during the Revolution and went there
to make his home. And she has
travelled all of Europe and so much
of America that she knows a great
deal more of my country than I do.
Tt is Sometimes discourteous and
always unsafe to guess a lady's
age, and about all I can venture con
cerning Mdlle. la countess is that
she is neither so young as she
might be, nor yet so old. I have
said she was delicate, and she suf
fers a great deal from insomnia. In
addition she works always with "my
poor," "my blesses," "my kiddies,
as she calls them! 'all war jrelief
work. Her time, her money, and
her whole heart are wrapped up in
it, and it is telling on her health.
She was in Germany when the war
broke out. In her flight home she
lost all her possessions. She saw
the things in Belgium that will for
ever curse the German nation and
they will forever leave their marks
on her. She looks almost old. She
is tired, always, and try as hard as
you may, she can not forget the
things she has seen and experienced
(Continued on page 4)