"THE UNION COUNTY PAPER EVERYBODY READS IT
'THE UNION COUNTY PAPER-EVERYBODY NLSDS IT
to Monroe journal
PUBLISHED TWICE EACH WEEK TUESDAY AND FRIDAY
VOL 25. No. 36.
MONROE, N. C TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1919.
$1.50 PER YEAR CASK.
t
THF. NMVsl'APFIt AM) THE
TAsK Ol' IIF.FOXSTIUVTIOX
Aihlie Before I he North l'i(rtiiia
Piv Aoialin at Wright. ille
llt-iuh by llolnnil F. IP.aslcy. Stat
Coiiimivdoiier of lutlir Welfare.
Five weeks before the world butch
ers gaily summoned the lutions to
the shambles iu 1914. I spoke on this
erv spot and to the same audienct
on the "Tyranny of the Status Quo."
It was stated that great chances, like
physical forces, gather. In ever In
creasing momentum as they move.
The war has amply illustrated the
truth of this statement. The short
and merry war that was to extend the
power of a brutal dynasty by the
quick subjugation of neighbor peo
ples resulted in a world revolution
which wiped that dynasty off the
slate, annihilated the moat powerful
military machine the world has ever
seen and in five years by successive
stages changed the world's thought
more profoundly than In any other
five hundred years before.
Until the covenant of the League
of Nations was signed, mankind had
recognized only war as the Anal ar
bitrament for disagreements, and
throughout all recorded history, no
other assembly of nations ever made
a bona flle effort to substitute the
counsels of peace and Justice for war
for the government of the entire
world. The world w ar, huge and dis
astrous us it was. may not have been
too bin a price to pay for this result.
Vet it would not have been accom
plished and the stage not been prop
erly set. That net tint; was the back
ground of common sense and human
itarian '.nstlncts which had begun to
reckon war as out of date, but from
whose world-wide clutch no one saw
any w.iv of escape Despicable as
the Gei'tail leaders si, owed them
selves to be, may .e they served the
turpi':" of Providence in that they
tiiieiMi.-'.i'Misly gambled the whole
hideous machine of military des
potism iu.ihist the conscience and In
telligence of mankind, and lost their
cast fcM'v.i'.
At ! ast all peoples have been lib
erated. Hut peace end liberty, tem
porarily valued, can be retained only
as realized and desired 1n the hearts
i t innt. Europe must pass, through
a period of physical reconstruction
In America no such task awaits. Ours
is not a task of reconstruction be
cause we have suffered no material
destruction. Ours Is a spiritual and
mental task. Of goods and wealth
in all Its forms we have sufficient for
our needs and to spare,not only for
the piesent, but of unmeasured quan
tity for 1 tie future.
THE TASK OF ADJUSTMENT
The world Is in u slate of Mux.
America ;s the calmest of the nations,
and we are far from calm. There is
nu Indefinable restlessness. Public
opinion is in a stn'e ot solution on
every question and none can guess
what any precipitation will be. I see
no evidence of wide-spread malig
nanc. Most of our li..ulses are
ninety-nine per tent goou. We are
gropii.g, feeling, changing. Aside
from tlit small per cent of selfish and
malignant people, stirring, Americans
are actuated by the most generous,
the most humane, the most righteous
impulses. What we need is good
thinking, honest discussion, mutual
tolerance, respect, kindliness, and
above all, self restraint New prob
lems are in the air. and many con
ceptions long held Infallible are fol
lowing the way of all flesh. We are
in the stage of newly adjusting hu
man relationships. Of this there can
be no evasion. The outcome will be
happy in proportion to our desire to
make it happy and our willingness
to meet every situation fairly and
candidly.
The preaching of this fact Is the
most important task of the press.
The free press has always stood for
liberty In the old acceptance ot the
term. It must now stand for a new
liberty.
THE FREEDOM FROM SELF.
No individual and no group can
achieve liberty except by practicing
liberty. Chattel slaves have nearly
alwas acquiesced in their own slav
ery, and the man who Is In some
form of self slavery usually boasts of
his shackles. It is a peculiarity of
psychology that a man should cher
ish his shortcomings.
I have been speaking with pen or
tongue to brother editors for twenty
five years, and I have never spoken
nor written words that I Intended to
be more optimistic, more cheerful,
more sure, then thse of today. But
then are dangers we should see and
'ehoals whi 'h we must pass. America
holds the future in the hollow or hpr
hand, but she can tike no gambler's
chance. Safety lies in t!:a self discip
line, the moderation, the honesty of
purpose of the average man It lies
in the perfect freedom of the law,
and the liberation of the spirit from
shackles of clss and clan and selfish
ness. Spiritual slavishness Is a poor
substitute for physical slavery. Sur
face undulations are easily detected.
It Is the duty of the press to see be
neath and beyond them.
UNDERSTANDING A INTERPRETA
TION. Therefore, the first effort of the
editor should be to properly under
stand and Interpret the fundamental
spirit of the time and to seek to give
Ills readers a perspective from wh'ch
they and he may consider and place
the many questions of detail which
constantly come up for consideration.
No editor has the right to be asleep.
However a..u ll or large his field, his
place is oi.e of leadership. guidance
and inspiration. He must throw hii.
se'.f Into the spirit of the times and
he its living exemplar. He has been
from ancient times the guardian of
the people's riahls. He must become
the guardian of their duties and their
opportunities. At no time previous
has the impulse for Service been so
great as it is today. He must keep
alive the spirit of publrtF service and
apply It to the complex questions of
community lfe. He can not do this
by nagging, by brawling, by sneering,
by belittling, hy fawning. It must be
done by counsel, by correct interpre
tation, by friendly discussion, by
keeping always iu view the fact that
with the-few exceptions of the vicious
and the selfish, men go wrong more
from ignorance and lack of under
standing than from purpose. Theo
logy has given way to ethics and ev-
ery-day religion, and worthy leaders
have never had so fine a field as to
day The everlasting bedrock for hu
man relationship is the principle of
the golden rule, and never before has
the chance for its realization been so
open. Freedom is still the Issue.
But It is freedom from littleness,
from- a slavish attitude of mind
that takes snap judgement and ob
structs the better way. The editor,
like nations, can influence the world
for long only through his spiritual
and mental forces.
PROSPERITY AND PERMANENCY
In spile of the drain of war. this
country is more prosperous than ever
Our bains are full. Yet if we think
only of tearing them down and build
irg larger, our souls will be required
of us no lss surely than was that of
the misguided man of scripture. The
soul can not take its rest iu a gross
materiality. It Is not the things we
have nor their abundance which will
gie permanency and peace and hap
piness, but the use that is made of
them. It Is no longer a question of
material prosperity with us. It is
henceforth a quest ion of the relation
of men to those things and to one
another. No man can separate him
self from the community in which he
lives. Ife nsrnds with It the seal?
of happiness, and it rises In prnpor
tlon to the opportunity It provides
for all to rise with It This truth is
evident, unmistakable. The man who
manipulates a crooked deal is cumin
to be regarded on thP level wlt'h lit in
who jimmies a safe. Private and pub
11c initiative everywhere Is concerned
with service with making better com
enmunltles, and consequently a better
world.
None Vit fools discount material
prosperity, and none but fools think
this the end and aim of life. It Is
but a means and instrument of
achieving life. We can not change
lit ill thinking and simple living into
high living and cheap thinking and
lone ct away with It. Hut we can
nse high thinking to direct and con
trol "ood living, ami thereby nchlevf
the rood of both. I plead mt for!
ai'sterity but for the riglr use of our
(ikundaiice. Justice, opportunity and
service are the watchwords of the
hour. Self rc train', friendly iii'er
course, and mutual 'oleranee in the
ronilif' of c!;;l"is. are the Instruments
that ni'ist t;k' place everywhere.
ONE DANCER THREATENS.
Instability, t nsoii.id thinking, the
general restle-snoss and unsettled
fate of ptib"c opinion, combined
with 'he tnaiked and meprorioiis Im
pulse fo nctier things, 'malt? the
vat nlug ngtJnst vicious propaganda
timely. Tl'-re is now a si niggle for
the rontrol (f public opinion. We
have seen whole u; lions rwayed by
organized prpaganla. 'lim is a time
''hen the complete freedom of 1'ie
press is eviential. And inert? fied:)U)
is not sufficient. The press must be
i ot free only, but enlightened and
d,'o!ed to the true wellare of Ihe
people as never before Syndicates
ano organised propaganda have In
trenched I.itigerously upo.i 'hi lead-1
:. ip of th- press. Beware f It and
scutinize carefully every -.ffort that
it fn.sted U','h tl.e publu'. i is easier
than ever b-n ).t to buy public opin
ion la the scute that the public mind
. b'e reaer.-l ana titrnea more cim
!eu.y in utisi fcpected was. The
public mind Cun be lasned into a
f i nzy qii'dtly. Right now there is
4 dangeroun effort to suppress free:
dom oif opinion and expression. It is
not the fev anarchists and Bolshev
ists in the country that are danger
ous, but th- men who would -make
them a pivK-xt to stifle progress and
and sober 'hinking. Beware of frenzy
ur.il manufaetured opiniiwi. if men
are to be free, It must be because they
know what freedom Is, because they
are capable of self-emit --n! and dis
cipline, and not because a few rana
tlcs may be Imprisoned or some an
archist drav. n and qunr'ofed. The
better wo-vl we hope i'o must be
won by acting Justly as well us by de
manding justice. The s,.i.-it that
would break the speed limit is not
the spirit most needed no .v.
RIGHT DOWN HOME.
Most of the men hem assembled
belong to that division tn'iaily tailed
the country press. It Is one to which
many of us have belonged w ith pride
and to which some of us clung from
choice. The locali'y is your field. To
those who arc h.ngry for service a
veritable feast is spread before you In
your own community r.ui among
those whom you touch In friendly in
tercourse. None but the live ami
sensible editor has so great v. field
Let me summon you to the highesl
realization of usefulness iu interpret
ing the spirit of things In a small
way. If you are narrow and punissi
and Inconsiderate, your opportunity
Is gone. Nor do you need to be a
dollar-a-day man any more, for ener
gy and wisdom and enterprise will
TFP Si I.I.IVAN. FAMOUS BASK
Hil l. MAX. VISITS MOXKOE
Wa Ciuest of Mr. Wade lllakcney.
Son of Mr. I. II. Itlakeney Sulli
van's Mother Whs a Itlakeoey.
Ted Sullivan, half owner of the
Chicago White Sox. and the grand
old man ot the great American pas-
time, spent Saturday and Sunday here
as the guest of Mr. Wade Blakeney,
son of Mr. P. B. Blakeney. In
the winter of last year Mr. Blake
ney met Sullivan while attending A.
& E. College at West Raleigh. The
Union county boy had come out sec
ond best in a 100 yard dash partici
pated In by boys from all parts of the
state. Sullivan, who was men visit
ing the various camps and colleges
over the country delivering lectures.
was present when the names of the
winners In the event were read. His
attention was" caught by the fact that
the name of the contestant who had
come out second in the race was1
Blakeney. The baseball magnate's
mother was a Blakeney, and so he
sought out the Union county lad by
that name and introduced himself.
A warm friendship developed, and
Sullivan promised to visit Mr. Blake
ney at his home some time.
Saturday he arrived to make good
his promise, stopping off while en
route to his home at Elizabeth City
from New Orleans. While here Sul
livan learned that his mother was of
the same family as his young friend.
He left Sunday afternoon for his
plantation near Elizabeth City.
While here the genial base ball gent
talked of his plans to carry the New
York Giants and Chicago While Sox
to South America at the close of this
season for a series of exhibition
games iu the b!g cities of that conti
nent. He had planned this for l!tl"
but the entry of the United States
into the war prevented it He
very optimistic over the outcome of
i
the venture.
The Charlotte Observer said of
Sullivan iu a recent Issue:
There is not a figure in connection
with organized baseball that has at
tracted as much attention as has Sul
livan. He began his career In lSftl as
manager of the old St. Louis Browns.
He started Charles Coiuiskky, now
owner of the Chicago White Sox, In
baseball. Sullivan and the present
baseball magnate were old college
pals.
Sullivan has been honored by great
men of many nations, being known
the world over as one of the greatest
of baseball men. He took the Giants
and White Sox on a tour around the
world some years ago, bringing glory
to the two great teams and himself.
Pre Comment on "The Turn in the
Uouil."
The picture throughout Is crowded
with big thoughts on the great human
question of ihe day. It pulls the
heart-strings. Los Angeles Record.
A most compelling story, a clever
admixture of drama, melodrama and
comedy with a cast of exceptional
strength mid good photography.
Los Angeles Times.
This picture attractively presents a
strongly constructed story with a
Mist tiieiue. King Vidor "strikes
home" to the hearts of his audiences
by the vt ry simplicity of his drama.
I.ob Anueles Herald.
A wholesome story touching the
passions and virtues of a clean-cut
group of people . . , presents
problems and offers cheering solu
tions . . . likely to remain
stamped upon the minds of every
audience. Los Angeles Examiner.
Cotton mill workers in Albemarle
are on a strike and the mills have
suspended work. It is said that the
strike is a demand for recognition of
the Union.
now brlug reward in the local news
paper field. Study your comnunity
problems and lead the community.
You can't drive it and yor can't fool
it. Understand the real'y inipottant
movements and questions und apply
them to community needs. Use jour
mind and conscience and the people
will reward you with their honor and
confidence. Be a thoughtful leader,
not a mere windy booster. Have you
tried to digest the big things that are
on In North Carolina and translate
them to your people? Does your pa
per radiate the suggestion of hanpi
ness. of friendliness, of community
unity and progress? If not, you are
missing your opportunity both of ser
vice and profit. The people want to
know, want to understand, want to
do. Show them. They will pay you
for it.
The last legislature responded to
the sentiment of the times In five
marked lines of legislation. They
were for good roads, better schools,
tax reform, public health and social
welfare. Do you understand and
write Intelligently on these subfects
and properly Interpret this legisla
tion? What do you think of the road
law. of the honest valuation of prop
erty, of the control and eradication of
vice diseases, the State-wide privy
law, the juvenile court law. the
boundless possibilities of the work of
the County Superintendent of Public
Welfare, of the determination to pro
vide health and care and opportunity
tor every neglected wayward and de
pendent child In the State? Back
your local welfare agencies, stand be
hind your Chambers of Commerce
help your school officials. These are
your tasks In the readjustment the
worl.l is demanding Lift your ban
ner of service befor the peo-de. and
please God. you will hav t;,ie! r
part second to none in mahl:.? a new-world.
AVIATORS HKI.II Foil HANSOM
Two Amei i-a!i Held by Mexican lr
$l."5,ooo to U- raid by Aug. 1
Otherwise They M.ty I 'ay the Death
IVnahy.
Marfa. Texas. Aug. 17. Letters
importing to be from Liems Paul K.
Davis and Harold G. Peterson. Amer
ican army aviators, missing since
last Sunday, were received here to
day at military headquarters. The
letters stated the aviators were being
held by bandits for (15,000 ransom
somewhere in Mexico and were
threatened with death unless the
ransom was paid.
An official statement was issued at
military headquarters In EI Paso
Sunday night signed by Brig. Gen.
James B. Erwln, district commander.
announcing that Maj. L. A. Walton,
commander of the aero unit at Fort
Bliss, had received a message from
the two missing aviators saying they
had been captured by Mexicans and
were being held for $15,000 ransom.
The ransom must be paid by August
18, according to the message.
Prompt measures were taken by
the State Department to obtain the
release of the two aviators. The
Mexican government was called upjn
for "immediate adequate action" and
the attitude displayed towards this
request will have much to do towards
determining future relations between
Carranza and this government.
There have been several confer
ences at Hie war department at which
the situation resulting from indigni
ties upon American olTicals were dis
cussed. Secretary Baker refused to
divulge ihe character of the dis
patches sent to Mexico, saying "As
soon as it is sale to do so, I will issue
statement."
The action of the state department
.was announced in the following statef
Is;nient:
'The
department's announcement
said:
'The department of state has tele
graphed instructions to the American
embassy at Mexico City to immedi
ately call upon the Mexican govern
ment for quick action to affect the
release of Lieuts- Paul H. Davis and
Harold U. Peterson of the United
States army air service, captured by
Mexican bandits near Catulelaria,
Texas, while patrolling the border
and threatened with death on failure
to pay .115.000 ransom.
"The Instructions pointed nut the
seriousness with which the United
Stales government views this situa
tion and called for immediate ade
quate action. The department also
directed the American counsel at Jua
rez. Mexico, to take all possible steps
with the Mexican authorities there
to secure release and protection of
the officers.
"The. attention of the department
was called to the Davis case late last
n iuht by Representative Barber, of
California, and telegraphic instruc
tions were rushed to the embassy and
the consulate. The officer's father,
Dr. Warren B. Davis, of Strassiuore,
Caliiurnia. was advised of the steps
taken in behalf of his son. The gov
ernor of iMinnesota telegraphed to
the department today regarding the
two lieutenants and was advised of
the steps which the department had
taken. Peterson is son of S. C. Pe
terson, of Hutchinson, Minnesota.
Only an hour or two after the de
partment issued Its statement In the
case of the two aviators, it made pub
lic dispatches telling of the kidnap
ing of Dr. A. Goenaga, an American
citizen and a native of Porto Rico by
Mexican bandits under Valentine
Rejes. The dispatches said that Dr.
(ioeuaga was being held for ransom
iu the vicinity of Mexico City. A let
ter received by an American fro -i th
doctor under date of July 22 said
that the rebels threatened to kill him
unless a ransom of several thousand
nesos was paid by August 15. The
department said that it had no furth
er information except that the Mexi
can foreign office advised the Ameri
can embassy at Mexico City yesterday
that troops had been sent to rescue
the American.
Two other attacks on American
life and property In Mexico came to
light during the day. One was an
attack on a truck train of the Alver
ado Mining and Milling companv in
the vicinity of Jiminez w-ith slight
injury to Leslie M. Webb, an Ameri
can employee of the company. Last
Thursday bandits raided th Tuxpam
office of the Penna-Mexico Fuel com
panv. an American corporation, and
made away with 25,000 pesos.
Sam G. Peterson, father of Lleut
H.irold G. Peterson, who Is held for
ransom by Mexican bandits, has con
ferred with state officials. He an
nounced that he has decided to raise
ilie amount of ransom himself and
not depend upon others for the safety
of bis son.
"I appreciate the fact that others
have already raised the money re
quired, according to reports." he said,
"bnt I am going to get it myself and
be sure that there Is no mistake. It
Is a question of having a required
amount of money at a certain time,
or my only son will be killed. So I
om going to get the money myself
and be sure there is no misunder
standing." Special officer Glenn Young captur
ed eight notorious blockaders and
desperadoes In Johnston county la'
Saturday night. They had defied all
laws, not only resisting arrest for de
sertion, but were engaged in r..anv
lacturing blocks" whiskey. The
nicht arsfod make a record of 64S
i.-.-'ters raptured by Young. He gets
them single-handed except for the as
sistance of a Belgian police dog
lU-cent Slate Xe.
While standing on the porch of her
father's home at Bridgwater. N. C .
Mrs Katherine Do!-oti of Morgan-1
ton was instantly killed when light-
Mug struck the house .aturday after-
i.oou. Her father, Mr. W. B. Branch,
was also iustanly killed, although a
little daughter of Mrs. DoIhoii stand
in.; a few feet away was unharmed.
A tlaming meteor fell early Satur
day morning at the summer colony at
strange object could be seen for sev
eral hours and the odor of burning
sulphur was noticeable for a long
time. It was described as a mass of
molten metal about the size of an
automobile body. No damage result
ed. It is reported that on Friday after
noon ot last week on the road from
Laurinburg to Jackson Springs, a
horse and two mules were killed by
lightning. It is said a negro was rid
ing a horse and just ahead of him
two other negroes were driving a
team of mules to a log wagon. The
sun was shining and there was no
cloud near, when lightning killed the
horse, the two mules, split up the
wagon tongue, but did no serious in
Jury to the negroes more than a se
vere shock.
Today Gaston county vots on a
bond issue of $500,000 for road im
provement. Secretary Carter Glass will address
the State Bankers Association Thurs
day, the 21st. The Association meets
in Greensboro.
The strike of the street car men in
Charlotte is apparently no nearer set
tlement than the day it began, Sat
urday, the !th. The car men have re
jected proffers made by President
Taylor of the Southern Public Utili
ties Co. and stick to their original de
mands. Isaac Crews, a young man from
South Boston, Ya., was drowned in
I.ocli J.ily near Roxbovo Sunday after
noon when his boat capsized.
Gipsy Smith, the noted English
evangelist, delivered two addresses at
Asheville yesterday. The meetings
were considered the largest religious
ones ever held in Western North Car
olina. H was necessary to call in po
licemen to hold back the crowds.
R. B. Avant, a mill man of Kannap
olis, was killed yesterday when cross
ing a Southern track at Concord.
The city commissioners of Ashe
ville have appointed a "high cost of
living" committee, which Is headed
by Judge T. A. Jones. The commit
tee held three sessions last week and
and put many of the local retailers
on the stand. Results of the Inqui
ries have not yet been disclosed.
President Taylor of the Southern
Public Utilities Co. has announced
that he expecls to have the street
cars iu Charlotte running by Tlinrs
day, and in Winston -a few davs later,
li is not known whether nw men will
l)e put on the cars or not.
The "Crawford," first steel ship
built at Wilmington, will be launched
on Labor day. The program for the
day Include addresses by Senators
Overman and Simmons and Govertior
Bickett. The "Cnpe Fear." Wilming
ton's first concrete ship, was launch
ed August 2.
BUCK PRIVATES OKtaXIZE
Itrnnchc to lie Organized in Every
Slate of Ihe Union nod n Woman's
Auxiliary i Planned Society
Cbniat teried a. n "(irent Move
ment for the Heroic Dead."
The Buck Privates' Society organ
ized at 'Montabaur by members of the
First Division, announced recently
that headquarters in the United States
would be opened in Chicago late in
August with Edward M. McGuire, na
'ional field representative, In charge,
branches are to be established In ev
ery State in the Union, according to
present plans, a dispatch from the A.
E. F. in Germany says.
Private Paul F. Collins. Battery D,
6th Field Artillery, of Los Angeles,
Cal., Is president of the society, which
has several thousand rt 'mbers. All
headquarters of the society in the
different States will b known tech
nically as "dugouts." A woman's
auxiliary Is also planned, which will
include In its membership all women
who served with the American expe
ditionary forces, such as welfare
workers, telephone operators and
r.u rses.
As Its platfiv.-'u the society has
adopted thes pla'iks: Broader edu
cational work; cleaner polities; com-
tmlsory schooling for all the boys un
der sixteen years of age; to make
higr and better Americans and to
interest otne'ves in industry, com
merce and labor."
The society is characterized as a
"great monument fur the heroic dead
of the A. E. F.," and it is ! lantvd to
make fathers and mo' hers of ine.i
who died in ac'ion in France honor
ary members. One of the duties of
members of the society will be to
make an annual visit to the homes of
soldiers who died on the battlefields
of the world war
Pnl's Ited Xose Saved Him.
Tat O'Flaherty, very palpably not
a prohibitionist was arrested In Ari
zona recently charged with selling li
quor in violation of the prohibition
law. But Pat had. an impregnable
defense. His counsel, in addressing
the jury, said:
"Your Honor, gentlemen of the
jury, look at the defendant."
A dramatic pause, then:
"w. gentlemen of the jury, do
M U honestly think that if the de-fu-.dnnt
had a quart of whisky he
would sell it?"
The verdict, reached In one minute,
v r.s "Not guilty." The Odd Lot Review
.MOtoK MKIU HINTS FALL FOR
! ,,,,. ,. ., . .... . ....... M H. .lr
I H.il r. t.KiH. bill st Hl.ME
jTlie liileiit of Ihe !'iihs UuhU
nev I h Held For Finheiile
lui'iit in Birmingham Mr. Viuin
Fiiiitlerbiiik t.tt Hi Money Hack.
Receuth a smooth tongued talker
called upon the retail grocery mer
chants of Monroe in an attempt to in
terest them in a co-operative grocery
business, which the visitor said was
soon to be opened in Charlotte by a
Birmingham company. The oily
tongued one wished to sell stock in
the new business to Monroe mer
chants and it is said that several of
them fell for the scheme.
Now word comes that the branch
of the business which was to have
been located in Charlotte will not be
opened on account of the fact that
George A. Shaw, president of the Bir
mingham company, haa been placed
under arrest charged with embezzle
ment. According to information obtain
ed, Mr. Vann Funderburk was one of
the Monroe merchants who became
interested in the proposed business
and subscribed for stock. Later he
became suspicious of the proposition
and demanded that his money be
returned, and calling attention to the
fact that a legal investigation would
follow if this was not done. A check
for the at..':'.;t he had invested in
the company reached Mr Funderburk
in a few ila- r'.
According : the Charlotte News of
recent date 'h- promoter secured
$17. 500 fro:: Charlotte groceryn.en
before an i., . --stigation w as started.
The News s.iiil regarding the opera
tions of the promoter in Charlotte: ,
"The Merchants' Wholesale Com
pany which was promoted as a co
operative grocery enterprise and
which was to have opened soon at 25
South College street, will not open
now, according to information ob
tained today, because the president of
the company. George A. Shaw of Bir
mingham. Ala., is under urres't for
embezzlement.
"Several weeks agi a renresenta
tive of a firm which claimed to have
a series of co-operative stores in va
rious parts of the South, with head
quarters at Birmingham, came here
and Interested a number of Charlotte
grocers, most of them retail men, in
the organization of a local company
and proceeded to raise the capital
stock. Seventeen thousand dollars of
a proposed capital stock of $25,000
was raised, it is said, when one of
those who had subscribed $500 began
to be suspicious and began to look
into the proposition.
"This man recovered bis S.'OO. but.
others In Charlotte who have sub-
scribed have not yet recovered their
money. They have employed an at
torney, however, ate' it is understood
to be their purpose to take any action
possible toward recovering the whole
amount of their subscriptions.
"A telegram has been received
here from the chi-f of oollce of Bir
mingham, saying tl'iit Shaw is under
arrest, rhatged with embezzlement."
;m:.Ms attend sales
Hun PiiiThe Old M ilei lal Used by
Tb I rtl Army on Rhine Doughboy
i Auctioneer.
Old materUil used by the Third
Army on the Rhine is being disposed
of rapidly. German civilians alone re
cently have been buying from 25 to
40 carloads of salvaged material each
day, sas a recent dispatch.
Germans assemble in Coblenz, or
other towns where auction sales are
held, some coming from Cologne,
from Majeure, and others as far as
Frankfort-on-Main, Cassel and other
parts of unoccupied Germany.
At a recent sale In Coblenz, with a
German-speaking doughboy as auc
tioneer, 125.000 leather jerkins were
sold to the Germans for 2,000.000
marks (The recent army exchange
on marks is 2.50 marks for one
franc.) The same day 30,000 rain
coats, many of them having been used
by American soldiers during the war,
were sold for 250,000 marks.
The Germans buy anything offered
by the Americans, particularly any
articles contaln'ng leather or rubber.
Ten thousand American-made gas
masks were sold a few days ago to
civilians who planned to make use of
the rubber for commercial purposes.
More than one hundred tons of
harness, some of it German made and
abaniloii'-d after the armistice, were
disposed of at a recent auction sale
near Coblenz.
F if thousand pairs of American
field s. s. many of which had been
worn :i:: i to," ir. the march of the
doitjjhlm.'. s frot-.i Luxemburg to the
Rhine in fv-cen.b'r, were sold in lots
P. Spt'CUU ltoi
Find Ijortl Maor'i Keys.
Boston. Auz. lfi. Two ancient keys
t0 uie LrM Mrvor's mansions in Lon-
don, recovered at Camp Devens from
the bngft.ige of an American army of
ficer, were in the possession of . the
Army Intelligence Department today.
The keys, each about ten inches in
length, were found in the officer's
bedding roll. The oflcer himself has
not baon r.t Camp Devens and it is
thought his baggage was sent here by
tuis'ake.
How the k's car Into his pos
session was not made known hero.
Army offlcia's at the Northeastern
Department declined to comment up
on a report that the keys had been
handed to General Pershing on the
occasion of his visit to London as a
symbol of the granting of the free
dom of the city and were missing
w hen it came time for them to be re
turned to the Lord Mayor.