North Carolina Newspapers

%\)t |Io ant Aifjj aNrtos. "7T? I » fOL. XXXIX M0UM1 AIRY, MORTR CAROLINA. THURSDAY. MAY 17 1917. MO. 44 ———————————————————1^——^——BTMg==a | , «Mggg«g= A..I.PIIMIW WITH POWER OVER SEAS GERMANY WOULD HAVE CRUSHED HER ENEMIES AND SURDUED AMER ICA. Wa Must Ml Permit Autocracy by tko Short Cat of U-boat, to Curtail Our Undisputed Control of tho So*. (By Richmond Prarean Hohwm.) (iml Hand. Kansas, April 'M.— Hea power U a* fundamental (or democracies (or transporting military strength mm (or transporting cum modltie* of rommrrra. The British empire could not have aent a soldier to Krance, England would hava iieen starved out or invad a<l ami disposed o( within *ix month* after the war begun. Franca, then Russia, then Italy would have been Kubdufcd without great difficulty. Amerira could never have entered on the European aide, but itself would have been involved, the Atlantic sea board occupied and a levy made upon hai( the wealth o( the nation, Teutonic autocracy in control o( the iiea in *ix month* would have been undiaputed masters o( the world, be fore democracy could have organized its latent itrength. In short, the 40 super-dreadnoughts (riving Germany the control of the sea would have been ea ily the equivalent of 10,000,000 soldiers. A single dreadnought would have been the equivalent of, Say, a quarter of a mil lion men. Yet 1,000 men are able to man the uperdreadnought. So very fundamental and vital is this *«a power to democracy, that we most oot permit autocracy by the disputed control of th« tea. It ia not sufficient simply to build vessels as fast a» the U-boats can dextroy them or to trap U-boat* an fa.it ax they are built. Democracy must dominate the aea under water ax well ax above the surface. Hydroplane* and surface c+aft of xpecial type can hunt the Ger man U-boat from under the ea ax we have done with the German battle fleets above the xva. It ia to be hoped that America will be a deciding factor in thix war on the U-boat, and will realize thix question touches the heart of xea power with all that sea power means to democracy. « niw bviuu](iy cinpnumze me importance of the time factor in the outcome of the if rent war, especially hi nee America has joined the entente allies. Control of the* sea is steadily, inexorably operating to the advantage of industrialism. If adequate time is gained, sea power must give the de cision to democracy. If U-boat warfare does not Khatter the allies' control of the sea, the com merce of the world will relieve the privations of the Teutonic allies gradually will become intolerable, and then the whole resources and latent military power of America can be brought to bear. America's financial strength in a test of endurance would be found about equal to that of the rest of the world combined and fully five times that of Germany. In a test of en durance, America, enjoying control of the sea, could place 10,000,000 men on the battle lines of Europe and could maintain that many indefinitely, | making up losses as fast oh they oc cur, maintaining an overflowing sup ply of arms and munitions. Germany knows this periectly well. German experts have critically ex amined the performances of American troops in a long war, as shown in 1861-4, the war between the states. U-boats have not been able to pre vent or materially impede the dispatch of Canadian troops. It can be assur ed they could not prevent the dis patch of American troops. The power of America in money and materials will be felt this year. Our power in men will not begin to be felt until neat year. I.rrauily and Ik* tnitW DUtn. Von Hindanburg and tha German general lUff realise full wall tiut If tha rantral pnwara ara to if at tha de ciaion at all thay moat get It out nf thia Mtaaon'a operation*. If thay ara to hava a negotiated peace, it muat come thin yaar nr next yaar at tha lateat. If I underatand tha temper of tha allied people*, tha Tauton armiaa would hava to taka Paria bafora tha deeiaion could poaaibly go to tha ren tral power*. If I know tha metal of American* and F.nglwhmen, a final <1 (teuton wouid not Ik a. cepted avan than an long ax the *ea remained open. In other word*, *ince America'* en try into the war, Germany will have to wrext from the allien their control of tha *ea before tha can get the ilacwinn, even wi.h a full continental xweep of victorioua armiaa. I have no doubt that Germany'* of ficial policy toward America, at lea*t for thi* year, will he one of pre. intent conciliation, that German intriguer in Mexico and within our border* will! not take the form of any overt act*.j that German propaganda will, a* far j a* poaaible, be hidden. The *ole | motive will lie to keep American public Hentimcnt apathetic, in fancied Mearity. The policy of our government to din- | sipate thin <lelu*i«n would 'o« to pro ceed without delay upon the definite policy of preparing the nation for a great war of endurance, a policy of organizing the full war itrength of the nation. The policy of our govern ment to avert a dangerous apathy and falae senile of security should be to start our forcas fighting in France seal*. An attack upon Constantinople,' initiated by naval operations in the Darda. -lies, would be sound grand strategy. It is in harmony with the dirtate* of humanity a.-: well as a mat-1 ter of sound policy. What America Mu»t l>o. Friendliness for the German people as well as humanity and sound policy | call for a clear proof by our govern ment, backed by our people, that no matter how lont; the war, no matter what the cost, no matter what the sac rifice, America will not now permit the decision to go to the Teutons. We ; should at once pass the bill for select ive conscription and proceed to orga nize the whole industrial, agricultural militory and naval power of the nation. We must net as if a revolution of j the German people or other revolt | against continued war is about as likely to happen as the voluntary ab- j dication of the kaiser. On the whole, it looks to me as though Teuton grand strategy is mov-1 ing on schedule, namely, that a secret peace or understanding has been ' sought with Russia and with Italy. If' successful then wifhin BO days we may 1 expect the combined Teuton power,! including Austrians, Bulgarians and | Turks, to be hurled against the Brit ish and French on the western front. j I'rnrnt llattle Inclusive. Under ordinary conditions the pres- j ent advance of the French and English* would be considered masterful, but it may be too late to help Russia and i Italy, and It seems now too deliberate to break any part of the German line.! The allies cannot win until all the allied armies advance simultaneously and continue to advance night and day till at the proper time, by concentra tion, they break clear through and rout the (ierman armies. If secret German overtures to Rus sia for a separate peter- or an under standing prove futile, then we may soon expect a greut Teuton drive up on t'etrograd. In such cast we should be pirparnl, in cam1 of Teuton ruoeu, to see the fall of Ru»«ian capital, possibly within ' <1 days, fal lowed by a Mp*rate pea r or si.ch chaoa and anarchy la Kuaaia that the bulk of tha Teuton armiaa can ba tranafei rad to tha waatorn front to maka thair supreme a/fort lhara to •llmtnato Franca. Thin la no doubt tha aaaanca at Tan ton (rami strategy. Tha determining alamant ia tha tima alamant. Tha alllad grand strategy haa Lhraa cardinal far tor*. Pint, to braak through- -clear through tha German defenae* on tha wait while tha Teuton arm lea are engaged in Ruaala. Her..ml to rauae Ruaala to stand steadfast and exert har utmost raaiatanra. Third,; for America to place har full power in tha balance at tha earlieat possible moment. Ijitc dispatches Indicate that tha per<onnel of an American commission to Russia ia being considered. "It w«mi to me that in view of the vital importanre of American-Russian co operation, we should place at the head of auch commiaaion the American with the very highest prestige avail able, namely, an ex-President, Roose velt first rhoice, Taft second choice. tuM»M>«rii u» rae front. If Rooievelt insist* on going to the front-in Franca, I would suggest that Major-General Leonard Wood be Kent in mmmand of two division* of regu lars without delay, and that Roose velt, with the rank bf brigadier, by act of Congress, go an his chief of "taff, serving in that ri»j>.-.ir:y until qualified to command a divimon. Later, a* major-general, he might command an army corps, and finally with higher rank, created for the pur pone, be our firat field marshal, to command all American force* in Eu rope. U 1 bad my way, however, I would flrtrt, my General BeO, or Cwinl Pershing, with • picked division of regular* to '.he westara front for the moral effect. I would send General Wood and Roosevelt with two divis ion* of regular* to Russia, and would throw American force* upon the east ern front a* well a* the western a* fa*t as we can organize and train them and can develop Russian trans portation. Humanity is entitled to America's, offering, the very i>e»t industrial talent she can command, a* well as money and munitions, and there must lie no respect for politic* or personali ties. I- think with so many difficult constructive problems of organization in Russia, military and semi-military, that Roosevelt and I^eonard Wood should go there, and go quickly. They could lay the foundation for a future Russo-American offensive that would really reach Vienna and Berlin unless the Teutons came to term* before thii overwhelming combination of man power, money-power, power of in dustry and material could be mobiliz ed. nrnu an .irmj .luruaa noon. Roosevelt and Wood have had no many kind* of experience in public service and have been no uniformly successful in grappling with problems of organization, construction, and ad ministration that it appears in the spirit of true eonscrdiption that the democracies of the world have a right to draft them for servtcc where the problems and obstacles are the great est in the death grapple with autocra cy, namely, in now denauciatic Russia. Press reports state that Field Mar- I shal Joffre, on behalf of France, has requested the sending of an American military expedition to France without delay, if even only of small sixe, for | the moral effect upon the allied armies as a symbol of America arm ing her great strength and putting herself into the fray. i Such an expedition should not only j go quickly, but should go pre|>ared to fight at the earliest possible date, not only for tho moral effect on Kurope, j but for the awakening effect on , America. It is naturally tu-.rd for our people to realize that America is real ly In tha great war and must develop its full war «trength tor ha own aa 1m ty In tha *horte*t po**mta tima. Thta ■mall forea to go to Franca »houid, of tour*a, ba tha pick at tha regular* hark from tha training of tha Mexi can expedition War ami Strang Drink. Tha waak ha* witnaaaad a di*eu«*ion in America, following tha general Una if iimilar diwuaniona abroad, of tha (ueatien of intoxicating liquor* and preparedne** for war. There ia not ■n important belligerent gvernment abroad that ha* not (truck a deadly blow at all dixtillad liquor* a* a war mea*ure. The reason ia *o plain that it doe* not admit of di*cua*inn. Con gre»* would execute the will of pro liably 95 per cant of 'he American people if at once in the war revenue hill it ab*olut*ly denied interstate -ommerce to whi*ky and gin for beverage purpoae*. There ia another measure that ■hould lie incorporated in the war revenue bill, about which there can be no que*ttion, except from tho*e in volved financially namely, a heavy in ereaae in the retail liquor tax or licenxe, a* it is called. rruriwaiiy an rne oootieggers ami riutlaw retailers who are defying the prohibitory law* of states, counties *nd cities, selling to hoy* in pool room and other place*, exhibit their United States licence secured for a »ong, makinir Uncle Sam a silent partner in breaking state law*. I would «uiiff»t that the retail tax be increased from |25 a year to 12,500 I year. This would take probably 90,000 outlaws from under Uncle Sam's protection. It would probably The Press should encourage an edu :ational discussion, free from bitter ness ot the whole question, including the effect upon the public health and producing efficiency of the nation, up >n the public morals, upon mortality, upon heredity, upon the general wel fare, the progress and survival of the nation and the race, thus aiding in Lhe .solution of the difficult problem of flow to keep the nation sober as a fundamental war measure vital in preparedness for this war and all subsequent wars. | Money Taken by Robber* in Pittsburgh Recovered. Pittsburgh, Pa., May 14.—Police today hail recovered practically all of the $10,000,000 taken from the First Motional bahk of Castle Shannon, a tuburb, today by four bandits who en tered the bank, shot to death the rashier and assistant cashier of the :>ank, bound and gagged a patron of the bank, and in attempting to escape vouniled two persons. One of the bandits, John Chateh, ■vas killed and another, Sam Berts, ivas probably fatally wounded by ■hots from a posse of townspeople. K third bandit, Nick Yacle, was cap ured and badly l>eaten by a mob that ittempted to take him from the posse. Efforts to capture the fourth bandit i vere unsuccessful. All of the robbers ive in Pittsburgh and are young men. Eatable Trading Stamps. New York, May 14.—Some of the nerchants of Ridgewood, L. I., have lupplemented trading scamps by giv ng their customers onions and pota .oes. One small potato or onion is fiven with each 10-cent purchase. A >igger potato goes with a bigger pur chase. The housewife who makes a (4 purchase gets enough potatoes for i dinner. The merchants report that :he scheme is popular. Incidentally, it is reported that it , tas become so popular that the pro- j f>rietors of moving picture theaters ire thinking <>f giviiyc a small potato knd a young onion with pach 10 cent ticket. ' , RUSSIA LOOMS UP AS A PORTENTOUS OBSTACLE Far From Satisfactory Stat* of Affair. Exist* » tho Now Russia still looms in th« eyas of ths world as ■ portentous obstacle to sn early successful issue of the war for tha entente nations and tha l-'nited State* ov«r Herman, snd har allien. With a far from satisfactory stata of affairs existing hatwaan tha council of workman's and soldiars' deputies and high Russian f»»frnm«nt official* whirh in tha last fsw days has result ed in the resignations »f the com mander of tha forces in Petrograd and the minister of war and marine, comes a renewal of the rumor that Turkey is following in tha footsteps of Germany and Austria-Hungary and endeavoring to affect a separate peace with Russia. Compensation Mid to hav«- hern of fered by Turkey embraced a thin* that has been the life rlream of Rus sia—the romplete opening of Dardan elles to Ru.-..»ui ships, t>oth merchant men and men of war. Turkey also would be agreeable if Russia would consent to lay down arms. to consider a satisfactory settlement of the Ar menian quextion, long a thorn in the i aide of mankind, and likewise deal' with her various subjects on the prin ciple of nationality. While there have been rumors that the council of workmen'* and soldiers'| deputies ha* railed for art armistice, 1 official denial of thia ia made by the council. On the contrary, it ia atatedj by the council that an appeal to the soldiers ia being drawn up declaring' against a separate peace. thine almost inactive in their trenches On both the Caucasian and Meaopo tamian fronts the Turks have inflicted ' reverses on the Russians, according to 1 Petrograd. .South of Erzingan th£ Kurds have repulsed Russian forces after a stub- ^ born fight, while in Mesopotamia the Russians have been forced to retreat across the Diaia river in the face of j superior forces. A significant statement as to the, desirability of Great Britain accept ing a separate peace with Austria- J Hungary has been made by the chan-. cellor of the exchequer in the house of | commons. There never had been a question of making a separn e peace, said the chancellor, but as Germany was always trying to detach some of the allies, it might be "that no blow would seem so fatal to Germany as if one of her own allies were detached from the fight." On the front in Trance the British j after days of fierce fighting, have j taken in its entirety from the Ger-j mans the village of Roeux, to the east of Arras and north of Gavielle have pushed their line forward. French and German artilleries are still roar ing in the great duels which always are the forerunners of attacks. The sixth Zeppelin w meet with de struction by the British and French since the war began has been ac counted for by British naval forces in the North Sea. The airship, the L-22 was completely destryed and it is be lieved that most of its crew perished. High Point Veteran* Have Been Completely Outfitted. High Point, May 12.—When the' meeting of the local ramp, United' Confederate Veteran*. win held this afternoon it wan learned that a com plete outfit, from head to foot, would he ready for each member of the camp that goes to Washington to attend the annual reunion in June. Uniform! have been ordered ai a re«ult of a canvass for fund* by the spcncer, Mis* I. Ivan Pay lor,, and a recent gift of 176 from the local chapter, enabled the memlier* of the ramp to purchase new hats. BRITISH PRISONERS ARE GIVEN BAD TREATMENT. Tkroo Who E«uftd Toll Piti ful Story of EipariMH ia Hands of Carman*. With the British Armies in Franca, May U- Throe Brttiah »oldier» who have just surreedad in escaping from a Urnu n prison rami a few mi lea hark of the fighting lines, tall a pitl ahla story of their treatment by the enemy. They declared there waa a great deal of sickness in the ramp <iue to fatigue and starvation. "If we showed the slightest dispo sition to go •irk," said one of the man to the corresporide nt of the Assoriated Preen today, "we were either thrash ed with whip* or strtjck with the butt end of a rifle." Although thi* soldier h»<! h«en in enemy hand* only three' monthH ha had dropped in weight from 182 pound* to 108. He was a living ikele ton. Hi* feet had heen froz-n ami were gangrenous for lark of treat ment. The men had neither over coats nor blanket* during the coldest of the winter. When captured dur ing a raid they wore leather jacket*. These the German* took away from them immediately. They also stripp ed the rubber lining from their *hrap~ net helmet* ami took away their regi mental badges for the tra.- > that was in them. One of the men during the periloua trip across No Man's l and at the end of the escape wai barfly wounded. For food the prisoners received daily a quarter loaf of breaH, one plat* of thin soup and about every second day a cup of weak coffee substitute. On a 1*w utiMhwn they hart a hit of meat about the size of a lump <>f sugar. Recently the men were compelled to work so near the front that they came within reach of the British fire. This was an exceptional instance, however, they said. The French prisoners, on the other hand, are constantly employed just back of the firing line ami «uffer many casualties. In the cam^, how ever the French prisoners were better treated than the English. It was strange to hear this story in \ iew of the sleek appearance of the German prisoners in English ha' >ds, all well fed. well nourished, paid for their bits of labor and permitted to buy com forts at the canteens unUer the same conditions as the tommies. Veterans Appreciative. B« it resolved by Surry County Camp of Confederate Veteran* that the County Board of Commissioners at tbeir meeting on Monday May 7, 1917, in passing a resolution authoriz ing the Register of Deeds to issue a check in the sum of five dollars to vach and every Confederate Veteran of Surry County, (said list to be fur nished the Register of Deeds by the Surry County Camp of Veterans on or before June 1st, 1917), ha-e won the appreciation and the genuine thanks of the Veterans of the County. This public vote of appreciation of the patriotic struggles and hardships endured by ourselves and our com rades in the Sixties is a cucumstance that shall not be forgotten, and we »re assured that your generous reso lution will bring it about thut a num ber of our comrades will be enabled to attend the great Confederate Re union to be held in the Nation's Capi tal on June 4th and 6th. Be it further resolved that a copy of these resolutions be forwsided to the Board of County Uommisssionera of Surry County and that a ropy be spread upon the permanent mil Jtes of the Camp. Unanimously adopter at a regular meeting of Surry Camp held at Mb Airy, N. C„ on May 10. 1917. 8 C. Franklin, Commander, Z. T. Smith, AdJt.