Mf£|p Jttount 3tif u firtaiS.
fOL. XL MOUJfl AIRY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 33, 1913.
AMERICAN PLANES '
ON WAT TO FRANCE.
Washington, D. C.—Tha following
atatamanl in authorlxad by tha Hacra
tary of War in nrdar to fh>a aa rnm
pi<»a a pirtura aa ta parmuaibia jiutor
Military rr<|uiramanta of the proMamn
•n«l tha prof i aa a in equipping tha air
aarvira with fighting plana*:
Tha flrat American built battle
plane* ara today an route to tha front
in Franca. Thia flrat ahipment,
though it itaalf not larva, marki tha
Anal overcoming of many difflcjltiaa
mat in building up thia n«w and intri
icata induatry.
These plana* ara equipped with tha
drat Liberty motor* from marlima
production. Ona of them, in a recent
taat. snrpa«»ed all records for apaad
and climbing for plana* of that tjrpa
Engine production, which began a
month ago, i* now on a quantity ha*i«'
anj the peak of production will bej
raachad in a few week*. Only the
12 cylinder type i> being made, aa
development* abroad have made it
wine to concentrate on the high-pow
ered engine instead of the eight-cyl
inder.
These statement* should not he ex-'
argerated, but *hould be con*idered
in the light of the following fact*:
After three year* of warfare the total
number of plane* able to take the
air at any one time on either aide of
the weatem front ha* not been over
2500. Thia, combined with the fact
that 40 men are required on the
ground for every plane in the air,
g+vee a truer perspective of the Eu
ropean aviation (ituatioo than com
monly possessed. For every plane In
the air, there must be two replace
ment plane* on the ground, and one
training plane for every pilot who
eventually reache* the front, with a
apart engine for each plane. More
over, while the American program
ha* been delayed by difficulties which
were impossible to foresee when the
tentative program was adopted in all
our lack of knowledge last spring, it
may be said that American planes are
not due in Franca under the original
schedule until July.
At the outbreak of war, the first
step both in sequence and importance,
was to build up an industry to rush
oat the training planes needed for
the prospective aviators who were
immediately on hand. This fresh
and most promising personnel afford
ed, indeed, America's largest imme
diate source of ai4 to her associate
nations in the war, which, while well
able to turn out the latest type of air
planes, were seriousiy drained of men
capable of manning them. The ulti
mate goal, however, was the constru
tion of a large fleet of battleplanes.
The serious problems, interwoven
and reaching, were immediately met.
The almost total lack, both of air
plane industry and of airplane engin
eering knowledge. The industry was
rudimentary with only one company
of an appreciable production basis and
another dozen small experimental
companies. The metal work was most
ly*done by hand, each machine ouilt
as a separate unit and little attempt
made to manufacture from dies, jigs
or gua/ts. The estimates of the total
value of the industry varies from $2,
000,000 to tlO.000,000 and of employ
ees from fiOOO to 10,000. The govern
ment wax pratically the only pur
chaser, having ordered Sflfi plane* the
year before the war, of which M were
actually delivered.
The engineering problems were
even more complex. Europe at war,
with the best engineers of each coun
try pitted against each other in a
struggle which knew no eloee had
worked out the most Ingenious de
velopments In the light of actual
fighting experience. Information
reaching here was generally frag
mantary wd always lata. Aa a re
sult, whan war ram* the United
•States had practically no airplane
anyiaaartng staff and na madam Itfkt
ing pliAM,
Construction of planae proved a
much mora complex problem than
that of englnea, which had haan de
veloped and produced hara for >ther
purposes on a colossal scale. Tha ea
treme refinement of their manufac
tura, rtfsirini 21.000 tcnwi In a ain
ffla fighter, of 700 pieses of wood in a
mnirle win*. necessitating tha moat
expert, workmanship and balance to
secure tha essential combination of
liffhtneea and strength and aaerned
tp militata against quantity produc
tion. Tha ft rut atap waa to sartire in
formation from Europe A commi«
mon waa early aant acroaa and .-uahad
back tha last- minute dataila, upon tha
strength of which a large number of
fighting planes of certain type war*
ordered. Tha raw material! were
very largely in hand, and the draw
ing* within aaveral days of comple
tion, when another cable Mid that this
type had been superseded and ahould
not he built. Nearly a month waa
thus lost.
urawings men ramt ror iiw«f
type. They had just been redrawn 4r,r
an american manufacturer and th«
iiemaken put to work when the se
cond and different net arrived. Th
arork done had to he rnml *>ide and the
process begun over attain just as It
■ran nearinf completion. Still a third
•et of drawings arrived and a third
■tart wan necessary to reduce theae
■am pies to drawing* for American
manufacturers. It ia signiflcent of the
rapid development of the art of avia
tion that not a single type of the ori
ginal achedule ha* survived into the
present program.
During the past month, however,
> rispsasivs channel of communica
tion with the Allies has been opened,
he latest types apapted to American
nanufacture, the industry increased
it least twentyfoid the training plane
problem solved, and the production of
battleplanes begun. It is still very
lecessary however, to view America's
iffort ia aviation against the true per
spective. Both in this country and in
Europe the great problem now re
naming is to secure the thousands of
ikilled mechanics, enginemen, motor
-epair men, wood and metal workers,
>tc.' needed to keep the plane* al
ways in perfect condition. This great
•ngineering and mechanical force at
Jie airdromes, the flying fields and the
■epair depots, both here and behind
the line* in France, ia a vital indus
:rial link in the chain to air suprem
acy. Without ti em the planes tum
id out would soon be dteless and the
flyers helpless.
At best, the life of a plane is but
two months, and the engine must be
>verhauled every five hours, while a
pilot on a plane allowed to leave the
langars in imperfect condition is as
lei pleas as a bird with a broken wing.
Now that American battleplane* are
roing overseas, a great increase in
the volunteering of skilled mechanics
is both essential and expected.
W. 8. S.
Vagrancy Law Not Properly
Enforced.
Charleston, W. Va.. Feb. 20—The
West Virginia vagrancy law passed
it the lant session of the legislature
is a war measure, is not being proper
ly enforced, it was declared today by
Governor John J. Cornwell in a state
ment issued to the prees, in which he
calls on tjie newspapers to help create
I public sentiment to back up the stat
ute's enforcement.
The governor says:
"I have prodded the officials in the
cities and towns time and again, often
only to be reminded that no one will i
file affidavit* of the offenders. The
law should and must be enforced vig
orously, and nothing but public senti
ment will bring about a proper ea-1
rorcement. I cannot create this sen-'
timent in favor of enforcement. The
newspapers can."
"V TRUCKS IN WAIL
Waw York, Pah. ts.—"A worn out
ltlS <H»v«r rati f 1.200 hi Pranra to
day, and ia rbwp at tha prtN. Tha
Ufa of a rar uaad In «rrjln» »op
HIm far aotdiara in no* aiora than
thraa montha on tha a*anf>- Thar#
ara almnat no rapair ahopa. and ihara
•rant rran tooia availahla hi Franra.
Thi« ram up a faw of tha difltrul
tiaa tn tha prohlam that tha Toon*
Man'* Chriattan aaaoriation la faring
in Pranea at praiwnt. ir. jratting food
and othar auppliaa for tha noMiara to
tta esntaana, arrording to W O. Wil
•on, aarratary in charga of tranapor
tatior, attarhad to Ha haadquartara
•taff in Paria. Ha ha* rime to Aaar
ira tn mak« arrangamanta for a iraat
ayatam of Young Man'a f.iriatian aa
aoriation aarvira atationa and rapair
ahopa in Pranre to gat mora ran, and
to aarura a numhar of • apart drtrara
and marhanira.
i ne war m sometime* almost a
war of transportation." Mr. Wilaon
said, at tha International Young Mann
Chiatian Aaaoriation building, 124
East 2»th street. "Our army la aeat
tarad through many villagea inataad
of being in centralised cantonments
a* it is in America. Tha problem la
therefore doubled in aixa and impor
tance. After having r-todied djvin
ional distribution and distribution at
»b» front. I have come back to Amer
ica to get together an organisation
Chat will be prepared to face and over
come almoet insurmountable difflcul
tiea.
Five Huadrrd Cars NeaM.
"The Young Men's Christian asao
-iation ha* approximately 100 ear* m
Prance at the Preaent time. Theee
consist of cheap American aatomo
Mles, two or three-ton truck*, and
Italian, French, and fagHdi cars,
fending autonoMaa freaa >mail<a to
Prance coeta real money, yet the aa
lociation must have from 300 to 500
rars there by spring or early summer
:o carry on its work.
"One can get an idea of what we are
jp againat by the fact that the French
government ia building 1.250 of tha
Foyers du Soldat, or "Y" hut* for the
French army, and an American drvia
on of 27,000 men ia scattered at many
;>oints. These French 'Y' huts will be
n charge of the American Young
Men'a Christian association.
"When the soldier* of a division are
it from 30 to 50 different points it
weans that the lines of communica
tion between each of these and the
fount; Men's Christian association di
rision or baae headquarters must be
(ept open, and that tons of supplies
nu*t be transported to each unit. The
ictivities of a hut depend upon the
transportation department.
"The Young Men'* Christian as so
la t ion is rapidly organising a
thorough and efficient repairing ser
vice system, with small emergency
ihops almost at the front, larger one*
jo the rear of the*e, and completely
quipped machine shops and service
italions at the larger bases.
Bnl Mechanician* are Goii|.
"Car parts and tools, as well as the
airs themselves are being shipped to
Prance in large numbers. A great
many of the drivers and repair men
»ho will be at these new service sta
tions will alio go soon. They are
the best of their kind that the asso
-iation can (jet. We have found that
:he best drivers and repair men are
lone too good to go up against the
-ritical tests over there.
"When the 'Y' trucks roll into a vil
age, and some one yells 'The "Y" is
lere! the driver and truck almost need
i bodyguard for a time. The hut
lecretary has to come down and calm
the men by saying:
" 'Boys, 111 open the canteen at S
>'clock, and I'm afread you'll have to
rait till then." At S o'clock the whole
ramp has heard of the arrival of the
truck, and tl>« poor old canteen I* once
nore alainat demolished."
Hm daily and weekly movements
if every Young Men's Christian as
sociation ear and driver are kaown at
any girmm momtnt to th« inniporta
Won dapartmant of th« uMrlaUaR in
Pari*. Urp rk*rti hanff am tka wall
tkara, «howint tka approomat* posi
tion* ml ark rar and tirtvar. Tka
naada of tka Individual dlvlmona ara
< nnatantly known at th# haadtuartara
Tka oris of avary rar M rkarkaH and
inapa. tad by tka atora* liapartmant,
and til an aarh track la aant on ita way
in an aaplirlt ami daftnita ordar.
IW ■ Dray "mm.
GimIIm or aasoiM-e aa tho French
rail It, la coat rolled in a vary complete
and efficient way, aa that not a drop
ia I oat. Karh truck d rivar and track
maatrr ia provided with a book issued
by tha rnvtmmant authorities which
ia honorad throughout France at tha
many essence da pot a Tha driver
naad only praaant hi* littla book to
tha Frenchman in charge, who pour*
out, vary carefully, juat no many li-'
traa of tha valuahla foal.
"Wa learn much from tha Franch
and tha English systems of mechani
cal transportation," Mr. Wilaon ra
markad "A long train of tha great
"camion*,' with ita quota of 40 to 46
>oilua ia abla to make an artrai*
»paad with • full lead of nina and •
half mil a* an hoar. Thia ia rapid
transportation of soldier* In mora
than ona instance tha graat motor
'lady' ha* saved tha day for both tha
Franch and tha English. Tha road* of
Franea ara splendid, and ara wall kapt
ap, bat (hay ara now beginning to
■how wear undar tha cxtrama haavy
traffic of tha truck squadron*.
"Wa muat look to tha motor truck
mora and mora during thia war. Tha
Franch railroada ara doing *plandidly
to handly tha enormoua traffic de
manded by oar army and tha Young
Men'* Christian association, and it ia
not to be expected that they will be
able ta continue to da all thia aa the
many cases, getting both food and
new* of tha ouUide world to the as
sociation huts can be accomplished
only through the motor tracks. Tran
sportation la ona of the moat vital
problem* of the war. •
To Serve the Seldiee.
"It ia only becauae we wiah to serve
the soldier that wa teak ta help him
by keeping tha trucks running, the
linea of communication open, and a.
bit of home available for tha men as
they go forward, no nutter how on- •
comfortable tha task of doing it may
be."
Mr. Wilson was foraterly executive
secretary of the Young Men's Chris
tian association, at the Great Lakes
Naval station and previous to that
time had much experience in the mo
tor car business.
W. S. S.
Hen and Pullet Order Plain
Raleigh. Feb. 16.—There has been
considerable confusion aa a result of
the published order of the food admin
istration affecting the trade in live
and freshly dressed hens and pullets.
According to State Food Administra
tor Henry A. Page this order does
not affect local traoe in North Caro
lina, since it applies only to licensed
dealers, principally the cold storage
concerns.
Every owner of a flock of poultry
is being urged as a patriotic duty to
refrain from selling for slaughter
any hens or pullets. Every hen that
is sold before the 1st of May will
represent a food loss to the nation
of an average of not less than 30 eggs.
If the average number of hens and
pullets usually sold from February 1
to May 1 is sold this year it will
cause an aggregate loss of 150,000,000
eggs. The value of these eggs is 80
percent to 100 per cent of the actual
value of the hens. The program be
ing urged by the food administration
and the department of agriculture will
not entail • loss to the farmer but an
actual gain. ,
The co-operation of all consumers
of poultry products Is alas reqa—t
*d. They are asked to forego Dm use
sf fowls on their tables dtriag the
next few weeks sacept male itsA.
Intend Alien* Ca.«ht m IUm
Matt Lafca ritjr, Utah.—Aa * mat
tar af diaripliaa, Cat. Gaarga L.
Hyram. rixnmaiwtant af tha third war
>11—11 ramp at ft Deegiee, haa had
tha rtvriian Onaan prlaaaara dig
opan tram tha aurfara of ha rround
thalr rarantly-diarovarad aarapa tun
nall, and All K a train with aarth Kaulad
in whaalfaarrnwa tram nutatda tha
prison ramp.
• (to priwinvri pui III « innf MH1
day, dinm(. hauling, tamping ami
Ailing the tunnel and ditch to the sat
isfaction of tha prison autlioritiaa.
It waa a weil rhaatanad group that
tamptxi tha la*t shovelful) of earth in
to plara, but whan tha work waa dona
tha prison authorities knew that the
tunnal waa flllad.
Whan tha lataat tunnal waa discov
arad rarantly tha civilian prisoner*
ware prompt In thair proffers to All
It op. Colonel By ram untied and ac
cepted the offer. Tha prisoners, with
much ahow of energy, -flllad the tun
nal." The colonel aoon after ordered
all priaonara out with shovels, picks
and whoelbarrowa. He directed that
• trench be dug from a certain point:
under one of the buildings to another!
point toward the fence. He diraetad
that it be dug to a depth of about1
Ave feat.
When thia depth had bean reached j
the diggers broke through into anj
open apace. It waa tha tunnel. The!
work disclosed that the priaoners had
merely filled up the end of the tun-1
nel and left the rest of it open, poe
aihly for future uae.
As the unfilled tunnel came into
view the colonel gave additional or
ders tha day hauling earth from the
hill outaide the compound aad tam
ping it solidly into tha tunnel and
trench until it waa completely Ailed.
W.O.C.
Welfare of Fadwral Em ploy Ma
in Waahmgloa.
Washington,D. C. Feb. 26.—The
Federal Government ia not only giv
ing cloee attention to the matter of
(he proper housing of its new appoin
leaa in Washington, but the general
welfare of tha employees ia now con
sidered in greater measure than aver
t>efore. Many of tha young people
who have come to Washington for
war work are hundreds even thous
ands of miles from home far the first
lime in their lives. They are stran
gers in a strange land, and it is not
to be wondered at that they become
homesick and magnify thk thouble
that they are bound to meet during the
period of adjustment to new condi
tions. The department heads realize
that a good clerk must be a contented
one, and many offices have appointed
welfare workers whose business it to
take an unobtruaive interest in the!
affairs of the employees and to try to
lielp ihena with their difficulties.
Experiment* along this line have had
■uch good results that the number of
offices which eaaploy welfare workers
is increasing.
oime ui« war ur|(an wuvui tu.ww
smploye«i have bean tddid to the civ
il service in Washington, D. C. The
l.'nited States Civil Service Com
mission, whose duty it is to recruit
ihii branch of the service, estimates
lhat this calendar will add another
20,000. Stenographers are being ap
pointed in great number*. There is
klso need for clerks, both men and
►omen, who are trained in certain
tpecial or technical lines, ship drafts
men, mechanical draftsmen and work
men in trades connected with ship
>uilding. The representatives of the
rivil service commission at the poet
>fflces in all cities are prepared to fur
lish definite information and appli
-ation blanks. ,
W. 8.8,
A Hiat to the Aged.
If people past sixty years of age
-ould be persuaded to g* to bed as
mm as tkejr take cold and reel
ted for one m two rfeay*, they
ufa '
WAR GARDENS.
Early ao Cbrtu
Rale./h. P»ti. 2t.— War gardene In
North Carolina la«t year >aved North
(lanUii* nxuumiri 912.000,000 to
I15.00n.0n0 whirh otherwise v. xiU
have bean ipmt for food prolurta
imported tr»" tha *tate front ''Her
Mrtwn and, in the opinion of health
e*p»rt«, «av«w| tana of thousand: of
dollar* in dortera' billa by imp »in(
the general health of the p< ipl*
through the iru-reaeed variety In thair
diet
"More r,arden« and better Oar
dona" M the motto for thui year, and
with the force* nf the Pood Adminis
tration and the Agricultural K en
■ion service behind the mov-xent
there iihould be a further increase of
several million dollars in the aggre
gate value of garden products.
State Pood Administrator Henry A.
Pave rail* upon the merekwita of the
cities ami towna of North Carolina to
adopt early in the *eaaon the policy
of early afternoon cloeing and at least
one half-holiday eaeh week so as to
enable all employees to cultivate gar
den*. A uniformed policy of early
closing and ef a half-holiday one or
two day* during the week would not
reduce the quantity ef goods sou) in
any degree, and would result not jnty
in an increased number of and pri 4 je
tton from gardens, but would rtult
in better he alth and more efficient
work by employees in such (tores.
The policy was adopted in the city
of Raleigh and some other cities and
towna of the State last year with won
derful results and it is expected that
it will become a uniform and a uni
versally adopted practice throughout
particularly anxious that it should ha
idopted in the various towns early
enough to enable all clerks and other
imployees to prepare their gardena
ml have them seeded as early aa the
weather will permit.
Garden bulletins aitd plans may be
••cured from the Agricultural Exten
■ion Service at Raleigh without coet
W. S. S.
Will Make Airplane Parts m
High Pont
High Point, Ftb. 26.—One at the
largest of the furniture manufactur
ing ptanu of tlie city, which meant
one of the largest and best equipped
in the entire lection, has started on
Lhe manufacture of airplane part* for
tto United State* government. Na
turally, at the start, the output at
each day is not large, as the officials
of the company hare determined to
••certain just what can be done to
ward helping the government Hear*
the great fleet of airplanes with which
it is hoped to end the war.
Propeller blades are being made at
this one plant and while officials are
lot willing to talk, it ia understood •
that for each pair furni.-.hed the gov
irament pays the sum of $90. This
lota not mean two separate propellers
trot two blades for or those im
portant ports of every plane. The boat
>f wood must necessarily bo used fat
the construction of the parts, and as
txperienced wood workers are numer
ms in and about the city, it is expect
ed that other plants will follow salt.
Although the actual manufacture of
propeller blades was stared hat a
lay or so ago, the plant has boon stali
ng a quiet test of special machinery
'or the past several months in order
» ascertain just what can bo dona.
It is expected that the output can to
ncroased from day to day as tto
vorkmen grow more faasHiar with tto
nachinery and the requirsweats ot
to government in material such aa