North Carolina Newspapers

4 V - ( if .5 4 Jf - 1 WEATHER. North Carolina: Partly cloudy tonight and Thursday. : South Carolina: Fair tonight and' Thursdays H FUIJL IXASED VOL. XXIV. No. 76 WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 27. 1918 UNB10KE - - - t TODAY'S NEWSiS ' TODAY v! II 1 . JPftlr THE MUm FiONT : REMAINS ; - -i r i T; (mMmmEwmi enemy drive 15 10 KB GOAL NOW HELD UP TOM A . WEEK A GO EWRYWiEM ' " : - . German Armies Uehnitely Checked at Places and Slowed up at Others AMERICAN TROOPS ARE NOW ENGAGED Pershing's Men Assisting Al lies American Artillery Forces Enemy to Evacuate Richecourt Germany's supreme effort to break the Allied front in the West apparent ly is no nearer accomplishment today than it was on the day the great drive started and she is estimated to have lost 400,000 men in the, futile effort during less than a week's fighting. She has not given up the attempt, however, the advices from the front indicating that her forces are -massed for a drive in the region of1 Roye and Noyon in an effort to break through there as a preliminary to a rolling-up process either to the north or south. As . against the chances of her ac complishing, this purpose may be counted the factor of forewarning for the Allies. There seems no doubt now as to where the heaviest hammer Etroke is to fall and the opportunity Is offered of disposing the vast Allied reserve forces to meet it an oppor tunity lacking , in the earlier stages of The Entente line, as it now runs, vita British, French and Americans standing together, presents an un broken front throughout the battle area. There has been a slowing down in the German pressure north of the Somme, except possibly in the vicin ity of Albert where the British are holding doggedly. -In the Noyon re- gioa and along the line of the Oise to the east, the French, by their val iant defense, have likewise compelled the Teutons, weakened by their cease less efforts and heavy losses, to re lax the force of their pressure. Mean while it is clear that the Germans themselves are being compelled to ad mit that their success in driving back the Entente lines for such great dis tance on so wide a front is by no means a decisive one. "Nobody can foresee what will result from it," General von Ludendorff declared in an interview in alluding to the victory he claims. Concurrentlv the Germans are ap- parently finding their position in theJuntll 2 o'clock, when the -actual bus East, where thev were sUDDOsed to have insured nsace with Russia and the Ukraine, none too secure. Odessa, the Black sea port, upon "K'hich they relied to insure them the shipment of sorely needed grain from the Ukraine by way of the Danube, has been recaptured by the Bolshevik and Ukrainian troops, the Russian semi-official news -agency reports. This follows shnrtlv nnnn the news of the recent recapture of two other &!aek sea ports, Kherson and Nikol- aev. bv Hip Rnlshpviki ft was uDon Odessa that Germany 2ls0 Wat; rptinrtorl oa T-olvintr n fl. TffiV Point on the direct route to the East, she boasted of havinsr secured in her scheme of penetration into the Ori- ent- Germany is reported to have 'eft control or affairs inVt.he Ukraine largely in the hands of the Austrians while she was engaged in her great fffort on the Western front, and ap parently they are making none too good a job of it, ' Having regained nearly all the de- vastated Somme region in their offen P!vc, the German armies - jiow find themselves before Allied; and defense which grows stronger each hour, in the North the enemy has been definitely checked and in the south, where his latest and most im: Portant gains have beenmadehe has bpen unable to push west of Roye and The British lin from the Scarce ffrer Southwest, through Albert to the Somme, has held fast for 24 hours the Germans have been repulsed ja local attacks along this sector. The front here is now West of the old Somme battlefield and West of the Ancre river, pust North of Albert aich is 18 miles- Northeast of Amiens. South of tha RommA. t.hft fip.rmana pave advanced West of the old front "efore the hperirminfir of the Franco- British offensive of 1916, but have not jet gained it West of Roye. The most Jitter fighting has occurred on the front South of the Somme and still continues, but the enemy; has been checked West of Roye-Noybn sector, ' -V . CContiiu pa Page Eighty I ! : . . .. . . . " .... OPEN WARFARE. London, March 27. The zone- of open warfare is continued to en large as the Entente forces faff back fighting under the enormous weight of the German numbers, says Reuters correspondent at British headquarters in his dis patch today. it is now clearly established! he adds, that the present offensive is the great main effort of the Ger mans and that It has not been as successful as they anticipated, the enemy being a long way behind his time table and having failed to break through and begin rolling up tactics. The Germans are now pushing against the British line with the full pressure of their masses. They have thrown in their reserves more rapidly than they in tended, it is declared, and are therefore wearing themselves down although they are naturally tiring the defense in the process. The general feeling, the corre spondent reports, is that the d.ays of. trench warfare are definitely past. THE GREATER NORTH Fajnetteville- the Scearie - of Ha Notable Gathering This Afternoon (Special to The Dispatch.) Fayetteville, N. C, March 27. The Greater 'North Carolina Meeting call ed to assemble -here today under the auspices of the local Chamber of Com merce for the purpose of planning for a larger use of waterway freight de velopment, for the greater use of tho ports of Wilmington and Fayetteville, and the endorsement df the effort to complete the intro-coastal waterway, was called "to order this afternoon at 12:40 o'clock by President F. T. Hale, of the Fayetteville Chamber of Com merce. The attendance is made up of representative citizens from all parts of the State, and there appears to.be a great deal of interest in the pur poses for which the meeting was call ed. Following the opening address by Mr. Hale, a committee on organ ization was appointed, pending the re port of which the meeting recessed iness will be gone into. The commit tee on organization was composed of the following: R. A. Parsley, Of Wil mington, chairman; S. A. Jones, of Waynesville; Wade H. Harris, of Charlotte; E. N. Farris, of Charlotte; J. P. Temple, of Selma; H. L. Skinner, of Smithfield; T. G. McAlister, of Fayetteville, and A. J. Maxwell, of Raleigh. The delegates we're welcomed to Fayetteville by Mayor J. D. McNeill in a characteristic and graceful address. The purpose of the Greater North Carolina Meeting as outlined by Pres ident Hale, are: First, the problem of freight dis crimination which exists to the det riment of the commercial interests of North Carolina in favor of neigh boring States. Second. . promotion of waterway freight1 development for the relief, of the over-burdened rail carriers as sought by Director General McArtoo and the dipping Board by means of the fuller utilization by the commerce of the State ,of its natural avenue, the Cape Fear .river, through the deep water, of Wilmington port and our in land port of Fayetteville. Third, endorsement oi tne eriorts for the completion of the intra-coast-al waterway system as a relief in turn for coastwise commerce and as a war measure for the safety of our ship ping against enemy attacks. Expect to Counter Offensive. Washington. March 27. Official French dispatches received here to day say the newspapers in Germany are nrenaring the people' for a Fran- iv-TiriHsh .offensive, forecasting the entry of a powerful army of reserves Not Removing Inhabitants. Toris. March 27. Reports current hp. re that the Inhabitants of Com peigne between Paris and the battle front were being removed are denied bv The Petit Journal. A large num ber of -persons, it says, are leaving the town voluntarily to avoid violent bombardments by enemy airplanes, but no order" r to' ' evacuate ' has been CAROLINA MEETING BELIEVE TURNING POINT OF BATTLE IS NEAR AT HAND "Washington Watching French Front for Powerful Coun ter Thrust NO REPORT ON PART PLAYED BY AMERICANS Pershing Has Not Advised the War Department of His Troops Participating. Await Developments Washington, March 27. Belief that the turning point of the battle in France is near at hand pervaded Washington today and American mil itary observers, who are closely fol lowing developments in the terrific struggle centered their attention on Jicipation of a powerful "counter thrust. Hints in the British press that some change in the situation may be ex pected soon has strengthened the wiew here that the steady British withdrawal is part of a defensive bat tle plan, the ultimate object of which is the launching of a great counter offensive. The most probable place for such . a movement, it is believed, is from the flanking position the French held last night, along the left bank of the Oise river. War Department officials today also awaited confirmation from General Pershing of British official statements that American troops were fighting side by side , with the French and British. Nothing to show American participation reached the War De partment last night and General Per shing's report offered only details of fighting .in the region of Nesle and Noyon previously reported in dis patches to The Associated Press. Until official word from General Pershing is received none will make a guess on the part the Americans are playing. American; heavy artillery is training in England and the men are familiar with British heavy guns. They may have gone forward in replace ment detachments sent to the froift with new guns. American tank de tachments also have been training in England and it is pointed out that American infantry training in France may have been attached to the French forces. ; CALIBRE OF BIG GUN IS 8.8 INCHES Paris, March 27. The calibre of the shells that are being fired into Paris by the German long-range gun is 8.8 inches and the length of the shelh is 20 inches, L'Homme Libre, Premier Clemenceau's newspaper, states. The shell weighs 200. pounds and contains less than 20 pounds of explosives. . The shell is provided with a fuse protected by a threated stopped, and has a diaphragm inside which divides the shell into two compartments of unequal size. Two holes in the diaph ragm afford communication between the two pockets. These facts are ac cepted as an explanation of the two explosions which, on occasion, have followed in quick succession and which led to the belief that two guns were fifing. . . PRESIDENT CONFERS WITH WAR COUNCIL Washington, March 27. President Wilson summoned most of the execu tive officials who are members of te War Council, to the White House for a conference at 2:30 o'clock, this afternoon. Among those called were Secretary McAdoo, Food Administrator Hoover, Fuel Administrator Garfield, Chairman Hurley, of the Shipping Board; Secre tary Daniels, Chairman Barruch, of the War Industries Board, and Chair man McCormick, of the War Traoe Board. . Paris, March 27. Last night the German advance was held up everywhere, according to the official statement of the war office today. The enemy, weakened by heavy losses, k adds, has been obliged to slow up his efforts. The statement follows: "Last evening and during the night, the Germans, weakened by their heavy losses, were compelled to retard their efforts. The valiance of the troops defending the ground foot by foot, is beyond all praise. 'The French are holding a line running through L'Echelle, St. Aurin and Beuvraignes, north of Lassingy, in front of thd southern part of Noyon and along the left bank of the Oise. During the night the French repulsed strong reconnoitering parties which attempted to approach their positions northwest of Noyon, "In the remainder of the front, there was an intermittent bombardment.' On the British Front. London, March 27. -A heavy attack, was made early in the night against the new British line south -of the Somme. It was repulsed after severe fighting, the war office announces. In consequence of attacks' yesterday afternoon and evening astride the Somme, the British troops on both banks were forc ed back a short distance in the neighborhood of Bray. The announcement follows: "As a result of the enemy's attack yesterday afternoon and evenine astride the Somme our troops on both banks were forced back a short distance in heattadr'TxmdlCer south of the Somme tvas repulsed after severe fighting. At I one point in the neighborhood of the river the enemy forced his way into our positions but was thrown back by our counter attacks- - "Further local fighting has taken place also north and north east of Albert but the situation on this part of the battle front remains unchanged." ESTIMATED LOSS BY THE GERMAN ARMY MORE THAN 400,000 Average Casualties to Kaiser's Forces 50 Per Cent of Men Engaged GERMANS RECLAIM EVACUATED GROUND Have Advanced Back lo Where They Were at the Beginning of the Battle of Somme in 1916 tfrmsn Army Headquarters in France, March 27. The Germans last night continued their furious on slaught Southwestward from Ham against the Allied defenses in the re gion of Roye and Noyon, having slow ed down in their patent attempt to cut through the British -line further North, where such desparate resist ance was offered. Hard fighting continued last, night about the town of Albert. Large en emy forces pushed forward toward the place, but at last accounts the British were holding them doggedly at this possible gateway to Amiens. The conflict in the sector around Roye and Noyon "appears to be of great importance from the many in dications that the German higher com mand is attempting to split the Allied front there and start a rolling-up pro cess either way. From the average of casualties in the various German units as given by prisoners one arrives at the conclu sion that tne lierman umiperor nas lost 50 per cent, of these men since he gave the signal for the advance. The Germans have ,now reclaimed virtually all the territory they held at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. At some places they have hot re-taken all the old ground, but at other points they have overJ stepped it somewhat The British official statement of yes terday said it had been established that more than 70 German divisions had been engaged in the battle: "The usual estimate of the" present strength of a German division is; 12,000 -men, so that a lqss of 50 pet cet. would - 1 - , 9 " the neighborhood of Bray. A mean casualties in excess of 400,000 for the Germans in less than a week of fighting. THE KINGJfILL CASE Motion Made in Chicago Court to Set Aside the First Will Chicago, March 27. A petition to set aside the first will of the late James C. King has been filed in the Probate Court, it became known to day wherein Marcy C. Melvin seeks to gain n'robate of a second will which Gaston B. Means claims to have discovered. The first will was made in 1901 and the later document m 1905. Hearing of the petition has been deferred in May 16. An endow ment of $2,,000,000 was provided in the first will for the James C. King home for old men and a comparative ly small sum was bequeathed to Mrs. Maude King, the widow whose death near Concord, N. C, led to the trial there of Gaston Means for murder. He was acquitted. The second will leaves the hulk of the $3,000,000 es tate to Mrs. King and makes no pro vision for the home for old men. A petition to establish the validity of the first will was filed recently by Attorney General of Siate . Brundage and is awaiting nearing. HAIG THANKS PRESIDENT. Washington, March 27. Field Marshal Haig's reply to President Wilson's cablegram was received today at the White House. "Your message of generous ap preciation of the steadfastness and valor of our soldiers in the great battle now raging has greatly touched us all," cabled the Field Marshal. . "Please accept our heart felt thanks. One and all believe In the justice of our cause and are de termined to fight on without count ing the cost until the freedom of mankind. is safe.". ... HER CHAPTER IN FORCE OF RUSSIANS CAPTURES ODESSA AFTER HARD FIGM SOUTHERN TEXTILE ASSOCIATION SETS CONVENTION OATES Will Be in Session at the Sea shore Hotel on June 2! and 22 MERCHANTS ASSO. TO MEET ON THE BEACH Sessions Will Be Held on June 1 7 Scores of Dele gates Are Expected to Attend Meeting The North Carolina Merchants' As sociation, will meet in annual session at Wrightsville Beach June 17, with headquarters at the Seashore Hotel, according to advices received today by the Chamber of Commerce. 'and the date of the annual convention of the Southern Textile Association ,avhich again selected the Sea6bbrjl 1 X ?nd Wriehtsville Beach.?ss;fee2 as June 21 and 22. aCOCrditurtib" A " lJ v . - . advices received by thehambt J It has been known ior some t; jii thatihTextite but little has been said of it becausttaixhaa of the non-arrangement of dates. To day, however, the Chamber of Com merce was officially notified of the dates. In returning to Wilmington the textile people are paying the city and the beach a distinct compliment. Their last annual convention was held at Wrightsville and the members in attendance were loath to return honiA af t.p.r their convention had been officially .closeld. In fact, many mem bers remained for several days, en joying The Seashore's excellent table and the delightful breezes that are wafted in from the ocean. The Tex tile Association is one of the largest organizations m the country, over 200 delegates attending the annual meet ings. Their convention of last year was one of the most successful held at the beach and many delegates were of the opinion that the environs had much to do with the success of the convention. Mr. J. M. Davis, of Newberry, S. C, is president or, tne association, ana Mr. A. B. Carter, of Greenville, S. C, is secretary. Decision of the Merchants' Associa tion to meet in annual session at Wrightsville has just been arrived at and the Chamber was promptly noti fied by Mr. J. Paul Leonard, of States ville. Mr. J. Frank Morris, of Win ston-Salem, is president of the organi zation, the membership of which in eludes the foremost merchants of the State. While the session will be only of one day's duration, a lot of work will be jammed into- that period and the meeting is' expected to be at tended by an unusually large number of delegates. ADMINISTRATORS TO SEIZE HOARDED WHEAT Washington, March 27. State food administrators will be encouraged by the Food Administration to requisi tion summarily any stocks of wheat actually being hoarded. A general order to this effect has not yet been promulgated, but State administrators have been advised that they have au thority to act. JAPANESE SHIPPING FOR UNITED STATES Washington, March 27. Negotia tions for the transfer of 150,000 tons of Japanese shipping to the United States have been completed on the basis of two tons of steel plates for one ton of deadweight ship capacity. The agreement is understood to be in the nature of a preliminary one in tended to bridge over the period of negotiations now being . conducted by American Ambassador Morris, at To kio for a wide'r and more permanent understanding. North Caroiirra Postmaster. (Special to The Dispatch.) Washington, D. C, March 27. The following North Carolina postmasters were today nominated by the Presi dent: Harry R. Hastings, Sylya; Ben jamin J. Skinner, Farm ville; and Wil liam H. Griffin, Pittsboro. ' ' K-:f;,fci I Ausrtians Are Being Forced! 4 Front Southern Ukraine Cities RUSSIAN SITUATION ATTRACTS ATTENTION Ukrainians, Bolsheviki andK i C? V 1 --.'rr.. fil ing oigns or rviuung wvcij the Traces ! London, March 27. Odessa . has r-'i'h Ukrainian troops after a bloody bat-ijff tie In which naval forces took part, if';! - : i . the semi-official Russian news agency, j''. The German war otnce on March .Oi 13 announced that Odessa had been entered by German troops. The pre1 liminary peace treaty between Ru 1 mania and the Central Powers con.' tained a provision engaging Rumania'',:! to support the transport of troops of 'v the Central Powers through Moldavia- y; and Bessarabia to Odessa, Y'-! Semi-official announcement wasK4 then made that Germany had obtain ed a direct route by way of Russia to Persia and Afghanistan. Odessa is the most important sea 7jj! port of Southern' Russia and the" slii; rourtn city oi Tussia in size. its -n nonulation is about 450.000. Other Cities Recaptured. Woscow, Sunday. March 24. Offl 41 say,jthat NIkolayev, Kher-- jij i znamenza, au sontnern UK-; !f from the Austrians by -Red Guard, -.Cl and armed civilians. (The recapture of Kherzon and Nikolayev was report-: ; ed m press dispatcnes yesterday rroxn ; Petrograd). The population of KhervJ:;i zon organized and expelled the Invadvjl A heavy artillery bombardment if is reported in connection with the f'l capture or xsiKoiayev. Demands not set forth by the Ger- !;: mans in the peace treaty with Uk-.1; raine are creating disorder there. The Intest of these demands is that lTki t' raine surrender 85 per cent, of ItSU grain and its sugar from 114 refiner ies expept tnat needed ior local conj,pf sumption. Tne usrainian Kaaa naftV:;': protested that this is not in the terms wM of the peace treaty. . '-' The German commander at Kiev); requested the bankers there to float a! loan of 10,000,000 rubles on security; provided by German financial instittt ;j t it tions. The bankers declined to do soJ riamnan tirnnna aro pnnefantlv mmu ing eastward through Kiev. Breads (Continued on Page Eight) Down 93 Allied AimlanM ' GERMANS CAPTURED M 936 GUNS, 1001KI in Battle Uj Berlin, via London, Tuesday, Marcl' ; vj 2. .. "French divisions, brought nH? from Noyon, were defeated at Fre;;i niches and Bathancourt. Busey waft j captured and we are standing on tbj!;i:; heights to the north of Noyon. ;l'fl3i( 'Our dispatch service has taken ai'i prominent share in the successes i have achieved. Laboring untiringly'. if they have rendered possible co-opera tion hetwee'n units fiehtinr next tA W i one another and gave the leaders as- surance of being able to guide the bat tie into the desired channels. Rail way troops which carried out a tre mendous advance from the beginning of the fighting without any friction and which are now coping with tho traffic behind the' front are working ceaselessly on the reconstruction of s i destroyed railways. 1 "Since the beginning of the batUa'll 93 enemv airnlanes and six c&Dtiva .rHl balloons have been brought down. Cav- 'f : his 67th and 68th aerial. Victories.' j Lieutenant Bongartz, his 32nd; First -J'-J Lieutenant Loerzer his 24th; Corporal I sH Baumer ms zard; Lieutenant Jrou m ;rp ;i 22nd and Lieutenant Thuy his 20th.-rv "The bootv in euns has increased is 63, and over 100. tanks are lying. Ja & t . 1 a m . '' . . II I iue capturea posiuoas. 'On "the rest .of the Western-front, s! : il Lartillery battles continue, increasing; on the Lorraine front to . grf at ' strength. ' tFrom other theatres there Is -npt2 ins new." . . : w ... : I. art 1' 1 . V:- i m fJH -it' il ' i: h . ' 5 i I tin' 4 F-1 i