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WEATHER:
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1CH
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FULL LEASED WIRE SERVICE
;0l. XXIV. No. 80
WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA. FRIDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 29, 1918
PRICE FIVE CENlSpg
4
EIVIC
ARMY
DlSFA'
in PAGES
111 T0DA
,
PEKsMlRIG BF1EES
OF
IS
I
ggilHIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllimillllllllll
1
Bafltm
TURNING
Counter Attacks Are Offset
ting What Gains Enemy is
Able to Make
FRENCH MAY OPEN
COUNTER OFFENSIVE
London Hints at-Possibility of
General Foch Taking Com
mand of Allied Armies in
the Offensive
The southwardly thrust of the Ger
man wedge into the Allied lines has
bcs stopped short at ntdidier.
The enemy seems definitely held
Sere. 57 miles from Paris, by the en
closure of the town within a pocket
formed by a series of villages valt
intly captured and held by French
iroopp. Despite continuous counter
auacks last night, the Germans wern
not able to dislodge Petain's men
from these hamlets on the hills about
Ihft town. . . o '-
Between Montdidier and the
Somme the Germans seem to have
fained some ground since yesterday
in their westward push toward Am
iens, the great Allied supply base, but
Paris declares the Anglo-French
forces are holding the enemy firmly
along a well defined line which at
ao pmnt is less than 12 miles from
4is objective.
The German purpose, now that the
thrust to the southwest has been
checked, apparently is to close in
rithin the angle formed by The rivers
Avre and Somme with its point at
Amiens. It is in this triangle, there-
lore, that further fightins of the
most intensive nature is to be looked
for within the immediate future.
ine Germans continue to sacrifice
u mta ivvwasiy m iiieir uy ,
ate attempts to break the Anglo-1
French barrier; is the reports from i
win tne t rencn ana tne tintisn war i
unices.
Sorth of the Somme the British
front has not only been stiffly main
tained, but has been advanced in
places. Todav's statement from the
London1 war office emphasizes the suc
(eS5 of the British in foiling the
German effort to embarrass the Al
3ied deiense by establishing a move-
aD'e line in the Arras region through
1 great assault. The German rc
serve. thrown in after the penetra
tl0n of outpost lines, were crumpled
aP m the battle zone by the devas
ting five of Field Marshal Haig's
artillery and machine guns and
,Jlrown back with great losces.
General Pershing has placed the
entire resources of the American
a: my in France at the disposal of the
ench staff, for use in the world bat-
tie
now in progress, according to re-
"Ws from Paris. This offer, the' ad
;.ICes slate, was made td General
ffJtii. thp great military strategist,
dr'i rhief of the war ministry staff.
har, been reported as likely to.
1)5 placer in Riinrpmp command of
ali 'lie armies on the-Western front.
rilf grieantic conflict over the
fi'mnrj between the Scarpe and Oise
lvers has entered into a critical
Wase. Repulsed in their efforts to
?ak through in the center the Ger
aQs have turned their attention to
ne wings of the salient in the Allied
;nes- but heavy fighting continued
"Jng most of the 55-mile front.
a the Northern flank, which has
fei extended slightly across the
xarpe, Kield Marshal Haig, although
. JnS some ground, has repulsed at-
'c after attarlr rniH Tina IipM mnst
outl)ern fiaDk the German gains
rijunri Mont Didied have been offset
a French offensive movement
. Wh of Noyon and the repulse of
I.
Hear.
y enemy attacks along the Oise.
At),
ntion is divided between the
rrnan attack along -the Scarpe to
.ra Arras and the probability that
French movement in the south is
of a omintpr offensive
a 'arge scale. The wings of the
,, ldri salient were its weak points
v.hV hn the AHiedftroons checked
onrush anrl 1eUl H tn small
, Us at great cost, as they have done
I tu-n .-1 1- J . .
Eai ..
GREAT BATTLE. NO
SEEMS TO BE
Now
?
PRESIDENT ASKS
Wires Governor of Calif ornia
in Behalf of Convicted
Bomb Plotter j
CASE HAS AROUSED
WORLD WIDE INTEREST
While Officials Decline to Dis- j
cuss the Appeal for Exec- . j
utive Clemency Caus
ed Much Trouble
4gacramentQj CaJU -March 29. Presi
dent Wilson - has telegraphed' Gov
ernor William D. Stephens, of Cali
fornia, asking executive clemency
for Thomas J. Mooney, now under
death sentence, it became known
here today. Mooirey was convicted j
in connection with a bomb explosion 1
in San Francisco in a preparedne.5 ;
parade July 22, 1916, which caused
the death of 10 persons and injured
40 others.
White House Says Nothing.
Washington, March 29. The only
comment of White House officials to
day in President Wilson's telegram
to Governor Stephens asking him to
extend executive clemency in the
Mooney case was that they would
neither affirm nor deny such a tele-j
gram had been sent.
The President's action, which has j
fw nrpPoHpTits in American judicial
history, comes as the climax 01 mucnjof
offnrt hV the aepA-ies of the Federal
government to ha?' the conviction ofi
Mooney reversed and to get tor him
a new trial.
When President Wilson sent his la
bor mediation commission West sev
eral months ago to look into numer- j
ous labor disturbances which were
tnreaienmg iu ouvilllilcUL n NV"1
production program, it was specially
charged to look into the Mooney case
and make a report. The commission
reported conclusions that the Money
case had become so involved with the
issues of the bitter contest between
capital and labor in San Francisco
that he should he a new trial
Ahmit thP. same time the Bolsheviki I
disturbances reacnea meir neigxu mi
Russia and all the influence of the !
United States 'vyas being exerted to
preserve the new democracy, Russian
agiators of the Lenine and Trotzzky
type opposing the efforts of the
United States, were using the Mooney
case as one of their chief arguments!
i Piiccian npnnIP hpllPVP'
that the pleadings of the United
States for the cause of democracy
were insincere. They declared in
their public speeches that the Moo
ney case was an example of auto
cratic government in this country and
the commission report to the Presi
dent that the effects of the case had
become world-wide among the work-
GTS.
It is well known that practically all
the prominent labor leaders have
been asking the President to inter
vene for the relief of Mooney, and
many of the administration's advisors
have been favoring such a step.
After receiving the report of the
commission President Wilson wrote
Governor Stephens urging a ew
trial. The highest court of California
recently refused it. x
As the whole matter was one of
jurisdictional process within the
State of California and over which
the Federal government had no con
trol, only one course remained and
that was to appeal to Governor Ste
phens to grant executive clemency.
PARIS AGAIN BOMBARDED.
Paris, March 29. The Ions
range bombardment of Paris was
resumed shortly after 3 o'clock
this afternoon.
CLEMENCY FOR
THOMAS MOONEY
,i -illllllllllllHIIIIIIIIIIIIIHII
Paging
IN
W
NEAR
Off icial Washington Expects
the Drive Back Movement
at Any Moment '
BELIEVE TURNING
POINT IS AT HAND
General March Says There is
No Cause for Alarm Be-
cause of German Gains.
Confidence Prevails
A WasJtfiigtori, March 2&. America
military observers appeared confident
today that the Allied counter offensive
will not be long delayed and seemed
equally satisfied'that substantial Amer-
ican f0rce will enter the batie when ;
Anglo-French stroke !
. .
is given.
Still without word from
General
Pershing regarding. reports that Amer-I
can troops already had taken part in i
the fighting Major General March, 1
acting chief of staff, last night assur-1
ed the American people that there j
was no cause for alarm in the Ger-
the nrpspnt
man advance.
"What ever may be
gr0und held by the Germans," Gen-!
LMi
men the sitUation may entail, the
Allies will see it through and will
wm.
Belief that the turning point is near
war strengthened by Field Marshal
Haig's anonuncement that German
attacks along the British front yester-
had been beaten off and news that
French south of Noyon had driven
the enemy back two miles on a six
Officers also found considerable ma
terial for speculation in the London '
dipatch quoting The Daily Chronicle
that "an announcement bearing on
the co-ordination of the British and
French military exertions in France !
may be expected almost immediately
"ic..wi ncn lv,nr
may De assigned 10 uenerai ocn.
Comment also was heard on the ex- i
AMERICANS TO AID
ANGLO-FRENCH IN
COUNTER ATTACKS
tent of the German efforts as indicat- j of heavy massed works late yester- j ln New Hanover and surrounding
ed by General Pershing's report last : lJay which gradually forced the Brit- COUnties for Wednesday, April i at
night that four near German divisions isn back. ii o'clock. The committee has been
from the Russian front had been iden-1 11 was in this district, south of the ; successfui jn securing several excel
titled. Somme, that the invaders continued . lj?nt tpeakers for this occasion and
, to make their greatest efforts T1?eno doubt the exchange of ideas will
AMERICAN CAVALRY
BATTLES MEXICANS
I
Ten,
K.
Marfa, Texas, March 29
Mexicans and Private Theodore
Albert, an American cavalryman,
were killed yesterday in a fight be
tween United States cavalry and
Mexican bandits near Pilares, Mexico,
southeast of Valentine, Texas, ac
cording to official advices today. The
fight followed a pursuit of the Mexi
cans, who raided the ' Newill ranch,
killing Glenn Newill.
AMERICANS TAKE PRISONERS.
With the American Army in
France, March 29. Four prison
ers were captured by the Ameri
cans on the front northwest of
Toul some time during last night
or early this morning, according
to reports filtering back from the
line. It is not known whether the
prioners were engaged in an at
tempt to raid the American posi
tions or whether they were
brought in by an American raiding
party.
The artillery fire was heavier
during the night. the - Germans
jmtting down a barrage on the
American positions.
Over
Paris, March 29. General Pershing called on General
Foch at headquarters yesterday, according to Lf Information
and placed at his disposal the whole resources of the Ameri
can Army for employment in the battle now in progress.
"I come L' Information quotes General Pershing as say
ing, "to say to you that the American people would hold it
a great honor for our troops to engage in the present battle.
I ask it of you, in my name and in that of the American
people. .
""There is at this moment, no other question than that of
the fighting. ) Infantry, artillery, aviation fell that we have,
are yours to dispose of them as you will. Others are coming
which are as numerous as will be necessary. I have com
to say to you that iKe American people would be proud ttfj
be engaged in the greatest battle in history."
General Foch placed General Pershing's offer before the
council at the front, L' Information says. The council in
cludes Premier Clemenceau, Commander-in-Chief Petain
and Louis Lochlier, minister of munitions.
British Still Holding.
London, March 29. On the Somme the British have main
tained their positions and gained ground in places by success
ful counter attacks, the war office announces. After holding
their line all day in the face of repeated assaults by numerically
superior enemy forces, the British retired a short distance from
their advanced TDOsition at some
The Germans again suffered exceedingly heavy losses.
The British took prisoners.
French Holding Firmly.
Paris, March 29. Violent fighting continued last evening
and last night in the region of Mont Didier, the war office an
nounced today.'; Inspite of German counter attacks, J
French held onto" "the villages which theyTook yesterday m s
region.
Monhel was taken by French troops.
North of Mont Didier, French and British troops held up
the German thrust. The German losses have been extremely
k-avv
neavy.
All Over
.wuu, uVw.
the German advance, was made according to pre-arranged
plans and is "all over now," Major General J. Franklin Bell
today told the Senate Military committee. He said the Allies
have known Qf tne German preparations for the present drive
r, a t j j
since soon aner tney were Degun ana maae active preparations
to ace it. General Bell recently returned from the battle
front.
GERMANS IN WIVE
Advance Has Been Steady De-
spite a Most Vigorous
Defense
(
British Army Headquarters ini
France March 29. The Germans
moro oHiQ tn nonotrato m melon vp V2
miles east of Amiens, in the region
south of the Somme, only by means
jurmsn nere are uaxums
on1 hrilliantlv flS'ninct an advance
iS"?v u must be admitted' has 156611
i iiwu i- j o
BLcauj.
The conflict in tbu region has been
very sanguinary and at latest repoits
it was continuing along a line pre -
. j tvT.i1,- rnu;
MILES OF AMIENS FOR COMING
point seemed to 'mark the bombard- Home has had a great deal of exper
ment advance against ' the British. iencr 'n th5s Particular work and - or
The German attack in this region ! Efmzed a very effective association
was made from Cerissy, on the i of this kind at Beaufort, S. C, where
Somme, supported by artillery from;he Clt manager for a number of
VPS
across the river. T T -j .
Yesterday's assaults on the extreme M L- T; Gu,", 1S, vlce President of
o,h si n h SmithPrn Dart of thp hattlfi-l"" Farm Loan Bank at Columbia, S.
! field were in continuance Of the Ger -
mans' scheme to swing their lines
out so as to broaden the salient !iarm Iur 1113 raising oi oee! came,
which they have driven in and there-iat logoff. S. C.
by possibly enable them to make an! Mr. F. L. Finkenstaedt. president of
attempt to envelop Aniiens. !the North Carolina Landowners' As-
The fighting east of Arras yester- i sociation. which is now being organ
day was of a most desperate nature, ized, is the most constructive moVe
especially in the region of Telegraph :ment of this kind ever initiated in
Hill, southeast of the city. Here the j Eastern North Carolina, will make
masses of troops struggled at close a short talk in reference to this or
qiiarters throughout the day, the Brit-iganization and its work. The purpose
ish holding grimly to the defenses; of this meeting is primarily to quick
which guard the already war-shocked en the interest of the members of the
town. . I Chamber of- Commerce and the im-
Neuville Vitasse, squtheast of Tele-jportance of increased production and
graph Hill, was occupied by the Ger- to 'stimulate interest in the surround
mans. They also' succeeded in .getting ing sections. There is no other ob
a hold on Orange Hiil, further north. 'ject' to this meeting and no subscrip
From these positions they were con-ltion or requests for donations of any
tinuing their offensive. ikind will be made.
liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiirmi
A From
Domts.
Now.
OBTAIN ABLE SPEAKERS
LI
Keen Interest Manifested in
Approaching Affair at
the C. of C.
Considerable interest is beinsr man-
ifested in the membership luncheon,
'which is being arranged under the
auspices of the agricultural commit
tee of the Chamber of Commerce, in
jthe interest of increased Droduction
jbe especially helpful in promoting ag-
. . . . . . . . 3 a
firn turn 1pvp nnnipnt in tins r.
ition
Mr T? P Hnrno .Tr will cnenL- mi
, ..Co.0perave Malting " ' which
, gl be
. . .... . . . t.n
i marketing of their crops
Mr.
!c - and ,in addition to this owns and
Personally superintends a large stocK
r
NCHEON
Of
70
BATTLE VIRTUALLY
LOST FOR GERMANY
EGINS FOR ALLIES
AMERICAN PATROL
IN DAYLIGHT RAID
Two Officers and Four Men
Spent Four Hours in Ger
man Position
RETURN UNSCATHED
FROM DARING TRIP
Sammies Performed Unusual
Feat of Crossing No Man's
Land Through Bright
Sunlight
With the American Army in France,
March 28. Two officers .and four
men went over the top today in broad
ky-s clear the Americans decid-1
ed not to defer any longer their 'de
termination to learn definitely wheth
er Germans were present in great
numbers in an enemy trench. When
dawn came there were faint clouds
showing back of the enemy's lines
and the Americans delayed for a time,
hoping for rain and fog, but when the
clouds disappeared the two officers
and the four men decided to make the
daylight venture, although they would
be under the eyes of a watchful en
emy and were in a place where even
pistol bullets might find their mark.
Machine guns were posted, and the
Americans, with grenades swinging
at their waists and with rifles in
on rt la Lrof n Vr
and out over the parapet. They slid
head-first into the nearest shell hole
and the journey was on. Moving
from shell hole to shell hole, taking
advantage of the slightest rise in the
terrain, the patrol proceeded. In
I the trenches behind them, their coni
irades stood with fingers on their ri
ifles ready to fire the instant any
'Germans might show themselves,
j From the American lines, the ra
itrol members were seen to force their
way through enemy wire and, one by
one, disappear into the German front
trench.
During the next four hours the men
in the trenches waited anxiously,
hearing nothing from the patrol, who
during that time were inspecting 600
yards of the German trenches.
Prepared for instant battle, the six
Americans made their way from one
j trench section to another, going into
I each dugout with Uie muzzles of
their pistols and rifles preceding
i them, and travelled 300 yards. Re
turning to the point from which theyj
had started on their inspection they!
searched the trenches 300 yards
the other direction. While four hours
I may seem a long time for this work,
it . must be kept in mind that every
bend and every dugout may contain
an overwhelming group and there was
no assurance that the Germans had
not concealed men in places, prenar
i eu iu iubci me mvaaers
3 I. i i- I J
It was noon when first the head of
! an American was observed above an
; enemy parapet. The watchers , in
the American lines breathed easier,
i but at this moment the Germans dis-1
covered the patrol, and rifle bullets,
began to smak against the trench :
j sides and bottom.
Discovered, the Americans lost no i
time in moving out. Unscathed, they i
returned to our lines, bringing all the'
I information they sought. At the oth-J
! er lines, during the night. American ;
j patrols sought to go through the '.m- j
;emy wire. They penetrated the first !
,belt successfully but when they!
reached the second a sergeant, who is1
'from Texas, put his hand on a wive j
land rec3ived an electrical shock and i
jwas burned.
! This attracted the attention of an
enemy sentry, who fired-a flarj forc
; ing the Americans to drop to the
(ground, and they . crawled hurriedly
jback to their own lines' as the flare
I died away.
ON ENEMY TRENCH
Js UlhoxghHlre- BttB max ' jshininc and the
iiiiiiiiniiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniifi
Miles
Extension of Line to Over 70
Miles Using Germany's
Reserves
PLAN TO ETREAK LINE
CONSIDERED A FAILURE
German Object Was to Drive
a Wedge Between British
and French French Re
serves Now in Line
Paris, March 29. The great battla
is now raging over a front of moro
than 70 miles, his extension of the
line has increased the number of
German reserves engaged. Although
thus far no decisive success has been ;
obtained anywhere, there is increas
ed confidence here. The impression la
semi-official circles is that the Allies
have not only held oft the Germans -but
now are no longer compelled to.
permit the enemy by his maneuvers
to shape the course which the battle
shall take.
The general feeling is that for Ger
many the battle is virtually lost.
that for the Allies the battle ir-about -
to-begin.
,The operations thus far as accepts
is was not the main objective of the
German offensive, but that the plan
of the enemy was to break the con
nection between the French and Brit
ish armies, in which he has failed.
His main direct attack was westward
toward the sea. The Germans seek
Amiens because this' town is an im
portant railway center of communica
tion with England. The loss of Am
iens would be inconvenient, but not
vital.
Marcel Sembat, former minister ol
public works in L'Heure, writes:
"The situation, is improving Jfof
us, and improving rapidly. The Ger
man attack In the Montdidier region
is likely to prove a formidable fail
ure. "Towards Amiens, which is ih
real objective of the Germans, the
attacks are meeting with a stubborn
. . an fV
defense. They must have Amiens to
cut off the British. They must reach
the sea to attempt an enveloping
movement. Nothing will be spared
to defend Amiens to the last."
The eighth day of the battle
brought a change in the weather, if
conditions at the front are the sama
as in Paris. The wind shifted froin
the northwest to the southwest,
which will prevent the Germans from
using gas.
Rain is falling, which will make it'
difficult for the Germans to 'bring mr
their artillery over the ground they
have acquired.
It may now be said that the
French armies in reserve have com
into position and the numerical su
periority which the Germans enjoyed
in their first rush is decreasing.
CHANGED A SPARK
PLUG IN FLIGHT
,
Miami. Fla., March 29. Aviators
kiJosepn Bennett, or uaraen city, u
I., and Paul Dickey, of New York,
pilots at the Curtiss Air School here,
iare believed to have performed a
feat rare 'n aeronautics yesterday
I when they stalled the motor of their
airplane at 8,000 -feet and changed a
spark plug, resuming their flight 'ia
less than four' minutes. Aviator
i here declare they have no record of
such a feat having been accon
j Pushed.
j '
WILSON
CONGRATULATES
FOCHS.
Washington, March 29. Thft
first official reference to General
Fochs as being in supreme com
mand of the Allied forces on the
Western front is contained in a
cablegram President Wilson sent
to the General today congratulat
ing him on his "new authority.".
The President's message said:
"May I not convey to you my
sincere congratulations on .your
new authority? Such unity of
command is a most hopeful aug--ury
of ultimate success. We are
following with profound i. forest
the bold "and brilliant action rof
your forces." . :
.1
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