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EDITION
VOL. XXIV, NO. 141.
WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA." THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 30, 1918.
FIVE CENTS
FOCH SENDS RESERVE.
HIM! HE'S HELPING YOU!
f Copyright: 191S: Srftamjr.XflOatcittra.
no
INTO LINE
OF ALLIED WANBiFIRM
maxwell Slated to pucceea'
Him on Commission
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UHAIK1VIAN IKAVtS M
ABOU
z fii ii if ii m ii ii an i v
1 if Xriimo)
IS ABSENT TOO MUCH
Travis Spending Too Much
While Soissons Is Lost Rheims
Still Holds Out
FRENCH HALT ADVANCE
Attempt After Attempt to De
bouch From Soissons by
Huns Fail
AMERICANS HOLDING
Three Efforts Made Against
Pershing's Men, But Are
Thrown Back With
Losses at Cantigny
General Foch's reserves have begun
to come into action in the fight against
the powerful German thrust southward
from the Aisne and the enemy is find
ing his progress increasingly difficult
in consequence.
Again the allied flanks are standing
firm and while Soissons has been lost
on. the west, Rheims is still holding
out on the easterly edge of the battle
front. -
The chief progress of the Germans
revealed in today's official reports was
in the center of their advance, where
some three miles additional have been
covered from Loupeigne, 12 miles
north of the Marne, to Fere-En-Tar-denois.
The bkint edge of the German wedge
is shown to run here from Fere-En-ardenois
about 10 1-2 miles directly
east to Vezilly, 15 1-2 miles southwest
of Rheims.
Along this line the Germans are
about 18 miles south of the Chemin
des Dames, giving them a penetration
of approximately that distance at the
beginning of the fifth day of their of
fensive. The steadiness of the allied flanks
under the heavy German pressure is
one of the outstanding indicatiqns-te-the
Paris official report. The Germans
for instance, made attempt, after at
tempt to debouch from Soissons after
gaining that, town, but the determined
French in the outskirts prevented the
enemy from achieving this object.
To the southeast, the French re
serves are coming into play and here
the allies are resisting the enemy in
engagements of extreme violence
along the road from Soissons to Har-tennes-Et-Taux,
7 1-2 mile3 southeast
jof Soissons. Fere-En-Tardenois, 8 1-2
miles southwest of Hartennes-Et-Taux,
apparently marks the limit of the Ger
man advance toward" the southwest,
with Vezilly 10 1-2 miles eastward,
representing the extreme southeasterly
progress of the enemy.
From Vez.illy, the front trends north
eastward. Brouillet is the next point
mentioned in the official communique,
and it lies 3 1-2 miles north of Veziily
and only slightly to the east of a north-and-south
line running through the lat
ter town.
Brouillet is 13 miles southeast of
Rheims and along the 10 mile line
from that point to Thillois, three miles
east of Rheims, and thence trending
northeastward above the cathedral
city, the Franco-British defensive line
is reported to have broken all the Ger
man assaults and to have maintained
the front intact.
On the Flanders front the Germans
made a local attack on a British posi
tion northwest of Festubert in the
Givenchy sector, which met with a
complete repulse. The British im
proved their line by an advance of
some 200 yards in the Merris sector
to the northwest.
Still further attacks have been made
against the Americans established in
the village of Cantigny, west of Mont
didier, which they recently captured.
The assaults have ben almost continu
ous, news dispatches report, but each
has been broken up by the American
stone wall resistance.
Three counter attacks were made by
the Germans against the American po
sitions at Cantigny. General Persh
ing's men, however, maintained their
line unbroken and threw back the ene
my with strong artillery and infantry
fire, inflicting severe casualties on the
attackers. Berlin, which delights in
officially announcing the capture of
American prisoners, does not give the
Americans credit for the success at
Cantigny, but says "the enemy" carried
out a local advance.
Hospitals far behind the American
sector in Picardy have been bombed
hy German airmen. Scores of Ameri
cans were in danger -but only a few
ere injured by flying glass. Several
civilians and a French - nurse were
Wiled.
Fighting in gas masks the American
troops east of Lunevtile have checked
a German attack under cover of gas
'aves. The Germans retreated under
a heavy fire from American machine
guns, suffering severely. At one point
14 Germans penetrated the American
trenches. Nine-were killed, one died
of wounds and four are prisoners.
The Germans apparently are pre
paring for another attack against the
American sector northwest of Toul.
he enemy artillery fire has increased
considerably and German airmen are
vy active.
NATION BbttS ITS
HEAD IN PRAYER
Thought Centers Largely For
Day on Battlefields
CHURCH SERVICES HELD
Wilson Will Attend Annual
Ceremony at Arlington
Later Today
BUSINESS IS SUSPENDED
Both Houses of Congress Have
Adjourned to Permit Mem
bers to Observe Day
and Attend Services
Washington, May 30: Memorial
day this year, carrying a deeper mean
ing because of the fuller participation
of the United States in the war, and
more significant because of the new
American graves in France, was ob
served today by the American people
as "a day of public humiliation, prayer
and fasting," in accordance with the
proclamation of President Wilson,
issued in response to a resolution of
congress.
While in no manner was the honor
annually shown to the veterans of
past wars lessened, yet the thought
of the nation largely was centered on
the battlefields of France, where the
German military machine is engaged
to anol&erf drive; against-, the forces
of -democracy.
That Amrican troops are aiding in
the effort to stem the German tide
was a source of satisfaction as well
as "the recent news that the Americans
had carried out successfully their first
offensive action. Further news of the
German offensive was awaited with a
feeling among high officials here that
the onrush of the kaiser's armies soon
would be stopped.
In Washington the spirit of the
president's proclamation was general
ly carried out. The president planned
to attend church services this mornr
ing and this afternoon it was expect
ed, he will be present at the annual
services at Arlington national ceme
tery. Both houses of congress stood ad
journed to permit members to ob
serve the day. Practically, all of the
government departments and bureaus
were closed.
Columbia Observes
Columbia, S. C, May 30. Business
was generally suspended in Columbia
and throughout South Carolina from
11 to 2 o'clock today in response to
the proclamations by President Wil
son, Governor Manning and the may
ors of various cities and towns of the
state setting aside today as a day of
prayer. All courts throughout the
state suspended sittings for the day.
Services were held in churches
throughout the state and" prayers of
fered for victory for American arms
in the war.
TOUL BECOMES ACTIVE
Hundreds ,of Shells Thrown
aid Harrassing Fire Kept
Up by Huns
With the American Army in France,
Wednesday, May 29. After a period
of almost
unprecedented
American sector northwest of Toul
" I
suddenly has become very active.
XJCmo b 1 1 (buu wuuj a i umi j
threw over one hundred shells of all
ar.on kAnt un a destructive and
hnrrassiTur fife The American euna
have been just as ousy ana are giv
ing the enemy . more than he sends
The artillerv duel
continues strong
fnnicyVi T ia not imnrnhahlo that tliA
Germans have some plans in which
tney may employ meir mianiry.
German airplanes also were very
active today, but as a strong wind
wan Klrwinsr from Germanv and I
American aviators were constantly on
tne alert, lew eremy machines vea-
tured across the lines. Those that
did were promptly driven back by the
American fliers.
There were several aerial battles,
out so iar mere nave Deen no reports
of enemy machines having
been'
AMERICAN
SECTOR
NEAR
WILL RAISE FLAG
AT CONCRETE YARD
Address Will Be Delivered by
Mayor Moore
PLANS YET INCOMPLETE
First Keel Will Be Laid Early
in July Launching in
September
CONCERNING THE FAITH
Concrete Steamer Makes Four
Knots in Eighty-Mile Gale
Behaved in An Ad
mirable Manner
Plans are being formulated for ex
ercises to be held at the yards of the
Liberty Shipbuilding company, where
concrete tankers are to be built, with
in the next few days and will include
the raising of a flag and an address
by the mayor. Definite announcement
cannot be made concerning this matter
at the present as the plans have not
been developed to that extent as yet
but will be given the public sufficiently
early to enable all to be present. .
The keel for the first ship will be
laid early in July, it was announced
from the offices of the company today,
if plans do not miscarry and the initial
launching will take place during Sep
temper. Work is being hurried at the
plant and it is necessary for one to
visit the yards in-order to get an
idea, QtJtha afflteshai are, in pro
gress. - '. , - , .v-:; . .
That the success of the concrete ship
is established was borne out by a tel
egram received this morning' by. Gen
eral Manager R. L. Ferguson from the
Portland Cement - company, and con
cerns the Faith, the first concrete ves
sel of note to be built It follows:
"Concrete steamer Faith, six days
out of San Francisco, with full cargo
of salt, reached Seattle yesterday af
ternoon, on her way to Vancouve,
after one of roughest coast voyages
recorded. Encountered eighty-mile
gale with waves 25 feet high. Every
thing in perfect condition. Captain
and government officials aboard ex
pressed themselves as follows: 'Faith
acted as any other good ship of wood
or steel and with absolutely no vibra
tion.'" It was stated that the Faith made
four knots an hour in the gale and
that not a drop of water reached her
cargo, despite the mountainous propor
tion of the waves encountered.
WAR EXPENSES BILLION
MORE THANJST YEAR
The Monthly, Revenue Since
America Entered War
Shown in Table
Washington, May 30. War expenses
for the present month will total ap
proximately one billion dollars more
than the expenses for carrying on
the war during May, 1917, according
to estimates of the treasury depart
ment made public today. While loans
to the allies for this month total prac
tically the same as the lofcis of a year
ago, the other expenses show a large
increase. Revenues have more than
kept pace proportionately with ex
penses, however, according to figures
which do not include receipts from lib
eral loans, war savings and like
sources. In May, 1917, the regular
tav An ues of the government amount-
ed to $197,632,000, while the estimat-
ed revenues for the month ending to-
Tilaced at $680,000,000
- . . , , .
The following taDie issuea Dy me
treasurv today shows the .monthly
X D Y CUUv mvv w
tered the war, not Including receipts
fmm Uhp.rtv loans, certificates of in-
HphtAdness. war savings and similar
d the total of monthly ex-
Tumdltiirea. includine $5,406,320,000 in
loans to the allies:
Mnnth Revenue
iiiXpenaitures.
April, 1917.$ 93,157,000
281,599.000
May
June
July
197,632,000
521,602,000
411,804,000
660,799,000
755,438.000
745,013,000
942,745,000
982,883,000
1,103.927,000
1,085,502,000
990.400,000
1,137,626.000
1,198,256.000.
1,517,578,000
289,433,000
v83,75$,000
73,912,000
75,460,000
90,181,000
139,368,000
104,432,000
Ane-iist
September
uctoDer .
November
December
Jan., 191!
February
Jan., 1918.. 103,053,000
98,513,000
155.701,000
aaarcn
April 208,683,000
May 650,000,000
FIGHTING MARKED
BY MORE VIOLENCE
Soissons Has Gone; British
ALLIES ARE CONFIDENT
Unity of Command Puts En
tente in Better Position
Than in March
TIDE SOON BE STEMMED
Reserves Massing at Certain
Points and Can Be Moved
From Somme to Rheims
In 48 Hours
Paris, May 30. Increasing violence
marks the progress of the fighting
south of the Aisne. The Germana are
every ounce of weight of man power
ever yonnce of weight of man power
into the struggle.
On the center the enemy has again
pushed forward, but his efforts to
broaden his advancing front have met
with less success. The allied wings
have been obliged to give some ground.
This action was carried out slowly and
the full price was exacted from the
enemy.
Soissons . has gone and the British
have fallen back toward Rheims, but
in either case the enemy has only won
a couple of miles of territory.
In competent circles there is quiet
confidence in the outcome and signs
are not lacking, that the. advancing
waves shortly will be stemmed. Unity
of command puts the allies in a better
position than they were in the March
offensive. On that occasion French
reinforcements came into action on the
third day and on the eighth the Ger
mans were stopped definitely. Today
things should go more quickly.
The GermanB have been oblige? to
leave their guns on the northern side
of the oroglnal line which can be
crossed only at a certain number of
points which are highly vulnerable to
allied airplanes.
The enemy is thus prevented from
reaping the full benefits of his rapid
advance. Meanwhile, the j allied re
serves are massing at certain points
without any of the con'usion chat at
tended the similar movement in March.
So well perfected are the arrange
ments that an entire division can be
iioved by motor truck from the Somme
to Rheims and arrive wiinout a Dutton
missing.
Sergeant Simms Drowned.
Savannah, Ga., May 30. Sergeant
George Simms, in quartermaster's de
partment at Fort Screven, was drown
ed last night while seining near the
fort. The body was recovered this
morning. Simms was from Arkan
sas, v
Teams Battle to Tie.
Newport News. Va., May 30 A fea
ture of the' memorial day celebration
in this city today was the opening of
the Virginia league season here this
morning, when Newport News and
Norfolk battled 10 innings, the final
score being 4 to 4.
ONE MILLION AMERICAN
SOLDIERS ACROSS SEAS
Jim Ham Lewis Says by De
cember I Will Be Same
- As England
Chicago, May 3&. Senator Jamea
Hamilton Lewis said in a speech here
today that the United States now has
one million soldiers in foreign lands
and that by December 1 it will be
numerically equal to that of England.
He said that 700,000,000 pounds of
explosives are in process of manu
facture. The ordnance department
has spent, he said, $776,000,000 for
projectiles, and 75,000,000 projectiles
are on their way to General Pershing.
One thousand rifles are being manu
factured daily and 3,500.000 rounds of
small arm ammunition has been . con
tracted for. Last month, he said, we
produced 275,000,000 rounds. He
placed the machine guns contracted
for at 350,000 and added that 100,000
have been delivered. By July 1, he
added, we shall be producing 18,000
a month.
The American navy, the speaker
said, has climbed from fourth to sec
ond position among the world's fleets.
We have 150 warships in European
waters and 5-0 others of a war charac
ter. There are 400,000 men In the
navy ' and by-October 1 there will b
half a million, he added..
TEN DRAFT EVADERS
ENTRENCHED IN CAVES
Are Being Fed by Residents
Are Followers of T.
E. Watson
Montgomery, Ala., May 30. Officers
here decided today to try further per
suasive measures before attempting -to
capture 10 draft evaders who have
entrenched themselves in a series of
caves in Coosa county. The men are
heavily armed aad have defied arrest.
They are being fed, it is said, by
nearby residents, who, it J s said, are
afraid to" refuse them food.
Nine of the men went to the caves
when they were called in -the draft.
The tenth is a deserter from Camp
Gordon, Atlanta.
Officers believe all of the men will
give themselves up and are oath to
try to capture them before giving"
them every opportunity to surrender.
The men are. avowed followers of
Thomas E. Watson, of Thomson, Ga.
COMPROMISE BEEN
REACHED IN REFORM
Copenhagen, Wednesday, May 29.
The Berlin Tagelische Rundschau says
it learns from a reliable source that a
compromise has been reached on the
Prussian franchise reform measure,
after a conference between the con
servatives, free conservatives and na
tional liberals. v
F
Flags Flying at Half -Mast and
- Flowers on Every Grave
SERVICES BEFORE DAY
British and French Flags and
Blood-Red Poppies Are
Placed at Luneville
CEREMONY AT HOSPITAL
Resting Places of Women Who
Died As Nurses Are Hon
ored With Those of
the Soldiers
With the American Army in France,
May 30. From Flanders to Switzer
land and from the battle line to the
sea, the American expeditionary
forces are paying homage to their
dead. Wherever American flags are
flying they are it half staff and be
fore the day is over the Star-Spangled
Banner and flowers will be placed pn
virtually every American grave.
At one place in the vicinity of
Luneville, the graves had been deco
rated in the morning darkness when
the enemy could not. see eHifty, for
the soldiers performing this duty
might have drawn the German lire, as
did the burial party. Here, both the
British and French flags were placed
on the mounds with bunches of wild
flowers great blood-red poppies and
yellow and white daisies. Another
early ceremony took' place at one of
the largest of the base hospitals,
where the nurses and some of the less
seriously wounded men covered every
mound with a flag and crowned each
with wreaths. The last resting places
of American women who have died in
the service of their country as nurses
were honored equally with those of
the soldiers.
Up close to the American lines,
northwest of Toul. khaki-clad troop
ers, with the dirt of the tranches still
clinging to them, participated In serv
ice in honor of the dead.
On the hillsides between Nancy and
Luneville, where the first Americans
killed in the war are buried, In a
little enclosed plot in the Franco
American cemetery, the ceremony was
also held at an early hour. Here the
graves were literally smothered un
der the heaps of flowers and wreaths
brought by the French population.
,' From the air men of the American
flying forces .swooped down and scat
tered, flowers over the spot where Ma
jor Lufbery and other American he'
roes of the air lie buried.
American Dootore Prisoners.
Amsterdam. May 29. A Wolff bu
reau telegram filed in Berlin on Tues
day, in giving as account of the fight
ing along the Chemin-des-Dames,
briefly mentions that, among the pris
oners taken from the British were a
number 'of Amerioan doctors.
m an
ORCES
HONOR
1HBR
DEAD
Time in Washington,
Say His Critics
THE GOVERNOR TO ACT
Washington Learns That Bick
ett Will Ask Chairman of
Corporation Commis
sion to Resign
By FRANK P. MORSE.
Washington, D. C, May 30. The
Dispatch learns from what it considers
a reliable source that E. L. Travis,
chairman of the state corporation com
mission at Raleigh, will within a very
short time, tender his resignation as
a member of the commission, and A.
J. Maxwell, now the chief clerk to
the commission, will be appointed in
his place to fill the "unexpired term.
It appears that Mr. Travis' absence
from Raleigh during the past, 12
months is becoming more and more
embarrassing to Governor Bickett arid
other prominent members of the dem
ocratic party, and to make a blunt
statement of the whole matter Gov
ernor Bickett, -it is believed, will
write Mr. Travis within a very few
days asking that he tender his resig
nation. Dame rumor has it that Mr. Travis
has been here in Washington as the
attorney for a number of corporations
during the past year or so, and in
this way he has been forced to ab
sent himself from Raleigh, and at
the same time more or less neglect
his work as -head of the corporation
commission. Just what services or
connections Mr. Travis has or has
had with corporations The Dispatch
is not prepared to say, but it is true
that he has been here a great deal of
his time for the past 12 months or
more.
These rumors bring to mind the
great. jihlj.poliUcal .oqjt- 'hi
be received -when - President Wilson
refused ""to name the Raleigh man a
member of the Interstate commerce
commission. Up .to the last minute
Senators Simmons and Overman had
been led to believe that Travis would
be named. Both protested vigorous
ly to the president and some of the
cabinet members assured the senators
that Mr. Travis would be offered an
other position equally as dignified as
the Interstate commerce place, and
perhaps carrying a large compensa
tion for the service. But later on
when senators approached the presi
dent regarding Mr. Travis' appoint
ment to the federal trade commission,
where it was believed a vacancy
would soon occur, they were soon
made to realize that the president did
not Intend that Travis, should have
any federal position under his admin
istration. In fact, it is said the presi
dent very politely showed his visitors
that he did not care to discuss the
matter of appointing Travis to a fed
eral job.
At the time when the president
filled all the vacancies on 'the com
mission without naming Travis, it
was rumored around Washington
that some one close to the president
had been fortunate enough to gain ad
audience with ' Mr. Wilson and had
impressed him or rather prejudiced
the president against Travis. It will
be recalled, too, that the rumors cir
culated at that time intimated that
Mr. Travis' connections with several
corporations as an attorney for them
at Washington had much to do with,
the president's refusal to name the
Raleigh man.
All of these things, it is said, have
impressed Governor Bickett. He has
been told the time has come for him,
to act and that he should ask Mr.
Travis to resign as long as ne Is not
staying in Raleigh in accordance with
the law which creates his position.
The law, I am told,, stipulates that
the corporation commissioner must re
main in Raleigh a certain number of
days each month. As stated above,
the governor is more than likely to
ask Travis to resign for the reason
mentioned.
,- , K --."V
FOR "FRENCH TIGERS
- i. . v. 1
Paris, May 30. Premier Cleineac
eau had the narrowest possible escape v
from falling into German hands : yes- -: n r ' :.
terday, according to the Petit JonrnAL ' i
He left a certain point only tfeV-V'--' .' d' jy;
minutes before the arrival of a "
trol of 40 Uhlans
When the Germans entered the lit
tle town the premier had just Quit,
they cornered a few of the French
who had remained, Including a gen-
eral who was examining positions
with a field glass, the newspaper
adds. The general was killed in the
encounter.
Only Slight Progress.
With the French Army in France, ,
Tuesday, May 28. The German offen
sive made only slight progress todays ,J
Seeing the heavy masses opposed -.to 1
them, the allies gave way m
and in some places the enemy crossed'
both the Aisne and the Vesle.
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