weather; North and South Caro lina: Partly clouay to night and Sunday. VOL. XXIV. NO. 171 WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, SATURDAY EVENING, JUNE 29, 1918. EIGHT PAGES FIVE CENTS AMERICAN ARMY I VIENNA POPULACE CELEBRATING THE "GREAT VICTORIES IN ITALY" LAMED HEL-PE BARE-FACED FRAUD Trade Commission Says It Ex ists Among U. S'. Industries TOopyrfcfct : 1918 : By John p. Mtdjeoa. J Slavs Are in Helpless Struggle : ; Against theXHermans - . - i : , - i : i in. - : . 1 1 ' ... -, wr . . - - - 1 11 . , . I l it- MOMENT RIPE FOR ACTION IN RUSSIA OLD TEUTONS Forces Are Units Shipped Di rect From This Country ARE NON - COMBATANTS Situation, Says March, On All Fronts Is Extremely Fa vorable to Allies - DISASTER TO AUSTRIANS First National Army, Raised in New York, Trained at Camp Upton, Takes Up Sector , on the Front. Washington, June 29. The first American troops landed in Italy yes terday, General March, chief of staff, announced today. These are not the force sent by General Pershing, but consisted of units shipped from this country. The troops consist largely of sani tary units, but includes other special organizations, General March ex plained. On the whole, however, it is made up mostly of non-combatant units. The combatant troops will be sent by General Pershing as previous ly announced. General March had no announce ment to make today as to the total number of troops shipped from this country to France. Formal announce ment, he said, would be made later. Surveying the entire front, General March said, the situation could be said to be extremely favorable to the allies. He would make no comment upon the indications of an impending German attack. The first national army division has taken up a sector of the front, Gen eral March announced. It is the 77th, raised in New York, trained at Camp Upton and originally commanded by Major-General J. Franklin Bell. It was taken across under Major-General Johnson. Five American divisions which had been briaded;with,the . British or-training-Have been returned " to Gen eral Pershng's command with train ing completed. One of these is the 35th division, composed of Kansas and Missouri troops; and commanded by Major-Gen-eral. William M. Wright, when it left the United States. General March disclosed that the official reports from the Italian front place the number of Austrians cap tured at 18,000 and a large amount of war material. The line of the Piave has been entirely restored by the Italians and in some places has been slightly advanced. Military opinion, General March said, found the Austrian attack faulty because it was spread over so large a front as to make it impossible to carry through successfully. The Austrian disaster which fol lowed is valuable to the allies, not only in a military sense, but psycho logically, the chief of staff said, be cause of its stimulating effect upon Italian morale, both among the civil population and the army. The practical result in prisoners and guns taken also was of course valu able. During the last week American ac tivities in France have been local in character, but official reports show that the Americans at all times and places have more than held their own, General March said. Fine examples of individual bravery are coming in he said. Commenting upon the return to Gen eral Pershing's command of the five divisions brigaded with the British, General March said it showed clearly the success of the plan for using all facilities to give American units their final polishing. It would not have been possible otherwise, he indicated, to have se cured so large a trained force under Pershing" in so short a time. MULLINS BOY IS KILLED IN FRANCE Mullins, S. C, June 29 The. town "was saddened this busy Saturday moraine: when George H. Yarboro re ceived a teleeram from France to the effect that his young son, Lieutenant George H. Yarboro, Jr., was killed in battle. Lieutenant Yarboro graduated at the Citadel at Charleston last year, and immediately after his graduation joined the marines, volunteering. To morrow two weeksago special prayer services were offered at the Metho dist church here for this young man, "who was a most zonular lad. Lieuten ant Yarboro was a classmate of Cap tain Horace Cooper and of Seaman George Hardwick of Wilmington. Paris Was Unharmed Paris, June 29. Paris was un harmed by last night's German air raid. None of the bombs dropped by the several machines which attempt ed the penetration of defenses between 11:30 and 12:30 o'clock fell on the city. FRANCO-BRITISH HIT GERMANS HARD Attacks Bring in 1 ,400 Prison ers and Improve Positions CAUGHT HUNS NAPPING South of Aisne French Drove Enemy Back in Amble- " ny-Montgobert Sector SALIENTS ARE TAKEN Germans Show No Intention of - Resuming Drive, But Allied Strokes May Spur Them On , Attacking the Germans suddenly on two widely separated sectors, French and British troops have improved their positions greatly and captured 1,400 prisoners. By their enterprise in taking the in itiative unexpectedly the allies appar ently caught the Germans napping and realized their objectives in a short time. The . British rectified their line east of Halzebrouck in Flanders. South of the Aisne the French drove the en emy back in the important Ambleny Montgobert sector, which bars the tpen space between the forests of Compeigne and Villers-Cotterets. The fighting here continues. Not only did the allies straighten out their lines, but they took from the Germans salients which would have suited admirably as "jumping off" points in future operations. Although the . British attacked, on a front of three and a half, miles ; and the ettChjrnvottBTnd each effort was intended as a purely local operation to harass the enemy. In the, north the British wiped out the German salient toward the Nieppe forest northwest of Merville and that town now Js menaced seriously. Three hamlets were re-taken in an advance of one mile and the Germans lost 300 prisoners. Australian troops around Merris, north of Mertville, made a small gain and took 43 Germans. After his check on the Noyon-Mont-didier front the German crown prince made a strong attack south of the Aisne for the apparent purpose of get ting in behind the forest of Com piegne. . A large part of the gains made then have now been re-captured by the French. Important positions were taken from the Germans whose lines were penetrated at several points to a depth of more than a mile. The French bag of prisoners totals 1,060. Berlin reports the German troops as striving to - eheck the Franco-Britis attacks. . Merville is the fartherest point west the Germans reached in the Lys battle and the British gain there lessens the peril to Hazebrouck. No less satisfactory from the allied viewpoint is the successful French thrust south of the Aisne which also relieved enemy pressure at a more or less vital point. The Germans show no intention of resuming the offensive but it may be that the French and British strokes will spur them to action before the allies regain other important posi tions between Ypres and Rheims. Ex cept in Flanders and south of the Aisne, the western battle front ' has been quiet. Intense aerial activity continues without a let-up. The Germans repeat ed their raid on Paris Friday night for their third night in succession but only a few bombs were dropped. In fighting in the air allied airmen have accounted for 53 enemy machines, while Berlin reports the shooting down of 25 allied airplanes. French airmen are bombarding ' military tar gets in Picardy and north of the Marne and British bombers' persist in their raids into region- above Metz. Fighting activity on the Italian front is of minor character. Artil lery duels have increased in vigor along the front. Austro-Hungarlan trenches on the Asiago plateau have been penetrated by British troops who took prisoners. , SHIP STRIKES REEF; GOES TO BOTTOM Boston, Mass., -June 29. The steam, er Onondaga, Boston for .Florida points, struck a reef off Watch Hill last night and went to tne Dotxom The crew of 35 was saved. The Onondaga, a Clyde line freight er, left here Thursday afternoon in command of Captain Googins. Offi cers of the line here said they had re- reived no direct word of the slnKing from the captain early today although they learned later from naval author ities that the crew had escaped. TAKE WAR ADVANTAGE Heavy Profit JVlade by Meat Packers and Flour Mill ers, Is, Claimed WILL INCREASE PRICES Price-Fixing by Government, Says Report, Has Tended to Prevent Market Running Away Washington, , June 29. Investiga tions carefully conducted have lead to the conclusion that profiteering exists ambng American industries at the present time, due in part to advan tage being taken of "war pressure for heavy production," and in part to "in ordinate greed and bare-faced fraud," the" federal trade commission an nounced today in a report sent to the senate. Outstanding features of the report are: The heavy profit made by the low cost concern under a government fixed price for the whole country. The heavy profit made by the meat packers and allied industries, and by the flour millers. The trade tendency to increase and maintain prices against the forces of competition. The report is based on cost findings by the commission for the war indus tries board, the food, administration. the fuel administration and other ex ecutive departments or industrial sur veys, and through enforcement of law against unfair methods of competi tion. The products investigated and which the report covers are steel, cop per, zinc, nickel, sulphur, lumber, coal, petroleum and its products, meat, leather and leather goods, flour, canned milk and canned salmon. Price fixing by the government, preve the market from, running away but at the same time it strengthens the strongest factors in industry in their position and enriches them by profits "which are without precedent." While the price of the flour has been stabilized by fixing a- price for wheat and a maximum margin of profit for flour, the report shows that profits in creased from an average of 12 epr cent, on the investment for the four years ending June 30, 1916, to nearly 38 per cent in the year ending July 30, 1917. The report declares that unpreced ented profits are shown in a survey of the packing industry. It says four concerns pocketed $140,000,000 in three years and that they have '"prey ed upon the people unconsciously." Investigation in the coal mining in dustry reveals in the opinion of the commission that despite government price fixing large margins of profits have been made. In the oil industry large profits are now being made in fuel and gasoline, the industry being one where the law of suppy and demand still operates. Still companies made abnormal prof its before the government fixed a price for the product, and it is shown that some have since made unusual returns. In practically every one of the oth er industries, covered by the report, it is shown unusually heavy profits have been made in the last few years. Abnormal salaries are also shown to have been paid executive officials. BOTH FOUND GUILTY OF OBSTRUCTING DRAFT Mrs. Kennedy and Dr. Howen stein Gave Eyeglasses That ImpairSight Los Angeles, Cal., June 29. Mrs. Idell Kennedy and Dr. Frank T. How- enstein an optometrist, weer found guilty in the Federal court here last night of having conspired to keep men out of the selective draft by means of eye-glasses which temporar ily would impair their sight. Joseph LeRoy, who was alleged to have visited Howenstein at the in stigation of Mrs. Kennedy an dto have paid 1,000 for subjecting his eyes to treatment so that he could evade military service, was acquitted. The court sat next Monday as the date for imposing sentence. 309 HUN PRISONERS, THREE PLANES TAKEN Washington, June 29. Capture of 3Q9 German prisoners and the des truction of three German airplanes by American aviators was reported by General Pershing in an official com munique today. v PANAMA AND COLON ED BY TROOPS Under Orders American Sol diers Take Charge of Cities WILL MAINTAIN ORDER Urriola For Fear of Seri ous Disorders PROTEST BY OPPOSITION No One in Panama Knows How Long Troops Will Patrol Cities- State ment Issued Panama, June 29. Upon orders from Washington, American troops be gan policing Panama and Colon at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The ac tion was taken under the treaty of 1904 authorizing the United States to assume this police duty whenever it was necessary to maintain order. The Panama government has protested to' Washington against the measure. Because the former administration had refused to correct conditions in the two cities soldiers in the canal zone were forbidden to enter them and the civilian employes boycotted Colon and Panama until the mandate of the military authorities was carried out by the Panaman government. The new administration, under President Urri ola, began to clean up the cities, but in connection with this work an nounced that the elections fixed for June 30 and July 7 would be postponed for six months because of the fear that serious disorders might occur if held on the dates set by law. The opposition party protested to Washington against the deferment of the elections, claiming that such a move would serve no purpose except to favor the candidates supported by the new, administration. The Amer ican state department advised Urtsi- dent Urriola to hold the elections but he replied that a fair electi6n could not be held now and suggested that American commissioners supervise the making up of poll books and assume charge of an election to be held late in July or early in August which the president said could be held in an open and fair manner. No disorders have been reported since it was announced that the decree forbidding the elec tions would be enforced by the-police. The opposition party again protested to Washington and yesterday the American state department notified President Urriola that because of dis orders American troops would police the cities until further notice. No time limit being set, there is no one in Pan ama whmo knows how long the occu pation will continue. Dr. Ciro Urriola, the president, yesterday issued a state ment on the situation. It reads: "Foreign Secretary Lefevre states that at 11 o'clock this morning the charge d'affaires of the United States delivered a note informing him that the United States, by virtue of article seven of the treaty of 1904, has or dered that its armed forces at 2 o'clock this afternoon would enter the (Continued on Page Seven.) BURYING PARTY NOT YET ARRIVED AT BOU H S Juiet Answer of American Officer When Asked Why Boches Left in Village 'With the American Army in France, June 13. (Correspondence of the As socUvtedi&esslL last: night "by the- Germans. on ;Bou- resches which the American troops were holding was so violent that the worst was feared. A report was re ceived that the town had been occu pied by the Germans and a major was sent down from headquarters to ascertain the facts. He fell in with the officer who had been entrusted with the defense of the village. "Are the boches in Bouresches?" he inquired hastily. "Yes, sir," was the reply. There was lurid interlude and the staff officer was then understood to say: "Was it not the order that no Germans were to be' allowed to remain in Bouresches?" "Yes, sir." "Then why the hell have you left them there?" was demanded. "Burying party not yet arrived, sir, was the quiet answer. TRAIN STRIKES AUTO: THREE WERE KILLED Car Hit at Haw River Crossing of Southern Road Early This Morning Greensboro, N. C, June 29. Misses Mary Windsor and Nellie Boland and Raymond Barber are dead and Jeff Burton is not expected to live as a result of an automobile accident at the Haw river crossing of the South ern railway, two miles south of Reids ville at 1 o'clock this morning. A freight train going south struck the automobile in which the party was re turning to Reidsville from Greensboro. Miss Windsor was instantly killed. Barber died on the way and Miss Bo land succumbed at the hospital. Miss Boland and Barber, who was driving, were o have been married. All were from Reidsville. MIDDLESEX MAN IN MARINE CASUALTIES Washington, June 29. The marine corps casualty list today contained 39 names, 'divided as follows: Killed in action 24 Died of wounds 8 Wounded severely 7 Killed in action: Sergeant William J., Spire, 2100 West End avenue, Nash ville, Tenn.; Privates Claude A. Babb, Hampton, Ga.; Oscar Cottrell, Tusca loosa, Ala.; James B. Deans, Middle sex, N. C.; Harold C. Gaiger, Mount Vernon, Ga. Fair Next Week. Washington, June 29. Generally fair weather with temperatures some what above normal was forecast to dav 'for the southeastern states for the week beginning Monday. NO U. TRANSPORTS MADE U BOAT BOOTY Deputy Haase Explodes The ories of von Capelle AMERICANS OVER THERE . Vii. Says Speeches of OtKer Ger man Leaders Must Be Taken With Mistrust ATTACK IS VERY BITTER Hun Efforts Make Peace Im possible and German Peo ple Must Take Matters Into Own Hands Amsterdam, June 29. The notable speech delivered in the German reich stag this week by Deputy Hugo Haase, the independent socialist, in which he vigorously attacked the government's foreign policy and alluded to the grow ing importance of the American mili tary effort, is given considerable space b the semi-official Norddeutch Allge- meme Zeitung. Its version of the speech is as follows: "Dr. Helfferich and Admiral Ca pelle," said Deputy Haase, "told us in 1917 that the United States would be unable to take any further part in the war and that its military importance was ml. Today there are 700,000 Americans on French soil and nothing has been heard of any U-boat booty in the shape of American transport. The speeches of Count von Westarp and Herr Stressemann regarding American powerlessness therefore must be taken with the greatest mistrust." Herr Haase, continues the semi-official version of the speech, went on with a bitter attack on the German military rulers for their method of conducting the .war, which was alien ating the friendship of the whole world. He declared their efforts were making a decent peace impossible and that the German people must take matters in their own hands. "The Armenians, the speaker de clared, "are sending us affecting calls for help against the brutal violence of the Turks, who are aiming anew their complete extermination. These calls go unheard although the victims of the Turks are numbered by the hundreds of thousands, and we have the audac ity to permit the handing over to the Turks again of the districts of Ba tum, Kars and Ardshan. "In Livonia and Esthonia the Ger man police force is treating the people with an arbitrariness "of the worst sort, as if the district were a conquered country. Conditions in the Riga dis trict cry to heaven. Ten year old boys have been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment for distributing procla mations. In the prisons people are tortured in a way resembling that of the worst days of czarism. "The German military power every where in Russia has been active, as the stranglers of democracy and the oppressor of freedom. In Finland an equal terrorism reigns among the working classes. "If things go on according to the will of our military autocracy Ger many will be rutaed, unless the peo ple take the cause of peace in their own hands," DOMINANT IMPORTANCE Wilson Feels That Allies Muii Have Free Consent of the ; . Kussian reople UvMl . 'v-?,'";," WELCOME ANY ACTION!! Believed Landing of Foreigtjj T" 1V7 lift T- l 5. i roops w ouia nave oad Effect Agreement ' jfeiij 4 Being Planned By FRANK P. MORSE. i Washington, D. C, June 29 RussI is occupying a position of dominant' importance in conferences this weeic' ',. between the Washington government and representatives of Great Britain4 France and Italy. Definite proposal ? that are being discussed at the con-'?',ti' study that President Wilson has givea ' to reports received by the state .-'!! partment from American agents sta;;j. I tioneflnear ths scenes of greatest dli All gllai Old. V uaUUU illlU -V , the innumerable suggestions present V ed to the president by representative Russians in the United States. v A distinct understanding existi'. . : here, as in allied capitals, that the mov ment is ripe for decisive action in bW'V:' half of the Russian people, who are - 'A beginning to struggle helplessly against German oppression and bolsbeft:;'i'j( vik misrule. President Wilson ha " not altered his belief that no effectlyei ;'. ' intervention in Russian affairs can bef - undertaken without the full under-. l; standing and free consent of the Rus sian people themselves. Evidence is ;' :V;j: accumulating, however, to support the ' ir claim that an overwhelming majority;- ' . j of the Slavs will welcome active) : ,1 steps taken under the direction of thci United States. '' "X:I Exactly wat jorm American. andC-"' allied assistance to Russia will tak- i t has not yet been decided, insofar as . :!!!' m41Un - J Tit ' ; ' " '' Is realized that the landing of for;-'..! eign soldiers in Russia without a thorj ,S; oughly worked out agreement might .; 5 I ; have a bad effect on the very large eiej).'.jH ment of the Russian people unfamiliar tv If with the plans that are being fornvu5i lated in their interests. '-..' H.: On the other hand, it is felt that lm-'". mediate material assistance can be'-' supplied while negotiations are being ) . conducted with reliable Russian rep-' i resentatives. Effective suggestion'.: t have developed from practical discus- I'Sjjl sions between officials of the United : - in states chamber of commerce and the Russian-American chamber pt com-i merce in New York. One important, proposal, which has the approval of . President Wilson and his advisors, is to send a large number of Russian. Americans to various sections of Rus sia for the purpose of making clear sist the reclamation of Russia fronV" chaos and tyranny. C ' j ; The primary purpose of American to assist an oppressed people. Sucbj action would not, however, be entirely ; altruistic. The United States, in com. mon with allied nations, is very much in need of platinum and other mate-' rials which Russia can furnish. ;In ex-" change for these supplies the Wash-:-ington government stands ready -t : give Russia tools, railway equipment seed ror crops ana agricultural ana:-, i; mprTi a Ti1r.nl prnprts tn fl.ss1sf irt thn K swift improvement of Russia's disrupts . ' ed economic life. ' -J It is realized, however, that sucJlLf assistance can be merely a prellml ! nary to active military operations la.. the country now being overrun by their Germans. State department report's indicate, however, that Russia is mak. ing determined efforts to assemble and organize elements of her fighting- strength in Siberia and elsewhere fot- ji an effective defense against furtheryii Teutiyi aggressions. If these efforts V are successful, allied assistance will : be promptly provided. It will take the form, at first, of swift supplies of war-- munitions. Later, if Russia makes the , ' request, allied troops will be sent toT-h if join the Russian ranks in a common"I3 H offensive against the German and Aus?v. i trian eastern front. ' The Washington government Is lij" close touch with London and is keenlyky H interested in reports of the British i Jj government's conferences with Keren u)-! sky. It is possible that information provided Dy tne iormer nussian pre- mier may bring the Russian discus- i . . . - t ' : sions to a quick climax. In any event, Vj H however, an important announcement- jf of American plans to assist Russia " jf may be expected in the immediate fu-v ture. VSt Ask to Increase Rates Washington, June 29. The St.' Petersburg Transportation company , operating between Tampa, Fla .and : ;i neighboring points, applied to the in- if terstate commerce commission today . ; for an increase of 25 per cent in freight ) ! 'i rates. M S i v f- it - - " - - - -