GERMANS HALT RETIREMENT.
Turn on British and Erench With
Strong Counterattacks on Whole
Eront. Entente Advances Still Con
tinuing. Allied Eorces, Despite Re
sistance by Teutons, Keep Up Their
Gains. Russians Report Eurther
Successes Against the Turks.
(Saturday's War Summary.)
Temporarily, at least, the retire
ment of the German forces in France
appears to have halted, as both the
British and French communications
report counterattacks and stubborn
resistance along the front.
Notwithstanding thi| the British
report progress southeast of Arras;
and the French have moved forward
between one and a quarter and two
and one-half miles n the St. Quentin
region.
The French also have gained on
the height overlooking the Oise val
ley northeast of Pergnier and have
repulsed German attacks before Thil,
northeast of Rheims.
Paris asserts the Germans are in
undating the Oise region and that
the city of La Fere, thought to have
been one of the strong points in the
German line, is under water.
South of the Oise the French con
tinue to cross the Ailette river and
north of Soissons, Paris says, consid
erable progress has been made toward
Margival.
Stubborn German resistance is said
to have marked the French successes
between the Somme asd the Oise,
where much ground was gained.
From Beaurains, about two miles
south of Arras, to Etreillers, five
miles west of St. Quentin, London re
ports encounters between British and
German forces.
At Vraucourt and at two points in
the center of the line German coun
terattacks are said to have been re
pulsed and the British positions main
tained. Southeast of Arras, in the
neighborhood of Ecoust and Crois
silles, the British made further gains.
The latest official statement from
Berlin says the French were repulsed
in the attacks along the Somme-Cro
zat, canal, between the Somme and
the Oise, and that 230 prisoners were
taken by the Germans.
Except for French activity near
Monastir, in Servia, and Russian ad
vances in Persia, there have been no
important operations on the other
battle fronts. North of Monastir, af
ter a violent fight, Hill 1248 remained
in the hands of the French.
Paris says the German and Bul
garian troops made repeated unsuc
cessful attacks to gain possession of
the hill.
Berlin reports a "harassing fire"
by the French near Monastir and says
a partial attack took place between
Lakes Ochrida and Presba.
Southwest of Kermanshah, Persia,
the Russians have progressed to with
in 45 miles of the Mesopotamian bor
der, according to Petrograd. This
would bring the Russians to within
100 miles of the British force that
has been advancing up the Diala
river from Bagdad. In a 16 hour
battle near Kerind, Petrograd asserts,
the Turks were forced to retreat to
Kerind. The Russians have attacked
the Turks along the River Shirwan,
a tributary of the Diala.
It is reported unofficially that Ger
many has notified Norway of the ex
tension of the blockaded zone to the
Arctic ocean. This extends the zone
in which neutral vessels go at their
own risk to include the waters ac
cessible to the ports of northern Rus
sia.
Seven Americans are believed to
have been lost when the American
steamer Healdton was torpedoed by a
submarine Wednesday in the North
sea off the coast of Holland. The
Healdton is said to have been well in
side the so called "safe channel" when
she was attacked.
MOSCOW MAY BE CAPITAL.
Transfer of Seat of Government to
Ancient Capital Is Probable
In Russia.
It is highly probable, it is believed
in Entente circles in Washington,
that the capital of Russia may be
transferred from Petrograd to the
ancient capital city of Moscow. It is
reported that Petrograd is swatming
with German spies and that the city
is strongly under the pro-German in
fluence. Such a change in the capital,
it is said, will meet with the approval
of the masses of the people.
EMPEROR MAY GIVE UP CROWN
News From Paris Says That a Noted
German Magistrate Predicts That
Kaiser William Will Not Be Able
to Hold on Much Longer. Emperor
Feels That He Has Enemies at
Home As Well as Abroad.
A dispatch from Paris published in
Sunday's paper says that a former
German magistrate, the author of the
famous book, "J'Accuse," has given
an interview to the French paper,
"Oeuvre" in which he forecasts the
German Emperor's abdication, as fol
lows: .
"The Kaiser is obsessed by the
thought that he is responsible for the
war, a thought which po'isons his
whole existence. He feels that he is
menaced by three enemies at home
without counting thpse abroad. First
is the crown prince, the real author
of the war; second is the junker pan
Germanist ? you can not imagine the
smoldering hatred of the emperor for
those he believes to be maniacs who
are driving him into an abyss ? third
are the people, not the Socialist party
but the people who are starving and
who he feels are growing in number
and rising little by little against those
who organized the war.
"The other day at the meeting of
the parliamentary presidents and the
ministers of the federal sovereigns at
which the submarine war was decided
upon, the struggle between the kai
ser's party and that of von Tirpitz
was moct bitter. The majority against
the emperor was so great, however,
that he was obliged to submit and pre
tend he was convinced. Particularly
he was personally opposed to a break
with President Wilson but he was
forced to consent. Docupnents will be
published one day which will prove
that secretly he did everything not to
bring America <Jown upon him and
that he considers that the rupture
was an irreparable mistake. The fail
ure of the-?ubmarine war will soon
show that he was right but it will be
too late.
"The people he fears most are the
anti-militarist, anti-Prussians, liberal
Republicans who want the reichstag
to be based on universal suffrage.
That is why Wilhelm is so anxious to
convince the nation that he did not
want war. All his protestations are
made to appease the liberals and his
famished and ruined subjects whose
murmurings are growing stronger.
He wants to continue popular at any
price and that is why he spoke the
first word of peace. The people were
grateful for it but the submarine war
came and spoiled everything.
"It is hard to realize how this em
peror who enjoyed a popularity un
exampled in our epoch sufferes in his
pride. He alone perhaps in Germany
knows the whole truth since he alone
has in his possession the elements
for forming a judgment on the situ
ation as a whole. How can he resist
morally and physically under such a
strain? Certainly he hopes sometimes,
but less and less, for the success of
the unrestricted submarine war which
her' opposed. He sees the isolation of
Germany become more and more com
plete. Once he tried to initiate peace
negotiations and failed. To try again
would be to admit and proclaim to
the whole world, but above all to the
German people, which he fears most,
Germany's real situation. If the al
lies solemnly declared, as they did
with Napoleon in 1815, that they
would refuse to treat for peace with
the Hohenzollerns, it would be a
knockout blow. Our German people,
who still believe in him, would aban
don him, for peace at any price will
soon be the unanimous and hidden
thought of tortured Germany.
"What resources is left to him but
a dramatic abdication in order to re
tain the sympathies of the German
people and save the political future
of Prussia. He will say: 'I sacrifice
myself to make peace. Without me
those only are responsible who de
sired a savage war and the complete
isolation of Germany, those who took
at the beginning my son as their par
ty leader forced me to mobilize, a
measure I hesitated to take.' "
To Build Coffin Factory.
A site has been selected at Fay
etteville and plans are being made for
the erection of a fifty thousand dol
lar coffin factory. It will be built and
operated by negroes and will be the
only one of its kind in the country.
It will have in conection a school for
embalmers.
FORMER EMPEROR IN CUSTODY.
Interned in Tsarskoe Selo With His
Consort. Children Still Siek With
Measles. Deposed Czarina There
fore Not Allowed to Leave. Denied
Vse of Telephone.
On his arrival at Tsarkoe Selo Fri
day, in the custody of four members
of the duma, Nicholas Romanoff, the
deposed emperor, was turned over im
mediately to the Tsarskoe Selo com
mander and taken to the Alexandrov
sky palace, where Former Empress
Alexandra already was interned, says
a dispatch from the Russian city. The
spccial train carrying the former
ruler arrived at 1:30 o'clock on the
branch line outside Alexandrovsky
park. On leaving the train Nicholas
entered an automobile accompanied
by his adjutant, Ffrince Dolgoroukoff,
and by the four duma commissioners.
They were driven to the palace. Nich
olas was met at the door in the left
wing of the palace by Count Benck
endorff, who was his marshal of the
court and now is under arrest. The
former ruler held himself erect, look
ing calm and indifferent. A battalion
of the First Rifle Guard regiment was
at the depot. The commander at
Tsarskoe Selo is Col. Kobuilinsky,
formerly commander of the Petro
gradsky regiment, stationed in peace
time at Warsaw. To him the duma
commissioners announced: "Our mis
t-ion of handing over the emperor is
finished. We now go to Petrograd to
announce this fact to the duma."
In regard to the conditions under
which Nicholas was being held in the
palace, officers declared they knew
nothing. Concerning Alexandria and
other members of the family the fol
lowing information was given:
"All the children are in bed with
the measles, for which reason Alex
andra has not been outside the palace
v.alls for two days. She has been for
bidden to use the telegraph and tele
phone or have any communication
with the outside world."
ITEMS FROM FOUR OAKS.
Mr. Joseph Coats Falls Dead in Field.
Had Just Returned From Business
Trip to Four Oaks. A New Grocery
Store Is Started. Mr. W. H. Lee
Moves His Cafe. Other Items.
Four Oaks, March 26. ? Attorney
J. B. Adams and Mr. W. H. Lee spent
Monday in Greensboro on legal busi
ness.
Mr. W. J. Lewis made a business
trip to Fayetteville Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Canaday
spent Sunday in Benson with rela
tives.
I)r. J. H. Stanley made a business
trip to Benson Wednesday.
Dr. McLemore, of Middle Creek
section, was a business visitor here
last week.
Mr. Emit Adams has opened a
grocery on Main street and W. H. Lee
has moved his cafe to Railroad street
near the Bank.
Attorney and Mrs. Louis Levison,
of Coats, N. C., spent Sunday here
with Mrs. Levison's mother, Mrs. E.
Creech.
Rev. Mr. Duncan filled the pulpit at
the M. E. church here Sunday and
delivered a very instructive sermon.
Mr. Joseph Coats, a respected farm
er 60 years of age, whose home was
just inside the town of Four Oaks,
died suddenly in the field near his
home Friday about 11 o'clock. Mr.
Coats had just returned from Four
Onks where he had been looking af
ter some business matters, went out
into the field where he had some men
at work, and fell, dying instantly.
The deceased was a loyal member of
Four Oaks Council No. 337, JR. O. U.
A. M., was a member of the W. 0. W.,
and of the Four Oaks Methodist
church. He leaves a wife and several
children.
American Killed in France.
Sergeant J. R. McConnell, the
American aviator with the French
army, was killed in an encasement
with two German machines in France
last week. McConnell was a native
North Carolinian and lived at Car
thage before the great war.
Preaching Appointments.
Elder Jos. E. Adams has an ap
pointment to preach at Old Union
Primitive Baptist church on the sec
ond Sunday in April and Saturday be
fore. He will preach at Bethany Mon
day, April 9th.
PRESIDENT WRIGHT AT KENLY.
l
Delivered Last of Series of Communi
ty Lectures Sunday Afternoon. Del
egates Elected to Attend Sunday
School Meeting at Rocky Mount
Next Week.
Kenly, March 2(5. ? Doctor Robert
H. Wright, President of East Caro
line Teachers' Training School, de
livered the last of the series of com
munity lectures that have been held in
the high school auditorium twice a
month this year. Between three and
,four hundred people hoard Doctor
Wright deliver a most masterful ad
.dress on "The New Age."
"You and 1 ourselves are living in
an age far advanced upon that even
of our forefathers; and when com
pared to the ancient civilization ours
is as different almost as if it were in
another world. Up until the time of
Benjamin Franklin the most highly
educated people thought that electric
ity was an instrument in the hands of
an angry God; but to-day electricity
is one of the chief factors of our mar
velous civilization. Indeed, even as
late as 1826 the civilized world doubt
ed whether a woman's mind was cap
able of mastering even the "rudiments
of an education. But where is woman
to-day? She is not only mastering the
leading branches of literature, science,
and philosophy, lAit, as many of
married men will testify, she is mas
ter of man himself! Now, though I
am neither a prophet or the son of a
prophet, I am absolutely sure of one
thing: the civilization that is to fol
low the present world war will be dif
ferent from the civilization before
the war. Will it be better or will it be
worse? That, depends upon you and
me ? upon every citizen throughout
the entire world. I hope that it will
be a better civilization ? saner, clean
er, more kindly, more Godly."
The music for the occasion was ap
propriate and beautiful. Several patri
otic songs were sung, and the Kenly
Quartette rendered two special selec
tions, one of them being "The Star
Spangled Banner."
Mr. Andrews said that it was with
a feeling of regret that he found it
necessary, because of the forthcoming
commencement exercises, to announce
that Doctor Wright's was the last of
the series of community lectures for
this season. These lectures have meant
a great deal for the Kenly School and
for the entire community. The fol
lowing men have appeared on the pro
gram: Col. Fred A. Olds, of Raleigh;
Doctor W. L. Poteat, President of
Wake Forest College; Superintendent
M. B. Andrews; Doctor W. II. Wan
namaker, head of the department of
German at Trinity College; and Doc
tor Robert H. Wright, President of
East Carolina Teachers' Training
School. ?
Sunday morning the 'organized
classes of the Methodist Sunday
School announced the delegates who
have been elected to represent the
school at the Wesley Bible Class Fed
eration, which is to be held at Rocky
Mount, April 3-5. The Baraca Class
elected Mr. H. F. Edgerton, and Mr.
L. Z. Woodard; the Annie Benson
Wesley Class elected Mrs. A. J.
Broughton, and the Junior Wesley
Philathea Class elected Miss Ina
Morris.
I ho tsaraca Class of the bunday
school, which, since the first of Janu
ary, has been conducting a member
ship campaign, has decided to termin
ate the campaign with a picnic ? an
old fashion fish fry and Easter egg
hunt ? and invite the entire Sunday
school to attend. This picnic will be
held at Lowell, near Kenly, on Easter
Monday. During the campaign the
class was organized into two sections,
"Reds" and "Blues," with Mr. II. F.
Edgerton, captain of the "Reds," and
Mr. J. W. Harden, captain of the
"Blues." Twelve members have been
added to the class enrollment during
the campaign! the "Blues," directed
by Mr. Darden, were victorious. Supt.
M. B. Andrews is teacher of the class.
The Bright Jewel Band of the
Methodist church held their regular
meeting Sunday afternoon, at two
thirty o'clock, at which time the mite
boxes were opened. The amount re
alized from the mite boxes was $2.14.
Mrs. C. P. Jerome made a short talk
to the children, which was quite help
ful, and enjoyed by all. A special fea
ture of the meeting was a solo sung
by little Miss Sarah Mae Woodard,
who is a member of the "Cradle Roll,"
and not quite two years old. She very
beautifully rendered "Shine."
The Junior Wesley Philethea Class
of the Methodist church held a social
WHIT LOCK TO LEAVE BRUSSELS 1
American Minister Withdrawn Be
cause of Germany's Disregard of
Written Under?tandings. Stall off
Belgian Relief Commission Advised
To (Juit Territory Occupied by
Germans.
An Associated Press dispatch sent
out from Washington says that be
cause of "the German Government's
disregard of its written understand
ings" for the protection of Americans
and American relief work in Belgium,
the State Department announced Sun
day that American Minister Brand
Whitlock had been withdrawn from
Brussels, and the staff of the Ameri
can Commission for Relief in Bel
gium advised that they should not re
main longer in German occupied terri
tory.
Minister Whitlock, who has been
kept on Belgian territory chiefly to
aid the relief work, will go to Havre,
the temporary Capital of the Belgian
Government. The places of the with
drawn workers will be taken by Dutch
citizens, and the commission through
that means will continue from outside
bases as best it can the work of car
ing for ten million dependent Bel
gians.
The Department's announcement,
one of the most severe indictments
of Germany yet drawn by the United
States, recites that restrictions have
been imposed on the Americans
"which, under ordinary conditions,
would never have been tolerated,"
and that Minister Whitlock has been
denied diplomatic privileges and cour
tesy. It says that the most serious
developrm nt, however, has come with
in the past ten days, when several of
the commission relief ships h:\ve been
"attacked without warning by Ger
man submarines in flagrant violation
of the solemn engagements of the
German Government."
Whether Germany will continue to
make the relief work difficult for
other administrators is not known
here. The general American execu
tors, headed by Chairman Herbert C.
Hoover, will continue their efforts for
Belgium and northern France outside
German jurisdiction.
STORM BRINGS DEATH TO MANY
Tornado Sweeps Indiana Town De
molishing Residences and Indus
trial Plants.
Between 25 and 50 persons were
killed and probably 100 or more were
injured in a storm which late Friday
swept over New Albany, demolishing
scores of residences and several in
dustrial plants, says an Associated
Press dispatch.
Twenty-five bodies are known to
have been recovered and it is expect
ed this number will be materially in
creased when debris of wrecked build
ings is cleared away.
The lighting system for the resi
dence section was put out of commis
sion.
In addition tov the bodies taken to
undertaking establishments there
were reports of others that were tak
en to private homes.
A baby, about six months old, was
found floating in a small stream into
which it had been borne by the wind.
The child was -alive and clinging to a
dog which apparently had been killed
by the storm. It died in the arms of
its rescuer. Later an aunt identified
the baby and reported that both the
father and mother bad been killed.
The streets in the path of the storm
were a mass of wreckage and it was
quickly found that outside assistance
was needed. An appeal was made to
the city authorities of Louisville, who
sent policemen to the scene.
His Grave Dug and Coffin Ready.
Fair Bluff,- N. C., March 25. ? Mr.
John Parker, living a few miles out
of town, although very much alive,
has made arrangements for his burial.
He has his grave dug, cemented and
protected from rain and dampness.
In addition to this, he has purchased
an elaborate silvered coffin of the
latest type and has it stored away to
be used when he dies. Mr. Parker ex
pects to live many more years yet,
but he evidently is an ardent believer
in "preparedness." ? Wilmington Star.
meeting last Friday evening, in the
Edgerton Hotel, Miss Pearl Pope en
tertaining. Some twenty of the young
people were present, and a most de
lightful time was enjoyed by all. De
licious punch was served by the
hostess.
KAISER'S WEALTH IN AMERICA.
Ten Million Dollars of I' Hired States
Storks Owned by Him. One of the
Greatest of American Property
Owners. Wealth May Be Confiscat
ed by This Government If War
War Should Come for Sure.
Ten million dollars worth of United
States stocks are owned by the Kai
ser and members of his family and
may be confiscated by the United
States Government in case of war.
Facts just made public indicate
Wilhelm'g concern over reaffirmation
of treaties guaranteeing Germans'
personal property against seizure
may have been caused by personal
rather than national reasons.
The Kaiser is one of the greatest
of American property owners. He had
a fancy for railway securities. When
the war began he is said to have pos
sessed $4, 000, WOO in stocks and bonds
of the Santa Fe, Union and Southern
Pacific, and other Western lines.
These shares were held in the
name of dummies or German broker
age houses in New York.
The Kaiserin herself holds half a
million in American securities. Prince
Henry while in this country is said
to have made investments for him
self totalling several millions.
There is evidence that agents of
the Kaiser have made stock market
cleanups on strength of advance in
formation from Berlin.
The Kaiser is said to have large
land holdings in America, much more
valuable now than when bought 20
years ago.
He is part owner of the North Ger
man Lloyd and Hamburg-American
Lines, which have $20,000^)00 in
ships tied up in American ports.
Without these ships, re-establishment
of German commerce after the war
would be hampered.
The Kaiser is the majority owner
of a silk mill in Patterson, N. J., which
by the way, was shown by the com
mission on industrial relations to pay
the lowest wages and compel the
worst working conditions in that dis
trict.
As a stockholder in a Chicago
packing company, the Kaiser is re
puted to have piled up wealth at the
expense of the Allies and the Ameri
can public.
It is rumored the Federal Govern
ment is investigating the extent of
Wilhelm's holdings, with the idea that
if the Government should not confis
cate property of individual German
citizens, exception should be made in
the Kaiser's case, on the ground that
his autocratic relations to the Gov
ernment make his holdings, in effect,
the property of the German State.
This property, if confiscated, would
be converted into the United States
Federal treasury. ? Washington Dis
patch.
FOURTEEN REGIMENTS CALLED
Members of National Guard Are to
Serve for Police Protection Purpo
ses. North Carolina Regiments Not
In List.
Calling into the federal service of
14 regiments of the National Guard
for police protection purposes was
announced Sunday by the war de
partment. The Second Virginia regi
ment was included in the call, and
A and B companies of the First
Georgia regiment will not be mustered
out.
The department issues this state
ment:
"Many States have deemed it ad
visable to call out the National Guard
for police purposes or protection. As
the necessity for such steps arises
from issues which are more national
than local, it has been deemed advis
able by the President to call into
federal service for the above men
tioned purposes the following organi
zations of the National Guards: Mas
sachusetts Second and Ninth regi
ments; Pennsylvania, First and Third
regiments; Maryland, Fourth regi
ment; District of Columbia, First sep
arate battalion; Virginia, Second reg
iment; Vermont, Company B? First
regiment; Connecticut, First regi
ment; New York, Second and Seventy
first regiments; New Jersey, First
and Fifth regiments; Delaware, First
battalion. First regiment.
"The following organizations which
are \tiow in the federal service will
not be mustered out: 13th Pennsly
vania; A. & B. companies of the First
Georgia."