FRENCH AND BRITONS GAIN.
Press Hard Against German Line and
Take Positions From Hindenburg's
.Men. Teutonic Forces Push Slavs
Hack. Compel Russians to Retire in
Haronvichi Region. Austrians At
tack in Strength and Capture Por
tions of Trench Line From Italians.
(Thursday's War News.)
The British and French troops have
Hade additional important gains
against the Germans on the line run
ning from Arras to Soissons. On the
British centre at several points Field
Marshal Sir Douglas Ilaig's men have
pushed forward appreciably nearer
the St. Quentin-Cambrai road, occu
pying the villages of Longavesnes,
Lieramont and Equancourt, and in ad
dition have recaptured from the Ger
mans a position north of Beaumetz
les-Cambrai which the Germans took
from them in an attack Monday night.
The gains of the .French were made
in the region to the south of La Fere,
where they drove the Germans com
pletely out of the lower forest of
Coucy and also captured the villages
of Petit Garisis, Verueil and Coucy
la-Ville, bringing the French line in
this region to the western outskirts
?f the forest of St. Gobain and the
upper forest of Coucy. In the . Sois
sons sector further progress was made
north of Neuville-sur-Margival and
northeast of Leiully.
The German war office admits the
capture by the British of the town of
Roisel, about 11 miles west of St.
Quentin, and the falling back of the
German forces before the French at
several points in the forest region
south of La Fere, in order to avoid
being outflanked.
Violent artillery fighting in the re
gion of Verdun and at various points
in Belgium, notably near Dixmude,
Steenstreate and Het Sas, has been
in progress..
On the Russian front the Russians
have been forced^to fall back before
the Germans southlof Baronovichi, ac
cording to a statement of the Petro
grad war office. In this fighting Ber
lin claims more than 300 Russians
were made prisoners, and four ma
chine guns and seven mine throwers
were captured. Russian attacks near
Lutsk in Volhynia and in Galicia were
repulsed by the Teutonic allies, says
Berlin.
. Apparently a renewel of fighting in
Roumania is indicated by the German
official communication which says the
Russians have been prevented from
carrying out an attack south of the
Trotus valley.
In the Austro-Italian theatre, along
the Japan front, the Austrians made
an attack in force between Dosso
Faiti and Frigido and captured a sec
tion of Italian trenches on Hill 126.
At all other places, however, the at
tack met with repulsed, according to
Rome.
About 400 yards of Teutonic allied
trenches have been captured by the
French near the Cervaigna crest in
Servian Macedonia, together with
some 100 prisoners. A Bulgarian at
tack in the Cerna river bend in this
region was repulsed.
Two more British torpedo boats de
stroyers have been sunk ? one by
striking a mine and the other in a
collision.
Announcement is made by the Brit
ish admiralty that the British hospital
ship Asturias, which was reported
previously by Berlin to have been
sunk, was torpedoed without warn
ing. Thirty-one persons were killed in
the attack and 12 persons are still
missing from the vessel. The Asturias
had no wounded on board at the time,
but carried some 300 persons.
Unofficial advices from Amsterdam,
quoting a Berlin dispatch, say it is
rumored in Berlin that Germany has
offered a separate peace to Russia.
POU SAYS DEMOCRATS
WILL ORGANIZE HOUSE
Washington, March 28. ? Represen
tative E. W. Pou, of Smithfield, re
turned to Washington today. He pre
dicted that the Democrats would or
ganize the House "unless hindered
by Providence." Mr. Pou would like to
be chairman of the Committee on
Rules. He is ranking member, Mr.
Henry, of Texas, being: no lonerer in
Congress. Garrett, of Tennessee, is
next to Pou, and is said to be anxious
for the place also. ? Charlotte Obser
ver.
Person County has voted a $300,
000 bond issue for roads. Now to
get out of the mud holes.
BIG HOARD OF GOLI) FOR WAR.
United States Can Easily Loan
$3,000,000,000 To Allies, Says
Hanking Officials.
The United States ? the treasure
house of the world ? is able to loan
the Allies the staggering sum of
$5,000,000,000 without noticeably af
fecting the financial situation of this
country.
An official of one of the largest
American banking institutions told
the United States Press to-day this
country is in a position to loan five
times the amount of our nationa
debt to the Allies in case of war be
tween the United States and Ger
many.
In the gold piled up in this country
is the power, if looked, to end the war
in the opinion of the banker.
"To put the immediately available
amount into round figures, I believe
we could spare ?5,000,000,000 without
noticing it seriously. That amount
would be only 2% per cent of our re
sources.
"And I believe that sum as a loan
to the Allies would be sufficient to
end the war under the present condi
tions. Consider that it is one^ourth
of the entire war debt of England at
this time. With that in mind it can be
readily seen that it would throw the
j balance in favor of the Allies and
'bring peace.
"In banking circles a loan of that
size in view of the present state of
affairs is looked upon as 'peace in
surance.' Before many years it will
save us five times that amount.
"At this time the wealth of the
United States is estimated at $200,
000,000,000," said the banker.
"Without hesitation, I would say
that we are able to loan the Allies
any amount necessary to bring about
the end of the war. We could do it
without making any impression upon
the financial situation in this country
and at the same time carry on our
own war measures.
"With gold flowing into this coun
try unceasingly for the past two
years we have become the bankers of
the world. It is fairly impossible to
comprehend the power of the gold
piled up in this country. In it lies the
power to put an end to this war
quickly."
With talk of huge loans in the air
the banking houses are already mo
bilizing their resources in preparation
to unloose the power of money in case
the seed arises.
In banking circles it is said an al
most unlimited credit to the Allies for
ships, munitions and foodstuffs would
be the form of such a loan. The money
would remain physically in this coun
try. ? New York Evening Sun.
BIBLE CLASS FEDERATION.
Second Annual Convention to Be Held
in Rocky Mount Next Week.
Rocky Mount, March 28. ? The sec
ond annual convention of the Federa
tion of Wesley Bible Classes will be
held in this city on the 3rd, 4th and
5th of April.
This Federation is under the auspi
ces of the Conference of the Method
ist Episcopal Church, South, which
embraces all the territory in the State,
east of Greensboro, and is intended to
promote the organization of adult
Bible classes for the study of the
Bible. It is doing a great work among
the Methodists of the States and
should incidentally tend to stimulate
renewed interest among other denom
inations.
An excellent program has been ar
ranged, and addresses will be made by
some of the most prominent speak
ers, both lay and clerical, in the Con
ference. Music will also be a promin
ent feature of the sessiqjis.
The railroads have given special
rates, and ample accommodations will
be provided for all who attend.
Each Bible Class is expected to
send full delegations, and a large
crowd is expected. r
Delegates are requested to notify
Mr. J. H. Westbrook, Rocky Mount,
N. C., of their intention to attend,
who will also be glad to furnish any
information desired, upon application.
Delegates will be met at the train
and assigned homes by the reception
committee.
The farmer who raises more of
foodstuffs this year than he needs for
his own use, will not feel the pinch
of war like the farmer who doesn't
raise plenty.
CLARK AM) STRAIGHT TICKET.
Odds Now Favor Democrats Organiz
ing House With Champ Clark
Speaker. I)em?x-ratic Caucus to Be
Held Today to Appoint Democratic
Member of Ways and Means Com
mittee.
Washington, March 29. ? Many Con
gressmen arrived here today to confer
with colleagues and others on the con
test over the House organization, Tho
odds are on Speaker Clark and a
straight Democratic ticket tonight.
Representative Martin, Progressive
Protectionist, of Louisiana, announced
that he would not enter either the
caucus of the Democrats or the Re
publicans. That is very encouraging
to the Demerats for Minority Leader
Mann has been claiming that he is a
Republican. It has been understood
for weeks that Mr. Martin would vote
for Speaker Clark. He was elected by
independent Democratic votes.
It is considered a safe bet that in
addition to the 213 regular Democrats,
Speaker Clark and other Democratic
candidates for House offices will re
ceive the support of Representatives
London, Socialist, of New York; Ran
dall, Prohibitionist, of California;
Martin, Progressive-Protectionist, of
Louisiana, and Kelly, Independent, of
Pennsylvania. There is some doubt as
to how Representatives Fuller, Inde
pendent-Republican, of Massachu
setts; Schall, Progressive, of Minne
sota, and Rankin, Congresswoman, of
Montana, will vote.
itepreseniauve james j\. uuinvan,
Democrat, of Ityston, in a fit of anger
because of the passage of the Prohi
bition bill for the District of Colum
bia, declared at the close of last Con
gress that he would bolt the Demo
crats in the Sitxy-Fifth Congress. It
is understood by his friends that he
will vote for Speaker Clark and other
House officers but may oppose some
committee assignments that look too
much like prohibition.
The Democrats will hold their cau
cus at 11 o'clock tomorrow morning
in the House of Representatives.
Speaker Clark and Majority Leader
Kitchin today conferred at length
on the plans. Mr. Clark will be nom
inated for Speaker. The caucus '.viJJ
re-appoint the Democratic members of
the Ways and Means Committee and
fill in four vacancies thereon. The
caucus also will decide upon the four
House officials to be elected, viz:
Clerk, doorkeeper, postmaster and
sergeant-at-arms.
The Republican committee of 27
will meet tomorrow night to make
plans for the Republican caucus, aSt
urday. Republicans are trying to con
ciliate their differences over the
Speakership. The decision of minority
Leader Mann to use his efforts to se
cure a Republican organization did
much to bring about order in the
ranks.
Representative Lenroot today said
he would stand by the nominee for
Speaker of the Republican caucus.
"My efforts have been confined
solely to having the Republicans at
tempt to organize the House" he said.
"I expect to abide by the Republican
caucus."
Mr. Mann said today therfe would be
a show-down as between Republicans
and Democrats. ? H. E. C. Bryant, in
News and Observer.
VIRGIN ISLANDS IS NEW NAME.
United States Will Take Possession
Formally Saturday. Check for
$25.0000,000.
The Virgin Islands wi'l for the pres
ent be the designation of the newly
acquired Danish West Indies which
will become American territory form
ally, tomorrow, says a Washington
dispatch. The name selected is
the original name bestowed upon the
former property of the Danish king
dom at the time of their discovery by
Spanish navigators nearly 400 years
ago.
Rear Admiral James H. Oliver, U.
S. N., will be the first American gov
ernor of the new island possessions.
He will sail for his post the day the
islands are taken over. At the same
time Secretary of the Treasury Mc
Adoo will deliver to the Danish min
ister, Constantine Brun, a treasury
warrant for $25,000,000 which is said
to be the largest check ever drawn by
Uncle Sam.
Russia has thrown off the Romanoff
yoke and the world is hoping that Ger
many will follow suit by getting out
from under the Hohenzollern yoke.
AT THE CAPITAL UF BANNER.
Benson School To Close April 20th.
Annual Sermon by Rev. T. M.
Grant, cf liillsboro. Annual Ad
dress by Dr. W. C. Riddiek. Presi
dent of A. & M. College. A Full
Budget of Personal News Items.
Benson, March '29. ? Mr. Victor
Cole, of Four Oaks, was a visitor to
our city Wednesday for a few hours.
Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Hodges, of Loris,
S. C., are here spending a few days
with Mr. and Mrs. A. W. llodges.
Mr. II. A. Parker, of the Citizens
Bank and Trust , Company, was a vis
itor to SmithfieM Wednesday.
l)r. Wicker, of Elon College, was a
visitor to our city this week to see his
daughter, Miss Annie Laurie Wicker,
who is a member of the Benson High
School Faculty.
Mr. B. F. Langdon, of Coats, was
here for a while Wednesday on busi
ness matters.
Mr. Jesse Adams and Mr. P. P.
Allen, of Four Oaks, were here yes
terday for a short while.
Mr. E. S. White, of the Third Reg
iment Band, was in the city Tuesday
and Wednesday shaking hands with
old friends, after returning from the
Mexican border.
Messrs. H. W. Barnes, J. R. Bar
bour and Charlie Britt were visitors
to Fuquay Springs yesterday on busi
ness.
VT - 1 \1T OA. x _i? a / 1 ? - i
Aui. u. vy . otuui/, ui oaniuru, was in
the city last night. The firm of J. W.
Stout & Company has been awarded
the contract for the building: of the
Methodist church here and will begin
work within the next few days.
Mr. Preston Woodall, who has been
suffering with rheumatism for the
past week, went up to Raleigh Tues
day and Wednesday and is taking
treatment there.
Mr. C. C. Benton, of the firm of
Benton & Benton, architects, of Wil
son, was in the city last night on
business.
Messrs. H. D. Ellington and Bud
Parrish, of Smithfield, were here yes
terday for a few hours on business.
Rev. J. T. Stanford returned yes
terday from a ten days' visit to Bal
timore, Philadelphia, and New York
City. Mrs. Stanford, who went with
him, is spending a few days with rel
atives at Rich Square before return
ing.
Mr. A. M. Langdon, of Elevation
township, was a visitor to Benson
Tuesday for a few hours.
Mr. I. B. Raynor was a visitor to
Fayetteville Wednesday for a few
hours.
Mrs. R. U. Barbour, of Elevation
township, was in the city on business
Tuesday.
Mrs. R. T. Surles returned Monday
from a few days visit to relatives near
Goldsboro.
Mr. J- T. Langston, of Bentonsville,
was here Monday on business matters.
Mr. F. Hunter Creech, of Smithfield,
was here for a few hours Monday on
business.
Mr. L. L. Levinson, of Coats, was a
visitor to our city Monday and Tues
day.
Mr. C. B. Barbour, of Elevation,
was here Monday on business matters.
He says the farmers of his communi
ty are badly behind with their work.
Mr. Adgie Godwin, of Harnett
County, was here Tuesday on busi
ness. Mr. Godwin is one of the most
up-to-date farmers of Harnett Coun
ty.
Messrs. N. T. Ryals, Ezra Parker,
Jas. Raynor, R. T. Surles, J. M. Mor
gan and Capt. Rachea were in Smith
field Tuesday attending the Record
er's Court.
Mr. Alfred Parker left Saturday
night for Petersburg, Va., where he
has accepted a position with a drug
company.
Mr. Heber Creech, of Smithfield,
was here Sunday to see his mother
who has been quite sick for some time.
Messrs. I). M. Stringfield, of Fay
etteville, and J. A. Wellons, of Smith
field, were visitors to our city Mon
day night.
Mr. S. L. Jordan, of Swan Quarter,
was a visitor to Benson Saturday.
A baby was born to Mr. and Mrs.
A. G. Thompson last Saturday morn
ing.
The Benson School will close on the
20th of April this year. The annual
sermon will be preached on Sunday
morning the 22nd of April at eleven
o'clock, by Rev. T. M. Grant, pastor
of the Methodist Church at Hillsboro,
N. C. The annual address will be
delivered on the morning of April the
23rd at 10 o'clock at the school audi
BANKS' ASSETS SET NEW MARK.
Total $16,000,000,000; Gain of $730,
000,000 Since December.
(Washington Post.)
American national banks have set
a new high record for resources,
again revealing the United States as
incomparably the richest nation in
the world.
Comptroller Williams announced
last night that on March 5, the date
of the last bank call, the assets of
the national banks aggregated more
than $1(5,000,000,000, exceeding by
more than $5,000,000 the combined re
sources of the Hank of England, the
Bank of France, the Bank of Italy, the
Bank of Spain, the Bank of Norway,
the Bank of Sweden, the Swiss Na
tional Bank, the National Bank of
Denmark, the Bank of Japan and the
Reichsbank of Germany.
"Reports of national banks in the
central reserve cities and reserve
cities throughout the country as of
March 5, just compiled," said the
comptroller's statement, "show that
on that date the resources of these
banks were $210,000,000 larger than
ever before in their history, the pre
vious high-water mark having been
reached November 17, 191(5. The in
crease as compared with December
2Y, 1916, was $480,000,000.
"The reports have thus far been
compiled for only about one-fifth of
the country banks, or banks outside
the reserve cities. If the assets of the
other country banks have increased at
the same rate as those thus far com
piled, the total increase in country
bank resources will be approximately
$21)0,000,000 as compared with Decern
ber 27. On this basis the increase in
the resources of all national hanks
in central reserve and reserve cities
and country hanks from December 27
to March 5, will approximate $730,
000,000, making the total assets of all
national banks March 5, considerably
in excess of $1(5,000,000,000.
RESERVE BANKS MAKE LOAN.
Government Borrows $50,000,000 For
Ninety Days. Interest Rate Is Two
Per Cent. Loan to Tide Over Until
Taxes Come in in June.
Thy 12 reserve banks have oversub
scribed on 24 hours' notice a i)0-day
loan to the Government of $50,000,
000 at the rate of two per cent a year,
says a Washington dispatch of the
28th. The money was borrowed on
90-day Treasury certificates of in
debtedness to help tide over the Gov
ernment till June, when the great
stream of income and international
revenue taxes will flow into the Treas
ury. And $50,000,000, it was announc
ed, may be borrowed in the same
manner before the close of the fiscal
year.
Temporary financing of the Gov
ernment in this manner was made
necessary by the depleted condition of
the balance in the general fund of the
Treasury, reduced to approximately
$58,000,000 and fixing a further re
duction of $25,000,000 Saturday when
the Government will issue a warrant
for that amount in payment of the
Danish West Indies.
The issue of certificates of indebt
edness to run not longer than one
year. and to bear interest at a rate
not exceeding three per cent has been
authorized by Congress up to $300,
000,000, and this issue is the first to
be made under this authorization. In
addition, Secretary McAdoo has au
thority to issue $474,000,000 in bonds
for various purposes, including the
Panama Cajial bonds to reimburse the
Treasury for the amount paid out of
ordinary receipts for the construc
tion of the canal.
The quick subscription by Federal
reserve banks alone, without refer
ence to any of the member banks of
the Federal reserve system with their
billions of dollars of resources, at a
rate of interest one per cent lowex
than the rate authorized, is viewed
by officials as a striking demonstra
tion of the excellent condition of fi
nancial preparedness for any events
that the future may hold.
torium, by Dr. W C. Riddick, Presi
dent of the A. & M. College of Ral
eigh.
Rev. J. M. Duncan, of Mount Olive,
is in the city today with friends.
Mr. J. L. Hall and Rev. G. W. Rol
lins were visitors to Raleigh Tues
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Barbour, of
Four Oaks, were here yesterday with
relatives.
GERMANS TRYING TO SHIRK.
Hollweg In Address to German Reich
stag Says Responsibility of War
Rests on America. Says Germany Is
Not to Blame for Strained Rela
tions. U-Boat Campaign Forced by
English Blockade.
Berlin, via Sayville wireless, March
29. ? If war comes between the Uni
ted States and Germany the blame
will not be Germany's.
This was the burden of a statement
made in the reischtag today by the
imperial chancellor Dr. von Beth
mann-Hollweg, in the course of a
lengthy speech on the international
situation, dealing chiefly with Ger
many's relations with the United
States and with Russia.
There was nothing conciliatory in
his remarks regarding America, noth
ing which in any way could be inter
preted as the remotest "feeler" for
modification, arbitration or mediation.
A notable feature of his statement
was that he spoke invariably of the
"American government" or the "gov
ernment of the United States."
He asserted that Germany never
did nor does now desire war with
America, and that she never had nor
has now the "slightest intention to
attack the United States."
(
?ie reiterated that unrestricted U
boat warfare was forced upon Ger
many by the British blockade. He
pointed out, using the English words,
that President Wilson and Secretary
of State Lansing, themselves, had
called the British blockade "illegal
and indefensible." Germany, he said,
waited eight months for the United
States to make England observe the
laws \>f humanity and international
agreements.
"Then," he continued, "we took un
restricted submarine warfare into our
own hands. Then we had to do so for
ots own defense."
With regard to Russia, the chan
cel'or told the reiscstag that Germany
not propose to lend her assist
ance to any movement that might
exist to bring czardom back to power.
Nicholas Romanoff, he said, had
brought upon himself his own down
fall. He might have averted it, said
Dr. Von Bethmann-Hollweg, had he
heeded the advices of Emperor Wil
liam to devote himself to the internal
reforms so eagerly clamored for by
the Russian people. Instead of tak
ing this advice, the chancellor said
the former czar insisted upon his pro
gram of external expansion. The
speaker added that this Russian greed
for land was what caused the Euro
pean war. ? Durham Herald.
^oung Women Join Naval Reserve.
Norfolk, Va., March 28. ? Given the
rank of yeoman, ten young women
were today accepted by the United
States recruiting station here as mem
bers of the naval reserve to be called
to the service when needed. They will
be assigned to clerical duties, it was
explained, in order to relieve men for
active service with the fleet. They are
expert stenographers, typists and ac
countants. For three months' service
they arc to receive a bonus of two
months' pay for three months in the
year.
POWHATAN SCHOOL TO CLOSE.
Junior Order Will Present Bible and
Flag, Good Speeches and Good
Plays to Be Features.
The Powhatan public school will
close Thursday, April 5th, with ap
propriate exercises. One of the fea
tures of the closing exercises will be
the presentation of a Bible and a
Flag by the Powhatan Council No.
484 Junior Order United American
Mechanics. There will be some good
speaking and music by a band. A fea
ture of the day will be a community
basket picnic.
Some good plays will be presented
by the school: "The Turn of the
Tide," "Out in the Streets," and
"Mother Goose."
The people of the community are in
vited to attend with well filled baskets
and help to make the day one to be
long remembered. Everybody invited.
After a skirmish below Chihuahua
City, Villa has withdrawn in a con
centrating movement toward Satevo,
50 miles south, according to a state
ment by General Francisco Murguia
at Chihuahua City Wednesday. Pris
oners taken by the Carranza froces
were in a starving condition.