VOLUME 37.
SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY, APRIL 19. 1918.
Number 32.
GERMANS BALKED IN THEIR ATTEMPT
TO FURTHER PRESS BACK DEFENDERS
Reinforced by French Troops,
Allied Line is Holding Hard
Against Futher Incur
sions by Enemy.
FIGHTING VERY HEAVY.
Severe Fighting Thursday On
Greater Fart of Lys Battle
Front; British Capture Many
Prisoners and Inflict Heavy
Casualties; Day's News from
all the Battle Front.
London, April 18. ? The Germans
this morning opened an attack on the
British front between Givenchy and
Robecq, Reuter's correspondent at
the British army headquarters in
France says, and it is reported the
Teutons are pressing hard in the
direction of Givenchy and employing
fresh reserves. I
Reinforced by French troops the al
lied line is holding hard against fur
ther incursions by the Germans from
the region of Labassee to the north of
Ypres.
Everywhere the Germans have
struck the line in an endeavor to press
back the defenders they have been re
pulsed with heavy losses and have
been successful nowhere in gaining
further ground.
Attacks of an extraordinary violent
nature are being thrown by the Ger
mans on the ten-mile front between
Givenchy and Robecq, where an en
deavor is being made to cross the La
Basse canal and bend southward the
salient which now outflanks the im
portant railway town of Bethune. A
division of troops to each mile is be
ing used by the Germans on this sec
tor, but the British at last accounts
were holding well and inflicting
heavy losses on the enemy.
If successful, the new attack of the
Germans would jeopardize the entire
Arras sector, which includes the fam
ous French coaling region about Lens
and the equally famous Vimy Ridge,
where the Canadians are holding
forth.
It seems evident that it is part of
the strategy of the German high com
mand to wipe out the salient by an
enveloping move rather than again to
give battle to the British about Lens
and Vimy, two regions that already
have proved slaughter houses for
their men.
Following the usual custom prior
to the launching of an attack the Ger
mans throughout Wednesday night
literally rained shells of all calibres be
tween Givenchy and Robecq, the fir
ing by daybreak having reached the
intensity of drumfire. Large quanti
ties of gas shells were intermingled
with the high-powered missiles.
During Thursday midway between
Bailleul and Ypres the Germans vig
orously attacked the British positions
south of Kemmel, which the British
had recaptured from them Wednes
day but were unable to gain any ad
vantage in the face of the strong de
fense.
Considerable fighting has developed
along the front in Northern Flanders
between Langemarck and Kippe, held
by the Belgians. At one point the ene
my penetrated the Belgian front line
but later was expelled, leaving six
hundred prisoners, among them num
erous officers, in the hands of King
Albert's men.
East of Amiens, along the Avre riv
er, the French have made successful
attacks against the Germans on sev
eral sectors, capturing the greater
part of the Senecat wood and also
advancing their line east and west of
the stream. The Germans in the Aisne
region attacked the French near
Champaigne but in each instance were
repulsed, while the French in Lorraine
carried out a successful maneuver
against the enemy in which prisoners
were taken.
On the Italian front artillery duels
and patrol encounters continue. In
tense aerial activity prevails over the
entire front. Wednesday seventeen
enemy ariplanes were brought down ?
five by Italian aviators and 12 by
British*
Viseourt Milner has been appointed
British Minister of War in succession
to the Earl of Derby who has been
given the post of Ambassador to
France.
The political situation in Austria
Hungary has been made more acute
through the resignation of entire Hun
garian ministry.
MR. BRYAN TO BE
HERE NEXT WEEK
America's Greatest Orator Com
ing to Smithfield.
Through the Efforts of Supt.
Marrow of the Turlington
(Jraded School. Smithfield and
Johnston County Have a Rare
Treat in Store on April 25.
It L seldom that a man of the abil
ity and reputation of Williams Jen
nings Bryan give a speaking date to
a town the size of Smithfield, and for
this reason the people of Smithfield
and Johnston County are doubly for
tunate. No man in the United States
stands above Mr. Bryan as an orator.
For 22 years he has been - rrtbre
pi-ominently before the public than
any other American citizen. Men who
were prominent in 1896, many of
them, ai'e now forgotten. Not so with
Mr. Bryan. His great personality, his
powers of oratory, and his great hon
esty of purposes have kept him to the
front all these years.
Mr. Bryan will speak in Smithfield
next Thursday, April 25, at about
three o'clock. He come here from Fay
etteville where he speaks Wednesday
night. He will speak here under the au
spices of Turlington Graded School
and the people of the town and county
are indebted to Mr. H. B. Marrow,
Superintendent of the city schools, for
the treat which awaits them. There
will be an admission fee of 50 cents
and with such a moderate admissien
price, the biggest hall or warehouse in
Smithfield should be crowded. The
benefits will go to some department
of the work of Turlington Graded
School.
While in the city Mr. Bryan will be
the guest of Mr. W. M. Sanders.
CHARLOTTE GIRL IN FRANCE.
Goes With Party of Y. M. C. A. War
Workers.
New York, April 16 ? The latest
party of Young Women's Christian
Association workers to leave this
country for duty overseas has arriv
ed safely in France, according to a
cable message received here today by
the Y. W. C. A. war work council. The
workers will make their headquarters
in Paris at the hotel Petrograd, con
ducted by the association.
Miss Willie Young, of Charlotte, N.
C., is the only Southern girl i> the
party.
They will return to the United
States soon after making a survey to
determine how American women at
home can best aid the women of
France. ? Wilmington Star.
Crop Acreage to be Listed.
Raleigh, N. C., April 17. ? With all
the essential enterprises of the Na
tion taking stock and listing their
ability to do emergency work, it is no
less important, and in fact more im
portant, that the ability of the farms
also be listed and figures furnished
as to what these great producing fac
tors can do. During the month of May
tax listers in the townships of most
of the counties of the State will se
cure the different crop acreages at
the same time that the tax lists are
made. County Commissioners in most
of the counties have agreed to have
this work done.
This is purely an intelligence move
ment on the part of the Agricultural
Extension Service of the State College
and Department of Agriculture and
will in no way affect taxes or the sales
of farm produce. It is being made to
furnish the agricultural authorities
with true figures as to the actual
acreage devoted to the different crops
in the State. Farmers are heartily in
accordance with the idea and it is ex
pected tht exect figures as to acreages
this year, and last, will be given. The
whole state is supporting the Nation's
program for food production, and to
know just what is being produced it
is essential that acreages be worked
out now for reporting in May at the
time of Tax listing. ? F. H. J.
Remember that W. J. Bryan will
speak in Smithfield Thursday April
25th.
KITCHIN MAY SUCCEED
CLARK AS SPEAKER
It Is Believed Clark Will Accept
Appointment to United
States Senate.
HE WOULD SUCCEED STONE
In that Event It Is Practically
Certain Tar Heel Would He
Chosen Speaker.
ONE TAIt HEEL SPEAKER.
Nathaniel Macon, Who Served in
the Seventh, Eighth and
Ninth Congresses Was
Speaker.
Washington, April 16. ? There is
more than an even chance that Ma
jority Leader Claude Kitchin will be
elected speaker of the house of rep
resentatives within the next 10 days.
The death of Senator Stone, of Mis
souri, has created an embarrassing
situation for the Democratic party in
that state because of the unsettled po
litical conditions are such that it is
claimed Speaker Champ Clark is the
only man in the state who can bring
harmony to the party and be elected.
Hence the speaker's friends are urg
ing him to accept the temporary ap
pointment to the senate and make the
race for election this fall.
Close personal friends of the speak
er in Washington told the Greensboro
Daily News correspondent tonight
that the speaker would very probably
accept the appointment and make the
race provided he would not have to
fight a member of his own party for
the nomination. Mr. Clark as speaker
of the house draws a salary of $12,000
a year while the senatorial toga is
only worth $7,500. But the latter po
sition holds good for seven years while
the house members must fight for re
election every two years.
Speaker Clark is now in Missouri
attending the funeral of Senator
Stone and well informed Missouri
Democrats here say that it is more
than an even chance that he will be
persuaded to take the senatorial toga
and run for election for the full term
in the November election. Clark is
the most popular man in Missouri and
there is strong influences being
brought to bear upon Governor Gard
nor to offer the place to the speaker.
Speaker Clark would have the back
ing of the Washington administra
tion. He has been a strong supporter
of the administration's war measures
and is held in high esteem at the
White House. But Clark does not
need help of the President or any one
else in a political fight in his native
state of Missouri. Champ Clark is
loved wherever he is known because
of straightforward dealing with the
people of the country. It is said he
can be elected by an overwhelming
majority if he can be prevailed upon
to make the fight.
With Speaker Clark out of the
house there is only one man in that
body that can be elected speaker. That
man is Majority Leader Claude Kitch
in, of Scotland Neck, N. C. Kitchin
has the largest personal following of
any man in the house. He is the rank
ing Democrat for the place, but that
is not all. He has the ability to fill the
job, with dignity, and ' this fact is
known to both Democrats and Repub
licans, and he would have little or no
difficulty in being elected to this high
honor.
The only North Carolinian who has
ever been elected speaker of the
house was Nathaniel Macon. He ser
ved three terms ? seventh, eighth and
ninth Congresses. Macon also served
two terms as president pro tem, of the
senate, having been elected to the
senate after leaving the house. Dur
ing part of the time when Macon was
speaker of the house Jesse Franklin,
also of North Carolina, was serving
as president pro tem. of the senate
for one term, and Willie P. Man
gum served in the same capacity for
four terms, while the last North Car
linian to occupy this high position
was Senator Matt Ransom. ? Parker
Anderson, in Greensboro News.
Ha* to Hold on Some Way.
"Do you believe the old assertion
that a politician is a statesman out
of a job?"
"Not altogether," replied Senator
Sorghum. "Sometimes a statesman
gets a job and turns politician trying
to hold to it." ? Washington Star.
SECRETARY OF WAR
BAKER AT HIS DESK
Returning From lint tie Fronts
He Addresses Himself to
Big Work.
EXPEDITE MOVEMENT
TROOPS TO FRANCE.
Encouraged By the Knowledge
He Gained, He Returns With
"Sense of Pride."
Washington, April 16. ? Steeled to
the work ahead of him by personal
knowledge of conditions at the bat
tle fronts in Europe, Secretary Baker
returned to his desk at the War De
partment tonight from his trip abroad
prepared to concentrate every energy
oh expediting the movement of Amer
ican lighting men to France.
The War Secretary, it is understood
is not inclined to under-estimate the
peril that further German successes
in the present terrific onslaughts
against the Allied line might involve.
There is no doubt, however, that he
believes adequate measures to check
mate the German effort will come out
of the pooling of all Allied and Amer
ican resources under command of Gen
eral Foch, the impressive French
commander-in-chief.
On his arrival early today at an At
lantic port, Mr. Baker authorized this
statement: "I return with a sense of
pride and confidence at the achieve
ments of the United States and Allied
troops abroad that would justify many
trips across the water."
Whatever direct information the
War Secretary may have as to the
plans of Gen. Foch will be for the
ear of President Wilson alone.
During his trip, Mr. Baker visited
England, France and Italy and saw
the battle fronts all along the line.
He has been in the American front
line trenches under fire. Once a Ger
man shell exploded close to his auto
mobile and another occasion he stood
in the window of a battered building
behind the allied line to watch high
power missies come howling to tear
great craters in a field less than a
hundred yards away.
When he reached France, the War
Secretary placed himself in the posi
tion of an American soldier, just ar
rived at the goal of his ambition
"over there". He wanted to know ex
actly what preparations had bee*
made for the care of the men from
the time they arrived. He knew what
the government was preparing to do
on this side, but of the great matters
across the water, he had only cold
official reports or the inadequate de
scriptions of returning officers.
Mr. Baker returned more than ever
confident of the capacity and judg
ment of General Pershing for the
great burden of responsibility he is
bearing. The American commander is
said to be developing and broadening
even as the army he is building is
expanding.
No doubt was left in the visitors'
minds of the stimulus given French
spirit by the arrival of American fight
ing forces in France. Mr. Baker was
given repeated proof of the amazing
degree of comradship that has sprung
up between the American and French
soldiers and the Americans and the
civil population among whom they
moved daily.
State Haraoa-Philithea Convention.
The State Baraea-Philathea Con
vention will be held in Rocky Mount
April 2G-28. There are a number of
these organized Sunday school classes
in Johnston County who will doubt
less be glad to send delegates to the
Convention. A very fine program has
been prepared, with many prominent
church and Sunday school workers
billed to make addresses. The meeting
will be worth while to every one who
can attend and take part in the dis
cussions on the several live topics to
ho presented.
The county board of education of
Iredell county have instructed the
? ounty superintendent and the dis
trict committeemen not to employ
any teacher in the school of the county
who is pro-German in sentiment; and
that the superintendent shall ask
every applicant the direct question
whether or not he or she is in sympa
thy with Germany. This is eminently
wise and proper, and this course
ought to be pursued in every county
in the state. ? Charity and Children.
THREE IMPORTANT STRATEGIC TOWNS TAKEN
FROM BRITISH FOLLOWING BITTER STRUGGLES
U. S. SHIPYARD
FOR WILMINGTON
p
Will Huild Both Steel and Con
crete Ships.
SCORES OVER CHARLESTON.
Shipping Hoard Transfers 1- >
Steel Ships From Charles
ton to Wilmington.
Washington, April 17. ? Wilmington
went Qver the top again t?day. Last
week North Carolina's seaport made a
ten strike when it secured the govern- *
ment concrete yard ? the first of its c
kind to be established in the history 1
of the country ? but not satisfied with 1'
that the old Tar Heel city added stup
endously to its laurels today when it s
pulled in a contract for 12 fabricated F
steel ships. As the Daily News corres
pondent predicted yesterday, Wil
mington not only obtained a giant t
contract, but scored handsomely over v
Charleston, S. C. ^
Today the shipping board made a ^
transfer of a contract held by the '
Carolina Shipping company for a t
round dofcen 5),<>00-ton steel ships front c
Charleston, S. C., to Wilmington, nnl f
announced that the matter was set. t
tied and that work would soon be un- v
der way at the new location. But the r
transfer of the contract means move 8
than the shift of scene of the location
for a private concenr, r?s the yard is
to be government owned, the Carolina 8
Shipbuilding company being simply 1
designed as the shipping sboard' ?
agency. This in itself is something
big, as it will be permanent govern
ment work and it also means that the
government of the United States has
officially recognized Wilmington's
worth and is to back it from now on.
In fact, Senator Simmons and Over
man were informed by the shipping
board that it "was only the begin
ning" and Industrial Agent Cowan, of
the Wilmington chamber of commerce,
who has been in close touch with the 1
situation, declares that plenty of more t
is to come. ? Greensboro News. 1
WORK BEGINS ON <
WILMINGTON YARD. 1
i
Wilmington, April 18. ? An army of 1
workmen, hastily today, bebg kqjj 1
workmen, hastily recruited today, be
gan clearance of the Sunset Park site,
preparatory for actual construction of t
the shipyard where twelve fabricated ?
steel ships are to be built by the Caro- 1
lina Shipbuilding Company under gov- >
ernment supervision, and it was stated <
that this work would be hurried to s
completion and actual ship construc- 1
tion begun in the early future. <
Ralph Starrett, general manager of 1
the company holding contract for *
these ships, accompanied by his engi
neers, arrived in the city this fore
noon and after employing local engin- '
eers began rounding up all available 1
labor. The men were supplied with (
axes and repaired to the site imme- '
diately. The ships will be built on prop J
erty adjoining Sunset Park, only a <
short distance below the city. ? News I
and Observer. <
FARMERS BUY LIBERTY BONDS. '
Mount Moriah Community Goes Over !
the Top Taking Seven Thousand 1
Five Hundred Dollars.
Mr. F. L. Woodall, who lives near ,
Mount Moriah, was in town Tuesday
and informed us that at a meeting 1
at Mount Moriah Baptist church last ]
Saturday night the farmers of that <
community subscribed for Liberty
Bonds to the amount of $7,500. One (
farmer took $3,000 and another $2,- '
100. This is one of the finest rural <
communities to be found anywhere
and the way the farmers came to the <
support of the government in buying '?
Liberty Bonds shows that the people 1
of that section are thoroughly patrio- <
tic. There are other communities
which could bring honor to them- i
selves by emulating the example of <
Mount Moriah.
Will Live Longer.
1
Liberty and justice will outlive the I
longest gun the Krupps will ever '
build. ? Detroit Free Press. 1
iailleul, Wulverghen and Wyts
chaete Added to Enemy Cap
lures in Flanders.
IESSINES RIDGE STORMED.
British Hold Their Own Until
Swamped by Fresh Masses
of German Troops.
1ERVILLERS STILL HELD.
'ounter Attacks Ry Haig's Men
"Must" Re Expected.
(Wednesday's War Summary.)
German's mighty effort on the bat
lefields of Flanders has won new suc
esses. According to the latest reports,
he important strategic towns of Bail
eul, Wulverghem and Wyeschaete are
n German hands, and more important
till, the Teutons have carried a large
tart of Messines ridge by storm.
Struggles Most Hitter.
Probably there has been no more bit
er struggle during the war than that
vaged along the battle line through
Vulverghem and Wytschaete. Neuve
Sglise was taken Monday but Balleul
leld out until fresh masses of German
roops were hurled into the fray and
harged repeatedly on the tired de
enders. The same story might be
old of Wulverghem and Wytschaete,
vhile the battle for the Messines ridge
nust have been frightful in its inten
ity.
Germans Widening Salient.
The Germans have not attempted to
idvance their wedge further into the
3ritish line for no new attacks on
Herville and further west have been
?eported. They have devoted their sole
ittention to the work of widening out
;he salient and striking at Messines
ridge and the railroad running about
?x miles north of Bailluel. Messines
ridge is the key to the Ypres sector
ind its position will give the Germans
i commanding position in starting a
new drive.
British in Serious Plight.
The successes of the Germans in the
ast day have an important bearing o?
he campaign on the northern battle*
front. If they are continued there
nust be a British retirement from
^pres and possibly for some distances
'urther south while cutting of the rail
?oad passing through Hazebrouck
vould be still more serious for the
British.
Counter-Attacks Probable.
So important are the points won by
he Germans that the British must be
;xpected to counter-attack at once in
in effort to sweep the invaders back
nto the lowlands once more. All ac
counts of the battle along this line
speak of the small British forces
.vhich attempted to withstand the at
tacks by heavy legions of Teutons
A'bich were brought up fresh for the
assault.
British Have Higher Ground.
There is higher ground just to the
piorth of Bailleul and Neuve Eglise,
From which the British can still con
luct a terrific defense. Mervillers is
still standing firm in spite of terrific
ittacks, while along the southern side
}f the salient there have been no en
gagements reported. The same condi
tion holds true in the sector before
Amiens, where there have been only
irtillery duels. ?
Raiding operations in which both
sides have taken the intiative are re
ported from the French front in the
Champagne.
Berlin Claims American Defeat.
In spite of the reports from the
American front that German attacks
there have been utter failures, a re
port from Berlin via Amsterdam says
that the American positions Rear St.
Mihiel were taken by storm by the
Germans, whq held them against de
termined counter-attacks. It is prob
able that the German report deals
with the battle in which the Ameri
cans administered a sound beating to
special shock troops brought up by the
Germans to take the American posi
tions.
The Germans in Finland are advanc
ing east of Helsingfors and are en
countering little if any resistance.
Ten German Trawlers Sunk.
Ten German trawlers have been sunk
in the Oattegat (the narrow strait be
tween Jutland and Norway) by a
British fleet. The survivors of the
trawlers' crew were rescued. ? A?*o
:iated Press.