North Carolina Newspapers

VOLUME 37. THE SMITHFIELD HERALD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1918. Number 85. MORE THAN 30 MILES NORTHERN ADVANCE All Western Flanders and Coast Has Been Cleared—Sunday’s Retreat— Bolshevik! Defeated—Shows Ger mans, in Their Desperation, Have Massed Near Half Million Men on Front of 40 Miles East of Le Cateau. (Associated Press Summary.) Victory crowns the allied arms on every battle front. Northern Belgium is being rapidly cleared of the enemy by British and Belgian forces. Bel gians have occupied Zeebrugge and Heyst; have crossed the Ghent Bruges canal and on their left have reached the Dutch frontier, where 15, 000 Germans, cut off from their re treat by the advance northward from Eecloo, are reported to have with drawn into Holland, where they have been interned. Ghent, it is predicted from British headquarters!, will fall at an early date, and the French by a swift stroke along an extended line have put their forces within two miles of Tournai. Thielt is in the hands of the French, despite their stubborn enemy resistance, as well as the high ground round about. Selle river, have reconquered Soles mes and have had hard fighting not only in the section around that town but at St. Python to the east. Here the British have captured more than 2,000 prisoners. Since the beginning of the opera tions in Flanders the allies have made an advance of more than 30 miles over a 36-mile front, clearing all of western Flanders, as well as the coast of the enemy. Fighting desperately to hold their positions to the north and south of Le Cateau the Germans on a front of 40 miles have massed nearly half a mil lion men. This line is vital to the Germans, but it is just as vital to the success of the allied arms, which are steadily pushing the enemy back and breaking through at strategic points. The British third army is smashing its way forward to the south of Valen ciennes. Success so far has attended this effort and the turning of this line will prove a source of great danger to vast masses of German troops, hold ing the territory to the north and south. t The American forces operating in conjunction with the British north of Wassigny have advanced to the Sambre-Oise canal. They occupied Rejet, east of St. Souplet, at the point of the bayonet. Wave after wave of machine gunners faced the Americans, who inflicted enormous losses on them. West of the Meuse, American activity was confined to the consolida tion of positions captured from the Germans. On the front in Russia a severe de feat with the loss of 1,000 men killed, has been inflicted on the Bolsheviki in the Yekaterinburg district by Czecho slovak forces. Three armored trains with 11 locomotives and 60 machine guns were captured by the allied troops. Germany’s reply to President Wil son has been handed to the Swiss Min ister at Berlin for transmission to the United States, according to unofficial advices reaching Amsterdam from German sources. In the reply Ger many expresses a willingness to evac uate Belgian soil, but believes such a withdrawal would necessarily take several months. It is added that the German govern ment is prepared provisionally to abandon its U-boat campaign. A Mad rid dispatch says that Germany has notified officially the Spanish govern ment that the German admiralty has recalled all submarines to their bases. CLOCKS TO BE TURNED BACK ON OCTOBER 27. Washington, Oct. 17.—No further effort will be made by Congress to continue the existing daylight savings law and the hands of the clocks will be turned back an hour on October 27 as originally planned. This decision was reached today at a conference be tween Congressional leaders and Chairman Baruch, of the war indus tries board, which had recommended that the law remain in force for the period of the war. 15.000 Germans Interned by Dutch. London, Oct. 20.—Fifteen thousand retreating German soldiers have been interned in Holland after being cut off by Belgian troops moving northward from Eecloo, according to reports from the frontier reaching Amster dam and transmitted by the Exchange Telegraph Company. Belgian soldiers took charge of the Dutch-Belgian border last night and were received enthusiastically by the populace. BEWARE TOO MUCH OPTIMISM. Capt. David Fallon Advises North Carolinians Not to Be Deceived and Think War is Over—Germany Not Yet Whipped. Winston-Salem, N. C., Oct. 21.— Thousands of people in North Caro lina remember Captain David Fallon, that indomitable fighter of the Brit ish and Australian forces, who stirred hundreds of audiences in the State with his thrilling war message last spring. Capta&n Fallon sends an-, other war message to the people of North Carolina. He advises them to beware of the rosy-colored optimism in the press, particularly that which comes from Germany’s peace propos als. He says that ultra-optimism at this time is a fool’s paradise, and if the American people are wise, they will not be deceived by believing that the Germans are whipped and are whining for peace at any price. He says further: “Poisonous gas in the form of peace proposals will continue to come and may be expected—proposals that will deceive a few to think that Germany is sincere and that it might be better to stop the war before their own sons are killed. But no matter what the terms proposed are, peace today, to morrow or any day that leaves a gun, rifle, bomb, shell or arsenal in the hands of the Huns will mean war more cruel, more arrogant in the next decade; and where we are losing thousands of our young men now, we will lose tens of thousands the next generation; where we are spending billions of dollars today our children will have to spend tens of billions. “Nothing else under heaven matters today or in the future unless the war goes on to unconditional victory. It will be time to prate of peace when the German menace to the world has ceased to exist, when the noxious Ger man growth has been destroyed branch and root. German autocracy knows that it is doomed by the world's democracies, but it will fight on, and so contrive to postpone the inevitable as long as possible, because of the last vain hope that Americans will deceive themselves in thinking that the war is already won, and will relax their energies in supporting the country’s war measures.” Captain Falon’s message to North Carolinians is to back up every war measure of the government, make every money campaign a success, buy War Savings Stamps and Liberty Bonds every time the Government says buy, until the gates of Berlin have been entered. A Year of Fighting. It was only a year ago today that the lrst of the Americans entered the trenches. A week later their people at home heard of their going over the top, side by side with Frenchmen, not far from Luneville. These were Gen eral Sibert’s men, the first division of Regulars. In the year that has passed we have heard often of our troops in the field, and so has Germany. At Cantigny, Seicheprey, Chateau Thiery, Fismes, St. Mihiel—wherever Foch asked Pershing to break a German line our men were no tonly ready but equal to the work of the best soldiers of Eu rope. Those who doubt may consult the ghosts of the Prussian Guards. We had a few more than 100,000 men in France a year ago; we have 2,000,000 now. In this Year of Real ity we have made it evident to Ger many that America not only could but would stake everything on the winning of the war. A year ago today America was to Germany a trifle, and Germany was sending her soldiers to the Itlian front to wrench from Ca dorna the fruits of his patient work. Since then Italy has lost and won, and Germany has won—and lost. The casualties of the American army since Sibert’s men began the real business of war have been per haps 60,000; a small number when compared with the average losses of our allies in a year. If it be the German decision that the war shall go on, then it has been just the begin ning for America of her fighting. But America’s army is trained, fresh, eager and increasing in number at the rate of 10,000 a day, so for Germany is the beginning of the end.—New York Sun, 20th. Wise and Otherwise. In days of plenty think of days of poverty; don’t wait till days of poverty to think of days of plenty.—Chinese. “I see you a good deal with young Flubdub.” “Yes, auntie.” “I hope you are not going to marry a spend thrift.” “Oh, no. I don’t think I’ll marry him. But it’s nice going around with one.”—Kansas City Jour nal. MUSIC. Music is Love in search of a word. —Sidney Lanier. MANY CALLS FOR HELP CAN’T BE ANSWERED Twenty Typical Cases Cited by the Board of Health Where Need is Urgent—Unable to (Jet Doctors. Raleigh, Oct. 20.—Calls upon the State Board of Health for both doc tors and nurses to aid communities stricken by the epidemic of influenza continued today. The following are 20 typical cases where the calls for help remain unanswered because doc tors and nurses cannot be secured. 1. Population 800, cases 100, pneu monia 10, deaths four, one doctor, an other doctor sick with influenza, doc tor wanted. 2. Population 2,000, cases 300, pneu monia 20, two white and one colored doctor at work, nurse wanted. 3. Population 800, cases 100, no doctor, no nurse>, both wanted. 4. Population 1,000, cases 250, pneu monia 15, deaths 8, two doctors, but another needed._ 5. Population 3,000, cases 900, pneu monia 30, deaths 18, one doctor and nurse both wanted. 6. Poulation of county 37,000, cases 3,000, six doctors of county in bed, mayor county wires: “People suffer ing and dying for want of medical at tention. Send us at once, if humanly possible two doctors and two nurses.” 7. Population 300, cases 125„ pneu monia 10, deaths 1, no doctor? but three within six miles. Prominent business man wires: “Entire office force transformed to nursing force. Eight or 10 volunteer nurses under trained nurse. Conditions in county surrounding most distressing. Know of one family of 10 where all sick. Four deaths.” Nurse wanted. 8. Population 500, eases 100, pneu monia seven, deaths two, one doctor, no nurse, nurse wanted for organizing hospital. 9. Population 2,200, cases 1,000, pneumonia prevalent, 10 deaths, two doctors, one sick, wants doctor and nurse. 10. Population 1,200, cases 100, pneumonia five, deaths five, one aged doctor sick, nearest doctor 10 miles, doctor wanted. 11. Population 800, cases 209, only doctor serving in an emergency else where, wants doctor. 12. Population 1,800, cases in town and immediate vicinity, 1,200, about 80 pneumonia, 20 deaths, need another doctor and nurse. 13. County reports 2,011 cases to date, 79 pneumonia, 20 deaths, and is not asking for help yet. 14. Population 5,000, cases 250, two doctors, both well, asks for nurse. 15. Population 2,500, cases 250, pneumonia 25, deaths 12, epidemic in creasing, one of three doctors sick, wants doctor and nurse. 16. Population 1,200, cases 600, pneumonia 20, only doctor just recov ering from influenza, want doctor and nurse. 17. In county 2,100 new cases, deaths last 24 hours nine, 12 doctors in county but need nurses. 18. Population 800, cases 250, deaths five, no nurse and doctor sick, wants doctor and nurse. 19. Population 800, cases 150, pneu monia 12, deaths eight, need nurse. 20. Population 300, cases 100, pneu monia seven, deaths two, nearest doc tor eight miles, no nurse, doctor badly needed.—Greensboro Daily News. EPIDEMIC YET SPREADS IN MOST OF COUNTRY. Conditions in Camps Less Favorable, Where Disease is Apparently Stationary. Washington, Oct. 19.—Reports to the public health service today from 35 States showed that Spanish influ enza still is on the increase in most parts of the country. Conditions in army camps also were less favorable, the 4,791 new cases reported to noon today showing that the disease appar ently was stationary after the mark ed decline for several days. The epidemic still is more pro nounced in the eastern section of the country than it is west of the Missis sippi river, due undoubtedly to the more crowded conditions in the large cities. Maryland reported many new cases, as did Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Missisippi. In the District of Columbia, both the number of new cases of influenza and of deaths increased today and portable hospitals were opened to take care of the overflow from public and private institutions. Although influenza cases in army camps increased slightly the number of pneumonia cases, 1,599 decreased during the 24 hours’ period ending to day at noon. Deaths were 657 against 684 yesterday. Influenza cases re ported from all camps since the epi demic began now total 279,945; pneu monia cases, 42,675, and deaths. 13, 681. CONGRESS READY FOR A RECESS Will Clean Up Important Legislation This Week—Deficiency Bill Be fore the Senate. Washington, Oct. 20—Congress this week will clean up urgent legislation in preparation for a two weeks’ recess over the November elections. The most important matter is the six bil lion dollar deficiency bill passed last week by the House and now before the Senate appropriations committee. While the Senate is disposing of this measure the House will mark time by a series of three-day recesses until October 29, the date set for ad journment over the elections. The Senate appropriations committee plans to report the army bill by Wed nesday and leaders expect the meas ure to be passed before the end of the week. The Senate finance committee to morrow will resume revision of the war revenue bill with a view to re porting it before adjournment so that consideration by the Senate can begin immediately after Congress recon venes on November 12. The emergency agricultural appro priation bill to which is attached an amendment providing for national war-time prohibition after next July is still incomplete owing to disagree ments between the House and Senate conferences to the rent-profiteering amendment and it is generally under stood this matter will go over until after the elections. Because of the illness of Alexander Konta, of New York, who is to be one of the principal witnesses, inves tigation by the Senate judiciary com mittee into the purchase of The Wash ington Times by Arthur Brisbane through money advanced by brewers which was to have opened next Tues day probably will go over until the Senate reconvenes after the elections. Absence from the city of various House and Senate managers has re sulted in final action being tempora rily deferred on the oil control and the emergency waterpower bills which are now in conference. DOOR CLOSED TO HAPSBURGS. Rejection of Vienna Parley Plea By President Wilson Made Public Saturday. Washington, Oct. 19.—Replying to the Austro-Hungarian Government’s appeal for an armistice and peace President Wilson has declined flatly and decisively to entertain the sug gestion on the ground that the op press nationalities must be the judges “of what action on the part of the Austro-Hungarian Government will satisfy their aspirations and their conception of their rights and destiny as members of the family of nations.” In effect the President tells the Hapsburgs that he cannot discuss with them the fate of peoples like the Czcho-Slovaks and the Jugo-Slavs. He the first of the Americans entered the made to safeguard the peoples of Aus tro-Hungary in their autonomous de velopment in his fourteen peace terms of January 8 has been superseded by events occurring since that time. He refuses to be bound by what he said at that time for the reason that his own action in recognizing the Czecho-Slovaks and in recognizing the justice of the nationalistic aspirations of the Jugo-Slavs has obviously sup plemented his statement of January 8. DOCTORS URGED NOT TO GIVE DEPRESSING DRUGS. Especially the Heart of the Patient in Influenza Cases—Cleanliness is Necessary. Washington, Oct. 20.—State execu tive committees and county represent atives of the volunteer medical service corps of the Council of National De fense were urged today by Dr. Ed ward P. Davis, president of the corps to co-operate fully with local, State and national boards of health in fight ing the Spanish influenza epidemic. They were advised particularly to do no surgical operations unless abso lutely necessary to save life. The representatives were asked to impress upon people the necessity for cleanliness, the importance of fresh air, the avoidance of chill and over heat ar.d to gargle and spray the nose and throat with an alkaline antisep tic fluid frequently. Doctors also were urged to give no medicine and use no treatment which may depress the vital forces, especial ly the heart of the patient. The Spanish influenza epidemic in Washington apparently has passed its peak. New cases reported today were 1 705, compared with 835 yesterday, 1 and deaths were 54 against 6(5 the i day before. The total deaths in Wash- ' ington from influenza and pneumonia 1 now is 1,087. 1 PROBABLY 25,000,000 OR MORE BOUGHT BUNDS. Large Proportion of These Filed Their Subscriptions During Last Days of Liberty Drive. Washington, Oct. 20.—Probably 25, 000,000 or more individuals bought bonds of the Fourth Liberty Loan ac cording to unofficial reports reaching Washington today and a large propor tion of these filed their subscriptions during the last few days of the cam paign, which ended last night. Con sequently it will be a task of many days to actually count the number of pledges and to compile reports from the entire country. Definite figures and the total sub scriptions to the loan were not availa ble here tonight. Local and district campaign managers, fataigued with their arduous duties of the solicita tion work, rested today and will not start until tomorrow to figure up the avalanche of last minute purchases. The only official figures in hand here were of Friday night, showing about $1,400,000,000 yet to be subscribed. Despite this total lack of definite in formation, officials were confident that the $0,000,000,000 popular war credit had been oversubscribed. This belief ; was based on indications that advance I promises of large sums from financial interests in New York and elsewhere would be found to be fulfilled when the final count is made. RANKIN HOLDS WHISKEY HAS NO MEDICINAL VALUE. Declares That Board of Health Agrees With the State Medical Association. Raleigh, Oct. 19.—Repeated inqui ries have come to the State Board of Health with regard to the use of whiskey in influenza cases, along with requests that whiskey be furnished. Answering such a request, Dr. W. S. Rankin, State health officer, stated the position of the State Board of Health as follows: “Replying to your telegram of Oc tobar 18, which is in all respects simi lar to 30 or 40 requests for whiskey that have come to this office within the last two weeks, and because of a cer tain amount of confusion, apparently as to the position of the North Caro lina State Board of Health as a pro curer and distributor of liquor, I wish to say that with respect to the thera peutic value of whiskey we hold with the best authorities on the action of drugs and in conformity with resolu tions passed by the State Medical So ciety and resolutions adopted by the American Medical Associaton in June, 1017. “The resolutions stating the scien tific. standing of whiskey as a drug, and the attitude of medical authorities as to its theraupeutic uses, are as follows: “ ‘Whereas, we believe that the use of alcohol as a beverage is detrimen tal to the human economy, and where as, its use in therapeutics, as a tonic or a stimulant, or as a food, has no scientific basis, therefore, be it resolv ed, that the use of alcohol as a ther apeutic agent should be discouraged.’ ” GERMANY HAS MADE REPLY. The unofficial German reply to the President’s note was received in Washington yesterday. The follow ing outline of the reply is given by the Associated Press in this morning’s News and Observer: Dr. Solf, the German secretary for Foreign Affairs, has sent another message to President Wilson on the important question of peace. This time Germany professes to accept all the conditions for an armistice and eventual peace laid down by President Wilson. The reply indicates Germany’s wil lingness to evacuate occupied terri tory under an agreement to be reached ay the military chiefs in the field. It is announced, in the note, that all submarine commanders have been or Jered to cease attacks upon passen ger vessels. Denial is made that life loats and passengers have ever pur posely been destroyed or that any Authorized atrocities have been com mitted by German troops. It is declared that Germany now las a parliament responsible to the leople. Comment on the note is being withheld by the United States gov ernment pending receipt of the official ;ext. sUPT. BRINSON FOR CONGRESS. Mamed to Succeed the Late W. T. Dortch in the Third District. ,The Democratic Executive Com nittee of the Third District met in roldsboro yesterday and named S. M. frinson, County Superintendent of schools of Craven county, to be the lominee for Congress to succeed Hon. V. T. Dortch, who died Friday. ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ARMYEQUIPMENT Constant Stream of Supplies Crosses Atlantic for American Forces in France—Ships Quickly Unloaded. (Correspondent of Associated Press.) An American Port, Southwestern France, Oct. 3.—Eighteen big steam ships of (5,000 to 8,000 tons each were unloading American army goods at the rate of 10,000 tons a day along the three miles of American docks here today. The spectacle was a stirring scene of activity. Crowds of enlisted men assisted at the hatches and ma nipulated the giant cranes as big steel motor trucks were lifted out bodily, alongwith parts of locomotives and railway cars, and all the miscellane ous freight of an army, while an army of negro stevedores kept the steady stream of goods moving back to the nearby warehouses and trains. Taking care of this avalanche of army goods coming from America is quite as much of a problem as taking care of the arriving troops. Here one obtains an idea of the mammoth pro portions of the equipment which the Americans have been compelled to set up for this branch of the expedition. Coming from a northern port a suc cession of big American establish ments was seen at every port along the western coast. At one port were 14 American docks or berths, at an other port, eight, at a third four, an other three. Here at this main port are 1(5 American docks each with 1,000 feet of frontage. These 45 docks at the five main ports represent a dock frontage of about 10 miles, capable of unloading 30,000 tons of army goods every day, or an average of about 50 pounds per man for every one serving in France. And yet, great as this equipment is, it represents *nly about a third of the vast installation which is moving stea dily forward to completion in order to meet the needs of an army of sev jeral million men. The basts of cal culation for this huge work is 50 pounds per day per man—this being an average covering the whole range of military supplies, individual and general, food, clothing, ammunition, guns, and all other army require ments. On this established basis of 50 pounds per day per man, an army of a million men requires 50,000,000 pounds of goods daily, or 25,000 tons. But as the American army in Europe has long exceeded the million mark, the scale of preparation must be far in excess of this 25,000 tons a day, reaching not far from the gigantic total of 100,000 tons daily, to be un loaded from ships, stored in ware houses and trains, and started on ita way to the men at the front. It is this colossal daily requirement which stirs into intense activity these miles on miles of American docks where three shifts of soldier workmen, working night and day, are unloading scores of steamships. Seven miles back from the water front there is another huge American installation where goods from the ships are stored on their way to the front. It is gigantic like everything in this vast military influx, and when we visited it today the 147th ware house had just been completed. Each warehouse is 500 feet long and to gether they stretch along four miles of front. In the neighboring camps were 7, 000 negro troop sand laborers en gaged troops and laborers engaged in the warehouse work. An American railway system connects the water front directly with this storage plant and incessant streams of army goods keep moving forward to the ware house plant. The whole place fairly throbs with animation, and besides the enormous industry there is the bustle and activity of countless camps with their kliaki tents dotting the fields for miles along the railway. Altogether, on the water front and receiving plant, the working force, including 13,000 engineer troops, 7, 000 stevedores, 8,000 civilian laboror ers, 1,000 German prisoners and 1,000 infantry, in all 30,000 men, carrying on the American activities at this one port. Rations for the Belgians. Washington, Oct. 18.—Arrange ments have been made by the Belgian Relief Commission with the British Quartermaster-General for 20,000,000 emergency rations to be furnished im mediately to the rescued civilian pop ulation. Herbert Hoover, chairman of the commission announced today that the rations would come from the stores of the British army in Belgium and would be paid for by the relief com mission.