North Carolina Newspapers

VOLUME 37. THE SMITHFIELI) HERALD, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1918. Number 86 THE ALUED TROOPS PUSH FORWARD On Some Fronts Germans Are Offer ing Stubborn Resistance—In Re Treat in Belgium—So Rapid is the Retreat There Allies Can’t Keep in Contact With Them—Driving Toward Mons—Valenciennes is Gradually Being Enveloped—Ger mans Are Using Numerous Ma chine Guns to Retard Allied Ad vance. London, Oct. 24—The British troops have overcome tho enemy along the whole front between the Sambre canal and the Scheldt, and their advance is being continued, Field Marshal Haig reports from headquarters tonight. "Since yesterday morning the Brit ish have taken 7,000 prisoners and more than 100 guns. The Associated Press summary in this morning's daily papers follows: On several of the most important sectors in France—from the region of Valenciennes to the east of Le Cateau, north of Laon between the Oise and the Serre river to the vicinity of Grand Pre—battles of a sanguinary character are being fought. In these the British, French and American troops everywhere are making prog ress against the stubbornly resisting Germans. In Belgium the allied forces, owing to the rapid retreat of the enemy and the flooded condition of the lowlands, have not yet been able to come into full fighting contact with the Germans but doubtless a few days more will see them again hard after their quar ry and driving him farther toward his frontier. South of Valenciennes the British third and fourth armies with which Americans are co-operating have con tinued successfully to press onward with Mons and Maubeuge their ob jectives. Valenciennes is gradually being enveloped, and soon is destined to be pinched out of the fighting line by turning movements from the north and south in the manner generally adopted in the present day tactics tvhen it is more desirable to envelop a strong position than to waste life and limb in reaching the objective by a frontal attack. The Germans in this region con tinue to use numerous machine guns to retard the advance of Field Mar shal Haig’s men, and the artillery of both sides is violently active. British aviators are materially aiding the of fensive by dropping bombs behind the line or flying low and cutting troop formations to pieces with machine gun fire. South of the Oise river the French are making sharp thrusts against the enemy with the intention of clearing out the entire triangle between Flavigny on. Montcornet and taking all the railroad lines within this re gion and also blotting out the salient that still exists there. The Germans are strongly counter attacking on all the fronts of attack, but the French have warded off their efforts to re gain lost territory and have gained ground south of Montcornet, one of the principal railway junctions in this region. -North of Grand Pre and north of Verdun, in the sector lying between the Meuse river and north of the Ar gonne forest, the Americans have cut further, and deeply, into the enemy’s x line, despite the continued extremely ■heavy use of machine guns and artil lery use of machine guns and artillery by the Germans. American aviators are dropping bombs behind the enemy lines, while enemy airmen are return ing the compliment by bombing towns inside the American front. LIGGETT AND BULLARD NAMED FOR PROMOTION. Washington, Oct. 21.—Major Gen erals Hunter Liggett and Robert L. Bullard -were nominated by President Wilson today to be lieutenant gen erals. General Liggett commands the first American field army in France, and General Bullard commands the second. They become the only lieuten ant generals on the active list, their new rank being for the war period, like that of General Pershing. Major Liggett is a major general in the reg ular establishment, and General Bul lard is ia Brigadier. Four Potatoes Weigh 44 Pounds. J B. Boswell claims he is the cham pion potato grower in the State. Tues day Mr. Boswell dug up four pota toes in his patch which weigh 44 pounds, averaging II pounds each. The’potatoes are of the Porto Rica va riety. Mr. Boswell lives in Great Swamp- township, 'Wayne county.— News and Observer. TOTAL OF DEATHS AT RALEIGH REACHES 100. Eight for Wednesday, of Whom Two Were Camp Polk Soldiers—Bad in Grimesland. Raleigh’s death list from penumonia following influenza had reached an even 100 with the eight reported be tween the suns of October 21 and 22, and Camp Polk furnishes two of the men, one a negro and the -other a white. Oliver Kernick, Sioux City, la., is the latest soldier to fall and today when the local undertakers were swamped again they called in volun teers, who were themselves overcome when the young wife of the splendid fellow', following the body, wrapped in the flag for which he died, came up with the few to whom fell the duty of caring for the dead, and set out for her Arkansas home, where the young man of 30 will be buried. The quarantine at the camp has been lifted and there are no new cases, but the death of these soldiers follow ed illness that drove them to the hos pital a week ago. The ijegro soldier is the first of his race at the camp to die. Three deaths have occuri’ed at the State Hospital and several of those reported in thi records are not Raleigh people. Nevertheless, no city in the State has been worse afflicted, not even Wilmington. There are now per haps 1,500 cases in Raleigh, and many with pneumonia who have but small chance to live. Col. J. Bryan Grimes, Secretary of State, has returned to Raleigh after a visit to Grimesland, where he found conditions that probably are not worse elsewhere in North Carolina. Colonel Grimes thinks it no exag geration to say that about the small town of Grimesland three of every four are down with influenza. It is not uncommon to find a whole family stricken and not one left to cook or to care for the stock. Not infrequently so many in the same household are down that there is nobody left to cook or wait upon them and doctors and nurses cannot be found.—Raleigh Cor respondence Greensboro News. WEEK’S NEWS IN CLAYTON. Mrs. Hocutt and Mrs. Weathers Im proving—Flu Situation Better— Other Items of Interest. Clayton, N. C., Oct. 23.—Mrs. M. E. Gattis returned this week from Four Oaks, where she has been for some time confined with the “flu.” Mr. Carl Smith, a member of the merchant marine, stationed at Nor folk, is still here and has his furlough prolonged ten days. Miss Barnes returned to Durham Tuesday to take up her work at the Conservatory of Music after being home sick for a couple of weeks. Mr. Butler Jeffi’eys is here from Trinity College, Durham, for a few days to rest up and regain strength after a case of the flu. The many friends of Mrs. W. F. Weathers and Mrs. B. A. Hocutt will be glad to know they' are both improv ing. We hope tney will soon be out again. Mrs. E. R. Gulley spent today in Raleigh shopping. Miss Ruth Penny came home from Elon College a few day's ago to spend the winter here. She could not ar range her course as she wanted it, so decided to come home. Miss Carrie Austin, of “Wildwood Farm,” spent Tuesday in town. Mr. Willard McCullers, a private of Camp Jackson, is at home for five days with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. I). H. McCullers. Mr. Paul C. Duncan came home from Roanoke Rapids and spent the week-end with his wife and baby. Mr. A. V. Gulley came home from Smithfield Tuesday, the tobacco mar ket being closed on account of the “flu.” j The flu situation seems to be a little better here now. We have had no deaths for the past few days. It is j hoped it will soon be over. Mr. Sam Musgrave spent last week | in Raleigh on business. Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Barbour went to j Raleigh last Friday for a few hours to see their Uncle, Mr. Joe Barbour, who j is very ill. Mr. Alf Duckett, of Raleigh, was ' here this week. Miss Ruby Ellis is at home from j Nashville, N. C., the school being clos ed on account of the “flu.” Miss Alta Dedham is at Selma this week with her mother, Mrs. Dedham. The school opening which was to have been Monday, was postponed owing to the fact that the “flu” situ ation was not very much improved. The date for opening will be an nounced later. Mr. Paul Yelverton, o’f Fremont, was here on business one day this week. CONTROLLING THE FLU IN SELMA The Citizens and the Town Authori ties Took a Firm Grip on the Situ ation in Time—Has Had About 150 Cases in All. (By our Regular Correspondent.) The “flu” situation in Selma is much improved. In fact it has never been as bad in Selma as in some other places in the county and State. But it was serious enough to make the community take notice. Not more than one hundred and fifty cases have been in the community. Four deaths have resulted from the epidemic. A brief survey Thursday morning shows the disease on the decline. How the Spreading Was Fought. As soon as the State Board of Health outlined its plan of organiza tion, Selma went to work to fight against the spread of the dreaded epi demic. Committees were appointed by Mr. M. C. Winston, chairman of the County Red Cross organization. Rev. C. K. Proctor was made chair man of the Intelligence Committee. The heads of the other committees were: E. H. Moser, Finance; N. E. Ward, Transportation; Mrs. L. D. Debnam, Food; Miss Ruth Folger, Nursing committee. Later Miss Mar garet Etheredge took charge of the Food Committee on account of the ill ness in the home of Mrs. Debnam. This committee with the aid of the doctors went to work at once and have been at it ever since. A House-to-House Canvass Was Made Rev. Mr. Proctor and Superintend ent Moser made a house-to-house can vass of Selma and the surrounding mill villages. Every case was located and immediate help was given where it was needed . The houses where the flu was were found and numbered and a poster of warning placed on the out side. This information helped the committee to work intelligently and effectively, and render help where needed without waste of time. The Doctors Have Done Their Part Nobly. me doctors nave rendered valuable aid to the committees in reporting new cases and giving advice when needed. Also in helping to impress the need of precaution and prevention. Our physcians have been run to death in and out of town. But have always found the time to help the commit tee do anything that would keep down the disease or its spread. The Business Men Have Helped Wonderfully. The business men, in order to im press the seriousness of the situation and to help stamp out the disease re sponded beautifully to a call from the local health officer and the State health department to close their places of business a part of the day to pre vent any more than possible the as sembling of crowds. This has done good in one line if in no other, it has caused people to keep in the open and out of crowds. This was a sacrifice, to be sure, but these business houses made it to help fight the “flu.” Two of the Cotton Mills Closed Down. In two of our mill villages the epi demic broke out in a threatening way. But the same precaution was taken as was taken in the town. The same ef fective work of the committee, with the fine co-operation of the doctors, the well ones in the villages and the help of the big hearted men and wo men of Selma has prevented a serious situation in the mill villages. A False Report That Should Be Corrected. It has been spread over the county that the situation was critical in Sel ma. According to reports from other parts of the county we are fortunate to be so little hit with the disease. This report perhaps went out because the authorities here at the suggestion of the committee took steps to prevent the spread of the disease. Influenza is dangerous. We regard it so and have fought it with might and main. The yellow papers we posted acted as a partial quarantine, the closing of the business houses caused everybody to take notice. Every house that the eommiittee visited was given informa tion on how to prevent the spread, and warned of its critical results unless proper precaution was taken. All this done by the committee was to keep down the disease. The result is that our people are taking notice and, working with the committee to down the epidemic as soon as possible with as few deaths as possible. At this writing there are no critical cases in Selma. Tha town has done all it could to keep down the disease. The conditions generally are favora ble. Selma is thankful to have been stricken so lightly with the epidemic. I recommend you to take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves.—Chesterfield. WILSONS' ANSWER TO GERMAN NOTE To Make Impossible Resumption of War if Fighting (eases—Accept ance Concrete Evidence of Ger many’s Desire for Peace—President Warns Germans if Entente Nations Must Deal With Military Masters of Germany They Will Demand Not Negotiated Peace, But Surrender. The Secretary of State makes pub lic the following: (“From the Secretary of State to the Charge de Affaires ad Interim, in Charge of German Interests in the United States: “Department of State, October 23, 1918. “Sir:—I have the honor to acknowl edge the receipt of your note of the 22nd, transmitting a communication under date of the 20th from the Ger man government and to advise you that the President has instructed mo to reply thereto as follows: “Having received the solemn and explicit assurance of the German gov ernment that it unreservedly accepts the terms of peace laid down in his address to the Congress of the United States on the 8th of January, 1918, and the principles of settlement enun ciated in his subsequent addresses, particularly the address of the 27th of September, and that it desires to dis cuss the details of their application, and that this wish and purpose ema nated, not from those wh<* have hith erto dictated German policy and con ducted the present war on Germany’s behalf, but from ministers who speak for the majority of the Reichstag and for an overwhelming majority of the German people; and having received also the explicit promise of the pres ent German government that the hu mane rules of civilized warfare will be observed both on land and sea by the German armed forces, the President of the United States feels that he can not decline to take up with the gov ernments with which the government of the United States is associated, the question of an armistice. “He deems it his duty to say again, however, that the only armistice he would feel justified in submitting for consideration would be one which should leave the United States and the powers associated with her in a posi tion to enforce any arrangement that may be entered into and to make a re newal of hostilities on the part of Germany impossible. The President has, therefore, transmitted his cor respondence with the present German authorities to the governments with which the government of the United States is associated as a belligerent with the suggestion that if those gov ernments are disposed to effect peace upon the terms of principles indicated, their military advisers and the mili tary advisers of the United States be asked to submit to the governments associated against Germany the nec essary terms of such an armistice as will fully protect the interests of the peoples involved and -insure to the as sociated governments the unrestricted power to safeguard and enforce the details of the peace to which the Ger man government has agreed, provid ed they deem such an armistice pos sible from the military point of view. Should such terms of an armistice be suggested, their acceptance by Ger many will afford the best concrete evi dence of her unequivocal acceptance of the terms and principles of peace from which the whole action proceeds. I he President would deem himself lacking in candor did he not point out in the frankest possible terms the rea son why extraordinary safeguards must be demanded. Significant and important as the constitutional changes seem to be which are spoken of by the German foreign secretary in his note of the 20th of October, it does not appear that the principle of a government responsible to the Ger man people has yet been fully worked out or that any guarantees either ex ist or are in contemplation that the alterations of principle and of prac tice now partially agreed upon will be permanent. Moreover, it does not appear that the heart of the present difficulty has been reached. It may be that future wars have been brought ifhder the control of the German peo ple, but the present war has not been; and it is w-ith the pi-esent war that we bvc dealing. It is evident that the German people have no means of com manding acquiescence of the military authorities of the empire in the pop ular will; and that the power of the king of Prussia to control the policy of the empire is unimpaired; that the determining initiative still remains with those who have hitherto been the masters of Germany. Feeling that the whole peace «ftf the world now de pends upon plain speaking and straightforward action, the President deems it his duty to say, without any attempt to soften what may seem harsh words, that the nations of the world do not and cannot trust the words of those who have hitherto been the masters of German policy, and to point out once more that in con cluding peace and attempting to undo the infinite injuries and injustices of this war the government of the Uni ted States cannot deal with any but veritable representatives of the Ger man people who have been assured of a genuine constitutional standing as the real rulers of Germany. If it must deal with the military masters and the monarchical autocrats of Germany now, or if it is likely to have to deal with them lifter, in regard to the in ternational obligations of the German empire, it must demand, not peace ne gotiations, but surrender. Nothing can be gained by leaving this essential thing unsaid. “Accept, sir, the renewed assur ances of my high consideration. (Signed) "ROBERT LANSING. “Mr. Frederick Oederlin, Charge d’Affaires of Switzerland ad Interim, in Charge of German Interests in the United States.” THE NEWS IN PRINCETON. Flu Situation Improving — T. G. Howell Died Sunday of Typhoid Fever. Princeton, N. C., Oct. 23.—Mr. Geo. T. Whitley returned home after spend ing ten days in Northampton county visiting his sister. Dr. A. G. Woodard, of Burlington, was in town Saturday and upon his return home was taken down with the influenza and is now very sick. Robert Pelt and Adley F. Holt, Jr., have secured positions at Durham and have gone to take up their new duties. Miss Estelle Holt went to Smith field Tuesday to attend the funeral of Miss Hannah Davis, from Philadel phia. Mr. W. J. Massey visited the hos pital in Goldsboro yesterday to see Dr. Eason, and reports that the doc tor is improving rapidly and hopes to return home in a few days. The stork paid a visit to the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Pelt Sunday and left with them a little girl. Mr. J. G. Howell died Sunday morn ing of typhoid fever. He lived about one mile from town. Mr. Howell’s son has been confined at home about six weeks with this disease but is slowly recovering. Mr. H. M. Cox, of Bentonville sec tion, was a visitor in town Sunday. Only a few new cases of influenza have been reported in this section for the past few days. Mrs. Hastings, proprietor of the ho tel, entertained a few of the young people Thursday evening in honor of the young lady teachers who have just arrived to open the fall and winter terms of the graded school here. Miss Myrtle Nicholson, of Burlington, is su perintendent. Her assistants are as follows: Misses Vitus Leo Nicholson, Burlington; Marie Gudger, Asheville; Mata Mitchell, Oxford; Amma Stancil, Selma, and Mr. Giles G. Nicholson, Burlington. Robbers entered the drug store and J. S. Edwards’ place last night. In the drug store they carried outside the nickels in the slot machine, and a few pairs of shoes are missing in the other store. It is not known just yet what was taken from these stores. The fam ous blood hounds from Raleigh were brought down here quickly .but at a late hour they bad not ■ succeeded in locating the guilty parties. ENGLAND WON’T RETURN GERMANY HER COLONIES. British Foreign Secretary Says Safe ty and Security of England De mands They Re Not Returned. London, Oct. 23—(Via Montreal.)— In no circumstances is it consistent with the safety, security and unity of the British empire that Germany’s colonies should be returned to her, de clared A. J. Balfour, the British for eign secretary, in a speech at the luncheon of the Australian and New Zealand club today. Mr. Balfour said it was absolutely essential that the communications of the British empire should remain safe. He asked if the German colonies were returned what security was there that their original possesssors would not use them as a basis for piratical war fare. The doctrine that the colonies should not be returned, Mr. Balfour claimed, was not selfish and imperial istic. It was one in which the in terests of the world were almost as the interests of the empire itself. If the empire was to remain united it was absolutely necessary that communica tion between the various part should not be at the m<?rcy of an unscrupu lous power. It is always safe to learn even from our epemies—seldsom safe to venture to instruct even our friends.—Colton. THE INFLUENZA SITUATION BETTER In Others Influenza Has Not Yet Reached Crest—Better in the East and South. Washington, Oct. 22—Improvement in the influenza situation over the country was indicated by reports re ceived today by the public health ser vice, but in many places the epidemic apparently has yet to reach its crest. In the far west and on the Pacific coast the situation has not proved nearly as serious as it did in the East and South. Continued abatement of the epi demic in army camps was reported to day to the office of the surgeon gen eral of the army. New cases during the 24 hours ending at noon today to taled 2,773 against 3,007 the day be fore, while deaths decreased from 404 to 392. There was a slight increase in the number of pneumonia cases. Army medical officers said influenza may now be said to be epidemic in only five camps, the others reporting less than 50 new cases each deaily. The total cases since the disease be came epidemic number 292,770, with 15,497 deaths. In the East and South generally, conditions among the civilian popula tion are rapidly improving, according to icports to the public health service. In the middle west and in the States bordering the Missisippi and Missouri rivers, abatement of the disease also has been noted, although many new cases still are being reported daily. In California, 32,000 cases have been reported up to yesterday. Oregon and Washington also report new cases and some deaths. SITUATION IMPROVING IN A NUMBER OF STATES. Decrease in Influenza Cases in North Carolina, South Carolina, Okla homa, Tennessee and Camps. Washington, Oct. 23.—Continued improvement in the influenza situa tion in army camps and in a numbeir of States was shown by reports re ceived today by the surgeon genera4 [ of the army and the public health ser vice. New cases in army camps to taled only 2,773 with 127 deaths. Tha disease now is epidemic at only three camps, Lewis, Washington; McClella* Alabama, and Kearney, California. States where the number of new cases reported show a decrease in clude North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee. Reports that the influenza germs may have been brought to the United States and spread by enemy agents, possibly landed on American shores by submarines have been investigated by the government agents, but no basis for them has been found. Investigators of several government departments declared today that they were convinced, after an inquiry, that the disease was brought to this coun try through the neutral channels of afFected seamen, travelers or imports and not by malicious methods. EPIDEMIC SUBSIDING IN THE SOUTH AND EAST. Influenza Situation Still Serious in Some Localities, Particularly the Larger Cities—Is No Change at Camps. Washington, Oct. 24.—Further sub sidence of the influenza epidemic ove* the country was indicated in reports received today by the public health service from 44 States. The situation still is serious in many localities, how ever, and more particularly in the larger cities. There was practically no change to day in army camps, 2,772 new cases being reported, a decrease of one from yesterday’s total. Pneumonia eases decreased from 742 yesterday to 699 today and deaths were 307 against 327 the day before. The total influ enza cases reported new is 298,275; pneumonia cases 48,328, and deaths 16174. Camps Pix, ”ew Te sc' and Grant, Illinois, where influenza epidemics have been particularly serious, did not report- a single new case, while only seven were reported from Camp Devens. The largest number of new cases revolted today was from Camp McClellan with 123. Over ti e 'hauth and East generally, improvement is shown, but the disease still is r dive n most of the large cities, including New York, where 759 deaths v ■ reported today; Boston, Provider e. Ph’Uulelphi:!, Washington, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Chicago and Louisville. The North Carolina Industrial Asso ciation bps announced that the Negro Great State Fair will be postponed to some later date, on account of the epidemic of influenza in the State.