RUSSIA FACING
' * ECONOMIC RUIN
"S " I
INDUSTRIAL CRISIS 18 SO ACUTE
THAT ONLY MIRACLE CAN
SAVE COUNTRY.
MAY BRING WAR TO A CLOSE,
Demands of Workmen So Enormous it 1
Seems Impossible to Keep Industrial
Whe«ls Turning.—Minister of Fi
nance Speaks.
Petrograd, via london. — The Indus
(rail crisis In Russia Is so acute that,
according to a recent utterance of the
Minister of Finance, M ShirifcarofT,
• nly a miracle can save the country
frtmi economic- ruin. The demands of
the workmen were so enormous, he'
declared, that it seemed impossible to
keep the Industrial wheels going for
any great length of time.
The Socialist ministers at "a recent
ministerial council said that the only
IKxtslbllity they saw of settling the
difficulty was to bring the war to a
close.
Neither the coalition Cabinet nor
the newly appointed Commission to
regulate* the difficulties between i apl- |
laJ and labor has yet found a way to j
settle the Industrial crisis The Com
mission is composed of the Ministers
of Finance, trade and Industry and
labor, but since there Is a wide diver
gence of views between the Minister
of Finance and the new Socialistic
Minister of Labor, It seems probable
that thla Commission will be confront
ed with the same difficulties that at
tended previous efforts at reconcllla- j
tlon.
An Investigation of the factory con- J
ditions In I'etrograd leads to the
alarming, but Inevitable, conclusion
that unless the Government noon finds
a means of adjusting the present dlf
Acuities, most of the industrial enter ;
prises working for National defense
will be compellt J to close within a few
months An investigation shows that j
virtually the same difficulties prevail j
In all the big factories In Petrograd |
and apparently authenticated reports j
from the Moscow, Donets and Ural dis-'
trlcts Indicate general disorganization
In many of the factories, the demands j
by the wworkmeti for Increased wagei
are actually greater than the entire
profits of the factories under the best
conditions of production. _
HOUSE PASSES FIRBT OF
FOOD CONTROL BILLS.
Provides For Survey of Food Bupply,
Appropristea $14,770,000.
Washington -Tho Administration's !
food survey bill, first of the food con- J
trol measures, was pass« 3by the
House without a record vote It ap- J
propriates $14,770,000 for an Immediate j
investigation of the country's food re- j
sources and for measures to stimulate
production. A similar bill Is under de- I
bate in the Senate.
The Agriculture Department expects
to present a fairly accurate estimate ■
of food resources within three weeks
after the bill Is signed by the Presl- j
dent. Secretary Houston said As
soon as the measure becomes a law.
the Department will start Its 17,000
employes and the 150,000 voluntary
crop reporters to work on the Investi
gation. The preliminary report to be
made within the three weeks will be
supplemented with monthly reports
and probably by a further complete
report within six months if necessary
Material gathered will be turned
over to Herbert C. Hoover, who was
named as head of the food adminis
tration, as soon as the pending
latory food measures becomes law
In the survey bill, passed virtually
as it came from the committee. Miss
Rankin, the woman representative
from Montana inserted an amend
ment which would require the Depart
ment of Agriculture to use women in
the survey work whenever practlca
ble. An amendment by Representa
tive Mi Kenzle of Illinois would make
all persona employed under the bill
4 military service, and another
would permit citizens to refune to go
more than .'U)O miles from their homes
A
or places of business to testify in n
food Inquiry.
RAPID PROGRESS ON
REVISION OF REVENUE BILL.
Washington—Making rapid prog
ress in revising the House war tax bill,
the Senate Finance Committee decid
ed to exempt from taxation many
articles, to substitute stamp taxes for
the manufacturers' gross sales plan of
the House, and to consider new taxes
upon second-class mail matter. The
latter were advocated by Senator
Hardwick and Postofflce Department
heads, and would be based j. upon the
advertising space in publications.
It was agreed that Jhere shciuld be
no direct taxation on Jewelry, motion
picture film, chewing gum and plaltos
and aelf-played musical Instruments.
For the Houhe gross manufacturers'
sales tax of five per cent, the commit
tee determined to übstitute stamn
taxes on mechanical musical instru
mentß, Including talking machine rec
ord*, athletic goods, perfumes, cos
metlcs and pft,ent medicines. For the
House five per cent tax on yachts and
other pleasure boats, a new tax based
upon tonnage or length waa consider
A new tax upon confectionary waa pro
proposed by Senator Wllliama.
OVER 150 KILLED 111
DISASTROUS STORM
SEVERAL SECTIONS OF COUNTRY
SUFFER DAMAGE TO CROPS
AND PROPERTY.
OVER THOUSAND ARE INJURED
Property Damage Amounts to Million*
in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ken
tucky and Tennessee Caused By
Winds Frlflhtful Play.
Chlctfo. —Mor«* than onp hundred
and. fifty were killed. a thou Hand or
more Injured, anil millions of dollars'
worth of property destrpyed by torna
does which swept through Kansas on
Friday. Illinois and Indiana on Satur
day and parts of Tennessee, Arkansas,
Kentucky ami southern Illinois Sun
day. Reports ladlcate that a large
amount of farm Implements, needed
to produce the bumper crop desired
this year, was ruined, although tho
spasmodic wind struck only here and
there In Its frightful play through the
rural regions. Crop damage is said
to be not (jeavy In grains
The heaviest toll of life was taken
at Mnttooh, 111., a city of 10,000 pop
ulation In the broom corn country of
Central Ullonls, where 54 are known
to be dead and 500 Injured, with a
property loss of $2,000,000.
Charleston, 111., ten miles east of
Mat toon, was also partly wrecked Sat
urday evening with a loss of 38 liven
and 150 Injured. The property loss
there IN a million dollars
The next most serious loss was at
Andale, Kan., where 26 were killed
and a scorn Injured on Friday. Dub
lin, Ky , suffered 3 dead and 17 In
jured.
South Pyersburg, Tenn., was report
ed to have lost 2 killed and 15 Injured
In a tnniailo that swept Dyer County"
Sunday Near Hlythevllle, Ark .!) per
sons were reported killed and '2 hurt.
Reports from Indiana show
seven persons killed at Hebron,
Kouts and other places and the death
list may reach twenty More than
two hundred were Injured In the In
diana territory swept by the storm
Smaller towns In Illinois lost a dot
en dead on Saturday with two score
Injured, while In the southern point of
Illinois windstorms Sunday killed a
half doten and Injured a score
Summary of tornado dead and ln-
Jured:
Dead, Injured
Mattoon. 11l 54 800
Charleston. 11l 39 150
Andale. Kan 26 60
Other 111 towns IS 65
Arkansas • It
Indiana 7 200
Kentucky 3 17
Tennessee . ,». >—. r. %i- 2— — 15
Totals 157 1,019
Property damage, $5,000,000.
SEVENTY-SIX KILLED BY
GERMAN AIRPLANE RAID.
Most of Victims Women and Children
at Foodstuff Sale.
A town of the southeast coaat of
Kngland, via London.- Women and
children who had stood for hours In a
long line In the busiest street here
waiting to purchase potatoes were the
principal victims of the Oorman air
plane raid. The women and children
had little warning of the raid and
were easy victims of the air vultures
who dropped their deadly bombs in
dlscrlmlnntely. w
The raid, which claimed the lives
of 76 persons and caused Injury to
175 others, proved more deadly than
nny raid made on Kngland since the
beginning oj, the war
GUARD SHOT IN
EXCHANGE OF BULLETS.
Norfolk, Va. —Frederick Rooch. a
guard at the Virginia Reach wireless
station, was shot and slightly wound
ed In an, exchange of bullets with two
men, who were apparently attacking
the net around the station. The men
escaped.
BRAZILIAN CONGRESS ABKED
TO ABANDOON NEUTRALITY.
Rio de Janeiro.—The committee on
foreign relations in the Rrazlian Con
gress drafted a measure recommend
ing the cancellation of the decree of
April 26. 1917, which declared the
neutrality of Hrnail In the War between
Germany and the United Pres
ident Brai, under the bill, would be
authorized to take necessary steps for
the carrying out of this law and to put
Into practice the acta which result
from the cessation of neutrality.
ISSUE REGULATIONS FOR
GUIDANCE OF THE PRESS.
Washington.—Regulations for the
guidance of the American
carrying out the voluntary censorship
I the newspapers have imposed upon
•.emselves since the United States
entered the wflr. were Issued h" the
Virtually all of the matter specified
by the committee as dangerous and
Rable to bo of value to the enemy is
of the character which most of the
newspapers have clinfinated.
THE ENTERPRISE, WILLIAMSTOW, WORTH CAROLINA
:| THOROUGHLY AMERICAN
•* «'|>> I »«lHt » (
'MORE MONEY FOR ENTENTE
APPROXIMATELY $400,000,000 WILL
BE ADVANCED DURING
JUNE.
Have Been Outlined Definitely.—ltal
ian Commission Will Submit Pro- I
gram Soon. —Russls's Credit Estab- I
llahed.
Washington. Treasury' officials
have turned their attention to the fln
anvlal requirements" of the allien for
June, and are engaged In formulating
a more or lews elastic program design
ed to stand for several month*. Indi
cation# are that approximately 1400,- j
000,000 will be advanced the allien In
June, bringing: thu total up to mora
than $1,000,000.
The Italian commlHHlon has yet to
submit a program to meet Italian fi
nancial needs
British and French needs have baen
outlined definitely, and tentative pro
posals contemplate loan* to these Gov
ernment* at a rate of approximately
$250,000,000 to $300,000,000 a month.
Russia baa not yot drawn againat the
$100,000,000 credit established for her
here, and It I* thought that this aura
will take oare of her requirements for
eome time, poeslbly for the wKlre
month of June. Belglnn need* already
have been anticipated for alx months
by the eatabllahment of the $46,000,000
credit recently authorised.
Thus far, the loans to the Allies
have been chiefly to meat their most
pressing requirements. Negotiations
have paused thla stage and arc now
proceeding on a baai* of the payment
at elated periods, of fixed lunm, all of
which will be *pent In the United
Htatos.
Offlslal* have allotted among the
banks of the Federal rwsorve districts
thelliOO,ooo.ooo offering of treasury
certificates of Indebtedness which was
closed The allotment wai made on
the basis of 72 per cent of the sub
scriptlons, the offering having ikmsii
oversubscribed about. 40 per cent.
In a statement lamed officials mads
It clear that subscribers to the so-tail
ed "baby bonds" of the Liberty I-oan
-the SSO and SIOO denominations are
not required to pay their full amount
of subscriptions in advance, but will re
ceive the same privileges of paying
by installment* as are granted sub
| scrlber* to larger amounts
' HOOVER GET® MANY
OFFERS TO CO-OPERATE
i Southern Grocera' Association Ten
ders Service —Paokers Will Help.
Wushlngton. -Offer* to serve with
out compensation In the national food
administration were received in greet
number* at the administration offices
just opened by Herbert C Hoover No
'names were made ptibllo. but It was
Mfrtd a surprising number of proml
j nent and able business men were
among the volunteer*.
Mr. Hoover, who agreed to act as
food administrator iwi condition that
he and most of his aides earfce wHh
, out pay. will select the men who are
to work with him without delay, and
will proceed with organisation of the
administration to be ready to start
work as soon as Congress passes the
food bills. He went over detail at a
conference with President Wilson.
The food ndralnlstration will be di
vided Into four branches. The first
will comprise a number of separate
executive bodies for regulation of cer
tain commodities, organization arhwg
the lines of commercial institutions
with a board of directors, a presi
dent and executive officers, who ln
j s.itute measures necessary to regu- v
late distribution and prices. The mem
bership of the executive bodies will
comprise leading producers, distribu
tors. bankers and consumers
ITALIAN MISSION MEMBERS
" -"WHITE HOUSE GUESTS
Prince of Udlne
and other members of the Italian mis
sion were the guest* of President Wll
j son at a stato dinner at the White
I House closing a day spent by the visi
' tors in receiving honors similar to
f 'lose conferred on their British and
I I'reneh predecessors and In making
> the acquaintance of the American of
-1 flclals with whom they will negotiate
during the coming month.
WAR REVENUE BILL PASSED:
. I
f ,
MEASURE IS VIRTUALLY AS RE-]'
i
PORTED BY THE WAYS AND
MEANS COMMITTEE. 1
Final Passage la Not Expected Within
j a Month.—Designated to Bring Into
the U. 8. Treasury $1,800,000,000.
I I V*
Washington.—The war revenue bill,
> framed to bring into the Treasury $1 ,-
,800.000,000 through new taxation dur
ing the coming year, passed tho
I louse by a vote of 329 to 76 in almost
j the same form that It was presented
Iby the Ways and Means Committee
two weeks ago.
All the opposing votes were cast by
Republicans, although there are many
members on the Democratic side
strongly Opposed to certain section*
of the emaaure. Virtual redrafting
of the bill In the Senate la regarded
as certain. Material changes already
are contemplated by the Senate Fi
nance Committee as a result of pub
lic hearing* held during the long de
bate In the House Final paeage'of
the bill probably cannot bs accom
plished In leas than a month.
Outstanding features of the bill are
the greatly increaaed income. Inherit
ance, excess profits, liquor and cigar
and tobacco taxea, virtual abolition of
the present custom* free U*t and a
10 per cent addition to existing tar
iffs, new taxes on manufacture*,
amusements, clubs, public utilities and
Insurance, a far-reachliig stamp tax,
and a greatly Increased mail matter
rate based on the parcel post sone '
system
In only four particulars does the
measure now differ substantially from
the original draft. Surtaxes on In
comes above $40,000 have been In
creased about one fourth above the
committee schedule Several articles.
Including print paper and pulp and
gold and silver, slated for a 10 per
cent dally, have been kept on the free
list. Slight reductions In the second
class mail matter rate have been
made A proposed Ave per cent tax on
all advert lalng except newspaper and
periodical Is ellminted.
Attacks on the bill In the Senate
will center around the excess profits,
income and manufacturers' taxes and
the second-class mall rate Increase
sections. Business men generally are
protesting vigorously against the
taxes, and virtually every publieher
In the country Is opposing the dras
tlcally increaaed mail rate.
VIVIANA AND JOFFRE ARE
AT HOME IN FRANCE
Crossed Atlantic Before Many Knew
t They Were Gone.
Paris. —Marshall J off re and former
Premier Vjvlani arrived at Brest on
their return from the United Statee
They went directly to Paris
Washington—Vice Premier Vivi
anl. Marshal Jocre and the French
mission sailed from New York Tues
day. May 15th. unknown except to a
few official* and many American news
papers. So well was the secret kept
by the volunteer censorship by which
American newspapers are co-operating
with the government that the French
commissioners generally were suppos
. Ed to be still in Washington and up to
yesterday Invitations to them to visit
> various sections were received In great
. number.
I The party slipped away on the same
steamer which brought them over, and
convoyed by a French warship.
ONE BUYER MAY MAKE
I PURCHASES FOR ALL ALLIES
i Washington. A program under
• which the American government, vlr
• tually would pool Its purchasing with
1 that of all the Allies, construct a buy
ing machine Into' which of
I experts In many lines would fit as cog
: wheels and place one man in charge
- of the whole gigantic enterprise, is
> fast assuming definite outline. This
woald be the world's super-buyer.
BRITISH MISSION
ENDS CONFERENCES
CONCLUDE THEIR WORK HERE
AND CROSS OVER INTO
CANADA.
NATIONS ON CLOSER BASIS
Efficient Ce-operstlon Mads Possible
By Thslr Visit. Understandings
Reached In Trsoe Matters.—Joint
Buying Committee.
"Washington.—The British War Mis
sion left America and crossed into
Canada aftej six weeks of conferences
which hatfe reached Into every phase
of American life and are expected
vitally to afTact the future of this
country. If not of the world.
Uncertainty has l**>n removed an(J
an efficient co-operation made pos
slble by an exact definition of the re
sources and needs of the United
States and Great llrilain This coun
try knows the Allies' needs In detail
land In The order of their importance
the Allios know America's resources
and the degree of their availability
There have been no formal agree
merits or binding treaties
Much that has been tqnLatively
agreed upon cannot finally be put In
to effect until legislation has been
pnssed by Congress. A*, a result of
th» Mission's visit,/tlre'at Britain and
' the United States undoubtedly have
been placed on a closer basis ol
friendship than ever before.
The Immediate diplomatic result*
has be«*n to lenthgen the British view
from a near-sighted absorption In the
immediate war needs to a broadei
consideration of world reconstruction
afterwards. Similarly the Amerlcar
viewpoint has been foreshortened
from absorption in the future to the
Immediate pressing emergency
League of Nations.
President Wilson's plan for a league
of Nations has beben discussed infor
in ally, but not conclusively.
The most far-reaching understand
inga arrived at have been In trad'
matters In general, the United Statei
will give the Allies preferential trsat
ment In commerce.
I MMENSITY OF NATION'S
TABK IS OUTLINE*
Cabinet Members Address Meeting o
Editors.
Washington.— Members of the cabi
net and others actively engaged in th
conduct of the war outlined the wai
Mm* and needs to a meeting of edlton I
of the country's technical and tradi
publications All emphasized the mag
nltude of the task facing the nation
and urged the publishers to suppor
the government in the change froo
peace to war conditions in Industry.
The food situation was presented bj
Herbert C. Hoover, who will be namei
food administrator. The country, h'
said, faces a war that probably wll
last from two to five years, and onl;
by the most careful measures can th'
United States give the Allies enougl
foodstuff* to keep them in the w j
with the constance demanded to brfcii
victory.
The Allies' grain needs this yeai
Mr. Hover said, will amount to abou
one billion bimhels. America and Can
ade. with good crops, can furnish 6'
per cent of this without deprivation
but the Allies muet have, he declared
at least eighty per cent of their need
to keep their efficiency at the hlghes
average.
means some deprivation fO
aald Mr Hover, "but we mus
fill their needs "
Food prices in the United States an
too high, and if they continue at th
present level, he eald, wage re-adjuel
ments muet come or the working msj
cannot live.
Secretary Baker declared the out
come of this war would show whethe
the world really is progressing.
Every resource of the' Allies, Mt
Baker said, was near exhaustion whei
the United States entered the wai
There is no way to establish perms
nent peace, he declared, except thn
exercise of the euperlor power of tk
• United Statee.
Secretary Daniels asked the editor
to "get it into the heart of buslnee
, men that It Is a crime to make mor
out of the war than a normal profit.
Tfy® press, he said, is responsible fo
letting the people know
; about the government, and the aplrl
i and criticism are the very life of i
• democracy."
i The purpose of the expert limits
: tlons and trading with the enemy bill
: were explained by Secretary Redfleld
who said the measure* were necessar
, as a protection for the country's com
I meres afid resources.
The government's attitude toward
labor was discussed by Secretary Wll
son. No changes In wage standard*
1 he said, would be attempted withoa
first giving the government a chano
r to mediate between emplos£ra\ an
• workers.
, What the General Munition Board i
doing was (old by Frank Scott, It
chairman. In the battle of Gettysburg
r he said, the Union Army In three day
i fired only 32,000 shells, while toda;
» the same number of guns would fir>
i the same numberof guns would fir
3 of the administration "is the commeo
that number of shells in tnree minutes
MOBILIZING ALL
AVAILABLE LABOR
FOOD CONSERVATION COMMIS
SION IS ROUNDING UP LABOR
ERS FOR TARMERS.
OVERCOME GREAT HANDICAP
Mr. Lucas Saya Men and Boys Who
Work on Farms Render Nation a
Great Service.
Raleigh —The mobilization of the
tabor available in the cities and towns
of North Carolina for the benefit of
the farmers who are suffering for lack »-.
of labor in the latest movement in the
campaign being waged by the North
Carolina Food Conservation Commis
sion for Increased production of food
and feedstuffs in thlx state.
One of the greatest handicaps to be
overcome If the suite is to very great!)
Increase It* acreage and production of
food and feedstuffs is the labor short
age that exists on the farms of very
nearly every county In North. Cv° Una,
according to a statement by Paul
Lucas, executive secretary of the
State Food Conservation Commission.
Mr. Lucas emphasizes the point that a
man or boy who Is able to work on a
farm can render the nation juat as
valuable service on a farm as he can
In the training camp or In the
trences "Provisions are Just as Im
portant as men and the more proris
'onns we s«nd abroad the fewer men
and the lea# blood this war will coet
ua." declared Mr. I.uoas. "President
Wilson and other high officials have
laid great stress on this point and the
fact that labor employed in agricul
tural pursuits will not be drafted for
military service Is evidence that Con
gress looks upon the matter in the
same light.
"Many of our people have not real
ized how very serious Is the fbod situ
ation In this section. We have been
solemnly warned time and time again
that we must not depend upon the
west and other sections for the tre
mendous amounts of food and feed
stuffs we have been Importing, the
total for North Carolina last year cost
ing us the snug sum of $90,000,000.
while at present prlcee it would have
coat $176,000,000 or more. Whan It
la too late to plant It will be too lata
to realize. Even those who are not
particularly alarmed should realise the
truth of the old adage that It Is better
to be safe than sorry
"Tq offset the needs of thousands of
fanners who require help and who
oould largely Increase their produc
tion of food and feedstuffs there are
thousands of men and boys who could
be spared from our towns and cHJee.
In every town and city In the state
there are young men just returning
from collage and high schools and v
other boys and jfien who at preeeat
are either idle, partially employed or
employed at work they nan readily
drop for awhile for the more Import
ant work of producing food and feed
wtuffa Let these men and boys vol*
unteer for this patriotic service. The
work may be hard snd the pay seam
small, but boys in uniform are
working hard too and their /pay la
email —and In addition to that they
are offering their very Uvea. Now let
those who remain at home and are
available for service volunteer their
servlcee— Don't be a slacker."
The county farm demonstration
agents throughout the state have lists
r* those farmers who are needing extra
! .abor. Men and boys who are willing
to serve their country In this capacity
should get In touch with these agents,
! »r with the Food Conservation Com
mission of their county, or write to
the State Food Conservation Commla
slon at Raleigh.
Pender Defeata Stock Law.
Burgaw.—The board of county com
missioners met here to receive and
canvass the returns of the stock law
election held last Saturday.. Official
and unofficial returns gave the vote
■KB follows: For-'stock law, 1U;
against stock law, 852.
Did Not Buy Votes For Britt.
Asheville—Dan W. Hill, chairman
of the Buncombe County Republican
i Executive Committee, took the stand
at the hearing in the rebuttal of James
i J. Britt to testimony of Congressman
Weaver, and declared that he had
never given Will Swlnk any money
to vote for Britt or a.iybody else. He
also declared that he had no knowl
edge of ajjy money given to Swlnk for
buying votes. Hill admitted that he
"stood" for a lumber bill for Swlnk at
at local lumber company but said that
he had nothing to do.with the election.
Council of Liberty Meeta.^
High Point—The State Council of
North Carolina Sons and Daughters
of Liberty, were In session for two
days. Aside from the selecting meet
ing places for next year, the business
transacted has been of a routine na
ture. There are some three hundred
Sons and Daughters In attendance
Rocky Mount waa chosen over Greens
boro and Durham for the 1918 session.
New officers for the coming year were
elected with. John F. Reynolds, state
councillor. r l