North Carolina Newspapers

$tX3 a Year, In Advance. Sfagla Copy, S CK$a. VOL. XXV. PLYMOUTH, N. C, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1914. NO. 13. BUTTLE NOW LESS FURIOUSLY WAGED iPPROPRIM BILL IS KILLED NO EXTRA SESSION SAYS GOVERNOR BATTLE OF AISNE IS IN PROGRESS AUSTRIAN SHARPSHOOTERS HOLD BACK SERBS "FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY iAND FOR TRUTH.1 ALLIES AND GERMANS APPAR ENTLY DECIDE CONTINUED ONSLAUGHT, TOO COSTLY. HEAVY LOSSES REPORTED Both Sides Suffer Severely. Many High English Officers are Killed And Missing. .- The nature of the struggle between the Germans and the allied forces on the battle front in France, which stretches from Noyon in the West to Verdun ig indicated by the latest offi . cial communication from the French war office which says that tba engage ments have become less violent. From this it would seem as if both eldes had reached the conclusion that the gaining of a few yards of ground hardly warranted the losses entailed and that preparations are on the way for a .strong offensive movement at some strategic point. The French also report they have made progress in the territory be ,tween Rheims and the Argonne forest. On their left wing they have reach ed the heights of Lassigny. With the French on this patr of the battle line are the British, who according to an official statement issued by the Brit ish press bureau, they have fared bad ly since the beginning of the war in the loss of officers. The 4 casualty lists "show that 797 British officers are among the killed, wounded and missing, a very high per centage of the total losses. Among these are 32 colonels and lieutenant colonels, 85 majors and 246 captains. The Coldstream Guards have lost 31 of their officers, the highest on the list - The German emperor has taken up his quarters in Luxemburg, according to a Paris dispatch. To guard against possible raids by French aviators -a squadron of German aeroplanes is held in readiness. A Vladivostok dispatch says Japan ese aeroplanes have destroyed with bombs two of the Important forts at Tsing-Tau in the German protectorate of Klao-Chow, while Peking reports that a British detachment left Tsing Tsln Saturday to assist the Japanese in the attack in that place. The . Montenegrin army is believed to be close to Sara Jevo, capital of Bosnia. Because of the disapproval of the action of the British government in seeking the conquest of German Southwest Africa, Brigadier-General Beyers, commandant-general of the ' Union of South Africa's defence forces has resigned. WAIT PATIENTLY FOR NEWS. Many Homes of British Are in Mourn ing for Loss of Relatives. London. The patience with which the British people await news from their army is as remarkable as it is unexpected. They know the British troops have been engaged for a week in a terrible battle, the culmination of the fighting which has gone on with two or three brief respites since Au gust 23. They know the little British army has held the post of the hardest fighting throughout and that the next roll of casualties will be heavy. Yet they appear to recognize that inexor able military necessity imposes upon them these days of suspense, and from the newspapers and the public little ) complaint is heard. The last official report revealing any details of the British operations was published Thursday night. That report was not long and dealt for the most part with scattered incidents of Field Marshall Sir John French's advance against the German right wing. It dropped the curtain upon the events of September 14. The later official reports have been terse bulletins, which enabled the newspapers only to draw fresh lnes on their maps showing the progress v of the battle front. These bulletins Y" , merely have announced accompished -1 moves in the war game, like capable reports of an International chess match. The government has made the coun try understand that the requirements of secrecy overshadow all other con siderations. The part that British officers are playing is illustrated by the bare tes timony of the casualty lists. Seven hundred and ninety-seven officers are among the killed, wounded and miss ing, which is a percentage out of all proportion to the losess In the ranks. One hundred and thirty officers have been killed; 388 have been wounded and 279 are missing. Many of the missing, probably must after be re corded as killed or wounded. Pushed Back Near Belgian Border By Allies Germans Make Desper ate Stand RUSSIANS AREJN CONTROL Of Situation In Galicia and Are Pro gressing In Polatid and Russia Against Germans The second great battle between the allied armies of Great Britain and France against the Germans in the northern part of France is in progress. It is the battle of the Aisne. The Germans are strongly entrenched in the mountains in the region of the Noyon on the river Oise, northwest of Paris. Their battle line extends to the river Meuse, north of the Verdun. Strong reinforcements, probably from Lorraine, has strengthened their lines. Allies Win Battle of Marne. When the German armies Invaded France from Belgium they swept the allies before them and. pushed steadily forward until they were almost under the walls of Paris. Then the tide of the battle turned. The allies were the pursuers and the Germans the pursued. This was known as the' battle of the Marne. The battle ended when the Germans had been driven north of the Alsne river and the allies 'were the victors. Three Million Men Engaged. It is predicted that the battle of the Aisne will be even- more appalling than the battle of the Marne. Military experts estimate that there are nearly 3,000,000 men assembled on a battle line about 110 miles long. Thousands of lives will be sacrificed in the at tempt of the armies of the defenders to push the invaders out of France. The Germans have left a sufficient force in Belgium to protect their re treat through that country in the event, they are forced to fall back. Reinforcements For Germans. Word has been received that Ger many has recalled the armies she sent from the north of France and Belgium to East Prussia to check the onward rush of the Czar's armies through East Prussia, and will send them to the assistance of the Germans in France. Move For Peace Is On. The negotiations that have been go ing on between the United States and Germany with regard to a movement for peace have given little encourage ment. Von Bethmann-Hollwegg, the imperial chancellor of Germany, has suggested to United States" Ambassa dor Gerard at Berlin that the United States secure terms of peace from Great Britain, France and Russia. "Germany," he said, "wants permanent peace and protection from further war fare." President WilBon announced he would continue his efforts along this line. Russians Moving Forward. According to dispatches from Rome and Petrograd, the Russian capital, the armies of Austria in Galicia are in a pitiful condition. At present they are hovering under the protection of the forts surrounding Prezemsyl, but the Russians have surrounded this loca tion and are expected to make an at tack at any time. The German troops that were sent to the assistance of the Austrlans failed In their mission and themselves were forced to fall back. Undaunted by the former defeat at Konigsbcrg, in East Prussia, the Rus sians are preparing to take advantage of the withdrawal of a large portion of the German soldiers in that vicinity, who have been ordered to the relief of the Kaiser's armies in France, and are planning another assault on Ko nigsbcrg. The Russians are also en joying victories against the Austro German armies In Poland. The armies of the Czar in Galicia and Poland are already marching on Berlin and in the event they are successful in defeating the Germans In East Prussia it will be only a short time before there will be three great armies pushing their way to Berlin. Fighting Spreads to Asia The European war during the past week spread to Asia and Africa. The Japanese, who declared war against Germany several weeks ago, have be gun an attack on the German posses sions in China. The British forces In Africa have ..begun a campaign against the Germans in Africa. Austria In Deep Gloom. The deepest gloom overspreads Aus tria. The government has called the last reserves to the colors"1 News of victories over the Servians was given out to the people of Austria, but this has not helped to dispell the depres sion caused by the continual defeats suffered by their soldiers fighting the Russians in Galicia. Vienna lives in constant fear that the Russians will change their course In Galicia and in stead of continuing on to Berlin they will encircle the Carpathians and be siege the capital of the dual-monarchy. iwiiM'iwp'Mt'iwj ijo 1 fa""--rmm-tXMwrwafe1'' -!- ten - &a ' T MXK?;, Austrian sharpshooters along the the Servian troops. Battle of Aisnejn Progress - London. For five days the British and French armies have been trying to dislodge the Germans from the strong line of defenses which they have constructed on the battle front stretching from the Oise to the Meuse rivers. There have been attacks and counter attacks, but, in the words of the official communication, "there has been no change In the situation." The allies claim to have made slight progress at some points against the German right wing north of the river Alsne and to have repulsed Craonne and Rheims, while they say in the cen ter and on the right the Germans are acting purely on the defensive, having "dug themselves into entrenchments." The German official reports are al most identical with those of the allies. They say no decision has been reach ed, but that the allies' power of resist ance is weakening; that a French at tempt to break their right has failed; that in the center the Germans are gaining ground slowly and that sallies from Verdun have been repulsed. It would seem from all this that the commanding generals have not yet found the weak points in their oppon ents' dispositions and that each is withholding his determined blow for, as Lord Kitchener said in the house of lords, "the right moment." British Fly Across Channel London. So little has appeared re garding the movements of the British aerial forces that the following ex cerpts from a discussion of its activi ties by one professing to be closely connected with this branch of the ser vice is interesting. Speaking of the sending of thirty six British aeroplanes across the chan nel by air, which was kept secret for some time, he says:, ' "As a combine flight, tnat surpassed anything ever done in aviation; but it was only part of a big movement; oth er machines had flown across the pre vious day, and at the present moment three full squadrons, Nos. 2, 3 and 4, each consisting of twelve aeroplanes, besides reserves, spares and motor transport, are with the expeditionary force. But apart - from the news of two fatal accidents, and the appear ance in the casualty lists of an air man's name among the wounded, noth ing authentic has been published con cerning the doings of the royal flying corps. Russian Victory In Prussia Petrograd. The following commun ication was issued by the chief of the general staff: "On the front in Eastern Prussia the armies of General Rennenkampf defi nitely stopped the offensive movement of the Germans. At several points the Germans are falling back and shifting to new positions. "On the Austrian front the pursuit of the enemy continues. The Rus sians are approaching the'"defensive positions of Sienawa, Jarosau and Przemsyl (Galicia). " Germans Deny Defeats " .. Washington. The German embassy received the following wireless from Berlin: ' . "All the French-English reports of victories'" of battles in France are un true. The German retreat of the west ern wing was a practical maneuver not affecting the strategical position. The French attempt to break through the center of the German position was victoriously repulsed. - - "There is confirmation of German successes at- several points of the long extended battlefield. Danube river .checking the advance of Thrilling Rescue by Submarine London. "The most romantic, drt matic and piquant episode that mod ern war can show," says a naval lieu tenant in describing an episode in th Heligoland fight. His letter reads: ". ' "The Defender, having sunk an ene my, lowered a whaler to pick up hei swimming survivors; before the wha ler got back an enemy's cruiser came up and chased the Defender, and thus she abandoned her whaler. Imagine their feelings; alone in an open boat without food, twenty-five miles from the nearest land, and that land the en emy's fortress, with nothing but fog and foes around them. Suddenly a swirl alongside and up, if you please, pops his Britanic majesty's submarine E-4, opens his conning tower, takes them all on board, shuts up again, dives and brings them home 250 miles! Is not that magnificent? No novel would dare face the critics with an episode like that In it,, except, perhaps, Jules Verne; and all, true! Magnifi cent, indeed, and it Is war." German-American Protest Rejected Washington. President 'Wilson de clined to receive Horace L. Bland of Chicago, who came to present mes sages from several German-American organizations protesting against the charges of atrocities made by the Bel gian commission against the German army. The president took the position that he had already refused to permit na tives of other belligerent countries liv ing in the United States to discuss the war with him and that the message's of the German-Americans were not of the same nature as those brought by the Belgian commissioners. He planned to write a letter to Mr. Brand explaining that his recent statement on neutrality addressed to the Ameri can people should apply equally to all living in this country. Peace Move Appears Hopeless Washington. Great Britain has " re ceived no proposal for peace, either directly or indirectly, from Germany or Austria, and, therefore, has nothing to say on the subject. This was the substance of a mes sage received by Sir Cecil Spring-Rice," British ambassador here, from Sir Ed ward Grey, British foreign secretary. The ambassador had inquired whether any peace proposal was before his gov ernment in view of persistent rumors from Berlin that proposals, were being exchanged. Coincident with the receipt of this information from Great Britain it was learned authoritatively that President Wilson had not' pursued either with Great Britain, France or Russia the in formal suggestion of the imperial Ger man chancellor that "it was up to the United States to obtain a statement of peace terms from the allies." Moving Toward Russian Frontier London. The Daily -' Telegraph' Rome correspondent says he learn that eight German army corps left France and Belgium for the Russian frontier. Servians Capture Semlin NIsh, Servia. The Servian offensive movement continues successfully on the left bank of the Save. No import ant developments along the lower Dri na have been reported since the Ser vians victory on September 9. The following official statement was Is sued:' "On our northern front, after taking Semlin, our troops still con tinue successfully to pursue the of fensive. ."The hurried nature of the flight of the enemy at Semlin-can bd estimated by the quantity of provi ions, equipment and arms fouud." RIVERS AND HARBORS BILL FILL . BUSTER OF THE REPUBLIC ANS PROVE SUCCESSFUL. VOTE 27 TO 22 ENDS FIGHT Senator Bankhead Lead the Vote Which Resulted In Recommitting the Measure to Committee. Washington." . Revolting against party leadership, 16 Democratic Sen ators accomplished the overthrow of the rivers and harbors i appropriation bill and crowned . with victory a fili buster against the measure directed by Senator Theodore "E. Burton of Ohio. The Senate, by a vote of 27 to 22, ended the struggle over the $34, 000,000 bill by adopting a motion by a Democrat, Senator Bankhead of Alabama, to' recommit the bill to the commerce committee with instructions that it substitute a measure appro priating a lump sum of $20,000,000 to be "expended on existing waterway projects in the discretion of the Sec retary of War and Board of Army Engineers. The collapse of the fight for the bill came suddenly after a desperate attempt to wear down the Republi can opposition led by Senator Burton, aided by Senator Kenyon of Iowa, which began Friday morning and in cluded a 30-hour session ending Sat urday night. . Senator Burton, whose achievement will go down as a vale dictory effort in a congressional career of 22 years, was warmly congratulated by many of his colleagues as the clerk announced the vote which seal ed the fate of the big appropriation bill. Senator Bankhead's motion was in interjected in the proceedings at a moment when it became apparent that a -substitute offered - by Senator Bur ton for the committee -bill champion ed by Senator Simmons of North Car olina was. to receive the support of Democrats who has been fighting for the original bill. Senator Burton him self expressed dissatisfaction over his own substitute because it did not cut deep enough and had given notice he would resume later his motion to. re commit the bill. It was then that Senator Bankhead surprised the Sen ate by presenting the same resolution to re-commit. Senator. Simmons, in charge of the bill, made a game last stand, but it was at once apparent the fight was lost and the roll call ' was quickly ordered. " Democrats who voted to recommit the bill were: Senator Ashurst, Bankhead, Chil ton, Gore, Hollis, Johnson, Lane, Lee of Maryland, Lewis, Martine, Pitt man, Pomerene, Shafroth, Smith of Arizona, Thompson' and White. Minority Senators who voted with supporters of the Democratic bill against the Bankhead proposal were Jones, Penrose, Perkins, Poindexter, and Townsend. Democrats who stood by the bill until the end were Bryan, Chamber lain, Fletcher, Kern, Lea of Tennes see, Overman, Ransdell, Robinson, Saulsbury, Sheppard, Shields, Sim mons, Smith of Maryland, Smith of South Carolina, Stover, Thornton antf Williams. WOULD LEND $35 ON BALE. government Would Loan $500,000,000 at This Rate on Cotton in South. Washington. A government loan of $500,000,000 to cotton farmers at the rate of $35 cn a bale, was adovocated before th9 House Banking and Cur rency Committee by Southern Con gressmen and representatives of the National Farmers' Union. Represen tative Henry of Texas, who favored the loan, urged the committee to stop the issuance of emergency currency, which he said would not relieve the situation. Mr. Henry said banks in the South were withholding currency from the cotton farmers, who needed imme diate, help. lie suggested the loans be made through banks or by post masters. Prayerfully Working For Peace. Washington. While President Wil son told his callers he was "prayer fully working for peace in Europe" it is known that for tha present he will take no further steps either to sound the belligerents cr otherwise press the offer of. the American gov ernment to mediate. The President indicated that he was studying the best method and most opportune time to exert influence for a cessation of the conflict. ' The general view .is that the belligerents are not ready for peace teraa. CRAIG WRITES TO GREATER CHARLOTTE CLUB OUTLINING HIS VIEWS. DOES NOT FEEL JUSTIFIED Council of State Not Warranted lr Advising Extra Call of North Carolina Assembly. Charlotte. President C. C. Hook, of, the Greater Charlotte Club, re ceived a letter from Governor Craig recently, outlining just why he does not feel justified in calling an extra session of the legislature to act in the present, emergency insofar as the cotton situation is concerned. This let ter follows : "State of North Carolina. "Executive Department, Raleigh. "Mr. Charles C. Hook, Charlotte : VMy Pear Mr. Hook: After several days absence I returned to the office this morning and found your letter containing the resolution adopted by the Charlotte meeting requesting the call of the special meeting of the legls a'lture. "The Constitution provides: 'The governor shall have the power on ex traordinary occasions by and with the advice of the council of state, to call the general assembly in extra session, by his proclamation, stating therein the purpose or purposes for which they are thus convened.' "I at once, called a meeting of the council of state. Every member of the council present was of the opinion that at present the call for the special session would not be warranted; Col'. Grimes was-not present, but I am re liably 'informed that he agrees with the other members of the council. I concurred in the views of the council of state. "I expect to go to Washington to be there at a conference held with the governors of other states and with representatives of the Farmers' Union. I do not favor the proposition suggested by Senator Simmons. At the conference in Washington some course may be agreed upon. At any rate I deem it inadvisable to call the legislature together before that con ference. After that conference shall be held, unless some plan more feas ble than any plan heretofore suggest ed, makes an evtra session necessary I. would still be opposed to the extra session. If, however it should appear to me that the farmers of North Car olina were very generally of the opin ion that an extra session should be called their views would certainly be entitled to consideration, although they might not coincide with my views. I hope .however, that some thing can be devised in Washington that would be practical and efficient. This letter is written following the telegram sent you today.- The request from Mecklenburg is the only formal request by any meeting thus far re ceived by me for an extra session. A few individuals have urged it. -"With highest regards, "Yours sincerely, "Locke Craig." BOOSTS COTTON SALES. Nissen Wagon Company Gives Orders For 600 Bales. Winston-Salem. The Buy-a-Bale cotton movement received a substan tial boost from this city' when the Nissen Wagon Works wired ach of their 600 agents throughout the South to purchase one bale of cotton and charge same to the firm's account, paying 10 cents. The Nissen people aredoing this without trade strings attached, it being a plain business in vestment and in the hope that other manufacturers in the South, whether in the cotton belt or not, will follow their example. Although Winston Salem is not in the cotton belt, many of her resources are founded on trade originating in the cotton country and what hurts the South is bound event ually to hurt this section. Result of Cotton Conference. Washington. The sum total of a. conference between members of the North Carolina Congressional delega tion and Governor Craig, Attorney General Bickett, Clarence It. Poe, Dr. H. Q. Alexander and other members of the Farmers' Union and A.'W. Mc Lean, was to provide for a committee to call on Secretary McAdoo and sea just what he contemplated doing for the cotton producers now in sore dis tress. The committee goes to ascer tain from Mr. McAdoo what they may expect.