i ' V '
0
v
"I
J1.00 a Year In Advance
vol. xxrx
STEADY ADVICE OF
SF
ENEMY'S WITHDRAWAL MAY BE
TO PROTECT HIS RAILWAY
COMMUNICATION.
AMERICAN PATROLS ADVANCING
Two New Divisions Broken Up by
British German Strength Is
Greatly Reduced.
London General Pershing's Army Is
making fine progress. It has advanced
tfrom two to three miles on a 33-mile
front and the fortress guns of Metz
have come into action against it.
The enemy appears to be withdraw
ing to some further line which will
protect the railway communications in
the vicinity of Metz, which at present
are under the long range fire of the
Americans.
. American patrols are advancing at
various points a couple of miles be
yond the general advances.
The American line at noon ran
through' Norroy, on the Moselle, Hau
mont, Doncourt and to Abaucourt on
the old line.
The advance by the French seems
to have been in the nature of several
.local pushes and not a big general
forward move. The situation is much
the same as it was! The enemy has
been reacting very violently on the
Fernch front. He made several coun-ter-atacks,
although he has not re
covered any of his lost ground, he Is
holding up the French somewhat.
The Brititsh are reported to have
captured the village of Maisseny,
northwest of St. Quentni. It has been
discovered that there were six Ger
man divisions operating in the St. Mi
hiel salient.' That would give a total
strength of 60,000 men or a rifle
strength of 36,000. The Germans had
broken up for them two more divis
ions in this action, thus reducing their
strength in the west to 191 divisions,
plus four Austrian' divisions and some
dismounted cavlary.
PEACE DISCUSSION TO BE
. NO INTERRUPTION OF WAR
Amsterdam. In extending an invita
tion to all the belligertn governments
tion to all the belligerent governments
some neutral meeting place, the Aus-tro-Hungarian
government states that
the object of the conference would be
to secure an exchange of views which
would show "whether thes.3 prerequi
sites exist which would make the
speedy inauguration of peace negotia
tions appear promising."
The Austrian proposal, which is an
nounced in an official communication
telegraphed here from Vienna sug
gests that there be no interruption of
the war, and that the "discussions
would go only so far as considered
by the participants to offer prospects
of success."
The proposal, calls for all the bel
ligerents to send delegates for a con
fidential and unbinding discussion on
the basic principles for the conclusion
of peace, in a place in a neutral coun
try and at a near date that would yet
have to be agreed upon."
LIVES OF LITTLE CHILDREN
SNUFFED OUT BY SUBMARINE
London. The. British steamer Gal
way Castle of 7,988 tons gross was tor
peroed and sunk. She had 960 per
sons on board, of whom more than
860 were reported saved.
The missing from the Galway Cas
tle numbers 189. They include 120
passengers, 36 naval and military offi
cers and men, and 33 of the crew.
Ninety third-class passengers lost
were without exception women and
children.
The liner floated for two days in
charge o fthe captain and volunteers.
The passenger list included 300 wo
men and children. The bot'fles oif
threo of the children who had died
were brdught ashore. The captain and
several of the officers are reported to
have been still on board the ship when
she was last seen and sinking.
FORCE, FORCE TO THE UTMOST;
FORCE WITHOUT STINT OR LIMIT
Washington. Germany's latest
peace feeler best finds its answer In
President Wilson's Baltimore speech:
"Force, force to the utmost, force
without stint or limit, the righteous
and triumphant force which sba'
make .right the law of the world, a JT
cast every selfish dominion down r
the dust." A
That was the President's ans.ri
thev and it was 'reiterated today-p
is his answer now.' . ijf
PERSHING
ES
MAJ. GEN. L W. T. WALLER
ft '
it i
Brig. Gen. Littleton W. T. Waller
has been promoted to the rank of ma
jor general In the United States Ma
rine corps for gallant duty in Haiti and
In France.
PEACE PROPOSALS A SNARE
GERMAN MILITARY VICTORY IS
RENDERED IMPOSSIBLE BY
FAILURE OF CAMPAIGN.
Pending Military Decision All Diplo
matic Proposals Are the Sheer
est Nonsense.
New York. The words of Burian
and the rumors of cabinet changes
in Berlin are not to be read without
careful relation to the military situa
tion. Unlike the allies, the Germans
make no distinction between diplo
matic and military , weapons in the
pursuit of victory absolute or rela
tive. This campaign has failed. No "abso
lute military victory is now or here
after possible ' for the German. But
a relative, an approximate, victory
may yet be had if the situation on
the western battle front can be sta
bilized for a time and during this time
the diplomatic attack upon the allies,
exactly analagous to the submarine
campaign of 1917, can be pressed.
German strategy is patent enough.
It Is now the mission of the army to
check or delay allied aance for the
balance of the present campaign for
eight weeks at the outside. At the
end of this time German diplomacy
using the formula of Kuehlmann, now
repeated by Burian and by every Gei
man commentator that no military de
cision is poss'Me will point to still
unbroken German lines and demand
a conference a negotiation or discus
sion around the table. Now, all this
must be clearly foreseen and guarded
against. The German peace offensive,
like all previous German maneuvers,
is a war offensive. The German has
merely begun to change the method
by which he will continue to seek a
victory in this way a profit from the
contest, which will leave him In a
stronger position than he occupied
when the war began and from which
he can later resume the war when he
has again completed his preparations.
.We are, then, approaching a far
graver crisis than that Which existed
before the second battle of the Marne.
Then, Foch was in reserve, ready.
We have no Foch to direct the diplo
matic defense.
Pending a military decision, all ne
gotiation is nonsense, means nothing
now less than to decide how great a
victory we shall allow the German
while the armies In France are un
broken. German success in the east
will insure eventual German gain
from the struggle. While the German
aTmie8 are unbroken, all German pro
posals are merely an extension of the
front military maneuvers as frankly
as was the HIndenburg retreat of 1917.
AMERICAN SOLDIERS HAVE
ARRIVED AT ARCHANGEL
Washington American troops have
landed at Archangel to assist the oth
er allied forces there in their cam
paign for the re-establishment of or
der In northern Russia. This an
nouncement was authorized by Gen.
. cniet oi sian.
ilitary reasons, the number of
7. j
anding was not revealed. It
Vumed that the soldiers had
-.it from English camps, where
ns are training.
"FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY AMD FOR TRUTH."
PLYMOUTH, N. C.f FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1918
PT
01. If
BYAMERIGAN ARMY
MORE THAN 13,000 PRISONERS
COUNTED AND LARGE STORES
OF ARMS AND MUNITIONS.
TH OF SACK IS CLOSED
Allied Airmen Already Bombing the
v Moselle Region and Me-: Out
lying Fortifications.
The American first army ha3 car
ried out the initial task assigned to it
the leveling of the famous St. Mlhiel
salient in Lorraine.
In a little more than 24 hours not
only had the work been accomplished
but General Pershing's men had all
the important towns, villages and
stretegic positions in the sector with
in their hands and were standing on
the banks of the Moselie river at
Pagny, looking across the stream into
German territory. And the southern
outer fortifications of Metz, the great
German stronghold in Lorraine, were
only four miles distant.
Large numbers of Germans had
been counted and others were still on
their way back to the prison cages
and many guns and machine guns and
great quantities of ammunition and
other war stores were in American
hands.
From Hattonville, to the north,
across the salient eastward to Pagny,
the Americans have closed the mouth
of the big sack which extended south
ward to St. Mihiel, trapping within it
by their fast advance all the enemy
forces who failed to take refuge in
fight when the great bombardment of
Thursday morning heralded the ap
proach of the offensive.
In addition, along the eastern side
of the heights north of Hattonville
the Americans have debouched from
the hill region and are astride the
railroad running from Commercy to
Verdun. Likewise the Thlaucourt
Metz and Nancy-Metz railroads are in
American hands.
Beginning in the northwest and
crossing the salient eastward, Fres
nes, Les Eparges, Hattonville, Preny
and Pagny and all the ground lying
between them are in American hands.
The towns of Vigneulles, Thiaucourt,
Pont-AJMousson and St. Mihiel are
far in the rear of the present line.
Montsec, the dominating height In the
center of the salient and from which
much trouble had been expected, fell
without fighting.
Already allied airmen are heavily
bombing the Moselle Fegion around
Metz and its outlying fortifications,
having dropped many tons of bombs
on the strategic railways leading from
the great fortress.and It seemingly is
not without reason to expect that with
apparent supremacy in the air, Metz
and the surrounding country hence
forth is to be sadly harassed by the
allied flying squadrons.
Washington. First returns to Pro
vost Marshal General Crowder from
the second great mobilizatin of the
nation's manpower for the war on
Germany indicated that at least 14,
000,000 men had been added to the
army Teservoir. The estimated num
ber of men between 18 and 21 and 32
and 45 years was 13,000,000.
Ten states, widely scattered, and
the District of Columbia gave substan
tial totals by telegraph during the day
and on these figures General Crowder
announced that these Btates were ex
ceeding their estimated registration
by 8.5 per cent. The returns will not
be made public until they have been
checked for possible errors. The
states reporting were Virginia, Ten
nessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkan
sas, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont,
Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Complete returns from the registra
tion of August 24, when youths who
had reached their twenty-first year
between that date and Juno 5, 1918,
also were made public. They showed
that 157,963 men had gone Into the
draft reserves against an estimate of
158,011.
GERMANS VIRTUALLY ON
WOTAN-HINDENBURG LINS
With the American Army In Lor
raine. The St. Mihiel salient has
been wiped out and the enemy forces
are now virtually with their backs on
the famous Wotan-Hindenburg line
with the Americans and French paral
leling them closely from Verdun to
the Moselle.
The line now extends past Norroy,
Jaulny, Xammons, St. Benoit, Hatton
ville, Ifj.nnonvllle and Herbeville,
LIEUT. COL G. WOODWARD i
1 lsv
i
W i" i-M -
NWMSXSi Wtrn N wstxtper l,nlona
Lieut. Col. G. Woodward has been
appointed by Great Britain as special
representative of the ministry of In
formation in America.
HA16 IS HIGHLY OPTIMISTIC
EYES OF THE WORLD HELD ON
MOMENTOUS POSSIBILITIES
OF THE NEAR FUTURE.
Allies Capture in Four Weeks 75,000
Prisoners and More Than
750 Guns'.
The "critical military position of the
Germans from the region west of
Cambrai southvard to the St. Gobain
massif and around this strong posi
tion eastward to the territory north
and northeast of Soissons, continues
to hold the eyes of the world.
For the momont the tactical maneu
vers of the belligerents In Artois and
Flanders as well as eastward of Sois
sons into Champagne, although they
still are of the greatest import, neces
sarily continue to take second place
in interest to those sectors which are
filled with momentous possibilities,
where a successful move by the allies
may bring a quick change in the en
tire German battle front, or, on the
contrary, a determined stand by the
enemy. with the large reinforcements
in man and gunpower he is known to
have assembled, may result, for a time
at least, in a stalemate in the game
which is being played by the allies to
crack the already demoralized Ger
man line.
The heavy rains of the past few days
have turned lowlands throughout the
fighting zone into quagmires, but on
those sectors, of the high ground be
tween Cambrai and Soissons the
storms have not kept the British and
French armies from moving forward.
Nor have they served to lessen the
strength of the enemy's resistance..
Field Marshal Haig is highly opti
mistic of u'timate victory for the en
tente. In an order of the day he de
clares that the dark days have passed,
never to return. He says that in four
weeks the British troops have made
75,000 Germans prisoner and taken
750 of their guns.
Meantime peace-feelers again have
been sent broadcast by officials and
men prominent in the high political
councils of the central powers.
REGISTRANTS OF AGES 19-36
ARE FIRST TO BE CALLED
Washington. Youth cf 19 and 20
years and men between the ages qf 32
and 36, inclusive, who register Thurs
day will first be called to the colors,
Provost Marshal General Crowder an
nounced, and until the supply of avail
able fighting material in their ranks
has been exhausted, older men will
not be inducted into service. Ques
tionnaires will go out first to regis
trants of those ages and local boards
have been ordered to proceed with
their speedy classification so that
some of them may be called in Octo
ber.
BULGARIAN ARMY AND PEOPLE
RIPE FOR REVOLUTION
Washington Information has reach
ed here from a source usually reliable
that Turkey has seDt a large force to
the border of Bulgaria where trouble
is brewing over division of territorial
spoils of war between these two allies
of Germany and Austria-Hungary. The
possibility of open conflict between
Turkey and Bulgaria is watched here
with great interest ,and i3 known to
be causiig serious misgivings at Berlin.
AMERICANS AITACK
I
ALONG FRONT ATTACK OF TWEN
TY AND DEPTH OF FIVE MILES
HUNS ARE DRIVEN BACK.
THE CAPTURE OF ST. MIHIEL
Haig Penetrates Old Defense Line,
Taking Important Positions and
More Than 1,000 Prisoners.
The American first army under com
mand of General Pershing is in action
against the Germans on a 20-mile front
on the famous St. Mihiel salient in
Lorraine, which has stood a sharp
wedge in the French line southeast
of Ve-rdun since the commencement of
the war.
In the preliminary thrust ' ground
was gained on both sides of the trian
gle and also at its apex at St. Mihiel,
and at last accounts the Americans,
with whom some French troops are
brigaded, were fast sweeping across
the salient in an effort to close the
mouth of the big pocket before the
Germans can extricate themielves
as a result of the suddenness of the
blow and the element of surprise.
Although the advance of the Amer-,
icans was swift and sure and gains in
excess of four miles on the southern
side of the battle area were made, the
cavalry far outstripped the tanks and
footmen and was last reported oper
ating along the railroad near Vig
neulles, almost In the center of the sa
lient and some 10 miles northeast of
St. Mihiel and also northwest of Pont-A-Mousson,
through the forests and
along the railway line running north
ward to Metz, the great German fort
ress, the southern outer fortifications
of which are less than 10 miles dis
tant. To the south everywhere the
Americans penetrated into the
heights of the Meuse and the French
fought their way into the outskirts of
St. Mihiel. Unofficial reports are to
the effect that the town has been re
captured by the f rench.
The strategy of Marshal Foch in the
present meneuver cannot be foreseen,
except that it has as the first objective
the levelling of the St. Mihiel sector
and the straightening of the allied
line from the region of Verdun east
ward. The obliteration of the salient
would be necessary . before a direct
thrust toward German territory from
this region would be possible.
In the north, Field Marshal Haig is
still hard after the Germans in the
region of Cambrai. Here, he again
has advanced his front toward the
much desired German - base; and
sent a thousand prisoners into
the British prisoners' cages in the
rear. The Germans fought hard at
Havrin.iourt to stay the British, Dut
all their counter attacks were beaten
off.
INSTANT DEATH FATE Or ALL
TRAITORS, SPIES OR COWARDS
" With the American Army in France
American troops of all units have
been instructed to kill on the spot any
one who in time of battle urges sur
render or attempts to persuade them
that further resistance is useless.
These instructions, which originated
with a certain division and have now
been universally adopted because they
proved so popular, were made neces
sary because someone In American
uniform during a a German attack on
Flsmette, on August 27, ran among
the troops calling upon them to cease
resistance and declaring that the offi
cers advised surrender. r
The instructions point out that
these statements were absolutely false
and added:
"The person who spreads such an
alarm is either an enemy in our
uniform or one of our own troops who
Is disloyal and a traitor, or one of our
troops who has become a panic-stricken
coward. Whoever he is, he should
be shot on the spot. In battle, there is
no time to inquire into the identity
or motives of persons who create
panic or disorganization or who ad
vises surrender.
SUCCESS MEETING EFFORTS
OF GENERAL PERSHING'S ARMY
Reprts show that success is meet
ing the American commander's efforts
to fling the enemy out of this sharp
salient thrust in behind the fortress of
Verdun. But of even greater signifi
cance to government officials was the
fac that the all-American attack
meant that the months of ceaseless
toil and effort have now brought forth
a third great organized army, which
has taken its place besids the French
and British armies.
Single Ooplee, Cents.
NO. 7.
PROSPECTS BRIGHT
FOR UNIVERSITY
ALL DORMITORIES FILLED AND
OTHER AVAILABLE QUARTERS
BEING PUT IN SHAPE.
TO BE FILLED TO CAPACITY
Will Probably Be "a Moving In and
Moving Out" Population Because
of Calls to War.
Chapel Hill. With applications for
admission pouring in on every mail,
due in part to the regulations govern
ing the student army training corps,
prospects for a successful opening of
the University of North Carolina,
September 26, when classes meet for
the first time, are exceptionally
bright. Practically all the dormitory
space has been filled, and other avail
able quarters to take care of the large
number of students expected are be
ing rapidly put into shape.
jContagious enthusiasm and intense
interest are being manifested in the
new regulations growing out of the
establishment of the student army
training crops in the numerous col
legiate institutions." President Ed
ward K. Graham, who is regional di
rector of the student army training
corps for the south Atlantic states, is
being literally swamped with inquir
ies from this and neighboring rtates
pertaining to the new system of mili
tary training.
The university, as well as other col
legiate institutions, will be filled to
capacity this fall in the opinion of well
informed university officials. Ths stu
dent body for the most part, however,
will be a "moving in and out"-population
probably, inasmuch as It 13 quite
possible that the 20 year olds will te
called after Christmas; those 19 about
April; and the 18youths about June
next. The university campus will be
a preliminary training camp from
which students will be gradually sort
ed out and sent into the various
branches of the service.
Coal Dealers Curtail.
Charlotte. Acting on a request
from Fuel Administrator J. H. Little,
coal dealers of Charlotte are deliver
ing only one ton of coal at a time to a
customer. This request was mai.3 by
Mr., Little in order that each family
may receive at least a part of the
coal needed for this winter.
Heretofore the coal dealers of the
city have baen delivering coal on the
"first come, first served" principle,
and a person ordering five or 10 tons
of coal would have that amount de
livered before any other orders were
sent out. . This plan, it is explained,,
worked admirably for the persons get
ting the coal, but caused uneasiness
among those whose stock was getting
low, and who began to have visions of
the cold, bleak, wintry winds due in
Charlotte a little later in the year,
and which bade fair to catch them
coalless.
As a result of this feeling, which
was beginning to find expression
among the citizens of Charlotte, the"
fuel administrator wrote the coal
dealers and asked that they rotate
their orders, giving each family on
ton of coal before starting over their t
regular circuit again.
Apple Exposition.
Raleigh. As there will be no state
fair at Raleigh, this year, the horti
cultural division of the North Caro
lina experiment station and extension
service is planning to hold a western
North Carolina apple show at Ashe
vllle, November 12-14, so as to exhibit
North Carolina's fruit, and use the
premium list prepared for the classes
of fruit which were to have been ex
hibited at the State Fair.
According to C. D. Matthews, ex
perimnetal horticulturist, the horticul
tural department plans to offer around
5775 worth of premiums at this show.
In' addition to this, however, plana
are being made to put on an interest
ine and instructive horticultral pro- i
gram which will be given in eonnec f
tion with the show
A Heavy Allotment.
Charlotte. The Charlotte J "
at the Selwyn hotel, where,'
bers were the guests ca
raway, the president f
informed in a lett
tor, chair nan of"
paigns for M
this county'f
Liberty loa
the iotal qrj
A. Brooks,
was appoint
ror the fou
Mr. Victor, f
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