W
VOL. 34
PLYMOUTH, N. C, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1923.
NO. 23
FORD SEEKING NEW
SHIPPING BASE
NORFOLK AND PHILADELPHIA
ARE UNDER CONSIDERA
TION.
NEGOTIATIONS IN PROGRESS
Will be the Largest Plant in the Ford
Organization With the Exception
of Detroit.
Washington. — Whether or not the
Ford Motor Company makes any furth
Hog fsland, depends, it was learned,
upon the success of negotiations now
in progress with the War Department
for the acquisition of the former quar
termaster base at Hampton Roads by
the city of Norfolk.
Definite information was obtained
that the Ford interests have in mind
the establishment of a huge assemb
ling and shipping plant along the east
ern seaboard for the purpose of de
veloping their foreign trade, especially
with South America.
Philadelphia and Norfolk are the
two points being considered. At Nor
folk there is standing idle today the
quartermaster base built by the War
Department during the war. One dis
advantage is that the Ford interests
do not believe that there is enough
wharfage space not already in the
hands of the navy.
The Norfolk municipal and civic au
thorities, however, have guaranteed
additional wharfage and they are nego
tiating with the government for the
base, and the wharfage to be turned
over to the Fords simultaneously.
Partial information as to the use
v^Mch the Fords intend to put which
ever site they decide upon indicates
that the plant when completed and
equipped will be ^Jie, largest in the
Ford organisation with the exception
of the main plant at Detroit. It would
be constructed to handle all of the ex
port business to Sooth America and
to European countries, generally, leav-1
ing only a very small portion of the 1
Oriental shipments to be handled in
other ways.
Coal Reports Show Growth.
Cleveland, Ohio. — This country is
riding on the crest of a record pros- j
perity wave, it is indicated in reports
so far received of coal consumed by
industries in January, Mark Kuehn,
chairman of the fuel committee of the
National Association of Purchasing
Agents, announced here recently.
Mr, Kuehn made public the first re- j
port of the industrial consumption of
coal in October, November and De
cember to be issued" by the association, ]
which is making a survey of this con
sumption. The report shows an in
crease of 11.43 per cent over the
preceding three months.
Coal stocks on hand January 1
were sufficient for 31 days and the
production of coal, noth hard and
soft on that day exceeded consump
tion by 9,250,000 tons, according to the
Report.
acquire a portion of
Favors Reducing Influx of Aliens.
Washington.—The number of immi
grants eligible to admission to tha
United States under the existing re
striction act would be reduced by mora
than half under a section of a new im
migration bill approved by the house
immigration committe.
Admission under the proposed act
would be limited to two per cent o|:
the number of foreign-born individuals
of any nationality resident in tha
United States as determined, by the
census of 1890. The present restric
tion three as determined by the cen
sus of 1910.
Members of the committee estimated
that under the new restriction clause |
(V
the total of immigrants entering the i
United States in any one year would
not exceed rt8,837. Admissions undei
the existing law total 358,023 yearly.
One provision of the proposed law,
committee members said, probably
would exclude every class of alien in
eligible to American citizenship, ex
cept ministers, teachers, scientists and I
tourists of those nationalities. This
section is understood to be designed
to kep out Japanese immigrants.
As is the case wtih the present tem
porary statute, the new law would not
apply to immigrants coming from Can
ada, Mexico, Cuba, Central and South
America and the adjacent islands pro
vided such immigrants had been resi
dents of these countries for five year*
before seeking admission.
FOUR DEATHS IN
APARTMENT FIRE
Wichita, Kas.—At least 30 per
sons were injured, some of them
so seriously that they are not ex
pected to live, and four others are
believed to be dead in an early
morning blaze which wiped out the
G-etto building, one cf Wichita’s
landmarks.
Flames were first discovered
shortly after 3 a. m., and escape by
stairways was impossible. Many of
the occupants of the burning build
ing slid down ropes to safety.
Thirty-six apartments composed
the upper three stories of the build
ing. In these apartments a ma
jority of the dwellers were report
ed to be agen and some of them
feeble. Business firms were lo
cated on the main floor.
Four persons believed missing
were seen to appear at windows, it
is reported, and then disappeared.
CRAMER 6IVES UP OFFICE
FORBES MAY VOLUNTARILY RE
TIRE OR BE ASKED TO
STEP OUT.
Investigation Being Made and Report
Will be Turned Over to Pres
ident Harding.
Washington.—The administration of
the veterans’ bureau, for months a
subject of bitter controversy, is un
dergoing an investigation which is ex
pected by some well informed officials
here to resplt in important readjust
ments.
How far the changes to be made
will go in the direction of a com
plete overthrow of bureau personnel
and methods of operation remains to
be determined by President Harding
after the facts have been ascertained
and laid before him, but it would
cause no surprise among some of his
closest advisers if shifts recently
made among bureau bfficials were
followed by others of a more far
reaching character.
The inquiry is understood to have
been undertaken after many charges
of improper administration had reach
ed the White House from the Ameri
can Legion and other sources, and
after members of congress who have
looked into bureau affairs had about
perfected a plan to ask for a public
congressional investigation.
For the present the storm center of
the controversy appears to be the
legal division of the bureau, which
has the final say on all contracts for
hospital sites and other contracts in
volved in the government’s program
of veteran aid.
Charles R. Cramer, who, as general
counsel for the bureau, was head of
the legal division, retired from of
fice after he had announced that he
would leave it to Colonel Charles R.
Forbes, the bureau director, to say
whether his services were any long
er considered desirable.
Now Colonel Forbes himself is en
route to Europe for a “rest” and the
administration of the bureau is in
other hands. Some of the colonel’s
friends do not expect him to return
to his desk, although administration
officials insist that he is in no Sense
under “suspension,” they are unwil
ling to predict wt •Jther he will volun
tarily give up his directorship.
In any case, the question of select
ing a new director is receiving se
rious consideration, and it is predict
ed generally by those who know the
inside story of the bureau’s affairs
that Colonel Thomas W. Miller, now
alien property custodian, will be<given
first choice of the place. Colonel Mil
ler, however, is believed to prefer to
stay at his present post, and it is
3aid that the selection may fall ulti
mately on Franklin D’Olier.
Profited From Rise in Prices.
Richmond, Va.—Practically every in
dustry and trade inthe Fifth Federal
Reserve District showed unusual ac
tivity during December, in compari
son with other months of 1922, and
in many respects it was the best bus
iness month of the year, according to
the monthly statement and summary
issued by the federal reserve bank
Df Richmond.
Textile mills in the district con
tinued to run on practically a full time
basis, the report said, and consumed
55 per cent of the cotton used in the
United States during the month. Cot
ton growers profited from the contin
ued rise in prices, it was said, the
benefits to North Carolina being es
pecially marked. Tobacco yields were
said to be much larger than in the
previous year and prices were several
r^ents per pound higher.
Retail trade was excellent during
the month, but wholesale business was
seasonally dull,-the statement showed. [
PEACE CONFERENCE
A! LAUSANNE EONS
DEFINITELY COLLAPSES IN FAIL
URE TO RESTORE PEACE
NEAR EAST.
PASHA WOULD NOT SIGN
Turk is Immovable When Diplomatic
World Tries to Persuade Him to
Enter Into the Treaty.
Lausanne.—The European states
men have failed to restore peace ip
the near east, and the conference
called for this purpose definitely col
lapsed after the desperate efforts to
save it—efforts which were continued
up to the very moment Lord Curzon’s
train left.
Never in the history of political con-;
ference were such amazing scenes wit
nessed as marked the tragic ending
of the negotiations, which extended
over almost three months. Practi
cally the whole diplomatic world ran
after Ismet Pasha, head of the Turkish
delegation, trying to induce him to
sign the treaty, but Mustapha Kemal’s
favorite general, with gentle smile,
was immovable. He said “no” to all—
Americans, British, French and Ital
ians.
The American representatives,
Ambassador Child, Joseph C. Crew,
and Rear Admiral Bristol, called upon
him after the break, in an endeavor
to save the conference and Lord,
Curzon delayed his departure for half,
an hour in t;he hope that Ismet Pasha
would change his mind, but all in vain.
The conference failed because the
Turks refused to accept the clauses
concerning the future economic re
gime in Turkey, and to some extent
because they would not accept the
allied formula dealing ^rjth judical
guarantees for foreigHers," which were
to replace the existing extraterritorial
privileges.
Briefly the Turks waited to strike
from the treaty all c ause binding
them to recognize contracts and con
cessions granted by the old Ottoman
empire. They maintained that they
should be left free to study these
questions, and, if necessary, re-open
negotfations concerning tiem with the
interested countries and Peoples.
They could not, they said, accept
the economic burden imposed upon
the new Angora government by the
old Turkish regime, which had handed
out concessions right anti left in the
form of capitulations.
Financial Markets are E ncouraged.
New York.—With industrial de
velopments still favorabi t, the finan
cial markets were encouraged by the
turn of events in the foreign situation
toward the close of the past week.
During the first few days the for
eign exchanges showed acute weak
ness, French francs suffered particu
larly, and financiers in foreign cen
ters displayed considerable anxiety
over the crisis in the Ruhr, the French
note to Turkey and the possibility that
the British cabinet would not accept
the American commission's debt fund
ing terms. Announcement of the Brit
ish acceptance, however, brought an
abrupt change of sentiment, and with
more optimistic reports regarding the
possibility of a Turkish settlement, re
sulted in a sharp rally in the ex
changes, and in foreign bonds.
In the financial district opinion was
unanimous with respect to the con
structive aspects of the British agree
ment. It was pointed out that one of
the chief deterrents to the revival of
international trade and the restoration
of foreign markets has been the war’s
legacy of huge international obliga
tions. With the debts and German
reparations on an uncertain basis, it
has been most difficult to foresee the
course of the exchanges or to judge
the nature of foreign credit risks.
May Investigate Rubber Production.
Washington.—A proposal that the ;
American government investigate the j
rubber production possibilities of the !
Philippines and South America was
indorsed publicly by Secretary Hoover j
after he had conferred with represen
tatives of British rubber producing in
terests and American consumers.
Secretary Hoover’s indorsement of
the proposal was continued in a letter
to Senator McCormick of Illinois, made
public at the commerce department i
in spite of assurance ffom the British
representatives that the only objective
of recent British legislation restrict
ing rubber production in the colonies
was to establish a price under which
reasonable returns could be secured
and the necessary expansion of rubber
plantations obtained to keep pac«
with world demand, 1
'r** \
GREAT DAMAGE RESULTS
FROM EARTH TREMOR
Honolulu, T. H.—Between 10 and
12 persons were killed by the tidal
waves in Hilo Bay after an earth
quake, which was reported to be
between 2,000 and 3,000 miles away
it was estimated here.
The dead include a child, swept
from a sampan, and three Japanese
fishermen who were trapped in the
engine room of a sampan, which,
together with a scow, wrecked the
railroad bridge across the Walluku
ricer.
The damage at Hilo, according to
a conservative estimate, was $100,
: 000. Several days will be required
to ascertain the number oflives lost
and the correct amount of the dam
age.
The damhSS at Hilo, according to
The Mat^ttlg. Navigation company
liner Matji&(ila touched the mud
bottom once while in the grip of
the tidal wave, but floated off with
the next wave.
HINTS EFFECTIVE CONTROL
IS REQUESTED IN HOUSE
RESOLUTION.
PRESIDENT HARDING
Unlawful Use in United State* Has
Wrought Injury to Health and
Marality of People.
Washington. — President Harding
would be requested to urge a world
wide limitation of narcotic and habit
farming drug production under a res
olution introduced by Chairman Porter
of the house foreign affairs commit
tee.
“It is the imperative duty of the
United States to protect its people
from the persistent ravages of habit
farming drugs," the resolution said,
“and effective control can only be had
by limiting production.41-- -
Asserting that the present condition
arising from the use of narcotic
drugs is due solely to production many |
times greater than is necessary, the
resolution requests the President to |
urge upon the governemnts of Great
Britain, Persia and Turkey the im- i
mediate necessity of limiting the ;
growth of the poppy and the produc
tion of opium and its derivatives, ex
elusively to the amount actually re
quired for strictly medical and scien
tific purposes. It also requests him
to urge upon the governments of Peru,
Bolivia and the Netherlands, the ne
cessity of limiting the production of
cocoa leaves and their derivations
to the same end.
The resolution did not suggest an
international conference, but left to
the discretion of the President the
method of procedure. Under its terms,
however, the President would be re
quested to report to Congress within
six months the result of his efforts.
Unlawful use in the United States j
of opium and its derivations, includ- j
ing morphine and heroin, and of co
caine and other preparations made
from cocoa leaves, the resolution said,
“has wrought irreparable injury to
health and morality” and caused “in
creased and spreading death.”
A special committee appointed by
the secretary of the treasury in 1919
to investigate the drug traffic, the
resolution said, was of the opinion
that at that time there were one mil
lion addicts in the United States,
ranging in age from 12 to 75 years.
Of the annual opium production 1,
500 tons, the resolution set forth,
‘less than 75 tons, according to the
best available information, is requir
ed for medicinal and scientific pur
poses.” The growth of cocoa leaves
also was said to be greatly in excess
cf that required adequately to provide
for the same purposes.
British Cabinet Agrees to Pay.
Washington. — Advices announcing
Lhe acceptance by the British cabinet
jf the American debt-funding sugges
:ions were received by official Wash
ngton with undisguised satisfaction.
The feeling prevailed generally that
i step toward breaking “the vicious
:ycle of world debts” had been taken
ind that the result would be a sub
stantial improvement in world condi
tions. '
On the basis of press dispatches
which were supplemented later by a
t>rief cable to the state department
!rom Ambassador Harvey in London
members of the American debt fund- :
ng commission began immediate prep
lration for presentation of the terms
af the tentative settlement to Con
gress. - 1
Some further negotiations are ex- 1
pected to be necessary, according to
Mr. Harvey’s cabled report, the Brit
ish government agreed to the Ameri
can suggestions “In principle.” 1,
ANOTHER BILL
LENROOT-ANDERSON MEASURE
GOES THROUGH WITHOUT
NAY VOTE.
INTEREST RATES ARE FIXED
Provides For a Maximum Credit of
$1,320,000,000 For Agricultural
Loans.
Washington.—Consideration of farm
credits legislation was concluded by
the senate when it passed the Lenroot
Anderson bill. The measure now goes
to the house where the Capper co-op
erative credits bil is under study.
The vote on passage was unani
mous, 69 to 0, the measure going
through without material amendment.
The vote, however, was not made
unanimous until Senator Norbeck, of
North Dakota, had withdrawn a Iona
negative vote, explaining that he
would be “a good felow.’’
The Lenroot Anderson bill provide*
for a maximum credit of $1,320,000
for agricultural loans through the ex
isting farm loan system by establish
ing of 12 government credit depart
ments in the 12 lahd bank districts.
Bach would have $5,000,000 capital
from the government with authority
to'•'double the entire capital of $60,
000,OOO. Authority to issue $1,200,000
in tax-fre^ debentures, to provide addi
tional loaning capital, would be given,
subject to approval of the farm loan
board.
The credits department would make
loans from six months to three years
on agricultural paper to co-operative
agricultural association's on staple pro
ducts of livestock. Interest rates
chargeable would not be in. excess of
lft per cent above the land banks’ re
discount rates. The debentures au
thorized would not bear over six per
cent interest, under an amendment by
Senator Fletcher, Florida, adopted by
the senate after acceptance by Sena
tor Lenroot, Wisconsin, co-author of
the bill. An amendment by Senator
Harrison, Mississippi, to have direct
loans made to individual farmers wqre
lefeated.
In passing the Lenroot-Anderson bill
the senate rejected the substitute
measure of Senator Norbeck for
which a strong fight was made with’
the backing of some agricultural or
ganizations. It provided for central
ization of farm credit funds by pro
posed administration of the war fin
ance corporation.
urcduun ui hew oidic ouggesico.
Montgomery, Ala. — Creation of &
new state from West Florida and
Southern Alabama territory Is advo
cated by Senator W. H. Mapoles, of
:he first senatorial district of the
Florida legislature. Senator Mapoles
said here that he would present a res
jlution to the Florida legislature in
\pril asking for the appointment of
i Commission to meet a like body from j
Alabama for an investigation of the
natter.
In 1921 Senator Mapoles introduced
i resolution in the Florida legislature
isking it to confer with the State of
\labama relative to the anexing of
West Florida to Alabama. The move
was defeated. Nine South Aiaoaina
counties and nine West Florida coun
ties would be included in the new
state, according to Senator Mapoles'
ilans.
Wants Reduced Rates.
Washington.—A new demand for re
luction of railroad freight rates on
igricultural products was made in an
iddress in the senate by Senator Cap
per, republican, Kansas, chairman of
he “farm bloc.’’ Declaring railroad
egislation would be the “big ques
ion” before the next cnogress, Sena
or Capper said that while farm int
erests were suffering railroads were
crospering and that freight rates on
igricultural products must be reduced.
Effort to Help Exchange Market.
Paris.—The government has au
horized the resumption of dealings
fc futures on the foreign exchange
narket in view of the violent fluctua
:ions of exchange.
The financial interests have been
sringing pressure to bear upon the
;overnment for som etime for the re
noval of the restrictions. Quotations
ire now officially authorized on one i
ind three months’ futures.
Somewhat limited surreptitious
lealings in futures, it is recognized,
lave been going on. The government's
iction not only legalizes these but is
expected also greatly to increase such
ldalings, thereby tending to stabilize
exchange.
(Established 1S96)
Plymouth, N. C.
UNDERTAKERS
AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS
A^lll Arrange for Embalming Bpea
Requeet
Motor Hearse Service
D. B. MIZELLE
DENTAL SURGEON
In Plymouth every Tuesday and
Wednesday prepared to do all kinds
of MODERN DENTAL WORK.
MUSIC SHOP
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
PIANOS
Baldwin, Hamilton, Howard
SHEET MU8IC
Quality Lina Throughout
DR. W. L. DAVIS
EYE SPECIALIST
Graduated at Philadelphia Optical
College, 1896; took poet gradate
work la 1909. Offers Optical Work
not surpassed In South.
Office with Plymouth Jewelry Ca
Plymouth Market & Grocery
Company
BUTCHERS
STAPLE AND FANCY GROCERIES
Individual Cold Storage Plant
Everything Kept in Perfect Condition
WE ARE HERE TO SERVE YOU
W. T. NURNEY
UNDERTAKER
Everything to be Desired la
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Modern Motor Hearse Service
Splendid line of Caskets and Coffins.
Cemetery Lots for Sale. We caa ar
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