VOL. G
Likin.N. C, Thursday, Feb. 23, 1918
No. 47
ar t
i
(
BOY OF 17 CETS 3 CERMAN PLANTS
T'io Thomas Iliteheocks of New
York, flying for the allies, may
safely lay claim to being the
kaiser's oldest and youngest op
ponents ia tho air. The elder
Hitchcock, 37 yeara old, a noted
horseman and poloist, is now a
reserve military aviator, and "lit'
tie Tommy," Ids 17 year old son,
has just brought down two more
German planus and has been
awarded tho "croix do guerre,"
according to oflieial reports from
Pari. Tills brings his total up
to three bocho 'planer in his first
month at the front.
Iess than eight months ngo
Corporal Hitchcock was a senior
at St. Paul' Preparatory school
at Conrord, N. II. He left his
studies and asked his father's
permission to enlist in tho Am
erican flying service. "I euuld
not withhold my pcr'tiission,"
the father says, ' because I want
ed to join tho aviation service my
self. I passed the tests and ti
nail j" became an instructor at the
Mintola flying field on Img Is
land, but 'Tommy' was turi.ed
down by the examining hoard on
account of Ills extreme youth.
Tocn he asked M?rmissicn lo go
t lo Franco and join the Lafayette
oscadnlle, winch, until recently,
was a part.of the French army,
and I allowed him to go."
Young Hitchcock bailed for
France late in tho summer and
went into training at Avoid, the
French school for aviators. Af
ter several weeks of preliminary
training here lie was sent toPau,
where tm finished his course in
gymnastlf)i and trick Hying.
Tho youthful llier cannot have
In en in the actual combat y.or.e
more than u month, acc ording to
his father, who has Idlers from
the Imy show ing that lie was still
In tiainlr.g until a few weeks ago.
His first air victory came Jan
tary !., and he was made a cor
jX)ral a a rew ard for his success.
In a letter to his father Thomas,
Jr., tells of the flight over the
German lines:
"I was flying in the Vosges
with an official French observer
when I had my first tight. We
were iIsm)1. H.Ou) fo-t high and
well over tho German lines when
-jrc spied tho enemy airman and
started after him. Wo hal the
kdvanUge of a faster machine
and we caught up with him after
a short chase. Ho started down
as soon as we opened fire and we
Urop;cd affer him, firing all the
time. Finally, his 'plane sUrU-d
to drop, clearly out of control,
an ! we watched it hit the gro and
In Hi:nes "
AH this cause under the cje of
the French observer and it w as
counted as tin boy's ti r ? t ofheia!
victory.
Hu last two vi.-lories camo In
the l.st few days in slntit mp
lod of fine weather. He made
tho Eights a!. no an I in the lirst
of them he downed a 2 seakr, t f -teen
miles within the German
hues, after a running ihght in
which lie, by skillful maneuver
ing, gained the advantage of a
greater height and sect his op
ixment ilown wim a hail of ma
chine gun tire.
His lat fight neatly cost him
his tiff when his 'n'ltin tm!1
struck by machine gun bullets.
Tlii tight came when lie was
guarding a leconnoitoring air
plane tm a trip over the German
lines The observations h a d
been made and a number of pho
tographs taken and they were
ready to return to their own
lino when two enemy 'planes
dropped out of the clouds and at
tacked tho slower of the ma
chines. Hiteheook n anaged to
draw the attack f rot i the rccon
nnlerlng 'plane which escaped,
but ho himself was I ft in a dan
gerous position. Hy means of
spiral diving and by using many
of the tricks 'earned at the flying
school ho wiiggled out md nepa
rated the two enemy 'planes.
One of them gave up the chase
but tho other followed. When
he reared his own lines Hitch
fork turned and gavu fight to tho
llermsn. Tho two 'pianos rir
RETALIATORY STEPS TO EXTERMI
NATE SNIPERS
y Paso, Tex., Feb. 23. Retal
iatory measures will bo taken to
exterminate snipers who have
been firing on American border
patrols recently unless there Is
an immediate cessation, it was
declared tonight following the
shooting of Capt. Joseph N. Marx
late toil ay. If necessary United
States troops will cross tho line
to deal with tho snipers, it was
declared.
Captain Marx inadvertently
crossed the boundary lino at a
point which is notclearly defined.
Mexican snipers opened fire at
once, wounding Captain Marx in
the leg and killing his mount.
The captain was brought back
across tho line by his men.
An enlisted man was seen to
fall when the snipers fired, hut
investigation proved he wa- only
thrown from his horse. Tiie
American patrol returned the
lire, but it was not known wheth
er any one was hit.
cled several minutes at an alti
tude of nearly ten thousand feet,
and then the American flier
gained an advantageous position,
that of being lower and behind
his opponent. He oionod up
with his machine gun and the
German began to dive with Hitch
cock at his heels. The last seen
of the boche 'plane was when it
was rearing the ground, appar
ently out of control. It was af
ter this fight Corporal Hitchcock
was awarded the "croix de
guerre."
Reside the loss of three Ger
man 'planes the kaiser lias other
reasons lu bear a grudge against
the Hitchcock clan. The original
cause for the German emperor's
dislike for this "brazen family"
dates hack to ItHrJ, when Thomas
Hitchcock, !rM refused to give
up his box at tho Metropolitan
Opera House to the German
Prince Henry who was visiting
in this country. An account of
this ii.cident was given in a
Washington dispatch, February
2, lt02. The dispatch follows:
"If Thomas Hitchcock, of New
York, who has declined to sur
render his Ijox at the Metropoli
tan Opera House on the occasion
of Prli.ee Henry's visit, should
present himself at the German
embassy at this time, even the
servants would snub him. Prior
U tho disagreeable incident in
New York there has leen noth
ing to mar the happiness of the
Gorman embassy and the distin
guished German American citi
lens who were co ojerating with
oihcul America in arranging the
details of the prince's visit. So
smoothly had the things gone
and so pleasant were the reports
from Germany about tho kaiser's
interest in the event that those
in touch with the officers at the
embassy ha I predicted that tho
kaiser himself would be the next
visitor to tho Pnited States.
"riie kaiser is the most demo
cratie monarch of Kurope and
while a trip to tho United Slates
would he unusual it would be not
an extraordinary thing for Km
peror William to do,
"In refusing fo surrender the
sox to the
Mr,
Hitchcock say s: ' I am not will
ing to give up my box nt the opera
t Prince Henry.' Not content
with this declaration, Mr. Hitch
cock continued, 'If the box in the
tier abovp me is not good enough
for the prince it is not pood
enough for me.'
"lu order to arrange tho de
tails of a visit where tho Hrson
ahty of the Individual is to be lost
sight of, each entertainment pro
vided must be in its naturo an of
Gi ial function. That Is why the
Hitchcock iiicidont worries the
committee on arrangements and
the German embassy, livery
bol in the United States will
understand that Mr. Hitchcock
is making a play to the galleries,
but tho emperor and. tho prince,
who are not In close touch with
this manner o,' doing things, may
not comprehend it. Charlotte
Obsurvar,
BRITISH TROOPS BEING
ti Jr J I
yr- l. .V'--:.
! A bty-r:-: i
V- J K, : f !JL. . . . -
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if r-
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riinij,'i:i.lis lirive jinivnl In eeuntry nhuwln? troopi hvUm inovi-d to tli front on niutnrlorrli-ii, en Ilk-ht rnll
sny iiiul m foot, liut m-iIihi tirver In-fore tms n pleturo eoiim sIkiuIhk troup ln-tu iuuvi to tin- frni.t on tmri.'i-'f
la niiiu Is, u Mi h IiHiik iIh iii a nhort dlsinm-e from tin- fro tit. Tlie n-st of tho journey Is iiimlf on foot, 'l li.-i
titr'i nre londi-d with tho hnppy Tonunlps, and tlicy imikp ren nuiuttily fmit proicrwia to the front, thoiiti, of eoiirm
D"t hs fint nn i.iotoi li.rrli-H or lljttit nOlvtayx. Tin Tmiini le enjoy thU ini-llioil of travrl, as It irlvtn litem n k,mh'
.iortui.Oy to U-w Ue prettier irtloi) of Frafcre.
NEBRASKA P0TA5H - A SIGNAL VIC
TORY FOR AMERICA.
The development of American
Potash Sources to a point where
we arc no longer dependent upon
Germany for this necessary plant
fiyd, is one of the most imr-
tant victories won by American
skill, ingenuity and resourceful
ness. As tho Nebraska Ikes
furni&h most of the Amcticau
Potash.it will be interesting to
many to know how this Nebraska
Potash is obtained.
lK.iosits and brines rich in
potash are found in a number of
bikes and ponds w hich are scat
tered over the sandy region of
west central Nebraska. These
kjihIs vary in siz; from lens than
an acre to two square miles, and
the quartity of wafr varies
greatly with tho season, and
some are comparatively fresh,
while others contain a high per
centage of material in solution.
These ponds he in small in
closed basins which have no out
let, consequently tho dissolved
material in tho dtainage water
has remained, as the water evap
orated. Tho material in these
deposits a ild brines resembles
closely the leaching from wood
ashes, which may have been the
source of much of this material,
for tl:c surrounding country was
formerly covered with a gl
growth of grass and brush, and
th region has !een repeatedly
burned over. This, however is
only one of tho many views held
a to the origin of theHtash in
these lakes.
Icsse Lake is one of the largest
of these lakes, and the one which
contains the most potash, nod is
tho one from which most of the
Nebraska potash has been ship
ped. Tho lake is shallow and
covers about 2h acres. Tho
depth and concentration of the
water vaiies with the amount of
rainfall, lis bottom is composed
of dark greenish mud, beneath
which is a sand charged with u
bilne much like that of the sur
face water. The sand is said to
be 20 feet thick in places to rest
on an impervious bottom. The
brine found in the nund is inoro
uniform in composition than tho
surface water and Is the i.iVm
source r,f the potasli supply.
Wells are Kunk into this sand anil
the Urine punicd to the plant.
There the water .$ .cvajwrated
and tho residue dried and ship
ped with, iut refining. Tha vvs'er
is partially removed hy first,
heat'r.g tbi brine and then pump
ing it to wooden touois where it
passes hy gravity over partitions
arranged like slats in a .vlndow
blind, thus partially concentrat
ing the brine, it is then p.used
to vacuum pans whor tuoro wa
ter is driven oil and it then goes
to cooling and crystalling vats
when aTter several iajs i,iu U c l
the salts crystalizo tut. Tho li
quor is then drawn ( '7 .,1 1
turned to the concentratnm sys
tem and the salts slim'dlcd jt
and dried ii a rotary rMu.o (..)
imco. Tho potash i'U ,.('!
MOVED UP TOWARD
THE WEST FRONT ON
,. j-- HL. -.v.
ready for the market and contain
a few er cent of water andabout
2'Jor27er cent potash, which
is practically all in the form of
sulphate and carbonate. This
material is alkaline, and will
therefore teilp to neutralizes the
acidity of acid soils, and make
them produce better crops.
The product shipped there
fore, is essentially of the same
composition as the brine of the
lake, and as it was all in solution
in tho I ikc'an 1 has only had the
water driven o:T it will go back In
solution when water is added,
consequently all of the potash is
soluble in water and is all availa
ble to plants.
GERMAN BOMBARDMENT BECOMES
MORE 1NTERSE
With the American Army in
Franc, Feb. I' 1,0 ly tho Asvk-I-ted
Press ) -last night and to
day the (ierm.in bombardment
on various points with the Amer
ican lines northwest of Totil was
considerably more intense than
usual. The enemy, who w a s
more active in many ways, ap
parently was Using more guns
than customary.
Utile damage has been done
by the bombardment, although
three men were slightly wound
ed early this morning.
Last night enemy patrols made
persistent efforts U penetrate
the American wire defensives,
but wiliii.nl nucccas. One patrol
was tired uon and driven off
while wire t utting, probably pre
punitory to a contemplated raid.
Largo troop u ovomcnts are go
ing on back of the enemy's lines
during tie night.
There was oo aerial activity to
day, oh Ing to w eather conditions.
HOUSES CRYING NEED OF NORFOLK,
JNEWPORT NEWS
Washington, Feb. l!,'. Hous
ing facilities at Norfolk and New
jxirt News, Va., have been ex
hausted by the iullux hf workers
employed by firms having H),
ftX)((X)0 in war contracts, and 3j,
tM) additional men needed h ex
pedite producllon'cannot bo em
ployed until houses arc buiit, ae
cording to a reiii I Usi, Iy the
United State employ trent serv
ice. . The lo idiUen in tho Nor
folk diitrkt were, said to caipha
siw the important e of the mod
est dwelling . house to the wr
program. . .
The . i'epnrt saJJ; .
"Two hundred .million dollars
is being cxjvndcd in this dis
t rir t. in a lev,' month's-time, K
(Ka) wnjrtors are r.uvr o:.i,' ,;e I
and the rueii.itw fvHitirs are ei-
hausted. Corfoik nn No t port
News are bui st.s.g w ilh i;aw poj
UUlUotl. l.llliiS IvU" .Hi llltuS
.around ate swept baro of acens-
In ti- ! v , i" i i ' . Agn-its (if J J
contract .m ru
tlj
r i.
i rg eaci) oln-
I A I 'I I ., I.
i i :."..u;
I III
' fill., I ll'lll'l
' Li V MC
1...: i:..s i ..ii-
er 1 t.. 1 '.
I 'i.i i ii .'. i. :
I'M'. J v
j brou.'lit to the
jpsts (ft) t
; h - i i ; ...
I I
FRENCH CANAL BARGES
I
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,41
U. S. A. OFFICER CIVFN 23 YEARSf
New York, IFeb. :M.Capt.
David A. Henkes, Sixth infantry,
P. S. A , has been sentenced to
dismissal from tho service and
confinement at hard labor for 3
years by a general court-martini
held at Governor's island.
Henkes, who is of German
descent, endeavored to resign his
commission, saying he did not
care to fight against relatives and
friends.
Captain Henkes, who was sta
tioned at San Antonio l ist May,
wrote the secretary of war, urg
ing him to accept his resignation,
which he had already submitted,
and giving reasons which, lie de
clared, would no longer allow him
to serve as an officer of the Amer
ican army.
'Tuither service s a commis
sioned officer must sooner or la
ter take me to Furoe, and there
bring me in conflict with my rel
atives and friends, although for
the time being my legal ene
mies," Captain Henkes wrote.
"My father came from Germany,
my mother was born here shortly
after the arrival of her parents.
We have many other relatives
and friend there
I cannot force myself to the
conviction that I am capable of
making war on my kindred uon
their sri! in a manner tint would
heroine ny duty and station. I
earnestly request that I may net
be required to undergo this or
deal. I seriously doubt my abil
ity to withstand it, and would
avoid, in the Interest of my coun
try, family and friends, what at
least apM'rs to he be the proba
ble consequences,'!
Captain Henkes suggested as
an alternative that he bo given
service In some other field. Soon
afler he had submitted Ids resig
nation, ho was ordered to I'ranco
with the American expeditionary
forces, and from there, Juno L".,
UM 7, wrote to the adjutant gen
eral In Washington calling at
tention to the fact that lie had re
elgned, and declaring that his
battalion commander, tho de
p.titment quartermaster an J the
vOiissr.dir-s. c Steer cf the ynh
em department' lad f.pprovcd
his action. He rejx-ated the rea
gAfiS for desiring lo quit the
service. ;
Again on (H-tober 10, w hi!.' still
on duty in France, CnpUi n
Henkes wrote the 'adjutant pen-
eraT urging aca'cptaneo of his
resignation. " -
Captain Henkes was then or
dered fo this country, and sum
moned before a genera' court
martial ut Governor' Island,
where hu was fo-maHy charged
willi iM!ai;..m of U;q ".'.th article
of war, Tics charce recital that
"basic ; 1 1' i an oath ofoil.ee in
V. lilt
s
.. ,,i g ( tin r t' big, he
' t i '; i vert an-l d"f-'"d the
! 0f tf c t'niti'd Mate
It'! s, f H-ci'l and
st;c and In would 'boar
' !.' 'i i'ii! ' '.. t .'i o to the
,'" I.:; 1 written th tcttrs
l r.n r ...
usl i -..I' ', ft,.r, I him
i .1
1'
.1
t rue
e. -
FIRST EXPERIENCE IN riCIITINO Or
AMERICAN LINE.
With the American Army in
France, Feb. L'J. In a patrol
fight, Americans from units un
der Instruction in the famous
Chemin ties" I lames sector killed
one German and ciiptured anoth
er. One American was slightly
wounded.
This is the lirst time that It has
been permitted to reveal that new
American units liavo entered the
line. The troops have been there
for some time.
De tails of the patrol fight are
as yet unavailable, beyond the
nnollicial report that the prisoner
taken was captured single hand
ed by a young American from
one of the New Kngland states,
who. during the engagement,
dropped into a shellhole on fop
of a German hiding there and la
ter brought him in.
Throughout the irregular pe
riod of service in tho line, these
troops have displayed great eag
erness to establish a record equal
to or better than that of the
troops holding the sector north
west of Toul.
The orders for them to leave
their billets came suddenly a few
weeks ago. The troops entrain
ed and rode to the railroad near
est tho position into which they
were going. They knew whither
they were bound, and welcomed
the opportunity to start the work
of lighting the Germans.
The units as they detrained
were received by the French
peneral commanding the sector,
who kissed tho American Hag
reverently and add reused the
men, saying that he held them in
the same regard as his own sol
diers, and that they were broth
ers inarms, fiphtingforthc same
great cause.
He warned them to be cautious
iu dealing with the enemy over
the. distant hills. The French
soldiers, he sjiJ, were skilful in
hunting these "wild beasts,"
were glad of the opportunity to
pass along all they knew to their
American comrades. Ho recog
nf -.ed that they were courageous
and anxious to lent themselves
ugiinst the enemy, but advised
that they should go slow at lirst.
Tho troops made a long march
to the line, singing at Intervals,
to help the feet move faster and
lighten the load they were carry
ing. They passed through mile
after mile of shell acarrol, deso
late ground, and through a num
ber of great pi les of stoves and
debris which once were villages,
but r.o'v w'thout n single house
left standing. The scenes of
destruction of such a largo scale
Impressed tho Americans deeply
and many of them expressed the
hox that they would soon ', bo
able to help ounish the prjetra-;
tors. 1
The troops marched Into the
line on one of the darkest nights
and took up their positions p ith
out a hitch, to the music of the
roaring guns, both friendly and
hostile, their dishes frequently
slabbing the blackness of the
ni uh t, first here and then there,
as fast as the eye could see.
An American general with
these troops w 1 ,!0t been In the
tiehl two houia w hen the enemy
dr?ppd - nunilwr of ft inch
shells close by him. It was the
general's first experience under
ft re, but he continued his work
couliy, remarking that he wa? no
more nervous than he thought he
would bo.
The troops In this sector are all
virtually husky spec'uieim, and
there are many six footers among
them. They come from a cold
climate, and quickly adapted
themselves to tho field conditions
at this season.'
The reserve units are quarter
ed In the Alsne quarries nearby,
which are twenty feet under
ground, and ono of which is cap
able of sheltering .1,000 men;
MiUty, and tho findings having
been reviewed by,t'io judge ad
vocate general, toe sentence was
ordered carried out. Furt I-ca?
enworth was designnted tho
placo of Imprisonment.
The report whs sio h by Ma
jor Get.eral William A. Mann,
cormtianoini? 'the department of
tho cast, and by Col. W. A. Simp
son, retired, adjutant.
fNSlRUCTOR AND TWO CADETS ARC
KILLED
Memphis, Tenn., Fob. lM.A
civilian flying instructor and two
cadets ot the United States avia
tion training school at Park field,
near here, are dead as tho result
of a collision between two air
planes shortly after tt o'clock this
afternoon.
The dead :
Guy II. Iioagle, o' Chicago, civ
ilian instructor; James H. Webb,
of Home, Ga flying cadet; Rob
ert Gray, J r., of Long Island, N.
Y., a (lying cadet.
Tho collision occurred when
tho airplanes were at an altitude
of about 300 foet rind both ma
chines crashed to earth, burying
tho bodies of tho throo vHlms in
a mtus of wrccknge. All threo
bodies were frightfully mangled.
PEACF OR FIGHT TO FINISH. SAID
TROTZKY
fxmdon, Feb. -4. --If peace is
not brought about, the Russians
will fight to a finish, Leon Trotz
ky, the Russian foreign rrinister,
is quoted as having said in an in
terview with'.thc Pctrograd cor
respondent of.tho Kxchango Tel
egraph company. The interview
follows:
"If we don't get a separate
peace, wo shall tight to a finish.
We do not lose hope. We are in
formed from Stockholm that re
lations between Uerlia and Vi
enna are strained. If wc ios
scssed an army abto to fight we
would start war with Germany.
"If there is anyone ablo to re
sist the German invasion it is
our (bolshoviki) party. Wc have.
declared that wo wero forced to
sign a peace declaration and our
humiliation is not greater than
w hen strikers are forced to agree
to the terms of the capitalists.
The first symptoms of tho panic
will soon pass and we shall apply
resolute methods in order to fin
ish the war."
WHOLESALE INTERNMENT OF GER
MAN ALIENS IS PLANNED
Washington, Feb. 'J!l. Prepa
rations arc being made by tho
department of justice for intern
ment of several hundred Ger
mans who failed to register at
tho natlon-wido census of Ger
man enemy aliens threo weeks
ago. A few arrests already have
been made, and these, will con
tinue in increasingly greater
numbers during the next lOdays
or two weeks.
Internment wiil be imposed
only on Germsns who appear to
have refused deliberately to reg
ister. I'nited States marshals
and attorneys have been Instruct
cd to deal leniently with Ger
mans who show ovidenco of hav
ing failed to register because of
carelessness, and to H?rmlt their
cnrollaient even ot this late timn.
CERMANS CONCENTRATE ARTILLERY
ON AMERICANS
With tho American Army in
France, Saturday, Feb. 2.1. -(Hy
tho Associated Press.) In tho
American sector northwest of
Toul today the Germans tried
the tactics of concentrating ar
tlHery fire on ono of the Ameri
can positions, apparently with
the purpose of obliterating it.
The American guns immediately
.... il. a "!, i I. . 1 1 .
'i'U,.:'f " iii i.-i iiiBii uaibuiitK
wUh a doubly heavy retaliatory
firo and then swept
lines with a vieious barrage, un
doubtedly inflicting considerable
damage.
The German guns promptly
ceased fire. Whether they were
silenced or stopped firing for
other reasons is unknown, but
since that time hardly a ebxt hns
been fired from that pomt.
Last night a German patrol
was found onco more within th
American wire. It wa dri-on
bactf by machine gun pud ritlo
fire. American patrols woilei
freely, without interference.
. Tho O r: ir.s today droned
into the American trench. -i no
entirely new fv; of brrr.b, re
mmliw a 1 . ' No da.n
ago wiis done.
Al it : the front ;;i .net a:
was lens lirinf, owir t ) 1
Lilll". 'rl C Cl
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