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X
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VOL. XX. NO. 31
SALUDA, POLK COUNTY, T. 0 FRDJAY DECEMBER 11, 1914.
ESTABLISHED HAY, 1894.
GERMANS CAPTURE
JOHN L BILLARD
RUSSIANS CLAIM
CAPT. W. W. HILL
GREAT VICTORY
'1 StfrAn
1 0: $
1 M I I I I I'll
....... ' . 1 ,' 1 i ' v' - ' ' 1 1 1111 1
' ' -.!.'
DEBATE MILITARY
BIG STRONGHOLD
lodz, Second Polish City of Size And
Importance, Falls Into Teu
tonic Hands
VICTORY AFMHARD SIEGE
Berlin Admits Allies Have Gained
Ground In West Russians Push
Across Hungary
London. Lodz, the second city of
Poland and lying 75 miles to the
west of southwest of Warsaw, has fall,
en to the German arms. The enemy
now occupies it, according to an of
ficial announcement from Berlin.
Around this important town a des
perate battle has raged , for days.
Countless thousands, have fallen in
desperate hand-to-hand conflicts and
from the shells of hundreds of guns.
Lodz long' has teen an objective
point of the German army. It has
grown in recent years from an insig
nificant place to one of the most pop
ulous cities in the Russian empire. In
1910 its population numbered 415,604
and with this important place as a
base the Germans are expected to
make a strong effort to reach War
saw. The railways of northern Po
land center in Lodz.
Campaign In Austria
The capture of an advance position
at Przemsyl is regarded as conferring
a valuable advantage to the Russians
in their attack on the fortress, Leav
ing this city to the attention of the
besieging armies, the Russians are
pushing in small bodies steadily
across the plains of Hungary and fu
gitives are said to be pouring toward
Budapest.
In the face of the Austrian advance
in Servia there has. been talk of the
removal ofthe capital from Nish to
Mitrovitza, but Servia denies that this
step actually has been taken.
Germans Lose In West
The allies continue to push forward
in Flanders and in northern ; France,
hut the Germans explain they are giT
ing ground for tactical and strategical
reasons. The advance, as far as Flan,
ders is concerned, seems to have been
checked on the outskirts of Lange
march. ROUMANIA JOINS ALLIES
Another Enemy Enlisted Against The
Austro-German-Turkish
Combination
Geneva. The Journal de Geneve
publishes a dispatch from Bucharest,
saying Roumania lias definitely de
cided to enter the war on the- side
of the allies. This decision, accord
ing with the wishes of . the entire
country, including King Ferdinand and
all the Roumanian statesmen, except
the minister of finance, M. Marghile
man. The question of when Roumania will
make her entry in the conflict is
still being discussed, however, one
side desiring to avoid a winter cam
paign, but the military authorities ex
press the fear that Servia may be
defeated before spring.
The attitude of Bulgaria remains
very doubtful. Greece, Servia and
Roumania have proffered - certain con
cessions, which, however, Sofiia
seems not to consider a sufficient-in
ducement.
CONGRESS CONVENES
Third Session Of Sixty'-Third Congress
Opened Will Pass Cotton
Bill
Washington. The third session of
the Sixty-third congress was con
vened Tuesday noon. Members of
both houses flocked to Washington,
ending their holiday recess of six
, weeks which followed the long ses
sion that closed late in October.
Democratic leaders .unanimously ex
press ..the hope that the legislative pro
gram of appropriation measures can
be concluded by March 4, next, when
the present congress, automatically,
will end. Many Republican leaders,
however, have said they would urge
many important, measures and some
indicated that supply bills ought to
e delayed to such an extent that an
extra session next spring and sum
mer would be necessary. Democrats
uimK an extra session unlikely.
Villa-Zapata Forces In Charge
El Paso, Texas. Eulalio Gutterr
Provisional president of Mexico, with
iciais vina and Zapata, formally
ecunied tho r
ty. according to a report given out
officially by Villa agents here. No
vi ess dispatches have arrived from
e south during the last few davs.
- ueorge C. Carothers, representative of
American state department, re
Ported from 'wia--t. rt u j. v.
t a vilj mat lit? cu
lerea the mnffni -ati n v,
f " uuu TV as IUC 6UC91 Ji.
,"e, fzilian minister, who has been.
'-ik arter the interests of the U. S
John L. Blllard, a well-known finan
cier of the East, la one of the directors
of the New Haven road who were In
dicted for alleged Illegal monopoliza
tion of the New England railroads.
POIUCARE RECEIVES SHARP
FRENCH PRESIDENT GREETED
NEW AMERICAN ENVOY WITH
ALL HONORS
New American Ambassador To France
Rode In State Carriage. to Pre
sent Credentials
Paris. William Graves Sharp, the
new American ambassador, presented
his credentials -to President Poincare.
The ceremony was attended by the
usual formalities. A detachment of
mounted republican guards escorted
the state carriage in which the am
bassador rode from his hotel to the
residence of the president and back
again.
In, conveying to the government and
the people of France, in the most cor
dial termi, v the best Wishes; " ot the
president of the United States, Am
bassador 'Sharp alluded to the war.
"During my sojourn among the
French people," he said, "I have come
to have an added regard for their ex
emplification of" brave and patriotic
citizenship. In expressing the earnest
hope that out of the trials of the pres
ent hour may soon come the blessings
of everlasting and beneficent peace, I
but' voice the prayers of my country
men." FRANK AGAIN REJECTED
United States Supreme Court Denied
,Leo Frank's Petition To File I
Writ Of Error
Washington. teb M. Frank's peti
tion to file a writ of error with the
United1 States Supreme court was de
nied by the court. This is understood
to exhaust Frank's legal remedies, and
leaves the state prison board and the
governor of Georgia the only power re
maining to prevent his execution.
If the petition had been granted by
the Supreme court, it would only have
given the case standing in court; the
writ of error itself would then have
to be passed upon. By the adverse de
cision, this writ was not permitted to
be submitted to the court. .
'To Resentence Frank
Atlanta. Now that a decision has
been .reached in Washington, prepara
tions are being made in the solicitor's
office for the resentencing of Frank.
This "will take place soon. Judge Ben
Hill will preside. It. Is rumored that
application will be made both to Gov
ernor Slaton and the Georgia state
board of pardons.
Servians Losing Hold
Washington. Austro-Hungarian suc
cesses along the entire line in Servia,
which have resulted in the Serbs being
driven from the banks of the Calubara
river, and a successful sortie from the
fortress of Przemsyl were reported in
Vienna official dispatches to the Austro-Hungarian
embassy. The dispatch
said : "In Servia the enemy, resisting
with-all its forces on the east of the
river Calubara and Ljida, after a most
obstinate fight on the whole line, was
beaten. The enemy retired with con
siderable losses. Since the beginning
of the last offensive we have captur
ed 19,000,
British Flood Suez
Cairo. The British military au
thorities have flooded the desert east
of Port Said for many miles, thus pre
venting a Turkish attack in that quar
ter. Port Said lies .at the. southern
end of the Suez canal, where the ca
nal joins the Mediterranean sea. "It is
located upon the edge of the Arab des
ert, which covers all the northern part
of Sinai peninsula. British military
aeroplanes are making constant flights
;over the Sinai peninsula. They re
port seeing no sign of the Turks. It
is believed that the Turkish advance
Slavic Hosts Announce That They Have
Won Decisive Battle Over
Germans
PORTUGAL MAY ENTER WAR
Inactivity Marked In Western War
Theater Kaiser Returns From
Polish Front
London,' England. Reliable news of
the progress of the battle in Poland,
which continues to monopolize inter
est, still is lacking. An unofficial dis
patch from Petrograd says the battle
of Lodz has ended in success for the
Russians, but this statement contra
dicts the Berlin official report, which
says the German offensive in Poland
is taking its normal course.
The fact is that fighting in this
region has developed into such a jum
ble that it is almost impossible to fol
low it. The most important factor
from the allies' point is that the Ger
man advance on Warsaw seemingly
has not succeeded in its object, nor
has it diverted, the Russians from
their forward movement through the
Carpathians and on to the plains of
Hungary or against the fortress of
Cracow, around which they are draw
ing a closer ring of men and artfl
lery. Taking into consideration the case
of Przemsyl, which has held out so
long against the Russian attacks, mili
tary men do not look for the early
fall of Cracow, and are inclined to be
lieve armies of Emperor Nicholas will
endeavor to keep the large Austrian
force inside the fortress and enter Si
lesia from the southeast.
Much dependshowever, on the bat
tle being fought with such Intensity
farther north between the rivers Vis-
i . . . . . . JM
una ana warta and in which all agree
the losses on both sides have been
heavy. There is an inclination to be
lieve that had there been probability
of ait eariyrsuccer for- tbe Germans
in thev field,. Emperor William, who
has returned to Berlin, would have re
mained to witness the victory.
The battle in the west appears to be
at a standstill. It is evident that at
tacks which have been made have not
met with much success. J
CRITICISE BURLESON
Civil Service Reformers Criticise Post
master General and Praise Pres
ident Wilson
Chicago. Resolutions unanimously
adopted by the National Civil Service
Reform League in its thirty-fourth an
nual; meeting criticized Postmaster
General Burleson and expressed the
appreciation of the league for the co
operation of President Wilson.
The Burleson criticism was for in
viting the advice of congressmen rela
tive to the comparative qualifications
of eligibles for fourth-class postmas
terships." The resolution declared
that this was "in direct violation of a
section! of the civil Service law and
made the positions patronage of the
congressmen belonging to the party in
power."
Among the efforts mentioned as hav.
ing defeated "the attempt by rider on
the postof flee . appropriation bill to
remove all assistant postmasters from
the classified service, the endeavor to
vacate for patronage purposes the as
sistant, postmasterships; a subsequent
effort to remove all postof flee em
ployees from the operation of the
merit system; the proposed through
amendments to the Indian appropria
tion bill to exempt more than 100
physicians from selection under civil
service rules." .
The resolution set forth the league's
appreciation of the "co-operation of
President Wilsou in securing the de
feat of these measures."
Portugal Enters War
Madrid, Spain. It is reported from
Lisbon that the Portuguese cabinet
has resigned, preparatory to Portugal
entering the war. A Portuguese ex
peditionary force is' leaving for an un
named port in Africa. It is under
stood, that this force is being sent to
Egypt, where England is massing a
large force of Australians, Canadians
and native troops to meet the Turks
who are menacing the Suez canal.
Awful Suffering Of Belgians
London. Herbert Clark Hoover,
chairman of the American commission
for relief in Belgium, returned to Lon
don after a week's trip of inspection
in Belgium.-' He reported that distri
bution of food is well under way, but
declared famine still threatens the
population and that on account of the
attitude of the belligerents the Belgi
ans must still appeal to the people
of the United , States for relief. "It Is
difficult to state the ' position of the
civil population of Belgium without
appearing hysterical," said Hoover.
:
I M I
Captain Hill, who commanded the
marines at Vera Cruz at the begin
ning of the American occupation, is
reported to have criticized the action
of the. government in withdrawing the
troops from that city and was called
on by Secretary Daniels to make a
written explanation. Captain Hill said
his remarks were made In private
conversation. . .
OPPOSED TO GARDNER PROBE
CONGRESSMEN FITZGERALD AND
SHE RLE Y OPPOSE GARDNER'S
:''." PLAN FOR NAVY PROBE.
Gardner's Assertion That New York's
ri Defenses f Are Antiquated De
clared Incorrect
I Washington. Opposition to Repre
sentative Gardner's resolution., for an
investigation by a commission inter
the preparedness of the United States
for war was expressed to President
Wilson by Representatives Fitzgerald
and 'Sherley, ranking members of the
house appropriations committee. Both
told the president they were preparing
to speak on the subject in the house.
"I am against any spectacular . in
vestigation into this subject," said Mr.
Fitzgerald. "All the facts are avail
able now, and through hearings before
a regular committee and debate on the
floor the question will be thoroughly
reviewed."
Mr. Sherley told the president that
statements attributed to Mr. Gardner
that the defenses of New York were
antiquated were incorrect. He . de
clared the fortifications of the United
States were in excellent shape and
added that army officers had informed
him that the defenses at New York
could destroy any attacking fleet. The
president will go into the question
further with Mr. Gardner and Sena
tor Tillman, chairman of the senate
naval committee.
St. Louis. Augustus P. Gardner,
congressman from Massachusetts, in
an address before the Contemporary
club, replied ' to Secretary Daniels'
statement regarding recent assertions
of Mr. Gardner as to the inadequacy
of American naval and military prep
arations
"I state without fear of successful
contradiction," he said, "that the big
guns on the latest dreadnaughts of
Great Britain and Germany are of
such long range that the battleships
can stand a mile and a half outside
the range of the guns on the fortlfica
tions of New York and demolish those
forts.
"Secretary Daniels," said Mr. Gard
ner, 'has given out a special report
from Admiral Strauss to prove mis
leading my declaration 'that of long
range torpedoes there are only 58 in
the navy.' "
Mr. Gardner has an appointment to
discuss the matter of a congressional
inquiry with President Wilson. By re
quest of the president Mr. Gardner
will see him alone.
Vote Big War Credit
Berlin. With one dissenting, vote,
that of Herr Liebknecht, Socialist, the
reichstag voted a new war credit "of
$1,250,000,000.
Italian Parliament Watched
Rome. The Italian parliament reas
sembled and its deliberations are
awaited with anxiety as this is consid
ered the gravest moment for Italy
since unification. Four hundred and
fifty deputies and 300 senators are in
Rome to attend the session. Premier
Salandra, presenting the new cabinet,
will make a statement concerning the
ministerial policy. It will deal with Ita
ly's attitude toward the war and pre
mier will explain the reasons that ac
tuate the government in maintaining
"armed and watchful neutrality."
APPARENTLY INVESTIGATION OF
PREPAREDNESS ,FOR WAR TO
TO BE MADE BY CONGRESS.
OPPOSE THE COMMISSION
Wilson Is Willing That Regular Con
gressional Committees Shall Go
Thoroughly Into the Matter.
Washington. Preparedness of the
United' States for war seems destined
for investigation in .Congress. Several
bills and resolutions ;bearing on the
subject were introduced and an in
quiry by congressional committees is
regarded at the capitol - as certain,
although President Wilson told Rep
resentative Gardner during the day
that he opposed the latter's plan for
an investigation by a national secur
ity commission. The president ex
pressed the opinion that this would
be an unwise way of handling "a
question which might create very un
favorable international impressions."
.Senator Lodge introduced a resolu
tion similar to the Gardner measure
pending in the house. It would pro
vide for a "national security commis
sion" to be composed of three mem
bers of the senate, three members of
the house and three citizens to be
appointed by the president.
President Wilson let it be known
after his conference with Representa
tive Gardner that he was entirely in
favor of the fullest inquiry into mili
tary conditions by regular commit
tees of the house and senate and add
ed that there were no facts In pos
session of the executive departments
which were not at the disposal of those
committees. In line withj, tnis atU
tude Senator James Hamilton Lewis,
Democratic whip, who introduced a
resolution .which would direct am ex
hausjtiYft -inquiry by ' the senate -military
and- naval committees intof-the
expenditure of millions of dollars ap
propriated in the past for national de
fense. The inquiry would be directed
to ascertain just what had been pro
vided by the expenditure of late years
and also to ascertain actual military
conditions. The resolution was refer
red to the committee on military af
fairs. Another military measure, submit
ted by Senator ChSmberlain of Ore
gon, proposed the creation of a coun
cil of national defense to consist of
the secretary of state as president,
the secretaries of war and navy, the
chairman of appropriation, military,
naval and foreign relations commit
tees of the senate and house, the chief
of staff of the army and an officer of
the navy and heads of the army and
navy war colleges.
ZAPATA JOINS WITH VILLA.
Work Together Until Work is Accom
plished Then Each Will Retire.
Mexico City, via El Paso, Texas.-
Generals Villa and Zapata, after a
conference at Xochimilco, announced
publicly that they would work to
gether and that each would retire to
private life when their work was ac
complished. After the conference General Villa
said that his forces would begin im
mediately a vigorous campaign
against Carranza. The forces o
Villa and Zapata will enter Mexico
City soon. An active campaign will
begin withtn a week by both the Villa
and Zapata forces, according to the
statements of a high official of the
present government. The plan calls
for the sending of four strong columns
to attack the followers of Carranza.
Villa took ?ver the railway of an
English corporation running between
the Capital and Vera Cruz. -
The civil and military convention
will meet next week in the Capital
to approve these plans, and appoint
new provisional officials. It is re
ported that a new provisional presi
dent will be elected on this occasion.
Jews in German Army.
Berlin, va wireless to London. It
was announced officially that 26 Jews
had received commissions in the Ger
man army. 1
French Attacks More Vigorous.
Paris. The French War Office gave
out an official communication as fol
lowst f
"In the region of Armentieres and
of Arras, as well as in the' Oise terri
tory, in the Aisne region and in the
Argonne there is nothing to report
except to refer in general terms to
the superiority of our offensive.
"In Champagne our heavy artillery
on several different occasions has
shown marked superiority over that
of the enemy.
-)
ESTIMATES OFFERED TO CON
GRESS FOR YEAR 1915 TOTAL
$1,090,775,134.
ALL EXPENSES ARE REDUCED
Seek an Appropriation of Over Thre
Million For Maintai nance of
Waterways and Harbors. '
Washington. Estimates , presented
to congress put. the cost of conducting
the government during the fiscal year
1915, which begins on July 1, next, at
$1,090,775,134.
This sum is $3,392,962 less than the
congressional appropriations for the
current fiscal year ending next Juno
30th and $17,906,643 less than the
estimates for the current year. .
Without salary increases of any
kindf no estimates whatever for new
public buildings and all items reduc
ed by order of President Wilson , to
what departmental heads consider the
minimum, the estimates represents
the administration's effort to keep the
governmental expenditures within its
income which has been decreased by
the European war. By grand divisions
the estimates submitted are as fol
lows: x
Legislative establishment, $7,641,
049. . .
Executive establishment, $31,845,
889. Judicial establishment, $1,240,580;
Department of agriculture, $20,706,
013. Postal service, $297,355,164. -
Foreign intercourse, $4,607,132. .
Military establishments, $105,866,
849. Naval establishment, $142,619,003.
Indian affairs, $9,533,463.
Pensions, $166,100,000.
Panama canal, $18,931,865.
; Public, works, $97,913,4fc ; , :
.Miscellaneous, $82,843,325.
Permanent annual appropriations,
$121,567,207. 0-
With the epectation that the pos
tal service will continue to be seif
sustaining the postal item of $297,355,
164 will be deducted as it is returned
to the treasury from postal earnings
leaving the actual total of expendi
tures at $793,419,970.
As there is such a comparatively
small change in the estimates there
is also comparatively little change
in the items of fixed charges and new
estimates for expenditures have been
reduced to the minimum. While the
rule is c4e of reductions, the army
and navy establishment alone show
Increases of any note. The army esti
mate is increased to $105,866,850 as
against a current appropriation or
$101,977,802; the naval estimate is
$142,619,033 against a current appro
priation of $141,393,217.
Eestimates for "the legislative es
tablishment include salaries and ex
penses of congress.
WARSHIP KANSAS STORMBEATEN
Storm Creates Havoc on Atlantic Sea
board Thrilling Rescues.
Washington. The United States
battleship Kansas was identified as
the mysterious vessel which coast
guard officials at Ocean City, Md, re
ported stranded there and which la
ter disappeared without leaving , a
due to its identity.
Captain Bryan of the Kansaswlre
lessed the navy department that his
vessel took refuge from the storm off
Ocean City1 and suggested that as no
other vessel was in that vicinity the
Kansas must have bene the warship
reported in distress.
The captain said his ship had not
been damaged. The vessel was not in
distress, he said. Captain Bryan re
ported from Delaware breakwaters,
where the Kansas arrived. A wireless
was sent to the revenue cutter Itasca
which had gone to aid the strange ship.
ordering her back to Norfolk.
Leo Frank Refused Trial.
WWashington. The supreme court
refused to issue a writ to review Leo
M. Frank's conviction of the murder
of Mary Phagan, an Atlanta factory
girl.
The Storm at Norfolk
Norfolk, Va. Cap Charles light
ship has been towed to the navy 'yard
here by the buoy tender Orchid. The
lightship went adrift in the recent
storm. Both the Cape Charles and
the Nantucket lightships are off their
stations and the government wireless
is warning navigation of the fact
The old United States freighter Con
stellation, which was in danger of
grounding off Virginia Beach is now
safe at the navy yard here. , The wind
off the coast was 42 miles an hour and
the tides very hleh