North Carolina Newspapers

THE M01OMG MW BEEMAN The Weather : Trade At Home The Mail Order House' v. Has Never Brought New Bern a Cent. Partly Overcast To day ; Thunder Show ers Saturday, Cooler. NEW BERNIAN ADS BUILD BUSINESS ASK THE MERCHANTS NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1917. i, i Volume 2; Number 117. Single Copy: Five Cents t I 4 ( m n , i. ' .':, ; - . 4,1 "if i f - ('"if-. x 14. Wilson Opens His Personal Campaign For Selective Draft President is Determined The Measure Shall Go i Through Congress Un- altered And At Once j Addresses Public Let-! ter to Helvering. E IN VARIOUS WAYS Points Out Law Would Prevent Men Leaving Factories and Farms to Take Up Arms Must Avoid Mistakes Made By England. WASHINGTON, 1). C, April 19. President Wilson today opened his personal campaign to force the administration selec tive draft bill through Con gress. The President, in a public let ter to Representative Helvering of Kansas, declared that service with the army and navy was perhaps not the most vital thing necessary in war and stated that only by selective draft can a large army and navy be built up without running the danger of taking away large numbers of men whom the country needs kept at their present vocations a great deal more than it needs them on the firing line. In the letter the President said the volunteer system pro vides no way whatsoever to pre vent men from leaving factories and farms in such large num bers that the nation would shortly be reduced to want. "When men choose for them selves they sometimes choose without due regard to their other responsibilities," the Pres ident wrote. "The principle of selective draft has at its heart this idea, that there is a uni versal obligation to .serve and that public authorities should , choose those upon whom the ob ligation of military service shall rest and also in a sense choose those who shall do the rest of the nation's work." . ' ' ,The letter is the first in a se ries of public appeals to be made by the President to pre vent the United States from ' making the mistakes that ham pered the British armies at the beginning of the war. Just what the next step would be no one ventured to say tonight. It is still considered probable, how ever, that the President will make a personal appeal for: the selective draft bill on the floor of the House, where the great est opposition has arisen," or at a special joint session" of Con- , gress. " ,V ' i' ' , The administration is deter mined to force the bill through Congress just as it was recom- , mended by the general staff, and President Wilson was said to night to have firmly and unal terably made up his mind that the bill must go through Con gress unaltered and at once. They were looking at the motion pictures of the war. "Oi should t'ink thim Scotchmen Would be cold wid the kilt," remarked Pat; "Oi should t'ink they'd be kilt wid the cold," re plied Mike. HfW T GERMANS UNITS III Vain Attempts to Stem French Tide on Front Between Sois sons and Amberive. GAINS ALL ALONG THE E, LONDON, April 19. Part of the famous Hindenburg reserves were thrown into the battle early today to hold the southern part of the line a gainst the ceaseless French onslaught. Twelve divisions took the places of the battered front line troops who had been hammered further and further back ever since Gen. Neville began his big drive Monday. But they were of no avail. Irrisistibly the republic's army swept on, itself reinforced and replaced by fresh troops, many of them boys of the class of 1917. And still the Hindenburg line re treat keeps on, but no longer volun tarily, even the Germans now admit. Two hundred and forty thousand Teu ton soliders for this is the war strength of twelve divisions made heroic but vain efforts to stem the French tide on the 60-mile front be tween Siossons and Amberive. "Suc cess everywhere," was the keynote of the French day communique. On the Anglo-French front there were no infantry actions up to a late hour this afternoon. North of the Aisne and in the Champagne the French pushed for ward, beating off all counter thrusts. By nightfall Gen. Neville had press ed his line from Chavonne on the Aisne more than three miles north of the river. For the first time since the battle of the Marne the Germans have been compelled to yield ground on this line. Meanwhile in the Cham pagne the French have driven a pow erful wedge into the Teutonic defense system between Rheims and Auber ive a wedge more than three miles deep. In the last 24 hours they stormed another series of fortified heights in the Meronvillers sector. Two additional German batteries fell to the French today, bringing the total number of guns captured since Monday close within the " hundred mark. The toll of the Germans tak en prisoners by British and French since April 9 is now approximately 31,000. The defeat of the 12 German fresh divisions is counted by military experts among the most glorious achievements of the French, army since the outbreak of the war. The figure given also indicates the gigan tic proportions of the battle now rag ing. It shows that an average of 4,000 new troops were sent to every mile of the 60-mile front, making, to gether with the three units left there, probably ten thousand men to mile. This gives a total of one and a half million Germans on the 150-mile front on which the Anglo-French drive is being made, or a grand total of 3, 000,000 soldiers engaged in this fight on the western front. . WILL PLOW IIP THE Potatoes, to be Raised on Long Island Estate of New York , Millionaire. : To help in the food, supply campaign William K.' v Vanderbilt has ordered that eight acres of the beautiful lawns of Idlehour, his Long Island estate, be plowed and planted in potatoes. Under earlier instructions Superintendent P. J. Premm - already prepared to cul tivate almost every foot of the eight hundred acres in the estate outside the lawn. Plowine of the lawns will start at once. VA1ERBILT BILLS DESIGNED TOM Maximum of Age for Officers of Ncval Reserves Increased to Fifty Years. E of piv fou suns WASHINGTON, D. C, April 19. Five bills designed to promote effi ciency of the navy in wartimes and introduced by request of Secretary Daniels, were passed by the House of Representatives today. The first of these bills provided for increasing the maximum age for officers of the naval reserves from 35 to 50 years. The second provided for extension of enlistment for blue jackets whose original enlistment was for period of their minority, to en listment terms of four years. The bill authorized increased pay for sailor men who avail themselves of the opportunity for this extended enlistment. The third bill provided that the navy detail officers to the hydrograph ic office for the period of the war. The fourth bill provided that re cruits for the naval service may be trained at land stations. The fifth measure provided for increasing the number of men at the United States naval academy by 533. Perhaps the highest compliment ever paid by one girl to another came to our ears yesterday, when we over heard the foraner say, "Why, she'd look pretty in a flannelette night gown." Ohio State ournal. FICHT AGAINST S L Revert to Civil War For Exem plification of Attitude Toward Restrictions Upon Press. E s WASHINGTON, D. C, April 19'. Censorship provision of the spy bill came under barrier fire from all leaders of the Senate and House of both political parties today. Con demnation of the restrictive provis ions of the proposed law and of the drastic penalties which it carried was voiced by Republicans and Demo crats alike. For the Republicans, Senators Borah, of Idaho, and John son, of California, led the opposition and the Democrats were, Senators Reed, of Mississippi, and Thomas, of Colorado. ' In his opening attack on the cen sorship, Senator Borah reverted to the days of the Civil War for exem plification .of the attitude of Republi cans towards -the restrictions upon the freedom of the press. MRS. GUERNSEY IS ''Insurgent" Candidate , for' G. . "A; R. Head Received Over whelming Vote. ', WASHINGTON, D. C, April 19. The Daughters -of the American Rev olution have revolted. It was announced tonight that the Daughters had almost in a body brok en away from the leadership of Mrs. William Cummings Story and by an overwhelming majority elected Mrs. George T. Guernsey, of Independence, Kan., their new president. Mrs, Guernsey, the so-called "in surgent" candidate carried every menu ber of her slate to victory. She re ceived 677 votes, more thafi her three competitors combined. Airs, ttames Hamilton Lewis, of Chi- LEADERS TAKE UP UN ELECTED PRESIDENT DVER 2.000 SIIERS L CAUCUS VOTES TO LEAVE Approves Bill to Authorize The President to Stop Manufac ture or Sale of Alcoholic Bev erages for The Period of The War. fY HALL GROUP LEAVES THE MEETING WASHINGTON, D. C, April 19. The question of nation-wide prohibi tion as a war measure was left in the hands of the President tonight by the action of the Democratic caucus of the House of Representatives. Ef forts of the adherents of the prohi bition movement were Successful in the earlier deliberation of the assem blage. On the motion of Represen tative Howard, of Georgia, the cau cus voted 87 to 60 in favor of How ard's own bill wherein it was provid ed that the President be authorized to decree or proclaim prohibition of the manufacture or sale of all forms of alcoholic beverages for the period of the war. Immediately following this action twenty Democrats, led by Represen tative Riodan, of New York, and con sisting practically of the Tammany Hall group in Congress, renounced their obligation to be further bound by the caucus' action and left the meeting. TO RECEIVE BRITISH Balfour and His Staff to Dine With The President at The White House. T THE! WILL ARRIVE WASHINGTON, D. C April 19. Arrangements were almost complete tonight for the reception of the Brit ish commission, headed by former Premier Balfour. A program already has been laid out for conferences be tween the visitors and the officials of this government, although nothing has been revealed as' to when the commissioners will arrive. Shortly after his arrival Minister Balfour and several members of his staff will dine with President Wilson at the White House. On the follow ing evening dinners will be given by Secretaries of State, War, Navy and Treasury. Each, of the secretaries will have as his guests the. members of the British commission with whom his department will have dealings. Secretary of State Lansing will en tertain 1 Minister Balfour; Secretary Baker, General - Bridges; Secretary Daniels, Admiral DeChair; Secretary McAdoo, Lord Cunliffe, governor of the Bank of - England. . , i 'HIT SAWDUST TRAIL' Billy Sunday Makes First Call rn New York for Recruits to Banner of Jesus Christ. .. ' NEW YORK, April 19 -With every fiibre of his body tense, with every word issuing from his mouth strangl ed in emotion; Billy Sunday made his first call for recruits to the banner of Jesus Christ tonight. And between 2,000 and 2,400, most of them men, out of a tumultous throng of 30,000 persons ''hit the sawdust trail." cago, the administration candidate to succeed Mrs. Story, ran at the foot of the list. PIIITI IN WILSON'S HANDS MM N WARNS AGAINST OF BUSINESS LIFE U. S. Threatened With a "Disas trous Stampede of Misguided Patriotism," Says Coffin. PROSPERITY MORE WASHINGTON, D. C, April 19. The Council of National Defense to night announced that thp Unitei States was threatened with a "disas trous stampede of misguided patriot ism." The council made public a state ment by Howard E. Coffin, automo bile manufacturer, of Detroit and member of the advisory commission of the council, urging all business men and corporations to "keep pros perity going." Following the appeal of all depart ments for conservation of food and such necessities, great numbers of business houses, municipalities, coun ties and states have halted or discon tinued improvements, threatening to bring about stagnation of business life that would result in disaster, the council announced. "We need prosperity in war time even more than when we are at pace," Coffin said. "It is true that the President has said that this is the time to correct our habits of wastefulness. Certainly! But the keynote of his recent message to the people was this paragraph: "It is evident to every thinking man that our industries, on the farm, in the ship yards, in the mines, in the factories, must be more patriotic and more efficient." Volume of Business on First Day Gratifying to Officials of Institution. WILL APPEAL TO E EARNE The New Bern Morris Plan Bank, which is one of New Bern's new bus iness enterprises, was, opened for bus iness yesterday, and Mr. John Dunn, secretary-treasurer and general man ager of the bank, stated last night that the business transacted yester day was very satisfactory for the op ening day. There were a large num ber of applications for loans received and quite a number of loans made. This institution will be a great ben efit to the laboring class of people in New Bern, if they take advantage of the purpose of the bank. The banking office is located in the building on Pollock street occupied by the New Bern Building and Loan As sociation and the officers of the com pany are: President, Wr. W. W. Grif fin;, vice-president, Dr. F. W. Hughes; secretary-treasurer and manager, Mr. John Dunn. i RUSSIAN ARMY, LOYAL; Premier - Asserts Conditions At : The Front Have Vastly , ' Improved. -LONDOtf, APRIL 19 A Petrograd despatch lays that Premier Lvoff and some of; the' 'other 'Ministers, who have been'- visiting army headquar ters, reported on their return that conditions at the front had consider ably improved, especially in regard to the supply of the principal food products. They, say that food and transport conditions are. satisfactory. Premier Lvoff declared that the unrest which the army had showed during the first stage of the revolu tion had completely disappeared. Ho SWT IIS PLAN 1 CDflDElH OF VICTORY Mexicans Fire On Americans; Shots Returned; 1 Killed LABOR TROUBLES IN RUSSIA IT E Provisional Government Having Great Difficulty in Preventing I Internal Upheaval. PETROGRAD, April 19. Civil war stalks about in the Muscovite realm.s in the guise of patriotism. At any moment the lond smouldering sparks of discontent may be fanned into flames that may engulf the whole country burning it from within, while a foreign foe hammers down the gates and rushes in to reap the advantages of internal upheaval. So grave is the situation today, so constantly widen ing is the cleavage between the pro visional government and the workmen and soldier delegates that those are no longer chided as pessimists and traitors who assert the March revolu tion was only the beginning of end less trouble. The provisional government is com batting the growing distrust of the workmen and soldier delegates. While both parties are continually appealing to the country for unity, they are en gaged in unending quarrels for auth ority. Meanwhile the workers throughout the country are making preposterous demands and all the while hundreds of factories are idle. These are some of the things which the workers claim they are entitled to: A four-hour working day. seven nundred percent raise o! j wages. A lull month holiday. Two months' extra wages at Easter and Christmas. Virtually equal share in the profits. "You can reach a man's heart through his stomach," quoted the Wise Guy. "Yes, but can you afford to pay the check?" retorted the Sim ple Mug, thinking of the high cost of living. Attack on United States Torpe do Boat Off Carolina Coast The Reason. (Greensboro Record.) Attack of German submarines on a United States 'torpedo boat oft" the coast of North Carolina was reported at noon today, according to a tele gram received here by J. S. Latham from a Wilmington underwriter, who stated in the message that all war risk rates in nearly every company had been withdrawn pending further notjee. The battle occurred off Cape Hatteras, although the identity of the submarines and torpedo boat have not yet been learned. ' The message follows: "United States torpedo boat attack ed by submarine off coast Hatteras. All , war risk rates withdrawn until further notice." . ' m . y ' It is said unofficially that the pres ence' of German" submarines, off -the coast of . North Carolina may result in immediate call to the colors of the Guilford Greys, third company C. A. Cr of Greensboro. No orders have yet been issued to. that effect, how ever, 1 and the , foregoing statement is not known to be authentic . ; v Rumor that torpedo-, boats, of the United States Navy , are running' to shore German submarines hag been circulated generally, although there is ho official foundation for these re ports. ! " . . 'i ', said that the fighting Bpirit was in creasing daily, that the troops were ready to encounter the enemy and Tvere confident of the outcome. 1 WITHDRAWN J Carranzistas Openly At tack United States Bor der Patrols at El Paso General Bell Orders His Men to Shoot To Kill When Attacked. 1 I Considerable Concern at State Department Over New Developments Carranza Newspapers Continue to Attack U. I S. and Extol Germany. WASHINGTON, D. C, April 19. Mexico bounced up again today to worry administration officials some more. Receipt of the official news through the Mexican embassy here that President-elect Car ranza had increased the export duty on petroleum and its pro ducts caused considerable con cern in the State department to night. Coming on the heels of the announcement of the petroleum tax, news of the clash tonight at El Paso between Mexican and American forces caused concern here. EL PASO, TEXAS, April 19. A Carranza patrol openly fir- j ed on American border patrols j in the western part of El Paso i this evening. The fire was re turned by a detachment of the Twentieth United States Infan try. One Carranza soldier was killed. General George Bell, Jr., in command at El Paso, immedi ately sent a strong protest to the Mexican military authori ties through the Mexican consul. At the same time orders were given to the American troops to shoot to kill when attacked by Mexican troops. Investigations made by Gen eral Bell and Federal agents es tablished the fact that the Mex icans were the first to open fire and that they aimed their shots directly at an American sentry.. He rushed to cover at the first shot and this alone saved his 1 life, as the bullets plowed up the ground where he had been standing. The Mexican papers , controlled by Carranza continue to attack America and to extol ; Germany. Chicago Woman Demands Ac counting for Dowry und Other i :' Money' She Advanced. CHICAGO, ILL., April 19. A bill for accounting, asking a'julgmant a? gainst her ex-husband for her weight in gold, has, been filed in the Super ior Court against Frank P. Blair by Mrs: Mary Barbour Blair, his former wife, t'"1" ' s- "' " ?' t ' " ,' ' Mrs. Blair 'alleges that when they were' married at Diby, Nova Scotia, in 1910, she received from her father, Edmund, B. Barbour, a wealthy Bos ton man, as her dowry "her weight, in gold." It amounted to $ 32,558. : WEIGH COLD