... it
piiiiWi
VOL. 15. NO. 46.
A (EUan JCnral Kraapapf r 3f ot All OTIjr jFamilg
kings Mountain, n. d, Thursday, February h, 1918
S1.50 A YEAR IN ADVANCE
JOHN McCLAIN
TEN AMERICANS
1
FIVE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN
' KILLED. WHILE FOUR OTH
ERS ARE MISSING.
E FIRE RETURNED i
Patrolling Soldiers Were Fired Upon
From Concealed Positions by Large
Numbers of Enemy Put Up Good
Fight.
Viva American sohllerH are believed
to have been killed, four are miss
ing a ii J out', was wounded, when an
Amcrii un patrol was ambushed in No
Mans Land by a superior force of
Germans.
The spot where the encounter oc
curred 1 an isolated one and reports
concerning .the casualties Inllleted by
both sides are incacfi.
Only oil1 American is known to
have, escaped llif trap of the Ger
mans, -which was laid In front of onr
wiies. The cue survivor, who crawled
to the Annrit'an lines with a bul
let In his cheat. Is unable to talk.
Ou'r artillery Immediate laid a
barrue,j around the ambushing Ger
mans and some are believed to have
been accfmuted for. The Infantry ac
counted for others, as It Is certain
the i ttacked patrol fought to a finish,
according to Information trickling In
from the front line.
Our patrolling Boldiers were walk
ing In front of uur wire entanglements
when a big enemy patrol that had
beeu divided into parties which took
up concealed positions opened fire
at dose range. The night wrs clear
and the forms of the Americans made
the best possible targets for the hid
den Oerma'ns! There Is no doubt that
the Americans battled gallantly until
completely overpowered.
The ., artillery duel In our sector
continued. Scores of airplanes were
out observing and making photo
graphs. 'The men in the line were
thrilled by a nupiber of air duels high
in the sky over .their heads. '
"' Artilleryman Killed'.
One .American artilleryman1' was
killed and. five, artillerymen ,' were
wounded by shell flre.:
The Americans sprinkled the enemy
trencHes with shrapnel all during' the
day. . .There ws considerable patrol
activity, but no further clashes' were
reportedi-..
1 lrJUSZ? j.
'Wifltftfirfrnrfwrr i) ftTr-ri'i lYnm rn i rrirrii 'nri
Private John McClain of Dayton, 0.
member of th American expedition
ary force In France, wearing the
French Croix de Guerre with the palm
awarded him by the French govern
ment for saving 50 persons when an
enemy aviator dropped a bomb In the j Doctor Garlleld was. : more hopeful
village In which he was billeted. Mc- lover the general outlook than at any
Clain quickly picked up the bomb and time for weeks. Although there is dan
running to a nearby river threw it far I jrer of floods from melting snows and
HEATLESS DAYS
HEATLESS DAYS HAVE BEEN
ABANDONED IN IGHT SOUTH
ERN STATES.
CONDITIONS ALMOST NORMAL
Improvement in Weather Condition
Causes Fuel Administrator Garfield
to Lift Order Roads Moving
Freight.
Washington. Continued improve
ment in wt'athcr and transportation
conditions will tiring an end to I he
heal less M outlay program after lis
enforcement Keb. 11. Kuel Administra
tor Garfield announced
Suspension of the progr; nt immedi
ately In eight Southern States was an
thorized by Doctor Garlleld after the
receipt of reports showing that higher
temperatures have relieved the coal
shortage in South to such an extent
that further closing is unnecessary.
The states are North and South Caro
lina, Tennessee, Georgia, lorida. Ala
bama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
out from shore.
250 MEN PROBABLY LOST
FIRST GREAT DISASTER OF THE
WAR TO AMERICA'S ARMED
FORCE8 REPORTED.
consequent Interference with traffic.
All places housing workers who are
members of the International Ladles'
Garment Workers Tnlon were ex
empted from the Monday closing. Many
Or themsre working on 'clothing for
the art
. The first section of the closing or-
der establishing a prefertnial list In
oul distribution -jnd section ten pro
vldUig a penalty for noncompliance
will continue to stand.
ARE GERMANS': MATCH
Cunard Liner Tuicania. Carrying.; if '
Small Detachment. From All Over AMERICAN SHARPSHOOTERS
the Country t Torpedoed Off Irish I;
Coast Was 14,000 Ton 'Liner.
Or. Von
Seydler, ' Austrian Premier,
Has Resigned.
PROFESSObJ STOCKTON
if
FACE LARGE DEFICIT
i
IF RAILWAY INCOME CONTINUES
THE DECLINE CF RECENT
MONTHS
1917 FIGURES ARE COMPILED
..i
hi
Will
llllli'l
ItilT
h
will
nl :
lit! Ill
.1
-Professor Stockton af Houston,
Tex., has been appointed secretary
general of the American Red Cros,
succeeding Charles L. Magee, who will
remain with the organization in an
other capacity.. Professor Stockton Is
brother-in-law of President Wilson.
th.i
?1 l"
"ftii
11
SITUATION IS NOW ALARMING
COLDEST WEATHER IN A
ERATION NOW PREVAILS
THE EASTERN 8TATES.
East Facing Most Acute .Coal Short
age of the Winter Msy Consider
Two Four-Day Shut Downs.
t WuliitiKKiri ltinli
t'i'.rtifil alimit ?'.i.".s in
liisir the mmmiil ill.
have to pay the m;
i 'ilnn-llal ion un-!. I
tliin. This ft.i- l:i.l;
un ri'vi'iiue, rxii'ii
. all ro.nl s .aniiii: tnoi
I.i.-t ear. avallalili imia
i i)tiiiutai ions liii'-cl on ini. itat.- i
nn-li o i oniniiMon i i . rt ?- for
tninth- iu::l i.-:;n..i:. i u ii.r.Hiliei .
The sum the ko .'-'l':i. !il will hale
lo i:iy the roads iii. I.t Hie hill pi'iii!
iliK in Congress is i-t itnalcil at
Olio .000 by Cliairniali Smith, of th
senate cominiltep liavin the railroatl
hill in rharpe.
' f'igures for HUT show thai if rall-GEN-jway
inronie cotitinuc to ilei line a it
nas in recent months, the govern
njietil will face a d'-licit in tnakiiiK its
compensation paynionts. aiiKnii'titeil
by increases in war."s antl the con
stantly rising cost of materials and
supplies.
To Cut Operating Expenses.
On the other hand, the railroad
administration hope to be able to
cut operating expenses sufficiently
and economize on rliarKes necessary
IN
Washington.- With5 the east facing
mo uiusi i:ul cutti suuriUKe ui ini! i"
wlntar and in the grip of the coldest ionly under competitive conditions, to
weather of a generation, the govern-; onset the declining inconse. The she
ment decided that 'the tre'thinn Mon- these Items, whii-li will play such
day program cannot at this time be hig part In railroad tinatn ipg this
abandoned, as, had , been JiOped. ; . j year, were disclosed by the latest com
The conclusion to continue the clos-!DU,atl'""'
lug was reached at a conference be-I ompared wllh the estlmateil
tween Fuel Administrator Garfield Monie or tmtn.iMiii.iMMi last year,
and Director General McAdoo attend Ifigure for lDlfi was $1.0ST.r,:l.l lino
ed by a dozen state fuel adminlstra.
tors. There was no official announce.
ment. but a joint statement probably
In.
the
for
RED CROSS GAINS
MANY NEW MEMBERS
Red Cross Adds Approximately 17,500,
000 In the Recent Big Drive.
Washington, D. C Figures now
available on the rled Cross Christmas
membership drive show a total enroll
ment of 23.475,000, or 22 per cent of
the population of the United States.
Of this total the Red Cross had
about 6,000,000 member's before the
Christmas drive started, so that the
gain from the drive was approximately
17.600,000 new members..-The central
division bfiwhich Chicago Is the head,
quarters, leads the other twelve divi
sions of the country In the number of
new members enrolled Chris) mas
week. .
Bw divisions, the gains wre as fol
lows: Atlantic, 28.00,000; Central, 3,
000,000; Gulf; 384.000; Lake, 2.300,000;
Mountain, 276.000; New England, 670,
000; Northern, 685,000; Northwestern.
693,000; Paqiflc, 327.000; Pennsylvania,
1.600.000; Potomac, 250.000; Southern.
37,000; Southwestern, 3,25,000.
From the fourteenth division com
' prising all of the territorial Insular
and foreign possessions of the United
States the new members added num
bered 48,000.
Unprecedented unfavorable weather
prevailed during the drive so that the
showing Is , considered exceptionally
good. Final figures are not expected
to change the foregoing estimates to
any considerable extent.
One of the chief benefits anticipated
from the enlarged membership Is the
addition of thousands of active work
en to Red Cross chapters where sup
piles are being prepared for our army
and navy and the military forces and
civilian population 'of the allies.
1915, $71076.0110; for 11114. $ii9:
0U0. and for 1 Hi::. JMilMO.ocn.
Total Revenues.
' ' I-ast year the total revenues from
indication railway operations were. Jl.nus.Oun.OOO
Washington. The Cunard liner Tus
cania, carrying 2,179 Amerlcsh sol ;' American sharpshooters on thj sec
'diers.'has been torpedoed ana sunk'off tdr held by the I nlted 'states forces
the Irish coast. 1,912 of, the officers northwest of Toul on the western I will be given out.
and men abroad the transport were re-i front have matched their marksman-' There had been
ported amranted tor, in a dispatch to .ship and wits against the skill and What the Monday holidays were over., and operating expensev were $2,861
"l,,n lrum lBV "men- experience or the German rifleman op- mt reports brought to Washington hv OOti.ooO. leaving a net revenue of
can embassy in London, leaving 267 posed to them, and thus far have had : the slate fuel, administrators that $1.177.iiOO.oi0 From this were de
missing, and officials fear thai most the advantage. Knemy snipers have throughout mosT, of the esst there Is ; ducted $l!17.iiiii.iiiin taxes, and minor
or these have perished. (been routed from their hiding placea ,on hand hut one day's supply of coal, items of lincollertablo revenue to coin
News of the first great 'disaster in amoag bushes in the hilly, wooded j'coupled with the weather situation, pute the net income figure, which I ,
the war to Amertca's armed rorces 'terrain or in shell holes by the expert , were accepted as convincing proof Compared In a general way to the ha
came In . brief dispatch to the war-de- lire of the Americans and where . th j that the present is no tfnie to lift sis of government compensation,
partmeii' from London. It did- tiot rltle proved unavailing there was i the closing order Even Mr. McAdoo, j These ligures will lie Increased about
mention the possibility of further sur- .brought Into action machine guns and who up to this lime is understood to 'four per cent by addition of reports
vivors, but hope was built here upon , light artillery which destroyed the 'have opposed the closing plan, was j from numerous small road having
the fact that the surviVors landed at ;Oerman shelters and -made casualties said tonight to have agreed flint until 'operating revenues of less than $1.
io .., nqmimcii insu pons aim or their occupants. ithe weather permits n almprovement fOfln.000 a year, win
Indications that relief vessels were at Dr yon SpyiSleT tnp Allstrlan pre. Utf railroad 'transportation, the or, 1- .Included with the
hand quickly. !mi, i, i,i,o.l , shnnlrl he i-nnllmieil In fnr.o .ant riii 1 i-,,u,ls
se records are not
reports of stand-
Blizzard. Cuts Production.
The blizzard has cut coal produi
tion and movement to" such an extent
that officials pointed out that even
the Monday closings been aiian-
OERMANY'S OFFENSIVE
MAY' BE APPROACHING
Washington. Development of Ger
many's long deferred offensive In the
west from the reconnoltering thrus)s
launched during the past week around
Cambrai and at other points Is sug
gested as a possibility in the weekly
military review Issued by the war
department. So far, however. In spite
of heavy fighting the department
Bays no actions of more than local
character have beta recorded.
The soldiers on board the Tuscania his cabinet to Emoeror Charles
were small detachments from almost cording to Vienna advices reaching
every section of the country. There i Amsterdam. Parliamentary circles In
was no distinctive military unit from lhe Austrian capitfll understand that
any state, ana lor .'inis reason war the cabinefs resignation's due o the ha(i
neiiHrimetii niricm s nnnoiim.en iimi o ... . ,
.. , -' " opposiuvn 01 i-onsn neimties against -doned industry would he forced n
would bo impossible to announce a iat nn-pini Heliite. nn.i ih - nrni.innni 1 , ' woniii ue mnea in
of those on board until enninlete re "PClal n""1"1 an" " provisional t.lOSe dov,.n , a consideralile extent
or those on board until complete re- budget. Dr. von Seydler Informed-la- beoause of a lack of fuel suunlies In
ports had been received. Instructions hnr rieleeatlnns tti.it it ., ,h "erause 01 la K or ruP1 supplies, in
were sent by wireless 'and cable 1,y the Tnt euZrnr.TJJZ , ll repOI",S "'e f"el 1"lrai"il'"'a'
war. navy" and state departments to ' em" " ' end ? war at ,ha "on showed that in many state plant..
... . ,. . " ,.j j eauwsi possioie moment ny on nonqr.
hlr representative. Jn . Knglahd and al)le am, ,hs ae(,Iaraton
rland. directing that every detail be ,er wa ,nstrumpntal n end
fordwarded at the earliest possible , Rtr(ke8 , V(en
moment. ,
The disaster was announced in this I Tn? Turk(a, foreign minister. Nes
statement: islmy Bey., speaking in .the Ottoman
"The war department has been of-' . TA. V . """" "ursnay
serted that Turkey was In full accord
with the attitude of
Austria as outlined
Germany and
In the recent
flclally advised that the steamship
Tuscania has been torpedoed and1
aunlr anil that ourvivnra n.tm karln r
1,100 as far as could be ascertained, v?eelhe9 f the "-nan chancellor,
were landed at Buncranna and Lame, ;iunt Ton Hert"ne. and the Austrian
in Ireland. There was a total of 2,179 !reln minister. Count Cxernln. In
United tSates troops on this vessel. rKard , t0 the Dardanelles. Nesslmy
No name of persons lost has been re-lBe; JBclared that the strait would
ported to the war department and no1r?nialn; 1 0Den ln the futre to Inter
name of survivors was reported. Ad-JnatIona! traffic "as In the past and on
ditlonal particulars are promised as" tne-,ame conditions." This declara
soon a received." .- t .v ' t,on lsl-egrded as Turkey's reply to
At tint officials of the department the Provision in President Wilson's
thought It would be unwise to publish innouncement of America's war aims
the JUt of soldiers on' the ship until whlch required tlmt the Dardanelles
the names of survivors could be given,' ! should be opened permanently as a
fearing It, would cause unnecessary j'ree passage to the ships of all na
anxlety on the part of the families of itlons.
the men saved. Later, when It was
pointed out that delay In' giving out
the list would give heart-breaking
hours to nearly every family In the
country with a boy In the service.
Major General Mclntyre, chief censor,
announced that It had developed that
it would be impossible to give the
names from the .department's records
bcause there was no distinctive; mili
tary unit on board.
PROPOSES TO STANDARDIZE
RAILWAY EQUIPMENT
Washington. Extensive standardiz
ing of railway equipment Is contem
plated by Director General McAdoo
under government operation. He ex
plained that he expects the division
of finance and purchase of the railroad
administration, beaded by John Skel-
The troops, composed chiefly of de , ton Williams, to wrok out a number of
tachments'Of Michigan and Wisconsin reforms along this line In co-operation
national guardsmen, were traveling with railroad executives ari manu
on the Tuscania, a British vessel, un-, facturers of locomotives, can and
der convoy of British warship. . i other equipment , . ..
already are closing in large number.
' It was emphasized that the fuel I
administration is determined that j
what-coal is unloaded and distribu'ei '
shall' go. to householders first. State I
fuel administrators have been given !
almost unlimited authority to divert j
coal from other consumers to keep
the people warm in their homes. i
For the first lime since coal began
tO 'riiu short, fuel administration of
ficials admit that the situation is
alarming Report after report cam"
in telling of cities all the way from
the Mississippi to the Atlantic with
but few hours' supply of fuel on hand.
WILSON TAKES UP
, MATTER OF SHI P8
Ships Are Available to Carry Men;
Problem la. Keeping Them Supplied
Washington President Wilson took
up personally the shipping problem
and, at a conference with Chairman
Hurley, ' of the shipping board, went
Into the great problem of procuring
tonnage for the movement of Ameri
can troops and supplies overseas.
Every phase of the question was
discussed. Including the progress of
the government building program,
plans for obtaining allied ships for
transporting soldiers and negotiations
with the European neutrals for ton
nage to release American vessels for
trans-Atlantic service. The president
was particularly Interested In the
proposal to obtain additional ships by
reducing Import! probably one-half.
OVER THE LAND OF
THE L0NGLEAF PINE
ill OKI VHI SOI IMI III SI 10
ltltl IMVNS
EarnitiBB About $958.000,OCO: Near
Amount the Governm- nt Wilt Pay
Roads in 1918 Will Cut Expenses
' Considerable.
BLAMES DISASTER ON
BAKER "INQUISITION"
. '..:.... '
North Carolina Governor Wires This
Opinion, to the New York World.
UalelKh'. fJovenmr HicKett bciU a
telegram to The New York World
charging that the present senatorial
inquisition into the a It airs of the war
department Ik ilirfctly responsible, for
the torpedoing of the linked States
troop transport reported in the morn
ing pa pert.. The telegram read:
"You are In the habit of drafting
my opinion ton public questions. For
once I am going to volunteer one. In
my opinion the senatorial inquisition
of the' war department Is directly re
sponsible for the sinking of the Tui
scania. They put Raker :on the rack
and tortured out him a' confession of
the gigantic movement of our troops
across 'the aeas. Then the enemy i
knew what was happening and, the sub-
marines lurked for their prey This ;
whole inquisition is botomed .mi -.the
inordinate vanity of a' few senaotrs, 1
who seek to pose as the saviors of .
the nation. Their bill has no more
chance to keep out of the congresulon-1
al trash pile than a food grafter has to
keep out of hell. And they know It.
Yet the inquisition continues. Why?
Why?"
TUSCANIA RAIDER IS
PROBABLY DESTROYED
Washington. Much satisfaction is
found by officials here in the unoffi
cial accounts of the destruction of the
British liner Tuscania by a German
submarine which showed that a de
stroyer, presumably British, gave
chase to the raider and possibly sunk
her with a depth bomb.
No details of the attack had com
from official sources. They are await
ed eagerly. ' ' . '
I, I' ll- W illi. mi I OW.-II nl Ml. i s
ri I'm I'l" I'iiW'iLMillf n, lUi. h.u
hern pit in i nl it hi lii-u I t'li.i n t . mil
UlUmltM ailil IS lii'H i llll-t ci of
tli- J'ui'liln vntti (hat iuhK
J'hf in.iici ut an mvi'I'hm-. -hip in
1'ortf Tin- tt nt Wilinnmtoii. owm-d
liy Spnmi A- s.. H .t .In.iriLtnn. a
adrift mi in i( m .-.in nnh ht tun let a
fli.-v.illl.'d
Hull William .fi'iimiiu-. Iii.ui ib'liv-n-d
hii- fitiiitui Ii-. tun-. 'li- 1'iliht
nl lV;.t I ." in un .iuiIm di nt nr.irlv" a
t luuisami i-i'ijtl' . m : Ii.' m ;nj'i m liool
aiiiliinrinti. .tt Iturlitn-Mn!.
Appln .it inn ha li.'i ti mail' 1 J 11,
S. p,j?u .-.:u .--nriati .it (..iMoiiiu for
i i b.tri r Hi- Mvrtb Mill-, incur
inT.iti'il. wiUi .ml :.nn:'i atrial of
"a Ml d.OOO.
'I'lli' imnii'T - jnr ' 'tr i'.tJi-d its lll-
lIH'f-t ill Un' l,ltt?.-Ht'MII('-;'-.M' nt
Mut gHlilnii ami rend'': il a vi'l ilicl
that IV K A H-iiiM'.-M'- wa- shut to
diMtb h Caitt' l,! .unl ;iiiii 1'itts
Two w mi it-ii pmhiti kmi I'lth 'T.n nrt
to be Hinlcfl to the ('!i;iiliilt' policrt
(Icpariuii'iit as quickly u t h-y tan
(unii- from N't'w Yrk 'it. wlicr.- tht-y
have taken thi-ir training They arc to
( iinpi i.it. with ilu- ln al police tnn e.
O. J hnlii k and Ijonan Smyre. of
Conovtr. are dad and tJeorgi ll.iwi
and Troy Himmons are sfriounly ill art
the result of drinking ginger, said to
have coniaitu'd wood alcohol, at New
ton , That Henry M. London, thief dep
uty to Revenue rnllednr Uailey, Ra
leigh, will resign to take up bin fa
ther's work as editor of the Chatham
Record, wan the information receive 1
in RaleiKh from Pittshoro. . '
Because Kecney Crank, of Pasquo
tank county, violated the terms of his
conditional pardon. Governor Hfckett
has instructed the sheriff of lhe county
to return hint to the stnt prison where
he wilt fill out his: umpired term
Since Informing his wife that he
was coming to Charlotte lo spend th
night and deposit 1')0 in a bank noth
ing has been heard of Arthur Yandle.'
Uli years old. who resides on the Heat
tie's ford mad, tdx miles from Char
lotte. "Not guilty," was the verdh f ren
dered by a I.umbertnn jury in the case
of W. I), ltixon, iried for his life on
lhe charge of killing Alfred Thomas,
Indian, at Pembroke last November
The historic old bouse to the rear of
the Stonewall hotel, Charlotte, for
years the residence of the late Mrs.
Stonewall Jackson, and known as the
old Stonewall Jackson home, has beea
purchased by H. I). Springs and the
bouse is being lorn down.
At a meeting of the executive com
mittee of the Greensboro College for
Women trustees. Robert U. Roy ten
dered his resignation as iolin instruc
tor. The committee accepted the res
ignation, and expressed their highest
appreciation of his services and abil
ity. Dr. Lemuel J. Johnson, of: Middle
sex, N. C, was indicted by the grani
jury at Richmond for the murder of
his bride, Mrs. Alice Knight Johnson,
last December. It Is charged that
poison taken by Mrs. Johnson In the
belief that it was an ordinary mehlcal
preparation was administered by Dr.
Johnson with criminal intent..
W. F. MUlerschoen. foreman for th
Durham Iron Works, was placed under
$1,000 bond, and bound over to Fed
eral Court by United States Commis
sioner Hugh Scarlett, following hi
preliminary hearing on a charge or
making seditious utterances, Intended
to obstruct the military' affairs ef th
United States. He did not give bond
immediately, and is In custody of
United StaXeaDeputy Marshal Stell, of
Raltkgfc.
8everal North Carolinians were on
the Tuscania. No report as to their
fate has been made. Three of them
are: James Coborn Bigger, of New
Bern; Milton Plttman, of Wilmington;
and William C. Buhraan, of Green,
boro.
Interned Germans numbering 420
from the Philippine Islands, via Char
leston, arrived at Hot 8pringa, N. C
and were turned over to the federal
Internment officers there. WItm and
children of some of the Ottnans i
sent to Ellis Inland. N. T.