pJEWPORT
^ VOLUME XVIII. NO. 190.
Has B«n Made By Chief Of Bureau
|f Of Investigation And Laid Be
fore Senate Committee.
pK®
i Washiri^Sn, Dee. 6.-— A. Bruce
I IMtlaski, chief of the the Bureau of
I Investigation of the department of
I justice, has laid before the senate
committee an investigation of the
brewery and German propaganda ca
blegrams exchanged in nineteen hun
dred and sixteen between Count Von
Bernstorff, then ambassador h re,
and the Berlin foreign office. One
of Bernstorff’s messages urged that
L special favor be shown William Bay
ard Hale, an American about to visit
I Berlin as newspaper, correspondent,
because he was employed by Hearst
organs, which, the message said, had
outspokenly placed themselves on the
H side of Germany. Bielaski told the
committee that Hale was on the
Hearst payroll for three hundred dol
lars a week and was also employed
at fifteen thousand dollars a year by
publicity organization formed by
^**T)r. Bernard Dernsburg for the pur
pose of setting forth German propa
ganda. Suggesting that June second,
nineteen sixteen was a favorable
time get Hearst to send a first class
journalist to Berlin Bernstorff told
the foreign office that the man to se
lect was Hale, who he said had been
a confidential agent of the embassy
since the beginning of the war.
Hearst message said, “Not aware that
Hale is our agent, but know him only
as a German Ophile journalist, and
that he has also contributed leading
articles to papers.”
(By The Associated Press.)
Washington, Dec. 6.—Hale, accord
ing to Bielaski, was paid by the
•German government to visit Rouma
Inia and if prossible to prevent the
^entrance of that nation into the war.
Pulaski said Hearst was ignorant of
Hale's employment on the latter mis
sion. He also said that Germany
never succeeded in seducing an
American official “if we ecept Con
Jkgressman Buchanan, of Illinois, who
got mixed up with Von Rintelen in
labors of the peace council.”
HIKER TRAFFIC IS
1.;
ecftion Of French Prisoners By
uns Cause Allies To Patrol Ber
lin And Mannheim.
(By The Associated Press.)
ipenhagen, Thursday, Dec. 5.—
and A erican forces will tem
J(rily occupy Berlin in exercish i;
e, supervision, according to the
cci.- ‘ Allgem inne Zettung >f
"in, which says an American wire
lets dispatch to this effect was in
i tercepted. The newspaper says
? Mannheim will be similarly occupied.
The reason for this action is said to
be a regretable incident during
which a supervisor at a prisoners'
camp shot three Frenchmen.
DISABLED SOLDIERS TO
RECEIVE EDUCATION.
Soldiers discharged during the war
will be paid $65 a month during the
period of their re-education, which
will be directed by the federal board
for vocational training, says Dr. C.
A. Prosser, director of the board.
He states that the government has
authorized an additional $10 if - the
soldiers have dependents.
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j RECOMMENDS RESERVE
) OFFICERS’ TRAINING CORPS
BE ESTABLISHED.
Special to Independent.
Little Rock, Dec. 6.—The commit
| tee on Education of the War Depart
ment has recommended that Reserve
Officers’ Training Corps units be es
tablished at the educational institu
tions of the state in place of the Stu
dent Army Training Corps, which are
to be mustered out at an early date.
In approving this course Governor
1 Brough says that “this is highly im
portant to overcome the general pre
war apathy for military training,” as
well as to promote patriotism and
civic pride and improve the moral
j and physical condition of our young
j manhood.
W. II. McLAIN PARDONED.
Special to Independent.
Little Rock, Dec. 6.—W. H. Mc
f,ain, of Faulkner county, has been
| pardoned, having been convicted in
■ 1913 of a felony and sentenced to
| eight years’ imprisonment. He is an
i old man, blind in one eye, and dur
ing the building of the state levee at
•Cummins broke his left leg and has
since been a cripple. He has a wife
and four children dependent upon
him for support.
HUNSWILLTRY
TO FIT ACROSS
Germans Said To lie Constructing
Air Machine With Idea of Flying
Across The Atlantic.
(By The Associated Press.)
London, Dec. 6.—Germans are
building an aeroplane with which
they intend trying a trip across the
Atlantic and have a zeppelin under
construction with the same idea, ac
cording to the Berlin correspondent
to the Daily Express. The corres
pondent says immediately after the
armistice was signed the aircraft
factory at Staaken, a suburb of Ber
lin, began converting fighting planes
into commercial machines.
(By The Association Press.)
Washington, Dec. 2.—Messages di
recting the disposition of official
business have begun to reach the
White House from President Wilson
at sea.
(By The Associated Press.)
London, Dec. 6.—Southern Baden
is seeking incorporation in Switzer
land, according to Baden newspapers,
says a Copenhagen dispatch to the
Exchange Telegraph.
BOOK BY NEGROES,
“HELPING THEMSELVES”
PROBABLY BE PUBLISHED
Special to Independent.
Little Rock, Dec. 6.—-Prominent ne
groes of Arkansas have organised a
company for the publication of a
book, “Helping Themselves,” which
is being written about successful ne
groes in Arkansas. The book is to
be bound in sheepskin, and hand
somely illustrated, the publishers
declaring that they intend to produce
a volume that will make the people
of the North who think the negro in
the South is a dependent, sit up and
take notice. Only the negroes of Ar
kansas who have made a success in
a business or professional way will
be mentioned in the book, and to
guard against any who might have
accumulated considerable in cpies
tionable ways of getting into ' e
book, a committee has been appoint
ed to investigate each case. The book
will be off the press about March.
BOLSHEVISM CAUSES
SERIOUS TROUBLES
ON BERLIN STREET.
, i
(Bv The Associated Press.)
London, Dec. 6—Serious disorders
have arisen in Berlin and consider
able firing has occurred on the prin
ciple street, according to reports
reaching the Dutch-German frontier,
says an Amsterdam dispatch to the
Exchange Telegraph. The trouble
:s said to have been caused by the
German Bolsheviki.
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1 THIRD SON OF FOR
MER GERMAN KAISER
WITH NEW REGIME.
(By The Associated Press.)
London, Lee. 6.—Adelbert, the
third son of the former German em
peror, has joined the present gov
ernment, according to a Berlin ais
j patch to the Express.
—
COST OF PLOWING
WITH FARM TRACTOR.
Fayetteville, Dec. 2.—In order to
i determine the actual cost of plowing
i land with a tractor in Arkansas and
| in order to test the efficiency and
1 staying powers of the engine, the
i College of Agriculture ox the Uni
versity of Arkansas recently conduct
ed a plowing test for 32 1-2 hours.
Somewhat more than 34 acres of
land were plowed. The exact cost per
! acre was found to be about $1.
Following the 32 1-2 hours of ac
1 tual work the tractor was run for
1 3-4 miles. After the engine had
bef n running for 48 hours it was still
cool.
SEVERE CORPORAL
PUNISHMENT HAS
BEEN ABOLISHED.
(By i lie Associated rress.j
Washington, Dec. 6.—The practice
of tying military prisoners to bare
cells and all other methods of severe
corporal punishment has been abol
ished by the war department Secre
tary Baker announces.
CONDITIONS IN PETRO
GRAD ARE TERRIBLE.
(By The Associated Press.)
Stockholm, Thursday, Dec. 6.—
Fugitives from Russia say that liv
ing conditions in Petrograd are ter
rible. The famine there, they say de
fies imagination. All middle class of
people are excluded from public eat
ing houses and they are dying of
starvation by the thousands.
BUSINESS MEN OF U. S.
WILL SEND COMMISSION
TO EUROPE IF NEEDED.
(By The Associated Press.)
Atlantic City, Dec. 6.—Organized j
business men of the United States,
through the reconstruction of the
congress war services committees,
in a session here decided to send a
commission to Emppe to be available
if American peace delegates should
need assistance in working out our
economic problems.
The farmers of Benton county
have formed organizations for the
purpose of buying blooded bulls and
cows.
A machine has been invented for
lapidly spraying varnish evenly on
the inside of cannon shells before
they are loaded.
Government surveyors have found1
11 h and continuous indications of
gold, silver and iron along the west
coast of Sumatra.
! ARGONNE VETERAN WILL
RETURN BEFORE MEETING
OF NEXT LEGISLATURE.
i Special to Independent.
Little Rock, Dec. 6.—State Senator
i Thomas H. Rogers of Paris, who has
j been a major in the United States
| army since the declaration of war,
| and was in the Argonne Forest when
| the armistice was signed, has written
! to Gov. Brough and Attorney-General
i Vrbuckle that he will return to this
i country before the meeting of the
S legislature. The governor has assur
: ed Mrs. Rogers that no appointment
! would be made to succeed her hus
I band, and that he would fill his unex
pired term.
DEMOBILIZATION AT RATE
OF 1,000 MEN PER DAY
| Camp Funston, Kan., Dec. 6.—De
mobilization of forces here now is
proceeding at the rate of about 1,000
men a day,' but it is apparent that
the Tenth Division whose training
only recently was completed, is to
be retained intact, at least until the
other independent units in camp have
been mustered out. A number of ord
ers for the discharge of men in these
miscellaneious units have been re
ceived, the largest number affected
by any one order being the 65th
Pioneer Regiment' composed of ne
gro road builders. This order called
for the discharge of 5,000 men this
week. The plan under which these
troops are leaving camp, carries out
that recently announced by the War
Department, that the men are to be
transported from camp in troop
trains to points nearest their homes,
where they will be mustered out.
Men found physically unfit, will be
retained in camp until they are
again in normal health and condition.
Equipment is being checked care
fully as the men leave camp, only an
allotment of clothing being allowed
each man, and he is under specific
instructions that, he must return
every article of clothing to the com
missary department not later than
three months from the day he is
mustered out. To those who so de
sire it, money advanced on Liberty
Bonds being purchased on the in
stallment plan, is being refunded up
on departure from camp.
Camp officials say 1,000 men a day
probably will be the maximum for
releasing the men and that this pace
will not be maintained for any con
siderable length o£ time.
The problem of providing railroad
equipment to carry the men to their
homes states has been solved. A field
clerk is now stationed at the must
ering out barracks. His duty is to
record the destination and hour of de
parture of each man. There records
are delivered to the passenger agents
of the Union Pacific, the only rail
road line into Funston. Destinations
are classified and proper notice given
to each connecting line which catch
a part of the traffic.
An effort will be made in France
to curb the spread of Bolshevism.
Subscribe for the Independent.
— —
ARKANSAS
ill BANK Q
HI TRUST
COMPANY
E NEWPORT. ARK,.
HE: *J 'v-*
Bank Your Money
= ' What is your money worth to you
v, nen ii '» constantly in your personal
== possession?
Money which is in constant danger
H of loss, or which is idle—earning no
= interest—is of practically no value.
I* = The bank is the place for money. It
thi s not only is safe, but it is of value
= to the general prosperity of the com
^H munity.
Ill___—
[5i! Safdy-Sa tisfa dory Servico
(1
DRIVE FOR FRENCH
ORPHANS WILL CLOSE
TOMORROW NIGHT.
Mrs. Claude M. r.rwin, chairman
of the French orphan work that has
been going on all the week, announces
that the drive has been fairly suc
cessful, and says that all da^ Satur
day she will be glad to accept checks
for the support of a fatherless French
child. There are several prospective
people who have signified their in
tention of supporting one and if
they will call Mrs. Erwin she will be
glad to see them and to send in their
pledge.
Those added to the list in the past
few days are Miss Dorothy Stephens,
Mrs. T. J. Gregg, Mrs. J. S. Wilmans,
Miss Alma Morgan, Ilayden & Hollo
way, Tom W. Johnson, Miss Marga
ret Van Dyke, Wolff-Goldman Mer
cantile Company, The Elks Club, The
Woodmen of the World, The Odd Fel
lows, Misses Fannie and Guy Smith
and Miss Lueile Taylor.
Lee Mills, county judge of Pulaski
county, in a letter to the Gazette,
urges the adoption of the constitu
tion by the people of Arkansas. He
especially favors the bond issue fea
ture of the new constitution and says
the counties would be able to pay
their debts and get on a cash basis.
■-:
Disturbances 2,500 Miles South Of
Washington Are Recorded By
Georgetown University.
(By The Associated Press.)
Washington, Dec. 6.— An earth
quake of great intensity, approxim
ately 2,500 miles south of Washing
ton, was recorded early today by
the seismograph at the Geogetown
University. The shocks began at
3:48 o’clock, continuing one hour and
were so severe that needles were dis
lodged from the instrument at one
time. Another sharp shock occurred
at 7:33 o’clock.
Casualty List
The following casualties are re
ported by the commanding general of
the American Expeditionary Forces:
Died of disease-110
Wounded severely-27
Wounded (degree undetermined) 301
Total___438
Among the Arkansas boys in to
day’s list are the following:
Killed in action, Herman I. Arm
strong, Searcy; Will Stanley, Bolli
field; John H. Ballard, Benton;
Van Johnson, Faith.
Wjounded, degree undetermined,
Clarence C. Hall, Mansfield; Peter
A. Edwards, Jasper; Everett Jotin
son, Truman; Granville G. Basham,
Trumann; Elige Gray, Bigelow.
Missing in action, Charles Barnett,
Paragould'; Earl Mitchum, Bates
ville; Morgan Logan, Harrisbug.
Wounded severely, Charles M. Wil
liams, Greenbriar; Earl Jarrell, De
catur and Edgar Tribble, Lunsford.
SOLDIERS FROM THE
NORTH PICK COTTON.
A north bound train on the main
line of the Missouri Pacific railroad
was gften orders to stop for twenty
've minutes Tuesday, when the train
tad of soldiers from the north were
permitted to detrain and pick cotton
from the fields of the sunny south.
These men, one hundred in number,
eagerly flocked into the cotton field
and for the length of time given them
gathered more than one hundred and
fifty pounds of cotton, to be taken
back to their ice-bound country as a
souvenir of the south. One man de
clared that he would not take $500
or his collection, as he intended to
decorate a Christmas tree for his
children with the fleecy staple.
The government is undertaking to
establish barge lines on rivers in Ar
kansas, by wife- ..leans it is expected
that a much lo ver freight rate can
be made available.
Subscribe for the Independent.
fiMERICANS WILL f
OCCUPl BERLIN v
Commercial Agent Of Missouri Pa
cific Railroad Prosises New In
cline At Newport.
W. N. Ernst, commercial agent
the Missouri Pacific railroad, was
here from Little Rock this week and,
working in conjunction w,ith the
Chamber of Commerce, made an in
vestigation of needed improvements
by his road of facilities for the hand
ling of river traffic. He promised to
recommend the construction of a new
incline at the river, which will en
able boats to load and unload with
greater facility. There are now>
fourteen steamboats and barges op
erating in White river, transporting
timber. Mr. Ernst also assured the
Chamber of Commerce that a spur
track will be bujit to the V. O. Jones
mill in the south part of town. He — -
also gave attention to plans looking
toward better sanitary conditions
about the local passenger station.
At this time there is a great deal
of talk of operating barge lines in
the navigable rivers of Arkansas
for the purpose of securing cheaper
freight rates. The Independent be
lieves that there is a grat future for
Newport if White river could be util
ized in this manner. If days gone
by merchandise and other commodi
ties came to Newport by water traf
fic—why not now?
THE COMING LEGISLATURE.
The legislature will meet in^just \
one month. A great deal depends
upon the action of the people on Dec.
14 as to what will be done by the
Forty-Second General Assembly of
Arkansas.
There is less legislative politics
being heard at this time than usual,
but the people haven’t gotten far ^
enough away from the war yet to re
sume an active interest in politics.
There are signs, however, in the near
distance that Old Man Politics is
coming back into his own in the ^
near future.
The natural increase in the assess
ed valuation of property in the state
is helping to solve the problem of
revenue.
The property valuation of the state
is reaching a figure that i» more in
keeping with the' actual conditions.
It was only a few years ago that the
aggregate assessments shown on the
books of the county assessors were
around two hundred million dollars.
It was a miserly small amount. Ev- ' -
erybody knows that* it was too
small. No one pretended that it was
representative of the wealth of the
state. It meant only twenty to fifty
per cent of the taxable values got on
the books, and they were cut down.
It has been the problem with which
our revenue authorities have had to .
deal for years. v-'v"
But they are getting results'—and
io eufforino- in
The taxes are simply being distrib
uted where they belong. Some who
have been escaping their just share
of the taxes are*being called upon to
make amends for the past remissness.
It is a slow process, because, since
the days of the Roman tax-gather
ers, the subject of taxation Tias been
the most ticklish subject of all to
deal with.
Now the property valuation as
shown by the books, is $111,378,419,
which is an increase over last year
of $96,190,305. This means that
th ereal property value of the state
is about one billion dollars, which i*
more in keeping with our ideas ot
the greatness of our state.
The large gin at Hoxie belonging
to B. A. Coates, one of the finest in
the state, together with the Hoxie
Handle factory, was destroyed by
fire Wednesday night, including a
large quantity of cotton, the fins
originating in the upstairs of the gin
building. The destroyed cotton la
fully covered by in -irance awl the
gin partially. Losaes are eetimsted
at $15,000.
Above and beneath the air cham
ber in an automobile tire of French
invention are section* filled with
elastic strips, which come together
and 'support the tire when punctured.