31 Jan 1918
Page 1
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Newspaper
Wilmington Dispatch
Location
Wilmington, North Carolina, United States of America
Date
Jan 31, 1918
Page
1
Reports detail a major German strike affecting 500000 workers in Germany while American troops on the French front faced their second raid in which 9 Americans were killed, 4 wounded, and 1 missing. Civil unrest spreads to Berlin suburbs with clashes and factory stoppages.
Reports from Northern Italy detail a bold Italian assault on the Asiago plateau. The surprise early morning attack by Alpini captured trenches and an old church, then shifted to Monte di Val Bela where fierce fighting secured the eastern and western slopes by Tuesday morning.
Washington January 31 a plan for pooling trans Atlantic shipping of American Allied and neutral registry to transport war supplies overseas began today under the ship control committee direction. P A S Franklin heads the new agency with H H Raymond and Shnnop Guthrie as members. Freight will be loaded where available and directed to ports most in need. Supplies from the South will leave directly from Southern ports. Formal Allied approval not yet expressed but expected.
President Wilson sent a message to U S farmers via the Farmers Conference at the University of Illinois Urbana urging strong farm participation in the coming year. He cites past wars won by farmers and notes Secretary Houston could not attend due to transport delays.
London reports 700000 on strike in Germany with 58000 women among them. Socialist leaders arrested as Berlin fog hampers policing of pamphlet distribution. Hamburg shipyards and Blohm & Voss affected while workers press for immediate peace on equal terms.
An American position on the French front was raided in heavy morning fog after daylight. Two Americans were killed and four wounded, with one missing believed captured. The action followed a violent barrage as shells and machine gun fire erupted from both sides.
Boston, Mass, Jan 31. Temperatures near 12 degrees with NW wind. Buildings inadequately heated as fuel deliveries halt to over 100 locations where thousands work. Federal action in Washington and Navy yard aid expected to relieve the shortage.
Reports from Richardson's Landing about 50 miles north indicate the ice gorge in the Mississippi still holds. About 40 river craft are sheltered in the local harbor and expected to pass unscathed as ice and water accumulate behind the gorge. Reports from Hickman say 53 river craft passed there yesterday but became lodged in the ice.
The past week shows an increase from two prior weeks with 15 ships, over 1,400 tons each, destroyed. Eight ships were sunk in each of the two preceding weeks and 21 merchantmen were lost in January reports. Ruthless U-boat warfare enters its second year tomorrow without ending the war. German airmen focus on Paris as London remains target. Wednesday night Paris was attacked for the first time in six months with some loss of life and property damage reported though details are scarce.
A massive explosion with gunfire and a large fire column was heard toward Friedrichshafen this morning. A telegram from Rosenberg on Lake Constance sent to St. Gallen suggests the blast likely stemmed from an aerial attack on the Zeppelin works at Friedrichshafen.
In Boston on January 31 the commissions tasked with resolving long standing U S and Canadian North Atlantic fisheries disputes transferred their sessions to this city. Public hearings are set to address central questions as the bodies move from Boston to Gloucester and then onward to Canada.
Paris reports a night raid killed twenty persons and wounded fifty with a German aircraft brought down. Occupants of the air panel were captured and taken prisoner by defenders.
Washington reports a fuel shortage worsens as snow andice hamper coal movement. Forecasters expect continued snow east of the Mississippi and many plants in New England and Pennsylvania may close for lack of fuel. The Shipping Board orders Hampton Roads coal piers to prioritize 50 ships for Boston for 72 hours.
London reports official summary showing nine British ships over 1,600 tons sunk by mine or submarine and six under 1,600 tons, plus one fishing vessel. Eight British merchantmen were unsuccessfully attacked, with 2,352 arrivals and 2,306 sailings recorded.
Washington January 31 Secretary Lansing has instructed Ambassador Francis in Petrograd to report to the State Department any developments in connection with threats by anarchists over the Emma Goldman and Alexander Kmén convictions. It rests with the Ambassador to follow any course he deems advisable. Officials do not view the situation as serious, thinking authorities will take needed protective measures.
Amsterdam reports the strike spreading near Berlin with 500000 workers quitting in Tegel Aldershof Spandau Mariendorf and a similar number idle across the empire. The British Admiralty via Wireless Press notes the broader stoppage.
The Dispatch pledges unwavering support for Wilmington and North Carolina, stating the newspaper and city are linked in mutual interests. It emphasizes dedication to local uplift, Democratic alignment, and service to readers and merchants while prioritizing the city’s prosperity.
Secretary Daniels commends ship's cook James Marcie for bravery in rescuing Chief Quartermaster Wash Ed overboard from the S S T S Smith on January 17 during a heavy gale. Marcie tied a line to Wash Ed and jumped into the water to save him, while others aided in the effort. Lieutenant Las of Cincinnati and Lieutenant Brymes Jr of Effork were commended for seamanship.
The Admiralty reports a total of 21 merchant ships sunk in early January, eight of which were large vessels over 1,600 tons. The current tally exceeds the prior two weeks by seven, with six large and two small ships lost in that period.
Washington reports that in December retail prices of food rose by one percent from November after 16 of 27 items increased, 3 were unchanged, and 8 declined. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks these changes signaling mixed movement in cost of living.
The Hamburg Echo reports a state of siege declared at Hamburg Altona and Wandsbeck amid the ongoing crisis. The socialist out on paper notes the measures as authorities tighten control in the area as the national task requires sacrifice and action.
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