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Newspaper
Wilmington Dispatch
Location
Wilmington, North Carolina, United States of America
Date
May 19, 1918
Page
3
Government moves to commandeer steel plants as wartime measure approved by Baruch faces ultimate decision by President Wilson. The order signals a broad use of executive authority to control production and supply during the crisis, with timelines and scope under debate.
Washington May 18. A plan to seize and run U S steel plants under government control is being seriously discussed by the War Industries Board with Baruch’s support. Opponents warn such move could disrupt efficiency and fear labor influence, while supporters cite current government use and wage gains in other sectors. President Wilson would decide finally.
In Richmond on May 18 a handkerchief with initials O W becomes a flashpoint in the trial of Dr Lem tel Johnson for the December murder of his secret wife Alice Knight Johnson. The state says the item links him to Miss Ollie White of Middlesex N C and motives the crime. the defense disputes its relevance. The judge will decide Monday on its admissibility as evidence as the case heats up over an insanity defense and Johnson’s rational state after his arrest.
President Wilson addresses a packed theater calling for a hundred million Red Cross dollars and pledging total war effort. He rejects peace promises, demands full cargo ships, and links liberty to global democracy while praising civilian and military solidarity.
President Wilson selects Wilton McLean of Lumberton to administer the world’s largest corporation, praising his service and sacrifices. The Robeson County native rose from farmer’s son to lawyer, bank president, cotton mill founder, and railroad leader, noted for welfare reforms and labor harmony at the mills. His career spans law, finance, and multiple Southern enterprises with a record of success.
Berlin reports intensified hand to hand fighting after heavy reconnoitering activity in the Las Song region. The German war office says ten hostile airplanes and one balloon were shot down yesterday.
Lieut. Ernest W. Black of Wilmington joins the American expeditionary force in France, serving as first lieutenant in the motor truck section of the ordnance department. He previously led automobile mechanics training in Davenport Iowa after a Washington career in the auto business. Born at Point Caswell, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Murdock Black, he is married to Martha Roberts and has a brother Capt. D. J. Black, a Cape Fear river pilot. He left a signing position in Wilmington to serve, and may soon depart for Europe.
Special dispatch from Goldsboro North Carolina May 18 describes T Brooks Alford American vice consul to Russia arriving from Washington. He recalls two years in Russia from Riga to Galicia and Kiev evacuation under German advance, calling the upheaval a nightmare and praising American aid and the wartime effort led by President Wilson. He praises Wilton McLean selection for handling large war tasks and notes the complexity of rebuilding while recognizing Russian admiration for Americans and the dangers of the revolution.
In Detroit on May 18, International President Konenkamp ordered a general strike vote by telegraphers unions nationwide. The Detroit council will cast its vote tomorrow amid protests over the discharge of 700 operators for union affiliation and a demand for reinstatement.
Washington reports a defensive China Japan alliance aimed at protecting against German aggression. Officials note uncertainty over Siberian intervention and whether the entente were consulted, with Russia’s weakness cited as a factor and fears over Manchuria amid anti Soviet activity.
In Oakdale Pennsylvania on May 18 a series of explosions at the Actna Chemical plant left between 86 and 120 dead and more than 200 injured. A soda tank concussion released high explosive trinitrolous causing mass casualties among 250 workers. Rescue and Red Cross teams faced debris as ammonia sheds blew apart.
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