The Springdale news., 1915-06-25
P0[IIICAL FIRING LINE EXTENDS
 OVER ALL OF ARKANSAS
(By Clio Harper

Little Rock, June 22.- The latest mcensored reports from the front indicate that the firing line extends from Fayetteville to Monticello, ard from Paragould to TeXarkana, cross ing in the superheated region of the state capitol, where the 42-cenumeter guns of the Special Investigating Committee race bombarding fortiflca- tions that had been considered inn pregnablle.
 What at first promised to be only a minor engagement. is rapidly de veloping into a titanic struggle along a frontage of several hundred miles, and many innocent bystanders are be. ing forced into the fight.
 That it will be bloody contest now seems assured
 Of the large number of contestants struggling for possession of suite of private offices with leather-cov sret couches in the north wing of the cap itol, it is freely predicted that all but one will be picked off by the en- enInys rapid-fire7guns.
 It is further predicted by the same destined to capture the inner re doubts in the beleagured fortress is
 CUnfortun ately name de leted by the censor
 x1 h, lot news, whether true or not, if It were not for the activities of that meddle- some censor, whose identity will be reveaeld to the first regular reader of the News who sends in ten coupons
 At first it looked like a holiday frolic, when the first gun was fired. The first declaration of war came from Secretary of State Hodges, who issued proclamation that it would be only a little skirmish, and that at the proper time he would transfer his base of operations couple of rooms north, and invite the present oecu- pant to resume his law practice in Camden
 Then out of the Athens of Arkan- sas, reverberating through the or ehards of Ben Davis and Arkansas Balcks, came a resounding discharge from Dr. Brough.s Busy Bertha. It was a discordant note i'll the Hod gas symphony. and the battle was on. The issue was joined.
 For awhile there was only desultory firing, while a constantly increasing host of candidates began assembling on the firing line.
 These candidates readily divided themselves into three classes, the Announced, the Probables, and the Mentioned
 One of the interesting features of this modern Armageddon was that there appeared to tba no Allies-every fellow was for himself.
 While the ranks of the Probables were being swefed daily by new re- cruits, they manifested a disposition to remain neutral as long as possible asserting that they were opposed to long and expensive campaigns.
 Inside information is that the Min istries of Finance have found it diff cult in several ins ances to float war loan sufficient to carry on the campaign
 Lack of funds is reliably asserted | be a helpful assistant to neutrality. While Trough and Hedges were ma neuvering for an opening. Charles E. Taylor, Chief Burgomaster of Little Rock, tossed a bomb into camp from his Zeppelin, and it rained splinters for week
 Scarcely had the echoes died away when from the middle South came the boom of another big gun, whose smoke wreaths spelled across the olwering sky the name of TOM Mc-R-A-E.
 Thus in sullen silence, having hurled their defis, the four hostile camps arrayed themselves, and began hasty preparations for the final as
 
 In the meantime there will be many mouth-to-mouth engagements Hberally interspersed with tpye-writ- CT charges and newspaper battles.
 There have been some evidences of the possible use of poisonous gases in the trenches, but these methods are generally discredited as in viola tion of the established rules of politi- cal warfare.
 The use of submarines is also in disfavor, and schooners will probably be ruled out, as it is understood that all thus far entered for the war are tee-totalers, and the majority of them adherents of the Baptist faith.