davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
PRESIDENTS MOST IMPORTANT SPEECH
 WILL BE 10 TROOPS
Wilson Certain to Address Soldiers on the American Front, But Exact Place
 Not Yet Determined

Paris, December 11.-(By the Asso- ciated Press.-The address which Pres ident Wilson will make to the American rival in France as possible, is expected to be one of the most important de- livered during his stay in Europe and is being looked forward to by Europeans, who hope to gain from this a more def sonal wishes, the trip may take him into sition regarding numerous vital points. 1t is considered undoubted that the President will make this speech at the American front, but at what place has not yet been determined.
 The President, it is announced, will visit devastated districts in France, and although the present plans are tentative, all depending upon his per- sonal wishes the trip may take him into former German territory. Visits to Metz and Strassburg are extremely probable.
 President sPoincare on Saturday soon after his arrival The plans for Sun day have not yet been made known. On Monday President Wilson will hold a reception in the Paris city hall to which host of officials have been invited
 The Associated Press is in position to state definitely that President Will son will visit Italy, but no date has been fixed. A hundred invitations or more for the President to visit vari- ous places in France and the allied countries are being received daily. Nat urally these are being held pending the coming of Frances distinguished guest. It is considered hardly likely that the President wtll attend . great number of functions in Paris, as he will un- questionably need all the time possible to attend to the urgent business which brings him to Europe.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
STRIKE CONTINUES THROUGHOUT CUBA Despite Agreement Said to Have Been Signed, Tie
 Up Continues

Havana, December l1.-With more than 24 hours elapsed since the government announced the signing of an agreement between the Cuban Railway company and it's striking employees, which should have put an end to the country wide general sympathetic strike that began Monday at midnight, the strike leaders still assert that they have not received the message or signal agreed between the Havana secret committee directing the movement here and the Camaguey committee
 The tie-up, therefore. continued in full force today, with further additions to the ranks of the strikers and business com pletely at a standstill Only a few cafes were open and their meagre food supply was soon disposed of No evening paper appeared today and all plants are closed tonight
 The authorities have issued instructions to all commercial houses and cafes to open their doors to the public tomorrow and street car traffic will be renewed by strikebreakers. guarded by police or soldiers. Food supplies on the docks also will begin to move with the putting to work of large number of convicts. pe- tftion for whose services was made to the warden of the Presidio today by the food controller.
 The American minister. William Con zAies. denied to the Associated Press to- night the reports that the Washington government had offered to interfere in the strike situation, saying that Cuba had neither asked nor been offered aid by the United States government. He also confirmed the signing of the Cana guey strike agreement yesterday and added:
 Therefore, there Is no reason for a continuation of the present strike, which was alleged to be in sympathy with the Cuban railway strike movement It is generally conceded.' he continued, that the hands guiding the movement in Ha- vana are not the hands of laboring men. T
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Seamen Reject Proposals
 of Tug and Ferry Owners

New Orleans, December 11.-At meet ing here tonight members of the Mas ters. Mates and Pilots association voted to reject the proposals of the owners of tug and ferryboats which were submit. ted at. conference this afternoon.
 The river men will take their case be- fore the local adjustment board tomor- row morning at 10' o'clock, when the board wu hold an executive session. They are demanding an increase in wages of 2 per cent. with back pay from June :. Shipping Interests from Greenville. Miss. to the gulf are in- volved.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12

peace had actually come this fall the amount of money required from imperia. taxes for the coming year would have reached 100000. 900 marks and that the taxation from the various states would have totaied 5000. 900 marks. These cal culations, however, he says. have been upset by recent events.
 IT we cont.nue as we have been go- ing, ruin is inevitable . the finance min ister declared. We squander money on irrelevant details of state -administra- tion. There is lack of employment and consequently our credit at home and abroad is falling. A new bill for war taxation will be introduced at once and will be retroactive as far back as ls14''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12

The dead are,
 Chief Water Tender William B. Redmond, Red Bank, N. ].
 Bremen, JoksN w. shaw, Tish- OmingO, Okla, Wane M. Johnson, Pastura, N. M.; Roscoe w. Morris, Houston, Tex, Homer Sherwood, Comptehe. Cal, Theodore T. Theve- min, ShOshone, Ida.
 Southern men injured ares
 Ernest l.. Dunlap. Baird, Tex.
 Alvin l.. Greer. Sparta, La.
 Thomas D. kerIey, Blowing Rock, N. C.
 SHIP NOT DAMAGED The navy departments announce mert said the Brooklyn was not dam aged and that a court of inquiry hat been called to investigate the expios ion, which was in several compart ments of the berth deck and in thu ships bunkers. No cause was assigned One of the men was killed outright
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12

Before the war the estimated wealth of Germany. said the pre- mier, was between 15,0O0, ,00O, 900 and 20.00O.0OO,0OO pounds sterling. So, if the whole wealth of Germany were taken, there would not be enough to pay the account. There fore. he had used the wordss
 "Germany should pay to the ut- most limit of her capacity.-
 When the prime minister was ad- dressing an overflow meeting, he said Great Britain would be guilty of great folly if she gave up her navy.
 A voice interrupteds
 "TheR watch Wilson,
 The premier replied:
 "Well, I hope to meet him in a fortnight. I will tell him what you said."
 "Wherever the request comes from, we are not going to give up the protection of the navy, so far as great Britain is concerned"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
EMERGENCY PASSED

London, December u-Premier Lloyd George, speaking today at Bristol. said the English military service act was passed in order to meet a great emerg- ency. When that emergency was passed the need was passed and the act would lapse. He added there was no inten- tion to renew 1t. Whether Great Britain would require conscription in the future in any shape or form, MT. Lloyd George said, depended not upon the opinion which he now expressed, but upon the peace terms which were made. Continu- ing, the prime minister said:
 What drove us to conscription was the existence of conscript armies on the continent that inevitably rushed the world into war. They could not have great military machines there without tempting the men at the head of them to try their luck with those machines. The Germans always felt there was nothing to resist their per- feet military machine.
 MUST END CONSCRIPTION
 If you want a. permanent peace; if you want to prevent the horrors of this war being repeated. you must put an end to conscripted armies on the continent of Europe.
 "The first thing to do is to pre- i. vent the repetition of blunders of
 tho past by making 1t impossible
 to have those conscript armies in
 the future.
 We did not have the machinery for an offensive war. Our navy Is a de- fensive weapon and not an offensive one; and that is why we do not mean to give 1t up. We have kept these islands free from invasion for centur- ies, and we mean to take no risk m the future"
 MT. Lloyd George declared that the decision which would be taken in the next few months in the peace confer ence was going to leave a mark upon the world. The ages to come, he said, would be able to reap the fruits of it.
 DISCUSSES INDEMNITY
 The premier next dealt with the
 question of indemnity. He declared
 the war hnd cost Germany less
 than 1t had cost Great Britain. It
 hnd cost Great Britain, he de-
 clnred, S,OOO.OO ,OOO. gigantic
 sum. The German bill, he believed,
 was f6,OOO,OOO,OOO or. 7,OOO,0OO,-
 900. He contended 1t was indefen-
 wrong and had lost should pny less
 than the person who was declared
 to be in the right and had won.
 The premier said British imperial commission had been appointed to in- vestigate the capacity of Germany (to pay) and that he had received its re-
 (Continued on Page Three)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
THE ARMY AND NAVY

Be sure to send or telephone items about tile returning sol diers and sailors to The Age Herald. All their friends want to know about them and the boys want to know about each other, so they can renew old acQuaintances and friendships.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
McAdoo Sued

Montgomery, December 11.-(Specialo William G. McAdoo, as director general of railroads, was made defendant in a suit for $2000 in the circuit court of Montgomery Wednesday. Eugene Smith claims he was injured by train of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad com pany Smith was expressman and was pinned between car and horse stall" his complaint says.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Germany O1ues 12O Billions, Says Premier Lloyd George
McAdoo Urges Road Control For : Years
Says This Would Permit Fair Trial of Government Operation and Eliminate Unsettled Condition
 Which Will Prevail For Next Year

Washington December 11Extenson of the period of gov control of railroads for five years until January
 1924 recommended Congress tonight by Director Gen. eral McAdoo Advantages of hs Mir McAdoo sad that would take railroad question of the ent time for out extensive of and provide opportunity for fair test of unified control indicate the solution of the railroad
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
.More Consulars Asked

Washington, December 11.LIncreass of inc consular force and appointment of 26 economic assistants to aid Amer ican industries in extending their after-the-war foreign trade was urged today by Acting Secretary of State Polk before the House foreign affairs committee.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
would of itself indicate the permanent solution of the railroad problem.
 HAVE RIGHT TO TEST

would of itself indicate the permanent solution of the railroad problem
 HAVE RIGHT TO TEST
 "The American people have a right to this test. They should not be denied it. It is to their interest that it should be done. In my opinion 1t is the only practicable and reasonable method of determining the right solution of this grave economic problem.
 T am not now and have not been for the past year interested in the prov ing or disproving of the theory of gov ernment ownership or any other kind of theory. The railroads have been operated for the past year with the purpose of serving efficiently the para mount needs of the war and at the same time furnishing the best possible serv- ice to the public, whether such opera ton tended to prove or to disprove any theory of railroad control, no mat ter what it might be. I have formed no opinion myself as to what is the best disposition of the railroad problem, because the test has not been sufficient to prove conclusively the right solu- tion of the problem. believe that a fve-year test will give the American people the right answer. An ounce of experience Is worth ton of theory NOT GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP
 There are those who may say that Ian extension of five years for such test will mean government ownership. Personally I do not believe it. But whether such test would indicate that the ultimate solution shall be govern ment ownership or a modified form of private ownership under effective fed- eral regulations, should not cause us to hesitate or refuse to act.''
 If Congress does not extend the time for government control, said Mr Mc- Adoo, the railroads should be returned Ito private management tat the earliest possible moment.p
 Practical difficulties of continuing government operation under existing authority, he pointed out. are the growing conflicts of authority between state and federal Jurisdictions. made quacy of the s50o.0o0,o00 revolving fund for financing improvements, inability to force railroads to pay for cars and loco- motives without litigation and to re- quire terminal improvements
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Seven Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Sol- diers, Sailors, Marines and AyiatOrs Arrive at New York on Six Big Transports From
 Europe Yesterday
SIGHT OF AMERICA sCURES" MANY
 WHO TOSS CRUTCHES AND STICKS ASIDE
There Were Some Aboard, However, Whose Mis- fortune Prevented Them From Discerning the Torch Which the Statue of Liberty
 Held High

New York; December 11-Wecomed home as heroic sons the naton 7740 sodier sailors aviator representing virtually every union fog bound New York harbor today transports from Europe The tales the one another ations of American high battees the and in the air above France Engan Hundreds of the maimed for life by wounds received the wars heaviest fighting hospitals and the others went to camps, where they will be demobilized.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12

Some had left America as scarce ly more than boys, hut they came back as men, either wounded or sound. The wounded included sol- diers who had walked with crutches when their ships sailed from Eu- rope, and who, made exultant by their homecoming, tossed their props aside and declared themselves "cured' as if by the miracle of jaw shot away and happy in his expectation of rejoining his wife and children. There was a man with both feet gone, amputated by surgeons after the bones had been spIintered by German shells, in the bloody Argonne forest, but glad, he said, that he had served country and flag regardless or the cost to himself. Other men had met with . different misfortune; these were unable to discern the torch which the Statue. of Liberty held high above the busy harbor and moving transports. And there were others who could not bear the ports whis-, ties and the air raid sirens which shrieked their welcoming demon stration. Many of these men had eaten their Thanksgiving dinner on shipbonrd and were glad they were home in time to have their Christi mas dinner in their homes.
 NOT ALL FIGHTERS
 All who returned today were not il or naval service as actua lighters. There were Y. w. C.. A. girl. who had suffered from gas poisoning Y. NJ. c. A. workers who had strength sned soldiers morale while under fire and chaplains who had risked theil ives and aided American contingents II destroying German machine gun nests If these, stories without number were old by troops who themselves hat survived the wars dangers and spoke of that fact.
 Illustrative of Yankee. heroism was the account given of Capt. c. K. Glaxebrook of Washington. q member of the Twelfth field artil- lery. Shot in the lung, gassed, wounded in the leg.FremOved to . hospital, Captain Glaxebrook, ar- rivals said, stole away from his cot. assembled a uniform, attached . captains bars, climbed through A 5
 
 window, rode 36 hours on an army truck without letting his cOmpan- ions know of his condition and en- tered action in the American ad- vance on the St. Mihiel salient. Four E days later, once more gassed, he <. was back in the same hospital. Y GAVE HIM HELL
 Asked about this incident, Captain said: ''The chief surgeon rave me hell. If you don't die he said and you probably will, you will be But outside thes dool heard him laugh and knew it was all ight."
 Behind the crosses of war which many of the returned soldiers wore ,ifts from the French governme ment- ie incidents of doughboy grit and sac ifice which parallel the incredible. and he telling of which would fill pages if newspapers. Some of the soldiers
 frnutiuuaN m pnwe Threel
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Explosion Kills Six
 On Cruiser Brooklyn
Thirty Others Injured Fly Explosion of Coal Dust Aboard Vessel While Coalng at Yokohama
 Japan, Last Monday

Washington, December 11--Six of the of the arored cruiser Brooklyn killed and 31 others injured seriously explosion of coal dust aboard the weasel last Monday at Yokohama Japan where she coang The navy department today dispatch the officer Aatc fleet of which the Brooklyn
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Stands For Elimination of COnscription on Euro pean Continent, Which Will Prevent Repeti-
 ton of Horrors of War Just Closed
BRITAIN TO DEMAND 40 BILLIONS
 AS COST OF WAR FROM GERMANY
Allies Will Put in Demands All Together, and Whatever They Are They Must Come Before
 the German War Debt

Bristol December 11(By the Associated Press )The bill of the allies against Germany "A pounds cordg the British prime minister David Lloyd George who this other interesting facts before gather ing here today The of the Great Britain 5000. GOO 900 pounds s
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12

''The President has given me per-
 mission to say that this conclusion
 accords with his own view of the
 natter. MT. McAdoo concluded.
 The letter was addressed to Sem
 ator Smith of South Carolina, and
 Representative sims, chairmen, re-
 spectively, of the Senate and House
 interstate commerce committees.
 Mir. McAdoo explained that to con
 tinue government operation for 21
 months after formal declaration of
 peace under present conditions
 would mean disruption of morale
 among employees and officers and
 could not enable the government to
 go ahead with Improvements and
 purchase of equipment.
 Another alternative, the prompt re- trol, without legislation, to permit elim- ination of the old wasteful competition would be "hurtful alike to the public interest and to the railroads them selves" he said, and the difficulty of obtaining immediate Legislation provid- ing permanent solution, is apparent.
 ONLY ONE ALTERNATIVE
 There is one, and to my mind only one, practicable and wise alternative' T Mir. McAdoo continued, land that is to extend the period of federal control from the one year and nine months pro- vided by the present law to five years or until the first day of January, 1924 This extension would take the railroad out of politics for reason able period It would give composure to railroad officers and employees. It would admit of the preparation and carrying out of a comprehensive pro- gramme of Improvements of the rail- roads and their terminal facilities which would immensely increase the eff : fciency of the transportation machine, It would put back of the railroads the credit of the United States during the five-year period so that the financing of these Improvements could be success fully carried out. It would offer the necessary opportunity under proper conditions to test the value of unified control, and the experience thus gained
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
McAdoo Presides at Conference

Washington. Decemoer ll.-zrhe weekly conference of heads of goy<rnment war agencies, held usually with President Wilson at the White House. waa called today in the office of Secretary McAdoo. who presided as ranking member
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12

The report of the abdication of King Boris was received by way of Copen-
 haeen carly in NovemberN It was said khat peasant government had been under the leadership of M. |Stambuiiwsky who had been the chief |of the peasants and agrarians of Bull |earia for sometime No news has been received aimee to substantiate this re- bort, which apparently had reached from a German source.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12

London, December 11.-(Va Montreal )-Nothng is known officially London regarding the reported abdcaton of King Boris Bulgaria Reuters Limited officially informed The revolution there unsuccessful, it is stated
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Holland Has Right
 70 Protect Kaiser
Member of Dutch Parliament Declares In Speech That Former Emperor Has Right of Sanct- uary and Return to Germany Cannot
 4s Be Demanded

The Hague, December 11The former German Emperor n right of sanctuary in Holland and therefore his Germany be demanded according to state
 ent made today by Beerenbruck, in the lower of Parliament during debate the visit of the for nner Emperor Holland.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
December Crop Estimates Show Years Total Ex- ceeds That of 1917 by
 S614,3S0,000
O,7OO,OOO INCREASE
 IN CROP ACREAGE
 OVER LAST YEAR
Practically All Crops Worth More ! Than in Any Previous Year Be- cause of High Prices Paid
 to the Producers

Washington, December IL. With a total value of S12,272,- 412, ,000, the nation s principal farm crops this year were worth more, based on prices paid to farmers December 1, than in any year in the history of American agriculture.
 December crop estimates today of the department of agriculture showed that this years total exceeds that of the former record year, 1917, by s6l4,- 3S0, ,000. There also was a marked in crease in acreage. the 355,S95,722 total exceeding that of last year by 1o,70o,- 900 acres.
 These crop figures were looked upon with satisfaction by officials as show ing that the nation will be in even better position to fulfill it's pledge of 10000, 900 tons of foodstuffs to Flu rope next year than had been ex- pected.
 ALL ABOVE AVERAGE
 Most of the crops are largerthan the tive-year average and some of them es- tab1ished records, particularly spring wheat, barley, rye and tobacco. Corn, however. fell below the gfive-year aver age Today's estimates placed the crop at 166, 3s4. 900 bushels less than fore cast in November, with total of 2,5S2,- S14, ,000 bushels. That is almost 300, 000.- 900 bushels less than last years rec ord crop.
 The wheat crop is larger than the five-year average, and almost S00,000, 900 bushels larger than last years crop, but it Is more than 100000, 900 bushels smaller than the record crop of 1915.
 Almost all of the crops were worth more this year than in any previous year because of the high prices paid to producers. Corn's value was more than $S,5O0, 900 900, wheat almost $2,O0O,- 0OO 900, hay and cotton more than $1.- 500, 100000 and oats more than s1.000.- 0OO, 900.
 VALUE OF CROPS
 The value of the various crops, based on December l prices to producers, fol- lows (fgures Tn thousands. i.e.. thou sands omitted)
 Corn. ss.52S,s1S; winter wheat, $1,- 154,2O0; spring wheat. $720,423; all wheat, $1,s74.623: oats. s1,09242S; bar ley. $235.269; rye, s134,s47; buckwheat, $2S,5S5; flaxseed~ $49,870; rice, $77.474; potatoes, s475,731; sweet potatoes. $11S.- S67: hay Came), $1,522,413; hay (wild) $219,1S5; tobacco, s374,31S: cotton. s1,- Sugar and syrup Gas sugar). s12,O74; sorghum syrup, s2s,017; beans. $93.s39; peanuts. s91.522; kafirs, $99S4S; broom corn, $13,59s; onions. $16,26S; cabbage. $14,s1S; hops. $395s; cranberries, $3794; apples (otaD. $229,sso; apples (com- merciaD, S9S.S24; peaches sss,5s7; pears, $14,200; oranges. $92.723.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
RUIN INEVITABLE

Coonnhagen, December 11-Dr Schif- Ter. the German finance minister. in .
 statement issued in BertIu. says that if