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Tlib United States enters llic new year with ii national debt, of $5,G15,000,000, which is an amount more than fivo times greater than when we entered tlie war nine months Tii.is is but a drop in the bucket com pared to the nation's available wealth of about ?250,000,000,000, every dollar of which will be thrown into the scale If necessary. If Germany has deliberately determined to maltreat American prisoners, Berlin evidently has given no thought to the material which this country possesses for reprisals. Or per haps it is so confident of our humanity that it fears no action in redress for its own crimes. But England was liually stirred to retaliation, and America may bo no less slow. A campaign tour to give impetus to enlist ments of British subjects in this country in the British and Canadian forces will be started on January 11. The British armored tank "Britannia" and a captured German submarine will be taken along to incite in terest in the recruiting. A tour of the South ern States will be made first, and likely Rich luond will be one of the first cities visited. The General Assembly will do well to consider carefully Auditor Moore's recom mendation for the creation of a State pur chasing agency. The. present system is a slipshod one at best and lends itself to the waste of public money, extravagance and a train of allied evils. Under a State agency all purchases for the State's institutions would be made under a centralized authority and a regime of strict economy could be enforced. Methods now used are unbusiness like and a change is mandatory if efficiency Is to be obtained. The. congressional committees investigat ing war activities have developed informa tion which Will* have the effort of speeding up the equipment of our armies in training. Whiio this is true, much of the blame for the delay in furnishing the needed supplies inescapably rests upon Congress, which gave ' car to pacifist teachings against prepared ness over vigorous protests against inaction by the highest and best-informed military authorities. Events have rudely dispelled the fatal delusion of America's isolation from Europe's troubles, and, for the support it gavo this delusion. Congress cannot escape its share of the blame for the country's unprc paredness by making big ado over depart ment blunders. There is nothing of modesty or shrinking timidity in the request of Rev. Sidney Peters for funds with which to conduct the work ? of the Prohibition Commissioner during the coming year. On the contrary, he walks right up to the Senate Finance Committee and speaks out boldly for an appropriation of $100,000, with a salary of $4,GOO for himself. During the pan year th?3 commis sioner managed to struggle along with an appropriation of 540,000 and a-salary $1,000 less than he now asks. Considerable in creases, these, that the taxpayers are asked to add to their burdens. The request, too, comes in the face of the recently enacted Federal bone-dry law, under which a large part of thu poliro duty formerly done by the State's prohibition employees has been taken I over by government agents. Prohibition, it seems, comes high in Virginia, and, liko the Federal government's Civil War pension roll, the longer it comes the higher it gets. The people who foot the bills arc asking why. ""^^ppeal of the Federal Reserve Board to the public to support the war-savings cam paign, .both by the purchase of war-savings and thrift stamps and the institution of rigid economy in their daily life, is one to ;which the people cannot give too earnest Jieed as they face the obligations of the new year. The campaign for the sale of these stamps is one of the means by which the government seeks loans in small amounts ?direct from tho wage-earning classes to .finance the war, the winning of which is absolutely necessary to the future prosperity and security of tho country, but should it %fojl to incite tho masses to greater thrift by\aaking theso investments from savings re3ulUngVrom reduccd outlay, as compared with their normal expenditures in pcace FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 101S. times, it will by that much fall short of Its chief objective?tho conservation of wealth, every item of which is needed to strengthen tho hand of the nation to win the war. Every dollar thus saved and invested means not only that much strength added to our natloual effectiveness, but a moro than equivalent gain to tho individual?for ouco tho thrift habit is acquired, incrcaso of wealth will corno easily. Russia Helpless at Feet of Germany THE German eagle, haviug maneuvered into a vantage position through pcaco propaganda and negotiations with the Rus sian bear, now discloses its talons in a men acing way, ready to sink deep into tho heart of tho prostrato bear whining at its feet. With the camouflage concealing tho Germau purpose removed, tlie Russian peaco delega tion has returned to PetrogrLd and reported to tho conglomerated collection of "govern ing committees" that an impasse has been reached in the negotiatious, Germany'3 yield ing to tho Russian plan of "no annexations aud no indemnities" being more seeming than real. In brief, tho central powers declare their readiness to conclude either a general or a separate peace on the face of the above stipu lations, with the right of self-determination of tho peoples living within the Russian em pirn, including separation and a full state of independence for Poland, Lithuania, Courland and portions of Esthonia and Livonia, when ever Russia completely demobilizes its armies, Teutonic evacuation of occupied territory not to occur until -fter these peo ples have determined their future under con ditions equivalent in actuality to coercion by the military forces maintained there. Other stipulations under thin disguises would give Germany complete economic control of Russia's future and enable tho exploitation of its vast resources at will. Tho spokesman of the ltussiau peace dele gation indicates rejection of tho German terms unless moditied upon resumption of tho negotiatious. That German diplomatic duplicity is fully equal to the task of accept ably restating and modifying tho language of these terms without weakening their ef fect may be taken for granted. The Rus sians want peace at any price, and tho Ger mans are prepared to give them what they want upon terms of economic and, to some extent, political vassalage?for the one is inseparable from tho other. But what if the Russians balk t.o the point of breaking off negotiations? In that event, Germany already will havo accomplished a large portion of its aims?tho release of sev eral hundred thousand of its best soldiers on that front for the re-enforcement of the armies in the west. At the same time, with the Russian armies completely disorganized, the German forces remaining there are still strong enough to mako new advances into Russian territory and ultimately to force the acceptance of even moro ignoble terms than now demanded. A erily, through cowardice, treachery and gullibility, Russia presents a spectacle of psychological helplessness so abject as to | excite mingled feelings of pity and contempt I on the part of even the weakest among the ' peoples of tho earth. ! What About These Institutions? GOVERNMENT control of railroad oper ation and the federalization of the trans portation system of tho country has raised many new questions, but none moro inter esting than that as to tho future usefulness of tho Interstate Commerce Commission, the Stato corporation commissions, tho priority commissioner and similar organisms which havo been necessary In tho supervision by the local and national governments of pri vately operated railroads. It may bo assumed that the President and Director-General McAiioo mean to capitalize the experience and expert knowledge of the Interstate Commerce Commissioners, and per haps attach these officials to the staff of the new railroad management, but there is moro to be considered in that direction. Tho com mission has certain definite functions to per form under present laws, and it is to be doubted If the war powers of the President are broad enough to vitiate those functions. The administration can deal with Congress on that score, and It need not be regarded as tro ublesome. The saiue cannot be said of the State cor poration commissions, which derive their powers from their Stato Legislatures. The Federal government has no control whatever over them. The question is whether or not the federalization of the railroads automat ically destroys the jurisdiction of State com missions over those lines. In effect, the railroads are government properties during tho period of the war, but iu fact they are still owned by private interests, and still owe their existence to charters granted, not by the government, but by the individual States. P.eforc government operation of tho lines proceeds far the question of State super vision of intrastato transportation must bo settled. Otherwise there will be direct and disagreeable conflict of authority. The States must withdraw from any supervision over the transportation facilities affected by the President's proclamation, or else the i government must concede the authority of Stato commissions and find a way of dealing | jointly with them in tho management of tho properties. Stato taxation of railroads i3 another in teresting question. At present much of the revenue of tho individual States comes from levies against tho railroads. It. may be taken for granted that the Fct'eral govern ment will not interfere with the taxes at present, but if government ownership is approached Stato taxation promises to be come one of the problems which must be tn A? Perhaps tho members of Congress felt that they would have just a more pr iceful Christ mas with their women folk if they put off their vote on the suffrage amendment until after tho holidays. Trotzky and Lenine threaten to invoke tho aid of the guillotine to facilitate tho passing of their enemies. Not until Its blade has de scended on their necks will its introduction be justified. When coal runs short, the joke may bo on tho fuel administrator, but the fellow with tbo empty bin finds it difficult to laugh. Colonel Roosevelt often talks of what he did when he was President, but the country prefers to forget its past troubles. SEEN ON THE SIDE BY J1KMIY KDH'ABD WARNER The Terrible Auto of tVnmrTtonM, Honk. honk, honkt Get out of the way! For pops and the babies are scorching to-day! So out of the way, or we'll run you all down With the Terrible Auto of Nursery town! Johnny's the chauffeur; Beso owns the machine, And a moro reckless couplo has never been seen! I am the car, lying: face to the floor? It's a difficult Job they aclccted me for! My hands and my feet aro the whoela, and you know I have to keep moving to make the thing to; My eyes aro tho headlights, my head is the hood, And my nose is tho crank, and that doesn't feel good. -/ Honk, honk, honk! Johnny's twisting my ear, Which throws in the clutch as wo hurry from hero, And we're breaking tho speed laws of Nuraery town, And you'd better look sharp, or we'll run you all down! High on my Ehouldcrs the chauffeur steers, Throwing the clutch?that is, twisting my ears! High on my hip3 sits the passenger fair, For that is the tonncau?it's cunify up there! Swift down the road speeds the nursery car, Spreading dismay where tho thank-you-marms are? Jogging the passenger, throwing her out And scattering chickens and people about! Look! Straight ahead is a telegraph pole? No!?It's the leg of a chair, 'pon my sou]! Crash! A collision! Hold! Givo him air, pray! Please patch him up, doctor! Honk, honk! Clear tho way! IIo! All you people get out of the way? For we're driving a terrible distance to-day! Bumpety-gump up the hillsides and down Honk. honk! goes the Auto of Nurscrytown! Charcoal Eph's Daily Thought. r don take much stock in dishyer vegetarian diet," said Charcoal Kph. ruminatively, "least wise. not ontwel chickens is in de vegetable kingdom. Try a drumstick, Mistah Jackson." \obof!y Know). Nobody knows why a miser loves pelf. Tutting life's genuine joys on the shelf; And why Adam made such a fool of himself, Nobody knows. Nobody knows why the sky 13 so high, NoboJy knows why we're born to die. Or when a man's telling the truth or a lie, Nobody knows. Nobody knows when tha war will be throueh, Nobody knows what our soldiers will do, Or if the draft will get me and you. Nobody knows. (.To Be Continued.) roy Mcdowell. One, Brother. "I've never seen anything that I couldn't bluff, bully or duck," saiil the self-made man. "Ex cept lightning," suggested the shrimp. A Sentence Sermonette. Only a poet stops in tho Garden of Life to rake up the ashes of dead roses. Discharged! "Prisoner at tho bar, you are charged with vagrancy; that is, you have no visible means of support. Are you guilty or not guilty?" "Jess a minnlt, jedge, twel I speaks wid mah wife. Mary, honey, c'inovcr liyar. Jedge, would you say dls hyar lady i3 visible?" Jaequea Bon Horn', Good people, leesten! Jacques bon Horn, he speak Concalrning one mos' diabolique 6tew Zat he ees make wis all sis fonny Greek. Ze op-to-date describe of parlez-vous! I come not vaire so long from chere Paree To bo a b.irbairo wis my brozeair Paul? i study in a book ze Anglais, eeo? But I can onderstan' heem not at all! Poor Jacques bon Horn,' he lairn ze Anglais words, He burn ze midnight oil, you call heem, eo? Eat all ees t'row so labor to zo birds? He know eet all. yet nossing s'all he know! Ze boss, he say: "Skidoux!" zat mean, "Recede!" But zat skidoux 1 find not in ze book; "Hop to eet, kid," s'all mean samo as "Pro ceed," And nowhere can 1 find zat "Get zt hook!" Zo barhaire bose, he say: "Where ees my lid?" Egar, zo boy hand heem bees high chapeau! "Where did you get ze hat?" exclaim zo kid? "Nix on zo kibosh!" tsay ze boas, jus' so! He also say to beat eet. cut eet out; Why mus' ze kid do such sings to e hat? Poor Jacques bon Horn' say: "What ees zls about?" Ze boss, ho say: "You're deopy," jus' llko at! Ono day ze boss go out to take a drink. Jus' one petite frappe, an' zen somo more; Before he feenish ho take ten, I sink, An' zen he fall, couchant, upon ze floor, Ze boy say he ees p:ckle, souse an' stew? I do not know?I can no pickles see; But zounds an' dam. doggone an' sacrc bleu! I sail nex' week for my own belle Parcel Health Talks, by Dr. Wm. Brady (CepjTtcht. 1917. by National Newspaper S9rvtc?.j Bow Bowing of the legs is most commonly due to rickets, which disease is most commonly due to the use of many substitute foods?"Infant foods'' which como in cans ready to serve?and this unfortunate custom of cheating babies Is most commonly due to ignorance of nutrition and the physiology of growth. A popular belief, that a baby Is likely to de velop bow legs if allowed to bear the weight upon the legs too early is wholly without foun dation. llickety infants notoriously object to learn to walk under tho age of thirteen to six teen months, yet they are most frequently bow legged. it Is always right to allow a healthy baby to make an effort to walk as early as he lriay bo inclined to do so, and never right to try to encourage or teach walking under tho age of twelve months. Bowing may be chiefly in the femur or thigh bone, or in the lower leg. or sometimes an out ward angulation at the knee joint. Usually the chief bending is in tho tibia and flbula of the leg. When this is only moderate, the application of a brace by an orthopedic mir i;eon will overcome the deformity. This hrrice is so arranged that the bent bones aro gradually brought into a straiuht line, by means of con stant mild pressure under a wide, perfectly fitted band. Such braces seem to be most effectiv- in the second and third years of Jife. it )s a well known fact, however, that moderate bowing of the legs spontaneously disappear in a few years without treatment In most cases. When tho bowing la In the femur, it may be necessary to fracturo the bone and reset it in overeorrectcd position in a plaster cast. This is best dene between the ages of three and live years. When the. bowing in an angulation ame. Uumllons and An?rrer?. Pclicate Subjects.? Dr* Brady reminds rcaderr. tliat there are man* subjects which are ordi narily not discussed in newspapers* If any reader has a doubtful ouestion to ask, a stamp ed (5c) envelope should be incloscd to Insure reply. Opinion of Coffee.?Will you please answer tho following questions? (1) Kliat is your opinion of colYee 7 (2) Aro two cups of coffee taken at breakfast harmful'.' 1 urn told by this and that one that meat will bring on rheumatism. A graduate nurse tolls me that each cup of coffee contains about two graln3 of cafTolne and on? can take up to four grains.?F. l\ Answer.-?Wo think coffee, properly made. Is a grand and glorious beverage, with tots of cream and sugar i'i. Normal individuals may take a cup or two at breakfast, provided they use it an a beverage and do not wash down luilf mastioated morsels with it. Tho nurse was right ?caffeine 1b what makes coffeo so stimulating. Wo (!v eridge expressed tho sentiment of the <-onfor c-nce?when he said: "No sane and good man wants war for war's sake; no sane and good man shrinks from it when honor and righteous ness are at Issue. There are things dearer than comfort, more precious than peace." "An American in the Making," in which M. F. Ravage tolls the story of how he was changed frcm a Ruropenn to an American, is praised bv Professor IT. M. Rcldon. of the University of Missouri, where the author underwent nart of ? his transmutation. "1 have rend 'An America r j in the Making' with the keenest interest." he ?wrote, "not simply because the author wa.? a student of mine, when he was here, hut be cause of the quality of the book itself The theme is. of course, not new. But I do noC know where else it has been handled w|?V suoh vigor, such freedom from mawkish or morbid sentiment, such an efl'ect j?t once of detach ment and of intense personal experience. It very effectually challenges the casv compla cency of us native-horn Americans. Yet it is i not often, I think, that a foreigner becomes so ? really an American as does the author of this book." News of Fifty Years Ago From the Richmond Dispatch Jan. 4. 1S68. Rev. Father A. J. Ryan, tho author of tho "Con quercd Banner" and many other excellent and tender I poems, dear to tho heart of every Southerner, will do ? liver several icetures in j this city during the pres- i ent month. All of these! lectures will be in aid ofj charitable societies of the' city. Father Ryan is r.s | noted as an orator and' scholar as he is as a poet.! FATHER A. .1. RYAN. The vote on the subscrip roet-rrlet>t. t,on of J200.000 to the 18G8. Chesapeake and Ohio Rail road has been completed in three wards. The vote is as follows: Jefferson Ward, for the sub scription 847, against 29: Madison Ward, for ?12, against 40; Marshall Ward, for 645, against 100; total in the thrco wards, for 1,813, against 173.' In tho Mayor's court yesterday many delayed Christmas drunks which had been postponed for one cause and another were called, and hence' there was a long docket. The Mayor was lenient in most cases so far as fines were con cerned but very strong and severe in hia lec tures. especially to the young drinkers. The peanut crop of North Carolina last year Is estimated at 100,000 bushels. Virginia also grows quite a large quantity. Tho Washington Chronicle says: "Our city stonecutters arc beginning to import quantities of gray ganite from quarries near Richmond. It 1k of excellent quality." The revenue collections in New York City for 1867 readied $7,650,000, not half as much in proportion to wealth as is paid In Richmond and Virginia. The receipts of grain at Chicago for the year ju?-,t closed amounted to within a fraction of 60*000,000 bushels and of flour 1,814,000 barrels. Only forty-two members of the convention were "in their seats yesterday, and after roll call the Constitution tinkers adjourned for lack of a quorum. It is learned that Underwood personally in vited Washburne and Cullom, of Illinois, to visit the convention and lecture tho "faithful." They will probably reach Richmond somo time to-day Rev. Robert Breckinldgo, of Kentucky, has written President Johnson a letter, in which he pleads for a pardon for his brother. General John C. Breckinridge, now in exile and anxious to come home. The reverend gentleman says that his brother, in allying himself with the Confederacy, was honestly In error, which error he can atpne for aa a loyal citizcn at home bet ter than ia exile.. .... CAPTURE MORE MEN THAN FORM ARMY Veteran Deacrlbea Record Rattle FoubHI at Monte Tomba, ? (By Associated Pre.*^]' ITALIAN 111CADQUARTKRS IN NORTHERN ITALY, Wednesday. Jan uary 2.?The French in their recent successful operation on Monte Tomba carturcd more prisoners than thoy had inon engaged, according to a veteran oflieer who witnessed the fight. "It was a record-making fight in many respects," ho declared. "The French took more prisoners than they had men engaged, which la among tho rccords in military annals. They a'.sc captured their flrst Austrian prisoners, which Is another milestono for them, aa heretofore they had captured only Germans. "In addition to the 1.400 prisoners, we counted DCO dead on the ground, and no one knows how many more were in the caverns and undir the bushes. The perfect French military system enabled them to accomplish this with insignillcunt losses?less than fifty men. The Fifteenth Austrian Division, the i one attacked, is considered a good i fighting organization. But tho Aus trian!) were accustomed to lighting Rus sians, and this waa tho first Mmo they had met tho highly trained' French troops. Tho result was that rawness and Indiscipline were swept away be fore discipline and training. "When the prisoners were brought | in, 1 never saw a more miserable, piti ful, starved lot of soldiers. When the ' oriicers were lined up there were forty- j two Austrians and two Germans. The , Austrians were told they would receive the usual treatment given officers and gentlemen, but tho two Germans wero told plainly that they would receive exactly tho same treatment given French ofTlccrs in Germany. The group of Austrian officers was impressed greatly at this, and openly declared their hatred of tho Germans. A little later we heard tho Austrian soldiers cheering, and it turned out they were chcerlng their French captors." SttsIIo^ts Mercury Talbet. 'Special to The Tinics-Dlspatch.) WINCHESTER. VA? January 3.? ! Grace Carver, member of a well-known Frederick County family, Is precarious ly ill here from taking bichloride of mercury. It Is raid. She is reported to have been distressed over a love af fair. She swallowed one tablet and another was found in her slipper. Information Bureau I Inquiries regarding almont any topic. ; excepting on legnl and medical *nh- j Ject*. ore an**rcred free. An all In- ' quirien are anarrered directly by per- ' Monnl letter a at-lf-nddrmard. atamped j envelope In reqnirrd. Atfdrrnn The TliacK-LMapatch Information nureau, Itlchmondt Va. Popnlntlon of .Nation* at War. T. M., Chinahport.?Populations of nations at war, about 1.109.406.225; i world's population, 1,721,426,090. Immigrant and Immigrant. E. \V. It.. Vorktown.?An alien who comes into the country, intending tO| remain, is an immigrant. One who leaves is an emigrant. No President* of German Anceatry. L.. M. F., Vinton.?No. we have novor ? had a President of Gorman ancestry in ( this country. Of 'he twenty-seven Presidents, sixteen were of lOngliah an- j cestry. eight of Scotch or Scotch-Irish. ! one Welsh and two Dutch. Pnnnnia Cnnnl. W. .!.? B.. Warrenton.?The ma'.nte- , nance, operation, government, etc.. in 1 under the direction of the Governor of ; the Canal Zone, subject to the super- i vision of the Secretary of War. All acts must be approved by the President. C'hincHc Wall. C. D. Y.. Norfolk.?The Chinese call it "the 10.000 li wall." which would mean that it was something over 3,.150 miles j long. Some modern writers range, in j giving its length, from 1.200 to 1.700 miles. It is front twenty-five to thirty feet high and about twenty feet thick at the base. Magazine* for Soldier*. S. T. W., Graham.? It is not permitted to place on a package of papers or magazines the name of any definite lo cation abroad; if. however, you will place a 1-cent stamp on the outside of each magazine and give It to the loenl post-oflke. without address or wrap ping. it will surely arrive eventually In [ tho hands of some soldier abroad at the i front. i Nirea of American King*. E. \V. 1Middle'nijrg.?The garrison , flag of the United States Army is made 1 of bunting, with thirty feet fly and J twenty feet hoist: thirteen stripes, and I in the tipper quarter nest the staff is the Held or "union" of stars, equal to ! the number of States, on blue tield. | over one-third length of flag, extending to the lower edge of the fourth red j stripe from the top. \?>rninntlng a Presidential Candidate. Miss A. K. W.. Harrisonburg.?Prior to JS24. presidential candidates were chosen by caucuses of the State legis latures. The first national convention was held bv the anti-Masonic party in Baltimore in 1831, and since that time .ill presidential nominations have been made at national conventions in which the representation is usually determined by the party vote at the preceding elec tion. A majority of Uio delegates is r.cccssarv to nominate candidates in tha ciinvonl.'ons of the Republican par tv, while in the Democratic conventions oa? h State votes as a unit, tho State delegation being governed by the ina lority of its delegates, and a two thirds veto is necessary {o nominate. Ahont Joneph Warren. Mrs. M. V. N? Richmond.?-Joseph Warren was an American patriot, born at Itoxhury, Mass., June 11. 1741. lie was graduated from Harvard in 1759 and became a physician In Boston in 1764. In the early disputes between the colonists and the British government he associated himself with Samuel Adams and other ardent Whigs, and was the orator at the second anniver sary of the Boston massacre, March 5. 1772. In 1772 he became a member of the committee of correspondence, and throughout the years immediately pre ceding the Revolution he was a fre quent contributor to the patriot rress. He drafted the extreme but influential Suffolk Resolves adopted in September. 1774. by a convention of Suffolk Coun ty. and forming the most radical state ment of the American position which had up to that time been made.. Ho was a member of the Provincial Con gress of Massachusetts and In April. 1775. was elected president pro tctn. of that body. In March of that year he was again the orator at the anniversary of the. Boston massacre, refusing to be intimidated by the threats of British officers. He had much to do with the success at the Battle of Lexington on April 19, and in June was commissioned major general. lie opposed the occu pation of Charlestown Heights, advo cated by Putnam and Prcsoott, think ing the American supply of ammuni tion too small. Overruled by a ma jority of tho council, which resolved to fortify Bunker Hill, he went thero as a volunteer, refusing to take the ehlcf command, offered him by both Preseott and Putnam. During tho bat tle of June 17 he was killed. A nionu ipcnt to his memory by Paul W. Bart ett waa erected. In Boston 1a 190*4 JUDGE KEITH'S FUNERAL I POSTPONED TO TO-MORROW ( IIIb Son. Lleatennnt Mnnaon Keith. Ki? peeled to Arrive Form Te?M This Afternoon. ^ Funeral services for Judgo James Keith. who died day before yesterday morning "t his homo, at 110 Cathedral Place, have been postponed from to-day till Saturday at noon, when It will taho placo at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Tills postponement la to await tho arrival of Lieutenant Manson Keith, his ? son, from Texas. The'active pallbearers will meet at the home Saturday morning at 11:30 o'clock. The honorary pallbearers will ? * meet at the church at 11:40, but aro not expected to attend the burial, which will bo in Hollywood Cemetery. Pallbearers will bo as follows: Active?II. Stewart Jonos, Bruce Howe, Warren 1*. Taylor. M. B. Watts, llonry C. Jtlcly, Jonathan Bryan, Mayor George Ainslie, Nelson Ingram. Cray Garland and Foster Wilt. Honorary?Judges John A. Buchanan, Richard If. Card well, George M. Harri son. Stafford G. Whittle, Joseph L. Kel ly, Robert H. Prentls, F. W. Sims, Mar tin P. Burks and L. L. Lewis and Gov ernor Henry Carter Stuart, Colonel W. Gordon McCabe, Colonel Thomas Smith, ttt. Rev. D. J. O'Conncll. Major Jen nings C. Wise, Major Henry C. Carter. Messrs. James 15. Pace, Henry R. Pol lard, Fred S. Valentine, Edgar II. Fer gusson. W. W. Scott, James D. l'atton, R. Walton Moore, 11. H. Downing, Hugh Hamilton, Moses M. Green, William H. White, Wyndham R. Meredith, Frrd W. Scott. Eppa Hunton, Jr., Henry P. Taylor. Jr., Alfred P. Thom, John Stewart Bryan. Henry S. Payne, Thomas P. Bryan and B. R. Wellford. USE COAL SPARINGLY Tolnl Snpjtlr In niehmoml Is 4,005 Toaii Moiilr Tlun of tie Mine. As a result of numerous complaints that the coal dealers in Richmond have refused lo well coal to Individuals, A. llelrne Blair, chairman of the local fuel commission, has Issued the fol lowing warning: "If it is brought to roy attention that any Richmond dealer declines to sell a person coal who Is In need of it, and I find that '.he dealer has coal on hand, I will immediately commandeer It." Mr. Blair stated that there was a serious shortage in anthracite coal, hut that the .^oft coal situation was not so bad if the people will use it sparingly. According to report from State Fuel Administrator Byrd there was on hand In Richmond on December 27. 4,905 tons of coal, including 3,460 tons of run of the mine. 2GQ tons of splint, and th'* rest wa* anthracite. Mr. Byrd Is nI?:o making efforts to secure various grades of coke from the Alabama coke ovens to relieve tho yhortage of anthracite coal In Norfolk, Newport News and other sections of the State. The coal situation ha3 be come a very serious problem, and tho people must begin to realize that un less ihey use ?ho coal very sparingly the city and State will be threatened with a coal famire. Will Enlarge Power Honae. IMans have been drawn and an appli cation filed at the Building Inspector's ofiice by the Virginia Railway and Power Company for an addition to its power plant at the foot of Twelfth Street. It Is estimated that tho coat will bo JS.000. Rletmr t'nae Ccntlanri. Percy J. Townes, age twenty year?, charged with bigamy and contributing to the delinquency of Elizabeth Ford, age fourteen years, of "07-A West Marshall Street, was in Police Court yesterday morning, but a continuance was secured l.y hin counsel to Januarv 12. The Ford girl was accompanied to court by her mother. As th';y left the bench after Judge CrutchHeld tot the day for the hearing, the little girl wr;it bitterly. Mnjor Wl?e In France. According to Information received here yesterday. Major Jennings C. Wise, former commandant of cadets at the Virginia Military Institute, and now In the regular United States Army, has arrived safely in France. Voice of the People Letters mmt elre the use and ?l drras of the writer. Name Trill sot fcs published if writer bo request*. A Pies for TtsllrosA. To the Editor of Tho Times-Dispatch: Sir.? If Richmond will not males every effort to prevent tho abandon ment of the fifteen tulles of railroad known as the Richmond and Rappa hannock line, it will be passing strange. F-->r the last forty-five yearn, ever since the regular stage coach ran between Tappahannock and Richmond, a dis tance of fifty miles, has tho question of bringing this part of tho Statu in communication with Richmond by roil been agitated. Again nnd again have different surveys been made, and dif ferent routes discussed and planned, all to fall through. When this rO-id was at last begun and completed as far as the Pamunkey River, it was the general opinion then that It would not pay unless extended to the Rappahan nock River. This section of Virginia through which it was to run. Is tho largest area without railroad facilities cast of tho Ohio River. 1 understand, and is rich In abundant resources, all of which now go to Baltimore. Even tho rich, fertile lands, within fourteen miles of Richmond, lying on the Pamunkey River, in Hanover County, will again ship their products to Baltimore If this road is abandoned. Richmond will certainly be lacking In self interest nnd enterprise to let this beginning slip away and not grasp it, In order to at last reach this desirable section of the State. B. C. BROADDUS. Old Church, Va., December 31, 1917. The Way of War. [Written for 1 he Times-Dispatch.1 ["Before the leaves have fallen from the trees you will be back In your homes."?Kaisar Wilhelm to his peopls or< the first day of the war, quoted by Ambassador Gerard.] Four autumn's leaves have fallen from the trees, Yet home Is distant far. and ill at case Wc struggle on, nor near the blessed day When parents, children, wives we shall embrace? Save in our dreaming many leagues away. * There rtestlo in a little downy bed, Under the shelter of an humble home, Two children, curly haired, checks rosy red. Who wonder daily why I do not come. A German mother tells them of their sire Fighting amid a hell of murderous Are. When shall It bo that I their lips s|iall kiss. And hold in my embrace those fornia I love. Around the hearth-fire taste that earth ly bliss That Is a touch of heavenly bliss above? "Men, to tho guns!" Again the stiffen ing stress! Pain, blapkness! Our Father ? wife, children?bless! JAMES RIDDICK LAUGHTON. ranuaor 1. 3,911,