The Lancaster news. (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, March 23, 1917, Image 1
The Lancaster News
VOL. 12, NO. 36, SEMI-WEEKLY. . LANCASTER. S. C.. FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1917 H.50A VKAH
MORE AMERICANS ARE A
VICTIMS OF GERMANS
RUTHLESS WARFARE IS BE- V
ING WAGED.
Teutonic Forces Trying to Bring I*
Retreat in France to an
Abrupt Close.
Germany is believed to have added
other American lives to her roster
of death in her intensified subma-'.
b<
rine campaign. The American tank i Ul
steamer Healdton has been sent to, w
me uoiiom oy a lorpeuo in me iNorin ,
P
sea.
e<
One of the crew is known to have a
died in a small boat that put away li
from the sinking vessel and 14 others '
are believed to have been killed by a
v
the explosion of the torpedo. w
Only seven of the crew of 3 8 are li
known to have been landed.
Haste continues to be made ^
throughout the United States in order
to bring it into a state of pre- ^
paredness to meet aggressions by
Germany on American lives and tj
commerce. p(
Nothing new has been vouchsafed n
regarding the report that the expnc- ri
tation in Berlin was that Germany w
would declare war against the United il
States in 4 8 hours. 1 >p
It is stated that the German im-! r<
perial chancellor left Rerlin that day K,
for general headquarters for a conference
with Kmperor William and
Field Marshal von Hindenburg on
important questions concerning for- ^
eign politics. je,
Germans Making Stand. a>
The Germans .according to latest e;
British and French official communi- g,
cations, apparently nre ending their 0]
retreat along the front in France and j(j
are preparing to give battle every- a]
where to the oncoming foes.
Paris reports that between the r]
Somme and the Oise the Germans r<
made successive violent attacks w
against the French troops holding the
east bank of the St. Quentin canal, t|
but the French machine guns stopped
them. Attacks also were deliv- w
erod by the Germans near La Fere p,
and between the Laon road and the f(
river Aisne, but the French barrage J(
broke them up. j,(
London reports that from tin- 0
South of Arras to the West of St.
Quentin along the entire British p]
front, the Germans n>-o stiffening
their resistance increasingly.
The only advance by the e*<te^te
along the French front is claimed by
c<
the French, who crossed the Allctte
CI
river at several points.
The communication of the Berlin .
t<
war office asserts that o? bo<b ?'>?? ?
of the Somme and Oise rivers ?nbI
gagements between Germans and entente
advance detachments have resulted
favorably for the Germans.
Fighting in Fast. * n
There has been a renewal of ac- a
tivity on the Russian front on the q
Yilna region. Here the Germans made
an advance over a /ront of two and v
a half miles east of Lldaand, cap- ,v
tured 22 5 Russians and a number of j C(
guns. a
Petrograd admits the advance, but
says that later the territory was re- c
taken. In Galicia, near Brody. Ger- (j
man attacks have been repulsed. I n
The Turks in Persia are still In retreat
before the Russians, say? Po- c
trograd. Toothing new has come ((
through concerning the operations 01 ,,
the British against the Ottomans n
north and northeast of Bagdad.
The entente allies are still on the k
r- o
offensive against the forces of the,R1
central powers In Macedonia, but Id
Berlin says attacks north of Monastir n
have been repulsed. jp
The usual artillery duels and ml-jb
nor infantry attacks continue in theia
Austro-Itallan theatre. 1 ^
Announcement Is made by the Oer- 1 w
man admiralty that tho flerman
raider Moewe ha* returned to a home . M
port after a second cruise in the At- ^
lantic. It la stated that the vense;
during this cruise "captured" shlp-|
ping aggregating 123,100 tona gross.
! t
HKIiD ON SrHPICIOV. h
New York. March 22.?'Benjamin d
Sternberg was rmanded to the n
Tombs prison today for 24 hours by 1
Coroner Rlordan to await a futher t;
examination on the charge of having s
caused the death of Mrs. +:isie I^ee H
Hiltar at the Martinique hotel. He v
will be arraigned again to morrow. h
KM TALK IS
NOTHING BUT A BLIND
VORTH BUT LITTLE IS GENERAL
OPINION.
!very Department Goes on
Apace With Preparedness
Plans in Army and Navy.
'Washington, March 22.?Word
lat a European neutral might of?r
mediation to prevent open war
etween the United States and (Jerlany
has come to the administration
ltnout causing surprise or in any
ay affecting the government's
lans for meeting the situation forc1
by submarine ruthlessness. Such
proposal is regarded here as nothig
more than another scheme CosTed
by Germany with the hope of
infusing the issue and possibly di-,
iding sentiment in this country
hile the destruction of American
ves and ships on the high seas ccnnues.
At the state department today ofcials
would neither deny nor conrm
that the government already had
een approached on this subject allough
it was admitted informally
tat some such move was not unexected.
It was emphatically stated
o suggestion of mediation or disilssion
would be considered unless it
as accompanied by abandonment of
legal assaults on American shiping,
a course to which there is no
;nson for believing the imperial
uvernment is giving thought.
Has Been Patient.
The feeling in all quarters here is
tat the United States lias with in- ,
nite patience and forbearance done
verything possible with honor to
vert the virtual state of war now
dsiting through German aggression. J
r? long as this aggression continues,
fflcials say. there is nothing to be
one but adopt measures of defense '
nd no basis exists for destruction, j
During the 10 days that must '
lapse before congress assembles in
isponse to his call. President Wilson
ill give close personal attention to
te preparations going forward
trough the war and navy departicnts.
lie saw no callers today, hut
as in touch with both of the deartments.
One of the duties ho per.
trmed was the signing of a formal
reclamation suspending the eight
our law as applied to plants engageo
n navy work, a step authorised by
ongress as a part of the general
Inns for speeding up construction.
Council to Meet.
Secretary Baker, as chairman of
te council of national defense, today
tiled the council and its advisory
ommittee of heads of great induaial
concerns to meet here Saturday
t discuss how much more work is
ft'-esBar.? !o put the ri nr. y in a
late of adequate preparedness for
efense. The council already has ncitmplished
wonderful results toward
to mobilization of all the nation's
^sources and these will be surveyed
t Saturday's meeting. Samuel
ompers, as chairman of the round's
committee on labor, issued iniations
to a large number oi worklen,
employers and scientists to acept
membership on the committee
nd attend its first meeting April 2.
Additional efforts to stimulate reruittng
for the navy were launched
urlng the day. The response to the
Bcruiting service during the last
>w months has been the best on re
uru inn riecreiary Daniels is cieirmined
to fill up promptly to the
nil authorized strength of 74.500
ion. w
Word was received that every ship
uilding plant capable of building detroyers
would be represented at the
eparlment Saturdi\y when a great
umber of building orders will be
laced. The department plans to
ulhl to the full'capacity of the yards
nd the number of destroyers to be
rdered can be determined only
rhen that capacity is known. A i
tand.:rd type,' the 35 knot vessel,
rill be ordered to hasten construclon.
MUCH WHISKEY BURNED.
Macon, Ga., March 22.?Whiskey
o the amount of 6.250 gallons was
urned at the oity crematory here toay
by A. O. Blalock, internal revalue
collector, assisted by deputies,
he liquor was seized in Coffee coun- (
y, turned over to the custody of the
ecretary of the treasury by Judge
peer and ordered brought to Macon, '
rhere it had been stored in a wareouse.
CONGRESS
TO DE(
WILL MEET ON API
DINARY
President Wilson Is Ret
cation Now Is That
PRESIDENT'S 1
Washington, March 21.?1
calling an extra session of cor
"Whereas, public interests
the United States should be <
sion at 12 o'clock noon on tht
ceive a communication by th<
of international policy;
"Now, therefore, I, Wood
United States of America, d
that an extraordinary occask
United States to convene in <
the city of Washington, on til
o'clock, noon, of which all per
entitled to act as members tl
take notice.
"Given under my hand anc
of America, the 21st day of 1
one thousand nine hundred a
pendence of the United Stati
first."
Washington, March 21.?President
Wilson today met the constantly in
creasing probability of war with Ger
many by summoning congress to as
Bcmble in extraordinary session Monday,
April 2?two weeks earlier that
the date he had chosen before the la
test assaults upon American right*
on the seas.
When the president addresses congress
he is expected to show how a
state of war actually has existed for
some time because of the unlawful
aggressions of German submarines
Congress is expected formally tc
declare a state of war existing, vote
a large sunt, probably half a billion
dollars, for national defense, and
clothe the president with authority
to use the armed forces of tin
I'mted ^tiiti-s as it oninowerod 1'resi
dent McKinley to ileal with the menace
of Spain in 18'.?8.
All l?e| tends I poii ( erniany.
Such action would not he a ueclar
ation of war except in a technical
sense, and whether the Uniteii
States and Germany actually go tc
war in the fullest acceptance of the
term will depend on what the impe
i.il u?>. lent docs ,x fore con
Kress is a sent bled or after it acts.
Dispatches from abroad tonight do
elating that the German government
expected a state of war within th?
next forty-eight hours placed at
ominous aspect on the situation.
Much to chance the president'*
present intentions or the course ol
the government in the crisis may develop
before April 2. The first
American armed ships will by that
time have reached the war zone. Tht
ruthless destruction of one of then
undoubtedly would he an act of war
On the other hand, sinking of s
submarine by one of the armed tner
(hantmen probably would be met at
an act of war by Germany. Even tlx
arming of American ships with tlx
avowed purpose of defending then
arainst ll-boats may be declaret
such an act.
State of War Since Sunday.
In any of these events, practical]]
rothinc would remain exeeDt for con
gress to acknowledge a state of wai
existing from a certain specified dat<
?probably last Sunday, when thre<
American ships were sunk with loe<
of life.
The next ten days, until congresi
meets, will he days of tense anxiety
of eager waiting and watching
fraught with possibilities of tre
mendous consequences to the Unite<
States.
President Wilson and his adviser
in the cabinet and in congress havi
no intention that war shall be de
c la red by the United States. By thi
hostile acts of German submarine
they believe the imperial Germai
government is actually making wa
on the United States and that it shal
be recognized as such a state. T
meet such a condition, the arme
force of the country and all the na
fcriiilffn ? r.wrr
called
:lare war
j
UL 2 FOR EXTRAORSESS10N.
idy To Act?Every Indi-,(
1 War With Germany 1
i
lining. i
c
PROCLAMATION. !
t
'he President's proclamation ]
lgress follows: <
require that the congress of r
convened in extraordinary ses- i
! 2nd day of April, 1017, to re- ,
e executive on grave questions
row Wilson, president of the ,
0 hereby proclaim and declare ,
in requires the congress of the ,
extra session at the capitol. in f
le 2nd day of April, 1017, at 12 j
sons who shall at that time be
nereof are hereby requested to j
1 the seal of the United States ,
Vlarch, in the year of our Lord t
nd seventeen, and of the inde- ,
es the one hundred and forty- s
t tional resources are to bo put in a
- state of readiness. '
Then whether the nation shall en- '
ter the war in its full sense will do- 1
pond upon how much further tleri
many carries her acts of aggression. 1
To Be War of Defense. '
In every sense, war. if it actually '
|coine8, will be a defensive war, free I
from ambition of spoils or territory "
i in which the United States, the pros
ident has publicly declared, shall
1 want nothing for itself, and shall t
. seek only to protect the rights of
> civilization and hunniniiity. I
In such a situation the United t
i States might even become an actual c
I participant in the hostilities on the j
' Uuropean continent without beeom- 1
! ing a political ally of any of the en- <
tclite powers, simply casting its j
weight of men, money and moral intluence
into the battle against a v
common enemy. t
Ports of the United States probably
i would no opcnou 10 wai -11151s of tin- t
I entente navies; credits from the vast j
i stocks of gold, food, munitions and <
other materials might be extended t
to alj the entente powers. The i
- Aiiv ~ !' :? 11 u vy , :o' 1 1 > " old '
operate with the Hritish and French I
navies in clearing submarines from a
t the seas. 1
Political Differences Katie. <
t Hurry calls for all party leaders in t
congress went out today as soon as s
* the president announced the ad- s
r vancement of the date of the extra ?
session. With the menace of war
t looming close ahead, political dlffert
ences began to fade away. Some ,
? congressmen already here went so <
1 far as to suggest that the fight for i
. organization of the house he post- f
i poned until after.the international 1
- situation had been dealt with. 1
i ( In laying the whole situation be- I
? fore congress the president is e\ 1
i pected to detail fully the warlike acts ?
1 of Germany against the United 1
I States and to pay particular atten- 1
jtion to t'he future of the American <
' irnvoi-nmonl na tliu i?ron? n\nll!/>t
r draws to a close.
-j It is not improbable that lie will 1
r ask congress to declare a state of i
i;war axisiting, although there is some
6 indication that he may only outline 1
*' the situation fully and leave to
congress the action which is accepted 1
? as unavoidable. So much can devel- ?
. |<?p, however, before congress assetn- <
. jbles that the president is keeping his <
- plans in a tentative form. Germany, <
1 by her acts in the interim, may 1
throw all the plans away and accept
s the onus of having forced the war.
e Navy Is Most Active.
Meanwhile, every preparation for
e putting the nation's defenses In cons
ditlon to meet a state of war 's go
a ing forward. The principal activities
r center in the navy, where far-reaehI
ing preparations are being carried
n on to deal with submarine menace,
d whether it 1? to be met In the war
zone about the British coasts or at
ra?^ -t,,! | )
MOTHER SHIP SUNK If
BY THE SUBMARINES
AMERICAN VESSEL IS SENT jj
TO BOTTOM OF SEA.
steamer Healdton Was Torpe- S
doed by German U-Boat
Without Warning.
Washington, March 22.?American
r'onsul Mahin at Amsterdam cabled I j
he state department tonight that the I c
American steamer Healdton. sunk by
i submarine yesterday off Tersoheri- 1
Hnllaml wn? tnrn<ui/?oil ;i
varning and that 20 of the crew were [
Irowned. 1
The consul's dispatch follows: h
"Standard oil ship Healdton from
'hiladelphia for Rotterdam, cargo;
>11, torpedoed without warning 8:15 v
;vening of 21st 25 miles north of p
rerschelling, Holland. Twenty of j
tpw drowned. One died of injuies.
Others (taken) to north of lloland.
Submarine seen after torpe- ?
loing. More details to follow."
The sinking of the Healdton adds ti
mother grave chapter to the story of \
var waged against American ship- ^
>ing by Germany to be laid before
ongress by President Wilson at (be
tpeeial session he had called for P
Vpril 2. . t<
II can cause no immediate change \
n the situation. Since the destruc-j
ion of three American ships last Sat- .1
1
irday and Sunday, administration of- j,
icials have considered that a state g
>f war existed and it is to meet this (,
lituation that congress lias been sum- y
noned to authorize steps beyond the g
irming of merchantmen. a
The Healdton was unarmed, hav- a
ng left port before the president an
Lhorized the navy to furnish guns
ind gunners to merchantmen. c
'Her fate serves to heighten the K
profound interest with which the s
government and the public await the
time when an American ship pre ,
>ared and ready to send a shell into a
i hostile submar'ne on sight will ener
the war zone. ?
1
he gates of American cities. d
The army's plans are in a !e-s <temite
stage because of the uncer- c
aintv as to what part it will be a
alb d upon to play. General stn
dans to tit several contingencies
lave been work* <1 out. however, mi e
\ ry -tep thai can be taken in th? ,
?rej?ent sltuat on has been taken. t.
Tonight Secretary I'aker conferred q
vitlt the president, but the detnP fi
m y discuss. (! were not revealed. 'i
The possibi! ty or' fierm my -\ f>
ending submarine operations to tbe
\tlantic seaboard his not t? n
lcr-estimated. 1>.rt it is recoirni/cd
itat when site extetiils her warfare
torn the comparatively limited t
mrr '1 zon? to >ht ' "?
.road Atlantic she so eft ,-i v
veakens her starvation blockade of j
.nglnnd that the announced object ,
>f the campaign of ruthlessness \i'! p
>f necessity, be abandoned. \t tk< ,,
iame time the submarine menace f-hipping
will comparatively ?le- a
rease.
( rria.'in Internal Situation.
Next to war. the attention of tbe
American government is upon o :e p
>ther object the internal situate- r
n Cermany. With a military con- >
sorship screening the history making
events transpiring within the Gov- s
man empi-e and equally screening (
rom the German people the full f
meaning of events in the world out- v
tide, the real condition of affairs in (
that country guardedly re fleet. <1 ir j
dispatches from abroad command"
flose attention. 1
Murmurir.gs of a revolt against au.
tocraoy emboldened by the revolu
ion In Russia; reports of food riots '
in Rerlin, which are said to have
necessitated the withdrawal of;
troops from the fighting lines; mill- ,
(Continued on Page I)
? <
t* TII>IjM.\\ KOK AAli. + l
? ?
Augusta, Ga., March 22.? Sen- <
ator R. R. Tillman, in Augusta + <
on private business today, said
ho will vote for war the first *
opportunity he gets. His opin- i
ion is that Germany has gone 1
?? beyond the limit, and is now j
making war on this country,
and he favors immediate action.
He believes the senate will
stand by President Wilson anil
+ that action should be taken at
once.
CRIMINAL COURT IS
COMPLETED FOR TERM
t
ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE
THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
several Murder Trials Occupied
Attention in Closing Days
of the Session.
t
After having been in session since
londay, March 12. Court of General
iessions for Lancaster county came
o a close late yesterday afternoon
nd adjourned sine die.
When The News went to press
'uesday the court was engaged in
earing the case of Kiston White and
falter White, two negroes, charged
fith nilir<i*?r Thi? fMioo
leted late Tuesday afternoon, the
ury returning a verdict of guilty,
ith a recommendation to the mercy
f the court. Attorneys for the defendants
made application for n new
rial, which was granted as to Kiston
Vhite and refused as to Walter
Vhite. Attorneys for the latter then
ave notice of their intention to apeal.
The court then imposed senence
of life imprisonment on Walter
Vhite.
Duff Marshall, charged with murer,
was arraigned Wednesday niornic.
The jury returned a verdict of
uilty of manslaughter and the deendant
was sentenced to serve five
ears on the public works or in the
tate penitentiary. Application for
new trial was made and refused
nd attorneys gave notice of appeal.
Sandy Hunter was arraigned on
lie charge of housebreaking and lareny.
lie entered a plea of guilty to
rand larceny and was sentenced to
erve 15 months on the public works.
(Kd Armstrong, indicted for viola- I
ion of the prohibition law, entered
plea of guilty and was sentenced
o serve nine months on the public
oiks, after the service of one month
he remaind* r to stand suspended
uring good behavior.
W ! ; 111 Hames was tried on the
hnri.c of larceny of cotton and was
cquitted by the jury.
Samuel Ilt< vo- alias Samuel lleid,
ml Poteet Truesdale 'ere arraign>1
\V"dnesday atternoon on the
hart; of niurd* i and carrying conpaled
weapons. They were ac
uittcd nn the murder charge and
nund ire ity on the at i.er ? hnrge. #
'ho court imposed sentence on each
1 T?o or days.
T' u !.iy morning the court took
p the c;>s? of Harvey Broughton,
barged with attemptvd criminal asar.lt.
Thm c s< lasted well through
lie morning and resulted in a ver
' not gu'I..
Phe ''si case n <-d was hat of
ioyt Wells, a young white man,
harged with the murder of his
rothor. Wells alleged that he "nmift .
d the art jn self defense. The
ase went to the jury about noon
nd the jury deliberated until almost
gh*. at whbh time a verdict of not
nitty was returned.
Solicitor J. K. Henry left for his
oine in Chester yesterday afterioon
and Court Stenographer Harry |
IcCaw left for his homo in York
ast n't bt. Judge S. W. C. Shipp
p? >t the night in Lancaster and left
his morning for his home in Florence.
He will go to Chester next
reek to preside over Sessions Court
here.
F. A. CAUTHEN LOST
GINNING OUTFIT
Disastrous Blaze in Dry Creek
Section at Early Hour
Today.
Fire of unknown origin, discovered
shortly before 1 o'clock this morning.
completely destroyed the ginnery,
saw mill and grist mill .pta.q1
:<f James A. Cauthen in the Pol
['reek section of the county. It ll
estimated that the loss will be abou*
*6.000 with no insurance.
In the building at the time weri
n few bales of cotton and over fl.OOi
worth of plantlne seed, together will
a threshing machine, two wagons an<
other farming implements.
Mr. Cauthen stated on the telr
phone this morning thai he woul
like to get in touch with some ot
having some seed cotton, as evei
bushel of his seed was destroyed 1
the fire.