The Lancaster news. (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, April 06, 1917, Image 1
"
I
VOL. 12, NO. 40, SEMI-WEEKLY. LANCASTER. S. FRIDAY, APRIL (i. 1917. $1.50 A YEAR
GERMANS 10 INCITE
REVOLT OF NEGROES?
SAY AGENTS WORKING ON
PLANS NOW.
Department of Justice Finds
Evidence of Another Plot
Hatched by Teutons.
Birmingham, Ala., April 4.?Reports
that agents of the imperial German
government are using Elm
Grove, a negro settlement near
Greensboro. N. C., as headquarters
IUI a i.a 111 |/<l l K LI IU I Utile OUUlUltri] I1Wgroee
against the government of the
United States today were confirmed
by local federal agents. The alleged
activ-ltiles, according to the officials
here, have extended to the tobacco
and cotton belts of Georgia, Alabama,
the CarolinaB and parts of Florida.
These efforts, however, have met
with little sympathy among the negroes,
who have pledged themselves
in large numbers to support the president
and render whatever service
they could to the nation iu case of
war.
The alleged work of Germans in
the South is believed by the federal
agents to be closely allied to the recent
exodus from tHe cotton belt to
Northern industrial centers of large
bodies of negro laborers.
Rumors have reached here that
farmers in some agricultural districts
have formed Ku Klux Klnns to
meet possible uprising or disaffection
but these have not been confirmed by
federal authorities here.
Government agents declared todav
that information rei?rthin?y ihnm i<wt
to the belief that in the event war
with Germany is declared, efforts will
be made by German agents to induce
negroes to migrate to Mexico with n
view to crippling industries In tho
South which depends on negro labor.
At the United States marshal's of'j
flee in Jacksonville, Fla., today it
was admitted that a close watch is
being maintained by federal officers
for possible efforts of German agents
to incite the negroes. Reports
reaching there, It was said, indicate
that such efforts have met with no
success.
FIND KOMK KV1DKNCK.
Federal Authorities in New Orleans
Discover Signs of Plot.
New Orleans. April 4.?Federal
authorities here admitted today that
thdy have discovered evidence in the
last few weeks indicating the existence
of an organized German
movement to incite negroes in parts
of Louisiana and Mississippi against
the United States government. It
was stated several Germans have
been arrested recently in Mississippi
suspected of such activity.
Among the promises alleged to
have been made to the negroes, according
to federal agents, were complete
franchise freedom and political
and socigl equality, if the negroes
pledged themselves to aid Germany tn
the event of war with the United
States. The names of persons arrested
In connection with the investigations
and the localities were withheld.
SKKKK TO IMPROVE
LAW OX FARM LOANS
Stevenson (Jets Flare on Hanking and
Currency Committee.
Washington, April 4.?Congressman
Stevenson believes thai the federal
farm loan bank Is not in as complete
a condition as it may be, and for
this reason among others he asked
that he be placed on the banking nnd
currency committee of the house,
which was done. Mr. Stevenson
said that he desired to go on the committee
on banking and currency hecause
his district is largely agricultural
and the federal farm loan bank
will have to be developed and is of
such vital interest to the farmers that
h< thinks he can be of more use to
his district on that committee than
any oty^y in the house. He is of the
opinio! .that it will require many
amemm)Aits before it will fully accomplish
the beneficent purpose o*
its creation.
TiAURRNH COUNTY KILLINL.
Laurens, April 2.?Charged with
the killing last night of another negro
at his home in the county, John
Churcher was lodged in Jail here today.
SENATE HAS ADOPTED
THE WAR RESOLUTION
PASSED BY A VOTE OF
82 TO 6.
Spirited Debate Was Heard.
Action in senate at 11 U'clock
Wednesday Night.
Washington, April 4.?The war
resolution was passed by the senate
by a vote of 82 to 6. It goes to the
house where debate will begin tomorrow
morning at 10 o'clock and
continue until action is taken.
Senators who cast the negative
votes were: Gronna of North Dakota,
La Follette of Wisconsin, Norrls
of Nebraska. Lane of Oregon.
Stone of Missouri and Vardaman of
Mississippi.
Senator McCumber's substitute to
declare the existence of a state of
war upon the sinking of another
American ship by Germany was defeated
without a roll call.
The resolution, drafted after consultation
with the state department
and already accepted by the house
committee,, says the state of war
thrust upon the United States by Germany
is formally declared and directs
the president to employ the entire
military and naval forces and the re
sources of the government to carry
on war and bring it to a successful
termination.
Action in the senate came just after
11 o'clock at the close of a debatethat
had lasted continuously since 1?>
o'clock this morning. The climax
was reached late in the afternoon
when Senator John Sharp Williams
denounced a speech by Senator l,n
Follette as more worthy of Herr von
Bethmann-Hollweg than of an American
senator.
No Outbursts From Galleries.
HIT ill lilt! resolution was
rot marked by any outburst from the
galleries. The seuators themselves
were unusually quiet. Many of them
answered to their names in voices
that quivered with emotion.
The galleries were filled to overflowing
and on the floor back of the
senators' seats were almost half the
membership of the house. In the
diplomatic gallery was Secretary Lansing.
Counsellor Polk of the state department,
Minister C.alderon of Ho
livia. Minister Kkengren of Sweden.
Earlier in the evening Dr. Ritter, the
Swiss minister, in charge of German
interests in this country, had been
there.
Secretary McAdoo was on the
floor during the last few hours of the
debate.
As the last name was called and
the clerk announced the vote. 8 2 to
6, there was hardly a murmur of applause.
All six of the senators who voted
against the resolution were members
ol the group of 12 which defeateu
the armed neutrality bill at the last
session. There was no attempt to
filibuster this time, however, and
most of the 13 hours of debate was
consumed by champions of the resolution.
Of the other six opponents
of the armed neutrality. Senators
Cummins, Kenyon, and Kirby voten
for the resolution tonight. Senator
O'Gorman. Olapp and Works retired
to private life at the end of the last
session.
I'M'SI AI, VKItDHT
IN lilfl Sl'MTEIt CASK
Jury Kinds for Defendant in Ilowin>in-llnrl>y
Suit.
SunHfir, April 4.?After being out
for atnmt eight hours the jury in the
Harby-Bownian case last night returned
a verdict in favor of the defendant.
H. J. Harhy, in the cotton
case, while it returned a verdict of
$1,569.53 In favor of the plalntifT.
W. A. Howman, as due from farming
operations which the two men had
previously carried on together. The
ve ^ t was a surprise in that Howman
had made no claim for damages
in the farming operations, while Harhy
had made a counterclaim on this
^core of $4,000. Bowman's claim was
ifor one-third of the money made localise
of cotton shipments alleged to
jbe $326,000.
| A motion for a new trial was made
Iby counsel for the plaintiff, and it Is
| probable that if this motion is refused
that the case will go to the supreme
court on appeal.
FRENCH TROOPS ARE
MAKING GOOD GAIN!
REPUBLICS TROOPS SEIZEI
SIX MILES.
Notable Advance Made Ovei
German Resistance?British
Continue Their Progress.
Along a six mile front southeas
and south of St. Quentin, the Fiend
have made another notable gain ove
the Germans, while northwest of th
town the British have captured th
village of Metzen-Couture and there
by gained an additional step in thei
plan to push forward on the north
ern tlank of St. Quentin. The Frencl
mill IVilU fl llnminotlnn ?
uw.uumiillh J'WmilUll 1(111
nine from Gruggies, about two mile
south of St. Quentin. through Urvil
lers to Moy which lies in the valle;
of the Oise six miles southeast o
St. Quentln. The fighting took plac
during violent snow squalls and Gen
Neville's men were successful alont
the entire line. All three village
were taken by the French troops am
in addition they captured three line
of trenches near the Folie farm ii
the same sector, from which the Ger
mans are declared to have fled ii
disorder, leaving wounded, thre
howitzers and much other war ma
derial.
After the capture of Metz-en-Cou
ture, the British pressed on to th
Jeast of the village. Here, the las
iofficial report says, they are still en
I gaged with the Germans and also b
| the north In the neighborhood o
Hlavrincourt wood. By the captur
'of this wood, the British would b
I dangerously near Marcoing. an im
portant town, the Junction of th
roads running from Peronne and Ba
paume to Cambrai. To the w^st o
St. Quentin German counter attack
against the British in an endeavor t
recapture six guns taken Monda
failed, according to London.
The Berlin war office asserts tha
northeast of Bapaume and west o
;St. Quentin heavy casualties hav
beA inflicted on the British and tha
near Noreull 24 0 British prisoner
were killed by their own maehin
gunners as they were being takei
"back by the Germans. Only 60 of ;
iiwtm iuiid tji me ,mu prisoner
reached the l>ack German lines, say
i Berlin.
In Volhynla, 35 miles northeast o
I Kovel, the Gerninns have struck
hard hlow at the Russians, flghtini
their way across the Stokhod rive
and inflicting heavy casualties on th
! Russians. Considerable booty als
ff II into the hands of the Qennam
jTetrograd reports the entry by th
| Russians into Austrian trenches nea
'Raifalova, the occupants being baj
one ted.
On the Persian front the Russian
are still in pursuit of the Turks 1
the region of Khaniken.
Bombardments and small engag<
a i
|i *y^jj ^Mrif^^^B W8
**^1^ i foi
^^ ll^^H^II^B i v Ms\>
pmm ? \_ i vi
tei
MAY RAISE ARMY 10 ~?
5 THREE MILLION MEN ?
1 fm
) TO MAKE START WITH HALF
MILLION. ,,
th<
r Staff Officials lTrge That Large Iter
Force For Defense He
Trained at Once.
las
__
t Washington. April 4.?The definite1;'0
:r?i
1 plans of the war department ur? jj)V
r |
.waiting to go forward to congress ipij
e when It is ready to reeeive them. P?
(- President Wilson gave a clear view
ll *1
r of the immediate steps to be urged
ba
in his address, but until the depart1
pa
ment's plan has been submitted. jn
ft however, details are regarded as con- of
- fldentlal. r?i
y \ The first element of the nlan. the pn
f president already has disclosed. It is
e the assembling of 500,000 men under
i. a universal service system as an ad- 11 n
shi
ft dition to the regular army and nas
tional guard, which would provide a J'1
1 total war strength force of 1.200,s
000.
n I It is assumed that coincident with
- the calling out of the new army, or- an
n ders to recruit the regulars and
e guardsmen to full strength would go
- out. Whether that will be done by r,u
voluntary enlistment-or by draft has i u ''
- r.ot been disclosed.
e! Army officers believe 500,000 is Wn
t the maximum number they can un- ^
i-'dertake to train at once. In a few , 1
' : be
o months, however, an additional 500.en
if 000 could be called out to be follow- j ^
e ed at Intervals by other similar in- (
e crements until a total army of the ^
i- desired size has been mustered. ;
e I General staff officials have consis- i '
' an
,- tently urged that a minimum of .
f, 3,000,000 trained and equipped men j
s, should be provided for national de < ^
r> fense. If that number is taken a* in- j'ft0
v '.eluding the regulars and national
:guard, a new armv more than 2.000, ,
i le>
t 000 strong would be necessary.
? The training of the first half mil
H lion will tax the personnel and nm
f chinery of the regular armv to the ,
1 P
? limit. The units of the regular .
IB
e army, it is said, will be vitally neces- ^
n sary to carry the work forward. Forj""
, that reason the suggestion that an
11 f* II
a expeditionary force be sent to France .. ^
a as a symbol, met with a cold recep- *
tion today among officers of the irenj
oral staff. One otticer sa d such a ^
step would be "military suicide." The
on
only troops available would be the ,
R
regulars who could not be spared
from training work.
; Vi(
o ta
meats between detachments of in de
e fantry are in progress In Macedonia. Jo
i- The Servian war office reports thai so
?. Teutonic allied airmen have again tu
dropped bonibR on Monastir and says , to
that 47 persons were killed and 2h j
n wounded, a majority of them women in
and children. Numerous houses also to
?. were destroyed. |w<
t
UGE SUM IS ASKED H
FOR PURPOSE OF WAR
)UR BILLION DOLLARS TO L<
BE NEEDED.
uch Money Will Be Required I
For the Army and Navy
During Struggle.
Washington, April 5.?Congress
is asked today to provide imme- In
itely $3,502,517,000 to finance the .-v
ir for one year, approximately at G(
lows: |at<
For the war department, $2,952,-!c'(
7,933; for increasing the authoriz-: to
strength of the navy to 150,000
'ti and the marine corps to 30.000, ! jei
75,855,762; for other necessary ;pr
penditures for the naval establish- i an
>nt at the direction and discretion , co
the president, $292,538,790, and
the coast guard so that it may re
rfect and bring to a high state of W
Iciency its telephone system of si>
astal communication, $600,000. , ac
A bond issue, increased taxation, j fo
hiding higher taxes on estates, 'an
ge incomes, whiskey, beer, tobac-jto
and new methods of taxation ! fo
obably will be resorted to to raise ra
} huge amount. to
Unoflicial estimates to the federal 1
lerve board are to the effect that 17
j banks of the federal reserve svs- at
n are in a position to absorb tip to gr
.Out),000,000 of war bonds at once or
a rate of interest not exceeding th
1-2 per cent. Secretary McAdoo sp
thorized the statement that he no
night the government would have pi
difficulty iti raising the necessary str
an res.
Only Part of Program. \v t
The estimates calling for the up-,tti
ipriation of money for carrying on ed
i war were couched in general na
ms. Tlte great total does not inide
possible loans to the allies, an
rt of the administration's program It<
outlined in the president's address v?
congress, and demands upon the sh
untry's finances will be increased he
whatever amount it is derided to,"^
lee at the disposal of the entente I?a
vernments. he
Secretary McAdoo said tonight he
d received many suggestions from
nkers and others and was investlting
every phrase of the situation,
hn Skelton Williams, comptroller
the currency, is in New York to
nsult, it is understood, with bank?
there regarding the proposed n
nd issue. no
Chairman Simmons of the senate Co
ance committee intimated that l|0
ort term notes might he issued to ;
limited extent to make immediateavailable
a portion of the sum1,!,
sired. He said he was waiting on
rretary McAdoo for suggestions
d thought a plan of action would ;i
framed shortly.
Representative Rainey of Illinois,
aking majority member of the
ivs and means committee, which e(j
11 have the final say in drafting the wj
,r revenue bill before its presenta- r,r
n to the house, declared tonight to
fit the income tax probably would .,n
amended so as to furnish the govnment
with greatly increased rev-j0O
uos during the war. gr
For Income Taxes. 1 |;|
"My view is," he said, that while w j
a war lasts no man should enjov v?
income or more than $75,000 or
00,000 a year and that the govern- r ,
?nt shou'd take all over this i(,
lount. We could obtain also $200,- sa
0,000 additional annually by rais-'j,,
; taxes on whiskey and beer to a
rcl with what they were taxed in <je
igland before the war started. e*:
"The excess profits tax now in r;i
ice must be graduated, making it k<
aviest on largest profits. The tariff 8a
impossible as a source of revenue
ring the war." nu
Lowering of the income tax ex- ij<
tption to $2,000 and possibly to
KOA - ?- -
cumuiig m?* proposals un- th
consideration. What such action, re
)Ui(l ir.c.in, on. Oifli .ai s?i<! to.ia;. - a
actual revenue could not be fore- su
st even approximately because of by
r-k of information upon which to in
,se an estimate. A conservative ba
pw was that at the present rate of ex
xation S1h0.0d0.ft00 would be ad-1 re
d to the government revenues, hv es
wering the exemption to $2,000 ti<
me officials thought that the re-!ch
rns would be doubled, bringing the pi
tai to approximately $650,000,000. j m
Proposals under consideration tojui
crease the federal tax on estates up iR!
40 per cent on very kirge estates to
nuld swell the government's reve- at
OUSE HAS ADOPTED
GREAT WAR MEASURE
[)m; debate marked
i /infirtUt ur 131LL.
nited States and Germany Are
Now Officially at War Following
Last Action.
Washington, April 6.?The reaction
declaring that a mate of war
ists between the United States and
;rniany, already passed by the sene.
passed the house shortly after 3
dock this morning by a vote of 373
50.
Without roll calls the house rented
all amendments, including
oposals to prohibit the sending of
ly troops over seas without the
ngressional authority.
President Wilson, will sign the
solution today as soon as Vice
esident Marshall has attached his
mature in the senate. It formally
cepts the state of belligerency
rred by German aggressions and
thorizes and directs the president
employ the military and naval
rces and all the resources of the
tion to bring war against Germany
a successful termination.
Passage of the resolution followed
hours of debate. There was no
tempt to filibuster, but the pacifist
oup. under (he leadership of I)emratic
Leader Kitchin, prolonged
e discussion with impassioned
eeches declaring conscience would
t permit them to support the
osidont's recommendation that a
ite of war be declared.
Miss Rankin of Montana, the only
>man member of congress, sat
rough the first roll call with howhead.
failing to answer to her
me. twice called by the clerk.
On the second roll call she rose
d said in a sobbing voice, "I want
stand by my country, but I can not
te for war." For a moment then
o remained standing supporting:
rself against a desk and as cries of
'ote! Vote!" came from several
rts of the house, she sank hack into
r seat without voting audibly. She
is recorded in the negative.
+
II I. TAKK NO HAM)
IN CHKSTKIt MATTER
cveitson Won't Interfere in Connection
With Nomination.
Washington. April 3.?Congressin
W. P. Stevenson today anuinced
that unless it should heme
apparent that the senate would
it confirm the nomination of Postuster
Cunningham at Chester,
tich has been pending for someing
like a year, he would take no
ml in the matter.
"I have no hesitancy whatever in
ying that I shall not interfere in
is situation until the two South
rolina senators ascertain that their
r. Cunningham can not lie confirmhe
said. "After that is done it
11 then be necessary under the
esident's recent civil service rider
hold an examination for the place
d this will be done."
Asked what he would do toward
nfirming Mr. Cunningham Senator
nith said: "My position is just
<p it always been. Cunningham
11 not be confirmed if 1 can prejit
1t."
Upon being asked further how
uoh longer the matter would be al- '
<vt-u M) run HIOTIR, senator smith
id that ho did not know but that 1 j
s pop It ion was unchanged.
Mr. Stevenson has secured an orr
from the postoffice department
tablhhinp village delivery at Chea
pffpctive May 1. lie hopes that
?rshaw will be a?>le to secure the
nip benefit by July.
ips. if adopted, by hundteds of mil- J
The internal revenue bureau of j
e treasury department is collecting f 1
' enues under peace taxes at the j j
e (,t ?.*, >0,000,ouu annually. This r.j
m could be doubled or increased
one billion by moderate increases
the tax on whiskey, beer and to- H
cco, the lowering of the income tax |i|
eniption to $2,000. a graduated ex- B
<- profits tax. increased taxes on JR
tates and gicatly increased taxa-Kl
?n on large incomes. Through thlsE!
innnel alone, it was thought, ap-19
oximately $1,000,000,000 annuallyM
ight be raised for carrying on th<M
sr. Plans for the forthcoming bondlfl
sue. were said by officials involvetfl
be purely in a speculative poBitiow|
present. j^j