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p Ftt CHAJILES W. BIBOHMOBE, PROP. "THE HAN'D OF THE DILIGENT SHALL RULE." fKKMS $1.30 in ADVANCE PER ANNUM. Volume 23. CAMDEN, KERSHAW COUNTY, S. C? TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1915, NUMBER 35 A BECKER IS KILLED POUCE LIEUTENANf PAYS HIS PENALTY WITH DEATH PROTESTED INNOCENCE Goes to Death Chair With Picture of HIb Wife Pinned Over His Heart ? Reiterates anil Affirms Ills Inno cence of CYimd up to His Dying Hour. During (he night Becker penciled on a piece of paper what he caption ed: "My Dying Declaration." It was taken to the warden's office where two copies wore typewritten, which Becker signed in a bold hand with his fountain pen. To Deputy War den Johnson, who had charge of the execution In place of Warden Thos. Mott Osborne, who does not believe In the death penalty, the one-time pollco lieutenant gave his fountain pen as a gift. "It is the last thing that I have to give away. I want you to ? give this statement to the newspaper men." Becker's message read: tiontlemen : I stand before you in my full senses, knowing that no pow er on earth can save me from the gravo that is to receive me. In the fact of that, In the teeth of those who condemned me, and in the presence of my God, I proclaim my absolute Innocence of the foul crime for which I must die. You aro now about to witpess my destruction by the state which !s organized to, protect the live? of the Innocent. May Almighty God pardon every one who has contribut ed in any degree to my untimely death. And now, on the brink of my grave, I. declare to the world that 1 am ?'proud to have been the husband of thq. purest, noblest woman that ever lived ? -Helen Becker. This ac knowledgement is the on ljv legacy 1 can leave her. I bid you aU good bye. Father, I am ready to go Amen. ' (Signed) "Charles Becker. After his wife had said farewell^ ahortly after midnight, Becker main tained a casual conversation with Deputy Warden Johnson, who sat be ?slde the Bcreen In front of his cell Sometimes he smoked cigars, after which he would let his head fall upon his hand and gaze restlessly at the concrete floorB for mlnuteB at a time. - ?~-'.wD?wn fouatL him. Boated^ on the edge of his cot casually pinning n 4 photograph of his wife on his white shirt just over his heart. Then, as 'If lie desired to have her all to him self, Becker put on a thing black alpaca coat which ho lightly button : ed." The photograph was not Been by the witnesses until the prison physi cian opened his coat as he sat In the death chair. A lengthy statement to Gov. Whit man was Riven out by Becker late Thursday. Becker reiterated his in nocence nnd declared ho never had offered to plead guilty to second de gree murder. A Btatenfcnt credited to Mrs Beck ? er was given out hero shortly after hep hushnnd's death. "I shall never rest," she was quot ed as Baying, "until I have exposed the methods which wero used to con vict my Husband. Whether he was guilty or innocent, tlioro was no jus tification for the means employed to convict him. ? "I would rather lose all the other memhera of my family, as ('/ \r a.? they are to mo, than lose Cnarlle No one can take his place. In all of the ten yeaH of our married life I never had occasion onco to rogrel that I wan his wifo. '??a/Ue^a.8v,no an?el- Ho made ntf j>retetisef\of ^)elng one. I ft wat> j?at an ordinary human being ? and iferhaps that is why I loved him so." ^Herman Rosenthal, the gambler for whoBe murder Charles Becker ? .Was Sieivtenced to die in the electric chair, vras Shot to death by hired gunmen in the early morning of July 3 6, 1912, in front of the Hotel Metro POle, on .Forty-third street, a few Steps from Broadway. The murder the swift culmination of senaa tjonal charges made a few days be J* Eosenthal against Becker in ch%R<*s?intftal asserted that Beck bead of the Strong Arm BQuad of detectives, fr.eoly sold po ilcw- protection An*l had accumulated thousands of dollars of graft money ^Rosenthal' wont "further than that Ho Bworerthfct Becker was his Bllent 11 8ftmbllng enterprise thai failed and that Becker, angered by losses whoro he had expected large profits, raldod the Rosenthal estab lishment and drovo Rosenthal out of y business by stationing uniformed po- 1 &*.' llCSment on his promlsos day and &?p|Mfht. W X,Th08* charges were published and f /'PlStrlct Attorney Whitman bogan an * investigation of them. Flo summon ed Rosenthal to the criminal court* building and listened to his story. An appointment was mado with Rosen thai for the next day. Before the CR,r|e, Rosenthal was murdered When tho assassins had done their work, they ran across tho Btreet Jumped into a grey automobile which ?was waiting at tho curb and whlrlod A bystander caught the license numhor of the car District Attorney Whitman, noti fied by telephone of tho murder reached the i -police station where Rosenthal's body lay before dawn. H<t4aroused his detectives from their wleep and spread a dragnet over the cltf for tho murder car. It was found before night. Its driver, Louis Sha piro, and Louis Libbey, part owner, were arrested and Mr. Whitman as serted openly In an emphatic state ment that the police had abetted the murder, i Y?rk ftlroady interested in the charges of police corruption, responded to the news of the murder Becksr.who chief target of Roien thai ? accusations, was 6penly sut BECKER IS Pl)T TO DEATH; DIES IN ELECTRIC CHAIR Police Lieutenant Cioew to His Maker Proclaiming and Reiterating His Innocence. Charles Becker was put to death In the electric chair at Sing Sing prison at Osslng, N. F., Friday morn ing for the killing of Herman Rosen thal, the New York gambler. The former New York police lieutenant retained his composure and protested his innocence to the last. Ho went to his death with a photograph of his wife pinned on his shirt oyer his heart. Three shocks were given be fore the prison physician pronounc ed Becker dead at five-fifty-five o'clock. ? Hecker led the way tr his own exe cution. Ho sat up all night on the edgo of his cot, calmly talking to Doputy Warden Charles H. Johnson. "I have got to face it," said Heck er, "and I am going to meet it quiet ly and without trouble to any one." To Father Curry, Hecker gave his last message as he took his place at the head of the little file of men that marched to the room of death. Ills message read: "i am not guilty by deed, or con spiracy, or in any other way of the death of Rosenthal. I am sacrificed to my friends. Hear this message to the world and my friends. Amen." The one-time police officer hesi tated as lie entered the execution room. It peemed to the witnsses as if he was startled that the death chair was so near at hand. He look ed quickly at the double row of wit nesses. glanced at the floor, swept with his ryes the whitened walls of the room and then suddenly, as if coming to himself, walked briskly over the rubber mat and seated him self in the electric chair. "Jesus, Mary Joseph, have mercy on my soul," nervously spoke Hecker as deputy wardens stepped forward and adjusted the electrodes. Hardly a minute elapsed before the electrode was applied to the right leg, a slit having been previously cut in the trouser leg from the knee down. After the electrode had been firm ly adjusted against a shaven spot on tho back of the -condemned man's [head the state executioner looked at f Deputy Warden Johnson who survey ed the figure that was still mumbling the death prayer in the chair. John son half turned his head and the exe cutioner jammed the switch. The first shock lasted a full min ute and the exeoutioner said that it j was eighteen hundWdand fifty volts and ten amperes nfeyjtrength, It came while Becker still com mending his 8Dul Jo ulVmakex^. Tho two prison physicians stepped forward to examine tho collapsed fig ure Bupoorted In the death chair by the thick black leather straps. The stethoscope was applied to the heart and Dr. Charles Farr, 'ho priron phy sician, pressed his finger agelnst an artery in the neck. There was still a feeble fluttering of the heart. The physician stepped back from the rubber mat and again the electric current pulsed through tho body. The shock lasted seven seconds. Af ter a hasty examination. Dr. Farr asked that a third shock be given. This lasted fivo seconds. An exami nation that took several minuteB fol 'owed. Three physicians among the witnesses then made an examination and Dr. Farr, at five-fifty-five o'clock, quietly announced: "I pronounce this man dead." pected. He was relieved of his com mand of the Strong Arm Squad and transferred to the Bronx. Jack Rose, his graft collector, waUoed Into the criminal courts building tho day after the murder and surrendered to the district attorney, declaring ho had nothing to fear, Haqgy Vallon and Hrlg^yo Weber, gamblers and friends of Rose and Becker, were arrested as witnesses. Tho grand Jury began its Investigation. Rose lay in prison tv*elve days without word from Becker, and, be lieving his chief had deserted him, confessed. Vallon and Weber cor roborated his story. He told of his long association with Becker, of po Hce corruption which existed as Rosenthal had charged, of tho sands collected by Becker for poll e pro tection and finally, of his commission by Becker to arrange to have Rosen thal killed by gunmen ? a commis sion ho executed. That night, July 29. 1f>12, District Mtorney Whitman summoned the <?rand jury by telephone and tele graph, laid hlsAvidonce beforo It and within two hOMrfi obtainf^Afcb^in fllctment of BoTkerVon a charge of mtirder. \ Four Fast $ldo gangsters wore In dicted as tho actual murderers. Rose had testified that these men wore as signed by "Big Jack" /ell?., a gang leader who had been arrested by Becker's own men on a trumped up charge, to do tho murder. They wore to receive $1,000 and Zellg was to bo released. Zellg's orders had been is sued from tho Tombs to tho gunmen. These gunmen ? known In the streets of the F<ast Side as "Oyp tho Blood" Horowitz, "Lefty Louis" Ros nnhorf, "Dago Frank" Clroflca, and "Whltey" lyowls- were rounded up one by one. Tho last, two arrested, "(lyp tho Blood" and "Lefty Louie," were not found till September, hiding In a Brooklyn flat. With them wore found their young wives who. to di vert suspicion, had dyed their light hair dark. ' To give standing to the testimony of Becker's three accomplices who hnd turned lnformors---Roso, Wobor and Vallon? a corroborating witness who wns not Implicated was needed. Sam Schopps, a dapper llttlo gnm blor who had fled tho city, was the man who could do this. Ho was found at Hot Springs, Ark., brought back to Now York, and tho people's case against. Charlos Beckor was eom ploto. It went to trial on October 7, 1912. Hpenks for Preparedness. In addressing the state militia at Charleston Oov. Manning and Sena tor Smith both stressed the need of preparedness. ? THE ENGLISH VIEW SUMMARY OF NOTE RECEIVED FROM LONDON HAS NOT BEEN PUBLISHED At the Request of Groat Britain Of ficial Publication of Reply is With held ? Wilson is Studying the Note at Cornish ? Present Summary Is Probably Authentic. ?f th0 noto recpived from the British government Monday has boon i forward od to President Wilson t ( Ornish for his information. It is also being carefully studied and anaiyzed by Secretary Lansing and his advisers in the state department. A Washington dispatch to Tho Xew ,?rk Times indicated the general character and tenor of thf note which was received. Additional in formation obtfined concerning the attitude of the British government as set forth in the British note It may bo summarized as follows: 1. The British government con tends that it lias not departed from or altered tlie generally recognized principles of International law re ganllng blockade and contraband, and the treatment of neutral com inerce but has merely given new Implication* to existing principle* of international law. 2. That the British government can not accept any doctrine that would treat every port of the Brit ish Islec as a blockaded port under the enforcement of tho German submarine policy, while leaving tiearmany free to make use of cer- 1 tain natural neutral ports, such as I Rotterdam, for commerce up the Rhino into Germany. 3. That the British government is observing principles of interna tioiml law sustained by decisions of the I "ited States supreme court ' Wttr CHS,'S- which tho liritish government contends the court decided that tho real crite rion of neutral tn-.do is neutral consumption, and that tho mere fact that trade goes through a neu tral country does not constitute it neutral trade. 4 Tho British government con tends that the former distinction between land and sea carriage of trade has disappeared, owing to the conctruction and development . of railroads and t.ho creation of the German canal system. " 6, Tho principle of International law, as viewed by the British gov eroment in making its reply, Is that if a nation possesses com mand of the Mas that nation can declare a lawful blockade and pre vent trade with the enemy, and that the criterion of whother an effective blockade exists is whether a voyage to an enemy port is at tended with exceptional risks. 6. That while the general prin ciples of law remain the same, their application depends on cir cumstances, and while a belligerent ban no right tQ,,endantrcr noutral lives or legitlnfJuo neutral trade between neutrals, trado destined for an onemy under tlie guise of being legitimate neutral commerce, can not <$Kpoct to pass freely through a neutral port into the enemy'n country for use by tho enemy. 7. In response to tho American contention that neutral trade bo tween neutrals has, as a matter of fact, boon Interfered with the Brit ish contention is that Only noutral trade with bolligoroitts 1b being Interfered with aw neutral tr. de with noutral nations contiguous to Germmy in greater than it was prior to the war, and in excess of tho precise amounts heeded by tho requirements cf tho population of those contiguous neutral countries. 8. In rosponso to tho American contention that American shippers have tho precedents on their side, that tho ev'donco In not sufficient to provo that tho noutral trade In terfered with by Great Britain has been in reality trado with tho J onemy, tho British government ' contends that tho so-called neutral agents situated in noutrnl coun tries wore in reality agents for Germany. 0. It Is argued *?y tho British Kovemmont that this is mattor of -judicial proof or disproof, and as a jurldlCTVi iitfc.ntien must oven tually, under tho arbitration t/eaty botwoon Groat Britain and the United States, go bofore an arbl trnl court for determination, but that it would bo Impossible, at tho present moment, with tho war In Kuropo Involving nil H|x of tho leading nations of Kuropo. to find a noutral arbitrator whoso country was not Immediately Intorested outsldo of South America. 10, That It must be obvious that the Interests of Kuropo In tho question of continuous voyages an understood In International law doclnlons of tlto two countries, England and the United Stpten, nro diametrically opposed to those of Englnnd and tho United States, would thus npponr to l?o the position of the British government that, differences found to exist. I>e tween the two governments nn to the principles of law applicable, or re sisting the Application of those principles, which can not he settled diplomatically, may he submitted at the first opportunity, probably not until the war In Kuropo l* over to Arbitration uncW tho oxtatlng treaty of arbitration bet ween the two coun Inffl, iJohVfb,trR,L0n Of June 4. OR hot weep England and tho Unlt ed States provides that "differences which may arise of a legal nature" or relating to the Interpretation of treaties existing between tho ' two contracting parties" and "yhloh mav not have been possible to^ettle by diplomacy, shall be reforrsrf to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, es tabllshed at Tho Haguo by the Con vention of the twenty-ninth of July, 1899, provided, nevertheless, they do not afTect the vital interests, the In dependence, or the honor of the two contracting states, and do not con cern the lntereots of third parties." This arbitration convention was negotiated by ESlihu Root and James Bryce. It provides that In each case the two nations', before appealing to the Court of Arbitration, should con clude a special agreement clearly de fining the matter in dispute, the scope of tho powers of tho arbitra tors, and the periods to bo fixed for the formation of the arbitral tri bunal and the several stages of pro cedure. Under the terma of tho ar bitration treaty tho advice and con sent of tho .Senate would have to be obtained by the president to the spo cial agreement for arbitration. The British government is prepar ing a new note to the Unltod States, which will deal with tho general questions of contraband and block ade raised by restrictions on neutral commerce during tho enforcement of the order in council policy against overseas trade with Germany. The now note will bo forwarded to tho state department within a week, ac cording to the department's advices from Walter H. Page, the American ambassador at London. .Mr. Pago transmitted a request from Sir Edward Grey, British Min ister for Foreign Affairs, that the British note whUh was received by the Washington government be with held from publication until the new communication was delivered. The British note was to have been given out textually at tho^state de partment for publication in morning papers. An arrangement for syn chronous publication In the United Kingdom and the United States, had been made with tho British govern ment, but when the request came from Sir Edward Grey, Secretary Lansing announced that the note would be considered confidential for the present. Tho cablegram from Ambassador Page gave no details. It did not in dicate the nature of the forthcoming note, but stated that It would deal with the shipping question. Secre tary Lansing said he had received no intimation as to the reason for or character of tho new note. However, since tho noto that Is to ctujie will deal with the same ques tion of shipping that 1b covered by the note received, officials of the de partment are assuming that the forthcoming communication will be In the nature of a supplement, and that the two communications will have to be considered together as constituting the British reply to the American contentions In favor of the rights of neutral trade under recog nized principles and rules of Interna- j tlonal law. ? Tho p?qmrR<rai of tary noto by tho British government] will delay somewhat the transmit- , slon of the new American note to Great Britain dealing with the prol> lems of trade an? Intercourse which afTect both governments umier the enforcement of the order In council policy. ! The American reply haB been in preparation some time. It had been nearly comploted^nd was sent in Its incomplete fbrm tQ .President Wilson at Cornish for conflderatlon. The American note will not now,' of course, he forwarded to Ambassador Page for delivery to Sir Edward Grey, until the second note now In preparation in London has been re ceived and considered. It is alto gether probable that the American note will be revised so as to servo as a response to both tho new BrltlBh notes. In some quarters the fact that a supplemental note was being prepar ed i?y the British government was re garded as significant. But this was not the view of Secretary Lansing or other high officials of tho state de partment. who pointed out that tho state department had no Intimation concerning the tenor of the coming note, or its character, and that no one In Washington had informa tion upon which to predicate a state ment as to the "significance" of the development. The opinion Was expressed In one quarter that the coming note might take eognl/.ance of tho suggestions convoyed In the last American com munication to Germany relative to contending for the freedom of the xuw, but this suggestion was dls miMMiTrirt olMfiivUpfC The best obtain able opinion appears to be that the British note will deal more especially with thq "caveat" note of July 14 from Secretary ^1/ansing, requesting Ambassador Pafife Inform tho Brit ish government that tho United States "will not recognize tho valid ity of prize court proceedings taken under restraint# imposed by British municipal law In derogation or the rights of American citizens under In ternational law," LAND Ul, S. MARINES Reheln Offer Blight. Iteslntnnce i?< PortJ?u-Prlnce. American marlnnn landed at. I'ort au-Prlnce, Haiti. Wednesday night encountered realntanco which wns ovorromo without canualtloH among tho nallorn. The following motinago from Admiral Caporton was glvon out at tho navjr department. late to day: "Landing forcon established In city. Blight, roslntanco during oarly part of night, an advanco wan bring madn. Thin #oslntanco oanlly ovor romo, No rnnualtlon dur force. Arn proceeding to dlnarm Haltlen nol dlorn and civilians to-day ." French Hiibmnrlne Hunk. Rorlln Kay*. Uip French nubmnrino Marlotto wan destroyed hy a florman nuhmarlno on July 26 In the narrown of tho Dardanelles. Thirty-one mom horn of the orgw wore captured. (Chancellor Wee* Gerard. Or. nothmaon-Ilollweg, German Imperial Chancellor, had a confer ence with Ambassador Oerard Just atter a meettftf with the Kaiser. American relations were dtsoussad. . M j. ? t GERMANY THINKING OPINION MAY UNDERGO REVUL SION IN OUR FAVOR AWAITING BRITISH NOTE Germans Believe We Should Act Vig orously for Freedom of Seas If We are lleally Neutral ? Vigorous Note to Great Britain Will Win Much Admiration for United States. A dispatch from H <rlin to the New York Times gives an excellent ac count of the Herman attitude to the Atneriern note. Says the dispatch: In President Wilson's sharp tone to ward Germany and what they regard as his gentle protests to England, Germans feel resentfully that they see proof of a partisanship that vio lates neutrc.lliy. Germans are frankly skeptical about the president's good faith in his forthcoming note to England, hut the text of that document will hi' awaited here with keener interest than was any note .W. Wilson ever sent to Germany. Everything, it is felt in German v. depends on that note. If President \\ llson warns England against I'u ture transgressions against the free dom-of-t he-seas principle In the same uncompromising and unmistakable tones that he used toward Germany, a dramatic revulsion of feeling can l>e looked for. He would probe.blv win the admir ation of even the hard-he::ded and practical Gernrna who c;?n not un derstand why President Wilson should want to argue ;? ho ?i t an ab stract principle, J hereby hampering them in their fight for existence un less (and hero is where i'-o German mind definitely goes astray) he se cretly sympr.thl7.es with the enemy. If the president's next note to England Is gentle in tone and friend ly, It. will tend to confirm the Ger mans' worst suspicions. Then "full steam a head" will he the order in the submarine war on English com merce "regardless of consequences." It Is almost certain now that Ger many will answer the American note. Officials believo that it contains nu merous errors and contradictions, which must ho pointed out. even though it will do no good, as Wil son's mind Is made up for all time, tl\ey think. j i., yrooedvni' will Pkohnbly bp as. fqllows: The American noto will bo submitted for exhaustive study to all departments interested and concern ed. This process will take at " < ;t a month. The formulation of t. Ger man answer would take at least an other two weeks. The present indi cations are that It will be a cate gorical negative. "While It Is learned from a gootl source that no new or modifying or ders have been sent to sul>marinf. commanders since the note was re ceived, there Is a general fellng that every possible human precaution will be used for the next few weeks at least that nothing may happen which President Wilson could construe as a deliberately unfriendly act. The Ger mans show a very sincere desire to avoid a crisis. TTnusual significance r.ttaches to the following messr.ge from Herlln to the Frankfurter Zeitung: "Undoubtedly the Herman govern ment will answer the American note, for it contains so many errors and contradictions that it enn not do any harm if they aro exposed by the proper ruthorities, although one can hardly hope that such arguments will have any power of conviction on the president of the I'nlted States, who is governed by unworldly theories. "Any one who comes right out and says that the torpedoing of English ships, whether armed or not. will be considered a 'deliberately unfriendly' act has already made up his mind and does not want ony more argu ments, but will wait until events compel him to answer the question nnd to decide whether to accept the consequences of his views." Tho feeling prevalent in even in tellectual circles is typically express ed by Professor Forster of Munich, writing in tho Herllnor Tngehlatt: "No one would approve morn un conditionally than Germany Ameri ca's mission to secure the freedom of tho seas," ho sii.vs. "Tho mistake of tho United States conslnls only in di recting her action against Germany first instead of against England, which tlmo out of mind, and par ticularly flagrantly in this war, ImSi violated the Interests of. sea com merce by adapting the practice of might, above right. "Our submarine war is the only possible means of forcing England to acknowledge the freedom of the seas. Tho American note has tho right Idea, but at the same time It fronts the wrong way. If through our sub marine war, which Is a Justifiable measure and action dictated by neces sity. American lives are endangered America ought to protest against England's blockade policy, her use of passenger ships for rmmunltlon transports, her misuse of neutral flags, etc. "America can only champion the rights of neutral shipping by main talnlng herself the strictest logic of tho neutral standpoint. Hut it Is al ready a breach of neutrality when America protests to Germany Instead of protesting to England, Inasmuch as she allows her munition shipments to bo covered by American citizens traveling to Europe on registered auxiliary crulaers of tho English navy.' 4 Jnpnnrw Cabinet, Iteslgns. Headed by Premier Oku ma, the Japanese cabinet resigned Friday be cause of tho Investigation of bribery charges In connection with a member of the ministry who previously had quit his office. GERMANS BOMBARD lvARSAW ; CITY ON VF"' v vAPTIRE . ? I'e* vaO amit.s Further Resistance <\>V .? ouhl 1h? I ii wise ? Hoj?e for Army's Escape. I/ondon reports Friday : Warsaw, the third city of Russia and the goal for which the German armies have l>een striving since October, is at last in the throes of a hoinhardmtMit . Germans in overwhelming numbers are almost at the gates of the Polish capital and dispatches both from the city itself and from Petrograd say that further resistance would be un wise. Discounted not only through Franco and Great Hritain, but in Russir Itself, the fall of the city is expected hourly and tho problem now is to move the Russian armies intact, threatened as they are from the south by the Austro-Germans and more seriously from the north, where tho German forces are aiming at the railway from Warsaw to Petrograd. This latter menace the British press admits, is imminent and the hope in the allied countries now is for the continued cohesion of the Russian army. Tho Warsaw post office alroadj has born shifted to some point to the eastward. The populace has been warned to remain calm and presum ably for days Russian troops have boon stripping the city of everything of military value. Gorman aviators are hovering over the city, and, according to Gorman advices, plans have been eofnpletod for tho triumphant entrance of tho Gorman emperor, accompanied by his consort . With Warsaw captured, a great wave of enthusiasm will swoop over Germany and Austria-Hungary and ii is predicted here that tho armies of the central powers will then seek to force a period of trench warfare in the east, meanwhile throwing a great weight of men and guns to the west with tho idea of resuming tho battering towards Calais and perhaps toward Paris. BRITISH HAVE Veld up OVER 600 AMERICAN SHIPS Orders in Council Rapidly Change Laws to Suit the (exigencies of tho Occasion. Since tho beginning of^t] there have been.upv dred selz\ Lijscicai cargoes" each Bliip carries sol different consignees. Mar. cases have been settled, but tho lai number still at Issue have gone' through the tedious process of prize court pleadings, and this month be gan to take their turn in being thrashed out to a final decision he fore the court itself. British officials, according to a London dispatch, resent any sugges tion that thero had been any delay in these prizo cases, although the American litigants are smarting un der what they assert is delay. In the prize court tho political branch, the crown, has such power that it can even change tho existing law to meet new cases. This is done by an "order in council." At a de cisive stage of the Wilhelmina case the solicitors for tho Crown made .the point that a neutral ship could bo re quisitioned by one of tho belliger ents. "Tho solicitors for the Crown." said the attorneys for tho American owners, "appear to havo overlooked the fact that article 3?) of the prize law is specific against their conten tion." "That was quite true up to nine o'clock last night," came the quick reply from tho Crown solicitors. "Rut the claimants appear to be tin aware that at nine o'clock last night an order in council was signed en tirely changing that law." This proved to bo tho c.ise. A special order In council hnd been made which had never appeared in the of ficial gazette and which Is difficult even now to learn much about. Hut it fitted this particular case exactly. ENORMOUS WAR ORDERS CAUSE MUCH SPECULATION Wall Street Ktworlencon Big Day as SpoHnl Storks Itaarli Minlicst .Mark. Cnbridied speculation in tlio stocks of corporations which hayo received largo orders for war munitions gave Wall street Tluirsday Bomo of flic most exriting hours of its roront his tory. A violent ndvnnrn was follow od by nn equally sovoro fl oo 1 i n ??. as the liooin in those storks reached a climax, and all through the day there was a turmoil on the floor of tho exchange. Tho unusual advances in such ?storks as Cruolhlo Steel, Bethlehem Steel, West inghouso Kioctrlo, Rrptih lir Steel and Allls Chalmers In tlio earlier days of the week attracted n largo amount of public buying, and many reports were circulated of huge profits for thene companies. When the market opened thero was n wild rush to purrhaso the favorite war ?storks and priren shot upward During the day Crucible .Steel rose 1 7 points, to S3; Hothlohom Steel 1 I points, to 275, and Allls Chalmers fi. to 32 Ti-S. all now high records Westinghouse also established a new mark at 112 and Republic Stool, American Locomotive and a number of others made largo gains Oorman Trade Docreasos. For tho six months of 1014 rorre sponding to tho first six monfhs of this yonr tho trado from Oormnny to thin country foil from f 14,991,000 to $1,153,000. 'ENFORCES EMBARGO ENGLAND TAKES UP DEFENCE OF NEUTRAL BLOCKADE 18 IMPORTANT QUESTION In Preparing Nolo to the United State* (ireat Britain Subordinates K\ ery tiling to tlie (Question 6f Hlockailin^ Nrutral l'orts to Pr?? \etit Iteshlpment to (Jerinany. Defense of the right of a belliger ent to block;. ilo a neutral port through which an enomy is receiving supplies, or attempting to market Ills own product*, is the chief argument to be made in the supplemental note Great Britain is preparing in reply to the American protest against the en forcement of the order In council. The original note, received last Monday, lias been withheld from pub-?"" Mention at the request of Sir Kdwafd Grey. British foreign minister, pend ing tlu? arrival of the supplemental communication which is expected within a week. All issues other than that of the blockade of neutral ports, it Is learn oil, \\ ill he regarded by the British Utivernniriit us subsidiary and proper for later discussion. I'pon recogni tion by n. Mitral governments of the piinciple, from the British viewpoint, depends the ability of a belligerent | w hich has ot hrrw ise established con- I trol of the seas to profit by the enor- ^ iiioiis expenditure and sacrifice w hich made posihl-.? that control. The matter is ali important in the British view. Two developments not discussed in the original note will be taken up In " the supplemental communication. One concerns the American caveat of July 17, conveying the notlflcAtion that, the lulled States government would not recognize orders in council us a substitute lor the provisions of international law. The second point arose in connec tion with the enforced unloading on the I/ondon docks of the cargo of the American steamer Xeclies on June 121. T'?c m i i 1 1 wa.i en route from Rotterdam to New York with a car go of non-contraband. jn08tly_pt Ge man and Bel'.l 1 right of blockai sought to bo introduced into"' Ah enemy's country, it is believed that tho British foreign office felt It nec essary to supplement the original note by an argument extending the claim to cover the case of goods ex- ? ported from the enemy country through a neutral port. Civil war precedents in regard to tho right, of blockade form tho chief basis of tho British ..rgunient, atten tion being called especially to the famous Springbok case before the I'nited States supreme court, devel oping the "continuous voyage" "J! theory. Though this doctrine, which, it Is , asserted, justifies a belligerent- 'lh blockading a neutral port, was strongly resisted by European na tions. the fact that it. was finally ac cepted in its entirety by tho Alabama claims arbitration was sufficient to ipnke it an enduring princlplo of In ternational law. according to the British view. Therefore, tho order in council, which is believed by ish officials to be entirely in accc_ with that theory, will continue to dL applied, although with due deference^ to the orotection of legitimate neu tral trade. Incidentally it is contended by Great. Britain in Its communication that the e>??cutlon of theso orders In council so far lias not resulted In any datnt.ge to American trade. Ac cording to the British view, that trade has waved enormously largo since the beginning of tho war, American treasury flgur sb showing an increase of $200,000,000 In ex ports during eleven months, whilo (he A merle." n ocean freight has grown by 7 I 1.000 tons. Significant as Indicating tho amount of American goods entering Germany and Austria, attention is directed to official statements that the exports of the United States to the Netherlands have Incronscd froa $!>?, ,000,000 to $122,000,000, tl Sweden from $12,000,000 to $71,1 000,000, to Norway from $7,000,00(1 to 000, 000, and to Denmark from $ I 3.000.000 to $70,000,000, That America received a fair sup ply of goods from Germany notwith standing the w.r is shown, tho Brit ish government contends, by'tho fact that in eight months tho Imports front that country 'o tho United States aggregated $80,000,000, and it I : also noted that the Import of $ dyest uffs from Germany wart greater | than the previous ye..r. 10 IF Turns Down $27,00(1,(100 Order K. T Borrowes, a wealthy mantw fact nrer of Portland, Mo., turned, j down a $2". 000.000 order for rifles fl for I lie Allies ,'vj School Ship at. Charleston. The I'resldente Sacrlmento, a school ship for the Argentine navy, arrived in Charleston harbor Thurs day morning Fire at Norfolk Navy Yard, A fire which resulted InconseqtltMl* ? " ? tially was discovered at tho Norfol navy yard Thursday. It Is credit to spontaneous combustion. ? ? Investigate llecent. Disaster. Tho capsizing of the Eastland hatt brought about an investigation inttf the cause of the disaster.