Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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/ HUERTA DECLINES GIVING IT UNOCBOmpNALLY. ' WILSON WILL INSIST i • ' ‘ -4 TO FORCE SALUTE U. 8. BATTLESHIPS SENT TO BACK MAYO’S DEMAND. Mexican President Told Charge O’Shaaghnessf Sunday Night That United States Must Promise Return Salute—President Wilson Took Mater to Congress Monday. Gen. Victoriana Huerta, president ■of Mexico, flatly Sunday night refused to accede to the unconditional de mand of the United Statep that he salute the American flag, and Con gress was asked by President Wilson Monday for authority to use armed forces to uphold the honor and dig nity of t^be nation. * Negotiationa with Huerta oxer the demand for a ealute in reparation for the arrest of American bluejackets at Tampico on April 10 came to a close Sunday night at 6 o’clock, the last hour given by President Wilson for a favorable response from the Mexican dictator. The final word of Huerta to Charge O’Shaughnessy was a re fusal to comply, unless the United States would guarantee in writing that his salute be returned. He ask- «d for no continuation of the negotia tions and flatly refused to accede to what he called the demand for an ^•uncbndinonal” salute. ~ r ~ r ' Just before midnight Secretary Bryan issued this statement: “A lit tle after 11 o’clock last night a brief dispatch came from Charge O’Shaughnessy at MdXico City saying that the president’s demand of ye* terday had been communicated to the foreign minister and was being car ried-by. him to Gen. Huerta. The foreign minister asked Mr. O’Shaugh oessy whether in case Gen. Huerta acceded to the demand a protocol would be signed providing for a re turn of the salute. The following dispatch was sent to Charge O’Shaughnessy, in substance: “ ‘President Wilson is out of the city. Impossible to reach him before 8 a. m. to-morrow. Am certain that he would not consent to have you sign the protocol mentioned in the program. Salute should be fired without any agreement as to its re turn. The United States of America can be relied on, according to inter national custom and courtesy, to-do its duty.^ The signing of the protocol would be objectionable, in addition to other reasons, because of the fact that it might be construed as recogni tion of the Huerta government, whereas the president has no inten tion of recognizing that government “Early this morning a dispatch was received from Charge O’Shaughnessy saying that Gen. Huerta w'as willing to accede to the demand 6f Admiral Mayo, providing a protocol was sign ed, and ’setting forth a copy of the proposed protocol. Charge O’Shaugh- nessy asked whether he was author ized to sign it. I communicated with President Wilson by telephone, and at his direction sent a telegram to Mr O’Shaughnessy, of which the follow ing is a paraphrase: v “ ’Copy of your telegram of 8 p. m. last night was sent to the president with a copy of my reply to' the effect that a protocol w’ould be objection able. The president replied: “ 'Your reply to O’Shaughnessy was exactly what I should have wished it to be. In no case should any conces sion of any kind in detail or other wise be made.’ “I talked with the president over the telephone when your telegram of 11 p. m. last night was received to the effect that Gen. Huerta had ac ceded to the demand, but only on condition that you sign a protocol He repeated most emphatically his objection to any protocol or agree ment," HAS A WEEK TO DECIDE WAR’ COLLEGE PREPARES FOR OCCUPATION OP MEXICO. HUERTA CAN ACCEDE BEFORE v SHIPS REACH HIS COAST. r MURDERER AWAKENS GIRL. Navy Thrown into a Fever of Excite ment, When Eleven Battkehips are Ordered to Mexican Waters. President Wilson Tuesday ordered vlrtaallr the entire Atlantic fleet to Mexican waters to for'ce a public salute ta the Btars and Stripes from the Huerta government as an apol ogy for the arrest of American ma rines at Tampico last Thursday. No ultimatum has been issued, that is, no specific time has been sent within which the Huerta government must comply, but the nac & l demonstration has been ordered as a concrete evi dence of thei fixed determination of the United States to back up Admiral Mayo’s demand for a salute. Up to Tuesday night Gen. Huerta had not made satisfactory response to that demand.,- “Future develop ments depend on Huerta himself,” was the way & high administration of ficial close to the president summa rized the situation. The decision to sefllf the fleet was reached after the president and Sec retary Bryan had conferred for an hour with John Lind, personal repre sentative of the president in Mexico, and after a two-hour cabinet meet ing, during which dispatches from Charge O’Shaughnessy revealed that the Huerta government disputes the right of American marines to he ashbre at Tampico, and contended that its recent public statement of apology was ample. Immediately after the cabinet meeting adjourned Secretary Daniels Issued his order to the Atlantic fleet and wireless messages flashed up ond down the Atlantic coast to put the fleet under &team for Tampico. It -will, ha thei largest fighting force the American government Iras"assembled for positive actlo&'-’iince the Spanlsh- American war. Eleven great battle ships, with auxiliaries, carrying in all about 15,000 Then, will comprise the force at Tampico. The navy department sent com plete Instructions to Rear Admiral Bodger, commander-in-chief of the Atlantic fleet, on board the battleship Arkansas, at Hampton Roads. Rear Admiral Fiske, chief of the bureau of operations, left Washington imme diately for the Roads to personally explain to Admiral Badger the diplo matic side of the situation and dls patches from Rear Admiral Mhyo. Indicating the exact ships which will accompany Admiral Badger, the navy department issued the following: “Admiral Badger will take with him the battleships Arkansas, Louis iana, New Hampshire,^Michigan, Ver mont, New Jersey and South Caro lina, which last ship has been inter cepted on her way from Haiti to Hampton Ro&ds. The gunboat Taco ma, now at Boston, Mass., has been ordered also to Tampico by way of Newport, R. I., and will start about Thursday. The gunboat Nashville, now at Monte Christi, San Domingo, has been ordered to Guantonamo to coal and thence to Tampico. “The Rhode Island, Nebraska, Vir ginia and Georgia are now docking; it has not been decided yet whether they will Joih Admiral Badger’s forces. The transport Hancock will leave New Orleans for Tampico to day with the First regiment of the expeditionary force of marine^.” The foregoing ships are in addition to the Utah, Connecticut, Minnesota, Des Moines, Chester,' Dolphin and San Francisco, at Tampico, and the Flor ida and_Pralrie, at Vera Cruz. While the navy was active, thpre was no army movement. Two expla nations for this were advanced—the desire that the Constitutionalists In control of Northern Mexico should not misinterpret the action, and the fact that the United States has al ready a big fighting force within striking distance of Mexico. Twelve thousand troops are at Texas City, where four army transports are at anchor, and thousands of cavalry hnd WANTS 500,000 MEN ■ ■ ■■»■—*— This Would Mean • Gall for 250,000 yolonteers of Which Booth Caro lina’s Share Would be 1,404—Ap portioned by Population of the it fts State. After Killing Her Brother Man Spares Her at Her Plea. Miss Mary Sammls, who lives with her brother Frank on Long Island farm, near Huntington, N. Y., awoke early Thursday to” find a man with a bloody axe in his hands standing by her bed. In the dim light she recog nized Frank Fowler, a young farm (hand, who slept in the house. “I’ve Just killed your brother upstairs,” said Fowler, “and I’m going to kill, you, too.” —~ ‘Tve always been kind to you, Frank,” pleaded the woman, “and you have no reason for harming ns.” “That’s right,” answered Fowler. “I guess I won’t kill you, hut I’ll go sway,” and he walked out of the house, leaving the axe behind him. Miss Sammis stumbled upstairs and v found her brother’s body on the bed. » » ♦ ■ , J,... JBtteflJtaB-for. - A negro, arrested at Media,'Pa., Saturday on wuspicion of having mur dered William McKnlff Wednesday night, confessed, according to the po lice, that he had killed the young man out of revenge, bepfuse McKnlff’s father, when chief of police ef Media, had sent him to Jail on a burglary charge. infantry are spread all along the bor der, where they can be moved quick ly. ‘ ■»! 1 '' TRIED TO POISON GIRL. Alleged Fire Starter is Arrested on a More Serious Charge. v John W. Yarborough, dray line owner, of Macon, Ga., was arrested Wednesday afternoon on a warrant charging assault! with intent to mur der. Behind the arrest a story of a fire that destroyed the house occu pied by the Yarborough family In a fashionable section of the city three weeks ago and the alleged proffer by Yarborough of a banana, said to have contained poison, to Miss Irene Hern don, daughter of a convict guard, who is reported to have made a statement to ai insurance investigator that held up the collection of the insurance on the property. f . ' ♦ » i ,— . „ Enght Hundred Weavers Strike. Right hundred weavers of the Buf falo Cotton Mills near Union went on a strike Thursday. It is understood that at the war conference held SaturdaV.in Washing ton it was concluded that if «there should be combined resistance to the United States by Carranza, Villa and Huerta, an army of 500,000 men would be needed within the first sir months of the war. To meet the exi gencies of such an army, the United States has 750,000 rifles with plenty of ammunition for that number of guns for six months. • ■ There will be needed for such an army 1,300 field guns, of which there are in stock only 700 with ammuni tion only for that number. In order to supply the deficiency in field guns, the manufactories of the United States would have to be taxed to their limit, together with the government manufactories and the private manu factories for powder. The quarter master’s department reports that one of the principal needs of an Increased army would be horses, mules and water transportation. The land transportation has al ready been provided for. It was stat ed by a competent authority after the conference Saturday that the quarter master’s department at -New York Philadelphia and generally along the coast would he authorized by con- ; -gresa to- ‘‘hlre-att the merchant ves sels they could get and to run them into the nearest shipyards for convet- slon into transports. This government has now four transports on this coast and three on the Pacific coast. The three on the Pacific coast could be ready In month. The commissary department and the quartermaster’s department will not make any purchases of sup piles until they have the money in hand because it is Illegal to exceed the present appropriation. The war and navy departments ex pect congress to make an appropria tion of at least $25,000,000 as a be ginning of th« war fund. The war department expects to have to make provision for a first draft of not less than 200,000 volunteers for imme diate equipment. There are about 117,000 national militia in the United States. There are about 42,000 of the federal army, including the coast artillery. These, plus 250,000 volunteers make a total first call for the war of 409,000. According to the Statistics furnish ed by the ordnance bureau, the coun try has sufficient field artillery, small arms and ammunition for such an army to he immediately mobilized. What is lacking are the horses and mules which could be gotten in suf ficient quantity in the United States. There is no question that the plan of invasion of Mexico, if ordered by con gress, would he the launching, of 200,000 of the army from a point on the Rio Grande, direct to Monterey and thence-through to Mexico City. On account of the lack of water supply, the war college has decided that no other route would be practi cable. This was decided when Maj. Gen. Wotherspoon was head of the war college at which he plans were made. The preliminary arrival of federal troops on Mexican soli would be at Vera Cruz and Tampico. At both of these places the way would be cleared by the navy. The war department has worked out plans for an issuance of a call for volunteers for invasion into Mexico if necessary. It is understood the first catt witt for 250.000 men. This will include the military reserves. Authorizatioh for the call Is-necessary from congress under an act to provide for temporarily increasing the mili tary establishment of the? United States in time of war. The volun teers would be apportioned'so far as practical among the several states and territories and the District of Colum bia, according to population, and will ejalist to serve for a period of two years unless sooner discharged. < Under this call, the Southern states’ share of the volunteer army of 250,000 will be as follows: IREN UlTiffli WILSON’S PINAL NOTE TO HUER TA DEMANDS INSTANT SALUTE. Only White House Annotmoemi / * » That Flax Has Been Affronted sad a Salute Is Satisfaction Demanded. The dispatch of the American war ships Tuesday created only mild ex citement at Washington. Newspapers busted themselves with sending spe cial men and the navy department granted permission to twenty report ers and photographers to accompany the fleet op its cruise. It will be ful ly a week before^the Atlantic fleet is assembled at Tampico, though the ships are expected to be steaming away now. Rear Admiral Badger will rank both Rear Admiral Fletcher and Rdar Admiral Mayo and will thke complete charge of the situation. While the ships are under way, Gen. Huerta will have about a week in which to answer the American de mands. The crisis in the situation is expected Ho come after Gen. Huerta declines to yield by the time the At lantic fleet arrives. It was pointd out by some that the United States might land marines and seize Tampico to obtain satisfaction for the incident, but this raised the question of whether or not an act of war would be Involved. The Wash ington administration has pronounc ed itself on the subject of landing marines or marching armed forces In to Mexico as regarding such acts in the nature of war, unless permission is given by the government In control of the territory Involved. Inasmuch as no, government is recognized in Mexico, but a state of anarchy exists, the American govern ment may establish its own prece dent in that case. This is not con sidered likely, that is, if marines ac- HtuaUy^were landed and the American AMERICA FACES CIISR FOR FREE TOUS FORMER AMBAM^DOB TO GRHAS BRITAIN TALKS ABOUT IT. AJM QMCw tag That Unite# AiMtrato' Taft M Oasfet to President Gave Mexican Dictator Un til Six O’ Clock Sunday to Render Salute, Declaring That in Case of Non-Compliance He Would Go Be fore Congress. The climax of ths Mexican situa tion came Saturday when a third me»- sage came from Huerta Insisting on his own conditions for a “simultan eous salute”. A conference between the president and cabinet members resulted in a prompt decision to brook uo mor temporizing or dictatory tac tics. The following statement then was issued from the White House: “Gen. Huerta is still insisting upon doing something lera-'ttran Tias been demanded and something less than would constitute an acknowledge ment that his representatives were entirely in the wrong in the Indigni ties they have put’upon the govern ment of the United States." The president has determined that if Gen. Huerta has not yielded by 6 o’clock Sunday afternoon he will take the matter to congress on Monday. Huerta’s continued evasiveness and his desperate condition, both from a financial and military point of view, led many high officials to believe the would defy the United States and take chances on consequences through which a national spirit might be aroused to unite the war ring factions and entrench him in of fice. - ~' ■ The detertninatlon to force a defl- foe l nlt * reply fA,m Muert a. ending the nag raaen asnore in ^ tolerarrcn of ^Te' Untted States wttk the affront occasioned by the arrest of the marines, any further measures would be insisted on. Some officers pointed out that the Huerta com mander might not resist the landing of American marines, inasmuch as he is hemmed in on land by the Consti tutionalist forces. Should he consent to a peaceful landing it is likely that they soon would be withdrawn. The American government has landed marines in San Domingo and Nicaragua, but has held that permis sion was granted in each case. In Nicaragua American marines kept a railroad from falling into the hands of a rebellious force. Actual war or intervention could not be undertaken without authorization by the con gross, and even the landing of ma rines at times has raised a question in the Senate, though it has led to no change in the attitude ef the execu tive branch of the government in con stituting itself as the judge in such cases. Officials don’t believe other foreign governments will send ships to Mexi co, in view of the American demon stration,, as the affair is regarded as one solely between the United States and the Huerta government and not involving any other foreign govern ment, though serious eventualities might cause European nations to seek further protection for their nations. Diplomats here took an active in terest in the developments and cabled their home governments the news as it appeared during the day. While the consensus of opinion of those best informed was that so se rious a step as military Intervention may not be required to force Huerta to yield from his position on the ques- his dilatory tactics, was emphasized strongly in Saturday's developments. It was a day of action in official cir cles, reminiscent to many of the scenes of I’SSS, for no time since has a prsident threatened to ask congress to use the army and navy to enforce a foreign policy. Officials at the state department de scribed Huerta’s message as “incon clusive”. Though the text of Huerta's message was not made public, officials described the dictator's attitude as very “obstinate” and insisting on a simultaneous salute. Naval officers said there was no such thing m “a simultaneous salute”. Apologies ars given In a salute of 21 guns fired* In Intervals of ten second, after the com pletion of which the party offended returns the salute. Meanwhile aides at the navy de partment went into secret conference, completing plans for the movement of warships and marines. Rear Admiral Victor Blue, acting secretary of the navy, forwarded to Re%r Admiral Badger on the flagship Arkansas, at the head of the fleet speeding to Mex ico the text of President Wilson's statement, giving Huerta until 6 p. m. Sunday. It also was forwarded to Rear Admiral Fletcher at Vera Crux, who will communicate It to Rear Ad- jniral Mayo at Tampico. Read Ad miral Howard, commanding the sqhadron in Pacific Mexican waters, also was notified. The Fourth marine regiment on the Pacific coast was ordered southward. The armored cruiser South Dakota, with 260 marines, was dispatched from Bremerton, Wash., to Mare Is land, where the remaining 600 ma- ^ m rlnes wl11 be divided with the cottier •”<> «">« "in Joseph H. Choate, Amsrteaa am bassador to Gnat Britain daring tfcn negotiation of tbe Hay-Panneafoto treaty, believes the correspondence * with the British government at that time precludes the Idea that Ameri can coastwise shipping can he ex empted from paying tolls through the Panama canal. Former President Taft, who sign ed the Panama canal act, containing the exemption clause, thought in do ing so he- was granting a subsid^ to American coastwise shipping and be lieves that unless congress revsrsea Itself the United States will have to submit the question to arbitration. These points, both welcomed by re peal advocates, were brought ont Thursday at the hearing before the Senate committee on intefbeeanie canals. Senator Simmons introduced a transcript of an address delivered by Mr. Taft before the Canadian club at Ottawa last January and Mr. Choate’s views were submitted In a letter to Henry White, secretary of the Ameri- 1 can embassy at London, while Mr. Choate was ambasador, accompanied by letters addressed by him to Secre tary of State Hay, explaining the pro gress of the negotiations. Mr. Choate wrote that tbe corrto- pondence “established beyond Ques tion the Intent of the parties In tha negotiations that the treaty should mean exactly what it says and ex emption of any kind of vessels of tha Unlt^dStates.- YJflualtty between the United tSates and Great Britain la * the constant theme.” Mr. Choate reviewed tha.attitude of Lord LansdoWno by seyiag that he. - abrogated the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, gave us an American canal, ours to build as and where we liked, to own, control and govern, on the sole con dition of Its bsfcg always neutral and free for the passage of the ships of all nations on equal terms except that If * we get into a war with any nation, we can abut its ships out and take cere of ourselves.” Mr. Tift In hi* address declared that “there are some hot-heads that talk in absurd tones about tha right of th# United States to manege her own canal and her own property es she likes, no matter she she has agreed to, hut this is ell froth.” * These ere the “exploslvlstas”. He announced that he had no Idas of tha breaking of the treaty hat the ques tion was what tha treaty means. - i Bandit. Killed in DueL K iday night'at Leuimpn, 8. bandit was killed In a tunning fight with thh pollen.. / day’s develop'ments carriedHhe situa tion closer to real hostilities tl^an It ever has been during the three years of turmoil In Mexico. President Wilson and members of the cabinet went about their official duties as usual. The president was calm and serene. He took a long motor ride in the afternoon and re mained In his study Tuesday night. Inoulrlas for further Information were pressed at the White House, but the president said that there was nothing further to announce or explain, other than that the Ameri can flag had been affronted and that a demand for a salute in satisfaction had been made. Easter Sunday Killing. P. C. Campbell of Pllham, Ga., chief of police, ordered John Harrell Sunday to take his hand off his gun Harrell drew and the policeman fired, killing him Instantly. Alabama ... 5,000 Arkansas ... .4,050 Florida ...... 1,500 Georgia ... ... 7,428 Kentucky .5,814 Louisiana ... ... v. . .. .3,880 Mississippi.. 4,314 North Carolina ...6,168 South Carolina.. .... ...1,494 Tennessee ...*,120 -BtoUgrV** i «*»-»'« i:jrvr-*-rrfii4*8- Virginia .5,574 Arisona .,■ , • _ ». • 362 New Mexico ... *00 Oklahoma ....... ... ...■ 500 Boy Stole Thirty Thousand. David Williams, a mess boy on an Incoming steamer, confessed Monda> in San Francisco that he hpd robbed the mails of postal orders and cash aggregating $30,000. Bold Highway Robbery. Three highwaymen robbed George Knlrn on Main street of Southington, Gosa.,’ earty Taureday, aati escaped to the country after a running fight with the police. Motor Car and Train Meet. Boy Electrocuted. . Climbing on a trestle 145 feet high _ . to hnre bis picture taken Monday at Monday night at Lecampn, 8. D., • 8. T. Green of Abbeville was killed Chicago, Bernard Waleuga, seventeen mriit w*> vtiia* i« - ernintn* *-*«♦ Tuesday when his motor car collided yean old, touched s lire wire aad was eleetrocuatad. V . with a freight train engine. steam to San Diego to await further orders. The two powerful new dreadnoughts, Texas and New York, at New York, although not under or ders, are ready to start for Mexico on 12 hours' notice. The Virginia, Geor gia, Nebraska, and Rhode Island, now at Boston, will be ready by the end of the month The transport Hancock already has arrived at Tampico with 8<H) marines, and the cruisers Des Moines and San Francisco, the gunboat Dolphin" the scout cruised Chester, the transport Buffalo and the collier Cyclops are already there. 1 / Various steps not considered under international law as constituting a declaration of war Jiave been discuss ed. Any of these, of course,, may be construed by Huerta as a cause for war and change the status of affairs, but precedent shows many a case In which a peaceful blockade was de clared, shutting off one nation from commercial Intercourse with another or the seizure of a customs house and the collection of duties without in volving either nation in war. The peaceful blockade has not been looked upon by President Wilson as a very effective measure because prece dent has not determined definitely whether a nation has the right to Cut off the offending party from all com merce. It la admitted the United, State* Could abut off Mexico from all cdHmercS'lrinr QTeUlIltSa 'SllltoTV whether foreign veeeels also could he prevented from engaging in com merce with Mexico, without a decla ration of war, la a dleputed point It is apparent the president has In mind other-forms Of :“r«prlsals”, a term In international law defined as “a means of patting stress on a wrongdoing ttate by something abort GOVERNOR BALKS AGAIN. taken to straighten out the tangle. Blease Sends Two Conflicting Moo- sages to War Department Secretary of War Garrison 1 an nounced Thursday night that he wao holding up the selection of a site for the annual summer manoeuvres of the militias of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, pend ing the adjustment of the latest clash between Gov. Blease of South Caro lina and the war department. The Isle of Palms, near Charles ton, had been selected by the militia adjutants-general and the war de partment but was not approvsd ho-" cause of vigorous objections from Gov. Blease, who complained that ho had not been consulted. Later the department received a telegram from the governor urging the selection of the site. i , - Nonplussed by this deyelopment. Secretary Garrison asked the gover nor to withdraw one or the other of his communications, but the governor refused, insisting that while he want ed the Isle of Palms chosen he mukt be consulted. Now Representative Whaley of .South Carolina haa under- of war.”, Landing of marines and even the bombardment of 'K town have been held as measures "short of war”. In 1895 the British fleet sent a force ashore at Coronton, Nicara gua, seized a customs house and held it for fifteen days until an Indemnity was agreed upon for indignities to 4 British vice consul. All officials are greed that If Huerta did not yield Tampico and Vera Crbz probably would be occu pied and held until reparation waa made In the form of a salute as de manded by Rear Admiral Mayo on April 9. The demand at that time called for the hoiiting.of an Amerlcea flag on shore, hut Rear Admiral May* has notified the Mexican commander that he would not insist on that point as long as the sajute was fired to an American flag flying from the Dol phin. It is believed the purpose of this was not to provoke another ua- 1 » in Tampico. Killed by tie fl hr » *1 of lightning, rnge,.