The Barnwell people. (Barnwell, S.C.) 1884-1925, December 17, 1914, Image 3
FLEET
GKRMAN SHIPS GO DOWN OFF
FALKLAND ISLANDS.
BIG SHIPS WIN BAHLE
Fearfnlljr Outdanaed In Speed and
•x ■
Amnmente German Fleet is Sent
to Bottom One by One—Great
Britain Hails Victory as Just Re-
T : - " ' i . . c
venge for Ships Lost in Battle.
A British squadron, under Vice Ad
miral Sir Frederick Sturdee, chief of
the war staff, engaged a German
squadron, under Admiral Count), yon
Spee, off the Falkland Islands, in the
South Atlantic, Tuesday and won a
victory which is being acclaimed
throughout England.
London reports officially: “At 7:30
a. m. on the 8th of December, the
Scharnhorst, Gnesenau, Nurnberg,
Leipzig and Dresden werei sighted
near the Falkland Islands.
"An action followed, in the cohrse
of which the Scharnhorst, flying the
flag of Admiral Count van Spee; the
Gneisenau and the Leipzig were sunk
The Dresden and Nurnberg made off
during the action and are being pur
sued.
“Two colliers also were captured.
“The vice admiral reports that the
British casualties are very few in
number.
“Sole survivors have been rescued
from the Gneisenau and the Leip
zig.”
On Thursday another statement is
sued was as follows: "A further
telegram has been received from Vice
Admiral Dovoton Sturdee reporting
that the Nurnberg was also sunk on
December 8 and that the search for
the Dresden is still proceeding.”
The battle in wihch the Scharn
horst, Gneisenau and Leipzig were
sent to the bottom, according to an
'admiralty report, lasted five hours
with intervals.. The Scharnhorst
sank in three hours and the Gneise
nau two hours later. No loss of any
British vessel has been reported by
the admiralty. . *
Hwmsui Aires reports: The German
cruiser Dresden, the only warship of
Admiral Count von Spec's squadron
to escape after the battle with thw
British squadron under command of
Admiral Sir Frederick Sturdee, has
v «>een cornered in the Straits of Ma
gellan.
liondon reports: The British cas
ualties were llg)t< but beyond the
fact that the British squadron was
commanded by Vice Admiral Sturdee.
no Information is vouchsafed regard
ing U>e ships engaged, and newspa
pers are enjoined not to speculate as
“other combination may be effected.”
The greatest enthusiasm prevailed
( in London over the vidtory and the
general impression is that it will be
completed, as the admiralty would
sot be likely to send ships that could
not overtake the Dresden and Nurn
berg. which are slow, and also at a
disadvantage because of their small
coal capacity
The British squadron left England
without the knowledge of the general
public, and until his name was men
tioned it was believed that Vice Ad
miral Sturdee was serving in home
waters The fact that he was taken
-from the post of chief of the war
staff is indicative of the determina
tion of the British government to
clear the Paciflc and South Atlantic
of German warships. Ic is believed,
therefore, that the British command
er is at the head of a formidable
squadron.
TVe Ships in the Battle.
lioadon reports: The armored
cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
and the protected cruiser Leipzig,
were three of the German warships
that had menaced British shipping,
and part of the squadron that sank
the British cruisers Good Hope and
Monmouth in the Paciflc on Novem
ber 1.
As the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
each carried a complement of 765
men; tho Leipzig, 268; the Nurnberg,
322, and the Dresden, 261, the total
German loss is estimated at not far
from 2,000 men, although the actual
losses to the Dresden and Nurnberg
are not yet known.
The Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
were the largest vessels of the Ger
man fleet. They were sister ships of
„J1,600 tons displacement, '450 feet
on the waterline and were rated at a
- mean speed of 22 1-2 knots. Each
carried a complement of ^55 men and
was armed witli-eight 8.2~-inch guns,
six 5.9-dnch guns, twenty 24-pcund-
ers, four machine guns and four tor
pedo'tubes
The Leipzig had a displacement of
3,250 tons and carried 286 men. She
was 341 feet long on the waterline,
had a beam of 43 1-2 feet and was
rated at 23 knots. Her largest gufls,
of which she carried ten’, were 4.1-
inch.. She had also ten l-pounders,
. fouf ..machine guns and two torpedo
tubes. ' .,
Buenos Aires reports: The naval
division commanded by Admiral
Sturdee is understood to include nine
warships, notably the British battle
cruisers Lion and Indefatigable. The
cruisers Lion and Indefatigable dis
place 26,350 tons and IS-^SQ tons re
spectively.
The Lion was built in fifto, is 680
feet long,' 86 feet beam and has a
draft of 30 feet. She carries eight
13.5-inch guns and sixteen- 4-inch,
guns, and is equipped with three 21-
inch torpedo tubes. Her complement
consists of one thousand men and
she is capable of travelling 28 knots
The- Indefatigable is 578 feet long.
. 79 1-2 feet beam and 27 3-4 feet
deep. She was constructed at Daven
port in 1911, and has a speed of 28
.knots. The indefatigable’s armament
srilMAHINKS ACTIVE.
(iennan Vessels Attempt Entrance In
to Harbor of liover.
Dover was thrown into' excitement
Thursday by the announcement that
the Germans early in the morning at
tempted a submarine attack on the
harbor works and the fleet at anchor
in the harbor . .
The night was dark and a heavy
rain and haze made searchlight work
difficult. The forts were put on alert
about 4 o’clock by the appearance og
the harbor entrance of an unidenti
fied steamer, which refused to stop
until a shot was fired across her bow.
Thirf'iressel then retired:- She is be
lieved to have been tlte tender of the
submarines. *
Half an hour later a single subma
rine w as sighted'and one of the heavy
guns in the harbor fired at her. This
submarine, which evidently was the
advance scout, disappeared, but at
half-past 6 the observers sighted
what they believed to be a fleet of
about six several miles out in the
.channel. |
The channel forts commenced fir
Tng in the direction of the supposed
submarines and kept it up for almost
half an hour. At the same time a
torpedo boat destroyer flotilla put to
sea, where it remained all day.
Large crowds gathered on the
water front in the early morning
hours and watched the searchlights
and. the artillery fire. When they saw-
no results of the shelling many per
sons expcesjed the opinion that it
was a false alarm. There is no offi
cial confirmation that German sub
marines were seen,
guns and 3 21-tnch torpedo tubes.
She has a complement of 800 officers
and men.
The Numbqrg had a displacement
of 3,450 tons and a complement of
295 men. Her length on the line was
354 feet and her beam 44 feet. She
carried ten 4.1-inch gufls, eight 5-
pounders, four machine guns and two
torpedo tubes. - . t •
- ■**
DEPEND ON BATTLESHIPS
DANIELS AND FLETCHER BEFORE
NAVAL COMMITTEE.
;
Daniels Says He Might Support Four*
Battleship Program—Fletcher Says
Navy la World's Second Beet.
Military preparedness of the nation
was again the dominant subject of
congressional attention Thursday.
Secretary Daniels before the House
naval committee defended his two
battleshtps-a-year construction pro
gram and declared the sentiment of
the people of the Upited States oppos
ed turning tho country into a great
military power. Meantime a free-
for-all national defence debate occu
pied the House itself.
Mr. Daniels, during an all-day ex
amination, said this country already
had a powerful navy and that while
“with abundant revenues” he might
favor the general board’s four battle
ship plan, ho thought the two battle
ship program adequate. Pressed for
an opinion as to the world military
situation at the close of the Euro
pean war the secretary predicted an
international conference on arma
ment.
"When the war is over, he said,
“those countries will ba se exhausted
in their resources andvourdened with
debt that there will bo a great revul
sion against war. I expect the revul
sion will be so great that we will have
an international conference on arma
ment—more possible now than ever
before—and that we will get some
action by which the navies of the
world powers will be used only to
carry into execution the agreements
the countries tedth.”
Fletcher Examined.
The ability of the American navy
to successfully meet the war fleet of
any nation except Great Britain was
asserted Wednesday by Rear Admiral
Fletcher, commander-in-chief of the
Atlantic fleet. The possibility of con
flict with Great Britain was so re
mote, th- admiral said, that he did
not believe in a naval policy design
ed to control the oceans as against
that country.
Admiral Fletcher was plied with
many questions..4bout conditions of
the navy, judged by lessons of the
European war. Although confidently
declaring the American navy was
overrn:atched only by that of Eng
land, he added,, that if this country
continued to build only t*o battle
ships a year. Germany qq the basis of
her present construction program,
soon would be far in tbe lead
The admiral said he had no doubt
in the ability of the I'nited States to
control the seas in a naval conflict
with Japan, but when questioned spe
cifically he would not say that the
American fleet alone could successful
ly defend the Philippines and Hawaii
against a Japanese expedition.
Ultimate naval success. Admiral
Fletcher contended, must rest with
dreadnoughts. Submarines, he de
clared. would not seriously affect the
vital principles of naval warfare. -He
admitted, however, that from a for
eign navy viewpoint it was possible
to send Bubmaj“n»s across the Atlan
tic to attack warships on the Ameri
can coast.
In the event of war, he said, all
American battleships available could
be made ready for action within
week.
k non FOR LIFE
• V • J . I.
WHY AUSTRIA STAKKS ALL ON
THE CRUSHING OF SERVTA.
CROPS BREAK RECORD
NO NEWS OF non
YIELD OF COTTON IS LARGEST Of
HISTORY OF COUNTOY.
T
NEW LIGHT BN THE VAB
• • t •, . •s*"
FEW DETIAJLS COMB VTlDM; FO.
^ LAND OR FROM FRANCE.
Number Bales Amount to More ■ •
MUU ^- u -^* TURKISH ARMY GIVES UP
TotalATm Only Foorteep Millions. m* i mm va
TO FIRE ACROSS
ARTELLKBY ORDKKKD TO
At tbe End of Se end Balkan War
Austria Decided to A f tack Servia—
Italy's Reluctance Held Her Off N
Bnt Sarajevo Crime Banished All
Heetitatlon.
The New York Evening Sun com
ments as follows upon the recen-.
speech In the Italian parliament in
which it was stated that as early as
August, 1913, Italy had informed
Austria and Germany that she would
not aid Austria in a campaign against
Servia, or in a general war which
might follow:
The most useful purpose served by
the statement made by Giolitti in the
Italian parliament is that it supplies
a new standard by which to measure
the events which led to the outbreak
of the great war. For four months
the world has been busily engaged in
discussing ‘^scraps of paper,” mili
tarism, Bernbardi and other inci
dental details. But here at last is a
plain statement of fact, of cause, of
purpose, easily comprehensible, un
mistakably authentic.
In 1013, in August, 1013, that
just after the victories of Servip and
Greece over Bulgaria, AustriaAnform
ed her allies, Italy and Germany, of
her purpose to attack Servia. The de
lay between August^dl)^, and July,
1914, is explicable as due-to the sit
uation in which Austrian armies were
found, to tbe attitude of Germany, to
the influence of Italian and other ad
visers. Whatever the cause for the
delay, the assassination of the arch
duke removed the last restraint.
What she had resolved to.do in 19i3
Austria did in 1914.
It is easy to characterize this Aus
trian decision as a wanton resolve, as
a piece of international violence in
defensible on any ground. Yet It re
mains to examine the situation in
which Austria found herself and the
alternative left her when at last, the
Slav neighbor on her southern march
es emerged from two wars victorious
and in Belgrade the disintegration of
Austria was the open design of all
patriotic Serbs.
For a century Austria and Russia
have been rivals In the- Balkans.
Carlyle in his life of Frederick the
Great finds such justification as he
can for his hero in the matter of the
partition of Poland by pointing to
tbe fact that save for this arrange
ment Austria and Russia wotlld have
fought over Turkish provinces.
At the congress of Berlin Austria
and Great Britain united to prevent
the creation of the Greater Bulgaria
provided in tho Treaty of San Stef-
ano. At that time and thereafter for
many years Servia was the soldier of
the Austrian emperor in the Balkans.
Thus for twenty years Austria and
Russia Intrigued against each other
in the Balkans, but neither- was able
to obtain a decisive advantage over
the other. This state of balance was
broken in 1903, w hen the king of Ser
via, in fact the tool of Austria, was
assassinated. His successor, King
Peter, represented the nationalist
element, whose purpose it was to
create a strong Servia, whose inspira
tion was derived from St. Petersburg,
not Vienna.
Menace of Pan-Serb Movement.
Servia having paMsed over to the
The United States this year has
produced the greatest crop of cotton
in its history, More than 18,006,000
bales, or 15,^26,000 bales of lint cot
ton and Muter cotton, unofficially esti
mated at, ftonl 600,000 to 650,000
bales, constitute the crop.
Last year 14,342,367 bales Includ
ing linters were produced and in the
previous record year, 1911, the pro
duction 'was 16,250,276 bales, includ
ing linters. . s
The production of lint Is estimated
at 7,637,113,000 pounds or 600,000
pounds more than 1911.
While the production exceeds any
crop ever grown, its value-will be far
less and smaller than any other year
during the past five.
Based on the average price of 6.8
cents a pound on December 1, the lint
is worth $519,323,684. while last
year It was valued at $867,160,000.
More exact informatton^as'to the
size of this year's cotton crop was
given to-day when the department of
agriculture in its final estimate an
nounced the total production would
amount to 15,966,000 bales oi 500
pounds, gross weignt, exclusive of
linters. This compares with 14,156,-
496 bales last year and 14,795,367
bales, including liners; 13,703,421
bales in 1912 and 14,312.756, includ
ing linters; and 15.692,701 bales in
the record year 1911 and 16,250,276
including linters.
The average total production, ex
clusive of linters for five years, 1908-
12, was 12,850,297 bales. The pro
duction of linters is about 600,000
bales annually.
The final official figures giving the
exact size of this year’s crop will be
issued by the census bureau next
March when complete statistics from
the ginneries have been compiled.
While this year's crop is a large
one its value will fall far below that
of last year because of the price of
cotton. I^ist year's crop, a record in
ponlt of value, was worth in the ag
gregate $1,043,760,000, the value of
the lint being $887,160,000 and of
the cotton seed $156,600,000.
The estimated production, with
comparisons by
states follow:
Average
1914.
1908-1912
Virginia . . .
24,000
18.305
North Carolina
. 950,000
779,037
South Carolina
.1,500,000
1,252,981
Georgia . .
.2,650,000
2.009.514
Florida . . .
. ^ 75,000
62,239
Alabama . . .
.1.690,000
1.324,624
.Mississippi . .
.1.275,000
1,250,361
Louisiana . .
. 360.000
346,978
Texas ....
. 4,560,000
3,704.668
Arkansas . . .
.1,040,000
859.793
Tennessee . .•
. 365,000
329,869
Missouri . . .
75,000
63,836
Oklahoma . .
.1,250.000
840,422
California . . .
37,000
Other States .
15,000
8,610
It was possible if Austria could
crush Servia, eliminate for a genera
tion at least this soldier of Russia on
the Danube, she conld repair her own
shaken structure. It was Inconceiv
able, if Servia remained to grow
stronger, now increased in territory,
population and prestige, that in the
end Austria would not be attacked as
she was in Italy, this time with the
Russian czar playing the role of Na
poleon III.
Serbs Sure of Russia's Support.
swaza » s«a neat |»«V.-wrvrNj mrj Russia, on the contrary, having
enemy, Austria had now to consider created Servia, supported her in aU
the possibility of a pan-Serb move- campaigns, insured her In her
meut in her border provinces, in conquests, would probably support
Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia. Servia in such a war as Austria plan-
which might follow,the course of the ned. This was the risk. On the oth-
Ttnliorx ... ~ „ f a I 1 * l 1 t _ v rv rv o ei /V /-V
Italian rUorgimento of the last cen
tury, which was the natural conse
- er hand, in 1908-1909, in the Bos
nian time, Russia had yielded to Ger-
quence of the territorial gain made man menace. It was impossible for
- Vienna to Itelieve that London and
Paris would, support Rnssla on the
«- Servian question.
.— at However great the peril, it Is plain
home, and abroad in the Balkans she now that as early as August, 1013,
supported Turkey. Against Servia she Austria was determined to risk all by
by Sardinia at the congress of Ber
lin
To meet the situation Austria be
gan a campaign of repression
Slain by Deacon.
Nannie Strickland, 12 years old,
was shot at her home in St. Louis
Wednesday by Robert Bailey, a dea
con, who said he had been trying-
refm m tfgr '
10,000 Horses for .Allies.
Ten shiploads of one thousand
horses each, are to-sail from Kew-
, port News. Va., for Europe?: They
Cwaist Of I 12-lncb guns, 16 4-incfe are intended for tho allied armies
directed a tariff war -which deprived
the little state of. all market for its
agricultural products and temporari
ly ruined the country.
When the Young Turks seized con
trol of the Ottoman empire and
threatened to reoccupy Bosnia, held
but not owned by Austria, Vienna re
plied by the annexation of Bosnia
Against this Russia protested. Servia
appealed, but backed by Germany,
Austria's will prevailed and 2,000,-
000 Slavs, Serb by race, were annex-
ed MPi
To this stroke Russia replied by
the diplomatic campaign which re
sulted in the creation of the Balkan
alliance, the war against Turkey and
the victories, of Kumanoyo and Lule
Burgas, which crushed Ottoman pow
er in Europe. Austria" in her turn
replied fty proclaiming Albanian in
dependence, by refusing to permit
Servia to gain a- foothold on the
Adriatic and by encouraging Bul
garia to attack Servia, thus precipi
tating the second Balkan war.
But when, with the assissance of
ed Bulgaria, deprived' her of hereta
Roumania, Greece, Turkey and Servia
crushed Bulgaria, deprived her of her
Macedonian and Thracian conquest*,
Austrian diplomacy was bankrupt.-
Despite all her efforts TXuitria had
seen created on her southern frontier
a Servihn state, wholly Russian in
sympathy, determined to get Bosnia.
Croatia, Slavonia, to create a greater
Servia on the ruins of the Austro-
Hungarian empire.
After the treaty of Bucharest there
was left to Austria no choice but war
or the Inevitable disintegration which
centrifugal influences on all her fma.
tlci's QiSUrecT. Not alone the Serbs
aad Croats, but tbe Italians of Trieste
and the Trentino, the Roumanians of
Rnkottna and Transylvania, tbe Ru-
thenlans of Galicia, were now looking
forward to the day when tbe over
throw of Anstria would permit them
to enter the ranks of thetr brethren
attacking Servia. Glolitti’s statement
merely serves to confirm all previous
evidence, which indicates that the
great war was the inevitable conse
quence of the first and second Balkan
wars—it was and Is a struggle of
Austria for existence.
There never was any possibility of
peace in Europe after the treaty of
Bucharest unless Russia consented to
surrender her position as the protec
tor of Servia. Fok Austria to permit
Russia to continue in the role was to
consent to her own ruin. Apparently
Austria wavered in I»I3, but after
the Sarajevo crime could hesitate no
longer.
That Germany knew of Austria’s
resolution has always been plain;
that she consented to it is equally
certain. But her alternative was to
see Russia dominant in the Balkans;
Austria, her one sure ally, slowly or
swiftly destroyed by internal racial
rivalries stimulated by Russian in
trigue and design. For Germany too
there was little real choice.
Go back to all the White, Yellow
and other colored papers, and it will
be seep that,the whole question of
world peace turned upon whether
Russia would resign the role of pro
tector of Servia or hot. , It she de-
<• lined to’ resign a war was inevitable,
and she did decline. What resulted
waa a war for the preservation of
Austria.
But wjat can be said uf German
diplomacy, which, advised as early as
April, 1913, of Austrian purpose, waa
unable, with a whole year of leeway,
to prevent the coalition of all the
great powers save Italy against her
Ally when .tbe-inevitable blow was
struck ?
British Force Wlus Buttle Near Per-
elan Gulf Servians Score Tnex-
i" )
pectedly Against Austrians- - Allies
Gala Ground in Went—Scarcity of
.
News From Poland.
London reports the lack of news
from Poland causes uneasiness re
garding the outcome of the prolonged
battle between tbe Russians and Ger
mans. . , ,
. Berlin reports: Around Lowicx
fighting continues and in South Po
land Austrian and German forces
again have attacked the enemy suc
cessfully.
Petrograd reports: “There was no
important change Wednesday. Iso
lated attempts on the part of the ene
my to take the offensive have given
rise to engagements in tbe districts
of Ciechanow and Przaanysfl, at well
as at Pibtrkow and tn several dis
tricts on our front. The result of the
engagements was unfavorable to the
Germans.
"In the region of tbe passes of
Vyszkow and Beskid (in the Carpath
ians), on December 8, during attacks
on fortified positions held by tbe Aus
trians, we captured four guns, more
than 300 prisoners and many wag
ons.”
Vienna reports: “Night attacks by
the Russians in the district southwest
of Novo-Radomsk were repulsed.
“In West Galicia strong forces on
Bolh sides were active and we have
thus far captured 10,000 Russians.
The ba a ttle continues.
"Our operations in the Carpathians
have resulted in the retaking of con
siderable parts .of our own territory."
Ixmdon reports: 1 Russia at last
has admitted the occupation of Lodz
by the Germans, but in an official
statement declared her soldiers evac-
hated the city fifteen hours before the
Germans’ occupation, changing their
position without the loss of a single
man.
It is apparent, however, that with
the withdrawal of German troops to
strengthen the armies in tbe east,
the Allies have pushed their linee
forward In myiy placet.
•The Germans continue their efforts
to smash the Russian armies. While
a large part of their force is endeav
oring to hold tbe Ruaslan centre, an
other army la advancing from Boat
Prussia to the eaat of Mlafira and is
attacking the Russian right in an ef
fort to cut communications and en
ter Warsaw at the rear.
Heavy fighting is going on south
west of Lodi and southeast of Cra
cow, wbeer the Austrians and Ger
mans are endeavoring to get around
the Russian left and force th<
troops to retire from the fortress. _
The Germans, in fact, are repeat
ing on a larger scale their favorite
tactics of outflanking the opposing
forces. In this they always have
gained initial successes because of
their abrflty, with better means, to
move their troops quickly. The Rus
sians. however, heretofore have met
them with overwhelming numbers.
The defeat of the Austrians by the
Servians is virtually admitted in the
Austrian official report, which says
that because they have met strong
hostile forces Austrian troops have
been ordered to occupy more favor
able positions.
This sudden turn of events in favor
of the Servians is a mystery, but It is
probable they have received rein
forcements from Russia or more guns
and ammunition from some friendly
country, or it may be that some of
the Austrian Hoops were withdrawn
from Servia after the occupation of
Belgrade. Whatever the cause, the
Servians have .nfllcted a severe de
feat on the Invaders.
Gen. Louis Botha, premier and
commander of the defence forces of
the' Union of South Africa, announces
that the rebellion is crushed. Since
the capture of 700 rebels and the sur
render of 200 others, five additional
rebel leaders and their commanders
have laid down their arms. Only one
rebel leader is at large—Col. Maritz.
It is officially announced that the
Subhi Bey, late governor of Asiatic
Turkey, commander bt the Turkish
forces at Kuma, Tuesday surrender
ed unconditionally with his troops to
the Indian expeditionary force which
is operating at the head of the Per
sian gulf.'
Kuma subsequently was occupied
by the British, who are now in com
plete control of the country from the
junction of the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers to the sea and of the richest
part of the fertile delta. The Indian
office in a report on these operations,
says:
“A reconnaissance of the enemy’s
position at Kurna was made Decem
ber 5 by Col. G. S. Frazer, vith the
One Hundred and Tenth Mahratta
light infantry. The enemy was en
countered on the left bank of the
Tigris opposite Kurna. ’ They were
attacked and driven across-the river,
losing heavily. Two guns and 70
prisoners, including three officers,
were captured. Kurna was strongly
held by guns and infantry.
“The following day reinforcements
were sent from Rgpra under Brig.
Gen. Chas. Irwlp Fry and captured
Masera;, cleared the left bank of the
Tigris and took the three guns and f eur
100 prisoners, includln*.AHr- •«'|-day night whsS tbS
mooting over uml
Cotton Steamer Wrecked.
The Norwegian steamer Nygard
loaded with cotton, and bound for- whole of thane operations amounted
Hit cotton,
Denmark from Pensacola, broke la
half off Esbjbnrg, Denmark, and tbe
cotton was wished ashore.
‘•On December 8 the British cross
ed tbe river and. tbe next day Subhi
Bey surrendered.
“The British casualties daring ths
to ana British officer killed and Urns
wounded, with 46 Indians of the rank
and tin killed and
Most End.
The United States has served for
mal notice on both Provisional Presi
dent G niterrez. and Gen. Carrnaan
that nnlees they prevent their troops
firing across the American boundary
such fores will be employed by thin
country as is necessary to protect
American territory.
In tbe most threatening expression
from ths Washington government
since diplomatic correspondence wi{h
Gen. Huerta.before the occupation of
Vera Cruz, tbe chiefs of the two fac
tions opposing each other at Naco,
across from the Arizona town of tho
same name, were warned that firing
across the line mast cease.
The messages were to be conveyed
by American Consul Canada to Gen.
Carranza at Vera Crnz aad by Amer-
icen Consul Stillman te Geo. Gaiter-
rex at Mexico City. 'The peremptory
tone of the communications did not
become generally known, altboagh
the sending of field artillery to Naco
was explained previously as meaning
that the Mexican forces woxld be
shelled out of their positions aad
driven several miles from ths Hns if
firing into the United States con
tinued.
The messages pointed oat that sev
eral Americans have died of wounds
received from bullets fired from M|v-
ican territory and that the United
States had appealed in vain to Gens.
Maytorena and Hill, commanding op
posing forces at Naco.
The Washington government stat
ed that it now turned to tbe respec
tive chiefs, to fchom ths contending
generals are supposed to owo aUs-
gfgnre. asking that they be warned
immediately against farther viola
tions of American rights.
If the chiefs can not end the reck
less firing the United States govern
ment pointed out unequivocally that
Us duty will be to protect American
lives By force.
The American government made it
clear Incidentally that It had do idea
of invading Mexican territory or In
terfering with the rights of the Mex-
can people to nettle their own dis
putes.
Brig. Gen. Tusker H. Bliss, lately
named assistant chief of staff of ths
army, U In personal charge at Naco
with three butteries of field artillery
and eleven troops of cavahry. When
he arrived at Naco Thursday to take
charge of American Aroopa goarding
ths border, mads his first examine- *
tlon of ths sltuatloa under fira. Two
bullets fired la the battle oa ths
Mexican side of the boundary paused
perilously near the general and his
staff as he was examining a bomb
proof near ths Immigrattoa station,
about one hundred feet north of ths
international line.
Four troop trains bearing 12 field
guns and 500 o(fleers and men of tho
Sixth U. 8. Artillery arrived at ths
border Friday. \
I
EDISON LOSES ALL.
Inventor Suffer* AVOOO.OOO
, When Fire Destroys Plane
Fire destroyed virtually the entire
main plant of tbe Edison Electric
company at West Orange. N. J., Wed
nesday night, cansing damages esti
mated at nearly $7,000,000 wjth in
surance that It is expected will re
duce tbe loss to approximately $5 -
000,000.
An entire square block of modern
reinforced concrete buildings, which
were supposed A> be fireproof, was
burned out by the flames. The only
building saved iq tbe block was the
laboratory building, containing valu
able scientibc machinery nnder the
Immediate superintendence of the In
ventor. Thonvw A. Edison.
"Although I am more than 67
years of age I’ll start all over again
to-morrow,” said Mr. Edison. "I am
pretty well burned out to-night, but
to-morrow there will be a mobiliza
tion here and the debris will be clear
ed away If It Is cooled sufflcently.
and I will go right to work to recon
struct the plant.”
The inventor expressed himself
thus as he stood watching tbe flames
lick up building after building of his
mammoth electrical plant, started, it
is thought probable, by an explosion
in the inspection bniidlng, one of the
smaller frame structures. This build
ing was 'quickly a-mass of flames and
the fire spread i&pldly to other struc
tures. Chemicals in some of the build
ings made the Are fighting extremely
difficult. Explosions occurred, fre
quently. Ail employees at work in
various buildings escaped.
^ GOVERNMENT FINANCES. '
Receipts of the Government for Next
Year Are Estimated.
Secretary McAdoo estimates the re-,
ceipts of the government for the fiscal
year 1915, ending June 30, at $728,-
000,000, including $220,000,000
from customs, and $54,000,000 from
the emergency war tax. Exclusive of
the Panama canal he places disburse
ments at $710,000.64)0 for the cur
rent year. Counting upon $28,000,-
000 for the canal out of the treas
ury’s general fund he places the ex-
ceea of disbursements at $10,000,000.
Car Pashes Tftroagh Railing.
Walter Lamar and his negro chauf
feur of Macoa. Ga.. wera. killed T—e -
to their car crashed
through a bridge aad somersaulted
below.
-——sL '