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TO TRY FOR PEACE - + ARGENTINE, CHILE AND BRAZIL 4 OFFER GOOI> SERVICES. I ? U. S. ACCEPTS MEDIATION ? ^ Three Pun-American Countries Try to liring About Settlement Through the Elimination of Huer* Uv?Government Hopes "for Rest Results Within Short Time". # Pan-American diplomacy Saturday night made its iirst attempt to solve k the Mexican crisis by peaceful negoB tiation. The United States govern/ ment accepted from Argentine, Brazil and Chile a formal oiler to act as intermediaries in the nrpm>nt ? r . %/^vftt w UltUU" tion, but reservedly pointed out that an act of aggression by the military forces, or hostile demonstrations towards Americans, might upset hopes of immediate peace. Coincidentally with the acceptance of the mediation offer, administration ollicials announced there would be no cessation of preparations by the army and navy for future emergencies, and no orders would be issued to the naval forces at Vera Cruz or the ships at sea, changing original f plans. No further steps, however, to secure reparation for the indignities which gave rise to the present situation will be attempted while the effort is being made to bring about a settlement through diplomacy. Although the offer made by the three South American countries did . not reveal their plans, It was learned * that they contemplate a broad settlement of the Mexican problem through the elimination of lluerta, upon which the United States has insisted from the beginning. Notification of tlie offer of intermediation was sent not only to the diplomatic representatives of Argentine, Brazil W' and Chile in the City of Mexico, but to Gen. Carranza and the Constitutionalists in northern Mexico. The Brazilian, Argentine and Chilean envoys transmitted the United States acceptance of their proposal to the Spanish ambassador who imme ^ diately sent it by cable to the Span ish legation at the City of Mexico for presentation to (Jon. Huerta. The text of the offer made by the Rrazilion ambassador and tlie ministers from Argentine and Chile and the reply of the American government transmitted by Secretary Bryan i in person to tho three diplomats is } 0 as follows: "Mr. Secretary of State: "With the purposo of subserving the interest of peace and civilization in our continent, and with the utmost desire to prevent any further bloodshed, to tho prejudice of tho cordiality and union which have ala ways surrounded the relations of the ? governments and the people of America, we, tho plenipotentiaries of Brazil, Argentine and Chile duly authorized hereto, have the honor for tho peaceful and friendly settlement of the contlict between the United States and Mexico. ? "This offer puts in due form the suggestions which we have had occasion to offer heretofore on this subject to the secretary, to whom we renew tho assurances of our highest and most distinguishd consideration. "D. Da Gama, "R. S. Naon. "Ecuador Saurez." f Tho reply of the' president, made Ihrnncrli fJio 1" '' " V ' " r-> ? mo 0001 ukvi J Ul SlillH LO till? diplomatic representativs, was as follows: The president is deeply confident of the friendliness, the good feeling and the generous concern for the peace and welfare of America mani^ tested in the joint not just received ^ tendering the good offices of your governments to affect, if possible, a settlement of the present between the government of the United States and thos who now claim to rpresent our sister republic of Mexico. Conscious of the purpose with which the profWfer is made, this government does not feci at liberty to decline it. Its chief interest is in the peace of America, the cordial intercourse of her republic and our people, and the happiness and prosperity which can spring only out of frank, mutual understanding of the friendship which is created by common purpose. The j generous offer of your governments is thereforo accepted. "This government hopes most earnestly that you may find those who speak for the soberer elements of the Mexican people willing and ready to discuss permanent settle merit. Tf yon should find them willing this government will he glad to ? take up with you for discussion in the frankest and most conciliatory spirit any proposals that may be authoritatively formulated, and will hope that they may prove feasible and prophetic of a new day of mutual co-operation and confidence in Amera ica. P "This government feels bound in candor to say that its diplomatic relations with Mexico being for the present severed, it is not possible for it to make suro of an uninterrupted opportunity to carry out the plan of lv intermediation which you propose. It is, of course, possible that some U CONGRESSMAN LEVER j WORKS FOR FARMERS < 1 We copy the article below from a recent issue of The Country Clentle- 1 man: \ The moment had arrived for the < first gun to be fired in defense of the ] Farmers' Money Hill. The House ] doors were closed, the pages ran ] hither and thither to round up the j members, and the clerk called the roll. There was a quorum present. ? "The House is in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the <, Union for the purpose of further consideration of the bill H. R. 13679," , announced tho chairman. The clerk read the bill. A wiry , little man jumped up and was recognized. The lighting representative from South Carolina, tho man behind the Farmers' Money Hill, had tho floor. "Mr. Chairman," Representative Lever began, "at breakfast this morning I happened to overhear a remark made by one of those two-by-four know-it-alls that set me thinking. \It was this: 'No class of people in this country except the farmer and the criminal can get any money from the Federal government for any purpose. Do you know that there is appropriated $r,0,000,000 a year for the farmers of this country? "lie had a good face, was well dressed, and seemed to be a man of intelligence, but his asinine display of Ignorance, uttered with the arrogance of apparent information, made me propound to myself the query: 'It is possible that such gross ignorance is prevalent generally among the people with reference to what the Federal governmnt. is doing for agriculture?' "Mr. Chairman, instead of expending $1)0,000,000 a year for the agriculture of this nation, the fact that the expenditures of the Department of Agriculture that go in direct aid to the farmer, and to him alone, amount to only $9,G00,000 annually! "The bill that we are about to consider appropriates in round numbers $2.r),000,000, including permanent appropriation for the department is used in its regulatory, police and quarantine work, while only thirty-eight per cent, is used in aid of the greatest occupation of the people of this county. "In the face of such facts, and with an understanding of what the research and demonstration work of this department mean to the people of the country, is there one bold enough to repeat the charge that this committeo has been unduly liberal in its attitude toward this work? For myself I have no apologies to make; I am prepared to defend every item in this bill as a wise investment of public funds. "The appropriation provided in this bil! is a mere bagatelle, inconsequential in comparison with our appropriations for other purposes. What will a comparison snow? You will appropriate for the support of the army this year $94,000,000 in round numbers. This means that every time you appropriate one dollar to aid in the development and encouragement of the oldest occupation of mankind you' are appropriating ten dollars for the maintenance and support of the army." hooking Into the Future. "You are spending more this year to maintain this little square of ten miles in the District of Columbia than you are appropriatng for the agriculture of the entire country. You are spending more for the maintenance of the wards of this nation, the Indians, than >ou are appropriating this year for the encouragement of the agriculture of the country. You will very likely appropriate $140,000,000, in rojLind numbers, for the support of the navy this year. This means that every time a dollar is expended to help the farmers to keep 1 their corncribs and smokehouses and to feed the people of this nation you aro spending fifteen dollars for your navy. "You will spend $ 1 80,000,000. for pensions this year. T shall not con- : tinue; but let me call your attention to tho fact that the total appropria- I tions for all purposes for the pros- < ent fiscal year amount to $1,105,- l 000,000, of which amount the paltry sum of $0,090,000, or nine-tenths of ] one per cent of the total, goes to the j development of tho basic business of } the country. \ "Is the criticism of this committee I ?that it is over-liberal to tho De- < partment of Agriculture of this coun- I try?to be continued in tho face of ] such facts? I should life to com- : mend to such critics the facts that < tho total agricultural capitalization of this country is moro than $-12,- ( 000,000,000. Tho farmers are pro; j ducing annually moro than $9,000,- } 000,000. j "But I do not ask that the appro- . priation recommended in this bill \ shall stand upon invidious compar- j ?? - 1 I act oi aggression on the part of those 1 I who control tho military forces of ( Mexico might oblige tho United States to act to the upsetting of tho i hopes of immediate peace, but tliisJ( does not justify us in hesitating to 1 accept your generous suggestion. We t shall hope for tho best results within 1 a brief time, enouh to relievo our 5 anxiety lest most ill-considered hostil demonstrations should interpret < 1 negotiation and disappoint our hopes t of peace." c cons. I am content to havo each | item rest solely upon its own mm U uid the character and importance of .he work contemplated under it. "Unless 1 am prepared to show that every dollar recommended for the work of the Department of Agriculture will bring returns to the people in the way of improved and more profitable methods of agriculture, better living conditions, and a larger food and clothing supply, I am not justified in the recommendations that fire contained in this bill. "My study of the economic situation in this country, and of the unmistakable tendencies clearly apparent to students of these conditions, furnishes the justification for this call your attention to certain tendencies, certain danger signals that bill. I ask your indulgence while I bid us stop, look and listen. "In 1880, 70.5 per cent of the population of the United Stntes wna classed as agricultural. In 1910 only r?3.7 per cent of that population was so classified. Even these figures are misleading, for the fact is that only 2 8 per cent of our people actually live upon the farm. The drift of population from farm to city is unmistakable, and if the tendency continues unchecked the number of people living 011 the farm fifty years hence will be negligible in comparison with the total population. "I venture into the Held of prophecy to the extent of saying that fifty years hence less than twenty per cent of our people, unless present tendencies are arrested, will be called upon to feed and to clothe the remaining eighty per cent. It is a stupendous task; can they do it? "Why this drift of population from farm to city? Why are our boys and girls leaving the farm, turning their backs upon the old homestead, with its tender memories and hallowed associations, to cast their lot among strangers in our great unsympathetic cities, where competition is keen and pressing. "They are leaving because the opportunities for intellectual, social and financial well-being furnished by the cities are better than can be had in the country; because the educational facilities of the city are better than those of the country; because communication in cities is easier, quicker and batter than it is in the country; because they believe that city life affords greater remuneration | f Ar 1 o 1 o%wl U w - a ? 1 ' " * iwi ?tiuvyi , cuiu uutau?e couiliry 11IG IS thought to ho monotonous, irksome an<l ill-rewarded. "Shall we exert ourselves to check this tendency or shall we stand by and permit it to go on until our cities have become crowded and our rural communities deserted? To mo the deserted homestead presents the evidence of a tragedy, and is suflicient incentive to arouse my utmost enthusiasm and effort in behalf of the betterment of rural conditions. "I would commend to you tho beautiful lines of Goldsmith in The Deserted Village: "111 fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates, and men decay; Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade? A breath can make them, as a breath has made; Hut a bold peasantry, their country's pride, When once destroyed, can never be supplied. "Let us take a look fifty years hence?a short period in the life of a nation, less than the span of a human life?and see what is before us. The population of the United States during the last census period increased twenty-one per cent. If that increase continues?and there is no reason why it will not continue?the population of the United States in 1000 will be 238,000,000, an increase of 150 per cent. "Now let us see. In 1010 each man, woman and child in this country had available ninety-one pounds of beef. If the ratio of decrease continues for fifty years as it has during the past ten years, then each man, woman and child in the country will have available only sixty-one pounds of beef,or a decrease cf thirty-three per cent. "In 1010 the per capita supply of pork available was eighty-nine pounds. If the decrease for the next fifty years in pork production continues as great as it has been during the last ten years, the available per capita amount nf of rk. IV I. IU? Willi or fifty years will bo thirty-four pounds, fn like manner at tho end of fifty pears we shall have only three pounds 3f mutton per capita. 1 "Yet gentlemen complain that we mrry in this appropriation bill a few hundred thousand dollars to encour- , igo tho people of the country to erad- ( icate disease from meat-producing inimals and to encourage sections of this country that are not producing ( beef and pork and mutton to go into , the production of these commodities, [s it a wise complaint? Is It a just iriticism? "Wo appropriate something liko < ?G00,000 for tho eradication of disjaso from animals. Listen! Tho loss , 'rom animals diseases in this coun- i ry, as estimated by tho Agricultural ( Department, annually amounts to ?212,85 0,000. "Two hundred and twelve million lollars a year lost from diseases in .ho meat-producing animals of this , :ountry, and yet gentlemen complain that the Committee on Agriculture is ramming its hands into the Treasury up to lie elbow, drawing out money for tlie support of the Department of Agriculture. It makes me weary! "You could afford, if you could save that $212,000,000 of annual loss, to spend $35,000,000 a year building railroads in Alaska or your $140,000,000 a year for your big navy or your $94,000,000 a year for your big army. Again I say it makes mo weary, because I feel that the critics of this bill have never studies the facts, or can not distinguish between an investment and an expenditure. *' A member of the House jumped to his feet and rececived recognition. "Docs not the gentleman believe that in modern civilization we are working at cross purposes?" he asked. "For illustration, does not the gentleman know that in many large cities we have booster clubs, whose busiTIOSS it iu in invito rinovl" ' " " ' . - . -J vv III 1 lie [Irujnti IU I'Ulim from the country into town and then we have philosophers standing round inviting them to go from tHe town to the country?" The Farmer to Defend the Nation. "I think theso people?the folks who are trying to get the people from the country to the county?ought to be put into an insane asylum," snapped back the South Carolinian. "I never heard of a boosters' club in any city," volunteered another member, "except, perhaps, to boost the idle of unemployed population that we have in the city into the country, and make them earn their living on the farm, where they are needed." "What is the gentleman's town?" an Ohio member asked. "It is a little town on the Hudson River called New York," answered the other. "Perhaps the gentleman from Cincinnati has heard of it.'* "Let me proceed," begged Mr. Lever. "I want to ask those who may complain about this bill and about what the Federal governmen' is doing for the farmer, if they have ever stopped to consider the other side of the question, what the farmer is doing for this government. "lias that proposition ever occurred to these gentlemen? I want to say that the perpetuation of representative government, the continuance of our present system, depends more upon the prosperity, happiness, wealth, education, conservatism and patriotism of tlio American farmer than upon any other factor. "In the past he has been the nation's defense. In the future he must he the bulwark to protect it against the unrest and the anarchy of your great city centers. I stood in the gentleman's home city one morning, and looking across Madison Square I saw hundreds and hundreds of people who had spent tlie night in tlie open, some of them lying on the rustic benches, some underneath with nothing but an evening newspaper for a pillow. "And I said to myself that if the red (lag of anarchy ever goes up in tliis country it will go up from the idle classes of our great cities; that if this nation is to be preserved, if our flag is still to float in majesty, it will have to be preserved and kept floating by the boys and girls and the men and the women back down in the hills and in the valelys of South Carolina and on the farms throughout the length and breadth of this great land of ours." In congress they are still talking about the speech made by the South Carolina representative who defended th Farmers' Money Bill. Senators camo across to the House to hear him make it. It was a great speech, backed by the most formidable array of facts and figures imaginable. The committee has pledged itself to fight to the last ditch for every cent contained in the bill. Let us leave it, then, in the hands of its defenders in the Ilouso and in the Senate, and later see how well it stood the fray and in what condition it was when it went to the president. OON TIN UBS UK K P A1IA TIO X S. ? United Suites War Department Does Not Delay for Mediation. Expecting that Iluerta will repect mediation proposals, the war department is proceeding with preparations for war. Orders were issued Sunday night to the Watervleit arsenal, the Krankfort arsenal and the Rock Island, 111., arsenal to prepare ammunition and to begin tho construction of field artillery with all possible dispatch. Tho government has only 600 field guns. There is necessary to complete tho artillery equipement for the army for what is proposed to ho put in tho field 700 more guns. Tho accounting of ufriAlr ~ ~ 0 V- ? k.vuvn D1IUOS llllll II1U UUU g 11 IIS on hand have a supply of ammunition snd shells for about 700 more. The government will also purchase powder to be sent to the arsenals for the manufacture of shells. ? Find Dond Man oil Fnglno. A train hit a wagon in Greenfield, N". J., Monday and on stopping at the next station, many miles distant, the body of a dead man was found dtting on tho cowcatcher. ? IMirglars Get $1,500. Burglars early Saturday dynamited tho bank as Cass, Ark., and escaped with $1,500. Tho vault fixtures wcro demolished. HAS MARTIAL LAW ? FLETCHER TO Kl'IiK VERA CRUZ TO KEEP 1HAVX STRIFE. WILL PUNISH DISORDER ? Admiral Says There Shall Ro No More Quibbling About Government -?Order That All Arms l>e Given I n ?? l.... -< o.-i _ .in i vikivi *?i of Kitles. Vera Cruz Sunday was umler martial law. Hear Admiral F. F. Fletcher, commanding the American naval forces 011 shore, Sunday issued a proclamation to this effect, and the last opportunity Mexicans had for handling their own affairs in Vera Cruz under their own laws disappeared. Admiral Fletcher and his staff determined there should he no more quibbling with the Mexican officials regarding form of government and until further notice residents of this port will live and be judged by military law. The word has gone forth that disorder and unruliness in any form shall receive swift and severe punishment. This proclamation makes Hear Admiral Fletcher absolute ruler ashore. It is believed martial law will open the way for more of the city and federal employees to return and co-operate 111 restoring the local government functions. Mexicans point out that these men now will be in a position to explain to their friends and the existing government at the capital that under martial law, they felt obliged to return to their work. An order that all arms be turned in by residents by noon brought to the headquarters of the provost marshal bushels of small arms and stacks of rifles. The city was quiet Saturday night, and if there was a sniper in action the fact was not reported to division head luarters. Many Mexican officials have reported their willingness to resume their duties of office under the supervision of the Americans. The efforts of Hear Admiral Fletcher, supplemented by those of the British commander, Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Craddock, and the French and German consuls and private citizens, to bring about the departure from tho interior of all foreigners who wish to leave, are being continued energetically, but the hope of getting out more than a small part of those left is diminishing hourly. Federal Gen. Maas has established his headquarters at Soledad, 1(5 miles from Vera Cruz, and his men are tearing up the railroad tracks. The gap between Tejera, the water supply station, which is guarded by the Americans, and Soledad, has grown, and it is no simple task for refugees to get themselves and their belongings across the open space. Lieut. Frank J. Fletcher of the battleship Florida, is in charge of the train which is being run from Vera Cruz to the break in the road and on every outgoing trip tho train carries a small detachment of armed men in addition to a machine gun. The train has been within sight, at various times, of outposts or scouting parties of Gen. Maas' forces, hut so far there has been no hostile act. No initimation has been received that Huerta proposes to release tho Americans, some of the women and children, held at Cordeba, Orizaba, Pachuca, Aguas Calientes and other places. Former railway men, Americans and a few Mexicans, including aumu ui L1113 omcers or the National Railway system, who were discharged by Gen. Huerta, havo offered their services to Rear Admiral Fletcher for any use he may see fit to make them. A communication has been sent to Gen. Maas, asking him to permit the operation of trains from the south over the Vera Cruz and Isthmian road for a brief time, that Mexicans who desire to reach that part of the country shall have the opportunity to do so, and that Americans isolated in that district may bo gotten out. The consulate is receiving upwards of one hundred telegrams a day asking for information of American residents. Consul Canada has created a special bureau to make such investigations and to answer telegrams. Roth the navy and stato departments are eager for official news and the fleet and tho consular ollico have been bombarded with orders for minute details. This ofllcial information, added to tho mass of private i messages and tho enormous volume niA*?A nAi.fw"-'-? L.vio nuwnpupur correspondents, has resulted in so clogging the tbreo cables to the outside world that its transmission, except with many hours' delay, is very nearly impossible. Twenty more corespondents are said to bo on their way aboard the transports. The food supply problem must bo relieved soon, and plans are making to open the Alvaredo railroad, a short lino running south into the garden and poultry district. ? ? ? Send us your subscription for tills paper. We publish all tlio nows while it is nows. |i MAT SEE REAL WARFARE VOLl'NTKKR BILL IWMu.ES OLD OBSTACLES IN Til K LAW. ? I'mler Measure Recently Passed President is Km powered to Apindnt All Officers. There is a chance for volunteer troops who want war to soon see the real thing. Defects in the old law for raising a volunteer force in time of actual or threatened war are believed to have been eliminated by the bill just passed by the Senate. The bill, which had already passed the House, was passed by the Senate with several committee amendments. It is specially provided that tho volunteers shall bo mustered out as soon as practicable after the president shall have issued his proclamation announcing the termination of the war, or tho passing of the emer gency or imminence of war. Heretofore there was no provision as to who should deride when the services of the volunteers were no longer needed, although th maximum term of enlistment was set at two years. The president is authorized to appoint all the otlicers of the volunteer forces instead of having the regimental and company ollicers appointed by the governors of the States and territories. The measure provides for the additional otlicers necessary for efficient recruitment of all arms, corps, and departments; depots for the enlistment and training of recruits are to be established and transfers of disabled officers and men bo made to these depots from organizations in the field in exchange for ablebodied officers and men from the depots. In this way, the organizations in the field may he kept full of ablebodied fighting troops, while at the same time the service of partly disabled men may not ho lost. Provision is also made for the employment of retired officers and enlisted men for recruiting duty. Raising of the volunteer forces under the bill is by proclamation of the president, which shall state the number of men desired for each arm, corps and department, within such limits as may be fixed by law. Some interesting figures were presented in a letter from the war department. These figures show that during the five principal wars in which the United States has been engaged of the total number- r?f [enrolled 7.5 per cent, were furnished by the regular army, GO.7 per cent, were volunteers, and 2 2.8 per cent, were militia, rangers and emergency men. i ? ISSl'KS PROCLAMATION'. ?. Fletcher Informs Vera Cru/ That There Will he 110 Interference. The first proclamation issued in Vera Cruz by Americans sinco tho war between tho United States and Mexico ended in 18 18, was posted in Spanish Thursday and read with interest by the Mexican inhabitants. Tho proclamation of Rear Admiral Fletcher was addressed to tho "People of Vera Cruz" and reads: "Tho naval forces of the United States that are under my command have occupied temporarily the city of Vera Cruz to supervise the public administration on account of tho disturbed conditions which at present prevail in Mexico. "All employees of the muncipiality of this port are invited to continuo in tho discharge of their otllces as they have dono up to tho present. "The military authorities will not intervene in civil and administrative affairs so long as good order and peace in tho town aro not impaired. "All peaceful citizens may confidently continuo in their usual occunn f I nn a 4 i.i a i ?1,1 * imh nmn, v,ui nun null mey will 00 pro** tected. "Tho commander signing gives assurances that there will bo no interference with the civil authorities, except cases of absolute necessity and guided always by tho observance of tho law and order." "Tho taxes duo and tho uso of them will ocntinue being made in tho same form as up to tho present time arul in conformity with law." i ? ? ? Pistol limit in Greenwood. Tho officials of Greenwood county inaugurated a pistol hunt in the section around Ware Shoals Sunday and eighteen pistols were found and taken from negroes, and tho owners sent to jail. ? ? ?. Governor Aids Negro. Gov. Please Saturday commuted tho death sentence of Henry Jones, a negro, who would have been executed May t to life imp 'sonment on t h f\ 111! 111 In uinrila r\ ? ..v .. v? uti ui i/ui tiiuatur ouuu* ty. Train Cuts off Foot. Primus Seal belonging to a freight train crew, made a misstep and had bis foot cut off Tuesday morning while his train was shifting in Leesvlllo. ? Place Order for Horsee, Fort Reno, Okla., has received orders to deliver at once at Galveston twelve hundred cavalry horses.