North Carolina Newspapers

OUICK RESULTS USE THE NEWS CLASSIFIED ADS—THEY BRING BEST RESULTS—ONE CENT A WORD 'st Edition Latest Edition 43. NO. 6959 CHAKLOTTE, N. C.. THU» SDA\ EVENING, FEBRUARY 23, 191 I • pp T/^Pr (In Charlotta. 2 cents a Copy Daily—5 Cents Sunday ^ Outside Charlotte. 5 Cents a copy Daily and Sunday T [STS IHDE iin F.lv 2.'^.—Tvvi IE SAiyiLSOF JIL jyDSE5 Spcrinl to The News. «a;i- (Ollft'S •m.mIc at (Jaleiuh, X, C.. Fob. 2?>.— After rto- on SU ' . I'aliiiL;' I li(‘ jiuluos salary liill today t'oi' i I'll ill i) hour tiu' sfiiato vott'd to inrrease ■ II I'.i - ( Turr j ; lir allowaiK'o to suporior •■vr Snmnl:'> | court .iuilues from $L'r>'i to $T.*.0 iii addi tional to the salary of also in- • Tf'ii ini: tile Kalary of suproiiie court iusiicos fi'oiu r.ou to ^si.una. The hill \v:^s rii' to 1 lu‘ 1 louse. New 1 ills \uh-oduced included one hy Senator 1^,own lo incu'ase the area ‘■•f !l('k(' (ounty hy taUiir.; additional tiMi'itory frotn Koheson. i,'TiQQ A YTiril/1' I'ie int;(Kluct>d a hill to i re- .xl / /l\/lU v(T’,; in^uianct' coiu]»:inies fi «uu »'x- ‘ .ifudin-A I'XtT;’va'zani sums in comiieii- ti'Mi for husiut'ss. j W'hep tho hill r-roaiinE; Avery 'oun- ity as the one hundrt'dih county was r;'.tilied. SiifT.kor Itowd made a si)ecial jir.nounceincnt j;ivins ho creation of the nc'.v coun’y apprc'priate ceremony. In the Ihnise. favorable rejiorts wpi'o uiiaio on l>ills to pay the supreme* court reporter $l,r.oO and supreme court justices Not \ a \ - The '! It nnro* l.y k ^ nrk li. ir- ! h 1!,- 'M* of • d t'id.t i ! .1. tlnrra- . liarvahrant ,r K'.i-onc(’| 1 inu fiiei'.ils 1 how ‘u , ..U'i> 1 I t c‘n ' MUS mi BLDMI III THE smiiic n-yi hme ne TO DOWTHTiCliSt By Associated Pess j ronseqtience. may be suggested that Wat.hington. Feb. .23.—Senator a wise political manager would throw Beveridge upon taking the floor to- ' \ARCHISTIC i.OCTRINE IN JAPAN. Big Appwpriation Bill Completed ! ' • s:'f. :»d of an- •I ,li,ar wn-i ihe . ui'Mi th«' rn- lo.iay M-niber of ,ii . d rt'solu n I' rn - 1 t i.>r haviiiK \ 1.1 !. ;!• ii a pt'lnl lih I 1. '. ■ l! • 1 (1 'I'ho I i-y a Inrue rf'''ent con- ;n iit‘\«>cu- a;id his wl'’i' s: and the mi- r.EL'C’ Hv Associated Press. Washinuton, Feb. 23. Thp sundry civil ai>propri:iiion l)ill carrying a to tal of $14t,.■>!»(».IK’, 1., ineliuling S'l.niMi.- t'Oit for fortifying the Panama canal, was fonipleted by the appropriation e>mmilteo and immediately reported tt> the hovise. This is a cut of $14.- 4>'’i..■(>:) from the estimat«'s. The hill makes appropriation for the ni'Xt fiscal y^'ar. It includes $N,.'>(i0,000 for the construction of the I’anauia (anal, which may be rei>aid to Ihe treasury out of bond sale proceeds. '1‘his is exchisive of the $:;,0()0,00(t for fdrtitication, of which $2.0('(i,00i) is for , constructiojt of sea coast h.nteries and I $l.(Kio.orni for the imrchas.*, manufac- d !i:.' , iiir.' and tpsi of sea coast cannon for ma.i.‘ nrev. lit ,iofense. "iii\t ;:-,»'ni . J.',,,. (iip construction of ])iiblic build- -■ — i ii us the bill carries $2111 ,l! l'>, an in- icic'ase of $l(;..'jT;t,T2G owr the current FAST ON ROCKS. I iippropriation. ' "To : naiile the President lo secuii' F"onch . int’oi mat ion." umU'r the l*t>'ue tariff • a fort-l.iw .s; iiMt.ooo is ai>propriated. an in- a .h ■- 'ci. .;s,‘ of Sl.‘i(>,OiMi over the prrseni ap- ' ''ir.d i |,io; I'iation for the tariff hoard for the .'■'dV I.;-;iu ’.-•lu fiscal \ear. ! "i-h' a^WANTE ALL DATA ON ; i RECIPROCITY TREATY ' ''1 .-C.'l'O I ! Pu:htiT. A^ -ociatf'd I’ress. tow.'d lo! '\\ ;i-iiinttton, .Feb. 2!^. A resolution avt> hecit upon the prc.sidput to submit . •o in a to ihi> s.uiaie all the informaiion he '■ I had bcariim up;n the ('anadian reci- ■rif d a- ,,,-,ici;y agreement, togetlu^r with the -\i Ian'ic I ;,nd statistics i^athered by the tar- r,-'o\vn. I iff 'loard. was offered today in the t ''‘i^enaip iv .\Ir. rnmmins and adopt^l. 'b«'| A,; iMiU’udmciit makin;; the request "if "!T I ,v iK-i-tcut with the public welfare" -Id day iimnediately addressed himself to the speech delivered yesterday by Senator Lorinier. Mr. Beveridge called the senate’s attention from the eloquence of Mr. ]>orimer to “the record of sworn testimony befoie US—testimony given nnder oath and searched as by fire, with fierce cross- examination.’ "Indeed.’’ he continued, “if T mis take any testimony or fail to give it fairly and fully, 1 will take it as a personal favor if any senator better posted that 1 will coriect me: for I say to the senate that I had far rathpr be shown to.be in error than to be permitted to make any mis statement of the facts. ‘‘1 go further and say that I would far rather tind that tlie testimony votes lo Hoi)kins when they could not elect him because that wouid he mollifying the real Ho{)kias votes for any future plans. The support of Shurtleff, wiien he cannot be elected, would have endeared him still mora than he already was. “1 make no complaint of this view of that transaction for it was permissible strategy In that kind of political inanipulati(m whicli appears to be Ijecoming so usual in tlie elec tion of United States senator.” The speaker declared that the “sit ting members" exi)lanation of why many votes were cast for him was not relevant to the validit»of his ei- e^'tion, which is (luestioned on the ground of the corruption of other v»tes. “Su|)pose the ov>iier of many tracts of land was defending a sum AJAX, DEFYING THE LIGHTNING 1 PH PEmm li' I f' th. '.doiil id. NfEPN PARADE. Dr. Aked Receives Call. i Py ,\ssociated Press, i San Fiaiicisoo. Feb. 2'’.. Or. C'har- !r ; !•'. .\kod. pastor of the Fifth cvenue I i^t church of .\';'W York, of which I h''Usand ! n 1>. Kock*d'dler is a member, has f ’ a ade j lu'pu foriiierlv called to the pastorate i Wiish- of the I'ir.^t ('ongreuational church of >! fri iid-: this city, r'ccording t(» announcement I ii'adt* lasi u'-iUt. d a c:uni-l Dr. AUeii who i.-^ at pre.'^ent in Santa •- of th»* Harbara. has bt-en in ('alifornia for n-'Sf* ' several weeks preachiir^ in \arious )ii; of the ( itics, .\fcording to onp of the trustees ■ holdin;-;iof the First (’ongregaiional church. Dr. lAked will acc>iil the call, i A few days ^';o a sanctioned luibli- 'a'loii of a leitpr by Dr. Aked was maile in, an Hnglish paper setting forth the fact of his dissatisfaction with his clerical work in the Kast. Special to The News. Raleigh. Feb. 2.^.- After a long conference betweeti the son of the condemned man from Asheville and tile governor, a siaiemeiu was made by tJovernor Kitchin this morning that he was still unable lo discover any reason why he .should inttu'fere wiih the expcution oi the death sen- t^nt'e in the case of H. H. Aliison. of Asheville, under sentence to die in the i'liM'iric chaii' at the statf's prison iuM’e toinorrow for ihe murder of the man nani'Hl ^^c(iee. The electrocmion is to lake jdaee at 10:;i(» tonu'runv morning. ARBITRATION AGREEMENT HAD GOOD EFFECT. liy Associated t-ress. New York. Feb. 2:^.—That the arbi tration agreement between Peru and Fcuador arranged by Secteiary Knox and recently signed in NN'ashington, has already brouiiht about good feeling between the t'vo cv)uniries is indicated by the 'announcement that Senaro M. H. t'ornejo, i’eru\ian minister to Spain, and 1.. I', (’arbo, tht> Fciiador- ean peace comni'ssiotu'r. will sail to gether in ad.i lining stiites on the Ilam- burg-Ainei ican steamship Prince .loa- chim, leaving for Colon on Saturday. The recent aciiteneS'S ot their resj)(?c- tive nations relations were apparently forgotten as they n’arched arm in arm to the sieamship office ’.o purchase their tickets. REBELSTDBiy T E FUNERAL OF T By Associated Press. New Orleans. Feb. 2"!. Members of the (iuatemalan revolutionary jun ta in New Orleans admitted today that they were negotiating with a man in New 'I'ork for the purchase of the former I'nited Slates torpedo boat Winslow. It was hinied also That the former gunboat Siren, now at Puerto ('ortez, would be luirchas- ed for revolutionary purjioses. 'I'he Winslov,- is said to bo under going repairs in New ork. establishes the validity of this elec-j against the title of one of the.^e lion than that the testimony vitiates j tracts of laud, which suit was based the election. The validity of the eleo- 'ttpon charges of trand. ^\ ould any tion is the issue and the only isstte | court permit this land nvner to and, it is the gravest issue that can jdead in answer to the charge of arise nnder free institutions, but! fraud as lo his tit.U* to this i>ai'ticiilar because of our government depeniis tract of land tiiai. he had acqtiir?d absoltitely upon Ihe purity of the'Other tracts of land without fraud?’ elections." ') Turning to the assurances give.i Mr. Beveridge said he had listened yesterday to the senate by Mr. T..ori- with peculiar personal symi)athy toimer as to his lair and courteous Senator Lorimer's stor.v of liis rise | I real meiit of his democratic oppou- froni humble estate to this high ents, Mr. Beveridge ga\>* such con- piace. 'riiere were luan.v many sena-. duct his lu‘art.\' ai)iiroval. THIRD DAY DF CONFERENCE®"""*?!': By Associated Press. Puerto Cortez. Hondtiras. Feb. 2H.— I'he third day of the Hondtiran peace | conference aboard the Tacoma with By Associated Press. Natchez, .Vli&s., Feb. 23.—Arrange-, ments for the funeral of the Right Rev. Thomas Heslin, bishop of Natchez, who died here 1st night will not be comi)leted until the bishop of tlie arch diocese of Nev,’ Orleans can be heard from. It is not believed possible that the funeral can h. held before Tuesday aflernoon or Wednesday morning. The body, clothed in the purple robe of a bishop wa» removed it) the i>arlor of the Episcopal residence early today, where a constant vigil will be maln- lained at the bier by the members of the clergy and laity including members of the Knights of Columbus. Monday morning the casket will be removed to the cathedral, where the body will lie in state until the hour of the funeral. 'I'he cathedral is draped with royal purple, intertwined .vith black crape. Lorimer Cose By Associated Press. \\'ashington, Feb. 2!^.—Notwithstand ing the feverish anxiety of many setia- tors to dis])atch business and the es- tors, he said, who from an even earlier youth had borne even heavier burdens. But they had asked nothing of the woi'ld on that accotint. "I'.ut while 1 was atTecled as a man by that appeal," said the sjieak- er, "I was curious as a .judge that, Loi'imer ditl not recite these things before the senate committee, if he or his attorneys thought tliein ma- iei'ial or relevant. II is account of this popularity is interesting and explains much of his political strength, but it is not relevant to the (piestion of bribery wnicli we aie now considering. Senator Beverid.ge was scheduled to ia!;e the tioor today and, as he has .said iie had only half made his ar- gunieiu, the expectation was lhat lie would put in the greater part of the dav..\f’er him Senator Stone is ex pected lo make a brief speech in ojil-'osition to the Illinois senator and il is believed Senalor Lafollelte will b(' asked to be lieaiil in oppt)silion. Friends of Mi. Lorinier tlon'l in tend to allow his enemies to close the dftjate, Sena'’.>i's Gailinger and lJurrov.s are among llu)se who will be heard on that side. Biller feeling has arisen between the factions, so that the prospect is that from this time on the debate will be livel.v. Some senauns exinessed doubt today whether Ihe case could be decided before final ad.jonrnment. l.,orimer’s friends now' claim r>4 otit of 91 votes in the senate. The o|:)iosirion gives no figures. His newsboy ex|)ercence and Ihe “While the ‘silling members’ kind ness to democ'rals is praiseworth.v, it is not material in the question ot bribery Many years a'-’o a great writer of coini(' opera set the Kng- lishspeaUing world roaring at the familiar device of a certain type of law.\ers whose practice was to tty to iiitluence juries and cotirls by ir relevant matters: and in derision f't this iiractice the song became [lop- ular. l)eginniiig: “‘Flowers that iilooin in the spring, tra-la - have nothing lo do with Ihe case.'” the envoys awaiting replies te’e- ^ questim -fy-v L) t *x:vcs 1 H 1" ~ _ . . . . . pecial desire of Senator Lorimer's, devoted friendship lietween himself jyoct ■ H«J RT IN S UNCONSCIOUS. H.- (Jporge \V. was ii", hired : ( ar ^'.ruf'lv h be was 11 ^i-ji lUs t his d* > ued his uife and Stock Goes Up. ; • t-'dw;i!l .M. t .• I hiK'd S’at* ' I I ' iji throe iioints I >. Kernan, ; II v. a^ si'cond to ,i. ; !i" dfinocratic . dwindled to Oiu;. Did Not Observe the Day. Milwaukee. Wls.. Feb. 2:L-.Milwau- kee;* socialist administration refused to observe Washington's birthday be- r-ause Mayor Seidell says it is no fit wav to observe the day by being lazy. He refused to isstie a proclamation closing the fitv hall, though hanks and stores' were closed. Sunday Baseball League. I?y Associated Press. Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 21'.—Sunday baseball in Indiana was declared legal in a decision handed down by the su- jireme court of the slate today. Gill Defended Her- elj And Four Childien Against Armed Intmder a remarkable dis- , piiblv saved the his arms and push Together they reaching the parlor noticed the four hil- By Associated Press. ♦^incinnati. Feb. 2.*^.—.Tttdge (iormati, of tlife court f)f common pleas, made go('d today his announcement vestei- day of his intention to apjioint a committee of attorneys to investigate and )j(»ssibl,\' prosecute George B. Cox and a morning newspaper for contempt of court because of Cox s statement regarding the grand jury which in-dicted him Tuesday. The judge named the committee before a crowded court room this morning, the members being Kdward Partoti, general counsel for the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad; Aaron A. Ferris and Clyde P. Johnson. rams which were sent to President Davila and Manuel Bonilla Tuesday night. The representatives of tlie rev olutionists ai>i)ears to realize that Bo nilla will not be acce|)ted as president by his opiKUit^it and it is probable that !)r. Membrano will tirge another man favorable to (ieneral Bonilla. General Rosales, the government jieace en voy. in.sists on the selection of a mem ber of the liberal iiarty. Dr. Membrano has pointed to the fact that Manuel Bonilla was elected president of the country live years ago and still has one year of that term to serve yet he was ousted through the intrigue and armed invasion of Zelaya. then jiresident of Nicaragua, 'rhus, he contends. Bonilla is the •constitutional" iiresidenr of the coun try and should be allowed to take the reins of government and serve as president until the next regular elec tion. It is thought here that if General Bonilla'or some other man whom he shall name* is not agreed uiion for the presidency the peace conference will come to naught. While the revolutionists are anxious to establish peace, General Bonilla and his followers are determined to pur sue the warfare rather than lose the result of their victories in North Hon duras. of the validity of his election, there was little prospect of action at the l)e- ginning of toda.\’s session of the sen ate. StMiator Burrows, who controls the case in the interest of the committee on juivile.ges and elections, and who is a .staunch suiiijorter of Senator Lorimer. stands ready to vote at atiy time the senate will permit such ac tion and it was his announced inten tion this morning to ask the senate during the day to fix a time for a bal lot. The causes of probable delay aie manifold; but in the main it is due on the one hand to desire on the pan of Lorimer's opponent to counteract the impression made by Mr. lx)rimer's j jjealed to. T1 si)eech .vesterday and on the other to niine is that the determination to stand off the re ciprocity bill. F RDSSIAN POLICE RAID OFFICES OF I niagazine pisiol from his pocket and >. J.;. In a struggle forcing his way into Ihe hallway. ,(ii fluriim which a .Miss Eichnei seized . - lie pistol and was j with all her strengthened^ to , until she was all j the intruder back i i finallv worsted ! s-lniggled until door Hrann dr(‘ii. Then he levcded the pist« 1 al the children, who huddled under a Dav enport in a corner, and was about to tire. ■ But the girl released her grip on his other arm and with both hands foiced the muz/le of the weapon to ward Hie ceiling as Braun began fir- Finally the gun clogged and while 1h' was examining it Miss Eichner leaped upon firaun, pushed him out ot liip front df'or and closed and locked •t. ' F EABiy TO - CAV ' ( ('ciirretl in the .i! (jf'orK** 1‘^ichner, . ’. Hi d Miss Emma d. n ! ^ 1 he heroin*-, i; d) rt Hraun, who (I wrongs aj^ainst ! the dot>r earlv in (1 '() 1»! adniittel. (’()m(' around 'o- .!• i il ;Mid I': going lo Miaiin. pulling the By Associated Press. St. Petersburg, Feb. 23.—A tele gram from Harbin reports the grue some discovery of a Chinese village near there in which the entire pop- uiaiion was dead from the plague. Many bodies lay in the open air and were covered with snow. Imperial Yacht Sails. By Associated Press. Kiel. Feb. 2.“’..-—-The imperial yaclit Hohenzollern sailed today for Venice, whence it will take Emiieror William and Empress Auguste Victoria and their grandchildren to Corfu early in ?4arch. It is expected Crown Prince Frederick William and the Crow'n Princess will join the nartv later. By Associated Press. • St. Petersburg. Feb. 23.—The police today made a sudden descent on the offices of the Westinghouse Electric Company and seized all the books and documents relating to St. Petersburg electric street railways. The affair has caused a sensation in foreign circles. The Westinghouse Electric Company secured a contract for electrification of street cars in St. Petersburg in Dec ember. 1905: in October. 1907, the gov- ernment imposed a fine of |.‘)00.000 upon the company for alleged failure to complete its contract, but in the following month the government remit ted $425,000 of the penalty. Since then the company experienced »ome incon veniences. resulting in the announce ment early in 1908 that the British Westinghouse Company would finance tVip Sr. Ppt«»rRhnre" r.nncprn By Associated Press. Paris, Feb. 23.—General Brun. minis ter of war In the cabinet of Premier Briand, droi>ped dead from a paralytic stroke at the offices of the ministry ^*^General Brun w'as born in 1S49. He'Shurtleff, while entered the cabinet formed by Briand in July, 1909, when the Clemanceau ministrv retired. He had been head of the general staff of the army for three years and a half and was a personal h'iend of President FallierieS'. General Brun was enthusiastic over the possibilities of aero]danes and dir igibles for army use and encouraged frequent exiieriments. and Ilinky Dink’ resulting there from is engaging but it is not, ma terial as to the corruption of Holst- law. White, Beckmeyer, Lnik and others. •••Hiiiky Dink,' according It) Mr. I'yorinier. delivered (Jriftins vole, but (iritfiu swore he had not been a#ied b.v an.v one to vote for Mr. lyorimer; and Henr.\’ 'I'irrell sw'ore (iriRin sug gesied lhat he voted for Lorimer and said there was $1,000 in ii anyway. “Wliile my s.xnipalhy and ai)i)iovai as a man was aroused b.v i)ictu.res(pie, praiseworthy incidents in the smiling members life |M^ Beveridge thus indicated Lorimei) ui.v judgment as a member of this court was not at-, fected, for my judgment was not. ap-1 The isstie we must defer-1 (;f validity of the elec tion, challenged here on the ground of bribery. On that grave charge no light was thrown. “The silting member says that every republican from his district voted for Hopkins, that he urged the election of Shurtleff, that he tried to get Governor Deneeu to run; that all ?his took place before he himself be came a candidate. All this is import- ani ))olitical history, no doubt; but what has it lo io with the alleged bribery we are now considering?" Mr. Beveridge \vent on to remind the senate that the record fi'f the investigation show'ed why it was de sired to elect Governor Deneen sen ator. “Browne tells us," said he, “that they would have been willing lo elect Deneen in order to ‘get rid of him.' Why did they w'ant to eliminate Governor Deneen? As to Hopkins and it is no possible Anxious About Treaty. By Associated Press. AVashingion, Ft'b. 2:1.—.\nxious that the (lalil'oi’nia legislature shall take no action inimical lo the new treat,v of lrad(* and commerce between the Fnited States and .lapan. President Taft today telegrai)hed to (ioveriior .lohnsoii of California, asking him to explain the treaty arrangement in both houses of the legislature. The iir sideiifs niessagci sa.’.''i:; “1 have the resolutitm transmitt'il by you. The tieaty and the assuranc es from Japan as lo the continuance of the recent arrangement are *ex- aclly a^ you approved when Ih.^ s'c- relaiy of slate and I e\i)laiiu*d thetn t(j you. Will you nol explain this to the two houses of your legislature, to prevent action hy reason of a mis understanding?’ Senator Depew Talks. In the coursi^ ol a brisk interchanpo betwe^'ii Senators Hevei’idge and D(,“- pew duiing the fu’iner's sjx'ech against Lorimer. Senator De|>ew declared that he had formed his opinion t)f the case, not on the whole printt'd record, but from an absir.ct of the testimony made by counsel. "Hut il was mado "bv counsel for ihe ijrosectuion'’ he add ed. Sensa*ional Charge. liy .Associated Press. Wasliingti.n, I'eb. 2;!. - In the course of his spe('ch in the senate toda.'" on. the Lo'imer case, Senator Beveridge l»racti ally charged that the report in llu; case originall.v i)r(‘i)ared and signed bv the metnbers was not thn sanie ivport which aft.erward wati stibmitied lo li>e s(*nate. Ed Callahan Arrested. ; B.v .Associated Press. Lexington. Ky., Feb. 2^.- -FolowMnpc ;in altercation on a train, Ed. Callahan, who was sheriff of Breathitt county under the feud regime of Judge James Hargis, was arrested here today. The warrant was sworn out by Alexander Hargis, brother of Ihe former feud leader and formerly a state senator. Hargis -laiins lhat Callahan threaten ed him duiing a dispute over a debt. Pension Bill Sjiecial to The News. Raleigh, N. C., Feb. 2:^—Tlie'*^- ate passed on second reading the bill.lo increase pensions to old sol* diers from $4,"jO,00t> to .$704,000. Bishop Forest Improved. By Associated Press. San AiUonio, Texas. Feb. 23.—Bish op Forest, of the Catholic diocese of San Antonio, passed a good night and was reported , much better this morning. Traffic Red^’ced. By Associated Pess. Berlin, Feb. 23.—A dispatch from Tsih Tan says that second and third class traffic on the German-owned Shan Tung railroad which was sus pended owing to the plague, has been rp-itorfd. Divergence of Opinion In Canada Ovei The Proposed Reciprocity Proposition By Associated Press. New York, Feb. 23.—After r three weeks flying trip through western Canada studying trade conditions with a view to speaking on the reci-' procity question before the house of commons. Col. E. Pryce-Jones, M. P., has just left New York for T.on- don. “I found great divergence of opin ion regarding the reciprocity ques tion,'’ he says. “Eastern Canadians living in the manufacturing center of the Dominion are not particularly in favor of H on the ground that ' their industries would be iniured. They think the money that comes 'o them now from the western domin ion will be diverted iar.gely to American firtns. The attitude among the western Canadians wht> are ftu’ Ihe most part fanners, is a bit doubt ful. On the whole I think that if the question were put to a popular referendum toda,\' i' would nf>t meet with the approval ot a majt)rit.v of Canadians. “The suggestion of annexation i.h laughed at everywhere and I dor t believe that any oue either in Ca'i- ada or the I’ni'ted States thinks se- riuuslv of it.'’