North Carolina Newspapers

.l.'kl .- '.. C.--r. :;-.' ;V: ' ; ' V,v -j": -"' "- . -'(- ; :-0'V;' Eig FINAL EDITION WEATHER FORECAST North and South Carolina Fair tonight and Thursday. . FULL LEASED WIRE SERVICE WiufflNCToif Dispatch 1 S - 0L XXIH. NO. 104. FRM ' MIS WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, MAY 2, 1 91 7. BELIEVES WAR WILL AGE ON FOR ONGER, SA YS LANE I it ILy J UJ Uiii JI J l3iJU Soeech of Imperial German Chancellor nas oeen Postponed. . LITTLE CREDENCE GIVtlN rHAUt 1ALN. Missions in United. States Do Not Think beriovrsly or Re port Preparations Go On For Pressing The War . By The Entente and America. GOVERNING BUT (Bv Associated Press.) Copenhagen, May 2 (Via London). -The speech which was to have been mAa in tlip Reichstas: bv Dr. voii WuU - f I Borhmann-Holhveg, the German Im-1 cerial Chancellor, on peace and h: . ternal relations, has been postponed to a more fitting occasion, according to word received here. The situation as reported in a dis patch from Berlin, appears to be as follows: At a caucus of the majority Social ists in the Reichstag, the group that supports the policy of not embarassing the Chancellor and the government, it was decided to defer an interpella tion that had been proposed regarding Germany's peace plans until a more suitable occasion. The interpellation was to have been made today. It is now expected that debate upon the political situation, s together with the Chancellor's speech, will prpbahly be postponed untiLthe third reading of the finance measures. Little Credence In Peace Calk. Washington, May 2. The British nission expects to be here at least ten days longer. Then the party will leave for New Ynrk nnrt nnssihltri a short trip into the Middle West. Sev eral experts may remain permanent ly in Washington. Included would piooaoiy be shipping, munitions,' iooa and trade experts. loday was devoted larerelv to de tailed discussion, especially x in follow ing out the shinniner sne'e'ostinns brought out at yesterday's first for mal conference. Reports of fresh npflrp off arcs frnra Berlin brought forth the statement from the mission todav that a. series of feelers were expected during the. GITY ORGANIZED THIS AFTERNOON Few Changes in Various De partments Were Made Voting Was Rapid. f MR. F. F. PILLETT IS TO BE CITY ENGINEER Official Canvass of Elections Made Board Recessed Subject to Call of The Mayor Cabinet Member Tells Gov ernors That Need of Amer ica is to Build Ships. MUST FIGHT ON THIS SIDE IF NOT ON OTHER Destruction Being Wrought by Submarines Is Appalling, He Declares Secretaries Baker and Daniels Also! Make Addresses Before Council of National Defense. AMERICAN SHIP GOES TO BOTTOM; MANY MISSING . PRESIDENT ADDRESSES DEL EGATES. i 4 (By Associated Press). (By Associated Press.) , London, May2. The American steamer Rockingham has been sunk by a German submarine. Thirteen men are miss ing. VEIL OF SECRECY STILL SHROUDS THE SITUATION Yet Rumor Has It That Crisis Is at Hand For Central Powers. DEMAND GROWS FOR INTERNAL REFORMS Deadlock Continues on The Fighting Front in France. French Minister of War Under Fire. PRICE FIVE CENTS, ADMITS HE SHOT HETH BUT ONLY IN DEFENSE OF HOME Virginia College Professor Star! Witness at The Sen sational Trial. Mayor pro tem, Councilman W. G. McCaig. . ( -X-& Public Affairs, Councilman B. X- A. Merritt. Police, Councilman J. M. Hall Water and Sewerage, Council Bradshaw. Councilman W. G. Jf man W. J. Finance, K McCaig. -X- Streets and Wharves. Council or 5C- i:man L. M. Bunting. . .Urfe" Department, Councilman 3f 1. L. Shepard. Chief of Police, Nathan J. Wil- liams. 45- & Chief . of Fire 4fr Charles Schnibben. 5fr City Attorney, Robert Esq. -X- 'Assistant City Attorney, Ches- ley M. Bellamy, &sq. 55- City Clerk and Treasurer, -x- -V. Two boats containing 33 men were picked up vesterdav. one by a patrol vessel. One boat, containing. 1 3 men, is miss ing. The Rockingham carried 49 men, including many Ameri cans. The crew numbered 36 and the naval contingent con- sisted of, a lieutenant and 1 2 men. The ship and her carcro were uqiuu6iuu, ua.y ncDiucui 11rnfh K - "111 I II II I I iroooAl i.ro r4-.i I i I i. I Wilson told the delegation of the , ! , '.. w y ulvcItJUU1 LUUd- Council of National Defense if 1 he Kockmgham sailed from Baltimore April 1 4. Among I8tJX;?eE dutH- ft the native born Americans in her crew list were Louis M. Beas- v United States to co-ordinate its . , tvt r n t tvr o KI , X energies so democracy shall be ' ley. water tender, lNorrolk; J. W. oimpson, North Carolina. 1 ndicated and the world shown t water tender and C. Carney, Norfolk, water tender. that the American government 4j - 4 does not live in vain. He declar- 4 - 'i" ed that every force in the Unit 4 ed States should be turned toward 4 ' v the supreme object of winning the ! ; fr war. 4 4 '4? 4 v LAST REPORTS The Lost and The Saved. Washington, May 2. Secretary Lane told the Governors conferring here today with the Council of Na tional Defense on the part State gov ernments will take in the war, that the Federal government had heard 400,000 tons of shipping had been sunk in the last week by German sub marines. The destruction, Secretary Lane said, was not only threatening the existence of England and France, but was alarming the United States. ( RtuHv nf invonHnne tn pnmhot fho.. ' " - I tt t .u.i cLW: v.; I 3 1 3 JM: T . ri. UBiBK U1UW U1'1BMWB4IU 'HUC1. 1 tTiA-interior nenartment. ! landed, and 4ha A. DonldrC. J. HS RIVER AND HARBOR S APPROPRIATIONS From Sinking of The Vacuum. Recommendations of Appro priations by House River arid Harbor Committee. (By Associated Press.) Liverpool, May 2. Captain Harris, of the Vacuum, reports that 18 men of his crew were lost. Eight gun ners and 18 members" of the crew were saved. He. also, reports that Frank icw montns. as an immense amount of quiet peace effort has been under way by Teutonic emissaries, Dut no credence is being placed in weir accentshmtv Germany WflS Stater! rv VlOVQ TYl nln Jjvances to the Entente proposing surrendering her conquests in the east and west on condition of retain ing her Balkan way to Bagdad and Mesopotamia Vmf v, ai: J. -"-'- L11C lid C rn inore "nited against that plan inan a?aint or,,, 1 rrqspects of a unu ,the Teutonic countries are jolly discounted by the British Zu on the ground that Germany's ?rni u"ks is itiLusemer iuu "i-e Artm i ,i Spnti C injiieyi leyic d8 Ministry of Marine in the i-ZL mission here, declared in a latement today he had "every reason tahnJv at we shalLsucceed -in es- onPr;, g tha closest possible co- the a un between the American and offrTs natives for the assurance freed0m of the th protection rights." triumph of our KING GEORGE SAYS CUT DOWN ON BREAD LondonB:s0oCiat?,d,Pre!!- sienpfi y iving ueorge nas Peonlo fuv-lttiauon exnortmg tne vieat -v.n Lueir consumption or eeonnmv yacuce me greatest ,,norny and friirant,r 7r kinds ofgrain Ul 'on of T ieuuce consump least ' ead jn their families by at umed r Tl"urin ot the quantity 'mu uimes. J. m - . ' i 4J 1 naming of the heads of the various RUSsiamo , i departments and the election of of- 'mins LEAVE AS TURKS fleers. All city offices were not COME. fiiicH nnrl iiron susreestion of City At- " tnmpv Rnark recess was taken sub ject to call of the Mayor when the remaining offices will be filled. After Chairman Woodward, of the board of election, had announced the official canvass, which is carried else where in this edition of The Dispatch, Capt. Thos. D. Meares. X- City Engineer, F. F. Pillette. Js- Superintendent "Water Depart M- ment, John M. Sweeney. X- Superintendent of Street, C. S Burnett. -3fr Assistant Superintendent of Streets, J. M. Holton. Market Police S. C. Harrison. City Council, in session today at 1 o'clock, lined up in the above man ner and while all city offices were not filled there was nothing to indi cate that there would be any further change in the personnel of the force now in office. The above organiza tion was effected after the official canvass of election returns had been made when, with the Board of Elec tions, composed of Messrs. C. W. Woodward, chairman; W. E. Lawson, secretary, and John Haar, J. J. Loughlin and Major W. N. Harriss, in attendance, Chairman Woodard an nounced the result of yesterday's election. The re-elected men, Mayor Parker repre-i Quince Moore and Councilmen J. H. Hall and W. G. McCaig, together with the newly-elected Councilman Mr. L. L. Shepard, were administered the oath of office by Major Harriss, Clerk of Superjpr Court. Councilmen Hall and McCaig took the oath jointly, while the two other men were sworn in individually. Principally all. of the nominations were made by Councilman Hall and but one was contested. When. Chief of Police Nathan J. Williams was nominated for re-election, Councilman Shepard asked that action be deferred as to the election of a Chief of Police, but this was not done. The nomina tion " Councilman McCaig tor Mayor pro lein was seconded by Councilman B. A. Merritt. The feature of jhe election ol offi cials was the naming of Mr. F. F. Pillette as city engineer. Friends of Mr. Pillette will learn with genuine pleasure that he is to return here. He has held this office at a previous t time, and is now in Texas. He will be notified at once of his election ana will arrive in the city in a few days. Little or no business was trans acted at the meeting other than the er and u. r . LucKan were lost, unese were members of the naval guard. Lieutenant Thomas, U. S. A., lost his life by the sinking of the Vacuum, according to a telegram received to- Captain Harris by the Washing- he said. The United States must build ships as rapidly as possible, he told the del- Department, -X-1 egates. -X- "If we don't fight the war on the Ruark, 1 other side," he said, "we shall have , day from to fight it on this side of the Atlan- American consul nere, xi. u tic." ton. Secretary Lane declared he be-j The following naval gunners from lieved the war would last several , the Vacuum have been saved: James years, and that every resource of ' e. Williams, John Williams, George the country must be brought into ( v. Parker, Oswald H. Lucke, Hen place to bring it to a successful con- ry j. Musshorn, Jr. elusion. j picked Up By Patrol Boat. "Many persons thought," said Sec-; London, MaV 2. Nine survivors in- retary Lane, that all we naa to 00 was to issue bonds and that Ger- cluding Captain S. S. Harris, from the American oil tank steamer Vacuum, many would bow her head in submis-; which was sunk by a German subma sion. Nothing could be farther from j rme Saturday, have been landed. This the truth. We do not know when j makes 27 men saved from a total of this war will end. It may not be a , 45 aboard the vessel. Captain Har-one-year war. Personally, I believe it Ts wired to the offices of the Vacuum will last several years. Herbert C. ; company that he, with Third Mate E. Hoover has informed this government , n Husted. of Mount Vernon. N. Y., that Germany has food enough to last two years, perhaps longer. "Germany has put up the greatest fight of history and she has the ad vantage of now fighting a defensive wnrfsirp Tlnn't erri bank home and in- - . o son spire your people with the thought , " ' that immediate action can bring this war to an immediate end. Your peo ple must look to this year's crop and the boatswain, and six gunners were picked up by a patrol boat and landed. Other Survivors. Liverpool, May 2 (Via London). In addition to the naval gunners, Wil- Lesher and Nickola, the survi vors ot tne vacuum, wno nave ar rived here are: Oscar Gailes, first mate, Boston; John Simpson, first as sistant engineer, New York; William next year's crop and the next after fMn. Center N x c i 4- -i I August Lotas, quartermaster, Libau, "We cannot afford to fail m this g 1 Robert Williams, third as war. Every man m this country is f?"1 Mow VA-. t. Wai- mvuieu m mi YYwxxv J t wire1e5? onerator YV llliaill AUUl n )f French hope to break down the morale of the German armies. Our concern is to see to it that our own morale rises. Wisconsin ; mess boy, New York, and eight foreigners, including oilers and seamen. ' The following members of the J. t-. orotor,, t .a no tiio sstato v acuum s crew were 1USL. r I aun. onno hoarH Sorrotnrips Yemey. second mate, naturalized 1 , LTX kJV ' Baker and Daniels, Adjutant-General con- Jaiitinople. Tuesday,' May evan?. uon(ion. May 2). The Wiby.the Russians of ? bounce, h "rsh Armenia, is an- The UoZly war office.' Turks occupied by the 4 ! Be asked that the board be excused r and the members repaired to tne-, front of the City Hall, where the re turns were publicly announced. McCain and Judge-Advocate-General Crowder, of the army. Later they were received by President Wilson. The three secretaries declared the one need of America and the allies now is ships. SUBS. ESCAPING BY NEUTRAL ROUTE (By Associated Press.) London, May 2. In the House of Commons today Sir Edward . Carson, first lord' of the admiralty said there had been suspicions that enemy sub marines which destroyed allied and neutral shipping had been finding their way, out from enemy ports through neutral waters. He added that this subject had been under consideration. HEAVY FIGHTING ON ROU - MANIAN FRONT. (By Associated Tress.) Washington, May 2. The House Rivers t and Harbors committee today resumed consideratipn of the annual Waterways Appropriation . bill base on War Department r!onlmanit malfilelrance: and continued" lju provement Items. The tentative draft includes the following: Virginia Improvement Norfolk harbor, including channel to Newport News, $360,000; maintenance and continuing improvement of James and other rivers, $72,000. Waterway from Norfolk, Va., to Beaufort Inlet, N. C, continuing im provement, $100,000. North Carolina Northeast, Black and Cape Fear rivers, maintenance, $85,000; completing improvement L Cape Fear river below Wilmington, $35,000. South Carolina Charleston harbor and channels, maintenance and im provement, $120,000; Winyah bay and Pee Dee rivers, maintenance, $70,000. The Secretary of War is directed to have preliminary examinations and surveys made of these localities: Virginia Elizabeth river. North Carolina Trent river, with view to deepening channel known as Foys flats; harbor of Silver Lake, Ocracoke Island, and entrance from Pamlico Sound; Smith, Broad and Queens creeks; Northeast 'and Little rivers. South Carolina Lynchs river; Charleston harbor and Cooper river, South Carolina, from the entrance to Sanders Creek, including Town Creek channel; Church and Bohicket creeks; Ashley river to provide eight feet depth. Beyond an officially inspired dis patch from Berlin stating that no dis orders occurred in Germany during May Day, the veil of secrecy which has been drawn over the situation in the Central empires remains unbrok en, as far as any direct news is con cerned. News dispatches from the German frontier speak of great strikes and rumors pile up on rumors in regard to the growing unrest among the Teutonic nations, but there is little that is tangible on which to base a judgment. Everything points to a crisis hav ing been reached in the internal af fairs of both Germany and Austria, but the outcome is uncertain. The demand for internal reforms is grow ing louder and more insistent in Ger many, and t,ep.evwspapers are voic ing this derf4,ith a boldness never KngwtSljixxhe commence ment of -tn&T'The one certain thing of sigfjance is that the Ger man gtfyerjQmfeait is proceeding td un heard of lengths to prevent the out side world from learning the truth of the situation. It is reported that Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg will make a new peace offer before the Reichstag to morrow, but this is based entirely on a newspaper statement and lacks either detail or confirmation. The storm of criticism -against the Chan cellor is steadily growing in bitter ness, and from all quarters is heard the demand "for n 'tetrong man" to guide Germany through the troubles which beset her. r .. he. ereat--laborldejiisiratiQiii.kL S wed eh topic vTpiace' without any: dis-j oraer oemg reported and a similar demonstration in Austria is declared to have passed peaceably. On the fighting front in France the deadlock persists. The results of the French offensive have caused consid erable dissatisfaction in Paris and the Minister of War will have to face the fire of a number of deputies when the French Parliament meets later in the month. In England criticism is centered on the admiralty, the grow ing submarine menace , rapidly in creasing the critics of Sir Edward ; Carson. HIS LITTLE SON ALSO A WITNESS Wife of Accused fcjan in Court With Children State In troduced But Two Wit nesses in Chief. SWEET POTATOES FOBJI SOUTH Prolific and Inexpensive Crop. Statement by Department of Agriculture. blue hat, and looking beautiful, won- I H or f ill lv homitif ill Hcvantto tViA foarful r,"-' owoof ordeal through which she is passing. "V" ' o;r: a;:;::.She sat near her husband. They were yuiaiu aii cage LONE BANDIT HELD IIP Till GREW Belgian, New York; John Kirk, chief engineer, naturalized Scot, New York; Francis J. Davison, assistant engineer, naturalized Swede; W. H. Crane, steward, Brooklyn; Thomas Fllli- A lVnntr XT V O TITS. chelsen, quartermaster;. Pedro Villa-, gold Act of Desperado 101, onnean; in. rtiuus, a. kjius, xv. Tervis, L. Visteni, W. Garvey, J. Da salla, firemen; L. K. Rassmusson, B. Olsen, A. Pasoula, D. Ethlamillva, sea men. J. Muller, cook (may be Jo seph Mullen, Brooklyn). on Train in Illinois Early This Morning. (By Associated Press.) Berlin, May 2 (Via London). Severe fighting was begun on the Rumanian front yesterday. The War Office announces that a 5S- Russian attack on the heights north of the Oituz valley was repulsed and that heavy losses X were inflicted by the Germans. 3fr ' (By Associated Press.) Sparta, Wis., May 2. A bandit, con- 1 1 11. . 1 a 4-4 -k AM TMPDr A cm CUfDDTKrr'1 iceaiea in me rear coaun ui a. umu liNLKtLAOllii onirrilNVa the Chicago and Northwestern railroad DESPITE SUBMARINES forced two members of the train crew ;to stand with their hands above their (By Associated Press.) ; heads, while he rifled the -pockets of New York, May 2. Fifty one more the sleeping passengers, just as the vessels entered the port of New York train pulled into the station early to last month than in March, notwith- day. Brakeman John Hockett was standing the German submarine men- confronted with a pistol and forced to ace. The increased tonnage was 96,- jump from the rear of the moving 468." of which 32.470 was represented trkin. two miles out of Medary, but by seven more ships flying the Ameri-lWaS not seriously injured. S "DepaltSes decreased The bandit reentered the coach and bv 13 vessels, or 37,562 tons, as com-' started a search. He was still busy pared With March. Eighteen fewer as the tram stopped at aparw. .u Americaa ships sailed from hereJductor W. P. Frenz y lum as the These Represented 49,651 tons. I train pulled out of the station spring- The total number of vessels of vari- ins from thenar coach. Then ous nationalities arriving here last ductor stopped the train and notified mpnth was 449, of which 121 were the police. Sheriff Henry, with a American. The total tonnage was posse of 12 men, immediately started 1,149,740; American, 317,202. In a search for the robber. March the number of vessels arriving ! No estimate of the amount of money here was 98, tons 1,053,272, American the bandit obtained could be learned 114, tons 284,732. from the passengers. m southern states was urged by the Department of Agri culture today in a statement explain ing that by using vine cuttings from early-set plants, the cost of planting an acre would be only $4 for sweet Lpotatoes, compared with $40 for Irish yuwiucs. "Sweet potatoes," says the state ment, "are the South's chief instru ment for a quick and effective in crease of the food supply. Seed is plentiful; last year's crop was the sec ond largest ever produced. By means of vine cutting it is possible to plant almost unlimited areas of this crop and at the same time conserve the present supply. "That is, a farmer who wishes to plant 10 acres will bed-seed enough say, 8 to 10 bushels to get slips for one acre. . Vine cuttings from this acre would plant many more acres, planting oeing possmie unui the first of August 1 in the lower South. This system enables the util ization of land from which early po tatoes, cabbage and other truck crops have been taken. - "Sweet potatoes are not expensive to grow. The yield per acre is usual ly greater than that of Irish potatoes, and as a food they are as nutritious." WOULD INSURE MEN ON MERCHANT SHIPS (By Associated Press.) Washington, May 2. Secretary Mc Adoo has recommended to Congress that the powers of the government war risk insurance bureau be enlarged so as to permit the insuring of lives of officers and men on merchant ships. ' Liability for loss of life would be placed between v$L500 and $5,000 with proportionate indemnity for injuries. Owners of all -vessels insured by the government would be required to take out insurance upon the lives of officers and crews. accompanied by their children, Char lie, aged 11, and Rachel, aged 9. and also by Mrs. Vawter's sister, Mrs. C. P. Miles. The first witness for the prosecu tion today Was Dr. W. F. Henderson, physician of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, who first answered the call to the Vawter home on the night of the shooting. Dr. Henderson was de layed,'' in reaching court by an order from the War Department to examine a large squad of institute cadetx de tailed for the officers' training camp at Fort Myer. The prosecution announced that they would examine only two wit nesses in chief Dr. Henderson and Dr. Jones, the latter a physician at the Roanoke hospital, where Heth died. Dr. Henderson said that he was called to the telephone by Vawter who asserted that he had shot young Heth and begged the doctor to come immediately. He was met at the door by Mrs. Vawter. Dr. T. B. El lett came a little later. They found Heth in the hall and after administer ing anaesthetics prepared to rush him to a hospital in Roanoke. Dr. Hen derson said that at his request Vaw ter surrendered his pistol. It was hammerless, had five chambers and three empty shells. Dr. A. P. Jones, a surgeon in the Roanoke hospital to which Heth was taken, described the ' operation per formed on Heth, and said that after 24 hours it became evident that Heth could not live. John L. Lee, for the prosecution, announced that the com monwealth rested. Charlie Vawter, little son of the oc cused, was the first witness called for the defense. The child was ques tioned, as usual, as to his understand-, ing of an oath, and said that little boys who tell stories, "go to the bad place," explaining in answer to ques tions, that - his mother and father (Continued on Page Sight). (By Associated Press.) Christiansburg, Va., May 2. Taking the stand in his own defense at his trial here today, Charles E. Vawter, professor of mathematics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, admitted that he shot Stockton Heth, Jr., after a series of incidents which he believed indicated improper relations between Heth and Mrs. Vawter. Vawter declared that on the night of the shooting he and Heth had been drinking together and later he had seen his wife emerging from Heth's room, despair written on her face. He went downstairs for his revolver and returning, engaged in a violent strug gle with Heth, in which Mrs. Vawter also joined, m an effort to prevent him -from ehooting Heth. He said he fired the fatal shot just as conscious ness was slipping from him. As early as last June, Vawter de clared he had discovered evidences of improper relation between Heth and his wife, resulting in his writing Heth a letter asking him to keep away from his wife, and not to com municate with her, explaining that "the happiness of our lives has been ruined," and accusing Heth of doing1 "the worst thing that could be done" for his wife's happiness. The defense, as outlined by Attor ney Colhoun, in his opening statement to the jury was that Heth had been a frequent visitor to the Vawter home at BlacksburgVa., and. bad often treated Vawter-with liquor. Vawter, after finding his wife In a compromis ing .situation with . Heth more than . once, protested both to Mrs. Vawter to Jaetbittn aasfimenUaa.- reacnea wnerepy mrs. vawier was 10 avoid Hetn arid Vawter was to quit drinking. But on the night of March 13, ac-( cording to the defense attorney, the Vawters returned home from a thea tre and found Heth awaiting them with intoxicants. The party drank and re tired. Later Heth came to Vawter's bedroom with the liquor and they drank again. Vawter, according to the attorney, awakened about 3 o'clock in the morning and found Mrs. Vawter absent. He ran into the hall and saw her entering the room of the little Vawter boy. He ran down stairs for a revolver, followed by Mrs. Vawter who remonstrated with him'. Returning up stairs he met Heth on the landing. There was a struggle and he shot the young Virginia society man to death. The second stage of the trial of Prof. Charles E. Vawter, charged with the murder of Stockton Heth, Jr., opened this morning with the court room filled to suffocation'' with people eager to hear the proceedings. ( Mrs- Vawter was in court early neatly dressed in a blue cloth suit and 11'. .IS mm m -mm 'V r v -SR. L,.':i m V if- - 1 1- 11 mi (;iv iK HI ' !. rt i 1 'I' t . f r 1 1 5 !.' V -