GREAT RAILROAD
STRIKE IS CALLED
The "Progressive Strike" of
400,000 Railroad Men to
Start Tomorrow.
Walkout Extends to A11 llailroads In
the Country In Five Days. New
York Roads First. Strike Will Start
on New York Central Lines and
Extend West. Only Successful In
tervention by President Can Avert
Tieup.
(News and Observer.)
New York, March 15. ? A
"progressive strike" of the 400,
000 members of the four great
railroad brotherhoods, to begin
at 6 o'clock (central time) Sat
urday on eastern roads, was or
dered late today. The walkout
will extend to all the railroads
in the country within five days.
Chiefs of the workmen's organ
izations set the strike machin
ery in motion within a few min
utes after an ultimatum deliver
ed to the conference committee
of railroad managers had been
rejected. A compromise propo
sal offered by the managers was
declined without debate.
Only successful intervention
by President Wilson, it appeared
tonight, can avert a strike. The
brotherhood leaders gave no in
dication that even an appeal
from the nation's chief execu
tive can change their purpose to
obtain a basic eight hour day
and pro rata time for over time
through the use of the "protec
tive feature" of their organiza
tions. They refused flatly to
submit their case to the eight
hour commission headed by Ma
jor General George W. Goethals
or to await the decision of the
Supreme Court on the constitu
tionality of the Adamson Law.
Freight employes, yardmen
and engine hostlers on the New
York Central east and west, the
Nickel Plate and Baltimore and
Ohio railroads and in the great
yards in Chicago and St. Louis
will be the first to leave their
posts.
They will be followed Sunday
by the same classes of workmen
on the Southern railway, the
Norfolk and Western, the Vir
ginia, Chesapeake and Ohio and
on a group of northwestern
roads.
No formal outline of the
brotherhoods' program beyond
the plans .for these two days
was made, either to the manag
ers or to the public. It was said,
however, that the freight em
ployes on the other roads in the
country would be called out in
groups at 12 or 24-hour inter
vals after Sunday.
If the paralysis of freight
traffic thus caused does not re
sult in surrender by the rail
roads before that time the em
ployes on ail passenger trains
will bo ordered out Wednesday.
Raleigh To Welcome Soldier Boys.
Raleigh, N. C., March 15. ? Raleigh
is arranging for the glorification of
its returning soldier boys from the
Mexican border, who are expected to
reach the State in the course of the
next few days. One of the practical
measures under way is an effort to
find jobs for about fifty members of
the Raleigh Company (B) and the
Third Regiment band. A large pro
portion of the men enlisted in these
organizations are not natives or resi
dents of Raleigh, and some of them
"joined the army" largely to secure
jobs. But they have served their
country at pretty hard labor and very
small pay and if vthey are capable
they deserve to be given considera
tion in filling positions suitable to
them.
AT THE CAPITAL OF BANNER.
Mr. John Dixon Passed Away at His
Home in Elevation Township Sat
urday. New Presbyterian Church
Nearing Completion. Quarterly
Conference to lie Held at Methodist
Church. Numerous Items of Local
and Personal Interest.
Benson, March 15. ? Messrs. A. W.
Hodges and son, L. A. Hodges, are in
Smithfield today attending the Supe
rior Court.
Mr. A. H. Caldwell, who has been
here for the past several months, has
moved to Barclaysville'and will en
gage in mercantile business there.
Mr. Ed. S. Edmun<ison, of Smith
field, was here Monday demonstrating
a cotton-seed grader. This machine
will be of great service to the farmer
when used by him.
Rev. A. T. Lassiter is spending the
week near Kenly where he is holding
a series of meetings.
Mr. B. A. Grant, of Goldsboro, was
here for a few days recently. He for
merly lived here with his family.
Miss Iva Pearson, of Dunn, spent
the week-end here with friends.
Mr. Calvin Barbour, of Elevation
township, was a visitor to Benson re
cently. He is one of the most up-to
date farmers of the county.
Mr. Carl Barefoot, who has been in
the Fayetteville Hospital for several
days, because of his hand being mash
ed in an automobile wreck, was able
to return home Monday.
The three- weeks-old baby of Mr.
and Mrs. Daniel Hill died at their
home here last Saturday night and
was buried Sunday afternoon in the
Benson Cemetery.
Miss Beatrice Goodrich went up to
Kenly last Sunday to visit for a few
days.
Mr. and Mrs. J. V. Barefoot were
visitors to Four Oaks Saturday and
Sunday, spending the time with rela
tives there.
Mr. Dalton Lee and Dr. J. H. Stan
ley, of Four Oaks, were here yester
day on business for a few hours.
Miss Daisey Bryant went up to Wil
son Saturday night and spent Sunday
with relatives, returning Monday
morning.
Mr. and Mrs. Heber Creech, of
Smithfield, were here at the home of
Mr. and Mrs. J. Jl. Rose recently.
Elder J. T. Coats, of Coats, preach
ed here Sunday at the Primitive Bap
tist church.
Miss Ruth Jones, of Smithfield, was
? visitor to our city Sunday for a
few hours.
Mr. Claud Canaday was a visitor to
the city of Raleigh Tuesday, return
ing Tuesday night.
Messrs. Eli Turlington, J. L. Hall
and Alonzo Parrish were visitors to
Smithfield Monday for a few hours.
Mr. M. T. Britt went down to I.um
herton Monday to spend the day at
the Lumberton Farm of the Real Es
tate Trading Company.
Mr. H. W. Weeks, of Robinsonville,
N. C., was a visitor to relatives here
for a few days recently, returning to
his home ifonday afternoon.
Mr. A. W. Hodges went down to
Fayetteville Monday on business mat
ters.
Messrs. R. D. Langdon, George
Moore, R. C. Pool, N. T. Ryals and
others attended Court at Smithfield
Monday.
Rev. O. B. Garris, of Watha, spent
Sunday and Monday in Benson visit
ing friends.
Mr. J. M. Jones, a prominent farm
er and lumberman, of Cumberland
County, was here Monday and Tues
day on business.
The regular services were held at
the Baptist church Sunday, by the
pastor, Rev. W. H. Rollins.
The new Presbyterian church, which
is in building here, is nearing comple
tion. It will be ready for use within
sixty days.
The Quarterly Conference of the
Methodist church will be held at the
Benson church, Saturday afternoon at
4 o'clock. The Presiding Elder, J. E.
Underwood, of Raleigh, will be pres
ent and will preach Sunday morning
at the eleven o'clock services.
Several Bensonians attended court
at Smithfield Wednesday, among them
being M. T. Britt, Alonzo Parrish, A.
E. Surles, R. T. Surles, Jesse Surles,
Joe Neighbors, S. D. ^tone, J. E.
Wilson, A. B. Hudson, M. B. Porter,
O. A. Barbour, W. H. Slocumb, J. H.
Godwin, H. A. Parker, John Whitten
ton, Quester Moore, George Moore,
Ezra Parker and others.
Mr. and Mrs. Vernon C. Jackson,
of Sampson County, visited here at
CHINA QUITS GERMANY.
Washington Is Hopeful Other Neu
trals Will Follow China. Adminis
tration Officials Believe Concerted
Cutting Off of Relations With Ger- i
many Would Soon Bring U-Boat
Campaign to an End and Possibly
Avert the War Which Now Closely j
Approaches This Nation. Situation
Is Still Critical.
Washington, March 14. ? American
Minister Reinsch, at Peking, today re
ported to the state department that j
China had severed diplomatic rela- \
tions with Germany and that the Ger
man minister had been handed his
passports.
China has also taken possession of
all German merchant ships in Shang
hai, about six in number, placed their
crews on shore under guard, and
placed armed guards on the vessels.
Recent dispatches from Peking have
spoken in high terms of the part
American Minister Reinsch has taken
in the steps leading up tq China's ac
tion.
China's action is expected to have
far-reaching effect on far epjtern his
tory as it aligns her with Japan and
the other entente powers. German
trade, which before the war had be
come the most dangerous competitor
to British and Japanese business in
China, amounted to about 20 per cent
of Japan's trade and offered a tempt
ing prize for the latter.
The immediate effect of China's
severancs of relations will probably
be a greatly increased output of mu
nitions for Russia. China is Japan's
source of iron and has provided much
of the raw material on which the hit
ter's immense munition trade has b?en
built up.
China already has sent 100,000 coo
lies to France and Russia as labor
ers and can increase the number al
most without limit. ? Associated Press
Dispatch.
MORE NATIONS MAY
FOLLOW CHINA'S LEAD.
Washington, March 14. ? Hope for
more or less general action among
the neutrals of the world to break
off relations with Germany as a pro
test against submarine ruthlessness
was revived in Washington tonight.
Reports to the state department and
the navy department and the navy
department that China had broken
with the German government, led to
the hope that President Wilson's de
sire for a general break by the neu
trals, expressed in his original ad
dress to Congress on the German
break, might yet bring forth fruit.
Administration officials believe that a
concerted cutting off of relations by
several of the important neutral na
tions would soon bring the German
submarine campaign to an end, and
possibly avert the war which day by
day approaches more closely to the
United States.
The Chinese break, officials believe,
may open the way for further neutral
action, and tonight it was suggested
that certain South America nations
were considering following the lead
of the United States in combatting the
submarine warfare. China's determin
ation to break with Germany was an
nounced in a cablegram from Minis
ter Paul S. Reinsch at Peking. The
ranking American naval officer in
Chinese waters reported that China
had seized all interned German ship
ping at Shanghai and had brought
the crews of six ships ashore under
guard. ? International News Service.
Collie to lie Superintendent.
Mr. W. M. Sanders went to Raleigh
yesterdry to attend a meeting of the
directors of the State Penitentiary.
Mr. J. R. Collie, of Louisburg, Chief
Clerk to the Committee on Claims,
was chosen upon Governor Bickett's
recommmendation, to be Superintend
ent of the Penitentiary.
the home of their mother, Mrs. Mar
tha Jackson, Sunday.
Mr. John Dixon, a prosperous farm
er, of Elevation township, died at his
home four miles west of Benson
Saturday and was buried Sunday af
ternoon at the family burying ground
near his residence. He had been sick
for several months with heart trou
ble and paralysis and his death was
not unexpected. He was nearly sixty
four years of age and was highly re
spected by all who knew him. He
leaves a wife and several children
surviving him.
GERMANY GETS AMERICAN Sllll'
Algonquin Was First Siezed, Then
Sunk by U-ltoat on March 12.
"There Was No Warning" Says
Captain of the Ship. \Va? Just Af
ter Daylight. Submarine Started
Fire at Range of Three Miles and
Fired Twenty Shots.
A London dispatch dated March 14,
and published in yesterday's dailies,
gives the story of the sinking of the
first American vessel by a German
U-boat as follows:
The American steamship Algon
quin which sailed from New York
for London February 20 with an
American crew, on board was shelled
without warning by a German subma
rine and sunk on March 12. All on
board were saved. The vessel was
owned by the American White Star
line and was recently transferred
from British registry.
Adding to advices from Plymouth
the German submarine opened fire
upon the Algonquin from a distance
of 4,000 yards, firi#g about 20 shells.
These were not sufficient to sink the
steamer so she was boarded by men
from the submarine who placed four
bombs and the Algonquin was then
blown up. The crew was given plenty
of time to leave the vessel.
"It was just after daylight on Mon
day when we were attacked," said the
captain of the Algonquin, as quoted
by the Presa Association. "There was
no warning. The submarine started
fire at the Algonquin at a range of
three miles. When about 25 shells
had been fired at the Algonquin of
which four hit her, forward, the crew
decided to take to the boats, and
pulled away from the sinking ves
sel. '
"Then the submarine approached
and with only her periscope show
ing, sailed around the steamer several
times. Finding that the crew had
abandoned the ship, the submarine
came to the surface. Some of the Ger
mans boarded the Algonquin and plac
ed bombs aft. These were exploded,
and within a quarter of an hour the
steamer disappeared.
"I appealed to the submarine com
mander for a tow towards land, in
view of the roughness^/ef the weath
er, but the German gruffly replied:
'No. I am too busy.' The crew pulled
away in their boats, none being in
jured by shell fire, but all suffered
from exposure.
"All personal effects and the ship's
papers were lost."
Algonquin Is Shelled and Destroyed.
Capt. A. Nordberg, of the Ameri
can steamship, Algonquin, which was
torpedoed by a German submarine, on
March 12, is now at Pensance. He will
arrive with his crew in Plymouth to
morrow morning. In an interview
Captain Nordberg said that the Al
gonquin was bound from New York
for London with foodstuffs.
"On Monday morning," he said,
"just after daylight I was on the
bridge. It was the mate's watch. I
saw two steamers, apparently colliers,
steaming west, one on the starboard
and the other on the port side. Two
minutes later the mate called my at
tention to another object and at once
I said 'I think that is a submarine.'
"The submarine was about three
miles distant, as were also the steam
ers. Immediately I saw a flash of a
gun and a shell fell short. At once I
stopped the engines and then went
full sjpecd astern, indicating this by
three blasts on the whistle. The sub
marine kept on firing, the fourth shot
throwing up a column of water which
drenched me and the man at the
wheel. It was a close thing."
SINKING OF THE ALGONQUIN
DOESN'T CHANGE SITUATION
Washington, March 14. ? In the ab
sence of details as to the destruction
of the steamer Algonquin, officials
withheld comment, but the unofficial
view was that nothing in the incident
changes the situation between the
United States and Germany.
President Wilson already has taken
steps to place the nation in a state of
armed neutrality, which with the
breaking of diplomatic relations with
Germany is practically the last
measurs possible short of war.
American ships are now being
armed to defend themselves against
unlawful submarine attack. The gen
eral view today is that arming of
ships is the only answer to subma
rine operations short of a declara
tion of war, which may be made only
by Congreis. '
Consul Stephens at Plymouth re
DR. WAN A MAKER AT KENLY.
Makes Powerful Address In School
Auditorium to Large Audience,
While a Splendid Musical Program
Adds Much to Occasion. Dr. Robert
II. >\ right to Be the Next Speaker
on March 25th. Other Items.
Kenly, March 13. ? Sunday after
noon at three o'clock, Dr. W. II. Wan
namaker, head of the department of
German at Trinity College, delivered
a niwst powerful address in the Kenly
High School auditorium concerning
the weakest point in American civili
zation ? "Poor Town Government and
the Remedy." Between three and four
hundred people heard Dr. Wannamak
er and the program of special music
was both appropriate and delightful.
Dr. Wannamaker agrees with
James Bryce that the American peo
ple hava largely failed in municipal
government. "Call to mind," he said,
"the recent food riots in New York
City and think of the suffering in the
large majority of all our American
cities, and you will easily be able to
see that one of our greatest problems
is to make our city government both
sufficient and democratic. Partisan
politicians must be ruled out, and sci
entific experts must be brought in,
and the work of city government must
be carried forward with the same ex
actness with which the work of our
greatest corporations is carried on."
Dr. Wannamaker then went on to
show, by citing illuestrations from
Germany and other progressive na
tions, how city government may be
ma<Je more efficient.
The music #as especially appropri
ate. The audience sang "America,'
our national hymn; the Kenly Quar
tette sang "The Watch on the Rhine,"
the national hymn of Germany; and
the children's chorus, directed by Mrs.
H. P. Johnson, sang the Welsh na
tional hymn. Also Mrs. C. P. Darden
and Mrs. W. J. Hooks rendered a
duet; and the quartette sang as a
last music number "Jesus, Saviour,
Pilot Me."
Dr. Robert H. Wright, President of
East Carolina Teachers' Training
School, of Greenville, is the speaker
for March 25th. His subject is: "The
Golden Age of America ? The Next
Forty Years."
Monday afternoon the Rollins Lit
erary Society held a preliminary for
the selection of the speakers for the
trianele debate; the following stu
dents were chosen: Affirmative ? Ru
dolph Kirby and Harvey Jones; neg
ative ? Earl Southard and JeSse God
win. The Kenly teams will debate
Selma and Smithfield at night on the
30th of March.
Mr. M. B. Andrews, Superintendent
of the Kenly State High School, h-is
accepted an invitation to deliver the
commencement address at Glendale,
Johnston County, which will be held
seme time during the next few days.
FLEET OF WOODEN VESSELS.
Builders of Wooden Ships Meet at
Call of Shipping Hoard. Can
Expand Production.
Washington, March 14. ? Speeding
up measures to enable the United
States in the event of war with Ger
many to procure without delay a
great fleet of vessels for transporta
tion of supplies to the allies were dis
cussed here today by wooden ship
builders of the Atlantic and gulf
coasts, who met at the call of the
shipping board. Yards that produce
steel tonnage, already are working to
their capacity.
The meeting wast held primarily to
give the shipping board information
as to what the wooden ship yards
could do through standardization, the
use of a larger percentage of unskill
ed labor and other processes. j
Theodore Brent, of the shipping
board, told the builders the board de
sired to prepare for any emergency
the country may face and that the in
formation asked was vital as a meas
ure of preparedness.
All the yards represented, it devel
oped, could expand their production
under emergency conditions.
ported the sinking of the Algonquin
in the following dispatch:
"Steamer Algonquin, of New York,
from New York for London with food
stuffs sunk by German submarine 65
miles west of Bishops (Rock) March
12, 6 a. m. Captain reports vessel
not warned and sunk by shell fire.
Crew of 27 all saved in own boats.
Submarine refused assistance. No
other boats in sight."
RUSSIAN EMPEROR
ABDICATES THRONE
(irand Duke Michael Is Estab
lished As Resent, Minis
try Is Swept Out.
Fetrograd for Days Scene of Rising
Thoroughly Remarkable. Ik-ginning
Without Food Riots and Labor
Strikes, Cry for Food Reached
Hearts of Soldiers, Regiments Re
belling One by One Until the Gov
ernment Was Without Military
Support.
(News and Observer.)
Petrograd, March 15. ? The
Emperor of Russia has abdicat
ed and Grand Duke Michael Al
exandrovitch, his younger bro
ther, has been named as regent.
The Russian ministry, charged
with corruption and incompe
tence, has ben swept out of of
fice. Minister Alexander Pro
topopofT, head of the Interior
Department, is reported to have
been killed, and the other min
isters, as well as the President
of the Imperial Council are un
der arrest.
A new national cabinet is an
nounced, with Prince L. VofF as
President of the council and Pre
mier, and the other officers held
by the men who are close to the
Russian people.
For several days Petrograd
has been the scene of one of the
most remarkable risings in his
tory. Beginning with minor
food riots and labor strikes, the
cry for food reached the hearts
of the soldiers, and one by one
the regiments rebelled, until fi
nally thoje troops that had for
a time stood loyal to the govern
ment, took up their arms and
marched into the ranks of the
revolutionists.
The President of the Duma,
Michael V. Rodzianko, was the
leading figure among the depu
ties who unanimously decided
to oppose the imperial order for
a dissolution of the House. They
continued their sessions and M.
Rodzianko informed the Empe
ror, then at the front, that the
hour had struck when the will
of the people must prevail. Even
the Imperial Council realized
the gravity of the situation and
added its appeal to that of the
Duma that the Emperor should
take steps to give the people a
policy and government in ac
cordance with their desires and
in order that there should be no
interference with carrying on
the war to a victorious ending.
MICRO NOTES.
The Philathea Class of the Free
Will Baptist church was very highly
honored on last Tuesday evening, be
ing the guests of the Baraca Class
of their lovely "Reception." The hall
was very beautifully decorated in
the class colors.
After the invocation and singing
of the Baraca Hymn, many interest
ing contests and games were enjoyed
by all.
Truly the most important feature
of the evening was the elaborate re
freshments that were served, which
consisted of fruit salad, whip cream,
cake and punch.
The Philathea Class extends many,
many thanks for the very pleasant
evening of March 13, 1917.
Barac'as, we love you,
Baracas we do;
If you think we don't love you ?
What a foolish idea.
PHILATHEAS.
London, March 14. ? Thirteen Brit
ish vessels of more than 1,600 tons
were sunk during the week ending
March 11, says today's official an
nouncement on shipping losses. Four
British vessel}- of less than l.fiOO tons
and three fishing vessels also were
sunk.