RAILROAD STRIKE IS AVERTED.
Railway Managers Advise President
Wilson's .Mediators That They Will
Not Permit Possibility of Obstruc
, tion of Transportation in United
States With National Crisis l'recip
tated and Leave Adjustment of Dif
ficulty to Peace .Makers. Trainmen
Will Benefit Whether or Not Adam
son Law is Declared Constitutional.
New York, March 19. ? Shortly af
fc1!1 2 o'clock this morning Secretary
Ifcine aniiounced that the tnreatened
strike of railway employes had been
averted, confirming an announcement
??ade by an official of the conference
?ommittee of railway managers that
?hi' strike had been declared off. >
The conference committee of rail
wad managers early this morning
authorized President Wilson's media
tors to make whatever arrangements
were necessary with the railroad
brotherhoods to call off the threaten
?4 strike.
The formal letter in which this
authorization was made, signed by
filisha Lee, chairman of the manag
ers' committee was as follows:
"In the national crisis precipitated
ky events of which we heard this af
ternoon the national conference com
mittee of railroads join with you in
the conviction that neither at home
?or abroad should there be fear or
hope that the efficient operation of
the railroads of the country will be
hampered or impaired.
"Therefore you are authorized to
assure the nation there will be no
strike and as a basis for such as
surance we hereby authorize the com
mittee of the council of national de
fense to grant to the employes who
are about to strike whatever adjust
ment your committee deems necessary
to guarantee the uninterrupted and
?fficient operations of the railroads as
an indispensable arm of national de
fense."
The decision reached by the man
agers at their midnight conference
means that the brotherhoods have
won an important victory although it
does not bring them all their original
demands.
By the agreement it is assumed
they will be awarded pro rata time
for over time on the basis of an eight
hour day which they have been as
sured.
Their original demands called for
time and a half for over time or* the
same basic day.
The managers left the conference
room at 2 o'clock but the brotherhood
chiefs remained in conference with
the mediators.
The managers headed by Elisha
Lee, returned to the conference room
at 2:20 and Secretary Lane sent for
the newspaper men.
Secretary Lane issued this state
men: "Regardless of the decision of
the supreme court on the Adamson
law the basic eight hour day will go
into effect."
"The details are being worked upon
by a joint committee which will have
its negotiations completed by noon,"
Mr. Lane said.
The men will get their present ten
hours pay for eight hours work un
der the agreement. These concessions
on the part of the managers are vir
tually what the employes contended
they would gain under the Adamson
law if it were declared constitutional.
Immediately after Secretary Lane
had made his announcement the
brotherhood leaders sent telegrams to
all the general chairmen informing
them that the strike had been declar
ed off.
The announcement of the managers
that they had yielded apparently
came as a surprise to the brother
hood chiefs for they were in bed when
summoned again to the conference
room.
Earlier in the evening there had
been a distinctly pessimsistic feeling
as to the prospect for averting a
strike. Up to that hour the railroads
had refused to make the concessions
granted and the brotherhoods had
stood fast to their determination to
strike unless they won their demand
either by the supreme court declar
ing the Adamson law valid or by
their employers granting them the
eight hour day. ? Associated Press.
The return to their fatherland of
thousands of exiled Russian Dolitical
suspect3 is expected to be of the
immediate results of the R^lfen rev
olution. A large colony of refugees
from the Russian Empire is in France,
many of them serving in the foreign
legion.
VIRTUALLY IN STATE OF W AH.
The Ruthless Destruction of Ameri
can Vessels by German Submarines
Has Brought About Such a State
That War is the Only Solution.
For months and months the people
of the United States have been hop
ing against hope thffl war with Ger
many might be avoided. That hope is
at last wholly shattered and the
breach between the two nations has
grown wider and wider until it can
not be bridged over. The following
paragraphs from a Washington dis
patch in yesterday's papers tells the
story :
"With the announcement of the
ruthless destruction of three unarm
ed American merchant ships by the
submarines, it was unofficially admit
ted here tonight that virtually a
state of war exists between the
United States and Germany.
"Technically the United States re
mains in a position of armed neutral
ity. Whether this shall be changed be
fore April 16, the date fixed for a
special session of Congress, the war
making branch of the government,
President Wilson has not decided.
"One step the President is contem
plating is a call for an immediate ses
sion of Congress to hear an address
asking for authority to adopt aggres
sive measures against the submarine
menace.
"Alreay American ships are being
armed to defend themselves. The next
move must be to send warships with
orders to seek out submarines and
clear the trans-Atlantic lanes.
"Some of the highest officials of the
government hold that the executive
has the power to declare that a state
of war exists and to proceed with ag
gressive protective steps pending the
assembling of Congress. There is no
indication, however, that the Presi
dent will follow that course.
"Of the three ships destroyed, two
were unloaded and homeward bound
and all were American built, Ameri
can owned and officered and manned
largely by American citizens. Mea
ger dispatches indicate that all were
sunk with complete disregard for the
safety of those on board, and that
many of the crew may have been
lost."
Eldridge-Buttler.
Last night at 10 o'clock, at the
home of the bride's parents, Mr. and
Mrs. W. E. Butler, Miss Clara But
ler, was married to Mr. James Eld
ridge in the presence of a few inti
mate friends and relatives. The cere
mony was performed by the bride's
pastor, Rev. J. M. Waters, of the
Christian church. The plans had been
kept secret and only a few friends of
the couple knew of their intentions
and the announcement will come as a
surprise to many. They left on the
midnight train for Washington, Bal
timore and other northern cities.
After ten days they will be at home
at Hopewell, Va., where Mr. Eldridge
is manager of a garage.
Mrs. Eldridge is the youngest
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. But
ler and has many friends here who
wish for her much happiness. The
groom is native of Johnston County
and is well known in Dunn. ? Dunn
Dispatch.
The S>unday School Campaign.
| ? . i
It is to be hoped that all those in
terested in the Sunday school work
will attend the Sunday school meet
ings to be conducted this week by Mr.
E. L. Middleton, the State Sunday
School Secretary for the Baptists. He
begins Wednesday night at Clayton
and will be at Baptist Center Thurs
day, at Smithfield Thursday night,
at Blackman's Grove Friday and at
Benson Friday night; Saturday and
Saturday night at Micro. The pro
gram for next Sunday has been
changed. He will deliver an address
on the Sunday school work at 11
o'clock at Hephzibah church and at
Sardis church at 3:30 o'clock. He is
an interesting speaker and one of the
best informed Sunday School men of
the State. Those interested in Sunday
schools of all denominations are cor
dially invited.
The Charlotte Knitting Company, a
new concern, has been incorporated
by J. H. Cutter, George B. Hiss and
R. J. Walker. They are the sole stock
holders and will be the officers to be
selected at a later meeting. Author
ized capital is 125,000, with ample
monies paid in to purchase property
and inaugurate operations.
THREE AMERICAN SHIPS SUNK.
German Submarines Get In Deadly :
Work. City of Memphis, The 1 Hi- !
nois and the Vigilancia, All Mer- 1
chant Vessels Victims of Germany's
Ruthless - Warfare. The City of
Memphis Sunk by Shell Fire, Vigi- j
lancia Was Sunk W ithout Warning/
Three steamships flying the Ameri
can flag have been sunk in Germany's
unrestricted submarine warfare, says
a New York dispatch published in
Monday's Baltimore Sun. Their total
gross tonnage was 14,587.
Cable dispatches from London indi
cate 22 men of the crew are unac
counted for.
The freighter City of Memphis,
with about 50 Americans and 9 oth
ers, was sunk by gunfire. Fifty-nine
have been landed and the other eight
are missing.
From the freighter Vigilancia 14
men are missing, the others having
been saved. She was sunk without
.
warnine-.
The tank steamship Illinois was j
sunk and her crew saved.
The City of Memphis and the Illi
nois were on their way to America,
carrying no cargoes. A patrol boat
has gone in search of the missing
members of the City ofc-Memphis's
crew.
The City of Memphis, valued at
$(>00,000, weathered safely many ad
ventures in European waters on pre- j
vious voyages since the war began.
Owned by the Ocean Steamship
Company, commonly known as the j
Savannah Line, the City of Memphis, \
of 5,252 tons gross, sailed from New
York January 23, carrying 9,(55:! j
bales of cotton valued at $(>00,000.
This she delivered at Havre, France,
and was on her way home in ballast
when sunk.
Her captain was L. P. Borum, of
Norfalk, Va., where he was born of
American parents.
The Vigilancia sailed from New
York February 28, for the Azores and
Havre. The ship was plainly marked
as an American vessel with flaps
painted on port and starboard bows
and with her name and hailing port
of New York on both sides in letters
five feet high.
It is understood that the cargo, con
sisting in part of provisions, was
valued at nearly $750,000 and the
ship at more than $1,000,000.
The Vigilancia registered 4,115
tons gross. She was 329 feet long,
45 feet of beam and was built at
Chester, Pa.
The Illinois was a tank steamship
owned by the Texas Company of
New York. She sailed from Port Ar
thur, Texas, February 17 for Lon
don. Marine records do not chronicle
her arrival at or departure from Lon
don.
The Illinois was of 5,225 tons gross.
She was 390 feet long, 52 feet of
beam and was built in Newport News,
Va., in 1913. Her master was Cap
tain Iversen.
The City of Memphis had the stars
and stripes painted on both sides. She
encountered a submarine about 5
o'clock Saturday evening. The Ger
man commander ordered the captain
lo leave his ship within 15 minutes.
ino entire crew entered five ooats
and the submarine the submarine
then shelled the ship and fired a tor
pedo, which struck the vessel on the
ride, tearing a great hole through
which the sea poured. The steamer
settled down quickly and foundered
within a few minutes.
During the night the boats became
separated and at 4 o'clock Sunday
morning three boat crews were picked
up by a patrol vesel and landed! These
boats contained 33 men, mostly
Americans. All the officers were
Americans. The officers believe that
the other boats will be reached.
Third Engineer Thompson in an
interview with the Central News, said
that the submarine fired a warning
shot for the steamer to slow down
and subsequently signalled for her
to stop and for the crew to abandon
the ship.
Ten or 11 shells were fired at the
vessel, which began to sink. Then
followed a terrific explosion, which
caused the vessel to tremble all over
and within 20 minutes she sank, stern
first. The crew suffered a great deal
from exposure during the night.
!
Rev. Jno. A. Wray, of Oklahoma,
has been called to the -pastorate of
the First Baptist church at Monroe.
Mr. Wray is a native North Carolin
ian and was educated at Wake For
est.
STRIKE WOl LI) MEAN BIG LOSS
?
Would Cost $60,000,000 To $75,000,
00? a Day, Is Estimate, Should
Railroad Strike (Jo On, Also Entail
Great Suffering. Fu^l Problem
Even More Serious Than Food
Question. Paralysis of Industries
One Result.
The people of the United States are
rejoicing greatly over the averting of
the railroad strike which was ordered
for Saturday. In order that one may
get some realization of what a great
railroad strike would mean to the
country, we are giving herewith an
article smt from Washington and
published in Saturday's Baltimore
Sun:
American industries, business and
labor would suffer the appalling loss
of between $<>0,000,000 and $75,000,
000 a day should the railroad train
men carry out their threatened strike
and completely tic up the nation's
transportation system for any length
of time, according to an estimate of
a member of the Joint Congressional
Committee named last summer to in
vestigate the country's railroad preb
lems.
The inauguration of a nation-wide
railroad strike at this time, it was
pointed out, would cause more suffer
ing than it would have brought last
August and September. Every city is
fiow confronted with a shortage in
the coal supply, and cor.l is needed to
heat the homes of millions of people
living in the cities. Last September
the fuel situation would not have
been so critical on account of weather
conditions and because numerous
cities then had on hand a considerable
surplus of fuel.
There are many who declare the
fuel shortage is pregnant with more
danger than a possible food shortage.
There are today practically no cities
in the country which have a supply of
fuel to carry them more than four or
five days. The discontinuance of the
coal supply would mean the cutting
off of gas and light for cooking pur
poses. This time of the year is known
as the "grippy season," and the peo
ple in the Northern States would be
confronted with epidemics of colds
which would likely develop into pneu
monia and cause thousands of deaths
and intense suffering. In addition,
many cities depend upon coal to op
erate their water systems, and a
breaking down of a community's wa
ter supply means stagnation of the
sewerage systems, carrying with it
the possibilities of typhoid epidemics.
A prolonged strike, it is declared-,
will force thousands of American fac
tories to shut down because they
could not get fuel and raw material.
The closing of industries throughout
the country would throw out of em
ployment America's army of workers,
running into millions, with the loss of
their wages. Limited supplies of
food, it was pointed out, cannot be
collected in the adjacent country dis
tricts and brought to the cities in auto
trucks, but fuel must be transported
long distances.
When the railroad strike V was
threatened last August and Septem
ber, Chicago had only three days'
supply of coal to run its water
pumping stations. The big packing in
dustries of that city, which carried in
their cold-storage warehouses meats
to the value of more than $100,000,
000, only had one week's supply of
coal to operate their cold-storage
plants. In nine days, it was estimated,
this $100,000,000 worth of meat would
have spoiled. It was calculated that
California had on hand last Septem
ber mor? than $150,000,000 worth of
fruits, which would have been lost
for lack of cold storage facilities and
want of an immediate market.
MEN NOT TO BE MUSTERED OUT
News has been received from the
War Department suspending the or
der for mustering out the Second and
Third North Carolina* regiments of
the National Guard and brigade head
quarters and directing that they be
held under arms after arrival in Ral
eigh.
The 'Third regiment is on its way
to Raleigh, having been sent there
from Texas to muster out. The Sec
ond regiment has not yet started
from El Paso, but is now in readiness
to entrain for Goldsboro where it was
to have been mustered out.
The seriousness of the situation in
the conflict with Germany is regard
ed responsible for the order not to
muster out the Guardsmen.
f
GENERAL NEWS.
When the North Dakota Legisla
ture passed the bill granting presi
dential suffrage to women, President
Wilson sent a congratulatory letter to
Governor Fraiier, a part of which
was: '"My interest in the extension of
stiff rags to women, as you know, is
very great, and I feel that every step
in this direction should receive the
most cordial endorsement and recog
nition."
The new firms of British dye manu
factures have made enormous profits
since the beginning of the war. The
report of one of them shows that the
value of its shares has risen from
eight shillings to (>0 pounds. The value
of the stock held by one stockholder
who was declared bankrupt before
the war, he owning 2,500 pounds,
jumped to 85,000 pounds. Before the
war the stock was worth about 700
pounds.
A woman is to bo prosecuting at
torney against another woman, charg
ed with murder, for the first time in
the history of Ohio and perhaps of
the United States. Miss Antin, of To
ledo, is the attorney and will try Mrs.
Evelyn Marleau, charged with shoot
ing a man said to have insulted her.
Miss Antin is 22, a graduate of Ohio
Northern University and is one of
the tirst women prosecuting attor
neys in the country.
It is reported that on Sunday,
March 11, the Germans brought down
1(! allied aeroplanes. Lieut, von Rich
thofen disabled his twenty-sixth plane
near Vimy, Lieut. Baldamus his
twelfth e; st of Rouvroy and Lieut.
Pfeiffer his nineth east of Bersieus.
Boelcke's air squadron on the same
day brought down its hundredth ma
chine, which, the press bureau ob
serves, "proves that the spirit of this
famous flu r still survives among his
comrades."
The special Senate session, which
began March 5, adjourned sine die
Friday after Democratic leaders had
secured confirmation of most of the
1,400 nominations which failed at the
last session and had despaired of at
taining ratification of the $25,000,000
Colombian treaty. The treaty, despite
repeated urgent requests from Presi
dent Wilson that it be ratified, was
unexpectedly withdrawn on motion of
Chairman Stone, of the Foreign Re
lations Committee.
After many months of hammering
at the German lines in the Somme
sector, the British armies at last have
captured Bapaume, considered the
first and perhaps the main objective
in the long British advance in that
sector. At the same time the towns
of Le Transloy and Achiet-le-Petit
and several other villages also were
taken. General Haig's troups entered
Bapaume Saturday morning after se
vere fighting and found the town in
flames, the Germans having fired it.
The annual report of the Bethle
hem Steel Corporation for 1916 has
been published showing a total in
come of $61,717,309, an increase of
$36,845,901 over last year. The liet
income amounted to $43,593,968, which
was an increase of $25,831,155. The
balance available for the common
stock after all charges were paid was
equivalent to 286.30 per cent. The
company ended the year with orders
on its books valued at $193,374,248,
which compares with $175,432,895 on
December 31, 1915. Bonus payments
in 1916 amounted to $5,000,000, or
7.57 of net earnings, compared with
$2,000,000 in 1915.
n-?i_
i ri ^iu i u i n ess rails.
The British Board of Trade's an
nouncement that (luring the month of
February the value of Britain's im
ports increased by $18,000,000 and
her exports by $4,700,000 docs not
speak very well for the efficiency of
unrestricted U-boat Frightfulness. It
becomes more and more evident that
Berlin is sesorting to the old expedi
ent of trying to convince itself of the
success of its latest drive to win the
war by repeating over and over again
the boast that it is succeeding. The
boast, unfortunately for Berlin, does
not jibe with the facts. ? New York
Evening Sun.
Thomas Thomas, former cashier of
the Bank of Beaufort, has been sen
tenced to the penitentiary for a term
of two years. Thomas had submitted
to the charge of making false entries
in his accounts. He had used much of
the bank's money but his friends and
relatives had made good the shortage.
An Bffort will be made to get Gover
nor Bickett to pardon him.
THE MAKING OF A CAREER.
President E. K. Graham Before a
Large Audience in Charlotte Ad
vises Hearers to Seek a Great Ca
reer, hut Consider Its Nature Be
fore Entering L pon It.
(Charlotte Observer.)
In one of the most inspiring Hhd
helpful addresses ever delivered be
fore a Charlotte audience, Dr. Ed
ward Kidder Graham, president of
the University of North Carolina,
spoke to a large gathering of men at
the Y. M. C. A. Sunday afternoon, on
"The Making of a Career."
"Men, seek to make a great career
for three reasons; first, for practical
reasons, to obtain bread and money,
and other things necessary to life;
second to obtain power and position in
things pertaining to the world, and
third, to liberate things in nature."
These he remarked can be applied
to men in all professions. Lawyers
seek a great career, first, to obtain
money as a means to an end; second
to obtain political power, and third
to justice, as protection to the inno
cent. Men seek a great career in
medicine, first, as a quack, to obtain
bread and money, for undeserved
service; second for science, and third
in order to render service looking
after the health of his fellowman.
Men seek a great career in business,
first to get riches, from a selfish na
ture; second to gain power and mas
ter the laws of business, and third
for the economic health of the world.
In education men seek a great ca
reer, first to obtain a degree; second
in order to obtain power and posi
tion, and third to learn the nature of
things. Men seek a great career in
uovernmeni, nrst to become kings, by
heredity; second to become kings by
the power of the conquerer, and third
to let the Government rest on the
people, which was the discovery of
th" fathers of our Nation.
Referring his hearers to the pass
age in the Bible, of the temptation
of Christ by the devil, he advised
his audience to follow the example of
Christ in making a great career. As
Christ listened to the proposition of
fered by the devil, weighing it and
rscertaining the principle of it, he
declared that when propositions
which offered great careers, were of
fered men of today, that they be
weighc ' out, and the prinicple con
sidered before accepting, and if, as
in the case of Christ, evil must be
done to accomplish that great career,
follow His example.
"It is not the question of what that
proposition will do, but what is its
nature," continued the speaker. "It
i? not the position that makes a great
career, but what is made of the posi
tion. Columbus discovered America
by sailing across the Atlantic; a great
career made, by a large position; but
a man may sit in his study and dis
cover a universe, a greater career,
made by a small position, A great
many people in America were un
conscious of the human, breathing
people in England and Europe until
the war brought the knowledge to
them."
"Th * careers which many men are
satisfied with, reminds me of the
parcel post map," he continued, "the
map is divided into several sections
surrounded by circles. Men are placed
in the smallest circle, all trying to
jump out of that circle. Some jump
to the outer end of the farthest cir
cle. Some jump to the half-way cir
cle, and many remain in the center
of the smallest circle." He advised
his hearers to be satisfied with their
present careers, but to always seek
something greater, not to remain in
the center of the smallest circle, nor
jump to the outer edge of the largest
circle.
"There are only three things in the
world," said Doctor Graham; "first,
God; second, nature, and third, the
individual soul of man."
He declared that men should ob
serve Christian ways, because they
are the sons of God. To the question
of how man has come to realize that
sonship, he asked as the answer,
"How do men to realise they
are the son of an earthly father?'*
"To obtain z truly great career, the
leadership of Christ should be judg
ed," he said. "To judge Christ man
must consider; the men He has mas
tered, the truths He has liberated, the
sorrows He has allayed, and the civ
ilization He has strengthened."
The public schools of Morganton
have closed for a few days on account
of coal famine.