- i
THE WEATHER.
10 Pages Today
ONE SECTION
l air Wednesday. Thursday unsettled
nd warmer, probably rain.
VOL. XCVII-KO. 158
WILMItfGTON, JST. C, WEDNESDAY HORKING, MARCH 3, 1916
WHOLE NUMBER 39,519
,. l-;CTSfD A TED
WILSON CALLS UPON COPRESS
FOR SHOW r BOMH 6rpOSOLUTION
FOR WARNING AMKdCAN CITIZENS
Administration Now Ready to
Give Germany a Demon
stration of Unity.
WANTS VOTE AT ONCE
Cannot Proceed With Subma
rine Negotiations With
Dissensionin Congress.
Weakens His Position Before
the World.
Washington, Feb. 29. - Presi
dent . "Wilson decided today that he
-armot proceed with the German
submarine negotiations while dis
sension in Congress, weakens, his
'position before the world, so he
called for a show-down on the
pending proposals to warn. Ameri
cans oft' merchant ships of the Eu
ropean belligerents armed for de
fense. Making clear that he considers
the President, and not Congress,
charged with the conduct of for
eien relations of the United States,
he wrote a letter to Representative
Pou. acting chairman of the House
T, i i t ,1
Rules committee, asking him to I
provide parliamentary means for
bringing the agitation out into the
open on the floor of the House for
full discussion and a vote, j '
Conf erenee This Horaiss. "v V
Latr : he sumirtol3e5Senatcir '. Stone
and Representative Flood, chairmen of
the foreign affairs committees, ; and
Senator Kern, majority leader., in -the
Senate, for a conference at the White
House tomorrow morning at which he
.will request that one of the various
pending resolutions be' acted upon in
both houses. x i;
" Administration leaders, working
steadijj- for the last week strengthen
ing their lines and - counting on the
support of the Republicans, now are
so sure ot. their position that they plan
to end all agitation with a . vote of
confidence in the President.
The President's letter to Mr. Pou,
the signal that the administration was
ready to give Germany, a dembnstra
; tion of unity, follows: .,
The President's Ietter.
"My Dear Mr. Pou: . . .
"Inasmuch as I learn that Mr. Hen
ry, the chairman of the Committee on
Rules, is absent in Texas, I take . the
liberty of calling your attention, as
ranking member of the committee, to a
matter of grave concern to the country
which can. 1 believe, be handled, un
der the rules of the House, only by that
committee. . ;
'"The report "that there are divided
counsels in Congress In regard to the
foreign policy of the government is
being made industrious use of in for
eign capitals. I believe that report to
bo false, but so long as it Is anywhere
credited, it cannot fail to do the great
est harm and expose the country to
th most serious risks. I therefore feel
. Justified in asking that your' committee
"Hi meet to urge an early vote upon
'he resolution, with regard to travel
on armed merchantmen which have re
cently been so much talked about, in
order that there may be afforded an
immediate opportunity for full public
discussion and ' action upon ' them and
tnat all doubts and conlectures mav be
ept away and our foreign relations
once more cleared of damaging misun
prs tanrlings.
"The matter is of so grave- impor
tance and lies so clearly within the
nel,J of executive initiative that I ven-"irp-
the hope that your committee will
rl i !Jllnk that 1 am taking unwarrant
13 liberty in making this suggestion "as
o the business of the House and I
try earnestly commend It to 'their im
mediate consideration.
"Cordially and sincerely yours,
"WOODROW WILSON." 1
Mother Method Proposed.
.SpeaKer Clark, Majority Leader Kit
mn. Representative Flood and Bepre
ntative Foster, of Illinois, conferred
fhe Capitol tonight, and agreed . to
Jrge that the Rules committee take no
P Pennine: action hv th. irvti-eie-n At.
rs committee, and that the Foreign
Affa
committee should be called to
icr at. once to report a substitute
mh.e
yiuuon, probably an affirmative .ex-
on of confidence, in the President,
he Kules committee then would be
h
Position tfi rennrt a .iil. fnr.
'fJiafc consideration of the matter.
. 1Pf-akcr Clark and tho. nthp.m main.
.a,"ed a discreet sHone tonight await. I
liat President Wilson might have
yy at the n
-norrow morning. Thews was appar-.
... hen, ever, a distinct .feeling that the
- -fio'i adopted by . the . President .to
;r;rc ?ct'-on might put the party, lead-
n a false position ..Theday's de
:i anient was the subiect of animated
"b!S!0n durins the .evening in the
Vr '"t " notels, where many mem-
r-ong.regs make thelr nome8.
r;I aftor Gore --hatl pending, a, warning
din " but a recess instead of an
j jnurriment taken tonight, and
tior fei;'luies"ny chance of Seffate ac
. before Thursday. . . -,'
fcinstor Lewis, of Illinois, already has
(Continued on Page Ten.)
EXPLAINS CHARGES
AGAINST BRANDEIS
Member of His Law Firm
Speaks From Knowledge.
WILL CONTINUE TODAY
Edvrard F. McClennen's Testimony is
Heard After That ot Opponents of
Confirmation Is About Fin
ishedDifferent Light.
Washington, Feb. 29. An explana
tion, of the various charges against
Louis D. Brandeis, now being investi
gated by a Senate committee consider
ing his nomination for the Supreme
Court, was begun today by Edward F.
McClennen, of Boston, a member of
Mr. Brandeis' law firm. He spoke from
his own knowledge of the incidents at
issue," from papers connected with the
matters, and from the office diary of
the firm. He will continue his testi
mony tomorrow
Mr. McClennen took the stand with
thetestimony of those, opposing confir
mation ofihe Brandeis nomination
practically.aH. in. For more than two'
weeks the committee has been listening
to witnesses, most of whom have at
tacked the nominee's' professional rep
utation. Today Albert E. Pillsbury,
former attorney general of Massachu
setts, and Edward W. Hutchins, -vice
president of the Boston Bar Associa
tion, testified that Mr. Brandeis had a
icyuiauuu iVl IIUl UClilK OLia.lKlll.lui-
ward in bis dealings. Austen Q. Fox,
counsel for the ; opposition, put in evi
dence a photographic copy of a check
for 10 from E. F. McSweeney, of "Bos
ton, - to Mr. Brandeis, to support a
charge that Brandeis was paid by.ppl-;
icy holders of the ' Equitable : Life As
surance Society for representing them
In hjejrpjtJ6cJ.ig,ie ,aBaooiaiwt'7-?y--r
' Life iMvninee Incident.
'.The first thing Mr. McClennen was
asked to tell about was the life insur
ance incident. He said the Brandeis
firm, was first- employed by the Equita
ble in-" 1901, and" had handled 30' or 40
cases for it since that time. .
"So you were counsel for the Equita
ble at the time in 1905 when Mr. Bran
deis attacked it in a public statement?"
Inquired Senator Works.
"We were not general counsel. at any
time. We only acted, in specific suitsV'
responded Mr. McClennen.
"Did the company ever complain or
the speech?" '
"Not , that I ever heard about."
The witness stated that-Brandeis act
ed without pay as counsel for the policy-holders
,'wlfo held their organization
headquarters in his office and that
many of the reforms urged by them
were adopted by the company.
"How about this McSweeney check?"
inquired Federal Attorney Anderson,
representing the committee.
v "Oh, that, had nothing to do with the
protective as'sociation," was the re
sponse. "Mr. McSweeney consulted Mr.
Brandeis about taking the surrender
cash value of his policy and Mr. Bran
deis charged him $10 for his advice."
Mr. Fox said he had presented Jthe
copy of the check merely because he
did not know whether Mr. Brandeis
was paid by the policy-holders or not.
As tot the charge that Mr. Brandeis
was employed by -the New Haven or
others tot wreck the New England
railroad, Mr. McClennen said the office
diary showed that Mr. Brandeis ceased
to ' have any connection with the liti
gation: against the New England in
JuAe 1, 1893.
WIt.1 STRONGLY ENDORSE THE .
WltSOJi ADMINISTRATION TODAY
New , York Democrats to Meet In In
formal State Convention.
Syracuse, N. Y.; Feb. 29. Strong en
dorsement of President Wilson and his
administration, and the recommenda
tion of four delegates at large to the
St. -Louis convention, not formally
pledged but chosen .with the under
standing that they will work for the
Tenomination and reelection of the
President, were features of the program
for tomorrow's- informal Democratic
State convention Virtually agreed to
tonight by leaders of the party.
The delegates at large tentatively de
cided upon ' are United States Senator
James A O'Gorman. who is slated t
head the delegation; William Church
Osborn, chairman of the Democratic
state committee; Samuel' Untermeyer.
of New York, and George J.; Meyer, of
Buffalo, a, German-American- Wilson
Democrat. ,
WARNED OF ATTEMPTS TO
DYNAMITE EXPLOSIVES PLANT
Factory at Bristol, Va ia Guarded
t Day and Night.
' -Rriatoi: Va.-Tenn.. Feb. 29. Warn
ed bv. thA. main off ices in New' York to
be on the look out for, possible dyna
miters, -the off icials of the ireaerai jjyo
stuff. & . Chemical Company, at ' Klrigs
portv Tenn., are- guarding against , any
attempts that might be made. An armi
ed guard of several men are to keep
a watclv on the buildings day and night,
it is. j-ep-orted'- y T.-:':'rJ'-K''2-l
The New York office of the Federal
company is said to have been warned
by. .the . secret serMoeri department; at
Washington of attempts to dynamite
the plant the r United State officers
having received the information from
Hopewell. The plant at; Kingsport Is
credited with manufacturing high ex
plosives, j - H
HIMSELF flNERAL
Chief of Reorganized National
Army of Mexico.
HAS HIS HEADQUARTERS
Located at Tierra Colorado, In the State
of Vera Cruz Agreement Drawn
Up and Signed by His
Followers.
San Antonio, Texa3, Feb. 29. Felix
Diaz has been proclaimed general-in-chief
, of the re-organized National Ar
my of Mexico and has established headl
quarters at Tierra Colorado ,in the state
of Vera Cruz, according to copies of a
manifesto bearing Diaz's signature, re
ceived here tonight. -
The manifesto dated at "The Ranch
of Tierra Colorado, in the state -of Vera
Cruz, February 23, 1916," is addressed to
the Mexican nation and, after reviewing
conditions in Mexico since 1913, says in
part: ' "
"It is impossible to contemplate any
longer the sad sight without joining
our? arms with those groups of pa
triots who for some months have sus
taind with untiring constancy, in va
rious parts of the , national territory,
the flag of order, of justice and of
peace.fl And agreeing with these ideas,
several Mexicans who love our coun
try and its institutions have agreed to
initiate in the republic an armed move
ment. -
"As 'will be seen further on from the
text of the document, I- was designated
by my companions as. general in chief
of the reorganized national ;army and
in that . character I appeal to all pa
triots, and- particular, .to . my . friends
..whtfav been my partisans or- sym
ipaifeieTi--toolrrrnvTrrhls rftovement
and besides, those of my friends to
whom I owe a never to be forgotten
debt of gratitude owing. to your serv
ices and friendship to me in the past.
I entreat you to join me in this move
merit to destroy, once and forever, anar
chy which has not only destroyed our
sacred institutions but will finally de
stroy 'our nationality."
The Agreement Adopted u
"The agreement." said to have been"
adppted at the Tierra Colorado con
ference follows:
"Those who subscribed at the camp in
Tierra Colorado,, in the-state of Vera
Cruz, February 23, 1916, decided to be-
gin a revolutionary armed movement
and in cobination with our groups in
different portions of the nation which
have indicated their desire to join us in
the re-establishment of order and the
reorganization of our powers and insti
tutions under the legal forms which
were in force on the lOt hda yof Octo
ber, .1913, the date on which General
Huerta dissolved the congress of the
union who were elected legally by the
people. We agree to fight until the
last and we have for our only purpose
the salvation of; our country, by means
oC the cessation of anarchy, re -establishments
of public powers and re-es-
tabxishment of our institutions and the
betterment of our working classes.' We
agree as follows:
. "We will name the army who have
to verify the work referred to in the
preceding paragraph the Re-organized
National Army.
"We name as general-in-chief of
said army the citizen, Felix Diaz.
"V5e confer on said 'chief during the
time required to reorganize the insti
tutions and the re-establishment of
peace extraordinary authorities in all
the branches of warfare, state and gov
ernment. .
"The National Reorganized Army win
comply .with and obey all decrees' or
orders Issued by the general-In-chief
by which he , is authorized under this
act. . . ' ' -"We
declare that on the 10th of Oc
tober, 1913, General Xictoriano Huerta,
when he dissolved the congress of the
Union, interrupted the order of the con
stitution when he constituted himself
an usurper of the public function. With
respect to the functionaries who con
tracted responsibilities for any acts
that they committed, the subject is to
bo tried by laa t dnhtr eibunCMRDFWL
betried by law and the tribunals of dti'r
country."
Directed from San Antonio. i
The arrival "here of Manuel Calero,
formerly identified - with Madero and
Huerta parties, traveling incognito, has
placed Federal secret service operatives
or, the alert. They are working on an
apparently reliable report that San An
r (Continued on Page Two.
THE DAY IN CONGRESS
: SENATE .
Met at noon.
Resumed debate on Shields water
power bill.
Witnesses testified on - Louis D.
Brandeis ; nomination to the - Supreme
Court, before Judiciary sub-committee.
Military committee continued work
on the army re-organization bill.
- Committee hearings in sisal investi
gation continued.
Recessed at 6:19 'P. M. until noon
Wednesday. - '.
- t house '
, Met at noon. :
j Began debate on legislative appro
priation Lbill. .
Naval ' and Military "committees con
tinued work on national defense, pro-gramme-.;
v.
Adjourned at 5:10 P. M. until noon
Wedlnesday,
ALL FOR HARMONY
AT ANY SACRIFICE
The Other Faction to Ma&e the
Sacrifice, However.
r
BUTLER-DUNCAN FIGHT
Republicans, at Raleigh Very Gravely
Concerned Over: the Outlook for
Reuniting- of Factions To
dayTicket Probable.
(Special Star Telegram).
Raleigh ,N. Feb. 29 Hhe possibil
ity of harmony is the all absorbing
topic and matter of overshadowing- con
cern among the great number of Re
publicans gathering for the State con
vention tomorrow, ' There is the gray
est concern over the uoltook, some of
the Progressives hinting that it is al
ready apparent that the factions will
be unable to get together and that in
that event a Progressive convention
will be called. ' Party men close to
Marion Butler are giving out these in
timations. The split, they intimate, will come
over the persistance. of E. C. Duncan
in seeking re-election to the national
committeemanship, a place he has held
for sixteen years. Butler is quoted as
Insisting that the bldieader must be
eliminated, he to step aside with the
rest, and as being1 determined to split
the convention wide open if Duncan's
friends persist in pressing his name for
national committeeman on the floor of
the convention.
Butler .said this , afternoon that the
Republicans have a fine opportunity to
make a winning campaign this year, if
discordant elements are willing ' to
make the sacrifice necessary for har
mony. He declined to be quoted as
to the Duncan ' candidacy for national
committeeman, 'but his friends are free
to represent him as determined that
Duncan shall not, have, the place. This
seems to be the" price of harmony, so
far as the element of the party con
trolled by . Butler is concerned.
Nominations Very Probable.
Col. J. M. Morehead says there is
every indication that; the convention
will get together oil aHickeCto recom
mend to the Republicans ? "back home"
to be voted for in. the. State-wide. pri
maries. -He waufd jrioi' discuss probable
candidates The "fac tj. s - h$ being
much talked , of . for governor, in spite
of the movement in his district to put
him against-Congressman Webb for the
House of Representatives. State Chair
man Frank Linney is also much me ra
tioned as the party candidate for gov
ernor.' . . ' r . ;
4 Speaking , of " possible recommenda -tipns
as party -candidates; Marion But
ly said it was not worth while to
agflnize over candidates until It was
settled that there is to be harmony in
the convention and that, If there Is
not, every , one had just as well go back
home and save the trouble and expenslS
of a campaign.. He said good and true
men of the party have been making
personal sacrifices' for the party- for
years now and that it was needless to
have a half-way patching up of party
differences now only to meet another
and worse defeat in the campaign. He
preferred the continuance of an abso
lute break for another two or. four
years until all party leaders realize that
there must be harmony and unity at
(Continued on Page. Three.)
RESULTS ARE
WITH GRAVE
New Submarine Policy In Ef
fect Last Midnight.
Much Depends Upon Nature of Circum
stances if Americans Should be '
Injured by Attack on Ship
Defensively Armed.
Washington, Feb. 29; Results in
the hew Austro-German submarine
campaign against armed merchant
ships, of the Entente Allies, beginning
at midnighC"are awaited by the United
States with grave concern. Although
under their new instructions, Teutonic
naval commanders are authorized to
sink without warning all armed enemy
merchantmen they encounter,. It Is un
derstood they have been told to make
sure if possible that no American citi
zens are aboard any ship attacked.
Furthermore, in the latest communi
cation regarding submarine warfare,
Germany has assured the United States
that the new orders are so formulated
as to prevent the destruction ot enemy
liners "on account of their armament
unless such armament is. proved."
The 'attitude of tlie United States
government toward the new. policy of
Germany and Austria has not been defi
nitely determined. President Wson
today discussed the subject in a confer
ence with Secretary Lansing and; then
laid, the German communication before
his cabinet. Later, it was said that be
cause the all-Impoitant, appendices, to
the German memorandum had been de
layed in transit, the State Department
thus far was unable to ;. determinb
whether the claims set forward Ijy Ger
many and Austria in justification of
their'cours were sustained. The State
Department tomorrow: probably will
take steps to determine, what has be
come of the missing appendiees'which
were started in the mails from Berlin
nearly three weeks ago. ; V''
. Meanwhile, if any American citizen
is injured during the' attack by a su$
marine on a merchant ship, which does
not and has no intention of using -its
armament otherwise than" defensively,
a. grave situation will arise, -
AWAITED
CONCERN
COMMITTEES SOON
READY TO REPORT
BIGGER ARMY RILLS
Measures Expected to be In
troduced in Both Houses of
Congress Next Week.
ADMIRAL KNIGHT HEARD
Urges Fleet Equal to Those of
Any Two Nations Ex
cept Great Britain.,
Washington, Feb. 29 . The cam
paign for national preparedness will
enter a new phase in Congress next
week, when in all probability bills pro-
jviding for increasing the army to an
extent never before contemplated in
time of peace will be introduced in
both the House and Senate. The House
Military committee will begin tomorrow
its final review of the measure tentat
ively agreed upon last week and the
final vote probably will be taken Thurs
day. The 'Senate committee agreed today
to insert only a general provision for
the federalization ; of the National
Guard in its regular army reorganiza
tion measure, leaving the' task of put
ting this legislation in flrtaj shape to
the joint conference committee to which
the two bills will go. By this action,
the' Senate committee made it possible
to bring out its bill aiso next week.
Admiral Knight Again,
Before the House Naval committee,
Rear Admiral Knight continued today
his recommendations that- every facil
ity in the-country be employed to, has
ten construction of a fleet equal to those
of a.ny two" nations except Great Brit
ain American , policies, such as the
Monroe , Doctrine, ' "Asiatic ; Exclusion,,
Control f theafiarn-3aTIarand the
Open .Door in China, he declared, con
stituted a great and growing -threat of
war unless adequate preparation to up
hold them are made.
Admiral Knight said he believed it
would take two .years and a half to
make the navy efficiency- enough to
meet the present German fleet with any
hope of success. The time limit, hje said,
was the minimum required to build nine
battle cruisers and eight fast scouts.
He said it would take 18 months to put
the ships of the Atlantic fleet in full
active commission, in readiness for
war.
. "Not that we would not make a good
showing against any force in much less
time," he said.
Would Rush Building.
Representative Farr asked if it would
not bfe necessary to begin construction
immediately in all available government
wards, if a number of battle ships were
to be built in a hurry. He called at
tention to published figures stating that
in the last ten years Germany had
built 173 fighting ships, England 252
arid the" United States 64. j
Admiral Knight said he understood i
a sub-committee of the Naval commit-
tee wouldbe narined later to investigate
the subject of ship-building facilities,
public and private. He advised that
the Boston, New York, Philadelphia,
Norfolk, Mare Island and Puget Sound
yards be equipped immediately for
their maximum output of big ships.
Major General Barnett, commander
of the marine corps, followed Admiral
Knight, urging that 150 officers, 52
warrant officers and 2,379 men be add
ed to the corps to bring it up to the
strength advocated by the general
board and approved by Secretary Dan
iels, which is on the basis of one-fifth
of the strength of the navy personnel.
He asked also that the one-fifth stan
dard be Written lnta permanent law,
and. said Secretary Daniels approved
this proposal, although it was an in
crease over what had originally been
asked for by the department.
Service in Haiti.
General Barnett said he had prepar
ed and Secretary "Daniels- would submit
to Congress at once legislation designed
to permit marine officers to accept ser
vice under the Hatien government in
the constabulary, now that the treaty
has been ratified. Fifteen, companies,
already, had been organized, in Haiti,
he said, but thirty-five additional offi
cers for the force were needed. Enough
men had volunteered from the marine
corps, he said, to" provide all the officers
for this duty in that way.
Representatlve Tilson. of the House
Military committee, in an address to
the House ftday, said that while there
were hundreds of . gun and ammunition
factories in operation ' in this country,
none.-but government plants were pre
pared ta produce the weapons and cart
ridges ..needed by the American army.
He introduced a bill to provide for the
manufacture of special tools aijd fix
tures . to t make, the necessary changes
in privately -owned machines at an es
timated cost of $15,000,000 to 120,000,
000. - " v
The Senate Military committee agreed
tentatively today( to amend tha present
volunteer act so that, a third force, ex
clusive of the regular army or the na
tional guard, may be organized in peace
times. In effect, the proposal is to sup
ply ttie authority," Jorf a test ofjthe con
tinental army plan :: advocated by the
president and former Secretary 'Garri
son.. ? A provision with the same end in
view, is now included in. the "Hopse bill.
Members; of the House committee in
reference -to .'federalization "of the na
tfcenal guard, said today that they be
lieved a; constitutional amendment.,
sweeping aside all state Jurisdiction,
would be "necessary to the end. y, ,
INTERNED GERMAN
SHIPS ARE SEIZED
The Italian Government Re
quisitions 34 in Her Ports.
PURPOSE NOT STATED
May Be Italy's Answer to New German
Submarine Policy Allies Need
Merchant Ships In Their.
Business.
London, Feb. 29. It was announced
in the house of" commons today that
the Italian government had requisi
tioned 34 of the 37 German steamers in
terned in Italian, ports.
OF INTEREST TO AMERICA
Much Speculation as to What Italy's
Uffcw Move May Mean
Washington, Feb. 29 Announcement
of Italy's seizure of German ships in
ner waters attracted much attention In
official and diplomatic circles, and in
some quarters the belief wasf expressed
that the seizure was the first of a series
of acts which eventually might lead to
war between . Italy and Germany.
Although diplomatic relations be
tween the two countries have been
broken off, they have not been at war.
What Germany's response to Italy's
action might be diplomats here today
said they were unable to predict.
One of the leading explanations ad
vanced for Italy's action was that she
proposed' to answer the new Germanic
submarine campaign which goes into
effect at midnight by sending German
owned ships to sea to meet the Teu
tonic submersibles. Another explana
tion advanced was that Great Britain,
short of ocean ships from submarine
activities wanted to use the ships in
Italian ports and was urging Italy to
war on Germany.
The ships seized by. Italy are worth
millions of dollars. . A total of 57 Ger
man and Austrian vessels are in Ital
ian ports, 'the Austrian ships having
been seized when Italy declared Tar
on . the dual monarchy. The status of
the German vessels until now has been
the same as that of German vessels
whichremalned in American ports af
ter war. began.'
The allied natie'ns are short of shins
Land transfer oXrjn.jtt vessels- to : the
flag "of '"Italy and their use by the En
tente Allies would do much towards
relieving the , congestion of goods on
American docks awaiting shipments to
the allied countries.',
ANGLO-FRENCH .ANSWER
Will be. Delivered in Immediate Fu
tureSeizure of Mails.
London, Feb. 29. The Anglo-French
answer to the . proetsts of the United
States regarding the seizure of mails
in transLbetween America and Europe
will be dWered-in the immediate fu
ture, according to'ofltcial announcement
tonight. ......
Atlanta, Ga.,' Feb. 291 President Wil
son . today formally consented to the
use of his-name as a candidate for the
presidency by Georgia Democrats in
their selection of delegates to the na
tional convention at St. Louis. The
state coasmittee recently decided that
unless more than one candidate offered
for the presidential nomination, no pri
mary would be held. -
6E
ED AT
HIS HOME IN MEXICO
Grover G. Varn is Murdered
by Villa Bandits.
Reports Received by State Department
and. by Relatives at Valdosta, Ga.
Train Service to Durango
is Discontinued.
Washington, Feb. 29. The murder of
Grover C. Varn,. an American, by Villa
forces, at his home last night, 25 r.f5s
north of Durango, . was reported offi
cially today to the State Department.
No details were given. Advices to the
department today said railway com
munications between Calera and Tor
reon had been indefinitely suspended
or. account of the operations of ban
dits. Another dispatch from Durango said
there had been no train service be-
tween that point and Chihuahua for
nearly two weeks.
Was Hanged, Say Report.
Valdosta, Ga., ' Feb. ' 29. Grover C.
Varn, reported in State Department
dispatches at Washington as having
been murdered by bandits near Duran
go, Mexico, was hanged by them, ac
cording to messages received by mem
bers of his family today. George W.
Varn, a brother, who recently returned
from that section of Mexico, where the
brothers and their father, J. E: Varn,
owned a ranch and mining property, is
preparing to return there to investigate
his brother's deatn
Another American Hanged.'
Torreon, Mexico. Feb. 29. An Ameri
can hotel keeper named Harris -has
been hanged by bandits at Sombreto, in
the state of Zacatecas, it was reported
today...- The dateof the hanging was
not learned. "Harris had lived in Som
breto for forty years.
Bandits, are reported to have looted
the ranch of John. Kramer, an Ameri
can, at Otinopa, west of Durango City.
Kramer with , his American . employees
are-said to have -saved their lives by
hiding. , , f
ORGAN
1
GERMANS MAKING
PREPARATION FOR
FURTHER ADVANCE
Less Activity North of Verdun;
French Using Artillery
to the East
TEUTONS GAIN POINTS
Russians Have Driven Ger
mans Back and Advanced
Their Line Near Dvinsk.
With the lessening of the activity ot
the contending" forces to the north of
Verdun, the French, in the Woevre re
gion east of Verdun are using their
artillery to break bp German prepara
tions for further advances toward the
fortress. At various points the fire o
the French guns has prevented th
Germans from launching offensives.
In the Vosges mountains there also
has been great artillery activity by tha
French near Senones and Ban-De-Sapt,
while near Seppols the Germans have
been driven out of trenches they had
previously taken. In the Champagne
region, the German fortified works" in
the region of Hill No. 193 have been
battered by the French guns, and 'tho
crater of a mine exploded by the Ger
mans was occupied by .the ( French. I
Toe Germans have added several ad
ditional points to their terrain in tha
fighting about Verdun, having been en
abled to construct trenches on. tha
slopes north of the Cote Du Poivre, and
t capture an armored work northwest
of. Douaumont, and have taken tha
towns Manheulles and Champton, tS
miles southeast of Verdun. In this -drive'
to the east to "Verdun, tb.'e ad?anc
of the. ..Germans .has.'. extendiedovrHi -front
Virtually: 12- miles from Dieppe
to -Champton. K
Berlin reports that thus far they
have "taken prisoners '228 officers, 16,
575 men and a large number of guns,
machine guns and much war material.
.ese has been considerable artil-
lery activity an "dnghts Tn the air-, be
tveen battalions of German and British
aviators, along the British front in
France and Belgium. . -
In the Dvinsk region of Russian, the'
Russians have driven the Germans bay;
and advanced their line, and put down
under heavy fire an attempt at a coun
ter attack.
Ercerum Powerfully Defended.
In a lengthy statement in reply -ta
ar. official communication issued from
Constantinople, the Russian general
staff describes the powerful defenses
'which guarded Erzerum, and declares
that the force of the blow dealt by the
Russians can be estimated by the fact
that some of the Turkish army corps
of three divisions each now number
only a few thousand men, all the re
mainder either having perish or been
taken prisoner.
Details are lacking concerning tha
disaster to "the Frenqh auxiliary cruis
er Province, which has been lost in the
Mediterranean. While the French min
istry of marine' estimates the number of
survivors at 87T), no estimate "Js made .
of the casualties.
Germans Claim Progress '
Berlin, Feb. -29," via London. Pro
gress for the Germans in their drive to
wards Verdun in the Woevre distrct.
was announced by the war office today.
The German troops have passed Dieppe,
Abaucourt and Blanchee, . nd also hav
taken Manhuelles and Champion.
French Auxiliary Cruiser Sunk.
Paris, Feb. 29, via London Tha
auxiliary French cruised Provence was
sunk in the Mediterrannean last Satur
day, it was officially announced today.
At Malta 296 survivors have been land
ed Evacuating Trebizond.
London, Feb. 29. ' A Central News
dispatch from Petrograd says the
Turks are hastily evacuating Trebi
zond and the neighboring towns on the
Black sea coast of the Cucasus regieu.
"FANTASTIC DESTRUCTION." "
Situation Where Germans Have Gained
Ground Near Verdun.
Berlin, via London, Feb. 29. The
correspondents of the Berlin newspa
pers who were permitted on Sunday to
visit the ground gained by the Ger
mans in the Verdun conflict, describe
the effect of the German artillery Are
on the village of Haumont as having
left a unitfue picture of fantastic de-.
struction. The same was true of the
town of Brabant. )
The correspondents .assert that the
French field artillery was so over
whelmed by the Germans that it was
frequently unable to make itself dan
gerous. The French long range guns
were doing their -. best to keep Fort
Dpuaumont smothered in a rain of
shells after five attempts by the French,
to recapture it had failed.
NEW, RULE OF SUBMARINE V
WARFARE PUT INTO- EFFECT
Berlin, Feb. 28, via London, Feb.
29 (Delayed) .The - Associated
Press is informed -, by - Germany's'
leading statesmen that the new rule
of submarine warfare, whiel was
announced in the German memoran
dum regarding the future .treatment
' of armed merchantmen t. will posi
tively, be put into effect at midnight
of tomorrow, Tuesday, February:
29. . - "V ' ' '
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