Newspapers / Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, … / Jan. 30, 1923, edition 1 / Page 1
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Weather Cloudy Today and Rain Wednesday FOUNDED A. D. 1867, 10 Pages f Average Circulation 8,000 OLDEST DAILY IN THE STATE. WILLIAMS TO DIE IN CHAIR MARCH 1; SOLDIERS ESCORT DESPERADO TO WILMINGTON Slayer of Fair Bluff Officer*5 Presented, Arraigned and Convicted in Less Than Nine Hours BAYONETS keep crowd at station at bay >egr0 Offers Little Defense, Ex cept Arguments of Counsel; Makes Scathing Address to jurv__Congressman Homer Lvon Chief Counsel For Accused Outlaw—Whiteville Qniet With Departure of W. I I. From Guard Duty—Ar rival of Troops Sunday Night Prevented Serious Outbreak By I, A MONT SMITH Staff Correspondent WHITEVILLE. Jan. 29.—Bob Wil notorious New Hanover bandit. ;ft lu,re ;t; 10 o'clock tonight on the f it lec of his journey to the electric .U, in which he was tonight sen die, March 1, for the murder V ?p,c:ai Officer Bradley C.ribb, at Fair Bluff, last Thursday night. Surrounded by a detachment of the wnmingion Light infantry, the outlaw “ placed on board the Atlantic Coast r-w train for Wilmington, where he VVii[ be kept until 3:40 tomorrow morn . iTuesdavi when he will be carried ti-r- death cell at Raleigh. A solid ring of bayonets forced back | ,.row-ds surrounding the waiting r;;om door at the station, and Williams I i nvih-e along with the aid of crutches, bubbled slowly to tne car siejjo. The crowd was insistent, but ap reare'l more curious than hostile. Til,, finai chapter in the desperado s vTlcnt career was written this after noon and tonight behind the White ,, i i1 are cl portico of the Columbus county courthouse, while guardsmen with (Ted havonets stood at strategic posi ,ions about the building and three hu=kv militiamen sat with gleaming bayonets resting on either side of the little city of WhitevllJe has returned to normalcy after “ hours of seething turmoil wh-ch only the arrival of the military prevented £rnm biasing into an inferno^of '1 The Trial of Williams sets a record in court historv in Columbus county. The indictment charging him with th^mur j,,.. of Crihb was presented ,to the grand jury at H o'clock and the tru« toll was returned to the court at . • Williams was arraigned at 2.30 this aft.-rnoon and entered a plea of not F Judge N'. A. Sinclair, presiding at the present session of court, appointed Homer Ij. I,von. congressman from the sixth district; Donald McCracken and Knox Proctor, law partner of District Attorney Irvin B. Tucker, to defend the bandit. , Solicitor Woodus Kellum represented ] the state which closed its case shortly i before 5 o'clock. The defense offered | very little evidence. McCracken and j Proctor addressed the Jury briefly ask ing that justice be done. The nearest either approached to re questing mercy was the plea of Proctor that the jury return a verdict of mur der in the second degree. Solicitor Kellum. in a scorching denunciation of the negro, demanded the full penalty of the law be invoked. The Jury re ceived the <*ase at 8 o'clock and re turned a verdict of guilty after 15 minute*;’ deliberation. Williams sat stiocally throughout the hearing, his face betraying not the slightest inter- , est in the proceedings. He seemed | more like a wild beast a-t bay than a man on trial for his life. j There was but one bint of violence j "■•day, that came early this morning i tv hen Williams was led into the court 1 room by a squad of soldiers. the ' negro took his seat in the dock some- i "tie in the audience yelled, “Lynch him,” but the speaker was quickly pp-zed by the soldiers and ejected from !-he court room. ! There was evident tonight, however, ! an undercurrent of unrest while the .’’try deliberated briefly on the case; there were* low mumblings which even :iu- presence of the military did not en tirely assuage and fears were ex pro«s*»d that an outbreak would follow thf rr-tuvning of any other verdict save first degree murder. Only the arrival f'r rap;. R. s. McClelland and his ^ ■ h 1. last night ss.ved the life of Williams, in the opinion of county of A mol. of 500 men was gathering: in flip outskirts of the town when the automobiles bearing the troops whizzed trough the long street between Vine land and Whiteville at 10 o’clock. A rf,r(jon of guardsmen was quickly ’brow r- about the jail and all automo hl|f-s and pedestrians were stopped by ’be soldiers and the streets absolutely reared. Twenty-four hours earlier ^beriff .1 q. Ammons and Jailer XjOuIs i'l'ivf-y had single-handed beaten back mob Of xnn men that rushed the jaK '’‘'-••re Williams was confined. With '!ra\vri revolvers the sheriff and jailer av.;;*t«i the attacking wave Hi the jail '•'urd ■„ nd firmly refused to evacuate, bor half an hour the issue hung in balance; then the mob, evidently vi’bout a leader, sullenly gave way, b’Jt hung in the vicinity of the jail. 'A hej, Hip soldiers arrived last night ,!’“V f!>"'id the sheriff on the verge of 'u.rtupt jon from lack of sleep and the '• •’V r,‘ rn for a more successful attack ’h“ -minty bastile. V); . r-,r Kellum, who also arrived ’ ’I" , afternoon, found a tense sit 1,1 that demanded quick attention. at wired Governor Morrison, v'1'- ;><k.*d if it were not possible to sr>u*it. ii,R prisoner to some other co,,nty, to which Mr. Kellum responded ’bat. ai| roads were blocked. Hip order for the mobilization of rnp militia followed lmpiedHitely^ aPtain McClelland conferred ’with Ad t Continued Jfn Pag a Two.) Bandit Stops Here En Route to Raleigh Bob Williams, guarded by a de tachment of the Wilmington Light infantry, arrived here shortly after midnight from Whiteville, where he was last night convicted of the slay ing of Special Officer Bradley Cribl. of Fair Bluff, and sentenced by Judge N. A. Sinclair to die in the electric chair March 1. Williams was in the custory of Sheriff J. O. Ammons, of Columbus county. He will be carried to Raleigh on the 3:40 train this morning. Also is en route to Raleigh from Whiteville is James Fergus, who is being carried to the state hospital. Ho is insane following an attack of influenza. SENATE APPROVES MORRISON’S CHOICE TO SUCCEED WATTS Vote is Unanimous; Tick Eradi cation Bill Introduced in Upper House EXTEND TIME FOR LEVYING TAX PENALTY RALEIGH, Jan. 29.—By unanimous vote the senate tonight confirmed the appointment of R. A. Doughton, mem ber of the house from Alleghany coun ty, by Governor Morrison to succeed Colonel A. D. Watts, resigned as state commissioner of revenue. Bill of statewide application introduc ed tonight in the senate Include a measure submitted by Senator John son of the second district “to provide for tick eradication in North Carolina," and carrying aTyappropflatfen■ of- -1(^1-' 000 » year for three years to augment $30,000 yearly from a federal fund. . Senator Sartftt, of Forsyth, Introduced a bill which would require the regis tration of facts about the amount, in terest date, date of maturity and other data concerning all county, township, school districts, municipality or special tax district bonds issued, with the state auditor. From Senator D. A. McDonald, of Moore county, comes a measure intro duced tonight which would provide for the taxation of a purchaser for real estate's equity only in property for which he paid part cash and part notes secured by mortgage. The vendor would be taxed on the face value of his mortgage and the mortgage so taxed would be exempt from taxation as solvent credits. By request, Senator Charles U. Har ris, of Wake county, Introduced the bill sponsored, according to the in troducer, by the National Reform League of New York, and the Russell Sage Foundation, “to regulate loans of less than $300,’” which would limit the total charges on such loans, in cluding interest to 3 1-2 per cent monthly. Without discussion the senate under suspended rules, passed the statute ex tending the time for the addition of a penalty to 1922 taxes from February 1 to May 1, and following general de bate much of it against the measure, by a vote of 26 to 13, enacted for Buncombe and Madison counties a speed law carrying a minimum fine of $50 for a defendant proved to have driven at a speed of 35 miles or more an hour. , , , Local bills were the only class of legislation considered in the house and the public calendars* went again until tomorrow. One public bill, however, was passed on its second and third reading. This bill, introduced by Rep resentative King, of Guilford county, would provide that the time for penal ties on uncollected taxes of 1922 be extended from February 1 to May 1 pending passage of the general revenue A bill introduced by Representative Wade, of New Hanover county would _uiutt tup marriage of persons of the white race to persons of Mongoli an races in the state. Durham Comes Forth With Three Million Offer For College DURHAM, Jan. 29.—In an effort to bring- about establishment of a North Carolina medical college, citizens of Durham, at a mass meeting tonight, offered resolutions containing a plan in which an offer of endowment up to $3,500,000 is included. a.DUU.UUU IB liiviuu™. .... , The plan complete^ as provided kn^the solu resolution, is that Durham will tender the use of the Watts hospital, white, and the Lincoln hospital, negro, for the college: the Durham chamber of com merce undertakes to raise $500,000 with which to erect building for tl^e college; John Sprunt Hill will give 28 acres of land for the college and Durham will offer to match dollars witn the state on endowment at any figure up to $3, 500,000. The resolution provides that the state furnish $50,000 annually for mainten ance of the college and Increase the amount of the appropriation to $200, 000 annually if ever needed. The plan will be submitted to the university trus tee* at their next meeting* INVESTIGATION OF STATES FINANCES MAY BE DEMANDED Apparent Conflict in Reports of State Officials May Bring on a Fight _ bala'nce is shown BY BUDGET REPORT Treasurer Shows a Deficit of Something Like Two Million Dollars Morning Star Bureau, 312 Tucker Building. By BROCK BARKLEY RALEIGH, Jan. 29.—Finding in the apparently conflicting reports of the budget commission and the state treas urer possible material for a demogoglc jewel, anti-admfnistrationists were lay ing the ground work today to feature the fifth week of the general assem bly with a move for a legislative in vestigation of the state’s financial con dition. oucu an investigation mignt lurnisu the basis for unfavorable advertising of the administration and therefore it would be highly desirable in some quarters. Just now, however, the move ment seems confined to influences out side the legislature, so the possibility of the law-makers furnishing the cov eted material appears remote. The budget commission reported a surplus of two and one-half million dollars. The state treasurer reported a current deficit of approximately one million eight hundred thousand dol lars. The budget commission was mak ing up the assets of the state; the treasurer was looking at the cash books as it stood on the date of his re port. The dope is there, without a deeper analysis of the actual situation, to stir- up dissention. And if pressure rfi?puM, tjir.n the 4rick, thg.. general _as sVmMy "rftlg’h't" Inquire Wto the 'thing. The budget commission’s surplus could be easily found in the “anticipated rev enue" from taxes due, but before - this point was clearly brought out the bad advertising could have played its part. As a matter of fact, the taxes due for 1922 would make up the treasurer’s deficit and create the surplus, but these taxes will nt have been collected in their entirety until March 15, the time fixed by law as the last day for pay ments. When they are all collected, in accordance with legal provision, there will be the surplus rather than the de ficit. In making up Its report the budget commission naturally had to figure on the taxes due for 1922, but collectable in the spring of 1923, which is within the fiscal year of 1922, for the state. In making out the treasurer's report, however, only the actual cash turnel over on the date of the report could be listed so that a balance with the budget commission’s report could not be effected and would not be expected The budget commission’s report of a two and a half million dollar sur plus stands as the actual financial status of the state because “anticipated revenues" will be for the coming with the collection of the Income and other taxes for the fiscal year 1922. The treasurer's report makes it clea,* that when the taxes for 1922 are col lected the deficit will have been made up, but that does not keep those who seek to discredit the administration from advertising the deficit which is a situation that arises constantly with the state just as it does with private enterprises. The budget commission’s report, which reports the surplus the state will have at the end of this tax col lection period, was signed by Senator L. R. Varsar, chairman of the senate finance committee; former Senator Mc Coln, of Henderson; the new secretary of state. W. N. Everett, and former Senator Lewar, the minority member of the commission, and a graduate of the United States naval academy. Supreme Court Hears Appeal of Ira Harrison COLUMBIA, S. C„ Jan. 29.—The state supreme court today heard argu ments in the appeal of Ira Harrison, sentenced to death for the murder of J. C. Arnett here, from the order of Associate Justice T. P. Cothran, which refused to grant a stay of execution for the defendant. The appeal from this order was taken to the entire court with the permission; of Justice Cothran. Attorney Earnard B. Evans argued the case for Harrison. The court took the argument under ad visement. IN THE LEGISLATURE (By the Associated Press.) The senate, in executive session, con firmed the appointment of Representa tive R. A. Doughton, of Alleghany county, to the office of state commis sioner of revenue. A bill passed the house to extend the time limit on 1922 tax penalties from February 1 to May 1. Public calendars in both houses went over until tomorrow because of the limited number of members in each house. Representative Wade, of New Han nover county, introduced a bill In the house to provide that no persons of the white race should marry Mongolians 1 in North Carolina. WATTS AS COLLECTING FORCE! Resignation Accepted and ernor Names R/A. Doug ’ ton as Successor THE COMMISSIONER FACES UGLY CHARGE Warrant Issued Against the Colonel in Which Immoral ity is Charged RALEIGH, Jan. 29.— (By Associated Press.)—-Gov. Cameron Morrison re ceived anti accepted the resignation of Col. A. D. Watts, state commissioner of revenue, and appointed Representative R. A. Doughton, of Alleghany county, to succeed to the office, it was an-i nounced at the governor's office late today. , The announcement of the resignation of Colonel Watts was made following the issuance of a warrant this after noon by local police authorities charg ing him with aiding and abetting im moral conduct. Mr. Watts, according I to the police, was found in his rooms here last night with a negro woman who was cited to anpear in city court on Saturday on a charge of immoral conduct. A negro man and a negro woman also were cited to appear in court next Saturday to answer to charges growing out of the raid. The negroes were arrested last night and were released without^ bond. !\j,r. Doughton will assure the dutier of the office tomorrow, sitting tonight for the last time as a member of the house, in which he has served for over a quarter of a century. i Colonel Watts requested that his res- I ignation become effective immediately, | stating the affairs or His office were in j good shape and ready to be turned over | to his successor. It is understood ha j was offered today an executive posi tion with one of the largest banking houses In the state, The raid on the commissioner's quar ters occurred about 9 o’clock last night and this afternoon warrants were is sued charging him with "aiding and a betting" prostitution. The woman, with another negress and negro man. who were found in an adjoining room, ivere placed under arrest Immediately after the raid, but were later released without bond. The mulatto, Grace Grantham, is charged -with prostitu tion. Robert McDuffie and Kina Bailey I are charged with soliciting. The cases ‘ will be heard Saturday. j Colonel Watts was appointed com-' missioner of revftgi Governor Mor-j rlson tarlji :ln 19*1,' foHaw4jig ..a'm--t-B‘S ' tensive campaign for the place against I Allen J. Maxwell, of the corporation commission. His record as an official, while politically assailed on several occasions, is generally looked upon as above, reproach. The Raleigh News and Observer, which scored the "scoop," has fought him persistently without much appar ent effect. Efforts were said to have been made through a pefsonal appeal to Josephu3 (Continued on Page Two.) j DELEGATES SEEK JO AVERT BREAK #IN PEACE PARLEY '$?_ ^Negotiations Now Underway to Minimize Chances When Treaty is Presented DRAFT OF PACT IS EXPECTED TOMORROW Allies Present Solid Front But French and Italians Not to Sign “Ultimatum” LAUSANNE, Jan. 29.— (By the As sociated Press.)—Constructive in fluences are being: "brought to bear on the various delegations at the near east conference to reduce to a mini mum the chances of a rupture of the conference Wednesday when the allied draft of the proposed treaty of peace is officially submitted to the Turks. Although the allied front still remains unbroken there are clear in dications that France and Italy as least, will not subscribe to any pro ceedings having the ring of an ul timatum to the Turks when the treaty draft is handed them. As for the Turks, they are begin ning to show evidences of despair. The treaty was presented privately to them today. It consists of more than 150 typewritten page.s and contains many clauses to which they are absolutely opposed, and many others, inserted at the last minute, which they say they are unable to undestand. If the Ottoman delegation returns an answer Wednesday, which will per mit further negotiations on the vital, essential clauses, it seems likely that the French and Italian delegations will be ready to remain in Lausanne for a limited period even if Marquis Curzon adheres to his announced pro gram of leaving Friday night. Lord Curzon’s departure is deemed quite justified tn view of the impera tive duties calling him to London, but it is beleved the representatves of the other allies will hesitate to abandon the conference while there is still hope of reacihng an accord. The idea of an adjournment is be coming repugnant. It is pointed out that such a step might well be inter preted as a rupture and that despite the terms of the Mudanian armistice, this would open the possibility for re newal of hostilities from even the con sideration of which all Europe shrinks. Richard Washburn Child, chief American spokesman at the confer ence, is filling an important role in AJ’Op Present attempts to reconcile the tWKwbf Uve va>rluua-4eiegsUtoa».e->« A delicate situation at Lausanpe and alarming possibilities are liable to fol low a brusque rupture of the confer ence; this is further emphasized by reports relating to the movement of troops and threatened troop move ments. Turkey and Russia were alleged to have already signed a speci al accord whereby Russia would hasten to the aid of Turkey in the event of resumption of hostilities and occupy Mesopotamia, wresting this disputed territory from the British. McKellar Wants Administration To Demand Disvowal By British Government of Baldwin Charges Alleges Statement of Chancellor of Exchequer, on Arrval in London, Reflection of American People DEBT COMMISSIONERS LIKENED TO PUTTY Britisher Said to' Have Termed Congress as Constituted of the Ignorant Class WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.—The admin istration was called upon by Senator McKellar, Democrat. Tuesday, speak ing in the senate today, to make “im mediate demand upon the British gov ernment to disavow the statements of its “chancellor of the exchequer cast ing aspersions upon the American sen ate and the American house of repre sentatives and upon American people, and lastly upon the American debt funding commission.’’ The Tennessee senator read the statement given out Saturday by the ^onpaiinr Sta.nl ev Baldwin, i upon arriving in England, and said if [ Mr. Baldwin had “exhibited the same elements of sordid parsimony and ut tered the same crude attacks upon the American people and the American con gress while he was here, then the American debt funding commission should not have treated with him at all." “The British people,” said Senator McKellar, “have always been a debt paying people, and it is Inconceivable to me that these self-respecting, these contract observing people, will permit one of their own number to utter these uncalled for, untrue and discourteous words toward the American people and American representatives.” Continuing, Senator McKellar asked: “Where is the great Ambassador Harvey? Why does he not raise his voice in behalf of his government and the American people? Has he lost his voice permanently? He never seems to be on hand when something real is going on.” The Tennessee senator’s attack was the first outbreak in either house of congress on the Baldwin statement, but rumblings of resentment have been heard in various quarters at the capitol since its publication. Senator McKellar quoted Mr. Bald win’s statement that the “debt can be (Continued on Page Two.) MISSING WITNESS BACK IN BASTROP Harold Teegerstrom Says he Left Morehouse Voluntary and Not Under Pressure MONROE, La . Jan, 29.—Harold Tee Igerstrom, timekeeper at the Spyke" j plant of the Southern Carbon company, who disappeared the night of Decem ber 29, shortly before the state’s open hearing into activities of masked men ] in Morehouse parish began at Bastrop, suddenly appeared here today and an nounced that he was back home to stay i Federla and state officials had con ducted an intensive search for Tee gerstrom in- order that he might' tes ! tify at the Bastrop hearing. • ! Immediately after It became known to the attorney general at New Orlean:; ; that Teegerstrom had returned, Sheriff | Carpenter, of Morehouse parish, was | instructed to arrest him as a material i witness in connection with the forth coming grand jury investigation into I the Morehouse situation, which culmi ! nated August 24, last, in the kidnaping of Watt Daniel and T. F. Richard, whose bodies were found December 22 in Lake Da Fourche. Teegerstrom was called from his bed on December 29 and was missing the next day. Two days later he appeared at the home of Henry Jones, near Bas trop, said he had been called into his yard, had seen an automobile filled I with strangers and fearing harm, fled. He borrowed $40 and a suit of clothes from Jones and disappeared. Teegerstrom's brother testified at the Bastrop hearing that he had re I celved, January 12, a note from Harold stating that he was all right' and would appear at the proper time and testify for “Mr. Jeff.” The brother explained that “Mr. Jeff” was T. Jeff Burnett, an employe the carbon plant, who now is at liberty under $5,000 bail after having been arrested on a murder charge in connection with the slaying of Daniel and Richard. f Teegerstrom said today that he went away voluntarily and that neither the state nor federal officers nor the Kn Klux Klan was aware of his where abouts. RUHr VALLEY IS CENSORSHIP ESI STRIKE CONTE ARTICLE 10 FORMS BASIS OF COUNCIL DEBATE FIRST DAY With Opening of Paris Meeting This Section of League Cov enant is Taken up DECISION TO DROP CLAUSE POSTPONED No Action to be Taken Until Member-Nations Can Offer Suggestions 'PARIS, Jan. 29.—(By the Associated Press.) The council of the league of nations, which began its session at the residence of Leon Bourgeois this morn ing, occupied itself promptly with one of the oldest and most familiar sub jects on its agenda, “Article 10” of the league of nations covenant, and once again put off a decision whether or not it shall be eliminated from the coven ant until the states, members of the league, can send in any suggestions they may have concerning the Can adian proposal to amend the covenant by striking out the article or modify ing it by introducing an interpretative clause. This was the first meeting of the council since the last assembly of the league of nations gave the small states a majority in it, and the representatives of some of the big minority states came to Paris for the session with some ap prehension a* to the announced aggres siveness of the new members on such important subjects among others, as the Ruhr and reparations generally. Conferences between the members of the council prior to the session, how ever, dissipated these fears; and when Rene Viviani, who presided, called the council to order, it was practically cer tain that no radical move would be made by any new member. If the Ruhr is mentioned during this session, it will be only with the view of announcing that the league of na tions is ready to undertake negotia tions for a settlement of the reparation controversy whenever the interested powers ask-fhe’council T'l^ The' OoutfFtdd^y deemed -to-asfk the governments of states belonging to the league of nations to send in before July 1, their suggestions as to the Can adian proposal to amend Article 10 of the league covenant. One of the amend ments would provide that when it Is necessary to have recourse to Article 10, account should be taken of the geographical situation and the political condition of the states concerned, An other proposed amendment would add to the article the following paragraph: “The opinion given by the -council in 1 such cases shall be regarded as of the \ highest importance and shall be taken 1 into consideration by all members of j the league, who shall use their utmost' endeavors to conform to the conclu- ; sions of the council. But no member! shall be under obligation to engage in ] any active war without the consent of , its parliament, legislature or other rep- j resentative body.” : As soon as the council receives the j opinions of the members of the league ; it will compile and refer them to the judicial authorities for the preparation 1 for a report to the nekt assembly. Article 10 of the covenant of the I league of nations is as follows: “The members of the league under take to respect and to preserve as against external aggression the terri- | torial integrity and existing political , independence of all members of the j league. In cash of any such aggres sion or in case of any threat or danger I of such aggression the council (or the ! league of nations) shall advise upon the ! means by which this obligation shall be j fulfilled.” * i Police Are Unable to Establish Motive For Double Slaying MEMPHIS, Tern., Jan. 29.—Whether revenge, robbery, jealousy or some other motive prompted the slaying of _,lrs. Buth McElwain Tucker, 20, and Duncan Waller, 19, salesman for a Mayfield, Ky„ manufacturing concern, found shot to death on a highway near i Berclalr, a suburb of Memphis, early yesterday, still was unsolved tonight fter two days of investigation and the questioning of a dozen or more Developments today Included the de tention of a negro for several hours, but he was released when he estab lished a satisfactory alibi. Evidence also was presented to the police in support of a theory that the young woman was mistreated before she was shot. The supposition that robbery was at least one of the motives was strength ened by the disappearance of several diamond rings which Mrs. Tucker wore and $90 in money which Waller is said to have had in his wallet. t Waller’s body was found seated at the steering wheel of the automobile in which! he and the young woman left Memphis Saturday night for a ride while that of Mrs. Tucker was lying on the ground in a field about 20 feet from the car. The moist ground indi cated that she had struggled with her assailant or assailants and a number of footprints were found in the road way near the point where the car was standing when a passing milk man dis covered the_bodies yesterday morning. A discharged cartridge from an auto matic pistol, found fn the tonneau of the automobile, gave the police one clue on which they worked today, but so far as can be ascertained, without definite result. ISOLATED WITH [ABLISHED; RAIL HUES EFFECTIVE Berlin Out of Touch With Essen and Other Rhineland Points; Telephone and Postal Ser vices Crippled FRENCH ENGAGED IN SYSTEMATIC ARRESTS German Officials, State and Municipal, Are Taken Into Custody and Expelled For Re fusing to Obey Orders of the French; Number of Papers Are Ordered to Suspend Pub lication; Poincare Says Troops Will be Withdrawn Only When Reparations Are Paid PARIS, Jan. 29-(By The Asso ciated Press).—-Twenty Germans are reported to have been killed today wheji French soldiers were obliged to use their arms to pro tect themselves during a violent nationalist demonstration at Bop pard, near Bingen, says the lScho de Paris. The newspaper says it has been Impossible to obtain con firmation of the report on account of Interruption of c^nnmnifRtlon with the Rhineland. It is asserted the demonstration was caused by the arrest of the burgomaster of Boppard. (By The Associated Press) The Ruhr valley is virtually isolated and communication for the most part is cut off and a censorship has been es tablished. Berlin was out of touch with Essen and other Rhineland points after 3 o’clock Monday evening. • The railroad strike is in full swing and the telephone and postal services are badly crippled. The French authorities are engaged in the systematic arrest and expulsion of German officials, state and munici pal, for refusal to obey orders. A num ber of papers in the occupied territory have been suspended by order of th»j Rhineland high commission for brief periods for the publication of preju dicial articles. The British parliamentary labor party wants parliament convoked ear lier than February 13 so that the sit uation arising out of Franco-Belgian oeeupation of the Ruhr may be given full consideration.. Premier Poincare announces ipc&pk Ruhr until * reparations are paid, but ' no ^longer. Fritz Thyssen, who is in Berlin, an nounces that “the people of the Ruhr form a compact unit in their deter mination to resist French encroach ments. and under no circumstances will they give in.” The council of the league of nations which is holding sessions at Paris, will take no part in the Ruhr controversy beyond assisting in a settlement if re quested by the interested powers. PARIS, Jan. 29.— (By The Associated Press),—The resistance that the French are now meeting from the Ger mans in the Ruhr would have been en countered at the end of a moratorium, had one been granted, a high official of the French foreign office declared to night. Furthermore, the moratorium would have facilitated military prepa rai.o?i on the part of Germany as well as the economic interests of that country, consequently the French would have been in a much worse position than they are today. “We have lanced an abscess,” he continued, "and we shall stick by the case until it is thoroughly cleaned and healed.” There is an air of areal confidence in official circles that favorable results will follow tlvc action in the Ruhr. Even the closing of French blast fur naces because of the lack of'coke is looked upon as merely a necessary and temporary - inconvenience that must he suffered in order to attain the end In view. It was said by a high official this afternoon that the leaders of the iron industry had been consulted, on this question and that they had all agreed they would rather draw their fires now than see all hopes of collecting the reparations due France fade away. There is far greater uneasiness around French official quarters over •the situation in Asia Minor and Mcmel than in the Ruhr, it is stated. BERLIN. Jan. 29.—(By The Asso ciated Press).—The government's latest advices from Essen this afternoon in dicate rigorous procedure on the part of the French and Belgians throughout the Occupied zone, where wholesale ar rests of German officials are taking piac*\ which are promptly followed by strikes in all branches of the govern mental service. The telegraph, tele phone and postal employes at Essen walked out in a body as a protest against the arrest of six officials who tn arrede to French orders.. The newspapers were also informed that previous liberty of expression had ceased and were threatened with sum mary punishment if they resumed edi torial attacks on and criticism of t,be occupation authorities. The paralysis of rail traffic continues to increase all along the line. Official o.uarters in Berlin have been cut off from all communication with Essen and other Ruhr points since S o’clock this afternoon. COBLENZ. Jan. 29.— fBy The Asso ciated -Press).—Seven of the most in fluential newspapers in the occupied territory have been ' ordered by the • Rhineland high commission tq suspend^ for periods ranging from one to teiy days for publication of articles deemed prejudicial to public-order. / In addition a number of German newspapers printed in unoccupledyber many are forbidden the right to/Circu late in the Jthineland for period# rang ing from one to three monthg/ u ta An order for the tiermanrcivu i thorities throughout the Rhineland (Continued on Page/Two.)
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Jan. 30, 1923, edition 1
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