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PUBLISHED EVERY rVlONDVS AND THURSDAY
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GREENSBORO, N'C, MOJJDAY, MAY 17, 1915
VOL. 94 NO. 39
WILSON DEMANDS tTHAT GERMANY POT
AN END TO SUBMARINE BARBARITIES
In Words of Steel Clothed in
Up Sea Outrages With
Full Reparation
Approval of
president Wilson's note to the
German government calling atten
ion "to the grave situation which
has resulted" from violation of
American rights on the high seas,
culminating in the sinking of the
Lusitania with a los of more than
!00 American lives, was presented
by Ambassador Gerard to the Ger
man foreign office in Berlin Satur-
da-v-
The communication expresses the
confident expectation of the United
States "that the imperial German
government will disavow the acts of
which the government of the United
States complains; that they will
make reparation, so far as repara
tion is possible, for injuries which
are without measure, and that thejr
will take immediate steps to prevent
the recurrence of anything so ob
viously subversive of the principles
of warfare for which the imperial
German government in the past so
wisely and so firmly contended."'
The note makes America champion
of humanity and guardian of the
sacred freedom of the seas." It ad
vises Germany firmly that the
T'nited States will no longer tolerate
her present policy of attacking mer
chantmen with submarines, because
it is impossible to guard the lives of
neutral passengers.
Full reparation is demanded for
the lives of those who went to the
bottom with the Lusitania, the Gul
flight and the Falaba, coupled "with
the positive announcement that ex
cuses will not be accepted by the
United States if there should bea re
currence of these attacks.
Brute force will not be allowed to
interfere with the inalienable right
of American citizens to travel the
high seas upon peaceful missions.
In its conclusion, the note states
that the "imperial German govern
ment will not expect the government
of the United States to omit any
word or any act necessary to the per
formance of its sacred duty of main
taining the rights of the United
States and its citizens and of safe
guarding their free exercise and en
joyment." The dignified, conservative and
firm position assumed by President
Wilson has met with the practically
unanimous approval of the American
people. Leading newspapers and pub
lic men of all shades of political
opinion are enthusiastic in their
commendation of the president's
stand.
The President's Communication.
The full text of the note follows:
'In view of recent acts of the
German authorities in violation of
American rights on the high seas,
'hich culminated in the torpedoing
and sinking of the British steamer
Lusitania on May 7, 1915, by which
over one hundred American citizens
tost their lives, it is clearly wise and
desirable that the government .of the
United States and the imperial gov
ernment should come to a clear and
full understanding as to the grave
situation which has resulted.
' The sinking of the British pas
seRer steamer Falaba by a German
submarine on March 28, through
wr.;ih Leon C. Thrasher, an Ameri
can citizen, was drowned; the attack
n April 2S on the American vessel
( -u: .ins; by a German aeroplane; the
Torrr (loins on May 1 of the American
vess
rir. .
mo.-dean
-J
tar--
1 Gulflight by a German subma
a result of which two or
American citizens met their
nd. finally, the torpedoing
linking of the steamship Lusi
!;nstitute a series of events
1 'i e government of the United
'is observed with growing
r'i. distress and amazement.
billing the humane and en
' t (vl attitude hitherto assumed
i i i i I . r r i o 1 German government
:ttrs of international right,
'' !1 t'-cularly with regard to the
'I'l )t' the St3S- lmvinir loarnoH
on
MS
ffC-f-;
f,-ni7e the German vAxS'
anct
i.du uinuenee on tne neia or
National obligation , as always
lium UPn the sile of justice and
thp .amty: and having understood
struction of the imperial Ger-
Velvet the President Takes
Berlin and Asks For
Meets Hearty
the Public.
man government to its naval com
manders to be upon the same plane
of humane action prescribed by the
naval codes of other nations, the
government of the United States was
loath to believe
itself to believe-
-it cannot now bring
-that these acts, so
absoluteJy contrary to the rules, the
practices and the spirit of modern
warfare could have the countenance
or sanction of that grett govern
ment. It feels it to be its duty,
therefore, to address the imperial
German government concerning them
with the utmost frankness and in
the earnest hope that it is not mis
taken in expecting action on the
part of the imperial German govern
ment which will correct the unfor
tunate impressions which have been
created and vindicate once more the
position of that government with re
gard to the sacred freedom of the
seas.
No Rights Are Surrendered.
"The government of the United
States has been apprised that the im
perial government considered them
selves to be obliged by the extraor
dinary circumstances of the present
war and the measures adopted by
their adversaries in seeking to cut
Germany off from all commerce to
adopt methods of retaliation which
go beyond the ordinary methods of
warfare at sea, in the proclamation
of a war zone from-which they have
warned neutral ships to keep away
This "government has already taken
occasion to inform the imperial Ger
man government that it cannot aa
mit the adoption of such measures
or such a warning of danger to oper
ate as in any degree an abbreviation
of the rights of American shipmas
ters or of American citizens bound
on lawtui errands as passengers or
merchant ships of ' belligerent na
tionality; and that it must hold the
imperial lierman government to a
strict accountability for any in
fringement of those rights, inten
tional or incidental. It does not un
derstand the imperial German gov
eminent to question those rights. It
assumes, on the contrary, that the
imperial German government ac
cept, as of course, the rule that the
lives tf non-combatants, whether
they be of neutral citizenship of citi
zens of one of, the nations at war,
cannot lawfully or rightfully be put
in jeopardy by the capture or de
struction of an unarmed merchant
man and recognize also, as all other
nations do, the obligation to take the
usual precaution of visit and search
to ascertain whether, a suspected
merchantman is in fact of belliger
ent nationality or is in fact carrying
non-contraband of war under a neu
tral flag.
Submarine Attacks Inhuman.
"The government of the United
States, therefore, desires to call the
attention of the imperial German
government with the utmost earn
estness to the fact that the objection
to their present method of attack
against the trade of their enemies
lies in the practi6al impossibility of
employing submarines in the de
struction of commerce without dis
regarding those rules of fairness,
reason, justice and humanity which
an modern opinion regards as im
perative. It is practically impossi
ble for the officers of a submarine
to visit a merchantman at sea and
examine her papers and cargo. It is
practically impossible for them to
make a prize of her; and, if they
cannot put a prize crew on board
of her, they cannot sink her without
leaving her crew and all on board o
her to the mercy of the sea in her
small boats. These facts it is un
derstood the imperial German gov
ernment frankly admit. We are in
formed that in the instances of
which we have spoken time, enough
for even that poor measure of safety
was not given, and in at least two
of the cases cited not so much as
warning was received. Manifestly
submarines cannot be used against
merchantmen, as the last few weeks
have shown, without an inevitable
violation of many sacred principles
of justice and '"humanity; "
within
taking
their indisputable rights in
their ships and in traveling wherever
their legitimate business calls them
upon the high seas, and exercise
those rights in what should be the
well-justified confidence that their
lives will not be endangered by acts
done in clear violation of universally
acknowledged international obliga
tions,, and certainly in the confidence
that their own government will sus
tain them in the exercise of their
rights.
Newspaper Warning Irregular.
"There was recently published in
the .newspapers of the United States,
regret to inform the imperial Ger
man government, a formal warning,
purporting to come from the impe
rial German embassy at Washington,
addressed to the people of the United
States and stating, in effect, that any
citizen of the United States who ex
ercised his right of free travel upon
the seas would do so at his peril, if
his journey should take him within
the zone of waters within which the
imperial German navy was using
submarines against the commerce of
Great Britain and France, notwith
standing the respectful but very
earnest protest of his government,
the government f the United States.
I do not refer to this for the purpose
of calling the attention of the im
perial government at this time to the
surprising irregularity of a com
munication from the imperial Ger
man embassy at Washington, ad
dressed to the people of the United
States through the newspapers, but
only for the purpose of pointing out
that no warning that an unlawful
and inhumane act will be commit
ted can possibly be accepted as an
excuse or palliation for that act or
as an abatement of the responsibil
ity for its commission.
"Long acquainted as this govern
ment has been with the character of
the imperial German government,
and with the high principles of
equity by which they have in the
past been actuated and guided, the
government of the United States
cannot believe that the commanders
of the vessels which committed these
acts of lawlessness did so except un
der a misapprehension of the orders
issued by the imperial German naval
authorities. It takes it for granted
that, at least within the practical
possibilities of every such case, the
commanders even of submarines
were expected to do nothing that
would involve the lives of non-combatants
or the safety of neutral ships,
even at the cost of failing of their
object of capture or destruction. It
confidently expects, therefore, that
the imperial German government
will disavow the acts of which the
government of the United States
complains; that they will make re
paration so far as reparation is pos
sible for the injuries which are
without measure, and that they will
take immediate steps to prevent the
recurrence of anything so obviously
subversive of the principles of war
fare for which the imperial German
government has in the past so wisely
and so firmly contended.
People Expect Prompt Action.
"The government and people of
the United States look to the im
perial German government for just,
prompt and enlightened action in
this vital matter with the greater
confidence because the United States
and Germany are bound together,
not only by .special ties of friend
ship, but also by the explicit stipu
lations of the treaty of 1828 be
tween the United States and the
kingdom of Prussia.
"Expressions of regret and offers
of reparation in case of the destruc
tion of neutral ships sunk by mis
take, while they may satisfy inter
national obligations, if no loss of
life results, cannot justify or excuse
a practice, the natural and necessary
effect of which is to subject neutral
nations t nd neutral persons to new
and immeasurable risks.
"The imperial German govern
ment will not expect the government
of the United States to omit any
word or any act necessary to the per
formance of its sacred duty of main
taining the rights of the United
States and of safeguarding their free
exercise and enjoyment.''
GERMANY "MAY ASK FOR
COURT OF ARBITRATION.
In view of telegraphic and cable
delays and the probable necessity for
conferences between the German for
eign minister and the imperial chan
cellor, and doubtless with Emperor J
, nvba uiaj vialDC
"American citizens act
befra.; reply is received to Presi
dentiSPilsbn's note.
uiT$ie,. interim confidence prevails
am0lfiigh officials in Washington
aji4fJah,ared in German official
qus&ra that there will be no sub
mafie attacks on passenger vessels
whthe questions at issue are be
ing resolved.
Thintimation which came in
prejsispatches indirectly from Ber
lin tqfjtne effect that Germany would
witfgly submit the questions raised
by iKe American note to arbitration
was; Received with much interest, and
it wa$r indicated that if there was a
suspension of submarine warfare on
merchant ships while the discussion
wajs:fn progress, the plan might be
given serious consideration.
Arbitrations had been talked of in
Washington before the press dis
patches arrived. Seme German offi
ciaUyhad intimated that, although
withput advices from Berlin, they
weire confident from previous knowl
edge of the desire of the German
government to remain friendly with
thdUnited States that arbitration
would be welcomed. The difficulty
of constituting a court or arbitration
at f this time, when most of the great
powers whose participation might be
desired are at war, was pointed out
byYfcome diplomatists, however, as
making the plan impracticable.
PQUCE OFFICERS ARE
'tt EXONERATED OF CHARGES.
iThe city commissioners Thursday
conducted an investigation of charges
brought by Rev. R. T. Weatherly and
other colored people of the city
against A. B. McFarland, a member
ot .'the police .force. It was charged
that the officer had searched Lila
Smith, colored, who was accused of
t&e larceny of a diamond ring, in a
manner that was improper, illegal
and; humiliating and which in fact
constituted an assault.
Chief Iseley made himself a party
td- the V investigation and stated to
"immmissioners that he instruct
ed Officer McFarland to make the
search and was present when it was
made in his office.
The Smith woman testified that
she was forced to practically dis
robe, while Chief Iseley and Officer
McFarland swore that the search
was made with the idea of saving
the woman from embarrassment or
humiliation.
The commissioners exonerated
both Chief Iseley and Officer McFar
land.
The negress is under bond to ap
pear at the next criminal term of Su
perior court on the larceny charge
made out by the officers.
Incidentally it might be stated
that the police officers did not find
the ring, but later it was discovered
in the kitchen of the home where the
woman had been employed as cook.
Following his exoneration, Mr.
McFarland was re-elected a member
of the police force, his election hav
ing been held up on account of the
charges against him.
Rockefeller Wins Tax Suit.
Jonn D. Rockefeller won an im
portant victory in his fight to pre
vent the collection of taxes on $311,
000,000 in personal property by
Cuyahoga county, Ohio, when Judge
Clarke, in the United States District
court, at Cleveland, granted an in
junction sought by the oil magnate
to restrain the colection. The taxes
sought to be obtained amounted to
about $1,500,000, including a penal
ty of 50 per cent for failure to pay
when due.
The assessment, which is held in
valid, was made in February, 1914,
when tax commissioners visited the
Rockefeller summer home at Forest
Hill. They served papers on the oil
king, which alleged that he had re
mained in the county more than six
months of the tax year and there
fore, under the Ohio law, was a res
ident of Ohio for taxation purposes
The judge held -that Rockefeller
was not a resident of Ohio under the
meaning of the law. '
The suit will be carried to the
United States Circuit Court of Ap
peals by the attorneys for Cuyahoga
county and, if the injunction is sus
tained there, it may be carried to the
Supreme court.
4 World Court Congress.
The World Court Congress held
its concluding session in Cleveland,
O., Friday night with its delegates
expressing the opinion that the lat
est movement toward world peace,
as expressed in the congress' idea'
of an international court of justice,
lias been launched toward a conclu
sion that is bound to be successful.
LOCAL NEWS IN BRIEF FORM
LTTERS OF INTEREST TO THE
READERS OF THE PATRIOT
FAR AND NEAR.
Had Good Crowd. The Southern
Railway's excursion to Washington
Thursday night carried 325 passen
gers from Greensboro and surroun
ing towns. The excursionists re
turned Saturday night.
Picnic and Fish Fry. A large
crowd enjoyed a picnic and fish fry
Thursday at Watlington's' pond, in
Washington township. This is an
annual event with the people of that
section of the county.
Attend Grand Lodge. Several
members of the order in Greensboro
will leave tonight and in the morn
ing for Ilendersonyille to attend the
annual meeting of the North Caro
lina Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows.
Endorse Plan. The directors of
uhe Greensboro Chamber of Coin-!
merce have given their hearty en
dorsement to the plan to construct
for the county a combination court
house and business building on the
present court house site.
Broke Bone in Leg.- While play
ing at his home on Sunday, the 9th
inst., Edgar Cook, the 15-year-old
son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Cook, of
Greensboro Route 2, had the misfor
tune to break the s.mall bone in his
right leg. Pie is recovering from the
accident very satisfactorily.
Light Registration. The indica
tions are that the registration for the
$250,000 court house bond election
to be held June 1 will be rather
light. Next Saturday is the last day
of registration, and unless there is a
decided improvement during the
week, perhaps not more than half
the voters of the county will be reg
istered and qualified to participate
in the election.
New Dentist Here. Dr. H. Kemp
Foster, formerly of Liberty, has lo
cated in Greensboro for the practiced
of dentistry and his friends will be
glad to know that he is meeting with
success. Dr. Foster was located at
Aberdeen for a while, but desiring
a wider field, moved to this city. He
is well equipped for the practice of
his profession. Dr. Foster's office is
located over the Greensboro Nation
al Bank.
Masonic Officers. At the meet
ing of the York rite Masonic bodies
of this state in Asheville last week
four Greensboro men were honored
by election or appointment to office.
M. C. M. Vanstory was elected right
eminent grand commander of the
Knights Templar; Mr. A. W. Fetter,
grand inspector general, and Rev.
Dr. Melton Clark was appointed
grand prelate. Mr. John J. Phoenix
was elected grand principal sojourn
er of the Grand Chapter of Royal
Arch Masons.
Canning School A canning school
for the benefit of the women of
North Carolina will be conducted at
the State Normal and Industrial Col
lege from May 31 to June 5 under
the direction of Mrs. Jane McKim
mon, of Raleigh, who is in charge of
the girls' canning club work in the
state. During the six days of the
school a number of lectures of vari
ous subjects of interest to home
makers will be delivered by experts.
Board and lodging will be provided
at the college for those who may at
tend the school.
H. C. Edwards Dead. Mr. H. C.
Edwards, a well known citizen, died
Friday morning at 11 o'clock at his
home near Kernersvihe. He had
been in feeble health for quite a
while. . Mr. Edwards was 83 years
of age and is survived by his widow,
two sons and two daughters. Mrs.
Edwards is a sister of Mr. W. C. Bo
ren, chairman of the Guilford county
board of commissioners. The funeral
was held from the Methodist church
in Kernersville Saturday afternoon
at 3 o'clock, the services being con
ducted by Rev. C. P. Goode, the pas
tor. Time Getting Short. Beginning
the first week in June, the delin
quent tax list of the county will be
advertised for four weeks the sale
of property upon which the taxes
may remain unpaid to take place
the first Monday in July. Ip this is
sue of The Patriot Sheriff Stafford
gives notice that the advertised list
will be made up and turned over to
the printer on kfay 25, and he re
quests all delinquents who desire to
save costs and do not wish to be ad
vertised to pay their taxes by that
date. It is understood that there are
about the usual number of delin
quent tax-payers in the county.
Oak Ridge Commencement. The
commencement exercises of Oak
Ridge Institute opened yesterday
with the baccalaureate sermon, '
which was preached by Rev. A. O.
Dixon, of High Point. The class day
exercises are to be held this after
noon and this evening at 8 o'clock;
the annual debate will take place.
The oratorical contest will take place
tomorrow morning at 10.30 o'clock
and will be followed by the annual
address by Gen. Julian S. Carr. In
the afternoon Lieutenant Governor
Daughtridge will make an address
in presenting the diplomas.
Big Celebration. Owing to the
fact that July 4 this year will fall on
Sunday, the p.nnual celebration at
the Guilford Battle Ground will be
held on Saturday, July 3. The exer
cises will te made notable by the
unveiling of the memorial monument
to Gen. Nathanael Greene provided
by the government. The governors
of the states that had trooDs at the
hQtio n;n n ,
been invited to attend. Representa
tives of a number of historical and
patriotic organizations will also be
present, and taken altogether, the
celebration promises to be one of the
best held in years.
More School Buildings. The city
commissioners have under serious
consideration the question of in
creasing Greensboro's school' facili
ties by the erection of additional
buildings. Although several new
buildings have been erected and
others enlarged during the past few
years, the cry still is for more room.
The commissioners are considering
the advisability of a $50,000 school
bond issue and probably will adopt
this course. Greensboro's school
buildings are entirely inadequate,
and were it not for the fact that the
training school at the State Normal
and Industrial College houses about
400 children, the city would be in a1
sad plight indeed.
BUSINESS MEN TO SUPPORT
COURT HOUSE BOND ISSUE.
A number of representative, busi
ness men of the city held a meeting
Friday night In the rooms of the
Chamber of Commerce and organiz
ed to work for the success of the
$250,000 court house bond election
to be held June 1. Much interest
was manifested in the matter and
the opinion was freely expressed
that the progressive county of Guil
ford cannot afford to turn down the
proposition.
The following resolution was
adopted as an expression of the sen
timent of the meeting:
"Resolved, that it is the sense of
this meeting that we favor the issue
of bonds as proposed; that we ex
press our confidence in the board of
commissioners to properly protect
the interests of the county and urge
all voters of the county to vote their
approval of the bonds on June 1."
The following were appointed mem
bers of a committee to conduct a
campaign for the bond issue: John
N. Wilson, chairman; N. L. Eure, H.
L. Coble, C. W. Gold and C. M. Van
story. This committee will appoint
such sub-committees as may be need
ed to assist in the work.
Mr. Ceasar Cone stated that he
came to thO meeting as a seeker af
ter light. A few days previously he
had received a circular letter attack
ing the bond issue which he read
with interest until he came to the
end and saw there was no signature
attached, whereupon he consigned
the communication to the Waste bas
ket as worthless. Before the meet
ing adjourned Mr. Cone said he
had become convinced that he should
support the bond issue and would do
so heartily.
Methodist Bishops Uphold Wilson.
The college of bishops of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
in session in Nashville, Tenn., sent
the following telegram to President
Wilson:
"The college of bishops of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
thanks God that our president, on
whom rest at this time such great
and unusual burdens, is a man of
prayer discretion, courage, patriot
ism and ability. As chief pastors of
some millions of our American peo
ple, the college assures the president
of its sympathy and prayers' in its
efforts to preserve the peace of our
beloved country, and to protect the
rights and honor of our citizens. At
this hour and in all things, may the
hand of our God and the God of our
fathers guide you and all who are as-
sociated with iyow in idiectingr- -' thW
destiny' of Americana." ';
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