V1 Hy r-v a if ..'C.W-3it,:'--- PUBLISHED EVERY rVlONDVS AND THURSDAY i - : 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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