North Carolina Newspapers

4 - r - THE ROWAN RECORD, CHINA GROVE, N. C. RUSSIANS SLOWLY YIELD TO PRESSURE AT PASSES FIVE BILLS TO OUTLINE TERMS S'-AVES BATTLE HARD BUT RE TIRE STEADILY' UNDER PRES SURE IN RUMANIA. ADJOURNMENT FOR HOLIDAYS TAKEN BY CONGRESS UNTIL JANUARY 2, 1917. ''.'Ai.Jr YEMfc SENTIMENT S Ant WMs " 'H CONGRESS QUICKLY WILSON ASKS NATIONS III WHICH WOULD END o WAR ft FLOWER unblown, a Book unread, a Tree with fruit unharvested: A Path untrod; a A Landscape whose A wondrous Fountain yet This is the Year that for The Old Year. By JOSH WINK. We bid goodby to thee, Old Year, But not with sad regret; For long the scars of thy sore wounds Will be upon us yet. A record thine of blood and woe. Of nations in fierce strife, The greater one for world control, The weaker ones, for life. Thou hast kept arms in men's gripped hands, The tears in women's eyes, The dread in little children's hearts. Death rattles in their cries ; Lands hast thou swept of homes and crops. Where toil contented reigned, Thou hast brought flame to scorch and . kill, With blood the soil hast stained. Across the seas thy direful work Hast planted seeds of hate In fearful deeds and wrath to come To live and germinate. O fateful year, O fatal year ! Pass from our shuddering sight. God grant the year which waits its , birth- May bless where thou didst blight! At the Year's Close. By CHARLOTTE FISKE. BATES. If fault of mine, or pride or fear, Has cost one soul, or far or near, One bitter pang, one burning tear, May the hurt die with thee, Old Year. Ilf sorrow ever deafened me So that, in vain, on Doubt's dark sea, One called on me despairingly, Old Year! O, hide that cry with Thee! If gracelessness In anything Has weighted some poor struggling wing, Or heedlessness has left a sting, O speeding year, my pardon bring ! If I have failed where need was sore, Appreciation's wine to pour, Selfishly keeping it in store Now, Heaven absolve me, I Implore ! May every wrong and hurt of mine, Or felt or given, leave no sign, Touched with the blessed anodyne Good will! God's peace! the Birth Divine! A Poem for the New Year. By S. E. KISER. J will start anew this morning with a higher, fairer creed ; I will cease to stand complaining of my ruthless neighbor's greed; I will cease to sit repining while my duty's call is clear. I will waste no moment whining and my heart shall know no fear. I will look sometimes about me for the things that merit praise; I will search for hidden beauties that elude the grumbler's gaze; T will try to find contentment in the paths that I must tread. I will cease to have resentment when another moves ahead. I will not be swayed by envy when my rival's strength is shown; I will not deny liis merit, but I'll strive to prove my own ; I will try to see the beauty spread be fore me, rain or shine I will cease to preach your duty and be more concerned with mine. One of the Tests. Hyker Muggins Is a good friend of yours, is he not? Pyker I guess so. He's always ten ills' me my faults. BOY TAKES NAP IN TRUNK "Parents Have Long Hunt and Are About to Caii Police When He Is Found. Portland, Ore. Edward McBrkle, an eight-year-old lad who liys with his parents at No. 427 Tenth street, tcrp arled into a trunk, lowered the lid abtf went" to sleep the other night. ... Missed by his parents, they Scoured the neighborhood for two hours. They were on, the verge of calling into aid tygi vuuv Sm House whose rooms lack yet wide border lies in silent shade, neath silent skies; unsealed, a Casket with its gift you waits, beyond tomorrows Goodby, Old Year. By THEODORE H. BOICE. The time has come to say goodby, Old Year, for we must part ; And 'tis reluctantly we speak The word that wrings the heart. , For you have been a faithful friend Through all your 'twelve-month stay. A friend who clung to us by night And walked with us by day. We well remember when you came, A bright and smiling youth. With all the promises of hope And, all the cheer of truth. We hailed you then with merry shouts, And fondly clasped your hand ; With you we started on the road To newer conquests planned. 'Neath sunny skies we journeyed on Along life's thoroughfare, And you were ever at our side, In all our joys to share. Through days of toil and days of rest We always found you near, A loyal friend, companion true, With purpose ever clear. When skies were dark, and rough the way, And grief and trouble came, You through misfortune to us clung, Your friendship e'er the same. Through summer's heat and winter's cold, Through gladness, doubt and fear, You with us steadfastly remained A loyal friend, Old Year. But now you're sadly aged, old friend, Your hair is white as snow ; Your steps, once firm, are faltering, And you desire to go, We cannot keep you 'gainst your will, And so 'tis with a sigh We clasp your trembling hand and say "Goodby, Old Year, goodby!" New Year. By RAY I. HOPPMAN. Gaze forth on the bright, shining sun of tomorrow, Think not of the faults and mistakes of the past, Nor drink from the gall flavored goblet of sorrow Take one backward look and let that be your last The old year has gone and the new is before us, The road to the future is open to you, So mingle your voice with the joy swelling chorus And heed to the call of the year that is new; Away with the thoughts and the words pessimistic. The wrongs of the past and the things that annoy; But substitute action and deeds opti mistic And anchor yourself In the harbor of joy. The future depends upon striving and trying And doing your best with your own little part, The slogan of all should be "Doing or Dying" Just swing into line with a good run ning start. Forget all things past that are border ed with sadness. Retain only that which is wholesome and sweet; Oh ! may the new year be o'erflowing with gladness A gladness unstinted, minutely com plete. So keep straight ahead on the new opened highway, The sunshine is bright and the sky is clear blue ; Retrace not the. past's narrow, rough ened old byway, But travel the road of the year that is new. Quite Comfortable. Green Didn't you find it uncomfort ably warm at the theater last night? Brown Oh, no; the play was a frost. the police bureau. As a last resort, to make sure the lad was not in hiding, Mr. McBride looked behind the trunk and in so do ing heard what he recognized as "the noise of a sleeper," and opened the trunk. There he found Edward com fortable on a soft stack of clothes. The. lad explained that he was tired and merely crawled into the trunk for a snooze. Electric lights have been inserted in the eyes of two famous Japanese idols. the heart's divine perfumes; concealed; mystic gates. The New Year's Com!:. By FREEMAN E. MILLER. Better hurry, Mister New Year ! We've been waiting, waiting long For the romping of your rapture and the laughter of your song. And the gate isstanding open where the living dreams are sweet While the happy hands of welcome scatter roses for your feet. Hurry, Mister New Year, There's a welcome warm for you. Where the hearts of hope are wait ing And the dreams are coining true h Hurry, Mister New Year! We are weary of the king That has ruled so long with sorrow he's forgotten how to sing We are weary of his scepter and the burdens that he knew, And we're waiting in the highways with a welcoming for you ! Hurry, Mister New Year! Lo, the morning purple gleams, And the heart of hope is waiting For the crowning of its dreams! Little New Year. By KATHERINE FAITH. The old, old Year goes out at the door. But the little New Year comes in ; And to take the place of the squan dered days There's a Year just about to begin! He's a dear little chap, is the small New Year, And deep in his eyes of blue Is the promise of all the joy. that life Is holding In store for you. Health's shining there if you'll cross your heart To live with a wise discretion And then follows Sleep, and then fol lows Play, And Love joins the dim procession. And trailing behind are the ghosts of the years That wait on the Grown-Up Shore, And haunt all the paths of After-a- While That lead to the Future's door. The New Year stands on his tippy-toes And puts In your two brown hands The reins of his steeds, I CAN and I WILL To drive through the deep life sands. And hard he stares with his wistful eyes, Wond'ring if you'll get through And hoping that all of the dreams he's 1 dreamed Will have the good taste to come true. New Year Greetings. By R. T. HART. From out of the dark and silence And separation long In grateful, glad remembrance I send this little song: The year has seemed a long one Without your voice, your smile, Yet blessed, holy memories Have cheered each weary mile. . In absence still I cherish These memories of you And send these lines on New Year's morn To pledge my faith anew. God grant that ere it closes ,-All blessings it may bring To you who've brightened many years, And to whom now I will sing. May it be bright and happy, And may it's smiles and tears Weave o'er your life a rainbow Of hope for all your years. Friendly Suggestion. Hazel Cold comfort comes in small chunks. Aimee Well, why don't you pa tronize some other ice man? Bear Not Afraid of Auto. Rloomsburg, Pa. On his' way to Benton Edward Fallon of Danville, in his automobile, was stopped by a full grown black bear, which trotted slowly along the road in front of the ma chine, 'stopping every few feet. After keeping in the road 100 yards the animal went over a bank into the woods. Within a week four bears, three of them of good size, have been seen in that vicinity. The word dollars was first thaiei. 6IG GUNS ARE ALL ACTIVE Peacv Notes Are Delivered, Wcrld Awaits Answer to Steps in Direction to End the World War. All Nations Interested. Fighting a series of defensive bat tles, but slowly yielding to the Teu tonic pressure, the Russian rear guards in Wallachia and Dobrudja are being pressed backward to the north. Heavy fighting is in progress in the vicinity of Rimnik-Sara, midway be tween the Buzeu and Sereth rivers in Wallacha. - Russian advanced posts at Rakoxitcheni, in the foothills of the mountains west of Rimnik-Sarat, were compelled to retire after bat tles at that point and at Vandulsore so An engagement at Balatchenui, south of Riminik-Sarat, also is record ed, indicating that the Russian lines still protect that town. These engagements are regarded by some Teutonic military critics as ah effort on the part of the Russians and the Roumanians to cover the re treat of their armies and of the Rou manian refugees across the line of the Sereth river and to cover the flank of the Russo-Roumanian armies fighting in the Carpathian mountains of Moldavia. In Dobrudja the Russo-Roumanian defensive line is reported to have withdrawn northward until it is only 13 miles south of the northern 'ex tremity of that province. One artillery activity is recorded on the Russian front in the vicinity of Baranovichi. The big guns are active also in the region of Hardamont and Cham bretta, near Verdun. Operations on the Macedonian front are being prevented by- bad weather. The American ambassador, at Pet rograd delivered the German peace note to the Russian government Sat urday, and President Wilson's note to the belligerent governments was handed to the Italian foreign minister by the American ambassador at Rome. It is unlikely that the reply of the entente powers to the German note will be dispatched before Monday and it may be delayed for ten days, ac cording to the British foreign office. This is attributed to the delays in communication. It is reported in Taris, however, that the reply is al most finished. Rumors are circulating tn London that the entente's answer is being drawn up at Rome . WAR NATIONSikUST DECIDE PEACE TERMS THMESELVES. Reception of Note in Official Circles of Germany Sympathetic. Berlin, via Salville. Baron von Dem Bussche-Haddenhausen, Under 2ftrrfttrv of State for Foreign Af fairs and formerly first secretary of the German Embassy in Washington, .n an interview with a member of the Overseas News Agency stated regard ins President Wilson's note to the bel ligerents, describes the reception of ;he note by German officials as sympa thetic. The Under Secretary said that so far as the note related to the general arrangements for the future, he be lieved the United States would play an important part in them, and added: "The United States always has been among the most enthusiastic and fore most advocates of the idea of arbitra tion. "As to the conclusion of peace itself this must be done by the belligerents. I think I understand President Wilson aright if I said that he does not offer mediation for this point, and that he Dnly shows that the interests which the United States, as 'well as all the other neutrals, naturally have to see peace restored. The President says that in this direction It would be of material advantage if conditions could be communciated under which the belligerents consider It possible to make peace. FRANCE STIRRED BY ARRIVAL OF SWISS PROPOSAL. Paris. The unanimous vote of the Senate affirming that France cannot conclude peace with an enemy who occupies French territory coming at the same time as the peace note of the Swiss Government has stirred anew the French press and public. The action of the Senate gave fur ther indication of the atitttde of the Entente Allies toward President Wil son's proposals while confidence voted in the Brain ministry. U. S. WANTS DETAILED STATEMENT FROM NATIONS. Washington. Information as to their exact meaning in seeking a "just and permanent peace" is the whole purpose of the note addressed to all the belligerents by President Wilson. The United States desires a full, practical and detailed statement from each of the governments address ed. This government does not know, and feels that it has not real means of knowing, what terms would be re quired to make peace. LARGE NUMBER ARE SMUGGLED IN FROM ENGLAND. New York. That many Germans who had been interned as prisoners in England as well as a number of Englishmen dsirous of escaping mil itary, service have been smuggled into this country as coal trimmers, on board various liners, was intimated her The case of Wm. Farrell, also known as Kernahan, for whom a writ of habeas corpus was sworn out in the federal court was said to have led to the disclosures. PASS 5 SUPPLY MEASURES The Urgent Deficiency Legislative, Indian, District of Columbia, and Diplomatic and Consular Appropria tion Bills in Three Weeks. Washington. Congress adjourned tor the Christmas holidays to recon vene January 2. In the three weeks of the-session the House passed five Gov ernment supply measures, the urgent deficiency, legislative, Indian, District of Columbia and diplomatic and consu lar appropriation bills, more than ever were passed before in the brief period preceding a holiday recess. One of these bills, the urgent defic iency, has passed the senate. Railroad legislation suggested by President Wlson failed to get much attention in either branch. The House Commerce Committee decided to await initiative action in the Senate, where beginning January 2 the Senate com merce commttee will hold hearings on the proposed railroad arbitration measure and the bill authorizing the president to take over the railroad, telephone and telegraph lines in case of military necessity. At the conclusion of the hearings the railroad" measures in some form will be pressed as amendments to the pending bill to enlarge the interstate Commerce Commission. Senator Newlands, chairman of the committee, hopes to get action before the March adjournment. The Senate passed the immigration bill with its literacy test provision and it is now in conference. The National prohibition constitu tional amendment was reported favor ably from the Judiciary Committee in each House and will be pressed by its champions at every opportunity, al though they have little hope of secur ing the necessary two-thirds majority at this session. House committees also reported the Borland food investigation resolution with a favorable recommendation and the Susan B. Anthony constitutional amendment for woman suffrage with out recommendation. Neither resolu tion advanced to .'consideration in the house. PRESIDENT WILSON NAMES NEW SHIPPING BOARD. Three Democrats and Two Republi cans Selected to Serve For Gov ernment. Washington, President Wilson nominated the following to be mem bers of the Government shipping board : William Denman of San Francisco; Bernard N. Baker of Baltimore; John A. Donald of New York,-1 John Bar ber White of Kansas City, Mo., and Theodore Brent of New Orleans. The board will have general super vision over freight rates in American waters and is empowered to organize a $50,000,000 corporation to build or buy merchant ships. The ships built or bought will be available to lease or charter by pri vate interests, but may be operated by the government should private concerns fail to take them. The intent of the law, aside from restoration of ships for American commerce remov ed by the war is to open up trade routes which private capital does not consider yet profitable enough for It to enter. Mr. Denman, who gets the longest term of six years, is a Democrat and a lawyer with experience in Admir alty cases. Mr. Baker, nominated for a five- year term, has had wide experience as a ship owner and for thirty years was president of the Altantic trasport line. He is a Democrat and Mr. Don ald, the thid Democratic member, was nominated for four years. He has had a life-long experience in the steamship business. KING CHRISTIAN SIGNS SALE OF ISLANDS TREATY Copenhagen, via London. King Christian in Cabinet council ratified the treaty providing for the sale of the Danish West Indies to the United States. This follows the passage by both houses of the Danish Parliament of the bill for the ratification of the treaty. The exchange of the ratifica tion instruments will take place in Washington probably towards the end of January. TEOTONS DRIVE BACK FOE AFTER SHARY BATTLE London. Except in northern Do brudja, where the troops of the Cen tral Powers continue drive the Russians and Rumanians towards Bessarbia, there has been little im portant activity on the battle fronts of Europe. The Russian troops in Dobrudja, Petrograd announces, were forced to retire northward under heavy attacks from numerically superior hostile forces. GIRL BRINGS APPEAL FOR PEACE TO PRESIDENT WILSON New York. A girl who came to America as a messenger from Bert rand Russell, an English pactificist, famous as a philosopher, delivered to the American neutral conference here an open letter from Mr. Russell ad dressed to President Wilson appeal ing to him to "bring peace to Europe." The letter was sent by messenger to evade th? British censor. The name of. its bearer was not disclosed through Cear of making trouble for her. TAKES STEP 1CH MAY BRING RESULTS President Does Not Ask For Mediation But For An Understanding WANTS NATIONS TO KNOW WHAT STRUGGLE IS FOR Thinks Possibly Nations' Ideas of Set tlement Are Not so Far Off as They Seem Would Know Minima of Ter ritorial Settlements or Even of Military Conquest. Washington The notes to the bel ligerents are prefaced with this in struction by Secretary Lansing to the American ambassadors preseuuus them: The president directs me to send you the following communication to be presented immediately to the Min ister of Foreign Affairs of the Gov ernment to which you are accredited." The text of the notes themselves then begin identically as follows: The President of the United States has instructed me to suggest to the (here is inserted a designation of the Government addressed) a course of action with regard to the present war which he hopes that the Government will take under consideration as sug gested in the most friendly spirit and as coming not only from a friend, but also as coming from the representative of a neutral nation whose interests have been most seriously affected by the war and whose concern for its early necessity to determine how best to safeguard those interests if the war Is to continue." At this point the texts vary in the notes to the Central Powers this para graph follows next: "The suggestion which I am. in structed to make the president has long had it in mind to offer. He is somewhat embarrassed to offer it at this particular time because it may now seem to have been prompted by a desire to play a part in connection with the recent overtures of the Cen tral Powers. It has in fact been in no way suggested by them in its ori gin and the President would have de layed offering it until those over tures had been independently answer ed but for the fact that it also con cerns the question of peace and may best be considered In connection with other propasls which have the same end in view. The President can only sey that his suggestion be considered entirely on its own merits and as if It had been made in other "circum stances." In the note to the Entente Allies the following paragraph takes the place of the one just quoted: "The suggestion which I am in structed to make the President has long had it in mind to offer. He is somewhat embarrassed to offer it at this particular time because It may now seem to have been prompted by the recent overtures of the Central Powers. It is in fact no way associ ated with them in its origin and the President' would' have delayed offering It until those overtures had been ans wered but for the fact that it also con cerns the question of peace and may be best considered in connection with other propasls which have the same end in view. The President can only beg that his suggestion be considered entirely on it sown merits and as if it had been made in other circum stances." Then all the notes proceed identi cally as follows: May Take Initiative, "The President suggests that an early occasion be sought to call out from all the nations now at war such an avowal of their respective views as to the terms upon which the war might be concluded and the arrange ments which would be deemed satis factory as a guarantee against its re newal or the kindling of any similar conflict in the future as would make It possible frankly to compare them. He is indifferent as to the means taken to accomplish this. He would be hap py himself to serve, or even to take the initiative In its accomplishment, in any way that might prove acceptable, but he has no desire to determine the method or the instrumentality. One way will be as acceptable to him as another if only the great object he has in mind be attained. "He takes the liberty of calling at tention to the fact that the objects, which the statesmen of the belliger ents on both sides have in mind in this war are virtually tie same as stated in general terms to their own people and to make the rights and privileges of weak peoples and small states as Victorious But Conquered. Victories are often purchased at great cost. Sometimes the victory be comes a defeat. What tickles tne na tional fancy may drive men to ex tremes but the extremes may bring consequences little dreamed of. In the midst of the celebrations of vic tory the collapse of power may begin. No nation is so dangerously near ca lamity as it is in the moment of its triumphs. Then it is that the bars of restraint are lowered and follies caper in the guise of festive heralds of secure against aggression 0r denial ia the future as the rights and privileges of the great and powerful stat6s now at war. Each wishes itself to be made secure in the future along au other nations and peoples, against the recurrence of wars like this and against aggression of selfish interfer ence of any kind. Each would be jealous of the formation- of any more rival leagues to preserve an uner. tain balance of power amidst mm,;, lying suspicions; but each is readv to consider the formation of a leau of nations to insure peace and justice throughout the world. Before that tin;,! step can be taken, however, . each deems it necessary first to settle thp issues of the present war upon term which will certainly safeguard the in dependence, the territorial integrity and the political and commercial free dom of the nations involved. U. S. Vitally Interested. "In the measure to be taken to se cure the future peace of the world the people and the Government of the United States are as vitally interested as the Governments now at war. Their interests, moreover, in the means to be adopted to relieve the smaller and weaker people of the world of the peril of wrong and vio lence is as quick and ardent as that of any other people or Government. They stand realy, and even eager, to co-operate in the accomplishment of these ends, when the war is over, with every influence and resource at their command. But the war must first be concluded. The terms upon which it is to be concluded they are not at lib erty to suggest; but the President does feel that it is right and his duty to point out their intimate interest in its conclusion, lest it should presently be too late to acmomplish the greater things which lie beyond its conclu sion, lest the situation of neutral na tions, now exceedingly hard to en dn be rendered altogether intoler able, and lest, more than all, an in jury be done civilization itself which, can never be atoned for or repaired. "The President therefore feels al together justified in suggesting an im mediate opportunity for a comparison, of views as to the terms which must precede those ultimate arrangements, for the peace of , the world, which' all desire and in which the neutral na tions as well as those at war are ready to play their full responsible part. If the contest must continue to proceed towards undefined ends by slow attri tion until the one group of belliger ents or the other is exhausted, if mil lion after million of human lives must continue to be offered up until on the? one side or the other there are no more to offer, if resentments must be kindled that can never cool and des pairs engendered from which there can be no recovery, hopes of peace and of the willing concert of free peoples will be rendered vain and idle. "The life of the entire world has been profoundly affected. Every part of the great family of mankind has felt the burden and terror ef this un precedented contest of arms. No na tion in the civilized world can be said in truth to stand outside its influence or to be safe against its disturbing: effects. And yet the concrete objects for which it is being waged have- never been definitely stated. -"The leaders of the several bellig erents have," as has been said, stated those objects in general terms. But stated In general terms they seem the same on both sides. Never yet have the authoritative spokesman of either ' side avowed the precise objects which would if attained, satisfy them and their people that :he war had been fought out. The world has been left to conjecture what definite results, what actual exchange of guarantees, what political or territorial changes or readjustments, what stage of mil tary success ever would bring the war to an end. "It may be that peace is nearer than ' we know; that the terms which the belligerents on the one side and on the other would deem it necessary to insist upon are not so irreconcilable as some have feared; that an inter change of views would clear the way at least for conference and make the permanent concord of the nations I hope for the immediate future, -a con cert of " nations immediately practica-. ble. "The President is not proposing peace; he is not even offering media tion. He is merely proposing that soundings be taken in order that we may learn the neutral nations with the belligerents, how near the haven of peace may be for which all mankind longs with an intense and increasing longing. He believes that the spirit in which he speaks and the objects which he seeks will be understood by all concerned and he confidently hope? for a response which will bring a new light into the affairs of the world." The note to the Entente group wil be delivered to Great Britain, France Italy, Japan, Russia, Belgium, Monte negro, Portugal, Rumania and Serbia That to the Central Allies will be de livered to Germany, Austria-Hungary. Turkey and Bulgaria. It is being delivered to all neutral governments for their information. greatness. One can't rise and by ris ing tamper with principles. No man can ever get above his honor and re main worthy of himself. The fact that you rise is evidence that you will need all your powers to keep you in high station. Pretty Thin. "I was whipped by six men," whim pered a man today. "Had there been only five I would have 'cleaned' them " That kind of talk is pretty . thin.- Atchison Globe.