CITIZEN
THE WEATHER
FAIR.
CITIZEN WANT AD'
UK1NU RESULTS
VOL. XXXIII, NO. 138.
ASHEVTLLE, N. C, SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH 10, 1017.
PRICE FIVE CENTS
THE ASHE
VILLE
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PMlK
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FROM SICK BED PRESIDENT
WILSON AUTHORIZES ARMING
OF AMERICAN MERCHANTMEN
American Ships Will Sail the Seas, Regardless of Germany's
Submarine Warfare and Will Be Prepared io Defend Them-
Gone Begging
i
selves Against Attacks by the Underwater Craft
Wilson Decides He Has Authority Act.
President
CALLS EXTRA SESSION
OF CONGRESS FOR APRIL
Arming of Ships Is Fraught With Grave
Possibilities of War With Germany But
President Wilson Does Not Hesitate
About Order.
WASHINGTON, March 9. President Wilson from
a sick bed today ordered the arming of American merchant
nhips against Germany's ruthless submarine warfare,
and at the same time issued a proclamation calling an ex
tra session of congress to meet April 16.
The president's decision cam suddenly late this af
ternoon, following the action of the senate yesterday in
i e vising its rules to permit prompt action on important
questions and the submission of formal opinions by Sec
retary Lansing and Attorney-General Gregory that he has
the 'power to arm merchantmen without action by con
gress. Details Withheld.
Details of the government's armed neutrality plans
for defending the merchant marine were withheld to avoid
endangering Americans and their ships by permitting the
information to reach Germany. The only statement at
the white house and the navy department was that the
president had determined to fully protect American rights,
The decision, coming at the end of a period of tense
waiting, was generally hailed as the natural and unavoid
able next step in the policy adopted by the president when
he broke off diplomatic relations with Germany and gave
warning that the United States could not tolerate attacks
on American ships and citizens in violation of internation
al xw.
Possibility of War.
Fraught with the grave possibility of war with Ger
many, the action was taken by President Wilson only af
ter he was convinced that Germany actually was proceed
ing, with her anpaign of ruthlessness, and had made ef
forts to plot with Mexico and Japan against the territorial
integrity of the United States.
Long before the order was given from the white house
all necessary preparations for the arming of merchantmen
had been completed at the navy department. Secretary
Daniels, however, issued an appeal to the press of the na
tion to refrain from discussing these preparations.
The president's action sent a thrill through the sen
ate, meeting in special session and through the govern
ment departments. Still hoping that war with Germany
will be avoided, officials and senators declared that the
issu' rests entirely with Germany.
Formal Announcement.
Formal announcement of the government's policy was
driven in the following announcement issued from the
white house:
"Whereas public interests require the congress of the
United States should be convened in extra session at 12
o'clock noon, on the sixteenth day of April, 1917, to receive
;ich communications as may be made by the executive;
"Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, president of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim and declare
rliat an extraordinary occasion requires the congress of
the United States to convene in extra session at the capi
tol in the city of Washington on the sixteenth day of April,
1917, at 12 o'clpck noon, of which all persons who shall
athat time be entitled to act as members thereof are here
by requested to take notice.
"Given under my hand and the seal of the United
States of America, the ninth day of March in the year of
Our, Lord, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen, and
of the Independence of the United States the one hundred
and forty-first."
Signs Proclamation.
The president signed the proclamation calling the ex-
REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS
IM
HOUSE
MAJORITY
Speaker Clark and Repre
sentative Woods Plan to
Organize House.
SICK REPUBLICANS
CAUSING TROUBLE
May Give Democrats Con
trol of the Lower House;
Are Optimistic
WASHINGTON, March 9 Opti
mistic forecasts of the control of the
next house came quickly from demo
cratic and republican leaders tonight
when they heard of the president's
call for an extra BesBion of congress,
April 16. Many unbiased observers,
however, foresee only a long and bit
ter organization fight unless a coali
tion agreement prevents.
Predict Victory.
Both Speaker Oark and Represen
tative "Woods, of Iowa, chairman of
the republican congressional commit
tee, predicted victory for their re
spective parties. Each said his party
was assured of at least 218 votes and
that this probably would be Its mini
mum strength.
The official standing of the Incom
ing house is as follows:
Republicans, 215; democrats, 214:
prohibitionist, 1, progressive one;
progressive-protectionist one; social
ist one; Independent one; vacant one.
The vacancy exists in the Fifteenth
New York district, which Is over
whelmingly democratic. Under the
New York law this vacancy can be
filled before the extra session begins
should Governor Whitman call a
special election. It would make virtu
ally certain a tie at 216 between the
democratic and republican member
ship on the opening day of the ses
sion. Then the winning side would
have to gain the votes of three of
DANIELS ASKS ALL NEWSPAPERS TO
REFRMN FROM PUBLISHING NEWS OF
MOVEMENTS OF AMERICAN VESSELS
Lacking Legal Authority to Establish General Censorship, Secretary of the Navy Asks All Loyal
Newspapers to Aid in Keeping Movements of American Ships Secret Best News
'That Can Be Published Is That Ships Have Been Armed.
WASHINGTON, Starch ft. Lacking; to the newspaper men said:
(Continued on Page Two.)
' IT
FACE POSSIBLE FIGHT
Chance That Rebel Bands
Will Attack the Ameri
can Forces.
REBELS HAVE FLED.
legal authority to establish general
censorship, the administration tonight
appealed to the patriotism of the
country's newspapers and cable com
panies to suppress publication and
transmission of information about
the movements of American craft,
now to be armed against German
submarines.
"The best, news that readers can
have," Secretary Daniels said. In a
formal statement to press represen
tatives, "Is that the government will
protect the rights of Americans to the
freedom of the seas.
"The publication of details can
serve to no good purpose and might
Jeopardize human life."
Reveals no Plans.
Mr. Daniels has determined not to
reveal any of the department's plans
for carrying out the policy ordered
by President Wilson. He previously
has stated, however that the navy Is
prepared with guns, ammunition,
gun crews and all other necessary
equipment or personnel to carry out
the Instructions.
Navy yard commandants will
superintend the actual Installation of
guns on merchant craft. The rifles,
ammunition, mounts, range Anders
and other accessories are already
stored at the yards. They range
from heavy six-Inch rifles to three
inch weapons and smaller guns. The
number of guns to go on each ship,
the personnel selected from the active
list of the navy or from the reserve
to handle the guns, the time of sail
ing or the names of ships that have
been armed, will not be disclosed.
Daniels' Statement.
Secretary Daniels In his statement
You have read the statement Is
sued from the white house and now
you know that the president has the
power to arm American merchant
ships making trips on the seas on
lawful errands, and is free to exercise
It at once. I do not think you ask
with what guns' they will be armed or
how they will be manned or exactly
when the power will be exercised. The
to make sacrifice for the"h, country In
times of emergency. The press can
render the highest patriotic service by
refraining from printing at this time
what ordinarily they would freely
print.
"Inasmuch as It wll be Impossible
to reach every naper and news agency
directly, 1 will ask all papers to carry
this request which Is made as an ap
peal to patriotism to all Journalists
government should be trusted fully) and disseminators of news. The best
to carry out the policy announced In
the best way.
"I do not think you ought to ask
when the ships will be armed or prlrtt
when they will sail. Today I request
ed every cable company In America
not to send out any news about ships
nailing to or from Europe. The wire
less stations are under the direction
of the navy department and no news
of sailings will ro out by radio.
"I am going to request you and ev
ery newspaper and every news agency
In the United "States not to print any
news about the arrival of ships or
when any of them will ntil for Euro
pean ports. There Is no power of cen
sorship In our country. The president
does not have any authority over the
press.. In this time of national
emergency, I feel sure that every
newspaper will accede to the request
not to even give a hint or speculation
of the sailing of American ships. Such
publication might result in the loss of
life. As the reasons are obvious for
making this request there Is confi
dence In administration circles that
this request will be complied with by
every patriotic paper in the coun
try. Americans Patriotic
"All patriotic Americans are ready
news the readers can have Is that the
government will protect the rights of
America to the freedom of the seas.
The publication of details can serve
no good purpose and might Jeopardize
human lire. All readers will surely
applaud the papers In responding to
tnis appeal.
With the departure of the first
armed American ship it will be neces
sary for the navy department to Issue
Instructions to gun crews as to the
manner In which the weapons are to
be employed. In that will be in
volved a declaration of policy as to
whether the appearance of a subma
rine In the neighborhood of a ship Is
sufficient warrant for opening fire.
Officials would not discuss this aspect
or the situation.
When the application of a ship
owner for arms has been approved by
the navy department, the com
mandant of the nearest navy yard
will he instructed to place the guns
aboard. Most of the work probably
will be done at the yards where fa
cilities are available for handling
heavy weights quickly. In some cases
structural changes In ships' decks
may be necessary to carry the gun
(Continued on Page Two.)
KAISER
THE COUNTESS ZEPPELIN
APPAM WIRELESS ONLY
CAPABLE OF RECEIVING
Sends Telegram Co Widow; Could Not Send Messages
of Man Who Invented Big and Was Known to U. S.
Airships.
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO)
WASMlNtlTON, March 9 Ameri-
can marines and bl&ejackets occupy
ing winriago, recently the stronghold
oi me uoan revolutionist, a nnn r
from latest navy department dis
patches to be facing the possibility of
an aitacK Dy me rebel bands waging
gueriua warrare in tne city's suburbs.
The dispatches, apparently several
noui-s behind developments, said the
rebels had turned back after fleeing
me cny ana were noing considerable
damage around the outskirts In a
movement which showed some sign
of developing a general attack.
A body of Cuban government troops
under Colonel Betancourt was report
ed on Its way to Santiago to reinforce
the small government garrison, how
ever, and navy official believed the
rebels would stay out of the city prop
er and avoid any clash with the
Americans.
Although the loss of Santiago Is re
garded here as marking the collapse
of the revolution. It Is realised that a
continuation of the guerilla campaign
In outlying sections may make serious
trouble for the government com
manders. When the rebels fled they
left a notification that they would
continue to refuse allegiance to the
Menocal administration and already
they, are reported to have destroyed
several bridges and to have wrought
great
iutil
Uago district.
AMSTERDAM. Jan. (Via Lon
don.) Emperor William, says a Ber
lin dispatch, has s-nt the following
telegram of condolence to Countess
Zeppelin:
"With deep regret I have Just
learned of the death of your husband.
General of Cavalry Count Zeppelin. I
personally feel most painfully the
death of this excellent man, dis
tinguished by rare gifts of genius snd
of the heart. The whole Oertnan
people stands with me la mourning
at the bier of one of the greatest
sons of the fatherland.
"In the tenacious. Indefatigable
struggle for the mastery of the sir he
experienced successes which made his
name immortal far acttm the fron
tiers of the empire around the entire
world. Called away In the midst of
gigantic war In winch he so ener
getically co-operated In combatting
our enemies. It was unfortunately not
riven to him personally to partici
pate In the end of the fight but his
work will be continued In his spirit
by the army and navy.
The Almighty may console you
and your family in the great sorrow
for the deceased, whose fame Is Im
mortal. The memory of him win al
ways remain sublime .and dear to
Marshal.
OP
T
BITTER FIGHTING
HAS TAKEN PLACE
ON FRENCH
FRQN
T
French Troops Take Pris
oners and Make Further
Gains in West.
EVERYBODY RAIDS
ON WESTERN FRONT
Austro-Gennan Forces Take
Prisoners in Battle
With Russians.
So Declares Dr. Zinjmer
mann in Statement in
Dutch Papers.
NORFOLK, Vs., March 9 That
the wireless apparatus dlnrovored to
day on the prize ship Arpam was
only capable of receiving but could
not send messages, and that its pres-
AMSTERDAM. (Via London, Mar.
9.) Dutch newspapers publish the
following statement made by Dr.
Alfred Zlmmermann, the German
ence on the vessel was made known f foreign secretary, to a representative
to the Tnlted States Marshal John t of a Budapest newspaper as follows:
Saunders, by a pettey German officer , A, f.r . Unt d
on the day that Lieutenant Berg and , . . .
his crew left the Appara. for intern- -nrrned, we have spoken our last
ment at Philadelphia, are the latent word and the decision is in President
developments following this after- Wilson's hands.
noon's investigation. j "We are determined to carry
mnjiign ine sunmanne war to the
Over
'" """"" Ptlfl Th. ....it. f .,,,,-.,1.... ...K
this afternoon Marshal Haunders said i marine war thus far have been very
that on the morning of February 3. sattafactory.
when he went aboard tho App .m, to "As o peace. I may say that de
remove the prize crew and sent themispc- thr I'-fu-jl of our peace offer
to Philadelphia for internment, he j ' ter.iuuy -Till .'.tar;!- t- the words of
was Informed by a Uernisn p.;tty;th lii.;. r,a; iVt.i '.or and Is pre
offlcer of a system of flashing inrs- paro I to pin't- ;. re!f at the head of
sages ashore by thr u of electric ! sn alliance of a'ates for the malnten
bulNs. The means of eominunlcat ,on snce of the worM'r rcc.
were used then to receive a mysge I "As to Europvan neutrals, I believe
from a deputy on the Tamacraw. ; there will be no rlsnge In their pre-
' ann. ram i r, r . w n ... in Tn. rn i, w mm
Bitter fighting has taken place InV
Champagne, with the French with-,
standing German attacks and taking;
further trenches, says the latest
French official communication. Be-,
t ween Butte Du Mesnll and Malsons '
de Champagne, French troops took,
prisoners and made further gains,
north of the road running between,
the two places. The number of Ger
mans taken by the French In the past
two days in this region now totals1
170.
Three Attacks.
Three violent attacks were launch'
ed by the Germans in the Malsons de),
vnttuipttgnv necivr xne uerxnan er-,
forts failed, Paris says, and the at,
tuckers left many dead on the',
ground. The French attack Thursday,,
it Is announced, Included the blowing
up of German works on a front of,
1,500 metres to a depth of 600 to 100,
metres.
German trenches on Height 18S
and at Malsons de Champagne, Ber
lln reports, were entered by tha
French In their attacks, but the po'
sltlons later were regained, except for'
a farm near Height 181.- Increased'
artillery action In the Champagne re.
iwgMrUonnortnreff y Bertttf:
Nine Raids. -. ".'-'
Elsewhere on the western fronf
there have been raids by French,1
British and German troops. Nine?
raids, London says,, were mad' by
the Germans against British trenches
north of Wulverghem, between)'
Armentleres and Tores. Berlin says
thirty-seven prisoners and two m
chine guns were captured In this re
gion. London reports the capture ot
some prisoners from the German
raiders and a successful British raid
south of Biaches. Cold weather again
has returned to the western front,
accompanied by galea and snow, and
Is Interfering with operations on a
large scale,
six hundred prisoners were taken
(Continued on Page Two.)
GERMANS FOUND GUILTY
OF SINKING LIEBENFELS
Tried in United States Dis
trict Court on Sink
ing Charge.
IS SERIOUS CHARGE.
(Signed)
WTLHELM.'
Marshal Kaunders was told of Uie
system, he said, at the time.
Naval experts who examined the
wireless apparatus declared posliie
ly that the system could have ben
mp!oved only for what Is known as
listening in " T).y further declared
hat had 'any othr r qu:o-.ient 6een
used for sending messages. It would
have led to immediate discovery.
Further Investigation Is not probable.
of tne var- NeutraJ ship owners
should give up their trade with Eng
land. They havf, made enough
money ant run sTord to bear the
loss of Krigliv ra.it. They will soon
ecngn.s t!.at I: 'u their Interest
to kn thtir shiia at home so that
they may us them to the best ad
vantage after the war."
Dr. Zltnmermann added that the
military eltuatloa Is entirely satisfac
tory to Oerraeny.
FLORENCE. 8. C, March .
Bight officers and men of the "German,
Hansa line freighter Llebenfels,
which began sinking In Charleston
harbor on the night of January ll.
were found guilty of sinking the. .
vessel In a navigable stream, by a
United States District court here, lata
today. They were acquitted, how
ever, of a charge of conspiracy to
sink the steamer. Captain Johann R.
Klattenhoff. master is ill at Charles
ton and was the only one of the In
dicted men not tried.
The convicted men are Johann
Lubken, chief officer; George Sunket.
third officer: Jonas Edward Jansen.
chief engineer; Heinrlch Wattenburg.
assistant engineer; Johann Wllhelm,
Ruse, second assistant engineer:
Morlti von Thulen, third assistant
engineer; August N'euse, fourth as
sistant engineer; Wllhelm Schwart-
Ing. machinist. All are Germans
except Jansen. who is a Dane. Sev
eral of the men are German naval
reservists.
Counsel for the defense argued that
the men should not be punished. In
timating that they were only carry
ing out orders. The defense offered
no testimony. Its motion for a new
trial, was denied. Bentence will be
pa seed tomorrow.
The government Introduced testi
mony to show that the seal nf the
I'nlted States government had been
broken on the wireless apparatus,
which had been wrecked: that the
rrfachlnery had been eerlooety dis
abled and that the seacocks were
open. There also was testimony' to
show the wreck of the Liebeofels
constluted a possible menace to navi
gation of the channel leading to the
I'ntted States navy yard at Charles
ton. THE WEATHER.
WASHINGTON. March t. Fore
cast for North Carolina: Fair Satur
day and Sunday, little eaaage . la '
tempera rare.