30 PAGES
TODAY
MEW
SUNDAY
EDITION
And evening chronicle
"GREATER CHARLOTTE'S HOME NEWSPAPER"
ABEOTTE
: . zz . . j
r CHARLOTTE XEWS Establish ?A
EVKHUO CHnONlCLBStibJUhed.
I TREATY NOT
SUFFICIENT
TO
W TROUBLES
Admitted That America
Will Have Representation
in Allied Bodies.
BO UAH STARTS FIGHT.
Headed for League of Na
tions He Says; Treaty
Will Not Function.
BY I. BART CAMPBELU
liitcrnntlonal News Staff Correspondent.
v.-..shin?ton, Sept. 24 An act cf
C;- ; empowering the President to
- ::t an official American representa-
v. n the Reparations Commission
.-.id by the Versailles Treaty is like
ly . he urged by the Administration
; i rwing ratification of the German,
Au n and Hungarian peace treaties,
F.rp.'.iv.ican leaders admitted tonight.
;' ,, h an act would be made neces
sary l y the reservation to the treaties
ii ! by the Senate foreign relations
, v..:r.ittee as part of the resolution of
i.;... Art mm, which stipulates mat tne
in . ; y commission designated by them
ai Congressional authorization.
I r.
pening debate on the treaties in
striate. Senator Lodge, of Mas.ii
s ::s. the Republican leader, intj-
c plainly that the Administration
v- -iidering seriously the necessity
A --Tican representation on the R-p-
rs Commission
The Reparations Commission has
; great powers," Lodge said. "It
controls the tariff and taxation
;-:r.iany and the right to trade free
::; h Germany and enter her mar-
V.ets unrestricted. It exercises very
viowcrs, wnich are of vital im
nce to the United States from a
j trauo viewpoint aione, and it may be
the utrht desirable that we should be
jj represented on the commission where
so much is at stake affecting our
j business and economic prosperity.
I "I do not think our representation sn
the commission would involve us in
S3nv obligation in the nature of an al
l ance with any one. We would be
r ",ir?3'?ntoa on me commission to pro
' our interests, and the functions
; the commission, as I understand
fN'TTi. do not involve, In any event,
ihe v.so cf force."
Senator Borah, Republican, Idaho,
: yc rted by Senators Reed, Democrats
Missouri, and Watson, Democrat,
Oror.Eri.i, contended that the treaties
ould not only put the -United States
into the Reparations Commission but.
into the Versailles Treaty as well. Bo
nh'.s contention was that the United
,L::i:. s sought to reserve its rights and
j.r.vi'.rgcs under the Versailles pact by
mkhy; a contract with Germany, for
irsanco, when Great Britain, France,
3 ; ly ;:irl Japan, as the Powers in con-
it-c; oi the Reparations Commission.
j -iT-. not Germany, would "sit in judg
ir.vnt upon what those rights and priv
! ilf fT"s are."
F.o.-ah denounced the German-Arr.er-;:-.r
treaty as "tying usup complete
!- vith the Versailles pact," and bolh
jr-'n.-ftors Reed and Watson declared
j''-- tho treaty looked to them "an
' i vre are heading into the League
;r; X'.iions."
TO WITHDRAW TROOPS.
) I.of'gp announced that withdrawal of
S American troops from Germany would
f.llriv.- ratification of the German pact.
V:r;;b. declared that he thought -'it
jftouVl bo selfish for us to depend upon
exacting our claims upon Germany
j through the Reparations Commission
lb' the use of French troops on tha
5l:hin alone in the enforcement of the
siiiorros and mandates of the commte
'n nnd the provisions of the Ver-
i-'illrs treaty."
I When the Administration asks o.u
ithori'y to join the Reparations Corn
1 mission. Congress will be told that tn
) Uninxl States cannot settle financial
j questions between Germany and this
government, growing out of the war,
I unless wo become members of the Rep
i p-ations Commission. This is because
I th" conmission is Germany's master.
Herniary is not permitted to pay out
j a dollar of foreign indebtnesg except
JiirW the approval of the commission,
i 'ir to negotiate independently for st
jtrrr.rnt. (f obligations. The only, ox
5 f Ptif n to this is the money due for
j kpp-) of the American army of occu-
I ton. ;ind claims secured by the Ger
i1 n properly which the alien property
' Jrodian holds.
i Claims growing out of the Lusitania
('prm;my of the money this govera
""nt !r,aned Belgium, and which Ger
many is obligated by the Versailles
'rpf.ly to repay to the United States,
prl or nor claims would be passed on
a tribunal, composed entirely of for
t;snors, Congress will be reminded.
& THOUSAND KILLED
IN MOROCCON BATTLE
Pari:?, Sopt. 24. Forty-four thous-5r''-
Krariiards and Moorish tribesmen
vo i,. ,.n killod or wounded in a ter
;r .'Stl.l': which raged for ten days
0 Morocco, according to a Madrid dis-
at'.h t0 L'intransient today.
, is censoring news from ' the
ifocruri theatre of war and the re-
'H f,r h"avy losses have not been
' "infirmed.
. - . .i iays or tne moodiest ngiiLin
''' r'i Spanish troops ever engaged.
Tiri"-'l the dispatch.
:-;w'inish were said to have lost
lulled and wounded and the
26.000. Manv of the tribes-
'' wk n prisoner.
v ' CASES -OF PARALYSIS.
ry Vnrk, Sept. 24. Sixty-nine cases
; 'rf intile paralysis were reported
-rfi (i it. -i : . t.U-f
rt. -iiiiti tne ween fiiujiiK luius"1-
trii largest, nuuiuer omvc tic
'W:rtL: of 1916.
loiraday
f-Ti
n-n- .
S& 8' 1010.
HIGHER IMDF
STATE IS m
IYEXPCjTI
State Superintendent Brooks
Heard in Eloquent Ad
dress at Grounds.
DR. JOHNSON NOT HERE
Educator Says Exposition
Shows New Raiment Cov
ering State's Soul.
Considering the exhibits in the
Made-in-Carolinas Exposition as renre
senting the apex of North Carolina's
industrial growth. Dr. E. C. Brooks,
State Superintendent of Education, :n
his address Saturday afternoon on the
"Educational Maning of the Exposi
tion," declared that the exhibits al.so
were illustrative of the progress Caro
lina has made along every line through
the changes of a hundred years.
Dr. Brooks' address, which was heard
by one of the best afternoon audiences
of the Exposition, was filled with ideas
and illustrations which diverted the
minds of his listeners from the mi
terial development of the State as rep
resented by the exhibits to considera
tion of the progress the State has made
through changes educationally, social
ly and spiritually. He spoke for per
haps a half hour and the eager atten
tion of the audience indicated extreme
interest in the discourse.
The changes in life have occurred
simultaneously. Dr. Brooks intimate!.
"Today we have schools our granct -fathers
of a hundred years ago nev?r
dreamed because we have conditions of
which they never dreamed."
PRAISE GIVEN SPEAKER.
Dr. W. H. Frazer, president or
Queens College, introduced the State
Superintendent of Education, crediting
him with the wonderful progress Nortn
Carolina public schools have made in
recent years. He reminded that, un
der the leadership of Dr. Brooks,
North Carolina has surpassed in edu
cational rating 14 other States. On the
platform with Dr.. Brooks were Profes
sor Graham, one of the State's pioneer
educators; Prof. H. P, Harding, super
intendent of the city schools: Col. .
H. Boyden, of Salisbury, and Exposi
tion Manager Bryant.
Dr. D. B. Johnson, president of Win
throp College, who was on the pro
gram . for an address, was unable to
corns to Charlotte owing to illness. Con
sequently. the only address of the af
ternoon was made by Dr. Brooks. Sev
eral musical, selections were rendered
by the New York City Band preceding
and following the address.
Dr. Brooks opened his address wirh
reference to the beginning of the in
dustrial growth of North Carolina with
the establishment of the first iron fac
tory in Lincoln county "in 1791 and
the first cotton mills in that county in
1811. The people of the State
thought along different lines ( then than
do the peoole of today educationally,
socially and spiritually, he explained.
Following his brief review of the !n
dustrial development of the State, he
took up the changes in thought and
ideas,- all of which have wrought :i
greater and better State, said he.
THE GREATER STATE.
"When we had slow methods cf
transportation and primitive .manufac
tories we wanted money for great im
provements. We called on the Govern
ment but the Government said the con
stitution prohibited the appropriation
of money for such enterprises."
Since, he continued, the people have
seen a change in their interpretation
of the constitution. The result is bet
ter roads, better schools, better facili
ties for caring for the unfortunates of
the State and better conditions of liv
ing for all citizens. t
He attributed to changes m the intei
oretation of the constitution the will
ingness of legislators? to authorize the
"program so vigorously pushed by your
distinguished citizen, the governor, un
til we now have the greatest road
building program, perhaps, of any
State." , , .
Education has changed because of
the change in conditions since Joseph
Graham built the first iron factory in
Lincoln until the present great display
of manufactured products, said he.
Then, he pointed out, there was not a
county that had a school system the
children could attend without paying.
Since that day arithmetic and geog
raphy have changed. The arithmetic
and geography which the fathers of a
hundred years ago studied are different
from those of today. Business of a
period, he reminded, affects the arith
metic, and also practically every
other sumject taught in the schoois.
INDICATES HIGHER LIFE.
Stressing the fact that he considers
all the changes an improvement in tne
life of man, Dr. Brooks declared he
liked to think of the Made-in-Charolmas
exposition "as evidence of new rai
ment covering a more refined soul than
has ever existed in the world.
He attributed the changes to the
"spirit of God at work in the world.
The same hand that rounded Peters
dome is the same hand that has worked
through man to create these things.
In giving consideration to the spirit
ual changes in man, he referred to tne
fact that one-half the "crimes on the
criminal dockets of today were not
considered crimes a hundred years ago.
Prohibition he mentioned as an un
dreamed of condition then. Man has
not the time nor dispositi - longer to
doubt the existence of God. said Dr
Brooks.' The preachings of Ingersoll
was referred to-with the declaration
that this man has passed out and
his doctrine forgotten.
In conclusion, he urged parents and
teachers to teac the child the meaning
of these great changes. The meaning
of the' exposition and its effect on
their lives and morals should be
stressed, he added, he emphasized that
(Continued on Page Nine.)
At Tlhie
WN
ON
1 '
CHARLOTTE, N. C, SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 25, 1921.
AL SEMNAC
STAR WITNES
STAT
Presents Damaging Testi
mony Against Fatty Ar
buckle at Hearing.
IS TOLD IN WHISPERS.
Semnacher Was Reluctant
Witness and Tried to
Avoid Telling Story.
BY M. D. TRACY,
L otted Press Staff Correspondent.
San Francisco, Sept. 24. Roscoe
("Fatty") Arbuckle, world famous come
dian, sat disconsolate in his cell at the
city prison tonight after his hardest
day in court since he was arrested
two weeks ago" today charged with the
murder of Virginia Rappe, the best
dressed girl in the movies.
Hjs time in court today was only 00
minutes, but he heard Al. Semnacher,
his friend, and Miss Rappe's former
manager, charge that when Virginia
was lying nude on one of Arbucklo's
twin beds, the big, baby-faced come
dian had tortured her indescribably.
Arbuckle had seen Miss Rappe's cloth
ing showing big rips, his soft, fat
hands were alleged to have made, dan
gled before the eyes of a court room
full of women and Semnacher's iden
tification, and before the eyes of Mima
Durfee, his faithful little wife.
COMEDY TURNED TO TRAGEDY.
Roscoe and Minta, sitting cuddled
close together at the bar of justice,
watched unfeeling actors portray the
first real tragedy of1 the comedian'j
life.
A third major phase of Semnacher's
testimony dealt with a conference, he,
Arbuckle, Fred Fishback and Lowe'.l
Sherman held in the offices of Sid
Graudmen, theater owner of Los An
geles, two weeks ago Friday. It was
then that Arbuckle had learned ugly
accusations were being made against
him and he determined to come to San
Francisco at the request of the San
Francisco chief of police.
Senmacher described Afbuckle's La
bor Day party, how he and a party of
friends had been in Arbuckle's suite
at the St. Francis hotel here.
SEMNACHER RELUCTANT.
Semnacher, matching wits with the
district attorney, parried in every con
ceivable imanner against answering
questions designed to bring out the al
leged admission on the part of v Ar
buckle "the morning after" the gajr
hotel party.
Pale and trembling, he finally repeat
ed an alleged statement of Arbuckie
to the effect that he had placed ice in
the body of Miss Rappe. The state
ment was made by Arbuckle in his
rooms at the St. Francis in the pres
ence of Lowell Sherman, Fred Fish
back and Harry McCullough, in addi
tion to the witness, Semnacher de
clared. The exact language Arbuckle used
went into the record but the witness
whispered it to the stenographer after
he had submitted his answer in writ
ing to the court and attorneys for both
sides.
The conversation had turned to the
party of the day before.
WHISPERED THE STORY.
"Did Arbuckle say anything at that
time about a piece of ice " suddenly
shot the prosecutor's question.
"He did," was the answer.
"What did he say?"
"He told us that he had placed a
piece of ice on Miss Rappe," replied
Semnacher.
"On," came the relentless question
er. "No." was the answer.
"Well?"
The answer was unprintable. But it
did not satisfy the man who represent
ed the people of the State of Califor
nia. "Exactly what did Arbuckle say?"
demanded the prosecution.
"I don't want to say his words,"
Semnacher said.
"I insist; they are important," con
tinued the attorney.
Semnacher hesitated.
"Well whisper them to the court
reporter," suggested the questioner. '
Semnacher did.
They were then written on a bit of
paper and passed around the counsol
table.
Mrs. - Arbuckle was looking straight
downward. She played with a long
string of solid amber beads. Her .bi;
eyed dimmed beneath long black lash
es. Her cheeks were red and swollen
It seemed she was going to burst into
tears that she wanted to cry.
ARBUCKLE FLUSHED AND JERK
ING. Arbuckle turned his head away. His
face was flushed and jerking.
He spread out his arms across the
backs of near by chairs and with one
hand clutched nervously the brass rail
which separated the defendant's chi'ii
from those of free men.
Mrs. Arbuckle's mother, gray, but
still alert, smiled wanly towards Minta.
Finally the sordid subject was
changed. But only for an instant Just
long enough to turn the scene back to
the late afternoon of Labor Day.
Semnacher ' told again that he had
picked up and carried away Virginia
Rappe's torn clothing from Roscoe
rbuckle s room; A detective nanaeci
the prosecutor a bundle of white and
green. Unfeelingly it was opened, un
folding the last clothes worn by "the
best dressed girl m Hollywood."
CLOTHES EXHIBITED
"Have you seen these before?" asked
the prosecutor, handing Semnacher a
pair of gold cuff links engraved withe
the initials "V. R." .
"Yes," was the answer.
"What are they?"
"They were Virginia Rappe's cuff
links."
The cuff links were duly marked as
exhibit eight.
Next came a green jade bracelet. It
(Continued on Page Nine.)
FOR
EsposMoira Will
l l . . --
NEW Al GRAVE
CRISISNIRELAND
CAUSES ANXIETY
Lloyd-George's Answer to
de Valera is Perused by
Cabinet Members.
RIOTING IN BELFAST.
Arthur Griffiths and de Va
lera Hold Conference Dur
ing Afternoon.
, Dublin, Sept. 24. Eafnonn de Valera
was reported tonight to have received
a communication from England which
portends important developments in the
Irish peace situation.
Arthur Griffiths spent the whole aft
ernoon in conference with de Valera at
the latter's seaside residence.
There was much activity in this city
tonight by black and tan policemen.
They appeared in hte streets bearing
aims for the first time since the Irish
armistice went into effect.
That a new and grave crisis has de
veloped, which is causing much anx
iety, was apparent.
It was reported that Premier Lloyd
George had sent a note to de Valera
and that it was under discussion by
the Sinn Fein chieftain and Griffiths
during the afternoon and evening, but
this was not officilaly confirmed. Dis
patches from London during the aft
ernoon indicated that Lloyd-George's
note would not be sent for a day or
two.
The populace is hopeful that the
crisis will pass without a recurrence
of warfare, but it is admitted that
the outlook is now very black.
PAVES WAY FOR PARLEY?
London, Sept. 24. Premier Lloyd
George has prepared a new note to
Eamonn de Valera proposing an Irish
peace conference early in October, it
was reliably reported tonight.
The note is understood to recognize
de Valera's virtual withdrawal of his
claims of Irish sovereignt.
This was , the obstacle which caused
the calling off of the conference pre
vious proposed.
The note, it was understood, insists
that Britain will not consent to dis
cuss separation of Ireland from -, the
Empire, . . itf-S
, The 'October conference must be en
tered by the Irish' delegates with this
distinct proviso.
Lloyd-George's note has been sub
mitted to other members of the Cabi
net. It is unlikely that their replies
will cause a change in the wording
of it.
The Premier's advisors at Gairloch
are mostly liberals, who favor a pacific
Irish policy. The Unionists are not
represented there, but they are also
believed to be tired of the verbal battle
between Lloyd-George and de Valera
and to be anxious for a definite settle
ment. THREATENS ELECTION
Lloyd-George now is threatening to
precipitate a general election if the
Irish negotiations fail, and re-elect his
ministry. He would blame the reac
tionaries for faiilure of the parleys.
Winnston Churchill, speaking on the
Irish situation to an audience in Dun
dee Scotland, declared he saw no foun
dation for hope.
"The Irish position is still uncertain,"
he warned. "An Irish Republic meana
inevitable civil war."
Churchill declared Ulster had ceased
to be a stumbling block to the nego
tiations. Ulster has made great sacri
fices, he - said, and is wliling to see
peace in Ireland.
"I am profoundly disappointed at de
Valera's rejection of home rule," he
said.
"A lasting peace in Ireland would be
helpful, not only to the empire but to
the entire world. Britain now is able
to enforce the law in Erin, but we
must clear the misunderstandings
whch have developed. Then, if our
terms are rejected we will have the
support of the entire world.
"Our offer is generous and sincere.
But we must insist on allegiance to the
king, whether he be the king of Brit
ain or Ireland."
"We have reached the end of our
tether."
The mystery of the situation tonight
!ay in the riots in Belfast. The re
ports indicated fierce fighting had been
waged unjtil early today.
A comber quiet hung over the streets
of the east side where the troopers,
(Continued on Page Two)
TOUGH OLD WINTER IN
PROSPECTEXPERTSSAY
Washington. Sept. 24 It's going to
be a tough old winter if the law of
averages prevails and the wise house
holder will lay in his supply of anthra
cite early, coal experts of the geologi
cal survey indicated tonight.
Production of anthracite and bitu
minous coal is increasing but there is
indicatio n.of large supplies being laid
away as surplus and if .railroad trans
portation should be impeded there is
some likelihood that a coal shortage
would exist.
North Carolina: Partly cloudy in east,
probable showers in west portion Sun
day; Monday showers; no cfhange in
temperature. .
South Carolina: Fair Sunday; Mon
day partlv cloudy, probably local show
ers in interior; no change in temperature.
. .
THE
THE
Conference Will Be An Acid
Test Of Nations9 Sincerity
Will Enable the Controlling Nations of the Two Hem
ispheres to Put in Writing Some of the Lofty Sen
timents Professed Since Signing of Armistice.
By ROBERT T. SMALL.
Staff Correspondent of The IVewn.
Copyright, li)21, by JVews Publishing Co.
Washington, Sept. 24. Although the
phrase is borrowed from a previous oc
cupant of the WTiite House, the Hard
ing Administration has undertaken an
"acid test" of the sincerity of the
leading nations of the world.
it s
The forthcoming conference on the
Limitation of Armaments is simply
that and nothing more. The conference
will enable the controlling nations of
the two hemispheres to put down in
writing some of the lofty professions
and sentiments that have echoed round
the world since the signing of the
armistice.
It is no longer a secret that the
United, States took the lead in bring
ing about this conference because it is
the nation best fitted to continue to
arm in the future. The last thing the
people of the United States desire, the
last thing that President Harding
would want to engage in, would be an
armament race withr any other nation
or any ether combination of nations.
Plain 'and sincere words are likely
to be uttered across the armament
conference table. And so, when it
comes time for the United States Gov
ernment to place its cards upon the
table, they will be face up. There will
be sufficient publicity to the confer
ence to let the world know that, if the
the other nations are not willing to
co-operate frankly and freely with the
United States in bringing about what
President Harding terms "approximate
disarmament" the United States can set
a pace that will completely crush those
who attempt to compete.
ONE OF TWO RESULTS.-
It is becoming clearer as the con
ference approaches that one of two
things must h'appen. Either there will
be an agreement to limit armaments in
the future not a halting, hesitating
agreement, but a whole hearted one
or there will grow out of the parley a
staggering era of war preparation. For
if the other nations refuse to join with
the United States in the limitation of
armaments, it will be plain to all that
this country is isolated and must pre
pare to take a completely independent
part in world affairs.
It is unthinkable, of course, to the
Washington Administration that the
other nations will not only gladly join
the United States and it is difficult to
envisage a refusal at this time of the
leadership offered.
The Washington Administration feels'
RAILROADS NEAR
ANOTHER CRISIS
Railroad Union Officials
Think the Roads Will Col
lapse This Fall.
BY MILDRED MORRIS
International News Service Staff
Correspondent.
Washington, Sept. 24. A crisis which
will develop into the breakdown of
the railroads, necessitating their im
mediate return to government control,
is due within thirty days.
This prediction wll be made in "La
bor," the official organ of the railroad
unions, in its next issue, it was learn
ed tonight. The prediction is the view
of railway labor officials.
The prediction is significant in view
of information from authoritative
sources that the railroad union exec
utives are delaying plans for a general
strike in anticipation of just such a
situation.
They look to a collapse of the rail
roads to win public support ,for the
railroad workers in their demands for
government ownership and democratic
control. It was pointed out tonight
that the workers would then be in a
strategic position to deliver an ultima
tum which would give the government
choice between two alternatives a
general strike or the taking over of
the roads.
"They will then be in a position to
base their fight solely on the ground
of public service," said, a prominent
labor official. "Anxiety to prevent in
convenience to the public has delayed
a strike as much as anything else.
When the collapse of the railroads
comes, the men will give warning
they will refuse to work until the rail
roads are made fit for public service."
Glenn Plumb, father of the Plumb
plan of railroad control, and counsel
of the railroad unions, .declared tonight
that a railroad collapse is "inevitable."
In about thirty days' begins the rush
scene for moving winter coal and then,
according to Plumb and "Labor" wil?
begin the final breakdown of the
roads.
The National Coal Association sup
ports Plumb's statement that the rail
roads will not be able to move enough
coal to supply the public's demands be
cause of lack of cars and one of - the
most critical situations in the history
of the nation will arise with the pros
pect of a coal famine in several sec
tions of the country.
"Nothing can save the railroads
now," said Plumb. "With all the cars
available used for moving coal, there
will not be enough to supply the nor
mal demand.
"Waste and neglect on the part of
the railroad management are respon
sible . Millions have been paid out to
stockholders for speculative purposes.
Those same millions spent in improve
ments could have been used in pur
chasing cars to haul coal."
ROWAN NEGRO SHOOTS
AT MAN WITH HIS WIFE
Salisbury, Sept. 24. Poor marks
manship on the' part of Charlie Bar
ton, negro, saved the life of Henry
Sims, another negro, when Barton fired
a 45-calibre pistol, three times point
blank at Sims, whom he caught walk
ing up one of the city's main . streets
with Barton's wife.
Ke
CHARLOTTE SEWS f Consolidated
EVENING CHRONICLE I Slay 8. 1914.
that th-.? nations invited to the confer
ence holds the peace of the world in
their hands. Therefore, the forthcom
ing conference holds the issue of peace
or war. If the nations are earnestly
desirous of peace, the United States,
the' most powerful of them all, is will
ing to meet them more tnan half way.
As a matter of fact, military and na
val men are already declaring that the
United States has shown its earnest
ness by virtually, disarming in advance
of the conference. The army is being
cut down to what amounts to little
more than garrison strength, or a na
tional police force. Building has been
stopped on many important naval ves
sels of the first rank, while other ves
sels are being allowed to fall into a
non-serviceable condition due to the
lack of a personnel sufficient to keep
the establishment up to anything like
its wartime strength.
SUICIDAL FOR REST.
However, it would be suicidal for the
other nations of the world to mistake
the sentiment of the United States.
There is pacifist sentiment in the Unit
ed States simply because the American
people are always ready to attribute
high motives to other peoples and are
unwilling to believe that any other peo
ples or any other governments would
contemplate war with this country.
Let the drift of the forthcoming con
ference show a belligerent attitude on
the part of the other nations, and the
sentiment of the American people
would swing overnight. It has swung
just as quickly before.
The more that Washington observers
and diplomats study the coming con
ference at ' close range, the more deli
cate they realize its deliberations will
be. For this reason there is very ser
ious doubt that the sessions as a whole
will be! open to the public.
i President Harding and Secretary of
State Hughes are earnestly endeavoring
I to find a means of the completest pub
' licity possible of all that goes on in
I the conference chamber, but it is real
ized that, after all is said and done,
if the sessions were to be open to the
I public always, they would drift into
! extremely formal affairs, with a lot of
oratory ior nome consumption, wniie
the real agreements would be reached
in private conferences attended by only
a few of the delegates.
Of this, however, there can be no
doubt, greater efforts will be made to
ward complete publicity than ever were
attempted at any international gather
ing of similar importance.
CHINA MAY BALL
UP CONFERENCE
Dr. Sun Will Not Recognize
Conference Unless He is
Represented.
By GEORGE II. HOLMES.
International News Correspondent
Washington, Sept. 24. A crisis is
rapidly developing in China which may
have a vital and far-reaching effect on
the forthcoming armament and Far
East conference, it was learned here
tonight.
The North China government at Pe
kin, which is the only recognized gov
ernment, apparently has chosen to ig
nore the suggestion of the United States
that China send a "unified" delegation
to Washington, and the delegation now.
about to sail contains no representa
tives of the South China government
of Dr. Sun- Ya"t-Sen.
DR. SUN SENDS NOTICE.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen has notified Secre
tary of State Hughes that unless his
representatives are permitted to come
to Washington and take part in the
proceedings he will not recognize any
of. the conference decisions regarding
China, as having any force. Inasmuch
as Dr. Sun's authority extends over
nearly half of China, officials were dis
posed to view the situation tonight
j with some gravity.
Officials of this government said to
day that the United States had gone as
far as possible in suggesting that the
Pekin government recognize the Canton
government to the extent of repre
sentation on the official delegation. It
was asserted that the only recognized
Chinese government is that of Pekin
and that this government cannot in
vite or permit &outh Chinese delegates
without the consent of Pekin.
CRISIS EXPECTED.
Confidential advices reaching Wash
ington are to the effect that Sun's arm
ed forces are expected to attempt a
whether successful or iJ oglPStaffNa
drive northward on Pekin, and wheth
er successful or not, such a move would
create a perplexing situation at the con
ference here. Munitions and arms for
such a drive, obtained from Japanese
sources despite the international agree
ment not to ship arms into China, are
now being concentrated by the South
China government.
It (S charged by Dr. Sun's govern
ment, through Mr. Soo, his Washing
ton representative, that the officials of
the present Pekin government are dom
inated by Japanese, and that the dele
gation designated by Pekin to come to
Washington is also dominated by To
kio. Pressure is being brought to bear on
Pekin to adjust its differences with Dr.
Sun's South China government to the
extent of allowing China to present a
united fxpnt at the November confer
ence. The "suggestion" made by the United
States a. week ago to this effect was
the first step.
Administration officials are anxious
to see the troubles adjusted. They do
not desire to have complications arise
in the conference which might conceiv
ably menace the all-important decis
ions that are to. be made in Chinese
matters. They also are not oblivious
to the fact that a sudden shift in the
affairs of China might put Dr. Sun in
a more commanding position than he
has yet been able to attain.
i i
inicollifii Cotuuntty
...
IPPIPP T?TV"I? OITXTTO
I 1 AVlL;.i 1 1 Ej IlQ
GOVERNOR WILL
NOT INTERFERE
i
1 HARRIS CASE
Ridgecrest Merchant Must
Pay Extreme Penalty of '
the Law.
DECISION IS A SHOCK.
Friends of Harris, Stunned $
Governor Finds No Flaw
in Record.
By JULE B. WARREN.
Staff Correspondent of The fSerrm.
Raleigh, Sept- 24. Governor Camer
on Morrison this afternoon refused to
interfere with the judgment of the
court in the petition of J. T. Harris,
Ridgecrest merchant, who on Septem
ber 3, 1920, waylaid and killed W H
Monnish, wealthy tourist and philan
thropic Baptist layman of Alabama, for
commutation of death sentence to life
imprisonment.
Unless there is further executive in
terference, which is not likely, Harris
will pay the extreme penalty for his
crime on October 20.
The Governor announced hi8 decision
immediatley after the attorneys for the
two sides had finished, dictating a state
ment giving his reasons for refusing
to interfere with the judgment of the
Court.
The statement declared that evi
dence had been produced which caused
him to oubt any of the testimony
offered by the Rev. Livingston Mays,
corresponding secretary and manager
of the Bautist assembly grounds at
Ridgecrest, but that with all of this
evidence taken out of the record, there
would still have been sufficient evidence
left to have justified the verdict o
first degree murder.
GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT.
The statement of the Governor fol
lows: 'l think, gentlemen, that you have
done all you can do to save this man's
life. feel that I am as ready now
as I will be at any later time to meet
my duty in respect to it. It is true
that under the Constitution of the
State I have the power to stay the
execution of the judgment of the Su
perior Court of Buncombe County,
affirmed by the Supreme Court of the
State, but I do not think that such
new evidence has been brought to my
attention, or such evidence of the
character and,.jmanner:" of the trial in '
sthecourts has been made known to me
as would warrant me - In staying the
processes of the court, and commuting
the death sentence of the prisoner to
prisonment.
."The two dissenting judges upon the
Supreme Court did not say that the
prisoner ought not to die, or express
any opinion indicating that either of
them though him innocent of murder'
in the first degree. They dissented
from the majority judgment of the
Court unon certain excontlorm flHslff-riejTT
as errors by the prisoner hi his case, '-'
on appeal. Upon these exceptions I do,
not agree with the legal position tak&a.Li
by the dissenting judges, and thipft.tho . ,.
majority opinion of the Court the cor- ;
rect law, but if error was coinmjtted
in the respect pointed out by these two"
dissenting judges, the errors would not
go to a substantial determination of
the cause. Error may have been com-1
mitted in the respect stated by the
two dissenting judges, and yet this
would not warrant me in forever de
termining that the prisoner should not
suffer for the crime of murder in the
first degree.
DISCARDS MAYS EVIDENCE.
"As to the evidence of the witness1
Mays, evidence has been produced be
fore me which would cause me to be;
highly doubtful of the truth of anyj
statement made by" this witness, but'
his testimony can be utterly excluded
from the case, and yet, in my judg
ment upon evidence as disclosed in the
record, the jury was not only war
ranted in convicting the defendant,
but if they had not done so with the,
testimony of Mays excluded, they would:
have failed in their duty, and returned'
a verdict clearly against the evidence
in the case.
"There is no evidence before me
which I think warrants an interfer
ence with the judgment of the court,
and I", therefore, deny the petition of,
the prisoner, and will permit the judg-i
ment of the court to be duly executed."
CAME AS SURPRISE.
While the announcement of the Gov
ernor was a shock to the attorneys for
Harris and to others who interested1
themselves in the case, a glance back; '
over the hearing would have indicated!
that those who watched it should not)
have been surprised at the decision cfj---"
the Governor. He intimated that the
evidence offered by Judge Carter as
to the testmiony of Preacher Mays,
completely destroyed the value ,of that
evidence, but the attorneys had not
been able to overcome the statement
of Mark Brown that excluding the
testimony of the preacher; there were'
14 others who testified that the man
was sane on the day of the shooting,
and that there were just a few who
thought he acted queerly, or showed
any signs of insanity. The evidence
of Dr. Highsmith, eminent physician,
whom the Governor knew personally,
that Harris was all right on the day
of the murder, could not be eradi
cated by the speeches of the attorneys
for the prisoner.
CRAIG MAKES FINAL PLEA. j
Governor Locke Craig made the final
plea for the commutation of the death
sentence before Governor Morrison on
Saturday morning, and following some
questioning of various attorneys by the
Governor as to certain - details of evl
dence, Governor Morrison took the mat
ter under consideration.
Governor Craig kept his seat while
(Continued oa Page Two)
Day
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