tn? xthpr Fni?pr ACT
- . -1
- - - ",'.v, : ,- . -; : t r ' j - .i.' - " .. , ' '
North Carolina Rain - tonight,
Slightly colder in west. f Thuraday-I
aeneraliy Tair. - " !
South Carolina Cloudy- ; tonight.'
Rain in nortn. inursaayw fa.
slightly colder in the interior. jl
, Will MH AO
Y'(JL. -Alli. mvx. ut.
77
4
n Mil I I II' I 1 1 I I . I I l 1 1 I l f i I il if l r 1 l- I 1 fW 11 rl jT-W Nil V j-". I V 11 I r lv;l-r3 T7r7
fJ M 1 7 ff ki ft Pi
vvyii j MJiJiujayy ItAimmImm 11 y JiVJ U uJ u 11 ml HMIL3
A DECLARATION OF
mm TO ACTli !
A ME ibid?
President Summons National
Lawmakers to Meet the ! -
Crisis of the Times.
STATE OF WAR WILL
NO DOUBT BE DECLARED !
KprpQQarv Fnr Cnnarpss to
T L A t" P fl ;
lake action rromptly
Manufacturers Or Country
njTT n Tl,,.,. --. i
Ready to 1 hrow Ureat
Plants in the Scales. I
(By Associated Press.)
Washington, March 21. President
Wilson, recognising that Germany
imriicRllv is makine- -rear on thft
t'niifd Slates c:a the .-.eas. today call
t! I'nngi'css to assemble a extraord
inary session on April 2 to deal with
thn situation.
The purpose of the session, now
(ailed two weeks earlier than the
riiite first set. as anaounced in theJ
President's proclamation, is to receive
coKirnunicalion from the Chief Ex
fcutive "on grave Questions of Na
tional policy." I
The President in his address to ,
lensress will detaa how Germany
practically has been making war on
lhe United States by the ruthless de-i
bunion of American lives and ships
ca the high seas in contravention of J
al! the laws of nations and humanity, j
Congress then is expected to pass j
a resolution declaring that a state of
?nr has existed between the United
S s es ;md Germany for some time.
Such a resolution, in itself, will
not he a declaration of war in a tech-
meal sense, although practically It j
v'iil amount to the' same thing. j
As a consequence the United'
S'iifes will take further steps to pro-1
tf'?t its interests on the high seas
nd elsewhere against the warlike
at's of Germany and whether an act
ual state of war will come to exist
jn i;s full sense will depend on the
future acts of the imperial German
government.
Since last Sunday when three
American ships were sunk in quick
u(crsSKm vitn logs of American
f-s bringing the total number of
Americans lost through German sub
rmo operations to more than 200
the President -and all his advisers
!m recognized that a state of war
listed. From all parts of the coun
ty have come calls for the imme-
''fltC Slim m nn in cr rF Cnn rraa in QV.
lr session. I
Al'hoiish th President by the pro
'"ns of the Constitution, must
'vivc ,r. Congress to make the prac--cn
1 decla ration of war, such advices
f havr tome to the White House
J,1""1 .'I'ml-ers of Congress, Govern-
of States, public officials and
an.v lmndreds of citizens have con
mwi statements of support of such
d ',''"' in its fullest sense.
me
Caivnet whtr'h nrirnil tl-io mnvo
Jfm Hie President at yesterday's ses
; "n.. is described by its members as
Minx boon more thoroughly united
j tin 'I has been on any other ques
ru 1 '!HS come before it.
Xau'on now actually comes to
'."fim which all the history of cen
fJlfs indicated must necessarily fol
' 'he severance of diplomatic re-
wiih Germany, February 3.
l ''"'n tin? President on that day
so Count von Bernstorff his
CTn and notified Congress that
"ad severed diplomatic relations
man her 'vith the imperial Ger
n Government, the United States
d m-AI-tl 1 1 11
thr. u a puoiiioii wiiere an
n 2 acTenTies was press'i
U, ' '., P icial Washington openly ac
Gt that nothing less than
anV any's aandonment of her newly
-uacr-fi campaign
of submarine
On fi v. " umu pxeveuL ii, auu uu
0dl ch:m0 ',.
A'l i n. ...ni
lniH, 'wiicu. nations uyeiiiy gave i
V.
""cl St:-. nn w. 1 I
' ' " ' i 1 1 I ll(ir nonor TtlQT rnpi
in .-i '"uu v uuiu 111 uivu t
iUu' war and that. nnSSiblv was i
rgniz(id ,n Germany before the
Sm, Sl'jni;'rine campaign was an-
' 1 when Foreign Minister Zim-
""""iue(i on Page Eight)
i 4 4. 4.
TJ D E1 TTl IP 7VFT1 9 Cf f T T
- 1VAJ LlAil. V X
FOR QUICK ACTION
(By Associated Press.)
Washington, March 21. The Presi
dent's proclamation, calling Congress
to assemble ADril 2. follows:
"Whereas Public interest requires011 lhe second day of April, 1917, at
that the congress of the United Statesl2 o'clock noon, of which all persons
should be convened in extra session
at 12 o'clock noon on the second dav
of AbriL 1917 t rfirfiivft a rnmmiin .
cation by the executive on grave ques
tions of National policy;
Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wil-
son, president of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim and de-
mat an extraorainary occasion
ERIGANS LOST
ON UlGltANGM
Consul General Receives the
Names of Those Sup
posed Dead.
(Bv Associated Press.)
London, March 21. Robert P. Skin
ner, the American consul-general, has
received a list of the following five
Americans lost from the American
steamer Vigilancia, torpedoed and
sunk last Friday:
Neils North, third officer.
F. Brown.
Joseph Fibera.
Estphan Lopez.
C. F. Aderahold.
The last-named was from
Ala. The addresses of the
Attala,
others
were not given.
Among the lost was Alexander
Rodridguez, a Porto Rican, while the
others represented a number of na
tionalities. Consul-General Skinner also re
ceived today word of the safe arrival
at Glasgow of Captain Brown and
the eight missing members of the
crew of the American steamer City
of Memphis, who were picked up
after having been 18 hours in an open
boat.
AIRSHIP FACTORY
MEN ON STRIKE
(By Associated Press.)
Buffalo, N. Y., March 21. Two
hundred men employed by the Curtiss
Aeroplane Company went on strike
today. The men are employed in the
metal parts division, where work is
under way on army and navy orders.
ANOTHER ARAB CHIEF
REVOLTS AGAINST TURK
(by Associated Press.) ' !
London, March 21. Another import-1
ant chieftain in Arabia has risen j
against the Turks, Foreign Secretary)
Balfour announced in the House of
Commons today. The Turkish force i
near Aden has been isolated from
Turkish headquarters.
GERMANY STARTS NEW
RECRUITING CAMPAIGN
(By Asspciated Press.)
Amsterdam. (Via London),
21. Germany has started a new and
Pinhnratp recruitine campaign in Po-
hand aomrim to a Koenigsberg dis-
, ' , .
ine Polish papers. Under the
uaiwii -- : '
new
- - . - ... rr a
scheme 17 mam recruiting offices, 74
district offices and' 400 focal bureaus
have been opened. An appeal of the
state council to the Poles to join the
colors, will shortly be issued.
AM
FULL
WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 21, 1917.
M
urn
kJ SJTJLJLjJLj
requires the Congress of the United
States to convene in extra session at
the capitoi in the City of' Washington
who shall at that time be entitled to
act as members thereof, are hereby
required to take notice.
"Given under my hand and seal of
tlfe United States of America, the
21st day of March, in the Year of Our
Lord, one thousand nine hundred and
seventeen and of the Independence of
the United States the 141st."
M. M. J'. .V.
BREAD RIOTS REPORTED IN
BERLIN.
vs- . (By Associated. Press.) rX--5f
v .-XibwlG.n, ; Mitrefe -21. Reuterk
r Amsterdam correspondent re -X-
-X- ports that it is rumored that se- -X-
-X- rious riots have broken out in -X-
-X- Berlin in connection with the -X-
X- scarcity of food. -X-
-X- A dispatch from Oldenzaal, -X-
-X- Holland, says: "Persistent ru- -a-
-X- mors are current of great rioting
X- in Berlin." The dispatch adds: -X-
-X- "Frontier regiments are re -X-
-X- ported to have left for Berlin to
-X- maintain order." -X-
-x- x-
w v A- -V. .v. -M. ?. jjl .y. : -y. v.
V- A Y A V. -V V" . A A k A ,
CAUSE OF KILLING
Jacksonville Police Believe
Some Other Motive Back
of Deed.
(By Associated Press.)
Jacksonville, Fla., March 21. Inves
tigation of the killing of Edmund J.
Murch, retired Bangor, Me., capitalist,
by George Thompson, a negro restau
rant keeper, here yesterday, convinc
ed the police, they said today, that
robbery was the motive. The police
said that Thompson gave them a state
ment to the effect that when his wife
left his restaurant yesterday that he
followed her, got into the house with
out her seeing him and when Murch
appeared in the house he began to
shoot. According to his statement,
Thompson said he fired five times,
four times when Murch was in the
house and once as he fled from the
yard. One bullet in the body caused
death.
The police say that bloodstains they
found near the Thompson house leads
them to believe Thompson's state
ment that Murch was shot in the
house. The trail ' of . blood stopped
within a block and the police say
they have not yet ascertained how
Murch covered the other ten blocks
to the house.
Murch was found in a chair on the
porch of the house where he was
staying. The police say mat ne stat
ed he had been injured in an automo
bile accident but said nothing else
before he died.
SAMPSON COUNTY
POSTMASTER NAMED
Washington, D. C, March 21. Ern
March est Bullard was today appointed
postmaster at Hayne, Sampson coun
ty; Sebastian Mayo, at Mesic, Pam
lico county, and Miss Florence Silver,
at Kona, Mitchell county.
Jesse Johnson today was appointed
rural carrier on Route 3, Henderson
ville, William Williams, Route 1,
Horseshoe; Marvin Capps, Route 2,
Jacksonville, and Addison Hosea,
Route 2, Pikeville, N. C.
I
I
ROBBERY
NOT
LEASED WIRE SERVICE
(TpflEliCII RAPIDLY
PUSHING DN
WESTERN DRIVE
Today They Are in Sight of
St. Quentin, Long Head
quarfers of Emperor.
TEUTONIC RETREAT
HAS NOT HALTED
Battle in Macedonia Grows in
Intensity 1 Russians Have
Broken Through in Mesa
potamia. St. Quentin, reputed hcaGquarters of
the German Emperor and his general
staff for the two years following the
battle of the Marne, and scene of a
tfreat French defeat in the war of
1S70, is today witlrin sight of the
French infantry who are following
fast on the heels of the retreating
German army. Twelve miles to the
sruth Fiench troops are also looking
down upon LaFere, and are within
reach of the German heavy guns if
the invaders have really elected to
hold the famous Hindenburg line, run
ning from Lille to Laon.
So far there is no evidence that the
German retreat has halted, such facts
as are known indicating the contrary
LaFere is supposed to be one of the
corner stones of the Hindenburg line,
yet General Nivelle has been able to
occupy Tergnier, less than two miles
from LaFere, apparently without en
countering serious resistance. Terg
nier is an important railroad junction
from "which three" Vroafls branch, ono
north to LaFere, a second southwest
to Noyon, and a third northwest to
St. Quentin. Even more significant is
the fact that tho British, advancing on
the north against Cambrai, another vi
tal point on the Hindenburg line, have
seen incendiary fires blazing in the
rear of that town.
,The only fact to offset these evi
dences that the Germans are still re
tiring is that the advance of both Brit
ish and French materially slackened
yesterday. This is officially explain
ed as due to an equinoxial gale which
swept over the blackened wilderness
in which the onposing armies were
manoeuvering. The British, whose ad
vance has been constantly slower than
that of the French, are still an appre
ciable distance from Cambrai, their
nearest outpost being about 12 miles
from that city.
The v great importance of Cambrai
lies in the fact that it is the principal
barrier between the Allies and the
great French coal and iron fields
around Valenciennes, 20 miles further
on. These fields have been held by
the Germans since the first sweep
through Belgium.
While uncertainty still reigns as to
the outcome of the great drama being
staged in Picardy the Germans con
tinue their eft'orts to create a diver
sion in the region of Verdun, but so
far nothing has developed to indicate
that a major operation is under way.
The most important fighting reported
from any other theatre is from the
long quiescent Macedonian front. Here
the fighting between the Bulgar-Tf u
tonic forces and General Sarrail's
French troops has been steadily grow
ing in severity with conflicting re
ports as to its results.
Russians Cross Frontier.
Petrograd, March 21, Via London
(British Admiralty Per Wireless
Press). Russian troops driving
southwestward from Sakkiz, Persia,
have crossed the Mesopdtamian fron
tier into Turkish territory, the war
office announced today.
PLEAD GUILTY TO
GERMAN CONSPIRACY
(By Associated Press.1.
New. York, March 21. Albert O.
Sander and Charles N. Wunnenburg,
indicted as members of the Central
Powers War Film Exchange, on the
charge of engaging in. a military en
terprise and sending spies to Eng
land to get information for the Ger
man military authorities, today plead
ed guilty. They will be sentenced to
morrow. DEPOSED EMPEROR
TO BE EXILED
(By Associated Press.)
iLchadoin;, JVlarch 21,. The Russian
government has ordered that the de
posed Emperor and his consort shall
be regarded as having been deprived
of their liberty and that they shall be
brought to the Tsarskoe-Selo, Reuters'
Petrograd correspondent telegraphs.
srAl CM
WAR
BULBARS HURLING
GAS BOMBS KILL
y
Threw Such Projectile Into
Open City of Monastir
On March 1 7th.
WOMEN AND OLD MEN
ALSO AMONG VICTIMS.
Shell Fire Also Obtained Big
Harvest in Death of Women
and Children Violent
Bombardment.
(By Associated-Press.)
Corfu, Greece, March 20 (Via Lou
don, March 21). Asphyxiating gas
bombs thrown into the open city of
Monastir by the Bulgarians in their
violent bombardment on March 17
killed more than 60 civilians, includ
ing 25 women and 37 children, ac
cording to the Serbian press bureau.
Nearly twenty others, mostly women
and children, were killed by shell
fire. The bureau has received the
following from Saloniki:
"According to supplementary re
ports the exact number of the victims
of the terrible bombardment of the
open town of Monastir by the Bulga
rians on March 17 was: "Killed, five
old men, nine women, five children.
"Wounded, two old men, two
women.
"Killed by asphyxiating gas: Six
old men, 25 women, 31 children.
"Suffering from the effects of gas,
61, who are not expected to recover."
ir,..- Jt. '
THREE-KILLED IN
PISTOL FIGHT
Man Sought by Police Opened
Fire and Tragedy Quickly
Enacted.
(By Associated Press.)
Vancouver, B. C, March 21. Three
persons are dead today as .the result
of a shotgun and revolver fight last
night between the police and a man
they sought to arrest. The dead:
Chief of Police Malcolm B. MacLen
nan. George Rolph, 9 years old.
Robert Tait, negro.
Tait, said to have been a drug ad
dict, opened fire from a window on
Chief MacLennan and a police squad
as they approached a lodging house
whos proprietor had telephoned that
whose proprietor had telephoned that
shot, killed the Rolph boy.
'ibe police squad rushed the house,
but was driven off, Chief MacLennan
having fallen just inside the door.
Two hours later, when the police
effected entrance, MacLeniia'i was
found dead, his head shatter j;1 by
bullets. The negro also was dead,
vhether from the attackers' bullets
or trom a self-inflicted wound could
net be ascertained. Two polteemen
suffered wounds about the head. Tait
was armed with a shot gun and auto
matic pistol.
Tait's wife was found in tho iou-:
uninjured a: A taken into custody. She
is held on t charge of murder.
Mr. James T. Barker Passed
Away This Morning Two
Children Reside Here.
(Special to The Dispatch.)
Lumberton, N. C, March 21. James
T. Barker, a prominent citizen of Lum
berton, died this morning at 10:30
o'clock, after an illness ot one week.
Mr. Barker had been in failing health
for some time, but his condition did
not take a serious turn until the past
few days. Had he lived until April
he would have been sixty-seven years
old. Mr. Barker is survived by ,Jiis
wife, three sons and two daughters,
D. M. Barker, James Barker, Johnnie
Barker, Mrs. A. J. Linkhaw and. J. J.
Moore, the two latter ot Wilmington.
Funeral arrangements nave not yet
been completed.
Ml
CHILDREN
PROMINENT CITIZEN
DEAD IN ROBESON
V
4.4.4.4.4.4.4; 44,
EXPECTED
KITCHIN ISSUES
CALL FOR CAUCUS
ARCH 30TH
i Republicans Are Expected to
Summons the Clan for
Conference.
PARTY LEADERS
HURRYING BACK
Emergency Action Will Be
First Considered by the
New" House After Or
ganzation. (By Associated Press.)
Washington, March 21. Word was
received here this afternon from Ma
jority Leader Kitchin that a Demo
cratic caucus to consider organiza
tion of the new House will be held
March 30. The call was issued from
his North Carolina home. The cau
cus had been set for April 12. The
Republicans had tentatively planned
a caucus for April 14, but they also
are expected to advance their meet
ing. Calls for all parly leaders to
hurry . back to Washington went out
immediately after the President's
proclamation was issued. Speaker
Clark is expected from New Orleans
Friday. Republican Leader Mann is
in Chicago.
At the capitoi those Congressmen
already here agreed that granting of
emergency authority, in some form,
will be the first business after organ
ization of the House. Some members
favor maintaining the present tempo
rarily to expedite emergency business
on which there are no party lines,
thus avoiding a political fight. Out
side of all emergency legislation the
four failed supply bills army, mili
tary, academy, general deficiency and
sundry civil which include some leg
islation of vital import to National
defense, will be pressed for quick
enactment.
Clark Back to Washington,
New, Orleans, March 21. Speaker
Champ Clark, of the House of Rep
resentatives, who is visiting his
daughter, Mrs. James M. Thompson,
and family here,- when informed of
the President's call for an extra ses
sion of Congress April 2, stated that
he would leave tonight for Washing
ton. FARMERS ILL
Loans Now in North Carolina
Will Be at Five Per
Cent.
(By George H. Manning.)
Washington, D. C, Marcii 21. There
is at present $21,005,000 loaned on
farm lands in North Carolina at aver
age rate of 7.7 per cent, it was an-
. nounced by the Treasury Department
I after an investigation. From these
figures it will be seen how much sav
ing can be made to individuals and
the State now that the Federal farm
loans can be obtained at 5 per cent,
the rate announced yesterday by the
Federal farm loan board.
Under Federal farm loan act farm
ers are permitted to borrow money to
. refund existing indebtedness, to buy
land or machinery, erect buildings or
carry out other plans that will add to
the value of lands.
ON M
SAVE MUCH MONEY
j FINAL EDITION
PRICE FIVE CENTS,
4. 4. 4. 4. 4. 4. '4 4. 4, 4 4. 41 4
Chairman Flood, of House
Foreign Affairs Commit
tee, Certain of This.
STATE OF WAR NOW
LIKELY TO BE DECLARED
Cabinet Discusses Liberty of
American Porte For Entente
Warships and Co-operation.
Allies' Embassies Joyous
Over the News.
(By Associated Press.)
Washington, March 21. President
Wilson's action today was quickly fol
lowed by predictions at the capitoi
that Congress speedily would declare
a state of war existing:.
Chairman Flood, ot the House For
eign Affairs committee, said he ex
pected Congress would quickf Piss
a resolution declaring that a state of
war exists and endorsing the' Presi
dent's course. ,
"Congress will declare that a state
of war exists, will endorse the Presi
dent's stand and will make whatever
appropriations are necessary A.o en
able the President to carry forward
the war plans as quickly as possible,"
said Mr. Flood.
"There probably will be an appro
priation of very much more than the
$100,000,000 provided in the armed
neutrality bill which passed the House
and failed in the Senate. There will
not be any material opposition .to im
mediate legislation along these lines."
Senator Poindexter, Republican, of
Washington, said today that "Cchu
gress willj?ass quickly a law authoriz
ing a limited war on German subma
rines." "I expect Congress," he said, "to
take vigorous action immediately."
It became know today that yester
day's cabinet meeting discussed what
active steps the United States phould
take after a state of war is declared,
considering the opening of American
ports to warships of the entente al
lies, the opening of the vast credits
to the allies for their supplier and
co-operating action with the allied
fleets in clearing the submarines out.
of the shipping lanes and guarding
transports to Europe.
One of the measures now under con
sideration by the Federal Shipping
Board is the building of a large stand
ardized fleet of small wooden cargo
steamers to carry supplies througn the
I submarine zone. The question of
1 participation of an American arrqy on
tne European battletteias was toucnea
upon, it was understood, as orie f
the possibilities of the future, but not
to be considered as a protective step
now. '
While it is not known how much
money President Wilson may suggest
to Congress as necessary to jmeet the
situation, leaders in the Senate have
held the view that not less than G0O,
000,000 should be granted at onqo In
case war is declared. Jt Is not prob
able that legislation giving such a sum
would meet with any opposition.
Wnen the word that the President
had summoned Congress went through
the allied embassies this morning, it
was received with acclaim.
TOKIO GROWS IN
IMPORTANCE TO BRITISH
(By Associated Press.)
Tokio, March 21. Additional pviir
dence of the growing importance of
.Tokio in British eye is found in ""the
announcement that a new monjlily
review will be started in Japan by
(Englishmen with the specific objefct Of
' developing the understanding ttoktiix-
ists between Japan and Great Britain.
rril 1 . 41.- .'i. - A.-
i in is uiga.il luiiuwa tue i tsywui. -
ance of a French periodical knQW&Sfc
j "I Information . ; d Extreme; - pfifant,"
, which is published weekly in French
and Japanese (pv further the under
standing between Japan and France.
,The title of the English review, which
will also have a "Japanese section is
"The New East."
J
1
'.V
,4i
9
- s - "