GERMANY, MEXICO, JAPAN.
This Is the Proposed Alliance
by Germany as Revealed by
a Letter Signed fey Zimmer
mann. To Make War On Unit
ed States. Sent Through
Bernstorff. President Wilson
Has the Letter.
An interesting and startling
story was carried in all the daily
papers Thursday morning con
cerning Germany's attitude to
word the United States. The
news story in part follows:
Washington, Feb. 28. ? The
Associated Press is enabled to
reveal that Germany, in plan
ning unrestricted submarine
warfare and counting its conse
quences, proposed an alliance
with Mexico and Japan to make
war on the United States if this
country should not remain neu
tral.
Japan, through Mexican medi
ation, was to be urged to aban
don her /lilies and join in the at
tack on the United States.
Mexico, for her reward, was
to receive general financial sup
port from Germany, reconquer
Texas, New Mexico and Arizona
? lost provinces ? and share in
the victorious peace terms Ger
many contemplates.
Details were left to German
Minister von Eckhardt in Mexi
co City, who by instructions
signed by German foreign Min
ister Zimmermann, at Berlin,
January 19, 1917, was directed
to propose the alliance with
Mexico to General Carranza and
suggest that Mexico seek to
bring Japan into the plot.
These instructions were transmit
ted to von Eckhardt through Count
von Bernstorff, former German am
bassador here, now on his way home
to Germany under a safe conduct ob
tained from his enemies by the coun
try against which he was plotting
war.
Germany pictured to Mexico, by
broad intimation, England and the
entente allies defeated; Germany and
her allies triumphant and in world
domination by the instrument of un
restricted submarine warfare.
A copy of Zimmermann's instruc
tions to von Eckhardt, sent through
von Bernstorff, is in possession of
the United States government. It is
as follows:
"Berlin, January 11T^ 1917.
"On the first of February we in
tend to begin submarine warfare un
restricted. In spite of this, it is our
intention to endeavor to keep neutral
the United States of America.
"If this attempt is not successful,
we propose an alliance on the follow
ing basis with^Mexico: That we shall
make war together and together make
peace. -We shall give general financial
support and it is understood that
Mexico is to reconquer the lost ter
ritory in New Mexico, Texas and
Arizona. The details are left to you
for settlement.
"You are instructed to inform the
TPresident of Mexico of the above in
the greatest confidence as soon as it is
certain that there will be &n outbreak
of war with the United States and
suggest that the President of Mexi
co, on his own initiative, should com
municate with Japan suggesting ad
herence at once to this plan; at the
same time, offer to mediate between
Germany and Japan.
"Please call to the attention ot tne
President of Mexico that the employ
ment of ruthless submarine warfare
now promises to compel England to
make peace in a few months.
"(Signed) ZIMMERMANN."
This document has been in the
hands of the government since Presi
dent Wilson broke off diplomatic re
lations with Germany;' it has been
kept secret up to this time, while the
President has been asking Congress
for full authority to deal with Ger
many, and while Congress has been
hesitating. It was in the President's
hands while Chancellor von Beth
mann-Hollweg was declaring thai, the
United States had placed an interpre
tation on the submarine declaration
"never intended by Germany," and
that Germany had promoted and hon
ored friendly relations with the Unit
ed States "as an heirloom from Fred
erick the Great.''
Of itself, if there were no other,
it is considered a sufficient answer
to the German chancellor's plaint that
the United States "brusquely" broke
off relations without giving "authen
tic" reasons for its action.
AMERICAN LIVES ARE LOST.
When Big Liner Laconia Was Sent to
Bottom by German Submarine.
Consul Frost's Report Says Liner
Was Sunk Without Warning.
Wesley Frost, the * American Con
sul at Queenstown, says a London
dispatch dated February 27, has sent
to the American Embassy here the
following report regarding the sink
ing of the Laconia: *
"The Laconia was torpedoed with
out warning at 10:30 p. m. in a heavy
sea while the ship was making 17
knots. The first torpedo struck on the
starboard abaft the engine room. The
engines stopped and the ship turned,
listing to starboard. Most of the
boats were launched from the star
board side.
"Twenty minutes later, after most
of the boats were clear, a second tor
pedo was fired, striking the engines
on the port side. The ship sank 45
minutes after the firing of the first
torpedo.
"The ship was armed with two
4.7-inch guns. The ship's wireless
was kept in continual action until
the last minute. Six rockets also were
sent up, and all the lifeboats were
equipped with an ample supply of
flares. The cargo consisted of cotton
and foodstuffs.
"The submarine was not seen from
the Laconia, but after the second tor
pedo had been fired and the boats
launched, a submarine appeared on
the surface, came alongside the boat
containing the second officer, and
asked for the captain. '
"The submarine commander told
the people in the second officer's boat
that a British Admiralty patrol had
caught the Laconia's wireless and was
coming to the scene. The submarine
made no offer of aid and submerged
immediately after.
"Thirteen boats were launched from
the Laconia. The Hoys (Mrs. Mary
E. Hoy and Miss Elizabeth Hoy, of
Chicago, were in No. 8, which was
swamped, its life-belted passengers
being picked up by other boats, but
who suffered severely as the result of
exposure in the cold water.
"The boats, after leaving the La
conia, had to scatter rather widely
in order to avoid the danger of col
lision in the 12-foot swells which were
running. Flares were kept alight by
most of the boats waiting for the
patrol to arrive. The patrol began
picking up the boats at 4 o'clock in
the morning, but had not finished un
til after daybreak."
Consul Frost further reported that
an Americas negro, Thomas Cassey,
a member of the Laconia's crew, was
among the lost. He was the only
American member of the crew that
perished.
Most of the deaths occurred in one
of the lifeboats which became sep
arated from the others and was
brought to shore at Bantry. Of 22
persons in this boat, eight died of
exposure and were buried at sea.
Austin Y. Hoy resides here as rep
resentative of an American firm.
Mrs. and Miss Hoy went home to
the United States some time ago to
settle some family business affairs,
and Austin Hoy repeatedly cabled
them not to return until the present
crisis was over, but they evidently
decided to risk the trip.
Death of Mrs. Culbreth.
The many friends of Rev. J. Mar
vin Culbreth in this Conference were
greatly grieved to learn of the death
of his beloved wife, which occurred
in a hospital at St. Louis, Mo., on
February 19, 1917. The immediate
cause of her death was pneumonia.
She leaves four children, the young
est an infant only two weeks old.
She was Miss Bessie Trawick, of
Nashville, Tenn. Mrs. Culbreth was
not widely known by our people since
Brother Culbreth had been out of the
State most of the time since his mar
riage; but she was held in the high
est esteem by those who knew her.
Brother Culbreth was for many years
Assistant Secretary of the General
Board of the Epworth League, resign
ing last fall to take charge of Uni
versity Church, St. Louis, Mo. He is
one of our brightest preachers and
holds a large place in the affections
of his brethren. Our since sympathies
go out to him in this hour of his deep
grief. ? Raleigh Christian Advocate.
But it takes little grains of sand
to enable some m,en to take little
drops oi water.
CONGRESS BEHIND PRESIDENT.
Members of Hoth Houses, With Fe*
Exceptions, Solidified Into a Decis
ion to Stand by Wilson. President
Thinks It Would Not be Compatible
V> Public Interest to Reveal Full)
As to the Authenticity of German
Letter.
Washington, March 1. ? Aroused by
the disclosure of Germany's plot to
unite Japan and Mexico with her in a
war upon the United States and then
convinced by official evidence of its
authenticity, Congress today aban
doned the delays and obstructions
which have checked President Wil
son's efforts to be clothed with express
authority to deal with the submarine
menace.
The House, after a ten-hour debate
and by an overwhelming majority,
passed a bill to empower the Presi
dent to arm merchant ahips and pro
viding for a hundred million dollar
bond issue. The bill, however, does
not contain the grant of authority to
use "other instrumentalities" which
the President specifically desires and
would prevent government war in
surance for munitions ships, a prohi
bition which the President does not
approve.
When the House bill is received in
the Senate tomorrow, the Senate bill,
which the administration fully com
mends, will be submitted, and that is
expected finally to be accepted by
both houses as the law.
Official announcement was made at
the White House today that the ad
ministration stands behind the Sen
at bill "first, last and all the time"
with its provision for "other instru
mAtalities."
In the Senate an attempt to ask
the President to disclose the govern
ment's source of information of the
attempted intrigue with Mexico and
Japan on the supposition that it came
from one of Germany's enemies, was
defeated after a sharp and sensational
debate. Inster4 the Senate merely
asked for official notice of the au
thenticity of the dispatch of instruc
tions from German Foreign Minis
ter Zimmermann to German Minister
Von Eckhardt in Mexico City. The
President transmitted it immediately
with the statement that it would not
be compatible with the public inter
ests to reveal further details concern
ing it.
Solidified Behind President.
Members of both houses of Con
gress, some skeptical of the authen
ticity of the astounding revelations
of Germany's intrigue; others feeling
that it had been permitted to be
come public for its effect on Congress
and throughout the country, met the
situation with mixed emotions, which,
with a few possible exceptions as the
day's developments were unfolded,
solidified into a decision to stand be
hind the President.
Congressmen, classed with the so
called pacifist group in the House who
have been opposing a grant of au
thority to the President on the ground
that it would be a step toward war,
announced that they would vote for
the armed neutrality bill in the be
lief that to arm the President to pro
tect American rights might be the
way to avoid war. ? News and Ob
server.
MICRO BOOSTERS' CLUB.
Micro, March 1. ? A new and inter
esting business venture has recently
been launched in connection with our
little town of Micro. It has been
found that here in the heart of the
sand beds, splendid raw material can
be procured for the advancement of
prosperity. As a result a Boosters'
Club has been added to our already
progressive little town.
The ladies were favored on last
Monday evening, February 26th, by
having the privilege of serving an
elaborate supper, furnished by 'the
Boosters. The perpetuation of this
supper displayed a wonderful talent
in Home Science.
Soup, chicken salad, coffee and am
brosia were served, after which a
number of the members of the club
made some interesting talks on the
aim of the Boosters and we all felt
sure it would only be a short time
until their influence would be felt and
their work would be greatly appre
ciated by every one.
The wives of the Booster Brethren
are willing to give their support
when called upon. They are antici
pating a great many outing and so
cial evenings a little later in the
year.
AT THE CAPITAL OF BANNER.
Work on New Methodist Church Now
Under way. Infant Child Found
Dead in lied. The Automobile Ac
cident at Smithfield. Cupid Gets in
Some Good Work. Other Items of
Local and Personal Mention.
Benson, March 1. ? Mrs. Sallie
Stewart, of Wilson, was in town for
a short visit this w^k at the home
of Mr. W. F. Smith.
Mr. and Mrs. E. O. Matthews, of
McColl, S. C., were visitors to our
city Wednesday for a short while.
Mr. O. A. Barbour has been con
fined to his home with Lagrippe for
the past few days.
Mr. Preston Woodall returned
Wednesday from Baltimore and other
Northern Cities where he has been
for the past week.
Mr. C. C. Barnes, of Durham, was
in the city Wednesday and Thursday
shaking hands with old friends.
Messrs. M. T. Britt and R. F. Smith
were visitors to Smithfield Wednesday
on business matters.
Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Barbour, of
Four Oaks, were here Sunday spend
ing the day with friends.
Mr. C. W. Anderson has been in
Smithfield this week attending Court.
He was a juror for the week.
Mr. Edgar Lassiter, of Elevation
township, was here Monday after
noon. Mr. Lassiter is one of the fore
most farmers of Johnston County.
Mr. W. D. Boon went up to Ral
eigh Monday afternoon to meet Mrs.
Boon, who has been visiting in Nor
folk and Elizabeth City for the past
ten days.
Messrs. N. T. Ryals, Pias Hudson,
P. B. Johnson, Chas. Johnson and
others went up to Smithfield Monday
on business.
Rev. H. H. Goff was a visitor to
our city Sunday and Monday.
Mrs. Walter Massengill who has
been quite sick for the past few days,
is improving slowly. Her many friends
will be glad to see her out again.
Mr. C. T. Johnson is in Baltimore
this week buying his Summer stock
of dry goods. He will return the last
of the week.
Rev. A. T. Lassiter was a visitor
to Richmond for a coupl* of days the
first of the week.
Prof. Henry Holmes, of Rocky
Mount, was here Sunday and Monday
on a short visit to his father, Mr.
J. B. Holmes.
Mr. James Raynor was a visitor to
Durham Monday on matters of busi
ness. >
The many friends of Mrs. C. T.
Johnson, who has been in Rex Hos
pital for several days, are glad that
she is able to return home this week.
Mrs. C. G. McCreight and Miss
Mary Gordon, of Hamlet, and Mrs. R.
R. Covington, Jr., of Laurinburg, N.
C., were visitors at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. J. R. Barbour Friday and
Saturday.
Mr. J. B. Moore, of Murphy, N. C.,
has accepted a position with J. W.
Whittenton. Mr. and Mrs. Moore ar
rived Sunday and will make Benson
their home in the future.
The six-jnonths-old infant of Mr.
and Mrs. Mack Ruflin Parrish died
last Saturday night and was buried
Sunday afternoon. The child was ap
parently well Saturday night on re
tiring and was found dead early Sun
day morning.
Work has been begun on the new
Methodist church here. The old build
ing is being moved away and mate
rial is being placed for the new build
ing. The building will cost about
twenty-five thousand dollars when
finished and the contract calls for
its completion by September 1st.
Mr. Carl Barefoot, who was hurt
in the automobile accident Monday,
is now in Highsmith's Hospital in
Fayetteville. The physicians say that
his arm will possibly be to take off,
the hand being crushed when the ma
chine in which he was riding struck
a telephone pole. Mr. Eli Morgan,
whose arm was broken, is able to be
out again. The accident occurred in
front of the Smithfield Schoold build
ing, Monday afternoon. The machine
was being driven by Elton Hudson
and the several young men were on
it going to Selma to iTtend the basket
ball game between the Benson and
Kenly teams. Mr. Hudson lost control
of the machine and it struck a 'phone
pole while running about 30 miles an
hour.
Mrs. Lillie Wood and Onpt. Robert
Collins were married here at the home
of Mrs. Wood, yesterday afternoon.
The marriage was a surprise to the
DOUBLE PROHIBITION VICTORY.
House Passes Senate Bill to Make
District of Columbia Dry, While
Senate and House Conferrrs Reach
Agreement Under Which "Bone
Dry" Measure is Virtually Assured
Enactment.
Washington, Feb. 28. ? Prohibition
won a double victory in Congress to
night when the House passed by a
vote of 273 to 137 the Senate bill to
make the National capital dry and
Senate and House conferees on the
postal appropriation bill unexpected
ly added an agreement under which
the Reed "bone dry" amendment is
virtually assured of enactment.
Hope of agreeing on the postal sup
ply measure had been abandoned by
the conferees, who last night submit
ted a resolution to continue exist
ing postal appropriations for another
year. Tonight, however, they got to
gether on a report which includes the
Reed amendment, prohibiting ship
ment of liquor into prohibition States,
and which they expect to present in
both housese tomorrow or Friday.
The leaders thought tonight there
was no doubt of its acceptance in
Senate and House. They are taking it
for granted, too, that President Wil
son will approve both that and the
District of Columbia prohibition bilL
The District bill, whifh would be
come effective November first, was
brought to a vote after a stubborn
opposition had delayed for several
hours, the final roll call which the
leaders knew would mean passage. All
day and until late in the evening they
stood by their guns, exhausting every
parliamentary expedient to ward off
action and watching for an opportuni
ty to put the measure into a position
that would mean its failure with the
expiration of the session Sun
day. **********
After several hours the prohibition
champions despaired of passing at all
the House bill reported from the Dis
trict of Columbia committee with nu
merous amendments, and adpted a
special rule substituting the Senate
bill. ? Associated Press Dispatch.
NINE CONGRESSMEN VOTE AYE.
All The North Carolina Delegation
Except Mr. Pou Vote to Make
District of Columbia "Dry."
Washington, Feb. 28. ? The North
Carolina Congressmen helped to put
through the "dry" bill for the Dis
trict of Columbia. On the final pas
sage of the bill the following named
voted for the bill: Representatives
Small, Kitchin, Hood, Stedman, Page,
Godwin, Doughton, Webb and Britt,
and against it, Pou.
All of the members except Messrs.
Small and Pou voted against the prop
osition for a referendum.
"I voted for thfc bill," said Mr.
Small. "Failing to get a referendum
I could not conscientiously oppose the
bill, for Congress has the right to
legislate for the District of Colum
bia."
Mr. Pou took the position that pro
hibition should not be put upon the
district without giving the people a
vote.
The bill passed today goes into ef
fect November 1, and the next Con
gress will be "bone dry." ? H. E. C.
Bryant, in News and Observer.
many friends of the contracting par
ties. The ceremony was performed by
Rev. A. R. McQueen, of Dunn Pres
byterian church, and the couple left
immediately afterwards on 89 for the
former home of the groom in Atlan
ta, Ga., where they will spend their
honeymoon. They will make Benson
their home on their return. Mrs. Wood
is well known and has many friends
here, while the groom has been here
only a short while, having moved here
from Georgia.
Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Lee spent Sun
day here with relatives. Mr. and Mrs.
Lee were married Saturday afternoon
near Banks, N. C. Mrs. Lee before
her marriage, was Miss Etta Bridges,
of Banks, N. C. The groom is a well
known farmer of Lower Johnston
County.
Mr. J. C. Capps, a son of Mr. Gid
Capps, who lives near here, was mar
ried Sunday afternon, by J. M. Britt,
Justice of the Peace, to Miss Sarah
McLamb, a daughter of Mr. Henry
McLamb, who also lives near Benson.
Nathan Johnson, age 75, was mar
ried Sunday to Frances Richardson,
age 70, both colored, and residents of
Benson.
BICKETT CROP LIEN PASSES.
Measure (Jets Through House With
Big Majority. Prison Reform Bill
Passes Senate. Teachers' Certifica
tion Bill Gets Through the House.
Lincofnton Suffrage Bill Tabled in
House. *
From Mr. W. J. Martin's letter to
the Wilmington Star, we make the
following extracts concerning the
work of the Legislature Wednesday:
The House Wednesday night in
dulged in a long and vigorous dis
cussion of the crop lien bill as agreed
upon by Governor Bickett and the
Farmers' Union and reported favor
ably by the legislative committee and
in the end passed the measure by a
big mapority. The vote on second
reading was roll call and stood 78
| to 34.
Thereafter Representative Stubbs
sought to get in amendments that
would reduce the record work of mer
chants in keeping sales on lien agree
ments, especially relief from keeping
time of sales, cash and time price and
the like. The amendments lost out
and the bill passed as it came from
the committee. Representative Mc
Racken, of Columbus, Pritchard, of
Madison, Beasley and others led the
advocacy, and Stubbs, Clark, of Pitt,
and King, of Nash, with others, op
fell by the wayside.
The Senate passed the Justice bill
for qualified verdicts in capital cases.
The vote was 25 to 19.
A bill passed for the . regulation
and sale of cotton seed meal.
The Person bill for publication of
a North Carolina official blue book
with State officers and employees and
their pay passed and went to the
House, after a motion to table was
lost. J*
The Senate passed Wednesday, the
Turner bill to regulate the manage
ment of State prisoners. It provides
that all prisoners sentenced to two
or more years must go to the State's
prison; hiring out of prisoners is
forbidden; they must not be worked
more than ten hours per day and pris
oners shall be classified in three
classes, those proven to be orderly,
those untried and incorrigibles, first
class to receive an allowance of 20
cents per day, second class 10 cents
and incorrigibles nothing.
Corporal punishment is forbidden
and separate cells for prisoners un
der sanitary supervision by the State
Board of Health required. System
of fines and demerits are provided. No
one addicted to drink must be em
ployed in the prison. Judges are call
ed upon to pass minimum and maxi
mum sentences and each prisoner must
be examined when received as to
mental condition and capacity for
work.
Third reading roll call bills passed
the Senate in the following order:
Provide for enlargement of graded
school districts in incorporated towns;
Special tax for Selma; Amend the
Wilmington police pension act; Amend
the 1915 law applying to cities and
towns; Bonds for Richmond County
home.
The Senate bill by Senator Jones to
extend the suffrage to the women of
Lincolnton on municipal questions,
was laid before the House and was
tabled on motion of Representative
Love.
The House took under consideration
and finally passed by a good majority
the State-wide bill for certification of
first grade teachers through a State
board of examiners, six in number,
three men and three women, who are
to be also the conductors of the teach
ers' institutes. It was argued at
length and finally passed by a very
large vote with an amendment for the
Governor to appoint the members of
the board of examiners and institute
conductors without nomination
through the executive committee of
the Teachers' Assembly.
Gets Seven Thousand Dollars.
Mr. Festus West who was run over
by a Coast Line passenger train at
Broad street crossing about two years
ago while in the act of getting off
the train, and lost a leg, recovered
from the railroad Company, seven
thousand dollars in Harnett Superior
Court last week. Mr. West was in the
employ of the Company as flagman
at Broad street crossing. He was
represented by attorneys R. L. God
win and E. F. Young, and Clifford
and Townsend appeared for the Rail
road Company. The suit was brought
for twenty thousand dollars. ? Dunn
Guide, 28th.