91.00 a Year In Advance
'FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY AND FOR TRUTH."
8lnla CoplM, 6 Cants.
VOL. XXVII.
PLYMOUTH, N. C, FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 1917.
NO. 29.
i MEXICAN AMERICAN
COMMISSI ENDS
FORMALLY ADJOURNS ITS SES
SIONS AFTER FOUR MONTH
CONFERENCE.
PROBLEMS UP TO PRESIDENT
With Dissolution of Commission, Set
tlement of Mexican Problems Are
in Hands of Wilson. Recommend
Withdrawal Pershing's Troops.
New York. The Mexican-American
Joiut Commission, which failed to ef
fect an adjustment of the questions at
issue between Mexico and the United
States after a series of conferences
that began four mouths ago, was for
mally dissolved.
Secretary of Interior Lane and the
other members of the American com
mission, Dr. J. R. Mott and Judge
George Gray, told the Mexicans that
they had recommended to President
Wilson the dispatch to Mexico of Am
bassador Fletcher and the withdrawal
of the American troops.
The Americans impressed upon the
Mexicans that with the dissolution of
the commission, the Mexican problem
reverted to President Wilson. They
were careful not to leave in the minds
of the Mexicans the conviction that
President Wilson would accept the
recommendation that an accredited
diplomat be sent to Mexico and that
General Pershing's force be with
diawn, but the intimation that he
would do so was conveyed.
Luis Cabrera, chairman of the Mexi
can commission, and Ignacio Bonillas
and Alberto J. Pani, the other mem
bers said they expected to leave with
in a week or ten days for Mexico.
The session continued through
most of the day. The Americans ex
plained that they regarded furthe
discussion by them impracticable.
SENSATIONS RIFE WHEN LAWSON
RESUMES STAND IN 'LEAK' PROBE
Tells Committee Its Chairman, Henry,
Was Authority. McAdoo's Name
Brought In.
Washington. Thomas W. Lawson,
hailed before the House Rules Com
mitee to tell what he knew or had
heard about a stock market leak on
President Wilson's peace note or b
punished calmly declared that th
mysterious Congressman who told
him a Cabinet Officer, a Senator and
a banker were engaged in a stock
gambling pool was none other than
Representative Henry, chairman of the
committee.
Then, before his hearers had time
to recover from the shock, Lawson
sprung one sensation after the other
by declaring that the Cabinet Officer
referred to was Secretary McAdoo;
that the banker was H. Piney Fisk
of New York, and that he knew the
Senator only by the initial "0."
To complete the uxplosion, Lawson
went on to charge that Paul M. War
burg, of the Federal Reserve Board,
had knowledge of the lea machinery,
repeated a rumor that Count von
Bern8torff, the German Ambassador,
had made two millions in the stock
market, and to mention a list of well
known men whom he thought should
be questioned.
Mr. Lawson said he had been told
that Malcolm McAdoo, the Secretary's
brother, knew of the leak, as did C.
D. Barney & Co. and Stuart G. Gib
boney of New Yorlc. A Mrs. Ruth
Thomason Viscounti of this city, he
said, had declared to him in the pres
ence of her attorney that Secretary
Tumulty received his "bit," and that
W. W. Price, one of the White House
correspondents, was "the go-between
for Tumulty and others."
DECLINE NOTES IN
PRICE OF COTTON.
x - 4 ,l : nt tt a Via la
iuiIIim nndor last wAfli's closina
A1A ljUI'WU ' "
prices, was the outcome of heavy sell
ing on this market due to weather
conditions over the belt and small con
sumption figures from American mills
for December, announced by the cen
sus bureau
ENTENTE REPLY BARS FUR
THER, POSSIBILITY FOR PEACE
Berlin, Sundy, via Sayville. Dr.
Alfred Zimmerman, the German For
eign Minister, informed th,e Associat
ed Press that in his opinion the En
tene reply to President Wilson's peace
note bars the possibility for the pres
ent of further German steps to bring
about peace. In particular, he said,
it precludes any direct announcement
by Germany of her peace conditions,
in answer to the terms set forth in
the latest Entante note.
GONGRESSWORKSTO
EXTRA BEET
MEMBERS ARE DOWN TO HARD
WORK IN EFFORT TO FINISH
LEGISLATION.
LEAK" PROBE HAS INTEREST
Senate Is Considering Water. Power
Leasing Bill. District of Columbia
Prohibition Bill, Passed By Senate,
May Strike a Snag in the House.
Washington. While public inter
est in Congress is centered upon the
so-called "leak" investigation, the leg
islative machinery of both houses is
grinding away, and members have
settled down to hard work in an earn
est effort to clear the decks and avoid
an extra session.
The senate still is considering the
public lands waterlpower land leasing
bill, but it may be side-tracked any
day for either, the legislative or In
dian appropriation bill.
Hearings on the nominees for the
shipping board continues before the
commerce committee. When the
nominations reach the floor, Senator
LaFollette will protest against some
of the shipping ideas of Bernard H.
Baker, the Baltimore nominee.
The Interstate Commerce Commit
tee is preparing to report on the
President's railway legislation pro
gram after holding extensive hear
ings. The so-called "compulsory ar
bitration" feature of the bills will be
modified, if it is reported at all, it is
understood.
The senate bill for prohibition in
tin District of Columbia, passed re
cently, is about to be considered by
the District Committee of the house.
Sentiment in the committee Is said to
be unfavorable to it unless there is a
provision for a referendum vote in
the District. House leaders say, how
ever, there wll be a vote on the bill
regardless of what may be the action
of the District Committee.
SAILORS ARE COMPELLED
TO ABANDON U. S. CRUISER
Three Hundred Jack Tars Fought for
Lives Against Heavy Sea on
California Coast.
Eureka, Cal. Shortly after 8 o'clock
at night the last member of the crew
of the cruiser Milwaukee, which went
ashore near here early in the day,
was landed on the beach. Not a life
was lost, and but one man was hurt in
the rescue of the hundreds aboard the
stranded vessel.
In a fight for their lives against a
heavy sea, more than three hundred
United States sailors were brought
ashore in breeches, buoys from the
Milwaukee, which rolled in the surf,
with possibility of being a total loss,
on the northern California coast where
she struck shore In a fog.
Breakers were spraying over the
warship's superstructure, and the In
cessant pounding of the waves was
driving the vessel further ashore in
the sand. The Milwaukee false bot
tom was flooded in an effort to anchor
her against the wash of the sea. Na
val officess ashore said it was hardly
possible that the cruiser would ever
float again.
The Milwaukee is stuck on the
sand only a few hundred yards form
the submarine H-3, which grounded a
month ago. near the entrance to Hum
boldt bay. The cruiser wa3 attempting
to salvage the submersible at the time
of the accident. Within forty or fifty
miles on this part of the coast, six oth
er vessels have struck shore during
the last fear years, and none of them
have been saved.
CENTRAL POWERS HAVE
WELL-DEFINED GOAL.
Berlin, via Calville. Further com
ment on the note of the Entente Pow
ers to President Wilson lays empha
sis on the decisive character of the
declrations which clear the air, the
newspapers say, and give the Central
Powers a well-defined goal defense
against the plan of their opponents
for re-making the map ol Europe.
VILLA CHIEFTAIN AND
FORTY MEN KILLED.
Chihuahua City, Mex. The Villa
Chief Morena and sixty followers
were killed in the fight January 10,
140 miles north of Parral, according
to details of that action received
from Gen. Pablo Gonzales, com
manding the Government troops in the
field. The Carranza troops lost Col
Lozano and three officers and eight
men killed besides a number of
wounded. They captured a small
number of prisoners.
BLAME
ALLIES SEND PEACE NOTE
PEACE SUCH AS WOULD BE SATIS
FACTORY IMPOSSIBLE AT
PRESENT.
Separate Note From Belgium Gives
Same Answer. Germany Issues
Statement Placing Further Respon
sibility of Bloodshed on Allies.
Washington. The Entente Allies,
replying to President Wilson's peace
note in a joint communication, ex
press the belief that it is impossible at
the present moment to attain peace
that will assure them reparation, re
stitution and such guarantees as they
consider are essential.
In a separate note the Belgian Gov
ernment expresess its desire for peace,
but declares she could only accept a
settlement which would assure her
reparation and security for the future.
Both of the communications made
public by. the State Department are'
dated January 10, and were transmit
ted in translations from the French
text through Ambassador Sharp at
Paris.
The Entente reply to President
Wilson's peace note is regarded in all
quarters here as putting an early peace
practically out of the question, but still
leaving an open door for the President
to make further efforts. The official
view on first consideration is that it
constitutes a complete answer to the
President's note.
The German diplomats regard the
reply as even more severe than they
expected. They declared it evidenced
that the enemies of Germany are wag
ing a war of conquest to crush and
dismember her. The Germanic Al
lies, they declared, never would agree
to any such terms
President Wilson's next move, which
now becomes the center of attention,
will not be decided upon until a care
ful and detailed study of the replies
of both the Central Powers and the
Entente has been, made.
HARRY K. THAW ATTEMPTS
TO END LIFE WITH RAZOR.
Attempt at Self-Destruction Comes as
Sensational Climax to Hunt For
Thaw by Detectives.
Philadelphia. Harry Kendall Thaw,
who with two so-called body guards,
is under indictment in New York for
an alleged attack on a 19-year-old
high school youth last Christmas, at
tempted suicide in a house in West
Philadelphia by slashing his throat
and wrist with a razor.
Tl.aw's attempt at self-destruction
was the climax to a hunt which be
gan here Tuesday, following the an
nouncement by District Attorney
Swann of New York that he was.
wanted to answer a charge of attack
ing Frederick Gump, Jr., of Kansas
City in a New York hotel, and as a
sensation it rivaled the wealthy Pitts
burger's shooting of Stanford White
on the Madison Square roof garden
and his later escape from Matteawan
Asylum.
SUBMARINE MENACE NEVER
RO GREAT TO SHIPPING.
London. The submarine menace
to the merchant service is far greater
now than at any period of the war. and
it requires all of our energy to com
bat it." said Admiral John R. Jellicoe,
first sea lord, in a speech at a luncheon
given in his honor in London. Admir
al Jellicoe said th menace niu?t and
would be dealt with. Of that he was
confldeut. but the British wo'.ll have
to make good their inevitabla losses.
THE WAR
BILL IS FIXED BY HOUSE
AGREEMENT ON APPROPRIATIONS
IS REACHED BY HOUSE COM
MITTEE. Virginia Will Receive $438,434; North
Carolina's Part is $709,775; and
South Carolina Will Get $355,000 as
'Her Share.
Washington. Final agreement on
tho annual rivers and harbors appro
priation bill was jeached by the house
committee. The measure carries $38,
155,339, of which something over $10,
000,000 is fo1 new projects and the
remainder for continuing or maintain
ing existing projects.
Chairman Sparkman will report the
bill at once with the hope of having
it taken up as soon as the pending
postoffice bill is disposed of. An ad
verse minority report will be made
by Representative Freer of Wisconsin.
The bill carries $433,434 for Vir
ginia, of which $311,434 is for new
projects; and $355,000 for South Caro
lina, of which $120,000 is for new pro
jects. These figures do not include
$1,000,000 for the improvement of the
in'and waterway between Norfolk and
Beaufort Inlet; and $3,000 for the
maintenance of the Inland waterway
between Savannah and Beaufort, S. C.
The new projects ure as follows:
Virginia Norfolk harbor $270,000,
Tangier Channel $16,434, Pagan River
$25,000.
North Carolina Shallow Bag (Man
te$) Bay $28,000, Beaufort harbor $15,
900, Scuppernong River $31,800, North
east River $25,375. Newbegun Creek
$5,000. Thoroughfare Bay. $5,200.
South Carolina Charleston harbor
$70,000, Congaree River $50,000.
Appropriations for improvements
or Improvements and maintenance are
a follows:
Virginia Mattaponi River $2,000
Pamunkey River $3,000. Rappahan
nock River $10,000, Nanzmond River
$6,000, James River $56,000, Appomat
tox River $50,000.
North Carolina Shallow Bag (Man
teo) $500, Cape Lookout harbor of
refuge $425,000, Beaufort harbor $4,
500, Beaufort Inlet'' $14,000. Morehead
City harbor $2,000, Roanoke River $2,
500. Scuppernong River $3,500, Pamli
co and Tar Rivers $4,500, Contentnea
Creek $1,000, Neuse River $2,000,
Trent River $4,000, Waterway from
Famlico Sound to Beaufort Inlet $15,
000. Northeast River $3,000. Black
River $2,000, Cape Fear River at and
below Wilmington $115,000.
South Carolina Winyah Bay. $150,
000, Charleston harbor $50,000. Great
Pee Dee River $5,000, Congaree River
$30,000.
NEW CRISIS HAS ARISEN
IN POLITICS OF RUSSIA.
New Premjer, Prince Golitzine, a
Strong Reactionary, Makes Signi
ficant Statement.
Petrosrad. via London. The politi
cal situation during the last two
month?, fir which the word "crisis"
seems entirely inadequate, has taken
a new turn with the resignation of
Alevander Trepoff from the Premier
ship and of Count Ignatieff. Minister
of Public Instruction, and the appoint
ment of a new Premier. The official
announcement of this change, which
has fallen upon the country, continu
ously excited and emotionally exhaust
ed by the drama of swift changes and
vlimaxes, hardly created the effect
which would have been natural under
other circumstances.
This time, the tide ha suddenly
shifted and is running strongly in the
reverse direction. Prince Golitzine,
who succeeds Trepoff. is a member of
the extreme conservative group
EXPLOSION WRECKS
MUNITIONS PLANT
MILLIONS IN MUNITIONS AND
POWDER ARE LOST IN bIG
FIR.
TWELVE INJURED, 2 MISSING
Plant of DuPont Company at Haskell,
N. J., Is Almost Totally Destroyed.
No Estimate of the Loss Is Ob
tainable. " New York. Four hundred thousand
pounds of powder was destroyed by
fire and explosion at the Haskell, N.
J., plant of the du Pont Powder Com
pany. Officials of the company de
clared, after checking up the mem
bers of the night shift at the works,
that only two men were missing.
Twelve others were cut by flying
debris, but none of them was serious
ly hurt. No estimate of the loss was
obtainable.
Until investigation is completed no
further statement will be made as to
what evidences of incendiarism have
been found, an officer of the com
pany said.
It was explained that the danger of
fire or of explosions from purely ac
cidental causes was reduced to a min
imum by the fact that no completed
ordinance was on hand at the plant.
The officers said the propelling
charges for the shells were not at
tached until they reached the battle
field, and that the same was true as
to the detonating caps by which the
triuitrotuluol in the shell bodies is
exploded.
The statement said the Kingsland
plant was used for the assembling,
packing and preparing of these shells
for shipment. Large quantities of
these shells hive been shipped to
Russia.
"The buildings destroyed were val
ued at $750,000. The value of the
contents destroyed amounted approxi
mately to $16,000,000, of which $6,
000,000 belonged to the company. The
company was protected to the amount
of about $3,000,000 in insurance on
buildings and contents. The rest is
a total loss.
"So far as we have been able to as
certain, no one was killed or seriously
injured as a result of the fire and sub
sequent explosions.
"An examination into the circum-.'
stances attending the origin of the '
fire in building No. SO has created the
impression that it is possible, if not .
probable, that the fire was of incen
diary origin."
SITUATION AS TO PEACE UP
AT SESSION OF CABINET.
Entente Reply Gone Over in Detail.
In President is Only Hope of
Peace.
Washington. At the Cabinet meet
ing the peace negotiations were dis
cussed only in general terms, but
afterward Secretary Lansing remained
for a conference with the President,
and it was understood they went over
the Entente reply in detail.
The attitude of President Wilson
toward the replies of the warring
nations to his suggestion Mat an op
portunity be given for comparing
peace terms remained undetermined.
Preliminary discussion of the ques
tion was begun at the cabinet meet
ing and at conferences between the
President and Secretary Lansing and
between the President and Col. E. M.
House, who spent the day at the
White House.
Informally, officials expressed the
opinion that the problem facing the
President is how to reconcile the con
flicting attitude of the Central Pow
ers and the Entente Allies on the
question of comparing terms. The
Central Powers having offered to dis
cuss peace at a conference of repre
sentatives of the belligerents and the
Entente Powers, though virtually de
clining to agree to a conference, have
given their broad terms publicity, it
was suggested that the President
might seek a new method of having
terms compared.
SILENT SUFFRAGE "SENTINELS"
SALUTE PRESIDENT WILSON
Washington. Although the temper
ature was 11 degrees below freezing
and a cold wind was blowing, the 12
suffrage "silent sentinels' 'again took
up their picketing of the White House
to Impress their cuase upon President
Wilsou. When President Wilson re
turned from golf, the silent sentinels
stood at salute with their right hands
raised to their hats. The preside
smilinelv returned the salute. -'
NEW GOVERNOR
IS
INAUGURATION OF GOVERNOR
BICKETT ATTENDED BY BRIL
LIANT CEREMONY.
Oath of Office Administered By Chief
Justice Clark. Inaugural Address
Followed By Luncheon, and Recep
tion. All State Officers Present.
Raleigh. Thursday was truly an
epochal day for Raleigh and North
Carolina, marking as It did the pass
ing of the Craig Administration and
the induction into the high office of
Governor Thomas W. Bickett and the
adjustment of the state legislature to
the new conditions as to legislation
brought about by the immediate opera
tion of the constitutional amendment
ratified at the last election.
The Craig Administration passed out
with its record of road building and
general business progress, and Mr.
Bickett, the new transition of tenants
Into landlords, making country life as
comfortable as town life and an appeal
to sustain interest in every worthy
individual and collective enterprise.
The inaugural ceremonies were most
successful in every detail, closing
with a brilliant reception at the Man
sion by Governor and Mrs. Bickett
and the other state officers and their
"wives to members of the General
Assembly and citizens in general,
and the all in the auditorium, the
pleasures of which were shared by
hundreds -of society folk from every
quarter of the state and from neigh
boring states.
Retiring Governor Departs.
Governor Craig went to the union
station Thursday afternoon, escorted
by members of his personal military
staff, and bidding them and hosts of
other friends good-bye, boarded the
westbound Southern Railway train
for Asheville. The others returned to
the Capitol and at 7:30 o'cJock, re
ported at the Governor's Mansion as
military aides for the reception grac
ing the advent of the Bickett adminis
tration. tration. After luncheon at the Mansion
there was a rest period for Governor
and Mrs. Biskett and party, and then
frebXs : 30 to 11 o'clock there was a
bri reception, which Governor
an ' Bickett, other state officers
at-. II a' wives in the receiving line".
IMji.jthe oath of office in the
p! v. nearly 10,000 people and
'V vVaiM -9s inaugural auuress
v. ' - . , i j j :
in
and forceful manner.
of Hon. Thomas Walter
the governorship of
Jja was most successful In
-t
train from Louisburg
vernor-elect and his
dreds of citizens of
section reached the
to figure tu
: any archij
A . ri i'ule time, and was met
V
bf I jial committee appointed for
the . Jose. A procession was quicit-
ly formed and proceeded to the Gov
ernor's Mansion, where Gov. Locke
Craig and the state officers and oth
ers awaited them. From the Mansion
the procession moved to the Yar
borough Hotel and thence to the city
Auditorium.
At the Auditorium.
The party then proceeded to the
Auditorium, which was filled to stand
ing room capacity, except for the top
most galleries. The immense ros
trum was occupied by the inaugural
party and distinguished citizens. The
A. & M. band was in the pit and ren
dered music, most notable, of this be
ing "Auld Lang Syne," played sweetly
just after the oath of office had been
administered to Lieut. Gov. Max Gard
ner, who Is an alumnus of A. & M..
of whom that institution is especially
proud.
The oath of office was administered
to the state officers, with the excep
tion of the Governor and Lieutenant
Governor, by Associate Justice W. A.
Hoke, of the Supremo Court, starting
with Commissioner of Insurance
James R. Young and concluding with
Secertary of State J. Bryan Grimes.
Then Chief Justice Walter Clark re
lieved Judge Hoke. Announcements
of the various officials and their elec
tion were made by Chairman J. K.
Pegram, of the committee on inaugn
ration.
When the announcement of Gover
nor T. W. Bickett was reached. Chair
man Pegram introduced Governor
Craig and he declared the election of
Mr. Bickett as Governor, and called
on the Chief Justice to administer
the oath of office. This was done moist
impressively. The new Governor ad:
vanced to the speaker's stand and
began his inaugural address, speak
ing in distinct, measured and force
fu ltones, and eleciting outbursts of
thunderous applause as he proclaimed
one and another of the great devel
opments that he proposes for the
N B ED
f jople f
jopie of the state.
iCON.