n
- , ... .
11X0 a Year in Advance -FOR QOD, FOR COUNTRY AND FOR TRUTH." Single Coalea, f Carta.
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VOL. XXVII. : PLYMOUTH, N. C, FRIDAY, MAY 4, 1917. TT" NO. 44.
III- . , , P-.. I . I . I .I hi. ,, . ,.,,, I ., ,, , I ,-----1 I I , ,,,,M,MB,a,,,,aMB,,,,. I,,
THREE GREAT FLAGS
FLOAT OVER TOMB
OF GEO. WASHINGTON
GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE AND
UNITED STATES RAISE COL
ORS AT MT, VERNON.
VISITORS PAY HOMAGE TO
AMERICA'S GREAT SOLDIER
Eminent Gathering, Including Mem
bers of British and French War
Commission, President's Cabinet
and Members of Congress, Stand
' With Bared Heads in Semi-Circle
Before Tomb of Nation's Founder.
Mount Vernon, Va. The flags of
Great Britain, France and the United
States floated proudly together over
the tomb of George Washington. Be
neath them, spokesmen of the three
great democracies paid homage to
America's soldier and statesman, and
pledged themselves, each to the other,
in the name of the dead, to prosecute
the present mighty strugglo against
autocracy on the line he himself had
followed in bringing America into be
ing. In groups of twos and threes, an
eminent gathering, Including the mem
bers of the French and British war
commission, the President's cabinet
and members of Congress, had stroll
ed up through the sleping grounds
from the river bank until perhaps half
a hundred people stood with bared
heads in a semi-circle before the tomb.
The day which had been heavy and
' threatening' as the party approached on
the Mayflower, suddenly burst into
sunlight which played through, the
trees on the unifroms and faces of
those assembled.
Without formality, Secretary Dan
iels motioned to M. Vlviani, minis
ter of Justice and former president
of France, who advanced slowly into
the center. Before the tomb of Wash
ington whose efforts towards liberty
his own ancestors had gloriously aid
ed, M. Viviana delivered an address,
- in which the whole forces of his emo
' tional power, deepened by the signifi
cance of the occasion, fought for ex
pression. The spectators, though most of them
could not understand French, caught
the suppressed feeling and fire of the
orator and followed his words spell
bound as they quickened under the
thrill of his imagaination.
his voice not a sound could be heard.
As M. Viviana finished, the silence
became supreme with the general
realization that no applause could ex
press the emotions aroused.
Then came forward Artnur James
Balfour, foreign secretary of Great
Britain, who stood for a moment in
silence, a tall, erect, kindly figure.
Overcome with all that the situation
meant in the lives of the two great
Anglo-Saxon countries, Mr. Balfour
abandoned his decision not to speak
and gave expression to a few poignant
sentences, evidently straight from the
heart. England had honored Wash
ington as she never had before.
"M. Viviani," said Mr. Balfour, "has
expressed in most eloquent words the
feelings which grip us all ere today.
He has not only paid a fitting tribute
to a great statesman, but he has
brought our thoughts most vividly
down to the present. The thousands
who have given their lives French,
Russian, Italian. Belgian, Serbian,
Montengerin, Roumanian, Japanese
and British were fighting for what
they believed to be the cause of lib
erty. "There is no place in the world
where a speech for the cause of 'lib
erty would be better placed than here
at the tomb of Washington. Btt as
that work has been so adequately
done by a master of oratory, perhaps
you will permit me to read a few
words prepared by the British Mission
for the wreath we are to leave here
today:
" 'Dedicated by the British Mission
to the immortal memory of George
Washington, soldier, statesman, pa
triot, who?jwould have rejoiced to see
the counttf of which he was by birth
a citizen, find the country which his
genlous cHled Into existence, fighting
side by de to save mankind from
subjection to ajmllltary despotism.'"
Governor S$ut of Virginia spoke
as the host on1 tJrginian soil.
"Washingtqa.l he said, "originally
belonged to Virginia, but his priceless
memory has now become a common
heritage of the world. We consecrate
here today a struggle bearing the su
preme test of the Issues for which he
lived, fought and died."
S PASSES
DRAFT BILL
HOUSE VOTE WAS 397 TO 24. IN
SENATE THE VOTE WAS
81 TO 8.
VOLUNTEER SYSTEM KILLED
Senate Favors Roosevelt Plan to Take
Troops to France. Age Provision
Not Fxed. Conflicts to Be Settled
In Conference.
Washington. The House shortly be
bore midnight Saturday passed the
bill embodying the Administration's
plan for a selective draft.
The vote was 397 to 24.
The Senate passed the bill by a vote
of 81 to 8.
Earlier in the day both Senate and
House voted approval of the Admin
istration's proposal to raise a great
war army on the principle of selective
conscription, voting down by over
whelming majority the volunteer army
amendment around which opponents
of the Administration plan had cen
tered their right.
In the Senate the vote on the volun
teer amendment was 69 to 18, and in
committee of the whole in the House
it was 279 to 98, supporters of con
scription marshaling a strength which
surprised even Administration leaders.
On a roll call the House rejected
the volunteer army proposal by a vote
of 313 to 109, an even greater ma
jority than that by which the amend
ment had been eliminated from the
bill earlier in the day on teller vote
in Committee of the Whole.
Whether Congress finally would ac
cept the staff's recommendations re
garding the ages between which con
scription should apply appeared more
uncertain. In the Senate the bill's
stipulation that men between 19 and 25
should be liable to the draft was
changed to make the minimum 21 and
25 should be liable to the draft was
changed to make the minimum 21 and
the maximum 27. The House voted
down all proposed changes in the
Military Committee's recommendation
that the limits be fixed at 21 and 40.
These and a number of lesser
amendments will be considered as
speedily as possible in conference in
the hope that the measure may be
ent to the President for his signa
ture by the middle of this week.
Senator Harding's amendment, de
signed to permit Colonel Roosevelt to
raise four infantry divisions for ser
vice in France, was adopted by the
Senate 58 to 31. Many Democrats
voted for it. A Bimilar amendment
was rejected by the House.
The Senate adopted an amendment
by Senator Fall to provide for raising
three regiments of volunteer cavalry
to patrol the Mexican border. The
vote was 53 to 25.
On the objection of Chairman Fitz
gerald of the Appropriation Commit
tee the $3,000,000,000 appropriation
provided for carrying the bill into ef
fect was finally stricken out by the
House by a vote of 351 to 25, and it
was agreed that the committee should
bring In a seperate measure.
MARSHAL JOFFRE EAGER
FOR U. S. FLAG IN FRANCE.
Will Hasten End of War and Cement
Friendship With America.
Washington. Marshal Joffre told
the people of America through Wash
ington newspaper correspondents who
called upon him, that France cherishes
the confident hope that the flog of the
United States soon will be flying on
her battle lines.
Victories sure to be won by the sol
diers of the two Republics, once more
fighting shoulder to shoulder for lib
erty, declared the hero of the Marne,
will "hasten the end of the war and
tighten the links of affection and es
teem which have ever united France
and the United Sta'es."
The marshal, replying to questions,
said he deemed it advisable to send
one American unit at a time to France
rather than to wait for the complete
equipment of a bit army, because of
transportation problems.
Marshal Joffre told correspondents
that he did not thaink Americans
now with the French army should be
withdrawn to serve under the Ameri
can flag except possibly a few spec
ialists who might be useful In devel
oping the training of the new Ameri
can force. He paid hearty tribute to
the valor of Americans now fighting
In France.
American officers, he believed, were
fully competent to train American
men, and he gave it as his opinion
that and American army would devel
oa rapidly.
G S
UNITED STATES BATTLESHIP NORTH DAKOTA
wiihinjiiw.ii.h in ii ii ii i ., i pn mi T''''''TTMT'1"Tf'.''"T"''.m''.'''..
liit
RECEPTION PLEASES ViViUEUS SINK -SUBMARINE
HEAD OF FRENCH WAR COM
SION EXPRESSES HIS
GRATITUDE.
Co-operation of United States Means
Not Only Military Victory, Which
is Already Assured, But Victory of
Morality and Right.
Washington Rene Viviani, France's
Vice Premier and head of the war mis
sion, in a statement just issued, said
the co-operation of the United States
would mean not only a military vic
tory, which already was assured, but
a victory of morality and right. Ex
pressing deep gratitude for the en
thusiastic reception given his mission
here, M. Viviani said he realized it
was "not to us but to our beloved
and heroic France."
Mr. Viviani's statement to the
Washington correspondents follows in
part:
"I promised to receive you after
having reserved, as elementary cour
tesy required, my first communica
tion solely for the President. I have
just had the honor, which I shared
with the other members of the mis
sion, of being received by him. I am
indeed happy to have been chosen to
present the greetings of the French
Republic to the illustrious man whose
name i3 In every French mouth today,
whose incomparable messages Is at
this very hour being read and com
mented upon in all our schools as the
most perfect chapter of human rights,
and which so fully expresses the vir
tues of your race, long suffering pa
tience before appealing to force; and
force to avenge that long suffering
patience when there can be no other
means.
"Since you are here to listen to me,
I ask you to repeat a thousandfold
the expression of our deep gratitude
for the enthusiastic reception the
American people has granted us in
Washington. It is not to us, but to
our belived and heroic France that
reception was accorded.
"Only our descendants, when time
has removed them' sufficiently far
from, present events, will bv$ able to
measure the full significance, the
grandeur of an historic act which has
sent a thrill through the whole world.
From today on, all the forces of free
dom are let loose. And not only vic
tory, of which we were already assur
ed, Is certain; the true meaning of
victory is made manifest; it cannot
be merely a fortunate militarjv conclu
sion to this struggle; it wta be the
victory of morality and rlghtjand will
forever secure the existence C a world
in which all our children shall draw
free breath in full peace and undis
turbed pursuit of their laborv
"To accomplish this great work,
which will be carried to completion,
we are about to exchange views with
the men In your Government best
qualified to help. The co-operation
of the Republic of the United States
in this world conflict is now assured.
We work together as free men who
are reserved to save the ideals of
mankind."
FIRST SHOT OF WAR BY UNITED
STATES FOUND ITS
TARGET.
U-Boat is Struck While Maneuvering
For Position to Fire. Gun Firing
Shot Named "Teddy Roosevelt,"
After Former President.
London. Captain Rice of the Am-
s i i . ) . r ,, i. i l t
I encan sieamsmp monguna wmcu utta
arrived at a British port reported that
the Mongolia had fired the first gun of
the war for United States and sunk a
German submarine.
The periscope disappeared and a
few minutes later reappeared on the
ship's broadside. The gunners fired,
hitting the periscope squarely and i
throwing up a mountain of water.
Captain Rice outlined the incident
with modesty, but could not quite
conceal the pride he felt in the
achievement of his ship.
"For five days and nights, said
Captain Rice, "I had not had my
clothes off and we kept a big force of
lookouts on duty all the time. It was
5:20 in the afternoon of the 19th that
we sighted the submarine. The of
ficer commanding the gunners was
with me on the bridge where In fact
we had been the most of the time
throughout the voyage. There was
a haze over the sea at the time. We
had just taken a sounding for we were
getting near shallow water and we
were looking at the lead when the first
mate cried: 'There's a submarine off
the port bow.'
"The submarine was close to us,
too close, in fact, for her purposes
and she was submarging again in or
der to maneuver in a better position
for torpedoing us, when we sighted
her. We saw the periscope go down
and the swirl of the water. I quickly
ordered a man at the wheel to put in
to starboard, and we swung the nose
of the ship toward the spot where
the submarine had been seen.
"We were going at full speed ahead
and two minutes after we first sighted
the U-boat it emerged again about
1,000 yards off. Its Intention prob
ably had been to catch us broadside
on, but when it appeared we had the
stern gun trained full on it.
"The lieutenant gave the command
and the big guns boomed. We saw
the periscope shattered and the shell
and the submarine disappeared.
"I assure you we did not stop to
reconnoitre after the incident, but
steamed away at full speed, for It
was not improbable that there was
another submarine about. The one
j I got undoubtedly had been lying on
iae uoiioui at inis spot wailing lor
the ship and came up when it heard
our propellers. I immediately sent
a wireless message stating that a sub
marine had been seen.
"That's about all the story, except
ing this:
"The governors had named the
guns on board the Mongolia, and th?
one which got the submarine was
called Theodore Roosevelt; so Teddy
fired the first gun of the war after
all."
11 S. MAKES READY
TO BREAK BLOCKADE
WILL BEND EVERY ENERGY TO
DESTROY GERMANY'S SUB
MARINE WARFARE.
FOOD SITUATION IS SERIOUS
World Threatened With Famine,
French Commissioners Say. Mora
Ships to Fight U-Boats Will Bo
Marshalled in United States.
Washington. Evidence of growing
success of the ruthless German sub
marine blockade has forced the prob
lem of supplying the Entente quickly
with food and other . necessities
sharply into the forefronf of the Amer
ican Government's war program.
Aroused by information brought to
this country by the British and French
war missions, President Wilson and
his Cabinet set about to launch with
its full force as speedily as possible
their campaign to break down the
blockade, planned by the Administra
tion as the Nation's first physical
stroke against Germany. The food
problem occupied the Cabinet meet
ing almost to the exclusion of all the
other important war questions before
the Government. Afterward, it was
indicated that the recent German sub
marine ravages were considered so
successful that the United States must
marshal Its resources immediately to
put more merchant ships in commis
sion, to help devise some means of
fighting submarines, and to insure a
greater yield of food stuffs to offset
the increasing destruction of food
cargoes In the war zone.
Members of the Cabinet took to
the meeting a great quantity of infor
mation given by the visiting missions,
including a plea by some members of
the French commission that America
must act quickly if the world is to
be saved from famine. Recent decla
rations in the British Parliament were
reviewed as supplementing this evi
dence. There was no attempt to con
ceal the impression that the- food
problem had taken on an aspect mak
ing it incomparably the most press
ing question facing the United States
in its efforts to stem the progress of
its enemy.
There were indications that more
energetic measures might be expect
ed to speed up the work of relieving
the food shortage in the Entente
countries. These measures, it Wii
predicted, would be the first 'to tsj
form as a result of the internati
war conferences here.
GERMAN LOSSES ESTIMATED
AT MORE THAN 200;
French Also Capture 130 Gut
of Large Calibre.
Paris. The extent of the
losses in the recent desperatssj
along the Aisne Is practically A
in an official statement on i
ture of 130 guns, of which ai
able number were of heavy.
The German losses in mi
mated at more than 200.00Q
probability that the total re
000. These figures inclw
wounded and prisoners, f
The number of Germ;
aggregates approximately
usual formula among mif
is to estimate the casil
UU1HS llitS IlUlUUtl Ul
this flve-to-one ratio has
a. i .1. i m . -
in the present case, owi
ceealngiy sanguinary c
the fighting for the ma
strategic position of th
Dames plateou. They hr
at the outset, and when
from them by the Fren
Germans repeatedly bn
reserves in a despera
gain it.
NVOY sjf
O HAVf
GERMAN
E
TO
Rio Janeiro
It if
at J
good sources that
ter and Consuls
Europe on board
Janeiro.
FRENCH DECLAI
FAMINE,
Washington. Th
sion has informed t
rnmfnr inai iuru
. ,1 ,Lnk
needs most from thefwv
monpv. food, fertilizers, cot
and transportation equlpmeSfC spe
cially ships in which to carry goods
from the new to the old world. One
of the foremost purposes of the
French mission is to Impress upon the
American Government and people th
serious food situation in Europe.
REVENUE MEASURE
TO RAISE BIG SUM
HOUSE COMMITTEE PREPARES
WAR BILL TO RAiSE BILLION
AND HALF DOLLARS. v
LOWER INCOME EXEMPTION
Increase of Excess Profits Tax is An
other Proposal of Sub-Committee.
Increase Taxes on Liquor, Beer, To
baccos, Soft Drinks, Freight and Pas
senger Traffic, etc.
Washington. A war revenue meas
ure designed to raise not less than
$1,500,000,000 by direct taxes during
the coming year was reported to the
House Ways and Means Committee
Tuesday by a sub-committee which
had been drafting the bill In secret
sessions.
Reduction of the income tax exemp
tions from ?3,000 and M.000 to $1,000
and $2,000 for single and married per
sons, respectively, and an increase ot
the excess profits tax from eight per
cent on all amounts over eight per
cent and $5,000 to sixteen per cent
are two of the sub-committee's pro
posals. The tentative bill also carries In
creased taxes on liquor, beer, cigars,
cigarettes and tobacco, new taxes on
automobiles, soft drinks, .ammunition
' places, freight and passenger tariffc
1 and a stamp tax of wide scope. Much
' of the bill follows the lines suggested
j by Secretary McAdoo, but many of
the most important proposals are re
jected. I The total of the proposed bill falls
millions of dollars short of the orig
inal' figure of $1,800,000,000 to be de
rived from taxes this year.
Fordney Responsible.
Opposition of Representative Ford
ney, of Michigan, ranking Republican
member of the committee, to raising
more than $1,000,000,000 by direct
taxes Is largely responsible for this"
situation.
A bitter fight on the bill in full
committee is certain. Resentment
among some members aroused by the
prolonged executive meetings of the
committee, coupled with vigorous op
position to the income and excess
proflts reposals, make storms la-
evit W
has appeared In
member to
present one
d sub-com-
le in the
i in ted safe-
agalnat '
ba
them
4 -
j,A?5untry for
f will be held
ed out.
fper cent would
Jd bill on all
jfoposed exemp
and $4,000 and
per cent would be
J would begin at $5,
vrtie upward,
jm" Higher Liquor Tax.
Oeclsion to recommend increasing
tax on whiskey from $1.10 to $2
gallon and that on beer from $1.50
.0 $2.50 a barrel was reached after
determined efforts to make it higher
had failed.
In an effort to protect the manu
facturer and smoker of cheap cigars,
It was decided to fix a graduated tax
on all kinds of cigars. Cigarette
taxes would be doubled.
Suggestion of a flat four per cent
ite on freight and passenger trans
portation proceeds was rejected in .
ivor of taxes higher than four per
:ent on passenger tickets and four
.per cent on freight charges.
A five Der cent tax on the factory
st of automobiles and musical in-
uments is recommended.
isement pfe. inching mo-
x m
iture m-.r -nnarks
ay- ten
nw and the
,Tiine American
navarv J? uiiaaiu6.
Vacuuil by a German sub
marine while she was on the way to
the United States. The chief mate and
17 men, including three of the Amer
ican Navy gunners, have been landed.
can
V
jl tank
IB..