North Carolina Newspapers

iif 1.09 Year In Advanoe "FOR QOD, FOR COUNTRY AMD FOR TRUTH." Single OoplM, 5 Cents. VOL. XXVIII. PLYMOUTH, N. 0., FBIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1917 NO. 13. SHAMEFULLY ABUSE PROTECTION GIVEN DOING8 OF GERMANS IN UNITED 8TATES DURING AUGUST, 1918. Powerful Explosives and Microbes Secreted on Legation at Bucharest for Destructive Use in United States of Lives and Property. Washington. How Germany "shamefully abused and exploited" the protection of the United States by secreting in the German legation at Bucharest, after the American gov ernment had taken charge of Ger many's affairs at the Rumanian cap ital, quantities of powerful explosives for bomb plots and deadly microbes, with instructions for their use in de stroying horses and cattle, was re vealed by Secretary Lansing. It was another of Mr. Lansing's se ries of disclosures of German intrigue, made public without comment in the same manner as the von Luxburg tel egrams which have brought Argen tina on the verge of war with Ger many, the Von Eckhardt letter from Mexico City, and the Von Bernstorff telegram asking the German foreign office for authorization to spend $50, 000 to Influence Congress. The latest story is told in a report to the state department from William Whiting Andrews, secretary of the le gation at Bucharest, and a letter from foreign Minister Parumbaru, of Rumania. Suspicions Aroused. Parcels and boxes taken Into the German consulate at Bucharest with display of great precaution aroused the suspicions of the Rumanian gov ernment. On August 27, 1916, the evening prior to the date of Rumania's declaration of war, some of the cases were taken to the German legation, located in a different building from the consulate.' Convinced that the boxes were not taken away from the legation by the German diplomatic mission on its departure from Buch arest, the Rumanian authorities later ordered the police tofind and examine their contents. The police communi cated with American Minister Pop Icka, then in charge of German inter ests, who reluctantly assigned Secre tary Andrews to observe the search. The boxes were found buried in the. garden of the German legation. Mr. Andrews', report says: "Upon my return from the exami nation which resulted in the discovery of the explosives and the box of mi crobes, both of which the legation ser vants admitted having placed in the garden, the former confidential agent of the German minister, Dr. Bern hradt, who had been left with the le gation at the German minister's re quest to assist In the care of the Ger man interests, admitted his knowledge of the explosives placed in the gar den; told me that more were in the garden than had been found, that a still larger quantity had been burled in the house of the legation and that still worse things than this box of mi crobes were contained iri the legation, and insinuated that they would have been found even in the cabinets of dossiers which I had sealed. "Dr. Bernhardt also stated that all these objects had been brought to the German legation after our legation had accepted the protection of Ger man interests, which agreed with the statement of the servants. A simi lar confession was made to the min ister by this men. "The protection of the United States was In this manner shamefully abused and exploited. In this instance, at least, the German government cannot , have recourse to its usual system of denial." ". Fifty-one boxes were taken from the ground in the garden. Fifty of them contained each a cartridge filled with trinitrotoluene saturated with -monomitroltoluence, among the moet powerful explosives known, one fifth of each being sufficient to tear up a railroad tracfl In the other box were bottles of liquid found to be cultiva tions of the microbes of anthrax and glanders. It bore a seal showing it came from the German consulate at Kronstadt, Hungary, end Inside were found a typewritten note In Oerman saying: For Horses and Cattle. "Enclosed four phials for horses and four for cattle. To be employed as formerly arranged. Each phial is suf ficient for 200 head. To be Introduc ed, if possible, directly into the ani mals' throats; if not, in their fodder. Please make a little report on the success obtained there; in case of good results he presence of Mr. Kos toff for one day here would be desb able. Foreign Minister Porumbaru accom panied his letter with documents to prove the origin of the boxes and their contents. "It has been possible to prove la an undisputed way," he said, "that before our declaration of war to Austria-Hungary when observing strict 'neutrality and keeping up normal re lations with the German empire the personnel of the German legation; vio lating all rules of neutrality and all duties of diplomatic missions, Intro duced clandestinely considerable quali ties of extremely powerful explosive and cultivations of microbes destined to infect domestic animals and in oon sequence susceptible of provoking tei rlble epidemics also among the human population. How Introduced. "There can hardly be any doubt about the way by which these sub stances were introduced into Ruman ian territory, the very stringent police measures at all frontier stations taken by the royal Rumanian government since the outbreak of the war and con tinually made stricter since, prove sufficiently that these explosives and microbes cannot have reached- this country otherwise than by diplomatic courier. "On the other hand, there can bf no doubt the final object of the impor tation into Rumania as a well as about the use to which theyswere as signed. The explosives and the mi crobes were destined to be used in Rumania, very probably in time of peace." REVELATIONS MAKE WASHINGTON DIZZY . WITH AMAZEMENT Washington. Astounding additional revelations of Count von Bernstorff's direction of German plots in the Unit ed States made it certain Congress will undertake a thorough investiga tion. The investigation wwill be call ed as soon as the state department gives congressional leaders the word A The disclosures giving names of Count von Bernstorff's payroll, speci fying amounts, setting forth details of plans to bomb munition plants and blow up shipping, to spread German propaganda and to foment the Irish rebellion were issued through the committee on public information. The facts and figures made official Wash ington dizzy with amazement at the boldness of the game played by the German embassy. Investigation Demanded. Given out as an official document, the specific evidence linking Count von Bernstorff with the ramifications of German intrigue and propaganda in the United States provoked congress men to clamor for an investigation. . To clear Congress immediately of any suspecion of the state depart ment's revelation may have directed unwittingly at its members, Secretary Lansing dictated the following state ment: "If there is any misunderstanding, I wish to say, very emphatically I do not see how the Bearnstorff message in any way reflects upon Congress or any member. Apparently It was the purpose to employ agencies to influ ence them of which they would have no knowledge and in case they were influences would be entirely innocent. do not know what the organization was. This expose is apropos of Ger man methods of peace propaganda, and there is no intention of casting suspicion on members of Congress." The state department ' let it be known, also, that a congressional in vestigation would receive Its assist ance. The state department, it was indicated, wants full publicity for German intrigue, propaganda and plotting in this country. Inquiry Virtually Assured. " A conference between Secretary Lansing and Congressman Flood, chairman of the house committee on foreign affairs, virtually assured an immediate investigation. The revelations will be used by the senate lobby committee, according to Senator Overman, chairman, as a ba sis for a resolution calling for an in quiry. In the senate Senator King, of Utah, read letters proving also the probable need of extending the scope of the inquiry into the activities of the Austrian embassy. Senator King showed photographic reproductions of the letters, together with receipts, proving the payment of money by the German embassy to a New Tork pub lishing firm. In directing the senate's attention to the letters Senator King said he believed the time was not far off when it will be necessary for this country to declare a state of war existing with Austria, Bulgaria, and Turkey. The letters, three in number, were exchanged between the Austrian em- More German Plots Exposed . Washington Further disclosures of far-reaching German propaganda, In trigues and plot In this country prior to the diplomatic beak with Ger many, were made by the committee on public information. "In the form of letters, telegrams, notations,' checks, receipts, ledgers, oashbooks, cipher cldes, list of spies and other memoranda and records." the committee says, "were found In dications in some instances of the vaguest nature, In othes of the most damning conclusiveness that the Geman imperial government through its representatives In a then friendly nation was concerned with: "Violation of the laws of the United States. "Destruction of lives and property In merchant vessels on the high seas; "Irish revolutlonaly plots against Great Britain. "Fomenting. Ill feeling against the United States in Mexico. "Subordination of American writers and lecturers. "Financing of propaganda. "Maintenance of a spy system under the guise of a commercial Investiga tion bureau. "Subsidizing of a bureau for the purpose of stirring up labor troubles In munition plants. "The bomb industry and other re lated activities." The committee, of which Secretaries Lansing, Baker and Daniels are mem bers and Geroge Creel, chairman, has this to say concerning Holland: "It has long been an open secret that Holland is merely a way station for shipments of contraband into Ger many. Here is official confirmation from the Von Igel records which would seem to indicate a suspicious and confidential relation between the 'Holland commission' and the German diplomatic officials accredited to this country, or possibly a belief by the Germans that they could not success fully get the munitions to their own country." bassy in Washington and the consulate-general in New York. Papers on Payroll. In the first letter, bearing date of January 10, 1916, acknowledgment was made of an arrangement to pay $100 a month to the "Illustrovani List." Dublished In New York. The second letter, dated November 5, 1915, was sent by the consulate to the em bassy to advise that the subsidy of $700 to the "Telegram Codzienny," a Polish newspaper, had been paid. The third letter, dated September 26, 1915, was from the embassy to the con sulate, enclosing a check for $400 to be paid to the Rumanian newspaper "Desteaptate Romane." The other document submitted by Senator King included a receipt for $2,000 paid to the "Fair Play Pub lishing Company," of New York; a receipt for $1,500 to the same publica tion, and two other receipts signed bv Count von Bernstorff, admitting payment of $2,000 and $1,000, respect ively. More Evidence Expected. Department of Justice officials gathered the evidence of eGrman in trigue. The investigations by the Se cret Service men, it was said, dated back to the beginning of the war. Only Illustrative exhibits from the depart ment's storehouse of data appeared In the expose. The congressional In vestigation Is expected to bring out the mass of material. The showing up of Count von Bernstorff and his accomplices and associates simultaneously with the pope's peace proposals struck offi cial Washington as intentional coin cidence, but the state department re frained from admitting any motive for the revelations other than the necessity of exposing the German methods. Spy Activities Revealed. Hitherto untold chapters of German spying, plotting and more subtle forms of lawlessness in this country were revealed by the Committee on Public Information. The announcement Is characterized as the most important revelation oi its kind since the first declaration of war in August. 1914." The announce ment which Is really a narrative is based in its entirety upon official documents in the Government's pos session. Many of them are made pub lic now for the flrBt time. They prove undeniably, according to the government, "the intimate re lations between the accredited repre sentatives of the Kaiser in the United States and plotters against the laws and the security ' of this country, whos eenterprise did not fall short of projected wholesale destruction of life and property." LANSING DISCLOSES BERNSTORFF'S PLOT PUBLICITY SPOTLIGHT TURNED ON REVEALING GERMAN INTRIGUE. INVESTIGATION BEING URGED Kaiser's Ambassador Asks His Gov ernment for $50,000 to Expend In Influencing America's Congress Against War. Washington. The American gov ernment's publicity spotlight reveal ing German intrigue m neutral lands turned upon the expenditure of money by the Berlin foreign office in an ef fort to influence congress on the eve of the ruthless submarine campaign which drove the United States to war. Secretary Lansing made public without comment the text of a mes sage sent by Count von Bernstorff to Berlin last January, asking authority to use $50,000 to Influence congress through an organization, which the foreign office was reminded had per formed similar services before. To supplement this' move von Bernstorff suggested an official declaration in favor of Ireland for its effect here. "Pacifists" His Tools. The organization to be employed was not named. It was freely sug gested among-other officials, however, that it was one of the societies which flooded members of congress with peace messages when President Wil son was asking that a state of war be recognized. This disclosure adds another chap ter to the amazing story begun with publication of the famous Zimmer man note. It connects the German government and Count von Bernstorff directly and conclusively with machi nations which the American public had assumed were a part of the world wide Teutonic intrigue, but which many people firmly believed were carried on or financed by German-Americans without actual authority from Berlia Little surprise was occasioned either in official circles or at the capitol, al though members of congress were highly Indignant. There was some talk at the capitol of demanding an investigation and Senator Overman, chairman of the senate lobby commit tee, and Representative Flood, chair man of the house foreign affairs com mittee, arranged to go to the state de partment and ask for more informa tion. Acted Suspiciously. On the floor of the house, Represen tative Heflin of Alebama asserted that he could name 13 or 14 members of the two branches of congress who had acted suspiciously and expressed the opinion that they should be investigat ed. Generally, however, the disposi tion was to regard as absurd any sug gestion that any part of the $50,000 sought by von Bernstorff was Intended for members of congress. The von Bersf-rff message, dated January 22, follows: I request authority to pay out up to $50,000 (fifty thousand dollars), in or der as on former occasions to influence congress through the organization you know of, which can perhaps prevent war. I am beginning in the meantime to act accordingly. In the above circumstances a pub lic official German declaration in fav or of Ireland is highly desirable, in order to gain the support of Irish In fluence here. Renewed Kaiser's Pledges. This message was sent nine days be fore the German government pro claimed its unrestricted submarine warfare. When hewrote it Count von Bernstorff was assuring the American government and press that under no circumstances would Germany violate her pledges of the' Sussex case or do anything that might draw the United States into the list of her enemies. The American government had made no move since he Sussex pledge and there was nothing on the surface to foreshadow impending trouble. Evidence has been accumulated to prove that the ambassador not only was cognizant of, but actually direct ed, the activities of Boy-Ed and von Papen, the military and naval at taches, respectively, who were sent home long before the United States broke relations with Germany. More Revelations Coming. How complete is the evidence of German duplicity in possession of the government is only conjectural, but that it is far more than has been gen erally supposed now is certain. It was intimated by officials that the series of revelations Is now nearly complete. VIOLENT ATTACKS NORTH OF VERDUN SOLDIERS OF GERMAN CROWN PRINCE FAIL TO SHOW ANY GAINS. RUSSIANS KEEP HAMMERING In Flanders There Has Been No Infan try Aotivlty German Fire is Heavy Around Lens and Northeast of Ypres. Violent attacks by the soldiers of the German crown prince against the new French positions northeast of Verdun were checked with heavy losses by ' General Petain's men and the Germans gained nothing. The assaults began with an attack on. a front of about a mile and a quar ter north of the Bols le Chaume. Only In the center of the assaulting line were the Germans able to reach the French positions, the artillery dispers ing them elsewhere. The French fought valiantly and remained masters of the situation after inflicting heavy losses on. the Germans. Simultaneously, the German crown primce threw forward two secondary attacking forces, one north of Bezon vaux, south of the Bois le Cahu vaux, Bouth of the Bois le Chaume, and the other southeast of Beaumont, northwest of the kood. Here the French did not wait for the Germans to reach their trenches, but went out to meet the attackers, who were driv en back with losses. In Flanders there has been no great Infantry activity, although the oppos ing artilleries still are busy. The Ger man fire Is reported heavy on both banks of the Scarpe, east of Arras, around Lens and northeast of Ypres. GERMANY PLANNED FOR CONQUEST ABOUT 1913 Washington. Prediction that Ger many would wage a war for world con quest in about fifteen years was made to the late Admiral Dewey at Manila in 1898 by Capt. von Goetz, of the German imperial navy Senator Lewis told the senate. Quoting a report from Admiral Dewey to the navy department the Illinois senator said that von Goetz told the American officer that Ger many would capture Paris as the first step to subjugating England. The taking of New York and Washington was to follow in order that Germany might secure an enormous cash in demnity. The wiping out of the Monroe doc trine and the contol of South Amer ica by Germany also was predicted by the German officer, declared Senator Lewis, who was discussing peace ne gotiations. For some reason the government had not given the report wide circula tion, Senator Lewis continued, but in the face of It now, "any senator who speaks here or elsewhere against any measure of his country lends himself to the enemy." Characterizing the German reply to Pope Benedict's peace note as "Prussian peace hypocrisy' 'and an af front both to the pope and President Wilson, Senator Lewis scored what he termed "laggards in patriotism," and those who argued against the war. "The country guarantees free speech to every .American," the speaker said, "but that man who uses free speech against America is not the American to whom free speech is guaranteed. In this country there can be no free j speech to any man to destroy the free-; dom of his fellowmen. There can never be liberty of speech to ta American' citizen to destroy the lib erty of the American nation." MADE NON-STOP FLIGHT FROM ITALY TO LONDON London. Captain -j Italian army, accon-rf ati. of the y an ob- server, ri airplane flight from Turin. I London. He covered the 656 j hours and 12 minutes ARGENTINE ORDER 1 NAVY VtOBILIZE Buenos Aires. Mobilization of the Argentine navy has been ordered at a rendezvous 37 kilometers from Buenos Aires. There is aluo unusual military activity ia Wie republic. Although this is ostensibly due to the general strike, a high official said that the general staff has its eyes oppn to "other necessities." The question of a rupture with Germany is still be ing widely discussed by members of the Argentine congress. GOVERNOR APPEALS rnn Tumrr PiniiTU run i ri rti r i uiiiuiii I UN 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I IIIU1I III ASK8 NORTH CAROLINA FARM ERS TO OBSERVE NOVEMBER ' AS THRIFT MONTH. FARMERS ENJOY PROSPERITY Governor Blckett Warns ' Farmers Against Improvidence and Get-. Rich-Quick Schemes. Raleigh. Appealing to the farmers of the state, in a special message, Governor Blckett urged them to co operate in making Thrift Month, No vember, 1917, a period of substantial progress In the agricultural develop ment of the state. Governor's Appeal . to Farmers. "To the Farmers of North Carolina: "'Opportunity has hair in front. Be hind she is bald. If you seize her by the forelock you may hold her, but once permitted to pass on Jupiter himself cannot catch her again.' "So runs an ancient aphorism. This .year Opportunity stands before the farmers of North Carolina with a forelock that reaches to the around. You have with superb common sense increased your food and feed -crops. You have with splendid foresight can ned and dried your surplus fruits and vegetables. For you the high cost of living holds few terrors. Empyrean prices are being paid for the products of your toil. Never before In this gen eration, and possibly never again will there come to the average farmer so large an opportunity to lift himself and family to a higher level of happi ness and hope. Temptations to frit ter away the proceeds of your crops will crowd thick upon you. Improvi dence will lure you to sleep, and pleas ure and prodigality will call to you with many voices. The "blue sky" artists are already on yourt trail. They have heard that you are fat, and have marked you for their own. All kinds of get rich quick schemes will be dan gled before you, and the voice of the agent will be heard in the land. "In my inaugural address, and In a series of bills submitted to the Gen eral Assembly, I endeavored to make plain a purpose to make life on the farm just as profitable and Just as attractive as life in the town. The intensity of that purpose has deepend with the passing months, and I now call upon the farmers to make a su preme effort in this direction, and to capitalize the opportunity of the hour. To this end I earnestly beseech the farmers of the state to set apart the month of November as Thrift Month, and urge every farmer to do some thing definite and substantial during that month that will insure to the per manent betterment of his condition ia life. I suggest the following specific accomplishments and appeal to every farmer to do one or more of thess things: 1. If he 'be a tenant to buy, if pos sible, a small farm and make the first payment on the purchase price. 2. To pay off all debts, and go on a cash basis next year. 3. To start a savings account ia some bank or credit union. 4. To buy a milch cow or brood sow. 5. To install home waterworks and . lights. 6. To paint his house. 7. To set out an orchard. "The agricultural department, the Joint committee on agricultural work and the state department of education will generously co-operate with the farmers in making Thrift Month a notable month in the agricultural lit of the state. I call upon the teachers in the rural schools to read this ap peal to the children. Complete plans for taking a census during the first week in December will be arranged to the end that we may know at the end of the month just how many portunity that now confronts them, and have preserved for their wives and children some portion of the blessings of this unparallelled year. T. W. BICKETT, Governor." "September, 1917." All N. C. Guards In Camp. Greenville, S. C The mobilization at Camp Sevier of all former national guardsmen from North Carolina was completed with the arrival of approxi mately 2,000 men from Camp Greene and other North Carolina points. A battalion of the second North Caro lina infantry, company D, of the first infantry, and a machine gun company of the same regiment, and company B, engineers attached to the second regiment came here from Camp Greene, arriving on the first troop train.