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VOLUME VI.
WILSON SEEKING
TO ARM VESSELS
President Is Attempting To Find Author
ity To Place Guns On Ships
Flying U. S. Flag
HAS RIGHTTOCONVOYBOATS
Shipping Board May Take Over Mer
chantmen And Arm As Naval
Auxiliaries
Washington.— Further action by
President Wilson in the German situ
ation was postponed pending a de
«lsK’A by his legal advisers whether
he has power to arm American mer
chantmen in spite of the failure of
•congress to pass a resolution confer
ring such authority.
The question was referred to Attor
ney General Greogry and Secretary of
State Lansing.
A determination to arm the mer
chantmen if a legal way to do so
can be found was generally apparent.
The president has placed squarely
before the senate the responsibility for
changing its rules during the special
session, so that filibustering by a
small group of senators cannot pre
vent action by congress. In the mean
time he is preparing to take such steps
as he can to meet the crisis and de
fend the American rights.
In his inaugural address he declar
ed: “We stand firm in armed neutral
ity,” and added:
“We may even be drawn on by cir
cumstance, not by our own purpose or
desire, to a more active assertion of
our rights as we see them and a more
immediate association with the great
struggle itself.”
While the arming of merchantmen
is the step most considered, it is point
ed that the president has the right
to convoy American vessels. This
course has been opposed by the navy
“department, however, principally for
strategical reasons.
Another step suggested is that the
shipping board take over American
merchantmen, arm them as naval aux
iliaries .and send them abroad.
NUMBER 19.
ECONOMY AND BIGGER CROPS
। —
Urged By Secretary Houston As
Measure To Reduce Cost
Os Living
Washington.—Greater food crops
and the practice of household econo
mies were urged by Secretary of Ag
riculture Houston as measures to help
reduce the cost of living. American
families, he estimated in a statement
on the food situation, waste in their
kitchens annually more than seven
hundred million dollars' worth of edi
bles.
There is nothing in the situation,
however, to justify hysteria, he de
clares, because there is no real short
age of food in this country.
Mr. Houston emphasized the import
ance of the food cost investigation di
rected by President Wilson, and held
out hope that increased acreage this
year may insure greater food sup
plies. Wheat and potatoes, he said,
were unusually short last year, but
there will be enough to supply very
nearly normal needs.
The food problem cannot be solved
—in the secretary’s opinion—through
price-fixing by the federal or state
governments, but by “intelligent plant
ing and constructive action in con
junction with the operation of normal
forces.”
Probe Urged Os Prices
Urging a full inquiry into the causes
of advancing prices, he said:
“A full and satisfactory explanation
of prevailing prices is not possible on
the basis of existing knowledge.
Where the food supply is located, who
owns it, what may be the difficulties
of securing it, whether the local mar
ket conditions are due to car short
•age, whether there is artificial mon
opoly oi- control no one can state with
certainty. It is essential that we have
the facts not only because of the light
they might throw on present condi
ions, but also because they are pre
requisite for the working out of a per
manent and just economical system
of marketing. The investigation di
rected by the president ought to be
made promptly and congress ought to
give the federal trade commission and
the department of agriculture the nec
essary funds.”
Two Americans May Be Lost On iark
London. —The British bark Galgorm
Castle, whose destruction by a German
submarine may have cost two Ameri-
Bhe Hirlldh
IRWINTON, WILKINSON COUNTY, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1917.
ARMED NEUTRALITY
KILLED IN SENATE
Twelve Senators Defied The Wishes Os
76 Colleagues And Block Vote On
The Measure
WILSON ISSUE? STATEMENT
76 Senators—3o Republicans And 40
Democrats—Sign Manifesto, Show
ing How Senate Really Stood
Washington.—The Sixty-fourth con
gress expired without a vote being
reached in the senate on the armed
neutrality bill.
Twelve senators, led by Senator La-
Follette, and encouraged by Senator
Stone, Democratic chairman of the for
eign relations committee, in a filibus
ter denounced by President Wilson’s
spokesman as the most reprehensible
procedure in the history of any civi
lized nation, defied the will of an over
whelming majority in congress up to
the last minute and denied to the pres
ident a law authorizing him to arm
American merchant ships to meet the
German submarh^ menace.
Unyielding ffioughout twenty-six
hours of continuous session to appeals
that their defiance of the president
would be humiliating to the country;
uncompromising in a crisis described
to them as the most serious to the
nation since the Civil war, La Follette
and his small group of supporters re
fused a majority of their colleagues
an opportunity to vote on the armed
neutrality bill and it died with the
Sixty-fourth congress.
To fix responsibility before the coun
try, seventy-six senators, thirty Repub
licans and forty-six Democrats, signed
a manifesto proclaiming to the world
that they favored passage of the meas
ure. The text of the manifesto fol
lows :
“The majority of United States
senators favored the pasasge of
the senate bill authorizing the
president of the United States to
arm American merchant vessels,
a similar bill having already pass
ed the house by a vote of 403 to 13.
Under the rules of the senate al
lowing unlimited debate it appears
1 'btain a vote
GERMANY WARNS THE WORLD
Germany Says Final Period Os Grace
Has Expired In The Atlantic
Ocean
Berlin.—The admiralty made the
following announcement:
“On March 1 expired the final pe
riod of grace alotted for sailing ships
in the Atlantic. From this date no
special warning will be given to any
boats by submarines.”
No Yielding, Says Zimmermann
In his address in the reichstag in
regard to the relations with the Unit
ed States, Foreign Secretary Zimmer
mann related the circumstances of the
attempt at continuing negotiations
through the Swiss legation, and after
saying it was easy to understand that
the government endeavored to avoid
everything which might cause war
with America, continued:
“We examined the suggestion from
the Swiss minister from the stand
point of these considerations. From the
very outset we were absolutely certain
that submarine warfare ought to be
limited in no case and in no manner
by concession on our part. Obviously
our wish to come to an understanding
with America can be accomplished
only in the event that it is possible
without conflict with our declaration
of barred zones, which we are firmly
decided to maintain against our ene
mies under all circumstances.
“It was only after long considera
tion that we decided to use our sharp
est weapon. You know, of course, of
our negotiations with America and of
our honest and sincere peace offer and
the jeering rebuke by our enemies.
To our attempt at reconciliation our
adversaries opposed their will to anni
hilate us and thus nothing was left us
but to take up the last and best
weapon.
Can’t Help Neutral Suffering
“After we took this decision obvious
ly no backward step was possible. “We
regret that neutrals have to suffer by
it, but we cannot help that.
“From the standpoint of these con
siderations I said in my answer to
America merely that Germany now as
before, was ready to negotiate on con
dition that establishment of the barred
zones against our enemies be not im
paired. We only hinted at cur readi
ness to enter more detailed negoti
ations with America in regard to the
admission of passenger ships.
“The Swiss minister at Washington
transmitted our communication,” Sec
. » continued, “and
AUSTRIA REPLIES
TO UNITED STATES
Although In Substance The Note Upholds
Germany’s U-Boat Warfare, It Is
Couched In Friendly Terms
NO BREAK UNLESS OVERTACT
Believed Germany Is Trying To Force
Austria To Step She Doesn’t
Wish To Take
London. —The American ambassador
at Vienna has been handed the reply
of the Austrian government to the
American note inquiring as to the po
sition of the Austrian government in
regard to unrestricted submarine war
fare.
The reply declares that neutrals are
responsible for losses they suffer by
entering territory where war-like op
erations are taking place.
The Austrian memorandum refer
ring to the note on the Ancona case,
says that it “strictly adheres to the
assurance already given.”
At the same time Austria calls at
tention to the fact that at the time
of the Ancona incident it stated that
it “reserved the right to bring up lat
er for discussion difficult internation
al questions which arise in connection
with submarine warfare.”
The Austrian note, which is very
long, begins with an attack on the
British blockade as illegal and says
the blockade has forced the central
powers to take measures of reprisal.
Break With Austria Delayed
Washington.—Austria’s reply to the
American request for a clearer defini
tion of her attitude in the submarine
situation was stated officially here to
leave the door open for further nego
tiations, delaying temporarily at least
the break which has been regarded as
inevitable since the severance of re
lations between the United States and
Germany.
Although in substance the long com
munication upholds and defends the
unrestricted warfare waged by Ger
many, it is couched in most friendly
terms and points out that “Austrian
submarines solely are operating in the
Adriatic and Mediterranean and there-
$ 1.00 A YEAR
STATE ITEMS
CONDENSED
Hartwell.— Warren D. McGee, one
of Hart’s most prominent farmers,
committed suicide at his home near
here by decapitating himself with a
shotgun.
Americus.—Dr. C. K. Chapman,
dentist, was placed on trial here for
the second time, accused of the mur
der of Walter Wade on August 17,
last year.
Atlanta.—News has been received
here to the effect that the Georgia
field artillery which has been doing
service upon the Mexican border has
been ordered back to Georgia.
Milledgeville. — Revenue officers
from Macon brought to Milledgeville
one of the largest moonshine stills
ever captured in Middle Georgia. This
was a 250-gallon bowl and the worm
was at least sixty feet long.
Atlanta. —Fifteen hundred men are
wanted by the United States govern
ment for the naval hospital corps. This
announcement was made at the local
naval recruiting station on advices re
ceived from Washington.
“Washington.—A movement which
has already gained some impetus
having as its object the appropriate
marking of the site of the First Metho
dist church in Georgia was launched
in more than 250 churches of this de
nomination.
Augusta.—The Signers system ot
taxation which has been in effect in
Augusta since January 1, 1913, has
proved its worth, and, in the opinion
of the city- assessor, is equally valu
able to assessors, real estate dealers,
property owners and the public.
Thomasville. —A number of promi
nent Thomasville women, with a
good sprinkling of men, met at the
rooms of the Commercial association
and organized a “Garden Club.” This
club is for the purpose of promoting
more and better gardens for Thomas
ville.
Carrollton. —The most destructive
fire that has ever been known in the
history of Carrollton occurred here
when the C. E. Roop building on New
nan street was completely destroyed.
The fire, discovered about midnight,
completely destroyed the building and
all the contents.
Atlanta. —The first Southeastern
Automobile show, which was held at
the auditorium-armory-, made expenses
and furnished a 25 per cent rebate
to exhibitors besides; more than a
-million dollars' worth of business was
