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IE ^^fpSP? ... IjStSgf^. ?isi^vik J^?SR ? ; ...-?<* * "TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE, ' AND IT MUST FOLLOW A8 THE NIGHT THE HAY: THOU CANST NOT THEN BE FALSE TO ANY MAN." * WALHALLA, SOUTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY.?0, HHS. Cotton S? We have lOO Seed Meal %o warehouse is o^ cial price in ton you money. C. W. & J. E. WALHA! IT PAYS TO B TWO MILLION FOB PRANCE. Those Already There And In Train ing*-Millions to Follow. Washington, Jen. 28.-Five hun dred thousand American troops' in France early thia year-and a mil lion and a half more ready to go fully equipped and with the artillery to support them. This wae the an swer Secretary Baker to-day gave the Senate, .military committee to the charge of inefficiency and break down in the military establishment. As the climax of a day's explana tion of all that the military estab lishment had done, freely confessing faults and Imperfections in so vaat an undertaking that out ot each de ficiency the remedy has been found, th? Secretary of War disclosed What hitherto has been guarded as a mili tary secret, a'nd .what -the Oer man people little suspect. Secretary Baker told the Senators the United States would have a half million fighting men on French soil early |thls year, and that one and one half million American troops in all would be available for foreign duty,. Composition of Fighting Force.. This great fighting .force, probably little expected by the /German g?ne rai staff itself, will be composed of the men now with Gen. Pershing, the" 32 'divisions of troops now in canton ments and camps ' in the United States, and ready to move, Secretary Baiker said, and by the next incre ments to be dralwn and trained this spring under the ?elective service law. Klement al equipment of the men from the United States is assured and the artillery necessary to their support will come from the British and French governments, which have such an excess of ordnance that they have on their own initiative of fered to supply the guns and eave ships which would be used for their transport. The Secretary of War even laid bare facts regarding preparations for the American army in France, which ?have hitherto been held as close mll /tiary secrets or whispered among a few who have enjoyed the confidence of government officials. Many of the facts have been known to newspaper correspondents here in the capital, -but co-operating with the government under the voluntary cen sorship they have not until this time been 'given to the public by the news papers. .Mr. Baker described to the com mittee how the American army hhs built great lines of railroads, ono of them 600 miles long, up to its head quarters in France; how ports and terminals have been constructed to handle the great quantities of sup plies and equipment which the army Will need in fighting line. All this has been done by 'Americans, and since Gen. Pershing's troops landed InBt June. Pinn for tho War. Loaning forward and addressing the Senators earnestly, the Secretary of ;War told a story tho German gen eral staff probably would have give? much to know long before. He ap proached tho subject by departing from tho answer to criticism and re ferring to it as "the plan for the war.". "I .think I understood Senator Chamberlain felt there wasn't any plan for the war," said Secretary Baker. "1 don't kndw ,how the com mittee and the country feel about it bot I Want to say there is a plan. It's tho only possible plan under circum stances. ; "It must be remembered," he pro eeedod, "thnt this war broke oiit in August, t914, and we went into it in April, 1917, so that for two and a half years it had been going on. It was 'itot as if .an immediate plan could be made for the war's proBocu ? "lint wo wore coming into this wa X, jed Meal tons of Cotton move, as our ?rerloaded, Spe- j lots. Can save j BAUKNIGHT, LTuA, 3. C? UY FOR CA8H. which had <been going on over two and a half years, in which all the military capacity, the inventive ge nius and the Industrial resources of these other greatest of countries had been engaged on the proiblem of what the war was to be. "It was not for us to decide the theater of war. Thjat theater was in France. It was not for us to decide the line of communication. It was 3,000 miles away, with one end in fested with submarines. It was not for us to decide whether raanoeuvers in the open ehould he attempted. Men already were in the trenches in .a death grapple. - "Our '.problem was and ls to get over and get at the enemy. It twas not for ue to lay ouvt, at the wfer college, an Ideal pian of campaign, a theoretical plan. Our problem was to set into co-operation with Oreat Britain and <France and our other friends in the nvost imlmediate and efficient way. "That problem couldn't 'be decided here. It can't be described in words. It is so extraordinary and so vast that it must be 6een and studied on the ground before it can be compre hended at all." Mr. Baker told of the coming .of the British and French missions With Balfour and Uoff re. These men 'were seen in the halls of Congress, hut few people saw bhe staffs of trained experts they brought with them and who distributed themselves through the War-Department. "They were the most brilliant men In their armies," ho said. "Every country haB sent us that sort of ex perts." Story Old as They Talked. Even as .these experta talked, Sec retary Baker said, the story they told grew old. Weapons they had helped to develop had become obsolete be fore they could be gotten to the iront. "This ls a moving picture," he said. "It was necessary that we have eyes there to see and report, and we sent den. Pershing and the major part of the trained personnel of the army-that pitiful handful of train ed men." 000,000 Men Soon in France. "We will have 500,00.0 men in France early in 1918," he added, "and we will ;iyive a million and <a half ready to ship to France during 1918." Chairman Chamberlain asked tho Seeretai'y why he could not take the public Into his confidence in the mat ter. N - Secretary Baker replied th<at he hesit/ated to do that. '.He referred to a statement by Gen. von Hindenburg to the effect feWat America iwas ad vertising her intentions. "But isn't rt a fact that (Germany has known all about this?" persisted Senator Chamberlain. "No," replied Secretary Baker. "The German (government is still mystified regarding the number of men noW in France. They know what is doing flt the front, but Ger many is still mystified regarding the number of men now In France." His statement, Mr. Baker added, was made on the basis of the moBt reliable confidentiel reports received by the War Department. Secretary .Baker went on do ex plain that such things all warring countries trfy to keep entirely con fidential. "Why, I do not believe 1 could even get the number of men Great Britain ihn H in France or at home now or could even get that informa tion from tFrance," said he. "That m-ay be unnecessary, but it is a ?pre caution followed ^by all military men." If the whole regular American a'rtny had been sent into battle at oneo, Secretary Baker said, like Eng land's it would hove been destroyed. In ?loquent words Secretary Baker described how France welcomed 'the first'American soldiers, peasants kiss ing, he sa'id, the hems of their coats. "Of course, they welcomed the British, hut then their need was not so great, iuor were the ties to Eng land so close," said he. "So an in stant response came from France, and our soldiers have continued to go over in an' unbroken stream. f "At this hour we havo a fighting army in France, seasoned and train*' ed t? tho warfare. Joffre said lt might take some time .for us to get a trained army over, but that we were a great Industrial country aud could send artisans inVmedlately. "Although not contemplated at the outset, we .hlxve organized regiment? of railroad men who aro rebuilding railroads behind the British' and French lines ns they advance. Of such quality wiere these men that .at .Cambrai, when iGen. Byng wa? en dangered, our men throw down their .picks and shovels, grasped rifles and distinguished themselves. . "Very early in the war Balfour and Joffre said 'Send us nurses and doctors!' 'A-limost before we were In the war Red Cross nurses and doc tore and ambulance drivers tn groat numbers were sent over. Our early losses were of these. "But that was not enough, rt was suggested further Mi at mechanics wero needed. Special studies iwere .made. iWe found that railroads and other facilities of France had been kept in excellent condition, far bet ter than we had thought possible." But' despite the condition of ?French railroads, he said, ft was found necessary to provide transpor tation facilities for the (American army in France because of the great denn and s upon those .already there. "In other words," he ?aid, .France was a wfoite ?beet of paper. (As far as we were concerned we not I only had to write an army on that shieet, but wo also bad to provide maintenance. We have been build ing .facilities and agencies in -France, .just as much as in this ?country, of i the same character. We have built docks, terminals, sent ?over dock mar chlnery, cranes, even piles, ware houses at ports of disembarkation for the storage of vast supplies tnieedad before distribution. We are taking over and are In process of rebuild ing a railroad 600 milles long fnom OUT ports of embarkation to our base of operations." Problems to Ile M et. ; - Not only were the transportation I and erection of vast quantities of ma terials a problem, Secretary Baker said, but also nd emphasized that they had to be manufactured In. this country. "We had to build barracks for the soldiers over there, billeting thom until this could ,be done. But. build ing barracks over there! ls entirely different if rom building them in this country." American troops, he said, even had to go back to ithe planting of corn and to the foresits of France, as well ns build .hospitals. The war, Secretory -Baker contin ued, had been of more or less of a "set character" until tlhe Russian situation developed. The Italian de feat caused a further change in plans. As a result what may have been perfect plans ,had to be changed accordingly. "This ls a faint picture of what hae been going on over there, gentle men," said the Secretary. "On this side all that had to -be done, and many other 'Oh In ge besides, but In addition we had to build up an army. "Now, let us be frank ?with each other. Has any army in history ?ince the beginning of time been so (raised and cared fo as this army has been?" When the selective.draft was pro posed, Senators told him, he said, that an army by that means could 'not be raised. "And yet," he asked, "has any great enterprise been carried on with more unfailing justice and patriot ism oji the part of the American peo ple, or has a greater change in our mode and practice been accepted by the .public than under the selective servioo system?" Secretary Baker went into tho ef fort? to surround the army with .moral and physical safeguards, A condition had been produced, he said, where tho soldiers wore wel comed into the homes of communi ties in wfoich they wore quartered. "No ouch relation," ho said, "has ever existed between an army and tho civilian population. I'vo gono 'Prom camp to camp. I have asked each commander: What about your disciplinary proble/m? iMen old in tho army all say thoy have never ?eon anything Uko this; that the dis ciplinary problem ls negligible." In the Wac to Hit If ard. "When Mic story has all been told," he eaid, "it will foe a story which I am sure your committee will foe glad to report to th? Senate as a tremen do un response to a tremen dous responsibility. We are In the ?war to hit and to hit hard. Our problem Is not ono of star playing, but of team work." Oconeo Crop 81 Bales Short. Seneca, Jan. 26.-Special: There were 17,180 bales of cotton ginned in O.conee county from the crop of 1917 prior to January 16, 1918, as compared with 17,201 bales to cor responding date. 1917. M. S. Stripling, Special Agent. Filil? DESTKOYS TH li EXCHANGE Onico of Tho Oconee Telephone Co. on Main street, in Walhalla. Tvast Friday night about 10.30 ! o'clock the -alarm of fire was givon j by Night Watchman Sullivan, who lind discovered smoko and a blaze issuing from I he bull ?lt ag In which the local exchange of the Oconee Tel ephone "Company was located. Mr. Sullivan states that he had pafaed the building only -a few mlnu'tes be fore he noticed the tire, and nt that time he saw .nothing unusual about the premises. iHe was on his rounds, and had gone to tho corner of the next block, turning across the street, and was on his way up-town, on tho opposite aide of tho street, when he noticed the fire. He at once gave the alarm, and a crowd gnthored quickly, ibut there was no chance to save anything from the building. The night operator of the exchango was awakened and igot out of the building, 'but. there waa .no time for salvage. That pffrt df the house not used ns a telephone exchange was vacant, the family that had occupied the rooms having moved about the first of the year. It ls stated, how ever, that for some little time past a number of boys and young men had frequented the unoccupied por tion of the building, and that more or lesB carousing has taken place there. It is supposed that some one of those who have beon .frequenting the place may have thrown a lighted cigarette or cigar stump In the pass ageway, and that this started the Aro on the stairway. The fire could have easily reached the roof in this part of the house 'before being de tected by any one about the prem ises, and .Night Watchman Sullivan states that the 'blaze was issuing from the roof when it attracted his at tout ion. Tlie Telephone Company's losses are estimated at about $4,000, this amount covering the building and contents. There was no insurance, Major Strlbling stating that the in surance rate was so >hlgh in that sec tion for a telephone exchange that he did not feel justified in paying it. For the present tho company's ex change will bb located in the town, building across the street from the o?d exchange, and as soon as possible the service Will be resumed. The whole exchange outfit will, however, have to be installed new, and this will of necessity cause a considera ble break in the service given. The exchange will be placed in operating order just, as quickly as possible. A new building will be erected for the exchange, it. ls understood. If erect ed on the tdd site the bulldlrfg will have to be bri K or stone, as the elte ls within tho lire limits. Fortunately, at the time of the Are, there was only a slight breeze blowing, and this from the wost. Had the wind been from the enst lt Is doubtful If any of the three houses to the west of tho burned "building could have been saved. The old Flschesser building was kept from catching fire by means of a "bucket brigade," who worked faithfully un til the danger was past. This is an old frame building, about 25 feet front on Main street, 'and running back probably a hundred feet-a se ries of small buildings attached to each other. This property now be longs to Otto .Kaufmann, and we understand will be torn down after he erects a *brick building east of it. He hopes to begin this work in the early s'pr'ing. For Starving Armenians. Editor Keowee Courier: Wo have no Sunday school at our church ('Rock Springs), and I am not able to go when we have preaching. Still I want to give something to the col lection that's to be taken up Sunday for the poor war-cursed people, and enclose a check for $2-one dollar for myself and one for my son Ed gar. Yours truly; Julia- D. Slianklln. Richland, Jan. 25, 1918. Con iii butions to JfaunA. Mrs. Julio, Shahklin .$1.00 Edgar Shanklln .. 1.00 R, L. Bogg?, New Hope. 1.00 Calilnc Bartlet S. ?S. (colored) Walhalla. 1.55 \ Total.$1.55 The Courier has had no report from any source other than the above contributors. The Galileo colored Sunday school contribution was handed in by |Rev. J. S. Steward.^ KEEP FRIDAY, FEB. 8, IN MIND. There will bo a very interesting meotiug at the Walhalla High School building Friday night of next week, beginning at 7.30< o'clock. Wo aro not In position now to give out the general nature of the meeting, or to announce the program, but thore will be something to appeal to the patriotism of old and young, and lt is eincoreiy hoped that every grown up and chiid of school age will be present. In these days there is "work (for all," and ftt tale meeting something can be learned that will help our government. and at the same time niaferlally help all those who entor into /tlie work proposed, Keep In mind Friday night of next week, February 8th, and make a point oif being at the High School building promptly at 7.30 o'clock. GEN. LEONARD WOOD WOUNDED Injury slight-Two OjLlwt Oflleers Hurt-Elvo Kreuth Dead. Washington, Jan. 27.-'Major Gen. Leonard Wood, in Franco on an ob servation tour, waa slightly wound ed to-day 1jy an accidental explosion which (killed five French sold lora and hurt two other Amorlcan officers. Secretary Bakor announced the ac cident in this statement: . "A cable dispatch from the head quarters of Gen. Pershing states that an accidental explosion occurring to day killed live French soldiers nud slightly injured Major Gen. Leonard Wood in the arm, Lieut. Gol. Chas. E. Kilbourne In tho oyo and Major Kenyon A. Joyce In the arm." It ls understood the message was brief amd gave no further detallB. Gen. Wood's tour would carry him both to the front and to the Ameri can training camps behind tho Unes, but there le t?o Indication as to where the accident occurred. All of the divisional Commanders have been or will be sent o ?Europe for brief periods. Gen. Wood, com manding Gamp Funstan, Kan., went over several tweoks ago. Five Wounded tn Action. Washington, Jan. 27.-Gen. Per shing to-day reported the wounding in action of five infantrymen of the expeditionary forces. .No details of the fight *wero given. Private Dergard Gorski, Chicago, was severly wounded; First Sergt. Lee Hacker, Manchester, Ky., mod- . eratoly wounded, end tho following slightly wounded: Corp. Willie Car penter, 'Mangu?n, Okla.; and Pri vates Earl Ballard, Kannapolis, N. C.; Casper A. Schwab, Harlan, Ia. Carpenter was wounded January 22; the others January 21. ?Six deaths fro'ni natural Causes were reported; none Southern men. CALL FOU RESERVE ENLISTMENT Government Needs Workmen of All Kinds-Cham o to Enroll. Editor Keowee Courier: Tho South j Carolina Council of Defense has been 1 called on by the labor department and the Council of National Defense j to do an important piece of work in South Carolina. This is the enrolling of workmen in the United States Pub- i lie Service 'Reserve, particularly for , the .purpose of re-en forcing the ship building trade. The importance of 1 the emergency is shown In the follow- ? lng telegram, which the State Coun- ? ell received last Wednesday from headquarters: "War operations now held up by Inadequate shipping. Rate of pro duction of steel ships must be greatly increased immediately. Only limited number of men can be given direct employment now, but yard and nous lng facilities being increased rapidly. Enrollment ot 250,000 workmen In a reserve necessary, so men can be se cured promptly when needed for any reason, with least possible disturb ance to industries. Upon careful re vision your quota appears to be 4, 000. List of desired trades follows by lottor. Supplementary training will be provided at yards. In enroll ing men, engage to accept employ ment in ship yards on reasonable no tice anywhere In the United States at wage prevailing in yards. Adequate housing provided. Enrollment itself does not exempt from draft, but men in ship yards now in deferred classi fication. Enrollment begins January 28th and continuing until necessary workmen enrolled." Actual enrollment began this week, January 28th, and will be'largely In the hands of the County Chairman of the State Council. Further particu lars will be given. All classes are joining the reserve; professional men, engineers, artisans, laborers of all kinds. Only men who aro roally ready and able to respond when an opportunity for service comes should enroll. The "reserves" must not be swamped with records of men who are merely expressing patri otism, but who, when it comes down to business, are not going to bo abie to work whore they may be needed. No obligation exists to respond to a call when it comes; the "reserve" morely presents tho opportunity, trusting to tho judgment and patri otism of its members to load them to accept, if they should nccopt, In view of all the circumstances and of their country's need.. The following list shows the kind of trades most needed in ship-build ing: Acetylohe and electrical welders. Asbestos workers. Blacksmith-Anglesmlths, drop forgo men, flange turners, furnace men. Boiler Makors-'Riveters, reamers. Carpenters-Ship carpenters, dock builders. Chippers and calkers. Electrical Workers-Electricians, wiremen, crane operators. Y^ Foundry workers. Laborers-'All kinds.. Loftsmen-Template makers. ?Machinists and 'Machine llaunds (All sorts helpers.) Painters. Plumbers and plpe-flttors. Sheet-metal workers and copper smiths. Ship flttors. Structural Iron Workers-'Rivet ers, erectors, bolters-up. Other Trades-Cementers, crane men. Until further notice 1 am acting Q, F. M KAUFS KD, KFD HY THAIN. Was Ono of OCOUOO'H Hrs? and Most Substantial Farmer Citizens, Tho nowa of tho sudden and un timely death of George F. Moar?s roached Walhalla last Friday night Mr. Meares was struck by Sou thor? Railway train No. 80 a short dist ance from tho Westminster depot, death resulting Instantly from the in juries received. Tho facts of tho unfortunate acci dent, ns wo have been able to got them aro us follows: Mr. Meares and a friend were standing on the edge of tho raliway track opposite to tho Hack on which a freight train was standing. In this freight train thero was a car of horses, and Mr. Mearos and his friend wero looking over tho stock. The engine to which thia train of cars was attached was blow ing out a constant stream of steam and the horses were restless lu tho cai*, making a great deal of noise, the escaping steam screening the fast passenger train, from view and tho noise maxi o by the horse?, and escap ing steam preventing the noise of the passenger train hoing heard until it wns too late for Mr. ?Meares to save himself. His friend noticed tho on rushing train just in time to navo himself, but 'Mr. Meares WSB too late. The engine struck him a sidling blow, with the result that his neck and ono arm were broken and his body bruised in several places, neath was Instantaneous, life toeing extinct when the body was picked up. Tho body was taken to an under taking establishment in Westmin ster, whore lt was prepared for bur ial and moyod to his home In the country. George F. Meares *?i was one of the most progressive and prosperous farmers in Oconeo coun ty, mid had been signally successful in all hts undertakings. He came to Oconee from Greenville county a' out-20 years ago, and for a timo re sided in the Fairview community. Later, howevoi, he purchased a farm: in the Oak wa / community, on which ho resided with his family at the timo of his death. He was over pro gressive and energetic, devoting his time continuously to his farm opera tions, and- from his Industry had gotten together an accumulation that, rated him .certainly one of tho most, well-to-do farmers of Oconeo. Honest and honorable, wide-awake and progressive, his name was al ways linked with every movement for the betterment of his homo com munity. Ho would haye beon 53 years of age had he lived till March, and was a son of tho late T. A. Moar?s. In carly lifo ho married Miss Addie Lowe, o'f Greenville county, who, with eleven children, survives him. The children are as follows: Edgar Moar?s, of Salisbury, N. C.; Walter, a second lieutenant In the United States Army, now in Franco; Arthur, Frank, Clyde, John, Welborn, and Misses Leona, Gladys and Corrie, at home. Three sistors and two brothers also survive him Mrs. F. W. Harbort, of Walhalla; Mrs. W. M. Strickland, of Pelzer; Mrs. J. D. Huff, of Greenville county; T. C. and C. W. Meares, of Green ville county. 'Mrs. Harbort and T. C. Meares were among 'those able to at tend the funeral services, all of tho children being present except Lieut? Meares, of France. y The funeral services and interment, took place at the Rock Springs Meth odist church and cemotery, the ser vices being conducted by Rev. O. A. Jeffcoat, pastor of the Rock Springs church, of which Mr. Meares was a member. The services were con ducted -Sunday afternoon at 1 o'clock, and the pastor was assisted by tlev. Mr. Lewis, of Westminster, Probably no announcement of a death in Oconee has brought moro universal sorrow to Oconeeans than that of (Mr, Meares. He was widely known over tho county, and he was respected and held in high esteem wherever ho was known, his uniform ly gracious manner and his real worth as a citizen hoing recognized by his every acquaintance. To the bereaved ones The Courier Joins In extending sympathy In their deep sorrow. Ills passing has re moved from our county one who will be sorely missed on every hand. Negro's flody in Cotton Bale. (Atlanta Georgian, 25th.) The body of a negro mao^was dis covered in tho middle of a bale of cotton, while the bale was hoing compressed Thursday afternoon at the Atlantic Compress Company's plant. Tho negro apparently had been dead several weeks. The foale containing the body was received in a shipment from the Un ion Seed and Fertilizer Company, in the outskirts of Atlanta. The body was clad in old blue overalls and "Jumper" and seemed to be that ot a mill laborer. Shocked by the discovery, the star tled employees of the company tele phoned to the police, and detectives were sent out. An lnvstlgation was Immediately started, beginning with an effort to trace* that particular bale back to the gin, where it originated. as enrollment agent for this service. Communicate with me at once. \ J*. T. Jaynes, County Chairman. Walhalla, Jan. 26, ID 18. if