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. , The Lancaster News ' ' : VOL. 12, NO. 19, SEMI-WEEKLY. LANCASTER, S. 0- FRIDAY, DEC. 15, 1916. $1.50 A YKah GERMA ^Sentiment in Lo Seem: London, Dec. 13.?A strong current of public sentiment opposed to the German pe;v?e proposal was evi-1 dent in the first expression available last night, both from public men and ' the British press, although these' were without knowledge of any de-j finite terms and without any work from high authorities' sources indicating the attitude of the government. The only Information was in the j jk?cdd icruris wnicn came irom uerlin' and in the absence of some tangible i official proposition, British officials were disposed to maintain reserve. It was noticeable that the proposal had not created any profound impression upon, the average Londoner. There was little talk in the hotels or other public places and this discussion was far less animated than in the recent * ministerial crisis. Government circles also held aloof from any discusson, with an evident desire to learn more of the details before committing the new administration to a definite course of action. The foreign office would make no comment in the absence of the terms, but indicated that the British attitude up to the present was embodied in the declarations made from time to time by the former premier and Viscount Qrey and that any new pro posals would have to be decided b> all the Entente allies before a dot) ignite attitude^ was possible. Thone in close association with the new government took the view that the proposals would prove entirely unacceptable, mainly because they were not likely to touch what the ruling authorities regard as the most essential basis of Any peace, namely, such guarantees against German militarism as will permit England, France an their allies to demobilize* their vast armies, reduce their onor- [ mous military expenses and retain to COLUMBIA CLAIMS PALL BY WAY SIDE HARD LUCK IT SEEMS j I Fletcher's Influence Too Strong on Rank and Muscle Shoals Too Good on Power. Washington, Dec. 12.?Three important matters in which the people of South Carolina are deeply interested?the location of the sites for the $20,000,000 nitrate plant authorised under the Smith law, the $11.000.000 Tillman armor plate factory, and the farm loan* hank?are. according to the heat Information available here today, to he decided within the next SO days. Focusing every known influence which it can secure on landing the ni-1 trate plant, the people of Alabama who have been fighting for-almost a year to secure this establishment at Muscle Shoals, it is said, have sent cne of the most powerful lobbies' ever known to the Southern Commer- l rial congress, now in session at Norfolk. in the hope of creating sentl-t ment towards Muscle SHioals and to1 have the eongrens go on record through resolutions which are to he offered, as desiring that place, flow ! much money in to he used by thin lobby no one here in able even to approximate, but those who went to' Norfolk a day or two ago did not hesitate to nay that Senator E. D. Smith of South Carolina, father of the nitrate plant hill, wan destined to nee his efforts to secure this ednb' I'shment for South Carolina result 1n failure. Senator Smith discussed thin matter with the president only a few days apo and is very vigorous In his , ' determination to secure the plant for . ( ^ Columbia, but an the matter is seen here now. it Is going to Alabama, though It is quite true that all the information that now seems reliable may be upset before final plans are announced. Bank of Jacksonville. While It looks ?ui If Alabama ls^ NY REi i ?ndon s Against Offer lasting conditions of peace. Both Premier Lloyd-George and 11 Mr. Balfour, secretary for foreign af- 1 fairs, are slightly ill and this may 1 result in deferring the announcement 1 of the plans of the new government ' next Thursday, but if an announce- < ment is made it will possibly include reference to the German proposal. ' though this is unlikely, pending re- j< ceipi or the proposal itself thro'ugh ' official channels. 11 Some early expicssions, indicating ' the general drift of sentiment, Vere 1 as follows: ' Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: "We ' want to know more about the terms. 1 for without them the Imperial chan- ^ celor's suggestion of peace is prepos terous and ridiculous. We, too, are ^ conscious of victory and his boastings will be laughed at." The Marquis of Londonderry. | "We have got to win the war. Peace at the present time would be disas- |( trous to the nation and the empire. ( It is only a question of time and wV < vill win out absolutely." Principal Burrows, of Kings Col- 1 lege: "No peace iP possible on the < basis that Germany is victorious." J| Sir Gilbert Parker, after mingling < with his associates in the House ot j \ Commons, said: "This is clearly a 1 political manoeuver, desfgned to ira- ( press the world as a dramatic stroke. 1 but having little serious purpose tod ward securing an enduring peace^ One of the chief essentials of any 1 peace would be such a curbing of , German militarism that a resumption , of the present conflict would be ini \ possible. Without such a guarantee 1 England and France would be com- | pelled as a matter of self-defense -to | retain vast armies and thus continue, the enormous war burdens of thci. present instead of being permitted j to resume peace with the assurance j that they will not again be plunged ( into war." I ? 1 certain to get the nitrate plant. Hit-- * mingham. one (jf the sharpest com- ' petitors of Columbia, Greenville and other places which have been trying 1 to secure one of the farm loan banks,I' will not get the bank, according to ' what is now seen here. It is known > that treasury department officials < told a delegation of Birmingham |1 business men last Saturday that lhov|f might as well go home and devote 1 their time to securing the armor plate plant, inasmuch as Jackson-j1 ville had practically been selected as.' the point among the States of Geor-Igia. South Carolinn and Florida, which will be grouped Into one dis- < trict where one of the banks is to < be located. ' After the Alabantlans got this in- i formation they quickly left Wash- i ington for home, determined. It is ' said, to lose no more time over the " bank question but to busy them l selves over the armor plate proposition. seeing that they had lost on the | bank matter. While no definite decision has beenl] or will be rendered by the farm loan] hoard for several days as to whert? i these bunks are to be located, then-1 is apparently no room to doubt now j that Jacksonville has won out In itsj tiyht over some of the other places) trying to secure a farm loan bank.! It has been recognized from th?, start that it would hardly be possihh for the farm lo^n board to pet, Florida inasmuch as Senator I). IV, Fletcher of that State is one of the influential and powerful members of the senate and has been at work on this matter for not less than five or six yen^s. He was chalrmnn of th" United States commission *>n rural credits which toured Rurope about four yearn npo, seeking information upon which to base the rural credit law, from which was evolved thej farm loan bank Idea. In addition to! this It is hardly probable that anyj one else has Riven as much close study to this matter as Senator| Fletcher. When ho hegnn the move- j ment for the establishment of th<farm loan banks, he fixed it flrmiv in his mind that Jacksonville wcu'd pet one of them, and there is every reason to believe that he has b^er. successful, as will be shown a few days later when the farm loan hoard makes its announcement. \.DY FC United States is to Make M< Washington. Dec. 12.?Germany's proposal for peace is regarded here is having broken the chains which for months have restrained the United States as well as other neutrals from making offers of mediation. Now that one set of belligerents las siginfled its willingness to disiuss peace terms?a condition often reiterated as necessary to any action t>y President Wilson?there are indirations that when the United States, icting as intermediary, transmits the 3erman proposal it may accompany Its action by some steps, necessarily ielicate, to throw the influence of the United States into the balance for at least a consideration, however preliminary, of the terms on which a lasting peace might be brought to th world. Some ranking ofllcials of the American government believe a league of nations, such as President Wilson has suggested, must be the outcome, %nd it could not be perfected without the participation of the United StateB. Whether the United States will transmit the German proposal without any comment whatever or accom* |iany it with some formal or informal expression will not be finally decided until the note delivered to American Tharge Grew in Berlin reaches Prcsi.| dent Wilson's hands, probably tomor-j row. There were indications tonight that President Wilson might lind some way to express the solemn and earnest wish of the United States for a "areful consideration of the suggestion of peace, even before the Kntrnte governments have made known Iheir attitude toward the German proposal. This, however, it was puiiiieu our, necessarily would be lone in such a delicate and ultraconIdential way that it never would be publicly known should the Allies dedine the offer. This course was saio c be absolutely necessary so as to eave the United States free and un nnbarrassed to act when an accepable peace offer comes. Regardless of whether President 1 CVilson decides to accompany the Gernan proposal with any word, it was said tonight he unquestionably *ould take steps to learn the attitude if the Entente Allies toward the peace move and possibly might again send to Europe his personal friend pnd advisor. Col. E. M. House. None of the official dispatches had arrived tonight. The government's first information was conveyed in the Associated Press dispatches from P.erlin. President Wilson was said to be deeply interested, but reserving pomment. Secretary Lansing maintained a similar attitude. The cabinet discussed the development at its tegular Tuesday meeting, but the situation was described by members a? *o obviously delicate that no announcement could be made. The absence of any specific terms Tor peace in the note, or In the German chancellor's speech, was in ;. measure a disappointment to those who expected some concrete expression of a basis on which negotiation's might begin. The German embassy, however, is in possession of -advices which outline in a general way whi< [Jermany expects and the diplomat" of the Entente Powers, through *the means of being supplied with infoi mution. believe thev have n ?retio.-'.i idea of what terms the Central Cow era are willing to advise the basis for discussion. The whole German view of the peace move is that it is a step towards a discussion of peace terms which if it amounts to anything. < ought to show definite progress early ' In January. There is said to be no possibility nf a peace conference being held in j the United States. Berne and The< Hague are mentioned as most likely ; ?nd it is not doubted that Count Von ] Bernstorff. the German ambassador \ here, would go as one of his country's |< representatives. His attitude war ^ 1 expressed tonight In the following i ttatement:' jl "I am. of course, extremely gratl- < led at the step that has been taken, i I hope that it will be successful. 1 Even if It does not lead to peace It iffers proof that Germany wants i jeaca, even after a victorious cam- t i ?R PEA< Now Free ediation Efforts paign, and does not desire the responsibility for further suffering of mankind, loss of life and property. Germany wants peace and does noi desire conquest, I cannot say any thing about the terms." Germany, it is said here, was moved to bring out the peace proposal at this time principally because she had given up hope that President Wilson would make a move. Another controlling factor was the re cent crisis in the Itritfsh government and the reorganization of th^ government there and. in France. The coming of winter and the consequent lull in fighting which would give opportunity for peace overtures before the belligerents prepare for another spring campaign was still another factor. Would Force Showdown. One of the principal objects, however. was to force a "showdown" and draw from the Entente ullies some indication of whether they are dis posed to make peace now or whether they are determined to crush (Jer many and dismember her. Diplomats of the Entente allies 1 ere regard the peace offer as having the double purpose of placing upon the Allies the responsibility for continuing the war. and for impressing upon the German people that they are. fighting a defensive conflict against enemies who refuse quarter. Coming immediately after the culmination of the triumphant Rumanian campaign, the peace offer. En tente diplomats say. is intended also to impress the German people that they need have no lack of confidence in their government to continue the war. The actual procedure in conveying Germany's proposal to her enemies, according to precedent, begins with Charge Grew forwarding the note to Washington. The State department then will forward it to the American ambassador resident in the country to be addressed and he In turn presents it to that government, acting in the interest of Germany and bet allies. One immediate effect of the peace developments upon the United States will he to hold in abeyance practically all the diplomatic issues pending with the warring countries. The new submarine issue with Germany, the protest against deportation of Belgians. the controversy with Great Britain nvcr mail? ami nAtnniopno .. 11 will mark time until it becomes apparent whether they will be solved by the advent of peace. Regardless of how far Germany's proposals may be expected to go toward ending the war. it was regarded as of the greatest significance that for the first time in two and a half years of war one group of belligetenrs had addressed the other on the subject through the channels of diplomacy. In German quarters here it Is be lieved that any sort of an armistice during a discussion of peace plans would be out of the question, because tMs is an economic as well as militr v war. Meantime the Centra. Powers, it iaid. expect all neutrals to encourage peace talk. So far as has been disclosed 110 intimation reached 1he American government forecasting the action of the Central Powers. Today a dispatch sent from Rerlin Sunday night to the German embassy announced the intention of the government to nake public peace proposals "prohblv Tuesday." TMs was taken f.? indicate that the move had been de elded upon Saturday or Sunday and probably after Emperor William'* five hour conference with Gen. Von II in don burg. As the texts of the chancellor's speech, the note to the bellgeronts md the note to the Holy See were published, it became apparent that lhe Germanic allies had not propos ?d specific peace terms, but rather f ad initiated a movement for pe:ic?.. ind it became apparent that the matler resolved itself in effect into an ifficial communication of whit Gen tnan statesmen have said many time* before in public and in the press, that they ?were willing to discuss peace on term- " hich would assurtt lasting peace. I CE PRO Peace Terms Li Be Offer* Washington, Deo. 1^.?Based upon information from their home governments, the Kntente diplomats believe Germany's terms are in general about as follows: | Restoration of Belgium, with the conditions which would practically leave it under German control and probably give over the port of Antwerp to Germany. Restoration of the occupied portions of Northern France, but with r<.Miiuum- vuuiiui, ?mm wouin guarantee to Germany supplies of iron and other raw materials drawn from there. Domination of Mesopotamia by Germany and Austria to give them a path to the Persian Gulf and break England's gateway into India and Egypt. To award to Bulgaria all of Serbia as far south as Nish. which would take from Serbia as much territory a? she gained in the Balkan wars. They expect Germany will demand the return of her African colonies or at least propose to exchange them for the French colonics Turkey's interests . r< considered a minor affair and not fully developed { in consideration of peace. The attitude of the Balkan nations' of the Germanic allies, it was ex plained, will be set forth in the' notes which have been dispatched ;from Sofia and Constantinople and nothing of them is known at the Bal-j kan legations here, except that Bulgaria probably will expect to get Macedonia and Dobrudja, which formerly belonged to her, making the Danube the boundary between Bulgaria and Rumania and shutting the latter from the Black sea. Recent dispatches to th?> German embassy indicate a belief that the general terms might be in substance as follows: fIikIganizing 10 meet the pesi 4 I WORK AT WII.LISTON. First Defense Step Taken at Meeting of Planters There. Barnwell, Dee. 12.?The farmers oi Barnwell county are rapidly awaking to a realization of the devastation that will he wrought when the boll weevil arrives in the cotton fields of this section. In one section at least they anticipated the action of the bol! weevil conference at .Fairfax yesterav and are organizing to combat the pest. As a result of three meetings of the fanners and business men of Williston and vicinity, a permanent organization has been effected, a constitution and by-laws adopted and the following officers elected: Dr. W. Smith, president; F. P. Lee. J. L Shuler, R. E. Woodward and W. P Owens, vice presidents; Tvl. (\ Retchings. stcretary; W. E. Prothro, treats urer. While much concern is felt by the all-cotton farmer, the average man in that progressive section is said to he looking forward With perfect confidence in his ability to meet the situation without great or permanent loss, but they do not propose to sit i idle and await the coming of the wee J vll The most emphasized fact at the W'H'sfon meeting-- was the det.erminclon to have complete co-operation between the farmers and al1 business and working men of the community. As this is a time when every one is thinking of ways and means to economize, the following resolution was unanimously passed at the last meetIre: "Resolved, that the president of this club publish in the county papers a cail for a meeting of representative | taxpayers from every township In j the county to meet at the court house I at 11 o'clock on sales day In January, < lai7. In an efTort to devise wayw | and means to reduce taxation and to < (Main the greatest possible benefit i from county funds." tl POSALS kely to ed by Germany A restoration of the status quo existing before the war. This lncludes the evacuation of Belgium and the restoration of the occupied portions of Northern France with the exception pf Alsace and Lorraine. Noauthorized expression was obtainable from the embassy as to whether conditions would be attached to the restoration of Belgium and FrenCfc territory but it was understood that German idea was to make provision for the future neutrality of Belgium and probably propose defortification, particularly of the city of Antwerp. It was also understood that no conditions amounting to economic con trol of the mineral lands of Northern France would be likely to be asked. All Germany's lost eolonier she experts to he returned. Her possessions in the Pacific, however, are not a subject of great concern add the Berlin government is understood to be ready to relinquish the claim on Kiau Chau. The security of Turkey in possession of Constantinople probably would be insisted upon by the Cen11al Powers, as well as the restoration of Albania. J The establishment of independent kingdoms in Lithuania and Poland would be one of the factors in the German proposal, that part of Poland possess'd by Germany at the outbreak of the war would not be included. What adjustment would be made to cover the Trentino region between. Austria and Italy, or any provisions affecting Egypt, the Suez eana^l* Mesopotamia or the gateways of control to the Indian empire are not: made clear in German quarters lierp. The Balkan situation is considered fla delicate it would have to be untangled in the peace conference. FINDING OF RECEIPT BRINGS HIM MO IS BY It'll 11 Gary Evans Expected to Collect (tl<l Claim Against U. S. Government. Washington. Dec. 12.?An interesting story of ante-bellum days was neveloped here today as the result 01 % a visit to Washington a few days ago of former Governor John Gary Evans; of Spartanburg. Before the Southern Mates seceded. Mr. Evans' father was a captain ir the I'nited States army, according to the way Representative Byrnes related the story today. When tb? South withdrew from the Union, South Carolina among them. Cor. Erans' father was loyal to his section and resigned his commission as'captain in the Federal artjiy. Two or three years ago?almost years after the war had ended?rcongress passed a law proviong pay for officers who were in the regular United States army When the war began and who resigned. Clain\ was made in the interest of ( apt. Evans of Edgefield, but his representatives wore informed by the government officials that his claim was barred because when he turned over the property under hi- control to the United States authorities upon resigning hf?t commission, all the equipment In hisr. care was not there, this lack of equipment amounting to about $1,? 100. For this reason the claim was; not paid. Last Sunday Mr. Evans was looking over some of his father's old papers and came across a receipt from the proper authorities showing that ('apt. Evans had many years agc*> paid the amount charged against him in full and that this discharged the claim standing against him. Col. Evans immediately came to Washington and showed the receipt to government ottieials and several members of the South Carolina delegation in congress, Mr. Bvrnea Among them. As a result of finding this receipt the legal representatives [>f Capt. Evans will probably be paid by the government in accordance with the recent law, the exact unount of this payment not ascertained here yet. A