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' ' ' ' ' : ; ' - 1 - -! V ; ;'jKJV4 Bf v .. . j. .* , . r '. ' V . . ' w V- . < ' .? | Abbeville Press and Banner . - ' % Established 1844. $2.00 the Year. } Abbeville, S. C., Tuesday, Feb'y. 4, 1919. Single Copies, Five Cents 75th Year * .... cMg GOVERNMENT HAS RETURNED VESSELS' | United States Restores to Dutch Ships Taken I Over During War. 1 SEVERAL DESTROYED 1 f BY ACTION OF ENEMY | War Trade Board Announces That ( Bottoms Will Depart for Holland 1 t at Conclusion of Present Voy- ^ ages?Liberal Rates to Be Paid for Use. j > I i Washington, Feb. 2.?Dutdh ships i >. requisitioned by the American gov- j ernment during the war and now op?raied by the shipping board will be ] ' .unconditionally returned to Holland i as rapidly as they can reach Ameri- ; can ports at the conclusion of their < present voyages. This announcement : fo^Av hv the war trade i board, which has reached an agree- i ment on the subject with the ship- 1 ping board. f The Dutch ships were seized in < ? American ports last March 20 by or- i [ der of President Wilson, acting in : I the war emergency. There were 87 1 ; v.'. ?f the vessels with an aggregate of ! 539,000 dead weight tons, but several i - of them were destroyed by enemy ac- 1 : tion or storms while in the service of i ' , the United States. 1 '< Under the agreement reached with -j the Dutch ship owners vessels de- \ stroyed were to be replaced either by j money or by ships at the option of < ?< i j i*i t j mc lyuLCii owners ana uoerai rates j for the use of the vessels were al- s lowed. There was no information, as 1 - to the exact nxunber of the ships that 1 If had been lost or whether payment! would be in money or in American jJ /tonnage. , , ' War Emergency Passed. I v . / The war trade board's announce ment-saidx the release of the craft |t has been decided upon because the jr" war emergency had-passed and be-.] ' , ; cause of the wish of the board to return ships and trade to normal chanjftl ; nels and conditions as quickly as possible. v.-" Return of these vessels will tnark the conclusion of protracted discusand procedure relating to the question, which began soon after the ? - United States entered the war. When ^ ?v j President Wilson issued a proclama- '' tion on July 9, 1917, authorizing an enlbargo on shipments of essential ^ materials to all countries,' many ' , Dutch ships were in American ports and they either had loaded or were ready to load materials against which 1 the embargo was declared. ( i Permission for the vessels to de- ' , part was- denied and soon afterwards Holland wag informed why the Am- 1 ? ?riean government had declared the * t; embargo and ^sked to furnish de- 1 ? tailed information as to her needs 1 for food, fodder an4 raw material. ^ vIa the following October the Nether- 1 lands government sent a commission 1 to the United States to negotiate an 1 agreement l 4 v t - THE WEATHER. , r ( f The South is making up this year ( for its "bad behaviour" of last year j { sad we are having lovely weather, j The jonquils are in bloom and violets j are making the yards fragrant with their sweet odors. j The plumbers have had only one r food chance at the town while last , year it was a continuous perform- ( nee. ' r",vL . t AAVVVVmVVVVVU. . i V THE COTTON MARKET. V V V V Cotton sold on the public V V square on yesterday for 28 V i V cents per pound. New York V S futures were up from 75 to V ^ V- 100 points at 2:30. V r. : >>% ^ >>>>>>>>>> \ "\ I V I * V. WAR COTTON TAX SHOULD BE REPAID / Frank Clark Report* for . Congress Committee?Big Amount Involved, j Five Million Dollars South Carolina's Part of Illegally Collected Fund. Washington, Jan. 31.?Congressman Frank Clark of Florence, from the house committee on war claims, has reported the bill for, the return jf* the war cotton tax illegally collected from the people of the South many years ago, aggregating millions )f dollars. He recommends that this tax, which was wrongly assessed ajainst the cotton growers in aid of the federal government, be returned to them without forther delay. Georgia is due in round numbers $11,000,000, South Carolina $5,000,000, and Florida $1,000,000. Mr. Clark said that measures similar to this have been introduced in ""??? /innoraocna rlriTinrr ffio nnrt KO VWWWW Jf"*"" years and the subject matter has at different times been considered by iommittees but for one reason and another justice has been delayed untilr now. No good reason exists or has ever existed to prevent the passage of a measure of thjs character. Governments should be as scrupulous in dealing with its citizens as it demands one citizen shall be in dealing ivith his fellow man. "This committee is firmly of the opinion that this, money should be returned by the government of the United States to the people who paid these taxes. We believe that any impartial, conscientious man who will take the time to examine the record and'the law must come to the contusion that the four acts of congress mentioned were illegal, unconstitutional and void, and that after a lapse of more than' 50 years surely ;he principal without interest should i>e refunded, all of which is respectFully submitted." i ^ I NO DIVISION OF GERMAN COLONIES, SAYS WILSON ' ' !' President of , United States U*es Plain Language in Supreme Council?Refuses to Countenance Any Policy of Loot Pnrin. Jan. 31.?The rrisis in the jeace negotiations over the disposi;ion to be made of Germany's colones seems to have passed, momen;arily at least. It is too early to say President Wilson's view has prevailed in its jntirety, but in American quarters ;here is confidence that a compronise plan, which has been accepted h principle, will be worked out withj ietails which will be acceptable to; ;he American viewpoint. When the supreme council of the) jeace conference meets today it willj lave before it the very plain state-' nent made by President Wilson at Wednesday's late session. Saparticuar was Mr. Wilson to have an exact ecord of what he had said that soon ifter entering the meeting he sumnoned one of hiB personal stenogra>hers and kept him at his side during disMiRsiniv What he said did not appear in the jfficial communique, nor has it been lisclosed with any official authori;y, but it may be stated that it was i very clear reaffirmation of the jrinciples for which the President lad previously contended. In phrasjs stripped of diplomatic niceties, it s understood Mr. Wilson told the nemoers 01 ine supreme council ne vould not be a party to division ofj aermany's colonial possessions a-i nong the powers which now hold ;hem and become party to a league jf nations which, in effect, would guarantee their title. There are inferences that the President even referred to a peace of "loot". The net result of the past two days of discussion on the colonial question, in ;he opinion of many Americans has jeen to clear the atmosphere generilly and to force a clear definition of tims on all sides. \ CONTROL OF FOOD C GREATLY RELAXED Restrictions on Margins of Profit C Removed?Few Under 'License? '< Cottonseed Products and Eggs Still Subject to Regulations of Administration. Washington, Jan. 31.?Removal of all restrictions on margins of profit c< on foolgtuffs, except! cottonseed pro- is I ducts and eggs and cancellation of n most license requirements on im- It porters and distributors, effective to- e< morrow were announced today by the a: food administration on authority of u a proclamation signed by President tl Wjlson at Paris. | n The following, only, remain under n -license: L Importers and distributors of r< wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley and elevators and warehouses storing nr these grains and rice. 0 o: Importers, manufacturers and dis- si tributors of fresh or canned beef,, u pork or cotton, cotton seed, cotton- a seed products, lard, butter and eggs fi and sugar'. ' a Importers and manufacturers of It Hce, riee flour, wheat flour, and wheat mill feeds, and cold storage g warehouse men. w The margins still allowed are: Re- n tail cold storage and fresh eggs, sev- si en to eight cents a dozen; cotton seed; d lard substitutes at wholesale, one j T and quarter to two cents a pound, | n | on more than 50 pound packages, 8 tl to 10 per cent., on less than fifty ei pound packages, and five to six cents p or 18 to 22 per cent, at retail. 01 Wholesale margins on eggs differ ac- g cording to the number of services $ performed by the wholesaler or job- g ber. - "" | f( In addition to the regulations cancelled by the proclamation, all the re- di maining special regulatidns governing, c< manufacturers and distributers of! m butter were repealed. . cj , 1 In making its announcement the si food administration warned dealers j ti that the provisions of tfte rood control c< act, prohibiting profiteering and un- \v fair practices would be rigidly en- U forced. -a This act by the president virtually qi brings to an end the activities of the tc food administration except for the! continued control of the excepted | commodities which, officials explained,1 is necessary either because of con- ^ tractural obligations of the government or because of determination to maintian stabilized prices. It is predicted by these officials that most pi remaining functions would cease.be- w fore March 1. m e< AMERICANS NOT GOING TO TURKEY F . lb. The United State* Hat Never Been:w - fir _ IIF!?L ' An I ^ at war nun v/uomen. i j( V \ tl Paris, Jan. 31.?Whatever forces! g( may be sent to Turkey for garrison- j jr ing purpose there will" be no Ameri-J can troops among them, it deve!oned g today. It is pointed out that their use ^ for this purpose would be inappro-1 ^ priate, as the United States has nev-i er been at war with Turkey. [ ej The military committee of the su- ^ preme council expects within two g days to report a plan for the allotment among the various nations of the troops to be retained on the wespi tern front. From the data available pi it appears by April 1 there will be fifteen American divisions remaining ^ on the lines, with five divisions ready j for embarkation home. A month la- , ter it is expected this aggregate will ^ be reduced by five divisions, of which ^ ten will be on the lines and five ready . to return. ^ of these ten divisions depends upon . the time of the signing of the general peace treaty. It }s said that as soon as that is done all the Ameriai can troops probably will be with- ^ drawn. ^ ~ fi] DISTINGUISHED VISITOR. si w Mrs. M. W. Pratt, of Lexington, Va., is in the city on a visit to her h< son, Rev. H. Waddell Pratt. Ij HANGE TO COME J 1 IN COAL PRICES . v ' -q v ' ontrol by Fuel Administration j Ceases?Untter Blanket Order? Regulations Pass Out of Existence and Reductions Should Follow Soon. ?? Washington, Jan. 31.?All price jntroi exercised by the fuel admin- i tration over anthracite and bituini- ? ous coal and coke will cease to- c lorrow under a blanket order sign- t i by Fuel : Administrator Garfield j nd made public tonight. Zone reg- i lations aad practically all rules for i ^ __ -a *---1 __ _?n ?? . le aisinDucion 01 jluci as wen ?: lost regulations concerning oil and. atural gas; promulgated under the ever act as war measures, also are! jscinded. Very little work for the fuel adlinistratioii will remain when the rder goes into effect but officials lid it.would continue in operation ntil peace was formally declared nd would'keep a close watch on the a el situation and if the necessity rises, restore any and All the reguitions which are now rescinded. Announcement that regulations overning bitmriinous coal and coke rould be abolished tomorrow was lade some weeks ago and officials nid then that there should .be a rop in price 6f both commodities, he order affectinir anthracite was ( ot announced until tonight and < lere were conflicting views as to its i ffect on prices. Some officials ex- < ected practically no change while i fchers said the price of the lower s rades should drop from 25 cents to i 1 a ton and that certain higher c rades would cost more than hereto>re. ^ Regulations not affected by the or- 8 er include-those requiring that all s jntracts be made subject to maxi-jl turn prices if reinstated and to caii-; s dlations iwwLto requistion.'or diver-1 c on of the coal by the fuel adminis-| \ ation prohibiting reconsignments of f >al and requiring shipments to tide! ater to go through to the tide wa-j t ;r cbal exchange. The last two reg-'t lations were retained at the re-; 1 nest of the railroad administration! r > avoid congestion at seaboard. . i LESTER CANN WOUNDED. . X g eputy Sheriff Shot in Arm and Face . By Negro Saturday Night.. ' I 1 _ h Saturday night Lester Cann, De-, uty Sheriff of Abbeville County,!.3 as shot and badly wounded by a t sgTo named Mark Smith. Smith us-' ^ 1 a shotgun. .Deputy Cann accompanied by Tom ^ inley and John Beauford, who had: ^ sen annointed for this DumoseJ r - r . jJt ent to the home of Smith to search >r liquor. Complaints had come to c le sheriff's office that the negro was ^ slling liquor, and an effort was beig made to catch him. When the officers arrived, "they put t mith, who was at home in charge \ f Mr/ Beauford while Mr. Cann and g r. Pinley made search for liquor ipposed to be stored on the premis- f i. While they-were searching the , egro made his escape- from Mr. t eauford; The officers remained for c vhile, talking to parties who had >peared on the scene for the pur- t :>se of buying liquor as it is sup- F >sed. i 1 While they were still in the house, a 'ark Smith appeared in the dark on y le outside, suddenly shoved the j r >or open and fired on Mr. Cann j t rice. One load from the gun struck,1 $ le left arm, badly shatterii.g itj ^ ist above the elbow, while shots i o om the second barrel struck him s i the 'zee. . c Mr, Cann pulled his pistol and fir1 in the dark at the fleeing negro, id frtm reports which come to the lerifTs office, it seems that three of; c lese shots struck the negro. Two I ngers of one hand are said to be I lot off, and the negro has a flesh c ound in his back. I Smith has not yet been appre- 1 ended, but likely will be very short- i \ . . i 3IG BUILDING PLANS APPROVED FOR NA'N Administration Program Favored House Committee is Unanimou Decision Unless Armament - of Nations is Reduced by Action of Peace Conference. Washington, Jani 31.?The admi stration policy of vast naval expa lion unless world disarmament I :omes a certainty through interr ;ional agreement at Paris was i jroved today by the house naval ct nittee in unanimously recommer ng a new three year building pi pram of ten great battleships a ;en scout cruisers. Four democrats and two Reput :ans were understood to have opp< ;d the program as originally outl: id, but their approval was given 2 *r an amendment was accepted pi riding that work on the new shi I*A muuiu UUi ucglil Uitbli mwi * wwi iry 1, 1920. Administration lead< laid the vote was an indorsement ;he program announced by Secreta Daniels for an American navy si >nd to none,' unless limitations , s mposed on all nations by the pea inference. Should an agreement i mch limitation reached, the t provides that - the president m ttop construction at his discretion. While the program as recommer ;d does not authorize the six bat iruisers and 130 other smaller ere isked for by the department, it explained that it had been decided jostpone construction of these vi iaIA nnfil noiral avnai*! o nnnl/1 voQ ICiO UXi l/ll uavoi W VUUIU tgreement as to their designs-bas >n experience gained in t the war. The agreement of the committ ras reached at a long executive s< lion, after which Chairman Padg< milingly announced that decisi las been unanimous. Mr. Padg( aid the completed naval bill wot :drry a total of $750,000,000, vhich sum $169,000,000 would 'or ship construction. Wor}< of completing the bill for i roduction in the house was expect o be finished by tomorrow when I 3adgett said, he hoped to get t neasure before the house next wee Besides proving for the new buil ng program the bill authorizes f i temporary navai iorce 01 men, exclusive of officers, and carri in amendment by Representative ( ver, of Alabama, directing that m vho inlisted in the navy during t var for the regular term of fo rears shall be regarded as havi: inlisted for the period of the war, hey apply for such change of stat >efore next July 1. After thfe . committee's decision vas learned that the navy genei >oard, headed by Rear Admii Hetcher, is studying the question nilitary characteristics of new shi ilosely, but has not as yet reach lefinite conclusions. ' The one point on which there a >ears to be substantial agreement hat no very radical departure rattleship or battle cruiser design h frown out of the great struggle. T ingagements of heavy craft were t ew to afford any clear-cut lessons, ras said, and the development hese vessels continues to be large in theoretical lines. Th6 last 'American battleships a horized were designed for a 'd ilacemeirt of 43,000 tons, carrying 6-inch guns in, their main batteri md having a speed of 28 knots j tour. The six battle cruisers for t' iavy authorized in 1916 constitu he most radical departure in nav lesign made by any nation, it w leld, because of their great spe> .nd heavy batteries. They were d igned for a speed of 35 "knots and arry eight 16-inch guns. BUYING LAND. Mr. 0. L. McMahan, of the Low lesville section, was here Monda le came down to close a trade wi dr. W. L. Peebles for the purcha ?f a portion of the estate lands 3ud Lee Clinkscales. Mr. McM lan knows the value of real esta n his neighborhood, and 1^ is buyi: t before the advance con*s. JI - MANY PROBLEMS ARE TD BE MET British Parliament Has in- Important Work to Be n- Taken Up. 2? ia" DOMESTIC'TROUBLES IP" DEMAND ATTENTION >m id- r0. Lloyd George, Master of "Personal .j House." Faced With Urgent Cla liU - w mor of Workmen for "Better ,]}_ Life"?Bolshevism Feared 5g_ Among People. in-' ' . ; x if- London, Feb. 2.?No British parro liament in a century, except the parips liament of Premier Asquith, which . 'j ru had on its shoulders the heavy re;rs sponsibility of. deciding, whether or of not Great Britain would enter the ,ry European war, ever met with more sc- important work to be dealt with than ire the house of commons of Premier ice Lloyd George will find when it holds ' tor its first rheeting on Tuesday. All the problems of the new house ay may be summarized in the one word ?reconstruction. l<*" This is peculiarly a one man and a -. hi* ' . . .. ! personal house, since its ruling: power ift ' is not a political party but a coalias tion group whose members represent X widely different schools and which f; depends for ita guidance upon the personal leadership of the premier e(* rather than the putting into effect of any party platform. e6! Premier Lloyd George is in Paris ^ 2S"l and he must stay there. No one ex* pects him to leave the peace conferonience. He has the double burden of : 0 directing Great Britain's destinies in : ^ foreign and imperial affairs and in >;.? ?* keeping a hand on the domestic poH be fie, cies. Leadership in the two houses of in~ parliament therefore for the time e (being will fall upon Earl.Curzon and Andrew Bonar Law, both of whom he are Conservatives and'before the war ' ' stood for almost everything that was ^"(opposed to Lloyd George and hia ' 0 j present program. That seems to" w mean that parliament will mark time ' -j es until the prime minister can return , "J and take charge in person. Reconstruction Problems. i Meanwhile the problems of domes- ' . nr .. j I tic reconstruction are nor marking time and refuse to wait even until if I the more urgent business of world USi reconstruction has been settled in I Paris. Manv people predicted that f / theie would be labor troubles in the rsl ( United Kingdom, after war, but very I few if any, foresaw that they wotild | be thrust upon the country so quick* | ly and so sharply. I ^PVia TiTArl/in/tloaooo a?i/3 fVia nlom | xuc rrviniiig viaoo i>o ouu uut yuim people were told that after the war there would be "a better life" for the ,1S masses. Apparently they expect and in ] demand that "better life". sooner ^ than the government is prepared to 8 take in hand the business of con?.? structing the new era. There, are as many explanation? of for the present industrial unrest as ly there are points of view. Some say that the working men are uneasy and ,U~ restless and that the strikes are ^ j merely a sort of holiday effervescence . i and are not to be taken as serious 0 3' \ symptoms of any labor policies. Another and extreme point of view is Q01 j that the British people are infected ' by the general world movement, a | which is roughly described as BolAS shevism, and that the foundations of ! society are threatened. le- _ , to i here from hartsville. < Mrs. R. E. Caldwell came up from Hartsville Saturday and will spend 11" two weeks with her sister, Mrs. Wm. M. Barnwell. Her friends are alway* ^jglad to have'her come back, se of T. L. Clamp was here on Saturday 'a-1 looking after business matters. H? ite; is one of the farmers of the county ng; who lives at home. Things about I him are prosperous looking. I