Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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HOOVER TALKS OF FOOD COVfKOJ. i'KOBLEU xmerica Has Enough for Itself Bat Must be Prepared to GiYe Aid to Europe. New York, May 10.?Herbert C. Hoover, who recently came from Eu rope to advise the government on food conditions in Europe, says that "without control we may see flour at $20 a barrel before the year is over," but that with control "the present -jrrice of flour can be reduced 40 to 50 per cent, and at the same time the' producer be treated in a liberal man-j aser.1' J Mr. Hoover thus outlined food con editions in a statement to the Asso-i niiated Pres9 today: "There is absolutely no occasion lor food panic in this country nor any. justification for outrageous prices un-i less the opposition of special interests j * ?a iV. ? f ? r> nV\foim'r> <r fhA UtJJLtJ<tLS cut; Jji caiucm m . necessary powers to control the na-: iion's food fully and adequately.! America's problem is not one of fam- j ine, for we have now and will have' next year a large surplus. Our prob-j -- r\f jflll IS itlLVi Uic jJivyci yi UI.VVWUU our own people to give to our allies j the last ounce of surplus of which we; are capable. { "Therefore pie nation needs a food1 control for two purposes: To regu-j late prices and to increase the sur-; plus. After providing for our normal' consumption we will have together j with Canada a surplus for our allies equal to only 60 per cent, of the food they require lrom us.. If we take -broad measures of control we can with as little disturbance to economic1 machinery as need be furnish them; an additional 20 per cent. 3Tnst Prevent Speculation. "Their loaf even then will be a: privation loaf and every onnce we can put in it will diminish their privation. The problem is capable of solution. "2f, however, the whole world, allied DATDIftTI i miuvu % I have just cooies of Pal I also have Pati and don't forget t Zinnia, Coleus ar A& y r> I maJes ? The House of a 1 Velvet Beans V MUM T A bushel of Velv worth as much in fee as one and one third The yield is from as much as corn. There is very lit Velvet Beans, and wit more suctt crops snou Velvet Beans as equal. It has a deep ting the soil 2 or 3 1 puts an amount of fr< air in the soil worth f If the farmers ol will plant these beans do so, we will put in them into feed, pod a We still have j these beans for sale. Farmers J. H. WIC1 and neutral, is to have the unrestrict ed run of our markets in competition with each other and in competition : with. the speculator in this country, we may expect to see $5 wheat befor* j the year is over. "Large measures of food control do not mean arbitrary interference w*th the necessary econuum; uauumu; trade. They m<?an that every branch be called in by the government andj forge themselves Into a link from1 which the comtemplated chain will1 protect producer, legitimate dlstrib-i utor and consumer. "For instance, I am assured that! the American farmer did not realist $1.30 per bushel for the 1916 wheat; nr1ne> nf wheat in' XI V CdCf J V/W VliV/ .. ? _ , New York today, is $3.25 per bushel and flour is $14 per barrel, with all its attendant hardship and dislocation j of social and industrial life. I "I have no hesitation in saying that j if the able, patriotic men represent ing the majority of each branch of the food trades were called in and clothed with the necessary powers to force the small minority of' skunks +v,of avfaf in pvp.rv trade, one result would be that an equally nutritious j flour based on even $1.50 wheat1 could be sold in New York for a! good deal under $8 per barrel and; every trade would receive its legiti-! 1 mate profit. Without control we may : see $20 flour before the year is out ' and a total dislocation of wages and consequent dislocation of industry and living. 1 Care for Producer. "On the other hand, if we over-' come the submarine and if we .open other markets to our allies we may1 - - - - * * ? J a . ! see wheat at ?1 a Dusnei ana mmr uu- j der $6. In any event, with sufficient j control, the present price of ffour can be reduced by 40 per cent, to 50 per cent, and at the same time the pro ducer treated in liberal manner. "Without any form of control we tn apt* an even worse situa-| die linvij tion than the high prices prevailing c received 150 triotic Music. riotic Box Paper, he Ferns, Palms, ?/$ Salvia Plants. >ok Store V linusand ThinffS I. i i is a alii ski# frnn IUIIIIII1V vi vj# et Beans in pod is ding value to stock bushels of corn. . two to three times tie work in raising li farm labor scarce Id be planted. soil builder has no root system penetra Feet, and each year 5e nitrogen iruii/ lu^ rom $10 to $40. 1 ? Newberry County i so it will pay us to machinery to grind all ibout 50 bushels of Oil Mill CER, Mgr. resulting from the unrestrained draii on our wheat abroad. It is possibli that the last three months of nex year may be bare of breadstuffs ii this country. "Food control does not mean brea< cards to the American people. I means the broad conservation of ou] food, the better handling by elimina tion of waste and speculation. Witt proper control for America the gov ernment would ask only one thini from the individual consumer?thai he eat plenty but wisely and wast* nothing, and if democracy is a faitt worth defending, our people will dc this service voluntarily and willingly "Hoarding and speculation are rife yet there can be no particle of a doubl that we have today in North America a surplus of from 50,000.000 to 70, 000.000 bushels of wheat beyond oui ordinary consumption ana oeyonu uit needs of our allies before the nexl harvest comes in. Out of the nexl harvest, with no economy in consump tion, in North America even with the los3 on winter wheat we can give oui allies 400.000.000 bushels of cereali of one kind or another. "Wide Powers 'Necessary. "But to protect our consumers frorc today and to legitimately expand oui exports to our allies without breaking ? /%? ? ~n-n nopMsarv frwirt thrt trov eminent must have widest and abso lute immediate powers. Time i3 thf essence of the matter. No Europear government except Germany was abl( to secure these power until aftei some prreat disaster was irrevocable and we sit here dumbly waiting foi disaster; then we shall scream and criticise the government for not hav ing _ done something that they an powerless to do. "T.here has been a great deal o: discussion in the press as to my com ing to America to take the positioi of food dictator or food controller This is not the case. I came to 'Wash ington from Europe at the request o the governmest to advise them as t( the organization necessary to set ui for proper and efficient rooa control "Legislation already has been in troduced into congress looking towa/c the creation of food control. The de tail of means and measures must b( evolved from our own commerSial in stitutions with the experience of th< vast European laboratory of food con trol problems as a guard against re peating errors. No one would b< willing to take the position as head 01 Buch a department for food control il It is based absolutely upon restrf/.tor and control of diverse interests and is subjeot to a daily harvest of opposi tion. "t do nrtf want the nosition and 1 feel there are many others who could handle its concrete problems better than I, and I will have done my ser vice In advice better than in execu tion. "My only desire is to see the propel instrumentality set up to meet this, ane of our greatest emergencies, and i man of courage, resource and expe rience as its head who is willing tc aacriflce himself on the altar of the Inarticulate masses whom he musi protect Such a,-man can be sure that L Will pifcUJtJ my <vu vivo ***? um posal." M>re About Bryan. Orangeburg Times & Democrat It is time now for .Mr. Bryan tc produce his million men in arms.? Anderson Mail. He produced one of them. That's more than many of his retractors have done.?Greenville Piedmont. Then you spoke a <parahle. Tht loud talkers and critics of those whi were not in favor of war are not rushing to the colors so very rapidly ?V?wfhArrv Wprald and News. If Mr. Bryan and others who did not agitate in favor of war can rec ognize the obligation to stand by the national government, what reasoi can any man who believes the war i? necessary for democracy and th< peace of the world have for "slack ing ?" Yet, we know some very loua mouthed proclaimers for war, wni 1 "? a V? tVia U7'Ji QHY6I1 I iUl UOU a uauu wav ??? ? has come. Regarding Bryan's attitude th< following news article in The Ne^ York Times Tuesday is illuminating, President Wilson received Willian Jennings Bryan at the White Houst Monday morning. "I called upon the president," Mr Bryan said, "to pay my respects anc confirm my telegram sent him tb.< day a state of war was declared t( exist. I do not care to discuss anj question before congress. Wbateve: the government does is right, and ! shall support it to the uttermonts. ! x?3? ,x ^ ~ 4-Vknt na/vnh UUte 11 lur gmuicu luai IUO will unitedly support ai>y action tak en by the government. In war tlm< the president speaks for the whol< oountry and there should be no div ision or dissention. "I have a number of speaking dates made before this situation arose They can be cancelled at any tim< my services are needed by the gov ernment. These meetings give me ai opportunity of laying before the au diences I address the part citizen! can piay in support or the govern ment. I am collecting now fron government sources such informatioi as they desire to spread and shall usi it. >both in speeches and in my pa per/' Mr. Bryan said he indorsed an: plan to prohibit the use of grain foi making liquor during the war. "1 am in hearty sympathy," h( said, "with the effort to conserve th< food supply hut not allowing th< bread to be shortened in supply ii order to lengthen' the supply of alca hr\t T+ fa nrvf ttJsp tn atarVfi the DftO pie in order to make theu drunk." Regarding hie offer to become i private In the army, Mr. Bryan sale he made it because he believed thai In that capacity he "would be w!tt the largest body of citizens. THE FTRRAT.T) AND NEWS ONfi 1 FOOD CONTROL PLANS f 2 3LLRE MORE PROGRESS t| i Washington, May 11.?A food col- i | trol bill approved by the administra 1 l?UJLL auu ^VJJLLl?LXJai.Ll? i^aiu; c?o w. t the agriculture department measur3 P pending in the house was introduced _ in the senate today by Senator Gore, i! chairman of the agriculture commit _ tee. An effort will be made to bring , it to the senate floor. [, The bill contains most of the pro ; posals fought, according to Carl [ Vrooman, assistant secretary of agn > culture, by a powerful lobby of wealthy food gamblers. It calls for h *1 J5 J v.. lU. A n iuuu survey uy Liit; agnuunui<xi ucr partment and would give the depart ment power to license the manufac ture, 6torage and distribution of food. One provision would legalize the mixture of ,wlieat and other ce reals in the making of flour 2nd would fix food standards. [! Mr. Vrooman in a formal statement ? tonight declared unpatriotic interests ! were trying to defeat the food bill. ,| An outraged public sentiment, he i said, would condemn them tor their I efforts. | Secretary iVrooman's statement 1 t said: I J? IV. - o "r\ever in me mmui'jr ui i_ue wuiw > have business men shown as much j patriotism and unselfishness as have been manifested since the war began * by the business men o America. An 1 overwhelming majority of them have 5 been as ready to place their business organizations and their personal ser-| * vices and their wealth at the disposal of the federal government in this 1 crisis as the young men have been " to do the actual fighting. _____ J j "However, this attitude has aut, been universal. There are food spec-i f ulators, food cornerers and food gam-; " biers, some of them men of immense 1 wealth and others of very small i means, who are today taking advan-j " tage of war conditions to exploit their1 f fellow citizens to the full extent of } their ability. These men are allies j * - " ' 1 1 - - ""J rl/vinar r 11T 01 KilibCX di-lU *%i v uviubuwu m.* most to defeat the patriotic purposes of the nation. Wherever they art? seen, in high places or in low, they should be condemned and made to feel the loathing and contempt of every patriotic American. These men will be taken care of in due time by national, State and municipal legls ,in?n cnMi loCT-fRiatinn can *( I EL L1UU y UUl UUUAA 0VAW.U i be enacted the only effective power C that can be brought against them Is f the power of an outraged public sea-; i, timent and that should be used rig*! i orously and mercilessly. j "I am told that some of these men I are actually in Washington today con- j r ducting a lobby against the request of President Wilson that cosgress em power him and his cabinet to take I the necessary means to mobilize the ; agricultural resources of this nation. j for victory. They are urging ever/ j , j specious, theoretical and imaginary < 1 argument against the granting of war i J powers to the president and his cabi-, net. and they are at present directing ( their principal attack against the laws j i which have been introduced by the' . agricultural committee of the house ! with a view to putting the department ; of agriculture on a war basis. That , step should have been taken several ***' * ,n - ? ? U/vP/M?A WAT1 _ weeks ago. ine chub uvw pre** have been demonstrated to be absolutely essential war powers. "The unpatriotic and disloyal lobby that is trying to defeat the determina tion of congress and of the people of I this country to put the agricultural resources of the nation on an efficien cy basis in this crisis should be made j to feel the condemnation of every re<*l American.'' The house agriculture commute* *<*ard a number of food experts dur ing the day among them Kirby C. White of Detroit, president of the American Seed association, who ad vocated power for the government to take over and sell the country's seed supply. John A. McSparran of Penn sylvania, representing the National Oranee. asked that no new agency be created to deal with the food sup ply but urged that congress take what ever action is necessary and not dole gate power to some one else. A commission to deal with the situ ation was the suggestion of Joseph Cullinan, representing tLe Texas ln Hjiotriol nnrifrrPR<? Edwin C. Dinwid V/v*-?j _ i die, representing temperance organi-' 1 zations, urged national prohibition to J conserve the grain supply, j Secretary Redfield said in a state-j . ment today supporting the food bills i that there was no economic reason for 3 present high food prices and that the 5 government wouiu n<x?c to j, to prevent furtherrises. I; WILSON CONSIDERS [I SUPPLY SITUATION i! J J G-oes Over Whole Matter With Lead ,! ers, Urging Quick Passage of Meas 5'j ures Now in Sight to End That Be . i sources May Be Best Applied i i J Washington. May 10.?Suggestions " ' ? ? V? mo A A that HerDert <J. .tioover mn.y wj mauo j American food controller were given I! weight today by definite indications j that the administration plans creation , of an emergency food organization to 3 direct food distribution during the - i waii ' T>_^?j ^ 4. ttt-51 a/-vri n.-on f nVPT the ' J I r 1 Cdl'iCUI. YY liouu n vui, ? . ? J food situation at a conference with; 3! Secretary Houston, Chairman Lever of the house agriculture committee j and Representative Haughen of Iowa, 7 a Republican member of the commit f tee. He urged immediate passage of ' i the administration's food bills, one of s: which would empower the president J through some government agency to J take drasti9 measures to deal with the 11 food problem. ! i t> nrahable that the pres j ident will appoint one man to bo dl-j j rectly responsible for carrying out t! emergency provisions of the legisla-1 .; tion that is sought. He would sur . round hilself with the heat men t! available from producing and dis- j i tributing circles to serre aa advisers, j I some of them perhaps without pay. | ' The emergency organization would, fce formed to last only throughout the j gested by Mr. Hoover after a study of similar. organizations in the allied countries. It id probable that slight changes may be made in the bills now before j congress to transfer to the president! some of the powers they vest in the j "J *1 r*> txr\ t ^r\ TV* i* - ' agi iv/unuiai w/* v-w ment of regulations through the emergency agency. The senate agricultural subcommit tee agreed today on provisions of a food control hill to be introduced to morrow by Senator Gore. It is similar in most respects to the first of the food administration bills offered in the house by Mr. Lever and would make immediately available an ap propriation for a food survey. It also carries cut; irjusc uni iuoacui^ w stimulate production "by giving the secretary of agriculture yower to see that seeds are distributed more oven-! ly and more promptly. Hoarding for tho wimnsf. nf maniDuIatine the mar ket would be made unlawful, as would combination to control food resources. Secretary Houston in a statement today declared early passage of the! bills essential to successful conduct of the war. "Until the hills are passed we can not coordinate our efforts properly with our allies," he said. Power for the president to give food shipments preference over other commodities probably will be asked in a separate resolution instead of in corporating it in the present bills, j Congress will be asked to hurry: consideration of the bill giving the government direction of exports,1 as administration officials feel this i's one of the most necessary of the govern ment measures. DO-VT HTZ/JLE WATCH DOG! IMtt'T GAG PCJBLIC PRESS By GoBTeneur Morris, (The Celebrated Writer.) Washington, May 11?The curb on free speech made Russia what she was; Germany what she is. If Lord Northcftce haa not aeueu uit> Ejustisu censorship. the British empire aria the French republic might at this moment be memories. Our enemies could receive no greater aid and com fort than, the news that the shutters of the president's house had been closed, that the blinds of the depart ments had been pulled down, and that the faithful and deserving old watch dog, the press of the United States, had Keen muzzled so that he could not bite, and gagged so that be could'not even growl. The times are thick with those dis asters wMch are the offspring of se crecy. If it were not for secrecy the king dom of Greece would be a republic. If it were not for secrecy the allied nihanr^llories could by no means hare 50 massacred in the Balkans the ln-; tereets of the countries which they represented. If it were not for secrecy the Eng-! lish ordnance would not hare been served with shrapnel when almost the fate of civilization hinged upon high explosives. j If it were not for secrecy the Ger-' man empire could never have deserv prf the execration of mankind. If it were not for secrecy the Unit ed States would have entered this war in time to make the issue cer-. tain. | If it were not for secrecy there would never have been any war at all, j Up to the declaration of war there was 100 mucu set! ciuM ui v.. ?. - ? conduct of affairs. But stop and think to what an important and un-j American state public opinion might have been led by a censorship as com-' plete and rigorous as that which our own government now demands the power to exercise. tvVe might have been led to believe that: The American women raped in Mex-) veer* mere street walkers, plying their trade; The men murdered committed sui cide; The babies succumbed to infantile Tiaralvsis: the sniped seamen in Vera Cruz to typhoid; The Lusitania rail upon a rock. j Of lesser things we might never t?ve heard at all. ve now find ourselves glori-' ously ranged in the ranks of civil!-! -oH/it, ia hpoaiifle as individuals we; have weighed the evidence and so willed. A malignant ruler with com plete power over the press could have made us believe that William of Ger many was a Christain martyr, and Papa Joffre a Turkish assassin. " When a free people gives with one vanH its rieht to free speech, -with the other it strikes liberty a death blow. Suppose that Mr. Taft had worked upon our imaginations until we had presented him with this pre cious privilege of ours. Suppose,! then that in 1912 we had elected to the presidency not Woodrow Wilson, Hnt some eminent j>ro-German in whose breast the real allegiance was not to that country to which his for bears had fled from persecution, but to the country from which they had fled. The knowledge that the truth is be-; ing withheld from the American peo-; pie will give far greater aid and com-i fort to our enemy than any informa-j tion purveyed by an over-zealous re-j porter and passed by a nodding edi-1 tor. - - _ _ i For then he will know that ne can slip by the people's watch dog, the ' press, and among the credulous ois-j seminate his ruinous and cankering, lies. 1 A judgment based upon rumors is not worth the breath with which it is j spoken. Is the voice of the American j Deople which in every momentous; finality has hpoken justly and for jus- J tice to become a mere sound, signi-i fying nothing? That -fust what it will become' the moment tbe American people let any group of indiriduals put a muz GOTCRNOirs ooxfidestiax FBIEXDS' DRAFT COUNCIL Outline of Plan for South Carol!** for Carrying Into Effect Selective Army Bill, Upon Presidents Proc lnmHnn Columbia, May 11.?The plans for carrying into .effect the selective army bill in this Stale were formulated at a meeting held in the supreme court room in this city, upon call of Gov nor Manning, on Monday night, April 30, which waB attended by "tha Anfi rl nn t i'o ' friofl^S > 71 ftfl. risers in the various countries," ac cording to information given by one who was in close touch with the sit uation. The chairman of each coun ty commission which the governor had in mind for appointment was wir ed to come to Columbia for the con ference, and most of them were pres ent. It is expected that immediately upon affixing his signature to the bill Presi dent Wilson will issue a proclamatioa fixing a date upon which the enroll ment will take place, and generally putting the provisions of the law into effect. Under this proclamation, proc lamations will be issued by the gover nors of the several States. The outline of the plan for South Carolina is contained in the following instructions, which have been made public by Mr. price, chairman of the York county conscritpion commis sion: 1. "A cunty commission," etc. (These commissions were announced in the newspapers this morning). "2. The chairman will have the right to appoint one clerical aide to do the writing, and he will be entitled to a nominal pay to be fixed by the gor ernor of the War Department No ona else will receive any. pay . "3. One or more of the State and federal election managers at eac& precinct are to be named by tie county commission to enroll the men of- military age at each precinct on the day fixed. ' "4. Blank cards for enrollment will be sent by the War Department at once to the cleric of court. (This has been done.) The chairman is re quested to call the commission to gether and explain the carde. The clerk will fill out eacn cara witn me name, age, occupation, etc., of all men of military age who are now on the Democratic club rolls or on the regis tration books. "5. On the day of .enrollment the*e tarda must be sent to the respective precincts to the election managers to be signed by the men of military age. AH men of military age must sign a card and present themselves for that purpose. The enrollment will take niace about a' week or ten days after the .president's proclamation. "6. All election managers and the county commission are federal officials for this purpose, are under military duty to serve, are drafted themselves for this business, are not to be' ex- " cused, and are expected to respond patrivixcauy <uiu piuuiyu; ouu ?mw tively. "7. The negroes are to be enrolled alpo. "8. The county commission mast classify the men when enrolled, i* groups, such as married men, farm ers, etc.,. as set forth in the proclama tion. "9. The drafting of the military men , Rill take place in charge of the county commission as soon as the e? rollment is completed under the presi rifi-nt'fl proclamation.^ In cities of over 30.000 inhabitants the original bill provided that the may or or other officials designated by tbe government therein, shall, witi fmnroval of the governor, appoint sub-boards, and shall designate one ' officer of each, board to perform du ties similar to those imposed on the sheriff In the various counties, lm appointing the South Carolina boards, however, Governor Manning passed the sheriffs by, appointing a chairman of his own selection, for eaqh coun ty, to serve with the county clerk of court and the probate Judge. The city conscription board for Columbia was appointed by the gover nor today as follows: Mayor 1*. a. Griffith, Robert Moorman, W. S. Nel son. The Charleston city board ba? not yet been named. Recruiting of the various units of the Second regiment, South Carolina infantry, is being pushed vigorously. The regiment lacks between 400 and 500 men of being up to the require maximum peace strength. The offi cers are urging the young men enlist before the draft is put into o rv>] Hnlm?s B. S;>ringa commanding, of Georgetown, was Columbia yesterday ^ftsrnoon a>4 held a oonferencae with the gover nor and with the adjutant general. Two additional companies of e? L^neers are now in'process of organi zation, and it is expected that soiae additional cavalry units for Soutk Carolina will be authorized. Tfct -1 >r- 1 State will have regiments ana Bat talions, and something like 8.000 mea additional men In the fir8t army of baLf a million to be raised, but it will have no brigade, because. Got. Manning has decreed otherwise. Lieut. William C. McGowan of Co lumbia. has resigned as first lieuten ant in the machine gun company, sec ond regiment. South Carolina infan try, and his resignation was accepted today. Lieut. McGowan will probab ly go with the regular army. In regard to tne invitations vj British and French war commissions to include Charleston, Columbia ani Augusta in their itinerary, Governor Manning today received the following telegram from Secretary of State Lansing: "Your telegrm 9th. Fear it will be impossible for French commission t? visit Sooth. It is not known yet whether British commission able to undertake such a trip, invitation will receive careful