University of South Carolina Libraries
-------.. . . . . . . . . -. V6L xxxvi. MANNING, S. C., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1916 N.5 GERMANY WANTS INSTANT I OF ALL Meeting of Delegates in Neutral Place Best Plan. PROMPT REPLY TO PRESIDENT'S NOTE IS GIVEN Washington Reserve Comment Until Official Text is Had. Berlin, Dec. 26.-Germany and her allies, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey, today replied to the note of President Wilson in which he asked the belligerent nations to state the aims for which they were fighting. The propopal is made by the Cen tral powers that a conference of dele gates of all the belligerents be held immediately in a neutral city. The task of preventing future wars, the official statement says, can be be gun only after the end of the present struggle. The answer, which also contains the reply of Austro-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey, says: "The high-minded sugestion made by the President of the United States of America in order to create a basis for lasting peace has been received and considered by the imperial gov ernment in the friendly spirit which was expressed in the President's com munication. "The President points out that which he has at heart and leaves open the choice of road. "To the imperial government an ex change of views seems the most ap propriate road to reach desired re sults. "We therefore suggest an immedi ate meeting of delegates of the bellig erent states at a neutral place. "The imperial government is also of the opinion that the great work of preventing future wars can be begun only after the end of the present struggle of the nations. "It will, when this moment shall have come, be ready with pleasure to collaborate entirely with the United States in this exalted task." The answer of the Central powers conck. des with the usual diplomatic terms' of politeness. Washington Surprised. Washington, Dec. 26-Officials here are surprised that Germany's answer to President Wilson's 1peace note was given out in Berlin before it reached this country in official form. They pointed out that in sending his note, President Wilson allowed two (lays between the time of its dispatch and making it public that it might first reach the German government. RAILROAD NET EARNINGS ARE OVER A BILLION Washington, Dec. 25.-The net earnings of the railroads of the Unit ed States for the year 1916, will amount to more than a billion dollars undler present condlitions, accordling to reports to the interstate commerce e. ornmission. The comission has complete re ports on the earnings and expenses of the railroads for the first nine months of the year, andl they showv a phenomenal gain in the business and earnings of the carriers for that pe riodl. With the railroads continuing their record-breaking business until the endl of the year they wvill show net earnings of about a thousand mil lions. The monthly reports submitted to the commission by the roadls, indi cate that the increasedl net earnings, which amount to the neighborhood of a hundred million a month, have in creased for two reasons. First, the tremendous increase in trafme (due to the export business in cident to the European war has 'in creased the gross revenues, and sec ond, the roads have generally reduced the ratio of operating expenses to gross income. As a result the net income has grown by leaps and boundls. Trhe general increase began shortly ..after the railroads were granted in-. creasedl freight rates in the five per cent rate case, the Westein rate cases and various related applications for higher rates, which covered practical ly the whole country. Immediately: after these rates were advanced the monthly reports show that the ope rating expenses took a drop and the gross' income increated. The operat ing expenses continuedl low right up PEACE COUNCIL THE BELLIGERENT NATIONS In the absence of an official -reply formal comment was withheld at the White House and State Department. The direct conference of delegates at a neutral-place was regarded as a fur ther step in Germany's proposal, al though officials considered it as hav ing been definitely forecast in the first proffer. Such a formal offer has repeatedly been mentioned in author ized. statements at the Germany em bassy here, where the opinion has been freely expressed that if dele gates could once be gathered around the table for discussing peace the re sult surely would be an arrangement of peace terms. Difference of View. The Berlin dispatch containing the German reply was read by President Wilson and Secretary Lansing with the greatest interest. Some officials who compared the reply with Presi dent Wilson's note professed to see some conflict between the German statement that the work of securing the future peace of the world should be delayed until the end of the pres ent struggle, while others were of the opinion that it was not entirely out of harmony. President Wilson's purpose has re peatedly been expressed as making for the prevention of future wars as a part of the settlement of the pres ent conflict but admittedly that is a subject broad enough to allow some variation when it conies to final con sideration. Count von Bernstorff had gone to New York and so fa. as could be learned, the German embassy's only information was in the Associated Press dispatches. The unofficial text of Germany's re ply did not get before the cabinet be cause the Tuesday meeting was sud denly abandoned a few minutes before the secretaries were due at the White House. Stock Market Rises. New York, Dec. 26.-Publication of the latest German proposals was fol lowed by a moderate increase in ac tivity of the stock market today with a gradual rise in prices. The market had previously been extremely (lull and immediately preceding the publi cation of the German communication prices of important stocks were mid way between the high and low of the forenoon. The rise that followed appeared to be due to short covering more than anything else. United States Steel ad vanced 2 3-4 points from the low quo tation of the morning. again. The final calculation of the inter state commerce commision as to the earnings of the roads for the year 1916, which will be completed early next year, are expected to show an unprecedented total. There is no doubt that the commission's findings will be generally used in an effort to influence proposedI national rail road legislation, nor that it will ma terially effect the wage controversy between the railroads and their ope rating employes. Railroad officials, say, however, that the condlitions growing < t of the European war have indluced an ab normal increase in business and that it would be unfair to base future cal culations on the diguren, for theQ cur reint year. MALIIURN MIAY RESIGN. Washington, D~ec. 26.-W~illiam P. Malburn, of D~enver, Colo., assistant secretary of the treasury, adlmitted tonight a probability that he will re tire to private life, Hie stated, how ever, that his plans had not taken dlefinite shape, and that his c'ontemi plated resignation may not be pre' sentedl. lie deniedl friction in the deC partment. Andrew J. Peters, assist ant secretary of the treasury in charge of customs, dleniedl reports that he contemplated resigning. -----o - EXPLOSION 1KILLS ONE. Dethlehem, Pa., D~ec. 26.-A gas ex plbosion that dlestroyedl the Thiessing and Chawkey gas scrubbing house at the Bethlehem Steel company todany temporarily put many dlepartments of the Lehigh plar.t out of business, not ably the blast furnaces andl news mer chant mills. The explosion is saidl to have been dlue to the sudd~en cutting off of the water supply to the gas plant through the breaking of a main line water ninpe ' . .3. [NTIRE FAMILY IS MURDER[D Mother and Father Slain; Son Found Mortally Wounded Still Holding Baby. -XMAS GIFTS ON THE TABLE Robbery Supposed to Have Been Motive of Tragedy. One Son Escapes. Minden, La., Dec. 25.-After an all day search through isolated sections of Webster parish, members of a posse formed this morning to search for the murderers of John N. Reeves, his wife and young child, tonight ar rived here with three heavily man acled negroes. The prisoners were placed in separate cells in the parish jail here and a special armed guard of deputies was stationed about the building to prevent threatened mob violence. Possemen answered no ques tions and no one was allowed to ap proach within 100 yards of the jail. First reports of the tragedy were received early today at a farm house near the Reeves home. A seven-year old boy partly dressed rushed into the farm house at dawn and said: "All of the Reeves family are killed." Other neighbors ere summoned, and when the party entered the Reeves home they found Reeves dead in bed, his head crushed and deep wounds, apparently inflicted ith an axe, cov ering his body. Lying before the fireplace in another room was the eleven-year-old boy, unconscious, his skull fractured and his les and arms slashed. Still clutched in the arms of the older boy was his fifteen months-old brother, badly cut and bruised. In a third room, rapped in a blood-soaked blanket, was the five year-old boy. He a!so was cut and bruised. Christmas Gifts. Neatly arranged on a pine board table were the simple Christmas pres ents which, before retiring, the par ents evidently had placed here to sur prise the children in the morning. After searching the rooms of the house the party went to the rear yard and found Mrs. Reeves with a bullet hole in her head and her body horri bly mutilated. The three wounded children were taken to a hospital in Shreveport, the eldest (lying shortly after his arrival there. Reports received here from Shreveport toniht were that the two other children had little chance for recovery. The seven-year-old bo', the only one in the house to escape, was sleeping in the loft and arose to light the fire at dawn when he made the discovery that sent him running to the nearest house. Tracks Around House. Tracks around the house indicated there were at least two murderers. It was believed Mr. and Mrs. Reeves were killed while asleep. The Reeves' had lived in this par ish only a few years. Reeves was a native of Houston County, Texas. The house ocupied by the Reeves family is located about n ine miles from M indlen in a fairly popuilous neighborhood. Reeves, according to several of his neighbors, did not believe in banks andl it was said had openly boasted he kept $4,000 locked in a tool chest in his house and was "prepa redl to de fend it with hot lead.'" The tool chest with the lock broken off was found later in a room which the boy, wvho gave out the first news of the crime, saidl was not the place where it customarily was kept Reeves, his neighbors sa'd, had no regular occup~ation but. was known as a successful gambler. KIILS HROTHF R IN F"AMIILY QU'ARRIEL Florence, D~ec. 26.-C(. WNilbur D an iels was shot and killed bhy his broth er, A nderson D~aniels, at H annah, in he lower part of the county Sunday night. Before his dleath WVilbur made and signed a statement exonerating his brother, saying that he had pro voker the trouble by trying to attack Andecrson in his room. The brothers had dlisagr(eed over tho maUriage of WNilbur, and in resent - ment for his refusing to meet him and his wife when they camne to his house, 'Wilbur made the atack and on his return, after having been taken away by another brother, A nderson shot him as he entered the house. They were sons of a prominent merchant and farmer of the lowver part of the county recently deceased. Anderson D~aniels is a son-in-law of DEATH Of MR. J. H. CHANDLER WELL KNOWN AND HIGHLY ES TEEMED SUMTER CITIZEN PASSES AWAY. Death Occurred Sunday Morning in Hospital at Baltimore, Where lie Had Gone to Rest Up-Funeral This Morning at Presbyterian Church. The whole community was sadden ed on Sunday when the news of the death of James H. Chandler became known over Sumter and the sur rounding country, where the deceased had lived all of his life and was known by nearly everybody and high ly esteemed by all who knew him. Death came at 8:25 Sunday morn ing at Shephard and Platt's Hospital at Baltimore, where Mr. Chandler had gone about two weeks ago for rest and recuperation from a run-down condition and nervousness, followin-. bereavements in his family. While at the hospital he contracted pneu monia which, with a complication of troubles, hastened his end. He was attended by his son, Dr. James J. Chandler and other physicians, who did all that was posible for him, but their human remedies were without effect, when a higher Power called. The body was brought from Balti more and arrived here Monday morn ing at 11:15 o'clock. Dr. James Chandler, son of the deceased, and Dr. W. M. Shaw, accompanied the body to Sumter. On its arival it was met by a large concourse of friends and relatives, who escorted the remains to former home of the deceased on Church street, where they were viewed by nany of those who had known and respected him during his lifetime. The funeral services were held this morning at 11 o'clock at the Pres byterian church, of which he was a ruling elder, the services being con ducted by the pastor, Rev. J. P. Ma rion. The exercises were simple, but deeply impressive. The body was in terred at the Sumter cemetery and many beautiful flowers cevered the grave. At the grave the servies were in charge of Claremont Lodge No. (4, A. P. M., of which the de ceased was a member. A large con course of friends and relatives at tended the funeral services at the church and followed the body to the grave to pay their sad tribute of re spect to the (eceased. Mr. Chandler was a native of Sum ter and spent all of his life as a resi (ent of this city. lie has for many years been one of the leading citi eans of the town and has done much to build it up into a better town and comunity. iHe has been in the cloth ing business since young manhood and has been one of the leading mer chants in this line for a number of years. At the time of his death he was president of the I). J. ('han ller Clothing company. Ile was also as sociated with other business concerns and public enterprises. lie was pres ident of Security Building and I.oa n Asso'iation, a member of the Y. M. C. A. board, a member of the Sumter City Sc hool board. lIe served two terms as an aldlermtan on the city coonit b. ut decIi nedl to otl'er for re e!eetion. lIe was a member of (;ame Cock l.odge, K. otf P., f wvhich he wats Past Chadncellor Comander, of ChIar('mont Lodge,. No. 041, A. I". M., a n'I o~f other orders. .\r. (Chandler mtariedl Miiss Itosi ie M . JIennings of Sumter, who survives him, Hie hadl two sonts, lDr. Jamnes .. Chandler, oif Bay \'iew% fospital, Bal tor'e, amnd Norman C. Chandler, who hats been wvith the Second regi ment on the border, but a rrivedl here last night, anud one dauightetr, .\l iss Teresa ('hand ler . Two brothers survive hinm, lv.John C. Chamndle r of Columbia, andI Mr. (C. W. C'handh-r~i of Wedlgv fieild. In the death of Jautes 11. (Chand - let', th e commuttnity has lost a pub lis spiirited cit iz/en, who will be much m1issed fromt Sumter for mnitty years. II is dhea th c'omes less t hani tw(o monthis a fter the dheatth of h1is eldest dau1gh ter, Mr's. JIenntie McI eod, antd mtake. the thtird in the faniily within that shoi't period, ats Mtr. S. ..1ci .lemeh d!ieldinly ten days after, htis wife was; laidi to re(st . Tlhe' symitpat hy of thte c'ommun(11ity . goe's out toi th(e bet'eatvet I (tnets in their sado losse. -Tuesdav's Sumtetr Item. --------------- T'I'IK ISlE F'Oll(E D)ESTII()Y El. otf'ice anntioutceme'nt today stays that virtually the entire TIurkish force of about 2,000 att Maghd(abad, 90 miles eatst of the Suez, canal, has been de.. stroved. i 4. '1 t - $n PEAC[ NOW, SAYS BRITISH ONLY MEAN BONDA( Arthur Henderson of War Council Declares Compromise With Ger many Impossible. MOST DANGElROUS PERIOD OF WAR NOW FOR DEMOCRACIES Frightful Strain May Lead to Mort gage of the Future to Impe rialism. Paris, Dec. 2.-In addresses at the national congress of the French So cialist party Arthur Henderson, th British cabinet minister, and J. H. Roberts, member of the British par lianent both affirmed, amidst enthu siastic cheers, that the war must be fought out until full guarantees have been obtained for a lasting peace. "Inl miny opinion" said Mir. Hender son "if France and ourselves were to enter into negotiation, under exist ing conditions we should be nations in bondage. Nothing less than that is the price and our enemies would exact for peace today." Emil Vandervelde the Belgian so cialist leader said: "Our comrades who have remained in invaded Belgium during German dominion with admirable firmness have made of themselves heroes. Nothing but encouragement reaches us from them. So that it would seem that the persons most hostile to war are those farthest from it." M. Vandervelde also declared that the struggle must be carried on until Belgium and Serbia are delivered and "Caesarism is laid low." In his speech Mr. Hlenderson said: "In my opinion we have now reach ed the most dangerous and diflicult period of the war. During the next few months the democracies of Eng land and France are going to be test ed as never before. l)o not misunder stand me. I do not mean that the stress and strain of fighting in the field will be more severe although I do- not ignore such a possibility. But the danger is of entirely d ifferent character. "Our stupendous losses, our un.i precedented sacrifices, our horror 01 war, our love of peace may lead us to mortgage the future. \Vith suci awful experiences we are apt to for get the great moral, eternal princi ples and ideals for which we are en tered the struggle. \Ve are not only fighting a negative answer but we ar< engaged in a great spiritual confli c XMAS AUTOMOBILE MARRIAGE Couple (aught Preacher as He Wo Leaving Chutrch. Cope, Dec. 25..JQuit late on yestcr day afternoon Mr. Rloy Willinams, o near Noray, and Miss Mattie Holtin of near' Cope, motored into town ih quest of a preacher and having foun1 ier. ,. ,. I Lford., .h had j' us f inished 'onducit ing~ ser'\'eel anid wmva leaving, they en~gagedl him21, and am they salt in) tihe autto he soon lie noUun-edl the w.ordls that made~ll then man12 an I1 wife. Word having~ got ta out that a mlarriage wvas (on handi~, s'v one or two friends ailready~ inl th,- tol As thley we're leavinlg Ai'. AsThuo2 Antley and .\liss iKathleeni Kir-klanI K(irkian I aind itita Hartonil and. Mir 117rbert N\. .Antley, left inl an au212tie Orangeburig, wheiure lev. Ilai'.js. If th<l many whtiich'1 22:2 nu i i .\l . C.h n a 2 little' later th:ey bmar.!eud th-- tria f2 A SlRitIN (N (liitisTl\As St reet I ChurIh. abinit, lpr(eached i splecial -('rmon12 2ap am11I fit verses: "'IHut wheni till fulI less oIf timel( was5 come, (;u' i scint forth II is Soun, ma~lde of a1 womani1, made0 birt h of Christ mar2 iks tihe cen'itral po(ilt.12 inlumani history. With ii is '011ing, the worldl's affa irs take(1 a 2(ew start. UpOin thiis llitt tile lcs MINISTER, WOULD E FOR [NGLAND AND FRANCE upon theresult of which depend all our ;treat ideals. If we enter into negotiations now we do so when Ger many is not repentant for her wrong doing and is glorifying in the success of her military efforts in fact, in the victory of German imperialism. In my opinion if France and ourselves were to enter into negotiations under existing conditions with such a spirit, we should be nations in bondage. Nothing less than that is the price which our enemy would exact for peace today. "I cannot tell you how many months and what sacrifices stand be tween us and victory. But I can tell you what will be the rewards of vic tory if we are true to ourselves. We shall have asserted the right, of na tions, large or small to live their own lives undisturbed by the ambitions of powerful neighbors. We shall have exacted such reparation for wrongs done them by this war as will be arning to aggressors for all time to come. We shall have laid the founda tions of that guard of nations begin ning with those who have fought and suffered at our side, which will de liver Europe and the world from the terror of war. "The choice today is between an un timely peace with years of fear and a few months of suffering with a lasting peace. Take into considera tion all the consequences of our de cision I say that now, as in August, 1914, the nations are presented with the choice as between honor and in famy. The choice is more sacred now as the choice has been scaled by the blood of our heroic dead. We in Brit ain feel that to make peace now, to think of peace at any time with less than full indemnity for the past and full security for the future would be to desert our Allies and betray the hopes of freedom throughout the worl. Nations Must Be Free. "We hate war. It is brutal, the ne gation of everything for which we stand. Therefore we must preveot its recurrence so far as is in our power. We desire to see the democ racies of the world tree to progress to their highest ideals. To accom plish this we must stand together for the destruction of militarism---the vindication of nationel right and lih, erty, the Punishment of natioma? wrongs. He the ntaions large or small they must be free." of time move backward and forwa rd, he stated. We rejoice, \lr. Inahn'tit said, that the Christ we worship re reives such homage, even from an - iill'erent world. In the great marts of trades, in thie count jg houses and inhistrial centers, tomorrow, Christ. mas, the birthday of Christ, the worli will do lIim deference. 'l . '.leaker showel man's inmbility to r1 dieem hhi:rself, -itingr the" building' by ret~iah lto Ileaven as a feebh-i elinf man tot reaclh hithe'r andi ho iir t hus torts, lhe saiid, are. absuolut ely iniie result s. Ii ais ntecessary th:tt Divine Pro~i it'y ins~.teatl oft resoirtig to tihe Iy leil of,~ t he fiorces itf bittgt tur dinedt tha we shoalh i herteena.i I lint heain tihe likenes ofi Ii lhian uthe pwer oi tf tiod. Tt lthis purpi li It I ;td ib i watls itbi . I wtv iihtli p aij" p. s : 'ngels andi uiiirtangels.'' In mindedt ise ogeainta ne rendeir gratfitu ; a wile:ui i nc ot bi - oiver titlls tt the t'xttt o itb~i ith joy of ii theii day. nlevert hiless membtiler its true sigiiicanice\i autu ('oiter'. TE*'IN .AIl- l)E.1I) IN least ten persons were kil ledl tn.1 miany injuLire'd in a tyclonet that s wipt hrough soiut h cent rad A rkansas late i this afterntoin, liepotts i nilitedi grea t destruction over a ctons iderale sect ion otf thle countr