Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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__ Best Tobacco Maket in the State,150000 ,0L. XXVII M. NNING, S. C., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1917. NO 31 ERIGANS BATTLE WITH SUBMARINES S. Destroyers Atack U-Boats and Put Them to Flight in Short Order. ONE SUBMARINE WAS -BOLD . But When Uncle Sam's Gunners Got Her Range She Dived Quickly. American Naval Base in British Waters, July 31.-(By the Associated ress.)-American destroyers today eported to have engaged two subma ines simultaneously six miles distant, .iausing both of them to speed away .and submerge without firing a shot typical of the behavior of submarines whjen they see destroyers. One of them had just sunk a steam er by gunfire and the second was at tacking a merchantman when the destroyers opened fire. The second submarine, which is described as a supertype, almost as long as a de stroyer, raced off and submerged at eh first shots, but the other, which had sunk the steamer, displayed un usual boldness, remaining up several inutes, while the destroyer dropped shells around her. Only when a shell splashed within twenty-five yards of the submarine did she submerge ac cording to the crew of the steamer, who watched the atack from a small oat close by, and who later were as cued by the destroyers and brought here. A French tanker bound for America limped into port today, with a thirty foot hole in her bow as a result of a fight with a submarine. The tanker was twice attacked. In the first at tack, early in the voyage, she easily eat off the submarine and reached a point 400 miles toward America. She was-then attacked by another sub arine, the shells of which, despite he stout resistance of the tanker's gunners, shattered the pilot house, smashing the compass and tore a gap ing hole below the water line. The tanker began to settle and the crew abandoned the ship, the submarine disappearing. The crew rowed away in a rough sea, but later, surprised that the tanker did not sink, returned to her and managed without bearings to bring her to port. WILSON COMMENDS FIRST MAN DRAFTED Washington, July 31.-A letter from President Wilson to Harry Gil bert, of this city, the first man draft ed, was made public today. It reads: "My Dear Mr. Gilbert: "Because of my interest in your father I feel as if I had a special interest also in you and I want to write you this line to express my gratification at the spirit you have shown in seeking as early an oppor tunity as possible to serve in the cause of liberty in this great war. "Cordially and sincerely yours, "WOODROW WILSON." Mrs Gilbert's father is an employe at the White House. o - CROWD) GANGPLANK FALL INTO RIVER Washington, .July 31.--Secretary Daniels tonight madec public the re port of the commandnmant of the New York navy yard on an accident there this noon time in which 34 workmen were slightly injured. According to the report, the men rowdedl down the gangplank of the vossel upon which they had been working in spite of the warnings of the watchmen. The gangplank col lapsed, 17 were thrown into the water andI 17 others slightly injured. All those in the water were rescued andI the injulredl taken to a hospital. 0 - HIEARIN, NEVER SICK; D)ROPS DEAD TODAY Laurel, Del., July 31.-Thomas Hearn Is 84 years old. He had never heen leek. H~e ate a hearty dinner to day after doing a hard morning's work in the fields, and then dropped dead. MlanningW are MARRIED MEN MAY BE CALLED Crowder Makes it Plain That Only the Physically Disabled Will Be Ex empted. Washington, July 29.-Every man within the conscription age who can pass the conscription examination races military service fn the imme iate future. As the result of the president's and General Crowder's ap peals for strictness in exemptions, and in view of the known plans for the teady maintenance of an armed force of nearly 2,000,000 men in France, this idea began to develop strongly here tonight. Use Them All. Many of the men chosen may never see a trench under fire. It is hoped and believed tha tthe first full-weight blow of the United States will be enough. But the war chiefs are not going in as if it were a one-blow fight. Two statements of the last few days make this clear. Secretary Baker says that the gov ernment will not be limited to the first 500,000 and the second 500,000 Other men will be called to keep full the ranks of those who go first. General Crowder tells exemption boards that reasons of sentiment or affection or personal ioss must not govern them in granting exemptions. These two statements together mean that the men who are further down the conscription lists than the number assigned as the quota of their districts will have but a temporary stay. Married Men, Too. It means, too, that if a man is mar ried and his wife and children have any other reasonable means of sup port he will have to go. This will un doubtedly reach numberless cases where the mainstay of the family is the husband's earning power, but where the wife has a small property or an allowance of her own from other sources. General Crowder's statement of last night seems to give little hope,of ex emption for the man who is the main stay of a private business. Even though his departure for military service might wreck the business, un less it can be shown that such a wreck. would make other individuals dependent on the state for support, exemption is not to be granted. In dispensability in business and indus try refers only to the indispensability as regards the war needs of the gov ernment. Mean Business. Washington begins to realize after reading the two statements of last night that the words "mobilizing the whole nation" were more than a mere figurative phrase. WARRANTS TO BE APPROVED Comptroller General Recognizes Chief Game Warden. Columbia, July 30.-Carlton W. Sawyer, comptroller general, tele graphed his office yesterday that he .vould issue warrants to Wade Hlamp ton Gibbes, recenitly sommhissionedl chief game wvarden, as to any other regularly comnmis ioned oflicer, the comptroller general taking the posi tion that he has no right to go back of a commission issued by the govern or unless restrained by legal authon ity. Mr. Sawyer's telegram readls as fol lows: "WVith reference to the matter of paying warrants of the newly appoint ed and commissioned gamne warde'n, 'V. HI. Gibbes, 1 do not c.onsidle rthat this a matter for me to dlecidle bMt for the courts. However, inasmuch as Mr. Gibbes has been ennmission dc and his bond has been approved by Attorney General l-'eeples I have this (lay served notice on A. A. Rich ardson, former game warden that wvar rants will be issued to Mr. Gibbes as to any other regularly commissioned oficer unless proper proceedin'gs are taken to enjoin me. I do not consider that I have the right to go back of a ommission issued by the governor unless some legal authority should re train me." houses Are P~ GERMAN LINE If SHATTEREI DRIVE OF A More Than 3,500 Prisoners A Towns Captured and ] Between Bresingle an( Twenty-Mile Front-Ca Have Been Surprisingly Brieish Front in France and Bel gium, July 31.-(By the Associated Press).-An epoch making offensive, launched by the British and French against the German lines between the river Lys and Boesinghe at daybreak has, with few exceptions, accomplish ed all that had been planned for the first day of this battle, which, in its early stages, gives promise of being the greatest conflict of the war. Roughly speaking, the British pene trated positions held by Crown Prince Ruprecht of Bavaria between Boe singhe and Warne ton, and at the time of the filing of this dispatch were in possession of the first three lines of the German trenches at most points throughout this front. Reports received from the French troops, which are atacking over dif ferent territory between Dixmude and a point near Boesinghe, say that they have forced their way across this marsh-studded and partly inundated region and captured the first two lines of German trenches. Casualties Light. The casualties of the Entente Al lies have been surprisingly light and the morale of the men continues at the highest pitch. The contact be tween the British and French armies have been constant and excellent. Late today it was reported that the Germans had begun a heavy counter atack at the point where the Entente Allied forces join. The German front line trenches, which had been torn to pieces by the preliminary bombardment offered lit tle resistence, but once the Allied forces had penetrated beyond them they met with fierce resistence at many points. Directly east of Zille beke and again a little to the north the British were temporarily held up by a heavy machine gun fire, but only temporarily, for the troops charged through the rain of lead and forced the Germans from their posi tions in hand-to-hand fighting. Charged With Bayonets. Again at a redoubt which was strongly held in the German line and defended by concrett fortifications, the lritish were brought to a stand by machine gun fire. But they charg ed with bayonets and dislodged the Germans. One of the most striking and spec tacular events of the (lay's fighting occurred at the so-called Menin Tun nel, a great underground fortification constructed by the Germans on the Menin road opposite Hooge. The Brit ish preliminary bombardment had forced the Germans to hold the French line thinly here, andl the British divis ion wvhich wvas to attack at (lawn lay out all night in shell holes within twenty-five yards of the German line, waiting for the signal to advance. When the time arrived for the charge andl the British gunners had dlrop~ped a protecting barrage on the German front trench ahead of the British troops, it was seen that the Germans had taken to their heels and were fleeing. The British seeing their prey escaping, charged (directly through their own barrage, fortunately with (Jut heamy casualties. The Menin tun nel, which was expecctedl to be occu pied by Germans, was found to be held only by forty-one, the rest hav ing retreatedl. Forced Germans Back. It was at the secondl line that the British met resistance, and here after sharp hand-to-hand fighting, they forced the Germans again to with draw. No check has yet been made on the number of German prisoners capturedl, but they are flowing in a steady stream back of the British lines. Many [FLANDERS BY TERRIFIC ILLIED TROOPS re Taken by the Allies-Ten 3ritish Penetrate Positions I Warneton-Attack on a sualties of Entente Allies Light. of those captured at Menin Tunnel and other points are mere boys. The tanks again played a prominent part in the opening of the battle, and reports from all sections of the British front say their work has been most satisfactory. Large numbers of these monsters were employed and in many cases pursued their destructive and un checkable way to a distance far with in the German lines. Disastrous to Germans. Further information obtained from German prisoners concerning the effects of the British preliminary bombardment indicate that the effect of this unparalled expenditure of ammunition was disastrous in the ex treme both in damage and to the morale of the German troops. With in the past few days six Bavarian di visions were withdrawn from the line and replaced by fresh troops because they were so thoroughly demoralized by the inferno of fire which they had undergone. Photographs taken by aviators back of the German lines show that there was scarcely a square yard of territory along their front which was not devasted by the high explosives. It is small wonder, then, that the Germans were holding their front line thinly and were swept back when finally the time arrived for the Allied infantry to do its work. Culmination of Bombardment. The offensive launched this morning by Gen. Sir Douglas Haig, the British commander, in conjunction with Gen. Petain, the commander of the French forces, against the German lines on the Belgian front, is the culmination of the tremendous heavy gun bom bardment which has been in progress almost continuously in this area for a week. The intensity of the artillery drum fire with which the Entente Allies had been demolishing the Teuton trenches preparatory to today's asasult had been described by the German general staff as the greatest in the history of warfare, even surpassing the terrific fire maintained at the beginning of the Somme and Arras offensives. Military observers have attributed two objectives for the Entente offer sive, the capture of the Belgian North sea soast which has been used by the Germans as bases for their subma rines and to assist the hard-pressed Russians on the Galician front. The battle front north of the river Lys stretches from Warneton -on the Franco-Belgian border to the North sea coast, the distance betwveen those points being about thirty miles. In eluded in this battle area is the famous Wytschate-Messines front wvhere the British on June 7, after ekploding 1,000,000 pounds of high explosives under the German lines at tacked on a nine-mile front and cap turedl the high ridge, several towvns, forty seven heavy guns andl more than 7,000 prisoners. London Report. London, .July 31.-British troops in conjunction with the French forces on their left attacked the German posi tions along a wvide front north of the river Lys at 3:50 o'clock this morning. Trhe Allied troop~s, accordling to a British official statement, have cap turedl their first objectives on the Whole front and are reported to be 'making satisfactory progress at all points. A considlerable number of prisoners already have been capturedl by the French and British. Atack Repulsed, Says Herlin. Berlin, July 31.--(Via London.) The British atack in Flanders on both sidles of Ypres has been repulsed ,ac iest Dollar Foi THOUSANDS OF SLACKERS Uncle Sam Instructs Agents to Begin Round-Up. Washington, July 30.-Declaring that thousands of men of draft age evaded registration and have escaped the call to the army, Attorney Gen eral Gregory today instructed all United States attorneys to begin a round-up of the slackers and start criminal prosecution. The Attorney General says that from reports made up to July 16 it appears that thousands of men escap ed, and emphasizes the importance to the government of a prompt search. District attorneys, he says, are not expected to make a house-to-house canvass, nor a comparison of the reg istration list with the various tax lists of each county, but are to engage in assistance of local officers or volun tary organization whenever that can be done. When slackers are found they are to be registered, and to be asigned by lot to serial numbers of persons exempted. BIG SALE OF COTTON. Rock Hill, July 31.-Among the large sales of cotton made here re cently was a lot of 146 bales sold Sat urday by Mr. J. S. Glascock, of the Harmony neighborhood. Two bales were of long staple and brough 31.50, while the remainder of ordinary va riety brought 25 cents. Mr. Glascock still has a quantity of cotton on hand, both of long and short staple. Mr. A. E. Willis also sold last week more than a hundred bales, which brought 25 cents. Some of this cotton has been in storage for several years. 0 MADE HIM BLOODTHIRSTY Man Receiving Draft Summons Kills Wife and Self. Nashville, Georgia, uly 31.-Wil liam Tyson, a young fa mer, killed his young wife and then committed sui cide at his home near here when he received a summons from the local exemption board to appear for ex amination. He had brooded for some time over the possibility of being ac cepted for the army, it was said. He had been married only a short time. cording to the German official com munication issued tonight. Only a crater position was taken in the as suit, it is asserted. Important Gains by French. Paris, July 31.-The French attack today in conjunction with the British was highly successful, according to the official statement issued by the war office tonight. At :;mall loss, the French t:-oops carried important Ger man positions and inflicted heavy los.; es on the enemy. -An Earlier Report. British Front in France, July 31. (By the Associated Press.)-The En tente Allied forces which launchedl their off'ensive this morning have ad vanced well beyond the shell spat 1tered front line German trenchcs. In many places they have reached the secondl line defense on a twventy-miile front of atack, according to the early reports. The British and French troop~s went into battle undler cover' of wvhat pier hays was the greatest barrage fire ever seen (luring the warL. The Entente artilery is moving for ward and~ the whole situat ion is sat isfactory in every particular. Between Dixmiude and Bloesinghe. the atackers reported they had secured the two first lines of trenches after having fought' over the nmost d iflicult terrain imaginable. The British have again caputred La 'Basseeville, wvhich they recently re Jinquished to the Germans. The British andl French forces are facing a large concentration of Ger man artillery andl fresh troops which have been rushed up. The Entente Allies have established complete air superiority. The Entente military officials say the morals of the Germans here is not up to the old standard. NEV INSTALMENT ON LIBERTY LOAN Treasury to Offer $3,000,000,000 in Certificates at Higher Interest Rate. PAYABLE ON NOVEMBER 15 The New Certificates Made Accept able at Par Like the Preceding Issues. Washington, July 31.-The first step toward financing the second in stallment of the liberty loan was taken by the treasury today with the offering of $3,000,000,000 in treasury certificates of indebtedness. It is the largest block of such securities yet offered, and the inte~est rate, three and one-half per cent, is one-fourth of one per cent higher than the previous offerings. Subscriptions are to close on August 7, and the certificates are payable on November 15, next, indicating that the second instalment of the liberty loan will have been floated in the first half of November. Although the treasury has remained silent on that subject, the general impression here is that the loan will be offered in September and that it will be for a total of $3,000,000,000. The certificates are expected to play an important part in the financing of the second instalment of the loan as they did in the case of the first instalment. When the first liberty bonds were offered $680,000,000 in certificates were outstanding and when the fiscal year closed on June 30, a total of $626,000,000 of this amount had been redeemed, through the method of ac cepting the certificates at par value in exchange for bonds. The new certificates are made ac ceptable at par like the preceding is sues, in payment for any United States bond issued and allotted here after and before the maturity of the certificates. The fact that the cer tificates are to bear interest at three and one-half per cent is taken to mean that the second Installment of the liberty loan, like the first, will be issued at that rate. Payments of the certificates will begin August 9 two days after the close. RAILROAD DISPUTE ENDED Both Sides Accept Deci"oa ue Sec retary Wilson. Washington, July 31.--The main questions in dispute between 40,000 employes of Southeastern railroads and the roads has been settled by Sec retary of Labor Wilson, who today gave a decision acepted by both sides. The settlement affects hours of labor and wages of inspectors, repairers, train airbrake repairers, safety ap pliance maintainers, olers and pack ers an lother employs in the car dlepartment s. NOW LI EUTEN ANT IN REGULAR ARMY Washington, ,July 31.-G. L. Ruist Rivers, of Charleston, passed the April examination for provisional ap pointmfent as lieutenant in the regu Inar army and has been assignedl to the field artillery corps. Others who pa~ssedl, in n'ddition to yesterday's ani nouncements, are Claude G. IIlam mlondl, of the First South Carolina In fantry, andl Vernon M. Shell and lEr ('st C. Bomiar, both of Spa rtatnbulrg. FRENCHMAN TAKES C'OUNT .New York, July 31.-Walter Lau rett, the West Side welterweight, knocked out Louis Verger, the French midd~leweight champ, in the fourth roundl tonight. -- 0- -- FIGHTERS GET $10. Denver, July 31.-The Coloradla legislature voted today to give every soldier of the state a $10 gold piece. nct Vaiiij}