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OL. XWEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1918. NEXT DRAFT D, INDEFINI Expansion of American Forces De pends Upon Events Abroad and Shipping Situation BILLS APPROVED FOR REGISTERING Crowder Proposes New Drawing to Fix Order of Liability of Those 21 Since Last June Washington, Jan. 29.-Expansion of America's fighting forces beyond their present strength depends upon such factors as events abroad and the ship pink situation, Secretary Baker said tonight in disclosing that 'the War Department has not fixed a date foe another draft, nor - even .determined how many men shall be called. .When Mr.. Baker told the Senate military committee that the United States would have a million men in France early this year, and that in all a million and a half could' go across if ships could be found to carry them, he referred to the divisions now in training camps and those already in ,Europe. Future developments will de ide .what addifonal forces will be ent. The Second Draft The Secretary made clear today his o inion that, if events made it neces sa y to call more than another in cr ment of half a millioh men, the Ex ecutive's authority to draft men 1r fighting units other than reserve, would be exhausted and fuurther leg islat ion by Congress would be neces sary.. He paid, however, that linder the authority to call two increments ..of line soldiers of 500,000 each, and such additional numbers for recruit battalions and special units "as the President may deem necessary," the second draft might bring. out in. all as many as i million men. .The Legislation Approved The Senate committee today tenta tively approved legislation proposed by the War Department to provide for the registration of youths attaining the age pf twenty-one years on June 5, authorizing the fixing of quotas on the basis of class 1 of the new c.lassification and empowering the President to call men neaded for spe cial industrial or other work. Provost .Marshal Gen. Crowder ap pearing t'o explain the bills told the committee it was proposed to hold a new drawing to establish the order of liability of the new registrants. When the new I men ,have been given their serial numbers their names will be in NEWS NOTES FROM SUMMERTON CITY Summerton, January 29, 1918. Dear Editor: I fully intended writing a short let ter for your valuable paper yesterday, but simply didn't have a spare mo ment for pleasure of this kind. Went over to Columbia Sunday morning to see a friend\ and to make a visit to Camp Jackson, and as I, didn't get back home til 11 o'clock Monday, and then had to get busy at something else for the balance of the (lay, and last night had to take in the "movies." So my only chance to get this in for The Times will be right now, before I go to work this morning. I am run ning against time, "on high," to use auto language. Well, I certainly did have a brg day in Columbia, the "largest" that I have had in quite a while. I will not at.. tempt to give a dlescription of the camp, for I couldn't (do justice to the subject. Neither will I try to tell you about the charming little friend, for it would be an injustice. Met up with a lot of boys that I knewv, T. E. Lide, who was formerly principal of our Summerton Graded School acconipa niedl us out to the camp andl pointedl out .the dlifferent places of interest as we dIrove through this immense "city" that has sprung up like magic. Also saw my old friend, Austin *James, and, believe me, that boyr is1 making the most of the surroundmngs over there. I think his folks wverec kinder expectjng him home for Sun (lay, but he equld n't get off. Guess the soldiers forgot it was Sunday. I know that I wouldl have forgotten it had I been in his shoes. I mean' his uniform, his company, etc. Mr. Editor, what struck me most was that all the boys over there seeml to be so happy andl contentedl. You are I greeted wvith a smile by them, andl that adds so much towardls making one enjoy a visit to any place, to see .smiling faces. Some of these little goody-good towns around here that have had the dlevil dIriven out of their limits, and nothing left in them but churches and grave yards, andl where the people take their religion so hard that it has their faces all drawvn up, and where they find it so hard to get "a smile" out of anybody should wake up. The pireachers are driving the young people out of the church if they only knew it. And the reason is very plain. They are trying to make Summerton, Manning andl( other towns too goodl. Why The Holy City of Je rusalecm, as It was 2,000 years ago, must have been a very wicked city, ii we jdge it by the standards of todlay. Wy, Mr. Editor, you know' what happened in Summerton a few years ago? Well, let me tell you, a man: came here and opened up a "dive" right on Main street, right where LTE STILL TE SAYS BAKER serted in the classes to which they may be assigned according to a plan being worked out. class 1, 2,000,000 It is assumed, Gen. Crowder said, that most of the new registrants will fall into class 1, giving that class this year a total of some two million men. From class 1 it is proposed to take the next and any future drafts. In a formal memorandum present ing his views, the general alsq disap proved suggestions that the registra tion be extended to men beyond the age of thirty-one, saying the effort of classification is great and so ex pensive, and the number of persons past thirty-one years who would fall in class 1 so small, that the task would not be worth while. Committee Refuses Although Secretary Baker today re iterated his desire to have exempted registered men who reach the age of thirty-one years without being called into the military service, the commit tee refused to inblude such a provision in the legislation. Gen. Crowder dis approved the suggestion. The bills probably will be intro duced in the Senate tomorrow and Senator Chamberlain said they would be pressed for early passage. From Chairman Cofrin, of the air craft board, the committee today ob tained behind closed doors what sev eral members termed "most encourag ing reports" of the aviation program. Although much of Mr. Coffin's tes timony was confidential, a considera ble portion will be made public, prob ably next .Thursday, when he will b:! cross-examined in open session. Further Inquiry Further inquiry into the aviation service will be made tomorrow, when Brig. Gen. Squier, chief of the army service, and Col. Deeds will appear, probably in executive session. The committee had hoped to raee. Secretary Baker before the end of t':( week for cross-examintion on !:i statement yesterday of army achieve ments, but tonight Chairman Chan berlain thought the aviation branchi would consume the next few days and postpone Secretary Baker's return un til next week. Discussion of the controversy ovei the conduct of the war and the pro posed War Department reorganiza tion also is impending both in 'the Senate and House. Senator Wads worth, of New York, is planning an address, possibly tomorrow, in sup port of the bills for a. war cabinet and munitions director. there religious (?) folks had to pass on their way to prayer meeting, preaching, etc. It was a big gambling game to be sure. It woul make Monte Carlo look like a counterfeit dime with a hole in it. For it was what was known as a Box Ball Alley, and of course, anything done with balls whether it be rolling of them on an alley or playing with them on the diamond, is a sin in the eyes of these good people. So they held an indigna tion meeting, and the unanimous opin ion was, that si "l dive must close. The preachers on S .nday .,instead of tak ing a text from the Bible and preach ing of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, or of love, or of hope, faith and chari ty, took for their subject "gambling." And the way they did rant over the subject was pitiful. The result was the Box Ball man seeing thas his life was in danger took up his balls and things and left town. Of course he could have stayed on, but he saw starvation staring him in the face, so he did what any sensible man would do under the circumstances. But, be lieve me, Mr. Editor, we are cam ing some nowv, for I heard the other (layI of a big game of Rook, wvhich is, of course, "Set Back" undler a more re fined name. I firmly believe that in course of time the "Box Ball Man" can return to Summerton and do enough business to make a living out of it, for the people are beginning to see things, and they want a little amusement along to mix wvith their religion. And again, having more morney than they ever had before are1 giving more to the church and to! charity and the few (limes that the Box Ball man takes in wvon't be miss ed in .the Sundlay offering when the plate' is passedl aroundl. F. A. SPLIT ON PEACE QUESTION Blolsheviki Majority Oppose the Ger mn Terms London, Jan. 29.--The Bolsheviki have split on the question of peace, a majority being against the conclnsion of peace on the German terms and in favor of a holy war ani Exchange Telegraph dispatch irom Petrograd says: As the present government is unable to carry on the war the form ation of a coalition of al1 Socialist factions was proposed,. WAR TRADJE ROARD) WARNS Against Exporting Conserved. List of GosWithout License Washington, Jan. 29.--Warning was issued by the war trade board to nigth against the exportation of goods on the conserved list by parcel post without obtaining the necessary li cense. Such shipment is prohlbited bythe espionag e act, and persons con vcear-liable to a fine of $10,000 or two years in prisnn or both. FLOODS DESTROY MUCH PItOPERTY Steamers Sunk in Ohio River and Numbers of Trains Tied Up Paducah, Ky., Jan. 29.-More than a dozen steamboats, a number of small craft and at least two dry docks vari ously estimated in value from $600, 000 to $1,000,000 were torn from their moorings' by ice gorges at lower Ohio and Tennessee river points today and tonight either have been sunk or are floating in immense ice floes near the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in imminent danger of destrue tion. A majority of the packets and tow boats, belidved safe within the shelter of the Paducah harbor, parted their cables and swung out into the rushing flood. Vessels such as the Bald Eagle and the Gray Eagle of the Eagle packet line of St. Louis each valued at $100, 00 Oand among thelargest steamboats on the Ohio, were churned by the ice and finally sunk near 1etropolis, Ills., approximately fifteen miles from their starting point. Meanwhile reports from up-river points told of melting snows, swell ing tributary streams and the forma tion of other ice corges. Railroads Tied Up Bristol, Tenn., Jan. 29.-No trains can be operatel on the Appalachian division of the Southern Railway at least the remaining of the week, ac cording to reports here tonight, ac count of the washing away of more than fifteen bridges and trastles and numerous slides and washouts, fol lowing heavy rains and the thawine of snow on the mountains. This di vision operates into the coal field.- and repairs are bring push2d. Officials hope to have part of the line in opera tion by Friday. Cumberland Rising Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 29.-The Cumberland river tonight regsitered 44.5 feet and is rising. The forecast is that the stage will reach between 48 and 50 feet on Friday. The flood stage is 40 feet. Water now is in the basements of some business houses. BILL FAVORABLY REI'ORTEI) Washington, Jan. 29.-The Senate bill to empower the President to cre ate military zones around ship yards where vessels are under construction for the United Stites was favorably reported to the House today by the merchant marine committe. The bill is designed to give better protection to the ship plants. McLaurin Hc Blease Bennettsville, S. C., January 27, 1918. Mr. Editor: I take this method of reaching the various people who by petition and letters have requested me to become a -candidate for Governor. I promised them an answer (luring the present month. And this time I feel that I can perform a better service by announcing clearly my political views than by becoming a candidate for Governor. It is probable after I do that many who would have supported me will not do so and that conditions will make it best that I should not run for office. It is evident that factional lines are to be drawn in the sena torial race, and while I believe that I could be elected by avoiding this is sue I do not want office on these terms. I have given the matter care ful thought aid I Vint everybody to know beforehand jui hiow I standI. In ordeIr to get the warel ouse bill mad1e a law I had to reck~ wvith the veto power of the govern and without the assistance of the eation then in power I could not have movedl a step). I have always recognized this obliga tion and (10 not intendl to forget it. I would like to be in a position while I yet have the mental and physical strength to further develop the State warehouse system by estiablishing dIi rect sales. I would also like to or ganize the, machinery for State insur ance, not only for cotton, but other prop~erty. I would like to see a bud get system for appropriations, so as to fix individlual responsibility for the waste of tax money such as is nowv going on in South Carolina. I have rmade up my mind, however, that I am not going to keep my mouth shut nor compromise my -convictions for the sake of any office on earth. Should I go on the stump this summer I shall unhesitatingly say that I regardI the eketioni of either ex Governor Blease or Senator Tillman as a stupendous blunder. So far as the State is con e'erned it will establish more firmly than ever the present factional lines and whoever is elected Governor will necessarily have to line up on one sidle or the other. This I absolutely re fuse to do0. Outside of the local issue the consequences are more far-reach ing. The attitudle of Governor Blease bef ore 'the war has been bitterly hos tile to the present federal adlministra tion. Everybody who knows him un derstands his attitude toward the questions relating to the war and that he will go any length once he has the power to obstruct the policies hof Wood row Wilson. He is bold and has great ability in certain lines; hjs aA vent into the Senate would greatly strengthen La Follette and a "littld group of willful Senators" who are dloing all in their power to hamper the conduct of a war upon whose result depends the future not only of A men RECENT FIRES CAUSE STIR Many Army Officers Believe Detec tives Should be Employed Instead of Soldiers Washington, Jan. 29.-Requests for troops to guard ship yards and war supply plants have been so numerous f late that to avoid confusion and prevent too many fighting men being :letailed for ship yard work, Secretary Baker delegated to Brig. Gen. J. McI. Carter, chief of the bureau of military affairs, authority to pass upon all such applications. Heretofore requests for military protection have been made directly to the commander of the army camp or post nearest the threatened point. As a result important training schedules have been seriously ham pered through the withdrawal of the veteran units detailed for purposes of mstructions. A veritable flood of applications has been pouring in since the recent series of fires in war plants began. Army officers think soldiers do not make the best watchmen, and espe ially in cases where the danger is from the interior of a plant. Instead f a cordon of uniformed soldiers around a ship yard they contend there should be a number of detectives at work among the employes. ----o GEN. WOOl) HIT IN ''IIE ARM Paris, Jan. 29.-Brief details of the wounding of Major Gen. Leonard Wood, of the United States army, while on a visit to the French front. have been received. Gen. Wood was hits by a fragmpt of a gun which burst while being tested. His injuries, which are confined to the left arm, are not considered seri-. ous, but he was brought to a hospital here. PENETRA''E ALJSTRIAN LINE Rome, Ian. 29.-Italian troops made a heavy atte.ck yesterday on the northern mountain front and broke into the enemy lines, the war office reports. Reinforcements which the en emy was hurrying down the Nos and Campomulo valleys were dispersed by the artillery of the Italians and their allies. Twelve enemy airplanes were brought down. The Italians held mas tery of the air everywhere. The Italians took more than 1,500 prisoners. They stormed enemy posi tions on the heights east of the Asia go basin, and broke through at sev eral points, resisting violent counter offensives.-, >tly Scores and Tillman cn, but man-kind everywhere. I could not make campaign speeches and dodge this issue. I cannot by silence make myself a-party to a national ca lamity of this character. Senator Till man is incapacitated by physical weakness for the strenuous work now required. I am glad to be able to say that I am sincerely sorry for this, and in Spite of the un.iust treatment that I have received at his hands, were he physically fit to pet-form the duties, I should rise above personal resentment and say that he should be left where h,! is. This talk about "dying in har ness" is 9dl rot. A broken-down horse "dying in harness" is cruelty to ani mals; it is more merciful to loose the traces, knock off the shoes and turn him out in the pasture to ruminate on thing; that have been and are to be. It tai:es a strong horse o "tote" his sidle of the singletree in these perilous dafys. It is unfair .to the balance of the teamo when the load is heavy and the pace so fast to be handicapped by hog spavin andl heaves in an old1 horse which won't wvork at all unless he is in the le-ad. The work is too heavy now for a spike team, though that is better than a horse that wvor't even try to pull, bites his mate and kicks at everything in sight. I am niot going to help harness either team. What is the use ? One horse is not able and the other will noct pull a load with Wood. row Wilson as a dlriver-, and we can't get a new <h iver, (even if we want edl tot, for the next tw~o years. It is a bad plan, anyway, when you have to change <'iv'eri to sruit a horse. My ex p~erience is that a horse more inte ested mn hier:inv' th< diriver off th sreat than in pulling the load won't work with any ciriver and wvill make every hot se in the team balky befor-e he is th rough. 'Then, t oo, wve now need Gat hug guns -mst ead of 01(1 rusty, worn.t out . - -m i s I knowv th is let ter wvill offend mamny of my fri.ends and I regret it from the' bottom of my heart, liut if they live long enough they will see that I am right as they have found out before whten they dif fered with, me. I am saying whatI feel to be my (duty, and if every po btical friend I have turns against me it will not be the first time that a sense of dluty has left me alone wvith out a party or political faction. I feel that I am capable of rer.dering good service to the people of South Caro lina, but I am not going to dlodge as important an issue in ordler to obtain political support. I am in the middle of the roadl,..-4mfetteredl by factional alignment. any kind. 'rhose who desire to be real service to South Carolina must be courageous and un selfish or our petty factional squab bles will continue to make us the laugljing stock of the n ition. Respectfull y ($Igned) John- L. McLaurin. ITALIANS TAKE BATCH Austro-German Lines on Asiango Pla teau Are Penetrated and Positions Are Taken ITALIANS CHARGE AMII) D)EEP SNOW Forty-seven Killed in Air Raid on Liondon-Finnish and Russian Situation Obscure Notwithstanding the :act that deep snow was still covcring the ground, the Italians have carried out success fully a spectacular drive against the Austro-German lines in the mountain region of Northern Italy and captured strong positions and more than 1,500 men. The blow was delivered on the Asi ago plateau sector and the enemy po sitions penetrated were tenaciously held, despite strong counter-attacks, in which the Austro-Germans were re pulsed with heavy casualties. The Ber hn war office in admitting the re verse to the Teutonic allied line, as serts that the Italians repeatedly tried to bring up reinforcements to wilen the breaches they had made in the front, but that their efforts failed, and 360 Italians were made prisoners. That airplanes aided materially in the fighting, full details of which have not yet been received, is indicated in the Italian official communication which asserts that during the prog ress of the battle the enemy lost twelve aircraft. The victory for the Italians at this particular point is of considerable sig nificance because of the fact that late ly, since the enemy's strong attempts to break through to the Venetian plains failed around Monte Tomba and sectors west, the Austro-Germans have been bringing up reinforcements in the Asiago district preparatory to a further series of attacks to reach the low lands. And from the battle no important infanry operations have been revord ed, although the Germans have been operating with their artillery on a somewhat extensive scale on the Ar ras front. WII[AlL[SS AND MEAL[SS DAYS ARE ANNOUNCED Columbia, Jan. 28.-In accordance with the proclamation of President Wilson, the food administration o South Carolina has announced the fol lowing program for this state: Two wheatless days, Monday and Wednesday, in every week, and one wheatless meal every day. One meatless day, Tuesday , in every week, and one meatless meal every day. Two porkless days, Tuesday and Saturday, in every week. Make every meal a sugar- saving (lay. Use more fruit, vegetables and po tatoes. The program for the conservation of food is outlined in a supplemental home card, which is soon to be distrib uted by the United States food admin istration for South Carolina. William Elliott, food administrator, is plan ning to have one of these cards placed in every one of the 300,000 homes of the state. Arrangements are also be ing made for the distribution of 30, t:00 leaflets: ")o you know corn meal . and 300,000 of the leaflets: "1)o you know oatal ?" 'hese leaflets are issuedt in aii effort to have the people use more substitutte products for wheat. The leaflets contain a number of valuable recipes. More than 100,000 homes in South Carolina hfve already signed the piledg~e card of the Un11ited States food nalinmmistrat ion. In the new cam iipa ign an effort will be made to inicrcease the number of signer~s to 300t,000. All householders whoiu have not signed thle piledlge card should( coiinuunicate wvith the food adlministrtion, Arcade build.. ing, Columbia, S. C. The people of thei, state are urged'i by the hi ime supplemiental caird to trade with t he merchants d isplayinug the poster bea':ring the emlelm of the food adint 11ist rationi. They r~re also u rtged to pattronize/A the restauiranits who iare obiserv ing thle rules of the foal admtiinist ration. I, the homle suppllemtenital cardl amll ctiziens of the sta te are urgedl to re piort to the nearest food administra tiont office the itaiie andI addlress of any person discouraging the produc tioni or saving of food. Thei home suplplemienall cardl con tins the follow inrg spieci fic dIirections for food conservation as authiorizen by~ thbe Unit ed States food adiniistra tion. "O(ur p' bllemi is to feed the alliei :1nd our ;wn sol diers; abhroadl by send.l myi themr its much fond as we enni of the moost (t'-eintrate-l nutritive value ini thle luimst; shipping spacee. Tlh( 5 feods aire el-cattl,cef , pork, butta and1( sugar. "Our sohit ;(n is to eat less ofthv'se andl as little of all foods as will sup liort hiealh a:~ strength All saving counts for victory. "1lie food adm im-dtratioin at.k every leyal Ani eru iin to hellp win the wvar by o-a-itaiining i. dly, as a mit-. in am oif .ea ng, the following p. gran. "Ilave two wheatless (days, Moinday andi' W~ednes lay, in e try week, !awl one who ilrss 'eon1 'a everyolny. BIG OF PRISIONERS Air Raid on London Monday night's airplane raid, the rirst.of the year, on London and adja ?ent territory, resulted in the largest :asually list of any air raid since that. )f June 13, last. The total casualties were 47 killed and 169 injured. Forty me of the fatalities occurred in Lon lon, where 162 persons were injured. Bombs were dropped 'by the invading .nemy in Kent and Essex. In the June raid 97 persons were killed and 437 were wounded by bombs which fell in London and on Essex mnd Kent. Russian Situation .Just what the situation in Russia remains obscure. One report asserts Lhere has been a spirit among the 13ol heviki on the question of peace on Germany's terms, and another that Leoi Trotzky, the lolsheviki foreign millister, intends to return im me liately to Brest-Litovsk for a. re imption of the peace conversations with the Austro-German delegates. Still another Petrograd dispatch says I'rotzky has reiterated to the Council jf Workmen's and Soldiers' delegates that the Bolsheviki will insist o1 a lemocratic peace. One Petrograd jour il declares that Austro-Hungary has ml realy offered to Conclude a separate peace with Russia, regardless of Ger mia ny. Situation in 'inland Scant details have come through onieling the situation in Finland. >ut the reports indicate that the Red ruard is in eontrol at ilelsingfore, where a revolution manifesto has pro laimed that authority is solely in the liands of the working classes. The supremie war council with dele L:ates representing the United States, Great Britain, Franec and Italy in at Lendance has convened at Versailles, lFrance. The phins of the military ia mpaign of the Entente Allies and of the United States forces are expected to be discussed. Serious strikes are reported to be in progress throughout Germany. In Berlin and suburban towns 90,000 workers are said to have quit work. ExI'lanat.on: On "wheat less" days use n> crackers, pastry, macaroni, breakfast food or other cereal food containing wheat, and use no wheat flour in any form except the small amount that may be needed for thick ening soups or gravies, or for a bind er for corn bread aln; other cereal breads. As to bread, if you bake it at home, use other cereals than wheat, and if you'buy it, buy only war bread. Our object is that we should buy and consume one-third less wheat pro ducts than we did last rear. iave one ialiess <ay ('1uesday) in every week and one meatless meal in every day. Ilave two porkiss days (Tuesdays and Saturdays) in every week. 'xplaation: ".Meatless" means without any cattle, hog or sheep prod ucts. (On other days use mutton and lamb iml preference to beef or pork. "Pork less" means without prk, ha con, hamln, lard or pork products, fresh Or preserved. Use fish, ptultry and eggs. As a nation we eat and waste nearly twice as much meat as we need. Make every day a fat-saving day (butter, lard, lard substitutes, etc.) Explanation: Pry less: bake, broil, hoil or stew foods instead. Save meat drippigs; us: thse and vegetable oils for cooking instead of butter. But ter ha:; food valuus vital to chilren: therefore giv'' it to them. Use it only On the table. Vastet' no sap; it I's miade from fat. Be careful of' all fats. We use andI waste two andl a half times as m uchi fat as we neac l. Alake evtery day a sugar-saivin~g day, l':x planat in : Use less sugar. Less swetet drinks atnd candly containiing sugar I shouh Ilibe uisid ~ii war tiime. As a nat ion we have used t wicie as ia.meh sugar as w(' need. abundantly. I':xplanalt ion: Tlhiese fioods m'e healthful and phentiful, anid at the sann-e I lilt' imirt.ly takte the laice oIf ofther foils whliich wi' must sae Raise all you cani ftor home use. Use milk wis;ely. l':xlaatl ion: Us'' all tof the milk: Wanst e no parit oif' it.. Thie chliir en must have whole miiilk. U se sour andi sk ili iiill ill cooking' andi ftir cot ta-o chieeste. I loairdling food. A nv. i'ne( huvia., andit holdig a Iarigi'r1 i'su 'l tir 'fto no(w t hani ill ieaice t imne, e'xt'ept foodls cannedl, tdried or pr'eseryed in the homeilt, is helping to dtefeatt the food admhinuistr'ation ill its atttemipt tto se. 'ure' it jutst. tdist ributiton of food and t estabhl ishmen 'lt of' fair prices. The fioad hioartder is wtork ing against the cummoitn goodit, and even'h aigainisft the very safety of' thle ('tiitry. Ioa rd in food mi hiouseholdls is botth selfish and11 11n1nece'ssarly; the gov'ern men t is pro tetimg the food suplply of its pe'ople. I .oyalt y mi litfte thIiings is fte ftmun dat ion tof the national stirengh. D loyalty ill Iittlec things give's aid to the t'enmy. Ket'p the( pledge. Do not limiit the food of growving chiblre'n. Elat suffi('ient fotod to maintain healthI; the nation11 n(eeds strong peo. Co-operate with your local and fed erail f od administrators. Take their advice. Preach and practice the "gospel of the c'leanH plate." Ilousekeepers should hellp the stores to cut, down dleliveries.