Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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FIGHTING GOES ON M KCIflTE IESILT IN FlilT UifflilETTEEN IITEB. D 7 BOTH SIDES CONFIDENT 9V (iermans Are Not Cut Off, AUtHough Forces Engaged at Lodz Narrowly Missed Being Surrounded—Petro- grad Reports Virtorj- Over Aus trians In Galytcia. < The battle in Roland continues. Neither army has yet scored a deci sive victory. To understand the sit uation it is necessary to realize lhat not one, but a series of battles have been in progress along the Russian and Austro-German front. Around Lodz the fighting is fierc est, and it was over the progress of the battle here that the conflicting claims of great victories originated last week. Berlin claimed the cap ture of many troops, but Petrograd corespondents say Gen. Mackenzen's army has been cut into three pieces. The latest information shows that the battle continues. Petrograd ad mils that the Germans will not be surrounded, but insists that the drive against Warsaw has been entirely forestalled. La est advices from Ber lin are that the battles continue to progress. Ixindon reports: “Enormous losses have been inflictet^on the Germans according to the Russiah statement but no mention is made of the cap ture of German divisions, so freely claimed by the Petrograd correspond* <ents of London and Paris papers > "Some days must elapse before this battle, which promises to prov the most decisive of the war, is con eluded. So rar all that is definitely known is that the German advance has been stopepd. Some of the Ger man troops have been partly or who! ly surrounded, but they still are fighting stubbornly to break their way through the Russian lines, ap patently to the northward, where they^bope to join reinforcements from Tho Petrograd repwets via London Sun day: " A review oP'mjlitary opera tions in the last week aT'the rear of Ix>dz, as given out aemi-officialtyOn dicates that the German army un Gen. Mackenzen has been cut in three parts "The right wing still is struggling fifteen miles west-southwest of Ix>dz to unite with the column sent to its assistance from Wielun. The center is ten miles north of Lodz and still is engaged in a desperate effort to cut its way west to rejoin the left wing which is partially cut off irom the strongest position on the Cistula This army, the review asserts, is mov ing back before Russian onslaughts but is stubbornly disputed the Rus sian advance “it is said the main bodies of the German wing are maintaining a thin line of communication to the rear Experts declare the operations will not result in the complete cuiTound ing of the Germans, hut that the pur l»oee of the German campaign against Warsaw has been entirely frustrated Berlin reports an official press bu reau dispatch: “Military critics of the Berlin newspapers consider that the success of the Austrians on Nov ember 25 and of George Mackenzen on the following day have made still more favorable the position of the Germans “Russian reinforcements appear to have come from Ivangorod and from Galicia. The later movement may be followed by an advance of the Aus trians over the ('arpathians and to ward the River San "Reports from Vienna say the con flict along the greater part of the Yront has assumed the character of a tubborn and long-drawn battle.’ Amsterdam reports: “A telegrom from Thorn, West Prussia, gives an army order issued by Gen. von Hin denberg. commander of the German army in Russian Popanl, stating that ‘in the severe fighting lasting several days my troops brought to a stand still the offensive of the numerically superior Russian army.’ “The army order repeats the con tents of a telegram from the Kaiser congratulating the commander upon his successful stand and conveying the thanks of the emperor and the German peopTe ffir the protection, van Hindenberg^ and his troops have afforded on the eastern front, is re peated in the general order. The Kaiser’s teldgram concludes by con ferring the exalted rank upon the fe cipient. The order concludes: “ T am proud of having arrived at the highest military rank at the head of such troops. Your fighting spirit and your pereseverance have in a marvelous manner inflicted the great est losses on the enemy. More than fiO.OOO prisoners, 150 guns and about 200 macine guns have fallen into our hands. “‘But-the Russians are not yet anihilated. Therefor^ go forward with God, for our emperor and the fatherland until the last of the Rus sians is subdued and brought to our feet. Hoch.’’ London reports the promotion of von Hindenberg and says this an nouncement, taken together with statements from both -Petrograd ’'and Berlin, that the-great crucial battles in Poland continues without definite result, indicates that the ’German artfiy has rallied and. that fronj what appeared fo be Ignominious retreat d utter rout, the resourcefulness of e German army’s greatest strate- ist has made it possible for the Kaiser’s legions to reform and enter upon-a new stage of the ^campaign. tip the situation, the grand duke says^ . '• . ■ ‘On the Czenstochowa-Cracow front our successes are assuming a marked importance. Our troops on November^ 26 captured more than four thousand prisoners. ' Our offen sive was practically fortunate on the lower Szreniawa River, where a whole battalion of the 31st Hanover regiment surrendered. “Our troops also stprmed a power fully fortified Austr’kn position on the left bank of the Raba, whore some of our attack'rg units frrdod the river during the breaking up of the cie and attacked the enemy. The tfater was hack deep in the river. “The Austrians desperately defend ed Bochnia (thirty-five miles south east of Cracow), which we stirmed, capturing more than two thousand prisoners, machine guns and ten field guns. On the left bank of the Vistula the enemy in the region of cracow is beginning to retreat in disor^ar.' Our troops are pursuing /them energeti cally. “According to the reports of the commanders of the armies the morale of our troops is very high. x “Trustworthy reports show that the Austrians have mounted in the steeple of the Cathedral in the.cen ter of Cracow wireless apparatus and and machine guns for protection against attacking aeroplanes.” Petrograd reports Sunday night: Between the Vistula and the Warta the enemy continues to maintain the position fortified’by him at Stroykow, Zgierz, Szadek and Zdunska Wola (Russian Poland). The fighting has been stubborn in the region of Stry- kwo and Zgierz. We captured at these points cannon, rapid-flrers and several hundred prisoners. “Our troops have taken part in an engagement along the front compris ing Glowno, BJelawy and Sobota. Along the left bank of the Vistula the Germans carried out a counter attack “According to prisoners tha Ger man losses were enormous, many bat talions losing all of their officers and the companies being reduced to from 60 to 80 men. “On the « Czenstochowa-Cracow front there have been no important engagements. The Austrian army which defended the approaches east of Cracow on Schroniava and Raba, were defeated November 26, being driven back to the region of the for tress. “In the Carpathians on November 27 we took as many as 1,200 Aus trians. The troops of the enemy have retired precipitately from Bukowina. We have occupied Czernowitz. “In the region of the Mazurian Lakes (East Prussia) and the Ange- fiver our troops have thrown backHbe Oeftnano in several districts from thelr^fprtified positions.” Vienna repdrta on Saturday: “In Russian Poland yekterday it was gen erally quiet. Some weak^Russian at tacks were repulsed. FightlUg in the Carpathins continues. - “In the southern war theatre (Ser- via) fighting continued yesterday on nearly all the front. Several impor tant positions were taken by our troops.” Petrograd reports: “Our troops have won important successes along the Proschovitse, Brzeako-Bechnia- Visnitsch front (in Galicia and from thirty to sixty miles southeast of Cracow). ]n thlji locality on Novem ber 26 we routed an Austrian army, taking more than seven thousand prisoners, capturing thirty cannon ten of which were outfitted with horses, and over twenty machine guns.” “A Russian battalion at Brzesk'o captured what was left of the 31st regiment of Hungarian honved. These prisoners Included the commandant, twenty officers and 1,250 soldiers and also the flag. We also took an auto mobile carrying officers of the general staff. ■ We are continuing our ener getic pursuit of the enemy. “In the fighting at Lodz, which continued November 28, we succeeded also in making progress at certain points. “In the Carparthians our troops have attacked considerable Austrian forces.” Ijemberg, Galicia, reports via Pet rograd and oLndon that the Russians appear to have accomplished the diffi- culU feat of throwing army through the Carpathians southwest of Lemberg. Fighting in these moun tains has been ferocious, being car ried on under extraordinary difficul ties, increased by severe cold, bitter winds and snow storms. Reports say that the Russians have won important successes over the Austrians during uninterrupted fighting for the last two days. London on Saturday reports that in the last few days of fighting around Cracow the Russians, accord ing to their official reports', captured about 15,000 men, 40 cannon, twen ty. machine guns and some general staff officers. NETimDIVIIE non cuuini b uie nm TVI CMflUICEl NOTION IS DISCUSSED BUTTLE IN POLAND - ♦ IDSSUNS UNEATEN TIE HI in nmini pikes. GAIN ON HOTH FLANKS COTTON ESSAY CONTEST. Alabama Scholar Writes Prize Essay in National Contest. Awards in the cotton essay prize contest, inaugurated as a part of the campaign to aid the cotton industry, were announced Saturday night. Ber- than Dutton, 15, of the Mercy Home Industrial School, Birmingham, re ceived the first prize, $20; Abram RabinoiKitz, 12, Brooklyn, and John Locke Green,- Thomson, Ga., tied for second honors, $10; Jonathan Dan iels, 12 year-old-son of the secretary of the navy, and Francis Vinciguerra, of New York, tied for the third prize. “ A special prize for literary excel lence was awarded to Kate Page, of North Carolina, niece of the Ameri can ambassador to London. Trying to Bottle Villa. Gens. Obregon and Blanche declare that the Constitutionalists will bottle tip the army of Gen. Villa when it nters Mexico Cit this battle o7 battle' Is Grand Duke Nicholas, commander-in-chief of the Ruslan forces In the field. From him came a statement equally full of con- fidence in the final result. Summing Charleston a Reserve City. Charleston and Birmingham, Ala., have been named reserve cities. They are the only two under A population of 100,000. By Vote of 174 to 80 a New Confer ence, the Upper Sooth Carolina Conference, Comes Into Being— Colleges Remain oJint Property of Both Conferences. The annual Methodist conference now gotng on at Sumter passed on Saturday the proposition of D. M. McLeod, dividing the conference and fixing the line of division. The vote resulted 174 to 80. The resolution as adopted reads: “That the line of division of the South Carolina conference be and is hereby fixed as follows: Beginning at the North Carolina line follow the line between Chestergeld and Lan caster counties, between Kershaw and Lancaster counties, between Kershaw and Fairfield counties, thence across Richland coun'.y In a direct line from the junction of Kershaw and Fair- field counties at the Rilhland line to the junction of the Seaboard Air Line and the Souther nrailways, thence in a direct line to Ridgewood, thence following the trolley lines to Hyatt Park, thence in a diretc line to Simms station on the Atlantic Coast Line railway, thence in a direct line to the junction of Calhoun and Lexingjon counties at the southern Richland county line, from thence the line be tween Calholn and Lexington coun ties, between Orangeburg and Lex ington counties, between Orangeburg and Aiken counties, between Barn well and Aiken counties to the Sav- anah river; except that Smyrtia and Ebenezer churches in Kershaw coun ty shall remain in the upper confer ence and Kershaw and Salley churches shall remain in the Lower conference. “That the name of the Lower con ference shall be ‘the South Carolina conference and that said conference shall retain the historical records, tl.e session, number and tlv» chronologi cal roll; that the name of the upper conference shall be ‘the Upper South Carolina conference.’ "That Wofford college, Wofford Fiting school, Carlisle school. Cokes- bury conference school, Columbia College, Lander college and the Ep- worth orphanage shall be the prop erty of the two conferences jointly The Upper South Carolina conference shall elect seven and the South Car ollna conference shall elect six of the 13 trustees of Wofford college. Wof ford Fitting school, Carlisle school and Lander college. The South Car olina conference shall elect seven and the Upper South Carolina con ference shall elect six of the 13 trus tees of Columbia college. The South Carolina conference shall elect eight and the upper South Carolina con ference shall elect seven of the IE trustees of Epworth orphanage. The Upper South Carolina conference shall elect four and the South Caro lina conference shall elect three of th eseven trustees of the Cokesbury Conference schoodl. That the quota shall be nominated at this time by the present -board of education and elected for two years, thereafter the trustees for each conference shall be nominated by the board of sduca tlon of the conference they" are to represent and elected by the confer ence. “That all property held by the orig inal South Carolina conference other than herein otherwise provided for be held intact by the present board of managers of the legal conference and administered for the benefit equally and jointly of the two conferences until such time as the two confer ences shall be duly Incorported. When the two conferences have been duly incorporated said property shall then be equally divided or as equity and legal rekuirements appear, be tween the two conferences. “That a commission of three Meth odist laymen from within the bounds of each conference be appointed upon nomination of the board of managers of the present legal conference to de termine all legal questions involved in making legal apd proper transfers of property as required by the divi sion of the conference, said commis sion to take such steps as may'be nceessary to amend the charters of the several institutions involved so a sto conform to the reyuirements of the division. “That the presiding elders of thig session of conference as a board of nomination of bokrd after the ap pointments for 1915 have been fixed and immediately before the an nouncement thereof bring in nomina tions for the several boards required by each conference under the divi sion. “That t The Southern jChristian Ad- vocate shall he the organ of the two conferences epually and jointly. The Southern Christian Advocate shall be controlled and riceted by a board eight managers, fiour to be elected by each conference. This board shall be elected quadrennially upon nomina tion of the board of education of each conference, and shall have power to contract for the publication of the paper, elect the editor, and as trus tees of the conferences, direct and control the affairs of the paper. “That the division of the South C&rolina conference and all provi sions as to division herein made shall not go into effect until the announce ment of the apointments for the re spective conferences and the adjourn ment sine die of this session of the South Carolina conference.” NEWS THIEF CAUFHT ASSOCIATED PRESS DETECTS NEW YORK WIRE TAPPER Military Expert of The New York Times Explains the Workings of Campaign in Poland—Rassiai\s Are Winning In Territory Aroand Cra cow—May Cause Retreat. The military expert of the New York Times Saturday discussed the campaign in Polan<Mn the following article: When the Germans made their dash east of Lodz and Lowlcz they reached the main railroad running from Warsaw t'b the southwest. The Russian center fell back before their onslaught and permitted them to ad vance to Koluszki, where the branch railroad to Lodze joins the main line. The Germans were thus enticed int!o a trap, while the Russian forces, closing in behind, threatened to cut off their line of retreat. The Rus sian victories at Rsgow and Brzezlny forced the Germans to fall back "fif teen miles. ImAz was abandoned, and they took up.the defensive line run ning from Sieradz, on the Warthe throlugh Zdunskawola, Zgierz, Stry- rkow and Glowno to Lowlcz. For the last four days the Russians have been pounding on this line, and have made an advance to Szadek, five miles north of Zdunskawola. Meanwhile the Russians seem to be pinning their hopes upon a flanking move along the Vistula River. Such strategy gave them the advantage in the earlier campaign against the Ger mans in this region end is one in which their large superiority in cav airy will greatly aid them, j While the Germans have been kept busily engaged on the front between Lowlcz and Sieradz. this new Russian ad vance has forced its way across the Bzura River and has reached Gom bin, twenty-five miles northwest of Lowlcz. The Russian have now turned lhe tables on the Pemtan invading force and threaten them with the same danger from which the Russians have Just escaped. The Cossack army at Gombin cati travel faster than the German infanry and can make raids on their lines of communication that will seriously weaken the German fighting strength. The defense against this danger lies in the rush ing forward of additional troops to fill the gap between the German left flank and the Vistula River. Ger many is making every egort to accom plish this and is calling every able- bodied man Into service In order to hasten to the Russian border the troops that arc so badly needed to check this Russian turning move. The unconfirmed reports that Ger man forcec have been cut off near Lodz evidently refers to a part of the advance guard of the German In vasion. A retreat such as the Ger mans have thus made in this district would also cause losses in stragglers and wounded amounting to several thousand men. The main body of the German army seems, however, to be Intact, and to be well disposed to make good its retreat to the west If such should prove necessary. Their position from Szadek through Zgierz to Gombin is shaped like a bow. 'A further advance of the Russians on the German north flank would result in still further throwing back this end of the bow, and in a correspond ing retreat of the center. The reports from the fighting around Cracow are conflicting. The Austrian claims of success seem to refer to their earlier advance to Pilica and Wolbrom. Since then, however, the Russians have crossed the Dona- jec. in Galiacia, an dhave advanced to Bochnia. half way to Cracow. This success carries them within twenty- five miles of Cracow on the east, while at Miechow. on the north, the Russians are within twenty miles of the Austrian fortress. The fighting near Lodz and Cracow forms practically one great battle, in which the flanks' are engaged, while the center is inactive. On both flanks the Anstro-German alliance is losing ground. They must either rush strong reinforcements to the front without delay or they must safeguard their armies by l retreat to a position where they will be out df danger of having their flanks turned. ACTS FOR ITSELF IS. Clever Fake Menage la Seat aad Later Reappears Among Client of a Nears . .1“' , -Y Agency. H. L. Linder, a telegraph operator in the employ of the Postal Telegraph company, and attached to the office of the New York Globe, was arrested at New York Friday, charged with violating Eection 5*2 of the penal law, In that he revealed the contents of a telegraphic message sent out by the Associated Press. For a long time it has been evident that dispatches of the Associated Press we^e being systematically stolen and were redistributed by a number of smaller agencies. A care ful watoh was set upon the buyiness and suspicion pointed to a man. em ployed in the ovee of the Globe. * New York evening paper. The case was considered with the executive committee of the Associated Press directors at a recent meeting ahd a plan to detect the culprits and bring them to justice was adopted, pm. 2YSSUM-Trs spffkr C.orm e et For , the purpose of transmitting the more Important news in bulletins wires cdlinect the central opce of the organization at 51 Chambers street with the editorial rooms of the va rious members In New York. In the office of the Globe these bulletins were copied surreptitiously by Linder and repeated to the New York Press Bureau, a Wall street concern. Fre quently within two or three minutes after their reeclpt In the office of the Globe they appeared on the News Bureau's ticker and In the reports of the International News Service, the Central News of America and other minor organizations. For the purpose of trapping the wire-tapper* ttto following dispatch was prepared; “Bulletin, E. O. S. "Petrograd, November 27.—The Russian dreadnought Filba, formerly the Ismnil, striking a mine In the Gulf of Finland, is a complete loss, with 450 lives. “Add Petrograd under dash. “Loss of Flibad—the IsmatlNwas one of four Baltic dreadnoughts laid down at the KronsUflt yards In 1912. She had a displacement of 28,0v0 tons and carried nine 14-lnch guns and twenty 5-lnch.’’ The short bulletin wire to the Globe office was detached from the circuit, which included the other New York evening newspapers, not mem bers of the Associated Frees, so the message would .)> to the Globe alone As anticipated, the dispatch Instantly appeared upon the ticker and not long after was printed in the papers served by the other news agsBetaa In different parts of the country. As soon as this was done, and before it appeared in any issue of the Globe, a notice to “kill** was sent out, and the telegram, therefore, at no time reach ed the public as from the Associated Press. The word “Flliba” was cryptic. Substittuing for the initial consonant the consonant following thhe alpha bet. and for the two vowels the vowels following the alphabet. “Fili- ba” became "Globe.’* The telegram was identified beyond question and Us source made plain. The telegraph operator was arrested and made a full cotrfeeeion. Ho was arranged Friday afternoon before Magistrate F. B. House and held in $5,000 bail for a hearing on December 1. In order to observe the methods of the New York News Bureau, a trust ed detective was employed and estab lished himself as an investment banker, “Mr. R. D. Smith,’’ at an of fice, No. 366 Broadway. . He fitted his office carefully with a safe and appropriate furniture and installed one of the New York News Bureau tickers. Emyployees of the Assoclkt ed Press weer assigned to watch the ticker with great care and to time each dispatch. During a period cov ering several weeks it was observed that the dispatches of the Associated Press were constantly repeated upon the ticker within five or ten minutes after they were sent but by the A. P. The New York News Bureau is not a member of the Associated Press and is not entitled to its service. SUBMARINES SINK TWO, . KcuunnBTm GERMANY MADE PIOTOT H«tallatfc>a on Englishmen. Vienna has retaliated against the strict surveillance of Austrian sus- psets In England by placjpg all Eng lishman in Austria under the strict est regulations. LODGE A JINGO. Champ Clark Expresses Regret a( Course of Statesman. J Champ Clark, speaker of the House of Representatives, when told Friday that Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, of Massachusetts, had criticized the president and the Democratic admin istration In an address Thursday night In Boston, said: “I regret Seantor Lodge has turn ed Jingo in his old age and sedtns to be anxious for war. He criticizes President Wilson for keeping out of war with Mexico and not participat ing war with Turkey, touching the Tennessee incident^ because some semi-idiot dressed in a little brief authority cut fantastic capers before high hqaven. In such parlous times as these some madcap is liable to do disagreeable things at any time, and usually these things can be set, right by a little common sense, and Presi dent Wilson seems to have an abun dance of that ‘^eedingly valuable tttr,. '..Ca J’MRKOTtr German Underwater Dogs Travel Fur ther Than Ever Before. It was reported In London Satur day that two British steamers were sunk off Havre yesterday by German submarines. The steamers were the Malachite and the Prisao. Their crews weer rescued. Those from the Malachite weer landed at Southamp- tonand those from the Prima gt Fe camp. France, on the English chan nel. Lloyds report indicates that Ger man’s submarines have made one of their most daring feats. This si the first occasion when their activities have been reported in these xysters. Apparently they made their way through the Straits of Dover to a point more than one hundred, and fifty miles from their nearest base. The Malachite was a small steamer of 718 tons gross. She was built in Glasgow in 1902. The gross tonnage of the Prime was 1,366. She was laid down in Stockton in 1898. Orient Mills Buy Cotton. Japanese mills are said to be buy ing cotton In large quantities In the California market at eight cei^ts a pounds/ well to smooth his raffled plumage and nse his undoubted ability to. help the president keep up out of trouble. He.need not doubt the fighting qaall- tiea of the American people. That never falls.” Bullets Cross Border. One Mexican woman was killed and six others hit by_bullets which ci Arts., Tuesday. Horses for the War. A steamer left Newport News. Va.. Thursday with one tbooaand hoi bound for England and France. American Ambassador U Wired to Inform German Government of the Attitode of This Conn try—Thta Country Working for Adoption of New Code to Protect Commerce. The decided stand taken by the United States In refusing to accept the principles of the Declaration of London to regulate commercial rela tions during European war, was made clear Wednesday when the state de partment made public the text of a cablegram sent to Ambassador Ger ard at Berlin oh October 14. Mr. Gerard had forwarded a notice that Germany intended to protest) against alleged violation of the decla ration by Great Britain and France. The German ambassador. Count Bern- storff, Wednesday formally filed the complaint with the state department. Simultaneously the reply cabled Am bassador Gerard, copies of which went to all Ameriacn diplomatic represent atives abroad, was given out. It fol lows: ’ “Please Inform the German govern ment that the department’s sugges tion made to the belligerent countries for the adoption for the sake of uni formity of the Declaration of London as a temporary code of naval warfare for use In the present war, hag been withdrawn, because of the unwilling ness of some of the belligerents to adopt the Declaration of London without modification. The United States government., therefore, will In sist that its rights and dutlea, and those of Its dtltens la th# present, war, be defined by the existing rules of International law and the treetlee of the United States with the bellig erents, Independent of the provisions of the declaration, and thin govern ment will reaerve the right to enter a demand or protest in every cane la which the rights and duties mention ed above and defined by existing rules of International law are violated or their free exercise hindered by the belligerent governmenta.” The message was signed by Coun selor Lansing, then acting secretary of state. The Declaration of London, framed at an International conference In the British capital, set out specifically what articles should be considered contraband, and defined the rights of neutral shipping. The declaration, generally, was viewed as maiVSTl great advance over conflicting prac tices applied by the aeverul nations during periods of belligerency, with most unsatisfactory reeults to neu tral shipping. It never hue been 1‘atlfled, however, by nil of the pow ers participating in the conference. The United States and Germany are among the powers which have record ed their acceptance while Greet Brit ain has not taken this action. One article of the declaration provides it shall be binding only upon those powers ratifying it. Soon hfter the outbreak of the war It became evident that, while they recognised In a general way the spirit of the declaration, some of the bel ligerent powers out ratifying It would insist upon great modification of im portant details. Since the declara tion was In fac$ a compromise her tween the extreme views of the sev eral governmenU, a high official here said Wednesday It wonld have been unjust, In the opinion of this govern ment, to consent to any modification without agreement of all parties. On this theory the state department with drew from is adherence to the instru ment. Counselor Lansing made it clear to Ambassador Bernstorff that, In the absence of general rules to which all parties had subscribed, the United States could deal only with specific complaints. The German bill pre sented Wednesday contains several specific protests, but to these the state department has as yet made no reply. It Is said, however, that the German position that Great Britain had violated the spirit of the decla ration by seising or detaining food supplies carried iu neutral bottoms and consigned to German ports, di rectly or indirectly. Is recognized by officials at Washington as entirely sound. The agpie is true is to the complaint against removal from neu tral ships of German citizens, not yet In a military establishment, and, also, ac to the extension by Great Britain of her contraband lists far beyond the limits fixed in the-London conven tion. . ' The department has been working out a code of Its own for treatment of questions of contraband and neu trality. It is hoped this code can be devised with such impartiality that It will commend Itself to all of the bel ligerents. It is recognized, however, that failure of all belligerents to ad here to the Declaration of London has greatly Increased the difficulties of neutral commerce and at the same time preserving strict neutrality. -- ^ ^ ^ COSTS 8.24 A POUND. Government Issnes Report on Cotton ■' Crop and Its Cost to Farnfcr. The coat of producing cotton aver ages about 8.24 cents a pound, or $20.35 an acre, according to Assist ant Chief Not C. Murray of the fed- ’K. report pubflsh?d statistics, the latest available on the subject, are the results of tho tan tigatlon mads to Ifilfi. A investigation la 1*96 zhowOtl dactloo cost as 6.27 cents a or f 1S.41 an acre.