The Barnwell people. (Barnwell, S.C.) 1884-1925, December 23, 1915, Image 6
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I >.
WHAT HERMANS SAT
CAPTURE OF JOFFRE’S OFFER
SITE ORDER IS DNBAPPY
SHOWS FAILURE OF MOVE
ALLIES CONFIDENT
REFUSE TO DISCUSS PEACE UR-
' Ttt TOEY HAVE WON
SAY FOE CAN NOT LAST
German Soldiers at the Front Awe
Highly Elated Over Importance
Which Waa Attached to Recent
Offensive—-Cite Its Failure as Evl-
" v ‘ ' .
dence of Their Strength.
James O’Donnell Dennett writes to
thO Chicago Tribune from the head
quarters Of the German army In
Franeto:
Next to the pocket diary of the
whining soldier who is captured or
killed—and in either case searched
—the most embarrassing documents
that can fall Into ^he hands of the
enemy are the pre-battle orders of a
commander with a knack In making
flamboyant phrases:
Gen. Joffre's order to the troops
preliminary to the great offensive
was a specimen of this kind of thing.
It unfolded In detail the dire conse
quence which the offensive vas to In
flict upon the Germans, Indicated the
■cope of the plans, and emphasized
the Importance of 4* Swift and oa
whelming following up of the pf»-
limlnaries of the operation.
In the Issue of the matter all thti
had the worst possible effect for
three reasons: First, It showed how
far short of the hoped-for results the
offensive had fallen; second, it made
the general ridiculous, and, third,
which was most Important of all, it
left him no loophole to wiggle out of
when the French and English, realiz
ing that the offensive had failed as
to Ha large purpose, asserted that It
never had been meant to do more
than try out and dent the German
lines. That Is why the Germans
printed the text of Joffre’s order so
prominently In their own newspapers.
For the same reason Lord Cavan’s
order to the grenadiers, which in
cluded the high phrases about the
destiny of unborn generations of Eng
lishmen depending on the Issue of
the impending battle, was made much
of In the German press. In view of
the fact that German soldiers are still
■trolling about the atree‘.a of Ltlle of
an evening buying pretty things for
their wives, the fine phrases had a
tendency to make the noble lord
ridiculous.
Home of the most carious docu
ments I have seen taken from French
and English papers are "bulletias of
Information” containing statements
calculated to cheer or inflame aol-
dlers, or to give them an Impression
of the cose of the task confronting
thsnL For example, French orders
found on prisoners captursd In ths
Champagne said: “If the. Germans
ones small our gas bombs thsy will
be overpowered, and you can' go
straight to tbs tranches to finish the
work.**
There was something In that. Not
far from Lille I met a Joyful German
soldier who had come out of battle a
few hours before and who was still
In so high a state of excitement that
bn was communicative. Part of the
narrative was devoted to a hearty
tribute to the efficacy of the Anglo-
French “atlnk-bomben,” as he called
them, but, radiating pride and confi
dence. he ended hla story with the
words; "They stink, yes, but not so
good as we stink.”
<K Che aerond type of document*—
those Intended to Inflamo soldiers
there are many quaint specimens.
Some hint that the enemy are poi
soning wells, others that they have
been shooting prisoners on other
fronts and will do the same In case
they are taken prisoners on the
French front.
lag*’—”1 and my edarade. there are i ,
ths only ones left of our squad”—
and so on. It Is terrible. <
. One French bsttnlion—'Which
means at laaat one thousand man—
lost all but roar of Its officers and
all but 108 men. One French regi
ment was annihilated, the command
er himself saying that 2,000 men fell
on the field. The rest were taken
prisoners. One day a German offi
cer came In with the report that in a
space of 1,500 yards broad and 200
jrar’ds deep where an attack had been
thrown back 1,100 lay dead.
The number of wounded is equally
overwhelming. One afternoon 1 was
riding through a French town where
the streets are steep and Irregular
and 1 passed a prefecture or some
other government building which
stood perhaps twenty^ feet below the
ro&dway.
Thus I waa able to look down into
the court yard of the building—a
court, I should think, that was sev
enty-five feet long and fifty feet
wide. What I saw there was start
ling. ^ The place was packed with
French prisoners, but riot a soldier’s
cap nor a hair of any man's head was
visible, only an expanse of white
bandages. It was as if a heavy snow
had covered evriry head.
When prisoners of war are ques
tioned after being searched, the most
effective way of extracting informa
tion Is to talk with them In groups.
A man examined aside is cautious
and keeps his head. A group is vol
uble and excited, and each man in It,
is eager to set the other right. “Then
it happened so and.so,” suggests the
officer who .Is chatting with a group
of prisoners. "Yes, It happened that
way,” one of- the men responds. ‘‘.No,
o,” another interjecta, "it was this
kray," and he gives a different ac
count of the matter. "Well, I was at
such and such a place,’’ a third In
sists, "and what I saw was this and
that.” Every man is anxious to shine,
and-every man wants to seem im
portant by contributing a fact that
he thinks important. And so. from
the various and varying narrative
something coherent and valuable can
often be deduced.
French officers talk very little
when they are taken prisoner. The
men are different, willing to t K,
and capable of talftfng well. 41c
of these latter said that this would
be the last great attempt to 'hrfeak* 1
through, and they were disheartened.
Belgian prisoners were especially
forlorn, and especially frank. They I allied governmentfe. Neither of these
expressed only the wish to have the statements promised overtures In the
war over and the hopelessness of con-1 near future.
COnON DINNED IN STATE
One Million Twenty-Two Thousand
Bale* Vp to December 1. ' ,
^ V' } . " ■
Sam L. Rogers, director of the cen
sus, department of commerce, an
nounces the preliminary' report of
cotton ginned by counties in South
Carolina, for the crops of 1916 and
1914. j ; •
* Quantities are In running bales,
counting round as half bales. Ltnters
.are not Included.
Washington Hears of Peace Plans—
Huge Indemnity Wanted and Naval
*■ - —
Blockade is to Enforce It—Semi-
Official Hint of One of Chief Terms
%
of Peace.
' . • - - . . • :jk
. Several American newspapers have
received from what •' might be de
scribed as a semi-official source as
intimation of one argument the Allies
expect to use in getting catisfactory
terms from the Teutonic empires once
commisioners meet about the council
table to discuss peace.
Tills Information confirms private
suggestions that the Allies, in spite
of their recent reverses, means to
carry the war to the point where they
can demand a large indemnity from
Germany and Austria. -—^
This information Is conveyed in
the following statement: ’ *
“One of the main points of theV
Allies’, peace terms is that on no 1 -’
account will the German inercan-
..Ule flag be permitted to be seen
upon the high seas until full in
demnification has been paid. The
Allies have the power to do this
and mean to use it to the full ex
tent.” . ,
It is doubtful if thT^ pronounce
ment has any immediate application
to the situation in Europe. Dr. von
Dethmann-Hollweg, the imperial Ger
man chancellor, told the relchstag on
Thursday that when the enemies of
Germany came forward with peace
proposals compatible with the dignity
and safety of Germany and her
friends these proposals would be lis
tened to.
The day before Premier Asquith
said that if serious proposals of peace
were received from the Allies’ ene
mies they would be considered by the
Abbeville- .
Aiken . . v ..
Anderson \.
Bamberg v.
Barnwell
Beaufort ..
Berkeley ..
Calhoun .V
Charleston . .
Cherokee .r
Chester., ..
Chesterfield .*
Clarendon
Colleton
Darlington .,
’Dillon .. ..
Darchester ..
Edgefield . .
Fairfield
Florence
Georgetown
Greenville . .
Greenwood
Hampton
Horry , . . .
Jasper .. ..
Kershaw
Lancaster . .
Laurens
tinned effort on their part. "End It.’
they said, "and let us get home."
Their losses In prisoners and killed
had been out of all proportion to the I
number fighting. The l^tle group
which I encountered had originally
been a scouting party of forty-seven, j
Twenty had fallen near Dtxmude.
The rest were prisoners. They were!
wearing new uniforms, made, they |
■aid, from American cloth.
At the Invitation of the officers I j
conscientiously smelled the frag
ments of the gas bomb that had ex-1
ploded three days before, with the|
reault that I have no desire to smell
one that la any fresher. Manifestly
One suggestion as to the Allies’
attitude . tpward peace la thaj the
statement comes just at the time
whan the remarks of the German
chancellor and the British prime min
ister are In the public mind. The
■tatement,-it Is pointed out, may give
German officials food for thought as
to the loss of German trade, even
should German arms continue for the
time being their far-flung successes
Whenever pence rumors have float
ed over Europe—and many have
seemed to come from Germany—the
Allies have made it plain that they
were not ready to talk peace. This
reticence on the part of the allied
Lexington ..
Marion . . ..
Marlboro ..
Newberry ..
Oconee *.. . .
Orangeburg
Pickens
Richland ..
Saluda . . . .
Spartanburg
Sumter .. .,
Union .. ..
Williamsburg
York . . . .
Total .. :.
19T5.
1914.
. . 597
28,555
33,716
42,571
14,267
24,807
14,267 „
24,807
33,688
■64,677
3,417
6,918
8,511
13,731
' 17,360
26,551
7.1,98
11,720
, 12,592
14,264
27,343
29,377
25,343
29,377
24,290
41,897
12,780
19,576
29,618
37.089
27,403
32,361
10,288
15,542
25,804
28,180
2-0,407
20,277
27,391
38,440
2,143
4,206
37,637
38\269
25,141
27,054
11,336
19,223
7,011 ‘
8,407
* 2,865
6,762
22,175
25.448
18,837
20,038
, 34,675
33.337
28,869
36,256
20,939
■21,845
12,474 / /
12,317
45,641
53,245
31,715
28,276
lb,285
16,038
55,473
71,709
14,423
17,384
18,126
22,386
22,688 •
20,811
59,347
60,588
27,905
45.142
15,770
16,026
’ 20,117
29.164
31,997
33,041
.1,022,424 1,220,168
Many a crasy lie Is thus dis
seminated for its moral effect, or
effect upon morale, and the re
markable part of this kind of pro
paganda is that a commanding of
ficer can he found who, by Issuing
such stuff, confesses that he has
under him soldiers so credulous
and stupid as to believe it. "
At first I could not believe that
some of these "bulletins of informa
tion” about poisoned wells and shoot
ing prisoners had really been Issued,
but finally I came on a bulletin of
information that had been circulated
among French troops. Here, is a
transcription:
"Bulletin of Information.
"Information to be Given • to the'
Troops.
".Five Thousand Prisoners Shot by
Germans.
"Petrograd, July 20.—General
headquarters communicated the fol
lowing:
"Soldiers of the Seventh Austrian
Corps who wpre taken prisoners in
the first days of July in the region of
Cholm state that, according to the
account of the supply troops, the
Germans have shot five- thousand
Russian prisorars at. Rawa-Russka.
Soldiers add that supply troops with
whom they have spoken have seen a
large cemetery in which the five
thousand are burled.”
Commenting on this, a German
colonel said: "Do they think, or pre
tend to think, that we Germans are
not only savages but imbecile sav
ages? When we make five thousand
Russian prisoners they mean more to
us alive than dead because we can
not put dead men to work mending
. voads.” ;
Childish though the faked bulletin
of Information Is as a means of in
spiriting troops, It Is not more child
ish than the frequent slander that
troops are sent drunk Into battle. So
, far as the German troops are con
cerned, they are much more likely to
work themselves Into battle ardor by
means of a song than a drink.
The English and French have paid
» heavy price for the slight gains the
offensive won them. Their losses are
appalling, and by all accounts the
heaviest losses were inflicted by the
German machine guns. All along
the Una I hear from prisoners reports
of "eighteen left oat of two han
dled’'—“we went In two hundred
eat with fifty Uv-
yoa may break, you may shatter the governments was taken to mean that
gas bomb if you will, but-the scent of they intended to. press the war to a
what It once held will cling to It still, successful conclusion, and that they
It Is not that the odor was so much felt nothing coult^ be gained by lend
ing an ear to peace proposaln^Yhile
German armies in all directfons were
far outside German frontiers. The
suggestion to-day seems to look to
the time when Germany will be fight
ing on her own territory, or at least
within striking distance of German
soil.
Talk of Indemnity has always been
coupled with the Idea that It would
be needed for the rehabilitation of
Belgium, and more recently of Bel
gium and Serbia. But an Indemnity
is difficult to collect. Japan, though
■he had driven the Russian armies at
will, finally withdrew the demand
for payment In gold.
The Allies, however, once the ques-
tlon of peace brought up the subject
To me the English troops seemed I iq4 emn ^y' would be In a better
nauseating as overpowering. In eth
er words, it was not so much a foul
smell as an effective smell. It sent a
shudder of weakness over the whole
body and that sensation was accom
panted by intense prickling. A sore
feeling remained in the nose and
throat for an hoar, and a kind of
subconsciousness of the odor lasted
much longer than that
Basing their Judgment on a survey
of several hundred English prisoners,
some German officers told me that
the new English levies did not seem
to them comparable to the first, and
several of the English lads volunteer
ed the statement that their officers
were brave, but Inexperienced, and
so got them into tight places.
weedy and Juverifle. The Incessant
use of the word "Sir" by those with
whom I talked indicated that they
came from the humbler, class. At
first I tried to meet them with a
handshake and some words of com
radeship in their own language, but
the effort only efhbarrassed them,
though I am sure that my attempted
be a good fellow with' them was
neither -pompous nor patronizing.
One English prisoner of more than
the average intelligence told us that
in front of some of the English posi
tions the dead had been lying un
buried since May.
“Good heavens,” s&id a German of
ficer, "that kind of thing has the
worst influence on the morale of
troops.” Turning to the group of
prisoners for whom the intelligent
man had been principal spokesman,
he added: "Why was it allowed?”
The ' English wearily shrugged
their shoulders and answered: “Cant
say r jjir.’’
BIG BATTLE'In GREECE
position to enforce their domands. If
the war came down to a formal siege
In all theatres, the British fl&Vy feriutd
hold the German merchant fleet in
definitely In pawn. The indemnity
might be asked in the way of re
demption for the merchant fleet.
PREDICTS RUSSIAN ADVANCE
garians come somewhat as a surprise,
as It had been thought that such a
move by them.would provoke the
‘Orefeks and that consequently If the
Entente allies are followed at ail the
task would be allotted to the Aus
trians and Germans.
Next Great Engagement of Enemies
Will be on Neutral Soil.
The next big battle of the war
probably will be fought in Greece, de
spite the efforts of the Hellenic king
and government to save their country
from the horrors of war.
The British and French forces
have made good their retirement
down the Vardar valley and are ap
proaching Salonikl, where reinforce
ments are being landed, while reports
received in Paris and Rime say that
the Bulgarians have crossed the
Greek frontier in pursuit.
Reports of this action’by the Bul-| ni:an ^ °*'
Czar’s Chief Commander Says.. Hla
Troops Have Plenty of Shells.
Speaking of Field Marshal von
Hlndenburg’s forces facing him - in
the Riga-Dvinsk sector, Gen. Ruzsky,
commanding the northern Russian
army opposing the Germans in this
region, is quoted in a Petrograd dis
patch to the Petit Parisien as fol
lows:
"The enemy’s divisions which were
sent to France have been replaced by^
multitnde of heavy slid Tight guns
and by kilometers of barbed wire.
Their heavy artillery is superior to
ours, although we have enough. Our
shell crisis is over. We are getting
all the ammunition we want from
Petrograd.
“As to positions; advantages along
this front—which is three hundred
versts (about two hundred mile^) Qr„
approximately half of that in France
are about equal. When the water
freezes it Is certain that the offensive
will become easier and the defensive
harder for both sides, buf the Ger
mans will not be able) to bring up
fresh troops If they take the offen
sive. The offensive is costly; who
ever attacks must, suffer heavy
losses. -
"Finally. It. is now all a question
as to who in a few months will have
the larger number of effectives, Ger-
You know what
4,000,000 BRITONS ENLIST
Estimates of Recruiting Returns
Show no Need of Conscription,
While no official computation was
forthcoming on the recruiting accom
plished under Lord Derby's scheme,
outside estimates agree that the num
ber of men responding to the call for
volunteers approximates four million
This must be taken only as an un
official estimate, as the actual figures
are held secret until Lord Derby’s re
port reaches Premier Asquith's
hands.
The rufch of reciuits during the
last two weeks has been so great as
far to -exceed the rosiest expectations
of Lord Derby and his aids. A con
siderable proportion of those offer
ing themselves failed to meet the
medical requirements.
Lord Derby la Immensely -elated
over the outcome of his gigantic ef
fort, and that it is now likely that
conscription will be avoided. If the
number as finally revealed falls
slightly below the mark, it is more
than likely that more men will be ob
tained by another call without resort
ing to conscription.
While the voluntary recruiting was
supposed io $pd Saturday night, the
war office officials, by giving an
other day to accommodate the crowds
that were unable to get themselves
attested, owing to the rush in the last
hours, made it possible Sunday for
many thousands more ty. enlist
throughout Britain. All day the re
cruiting stations in London and else
where were at work putting down the
names of men who carried away with
them Saturday only slips showing'
that they had offered themfcelves, but
had been unable to get their attesta
tion slips fully filled out.
Last Mohday the recruiting tide
began to flow full and strong. Day
by day it Increased In volume, until
on Friday It became a great flood.
Men of all ranks and conditions in
life came forward. Clerks from the
great banks marched to the station
in, a body; the orchestra of one thea
tre volunteered as one man between
the acts, and whole staffs from mer
cantile houses took the oath together.
I). S. NOTE TO FRANCE ASKS
, RELEASE OF MEN SEIZED
Removal of Teutons From an Ameri-
can Ship a Flagrant Viola-
• tion of Right. 1
The United States government
Tuesday Cabled Ambassador Sharp at
Paris for presehtation to the French
foreign office . note vigorously pro^
testing against the removal by the
French cruiser Descartes of six Ger
mans and Austrians from the Ameri
can steamships Carolina, Coambo and
San Juan. Immediate release of the
men is asked on the ground that
seizure of citizens of any nation from
an American vessel on, the high seas
is illegal and constitutes a flagrant
violation of American rights.
The note was. dispatched by Secre
tary Lansing with the full approval
of President Wilson. It also is under
stood to have been discussed at the
cabinet meeting..’
Couched ih friendly terms the
communication states the American
point of view emphatically ant cRes
the precedent employed In tty«'cas6-
of August Pieppcnbrink. a German,
who was removed from the American
ship Windberr by the French cruiser
Conde in November of last year and
released after representations by the
United States.
Attention is directed to the fact
that the men removed from the ships
were not embodied in the "armed
forces of the enemy’ as the term Is
used In the Declaration of London.
It Is asserted, however, that'there is
no justification for the removal of
subjects of a nation which Is an
enemy of France from an American
vessel on the high seas bound to a
neutral port, even if they could prop
erly be regarded as military persons.
• The text of the American note,
which is said to be brief, probably
will be made public when word of its
delivery to the French foreign office
is received.
Officials of the state department
apparently think the French govern
ment may see fit to contest the con
tentions of the United States and
that the men will not bo released
until further communications have
passed between the two governments.
This opinion fs'based on the assump
lion that the commander of the Des
cartes was acting in accordance with
instructions.
WllAraCOlHPll
WILL NOT ALLOW BREAK Wl
UNCLE SAM OVER ANCONA
WILL SATISFY DEMANl
o
BUZZARD IN GALLIPOLI
Turks Suffer More From the Weather
Than Australians.
Winter in the Dardanelles Is prov
ing to be a severe test for the Aus
tralians and Turks alike. Reuter’s
correspondent at this front reports
that the first blizzard of early Decem
ber found the Turks entirely unpre
pared. It was necessary for them to
evacuate several positions, as the
trenches were flooded.
The bodies of several Turkish sol
diers, as well as a number of dead
mules, were washed down Into the
allied trenches. Prisoners taken by
the Australians were poorly clad and,
the correspondent says, it was report
ed that the Turkish trpops were on
half rations pending an improvement
in their communications.
The Colonial troops. Including the
Maoris from New Zealand, withstood
the cold, although many of them had
never seen snow before. The British
authorities believe that owing to
their hardy physique and excellent
equipment the .Colonials will get
through the winter In satisfactory
condition. —
Turkish activities recently have
been comparatively unimportant. Such
attacks as have been made have not
been pushed. Severe weather is ex
pected through January and Feb
ruary.
TO BLACKLIST NEUTRALS
ACCEPTS EXPLANATION
forces we have in reserve; so good
days are coming when the Russian
army will advance.”
NOT YET IN GREECE
Looks for Austria’s Reply.
Department, officials at Washing
ton are looking for Austria’s reply
to the Ancona not* so mo time this
week.
| Athens Denies Entrance of Bnlgan
Upon Hellenic Sell.
Athens reports via London Wed
nesday: The Greek government de-'
nles reports of the entrance of BuL
garlan forces Int < Greek territory.
News' dispatches o n Tuesday re
ported that Bulgarian troops !.ad
Killed Wife and Mother.
Ernest Aeby. forty ; nlnp. living,. _
near Madison, Ind., killed his wife consolidated the frontier between Ser
and mother-in-law Monday and then | bta and Greece la pursuit of the re
tiring British and French foi
Austrian CliarRe Says Letter Was
Directed’by Dr. Dumba.
The state departnn t probably will
accept, the explanation made by
Baron Erich Zwiedinek, charge of the
Austro-Hungarian embassy at Wash
ington, regarding a letter he wrote
to the Austro-Hungarian constri gen
eral in New York suggesting that
neutral passports be Drought to as
sist reservists in this country to reach
Austria-Hungary.
The letter was written while Dr.
Constantin'Dumba, the recalled am
bassador, was in charge Of the erif-
hassy. Baron Zwiedinek' caued. ppon
Secretary Lansing the day after it
was-published aid explained th^t he
was acting. Mder Dr. Dumba’s in
structions. Secretary Lahsing did not
indicate what his view would be, bii’t
it Is learned that there is no dispo
sition at the department to question
the change’s statement. ’
Acceptance of Baron Zwiedipek’s
explanation will clear up one of the
incidents out of which grew the sit
uation aggravating relations between
the^'United States and Austria-Hun
gary.
Britain to Prohibit Nationals Dealing
With Firms Aiding Her Foes.
The British government proposes
to form a “blacklist” of enemy trad
ers in neutral countries with w^om
British firms ^111 be prohibited from
trading, said Lord Robert Cecil,
pndcr secretary fori foreign affairs, in
moving in the House of Commons the
second reading of the bill which he
presented in. the,House on December
8, designed to restrict trading with
possible hostile interests.
The list, he continued, would not
necessarily he confined tb persons of
German nationality; but would in
clude such as were by the nature of
thpir business substantially enemy
.firms and could safely be\ut off from
British intercourse without serious
injury to British trade. . \
In South America, said thb under
secretary, there were a number of
German firms 1 at .present assisting
Great Britain’s enemy, and trade
with the%e firms by British firmy
would be rendered illegal by the biir.
The solicitor general explained that
the purpose of the-bill was to forgp
another weapon with which to crip
ple the enemy. V
Persons Close to Official Representa
tive# of Teutons in Washington
' Say Issue Will be Settled Satisfac
torily to Requests of United States
—No Desire to Break. J
Unofficial information has reach
ed Washington that the Austrian
government not only recognizes
the gravity of the issue created by-
the sinking of the Ancona, but wiU
endeavor to avoid a rupture w *tn
tills government, and .that Berlin
is endeavoring to persuade the
case-i- Vienua government to adjust the
difficulty.
A dispatch from Vienna received in
Geneva by way of Buchs, Switzer
land, and sent to Paris Wednesday,
states that President Wilson's note
to Austria regarding the Ancona in
cident has produced a profound im
pression in government and political
circles. The note is sale
sented by a minority.
-- It is generally believed in
says the dispatch, that Austria
give satisfaction and will pay in
demnty, especially as she has large
interests in America. Baron von
Burian, the Austrian foreign minis
ter, has called a special council Ur
discuss the matter.
Baron Erich Zwiedinek, the Aus
trian charge, spent forty-five minutes-
at the state department in ''onference^
with Secretary Lansing over the Ar J “
cona case. The conference was ht
under an appointment sought,'
Baron Zwiedinek.
At. its close neither participan
would tomment on what took place.
It was made plain in sta^e depart
ment circles, .however, thalt nothing
w$s discussed but the Ancona case.
A report that Harojn Zwiedinek had
asked for his passports was officially
denied and regret was expressed that
such a rumor should gain currency.
In quarters close to the German
and Austrian embassies Dere is evi
dent congdence that the Ancona Is
sue will be satisfactorily adjusted,
and that there will be no break in
relations between the two eountries.
In a trustworthy diplomatic quar
ter the suggestion was made that the
Austro-Hungarian government prob
ably would respond to the American
demands with an explanation that If
the submarine commander who sank
the Ancona shelled the vessel after it
had stopped, following a chase by the
submarine, he had exceeded hla <-
authority, and that on such a basis
the Vienna government would dis
avow tjie'act. punish the commander,'
and make suitable reparation for the
lives of Americans lost.
In the same quarter It was sug
gested that tin Vienna government
might find It difficult to say that the
submarine commander had disobeyed
orders, because no orders hsd been • '
issued covering the rule of conduct
t<r be observed with respect Uv^he
treatment of merchant vessels after
they had been stopped, but that,
aince there waa nothing in the in
structions given to Austrian subma
rine commanders that would permit
them to make such an attack after a
pessel had stopped, the act could be
disavowed as having been made by
an officer exceeding his instructions.
Such an answer—that Is. one qual-
fiied with an "if”—would be disap
pointing to the United States govern
ment. According to the unofficial
information reachhig Washington. It
appears to be the idea that such a
respqnse by tho Vienna government
would be calculated to open an op
portunity for discussion between the
two governments over the facts and »
thus avert an actual break fri rela
tions.
In any event. It Is asserted in^r\
qdarters close to the embassies
the Teutonic allies, tho Austrian gov-^w
ernment will not break relations with
the Uniter States ann* will endeavor
to make a satisfactory answer to the
American note, and' If there is a rup
ture the responsibility will rest upon
the United States.
CRUSHED SEED AND LINTERS
Department Makes
December 1
Report up to
on Friday.- »
LABOR BEHIND WILSON
INTRODUCE BILLS
Lever and Byrnes Active in Opening
np New Activity.
Representative Lever" of - South
Carolina Wednesday, introduced a bill
for-the. collection, trarscription and
publication of material relating to
American educational history.
Investigation of the congressional
anion to find if It Is Imploying lobby
ists In the cauie of woman suffrage,
waa proposed in 1 resolution Intro
duced by Representative Byrnes of
South Carolina. .
Gompers Gives President Support In
Preparedness Plans.
* f '
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor; Wed
nesday told President Wilson that
organized labor is .cad/ to give its
support to the defense of the nation
and Bhould be allowed a voice in
making preparations.
Mr. Gompers asked the president
to the commission he may name to
confer with army hnd navy officers fleet the Amferiff'rvo Intja-hationsU
Cotton seed-crushed from the tfil.g
crop to December 1 amounted to 1.-
981,140 tons against 2,47:5,931 tons
December 1 last year, the census
bureau announced Friday.
Linters obtained to December' 1
amounted to 38f,927 bales against
341,142 bales last year to liecember
eed.crushed and linters obtained
by states follow: ' .
See<Yr~
Alabama 154,760
Arkansai
Florida
Georgia .,
Louisiana
Mississippi
Missouri..
North Carolina. .
Oklahoma . . . .
South Carolina. .
Tennessee ..
Texas ~ .V
All Other States
. 110,067
. 13,007
.361,000
. 70,093
. 178,770
. 9,429
1 8,695
1,179
16 179
. 90,1
.612,:
. 21,002 x
Writers.
30/6TT^-
20,080
1,834 >
71,979
1 4,1 3 0< „
35,512"i
2,002-
1 9,87,6
15,214
2'6.749
19,21,3
119,524
4,497
l
To Save One Fleet* \ • .
_ -. The American flag has been saved'
to appoint a representative of labor "* 0 th e Pacific by tha purchase, of
seven steamers of the Pacifir Mail’s
on the mobilization of the nation’s
resources. Since the war started,
Mr. Gompers said, belligerent na
tions had included representatives of
labor In every important afctlvity. •
The president fold Mr. Gompers
and the delegation accompanying
him that he wonM consider the sug
gestion carefully.
Corporation; which has fifty million
dollars to invest in foreigri trade
schemes.
Planter Shot to Death.
A. F. Schrader, of hear Clarksville,
Tex., was shot to death by an un
known party Moaday. /
Italy Lands Troops. ^
“hlrty thousand Italian troops are
reported to he the numbsr of. soldiers
tended by Italy at Avlona to help the
A11168.
"wg*. ■-
Montenegrins Continue Retreat.
The CetUnge war office Friday ad-
mite th econtinned withdraw*! of the'
Montenegrin trooope. . •