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One Dollar and a Half a Year. BAMBERG, S. C., THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1918. Established 1891.
. . - ; -
WAR'S GREATEST BATTLE
\ ?
PROGRESS DAY BY DAY IN BRIEF
FORM.
Terific Onslaught Made on British
Front by Germans, Beginning
Friday of Last Week.
The following are the reports in
brief from the big battle raging between
the British and Germans' in
France:
Saturday.
T? ? V? on witroln/1 in
ILL H U(LILLC luai uas l lluivu ii> iv
rocity any that preceded it during
three and a half years of warfare,
' the British, on a fifty-mile front, have
withstood a great German offensive
in its initial stages. At some points
the British line has been bent back
but not as much as had been expected
by military experts acquainted
with the forces the Germans have
brougl^t up and the power of the
guns they had upon and behind the
line.
As the result of the struggle on
that part of the front just west of
Cambrai, where the fighting apparently
was the hottest, the British line
has nowhere been broken, and Field
Marshal Haig's men nave linncieu
frightful casualties on the enemy.
As an indication of the sanguinary
nature of the fighting, the Berlin
foreign office states that 16,000 men
and 200 guns have been captured.
This may be compared to the British
losses in the German counter-offensive
on December 4, 1917, when 6,000
men and 100 guns were captured.
SUNDAY.
Assaulting the British lines on the
, south, the Germans have forced their
way. forward over a front approxi,
mately 21 miles in length, have pene
trated to a depth of four or five miles
west of Cambrai and have reached
Ham, west of St. Quentin, a distance
of about nine miles west of the Brit- (
ish lines as they stood before the inception
of the Teutonic offensive on
Thursday. The German claim that ,
the forces of the central empires are .
fighting on a line northwest of Ba- }
paume, Peronne and Ham has not ,
been substantiated by British official ]
dispatches, but the British reports i
- show that there has been a retire- (
ment at various points, especially at (
St. Quentin, where Field Marshal i
Haig says his forces have taken up }
-Jtheir new positions.
According to a Berlin o*icial dis- \
patch "a considerable part of the ]
British army has been beaten," but :
this is not borne out by any facts so ,
far known. That 25,000 mefc have (
possibly been captured by the Teu- ,
tons may be considered as a natural
result of the slow British v ithdrawal.
This number, however, is very small ,
in comparison to the forces thrown ,
into the fray. 1
The frightful combat continued all
day Saturday.
The great German offensive on the
Western front has developed as its
salient feature an apparent desperate '
effort to break into the southwest of
St. Quentin, drive a wedge between
the British and the French and push
on across the Somme Canal in the i
, general direction of Compiegne and
Paris. J
Simultaneously, Paris has been
bombarded at quarter hour intervals, .
beginning Saturday afternoon, with j
shells of about nine-inch calibre. The
source of the bombardment has not '
been revealed. The nearest point on (
the front is 62 miles distant, more .
than twice as far as artillery fire has .
ever reached previous^ One theory
suggested is that the Germans have ]
developed an aerial torpedo which
can be fired from a long distance.
' There was an admitted break in 1
the British line in the St. Quentin
region on late yesterday, the Germans !
forcing their way through the defensive
system and compelling a British
retreat to prepared positions with- '
in the area devastated by the Ger- '
mans in their retreat in the spring of
1917. \
A supreme effort by the Germans
to cut the line in this region is forecast
in the dispatches. They have <
' put cavalry in the field to follow up ;
the infantry and evidently intend to
throw the Uhlans into the fray when
the infantry columns open the breach .
the German high command is counting
upon. 1
Farther north the British lines,
while they have drawn back are holding
well in their new positions. The
maximum British retrogression there
seems to have been about four miles
at Mory, which has changed hands
several times.
I
MONDAY. i
O* the battle line in France the I
I
sanguinary struggle is still going on.
with the British troops on the most
of the sectors apparently holding
their own, but the Germans at salient
points still pressing forward.
The town of Chauny, southwest of
St. Quentin, situated in the road to
Comptegne. the gateway to Paris,
has been occupied by the Germans
and, according to the Berlin official
communications, everywhere between
the Somme and Oise rivers the Ger
mans are pressing their advantage.
Throughout Sunday, along the entire
fifty-mile battlefront, the fighting
never ceased for a moment, and
where Field Marshal Haig'c men were
unable to withstand the terrific onslaught
delivered by greatly superior
forces ground was given, but always
in orderly fashion.
The withdrawal of the British forces
along the battle front in France
was long ago planned in the event
of the Germans attacking in great
force._ This announcement comes
from the British front through the
Associated Press correspondent, who
describes the operations of the British
army as a masterly withdrawal,
made possible by gallant shock troops
in the front lines, who checked the
advance of the Germans, while artill
ery, machine gun and rifle fire worked
appalling slaughter among the
masses of German infantry as they
were sent forward, thus enabling the
main body of the British to fall back
deliberately and without confusion.
Few Counter Attacks.
-This army, it is declared, has been
conserved, and up to the present very
few counter-attacks have been made
against the Germans. Where the British
have stormed the German's newly
acquired positions they have driven
them back. But each mile of advance
makes the bringing up of supplies
t' the German artillery and infantry
more and more difficult and
unquestionably the British strategy,
as demonstrated since the beginning
of the great attack, is to let the enemy,
so far as he may, wear/himself
out against a powerful defense.
j 1 More Than Million Hnns.
.It has now been definitely ascertained
that considerably mare than a
million Germans have been brought
to the western front in an endeavor
to crush the British army holding the
line from the region of Arras to the
30Uth of St. Quentin, but it daily becomes
increasingly evident that his
irive has met with opposition not
counted upon and that he has'been
unable to realize to the full his objectives.
In addition to Chauny, the
Germans are claiming the capture of
both Peronne and Ham, and, to have
increased the number of prisoners
taken to more than 30,000 in addition
to six hundred guns and large
3tores of war materials.
Claim Americans Repulsed.
It is claimed also by the Germans
that American and French regiments
which were brought up to reinforce
the British have been defeated.
TUESDAY.
Battling for every point of vantage,
giving ground only wnen overwhelmed
by numbers, and exacting a
frightful toll of lives for every foot
of ground abandoned, the British
line in Picardy is still intact. While
the German onslaught gained ground
at a number of points on Monday,
there was no sign of disintegration
in the British forces, which at many
points, especially on ths northern
end of the long line of battle, are
standing firm. The largest gains by
the Germans have been west of St.
Quentin, where they have captured
Nesle and Guiscard. The * points
which are at the tip of the Teutonic
attack are more than ten miles from
the front as it stood March 21.
Military observers discern in the
scheme of German attack a repetition
of the German pincer system of
attack, which was used by Von Mackensen
in Russia, Rumania and Siberia.*
This attack consists of two
attacks some distance apart, which
after progressing to some depth,
turn toward each other, compelling
the forces caught between them, to
fall back or be in danger of capture.
The British have foreseen this danger
and have met it by first checking,
and th,en forcing the northern jaw of
the pincer southward, while they
have dropped back on the center and
have not fallen into the German
trap. The pressure of the defenders
of the Somme front seems to be bendins:
th\e whole German attack to the
south, where it is hoped its force
will be dissipated.
The French positions join the British
south of St. Quentin.
In the mean time, the British
strategy seems to be devoted to the
;ask of meeting the attack so that it
is directed no longer straight at the
line, but diverted toward the Oise,
IN THE PALMETTO STATE
'
;i
SOME OCCURRENCES OF VARIOUS
KINDS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
i
State News Boiled Down for Quicli
Reading.?Paragraphs About
Men and Happenings.
Mrs. Helen T. Converse, widow of
the late D. E. Converse, founder of
Converse college, died at her home in
Spartanburg last Tuesday, aged 80
, years.
Hugh McGregor Mustard, the five
year old son of Mr. and Mrs. W. B
, Mustard of Hopkins fell from the
Southern railway trestle below Hop
kins and was drowned Friday after
noon. v
One Marlboro county farmer, of
which the Enquirer has information
has cleared $80,000 on his last year's
cotton crop and he will be liable to
about $25,000 war taxes.?Yorkville
Enquirer.
The Eagle Roller mills at Greenville,
were destroyed by fire Sunday
with a large quantity of grain and
on Tuesday a warehouse in which 250
bushels of corn was stored was destroyed
by fire.
Thursday afternoon as the Atlantic
Coast Line railroad's southbound
freight train was shifting in the
yards at Cheraw, John Taylor, colored,
aged about ten years, was rur
over and instantly killed.
The food administration announces
that they do not approve of the
contracts that supply wheat withoul
substitutes, and that the promise tc
buy substitutes should not be accepted,
but that they should actually be
bought.
Failure of the State senate to confirm
the appointment of Wade Hampton
Gibtes, chief game warden, is
held by Thomas H. Peeples, attorney
general, to disqualify for the office,
This opinion was given by Mr. Peeples
to Dr. E. C. L. Adams, president
of one cf the audubtH) society factions.
where the German advance has been
most rapid. y
French Relieve British.
French trops have taken over sectors
of the front and have released
British units for work further north.
Berlin states that Americans have
also joined in the fighting, but
nothing has as yet been officially reported
on this point.
The fall of Bapaume early Monday
was a blow to the British, but it
was the result of a determination to
fall back slowly all along the line
that is being attacked.
Berlin claims that 45,00 prisoners
have been taken. These were
probably units which were left to
hold the easier defended points while
the main portion of Field Marshal
Haig's army fell back.
Huns Heaviest Loosers.
The British losses have been neavy,
but it is officially announced that
considering the magnitude of the
struggle, they are not unduly so. On
the other hand, the Germans have
suffered terribly, even Berlin admitting
that the Teutonic casualties before
Peronne wene "comparatively
heavy."
, Paris Again Bombarded.
Paris has again been bombarded by
the mysterious German cannon,
which is said to have been located
in the fonest of St. Gobain, south of
La, Fere. An interruption in the
bombardment on Monday was considered
as an indication that the
mysterious gun, Qr possibly a battery
of them, had been located by the
French ajerial forces. In the face of
reports of continued falling back on
the part of the British, the people
of London and Paris have preserved
a remarkable calm.
WEDNESDAY.
After six days of terriffic fighting
the German offensive in France is beginning
to show signs of losing its
momentum. The plan of the enemy
has materially slackened and the
form of the dent made in the allied
line west of Cambrai has begun to
resemble the^miliar wedge-like salient,
instead of the broad straight
forward movement of an offensive
which carries all before it.
As its apex this wedge has gone beyond
AAlbert and is to the westward
of the old allied line as it stood a
year ago when von Hindenburg began
his "strategic retreat."
From this point the line runs off to
the northeast as a gentle angle, with
the line to the south running back
until it reaches the Oise river.
British Stand Firm.
In spite of the stupendous exerI
tions and terrible losses, the German
I
'
> REINFORCEMKNTS ON WAY.
I
Lloyd George Sends Good News and
j Praises Gallant Army.
London, March 25.?In a message
to Field Marshal Haig, David Lloyd
: George, the British premier, says
that the men necessary to replace
those lost are either in France or already
on their way. All guns will
hp renlaoerl and still further rein
forcements of men and guns are
ready to enter the battle.
The premier's message follows:
"The British cabinet wishes to express
to the army the nation's thanks
i for its splendid defense. The whole
. empire is filled with pride as it
i watches the heroic resistance offered
- by its brave troops to overwhelming
- odds.
"Knowing their steadfastness and
! courage whenever the honor of their
country depends on their valor, the
empire awaits with confidence the re- '
i suit of this struggle to defeat the en(
emy's last desperate effort to trample
down the free nations of the world. 1
"At home we:are prepared to do all
in our power to help in a true spirit
of comradeship. The men necessary
I f.n renlaee all casualties and cannon
and machine guns required to make
good all those lost are either now in
France or alreadyVjon their way and
^ still further reinforcements of men
and guns are ready to be thrown into
the battle."
1 War Risk Insurance.
Soldiers, sailors, or their beneficial
aries under the soldiers and jailors'
: insurance law need not employ attor>
neys or claim agents to collect the in.
surance, according to the Treasury
i Department. Circulars have lately
been sent out by claim agents and at.
torneys offering to assist persons en.
titled to the benefits of this insurance
. in collecting their claims.
The procedure for the presentation
and collection of insurance claims is
. simple. Blanks may be secured from
. the Bureau of War-Risk Insurance
at Washington. The name of the
person in service who was killed or
injured, and the relationship which
he bore to the person making the
claim, should be given.
Somewhat Spineless
Lerret: What about that boy you
were going to adopt?
Yadilloh: Fired him back to the
orphans' home. When a kid kicked
him on the shins and dared him to '
put up his mits, he blubbered that
fighting was wicked and offered to
arbitrate.?Exchange. f
efforts to widen the tip of this salient
were defeated on Tuesday. The
British lines have stood firm to the
north and have forced the Germans
to turn southward tQwards the point
of least/ resistance.
Official statements issued at London
confirm the report from Berlin
that American forces are engaged in
the struggle. There has been no official
report to Washington as to the
identity of these troops who are taking
part in this greatest battle in :
history.
With the slacking of the German
pace there come indications that the
allies are ready to strike back some
where along the front. Just where
this blow will be launched will not
be known until it is struck, but it
may be expected that its impact will
be terriffic.
Each succeeding day reveals the
plan of the Germans absolutely to
crush the allies' lines west of Cambrai,
terrain which could not be defended
by von Hindenburg a year
ago. '
Each official report shows that this
sector is valueless from a military
Vstandpoint and that the Germans
have paid a terrible price for their
advance to the lines established by
the allies during the first two years
of the war. It is officially reported
that 70 German divisions, or 840,000
men, have taken pa*t in the fight- 1
ing. i
Observers at the front say that
the German losses have been fright- :
ful, and that the enemy has lost
from 10 to 20 per cent, of his men <
by the most conservative estimate. 1
Repeat von Kluck Tactics.
The situation as it stands seems
to be a repetition of the dash of General
von Kluck on Paris in 1914,
when the German artillery and transports
could not keep up with the infantry
and the French were able to j
turn back the invaders at the Marne.
Reports from various sectors in
the last two days have indicated that
the German infantry, relying on its
mass attacks, has fought without the
customary assistance of artillery. To
bring up heavy guns requires time
and the German advance will steadily
become more painful and costly.
AMERICANS IN THE BATTLE;
THREE REGIMENTS OF THEM
WITH THE BRITISH.
Army Officials Believe Engineers Are
Giving Good Account of Themselves.
Washington, March 25.?Gen.
Pershing cabled the WaivDepartment
tonight that two regiments of American
railroad engineers are attached
to the British forces on the front
attacked by the Germans. Three
companies of the r ngineers, he said,
were working in the areas in which
the German official statement mentioned
the presence of American
troops, and no report has been received
concerning them.
This message, announced tonight
by Major Gen.' March, acting chief of
staff, definitely disposes of reports
that Americans had been sent into
the battle. Gen. Pershing said there
was nothing unusual to report from
the American sectors.
The dispatch follows: N
"Summary of activities from noon,
March 24, to noon, March 25.
"Nothing to report but usual pa- !
trol and trench activities, with some j
gas shelling by the enemy north of
roul. Reference to German communiques
of March 24 and 25, regarding
American troops, two regiments
of railway engineers are with
the British armies involved in this
battle. Three companies of engineers
were working in the areas men-1
tioned in the communique in the vi- j
cinity of the Crozat canal. No report
other than the German communique
reported yet regarding these
troops."
BYRNES SCORES LONGWORTH.
Says Attack on Wilson First Partisan
Speech of Session.
\
Washington, March 18.?Representative
Longworth's speech last
Saturday criticising the President for
seeking great powers was answered
today by Representative Byrnes, of
South Carolina, who described it as
"the first partisan, political speech
made this session during the consideration
of a war measure."
"It is true," Mr. Byrnes continued,
"that during the entire speech
he waved the flag, but while he energetically
waved the flag with one
hand he skilfully wielded the stiletto
with the other. Not content with
criticising the president, and the secretary
of the treasury, to discredit
them in the eyes of the American
people as autocrats seeking vast autocratic
powers at the expense of the
people, he sought to reflect upon the
patriotism and membership of this
house on the Democratic side.
"It was a mere diversion from an
attack aimed at the secretary of the
treasury. How startling^it was to
-V./-V A mfin'/>on nonnlo frt h?Vo IpampH
111C Xliu^l ivuu vv ? V/
that the bill (the war finance bill)
as it was presented to the committee
on ways and means contained an authority
on the part of the secretary
of the treasury, an ambitious man,
as he calls liirn, to gather unto himself
autocratic powers greater than
any kaiser or war lord ever sought.
That was the language he used.
"What about the 'power? Why,
he says he saved it. He saved the
Republic, which was about to be
wrecked. Saved it, how? By taking
from the secretary of the treasury
the right and power to name the directors.
How did he save it? By
giving that power to the president.'
Was the gentleman sincere in believing
that the president would appoint
directors who would not work
in harmony with the secretary of the
treasury?" ?
^ lt> ?
Coker College to Get $150,000.
Hartsville, March 22.?Founder's
day was celebrated at Coker College
today. The leading address was
made by Maj. Ullern of the French
army. His address was a forcible <
presentation of what France had
done during the war. He commended
most highly the preparation that
America had made to enter the struggle.
At the close of the exercises it was
announced that the General Education
Board of New York had offered
to give Coker College $40,000 on condition
that the trustees raise $110,000
more. The treasurer of the col
1 ? 4.1, ~ tJlot Mci TiJmdU
lege men ainiuuav/tu mite muj.
L. Coker, the founder of the college,
had just given $100,000. This leaves
only $10,000 to be raised by friends.
The entire $150,000 is to be used as
a permanent endowment fund. This
makes the endowment of Coker College
over $400,000.
/ *
HOW TO GET COAL.
Bamberg Citizens Must File Applications
With the City.
In order to secure coal for the citizens
of Bamberg, Mr. J. A. Wyman,
county fuel chairman, is making contracts
for the city of Bamberg for
a certain number of cars of coal,
which will be distributed among the
citizens of the city. This coal will '
arrive during May and June probably,
although the date of arrival of
the cars has not been fixed, and will
depend to a great extent upon the
ability of the mines to ship as requested.
A good grade of domestic
coal will be secured, although it is
impossible to always secure the ex
act quality of domestic coal preferred,
as the demand for coal is great
all over the country, and as the government
will not permit cross shipments
of coal. It will be necessary, /
therefore, that the city of Bamberg
take domestic coal from the mines
which are nearest to it, but in this
connection it is stated that a good
grade of coal will be available.
As the price per ton of the coal
which the city expects to secure has
not been communicated to the city
officials, it has been suggested that
those citizens who expect to secure
coal from the city as set out below,
wait until next week before filing
applications, so that they will know
exactly what sum of money to deposit
to cover the cost of the coal they
will require.
The county fuel administrator has
made arrangements with the city officials
to handle the coal which will
arrive so that those desiring it may
secure their supply for ^winter durS
ing the summer months. The city of
Bamberg has made arrangements
with the clerk of the council, Mr. H.
D. Free, to take charge of the distribution
of the coal, and thos/"wfi^(|
expect to secure a supply /qi fue^H
through Mr. Free will ^6tain from^
him an application bl^rhk, which will B
be filled out by the /applicant as far J
as possible, and i'/"may then be filed ?
with Mr. Free, br.t it must be accom-^J
panied by a ch^ck or cash covering^B
the total amount of coal desired. Iifl
handling cofVfor the community t^flH
eity does nSraiesire to make mone^W
in this way,^neither does the city expect
to lose money, and the price paid
the city per ton for coal will be the
cost of the coal delivered at Bamberg,
plus a small sum to cover handling
charges, etc.
The county administrator states
that any citizen or group of citizens
who desire to order coal independently
of the method above outlined arje
at perfect liberty to do so, and that
he will approve any contracts for coal
so ordered, provided that the parties
so securing a supply of coal execute
the applications showing their individual
requirements for the year
^ ^ ^ O 1 of 1Q1Q AT r. nr.
CUUXU5 iuai v;ii o lot, iui vt juiau
states that he will not be able to
secure cars of coal for individuals or
groups of individuals but that if the
individuals or groups of persons
succeed in placing contracts he will '
approve them as stated above.
The city officials, however, will
secure cars for a group of its citizens
who desire to obtain their coal in '
this manner, and tfiose who so prefer
to obtain coal by groups, may make
applications to Mr. Free. Mr Wyman
is taking up the matter of supplying
other sections of the county with
coal through the committeemen of
these sections.
Wood.
The citizens of the county are *
again reminded that the supply of
fuel for the next winter may be short
unless they make arrangements to
secure coal or wood during the sum
mer montns. it is wen Known cuai
there may be a coal shortage next
winter unless adequate provision is
now made. This county being so
plentifully supplied with woodlands
the chairman of the fuel committee
for the county believes that there
need be no discomfort among our
citizens, if a little forethougth is
exercised, and arrangements made for
the cutting of wood this summer.
A word to tnewise ls sumcient.
Secretary Baker in London.
London, March 23.?Newton D.
Baker, the American Secretary of
War, visited King Albert, of Belgium,
and the Belgian front yesterday.
Secretary Baker arrived in London
from Calais at 5 p. m. He was accompanied
by Major Frederick Palmer.
The Secretary was met by Ambassador
Page, Gens. Biddle and
Bartlett and by Col. Lord Duncannon,
representing the British war office.
Mr. Baker drove to the house of
Ambassador Page, whose guest he
will be during his stay in London.
/ ' V
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