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mm and outhrou. m lUMTKH WATCHMAN, Established April, 1810. "Be Jost and Pear not?Lot all the ends Thon Almst at be thy Country's, Thy God's and Train's." THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established June, 184s. Consolidated Aug. 3,1881, SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1914. Vol. XXXIX. No. 35. DESPERATE Mil II WEST Allies Make Slight Gains in Bloody Offen? sive Fighting on Belgian Border; At? tacks Gather Momentum. i_ GERMAN AHSAUXTS TO RECOVER LOST ?ROI XD IN FLANDERS ARE I N!* (X EhSFl lr? RUSSIANS DO NOT ADMIT DEFEAT IN EAST, BIT REFORMED TO RESIST ATACKS OF IMMENSE GERMAN ARMY?DRESDEN SI NK OFF SOUTH AMERICAN COAST-?RE? PORTS OF DARING ATTACK ON GERMAN TOWNS BY FRENCH AERON AI TS?KAISER HAS RECOVERED AND WILL RETURN TO FRONT. Dresden Sunk at Last. Vslparlaso. Dec. 18.?The German cruiser Dresden, which escaped in the recent engagement with the Brit? ish fleet off * the Falkland Is? lands, was rep- ted by wireless last night to have been sunk off Cam brldfs Island, ir the South Pacific, by the British cruiser Bristol. The en? gagement lasted forty minutes. The Bristol was badly damaged. sTssieT Recovered. Berlin. Dec. 13.?The Kaiser has completely recovered and will return to ths front Sunday. (Official.) Aktes Forcing; the Fighting. Paris. Dee. 18.?Ths offensive move? ment by allies in northern France is fathering momentum, "he sttacks by Use French. British snd Indian troops all ths way from the Belgian border to the river ?lse sre growing mo**e violent In West Flsnders desperate German sttacks to recover lost ground along ths ssst bank of the Yser ca? nal, between Dlxmude and Nleuport, are being thrown back with fearful slaughter The sllles have made slight at'parses south of the forest of pp^uthulst snd south ef the Ypres JftsUa read. The' allies' artillery fl|An^^jfgA>*g&ssjs]naAiA IbWeTbr^rsncnes ?;eai fclllibeke. stMn Elllebeke snd Vunvoorde the ftruggls has been appallingly bloody. Rnsslsns Do Not Admit Defeat. Petrograd. Dec. 18.?Persistent at? tacks by great masses of Germans compelled the regrouping of the Hus stan army west of Wa*saw, the one my suffering severely in their offen? sive sgsinst the Kazunpolskl-Tcresln Sklerniewice front where the Russians' artillery tepulsed massod German at? tacks The csar returned to Petro? grad today, and Immediately called a meeting of the Imperial council. Tho sssslon lasted two hours. Mets and Straseburg Bombarded. Paris. Dec. 18.?News of a daring raid by French airships bombarding the grest German fortresses of Metz and Strassburg was r9oeived today. Eight aviators flew from Toul. The forts were considerably damaged. The bombs were dropped from sn altitude of four thousand feet. One machine wss wrecked by tho enemy's artillery fire. German Attacks Repulsed. Paris. Dec. 18.?All counter at? tacks by the Oermann in Belgium have been repulsed. South of the Franco-Belgian frontier nu lerous trencnes have been captured by the French. In the Argonnes the Ger? mans blew up a French trench with a min.' (Official.) Four Hundred Thousand Loss. Berlin. Dec. 18.?The casualties of the German. Austrian and Russian armies In the battles in Poland num? ber over 100.000. according to ? seml-offlclsl dlspa.ch from Breslau. In Poland ahme the Russians have lost twenty.five thousand killed and wounded, besides many prisoners. Field Msrshall Hlndenbern telephon? ed ths Kaiser Today that the German victory In Poland is complete. Another Merchant Ship Sunk. Scarborough. Dec. 18.?An uniden? tified steamship with all aboard was sunk by a mine oft' the const thin morning. This is the fifth ship sunk within twenty-four hours. F.mdrn Survivor* Captured. Tokio. Dec. 18.?Forty sailors es captng from tho German cruiser Emden, when she was sunk by the British cruiser Sydne> ha\e been cap? tured by u British warship. KING GEORGE'S NARROW ESC? A IT. German Submarine Attempted to Tor? pedo King'* Ship Ncsr French Coast. I?ndon. (By mail uncensored), Dec. 19.?King George narrowly escaped disaster from a German torpedo on hl3 journey across the English Channel to : the front. In spite of all precautions u German submarine approached his I ship near the French coast, and fired several torpedoes. His ship took a j zigzag course, making markmanshlp difficult for the German submarine. Reinforcements for Germans. Berlin, Wireless, Dec. 19.?Fierce fighting is progressing in the vicinity of Neluport, Bixschoote and La Basse, where the anglo-French forces have launched three separate at? tacks. The Germans have repulsed the allies west of Lens, east Albert and I west of Noyon. At the east Prussian frontier a Russia n cavalry attack on West Pilkalled has been repulsed. In Poland the pursuit of the Russians ;continues. (Official) Military experts ? today forecast the transfer of several ! corps of Germans from east to the I Franco-Belgian theatre of war. Old Men Called Out. Rotterdam, Dec. 19.?Germany has called out all the untrained men of the Landstrum class born between 1868 and 1876. Failure to obey the order will be punished by six months jUMgve years Imprisonment. All boys military training. Russians Fighting Stubbornly. Petrograd, Dec. 19.?Heavy rein? forcements have been rushed to the Poland battle front to strengthen the Russian lines. Every attempt of the Germans to pierce the Russian de-1 fenso west of Warsaw has been re? pulsed. The heavy losses suffered by the Germans has compelled the aban? donment of thoir advance along the tnirty-scven mile front from Kazan polski to Skeirniewice, but they main- j tain their assaults on Teresin, on Sochazew, and on the Warsaw railroad line, where after seven hours of fierce hand to hand fighting tho Germans were repulsed with an estimated loss of six thousand. Russian Train Destroyed. Vienna, Dec. 19.?A Russian armor? ed train from Lemberg to the Carpa? thian front carrying ammunition and food, was blown up Thursday by an Austrian mine. Two hundred Rus? sian troops wer*? killed. Paris, Dec. 19.?British warships are today bombarding Mlddlekerke, on tho North Sea. Inflicting sevei ? damage to the German positions. A success? ful aerial reconnaisance was made over Ostend by tho allies' scouts. The allies have reached Lombartzyko and are advancing toward Ostend. Dutch Neutrality Violated. Amsterdam, Dec. 19.?A Dutch monitor last night captured a six thousand ton German steamship try? ing to violate the neutrality of Holland by sailing from Antwerp. Tho ship was halted by a shot across her bows and brought back to Holland. German Aeroplane Stranded. Copenhagen, Dee, in.--A German aeroplane stranded on France Island (Danish), The aviator WSJ arrested by Danish soldiers. He and his ma? chine will he Interned until the end of th?> war, Athens, Dec. 19.? The premier call? ed a cabinet meeting this morning t<: take action on the arrest of a Greek naval OflhOef by the Turks In Constan? tinople. French Driving German Back. Paris. Dec. 1!? (Official i\ M.) ? The French are continuing to a<l vance south of Ypres. South of La bassee the French advanced mote than a half mile and made progress! nt other points. The Germans Arc making tho fiercest resistance since the war startod. in the German schools Moving on Ostend. Greek Cabinet Meets. E6YPT SEVERS PAST TIES. GREAT BRITAIN TAKES COUNTRY OVER AS PROTECTORATE. Sir Arthur Henry McMahan Appointed Conunissioner?Rights of Turkey as Suzerain Are Abrogated. London, Dec. 17.?Egypt has been declared a British protectorate. This announcement, made oificially tonight, follows: "His Britannic majesty's principal secretary of State for foreign affairs gives notice that in view of a state of war arising out of the action of Turk?y, Egypt is placed under the I protection of his majesty and will hencoforth constitute a British protec? torate. "The suzerainty of Turkey over Egypt is thus terminated, and his majesty's government will adopt all measures necess-ary for the defense of ? Egypt and the protection of its inhab? itants and interests. "The king has been pleased to ap? prove the appointment of Lieut. Col. Sir Arthur Henry McMahan to be hi? j majesty's high commissioner for ! Egypt." ] The proclamation of Egypt as a [British protectorate was foreshadowed I in recent dispatches. On November 3 j Egypt was placed under martial law and Maj. Gen. Sir John Grenfell Max ?well commander of the forces In Egypt, was placed in military control. Advices from Constantinople have :reported the Khedive Abbas Hilmld? exiled from Egypt on account of his pro-Turkish altitude?as having gene I to Vienna to confer with the Aus? trian authorities. Previously the: |khedlve had been reported preparing i to lead an army into Egypt to wrest control from the British. Egypt, while nominally forming par. of the Turkish empire, had been virtually a British dependency. The ministers, subject to the ruling of the khedive. Since 1883 England has beei represented in the government On the abolition of the joint Anglo French control In that year? the kJpta 'dive, on the recommendahoh* bf^fehfc land, appointed an English financial adviser without whose consent no financial decision can be taken. lO DISTRIBUTE LOAN FUND. Committee Meets in Charleston and Arrange for Administration of Pool. _ Charleston, Dec. 17.?A full meet? ing of th^i cotton loan committee for South Carolina was held this morning ;in the offlce of lt. G. Rhctt, president of the People's National bank, and chairman of the State committee. ThDsc present wore: R. G. Rhett, chairman; C. G. Rowland, Sumter; |(John M. Kinard, Newberry; Henry Schachte, Charleston, and E. H. Prin? gle, Jr., Charleston. Details of tho plan, whereby $135, 000,000 becomes available for loans to residents of the cotton States, were dUcussed at todays' meeting, and nominations for the local commiUeeh of the State of South Carolina were listed. The proposed membership of ?vary county committee in the State was completed, and requests to serve were addressed to each or the men so named. All citizens so approached have been asked at the same time to signify their acceptance or inability to accept by return mail, that the com? pletion of the county committees may bo achieved as soon as is possible. The membershij) of the county com m ttees of the State will be made public as soon as the nominations of tho State committee have been accept? ed. Committees for the counties will vary in number of membership in ac? cordance with the needs of the differ? ent counties. As soon as the lists have been confirmed, South Carolina will he in a position to help operate the cotton loan plan. MAKES INSURGENT SPEECH. President and Secretary Houston Crlti losed by Congressman. Washington. 1 eo. 19.?Congressman Bulkeley, Democrat, in the first "in? surgent, speech" of the house i 'his session toda.' caustically criticised President Wilson and Secretary of Ag? riculture Houston for delay in putting through the rural credits bill. NEW KHEDIVE INSTALLED. Untie of Deposed Ruler Placed at Head of Egyptian Government Cairo, Dec. 1!>.? Prince Sulssan. an uncle of the deposed khedive of Egypt, was officially installed sultan of Egypt under the British protector? ate today. YEARS TO IMPROVE NAVY. ADMIRAL IT SKI: SAYS 5 YEARS ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE IT EFFICIENT. Would Require Many Changes and Hard Work to Secure Maximum of j j Efliciency. Washington, Dec. 17.?Five years would be required to put the United States navy in the highest state of ef jficlency to meet a hostile fleet, ac? cording- to a statement today by Rear j Admiral Fiske before the house naval committee. The admiral, who is chief of the bureau of operations, member of the general board and a former president of the naval institute, said tho navy was deficient in aircraft, mines, scout cruisers, torpedo boat de Jstroyers, submarines and in number of trained officers and men, and had 'no mine sweepers. Members of the committee were i particularly interested In Admiral [Flake's views as to the possibility of 'foreign air craft dropping bombs on American cities. He expressed the 'opinion that any attacking fleet might (begin sending its airships on bomb j dropping flights over New York from a range of 500 or GOO miles off the coast. One foreign navy, which was not named, the admiral said, was more ef? ficient than the American fleet of gun? nery. This, he declared, however, was ?o only because the American marks? men had not been given adequate op? portunity for practice. In speaking of the "highest state of efficiency," the officer explained that he had in mind jthe state of a certain unnamed power, jwhose officers and men have inbred the spirit of a military nation. "I doubt if in five years' time we could get the navy up to a state of the highest efficiency," he said. "That is to the ef?ciency that one of the navies of Europe now has. I have heard some officers say it was doubt? ful if it were possible to bring it up to that efficiency." CRISIS AT NACO NEAR. pr?*?.: ? J ??- - HRNNSJSM C'arranza Forces Entrench Themselves on Border in Threatening Position. Naco, Ariz., Dec. 19.?Troop trains bringing United States cavalry to re? inforce the forces held here to pro? tect American lives from the bullets oi the warring Mexicans across the bor jder are arriving today. During last ! night tho Carranzaists dug three : trenches paralleling border. If Gen. ' Villa's troops storm these trenches the bullets are almost certain to fall on I the American side. ASK FOR HABEAS CORPUS. Will Appeal to United States Supreme Court, Thus Delaying Execution of Sentence. Atlanta, Dec. 19.?An application I for a habeas corpus writ for Deo M. j Frank, who has been convicted of the j murder of Mary Phagan, was made .today before Judge Newman in the ! f?deral district court on the grounds that the verdict was unconstitutional, because Frank was absent when the verdict was rendered. If the writ is either granted or denied the case till I be> appealed to the supreme court of 'the United States again. It will like I ly have the effect of postponing the I date of execution which Is set for Jan? uary 22. Arguments are proceeding? his afternoon. I STEAMER GOING DOWN. I - Isthmian's Fate Told in Brief Message. San Diego, Dec. 18.?"Sinking." A laconic wireless received here soon I after 10 o'clock tonight told the fate 'of the American Hawaiian steamer Isthmian, bound for New York, with a million dollar* cargo of fruits and \ wines. ? The Isthmian tore open her bow on jSan Benito island, 300 miles south of here, early today by running on rock. The cruiser West Virginia, the destroy? er Perry and the naval tug Iroquois i were convoying her to port. SUMTER NEGRO PAROLED. Franklin McLaiu Freed by Executive ?Goo. W. Long Pardoned. Columbia, Dec. IS.?The governor hss granted a pardon to George > *r. Long, who was convicted in Green? wood county of manslaughter in Jan? uary of UHU and sentenced to three years* Imprisonment, A parole has been granted to Dan? iel Franklin McLaine, who was con? victed In Sumter county in October, ?H1, of larceny of bicycles and sen? tenced to one year. Since assuming Office the governor has extended clemency in 1,436 case*. BATTLE 1 HUNDRED DAYS Conflict on Aisne Between Allies and Ger? mans Still Continues With Unabated Fury and Little Indication of Speedy Result. ALLIES CLAIM TO II AVK GAINED ALONG WHOLE THREE HUNDRED MILE FRONT, WHILE GERMANS SAY COUNTER ATTACKS HAVE RESULTED IN RECAPTURE OF TRENCHES?OFFICIAL LIST AT BERLIN SHOWS 800,000 MEN KILLED, WOUNDED OR MISSNG UP TO NOVEMBER 15TH?GERMANS BEGIN TO DOUBT REALITY OF GREAT VICTORY OVER RUSSIANS IN POLAND ? FIERCE j FIGHTING IN CARPATHIANS?GERMAN GUNS HEARD AT WAR? SAW. BATTLE ONE HUNDRED BAYS. Allies Have Made Gains, but No De? cisive Results Have Been Attained. Paris, Dec. 21.?The allies' artillery is now within range of Roulers and is bombarding the city. A supreme ef? fort is being made on the Ypres Wervick line to get long range guns within range of Courtrai through the swamps. The great battle of the lAisne which was begun September jl2th, is now raging on French, Ger 'man and Belgium soil. It has pro? gressed for one hundred . days. I While the allies have made good I gains all along the three hundred mile ; front, at no place has the offensive j resulted in any decisive achievement. The report that the allies have cap? tured Middlekerke is yet unsubstan? tiated. Along the heights of the Meuse, in the Woever district, in the Vosges land in Alsace, the French continue to ,kcep the Germans engaged over an ; extended front. 2,000 MEN LOST LIVES. i British Oftieers Give Details of Great Naval Battle. Montevideo, Dec. 21.?Details of the I I naval battle when four German war j ships were sunk last week, given by I officers* or t*he British* erXiser* invin? cible show that two thousand nineteen I officers and men lost their lives in the conflict and one hundred and thirty ;\*ere rescued. Await Reports of Victory. ! The Hague, Dec. 21.?The latest I casualty list issued at Berlin give the 1 number at about eight hundred thou? sand killed, wounded and missing at I both east and west. The list covers only part of November and gives no casualties for December. The people of Germany are anx jiously awaiting the details of a victory j reported won by Von Hindenburg In Poland. In view of the fact that the ? Russians deny that they suffered a 1 great defeat, the Germans are begin? ning to feel uncertain. _ Warsaw Hard Pushed. Petrograd, Dec. 21.?Great German |gurs are trying to batter their way i through the Russian defenses west of , Warsaw. The cannonade can be heard in Warsaw. It is officially asserted that the German advance there is so \k>%! usly checked that it cannot be re? sumed for sometime. German aviators and zeppelins have dropped bombs three times within the week over Warsaw, killing forty-two and injuring 'many more. Food supplies are short. ,It is admitted today that Russians : have evacuated Lodicz. ! _ Fighting in the Snow. Vienna, Dec. 21.?The fiercest battle of the campaign in the Carpathians is raging near Lupkow Pass, southeast of Sanek. The Austrian army that was advancing to the relief of Przemsyl were met by a strong Russian force. They have been fighting for three days. The valleys are filled with .mow and the wounded are perishing from cold and are buried under the snow drifts. Germans Advance Thirty Miles. Berlin, Dec. 21.?The capture of !Skiernicwice, a railroad center of Po? land, forty miles from Warsaw, by the Germans, is reported in a Breslau dispatch today. This shows a German advance of thirty miles from Lodft. An Improbable Story. London. Dec. 21.- ?t Mailed Uhcen? sored )?A story has just leaked out that the Krupps sent an expert t-> mount forty-two centimetre Gorman guns on the battle front. After a dif ferencc of opinion with the Command? ing General he had an altercation With the Kaiser who struck him in the face. The expert resigned und the German government has been unable to secure another. Tho l-uus are still at the Krupp works. Lost Trenches Recaptured. Berlin, Wireless, Dec. 21.?Counter attacks by the Germans against the al? lies in Flanders and Fra ->ce are hav? ing results, says the off statement 'this afternoon. At tr ? it the Ger mans continue attar ^* jn the Rus I .?r sians in Poland. ' ,h attacks at W jNieuport and alo u .e canal and at lLabassee were r > ed. Trenches lost i ?y to the allies n , otredame and De lorette have fc recaptured. .^' Alii' v sanlt Successful. Paris, iCial), Dec. 21.?An as ' sault r aned by the allies in glanders u resulting in further gains ithis afternoon. The first line of the j German trenches, southwest of Loos ihas been captured. The Germans are j accused of bombarding the hospital at lYpres. Germans are now shelling ' Arras. S. C. UNIVERSITY NOTES. Students Looking Forward to the Christmas Holidays. Columbia, Dec. 19.?The Christmas holidays begin at the University of South Carolina Wednesday morning and continue through Tuesday, Jan? uary 5, lectures being resumed on the 6th. J, D. Griffith, a senior law student (from Saluda county and a member and |ex-prcsident of the Clariosophic lit? erary society, was awarded first place in the Roddy medal debate held in the University chapel Monday even? ing. The query asked for the total elimination of the cotton crop next year, and the decision was given to the affirmative, composed of Mr. Grif? fith and Mr. Raymon Schwartz, of Sumter, who is also a senior law stu? dent and a member of the Euphradian society. The debate was one of the best ever held under the Roddy con? test. Dr. Francis Preston Vcnable, ex? change professor from the University of North Carolina to the University of South Carolina, gives a series of four lectures before the students of the University on "Radium and Radio-Ac? tivity" after Christmas. Dr. Venable whose father was at one time a pro? fessor here, is admittedly ono of the nation's foremost scientists, has had published a number of works that are 'accepted as standard and authorita !tive, and has degrees and orders from a number of foreign institutions and scientific societies. Dr. Venable will also give public lectures at night on "University Research." Guy Gunter and H. E. Danner, re? spectively alumni and student man? agers for the 1915 football season, 'are already busily engaged arranging I next season's schedule^ Georgia Tech. I and the University of North Carolina 'have been dropped; University of Vir iginia retained. A good number of I games will be played within the State I next season. FREIGHT RATES INCREASED. Interstate Commerce Commission Render Deelsion Favorable to the I Railroads. i Washington. Dec. IS.?Though de {nying the general increased rates ask? ed by the eastern railroads, the Inter? state Commerce Commission decision [issued today is considered favorable to jthe railroads. They are granted per? mission to increase rates in certain territory not exceeding five per cent., but forbidding this increase to be added to the rates hitherto raised. Commissioners Clements and Harlan I dissented from the opinion. Joint rates between the east and southern territory may be increased five per cent. Lewis Stuttle. colored, was Friday convicted in the Recorder's Court on the charge of Sellins; whiskey In vio? lation of the law. His sentence was $100 or .'<0 days. Messrs. Oeo. I). l.e\\ and J. H. Clifton were the at? torneys In the case.