The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, August 11, 1915, Image 6
POTASH FROM KELP.
? 0\<.IUNsM\\ i.i VHC 1IF.AHS
from sum:i \H\ iioiston.
Reports ere Ample?HoM|M>mdblc
Maknm of Fertiliser arc Invited to
Look Into New Sounvs.
Columbia. Aug. ?.?Congressman A.
F. Lever la In receipt of u letter
from D. F. Houston, secretary of ng
rlculture of the United States, which
la of Importance to farmers, as it
deals with one of the most Interesting
i' nil far-reaching questions confront?
ing the farmers evervwhere at this
particular time. Several years ago
Representative Lever, realising the
dependence of the I'nlted States up?
on foreign countries for potash, ob?
tained an appropriation in the agri?
cultural bill of $25,000 to enable the
department to ascertain any possible
source* of potash In this country. The
discovery has been made that the giant
selp* of the Pacific ocean within
Amerlcar territory furnish an almost
Inexhaustible supply of this fertiliser
material These kelp beds have been
mapped and the data regradlng them
published.
Some weeks ago Congressman Lever
( wrote Macretary Houston, urging upon
him the desirability of taking advan?
tage of these times to find some way
to develop these sources of potash.
With such development and the use
of the Panama canal. In the opinion
of Mr. Lever, potash would become
very much cheaper In the South, even
than It la under normal world con
dltlena
Secretary Houston has replied as
follows
-Hon. A. F. Lever, Lexington, 8. C.
"Dear Mr. Lever. I have Just had
a conference with the chief of the
bureau of soils regarding your letter
of Jury IS addressed to Dr. Cameron.
J agree with you that this is a time
when we should do everything possi?
ble and reasonable to help develop
a potash Industry In this country- The
bureau of soils has been very diligent
and efficient In carrying out the pro?
visions of law regarding the possible
fertiliser resources of the t'nlted
States. It has done good work In the
study of th* utilisation of our phos?
phate deposits and has published a
number of bulletins. It Is working on
the Important question of fixation of
building that the committee au?
thorised last yesr to be constructed
at Arlington Is about completed and
the equipment Is practically Installed
for the further Investigations on a
scale comparable with a small com?
mercial plant that will enable them
to solve some of the important ques?
tions of making available the nitrogen
of the air for the use of our farmers.
. "It has been very diligent In Its
explorations for possible sources of
potash and has published several bul?
letins giving the results of Its ex?
plorations. The most promising and
th* most complete of these Investiga?
tions has been In connection with the
giant kelp* of the Pacific coast. You
bav* undoubtedly seen the recont
publication Issued us 'Report No.
100,' which I feel presents in a com?
plete and satisfactory way the oppor?
tunities that are offered there f >c
commercial potash production. It
has seemed to me with this presenta?
tion, which gives maps showing the
local loa of th* kelp beds, giving the
amount of potash contained therein
ami estimate of the tonnage, show?
ing th* relation of these beds to tin
navigation data, that It is now Utting
that commercial Interests should de?
velop at their own expense a commer?
cial potash supply
"Under my Instructions the bureau
has taken pains to bring these mat?
ters before responsible financial Inter
eats of the country; but. as In all
such large enterprises. It Is exceeding?
ly difficult to get capital and substan?
tial business men to develop new
line*. As is not uncommonly the case
In a mutter of this kind, the first to
?nter the business are Irresponsible
and are not sufficiently in earnest in
tbelr attempt to develop the Industry,
but rather to make money out of Ue?
ldes. This Is not th?- kind of people
with whom the department wants to
deal. If substantial fertilizer linns,
such as The Virginia-Carolina Ctieinl
cal c-mpany or liu hnooid, Y.i , 'l ie
Rovster Guano eompany of Norfolk,
Vs.. The Itiehmon.i QfsajM e.unpany.
itlehmond. Va.; The York Chemical
work. York, Pn ; JarOCft? Chemie.ii
Company. Clrxunnati, <>hlo. The W. leb
Fertiliser eompanv. Columbus, nhh>,
The Mutual Fertilizer cmpany. Sa
vannah, Ga.; The Planter-1 gnggpaajr.
Charleston. S C, or*any of the large
snd r?*spon lb|#? firms or association
of firms win .b-tinif. i\ comraH I ho in
selves. gtilstf la aa net aal doaseenrtra?
lion or lo mi actual d?\? Inpuont of
this industry. I shall be very glad to
|pnd the weight of this ib paifno nt In
nn advisory capacity to help estab?
lish a potash Industry, but I am un?
willing to authorise the oapoadlturs
of funds In roopei iii<>n .\ Ith Irre?
sponsible enterprises and I urn sure
that In this po Itlon you will ugree
with me.
I think \\|th you. that the time Is
atmospheric nitrogen and the small
STUDIES DEFENSE PLANS.
PRF.sidfnt OCOOTOED ON BROAD
PROGRAM,
To Consult Chairmen of Naval and
MHitai > Committee on Scheme or
Action?Hc|H?rlH on Hand.
r. rnlsh, N. H.. Auk- 5.?Aiming at
developing a broad and convincing
programme of national defense which
will meet with the approval of con?
gress, President Wilson is planning to
cooperate with the chairmen Of the
military and naval affair* committees
of the senate und house as well as
with Secretaries Garrison and Dan?
iels before finally deciding on recom?
mendation to make in his next mes?
sage to congress.
The president told friends here to?
day that while he had made no def?
inite plans for consulting with the
chairmen of the committees interested
in national defense, he would ar?
range, to see them before congress
convenes to unite on a siagle pro?
gramme of action.
When the president sees the chair?
men of the four committees he ex?
pects to have before him reports be?
ing prepared by the heads of ths
war and navy departments who are
expected to take part in the confer?
ence. The president already has writ?
ten to Chairman Padgett of the house
naval affairs committee inviting him
to meet him on the president's re?
turn to Washington. While he did
not say tonight whether he had writ?
ten similar letters to the chairmen of
the other committees, It was reported
he had done so.
The president believes the time has
come for the United States to decide
on a definite programme of national
defense. He will not decide in his
own mind on the kind of programme
required until he has thoroughly ex?
amined the reports of Mr. Garrison
and Mr. Daniel* and has received the
views of the congressional leaders.
The president expects members of the
military and naval committees to
glv?. and receive Ideas before the ap?
propriation bills containing army and
navy Items come up for uiscusslon.
The plan of the president Is to con?
sider carefully a programme of na?
tional defense after free consultation
with others and then to throw the
entire weight of the aduinlstratlon
behind the policy agreed on. The
president opposes a policy of "mili?
tarism" but thinks the United States
should be defended.
The report of Socretarlen Garri?
son and Daniels are expected to be
ready next week.
I:\IM.I K HKTIKI.S TODAY.
Comninmled Atlantic licet at Vera
Cruz Occu|m!tloii.
Washington. Aug. I,?Hear Admiral
Charles J. Hadger will retire tomor?
row on account of age, but will con?
tinue on duty Indefinitely in connec?
tion with the army and navy joint
board and the navy general board,
which are working out national de?
fence problems. Admiral Badger was
comander-ln-chlef of the Atlantic fleet
from January 4, 1913, until after its
return from the Mexican Gulf coast at
the time of th? American occupation
of Vera Cruz.
MOTHER DROWNS CHILDREN.
Awl Then l*en|>* Into Well 'Herself.
I n-ntsvllle, Ala., Aug. I,?Mrs. Lee
Tatum, 30 years old, drowned her
four children by throwing them into
a flfty-tioot well on her farm, near
here, and then committed suicide by
jumping Into the well, according to
word received here today. She Is be?
lieved to have been temporarily insane.
The eldest child was if years old, the
youngest 4 months.
at hand when the opportunity Is ripe
for work of this kind to be done und
the department is willing to cooperate
M f ir as we can under the law and
with our appropriation, but only in
the eVOOl that responsible commercial
linns shall bear the chief burden and
responsibility of developing the meth?
ods' und meuns by which the Work
in.ist eventually be placed upon a
sound basis.
It is a surprise to me that under
the circumstances these firms have
not already given evidence of serious
Inten! which this deportment could
IsSVe rOCOSjntSCd as a basis for Coop?
erative effort."
ConsTTOsssnnn Lever feels confident
that in the not distant future the
fertiliser people and oonunereisl in?
terest* will take up the all-important
work <>f developing the natural re?
sources of the country?especially
?JOng the HMOS sutfRested in Mr. lions
ton's letter, it will moon a savins,
oi millions of dollars annually to the
formen of the nation; und, besides,
it Will help further to establish and
prove to foreign Interest! that Amer
ica is not dependent upon them i"t
pOtSSh. Ml. LeVOC expects to con?
tinue bis cfforti to develop this.
Industry. Whleh will be, he thinks,
one of the grontost doom to Agricul?
ture in tin- history of the country.
PELLAGRA GASES DISCUSSED
situation at EP WORTH or
PHANAGE is outlined.
Symptoms in Most OMM Occurring
This Year lluve Subsided, Physician
S?y>?Will Tost out Diet Treatment.
Columbia, Aug. I.? II. W. Rice, IC.
D., acting physician to Bpworth or?
phanage, made a statement as follows
yesterday, regarding the prevalence of
pcllagara in that institution and the
measures to be taken for control of
the disease under the direction of the
United States public health service:
"Since the announcement that there
were from '75 to 100' cases of pel?
lagra in Epworth orphanage and that
the public health service of the United
States government was to try out the
theory there that the disease can be
prevented by a properly balanced
diet, inquiries have come to me, as
physician to the orphanage, for in?
formation as to the situation there.
"As a matter of fact there has been
one or more attacks of pellagra in
more than 150 children now inmates
of the orphanage. There have been
no deaths, and except among a few
of the 110 cases this year, all symp?
toms of the disease have subsided.
"The object of the government is to
supply constantly to all the children
a highly nutritious, well proportioned
diet, such as we have found to be
markedly etllcacious in the treatment
of those sick of pelagra. It is ex?
pected that this plan will prevent the
usual seasonal recurrence of the dis?
ease in the orphanage. If the experi?
ment is successful, as shown erse-1
where, then it will be incumbent upon
such institutions in the State to fur?
nish a proper diet along lines indi?
cated by the results In this instance.
"Aside from the benefits to this par?
ticular orphanage, it may be an ed?
ucative measure of far-reaching con?
sequences to the people of the State."
"PUBLIC DEFENDER" IN GEOR?
GIA.
Now Court Officer for Cities of Over
One Hundred Thoiisaml Population.
Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 5.?A bill creat?
ing the office of "public defender" in
counties of over 101,000 population
was passed unanimously by the Geor?
gia State senate here today. It al?
ready had passed the house.
The bill provides that the "public
defender" shall be elected by a Vote
of the people. Until the general elec?
tion in IfII the governor is author?
ized to appoint some one to fill the
of lice.
The duties of the public defender,
according to the provisions of the bill,
will be to defend all persons charged
with crime in the higher courts,
unless he shall be convinced of the
defendant's guilt. His duties will not
extend to the police courts.
The "defender' is given a bailiff
to assist him.
SUIT FOR DACIA COMPROMISED.
Action by Ship Broken Against Own?
ers of Captured Vessel is Settled.
New York, Aug. 5.?A suit filed
here by E. V. Novelly and company,
ship brokers, against K. N. Hroitung,
owner of the steamship Dacia, seized
by a French cruiser while bound from
Galveston to Rotterdam, was com?
promised today. The terms* were not
made public.
Novelly & Co., claimed they held
an option on the Dacia at the time
Of her sale by the Hamburg-American
line and had procured the ship's
cargo. The French government paid
for the Daola'l cargo and a French
court has confirmed the vessel's
seizure.
FLORENCE BONDS SOLI).
First National Hank Buys Entire Issue
Florence, Aug. 5.?City and school
bonds to the amount of $222,000 were
?Old here yesterday evening at a
premium of 1.10*100 above par and
the whole issue was bought by the
Pirat National bank of this city. The
bonds hear the rate of 6 per cent,
interest and mature In 40 and 20
years. There were several other bids,
among them the Palmetto Bank and
Trust company, the Commercial and
Saving hank and the City Savings
bank of this city, besides there were
a few OUtslde bids offered. < >f the
above amount $52,000 Is for the erec?
tion of a new school bullding Und
I ISO.000 Is for paying oft in?
debtedness and making further street
improvements.
\\tnn>hnro Man Goes to England.
Mr. Roherl F. flooding spent several
days here this week with home folks
before leasing for England. Mr.
Qoodlng is an electrical engineer sind
has a position with the WeotlnghoUSC
Electrical Co., of Pittsburgh, who are
now sending him to England to super?
intend some work that Ihey have con?
tracts for. Mi. Qoodlng has prepared
plans and superintended the Installa?
tion of some extensive electrical
pi.nits in this country. Wlnnsboro
News and Herald.
CONFERENCE FAILS TO ACT.
GENERAL SCOTT STARTS FOR
MEXICAN BORDER TO CON?
FER WITH VILLA.
Pun-Arm ricans Agree With Wilson's
Plan?Conference Decide* Upon
Form of Note to Re Addressed to
Mexican People.
Washington, Aug. G.?The Pan
American conference considering
means to restore peace to Mexico ad?
journed today after having developed
no divergence of opinion as to its gen?
eral purpose, but leaving undecided
the exact course to be pursued. It
will probably reassemble in New
York probably early next week.
Meanwhile the Latin-American dip?
lomats will communicate with their
governments, and Secretary Lansing
will confer with President Wilson.
It was reported tonight that the
general form of the final appeal to the
factional leaders had been agreed up?
on by the conferees and adjournment
taken while Mr. Lansing laid it be?
fore the president. The secretary was
said to be at work on a draft of the
appeal tonight, in consultation with
Secretary Lane, who is kept in close
touch with the Mexican situation. The
appeal will be addressed to the Mex?
ican people. Copies will be presented
to the various Mexican leaders, to
the governors of the Mexican states,
without regard to the faction they
represent, and olso be circulated
throughout Mexico by American and
Latin-American consular officers,
bearing the ratification of all South
and Central American governments.
Two days of conferences and hear?
ing reports have brought all the parti?
cipant! In accord with President Wil?
son's general plan, which is premised
on the fact that the great majority of
the people of Mexico desire peace,
which to be lasting must tfo beyond
consideration of those who have fur?
thered their plans through force of
arms..
The conferees were impressed that
while the arm od forces are in position
to keep the country in a state of tur?
moil, they are, nevertheless, only a
small proportion of the people of
Mexico.
While all the participants are in
sympathy with the president'! plan to
Induce the military factions to enter
another peace conference and have
signified their Willingness to cooperate
with it to the fullest extent, the South
Americans are not sanguine of success
unless some way can be found for the
elimination of the military leaders
and the recognition of all classes In
Mexico.
It is realized that there are ques?
tions of vast moment, when consider?
ed in the light of Mexico's Internation?
al obligations und the responsibilities
oi the nations.which are preparing to
sponsor her rehabilitation, that can?
not be determined in any brief confer?
ences, but must be the subject of de?
liberation.
Foremost is the extent to which the
claims of the military chiefs shall be
considered, and what concessions be?
tween them can be arranged. One de?
velopment which emphasized that
feature was the dispatch tonight of
Major Gen. Scott, chief of staff of
the army, to the Mexican border to
confer with Gen. Villa.
The war department refused to com?
ment on Gen. Scott's mission, and it
was said there that no statement
would be made by the State depart?
ment. After a Conference between
Gen. Scott and Secretary Lansing and
Acting Secretary Hrockinridge, of the
war department, it was said the gen?
eral was going to readjust the Ameri?
can forces In the light of recent de?
velopments which have threatened at?
tacks on border towns. It was gen?
erally believed, however, that Gen.
Scott in whom Gen. Villa has express?
ed confidence, and to whom he often
has turned for advice, will outline to
the northern chieftain the need of
consideration for the other factions.
This was taken to indicate that some
of the conferees were impressed that
the military successes and the extent
of territory conquered by Gen. Car
ransa would entitle him to a greater
measure of consideration than Gen.
Villa has been Inclined to admit.
Another point is the extent to which
the business and industrial element,
sometimes called the Cientificos, must
be taken Into consideration, it is
being urged in their behalf that most
of them have not been identified with
any military activity. A preliminary
conference at the Argentine embas
sy, w hich was attended by Bduardo
Iturblde, former governor of the Fed?
eral district of Mexico, and general?
ly accredited a representative of the
upper class of Mexico, indicated that
ibis view was given weight especially
by the three embassadors of the a. u.
C. powers, who dealt with this subject
at the Niagara Falls conference lust
summer.
No official announcement was made
of the proceeding! today and the par?
ticipants declined to discuss details of
their deliberations, Some, however,
bail no hesitancy in saying that there
bad been progress and that they liked
PRESIDENT TO PROBE INCOMPE?
TENCE IX STEAMBOAT IN?
SPECTION SERVICE.
Many Difficulties for Executive to
Solve on His Speedy Return to Cap?
ital?Cotton Growers Demand for
Freedom of Seas and Importation.
Washington, August 9.?Domestic
rather than international problems
will cause President Wilson to return
to Washington soon. Overshadowing
everything else is the newly discover?
ed incompetence of the steam boat in?
spection service and the demand of
organized labor thai there be no
whitewash of the investigation. The
civil service and subordinate com?
merce department resent Redfield's
statement that he inherited the bad
condition. A drastic probe personally
directed by Pres. Wilson is expected.
The so called failures of the tariff
bill, the treasury deficit, national de?
fense and the demands of Southern
cotton men lor the freedom of the
seas, as well as the bonier situation
will also receive attention.
AMERICAN REGISTRY FOR SIIII?S.
Foreign Built Vessels Purchased With
German Money for American Traim
Atlantlc Company.
Washington, Aug. 6.?Provisional
American registry was granted today
to two more of the fleet of foreign
built ships purchased for the Amer?
ican Trans-Atlantic company with
money furnished by Hugo Stinnes of
Ksson, Germany, according to infor?
mation at the department of com?
merce. They are the Lapland, at
Harrow, England, and the Solvelg, de?
tained at Marseilles, France. Both
are under the Norwegian flag.
Registry of three other ships for
which application was made by the
company has been held up pending
technical formalities. Investigation
also is in progress as to the exact cir?
cumstances of the sale of the Suugar
land, for which provisional registry
has been granted, a question as to
the transfer having been raised.
LOOK FOB EXPLOSIVES.
Authorities Search Baggage Bound for
Europe.
New York, Aug. 7.?Baggage of
lean liner St. Louis today was care
each of the 670 passengers who left
here for Liverpool aboard the Amer
fully searohed for explosives. The
passenger list was the largest in a
long time. Throe Americans were
among the 11!? passengers sailing for
Glasgow on the Anchor liner Cainero
nia. The steamer carried a large
cargo of war supplies.
I.oral Option Wins in Kentucky.
Louisville, August 9.?All county
option candidates were chosen in Sat?
urday's primary. Stanley was select?
ed as the gubernatorial nominee.
the general plan of the American gov?
ernment.
in the conference today there were
Secretary Lansing, Paul Puller, Presi?
dent Wilson's unofficial adviser in
Mexican affairs, and the diplomatic
representatives of Argentina, Brazil,
Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay and Guate?
mala. At the conclusion of a session
lasting three hours Secretary Lansing
said there was nothing to be announc?
ed except that the conference would
be continued in New York. lie will
notify the diplomats when he is ready
to resume. New York, he said, was
selected for the convenience of the
diplomats, many of whom have sum?
mer places near there.
There was no change in the first
step to send final representations to
the military leaders, and to Gen. Car
ranza in particular, demanding, for
the sake of the millions of non-com?
batants, that they form a new govern?
ment that can be recognized and sup?
ported by the American nations and
the world.
An alternative proposes the selection
of a strong man for president, whom
a majority of the people would sup?
port, one who has not been engaged
in the civil warfare would be insisted
upon. That the plan might necessi?
tate an embargo on munitions of war
to any faction which refuses to rec?
ognise the new government is prob?
able.
Rumors that a breach had occurred
over personalities were emphatically
denied, and it was said the discussion
had not yel leached the stage where
[the presidency was being considered,
The statu Gen. Carranxa and Gen.
Villa was freely considered and de?
bated. The tact that ("arranza has re?
fused to confer with his adversaries
whom he considers conquered was
discussed.
Questions of International law, va*
rious provisions of the Mexican Con*
stitutlon and the probability thai many
of Cnrranxu's adherents might not
follow him into defiance of a gen?
uine Pan-American effort to restore
pence and government in their coun?
try .ire to be oarelnlh studied before
the linul programme is decided.
INCREASE IN USE OF LINIERS
VAM'E OF 1911 COTTON CROP
ESTIMATE!) AT $7 I9,S81,978.
Hester States That ?95,000 Rales of
Linters Were Fhcd During Season?
Value of Crop, Including Seed, not
as Great as VOW Previous.
New Orleans, Aug. 7.?Tn a final re?
port on the cotton crop of 1914-1915,
(I, 13. Hester, secretary of the New
Orleans Cotton Exchange, shows that
while 17,004,000 hales were grown,
the commercial crop was only 15,108,
111 hales, and that the value of the
crop, including seed, was $749,384,
?78 as against $1,134,444,114 for the
preceding crop. As to how much this
falling off was due to the war and
how much to the fact that the produc?
tion was the largest ever recorded
there is considerable difference of
opinion in cotton circles.
The crop is spoken of as running
remarkably even in grade, aveiaging
middling, without a superabundance
of the higher or the lower grades. The
average price per pound for middling
during the year was 7.S4 cents, against
13.49 during the preceding year.
A feature of the report which prov?
ed of special interest to the trade con?
cerned the use of linters, that part of
the crop which enters into the manu?
facture of explosives. It had been con?
tended from the first of the season
that the consumption of cotton would
be greatly increased by the war.
From a monthly average of 26,000
bales of linters during the first half of
the season, the consumption jumped
to 40,000 bales during the second
half. Linters consumed during the
season amounted to 395,000 bales, in
increase of 86,000 over last year.
During the period of low prices both
Northern and Southern spinners
bought freely, and their aggregate
takings were 6.354.0U0 bales, a new
hi^h record for the mills of this coun?
try.
While the year opened with doubt
and uncertainty for the American
mills, great activity came later with
the result that in the South new high
marks for consumption were reached,
the consumption in the Southern group
of mills exceeding the previous rec?
ord, made last year, by 100,000 bales.
The South consumed 3,163,000 bales,
the North 2,618,000 and the entire
world 14,134,000.
Dividing the commercial crop into
States, Texas easily leads with 4,619,
000 bales, and Georgia comes second
with 2,440,000.
Dividing consumption in the South,
North Carolina leads with 918,192
bales, while South Carolina comes sec?
ond with 825,838.
The maximum consumption in the
South occurred in June, when the off?
take was 300,000 bales. This would
mean that should the maximum con?
sumption be extended over the year
the,South has a consuming capacity at
present of 3,600,000 bales.
TWO BURGEONS DROWNED.
Four Perish When Roat Capsizes at
Wilmington.
Wilmington, N. C, Aug. 8.?Four
persons were drowned here today
when their motor boat capsized. They
were J. H. Bcrnemann, Jr., assistant
to the chief surgeon of the Atlantic
('oast Line; Dr. Morris M. Caldwell,
resident surgeon of the Seaboard Air
Line; Clell Caldwell, of Concord, N.
C, brother of Dr. Cardwell, and Chief
Engineer Warwell, of the German
steamer Nicaria. The party was on
its way to visit one of the German
steamers.
VILLA ISSUES STATEMENT.
Says He is Willing to Follow Wilson s
Suggestion.
El Paso, Aug. 7.?Gen. Villa has de?
ferred his departure for Torreon to
await the arrival of Gen. Scott. In a
statement issued today he declared he
is willing to follow any suggestions of
fered by President Wilson and the A.
II. C. delegates which promise tobring
peace, '"If need be, 1 will resign." de?
clared Villa. "But Csrranss must re?
sign too. i am glad Gen. Scott Is
Coming. He will undoubtedly settle
all differences between American min?
ing men ami merchants and my gov?
ernment."
Ml I Ol (.III l\ HEATS WILLIAMS.
Has Little Trouble With National
Lawn Tennis Champion.
Itoston, Aug. 6.?Maurice B. Mc?
laughlin, ot San Francisco, defeated
I?. Norrts Williams. 2nd, of Boston, the
i
national lawn tennis champion, in the
challenge match for the Longwood
bowl today. The match was played on
a slippery court. The score was 6-:?,
8-3, 2-0, 6-2.
TO HE C ARDINAL IRELAND.
American Archbishop to Im? Es?TtttCd
to Sacred College.
Far -. Auk. 7.?A Rome dispatch
says that Archbishop Ireland will be
made a cardinal at the next consis?
tory.